II. FEATURES

Introduction to ASUS Smart Motherboards

Performance

•SDRAM Optimized Performance: The ASUS Smart Motherboards support the new generation memory—Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM)—which increases the data transfer rate from 264MB/s max using EDO memory to 528MB/s max.

•Double the IDE Transfer Speed: The ASUS Smart Motherboards with Intel PIIX4 PCIset improves IDE transfer rate using Bus Master UltraDMA/33 IDE, which can handle data transfers up to 33MB/s. This new technology is compat- ible with existing ATA-2 IDE specifications so there is no need to upgrade cur- rent hard disk drives or cables.

•Concurrent PCI: Concurrent PCI allows multiple PCI transfers from PCI mas- ter busses to memory to CPU.

•ACPI Ready:ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) is also imple- mented on all ASUS Smart Motherboards. ACPI provides more Energy Saving Features for future operating systems (OS) supporting OS Direct Power Man- agement (OSPM) functionality. With these features implemented in the OS, PCs can be ready around-the-clock, yet satisfy all the energy saving standards. To fully utilize the benefits of ACPI, an ACPI-supported OS, such as the successor to Windows 95, must be used.

•PC ’97 Compliant: Both the BIOS and hardware levels of ASUS Smart Moth- erboards meet PC ’97 compliancy. The new PC ’97 requirements for systems and components are based on the following high-level goals: support for Plug and Play compatibility and power management for configuring and managing all system components, and 32-bit device drivers and installation procedures for both Windows 95 and Windows NT.

Intelligence (with optional LM78 Hardware Monitor only):

•Fan Status Monitoring and Alarm: To prevent system overheat and system damage, the CPU fan and system fans are monitored for RPM and failure. Each fan can be set for its normal RPM range and alarm thresholds.

•Voltage Monitoring and Alert: System voltage levels are monitored to ensure stable current to critical motherboard components. Voltage specifications are more critical for future processors, so monitoring is necessary to ensure proper system configuration and management.

Smart MotherboardII. FEATURES

ASUS P2L97-DS User’s Manual

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