Intel®440GX AGPset Platform Reference Design

Power Connectors Front Panel Jumpers

32

This page shows the system ATX power connector, hardware reset logic, and standard chassis connectors for the hard disk, power LEDs, and speaker output. Included on this page are the dual- color LED circuit required to indicate the system state (either ON, OFF, or any of the suspend states), the 6-pin optional ATX connector, and the Wake-On-LAN header. Note: a CPU Fan Header is required for the Intel Boxed processor. The dual-color LED circuit is also used to reduce the voltage going to the power supply fan, thus decreasing its speed and quieting the system.

Pull-up and Pull-down Resistors

34-35

These pages show pull-up and pull-down resistors for PCI signals, PIIX4E, Slot 1(CMOS), ISA, and AGP signals. Also shown are spare gates.

Decoupling

Capacitors

36-37

Decoupling Caps

38

These pages show de-coupling capacitance used in these schematics as well as the voltage dividers used to provide the GTL reference voltage.

Hardware system manager

39

The LM79 is a hardware system monitor. It monitors voltage regulation, fan RPM and stores POST codes. The device can be accessed via the X-Bus bus or through the PIIX4E SMBus interface. Note the voltage level translation circuitry between the 5-Volt LM79 and the rest of the 3.3-Volt SMBus.

Revision History

40

Changes made to the schematics are listed here underneath the revision where they first appeared and by page number.

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Intel®440GX AGPset Design Guide

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Intel 440GX manual Power Connectors Front Panel Jumpers
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440GX specifications

The Intel 440GX chipset was launched in 1997 as part of Intel's series of chipsets known as the 440 family, and it served as a critical component for various Pentium II and Pentium III-based motherboard architectures. Specifically designed for the second generation of Intel’s processors, the 440GX delivered enhanced performance and supported a range of important technologies that defined PC architectures of its time.

One of the main features of the Intel 440GX was its support for a 100 MHz front-side bus (FSB), which significantly improved data transfer rates between the CPU and the memory subsystem. This advancement allowed the 440GX to accommodate both the original Pentium II processors as well as the later Pentium III chips, providing compatibility and flexibility for system builders and consumers alike.

The 440GX chipset included an integrated AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) controller, which supported AGP 2x speeds. This enabled high-performance graphics cards to be utilized effectively, delivering many enhanced graphics capabilities for gaming and multimedia applications. The AGP interface was crucial at the time as it offered a dedicated pathway for graphics data, increasing bandwidth compared to traditional PCI slots.

In terms of memory support, the 440GX could address up to 512 MB of SDRAM, allowing systems built with this chipset to run comfortably with sufficient memory for the era’s demanding applications. The memory controller was capable of supporting both single and double-sided DIMMs, which provided versatility in memory configuration for system builders.

Another notable feature of the Intel 440GX was its support for multi-processor configurations through its Dual Processors support feature. This allowed enterprise and workstation computers to leverage the performance advantages of multiple CPUs, making the chipset suitable for business and professional environments where multitasking and high-performance computing were essential.

On the connectivity front, the chipset supported up to six PCI slots, enhancing peripheral device integration and expansion capabilities. It also included integrated IDE controllers, facilitating connections for hard drives and CD-ROM devices.

Overall, the Intel 440GX chipset represented a balanced combination of performance, flexibility, and technology advancements for its time. Its introduction helped establish a foundation for subsequent advancements in PC technology and set the stage for more powerful computing systems in the years to come.
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