Motherboard Features

Power Management

The motherboard supports two types of power management — Advanced Power Management (APM) and Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI).

Advanced Power Management (APM)

APM’s energy saving standby mode can be initiated in the following ways:

Specify a time-out period in Setup

Press the suspend/resume switch connected to the front panel sleep connector

Use an operating system option, such as the Suspend menu item in Windows 95

In standby mode, the motherboard can reduce power consumption by spinning down hard drives, and reducing power to or turning off VESADPMS-compliant monitors. Power-management mode can be enabled or disabled in Setup (see Chapter 3).

While in standby mode, the system retains the ability to respond to external interrupts and service requests, such as incoming faxes or network messages. Any keyboard or mouse activity brings the system out of standby mode and immediately restores power to the monitor.

The BIOS enables APM by default; but the operating system must support an APM driver for the power-management features to work. For example, Windows 95 supports the power-management features upon detecting that APM is enabled in the BIOS.

Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)

ACPI gives the operating system direct control over the power management and Plug and Play functions of a computer. ACPI requires an ACPI-aware operating system. ACPI features include:

Plug and Play (including bus and device enumeration) and APM functionality normally contained in the BIOS

Power management control of individual devices, add-in boards (some add-in boards may require an ACPI-aware driver), video monitor, and hard disk drives

Methods for achieving less than 30-watt system operation in the Power On Suspend sleeping state, and less than 5-watt system operation in the Suspend to Disk sleeping state

A Soft-off feature that enables the operating system to power off the computer

Support for multiple wake up events

Support for a front panel power and sleep mode switch

Battery

A battery on the motherboard keeps the clock and the values in CMOS RAM current when your computer is turned off. To replace the battery, see Chapter 2.

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Intel Motherboard, SE400BX Battery, Advanced Power Management APM, Advanced Configuration and Power Interface Acpi

Motherboard, SE400BX specifications

The Intel SE400BX is a high-performance motherboard designed primarily for demanding enterprise applications, delivering reliability and scalability for a wide range of business needs. This board is specifically tailored for use with Intel’s Pentium III and Celeron processors, providing a solid foundation for both server and workstation configurations.

One of its standout features is the support for Intel’s Slot 1 architecture, which allows for easy processor upgrades without the need for complex socket replacement. This flexibility is essential for businesses that require adaptability in their technology to keep pace with evolving workloads.

The SE400BX motherboard is equipped with a versatile Intel 440BX chipset, renowned for its stability and exceptional memory handling capabilities. This chipset supports up to 1GB of SDRAM using the DIMM standard, ensuring that your system has adequate memory bandwidth for multitasking and demanding applications. Additionally, it features dual-channel architecture, enhancing data flow and minimizing bottlenecks, which is critical for high-performance computing tasks.

Storage connectivity is another strong suit of the Intel SE400BX. The motherboard includes an ATA-66 interface, supporting both hard drives and optical devices. With up to four IDE connectors available, it allows for ample storage configuration options, enabling users to set up various RAID configurations for redundancy and increased data access speeds.

In terms of connectivity, the SE400BX offers integrated networking capabilities, including a built-in Ethernet controller, which simplifies installation and eliminates the need for a separate network card for basic networking tasks. This feature makes the motherboard an appealing choice for businesses looking to reduce components while maintaining solid networking performance.

On the expansion front, the motherboard provides three PCI slots, offering ample room for additional cards such as graphics cards, sound cards, or specialized expansion cards for specific business needs. This expandability ensures that businesses can tailor their systems to their own unique requirements without being constrained by the motherboard’s capabilities.

Overall, the Intel SE400BX combines powerful performance, reliability, and essential features that meet the demands of enterprise environments. Its strategic design and advanced technology make it a valuable addition to any business looking to build a robust computing infrastructure.