ASUS P4P800S SE architecture

Evgenie Rudometov

http://www.rudometov.com

On the basis of Intel chip set 848P, supporting one-channel patterns of a subsystem of dynamic storage, ASUSTeK corporation develops and releases motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE. This card is oriented by its creators as a basis for inexpensive, but rather efficient computers.

Not only to experts, but also nonprofessional users well-known, that the models of motherboards presented today in the computer market differ both the architecture, and functionality, and design. The product price, eventually, depends on a collection of these characteristics, and accordingly and the price of the future computer.

Understanding great value of the motherboard for reliable and the computer system productive work, many users select expensive models with the big number of the built in controllers and a wide band of functionality. However quite often possibilities topovyh models are redundant. In such cases it is necessary to search for an optimal variant among the budgetary solutions possessing rather low price.

It is necessary to mark, that, selecting inexpensive motherboards, it is not necessary to endow such important parametres as stability and dependability of operation. And it is possible if to select suitable variants among the products created by well-known corporations, whose reputation is high enough.

One of such corporations is ASUSTeK which releases not only expensive vysokointegrirovannye products, but also production which thanks to rather low prices can be carried to the budgetary.

Motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE created on the basis of a chip set of Intel 848P concerns such products.

Intel chip set 848P motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE

Fig. 1. Structure of the computer created on the basis of a chip set of Intel 848P

Intel chip set 848P (i848P) is oriented to development of desktop personal computers. Supports processors of Intel of Pentium 4 with processing technique Hyper-Threading, 0,13 microns created on processing technique hooked up through Socket 478 plug and working with bus FSB of type QPB (Quad-Pumped Bus). It is a chip set (the chipset of system logic) it is calculated for clock rate 100, 133 and 200 MHz that provides a transmission frequency of data 400, 533, 800 MHz. Besides, in the documentation, describing chip set I848P, recently have brought addition, that the given chip set is capable to support operation and processors of Pentiums  4 created on the basis of kernel Prescott (processing technique of 90 nanometers, 1 Mb of cache memory L2).

The chip set i848P is created on the basis of set I865PE which known earlier as Springdale and is a leader of the bar i865.

The base package of chip set I848P consists of Intel chips 82848P Memory Controller Hub (MCH) and Intel 82801EB (ICH5). As the second chip improved variant ICH5 — Intel 82801ER (ICH5R), possessing the expanded possibilities of operation from a disk subsystem of memory can use .

It is necessary to mark, that chip set I848P, as well as bar sets i865, it is not supported (officially and actually, contrary to marketing messages of some manufacturers of motherboards) processing technique PAT providing high efficiency of operation of a subsystem of dynamic storage and realised in a set i875P. Besides, enumerated chip sets do not support also error correction operations — ECC.

Chip MCH contains the controllers giving interfaces with high capacity in the structure. These controllers control the system bus with data transfer with frequency of 800 MHz and one-channel memory DDR SDRAM (in bar I865 sets two-channel memory DDRSDRAM uses). Besides, they will organise operation of graphic interface AGP8X and communication facilities with a chip of input/output ICH. Feature of a chip set, as well as bar I865 sets, support of resources of the architecture of Intel Communication Streaming Architecture with the interface on the basis of the selected network bus (Dedicated Network Bus, DNB), providing data transfer under standard Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) is.

Chip MCH of chip set I848P supports an one-channel subsystem of dynamic storage DDR266, DDR333 and DDR400 by total amount to 2 Gbytes at 2 DIMM. Besides, AGP 8Х, bus CSA (for chips IntelGigabit Ethernet).

82801EB / Intels 82801ER (ICH5 / ICH5R) are supported by Intel chips to 6 arrangements PCI Busmaster, AC ' the 97-codec ((20 bits, AC ' 97 2.2), 8 ports USB 2.0, 4 arrangements IDE with a parallel interface to ATA/100, 2 arrangements IDE with interface Serial ATA-150. At chip usage (the southern bridge) ICH5R multiplexing of disk drives of interface Serial ATA-150 in array RAID  0 or RAID  1 is possible  .

Table 1. Comparative characteristics of chips MCH which is a part of chip sets i865PE and I848P

Parametres	i865PE	I848P
Chips MCH	i82865PE MCH	i82848P MCH
Processors	Intel OF PENTIUM 4	Intel OF PENTIUM 4
Hyper Threading	Yes	Yes
The processor bus, MHz	800/533/400	800/533/400
Dynamic storage	DDR400/333/266	DDR400/333/266
Memory channels	2	1
Max. Kol-in units	4 DIMM	2 DIMM
ECC	No	No
Move. A memory size, a Gbyte	4	2
AGP	8X/4X	8X/4X
The built in drawing	No	No
Bus DNB	266 Mb per second	266 Mb per second
The local bus	266 Mb per second	266 Mb per second
Parametres	i865PE	I848P
Chips ICH5/ICH5R	i82801EB/i82801ER	i82801EB/i82801ER
The local bus	266 Mb per second	266 Mb per second
Version PCI	PCI 2.3	PCI 2.3
PCI Masters	6	6
Interface IDE	Ultra ATA/100	Ultra ATA/100
Serial ATA	2 ports, ATA/100	2 ports, ATA/100
RAID	Only with ICH5R	Only with ICH5R
USB	8 ports USB 2.0	8 ports USB 2.0
AC ’ 97 2.2	20-bit Audiosystem	20-bit Audiosystem
Super I/O	LPC	LPC

The set of motherboards ASUS P4P800S

Before to pass to the description of the architecture and design of motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE, it is necessary to mark, that there are some variants of the cards carrying name ASUS P4P800S.

From these cards of the most sated units and possessing a maximum band of functionality is, perhaps, motherboard ASUS P4P800S-E Deluxe. This card has support Serial ATA RAID, IEEE1394 and Gigabit Ethernet.

But this card, and on it it is necessary to pay special attention, absolutely other product. Motherboard ASUS P4P800S-E Deluxe unlike ASUS P4P800S SE has more complete complete set, and, accordingly, higher price.

Here it will be a question only of motherboard ASUSP4P800S SE intended as a basis for inexpensive computer systems.

The main technical parametres of motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE

Fig. 2. Motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE

Fig. 3. External (Back plugs of motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE

The processor

·        support of processors of Intel of Pentium 4 (kernel Northwood, 512 Kbytes of cache memory L2) in 478-contact tank mPGA with clock rate to 3,6 GHz +, processing technique Hyper-Threading and with the processor bus FSB of type QPB providing transmission frequencies of data 400, 533, 800 MHz;

·        support of processors of Intel Celeron (kernel Northwood, 128 Kbytes of cache memory L2) in 478-contact tank mPGA,

·        support of processors of Intel of Pentium  4 (kernel Prescott, 1 Mb of cache memory L2) in 478-contact tank mPGA.

Chip set

·        Intel 82848P MCH (MCH) + Intel 82801EB (ICH5).

Dynamic storage

·        Are supported one channel of dynamic storage with the units installed in two DIMM DDR SDRAM slots (184 contact electrodes, 2,5 In, unbuffered, without ECC),

·        units of dynamic storage of type DDR 400, DDR333, DDR266, maximum size of a subsystem of memory — to 2 Gbytes.

Video

·        one general-purpose 1,5 plug or 0,8 In AGP 3.0 with support of mode AGP 8X/4X.

Audio

·       ADI AD888 SoundMAX 6-channel audio CODEC with interface S/PDIF support out.

LAN

·        the integrated network controller of Realtek corporation — RTL8100C 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet controller with an output on standard network RJ-45 plug.

USB

·        a maximum eight (4 external and 2+2 internal) USB 2 plugs.

Interfaces of disk drives

·        two connectors Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33;

·        two connectors Serial ATA-150.

System BIOS

·        3 Mбит Flash ROM, AMI BIOS.

Slots

·        one AGP slot;

·        five PCI slots.

Peripherals plugs external

·        one Parallel plug;

·        one Serial plug;

·        one PS/2 plug of the keyboard;

·        one PS/2 plug of the mouse;

·        four USB 2.0 plugs;

·        one RJ-45 plug;

·        one S/PDIF Out plug;

·        audioplugs (Speaker, Line-Out, Line-In, Mic-In, Center/Sub-woofer).

Peripherals plugs internal

·        two USB 2.0 plugs for four additional ports;

·        one CPU/Cassis fan plug;

·        one 20-pin ATX plug;

·        one 4-pin ATX 12V plug;

·        one 20-pin panel plug;

·        CD/AUX/MODEM plugs;

·        Game/MIDI plugs.

Monitoring of hardware

·        monitoring of powers and temperatures.

Special functions

·       ASUS MyLogo,

·       ASUS EZ Flash,

·       ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall),

·       ASUS Instant Music-Lite,

·       ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2.

AI Overclocking

·       AI Overclocking,

·       ASUS JumperFree,

·        Regulation of power CPU,

·        Change of clock rate,

·        Regulation FSB/DDR and arresting AGP/PCI,

·       ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall).

Form factor

·        ATX, the sizes 30,5 x 20,8 see

Structure of a package of motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE

Into package structure enter:

·        a box;

·        motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE;

·        a compact disc with drivers and utilities;

·        the user manual (User Guide) in English;

·        the quick reference guide (Quick Start Guide) in five languages, including Russian;

·        the cover plate of input/output corresponding to specification ATX;

·        cable Floppy-dikovoda;

·        cable UltraDMA 133/100/66;

·        firm stickers.

The architecture and motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE parametres are described in the order bookings. Entirety and quality of the documentation allow not only to familiarise with potential possibilities of the motherboard, but also renders the essential help in customisation of hardware-software resources of the computer.

Features of the architecture and design of motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE

The design of motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE as a whole corresponds to the settled traditions defined by referens-design.

Fig. 4. Motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE structure

In the system created on the basis of the given card, usage of processors of Intel of Pentium 4 with processing technique Hyper-Threading and the bus with a transmission frequency of the given 800 MHz is recommended  . It provides reaching of a maximum level of computer power. However usage and less efficient models of processors of same NetBurst architecture is possible. It can be the models calculated for the bus of 533 MHz and even of 400 MHz. Though Intel chip set 848P is taken up a position as the chipset for the processors supporting processing technique Hyper-Threading, together with motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE probably application of models in which this processing technique is not supported. For example, together with this card can be maintained and models of processors of Intel Celeron of NetBurst architecture. However it is necessary to recognise, that this variant does not provide high levels of productivity of system which can be reached with powerful processors IntelPentium  4.

Except the specified processors, according to the order bookings, the models created on the basis of kernel Prescott can be used. However, thus not konretizirujutsja variants.

Parsing a spectrum of possible models of processors, it is not necessary to forget and about a dynamic storage subsystem. According to possibilities of a used chip set of Intel 848P the functional mode of memory modules DDR SDRAM can be only one-channel (at a transmission frequency of the given 800 MHz and memory modules DDR400 the pass-band makes 3,2 Gbytes/c). Thus operation of memory modules DDR SDRAM can be or synchronous — clock rate of operation of memory modules coincides with clock rate FSB, or asynchronous — clock rate differs from frequency FSB.

Fig. 5. Chip North Bridge with cooling resources

Estimating high-speed parametres of a subsystem of dynamic storage, it is necessary to add, that though the most high-speed units are DDR400, can use both DDR333, and DDR266. It is necessary to add, that frequency functional modes of memory modules are set in BIOS Setup the given motherboard. In the same place it is possible to instal the parametres defining tajmingi operations of used units that provides implementation of their hidden potential and rise of productivity of system.

For handle of input\output devices the second chip which is a part of the used chip set traditionally responds. As the given chip Intel 82801EB (ICH5), well-known both to implementators, and users uses.

Fig. 6. Intel chip 82801EB (ICH5) a chip set i848P, responsible for input/output

In the architecture of motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE by means of the integrated controllers the set of the functions accessible only several years ago is realised is exclusive by means of the built in resources which are a part of expansion cards.

Intel chip 82801EB (ICH5) allows the user to create different patterns of a disk subsystem. Thus disk drives can be hooked up, as by means of traditional interface Parallel ATA/100, and serial interface Serial ATA-150. Here it is necessary to remind, that Serial ATA is the standard ATA of a new generation providing scaled productivity, necessary for problem solving both today's, and tomorrow. Possessing capacity in 150 Mb per second, Serial ATA faster present widespread standard Parallel ATA, possessing thus 100 % a software compatibility with the last.

Fig. 7. ROM BIOS chips, ICH5, Parallel ATA/100 plug and two Serial ATA plugs

The important attribute of the modern computer are the developed multimedia possibilities. One of making data of resources are audioresources. In the motherboard they are presented by chip ADI AD888 SoundMAX 6-channel audio CODEC with interface S/PDIF support out. The Given integrated controller provides a six-channel sound rather excellence.

Network controller Realtek RTL8100C is built in the motherboard architecture 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet controller with an output on standard network RJ-45 plug. The given built in network controller provides data transfer with frequency to 100 Mbit/with. He allows to hook up easily through built in RJ-45 plug the computer to a local area network.

Integrated into structure of ASUS P4P800S SE architecture chip Winbond W83627 THF-A realises possibilities SuperI/O.

In motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE architecture support of the big number of ports of standard USB 2.0 is provided , four of which is standardly output on a backboard. Estimating possibilities of the given ports, it is necessary to remind, that the bus of this standard gives a high-speed way for hooking up of arrangements of a new generation. Providing return compatibility with arrangements USB 1.1, bus USB 2.0 in forty times faster the predecessor. Speed USB 2.0 makes 480 Mbit/with while USB 1.1 provides only 12 Mbit/with. For this reason USB 2.0 is ideal solution for connection to the motherboard of the computer of the peripherals working on the big transfer rates.

Paying considerable attention to rise of productivity of the products, implementators of ASUSTeK corporation have inserted a number of functions of computers facilitating maintenance. So, for example, in the architecture of a firmware of the given motherboard resources of rise of dependability and stability of operation of the computer system created on the basis of this card are provided. Even in case of glitch or loss of the information which sometimes occur by operation BIOS, processing technique ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 allows to reboot and fulfil intellectual function of selfrecovery BIOS with the help a compact set of a disk of support of the motherboard. Firm development ASUS EZ Flash is intended the similar purpose

As well as all motherboards of the given corporation, ASUS P4P800S SE supports dispersal modes (overclocking). For enthusiasts of dispersal there is a possibility of installation of the forced functional modes of the central processor unit, dynamic storage, video resources. So, for example, ASUS P4P800S SE allows to increase frequency FSB from the minimum value of 100 MHz to 400 MHz with step 1 MHz. Besides, there is a possibility to raise a supply voltage on the processor from 1,55 In to 1,95 In with step 0,0125 Century

Besides, it is possible to change over a wide range dividers or to fix frequency of buses PCI/AGP,

Further rise of productivity is carried out at the expense of optimisation of operation of units of dynamic storage. In BIOSSetup there is a possibility of regulation tajmingov operations of memory modules: CASLatency, Activeto Precharge Delay, DramRAS # toCAS # Delay, DramRAS # Precharge.

Rise of dependability and stability of operation is promoted by implementation of the hardware monitoring providing measurement and output to the screen of values of supply voltages, and also speeds of rotation of cooling fans. This possibility considerably simplifies the control of hardware of the computer especially in case of usage of modes of dispersal.

Levels of standard power rails +3,3, +5 and +12 In, values of temperature of the processor and the motherboard, a rotating speed of two are inspected a number of the major parametres, among which supply voltage of a kernel of processor Vcore .

One more feature of ASUS P4P800S SE architecture is usage of a three-channel variant of a pulse converter of powers — VRM. In the given surge protector 6 capacitors on 1500 mkf and 3 on 1200 mkf are applied .

Fig. 8. A three-channel pulse converter of powers (VRM) motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE

Converter VRM is allocated traditionally between the processor and input/output plugs.

Considering features of power supplies, it is necessary to mark, that on the given motherboard except VRM there are also separate stabilising devices of power supply of buses AGP and dynamic storage units.

In conclusion of the given browse, it is necessary to mark, that testing has shown high stability of operation of motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE and its rather high productivity which in a number of tests practically did not concede to solutions on the basis of two-channel chip set I865PE. Considering rather low price of card ASUS P4P800S SE, it is possible to recommend it as a basis of inexpensive computers.

Motherboard ASUS P4P800S SE package is given by the Moscow representation of ASUSTeK corporation