ATXP-965Q Technical Reference
Chapter 3 – AMIBIOS Setup
Chassis Plans
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Ch a pt e r 3
AM I BI OS Se t u p
The ATXP-965Q motherboard features the American Megatrends AMIBIOS8. The system
configuration parameters are set via the BIOS setup. Since the BIOS Setup resides in the ROM
BIOS, it is available each time the computer is turned on.
American Megatrends’ AMIBIOS8 brand BIOS (Basic Input Output System) pre-boot firmware is the
industry’s standard product used by most designers of X86 computer equipment in the world today.
Its superior combination of configurability and functionality enables it to satisfy the most demanding
ROM BIOS needs for x86 designers. Its modular architecture and high degree of configurability
make it the most flexible BIOS in the world.
When your platform is powered on, AMIBIOS8 tests and initializes the hardware and programs the
chipset and other peripheral components. During this time, Power On Self Test (POST) progress
codes are written by the system BIOS to I/O port 80h, allowing the user to monitor the progress with
a special monitor. Appendix B lists the POST codes and their meanings.
During early POST, no video is available to display error messages should a critical error be
encountered; therefore, POST uses beeps on the speaker to indicate the failure of a critical system
component during this time. Consult Appendix B for a list of Beep codes used by the BIOS.
Starting BIOS Setup
AMIBIOS has been integrated into many motherboards for over a decade. In the past, people often
referred to the AMIBIOS setup menu as BIOS, BIOS setup, or CMOS setup.
To enter the CMOS setup screens, follow the steps below:
1. Power on the motherboard
2. Press the <Del> key on your keyboard when you see the following text prompt:
3. Press DEL to run Setup
4. After you press the <Del> key, the CMOS main BIOS setup menu displays. You can access the
other setup screens from the main BIOS setup menu, such as the Chipset and PCI/PnP menus.
BIOS Setup Main Menu
The CMOS main BIOS setup menu is the first screen that you can navigate. Each main BIOS setup
menu option is described in the Chapter 2.
The Main BIOS setup menu screen has two main frames. The left frame displays all the options that
can be configured. “Grayed-out” options cannot be configured. Options in blue can be.
The right frame displays the key legend. Above the key legend is an area reserved for a text
message. When an option is selected in the left frame, it is highlighted in white. Often a text
message will accompany it.
The CMOS BIOS setup/utility uses a key-based navigation system called hot keys. Most of the setup
utility hot keys can be used at any time during the setup navigation process. These keys include
<F1>, <F10>, <Enter>, <ESC>, <Arrow> keys, and so on.
