For technical support, contact your place of purchase -- which will have the most current information about your specific product or configuration. For general product information see the Intel® Desktop Board site.

Technical FAQ

Marketing FAQ

Technical Questions

• What processor does the Intel® Desktop Board D845PEBT2 support?
• How do I install and secure a processor on the Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
• How many expansion slots does the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 contain?

• What memory configurations are supported on the Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
• What kind of problems might occur in a DDR SDRAM-based system that uses non-compliant DIMMs?
• I get a repeating-beep error code and my desktop board does not boot or show any video. What does this mean?

• What kind of power supply do I need for the Intel® Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
• Do I need a special power supply to support Instantly Available PC (Suspend-to-RAM)? How much +5V standby current does the power supply need to support it?

• How should the configuration jumper be set on my Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
• How should the front panel audio jumpers be set on my Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
• Which fan headers should the processor and chassis fans be plugged into?
• How do I disable the on-board features?

• What add-in AGP cards can be used?

• What audio solution is available on the Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
• How can the on-board audio be disabled?

• Does the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 support redundant array of independent disks (RAID)?
• Does the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 support Ultra ATA/100 hard drives?
• Can I mix Ultra ATA devices with other devices on the same IDE channel?
• Why is my USB 2.0 device operating at USB 1.1 speeds?
• Why does my Desktop Board D845PEBT2 system fail to boot?
• How do I disable the onboard LAN?
• Why are the drivers on Intel's public Web site previous revisions of those available on some vendor public Web sites?
• How many serial ports does the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 contain?

Marketing Questions

• What features are incorporated into the Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
• What other features are incorporated into the Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
• What is Intel® Active Monitor and how does it work?

• Does Intel qualify memory for use on Intel desktop boards?

• What is Instantly Available PC?
• What is a wake device?

• What is AC?97 and what does it do?
• Why is SoundMAX* Cadenza* superior to other integrated audio solutions?

• What is the Communications Network Riser (CNR)?

• What kind of Power Supply is needed for the Intel® Desktop Board D845PEBT2?

Technical FAQ

General Questions:

• What processor does the Intel® Desktop Board D845PEBT2 support?
  The Intel® Desktop Board D845PEBT2 supports the Intel® Pentium® 4 processor and the Intel® Celeron ® processor in the uPGA478-pin package. At the time of launch, the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 will support the Intel Pentium 4 processor with a System Bus of 400/533 MHz. The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 will also support the Intel Celeron processor with a 400 MHz System Bus. For the latest supported speeds, please refer to the Processor Support Table.

• How do I install and secure a processor on the Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
  The processor connects to the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 through the uPGA478-pin package socket connector. Make sure you use an adequate heatsink solution such as that provided with the Branded Intel® Pentium® 4 processor or the Intel Celeron processor.

• How many expansion slots does the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 contain?
  The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 has five dedicated PCI connectors and one 1.5V only AGP 4x port connector. All PCI slots support bus-mastering devices.

• What memory configurations are supported on the Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
  The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 supports DDR 333 and DDR 266 SDRAM Memory. There are two DIMM sockets supporting up to two 184-pin DDR SDRAM Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMMs) with gold-plated contacts. The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 is designed to support a memory range of 64 MB minimum (using 64 Mbit technology) up to 2.0 GB maximum** [See note below] (using 512 Mbit technology) that conforms to the latest Intel JEDEC specification Addendums. The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 supports non-ECC DIMMs.
  

  Note Please refer to the memory page for additional information.

• What kind of problems might occur in a DDR SDRAM-based system that uses non-compliant DIMMs?
  The most extreme example of memory failure is when the system hangs while booting the operating system. This can happen when the system is unable to communicate properly with the memory. In less extreme cases, the memory may generate intermittent errors or fail during stress.

• I get a repeating-beep error code and my desktop board does not boot or show any video. What does this mean?
  This beep code may indicate a problem during detection of the DDR SDRAM memory device. Check to ensure that system memory is properly installed and that the DIMMs are on the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 tested-memory list.

• What kind of power supply do I need for the Intel® Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
  The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 requires a power supply that complies with the ATX/ATX12V Power Supply Design Guide Version 1.2. This design guide is available from http://www.formfactors.org*
  
  The ATX12V power supply required for the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 has the standard 20-pin ATX Main Power Connector, and a 4-pin +12V Aux. Power Connector. The 4-pin +12V power connector has been added to enable the delivery of more +12VDC current to the desktop board. This connector is used by the board to power the processor's voltage regulator module (VRM).
  

  Caution The system will not boot if there is a failure to use an ATX12V power supply, or by not connecting additional power supply leads to the D845PEBT2 board.

• Do I need a special power supply to support Instantly Available PC (Suspend-to-RAM)? How much +5V standby current does the power supply need to support it?
  A special power supply is not needed to support "Instantly Available PC". However, the power supply must provide enough standby current to support the needs of all wake-capable devices in the system. The more wake-capable devices in the system, the greater the standby current required from the power supply. Intel recommends starting with a power supply capable of providing a minimum of 1.5 Amps (2.0 Amps recommended) of +5V standby current. To be sure, total the amount of standby current required by the various components that can wake the system from the STR state. In your calculations, include the components on the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 and on the add-in cards. Make sure the power supply provides at least that amount of standby current. Refer to the Technical Product Specification for information on how much +5V standby current the on-board components of the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 require.

• How should the configuration jumper be set on my Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
  A single configuration jumper (J6H2) on the desktop board is used to access configuration mode. All configuration options are made available through the BIOS configuration screens. Refer to the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 Jumper Settings page online or in the D845PEBT2 Technical Product Specification (TPS).

• How should the front panel audio jumpers be set on my Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
  With jumpers installed, the audio signals are routed to the back panel. When jumpers are removed and replaced with a front panel audio cable, audio signals are routed to the front panel audio solution. Refer to the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 Jumper Settings page online or in the D845PEBT2 Technical Product Specification (TPS).

• Which fan headers should the processor and chassis fans be plugged into?
  The processor fan should be plugged into the fan header labeled ?CPU Fan? adjacent to the processor socket. Chassis fans may be plugged into the rear and front chassis fan headers.

• How do I disable the on-board features?
  On-board features can be disabled through the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 BIOS Setup program. Refer to the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 Technical Product Specification.

• What add-in AGP cards can be used?
  The D845PEBT2 AGP socket can accept universal AGP cards that comply with the AGP 2.0 specification. The D845PEBT2 can use 1X / 2X / 4X card(s) operating at 1.5V.

• What audio solution is available on the Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
  The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 offers integrated soft audio that uses a portion of the Intel® 82801DB I/O Controller Hub 4 (ICH4) with either an Analog Devices* AD1980 (6-channel audio) or Analog Devices AD1981B (2-channel audio) analog codec to create the audio subsystem.

• How can the on-board audio be disabled?
  The on-board audio can be disabled using the BIOS Setup program. Select the advanced menu, then the Peripheral Configuration screen. The menu offers options to enable or disable the audio if it is present on the desktop board. Refer to the D845PEBT2 Technical Product Specification (TPS) for more details.

• Does the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 support redundant array of independent disks (RAID)?
  Yes. Some versions of the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 support IDE RAID or Serial ATA RAID. IDE RAID is supported through a Promise Technology* PDC20267 PCI bus-mastering ATA controller. Serial ATA RAID is supported through a Silicon Image* SiI 3112a PCI-to-Serial ATA (SATA) controller. Booting to RAID can be enabled through the desktop board BIOS Setup program. The setting is located in the Boot screen under IDE RAID boot or Serial ATA boot depending on the board version. Refer to the D845PEBT2 Technical Product Specification (TPS) for more details.

• Does the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 support Ultra ATA/100 hard drives?
  Yes. The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 supports Ultra ATA transfer rates up to 100 MB/sec (ATA/100) by way of the ICH4 IDE controller with two independent bus-mastering IDE interfaces. An Ultra ATA/100 supported hard drive and an 80 conductor IDE cable are required to take advantage of the increased bandwidth available on the IDE channel.
  One of the features of the Intel Desktop Board D845PEBT2 is its ability to support larger ATA/100 capable hard drives with 48-bit Logical Block Addressing (LBA) within the BIOS along with all Ultra ATA transfer rates (i.e., 33 MB/sec, 66 MB/sec and 100 MB/sec). To realize a true throughput performance difference, a hard drive may need to implement higher spindle speeds, such as 7200 RPM, and a large onboard buffer size to take advantage of the increased bandwidth available on the IDE channel.

• Can I mix Ultra ATA devices with other devices on the same IDE channel?
  If two drives with different Ultra DMA protocols are used on the same cable, the slower Ultra DMA protocol is used for both drives. It is recommended that the Ultra ATA/100 drives be attached to the primary IDE channel using the provided cable and that the other drives be attached to the secondary channel using a good quality, 40-pin 40-conductor IDE cable, which is not provided with the desktop board.
  

  Note Some Ultra DMA cables use a hole in the ribbon cable as a cable detect mechanism to determine if an Ultra DMA IDE or standard IDE cable is installed.

• Why is my USB 2.0 device operating at USB 1.1 speeds?
  Each USB port is treated as an independent USB path, and the performance of each USB port is dependent upon the detected USB device(s) within that USB port (point-to-point) device connection. Its performance will be limited to the least capable performance element within that port's connection. For example, if you connect a USB 2.0 high-speed device to a USB 1.1 Hub, which is then connected to a USB port on the motherboard, the USB 2.0 high-speed device will be limited to the performance through that USB 1.1 Hub.
  Refer to the device manufacturer of your USB device for specifications and installation requirements. Additional USB design specifications reference information can be found within the Intel Desktop Board D845PEBT2 Technical Product Specification (TPS).

• Why does my Desktop Board D845PEBT2 system fail to boot?
  The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 has specific requirements for the power sequencing and limits. A momentary switch should be used for the power on/off switch. The power supply chosen must have the additional 4-pin +12 volt connector and meet the ATX12V specification*. If the power supply 2-by-2 connector is not plugged into the board connector located near the processor socket, the system will not boot.

• How do I disable the onboard LAN?
  Onboard LAN can be disabled through the desktop board BIOS Setup program. The setting is located in the Advanced screen under Peripheral Configuration. Refer to the D845PEBT2 Technical Product Specification (TPS) for more details.

• Why are the drivers on Intel's public Web site previous revisions of those available on some vendor public Web sites?
  Intel performs internal testing on all drivers before posting them on the Intel developer desktop board Web site. In many cases, it is not practical to test all drivers on all desktop boards. For this reason, application vendors may release drivers that have not been tested by Intel. These drivers may be available on the vendor public site, but not on the Intel public site. This does not mean the drivers do not work; it simply indicates that Intel has not validated the drivers.

• How many serial ports does the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 contain?
  The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 has one serial port connector, located on the back panel.

Marketing FAQ

General Questions:

• What features are incorporated into the Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
  The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 offers several new features: support for Pentium 4 processors including the higher speed 533 MHz system bus, and Hyper-Threading Technology, support for the Intel Celeron processor with a 400 MHz system bus, support for the Intel 845PE chipset with ICH4 including six integrated USB 2.0 ports, support for Serial ATA 150 in RAID 0, RAID 1, or single drive configuration, support for Intel® Precision Cooling Technology, and portsa S/PDIF optical (Toslink) port on the back panel.
  
  
• What other features are incorporated into the Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
  The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 has five PCI slots, integrated six-channel audio with analog and digital output using AC ?97 processing with the Analog Devices AD1980 codec, and Instantly Available PC (Suspend-to-RAM). In addition, the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 also comes with six USB 2.0 ports with four back panel connectors (two dual-stacked connectors), and two ports accessible via a front panel USB header.
  The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 allows use of an AGP 4X adapter card (that must comply with the AGP 2.0 specification) operating at 1.5V. The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 supports Ultra ATA/100 hard disk drives. Optional features include a Communication and Networking Riser (CNR) and three IEEE-1394a ports with one back panel connector and two ports accessible via front panel headers.

• What is Intel® Active Monitor and how does it work?
  Intel® Active Monitor is a system monitoring tool that alerts you when any monitored sensors on your Intel motherboard have gone outside of their recommended range. If an alert occurs, Intel Active Monitor can provide you with several different alert notifications. The standard notification is the Intel Active Monitor icon in the system tray, which turns red and flashes in the event of an alert. Additionally, you can choose to receive audio alerts and pop-up window alert messages.
  
  Intel Active Monitor also:
  • Provides easy channel bar navigation in place of menus
  • Retains a history of the previous alerts on your system
  • Provides important information about your system's software and hardware, which you can print or save
  
  
  Intel Active Monitor is bundled on some versions of the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 and is available for download. For further information about how Intel Active Monitor works, or to download the utility.
  
  Active Monitor reports the Desktop Board D845PEBT2 tachometer fans along with its temperature zones on the motherboard as outlined:
  • Processor Zone is monitoring the Pentium 4 processor
  • System Temperature is being monitored by an on board component
  • If only one fan has a tachometer it will be displayed as Fan 1
  • The CPU Fan tach signal is displayed as Fan 2 if the rear chassis tach fan is also connected
  • The rear chassis fan is monitoring the tach signal and is displayed as Fan 1
  • The front chassis fan, if installed, is not monitoring the tach signal and is not displayed
  
  
  

  Note When removing or adding additional hardware, the Intel Active Monitor should be uninstalled and then reinstalled to redetect any item removed or added.

• Does Intel qualify memory for use on Intel desktop boards?
  No. OEMs and system integrators are solely responsible for qualifying the memory they include in their systems. Intel performs only limited testing of selected memory modules to verify functionality of the desktop board's design. Intel offers a program in which an independent test labs test system memory and report passing results to Intel for inclusion on our Internet based tested memory list.

• What is Instantly Available PC?
  Instantly Available PC, also known as Suspend-to-RAM (STR), is a technology closely associated with the S3 state of the ACPI specification. STR allows a properly configured system to go into a low-power mode, saving open applications, active files and information about the system's configuration to main memory. In this low-power state, memory remains powered to retain the system information, while most other components turn off to conserve energy. Fans are turned off to provide silent operation so the system appears "off." The PC can be left in STR state and awakened periodically to perform such preprogrammed events as downloading e-mail or searching and filtering Web content. An incoming phone call can also wake the PC and trigger a desired response, similar to a telephone answering machine. When an incoming request arrives via a "wake device" or the user wishes to resume operation, the PC comes alive within a few seconds by reconfiguring itself based on the information previously saved to memory. No boot is required.

• What is a wake device?
  A wake device is a mechanism that awakens the system from the STR state. Typically, this mechanism is a network card or a fax/modem that is compliant with the PCI 2.2 specification. When the system goes into the STR state, these wake devices receive standby current from the power supply. Although these devices are in a low-power state they have sufficient current to remain awake to recognize incoming activity, such as a network request or a phone call.

• What is AC?97 and what does it do?
  The AC?97 (Audio Codec 1997) specification defines a high-quality audio architecture that advances the migration to digital audio, while maintaining support for analog interconnects for backward compatibility.

• Why is SoundMAX* Cadenza* superior to other integrated audio solutions?
  SoundMAX* Cadenza* builds on SoundMAX* with SPX* which delivers the digital sound quality and features that end users expect from digital communications networks and consumer audio equipment by adding capability for powerful voice input technologies to improve speech recognition. SPX (Sound Production eXtensions) technology and 3D positioning provide immersive gaming not available with any other integrated audio solution. SPX literally creates sounds in real-time as the user is playing the game, rather than playing the same MIDI or wave file over and over. The result is much more dynamic, responsive sound.

• What is the Communications Network Riser (CNR)?
  The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 supports the CNR connector as a manufacturing option. The CNR connector is designed to support the modem interface of the Intel® 845PE chipset.

• What kind of Power Supply is needed for the Intel® Desktop Board D845PEBT2?
  The Desktop Board D845PEBT2 requires an ATX12V* compliant power supply to function according to desktop specifications.

This applies to:

Intel® Desktop Board D845PEBT2