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Contents
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
General Questions:
Memory:
Instantly Available PC and Power Supplies:
Jumpers/BIOS Setup Options:
Video:
On-Board Audio (Optional):
Input/Output:
Marketing Questions
General Questions:
Memory:
Instantly Available PC and Power Supplies:
On-Board Audio (Optional):
Input/Output:
Technical FAQ
General Questions:
Intel Desktop Board D850GB with the following AA numbers have BIOS version P12 factory installed and will support Intel Pentium 4 processors at 2.0 or 1.9GHz but will need to update to BIOS version P14 for proper functionality:
- A48535-903
- A48527-903
- A55888-902
Intel Desktop Board D850GB with the following AA numbers have BIOS version P10 or less factory installed:
- A48535-902
- A48527-902
- A55888-901
- A55888-900
- A23794-504
- A23794-503
- A23794-502
- A22917-310
- A22917-309
- A22917-308
- A22917-307
- A22917-306
If you have purchased these boards and no Intel Pentium 4 processor at 1.8GHz or less is available, then you must update the BIOS to version P14 in recovery mode.
How do I install and secure a processor on the Intel® Desktop Board D850GB?
The processor connects to the Intel Desktop Board D850GB through the PGA423 pin socket connector. Make sure you use an adequate heat sink solution such as that provided with the Branded Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor. Your chassis solution must have support for the processor heat sink assembly. The chassis must have additional support mounts for the heat sink.
How many expansion slots does the boxed Intel® Desktop Board D850GB contain?
The Intel Desktop Board D850GB has one AGP port connector and four dedicated PCI connectors. PCI slot 5 is either a dedicated PCI connector or optionally shared with a Communications Network Riser (CNR) connector. All PCI expansion slots support bus-mastering devices.
Does the Intel® Desktop Board D850GB support STR (Suspend to RAM)?
The Intel Desktop Board D850GB supports STR when used with STR capable: Operating system, add-in card(s), driver(s), and application(s). Operating systems, add-in cards, drivers, and applications that do not support STR can cause problems when coming out of different sleep states.
What is thermal protection and is it on my Intel® Desktop Board D850GB?
The Intel Desktop Board D850GB has three temperature controlled areas that are monitored and are considered thermally protected.
The ambient temperature of the Intel Desktop Board D850GB within a system is thermally monitored by two separate temperature sensors at different locations on the board, which in turn control the voltage to FAN1 (located at J10A2) and FAN2 (located at J7M2). The Intel Desktop Board D850GB BIOS set's up the temperature sensing circuitry at system start up, following this initialization the sensing circuitry does not make use of system calls nor CPU bandwidth. The temperature sensing circuit is closed loop and controls turning on the fan if additional cooling is required and controls the fan speed of FAN1 or FAN2 as needed.
Additional thermal protection is provided by the monitoring of the Pentium® 4 processor by way of its internal temperature sensing diode. The processor speed is then increased or decreased based on the internal temperature of the processor. If the processors' internal temperature exceeds its recommend operating temperature(such as a failing fan or no heat sink.) it will shut down until the internal temperature has returned to within a normal thermal operating temperature. See the Thermal Monitor section of the Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor data sheet at: http://developer.intel.com/design/pentium4/datashts/249198.htm
Why is my fan not working, or is too slow?
The Intel Desktop Board D850GB contains 2 thermally controlled fan headers (FAN1 at J10A2 and FAN2 at J7M2 ) which are used to turn the fans on and off or adjust the fan speed as determined by the thermal sensors. This allows a system designer to develop a "Quiet PC" which only powers the fans enough to meet the current system cooling needs.
Ambient temperature of the Intel Desktop Board D850GB system is thermally monitored by separate temperature sensors which control voltage to each (FAN1 and FAN2) header. If the fan used provides a tachometer signal the sensor will report the fan speed to the ADM1031 controller.
The temperature sensors which control the fans are initialized by the BIOS at system startup to turn-on only when the sensor reaches 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit). The fans will shut down when their respective sensor cools down to 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 degrees Fahrenheit). This prevents the fans from turning off and on when the ambient air around the sensor fluctuates around 35-36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
If and when the fans do turn on they may appear slow because they start at 70 percent power and ramp to 100 percent power when the sensor reaches 46 degrees Celsius (114.8 degrees Fahrenheit). There are no user controls for FAN3 (located at J6L1) and FAN4 (located at J3M1), however FAN3 is wired to the fan tachometer input of the SMSC LPC47M102 I/O controller. Neither FAN3 nor FAN4 are controlled by the thermal monitoring circuit.
All fans (FAN1, FAN2, FAN3, and FAN4) and the thermal control circuits are off during ACPI S3, S4, and S5 states. FAN3 and FAN4 along with the thermal control fan circuits are enabled during ACPI S0 and S1 states. Memory:
- What memory configurations are supported on the Intel® Desktop Board D850GB?
The Intel Desktop Board D850GB has two Dual RDRAM channels supporting up to two RIMMs per channel (four RIMM sockets). The Intel Desktop Board D850GB can support memory configurations from 128 MB (minimum) to 2.0 GB (maximum) utilizing 128 Mbit or 256 Mbit technology PC600 and PC800 compliant RDRAM RIMMs.
| Note |
PC700 RDRAM RIMM Memory is not a supported configuration with the Intel Desktop Board D850GB. | |
- What kind of problems might occur in an RDRAM-based system that uses non-compliant RIMMs?
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 RDRAM memory device. Check to ensure that system memory / continuity RIMMs are properly installed and that the RIMMs are on the Intel Desktop Board D850GB tested-memory list.
Instantly Available PC and Power Supplies:
- What kind of power supply do I need for the Intel® Desktop Board D850GB?
The Intel Desktop Board D850GB requires a power supply that complies with the ATX12V* Power Supply Design Guide Version 1.1.
The ATX12V power supply required for the Intel Desktop Board D850GB has the standard 20-pin ATX Main Power Connector, a 4-pin +12V and a 6-pin Aux. Power Connectors.
The new 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).
The 6-pin Aux. Power connector provides additional current to meet the board's +3.3VDC and +5VDC requirements.
The Intel Desktop Board D850GB requires as a minimum a 250-Watt ATX12V power supply to operate.
Your system configuration (amount of memory, add-in cards current demand and peripherals, etc.) may exceed the minimum power requirements for a Intel Desktop Board D850GB. To assure adequate power is provided use a 300 Watt (or greater) ATX12V power supply.
| Caution |
Failure to use an ATX12V power supply, or not connecting both additional power supply leads to the Intel Desktop Board D850GB or Intel D850GBAL may result in damage to the desktop board and/or power supply. | |
- 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 Intel Desktop Board D850GB 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 Intel Desktop Board D850GB require.
Jumpers/BIOS Setup Options:
- How should the jumpers be set on my Intel® Desktop Board D850GB?
A single configuration jumper (J8C2) on the desktop board is used to access configuration mode. All configuration options are made available through the BIOS configuration screens. Refer to the Intel Desktop Board D850GB Configuration Jumpers page in the Intel Desktop Board D850GB Technical Product Specification (TPS).
- Why can't I find speed settings in my BIOS configuration mode?
The processor speed option previously available in configuration mode is not displayed with Intel® Pentium® 4 Processors and will not affect the processor speed. Intel Pentium 4 processors boot with the ratio preset and are tested during manufacturing.
Video:
- What add-in AGP cards can be used?
The Intel Desktop Board D850GB AGP socket can be used to accept universal AGP cards that comply with the AGP 2.0 specification. The Intel Desktop Board D850GB can accept 1X / 2X / 4X card(s) operating at 1.5V.
- Can I use the AGP card retention mechanism with any AGP card?
The AGP retention mechanism is made for use with AGP cards that meet the AGP 2.0 specification. These cards have a special slot at the back of the card that interlocks with a small plastic stud on the retention mechanism. Cards that do not meet the AGP 2.0 specification should not be used with the retention mechanism, because the small plastic stud may interfere with correct installation and retention of the card.
- How do I designate an add-in PCI video adapter as my primary video adapter?
The primary video adapter can be changed from the onboard AGP to an add-in PCI adapter through the desktop board BIOS Setup utility. The setting is located in the Advanced screen under Video Configuration.
On-Board Audio (Optional):
Input/Output:
- Does the Intel® Desktop Board D850GB support Ultra ATA/66, as well as, ATA/100 hard drives?
Yes. One of the new features of the Intel Desktop Board D850GB is its ability to support 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.
- Does the IDE cable provided with the Boxed Intel Desktop Board D850GB support both Ultra ATA/66/100 and previous IDE transfer protocols?
The 40-pin, 80-conductor cable that is provided with the Intel Desktop Board D850GB is fully backward compatible with all IDE transfer protocols. It will also support Ultra ATA/100 if one or two Ultra ATA/100 drives are attached. 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. | |
- What is Intel® Application Accelerator?
Intel® Application Accelerator (IAA) is designed to take advantage of devices supporting ATA DMA/Ultra DMA technologies, improve system performance, and includes:
- Faster Boot Time via Accelerated Operating System Load Time
- Accelerated Disk I/O for Games, Graphics Applications, Disk Utilities, and Media Authoring Applications
- Performance-enhancing data caching for Intel® Pentium® 4 processor-based systems
- Support for 137GB and larger hard drives
Should I use Intel® Storage Drivers or Intel Application Accelerator?
Use either the Intel® Ultra ATA Storage Driver (ISD) or the Intel Application Accelerator (IAA) to automatically enable fast Ultra ATA transfers for a variety of ATA/ATAPI mass storage devices. IAA offers a performance advantage for those using Intel Pentium 4 processor-based systems while also offering support for next generation storage technology.
Should I upgrade from ISD to IAA?
IAA offers a performance-enhancing data caching for Intel Pentium 4 processor-based systems and support for next generation storage technology. Use either the Intel Ultra ATA Storage Driver or the Intel Application Accelerator (IAA) to automatically enable fast Ultra ATA transfers for a variety of ATA/ATAPI mass storage devices.
What is the performance difference (IAA and ISD)?
IAA offers performance-enhancing data caching for Intel Pentium 4 processor-based systems. Users of IAA on Intel Pentium 4 processor-based systems may see I/O performance improvements over the Intel Storage Driver.
Will IAA improve my SCSI performance?
IAA enables fast Ultra ATA transfers for a variety of ATA/ATAPI mass storage devices. SCSI, USB, and other non-ATA devices will see no benefit from IAA.
Is IAA compatible with Intel Active Monitor (IAM)?
Yes. Intel Active Monitor revision 1.14 or greater is required.
What type of battery is used in the Intel Desktop Board D850GB?
A 3 volt, (CR2032) coin cell is used to supply power to the Real Time Clock (RTC) when power is not available from the power supply.
How do I disable the onboard LAN?
Onboard LAN can be disabled through the desktop board BIOS Setup utility. The setting is located in the Advanced screen under Peripheral Configuration. Refer to the Intel Desktop Board D850GB TPS (Technical Product Specification) for more details.
Why doesn't my Intel Desktop Board D850GB power-up?
The Intel Desktop Board D850GB requires 3.3 volts from the power supply, as well as specific requirements for the power sequencing and limits. A momentary switch should be used for the power on/off switch and the sleep/resume switch. The power supply chosen must meet the ATX12V or later specification.
Why are the drivers on Intel's public Web site 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.
Does the Intel Desktop Board D850GB support two serial ports?
No, the Intel Desktop Board D850GB has a single, back panel serial connector.
Why isn't my IDE device displayed during power-up POST?
All IDE devices must be ATA4 compliant. Cable length is limited to 18 inches. IDE devices not selected as auto-detect in the BIOS setup are not displayed as part of the POST tests.
Can I use a second floppy disk drive on my Intel Desktop Board D850GB?
No. The Intel Desktop Board D850GB uses a SMSC LPC47M142 SIO component to support the floppy-disk controller. This component and equivalent components can support a single standard-legacy type FDD, a 2.88 MB Super I/O type FDD, or a three-mode type FDD.
Marketing FAQ
General Questions:
- What new features are incorporated into the Intel® Desktop Board D850GB?
The Intel Desktop Board D850GB allows use of an external AGP adapter card (1X / 2X / 4X that must comply with the AGP 2.0 specification) operating at 1.5V. The Intel Desktop Board D850GB supports Ultra ATA-66 and ATA-100 modes. The Intel Desktop Board D850GB has an additional USB controller that provides up to 4 USB channels. Two of the USB ports are implemented with stacked back panel connectors; the other two are accessible via the front panel USB connector at location J9C1.
Some versions of the Intel Desktop Board D850GB offer an integrated LAN Media Access Controller, that requires a Platform LAN Connect (PLC) device, either on the board or on a Communication and Network Riser (CNR) add-in card. Some versions of the Intel Desktop Board D850GB support an optional integrated 10/100 PCI LAN adapter.
Active Monitor reports the Intel Desktop Board D850GB tach fans along with its three temperature zones on the motherboard as outlined:
- Processor Zone is monitoring the Pentium 4 processor
- System Zone 1 is monitoring the ambient temperature occurring near the PCI expansion slots
- System Zone 2 is monitoring the ambient temperature occurring near the RDRAM
- Fan 1 is monitoring the tach signal at location FAN3 (J6L1)
- Variable Fan 1, if installed, is monitoring the tach signal at location FAN1 (J10A2)
- Variable Fan 2, if installed, is monitoring the tach signal at location FAN2 (J7M2)
| Note |
When removing or adding additional hardware, the Intel Active Monitor should be uninstalled and then reinstalled to redetect any item removed or added. | |
Memory:
- 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 lab tests system memory and reports passing results to Intel for inclusion on our Internet-based tested-memory list.
Instantly Available PC and Power Supplies:
- 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.
On-Board Audio (Optional):
- What is AC97 and what does it do?
The AC97 (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.
Input/Output:
- What is the Communications Network Riser (CNR)?
The Intel Desktop Board D850GB supports the CNR connector. The CNR connector is designed to support audio, modem, USB* and LAN interfaces of the 850 chipset. The interfaces supported include AC '97, LAN and SMBus. Some versions of the Intel Desktop Board D850GB do not ship with a CNR connector.
This applies to:
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