Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Advanced Chipset Configuration Menu
Chipset configuration allows access to settings that control the core of the system. Be-
cause of the wide variations in different chipset, motherboard, and BIOS designs, the op-
tions you see here may vary greatly from board to board.
Manymotherboardsincludefeaturesdesignedtooverclockthesystem,whichenablesyou
to set the system to run the CPU bus (and therefore the CPU itself) and possibly other
buses at higher-than-normal rated speeds. These settings are especially useful for stress-
testing a system after initial assembly, which is often called a
burn-in test
.
YoucanusethesesettingstospeeduptheprocessorandinterconnectedbusessuchasPCI
and AGP. For specifically testing AGP video or PCI adapter cards, some motherboards
allowtheAGP/PCIbusspeedtobesetindependentlyoftheCPUbus.Ifyouintendtouse
these settings to speed up a system, be aware that—depending on the specific hardware
and software you have—running faster than the default clock speed can reduce system
stability and shorten the useful life of the processor, and it might not be covered under
warranty. You also might need to invest in better system cooling to offset the extra heat
generated by overclocking your system. In general, if you don't know what a particular
setting is designed for, it is best to leave it at the default or automatic setting. If problems
occur, start by returning all frequency and timing settings to their default values.
Table 5.11
lists settings used by a typical motherboard's Advanced Chipset Configuration
menu.
Table 5.11 Advanced Chipset Configuration Menu
