Asus CROSSHAIR III FORMULA User Manual Download Page 15

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Internal I/O Connectors

3 x USB 2.0 connectors supports additional 6 USB 2.0

ports

1 x IDE connector for two devices

5 x SATA connectors (Blue)

8 x Fan connectors: 1 x CPU / 1 x PWR / 3 x Chassis /

3 x Optional

3 x thermal sensor connectors

1 x IEEE1394a connector

1 x LCD Poster connector

24-pin ATX Power connector

8-pin ATX 12V Power connector

System panel connector

Software

Support DVD:

- Drivers and applications

* ASUS PC Probe II

* ASUS Update

* ASUS AI Suite

* AMD OverDrive Utility (AOD)

* Sound Blaster X-Fi Utility

* Futuremark

3DMark

06 Advanced Edition

* Kaspersky

Anti-Virus

Form Factor

ATX Form Factor, 12”x 9.6” (30.5cm x 24.5cm)

*Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Crosshair III Formula specifications summary

Summary of Contents for CROSSHAIR III FORMULA

Page 1: ...Motherboard Crosshair III Formula ...

Page 2: ...CHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS ITS DIRECTORS OFFICERS EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT SPECIAL INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS LOSS OF BUSINESS LOSS OF USE OR DATA INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN ...

Page 3: ... Before you proceed 2 1 2 2 Motherboard overview 2 6 2 2 1 Motherboard layout 2 6 2 2 2 SupremeFX X Fi audio card layout 2 7 2 2 3 Layout contents 2 7 2 2 4 Placement direction 2 8 2 2 5 Screw holes 2 8 2 3 Central Processing Unit CPU 2 9 2 3 1 Installing the CPU 2 9 2 3 2 Installing the heatsink and fan 2 11 2 4 System memory 2 14 2 4 1 Overview 2 14 2 4 2 Memory configurations 2 16 2 4 3 Install...

Page 4: ...g the OS shut down function 2 44 2 10 2 Using the dual function power switch 2 44 Chapter 3 BIOS setup 3 1 Managing and updating your BIOS 3 1 3 1 1 ASUS Update utility 3 1 3 1 2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility 3 4 3 1 3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility 3 5 3 2 BIOS setup program 3 6 3 2 1 BIOS menu screen 3 7 3 2 2 Menu bar 3 7 3 2 3 Navigation keys 3 7 3 2 4 Menu items 3 8 3 2 5 Submenu items 3 8 3 2 6 Con...

Page 5: ...18 DRAM Voltage Auto 3 15 3 3 19 HT Voltage Auto 3 15 3 3 20 NB Voltage Auto 3 16 3 3 21 NB 1 8V Voltage Auto 3 16 3 3 22 SB Voltage Auto 3 16 3 3 23 S5 1 2V Voltage Auto 3 16 3 3 24 DRAM REF Voltages 3 17 3 3 25 CPU Spread Spectrum Auto 3 17 3 3 26 PCIE Spread Spectrum Auto 3 17 3 3 27 Debug Mode String 3 17 3 3 28 Keyboard TweakIt Control Disabled 3 17 3 4 Main menu 3 18 3 4 1 System Time xx xx ...

Page 6: ... 3 7 Boot menu 3 39 3 7 1 Boot Device Priority 3 39 3 7 2 Boot Settings Configuration 3 40 3 7 3 Security 3 41 3 8 Tools menu 3 43 3 8 1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 3 43 3 8 2 ASUS O C Profile 3 44 3 8 3 TweakIt Batch File 3 45 3 8 4 AI NET 2 3 46 3 9 Exit menu 3 47 Chapter 4 Software support 4 1 Installing an operating system 4 1 4 2 Support DVD information 4 1 4 2 1 Running the support DVD 4 1 4 2 2 Drivers...

Page 7: ... Utility 4 28 4 5 Creating a RAID driver disk 4 32 4 5 1 Creating a RAID driver disk without entering the OS 4 32 4 5 2 Creating a RAID SATA driver disk in Windows 4 32 4 5 3 Installing the RAID driver during Windows OS installation 4 32 4 5 4 Using a USB floppy disk drive 4 33 Chapter 5 ATI CrossFireX technology support 5 1 ATI CrossFireX technology 5 1 5 1 1 Requirements 5 1 5 1 2 Before you beg...

Page 8: ...d on the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help Canadian Department of Co...

Page 9: ...set to the correct voltage in your area If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you are using contact your local power company If the power supply is broken do not try to fix it by yourself Contact a qualified service technician or your retailer The optical S PDIF is an optional component may or may not be included in your motherboard and is defined as a CLASS 1 LASER PRODUC...

Page 10: ...e used in environments with ambient temperatures between 5oC 41oF and 40oC 104oF Place the product on a stable surface If you encounter technical problems with the product contact a qualified service technician or your retailer DO NOT throw the motherboard in municipal waste This product has been designed to enable proper reuse of parts and recycling This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indi...

Page 11: ...er 1 Product introduction This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new technology it supports Chapter 2 Hardware information This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when installing system components It includes description of the switches jumpers and connectors on the motherboard Chapter 3 BIOS setup This chapter tells how to change system se...

Page 12: ...mbols used throughout this manual Typography Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select Italics Used to emphasize a word or a phrase Key Keys enclosed in the less than and greater than sign means that you must press the enclosed key Example Enter means that you must press the Enter or Return key Key1 Key2 Key3 If you must press two or more keys simultaneously the key names are linked with a p...

Page 13: ...lots dual x16 3 x PCIe2 0 x1 the PCIEx1_1 black is compatible with audio slot 1 x PCI 2 2 slot Multi GPU Technology Support ATI CrossFire X Technology graphics cards Storage SB750 South Bridge 1 x Ultra DMA 133 100 66 for up to 2 PATA devices 5 x SATA 3Gb s ports with RAID 0 1 5 10 and JBOD 1 x External SATA 3Gb s port on rear SATA On the Go Due to the Windows XP Vista limitation the RAID array wi...

Page 14: ...ED ASUS C P R CPU Parameter Recall Other Special Features External LCD Poster ASUS Q Connector ASUS Q Shield ASUS Q Fan 2 ASUS EZ Flash 3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 ASUS MyLogo 3 AMD OverDrive Support ASUS TurboV BIOS Features 16Mb AMI BIOS PnP DMI2 0 WfM2 0 SM BIOS 2 4 ACPI2 0a Multi Language BIOS Manageability WOL by PME WOR by PME PXE Back Panel I O Ports 1 x PS 2 Keyboard port purple 1 x External S...

Page 15: ...or 1 x LCD Poster connector 24 pin ATX Power connector 8 pin ATX 12V Power connector System panel connector Software Support DVD Drivers and applications ASUS PC Probe II ASUS Update ASUS AI Suite AMD OverDrive Utility AOD Sound Blaster X Fi Utility Futuremark 3DMark 06 Advanced Edition Kaspersky Anti Virus Form Factor ATX Form Factor 12 x 9 6 30 5cm x 24 5cm Specifications are subject to change w...

Page 16: ...xvi ...

Page 17: ...1 Chapter 1 Product introduction This chapter describes the motherboard features and the new technologies it supports ...

Page 18: ...ROG Crosshair III Formula Chapter summary 1 1 1 Welcome 1 1 1 2 Package contents 1 1 1 3 Special features 1 2 ...

Page 19: ... Package contents Check your motherboard package for the following items ROG Crosshair III Formula Motherboard 1 x Multi functional module 2 port USB 2 0 and 1 port IEEE 1394a Supreme FX X Fi Audio Card External LCD Poster 5 x Serial ATA signal cables 1 x Ultra DMA 133 100 66 cable 1 x ASUS Q Shield I O shield 1 x ASUS Q Connector Kit UserManual Cable ties User Guide ROG Support DVD If any of the ...

Page 20: ...0 Series processors support This motherboard supports AMD Socket AM3 multi core processors with unique L3 cache and delivers better overclocking capabilities with less power consumption It features dual channel DDR3 1333 memory support and accelerates data transfer rate up to 5200MT s via HyperTransport 3 0 based system bus This motherboard also supports AMD CPUs in the new 45nm manufacturing proc...

Page 21: ...nd enhanced thermal capacity 1 3 2 ROG Intelligent Performance Overclocking features iROG Intelligent multiple control at hand iROG is a special IC which enables several ROG highlighted functions that give you full disposal of the motherboard at any stage This design allows advanced user control and management to be processed at a hardware level iROG greatly increases fun during overclocking for P...

Page 22: ... pursuit of extreme performance overvoltage adjustment is critical but risky Acting as the red zone of a tachometer the Voltiminder LED displays the voltage status for CPU NB SB and Memory in a intuitive color coded fashion The Voltiminder LED allows quick voltage monitoring for overclockers Component Overheat Protection EX COP EX Maximum OC with confidence with burn proof protection to chipsets a...

Page 23: ...puter fans air conditioners and other background noises then eliminates it in the incoming audio stream while recording External LCD Poster Debug and read system problems with an new external look The new LCD Poster now posts critical POST information in an ever friendly and flexible external display When system malfunction occurs the LCD Poster automatically detects device failure and translates ...

Page 24: ... and shields it against Electronic Magnetic Interference EMI ASUS Q Connector The ASUS Q Connector allows you to connect or disconnect chassis front panel cables in one easy step with one complete module This unique adapter eliminates the trouble of plugging in one cable at a time making connection quick and accurate ASUS O C Profile The motherboard features the ASUS O C Profile that allows users ...

Page 25: ...h just a few clicks away Moreover the ASUS OC profiles in TurboV provides the best O C settings in different scenarios C P R CPU Parameter Recall When the system hangs due to overclocking failure there is no need to open the system chassis to clear CMOS data Simply reboot the system and the BIOS automatically restores the CPU default settings for each parameter Due to the chipset behavior AC power...

Page 26: ...1 8 Chapter 1 Product Introduction ...

Page 27: ...ter 2 Hardware information This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when installing system components It includes description of the jumpers and connectors on the motherboard ...

Page 28: ...otherboard overview 2 6 2 3 Central Processing Unit CPU 2 9 2 4 System memory 2 14 2 5 Expansion slots 2 21 2 6 Jumper 2 25 2 7 I O shield LCD Poster and Audio card Installation 2 26 2 8 Connectors 2 28 2 9 Starting up for the first time 2 43 2 10 Turning off the computer 2 44 ...

Page 29: ... before handling components to avoid damaging them due to static electricity Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them Whenever you uninstall any component place it on a grounded antistatic pad or in the bag that came with the component Before you install or remove any component ensure that the ATX power supply is switched off or the power cord is detached from the power suppl...

Page 30: ...refer to 3 3 Extreme Tweaker menu 1 CPU LED The CPU LED has three voltage displays CPU Voltage VDDNB and VDDA Voltage you can select the voltage to display in BIOS Refer to the illustration below for the location of the CPU LED and the table below for LED definition Normal green High yellow Crazy red CPU Voltage default 0 85000 1 3625 1 3750 1 4875 1 5000 VDD NB 0 85000 1 3625 0 85000 1 3625 1 500...

Page 31: ...in BIOS Refer to the illustration below for the location of the northbridge southbridge LEDs and the table below for LED definition Normal green High yellow Crazy red NB Voltage 1 11300 1 59000 1 60325 1 84175 1 85500 2 05400 NB 1 8 Voltage 1 80200 1 89475 1 90800 1 94775 1 96100 3 00775 SB 1 1V Voltage 1 20575 1 59000 1 60325 1 84175 1 85500 2 00075 SB 1 2V Voltage 120575 1 35150 1 36475 1 49725 ...

Page 32: ...t light up when there is no hard disk drive connected to the motherboard or when the hard disk drive does not function 3 Memory LED Refer to the illustration below for the location of the memory LED and the table below for LED definition Normal green High yellow Crazy red DRAM Bus Voltage 1 51050 1 72250 1 73575 2 31875 2 33200 2 80900 2 4 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 33: ...ng in any motherboard component The illustration below shows the location of the onboard power on switch When you turn on the ATX power supply the Power LED flashes three times to indicate that the system is ready to boot Wait till the flash stops before you press the power on switch 6 MemOK LED The MemOK LED blinks while the system is loading failsafe settings for memory compatibility after press...

Page 34: ...2 2 Motherboard overview 2 2 1 Motherboard layout 2 6 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 35: ... 7 pin SATA1 5 2 31 7 Clear RTC RAM 3 pin CLRTC_SW 2 25 8 System panel connector 20 8 pin PANEL 2 38 9 MemOK switch 2 42 10 Reset switch 2 41 11 Power on switch 2 41 12 USB connectors 10 1 pin USB78 USB910 USB1112 2 32 13 GP connector 8 pin GP 2 34 14 Thermal sensor cable connectors 2 pin OPT_TEMP1 3 2 36 15 IEEE 1394a port connector 10 1 pin IE1394_2 2 33 16 ROG connector 3 pin ROG 2 33 Refer to ...

Page 36: ...ssis in the correct orientation The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below 2 2 5 Screw holes Place nine 9 screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis DO NOT overtighten the screws Doing so can damage the motherboard 2 8 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 37: ...erent pinout from the AM2 AM2 socket Ensure you use a CPU designed for the AM3 socket The CPU fits in only one correct orientation DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the connectors on the socket and damaging the CPU Ensure that the socket lever is lifted up to a 90 angle Otherwise the CPU will not fit in completely 2 Press the lever sideways to unlock the socket then lift it u...

Page 38: ...eral drops of thermal interface material to the exposed area of the CPU that the heatsink will be in contact with ensuring that it is spread in an even thin layer Some heatsinks come with pre applied thermal interface material If so skip this step The thermal interface material is toxic and inedible DO NOT eat it If it gets into your eyes or touches your skin wash it off immediately and seek profe...

Page 39: ... retention mechanism If the instructions in this section do not match the CPU documentation follow the latter The retention module base is already installed on the motherboard upon purchase You do not have to remove the retention module base when installing the CPU or installing other motherboard components If you purchased a separate CPU heatsink and fan assembly ensure that a Thermal Interface M...

Page 40: ...ng sound denotes that the retention bracket is in place 4 Push down the retention bracket lock on the retention mechanism to secure the heatsink and fan to the module base Ensure that the fan and heatsink assembly perfectly fits the retention mechanism module base otherwise you cannot snap the retention bracket in place 2 12 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 41: ... cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_FAN DO NOT forget to connect the CPU fan connector Hardware monitoring errors can occur if you fail to plug this connector This connector is backward compatible with old 3 pin CPU fan ROG Crosshair III Formula 2 13 ...

Page 42: ...MM sockets A DDR3 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR2 DIMM but is notched differently to prevent installation on a DDR2 DIMM socket DDR3 modules are developed for better performance with less power consumption The figure illustrates the location of the DDR3 DIMM sockets 2 14 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 43: ...nded memory configurations One DIMM You may install one memory module in any slot as a single channel operation Two DIMMs dual channel operation Four DIMMs dual channel operation ROG Crosshair III Formula 2 15 ...

Page 44: ...ddress limitation on 32 bit Windows OS when you install 4GB or more memory on the motherboard the actual usable memory for the OS can be about 3GB or less For effective use of memory we recommend that you install a 64 bit Windows OS when having 4GB or more memory installed on the motherboard This motherboard does not support DIMMs made up of 256 megabit Mb chips or less The default memory operatio...

Page 45: ...hair III Formula Motherboard Qualified Vendors Lists QVL DDR 3 1333MHz capability Vendor Part No Size SS DS Chip Brand Chip NO Timing Dimm Bios Voltage DIMM socket support Optional A B C A DATA AD133301GOU 1024MB SS A DATA AD30908C8D 15IG 1333 9 9 9 24 A DATA AD1333002GOU 2048MB DS A DATA AD30908C8D 15IG 1333 9 9 9 24 A DATA AD31333E002G0U 6144MB Kit of 3 DS N A Heat Sink Package 7 7 7 20 1333 9 9...

Page 46: ...R 1333 9 9 9 24 OCZ OCZ3RPX1333EB2GK 1024MB SS N A Heat Sink Package 1066 6 5 5 20 OCZ OCZ3G1333LV3GK 3072MB Kit of 3 SS N A Heat Sink Package 9 9 9 1066 7 7 7 20 1 65 OCZ OCZ3P1333LV3GK 3072MB Kit of 3 SS N A Heat Sink Package 7 7 7 1066 7 7 7 16 1 65 OCZ OCZ3P13334GK 4096MB Kit of 2 DS N A Heat Sink Package 7 1333 7 7 7 20 1 8 OCZ OCZ3RPX1333EB4GK 4096MB Kit of 2 DS N A Heat Sink Package 1066 6 ...

Page 47: ...024MB SS S POWER I0YT3E0 9 1333 9 9 9 24 Silicon Power SP002GBLTU133S02 2048MB DS S POWER I0YT3E0 9 1333 9 9 9 24 Crosshair III Formula Motherboard Qualified Vendors Lists QVL DDR 3 1333MHz capability Visit the ASUS website at www asus com for the latest QVL SS Single sided DS Double sided DIMM support A Supports one module inserted in any slot as single channel memory configuration B Supports one...

Page 48: ... DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it fits in only one direction DO NOT force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the DIMM Ensure to unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other system components Failure to do so may cause severe damage to both the motherboard and the components Unlocked retaining clip 1 DIMM notch To install a DIMM 1 Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the re...

Page 49: ...ith the screw you removed earlier 6 Replace the system cover 2 5 2 Configuring an expansion card After installing the expansion card configure it by adjusting the software settings 1 Turn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings if any See Chapter 3 for information on BIOS setup 2 Assign an IRQ to the card Refer to the tables on the next page 3 Install the software drivers for the expa...

Page 50: ...Holder for PCI Steering 11 6 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering 12 7 Reserved 13 8 Numeric Data Processor 14 9 Primary IDE Channel IRQ assignments for this motherboard A B C D E F G H PCIEX1_1 shared PCIEX16_1 shared PCIEX1_2 shared PCI_1 shared PCIEX16_2 shared PCIEX1_3 shared USB1 controller 0 shared USB1 controller 1 shared USB1 2 0 controller shared USB2 controller 0 shared USB2 controller 1 shared U...

Page 51: ...that comply with the PCI Express specifications Install a PCIe x1 device to a PCIe x1 slot prior to a PCIe x16 slot 2 5 6 PCI Express 2 0 x16 slots This motherboard has two PCI Express 2 0 x16 slots that support PCI Express x16 2 0 graphic cards complying with the PCI Express specifications Refer to the figure below for the location of the slots PCI Express x1_1 slot PCI Express x16_1 slot PCI slo...

Page 52: ...nd PCIe 2 0 x16_2 blue slots for PCI Express x16 graphics cards to get better performance We recommend that you provide sufficient power when running CrossFireX mode See page 2 37 for details Connect a chassis fan to the motherboard connector labeled CHA_FAN1 2 3 when using multiple graphics cards for better thermal environment 2 24 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 53: ...he clr CMOS switch on the back I O 2 Hold down the Del key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to re enter data The clr CMOS switch will not function if the CLRTC_SW jumper is moved to the Disable position Ensure to re enter your previous BIOS settings after you clear the CMOS You do not need to clear the RTC when the system hangs due to CPU overclocking With the C P R CPU Parameter Recal...

Page 54: ...rts fit the I O openings Be cautious when installing the motherboard The I O shield edge springs may damage the I O ports 3 Thread the LCD Poster cable through the back I O shield opening until the stopper fits the opening 5 Place the LCD Poster on the chassis or to wherever you like 4 Locate and connect the LCD Poster cable to the LCD_CON connector The the photos above are for reference only the ...

Page 55: ...rom the package 2 Locate the audio slot on the motherboard 3 Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card sits on the slot completely 4 The photo below shows the audio card installed on the motherboard ROG Crosshair III Formula 2 27 ...

Page 56: ...2 LAN RJ 45 port 7 External SATA port 3 USB 2 0 ports 5 and 6 8 USB 2 0 ports 1 and 2 4 Clear CMOS switch 9 Audio Ports 5 USB 2 0 ports 3 and 4 To use hot plug set the Controller Mode in the BIOS settings to AHCI mode See section 3 5 3 Onboard Devices Configuration for details 2 28 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 57: ...ED Activity Link LED LAN port Audio 2 4 6 or 8 channel configuration Port Headset 2 channel 4 channel 6 channel 8 channel Light Blue Line In Line In Line In Line In Lime Line Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In Mic In Orange Center Subwoofer Center Subwoofer Black Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Ou Rear Speaker Out Gray Side Speaker Out ROG Crosshair I...

Page 58: ...ive jumper setting Mode of device s Cable connector Single device Cable Select or Master Black Two devices Cable Select Master Black Slave Gray Master Master Black or gray Slave Slave Pin 20 on the IDE connector is removed to match the covered hole on the Ultra DMA cable connector This prevents incorrect insertion when you connect the IDE cable Use the 80 conductor IDE cable for Ultra DMA 133 100 ...

Page 59: ... controller These connectors are set to IDE by default If you intend to create a Serial ATA RAID set using these connectors set the Onchip SATA Type item in the BIOS to RAID Install the Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later version before using Serial ATA For detailed instructions on how to configure RAID 0 RAID 1 RAID 5 and RAID 10 refer to the RAID manual in the support DVD If you intend to create ...

Page 60: ...t the back of the system chassis These USB connectors comply with USB 2 0 specification that supports up to 480 Mbps connection speed Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors Doing so will damage the motherboard You can connect the USB cable to ASUS Q Connector USB blue first and then install the Q Connector USB to the USB connector onboard 2 32 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 61: ...e module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis Never connect a USB cable to the IEEE 1394a connector Doing so will damage the motherboard 5 ROG connector 3 pin ROG This connector is for the box labeled as Republic of Gamers on the heatpipe assembly Connect the cable of the box and it lights when the system is on ROG Crosshair III Formula 2 33 ...

Page 62: ...or ASUS OC Station connection only Connect one end of the supplied data cable to the GP connector on the OC Station and the other end to this connector and USB78 on the motherboard to enjoy easier overclocking 2 34 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 63: ...uring that the black wire of each cable matches the ground pin of the connector DO NOT forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors Insufficient air flow inside the system may damage the motherboard components These are not jumpers DO NOT place jumper caps on the fan connectors If you install two VGA cards we recommend that you plug the chassis fan cable to the motherboard connector labe...

Page 64: ... and place the other ends to the devices which you want to monitor temperature The optional fan1 2 3 can work with the temperature sensors for a better cooling effect Enable OPT FAN1 2 3 overheat protection in BIOS if you connect thermal sensor cables to these connectors The thermal sensor cable is purchased separately 2 36 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 65: ... you use a power supply unit PSU that complies with ATX 12 V Specification 2 0 or later version and provides a minimum power of 600 W Do not forget to connect the 8 pin EATX12 V power plug otherwise the system will not boot Use of a PSU with a higher power output is recommended when configuring a system with more power consuming devices The system may become unstable or may not boot up if the powe...

Page 66: ...4 pin connector is for the chassis mounted system warning speaker The speaker allows you to hear system beeps and warnings ATX power button soft off button 2 pin PWRSW This connector is for the system power button Pressing the power button turns the system on or puts the system in sleep or soft off mode depending on the BIOS settings Pressing the power switch for more than four seconds while the s...

Page 67: ...andard Connect one end of the front panel audio I O module cable to this connector We recommend that you connect a high definition front panel audio module to this connector to avail of the motherboard s high definition audio capability Digital audio connector This connector is for an additional Sony Philips Digital Interface S PDIF port s SUPREMEFX Listen with Absolutely HD X Fi Optical drive aud...

Page 68: ...then match them to their respective front panel cable labels The labels on the front panel cables may vary depending on the chassis model 2 Install the ASUS Q Connector to the system panel connector ensuring the orientation matches the labels on the motherboard 3 The front panel functions are now enabled The figure shows the Q Connector is properly installed on the motherboard IDE_LED POWER SW RES...

Page 69: ...a bare or open case system This is ideal for overclockers and gamers who continually change settings to enhance system performance 1 Power on switch Press the power on switch to wake power up the system 2 Reset switch Press the reset switch to reboot the system ROG Crosshair III Formula 2 41 ...

Page 70: ...3 MemOK switch Press the MemOK switch to load failsafe settings for memory compatibility and improving system boot success 2 42 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 71: ...ED may light up or switch between orange and green after the system LED turns on The system then runs the power on self tests or POST While the tests are running the BIOS beeps see BIOS beep codes table below or additional messages appear on the screen If you do not see anything within 30 seconds from the time you turned on the power the system may have failed a power on test Check the jumper sett...

Page 72: ...f button to shut down the computer 3 The power supply should turn off after Windows shuts down 2 10 2 Using the dual function power switch While the system is ON pressing the power switch for less than four seconds puts the system to sleep mode or to soft off mode depending on the BIOS setting Pressing the power switch for more than four seconds lets the system enter the soft off mode regardless o...

Page 73: ...3 BIOS setup This chapter tells how to change the system settings through the BIOS Setup menus Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided ...

Page 74: ...ir III Formula 3 1 Managing and updating your BIOS 3 1 3 2 BIOS setup program 3 6 3 3 Extreme Tweaker menu 3 9 3 4 Main menu 3 18 3 5 Advanced menu 3 23 3 6 Power menu 3 33 3 7 Boot menu 3 39 3 8 Tools menu 3 43 3 9 Exit menu 3 47 ...

Page 75: ...ginal motherboard BIOS using the ASUS Update utility Installing ASUS Update To install ASUS Update 1 Place the support DVD in the optical drive The Drivers menu appears 2 Click the Utilities tab then click Install ASUS Update VX XX XX 3 The ASUS Update utility is copied to your system 3 1 1 ASUS Update utility The ASUS Update is a utility that allows you to manage save and update the motherboard B...

Page 76: ...rk traffic or click Auto Select Click Next Updating the BIOS through the Internet To update the BIOS through the Internet 1 Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows desktop by clicking Start Programs ASUS ASUSUpdate ASUSUpdate The ASUS Update main window appears 2 Select Update BIOS from the Internet option from the drop down menu then click Next ...

Page 77: ...e option from the drop down menu then click Next 4 From the FTP site select the BIOS version that you wish to download Click Next 5 Follow the screen instructions to complete the update process The ASUS Update utility is capable of updating itself through the Internet Always update the utility to avail all its features 3 Locate the BIOS file from the Open window then click Open 4 Follow the screen...

Page 78: ...2 and press Enter to enable it ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility V3 34 Current ROM Update ROM A Note Enter Select or Load Tab Switch V Drive Info Up Down Home End Move B Backup Esc Exit FLASH TYPE MXIC 25L1605A PATH A BOARD Crosshair III Formul VER 0205 DATE 01 13 2009 BOARD Unknown VER Unknown DATE Unknown 2 Press Tab to switch between drives until the correct BIOS file is found When found EZ F...

Page 79: ...com and save it to a USB flash drive Recovering the BIOS To recover the BIOS 1 Turn on the system 2 Insert the motherboard support DVD to the optical drive or the USB flash drive containing the BIOS file to the USB port 3 The utility automatically checks the devices for the BIOS file When found the utility reads the BIOS file and starts flashing the corrupted BIOS file 4 Turn off the system after ...

Page 80: ...ram Press Del during the Power On Self Test POST to enter the Setup utility otherwise POST continues with its test routines If you wish to enter Setup after POST restart the system by pressing Ctrl Alt Delete or by pressing the reset button on the system chassis You can also restart by turning the system off and then back on Do this last option only if the first two failed The Setup program is des...

Page 81: ... are the navigation keys for that particular menu Use the navigation keys to select items in the menu and change the settings 3 2 1 BIOS menu screen Some of the navigation keys differ from one screen to another v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Extreme Tweaker Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Use ENTER TAB or SHIFT TAB to select a field Use or to configure ...

Page 82: ...it then press Enter to display a list of options Refer to 3 2 7 Pop up window 3 2 7 Pop up window Select a menu item then press Enter to display a pop up window with the configuration options for that item 3 2 8 Scroll bar A scroll bar appears on the right side of a menu screen when there are items that do not fit on the screen Press the Up Down arrow keys or Page Up Page Down keys to display the ...

Page 83: ...SC Exit Configure System Frequency Voltage Target CPU Frequency 2800MHZ Target DRAM Frequency 800MHZ CPU Level Up Auto AI Overclock Tuner Auto CPU Ratio Auto CPU Configuration DRAM Frequency Auto DDR3 Memory Profile Disabled CPU NB Frequency Auto HT Link Speed Auto Please key in numbers directly Extreme OV Disabled CPU Load Line Calibration Auto Current Voltage 1 237V 1 535V 1 204V CPU Temperature...

Page 84: ...e FSB frequency You can also type in the desired frequency using the numeric keypad The values range from 200 to 600 This item appears when you set Ai Overclock Tuner to Manual 3 3 4 PCIE Frequency XXX Allows you to set the PCI Express frequency Use the and keys to adjust the PCIE frequency You can also type in the desired value using the numeric keypad The values range from 100 to 150 This item a...

Page 85: ...onfiguration Bank Interleaving Auto Channel Interleaving XOR of Address bit Enable Clock to All DIMMs Disabled MemClk Tristate C3 ATLVID Disabled Memory Hole Remapping Enabled DCT Unganged Mode Auto Power Down Enable Disabled DCQ maximum bypass counter Auto Bank Swizzle Mode Enabled Bank Interleaving Auto Enabled Enables the bank memory interleaving Disabled Disables this function Channel Interlea...

Page 86: ...Swizzle Mode Enabled Disabled Disables this function Enabled Enables bank swizzle mode 3 3 12 DRAM Timing Driving Config This item appears only when you set Ai Overclock Tuner to Manual or CPU Level Up v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Extreme Tweaker Enable Bank Interleaving Select Screen Select Item Change Field F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit DRA...

Page 87: ...Auto Configuration options Auto 5 CLK 6 CLK 7 CLK 8 CLK 10 CLK 12 CLK TRRD Auto Configuration options Auto 4 CLK 5 CLK 6 CLK 7 CLK v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc Select Screen Select Item Change Option F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit TREF Auto Drv 1 5x 1 5x 1 5x 1 5x 1 0x 1 0x 60ohms DCT0 CKE drive strength Auto DCT0 CS ODT drive strength Auto DCT0 ADDR CMD drive s...

Page 88: ...ns 300ns 350ns TRFC1 Auto Configuration options Auto 90ns 110ns 160ns 300ns 350ns TREF Auto Configuration options Auto Every 7 8ms Every 3 9ms DCT0 1 CKE drive strength Auto Configuration options Auto 1x 1 25x 1 5x 2x DCT0 1 CS ODT drive strength Auto Configuration options Auto 1x 1 25x 1 5x 2x DCT0 1 ADDR CMD drive strength Auto Configuration options Auto 1x 1 25x 1 5x 2x DCT0 1 MEMCLK drive stre...

Page 89: ...the system unstable 3 3 16 CPU NB Voltage Auto Allows you to set the CPU NB voltage The values start from 0 8V with a 0 0125V interval The maximum supported voltage differs by CPU The text color in the configuration field indicates voltage condition When you set the NB LED Selection item to North Bridge Voltage the onboard northbridge LED displays northbridge voltage condition 3 3 17 DRAM VDDA Vol...

Page 90: ... the CPU PLL Voltage FSB Termination Voltage DRAM Voltage and NB Voltage items are labeled in different color indicating the risk levels of high voltage settings Refer to the table below for details The system may need better cooling system to work stably under high voltage settings 3 3 21 NB 1 8V Voltage Auto Allows you to set the NB 1 8 voltage The values range from 1 180200V to 3 00775V with a ...

Page 91: ...ge on CHA DRAM DATA REF Voltage on CHB DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHB DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CPU Auto Allows you to set different voltage on channel A and B and CPU or your can set to Auto for the safe mode Different ratio might enhance CPU overclocking ability The values range from 157 5mV to 200 0V 3 3 25 CPU Spread Spectrum Auto Disabled Enhances FSB overclocking ability Auto Sets to Auto for E...

Page 92: ...u screen for information on the menu screen items and how to navigate through them v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Extreme Tweaker Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Use ENTER TAB or SHIFT TAB to select a field Use or to configure system Time Select Screen Select Item Change Field Tab Select Field F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit System Time 13 51...

Page 93: ...n if you are specifically configuring a CD ROM drive ARMD Select ARMD ATAPI Removable Media Device if your device is either a ZIP LS 120 or MO drive LBA Large Mode Auto Enables or disables the LBA Logical Block Addressing mode Auto Select Auto to enable the LBA mode Logical Block Addressing mode if the device supports this mode and if the device was not previously formatted with LBA mode disabled ...

Page 94: ...hardware devices installed with much less CPU overhead The DMA mode consists of SDMA single word DMA MDMA multi word DMA and UDMA Ultra DMA Setting to Auto allows automatic selection of the DMA mode or you can select from the following options SWDMA1 SWDMA2 MWDMA0 MWDMA1 MWDMA2 UDMA0 UDMA1 UDMA2 UDMA3 UDMA4 UDMA5 SMART Monitoring Auto Auto Allows automatic selection of the S M A R T Smart Monitori...

Page 95: ...AHCI Set to AHCI when you want the SATA hard disk drives to use the AHCI Advabced Host Controller Interface The AHCI allows the onboard storage driver to enable advanced Serial ATA features that increases storage performance on random workloads by allowing the drive to internally optimize the order of commands 3 4 5 Storage Configuration The items in this menu allow you to set or change the config...

Page 96: ... BIOS automatically detects the items in this menu v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Select Screen Select Item Change Field F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit BIOS Information Version 0223 Build Date 05 14 09 Processor Type AMD Speed 2800MHz System Memory Usable Size 1023MB ...

Page 97: ...ces Configuration USB Configuration PCIPnP LCD Poster and LED Control iROG Configuration v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced Sets the ratio between CPU Core Clock and the FSB Frequency NOTE If an invalid ratio is set in CMOS then actual and setpoint values may differ NOTE Please key in ratio numbers directly Select Screen Select Item F1 General Help F10...

Page 98: ...d Enabled Enables the AMD Secure Virtual Machine Disabled Disables this function Cool n Quiet Disabled Enabled Enables the AMD Cool n Quiet function Disabled Disables this function ACPI SRAT Table Enabled Enabled Enables the building of ACPI SRAT table Disabled Disables this function C1E Support Disabled Enabled Enables the C1E support function This item should be enabled in order to enable the En...

Page 99: ...ration ECC Mode Disabled DRAM ECC Enable Disabled DRAM SCRUB REDIRECT Disabled 4 Bit ECC Mode Disabled DRAM BG Scrub Disabled Data Cache BG Scrub Disabled L2 Cache BG Scrub Disabled L3 Cache BG Scrub Disabled Set the level of ECC protection Note The Super ECC mode dynamically sets the DRAM scrub rate so all of memory is scrubbed in 8 hours ECC Mode Disabled Allows you to set the level of ECC prote...

Page 100: ...to be corrected when idle Configuration options Disabled 40ns 80ns 160ns 320ns 640ns 1 28us 2 56us 5 12us 10 2us 20 5us 41 0us 81 9us 163 8us 327 7us 655 4us 1 31ms 2 62ms 5 24ms 10 49ms 20 97ms 42 00ms 84 00ms L2 Cache BG Scrub Disabled Disables or sets the L2 Cache BG Scrub This item allows the cache RAM to be corrected when idle Configuration options Disabled 40ns 80ns 160ns 320ns 640ns 1 28us ...

Page 101: ...s Configuration BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced RD790 Configuration Peer to Peer among GFX GFX2 Disabled GPP Slots Power Limit W 25 PCI Express Configuration Peer to Peer among GFX GFX2 Disabled Configuration options Enabled Disabled GPP Slots Power Limit W 25 Allows you to set the GPP slots power limit Use or to adjust the power limit or key in the value directly ...

Page 102: ...isabled This item appears only when you enable the previous item Enabled Enables the onboard LAN Boot ROM Disabled Disables the onboard LAN Boot ROM Firewire 1394 Enabled Enabled Enables the 1394 controller Disabled Disables the controller BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced Onboard Device Configuration Onboard LAN Enabled Onboard LAN Boot ROM Disabled Firewire 1394 Enabled Enable Disable Onboard Lan ...

Page 103: ...S Disabled Disables the function USB 2 0 Controller Enabled Enabled Enables the USB 2 0 controller Disabled Disables the controller USB 2 0 Controller Mode HiSpeed FullSpeed Set the USB 2 0 controller mode to FullSpeed 12 Mbps HiSpeed Set the USB 2 0 controller mode to HiSpeed 480 Mbps The USB 2 0 Controller Mode item appears only when you enable the USB 2 0 Controller 3 5 4 USB Configuration The ...

Page 104: ...figures all the devices in the system v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced NO lets the BIOS configure all the devices in the system YES lets the operating system configure Plug and Play PnP devices not required for boot if your system has a Plug and Play operating system Select Screen Select Item F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit Advanced PCI Pn...

Page 105: ...er Configuration options All Voltage All Temperature All Fan Speed All LED Control Enabled Allows you to enable or disable the onboard LEDs control Configuration options Enabled Disabled The following items appear only when you set All LED Control to Enabled ROG Logo Enabled Allows you to enable or disable the onboard ROG light box Configuration options Disabled Enabled Voltiminder LED Enabled All...

Page 106: ...ge LED display Configuration options SB HT 3 5 7 iROG Configuration iROG Timer Keeper Last State Allows you to set the iROG Time Keeper operation mode Configuration options Last State Disabled Enabled v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced iROG Timer Keeper System will record using time every 1 minute Select Screen Select Item F1 General Help F10 Save and ...

Page 107: ...on S3 STR resume Disabled When set to Disabled the system will not invoke VGA BIOS POST on S3 STR resume Enabled When set to Enabled the system invokes VGA BIOS POST on S3 STR resume 3 6 3 ACPI 2 0 Support Disabled Disabled When set to Disabled the system will not add additional tables as per ACPI 2 0 specifications v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Extreme Tw...

Page 108: ...t in the Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller APIC Disabled When set to Disabled the system disable the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface ACPI support in the Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller APIC Enabled When set to Enabled the ACPI APIC table pointer is included in the RSDT pointer list v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced Selec...

Page 109: ...function Enabled Sets specific keys on the PS 2 keyboard to turn on the system This feature requires an ATX power supply that provides at least 1A on the 5VSB lead Power On By RTC Alarm Disabled Allows you to enable or disable RTC to generate a wake event When this item is set to Enabled the items RTC Alarm Date RTC Alarm Hour RTC Alarm Minute RTC Alarm Second will become user configurable with se...

Page 110: ...splay the detected temperatures NB overheat protection SB overheat protection 90ºC The system automatically shuts down when the northbridge or southbridge chipset is heated over the set temperature to protect it from damage Configuration optitons Disabled 70ºC 80ºC 90ºC 100ºC OPT FAN1 2 3 overheat protection 90ºC Allows you to set the temperature over which the system automatically shuts down when...

Page 111: ...le the Chassis fan controller Disabled Disables the Chassis Q fan controller Enabled Enables the Chassis Q fan controller The Chassis Fan Mode item appears when you enable the Chassis Q Fan Function feature BIOS SETUP UTILITY Power Fan Speed Control CPU Q Fan Control Disabled Chassis Q Fan Function Disabled PWRFan Control Disabled OPTFan1 Control Disabled OPTFan2 Control Disabled OPTFan3 Control D...

Page 112: ... you can configure the OPTFan1 2 3 Duty item If you set this item to User Mode you are allowed to configure the OPTFan1 2 3 Low Speed Temp and OPTFan1 2 3 Full Speed Temp item Configuration options Disabled Duty Mode User Mode You need to connect the thermal sensor cables to the OPT_TEMP1 2 3 connectors to enable this function OPTFan1 2 3 Duty 50 Allows you to set the fan duty cycle This item appe...

Page 113: ...nced Power Boot Tools Exit Specifies the Boot Device Priority sequence A virtual floppy disk drive Floppy Drive B may appear when you set the CD ROM drive as the first boot device Select Screen Select Item Enter Go to Sub Screen F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit Boot Settings Boot Device Priority Boot Settings Configuration Security v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIO...

Page 114: ... Display Mode Force BIOS Sets the display mode for option ROM Force BIOS Keep Current Bootup Num Lock On Allows you to select the power on state for the NumLock On Sets the power on state of the NumLock to On Off Sets the power on state of the NumLock to Off Wait for F1 If Error Enabled When set to Enabled the system waits for the F1 key to be pressed when error occurs Hit DEL Message Display Enab...

Page 115: ...setting a user password To clear the supervisor password select the Change Supervisor Password then press Enter The message Password Uninstalled appears If you forget your BIOS password you can clear it by erasing the CMOS Real Time Clock RTC RAM See section 2 6 Jumper for information on how to erase the RTC RAM 3 7 3 Security The Security menu items allow you to change the system security setting...

Page 116: ...ess Enter 2 On the password box that appears type a password composed of at least six letters and or numbers then press Enter 3 Confirm the password when prompted The message Password Installed appears after you set your password successfully To change the user password follow the same steps as in setting a user password Password Check Setup When set to Setup BIOS checks for user password when acc...

Page 117: ... 25L1605A PATH A BOARD Crosshair III Formul VER 0211 H 00 B 09 DATE 04 28 2009 BOARD Unknown VER Unknown DATE Unknown 3 8 Tools menu The Tools menu items allow you to configure options for special functions Select an item then press Enter to display the sub menu v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Extreme Tweaker Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Press ENTER t...

Page 118: ...te Enter Select or Load Tab Switch V Drive Info Up Down Home End Move B Backup Esc Exit PATH A BOARD Crosshair III Formul VER 0211 DATE 04 28 2009 BOARD Unknown VER Unknown DATE Unknown Current CMOS v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Tools Typing your profile name 0 9 a z A Z are acceptable Select Screen Select Item F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit O ...

Page 119: ... Batch File to Allows you to load the desired TweakIt batch file Configuration options None File 1 File 2 FSB Frequency Controller CPU Ratio CPU Voltage CPU NB Voltage CPU VDDA Voltage DRAM Voltage HT Voltage NB Voltage NB 1 8V Voltage SB Voltage S5 1 2V Voltage Allows you to use the and keys to adjust the values for each item Refer to 3 3 Extreme Tweaker Menu for details v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2...

Page 120: ...or disables checking of the LAN cable during the Power On Self Test POST Configuration options Disabled Enabled BIOS SETUP UTILITY Tools Ai Net 2 Pair Status Length Check Realtek LAN cable Disabled Check Realtek LAN cable during POST It will take 3 to 10 seconds to diagnose LAN cable ...

Page 121: ...ot want to save the changes that you made to the Setup program If you made changes to fields other than System Date System Time and Password the BIOS asks for a confirmation before exiting Discard Changes This option allows you to discard the selections you made and restore the previously saved values After selecting this option a confirmation appears Select YES to discard any changes and load the...

Page 122: ...3 48 Chapter 3 BIOS setup ...

Page 123: ...4 Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package and the software ...

Page 124: ...Crosshair III Formula Chapter summary 4 4 1 Installing an operating system 4 1 4 2 Support DVD information 4 1 4 3 Software information 4 9 4 4 RAID configurations 4 27 4 5 Creating a RAID driver disk 4 34 ...

Page 125: ...lities that you can install to avail all motherboard features 4 2 1 Running the support DVD Place the support DVD to the optical drive The DVD automatically displays the Drivers menu if Autorun is enabled in your computer Motherboard settings and hardware options vary Use the setup procedures presented in this chapter for reference only Refer to your OS documentation for detailed information Ensur...

Page 126: ... to activate the devices AMD Chipset Driver Installs the AMD chipset drivers SoundMAX ADI Audio Driver Installs the SoundMAX ADI Audio driver Realtek RTL8111C LAN Driver Installs the Realtek Gigabit Ethernet Driver Sound Blaster X Fi Installs the Sound Blaster X Fi driver ASUS TweakIt Installs the ASUS TweakIt driver and utility USB 2 0 Driver Installs the USB 2 0 driver ...

Page 127: ...e the motherboard BIOS in Windows environment This utility requires an Internet connection either through a network or an Internet Service Provider ISP ASUS PC Probe II This smart utility monitors the fan speed CPU temperature and system voltage and alerts you of any detected problems This utility helps you keep your computer in healthy operating condition ASUS AI Suite Installs the ASUS AI Suite ...

Page 128: ...Burn Now application for Audio DVD CD and data disc creation Corel MediaOne Starter Installs the Corel MediaOne Starter application to easily manage edit share and protect your multimedia data Ulead PhotoImpact 12 SE Installs the Ulead PhotoImpact 12 SE software Winzip 11 Installs the Winzip utility for easy file compression and protection AMD OverDrive Utility Installs AMD OverDrive utility Anti ...

Page 129: ...t WinXP Driver disk ATI RAID AHCI 32 64 bit Vista Driver Allows you to create an ATI RAID AHCI 32 64 bit Vista Driver disk 4 2 5 Manual menu The Manuals menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals Click an item to open the folder of the user manual Most user manual files are in Portable Document Format PDF Install the Adobe Acrobat Reader from the Utilities menu before opening a user manual...

Page 130: ...tab to display the ASUS contact information You can also find this information on the inside front cover of this user guide 4 2 6 Video menu Click the Video tab to display a list of video clips Click the video titles to watch ROG users outstanding performances with ROG motherboards ...

Page 131: ...of the screen give additional information on the motherboard and the contents of the support DVD Click an icon to display the specified information Motherboard Info Displays the general specifications of the motherboard Browse this DVD Displays the support DVD contents in graphical format ...

Page 132: ...t Filelist Displays the contents of the support DVD and a brief description of each in text format Technical support form Displays the ASUS Technical Support Request Form that you have to fill out when requesting technical support ...

Page 133: ...ion 3 1 1 ASUS Update utility for details 2 Select Options from the drop down menu then click Next 3 Check the option Launch MyLogo to replace system boot logo before flashing BIOS then click Next 4 Select Update BIOS from a file from the drop down menu then click Next 5 When prompted locate the new BIOS file then click Next The ASUS MyLogo window appears 6 From the left window pane select the fol...

Page 134: ...l BIOS to load the new boot logo 10 After flashing the BIOS restart the computer to display the new boot logo during POST 8 Adjust the boot image to your desired size by selecting a value on the Ratio box 7 When the logo images appear on the right window pane select an image to enlarge by clicking on it ...

Page 135: ...n enabled Autorun feature 2 Click the Drivers tab and click VIA Audio Driver 3 Follow the screen instructions to complete installation 4 Click the support DVD Drivers tab and click Sound Blaster X Fi 5 Follow the screen instructions to complete installation You need to install VIA Audio Driver to use Sound Blaster X Fi audio utility Double click the Volume Panel icon to launch the Mixer control pa...

Page 136: ...ualizer and Mixer Minimize Exit Help Click to restore default settings Click to mute volume Drag to adjust volume Click each icon to configure further settings Speakers and Headphone Panel This panel allows you to configure speakers headphone settings including bass management and speaker volume You can also test each speaker channel Click to test speaker sound in turn Click to test speaker noise ...

Page 137: ...SS 3D Panel This panel allows you to configure 3D virtual surround effects Click to select an environment Drag to adjust effects amount Click to enable X Fi 3D Virtual effects Drag to adjust effects Click to select an upmix mode appears when using 4 4 1 5 1 7 1 Speakers X Fi Crystalizer Panel Enable X Fi Crystalizer to obtain more audio dynamics Click to enable X Fi Crystalizer Drag to adjust effe...

Page 138: ... This panel allows you to customize equalizer settings or select an EQ presets Click to select an EQ preset Click to save settings Click to enable EQ Drag to customize effects Mixer Panel This panel allows you to select a recording device and adjust recording playback devices volume Click to adjust volume Click to mute volume Drag to adjust volume Click to select a recording device ...

Page 139: ...tup exe file from the ASUS PC Probe II folder Double click the setup exe file to start installation 2 Click the Utilities tab then click ASUS PC Probe II 3 Follow the screen instructions to complete installation Launching PC Probe II You can launch the PC Probe II right after installation or anytime from the Windows desktop To launch the PC Probe II from the Windows desktop click Start All Program...

Page 140: ... usage window Shows Hides the Preference section Minimizes the application Closes the application Sensor alert When a system sensor detects a problem the main window right handle turns red as the illustrations below show When displayed the monitor panel for that sensor also turns red Refer to the Monitor panels section for details Preferences You can customize the application using the Preference ...

Page 141: ...nels The hardware monitor panels display the current value of a system sensor such as fan rotation CPU temperature and voltages The hardware monitor panels come in two display modes hexagonal large and rectangular small When you check the Enable Monitoring Panel option from the Preference section the monitor panels appear on your computer s desktop Large display Small display Click to increase val...

Page 142: ...ser displays various Windows management information Click an item from the left panel to display on the right panel Click the plus sign before WMI Information to display the available information You can enlarge or reduce the browser size by dragging the bottom right corner of the browser DMI browser Click to display the DMI Desktop Management Interface browser This browser displays various deskto...

Page 143: ...d memory usage Click to display the Usage browser CPU usage The CPU tab displays real time CPU usage in line graph representation If the CPU has an enabled Hyper Threading two separate line graphs display the operation of the two logical processors Hard disk drive space usage The Hard Disk tab displays the used and available hard disk drive space The left panel of the tab lists all logical drives ...

Page 144: ... adjust the sensor threshold values The Config window has two tabs Sensor Threshold and Preference The Sensor Threshold tab enables you to activate the sensors or to adjust the sensor threshold values The Preference tab allows you to customize sensor alerts or change the temperature scale Loads the default threshold values for each sensor Applies your changes Cancels or ignores your changes Loads ...

Page 145: ...I Suite You can launch AI Suite right after installation or anytime from the Windows desktop To launch AI Suite from the Windows desktop click Start All Programs ASUS AI Suite AI Suite v1 xx xx The AI Suite main window appears After launching the application the AI Suite icon appears in the Windows notification area Click this icon to close or restore the application Using AI Suite Click the EPU T...

Page 146: ...f the main window to open the monitor window Click on right corner of the expanded window to switch the temperature from degrees Centigrade to degrees Fahrenheit Displays the CPU system temperature CPU memory PCIE voltage and CPU chassis fan speed Displays the FSB CPU frequency ...

Page 147: ...he Windows notification area and click the Q Fan 2 button on the AI Suite main window Click the drop down menu button and display the fan names Select CPU Q Fan 2 or CHASSIS Q Fan 2 Click the box of Enable Q Fan 2 to activate this function drop down list button Enable Q Fan 2 box Profile list appears after clicking the Enable Q Fan 2 box Click the drop down list button and select a profile Optimal...

Page 148: ...vironment without the hassle of entering BIOS After installing AI Suite from the bundled Support DVD launch the utility by double clicking the AI Suite icon in the Windows notification area and click the CPU Level Up button on the AI Suite main window Click to select a CPU level Click to apply the selected CPU level Click to exit the utlity ...

Page 149: ... For system stability set ASUS EPU to High Performance Mode while using ASUS TurboV To launch ASUS TurboV 1 Install the ASUS TurboV utility from the motherboard support DVD 2 Click start All Programs ASUS TurboV TurboV Save the current settings as a profile Shows more settings Applies all changes immediately Undoes all changes without applying Voltage Adjustment bars Default settings Target settin...

Page 150: ...pport Advanced settings menu Click More Setting from the TurboV main screen to display detailed configuration options for CPU chip voltage DRAM Reference voltage and CPU ratio Advanced CPU and DRAM voltage settings Advance Mode ...

Page 151: ...proving data access and storage Use of two new identical hard disk drives is required for this setup RAID 1 Data mirroring copies and maintains an identical image of data from one drive to a second drive If one drive fails the disk array management software directs all applications to the surviving drive as it contains a complete copy of the data in the other drive This RAID configuration provides...

Page 152: ...n entering and navigating through the BIOS Setup Due to chipset limitation when set any of SATA ports to RAID mode all SATA ports run at RAID mode together 4 4 2 Installing Serial ATA hard disks The motherboard supports Serial ATA hard disk drives For optimal performance install identical drives of the same model and capacity when creating a disk array To install the SATA hard disks for a RAID con...

Page 153: ...appears Option ROM Utility c 2008 Advanced Micro Devices Inc Define LD Menu LD No RAID Mode Total Drv LD 1 RAID 0 0 Strip Block 64 KB Fast Init ON Gigabyte Boundary ON Cache Mode WriteThru Drives Assignments Channel ID Drive Model Capabilities Capacity GB Assigment 1 Mas ST3160812AS SATA 3G 160 04 N 2 Mas ST3160812AS SATA 3G 160 04 N 3 Mas ST3160812AS SATA 3G 160 04 N 4 Mas ST3160812AS SATA 3G 160...

Page 154: ... or press any other key to use maximum capacity Press Ctrl Y to key in the desired capacity or press any other key to use the maximum capacity 6 The utility displays the following screen on the next page Option ROM Utility c 2008 Advanced Micro Devices Inc Define LD Menu LD No RAID Mode Total Drv Capacity GB Status LD 1 RAID 0 2 317 99 Functional LD 2 LD 3 LD 4 LD 5 LD 6 LD 7 LD 8 LD 9 LD 10 Up Do...

Page 155: ...Select the RAID item you want to delete and press Del or Alt D Option ROM Utility c 2008 Advanced Micro Devices Inc Delete LD Menu LD No RAID Mode Total Drv Capacity GB Status LD 1 RAID 0 2 317 99 Functional LD 2 LD 3 LD 4 LD 5 LD 6 LD 7 LD 8 LD 9 LD 10 Up Down ESC Exit Del or Alt D Delete Keys Available 3 The utility prompts the following messages Press Ctrl Y to delete the data in the disk or pr...

Page 156: ... 6 When the Make Disk menu appears press a or b to create a 32 64bit ATI RAID AHCI controller driver disk for Windows XP Vista 7 Insert a formatted floppy disk into the floppy drive then press Enter 8 Follow the succeeding screen instructions to complete the process 4 5 2 Creating a RAID SATA driver disk in Windows To create a RAID driver disk in Windows 1 Start Windows 2 Place the motherboard sup...

Page 157: ...ize the USB floppy disk drive when you install the RAID driver from a floppy disk during the OS installation To solve this issue add the USB floppy disk drive s Vendor ID VID and Product ID PID to the floppy disk containing the RAID driver Refer to the steps below 1 Using another computer plug the USB floppy disk drive and insert the floppy disk containing the RAID driver 2 Right click My Computer...

Page 158: ...select the program for opening the oem file 8 Find the HardwareIds scsi iaAHCI_ICH10R and HardwareIds scsi iastor_ICH8RICH9RICH10RDO sections in the txtsetup oem file 9 Type the following line to the bottom of the two sections id USB VID_xxxx PID_xxxx usbstor 7 Use Notepad to open the file Add the same line to both sections The VID and PID vary with different vendors ...

Page 159: ...5 ATI CrossFireX technology support This chapter describes how to install and configure ATI CrossFireX graphics cards ...

Page 160: ...ROG Crosshair III Formula Chapter summary 5 5 1 ATI CrossFireX technology 5 1 ...

Page 161: ...st the minimum power required by your system See page 2 41 for details 5 1 2 Before you begin For ATI CrossFireX to work properly you have to uninstall all existing graphics card drivers before installing ATI CrossFireX graphics cards to your system To uninstall existing graphics card drivers 1 Close all current applications 2 For Windows XP go to Control Panel Add Remove Programs For Windows Vist...

Page 162: ... the goldfingers on each graphics card Ensure that the connector is firmly in place 5 1 3 Installing CrossFireX graphics cards The following pictures are for reference only The graphics cards and the motherboard layout may vary with models but the installation steps remain the same 1 Prepare two CrossFireX ready graphics cards 2 Insert the two graphics card into the PCIEX16 slots 3 Ensure that the...

Page 163: ...raphics cards and the device drivers enable the CrossFireX feature through the ATI Catalyst Control Center in Windows environment Launching the ATI Catalyst Control Center To launch the ATI Catalyst Control Center 1 Right click on the Windows desktop and select Catalyst TM Control Center You can also right click the ATI icon in the Windows notification area and select Cayalist Control Center 2 The...

Page 164: ...X settings 1 In the Catalyst Control Center window click Graphics Settings CrossFireX Configure 2 From the Graphics Adapter list select the graphics card to act as the display GPU 3 Select Enable CrossFireX 4 Click Apply and then click OK to exit the window 1 2 3 4 ...

Page 165: ...A Appendix Debug code table The Appendix lists the debug code table for the LCD Poster ...

Page 166: ...ROG Crosshair III Formula Chapter summary A Debug code table A 1 ...

Page 167: ...O chips R W FSEG Test F000h segment shadow to see whether it is R W able or not If test fails keep beeping the speaker DET FLASH Auto detect flash type to load appropriate flash R W codes into the run time area in F000 for ESCD DMI support TESTCMOS Use walking 1 s algorithm to check out interface in CMOS circuitry Also set real time clock power status and then check for override PRG CHIP Program c...

Page 168: ...play PnP logo ONBD IO Initialize Onboard IO devices EN SETUP Okay to enter Setup utility MSINSTAL Initialize PS 2 Mouse CHK ACPI Prepare memory size information for function call INT 15h ax E820h EN CACHE Turn on L2 cache SET CHIP Program chipset registers according to items described in Setup Auto configuration table AUTO CFG Assign resources to devices INIT FDC 1 Initialize floppy controller 2 S...

Page 169: ...A adapter ROMs 6 Assign IRQs to PCI devices 7 Initialize APM 8 Clear noise of IRQs INIT ROM Initialize device option ROMs NUM LOCK 1 Program daylight saving 2 Update keyboard LED typematic rate UPDT DMI 1 Build MP table 2 Build update ESCD 3 Set CMOS century to 20h or 19h 4 Load CMOS time into DOS timer tick 5 Build MSIRQ routing table INT 19H Boot attempt INT 19h Debug code table Manufacturer ASU...

Page 170: ...A 4 Appendix Debug code table ...

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