Asus M2N68 PLUS User Manual Download Page 9

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CPU

AMD

Phenom™ X4 / Phenom™ X3 / Athlon™ X2 /

Athlon™ / Sempron™ processors (socket AM2+/AM2)

Compatible with Phenom™ II / Athlon™ X4 / Athlon™ X3 /

Athlon™ X2 processors (AM3 CPU)

AMD

Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology

* Due to the chipset limitation, the AM3/AM2+ CPU runs at

HT1 (1000MHz).

Chipset

Nvidia

nForce630a

System bus

2000 / 1600 MT/s

Memory

Dual-channel memory architecture

2 x 240-pin DIMM slots support unbuffered

ECC and non-ECC DDR2 1066*/800/667MHz memory

modules

Supports up to 8GB system memory

* DDR2 1066 is supported by AM3/AM2+ CPU only.

** Refer to www.asus.com for the latest Memory QVL

(Qualified Vendors List).

*** When you install a total memory of 4GB or more,

Windows

32-bit operating system may only

recognize less than 3GB. We recommend a maximum

of 3GB system memory if you are using a Windows 32-bit

operating system.

Expansion slots

1 x PCI Express™ x16 slot

2 x PCI Express™ x1 slots

4 x PCI 2.2 slots

Storage

1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 connector

4 x Serial ATA 3Gb/s connectors

Nvidia

MediaShield™ RAID supports RAID 0, RAID 1,

RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD configurations

Audio

ALC662 High Definition Audio 6-channel CODEC

USB

Supports up to 10 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (6 ports

at mid-board, 4 ports at back panel)

LAN

Nvidia

nForce built-in Gigabit MAC with external Realtek

8211CL-GR PHY

ASUS special features

ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution

- ASUS Q-Fan

ASUS EZ DIY

- ASUS CrashFree BIOS3

- ASUS EZ Flash2

ASUS AI NET 2

ASUS MyLogo2

M2N68 PLUS specifications summary

(continued on the next page)

Summary of Contents for M2N68 PLUS

Page 1: ...Motherboard M2N68 PLUS ...

Page 2: ...ICULAR 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 THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT SPECIFICATI...

Page 3: ...Motherboard layout 1 6 1 5 4 Layout contents 1 7 1 6 Central Processing Unit CPU 1 7 1 6 1 Installing the CPU 1 7 1 6 2 Installing the heatsink and fan 1 9 1 7 System memory 1 10 1 7 1 Overview 1 10 1 7 2 Memory configurations 1 11 1 7 3 Installing a DIMM 1 13 1 7 4 Removing a DIMM 1 13 1 8 Expansion slots 1 14 1 8 1 Installing an expansion card 1 14 1 8 2 Configuring an expansion card 1 14 1 8 3 ...

Page 4: ...2 6 2 2 4 Menu items 2 6 2 2 5 Submenu items 2 6 2 2 6 Configuration fields 2 6 2 2 7 General help 2 6 2 2 8 Pop up window 2 6 2 2 9 Scroll bar 2 6 2 3 Main menu 2 7 2 3 1 System Time xx xx xx 2 7 2 3 2 System Date Day xx xx xxxx 2 7 2 3 3 Storage Configuration 2 7 2 3 4 Primary IDE Master Slave and SATA 1 4 2 8 2 3 5 System Information 2 9 2 4 Advanced menu 2 9 2 4 1 JumperFree Configuration 2 9 ...

Page 5: ...ort Enabled 2 15 2 5 4 APM Configuration 2 15 2 5 5 Hardware Monitor 2 16 2 6 Boot menu 2 17 2 6 1 Boot Device Priority 2 17 2 6 2 Boot Settings Configuration 2 17 2 6 3 Security 2 18 2 7 Tools menu 2 19 2 7 1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 2 19 2 7 2 AI NET 2 2 19 2 8 Exit menu 2 20 ...

Page 6: ...na 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 The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations Changes or modifications to this unit...

Page 7: ... Operation safety Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it carefully read all the manuals that came with the package Before using the product ensure that all cables are correctly connected and the power cables are not damaged If you detect any damage contact your dealer immediately To avoid short circuits keep paper clips screws and staples away from connectors slots sockets and ...

Page 8: ...and software products Refer to the ASUS contact information 2 Optional documentation Your product package may include optional documentation such as warranty flyers that may have been added by your dealer These documents are not part of the standard package 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...

Page 9: ...GB or more Windows 32 bit operating system may only recognize less than 3GB We recommend a maximum of 3GB system memory if you are using a Windows 32 bit operating system Expansion slots 1 x PCI Express x16 slot 2 x PCI Express x1 slots 4 x PCI 2 2 slots Storage 1 x UltraDMA 133 100 66 connector 4 x Serial ATA 3Gb s connectors Nvidia MediaShield RAID supports RAID 0 RAID 1 RAID 0 1 RAID 5 and JBOD...

Page 10: ...TA connectors 1 x CD audio in connector 1 x Speaker connector 1 x S PDIF Out connector 1 x CPU Fan connector 1 x 24 pin EATX power connector 1 x 4 pin ATX 12V power connector 1 x system panel connector BIOS 8Mb Flash ROM AMI BIOS PnP DMI2 0 WfM2 0 ACPI2 0a SM BIOS2 5 Accessories 1 x Serial ATA cable 1 x UltraDMA 133 100 66 cable 1x I O Shield User manual Form Factor ATX form factor 12 x 8 30 5cm x...

Page 11: ...LUS motherboard Cables 1 x Serial ATA cable 1 x Ultra DMA 133 100 66 cable Accessories 1 x I O shield Application DVD ASUS motherboard support DVD Documentation User guide If any of the above items is damaged or missing contact your retailer Chapter 1 Product introduction AMD Phenom II Athlon x4 Athlon x3 Athlon x2 AM3 CPU This motherboard supports AMD AM3 multi core processors with unique L3 cach...

Page 12: ...t Technology This motherboard supports the AMD Cool n Quiet technology which monitors system operation and automatically adjusts CPU voltage and frequency for a cool and quiet operating environment Gigabit LAN solution The onboard LAN controller is a highly integrated Gb LAN controller It is enhanced with an ACPI management function to provide efficient power management for advanced operating syst...

Page 13: ...US AI NET2 remotely detects the cable connection immediately after you turn on the system and any faulty cable connections are reported back up to 100 meters at 1 meter accuracy ASUS Q Fan ASUS Q Fan technology intelligently adjusts CPU fan speeds according to system loading to ensure quiet cool and efficient operation Green ASUS This motherboard and its packaging comply with the European Union s ...

Page 14: ...ntistatic 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 supply Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the motherboard peripherals or components Onboard LED The motherboard comes with a standby power LED that lights up to indicate that the system is ON in sl...

Page 15: ... edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below 1 5 2 Screw holes Place six 6 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 Place this side towards the rear of the chassis Chapter 1 Product introduction 1 5 ...

Page 16: ...TXPWR CPU_FAN Lithium Cell CMOS Power Super I O ALC 662 Realtek 8211CL KBMS 8Mb BIOS SB_PWR CLRTC SPEAKER 20 3cm 8 0in NVIDIA MCP68 SE DDR2 DIMM_A1 64bit 240 pin module CPU Socket DDR2 DIMM_B1 64bit 240 pin module SATA4 SATA3 SATA2 SATA1 AUDIO LPT COM LAN1_USB12 USB34 30 5cm 12 0in PRI_IDE 1 4 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1 5 3 Motherboard layout 1 6 ASUS M2N68 PLUS ...

Page 17: ...mpers Slots Page Connectors Jumpers Slots Page 1 ATX power connectors 24 pin EATXPWR 4 pin ATX12V 1 21 8 System panel connector 10 1 pin F_PANEL 1 23 2 DDR2 DIMM slots 1 10 9 USB connectors 10 1 pin USB56 USB78 USB910 1 20 3 CPU Socket 1 7 10 Speaker connector 4 pin SPEAKER 1 17 4 CPU fan connector 4 pin CPU_FAN 1 22 11 Digital audio connector 4 1 pin SPDIF_OUT 1 22 5 SATA connectors 7 pin SATA1 S...

Page 18: ...ion DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the pins and damaging the CPU Gold triangle Small triangle 5 When the CPU is in place push down the socket lever to secure the CPU The lever clicks on the side tab to indicate that it is locked 6 Install a CPU heatsink and fan following the instructions that came with the heatsink package You can also refer to section 1 6 2 Installing hea...

Page 19: ...ng other motherboard components If you purchased a separate CPU heatsink and fan assembly make sure that a Thermal Interface Material is properly applied to the CPU heatsink or CPU before you install the heatsink and fan assembly CPU Fan CPU Heatsink Retention bracket Retention bracket lock Retention Module Base Your boxed CPU heatsink and fan assembly should come with installation instructions fo...

Page 20: ...bly is in place connect the CPU fan 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 1 7 System memory 1 7 1 Overview The motherboard comes with two Double Data Rate 2 DDR2 Dual Inline Memory Modules DIMM sockets A DDR2 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR DIM...

Page 21: ... XP Professional x64 and Vista x64 editions You may install a maximum of 4GB DIMMs on each slot M2N68 PLUS Motherboard Qualified Vendors Lists QVL DDR2 667MHz capability Vendor Part No Size SS DS CL Chip No Chip Brand DIMM support A B Kingston KVR667D2N5 512 512MB SS N A SO1237650821 SBP D6408TR4CGL25 USL074905PECNB Kingston Qimonda HYS64T64000EU 3S B2 512MB SS 5 HYB18T512B00B2F3SFSS28171 Qimonda ...

Page 22: ... 6 K4T1G084QQ HCF7 ECC Samsung Samsung M378T5263AZ3 CF7 4G DS N A K4T2G084QA HCF7 Samsung Qimonda HYS64T64000EU 2 5 B2 512MB SS 6 HYB18T512800B2F25FSS28380 Qimonda Corsair CM2X2048 6400C5DHX 2G Kit of 2 DS 5 Heat Sink Package Corsair Crucial BL12864AA804 8FE5 2G Kit of 2 EPP SS N A Heat Sink Package N A HY HYMP564U64CP8 S5 AB 512MB SS 5 HY5PS12821CFP S5 Hynix Kingmax KLDC28F A8KI5 512MB SS N A KKA...

Page 23: ...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 3 Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated Locked Retaining Clip 3 1 7 4 Removing a DIMM To remove a DIMM 1 Simultaneously press the retaining clips outward to unlock the DIMM 2 Remove the DIMM from ...

Page 24: ...ew you removed earlier 6 Replace the system cover 1 8 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 2 for information on BIOS setup 2 Assign an IRQ to the card 3 Install the software drivers for the expansion card When using PCI cards on shared slots ...

Page 25: ...r cord 2 Move the jumper cap from pins 1 2 default to pins 2 3 Keep the cap on pins 2 3 for about 5 10 seconds then move the cap back to pins 1 2 3 Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer 4 Hold down the Del key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to reenter data If the steps above do not help remove the onboard battery and move the jumper again to clear the CMOS RTC RAM data After c...

Page 26: ...r or other audio sources 5 Line Out port lime This port connects a headphone or a speaker In 4 channel and 6 channel configuration the function of this port becomes Front Speaker Out 6 Microphone port pink This port connects a microphone Refer to the audio configuration table below for the function of the audio ports in 2 4 or 6 channel configuration Audio 2 4 6 channel configuration Ensure that t...

Page 27: ...ointing devices or other serial devices 10 PS 2 keyboard port This port is for a PS 2 keyboard 1 10 2 Internal connectors 1 Speaker connector 4 pin SPEAKER This 4 pin connector is for the chassis mounted system warning speaker The speaker allows you to hear system beeps and warnings 2 Optical drive audio connector 4 pin CD This connector allows you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources ...

Page 28: ...r 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 66 IDE de...

Page 29: ...MB s Ultra DMA133 If you install Serial ATA hard disk drives you can create a RAID 0 RAID 1 RAID 0 1 RAID 5 and JBOD configurations through the onboard controller Install the Windows XP Service Pack 1 before using Serial ATA For detailed instructions on how to configure RAID 0 RAID 1 and RAID 0 1 RAID 5 and JBOD refer to the RAID manual in the support DVD If you intend to create a Serial ATA RAID ...

Page 30: ... Front panel audio connector 10 1 pin AAFP This connector is for a chassis mounted front panel audio I O module that supports either High Definition Audio or AC 97 audio standard 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 high definition audio capa...

Page 31: ... at least 15 A on 12 V and that the PSU has a minimum power rating of 300W The system may become unstable or may not boot up if the power is inadequate DO NOT forget to connect the 4 pin ATX 12V power plug Otherwise the system will not boot up We recommend that you use a PSU with higher power output when configuring a system with more power consuming devices or when you intend to install additiona...

Page 32: ...tor 4 pin CPU_FAN The fan connector supports cooling fans of 350 mA 740 mA 8 88 W max or a total of 1 A 2 22 A 26 64 W max at 12V Connect the fan cable to the fan connector on the motherboard making sure 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 connector Insufficient air flow inside the system may damage the mother...

Page 33: ...ive activity LED 2 pin HDLED This 2 pin connector is for the HDD Activity LED Connect the HDD Activity LED cable to this connector The IDE LED lights up or flashes when data is read from or written to the HDD Power Soft off button 2 pin PWRBTN This 2 pin 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 ...

Page 34: ...is chapter for reference only Refer to your OS documentation for detailed information Ensure that you install Windows XP Service Pack 3 or later versions Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or later versions before installing the drivers for better compatibility and system stability 1 11 2 Support DVD information The Support DVD that came with the motherboard package contains the drivers software applica...

Page 35: ...the ASUS Update utility 2 From the dropdown list select any of the updating process Updating from the Internet a Select Update BIOS from the Internet then click Next b Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network traffic or click Auto Select then click Next c From the FTP site select the BIOS version that you wish to download then click Next 2 1 1 ASUS Update utility The ASUS Update is a ...

Page 36: ...s you to update the BIOS without having to use an OS based utility Before using this utility download the latest BIOS file from the ASUS website at www asus com To update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2 1 Insert the USB flash disk that contains the latest BIOS file to the USB port then launch EZ Flash 2 You can launch EZ Flash 2 in two ways Press Alt F2 during POST to display the following Enter the BIO...

Page 37: ...ery Checking for CD ROM CD ROM found Reading file M2NPLUS ROM Completed Start erasing Recovering the BIOS To recover the BIOS 1 Turn on the system 2 Insert the support DVD or USB flash disk containing the BIOS file to the disk drive or port 3 The utility displays the following message and automatically checks the support DVD or USB flash disk for the BIOS file Only the USB flash disk with FAT 32 1...

Page 38: ...you wish to enter Setup after POST reboot the system by doing any of the following procedures Restart using the OS standard shut down procedure Press Ctrl Alt Del simultaneously Press the reset button on the system chassis Press the power button to turn the system off then back on Using the power button reset button or the Ctrl Alt Del keys to force reset from a running operating system can cause ...

Page 39: ...etup screens shown in this chapter are for reference purposes only and may not exactly match what you see on your screen Visit the ASUS website at www asus com to download the latest BIOS information Menu items Menu bar Configuration fields General help Select Screen Select Item Change Field Tab Select Field F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2008 American Megatrend...

Page 40: ... menu screen are the navigation keys for that particular menu Use the navigation keys to select items in the menu and change the settings Some of the navigation keys differ from one screen to another 2 2 7 General help At the top right corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the selected item 2 2 8 Pop up window Select a menu item then press Enter to display a pop up window with the co...

Page 41: ...Setup program the Main menu screen appears giving you an overview of the basic system information 2 3 1 System Time xx xx xx Allows you to set the system time 2 3 2 System Date Day xx xx xxxx Allows you to set the system date 2 3 3 Storage Configuration The Storage Configuration menu allows you to configure your storage devices Select an item then press Enter to display the submenu Onboard IDE Con...

Page 42: ...n options Not Installed Auto CDROM ARMD This item does not appear when you select SATA1 2 3 4 LBA Large Mode Auto Enables or disables the LBA mode Setting to Auto enables the LBA mode if the device supports this mode and if the device was not previously formatted with LBA mode disabled Configuration options Disabled Auto Block Multi Sector Transfer M Auto Enables or disables data multi sectors tra...

Page 43: ...ITY Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit JumperFree Configuration CPU Configuration Chipset Onboard Devices Configuration PCIPnP USB Configuration Select Screen Select Item Change Field Tab Select Field F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit Adjust System Frequency Voltage etc 2 4 1 JumperFree Configuration Depending on your AMD CPU type AM2 AM2 or AM3 the items on this section may not exactly ...

Page 44: ... Allows you to select the PCI Express frequency Configuration options 100 101 102 103 107 115 Processor Frequency Multiplier Auto Allows you to select the processor frequency Configuration options Auto x4 0 800 MHz x5 0 1000 MHz x6 0 1200 MHz x7 0 1400 MHz x8 0 1600 MHz x9 0 1800 MHz Processor Voltage Standard Allows you to select the processor voltage or set it to auto for safe mode Configuration...

Page 45: ...5 CLK 6 CLK TRRD Auto Allows you to set TRRD Configuration options 2 CLK 3 CLK 4 CLK 5 CLK Auto tRWTTO Auto Allows you to set tRWTTO Configuration options Auto 2 CLK 3 CLK 4 CLK 5 CLK 6 CLK 7 CLK 8 CLK 9 CLK tWRRD Auto Allows you to specify the write to read delay when accessing different DRAMs Configuration options Auto 0 CLK 1 CLK 2 CLK 3 CLK tWTR Auto Allows you to specify the write to read del...

Page 46: ...o enable or disable the AMD Secure Virtual Machine mode Configuration options Disabled Enabled Cool n Quiet Enabled Allows you to enable or disable the generation of ACPI_PPC _PSS and _PCT objects Configuration options Disabled Enabled CPU Prefetching Enabled Allows you to enable or disable the CPU prefetching Configuration options Enabled Disabled 2 4 3 Chipset The Chipset menu allows you to chan...

Page 47: ...er Max User SouthBridge Configuration Primary Graphics Adapter PCIE PCI Display Device Priority from high to low Configuration options PCIE PCI PCI PCIE AZALIA AUDIO Auto Allows you to enable or disable the HD audio mode Configuration options Disabled Auto Front Panel Select HD Audio Allows you to set HD Audio mode Configuration options AC97 HD Audio Onboard LAN Auto Allows you to set or disable t...

Page 48: ...ions Enabled Disabled USB 2 0 Controller Enabled Enables or disables the USB 2 0 Controller Configuration options Enabled Disabled Legacy USB Support Auto Allows you to enable or disable support for Legacy USB storage devices including USB flash drives and USB hard drives Setting to Auto allows the system to detect the presence of USB devices at startup If detected the USB controller legacy mode i...

Page 49: ... less power than in the S1 state When signaled by a wake up device or event the system resumes to its working state exactly where it was left off Auto Detected by OS 2 5 2 ACPI 2 0 Support Disabled Allows you to add more tables for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface ACPI 2 0 specifications Configuration options Disabled Enabled 2 5 3 ACPI APIC Support Enabled Allows you to enable or disabl...

Page 50: ...splays the CPU chassis and power fan speed in rotations per minute RPM If the fan is not connected to the motherboard the field shows N A Select Ignored if you do not wish to display the detected speed VCORE Voltage 3 3V Voltage 5V Voltage 12V Voltage The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through the onboard voltage regulators Smart Q Fan Function Disabled Allows yo...

Page 51: ...ll screen logo display feature Configuration options Disabled Enabled Set this item to Enabled to use the ASUS MyLogo 2 feature AddOn ROM Display Mode Force BIOS Sets the display mode for option ROM Configuration options Force BIOS Keep Current Bootup Num Lock On Allows you to select the power on state for the NumLock Configuration options Off On 2 6 Boot menu The Boot menu items allow you to chan...

Page 52: ... set a Supervisor Password 1 Select the Change Supervisor Password item and press Enter 2 From the password box type a password composed of at most six letters and or numbers then press Enter 3 Confirm the password when prompted The message Password Installed appears after you successfully set your password To change the supervisor password follow the same steps as in setting a supervisor password...

Page 53: ...he Change User Password item and press Enter 2 On the password box that appears type a password composed of at most 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 Clear User Password Select this item to cle...

Page 54: ...e exiting Press Enter to save the changes while exiting Exit Discard Changes Select this option only if you do not 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 previousl...

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