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Motherboard

M4N98TD 

EVO

Summary of Contents for M4N98TD EVO

Page 1: ...Motherboard M4N98TD EVO ...

Page 2: ...planation and to the owners benefit without intent to infringe Offer to Provide Source Code of Certain Software This product may contain copyrighted software that is licensed under the General Public License GPL and under the Lesser General Public License Version LGPL The GPL and LGPL licensed code in this product is distributed without any warranty Copies of these licenses are included in this pr...

Page 3: ... 2 2 3 Placement direction 2 4 2 2 4 Screw holes 2 4 2 3 Central Processing Unit CPU 2 5 2 3 1 Installing the CPU 2 5 2 3 2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fan 2 7 2 4 System memory 2 10 2 4 1 Overview 2 10 2 4 2 Memory configurations 2 11 2 4 3 Installing a DIMM 2 14 2 4 4 Removing a DIMM 2 14 2 5 Expansion slots 2 15 2 5 1 Installing an expansion card 2 15 2 5 2 Configuring an expansion card 2 1...

Page 4: ...enu bar 3 6 3 3 3 Navigation keys 3 7 3 3 4 Menu items 3 7 3 3 5 Submenu items 3 7 3 3 6 Configuration fields 3 7 3 3 7 Pop up window 3 7 3 3 8 Scroll bar 3 7 3 3 9 General help 3 7 3 4 Main menu 3 8 3 4 1 Primary IDE Master Slave SATA 1 4 3 8 3 4 2 Storage Configuration 3 10 3 4 3 System Information 3 10 3 5 Ai Tweaker menu 3 11 3 5 1 Ai Overclock Tuner 3 11 3 5 2 DRAM Timing Configuration 3 12 3...

Page 5: ...pport 3 22 3 7 3 ACPI APIC Support 3 22 3 7 4 APM Configuration 3 23 3 7 5 Hardware Monitor 3 24 3 8 Boot menu 3 26 3 8 1 Boot Device Priority 3 26 3 8 2 Boot Settings Configuration 3 27 3 8 3 Security 3 28 3 9 Tools menu 3 30 3 9 1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 3 30 3 9 2 Express Gate 3 30 3 9 3 ASUS O C Profile 3 31 3 9 4 AI NET 2 3 32 3 10 Exit menu 3 33 Chapter 4 Software support 4 1 Installing an operating...

Page 6: ...ons 4 13 4 5 Creating a RAID driver disk 4 17 4 5 1 Creating a RAID driver disk without entering the OS 4 17 4 5 2 Creating a RAID driver disk in Windows 4 17 4 5 3 Installing the RAID driver during Windows OS installation 4 18 4 5 4 Using a USB floppy disk drive 4 18 Chapter 5 NVIDIA SLI technology support 5 1 NVIDIA SLI technology 5 1 5 1 1 Requirements 5 1 5 1 2 Installing two SLI ready graphic...

Page 7: ...nt from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help Canadian Department of Communications Statement This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications This class B digital apparatus complies ...

Page 8: ... 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 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 e...

Page 9: ... Setup menus Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided Chapter 4 Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package and the software Chapter 5 NVIDIA SLI technology support This chapter describes the NVIDIA SLI feature and shows the graphics card installation procedures Where to find more information Refer to the fol...

Page 10: ...u 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 plus sign Example Ctrl Alt Del DANGER WARNING Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying to complete a task CAUTION Information to prevent damage to the components when trying to complete a task IMP...

Page 11: ...s Multi GPU support Supports NVIDIA SLI Technology dual at x16 Supports NVIDIA Hybrid SLI Technology Expansion slots 2 x PCI Express 2 0 x16 slots dual x16 2 X PCI Express x1 slots 2 x PCI 2 2 slots Storage NVIDIA nForce 980a SLI chipset 1 x Ultra DMA 133 100 port 5 x SATA 3 0 Gb s ports Legacy IDE operation is only supported on ports 1 4 NVIDIA MediaShield RAID supports RAID 0 1 0 1 5 and JBOD 1 ...

Page 12: ...tools ASUS TurboV ASUS Turbo Key Precision Tweaker 2 vCore Adjustable CPU voltage at 0 0125V increment vHT Bus Adjustable HT voltage at 0 02V increment vDIMM Adjustable DRAM voltage at 0 02V increment vChipset Adjustable NB voltage at 0 02V increment SFS Stepless Frequency Selection FSB tuning from 200MHz up to 600MHz at 1MHz increment Memory tuning from 1066MHz up to 2000MHz PCIe frequency tuning...

Page 13: ...or 1 x IEEE1394a connector 1 x S PDIF Out header 1 x MemOK button 1 x Core Unlocker switch Front panel audio connector 24 pin ATX Power connector 8 pin ATX 12V Power connector System Panel Q Connector BIOS features 8 Mb Flash ROM AMI BIOS SPI PnP DMI 2 0 WfM 2 0 SM BIOS 2 5 ACPI 2 0a ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 Manageability WOL by PME WOR by PME WOR by Ring PXE Support DVD contents Driv...

Page 14: ...xiv ...

Page 15: ... your package with the list below 1 2 Package contents Check your motherboard package for the following items If any of the above items is damaged or missing contact your retailer The illustrated items above are for reference only Actual product specifications may vary with different models Chapter 1 Product introduction Chapter 1 ASUS M4N98TD EVO motherboard 1 x Ultra DMA 133 100 cable 4 x Serial...

Page 16: ...s six Serial ATA 3 0 Gb s devices PCI Express x16 slots with NVIDIA SLI support at dual x16 mode and up to 12 USB 2 0 ports DDR3 2000 O C support This motherboard supports DDR3 2000 O C which provides faster data transfer rate and more bandwidth to increase memory data transfer rate and computing efficiency This enhances system performance in 3D graphics and other memory demanding applications NVI...

Page 17: ... Fanless Design Heat pipe solution The Heat Pipe design effectively directs the heat generated by the chipsets to the heatsink near the back IO ports where it can be carried away by existing airflow from CPU fan The purpose of the innovative heat pipe design on this motherboard is that the groundbreaking fanless design does not have lifetime problems as a chipset fan does Furthermore it provides o...

Page 18: ...US Turbo Key allows the user to turn the PC power button into a physical overclocking button After the easy setup Turbo Key can boost performances without interrupting ongoing work or games with just one touch Refer to page 4 11 for details Express Gate Express Gate is an ASUS exclusive OS that provides you with quick access to the Internet and key applications before entering the Windows OS Refer...

Page 19: ...ject such as the power supply case 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 powe...

Page 20: ...2 2 Chapter 2 Hardware information Chapter 2 2 2 1 Motherboard layout Refer to 2 8 Connectors for more information about rear panel connectors and internal connectors 2 2 Motherboard overview ...

Page 21: ..._UNLOCKER 2 21 6 MemOK switch 2 20 7 IDE connector 40 1 pin PRI_IDE 2 26 8 CPU overvoltage setting 3 pin OV_CPU 2 19 9 Clear RTC RAM 3 pin CLRTC 2 18 10 Serial ATA connectors 7 pin SATA1 5 2 27 11 Standby Power LED 2 35 12 System panel connector 20 8 pin PANEL 2 33 13 USB connectors 10 1 pin USB78 USB910 USB1112 2 28 14 Serial port connector 10 1 pin COM1 2 29 15 IEEE 1394a port connector 10 1 pin...

Page 22: ... the correct orientation The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below 2 2 4 Screw holes Place nine 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 ...

Page 23: ...otherwise the CPU will not fit in completely 2 Unlock the socket by pressing the lever sideways then lift it up to a 90º angle Socket lever The AM3 socket has a different pinout from the 940 pin socket designed for the AMD Opteron processor Ensure that 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 ...

Page 24: ...e side tab to indicate that it is locked Gold triangle Small triangle 6 Apply some 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 paste If so skip this step The Thermal Interface Material is toxic and inedible If it gets into your eyes or touches your s...

Page 25: ...nk and the 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 I...

Page 26: ...ntion bracket lock to the retention module base A clicking 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 ...

Page 27: ...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 This connector is backward compatible with old 3 pin CPU fan ...

Page 28: ...sions 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 Recommended 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...

Page 29: ...or less For effective use of memory we recommend that you do any of the following Use a maximum of 3GB system memory if you are using a 32 bit Windows OS Install a 64 bit Windows OS when you want to install 4GB or more on the motherboard For more details refer to the Microsoft support site at http support microsoft com kb 929605 en us This motherboard does not support DIMMs made up of 512Mb 64MB c...

Page 30: ...TA AX3U1333PB2G7 3P 6GB 3 x 2GB DS 7 7 7 20 1 65 1 85 Apacer 78 A1GC6 9L1 2GB DS Apacer AM5D5808DEWSBG 9 CORSAIR TR3X3G1333C9 Ver2 1 3GB 3 x 1GB SS 9 9 9 24 1 5 CORSAIR BoxP N TWIN3X2048 1333C9 CM3X1024 1333C9 Ver1 1 2GB 2 x 1GB DS 9 9 9 24 1 70 Crucial CT12864BA1339 8SFD 1GB SS MICRON MT8JF12864AY 1G4D1 Crucial CT25664BA1339 16SFD 2GB DS MICRON D9JNM ELPIDA EBJ10UE8BDF0 DJ F 1GB SS ELPIDA J1108BD...

Page 31: ...l channel memory configuration Vendor Part No Size SS DS Chip Brand Chip NO Timing Voltage DIMM socket support Optional 1 DIMM 2 DIMM 4 DIMM Crucial CT12864BA1067 8FF 1GB SS MICRON D9KPT 7 Crucial CT25664BA1067 16FF 2GB DS MICRON D9KPT 7 ELPIDA EBJ10UE8EDF0 AE F 1GB SS ELPIDA J1108EDSE DJ F ELPIDA EBJ21UE8EDF0 AE F 2GB DS ELPIDA J1108EDSE DJ F Hynix HMT112U6AFP8C G7N0 1GB SS HYNIX H5TQ1G83AFPG7C 7...

Page 32: ...force to both ends of the DIMM simultaneously until the retaining clip snaps back into place and the DIMM cannot be pushed in any further to ensure proper sitting of the DIMM 1 Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clip outward 2 Align a DIMM on the socket such that the notch on the DIMM matches the DIMM slot key on the socket A DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it fits in only one direc...

Page 33: ...ecure the card to the chassis with 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 th...

Page 34: ...Holder for PCI Steering 6 14 Reserved 7 15 Reserved 8 3 System CMOS Real Time Clock 9 4 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering 10 5 IRQ 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 PCIE x16_1 shared PCIE x16_2 shared PCIE x1_1 shared PCIE x1_2 shared PCI_1 shared PCI_2 shared LA...

Page 35: ...n of the slots 2 5 6 PCI Express 2 0 x16 slots This motherboard supports three NVIDIA PCI Express x16 graphics cards that comply with the PCI Express specifications Refer to the figure below for the location of the slots We recommend that you provide sufficient power when running SLI mode See page 2 31 for details Connect a chassis fan to the motherboard connector labeled CHA_FAN1 2 when using mul...

Page 36: ...mputer 4 Hold down the Del key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to re enter data Except when clearing the RTC RAM never remove the cap on CLRTC jumper default position Removing the cap will cause system boot failure If the steps above do not help remove the onboard battery and move the jumper again to clear the CMOS RTC RAM data After the CMOS clearance reinstall the battery You do not...

Page 37: ... in 3 5 Ai Tweaker menu first to adjust the desired CPU performance Ensure that your system functions well under the highest BIOS voltage setting before you change the setting of this jumper Refer to 3 5 Ai Tweaker menu for more information about the CPU overvoltage setting DO NOT set the OV_CPU jumper to pins 1 2 when you install a new CPU and have not booted for the first time Doing so may cause...

Page 38: ... for the system to test one set of failsafe settings If the test fails the system reboots and test the next set of failsafe settings The blinking speed of the DRAM_LED increases indicating different test processes Due to memory tuning requirement the system automatically reboots when each timing set is tested If the installed DIMMs still fail to boot after the whole tuning process the DRAM_LED lig...

Page 39: ...r the exact location of the UNLOCKER_LED LED If you clear the CMOS or load the BIOS setup defaults the NVIDIA Core Calibration item in the BIOS menu follows the current setting of the Core Unlocker switch You may also press 4 during the Power On Self Test POST to activate the Core Unlocker function The system will use the last setting you have made For ensuring the system performance turn the swit...

Page 40: ... ports 6 PS 2 keyboard port purple DO NOT insert a different connector to the external SATA port To enable external SATA port hot plugging set the SATA Mode Select item in the BIOS settings to AHCI Mode and then reboot the system See section 3 4 2 Storage Configuration for details Due to chipset limitation port multipliers are not supported by the external SATA port The external SATA port will be ...

Page 41: ...t 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 Out Rear Speaker Out Gray Side Speaker Out LAN port LED indications SPEED LED ACT LINK LED LAN port Activity Link LED Speed LED Status Description Status Description OFF No link OFF 10 Mbps connection ORANGE Linked ORANGE 100 Mbps con...

Page 42: ...2 24 Chapter 2 Hardware information Chapter 2 Connect to Stereo 2 1 channel Speakers Connect to 4 1 channel Speakers ...

Page 43: ...ASUS M4N98TD EVO 2 25 Chapter 2 Connect to 7 1 channel Speakers Connect to 5 1 channel Speakers ...

Page 44: ...al cable There are three connectors on each Ultra DMA 133 100 signal cable blue black and gray Connect the blue connector to the motherboard s IDE connector then select one of the following modes to configure your device 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 condu...

Page 45: ... BIOS to RAID Mode The SATA 5 connector and external SATA port support AHCI mode and RAID mode only Ensure to install the AHCI driver or RAID driver in the bundled support DVD before connecting devices to the connectors Otherwise the devices will not work Due to chipset limitation when you set any of the SATA ports to RAID mode all SATA ports run at RAID mode simultaneously You must install Window...

Page 46: ...k 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 front panel USB cable to the ASUS Q Connector USB blue first and then install the Q Connector USB to the USB connector onboard if your chassis supports front panel USB p...

Page 47: ...t the back of the system chassis 5 Serial port connector 10 1 pin COM1 This connector is for a serial COM port Connect the serial port module cable to this connector then install the 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 The COM module is purchased separately The IEEE 1394a module is pur...

Page 48: ...nect 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 The CPU_FAN connector supports the CPU fan of maximum 2A 24 W fan power Only the CPU_FAN CHA_FAN1 and CHA_FAN2 connectors support the Fan Xpert feature If you install two VGA cards we recommend that you plug the...

Page 49: ...a minimum power of 600W Do not forget to connect the 8 pin EATX 12 V power plug Otherwise the system will not boot We recommend that you use a PSU with higher power output when configuring a system with more power consuming devices The system may become unstable or may not boot up if the power is inadequate If you are uncertain about the minimum power supply requirement for your system refer to th...

Page 50: ...s high definition audio capability If you want to connect a high definition front panel audio module to this connector set the Front Panel Type item in the BIOS setup to HD Audio if you want to connect an AC 97 front panel audio module to this connector set the item to AC97 By default this connector is set to HD Audio 9 Digital audio connector 4 1 pin SPDIF_OUT This connector is for an additional ...

Page 51: ...rning speaker 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 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 m...

Page 52: ...n the Q Connector to know the detailed pin definitions and 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 making sure the orientation matches the labels on the motherboard 3 The front panel functions are now enabled The figure shows the Q Connector...

Page 53: ...t down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard component The illustration below shows the location of the onboard LED 2 DRAM LED DRAM LED checks the DRAM in sequence during motherboard booting process If an error is found the LED next to the error device will continue lighting until the problem is solved This user friendly design provides an intuitional...

Page 54: ...ion Chapter 2 3 Core Unlocker LED The Core Unlocker LED lights when the Core Unclocker switch is turned to Enable The Core Unlocker LED keeps on lighting even though the NVIDIA Core Calibration item in the BIOS menu is set to Disabled ...

Page 55: ...e running the BIOS beeps see the 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 settings and connections or call your retailer for assistance 7 At power on hold down the Delete key to enter the BIOS Setup Follow the instructions in ...

Page 56: ...2 38 Chapter 2 Hardware information Chapter 2 ...

Page 57: ...S DO NOT manually update the BIOS Inappropriate BIOS updating may result in the system s failure to boot Carefully follow the instructions of this chapter to update your BIOS if necessary Visit the ASUS website www asus com to download the latest BIOS file for this motherboard The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard BIOS setup program 1 ASUS Update utility Updates th...

Page 58: ...ackage ASUS Update requires an Internet connection either through a network or an Internet Service Provider ISP Installing ASUS Update To install ASUS Update 1 Place the support DVD in the optical drive 2 From the Main menu click the Utilities tab then click Install ASUS Update VX XX XX 3 The ASUS Update utility is copied to your system Quit all Windows applications before you update the BIOS usin...

Page 59: ...rs 2 Select Update BIOS from a file from the dropdown menu then click Next M4N98TD M4N98TD ROM Ensure to load the BIOS default settings to ensure system compatibility and stability Select the Load Setup Defaults item under the Exit menu See section 3 10 Exit Menu for details 5 Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the update process The ASUS Update utility is capable of updating itself thro...

Page 60: ...OS ROM Utility V4 12 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 M4N98TD EVO VER 0109 DATE 01 07 2010 BOARD Unknown VER Unknown DATE Unknown 2 Press Tab to switch between drives until the correct BIOS file is found When the correct BIOS file is found EZ Flash 2 performs the BIOS update proc...

Page 61: ... 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 62: ... See section 3 10 Exit Menu for details If the system fails to boot after changing any BIOS setting try to clear the CMOS and reset the motherboard to the default value See section 2 6 Jumpers for details 3 3 1 BIOS menu screen 3 3 2 Menu bar The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items Main For changing the basic system configuration Ai Tweaker For changing the overclocking sett...

Page 63: ...onfigurable A configurable field is enclosed in brackets and is highlighted when selected To change the value of a field select it then press Enter to display a list of options Refer to 3 3 7 Pop up window 3 3 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 3 8 Scroll bar A scroll bar appears on the right side of a menu ...

Page 64: ...yright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Ai Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Use ENTER TAB or SHIFT TAB to select a field Use or to configure system Date Select Screen Select Item Change Field Tab Select Field F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit System Time 13 51 25 System Date Fri 01 29 2010 Language English Primary IDE Master Not Detected Primary IDE Slave No...

Page 65: ...Disabled the data transfer from and to the device occurs one sector at a time PIO Mode Auto Auto Allows automatic selection of the PIO Programmed input output modes which correspond to different data transfer rates 0 1 2 3 4 Set the PIO mode to Mode 0 1 2 3 or 4 DMA Mode Auto DMA Direct Memory Access allows your computer to transfer data to and from the hardware devices installed with much less CP...

Page 66: ... ATA Controller Enabled Enabled Enables the onboard SATA controller Disabled Disables the onboard SATA controller SATA Mode select IDE Mode This item appears only when you enabled the OnChip S ATA Controller item and allows you to select the SATA mode IDE Mode Set to IDE Mode when you want to use the Serial ATA hard disk drives as Serial ATA physical storage devices RAID Mode Set to RAID Mode when...

Page 67: ...vidually set overclocking parameters Auto Loads the optimal settings for the system D O C P Allows you to select a DRAM O C profile and the related parameters will be adjusted automatically Be cautious when changing the settings of the Ai Tweaker menu items Incorrect field values can cause the system to malfunction The configuration options for this chapter vary depending on the CPU and DIMM model...

Page 68: ...nges vary according to your CPU model 3 5 3 DRAM Frequency Auto Allows you to set the DDR3 operating frequency The configuration options vary with the CPU Bus Frequency item settings 3 5 4 CPU NB Frequency Auto Allows you to select the CPU NB frequency Configuration options Auto 1000MHz 1200MHz 1400MHz 1600MHz 1800MHz 2000MHz 3 5 5 HT Link Speed Auto Allows you to set the CPU Chipset HyperTranspor...

Page 69: ...AD Delay SD Auto Configuration options Auto 4 CLK 5 CLK 6 CLK 7 CLK DRAM WRITE to WRITE Timing Auto Configuration options Auto 3 CLK 10 CLK DRAM READ to READ Timing Auto Configuration options Auto 3 CLK 10 CLK DRAM REF Cycle Time Auto Configuration options Auto 90ns 110ns 160ns 300ns 350ns DRAM Refresh Rate Auto Configuration options Auto Every 7 8ms Every 3 9ms DRAM Command Rate Auto Configuratio...

Page 70: ...nterval 3 5 9 CPU NB Voltage Auto Allows you to adjust the CPU NB voltage with a 0 0125V interval 3 5 10 CPU VDDA Voltage Auto This item appears only when you set the Ai Overclock Tuner item to Manual or D O C P and allows you to set the CPU VDDA voltage The values range from 2 50V to 2 80V with a 0 10V interval 3 5 11 DRAM Voltage Auto This item appears only when you set the Ai Overclock Tuner it...

Page 71: ...ets to Enabled for EMI control 3 5 16 PCIE Spread Spectrum Disabled Disabled Enhances the PCIE overclocking ability Linear Down Sets to Enabled for EMI control 3 5 17 SATA Spread Spectrum Disabled Allows you to adjust the SATA spread spectrum setting Configuration options Disabled Linear Down 3 5 18 PCI Spread Spectrum Disabled This item becomes user configurable only when you set the SATA Spread ...

Page 72: ...Ai Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Configure CPU Select Screen Select Item Enter Go to Sub Screen F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit CPU Configuration Chipset Onboard Devices Configuration PCIPnP USB Configuration BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced This option should remain disabled for the normal operation The driver developer may enable it for testing purpose Select Screen Select Item Ch...

Page 73: ... Table Enabled Enables the building of ACPI SRAT Table C1E Support Enabled Disabled Disables the the Enhanced Halt State support Enabled Enables the the Enhanced Halt State support NVIDIA Core Calibration Disabled Allows you to select the CPU core overclocking for each or all CPU cores Configuration options Disabled Auto All Cores Per Core Unleashing Mode Disabled This item appears only when you s...

Page 74: ...16 9 MemClk Tristate C3 ATLVID Disabled Configuration options Disabled Enabled Memory Hole Remapping Enabled Configuration options Disabled Enabled DCT Unganged Mode Always Configuration options Auto Always Power Down Enable Disabled Enables or disables the DDR power down mode Configuration options Disabled Enabled Power Down Mode Channel This item appears only when you enable the previous item an...

Page 75: ...TY Advanced Advanced Chipset Settings Hybrid SLI support Disabled Hybrid SLI Frame buffer size Disabled Primary Graphics Adapter PCIE VGA Card Firs SouthBridge ACPI HPET TABLE Enabled BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced 1 Memory have to over 2G size 2 At least 256 MB of frame buffer size 3 External VGA must support this feature The following two items become user configurable only when a dGPU is detected ...

Page 76: ...ar only when you set the On board AUDIO item to Enabled Front Panel Type HD Audio AC97 Sets the front panel audio connector AAFP mode to legacy AC 97 HD Audio Sets the front panel audio connector AAFP mode to high definition audio SPDIF Mode Setting SPDIF Output HDMI Output Outputs the digital audio signal through the HDMI port SPDIF Output Outputs the digital audio signal through the onboard SPDI...

Page 77: ...uto Allows the system to detect the presence of USB devices at startup If detected the USB controller legacy mode is enabled If no USB device is detected the legacy USB support is disabled 3 6 4 PCIPnP The PCI PnP menu items allow you to change the advanced settings for PCI PnP devices Plug And Play O S No Yes When set to Yes and if you install a Plug and Play operating system the operating system...

Page 78: ...ications Enabled The system adds additional tables as per ACPI 2 0 specifications 3 7 3 ACPI APIC Support Enabled Disabled The system disables the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface ACPI support in the Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller APIC Enabled The ACPI APIC table pointer is included in the RSDT pointer list v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILI...

Page 79: ...e external modem receives a call while the computer is in Soft off mode The computer cannot receive or transmit data until the computer and applications are fully running Thus connection cannot be made on the first try Turning an external modem off and then back on while the computer is off causes an initialization string that turns the system power on Power On By PS 2 Keyboard Disabled Disabled D...

Page 80: ...not want to detect this item Power On By PS 2 Mouse Disabled Disabled Disables the power on by PS 2 mouse function Enabled Enables the power on by PS 2 mouse function This feature requires an ATX power supply that provides at least 1A on the 5VSB lead Power On By RTC Alarm Disabled Disabled Disables RTC to generate a wake event Enabled When set to Enabled the items RTC Alarm Date Days and System T...

Page 81: ...ets to Optimal to make the CPU fan automatically adjust depending on the CPU temperature Silent Sets to Silent to minimize the fan speed for quiet CPU fan operation Chassis Q Fan Function Disabled Disabled Disables the Chassis Q Fan control feature Enabled Enables the Chassis Q Fan control feature The following item appears only when you set Chassis Q Fan Function to Enabled Chassis Q Fan Mode Sil...

Page 82: ...ev Hard Drive ATAPI CD ROM Disabled v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Ai Tweaker Advanced 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 ...

Page 83: ...hird party ROM messages will be displayed only if the third party manufacturer had set the add on device to do so Bootup Num Lock On Off Sets the power on state of the NumLock to Off On Sets the power on state of the NumLock to On Wait For F1 If Error Enabled Disabled Disables this function Enabled The system waits for the F1 key to be pressed when error occurs Hit DEL Message Display Enabled Disa...

Page 84: ...irm 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 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 clear it by erasing the CMO...

Page 85: ...ord item and press 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 Clear User Password Select this item to clear the user passwor...

Page 86: ...utility 3 9 2 Express Gate Auto Allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Express Gate feature The ASUS Express Gate feature is a unique instant on environment that provides quick access to the Internet browser and Skype Configuration options Enabled Disabled Auto Enter OS Timer 10 Seconds Sets countdown duration that the system waits at the Express Gate s first screen before starting Windows or ot...

Page 87: ... 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 C PROFILE Configuration O C Profile 1 Status Not Installed O C Profile 2 Status Not Installed O C Profile 3 Status Not Installed O C Profile 4 Status Not Installed O C Profile 5 Status Not Installed O C Profile 6 Status Not Installed O C Profile 7 Status Not Installed O...

Page 88: ...ash drive or a floppy disk with FAT 32 16 format and single partition only DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent the system boot failure We recommend that you update the BIOS file only coming from the same memory CPU configuration and BIOS version Only the CMO file can be loaded 3 9 4 AI NET 2 Check Broadcom Phy LAN Cable Disabled Disabled BIOS will not check the ...

Page 89: ...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 previously saved values After selecting this option a confirmation appears Select Ok to discard any changes and load ...

Page 90: ...3 34 Chapter 3 BIOS setup Chapter 3 ...

Page 91: ... the setup procedures presented in this chapter for reference only Refer to your OS documentation for detailed information Ensure that you install the Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later versions before installing the drivers for better compatibility and system stability The contents of the support DVD are subject to change at any time without notice Visit the ASUS website at www asus com for updat...

Page 92: ... Reader from the Utilities menu before opening the files The screenshots in this section are for reference only The actual software manuals containing in the support DVD vary by models 1 Click the Manual tab Click ASUS Motherboard Utility Guide from the manual list on the left 2 The Manual folder of the support DVD appears Double click the folder of your selected software 3 Some software manuals a...

Page 93: ...is always at a healthy operating condition Launching PC Probe II 1 Install PC Probe II from the motherboard support DVD 2 Launch PC Probe II by clicking Start All Programs ASUS PC Probe II PC Probe II v1 xx xx The PC Probe II main window appears 3 The PC Probe II icon appears in the Windows notification area Click this icon to close or restore the application PC Probe II main window Refer to the s...

Page 94: ...ation main window click this icon to restore the window Using AI Suite Click each utility button to launch the utility or click the Normal button to restore system default settings Click to launch each utility Click to restore default settings Click to open the monitor window that displays system information such as CPU temperature CPU voltage fan speed and CPU FSB frequency The screenshots in thi...

Page 95: ... Click to select a fan Click to select a fan profile Click to display the current CPU temperature and the fan speed ratio Click to apply the settings Click to cancel the settings Click to open the Calibration window Fan profiles Disable disables the Fan Xpert function Standard adjusts fan speed in a moderate pattern Silent minimizes fan speed for quiet fan operation Turbo maximizes the fan speed f...

Page 96: ...t acceleration and overclocking ASUS EPU provides you with these modes to choose from Turbo Mode High Performance Mode When you select Auto Mode the system shifts modes automatically according to the current system status You can also configure advanced settings for each mode Launching EPU After installing EPU from the motherboard support DVD double click the EPU tray icon to launch the program EP...

Page 97: ...ample USB port 1 before turning on the computer to speed the boot up time ASUS Express Gate s display output varies with different monitors Adjust the screen resolution from the Express Gate configuration Panel Install at least 1GB system memory for better performance The Splash Screen Express Gate s splash screen appears within a few seconds after you power on the computer The Web Search bar is a...

Page 98: ...ion wizard to install the VIA Audio Driver from the support CD DVD that came with the motherboard package If the VIA audio software is correctly installed you will find the VIA HD Audio Deck icon on the taskbar Double click on the icon to display the VIA HD Audio Deck VIA HD Audio Deck A VIA HD Audio Deck for Windows Vista Windows 7 Minimize button Advanced Options Analog and digital connector sta...

Page 99: ...sumption and a more quiet system operation Using ASUS AI Nap 1 After installing ASUS AI Suite from the motherboard support DVD double click the ASUS Q Button icon in the Windows notification area to launch the Q Button user interface 2 Select AI Nap then click Apply to enable AI Nap function 3 Press the power button to enter AI Nap mode Press the power button again to exit AI Nap mode ...

Page 100: ...de while using ASUS TurboV Launching ASUS TurboV 1 Install the ASUS TurboV utility from the motherboard support DVD 2 Click Start All Programs ASUS TurboV TurboV For advanced overclock ability adjust first the BIOS items and then proceed more detailed adjustments using TurboV Refer to the software manual in the support DVD or visit the ASUS website at www asus com for detailed software configurati...

Page 101: ...utton Select Turbo Key to boost system performance after pressing the power button 2 You can choose whether to show Q Button OSD and status by clicking the check boxes in the Setting section 3 You can decide the performance boost level by selecting Turbo Key Profile You can also load personal profiles saved in the ASUS TurboV utility The default is Rocket Mode See your motherboard manual for ASUS ...

Page 102: ...ation provides data protection and increases fault tolerance to the entire system Use two new drives or use an existing drive and a new drive for this setup The new drive must be of the same size or larger than the existing drive RAID 0 1 is data striping and data mirroring combined without parity redundancy data having to be calculated and written With the RAID 0 1 configuration you get all the b...

Page 103: ...A MediaShield BIOS RAID configurations To enter the NVIDIA MediaShield BIOS RAID utility 1 Boot up your computer 2 During POST press F10 to display the main menu of the utility ESC Quit F6 Back F7 Finish TAB Navigate Select ENTER Popup MediaShield BIOS Aug 18 2008 Define a New Array RAID Mode Mirrored Striping Block Optimal Free Disks Array Disks Port Disk Model Capacity Port Disk Model Capacity 0...

Page 104: ...The default selection is Optimal The strip value should be chosen based on the planned drive usage 8 16 KB low disk usage 64 KB typical disk usage 128 KB performance disk usage For server systems we recommend using a lower array block size For multimedia computer systems used mainly for audio and video editing we recommend a higher array block size for optimum performance Stripe block size selecti...

Page 105: ...ew the RAID arrays that you have set up A new set of navigation keys is displayed on the bottom of the screen 7 Press Ctrl X to save settings and exit Ctrl X Exit Select B Set Bootable N New Array ENTER Detail MediaShield BIOS Aug 18 2008 Array List Boot Status Vendor Array Size Healthy NVIDIA MIRROR 447 14G ...

Page 106: ...e hard disk drives when you delete a RAID set To delete a RAID array 1 From the Array List screen use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array and then press Enter The RAID Array details appear A new set of navigation keys is displayed on the bottom of the screen 2 Press D to delete a RAID array The following confirmation message appears Delete array ENTER OK ESC Cancel 3 Press Y to delete...

Page 107: ...ng the OS 1 Boot your computer 2 Press Del during POST to enter the BIOS setup utility 3 Set the optical drive as the primary boot device 4 Insert the support DVD into the optical drive 5 Save changes and exit BIOS 6 When the Make Disk menu appears press 1 to create a RAID driver disk 7 Insert a formatted floppy disk into the USB floppy disk drive then press Enter 8 Follow the succeeding screen in...

Page 108: ...port DVD into the optical drive and then click Browse 3 Click the name of the device you ve inserted go to Drivers RAID and then select the RAID driver for the corresponding OS version Click OK 4 Follow the succeeding screen instructions to complete the installation Before loading the RAID driver from a USB flash drive you have to use another computer to copy the RAID driver from the support DVD t...

Page 109: ...e pop up window The name of the USB floppy disk drive varies with different vendors 4 Click Details tab The Vendor ID VID and Product ID PID are displayed 5 Browse the contents of the RAID driver disk to locate the file txtsetup oem 6 Double click the file A window appears allowing you to select the program for opening the oem file 7 Use Notepad to open the file ...

Page 110: ...NVRAIDBUS nvrd32 id NVRAIDBUS nvrd32 id NVRAID20 nvrd32 id USB VID_03EE PID_6901 usbstor HardwareIds scsi BUSDRV id PCI VEN_10DE DEV_0266 nvgts id PCI VEN_10DE DEV_0267 nvgts id PCI VEN_10DE DEV_037E nvgts id PCI VEN_10DE DEV_037F nvgts id PCI VEN_10DE DEV_036F nvgts id PCI VEN_10DE DEV_03F6 nvgts id PCI VEN_10DE DEV_03F7 nvgts id PCI VEN_10DE DEV_03E7 nvgts id PCI VEN_10DE DEV_044C nvgts id PCI V...

Page 111: ...r required by your system See Chapter 2 for details We recommend that you install additional chassis fans for better thermal environment Visit the NVIDIA zone website http www nzone com for the latest certified graphics card and supported 3D application list 5 1 2 Installing two SLI ready graphics cards The following pictures are for reference only The graphics cards and the motherboard layout may...

Page 112: ...d package to install the device drivers Ensure that your PCI Express graphics card driver supports the NVIDIA SLI technology Download the latest driver from the NVIDIA website www nvidia com Goldfingers SLI bridge 5 1 4 Enabling the NVIDIA SLI technology After installing your graphics cards and the device drivers enable the SLI feature in NVIDIA Control Panel under the Windows Vista 7 operating sy...

Page 113: ... 5 3 Chapter 5 B1 If you cannot see the NVIDIA Control Panel item in step A select Personalize B2 From the Personalization window select Display Settings B3 From the Display Settings dialog box click Advanced Settings ...

Page 114: ...Force tab and then click Start the NVIDIA Control Panel B5 The NVIDIA Control Panel window appears Enabling SLI settings From the NVIDIA Control Panel window select Set SLI Configuration Click Enable SLI and set the display for viewing SLI rendered content When done click Apply ...

Page 115: ...ode is enabled In the multi display mode up to four displays can be connected two displays driven by the mGPU and two displays by the dGPU HybridPower requires displays to be connected to the mGPU HybridPower cannot be enabled when displays are driven through the dGPU HybridPower and GeForce Boost are supported by certain set of dGPUs Go to www nvidia com hybridsli to learn the supported GPUs Enab...

Page 116: ...ower 1 Follow Step 1 to 5 on the previous page to complete the hardware and driver installation 2 If the driver is correctly installed you will find the Hybrid SLI icon on the taskbar The Hybrid SLI icon indicates that the system is in Performance mode and that rendering is being done by the dGPU The mGPU is being used only to drive the display 3 Click the Hybrid SLI icon and select Save Power 4 T...

Page 117: ...AL America Address 800 Corporate Way Fremont CA 94539 USA Telephone 1 812 282 3777 Fax 1 510 608 4555 Web site usa asus com Technical Support Telephone 1 812 282 2787 Support fax 1 812 284 0883 Online support support asus com ASUS COMPUTER GmbH Germany and Austria Address Harkort Str 21 23 D 40880 Ratingen Germany Fax 49 2102 959911 Web site www asus de Online contact www asus de sales Technical S...

Page 118: ... 4 1 2007 11 EN 301 489 17 V1 3 2 2007 06 EN 301 489 24 V1 4 1 2007 09 EN 302 326 2 V1 2 2 2007 06 EN 302 326 3 V1 3 1 2007 09 EN 301 357 2 V1 3 1 2006 05 2006 95 EC LVD Directive EN 60950 1 2001 A11 2004 EN60065 2002 A1 2006 CE marking Declaration Date Feb 05 2010 Year to begin affixing CE marking 2010 Position CEO Name Jerry Shen Signature __________ EC conformity marking DECLARATION OF CONFORMI...

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