Asus MAXIMUS III EXTREME User Manual Download Page 17

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xvii

USB

NEC

USB 3.0 controller

- 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports (at back I/O)
Intel

P55 Express Chipset

- 11 USB 2.0 ports (4 ports at mid-board, 7 ports at
back I/O)

Bluetooth Module

Accessory Card

Bluetooth V2.0/V2.1+EDR
RC Bluetooth On/Off Switch

ROG Exclusive

Overclocking Features

ROG Connect
RC Bluetooth
Extreme Engine Power Design with digital VRM
- 8-phase CPU digital VRM power

8-phase CPU digital VRM power

- 3-phase VTT digital VRM power

3-phase VTT digital VRM power

- 3-phase Memory power

3-phase Memory power

- ML Cap on CPU

ML Cap on CPU

ProbeIt
iROG
Extreme Tweaker
BIOS Flashback
Loadline Calibration
Intelligent overclocking tools:
- ASUS AI Booster Utility

ASUS AI Booster Utility

- O.C. Profile

O.C. Profile

Overclocking Protection:
- COP EX (Component Overheat Protection - EX)

COP EX (Component Overheat Protection - EX)

- Voltiminder LED

Voltiminder LED

- ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)

ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)

Other Special Features

CPU Level Up
MemOK!
Onboard Button: Power / Reset / Clr CMOS (at back IO)
ASUS MyLogo3
ASUS Fan Xpert
ASUS EZ Flash 2
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
ASUS Q-Connector
ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED)
ASUS Q-Slot
ASUS Q-DIMM

BIOS Features

16Mb AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.5,
ACPI2.0a Multi-Language BIOS

Manageability

WOL by PME, WOR by PME, PXE

(continued on the next page)

Maximus III Extreme specifications summary

Summary of Contents for MAXIMUS III EXTREME

Page 1: ...Motherboard Maximus III Extreme ...

Page 2: ...RCHANTABILITY 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: ...therboard overview 2 6 2 2 1 Motherboard layout 2 6 2 2 2 Layout contents 2 7 2 2 3 Placement direction 2 8 2 2 4 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 CPU heatsink and fan 2 12 2 3 3 Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan 2 13 2 4 System memory 2 14 2 4 1 Overview 2 14 2 4 2 Memory configurations 2 15 2 4 3 Installing a DIMM 2 22 2 4 ...

Page 4: ...p 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 Configuration fields 3 8 3 2 7 Pop up window 3 8 3 2 8 Scroll bar 3 8 3 2 9 General help 3 8 3 3 Extreme...

Page 5: ... 23 CPU Voltage Mode VID 3 14 3 3 24 CPU Voltage Auto 3 14 3 3 25 CPU PLL Voltage Auto 3 14 3 3 26 IMC Voltage Auto 3 14 3 3 27 PCH Voltage Auto 3 14 3 3 28 DRAM Voltage Auto 3 15 3 3 29 DRAM DATA REF Voltage on CHA B Auto 3 15 3 3 30 DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHA B Auto 3 15 3 3 31 CPU Spread Spectrum Auto 3 15 3 3 32 PCIE Spread Spectrum Auto 3 15 3 3 33 ASUS O C Profile 3 15 3 4 Main menu 3 16 3...

Page 6: ...nu 3 36 3 7 1 Boot Device Priority 3 36 3 7 2 Boot Settings Configuration 3 37 3 7 3 Security 3 38 3 8 Tools menu 3 40 3 8 1 ASUS O C Profile 3 40 3 6 2 GO_Button File 3 42 3 6 3 AI NET 2 3 42 3 6 4 ASUS EZ Flash 2 3 43 3 9 Exit menu 3 44 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 menu 4 2 4 2 3 ...

Page 7: ...driver during Windows OS installation 4 30 4 5 4 Using a USB floppy disk drive 4 30 Chapter 5 ATI CrossFireX technology support 5 1 ATI CrossFireX technology 5 1 5 1 1 Requirements 5 1 5 1 2 Before you begin 5 1 5 1 3 Installing CrossFireX graphics cards 5 2 5 1 4 Installing the device drivers 5 3 5 1 5 Enabling the ATI CrossFireX technology 5 3 5 2 NVIDIA SLI technology 5 5 5 2 1 Requirements 5 5...

Page 8: ...ore 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 The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is required to assure...

Page 9: ... Protection requirements for health and safety as in Article 3 1a Testing for electric safety according to EN 60950 Protection requirements for electromagnetic compatibility in Article 3 1b Testing for electromagnetic compatibility in EN 301 489 1 EN 301 489 17 Effective use of the radio spectrum as in Article 3 2 Radio test suites according to EN 300 328 2 CE Marking CE marking for devices withou...

Page 10: ...rty is not permitted In the departments listed below for the entire 2 4 GHz band Maximum authorized power indoors is 100mW Maximum authorized power outdoors is 10mW Departments in which the use of the 2400 2483 5 MHz band is permitted with an EIRP of less than 100mW indoors and less than 10mW outdoors 01 Ain 02 Aisne 03 Allier 05 Hautes Alpes 08 Ardennes 09 Ariège 11 Aude 12 Aveyron 16 Charente 24...

Page 11: ...ing RF exposure compliance Operation is subject to the following two conditions This device may not cause interference and This device must accept any interference including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device To prevent radio interference to the licensed service i e co channel Mobile Satellite systems this device is intended to be operated indoors and away from windows t...

Page 12: ...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 13: ... be 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 in...

Page 14: ... 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 settings through the BIOS Setup ...

Page 15: ...symbols 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...

Page 16: ...lots Supports single at x16 dual at x16 triple at x 16 x16 and x8 quad at x8 or 5 at x8 1 x PCI 2 2 Multi GPU Technology Supports NVIDIA SLI Technology ATI CrossFireX Technology Storage Intel P55 Express Chipset built in 6 x SATA 3 0 Gb s ports Intel Matrix Storage Technology supports RAID 0 1 5 and 10 JMicron 363 controllers 1 x SATA 3 0 Gb s port Red 1 x External SATA 3 0 Gb s port SATA On the G...

Page 17: ... Tweaker BIOS Flashback Loadline Calibration Intelligent overclocking tools ASUS AI Booster Utility O C Profile Overclocking Protection COP EX Component Overheat Protection EX Voltiminder LED ASUS C P R CPU Parameter Recall Other Special Features CPU Level Up MemOK Onboard Button Power Reset Clr CMOS at back IO ASUS MyLogo3 ASUS Fan Xpert ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 ASUS Q Connector ASUS...

Page 18: ...ional 5 x ProbeIt Measurement Points 3 x Thermal Sensor Connectors 1 x IEEE1394a Connector 1 x SPDIF_Out Connector 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector 1 x 8 pin ATX 12V Power Connector 1 x En Dis able Clr CMOS Switch 1 x LN2 Mode Header 1 x Power on Switch 1 x Reset Switch 2 x EZ Plug Connectors 1 x OC Station Header 1 x RC Bluetooth Header 1 x Go Button 1 x BIOS Button 1 x System Panel Connector Softw...

Page 19: ...1 Chapter 1 Product introduction This chapter describes the motherboard features and the new technologies it supports ...

Page 20: ...ROG Maximus III Extreme Chapter summary 1 1 1 Welcome 1 1 1 2 Package contents 1 1 1 3 Special features 1 2 ...

Page 21: ...rboard ROG Maximus III Extreme Cables 1 x ROG Connect Cable 1 x SLI Cable 1 x 3 Way SLI Cable 1 x 2 in 1 SATA 6 0Gb s Cables 3 x 2 in 1 SATA 3 0Gb s Signal Cables 1 x 2 port USB2 0 ESATA Module Accessories 1 x RC Bluetooth Card 1 x I O Shield 1 x Optional Fan 1 x 2 in 1 ASUS Q Connector Kit 1 x Thermal Sensor Cables Pack 1 x Cable Ties Pack 1 x ROG Theme Label 1 x 12 in 1 ROG Cable Label Applicati...

Page 22: ...he impact on the environment Intel LGA1156 Lynnfield Processor Ready This motherboard supports the latest Intel Lynnfield processors in LGA1156 package which as memory and PCI Express controller integrated to support 2 channel 4 DIMMs DDR3 memory and 16 PCI Express 2 0 lanes providing great graphics performance Intel Lynnfield processor is one of the most powerful and energy efficient CPU in the w...

Page 23: ...ay Let RC Bluetooth bring you the whole new idea of how to do Just simply push the button from the Back IO on the RC Bluetooth card overclockers can real time monitor the desktop PC system status tweak its parameters such as voltages and frequency on the fly When users want to use oridinary bluetooth functions just simply push the button once again enjoy all the wireless convenience brought from R...

Page 24: ...during overvoltage by lowering Equivalent Series Resistance ESR keeping critical components reliable This means you ll be able to push your spanking new Intel CPU to the limit hitting benchmark scores that others only dream of Extreme Engine balances the need for voltage and the desire for rock solid performance to bring the ultimate user experience MemOK Any memory is A OK Memory compatibility is...

Page 25: ...kers By pushing BIOS button overclockers can easily choose which BIOS ROM they want to save boot from CPU Level Up A simple click for instant upgrade Ever wish that you could have a more expansive CPU Upgrade your CPU at no additional cost with ROG s CPU Level Up Simply pick the processor you wanted to OC to and the motherboard will do the rest See the new CPU speed and enjoy that performance inst...

Page 26: ... capabilities and benchmark scores Onboard Switches No more shorting pins or moving jumpers With an easy press during overclock this exclusive onboard switch allows gamer to effortlessly fine tune the performance without having to short the pins or moving jumpers ASUS Q Connector Make connections quick and accurate The Q Connector allows you to connect or disconnect chassis front panel cables in o...

Page 27: ... audio output jack sensing feature retasking functions and multi streaming technology that simultaneously sends different audio streams to different destinations This motherboard now adopts the future standard to deliver the most vivid audio enjoyment 3DMark Vantage Advanced Edition The Gamers Benchmark 3DMarkVantage is the new industry standard PC gaming performance benchmark from Futuremark newl...

Page 28: ...1 8 Chapter 1 Product Introduction ...

Page 29: ...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 30: ...herboard overview 2 6 2 3 Central Processing Unit CPU 2 9 2 4 System memory 2 14 2 5 Expansion slots 2 23 2 6 Jumper 2 27 2 7 RC Bluetooth card 2 29 2 8 I O shield Installation 2 30 2 9 Connectors 2 31 2 10 Starting up for the first time 2 51 2 11 Turning off the computer 2 52 ...

Page 31: ... 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 power su...

Page 32: ...ion of the CPU LED and the table below for LED definition 2 Memory LED Refer to the illustration below for the location of the memory LED and the table below for LED definition 3 PCH LED The PCH LED shows the PCH Voltage Refer to the illustration below for the location of the PCH LED and the table below for LED definition Normal green High yellow Crazy red CPU Voltage default 0 85 1 4 1 40625 1 54...

Page 33: ... disk drive The LED does not light up when there is no hard disk drive connected to the motherboard or when the hard disk drive does not function 5 BIOS LED The BIOS LEDs help indicate the BIOS activity Press the BIOS button to switch between BIOS1 and BIOS2 and the LED lights up when the corresponding BIOS is in use ROG Maximus III Extreme 2 3 ...

Page 34: ...hen in OS 7 Q LED Q LEDs check key components CPU DRAM VGA card and booting devices 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 way to locate the root problem within a second 2 4 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 35: ... 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 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 ROG Maximus III Extreme 2 5 ...

Page 36: ...2 2 Motherboard overview 2 2 1 Motherboard layout 2 6 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 37: ...1 3 2 42 9 Marvell Serial ATA 6 0 Gb s connectors 7 pin SATA_6G_1 2 red 2 38 10 Intel P55 Serial ATA connectors 7 pin SATA 1 6 2 37 11 JMicron JMB363 Serial ATA connector 7 pin SATA_E1 2 38 12 BIOS button 2 48 13 System panel connector 20 8 pin PANEL 2 45 14 Clear RTC RAM 3 pin CLRTC_SW 2 27 15 USB connectors 10 1 pin USB1112 USB1314 2 39 16 OC Station connector 8 pin OC_STATION 2 40 17 Reset swit...

Page 38: ...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 4 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 39: ...y if the damage is shipment transit related Keep the cap after installing the motherboard ASUS will process Return Merchandise Authorization RMA requests only if the motherboard comes with the cap on the LGA1156 socket The product warranty does not cover damage to the socket contacts resulting from incorrect CPU installation removal or misplacement loss incorrect removal of the PnP cap Ensure that...

Page 40: ...vent bending the connectors on the socket and damaging the CPU Gold triangle mark Alignment keys CPU notches 5 Position the CPU over the socket ensuring that the gold triangle is on the bottom left corner of the socket and then fit the socket alignment keys into the CPU notches 4 Remove the PnP cap from the CPU socket by lifting the tab only PnP cap Cap tab 2 10 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 41: ...l 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 DO NOT eat it If it gets into your eyes or touches your skin wash it off immediately and seek professional medical help ROG Maximus ...

Page 42: ...he LGA775 and LGA1366 sockets in size and dimension Orient the heatsink and fan assembly such that the CPU fan cable is closest to the CPU fan connector If you purchased a separate CPU heatsink and fan assembly ensure that the Thermal Interface Material is properly applied to the CPU heatsink or CPU before you install the heatsink and fan assembly Ensure that you have installed the motherboard to ...

Page 43: ...lling the CPU heatsink and fan To uninstall the CPU heatsink and fan 1 Disconnect the CPU fan cable from the connector on the motherboard 2 Rotate each fastener counterclockwise 3 Pull up two fasteners at a time in a diagonal sequence to disengage the heatsink and fan assembly from the motherboard A A B B A A B B 4 Carefully remove the heatsink and fan assembly from the motherboard ROG Maximus III...

Page 44: ...ently 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 Install only one memory module in slot A1 or B1 as a single channel operation Four DIMMs dual channel operation Two DIMMs dual channel operation 2 14 Chapter 2 Hardwa...

Page 45: ...r Due to the memory address 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 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 mother...

Page 46: ...Package 9 9 9 28 1333 9 9 9 24 2 G SKILL F3 16000CL7T 6GBPS XMP 6144MB Kit of 3 DS Heat Sink Package 7 8 7 20 1066 8 8 8 20 1 65 G SKILL F3 16000CL9T 6GBPS XMP 6144MB Kit of 3 DS Heat Sink Package 9 9 9 24 1066 8 8 8 20 1 65 KINGSTON KHX16000D3K2 2GN EPP 2048MB Kit of 2 SS Heat Sink Package 2 0 KINGSTON KHX16000D3K3 3GX XMP 3072MB Kit of 3 SS Heat Sink Package 9 1333 9 9 9 24 1 65 KINGSTON KHX1600...

Page 47: ...6G1600C9 XMP Ver2 1 6144MB Kit of 3 DS Heat Sink Package 9 9 9 24 1333 9 9 9 24 1 65 Crucial BL12864BA1608 8SFB XMP 1024MB SS Heat Sink Package 1601 8 8 8 24 1 8 G SKILL F3 12800CL9D 2GBNQ 2048MB Kit of 2 SS Heat Sink Package 1333 9 9 9 24 1 6 G SKILL F3 12800CL8T 6GBHK XMP 6144MB Kit of 3 DS Heat Sink Package 8 8 8 21 1333 8 8 8 21 1 6 1 65 G SKILL F3 12800CL8T 6GBPI XMP 6144MB Kit of 3 DS Heat S...

Page 48: ...CZ3X1600LV6GK XMP 6144MB Kit of 3 DS Heat Sink Package 8 8 8 1600 8 8 8 24 1 65 OCZ OCZ3X1600LV6GK XMP 6144MB Kit of 3 DS Heat Sink Package 8 8 8 1066 7 7 7 16 1 65 Super Talent WB160UX6GB XMP 6144MB Kit of 3 DS Heat Sink Package 1333 8 8 8 24 Cell Shock CS322271 2048MB Kit of 2 DS Heat Sink Package 7 7 7 14 1066 7 7 7 20 1 7 1 9 Elixir M2F2G64CB8HA4N DG 2048MB DS N2CB1G80AN DG 9 1333 9 9 9 28 Mus...

Page 49: ...at Sink Package 9 9 9 24 1333 9 9 9 24 1 5 Crucial CT12864BA1339 8SFD 1024MB SS MICRON MT8JF12864AY 1G4D1 1333 9 9 9 24 Crucial CT25664BA1339 16SFD 2048MB DS MICRON D9JNM 1333 9 9 9 24 Crucial BL25664BA1336 16SFB1 4096MB Kit of 2 DS NA Heat Sink Package 6 6 6 20 1333 9 9 9 24 1 8 ELPIDA EBJ10UE8BAW0 DJ E 1024MB SS ELPIDA J1108BABG DJ E 9 1333 9 9 9 24 ELPIDA EBJ21UE8BAW0 DJ E 2048MB DS ELPIDA J110...

Page 50: ...G M378B5673EH1 CH9 2048MB DS SAMSUNG K4B1G0846E 1066 8 7 7 20 SAMSUNG M391B5673DZ1 CH9 2048MB DS SAMSUNG K4B1G0846D ECC 9 1333 9 9 9 24 SAMSUNG M378B5273BH1 CH9 4096MB DS SAMSUNG K4B2G0846B HCH9 9 1333 9 9 9 24 Super Talent W1333UX2GB XMP 2048MB Kit of 2 SS N A Heat Sink Package 8 1333 8 8 8 24 1 8 Transcend TS128MLK64V3U 1024MB SS SAMSUNG K4B1G0846D 9 1333 9 9 9 24 Transcend TS256MLK64V3U 2048MB ...

Page 51: ...E8BAW0 AE E 2048MB DS ELPIDA J1108BABG DJ E 7 1066 7 7 7 20 Hynix HMT112U6AFP8C G7N0 1024MB SS HYNIX H5TQ1G83AFPG7C 7 Hynix HYMT112U64ZNF8 G7 1024MB SS HYNIX HY5TQ1G831ZNFP G7 7 Hynix HMT125U6AFP8C G7N0 2048MB DS HYNIX H5TQ1G83AFPG7C 7 Hynix HYMT125U64ZNF8 G7 2048MB DS HYNIX HY5TQ1G831ZNFP G7 7 KINGSTON KVR1066D3N7 1G 1024MB SS ELPIDA J1108BABG DJ E 1066 7 7 7 20 1 5 KINGSTON KVR1066D3N7 2G 2048MB...

Page 52: ...ining 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 direction DO NOT force a DIMM into a socket in the wrong direction 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 da...

Page 53: ...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 the software drivers for the exp...

Page 54: ...der 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 PCIEX16_1 shared PCIEX16_2 shared PCIEX16_3 shared PCIEX16_4 shared PCIEX16_5 shared PCI_1 shared LAN1 shared USB 2 0 controller1 shared USB 2 0 controller2 shared USB 3 0 controller shared Onb...

Page 55: ... of the slot 2 5 5 PCI Express x16 slots This motherboard has five PCI Express x16 slots that support PCI Express x16 cards complying with the PCI Express specifications Refer to the figure below for the location of the slot PCI Express x16_1 slot PCI Express x16_2 slot PCI Express x16_5 slot PCI Express x16_3 slot PCI slot PCI Express x16_4 slot ROG Maximus III Extreme 2 25 ...

Page 56: ...tion Three graphics cards Four graphics cards PCIex16_1 slot PCIex16_2 slot PCIex16_3 slot PCIex16_4 slot PCI slot PCIex16_5 slot We recommend that you provide sufficient power when running CrossFireX or SLI mode See page 2 44 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 26 Chapter 2 Hardware...

Page 57: ...tup 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 Recall feature shut down and reboot the system so the BIOS can automatically reset CPU parameter settings...

Page 58: ...2 LN2 Mode jumper 3 pin LN2 This jumper functions to help the CPU recover from a frozen condition caused by an extremely low temperature 2 28 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 59: ...Antenna Receives the Bluetooth signal The plastic cap on the antenna protects it from possible damage 2 Bluetooth Switch Toggles the RC Bluetooth function ON and OFF When the RC Bluetooth is OFF the normal Bluetooth connection is still available 3 Bluetooth Connector Connects the RC_BLUETOOTH connector on the motherboard RC Bluetooth card installation ROG Maximus III Extreme 2 29 ...

Page 60: ...herboard and install it to the chassis Make sure that the motherboard external ports fit the I O openings Be cautious when installing the motherboard The I O shield edge springs may damage the I O ports The photos above are for reference only the actual I O shield may differ by models 2 30 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 61: ...ts 5 and 6 10 External SATA port 4 LAN RJ 45 port 11 USB 2 0 ports 1 and 2 5 RC Bluetooth switch 12 ROG Connect switch 6 USB 2 0 ports 7 and 8 13 USB 2 0 port 14 ROG Connect port 7 Clear CMOS switch 14 Audio ports 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 ROG Maximus III Extreme 2 31 ...

Page 62: ...o flash the BIOS in standby power To use ROG Connect 1 Connect one end of the ROG Connect cable to the ROG Connect port and the other to your notebook or netbook 2 Press the switch to start to connection To use USB BIOS FlashBack 1 Download the latest BIOS from ASUS support website Rename it M3E ROM save it to a USB flash drive and place it in the root directory 2 Connect the USB flash drive to th...

Page 63: ...nction The RC Bluetooth is designed for the following mobile phone operating systems Visit the ASUS website at www asus com for the latest supported operating system list For mobile phone with Symbian OS RC Bluetooth supports keypad control only RC Bluetooth is not available for phones with touch screen control For mobile phone with Windows Mobile OS you need to click the COM Port tab and add RC_B...

Page 64: ...In Line In Line In Additional Side Speaker Out Lime Line Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In Mic In Mic In Center Subwoofer Center Subwoofer Center Subwoofer Black Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Gray Side Speaker Out Side Speaker Out Audio I O ports 2 34 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 65: ...Connect to 4 1 channel Speakers Connect to Stereo 2 1 channel Speakers Connect to 5 1 channel Speakers ROG Maximus III Extreme 2 35 ...

Page 66: ...Connect to 7 1 channel Speakers Connect to 9 1 channel Speakers 2 36 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 67: ... disk drives to these connectors If you intend to create a Serial ATA RAID set using these connectors set the Configure SATA as item in the BIOS to RAID See section 3 4 5 Storage Configuration for details Before creating a RAID set refer to section 4 4 RAID configurations or the manual bundled in the motherboard support DVD You must install Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later versions before using ...

Page 68: ...k drives via Serial ATA 6 0 Gb s signal cables These connectors are set to Standard IDE mode by default In Standard IDE mode you can connect Serial ATA data hard disk drives to these connectors You must install Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later versions before using Serial ATA hard disk drives When using hot plug and NCQ set the Marvell Controller item in the BIOS to AHCI Mode Refer to section 3 ...

Page 69: ...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 ROG Maximus III Extreme 2 39 ...

Page 70: ...motherboard to enjoy easier overclocking 6 IEEE 1394a port connector 10 1 pin IE1394_2 This connector is for an IEEE 1394a port Connect the IEEE 1394a 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 IEEE 1394a module is purchased separately 2 40 ...

Page 71: ...suring 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 lab...

Page 72: ...nt 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 9 Optical drive audio connector 4 pin CD These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources such as a CD ROM TV tuner or MPEG card 2 42 Chapter 2 Hardware i...

Page 73: ...therboard 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 11 Front panel audio connector 10 1 pin AAFP This connector is for a c...

Page 74: ...ATX12 V power plug otherwise the system will not boot Connect the 4 pin EZ_PLUG1 and EZ_PLUG2 power plugs to ensure sufficient power supply when you install multiple graphics cards 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 power is inadequate Refer to the Appendix for t...

Page 75: ...is 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 th...

Page 76: ...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 77: ... 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 Maximus III Extreme 2 47 ...

Page 78: ...load the preset profile GO_Button file for temporary overclocking when in OS 4 BIOS button The motherboard comes with two BIOS Press the BIOS button to switch BIOS and load different BIOS settings The nearby BIOS LEDs indicate the BIOS you are using 2 48 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 79: ...n the LN2_Mode jumer does not work and your CPU cannot resume function press the Q reset button to temporarily stop the power supply to the CPU and help the CPU recover from a frozen condition ROG Maximus III Extreme 2 49 ...

Page 80: ...er access to the measure points when a multitester is employed for more accurate measurements during your busy overclocking work Refer to the following illustration for ProbeIt location Using ProbeIt You may connect the multitester to the motherboard as shown The photos above are for reference only the actual motherboard layout and measure points location may differ by models 2 50 Chapter 2 Hardwa...

Page 81: ... LED 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 se...

Page 82: ...rn Off button to shut down the computer 3 The power supply should turn off after Windows shuts down 2 11 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 regardl...

Page 83: ...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 84: ...s III Extreme 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 16 3 5 Advanced menu 3 21 3 6 Power menu 3 30 3 7 Boot menu 3 36 3 8 Tools menu 3 40 3 9 Exit menu 3 44 ...

Page 85: ...inal 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 BI...

Page 86: ...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 87: ...le 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 scree...

Page 88: ... 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 Maximus III Extreme VER 0229 DATE 07 29 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 89: ...om 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 t...

Page 90: ...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 91: ... Exit ESC Exit System Time 13 51 25 System Date Mon 12 14 2009 Language English SATA1 HDT722516DLA380 SATA2 Not Detected SATA3 ATAPI DVD D DH1 SATA4 Not Detected SATA5 Not Detected SATA6 Not Detected Storage Configuration System Information Navigation keys General help Menu bar Sub menu items Configuration fields Menu items 3 2 2 Menu bar The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main it...

Page 92: ...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 93: ...ncy 1066MHZ CPU Level Up Auto Memory Level Up Auto Ai Overclock Tuner Auto CPU Ratio Setting Auto CPU Configuration Intel R SpeedStep TM Tech Enabled QPI Frequency Auto Start aua tuning OC Tuner Turbo Profile DRAM Timing Control CPU Clock Amplitude Auto v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc Select Screen Select Item Change Option F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit PCU Clock ...

Page 94: ... Tuner Auto Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal frequency Select either one of the preset overclocking configuration options Manual Allows you to individually set overclocking parameters Auto Loads the optimal settings for the system X M P If you install memory module s supporting the eXtreme Memory Profile X M P Technology choose this item to set the profi...

Page 95: ...o adjust the value You can also type the desired value using the numeric keypad The values range from 80 to 500 3 3 9 DRAM Frequency Auto Allows you to set the DDR3 operating frequency Configuration options Auto 800MHz 1066MHz 1333MHz 3 3 10 QPI Frequency Auto Configuration options Auto 3200MHz 3733MHz 4800MHz 3 3 11 Start auto tuning Press Enter to start auto tuning It takes around 5 minutes and ...

Page 96: ...nfiguration options Auto 3 DRAM Clock 4 DRAM Clock 16 DRAM Clock 17 DRAM Clock DRAM RAS to RAS Delay Auto Configuration options Auto 1 DRAM Clock 7 DRAM Clock DRAM REF Cycle Time Auto Configuration options Auto 48 DRAM Clock 60 DRAM Clock 72 DRAM Clock 82 DRAM Clock 88 DRAM Clock 90 DRAM Clock 100 DRAM Clock 110 DRAM Clock 114 DRAM Clock 118 DRAM Clock 122 DRAM Clock 126 DRAM Clock 130 DRAM Clock ...

Page 97: ... DRAM Clock DRAM WRITE to WRITE Delay SR Auto Configuration options Auto 4 DRAM Clock 6 DRAM Clock 3 3 14 CPU Clock Amplitude Auto Different AMP might enhance BCLK overclocking ability Configuration options Auto 700mV 800mV 900mV 1000mV 3 3 15 PCH Clock Amplitude Auto Configuration options Auto 700mV 800mV 900mV 1000mV 3 3 16 CPU Clock Skew Auto Adjusting this item may help enhancing BCLK overcloc...

Page 98: ...age may damage the CPU permanently and setting a low VCore voltage may make the system unstable 3 3 25 CPU PLL Voltage Auto Allows you to set the CPU PLL voltage The values range from 1 60325V to 2 50425V with a 0 01325V interval 3 3 26 IMC Voltage Auto Allows you to set the CPU Integrated Memory Controller voltage The values range from 1 00700V to 2 00075V with a 0 01325V interval 3 3 27 PCH Volt...

Page 99: ...ues range from 157 5mV to 200mV with a 12 5mV interval Different ratio might enhance DRAM overclocking ability 3 3 31 CPU Spread Spectrum Auto Disabled Enhances the BCLK overclocking ability Auto Sets to Auto for EMI control 3 3 32 PCIE Spread Spectrum Auto Disabled Enhances the PCIE overclocking ability Auto Sets to Auto for EMI control 3 3 33 ASUS O C Profile Refer to page 3 40 3 41 for details ...

Page 100: ...Refer to section 3 2 1 BIOS menu 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 ...

Page 101: ...cifically 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 Disabled Disable...

Page 102: ...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 103: ...der of commands If you want to create a RAID 0 RAID 1 RAID 5 RAID 10 or the Intel Matrix Storage Technology configuration from the Serial ATA hard disk drives set this item to RAID Hard Disk Write Protect Disabled Disables or enables device write protection This will be effective only if the device is accessed through BIOS Configuration option Disabled Enabled IDE Detect Time Out Sec 35 Selects th...

Page 104: ...enu of SATA Configuration to AHCI BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main AHCI Settings SATA Port1 Not Detected SATA Port2 Not Detected SATA Port3 Not Detected SATA Port4 Not Detected SATA Port5 Not Detected SATA Port6 Not Detected While entering setup BIOS auto detects the presence of SATA devices This displays the status of auto detection of SATA devices SATA Port1 6 XXXX Displays the status of auto detection o...

Page 105: ...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 Save and Exit ESC Exit Configure advanced CPU settings Module Version 01 04 Manufacturer Intel Brand String Genuine Intel R CPU Frequency 2 80GHz BCLK Speed 133MHz Cache L1 128 KB Cache L2 512 KB Cache L3 4096 KB Ratio Status Unlocked Mi...

Page 106: ...cent Cache Line Prefetcher function This item should be enabled in order to enable the L2 cache MLC Spatial Prefetcher for tuning performance of the specific application Disabled Disables this function Max CPUID Value Limit Disabled Enabled Allows legacy operating systems to boot even without support for CPUs with extended CPUID functions Disabled Disables this function Intel R Virtualization Tech...

Page 107: ...isabled Disables this function Intel R SpeedStep TM Tech Enabled Enabled The CPU speed is controlled by the operating system Disabled The CPU runs at its default speed Intel R C STATE Tech Disabled Enabled Allows the CPU to save more power under idle mode Enable this item only when you install a C State Technology supported CPU Disabled Disables this function C State package limit setting Auto Thi...

Page 108: ...y cause system to malfunction North Bridge Configuration BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced Uncore Chipset Configuration IMC Type Clarkdale Memory Remap Feature Enabled PCI MMIO Allocation 4GB To 3072MB Set the ECC options for cache and dram scrubbing Configure North Bridge features Memory Remap Feature Enabled Disabled Do not allow remapping of memory Enabled Allows for the segment of system memory that...

Page 109: ...controller IDE Mode Set to IDE Mode when you want to use the Serial ATA hard disk drives as Parallel ATA physical storage devices AHCI Mode 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 driv...

Page 110: ...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 Marvell 9123 Boot ROM Auto This item appears only when you enable the previous item s Enabled Enables Marvell 9123 Boot ROM Disabled Disables Marvell 9123 Boot ROM Auto O...

Page 111: ...evice is detected the legacy USB support is disabled Enabled Enables the support for USB devices on legacy operating systems OS Disabled Disables the function BIOS EHCI Hand off Enabled Enabled Enables the support for operating systems without an EHCI hand off feature Disabled Disables the function 3 5 4 USB Configuration The items in this menu allows you to change the USB related features Select ...

Page 112: ...ms appear only when you set All LED Control to Enabled Voltiminder LED Enabled Allows you to enable or disable the onboard Voltiminder LED Configuration options Enabled Disabled CPU LED Selection CPU Allows you to switch the onboard CPU LED display between CPU voltage CPU CPU PLL voltage CPU PLL and IMC voltage IMC Configuration options CPU CPU PLL IMC v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatre...

Page 113: ...Configuration iROG ID_Number Information iROG_1 ID_Number 54 iROG_2 ID_Number 9 iROG Timer Keeper Last State Current Operation time Total Operation time 3 5 7 ROG Connect v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced Select Screen Select Item F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit ROG Connect Enabled RC Poster Mode String Options Enabled Disabled ROG Connect ...

Page 114: ...OST on S3 STR resume No When set to No the system will not invoke VGA BIOS POST on S3 STR resume Yes When set to Yes 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 Enabled When set to Enabled the system adds additional tables as per ACPI 2 0 specifications v02 6...

Page 115: ...mmable Interrupt Controller APIC Enabled When set to Enabled the ACPI APIC table pointer is included in the RSDT pointer list 3 6 5 EuP Ready Disabled Disabled Disables the Energy Using Products EuP Ready function Enabled Allows BIOS to switch off some power at S5 state to get system ready for the EuP requirement When set to Enabled power for WOL WO_USB audio and onboard LEDs will be switched off ...

Page 116: ...les the PME to wake up from S5 by PCI devices Enabled Allows you to turn on the system through a PCI LAN or modem card This feature requires an ATX power supply that provides at least 1A on the 5VSB lead Power On By PCIE Devices Disabled Allows you to enable or disable the PCIE devices to generate a wake event Disabled Disables the PCIE devices to generate a wake event Enabled Enables the PCIE dev...

Page 117: ...ected temperatures PCH Overheat Protection The system automatically shuts down when the northbridge chipset is heated over the set temperature to protect it from damage Configuration options Disabled 70ºC 80ºC 90ºC 100ºC OPT TEMP1 2 3 Overheat Protection 90ºC Allows you to set the temperature over which the system automatically shuts down when any of the thermal sensor cables connected to the moth...

Page 118: ...hieve maximum CPU fan speed Chassis Q Fan Control Disabled Allows you to enable or disable the Chassis fan controller Disabled Disables the Chassis Q fan controller Enabled Enables the Chassis Q fan controller BIOS SETUP UTILITY Power Fan Speed Control CPU Q Fan Control Disabled Chassis Q Fan Control Disabled PWRFAN Control Disabled OPTFAN1 Control Disabled OPT FAN 2 Control Disabled OPT FAN 3 Con...

Page 119: ...N1 2 3 Control Disabled Allows you to select the optional fan control mode When this item is set to Duty Mode 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...

Page 120: ...d 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 BIOS S...

Page 121: ...OM 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 En...

Page 122: ...ting 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 settings S...

Page 123: ...ress 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 ac...

Page 124: ... to save your CMOS settings in the Save to sub item Load CMOS Profiles Allows you to load the previous BIOS settings saved in the BIOS Flash Press Enter and choose a profile to load Start O C Profile Allows you to run the utility to save and load CMOS Press Enter to run the utility v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Tools Typing your profile name 0 9 a z A Z ar...

Page 125: ...07 29 2009 BOARD Unknown VER Unknown DATE Unknown Current CMOS This function supports devices such as a USB flash disk FAT 32 16 format or a floppy disk with 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 ...

Page 126: ...e Tweaker Menu for details v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Tools Save GO_Button File Select Screen Select Item Change Option F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit GO_Button File Save File to None Load File From None FSB Frequency Controller Auto CPU Voltage Auto CPU PLL Voltage Auto IMC Voltage Auto PCH Voltage Auto DRAM Voltage Auto 3 6 3 AI NET 2 Chec...

Page 127: ... then press Enter to confirm your choice For more details refer to section 3 1 2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility V4 00b 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 Maximus III Extreme VER 0227 H 00 B 14 DATE 07 29 2009 BOARD Unknown VER Unknown DATE Unknown ...

Page 128: ...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 pr...

Page 129: ...4 Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package and the software ...

Page 130: ... Maximus III Extreme 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 24 4 5 Creating a RAID driver disk 4 29 ...

Page 131: ...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 132: ...112L LAN Driver Installs Realtek LAN driver VIA Audio Driver Installs the VIA Audio driver ASUS TurboV EVO Installs ASUS TurboV the advanced overclocking tool for extreme O C record Browser Configuration Utility Installs the Browser Configuration utility USB 2 0 Driver Installs USB 2 0 driver USB 3 0 Host Controller Driver Installs USB3 0 driver Bluetooth Driver Installs the Bluetooth driver JMicr...

Page 133: ...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 Adobe Reader 8 Installs the Adobe Reader that allows you to open view and print documents in Portable Document Format PDF Microsoft DirectX 9 0c Installs Microsoft DirectX 9 0c Anti Virus Utility The anti virus application scans id...

Page 134: ...ntel AHCI RAID Driver disk JMicron JMB36X AHCI Driver Allows you to create a JMicron AHCI 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 file ...

Page 135: ...b 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 136: ... 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 137: ...ROG Maximus III Extreme 4 7 Filelist Displays the contents of the support DVD and a brief description of each in text format ...

Page 138: ...er from the Utilities menu before opening the files 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 are provided in different languages Double click the language to show the software manual The screenshots in this section are for refe...

Page 139: ...on your computer The software provides Jack Detection Multi Streaming Front Panel Jack Retasking and S PDIF Out support Follow the installation 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 Windows notification area Click on the icon to display th...

Page 140: ...e software manual in the support DVD or visit the ASUS website at www asus com for detailed software configuration B VIA HD Audio Deck for Windows XP Control settings window Configuration options Display panel and volume control Minimize button ...

Page 141: ...up 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 Programs...

Page 142: ... 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 143: ...els 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 valu...

Page 144: ...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 145: ... 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 C...

Page 146: ... 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 147: ...unching AI 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 ...

Page 148: ...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 149: ...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 fo...

Page 150: ...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 151: ...before adjusting CPU voltage settings Setting a high voltage may damage the CPU permanently and setting a low voltage may make the system unstable For system stability all changes made in ASUS TurboV will not be saved to BIOS settings and will not be kept on the next system boot Use the Save Profile function to save your customized overclocking settings and manually load the profile after Windows ...

Page 152: ... another PC or laptop RC TweakIt To use RC TweaakIt 1 Connect the provided ROG Connect cable to your system and your another PC or laptop 2 Double click the RC TweakIt shortcut on the desktop to activate the function 3 Use the sliders and buttons to monitor or adjust your system 4 Click Function to display more options ...

Page 153: ...h the display mode between String and Code RC Remote RC Remote allows you to operate your system through the ROG Connect cable RC Diagram RC Diagram allows you to monitor and record your system status RC BIOS FlashBack RC BIOS FlashBack allows you to switch the BIOS and update the latest BIOS ...

Page 154: ...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 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 d...

Page 155: ...elect ESC Exit ENTER Select Menu 4 4 3 Setting the RAID item in BIOS You must enable the RAID function in the BIOS Setup before creating RAID set s using SATA HDDs To do this 1 Enter the BIOS Setup during POST 2 Go to the Main menu Storage Configuration and then press Enter 3 Set the Configure SATA as item to RAID 4 Save your changes and then exit the BIOS Setup Refer to Chapter 3 for details on e...

Page 156: ...ume name that has no special characters and is 16 characters or less Change TAB Next ESC Previous Menu ENTER Select Name Volume0 RAID Level RAID0 Stripe Disks Select Disks Strip Size 128KB Capacity 0 0 GB Sync N A Create Volume 2 Enter a name for the RAID set and press Enter 3 When the RAID Level item is selected press the up down arrow key to select a RAID mode to create and then press Enter 4 Wh...

Page 157: ...ID 10 64KB RAID 5 64KB We recommend a lower stripe size for server systems and a higher stripe size for multimedia computer systems used mainly for audio and video editing 7 When the Capacity item is selected enter the RAID volume capacity that you want and press Enter The default value indicates the maximum allowed capacity 8 When the Create Volume item is selected press Enter The following warni...

Page 158: ...ous Menu DEL Delete Volume Name Level Drives Capacity Status Bootable Volume0 RAID0 Stripe 2 298 0GB Normal Yes Exiting the Intel Matrix Storage Manager To exit the utility 1 From the utility main menu select 5 Exit and then press Enter The following warning message appears 2 Press Y to exit or press N to return to the utility main menu Are you sure you want to exit Y N CONFIRM EXIT 2 Use the up d...

Page 159: ...our 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 32 64bit Intel AHCI RAID driver disk 7 Insert a formatted floppy disk into the USB floppy disk drive then press Enter 8 Follow the succeeding screen ...

Page 160: ...nstallation select Intel R ICH8R ICH9R ICH10R DO PCH SATA RAID Controller 3 Follow the succeeding screen instructions to complete the installation 4 5 4 Using a USB floppy disk drive Due to OS limitation Windows XP may not recognize 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 ...

Page 161: ...endor 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 162: ...he bottom of the two sections id USB VID_xxxx PID_xxxx usbstor 10 Save and exit the file HardwareIds scsi iaAHCI_PCH id PCI VEN_8086 DEV_3A22 CC_0106 iaStor id USB VID_03EE PID_6901 usbstor HardwareIds scsi iaStor_8R9R10RDOPCH id PCI VEN_8086 DEV_3A22 CC_0106 iaStor id USB VID_03EE PID_6901 usbstor Add the same line to both sections The VID and PID vary with different vendors ...

Page 163: ...5 ATI CrossFireX technology support This chapter describes how to install and configure ATI CrossFireX graphics cards ...

Page 164: ...ROG Maximus III Extreme Chapter summary 5 5 1 ATI CrossFireX technology 5 1 5 2 NVIDIA SLI technology 5 5 ...

Page 165: ...t the minimum power required by your system See page 2 44 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 Vista...

Page 166: ... 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 167: ...aphics 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 168: ...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 169: ... required by your system See Chapter 2 for details 5 2 2 Installing two SLI ready 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 SLI ready graphics cards 2 Insert the two graphics card into the PCIEX16 slots If your motherboard has more than two PCIEX16 slots re...

Page 170: ...ackage 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 2 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 operating system ...

Page 171: ...I Extreme 5 7 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 172: ...e 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 173: ...A Appendix Reference information This appendix includes additional information that you may refer to when configuring the motherboard ...

Page 174: ...eme Chapter summary A A 1 Debug code table A 1 A 2 Qualified Vendors Lists QVL for BIOS FlashBack A 4 A 3 Qualified Vendors Lists QVL for RC Bluetooth A 4 A 4 Qualified Vendors Lists QVL for 500W Power Supply or above A 5 ...

Page 175: ...hips 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 chip...

Page 176: ...Display 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 ...

Page 177: ... NET PC Build SYSID structure 3 Switch screen back to text mode 4 Set up ACPI table at top of memory 5 Invoke ISA 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 tim...

Page 178: ...8206 CMOS 1GB Apacer HA202 CMOS 2GB Corsair CMFUSBSRVR CMOS 16GB IENOVO T160 CMOS 2GB NETAC U215 CMOS 1GB OCZ Z2B818 CMOS 32GB PATRIOT PEF32GUSB CMOS 32GB Sandisk CZ8 CMOS 16GB Sony USM16GL CMOS 16GB TECLAST CF4GBNCU CMOS 4GB Transcend JetFlash V60 CMOS 8GB Transcend TS16GJFV60 CMOS 16GB iMate combo driver CMOS 32G Visit the ASUS website at www asus com for the latest QVL A 3 Qualified Vendors Lis...

Page 179: ...n7 Ultimate 1000W OCZ OCZGXS850 4A Win7 Ultimate 850W Seasonic SS 850EM 3A Win7 64timate 850W Seasonic SS 900HP 3A Win7 64timate 900W Seventeam ST 522HLP 2A Win7 64timate 500W Seventeam ST550EAJ 05F 2A Win7 64timate 550W Snake PSH850V 3A Win7 64timate 850W 80 PLUS Silverstone SST ST85F 3A Win7 64timate 850W 80 PLUS Silverstone ST1000 3A Win7 64timate 1000W Silverstone ZM1200M 4A Win7 64timate 1200...

Page 180: ...A 6 Appendix Reference information ...

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