Asus MAXIMUS III FORMULA User Manual Download Page 15

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Internal I/O Connectors

3 x USB 2.0 connectors support additional 5 USB 2.0

ports (1 port reserved for ROG Connect @ rear)

10 x SATA connectors: 2 x Speeding HDD SATA

connectors (Red) / 2 x SATA_ODD (White) / 6 x

standard SATA connectors (Gray)

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

3 x Optional

3 x thermal sensor connectors

1 x IEEE1394a connector

1 x 24-pin ATX Power connector

1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector

1 x En/Dis-able Clr CMOS header

5 x ProbeIt measurement points

1 x ROG light connector

1 x Go Button

System panel connector

Software

Support DVD:

- Drivers and applications

Sound Blaster X-Fi Utility

Kaspersky

Anti-Virus

ASUS TurboV utility

ASUS PC Probe II

ASUS Update

ASUS AI Suite

Form Factor

ATX Form Factor, 12”x 9.6” (30.5cm x 24.4cm)

*Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Maximus III Formula specifications summary

Summary of Contents for MAXIMUS III FORMULA

Page 1: ...Motherboard Maximus III Formula ...

Page 2: ...HANTABILITY 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 T...

Page 3: ... Motherboard overview 2 5 2 2 1 Motherboard layout 2 5 2 2 2 SupremeFX X Fi audio card layout 2 6 2 2 3 Layout contents 2 6 2 2 4 Placement direction 2 7 2 2 5 Screw holes 2 7 2 3 Central Processing Unit CPU 2 8 2 3 1 Installing the CPU 2 8 2 3 2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fan 2 11 2 3 3 Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan 2 12 2 4 System memory 2 13 2 4 1 Overview 2 13 2 4 2 Memory configu...

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

Page 5: ... Auto 3 14 3 3 19 CPU Voltage Mode Offset 3 14 3 3 20 CPU Voltage Auto 3 14 3 3 21 CPU PLL Voltage Auto 3 14 3 3 22 IMC Voltage Auto 3 14 3 3 23 PCH Voltage Auto 3 14 3 3 24 DRAM Voltage Auto 3 15 3 3 25 DRAM DATA REF Voltage on CHA B Auto 3 15 3 3 26 DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHA B Auto 3 15 3 3 27 Keyboard TweakIt Control Disabled 3 15 3 3 28 CPU Spread Spectrum Auto 3 15 3 3 29 PCIE Spread Spect...

Page 6: ...bled 3 30 3 6 7 Hardware Monitor 3 32 3 7 Boot menu 3 35 3 7 1 Boot Device Priority 3 35 3 7 2 Boot Settings Configuration 3 36 3 7 3 Security 3 37 3 8 Tools menu 3 39 3 8 1 Speeding HDD Configuration 3 39 3 8 2 ASUS O C Profile 3 40 3 8 3 GO_Button File 3 42 3 8 4 AI NET 2 3 42 3 8 5 MemPerfect 3 43 3 8 6 ASUS EZ Flash 2 3 43 3 9 Exit menu 3 44 Chapter 4 Software support 4 1 Installing an operati...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Page 13: ...1 x PCIe 1 0 white supports at x4 mode 2 x PCIe x1 2 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 322 controller and 2 x JMicron 363 controllers 2 x SATA 3 0 Gb s port red supporting Hardware RAID 0 and 1 SPD_HDD1 SPD_HDD2 ...

Page 14: ...all Other Special Features MemOK MemPerfect ProbeIt Onboard Switches Power Reset Clr CMOS at rear Q Fan Plus ASUS EPU 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 4 ACPI2 0a Multi Language BIOS Manageability WOL by PME WOR by PME PXE Back Pan...

Page 15: ...ors 1 x IEEE1394a connector 1 x 24 pin ATX Power connector 1 x 8 pin ATX 12V Power connector 1 x En Dis able Clr CMOS header 5 x ProbeIt measurement points 1 x ROG light connector 1 x Go Button System panel connector Software Support DVD Drivers and applications Sound Blaster X Fi Utility Kaspersky Anti Virus ASUS TurboV utility ASUS PC Probe II ASUS Update ASUS AI Suite Form Factor ATX Form Facto...

Page 16: ...xvi ...

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

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

Page 19: ...Check your motherboard package for the following items ROG Maximus III Formula Motherboard 1 x Multi functional module 2 port USB 2 0 and 1 port ESATA SupremeFX X Fi Audio Card 1 x ASUS Q Shield I O shield 3 x Serial ATA signal cables 1 x ROG Connect cable 1 x SLI Cable 1 x 2 in1 ASUS Q Connector Kit UserManual 1 x ROG theme label 1 x ROG cable label 12 in 1 Cable ties User Guide ROG Support DVD I...

Page 20: ... the 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...

Page 21: ...OG Connect links your main system to a notebook through a USB cable allowing you to view real time POST code and hardware status readouts on your notebook as well as make on the fly parameter adjustments at a purely hardware level GameFirst The speed you need to pwn Low Internet latency allows you to frag more and get fragged less That s why ROG has introduced GameFirst a feature that manages the ...

Page 22: ...ave a more expansive CPU Upgrade your CPU at no additional cost with ROG s CPU Level Up Simply pick the processor you want to OC to and the motherboard will do the rest for you See the new CPU speed and enjoy the performance instantly Overclocking is never as easy as this MemOK Any memory is A OK Memory compatibility is among the top concerns when it comes to computer upgrades Worry no more MemOK ...

Page 23: ...X allows overclockers to increase chipset voltages without the worries of overheating It can also be used to monitor and save an overheating GPU The COP EX allows more freedom and less constraint for maximum performance achievement Loadline Calibration Optimal power boost for extreme CPU overclocking Maintaining ample voltage support for the CPU is critical during overclocking The Loadline calibra...

Page 24: ...l offers premium antivirus protection for individual users and home offices It is based on advanced antivirus technologies The product incorporates the Kaspersky Anti Virus engine which is renowned for malicious program detection rates that are among the industry s highest 1 3 4 ASUS special features ASUS EZ DIY ASUS EZ DIY feature collection provides you easy ways to install computer components u...

Page 25: ...sing an OS based flash utility ASUS EPU System Level Energy Saving The new ASUS EPU the world s first power saving engine has been upgraded to a new 6 engine version which provides total system power savings by detecting current PC loadings and intelligently moderating power in real time With auto phase switching for components which includes the CPU VGA card memory chipset hard drives and CPU coo...

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

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

Page 28: ...2 2 Motherboard overview 2 5 2 3 Central Processing Unit CPU 2 8 2 4 System memory 2 13 2 5 Expansion slots 2 22 2 6 Jumper 2 26 2 7 I O shield and Audio card Installation 2 27 2 8 Connectors 2 29 2 9 Starting up for the first time 2 43 2 10 Turning off the computer 2 44 ...

Page 29: ... 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 30: ...D 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 54375 1 55 CPU PLL 1 60325 2 00075 79h 97h 2 01...

Page 31: ...the hard disk activity It blinks when data is being written into or read from the hard 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 ROG Maximus III Formula 2 3 ...

Page 32: ...component The illustration below shows the location of the onboard power on switch When you turn on the ATX power supply the Power LED flashes three times to indicate that the system is ready to boot Wait till the flash stops before you press the power on switch 6 GO LED Blinking Indicates that MemOK is enabled before POST Lighting Indicates that the system loads the preset profile GO_Button file ...

Page 33: ...2 2 Motherboard overview 2 2 1 Motherboard layout ROG Maximus III Formula 2 5 ...

Page 34: ... P55 Serial ATA connectors 7 pin SATA 1 6 2 31 9 Clear RTC RAM 3 pin CLRTC_SW 2 26 10 System panel connector 20 8 pin PANEL 2 38 11 JMicron JMB322 Serial ATA connectors 7 pin SPD_HDD1 red SPD_HDD2 red 2 32 12 USB connectors 10 1 pin USB910 USB1112 USB13 2 33 13 GP connector 8 pin GP 2 34 14 Reset switch 2 41 15 Power on switch 2 41 16 Thermal sensor cable connectors 2 pin OPT_TEMP1 3 2 36 16 IEEE ...

Page 35: ...chassis in the correct orientation The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below 2 2 5 Screw holes Place nine 9 screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis DO NOT overtighten the screws Doing so can damage the motherboard ROG Maximus III Formula 2 7 ...

Page 36: ... 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 all pow...

Page 37: ...y one correct orientation DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent 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 ROG Maximus III Formula 2 9 ...

Page 38: ...nterface 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 2 10 Chapter 2 ...

Page 39: ...th the 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...

Page 40: ...ng 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 2 12 Chapter 2 Har...

Page 41: ...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 Install one memory module in DIMM_A1 slots as a single channel operation Two DIMMs dual channel operation Four DIMMs dual channel operation ROG Maximus III Form...

Page 42: ...l operation Due to Intel spec definition X M P DIMMs and DDR3 1600 are supported for one DIMM per channel only According to Intel CPU spec DIMMs with voltage requirement over 1 65V may damage the CPU permanently We recommend you install the DIMMs with the voltage requirement below 1 65V Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency For optimum compatibility we recommend that you obtain memory mod...

Page 43: ...ink 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 KHX...

Page 44: ...600C9 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 Sink...

Page 45: ...CZ OCZ3X1600LV6GK 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...

Page 46: ...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 J1108BA...

Page 47: ...MSUNG 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 204...

Page 48: ...AW0 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 DS...

Page 49: ...ket by pressing the retaining clip outward 2 Align a DIMM on the socket such that the notch on the DIMM matches the break on the socket Support the DIMM lightly with your fingers when pressing the retaining clip The DIMM might get damaged when it flips out with extra force Ensure to unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other system components Failure to do so may cause severe...

Page 50: ... 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 expansi...

Page 51: ...ock 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 PCIEX16_1 shared PCIEX16_2 shared PCIEX16_3 shared PCI_1 shared PCI_2 shared USB 2 0 controller1 shared USB 2 0 controller2 shared LAN1 shared SATA controller shared Onboard ATA ...

Page 52: ...ot 2 5 6 PCI Express x16 slot This motherboard has one PCI Express x16 slot that supports PCI Express x16 cards complying with the PCI Express specifications Refer to the figure below for the location of the slot 2 5 7 PCI Express 2 0 x16 slots This motherboard has two PCI Express 2 0 x16 slots that support PCI Express x16 2 0 graphic cards complying with the PCI Express specifications Refer to th...

Page 53: ..._1 and PCIe 2 0 x16_2 red slots for PCI Express x16 graphics cards to get better performance We recommend that you provide sufficient power when running CrossFireX or SLI mode See page 2 37 for details Connect a chassis fan to the motherboard connector labeled CHA_FAN1 2 3 when using multiple graphics cards for better thermal environment ROG Maximus III Formula 2 25 ...

Page 54: ...o 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 to d...

Page 55: ...tallation 2 Orient the motherboard 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 ROG Maximus III Formula 2 27 ...

Page 56: ...te the audio slot on the motherboard 3 Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card sits on the slot completely 4 The photo below shows the audio card installed on the motherboard The photos above are for reference only 2 28 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 57: ...s 3 and 4 8 IEEE 1394a port 3 USB 2 0 ports 5 and 6 9 External SATA port 4 LAN RJ 45 port 10 USB 2 0 ports 1 and 2 5 Audio Ports 11 ROG Connect switch 6 USB 2 0 ports 7 and 8 12 USB 2 0 port 14 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 Formula 2 29 ...

Page 58: ... Activity Link LED LAN port Audio 2 4 6 or 8 channel configuration Port Headset 2 channel 4 channel 6 channel 8 channel Light Blue Line In Line In Line In Line In Lime Line Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In Mic In Orange Center Subwoofer Center Subwoofer Black Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Ou Rear Speaker Out Gray Side Speaker Out 2 30 Chapter 2 Ha...

Page 59: ... 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 60: ...es for Serial ATA hard disk drives Connect Serial ATA hard disk drives to these ports if you want to create hardware RAID 3 JMicron JMB363 Serial ATA connectors 7 pin SATA_ODD1 white SATA_ODD2 white These connectors are for the Serial ATA signal cables for Serial ATA optical disk drives 2 32 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 61: ... the USB module cable to any of these connectors then install the module to a slot opening at 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 ...

Page 62: ...d USB13 on the motherboard to enjoy easier overclocking 7 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 2 34 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 63: ...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 64: ... and place the other ends to the devices which you want to monitor temperature The optional fan1 2 3 can work with the temperature sensors for a better cooling effect Enable OPT FAN1 2 3 overheat protection in BIOS if you connect thermal sensor cables to these connectors The thermal sensor cable is purchased separately 2 36 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 65: ...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 If you are uncertain about the minimum power supply requirement for your system refer to the Recommended Power Supply Wattage Calculator at http support asus com PowerSupplyCalculator PSCalculator aspx SLanguage ...

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

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

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

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

Page 70: ...3 GO button Press the GO button before POST to enable MemOK or press it to quickly load the preset profile GO_Button file for temporary overclocking when in OS 2 42 Chapter 2 Hardware information ...

Page 71: ...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 set...

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

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

Page 74: ...s III Formula 3 1 Managing and updating your BIOS 3 1 3 2 BIOS setup program 3 6 3 3 Extreme Tweaker menu 3 9 3 4 Main menu 3 16 3 5 Advanced menu 3 21 3 6 Power menu 3 29 3 7 Boot menu 3 35 3 8 Tools menu 3 39 3 9 Exit menu 3 45 ...

Page 75: ...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 76: ...rk traffic or click Auto Select Click Next Updating the BIOS through the Internet To update the BIOS through the Internet 1 Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows desktop by clicking Start Programs ASUS ASUSUpdate ASUSUpdate The ASUS Update main window appears 2 Select Update BIOS from the Internet option from the drop down menu then click Next ...

Page 77: ...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 78: ... 2 and press Enter to enable it ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility V3 34 Current ROM Update ROM A Note Enter Select or Load Tab Switch V Drive Info Up Down Home End Move B Backup Esc Exit FLASH TYPE MXIC 25L1605A PATH A BOARD Maximus III Formula 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 79: ...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 80: ...ram Press Del during the Power On Self Test POST to enter the Setup utility otherwise POST continues with its test routines If you wish to enter Setup after POST restart the system by pressing Ctrl Alt Delete or by pressing the reset button on the system chassis You can also restart by turning the system off and then back on Do this last option only if the first two failed The Setup program is des...

Page 81: ... Exit ESC Exit System Time 13 51 25 System Date Thu 07 30 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 82: ...it then press Enter to display a list of options Refer to 3 2 7 Pop up window 3 2 7 Pop up window Select a menu item then press Enter to display a pop up window with the configuration options for that item 3 2 8 Scroll bar A scroll bar appears on the right side of a menu screen when there are items that do not fit on the screen Press the Up Down arrow keys or Page Up Page Down keys to display the ...

Page 83: ...CPU Level Up Auto Memory Level Up Auto Ai Overclock Tuner Auto CPU Ratio Setting Auto CPU Configuration Intel R SpeedStep TM Tech Enabled Intel R Turbo Mode Tech Enabled QPI Frequency Auto DRAM Timing Control CPU Clock Amplitude Auto PCU Clock Amplitude Auto CPU Clock Skew Auto v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2009 American Megatrends Inc Select Screen Select Item Change Option F1 General Help F10 Save and...

Page 84: ...h Performance This item appears only when you set the Ai Overclock Tuner item to X M P and allows you to select the X M P mode supported by your memory module Configuration options High Performance High Frequency 3 3 3 OC From CPU Memory Level Up Auto These item appear only when you set the Ai Overclock Tuner item to Manual 3 3 4 CPU Ratio Setting Auto Allows you to adjust the ratio between CPU Co...

Page 85: ...equency Configuration options Auto 800MHz 1066MHz 1333MHz 3 3 11 DRAM Timing Control The configuration options for some of the following items vary depending on the DIMMs you install on the motherboard 1st Information 6 6 6 15 4 36 6 5 16 The values vary depending on your settings of the following sub items DRAM CAS Latency Auto Configuration options Auto 3 DRAM Clock 4 DRAM Clock 10 DRAM Clock 11...

Page 86: ...M Round Trip Latency on CHA B Auto Auto Advance 15 Clock Advance 1 Clock Normal Delay 1 Clock Delay 15 Clock 3rd Information 6 6 13 9 9 9 7 6 4 7 7 4 The values vary depending on your settings of the following sub items DRAM WRITE to READ Delay DD Auto Configuration options Auto 1 DRAM Clock 8 DRAM Clock DRAM WRITE to READ Delay DR Auto Configuration options Auto 1 DRAM Clock 8 DRAM Clock DRAM WRI...

Page 87: ...g ability Configuration options Auto 700mV 800mV 900mV 1000mV 3 3 13 PCH Clock Amplitude Auto Configuration options Auto 700mV 800mV 900mV 1000mV 3 3 14 CPU Clock Skew Auto Adjusting this item may help enhancing BCLK overclocking ability You may need to adjust the IOH Clock Skew item at the same time Configuration options Auto Normal Delay 100ps Delay 1500ps 3 3 15 PCH Clock Skew Auto Adjusting th...

Page 88: ...e may make the system unstable 3 3 21 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 22 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 23 PCH Voltage Auto Allows you to set the Platform Controller Hub voltage Th...

Page 89: ...00mV with a 12 5mV interval Different ratio might enhance DRAM overclocking ability 3 3 27 Keyboard TweakIt Control Disabled Allows you to enable or disable the keyboard TweakIt control Configuration options Disabled Enabled 3 3 28 CPU Spread Spectrum Auto Disabled Enhances the BCLK overclocking ability Auto Sets to Auto for EMI control 3 3 29 PCIE Spread Spectrum Auto Disabled Enhances the PCIE o...

Page 90: ...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 91: ...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 92: ...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 93: ...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 94: ...menu 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 ...

Page 95: ...OTE If an invalid ratio is set in CMOS then actual and setpoint values may differ NOTE Please key in ratio numbers directly Select Screen Select Item F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit Configure advanced CPU settings Module Version 01 04 Manufacturer Intel Brand String Genuine Intel R CPU Frequency 2 13GHz BCLK Speed 133MHz Cache L1 128 KB Cache L2 1024 KB Cache L3 8192 KB Ratio Status Unl...

Page 96: ...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 97: ... CPU speed is controlled by the operating system Disabled The CPU runs at its default speed Intel R TurboMode Tech Enabled Enabled Allows processor cores to run faster than marked frequency in specific condition Disabled Disables this function 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 supporte...

Page 98: ...y cause system to malfunction North Bridge Configuration BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced North Bridge Chipset Configuration IMC Type Lynnfield 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 memor...

Page 99: ...nables the onboard 1394 Controller Disabled Disables the controller J Micron Controller01 02 IDE Mode Disabled Disables the J Micron 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 onbo...

Page 100: ...vice 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 a...

Page 101: ...Enabled Allows you to enable or disable the onboard ROG light box Configuration options Disabled 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...

Page 102: ...it iROG 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 Debug Mode String Options Enabled Disabled ROG Conn...

Page 103: ... S3 STR resume Disabled When set to Disabled the system will not invoke VGA BIOS POST on S3 STR resume Enabled When set to Enabled the system invokes VGA BIOS POST on S3 STR resume 3 6 3 ACPI 2 0 Support Disabled Disabled When set to Disabled the system will not add additional tables as per ACPI 2 0 specifications Enabled When set to Enabled the system adds additional tables as per ACPI 2 0 specif...

Page 104: ...mable 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 a...

Page 105: ...bles 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 de...

Page 106: ...sh to display the detected 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 optitons Disabled 70ºC 80ºC 90ºC 100ºC OPT FAN1 2 3 overheat protection 90ºC Allows you to set the temperature over which the system automatically shuts down when any of the thermal sensor cables ...

Page 107: ...eve maximum CPU fan speed Chassis Q Fan Function 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 Function Disabled PWRFAN Control Disabled OPTFAN1 Control Disabled OPT FAN 2 Control Disabled OPT FAN 3 Con...

Page 108: ... 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 3...

Page 109: ...ced 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...

Page 110: ...e 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 Enabled When set...

Page 111: ...rd 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 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 Se...

Page 112: ...ess Enter 2 On the password box that appears type a password composed of at least six letters and or numbers then press Enter 3 Confirm the password when prompted The message Password Installed appears after you set your password successfully To change the user password follow the same steps as in setting a user password Password Check Setup When set to Setup BIOS checks for user password when acc...

Page 113: ...Update To Normal Mode Press Enter Speeding HD Device s List SPD_HDD1 Red ST380817AS SPD_HDD2 Red ST380817AS BIOS SETUP UTILITY Tools Update Speeding HDD Mode changes after saving changes and exiting BIOS setup Discard Speeding HDD Mode changes after exiting BIOS setup without saving any changes 3 8 1 Speeding HDD Configuration Before using the Speeding HDD function ensure that you have connected t...

Page 114: ...1 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 C Profile 8 Status Not Installed Add Your CMOS Profile Name Default Profile Save To U...

Page 115: ...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 116: ...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 8 4 AI NET 2 Chec...

Page 117: ...ensuring system stability and maximum efficiency 3 8 6 ASUS EZ Flash 2 Allows you to run ASUS EZ Flash 2 When you press Enter a confirmation message appears Use the left right arrow key to select between Yes or No 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 Sel...

Page 118: ...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 119: ...4 Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package and the software ...

Page 120: ... Maximus III Formula Chapter summary 4 4 1 Installing an operating system 4 1 4 2 Support DVD information 4 1 4 3 Software information 4 9 4 4 RAID configurations 4 27 4 5 Creating a RAID driver disk 4 32 ...

Page 121: ...ities 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 Ensure...

Page 122: ...ices Intel Chipset Driver Installs the Intel chipset drivers VIA Audio Driver Installs the VIA Audio driver Sound Blaster X Fi Installs the Sound Blaster X Fi driver JMicron JMB36X Controller Driver Installs the JMicron controller driver ASUS TurboV EVO Installs ASUS TurboV the advanced overclocking tool for extreme O C record ASUS EPU 6 Engine Installs ASUS EPU 6 Engine driver and utility ...

Page 123: ...re data on the hard drives and enhance the hard drive performance ASUS PC Probe II This smart utility monitors the fan speed CPU temperature and system voltage and alerts you of any detected problems This utility helps you keep your computer in healthy operating condition ASUS Update The ASUS Update utility allows you to update the motherboard BIOS in Windows environment This utility requires an I...

Page 124: ... such as movies music etc ASUS ROG GameFirst You can use this software to adjust network flow speed between different applications ASUS ROG Connect You can use this software to control the performance of machine remotely and to monitor its variation of each item immediately Adobe Reader 8 Installs the Adobe Reader that allows you to open view and print documents in Portable Document Format PDF Mic...

Page 125: ...tel 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 126: ...tab to display the ASUS contact information You can also find this information on the inside front cover of this user guide 4 2 6 Video menu Click the Video tab to display a list of video clips Click the video titles to watch ROG users outstanding performances with ROG motherboards ...

Page 127: ...f 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 128: ...4 8 Chapter 4 Software support Filelist Displays the contents of the support DVD and a brief description of each in text format ...

Page 129: ...Blaster X Fi 1 Place the support DVD to the optical drive The Drivers installation tab appears if your computer has an enabled Autorun feature 2 Click the Drivers tab and click VIA Audio Driver 3 Follow the screen instructions to complete installation 4 Click the support DVD Drivers tab and click Sound Blaster X Fi 5 Follow the screen instructions to complete installation You need to install VIA A...

Page 130: ...ualizer and Mixer Minimize Exit Help Click to restore default settings Click to mute volume Drag to adjust volume Click each icon to configure further settings Speakers and Headphone Panel This panel allows you to configure speakers headphone settings including bass management and speaker volume You can also test each speaker channel Click to test speaker sound in turn Click to test speaker noise ...

Page 131: ...S 3D Panel This panel allows you to configure 3D virtual surround effects Click to select an environment Drag to adjust effects amount Click to enable X Fi 3D Virtual effects Drag to adjust effects Click to select an upmix mode appears when using 4 4 1 5 1 7 1 Speakers X Fi Crystalizer Panel Enable X Fi Crystalizer to obtain more audio dynamics Click to enable X Fi Crystalizer Drag to adjust effec...

Page 132: ... This panel allows you to customize equalizer settings or select an EQ presets Click to select an EQ preset Click to save settings Click to enable EQ Drag to customize effects Mixer Panel This panel allows you to select a recording device and adjust recording playback devices volume Click to adjust volume Click to mute volume Drag to adjust volume Click to select a recording device ...

Page 133: ...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 134: ... 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 135: ...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 136: ...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 137: ... 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 138: ... 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 139: ...on Launching 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 C...

Page 140: ...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 141: ...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 142: ...so customize each mode by configuring settings like CPU frequency vCore Voltage and Fan Control Launching 6 Engine After installing EPU 6 Engine from the motherboard support DVD launch the program by double clicking the 6 Engine tray icon The first time you launch 6 Engine the following message will appear asking you to run Calibration first Running calibration allows the system to detect CPU prop...

Page 143: ...vironment and takes effect in real time without exiting and rebooting the OS Refer to the CPU documentation 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 except for Auto Tuning will not be saved to BIOS settings and will not be kept on the next s...

Page 144: ...iled adjustments using TurboV Using ASUS TurboV Auto Tuning Mode The Auto Tuning Mode allows smart auto overclocking Follow the instructions below to let TurboV EVO detect and overclock your system 1 Click the Auto Tuning tab and then click Start You can also click More Setting first to configure more overclocking parameters before starting auto overclocking 2 Read through the warning messages and...

Page 145: ...tem settings Installation of advanced cooling systems is recommended The auto tuned settings will be stored in system BIOS and will be applied in the next boot 3 An animation appears indicating the overclocking process Click Stop if you want to cancel the current Overclocking process Using ASUS Turbo Key ASUS Turbo Key allows the user to set a group of hot keys into physical overclocking buttons A...

Page 146: ... Click Apply to save Turbo Key settings You have to press the assigned hotkeys to use the Turbo Key function 1 If your motherboard comes with a bundled TurboV Remote you can assign a Turbo Key Profile to work with the hotkeys on the TurboV Remote You can also load personal profiles saved in the ASUS TurboV utility 2 Click Apply to save Turbo Key settings You have to press the keys on TurboV Remote...

Page 147: ...ive 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 dri...

Page 148: ... Select 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...

Page 149: ...e 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 When...

Page 150: ...AID 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 warn...

Page 151: ...us 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 do...

Page 152: ...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 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 153: ...tallation 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 VI...

Page 154: ... 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 155: ... 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 156: ...4 36 Chapter 4 Software support ...

Page 157: ...5 ATI CrossFireX technology support This chapter describes how to install and configure ATI CrossFireX graphics cards ...

Page 158: ...ROG Maximus III Formula Chapter summary 5 5 1 ATI CrossFireX technology 5 1 5 2 NVIDIA SLI technology 5 5 ...

Page 159: ...t the minimum power required by your system See page 2 41 for details 5 1 2 Before you begin For ATI CrossFireX to work properly you have to uninstall all existing graphics card drivers before installing ATI CrossFireX graphics cards to your system To uninstall existing graphics card drivers 1 Close all current applications 2 For Windows XP go to Control Panel Add Remove Programs For Windows Vista...

Page 160: ... 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 161: ...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 162: ...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 163: ... 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 164: ...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 165: ...I Formula 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 166: ...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 167: ...A Appendix Debug code table The Appendix lists the debug code table for the LCD Poster ...

Page 168: ...ROG Maximus III Formula Chapter summary A Debug code table A 1 ...

Page 169: ... chips R W FSEG Test F000h segment shadow to see whether it is R W able or not If test fails keep beeping the speaker DET FLASH Auto detect flash type to load appropriate flash R W codes into the run time area in F000 for ESCD DMI support TESTCMOS Use walking 1 s algorithm to check out interface in CMOS circuitry Also set real time clock power status and then check for override PRG CHIP Program ch...

Page 170: ...play PnP logo ONBD IO Initialize Onboard IO devices EN SETUP Okay to enter Setup utility MSINSTAL Initialize PS 2 Mouse CHK ACPI Prepare memory size information for function call INT 15h ax E820h EN CACHE Turn on L2 cache SET CHIP Program chipset registers according to items described in Setup Auto configuration table AUTO CFG Assign resources to devices INIT FDC 1 Initialize floppy controller 2 S...

Page 171: ... adapter ROMs 6 Assign IRQs to PCI devices 7 Initialize APM 8 Clear noise of IRQs INIT ROM Initialize device option ROMs NUM LOCK 1 Program daylight saving 2 Update keyboard LED typematic rate UPDT DMI 1 Build MP table 2 Build update ESCD 3 Set CMOS century to 20h or 19h 4 Load CMOS time into DOS timer tick 5 Build MSIRQ routing table INT 19H Boot attempt INT 19h Debug code table Manufacturer ASUS...

Page 172: ...A 4 Appendix Debug code table ...

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