Asus P8C WS User Manual Download Page 1

Page: 1 / 140

Motherboard

P8C WS

Summary of Contents for P8C WS

Page 2: ...spective companies and are used only for identification or explanation and to the owners benefit without intent to infringe Offer to Provide Source Code of Certain Software This product contains copyrighted software that is licensed under the General Public License GPL under the Lesser General Public License Version LGPL and or other Free Open Source Software Licenses Such software in this product...

Page 3: ...y 2 5 2 2 4 Expansion slots 2 7 2 2 5 Onboard buttons and switches 2 9 2 2 6 Onboard LEDs 2 12 2 2 7 Jumper 2 15 2 2 8 Internal connectors 2 17 2 3 Building your computer system 2 28 2 3 1 Additional tools and components to build a PC system 2 28 2 3 2 CPU installation 2 29 2 3 3 CPU heatsink and fan assembly installation 2 31 2 3 4 DIMM installation 2 33 2 3 5 Motherboard installation 2 34 2 3 6 ...

Page 4: ...tion 3 21 3 5 7 Onboard Devices Configuration 3 22 3 5 8 APM 3 24 3 5 9 Network Stack 3 25 3 6 Monitor menu 3 26 3 7 Boot menu 3 29 3 8 Tools menu 3 31 3 8 1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 Utility 3 31 3 8 2 ASUS O C Profile 3 31 3 8 3 ASUS SPD Information 3 32 3 9 Exit menu 3 33 3 10 Updating BIOS 3 34 3 10 1 ASUS Update utility 3 34 3 10 2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility 3 37 3 10 3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility 3 38 ...

Page 5: ...lity 4 13 4 6 Creating a RAID driver disk 4 27 4 6 1 Creating a RAID driver disk without entering the OS 4 27 4 6 2 Creating a RAID driver disk in Windows 4 27 4 6 3 Installing the RAID driver during Windows OS installation 4 28 4 6 4 Using a USB floppy disk drive 4 29 Chapter 5 Multiple GPU technology support 5 1 AMD CrossFireX technology 5 1 5 1 1 Requirements 5 1 5 1 2 Before you begin 5 1 5 1 ...

Page 6: ...nt from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help Canadian Department of Communications Statement This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications This class B digital apparatus complies ...

Page 7: ...your area If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you are using contact your local power company If the power supply is broken do not try to fix it by yourself Contact a qualified service technician or your retailer Operation safety Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it carefully read all the manuals that came with the package Before using the product en...

Page 8: ...up menus Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided Chapter 4 Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package and the software Chapter 5 Multiple GPU technology support This chapter describes how to install and configure multiple ATI CrossFireX and NVIDIA SLI graphics cards Where to find more information Refer to t...

Page 9: ... must press the enclosed key Example Enter means that you must press the Enter or Return key Key1 Key2 Key3 If you must press two or more keys simultaneously the key names are linked with a plus sign Example Ctrl Alt Del DANGER WARNING Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying to complete a task CAUTION Information to prevent damage to the components when trying to complete a task IMPO...

Page 10: ...A 6 0 Gb s ports gray 4 x SATA 3 0 Gb s ports blue Intel Rapid Storage Technology supports RAID 0 1 5 and 10 Supports on Intel Smart Response Technology Intel Rapid Start Technology Intel Smart ConnectTechnology Supports on Intel Core processor family with Windows 7 operating systems LAN 2 Intel 82574L GbE LAN Support teaming function USB Intel C216 Chipset 4 x USB 3 0 ports 2 ports at mid board 2...

Page 11: ...x Lan Connector 1 x DVI I port 6 x Audio jacks Internal I O connectors 1 x USB 3 0 2 0 connector supports additional 2 USB ports 19 pin 1 x USB 2 0 1 1 connectors support additional 4 USB ports 2 x USB 2 0 1 1 vertical ports 24 pin ATX Power connector 8 pin ATX 12V Power connector CPU Fan with PWM control Chassis fan1 with Q fan control Chassis fan2 with Q fan control Chassis fan3 with Q fan contr...

Page 12: ...xii ...

Page 13: ...low 1 2 Package contents Check your motherboard package for the following items If any of the above items is damaged or missing contact your retailer The illustrated items above are for reference only Actual product specifications may vary with different models Chapter 1 Product introduction Chapter 1 UserManual ASUS P8C WS motherboard User manual Support DVD 2 x Serial ATA 6 0 Gb s cables 4 x Ser...

Page 14: ...e serial point to point links which increases bandwidth and enhances the system s performance It comes with two SATA 6Gb s and four SATA 3Gb s ports for faster data retrieval doubling the bandwidth of the current bus systems It also enables the iGPU function for the latest Intel integrated graphics performance PCI Express 3 0 PCI Express 3 0 PCIe 3 0 is the latest PCI Express bus standard that pro...

Page 15: ...atures Dual Intel LAN This motherboard features the built in dual server class Intel Gigabit LAN ports which help reduce CPU usage thus increasing throughput to achieve highly reliable network connections outstanding performance and better support for diverse operating systems Multi CPU and Memory support This motherboard offers you with flexible options on CPU and memory support to meet diverse c...

Page 16: ...ower Design This motherboard s 8 phase VRM power design unleashes the Intel Ivy Bridge processor s potential delivering high power efficiency supreme overclocking ability and effectively lowers the system s temperature to extend the components lifespan This motherboard also features an extra 2 phase power area for the integrated memory controller MemOK MemOK the remarkable memory rescue tool allow...

Page 17: ...ility convenience and easy to navigate EFI BIOS than the traditional BIOS versions It offers you with dual selectable modes and native support for hard drives larger than 2 2 TB ASUS UEFI BIOS includes the following new features F12 BIOS snapshot hotkey F3 Shortcut for most accessed information ASUS DRAM SPD Serial Presence Detect information detecting faulty DIMMs and helping with difficult POST ...

Page 18: ...eed digital interface for audio video devices such as digital television digital video camcorders storage peripherals and other portable devices S PDIF out on Back I O Port This motherboard provides the coaxial and optical S PDIF out ports for convenient connectivity to external home theater audio systems and for high quality digital audio experience ASUS Crystal Sound 8 Channel Audio Codec The on...

Page 19: ...ct 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 ...

Page 20: ...dware information Chapter 2 Refer to 2 2 8 Internal connectors and 2 3 10 Rear panel connection for more information about rear panel connectors and internal connectors 2 2 Motherboard overview 2 2 1 Motherboard layout ...

Page 21: ... C216 Serial ATA 3 0 Gb s connectors 7 pin SATA3G_3 6 blue 2 18 9 Standby Power LED 2 13 10 System panel connector 20 8 pin PANEL 2 27 11 Clear RTC RAM 3 pin CLRTC 2 15 12 USB 2 0 connectors Type A 10 1 pin USB1314 Type B USB11 USB12 2 19 13 Parallel port connector 26 1 pin LPT1 2 20 14 TPM connector 20 1 pin TPM 2 24 15 Serial port connector 10 1 pin COM1 2 23 16 Digital audio connector 4 1 pin S...

Page 22: ...ediately if the PnP cap is missing or if you see any damage to the PnP cap socket contacts motherboard components ASUS will shoulder the cost of repair only 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 LGA1155 socket The product warranty does ...

Page 23: ...nfigurations 2 2 3 System memory The motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 3 DDR3 Dual Inline Memory Modules DIMM slots A DDR3 module is notched differently from a DDR or DDR2 module DO NOT install a DDR or DDR2 memory module to the DDR3 slot ...

Page 24: ... 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 motherboard For more details refer to the Microsoft support site at http s...

Page 25: ...ng expansion cards Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components Slot No Slot Description 1 PCIe 3 0 x16_1 slot single at x16 or dual at x8 x8 mode 2 PCIe 3 0 x16_2 slot x8 mode 3 PCIe 2 0 x1_1 slot 4 PCIe 2 0 x16_3 slot x4 mode 5 PCI1 slot 6 PCIe 2 0 x16_4 slot x4 mode ...

Page 26: ...er 2 shared USB 2 0 Controller 1 shared USB 2 0 Controller 2 shared HD Audio shared IRQ Priority Standard function 0 1 System Timer 1 2 Keyboard Controller 2 Programmable Interrupt 4 12 Communications Port COM1 5 13 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering 6 14 Reserved 7 15 Reserved 8 3 System CMOS Real Time Clock 9 4 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering 10 5 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering 11 6 IRQ Holder for PCI Steerin...

Page 27: ...g and gaming performance when working on a bare or open case system 1 EPU switch Turning this switch to Enable will automatically detect the current PC loadings and intelligently moderate the power consumption For ensuring the system performance turn the switch setting to Enable when the system is powered off ...

Page 28: ...tch to Enable will automatically optimize the system for fast yet stable GPU speed For ensuring the system performance turn the switch setting to Enable when the system is powered off The GPU Boost Switch functions only when you install the DESKTOP CPU that supports onboard graphics ...

Page 29: ...et of failsafe settings The blinking speed of the DRAM_LED increases indicating different test processes Due to memory tuning requirement the system automatically reboots when each timing set is tested If the installed DIMMs still fail to boot after the whole tuning process the DRAM_LED lights continuously Replace the DIMMs with ones recommended in the Memory QVL Qualified Vendors Lists in this us...

Page 30: ... indicate the status of these key components during POST Power on Self Test CPU memory modules VGA card and hard disk drive If an error is found the critical component s LED stays lit up until the problem is solved 2 GPU Boost LED The GPU Boost LED lights up when the GPU Boost switch is turned to Enable ...

Page 31: ...otherboard comes with a standby power LED that lights up to indicate that the system is ON in sleep mode or in soft off mode This is a reminder that you should shut down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard component The illustration below shows the location of the onboard LED ...

Page 32: ...ormation Chapter 2 5 DRAM LED The DRAM_LED lights up when the installed DIMMs incompatible with the motherboard or improperly installed When using the MemOK switch for automatic memory compatibility tuning the DRAM_LED will blink ...

Page 33: ...Hold down the Del key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to re enter data Except when clearing the RTC RAM never remove the cap on CLRTC jumper default position Removing the cap will cause system boot failure If the steps above do not help remove the onboard battery and move the jumper again to clear the CMOS RTC RAM data After the CMOS clearance reinstall the battery You do not need to ...

Page 34: ...N_SEL jumper is for the front fans and rear fans control Set to pins 1 2 when using 3 pin fans or pins 2 3 when using 4 pin fans If you use a 4 pin fan but set the jumper to pin 1 2 the fan you installed may not work If you use a 3 pin fan but set the jumper for a 4 pin fan the fan control will not work and the fan you installed will always run at full speed ...

Page 35: ...tors set the SATA Mode item in the BIOS to RAID Mode Refer to section 3 5 4 SATA Configuration for details Before creating a RAID set refer to section 4 5 RAID configurations or the manual bundled in the motherboard support DVD When using NCQ set the SATA Mode in the BIOS to AHCI Mode Refer to section 3 5 4 SATA Configuration for details You must install Windows XP Service Pack 3 or later versions...

Page 36: ... to IDE Mode by default If you intend to create a Serial ATA RAID set using these connectors set the SATA Mode item in the BIOS to RAID Mode Refer to section 3 5 4 SATA Configuration for details Before creating a RAID set refer to section 4 5 RAID configurations or the manual bundled in the motherboard support DVD When using hot plug and NCQ set the SATA Mode in the BIOS to AHCI Mode Refer to sect...

Page 37: ... Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors Doing so will damage the motherboard 3 USB 2 0 connectors Type A 10 1 pin USB1314 Type B USB11 USB12 These connectors are for USB 2 0 ports Connect 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...

Page 38: ...em chassis with this USB 3 0 connector you can have a front panel USB 3 0 solution You can connect the ASUS front panel USB 3 0 box to this connector to obtain the front panel USB 3 0 solution Due to Intel limitations the USB3_12 only supports Windows 7 operating system 5 Parallel port connector 26 1 pin LPT1 This connector is for a parallel port Connect the parallel port module cable to this conn...

Page 39: ...hassis Never connect a USB cable to the IEEE 1394a connector Doing so will damage the motherboard The IEEE 1394a module is purchased separately 7 Digital audio connector 4 1 pin SPDIF_OUT This connector is for an additional Sony Philips Digital Interface S PDIF port Connect the S PDIF Out module cable to this connector then install the module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis The...

Page 40: ...connector The CPU_FAN connector supports the CPU fan of maximum 2A 24 W fan power If you install two VGA cards we recommend that you plug the rear chassis fan cable to the motherboard connector labeled CHA_FAN1 CHA_FAN2 CHA_FAN3 for better thermal environment Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors Insufficient air flow inside the system may damage the motherboard components ...

Page 41: ...l of the motherboard 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 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 10 Serial port connector 10 1 pin COM1 This connector is for a serial C...

Page 42: ...s digital certificates passwords and data A TPM system also helps enhance network security protects digital identities and ensures platform integrity This connector can also serve for G P Diagnosis card installtion G P Diagnosis card layout LED 0 and 1 Card connector Power Switch Press to turn ON or OFF the motherboard Reset Button Press to restart the motherboard ...

Page 43: ... S4 97 Initiate VGA BIOS 05 S5 9A 9D USB initiation 10 Resume from S1 A2 Detect IDE 30 Resume from S3 B2 Initiate option ROM 40 Resume from S4 1 Locate the TPM connector 20 1 pin TPM on the motherboard 2 With the LEDs of the diagnosis card facing to the PCIe slots align the card connector with the TPM connector and press firmly until the card sits on the connector completely Ensure to turn off the...

Page 44: ...des a minimum power of 350 W Do not forget to connect the 8 pin EATX12 V power plug otherwise the system will not boot Use of a PSU with a higher power output is recommended when configuring a system with more power consuming devices The system may become unstable or may not boot up if the power is inadequate If you are uncertain about the minimum power supply requirement for your system refer to ...

Page 45: ...ing speaker 4 pin SPEAKER This 4 pin connector is for the chassis mounted system warning speaker The speaker allows you to hear system beeps and warnings ATX power button soft off button 2 pin PWRSW This connector is for the system power button Pressing the power button turns the system on or puts the system in sleep or soft off mode depending on the BIOS settings Pressing the power switch for mor...

Page 46: ...ts to build a PC system 1 bag of screws Philips cross screwdriver PC chassis Power supply unit Intel LGA 1155 CPU Intel LGA 1155 compatible CPU Fan DIMM SATA hard disk drive SATA optical disc drive optional Graphics card optional The tools and components in the table above are not included in the motherboard package ...

Page 47: ...ASUS P8C WS 2 29 Chapter 2 A B 1 2 3 2 3 2 CPU installation ...

Page 48: ...2 30 Chapter 2 Hardware information Chapter 2 C B A 5 6 4 ...

Page 49: ... 2 3 3 CPU heatsink and fan assembly installation Apply the Thermal Interface Material to the CPU heatsink and CPU before you install the heatsink and fan if necessary To install the CPU heatsink and fan assembly 2 B B A A 1 3 4 ...

Page 50: ...2 32 Chapter 2 Hardware information Chapter 2 To uninstall the CPU heatsink and fan assembly 2 A B B A 1 ...

Page 51: ...ASUS P8C WS 2 33 Chapter 2 1 2 3 To remove a DIMM 2 3 4 DIMM installation B A ...

Page 52: ...ter 2 Hardware information Chapter 2 2 3 5 Motherboard installation 2 1 The diagrams in this section are for reference only The motherboard layout may vary with models but the installation steps remain the same ...

Page 53: ...ASUS P8C WS 2 35 Chapter 2 DO NOT overtighten the screws Doing so can damage the motherboard 3 ...

Page 54: ...2 36 Chapter 2 Hardware information Chapter 2 2 3 6 ATX Power connection 1 OR 2 ...

Page 55: ...ASUS P8C WS 2 37 Chapter 2 2 3 7 SATA device connection OR 2 OR 1 ...

Page 56: ... 2 2 3 8 Front I O Connector IDE_LED POWER SW RESET SW IDE_LED IDE_LED PWR Reset Ground Ground 2 USB 2 0 1 USB 3 0 To install USB 3 0 Connector AAFP To install ASUS Q Connector To install USB 2 0 Connector To install front panel audio connector ...

Page 57: ...ASUS P8C WS 2 39 Chapter 2 2 3 9 Expansion Card installation To install PCIe x16 cards To install PCIe x1 cards To install PCI cards ...

Page 58: ... port 7 USB 2 0 ports 7 and 8 2 IEEE 1394a port 8 USB 2 0 ports 5 and 6 3 LAN RJ 45 port 2 9 Coaxial S PDIF Out port 4 DVI port 10 Optical S PDIF Out port 5 LAN RJ 45 port 1 11 USB 3 0 ports 3 and 4 6 USB 2 0 ports 9 and 10 12 Audio I O ports and Refer to the tables on the next page for LAN port and audio port definitions ...

Page 59: ...indications SPEED LED ACT LINK LED LAN port Activity Link LED Speed LED Status Description Status Description OFF No link OFF 10 Mbps connection ORANGE Linked ORANGE 100 Mbps connection BLINKING Data activity GREEN 1 Gbps connection Due to USB 3 0 controller limitation USB 3 0 devices can only be used under Windows OS environment and after the USB 3 0 driver installation USB 3 0 devices can only b...

Page 60: ...2 42 Chapter 2 Hardware information Chapter 2 Connect to Headphone and Mic Connect to Stereo Speakers Connect to 2 1 channel Speakers Connect to 4 1 channel Speakers ...

Page 61: ...ASUS P8C WS 2 43 Chapter 2 Connect to 5 1 channel Speakers Connect to 7 1 channel Speakers ...

Page 62: ... tests or POST While the tests are running the BIOS beeps refer to the BIOS beep codes table below or additional messages appear on the screen If you do not see anything within 30 seconds from the time you turned on the power the system may have failed a power on test Check the jumper settings and connections or call your retailer for assistance 7 At power on hold down the Delete key to enter the ...

Page 63: ...puter the system provides you with the opportunity to run this program 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 press Ctrl Alt Delete or press the reset button on the system chassis to restart the system You can also turn the system off and then turn it back on to restart the system...

Page 64: ...vice options vary depending on the devices you installed to the system The Boot Menu F8 button is available only when the boot device is installed to the system Selects the Advanced mode functions Exits the BIOS setup program without saving the changes saves the changes and resets the system or enters the Advanced Mode Selects the display language of the BIOS setup program Displays the CPU motherb...

Page 65: ... of the screen has the following main items Main For changing the basic system configuration Ai Tweaker For changing the overclocking settings Advanced For changing the advanced system settings Monitor For displaying the system temperature power status and changing the fan settings Boot For changing the system boot configuration Tool For configuring options for special functions Exit For selecting...

Page 66: ...ar 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 other items on the screen Navigation keys At the bottom right corner of the menu screen are the navigation keys for the BIOS setup program Use the navigation keys to select items in the menu and change the settings Gener...

Page 67: ... overview of the basic system information and allows you to set the system date time language and security settings 3 3 1 System Language English Allows you to choose the BIOS language version from the options Configuration options 3 3 2 System Date Day xx xx xxxx Allows you to set the system date 3 3 3 System Time xx xx xx Allows you to set the system time ...

Page 68: ...t password then press Enter 3 From the Create New Password box key in a new password then press Enter 4 Confirm the password when prompted To clear the administrator password follow the same steps as in changing an administrator password but press Enter when prompted to create confirm the password After you clear the password the Administrator Password item on top of the screen shows Not Installed...

Page 69: ...in a password then press Enter 3 Confirm the password when prompted To change a user password 1 Select the User Password item and press Enter 2 From the Enter Current Password box key in the current password then press Enter 3 From the Create New Password box key in a new password then press Enter 4 Confirm the password when prompted To clear the user password follow the same steps as in changing ...

Page 70: ...clocking related items Be cautious when changing the settings of the Ai Tweaker menu items Incorrect field values can cause the system to malfunction The configuration options for this section vary depending on the CPU and DIMM model you installed on the motherboard Scroll down to display the following items ...

Page 71: ...system to become unstable If this happens revert to the default setting iGPU Max Frequency Auto Use the and keys to adjust the value The minimum frequency vary depending on the type of CPU installed Configuration options Auto depending on CPU 3000MHz iGPU Max Frequency is available only when you install a desktop processor that supports onboard graphics to the motherboard and there is no other VGA...

Page 72: ...RAM Clock DRAM Refresh Interval Auto Configuration options Auto 3120 DRAM Clock 9999 DRAM Clock DRAM WRITE Recovery Time Auto Configuration options Auto 5 DRAM Clock 16 DRAM Clock DRAM READ to PRE Time Auto Configuration options Auto 4 DRAM Clock 15 DRAM Clock DRAM FOUR ACT WIN Time Auto Configuration options Auto 16 DRAM Clock 63 DRAM Clock DRAM WRITE to READ Delay Auto Configuration options Auto...

Page 73: ... adjust the maximum non turbo CPU ratio Use and keys to adjust the value The valid value ranges vary according to your CPU model Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology Enabled Allows you to enable or disable the Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology Disabled Disables this function Enabled The operating system dynamically adjusts the processor voltage and core frequency which may result in decreased ave...

Page 74: ...value CPU Voltage Auto Allows you to set the CPU voltage The values range from 0 005V to 0 635V with a 0 005V interval iGPU Offset Mode Sign To offset the voltage by a positive value To offset the voltage by a negative value iGPU Offset Voltage Auto This item appears only when you set the iGPU Offset Voltage to Offset Mode and allows you to set the iGPU Offset voltage The values range from 0 005V ...

Page 75: ... Auto Allows you to set the CPU PLL voltage The values range from 1 20V to 2 20V with a 0 01V interval Load Line Calibration Auto Load line is defined by Intel VRM spec and affects CPU voltage The CPU working voltage will decrease proportionally to CPU loading Higher load line calibration would get higher voltage and better overclocking performance but increase the CPU and VRM thermal Configuratio...

Page 76: ...he system to malfunction 3 5 Advanced menu The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices 3 5 1 Trusted Computing TPM SUPORT Disabled Allows you to enable or disable the TPM support Configuration options Disabled Enabled This item appears only when you install TPM module to the motherboard ...

Page 77: ...Adaptive Thermal Monitor Enabled Disabled Disables the CPU thermal monitor function Enabled Enables the overheated CPU to throttle its clock speed to cool down Active Processor Cores All Allows you to choose the number of CPU cores to activate in each processor package Configuration options All 1 2 3 Limit CPUID Maximum Disabled Disabled Disables this function Enabled Allows legacy operating syste...

Page 78: ... This item allows you to manage and configure the CPU s power CPU Ratio Auto Allows you to set the ratio between the CPU Core Clock and the BCLK Frequency Use and keys to adjust the ratio The valid value ranges vary according to your CPU model Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology Enabled Allows you to enable or disable the Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology EIST Disabled The CPU runs at its defaul...

Page 79: ...llowing items appears only when you set the Intel R Rapid Start Technology to Enabled Entry on S3 RTC Wake Enabled Allows you to enable or disable Entry on S3 RTC Wake Configuration options Enabled Disabled Entry After Immediately Enable RTC wake timer at S3 enrty Configuration options Immediately 1 minute 2 minutes 5 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes 30 minutes 1 hour 2 hours CPU C6 Report Auto Allow...

Page 80: ...Active Page Threshold Support Enabled Allows you to enable or disable Active Page Threshold Support Configuration options Enabled Disabled Active Memory Threshold 0 Try to support RST when partition size Active Page Threshold size in MB When setting to Zero it will be in AUTO mode and check if partition size is enough at S3 entry Intel R Smart Connect Technology ISCT Configuration Disabled Allows ...

Page 81: ...rmance on random workloads by allowing the drive to internally optimize the order of commands RAID Set to RAID when you want to create a RAID configuration from the SATA hard disk drives S M A R T Status Check Enabled S M A R T Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology is a monitor system When read write of your hard disk errors occur this feature allows the hard disk to report warning mes...

Page 82: ...Graphics device should be the Primary Display Configuration options Auto PCIE PCI iGPU iGPU Memory 64M Allows you to select the iGPU share memory size Configuration options 32M 64M 96M 128M 160M 192M 224M 256M 288M 320M 352M 384M 416M 448M 480M 512M 1024M Render Standby Enabled Allows you to enable or disable the Render Standby by the internal graphics device Configuration options Disabled Enabled...

Page 83: ...etect the presence of USB devices at startup If detected the USB controller legacy mode is enabled If no USB device is detected the legacy USB support is disabled Legacy USB3 0 Support Enabled Enabled Enables the support for USB 3 0 devices on legacy operating systems OS Disabled Disables the function Intel xHCI Mode Smart Auto Smart Auto Enables optimized xHCI Auto Allows the system to set the xH...

Page 84: ...he front panel audio connector AAFP mode to legacy AC 97 or high definition audio depending on the audio standard that the front panel audio module supports HD Sets the front panel audio connector AAFP mode to high definition audio AC97 Sets the front panel audio connector AAFP mode to legacy AC 97 VIA 1394 Controller Enabled Disabled Disables the controller Enabled Enables the onboard IEEE 1394a ...

Page 85: ...nabled Allows you to enable or disable the serial port COM Configuration options Enabled Disabled Change Settings IO 3F8h IRQ 4 Allows you to select the Serial Port base address This item appears when Serial Port is set to Enabled Configuration options IO 3F8h IRQ 4 IO 2F8h IRQ 3 IO 3E8h IRQ 4 IO 2E8h IRQ 3 Parallel Port Configuration The sub items in this menu allow you to set the parallel port c...

Page 86: ...her off or on state whatever the system state was before the AC power loss Power On By PS 2 Keyboard Disabled Disabled Disables the Power On by a PS 2 keyboard Space Bar Sets the Space Bar on the PS 2 keyboard to turn on the system Ctrl Esc Sets the Ctrl Esc key on the PS 2 keyboard to turn on the system Power Key Sets Power key on the PS 2 keyboard to turn on the system This feature requires an A...

Page 87: ...pv6 PXE Support Configuration options Disable Link Enabled Power On By PCI Disabled Disabled Disables the PCI devices to generate a wake event Enabled Enables the PCI devices to generate a wake event Power On By PCIE Disabled Disabled Disables the PCIE devices to generate a wake event Enabled Enables the PCIE devices to generate a wake event Power On By Ring Disabled Disabled Disables Ring to gene...

Page 88: ...d displays the CPU and motherboard temperatures Select Ignore if you do not wish to display the detected temperatures CPU Fan Speed xxxx RPM or Ignore N A Chassis Fan 1 2 3 Speed xxxx RPM or Ignore N A Power Fan Speed xxxx RPM or Ignore N A The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU chassis and power fan speed in rotations per minute RPM If the fan is not connected to ...

Page 89: ...imum CPU fan speed Manual Sets to Manual to assign detailed fan speed control parameters The following four items appear only when you set CPU Fan Profile to Manual CPU Upper Temperature 70 Use the and keys to adjust the upper limit of the CPU temperature The values range from 20ºC to 75ºC CPU Fan Max Duty Cycle 100 Use the and keys to adjust the maximum CPU fan duty cycle The values range from 20...

Page 90: ...Fan Profile to Manual Chassis Upper Temperature 70 Use the and keys to adjust the upper limit of the CPU temperature The values range from 40ºC to 90ºC Chassis Fan Max Duty Cycle 100 Use the and keys to adjust the maximum chassis fan duty cycle The values range from 60 to 100 When the chassis temperature reaches the upper limit the chassis fan will operate at the maximum duty cycle Chassis Lower T...

Page 91: ...te of the NumLock to On Off Sets the power on state of the NumLock to Off Full Screen Logo Enabled Disabled Disables the full screen logo display feature Enabled Enables the full screen logo display feature Set this item to Enabled to use the ASUS MyLogo 2 feature Wait For F1 If Error Enabled Disabled Disables this function Enabled The system waits for the F1 key to be pressed when error occurs ...

Page 92: ...d Legacy boot Disable UEFI Enables the Legacy boot and disables the UEFI boot Disable Legacy Enables the UEFI booth and disables the Legacy boot PCI ROM Priority Legacy ROM Legacy ROM Launch Legacy ROM EFI Compatibe ROM Launch UEFI Compatible ROM Boot Option Priorities These items specify the boot device priority sequence from the available devices The number of device items that appears on the sc...

Page 93: ...lows 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 10 2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility 3 8 2 ASUS O C Profile This item allows you to store or load multiple BIOS settings The Setup Profile Status items show Not Installed if no profile is cre...

Page 94: ...to input the label of the setup profiles Save to Profile Allows you to save the current BIOS settings to the BIOS Flash and create a profile Key in a profile number from one to eight press Enter and then select Yes Load from Profile Allows you to load the previous BIOS settings saved in the BIOS Flash Key in the profile number that saved your BIOS settings press Enter and then select Yes 3 8 3 ASU...

Page 95: ...om the Exit menu to ensure the values you selected are saved When you select this option or if you press F10 a confirmation window appears Select Yes to save changes and exit Discard Changes Exit This option allows you to exit the Setup program without saving your changes When you select this option or if you press Esc a confirmation window appears Select Yes to discard changes and exit ASUS EZ Mo...

Page 96: ...OS environment using the motherboard support DVD and a USB flash disk drive Refer to the corresponding sections for details on these utilities Save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS file to a USB flash disk in case you need to restore the BIOS in the future Copy the original motherboard BIOS using the ASUS Update or BIOS Updater utilities 3 10 1 ASUS Update utility The ASUS Update is a utili...

Page 97: ...n the screen 4 You can decide whether to change the BIOS boot logo which is the image appearing on screen during the Power On Self Tests POST Click Yes if you want to change the boot logo or No to continue 5 Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the update process 3 Select the BIOS version that you want to download Click Next To update the BIOS through the Internet 1 From the ASUS Update sc...

Page 98: ...ed software configuration Updating the BIOS through a BIOS file 2 Locate the BIOS file from the Open window click Open and click Next 3 You can decide whether to change the BIOS boot logo Click Yes if you want to change the boot logo or No to continue 4 Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the update process To update the BIOS through a BIOS file 1 From the ASUS Update screen select Update...

Page 99: ...EZ Flash Utility and press Enter to enable it 3 Press Tab to switch to the Drive field 4 Press the Up Down arrow keys to find the USB flash disk that contains the latest BIOS and then press Enter 5 Press Tab to switch to the Folder Info field 6 Press the Up Down arrow keys to find the BIOS file and then press Enter to perform the BIOS update process Reboot the system when the update process is don...

Page 100: ...tical 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 enters ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility automatically 4 The system requires you to enter BIOS Setup to recover BIOS setting To ensure system compatibility and stability we recommend that you press F5 to load default BIOS ...

Page 101: ... current BIOS file that you can use as a backup when the BIOS fails or gets corrupted during the updating process The succeeding utility screens are for reference only The actual utility screen displays may not be same as shown Before updating BIOS 1 Prepare the motherboard support DVD and a USB flash drive in FAT32 16 format and single partition 2 Download the latest BIOS file and BIOS Updater fr...

Page 102: ...e Press any key to continue D bupdater oOLDBIOS1 rom Filename Extension Backing up the current BIOS To backup the current BIOS file using the BIOS Updater Ensure that the USB flash drive is not write protected and has enough free space to save the file 1 At the FreeDOS prompt type bupdater o filename and press Enter The filename is any user assigned filename with no more than eight alphanumeric ch...

Page 103: ...updating the BIOS file if you have disconnected them Updating the BIOS file To update the BIOS file using BIOS Updater 1 At the FreeDOS prompt type bupdater i xxxxx rom and press Enter ASUSTek BIOS Updater for DOS V1 30 2012 12 22 Current ROM Update ROM A Note Enter Select or Load Tab Switch V Drive Info Up Down Home End Move B Backup Esc Exit P8CWSID CAP 2097152 2012 03 15 17 30 48 PATH A BOARD P...

Page 104: ...3 42 Chapter 3 BIOS setup Chapter 3 ...

Page 105: ...oard 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 that you install the Windows XP Service Pack 3 or later versions before installing the drivers for better compatibility and system stability The contents of the support DVD are subject to change at any time without notice Visit...

Page 106: ... Reader from the Utilities menu before opening the files The screenshots in this section are for reference only The actual software manuals containing in the support DVD vary by models 1 Click the Manual tab Click ASUS Motherboard Utility Guide from the manual list on the left 2 The Manual folder of the support DVD appears Double click the folder of your selected software 3 Some software manuals a...

Page 107: ...hat integrates several ASUS utilities and allows you to launch and operate these utilities simultaneously To install AI Suite II on your computer 1 Place the support DVD to the optical drive The Drivers installation tab appears if your computer has enabled the Autorun feature 2 Click Utilities tab AI Suite II 3 Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation Using AI Suite II AI Suit...

Page 108: ...he following message if no VGA power saving engine is detected Advanced settings for each mode Multiple system operating modes The items lighting up means power saving engine is activated Displays the amount of CO2 reduced Displays the current CPU power 4 3 1 EPU EPU is an energy processing utility that provides several power saving modes When set to the Auto Mode the system automatically changes ...

Page 109: ...ool environment Launching FAN Xpert After installing AI Suite II from the motherboard support DVD launch FAN Xpert by clicking Tool Fan Xpert on the AI Suite II main menu bar Using FAN Xpert Click Fan Name to select a fan and then click Setting to select a preset mode for your selected fan Fan setting Disable disables the Fan Xpert function Standard adjusts fan speed in a moderate pattern Silent m...

Page 110: ...ed that your computer is always at a healthy operating condition Launching Probe II To launch Probe II click Tool Probe II on the AI Suite II main menu bar Configuring Probe II Click the Voltage Temperature Fan Speed tabs to activate the sensors or to adjust the sensor threshold values The Preference tab allows you to customize the time interval of sensor alerts or change the temperature unit Clic...

Page 111: ... launch Sensor Recorder click Tool Sensor Recorder on the AI Suite II main menu bar Using Sensor Recorder Click on Voltage Temperature Fan Speed tabs for the status you want to monitor Colored lines will automatically appear on the diagram to indicate the immediate changes in the system status Using History Record 1 Click the History Record tab and adjust the settings on the left for Record Interv...

Page 112: ...ate BIOS from Internet Allows you to download the latest BIOS version from the ASUS website at www asus com and follow the onscreen instructions to update the BIOS Download BIOS from Internet Download the latest BIOS version from the ASUS website at www asus com and save it for later use Update BIOS from file Use the BIOS file that you had downloaded and saved to update the system BIOS Updating th...

Page 113: ... Update MyLogo on the AI Suite II main menu bar Select the option that you want to use to update your boot logo click Next and follow the instructions below Change the boot logo of a downloaded BIOS file and update or do not update this BIOS to the motherboard 1 From the BIOS file field click Browse to locate the BIOS file 2 From the Picture File field click Browse the image for your boot logo the...

Page 114: ...e 5 Click Flash to update the boot logo 6 When prompted click Yes to reboot the system You will see the new boot logo the next time you start up the system 3 Do any of the following Click Auto Tune to adjust the image size or the image resolution Click Booting Preview to preview the boot image 4 Click Next ...

Page 115: ...imize button B Realtek HD Audio Manager for Windows XP Refer to the software manual in the support DVD or visit the ASUS website at www asus com for detailed software configuration Due to Intel Z77 platform does not support Windows Vista Realtek HD Audio driver is only supported by Windows 7 Windows XP To play Blu Ray disc make sure to use an HDCP compliant monitor Analog and digital connector sta...

Page 116: ... data access and storage Use of two new identical hard disk drives is required for this setup RAID 1 Data mirroring copies and maintains an identical image of data from one drive to a second drive If one drive fails the disk array management software directs all applications to the surviving drive as it contains a complete copy of the data in the other drive This RAID configuration provides data p...

Page 117: ...fer to Chapter 3 for details on entering and navigating through the BIOS Setup Due to chipset limitation when set any of SATA ports to RAID mode all SATA ports run at RAID mode together 4 5 4 Intel Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM utility To enter the Intel Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM utility 1 Turn on the system 2 During POST press Ctrl I to display the utility main menu Intel R Rapid ...

Page 118: ...us and select the menu options The RAID BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for reference only and may not exactly match the items on your screen Intel R Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM v10 5 1 1070 Copyright C 2003 10 Intel Corporation All Rights Reserved CREATE VOLUME MENU HELP Enter a unique volume name that has no special characters and is 16 characters or less Change TAB Next ESC...

Page 119: ... 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 WARNING ALL DATA ON SELECTED DISKS WILL BE LOST Are you sure you want to create this volume Y N 9 Press Y to create the RAID volume and return to the main menu or N to go back to the CREATE VOLUME menu 7 When the Capacity item is ...

Page 120: ... set you want to delete and then press Del The following warning message appears 3 Press Y to delete the RAID set and return to the utility main menu or press N to return to the DELETE VOLUME menu Intel R Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM v10 5 1 1070 Copyright C 2003 10 Intel Corporation All Rights Reserved DELETE VOLUME MENU HELP Deleting a volume will reset the disks to non RAID WARNING ALL D...

Page 121: ...Refer to section 3 5 3 SATA Configuration for details Installing Intel Smart Response Technology Place the support DVD to the optical drive The Drivers installation tab appears if your computer has enabled the Autorun feature Click the Drivers tab then click Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver software Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation Using the Intel Smart Response T...

Page 122: ...echnology Intel Rapid Start Technology allows you to quickly resume your computer from sleeping mode Saving your computer s system memory to the configured SSD provides a faster wake up response time but keeps the energy in a low profile Before applying Intel Rapid Start Technology go to Advanced Mode Advanced PCH Configuration in BIOS item and enable Intel Rapid Start Technology Ensure to follow ...

Page 123: ...n the required partition size and must be equal to the system DRAM memory 1GB 1024MB Click Shrink Go to Start Control Panel System and Security System and check the DRAM size information The unallocated volume is allocated to the selected disk 3 4 5 If your SSD is smaller than 64GB and is set to Full disk capacity caching option for Intel Smart Response you can not see any volume in the Disk Manag...

Page 124: ...tition primary and press Enter After creating a primary partition type detail disk and press Enter to view the details of the partitioned disk Select the RAW volume which has the same size as the shrinked volume type select volume x x number and press Enter to store the Intel Rapid Start partition 6 7 8 9 10 11 The value x refers to a disk number where you want to create the store partition The va...

Page 125: ... and disabling the Intel Rapid Start Technology under the OS Install the Intel Rapid Start Technology first from your support DVD in order to launch the Intel Rapid Start Manager After creating the partition launch the Intel Rapid Start Manager to enable or disable the Intel Rapid Start Technology Click the Show hidden icons arrow from the right side of the task bar and click Intel Rapid Start Tec...

Page 126: ...covery type select disk x x number and press Enter 1 2 3 4 The value x refers to a disk number where you want to delete the store partition Tick On in the Status field to enable the function and click Save 2 Click to enable or disable battery saving mode This function only applies to notebooks Select and click to enable or disable the function Click to enable or disable the timer When enabled move...

Page 127: ...artition override and press Enter The diskpart utility deletes the selected partition In the desktop click Start right click Computer and click Manage In the Computer Management window click Disk Management right click the shrinked new volume and select Extend Volume As the Extend Volume Wizard appears click Next 5 6 7 8 9 The value x refers to a disk number where you want to delete the store part...

Page 128: ... activated the Intel Smart Connect Technology periodically wakes up the system from sleeping mode performs user state gathering and initiates re entry to sleeping mode to wake up after a set time interval Intel Smart Connect Technology supports Windows Live Mail Microsoft Outlook and Seesmic applications It is necessary to enable the items of the PCH Configuration in the BIOS before applying the I...

Page 129: ... internet is in connection when enabling the Intel Smart Connect Technology 5 6 7 Click Start All Programs Intel Intel Smart Connect Technology In the Basic tab click Enable Updating When enabled the Advanced tab is available for advanced function settings 1 2 Click to enable or disable the function When the scroll bar is activated adjust the waking up time period for Internet data update Click to...

Page 130: ...the Advanced tab To reset to defaults click Reset All to Defaults In the Advanced tab set up the schedule during low power usage time period for power saving This setting only applies to the assigned time period In the Help tab click About to view the feature s version Click Topics to learn more about the Intel Smart Connect Technology and its configuration 3 4 5 ...

Page 131: ...he BIOS setup utility 3 Set the optical drive as the primary boot device 4 Insert the support DVD into the optical drive 5 Save changes and exit BIOS 6 When the Make Disk menu appears press 1 to create a RAID driver disk 7 Insert a formatted floppy disk into the USB floppy disk drive then press Enter 8 Follow the succeeding screen instructions to complete the process 4 6 2 Creating a RAID driver d...

Page 132: ...ons to complete the installation To install the RAID driver for Windows Vista or later OS 1 During the OS installation click Load Driver to allow you to select the installation media containing the RAID driver 2 Insert the USB flash drive with RAID driver into the USB port or the support DVD into the optical drive and then click Browse 3 Click the name of the device you ve inserted go to Drivers R...

Page 133: ... and insert the floppy disk containing the RAID driver 2 Right click My Computer on the Windows desktop or start menu and then select Manage from the pop up window 3 Select Device Manager From the Universal Serial Bus controllers right click xxxxxx USB Floppy and then select Properties from the pop up window The name of the USB floppy disk drive varies with different vendors or 4 Click Details tab...

Page 134: ...f the two sections id USB VID_xxxx PID_xxxx usbstor 10 Save and exit the file Add the same line to both sections The VID and PID vary with different vendors 7 Use Notepad to open the file HardwareIds scsi iaAHCI_DesktopWorkstationServer id PCI VEN_8086 DEV_1C02 CC_0106 iaStor id USB VID_03EE PID_6901 usbstor HardwareIds scsi iaStor_DesktopWorkstationServer id PCI VEN_8086 DEV_2822 CC_0104 iaStor i...

Page 135: ...mum power required by your system See Chapter 2 for details 5 1 2 Before you begin For AMD CrossFireX to work properly you have to uninstall all existing graphics card drivers before installing AMD 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 go to Con...

Page 136: ...two 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 If your motherboard has more than two PCIEX16 slots refer to Chapter 2 in this user manual for the locations of th...

Page 137: ... After installing your graphics cards and the device drivers enable the CrossFireX feature through the AMD Catalyst Control Center in Windows environment Launching the AMD VISION Engine Control Center To launch the AMD VISION Engine Control Center 1 Right click on the Windows desktop and select AMD VISION Engine Control Center You can also right click the AMD icon in the Windows notificAMDon area ...

Page 138: ...5 4 Chapter 5 Multiple GPU technology support Chapter 5 ...

Page 139: ...mont CA 94539 USA Telephone 1 812 282 3777 Fax 1 510 608 4555 Web site usa asus com Technical Support Telephone 1 812 282 2787 Support fax 1 812 284 0883 Online support support asus com ASUS COMPUTER GmbH Germany and Austria Address Harkort Str 21 23 D 40880 Ratingen Germany Fax 49 2102 959911 Web site www asus de Online contact www asus de sales Technical Support Telephone 49 1805 010923 Support ...

Page 140: ... EN 301 357 2 V1 3 1 2006 05 EN 302 623 V1 1 1 2009 01 2006 95 EC LVD Directive EN 60950 1 A11 2009 EN 60950 1 A12 2011 EN 60065 2002 A1 2006 A11 2008 EN 60065 2002 A12 2011 2009 125 EC ErP Directive Regulation EC No 1275 2008 EN 62301 2005 Regulation EC No 642 2009 EN 62301 2005 Regulation EC No 278 2009 EN 62301 2005 Ver 111121 CE marking Declaration Date Mar 23 2012 Year to begin affixing CE ma...

Search results

Summary of Contents for P8C WS

Reviews:

Related manuals for P8C WS

Brands by name

Popular brands

Asus P8C WS, User Manual

Search results

Summary of Contents for P8C WS

Reviews:

Related manuals for P8C WS

Brands by name

Popular brands