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Motherboard

M2N68 SE

Summary of Contents for M2N68 SE

Page 1: ...Motherboard M2N68 SE ...

Page 2: ...ICULAR PURPOSE IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS ITS DIRECTORS OFFICERS EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT SPECIAL INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS LOSS OF BUSINESS LOSS OF USE OR DATA INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT SPECIFICATI...

Page 3: ...oles 1 5 1 5 3 Motherboard layout 1 6 1 5 4 Layout contents 1 7 1 6 Central Processing Unit CPU 1 7 1 6 1 Installing the CPU 1 7 1 6 2 Installing the heatsink and fan 1 9 1 7 System memory 1 10 1 7 1 Overview 1 10 1 7 2 Memory configurations 1 11 1 7 3 Installing a DIMM 1 15 1 7 4 Removing a DIMM 1 15 1 8 Expansion slots 1 16 1 8 1 Installing an expansion card 1 16 1 8 2 Configuring an expansion c...

Page 4: ...ogram 2 7 2 2 1 BIOS menu screen 2 8 2 2 2 Menu bar 2 8 2 2 3 Navigation keys 2 9 2 2 4 Menu items 2 9 2 2 5 Sub menu items 2 9 2 2 6 Configuration fields 2 9 2 2 7 General help 2 9 2 2 8 Pop up window 2 9 2 2 9 Scroll bar 2 9 2 3 Main menu 2 10 2 3 1 System Time 2 10 2 3 2 System Date 2 10 2 3 3 Legacy Diskette A 2 10 2 3 4 Storage Configuration 2 10 2 3 5 Primary IDE Master Slave 2 11 2 3 6 SATA...

Page 5: ... ACPI Version Features 2 18 2 5 3 ACPI APIC Support 2 18 2 5 4 APM Configuration 2 18 2 5 5 Hardware Monitor 2 19 2 6 Boot menu 2 20 2 6 1 Boot Device Priority 2 20 2 6 2 Boot Settings Configuration 2 20 2 6 3 Security 2 21 2 7 Tools menu 2 22 2 7 1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 2 22 2 8 Exit menu 2 23 ...

Page 6: ...na Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations Changes or modifications to this unit...

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

Page 8: ...and software products Refer to the ASUS contact information 2 Optional documentation Your product package may include optional documentation such as warranty flyers that may have been added by your dealer These documents are not part of the standard package Typography Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select Italics Used to emphasize a word or a phrase Key Keys enclosed in the less than and...

Page 9: ...a maximum of 3GB system memory if you are using a Windows 32 bit operation system Expansion slots 1 x PCI Express x16 slot 2 x PCI Express x1 slots 4 x PCI 2 2 slots Storage 1 x UltraDMA 133 100 66 33 connector 4 x Serial ATA 3Gb s connectors Nvidia MediaShield RAID supports RAID 0 RAID 1 RAID 0 1 RAID 5 and JBOD configuration ATAPI support AHCI mode Audio ALC662 High Definition Audio 6 channel CO...

Page 10: ...anel audio connector 4 x SATA connectors 1 x system panel connector 1 x CD audio in connector 1 x S PDIF Out connector 1x CPU Fan connector 24 pin ATX power connector 4 pin ATX 12V power connector BIOS 8Mb Flash ROM AMI BIOS PnP DMI2 0 WfM2 0 ACPI2 0a SM BIOS 2 5 Accessories 1 x Serial ATA cable 1 x UltraDMA 133 100 66 33 cable 1x I O Shield User manual Form Factor ATX form factor 12 x 8 30 5cm x ...

Page 11: ...is damaged or missing contact your retailer 1 3 Special features 1 3 1 Product highlights AMD Socket AM2 Phenom FX Phenom Athlon CPU support This motherboard supports AMD Socket AM2 multi core processors with unique L3 cache and delivers better overclocking capabilities with less power consumption It features dual channel DDR2 1066 memory support and accelerates data transfer rate up to 2000MT s v...

Page 12: ...It is enhanced with an ACPI management function to provide efficient power management for advanced operating systems See page 1 18 for details Serial ATA 3Gb s technology The motherboard supports next generation SATA hard drives based on the new SATA 3Gb s storage specification High Definition Audio Enjoy high quality sound system on your PC The onboard 6 channel HD audio High Definition Audio pre...

Page 13: ... only in a few clicks without preparing an additional floppy diskette or using an OS based flash utility See page 2 3 for details ASUS Q Fan ASUS Q Fan technology intelligently adjusts CPU fan speeds according to system loading to ensure quiet cool and efficient operation Green ASUS This motherboard and its packaging comply with the European Union s Restriction on the use of Hazardous Substances R...

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

Page 15: ... with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below 1 5 2 Screw holes Place six 6 screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis Do not overtighten the screws Doing so can damage the motherboard M2N68 SE Place this side towards the rear of the chassis Chapter 1 Product introduction 1 5 ...

Page 16: ...S 8Mb BIOS SB_PWR CLRTC SPEAKER 20 3cm 8 0in Nvidia MCP68PVNT DDR2 DIMM_A1 64bit 240 pin module SOCKET AM2 DDR2 DIMM_B1 64bit 240 pin module SATA4 SATA3 SATA2 SATA1 AUDIO LPT COM LAN1_USB12 USB34 30 5cm 12 0in PRI_IDE 1 3 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1 5 3 Motherboard layout Refer to 1 10 Connectors for more information about rear panel connectors and internal connectors 1 6 ASUS M2N68 SE ...

Page 17: ...l drive audio connector 4 pin CD 1 20 13 Front panel audio connector 10 1 pin AAFP 1 22 14 AMD CPU 940 pin Socket 1 7 1 6 Central Processing Unit CPU The motherboard comes with an AM2 AM2 socket designed for AMD AM2 AM2 Phenom FX Phenom Athlon Sempron processor The AM2 AM2 socket has a different pinout from the 940 pin socket designed for the AMD Opteron processor Ensure that you use a CPU that is...

Page 18: ... to prevent bending the pins and damaging the CPU Gold triangle Small triangle 5 When the CPU is in place push down the socket lever to secure the CPU The lever clicks on the side tab to indicate that it is locked 6 Install a CPU heatsink and fan following the instructions that came with the heatsink package You can also refer to section 1 6 2 Installing heatsink and fan for instructions 7 Connect...

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

Page 20: ...PU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_FAN Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector Hardware monitoring errors can occur if you fail to plug this connector 1 7 System memory 1 7 1 Overview The motherboard comes with two Double Data Rate 2 DDR2 Dual Inline Memory Modules DIMM sockets A DDR2 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR DIMM but has a 240 pin footprint...

Page 21: ...oard can support 4 GB physical memory on the operating system listed below You may install a maximum of 2 GB DIMMs on each slot 64 bit Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Windows Vista x64 Edition M2N68 SE Motherboard Qualified Vendors Lists QVL DDR2 1066MHz capability Size Vendor Model CL Brand SS DS Component DIMM support A B 1G Kingston KHX8500D2K2 2GN N A Kingston SS Heat Sink Package 1G Corsa...

Page 22: ...eat Sink Package 512MB HY HYMP564U64AP8 S6 AA N A Hynix SS HY5PS12821AFP S6 512MB HY HYMP564U64BP8 S5 AB N A Hynix SS HY5PS12821BFP S5 512MB HY HYMP564U64CP8 S5 AB 5 Hynix SS HY5PS12821CFP S5 1G HY HYMP512U64AP8 S6 AA N A Hynix DS HY5PS12821AFP S6 1G HY HYMP512U64BP8 S5 AB 5 Hynix DS HY5PS12821BFP S5 1G HY HYMP512U64CP8 S5 AB 5 Hynix DS HY5PS12821CFPS5 512MB ADATA M20AD6G3H3160I1E58 N A ADATA SS A...

Page 23: ...E5108AE 6E E 512MB Apacer AU512E667C5KBGC 5 Apacer SS AM4B5708MIJS7E0627B 512MB Apacer AU512E667C5KBGC 5 Apacer SS AM4B5708GQJS7E06332F 512MB Apacer 78 91G92 9KC 5 Apacer SS AM4B5708GQJS7E0706F 1G Apacer AU01GE667C5KBGC N A Apacer DS AM4B5708GQJS7E0636B 1G Apacer 78 01092 420 5 Elpida DS E5108AE 6E E 1G Apacer AU01GE667C5KBGC 5 Apacer DS AM4B5708MIJS7E0627B 512MB ADATA M20EL5G3H3160B1C0Z N A Elpid...

Page 24: ...EC 512MB Corsair VS512MB533D2 N A Corsair DS MI110052532M8CEC 1G Corsair VS1GB533D2 N A Corsair DS 64M8CFEGQIB0900718 512MB Elpida EBE51UD8ABFA 5C E N A Elpida SS E5108AB 5C E 512MB Transcend 512MB DDR2 533 ECC N A Micron SS 6ND22D9GCT ECC 512MB Kingmax KLBC28F A8KB4 N A Kingmax SS KKEA88B4IAK 37 256MB Kingmax KLBB68F 36EP4 N A Elpida SS E5116AB 5C E 512MB Kingmax KLBC28F A8EB4 N A Elpida SS E5108...

Page 25: ...DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it fits in only one direction DO NOT force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the DIMM 3 Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated Locked Retaining Clip 3 1 7 4 Removing a DIMM To remove a DIMM 1 Simultaneously press the retaining clips outward to unlock the DIMM 2 Remove the DIMM from ...

Page 26: ...6 Replace the system cover 1 8 2 Configuring an expansion card After installing the expansion card configure it by adjusting the software settings 1 Turn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings if any See Chapter 2 for information on BIOS setup 2 Assign an IRQ to the card 3 Install the software drivers for the expansion card When using PCI cards on shared slots ensure that the drivers...

Page 27: ...r about 5 10 seconds then move the cap back to pins 1 2 4 Reinstall the battery 5 Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer 6 Hold down the Del key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to reenter data Except when clearing the RTC RAM never remove the cap on CLRTC jumper default position Removing the cap will cause system boot failure M2N68 SE M2N68 SE Clear RTC RAM 1 2 2 3 Normal Defaul...

Page 28: ...ayer or other audio sources 5 Line Out port lime This port connects a headphone or a speaker In 4 channel 6 channel and 8 channel configuration the function of this port becomes Front Speaker Out 6 Microphone port pink This port connects a microphone Refer to the audio configuration table on next page for the function of the audio ports in 2 4 or 6 channel configuration Audio 2 4 6 channel configu...

Page 29: ...ert one end of the cable to this connector then connect the other end to the signal connector at the back of the floppy disk drive Pin 5 on the connector is removed to prevent incorrect cable connection when using an FDD cable with a covered Pin 5 The Floppy Disk Drive singal cable is purchased separately M2N68 SE M2N68 SE Floppy disk drive connector FLOPPY NOTE Orient the red markings on the flop...

Page 30: ... 20 on the IDE connector is removed to match the covered hole on the Ultra DMA cable connector This prevents incorrect insertion when you connect the IDE cable Use the 80 conductor IDE cable for Ultra DMA 133 100 66 IDE devices If any device jumper is set as Cable Select ensure that all other device jumpers have the same setting PRI_IDE NOTE Orient the red markings on the IDE ribbon cable to PIN 1...

Page 31: ...roller SATA1 GND RSATA_RXN1 RSATA_RXP1 GND RSATA_TXN1 RSATA_TXP1 GND SATA2 GND RSATA_RXN2 RSATA_RXP2 GND RSATA_TXN2 RSATA_TXP2 GND SATA3 GND RSATA_RXN3 RSATA_RXP3 GND RSATA_TXN3 RSATA_TXP3 GND SATA4 GND RSATA_RXN4 RSATA_RXP4 GND RSATA_TXN4 RSATA_TXP4 GND M2N68 SE M2N68 SE SATA connectors Important note on Serial ATA Install the Windows XP Service Pack 1 before using Serial ATA For detailed instruc...

Page 32: ...dio connector 10 1 pin AAFP This connector is for a chassis mounted front panel audio I O module that supports either High Definition Audio or AC 97 audio standard Connect one end of the front panel audio I O module cable to this connector M2N68 SE M2N68 SE Analog front panel connector AAFP PIN 1 GND PRESENCE SENSE1_RETUR SENSE2_RETUR PORT1 L PORT1 R PORT2 R SENSE_SEND PORT1 L HD audio compliant p...

Page 33: ...ou intend to use a PSU with 20 pin and 4 pin power plugs make sure that the 20 pin power plug can provide at least 15 A on 12 V and that the PSU has a minimum power rating of 300 W The system may become unstable or may not boot up if the power is inadequate Do not forget to connect the 4 pin ATX 12 V power plug otherwise the system will not boot up We recommend that you use a PSU with higher power...

Page 34: ...tting 9 CPU fan connector 4 pin CPU_FAN The fan connector supports cooling fans of 350 mA 2000 mA 24 W max or a total of 1 A 7 A 84 W max at 12V Connect the fan cable to the fan connector on the motherboard making sure that the black wire of each cable matches the ground pin of the connector Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors Insufficient air flow inside the system may d...

Page 35: ...e activity LED 2 pin HDLED This 2 pin connector is for the HDD Activity LED Connect the HDD Activity LED cable to this connector The IDE LED lights up or flashes when data is read from or written to the HDD Power Soft off button 2 pin PWRBTN This 2 pin connector is for the system power button Pressing the power button turns the system ON or puts the system in SLEEP or SOFT OFF mode depending on th...

Page 36: ...his chapter for reference only Refer to your OS documentation for detailed information Ensure that you install Windows XP Service Pack 1 or later versions before installing the drivers for better compatibility and system stability 1 11 2 Support DVD information The Support DVD that came with the motherboard package contains the drivers software applications and utilities that you can install to av...

Page 37: ...e BIOS in the future Copy the original motherboard BIOS using the ASUS Update or AFUDOS utilities 2 1 1 ASUS Update utility The ASUS Update is a utility that allows you to manage save and update the motherboard BIOS in Windows environment The ASUS Update utility allows you to Save the current BIOS file Download the latest BIOS file from the Internet Update the BIOS from an updated BIOS file Update...

Page 38: ...SUpdate ASUSUpdate 2 Select Update BIOS from a file from the drop down menu then click Next 3 Locate the BIOS file from the Open window then click Open 4 Follow the screen instructions to complete the update process 2 1 2 Creating a bootable floppy disk 1 Do any one of the following to create a bootable floppy disk DOS environment a Insert a 1 44MB floppy disk into the drive b At the DOS prompt ty...

Page 39: ...sert the floppy disk USB flash disk that contains the BIOS file to the floppy disk drive or the USB port Press Alt F2 during POST to display the following ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility V3 06 Current ROM Update ROM A Note FLASH TYPE MXIC 25L8005 PATH A BOARD M2N68 SE VER 0306 DATE 10 17 2008 BOARD Unknown VER Unknown DATE Unknown Enter Select or Load Tab Switch V Drive Info Up Down Home End M...

Page 40: ...k 2 Boot the system in DOS mode 3 At the prompt key in afudos o filename where the filename is any user assigned filename of not more than eight alphanumeric characters for the main filename and three alphanumeric characters for the extension name Main filename Extension name A afudos oOLDBIOS1 rom then press Enter to copy the current BIOS file to the floppy disk 4 The utility returns to the DOS p...

Page 41: ...ing flash done Please restart your computer A 2 1 5 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS file when it fails or gets corrupted during the updating process You can update a corrupted BIOS file using the motherboard support DVD a floppy disk or a USB flash disk that contains the updated BIOS file Prepare the motherboard s...

Page 42: ...sage and automatically checks the DVD for the BIOS file Bad BIOS checksum Starting BIOS recovery Checking for floppy If no floppy disk is found the utility automatically checks the optical drive for the original or updated BIOS file The utility then updates the corrupted BIOS file Bad BIOS checksum Starting BIOS recovery Checking for floppy Floppy not found Checking for DVD ROM DVD ROM found Readi...

Page 43: ...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 reboot the system by doing any of the following procedures Restart using the OS standard shut down procedure Press Ctrl Alt Del simultaneously Press the reset button on the system chassis Press the power bu...

Page 44: ...this chapter are for reference purposes only and may not exactly match what you see on your screen Visit the ASUS website at www asus com to download the latest BIOS information Select Screen Select Item Change Field Tab Select Field F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2008 American Megatrends Inc BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Use ENTER TAB o...

Page 45: ... a menu screen are the navigation keys for that particular menu Use the navigation keys to select items in the menu and change the settings Some of the navigation keys differ from one screen to another 2 2 7 General help At the top right corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the selected item 2 2 8 Pop up window Select a menu item then press Enter to display a pop up window with the ...

Page 46: ...s Enabled Disabled Serial ATA Devices Enabled Allows you to disable or enable the Serial ATA devices Configuration options Enabled Disabled SATA Mode select SATA Mode Configuration options SATA Mode RAID Mode AHCI Mode Refer to section 2 2 1 BIOS menu screen for information on the menu screen items and how to navigate through them v02 61 C Copyright 1985 2008 American Megatrends Inc v02 61 C Copyr...

Page 47: ...hen set to Auto the data transfer from and to the device occurs multiple sectors at a time if the device supports multi sector transfer feature When set to Disabled the data transfer from and to the device occurs one sector at a time Configuration options Disabled Auto PIO Mode Auto Selects the PIO mode Configuration options Auto 0 1 2 3 4 DMA Mode Auto Selects the DMA mode Configuration options A...

Page 48: ...tions Auto 0 1 2 3 4 DMA Mode Auto Selects the DMA mode Configuration options Auto SMART Monitoring Auto Sets the Smart Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology Configuration options Auto Disabled Enabled 32Bit Data Transfer Enabled Enables or disables 32 bit data transfer Configuration options Disabled Enabled 2 3 7 System Information This menu gives you an overview of the general system spec...

Page 49: ...ltage etc 2 4 1 JumperFree Configuration CPU Overclocking Auto Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal frequency Select either one of the preset overclocking Manual Allows you to individually set overclocking parameters Auto Loads the optimal settings for the system Overclock Profile Loads overclocking profiles with optimal parameters for stability when overclo...

Page 50: ...em appears only when the Memory clock mode item is set to Manual Memclock Value 200 MHz Allows you to set the Memclock value Configuration options 200 MHz 266 MHz 333 MHz 400 MHz 533 MHz DRAM Timing Mode Auto Allows you to set the DRAM timing mode Configuration options Auto DCT 0 Memory Over Voltage Auto Allows you to set the memory over voltage The value ranges from 1 85000V to 2 24375V with a 0 ...

Page 51: ...ing Configuration options Disabled Auto Channel Interleaving Disabled Allows you to enable the channel memory interleaving Configuration options Disabled Address bits 6 Address bits 12 XOR of Address bits 20 16 6 XOR of Address bits 20 16 9 Enable Clock to All DIMMs Disabled Enables or disables clock to all DIMMs Configuration options Disabled Enabled MemClk Tristate C3 ATLVID Disabled Enables or ...

Page 52: ...T TABLE Configuration options Disabled Enabled 2 4 4 Onboard Devices Configuration Serial Port1 Address 3F8 IRQ4 Allows you to select the Serial Port1 base address Configuration options Disabled 3F8 IRQ4 2F8 IRQ3 3E8 IRQ4 2E8 IRQ3 Parallel Port Address 378 Allows you to select the Parallel Port base addresses Configuration options Disabled 378 278 3BC Parallel Port Mode Normal Allows you to select...

Page 53: ...e for use of PCI PnP devices When set to Reserved the IRQ is reserved for legacy ISA devices Configuration options PCI Device Reserved 2 4 6 USB Configuration The items in this menu allows you to change the USB related features Select an item then press Enter to display the configuration options The Module Version and USB Devices Enabled items show the auto detected values If no USB device is dete...

Page 54: ...power than in the S1 state When signaled by a wake up device or event the system resumes to its working state exactly where it was left off Auto Detected by OS 2 5 2 ACPI Version Features Disabled Allows you to add more tables for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface ACPI 2 0 specifications Configuration options Disabled Enabled 2 5 3 ACPI APIC Support Enabled Allows you to enable or disable...

Page 55: ...rdware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU chassis and power fan speed in rotations per minute RPM If the fan is not connected to the motherboard the field shows N A Select Ignored if you do not wish to display the detected speed VCORE Voltage 3 3V Voltage 5V Voltage 12V Voltage The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through the onboard voltage regulat...

Page 56: ...his item to Enabled to use the ASUS MyLogo 2 feature AddOn ROM Display Mode Force BIOS Sets the display mode for option ROM Configuration options Force BIOS Keep Current Bootup Num Lock On Allows you to select the power on state for the NumLock Configuration options Off On PS 2 Mouse Support Auto Allows you to enable or disable support for PS 2 mouse Configuration options Disabled Enabled Auto 2 6...

Page 57: ...the default Not Installed After you set a password this item shows Installed To set a Supervisor Password 1 Select the Change Supervisor Password item and press Enter 2 From the password box type a password composed of at least six letters and or numbers then press Enter 3 Confirm the password when prompted The message Password Installed appears after you successfully set your password To change t...

Page 58: ... Disabled Enabled Change User Password Select this item to set or change the user password The User Password item on top of the screen shows the default Not Installed After you set a password this item shows Installed To set a User Password 1 Select the Change User Password item and press Enter 2 On the password box that appears type a password composed of at least six letters and or numbers then ...

Page 59: ...fore exiting Press Enter to save the changes while exiting Exit Discard Changes Select this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you made to the Setup program If you made changes to fields other than System Date System Time and Password the BIOS asks for a confirmation before exiting Discard Changes This option allows you to discard the selections you made and restore the previo...

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