Asus Crosshair II Formula - Republic of Gamers Series Motherboard User Manual

Motherboard Crosshair II Formula
ii E3769 Third Edition V3 March 2008 Copyright © 2008 ASUST eK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUST eK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).    product is defaced or missing. ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT W ARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANT ABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A P ARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT , SPECIAL, INCIDENT AL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DA T A, 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 . SPECIFICA TIONS AND INFORMA TION CONT AINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR INFORMA TIONAL USE ONL Y , AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE A T ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THA T MA Y APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT . Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or  
iii Contents Contents ...................................................................................................... iii Notices ....................................................................................................... viii Safety information ...................................................................................... ix About this guide .......................................................................................... x Crosshair II Formula specications summary ........................................ xii Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Package contents ......................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Special features ............................................................................ 1-2 1.3.1 ROG Intelligent Performance & Overclocking features ... 1-2 1.3.2 ROG unique features ...................................................... 1-3 1.3.3 Product highlights ........................................................... 1-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Motherboard overview ................................................................. 2-4 2.2.1 Placement direction ........................................................ 2-4 2.2.2 Screw holes .................................................................... 2-4 2.2.3 Motherboard layout ......................................................... 2-5 2.2.4 Audio card layout ............................................................ 2-5 2.2.5 Layout contents ............................................................... 2-6 2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................... 2-8 2.3.1 Installing the CPU ........................................................... 2-8 2.3.2 Installing the heatsink and fan ...................................... 2-10 2.3.3 Installing the optional fans ............................................ 2-13 2.4 System memory ......................................................................... 2-14 2.4.1 Overview ....................................................................... 2-14   .................................................. 2-15 2.4.3 Installing a DIMM .......................................................... 2-18 2.4.4 Removing a DIMM ........................................................ 2-18 2.5 Expansion slots .......................................................................... 2-19 2.5.1 Installing an expansion card ......................................... 2-19   ..................................... 2-19 2.5.3 Interrupt assignments ................................................... 2-20 2.5.4 PCI slots ........................................................................ 2-21
iv Contents 2.5.5 PCI Express x1 slots ..................................................... 2-21 2.5.6 PCI Express x16 slots ................................................... 2-21 2.6 Slide switch ................................................................................ 2-23 2.7 Audio card, I/O shield, and LCD Poster installation ............... 2-24 2.7.1 Audio card Installation ................................................... 2-24 2.7.2 I/O shield and LCD Poster Installation .......................... 2-25 2.8 Connectors ................................................................................. 2-26 2.8.1 Rear panel connectors .................................................. 2-26 2.8.2 Internal connectors ....................................................... 2-29 2.8.3 Onboard switches ......................................................... 2-40 Chapter 3: Powering up 3.1 Starting up for the rst time ........................................................ 3-1 3.2 T urning off the computer ............................................................. 3-2 3.2.1 Using the OS shut down function .................................... 3-2 3.2.2 Using the dual function power switch .............................. 3-2 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 4-1 4.1.1 ASUS Update utility ........................................................ 4-1 4.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility ................................................... 4-4 4.1.3 Updating the BIOS .......................................................... 4-5   ............................................ 4-7 4.1.5 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility ...................................... 4-8 4.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................... 4-9 4.2.1 BIOS menu screen ........................................................ 4-10 4.2.2 Menu bar ....................................................................... 4-10 4.2.3 Legend bar .....................................................................4-1 1 4.2.4 Menu items .................................................................... 4-1 1 4.2.5 Sub-menu items .............................................................4-1 1   ........................................................4-1 1 4.2.7 Pop-up window ............................................................. 4-12 4.2.8 General help ................................................................. 4-12 4.3 Extreme T weaker menu ............................................................. 4-13   ................... 4-13 4.4 Main menu .................................................................................. 4-22
v Contents 4.4.1 System T ime ................................................................. 4-22 4.4.2 System Date ................................................................. 4-22 4.4.3 Language ...................................................................... 4-22 4.4.4 Legacy Diskette A ......................................................... 4-22 4.4.5 Primary IDE Master/Slave ............................................. 4-23 4.4.6 S A T A 1 – 4 . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . .. . 4 - 2 5 4.4.7 HDD SMART Monitoring ............................................... 4-26 4.4.8 Installed Memory ........................................................... 4-26 4.4.9 Usable Memory ............................................................. 4-26 4.4.10 System Information ....................................................... 4-26 4.5 Advanced menu ......................................................................... 4-27 4.5.1 AI NET2 ........................................................................ 4-27 4.5.2 PCIPnP ......................................................................... 4-28   ...................................... 4-29   ........................................................ 4-30 4.5.5 IDE Function Setup ....................................................... 4-31   ..................................................... 4-31 4.5.7 LCD Poster and Onboard LED Control ......................... 4-32 4.6 Power menu ................................................................................ 4-34 4.6.1 ACPI Suspend T ype ...................................................... 4-34 4.6.2 ACPI APIC support ....................................................... 4-34   ........................................................ 4-35 4.6.4 Hardware Monitor ......................................................... 4-36 4.7 Boot menu .................................................................................. 4-40 4.7.1 Boot Device Priority ...................................................... 4-40 4.7.2 Removable Drives ......................................................... 4-41 4.7.3 Hard Disk Drives ........................................................... 4-41 4.7.4 CDROM Drives ............................................................. 4-41   ......................................... 4-42 4.7.6 Security ......................................................................... 4-43 4.8 T ools menu ................................................................................. 4-45   ......................................................... 4-45 4.8.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 .......................................................... 4-47 4.9 Exit menu .................................................................................... 4-48
vi Contents Chapter 5: Software support 5.1 Installing an operating system ................................................... 5-1 5.2 Support DVD information ............................................................ 5-1 5.2.1 Running the support DVD ............................................... 5-1 5.2.2 Drivers menu ................................................................... 5-2 5.2.3 Utilities menu .................................................................. 5-3 5.2.4 Make Disk menu ............................................................. 5-5 5.2.5 Manuals menu ................................................................ 5-6 5.2.6 Video menu ..................................................................... 5-6 5.2.7 ASUS Contact information .............................................. 5-7 5.2.8 Other information ............................................................ 5-7 5.3 Software information ................................................................... 5-9 5.3.1 ASUS MyLogo3™ ........................................................... 5-9 5.3.2 AI NET 2......................................................................... 5-1 1 5.3.3 AI Audio 2 (SoundMAX ®   ... 5-12 5.3.4 ASUS PC Probe II ......................................................... 5-21 5.3.5 ASUS AI Suite ............................................................... 5-27 5.3.6 ASUS AI Gear 2 ............................................................ 5-29 5.3.7 ASUS AI Nap ................................................................ 5-30 5.3.8 ASUS Q-Fan Plus ......................................................... 5-31 5.3.9 ASUS AI Booster 2 ........................................................ 5-32 5.3.10 CPU Level Up ............................................................... 5-33 5.4 RAID congurations .................................................................. 5-34   ............................................................ 5-34 5.4.2 NVIDIA ®  ........................................ 5-35 5.5 Creating a RAID driver disk ....................................................... 5-42 5.5.1 Creating a RAID driver disk without entering the OS .... 5-42 5.5.2 Creating a RAID/SA T A driver disk in Windows ® ............ 5-42 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® technology support 6.1 NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology ........................................................... 6-1 6.1.1 Requirements .................................................................. 6-1 6.1.2 Graphics card setup ........................................................ 6-2 6.1.3 Installing the device drivers ............................................. 6-6 6.1.4 Enabling the NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology in Windows ® .... 6-6
vii Contents 6.2 NVIDIA ® Hybrid SLI ® T echnology ............................................... 6-9 6.2.1 System requirements ..................................................... 6-9 6.2.2 Enabling GeForce ® Boost and HybridPower™ ............. 6-10 Appendix: Debug code table A.1 Debug code table ......................................................................... A-1
viii Notices Federal Communications Commission Statement This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: • This device may not cause harmful interference, and • This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However , there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and 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 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 with Canadian ICES-003. The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is  to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.
ix Safety information Electrical safety •   electrical outlet before relocating the system. • When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that the power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables are connected. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the existing system before you add a device. • Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard, ensure that all power cables are unplugged. • Seek professional assistance before using an adpater or extension cord. These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit. • Make sure that your power supply is 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 . •    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, make sure all cables are correctly connected and the power cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage, contact your dealer immediately . • T o avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry . • Avoid dust, humidity , and temperature extremes. Do not place the product in any area where it may become wet. • Place the product on a stable surface. •  service technician or your retailer . This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product (electrical and electronic equipment, and mercury-containing button cell battery) should not be placed in municipal waste. Check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.
x About this guide  the motherboard. How this guide is organized This guide contains the following parts: • Chapter 1: Product 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: Powering up This chapter describes the power up sequence and ways of shutting down the system. • Chapter 4: BIOS setup This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided. • Chapter 5: Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package. • Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology support This chapter tells how to install SLI-ready PCI Express graphics cards and how to use the SLI™ and Hybrid SLI ® features. • Appendix: Debug code table The Appendix includes the debug code table for the LCD Poster . Where to nd more information Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and software updates. 1. ASUS websites The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware and software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information. 2. Optional documentation Y our product package may include optional documentation, such as warranty   part of the standard package.
xi Conventions used in this guide T o make sure that you perform certain tasks properly , take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual. T ypography Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select. Italics   <Key> Key s encl osed i n the less- than a nd gre ater-t han s ign mea ns tha t you must p ress the enclo sed ke y. 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 D> Command Means that you must type the command exactly as shown, then supply the required item or value enclosed in brackets. Example: At the DOS prompt, type the command line: format A:/S DANGER/W ARNING: 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. NOTE: T ips and additional information to help you complete a task. IMPORT ANT : Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a task.
xii Crosshair II Formula specications summary CPU AMD ® Socket AM2 for AMD Phenom™ FX / Phenom / Athlon™ / Sempron™ processors AMD Socket AM2 for Athlon 64 X2 / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 / Sempron processors AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ T echnology Chipset NVIDIA ® nForce ® 780a SLI™ System Bus   AM2 CPU 2000 / 1600 MT/s for AM2 CPU Memory Dual-channel memory architecture - 4 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support unbuffered ECC/        modules - Supports up to 8 GB system memory *DDR2 1066 is supported by some of the AM2 CPUs DDR2 1066 is supported by some of the AM2 CPUs only . Refer to www.asus.com or this user manual for the Refer to www .asus.com or this user manual for the   VGA Integrated NVIDIA ® GPU Hybrid SLI Support (supports Windows ® Vista™ only) Maximum shared memory of 512MB Supports HDMI™ T echnology 1080P with a maximum   resolution of 1920 x 1200 bpp Supports D-Sub with a maximum resolution of   Multi VGA output support: HDMI/DVI & D-Sub Supports Microsoft ® DirectX ® 10, OpenGL ® 2.0, Pixel Shader 4.0 Support PCIe 2.0/1.0 architecture Expansion Slots 3 x PCIe 2.0 x16 slots (support NVIDIA NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology @ dual x16 or 3-way x8 x8 x8 speed) @ dual x16 or 3-way x8 x8 x8 speed) 2 x PCIe x1 slots (PCIEX1_1 (black) is compatible with the audio slot.) 2 x PCI 2.2 slots Storage Chipset supports: supports: - 1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33 - 6 x SA T A 3.0 Gb/s connectors support RAID 0, 1, 6 x SA T A 3.0 Gb/s connectors support RAID 0, 1, 0 1, 5, and JBOD 0 1, 5, and JBOD (Use SA T A 1–4 connectors for IDE mode) LAN Dual Gigabit LAN, both featuring AI NET 2 High Denition Audio SupremeFX II Audio Card     - Noise Filter Coaxial / Optical S/PDIF Out ports at back I/O IEEE 1394  panel) (continued on the next page)
xiii USB 12 x USB 2.0 ports (6 ports at midboard, 6 ports at back panel) ASUS ROG Overclocking Features Extreme T weaker New 8 2 phase power design Intelligent overclocking tools: - CPU Level Up - AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner) - AI Booster Utility    Overclocking protection: - COP EX (Component Overheat Protection -EX) - V oltiminder LED - ASUS C.P .R. (CPU Parameter Recall) ASUS ROG Special Features LCD Poster ROG BIOS W allpaper Onboard Switches: Power / Reset / Clr CMOS (at rear) Q-Connector ASUS Q-Fan Plus ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS Q-Shield ASUS MyLogo 3™ Stack Cool 2 100% All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors Back Panel I/O Ports 1 x HDMI port 1 x VGA port 1 x PS/2 Keyboard (purple) 1 x S/PDIF Out (Coaxial Optical) 1 x IEEE1394a port 2 x LAN (RJ45) ports 6 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports 1 x Clr CMOS switch Internal I/O Connectors 3 x USB 2.0 connectors support additional 6 USB 2.0 ports 1 x Floppy disk drive connector 1 x IDE connector for two devices 6 x SA T A connectors (Use SA T A 1–4 connectors for IDE mode) 8 x Fan connectors (1 x CPU / 1 x Power / 3 x Chassis / 3 x Optional) 3 x Thermal sensor connectors 1 x IEEE1394a connector 1 x S/PDIF Out connector 1 x Chassis Intrusion connector 24-pin A TX Power connector 8-pin A TX 12V Power connector 1 x En/Dis-able Clr CMOS slide switch 1 x LCD Poster connector 1 x System panel connector (continued on the next page) Crosshair II Formula specications summary
xiv BIOS Features 8 MB AW ARD BIOS, PnP , DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.4, ACPI 2.0a Multi-Language BIOS SM BIOS 2.4, ACPI 2.0a Multi-Language BIOS Manageability WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chassis Intrusion, PXE Accessories 3-W ay SLI bridge ASUS SLI bridge LCD Poster ASUS Optional Fan SupremeFX II Audio Card HDMI/DVI adapter 3 in 1 ASUS Q-connector kit UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable Floppy disk drive cable Serial A T A cables Serial A T A power cables 2-port USB2.0 IEEE 1394a module ASUS Q-Shield Cable ties User's manual Software The hottest 3D game: Company of Heroes—Opposing Fronts Support DVD: Drivers ASUS PC Probe II ASUS Update ASUS AI Suite Futuremark ® 3DMark ® 06 Advanced Edition Kaspersky ® Anti-virus software Form Factor A TX Form Factor , 12”x 9.6” (30.5 cm x 24.5 cm)  Crosshair II Formula specications summary
1 Chapter 1: Product introduction This chapter describes the motherboard features and the new technologies it supports.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula Chapter summary 1 1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Package contents ......................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Special features ............................................................................ 1-2
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 1-1 1.1 Welcome! Thank you for buying an ASUS ® Crosshair II Formula motherboard! The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies, making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards! Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it, check the items in your package with the list below . If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer . 1.2 Package contents Check your motherboard package for the following items. Motherboard ASUS Crosshair II Formula I/O module USB 2.0 IEEE 1394a module Cables Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable Floppy disk drive cable Serial A T A cables Serial A T A power cables Accessories LCD Poster LCD Poster SupremeFX II Audio Card HDMI/DVI adapter ASUS Q-Shield 3-W ay SLI bridge ASUS SLI bridge ASUS Optional Fan 3-in-1 ASUS Q-Connector Kit Cable ties Application DVD/CD ASUS motherboard support DVD The hottest game: Company of Heroes—Opposing Fronts Kaspersky ® Anti-virus software Futuremark ® 3DMark ® 06 Advanced Edition Documentation User guide
1-2 Chapter 1: Product Introduction 1.3 Special features 1.3.1 ROG Intelligent Performance & Overclocking features CPU Level Up Ever wish that you could have a more expansive CPU? Upgrade your CPU at no additional cost with ROG’s CPU Level Up! Simply choose a 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. See pages 4-13 and 5-33 for details. Component Overheat Protection -EX (COP EX) The COP EX 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. V oltiminder LED In the pursuit of extreme performance, overvoltage adjustment is critical but risky .    status for CPU, SB, PCIe bridge, and Memory in a intuitive color-coded fashion. The V oltiminder LED allows quick voltage monitoring for overclockers. See pages 2-1 and 2-2 for details. Extreme T weaker   performance. No matter if you are looking for frequency adjustment, over-voltage options, or memory timing settings, they are all here! See page 4-13 for details. 8 2 Phase Power Design ASUS 8 2 Phase Power Design, with independent power to vital components, ultimately enhances memory performance and ensures quick response and stability of CPU under heavy loading or overclocking modes. AI Booster 2 Overclocking has never been so fun with a user-friendly utility under Window that provides accurate settings for the CPU, chipset and memory . Now it's even easier to achieve astounding overclocking results without any hassles! See page 5-32 for See page 5-32 for details.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 1-3 ASUS O.C. Prole    voltages, and even timings to give gamers a real professional level of overclocking  C.P .R. (CPU Parameter Recall) When the system hangs due to overclocking failure, there is no need to open the system chassis to clear CMOS data. Simply reboot the system, and the BIOS automatically restores the CPU default settings for each parameter . Due to the chipset behavior , AC power off is required before using C.P .R. function. 1.3.2 ROG unique features Supreme FX II features  of ROG. The SupremeFX II features unique audio innovations for gamers to spot enemies in 3D environment during game play . SupremeFX II also provides a  and audible. Noise Filter This feature detects repetitive and stationary noises (non-voice signals) like computer fans, air conditioners, and other background noises then eliminates it in the incoming audio stream while recording. External LCD Poster The new LCD Poster now posts critical POST information in an ever friendly   automatically detects device failure and translates the errors on the LCD during POST . Unlike other competing 2 digit displays, users do not need to read 
1-4 Chapter 1: Product Introduction Onboard Switches With an easy press during overclocking, this exclusive onboard switch allows  moving jumpers. See page 2-40 for details. BIOS W allpaper BIOS W allpaper is designed to make BIOS with style. Unlike ordinary blue and white BIOS screen, this feature allows you to set any photos you like as a wallpaper for your BIOS. Now you have a unique BIOS screen like never before! See page 4-43 for details. Fanless Design–Stack Cool 2  temperature of critical heat generating components. The motherboard uses a special design on the printed circuit board (PCB) to dissipate heat these critical components generate. AI Nap With AI Nap, the system can continue running at minimum power and noise when you are temporarily away . T o wake the system and return to the OS environment, simply click the mouse or press a key . See page 5-30 for details. Optional Fan   ensuring effective heat dissipation for the entire system. See pages 2-13 for details. ASUS MyLogo 3 ASUS MyLogo 3 is a new feature present in the motherboard that allows you to  logos. See page 4-43 for details.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 1-5 AI Audio 2 AI Audio 2 allows you to experience crisp, clear sounds by restoring and compensating for clarity and quality of compressed audio in all movies, music and   when used in stereo speakers or headphones. See pages 5-12 for details. ASUS EZ DIY ASUS EZ DIY feature collection provides you easy ways to install computer components, update the BIOS or back up your favorite settings. ASUS Q-Connector The ASUS Q-Connector allows you to connect or disconnect chassis front panel cables in one easy step with one complete module. This unique adapter eliminates the trouble of plugging in one cable at a time, making connection quick and accurate. See page 2-39 for details. ASUS Q-Shield   making it convenient and easy to install. With better electric conductivity , it ideally protects your motherboard against static electricity and shields it against Electronic Magnetic Interference (EMI). See page 2-25 for details. ASUS EZ Flash 2 EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly BIOS update utility . Simply launch this tool and      ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data  4-8 for details.
1-6 Chapter 1: Product Introduction 1.3.3 Product highlights Republic of Gamers The Republic of Gamers consists only the best of the best. We of fer the best hardware engineering, the fastest performance, the most innovating ideas, and we welcome the best gamers to join in. In the Republic of Gamers, mercy rules are only for the weak, and bragging rights means everything. We believe in making statements and we excel in competitions. If your character matches our trait, then join the elite club, make your presence felt, in the Republic of Gamers. AMD ® Socket AM2 Phenom™ FX / Phenom X4 / Phenom X2 / Athlon™ X2 / Sempron™ 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 5200MT/s via HyperT ransport™ 3.0 based system bus. See page 2-8 for details. HyperT ransport™ 3.0 support HyperT ransport™ 3.0 technology provides 2.6 times more bandwidth than    faster computing environment. AMD ® Socket AM2 Athlon™ 64 X2 / Athlon™ 64 FX / Athlon™ 64 / Sempron™ CPU support This motherboard supports AMD ® Socket AM2 single-core Athlon™ 64 / Sempron™ and dual-core Athlon™ 64 X2 / Athlon™ 64 FX processors with 2MB / 1MB / 512KB L2 cache based on 64-bit architecture. It features 2000 / 1600 MT/s HyperT ransport™-based system bus, dual-channel un-buffered DDR2 800 memory support, and AMD ® Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ T echnology . See page 2-8 for details. NVIDIA ® nForce ® 780a SLI chipset The NVIDIA ® nForce 780a SLI chipset supports the NVIDIA ® Scalable Link Interface (SLI™) technology that allows three graphics processing units (GPUs) in a single system. It’s designed for enthusiast, extreme overclocking capability ,  fastest platform in the world. The NVIDIA ® nForce 780a SLI chipset also supports six (6) Serial A T A 3 Gb/s devices, PCI Express™ x16 slots with NVIDIA ® SLI ™ support at dual x16 mode or at triple x8 mode, and up to 12 USB 2.0 ports.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 1-7 Native DDR2 1066 memory support This motherboard is the AMD ® platform with native DDR2 1066 support. It provides faster data transfer rate and more bandwidth to increase memory computing   demanding applications. See page 2-14 for details. DDR2 1066 is supported by some of the AM2 CPUs only . Refer to www .asus. com for the supported CPU models. Hybrid SLI™ Hybrid SLI™ technology is a unique hybrid multi-GPU technology built upon NVIDIA. Hybrid SLI technology today includes two primary features: GeForce Boost and HybridPower™. GeForece Boost turbo-charges performance of NVIDIA discrete graphics cards when combined with motherboard GPUs. HybridPower™ unleashes graphics performance when needed and enables low-power operation when performance is not needed. Y ou can switch from the discrete GeForce GPU(s) to the motherboard GPU for a quiet, low power PC experience. NVIDIA ® 3-W ay SLI™ (Scalable Link Interface) NVIDIA 3-W ay SLI™ (Scalable Link Interface) takes advantage of the increased bandwidth of the PCI Express 2.0 bus architecture and features intelligent  deliver earth-shattering, scalable performance. For some applications nearly triple performance! See Chapter 6 for details. HDMI/DVI support  delivers multi-channel audio and uncompressed digital video through a single cable for full HD 1080p visuals. Supporting HDCP copy protection such as HD DVD and Blu-ray Discs, HDMI provides you with the highest-quality home theater experience. With the bundled HDMI to DVI adapter , this motherboard also supports DVI output. DVI (Digital Visual Interface) provides high quality visuals for digital display devices like LCD monitors. The interface of this motherboard supports dual VGA outputs for both HDMI/DVI and RGB. See page 2-28 for details. Since the Intel ® driver for Windows ® XP OS does not include screen scraper defense, you can only play HD DVD or Blu-Ray Disc under Windows ® Vista™.
1-8 Chapter 1: Product Introduction Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s technology This motherboard supports the next-generation hard drives based on the Serial       doubling the bus bandwidth for high-speed data retrieval and saves. See page 2-30 for details. PCIe 2.0 This motherboard supports the latest PCIe 2.0 device for twice the current speed and bandwidth. This enhances system performance while still providing backward compatibility to PCIe 1.0 devices. See page 2-21 for details. Dual Gigabit LAN The integrated dual Gigabit LAN design allows a PC to serve as a network  ensures rapid transfer of data from W AN to LAN without any added arbitration or latency . See page 2-26 for details. IEEE 1394a support The IEEE 1394a interface provides high speed digital interface for audio/video appliances such as digital television, digital video camcorders, storage peripherals & other PC portable devices. See pages 2-27 and 2-32 for details. High Denition Audio Enjoy high-end sound quality on your PC! The onboard 8-channel HD audio (High     streaming technology that simultaneously sends different audio streams to dif ferent destinations. Y ou can now talk to your partners on the headphones while playing multi-channel network games. See pages 2-27 for details. Green ASUS This motherboard and its packaging comply with the European Union’s Restriction   of creating environment-friendly and recyclable products/packaging to safeguard 
2 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 jumpers and connectors on the motherboard.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula Chapter summary 2 2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Motherboard overview ................................................................. 2-4 2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................... 2-8 2.4 System memory ......................................................................... 2-14 2.5 Expansion slots .......................................................................... 2-19 2.6 Slide switch ................................................................................ 2-23 2.7 Aduio card, I/O shield, and LCD Poster Installation ............... 2-24 2.8 Connectors ................................................................................. 2-26
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-1 2.1 Before you proceed T ake note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings. • Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any component. • Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or a metal object, such as the power supply case, before handling components 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 A TX 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, and/or components. Onboard LEDs The motherboard comes with LEDs that indicate the voltage conditions of CPU, memory , southbridge, and bridge (PCIe). Y ou may adjust the voltages in BIOS. There are also an LED for hard disk drive activity and an onboard switch for power status. For more information about voltage adjustment, refer to 4.3 Extreme T weaker menu. 1. CPU LED Refer to the illustration below for the LED location and the table below for  Normal (green) High (yellow) Crazy (red) Vcore V oltage 0.775–1.3625 1.375–1.4875 1.5000– CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA CPU LED CPU_CRAZY CPU_HIGH CPU_NORMAL
2-2 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2. Memory LED Refer to the illustration below for the LED location and the table below for  3. Southbridge / Bridge (PCIe) LEDs The Southbridge LED has two different voltage displays: SB V oltage or   LED displays BR V oltage. Refer to the illustration below for the LED location  Normal (green) High (yellow) Crazy (red) DDR2 V oltage 1.80–2.10 2.12–2.50 2.52– Normal (green) High (yellow) Crazy (red) SB V oltage 1.10–1.30 1.32–1.50 1.52– HT V oltage 1.20–1.40 1.42–1.60 1.62– BR V oltage 1.20–1.40 1.42–1.60 1.62– CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA DDR LED DDR_CRAZY DDR_HIGH DDR_NORMAL CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA Southbridge/Bridge(PCIe) LED SB_CRAZY SB_HIGH SB_NORMAL BR_CRAZY BR_HIGH BR_NORMAL
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-3 4. Hard Disk LED The hard disk LED is designed to indicate 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. 5. Power LED The motherboard comes with a power-on switch 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 power-on switch. CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA Hard Disk LED HD_LED CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RE SE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA Power on switch
2-4 Chapter 2: Hardware information CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RES ET 2.2 Motherboard overview   Make sure to unplug the power cord before installing or removing the motherboard. Failure to do so can cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components. DO NOT overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard. 2.2.1 Placement direction When installing the motherboard, make sur e that you place it into the chassis in the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the rear p art of the chassis as indicated in the image below . 2.2.2 Screw holes Place nine (9) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis. Place this side towards the rear of the chassis
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-5 2.2.3 Motherboard layout CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® 24.5cm (9.6in) 24.5cm (9.6in) RE SE T DDR DIMM_A1 (64bit, 240-pin module) DDR DIMM_A2 (64bit, 240-pin module) DDR DIMM_B1 (64bit, 240-pin module) DDR DIMM_B2 (64bit, 240-pin module) PCIEX16_ 1 PCIEX16_ 2 PCI1 PCI2 PCIEX16_ 3 FLOPPY Super I/O SPDIF_OUT EATX12V CHA_FAN1 CHA_FAN2 LCD_CON KB_USB56 CLR_CMOS SPDIF_O12 PWR_FAN OPT_FAN3 OPT_TEMP3 OPT_FAN2 OPT_FAN1 OPT_TEMP2 OPT_TEMP1 CHA_FAN3 USB78 USB1112 IE1394_2 USB910 PRI_IDE CHASSIS CLR_SW HD_LED ROG BIOS PANEL PCIEX1_1 88E1116 VIA VT6308P 88E8056 PCIEX1_2 EATXPWR SB_CRAZY SB_HIGH SB_NORMAL CPU_CRAZY CPU_HIGH CPU_NORMAL BR_CRAZY BR_HIGH BR_NORMAL DDR_CRAZY DDR_HIGH DDR_NORMAL CPU_FAN LAN1_USB12 LAN2_USB34 SOCKET AM2 /AM2 Lithium Cell CMOS Power VGA_HDMI E1394 NVIDIA ® nForce ® 780a SLI™ NVIDIA ® nForce ® 200 SATA12 SATA34 SATA56 Refer to 2.8 Connectors for more information about rear panel connectors and internal connectors. 2.2.4 Audio card layout S UPREMEFX II Listen with Absolute HD
2-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.2.5 Layout contents Slots Page 1. DDR2 DIMM slots 2-14 2. PCI slots 2-21 3. PCI Express x 1 slots 2-21 4. PCI Express x 16 slots 2-21 Slide switch Page 1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLR TC_SW) 2-23 Rear panel connectors Page 1. PS/2 keyboard port (purple) 2-26 2. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port 2-26 3. VGA port 2-26 4. LAN 1/2 (RJ-45) port 2-26 5.* Line In port (light blue) 2-27 6.* Line Out port (lime) 2-27 7.* Microphone port (pink) 2-27 8.* Center/Subwoofer port (orange) 2-27 9.* Rear Speaker Out port (black) 2-27 10.* Side Speaker Out port (gray) 2-27 1 1. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2 2-27 12. IEEE 1394a port 2-27 13. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4 2-27 14. HDMI port 2-28 15. Optical S/PDIF Out port 2-28 16. USB 2.0 ports 5 and 6 2-28 17. Clear CMOS switch 2-28 *These audio ports are on the Supreme FX II audio card.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-7 Internal connectors Page 1. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE) 2- 29 2. NVIDIA ® nForce 780a SLI Serial A T A connectors       2- 30 3. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) 2- 31     2- 31 5. IEEE 1394a port connector (10-1 pin IE1394_2) 2- 32 6. Thermal sensor cable connectors (2-pin OPT_TEMP1/2/3) 2- 32 7. CPU, chassis, and optional fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN, 3-pin CHA_F AN1–3, 3-pin PWR_F AN, 3-pin OPT_F AN1–3) 2- 33 8. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS) 2- 34 9. Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT , for ASUS HDMI VGA card) 2- 34      2- 35 1 1. ROG connector (2-pin ROG) 2-37 12. System panel connector (20-8 pin P ANEL) 2-38 Onboard switches Page 1. Power-on switch 2-40 2. Reset switch 2-40
2-8 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.3.1 Installing the CPU T o install a CPU: 1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.    2. Unlock the socket by pressing the lever sideways, then lift it up to a 90º angle. 2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) The motherboard comes with an AM2 /AM2 socket designed for AMD AM2 /AM2 socket designed for AMD socket designed for AMD AMD ® Socket AM2 Phenom™ FX / Phenom / Athlon™ / Sempron™ processor or for Socket Phenom™ FX / Phenom / Athlon™ / Sempron™ processor or for Socket AM2 Athlon 64 X2 / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 / Sempron processor . Socket lever The AM2 /AM2 socket has a different pinout from the 940-pin socket designed for the AMD Opteron processor . Make sure you use a CPU designed for the   the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the connectors on the socket and damaging the CPU! CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA CPU socket AM2 /AM2
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-9 3. Position the CPU above the socket such that the CPU corner with the gold triangle matches the socket corner with a small triangle. 4. Carefully insert the CPU into the  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. Gold triangle Small triangle
2-10 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.3.2 Installing the heatsink and fan The AMD ® Phenom™ FX / Phenom / Athlon™ 64 X2 / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 / Phenom™ FX / Phenom / Athlon™ 64 X2 / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 / Sempron™ processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance. T o install the CPU heatsink and fan: 1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed CPU, making sure that the heatsink  Retention module base CPU heatsink CPU fan Retention bracket lock Retention bracket Y our boxed CPU heatsink and fan assembly should come with installation instructions for the CPU, heatsink, and the retention mechanism. If the instructions in this section do not match the CPU documentation, follow the latter . • The retention module base is already installed on the motherboard upon purchase. • Y ou do not have to remove the retention module base when installing the CPU or installing other motherboard components. • If you purchased a separate CPU heatsink and fan assembly , make sure that a Thermal Interface Material is properly applied to the CPU heatsink or CPU before you install the heatsink and fan assembly .   
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-1 1 2. Attach one end of the retention bracket to the retention module base. 3. Align the other end of the retention bracket (near the retention bracket lock) to the retention module base. A clicking sound denotes that the retention bracket is in place. 4. Push down the retention bracket lock on the retention mechanism to secure the heatsink and fan to the module base. Make sure that the fan and  the retention mechanism module base, otherwise you cannot snap the retention bracket in place.
2-12 Chapter 2: Hardware information 5. When the fan and heatsink assembly is in place, connect the CPU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_F AN. • Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring errors can occur if you fail to plug this connector . • This connector is backward compatiable with old 3-pin CPU fan. CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA CPU fan CPU_F AN CPU FAN PWM CPU FAN IN CPU FAN PWR GND CPU_F AN CPU FAN PWM CPU FAN IN CPU FAN PWR GND
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-13 2.3.3 Installing the optional fans Install the optional fan only if you are using a passive cooler or a water cooler .   1. Position the fan above the pipe and heatsink assembly . 2. Fit the fan to the grooved edge of the heatsink. 3. Carefully push down the fan until  connect the fan cable. 4. The photo shows the fan installed on the motherboard. • Plug the optional fan cable to the CHA_F AN1/2 connector on the motherboard. • Make sure the optional fan is installed correctly to prevent damage to the fan and motherboard components.
2-14 Chapter 2: Hardware information Channel Sockets Channel A DIMM_A1 and DIMM_A2 Channel B DIMM_B1 and DIMM_B2 2.4 System memory 2.4.1 Overview The motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets.  CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA 240-pin DDR2 DIMM sockets DIMM_A1 DIMM_A2 DIMM_B1 DIMM_B2
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-15 2.4.2 Memory congurations Y ou may install 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2 GB unbuffered ECC/non-ECC DDR2 DIMMs into the DIMM sockets. Recommended Memory Congurations         mapped for single-channel operation. • Alwa ys ins tall DI MMs wi th the same C AS lat ency . For optimu m comp atibili ty , it i s reco mmended that you obt ain me mory m odul es fro m the s ame ve ndor .               than 3GB b ecause the ad dress s pace i s rese rved for o ther cr itical functi ons. This limit ation a ppears on Win dows ® XP/ Vist a 32 -bit o perati on s ystem which does not s upport Physic al Addre ss Ext ension (P AE). • If you install Windows ® XP/Vista 32-bit operation system, a total memory of less than 3GB is recommended. • This motherboard does not support memory modules made up of 128 Mb chips. Notes on memory limitations • Due to chipset limitation, this motherboard can only support up to 8 GB on the operating systems listed below . Y ou may install a maximum of 2 GB DIMMs on each slot. Mode Sockets DIMM_A1 DIMM_A2 DIMM_B1 DIMM_B2 Single-Channel Populated – – – – – Populated – Dual-channel (1) Populated – Populated – Dual-channel (2) Populated Populated Populated Populated 64-bit Windows ® XP Professional x64 Edition Windows ® Vista x64 Edition
2-16 Chapter 2: Hardware information Crosshair II Formula Motherboard Qualied V endors Lists (QVL) DDR2-800MHz capability for AM2 CPU SS - Single-sided / DS - Double-sided DIMM support: • A*: Supports one module inserted in any slot as Single-channel    • B*: Supports one pair of modules inserted into either the blue slots    • C*: Supports four modules inserted into both the blue and white slots          Size V endor Chip No. CL SS/ DS Part No. DIMM socket A* B* C* 1024MB KINGSTON Heat-Sink Package 4-4-4-12 DS KHX6400D2LL/1G • • • 1024MB KINGSTON Heat-Sink Package 4-4-4-12 SS KHX6400D2LLK2/1GN • • 1024MB KINGSTON V59C1512804QBF25 N/A DS KVR800D2N5/1G • • • 1024MB KINGSTON Heat-Sink Package N/A SS KHX6400D2ULK2/1G • • 2048MB KINGSTON E1 108ACBG-8E-E N/A DS KVR800D2N5/2G • • • 2048MB Qimonda HYB18T1G800C2F-25F 5 DS HYS64T256020EU-25F-C2 • • • 2048MB Qimonda HYB18T1G800C2F-2.5 6 DS HYS64T256020EU-2.5-C2 • • • 512MB Hynix HY5PS12821CFP-S5 5-5-5 SS HYMP564U64CP8-S5 • • • 1024MB Hynix HY5PS12821CFP-S5 5-5-5 DS HYMP512U64CP8-S5 • • • 1024MB CORSAIR Heat-Sink Package 4 DS CM2X1024-6400C4 • • • 1024MB ELPIDA E1 108AB-8E-E(ECC) 5 SS EBE10EE8ABF A-8E-E • • • 2048MB ELPIDA E1 108AB-8E-E(ECC) 5 DS EBE21EE8ABF A-8E-E • 1024MB Crucial Heat-Sink Package 4 DS BL12864AA804.16FD • • • 1024MB Crucial Heat-Sink Package 4 DS BL12864AL804.16FD3 • • • 1024MB Crucial Heat-Sink Package 4 DS BL12864AA804.16FD3 • • • 512MB Apacer AM4B5708JQJS8E N/A SS 78.91G9I.9K5 • • 1024MB Apacer AM4B5808CQJS8E N/A SS 78.01GA0.9K5 • • • 2048MB Apacer AM4B5808CQJS8E 5 DS 78.A1GA0.9K4 • • • 512MB A-DA T A AD29608A8A-25EG N/A SS M2OAD6G3H3160G1E53 • • • 1024MB A-DA T A AD26908A8A-25EG N/A DS M2OAD6G3I4170I1E58 • • • 512MB KINGMAX KKA8FEIBF-HJK-25A N/A SS KLDC28F-A8KI5 • • 1024MB KINGMAX KKA8FEIBF-HJK-25A N/A DS KLDD48F-ABKI5 • • 512MB Super T alent Heat-Sink Package N/A SS T800UA12C4 • • 1024MB Super T alent Heat-Sink Package N/A DS T800UB1GC4 • • • 512MB NANY A NT5TU64M8BE-25C 5 SS NT512T64U880BY -25C • • 1024MB NANY A NT5TU64M8BE-25C 5 DS NT1GT64U8HB0BY -25C • • • 1024MB NANY A NT5TU64M8CE-25D N/A DS NT1GT64U8HCOBY -25D • • • 2048MB NANY A NT5TU128M8CE-AC 5 DS NT2GT64U8HC0BY -AC • • 512MB PSC A3R12E3HEF641B9A05 5 SS AL6E8E63B8E1K • • 1024MB PSC A3R12E3HEF641B9A05 5 DS AL7E8E63B-8E1K • • 256MB T winMOS E2508AB-GE-E 5 SS 8G-24IK2-EBT • 1024MB Elixir N2TU51280BE-25C N/A DS M2Y1G64TU8HB0B-25C • • •
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-17 Crosshair II Formula Motherboard Qualied V endors Lists (QVL) DDR2-667MHz capability for AM2 CPU Size V endor Chip No. CL SS/ DS Part No. DIMM socket A* B* C* 512MB KINGSTON D6408TEBGGL3U 5 SS KVR667D2N5/512 • • • 1024MB KINGSTON E5108AGBG-6E-E N/A DS KVR667D2N5/1G • • • 2048MB KINGSTON E1 108AB-6E-E N/A DS KVR667D2N5/2G • • • 2048MB Qimonda HYB18T1GB00C2F-3S 5 DS HYS64T256020EU-3S-C2 • • • 512MB SAMSUNG K4T51083QE 5 SS M378T6553EZS-CE6 • • 1024MB SAMSUNG K4T51083QE 5 DS M378T2953EZ3-CE6 • • • 1024MB Hynix HY5PS12821CFP-Y5 5 DS HYMP512U64CP8-Y5 • • • 512MB CORSAIR 64M8CFEG N/A SS VS512MB667D2 • • • 1024MB CORSAIR 64M8CFEG N/A DS VS1GB667D2 • • • 512MB ELPIDA E5108AE-6E-E 5 SS EBE51UD8AEF A-6E-E • • • 512MB A-DA T A AD29608A8A-3EG 5 SS M2OAD5G3H3166I1C52 • • • 1024MB A-DA T A AD29608A8A-3EG 5 DS M2OAD5G3I4176I1C52 • • • 2048MB A-DA T A NT5TU128M8BJ-3C N/A DS M2ONY5H3J4170I1C5Z • • • 512MB crucial Heat-Sink Package 3 SS BL6464AA663.8FD • • 1024MB crucial Heat-Sink Package 3 DS BL12864AA663.16FD • • • 1024MB crucial Heat-Sink Package 3 DS BL12864AL664.16FD • • • 1024MB crucial Heat-Sink Package 3 DS BL12864AA663.16FD2 • • • 512MB Apacer AM4B5708JQJS7E N/A SS 78.91G92.9K5 • • • 1024MB Apacer AM4B5808CQJS7E N/A SS 78.01G9O.9K5 • • • 2048MB Apacer AM4B5808CQJS7E N/A DS 78.A1G9O.9K4 • • • 512MB Kingmax KKEA88B4LAUG-29DX 5 SS KLCC28F-A8KB5 • • • 1024MB Kingmax KKEA88B4LAUG-29DX 5 DS KLCD48F-A8KB5 • • • 512MB Super T alent Heat-Sink Package 5 SS T6UA512C5 • • 1024MB Super T alent Heat-Sink Package 5 DS T6UB1GC5 • • • 512MB T winMOS TMM6208G8M30C 5 SS 8D-23JK5M2ETP • • 2048MB NANY A NT5TU128M8BJ-3C 5 DS NT2GT64U8HB0JY -3C • • • 512MB NANY A NT5TU64M8BE-3C 5 SS NT512T64U88B0BY -3C • • 512MB PSC A3R12E3GEF637BLC5N 5 SS AL6E8E63B-6E1K • • • 1024MB PSC A3R12E3GEF637BLC5N 5 DS AL7E8E63B-6E1K • • •
2-18 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.4.3 Installing a DIMM Unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other system components. Failure to do so can cause severe damage to both the motherboard and the components. T o install a DIMM: 1. Unlo ck a DIM M so cket by pres sing the retaining clips outward. 2. Align a DIMM on the socket such that the notch on the DIMM matches the break on the socket. 3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated. 2.4.4 Removing a DIMM T o remove a DIMM: 1. Simultaneously press the retaining clips outward to unlock the DIMM. 2. Remove the DIMM from the socket. Support the DIMM lightly with  retaining clips. The DIMM might  extra force. Unlocked retaining clip DDR2 DIMM notch 1 2 3 1    not force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the DIMM. • The DDR2 DIMM sockets do not support DDR DIMMs. Do not install DDR DIMMs to the DDR2 DIMM sockets. DDR2 DIMM notch 1 2 1
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-19 2.5 Expansion slots In the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support. 2.5.1 Installing an expansion card T o install an expansion card: 1. Before installing the expansion card, read the documentation that came with it and make the necessary hardware settings for the card. 2. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed in a chassis). 3. Remove the bracket opposite the slot that you intend to use. Keep the screw for later use.   completely seated on the slot. 5. Secure the card to the chassis with the screw you removed earlier . 6. Replace the system cover . 2.5.2 Conguring an expansion card  1. T urn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings, if any . See Chapter 4 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 expansion card. Make sure to unplug the power cord before adding or removing expansion cards. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components. When using PCI cards on shared slots, ensure that the drivers support “Share  arise between the two PCI groups, making the system unstable and the card inoperable. Refer to the table on the next page for details.
2-20 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.5.3 Interrupt assignments IRQ Priority Standard function 0 1 System Timer 1 2 Keyboard Controller 2 – Redirect to IRQ#9 4 12 Reserved 5 13 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering* 6 14 Floppy Disk Controller 7 15 NVIDIA nForce 780a SLI 8 3 System CMOS/Real Time Clock 9 4 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering* 10 5 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering* 1 1 6 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering* 12 7 Reserved 13 8 Numeric Data Processor 14 9 Primary IDE Channel IRQ assignments for this motherboard A B C D E F G H PCIE x16_1 shared shared shared shared – – – – PCIE x16_2 shared shared shared shared – – – – PCIE x16_3 shared shared shared shared – – – – USB 1.0 controller 1 – – – shared – – – – USB 1.0 controller 2 – – – shared – – – – USB 1.0 controller 3 – – – shared – – – – USB 1.0 controller 4 – – – shared – – – – USB 2.0 controller – – – shared – – – – HD audio shared – – – – – – – IEEE 1394 – – shared – – – – –
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-21 2.5.4 PCI slots The PCI slots support cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other  of the slots. 2.5.5 PCI Express x1 slots This motherboard supports PCI Express x1 network cards, SCSI cards and other  the location of the slots. • Install the audio card prior to other compatible cards to the black PCIe x1 slot. • Install a PCIe x1 device to a PCIe x1 slot prior to a PCIe x16 slot. 2.5.6 PCI Express x16 slots This motherboard has three PCI Express x16 slots that support PCI Express x16  cards installed, the motherboard can enable multi-display . All of the three PCI Express x16 slots support PCIe 2.0 devices. This motherboard supports 3 SLI-ready Express x16 graphics cards that comply  PCI Express x 1 slot PCI slot PCI Express x 16 slot PCI slot PCI Express x16 slot Audio/PCI Express x1 slot PCI Express x 16 slot
2-22 Chapter 2: Hardware information • We recommend that you install a VGA card to the primary (blue) PCI Express x16 slots, and install any other PCI Express device to the universal (white) PCI Express x16 slot. • Currently , only NVIDIA ® SLI™-Ready GeForce ® 8800 Ultra and GeForce ® 8800 GTX graphics cards support 3-W ay SLI™ mode. • 3-W ay SLI™ mode is supported by Windows ® Vista OS only . For more information, go to NVIDIA ®   • Currently , only NVIDIA ® GeForce ® 8500 GT and GeForce ® 8400 GS graphics cards support GeForce Boost function under Hybrid SLI™ mode. • Currently , only NVIDIA ® GeForce ® 9800 GX2 and GeForce ® 9800 GTX graphics cards support Hybrid Power function under Hybrid SLI™ mode. • Hybrid SLI™ mode is supported by Windows ® Vista OS only . For more information, go to www .nvidia.com/hybridsli. • Before enabling the HybridPower™ function, ensure that you have connected your display to the onboard VGA port or the HDMI/DVI port at the rear panel. Refer to 2.8.1 Rear panel connectors for details. • Connect a rear chassis fan to the motherboard connector labeled OPT_F AN1/2 when using multiple graphics cards for better thermal environment. See page 2-32 for details.   ® SLI™ mode. See page 2-34 for details. Primary PCI Express x16 slots The primary PCI Express x16 slots support PCI Express x16 graphics cards that  Universal PCI Express x16 slots (max. x8 mode) This motherboard also supports universal PCI Express x16 slots with a maximum speed of 8 GB/s. The operating frequency of this slot changes, depending on the type of PCI Express card you install. Refer to the table below for details. VGA conguration PCI Express operating mode PCIex16_1 PCIex16_2 PCIex16_3 Single VGA/PCIe card x16 x8 x16 Dual VGA/PCIe card x16 N/A x16 T riple VGA/PCIe card x16 x8 x8 When running 3-W ay SLI™ mode, the PCIe operating frequency will reach x8, x8, x8.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-23 2.6 Slide switch 1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC_SW) This jumper allows you to enable the clr CMOS switch. Y ou can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data. The clr CMOS switch on the back I/O helps you easily to clear the system setup information such as system passwords. T o erase the RTC RAM: 1. Press down the clr CMOS switch on the back I/O. 2. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to re-enter data. clr CMOS switch behavior System power state G3* S5* S0 (DOS mode) S0 (OS mode) S1 S3 S4 Clearing CMOS ** • The The clr CMOS switch will not function if the jumper cap on CLRTC_SW is moved to the Disable position, but the shutdwon function in S0 mode (DOS mode) still works. • Make sure to re-enter your previous BIOS settings after you clear the CMOS. • Y ou 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 default values. If the system hangs due to overclocking of memory timing or chipset voltage and the power button fails to function, pressing down the clr CMOS switch will shut down the system and clear CMOS simultaneously . *G3: Power off without 5VSB power (AC power loss); S5: Power off with 5VSB power **The system shuts dowm immediately . CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA Clear RTC RAM slide switch Enable (Default) Disable CLR_SW
2-24 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.7 Audio card, I/O shield, and LCD Poster installation 2.7.1 Audio card Installation 1. T ake out the Audio card from the package. 2. Locate the audio slot on the motherboard. 3. Align the card connector with the  sits on the slot completely . 4. The photo below shows the audio card installed on the motherboard.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-25 3. Thread the LCD Poster cable through the opening until its stopper snaps into place. 4. Plug the LCD Poster cable into the onboard connector labeled LCD_CON . 2.7.2 I/O shield and LCD Poster Installation 1. Install the I/O shield to the chassis by snapping it in place from inside. 2. Orient the motherboard and install it to the chassis. Make sure that the  I/O openings. 5. Place the LCD Poster on the chassis or to wherever you like.
2-26 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.8 Connectors 2.8.1 Rear panel connectors 1. PS/2 keyboard port (purple). This port is for a PS/2 keyboard. 2. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port. This port connects an external audio output device via a coaxial S/PDIF cable. 3. VGA por VGA por t. This port is for a VGA monitor or other VGA-compatible devices. 4. LAN 1/2 (RJ-45) port. This port allows Gigabit connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. Refer to the table below for the LAN port LED indications. 32-bit OS LAN port LED indications * Blinking Activity/Link Speed LED Description OFF OFF Soft-off Mode YELLOW* OFF During Power ON/OFF YELLOW* ORANGE 100 Mbps connection YELLOW* GREEN 1 Gbps connection 64-bit OS LAN port LED indications Activity/Link Speed LED Description OFF OFF Soft-off Mode YELLOW* OFF During Power ON/OFF YELLOW* ORANGE 100 Mbps connection YELLOW* GREEN 1 Gbps connection * Blinking SPEED LED ACT/LINK LED LAN port 2 3 4 1 15 14 16 13 1 1 12 17 5 Line in Mic in Cen/Sub Rear-out Side-out Front-out 6 7 8 9 10
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-27 5. Line In port (light blue). This port connects the tape, CD, DVD player , or other audio sources. 6. Line Out port (lime). This port connects a headphone or a speaker . In  becomes Front Speaker Out. 7. Microphone port (pink). This port connects a microphone. 8. Center/Subwoofer port (orange). This port connects the center/subwoofer speakers. 9. Rear Speaker Out port (black). This port connects the rear speakers on a  10. Side Speaker Out port (gray). This port connects the side speakers in an    Audio 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel conguration 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 1 1. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices. 12. IEEE 1394a port. This 6-pin IEEE 1394a port provides high-speed connectivity for audio/video devices, storage peripherals, PCs, or portable devices. 13. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4. These 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.
2-28 Chapter 2: Hardware information 14. HDMI port. This port is for a high-  connector . • This motherboard comes with dual-VGA outputs through the onboard VGA and HDMI ports. Y ou can simultaneously connect two displays to these ports. • With the bundled HDMI-to-DVI adapter , this motherboard also supports DVI output. 15. Optical S/PDIF Out port. This port connects an external audio output device via an optical S/PDIF cable. 16. USB 2.0 ports 5 and 6. These 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices. 17. Clear CMOS switch. Press the clear CMOS switch to clear setup information when the system hangs due to overclocking. Before enabling the HybridPower™ function, ensure that you have connected your display to the onboard VGA port or the HDMI/DVI port at the rear panel. Playback of HD DVD and Blu-Ray Discs The speed and bandwidth of the CPU/Memory , DVD player, and drivers will   reference. Using the CPU/Memory of higher speed and bandwidth with the higher-version DVD player and drivers will upgrade the playback quality . CPU: AMD Athlon 4400 DIMM: DDR2-800 512MB Playback software: PowerDVD Ultra v7.3
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-29 • Pin 20 on the IDE connector is removed to match the covered hole on the Ultra DMA cable connector . This prevents incorrect insertion when you connect the IDE cable. • Use the 80-conductor IDE cable for Ultra DMA 133/100/66 IDE devices. If any device jumper is set as “Cable-Select,” make sure all other device jumpers have the same setting. Drive jumper setting Mode of device(s) Cable connector Single device Cable-Select or Master - Black T wo devices Cable-Select Master Black Slave Gray Master Master Black or gray Slave Slave CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T PRI_IDE NOTE: Orient the red markings on the IDE ribbon cable to PIN 1. PIN1 CROSSHAIR II FORMULA IDE connector 2.8.2 Internal connectors 1. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE) The onboard IDE connector is for the Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cable. There are three connectors on each Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cable: blue, black, and gray . Connect the blue connector to the motherboard’s IDE  
2-30 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2. NVIDIA NVIDIA ® nForce 780a SLI Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1–4 [blue]; 7-pin SA T A5–6 [black]) These connectors are for the Serial A T A signal cables for Serial A T A hard disk and optical disk drives. If you install Serial A T A hard disk drives, you can create a RAID 0, RAID 1,     through the onboard NVIDIA ® nForce 780a SLI controller . • SA T A1–4 connectors are set to �IDE] by default. If you intend to create SA T A1–4 connectors are set to �IDE] by default. If you intend to create If you intend to create a Serial A T A RAID set using these connectors, set the SA T A Operation Mode item to �RAID] in the BIOS. See section 4.5.6 MCP Storage Cong for details. • SA T A 5–6 connectors support AHCI mode and RAID mode only . Make sure to install the AHCI driver or RAID driver in the bundled support DVD before connecting devices to SA T A 5–6 connectors. Otherwise, the devices will not work. • For RAID 5, use at least three hard disk drives. For RAID 0 1, use at least four hard disk drives. Use two to four Serial A T A hard disk drives for each RAID 0 or RAID 1 set. • Before creating a RAID set, refer to 5.4.2 NVIDIA ® RAID congurations or the manual bundled in the motherboard support DVD. • Y ou must install the Windows ® XP Service Pack 1 before using Serial A T A hard disk drives. The Serial A T A RAID feature (RAID 0/RAID 1/RAID 5/RAID 10) is available only if you are using Windows ® XP or later version. CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T SA T A1 GND RSATA_RXN1 RSATA_TXP1 GND RSATA_TXN1 RSATA_TXP1 GND SA T A2 GND RSATA_RXN2 RSATA_TXP2 GND RSATA_TXN2 RSATA_TXP2 GND SA T A3 GND RSATA_RXN3 RSATA_TXP3 GND RSATA_TXN3 RSATA_TXP3 GND SA T A6 GND RSATA_RXN6 RSATA_TXP6 GND RSATA_TXN6 RSATA_TXP6 GND SA T A5 GND RSATA_RXN5 RSATA_TXP5 GND RSATA_TXN5 RSATA_TXP5 GND SA T A4 GND RSATA_RXN4 RSATA_TXP4 GND RSATA_TXN4 RSATA_TXP4 GND CROSSHAIR II FORMULA SA T A connectors Connect the right-angle side of SA T A signal cable to SA T A device. Or you may connect the right-angle side of SA T A cable to the onboard SA T A port to avoid  graphics cards. right angle side
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-31 4. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB 78; USB 910; USB1 1 12) 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  Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors. Doing so will damage the motherboard!    then install the Q-Connector (USB) to the USB connector onboard. 3. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)  one end of the cable to this connector , then connect the other end to the  Pin 5 on the connector is removed to prevent incorrect cable connection when using a FDD cable with a covered Pin 5. CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T FLOPPY NOTE: Orient the red markings on the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1. PIN1 CROSSHAIR II FORMULA Floppy disk drive connector CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T PIN 1 USB 5V USB_P8- USB_P8 GND NC USB 5V USB_P7- USB_P7 GND USB78 PIN 1 USB 5V USB_P10- USB_P10 GND NC USB 5V USB_P9- USB_P9 GND USB910 PIN 1 USB 5V USB_P12- USB_P12 GND NC USB 5V USB_P11- USB_P11 GND USB1 112 CROSSHAIR II FORMULA USB 2.0 connectors
2-32 Chapter 2: Hardware information 5. IEE E 1394 a port connector (10-1 pin IE1394_2) This connector is for a 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!    then install the Q-Connector (1394) to the 1394 connector onboard. 6. Thermal sensor cable connectors (2-pin OPT_TEMP1/2/3) These connectors are for temperature monitoring. Connect the thermal sensor cables to these connectors 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. The thermal sensor cable is purchased separately . Enable OPT1/2/3 Cable Overheat Protection in BIOS if you connect thermal sensor cables to these connectors. Refer to page 4-38 for details. CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA IEEE 1394 connector PIN 1 TPA2- GND TPB2- 12V GND TPA2 GND TPB2 12V IE1394_2 CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA Thermal sensor cable connectors Temperature Ground OPT_TEMP1 Temperature Ground OPT_TEMP2 Temperature Ground OPT_TEMP3
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-33 7. CPU, chassis, and optional fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN, 3-pin CHA_F AN1–3, 3-pin PWR_F AN, 3-pin OPT_F AN1–3) The fan c onnect ors su pport co oling fans o f 350 mA–1000 mA (24 W max.) or a total of 1 A–3.48 A (41.76 W max.) at 12V . Connect the fan cables to the fan connectors on the motherboard, making sure that the black wire of each cable matches the ground pin of the connector .   not jumpers! DO NOT place jumper caps on the fan connectors! • Only the CPU_F AN, CHA_F AN1–3, and OPT_F AN1–3 connectors support the ASUS Q-Fan Plus feature. • If you install multiple VGA cards, we recommend that you plug the chassis fan cable to the motherboard connector labled OPT_F AN1/2 for better thermal environment. CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T PWR_F AN Rotation 12V GND CHA_F AN1 Rotation 12V GND CHA_F AN2 Rotation 12V GND CHA_F AN3 Rotation 12V GND CPU_F AN CPU FAN PWM CPU FAN IN CPU FAN PWR GND OPT_F AN1 Rotation 12V GND OPT_F AN2 Rotation 12V GND OPT_F AN3 Rotation 12V GND CROSSHAIR II FORMULA FAN connectors PWR_FAN CPU_FAN CPU_F AN CPU FAN PWM CPU FAN IN CPU FAN PWR GND CPU_FAN OPT_FAN3 OPT_FAN1 OPT_FAN2 CHA_FAN1 CHA_FAN2 CHA_FAN3
2-34 Chapter 2: Hardware information 8. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS) This connector is for a chassis-mounted intrusion detection sensor or switch. Connect one end of the chassis intrusion sensor or switch cable to this connector . The chassis intrusion sensor or switch sends a high-level signal to this connector when a chassis component is removed or replaced. The signal is then generated as a chassis intrusion event. By default, the pin labeled “Chassis Signal” and “Ground” are shorted with a jumper cap. Remove the jumper caps only when you intend to use the chassis intrusion detection feature. 9. Digital audio co nne cto r (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT for ASUS HDMI VGA card) This connector is for an additional Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) port(s). If you are using an ASUS HDMI-equipped graphics card, connect the HDMI card to this connector with a S/PDIF Out cable. The ASUS HDMI-equipped graphics card and the S/PDIF Out cable are purchased separately . CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA Chassis intrusion connector 5VSB_MB Chassis Signal GND CHASSIS CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T GND SPDIFOUT 5V SPDIF_OUT CROSSHAIR II FORMULA Digital audio connector
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-35 •      and provides a minimum power of 400 W .    the system will not boot. • Use of a PSU with a higher power output is recommended when  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 W attage Calculator at http://support.asus.com/PowerSupplyCalculator/PSCalculator . aspx?SLanguage=en-us for details. • If you want to use two or more high-end PCI Express x16 cards, use a PSU with 1000 W power or above to ensure the system stability .      10. ATX po wer co nn ec tor s (24-pin EA TXPWR, 8-pin EA TX12V) These connectors are for A TX power supply plugs. The power supply plugs   • Make sure to remove the cap on the EA TX12V connector before connecting an 8-pin EPS 12V power plug. • Use only an 8-pin EPS 12V power plug for the EA TX12V connector. CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA A TX power connectors EATXPWR PIN 1 GND 5 Volts 5 Volts 5 Volts -5 Volts GND GND GND PSON# GND -12 Volts 3 Volts 3 Volts 12 Volts 12 Volts 5V Standby Power OK GND 5 Volts GND 5 Volts GND 3 Volts 3 Volts EATX12V PIN 1 12V DC 12V DC 12V DC 12V DC GND GND GND GND
2-36 Chapter 2: Hardware information Power supply requirements Heavy Loading CPU Phenom 9600 Memory 1 GB*4 VGA 8800 Ultra*3 SA T A-HDD 6 IDE-CDROM 1 IDE-HDD 1 USB 4 12V_8Pin 12V_24pin 5V_24pin 3V_24pin 12V_VGA1 12V_VGA2 12V_VGA3 V oltage (V) 12.14 12.21 5.22 3.456 12.2 12.2 12.2 Current (A) 1 1.32 13.71 6.41 6.98 6.51 6.59 6.6 Power (W) 137.425 167.399 33.460 24.123 79.422 80.398 80.52 SA T A-HDD IDE-CDROM IDE-HDD USB T otal PSU Quantity 6 1 1 4 Po_max(w) Power 10.45 10 12.68 2.5 698.127 T otal Power 62.7 10 12.68 10 Normal Loading CPU Athlon 64 X2 5000 Memory 1 GB*4 VGA 8800 Ultra*2 SA T A-HDD 4 IDE-CDROM 1 IDE-HDD 0 USB 4 12V_8Pin 12V_24pin 5V_24pin 3V_24pin 12V_VGA1 12V_VGA2 12V_VGA3 V oltage (V) 12.14 12.21 5.225 3.455 12.2 12.2 Current (A) 6.74 8.92 6.22 6.87 6.52 6.82 Power (W) 81.824 108.913 32.500 23.736 79.544 83.204 0 SA T A-HDD IDE-CDROM IDE-HDD USB T otal PSU Quantity 4 1 0 4 Po_max(w) Power 10.45 10 12.68 2.5 471.521 T otal Power 41.8 10 0 10
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-37 1 1. ROG connector (2-pin ROG) This connector is for the box labeled as Republic of Gamers on the heatpipe assembly . Connect the cable of the box to this connector , and the box lights up when the system is on. CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ROG connector Light Loading CPU Sempron 1 100 Memory 1 GB*2 VGA 8800 Ultra*1 SA T A-HDD 2 IDE-CDROM 1 IDE-HDD 0 USB 4 12V_8Pin 12V_24pin 5V_24pin 3V_24pin 12V_VGA1 12V_VGA2 12V_VGA3 V oltage (V) 12.19 12.21 5.22 3.456 12.16 Current (A) 3.19 5.55 5.04 5.36 6.5 Power (W) 38.886 67.766 26.309 18.524 79.04 0 0 SA T A-HDD IDE-CDROM IDE-HDD USB T otal PSU Quantity 2 1 0 4 Po_max(w) Power 10.45 10 12.68 2.5 271.425 T otal Power 20.9 10 0 10
2-38 Chapter 2: Hardware information • System power LED (2-pin PLED) This 2-pin connector is for the system power LED. Connect the chassis power LED cable to this connector . The system power LED lights up when you turn on the system power , and blinks when the system is in sleep mode. • Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pin IDE_LED) This 2-pin connector is for the HDD Activity LED. Connect the HDD Activity   read from or written to the HDD. • System warning 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. • A TX 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 system is ON turns the system OFF . • Reset button (2-pin RESET) This 2-pin connector is for the chassis-mounted reset button for system reboot without turning off the system power . 12. System panel connector (20-8 pin P ANEL) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions. CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RESE T P ANEL PIN 1 * Requires an ATX power supply PLED SPEAKER PLED PLED- 5V Ground Ground Speaker IDE_LED IDE_LED- PWR Ground Reset Ground IDE_LED PWRSW RESET CROSSHAIR II FORMULA System panel connector
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 2-39 ASUS Q-Connector (system panel) Y ou can use the ASUS Q-Connector to connect/disconnect chassis front panel cables in a few steps. Refer to the instructions below to install the ASUS Q- Connector . 1. Connect the front panel cables to the ASUS Q-Connector . Refer to the labels on the Q-Connector  match them to the respective front panel cable labels. 2. Install the ASUS Q-Connector to the system panel connector , making sure the orientation matches the labels on the motherboard. 3. The front panel functions are now enabled.  installed on the motherboard.
2-40 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.8.3 Onboard switches  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. CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® RE SE T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA Power on switch CROSSHAIR II FORMULA ® R E S E T CROSSHAIR II FORMULA Reset switch RESE T
3 Chapter 3: Powering up This chapter describes the power up sequence, the vocal POST messages, and ways of shutting down the system.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula Chapter summary 3 3.1 Starting up for the rst time ........................................................ 3-1 3.2 T urning off the computer ............................................................. 3-2
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 3-1 3.1 Starting up for the rst time 1. After making all the connections, replace the system case cover . 2. Be sure that all switches are off. 3. Connect the power cord to the power connector at the back of the system chassis. 4. Connect the power cord to a power outlet that is equipped with a surge protector . 5. T urn on the devices in the following order: a. Monitor b. External SCSI devices (starting with the last device on the chain) c. System power 6. After applying power , the system power LED on the system front panel case lights up. For systems with A TX power supplies, the system LED lights up when you press the A TX power button. If your monitor complies with “green” standards or if it has a “power standby” feature, the monitor 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 . If you do not see anything within 30 seconds from the time you turned on the power , the system may have failed a power-on test. Check the jumper settings and connections or call your retailer for assistance. 7. At power on, hold down the <Delete> key to enter the BIOS Setup. Follow the instructions in Chapter 4.
3-2 Chapter 3: Powering up 3.2 Turning off the computer 3.2.1 Using the OS shut down function If you are using Windows ® Vista™: 1. Click the Start button then select Shut Down . 2. The power supply should turn off after Windows ® shuts down. If you are using Windows ® XP: 1. Click the Start button then select T urn Off Computer . 2. Click the T urn Off button to shut down the computer . 3. The power supply should turn off after Windows ® shuts down. 3.2.2 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 of the BIOS setting. Refer to section 4.6 Power Menu for details.
4 Chapter 4: 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.
Chapter summary 4 ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 4-1 4.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................... 4-9 4.3 Extreme T weaker menu ............................................................. 4-13 4.4 Main menu .................................................................................. 4-22 4.5 Advanced menu ......................................................................... 4-27 4.6 Power menu ................................................................................ 4-34 4.7 Boot menu .................................................................................. 4-40 4.8 T ools menu ................................................................................. 4-45 4.9 Exit menu .................................................................................... 4-48
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-1 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) setup. 1. ASUS Update (Updates the BIOS in Windows ® environment.) 2. ASUS EZ Flash 2  3. Award BIOS Flash Utility  disk or a DVD ROM.) 4. ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2   Refer to the corresponding sections for details on these utilities.  disk in case you need to restore the BIOS in the future. Copy the original motherboard BIOS using the ASUS Update or Award BIOS Flash utilities. Installing ASUS Update T o 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. 4.1.1 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:          • Update the BIOS directly from the Internet, and • View the BIOS version information. This utility is available in the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package. ASUS Update requires an Internet connection either through a network or an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
4-2 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Quit all Windows ® applications before you update the BIOS using this utility . 3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest  click Auto Select. Click Next. Updating the BIOS through the Internet T o 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.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-3 Updating the BIOS through a BIOS le   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 a 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.   window , then click Open. 4. Follow the screen instructions to complete the update process. CrosshairII CrosshairII
4-4 Chapter 4: BIOS setup T o update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2:     the motherboard.   3. Y ou can launch the EZ Flash 2 by two methods.   Press <Alt> <F2> during POST to display the following. 4.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility The ASUS EZ Flash 2 feature allows you to update the BIOS without having to go through the long process of using a DOS-based utility . The EZ Flash 2 utility is built-in the BIOS chip so it is accessible by pressing <Alt> <F2> during the Power-On Self T ests (POST). (2) Enter BIOS setup program. Go to the T ools menu to select EZ Flash2 and press <Enter> to enable it.     is found. Then press <Enter>. ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility B327 FLASH TYPE: MXIC MX25L8005 8Mb SPI BOARD: CROSSHAIR II FORMULA VER: 0114 DATE: 02/27/2008 Current ROM Update ROM BOARD: Unknown VER: Unknown DATE: Unknown PATH: A:\ A: Note [Enter] Select [S] Save [ESC] Exit [Tab] Switch [Up/Down/Home/End] Move   with F A T 32/16/12 format only . • Do not shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent system boot failure!   process and automatically reboots the system when done.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-5 4.1.3 Updating the BIOS The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) can be updated using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility . Follow these instructions to update the BIOS using this utility .     F A T 16/12 format .        disk you created earlier . 4. Under the DOS mode, use <X:> (X stands for the name of the disk     5. At the prompt, type  <Enter>. The Award BIOS Flash Utility screen appears. AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: Please input File Name! For MCP72XE-CROSSHAIRII-00 DATE:02/15/2008 Flash Type - MXIC MX25L8005 SPI File Name to Program:    in the File Name to  <Enter>. AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: Do You Want To Save Bios (Y/N) For MCP72XE-CROSSHAIRII-00 DATE:02/15/2008 Flash Type - MXIC MX25L8005 SPI File Name to Program: 0109.bin
4-6 Chapter 4: BIOS setup   following screen appears.        9. The utility displays a Flashing Complete message indicating that you have successfully  Remove the disk then press <F1> to restart the system. AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved F1 Reset For MCP72XE-CROSSHAIRII-00 DATE:02/15/2008 Flash Type - MXIC MX25L8005 SPI File Name to Program: 0109.bin Flashing Complete Press <F1> to Continue Write OK No Update Write Fail AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Warning: Don’t Turn Off Power Or Reset System! For MCP72XE-CROSSHAIRII-00 DATE:02/15/2008 Flash Type - MXIC MX25L8005 SPI File Name to Program: 0109.bin Programming Flash Memory - OFE00 OK Write OK No Update Write Fail
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-7 4. The utility saves the  disk, then returns to the       then press <Enter>.    1. Follow steps 1 to 6 of the previous section. 2. Press <Y> when the utility prompts you to save the  following screen appears. 4.1.4 Saving the current BIOS le      process. AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: For MCP72XE-CROSSHAIRII-00 DATE:02/15/2008 Flash Type - MXIC MX25L8005 SPI File Name to Program: 0109.bin Save current BIOS as: AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: Please Wait! For MCP72XE-CROSSHAIRII-00 DATE:02/15/2008 Flash Type - MXIC MX25L8005 SPI File Name to Program: 0109.bin Checksum: 810DH Save current BIOS as: 0110.bin AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: Please Wait! For MCP72XE-CROSSHAIRII-00 DATE:02/15/2008 Flash Type - MXIC MX25L8005 SPI File Name to Program: 0110.bin Now Backup System BIOS to File!  
4-8 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.1.5 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore     • Prepare the motherboard support DVD containing the updated motherboard Prepare the motherboard support DVD containing the updated motherboard BIOS before using this utility . • Y ou can monitor the BIOS recovery process on your display only when installing an external graphics card. • If you use the onboard VGA output, your display does not show when the If you use the onboard VGA output, your display does not show when the BIOS recovery is proceeding. Insert the support DVD to the optical drive and wait for a few minutes to restart your system. 4. Restart the system after the utility completes the updating process.       8GB. • DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS! Doing so can cause system boot failure! Award BootBlock BIOS v1.0 Copyright (c) 2000, Award Software, Inc. BIOS ROM checksum error Detecting IDE ATAPI device... Found CDROM, try to Boot from it... Pass    Award BootBlock BIOS v1.0 Copyright (c) 2000, Award Software, Inc. BIOS ROM checksum error Detecting IDE ATAPI device... Recovering the BIOS from the support DVD T o recover the BIOS from the support DVD: 1. T urn on the system. 2. Insert the motherboard support DVD to the optical drive. 3. The utility displays the following message and automatically checks the DVD 
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-9 4.2 BIOS setup program This motherboard supports a programmable Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) chip that you can update using the provided utility described in section “4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS.”   your system using this utility . Even if you are not prompted to use the Setup program, you can change the  security password feature or change the power management settings. This   SPI chip. The SPI chip on the motherboard stores the Setup utility . When you start up the computer , the system provides you with the opportunity to run this program. Press   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. Y ou can also restart by turning the system off and then back on. Do this last option only if  The Setup program is designed to make it as easy to use as possible. Being a menu-driven program, it lets you scroll through the various sub-menus and make your selections from the available options using the navigation keys. • The default BIOS settings for this motherboard apply for most conditions to ensure optimum performance. If the system becomes unstable after changing any BIOS settings, load the default settings to ensure system compatibility and stability . Select the Load Setup Default item under the Exit Menu. See section 4.9 Exit Menu. • The BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for reference purposes only , and may not exactly match what you see on your screen.    this motherboard.
4-10 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.2.1 BIOS menu screen Legend bar General help Menu bar Sub-menu items Conguration elds Menu items Select Menu Item Specic Help Change the internal time. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Extreme Tweaker Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit System Time 15 : 30 : 36 System Date Thu, Feb 21 2008 Language [English] Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Primary IDE Master [None] Primary IDE Slave [None] SATA 1 [None] SATA 2 [None] SATA 3 [None] SATA 4 [None] HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] Installed Memory 256MB Usable Memory 191MB System Information 4.2.2 Menu bar The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items: Main     Extreme T weaker For changing the overclocking settings Advanced For changing the advanced system settings Power For changing the advanced power management (APM)    Boot     T ools    Exit For selecting the exit options and loading default settings T o select an item on the menu bar , press the right or left arrow key on the keyboard until the desired item is highlighted. • The BIOS setup screens shown in this chapter are for reference purposes only , and may not exactly match what you see on your screen. • Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) to download the latest BIOS information.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-1 1 4.2.4 Menu items  For example, selecting Main shows the Main menu items. The other items (Advanced, Power , Boot, and Exit) on the menu bar have their respective menu items. 4.2.5 Sub-menu items A solid triangle before each item on any menu screen means that the item has a sub-menu. T o display the sub-menu, select the item and press <Enter>. 4.2.6 Conguration elds         Refer to “4.2.7 Pop-up window .” 4.2.3 Legend bar At the bottom of the Setup screen is a legend bar . The keys in the legend bar allow you to navigate through the various setup menus. The following table lists the keys found in the legend bar with their corresponding functions. Navigation Key Function <F1> Displays the General Help screen <F5> Loads setup default values <Esc> Exits the BIOS setup or returns to the main menu from a sub-menu Left or Right arrow Selects the menu item to the left or right Up or Down arrow  Page Down or – (minus)  Page Up or (plus)  <Enter>  <F10> Saves changes and exit
4-12 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.2.7 Pop-up window Select a menu item then press <Enter> to display a pop-up window with the  4.2.8 General help At the top right corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the selected item. Pop-up menu Select Menu Item Specic Help Change the internal time. F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit System Time 15 : 30 : 36 System Date Thu, Feb 21 2008 Language [English] Legacy Diskette A: Primary IDE Maste r [None] Primary IDE Slave [None] SATA 1 [None] SATA 2 [None] SATA 3 [None] SATA 4 [None] HDD SMART Monitor ing [Disabled] Installed Memory 1024MB Usable Memory 1023MB System Informatio n Legacy Diskette A: Disabled ..... [ ] 720K , 3.5 in. ..... [ ] 1.44M, 3.5 in. ..... [ ] ↑↓ :Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Extreme Tweaker Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-13 Select Menu Item Specic Help Warning: this function belongs to overclocking, and it may cause instability. Select a CPU level, and the rest will be auto- adjusted. If you want to adjust more, set Ai Overclock Tuner to Manual after you select a CPU level. F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit 4.3 Extreme Tweaker menu   items. T ake caution when changing the settings of the Extreme T weaker menu items.  CPU Level Up [Auto] AI Tuning [Auto] x Overclock Options Disabled x N.O.S. Option Disabled x CPU Frequency 200 CPU Multiplier [Auto] K8<->NB HT Speed [Auto] K8<->NB HT Width [Auto] PCIE Clock [100] DRAM Conguration SLI-Ready Memory [Disabled] x SLI-Ready Memory CPUOC CPUOC o% Vcore Voltage [Auto] VDDNB Voltage [Auto] DDR2 Voltage [Auto] SB Voltage [Auto] HT Voltage [Auto] VDDA Voltage [Auto] BR Voltage [Auto] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Extreme Tweaker Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit 4.3.1 Conguring System Performance Settings CPU Level Up [Auto] Allows you to select a CPU level, and the related parameters will be automatically  settings in detail, set AI T uning to �Manual] after selecting a CPU level.       Athlon LE-1620 / AthlonX2 BE2400 / AthlonX2 6000 CPU. Scroll down to see more items. DDR2 Controller Ref Voltage [Auto] DDR2 Channel A Ref Voltage [Auto] DDR2 Channel B Ref Voltage [Auto] CPU Conguration Spread Spectrum Control F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit
4-14 Chapter 4: BIOS setup  AI T uning to �AI Overclock ]. Overclock Options [Disabled] Allows you to set the overclocking options.  �Overclock 10%]  AI T uning to �AI N.O.S. ]. N.O.S. Option [Disabled] Allows you to set the overclocking options.  �Overclock 10%]  AI T uning to �Manual ]. CPU Frequency [200] Use the < > and <-> keys or the numeric keypad to enter the desired value. The values range from 200 to 600. CPU Multiplier [Auto]   K8<->NB HT Speed [Auto]   AI T uning [Auto] Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal   Manual Allows you to individually set overclocking parameters. Auto Loads the optimal settings for the system. Standard Loads the standard settings for the system. AI Overclock  overclocking. AI N.O.S. ASUS Non-delay Overclocking System feature intelligently determines the system load and automatically boosts the performance for the most demanding tasks. CPU Level Up Allows you to select a CPU level, and the related parameters will be adjusted automatically .
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-15 K8<->NB HT Width [Auto]  ↓ 8 ↑ 8] � ↓ 16 ↑ 16] �Auto] PCIE Clock [100] Allows you to set the PCIEX16_1/2/3 overclocking frequency . Use the < > and <-> keys or the numeric keypad to enter the desired value. The values range from or the numeric keypad to enter the desired value. The values range from The values range from 100 to 200. DRAM Conguration memory Clock Frequency �Auto] Allows you to set the DDR2 overclocking frequency .  �DDR2 800] A very high DRAM frequency may cause the system to become unstable! If this happens, revert to the default setting. T cl �Auto]  T rcd �Auto]     �3] �4] �5] �6] T rp �Auto]      �Auto] �3] �4] �5] �6] T ras �Auto]  –�18] 1T/2T Memory Timing �Auto]  Select Menu Item Specic Help Setting platform Memclock or limit value. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Extreme Tweaker F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Memory Timing Setting Memory Clock Frequency [Auto] Tcl [Auto] Trcd [Auto] Trp [Auto] Tras [Auto] 1T/2T Memory Timing [Auto] Memory DCT Mode [Unganged Mode] Memory Hole Remapping [Enabled] AI Clock Skew [Auto] x Channel A Clock Skew Normal x Channel B Clock Skew Normal Advanced Memory Settings Advanced Memory Settings DRAM Timing Control Output Driver Control Current DRAM Timing 1066MHz-5-3-3- 6-2T
4-16 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Memory DCT Mode �Unganged Mode] This item appears only when you use an AM2 CPU.  Memory Hole Remapping �Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the remapping of the overlapped PCI memory above the total physical memory . Enable this option only when you install 64-       �Disabled] �Enabled] AI Clock Skew �Auto] Allows you to adjust the DRAM clock skew for both Channel A and B.   �Auto] �Manual]  AI Clock Skew to � Manual]. Channel A/Channel B Clock Skew [Normal]     �Advance 750ps] �Advance 600ps] �Advance 450ps] �Advance 300ps] �Advance 150ps] �Normal] �Delay 150ps] �Delay 300ps] �Delay 450ps] �Delay 600ps] �Delay 750ps] �Delay 900ps] Advance Memory Settings CPU On-die T ermination [Auto]  T rc [Auto]   T wr [Auto]  T rrd [Auto]  T rwt [Auto]  T wtr [Auto]  T rtp [Auto]  T wrrd [Auto]  T wrwr [Auto]  T rdrd [Auto] 
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-17 T ref [Auto]  T rfc [Auto]  Dynamic Idle Cycle Counter [Auto]  Idle Cycle Limit [Auto]  �64 cycles] �128 cycles] DCQ Bypass Maximum [Auto]  DRAM Burst Length [Auto]  DRAM Bank Interweaving [Enabled]  Bank Swizzle Mode [Enabled]  DRAM T iming Control CKE Fine Delay [Auto]  delay] �3/64 MEMCLK delay]–�30/64 MEMCLK delay] �31/64 MEMCLK delay] CKE Setup Time [Auto]  CS/ODT Fine Delay [Auto]  delay] �3/64 MEMCLK delay]–�30/64 MEMCLK delay] �31/64 MEMCLK delay] CS/ODT Setup Time [Auto]  Address/Command Fine Delay [Auto]  delay] �3/64 MEMCLK delay]–�30/64 MEMCLK delay] �31/64 MEMCLK delay] Address/Command Setup Time [Auto]  Read DQS Timing Control [Auto]  delay] �3/96 MEMCLK delay]–�46/96 MEMCLK delay] �47/96 MEMCLK delay]
4-18 Chapter 4: BIOS setup SLI-Ready Memory [Disabled]    SLI-Ready Memory to options other than �disabled]. SLI-Ready Memory CPUOC �CPUOC 0%] Allows you to select CPU overclocking percentage.  �CPUOC 13%] �CPUOC 14%] �CPUOC MAX] Vcore V oltage [Auto]      –�1.9750V] �1.9750V] �1.9875V] �2.0000V] Write Data T iming Control [Auto]  delay] �3/96 MEMCLK delay]–�46/96 MEMCLK delay] �47/96 MEMCLK delay] DQS Receiver Enable Timing [Auto]  Output Driver Control CKE Drive Strength [Auto]  CS/ODT Drive Strength [Auto]  Add/CMD Drive Strength [Auto]  MEMCLK Drive Strength [Auto]  Data Drive Strength [Auto]  DQS Drive Strength [Auto]  DRAM Drivers Weak Mode [Auto]  Current DRAM T iming This value is detected automatically .
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-19 Refer to the CPU documentation before setting the CPU voltage. Setting a high voltage may damage the CPU permanently , and setting a low voltage may make the system unstable. VDDNB V oltage [Auto] Allows you to select the VDDNB voltage.  � 300mvV] � 350mvV] � 450mvV] DDR2 V oltage [Auto]  corresponds to the onboard Memory LED color , both of which indicate voltage   SB V oltage [Auto]    voltage condition. When you set the SB LED Selection item to �SB V oltage], the onboard Southbridge LED displays Southbridge voltage condition. Refer to page   HT V oltage [Auto]   corresponds to the onboard Southbridge LED color , both of which indicate voltage condition. When you set the SB LED Selection item to �HT V oltage], the onboard Southbridge LED displays HT voltage condition. Refer to page 2-2 for Southbridge   VDDA V oltage [Auto] Allows you to select the VDDA voltage.  BR V oltage [Auto]     
4-20 Chapter 4: BIOS setup DDR2 Controller Ref V oltage [Auto] Allows you to manually set the memory voltage, or you can set to �Auto] for the safe mode.  �DDR2_REF-10mv] �DDR2_REF 10mv] �DDR2_REF 20mv] �DDR2_REF 30mv] DDR2 Channel A/Channel B Ref V oltage [Auto] Allows you to manually set the memory voltage, or you can set to �Auto] for the safe mode.  �DDR2_REF-10mv] �DDR2_REF 10mv] �DDR2_REF 20mv] �DDR2_REF 30mv] CPU Conguration Select Menu Item Specic Help Enabling processor virtualization allows hardware facilitated capabilities for running several 386 Virtual Machines on the system simultaneously. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Extreme Tweaker Overclocking CPU Type AMD Phenom(tm)8400 Triple-Core Processor CPU Speed 2100MHz Cache RAM(L2) 512K x3 Cache RAM(L3) 2048K AMD Virtualization [Enabled] AMD Live! [Disabled] AMD Cool’n’Quiet Function [Disabled] Cache Mapping Cycle [Auto] CPU Instruction Fetch [Auto] CPU DownCore Control [Disabled]  Enabling this functions allows hardware capabilities to run several 386 virtual machines on the system simultaneously .  �Disabled] AMD Live! �Disabled] Enables or disables the AMD Live! technology .  AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Function �Disabled] Enables or disables the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet technology that supports P-state   Cache Mapping Cycle �Auto]  CPU Instruction Fetch �Auto]  CPU DownCore Control �Disabled] 
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-21 Spread Spectrum Control CPU Spread Spectrum �Disabled]  PCIE Spread Spectrum �Disabled]  SA T A Spread Spectrum �Down Spread]  Select Menu Item Specic Help Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Extreme Tweaker Spread Spectrum Control CPU Spread Spectrum [Disabled] PCIE Spread Spectrum [Disabled] SATA Spread Spectrum [Down Spread]
4-22 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.4 Main menu When you enter the BIOS Setup program, the Main menu screen appears, giving you an overview of the basic system information. Refer to section 4.2.1 BIOS menu screen for information on the menu screen items and how to navigate through them. 4.4.1 System Time [xx:xx:xx] Allows you to set the system time. 4.4.2 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx] Allows you to set the system date. 4.4.3 Language [English] Allows you to choose the BIOS language version from the options.   �Chinese (Simp.)] �Japanese] 4.4.4 Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.]   Select Menu Item Specic Help Change the internal time. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Extreme Tweaker Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit System Time 15 : 30 : 36 System Date Thu, Feb 21 2008 Language [English] Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Primary IDE Master [None] Primary IDE Slave [None] SATA 1 [None] SATA 2 [None] SATA 3 [None] SATA 4 [None] HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] Installed Memory 256MB Usable Memory 191MB System Information
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-23 4.4.5 Primary IDE Master/Slave While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of IDE devices. There is a separate sub-menu for each IDE device. Select a device item then press <Enter> to display the device information. The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed items (Capacity , Cylinder , Head, Sector and T ransfer Mode). These values are not   system. PIO Mode [Auto] Sets the PIO mode for the IDE device.  UDMA Mode [Auto]   Primary IDE Master/Slave [Auto] Select �Auto] to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive. If automatic detection   system, the setup BIOS may detect incorrect parameters. Select �Manual] to manually enter the IDE hard disk drive parameters. If no drive is installed select  Select Menu Item Specic Help Set a PIO mode for the IDE device. Mode0 through 4 successive increase in performance. F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Primary IDE Master PIO Mode [Auto] UDMA Mode [Auto] Primary IDE Master [Auto] Access Mode [Auto] Capacity 0 MB Cylinder 0 Head 0 Sector 0 Transfer Mode None Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main
4-24 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Capacity   Cylinder  Head  Sector  T ransfer Mode   Access Mode [Auto] The default �Auto] allows automatic detection of an IDE hard disk drive. Select �CHS] for this item if you set the IDE Primary Master/Slave to �Manual].      After entering the IDE hard disk drive information into BIOS, use a disk utility , such as FDISK, to partition and format new IDE hard disk drives. This is necessary so that you can write or read data from the hard disk. Make sure to set the partition of the Primary IDE hard disk drives to active.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-25 4.4.6 S A T A 1 – 4 While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of Serial A T A devices. There is a separate sub-menu for each SA T A device. Select a device item then press <Enter> to display the SA T A device information. The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed items (Capacity , Cylinder , Head, Landing Zone and Sector). These values are not user-     Extended IDE Drive [Auto]   Access Mode [Auto]      Capacity   Cylinder  Head   Landing Zone  Select Menu Item Specic Help Selects the type of xed disk connected to the system. F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit SATA 1 Extended IDE Drive [Auto] Access Mode [Auto] Capacity 0 MB Cylinder 0 Head 0 Landing Zone 0 Sector 0 Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main
4-26 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Sector  After entering the IDE hard disk drive information into BIOS, use a disk utility , such as FDISK, to partition and format new IDE hard disk drives. This is necessary so that you can write or read data from the hard disk. Make sure to set the partition of the Primary IDE hard disk drives to active. 4.4.7 HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the HDD Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting   4.4.8 Installed Memory [xxx MB]   4.4.9 Usable Memory [xxx MB]   4.4.10 System Information  automatically detects the items in this menu. Select Menu Item Specic Help F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit System Information BIOS Revision 0114 BIOS revision Displays the auto-detected BIOS version. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-27 4.5 Advanced menu The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices. 4.5.1 AI NET2 POST Check LAN Cable [Disabled] Enables or disables checking of the LAN cable during the Power-On Self-T est  Select Menu Item Specic Help Press [Enter] to set. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Extreme Tweaker Main Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit AI NET 2 PCIPnP Onboard Device Conguration USB Conguration IDE Function Setup MCP Storage Cong LCD Poster and Onboard LED Control Select Menu Item Specic Help Enable or Disable LAN cable check during POST. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit AI NET 2 POST Check LAN Cable [Disabled] Pair Status Length LAN1(1-2) Open N/A LAN1(3-6) Open N/A LAN1(4-5) Open N/A LAN1(7-8) Open N/A
4-28 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.5.2 PCIPnP Plug & Play O/S [No]  �Y es] and if you install a Plug and Play operating system, the operating system    Resources Controlled By [Auto]  Play compatible devices. Set to �Manual] if you want to assign the IRQ DMA and   Resources Controlled By to �Manual]. IRQ Resources Select Menu Item Specic Help Select Yes if you are using a Plug and Play capable operating system. Select No if you need the BIOS to congure non-boot devices. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced PCIPnP Plug & Play O/S [No] Resources Controlled By [Auto] Resources Controlled By [Auto] x IRQ Resources ** PCI Express relative items ** Maximum payload Size [4096] IRQ-xx assigned to  devices. When set to �Reserved], the IRQ is reserved for legacy ISA devices.  Maximum Payload Size [4096]    Select Menu Item Specic Help Legacy ISA for devices compliant with the original PC AT bus specication, PCI/ISA PnP for devices compliant with the Plug and Play standard whether designed for PCI or ISA bus architecture. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced IRQ Resources IRQ-5 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ-7 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ-9 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ-10 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ-11 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ-14 assigned to [PCI Device]
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-29 4.5.3 Onboard Device Conguration Select Menu Item Specic Help Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Onboard Device Conguration Hybrid Support Disable iGPU Frame Buffer Control [Auto] x Frame Buffer Size 128M Onboard GPU [Auto] Primary Display Adapter [PCI-E] HD Audio [Enabled] Front Panel Support Type [HD Audio] HDMI Audio [Auto] Intergade HDA Codec [HDMI] Onboard LAN Device [Enabled] Onboard LAN2 Device [Enabled] Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled] Onboard LAN2 Boot ROM [Disabled] Onboard LAN2 Boot ROM [Disabled] Onboard 1394 [Enabled] Hybrid Support [Disable]   iGPU Frame Buffer Control [Auto]   iGPU Frame Buffer Control to �Manual].   Onboard GPU [Auto] Set this item to �Auto] to disable onboard GPU and frame buffer if you install  Primary Display Adapter [PCI-E] Allows you to select the graphics controller to use as the primary boot device.  HD Audio [Enabled]   Front Panel Support T ype [HD Audio] Allows you to set the front panel audio connector (AAFP) mode to legacy AC`97   
4-30 Chapter 4: BIOS setup HDMI Audio [Auto] Allows you to enable or disable the HDMI audio function.  Intergade HDA Codec [HDMI]  Onboard LAN/LAN2 Device [Enabled] Enables or disables the onboard NVIDIA ® LAN controller .  Onboard LAN/LAN2 Boot ROM [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN boot ROM.  Onboard 1394 [Enabled] Allows you to disable or enable the onboard 1394 device support.  USB Controller [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the onchip USB controller .  USB 2.0 Controller [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the USB 2.0 controller .  USB Legacy Support [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable support for USB devices on legacy operating  Select Menu Item Specic Help Enable or Disable USB 1.1 and 2.0 Controller. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced USB Conguration USB Controller [Enabled] USB 2.0 Controller [Enabled] USB Legacy support [Enabled] 4.5.4 USB Conguration The items in this menu allows you to change the USB-related features. Select an 
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-31 4.5.5 IDE Function Setup This sub-menu contains IDE function-related items. Select an item then press <Enter> to edit. OnChip IDE Channel0 [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the onchip IDE channel 0 controller .  IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the IDE DMA transfer access.  SA T A Controller [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the SA T A controller.  IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the IDE PIO read prefetch mode.  Select Menu Item Specic Help Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced IDE Function Setup OnChip IDE Channel0 [Enabled] IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled] SATA Controller [Enabled] IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled] 4.5.6 MCP Storage Cong This sub-menu allows you to change Serial A T A settings. Select an item then press <Enter> to edit. SA T A Operation Mode [IDE]       The AHCI allows the onboard storage driver to enable advanced Serial A T A features that increases storage performance on random workloads by allowing the  Select Menu Item Specic Help Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced Serial-ATA Conguration SATA Operation Mode [IDE]
4-32 Chapter 4: BIOS setup ROG Logo [Enabled] If this item is set to �Enabled], the box labeled as Republic of Gamers on the heatpipe assembly lights up when the system is on.  V oltiminder LED [ON] Allows you to turn on/off the onboard V oltiminder LED.  LCD Poster Off [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the LCD Poster .       hard disk drives, set this item to �RAID]. If you want to use the Serial A T A hard disk drives as Parallel A T A physical storage devices, keep the default setting �IDE]. If yo u w ant t he Se ria l AT A h ard di sk d riv es to u se the Ad va nc ed Hos t C on tro lle r In ter fac e ( AH CI ), set t hi s i tem to � AHC I]. Use SA T A 1–4 connectors for IDE mode. SA T A 5–6 connectors support AHCI mode and RAID mode only . Make sure to install the AHCI driver or RAID driver in the bundled support DVD before connecting devices to SA T A 5–6 connectors. Otherwise, the devices will not work. 4.5.7 LCD Poster and Onboard LED Control Select Menu Item Specic Help Set ROG Logo Enabled/ Disabled Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit LCD Poster and Onboard LED Control ROG Logo [Enabled] Voltiminder LED [ON] SB LED Selection [SB Voltage] LCD Poster Off [Enabled] LCD Poster Backlight [Disabled] LCD Poster Mode [Current Time] x LCD Poster String
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-33 LCD Poster Backlight [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the LCD Poster backlight after POST .  LCD Poster Mode [Current Time] Allows you to select the LCD Poster mode.    LCD Poster Mode to �User String]. LCD Poster String Allows you to enter a string that will be displayed on the LCD Poster . Highlight this item and press <Enter> to enter your string with the keypad.
4-34 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.6 Power menu The Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced    4.6.1 ACPI Suspend T ype [S1&S3]   to be used for system suspend.  4.6.2 ACPI APIC support [Enabled]     ACPI APIC table pointer is included in the RSDT pointer list. Select Menu Item Specic Help Select the ACPI state used for System Suspend. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Extreme Tweaker Main Advanced Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit ACPI Suspend Type [S1&S3] ACPI APIC support Enabled APM Conguration Hardware Monitor
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-35 4.6.3 APM Conguration Restore on AC Power Loss [Power-Off] Allows you to enable or disable the Restore on AC Power Loss function.  PWR Button < 4 secs [Instant-Off] Allows you to set the event after the power button is pressed for more than 4  Power Up On PCI/PCIE Devices [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the PME to wake up from S5 by PCI devices & NV  Power On By RTC Alarm [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable RTC to generate a wake event. When this item is set to Enabled, the items Date of Month Alarm and T ime (hh:mm:ss) Alarm items   Date (of Month) Alarm [XX] T o set the date of alarm, highlight this item and press <Enter> to display the Date      Select Menu Item Specic Help Press [Enter] to select whether or not to restart the system after AC power loss Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Power F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit APM Conguration Restore on AC Power Loss [Power-Off] PWR Button < 4 secs [Instant-Off] Power Up On PCI/PCIE Devices [Disabled] Power On by RTC Alarm [Disabled] x Date (of Month) Alarm 0 x Alarm Time (hh:mm) 0 : 0 : 0 HPET Support [Enabled] Power Up By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled]
4-36 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Alarm Time (hh:mm) [ X: X: X] T o set the time of alarm: 1. Highlight this item and press <Enter> to display a pop-up menu for the hour  2. Key-in a value (Min=0, Max=23), then press <Enter>.    4. Key-in a minute value (Min=0, Max=59), then press <Enter>. HPET Support [Enabled]  Power Up By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled]  keys on the PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system. This feature requires an A TX   �Disabled] �Space Bar] �Ctrl-ESC] �Power Key] 4.6.4 Hardware Monitor The items in this sub-menu displays the hardware monitor values automatically detected by the BIOS. It also allows you to change CPU Q-Fan feature-related  Select Menu Item Specic Help Press [Enter] to go to the sub-menu. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Power F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Hardware Monitor Voltage Monitor Temperature Monitor Fan Speed Monitor Fan Speed Control CPU Fan Connector Type [3-pin Fan] CPU Fan Speed Warning [ 800 RPM]
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-37 Vcore, VDDNB, DDR2, SB, HT , VDDA, BR, DDR T erm, 3.3V , 5V , 12V V oltage The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through the onboard voltage regulators. T emperature Monitor CPU, SB, BR, M/B, OPT1/2/3 T emperature The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU, southbridge, PCIe bridge, motherboard, and OPT1/2/3 fan temperatures. These items   The system automatically shuts down when the southbridge or PCIe bridge chipset is heated over the set temperature to protect it from damage.  V oltage Monitor Select Menu Item Specic Help Press [Enter] to set. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Power F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Voltage Monitor Vcore Voltage [ 1.32V] VDDNB Voltage [ 1.52V] VDDNB Voltage [ 1.52V] DDR2 Voltage [ 1.96V] SB Voltage [ 1.26V] SB Voltage [ 1.26V] HT Voltage [ 1.50V] VDDA Voltage [ 2.46V] BR Voltage [ 1.21V] DDR Term Voltage [ 0.99V] 3.3V Voltage [ 2.89V] 5V Voltage [ 4.66V] 12V Voltage [11.64V] Select Menu Item Specic Help Set SB Over Temperature Warning Message Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Power F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Temperature Monitor CPU Temperature 30ºC SB Temperature 47ºC SB Temperature 47ºC BR Temperature 47ºC M/B Temperature 35ºC OPT1 Temperature 0ºC OPT2 Temperature 0ºC OPT3 Temperature 0ºC SB Overheat Protection [90] SB Overheat Protection [90] BR Overheat Protection [90] OPT1 Cable Overheat Protection[90] OPT2 Cable Overheat Protection[90] OPT3 Cable Overheat Protection[90]
4-38 Chapter 4: BIOS setup CPU F AN, CHA _F AN1/2/3, PWR F AN, OPT1/2/3 F AN Speed PWR F AN, OPT1/2/3 F AN Speed OPT1/2/3 F AN Speed The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU fan, chassis fan, power fan, and optional fan speed in rotations per minute power fan, and optional fan speed in rotations per minute optional fan speed in rotations per minute   Fan Speed Control OPT1/2/3 Cable Overheat Protection �90] Allows you to set the temperature over which the system automatically shuts down when any of the thermal sensor cables connected to the motherboard detects device overheat to protect the device from damage.  Fan Speed Monitor Select Menu Item Specic Help Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Power Fan Speed Monitor CPU Fan Speed 4411 RPM CHA_FAN1 Speed 0 RPM CHA_FAN2 Speed 0 RPM OPT_FAN1 Speed 0 RPM OPT_FAN2 Speed 0 RPM OPT_FAN3 Speed 0 RPM PWR FAN Speed 0 RPM CHA_FAN3 Speed 0 RPM Select Menu Item Specic Help Select Fan Control mode. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Power F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Fan Speed Control CPU FAN Control [Duty Cycle Mode] CPU FAN Duty Cycle [100%] CHA_FAN3 Control [Duty Cycle Mode] CHA_FAN3 Duty Cycle [100%] x CHA_FAN3 Q-Fan Sense CPU Temperature CHA_FAN1&2 Control [Duty Cycle Mode] CHA_FAN1&2 Control [Duty Cycle Mode] CHA_FAN1&2 Duty Cycle [100%] x CHA_FAN1&2 Q-Fan Sense CPU Temperature OPT_FAN1 Control [Duty Cycle Mode] OPT_FAN1 Duty Cycle [100%] x OPT_FAN1 Target Temperature 40ºC/104ºF OPT_FAN2 Control [Duty Cycle Mode] OPT_FAN2 Duty Cycle [100%] x OPT_FAN2 Target Temperature 40ºC/104ºF OPT_FAN3 Control [Duty Cycle Mode] OPT_FAN3 Duty Cycle [100%] x OPT_FAN3 Target Temperature 40ºC/104ºF PWR_FAN3 Duty Cycle [100%] CPU F AN Control �Duty Cycle Mode] Allows you to select the fan control mode.  
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-39 CPU F AN Duty Cycle �100%]  you set the CPU F AN Control item to �Duty Cycle Mode].  CHA_F AN3/1&2 Control �Duty Cycle Mode] Allows you to select the fan control mode.   CHA_F AN3/1&2 Duty Cycle �100%]  you set the CHA_F AN3/1&2 Control item to �Duty Cycle Mode].  CHA_F AN3/1&2 Q-Fan Sense �CPU T emperature] Allows the Q-Fan to sense the CPU/MB temperature and to adjust the fan  CHA_F AN3/1&2 Control item to �Q-F AN Mode].     OPT F AN1/2/3 Control �Duty Cycle Mode] Allows you to select the fan control mode.   OPT F AN1/2/3 Duty Cycle �100%]  you set the OPT F AN1/2/3 Control item to �Duty Cycle Mode].  OPT Fan1/2/3 T arget T emperature �40ºC/104ºF] Allows the Q-Fan to sense the temperature of fans connected to OPT  when the OPT F AN1/2/3 Control items are set to �Q-F AN Mode].  �15ºC/59ºF] �20ºC/68ºF] �25ºC/77ºF] �30ºC/86ºF] �35ºC/95ºF] �40ºC/104ºF] �45ºC/1 13ºF] �50ºC/122ºF] �55ºC/131ºF] �60ºC/140ºF] �65ºC/149ºF] �70ºC/158ºF] �75ºC/167ºF] �80ºC/176ºF] �85ºC/185ºF] Y ou need to connect the thermal sensor cables to the OPT_TEMP1/2/3 connectors to enable this function. PWR_F AN Duty Cycle �100%] Allows you to set the fan duty cycle.  CPU Fan Connector T ype [3-pin Fan] Allows you to select the CPU fan connector type. 
4-40 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.7 Boot menu The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu. 4.7.1 Boot Device Priority 1st ~ 4th Boot Device [Removable] These items specify the boot device priority sequence from the available devices. The number of device items that appears on the screen depends on the number of devices installed in the system.  Select Menu Item Specic Help Select Boot Device Priority Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Extreme Tweaker Main Advanced Power Main Advanced Power Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Boot Device Priority Removable Drives Hard Disk Drives CDROM Drives Boot Settings Conguration Security Select Menu Item Specic Help Select Your Boot Device Priority Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Boot Device Priority 1st Boot Device [Removable] 2nd Boot Device [Hard Disk] 3rd Boot Device [CDROM] 4th Boot Device [Disabled] CPU Fan Speed warning [800 RPM] Allows you to set the CPU fan warning speed function, which gives off a warning when the CPU fan speed is too low . If you set this item to �Disabled], the system will not warn you even if no fan is installed or if the fan is not functioning properly . 
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-41 4.7.2 Removable Drives 1. Floppy Disks Allows you to assign a removable drive attached to the system. 4.7.3 Hard Disk Drives 1. SA T A 1: XXXXXXXXX Allows you to assign hard disk drives attached to the system. 4.7.4 CDROM Drives 1. SA T A 2: XXXXXXXXX Allows you to assign optical drives attached to the system. Select Menu Item Specic Help Use < ↑> or < ↓> to select a device, then press < > to move it up, or <-> to move it down the list. Press <ESC> to exit this menu. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Removable Drives 1. Floppy Disks Select Menu Item Specic Help Use < ↑> or < ↓> to select a device, then press < > to move it up, or <-> to move it down the list. Press <ESC> to exit this menu. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Hard Disk Drives 1. SATA 1: XXXXXXXXX Select Menu Item Specic Help Use < ↑> or < ↓> to select a device, then press < > to move it up, or <-> to move it down the list. Press <ESC> to exit this menu. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit CDROM Drives 1. SATA 2: XXXXXXXXX
4-42 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.7.5 Boot Settings Conguration Case Open W arning [Enabled] Enables or disables the chassis open status feature. Setting to Enabled, clears the chassis open status. Refer to section “2.8.2 Internal connectors” for setting details.  Quick Boot [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the system quick boot feature. When Enabled, the system skips certain tests while booting.  Boot Up Floppy Seek [Disabled] Enables or disables the chassis open status feature. Setting to Enabled, clears the  Bootup Num-Lock [On] Allows you to select the power-on state for the NumLock.  T ypematic Rate Setting [Disabled]   Rate (Chars/Sec) and the T ypematic Delay (Msec).  The following two items T ypematic Rate (Chars/Sec) and T ypematic Delay (Msec) T ypematic Rate Setting is enabled. T ypematic Rate (Chars/Sec) [6] Allows you to select the rate at which a character repeats when you hold a key .  Select Menu Item Specic Help Press [Enter] to enable or disable. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Boot Settings Conguration Case Open Warning [Enabled] Quick Boot [Enabled] Boot Up Floppy Seek [Disabled] Bootup Num-Lock [On] Typematic Rate Setting [Disabled] x Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec) 6 x Typematic Delay (Msec) 250 OS Select For DRAM > 64MB [Non-OS2] Full Screen LOGO [Enabled] BIOS Wallpaper [00%] Halt On [All Errors]
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-43 T ypematic Delay (Msec) [250] Allows you to set the delay before keystrokes begin to repeat.  OS Select for DRAM > 64MB [Non-OS2] Set this item to OS2 only when you are running on an OS/2 operating system with  Full Screen LOGO [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the full screen logo display feature.  Make sure that the above item is set to �Enabled] if you want to use the ASUS MyLogo 3™ feature. BIOS W allpaper [00%] Allows you to select the transparency of the BIOS wallpaper .  Halt On [All Errors] Allows you to set the error report type.  �All, But Disk/Key] 4.7.6 Security Select Menu Item Specic Help Supervisor password controls full access, <Enter> to change password. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Security Supervisor Password Clear User Password Clear Password Check [Setup]
4-44 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Supervisor Password User Password  T o set a password: 1. Select an item then press <Enter>. 2. T ype in a password using a combination of a maximum of eight (8) alpha-numeric characters, then press <Enter>.    T o clear the password:   appears: PASSWORD DISABLED !!! Press any key to continue...    A note about passwords The Supervisor password is required to enter the BIOS Setup program   Forgot your password? If you forget your password, you can clear it by erasing the CMOS Real T ime Clock (RTC) RAM. The RAM data containing the password information is powered by the onboard button cell battery . If you need to erase the CMOS RAM, refer to section “2.6 Jumper” for instructions. Password Check  system. Select �Setup] to require the password before entering the BIOS Setup. Select �System] to require the password before entering the system. 
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-45 4.8 Tools menu   an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu. 4.8.1 ASUS O.C. Prole This item allows you to store or load multiple BIOS settings. Load BIOS Prole Select Menu Item Specic Help Press [Enter] to select Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Extreme Tweaker Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit ASUS O.C. Prole ASUS EZ Flash 2 Select Menu Item Specic Help Press [Enter] to select Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit ASUS BIOS Prole Load BIOS Prole Save BIOS Prole Select Menu Item Specic Help Load BIOS Prole from Prole 1. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Load BIOS Prole Load from Prole 1 Load from Prole 2 Load from File Load from Profile 1/2 Allows you to load the previous BIOS settings saved in the BIOS Flash. 
4-46 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Load from File         2. T urn on the system. 3. Enter BIOS setup program. Go to the “T ools” menu to select “Load from File.” Press <Enter> then the setup screen will appear .                Save BIOS Prole Save to Profle 1/2   Save to File      1. Insert the storage devices with enough space. 2. T urn on the system. 3. Enter the BIOS setup program. Go to the “T ools” menu to select “Save to File.” Press <Enter> then the setup screen will appear . 4. Press <T ab> to switch between the drives. Press hot-key <S> to save          Select Menu Item Specic Help Save current BIOS Prole to Prole 1. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Save BIOS Prole Save to Prole 1 Save to Prole 2 Save to File
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 4-47 4.8.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2   message appears. Use the left/right arrow key to select between �Y es] or �No],  ASUSTek O.C. Prole Utility B327 BOARD: CROSSHAIR II FORMULA VER: 0114 DATE: 02/27/2008 Current CMOS Update CMOS BOARD: Unknown VER: Unknown DATE: Unknown PATH: A:\ A: Note [Enter] Select [S] Save [ESC]: Exit [Tab] Switch [Up/Down/Home/End] Move CMOS backup is done! Press any key to Exit.  ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility B327 FLASH TYPE: MXIC MX25L8005 8Mb SPI BOARD: crosshair II FORMULA VER: 0114 DATE: 02/27/2008 Current ROM Update ROM BOARD: Unknown VER: Unknown DATE: Unknown PATH: A:\ A: Note [Enter] Select [S] Save [ESC] Exit [Tab] Switch [Up/Down/Home/End] Move
4-48 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.9 Exit menu The Exit menu items allow you to load the optimal or failsafe default values for the BIOS items, and save or discard your changes to the BIOS items. Pressing <Esc> does not immediately exit this menu. Select one of the options from this menu or <F10> from the legend bar to exit. Exit & Save Changes  menu to ensure the values you selected are saved to the CMOS RAM. An onboard backup battery sustains the CMOS RAM so it stays on even when the PC is turned   save changes and exit. If you attempt to exit the Setup program without saving your changes, the program prompts you with a message asking if you want to save your changes before 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    Load Setup Default This option allows you to load the default values for each of the parameters on the  window appears. Select YES to load default values. Select Exit & Save Changes or make other changes before saving the values to the non-volatile RAM. Discard Changes This option allows you to discard the selections you made and restore the   YES to discard any changes and load the previously saved values. Select Menu Item Specic Help This option save data to CMOS and exiting the setup menu. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Extreme Tweaker Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Exit & Save Changes Exit & Discard Changes Load Setup Default Discard Changes
5 Chapter 5: Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula Chapter summary 5 5.1 Installing an operating system ................................................... 5-1 5.2 Support DVD information ............................................................ 5-1 5.3 Software information ................................................................... 5-9 5.4 RAID congurations .................................................................. 5-34 5.5 Creating a RAID driver disk ....................................................... 5-42
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-1 If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer , browse the contents of the support     ASSETUP .EXE to run the DVD. 5.1 Installing an operating system This motherboard supports Windows ® XP/64-bit XP/Vista/64-bit V ista operating XP/64-bit XP/Vista/64-bit V ista operating operating systems (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates to  5.2 Support DVD information The support DVD that came with the motherboard package contains the drivers, software applications, and utilities that you can install to avail all motherboard features. 5.2.1 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. • Make sure that you install Windows ® 2000 Service Pack 4 or the Windows ® XP Service Pack2 or later versions before installing the drivers for better compatibility and system stability . The contents of the support DVD are subject to change at any time without notice. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) for updates. Click an icon to display support DVD/motherboard information Click an item to install
5-2 Chapter 5: Software support 5.2.2 Drivers menu The drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed devices. Install the necessary drivers to activate the devices. ASUS InstAll - Installation Wizard for Drivers   AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Driver Installs the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ technology driver . NVIDIA Chipset Driver Program Installs the NVIDIA ® chipset drivers for the NVIDIA ® nForce ® 780a SLI™ chipset. SoundMAX ADI Audio Driver Installs the SoundMAX ® ADI audio driver and application. NVIDIA HDMI Audio Driver Installs the NVIDIA ® HDMI audio driver . Marvell Y ukon Gigabit Ethernet Driver Installs the Marvell ® Y ukon Gigabit Ethernet driver . USB 2.0 Driver Installs the Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB 2.0) driver .
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-3 5.2.3 Utilities menu The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports. Click to display the next screen Click to display the previous screen ASUS InstAll-Installation Wizard for Utilities  Marvell Y ukon VCT Application Installs the Marvell ® Y ukon VCT application. ASUS PC Probe II This smart utility monitors the fan speed, CPU temperature, and system voltages, and alerts you of any detected problems. This utility helps you keep your computer in healthy operating condition.
5-4 Chapter 5: Software support ASUS AI Suite Installs the ASUS AI Suite. ASUS Update The ASUS Update utility allows you to update the motherboard BIOS in Windows ® environment. This utility requires an Internet connection either through a network or an Internet Service Provider (ISP). ASUS Cool ‘n’ Quiet Utility Installs the ASUS Cool ‘n’ Quiet ™ software. Adobe Acrobat Reader V7.0 Installs the Adobe ® Acrobat ® Reader that allows you to open, view , and print documents in Portable Document Format (PDF). Microsoft DirectX 9.0c Installs the Microsoft ® DirectX 9.0c driver . The Microsoft DirectX ® 9.0c is a multimedia technology that enhances computer graphics and sound. DirectX ® improves the multimedia features of you computer so you can enjoy watching TV and movies, capturing videos, or playing games in your computer . Visit the Microsoft website (www .microsoft.com) for updates. Anti-Virus Utility  the online help for detailed information. 3DMark06 Software Installs the 3Dmark06 software. WinDVD Copy5 T rial Installs the WinDVD Copy5 T rial version. InterVideo MediaOne Gallary Installs the InterVideo Media One Gallary software. Ulead PhotoImpact 12 SE Installs the Ulead PhotoImpact 12 SE software. CyberLink PowerBackup Installs the CyberLink Powerbackup software. Corel Snapre Plus SE 
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-5 5.2.4 Make Disk menu The Make Disk menu contains items to create the NVIDIA ® nForce ® 780a SLI™ SA T A/RAID/AHCI driver disk. NVIDIA 32/64 bit XP/Vista SA T A/RAID/AHCI Driver Allows you to create a NVIDIA ® 32/64 bit XP/Vista™ SA T A/RAID/AHCI driver disk. Click to display the next screen Click to display the previous screen
5-6 Chapter 5: Software support 5.2.5 Manuals menu The Manuals menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals. Click an item to open the folder of the user manual.  Adobe ® Acrobat ® Reader from the Utilities menu before opening a user manual  5.2.6 Video menu Click the Video tab to display a list of video clips. Click the Extreme OC Clip item to watch how an overclocking guru breaks 3DMark world record with an ROG motherboard.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-7 5.2.8 Other information The icons on the top right corner of the screen give additional information on the motherboard and the contents of the support DVD. Click an icon to display the  Motherboard Info  5.2.7 ASUS Contact information    this information on the inside front cover of this user guide.
5-8 Chapter 5: Software support Filelist Displays the contents of the support DVD and a brief description of each in text format. T echnical support form    requesting technical support. Browse this DVD Displays the support DVD contents in graphical format.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-9 5.3 Software information   with the software application for more information. 5.3.1 ASUS MyLogo3™   image that appears on screen during the Power-On Self-T ests (POST). The ASUS MyLogo3™ is automatically installed when you install the ASUS Update utility from the support DVD. See section “5.2.3 Utilities menu” for details. T o launch the ASUS MyLogo3™: ™: : 1. Launch the ASUS Update utility . Refer to section “4.1.1 ASUS Update utility” for details. 2. Select Options from the drop down menu, then click Next. 3. Check the option Launch MyLogo to replace system boot logo before  Next . 4. Select Update BIOS Next. 5. When prompted, locate the new  Next . The ASUS MyLogo window appears. 6. From the left window pane, select the folder that contains the image you intend to use as your boot logo. • Before using the ASUS MyLogo3 ™ , use the AW ARD BIOS Flash utility to  from the ASUS website. See section 4.1.3 Updating the BIOS. • Make sure that the BIOS item Full Screen Logo is set to �Enabled] if you wish to use ASUS MyLogo3™. See section 4.7.5 Boot Settings Conguration .      
5-10 Chapter 5: Software support     load the new boot logo.   during POST . 8. Adjust the boot image to your desired  box. 7. When the logo images appear on the right window pane, select an image to enlarge by clicking on it.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-1 1 3. Click the Run button to perform a cable test. 5.3.2 AI NET 2 The AI NET 2 features the Marvell ® Virtual Cable T ester™ (VCT). VCT is a cable diagnostic utility that reports LAN cable faults and shorts using the T ime Domain   cables, impedance mismatches, pair swaps, pair polarity problems, and pair skew problems of up to 64 ns at one meter accuracy . The VCT feature reduces networking and support costs through a highly manageable and controlled network system. This utility can be incorporated  diagnostics. Using the Virtual Cable T ester™ T o use the the Marvell ® Virtual Cable T ester™ utility: 1. Launch the VCT utility from the Windows ® desktop by clicking Start > All Programs > Marvell > Virtual Cable T ester . 2. Click Virtual Cable T ester from the menu to display the screen below . • The VCT only runs on systems with Windows ® XP or Windows ® Vista™ operating systems. • The VCT utility only tests Ethernet cables connected to Gigabit LAN port(s). • The Run button on the Virtual Cable T ester™ main window is disabled if no problem is detected on the LAN cable(s) connected to the LAN port(s). • If you want the system to check the status of the LAN cable before entering the OS, enable the item Post Check LAN Cable in the BIOS Setup.
5-12 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.3 AI Audio 2 (SoundMAX ® High Denition Audio utility)     capability through the SoundMAX ® audio utility with AudioESP™ software to deliver the ultimate audio experience on your PC. The software implements high quality audio synthesis/rendering, 3D sound positioning, and advanced voice-input technologies.     support DVD that comes with the motherboard package to activate the SoundMAX ® audio utility . If the SoundMAX ® audio utility is correctly installed,  ® / SoundMAX ® BlackHawk icon on the taskbar . Y ou must use 4-channel, 6-channel or 8-channel speakers for this setup.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-13 A. SoundMAX BlackHawk (AI Audio 2) If you are using Windows Vista™ operating system, from the taskbar , double-click on the SoundMAX ® BlackHawk icon to display the SoundMAX ® control panel. Enabling AI Audio 2 Click the power button to activate digital signal processing. AI Audio 2, with the new SoundMAX ® BlackHawk by Sonic Focus, brings you more multi- media enjoyment. Fidelity Compensation  compression process and make the audio output quasi-original when reverting the compressed audio streams back to the uncompressed condition. Sound Field Expansion   realistic front and rear environment. Surround Virtualization  use with stereo speakers or headphones. SoundMAX BlackHawk (AI Audio2) is available only under the Windows ® Vista™ operating system.
5-14 Chapter 5: Software support Playback Settings   Playback button on the control panel. Y ou can adjust the volume of the Speakers and SPDIF Interface or mute the audio. Preset settings Click and expand the drop-down menu to select your preferred Digital Signal Processing (DSP) preset. Move the sliders  V oice Clarity , Dynamics , Brilliance , and Deep Bass of each preset. Click Save to save the changes to the current preset. Or , click Reset to discard the changes and restore the preset to the factory defaults. Surround settings Allows you to change the settings of the stereo speakers. Move the sliders to change the listener position or adjust the center channel volume. Press the T est Speakers button to perform speaker test. Port settings  
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-15 More Settings Click  Equalizer Allows you to   the DSP presets frequencies. Recording Settings T o change the recording settings, click the Recording button on the control panel. Y ou can adjust the speaker delay of Microphone or Line In by moving the slider rightward or leftward. Port settings Click the tab to display the rear panel ports for Microphone or Line In. ANDREA settings Allows you to select an enhanced microphone input features, including No Filtering , Speakerphone , V oice Recording , and Directional Beam . Record testing Click the tab to perform test recording and play the test sample through the speakers or the SPDIF interface.
5-16 Chapter 5: Software support Speakers Allows you to adjust the Speaker T rim and Speaker Delay . Bass Allows you to do the Bass management. Preferences Displays the preference options for this utility , version information, AudioESP , etc.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-17 B. SoundMAX If you are using Windows XP operating system, from the taskbar , double-click on the SoundMAX ® icon to display the SoundMAX ® Control Panel.  By clicking the icon from the SoundMAX ® control panel, you can   
5-18 Chapter 5: Software support Jack configuration  your computer’s audio ports, depending on the audio devices you have installed. Adjust speaker volume This screen helps you adjust speaker volume. Click the T est button to hear the changes you have made. Adjust microphone volume This screen helps you adjust microphone volume. Y ou will be asked to read  
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-19 Audio preferences Click the icon to go to the Preferences page. This page allows you to change various audio settings. General options Click the General tab to choose your playback and recording devices, enable/ disable the AudioESP™ feature, and enable/disable digital output. Listening Environment options Click the Listening Environment tab to set up your speaker , acoustic environment, and enable/disable the Virtual Theater Surround function.
5-20 Chapter 5: Software support Microphone options  settings.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-21 5.3.4 ASUS PC Probe II PC Probe II is a utility that monitors the computer’s vital components, and detects and alerts you of any problem with these components. PC Probe II senses fan rotations, CPU temperature, and system voltages, among others. Because PC Probe II is software-based, you can start monitoring your computer the moment you turn it on. With this utility , you are assured that your computer is always at a healthy operating condition. Installing PC Probe II T o install PC Probe II on your computer: 1. Place the support DVD to the optical drive. The Drivers installation tab appears if your computer has an enabled Autorun feature. If Autorun is not enabled in your computer , browse the contents of the support    the setup.exe  2. Click the Utilities tab, then click ASUS PC Probe II. 3. Follow the screen instructions to complete installation. Launching PC Probe II Y ou can launch the PC Probe II right after installation or anytime from the Windows ® desktop. T o launch the PC Probe II from the Windows ® desktop, click Start > All Programs > ASUS > PC Probe II > PC Probe II v1.xx.xx . The PC Probe II main window appears. After launching the application, the PC Probe II icon appears in the Windows ® taskbar . Click this icon to close or restore the application. Using PC Probe II Main window The PC Probe II main window allows you to view the current status of your system and change  default, the main window displays the Preference section. Y ou can close or restore the Preference section by clicking on the triangle on the main window right handle. Click to close the Preference panel
5-22 Chapter 5: Software support Button Function  Opens the Report window Opens the Desktop Management Interface window Opens the Peripheral Component Interconnect window Opens the Windows Management Instrumentation window Opens the hard disk drive, memory , CPU usage window Shows/Hides the Preference section  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   the Preference section in the main window . Click the box before each preference to activate or deactivate.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-23 Changing the monitor panels position T o change the position of the monitor panels in the desktop, click the arrow down button of the Scheme options, then select  Moving the monitor panels All monitor panels move together using a magnetic effect. If you want to detach a monitor panel from the group, click the horseshoe magnet icon. Y ou can now move or reposition the panel independently . Hardware monitor panels 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 value Click to decrease value Adjusting the sensor threshold value Y ou can adjust the sensor threshold value in the monitor panel by clicking the or buttons. Y ou can also adjust the threshold values   Y ou cannot adjust the sensor threshold values in a small monitoring panel.
5-24 Chapter 5: Software support Monitoring sensor alert The monitor panel turns red when a component value exceeds or is lower than the threshold value. Refer to the illustrations below . Large display Small display WMI browser Click to display the WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) browser . This browser 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.   of the browser . DMI browser Click to display the DMI (Desktop Management Interface) browser . This browser displays various desktop and system information. Click the plus sign ( ) before DMI Information to display the available information.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-25 PCI browser Click to display the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) browser . This browser provides information on the PCI devices installed on your system. Click the plus sign ( ) before the PCI Information item to display available information. Usage The Usage browser displays real-time information on the CPU, hard disk drive space, and 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. Click a hard disk drive to display the information on the right panel. The pie chart at the bottom of the window represents the used (blue) and the available HDD
5-26 Chapter 5: Software support Memory usage The Memory tab shows both used and available physical memory . The pie chart at the bottom of the window represents the used (blue) and the available physical memory . Conguring PC Probe II Click to view and adjust the sensor threshold values.  Threshold tab enables you to activate the sensors or to adjust the sensor threshold  temperature scale. Loads the default threshold values for each sensor Applies your changes Cancels or ignores your changes Lo ad s y ou r s av ed co n gur at ion Saves your conguration
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-27 5.3.5 ASUS AI Suite ASUS AI Suite allows you to launch AI Gear 2, AI Booster 2, CPU Level Up, Q-Fan Plus, AI N.O.S., and AI Nap utilities easily . Installing AI Suite T o install AI Suite on your computer: 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 Utilities tab, then click AI Suite. 3. Follow the screen instructions to complete installation. Launching AI Suite Y ou can launch AI Suite right after installation or anytime from the Windows ® desktop. T o 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 ® taskbar . Click this icon to close or restore the application. Using AI Suite Click the AI Gear 2, AI Booster 2, CPU Level Up, Q-Fan Plus, AI N.O.S., and AI Nap icon to launch the utility , or click the Normal icon to restore the system to normal state. Press to launch AI Gear 2 Press to launch AI Nap Press to launch Q-Fan Plus Pr ess to l aun ch A I Bo ost er 2 Press to restore to normal Press to launch AI N.O.S. Press to launch CPU Level Up
5-28 Chapter 5: Software support Other feature buttons Click on right corner of 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
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-29 5.3.6 ASUS AI Gear 2 ASUS AI Gear 2 provides four system performance options that allows you to select the best performance setting for your computing needs. This easy-to-use  and power consumption. After installing AI Suite from the bundled support DVD, you can launch AI Gear 2 by double-clicking the AI Suite icon on your Windows ® taskbar and then click the AI Gear 2 button on the AI Suite main window . Shift the gear to the performance setting that you like. Maximum Performance Medium Performance High Performance Maximum Power Saving
5-30 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.7 ASUS AI Nap  whenever you are away . Enable this feature for minimum power consumption and a quieter system operation. After installing AI Suite from the bundled Support DVD, launch the utility by double- clicking the AI Suite icon on the Windows ® taskbar and click the AI Nap button on the AI Suite main window . Click Y es  T o exit AI Nap mode, press the system power or mouse button then click Y es on  T o switch the power button functions from AI Nap to shutting down, just right click the AI Suite icon on the OS taskbar , select AI Nap and click Use power button . Unclick the the item to switch the function back.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-31 5.3.8 ASUS Q-Fan Plus The ASUS Q-Fan Plus feature allows you to set the appropriate performance level  After installing AI Suite from the bundled Support DVD, launch the utility by double- clicking the AI Suite icon on the Windows ® taskbar and click the Q-Fan Plus button on the AI Suite main window . Click the Fan Name drop-down list button to display the fans and select a fan from the list. Drop-down list button Select a fan control mode Click Apply at the bottom to save the setup. Click the Fan Control drop-down list button to select a fan control mode: • Duty-Cycle Mode: Y ou can determine the duty cycle percentage for each fan. • Q-F AN Mode: The fans will automatically adjust their speeds according to he fans will automatically adjust their speeds according to component temperature. Power fan is supported by Duty-Cycle Mode only . Select a fan Select a fan duty cycle
5-32 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.9 ASUS AI Booster 2 The ASUS AI Booster 2 application allows you to overclock the CPU speed in WIndows ® environment without the hassle of booting the BIOS. After installing AI Suite from the bundled Support DVD, launch the utility by double- clicking the AI Suite icon on the Windows ® taskbar and click the AI Booster 2 button on the AI Suite main window . The options on the taskbar allow you to apply the default settings or adjust system overclocking performance and CPU frequency/ratio. Y ou can also create an 
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-33 5.3.10 CPU Level Up The CPU Level Up application allows you to overclock immediately with OC  ® environment without the hassle of entering BIOS. This application provides comprehensive and detailed tuning to frequencies, voltagies,  After installing AI Suite from the bundled Support DVD, launch the utility by double- clicking the AI Suite icon on the Windows ® OS taskbar and click the CPU Level Up button on the AI Suite main window . The options on the taskbar allow you to select the CPU level and adjust CPU   The items you are allowed to adjust in the may vary , depending on your motherboard features.
5-34 Chapter 5: Software support 5.4 RAID congurations The motherboard comes with the NVIDIA ® nForce ® 780a SLI™ Southbridge RAID           sets. 5.4.1 RAID denitions RAID 0 (Data striping)          in parallel, interleaved stacks. T wo hard disks perform the same work as a single drive but at a sustained data transfer rate, double that of a single disk alone, thus improving 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        tolerance to the entire system. Use two new drives or use an existing drive and a         existing drive. RAID 0 1 is data striping and data mirroring combined without parity (redundancy                        drives or use an existing drive and three new drives for this setup. RAID 5 stripes both data and parity information across three or more hard disk drives.                 for t ransacti on p rocessi ng, rela tional d atabase a pplicat ions, en terpris e re source planning, and other business systems. Use a minimum of three identical hard disk drives for this setup. JBOD (Spanning) stands for Just a Bunch of Disks and refers to hard disk drives              redundantly on multiple disks that appear as a single disk on the operating system. Spanning does not deliver any advantage over using separate disks independently  If you want to boot the system from a hard disk drive included in a created RAID  before you install an operating system to the selected hard disk drive. Refer to section 5.5 Creating a RAID driver disk for details.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-35 Setting the BIOS RAID items After installing the hard disk drives, make sure to set the necessary RAID items in  T o set the BIOS RAID items: 1. Boot the system and press <Del> during the Power-On Self-T est (POST) to enter the BIOS Setup Utility . 2. Go to Advanced > MCP Storage Cong. 3. Set the SA T A Operation Mode item to �RAID]. See section “4.5.6 MCP  4. Save your changes and Exit Setup. 5.4.2 NVIDIA ® RAID congurations The motherboard includes a high performance SA T A RAID controller integrated in the NVIDIA ® southbridge chipset. It supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0 1, RAID 5 and JBOD for six independent Serial A T A channels. Installing Serial A T A (SA T A) hard disks The motherboard supports Ultra DMA 133/100/66 and Serial A T A hard disk drives. For optimal performance, install identical drives of the same model and capacity when creating a disk array .      1. Install the SA T A hard disks into the drive bays. 2. Connect the SA T A signal cables. 3. Connect a SA T A power cable to the power connector on each drive . Refer to the RAID controllers user manual in the motherboard support DVD for  5.2.5 Manuals menu .
5-36 Chapter 5: Software support For detailed descriptions on the NVIDIA ®  NVIDIA RAID User Guide found in your motherboard support DVD.   Entering the NVIDIA ® RAID utility T o enter the NVIDIA ® RAID utility: 1. Boot up your computer . 2. During POST , press <F10> to display the main menu of the utility . The RAID BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for reference only , and may not exactly match the items on your screen. [F6] Back [F7] Finish [TAB] Navigate [ ↑↓] Select [ENTER] Popup At the bottom of the screen are the navigation keys. These keys allow you to move through and select menu options. NVIDIA RAID Utility Oct 5 2004 - Dene a New Array - RAID Mode: Striping Striping Block: Optimal Free Disks Array Disks Loc Disk Model Name Loc Disk Model Name 1.0.M XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 1.1.M XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX [ →] Add 2.0.M XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 2.1.M XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX [ ←] Del
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-37 Creating a RAID V olume T o create a RAID volume: 1. From the NVIDIA ®   then press <Enter>. The following submenu appears. Use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID mode then press <Enter>. Mirroring Striping Stripe Mirroring Spanning  multimedia computer systems used mainly for audio and video editing, we  T ake caution in using this option. All data on the RAID drives will be lost! 2. Press <T AB> select the Striping Block then press <Enter>. The following submenu appears: If you selected Striping or Stripe Mirroring, use the up or down arrow keys to  values range from 8 KB to 128 KB. The default selection is 128 KB. The strip value should be chosen based on the planned drive usage. • 8 /16 KB - low disk usage • 64 KB - typical disk usage • 128 KB - performance disk usage 3.` Press <T AB> to select the Free Disks area. Use the left or right arrow keys to assign the array disks. 4. Press <F7> to create RAID set. The following message box appears. Clear disk data? [Y] YES [N] NO 5. Press <Y> to clear the selected disks or <N> to proceed without clearing the disks. The following screen appears. 8K ↑ 16K 32K 64K 128K Optim ↓
5-38 Chapter 5: Software support Rebuilding a RAID array T o rebuild a RAID array: 1. From the Array List menu, use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array then press <Enter>. The RAID Array details appear . [Ctrl-X]Exit [ ↑↓]Select [B]Set Boot [N]New Array [ENTER]Detail NVIDIA RAID Utility Oct 5 2004 - Array List - Boot Id Status Vendor Array Model Name No 4 Healthy NVIDIA MIRROR XXX.XXG A new set of navigation keys is displayed on the bottom of the screen. 6. Press <Ctrl X> to save settings and exit. [R] Rebuild [D] Delete [C] Clear Disk [ENTER] Return Array 1 : NVIDIA MIRROR XXX.XXG - Array Detail - RAID Mode: Mirroring Striping Width: 1 Striping Block: 64K Adapt Channel M/S Index Disk Model Name Capacity 2 1 Master 0 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX.XXGB 1 0 Master 1 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX.XXGB
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-39 A new set of navigation keys is displayed on the bottom of the screen. 2. Press <R> to rebuild a RAID array . The following screen appears. 3. Use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array to rebuild, then press  [ ↑↓] Select [F6] Back [F7] Finish Array 1 : NVIDIA MIRROR XXX.XXG - Select Disk Inside Array - RAID Mode: Mirroring Striping Width: 1 Striping Block: 64K Adapt Channel M/S Index Disk Model Name Capacity 2 1 Master 0 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX.XXGB 1 0 Master 1 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX.XXGB Rebuild array? [ENTER] OK [ESC] Cancel 4. Press <Enter> to start rebuilding array or press <Esc> to cancel. 5. After the rebuild process, the Array list menu appears. Y ou will need to enter Window ® XP and run the NVIDIA utility in order to complete the rebuilt process.
5-40 Chapter 5: Software support Deleting a RAID array T o delete a RAID array: 1. From the Array List menu, use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array then press <Enter>. The RAID Array details appear . [R] Rebuild [D] Delete [C] Clear Disk [ENTER] Return Array 1 : NVIDIA MIRROR XXX.XXG - Array Detail - RAID Mode: Mirroring Striping Width: 1 Striping Block: 64K Adapt Channel M/S Index Disk Model Name Capacity 2 1 Master 0 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX.XXGB 1 0 Master 1 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX.XXGB A new set of navigation keys is displayed on the bottom of the screen.    appears. Delete this array? [Y] YES [N] No     T ake caution in using this option. All data on the RAID drives will be lost! 3. Press <Y> to delete array or press <N> to cancel.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-41 Clearing a disk data T o clear disk data: 1. From the Array List menu, use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array then press <Enter>. The RAID Array details appear . [R] Rebuild [D] Delete [C] Clear Disk [ENTER] Return Array 1 : NVIDIA MIRROR XXX.XXG - Array Detail - RAID Mode: Mirroring Striping Width: 1 Striping Block: 64K Adapt Channel M/S Index Disk Model Name Capacity 2 1 Master 0 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX.XXGB 1 0 Master 1 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX.XXGB A new set of navigation keys is displayed on the bottom of the screen.   T ake caution in using this option. All data on the RAID drives will be lost! Clear disk data? [Y] YES [N] 5. Press <Y> to clear the disk data or press <N> to cancel.
5-42 Chapter 5: Software support 5.5 Creating a RAID driver disk   ® XP operating system on a hard disk drive that is included in a RAID set. For Windows ®  driver . 5.5.1 Creating a RAID driver disk without entering the OS T o create a RAID/SA T A driver disk without entering the OS: 1. Boot your computer . 2. Press <Del> during POST to enter the BIOS setup utility . 3. Set the optical drive as the primary boot device. 4. Insert the support DVD into the optical drive. 5. Save changes and exit BIOS. 6. Press any key when the system prompts “Press any key to boot from the optical drive.” 7. When the menu appears, press <1> to create a RAID driver disk.   9. Follow succeeding screen instructions to complete the process. 5.5.2 Creating a RAID/SA T A driver disk in Windows ® T o create a RAID driver disk in Windows ® : 1. Start Windows ® . 2. Place the motherboard support DVD into the optical drive. 3. Go to the Make Disk menu, then click NVIDIA 32/64 bit XP/Vista SA T A RAID Driver to create a NVIDIA NVIDIA ® 32/64 bit XP/Vista™ SA T A RAID driver disk. driver disk.   5. Follow succeeding screen instructions to complete the process.  T o install the RAID driver in Windows ® XP: 1. During the OS installation, the system prompts you to press the F6 key to install third-party SCSI or RAID driver .                drive. 3. Follow the succeeding screen instructions to complete the installation.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 5-43 T o install the RAID driver in Windows ® Vista™:                 port. 2. Follow the succeeding screen instructions to complete the installation. Due to chipset limitation, the Serial A T A ports supported by the NVIDIA chipset does not support Serial Optical Disk Drives (Serial ODD) under DOS.
5-44 Chapter 5: Software support
6 This chapter tells how to install SLI-ready PCI Expr ess graphi cs card s and how to use the SLI™ and Hybrid SLI ® features. Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® technology support
ASUS Crosshair II Formula Chapter summary 6.1 NVIDIA ® SLI ™ technology............................................................. 6-1 6.2 NVIDIA ® Hybrid SLI ® technology ................................................. 6-9
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 6-1 6.1 NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology The motherboard supports the NVIDIA ® SLI™ (Scalable Link Interface) technology that allows you to install up to three identical PCI Express™ x16 graphics cards. Follow the installation procedures in this section. 6.1.1 Requirements • In Dual SLI mode, you should have two identical SLI-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA ®  • In 3-way SLI mode, you should have three identical SLI-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA ®  • Make sure that your graphics card driver supports the NVIDIA SLI technology . Download the latest driver from the NVIDIA website (www .nvidia.com). • Make sure that your power supply unit (PSU) can provi de the minimum power required by your system. See page 2-35 for details. • The NVIDIA 3-way SLI technology is supported by Windows ® Vista™ operating system only .     graphics card and the supported 3D application list.
6-2 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology support 6.1.2 Graphics card setup Installing three SLI-ready graphics cards • Install only identical SLI-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA ®  Different types of graphics cards will not work together properly . • 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. T o install the graphics cards:   the 3-way SLI connector . Goldngers
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 6-3   the second into the PCIEX16_2 slot (white), and the third into the PCIEX16_3 slot (blue). Make sure that the cards are properly seated on the slots.    3-way SLI bridge connector
6-4 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology support 4. Connect auxiliary power source from the power supply to the three graphics cards separately . 5. Connect a VGA or a DVI cable to the graphics card/s. We recommend that you install an additional chassis fan for better thermal environment.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 6-5 Installing two SLI-ready graphics cards 1. Insert one graphics card into the PCIEX16_1 slot (blue) and the other into the PCIEX16_3 slot (blue). Make sure that the cards are properly seated on the slots.    3. Connect auxiliary power source from the power supply to the two graphics cards separately . 4. Connect a VGA or a DVI cable to the graphics card/s. We recommend that you install an additional chassis fan for better thermal environment.
6-6 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology support • Make sure that your PCI Express graphics card driver supports the NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology . Download the latest driver from the NVIDIA website (www .nvidia.com).   the 3-way SLI driver under Windows ® Vista OS. The NVIDIA 3-way SLI technology is supported by Windows ® Vista only . 6.1.3 Installing the device drivers Refer to the documentation that came with your graphics card package to install the device drivers. 6.1.4 Enabling the NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology in Windows ® After installing your graphics cards and the device drivers, enable the SLI feature through NVIDIA ® Control Panel under the Windows ® Vista™ operating system. Launching the NVIDIA Control Panel Y ou can launch the NVIDIA Control Panel by the following two methods. A. Right click on the empty space of the Windows ® desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel . The NVIDIA Control Panel window appears (see Step B5 on page 6-8). B1. If you do not see the NVIDIA Control Panel item in Step A, select Personalize .
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 6-7 B2. From the Personalization window , select Display Settings . B3. From the Display Settings dialog box, click Advanced Settings. B4. Select the NVIDIA GeForce tab, and then click Start the NVIDIA Control Panel .
6-8 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology support B5. The NVIDIA Control Panel window appears. Enabling SLI conguration When installing two graphics gards: From the NVIDIA Control Panel window , select Set SLI Conguration . Click Enable SLI and set the display for viewing SLI rendered content. When done, click Apply . When installing three graphics gards: 1. F r o m t h e N V I D I A C o n t r o l P a n e l wind ow , sele ct Set SLI Congu rati on , and then click Enable 3-way NVIDIA SLI . When done, click Apply . 2. Click the 3D Settings tab and enable the Show SLI Visual Indicators item. When you la unch a 3D d emonstr ation, a green bar will appear on the left of the screen to indicate the 3-way SLI status.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 6-9 6.2 NVIDIA ® Hybrid SLI ® Technology The motherboard supports the NVIDIA ® Hybrid SLI ® technology that includes two includes two primary features: GeForce ® Boost and HybridPower™. GeForce ® Boost enhances the performance of NVIDIA discrete Graphics Process Units (dGPU) when they work with the onboard motherboard GPU (mGPU). HybridPower™ unleashes the graphics performance of the dGPU and enables low-power operation when the performance of the dGPU is not needed. Y ou can switch from the dGPU(s) to the mGPU for a quiet, power-saving computer environment. • Hybrid SLI technology is supported by Windows ® Vista™ only . • GeForce Boost supports up to two displays simultaneously (both connected to either the mGPU or the dGPU). • When two or more displays are connected to both the mGPU and the dGPU, the Hybrid SLI mode is disabled and the multi-display mode is enabled. In the multi-display mode, up to four displays can be connected (two displays driven by the mGPU and two displays by the dGPU). • HybridPower requires displays to be connected to the mGPU. HybridPower cannot be enabled when displays are driven through the dGPU. • HybridPower and GeForce Boost are supported by certain set of dGPUs. Go to www .nvidia.com/hybridsli to learn the supported GPUs. 6.2.1 System requirements Before using Hybrid SLI, make sure if your system meets the following requirements: For best GeForce Boost performance   • 2 x 1024MB of DDR2-800 DRAM • Discrete GPU recommended for GeForce Boost • At least 256MB of Frame Buffer carve out for the motherboard GPU For best HybridPower benets    • 2 x 1024MB of DDR2-667 DRAM • Discrete GPU recommended for HybridPower • At least 256MB of Frame Buffer carve out for the motherboard GPU
6-10 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology support 6.2.2 Enabling GeForce ® Boost and HybridPower™ • Before enabling GeForce Boost and HybridPower, make sure that you have installed a dGPU recommended for GeForce Boost on your motherboard. • Make sure that you have connected your display to the dGPU. Otherwise, the motherboard cannot detect your display and no image appears. T o enable GeForce Boost 1. T urn on the system and press <Del> during the Power-On Self-T est (POST) T urn on the system and press <Del> during the Power-On Self-T est (POST) to enter the BIOS Setup Utility . 2. Go to Advanced > Onboard Device Conguration and set the Hybrid Support item to �Enabled]. See section 4.5.3 Onboard Device Conguration for details. • The Hybrid Support item appears only when a minimum of 2GB memory is detected. • The Hybrid Support  detected. Make sure that your dGPU is properly installed. Select Menu Item Specic Help Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced Onboard Device Conguration Hybrid Support Enabled iGPU Frame Buffer Control [Auto] x Frame Buffer Size 128M Onboard GPU [Auto] Primary Display Adapter [PCI-E] HD Audio [Enabled] Front Panel Support Type [HD Audio] HDMI Audio [Auto] 3. Save your changes and Exit Setup. 4. T urn off the system, disconnect your display from the dGPU, and connect your display to the onboard VGA port at the rear panel. 5. T urn on the system. From the Windows ® desktop, go to Start > Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety to turn off User Account Control . 6. Place the motherboard support DVD into the optical drive, and go to the Drivers menu to install the NVIDIA Chipset Driver Program . 7. Restart the system.   the Hybrid SLI icon on the taskbar . The Hybrid SLI icon indicates that the system is in Performance mode and that GeForce Boost is enabled. The onboard GPU will share the rendering load with the dGPU and boost the performance of the dGPU.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula 6-1 1 T o enable HybridPower 1. Follow Step 1 to 7 on the previous page to complete the hardware and driver installation.   Hybrid SLI icon on the taskbar . The Hybrid SLI icon indicates that the system is in Performance mode and that rendering is being done by the dGPU. The mGPU is being used only to drive the display . 3. Click the Hybrid SLI icon and select Save Power . 4. The icon will change state (from to ) to indicate that the system is in Power Saving mode, which means that the dGPU is turned off and the mGPU is both rendering and displaying. 5. When the Power Saving mode is enabled, the dGPU does not show in the Windows ® Device Manager . Power Saving mode is disabled. W hen th e Po wer Sav ing mod e i s en abled, the dGPU is turned off and does not appear in the Device Manager .
6-12 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI™ technology support
A Appendix: Debug code table The Appendix includes the debug code table for the LCD Poster .
ASUS Crosshair II Formula Chapter summary A A.1 Debug Code T able ........................................................................A-1
ASUS Crosshair II Formula A-1 Code Description CPU INIT CPU Initiation DET CPU T est CMOS R/W functionality . CHIPINIT  -Disable shadow RAM -Disable L2 cache -Program basic chipset registers DET DRAM Detect memory  -Auto-detection of L2 cache DC FCODE Expand compressed BIOS code to DRAM EFSHADOW Call chipset hook to copy BIOS back to E000 & F000 shadow RAM. INIT IO  INIT HWM   CLR SCRN 1. Blank out screen  INIT8042 1. Clear 8042 interface  ENABLEKB 1. T est special keyboard controller for Super I/O chips. 2. Enable keyboard interface. DIS MS 1. Disable PS/2 mouse interface (optional). 2. Auto detect ports for keyboard & mouse followed by a port & interface swap (optional). 3. Reset keyboard for Super I/O chips. R/W FSEG T est F000h segment shadow to see whether it is R/W-able or not. If test fails, keep beeping the speaker . DET FLASH  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 chipset default values into chipset. INIT CLK   CHECKCPU Detect CPU information including brand, type and CPU level (586 or 686). INTRINIT Initial interrupts vector table. INITINT9   CPUSPEED 1. Program CPU internal MTRR (Pentium class CPU) for 0-640K memory address.   3. Program early chipset according to CMOS setup. Example: onboard IDE controller . 4. Measure CPU speed. 5. Invoke video BIOS. VGA BIOS   TESTVRAM  2. Put information on screen display , including BIOS logo, CPU type, CPU speed . RESET KB Reset keyboard. A.1 Debug code table
A-2 Appendix: Debug Code T able 8254TEST T est 8254 8259MSK1 T est 8259 interrupt mask bits for channel 1. 8259MSK2 T est 8259 interrupt mask bits for channel 2. 8259TEST T est 8259 functionality . COUNTMEM Calculate total memory by testing the last double word of each 64K page. MP INIT 1. Program MTRR of M1 CPU  cacheable range.   4. On MP platform, adjust the cacheable range to smaller one in case the cacheable ranges between each CPU are not identical. USB INIT  TEST MEM T est all memory (clear all extended memory to 0) SHOW MP Display number of processors (multi-processor platform) PNP LOGO Display PnP logo ONBD IO  EN SETUP Okay to enter Setup utility . MSINST AL  CHK ACPI  EN CACHE T urn on L2 cache SET CHIP Program chipset registers according to items described in Setup & Auto-  AUTO CFG Assign resources to devices. INIT FDC   DET IDE Detect & install all IDE devices: HDD, LS120, ZIP , CDROM. COM/LPT Detect serial ports & parallel ports. DET FPU Detect & install co-processor CPU CHG New CPU installed EZ FLASH Execute EZ Flash CPR F AIL CPR error F AN F AIL Fan error UCODEERR UCODE error FLOPYERR Floppy error KB ERROR Keyboard error HD ERR HDD error CMOS ERR CMOS error MS ERROR Mouse error SMARTERR HDD smart function error HM ERROR Hard monitor error AINETERR AI NET error CASEOPEN Case open P ASSWORD    1. Call chipset power management hook. 2. Recover the text fond used by EP A logo (not for full screen logo) 3. If password is set, ask for password.
ASUS Crosshair II Formula A-3 USB FINAL   2. NET PC: Build SYSID structure 3. Switch screen back to text mode 4. Set up ACPI table at top of memory . 5. Invoke ISA adapter ROMs 6. Assign IRQs to PCI devices   8. Clear noise of IRQs. INIT ROM  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)
A-4 Appendix: Debug Code T able