Asus VISTA EDITION M2N-PLUS SLI User Manual
Motherboard M2N-Plus SLI V ista Edition
ii E3166 Second Edition V2 April 2007 Copyright é 2007 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. (âÂÂASUSâÂÂ). Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modiîÂÂed or altered, unless such repair , modiîÂÂcation of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing. ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL âÂÂAS ISâ 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 copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identiîÂÂcation or explanation and to the ownersâ beneîÂÂt, without intent to infringe.
iii Contents Notices ........................................................................................................ vii Safety information .................................................................................... viii About this guide ......................................................................................... ix M2N-Plus SLI Vista EditionspeciîÂÂcations summary ............................... xi Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Package contents ......................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Special features ............................................................................ 1-2 1.3.1 Product highlights ........................................................... 1-2 1.3.2 ASUS AI Lifestyle features .............................................. 1-4 1.3.3 ASUS Special features ................................................... 1-5 1.3.4 ASUS features and the supporting OS ........................... 1-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Motherboard overview ................................................................. 2-2 2.2.1 Placement direction ........................................................ 2-2 2.2.2 Screw holes .................................................................... 2-2 2.2.3 Motherboard layout ......................................................... 2-3 2.2.4 Layout contents ............................................................... 2-4 2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................... 2-6 2.3.1 Installing the CPU ........................................................... 2-6 2.3.2 Installing the heatsink and fan ........................................ 2-8 2.4 System memory ......................................................................... 2-1 1 2.4.1 Overview ........................................................................ 2-1 1 2.4.2 Memory conîÂÂgurations ................................................... 2-1 1 2.4.3 Installing a DIMM .......................................................... 2-13 2.4.4 Removing a DIMM ........................................................ 2-13 2.5 Expansion slots .......................................................................... 2-17 2.5.1 Installing an expansion card ......................................... 2-17 2.5.2 ConîÂÂguring an expansion card ..................................... 2-17 2.5.3 Interrupt assignments ................................................... 2-18 2.5.4 PCI slots ........................................................................ 2-18 2.5.5 PCI Express x1 slots ..................................................... 2-18 2.5.6 PCI Express x16 slots ................................................... 2-19
iv Contents 2.6 Jumper ........................................................................................ 2-20 2.7 Connectors ................................................................................. 2-22 2.7.1 Rear panel connectors .................................................. 2-22 2.7.2 Internal connectors ....................................................... 2-24 Chapter 3: Powering up 3.1 Starting up for the îÂÂrst 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 Creating a bootable îÂÂoppy disk ....................................... 4-4 4.1.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility ................................................... 4-5 4.1.4 Updating the BIOS .......................................................... 4-6 4.1.5 Saving the current BIOS îÂÂle ............................................ 4-8 4.1.6 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility ...................................... 4-9 4.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................. 4-10 4.2.1 BIOS menu screen ......................................................... 4-1 1 4.2.2 Menu bar ........................................................................ 4-1 1 4.2.3 Legend bar .................................................................... 4-12 4.2.4 Menu items ................................................................... 4-12 4.2.5 Sub-menu items ............................................................ 4-12 4.2.6 ConîÂÂguration îÂÂelds ....................................................... 4-12 4.2.7 Pop-up window ............................................................. 4-13 4.2.8 General help ................................................................. 4-13 4.3 Main menu .................................................................................. 4-14 4.3.1 System T ime [xx:xx:xx] ................................................. 4-14 4.3.2 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx] ....................................... 4-14 4.3.3 Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.] ................................. 4-14 4.3.4 Primary/Secondary IDE Master/Slave .......................... 4-15 4.3.5 SA T A1~4 ....................................................................... 4-17 4.3.6 HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] .............................. 4-18 4.3.7 Installed Memory [xxx MB] ............................................ 4-18 4.3.8 Usable Memory [XXX MB] .............................................. -18
v Contents 4.4 Advanced menu ......................................................................... 4-19 4.4.1 JumperFree ConîÂÂguration ............................................ 4-19 4.4.2 CPU ConîÂÂguration ........................................................ 4-21 4.4.3 PCIPnP ......................................................................... 4-24 4.4.4 Onboard Device ConîÂÂguration ...................................... 4-24 4.4.5 SLI ConîÂÂguration .......................................................... 4-28 4.5 Power menu ................................................................................ 4-29 4.5.1 ACPI Suspend T ype [S1&S3] ........................................ 4-29 4.5.2 ACPI APIC Support [Enabled] ....................................... 4-29 4.5.3 APM ConîÂÂguration ........................................................ 4-30 4.5.4 Hardware Monitor ......................................................... 4-32 4.6 Boot menu .................................................................................. 4-34 4.6.1 Boot Device Priority ...................................................... 4-34 4.6.2 Removable Drives ......................................................... 4-35 4.6.3 Hard Disk Drives ........................................................... 4-35 4.6.4 CDROM Drives ............................................................. 4-35 4.6.5 Boot Settings ConîÂÂguration ......................................... 4-36 4.6.6 Security ......................................................................... 4-37 4.7 T ools menu ................................................................................. 4-39 4.7.1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 .......................................................... 4-39 4.8 Exit menu .................................................................................... 4-40 Chapter 5: Software support 5.1 Installing an operating system ................................................... 5-1 5.2 Support CD information .............................................................. 5-1 5.2.1 Running the support CD ................................................. 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 Manual menu .................................................................. 5-6 5.2.6 ASUS Contact information .............................................. 5-6 5.2.7 Other information ............................................................ 5-7 5.3 Software information ................................................................... 5-9 5.3.1 ASUS MyLogo2⢠........................................................... 5-9 5.3.2 Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet!⢠T echnology .......................................... 5-1 1 5.3.3 C-Media CM6501 audio utility ....................................... 5-13
vi Contents 5.3.4 ASUS PC Probe II ......................................................... 5-16 5.3.5 ASUS AI Gear ............................................................... 5-22 5.3.6 ASUS AI Nap ................................................................ 5-23 5.3.7 AI Remote ..................................................................... 5-24 5.4 Windows î Vista feature ............................................................. 5-32 5.4.1 ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) .................... 5-32 5.5 RAID conîÂÂgurations .................................................................. 5-33 5.5.1 Installing hard disks ...................................................... 5-34 5.5.2 NVIDIA î RAID conîÂÂgurations ........................................ 5-35 5.6 Creating a RAID driver disk ....................................................... 5-42 Chapter 6: NVIDIA î SLI⢠technology support 6.1 Overview ....................................................................................... 6-1 6.2 Dual graphics card setup ............................................................ 6-2 6.2.1 Installing SLI-ready graphics cards ................................. 6-2 6.2.2 Installing the device drivers ............................................. 6-5 6.2.3 Enabling the multi-GPU feature in Windows î ............................... 6-5
vii 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 manufacturerâÂÂs 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 required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or modiîÂÂcations to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the userâÂÂs authority to operate this equipment.
viii Safety information Electrical safety ⢠T o prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the 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 . ⢠If the power supply is broken, do not try to îÂÂx it by yourself. Contact a qualiîÂÂed service technician or your retailer . Operation safety ⢠Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully read all the manuals that came with the package. ⢠Before using the product, 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. ⢠If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualiîÂÂed service technician or your retailer . This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product (electrical and electronic equipment) should not be placed in municipal waste. Check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.
ix About this guide This user guide contains the information you need when installing and conîÂÂguring 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 CD that comes with the motherboard package. ⢠Chapter 6: NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology support This chapter tells how to install SLI-ready PCI Express graphics cards. Where to îÂÂnd 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 îÂÂyers, that may have been added by your dealer . These documents are not part of the standard package.
x 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 Used to emphasize a word or a phrase. <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: awdîÂÂash M2NPLUSV.bin 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.
xi M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition speciî¿cations summary (continued on the next page) CPU Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon ⢠64 FX / AMD Athlon ⢠64 X2 / AMD Athlon 64 ⢠/ AMD Sempron ⢠processors Supports AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet ⢠T echnology AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32-bit and 64-bit computing AMD Live! ⢠ready Chipset NVIDIA î nForce î 500 SLI ⢠MCP System bus 2000 / 1600 MT/s Memory Dual-channel memory architecture - 4 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support unbufferred ECC/non-ECC DDR2 800/667/533 MHz memory modules - Supports up to 8 GB system memory Expansion slots 2 x PCI Express ⢠x16 slots with NVIDIA î SLI ⢠support at x8, x8 speed 2 x PCI Express ⢠x1 slots 2 x PCI 2.2 slots Scalable Link Interface (SLI ⢠) Supports two identical NVIDIA î SLI ⢠-ready graphics cards, both at x8 mode ASUS two-slot thermal design Storage NVIDIA î nForce î 500 SLI ⢠MCP supports: - 2 x IDE connectors for four Ultra DMA133/100/66/33 devices - 4 x Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s connectors support four Serial A T A devices - RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0 1, RAID 5, and JBOD conîÂÂgurations spanning across Serial A T A drives LAN NVIDIA î nForce î 500 SLI ⢠MCP built-in Gigabit MAC with external Attansic PHY - Supports TCP/IP Acceleration Audio C-Media Superior Quality Audio 7.1 channel CODEC (Vista-ready) - Supports S/PDIF Out interface IEEE 1394a VIA 1394 controller supports 2 x 1394a ports USB 2.0 Supports up to 8 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (four at mid-board, four on the rear panel)
xii ASUS AI Lifestyle features ASUS AI Lifestyle Vista Edition features: - AI Remote - ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) - TPM Support (the module is purchased separately) - AP Trigger *ASUS AI Remote, AP T rigger , and TPM run with both Windows î Vista and XP ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution: - ASUS AI Gear - ASUS AI Nap Overclocking features AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner) Stepless Frequency Selection (SFS) allows FSB tuning from 200 MHz up to 400 MHz at 1 MHz increment ASUS C.P .R. (CPU Parameter Recall) Adjustable FSB/DDR2 ratio. Fixed PCI/PCIe frequencies Special features ASUS EZ DIY : - ASUS Q-Connector - ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 - ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS Q-Fan 2 ASUS MyLogo2 Rear panel I/O ports 1 x PS/2 keyboard port (purple) 1 x PS/2 mouse port (green) 1 x LAN (RJ-45) port 1 x IEEE 1394a port 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports 1 x S/PDIF Out port 1 x Parallel port (printer port) 1 x COM port 8-channel audio ports Internal connectors 2 x USB 2.0 connectors support four additional USB 2.0 ports 1 x Floppy disk drive connector 2 x IDE connector for four devices 4 x Serial A T A connectors 1 x CPU / 1 x Chassis / 1 x Power fan connectors 1 x IEEE 1394a connector 1 x S/PDIF Out connector Front panel audio connector CD audio in 24-pin A TX power connector 4-pin A TX 12 V power connector System panel connector (continued on the next page) M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition speciî¿cations summary
xiii M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition speciî¿cations summary BIOS features 4 Mb BIOS ROM, AW ARD BIOS, PnP , DMI 2.0, WfM2.0, SM B IOS 2. 3 Manageability WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chassis intrusion, PXE Accessories 1 x SLI bridge 1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable 2 x SA T A cables 1 x SA T A power cable for 2 devices 1 x I/O shield 1 x ASUS Q-Connector kit (USB, system panel; Retail version only) AI Remote (Retail version only) UserâÂÂs manual Support CD Drivers ASUS PC Probe II ASUS Update NVIDIA î MediaShield ⢠RAID Anti-virus software (OEM version) Form factor A TX form factor: 12 in x 8.6 in (30.5 cm x 21.8 cm) *SpeciîÂÂcations are subject to change without notice.
xiv
1 Product introduction This chapter describes the motherboard features and the new technologies it supports.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 1 1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Package contents ......................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Special features ............................................................................ 1-2
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 1-1 1.1 Welcome! Th ank yo u f or b uyi ng an A SUS î M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition motherboard ! The motherboard delivers a host of new features and the 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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Cables 2 x Serial A T A cables 1 x Serial A T A power cables for two devices 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable 1 x Floppy disk drive cable Accessories I/O shield ASUS SLI ⢠Bridge 1 x ASUS Q-Connector Kit (USB, System panel; Retail version only) AI Remote (Retail version only) Application CD ASUS motherboard support CD Documentation User guide
1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.3 Special features 1.3.1 Product highlights Latest processor technology The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket that supports AMD Athlon ⢠64 X2/Athlon ⢠64/Athlon ⢠64 FX/Sempron ⢠processor . With an integrated low- latency high-bandwidth memory controller and a highly scalable HyperT ransport ⢠technology-based system bus, the motherboard provides a powerful platform for your diverse computing needs, increased ofîÂÂce productivity , and enhanced digital media experience. See page 2-6 for details. NVIDIA î Scalable Link Interface (SLI ⢠) The NVIDIA î Scalable Link Interface (SLI ⢠) technology allows two graphics processing units (GPUs) in a single system. This technology takes advantage of the PCI Express ⢠bus architecture and features intelligent hardware and software solutions that allows multiple GPUs to work together and achieve exceptional graphics performance. NVIDIA nForce î 500 SLI ⢠NVIDIA nForce î 500 SLI ⢠media and communication processors (MCPs) deliver a complete range of solutions for AMD-based discrete platforms. Performance enhancing features include NVIDIA î LinkBoost ⢠technology to automatically increase the bus speed and NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology for scalable graphics performance. AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠T echnology The motherboard supports the AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠T echnology that dynamically and automatically changes the CPU speed, voltage and amount of power depending on the task the CPU performs. See page 4-24. DDR2 memory support Th e m oth erb oa rd su ppo rt s DDR 2 m emo ry that features data transfer rates of 800/667/533 MHz to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of the latest 3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet applications. The dual-channel DDR2 architecture doubles the bandwidth of your system memory to boost system performance, eliminating bottlenecks with peak bandwidths of up to 12.8 GB/s. See page 2-1 1 and 2-12 for details. Serial A T A 3Gb/s RAID The motherboard supports the next-generation Serial A T A hard drives based on the SA T A 3Gb/s storage speciîÂÂcation. The onboard NVIDIA nForce î 500 SLI ⢠MCP allows RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0 1, RAID 5, and JBOD. See page 2-25.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 1-3 PCI Express ⢠interface Th e m oth erb oa rd fu lly s up por ts PCI E xp res s, the latest I/O interconnect technology that speeds up the PCI bus. PCI Express features point-to-point serial interconnections between devices and allows higher clockspeeds by carrying data in packets. This high speed interface is software compatible with existing PCI speciîÂÂcations. See page 2-18 and 2-19 for details. Gigabit LAN The motherboard comes with a Gigabit LAN controller built into the NVIDIA î nForce ⢠500 SLI ⢠chipset to meet your growing networking needs. The controller uses the PCI Express segment to provide faster data bandwidth for your Internet, LAN, and îÂÂle sharing requirements. See page 2-22 for details. IEEE 1394a support The IEEE 1394a interface provides high-speed and îÂÂexible PC connectivity to a wide range of peripherals and devices compliant to the IEEE 1394a standard. The IEEE 1394a interface allows up to 400 Mbps transfer rates through simple, low-cost, high-bandwidth asynchronous (real-time) data interfacing between computers, peripherals, and consumer electronic devices such as camcorders, VCRs, printers, TVs, and digital cameras. See page 2-22 and 2-27 for details. USB 2.0 technology The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 speciîÂÂcation, dramatically increasing the connection speed from the 12 Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1. See page 2-23 and 2-27 for details. C-Media Superior Quality Audio C-Media CM6501 onboard 8-channel superior audio CODEC transfers audio signal over USB bus and is Microsoft Vista-ready . See page 5-13 to 5-15 for details. S/PDIF digital sound ready The mothe rboard suppo rts t he S/PDIF technology through the S/PDIF interfaces on the rear panel. The S/PDIF technology turns your computer into a high-end entertainment system with digital connectivity to powerful audio and speaker systems. See page 2-23 and 2-30 for details. This function can only work under C-Media ofîÂÂcial driver .
1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.3.2 ASUS AI Lifestyle features AI Remote The revolutionary AI Remote gives you unprecedented control from the comfort of your couch. With just a touch of the button, you can quickly do your usual computer activities such as turn ON/OFF your PC, launch your favorite applications by enabling AP Trigger function, or control AI Gear and AI Nap. The AI Remote also gives you the comfort of a traditional remote on media player . Have an AI Remote in your hand and do more with your PC from a distance! See page 5-24 for details. ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) ASAP gets you to your destination ASAP . ASAP supports the Windows î ReadyBoost ⢠technology which improves system performance under Windows î Vista. Enjoy greater efîÂÂciency and get more productivity out of your system. See page 5-32 for details. AP T rigger The AP Trigger allows you to quickly boot or resume directly into media or into your favorite applications. With just a touch of the button on the AI Remote controller , you can quickly turn on your PC and launch predeîÂÂned applications simultaneously! TPM Support This motherboard supports the T rusted Platform Module (TPM), which provides you with enhanced data protection via high-level encryption/decryption and ensures platform integrity . The TPM meets the Windows î Vista BitLocker ⢠Drive Encryption hardware requirement for a more secure working environment. See page 2-30 and 4-38 for details. The TPM module is purchased separately . Use the ASUS TPM module ONL Y . AI Gear AI Gear allows users to choose from four modes to adjust CPU and Vcore voltage, minimizing noise and power consumption. Users can choose the mode that best suits their needs. See page 5-22 for details. AI Nap With AI Nap, the system can continue running at minimum power and noise when the user is temporarily away . T o wake the system and return to the OS environment, simply click the mouse or press a key . See page 5-23 for details.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 1-5 1.3.3 ASUS Special features Fanless Design Cooling fans, though a popular thermal solution, also come with noise and malfunction likelihood. ASUS motherboardâÂÂs fanless concept is speciîÂÂcally created to provide a cool environment without all the baggage. ASUS has devoted special efforts to address the thermal issues across the motherboard, and most notably the areas that reside the CPU, power , Northbridge and Southbridge. The heatsinks and strategic board layout are tailor made to dissipate heat in the most efîÂÂcient manner . ASUS Q-Fan 2 technology The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the CPU and chassis fan speeds according to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efîÂÂcient operation. See page 4-32 and 4-33 for details. ASUS MyLogo2 ⢠This new feature present in the motherboard allows you to personalize and add style to your system with customizable boot logos. See page 5-9 and 5-10 for details. ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data from a USB îÂÂash disk containing the BIOS îÂÂle. This utility saves users the cost and hassle of buying a replacement BIOS chip. See page 4-9 for details. ASUS EZ Flash 2 EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly BIOS update utility . Simply press the predeîÂÂned hotkey to launch the utility and update the BIOS without entering the OS. Update your BIOS easily without preparing a bootable diskette or using an OS-based îÂÂash utility . See page 4-5 for details. 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 2-33 for details.
1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction Green ASUS This motherboard and its packaging comply with the European UnionâÂÂs Restriction on the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). This is in line with the ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and recyclable products/packaging to safeguard consumersâ health while minimizing the impact on the environment. 1.3.4 ASUS features and the supporting OS Refer to the following table for the OS that supports ASUS features. Win 2000 XP 32bit XP 64bit Vista 32bit Vista 64bit AI Remote v v v v AP T rigger v v v v ASAP Function as USB Flash only v v AI Gear v v v v v AI Nap v v v v v PC Probe II v v v v v
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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 2 2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Motherboard overview ................................................................. 2-2 2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................... 2-6 2.4 System memory ......................................................................... 2-1 1 2.5 Expansion slots .......................................................................... 2-17 2.6 Jumper ........................................................................................ 2-20 2.7 Connectors ................................................................................. 2-22
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-1 Onboard LED The motherboard comes with a standby power LED. The green LED lights up to indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode. This is a reminder that you should shut down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard component. The illustration below shows the location of the onboard LED. 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 to 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. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Onboard LED SB_PWR ON Standby Power OFF Powered Off
2-2 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.2 Motherboard overview Before you install the motherboard, study the conîÂÂguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard îÂÂts into it. 2.2.1 Placement direction When installing the motherboard, make sure that you place it into the chassis in the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below . 2.2.2 Screw holes Place six (6) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis. Place this side towards the rear of the chassis 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. M2N-PLUS SLI î
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-3 2.2.3 Motherboard layout M2N-PLUS SLI î 24.5cm (9.6in) 30.5cm (12.0in) DDR2 DIMM_A2 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_A1 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_B2 (64 bit,240-pin module) Super I/O 4Mb BIOS PCIEX16_1 PCIEX1_1 PCI1 EA TXPWR CR2032 3V Lithium Cell CMOS Power PCIEX16_2 PCIEX1_2 NVIDIA nForce î 500SLI⢠PCI2 Socket AM2 P ANEL FP_AUDIO CHASSIS CPU_FAN IE1394_2 FLOPPY CD CLRTC USB56 SB_PWR SEC_EIDE TPM SA TA1 CHA_FAN LAN1_USB12 SPDIF_O1 P ARALLEL PORT COM1 PS/2KBMS T : Mouse B: Keyboard 1394_USB34 AUDIO2 AUDIO1 SPDIF_OUT VIA VT6308P SA TA3 SA TA2 SA TA4 USBPW56 USBPW78 USB78 ASAP USBPW12 USBPW34 KBPWR A TX12V PRI_EIDE CPU_FAN PWR_FAN Refer to 2.7 Connectors for more information about rear panel connectors and internal connectors.
2-4 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.2.4 Layout contents Slots Page 1. DDR2 DIMM slots 2-1 1 2. PCI slots 2-18 3. PCI Express x 1 slot 2-18 4. PCI Express x16 slots 2-19 Jumper Page 1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLR TC) 2-20 2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56, USBPW78) 2-21 3. Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR) 2-21 Rear panel connectors Page 1. PS/2 mouse port (green) 2-22 2. Parallel port 2-22 3. IEEE 1394a port 2-22 4. LAN (RJ-45) port. 2-22 5. Rear Speaker Out port (black) 2-22 6. Side Speaker Out port (gray) 2-22 7. Line In port (light blue) 2-22 8. Line Out port (lime) 2-22 9. Microphone port (pink) 2-23 10. Center/Subwoofer port (orange) 2-23 1 1. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2, 3 and 4 2-23 12. Serial port (COM port) 2-23 13. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port 2-23 14 PS/2 keyboard port (purple) 2-23
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-5 Internal connectors Page 1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) 2-24 2. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_IDE) 2-24 3. NVIDIA î nForce î 500 SLI Southbridge Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1 [red], SA T A2 [red], SA T A3 [red], SA T A4 [red]) 2-25 4. CPU, chassis, and power fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN, 3-pin PWR_F AN, 3-pin CHA_F AN ) 2-26 5. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB78, ASAP) 2-27 6. IEEE 1394a port connector (10-1 pin IE1394_2) 2-27 7. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS) 2-28 8. AT X p ower co nne cto rs (24-pin EA TXPWR, 4-pin A TX12V) 2-28 9. Front panel audio co nne ctor (10-1 pin FP_AUDIO) 2-29 10. Internal audio co nne ctor (4-pin CD) 2-29 1 1. Digital audio co nne ctor (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT) 2-30 12. TPM connector (20-1 pin TPM) 2-30 13. System panel connector (20-8-pin P ANEL) ⢠System power LED (2-pin PLED) ⢠Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pin IDE_LED) ⢠System warning speaker (4-pin SPEAKER) ⢠A TX power button/soft-off button (2-pin PWRSW) ⢠Reset button (2-pin RESET) 2-31
2-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.3.1 Installing the CPU T o install a CPU: 1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard. Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to a 90ú angle; otherwise, the CPU will not îÂÂt in completely . 2. Unlock the socket by pressing the lever sideways, then lift it up to a 90ú angle. 2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket designed for the Athlon ⢠64 X2/Athlon ⢠64/Athlon ⢠64FX/Sempron ⢠processor . Socket lever The 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 AM2 socket. The CPU îÂÂts in only one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the connectors on the socket and damaging the CPU! M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI CPU Socket AM2
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-7 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 socket until it îÂÂts in place. 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
2-8 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.3.2 Installing the heatsink and fan The AMD Athlon ⢠64FX/Athlon ⢠64/Athlon ⢠64 X2/Sempron ⢠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 îÂÂts properly on the retention module base. 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 . Make sure that you use only AMD-certiîÂÂed heatsink and fan assembly .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-9 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 heatsink assembly perfectly îÂÂts the retention mechanism module base, otherwise you cannot snap the retention bracket in place.
2-10 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. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI CPU fan connector CPU_F AN GND CPU F AN PWR CPU F AN IN CPU F AN PWM
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-1 1 2.4 System memory 2.4.1 Overview The motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets. A DDR2 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR DIMM but has a 240-pin footprint compared to the 184-pin DDR DIMM. DDR2 DIMMs are notched differently to prevent installation on a DDR DIMM socket. The îÂÂgure illustrates the location of the DDR2 DIMM sockets: Channel Sockets Channel A DIMM_A1 and DIMM_A2 Channel B DIMM_B1 and DIMM_B2 2.4.2 Memory conîÂÂgurations Y ou may install 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2GB unbuffered ECC/non-ECC DDR2 DIMMs into the DIMM sockets. Recommended Memory ConîÂÂgurations M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI 240-pin DDR2 DIMM sockets DIMM_B1 DIMM_A1 DIMM_B2 DIMM_A2 Mode Sockets DIMM_A1 DIMM_B1 DIMM_A2 DIMM_B2 Single-Channel - Populated - - Populated - - - Dual-channel (1) Populated Populated - - Dual-channel (2) Populated Populated Populated Populated
2-12 Chapter 2: Hardware information Important notice on installing Windows î XP 32-bit version If you install Windows î XP 32-bit version Operating System (OS), the limitation of this OS version is that it may reserve a certain amount of memory space for system devices. We recommend that you install less than 3 GB system memory if you would like to work under Windows î XP 32-bit version OS. The excess memory installation will not cause any usage problem, but it will not give users the beneîÂÂt of manipulating this excess memory space. Visit the ASUS F AQ site for further explanation: http://support.asus.com/faq/faq. aspx?SLanguage=en-us Under General Search, make the selections as shown, then click Search. Click the article titled â 4GB memory installed but less memory size detected. â Y ou also may check the URLs below for third party comments on this issue: http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/4GB_Rev1.pdf http:/ /www.i ntel.co m/supp ort/mot herboa rds/se rver /sb/cs -016594 .htm ⢠When using only one memory module, start installing the DDR2 DIMMs from slot DIMM_A1 or DIMM_B1 for better overclocking capability . ⢠For dual-channel conîÂÂguration (2), you may: ⢠install identical DIMMs in all four sockets OR ⢠install identical DIMM pair in DIMM_A1 and DIMM_B1 (yellow sockets) and another identical DIMM pair in DIMM_A2 and DIMM_B2 (black sockets) ⢠Always use identical DDR2 DIMM pairs for dual channel mode. For optimum compatibility , it is recommended that you obtain memory modules from the same vendor . Visit the ASUS website (www .asus.com) for the latest QualiîÂÂed V endors list. This motherboard can support 8 GB physical memory under Windows î XP Professional x64 Edition and Windows î Vista x64 Edition operating systems. Y ou may install a maximum of 2 GB DIMMs on each slot.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-13 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. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing 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. ⢠A DDR2 DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it îÂÂts in only one direction. Do 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. Support the DIMM lightly with your îÂÂngers when pressing the retaining clips. The DIMM might get damaged when it îÂÂips out with extra force. 1 2 1 DDR2 DIMM notch Unlocked retaining clip DDR2 DIMM notch 1 2 3
2-14 Chapter 2: Hardware information DDR2-800 MHz capability M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Motherboard QualiîÂÂed V endors Lists (QVL) Size V endor Chip No. SS/ DS Part No. DIMM support A* B* C* 512MB KINGSTON K4T51083QC SS KVR800D2N5/512 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB KINGSTON Heat-Sink Package DS KHX6400D2LL/1G ⢠⢠⢠1024MB KINGSTON Heat-Sink Package SS KHX6400D2LLK2/1GN ⢠⢠⢠512MB Qimonda HYB18T256800AF25F DS HYS64T64020HU-25F-A ⢠⢠⢠256MB Qimonda HYB18T512160BF-25F SS HYS64T32000HU-25F-B ⢠⢠⢠512MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF25F SS HYS64T64000HU-25F-B ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF25F DS HYS64T128020HU-25F-B ⢠⢠⢠512MB SAMSUNG EDD339XX SS M378T6553CZ3-CE7 ⢠⢠⢠256MB SAMSUNG K4T51163QC-ZCE7 SS M378T3354CZ3-CE7 ⢠⢠⢠512MB SAMSUNG ZCE7K4T51083QC SS M378T6553CZ3-CE7 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821BFP-S5 SS HYMP564U64BP8-S5 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Hynix HY5PS12821BFP-S5 DS HYMP512U64BP8-S5 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Hynix HY5PS12821CFP-S5 DS HYMP512U64CP8-S5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB MICRON 5JAIIZ9DQQ SS MT8HTF6464A Y-80EA3 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB MICRON 5JAIIZ9DQQ DS MT16HTF12864A Y -80EA3 ⢠⢠⢠512MB MICRON 5ZD22D9GKX SS MT8HTF6464AY -80ED4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB MICRON 5ZD22D9GKX DS MT16HTF12864AY -80ED4 ⢠⢠⢠512MB MICRON 6CD22D9GKX SS MT8HTF6464AY -80ED4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB MICRON 6CD22D9GKX DS MT16HTF12864AY -80ED4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB CORSAIR Heat-Sink Package DS CM2X1024-6400C4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB ELPIDA E1 108AB-8E-E(ECC) SS EBE10EE8ABFA-8E-E ⢠⢠⢠2048MB ELPIDA E1 108AB-8E-E(ECC) DS EBE21EE8ABFA-8E-E ⢠⢠⢠512MB A-DA T A N/A SS M2OAD6G3H3160J1E52 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB A-DAT A AD29608A8A-25EG DS M20AD6G3I4170G1E53 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB A-DAT A K4T51083QC(ECC) DS M20AD6G3I4170G1E53 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Crucial Heat-Sink Package SS BL6464AA804.8FD ⢠⢠⢠512MB Crucial Heat-Sink Package SS BL6464AA804.8FD3 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Apacer Heat-Sink Package DS AHU512E800C5K1C ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Apacer Heat-Sink Package DS AHU01GE800C5K1C ⢠⢠⢠512MB Transcend K4T51083QC SS TS64MLQ64V8J ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Transcend K4T51083QC DS TS128MLQ64V8J ⢠⢠â¢
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-15 DDR2-667 MHz capability Size Vendor Chip No. SS/ DS Part No. DIMM support A* B* C* 256MB KINGSTON HYB18T256800AF3 SS KVR667D2N5/256 ⢠⢠⢠512MB KINGSTON D6408TEBGGL3U SS KVR667D2N5/512 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB KINGSTON D6408TEBGGL3U DS KVR667D2N5/1G ⢠⢠⢠256MB KINGSTON HYB18T256800AF3S SS KVR667D2N5/256 ⢠⢠⢠256MB Qimonda HYB18T512160AF-3S SS HYS64T32000HU-3S-A ⢠⢠⢠512MB Qimonda HYB18T512800AF3S SS HYS64T64000HU-3S-A ⢠⢠⢠256MB Qimonda HYB18T256800AF3S(ECC) SS HYS72T32000HU-3S-A ⢠⢠⢠512MB Qimonda HYB18T512800AF3S(ECC) SS HYS72T64000HU-3S-A ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Qimonda HYB18T512800AF3S(ECC) DS HYS72T128020HU-3S-A ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF3S(ECC) DS HYS72T128020HU-3S-B ⢠⢠⢠256MB Qimonda HYB18T512160BF-3S SS HYS64T32000HU-3S-B ⢠⢠⢠512MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF3S SS HYS64T64000HU-3S-B ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF3S DS HYS64T128020HU-3S-B ⢠⢠⢠512MB SAMSUNG ZCE6K4T51083QC SS M378T6553CZ0-CE6 ⢠⢠⢠256MB SAMSUNG K4T51 163QC-ZCE6 SS M378T3354CZ3-CE6 ⢠⢠⢠512MB SAMSUNG K4T51083QC SS M378T6553CZ3-CE6 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB SAMSUNG ZCE6K4T51083QC DS M378T2953CZ3-CE6 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-Y5 SS HYMP564U64AP8-Y5 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Hynix HY5PS1G831FP-Y5(ECC) SS HYMP1 12U72P8-Y5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-Y5(ECC) SS HYMP564U72AP8-Y5 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-Y5(ECC) DS HYMP512U72AP8-Y5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-Y4 SS HYMP564U64AP8-Y4 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-Y4(ECC) SS HYMP564U72AP8-Y4 ⢠⢠⢠256MB CORSAIR MIII00605 SS VS256MB667D2 ⢠⢠⢠512MB CORSAIR 64M8CFEG SS VS512MB667D2 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB CORSAIR 64M8CFEG DS VS1GB667D2 ⢠⢠⢠256MB ELPIDA E2508AB-6E-E SS EBE25UC8ABFA-6E-E ⢠⢠⢠512MB ELPIDA E5108AE-6E-E SS EBE51UD8AEFA-6E-E ⢠⢠⢠512MB A-DA TA AD29608A8A-3EG SS M2OAD5G3H3166I1C52 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB A-DA TA AD29608A8A-3EG DS M2OAD5G3I4176I1C52 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB crucial Heat-Sink Package DS BL12864AA663.16FD ⢠⢠⢠1024MB crucial Heat-Sink Package DS BL12864AL664.16FD ⢠⢠⢠1024MB crucial Heat-Sink Package DS BL12864AA663.16FD2 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Apacer AM4B5708GQJS7E0628F SS AU512E667C5KBGC ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Apacer AM4B5708GQJS7E DS AU01GE667C5KBGC ⢠⢠⢠512MB Kingmax KKEA88B4LAUG-29DX SS KLCC28F-A8KB5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Transcend E5108AE-6E-E SS TS64MLQ64V6J ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Transcend E5108AE-6E-E DS TS128MLQ64V6J ⢠⢠⢠512MB Transcend J12Q3AB-6 SS JM367Q643A-6 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Transcend J12Q3AB-6 DS JM388Q643A-6 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Super T alent Heat-Sink Package SS T6UA512C5 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Super T alent Heat-Sink Package DS T6UB1GC5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB SMART G64M8XB3ITIX4TUE SS TB3D2667C58S ⢠⢠⢠512MB SMART G64M8XB3ITIX4TUE DS TB4D2667C58D ⢠⢠â¢
2-16 Chapter 2: Hardware information DDR2-533 MHz capability ⢠A*: Supports one module inserted in any slot as Single-channel memory conîÂÂguration. ⢠B*: Supports one pair of modules inserted into either the yellow slots or the black slots as one pair of Dual-channel memory conîÂÂguration. ⢠C*: Supports 4 modules inserted into both the yellow and black slots as two pairs of Dual-channel memory conîÂÂguration. Visit the ASUS website for the latest DDR2-800/667/533 MHz QVL. Size V endor Chip No. SS/ DS Part No. DIMM support A* B* C* 256MB KINGSTON E5116AF-5C-E SS KVR533D2N4/256 ⢠⢠⢠512MB KINGSTON HYB18T512800AF37 SS KVR533D2N4/512 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB KINGSTON 5YDIID9GCT DS KVR533D2N4/1G ⢠⢠⢠512MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF37 SS HYS64T64000HU-3.7-B ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF37 DS HYS64T128020HU-3.7-B ⢠⢠⢠256MB SAMSUNG K4T51163QC-ZCD5 SS M378T3354CZ3-CD5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB SAMSUNG ZCD5K4T51083QC SS M378T6553CZ3-CD5 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB SAMSUNG ZCD5K4T51083QC DS M378T2953CZ3-CD5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821F-C4 SS HYMP564U648-C4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Hynix HY5PS12821F-C4(ECC) DS HYMP512U728-C4 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821FP-C4(ECC) SS HYMP564U728-C4 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-C3 SS HYMP564U64AP8-C3 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-C3 DS HYMP512U64AP8-C3 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB CORSAIR 64M8CEDG DS VS1GB533D2 ⢠⢠⢠512MB ELPIDA E5108AB-5C-E SS EBE51UD8ABFA-5C-E ⢠⢠⢠512MB KINGMAX E5108AE-5C-E SS KLBC28F-A8EB4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB KINGMAX E5108AE-5C-E DS KLBD48F-A8EB4 ⢠⢠⢠512MB KINGMAX KKEA88E4AAK-37 SS KLBC28F-A8KE4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB KINGMAX 5MB22D9DCN DS KLBD48F-A8ME4 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Super T alent Heat-Sink Package SS T5UA512C4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Super T alent Heat-Sink Package DS T5UB1G8C4 ⢠⢠â¢
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-17 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. 4. Align the card connector with the slot and press îÂÂrmly until the card is 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 ConîÂÂguring an expansion card After installing the expansion card, conîÂÂgure the it by adjusting the software settings. 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 âÂÂShare IRQâ or that the cards do not need IRQ assignments; otherwise, conîÂÂicts will arise between the two PCI groups, making the system unstable and the card inoperable.
2-18 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.5.3 Interrupt assignments Standard interrupt assignments * These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices. IRQ Priority Standard function 0 1 System T imer 1 2 Keyboard Controller 2 â Redirect to IRQ#9 4 12 Communications Port (COM1)* 5 13 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering* 6 14 Floppy Disk Controller 7 15 Printer Port (LPT1)* 8 3 System CMOS/Real T ime 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 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port* 13 8 Numeric Data Processor 14 9 Primary IDE Channel IRQ assignments for this motherboard A B C D E F G H PCI 1 â shared â â â â â â PCI 2 â â shared â â â â â Onboard 1394 shared â â â â â â â PCIE x16_1 shared â â â â â â â PCIE x16_2 â â â â â shared â â PCIE x 1_1 â â â â â â shared â PCIE x 1_2 â â â â shared â â â 2.5.4 PCI slots The PCI slots support cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply with PCI speciîÂÂcations. Refer to the îÂÂgure on the next page for the location of the slots. 2.5.5 PCI Express x1 slots This motherboard supports PCI Express x1 network cards, SCSI cards and other cards that comply with the PCI Express speciîÂÂcations. Refer to the îÂÂgure on the next page for the location of the slots.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-19 ⢠Connect a rear chassis fan to the chassis (CHA_F AN1) connector when using two graphics cards for better thermal environment. See page 2-26 for details. ⢠Due to chipset limitation, the black PCI Express x16 (PCIEX16_2) slot can run only up to x8 speed. ⢠We recommend that you provide sufîÂÂcient power when running NVIDIA î SLI ⢠mode. See pages 2-28 and 2-29 for details. ⢠See chapter 6 for details on the NVIDIA SLI ⢠technology feature. Mode PCIE x16_1 (Blue) slot PCIE x16_2 (Black) slot Card T ype Speed Card type Speed Non-SLI mode PCIe x16 graphics card x16 NA â PCIe x16 graphics card x8 PCIe x16 graphics card x8 PCIe x16 graphics card x8 Other PCIe devices x8, x4, x1 Dual-graphics card in SLI mode T wo identical NVIDIA î SLI ⢠Edition graphics cards at x8, x8 speed 2.5.6 PCI Express x16 slots This motherboard supports two NVIDIA î SLI ⢠-ready PCI Express x16 graphic cards that comply with PCI Express speciîÂÂcations. Refer to the îÂÂgure below for the location of the slots. PCI Express x16_1 slot (blue) PCI slot PCI Express x1 slot PCI slot PCI Express x1 slot PCI Express x16_2 slot (black)
2-20 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.6 Jumper 1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC) This jumper allows you to clear the Real T ime Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. Y ou can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data. The onboard button cell battery powers the RAM data in CMOS, which include system setup information such as system passwords. T o erase the RTC RAM: 1. T urn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord. 2. Remove the onboard battery . 3. Move the jumper cap from pins 1-2 (default) to pins 2-3. Keep the cap on pins 2-3 for about 5~10 seconds, then move the cap back to pins 1-2. 4. Reinstall the battery . 5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer . 6. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to re-enter data. Except when clearing the RTC RAM, never remove the cap on CLR TC jumper default position. Removing the cap will cause system boot failure! ⢠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 overclocking. For system failure due to overclocking, use the C.P .R. (CPU Parameter Recall) feature. Shut down and reboot the system so the BIOS can automatically reset parameter settings to default values. 1 2 2 3 Normal (Default) Clear RTC M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Clear RTC RAM CLRTC
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-21 2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56, USBPW78) Set these jumpers to 5V to wake up the computer from S1 sleep mode (CPU stopped, DRAM refreshed, system running in low power mode) using the connected USB devices. Set to 5VSB to wake up from S3 and S4 sleep modes (no power to CPU, DRAM in slow refresh, power supply in reduced power mode). ⢠The USB device wake-up feature requires a power supply that can provide 500mA on the 5VSB lead for each USB port; otherwise, the system would not power up. ⢠The total current consumed must NOT exceed the power supply capability ( 5VSB) whether under normal condition or in sleep mode. 1 2 2 3 5V (Default) 5VSB 5V (Default) 5VSB 1 2 3 2 5V (Default) 5VSB 1 2 2 3 M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI USB device wake-up USBPW12 USBPW34 USBPW56 USBPW78 3. Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR) This jumper allows you to enable or disable the keyboard wake-up feature. Set this jumper to pins 2-3 ( 5VSB) if you wish to wake up the computer when you press a key on the keyboard (the default value is [Disabled]). This feature requires an A TX power supply that can supply at least 1A on the 5VSB lead, and a corresponding setting in the BIOS. See section 4.5.3 APM ConîÂÂguration. 2 3 1 2 M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Keyboard power setting 5V (Default) 5VSB KBPWR
2-22 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.7 Connectors 2.7.1 Rear panel connectors 1. PS/2 mouse port (green). This port is for a PS/2 mouse. 2. Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer , a scanner , or other devices. 3. IEEE 1394a port. This 6-pin IEEE 1394a port provides high-speed connectivity for audio/video devices, storage peripherals, PCs, or portable devices. 4. LAN (RJ-45) port. Supported by the NVIDIA î nForce ⢠500 Gigabit MAC with external Attansic PHY , 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. 5 1 14 2 4 12 13 7 8 9 3 6 10 1 1 LAN port LED indications 5. Rear Speaker Out port (black). This port connects the rear speakers in an 8-channel audio conîÂÂguration. 6. Side Speaker Out port (gray). This port connects the side speakers in a 4-channel, 6-channel, or 8-channel audio conîÂÂguration. 7. Line In port (light blue). This port connects the tape, CD, DVD player , or other audio sources. 8. Line Out port (lime). This port connects a headphone or a speaker . In 4-channel, 6-channel, and 8-channel conîÂÂguration, the function of this port becomes Front Speaker Out. SPEED LED ACT/LINK LED LAN port Activity/Link Speed LED Status Description Status Description OFF No link OFF 10 Mbps connection ORANGE Linked ORANGE 100 Mbps connection BLINKING Data activity GREEN 1 Gbps connection
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-23 Refer to the audio conîÂÂguration table below for the function of the audio ports in 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel conîÂÂguration. 9. Microphone port (pink). This port connects a microphone. 10. Center/Subwoofer port (orange). This port connects the center/subwoofer speakers. Audio 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel conîÂÂguration 1 1. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2, 3 and 4. These 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices. Connect the IR receiver ONL Y to USB port 1 and 2, which support remote control function. Plugging any other USB devices to these two ports will turn on the computer . 12. Serial port (COM port). This 9-pin COM port is for pointing devices and other serial devices. 13. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port. This port connects an external audio output device via a coaxial S/PDIF cable. 14. PS/2 keyboard port (purple) . This port is for a PS/2 keyboard. 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 â â Center/Subwoofer Center/Subwoofer Black â â â Rear Speaker Out Gray â Side Speaker Out Side Speaker Out Side Speaker Out
2-24 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.7.2 Internal connectors 1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) This connector is for the provided îÂÂoppy disk drive (FDD) signal cable. Insert one end of the cable to this connector , then connect the other end to the signal connector at the back of the îÂÂoppy disk drive. Pin 5 on the connector is removed to prevent incorrect cable connection when using a FDD cable with a covered Pin 5. 2. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_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 motherboardâÂÂs IDE connector , then select one of the following modes to conîÂÂgure your device. ⢠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 100/66 IDE devices. If any device jumper is set as âÂÂCable-Select,â make sure all other device jumpers have the same setting. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Floppy disk drive connector NOTE: Orient the red markings on the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1. PIN 1 FLOPPY Drive jumper setting Mode of device(s) Cable connector Single device Cable-Select or Master â Black T wo devices Cable-Select Master Black Slave Gray Master Master Black or gray Slave Slave
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-25 3. NVIDIA î nForce î 500 SLI Southbridge Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1 [red], SA T A2 [red], SA T A3 [red], SA T A4 [red]) These connectors are for the Serial A T A signal cables for Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s hard disk and optical disk drives. The Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s is backward compatible with Serial A T A 1.5 Gb/s speciîÂÂcation. If you installed Serial A T A hard disk drives, you can create a RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0 1, RAID 5, or JBOD conîÂÂguration through the onboard NVIDIA î MediaShield ⢠controller . The RAID function of these connectors is set to [Disabled] by default. If you intend to create a Serial A T A RAID set using these connectors, enable the RAID Enable item in the SA T A ConîÂÂguration sub-menu in the BIOS. See section 4.4.4 Onboard Device ConîÂÂguration for details. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI IDE connectors SEC_IDE P IN 1 NOTE: Orient the red markings (usually zigzag) on the IDE ribbon cable to PIN 1. PRI_IDE M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI SA T A connectors SA T A1 GN D RS AT A_ TX P1 RS AT A_ TX N1 GN D RS AT A_ RX P1 RS AT A_ RX N1 GN D SA T A3 GN D RS AT A_ TX P3 RS AT A_ TX N3 GN D RS AT A_ RX P3 RS AT A_ RX N3 GN D SA T A4 GN D RS AT A_ TX P4 RS AT A_ TX N4 GN D RS AT A_ RX P4 RS AT A_ RX N4 GN D GN D RS AT A_ TX P2 RS AT A_ TX N2 GN D RS AT A_ RX P2 RS AT A_ RX N2 GN D SA T A2 M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI SA T A connectors SA T A1 GN D RS A TA _T XP1 RS A TA _T XN1 GN D RS A TA _R XP 1 RS A TA _R XN 1 GN D SA T A3 GN D RS A TA _T XP3 RS A TA _T XN3 GN D RS A TA _R XP3 RS A TA _R XN 3 GN D SA T A4 GN D RS A TA _T XP 4 RS A TA _T XN 4 GN D RS A TA _R XP 4 RS A TA _R XN 4 GN D GN D RS A TA _T XP 2 RS A TA _T XN2 GN D RS A TA _R XP 2 RS A TA _R XN 2 GN D SA T A2
2-26 Chapter 2: Hardware information 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 mechanical conîÂÂict with huge graphics cards. right angle side 4. CPU, chassis, and power fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN, 3-pin PWR_F AN, 3-pin CHA_F AN) The fan c onnect ors su pport co oling fans o f 350 mA~2000 mA (24 W max.) or a total of 1 A~7 A (84 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 . Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. InsufîÂÂcient air îÂÂow inside the system may damage the motherboard components. These are not jumpers! Do not place jumper caps on the fan connectors! M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Fan connectors CPU_F AN GND CPU F AN PWR CPU F AN IN CPU F AN PWM GND Rotation 12V PWR_F AN CHA_F AN GND Rotation 12V ⢠Only the CPU_F AN and CHA_F AN connectors support the ASUS Q F AN2 feature. ⢠If you install two VGA cards, we recommend that you plug the rear chassis fan cable to the motherboard connector labled CHA_F AN for better themal environment.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-27 5. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB 78, ASAP) 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 speciîÂÂcation that supports up to 480 Mbps connection speed. Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors. Doing so will damage the motherboard! 6. 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. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI IEEE 1394a connector 1 TP A2- GND TPB2- 12V GND TP A2 GND TPB2 12V IE1394_2 M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI USB 2.0 connectors ASAP USB 5V USB_P6- USB_P6 GND NC USB 5V USB_P5- USB_P5 GND PIN1 NC GND USB_P10 USB_P10- USB 5V GND USB_P9 USB_P9- USB 5V PIN1 USB 5V USB_P6- USB_P6 GND NC USB 5V USB_P5- USB_P5 GND PIN1 USB56 USB78 The IEEE 1394a module is purchased separately . The USB module is purchased separately .
2-28 Chapter 2: Hardware information 8. AT X p owe r c on ne cto rs (24-pin EA TXPWR, 4-pin A TX12V) These connectors are for A TX power supply plugs. The power supply plugs are designed to îÂÂt these connectors in only one orientation. Find the proper orientation and push down îÂÂrmly until the connectors completely îÂÂt. 7. 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 âÂÂChassis Signalâ and âÂÂGroundâ are shorted with a jumper cap. Remove the jumper caps only when you intend to use the chassis intrusion detection feature. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Chassis intrusion connector CHASSIS 5VSB_MB Chassis Signal GND (Default) M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI A TX power connectors EA TXPWR A TX12V 3 V olts 3 V olts Ground 5 V olts 5 V olts Ground Ground Power OK 5V Standby 12 V olts -5 V olts 5 V olts 3 V olts -12 V olts Ground Ground Ground PSON# Ground 5 V olts 12 V olts 3 V olts 5 V olts Ground 12V DC GND 12V DC GND
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-29 ⢠For a fully conîÂÂgured system, we recommend that you use a power supply unit (PSU) that complies with A TX 12 V SpeciîÂÂcation 2.0 (or later version) and provides a minimum power of 600 W . ⢠Do not forget to connect the 4-pin A TX 12 V power plug; otherwise, the system will not boot. ⢠Use of a PSU with a higher power output is recommended when conîÂÂguring a system with more power-consuming devices. The system may become unstable or may not boot up if the power is inadequate. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Front panel audio connector FP_AUDIO BLINE_OUT_L MIC2 Line out_R Line out_L BLINE_OUT_R NC MICPWR 5V A AGND 9. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin FP_AUDIO) This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O module that supports legacy AC âÂÂ97 audio standard. Connect one end of the front panel audio I/O module cable to this connector . M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Internal audio connector CD (black) Right Audio Channel Left Audio Channel Ground Ground 10. Internal audio connector (4-pin CD) These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources such as a CD-ROM, TV -tuner , or MPEG card.
2-30 Chapter 2: Hardware information 12. TPM connector (20-1 pin TPM) This connector supports a T rusted Platform Module (TPM) system, which can securely store keys, digital certiîÂÂcates, passwords, and data. A TPM system also helps enhance network security , protects digital identities, and ensures platform integrity . See section âÂÂ4.6.6 Securityâ for details. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI TPM connector TPM M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Digital audio connector 5V SPDIFOUT GND SPDIF_OUT 1 1. Digital audio co nne cto r (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT) This connector is for an additional Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) port(s). Connect the S/PDIF Out module cable to this connector , then install the module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis. The S/PDIF module is purchased separately . The TPM module is purchased separately . Use the ASUS TPM module ONL Y .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-31 ⢠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 LED cable to this connector . The IDE LED lights up or îÂÂashes when data is 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 PWRSR) 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 . 13. System panel connector (20-8 pin P ANEL) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI System panel connector * Requires an A TX power supply. P ANEL PLED- PWR 5V Speaker Ground RESET Ground Reset Ground Ground PWRSW PLED IDE_LED- IDE_LED IDE_LED PLED SPEAKER
2-32 Chapter 2: Hardware information 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 to know the detailed pin deîÂÂnitions, then 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. The îÂÂgure shows the Q-Connector properly installed on the motherboard.
3 Powering up This chapter describes the power up sequence, the vocal POST messages, and ways of shutting down the system.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 3 3.1 Starting up for the îÂÂrst time ........................................................ 3-1 3.2 T urning off the computer ............................................................. 3-2
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 3-1 3.1 Starting up for the î¿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 âÂÂgreenâ standards or if it has a âÂÂpower standbyâ 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 . While the tests are running, the BIOS beeps (see BIOS beep codes table below) or additional messages appear on the screen. If you do not see anything within 30 seconds from the time you tu rned 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 î 2000: 1. Click the Start button then click Shut Down. 2. Make sure that the Shut Down option button is selected, then click the OK button to shut down the computer . 3. The power supply should turn off after Windows î shuts down. If you are using Windows î XP: 1. Click the Start button then select Turn Of f Computer . 2. Click the Turn Of f button to shut down the computer . 3. The power supply should turn off after Windows î shuts down. If you are using Windows î Vista: 1. Click the Start button then select ShutDown. 2. The power supply should turn off after Windows î 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 âÂÂ4.5 Power Menuâ in Chapter 4 for details.
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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 4-1 4.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................. 4-10 4.3 Main menu .................................................................................. 4-14 4.4 Advanced menu ......................................................................... 4-19 4.5 Power menu ................................................................................ 4-29 4.6 Boot menu .................................................................................. 4-34 4.7 T ools menu ................................................................................. 4-39 4.8 Exit menu .................................................................................... 4-40
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 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 î environment.) 2. ASUS EZ Flash 2 (Updates the BIOS in DOS using a îÂÂoppy disk / USB îÂÂash disk, or the motherboard support CD.) 3. Award BIOS Flash Utility (Updates the BIOS using a bootable îÂÂoppy disk / USB îÂÂash disk or a CD ROM.) 4. ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 (Updates the BIOS using a bootable îÂÂoppy disk / USB îÂÂash disk or the motherboard support CD when the BIOS îÂÂle fails or gets corrupted.) Refer to the corresponding sections for details on these utilities. Save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS îÂÂle to a bootable îÂÂoppy 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 CD in the optical drive. The Drivers menu appears. 2. Click the Utilities tab, then click Install ASUS Update VX.XX.XX. See page 5-3 for the Utilities screen menu. 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 î environment. The ASUS Update utility allows you to: ⢠Save the current BIOS îÂÂle ⢠Download the latest BIOS îÂÂle from the Internet ⢠Update the BIOS from an updated BIOS îÂÂle ⢠Update the BIOS directly from the Internet, and ⢠View the BIOS version information. This utility is available in the support CD 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 î applications before you update the BIOS using this utility . 3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network trafîÂÂc, or 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 î 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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-3 Updating the BIOS through a BIOS îÂÂle T o update the BIOS through a BIOS îÂÂle: 1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows î desktop by clicking Start > Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate . The ASUS Update main window appears. 2. Select Update BIOS from a îÂÂle option from the drop-down menu, then click Next. 4. From the FTP site, select the BIOS version that you wish to download. Click Next. 5. Follow the screen instructions to complete the update process. The ASUS Update utility is capable of updating itself through the Internet. Always update the utility to avail all its features. 3. Locate the BIOS îÂÂle from the Open window , then click Open. 4. Follow the screen instructions to complete the update process.
4-4 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.1.2 Creating a bootable îÂÂoppy disk 1. Do either one of the following to create a bootable îÂÂoppy disk. DOS environment a. Insert a 1.44MB îÂÂoppy disk into the drive. b. At the DOS prompt, type format A:/ S then press <Enter>. Windows î XP environment a. Insert a 1.44 MB îÂÂoppy disk to the îÂÂoppy disk drive. b. Click Start from the Windows î desktop, then select My Computer. c. Select the 3 1/2 Floppy Drive icon. d. Click File from the menu, then select Format . A Format 3 1/2 Floppy Disk window appears. e. Select Create an MS-DOS startup disk from the format options îÂÂeld, then click Start. Windows î 2000 environment T o create a set of boot disks for Windows î 2000: a. Insert a formatted, high density 1.44 MB îÂÂoppy disk into the drive. b. Insert the Windows î 2000 CD to the optical drive. c. Click Start , then select Run . d. From the Open îÂÂeld, type D:\bootdisk\makeboot a: assuming that D: is your optical drive. e. Press <Enter>, then follow screen instructions to continue. 2. Copy the original or the latest motherboard BIOS îÂÂle to the bootable îÂÂoppy disk.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-5 T o update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2: 1. Visit the ASUS website (www .asus.com) to download the latest BIOS îÂÂle for the motherboard. 2. Save the BIOS îÂÂle to a îÂÂoppy disk or a USB îÂÂash disk, then restart the system. 4.1.3 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 booting from a îÂÂoppy disk and 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. Y ou can switch between drives by pressing <T ab> before the correct îÂÂle is found. Then press <Enter>. 3. Y ou can launch the EZ Flash 2 by two methods. (1) Insert the îÂÂoppy disk / USB îÂÂash disk that contains the BIOS îÂÂle to the îÂÂoppy disk drive or the USB port. Press <Alt> <F2> during POST to display the following. ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility B318 FLASH TYPE: PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH BOARD: M2N-Plus SLI VER: 0107 DATE: 12/27/2006 Current ROM Update ROM BOARD: Unknown VER: Unknown DATE: Unknown PATH: C:\ A: C: Note [Enter] Select [S] Save [ESC] Exit [Tab] Switch [Up/Down/Home/End] Move ⢠This func tion can suppo rt device s such as USB îÂÂash disk, hard disk , or îÂÂoppy disk 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! 4. When the correct BIOS îÂÂle is found, EZ Flash 2 performs the BIOS update process and automatically reboots the system when done.
4-6 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.1.4 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 . 1. Download the latest BIOS îÂÂle from the ASUS web site. Rename the îÂÂle to M2NPLUSSLI.BIN and save it to a îÂÂoppy disk, CD ROM or a USB îÂÂash disk in F A T 16/12 format . Save only the updated BIOS îÂÂle in the disk to avoid loading the wrong BIOS îÂÂle. 2. Copy the AwardBIOS Flash Utility (awdîÂÂash.exe) from the Software folder of the support CD to the îÂÂoppy disk, CD ROM or a USB îÂÂash disk with the latest BIOS îÂÂle. 3. Boot the system in DOS mode using the bootable îÂÂoppy disk, CD ROM or a USB îÂÂash disk you created earlier . 4. Under the DOS mode, use <X:> (X stands for the name of the disk assignment) to switch to the folder of îÂÂoppy disk, CD ROM or USB îÂÂash disk you saved the BIOS îÂÂleand AwardBIOS Flash Utility . 5. At the prompt, type awdîÂÂash then press <Enter>. The Award BIOS Flash Utility screen appears. AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: Please input File Name! For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program:
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-7 7. Press <N> when the utility prompts you to save the current BIOS îÂÂle. The following screen appears. 8. The utility veriîÂÂes the BIOS îÂÂle in the îÂÂoppy disk, CD ROM or a USB îÂÂash disk and starts îÂÂashing the BIOS îÂÂle. Do not turn off or reset the system during the îÂÂashing process! AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Warning: DonâÂÂt Turn Off Power Or Reset System! 9. The utility displays a Flashing Complete message indicating that you have successfully îÂÂashed the BIOS îÂÂle. Remove the disk then press <F1> to restart the system. AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved F1 Reset For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program: M2NPLUSV.bin Flashing Complete Press <F1> to Continue Write OK No Update Write Fail For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program: M2NPLUSV.bin Programming Flash Memory - OFE00 OK Write OK No Update Write Fail AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program: M2NPLUSV.bin Message: Do You Want To Save Bios (Y/N) 6. T ype the BIOS îÂÂle name in the File Name to Program îÂÂeld, then press <Enter>.
4-8 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4. The utility saves the current BIOS îÂÂle to the disk, then returns to the BIOS îÂÂashing process. 3. T ype a îÂÂlename for the current BIOS îÂÂle in the Save current BIOS as îÂÂeld, then press <Enter>. T o save the current BIOS îÂÂle using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility: 1. Follow steps 1 to 6 of the previous section. 2. Press <Y> when the utility prompts you to save the current BIOS îÂÂle. The following screen appears. 4.1.5 Saving the current BIOS îÂÂle Y ou can use the AwardBIOS Flash Utility to save the current BIOS îÂÂle. Y ou can load the current BIOS îÂÂle when the BIOS îÂÂle gets corrupted during the îÂÂashing process. AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program: 0112.bin Save current BIOS as: AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: Please Wait! For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program: 0112.bin Checksum: 810DH Save current BIOS as: 0113.bin AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: Please Wait! For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program: 0113.bin Now Backup System BIOS to File! Make sure that the îÂÂoppy disk, CD ROM or a USB îÂÂash disk has enough disk space to save the îÂÂle.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-9 4.1.6 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS îÂÂle when it fails or gets corrupted during the updating process. Y ou can update a corrupted BIOS îÂÂle using the motherboard support CD, the îÂÂoppy disk, or the USB îÂÂash disk that contains the updated BIOS îÂÂle. Prepare the motherboard support CD, the îÂÂoppy disk or the USB îÂÂash disk containing the updated motherboard BIOS before using this utility . Recovering the BIOS from the support CD T o recover the BIOS from the support CD: 1. T urn on the system. 2. Insert the motherboard support CD to the optical drive. 3. The utility displays the following message and automatically checks the CD for the BIOS îÂÂle. 4. Restart the system after the utility completes the updating process. ⢠Only the USB îÂÂash disk with F A T 32/16/12 format and single partition can support ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3. The device size should be smaller than 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 When found, the utility reads the BIOS îÂÂle and starts îÂÂashing the corrupted BIOS îÂÂle. Award BootBlock BIOS v1.0 Copyright (c) 2000, Award Software, Inc. BIOS ROM checksum error Detecting IDE ATAPI device... Recovering the BIOS from the USB îÂÂash disk T o recover the BIOS from the USB îÂÂash disk: 1. Insert the USB îÂÂash disk that contains BIOS îÂÂle to the USB port. 2. T urn on the system. 3. The utility will automatically checks the devices for the BIOS îÂÂle When found, the utility reads the BIOS îÂÂle and starts îÂÂashing the corrupted BIOS îÂÂle. 4. Restart the system after the utility completes the updating process.
4-10 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.2 BIOS setup program This motherboard supports a programmable Low-Pin Count (LPC) chip that you can update using the provided utility described in section âÂÂ4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS.â Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard, reconîÂÂguring your system, or prompted to âÂÂRun Setup.â This section explains how to conîÂÂgure your system using this utility . Even if you are not prompted to use the Setup program, you can change the conîÂÂguration of your computer in the future. For example, you can enable the security password feature or change the power management settings. This requires you to reconîÂÂgure your system using the BIOS Setup program so that the computer can recognize these changes and record them in the CMOS RAM of the LPC chip. The LPC 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 <Del> during the Power-On Self-T est (POST) to enter the Setup utility; otherwise, POST continues with its test routines. If you wish to enter Setup after POST , restart the system by pressing <Ctrl Alt Delete>, or by pressing the reset button on the system chassis. Y ou can also restart by turning the system off and then back on. Do this last option only if the îÂÂrst two failed. 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 Default Settings item under the Exit Menu. See section 4.8 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. ⢠Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) to download the latest BIOS îÂÂle for this motherboard.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-1 1 4.2.1 BIOS menu screen Legend bar General help Menu bar Sub-menu items ConîÂÂguration îÂÂelds Menu items Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Change the internal time. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit System Time 15 : 30 : 36 System Date Thu, Apr 6 2006 Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Primary IDE Master [None] Primary IDE Slave [None] Secondary IDE Master [None] Secondary IDE Slave [None] SATA 1 [None] SATA 2 [None] SATA 3 [None] SATA 4 [None] HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] Installed Memory 512MB Usable Memory 511MB 4.2.2 Menu bar The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items: Main For changing the basic system conîÂÂguration Advanced For changing the advanced system settings Power For changing the advanced power management (APM) conîÂÂguration Boot For changing the system boot conîÂÂguration T ools For conîÂÂguring options for special functions 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.
4-12 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.2.4 Menu items The highlighted item on the menu bar displays the speciîÂÂc items for that menu. 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 ConîÂÂguration îÂÂelds These îÂÂelds show the values for the menu items. If an item is user-conîÂÂgurable, you can change the value of the îÂÂeld opposite the item. Y ou cannot select an item that is not user-conîÂÂgurable. A conîÂÂgurable îÂÂeld is enclosed in brackets, and is highlighted when selected. T o change the value of a îÂÂeld, select it then press <Enter> to display a list of options. Refer to âÂÂ4.2.7 Pop-up window .â 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 Moves the highlight up or down between îÂÂelds Page Down or â (minus) Scrolls backward through the values for the highlighted îÂÂeld Page Up or (plus) Scrolls forward through the values for the highlighted îÂÂeld <Enter> Brings up a selection menu for the highlighted îÂÂeld <F10> Saves changes and exit
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-13 4.2.7 Pop-up window Select a menu item then press <Enter> to display a pop-up window with the conîÂÂguration options for that item. 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 Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Speciî¿es the capacity and physical size of diskette drive A. System Time 15 : 30 : 36 System Date Thu, Apr 6 2006 Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Primary IDE Master [None] Primary IDE Slave [None] Secondary IDE Master [None] Secondary IDE Slave [None] SATA 1 [None] SATA 2 [None] SATA 3 [None] SATA 4 [None] HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] Installed Memory 512MB Usable Memory 511MB Legacy Diskette A: Disabled ..... [ ] 720K , 3.5 in. ..... [ ] 1.44M, 3.5 in. ..... [ ] âÂÂâ :Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort
4-14 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.3 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. 4.3.1 System Time [xx:xx:xx] Allows you to set the system time. 4.3.2 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx] Allows you to set the system date. 4.3.3 Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Sets the type of îÂÂoppy drive installed. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [720K , 3.5 in.] [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Change the internal time. System Time 15 : 30 : 36 System Date Thu, Apr 6 2006 Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Primary IDE Master [None] Primary IDE Slave [None] Secondary IDE Master [None] Secondary IDE Slave [None] SATA 1 [None] SATA 2 [None] SATA 3 [None] SATA 4 [None] HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] Installed Memory 512MB Usable Memory 511MB
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-15 4.3.4 Primary/Secondary 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 IDE device information. The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed items (Capacity , Cylinder , Head, Sector and T ransfer Mode). These values are not user-conîÂÂgurable. These items show N/A if no IDE device is installed in the system. Primary/Secondary IDE Master/Slave [Auto] Select [Auto] to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive. If automatic detection is successful, the BIOS automatically îÂÂlls in the correct values for the remaining îÂÂelds on this sub-menu. If the hard disk was already formatted on a previous 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 [None]. ConîÂÂguration options: [None] [Auto] [Manual] 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]. ConîÂÂguration options: [CHS] [LBA] [Large] [Auto] Before attempting to conîÂÂgure a hard disk drive, make sure you have the correct conîÂÂguration information supplied by the drive manufacturer . Incorrect settings may cause the system to fail to recognize the installed hard disk. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press [Enter] to select. Primary IDE Master Primary IDE Master [Auto] Access Mode [Auto] Capacity 0 GB Cylinder 0 Head 0 Sector 0 PIO Mode [Auto] UDMA Mode [Auto] Transfer Mode None F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit
4-16 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Capacity Displays the auto-detected hard disk capacity . This item is not conîÂÂgurable. Cylinder Shows the number of the hard disk cylinders. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. Head Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. Sector Shows the number of sectors per track. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. PIO Mode [Auto] Sets the PIO mode for the IDE device. ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [Mode 0] [Mode 1] [Mode 2] [Mode 3] [Mode 4] UDMA Mode [Auto] Disables or sets the UDMA mode. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disable] [Auto] T ransfer Mode Shows the T ransfer mode. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. 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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-17 4.3.5 SA T A1~4 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- conîÂÂgurable. These items show 0 if no SA T A device is installed in the system. Extended IDE Drive [Auto] Selects the type of îÂÂxed disk connected to the system. ConîÂÂguration options: [None] [Auto] Access Mode [Auto] Sets the sector addressing mode. ConîÂÂguration options: [Large] [Auto] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Selects the type of î¿xed disk connected to the system. SATA 1 Extended IDE Drive [Auto] Access Mode [Auto] Capacity 0 MB Cylinder 0 Head 0 Landing Zone 0 Sector 0 Before attempting to conîÂÂgure a hard disk drive, make sure you have the correct conîÂÂguration information supplied by the drive manufacturer . Incorrect settings may cause the system to fail to recognize the installed hard disk. Capacity Displays the auto-detected hard disk capacity . This item is not conîÂÂgurable. Cylinder Shows the number of the hard disk cylinders. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit
4-18 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Head Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. Landing Zone Shows the number of landing zone per track. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. Sector Shows the number of sectors per track. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. 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. 4.3.6 HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the HDD Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting T echnology (SMART) feature. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] 4.3.7 Installed Memory [xxx MB] Shows the size of installed memory . 4.3.8 Usable Memory [XXX MB] Shows the size of usable memory .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-19 Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Adjust system frequency/voltage. JumperFree Conî¿guration CPU Conî¿guration PCIPnP Onboard Device Conî¿guration SLI Conî¿guration 4.4 Advanced menu The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices. T ake caution when changing the settings of the Advanced menu items. Incorrect îÂÂeld values can cause the system to malfunction. F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit 4.4.1 JumperFree ConîÂÂguration F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press [Enter] to select overclock proî¿le. JumperFree Conî¿guration AI Tuning [Auto] x Overclock Options Disabled x N.O.S. Option Disabled x CPU Frequency Auto x PCI Express Clock Auto x DDR2 Voltage Control Auto x PCI Clock Synchronization Mode Auto Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced
4-20 Chapter 4: BIOS setup AI T uning [Auto] Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal frequency . Selct either one of the preset overclocking conîÂÂguration options: 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 Loads overclocking proîÂÂles with optimal parameters for stability when overclocking. The following item becomes user-conîÂÂgurable when you set AI T uning to [ AI Overclock]. Overclock Options [Disabled] Allows you to set the overclocking options. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Overclock 3%] [Overclock 5%] [Overclock 8%] [Overclock 10%] The following item becomes user-conîÂÂgurable when you set AI T uning to [ Manual] CPU Frequency [XXX] (value is auto-detected) Indicates the frequency sent by the clock generator to the system bus and PCI bus. The bus frequency (external frequency) multiplied by the bus multiple equals the CPU speed. The BIOS auto-detects the value of this item. The values range from 200.0 to 400.0. Setting a very high CPU frequency may cause the system to become unstable. If this happens, revert to the default setting. PCI Express Clock [100Mhz] Allows you to set the PCI Express clock. ConîÂÂguration options: [100MHz]~[145MHz] DDR2 V oltage [Auto] Allows you to set the operating DDR2 voltage. ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1.80V] [1.85V] [1.90V] [1.95V] PCI Clock Synchronization Mode [Auto] Sets the PCI Clock Synchronization mode. ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [T o CPU] [33.33MHz]
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-21 4.4.2 CPU ConîÂÂguration DRAM ConîÂÂguration The items in the sub-menu show the DRAM-related information auto-detected by the BIOS. F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâ : Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced CPU Conî¿guration CPU Type AMD Sempron(tm) Processor 3000 CPU Speed 1600 MHz Cache RAM 256K DRAM Conî¿guration Hyper Transport Frequency [Auto] AMD Live! [Disabled] AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet Function [Disabled] Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help DRAM timing and control. F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâ : Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Setting platform Memclock or limit value. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced DRAM Conî¿guration Memory Clock Frequency [Auto] DRAM Timing Control Tcl [Auto] Trcd [Auto] Trp [Auto] Tras [Auto] Trc [Auto] Twr [Auto] Trrd [Auto] Trwt [Auto] Twtr [Auto] Trtp [Auto] Twrrd [Auto] Twrwr [Auto] Trdrd [Auto] Trfc [Auto] 1T/2T Memory Timing [Auto] Memory Clock Frequency [Auto] Sets the memory clock frequency . ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [DDR2 400] [DDR2 533] [DDR2 667] [DDR2 800]
4-22 Chapter 4: BIOS setup DRAM T iming Control F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâ : Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Load Fail-Safe Defaults Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced DRAM Timing Control Load Fail-Safe Defaults Precomp 0 Landing Zone 0 Precomp 0 Landing Zone 0 Precomp 0 Landing Zone 0 Precomp 0 Landing Zone 0 USB Keyboard Support [Disabled] USB Mouse Support [Disabled] Precomp 0 x Power On By Button Enabeld Onboard FDC controller [Enabled] CKE Fine Delay [Auto] CKE Setup Time [Auto] CS/ODT Fine Delay [Auto] Load Fail-Safe Defaults ConîÂÂguration options: [YES] [NO] USB Keyboard Support [Disabled] ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] USB Mouse Support [Disabled] ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Onboard FDC Controller [Enabled] ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] CKE Fine Delay [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [No delay] [1/64 MEMCLK delay] [2/64 MEMCLK delay] [3/64 MEMCLK delay] [4/64 MEMCLK delay] [5/64 MEMCLK delay]~[30/64 MEMCLK delay] [31/64 MEMCLK delay] CKE Setup Time [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1/2 MEMCLK] [1 MEMCLK] CS/ODT Fine Delay [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [No delay] [1/64 MEMCLK delay] [2/64 MEMCLK delay] [3/64 MEMCLK delay] [4/64 MEMCLK delay] [5/64 MEMCLK delay]~[30/64 MEMCLK delay] [31/64 MEMCLK delay] CS/ODT Setup Time [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1/2 MEMCLK] [1 MEMCLK] Address/Command Fine Delay [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [No delay] [1/64 MEMCLK delay] [2/64 MEMCLK delay] [3/64 MEMCLK delay] [4/64 MEMCLK delay] [5/64 MEMCLK delay]~[30/64 MEMCLK delay] [31/64 MEMCLK delay] Address/Command Setup Time [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1/2 MEMCLK] [1 MEMCLK]
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-23 T cl [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T rcd [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T rp [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T ras [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [5] [6] [7]~[18] T rc [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1 1] [12] [13]~[25] [26] T wr [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T rrd [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [2] [3] [4] [5] T rwt [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] T wtr [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] T rtp [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [2/4] [3/5] T wrrd [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [0] [1] [2] [3] T wrwr [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] T rdrd [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [2] [3] [4] [5] T rfc [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [0] [1] [2] [3] 1T/2T Memory Timing [Auto] Sets the memory timing. ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1T] [2T] Hyper T ransport Frequency [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [1x] [2x] [3x] [4x] [5x] [Auto] AMD Live! [Disabled] Enables or disables the AMD Live! technology . ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4-24 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.4.3 PCIPnP Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Select Yes if you are using a Plug and Play capable operating system. Select No if you need the BIOS to conî¿gure non-boot devices. PCIPnP Plug & Play O/S [No] Primary Display Adapter [PCI] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced Plug & Play O/S [No] When set to [No], the BIOS conîÂÂgures all the devices in the system. When set to [Y es] and if you install a Plug and Play operating system, the operating system conîÂÂgures the Plug and Play devices not required for boot. ConîÂÂguration options: [No] [Y es] Primary Display Adapter [PCI] Allows selection of graphics controller to use as the primary boot device. ConîÂÂguration options: [PCI] [PCI-E] F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press [Enter] to set. Onboard Device Conî¿guration IDE Function Setup NVRAID Conî¿guration USB Conî¿guration Onboard nVidia LAN [Enabled] Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled] Onboard USB Audio [Enabled] ASUS ASAP [Disabled] Onboard 1394 [Enabled] Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4] Parallel Port Address [378/IRQ7] Parallel Port Mode [EPP] x ECP Mode Use DMA 3 Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced 4.4.4 Onboard Device ConîÂÂguration AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet Function [Disabled] Enables or disables the AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet technology . ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [Disabled]
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-25 IDE Function Setup This sub-menu contains IDE function-related items. Select an item then press <Enter> to edit. F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Disable/Enable Onchip IDE Channel0 IDE Function Setup OnChip IDE Channel0 [Enabled] OnChip IDE Channel1 [Enabled] IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled] SATA Port 1,2 [Enabled] SATA DMA transfer [Enabled] SATA Port 3,4 [Enabled] SATA2 DMA transfer [Enabled] IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled] OnChip IDE Channel0 [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable OnChip IDE Channel0 ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] OnChip IDE Channel1 [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable OnChip IDE Channel1 ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable IDE DMA transfer access ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A Port 1, 2 [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable OnChip SA T A(Port 1, Port 2) ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A DMA transfer [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable to switch to support SA T A DMA tranfer ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A Port 3, 4 [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable OnChip SA T A2(Port 3, Port 4) ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A2 DMA transfer [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable to switch to support SA T A2 DMA tranfer ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4-26 Chapter 4: BIOS setup IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable IDE PIO read prefetch mode. When prefetch is enabled, either 16-bit or 32-bit are allowed on IDE bus. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Disable.Enable nVIDIA RAID feture. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced NVRAID ConîÂÂguration This item in this sub-menu allows you to set up RAID feature. NVRAID Conî¿guration RAID Enable [Disabled] x SATA 1 RAID Disabled x SATA 2 RAID Disabled x SATA 3 RAID Disabled x SATA 4 RAID Disabled RAID Enable [Disabled] Allows to disable or enable nVIDIA RAID feature. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A 1 RAID [Disabled] Selects this device as RAID set. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A 2 RAID [Disabled] Selects this device as RAID set. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A 3 RAID [Disabled] Selects this device as RAID set. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A 4 RAID [Disabled] Selects this device as RAID set. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] The following items are user-conîÂÂgurable only when the RAID Enable item is set to [Enabled].
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-27 Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Enable or Disable USB 1.1 and 2.0 Controller. USB Conî¿guration USB Controller [Enabled] USB2.0 Controller [Enabled] USB Legacy support [Enabled] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced USB ConîÂÂguration The items in this menu allows you to change the USB-related features. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conîÂÂguration options. USB Controller [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the onchip USB controller . ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] When USB Controller is set to [Disabled], both USB 2.0 Controller and USB Legacy support will be disabled. USB 2.0 Controller [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the USB 2.0 controller . ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] When USB 2.0 Controller is set to [Disabled], audio function will be disabled. USB Legacy Support [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable support for USB devices on legacy operating systems (OS). ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Onboard nVidia LAN [Enabled] Enable or Disable Onboard NV LAN Interface. ConîÂÂguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled] Enable or Disable the bootrom of the onboard LAN. ConîÂÂguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Onboard USB Audio [Enabled] Enable or Disable Onboard USB Audio. ConîÂÂguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] ASUS ASAP [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the onboard USB îÂÂash module for the ASUS ASAP feature that supports Windows î Vista ReadyBoost ⢠function. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4-28 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.4.5 SLI ConîÂÂguration AI-Selector[Auto] Allows you to select the Scalable Link Interface mode. When set to [Auto], BIOS detects the setting of SLI EZ Selector Card. Set this item to [Single Video Card] when using single PCI-E graphics card. ConîÂÂguration: [Auto] [Single Video Card] [Dual V ideo Card] F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Allow you to select the Scalable Link Interface mode. When set to Auto, BIOS detects the setting of SLI EZ Selector Card. Set to Normal when using single PCI-E graphics card plugged. SLI Conî¿guration AI-Selector [Auto] Onboard 1394 [Enabled] Enable or Disable Onboard 1394. ConîÂÂguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4] Allows you to select the Serial Port1 base address. ConîÂÂguration options: [Di sab led] [ 3F8/IR Q4] [2 F8/IR Q3] [3 E8/IRQ 4] [2E 8/IRQ 3] [Au to] Parallel Port Address [378/IRQ7] Allows you to select the Parallel Port base addresses. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [378/IRQ7] [278/IRQ5] [3BC/IRQ7] Parallel Port Mode [EPP] Allows you to select the Parallel Port mode. ConîÂÂguration options: [Normal] [EPP] [ECP] [Bi-Directional] The ECP Mode Use DMA item becomes user-conîÂÂgurable when the Parallel Port Mode item is set to [ECP] or [Bi-Directional] ECP Mode Use DMA [3] Allows selection of ECP Mode. ConîÂÂguration options: [1] [3]
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-29 4.5 Power menu The Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced ConîÂÂguration and Power Interface (ACPI) and the Advanced Power Management (APM). Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conîÂÂguration options. Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Select the ACPI state used for System Suspend. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit ACPI Suspend Type [S1&S3] ACPI APIC support [Enabled] APM Conî¿guration Hardware Monitor 4.5.1 ACPI Suspend T ype [S1&S3] Allows you to select the Advanced ConîÂÂguration and Power Interface (ACPI) state to be used for system suspend. ConîÂÂguration options: [S1(POS)] [S3(STR)] [S1&S3] 4.5.2 ACPI APIC Support [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the Advanced ConîÂÂguration and Power Interface (ACPI) support in the Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC). When set to Enabled, the ACPI APIC table pointer is included in the RSDT pointer list. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4-30 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.5.3 APM ConîÂÂguration Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press [Enter] to select whether or not to restart the system after AC power loss. APM Conî¿guration Restore on AC Power Loss [Power-Off] PWR Button < 4 secs [Instant-Off] Power Up On PCI/PCIE Devices [Disabled] Power On By External Modems [Disabled] Power On by RTC Alarm [Disabled] x Date(of Month) Alarm 0 x Alarm Time(hh:mm:ss) 0 : 0 : 0 HPET Support [Enabled] Power Up By PS/2 Mouse [Disabled] Power Up By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Power Restore on AC Power Loss [Power-Off] Allows you to enable or disable the Restore on AC Power Loss function. ConîÂÂguration options: [Power-Off] [Power-On] PWR Button < 4 secs [Instant-Off] Allows you to set the event after the power button is pressed for more than 4 seconds. ConîÂÂguration options: [Suspend] [Instant-Off] Power Up On PCI/PCIE Devices [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the PME to wake up from S5 by PCI/PCIE devices & NV Onboard LAN. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Power On By External Modems [Disabled] This allows either settings of [Enabled] or [Disabled] for powering up the computer when the external modem receives a call while the computer is in Soft-off mode. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] 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 âÂÂDate (of Month) Alarmâ and âÂÂAlarm T ime (hh:mm:ss)â become user-conîÂÂgurable with set values. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit The computer cannot receive or transmit data until the computer and applications are fully running. Thus, connection cannot be made on the îÂÂrst try . T urning an external modem off and then back on while the computer is of f causes an initialization string that turns the system power on.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-31 Date (of Month) Alarm [xx] T o set the date of alarm, highlight this item then press < > or <-> to make the selection (Min=0; Max=31). Alarm Time (hh:mm:ss) [xx:xx:xx] T o set the time of alarm, use <T ab> or < â > / < â > to select a îÂÂeld, then press < > or <-> to make the selection (Min=0, Max=23 for the hour îÂÂeld; Min=0, Max=59 for the minutes/seconds îÂÂeld). HPET Support [Enabled] ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Power Up By PS/2 Mouse [Disabled] When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows you to use the PS/2 mouse to turn on the system. This feature requires an A TX power supply that provides at least 1A on the 5VSB lead. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Power Up By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled] Allows you to disable the Power On by PS/2 keyboard function or set speciîÂÂc keys on the PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system. This feature requires an A TX power supply that provides at least 1A on the 5VSB lead. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Space Bar] [Ctrl-ESC] [Power Key]
4-32 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.5.4 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 parameters. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conîÂÂguration options. CPU Q-Fan Control [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the CPU Q-Fan controller . ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] The CPU Q-Fan ProîÂÂle item becomes use-conîÂÂgurable when you enable the CPU Q-Fan Control item. CPU Q-Fan ProîÂÂle [Performance] Allows you to set the appropriate performance level of the CPU Q-Fan. When set to [Optimal], the CPU fan automatically adjusts depending on the CPU temperature. Set this item to [Silent] to minimize fan speed for quiet CPU fan operation, or [Performance] to achieve maximum CPU fan speed. ConîÂÂguration options: [Performance] [Optimal] [Silent] Chassis Q-Fan Control [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the chassis Q-Fan controller . ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] The succeeding item becomes user-conîÂÂgurable when you set the Chassis Q-Fan Control item to [Enabled]. Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press [Enter] to enable or disable. Hardware Monitor CPU Q-Fan Control [Disabled] x CPU Q-Fan Proî¿le Performance Chassis Q-Fan Control [Disabled] x Chassis Q-Fan Proî¿le Performance Vcore Voltage [ 1.39V] 3.3V Voltage [ 2.76V] 5V Voltage [ 4.48V] 12V Voltage [11.32V] CPU Temperature 30úC M/B Temperature 33úC CPU FAN Speed 2884 RPM CHASSIS FAN Speed 0 RPM POWER FAN Speed 0 RPM CPU Fan Speed warning [ 800 RPM] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Power F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-33 Chassis Q-Fan ProîÂÂle [Performance] Allows you to set the appropriate performance level of the chassis Q-Fan. When set to [Optimal], the chassis fan automatically adjusts depending on the chassis temperature. Set this item to [Silent] to minimize fan speed for quiet chassis fan operation, or [Performance] to achieve maximum chassis fan speed. ConîÂÂguration options: [Performance] [Optimal] [Silent] Vcore V oltage, 3.3V V oltage, 5V V oltage, 12V V oltage The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through the onboard voltage regulators. Select [Ignored] if you do not want to detect this item. CPU T emperature, M/B T emperature The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the motherboard and CPU temperatures. These items are not user-conîÂÂgurable. CPU Fan Speed CHASSIS F AN Speed POWER F AN Speed The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU, chassis, and power fan speeds in rotations per minute (RPM). If any of the fans is not connected to the motherboard, the îÂÂeld shows 0. These items are not user- conîÂÂgurable. CPU Fan Speed warning [ 800 RPM] Allows you to disable or set the CPU fan warning speed. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [800 RPM] [1200 RPM] [1600 RPM]
4-34 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.6 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. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Select Boot Device Priority Boot Device Priority Removable Drives Hard Disk Drives CDROM Drives Boot Settings Conî¿guration Security F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit 4.6.1 Boot Device Priority Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Select Your Boot Device Priority Boot Device Priority 1st Boot Device [Removable] 2nd Boot Device [Hard Disk] 3rd Boot Device [CDROM] 4th Boot Device [Disabled] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot 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. ConîÂÂguration options: [Removable] [Hard Disk] [CDROM] [Disabled]
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-35 4.6.2 Removable Drives 1. Floppy Disks Allows you to assign a removable drive attached to the system. Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Removable Drives 1. Floppy Disks Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot 4.6.3 Hard Disk Drives 1. SA T A1: XXXXXXXXX Allows you to assign hard disk drives attached to the system. Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Hard Disk Drives 1. SATA1: XXXXXXXXX Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot 4.6.4 CDROM Drives 1. 1st Slave: XXXXXXXXX Allows you to assign optical drives attached to the system. Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help CDROM Drives 1. 1st Slave: XXXXXXXXX Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot
4-36 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.6.5 Boot Settings ConîÂÂguration F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press [Enter] to enable or disable. Boot Settings Conî¿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] Halt On [All, But Keyboard] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot Case Open W arning [Enabled] Enables or disables the chassis open status feature. Setting to [Enabled] clears the chassis open status. Refer to section âÂÂ2.7.2 Internal connectorsâ for details. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Quick Boot [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the system quick boot feature. When set to [Enabled], the system skips certain tests while booting. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Boot Up Floppy Seek [Disabled] Enables or disables the îÂÂoppy seek feature while booting. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Bootup Num-Lock [On] Allows you to select the power-on state for the NumLock. ConîÂÂguration options: [Off] [On] T ypematic Rate Setting [Disabled] Allows you to set the keystroke rate. Enable this item to conîÂÂgure the T ypematic Rate (Chars/Sec) and the T ypematic Delay (Msec). ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] The items T ypematic Rate (Chars/Sec) and T ypematic Delay (Msec) become user-conîÂÂgurable when the item T ypematic Rate Setting is enabled.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-37 T ypematic Rate (Chars/Sec) [6] Allows you to select the rate at which a character repeats when you hold a key . ConîÂÂguration options: [6] [8] [10] [12] [15] [20] [24] [30] T ypematic Delay (Msec) [250] Allows you to set the delay before keystrokes begin to repeat. ConîÂÂguration options: [250] [500] [750] [1000] OS Select for DRAM > 64MB [Non-OS2] Set this item to OS2 only when you are running on an OS/2 operating system with an installed RAM of greater than 64 KB. ConîÂÂguration options: [Non-OS2] [OS2] Full Screen LOGO [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the full screen logo display feature. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Make sure that the above item is set to [Enabled] if you want to use the ASUS MyLogo2 ⢠feature. Halt On [All, But Keyboard] Allows you to error report type. ConîÂÂguration options: [All Errors] [No Errors] [All, But Keyboard] [All, But Diskette] [All, But Disk/Key] 4.6.6 Security Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Supervisor password controls full access, <Enter> to change password. Security Supervisor Password Clear User Password Clear Password Check [Setup] Security Chip [Disabled] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot Supervisor Password User Password These îÂÂelds allow you to set passwords: 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>.
4-38 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 3. When prompted, conîÂÂrm the password by typing the exact characters again, then press <Enter>. The password îÂÂeld setting is changed to Set. T o clear the password: 1. Select the password îÂÂeld and press <Enter> twice. The following message appears: PASSWORD DISABLED !!! Press any key to continue... 2. Press any key to continue. The password îÂÂeld setting is changed to Clear . A note about passwords The Supervisor password is required to enter the BIOS Setup program preventing unauthorized access. The User password is required to boot the system preventing unauthorized use. 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 âÂÂ2.6 Jumperâ for instructions. Password Check This îÂÂeld requires you to enter the password before entering the BIOS setup or the system. Select [Setup] to require the password before entering the BIOS Setup. Select [System] to require the password before entering the system. ConîÂÂguration options: [Setup] [System] Security Chip [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the TPM security chip. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] The succeeding item appears when you enable the Security Chip item. Clear TPM Security Chip [Enter] Allows you to clear the user information saved in the TPM security chip. When you press <Enter>, a warning message appears to ask if you want to clear the user information in the security chip. Use the left/right arrow key to select between [YES] and [NO], then press <Enter> to conîÂÂrm your choice. After you select [YES] to execute the Clear TPM Security Chip function, the data saved in the TPM security chip will be cleared and can never be restored.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-39 4.7 Tools menu The T ools menu items allow you to conîÂÂgure options for special functions. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu. Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press Enter to Run ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit 4.7.1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 Allows you to run ASUS EZ Flash 2. When you press <Enter>, a conîÂÂrmation message appears. Use the left/right arrow key to select between [Y es] or [No], then press <Enter> to conîÂÂrm your choice. Please see page 4-5, section 4.1.3 for details. ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility B318 FLASH TYPE: PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH BOARD: M2N-PLUS SLI VER: 0104 DATE: 12/20/2006 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
4-40 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.8 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. Exit & Save Changes Once you are îÂÂnished making your selections, choose this option from the Exit 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 off. When you select this option, a conîÂÂrmation window appears. Select [YES] to save changes and exit. 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 & Discard Changes Select this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you made to the Setup program. If you made changes to îÂÂelds other than System Date, System T ime, and Password, the BIOS asks for a conîÂÂrmation before exiting. Load Setup Defaults This option allows you to load the default values for each of the parameters on the Setup menus. When you select this option or if you press <F5>, a conîÂÂrmation 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 previously saved values. After selecting this option, a conîÂÂrmation appears. Select [YES] to discard any changes and load the previously saved values. 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. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help This option save data to CMOS and exiting the setup menu. Exit & Save Changes Exit & Discard Changes Load Setup Default Discard Changes
5 Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with the motherboard package.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 5 5.1 Installing an operating system ................................................... 5-1 5.2 Support CD information .............................................................. 5-1 5.3 Software informtion ..................................................................... 5-9 5.4 Windows î Vista feature ............................................................. 5-32 5.5 RAID conîÂÂgurations .................................................................. 5-33 5.6 Creating a RAID driver disk ....................................................... 5-42
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-1 If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer , browse the contents of the support CD to locate the îÂÂle ASSETUP .EXE from the BIN folder . Double-click the ASSETUP .EXE to run the CD. Click an item to install 5.1 Installing an operating system This motherboard supports Windows î 2000/XP/64-bit XP/Vista/64-bit V ista operating systems (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates to maximize the features of your hardware. 5.2 Support CD information The support CD 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 CD Place the support CD to the optical drive. The CD 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 î 2000 Service Pack 4 or the Windows î XP Service Pack2 or later versions before installing the drivers for better compatibility and system stability . The contents of the support CD are subject to change at any time without notice. Visit the ASUS website(www.asus.com) for updates. Click an icon to display support CD/motherboard information
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 Installs all of the drivers through the Installation Wizard. NVIDIA nForce Chipset Driver Installs the NVIDIA î Chipset drivers for the NVIDIA î nForce î 500 SLI chipset. C-Media CM6501 Audio Driver Installs the C-Media CM6501 audio driver and application. AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet Driver Installs the AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! driver and application. ASUS AI Remote Installs the ASUS AI Remote driver and application. USB 2.0 Driver Installs the Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB 2.0) driver .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-3 5.2.3 Utilities menu The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports. ASUS InstAll-Installation Wizard for Utilities Installs all of the utilities through the Installation Wizard. 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. ASUS Update Allows you to download the latest version of the BIOS from the ASUS website. Before using the ASUS Update, make sure that you have an Internet connection so you can connect to the ASUS website. ASUS AI Gear Installs the ASUS AI Gear . ASUS AI Nap Installs the ASUS AI Nap. ASUS AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet Utility Installs the AMD î Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! software. ASUS Accelerated Propeller Installs the ASUS Accelerated Propeller (ASAP).
5-4 Chapter 5: Software support ADOBE Acrobat Reader V7.0 Installs the Adobe î Acrobat î Reader that allows you to open, view , and print documents in Portable Document Format (PDF). Microsoft DirectX 9.0c Installs the Microsoft î DirectX 9.0 driver . The Microsoft DirectX î 9.0 is a multimedia technology that enhances computer graphics and sound. DirectX î 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. Symantec Norton Internet Security The anti-virus application detects and protects your computer from viruses that destroys data. WinDVD Copy5 T rial Installs the WinDVD Copy5 T rial version. Corel SnapîÂÂre Plus SE Installs the Corel SnapîÂÂre Plus SE software. Y ou can also install the following utilities from the ASUS Superb Software Library CD.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-5 5.2.4 Make Disk menu The Make Disk menu contains items to create the NVIDIA î nForce ⢠500-SLI SA T A RAID driver disk. NVIDIA 32/64bit 2000/XP/Vista SA T A RAID Driver Allows you to create an NVIDIA î Serial A T A RAID driver disk for a 32/64-bit 2000/ XP/Vista system.
5-6 Chapter 5: Software support 5.2.5 Manual menu The Manual menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals. Click an item to open the folder of the user manual. Most user manual îÂÂles are in Portable Document Format (PDF). Install the Adobe î Acrobat î Reader from the ASUS Superb Software Library CD before opening a user manual îÂÂle. 5.2.6 ASUS Contact information Click the Contact tab to display the ASUS contact information. Y ou can also îÂÂnd this information on the inside front cover of this user guide.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-7 5.2.7 Other information The icons on the top right corner of the screen give additional information on the motherboard and the contents of the support CD. Click an icon to display the speciîÂÂed information. Motherboard Info Displays the general speciîÂÂcations of the motherboard. Browse this CD Displays the support CD contents in graphical format.
5-8 Chapter 5: Software support T echnical support Form Displays the ASUS T echnical Support Request Form that you have to îÂÂll out when requesting technical support. Filelist Displays the contents of the support CD and a brief description of each in text format.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-9 5.3 Software information Most of the applications in the support CD have wizards that will conveniently guide you through the installation. View the online help or readme îÂÂle that came with the software application for more information. 5.3.1 ASUS MyLogo2 ⢠The ASUS MyLogo2 ⢠utility lets you customize the boot logo. The boot logo is the image that appears on screen during the Power-On-Self-T ests (POST). The ASUS MyLogo2 ⢠is automatically installed when you install the ASUS Update utility from the support CD. See section âÂÂ5.2.3 Utilities menuâ for details. T o launch the ASUS MyLogo2 ⢠: 1. Launch the ASUS Update utility . Refer to section âÂÂ4.1.1 ASUS Update utilityâ 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 îÂÂashing BIOS, then click Next . 4. Select Update BIOS from a îÂÂle from the drop down menu, then click Next . 5. When prompted, locate the new BIOS îÂÂle, then click Next . The ASUS MyLogo2 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 MyLogo2 ⢠, use the Award BIOS Flash utility to make a copy of your original BIOS îÂÂle, or obtain the latest BIOS version from the ASUS website. See section 4.1.4 Updating the BIOS. ⢠Make sure that the BIOS item Full Screen Logo is set to [Enabled] if you wish to use ASUS MyLogo2. See section 4.6.5 Boot Settings ConîÂÂguration . ⢠Y ou can create your own boot logo image in GIF , JPG, or BMP îÂÂle formats.
5-10 Chapter 5: Software support 9. When the screen returns to the ASUS Update utility , îÂÂash the original BIOS to load the new boot logo. 10. After îÂÂashing the BIOS, restart the computer to display the new boot logo during POST . 8. Adjust the boot image to your desired size by selecting a value on the Ratio box. 7. When the logo images appear on the right window pane, select an image to enlarge by clicking on it.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-1 1 5.3.2 Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠T echnology The motherboard supports the AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠T echnology that dynamically and automatically change the CPU speed, voltage, and amount of power depending on the task the CPU performs. Enabling Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠T echnology T o enable Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠T echnology: 1. T urn on the system and enter BIOS by pressing the <Del> key during the Power On Self-T ests (POST). 2. Go to Advanced > CPU ConîÂÂguration > AMD Cool âÂÂnâÂÂQuiet function and set it to [Enabled]. See section âÂÂ4.4 Advanced Menu.â 3. Save your changes and exit BIOS Setup. 4. Reboot your computer and set your Power Option Properties depending on your operating system. Windows î 2000/XP 1. From the Windows î 2000/XP operating system, click Start. Select Settings > Control Panel . 2. Make sure the Control Panel is set to Classic View . 3. Double-click the Display icon in the Control Panel then select the Screen Saver tab. 4. Click the Power button. The following dialogue box appears. 5. From the Power schemes combo list box, select Minimal Power Management . 6. Click OK to effect settings.
5-12 Chapter 5: Software support ⢠Make sure to install the AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠driver and application before using this feature. ⢠The AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠technology feature works only with the AMD heatsink and fan assembly with monitor chip ⢠If you purchased a separate heatsink and fan package, use the ASUS Q-Fan technology feature to automatically adjust the CPU fan speed according to your system loading. Launching the Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠software The motherboard support CD includes the Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠software that enables you to view your systemâÂÂs real-time CPU Frequency and voltage. T o launch the Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠program: 1. If you are using Windows î 2000, click the Start button. Select Programs > ASUS > Cool & Quiet > Cool & Quiet . 2. If you are using Windows î XP , click the Start button. Select All Programs > ASUS > Cool & Quiet > Cool & Quiet . 3. The Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠technology screen appears and displays the current CPU Frequency and CPU V oltage. Make sure to install the Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠software from the motherboard support CD. Refer to section 5.2.3 Utilities menu for details.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-13 5.3.3 C-Media CM6501 audio utility The C-Media Superior Quality Audio CODEC provides 8-channel audio capability through the C-Media 6501 sound conîÂÂguration software to deliver the ultimate audio experience on your computer . The software provides high quality audio synthesis/rendering, 3D sound positioning, and S/PDIF Out support. Follow the installation wizard to install the C-Media CM6501 Audio Driver from the support CD that came with the motherboard package. If the C-Media audio utility is correctly installed, you will îÂÂnd the CM6501 Sound ConîÂÂguration icon on the taskbar . From the taskbar , click on the C-Media icon to display the CM6501 Sound ConîÂÂguration Main Setting screen. ⢠Y ou must use 4-channel, 6-channel or 8-channel speakers for this setup. ⢠C-Media requires Microsoft î Windows î 2000/XP/Vista version. Make sure that one of these operating systems is installed before installing C-Media. Main Setting The Main Setting option allows you to conîÂÂgure your audio device settings and use 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter . Click to select channel conîÂÂgurations. Click for Advanced settings. Click to select S/PDIF Output. Click the drop- down menu for digital and analog options. Click to set the digital volume. Move the slider of each speaker to determine the volume. Click to reset the volume. Click to perform the speaker test. Click to stop the speaker test. Click to effect the settings and exit.
5-14 Chapter 5: Software support 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter Click to enable this function. Click to adjust the volume. Click to arrange the position of the virtual speakers. Click to reset the speaker positions. Click to effect the settings and exit. Mixer The Mixer option allows you to conîÂÂgure audio output/input (record) volume. Click the control tab and turn the volume button to adjust the output volume. Make adjustments to W ave, SW Synth, Microphone, CD Player , Line Lin, and Stereo Mix by clicking the control tabs and dragging the sliders up and down to get the desired volume levels. Click OK to effect the settings and exit.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-15 Effect The Effect option allows you to set your listening environment, adjust the equalizer , or select pre-programmed equalizer settings for your listening pleasure. Click the shortcut buttons or the drop-down menus for options on changing the acoustic environment. Y ou may manually adjust the equalizer or select a pre- deîÂÂned mode according to music genre. T o select an environment size, simply click the shortcut buttons. Click OK to effect the settings and exit. Information Click the Information tab to diplay information about the 3D audio engine, audio codec, audio driver version, audio controller , and DirectX version.
5-16 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.4 ASUS PC Probe II PC Probe II is a utility that monitors the computerâÂÂs 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. Refer to page 1-6 for the OS that supports this utility . Installing PC Probe II T o install PC Probe II on your computer: 1. Place the support CD 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 CD to locate the setup.exe îÂÂle from the ASUS PC Probe II folder . Double-click the setup.exe îÂÂle to start installation. 2. Click the Utilities tab, then click ASUS PC Probe II. 3. Follow the screen instructions to complete installation. Launching PC Probe II Y ou can launch the PC Probe II right after installation or anytime from the Windows î desktop. T o launch the PC Probe II from the Windows î 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 î 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 the utility conîÂÂguration. By 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
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-17 Button Function Opens the ConîÂÂguration window 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 Minimizes the application Closes the application Sensor alert When a system sensor detects a problem, the main window right handle turns red, as the illustrations below show . When displayed, the monitor panel for that sensor also turns red. Refer to the Monitor panels section for details. Preferences Y ou can customize the application using the Preference section in the main window . Click the box before each preference to activate or deactivate.
5-18 Chapter 5: Software support 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 another position from the list box. Click OK when îÂÂnished. 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 computerâÂÂs 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 using the ConîÂÂg window . Y ou cannot adjust the sensor threshold values in a small monitoring panel.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-19 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 Windowsî 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. Y ou can enlarge or reduce the browser size by dragging the bottom right corner of the browser . DMI browser Click to display the DMI (Desktop Management Interface) browser . This browser displays various desktop and system information. Click the plus sign ( ) before DMI Information to display the available information.
5-20 Chapter 5: Software support 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
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-21 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 . ConîÂÂguring PC Probe II Click to view and adjust the sensor threshold values. The ConîÂÂg window has two tabs: Sensor/Threshold and Preference. The Sensor/ Threshold tab enables you to activate the sensors or to adjust the sensor threshold values. The Preference tab allows you to customize sensor alerts, or change the temperature scale. Loads the default threshold values for each sensor Applies your changes Cancels or ignores your changes Lo ad s y ou r s av ed co nî gur at ion Saves your conîÂÂguration
5-22 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.5 ASUS AI Gear ASUS AI Gear provides four system performance options that allows you to select the best performance setting for your computing needs. This easy-to-use utility adjusts the processor frequency and vCore voltage to minimize system noise and power consumption. After installing AI Gear from the bundled support CD, you can launch AI Gear by double-clicking the AI Gear icon on your Windows OS taskbar . Shift the gear to the performance setting that you like. Maximum Performance Medium Performance High Performance Maximum Power Saving Refer to page 1-6 for the OS that supports this utility .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-23 5.3.6 ASUS AI Nap This feature allows you to minimize the power consumption of your computer whenever you are away . Enable this feature for minimum power consumption and a more quiet system operation. After installing AI Nap from the bundled support CD, you can launch the utility by double-clicking the AI Nap icon on the Windows OS taskbar . Click Y es on the conîÂÂrmation screen. T o exit AI Nap mode, press the system power or mouse button then click Y es on the conîÂÂrmation screen. ⢠T o switch the power button functions from AI Nap to shutting down, just right click the AI Nap icon on the OS taskbar and click Use power button. Unclick the item to switch the function back. ⢠Refer to page 1-6 for the OS that supports this utility .
5-24 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.7 AI Remote With the ASUS AI Remote, you can play , pause, or adjust the volume on any songs desired without leaving your sofa. Have AI Remote in your hand and do more with your PC at a distance away . Overview of the ASUS AI Remote 1. Power: T urns the computer on/off. 2. Full Screen: Puts the media application into full screen. 3. AI Gear: Changes modes for optimizing performance and quietness. 4. AI Nap: Snoozing system without terminating tasks into quietest state. 5. AP-1/2 T rigger: Initiates the pre-deîÂÂned applications. 6. AP Menu: Displays the application menu. 7. Media Control Zone: Controls the media application. 1. Power 5. AP-1/2 T rigger 2. Full Screen 6. AP Menu 4. AI Nap 3. AI Gear 7. Media Control Zone V olume Up Next Previous V olume Down Play/Pause
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-25 ASUS >>USB receiver USB receiver USB IR Receiver Y our motherboard will come bundled with a IR Receiver , simply connect the USB end to your PC USB ports under the LAN2 port and place the IR receiver end at a suitable place without hindrance. IR Receiver Software Installation Before enjoying the convenience the ASUS AI Remote brings you, you need to install the software after the infrared receiver installation. Simply click and install the îÂÂle ASUS AI Remote from Drivers menu of the Motherboard Support CD package for the îÂÂrst time, and it will launch automatically everytime you start up your PC. ⢠The valid IR function distance is 6m depending on the environment. Suggest you to aim at the IR receiver when using the ASUS AI Remote to ensure a smooth and successful operation. ⢠These two USB ports support USB wake-up capability . So when the computer is not turned on, removing USB devices such as the ASUS IR receiver from these two ports will start up the PC. ⢠Back I/O differs depending on the motherboards. ⢠Refer to page 1-6 for the OS that supports the ASUS AI Remote. USB Ports USB end Infrared end ASUS AI Remote
5-26 Chapter 5: Software support Activating HID-Compliant Devices Due to the limitation of the operating system, if you remove the IR receiver from the previous port and have it reinstall into the other USB port, the IR receiver will not function. T o activate the HID-compliant devices again, go to Device Manager / Power Manager and check the box of Allow this device to bring the computer out of standby . 1. Click Windows icon and choose Control Panel. 2. Double click System and Maintenance . 3. Click Device Manager . 4. Select HID-compliant device . 5. Check the box of Allow this device to wake the computer .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-27 ASUS AI Remote Settings After the installation of the ASUS AI Remote software, the utility screen will show up and allows you to conîÂÂgure the ASUS AI Remote settings. Set up the function keys following the instructions below . 1 1. Power On / Off Key Enable power key Click this box to enable this power button. Enable power on after power loss Click this box to restart the system after the AC power loss. Whenever the power cord of your PC is removed from the outlet or there is a power failure, your PC will auto-boot and shut down around few seconds to enable the Power On function of AI Remote after the power supply is back. Function switch Y ou can customize the Power key by switching the mode from Power off to Hibernate or Standby based on your preference. Setting this item to Hibernate allows you to lead your PC to the Windows S4 mode, which enables your PC to enter Hibernate faster and return to full power much more quickly . 2 3 ⢠Power On/Off button does not support MS-DOS Mode. ⢠Y ou have to check the box of Enable Power Key before using the ASUS AI Remote to turn on and off your PC or to have it hibernate or standby . Visit www .microsoft.com for details about Hibernate and Standby .
5-28 Chapter 5: Software support 3. Multimedia Keys ProîÂÂle There are nine default applications in the ProîÂÂle drop-down menu and îÂÂve sets of User DeîÂÂne . Default applications are Media Player , iTunes, PowerDVD, WinDVD, QuickTime, Real Player , DivX Player , WinAmp and Power Point. (Default applications in the ASUS AI Remote software may change without notice.) Path The software will help locate the executable (.exe) îÂÂle of the nine default applications. If the .exe îÂÂle is not located, click Browse to direct the correct path. The .exe îÂÂles of the User DeîÂÂne applications need to be located manually before you using the ASUS AI Remote. ⢠Save after the .exe îÂÂle path is directed. ⢠If the executable îÂÂle is relocated or the application is re-installed, you have to redirect the îÂÂle path for a correct ASUS AI Remote operation. 2. AP-1/2 Y ou are allowed to conîÂÂgure two sets of applications for AP-1 T rigger and AP-2 T rigger buttons. After the setup, you can easily launch the pre-deîÂÂned application by pressing the designated button. (1) Click the box before Use ProîÂÂle , and you are able to select a default application from the drop-down menu. (2) T o launch a non-default application, unclick the box before Use ProîÂÂle . (3) Click the Browse button and locate the executable (.exe) îÂÂle of the application you want to launch by pressing the AP-1 button. (4) Follow the same instructions to conîÂÂgure the AP-2 button. (5) Click Save to save the conîÂÂguration.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-29 Select File After selecting the correct path, you should select the correct executable îÂÂle (.exe) of the application for launching the application. If the executable îÂÂle is located by the software successfully or you have already set up correctly in advance, this screen will show up directly when the application is chosen. After selecting a desired îÂÂle, folder or CD-ROM, use / to choose Back / OK / Cancel and then press to conîÂÂrm. AP Menu Button and Application menu Navigate with the media control zone. Select Application Path If the software fails to locate the executable îÂÂle of the applicaton at the îÂÂrst-time use, the Select Application Path screen will appear . Specify the correct path on screen. ⢠For music listening, making playlists beforehand is suggested. ⢠Press again to close the application and again to re-launch the proîÂÂle menu . Select Application Profile After you press (AP Menu) on the remote control, an application proîÂÂle will be displayed on the screen. Use the remote control to navigate and initiate a desired application. upward leftward enter rightward downward
5-30 Chapter 5: Software support DeîÂÂne Hotkeys for Application If you want to use the Media Control Zone to control non-default applications, such as ACDSee, you can select User DeîÂÂne from the drop-down menu and rename it by pressing Rename . The ASUS AI Remote software has correctly set up nine popular applications and deîÂÂned the funtion buttons for your convenient operation. User Define After clicking the box before Use Hotkeys for Application , you are free to deîÂÂne the hotkeys of the User DeîÂÂne applications. Select User DeîÂÂne 1~5 from the ProîÂÂle drop-down menu for hotkeys deîÂÂnition. Press Save to save the new setup or press the Default button to clear ALL personalized setups and restore to the original deîÂÂnitions. ⢠The remote control buttons will function only when the deîÂÂnitions of the application hotkeys are correct. ⢠The hotkey deîÂÂnitions may vary with different software versions. Click the box of RedeîÂÂne default hotkeys to give new correct deîÂÂnitions if needed. Press Save button to save the redeîÂÂnitions or press Reset button to restore to the default hotkeys deîÂÂnition. ⢠After the initial setup, you will îÂÂnd an ASUS AI Remote icon on the Windows OS taskbar . Click the icon and select Settings to launch the utility screen.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-31 Media Player iT unes PowerDVD WinDVD QuickTime Full Screen v v v v v v v v/x v v v v v v v - v v v v v v v v v x v v v v x *NOTE only play , no pause Real Player DivX Player WinAmp Power Point User Defne Full Screen v v x v v v v/x Full Screen v x v B - v x v ESC v x v Page Down v x v Page Up *NOTE only play , no pause The Function Buttons and AP ProîÂÂle The ASUS AI Remote software helps you set up the correspondence between the function buttons on the remote to the function hotkeys of nine popular applications in advance and leaves îÂÂve sets for User DeîÂÂne. If you îÂÂnd the 9 default applications insufîÂÂcient and would like to add different applications, you are able to rename the 5 sets User DeîÂÂne and create your preferred applications and favorable setups.
5-32 Chapter 5: Software support 5.4 Windows î Vista feature 5.4.1 ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) This motherboard is equipped with the ASUS Accelerated Propeller (ASAP) feature. ASAP supports the Windows î ReadyBoost ⢠technology that improves system performance under Windows î Vista. Refer to page 1-6 for the OS that supports ASAP . Before activating ASAP , install the ASAP utility from the bundled support CD. ⢠When you see the existing partition for ASAP , we advise you not to delete this partition that supports the ReadyBoost ⢠function. If you delete this partition by accident, you may recreate it by: Clicking Start from the Windows î Vista desktop. Right-click on Computer and select Manage. Click Disk Management and right-click on the ASAP drive. Select Format > OK. OR Going to Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative T ools > Computer Management > Disk Managemen t. Right-click on the ASAP drive, and select Format > OK. ⢠If you accidentally remove the ASAP device from Windows î Vista, you may re-activate it by rebooting your computer . ⢠If you want to reinstall an operating system, uninstall the ASAP utility îÂÂrst. T o activate ASAP: 1. From the Windows î Vista desktop, click Start > Computer . 2. Right-click on the USB Removable Storage device (ASAP), and select Properties . 3. Click the ReadyBoost tab. A dialog box appears. 4. Check Use this device , and then move the slider to determine the amount of space researved for ReadyBoost ⢠cache. 5. Click OK to effect the settings.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-33 5.5 RAID conî¿gurations The motherboard comes with the NVIDIA î SLI Southbridge RAID controllers that allow you to conîÂÂgure IDE and Serial A T A hard disk drives as RAID sets. The motherboard supports the following RAID conîÂÂgurations. RAID 0 (Data striping) optimizes two identical hard disk drives to read and write data 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 the other drive. This RAID conîÂÂguration provides data protection and increases fault tolerance to the entire system. Use two new drives or use an existing drive and a new drive for this setup. The new drive must be of the same size or larger than the existing drive. RAID 0 1 is data striping and data mirroring combined without parity (redundancy data) having to be calculated and written. With the RAID 0 1 conîÂÂguration you get all the beneîÂÂts of both RAID 0 and RAID 1 conîÂÂgurations. Use four new hard disk 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. Among the advantages of RAID 5 conîÂÂguration include better HDD performance, fault tolerance, and higher storage capacity . The RAID 5 conîÂÂguration is best suited for transaction processing, relational database applications, enterprise resource planning, and other business systems. Use a minimum of three identical hard disk drives for this setup. RAID 1 0 is a striped conîÂÂguration with each stripe a RAID 1 array of drives. It combines the features of both RAID 1 and RAID 0. Fault tolerance is provided through mirroring while adding performance through striping . This of fers higher performance than a RAID 1 conîÂÂguration but at a much higher cost. A minimum of four hard disk drives is required for this setup. JBOD (Spanning) stands for Just a Bunch of Disks and refers to hard disk drives that are not yet conîÂÂgured as a RAID set. This conîÂÂguration stores the same data 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 and does not provide fault tolerance or other RAID performance beneîÂÂts.
5-34 Chapter 5: Software support 5.5.1 Installing 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 . Installing Parallel A T A hard disks T o install IDE hard disks for a RAID conîÂÂguration: 1. Set the jumpers of each hard disk as Master/Master or Slave/Slave. 2. Install the hard disks into the drive bays. 3. Connect the HDD signal cables. 4. Connect a 4-pin power cable to the power connector on each drive. Installing Serial A T A (SA T A) hard disks T o install the SA T A hard disks for a RAID conîÂÂguration: 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 . If you want to boot the system from a hard disk drive included in a RAID set, copy îÂÂrst the RAID driver from the support CD to a îÂÂoppy disk before you install an operating system to a selected hard disk drive. Refer to section 5.6 Creating a RAID driver disk for details. Refer to the RAID controllers user manual in the motherboard support CD for detailed information on RAID conîÂÂgurations. See section 5.2.5 Manual menu .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-35 5.5.2 NVIDIA î RAID conîÂÂgurations The motherboard includes a high performance IDE RAID controller integrated in the NVIDIA î SLI southbridge chipset. It supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0 1, and JBOD with four independent Serial A T A channels. Setting the BIOS RAID items After installing the hard disk drives, make sure to set the necessary RAID items in the BIOS before setting your RAID conîÂÂguration. 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. From the Advanced > Onboard Devices ConîÂÂguration > NVRAID ConîÂÂguration menu item in the BIOS set the RAID Enabled item to Enabled. The succeeding items become user-conîÂÂgurable. 3. Select and enable the IDE or SA T A drive(s) that you want to conîÂÂgure as RAID. See section âÂÂ5.4.3 Onboard Devices ConîÂÂgurationâ for details. 4. Save your changes and Exit Setup. ⢠For detailed descriptions on the NVIDIA î RAID conîÂÂguration, refer to the âÂÂNVIDIA î RAID UserâÂÂs Guideâ found in your motherboard support CD. ⢠When using Windows 2000 operating system, make sure to install the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 or later versions.
5-36 Chapter 5: Software support Entering the NVIDIA î RAID utility T o enter the NVIDIA î 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 [ âÂÂâ ] 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 - Deî¿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 [ â ] Add 2.0.M XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 2.1.M XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX [ â ] Del Creating a RAID V olume T o create a RAID volume: 1. From the NVIDIA î RAID utility DeîÂÂne a New Array menu, select RAID Mode 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
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-37 TIP: For server systems, we recommend using a lower array block size. For multimedia computer systems used mainly for audio and video editing, we recommend a higher array block size for optimum performance. 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 select the stripe size for your RAID 0 array then press <Enter>.The available 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 â 16K 32K 64K 128K Optim âÂÂ
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 [ âÂÂâ ]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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 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 <F7>. The following conîÂÂrmation message appears. [ âÂÂâ ] 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.
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. 2. Press <D> to delete a RAID array . The following conîÂÂrmation message appears. Delete this array? [Y] YES [N] No 4. If you selected Y es, the DeîÂÂne a New Array menu appears. 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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 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. 2. Press <C> to clear disk. The following conîÂÂrmation message appears. 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 5.6 Creating a RAID driver disk A îÂÂoppy disk with the RAID driver is required when installing Windows î 2000/XP/ Vista operating system on a hard disk drive that is included in a RAID set. T o create a RAID driver disk: 1. Place the motherboard support CD into the CD-ROM drive. 2. Select Make Disk tab. 3. From the Make Disk menu, select the RAID driver disk you want to create or browse the contents of the support CD to locate the driver disk utility . Refer to section 5.2.4 Make Disk menu for details. 4. Insert îÂÂoppy disk to îÂÂoppy disk drive. 5. Follow succeeding screen information to complete process. 6. Write-protect the îÂÂoppy disk to avoid computer virus infection. T o install the RAID driver: 1. During the OS installation, the system prompts you to press the F6 key to install third-party SCSI or RAID driver . 2. Press <F6> then insert the îÂÂoppy disk with RAID driver into the îÂÂoppy disk drive. 3. Follow the succeeding screen instructions to complete the installation. Due to chipset limitation, the Serial A T A ports supported by the NVIDIA chipset doesnâÂÂt support Serial Optical Disk Drives (Serial ODD) under DOS.
6 This chapter tells how to install SLI-ready PCI Express graphics cards. NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology support
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 6.1 Overview ....................................................................................... 6-1 6.2 Dual graphics cards setup .......................................................... 6-2
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 6-1 6.1 Overview The motherboar d supports the NVIDIA î SLI ⢠(Scalable Lin k Interface)-Int el î Edition technology that allows you t o install two identical PCI E xpress ⢠x16 graphics cards. Follow the installation procedures in this section. Requirements ⢠Y ou should have two identical SLI-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA î certiîÂÂed. ⢠Make sure that your graphics card driver supports the NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology . Download the latest driver from the NVIDIA website (www .nvidia. com). ⢠Make sure that your power supply unit (PSU) can provide at least the minimum power required by your system. See âÂÂ9. A TX power connectorsâ on page 2-28 for details. ⢠The NVIDIA SLI technology supports Windows î XP ⢠32-bit/64bit operating system. Visit the NVIDIA website (www.nvidia.com) for the NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology under Windows î Vista ⢠⢠Visit the NVIDIA zone website (http://www .nzone.com) for the latest certiîÂÂed graphics card and supported 3D application list.
6-2 Chapter 6: NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology support 6.2 Dual graphics card setup 6.2.1 Installing SLI-ready graphics cards Install only identical SLI-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA î -certiîÂÂed. Different types of graphics cards will not work together properly . T o install the graphics cards: 1. Prepare two graphics cards. Each graphics card should have goldîÂÂngers for the SLI connector . 2. Remove the metal bracket covers opposite the two PCI Express x16 slots. GoldîÂÂngers
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 6-3 4. Insert the second graphics card into the other slot. Make sure that the card is properly seated on the slot. If required, connect an auxiliary power source to the PCI Express graphics cards. 3. Insert one graphics card into either the blue or black slot. Make sure that the card is properly seated on the slot.
6-4 Chapter 6: NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology support 7. Connect a VGA cable or a DVI-I cable to the graphics card/s. We recommend to install an additional chassis fan for better thermal environment. 5. Align and insert the SLI connector to the goldîÂÂngers on each graphics card. Make sure that the connector is îÂÂrmly in place. 6. When installing two VGA cards using a 20-pin A TX PSU with sufîÂÂcient 12v capability , we recommend that you connect the auxillary power source from the power supply to the graphics card. Refer to the PSU documentation for dual VGA power requirements. SLI connector
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 6-5 NVIDIA Settings icon T o enable the multi-GPU feature: 1. Click the NVIDIA Settings icon on your Windows taskbar . 2. From the pop-up menu, select nView Desktop Manager then click nView Properties . 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). 6.2.2 Installing the device drivers Refer to the documentation that came with your graphics card package to install the device drivers. 6.2.3 Enabling the multi-GPU feature in Windows î After installing your graphics cards and the device drivers, enable the Multi-Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) feature in the NVIDIA nView properties. 3. From the nView Desktop Manager window , select the Desktop Management tab. 4. Click Properties to display the Display Properties dialog box.
6-6 Chapter 6: NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology support 5. From the Display Properties dialog box, select the Settings tab then click Advanced . 6. Select the NVIDIA GeForce tab. 7. Click the slider to display the following screen, then select the SLI multi-GPU item. 8. Click the Enable SLI multi-GPU check box. 9. Click OK when done. Slider
ii E3166 Second Edition V2 April 2007 Copyright é 2007 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. (âÂÂASUSâÂÂ). Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modiîÂÂed or altered, unless such repair , modiîÂÂcation of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing. ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL âÂÂAS ISâ 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 copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identiîÂÂcation or explanation and to the ownersâ beneîÂÂt, without intent to infringe.
iii Contents Notices ........................................................................................................ vii Safety information .................................................................................... viii About this guide ......................................................................................... ix M2N-Plus SLI Vista EditionspeciîÂÂcations summary ............................... xi Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Package contents ......................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Special features ............................................................................ 1-2 1.3.1 Product highlights ........................................................... 1-2 1.3.2 ASUS AI Lifestyle features .............................................. 1-4 1.3.3 ASUS Special features ................................................... 1-5 1.3.4 ASUS features and the supporting OS ........................... 1-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Motherboard overview ................................................................. 2-2 2.2.1 Placement direction ........................................................ 2-2 2.2.2 Screw holes .................................................................... 2-2 2.2.3 Motherboard layout ......................................................... 2-3 2.2.4 Layout contents ............................................................... 2-4 2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................... 2-6 2.3.1 Installing the CPU ........................................................... 2-6 2.3.2 Installing the heatsink and fan ........................................ 2-8 2.4 System memory ......................................................................... 2-1 1 2.4.1 Overview ........................................................................ 2-1 1 2.4.2 Memory conîÂÂgurations ................................................... 2-1 1 2.4.3 Installing a DIMM .......................................................... 2-13 2.4.4 Removing a DIMM ........................................................ 2-13 2.5 Expansion slots .......................................................................... 2-17 2.5.1 Installing an expansion card ......................................... 2-17 2.5.2 ConîÂÂguring an expansion card ..................................... 2-17 2.5.3 Interrupt assignments ................................................... 2-18 2.5.4 PCI slots ........................................................................ 2-18 2.5.5 PCI Express x1 slots ..................................................... 2-18 2.5.6 PCI Express x16 slots ................................................... 2-19
iv Contents 2.6 Jumper ........................................................................................ 2-20 2.7 Connectors ................................................................................. 2-22 2.7.1 Rear panel connectors .................................................. 2-22 2.7.2 Internal connectors ....................................................... 2-24 Chapter 3: Powering up 3.1 Starting up for the îÂÂrst 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 Creating a bootable îÂÂoppy disk ....................................... 4-4 4.1.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility ................................................... 4-5 4.1.4 Updating the BIOS .......................................................... 4-6 4.1.5 Saving the current BIOS îÂÂle ............................................ 4-8 4.1.6 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility ...................................... 4-9 4.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................. 4-10 4.2.1 BIOS menu screen ......................................................... 4-1 1 4.2.2 Menu bar ........................................................................ 4-1 1 4.2.3 Legend bar .................................................................... 4-12 4.2.4 Menu items ................................................................... 4-12 4.2.5 Sub-menu items ............................................................ 4-12 4.2.6 ConîÂÂguration îÂÂelds ....................................................... 4-12 4.2.7 Pop-up window ............................................................. 4-13 4.2.8 General help ................................................................. 4-13 4.3 Main menu .................................................................................. 4-14 4.3.1 System T ime [xx:xx:xx] ................................................. 4-14 4.3.2 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx] ....................................... 4-14 4.3.3 Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.] ................................. 4-14 4.3.4 Primary/Secondary IDE Master/Slave .......................... 4-15 4.3.5 SA T A1~4 ....................................................................... 4-17 4.3.6 HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] .............................. 4-18 4.3.7 Installed Memory [xxx MB] ............................................ 4-18 4.3.8 Usable Memory [XXX MB] .............................................. -18
v Contents 4.4 Advanced menu ......................................................................... 4-19 4.4.1 JumperFree ConîÂÂguration ............................................ 4-19 4.4.2 CPU ConîÂÂguration ........................................................ 4-21 4.4.3 PCIPnP ......................................................................... 4-24 4.4.4 Onboard Device ConîÂÂguration ...................................... 4-24 4.4.5 SLI ConîÂÂguration .......................................................... 4-28 4.5 Power menu ................................................................................ 4-29 4.5.1 ACPI Suspend T ype [S1&S3] ........................................ 4-29 4.5.2 ACPI APIC Support [Enabled] ....................................... 4-29 4.5.3 APM ConîÂÂguration ........................................................ 4-30 4.5.4 Hardware Monitor ......................................................... 4-32 4.6 Boot menu .................................................................................. 4-34 4.6.1 Boot Device Priority ...................................................... 4-34 4.6.2 Removable Drives ......................................................... 4-35 4.6.3 Hard Disk Drives ........................................................... 4-35 4.6.4 CDROM Drives ............................................................. 4-35 4.6.5 Boot Settings ConîÂÂguration ......................................... 4-36 4.6.6 Security ......................................................................... 4-37 4.7 T ools menu ................................................................................. 4-39 4.7.1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 .......................................................... 4-39 4.8 Exit menu .................................................................................... 4-40 Chapter 5: Software support 5.1 Installing an operating system ................................................... 5-1 5.2 Support CD information .............................................................. 5-1 5.2.1 Running the support CD ................................................. 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 Manual menu .................................................................. 5-6 5.2.6 ASUS Contact information .............................................. 5-6 5.2.7 Other information ............................................................ 5-7 5.3 Software information ................................................................... 5-9 5.3.1 ASUS MyLogo2⢠........................................................... 5-9 5.3.2 Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet!⢠T echnology .......................................... 5-1 1 5.3.3 C-Media CM6501 audio utility ....................................... 5-13
vi Contents 5.3.4 ASUS PC Probe II ......................................................... 5-16 5.3.5 ASUS AI Gear ............................................................... 5-22 5.3.6 ASUS AI Nap ................................................................ 5-23 5.3.7 AI Remote ..................................................................... 5-24 5.4 Windows î Vista feature ............................................................. 5-32 5.4.1 ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) .................... 5-32 5.5 RAID conîÂÂgurations .................................................................. 5-33 5.5.1 Installing hard disks ...................................................... 5-34 5.5.2 NVIDIA î RAID conîÂÂgurations ........................................ 5-35 5.6 Creating a RAID driver disk ....................................................... 5-42 Chapter 6: NVIDIA î SLI⢠technology support 6.1 Overview ....................................................................................... 6-1 6.2 Dual graphics card setup ............................................................ 6-2 6.2.1 Installing SLI-ready graphics cards ................................. 6-2 6.2.2 Installing the device drivers ............................................. 6-5 6.2.3 Enabling the multi-GPU feature in Windows î ............................... 6-5
vii 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 manufacturerâÂÂs 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 required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or modiîÂÂcations to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the userâÂÂs authority to operate this equipment.
viii Safety information Electrical safety ⢠T o prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the 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 . ⢠If the power supply is broken, do not try to îÂÂx it by yourself. Contact a qualiîÂÂed service technician or your retailer . Operation safety ⢠Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully read all the manuals that came with the package. ⢠Before using the product, 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. ⢠If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualiîÂÂed service technician or your retailer . This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product (electrical and electronic equipment) should not be placed in municipal waste. Check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.
ix About this guide This user guide contains the information you need when installing and conîÂÂguring 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 CD that comes with the motherboard package. ⢠Chapter 6: NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology support This chapter tells how to install SLI-ready PCI Express graphics cards. Where to îÂÂnd 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 îÂÂyers, that may have been added by your dealer . These documents are not part of the standard package.
x 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 Used to emphasize a word or a phrase. <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: awdîÂÂash M2NPLUSV.bin 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.
xi M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition speciî¿cations summary (continued on the next page) CPU Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon ⢠64 FX / AMD Athlon ⢠64 X2 / AMD Athlon 64 ⢠/ AMD Sempron ⢠processors Supports AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet ⢠T echnology AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32-bit and 64-bit computing AMD Live! ⢠ready Chipset NVIDIA î nForce î 500 SLI ⢠MCP System bus 2000 / 1600 MT/s Memory Dual-channel memory architecture - 4 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support unbufferred ECC/non-ECC DDR2 800/667/533 MHz memory modules - Supports up to 8 GB system memory Expansion slots 2 x PCI Express ⢠x16 slots with NVIDIA î SLI ⢠support at x8, x8 speed 2 x PCI Express ⢠x1 slots 2 x PCI 2.2 slots Scalable Link Interface (SLI ⢠) Supports two identical NVIDIA î SLI ⢠-ready graphics cards, both at x8 mode ASUS two-slot thermal design Storage NVIDIA î nForce î 500 SLI ⢠MCP supports: - 2 x IDE connectors for four Ultra DMA133/100/66/33 devices - 4 x Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s connectors support four Serial A T A devices - RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0 1, RAID 5, and JBOD conîÂÂgurations spanning across Serial A T A drives LAN NVIDIA î nForce î 500 SLI ⢠MCP built-in Gigabit MAC with external Attansic PHY - Supports TCP/IP Acceleration Audio C-Media Superior Quality Audio 7.1 channel CODEC (Vista-ready) - Supports S/PDIF Out interface IEEE 1394a VIA 1394 controller supports 2 x 1394a ports USB 2.0 Supports up to 8 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (four at mid-board, four on the rear panel)
xii ASUS AI Lifestyle features ASUS AI Lifestyle Vista Edition features: - AI Remote - ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) - TPM Support (the module is purchased separately) - AP Trigger *ASUS AI Remote, AP T rigger , and TPM run with both Windows î Vista and XP ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution: - ASUS AI Gear - ASUS AI Nap Overclocking features AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner) Stepless Frequency Selection (SFS) allows FSB tuning from 200 MHz up to 400 MHz at 1 MHz increment ASUS C.P .R. (CPU Parameter Recall) Adjustable FSB/DDR2 ratio. Fixed PCI/PCIe frequencies Special features ASUS EZ DIY : - ASUS Q-Connector - ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 - ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS Q-Fan 2 ASUS MyLogo2 Rear panel I/O ports 1 x PS/2 keyboard port (purple) 1 x PS/2 mouse port (green) 1 x LAN (RJ-45) port 1 x IEEE 1394a port 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports 1 x S/PDIF Out port 1 x Parallel port (printer port) 1 x COM port 8-channel audio ports Internal connectors 2 x USB 2.0 connectors support four additional USB 2.0 ports 1 x Floppy disk drive connector 2 x IDE connector for four devices 4 x Serial A T A connectors 1 x CPU / 1 x Chassis / 1 x Power fan connectors 1 x IEEE 1394a connector 1 x S/PDIF Out connector Front panel audio connector CD audio in 24-pin A TX power connector 4-pin A TX 12 V power connector System panel connector (continued on the next page) M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition speciî¿cations summary
xiii M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition speciî¿cations summary BIOS features 4 Mb BIOS ROM, AW ARD BIOS, PnP , DMI 2.0, WfM2.0, SM B IOS 2. 3 Manageability WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chassis intrusion, PXE Accessories 1 x SLI bridge 1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable 2 x SA T A cables 1 x SA T A power cable for 2 devices 1 x I/O shield 1 x ASUS Q-Connector kit (USB, system panel; Retail version only) AI Remote (Retail version only) UserâÂÂs manual Support CD Drivers ASUS PC Probe II ASUS Update NVIDIA î MediaShield ⢠RAID Anti-virus software (OEM version) Form factor A TX form factor: 12 in x 8.6 in (30.5 cm x 21.8 cm) *SpeciîÂÂcations are subject to change without notice.
xiv
1 Product introduction This chapter describes the motherboard features and the new technologies it supports.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 1 1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Package contents ......................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Special features ............................................................................ 1-2
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 1-1 1.1 Welcome! Th ank yo u f or b uyi ng an A SUS î M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition motherboard ! The motherboard delivers a host of new features and the 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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Cables 2 x Serial A T A cables 1 x Serial A T A power cables for two devices 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable 1 x Floppy disk drive cable Accessories I/O shield ASUS SLI ⢠Bridge 1 x ASUS Q-Connector Kit (USB, System panel; Retail version only) AI Remote (Retail version only) Application CD ASUS motherboard support CD Documentation User guide
1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.3 Special features 1.3.1 Product highlights Latest processor technology The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket that supports AMD Athlon ⢠64 X2/Athlon ⢠64/Athlon ⢠64 FX/Sempron ⢠processor . With an integrated low- latency high-bandwidth memory controller and a highly scalable HyperT ransport ⢠technology-based system bus, the motherboard provides a powerful platform for your diverse computing needs, increased ofîÂÂce productivity , and enhanced digital media experience. See page 2-6 for details. NVIDIA î Scalable Link Interface (SLI ⢠) The NVIDIA î Scalable Link Interface (SLI ⢠) technology allows two graphics processing units (GPUs) in a single system. This technology takes advantage of the PCI Express ⢠bus architecture and features intelligent hardware and software solutions that allows multiple GPUs to work together and achieve exceptional graphics performance. NVIDIA nForce î 500 SLI ⢠NVIDIA nForce î 500 SLI ⢠media and communication processors (MCPs) deliver a complete range of solutions for AMD-based discrete platforms. Performance enhancing features include NVIDIA î LinkBoost ⢠technology to automatically increase the bus speed and NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology for scalable graphics performance. AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠T echnology The motherboard supports the AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠T echnology that dynamically and automatically changes the CPU speed, voltage and amount of power depending on the task the CPU performs. See page 4-24. DDR2 memory support Th e m oth erb oa rd su ppo rt s DDR 2 m emo ry that features data transfer rates of 800/667/533 MHz to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of the latest 3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet applications. The dual-channel DDR2 architecture doubles the bandwidth of your system memory to boost system performance, eliminating bottlenecks with peak bandwidths of up to 12.8 GB/s. See page 2-1 1 and 2-12 for details. Serial A T A 3Gb/s RAID The motherboard supports the next-generation Serial A T A hard drives based on the SA T A 3Gb/s storage speciîÂÂcation. The onboard NVIDIA nForce î 500 SLI ⢠MCP allows RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0 1, RAID 5, and JBOD. See page 2-25.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 1-3 PCI Express ⢠interface Th e m oth erb oa rd fu lly s up por ts PCI E xp res s, the latest I/O interconnect technology that speeds up the PCI bus. PCI Express features point-to-point serial interconnections between devices and allows higher clockspeeds by carrying data in packets. This high speed interface is software compatible with existing PCI speciîÂÂcations. See page 2-18 and 2-19 for details. Gigabit LAN The motherboard comes with a Gigabit LAN controller built into the NVIDIA î nForce ⢠500 SLI ⢠chipset to meet your growing networking needs. The controller uses the PCI Express segment to provide faster data bandwidth for your Internet, LAN, and îÂÂle sharing requirements. See page 2-22 for details. IEEE 1394a support The IEEE 1394a interface provides high-speed and îÂÂexible PC connectivity to a wide range of peripherals and devices compliant to the IEEE 1394a standard. The IEEE 1394a interface allows up to 400 Mbps transfer rates through simple, low-cost, high-bandwidth asynchronous (real-time) data interfacing between computers, peripherals, and consumer electronic devices such as camcorders, VCRs, printers, TVs, and digital cameras. See page 2-22 and 2-27 for details. USB 2.0 technology The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 speciîÂÂcation, dramatically increasing the connection speed from the 12 Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1. See page 2-23 and 2-27 for details. C-Media Superior Quality Audio C-Media CM6501 onboard 8-channel superior audio CODEC transfers audio signal over USB bus and is Microsoft Vista-ready . See page 5-13 to 5-15 for details. S/PDIF digital sound ready The mothe rboard suppo rts t he S/PDIF technology through the S/PDIF interfaces on the rear panel. The S/PDIF technology turns your computer into a high-end entertainment system with digital connectivity to powerful audio and speaker systems. See page 2-23 and 2-30 for details. This function can only work under C-Media ofîÂÂcial driver .
1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.3.2 ASUS AI Lifestyle features AI Remote The revolutionary AI Remote gives you unprecedented control from the comfort of your couch. With just a touch of the button, you can quickly do your usual computer activities such as turn ON/OFF your PC, launch your favorite applications by enabling AP Trigger function, or control AI Gear and AI Nap. The AI Remote also gives you the comfort of a traditional remote on media player . Have an AI Remote in your hand and do more with your PC from a distance! See page 5-24 for details. ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) ASAP gets you to your destination ASAP . ASAP supports the Windows î ReadyBoost ⢠technology which improves system performance under Windows î Vista. Enjoy greater efîÂÂciency and get more productivity out of your system. See page 5-32 for details. AP T rigger The AP Trigger allows you to quickly boot or resume directly into media or into your favorite applications. With just a touch of the button on the AI Remote controller , you can quickly turn on your PC and launch predeîÂÂned applications simultaneously! TPM Support This motherboard supports the T rusted Platform Module (TPM), which provides you with enhanced data protection via high-level encryption/decryption and ensures platform integrity . The TPM meets the Windows î Vista BitLocker ⢠Drive Encryption hardware requirement for a more secure working environment. See page 2-30 and 4-38 for details. The TPM module is purchased separately . Use the ASUS TPM module ONL Y . AI Gear AI Gear allows users to choose from four modes to adjust CPU and Vcore voltage, minimizing noise and power consumption. Users can choose the mode that best suits their needs. See page 5-22 for details. AI Nap With AI Nap, the system can continue running at minimum power and noise when the user is temporarily away . T o wake the system and return to the OS environment, simply click the mouse or press a key . See page 5-23 for details.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 1-5 1.3.3 ASUS Special features Fanless Design Cooling fans, though a popular thermal solution, also come with noise and malfunction likelihood. ASUS motherboardâÂÂs fanless concept is speciîÂÂcally created to provide a cool environment without all the baggage. ASUS has devoted special efforts to address the thermal issues across the motherboard, and most notably the areas that reside the CPU, power , Northbridge and Southbridge. The heatsinks and strategic board layout are tailor made to dissipate heat in the most efîÂÂcient manner . ASUS Q-Fan 2 technology The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the CPU and chassis fan speeds according to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efîÂÂcient operation. See page 4-32 and 4-33 for details. ASUS MyLogo2 ⢠This new feature present in the motherboard allows you to personalize and add style to your system with customizable boot logos. See page 5-9 and 5-10 for details. ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data from a USB îÂÂash disk containing the BIOS îÂÂle. This utility saves users the cost and hassle of buying a replacement BIOS chip. See page 4-9 for details. ASUS EZ Flash 2 EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly BIOS update utility . Simply press the predeîÂÂned hotkey to launch the utility and update the BIOS without entering the OS. Update your BIOS easily without preparing a bootable diskette or using an OS-based îÂÂash utility . See page 4-5 for details. 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 2-33 for details.
1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction Green ASUS This motherboard and its packaging comply with the European UnionâÂÂs Restriction on the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). This is in line with the ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and recyclable products/packaging to safeguard consumersâ health while minimizing the impact on the environment. 1.3.4 ASUS features and the supporting OS Refer to the following table for the OS that supports ASUS features. Win 2000 XP 32bit XP 64bit Vista 32bit Vista 64bit AI Remote v v v v AP T rigger v v v v ASAP Function as USB Flash only v v AI Gear v v v v v AI Nap v v v v v PC Probe II v v v v v
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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 2 2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Motherboard overview ................................................................. 2-2 2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................... 2-6 2.4 System memory ......................................................................... 2-1 1 2.5 Expansion slots .......................................................................... 2-17 2.6 Jumper ........................................................................................ 2-20 2.7 Connectors ................................................................................. 2-22
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-1 Onboard LED The motherboard comes with a standby power LED. The green LED lights up to indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode. This is a reminder that you should shut down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard component. The illustration below shows the location of the onboard LED. 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 to 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. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Onboard LED SB_PWR ON Standby Power OFF Powered Off
2-2 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.2 Motherboard overview Before you install the motherboard, study the conîÂÂguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard îÂÂts into it. 2.2.1 Placement direction When installing the motherboard, make sure that you place it into the chassis in the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below . 2.2.2 Screw holes Place six (6) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis. Place this side towards the rear of the chassis 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. M2N-PLUS SLI î
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-3 2.2.3 Motherboard layout M2N-PLUS SLI î 24.5cm (9.6in) 30.5cm (12.0in) DDR2 DIMM_A2 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_A1 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_B2 (64 bit,240-pin module) Super I/O 4Mb BIOS PCIEX16_1 PCIEX1_1 PCI1 EA TXPWR CR2032 3V Lithium Cell CMOS Power PCIEX16_2 PCIEX1_2 NVIDIA nForce î 500SLI⢠PCI2 Socket AM2 P ANEL FP_AUDIO CHASSIS CPU_FAN IE1394_2 FLOPPY CD CLRTC USB56 SB_PWR SEC_EIDE TPM SA TA1 CHA_FAN LAN1_USB12 SPDIF_O1 P ARALLEL PORT COM1 PS/2KBMS T : Mouse B: Keyboard 1394_USB34 AUDIO2 AUDIO1 SPDIF_OUT VIA VT6308P SA TA3 SA TA2 SA TA4 USBPW56 USBPW78 USB78 ASAP USBPW12 USBPW34 KBPWR A TX12V PRI_EIDE CPU_FAN PWR_FAN Refer to 2.7 Connectors for more information about rear panel connectors and internal connectors.
2-4 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.2.4 Layout contents Slots Page 1. DDR2 DIMM slots 2-1 1 2. PCI slots 2-18 3. PCI Express x 1 slot 2-18 4. PCI Express x16 slots 2-19 Jumper Page 1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLR TC) 2-20 2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56, USBPW78) 2-21 3. Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR) 2-21 Rear panel connectors Page 1. PS/2 mouse port (green) 2-22 2. Parallel port 2-22 3. IEEE 1394a port 2-22 4. LAN (RJ-45) port. 2-22 5. Rear Speaker Out port (black) 2-22 6. Side Speaker Out port (gray) 2-22 7. Line In port (light blue) 2-22 8. Line Out port (lime) 2-22 9. Microphone port (pink) 2-23 10. Center/Subwoofer port (orange) 2-23 1 1. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2, 3 and 4 2-23 12. Serial port (COM port) 2-23 13. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port 2-23 14 PS/2 keyboard port (purple) 2-23
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-5 Internal connectors Page 1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) 2-24 2. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_IDE) 2-24 3. NVIDIA î nForce î 500 SLI Southbridge Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1 [red], SA T A2 [red], SA T A3 [red], SA T A4 [red]) 2-25 4. CPU, chassis, and power fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN, 3-pin PWR_F AN, 3-pin CHA_F AN ) 2-26 5. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB78, ASAP) 2-27 6. IEEE 1394a port connector (10-1 pin IE1394_2) 2-27 7. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS) 2-28 8. AT X p ower co nne cto rs (24-pin EA TXPWR, 4-pin A TX12V) 2-28 9. Front panel audio co nne ctor (10-1 pin FP_AUDIO) 2-29 10. Internal audio co nne ctor (4-pin CD) 2-29 1 1. Digital audio co nne ctor (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT) 2-30 12. TPM connector (20-1 pin TPM) 2-30 13. System panel connector (20-8-pin P ANEL) ⢠System power LED (2-pin PLED) ⢠Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pin IDE_LED) ⢠System warning speaker (4-pin SPEAKER) ⢠A TX power button/soft-off button (2-pin PWRSW) ⢠Reset button (2-pin RESET) 2-31
2-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.3.1 Installing the CPU T o install a CPU: 1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard. Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to a 90ú angle; otherwise, the CPU will not îÂÂt in completely . 2. Unlock the socket by pressing the lever sideways, then lift it up to a 90ú angle. 2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket designed for the Athlon ⢠64 X2/Athlon ⢠64/Athlon ⢠64FX/Sempron ⢠processor . Socket lever The 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 AM2 socket. The CPU îÂÂts in only one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the connectors on the socket and damaging the CPU! M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI CPU Socket AM2
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-7 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 socket until it îÂÂts in place. 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
2-8 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.3.2 Installing the heatsink and fan The AMD Athlon ⢠64FX/Athlon ⢠64/Athlon ⢠64 X2/Sempron ⢠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 îÂÂts properly on the retention module base. 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 . Make sure that you use only AMD-certiîÂÂed heatsink and fan assembly .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-9 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 heatsink assembly perfectly îÂÂts the retention mechanism module base, otherwise you cannot snap the retention bracket in place.
2-10 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. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI CPU fan connector CPU_F AN GND CPU F AN PWR CPU F AN IN CPU F AN PWM
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-1 1 2.4 System memory 2.4.1 Overview The motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets. A DDR2 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR DIMM but has a 240-pin footprint compared to the 184-pin DDR DIMM. DDR2 DIMMs are notched differently to prevent installation on a DDR DIMM socket. The îÂÂgure illustrates the location of the DDR2 DIMM sockets: Channel Sockets Channel A DIMM_A1 and DIMM_A2 Channel B DIMM_B1 and DIMM_B2 2.4.2 Memory conîÂÂgurations Y ou may install 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2GB unbuffered ECC/non-ECC DDR2 DIMMs into the DIMM sockets. Recommended Memory ConîÂÂgurations M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI 240-pin DDR2 DIMM sockets DIMM_B1 DIMM_A1 DIMM_B2 DIMM_A2 Mode Sockets DIMM_A1 DIMM_B1 DIMM_A2 DIMM_B2 Single-Channel - Populated - - Populated - - - Dual-channel (1) Populated Populated - - Dual-channel (2) Populated Populated Populated Populated
2-12 Chapter 2: Hardware information Important notice on installing Windows î XP 32-bit version If you install Windows î XP 32-bit version Operating System (OS), the limitation of this OS version is that it may reserve a certain amount of memory space for system devices. We recommend that you install less than 3 GB system memory if you would like to work under Windows î XP 32-bit version OS. The excess memory installation will not cause any usage problem, but it will not give users the beneîÂÂt of manipulating this excess memory space. Visit the ASUS F AQ site for further explanation: http://support.asus.com/faq/faq. aspx?SLanguage=en-us Under General Search, make the selections as shown, then click Search. Click the article titled â 4GB memory installed but less memory size detected. â Y ou also may check the URLs below for third party comments on this issue: http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/4GB_Rev1.pdf http:/ /www.i ntel.co m/supp ort/mot herboa rds/se rver /sb/cs -016594 .htm ⢠When using only one memory module, start installing the DDR2 DIMMs from slot DIMM_A1 or DIMM_B1 for better overclocking capability . ⢠For dual-channel conîÂÂguration (2), you may: ⢠install identical DIMMs in all four sockets OR ⢠install identical DIMM pair in DIMM_A1 and DIMM_B1 (yellow sockets) and another identical DIMM pair in DIMM_A2 and DIMM_B2 (black sockets) ⢠Always use identical DDR2 DIMM pairs for dual channel mode. For optimum compatibility , it is recommended that you obtain memory modules from the same vendor . Visit the ASUS website (www .asus.com) for the latest QualiîÂÂed V endors list. This motherboard can support 8 GB physical memory under Windows î XP Professional x64 Edition and Windows î Vista x64 Edition operating systems. Y ou may install a maximum of 2 GB DIMMs on each slot.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-13 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. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing 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. ⢠A DDR2 DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it îÂÂts in only one direction. Do 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. Support the DIMM lightly with your îÂÂngers when pressing the retaining clips. The DIMM might get damaged when it îÂÂips out with extra force. 1 2 1 DDR2 DIMM notch Unlocked retaining clip DDR2 DIMM notch 1 2 3
2-14 Chapter 2: Hardware information DDR2-800 MHz capability M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Motherboard QualiîÂÂed V endors Lists (QVL) Size V endor Chip No. SS/ DS Part No. DIMM support A* B* C* 512MB KINGSTON K4T51083QC SS KVR800D2N5/512 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB KINGSTON Heat-Sink Package DS KHX6400D2LL/1G ⢠⢠⢠1024MB KINGSTON Heat-Sink Package SS KHX6400D2LLK2/1GN ⢠⢠⢠512MB Qimonda HYB18T256800AF25F DS HYS64T64020HU-25F-A ⢠⢠⢠256MB Qimonda HYB18T512160BF-25F SS HYS64T32000HU-25F-B ⢠⢠⢠512MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF25F SS HYS64T64000HU-25F-B ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF25F DS HYS64T128020HU-25F-B ⢠⢠⢠512MB SAMSUNG EDD339XX SS M378T6553CZ3-CE7 ⢠⢠⢠256MB SAMSUNG K4T51163QC-ZCE7 SS M378T3354CZ3-CE7 ⢠⢠⢠512MB SAMSUNG ZCE7K4T51083QC SS M378T6553CZ3-CE7 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821BFP-S5 SS HYMP564U64BP8-S5 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Hynix HY5PS12821BFP-S5 DS HYMP512U64BP8-S5 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Hynix HY5PS12821CFP-S5 DS HYMP512U64CP8-S5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB MICRON 5JAIIZ9DQQ SS MT8HTF6464A Y-80EA3 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB MICRON 5JAIIZ9DQQ DS MT16HTF12864A Y -80EA3 ⢠⢠⢠512MB MICRON 5ZD22D9GKX SS MT8HTF6464AY -80ED4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB MICRON 5ZD22D9GKX DS MT16HTF12864AY -80ED4 ⢠⢠⢠512MB MICRON 6CD22D9GKX SS MT8HTF6464AY -80ED4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB MICRON 6CD22D9GKX DS MT16HTF12864AY -80ED4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB CORSAIR Heat-Sink Package DS CM2X1024-6400C4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB ELPIDA E1 108AB-8E-E(ECC) SS EBE10EE8ABFA-8E-E ⢠⢠⢠2048MB ELPIDA E1 108AB-8E-E(ECC) DS EBE21EE8ABFA-8E-E ⢠⢠⢠512MB A-DA T A N/A SS M2OAD6G3H3160J1E52 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB A-DAT A AD29608A8A-25EG DS M20AD6G3I4170G1E53 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB A-DAT A K4T51083QC(ECC) DS M20AD6G3I4170G1E53 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Crucial Heat-Sink Package SS BL6464AA804.8FD ⢠⢠⢠512MB Crucial Heat-Sink Package SS BL6464AA804.8FD3 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Apacer Heat-Sink Package DS AHU512E800C5K1C ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Apacer Heat-Sink Package DS AHU01GE800C5K1C ⢠⢠⢠512MB Transcend K4T51083QC SS TS64MLQ64V8J ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Transcend K4T51083QC DS TS128MLQ64V8J ⢠⢠â¢
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-15 DDR2-667 MHz capability Size Vendor Chip No. SS/ DS Part No. DIMM support A* B* C* 256MB KINGSTON HYB18T256800AF3 SS KVR667D2N5/256 ⢠⢠⢠512MB KINGSTON D6408TEBGGL3U SS KVR667D2N5/512 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB KINGSTON D6408TEBGGL3U DS KVR667D2N5/1G ⢠⢠⢠256MB KINGSTON HYB18T256800AF3S SS KVR667D2N5/256 ⢠⢠⢠256MB Qimonda HYB18T512160AF-3S SS HYS64T32000HU-3S-A ⢠⢠⢠512MB Qimonda HYB18T512800AF3S SS HYS64T64000HU-3S-A ⢠⢠⢠256MB Qimonda HYB18T256800AF3S(ECC) SS HYS72T32000HU-3S-A ⢠⢠⢠512MB Qimonda HYB18T512800AF3S(ECC) SS HYS72T64000HU-3S-A ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Qimonda HYB18T512800AF3S(ECC) DS HYS72T128020HU-3S-A ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF3S(ECC) DS HYS72T128020HU-3S-B ⢠⢠⢠256MB Qimonda HYB18T512160BF-3S SS HYS64T32000HU-3S-B ⢠⢠⢠512MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF3S SS HYS64T64000HU-3S-B ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF3S DS HYS64T128020HU-3S-B ⢠⢠⢠512MB SAMSUNG ZCE6K4T51083QC SS M378T6553CZ0-CE6 ⢠⢠⢠256MB SAMSUNG K4T51 163QC-ZCE6 SS M378T3354CZ3-CE6 ⢠⢠⢠512MB SAMSUNG K4T51083QC SS M378T6553CZ3-CE6 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB SAMSUNG ZCE6K4T51083QC DS M378T2953CZ3-CE6 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-Y5 SS HYMP564U64AP8-Y5 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Hynix HY5PS1G831FP-Y5(ECC) SS HYMP1 12U72P8-Y5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-Y5(ECC) SS HYMP564U72AP8-Y5 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-Y5(ECC) DS HYMP512U72AP8-Y5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-Y4 SS HYMP564U64AP8-Y4 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-Y4(ECC) SS HYMP564U72AP8-Y4 ⢠⢠⢠256MB CORSAIR MIII00605 SS VS256MB667D2 ⢠⢠⢠512MB CORSAIR 64M8CFEG SS VS512MB667D2 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB CORSAIR 64M8CFEG DS VS1GB667D2 ⢠⢠⢠256MB ELPIDA E2508AB-6E-E SS EBE25UC8ABFA-6E-E ⢠⢠⢠512MB ELPIDA E5108AE-6E-E SS EBE51UD8AEFA-6E-E ⢠⢠⢠512MB A-DA TA AD29608A8A-3EG SS M2OAD5G3H3166I1C52 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB A-DA TA AD29608A8A-3EG DS M2OAD5G3I4176I1C52 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB crucial Heat-Sink Package DS BL12864AA663.16FD ⢠⢠⢠1024MB crucial Heat-Sink Package DS BL12864AL664.16FD ⢠⢠⢠1024MB crucial Heat-Sink Package DS BL12864AA663.16FD2 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Apacer AM4B5708GQJS7E0628F SS AU512E667C5KBGC ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Apacer AM4B5708GQJS7E DS AU01GE667C5KBGC ⢠⢠⢠512MB Kingmax KKEA88B4LAUG-29DX SS KLCC28F-A8KB5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Transcend E5108AE-6E-E SS TS64MLQ64V6J ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Transcend E5108AE-6E-E DS TS128MLQ64V6J ⢠⢠⢠512MB Transcend J12Q3AB-6 SS JM367Q643A-6 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Transcend J12Q3AB-6 DS JM388Q643A-6 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Super T alent Heat-Sink Package SS T6UA512C5 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Super T alent Heat-Sink Package DS T6UB1GC5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB SMART G64M8XB3ITIX4TUE SS TB3D2667C58S ⢠⢠⢠512MB SMART G64M8XB3ITIX4TUE DS TB4D2667C58D ⢠⢠â¢
2-16 Chapter 2: Hardware information DDR2-533 MHz capability ⢠A*: Supports one module inserted in any slot as Single-channel memory conîÂÂguration. ⢠B*: Supports one pair of modules inserted into either the yellow slots or the black slots as one pair of Dual-channel memory conîÂÂguration. ⢠C*: Supports 4 modules inserted into both the yellow and black slots as two pairs of Dual-channel memory conîÂÂguration. Visit the ASUS website for the latest DDR2-800/667/533 MHz QVL. Size V endor Chip No. SS/ DS Part No. DIMM support A* B* C* 256MB KINGSTON E5116AF-5C-E SS KVR533D2N4/256 ⢠⢠⢠512MB KINGSTON HYB18T512800AF37 SS KVR533D2N4/512 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB KINGSTON 5YDIID9GCT DS KVR533D2N4/1G ⢠⢠⢠512MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF37 SS HYS64T64000HU-3.7-B ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Qimonda HYB18T512800BF37 DS HYS64T128020HU-3.7-B ⢠⢠⢠256MB SAMSUNG K4T51163QC-ZCD5 SS M378T3354CZ3-CD5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB SAMSUNG ZCD5K4T51083QC SS M378T6553CZ3-CD5 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB SAMSUNG ZCD5K4T51083QC DS M378T2953CZ3-CD5 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821F-C4 SS HYMP564U648-C4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Hynix HY5PS12821F-C4(ECC) DS HYMP512U728-C4 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821FP-C4(ECC) SS HYMP564U728-C4 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-C3 SS HYMP564U64AP8-C3 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Hynix HY5PS12821AFP-C3 DS HYMP512U64AP8-C3 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB CORSAIR 64M8CEDG DS VS1GB533D2 ⢠⢠⢠512MB ELPIDA E5108AB-5C-E SS EBE51UD8ABFA-5C-E ⢠⢠⢠512MB KINGMAX E5108AE-5C-E SS KLBC28F-A8EB4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB KINGMAX E5108AE-5C-E DS KLBD48F-A8EB4 ⢠⢠⢠512MB KINGMAX KKEA88E4AAK-37 SS KLBC28F-A8KE4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB KINGMAX 5MB22D9DCN DS KLBD48F-A8ME4 ⢠⢠⢠512MB Super T alent Heat-Sink Package SS T5UA512C4 ⢠⢠⢠1024MB Super T alent Heat-Sink Package DS T5UB1G8C4 ⢠⢠â¢
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-17 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. 4. Align the card connector with the slot and press îÂÂrmly until the card is 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 ConîÂÂguring an expansion card After installing the expansion card, conîÂÂgure the it by adjusting the software settings. 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 âÂÂShare IRQâ or that the cards do not need IRQ assignments; otherwise, conîÂÂicts will arise between the two PCI groups, making the system unstable and the card inoperable.
2-18 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.5.3 Interrupt assignments Standard interrupt assignments * These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices. IRQ Priority Standard function 0 1 System T imer 1 2 Keyboard Controller 2 â Redirect to IRQ#9 4 12 Communications Port (COM1)* 5 13 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering* 6 14 Floppy Disk Controller 7 15 Printer Port (LPT1)* 8 3 System CMOS/Real T ime 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 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port* 13 8 Numeric Data Processor 14 9 Primary IDE Channel IRQ assignments for this motherboard A B C D E F G H PCI 1 â shared â â â â â â PCI 2 â â shared â â â â â Onboard 1394 shared â â â â â â â PCIE x16_1 shared â â â â â â â PCIE x16_2 â â â â â shared â â PCIE x 1_1 â â â â â â shared â PCIE x 1_2 â â â â shared â â â 2.5.4 PCI slots The PCI slots support cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply with PCI speciîÂÂcations. Refer to the îÂÂgure on the next page for the location of the slots. 2.5.5 PCI Express x1 slots This motherboard supports PCI Express x1 network cards, SCSI cards and other cards that comply with the PCI Express speciîÂÂcations. Refer to the îÂÂgure on the next page for the location of the slots.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-19 ⢠Connect a rear chassis fan to the chassis (CHA_F AN1) connector when using two graphics cards for better thermal environment. See page 2-26 for details. ⢠Due to chipset limitation, the black PCI Express x16 (PCIEX16_2) slot can run only up to x8 speed. ⢠We recommend that you provide sufîÂÂcient power when running NVIDIA î SLI ⢠mode. See pages 2-28 and 2-29 for details. ⢠See chapter 6 for details on the NVIDIA SLI ⢠technology feature. Mode PCIE x16_1 (Blue) slot PCIE x16_2 (Black) slot Card T ype Speed Card type Speed Non-SLI mode PCIe x16 graphics card x16 NA â PCIe x16 graphics card x8 PCIe x16 graphics card x8 PCIe x16 graphics card x8 Other PCIe devices x8, x4, x1 Dual-graphics card in SLI mode T wo identical NVIDIA î SLI ⢠Edition graphics cards at x8, x8 speed 2.5.6 PCI Express x16 slots This motherboard supports two NVIDIA î SLI ⢠-ready PCI Express x16 graphic cards that comply with PCI Express speciîÂÂcations. Refer to the îÂÂgure below for the location of the slots. PCI Express x16_1 slot (blue) PCI slot PCI Express x1 slot PCI slot PCI Express x1 slot PCI Express x16_2 slot (black)
2-20 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.6 Jumper 1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC) This jumper allows you to clear the Real T ime Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. Y ou can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data. The onboard button cell battery powers the RAM data in CMOS, which include system setup information such as system passwords. T o erase the RTC RAM: 1. T urn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord. 2. Remove the onboard battery . 3. Move the jumper cap from pins 1-2 (default) to pins 2-3. Keep the cap on pins 2-3 for about 5~10 seconds, then move the cap back to pins 1-2. 4. Reinstall the battery . 5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer . 6. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to re-enter data. Except when clearing the RTC RAM, never remove the cap on CLR TC jumper default position. Removing the cap will cause system boot failure! ⢠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 overclocking. For system failure due to overclocking, use the C.P .R. (CPU Parameter Recall) feature. Shut down and reboot the system so the BIOS can automatically reset parameter settings to default values. 1 2 2 3 Normal (Default) Clear RTC M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Clear RTC RAM CLRTC
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-21 2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56, USBPW78) Set these jumpers to 5V to wake up the computer from S1 sleep mode (CPU stopped, DRAM refreshed, system running in low power mode) using the connected USB devices. Set to 5VSB to wake up from S3 and S4 sleep modes (no power to CPU, DRAM in slow refresh, power supply in reduced power mode). ⢠The USB device wake-up feature requires a power supply that can provide 500mA on the 5VSB lead for each USB port; otherwise, the system would not power up. ⢠The total current consumed must NOT exceed the power supply capability ( 5VSB) whether under normal condition or in sleep mode. 1 2 2 3 5V (Default) 5VSB 5V (Default) 5VSB 1 2 3 2 5V (Default) 5VSB 1 2 2 3 M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI USB device wake-up USBPW12 USBPW34 USBPW56 USBPW78 3. Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR) This jumper allows you to enable or disable the keyboard wake-up feature. Set this jumper to pins 2-3 ( 5VSB) if you wish to wake up the computer when you press a key on the keyboard (the default value is [Disabled]). This feature requires an A TX power supply that can supply at least 1A on the 5VSB lead, and a corresponding setting in the BIOS. See section 4.5.3 APM ConîÂÂguration. 2 3 1 2 M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Keyboard power setting 5V (Default) 5VSB KBPWR
2-22 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.7 Connectors 2.7.1 Rear panel connectors 1. PS/2 mouse port (green). This port is for a PS/2 mouse. 2. Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer , a scanner , or other devices. 3. IEEE 1394a port. This 6-pin IEEE 1394a port provides high-speed connectivity for audio/video devices, storage peripherals, PCs, or portable devices. 4. LAN (RJ-45) port. Supported by the NVIDIA î nForce ⢠500 Gigabit MAC with external Attansic PHY , 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. 5 1 14 2 4 12 13 7 8 9 3 6 10 1 1 LAN port LED indications 5. Rear Speaker Out port (black). This port connects the rear speakers in an 8-channel audio conîÂÂguration. 6. Side Speaker Out port (gray). This port connects the side speakers in a 4-channel, 6-channel, or 8-channel audio conîÂÂguration. 7. Line In port (light blue). This port connects the tape, CD, DVD player , or other audio sources. 8. Line Out port (lime). This port connects a headphone or a speaker . In 4-channel, 6-channel, and 8-channel conîÂÂguration, the function of this port becomes Front Speaker Out. SPEED LED ACT/LINK LED LAN port Activity/Link Speed LED Status Description Status Description OFF No link OFF 10 Mbps connection ORANGE Linked ORANGE 100 Mbps connection BLINKING Data activity GREEN 1 Gbps connection
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-23 Refer to the audio conîÂÂguration table below for the function of the audio ports in 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel conîÂÂguration. 9. Microphone port (pink). This port connects a microphone. 10. Center/Subwoofer port (orange). This port connects the center/subwoofer speakers. Audio 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel conîÂÂguration 1 1. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2, 3 and 4. These 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices. Connect the IR receiver ONL Y to USB port 1 and 2, which support remote control function. Plugging any other USB devices to these two ports will turn on the computer . 12. Serial port (COM port). This 9-pin COM port is for pointing devices and other serial devices. 13. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port. This port connects an external audio output device via a coaxial S/PDIF cable. 14. PS/2 keyboard port (purple) . This port is for a PS/2 keyboard. 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 â â Center/Subwoofer Center/Subwoofer Black â â â Rear Speaker Out Gray â Side Speaker Out Side Speaker Out Side Speaker Out
2-24 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.7.2 Internal connectors 1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) This connector is for the provided îÂÂoppy disk drive (FDD) signal cable. Insert one end of the cable to this connector , then connect the other end to the signal connector at the back of the îÂÂoppy disk drive. Pin 5 on the connector is removed to prevent incorrect cable connection when using a FDD cable with a covered Pin 5. 2. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_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 motherboardâÂÂs IDE connector , then select one of the following modes to conîÂÂgure your device. ⢠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 100/66 IDE devices. If any device jumper is set as âÂÂCable-Select,â make sure all other device jumpers have the same setting. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Floppy disk drive connector NOTE: Orient the red markings on the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1. PIN 1 FLOPPY Drive jumper setting Mode of device(s) Cable connector Single device Cable-Select or Master â Black T wo devices Cable-Select Master Black Slave Gray Master Master Black or gray Slave Slave
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-25 3. NVIDIA î nForce î 500 SLI Southbridge Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1 [red], SA T A2 [red], SA T A3 [red], SA T A4 [red]) These connectors are for the Serial A T A signal cables for Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s hard disk and optical disk drives. The Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s is backward compatible with Serial A T A 1.5 Gb/s speciîÂÂcation. If you installed Serial A T A hard disk drives, you can create a RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0 1, RAID 5, or JBOD conîÂÂguration through the onboard NVIDIA î MediaShield ⢠controller . The RAID function of these connectors is set to [Disabled] by default. If you intend to create a Serial A T A RAID set using these connectors, enable the RAID Enable item in the SA T A ConîÂÂguration sub-menu in the BIOS. See section 4.4.4 Onboard Device ConîÂÂguration for details. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI IDE connectors SEC_IDE P IN 1 NOTE: Orient the red markings (usually zigzag) on the IDE ribbon cable to PIN 1. PRI_IDE M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI SA T A connectors SA T A1 GN D RS AT A_ TX P1 RS AT A_ TX N1 GN D RS AT A_ RX P1 RS AT A_ RX N1 GN D SA T A3 GN D RS AT A_ TX P3 RS AT A_ TX N3 GN D RS AT A_ RX P3 RS AT A_ RX N3 GN D SA T A4 GN D RS AT A_ TX P4 RS AT A_ TX N4 GN D RS AT A_ RX P4 RS AT A_ RX N4 GN D GN D RS AT A_ TX P2 RS AT A_ TX N2 GN D RS AT A_ RX P2 RS AT A_ RX N2 GN D SA T A2 M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI SA T A connectors SA T A1 GN D RS A TA _T XP1 RS A TA _T XN1 GN D RS A TA _R XP 1 RS A TA _R XN 1 GN D SA T A3 GN D RS A TA _T XP3 RS A TA _T XN3 GN D RS A TA _R XP3 RS A TA _R XN 3 GN D SA T A4 GN D RS A TA _T XP 4 RS A TA _T XN 4 GN D RS A TA _R XP 4 RS A TA _R XN 4 GN D GN D RS A TA _T XP 2 RS A TA _T XN2 GN D RS A TA _R XP 2 RS A TA _R XN 2 GN D SA T A2
2-26 Chapter 2: Hardware information 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 mechanical conîÂÂict with huge graphics cards. right angle side 4. CPU, chassis, and power fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN, 3-pin PWR_F AN, 3-pin CHA_F AN) The fan c onnect ors su pport co oling fans o f 350 mA~2000 mA (24 W max.) or a total of 1 A~7 A (84 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 . Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. InsufîÂÂcient air îÂÂow inside the system may damage the motherboard components. These are not jumpers! Do not place jumper caps on the fan connectors! M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Fan connectors CPU_F AN GND CPU F AN PWR CPU F AN IN CPU F AN PWM GND Rotation 12V PWR_F AN CHA_F AN GND Rotation 12V ⢠Only the CPU_F AN and CHA_F AN connectors support the ASUS Q F AN2 feature. ⢠If you install two VGA cards, we recommend that you plug the rear chassis fan cable to the motherboard connector labled CHA_F AN for better themal environment.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-27 5. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB 78, ASAP) 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 speciîÂÂcation that supports up to 480 Mbps connection speed. Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors. Doing so will damage the motherboard! 6. 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. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI IEEE 1394a connector 1 TP A2- GND TPB2- 12V GND TP A2 GND TPB2 12V IE1394_2 M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI USB 2.0 connectors ASAP USB 5V USB_P6- USB_P6 GND NC USB 5V USB_P5- USB_P5 GND PIN1 NC GND USB_P10 USB_P10- USB 5V GND USB_P9 USB_P9- USB 5V PIN1 USB 5V USB_P6- USB_P6 GND NC USB 5V USB_P5- USB_P5 GND PIN1 USB56 USB78 The IEEE 1394a module is purchased separately . The USB module is purchased separately .
2-28 Chapter 2: Hardware information 8. AT X p owe r c on ne cto rs (24-pin EA TXPWR, 4-pin A TX12V) These connectors are for A TX power supply plugs. The power supply plugs are designed to îÂÂt these connectors in only one orientation. Find the proper orientation and push down îÂÂrmly until the connectors completely îÂÂt. 7. 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 âÂÂChassis Signalâ and âÂÂGroundâ are shorted with a jumper cap. Remove the jumper caps only when you intend to use the chassis intrusion detection feature. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Chassis intrusion connector CHASSIS 5VSB_MB Chassis Signal GND (Default) M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI A TX power connectors EA TXPWR A TX12V 3 V olts 3 V olts Ground 5 V olts 5 V olts Ground Ground Power OK 5V Standby 12 V olts -5 V olts 5 V olts 3 V olts -12 V olts Ground Ground Ground PSON# Ground 5 V olts 12 V olts 3 V olts 5 V olts Ground 12V DC GND 12V DC GND
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-29 ⢠For a fully conîÂÂgured system, we recommend that you use a power supply unit (PSU) that complies with A TX 12 V SpeciîÂÂcation 2.0 (or later version) and provides a minimum power of 600 W . ⢠Do not forget to connect the 4-pin A TX 12 V power plug; otherwise, the system will not boot. ⢠Use of a PSU with a higher power output is recommended when conîÂÂguring a system with more power-consuming devices. The system may become unstable or may not boot up if the power is inadequate. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Front panel audio connector FP_AUDIO BLINE_OUT_L MIC2 Line out_R Line out_L BLINE_OUT_R NC MICPWR 5V A AGND 9. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin FP_AUDIO) This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O module that supports legacy AC âÂÂ97 audio standard. Connect one end of the front panel audio I/O module cable to this connector . M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Internal audio connector CD (black) Right Audio Channel Left Audio Channel Ground Ground 10. Internal audio connector (4-pin CD) These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources such as a CD-ROM, TV -tuner , or MPEG card.
2-30 Chapter 2: Hardware information 12. TPM connector (20-1 pin TPM) This connector supports a T rusted Platform Module (TPM) system, which can securely store keys, digital certiîÂÂcates, passwords, and data. A TPM system also helps enhance network security , protects digital identities, and ensures platform integrity . See section âÂÂ4.6.6 Securityâ for details. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI TPM connector TPM M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI Digital audio connector 5V SPDIFOUT GND SPDIF_OUT 1 1. Digital audio co nne cto r (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT) This connector is for an additional Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) port(s). Connect the S/PDIF Out module cable to this connector , then install the module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis. The S/PDIF module is purchased separately . The TPM module is purchased separately . Use the ASUS TPM module ONL Y .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-31 ⢠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 LED cable to this connector . The IDE LED lights up or îÂÂashes when data is 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 PWRSR) 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 . 13. System panel connector (20-8 pin P ANEL) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions. M2N-PLUS SLI î M2N-PLUS SLI System panel connector * Requires an A TX power supply. P ANEL PLED- PWR 5V Speaker Ground RESET Ground Reset Ground Ground PWRSW PLED IDE_LED- IDE_LED IDE_LED PLED SPEAKER
2-32 Chapter 2: Hardware information 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 to know the detailed pin deîÂÂnitions, then 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. The îÂÂgure shows the Q-Connector properly installed on the motherboard.
3 Powering up This chapter describes the power up sequence, the vocal POST messages, and ways of shutting down the system.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 3 3.1 Starting up for the îÂÂrst time ........................................................ 3-1 3.2 T urning off the computer ............................................................. 3-2
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 3-1 3.1 Starting up for the î¿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 âÂÂgreenâ standards or if it has a âÂÂpower standbyâ 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 . While the tests are running, the BIOS beeps (see BIOS beep codes table below) or additional messages appear on the screen. If you do not see anything within 30 seconds from the time you tu rned 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 î 2000: 1. Click the Start button then click Shut Down. 2. Make sure that the Shut Down option button is selected, then click the OK button to shut down the computer . 3. The power supply should turn off after Windows î shuts down. If you are using Windows î XP: 1. Click the Start button then select Turn Of f Computer . 2. Click the Turn Of f button to shut down the computer . 3. The power supply should turn off after Windows î shuts down. If you are using Windows î Vista: 1. Click the Start button then select ShutDown. 2. The power supply should turn off after Windows î 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 âÂÂ4.5 Power Menuâ in Chapter 4 for details.
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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 4-1 4.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................. 4-10 4.3 Main menu .................................................................................. 4-14 4.4 Advanced menu ......................................................................... 4-19 4.5 Power menu ................................................................................ 4-29 4.6 Boot menu .................................................................................. 4-34 4.7 T ools menu ................................................................................. 4-39 4.8 Exit menu .................................................................................... 4-40
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 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 î environment.) 2. ASUS EZ Flash 2 (Updates the BIOS in DOS using a îÂÂoppy disk / USB îÂÂash disk, or the motherboard support CD.) 3. Award BIOS Flash Utility (Updates the BIOS using a bootable îÂÂoppy disk / USB îÂÂash disk or a CD ROM.) 4. ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 (Updates the BIOS using a bootable îÂÂoppy disk / USB îÂÂash disk or the motherboard support CD when the BIOS îÂÂle fails or gets corrupted.) Refer to the corresponding sections for details on these utilities. Save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS îÂÂle to a bootable îÂÂoppy 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 CD in the optical drive. The Drivers menu appears. 2. Click the Utilities tab, then click Install ASUS Update VX.XX.XX. See page 5-3 for the Utilities screen menu. 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 î environment. The ASUS Update utility allows you to: ⢠Save the current BIOS îÂÂle ⢠Download the latest BIOS îÂÂle from the Internet ⢠Update the BIOS from an updated BIOS îÂÂle ⢠Update the BIOS directly from the Internet, and ⢠View the BIOS version information. This utility is available in the support CD 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 î applications before you update the BIOS using this utility . 3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network trafîÂÂc, or 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 î 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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-3 Updating the BIOS through a BIOS îÂÂle T o update the BIOS through a BIOS îÂÂle: 1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows î desktop by clicking Start > Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate . The ASUS Update main window appears. 2. Select Update BIOS from a îÂÂle option from the drop-down menu, then click Next. 4. From the FTP site, select the BIOS version that you wish to download. Click Next. 5. Follow the screen instructions to complete the update process. The ASUS Update utility is capable of updating itself through the Internet. Always update the utility to avail all its features. 3. Locate the BIOS îÂÂle from the Open window , then click Open. 4. Follow the screen instructions to complete the update process.
4-4 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.1.2 Creating a bootable îÂÂoppy disk 1. Do either one of the following to create a bootable îÂÂoppy disk. DOS environment a. Insert a 1.44MB îÂÂoppy disk into the drive. b. At the DOS prompt, type format A:/ S then press <Enter>. Windows î XP environment a. Insert a 1.44 MB îÂÂoppy disk to the îÂÂoppy disk drive. b. Click Start from the Windows î desktop, then select My Computer. c. Select the 3 1/2 Floppy Drive icon. d. Click File from the menu, then select Format . A Format 3 1/2 Floppy Disk window appears. e. Select Create an MS-DOS startup disk from the format options îÂÂeld, then click Start. Windows î 2000 environment T o create a set of boot disks for Windows î 2000: a. Insert a formatted, high density 1.44 MB îÂÂoppy disk into the drive. b. Insert the Windows î 2000 CD to the optical drive. c. Click Start , then select Run . d. From the Open îÂÂeld, type D:\bootdisk\makeboot a: assuming that D: is your optical drive. e. Press <Enter>, then follow screen instructions to continue. 2. Copy the original or the latest motherboard BIOS îÂÂle to the bootable îÂÂoppy disk.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-5 T o update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2: 1. Visit the ASUS website (www .asus.com) to download the latest BIOS îÂÂle for the motherboard. 2. Save the BIOS îÂÂle to a îÂÂoppy disk or a USB îÂÂash disk, then restart the system. 4.1.3 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 booting from a îÂÂoppy disk and 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. Y ou can switch between drives by pressing <T ab> before the correct îÂÂle is found. Then press <Enter>. 3. Y ou can launch the EZ Flash 2 by two methods. (1) Insert the îÂÂoppy disk / USB îÂÂash disk that contains the BIOS îÂÂle to the îÂÂoppy disk drive or the USB port. Press <Alt> <F2> during POST to display the following. ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility B318 FLASH TYPE: PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH BOARD: M2N-Plus SLI VER: 0107 DATE: 12/27/2006 Current ROM Update ROM BOARD: Unknown VER: Unknown DATE: Unknown PATH: C:\ A: C: Note [Enter] Select [S] Save [ESC] Exit [Tab] Switch [Up/Down/Home/End] Move ⢠This func tion can suppo rt device s such as USB îÂÂash disk, hard disk , or îÂÂoppy disk 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! 4. When the correct BIOS îÂÂle is found, EZ Flash 2 performs the BIOS update process and automatically reboots the system when done.
4-6 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.1.4 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 . 1. Download the latest BIOS îÂÂle from the ASUS web site. Rename the îÂÂle to M2NPLUSSLI.BIN and save it to a îÂÂoppy disk, CD ROM or a USB îÂÂash disk in F A T 16/12 format . Save only the updated BIOS îÂÂle in the disk to avoid loading the wrong BIOS îÂÂle. 2. Copy the AwardBIOS Flash Utility (awdîÂÂash.exe) from the Software folder of the support CD to the îÂÂoppy disk, CD ROM or a USB îÂÂash disk with the latest BIOS îÂÂle. 3. Boot the system in DOS mode using the bootable îÂÂoppy disk, CD ROM or a USB îÂÂash disk you created earlier . 4. Under the DOS mode, use <X:> (X stands for the name of the disk assignment) to switch to the folder of îÂÂoppy disk, CD ROM or USB îÂÂash disk you saved the BIOS îÂÂleand AwardBIOS Flash Utility . 5. At the prompt, type awdîÂÂash then press <Enter>. The Award BIOS Flash Utility screen appears. AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: Please input File Name! For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program:
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-7 7. Press <N> when the utility prompts you to save the current BIOS îÂÂle. The following screen appears. 8. The utility veriîÂÂes the BIOS îÂÂle in the îÂÂoppy disk, CD ROM or a USB îÂÂash disk and starts îÂÂashing the BIOS îÂÂle. Do not turn off or reset the system during the îÂÂashing process! AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Warning: DonâÂÂt Turn Off Power Or Reset System! 9. The utility displays a Flashing Complete message indicating that you have successfully îÂÂashed the BIOS îÂÂle. Remove the disk then press <F1> to restart the system. AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved F1 Reset For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program: M2NPLUSV.bin Flashing Complete Press <F1> to Continue Write OK No Update Write Fail For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program: M2NPLUSV.bin Programming Flash Memory - OFE00 OK Write OK No Update Write Fail AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program: M2NPLUSV.bin Message: Do You Want To Save Bios (Y/N) 6. T ype the BIOS îÂÂle name in the File Name to Program îÂÂeld, then press <Enter>.
4-8 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4. The utility saves the current BIOS îÂÂle to the disk, then returns to the BIOS îÂÂashing process. 3. T ype a îÂÂlename for the current BIOS îÂÂle in the Save current BIOS as îÂÂeld, then press <Enter>. T o save the current BIOS îÂÂle using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility: 1. Follow steps 1 to 6 of the previous section. 2. Press <Y> when the utility prompts you to save the current BIOS îÂÂle. The following screen appears. 4.1.5 Saving the current BIOS îÂÂle Y ou can use the AwardBIOS Flash Utility to save the current BIOS îÂÂle. Y ou can load the current BIOS îÂÂle when the BIOS îÂÂle gets corrupted during the îÂÂashing process. AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program: 0112.bin Save current BIOS as: AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: Please Wait! For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program: 0112.bin Checksum: 810DH Save current BIOS as: 0113.bin AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.14 (C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved Message: Please Wait! For NF590-SLI-M2N-PLUS SLI DATE:03/30/2006 Flash Type - PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH File Name to Program: 0113.bin Now Backup System BIOS to File! Make sure that the îÂÂoppy disk, CD ROM or a USB îÂÂash disk has enough disk space to save the îÂÂle.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-9 4.1.6 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS îÂÂle when it fails or gets corrupted during the updating process. Y ou can update a corrupted BIOS îÂÂle using the motherboard support CD, the îÂÂoppy disk, or the USB îÂÂash disk that contains the updated BIOS îÂÂle. Prepare the motherboard support CD, the îÂÂoppy disk or the USB îÂÂash disk containing the updated motherboard BIOS before using this utility . Recovering the BIOS from the support CD T o recover the BIOS from the support CD: 1. T urn on the system. 2. Insert the motherboard support CD to the optical drive. 3. The utility displays the following message and automatically checks the CD for the BIOS îÂÂle. 4. Restart the system after the utility completes the updating process. ⢠Only the USB îÂÂash disk with F A T 32/16/12 format and single partition can support ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3. The device size should be smaller than 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 When found, the utility reads the BIOS îÂÂle and starts îÂÂashing the corrupted BIOS îÂÂle. Award BootBlock BIOS v1.0 Copyright (c) 2000, Award Software, Inc. BIOS ROM checksum error Detecting IDE ATAPI device... Recovering the BIOS from the USB îÂÂash disk T o recover the BIOS from the USB îÂÂash disk: 1. Insert the USB îÂÂash disk that contains BIOS îÂÂle to the USB port. 2. T urn on the system. 3. The utility will automatically checks the devices for the BIOS îÂÂle When found, the utility reads the BIOS îÂÂle and starts îÂÂashing the corrupted BIOS îÂÂle. 4. Restart the system after the utility completes the updating process.
4-10 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.2 BIOS setup program This motherboard supports a programmable Low-Pin Count (LPC) chip that you can update using the provided utility described in section âÂÂ4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS.â Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard, reconîÂÂguring your system, or prompted to âÂÂRun Setup.â This section explains how to conîÂÂgure your system using this utility . Even if you are not prompted to use the Setup program, you can change the conîÂÂguration of your computer in the future. For example, you can enable the security password feature or change the power management settings. This requires you to reconîÂÂgure your system using the BIOS Setup program so that the computer can recognize these changes and record them in the CMOS RAM of the LPC chip. The LPC 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 <Del> during the Power-On Self-T est (POST) to enter the Setup utility; otherwise, POST continues with its test routines. If you wish to enter Setup after POST , restart the system by pressing <Ctrl Alt Delete>, or by pressing the reset button on the system chassis. Y ou can also restart by turning the system off and then back on. Do this last option only if the îÂÂrst two failed. 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 Default Settings item under the Exit Menu. See section 4.8 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. ⢠Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) to download the latest BIOS îÂÂle for this motherboard.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-1 1 4.2.1 BIOS menu screen Legend bar General help Menu bar Sub-menu items ConîÂÂguration îÂÂelds Menu items Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Change the internal time. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit System Time 15 : 30 : 36 System Date Thu, Apr 6 2006 Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Primary IDE Master [None] Primary IDE Slave [None] Secondary IDE Master [None] Secondary IDE Slave [None] SATA 1 [None] SATA 2 [None] SATA 3 [None] SATA 4 [None] HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] Installed Memory 512MB Usable Memory 511MB 4.2.2 Menu bar The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items: Main For changing the basic system conîÂÂguration Advanced For changing the advanced system settings Power For changing the advanced power management (APM) conîÂÂguration Boot For changing the system boot conîÂÂguration T ools For conîÂÂguring options for special functions 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.
4-12 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.2.4 Menu items The highlighted item on the menu bar displays the speciîÂÂc items for that menu. 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 ConîÂÂguration îÂÂelds These îÂÂelds show the values for the menu items. If an item is user-conîÂÂgurable, you can change the value of the îÂÂeld opposite the item. Y ou cannot select an item that is not user-conîÂÂgurable. A conîÂÂgurable îÂÂeld is enclosed in brackets, and is highlighted when selected. T o change the value of a îÂÂeld, select it then press <Enter> to display a list of options. Refer to âÂÂ4.2.7 Pop-up window .â 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 Moves the highlight up or down between îÂÂelds Page Down or â (minus) Scrolls backward through the values for the highlighted îÂÂeld Page Up or (plus) Scrolls forward through the values for the highlighted îÂÂeld <Enter> Brings up a selection menu for the highlighted îÂÂeld <F10> Saves changes and exit
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-13 4.2.7 Pop-up window Select a menu item then press <Enter> to display a pop-up window with the conîÂÂguration options for that item. 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 Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Speciî¿es the capacity and physical size of diskette drive A. System Time 15 : 30 : 36 System Date Thu, Apr 6 2006 Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Primary IDE Master [None] Primary IDE Slave [None] Secondary IDE Master [None] Secondary IDE Slave [None] SATA 1 [None] SATA 2 [None] SATA 3 [None] SATA 4 [None] HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] Installed Memory 512MB Usable Memory 511MB Legacy Diskette A: Disabled ..... [ ] 720K , 3.5 in. ..... [ ] 1.44M, 3.5 in. ..... [ ] âÂÂâ :Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort
4-14 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.3 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. 4.3.1 System Time [xx:xx:xx] Allows you to set the system time. 4.3.2 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx] Allows you to set the system date. 4.3.3 Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Sets the type of îÂÂoppy drive installed. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [720K , 3.5 in.] [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Change the internal time. System Time 15 : 30 : 36 System Date Thu, Apr 6 2006 Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5 in.] Primary IDE Master [None] Primary IDE Slave [None] Secondary IDE Master [None] Secondary IDE Slave [None] SATA 1 [None] SATA 2 [None] SATA 3 [None] SATA 4 [None] HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] Installed Memory 512MB Usable Memory 511MB
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-15 4.3.4 Primary/Secondary 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 IDE device information. The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed items (Capacity , Cylinder , Head, Sector and T ransfer Mode). These values are not user-conîÂÂgurable. These items show N/A if no IDE device is installed in the system. Primary/Secondary IDE Master/Slave [Auto] Select [Auto] to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive. If automatic detection is successful, the BIOS automatically îÂÂlls in the correct values for the remaining îÂÂelds on this sub-menu. If the hard disk was already formatted on a previous 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 [None]. ConîÂÂguration options: [None] [Auto] [Manual] 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]. ConîÂÂguration options: [CHS] [LBA] [Large] [Auto] Before attempting to conîÂÂgure a hard disk drive, make sure you have the correct conîÂÂguration information supplied by the drive manufacturer . Incorrect settings may cause the system to fail to recognize the installed hard disk. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press [Enter] to select. Primary IDE Master Primary IDE Master [Auto] Access Mode [Auto] Capacity 0 GB Cylinder 0 Head 0 Sector 0 PIO Mode [Auto] UDMA Mode [Auto] Transfer Mode None F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit
4-16 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Capacity Displays the auto-detected hard disk capacity . This item is not conîÂÂgurable. Cylinder Shows the number of the hard disk cylinders. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. Head Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. Sector Shows the number of sectors per track. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. PIO Mode [Auto] Sets the PIO mode for the IDE device. ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [Mode 0] [Mode 1] [Mode 2] [Mode 3] [Mode 4] UDMA Mode [Auto] Disables or sets the UDMA mode. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disable] [Auto] T ransfer Mode Shows the T ransfer mode. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. 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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-17 4.3.5 SA T A1~4 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- conîÂÂgurable. These items show 0 if no SA T A device is installed in the system. Extended IDE Drive [Auto] Selects the type of îÂÂxed disk connected to the system. ConîÂÂguration options: [None] [Auto] Access Mode [Auto] Sets the sector addressing mode. ConîÂÂguration options: [Large] [Auto] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Selects the type of î¿xed disk connected to the system. SATA 1 Extended IDE Drive [Auto] Access Mode [Auto] Capacity 0 MB Cylinder 0 Head 0 Landing Zone 0 Sector 0 Before attempting to conîÂÂgure a hard disk drive, make sure you have the correct conîÂÂguration information supplied by the drive manufacturer . Incorrect settings may cause the system to fail to recognize the installed hard disk. Capacity Displays the auto-detected hard disk capacity . This item is not conîÂÂgurable. Cylinder Shows the number of the hard disk cylinders. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit
4-18 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Head Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. Landing Zone Shows the number of landing zone per track. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. Sector Shows the number of sectors per track. This item is not conîÂÂgurable. 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. 4.3.6 HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the HDD Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting T echnology (SMART) feature. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] 4.3.7 Installed Memory [xxx MB] Shows the size of installed memory . 4.3.8 Usable Memory [XXX MB] Shows the size of usable memory .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-19 Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Adjust system frequency/voltage. JumperFree Conî¿guration CPU Conî¿guration PCIPnP Onboard Device Conî¿guration SLI Conî¿guration 4.4 Advanced menu The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices. T ake caution when changing the settings of the Advanced menu items. Incorrect îÂÂeld values can cause the system to malfunction. F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit 4.4.1 JumperFree ConîÂÂguration F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press [Enter] to select overclock proî¿le. JumperFree Conî¿guration AI Tuning [Auto] x Overclock Options Disabled x N.O.S. Option Disabled x CPU Frequency Auto x PCI Express Clock Auto x DDR2 Voltage Control Auto x PCI Clock Synchronization Mode Auto Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced
4-20 Chapter 4: BIOS setup AI T uning [Auto] Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal frequency . Selct either one of the preset overclocking conîÂÂguration options: 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 Loads overclocking proîÂÂles with optimal parameters for stability when overclocking. The following item becomes user-conîÂÂgurable when you set AI T uning to [ AI Overclock]. Overclock Options [Disabled] Allows you to set the overclocking options. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Overclock 3%] [Overclock 5%] [Overclock 8%] [Overclock 10%] The following item becomes user-conîÂÂgurable when you set AI T uning to [ Manual] CPU Frequency [XXX] (value is auto-detected) Indicates the frequency sent by the clock generator to the system bus and PCI bus. The bus frequency (external frequency) multiplied by the bus multiple equals the CPU speed. The BIOS auto-detects the value of this item. The values range from 200.0 to 400.0. Setting a very high CPU frequency may cause the system to become unstable. If this happens, revert to the default setting. PCI Express Clock [100Mhz] Allows you to set the PCI Express clock. ConîÂÂguration options: [100MHz]~[145MHz] DDR2 V oltage [Auto] Allows you to set the operating DDR2 voltage. ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1.80V] [1.85V] [1.90V] [1.95V] PCI Clock Synchronization Mode [Auto] Sets the PCI Clock Synchronization mode. ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [T o CPU] [33.33MHz]
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-21 4.4.2 CPU ConîÂÂguration DRAM ConîÂÂguration The items in the sub-menu show the DRAM-related information auto-detected by the BIOS. F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâ : Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced CPU Conî¿guration CPU Type AMD Sempron(tm) Processor 3000 CPU Speed 1600 MHz Cache RAM 256K DRAM Conî¿guration Hyper Transport Frequency [Auto] AMD Live! [Disabled] AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet Function [Disabled] Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help DRAM timing and control. F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâ : Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Setting platform Memclock or limit value. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced DRAM Conî¿guration Memory Clock Frequency [Auto] DRAM Timing Control Tcl [Auto] Trcd [Auto] Trp [Auto] Tras [Auto] Trc [Auto] Twr [Auto] Trrd [Auto] Trwt [Auto] Twtr [Auto] Trtp [Auto] Twrrd [Auto] Twrwr [Auto] Trdrd [Auto] Trfc [Auto] 1T/2T Memory Timing [Auto] Memory Clock Frequency [Auto] Sets the memory clock frequency . ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [DDR2 400] [DDR2 533] [DDR2 667] [DDR2 800]
4-22 Chapter 4: BIOS setup DRAM T iming Control F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâ : Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Load Fail-Safe Defaults Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced DRAM Timing Control Load Fail-Safe Defaults Precomp 0 Landing Zone 0 Precomp 0 Landing Zone 0 Precomp 0 Landing Zone 0 Precomp 0 Landing Zone 0 USB Keyboard Support [Disabled] USB Mouse Support [Disabled] Precomp 0 x Power On By Button Enabeld Onboard FDC controller [Enabled] CKE Fine Delay [Auto] CKE Setup Time [Auto] CS/ODT Fine Delay [Auto] Load Fail-Safe Defaults ConîÂÂguration options: [YES] [NO] USB Keyboard Support [Disabled] ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] USB Mouse Support [Disabled] ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Onboard FDC Controller [Enabled] ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] CKE Fine Delay [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [No delay] [1/64 MEMCLK delay] [2/64 MEMCLK delay] [3/64 MEMCLK delay] [4/64 MEMCLK delay] [5/64 MEMCLK delay]~[30/64 MEMCLK delay] [31/64 MEMCLK delay] CKE Setup Time [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1/2 MEMCLK] [1 MEMCLK] CS/ODT Fine Delay [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [No delay] [1/64 MEMCLK delay] [2/64 MEMCLK delay] [3/64 MEMCLK delay] [4/64 MEMCLK delay] [5/64 MEMCLK delay]~[30/64 MEMCLK delay] [31/64 MEMCLK delay] CS/ODT Setup Time [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1/2 MEMCLK] [1 MEMCLK] Address/Command Fine Delay [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [No delay] [1/64 MEMCLK delay] [2/64 MEMCLK delay] [3/64 MEMCLK delay] [4/64 MEMCLK delay] [5/64 MEMCLK delay]~[30/64 MEMCLK delay] [31/64 MEMCLK delay] Address/Command Setup Time [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1/2 MEMCLK] [1 MEMCLK]
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-23 T cl [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T rcd [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T rp [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T ras [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [5] [6] [7]~[18] T rc [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1 1] [12] [13]~[25] [26] T wr [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T rrd [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [2] [3] [4] [5] T rwt [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] T wtr [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] T rtp [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [2/4] [3/5] T wrrd [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [0] [1] [2] [3] T wrwr [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] T rdrd [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [2] [3] [4] [5] T rfc [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [0] [1] [2] [3] 1T/2T Memory Timing [Auto] Sets the memory timing. ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [1T] [2T] Hyper T ransport Frequency [Auto] ConîÂÂguration options: [1x] [2x] [3x] [4x] [5x] [Auto] AMD Live! [Disabled] Enables or disables the AMD Live! technology . ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4-24 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.4.3 PCIPnP Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Select Yes if you are using a Plug and Play capable operating system. Select No if you need the BIOS to conî¿gure non-boot devices. PCIPnP Plug & Play O/S [No] Primary Display Adapter [PCI] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced Plug & Play O/S [No] When set to [No], the BIOS conîÂÂgures all the devices in the system. When set to [Y es] and if you install a Plug and Play operating system, the operating system conîÂÂgures the Plug and Play devices not required for boot. ConîÂÂguration options: [No] [Y es] Primary Display Adapter [PCI] Allows selection of graphics controller to use as the primary boot device. ConîÂÂguration options: [PCI] [PCI-E] F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press [Enter] to set. Onboard Device Conî¿guration IDE Function Setup NVRAID Conî¿guration USB Conî¿guration Onboard nVidia LAN [Enabled] Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled] Onboard USB Audio [Enabled] ASUS ASAP [Disabled] Onboard 1394 [Enabled] Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4] Parallel Port Address [378/IRQ7] Parallel Port Mode [EPP] x ECP Mode Use DMA 3 Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced 4.4.4 Onboard Device ConîÂÂguration AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet Function [Disabled] Enables or disables the AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet technology . ConîÂÂguration options: [Auto] [Disabled]
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-25 IDE Function Setup This sub-menu contains IDE function-related items. Select an item then press <Enter> to edit. F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Disable/Enable Onchip IDE Channel0 IDE Function Setup OnChip IDE Channel0 [Enabled] OnChip IDE Channel1 [Enabled] IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled] SATA Port 1,2 [Enabled] SATA DMA transfer [Enabled] SATA Port 3,4 [Enabled] SATA2 DMA transfer [Enabled] IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled] OnChip IDE Channel0 [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable OnChip IDE Channel0 ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] OnChip IDE Channel1 [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable OnChip IDE Channel1 ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable IDE DMA transfer access ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A Port 1, 2 [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable OnChip SA T A(Port 1, Port 2) ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A DMA transfer [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable to switch to support SA T A DMA tranfer ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A Port 3, 4 [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable OnChip SA T A2(Port 3, Port 4) ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A2 DMA transfer [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable to switch to support SA T A2 DMA tranfer ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4-26 Chapter 4: BIOS setup IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable IDE PIO read prefetch mode. When prefetch is enabled, either 16-bit or 32-bit are allowed on IDE bus. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Disable.Enable nVIDIA RAID feture. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced NVRAID ConîÂÂguration This item in this sub-menu allows you to set up RAID feature. NVRAID Conî¿guration RAID Enable [Disabled] x SATA 1 RAID Disabled x SATA 2 RAID Disabled x SATA 3 RAID Disabled x SATA 4 RAID Disabled RAID Enable [Disabled] Allows to disable or enable nVIDIA RAID feature. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A 1 RAID [Disabled] Selects this device as RAID set. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A 2 RAID [Disabled] Selects this device as RAID set. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A 3 RAID [Disabled] Selects this device as RAID set. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] SA T A 4 RAID [Disabled] Selects this device as RAID set. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] The following items are user-conîÂÂgurable only when the RAID Enable item is set to [Enabled].
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-27 Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Enable or Disable USB 1.1 and 2.0 Controller. USB Conî¿guration USB Controller [Enabled] USB2.0 Controller [Enabled] USB Legacy support [Enabled] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced USB ConîÂÂguration The items in this menu allows you to change the USB-related features. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conîÂÂguration options. USB Controller [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the onchip USB controller . ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] When USB Controller is set to [Disabled], both USB 2.0 Controller and USB Legacy support will be disabled. USB 2.0 Controller [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the USB 2.0 controller . ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] When USB 2.0 Controller is set to [Disabled], audio function will be disabled. USB Legacy Support [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable support for USB devices on legacy operating systems (OS). ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Onboard nVidia LAN [Enabled] Enable or Disable Onboard NV LAN Interface. ConîÂÂguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled] Enable or Disable the bootrom of the onboard LAN. ConîÂÂguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Onboard USB Audio [Enabled] Enable or Disable Onboard USB Audio. ConîÂÂguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] ASUS ASAP [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the onboard USB îÂÂash module for the ASUS ASAP feature that supports Windows î Vista ReadyBoost ⢠function. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4-28 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.4.5 SLI ConîÂÂguration AI-Selector[Auto] Allows you to select the Scalable Link Interface mode. When set to [Auto], BIOS detects the setting of SLI EZ Selector Card. Set this item to [Single Video Card] when using single PCI-E graphics card. ConîÂÂguration: [Auto] [Single Video Card] [Dual V ideo Card] F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Allow you to select the Scalable Link Interface mode. When set to Auto, BIOS detects the setting of SLI EZ Selector Card. Set to Normal when using single PCI-E graphics card plugged. SLI Conî¿guration AI-Selector [Auto] Onboard 1394 [Enabled] Enable or Disable Onboard 1394. ConîÂÂguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4] Allows you to select the Serial Port1 base address. ConîÂÂguration options: [Di sab led] [ 3F8/IR Q4] [2 F8/IR Q3] [3 E8/IRQ 4] [2E 8/IRQ 3] [Au to] Parallel Port Address [378/IRQ7] Allows you to select the Parallel Port base addresses. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [378/IRQ7] [278/IRQ5] [3BC/IRQ7] Parallel Port Mode [EPP] Allows you to select the Parallel Port mode. ConîÂÂguration options: [Normal] [EPP] [ECP] [Bi-Directional] The ECP Mode Use DMA item becomes user-conîÂÂgurable when the Parallel Port Mode item is set to [ECP] or [Bi-Directional] ECP Mode Use DMA [3] Allows selection of ECP Mode. ConîÂÂguration options: [1] [3]
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-29 4.5 Power menu The Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced ConîÂÂguration and Power Interface (ACPI) and the Advanced Power Management (APM). Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conîÂÂguration options. Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Select the ACPI state used for System Suspend. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit ACPI Suspend Type [S1&S3] ACPI APIC support [Enabled] APM Conî¿guration Hardware Monitor 4.5.1 ACPI Suspend T ype [S1&S3] Allows you to select the Advanced ConîÂÂguration and Power Interface (ACPI) state to be used for system suspend. ConîÂÂguration options: [S1(POS)] [S3(STR)] [S1&S3] 4.5.2 ACPI APIC Support [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the Advanced ConîÂÂguration and Power Interface (ACPI) support in the Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC). When set to Enabled, the ACPI APIC table pointer is included in the RSDT pointer list. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4-30 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.5.3 APM ConîÂÂguration Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press [Enter] to select whether or not to restart the system after AC power loss. APM Conî¿guration Restore on AC Power Loss [Power-Off] PWR Button < 4 secs [Instant-Off] Power Up On PCI/PCIE Devices [Disabled] Power On By External Modems [Disabled] Power On by RTC Alarm [Disabled] x Date(of Month) Alarm 0 x Alarm Time(hh:mm:ss) 0 : 0 : 0 HPET Support [Enabled] Power Up By PS/2 Mouse [Disabled] Power Up By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Power Restore on AC Power Loss [Power-Off] Allows you to enable or disable the Restore on AC Power Loss function. ConîÂÂguration options: [Power-Off] [Power-On] PWR Button < 4 secs [Instant-Off] Allows you to set the event after the power button is pressed for more than 4 seconds. ConîÂÂguration options: [Suspend] [Instant-Off] Power Up On PCI/PCIE Devices [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the PME to wake up from S5 by PCI/PCIE devices & NV Onboard LAN. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Power On By External Modems [Disabled] This allows either settings of [Enabled] or [Disabled] for powering up the computer when the external modem receives a call while the computer is in Soft-off mode. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] 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 âÂÂDate (of Month) Alarmâ and âÂÂAlarm T ime (hh:mm:ss)â become user-conîÂÂgurable with set values. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit The computer cannot receive or transmit data until the computer and applications are fully running. Thus, connection cannot be made on the îÂÂrst try . T urning an external modem off and then back on while the computer is of f causes an initialization string that turns the system power on.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-31 Date (of Month) Alarm [xx] T o set the date of alarm, highlight this item then press < > or <-> to make the selection (Min=0; Max=31). Alarm Time (hh:mm:ss) [xx:xx:xx] T o set the time of alarm, use <T ab> or < â > / < â > to select a îÂÂeld, then press < > or <-> to make the selection (Min=0, Max=23 for the hour îÂÂeld; Min=0, Max=59 for the minutes/seconds îÂÂeld). HPET Support [Enabled] ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Power Up By PS/2 Mouse [Disabled] When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows you to use the PS/2 mouse to turn on the system. This feature requires an A TX power supply that provides at least 1A on the 5VSB lead. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Power Up By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled] Allows you to disable the Power On by PS/2 keyboard function or set speciîÂÂc keys on the PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system. This feature requires an A TX power supply that provides at least 1A on the 5VSB lead. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Space Bar] [Ctrl-ESC] [Power Key]
4-32 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.5.4 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 parameters. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conîÂÂguration options. CPU Q-Fan Control [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the CPU Q-Fan controller . ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] The CPU Q-Fan ProîÂÂle item becomes use-conîÂÂgurable when you enable the CPU Q-Fan Control item. CPU Q-Fan ProîÂÂle [Performance] Allows you to set the appropriate performance level of the CPU Q-Fan. When set to [Optimal], the CPU fan automatically adjusts depending on the CPU temperature. Set this item to [Silent] to minimize fan speed for quiet CPU fan operation, or [Performance] to achieve maximum CPU fan speed. ConîÂÂguration options: [Performance] [Optimal] [Silent] Chassis Q-Fan Control [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the chassis Q-Fan controller . ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] The succeeding item becomes user-conîÂÂgurable when you set the Chassis Q-Fan Control item to [Enabled]. Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press [Enter] to enable or disable. Hardware Monitor CPU Q-Fan Control [Disabled] x CPU Q-Fan Proî¿le Performance Chassis Q-Fan Control [Disabled] x Chassis Q-Fan Proî¿le Performance Vcore Voltage [ 1.39V] 3.3V Voltage [ 2.76V] 5V Voltage [ 4.48V] 12V Voltage [11.32V] CPU Temperature 30úC M/B Temperature 33úC CPU FAN Speed 2884 RPM CHASSIS FAN Speed 0 RPM POWER FAN Speed 0 RPM CPU Fan Speed warning [ 800 RPM] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Power F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-33 Chassis Q-Fan ProîÂÂle [Performance] Allows you to set the appropriate performance level of the chassis Q-Fan. When set to [Optimal], the chassis fan automatically adjusts depending on the chassis temperature. Set this item to [Silent] to minimize fan speed for quiet chassis fan operation, or [Performance] to achieve maximum chassis fan speed. ConîÂÂguration options: [Performance] [Optimal] [Silent] Vcore V oltage, 3.3V V oltage, 5V V oltage, 12V V oltage The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through the onboard voltage regulators. Select [Ignored] if you do not want to detect this item. CPU T emperature, M/B T emperature The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the motherboard and CPU temperatures. These items are not user-conîÂÂgurable. CPU Fan Speed CHASSIS F AN Speed POWER F AN Speed The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU, chassis, and power fan speeds in rotations per minute (RPM). If any of the fans is not connected to the motherboard, the îÂÂeld shows 0. These items are not user- conîÂÂgurable. CPU Fan Speed warning [ 800 RPM] Allows you to disable or set the CPU fan warning speed. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [800 RPM] [1200 RPM] [1600 RPM]
4-34 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.6 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. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Select Boot Device Priority Boot Device Priority Removable Drives Hard Disk Drives CDROM Drives Boot Settings Conî¿guration Security F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit 4.6.1 Boot Device Priority Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Select Your Boot Device Priority Boot Device Priority 1st Boot Device [Removable] 2nd Boot Device [Hard Disk] 3rd Boot Device [CDROM] 4th Boot Device [Disabled] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot 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. ConîÂÂguration options: [Removable] [Hard Disk] [CDROM] [Disabled]
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-35 4.6.2 Removable Drives 1. Floppy Disks Allows you to assign a removable drive attached to the system. Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Removable Drives 1. Floppy Disks Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot 4.6.3 Hard Disk Drives 1. SA T A1: XXXXXXXXX Allows you to assign hard disk drives attached to the system. Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Hard Disk Drives 1. SATA1: XXXXXXXXX Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot 4.6.4 CDROM Drives 1. 1st Slave: XXXXXXXXX Allows you to assign optical drives attached to the system. Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help CDROM Drives 1. 1st Slave: XXXXXXXXX Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot
4-36 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.6.5 Boot Settings ConîÂÂguration F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press [Enter] to enable or disable. Boot Settings Conî¿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] Halt On [All, But Keyboard] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot Case Open W arning [Enabled] Enables or disables the chassis open status feature. Setting to [Enabled] clears the chassis open status. Refer to section âÂÂ2.7.2 Internal connectorsâ for details. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Quick Boot [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the system quick boot feature. When set to [Enabled], the system skips certain tests while booting. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Boot Up Floppy Seek [Disabled] Enables or disables the îÂÂoppy seek feature while booting. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Bootup Num-Lock [On] Allows you to select the power-on state for the NumLock. ConîÂÂguration options: [Off] [On] T ypematic Rate Setting [Disabled] Allows you to set the keystroke rate. Enable this item to conîÂÂgure the T ypematic Rate (Chars/Sec) and the T ypematic Delay (Msec). ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] The items T ypematic Rate (Chars/Sec) and T ypematic Delay (Msec) become user-conîÂÂgurable when the item T ypematic Rate Setting is enabled.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-37 T ypematic Rate (Chars/Sec) [6] Allows you to select the rate at which a character repeats when you hold a key . ConîÂÂguration options: [6] [8] [10] [12] [15] [20] [24] [30] T ypematic Delay (Msec) [250] Allows you to set the delay before keystrokes begin to repeat. ConîÂÂguration options: [250] [500] [750] [1000] OS Select for DRAM > 64MB [Non-OS2] Set this item to OS2 only when you are running on an OS/2 operating system with an installed RAM of greater than 64 KB. ConîÂÂguration options: [Non-OS2] [OS2] Full Screen LOGO [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the full screen logo display feature. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Make sure that the above item is set to [Enabled] if you want to use the ASUS MyLogo2 ⢠feature. Halt On [All, But Keyboard] Allows you to error report type. ConîÂÂguration options: [All Errors] [No Errors] [All, But Keyboard] [All, But Diskette] [All, But Disk/Key] 4.6.6 Security Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Supervisor password controls full access, <Enter> to change password. Security Supervisor Password Clear User Password Clear Password Check [Setup] Security Chip [Disabled] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot Supervisor Password User Password These îÂÂelds allow you to set passwords: 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>.
4-38 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 3. When prompted, conîÂÂrm the password by typing the exact characters again, then press <Enter>. The password îÂÂeld setting is changed to Set. T o clear the password: 1. Select the password îÂÂeld and press <Enter> twice. The following message appears: PASSWORD DISABLED !!! Press any key to continue... 2. Press any key to continue. The password îÂÂeld setting is changed to Clear . A note about passwords The Supervisor password is required to enter the BIOS Setup program preventing unauthorized access. The User password is required to boot the system preventing unauthorized use. 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 âÂÂ2.6 Jumperâ for instructions. Password Check This îÂÂeld requires you to enter the password before entering the BIOS setup or the system. Select [Setup] to require the password before entering the BIOS Setup. Select [System] to require the password before entering the system. ConîÂÂguration options: [Setup] [System] Security Chip [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the TPM security chip. ConîÂÂguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] The succeeding item appears when you enable the Security Chip item. Clear TPM Security Chip [Enter] Allows you to clear the user information saved in the TPM security chip. When you press <Enter>, a warning message appears to ask if you want to clear the user information in the security chip. Use the left/right arrow key to select between [YES] and [NO], then press <Enter> to conîÂÂrm your choice. After you select [YES] to execute the Clear TPM Security Chip function, the data saved in the TPM security chip will be cleared and can never be restored.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-39 4.7 Tools menu The T ools menu items allow you to conîÂÂgure options for special functions. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu. Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help Press Enter to Run ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 F1:Help âÂÂâ : Select Item -/ : Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit âÂÂâÂÂ: Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit 4.7.1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 Allows you to run ASUS EZ Flash 2. When you press <Enter>, a conîÂÂrmation message appears. Use the left/right arrow key to select between [Y es] or [No], then press <Enter> to conîÂÂrm your choice. Please see page 4-5, section 4.1.3 for details. ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility B318 FLASH TYPE: PMC Pm49FL004T LPC/FWH BOARD: M2N-PLUS SLI VER: 0104 DATE: 12/20/2006 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
4-40 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.8 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. Exit & Save Changes Once you are îÂÂnished making your selections, choose this option from the Exit 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 off. When you select this option, a conîÂÂrmation window appears. Select [YES] to save changes and exit. 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 & Discard Changes Select this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you made to the Setup program. If you made changes to îÂÂelds other than System Date, System T ime, and Password, the BIOS asks for a conîÂÂrmation before exiting. Load Setup Defaults This option allows you to load the default values for each of the parameters on the Setup menus. When you select this option or if you press <F5>, a conîÂÂrmation 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 previously saved values. After selecting this option, a conîÂÂrmation appears. Select [YES] to discard any changes and load the previously saved values. 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. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Select Menu Item Speciî¿c Help This option save data to CMOS and exiting the setup menu. Exit & Save Changes Exit & Discard Changes Load Setup Default Discard Changes
5 Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with the motherboard package.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 5 5.1 Installing an operating system ................................................... 5-1 5.2 Support CD information .............................................................. 5-1 5.3 Software informtion ..................................................................... 5-9 5.4 Windows î Vista feature ............................................................. 5-32 5.5 RAID conîÂÂgurations .................................................................. 5-33 5.6 Creating a RAID driver disk ....................................................... 5-42
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-1 If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer , browse the contents of the support CD to locate the îÂÂle ASSETUP .EXE from the BIN folder . Double-click the ASSETUP .EXE to run the CD. Click an item to install 5.1 Installing an operating system This motherboard supports Windows î 2000/XP/64-bit XP/Vista/64-bit V ista operating systems (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates to maximize the features of your hardware. 5.2 Support CD information The support CD 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 CD Place the support CD to the optical drive. The CD 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 î 2000 Service Pack 4 or the Windows î XP Service Pack2 or later versions before installing the drivers for better compatibility and system stability . The contents of the support CD are subject to change at any time without notice. Visit the ASUS website(www.asus.com) for updates. Click an icon to display support CD/motherboard information
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 Installs all of the drivers through the Installation Wizard. NVIDIA nForce Chipset Driver Installs the NVIDIA î Chipset drivers for the NVIDIA î nForce î 500 SLI chipset. C-Media CM6501 Audio Driver Installs the C-Media CM6501 audio driver and application. AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet Driver Installs the AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! driver and application. ASUS AI Remote Installs the ASUS AI Remote driver and application. USB 2.0 Driver Installs the Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB 2.0) driver .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-3 5.2.3 Utilities menu The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports. ASUS InstAll-Installation Wizard for Utilities Installs all of the utilities through the Installation Wizard. 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. ASUS Update Allows you to download the latest version of the BIOS from the ASUS website. Before using the ASUS Update, make sure that you have an Internet connection so you can connect to the ASUS website. ASUS AI Gear Installs the ASUS AI Gear . ASUS AI Nap Installs the ASUS AI Nap. ASUS AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet Utility Installs the AMD î Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! software. ASUS Accelerated Propeller Installs the ASUS Accelerated Propeller (ASAP).
5-4 Chapter 5: Software support ADOBE Acrobat Reader V7.0 Installs the Adobe î Acrobat î Reader that allows you to open, view , and print documents in Portable Document Format (PDF). Microsoft DirectX 9.0c Installs the Microsoft î DirectX 9.0 driver . The Microsoft DirectX î 9.0 is a multimedia technology that enhances computer graphics and sound. DirectX î 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. Symantec Norton Internet Security The anti-virus application detects and protects your computer from viruses that destroys data. WinDVD Copy5 T rial Installs the WinDVD Copy5 T rial version. Corel SnapîÂÂre Plus SE Installs the Corel SnapîÂÂre Plus SE software. Y ou can also install the following utilities from the ASUS Superb Software Library CD.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-5 5.2.4 Make Disk menu The Make Disk menu contains items to create the NVIDIA î nForce ⢠500-SLI SA T A RAID driver disk. NVIDIA 32/64bit 2000/XP/Vista SA T A RAID Driver Allows you to create an NVIDIA î Serial A T A RAID driver disk for a 32/64-bit 2000/ XP/Vista system.
5-6 Chapter 5: Software support 5.2.5 Manual menu The Manual menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals. Click an item to open the folder of the user manual. Most user manual îÂÂles are in Portable Document Format (PDF). Install the Adobe î Acrobat î Reader from the ASUS Superb Software Library CD before opening a user manual îÂÂle. 5.2.6 ASUS Contact information Click the Contact tab to display the ASUS contact information. Y ou can also îÂÂnd this information on the inside front cover of this user guide.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-7 5.2.7 Other information The icons on the top right corner of the screen give additional information on the motherboard and the contents of the support CD. Click an icon to display the speciîÂÂed information. Motherboard Info Displays the general speciîÂÂcations of the motherboard. Browse this CD Displays the support CD contents in graphical format.
5-8 Chapter 5: Software support T echnical support Form Displays the ASUS T echnical Support Request Form that you have to îÂÂll out when requesting technical support. Filelist Displays the contents of the support CD and a brief description of each in text format.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-9 5.3 Software information Most of the applications in the support CD have wizards that will conveniently guide you through the installation. View the online help or readme îÂÂle that came with the software application for more information. 5.3.1 ASUS MyLogo2 ⢠The ASUS MyLogo2 ⢠utility lets you customize the boot logo. The boot logo is the image that appears on screen during the Power-On-Self-T ests (POST). The ASUS MyLogo2 ⢠is automatically installed when you install the ASUS Update utility from the support CD. See section âÂÂ5.2.3 Utilities menuâ for details. T o launch the ASUS MyLogo2 ⢠: 1. Launch the ASUS Update utility . Refer to section âÂÂ4.1.1 ASUS Update utilityâ 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 îÂÂashing BIOS, then click Next . 4. Select Update BIOS from a îÂÂle from the drop down menu, then click Next . 5. When prompted, locate the new BIOS îÂÂle, then click Next . The ASUS MyLogo2 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 MyLogo2 ⢠, use the Award BIOS Flash utility to make a copy of your original BIOS îÂÂle, or obtain the latest BIOS version from the ASUS website. See section 4.1.4 Updating the BIOS. ⢠Make sure that the BIOS item Full Screen Logo is set to [Enabled] if you wish to use ASUS MyLogo2. See section 4.6.5 Boot Settings ConîÂÂguration . ⢠Y ou can create your own boot logo image in GIF , JPG, or BMP îÂÂle formats.
5-10 Chapter 5: Software support 9. When the screen returns to the ASUS Update utility , îÂÂash the original BIOS to load the new boot logo. 10. After îÂÂashing the BIOS, restart the computer to display the new boot logo during POST . 8. Adjust the boot image to your desired size by selecting a value on the Ratio box. 7. When the logo images appear on the right window pane, select an image to enlarge by clicking on it.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-1 1 5.3.2 Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠T echnology The motherboard supports the AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠T echnology that dynamically and automatically change the CPU speed, voltage, and amount of power depending on the task the CPU performs. Enabling Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠T echnology T o enable Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠T echnology: 1. T urn on the system and enter BIOS by pressing the <Del> key during the Power On Self-T ests (POST). 2. Go to Advanced > CPU ConîÂÂguration > AMD Cool âÂÂnâÂÂQuiet function and set it to [Enabled]. See section âÂÂ4.4 Advanced Menu.â 3. Save your changes and exit BIOS Setup. 4. Reboot your computer and set your Power Option Properties depending on your operating system. Windows î 2000/XP 1. From the Windows î 2000/XP operating system, click Start. Select Settings > Control Panel . 2. Make sure the Control Panel is set to Classic View . 3. Double-click the Display icon in the Control Panel then select the Screen Saver tab. 4. Click the Power button. The following dialogue box appears. 5. From the Power schemes combo list box, select Minimal Power Management . 6. Click OK to effect settings.
5-12 Chapter 5: Software support ⢠Make sure to install the AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠driver and application before using this feature. ⢠The AMD Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠technology feature works only with the AMD heatsink and fan assembly with monitor chip ⢠If you purchased a separate heatsink and fan package, use the ASUS Q-Fan technology feature to automatically adjust the CPU fan speed according to your system loading. Launching the Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠software The motherboard support CD includes the Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠software that enables you to view your systemâÂÂs real-time CPU Frequency and voltage. T o launch the Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠program: 1. If you are using Windows î 2000, click the Start button. Select Programs > ASUS > Cool & Quiet > Cool & Quiet . 2. If you are using Windows î XP , click the Start button. Select All Programs > ASUS > Cool & Quiet > Cool & Quiet . 3. The Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠technology screen appears and displays the current CPU Frequency and CPU V oltage. Make sure to install the Cool âÂÂnâ Quiet! ⢠software from the motherboard support CD. Refer to section 5.2.3 Utilities menu for details.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-13 5.3.3 C-Media CM6501 audio utility The C-Media Superior Quality Audio CODEC provides 8-channel audio capability through the C-Media 6501 sound conîÂÂguration software to deliver the ultimate audio experience on your computer . The software provides high quality audio synthesis/rendering, 3D sound positioning, and S/PDIF Out support. Follow the installation wizard to install the C-Media CM6501 Audio Driver from the support CD that came with the motherboard package. If the C-Media audio utility is correctly installed, you will îÂÂnd the CM6501 Sound ConîÂÂguration icon on the taskbar . From the taskbar , click on the C-Media icon to display the CM6501 Sound ConîÂÂguration Main Setting screen. ⢠Y ou must use 4-channel, 6-channel or 8-channel speakers for this setup. ⢠C-Media requires Microsoft î Windows î 2000/XP/Vista version. Make sure that one of these operating systems is installed before installing C-Media. Main Setting The Main Setting option allows you to conîÂÂgure your audio device settings and use 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter . Click to select channel conîÂÂgurations. Click for Advanced settings. Click to select S/PDIF Output. Click the drop- down menu for digital and analog options. Click to set the digital volume. Move the slider of each speaker to determine the volume. Click to reset the volume. Click to perform the speaker test. Click to stop the speaker test. Click to effect the settings and exit.
5-14 Chapter 5: Software support 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter Click to enable this function. Click to adjust the volume. Click to arrange the position of the virtual speakers. Click to reset the speaker positions. Click to effect the settings and exit. Mixer The Mixer option allows you to conîÂÂgure audio output/input (record) volume. Click the control tab and turn the volume button to adjust the output volume. Make adjustments to W ave, SW Synth, Microphone, CD Player , Line Lin, and Stereo Mix by clicking the control tabs and dragging the sliders up and down to get the desired volume levels. Click OK to effect the settings and exit.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-15 Effect The Effect option allows you to set your listening environment, adjust the equalizer , or select pre-programmed equalizer settings for your listening pleasure. Click the shortcut buttons or the drop-down menus for options on changing the acoustic environment. Y ou may manually adjust the equalizer or select a pre- deîÂÂned mode according to music genre. T o select an environment size, simply click the shortcut buttons. Click OK to effect the settings and exit. Information Click the Information tab to diplay information about the 3D audio engine, audio codec, audio driver version, audio controller , and DirectX version.
5-16 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.4 ASUS PC Probe II PC Probe II is a utility that monitors the computerâÂÂs 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. Refer to page 1-6 for the OS that supports this utility . Installing PC Probe II T o install PC Probe II on your computer: 1. Place the support CD 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 CD to locate the setup.exe îÂÂle from the ASUS PC Probe II folder . Double-click the setup.exe îÂÂle to start installation. 2. Click the Utilities tab, then click ASUS PC Probe II. 3. Follow the screen instructions to complete installation. Launching PC Probe II Y ou can launch the PC Probe II right after installation or anytime from the Windows î desktop. T o launch the PC Probe II from the Windows î 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 î 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 the utility conîÂÂguration. By 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
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-17 Button Function Opens the ConîÂÂguration window 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 Minimizes the application Closes the application Sensor alert When a system sensor detects a problem, the main window right handle turns red, as the illustrations below show . When displayed, the monitor panel for that sensor also turns red. Refer to the Monitor panels section for details. Preferences Y ou can customize the application using the Preference section in the main window . Click the box before each preference to activate or deactivate.
5-18 Chapter 5: Software support 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 another position from the list box. Click OK when îÂÂnished. 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 computerâÂÂs 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 using the ConîÂÂg window . Y ou cannot adjust the sensor threshold values in a small monitoring panel.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-19 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 Windowsî 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. Y ou can enlarge or reduce the browser size by dragging the bottom right corner of the browser . DMI browser Click to display the DMI (Desktop Management Interface) browser . This browser displays various desktop and system information. Click the plus sign ( ) before DMI Information to display the available information.
5-20 Chapter 5: Software support 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
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-21 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 . ConîÂÂguring PC Probe II Click to view and adjust the sensor threshold values. The ConîÂÂg window has two tabs: Sensor/Threshold and Preference. The Sensor/ Threshold tab enables you to activate the sensors or to adjust the sensor threshold values. The Preference tab allows you to customize sensor alerts, or change the temperature scale. Loads the default threshold values for each sensor Applies your changes Cancels or ignores your changes Lo ad s y ou r s av ed co nî gur at ion Saves your conîÂÂguration
5-22 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.5 ASUS AI Gear ASUS AI Gear provides four system performance options that allows you to select the best performance setting for your computing needs. This easy-to-use utility adjusts the processor frequency and vCore voltage to minimize system noise and power consumption. After installing AI Gear from the bundled support CD, you can launch AI Gear by double-clicking the AI Gear icon on your Windows OS taskbar . Shift the gear to the performance setting that you like. Maximum Performance Medium Performance High Performance Maximum Power Saving Refer to page 1-6 for the OS that supports this utility .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-23 5.3.6 ASUS AI Nap This feature allows you to minimize the power consumption of your computer whenever you are away . Enable this feature for minimum power consumption and a more quiet system operation. After installing AI Nap from the bundled support CD, you can launch the utility by double-clicking the AI Nap icon on the Windows OS taskbar . Click Y es on the conîÂÂrmation screen. T o exit AI Nap mode, press the system power or mouse button then click Y es on the conîÂÂrmation screen. ⢠T o switch the power button functions from AI Nap to shutting down, just right click the AI Nap icon on the OS taskbar and click Use power button. Unclick the item to switch the function back. ⢠Refer to page 1-6 for the OS that supports this utility .
5-24 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.7 AI Remote With the ASUS AI Remote, you can play , pause, or adjust the volume on any songs desired without leaving your sofa. Have AI Remote in your hand and do more with your PC at a distance away . Overview of the ASUS AI Remote 1. Power: T urns the computer on/off. 2. Full Screen: Puts the media application into full screen. 3. AI Gear: Changes modes for optimizing performance and quietness. 4. AI Nap: Snoozing system without terminating tasks into quietest state. 5. AP-1/2 T rigger: Initiates the pre-deîÂÂned applications. 6. AP Menu: Displays the application menu. 7. Media Control Zone: Controls the media application. 1. Power 5. AP-1/2 T rigger 2. Full Screen 6. AP Menu 4. AI Nap 3. AI Gear 7. Media Control Zone V olume Up Next Previous V olume Down Play/Pause
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-25 ASUS >>USB receiver USB receiver USB IR Receiver Y our motherboard will come bundled with a IR Receiver , simply connect the USB end to your PC USB ports under the LAN2 port and place the IR receiver end at a suitable place without hindrance. IR Receiver Software Installation Before enjoying the convenience the ASUS AI Remote brings you, you need to install the software after the infrared receiver installation. Simply click and install the îÂÂle ASUS AI Remote from Drivers menu of the Motherboard Support CD package for the îÂÂrst time, and it will launch automatically everytime you start up your PC. ⢠The valid IR function distance is 6m depending on the environment. Suggest you to aim at the IR receiver when using the ASUS AI Remote to ensure a smooth and successful operation. ⢠These two USB ports support USB wake-up capability . So when the computer is not turned on, removing USB devices such as the ASUS IR receiver from these two ports will start up the PC. ⢠Back I/O differs depending on the motherboards. ⢠Refer to page 1-6 for the OS that supports the ASUS AI Remote. USB Ports USB end Infrared end ASUS AI Remote
5-26 Chapter 5: Software support Activating HID-Compliant Devices Due to the limitation of the operating system, if you remove the IR receiver from the previous port and have it reinstall into the other USB port, the IR receiver will not function. T o activate the HID-compliant devices again, go to Device Manager / Power Manager and check the box of Allow this device to bring the computer out of standby . 1. Click Windows icon and choose Control Panel. 2. Double click System and Maintenance . 3. Click Device Manager . 4. Select HID-compliant device . 5. Check the box of Allow this device to wake the computer .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-27 ASUS AI Remote Settings After the installation of the ASUS AI Remote software, the utility screen will show up and allows you to conîÂÂgure the ASUS AI Remote settings. Set up the function keys following the instructions below . 1 1. Power On / Off Key Enable power key Click this box to enable this power button. Enable power on after power loss Click this box to restart the system after the AC power loss. Whenever the power cord of your PC is removed from the outlet or there is a power failure, your PC will auto-boot and shut down around few seconds to enable the Power On function of AI Remote after the power supply is back. Function switch Y ou can customize the Power key by switching the mode from Power off to Hibernate or Standby based on your preference. Setting this item to Hibernate allows you to lead your PC to the Windows S4 mode, which enables your PC to enter Hibernate faster and return to full power much more quickly . 2 3 ⢠Power On/Off button does not support MS-DOS Mode. ⢠Y ou have to check the box of Enable Power Key before using the ASUS AI Remote to turn on and off your PC or to have it hibernate or standby . Visit www .microsoft.com for details about Hibernate and Standby .
5-28 Chapter 5: Software support 3. Multimedia Keys ProîÂÂle There are nine default applications in the ProîÂÂle drop-down menu and îÂÂve sets of User DeîÂÂne . Default applications are Media Player , iTunes, PowerDVD, WinDVD, QuickTime, Real Player , DivX Player , WinAmp and Power Point. (Default applications in the ASUS AI Remote software may change without notice.) Path The software will help locate the executable (.exe) îÂÂle of the nine default applications. If the .exe îÂÂle is not located, click Browse to direct the correct path. The .exe îÂÂles of the User DeîÂÂne applications need to be located manually before you using the ASUS AI Remote. ⢠Save after the .exe îÂÂle path is directed. ⢠If the executable îÂÂle is relocated or the application is re-installed, you have to redirect the îÂÂle path for a correct ASUS AI Remote operation. 2. AP-1/2 Y ou are allowed to conîÂÂgure two sets of applications for AP-1 T rigger and AP-2 T rigger buttons. After the setup, you can easily launch the pre-deîÂÂned application by pressing the designated button. (1) Click the box before Use ProîÂÂle , and you are able to select a default application from the drop-down menu. (2) T o launch a non-default application, unclick the box before Use ProîÂÂle . (3) Click the Browse button and locate the executable (.exe) îÂÂle of the application you want to launch by pressing the AP-1 button. (4) Follow the same instructions to conîÂÂgure the AP-2 button. (5) Click Save to save the conîÂÂguration.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-29 Select File After selecting the correct path, you should select the correct executable îÂÂle (.exe) of the application for launching the application. If the executable îÂÂle is located by the software successfully or you have already set up correctly in advance, this screen will show up directly when the application is chosen. After selecting a desired îÂÂle, folder or CD-ROM, use / to choose Back / OK / Cancel and then press to conîÂÂrm. AP Menu Button and Application menu Navigate with the media control zone. Select Application Path If the software fails to locate the executable îÂÂle of the applicaton at the îÂÂrst-time use, the Select Application Path screen will appear . Specify the correct path on screen. ⢠For music listening, making playlists beforehand is suggested. ⢠Press again to close the application and again to re-launch the proîÂÂle menu . Select Application Profile After you press (AP Menu) on the remote control, an application proîÂÂle will be displayed on the screen. Use the remote control to navigate and initiate a desired application. upward leftward enter rightward downward
5-30 Chapter 5: Software support DeîÂÂne Hotkeys for Application If you want to use the Media Control Zone to control non-default applications, such as ACDSee, you can select User DeîÂÂne from the drop-down menu and rename it by pressing Rename . The ASUS AI Remote software has correctly set up nine popular applications and deîÂÂned the funtion buttons for your convenient operation. User Define After clicking the box before Use Hotkeys for Application , you are free to deîÂÂne the hotkeys of the User DeîÂÂne applications. Select User DeîÂÂne 1~5 from the ProîÂÂle drop-down menu for hotkeys deîÂÂnition. Press Save to save the new setup or press the Default button to clear ALL personalized setups and restore to the original deîÂÂnitions. ⢠The remote control buttons will function only when the deîÂÂnitions of the application hotkeys are correct. ⢠The hotkey deîÂÂnitions may vary with different software versions. Click the box of RedeîÂÂne default hotkeys to give new correct deîÂÂnitions if needed. Press Save button to save the redeîÂÂnitions or press Reset button to restore to the default hotkeys deîÂÂnition. ⢠After the initial setup, you will îÂÂnd an ASUS AI Remote icon on the Windows OS taskbar . Click the icon and select Settings to launch the utility screen.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-31 Media Player iT unes PowerDVD WinDVD QuickTime Full Screen v v v v v v v v/x v v v v v v v - v v v v v v v v v x v v v v x *NOTE only play , no pause Real Player DivX Player WinAmp Power Point User Defne Full Screen v v x v v v v/x Full Screen v x v B - v x v ESC v x v Page Down v x v Page Up *NOTE only play , no pause The Function Buttons and AP ProîÂÂle The ASUS AI Remote software helps you set up the correspondence between the function buttons on the remote to the function hotkeys of nine popular applications in advance and leaves îÂÂve sets for User DeîÂÂne. If you îÂÂnd the 9 default applications insufîÂÂcient and would like to add different applications, you are able to rename the 5 sets User DeîÂÂne and create your preferred applications and favorable setups.
5-32 Chapter 5: Software support 5.4 Windows î Vista feature 5.4.1 ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) This motherboard is equipped with the ASUS Accelerated Propeller (ASAP) feature. ASAP supports the Windows î ReadyBoost ⢠technology that improves system performance under Windows î Vista. Refer to page 1-6 for the OS that supports ASAP . Before activating ASAP , install the ASAP utility from the bundled support CD. ⢠When you see the existing partition for ASAP , we advise you not to delete this partition that supports the ReadyBoost ⢠function. If you delete this partition by accident, you may recreate it by: Clicking Start from the Windows î Vista desktop. Right-click on Computer and select Manage. Click Disk Management and right-click on the ASAP drive. Select Format > OK. OR Going to Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative T ools > Computer Management > Disk Managemen t. Right-click on the ASAP drive, and select Format > OK. ⢠If you accidentally remove the ASAP device from Windows î Vista, you may re-activate it by rebooting your computer . ⢠If you want to reinstall an operating system, uninstall the ASAP utility îÂÂrst. T o activate ASAP: 1. From the Windows î Vista desktop, click Start > Computer . 2. Right-click on the USB Removable Storage device (ASAP), and select Properties . 3. Click the ReadyBoost tab. A dialog box appears. 4. Check Use this device , and then move the slider to determine the amount of space researved for ReadyBoost ⢠cache. 5. Click OK to effect the settings.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-33 5.5 RAID conî¿gurations The motherboard comes with the NVIDIA î SLI Southbridge RAID controllers that allow you to conîÂÂgure IDE and Serial A T A hard disk drives as RAID sets. The motherboard supports the following RAID conîÂÂgurations. RAID 0 (Data striping) optimizes two identical hard disk drives to read and write data 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 the other drive. This RAID conîÂÂguration provides data protection and increases fault tolerance to the entire system. Use two new drives or use an existing drive and a new drive for this setup. The new drive must be of the same size or larger than the existing drive. RAID 0 1 is data striping and data mirroring combined without parity (redundancy data) having to be calculated and written. With the RAID 0 1 conîÂÂguration you get all the beneîÂÂts of both RAID 0 and RAID 1 conîÂÂgurations. Use four new hard disk 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. Among the advantages of RAID 5 conîÂÂguration include better HDD performance, fault tolerance, and higher storage capacity . The RAID 5 conîÂÂguration is best suited for transaction processing, relational database applications, enterprise resource planning, and other business systems. Use a minimum of three identical hard disk drives for this setup. RAID 1 0 is a striped conîÂÂguration with each stripe a RAID 1 array of drives. It combines the features of both RAID 1 and RAID 0. Fault tolerance is provided through mirroring while adding performance through striping . This of fers higher performance than a RAID 1 conîÂÂguration but at a much higher cost. A minimum of four hard disk drives is required for this setup. JBOD (Spanning) stands for Just a Bunch of Disks and refers to hard disk drives that are not yet conîÂÂgured as a RAID set. This conîÂÂguration stores the same data 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 and does not provide fault tolerance or other RAID performance beneîÂÂts.
5-34 Chapter 5: Software support 5.5.1 Installing 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 . Installing Parallel A T A hard disks T o install IDE hard disks for a RAID conîÂÂguration: 1. Set the jumpers of each hard disk as Master/Master or Slave/Slave. 2. Install the hard disks into the drive bays. 3. Connect the HDD signal cables. 4. Connect a 4-pin power cable to the power connector on each drive. Installing Serial A T A (SA T A) hard disks T o install the SA T A hard disks for a RAID conîÂÂguration: 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 . If you want to boot the system from a hard disk drive included in a RAID set, copy îÂÂrst the RAID driver from the support CD to a îÂÂoppy disk before you install an operating system to a selected hard disk drive. Refer to section 5.6 Creating a RAID driver disk for details. Refer to the RAID controllers user manual in the motherboard support CD for detailed information on RAID conîÂÂgurations. See section 5.2.5 Manual menu .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-35 5.5.2 NVIDIA î RAID conîÂÂgurations The motherboard includes a high performance IDE RAID controller integrated in the NVIDIA î SLI southbridge chipset. It supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0 1, and JBOD with four independent Serial A T A channels. Setting the BIOS RAID items After installing the hard disk drives, make sure to set the necessary RAID items in the BIOS before setting your RAID conîÂÂguration. 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. From the Advanced > Onboard Devices ConîÂÂguration > NVRAID ConîÂÂguration menu item in the BIOS set the RAID Enabled item to Enabled. The succeeding items become user-conîÂÂgurable. 3. Select and enable the IDE or SA T A drive(s) that you want to conîÂÂgure as RAID. See section âÂÂ5.4.3 Onboard Devices ConîÂÂgurationâ for details. 4. Save your changes and Exit Setup. ⢠For detailed descriptions on the NVIDIA î RAID conîÂÂguration, refer to the âÂÂNVIDIA î RAID UserâÂÂs Guideâ found in your motherboard support CD. ⢠When using Windows 2000 operating system, make sure to install the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 or later versions.
5-36 Chapter 5: Software support Entering the NVIDIA î RAID utility T o enter the NVIDIA î 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 [ âÂÂâ ] 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 - Deî¿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 [ â ] Add 2.0.M XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 2.1.M XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX [ â ] Del Creating a RAID V olume T o create a RAID volume: 1. From the NVIDIA î RAID utility DeîÂÂne a New Array menu, select RAID Mode 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
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-37 TIP: For server systems, we recommend using a lower array block size. For multimedia computer systems used mainly for audio and video editing, we recommend a higher array block size for optimum performance. 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 select the stripe size for your RAID 0 array then press <Enter>.The available 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 â 16K 32K 64K 128K Optim âÂÂ
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 [ âÂÂâ ]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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 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 <F7>. The following conîÂÂrmation message appears. [ âÂÂâ ] 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.
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. 2. Press <D> to delete a RAID array . The following conîÂÂrmation message appears. Delete this array? [Y] YES [N] No 4. If you selected Y es, the DeîÂÂne a New Array menu appears. 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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 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. 2. Press <C> to clear disk. The following conîÂÂrmation message appears. 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 5.6 Creating a RAID driver disk A îÂÂoppy disk with the RAID driver is required when installing Windows î 2000/XP/ Vista operating system on a hard disk drive that is included in a RAID set. T o create a RAID driver disk: 1. Place the motherboard support CD into the CD-ROM drive. 2. Select Make Disk tab. 3. From the Make Disk menu, select the RAID driver disk you want to create or browse the contents of the support CD to locate the driver disk utility . Refer to section 5.2.4 Make Disk menu for details. 4. Insert îÂÂoppy disk to îÂÂoppy disk drive. 5. Follow succeeding screen information to complete process. 6. Write-protect the îÂÂoppy disk to avoid computer virus infection. T o install the RAID driver: 1. During the OS installation, the system prompts you to press the F6 key to install third-party SCSI or RAID driver . 2. Press <F6> then insert the îÂÂoppy disk with RAID driver into the îÂÂoppy disk drive. 3. Follow the succeeding screen instructions to complete the installation. Due to chipset limitation, the Serial A T A ports supported by the NVIDIA chipset doesnâÂÂt support Serial Optical Disk Drives (Serial ODD) under DOS.
6 This chapter tells how to install SLI-ready PCI Express graphics cards. NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology support
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 6.1 Overview ....................................................................................... 6-1 6.2 Dual graphics cards setup .......................................................... 6-2
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 6-1 6.1 Overview The motherboar d supports the NVIDIA î SLI ⢠(Scalable Lin k Interface)-Int el î Edition technology that allows you t o install two identical PCI E xpress ⢠x16 graphics cards. Follow the installation procedures in this section. Requirements ⢠Y ou should have two identical SLI-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA î certiîÂÂed. ⢠Make sure that your graphics card driver supports the NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology . Download the latest driver from the NVIDIA website (www .nvidia. com). ⢠Make sure that your power supply unit (PSU) can provide at least the minimum power required by your system. See âÂÂ9. A TX power connectorsâ on page 2-28 for details. ⢠The NVIDIA SLI technology supports Windows î XP ⢠32-bit/64bit operating system. Visit the NVIDIA website (www.nvidia.com) for the NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology under Windows î Vista ⢠⢠Visit the NVIDIA zone website (http://www .nzone.com) for the latest certiîÂÂed graphics card and supported 3D application list.
6-2 Chapter 6: NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology support 6.2 Dual graphics card setup 6.2.1 Installing SLI-ready graphics cards Install only identical SLI-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA î -certiîÂÂed. Different types of graphics cards will not work together properly . T o install the graphics cards: 1. Prepare two graphics cards. Each graphics card should have goldîÂÂngers for the SLI connector . 2. Remove the metal bracket covers opposite the two PCI Express x16 slots. GoldîÂÂngers
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 6-3 4. Insert the second graphics card into the other slot. Make sure that the card is properly seated on the slot. If required, connect an auxiliary power source to the PCI Express graphics cards. 3. Insert one graphics card into either the blue or black slot. Make sure that the card is properly seated on the slot.
6-4 Chapter 6: NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology support 7. Connect a VGA cable or a DVI-I cable to the graphics card/s. We recommend to install an additional chassis fan for better thermal environment. 5. Align and insert the SLI connector to the goldîÂÂngers on each graphics card. Make sure that the connector is îÂÂrmly in place. 6. When installing two VGA cards using a 20-pin A TX PSU with sufîÂÂcient 12v capability , we recommend that you connect the auxillary power source from the power supply to the graphics card. Refer to the PSU documentation for dual VGA power requirements. SLI connector
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 6-5 NVIDIA Settings icon T o enable the multi-GPU feature: 1. Click the NVIDIA Settings icon on your Windows taskbar . 2. From the pop-up menu, select nView Desktop Manager then click nView Properties . 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). 6.2.2 Installing the device drivers Refer to the documentation that came with your graphics card package to install the device drivers. 6.2.3 Enabling the multi-GPU feature in Windows î After installing your graphics cards and the device drivers, enable the Multi-Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) feature in the NVIDIA nView properties. 3. From the nView Desktop Manager window , select the Desktop Management tab. 4. Click Properties to display the Display Properties dialog box.
6-6 Chapter 6: NVIDIA î SLI ⢠technology support 5. From the Display Properties dialog box, select the Settings tab then click Advanced . 6. Select the NVIDIA GeForce tab. 7. Click the slider to display the following screen, then select the SLI multi-GPU item. 8. Click the Enable SLI multi-GPU check box. 9. Click OK when done. Slider