Asus A85XM A Motherboard A85XMA User Manual

A85XM-A  
Contents  
Chapter 1:  
Chapter 2:  
iii  
iv  
v
Safety information  
Electrical safety  
To 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 adapter or extension cord. These devices  
could interrupt the grounding circuit.  
Ensure 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 fix it by yourself. Contact a qualified service  
technician or your retailer.  
Operation safety  
Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully read all the manuals  
that came with the package.  
Before using the product, ensure all cables are correctly connected and the power  
cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage, contact your dealer immediately.  
To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from connectors,  
slots, sockets 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 qualified service  
technician or your retailer.  
vi  
 
About this guide  
This user guide contains the information you need when installing and configuring 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: BIOS information  
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus.  
Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.  
Where to find more information  
Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and software  
updates.  
1.  
2.  
ASUS websites  
The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware and software  
products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.  
Optional documentation  
Your product package may include optional documentation, such as warranty flyers,  
that may have been added by your dealer. These documents are not part of the  
standard package.  
vii  
 
Conventions used in this guide  
To ensure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the following symbols used  
throughout this manual.  
DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying to  
complete a task.  
CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components when trying to  
complete a task  
IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a task..  
NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a task.  
Typography  
Bold text  
Italics  
Indicates a menu or an item to select.  
Used to emphasize a word or a phrase.  
<Key>  
Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-than sign  
means that you must press the enclosed key.  
Example: <Enter> means that you must press the Enter or  
Return key.  
<Key1> + <Key2> + <Key3> If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key  
names are linked with a plus sign (+).  
viii  
A85XM-A specifications summary  
APU  
AMD® FM2 socket for AMD® A-Series / Athlon™ processors  
Supports CPU up to 4 cores  
Microsoft® DirectX 11 support  
AMD® Turbo Core Technology 3.0 support  
The AMD® Turbo Core Technology 3.0 support depends on the APU types.  
Refer to www.asus.com for the AMD® APU support list.  
Chipset  
Memory  
AMD® A85X FCH (Hudson D4)  
2 x 240-pin DIMM slots support maximum 32GB unbuffered non-ECC  
DDR3 1866/1600/1333/1066MHz memory modules  
Dual-channel memory architecture  
The maximum 32GB memory capacity can be supported with 16GB or above  
DIMMs. ASUS will update the memory QVL once the DIMMs are available in the  
market.  
When you install a total memory of 4GB capacity or more, Windows® 32-bit  
operation system may only recognize less than 3GB. We recommend a  
maximum of 3GB system memory if you are using a Windows® 32-bit operating  
system.  
Graphics  
Integrated AMD Radeon™ HD 7000 Series Graphics in A-Series APU  
Multi-VGA output support: HDMI, DVI, D-Sub ports  
-
-
-
-
-
-
Supports HDMI with max. resolution of 1920x1080@60Hz  
Supports Dual-link DVI with max. resolution of 2560x1600@60Hz  
Supports D-Sub with max. resolution of 1920x1600@60Hz  
Supports Microsoft® DirectX 11  
Maximum shared memory of 2G  
Supports AMD® Dual Graphics technology  
dual-graphics.aspx#3 for the discrete GPUs that support Dual Graphics  
technology.  
Expansion slots  
Storage  
1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot  
1 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slot  
1 x PCI slot  
AMD® A85X FCH:  
-
8 x Serial ATA 6 Gb/s connectors with RAID 0, RAID 1,RAID 5,RAID  
10 and JBOD support  
Realtek® 8111F PCIe Gigabit LAN controller  
LAN  
Audio  
Realtek® ALC887 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC  
Use a chassis with HD audio module in the front panel to support an 8-channel  
audio output.  
USB  
AMD® A85X FCH:  
-
4 x USB 3.0 ports  
board)  
6 x USB 2.0 ports (2 ports at the back panel, 4 ports at mid-board)  
*
(2 ports at the back panel [blue], 2 ports at mid-  
-
* Supports ASUS USB 3.0 Boost.  
(continued on the next page)  
ix  
 
A85XM-A specifications summary  
ASUS unique features  
ASUS DIGI+ VRM:  
-
DIGI+ Power Design: Industry leading digital 3+2 phase power  
design for APU  
-
APU Power Utility  
ASUS EPU  
EPU  
-
ASUS Exclusive Features  
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
ASUS USB 3.0 Boost  
ASUS Network iControl*  
ASUS AI Charger  
ASUS Disk Unlocker  
ASUS AI Suite II  
ASUS Anti Surge  
ASUS ESD  
100% All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors  
ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution  
ASUS Fan Xpert  
-
ASUS EZ DIY  
-
-
-
-
ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode featuring friendly graphics user interface  
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3  
ASUS EZ Flash 2  
ASUS My Logo 2  
*
ASUS Network iControl feature is not supported on Windows® XP/Vista  
operating systems.  
Back panel I/O ports  
1 x PS/2 keyboard port  
1 x PS/2 mouse port  
1 x HDMI port  
1 x DVI port  
1 x D-Sub output port  
1 x LAN (RJ-45) port  
2 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports  
2 x USB 3.0 ports (blue)  
8-channel audio I/O ports (3 jacks)  
1 x USB 3.0 connector supports additional 2 USB 3.0 ports (19-pin)  
2 x USB 2.0 connectors support additional 4 USB 2.0 ports  
8 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors  
1 x CPU fan connector (4-pin)  
1 x Chassis fan connector (3-pin)  
1 x Front panel audio connector  
1 x S/PDIF Out connector  
Internal I/O  
connectors  
1 x Speaker header  
1 x System panel connector  
1 x 24-pin EATX power connector  
1 x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector  
(continued on the next page)  
x
A85XM-A specifications summary  
BIOS features  
64 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI 2.0, WfM 2.0, SM  
BIOS 2.7, ACPI 2.0a, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash 2, ASUS  
CrashFreen BIOS 3, F12 Printscreen function, F3 Shortcut function and  
ASUS DRAM SPD (Serial Presence Detect) memory information  
Support DVD  
Drivers  
ASUS utilities  
ASUS Update  
Anti-virus software (OEM version)  
Form factor  
MicroATX form factor: 9.3 in x 7.4 in (23.6 cm x 18.8 cm)  
Specifications are subject to change without notice.  
xi  
Package contents  
Check your motherboard package for the following items.  
18.8cm(7.4in)  
CPU_FAN CHA_FAN  
KBMS  
DIGI  
+VRM  
ATX12V  
HDMI  
USB3_12  
LAN_USB12  
AUDIO  
A85XM-A  
PCIEX16  
RTL  
8111F  
AMD®  
BATTERY  
PCIEX1_1  
SATA6G_5 SATA6G_6  
A85X  
SATA6G_3 SATA6G_4  
Super  
I/O  
PCI1  
SB_PWR  
ALC  
887  
USBPWF  
USB56  
64Mb  
BIOS  
SPDIF_OUT  
USB3_34  
USB34  
SATA6G_1 SATA6G_2  
SPEAKER  
CLRTC  
AAFP  
F_PANEL  
ASUS A85XM-A motherboard  
2 x Serial ATA 6 Gb/s cables  
User Guide  
1 x I/O-Shield  
User Guide  
Support DVD  
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.  
The illustrations above are for reference only. Actual product specifications may vary  
with different models.  
xii  
 
Product introduction  
1
1.1  
Special features  
Product highlights  
1.1.1  
AMD® A-series and Athlon™ processors  
This motherboard supports AMD® A-series and Athlon™ processors. This revolutionary  
APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) combines processing power and advanced DirectX 11  
graphics in one small, energy-efficient design to enable accelerated performance and an  
industry-leading visual experience. It features Dual-channel DDR3 memory support and  
accelerates data transfer rate up to 5GT/s.  
AMD® A85X FCH (Hudson D4) chipset  
AMD® A85X FCH (Hudson D4) is designed to support up to 5GT/s interface speed and AMD®  
CrossFireX™ multi-GPU technology. It also supports 8 x SATA 6.0Gb/s ports and 4 x USB  
3.0 ports.  
Complete USB 3.0 integration  
This motherboard offers you the strategic USB 3.0 accessibility for both the front and rear  
panels, allowing you to experience the convenience of the latest plug and play connectivity  
solution at speed up to ten times faster than USB 2.0.  
USB 3.0 Boost  
With USB 3.0 Boost technology, USB transfer speeds are significantly increased up to  
132%, enhancing an already impressive USB 3.0 transfer rate. ASUS software automatically  
accelerates data speeds for compatible USB 3.0 peripherals without the need for any user  
configuration.  
Native SATA 6.0 Gb/s support  
With AMD® A85X FCH natively support for the next-generation Serial ATA (SATA) storage  
interface, this motherboard delivers up to 6.0 Gb/s data transfer rates. It also provides  
enhanced scalability, faster data retrieval, double the bandwidth of current bus systems.  
100% All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors  
This motherboard uses all high-quality conductive polymer capacitors for durability, improved  
lifespan, and enhanced thermal capacity.  
1-1  
ASUS A85XM-A  
 
1.1.2  
ASUS DIGI+ VRM  
DIGI+ Power Control: Digital Power Design for the APU*  
ASUS motherboards using the AMD® A85X chipset employ precise digital voltage regulation  
for the APU, called DIGI+ VRM (Voltage Regulation Modules) digital power design. The APU  
voltage is adjusted via either carefully developed automated modes, or by using user-defined  
profiles. The effect is that DIGI+ VRM technology ensures greater energy efficiency and the  
most precise power delivery. Boosted by world-renowned ASUS quality, it creates an ideal  
computing platform for a diverse range of applications, from gaming to multimedia or office  
work and heavy multitasking. Engineered and tested to assure unmitigated performance,  
ASUS A85X boards with DIGI+ VRM remain efficient and accurate, for reliable application in  
every scenario.  
* DIGI+ VRM functions are also available in FM2 socket compatible CPUs.  
1.1.3  
ASUS Exclusive Features  
Network iControl  
Network iControl is an intuitive one-step network control center that makes it easier for you to  
manage your bandwidth and allows you to set, monitor, and schedule the bandwidth priorities  
for your network programs. It allows you to automatically connect to a PPPoE network for a  
more convenient online experience.  
*
ASUS Network iControl feature is not supported on Windows® XP/Vista operating systems.  
Ai Charger  
Ai Charger is ASUS fast-charging software that supports iPod, iPhone, and iPad.  
*
Check your USB mobile device if it fully supports the BC 1.1 function.  
** The actual charging speed may vary with your USB device’s conditions.  
***Ai Charger is only supported when you set the USB device wake-up jumpers to +5VSB. See  
section 1.7 Jumpers for details.  
ASUS UEFI BIOS (EZ Mode)  
ASUS UEFI BIOS, a UEFI compliant architecture, offers the first mouse-controlled intuitive  
graphical BIOS interface that goes beyond the traditional keyboard-only BIOS controls,  
providing you with more flexibility, convenience, and easy to navigate EFI BIOS than the  
traditional BIOS versions. It offers you with dual selectable modes and native support for hard  
drives larger than 2.2 TB.  
ASUS UEFI BIOS includes the following new features:  
F12 BIOS snapshot hotkey  
F3 Shortcut for most accessed information  
ASUS DRAM SPD (Serial Presence Detect) information detecting faulty DIMMs, and  
helping with difficult POST situations.  
EPU  
EPU (Energy Processing Unit), the world’s first real-time system power-saving chip,  
automatically detects the current system load and intelligently moderates power usage.  
It offers a total system-wide energy optimization, reduces fan noise, and extends the  
component’s lifespan.  
1-2  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
ASUS Anti-Surge Protection  
This special design protects expensive devices and the motherboard from damage caused  
by power surges from switching power supply unit (PSU).  
AI Suite II  
With its user interface, ASUS AI Suite II integrates several ASUS utilities and allows you to  
launch and operate these utilities simultaneously. It allows you to configure the overclocking  
settings, adjust the frequencies and related voltages, remotely control the system via a  
mobile device, and other easy-to-use helpful utilities.  
ASUS Fan Xpert  
ASUS Fan Xpert intelligently allows you to adjust the CPU fan speed based on different  
ambient temperatures, resulting to a quiet and cool computing environment.  
ESD  
Protect your computer with ESD Guards. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) conditions can  
happen while plugging or unplugging any USB peripherals-causing damage to the computer.  
ASUS ESD Guards clamp the ESD voltage and shunt the majority of the ESD current away  
for a more reliable computing environment.  
ASUS EZ Flash 2  
ASUS EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly utility that allows you to update the BIOS without using a  
bootable floppy disk or an OS-based utility.  
ASUS MyLogo2™  
Turn your favorite photos into 256-color boot logos to personalize your system.  
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3  
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows you to restore a corrupted BIOS file from a USB storage  
device that contains the BIOS file.  
C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)  
The BIOS C.P.R. feature automatically restores the CPU default settings when the system  
hangs due to overclocking failure. C.P.R. eliminates the need to open the system chassis and  
clear the RTC data. Simply shut down and reboot the system, and the BIOS automatically  
restores the CPU parameters to their default settings.  
ErP ready  
The motherboard is European Union´s Energy-related Products (ErP) ready, and ErP  
requires products to meet certain energy efficiency requirements in regards to energy  
consumptions. This is in line with ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and energy-  
efficient products through product design and innovation to reduce carbon footprint of the  
product and thus mitigate environmental impacts.  
1-3  
ASUS A85XM-A  
1.2  
Before you proceed  
Take 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.  
Before handling components, use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded  
object or a metal object, such as the power supply case, to avoid damaging them due  
to static electricity.  
Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.  
Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic pad or in the  
bag that came with the component.  
Before you install or remove any component, switch off the ATX power supply and  
detach its power cord. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the motherboard,  
peripherals, or components.  
Standby Power LED  
The motherboard comes with a standby power LED that lights up to indicate that the system  
is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode. This is a reminder that you should shut down  
the system and unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard  
component. The illustration below shows the location of the onboard LED.  
SB_PWR  
A85XM-A  
ON  
OFF  
Standby Power Powered Off  
A85XM-A Onboard LED  
1-4  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
1.3  
Motherboard overview  
Placement direction  
1.3.1  
When installing the motherboard, ensure 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.  
1.3.2  
Screw holes  
Place six screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis.  
DO NOT overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard.  
Place this side towards  
the rear of the chassis.  
A85XM-A  
1-5  
ASUS A85XM-A  
 
1.3.3  
Motherboard layout  
1
2
3
4
5
18.8cm(7.4in)  
CPU_FAN CHA_FAN  
KBMS  
DIGI  
+VRM  
ATX12V  
HDMI  
2
USB3_12  
LAN_USB12  
AUDIO  
A85XM-A  
PCIEX16  
RTL  
8111F  
AMD®  
A85X  
BATTERY  
PCIEX1_1  
SATA6G_5 SATA6G_6  
SATA6G_3 SATA6G_4  
Super  
I/O  
6
7
PCI1  
SB_PWR  
ALC  
887  
USBPWF  
64Mb  
BIOS  
SPDIF_OUT  
USB3_34  
USB56  
USB34  
SATA6G_1 SATA6G_2  
CLRTC  
SPEAKER  
AAFP  
F_PANEL  
15  
14 13 12 11  
10  
9
8
1-6  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
1.3.4  
Layout contents  
Connectors/Jumpers/Slots/LED  
Page  
1-20  
1-24  
1-7  
1. Keyboard wake-up (3-pin KB_USBPWB)  
2. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V)  
3. AMD FM2 socket  
4. CPU and chassis fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN, and 3-pin CHA_FAN)  
5. DDR3 DIMM slots  
1-23  
1-11  
1-25  
1-26  
1-26  
1-19  
1-28  
1-20  
1-28  
1-27  
1-27  
1-4  
6. SATA 6 Gb/s connectors (7-pin SATA6G_1~8)  
7. System panel connector (10-1 pin F_PANEL)  
8. Speaker connector (4-pin SPEAKER)  
9. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC)  
10. USB 2.0 connectors (10-1 pin USB34, USB56)  
11. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPWF)  
12. USB 3.0 connector (20-1 pin USB3_34)  
13. Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT)  
14. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP)  
15. Standby power LED (SB_PWR)  
1.4  
Accelerated Processing Unit (APU)  
This motherboard comes with an FM2 socket designed for AMD® A-series and Athlon™  
processors.  
Ensure that you use an APU designed for the FM2 socket. The APU fits in only one  
correct orientation. DO NOT force the APU into the socket to prevent bending the pins and  
damaging the APU!  
A85XM-A  
A85XM-A CPU socket FM2  
1-7  
ASUS A85XM-A