Asus A88XM A Motherboard A88XMPLUSCSM User Manual

A88XM-A  
Contents  
iii  
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 components, 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 be exposed to moisture.  
Place the product on a stable surface.  
If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualified service  
technician or your retailer.  
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. It includes descriptions of the switches, jumpers, and connectors on the  
motherboard.  
Chapter 2: BIOS information  
This chapter discusses changing system settings through the BIOS Setup menus.  
Detailed descriptions fo the BIOS parameters are also provided.  
iv  
 
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.  
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  
completing a task.  
CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components when  
completing 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 (+).  
v
Package contents  
Check your motherboard package for the following items.  
Motherboard  
Cables  
ASUS A88XM-A motherboard  
2 x Serial ATA 6.0 Gb/s cables  
1 x I/O Shield  
Accessories  
Application DVD  
Documentation  
Support DVD  
User Guide  
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.  
A88XM-A specifications summary  
APU  
AMD® FM2+ socket for AMD® A-Series / Athlon™ processors  
Supports CPU up to 4 cores  
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® A88X FCH  
4 x 240-pin DIMM slots support maximum 64GB unbuffered non-ECC  
DDR3 2133(O.C.)/1866/1600/1333/1066 MHz memory modules  
Dual-channel memory architecture  
The maximum 64GB 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 8000/7000 Series Graphics in A-Series APU  
Multi-VGA output support: HDMI, DVI, D-Sub ports  
-
-
-
-
-
Supports HDMI with max. resolution of 1920x1200@60Hz  
Supports Dual-link DVI with max. resolution of 2560x1600@60Hz  
Supports D-Sub with max. resolution of 1920x1600@60Hz  
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  
1 x PCI Express 3.0/2.0 x16 slot*  
1 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slot  
1 x PCI slot  
* Only FM2+ processors can support PCIe 3.0.  
(continued on the next page)  
vi  
 
A88XM-A specifications summary  
Storage  
AMD® A88X FCH:  
6 x Serial ATA 6 Gb/s connectors with RAID 0, RAID 1,RAID 5,RAID  
10 and JBOD support  
-
Realtek® 8111G PCIe Gigabit LAN controller  
LAN  
Audio  
Realtek® ALC887-VD 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® A88X 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  
ASUS unique features  
ASUS 5X Protection  
-
ASUS motherboards safeguard your PC with 5X Protection:  
DIGI+VRM, DRAM Fuse, ESD Guards, High-Quality 5K-Hour Solid  
Capacitors, and Stainless Steel Back I/O to ensure the best quality,  
reliability, and durability.  
ASUS DIGI+ VRM  
-
DIGI+ Power Design: Industry leading digital 3+2 phase power  
design for APU  
ASUS DRAM Fuse  
-
Enhanced DRAM overcurrent protection and short circui damage  
prevention  
ASUS ESD Guard  
Strong ESD Protection for extended component lifespan  
-
ASUS High-Quality 5K-Hour Solid Capacitors  
- 2.5x Long Lifespan with excellent durability  
ASUS Stainless Steel Back I/O  
- 3x More durable corrosion-resistant coating  
ASUS Exclusive Features  
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
ASUS EPU  
ASUS USB 3.0 Boost  
ASUS Network iControl*  
ASUS AI Charger  
ASUS Disk Unlocker  
ASUS AI Suite 3  
ASUS Anti Surge  
ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode featuring friendly graphics user interface  
ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution  
-
-
ASUS Fan Xpert  
Stylish Fanless Design Heat-sink solution  
ASUS EZ DIY  
-
-
-
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.  
(continued on the next page)  
vii  
A88XM-A specifications summary  
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  
6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors  
1 x System panel connector  
1 x Internal Speaker connector  
1 x CPU fan connector (4-pin)  
1 x S/PDIF Out connector  
Internal I/O  
connectors  
1 x Chassis fan connector (4-pin)  
1 x High-definition front panel audio connector  
1 x COM header  
1 x 24-pin EATX power connector  
1 x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector  
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  
Operating System  
Support DVD  
Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit, Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit, Windows® Vista / Vista  
64-bit, Windows® XP  
Drivers  
ASUS utilities  
ASUS Update  
Anti-virus software (OEM version)  
Form factor  
MicroATX form factor: 9.3 in x 8.2 in (23.6 cm x 20.8 cm)  
Specifications are subject to change without notice.  
viii  
Product introduction  
1
1.1  
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, ensure that the ATX power supply is  
switched off or the power cord is detached from the power supply. Failure to do so  
may cause severe damage to the motherboard, peripherals, or components.  
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  
A88XM-A  
ON  
OFF  
Standby Power Powered Off  
A88XM-A Onboard LED  
1-1  
ASUS A88XM-A  
 
1.2  
Motherboard overview  
Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the  
motherboard fits.  
Unplug the power cord before installing or removing the motherboard. Failure to do so can  
cause you physical injury and damage to motherboard components.  
1.2.1  
Placement direction  
When installing the motherboard, 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.  
1.2.2  
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  
A88XM-A  
1-2  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
1.2.3  
Motherboard layout  
1
2
3
4
2
5
20.8cm(8.2in)  
CPU_FAN  
KBMS  
DIGI  
+VRM  
ATX12V  
HDMI  
2
USB3_12  
LAN_USB12  
AUDIO  
CHA_FAN  
6
7
A88XM-A  
PCIEX16  
RTL  
8111G  
BATTERY  
PCIEX1_1  
AMD®  
A88X  
SATA6G_5 SATA6G_6  
Super  
I/O  
64Mb  
BIOS  
PCI1  
SB_PWR  
8
ALC  
887  
USBPWF  
SATA6G_3 SATA6G_4  
SATA6G_1 SATA6G_2  
CLRTC  
SPEAKER  
F_PANEL  
SPDIF_OUT  
USB3_34  
COM  
AAFP  
USB56  
USB34  
16  
15 14  
13 12  
11  
10  
9
1-3  
ASUS A88XM-A  
1.2.4  
Layout contents  
Connectors/Jumpers/Slots/LED  
Page  
1-13  
1-16  
1-17  
1-4  
1. Keyboard wake-up (3-pin KB_USBPWB)  
2. CPU and chassis fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN, and 4-pin CHA_FAN)  
3. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V)  
4. AMD FM2+ socket  
5. DDR3 DIMM slots  
1-8  
6. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC)  
1-12  
1-1  
7. Standby power LED (SB_PWR)  
8. SATA 6.0 Gb/s connectors (7-pin SATA6G_1~6)  
9. Speaker connector (4-pin SPEAKER)  
10. System panel connector (10-1 pin F_PANEL)  
11. USB 2.0 connectors (10-1 pin USB34, USB56)  
12. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPWF)  
13. USB 3.0 connector (20-1 pin USB3_34)  
14. Serial port connector (10-1 pin COM)  
15. Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT)  
16. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP)  
1-18  
1-19  
1-19  
1-21  
1-13  
1-21  
1-22  
1-20  
1-20  
1.3  
Accelerated Processing Unit (APU)  
This motherboard comes with a 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!  
A88XM-A  
A88XM-A CPU socket FM2+  
1-4  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
1.3.1  
1
APU installation  
2
3
4
1-5  
ASUS A88XM-A  
1.3.2  
APU heatsink and fan assembly installation  
Apply the Thermal Interface Material  
to the APU heatsink and APU before  
you install the heatsink and fan if  
necessary.  
To install the APU heatsink and fan assembly  
1
2
3
4
5
1-6  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
To uninstall the APU heatsink and fan assembly  
1
2
3
4
5
1-7  
ASUS A88XM-A  
1.4  
System memory  
Overview  
1.4.1  
This motherboard comes with two Double Data Rate 3 (DDR3) Dual Inline Memory Modules  
(DIMM) sockets.  
A DDR3 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR2 DIMM but is notched  
differently to prevent installation on a DDR2 DIMM socket. DDR3 modules are developed for  
better performance with less power consumption.  
The figure illustrates the location of the DDR3 DIMM sockets:  
Channel  
Sockets  
DIMM_A1  
DIMM_B1  
A88XM-A  
Channel A  
Channel B  
A88XM-A 240-pin DDR3 DIMM sockets  
1.4.2  
Memory configurations  
You may install 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB unbuffered non-ECC DDR3 DIMMs into the DIMM  
sockets.  
You may install varying memory sizes in Channel A and Channel B. The system maps  
the total size of the lower-sized channel for the dual-channel configuration. Any excess  
memory from the higher-sized channel is then mapped for single-channel operation.  
Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency. For optimal compatibility, we  
recommend that you install memory modules of the same version or date code (D/C)  
from the same vendor. Check with the retailer to get the correct memory modules.  
Due to the memory address limitation on 32-bit Windows® OS, when you install 4GB  
or more memory on the motherboard, the actual usable memory for the OS can be  
about 3GB or less. For effective use of memory, we recommend that you do any of the  
following:  
-
-
Use a maximum of 3GB system memory if you are using a 32-bit Windows® OS.  
Install a 64-bit Windows® OS if you want to install 4GB or more on the  
motherboard.  
This motherboard does not support DIMMs made up of 512Mb (64MB) chips or less.  
1-8  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
The default memory operation frequency is dependent on its Serial Presence Detect  
(SPD), which is the standard way of accessing information from a memory module.  
Under the default state, some memory modules for overclocking may operate at a  
lower frequency than the vendor-marked value. To operate at the vendor-marked  
or at a higher frequency, refer to section 2.5 Ai Tweaker menu for manual memory  
frequency adjustment.  
For system stability, use a more efficient memory cooling system to support a full  
memory load (4 DIMMs) or overclocking condition.  
1.4.3  
1
Installing a DIMM  
2
3
1-9  
ASUS A88XM-A