Asus A8N SLI User Manual

A8N-SLI  
Contents  
Notices.................................................................................................v  
Safety information .............................................................................. vi  
A8N-SLI specifications summary ....................................................... vii  
Chapter 1:  
Hardware information  
1.1  
1.2  
Before you proceed .............................................................. 1-2  
Motherboard overview.......................................................... 1-3  
1.2.1  
1.2.2  
1.2.3  
1.2.4  
Placement direction ................................................ 1-3  
Screw holes ............................................................ 1-3  
Motherboard layout ................................................ 1-4  
Layout contents ..................................................... 1-5  
1.3  
1.4  
Central Processing Unit (CPU) .............................................. 1-7  
1.3.1  
1.3.2  
Installing the CPU.................................................... 1-7  
Installing the heatsink and fan................................ 1-9  
System memory .................................................................1-12  
1.4.1  
1.4.2  
1.4.3  
1.4.4  
Overview...............................................................1-12  
Memory configurations .........................................1-12  
Installing a DIMM ...................................................1-13  
Removing a DIMM .................................................1-13  
1.5  
Expansion slots...................................................................1-14  
1.5.1  
1.5.2  
1.5.3  
1.5.4  
1.5.5  
Installing an expansion card..................................1-14  
Configuring an expansion card..............................1-14  
PCI slots................................................................1-16  
PCI Express x16 slot .............................................1-16  
PCI Express x1 slot ...............................................1-16  
1.6  
1.7  
Jumper ...............................................................................1-17  
Connectors .........................................................................1-18  
1.7.1  
1.7.2  
Rear panel connectors ..........................................1-18  
Internal connectors...............................................1-20  
iii  
Contents  
Chapter 2:  
BIOS setup  
2.1  
Managing and updating your BIOS ........................................ 2-2  
2.1.1  
2.1.2  
2.1.3  
Creating a bootable floppy disk.............................. 2-2  
AwardBIOS Flash Utility .......................................... 2-3  
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility ................................ 2-7  
2.2  
2.3  
BIOS Setup program ............................................................. 2-8  
2.2.1  
2.2.2  
BIOS menu bar ........................................................ 2-9  
Legend bar ............................................................. 2-9  
Main Menu...........................................................................2-11  
2.3.1  
2.3.2  
2.3.3  
2.3.4  
2.3.5  
2.3.6  
2.3.7  
System Time.........................................................2-11  
System Date .........................................................2-11  
Legacy Diskette A ................................................2-11  
Installed Memory ..................................................2-11  
Primary and Secondary IDE Master/Slave.............2-12  
First, Second, Third, and Fourth SATA Master .....2-14  
Installed Memory ..................................................2-15  
2.4  
Advanced Menu ..................................................................2-16  
2.4.1  
2.4.2  
2.4.3  
2.4.4  
CPU configuration .................................................2-17  
Chipset configuration ...........................................2-18  
PCIPnP...................................................................2-20  
Onboard device configuration .............................2-22  
2.5  
2.6  
Power Menu ........................................................................2-26  
2.5.1  
2.5.2  
APM configuration ................................................2-27  
Hardware monitor .................................................2-29  
Boot Menu ..........................................................................2-30  
2.6.1  
2.6.2  
2.6.3  
2.6.4  
Boot Device Priority..............................................2-31  
Hard Disk Drives ...................................................2-31  
Boot settings configuration..................................2-32  
Security ................................................................2-34  
2.7  
Exit menu ...........................................................................2-35  
i v  
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  
manufacturerꢂs 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.  
The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics  
card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or  
modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party  
responsible for compliance could void the userꢂs authority to operate  
this equipment.  
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.  
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.  
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 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, make sure 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.  
v i  
A8N-SLI specifications summary  
CPU  
Socket 939 for AMD Athlon™ 64FX/AMD Athlon™ 64  
processor  
Supports AMD 64 architecture that enables simultaneous  
32-bit and 64-bit architecture  
NVIDIA® nForce™4 SLI  
1 GHz (K8) / 800 MHz  
Chipset  
Front Side Bus  
Memory  
Dual-channel memory architecture  
4 x 184-pin DIMM sockets support non-ECC  
unbufferred 400 MHz DDR memory modules  
Supports up to 2 GB system memory  
Expansion slots  
Storage  
2 x PCI Express™ x16 slot for discrete graphics cards*  
2 x PCI Express™ x1 slots  
3 x PCI slots  
NVIDIA® nForce™4 SLI chipset supports:  
- 4 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33 hard disk drives  
- 4 x Serial ATA drives with RAID 0, RAID 1, and  
RAID 0+1 configurations  
Audio  
Realtek® ALC850 8-channel CODEC  
1 x Coaxial S/PDIF out port  
1 x Optical S/PDIF out port  
Marvell® 88E81111 PCI Express™ Gigabit LAN controller  
LAN  
IEEE 1394  
T1 1394a controller supports:  
- 2 x IEEE 1394a ports  
Supports up to 10 USB 2.0 ports  
USB  
BIOS features  
4 Mb Flash ROM, Phoenix-Award BIOS, LPC, Green, PnP,  
DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.3, ACPI 2.0a  
ASUS Q-Fan2  
Special features  
ASUS My Logo2™  
ASUS EZ Flash  
ASUS Crash Free BIOS 2  
(continued on the next page)  
This motherboard does not support the Scalable Link Interface™ (SLI)  
mode for two identical SLI™-ready PCI Express x16 graphics cards.  
Single card mode (default) supports:  
-
1 x PCI Express™ x16 graphics card on either blue or black slot  
vii  
A8N-SLI specifications summary  
Rear panel  
1 x PS/2 mouse port  
1 x Parallel port  
1 x IEEE 1394a port  
1 x LAN (RJ-45) port  
4 x USB 2.0 ports  
1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Out port  
1 x Optical S/PDIF Out port  
1 x PS/2 keyboard port  
8-Channel audio ports  
Internal  
connectors  
1 x Floppy disk drive connector  
2 x IDE connectors  
4 x Serial ATA connectors  
1 x CPU fan connector  
2 x Chassis fan connectors  
1 x Chipset fan connector  
3 x USB connectors  
1 x IEEE 1394a connector  
1 x Serial port connector  
1 x 24-pin ATX power connector  
1 x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector  
1 x Internal audio connector  
1 x Optical drive audio  
1x Front panel audio connector  
1 x System panel connector  
Power  
requirement  
ATX power supply (with 24-pin and 4-pin 12 V plugs)  
ATX 12 V 2.0 compliant  
Form factor  
ATX form factor: 12 in x 9.6 in (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm)  
*Specifications are subject to change without notice.  
viii  
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.  
Hardware  
information  
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.  
Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or a  
metal object, such as the power supply case, before handling  
components to avoid damaging them due to static electricity  
Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.  
Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded  
antistatic pad or in the bag that came with the component.  
Before you install or remove any component, ensure  
that the 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,  
and/or components.  
Onboard LEDs  
The motherboard comes with a green 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 red warning LED lights up when you installed two graphics cards  
but did not connect the ASUS EZ Plug™. The illustration below shows  
the location of the onboard LEDs.  
SLI_WARN_LED  
ON  
When use 2 Graphics  
but do not plug EZ-PLUG  
OFF  
When use 2 Graphics  
but do plug EZ-PLUG  
A8N-SLI  
SB_PWR  
®
ON  
Standby  
Power  
OFF  
Powered  
Off  
A8N-SLI Onboard LED  
1-2  
Chapter 1: Hardware information  
1.2 Motherboard overview  
Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis  
to ensure that the motherboard fits into it. Refer to the chassis  
documentation before installing the motherboard.  
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.  
1.2.1 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.  
1.2.2 Screw holes  
Place nine 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  
A8N-SLI  
ASUS A8N-SLI  
1-3  
1.2.3 Motherboard layout  
24.5cm (9.6in)  
PS/2KBMS  
T: Mouse  
B: Keyboard  
CPU_FAN  
CHA2_FAN  
ATX12V  
SPDIF_O  
SPDIF_O2  
USB12  
LAN1_USB34  
CD  
Top:Rear Speaker Out  
Center:  
Side Speaker Out  
Below:  
AUX  
Center/Subwoofer  
Marvell  
88E1111  
Top:Line In  
Center:Line Out  
Bottom:Mic In  
EZ_PLUG  
PCIEX16_1  
A8N-SLI  
ALC850  
PCIEX1_1  
PCIEX1_2  
SLI_CON  
nVidia  
CK804  
SLI  
CHIP_FAN  
PCIEX16_2  
®
SATA4  
SATA2  
SATA3  
PCI1  
PCI2  
PCI3  
SATA1  
1394  
Controller  
Super  
I/O  
CR2032 3V  
Lithium Cell  
CMOS Power  
CHA1_FAN  
CLRTC  
CHASSIS  
COM1  
USB78  
USB56  
USB910  
IE_1394_2  
SB_PWR  
F_PANEL  
1-4  
Chapter 1: Hardware information  
1.2.4 Layout contents  
Slots  
Page  
1. DDR DIMM slots  
2. PCI slots  
1-12  
1-16  
1-16  
1-16  
3. PCI Express x16 slot  
4. PCI Express x1 slot  
Jumper  
Page  
1-17  
1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC)  
Rear panel connectors  
Page  
1. PS/2 mouse port  
1-18  
1-18  
1-18  
1-18  
1-18  
1-18  
1-18  
1-19  
1-19  
1-19  
1-19  
1-19  
1-19  
1-19  
1-19  
2. Parallel port  
3. LAN (RJ-45) port  
4. Rear Speaker Out port  
5. Side Spearker Out port  
6. Line In port  
7. Line Out port  
8. Microphone port  
9. Center/Subwoofer port  
10. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4  
11. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2  
12. IEEE 1394a port  
13. Optical S/PDIF Out port  
14. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port  
15. PS/2 keyboard port  
ASUS A8N-SLI  
1-5  
Internal connectors  
                                                                                                                                                                
P
                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                                  
a
                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                                    
g
                                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                                       
e
                                                                                                                                                                       
1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY1)  
2. Serial port connector (10-1 pin COM1)  
1-20  
1-20  
1-21  
1-22  
1-23  
1-23  
1-23  
1-23  
1-24  
1-24  
1-25  
1-26  
1-26  
1-27  
1-28  
3. IDE connectors (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_IDE)  
4. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4)  
5. CPU fan connector (3-pin CPU_FAN)  
6. Chassis fan connectors (3-pin CHA1_FAN, CHA2_FAN)  
7. Chipset fan connector (3-pin CHIP_FAN)  
8. Power fan connector (3-pin PWR_FAN)  
9. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB78, USB56, USB910)  
10. IEEE 1394a connector (10-1 pin IE_1394_2)  
11. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V1, 4-pin EZ_PLUG)  
12. Internal audio connectors (4-pin AUX, 4-pin CD)  
13. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin FP_AUDIO)  
14. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS)  
15. System panel connector (10-1 pin FRONTPANEL)  
1-6  
Chapter 1: Hardware information  
1.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)  
The motherboard comes with a surface mount 939-pin Zero Insertion Force  
(ZIF) socket designed for the AMD Athlon™ 64FX or AMD Athlon™ 64  
processor.  
The 128-bit-wide data paths of these processors can run applications  
faster than processors with only 32-bit or 64-bit wide data paths.  
Take note of the marked corner (with  
gold triangle) on the CPU. This mark  
should match a specific corner on the  
socket to ensure correct installation.  
Gold triangle  
1.3.1 Installing the CPU  
To install a CPU:  
1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.  
A8N-SLI  
®
A8N-SLI CPU Socket 939  
ASUS A8N-SLI  
1-7  
2. Unlock the socket by pressing  
the lever sideways, then lift it up  
to a 90°-100° angle.  
Socket lever  
Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to 90°-100° angle; otherwise  
the CPU does not fit in completely.  
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 fits in place.  
Gold  
triangle  
Small triangle  
The CPU fits only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into  
the socket to prevent bending the pins and damaging the CPU!  
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.  
1-8  
Chapter 1: Hardware information