Asus A8R MVP User Manual

A8R-MVP

Contents

Notices............................................................................................... vii

Safety information ............................................................................ viii

About this guide ................................................................................. ix

A8R-MVP specifications summary....................................................... xi

Chapter 1:

Product introduction

1.1

1.2

1.3

Welcome!.............................................................................. 1-1

Package contents ................................................................. 1-1

Special features.................................................................... 1-2

1.3.1

1.3.3

Product highlights................................................... 1-2

Innovative ASUS features ....................................... 1-4

Chapter 2:

Hardware information

2.1

2.2

Before you proceed .............................................................. 2-1

Motherboard overview.......................................................... 2-2

2.2.1

2.2.2

2.2.3

2.2.4

Placement direction ................................................ 2-2

Screw holes ............................................................ 2-2

Motherboard layout ................................................ 2-3

Layout Contents..................................................... 2-4

2.3

2.4

Central Processing Unit (CPU) .............................................. 2-5

2.3.1

2.3.2

Installing the CPU.................................................... 2-5

Installing the heatsink and fan................................ 2-7

System memory .................................................................2-10

2.4.1

2.4.2

2.4.3

2.4.4

Overview...............................................................2-10

Memory Configurations.........................................2-11

Installing a DDR DIMM ...........................................2-13

Removing a DDR DIMM ..........................................2-13

2.5

Expansion slots...................................................................2-14

2.5.1

2.5.2

2.5.3

2.5.4

2.5.5

2.5.6

Installing an expansion card..................................2-14

Configuring an expansion card..............................2-14

Interrupt assignments ..........................................2-15

PCI slots................................................................2-16

PCI Express x1 slot ...............................................2-16

Two PCI Express x16 slots ...................................2-16

iii

Contents

2.6

2.7

Jumper ...............................................................................2-18

Connectors .........................................................................2-19

2.7.1

2.7.2

Rear panel connectors ..........................................2-19

Internal connectors...............................................2-21

Chapter 3:

Powering up

3.1

3.2

Starting up for the first time................................................ 3-1

Powering off the computer .................................................. 3-2

3.2.1

3.2.2

Using the OS shut down function ........................... 3-2

Using the dual function power switch .................... 3-2

Chapter 4:

BIOS setup

4.1

Managing and updating your BIOS ........................................ 4-1

4.1.1

4.1.2

4.1.3

4.1.4

4.1.5

ASUS Update utility ................................................ 4-1

Creating a bootable floppy disk.............................. 4-4

ASUS EZ Flash utility .............................................. 4-5

AFUDOS utility ........................................................ 4-6

ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility ................................ 4-9

4.2

BIOS setup program ...........................................................4-11

4.2.1

4.2.2

4.2.3

4.2.4

4.2.5

4.2.6

4.2.7

4.2.8

4.2.9

BIOS menu screen.................................................4-12

Menu bar...............................................................4-12

Navigation keys ....................................................4-12

Menu items ...........................................................4-13

Sub-menu items ...................................................4-13

Configuration fields ..............................................4-13

Pop-up window .....................................................4-13

Scroll bar ..............................................................4-13

General help ..........................................................4-13

4.3

Main menu ..........................................................................4-14

4.3.1

4.3.2

4.3.3

4.3.4

System Time.........................................................4-14

System Date .........................................................4-14

Legacy Diskette A ................................................4-14

Primary, Secondary, Third, and Fourth

IDE Master/Slave ..................................................4-15

4.3.5

4.3.6

Storage Configuration ..........................................4-16

System Information ..............................................4-17

i v

Contents

4.4

Advanced menu..................................................................4-18

4.4.1

4.4.2

4.4.3

4.4.4

4.4.5

4.4.6

4.4.7

JumperFree Configuration ....................................4-18

CPU Configuration.................................................4-22

Chipset Configuration ...........................................4-26

Onboard Devices Configuration ............................4-27

PCI PnP .................................................................4-29

LAN Cable Status .................................................4-30

USB Configuration.................................................4-30

4.5

Power menu........................................................................4-32

4.5.1

4.5.2

4.5.3

4.5.4

4.5.5

4.5.6

Suspend Mode ......................................................4-32

Repost Video on S3 Resume ................................4-32

ACPI 2.0 Support..................................................4-32

ACPI APIC Support ................................................4-32

APM Configuration ................................................4-33

Hardware Monitor .................................................4-35

4.6

4.7

Boot menu ..........................................................................4-37

4.6.1

4.6.2

4.6.3

Boot Device Priority..............................................4-38

Boot Settings Configuration .................................4-39

Security ................................................................4-40

Exit menu ...........................................................................4-42

Chapter 5:

Software support

5.1

5.2

Installing an operating system ............................................. 5-1

Support CD information........................................................ 5-1

5.2.1

5.2.2

5.2.3

5.2.4

5.2.5

5.2.6

5.2.7

Running the support CD ......................................... 5-1

Drivers menu .......................................................... 5-2

Utilities menu.......................................................... 5-3

Make Disk menu...................................................... 5-4

Manuals menu ......................................................... 5-5

ASUS Contact information...................................... 5-6

Other information ................................................... 5-6

Contents

5.3

Software information ........................................................... 5-8

5.3.1

5.3.2

ASUS MyLogo™....................................................... 5-8

AI Net 2 ................................................................5-10

Using the Virtual Cable Tester™ .........................................5-10

5.3.3

5.3.4

5.3.5

ASUS PC Probe II...................................................5-11

Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology ..................................5-17

SoundMAX^®High Definition Audio utility ..............5-19

Audio Setup Wizard............................................................5-20

RAID configurations ............................................................5-24

5.4

5.5

5.4.1

5.4.2

Installing hard disks ..............................................5-25

ULI^®RAID configurations ......................................5-25

Creating a RAID driver disk .................................................5-33

Chapter 6:

ATI^®MVP technology support

6.1

6.2

Overview............................................................................... 6-1

Hardware installation ............................................................ 6-2

6.2.1

6.2.2

Installing a single graphics card .............................. 6-2

Installing CrossFire™ graphics cards ....................... 6-3

6.3

Software information ........................................................... 6-6

6.3.1

6.3.2

Installing the device drivers.................................... 6-6

Using the Catalyst™ Control Center ....................... 6-8

v i

Notices

Federal Communications Commission Statement

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to

the following two conditions:

•

This device may not cause harmful interference, and

This device must accept any interference received including interference

that may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a

Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are

designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a

residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio

frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with

manufacturer’s instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio

communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not

occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful

interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by

turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct

the interference by one or more of the following measures:

•

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to

which the receiver is connected.

•

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

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 user’s 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.

vii

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.

The symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product

(electrical and electronic equipment) should not be placed in municipal

waste. Please check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.

viii

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: 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, the vocal POST

messages, 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: ATI^®MVP technology support

This chapter tells how to install ATI^®MVP graphics cards.

Where to find 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

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.

i x

Conventions used in this guide

To make sure 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 (+).

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:

afudos /i[filename]

afudos /iA8R-MVP.ROM

A8R-MVP specifications summary

CPU

Socket 939 for AMD Athlon™ 64FX/Athlon™ 64 X2/

Athlon™ 64/Sempron™ processor*

AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32- and

64-bit computing

Supports AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology

Supports AMD HyperTransport™ Technology

ATI Radeon^®Xpress 200 CrossFire™

2000/1600 MT/s

Chipset

System bus

Memory

Dual-channel memory architecture

4 x 184-pin DIMM sockets support up to 4 GB

unbufferred ECC/non-ECC 400/333/266 MHz DDR

memory modules

Expansion slots

2 x PCI Express™ x16 slot for discrete graphics card

1 x PCI Express™ x1 slot

3 x PCI slots

Supports ATI CrossFire™ graphics cards (both at x8

mode)

CrossFire™

Storage

ULi M1575 Southbridge supports:

- 2 x IDE connectors for up to four Ultra DMA

133/100/66/33 hard disks

- 4 x Serial ATA I/II 3.0 Gb/s hard disks with RAID 0,

RAID 1, RAID 1+0, RAID 5, and JBOD configuration

ADI SoundMAX^®AD1986A 6-channel CODEC

S/PDIF Out port on the rear panel

AI Audio

LAN

Marvell^®88E8001 Gigabit LAN controller featuring

AI NET2

T1 1394 controller supports:

IEEE 1394a

- 2 x IEEE 1394a ports (one on the rear panel and one at

mid-board)

USB

Supports up to 8 USB 2.0/1.1 ports

4 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0

BIOS features

Special features

ASUS MyLogo™

ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2

ASUS Q-Fan2 Technology

ASUS EZ Flash

(continued on the next page)

x i

A8R-MVP specifications summary

ASUS PEG Link

Overclocking

AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner)

Precision Tweaker:

- vDIMM: 8-step DRAM voltage control

- vCore: Adjustable CPU voltage at 0.025 increment

- 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)

Rear panel

1 x PS/2 mouse port

1 x PS/2 keyboard port

1 x Parallel port

1 x LAN (RJ-45) port

4 x USB 2.0 ports

1 x Serial (COM) port

1 x Coaxial S/PDIF port

1 x IEEE 1394a port

6-Channel audio ports

WfM 2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL by PME, WOR by PME, chassis

intrusion, PXE, and RPL

Manageabiity

Internal

connectors

1 x Floppy disk drive connector

2 x IDE connectors

4 x Serial ATA connectors

1 x CPU fan connector

1 x Chassis fan connector

1 x Power fan connector

1 x IEEE 1394a connector

2 x USB 2.0 connectors for four additional USB 2.0 ports

1 x 24-pin EATX power connector

1 x 4-pin ATX 12 V power connector

1 x EZ Plug connector

1 x GAME/MIDI port connector

1 x CD-in connector

1 x AUX connector

1 x Chassis intrusion connector

1 x Front panel High Definition Audio connector

1 x System panel connector

Support CD

contents

Drivers

ASUS PC Probe 2

ASUS LiveUpdate Utility

Anti-virus software (OEM version)

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.

xii

This chapter describes the

motherboard features and the new

technologies it supports

Product

information

Chapter summary

1.1

1.2

1.3

Welcome!.............................................................................. 1-1

Package contents ................................................................. 1-1

Special features.................................................................... 1-2

ASUS A8R-MVP

1.1 Welcome!

Thank you for buying an ASUS^®A8R-MVP motherboard!

The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies,

making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards!

Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it,

check the items in your package with the list below.

1.2 Package contents

Check your motherboard package for the following items.

Motherboard

Cables

ASUS A8R-MVP motherboard

1 x Floppy disk drive signal cable

1 x IDE cable

1 x Ultra DMA cable 133/100/66 cable

2 x Serial ATA signal cables

1 x Serial ATA power cable (dual-plug)

1 x IEEE 1394a cable

Accessories

I/O shield

1 x MVP Switch Card

1 x 2-port USB 2.0/Game module

Application CDs ASUS motherboard support CD

Documentation User guide

If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.

In single card mode, install the MVP Switch Card on the black PCI Express

slot.

ASUS A8R-MVP

1-1

1.3 Special features

1.3.1 Product highlights

Latest processor technology

The motherboard comes with a 939-pin surface mount, Zero Insertion

Force (ZIF) socket that supports AMD Athlon™ 64/Athlon™ 64 FX/Athlon™

64 X2/Sempron™ processors. With an integrated low-latency

high-bandwidth memory controller and a highly-scalable HyperTransport™

technology-based system bus, the motherboard provides a powerful

platform for your diverse computing needs, increased office productivity,

and enhanced digital media experience. See page 2-5.

ATI Radeon^®Xpress 200 CrossFire™

The ATI Radeon^®Xpress 200 CrossFire™ boosts image quality and

rendering speed, eliminating the need to crank down screen resolutions to

get high quality images. The chipset allows higher antialiasing, anisotropic

filtering, shading, and texture settings. ATI Radeon^®Xpress 200 CrossFire™

features the ATI Catalyst™ Control Center that allows you to get real-time

3D-rendered previews of adjustments to your display configurations and

advanced 3D settings. See Chapter 6 for details.

PCI Express™ interface

The motherboard fully supports PCI Express, 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 specifications. See page 2-16 for details.

6-channel High Definition audio

Onboard is the SoundMAX^®ADI AD1986A 6-channel CODEC that supports

Jack Sensing and Enumeration Technology. The CODEC supports High

Definition Audio standard. With the CODEC, 6-channel audio ports, and

S/PDIF interface, your computer will produce crystal-clear digital audio.

See page 5-19 for details.

1-2

Chapter 1: Product introduction

Serial ATA I/II technology

The motherboard supports the Serial ATA II 3 Gb/s technology through the

Serial ATA interfaces and the ULI M1575 Southbridge. The Serial ATA II 3

Gb/s specification provides twice the bandwidth of the current Serial ATA

products with a host of new features, including Native Command Queueing

(NCQ), and Power Management (PM) Implementation Algorithm. Serial ATA

allows for thinner, more flexible cables with lower pin count, reduced voltage

requirement. See page 2-22 for details.

SATA RAID solution

Onboard RAID controllers provide the motherboard with RAID functionality.

The ULI M1575 Southbridge allows RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and

JBOD configuration. See page 5-25 for details.

Gigabit LAN

The motherboard comes with the Marvell^®Yukon^™88E8001 Gigabit LAN

controller to meet your growing networking needs. See pages 2-19 and

5-10 for details.

IEEE 1394a support

The IEEE 1394a interface provides high-speed and flexible PC connectivity

to a wide range of peripherals and devices compliant to IEEE 1394a

standards. 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

pages 2-19 and 2-26 for details.

USB 2.0 technology

The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0

specification, 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 pages 2-20 and 2-24 for details.

ASUS A8R-MVP

1-3

1.3.3 Innovative ASUS features

AI NET2

The AI NET2 is a BIOS-based diagnostic tool that detects and reports

Ethernet cable faults and shorts. With this utility, you can easily monitor

the condition of the Ethernet cable(s) connected to the LAN (RJ-45)

port(s). During the bootup process, AI NET2 immediately diagnoses the

LAN cable(s) and reports shorts and faults up to 100 meters at 1 meter

accuracy. See page 5-10 for details.

Precision Tweaker

This feature allows you to fine tune the CPU/memory voltage and gradually

increase the memory Front Side Bus (FSB) and PCI Express frequency at

1MHz increment to achieve maximum system performance. See pages 4-19

and 4-20 for details.

PEG Link Mode for two graphics cards

This feature enhances your PCI Express graphics card performance, allowing

the motherboard to automatically adjust the PCI Express graphics link mode

to the correct frequency based on the system configuration. Four

additional settings are available for overclocking the PEG Link Mode. See

page 4-20 for details.

ASUS Q-Fan 2 technology

The ASUS Q-Fan 2 technology smartly adjusts the CPU fan speed according

to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efficient operation. See

page 4-35 for details.

ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2

This feature allows you to restore the original BIOS data from the support CD

when the BIOS codes and data are corrupted. This protection eliminates the

need to buy a replacement ROM chip. See page 4-9 for details.

1-4

Chapter 1: Product introduction

ASUS MyLogo™

This feature allows you to personalize and add style to your system with

customizable boot logos. See page 5-8 for details.

C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)

The C.P.R. feature of the motherboard BIOS allows automatic re-setting to

the BIOS default settings in case the system hangs due to overclocking.

When the system hangs due to overclocking, 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 default

setting for each parameter.

ASUS EZ Flash BIOS

With the ASUS EZ Flash, you can easily update the system BIOS even

before loading the operating system. No need to use a DOS-based utility or

boot from a floppy disk. See page 4-5 for details.

ASUS A8R-MVP

1-5

1-6

Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

Chapter summary

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.6

2.7

Before you proceed .............................................................. 2-1

Motherboard overview.......................................................... 2-2

Central Processing Unit (CPU) .............................................. 2-5

System memory .................................................................2-10

Expansion slots...................................................................2-14

Jumper ...............................................................................2-18

Connectors .........................................................................2-19

ASUS A8R-MVP

2.1 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 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

A8R-MVP

OFF

Standby

Power

Powered

Off

A8R-MVP Onboard LED

Make sure to connect the EZPlug when using two PCI Express graphics

cards and a 20-pin ATX power supply unit, or if the graphics cards do

not have auxiliary power plugs. See page 2-24 for the location of the

EZPlug connector.

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-1

2.2 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.

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 nine (9) 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

A8R-MVP

2-2

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.2.3 Motherboard layout

24.5cm (9.6in)

PS/2KBMS

T: Mouse

B: Keyboard

CPU_FAN

ATX12V

Super

I/O

SPDIF_O

COM1

Bottom:

Top:

USB1

1394

USB2

USB2.0

Top:

T: USB3

B: USB4

RJ-45

Top:Line In

Center:Line Out

Below:Mic In

CHA_FAN

ATI

Radeon

Xpress 200

CrossFire™

USB78_WFG

EZ_PLUG

AUX

AAFP

PCIEX16_2

PCIEX1_1

AD1986A

A8R-MVP

CR2032 3V

Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

PCIEX16_1

ULI

M1575

PCI1

PCI2

PCI3

88E8001

4Mbit

BIOS

CLRTC

CHASSIS

TI 1394

PWR_FAN

GAME

PANEL

IE1394_1

USB56

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-3

2.2.4 Layout Contents

Slots

Page

1. DDR DIMM slots

2. PCI slots

2-10

2-16

3. PCI Express x1 slot

4. PCI Express x16 slots

Jumper

Page

2-18

1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC)

Rear panel connectors

Page

1. PS/2 mouse port

2. Parallel port

2-19

2-20

3. IEEE 1394a port

4. LAN (RJ-45) port

5. Line In port

6. Line Out port

7. Microphone port

8. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4

9. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2

10. Serial port

11. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port

12. PS/2 keyboard port

Internal connectors

1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)

2-21

2. IDE connectors (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, 40-1 pin SEC_IDE)

3. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1 [red], SATA2 [red],

SATA3 [black], SATA4 [black])

2-22

2-23

4. CPU, Chassis, and Power fan connectors

(3-pin CPU_FAN, 3-pin CHA_FAN, 3-pin PWR_FAN )

5. USB connectors (10-1 USB56, USB78_WFG)

2-24

2-25

2-26

2-27

2-28

6. Power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V; 4-pin EZ_PLUG)

7. GAME/MIDI port connector (16-1 pin GAME)

8. IEEE 1394a connector (10-1 pin IE1394_1)

9. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS)

10. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP)

11. Internal audio connectors (4-pin CD [black], 4-pin AUX [white])

12. System panel connectors (20 pin PANEL)

- System Power LED (Green 3-pin PLED)

- Hard Disk activity (Red 2-pin IDE_LED)

- System warning speaker (Orange 4-pin SPEAKER)

- Power/Soft-off button(Yellow 2-pin PWRSW)

- Reset switch (Blue 2-pin RESET)

2-4

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The motherboard comes with a surface mount 939-pin Zero Insertion Force

(ZIF) socket designed for the AMD Athlon™ 64FX/AMD Athlon™ 64 /

Athlon™ 64 X2 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

2.3.1 Installing the CPU

To install a CPU.

1. Locate the 939-pin ZIF socket on the motherboard.

A8R-MVP

A8R-MVP CPU Socket 939

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.

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-5

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.

Small triangle

Gold 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.

6. Install a CPU heatsink and fan

following the instructions that

came with the heatsink package.

2-6

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.

Make sure that you use only AMD-certified heatsink and fan assembly.

To install the CPU heatsink and fan:

1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed CPU, making sure that the

heatsink fits properly on the retention module base.

•

The retention module base is already installed on the motherboard

upon purchase.

You 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.

CPU fan

CPU heatsink

Retention module base

Retention bracket

Retention bracket lock

Your 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.

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-7

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.

Make sure that the fan and

heatsink assembly perfectly fits

the retention mechanism module

base, otherwise you cannot snap

the retention bracket in place.

4. Push down the retention bracket

lock on the retention mechanism

to secure the heatsink and fan to

the module base.

2-8

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_FAN.

CPU_FAN

A8R-MVP

A8R-MVP CPU fan connector

Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring

errors can occur if you fail to plug this connector.

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-9

2.4 System memory

2.4.1 Overview

The motherboard comes with four 184-pin Double Data Rate (DDR) Dual

Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets.

The following figure illustrates the location of the sockets:

A8R-MVP

A8R-MVP 184-pin DDR DIMM sockets

Channel

Sockets

Channel 1

Channel 2

DIMM_A1 and DIMM_B1

DIMM_A2 and DIMM_B2

In dual-channel configurations, installing identical (the same type and

size) DDR DIMM pairs for each channel provides optimum performance.

2-10

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.4.2 Memory Configurations

You may install 256 MB, 512 MB, and 1 GB unbuffered ECC/non-ECC DDR

DIMMs into the DIMM sockets using the memory configurations in this

section.

•

If you installed four 1 GB memory modules, the system may detect

less than 3 GB of total memory because of address space allocation

for other critical functions. This limitation applies to Windows^®XP

32-bit version operating system since it does not support Physical

Address Extension (PAE).

•

When using only one DDR DIMM module, install it into slot DIMM_B1

only.

For single-channel memory configuration, start installing the DDR

DIMMs from slot DIMM_B1 or DMM_B2.

For dual-channel memory configuration, install the DIMMs in slots

DIMM_B1 and DIMM_A1 (blue slots); install another pair of DIMMs in

slots DIMM_B2 and DIMM_A2 (black slots).

•

Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency. For optimum

results, we recommend that you obtain memory modules from the

same vendor. Refer to the Qualified Vendors List on the next page

for details.

Recommended memory configurations

Sockets

Mode

DIMM_A1

DIMM_A2

DIMM_B1 DIMM_B2

Single-channel

Dual-channel*

(1)

(2)

–

Populated

–

Populated

–

Populated

* Use only identical DDR DIMM pairs.

* For dual-channel configuration (2), you may:

• install identical DIMMs in all four sockets

O R

• install identical DIMM pair in DIMM_A1 and DIMM_B1 (blue sockets)

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-11

DDR (400 MHz) Qualified Vendors List

D I M M s u p p o r t

A B C

S i z e

Vendor

Chip No.

B r a n d Side/s* Part No.

256 MB KINGSTON

512 MB KINGSTON

256 MB KINGSTON

512 MB KINGSTON

1024 MB KINGSTON

256 MB SAMSUNG

512 MB SAMSUNG

256 MB SAMSUNG

512 MB SAMSUNG

256 MB MICRON

512 MB MICRON

256 MB Infineon

512 MB Infineon

256 MB Infineon

512 MB Infineon

1024 MB Infineon

256 MB CORSAIR

512 MB CORSAIR

1024 MB CORSAIR

256 MB Hynix

V58C2256804SAT5(ECC)

Heat-Sink Package

–

KVR400X72C3A/256

• • •

• •

KVR400X72C3A/512

KHX3200A/512

D3208DL3T-5A

KVR400X64C3A/256

KVR400X64C3A/512

KVR400X64C3A/1G

M381L3223ETM-CCC

M381L6423ETM-CCC

M368L3223ETM-CCC

M368L3223FTN-CCC

M368L6423FTN-CCC

M368L6523BTM-CCC

A2S56D30BTP

V58C2256804SAT5

HY5DU12822BT-D43

HYB25D512800BE-5B

K4H560838E-TCCC(ECC) SAMSUNG SS

K4H560838E-TCCC(ECC) SAMSUNG DS

K4H560838E-TCCC

K4H560838F-TCCC

K4H510838B-TCCC

MT46V32M8TG-5BC

HYB25D256800CE-5C

HYB25D512160CE-5C

HYB25D512800CE-5C

HYB25D512800CE-5B

W942508BH-5

SAMSUNG SS

SAMSUNG DS

SAMSUNG SS

• •

• • •

• •

MICRON

MT8VDDT3264AG-40BCB • • •

MT16VDDT6464AG-40BCB • • •

MICRON

Infineon

HYS64D32300HU-5-C

HYS64D64320HU-5-C

HYS64D32301HU-5-C

HYS64D64300HU-5-C

HYS64D128320HU-5-C

CMX256A-3200C2PT

CMX512-3200C2

• • •

• •

Infineon

–

Heat-Sink Package

VS32M8-5

VS512MB400

• • •

• •

Heat-Sink Package

HY5DU56822DT-D43

CMXP512-3200XL

TWINX2048-3200C2

HYMD232646D8J-D43

HYMD264646D8J-D43

• • •

512 MB Hynix

Legend:

A - supports one module inserted in DIMM_B1 slot in a Single-channel memory

configuration.

B - Supports one pair of modules inserted into either the blue slots or the black

slots as one pair of Dual-channel memory configuration.

C - Supports 4 modules inserted into both the blue and black slots as two pairs of

Dual-channel memory configuration

S S - Single-sided

D S - Double-sided

Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) for the latest Qualified Vendors

List.

2-12

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.4.3 Installing a DDR DIMM

Make sure to unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs

or other system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage

to both the motherboard and the components.

1. Unlock a DIMM socket by

DDR DIMM notch

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.

Unlocked retaining clip

A DDR DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it fits in only one direction.

DO NOT force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the DIMM.

3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the

socket until the retaining clips

snap back in place and the DIMM

is properly seated.

Locked Retaining Clip

2.4.4 Removing a DDR DIMM

To remove a DIMM:

1. Simultaneously press the

retaining clips outward to unlock

the DIMM.

DDR DIMM notch

Support the DIMM lightly with your fingers when pressing the retaining

clips. The DIMM might get damaged when it flips out with extra force.

2. Remove the DIMM from the socket.

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-13

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.

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.

2.5.1 Installing an expansion card

To 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 firmly 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 Configuring an expansion card

After installing the expansion card, configure it by adjusting the software

settings.

1. Turn 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.

2-14

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.5.3 Interrupt assignments

Standard interrupt assignments

I R Q

Priority

Standard Function

System Timer

Keyboard Controller

—

Re-direct to IRQ #9

Reserved

Communications Port (COM1)*

IRQ holder for PCI steering*

Floppy Disk Controller

Printer Port (LPT1)*

System CMOS/Real Time Clock

IRQ holder for PCI steering*

PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port*

Numeric Data Processor

Primary IDE/SATA Channel

Secondary IDE/SATA Channel

* These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.

IRQ assignments for this motherboard

PCI slot 1

—

shared shared shared shared

—

PCI slot 2

—

shared shared shared shared

PCI slot 3

—

shared shared shared shared

IEEE 1394

—

shared

—

shared

—

LAN

PCI-E x1

shared shared shared shared

—

PCI-E x16_1

—

PCI-E x16_2

—

Onboard USB controller 1

Onboard USB controller 2

Onboard USB controller 3

Onboard USB 2.0 controller

HD audio

shared

—

shared

—

shared

—

shared

—

shared

—

When using PCI cards on shared slots, ensure that the drivers support

“Share IRQ” or that the cards do not need IRQ assignment; otherwise,

conflicts will arise between the two PCI groups, making the system

unstable and the card inoperable.

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-15

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

specifications. The figure shows a

LAN card installed on a PCI slot.

2.5.5 PCI Express x1 slot

This motherboard supports PCI

Express x1 network cards, SCSI cards

and other cards that comply with the

PCI Express specifications. The

following figure shows a network card

installed on the PCI Express x1 slot.

2.5.6 Two PCI Express x16 slots

This motherboard supports two ATI

CrossFire™ PCI Express x16 graphics

cards that comply with the PCI

Express specifications. The figure

shows two graphics cards installed on

the PCI Express x16 slots.

See Chapter 6 for details on the

CrossFire™ technology feature.

2-16

Chapter 2: Hardware information

•

We recommend that you install a VGA card on the primary (blue) PCI

Express slot and install any other PCI Express device on the

secondary (black) PCI Express slot.

•

In CrossFire™ mode, each PCI Express x16 slot works at x8

bandwidth.

In CrossFire™ mode, install the ATI CrossFire™ Edition

(Master) graphics card on the primary (blue) PCI

Express slot; otherwise, the system will not boot.

•

Refer to the table below for possible PCI Express Card

configurations.

PCI Express x16 slot configurations

PCIEX16_1 (blue) slot

PCIEX16_2 (black) slot

Card Type

Speed

Card Type

Speed

Single

graphics

card*

PCIe x16 graphics card

x16

MVP Switch Card

PCIe x16 graphics card

PCIe devices (non-VGA) x8, x4, x1

Dual

graphics

cards in

CrossFire™

mode**

ATI CrossFire Edition

graphics card

ATI graphics card

Install the MVP Switch Card on the black PCI Express slot. Remove it

only when you want to install other devices.

** Install two ATI graphics cards from the same GPU family.

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-17

2.6 Jumper

Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC)

This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS.

You 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.

To erase the RTC RAM:

1. Turn 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 CLRTC

jumper default position. Removing the cap will cause system boot failure!

A8R-MVP

CLRTC

1 2

2 3

Normal

Clear RTC

A8R-MVP Clear RTC RAM

(Default)

You 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.

2-18

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. 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.

LAN port LED indications

ACT/LINK

L E D

SPEED

L E D

ACT/LINK LED

SPEED LED

Description

10Mbps connection

Status

Description

No link

Status

OFF

GREEN

BLINKING

Linked

ORANGE 100Mbps connection

GREEN 1Gbps connection

Acting

LAN port

5 . Line In port (light blue). This port connects a tape, CD, DVD

player, or other audio sources.

6 . Line Out port (lime). This port connects a headphone or a

speaker. In 4/6-channel configuration, the function of this port

becomes Front Speaker Out.

7 . Microphone port (pink). This port connects a microphone.

Refer to the audio configuration table on the next page for the function

of the audio ports in 2, 4, or 6-channel configuration.

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-19

Audio 2, 4, or 6-channel configuration

Port

Headset

4-speaker

6-speaker

2-speaker

Light Blue

Lime

Line In

Line Out

Mic In

Surround Out

Front Speaker Out

Mic

Surround Out

Front Speaker Out

Center/Bass

Pink

8 . USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus

(USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.

9 . USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus

(USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.

10. Serial port. This 9-pin COM1 port is for pointing devices or other

serial devices.

11. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port. This port connects an external audio

output device via a coaxial S/PDIF cable.

12. PS/2 keyboard port (purple). This port is for a PS/2 keyboard.

2-20

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.7.2 Internal connectors

1 . Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)

This connector is for the provided floppy 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 floppy disk drive.

Pin 5 on the connector is removed to prevent incorrect cable connection

when using an FDD cable with a covered Pin 5.

PIN 1

FLOPPY

NOTE: Orient the red markings on

the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1.

A8R-MVP

A8R-MVP Floppy disk drive connector

2 . IDE connectors (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, 40-1 pin SEC_IDE)

This connector is for an Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cable. The Ultra

DMA 133/100/66 signal cable has three connectors: a blue connector

for the primary IDE connector on the motherboard, a black connector

for an Ultra DMA 133/100/66 IDE slave device (optical drive/hard disk

drive), and a gray connector for an Ultra DMA 133/100/66 IDE master

device (hard disk drive). If you install two hard disk drives, you must

configure the second drive as a slave device by setting its jumper

accordingly. Refer to the hard disk documentation for the jumper

settings.

•

Pin 20 on the IDE connector is removed to match the covered hole

on the Ultra DMA cable connector. This prevents incorrect insertion

when you connect the IDE cable.

Use the 80-conductor IDE cable for Ultra DMA 133/100/66 IDE

devices.

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-21

NOTE: Orient the red markings

(usually zigzag) on the IDE

ribbon cable to PIN 1.

A8R-MVP

PIN 1

A8R-MVP IDE connectors

3 . Serial ATA connectors

(7-pin SATA1 [red], SATA2 [red], SATA3 [black],

SATA4 [black])

These connectors are for the Serial ATA signal cables for Serial ATA

hard disk drives.

If you installed Serial ATA hard disk drives, you can can create a

RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD configuration. Refer to

Chapter 5 for information on creating a RAID configuration.

Enable the Serial ATA Controller and Onboard SATA Boot ROM

items in the BIOS if you want to use the Serial ATA RAID feature. See

section “4.3.5 Storage Configuration” for details.

SATA4

SATA2

SATA3

SATA1

GND

RSATA_TXP4

RSATA_TXN4

GND

RSATA_RXP4

RSATA_RXN4

GND

RSATA_TXP3

RSATA_TXN3

GND

RSATA_RXP3

RSATA_RXN3

GND

A8R-MVP

GND

RSATA_TXP2

RSATA_TXN2

GND

RSATA_TXP1

RSATA_TXN1

GND

RSATA_RXP2

RSATA_RXN2

GND

RSATA_RXP1

RSATA_RXN1

GND

A8R-MVP SATA connectors

•

Plug your Serial ATA boot disk on the master port (SATA1/2 to

support S3 function).

Install the Windows^®2000 Service Pack 4 or the Windows^®XP

Service Pack1 or later when using Serial ATA.

2-22

Chapter 2: Hardware information

Serial ATA hard disk drive connection

Connector

Color

Red

Setting

Master

Slave

U s e

SATA1/SATA2

SATA3/SATA4

Boot disk

Data Disk

Black

4 . CPU, Chassis, and Power fan connectors

(3-pin CPU_FAN, 3-pin CHA_FAN, 3-pin PWR_FAN)

The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350 mA ~ 2000 mA (24 W

max.) or a total of 1 A ~ 3.48 A (41.76 W max.) at +12 V. 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.

Insufficient air flow inside the system may damage the motherboard

components. These are not jumpers! DO NOT place jumper caps on the

fan connectors.

CPU_FAN

CHA_FAN

GND

+12V

Rotation

A8R-MVP

PWR_FAN

A8R-MVP Fan connectors

Only the CPU_FAN and CHA_FAN connectors support the

ASUS Q-Fan 2 feature.

For some chassis models with short 3-pin chassis fan cable, connect the

cable to the PWR_FAN connector.

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-23

5 . USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB78_WFG)

These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the USB/GAME

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 specification that supports up to 480 Mbps

connection speed.

USB78_WFG

A8R-MVP

USB56

A8R-MVP USB 2.0 connectors

Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors. Doing so will

damage the motherboard!

6 . Power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V, 4-pin

EZ_PLUG)

These connectors are for an ATX power supply. The plugs from the

power supply are designed to fit these connectors in only one

orientation. Find the proper orientation and push down firmly until the

connectors completely fit.

ATX12V

EATXPWR

+12V DC

GND

+12V DC

GND

+3 Volts

+12 Volts

Ground

+5 Volts

-5 Volts

Ground

PSON#

Ground

-12 Volts

+3 Volts

+5V Standby

Power OK

Ground

EZ_PLUG

A8R-MVP

+5 Volts

Ground

+5 Volts

Ground

+3 Volts

A8R-MVP ATX power connectors

2-24

Chapter 2: Hardware information

•

For a fully-configured system, we recommend that you use a power

supply unit (PSU) that complies with ATX 12 V Specification 2.0 (or

later version) and provides a minimum power of 400 W.

•

Do not forget to connect the 4-pin ATX +12 V power plug;

otherwise, the system will not boot up.

Make sure to connect the EZ Plug™ when using two PCI Express

graphcis card and a 20-pin ATX power supply unit; otherwise, the

system will be unstable.

•

The ATX 12 V Specification 2.0 compliant (400 W) PSU has been

tested to support the below configuration:

CPU:

AMD FX-57

Memory:

512 MB DDR (x4)

Graphics card: PCI Express x16 ATI X850

Hard disk:

ATAPI:

SATA HD (x2)

CD-ROM (x1)

•

Use of a PSU with a higher power output is recommended when

configuring a system with more power-consuming devices. The

system may become unstable or may not boot up if the power is

inadequate.

•

If you want to use the ATI CrossFire™ Graphics solution, use a PSU

with 500 ~ 600 W power to ensure system stability.

7 . GAME/MIDI port connector (16-1 pin GAME)

This connector is for a GAME/MIDI port. Connect the USB/GAME

module cable to this connector, then install the module to a slot

opening at the back of the system chassis. The GAME/MIDI port

connects a joystick or game pad for playing games, and MIDI devices

for playing or editing audio files.

A8R-MVP

GAME

A8R-MVP Game connector

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-25

8 . IEEE 1394a connector (10-1 pin IE1394_1)

This connector is for an 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.

A8R-MVP

IE1394_1

A8R-MVP IEEE 1394 connector

NEVER connect a USB cable to the IEEE 1394a connector. Doing so

will damage the motherboard!

9 . 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 pins labeled “Chassis Signal” and “Ground” are shorted

with a jumper cap. Remove the jumper caps only when you intend to

use the chassis intrusion detection feature.

CHASSIS

A8R-MVP

(Default)

A8R-MVP Chassis intrusion connector

2-26

Chapter 2: Hardware information

10. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP)

This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O module

that supports either HD Audio or legacy AC ‘97 audio standard.

Connect one end of the front panel audio I/O module cable to this

connector.

AAFP

Azalia

compliant definition

Legacy AC’97

compliant definition

A8R-MVP

A8R-MVP Analog front panel connector

•

We recommend that you connect a high-definition front panel audio

module to this connector to avail of the motherboard’s

high-definition audio capability.

Make sure the HD Audio item in the BIOS is set to [Enabled] to avail

of the motherboard’s high-definition audio capability. See sectoin

“4.4.4 Onboard Devices Configuration” for details.

11. Internal audio connectors

(4-pin CD [black], 4-pin AUX [white])

These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound

sources such as a CD-ROM, TV tuner, or MPEG card.

CD (Black)

AUX (White)

Left Audio Channel

A8R-MVP

Ground

Right Audio Channel

A8R-MVP Internal audio connectors

ASUS A8R-MVP

2-27

12. System panel connector (20-pin PANEL)

This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.

PLED

SPEAKER

PANEL

A8R-MVP

IDE_LED

RESET

PWRSW

* Requires an ATX power supply.

A8R-MVP System Panel connector

The sytem panel connector is color-coded for easy connection. Refer to

the connector description below for details.

•

System power LED (Green 3-pin PLED)

This 3-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 (Red 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 flashes

when data is read from or written to the HDD.

•

System warning speaker (Orange 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.

Power/Soft-off button (Yellow 2-pin PWRSW)

This connector is for the system power button. Pressing the power

button turns the system ON or puts the system in SLEEP or SOFT-OFF

mode depending on the BIOS settings. Pressing the power switch for

more than four seconds while the system is ON turns the system OFF.

•

Reset button (Blue 2-pin RESET)

This 2-pin connector is for the chassis-mounted reset button for

system reboot without turning off the system power.

2-28

Chapter 2: Hardware information

This chapter describes the power up

sequence, the vocal POST messages,

and ways of shutting down the

system.

Powering up

Chapter summary

3.1

3.2

Starting up for the first time................................................ 3-1

Powering off the computer .................................................. 3-2

ASUS A8R-MVP

3.1 Starting up for the first 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. Turn 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 withATX power supplies, the system

LED lights up when you press the ATX power button. If your monitor

complies with “green” standards or if it has a “power standby”

feature, the monitor LED may light up or switch between orange and

green after the system LED turns on.

The system then runs the power-on self tests or POST. 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 turned on the power,

the system may have failed a power-on test. Check the jumper

settings and connections or call your retailer for assistance.

AMI BIOS beep codes

Beep Description

One beep

Error

Keyboard controller error

Refresh Time error

No master drive detected

Two continuous beeps followed by

two short beeps

Floppy controller failure

Two continuous beeps followed by

four short beeps

Hardware component failure

7. At power on, hold down the <Delete> key to enter the BIOS Setup.

Follow the instructions in Chapter 4.

ASUS A8R-MVP

3-1

3.2 Powering off the computer

3.2.1 Using the OS shut down function

If you are using Windows^®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^®shuts down.

If you are using Windows^®XP:

1. Click the Start button then select Turn Off Computer.

2. Click the Turn Off button to shut down the computer.

3. The power supply should turn off after Windows^®shuts down.

3.2.2 Using the dual function power switch

While the system is ON, pressing the power switch for less than four

seconds puts the system to sleep mode or to soft-off mode, depending on

the BIOS setting. Pressing the power switch for more than four seconds

lets the system enter the soft-off mode regardless of the BIOS setting.

Refer to section “4.5 Power Menu” in Chapter 4 for details.

3-2

Chapter 3: Powering up

This chapter tells how to change

the system settings through the BIOS

Setup menus. Detailed descriptions

of the BIOS parameters are also

provided.

BIOS setup

Chapter summary

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

4.7

Managing and updating your BIOS ........................................ 4-1

BIOS setup program ...........................................................4-11

Main menu ..........................................................................4-14

Advanced menu..................................................................4-18

Power menu........................................................................4-32

Boot menu ..........................................................................4-37

Exit menu ...........................................................................4-42

ASUS A8R-MVP

4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS

The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) setup.

1. ASUS Update (Updates the BIOS in Windows^®environment.)

2. ASUS EZ Flash (Updates the BIOS using a floppy disk during POST.)

3. ASUS AFUDOS (Updates the BIOS in DOS mode using a bootable

floppy disk.)

4. ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 (Updates the BIOS using a bootable

floppy disk or the motherboard support CD when the BIOS file fails or

gets corrupted.)

Refer to the corresponding sections for details on these utilities.

Save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS file to a bootable floppy

disk in case you need to restore the BIOS in the future. Copy the original

motherboard BIOS using the ASUS Update or AFUDOS utilities.

4.1.1 ASUS Update utility

The ASUS Update is a utility that allows you to manage, save, and update

the motherboard BIOS in Windows^®environment. The ASUS Update utility

allows you to:

• Save the current BIOS file

• Download the latest BIOS file from the Internet

• Update the BIOS from an updated BIOS file

• 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).

Installing ASUS Update

To 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.

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-1

Quit all Windows^®applications before you update the BIOS using this

utility.

Updating the BIOS through the Internet

To update the BIOS through the Internet:

1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows^®desktop by

clicking Start > Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate >

ASUSUpdate. The ASUS Update main window appears.

2. Select Update BIOS from

the Internet option from the

drop-down menu, then click

Next.

3. Select the ASUS FTP site

nearest you to avoid network

traffic, or click Auto Select.

Click Next.

4-2

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

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.

Updating the BIOS through a BIOS file

To update the BIOS through a BIOS file:

1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows^®desktop by

clicking Start > Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate >

ASUSUpdate. The ASUS Update main window appears.

2. Select Update BIOS from a

file option from the drop-down

menu, then click Next.

3. Locate the BIOS file from the

Open window, then click Save.

4. Follow the screen instructions to

complete the update process.

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-3

4.1.2 Creating a bootable floppy disk

1. Do either one of the following to create a bootable floppy disk.

DOS environment

a. Insert a 1.44MB floppy disk into the drive.

b. At the DOS prompt, type format A:/S then press <Enter>.

Windows^®XP environment

a. Insert a 1.44 MB floppy disk to the floppy disk drive.

b. Click Start from the Windows^®desktop, then select M y

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 field, then click Start.

Windows^®2000 environment

To create a set of boot disks for Windows^®2000:

a. Insert a formatted, high density 1.44 MB floppy disk into the drive.

b. Insert the Windows^®2000 CD to the optical drive.

c. Click Start, then select Run.

d. From the Open field, 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 file to the bootable

floppy disk.

4-4

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.1.3 ASUS EZ Flash utility

The ASUS EZ Flash feature allows you to update the BIOS without having to

go through the long process of booting from a floppy disk and using a

DOS-based utility. The EZ Flash utility is built-in the BIOS chip so it is

accessible by pressing <Alt> + <F2> during the Power-On Self Tests

(POST).

To update the BIOS using EZ Flash:

1. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) to download the latest BIOS

file for the motherboard and rename the same to A8R-MVP.ROM.

2. Save the BIOS file to a floppy disk, then restart the system.

3. Press <Alt> + <F2> during POST to display the following.

EZFlash starting BIOS update

Checking for floppy...

4. Insert the floppy disk that contains the BIOS file to the floppy disk

drive. When the correct BIOS file is found, EZ Flash performs the BIOS

update process and automatically reboots the system when done.

EZFlash starting BIOS update

Checking for floppy...

Floppy found!

Reading file “A8R-MVP.ROM”. Completed.

Start erasing.......|

Start programming...|

Flashed successfully. Rebooting.

•

Do not shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to

prevent system boot failure!

A “Floppy not found!” error message appears if there is no floppy

disk in the drive. A “A8R-MVP.ROM not found!” error message

appears if the correct BIOS file is not found in the floppy disk. Make

sure that you rename the BIOS file to A8R-MVP.ROM.

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-5

4.1.4 AFUDOS utility

The AFUDOS utility allows you to update the BIOS file in DOS environment

using a bootable floppy disk with the updated BIOS file. This utility also

allows you to copy the current BIOS file that you can use as backup when

the BIOS fails or gets corrupted during the updating process.

Copying the current BIOS

To copy the current BIOS file using the AFUDOS utility:

•

Make sure that the floppy disk is not write-protected and has at

least 600 KB free space to save the file.

The succeeding BIOS screens are for reference only. The actual BIOS

screen displays may not be exactly the same as shown.

1. Copy the AFUDOS utility (afudos.exe) from the motherboard support

CD to the bootable floppy disk you created earlier.

2. Boot the system in DOS mode, then at the prompt type:

afudos /o[filename]

where the [filename] is any user-assigned filename not more than

eight alphanumeric characters for the main filename and three

alphanumeric characters for the extension name.

A:\>afudos /oOLDBIOS1.ROM

Main filename

Extension name

3. Press <Enter>. The utility copies the current BIOS file to the floppy

disk.

A:\>afudos /oOLDBIOS1.ROM

AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.10

Reading flash ..... done

A:\>

The utility returns to the DOS prompt after copying the current BIOS

file.

4-6

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

Updating the BIOS file

To update the BIOS file using the AFUDOS utility:

1. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) and download the latest BIOS

file for the motherboard. Save the BIOS file to a bootable floppy disk.

Write the BIOS filename on a piece of paper. You need to type the exact

BIOS filename at the DOS prompt.

2. Copy the AFUDOS utility (afudos.exe) from the motherboard support

CD to the bootable floppy disk you created earlier.

3. Boot the system in DOS mode, then at the prompt type:

afudos /i[filename]

where [filename] is the latest or the original BIOS file on the bootable

floppy disk.

A:\>afudos /iA8R-MVP.ROM

4. The utility verifies the file and starts updating the BIOS.

A:\>afudos /iA8R-MVP.ROM

AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.19(ASUS V2.07(03.11.24BB))

WARNING!! Do not turn off power during flash BIOS

Reading file ..... done

Reading flash .... done

Advance Check........

Erasing flash .... done

Writing flash .... 0x0008CC00 (9%)

Do not shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to

prevent system boot failure!

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-7

5. The utility returns to the DOS prompt after the BIOS update process is

completed. Reboot the system from the hard disk drive.

A:\>afudos /iA8R-MVP.ROM

AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.19(ASUS V2.07(03.11.24BB))

WARNING!! Do not turn off power during flash BIOS

Reading file ..... done

Reading flash .... done

Search bootblock version

Advance Check.........

Erasing flash ..... done

Writing flash ..... done

Verifying flash ... done

Please restart your computer

A:\>

4-8

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.1.5 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility

The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to

restore the BIOS file when it fails or gets corrupted during the updating

process. You can update a corrupted BIOS file using the motherboard

support CD or the floppy disk that contains the updated BIOS file.

•

Prepare the motherboard support CD or the floppy disk containing

the updated motherboard BIOS before using this utility.

Make sure that you rename the original or updated BIOS file in the

floppy disk to A8R-MVP.ROM.

Recovering the BIOS from a floppy disk

To recover the BIOS from a floppy disk:

1. Turn on the system.

2. Insert the floppy disk with the original or updated BIOS file to the

floppy disk drive.

3. The utility displays the following message and automatically checks

the floppy disk for the original or updated BIOS file.

Bad BIOS checksum. Starting BIOS recovery...

Checking for floppy...

When found, the utility reads the BIOS file and starts flashing the

corrupted BIOS file.

Bad BIOS checksum. Starting BIOS recovery...

Checking for floppy...

Floppy found!

Reading file “A8R-MVP.ROM”. Completed.

Start flashing...

DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS! Doing

so can cause system boot failure!

4. Restart the system after the utility completes the updating process.

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-9

Recovering the BIOS from the support CD

To recover the BIOS from the support CD:

1. Remove any floppy disk from the floppy disk drive, then turn on the

system.

2. Insert the support CD to the optical drive.

3. The utility displays the following message and automatically checks

the floppy disk for the original or updated BIOS file.

Bad BIOS checksum. Starting BIOS recovery...

Checking for floppy...

When no floppy disk is found, the utility automatically checks the

optical drive for the original or updated BIOS file. The utility then

updates the corrupted BIOS file.

Bad BIOS checksum. Starting BIOS recovery...

Checking for floppy...

Floppy not found!

Checking for CD-ROM...

CD-ROM found!

Reading file “A8R-MVP.ROM”. Completed.

Start flashing...

DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS! Doing

so can cause system boot failure!

4. Restart the system after the utility completes the updating process.

The recovered BIOS may not be the latest BIOS version for this

motherboard. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) to download the

latest BIOS file.

4-10

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.2 BIOS setup program

This motherboard supports a programmable firmware chip that you can

update using the provided utility described in section “4.1 Managing and

updating your BIOS.”

Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard,

reconfiguring your system, or prompted to “Run Setup.” This section

explains how to configure your system using this utility.

Even if you are not prompted to use the Setup program, you can change

the configuration 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 reconfigure your system using the BIOS

Setup program so that the computer can recognize these changes and

record them in the CMOS RAM or the firmware hub.

The firmware hub 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-Test (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.

You can also restart by turning the system off and then back on. Do this

last option only if the first 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 “4.7 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

file for this motherboard.

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-11

4.2.1 BIOS menu screen

Menu items

Menu bar

Configuration fields

General help

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot

Main

Advanced

Power

Exit

Use [ENTER], [TAB] or

[SHIFT-TAB] to select

a field.

System Time

System Date

Legacy Diskette A

[10:55:25]

[Mon 10/25/2005]

[1.44M, 3.5 in]

Primary IDE Master

Primary IDE Slave

Secondary IDE Master

Secondary IDE Slave

Third IDE Master

Third IDE Slave

Fourt IDE Master

Fourth IDE Slave

Storage Configuration

[ST320410A]

Use [+] or [-] to

configure the System

Time.

[ASUS CD-S520/A]

[Not Detected]

Select Screen

Select Item

Enter Go to Sub Screen

Tab

F10

ESC

Select Field

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

System Information

Sub-menu items

Navigation keys

4.2.2 Menu bar

The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items:

Main

For changing the basic system configuration

Advanced For changing the advanced system settings

Power

For changing the advanced power management (APM)

configuration

Boot

Exit

For changing the system boot configuration

For selecting the exit options and loading default

settings

To select an item on the menu bar, press the right or left arrow key on the

keyboard until the desired item is highlighted.

4.2.3 Navigation keys

At the bottom right corner of a menu screen are the navigation keys for

that particular menu. Use the navigation keys to select items in the menu

and change the settings.

Some of the navigation keys differ from one screen to another.

4-12

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.2.4 Menu items

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Main

Advanced Power

Boot

Exit

Use [ENTER], [TAB],

or [SHIFT-TAB] to

select a field.

System Time

[10:55:25]

The highlighted item on the menu

bar displays the specific items for

that menu. For example, selecting

Main shows the Main menu items.

System Date

[Wed 10/25/2005]

Legacy Diskette A

[1.44M, 3.5 in.]

Primary IDE Master [ST320410A]

Primary IDE Slave [ASUS CD-S520/A]

Secondary IDE Master[Not Detected]

Use [+] or [-] to

configure system

time.

Secondary IDE Slave [Not Detected]

Third IDE Master

Third IDE Slave

Fourth IDE Master

Fourth IDE Slave

[Not Detected]

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Field

Select Field

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

Tab

F10

ESC

Storage Configuration

System Information

The other items (Advanced,

Power, Boot, and Exit) on the

menu bar have their respective

menu items.

Main menu items

4.2.5 Sub-menu items

A solid triangle before each item on any menu screen means that the iteam

has a sub-menu. To display the sub-menu, select the item and press

<Enter>.

4.2.6 Configuration fields

These fields show the values for the menu items. If an item is user-

configurable, you can change the value of the field opposite the item. You

cannot select an item that is not user-configurable.

A configurable field is enclosed in brackets, and is highlighted when

selected. To change the value of a field, select it then press <Enter> to

display a list of options. Refer to “4.2.7 Pop-up window.”

4.2.7 Pop-up window

Select a menu item then press <Enter> to display a pop-up window with

the configuration options for that item.

4.2.8 Scroll bar

Advanced PCI/PnP Settings

WARNING: Setting wrong values in

below sections may cause system to

malfunction.

A scroll bar appears on the right

Plug And Play O/S

PCI Latency Timer

Allocate IRQ to PCI VGA

Palette Snooping

[No]

[64]

[Yes]

[Disabled]

[Enabled]

side of a menu screen when there

are items that do not fit on the

screen. Press the

PCI IDE BusMaster

Up/Down arrow keys or <Page

Up> /<Page Down> keys to

display the other items on the

screen.

Pop-up window

Scroll bar

4.2.9 General help

At the top right corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the

selected item.

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-13

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.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot

Main

Advanced

Power

Exit

Use [ENTER], [TAB] or

[SHIFT-TAB] to select

a field.

System Time

System Date

Legacy Diskette A

[10:55:25]

[Mon 10/25/2005]

[1.44M, 3.5 in]

Primary IDE Master

Primary IDE Slave

Secondary IDE Master

Secondary IDE Slave

Third IDE Master

Third IDE Slave

Fourth IDE Master

Fourth IDE Slave

[ST320410A]

Use [+] or [-] to

configure the System

Time.

[ASUS CD-S520/A]

[Not Detected]

Select Screen

Select Item

Enter Go to Sub Screen

Storage Configuration

System Information

Tab

F10

ESC

Select Field

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

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 floppy drive installed. Configuration options: [Disabled]

[360K, 5.25 in.] [1.2M , 5.25 in.] [720K , 3.5 in.] [1.44M, 3.5 in.]

[2.88M, 3.5 in.]

4-14

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.3.4 Primary, Secondary, Third, and Fourth

IDE Master/Slave

The BIOS automatically detects the connected 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.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Main

Primary IDE Master

Select the type of

device connected to

the system.

Device

Vendor

Size

: Hard Disk

: ST320413A

: 20.0GB

LBA Mode

Block Mode

PIO Mode

Async DMA

Ultra DMA

: Supported

: 16 Sectors

: 4

: MultiWord DMA-2

: Ultra DMA-6

SMART Monitoring: Supported

Type

LBA/Large Mode

Block(Multi-sector Transfer M [Auto]

PIO Mode

DMA Mode

SMART Monitoring

32Bit Data Transfer

[Auto]

Select Screen

Select Item

[Auto]

[Disabled]

+- Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

F10

ESC

The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed items

(Device, Vendor, Size, LBA Mode, Block Mode, PIO Mode, Async DMA, Ultra

DMA, and SMART monitoring). These values are not user-configurable.

These items show N/A if no IDE device is installed in the system.

Type [Auto]

Selects the type of IDE drive. Setting to [Auto] allows automatic selection

of the appropriate IDE device type. Select [CDROM] if you are specifically

configuring a CD-ROM drive. Select [ARMD] (ATAPI Removable Media

Device) if your device is either a ZIP, LS-120, or MO drive.

Configuration options: [Not Installed] [Auto] [CDROM] [ARMD]

LBA/Large Mode [Auto]

Enables or disables the LBA mode. Setting to [Auto] enables the LBA mode

if the device supports this mode, and if the device was not previously

formatted with LBA mode disabled. Configuration options: [Disabled]

[Auto]

Block (Multi-sector Transfer) M [Auto]

Enables or disables data multi-sectors transfers. When set to [Auto], the

data transfer from and to the device occurs multiple sectors at a time if

the device supports multi-sector transfer feature. When set to [Disabled],

the data transfer from and to the device occurs one sector at a time.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Auto]

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-15

PIO Mode [Auto]

Selects the PIO mode.

Configuration options: [Auto] [0] [1] [2] [3] [4]

DMA Mode [Auto]

Selects the DMA mode. Configuration options: [Auto] [SWDMA0]

[SWDMA1] [SWDMA2] [MWDMA0] [MWDMA1] [MWDMA2] [UDMA0]

[UDMA1] [UDMA2] [UDMA3] [UDMA4] [UDMA5] [UDMA6]

SMART Monitoring [Auto]

Sets the Smart Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology.

Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] [Enabled]

32Bit Data Transfer [Disabled]

Enables or disables 32-bit data transfer.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

4.3.5 Storage Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Main

Storage Configuration

Options

Disabled

Enabled

Serial ATA Controller

Onboard SATA Boot ROM

SATA Mode Selection

[Enabled]

[Disabled]

[Emulated PATA Mode]

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

F10

ESC

Serial ATA Controller [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the Serial ATA controller.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

4-16

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

The succeeding items appear only if the Serial ATA Controller item

is set to [Enabled].

Onboard SATA Boot ROM [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the onboard Serial ATA Boot ROM.

Set this item to [Enabled] to configure Serial ATA RAID.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

SATA Mode Selection [Emulated PATA Mode]

Allows you to select the Serial ATA mode.

Configuration options: [Emulated PATA Mode] [AHCI Mode]

4.3.6 System Information

This menu gives you an overview of the general system specifications. The

BIOS automatically detects the items in this menu.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Main

AMIBIOS

Version

: 0127

Build Date : 10/25/05

Processor

Type

Speed

Count

: AMD Athlon (tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor

: 2400 MHz

: 2

System Memory

Size

: 512 MB

Select Screen

Select Item

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

F10

ESC

AMI BIOS

Displays the auto-detected BIOS information.

Processor

Displays the auto-detected CPU specification.

System Memory

Displays the auto-detected system memory.

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-17

4.4 Advanced menu

The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU

and other system devices.

Take caution when changing the settings of the Advanced menu items.

Incorrect field values can cause the system to malfunction.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot

Main

Advanced

Power

Exit

Jumperfree Configuration

CPU Configuration

Chipset

Onboard Devices Configuration

PCI PnP

LAN Cable Status

USB Configuration

Select Screen

Select Item

Enter Go to Sub Screen

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

4.4.1 JumperFree Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced

Configure System Frequency/Voltage

AI Overclocking

PCIE Frequency

[Auto]

[100]

FID/VID Change

DDR Voltage

PCI-Express Voltage

VCORE Over Voltage

Southbridge Over-voltage

[Auto]

[+1.20V]

[Disable]

[Auto]

PEG Link Mode

PEG Buffer Length

[Auto]

Select Screen

Select Item

Enter Go to Subscreen

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

4-18

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

AI Overclocking [Auto]

Allows you to select the overclocking options to achieve the desired CPU

internal frequency. Select either one of the preset overclocking

configiuration options.

Setting

Description

Manual

allows you to individually set overclocking parameters.

loads the optimal settings for the system.

loads the standard settings for the system.

Auto

Standard

Overclock Profile

loads overclocking profiles with optimal

parameters for stability when overclocking.

PCIE Frequency [100]

Allows you to set the PCI Express frequency. Use the <+>/<-> key or the

number keys to set the value. Configuration options: [100] ~ [150]

FID/VID Change [Auto]

When set to [Auto], FID/VID will be set at the rated frequency/voltage.

When set to [Manual], FID/VID will be set based on the user selection.

The following items appear only when the FID/VID Change item is

set to [Manual].

Processor Frequency Multiplier [x4]

Allows you to set the processor frequency multiplier.

Configuration options: [x4] [x4.5] [x5]... [x25.5]

Processor Voltage [1.350 V]

Allows you to set the processor voltage.

Configuration options: [1.350 V] [1.325 V] [1.300 V]... [0.800 V]

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DDR Voltage [Auto]

Allows you to set the DDR memory voltage.

Configuration options: [Auto] [2.65 V] [2.70 V] [2.80 V] [2.85 V]

[2.90 V] [3.00 V] [3.10 V] [3.20 V]

Setting a very high voltage may damage the component permanently.

Setting a very low voltage may cause the system to become unstable.

PCI-Express Voltage [+1.20V]

Allows you to set the PCI Express voltage.

Configuration options: [+1.20V] [+1.30V] [+1.40V] [+1.50V]

Setting a very high voltage may damage the component permanently.

Setting a very low voltage may cause the system to become unstable.

VCORE Over-voltage [Disable]

Allows you to enable or disable VCORE over-voltage.

Configuration options: [Disable] [Enable]

Southbridge Over-voltage [Disable]

Configuration options: [Auto] [Disable] [Enable]

PEG Link Mode [Auto]

Sets the PCI Express graphics (PEG) link mode. Setting this item to [Auto]

allows the motherboard to automatically adjust the PCI Express graphics

link mode to the correct frequency based on the system configuration.

Three additional settings are available for overclocking the PEG Link Mode.

Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] [Normal] [Fast] [Faster]

PEG Buffer Length [Auto]

Allows you to set the PEG buffer length.

Configuration options: [Auto] [Short] [Long] [Longer] [Longest]

4-20

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

The following item appears only when you set the AI Overclocking

item to [Manual].

CPU Frequency [XXX]

Allows you to adjust the CPU frequency. The value of this item is

auto-detected by the BIOS. Use the <+> and <-> keys to adjust the CPU

FSB frequency. You can also type the desired CPU frequency using the

numeric keypad. The values range from 200 to 400.

The following item appears only when you set the AI Overclocking

item to [Ovrerclock Profile].

Overclock Options [Overclock 5%]

Allows you to overclock the CPU speed through the available preset values.

Configuration options: [Overclock 3%] [Overclock 5%] [Overclock 10%]

[Overclock 15%] [Overclock 20%] [Overclock 30%]

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4-21

4.4.2 CPU Configuration

The items in this menu show the CPU-related information that the BIOS

automatically detects.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced

CPU Configuration

This option should

remain disabled for

the normal operation.

The driver developer

may enable it for

testing purpose.

Module Version: 14.08

Physical Count: 1

Logical Count: 2

AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4600+

Revision: E6

Cache L1: 128*2 KB

Cache L2: 512*2 KB

Speed: 2400 MHz

Current FSB Multiplier: 12x

Maximum FSB Multiplier: 12x

Able to Change Freq: Yes

uCode Patch Level: 0x4D

Select Screen

Select Item

Change Option

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

GART Error Reporting

MTRR Mapping

Cool `n’ Quiet

HT Link Speed

[Disabled]

[Continuous]

[Disabled]

[Auto]

F10

ESC

Memory Configuration

GART Error Reporting [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable GART error checking for testing purposes.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

MTRR Mapping [Continuous]

Determines the method used for programming processor MTRRs when using

more than 4 GB of system memory. Setting to [Discrete] leaves the PCI

hole below the 4 GB boundary undescribed. [Continuous] explicitly

describes the PCI hole as non-cacheable. Configuration options:

[Continuous] [Discrete]

Cool ‘n’ Quiet [Disabled]

Enables or disables the Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ technology feature.

Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

HT Link Speed [Auto]

Allows you to set the speed at which the HyperTransport link will run if the

speed is lower than or equal to the system clock and if the board is

capable. Configuration options: [Auto] [200 MHz] [400 MHz] [600 MHz]

[800 MHz] [1 GHz]

4-22

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

Memory Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced

Memory Configuration

Memory Timing Configuration

ECC Configuration

Memory CLK

CAS Latency (Tcl)

: 166 MHz

: 2.5

RAS/CAS Delay (Trcd)

Min Active RAS (Tras)

Row Precharge Time (Trp)

RAS/RAS Delay (Trrd)

Row Cycle (Trc)

Row Refresh Cycle (Trfc)

Read Write Delay (Trwt)

Read Preamble

: 3 CLK

: 7 CLK

: 3 CLK

: 2 CLK

: 10 CLK

: 12 CLK

: 4 CLK

: 6.0 ns

: 7 ns

Select Screen

Select Item

+- Change Option

Asynchronous Latency

General Help

F10 Save and Exit

ESC Exit

Memory Timing Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced

Memory Configuration

MEMCLK can be set by

the code using AUTO,

or if you use LIMIT,

you can set one of

the standard values.

Memclock Mode

[Auto]

[4 Beats]

[Disabled]

MCT Timing Mode

User Config Mode

Burst Length

HardWare Memory Hole

Select Screen

Select Item

+- Change Option

General Help

F10 Save and Exit

ESC Exit

Memclock Mode [Auto]

[Auto] allows the BIOS to set the memclock mode automatically.

[Limit] allows you to select from any of the standard values.

Configuration options: [Auto] [Limit]

The following item appears when the Memclock Mode item is set to

[Limit].

Memclock Value [200 MHz]

Allows you to set the memclock value.

Configuration options: [100 MHz] [133 MHz] [166 MHz] [183 MHz] [200 MHz]

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4-23

MCT Timing Mode [Auto]

[Auto] allows the BIOS to set the MCT timing mode automatically.

[Manual] allows you to set the values by yourself.

Configuration options: [Auto] [Manual]

The following items appear when the MCT Timing Mode item is set

to [Manual].

CAS Latency (CL) [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [2.0] [3.0] [2.5]

TRAS [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [5 CLK] [6 CLK]... [15 CLK]

TRP [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [2 CLK] [3 CLK]... [6 CLK]

TRCD [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [2 CLK] [3 CLK]... [6 CLK]

TRRD [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [2T] [3T] [4T]

TRC [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [7T] [8T] [9T]... [22T]

TRFC [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [9T] [10T] [11T]... [24T]

TRWT [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [1 CLK] [2 CLK]... [6 CLK]

User Config Mode [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [Manual]

The following items appear when the User Config Mode item is set

to [Manual].

Read Preamble [ 5.5ns]

Configuration options: [2.0ns] [2.5ns] [3.0ns]... [9.5ns]

Asyc Latency [ 7.0ns]

Configuration options: [4.0ns] [5.0ns] [6.0ns]... [11.0ns]

CMD-ADDR Timing Mode [ 2T]

Configuration options: [1T] [2T]

Burst length [4 Beats]

Sets the burst length.

Configuration options: [8 Beats] [4 Beats] [2 Beats]

4-24

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

Hardware Memory Hole [Disabled]

Enables or disables the software memory remapping around the

memory hole. Only REV E0 processors and above support this feature.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

ECC Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced

ECC Configuration

DRAM ECC allows

hardware to report and

correct memory errors

automatically,

maintaining system

integrity.

DRAM ECC Enable

MCA DRAM ECC Logging

ECC Chip Kill

DRAM SCRUB REDIRECT

DRAM BG Scrub

L2 Cache BG Scrub

Data Cache BG Scrub

[Enabled]

[Disabled]

Select Screen

Select Item

+- Change Option

General Help

F10 Save and Exit

ESC Exit

DRAM ECC Enable [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable DRAM ECC, which allows the hardware

to report and correct memory errors automatically to maintain system

integrity. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

MCA DRAM ECC Logging [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable MCA DRAM ECC logging/reporting.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

ECC Chip Kill [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable ECC chip kill.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

DRAM SCRUB REDIRECT [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable DRAM scrub redirect, which allows the system to

correct DRAM ECC errors immediately when they occur, even if background scrubbing is

on. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

DRAM BG Scrub [Disabled]

Allows DRAM scrubbing to correct memory errors so later reads are correct. Doing this

while memory is not being used improves performance. Configuration options:

[Disabled] [40ns] [80ns] [160ns] [320ns] [640ns] [1.28us] [2.56us] [5.12us]

[10.2us] [20.5 us] [41.0us] [81.9us] [163.8us] [327.7us] [655.4us] [1.31ms]

[2.62ms] [5.24ms] [10.49ms] [20.97ms] [42.00ms] [84.00ms]

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-25

L2 Cache BG Scrub [Disabled]

Allows the L2 Data Cache RAM to be corrected while idle.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [40ns] [80ns] [160ns] [320ns]

[640ns] [1.28us] [2.56us] [5.12us] [10.2us] [20.5 us] [41.0us]

[81.9us] [163.8us] [327.7us] [655.4us] [1.31ms] [2.62ms]

[5.24ms] [10.49ms] [20.97ms] [42.00ms] [84.00ms]

Data Cache BG Scrub [Disabled]

Allows the L1 Data Cache RAM to be corrected while idle.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [40ns] [80ns] [160ns] [320ns]

[640ns] [1.28us] [2.56us] [5.12us] [10.2us] [20.5 us] [41.0us]

[81.9us] [163.8us] [327.7us] [655.4us] [1.31ms] [2.62ms]

[5.24ms] [10.49ms] [20.97ms] [42.00ms] [84.00ms]

4.4.3 Chipset Configuration

The Chipset menu allows you to change the advanced chipset settings.

Select an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced

ATI RD480 Chipset Configuration

Dual-slot

configuration.

Dual-slot configuration [Auto]

RD800 HT PLL Control [Normal]

Select Screen

Select Item

+- Change Option

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

Dual-slot configuration [Auto]

When set to [Auto], the BIOS automatically sets the configuration for

either single or dual graphics cards. Configuration options: [Auto]

[Single Video Card] [Dual Video Cards]

If you set this item to [Single Video Card], you will not be able to enable

the Crossfire™ function even if you installed two Crossfire™-enabled

graphics cards. For optimum performance, we recommend that you keep

the default setting [Auto].

RD800 HT PLL Control [Normal]

Configuration options: [Normal] [Fast]

4-26

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.4.4 Onboard Devices Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced

Onboard Devices

HD Audio

Onboard LAN

Onboard LAN Boot ROM

Onboard IEEE1394

[Enabled]

[Disabled]

[Enabled

Configure ITE8712 Super IO Chipset

Serial Port1 Address

Parallel Port Address

Parallel Port Mode

EPP Version

[3F8/IRQ4]

[378]

[EPP+ECP]

[1.9]

[DMA3]

[IRQ7]

Select Screen

Select Item

ECP Mode DMA Channel

Parallel Port IRQ

+- Change Option

General Help

F10 Save and Exit

ESC Exit

Onboard Game Port

Onboard MIDI Port

MIDI IRQ Select

[Enabled]

[330]

[IRQ5]

HD Audio [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the HD Audio feature.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Onboard LAN [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the onchip MAC LAN.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]

This item allows you to enable or disable the MAC boot ROM. This item

appears only when the Onboard LAN item is set to [Enabled].

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Onboard IEEE1394 [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the onboard IEEE 1394a controller.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4]

Allows you to select the Serial Port1 base address.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [3F8/IRQ4] [2F8/IRQ3] [3E8/IRQ4]

[2E8/IRQ3]

Parallel Port Address [378]

Allows you to select the Parallel Port base addresses.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [378] [278]

Parallel Port Mode [EPP+ECP]

Allows you to select the Parallel Port mode.

Configuration options: [Normal] [EPP] [ECP] [EPP+ECP]

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4-27

EPP Version [1.9]

Appears only when the Parallel Port Mode is set to [EPP] or

[EPP+ECP]. Allows you to select the parallel port EPP version.

Configuration options: [1.9] [1.7]

ECP Mode DMA Channel [DMA3]

Appears only when the Parallel Port Mode is set to [EPP+ECP]or

[ECP]. This item allows you to set the Parallel Port ECP DMA.

Configuration options: [DMA0] [DMA1] [DMA3]

Parallel Port IRQ [IRQ7]

Allows you to select the parallel port IRQ.

Configuration options: [IRQ5] [IRQ7]

Onboard Game Port [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the onboard game port.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Onboard MIDI Port [330]

Allows you to select the MIDI Port address or to disable the port.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [300] [330]

MIDI IRQ Select [IRQ5]

This item allows the BIOS to select the MIDI port IRQs.

Configuration options: [IRQ5] [IRQ7] [IRQ10] [IRQ11]

4-28

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.4.5 PCI PnP

The PCI PnP menu items allow you to change the advanced settings for

PCI/PnP devices. The menu includes setting IRQ and DMA channel resources

for either PCI/PnP or legacy ISA devices, and setting the memory size block

for legacy ISA devices.

Take caution when changing the settings of the PCI PnP menu items.

Incorrect field values can cause the system to malfunction.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced

Advanced PCI/PnP Settings

NO: Lets the BIOS

configue all the

devices in the system.

YES: Lets the

WARNING: Setting wrong values in below sections

may cause system to malfunction.

Plug And Play O/S

PCI Latency Timer

Allocate IRQ to PCI VGA

[No]

[64]

[Yes]

operating system

configure Plug and

Play (PnP) devices not

required for boot if

your system has a Plug

and Play operating

system.

IRQ-3 assigned to

IRQ-4 assigned to

IRQ-5 assigned to

IRQ-7 assigned to

IRQ-9 assigned to

IRQ-10 assigned to

IRQ-11 assigned to

IRQ-14 assigned to

IRQ-15 assigned to

[PCI Device]

Select Screen

Select Item

+- Change Option

General Help

F10 Save and Exit

ESC Exit

Plug And Play O/S [No]

When set to [No], BIOS configures all the devices in the system. When set

to [Yes] and if you install a Plug and Play operating system, the operating

system configures the Plug and Play devices not required for boot.

Configuration options: [No] [Yes]

PCI Latency Timer [64]

Allows you to select the value in units of PCI clocks for the PCI device

latency timer register. Configuration options: [32] [64] [96] [128] [160]

[192] [224] [248]

Allocate IRQ to PCI VGA [Yes]

When set to [Yes], BIOS assigns an IRQ to PCI VGA card if the card

requests for an IRQ. When set to [No], BIOS does not assign an IRQ to the

PCI VGA card even if requested. Configuration options: [No] [Yes]

IRQ-xx assigned to [PCI Device]

When set to [PCI Device], the specific IRQ is free for use of PCI/PnP

devices. When set to [Reserved], the IRQ is reserved for legacy ISA

devices. Configuration options: [PCI Device] [Reserved]

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-29

4.4.6 LAN Cable Status

This menu displays the status of the Local Area Network (LAN) cable

connected to the LAN (RJ-45) port.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced

Check LAN cable

during POST.

POST Check LAN Cable

[Disabled]

LAN2 Cable Status

Pair

Status

Length

1-2

3-6

4-5

7-8

Open

0.0M

Select Screen

Select Item

+- Change Option

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

POST Check LAN Cable [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable LAN cable check during POST. When

enabled, the menu reports the cable faults or shorts, and displays the point

(length) where the fault or short is detected. Configuration options:

[Disabled] [Enabled]

4.4.7 USB Configuration

The items in this menu allows you to change the USB-related features.

Select an item then press <Enter> to display the configuration options.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced

USB Configuration

Module Version - 2.24.0-10.4

USB Devices Enabled: None

USB Controller

[USB1.1+2.0]

[Auto]

[HiSpeed]

[Enabled]

Legacy USB Support

USB 2.0 Controller Mode

BIOS EHCI Hand-off

USB Mass Storage Device Configuration

Select Screen

Select Item

+- Change Option

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

The Module Version and USB Devices Enabled items show the

auto-detected values. If no USB device is detected, the item shows

None.

4-30

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

USB Controller [USB1.1+2.0]

Allows you to disable the USB controllers, or choose which controller to

enable. Configuration options: [Disabled ] [USB1.1+2.0] [USB1.1 Only]

Legacy USB Support [Auto]

Allows you to enable or disable support for legacy USB devices. Setting to

[Auto] allows the system to detect the presence of USB devices at

startup. If detected, the USB controller legacy mode is enabled. If no USB

device is detected, the legacy USB support is disabled.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] [Auto]

USB 2.0 Controller Mode [HiSpeed]

Allows you to set the USB 2.0 controller mode to HiSpeed (480 Mbps) or

FullSpeed (12 Mbps). Configuration options: [HiSpeed] [FullSpeed]

BIOS EHCI Hand-off [Enabled]

Allows you to enable support for operating systems without an EHCI

hand-off feature. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

The following sub-menu and its related items appear only when you

plugged a USB device into a USB port.

USB Mass Storage Device Configuration

USB Mass Storage Reset Delay [Auto]

Sets the USB mass storage reset delay time in seconds.

Configuration options: [10] [20] [30] [40]

Emulation Type [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [Floppy] [Forced FDD] [HD] [CDROM]

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4-31

4.5 Power menu

The Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the ACPI and

Advanced Power Management (APM) features. Select an item then press

<Enter> to display the configuration options.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot

Main

Advanced

Power

Exit

Suspend Mode

[Auto]

[No]

[Enabled]

Repost Video on S3 Resume

ACPI 2.0 Support

ACPI APIC Support

APM Configuration

Hardware Monitor

Select Screen

Select Item

+- Change Field

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

4.5.1 Suspend Mode [Auto]

Allows you to select the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)

state to be used for system suspend. Setting this item to [Auto] allows the

OS to select the ACPI state. Configuration options: [S1 (POS) Only]

[S3 Only] [Auto]

4.5.2 Repost Video on S3 Resume [No]

Determines whether to invoke VGA BIOS POST on S3/STR resume.

Configuration options: [No] [Yes]

4.5.3 ACPI 2.0 Support [No]

Allows you to add more tables for Advanced Configuration and Power

Interface (ACPI) 2.0 specifications. Configuration options: [No] [Yes]

4.5.4 ACPI APIC Support [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the Advanced Configuration 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. Configuration options: [Disabled]

[Enabled]

4-32

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.5.5 APM Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Power

Power Button Mode

[On/Off]

Restore on AC Power Loss

Power On By PS/2 Keyboard

Power On By PS/2 Mouse

Power On By RTC Alarm

Power On By External Modems

Power On By PCI Devices

[Power Off]

[Disabled]

Select Screen

Select Item

+- Change Option

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

Power Button Mode [On/Off]

Allows the system to go into On/Off mode or suspend mode when the

power button is pressed. Configuration options: [On/Off] [Suspend]

Restore on AC Power Loss [Power Off]

When set to Power Off, the system goes into off state after an AC power

loss. When set to Power On, the system goes on after an AC power loss.

When set to Last State, the system goes into either off or on state,

whatever the system state was before the AC power loss.

Configuration options: [Power Off] [Power On] [Last State]

Power On By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled]

Allows you to use specific keys on the keyboard to turn on the system.

This feature requires an ATX power supply that provides at least 1A on the

+5VSB lead. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Power On 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 ATX power supply that

provides at least 1A on the +5VSB lead. Configuration options: [Disabled]

[Enabled]

Power On By RTC Alarm [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable RTC to generate a wake event.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

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4-33

The succeeding items appear when the Power On By RTC Alarm

item is set to Enabled.

RTC Alarm Date (Days) [Everyday]

To set the alarm date, highlight this item and press the <+> or <-> key to

make the selection.

RTC Alarm Hour (Hours) [0]

To set the alarm hour, highlight this item and press the <+> or <-> key to

make the selection.

RTC Alarm Minute (Minutes) [0]

To set the alarm minute, highlight this item and press the <+> or <-> key

to make the selection.

RTC Alarm Second (Seconds) [0]

To set the alarm second, highlight this item and press the <+> or <-> key

to make the selection.

Power On By External Modems [Disabled]

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. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

The computer cannot receive or transmit data until the computer and

applications are fully running. Thus, connection cannot be made on the

first try. Turning an external modem off and then back on while the

computer is off causes an initialization string that turns the system

power on.

Power On By PCI Devices [Disabled]

When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows you to turn on the system

through a PCI LAN or modem card. This feature requires an ATX power

supply that provides at least 1A on the +5VSB lead.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

4-34

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.5.6 Hardware Monitor

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Power

Hardware Monitor

CPU Temperature

MB Temperature

[32.5ºC/90.5ºF]

[36.0ºC/96.5ºF]

CPU Fan Speed

Chassis Fan Speed

Power Fan Speed

[3813 RPM]

[N/A]

VCORE Voltage

3.3V Voltage

5V Voltage

[ 1.320V]

[ 3.345V]

[ 5.094V]

[11.880V]

Select Screen

Select Item

12V Voltage

+- Change Option

CPU QFan Control

[Disabled]

General Help

F10 Save and Exit

ESC Exit

Chassis QFan Control

CPU Temperature [xxxºC/xxxºF]

MB Temperature [xxxºC/xxxºF]

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the

motherboard and CPU temperatures. Select [Ignored] if you do not wish to

display the detected temperatures.

CPU Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] or [Ignored]

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU

fan speed in rotations per minute (RPM). If the fan is not connected to the

motherboard, the field shows N/A. Select [Ignore] from the item options to

disable CPU fan speed monitoring.

Chassis Fan Speed N/A] or [Ignored]

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the

chassis fan speed in rotations per minute (RPM). If the fan is not connected

to the chassis, the specific field shows N/A. Select [Ignore] from the item

options to disable chassis fan speed monitoring.

Power Fan Speed [N/A] or [Ignored]

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the

power fan speed in rotations per minute (RPM). If the fan is not connected

to the power fan connector, the specific field shows N/A.

VCORE Voltage, 3.3V Voltage, 5V Voltage, 12V Voltage

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output

through the onboard voltage regulators.

ASUS A8R-MVP

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CPU QFan Control [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Q-Fan feature that smartly

adjusts the fan speeds for more efficient system operation. Configuration

options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

The following items appear when the CPU QFan Control item is set

to [Enabled].

CPUFan Off Temperature [XXX]

Allows you to specify the maximum CPU temperature at which the system

will shut down. Use the <+>/<-> key or use the numeric keypad to set the

value. Valid values range from [0] to [100].

CPUFan Start Temperature[XXX]

Allows you to set the CPU temperature at which the CPU fan starts. Use

the <+>/<-> key or use the numeric keypad to set the value. Valid values

range from [0] to [100].

CPUFan Full-speed Temperature[XXX]

Allows you to set the CPU temperature at which the CPU fan runs at full

speed. Use the <+>/<-> key or use the numeric keypad to set the value.

Valid values range from [0] to [100].

CPU Start PWM [XXX]

Allows you to set the CPU temperature at which the power management

feature starts. Use the <+>/<-> key or use the numeric keypad to set the

value. Valid values range from [0] to [100].

Chassis QFan Control [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Q-Fan feature that smartly

adjusts the fan speeds for more efficient system operation. Configuration

options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

The following items appear when the Chassis QFan Control item is

set to [Enabled].

ChassisFan Off Temperature [XXX]

Allows you to specify the maximum chassis temperature at which the

system will shut down. Use the <+>/<-> key or use the numeric keypad to

set the value. Valid values range from [0] to [100].

4-36

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

ChassisFan Start Temperature[XXX]

Allows you to set the chassis temperature at which the CPU fan starts. Use

the <+>/<-> key or use the numeric keypad to set the value. Valid values

range from [0] to [100].

ChassisFan Full-speed Temperature[XXX]

Allows you to set the CPU temperature at which the chassis fan runs at full

speed. Use the <+>/<-> key or use the numeric keypad to set the value.

Valid values range from [0] to [100].

ChassisStart PWM [XXX]

Allows you to set the chassis temperature at which the power management

feature starts. Use the <+>/<-> key or use the numeric keypad to set the

value. Valid values range from [0] to [100].

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.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot

Main

Advanced

Power

Exit

Boot Settings

Specifies the Boot

Device Boot Priority

sequence.

Boot Device Priority

A virtual floppy disk

drive (Floppy Drive

B:) may appear when

you set the CD-ROM

drive as the first

boot device.

Boot Settings Configuration

Security

Select Screen

Select Item

Enter Go to Sub Screen

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

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4.6.1 Boot Device Priority

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot

Boot Device Priority

Specifies the boot

sequence from the

availabe devices.

1st Boot Device

2nd Boot Device

3rd Boot Device

[1st FLOPPY DRIVE]

[PM-ST320410A]

[PS-ASUS CD-S520/A]

A device enclosed in

parenthesis has been

disabled in the

corresponding menu.

Select Screen

Select Item

+- Change Option

General Help

F10 Save and Exit

ESC Exit

1st ~ xxth Boot Device [1st Floppy Drive]

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.

Configuration options: [xxxxx Drive] [Disabled]

The following item appears only when you have set a Serial ATA drive in

a RAID configuration as boot device.

Hard Disk [XXX Drive]

This item specifies the Serial ATA boot device priority sequence from the

available devices in a RAID configuration.

4-38

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.6.2 Boot Settings Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot

Boot Settings Configuration

Allows BIOS to skip

certain tests while

booting. This will

decrease the time

needed to boot the

system.

Quick Boot

Full Screen Logo

AddOn ROM Display Mode

Bootup Num-Lock

PS/2 Mouse Support

Wait for ‘F1’ if Error

Hit ‘DEL’ Message Display

Interrupt 19 Capture

[Enabled]

[Force BIOS]

[On]

[Auto]

[Enabled]

[Disabled]

Select Screen

Select Item

+- Change Option

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

Quick Boot [Enabled]

Enabling this item allows the BIOS to skip some power on self tests (POST)

while booting to decrease the time needed to boot the system. When set

to [Disabled], BIOS performs all the POST items.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Full Screen Logo [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the full screen logo display feature.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Set this item to [Enabled] to use the ASUS MyLogo™ feature.

Add On ROM Display Mode [Force BIOS]

Sets the display mode for option ROM.

Configuration options: [Force BIOS] [Keep Current]

Bootup Num-Lock [On]

Allows you to select the power-on state for the NumLock.

Configuration options: [Off] [On]

PS/2 Mouse Support [Auto]

Allows you to enable or disable support for PS/2 mouse.

Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] [Auto]

Wait for ‘F1’ If Error [Enabled]

When set to Enabled, the system waits for the F1 key to be pressed when

error occurs. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-39

Hit ‘DEL’ Message Display [Enabled]

When set to Enabled, the system displays the message “Press DEL to run

Setup” during POST. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Interrupt 19 Capture [Disabled]

When set to [Enabled], this function allows the option ROMs to trap

Interrupt 19. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

4.6.3 Security

The Security menu items allow you to change the system security settings.

Select an item then press <Enter> to display the configuration options.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot

Security Settings

<Enter> to change

password.

Supervisor Password

User Password

: Not Installed

<Enter> again to

disabled password.

Change Supervisor Password

Select Screen

Select Item

Enter Change

F10 Save and Exit

ESC Exit

General Help

Change Supervisor Password

Select this item to set or change the supervisor password. The Supervisor

Password item on top of the screen shows the default Not Installed.

After you set a password, this item shows Installed.

To set a Supervisor Password:

1. Select the Change Supervisor Password item and press <Enter>.

2. From the password box, type a password composed of at least six

letters and/or numbers, then press <Enter>.

3. Confirm the password when prompted.

The message “Password Installed” appears after you successfully set your

password.

To change the supervisor password, follow the same steps as in setting a

user password.

4-40

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

To clear the supervisor password, select the Change Supervisor Password

then press <Enter>. The message “Password Uninstalled” appears.

If you forget your BIOS password, you can clear it by erasing the CMOS

Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM. See section “2.6 Jumpers” for information

on how to erase the RTC RAM.

After you have set a supervisor password, the other items appear to allow

you to change other security settings.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot

Security Settings

<Enter> to change

password.

<Enter> again to

disabled password.

Supervisor Password

User Password

: Installed

: Not Installed

Change Supervisor Password

User Access Level

Change User Password

Clear User Password

Password Check

[Full Access]

[Setup]

Select Screen

Select Item

Enter Change

F10

ESC

General Help

Save and Exit

Exit

User Access Level (Full Access]

This item allows you to select the access restriction to the Setup items.

Configuration options: [No Access] [View Only] [Limited] [Full Access]

No Access prevents user access to the Setup utility.

View Only allows access but does not allow change to any field.

Limited allows changes only to selected fields, such as Date and

Time.

Full Access allows viewing and changing all the fields in the Setup

utility.

Change User Password

Select this item to set or change the user password. The User Password

item on top of the screen shows the default Not Installed. After you set

a password, this item shows Installed.

ASUS A8R-MVP

4-41

To set a User Password:

1. Select the Change User Password item and press <Enter>.

2. On the password box that appears, type a password composed of at

least six letters and/or numbers, then press <Enter>.

3. Confirm the password when prompted.

The message “Password Installed” appears after you set your password

successfully.

To change the user password, follow the same steps as in setting a user

password.

Password Check [Setup]

When set to [Setup], BIOS checks for user password when accessing the

Setup utility. When set to [Always], BIOS checks for user password both

when accessing Setup and booting the system.

Configuration options: [Setup] [Always]

4.7 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.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Boot

Main

Advanced

Power

Exit

Exit Options

Exit system setup

after saving the

changes.

F10 key can be used

for this operation.

Exit & Save Changes

Exit & Discard Changes

Discard Changes

Load Setup Defaults

Select Screen

Select Item

Enter Go to Sub Screen

Tab

F10

ESC

Select Field

General Help

Save and Exit

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.

4-42

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

Exit & Save Changes

Once you are finished 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 confirmation

window appears. Select [Ok] to save changes and exit.

If you attempt to exit the Setup program without saving your changes,

the program prompts you with a message asking if you want to save

your changes before exiting. Press <Enter> to save the changes while

exiting.

Exit & Discard Changes

Select this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you

made to the Setup program. If you made changes to fields other than

System Date, System Time, and Password, the BIOS asks for a confirmation

before exiting.

Discard Changes

This option allows you to discard the selections you made and restore the

previously saved values. After selecting this option, a confirmation appears.

Select [Ok] to discard any changes and load the previously saved values.

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 confirmation window appears. Select [Ok] to load default

values. Select Exit & Save Changes or make other changes before

saving the values to the non-volatile RAM.

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4-44

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

This chapter describes the contents

of the support CD that comes with

the motherboard package.

Software

support

Chapter summary

5.1

5.2

5.3

5.4

5.5

Installing an operating system ............................................. 5-1

Support CD information........................................................ 5-1

Software information ........................................................... 5-8

RAID configurations ............................................................5-24

Creating a RAID driver disk .................................................5-33

ASUS A8R-MVP

5.1 Installing an operating system

This motherboard supports Windows^®2000/XP operating systems (OS).

Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates to maximize

the features of your hardware.

•

Motherboard settings and hardware options vary. Use the setup

procedures presented in this chapter for reference only. Refer to

your OS documentation for detailed information.

•

Make sure that you install Windows^®2000 Service Pack 4 or the

Windows^®XP Service Pack 1 or later versions before installing the

drivers for better compatibility and system stability.

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.

The contents of the support CD are subject to change at any time

without notice. Visit the ASUS website(www.asus.com) for updates.

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.

Click an icon to

display support

CD/motherboard

information

Click an item to install

If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer, browse the contents of

the support CD to locate the file ASSETUP.EXE from the BIN folder.

Double-click the ASSETUP.EXE to run the CD.

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5-1

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.

AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Driver

Installs the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ driver.

ADI 1986A Audio Driver

Executes the wizard to install the ADI SoundMAX^®AD1986A audio driver

and application.

Marvell Yukon Gigabit Driver

Installs the driver for the Marvell^®Yukon^™88E8001 PCI interface Gigabit LAN .

USB 2.0 Driver

Installs the USB 2.0 driver.

The screen display and drivers option may not be the same for different

operating system versions.

5-2

Chapter 5: Software support

5.2.3 Utilities menu

The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the

motherboard supports.

Marvell Yukon VCT Application

The Virtual Cable Tester (VCT) is a cable diagnostic application that

analyzes and reports LAN cable faults and shorts. See page 5-10 for

details.

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

The ASUS Update utility that allows you to update the motherboard BIOS in

Windows^®environment. This utility requires an Internet connection either

through a network or an Internet Service Provider (ISP). See section “4.1.1

ASUS Update utility” for details.

Before using the ASUS Update, make sure that you have an Internet

connection so you can connect to the ASUS website.

ASUS Screen Saver

Bring life to your computer screen by installing the ASUS Screen Saver.

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5-3

Adobe Acrobat Reader V7.0

Installs the Adobe^®Acrobat^®Reader that allows you to open, view, and

print documents in Portable Document Format (PDF).

Microsoft DirectX 9.0c

Installs the Microsoft^®DirectX^®9.0c driver. The Microsoft^®DirectX^®9.0c

is a multimedia technology that enhances computer graphics and sound.

DirectX^®improves the multimedia features of your computer so you can

enjoy watching TV and movies, capturing videos, or playing games on your

computer. Visit the Microsoft^®website (www.microsoft.com) for updates.

ASUS Cool ‘n’ Quiet Utility

Installs the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ software.

Anti-virus utility

The anti-virus application scans, identifies, and removes computer viruses.

View the online help for detailed information.

The screen display and utilities option may not be the same for different

operating system versions.

5.2.4 Make Disk menu

The Make Disk menu contains the item needed to create the ULI Serial

ATA/RAID driver disk.

Make ULi Chipset Driver Disk

Allows you to create the ULI chipset driver disk for Serial ATA and RAID

features.

5-4

Chapter 5: Software support

5.2.5 Manuals menu

The Manuals menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals. Click an

item to open the folder of the user manual.

Most user manual files are in Portable Document Format (PDF). Install

the Adobe^®Acrobat^®Reader from the Utilities menu before opening

a user manual file.

ULi SATA/RAID User’s Manual

Allows you to open the ULI Serial ATA/RAID user’s manual.

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5-5

5.2.6 ASUS Contact information

Click the Contact tab to display the ASUS contact information. You can

also find this information on the inside front cover of this user guide.

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 specified information.

Motherboard Info

Displays the general specifications of the motherboard.

5-6

Chapter 5: Software support

Browse this CD

Displays the support CD contents in graphical format.

Technical support Form

Displays the ASUS Technical Support Request Form that you have to fill out

when requesting technical support.

Filelist

Displays the contents of the support CD and a brief description of each in

text format.

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5-7

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 file that came with the software application for more information.

5.3.1 ASUS MyLogo™

The ASUS MyLogo™ utility lets you customize the boot logo. The boot logo

is the image that appears on screen during the Power-On-Self-Tests

(POST). The ASUS MyLogo™ is automatically installed when you install the

ASUS Update utility from the support CD. See section “5.2.3 Utilities

menu” for details.

•

Before using the ASUS MyLogo™, use the AFUDOS utility to make a

copy of your original BIOS file, or obtain the latest BIOS version from

the ASUS website. See section “4.1.4 AFUDOS Utility.”

Make sure that the BIOS item Full Screen Logo is set to

[Enabled] if you wish to use ASUS MyLogo. See section “4.6.2 Boot

Settings Configuration.”

You can create your own boot logo image in GIF, JPG, or BMP file

formats.

To launch the ASUS MyLogo™:

1. Launch the ASUS Update utility. Refer to section “4.1.1 ASUS Update

utility” for details.

2. Select Options from the drop down menu, then click Next.

3. Check the option Launch MyLogo to replace system boot

logo before flashing BIOS, then click Next.

4. Select Update BIOS from a file from the drop down menu, then

click Next.

5. When prompted, locate the

new BIOS file, then click Next.

The ASUS MyLogo window

appears.

6. From the left window pane,

select the folder that contains

the image you intend to use as

your boot logo.

5-8

Chapter 5: Software support

7. When the logo images appear

on the right window pane,

select an image to enlarge by

clicking on it.

8. Adjust the boot image to your

desired size by selecting a

value on the Ratio box.

9. When the screen returns to the ASUS Update utility, flash the original

BIOS to load the new boot logo.

10. After flashing the BIOS, restart the computer to display the new boot

logo during POST.

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5-9

5.3.2 AI Net 2

The Marvell^®Virtual Cable Tester™ (VCT) is a cable diagnostic utility that

reports LAN cable faults and shorts using the Time Domain Reflectometry

(TDR) technology. The VCT detects and reports open and shorted cables,

impedance mismatches, pair swaps, pair polarity problems, and pair skew

problems of up to 64 ns at one meter accuracy.

The VCT feature reduces networking and support costs through a highly

manageable and controlled network system. This utility can be incorporated

in the network systems software for ideal field support as well as

development diagnostics.

Using the Virtual Cable Tester™

To use the the Marvell^®Virtual Cable Tester™ utility:

1. Launch the VCT utility from the Windows^®desktop by clicking

Start > All Programs > Marvell > Virtual Cable Tester.

2. Click Virtual Cable Tester from the menu to display the screen

below.

3. Click the Run button to perform a cable test.

•

The VCT only runs on systems with Windows^®XP or Windows^®2000

operating systems.

The VCT utility only tests Ethernet cables connected to Gigabit LAN

port(s).

The Run button on the Virtual Cable Tester™ main window is

disabled if no problem is detected on the LAN cable(s) connected to

the LAN port(s).

•

If you want the system to check the LAN cable before entering the

OS, enable the POST Check LAN cable item in the BIOS.

5-10

Chapter 5: Software support

5.3.3 ASUS PC Probe II

PC Probe II is a utility that monitors the computer’s vital components, and

detects and alerts you of any problem with these components. PC Probe II

senses fan rotations, CPU temperature, and system voltages, among

others. Because PC Probe II is software-based, you can start monitoring

your computer the moment you turn it on. With this utility, you are assured

that your computer is always at a healthy operating condition.

Installing PC Probe II

To 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 file from the ASUS PC Probe II folder.

Double-click the setup.exe file 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

You can launch the PC Probe II right after installation or anytime from the

Windows^®desktop.

To launch the PC Probe II from the Windows^®desktop, click Start > All

Programs > ASUS > PC Probe II > PC Probe II v1.00.43. The PC

Probe II main window appears.

After launching the application, the PC Probe II icon appears in the

Windows^®taskbar. Click this icon to close or restore the application.

Using PC Probe II

Main window

The PC Probe II main window allows

you to view the current status of

your system and change the utility

configuration. By default, the main

window displays the Preference

section. You can close or restore the

Preference section by clicking on the triangle on the main window right

handle.

Click to close the

Preference panel

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5-11

Button

Opens the Configuration 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

You can customize the application using the

Preference section in the main window. Click

the box before each preference to activate or

deactivate.

5-12

Chapter 5: Software support

Hardware monitor panels

The hardware monitor panels display the current value of a system sensor

such as fan rotation, CPU temperature, and voltages.

The hardware monitor panels come in two display modes: hexagonal (large)

and rectangular (small). When you check the Enable Monitoring Panel

option from the Preference section, the monitor panels appear on your

computer’s desktop.

Small display

Large display

Changing the monitor panels position

To 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

finished.

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. You can now move

or reposition the panel independently.

Adjusting the sensor threshold value

You can adjust the sensor threshold

value in the monitor panel by clicking

the or buttons. You can also adjust

the threshold values using the

Config window.

Click to

increase

value

Click to

decrease

value

You cannot adjust the sensor threshold

values in a small monitoring panel.

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5-13

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.

Small display

Large display

WMI browser

Click

to display the WMI

(Windows Management

Instrumentation) browser. This

browser displays various Windows^®

management information. Click an

item from the left panel to display

on the right panel. Click the plus

sign (+) before WMI Information

to display the available information.

You 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.

5-14

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 space.

ASUS A8R-MVP

5-15

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.

Configuring PC Probe II

Click

to view and adjust the sensor threshold values.

The Config 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

Cancels or

ignores your

changes

Loads your saved

configuration

Applies your

changes

Saves your

configuration

5-16

Chapter 5: Software support

5.3.4 Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology

The motherboard supports the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology that

dynamically and automatically change the CPU speed, voltage, and amount

of power depending on the task the CPU performs.

Enabling Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology

To enable Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology:

1. Turn on the system and enter BIOS by pressing the <Del> key during

the Power On Self-Tests (POST).

2. Go to the Advanced Menu -> CPU Configuration, select the

item Cool ‘n’Quiet and set it to Enabled. See section “4.4.2 CPU

Configuration.”

3. In the Power menu, select the item ACPI 2.0 Support and set it

to Yes. See section “4.5 Power Menu.”

4. Save your changes and exit BIOS Setup.

5. Reboot your computer and set your Power Options Properties

depending on your operating system.

The Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology item is set to [Disabled] by default in

the BIOS.

Windows^®2000/XP

1. From the Windows^®2000/XP operating system, click the Start

button. Select Settings, then

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 dialog box appears.

5. From the Power schemes

combo list box, select Minimal

Power Management.

6. Click OK to effect settings.

Make sure to install the Cool

‘n’ Quiet™ driver and

application before using this feature.

ASUS A8R-MVP

5-17

Launching the Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ software

The motherboard support CD includes the Cool ‘n’ Quie!™ software that

enables you to view your system’s real-time CPU Frequency and voltage.

Make sure to install the Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ software from the motherboard

support CD. Refer to section “5.2.3 Utilities menu” for details.

To launch the Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ program:

1. If you are using Windows^®2000, click the Start button. Select

Programs-> ASUS -> Cool & Quiet -> Cool & Quiet.

2. If you are using Windows^®XP, click the Start button. Select All

Programs-> ASUS -> Cool & Quiet -> Cool & Quiet.

3. The Cool ‘n’ Quiet!™ technology screen appears and displays the

current CPU Frequency and CPU Voltage.

5-18

Chapter 5: Software support

5.3.5 SoundMAX^®High Definition Audio utility

The ADI AD1986 High Definition

Audio CODEC provides 6-channel

audio capability through the

SoundMAX^®audio utility with

AudioESP™ software to deliver the

ultimate audio experience on your

PC. The software implements high

quality audio synthesis/rendering,

3D sound positioning, and advanced

voice-input technologies.

Follow the installation wizard to install the ADI AD1986A Audio Driver

from the support CD that came with the motherboard package to activate

the SoundMAX^®audio utility.

•

You must use 4-channel or 6-channel speakers for this setup.

SoundMAX^®requires Microsoft^®Windows^®2000/XP. Make sure that

one of these operating systems is installed before installing

SoundMAX^®.

If the SoundMAX^®audio utility is correctly

installed, you will find the SoundMAX^®icon on the

taskbar.

ASUS A8R-MVP

5-19

From the taskbar, double-click on the SoundMAX^®icon to display the

SoundMAX^®Control Panel.

Audio Setup Wizard

By clicking the

icon from the SoundMAX^®control panel, you can easily

configure your audio settings. Simply follow succeeding screen instructions

and begin enjoying High Definition Audio.

5-20

Chapter 5: Software support

Jack configuration

Adjust speaker volume

This screen helps you configure

your computer’s audio ports,

depending on the audio devices

you have installed.

This screen helps you adjust

speaker volume. Click the Test

button to hear the changes you

have made.

Adjust microphone volume

This screen helps you adjust microphone volume. You will be asked to

read pre-written text to allow the AudioWizard to adjust the volume as you

speak.

ASUS A8R-MVP

5-21

Audio preferences

Click the

icon to go to the Preferences page. This page allows you

to change various audio settings.

General options

Click the General tab to choose your playback and recording devices,

enable/disable the AudioESP™ feature, and enable/disable digital output.

Listening Environment options

Click the Listening Environment tab allows you to optimize your audio

listening environment. You can setup your speakers, choose from different

acoustic environments, and enable/disable the Virtual Theater™ Surround,

which can create virtual speakers through your stereo setup.

5-22

Chapter 5: Software support

Microphone options

Click the Listening Environment tab allows you to optimize your

microphone input settings.

ASUS A8R-MVP

5-23

5.4 RAID configurations

The motherboard comes with a RAID controller integrated in the ULI M1575

Southbridge that allows you to configure Serial ATA hard disk drives as

RAID sets. The motherboard supports the following RAID configurations.

RAID 0 (Data striping) optimizes two identical hard disk drives to read and

write data in parallel, interleaved stacks. Two 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

configuration 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

configuration you get all the benefits of both RAID 0 and RAID 1

configurations. 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 configuration include better

HDD performance, fault tolerance, and higher storage capacity. The RAID 5

configuration 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.

JBOD (Spanning) stands for Just a Bunch of Disks and refers to hard

disk drives that are not yet configured as a RAID set. This configuration

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 benefits.

5-24

Chapter 5: Software support

5.4.1 Installing hard disks

The motherboard supports Ultra DMA 133/100/66 and Serial ATA hard

disk drives. For optimal performance, install identical drives of the same

model and capacity when creating a disk array.

Installing Serial ATA (SATA) hard disks

To install the SATA hard disks for a RAID configuration:

1. Install the SATA hard disks into the drive bays.

2. Connect the SATA signal cables.

3. Connect a SATA power cable to the power connector on each drive.

5.4.2 ULI^®RAID configurations

The ULI^®RAID controller supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and

JBOD configurations. Use the ULI^®RAID BIOS Setup utility to configure a

disk array.

You may also set the RAID configurations in Windows^®OS after you

have installed the Serial ATA RAID driver. See section “5.2.4 Make

Disk menu” for details.

Entering the ULI^®RAID BIOS Setup Utility

To enter the ULI^®RAID BIOS setup utility:

1. Boot up your computer, and press <Del> during POST to enter the

BIOS setup.

2. In the Main Menu, go to Storage Configuration, and set the

Onboard SATA Boot ROM item to [Enabled].

3. Press <F10> to save the changes and exit.

4. During POST, press <Ctrl+A>.

The RAID BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for reference

only, and may not exactly match the items on your screen.

ASUS A8R-MVP

5-25

Create RAID 0 Striping x2 for Performance

Create RAID 1 Mirroring for Reliability

Create RAID 0+1 Striping, Mirroring

Create JBOD for integrated Capacity

Stripe Size

Delete RAID Settings & Partition

Delete All RAID Settings & Partition

Rebuild RAID Array

SPACE: Select

16K

↑ ↓

: Moving Cursor

Enter: Select & Finish

ESC: Exit

Create RAID 5 for Reliability

Drive Model

Channel 0 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 1 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 2 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 3 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Mode

Capacity RAID Array/Type

XXXXX MB

SATA 2

Capacity

RAID Type

Stripe Size

RAID Name

RAID Array A

RAID Array B

RAID Array C

The Main Menu on the upper left side allows you to select an operation to

perform. The Main Menu options include:

Create RAID 0 Striping x2 for Performance - creates a new legacy

RAID set or allocates spare drives.

Create RAID 0+1 for Striping, Mirroring - creates a RAID setup with

all the benefits of both RAID 0 and RAID 1 configuration.

Create JBOD for integrated capacity - creates a JBOD configuration.

Stripe Size - sets the stripe size.

Delete RAID Settings & Partition - deletes a selected RAID set and

partition.

Delete All RAID Settings & Partition - deletes all current RAID

set(s) and partition(s).

Rebuild RAID array - rebuilds mirror drive(s).

Create RAID 5 for Reliability - creates a RAID 5 configuration

On the upper right side of the screen is the legend box. The keys on the

legend box allow you to navigate through the setup menu options. The

following lists the keys in the legend box and their corresponding functions.

SPACE : Select an item

↑, ↓

Enter : Confirms a selected item

ESC : Exit

: Move cursor to the next item

5-26

Chapter 5: Software support

Creating a RAID 0 configuration

To create a RAID 0 set:

1. From the ULI RAID BIOS Setup utility menu, move the cursor to

Create RAID 0 Striping for Performance then press <Enter>.

2. Use the up or down arrow keys to select a drive then press <Space>

or <Enter>. The striped mark “S” appears before a selected drive.

3. Repeat step 2 to select the second drive.

4. The utility prompts the following warning message:

Data on RAID drives will be deleted (Y/N)?

Press <Y> to continue or press <N> to return to the menu.

5. Key in a RAID name with a maximum of eight (8) alphanumeric

characters then press <Enter>. Do not use special characters or

symbols.

6. The utility displays the RAID Array settings at the bottom of the

screen.

Drive Model

Channel 0 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 1 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 2 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 3 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Mode

Capacity RAID Array/Type

XXXXX MB RAID A/0x2

XXXXX MB

XXXXX MB RAID A/0x2

XXXXX MB

SATA 2

Capacity

XXXXX GB

RAID Type

0X2

Stripe Size

16K

RAID Name

RAID0

RAID Array A

RAID Array B

RAID Array C

ASUS A8R-MVP

5-27

Creating a RAID 1 configuration

To create a RAID 1 set:

1. From the ULI RAID BIOS Setup utility menu, move the cursor to

Create RAID 1 Mirroring for Reliability then press <Enter>.

2. Use the up or down arrow keys to select a drive then press <Space>

or <Enter>. The striped mark “M” appears before a selected drive.

3. Repeat step 2 to select the second drive.

4. The utility prompts the following warning message:

Create RAID 1 (Y/N)?

Press <Y> to continue or press <N> to return to the menu.

5. Key in a RAID name with a maximum of eight (8) alphanumeric

characters then press <Enter>. Do not use special characters or

symbols.

6. The utility prompts the following confirmation message:

Duplicate Data from M to m (Y/N)?

Press <Y> to duplicate data from the source disk “M” to the target

disk “m” or press <N> to create a RAID 1 set without duplicating the

data.

7. If you selected <Y>, the utility will duplicate your data. The following

progress bar appears.

50% completed.

8. The utility displays the RAID Array settings at the bottom of the

screen.

Drive Model

Channel 0 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 1 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 2 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 3 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Mode

Capacity RAID Array/Type

XXXXX MB RAID A/1

XXXXX MB

XXXXX MB RAID A/1

XXXXX MB

SATA 2

Capacity

XXXXX MB

RAID Type

Stripe Size

RAID Name

RAID1

RAID Array A

RAID Array B

RAID Array C

5-28

Chapter 5: Software support

Creating a RAID 0+1 configuration

To create a RAID 0+1 set:

1. From the ULI RAID BIOS Setup utility menu, move the cursor to

Create RAID 0+1 Striping, Mirroring then press <Enter>.

2. The utility prompts the following warning message:

Data on first 4 drives will be deleted (Y/N)?

Press <Y> to continue or press <N> to return to the menu.

3. Key in a RAID name with a maximum of eight (8) alphanumeric

characters then press <Enter>. Do not use special characters or

symbols.

4. The utility displays the RAID Array settings at the bottom of the

screen.

Drive Model

Channel 0 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 1 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 2 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 3 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Mode

Capacity RAID Array/Type

XXXXX MB RAID A/RAID0+1

SATA 2

Capacity

XXXXX MB

RAID Type

0+1 X4

Stripe Size

RAID Name

RAID01

RAID Array A

RAID Array B

RAID Array C

Creating a JBOD configuration

To create a JBOD set:

1. From the ULI RAID BIOS Setup utility menu, move the cursor to

Create JBOD for integrated capacity then press <Enter>.

2. Use the up or down arrow keys to select a drive then press <Space>

or <Enter>. The striped mark “J” appears before a selected drive.

3. Repeat step 2 to select the second drive.

4. The utility prompts the following warning message:

Data on RAID drives will be deleted (Y/N)?

Press <Y> to continue or press <N> to return to the menu.

ASUS A8R-MVP

5-29

5. Key in a RAID name with a maximum of eight (8) alphanumeric

characters then press <Enter>. Do not use special characters or

symbols.

6. The utility displays the RAID Array settings at the bottom of the

screen.

Drive Model

Channel 0 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 1 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 2 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 3 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Mode

SATA 2

Capacity RAID Array/Type

XXXXX MB RAID A/JBOD

XXXXX MB

XXXXX MB RAID A/JBOD

XXXXX MB

SATA 2

Capacity

XXXXX MB

RAID Type

JBOD

Stripe Size

RAID Name

RAIDJ

RAID Array A

RAID Array B

RAID Array C

Setting the Stripe Size

To set the stripe size:

1. From the ULI RAID BIOS Setup utility menu, move the cursor to

Stripe Size then press <Enter>.

2. Use the up or down arrow keys to select a stripe size then press

<Enter>.

3. The stripe size is displayed beside the Stripe Size menu item.

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.

5-30

Chapter 5: Software support

Deleting a RAID configuration

To delete a RAID set:

1. From the ULI RAID BIOS Setup utility menu, move the cursor to

Delete RAID Settings & Partition then press <Enter>.

2. Use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID set then press

<Space> or <Enter>. The striped mark “E” appears before a selected

drive.

3. The utility prompts the following warning message:

Data on RAID drives will be deleted (Y/N)?

Press <Y> to continue or press <N> to return to the menu.

Pressing <Y> removes the deleted RAID Array item from the list at the

bottom of the screen.

Deleting All RAID configurations

To delete all RAID sets:

1. From the ULI RAID BIOS Setup utility menu, move the cursor to

Delete All RAID Settings & Partition then press <Enter>.

2. The utility prompts the following warning message:

Data on RAID drives will be deleted (Y/N)?

Press <Y> to continue or press <N> to return to menu.

Pressing <Y> removes all the RAID Array items from the list at the

bottom of the screen.

ASUS A8R-MVP

5-31

Rebuilding a RAID array

This option allows you to rebuild an existing RAID array.

To rebuild a RAID array:

1. From the ULI RAID BIOS Setup utility menu, move the cursor to

Rebuild RAID Array then press <Enter>.

2. Use the up or down arrow keys to select the source drive from which

to rebuild then press <Enter>. The striped mark “R” appears before a

selected drive.

3. The utility prompts if you want to proceed with rebuilding the array.

Press <Y> to continue or press <N> to return to the menu.

Creating a RAID 5 configuration

To create a RAID 5 set:

1. From the ULI RAID BIOS Setup utility menu, move the cursor to

Create RAID 5 for Reliability then press <Enter>.

2. Use the up or down arrow keys to select a drive then press <Space>

or <Enter>. The striped mark “5” appears before a selected drive.

3. Repeat step 2 to select the second and third drives.

4. The utility prompts the following warning message:

Data on RAID drives will be deleted (Y/N)?

Press <Y> to continue or press <N> to return to the menu.

5. Key in a RAID name with a maximum of eight (8) alphanumeric

characters then press <Enter>. Do not use special characters or

symbols.

6. The utility displays the RAID Array settings at the bottom of the

screen.

Drive Model

Channel 0 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 1 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 2 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Channel 3 Master: XXXXXXXXXXX

Mode

SATA 2

Capacity RAID Array/Type

XXXXX MB RAID A/5

XXXXX MB

XXXXX MB RAID A/5

SATA 2

Capacity

160 GB

RAID Type

Stripe Size

16K

RAID Name

RAID5

RAID Array A

RAID Array B

RAID Array C

5-32

Chapter 5: Software support

5.5 Creating a RAID driver disk

A floppy disk with the RAID driver is required when installing Windows^®

2000/XP operating system on a hard disk drive that is included in a RAID

set.

To create a RAID driver disk:

1. Boot your computer.

2. Press <Del> during POST to enter the BIOS setup utility.

3. Set the optical drive as the primary boot device.

4. Save changes and exit BIOS.

5. Insert the support CD into the optical drive.

6. Press the any key when the system prompts “Press any key to boot

from the optical drive.” The following menu appears:

1) Make ULi RAID Driver Disk

2) Format Floppy Disk

3) FreeDOS command prompt

Please choose 1 ~ 3:_

7. Press <1> to create a RAID driver disk.

8. Insert a formatted floppy disk into the floppy drive then press

<Enter>.

9. Follow succeeding screen instructions to complete the process.

- OR -

1. Start Windows^®.

2. Place the motherboard support CD into the optical drive.

3. When the Drivers menu appears, click Make ULi Chipset Driver

Disk to create a ULI RAID driver disk.

4. Insert a floppy disk into the floppy disk drive.

5. Follow succeeding screen instructions to complete the process.

Write-protect the floppy disk to avoid computer virus infection.

To 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 floppy disk with RAID driver into the floppy

disk drive.

3. Follow the succeeding screen instructions to complete the installation.

ASUS A8R-MVP

5-33

5-34

Chapter 5: Software support

This chapter tells how to install

CrossFire™ graphics cards to avail of

ATI’s Multi-Video Processing

technology.

ATI^®MVP

technology

support

Chapter summary

6.1

6.2

6.3

Overview............................................................................... 6-1

Hardware installation ............................................................ 6-2

Software information ........................................................... 6-6

ASUS A8R-MVP

6.1 Overview

The motherboard supports the ATI^®MVP (Multi-Video Processing)

technology that allows you to install multi-graphics processing units (GPU)

graphics cards. Follow the installation procedures in this section.

Requirements

•

CrossFire™ Edition graphics card (Master)

CrossFire™-ready graphics card (Slave)

CrossFire™-ready motherboard, such as the ASUS A8R-MVP

motherboard.

•

Make sure that your power supply unit (PSU) can provide at least the

minimum power required by your system. See “6. Power connectors”

on page 2-24 for details.

•

Visit the ATI website or download the Radeon^®X850 Crossfire™

Edition User’s Guide from the support CD for detailed hardware

requirements and installation procedures.

•

The ATI CrossFire™ technology supports only the following operating

systems:

- Windows^®XP 32-bit (Home or Professional) with Service

Pack 2 (SP2)

- Windows^®XP Professional 64-bit Edition.

•

Make sure that your graphics card driver supports the ATI

CrossFire™ Technology. Download the latest driver from the ATI

website (www.ati.com)

The maximum resolution of Radeon™ X850 CrossFire™ Edition is

1600 x 1200 at 65 MHz when you use DVI output.

Before you begin

Uninstall other graphics card drivers in your system

To uninstall other graphics card drivers:

1. Close all current applications.

2. Go to Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.

3. Select your current graphics card driver/s.

4. Select Add/Remove.

5. Restart your system.

ASUS A8R-MVP

6-1

6.2 Hardware installation

6.2.1 Installing a single graphics card

1. Install a PCI Express x16 graphics card on the blue slot.

To avail of the card full x16 bandwidth, install the ASUS MVP Switch

Card on the black slot; otherwise, the card will run only at x8 speed.

2. Connect one end of the external cable to the graphics card.

3. Connect the loose end to the corresponding port on your monitor.

4. Connect an auxiliary power source from the power supply to the

graphics card.

6-2

Chapter 6: ATI^®MVP technology support

6.2.2 Installing CrossFire™ graphics cards

Before ins talling a CrossFire™ system, refer to the user guide that came

with the ATI CrossFire™ Edition graphics card.

To install the graphics cards:

1. Remove the MVP Switch Card if one is installed.

2. Prepare one CrossFire™ Edition graphics card, which will serve as the

Master graphics card, and one CrossFire™-ready graphics card, which

will serve as the Slave graphics card.

Slave graphics card

3. Insert the CrossFire™-ready (Slave) graphics card into the black slot.

Make sure that the card is properly seated on the slot.

ASUS A8R-MVP

6-3

4. Insert the CrossFire™ Edition (Master) graphics card into the blue slot.

Make sure that the card is properly seated on the slot.

5. Connect one end of the external cable to the Slave graphics card.

6-4

Chapter 6: ATI^®MVP technology support

6. Connect the other end of the external cable to the Master graphics

card.

7. Connect the loose end to the corresponding port on your monitor.

8. Connect an auxiliary power source from the power supply to the

graphics cards.

9. Boot up your computer, and press <Del> during POST to enter the

BIOS setup.

10. Set the Dual-slot configuration item in the BIOS to [Auto] or

[Dual Video Cards]. See section “4.4.3 Chipset Configuration” for

details.

ASUS A8R-MVP

6-5

6.3 Software information

6.3.1 Installing the device drivers

Refer to the documentation that came with your graphics card package to

install the device drivers.

The ATI CrossFire™ technology supports only the following operating

systems:

•

Windows^®XP 32-bit (Home or Professional) with Service

Pack 2 (SP2)

Windows^®XP Professional 64-bit Edition.

•

1. Turn on your system and log in

with administrator rights.

2. Windows^®auto-detects the

ASUS TV/FM card and siplays

the Found New Hardware

Wizard window. Click

Cancel.

3. Place the CrossFire™

installation CD in your optical

drive. The opening menu

appears.

Click Install CrossFire drivers.

4. The installation window

appears. Click Next to

continue.

5. Read the License Agreement,

then click Yes.

6-6

Chapter 6: ATI^®MVP technology support

6. Select the components that

you want to install, then click

Next.

•

Select Express to install the HydraVision™ multi-monitor and

desktop management software, as well as the ATI driver.

Select Custom to individually choose desired software components.

7. Installation begins.

8. A status window appears,

indicating the progress of the

installation.

9. The Setup Complete window

appears, indicating that the

driver files have been copied to

your computer.

Click Yes to restart your

computer now or N o to restart

later.

Click Finish.

ASUS A8R-MVP

6-7

6.3.2 Using the Catalyst™ Control Center

The Catalyst™ Control Center allows you to access display features of the

ATI hardware and software you installed. Use this application to adjust

your graphic settings, enable/disable connected devices, and change your

desktop orientation.

Launching the Catalyst™ Control Center

There are several ways to launch the Catalyst™ Control Center:

•

On the Windows^®task bar, click Start > ATI Catalyst™ Control

Center > Catalyst™ Control Center

Double-click the Catalyst™ Control Center desktop

shortcut.

•

On the Windows^®task bar,

double-click the Catalyst™ Control

Center icon.

6-8

Chapter 6: ATI^®MVP technology support

The Catalyst™ Control Center Dialog Box

View

The Catalyst™ Control Center provides two views:

•

Standard - simple view with wizards for beginners

•

Advance - allows advanced users to access and configure the complete

features of the software

•

Set to Advance view to enable the CrossFire™ function.

Make sure that the Dual-slot configuration item in the BIOS is set to

[Auto] or [Dual Video Cards] if you want to enable the CrossFire™

function.

ASUS A8R-MVP

6-9

To enable CrossFire™:

1. Set the view to Advance.

2. Click the Crossfire™ item in Graphics Settings.

3. In the CrossFire™ Settings dialog, tick the box opposite Enable

CrossFire™.

4. Click OK to effect the setting.

Hotkeys

Click the Hotkeys tab on the Catalyst™ Control Center to access the

Hotkeys Manager, which allows you to create key combinations as

shortcuts for performing certain functions quickly.

6-10

Chapter 6: ATI^®MVP technology support

Profiles

Click the Profiles tab on the Catalyst™ Control Center to access the

Profiles Manager, which allows you to create customized environments for

your desktop, video, and 3D applications.

Preferences

Click the Preferences tab on the Catalyst™ Control Center to select a

language, restore defaults, change skins, or enable/disable the System

Tray icon.

ASUS A8R-MVP

6-11

Help

Click the Help tab on the Catalyst™ Control Center to access the online

help system, generate a Problem Report, and get the Catalyst™ Control

Center version information.

6-12

Chapter 6: ATI^®MVP technology support

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