N4L-VM DH
Contents
Notices............................................................................................... vii
Safety information ............................................................................ viii
About this guide ................................................................................. ix
N4L-VM DH 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
1.3.2
Product highlights................................................... 1-2
ASUS Special features ............................................ 1-5
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) .............................................. 2-6
2.3.1
2.3.2
Installing the CPU.................................................... 2-6
Installing the CPU heatsink and fan ........................ 2-8
System memory .................................................................2-10
2.4.1
2.4.2
2.4.3
2.4.4
Overview...............................................................2-10
Memory configurations .........................................2-10
Installing a DIMM ...................................................2-15
Removing a DIMM .................................................2-15
2.5
Expansion slots...................................................................2-16
2.5.1
2.5.2
2.5.3
2.5.4
2.5.5
2.5.6
Installing an expansion card..................................2-16
Configuring an expansion card..............................2-16
Interrupt assignments ..........................................2-17
PCI slots................................................................2-18
PCI Express x1 slot ...............................................2-18
PCI Express x16 slot .............................................2-18
2.6
Jumpers..............................................................................2-21
iii
Contents
2.7
Connectors .........................................................................2-24
2.7.1
2.7.2
Rear panel connectors ..........................................2-24
Internal connectors...............................................2-26
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
4.3.5
4.3.6
System Time.........................................................4-14
System Date .........................................................4-14
Legacy Diskette A ................................................4-14
Primary and Secondary IDE Master/Slave.............4-15
IDE 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
JumperFree Configuration ....................................4-18
CPU Configuration.................................................4-20
Chipset .................................................................4-21
Onboard Devices Configuration ............................4-24
PCI PnP .................................................................4-26
USB Configuration.................................................4-27
4.5
Power menu........................................................................4-29
4.5.1
4.5.2
4.5.3
4.5.4
4.5.5
4.5.6
4.5.7
Suspend Mode ......................................................4-29
Repost Video on S3 Resume ................................4-29
ACPI 2.0 Support..................................................4-29
ACPI APIC Support ................................................4-29
APM Configuration ................................................4-30
Hardware Monitor .................................................4-32
Energy Lake Feature.............................................4-33
4.6
4.7
Boot menu ..........................................................................4-34
4.6.1
4.6.2
4.6.3
Boot Device Priority..............................................4-34
Boot Settings Configuration .................................4-35
Security ................................................................4-36
Exit menu ...........................................................................4-38
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.......................................................... 5-4
Make Disk menu...................................................... 5-5
Manuals menu ......................................................... 5-6
ASUS Contact information...................................... 5-6
Other information ................................................... 5-7
5.3
Software information ........................................................... 5-9
5.3.1
5.3.2
5.3.3
5.3.4
ASUS MyLogo™....................................................... 5-9
Audio configurations ............................................5-11
ASUS PC Probe II...................................................5-18
Intel® Viiv™ ...........................................................5-24
v
5.4
5.5
RAID configurations ............................................................5-27
5.4.1
5.4.2
5.4.3
Installing hard disks ..............................................5-27
Intel® RAID configurations ....................................5-28
JMicron® RAID Configuration.................................5-36
Creating a RAID driver disk .................................................5-42
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 adpater or extension cord.
These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.
Make sure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your
area. If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you
are using, contact your local power company.
•
If the power supply is broken, do not try to 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.
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 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.
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 /iN4L-VM.ROM
x
N4L-VM DH specifications summary
CPU
Socket 479 for Intel® Core™ Duo/Core™ Solo processor
Supports Intel® Viiv™ Technology*
*Note: Requires Intel® Core™ Duo processor
Chipset
Northbridge: Intel® 945GM Memory Controller Hub
(MCH)
Southbridge: Intel® ICH7-M (DH)
Front Side Bus
Memory
667/533 MHz
Dual-channel memory architecture
2 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support up to 2 GB
unbuffered non-ECCDDR2 667/533 MHz memory
modules
Note: Refer to www.asus.com for the latest memory Qualified Vendors
List (QVL).
1 x PCI Express™ x16 slot
1 x PCI Express™ x1 slot
2 x PCI slots
Expansion slots
Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Graphics
Storage
Intel® ICH7-M (DH) Southbridge supports:
- 1 x Ultra DMA 100 connector for two devices
- 2 x Serial ATA devices with RAID 0, RAID 1, and
Intel® Matrix Storage configuration
JMicron® Serial ATA controller supports:
- 1 x Internal Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s
- 1 x External Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s (SATA On-the-Go)
- RAID O, RAID 1 configuration
Note: Do not remove/unplug External SATA device when running under
RAID mode .
Realtek® ALC882M 8-channel CODEC
1 x Coaxial S/PDIF out port
AI Audio
1 x Optical S/PDIF out port
Supports Jack Sensing, Retasking, and Enumeration
Technology
Supports Multi-Streaming
Intel® 82573L Gigabit LAN controller (Vidalia)
LAN
TI 1394a controller supports:
IEEE 1394a
- 2 x IEEE 1394a connectors at 400 Mbps speed
(1 at midboard, 1 on the rear panel)
Supports up to 8 USB 2.0 ports
USB
(continued on the next page)
x i
N4L-VM DH specifications summary
ASUS Special
features
ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
ASUS MyLogo
ASUS Q-Fan
ASUS EZ Flash
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
Rear panel
1 x VGA port
1 x LAN (RJ-45) port
4 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x IEEE 1394a port
1 x External Serial ATA port
1 x Optical S/PDIF Out port
1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Out port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port (purple)
1 x PS/2 mouse port (green)
8-channel audio ports
Internal
connectors
1 x 24-pin ATX power connector
1 x 4-pin ATX 12 V power connector
2 x USB connectors for 4 additional USB 2.0 ports
1 x CD audio in connector
1 x Chassis intrusion connector
1 x LPT connector
1 x Serial (COM1) connector
1 x Game connector
1 x CPU fan connector
1 x Chassis fan connector
1 x Front panel audio connector
1 x SPDIF In/Out connector
1 x TV Out connector
System panel connector
BIOS features
Manageability
8 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI, WfM2.0,
ACPI 2.0a, SM BIOS 2.3
PXE, WOR by Ring, WOL/WOR by PME, WO USB,
WO KB/MS
Support CD
contents
Device drivers
ASUS PC Probe II
ASUS LiveUpdate
Anti-Virus Utility
Intervideo® WinDVD® Suite
Form Factor
uATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in (24.5 cm x 24.5 cm)
*Specifications are subject to change without notice.
xii
This chapter describes the motherboard
features and the new technologies
it supports.
Product
1
introduction
Chapter summary
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
Welcome!.............................................................................. 1-1
Package contents ................................................................. 1-1
Special features.................................................................... 1-2
ASUS N4L-VM DH
1.1 Welcome!
Thank you for buying an ASUS® N4L-VM DH 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
I/O modules
ASUS N4L-VM DH motherboard
1 x 2-port USB 2.0 module
1 x IEEE 1394a module
Cables
1 x Serial ATA cable
1 x Serial ATA power cable
1 x Ultra DMA 100 cable
1 x Floppy disk drive cable
Accessory
I/O shield
CPU fan and heatsink
Application CDs
Documentation
ASUS motherboard support CD
WinDVD Suite
User guide
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
1-1
1.3 Special features
1.3.1 Product highlights
Latest processor technology
The motherboard comes with a 479-pin, surface-mount, Zero Insertion
Force (ZIF) mPGA479M socket designed for the Intel® Core™ Duo and Core™
Solo processors. Built on Intel® 65-nanometer process technology with
copper interconnect, the Intel® Core™ Duo processor delivers breakthrough
dual-core performance and enhanced media experience with low power
consumption. The Intel® Core™ Duo processor utilizes the latest package
technologies for a thinner, lighter design without compromising
performance. See page 2-6 for details.
Intel® Dual-Core Technology CPU support
The motherboard supports dual-core processors containing two physical
CPU cores with dedicated L2 caches to meet demands for more powerful
processing. See page 2-6 for details.
Intel® 945GM/Intel® ICH7-M (DH) chipset
The Intel® 945GM Memory Controller Hub (MCH) and the Intel® ICH7-M
(DH) I/O controller hub provide the vital interfaces for the motherboard.
The Intel® 945GM is the latest chipset designed to support the Intel®
Core™ family processor in the 479-ball Micro FCPGA package to deliver
enhanced performance at low power consumption. The chipset supports
high-bandwidth interfaces such as PCI Express, Serial ATA, and USB 2.0.
The chipset also features the Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950, an
integrated graphics engine for enhanced 3D, 2D, and video capabilities.
Intel® Viiv™ Technology support
Intel® Viiv™ Technology transforms your PC into an entertainment center,
allowing you to enjoy and share digital multi-media content like never
before. With Intel® Viiv™ Technology-based computers, you can record,
playback, organize, and edit digital media content easily. Enjoy the
entertainment experience even more with sharp graphics, flawless video
playback, and support for up to 7.1 channel surround sound. To enable
Intel® Viiv™ Technology, make sure you enable the Quick Resume function
called Energy Lake in the BIOS. Refer to the BIOS screen on page 4-29.
You also need to install the Intel® Viiv™ Technology driver and software.
See pages 5-3 and 5-24 for details.
1-2
Chapter 1: Product introduction
DDR2 memory support
The motherboard supports DDR2 memory that features data transfer rates of
667 MHz or 533 MHz to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of the
latest 3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet applications. The dual-channel
DDR2 architecture doubles the bandwidth of your system memory to boost
system performance, eliminating bottlenecks with peak bandwidths of up to
10.7 GB/s. See pages 2-10 to 2-14 for details.
Dual RAID solution
Onboard RAID controllers provide the motherboard with dual-RAID
functionality that allows you to select the best RAID solution using Serial
ATA devices.
The Intel® ICH7-M (DH) Southbridge allows RAID 0, RAID 1, and Intel® Matrix
Storage configuration with two Serial ATA connectors. See pages 2-27 and
5-28.
The Jmicron® JMB363 Serial ATA controller supports one internal and one
external Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s devices with RAID 0 and RAID 1 configuration.
See pages 2-28 and 5-36 for details.
Gigabit LAN solution
The motherboard comes with the Intel® 82573L Gigabit LAN controller to
provide the total solution for your networking needs. This network
controller uses the PCI Express segment to provide faster data bandwidth
for your wired or wireless Internet, LAN, and file sharing requirements. See
page 2-24 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 2-18 for details.
S/PDIF digital sound ready
The motherboard supports the S/PDIF technology through the S/PDIF
interfaces on the rear panel and at midboard. The S/PDIF technology turns
your computer into a high-end entertainment system with digital connectivity
to powerful audio and speaker systems. See page 2-35 for details.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
1-3
8-channel High Definition Audio
Onboard is the Realtek® ALC882M High Definition Audio 8-channel audio
CODEC. This CODEC is fully-compliant with Intel® High Definition Audio
standard (192 KHz, 24-bit audio). With the CODEC, audio ports, and S/PDIF
interfaces, you can connect your computer to home theater decoders to
produce crystal-clear digital audio.
The Realtek® ALC882M CODEC comes with an AC-3 encoder capable of
transforming your computer’s digital audio contents into real-time Dolby®
Digital stream. This digital stream passes through the S/PDIF out interfaces
to an AC-3 decoder for 7.1-channel feedback.
The Realtek® ALC882M CODEC comes with a software application that
features jack detection to monitor the plugging status of each jack,
impedance sensing to determine audio device classes, and pre-defined
equalization for various audio devices. See pages 2-24, 2-25, and 5-11 for
details.
Theater-level audio
(designed for Dolby® Master Studio
This motherboard offers theater-level 7.1 surround sound and audio
specifications higher than that of DVD. Enjoy true home theater experience
with the following advanced sound technologies: Dolby IIX, Dolby
Headphone, Dolby Virtual Speaker, and Dolby Digital Live. See page 5-16
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 the IEEE 1394a
standard. The IEEE 1394a interface allows up to 400 Mbps transfer rates
through simple, low-cost, high-bandwidth asynchronous (real-time) data
interfacing between computers, peripherals, and consumer electronic
devices such as camcorders, VCRs, printers, TVs, and digital cameras. See
page 2-24 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 2-25 and 2-29 for details.
1-4
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.3.2 ASUS Special features
Serial ATA II and SATA-On-The-Go
The motherboard supports the Serial ATA II 3 Gb/s technology through the
JMicron Serial ATA interfaces. The Serial ATA 3 Gb/s specification provides
twice the bandwidth of the current Serial ATA products with a host of new
features, including Native Command Queuing (NCQ), Power Management
(PM) Implementation Algorithm, and Hot Swap. Serial ATA allows thinner,
more flexible cables with lower pin count and reduced voltage requirements.
Leveraging these Serial ATA II 3Gb/s features is the SATA-On-The-Go. This
external port on the rear panel I/O provides smart setup, hot-plug and
support for up to 16 devices with port-multiplier functions. See pages 2-25
and 2-26 for details.
ASUS Q-Fan technology
The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the CPU fan speeds according
to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efficient operation. See
page 4-32 for details.
ASUS MyLogo™
This feature allows you to personalize and add style to your system with
customizable boot logos. See page 5-9 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 N4L-VM DH
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
2
information
Chapter summary
2
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) .............................................. 2-6
System memory .................................................................2-10
Expansion slots...................................................................2-16
Jumpers ..............................................................................2-21
Connectors .........................................................................2-24
ASUS N4L-VM DH
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. The green LED
lights up to indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in
soft-off mode. This is a reminder that you should shut down the
system and unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in
any motherboard component. The illustration below shows the
location of the onboard LED.
N4L-VM DH
SB_PWR
®
ON
OFF
Standby
Power
Powered
Off
N4L-VM DH Onboard LED
ASUS N4L-VM DH
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.
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 eight (8) 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
N4L-VM DH
®
2-2
Chapter 2: Hardware information
2.2.3 Motherboard layout
CPU_FAN
PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard
KBPWR
mPGA479
JMicron
JMB363
Coaxial
S/PDIF-out
Optical
S/PDIF-out
USBPW34
USBPW12
1394_USB12
LAN_USB34
ATX12V
Intel®
MCH
945GM
AUDIO
SATA_RAID
1
CHA_FAN
N4L-VM DH
TV_C
PCIEX16
CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell
CMOS Power
Intel
82573L
PCIEX1_1
Intel®
ICH7-M
DH
Intel FWH
8Mb
PCI1
®
TSB43AB22A
SATA2
SATA
CHASSIS
CLRTC
COM1
0
PCI2
SB_PWR
ALC882M
USBPW56
USBPW78
SPDIF
CD
IE1394_2
USB56
USB78
GAME
LPT
AAFP
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-3
2.2.4 Layout contents
Slots
Page
2-10
2-18
2-18
2-18
1.
2.
3.
4.
DDR2 DIMM slots
PCI slots
PCI Express x1 slot
PCI Express x16 slot
Jumper
Page
2-21
2-22
1.
2.
Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC)
USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34,
USBPW56, USBPW78)
3.
Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR)
2-23
Rear panel connectors
Page
2-24
2-24
2-24
2-24
2-24
2-24
2-24
2-24
2-24
2-25
2-25
2-25
2-25
2-25
2-25
1.
2.
PS/2 mouse port (green)
VGA port
3.
IEEE 1394a port
4.
LAN (RJ-45) port
5.
Rear Speaker Out port (black)
Center/Subwoofer port (orange)
Line In port (light blue)
Line Out port (lime)
6.
7.
8.
9.
Microphone port (pink)
Side Speaker Out port (gray)
USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2
Optical S/PDIF Out port
Coaxial S/PDIF Out port
External SATA port
10.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
PS/2 keyboard port (purple)
2-4
Chapter 2: Hardware information
Internal connectors
P
a
g
e
1.
2.
3.
Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)
2-26
2-26
2-27
IDE connector (40-1 pin IDE)
Intel® ICH7-M DH Southbridge Serial ATA connectors
(7-pin SATA0 [black], SATA2 [black])
4.
JMicron Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s RAID connector
(7-pin SATA_RAID1 [red])
2-28
5.
6.
CD audio in connector (4-pin CD)
2-28
2-29
2-30
2-30
2-31
2-31
2-32
USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB78)
Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP)
IEEE 1394a port connector (10-1 pin IE1394_2)
GAME/MIDI port connector (16-1 pin GAME)
Serial port connector (10-1 pin COM1)
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
CPU and chassis fan connectors
(3-pin CPU_FAN, 3-pin CHA_FAN)
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS)
ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V)
Parallel port connector (26-1 pin LPT)
2-32
2-33
2-34
2-35
2-35
2-36
S/PDIF In/Out connector (6-1 pin SPDIF)
TV Out connector (6-1 pin TV_C)
System panel connector (20-pin PANEL)
•
•
•
•
•
System power LED (Green 3-pin PLED)
Hard disk drive activity LED (Red 2-pin IDE_LED)
System warning speaker (Orange 4-pin SPEAKER)
ATX power button/soft-off button (Light green 2-pin PWR)
Reset button (Blue 2-pin RESET)
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-5
2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The motherboard comes with a 479-pin, surface-mount, Zero Insertion
Force (ZIF) mPGA479M socket designed for the Intel® Core™ Duo/Core™
Solo processor.
2.3.1 Installing the CPU
To install a CPU:
1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.
mPGA479
N4L-VM DH
®
N4L-VM DH CPU Socket 479
2. Unlock the socket by pressing
the lever sideways, then lift it up
to a 90º- 100º angle.
Socket lever
Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to 90º-100º angle;
otherwise, the CPU will not fit in completely.
2-6
Chapter 2: Hardware information
3. Position the CPU above the
socket such that the CPU corner
matches the socket corner with a
small triangle.
Gold triangle
4. Carefully insert the CPU into the
socket until it fits in place.
Small triangle
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.
The motherboard supports the Intel® Core™ Duo socket 479 processor.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-7
2.3.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fan
The Intel® Core™ family processor requires a specially designed heatsink and
fan assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance.
To install the CPU heatsink and fan:
1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed CPU.
Orient the heatsink and fan assembly such that the CPU fan cable is
closest to the CPU fan connector.
CPU fan
CPU heatsink
Retention bracket
Retention hook hole
2. Push down one end of the
retention bracket into the
retention hook hole.
2-8
Chapter 2: Hardware information
3. Push down the handle until the
other end of the retention bracket
is hooked into the hole to secure
the heatsink and fan to the
motherboard.
4. Connect the CPU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard
labeled CPU_FAN.
CPU_FAN
N4L-VM DH
®
N4L-VM DH 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 N4L-VM DH
2-9
2.4 System memory
2.4.1 Overview
The motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) Dual Inline
Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets.
A DDR2 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR DIMM but has a
240-pin footprint compared to the 184-pin DDR DIMM. DDR2 DIMMs are
notched differently to prevent installation on a DDR DIMM socket.
The figure illustrates the location of the DDR2 DIMM sockets:
N4L-VM DH
®
N4L-VM DH 240-pin DDR2 DIMM sockets
2.4.2 Memory configurations
You may install 256 MB, 512 MB, and 1 GB non-ECC unbuffered DDR2
DIMMs into the DIMM sockets.
•
Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency. For optimum
compatibility, we recommend that you obtain memory modules from
the same vendor. Refer to the DDR2 Qualified Vendors List on the
next page for details.
•
This motherboard does not support memory modules made up of
2048 Mb chips or double sided x16 memory modules.
2-10
Chapter 2: Hardware information
Qualified Vendors Lists (QVL)
DDR2-667 MHz capability
DIMM support
S i z e
V
e
n
d
o
r
C
h
i
p
N
o
.
B
r
a
n
d
S
i
d
e
(
s
)
C
o
m
p
o
n
e
n
t
C
L
A
B
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
256 MB
256 MB
512 MB
256 MB
512 MB
256 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
256 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
256 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
256 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
512 MB
512 MB
KINGSTON
KINGSTON
KINGSTON
KINGSTON
SAMSUNG
SAMSUNG
SAMSUNG
SAMSUNG
SAMSUNG
SAMSUNG
SAMSUNG
MICRON
Infineon
Infineon
Infineon
Infineon
Infineon
Infineon
Hynix
E5108AE-6E-E
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
SS
DS
SS
SS
SS
DS
SS
DS
SS
SS
DS
DS
SS
SS
DS
SS
SS
DS
SS
DS
SS
SS
DS
SS
DS
SS
DS
SS
SS
DS
DS
DS
DS
DS
SS
DS
SS
DS
SS
SS
SS
KVR667D2N5/512
KVR667D2N5/1G
–
E5108AE-6E-E
–
E5108AE-6E-E
KVR667D2E5/512
–
HYB18T256800AF3
K4T56083QF-ZCE6
K4T56083QF-ZCE6
K4T56083QF-ZCE6(ECC)
K4T56083QF-ZCE6(ECC)
K4T51163QC-ZCE6
ZCE6K4T51083QC
ZCE6K4T51083QC
4VB41D9CZM
KVR667D2N5/256
M378T3253FZ0-CE6
M378T6453FZ0-CE6
M391T3253FZ0-CE6
M391T6453FZ0-CE6
M378T3354CZ0-CE6
M378T6553CZ0-CE6
M378T2953CZ0-CE6
MT16HTF6464AY-667B4
HYS64T32000HU-3S-A
HYS64T64000HU-3S-A
HYS64T128020HU-3S-A
HYS72T32000HU-3S-A
HYS72T64000HU-3S-A
HYS72T128020HU-3S-A
HYMP564U64AP8-Y5
HYMP512U64AP8-Y5
HYMP112U72P8-Y5
HYMP564U72AP8-Y5
HYMP512U72AP8-Y5
HYMP564U64AP8-Y4
HYMP512U64AP8-Y4
HYMP564U72AP8-Y4
HYMP512U72AP8-Y4
EBE25UC8ABFA-6E-E
EBE51UD8AEFA-6E-E
EBE11UD8AEFA-6E-E
BL6464AA664.16FB
BL12864AA664.16FA
BL6464AL664.16FB
BL12864AL664.16FA
KLCC28F-A8EB5
–
–
–
–
–
–
•
•
•
•
–
–
–
•
•
HYB18T512160AF-3S
HYB18T512800AF3S
HYB18T512800AF3S
–
–
–
HYB18T256800AF3S(ECC)
HYB18T512800AF3S(ECC)
HYB18T512800AF3S(ECC)
HY5PS12821AFP-Y5
HY5PS12821AFP-Y5
HY5PS1G831FP-Y5(ECC)
HY5PS12821AFP-Y5(ECC)
HY5PS12821AFP-Y5(ECC)
HY5PS12821AFP-Y4
HY5PS12821AFP-Y4
HY5PS12821AFP-Y4(ECC)
HY5PS12821AFP-Y4(ECC)
E2508AB-GE-E
–
–
–
–
Hynix
–
•
•
Hynix
–
–
–
Hynix
Hynix
Hynix
–
•
•
•
•
Hynix
–
Hynix
–
Hynix
–
–
ELPIDA
ELPIDA
ELPIDA
crucial
E5108AE-GE-E
–
•
•
•
•
Engineering Sample
Heat-Sink Package
Heat-Sink Package
Heat-Sink Package
Heat-Sink Package
E5108AE-6E-E
–
–
crucial
–
–
crucial
•
•
crucial
–
Kingmax
Kingmax
Apacer
Apacer
A-DATA
TwinMOS
GEIL
–
–
–
–
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
E5108AE-6E-E
KLCD48F-A8EB5
E5108AE-6E-E
78.91092.420
E5108AE-6E-E
78.01092.420
E5108AE-6E-E
M20EL5G3H3160B1C0Z
8G-25JK5-EBT
–
E5108AE-GE-E
–
–
Heat-Sink Package
GX21GB5300UDC
(Continued on the next page)
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-11
DDR2-667 MHz capability
DIMM support
S i z e
V
e
n
d
o
r
M
o
d
e
l
B
r
a
n
d
S
i
d
e
(
s
)
C
o
m
p
o
n
e
n
t
C
L
A
B
512 MB
256 MB
512 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
GEIL
Heat-Sink Package
NT5TU32M16AG-3C
NT5TU64M8AE-3C
N2TU51280AF-3C
N2TU51280AF-3C
Heat-Sink Package
Heat-Sink Package
E5108AE-5C-E
–
SS
SS
SS
SS
DS
SS
DS
DS
SS
DS
SS
DS
SS
DS
GX21GB5300DC
NANYA
NANYA
Elixir
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
NT256T64UH4A0FY-3C
NT512T64U88A0BY-3C
M2U51264TU88A0F-3C
M2U1G64TU8HA2F-3C
Elixir
OCZ
OCZ26671024EBDCPE-K
OCZ26672048EBDCPE-K
MEAD-403LA
39127282
OCZ
PQI
WINTEC
WINTEC
MDT
4UAI2D9CRZ
4WAIID9CWX
39137282
18D51280D-30518
18D51280D-30528
DD2640800-667
DD2640800-667
M512-667-8
M924-667-16
N/A
MDT
Kingbox
Kingbox
N/A
Side(s): S S - Single-sided D S - Double-sided
DIMM support:
A
B
-
-
Supports one module inserted into either slot, in Single-channel memory configuration.
Supports one pair of modules inserted into both slots as one pair of Dual-channel
memory configuration.
Visit the ASUS website for the latest DDR2-667 MHz QVL.
DDR2-533 MHz capability
DIMM support
C L
S i z e
Vendor
Part No.
B r a n d Side(s)
Chip No.
A
B
256 MB
KINGSTON
KINGSTON
KINGSTON
KINGSTON
SAMSUNG
SAMSUNG
SAMSUNG
SAMSUNG
SAMSUNG
MICRON
E5116AB-5C-E
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
SS
DS
DS
DS
SS
SS
DS
DS
DS
SS
SS
SS
SS
KVR533D2N4/256
KVR533D2N4/512
KVR533D2N4/1G
512 MB
1024 MB
2048 MB
512 MB
256 MB
512 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
256 MB
512 MB
512 MB
256 MB
HY5PS56821F-C4
D6408TE7BL-37
E1108AA-5C-E
KVR533D2N4/2G
K4T51083QB-GCD5
K4T56083QF-GCD5
K4T56083QF-GCD5
K4T56083QF-GCD5(ECC)
K4T51083QB-GCD5(ECC)
4DBIIZ9BQT
M378T6553BG0-CD5
M378T3253FG0-CD5
M378T6453FG0-CD5
M391T6453FG0-CD5
M391T2953BG0-CD5
–
Infineon
HYB18T512800AF3(ECC)
HYB18T512800AC37
HYB18T512160AF-3.7
HYS72T64000HU-3.7-A
HYS64T64000GU-3.7-A
HYS64T32000HU-3.7-A
Infineon
Infineon
(Continued on the next page)
2-12
Chapter 2: Hardware information
DDR2-533 MHz capability
DIMM support
S i z e
V
e
n
d
o
r
P
a
r
t
N
o
.
B
r
a
n
d
S
i
d
e
(
s
)
C
h
i
p
N
o
.
C
L
A
B
512 MB
1024 MB
2048 MB
256 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
1024 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
512 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
2048 MB
256 MB
512 MB
256 MB
256 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
256 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
1024 MB
256 MB
512 MB
256 MB
512 MB
512 MB
256 MB
256 MB
512 MB
512 MB
512 MB
Infineon
Infineon
Infineon
Infineon
Infineon
Infineon
Hynix
HYB18T512800AF37
HYB18T512800AF37
HYB18T1G800AF-3.7
HYB18T5121608BF-3.7
HYB18T512800BF37
HYB18T512800BF37
HY5PS12821F-C4
HY5PS12821F-C4(ECC)
HY5PS12821F-C4
HY5PS12821F-C4(ECC)
HY5PS12821F-E3(ECC)
HY5PS12821FP-C4(ECC)
HY5PS12821FP-C4
HY5PS12821AFP-C3
HY5PS12821AFP-C3
E5108AB-5C-E(ECC)
E5108AB-5C-E
–
SS
HYS64T64000HU-3.7-A
HYS64T128020HU-3.7-A
HYS64T256020HU-3.7-A
HYS64T32000HU-3.7-B
HYS64T64000HU-3.7-B
HYS64T128020HU-3.7-B
HYMP564U648-C4
–
•
•
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
DS
DS
SS
SS
DS
SS
SS
DS
DS
DS
SS
DS
SS
DS
SS
SS
SS
DS
DS
SS
DS
SS
SS
SS
DS
SS
DS
SS
SS
DS
DS
SS
SS
SS
SS
SS
SS
SS
SS
SS
SS
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Hynix
HYMP564U728-C4
Hynix
HYMP512U648-C4
Hynix
HYMP512U728-C4
Hynix
HYMP512U728-C4
Hynix
HYMP564U728-C4
Hynix
HYMP512U648-C4
•
•
•
•
Hynix
HYMP564U64AP8-C3
HYMP512U64AP8-C3
EBE51ED8ABFA-5C-E
EBE51UD8ABFA-5C
EBE51UD8ABFA-5C-E
EBE11UD8ABFA-5C-E
EBE21EE8AAFA-5C-E
VS256MB533D2
Hynix
ELPIDA
ELPIDA
ELPIDA
ELPIDA
ELPIDA
–
–
E5108AB-5C-E
–
•
•
E5108AB-5C-E
–
–
–
–
–
–
E1108AA-5C-E
CORSAIR
CORSAIR
Apacer
MIII0051832M8CEC
MI110052432M8CEC
E5116AB-5C-E
VS512MB533D2
78.81077.420
KINGMAX
KINGMAX
KINGMAX
E5116AB-5C-E
KLBB68F-36EP4
E5108AE-5C-E
KLBC28F-A8EB4
–
•
•
•
•
E5108AE-5C-E
KLBD48F-A8EB4
–
–
–
Transcend
Transcend
CENTURY
CENTURY
CENTURY
CENTURY
elixir
K4T51083QB-GCD5
K4T51083QB-GCD5
K4T56083QF-GCD5
E5108AB-5C-E
TS64MLQ64V5J
TS128MLQ64V5J
25V6S8SSD5F4-K43
25V2H8EL5CB4-J43
25V0H8EL5CB4-J45
25VOH8EL5C
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
E5108AB-5C-E
E5108AB-5C-E
N2TU51216AF-37B
N2TU51280AF-37B
AET960UD00-37C88X
AET960UD00-37C88X
AET93F370AG0513
AET94F370A
M2U25664TUH4A0F-37B
M2U51264TU88A0F-37B
AET560UD00-370A98X
AET660UD00-370A98X
AET660UD00-370A98X
AET560UD00-370A98Z
AET560UD00-370A98X
AET660UD00-370A98Z
AET660UD00-370A98X
AET660UD00-370A98X
elixir
Aeneon
Aeneon
Aeneon
Aeneon
Aeneon
Aeneon
Aeneon
Aeneon
AET94F370A
AET93F370A
AET93F370A
AET93F370
(Continu–on the next page)
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-13
DDR2-533 MHz capability
DIMM support
C L
S i z e
Vendor
Part No.
B r a n d
Side(s)
Chip No.
A
B
1024 MB
256 MB
512 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
512 MB
256 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
512 MB
1024 MB
Aeneon
NANYA
NANYA
NANYA
NANYA
PQI
AET93F370A
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
DS
SS
SS
SS
DS
DS
SS
SS
SS
DS
SS
SS
DS
AET760UD00-370A98X
NT256T64UH4A0F-37B
NT512T64U88A0F-37B
NT512T72U89A0F-37B
NT1GT64U8HA0F-37B
MEAB-323LA
NT5TU32M16AF-37B
NT5TU64M8AF-37B
NT5TU64M8AF-37B(ECC)
NT5TU64M8AF-37B
64MX8D2-E
PQI
64MX8D2-E
MEAB-423LA
TwinMOS
K4T51083QB-GCD5
8D-22JB5-K2T
SimpleTech 858S032F25A
SimpleTech 858S064F25A
SVM-42DR2/256
SVM-42DR2/512
PDC21G5600+XBLK
M512-533-8
Patriot
MDT
Heat-Sink Package
18D51280D-3.70S20
18D51280D-3.70448
MDT
M924-533-16
Side(s): S S - Single-sided D S - Double-sided
DIMM support:
A
B
-
-
Supports one module inserted into either slot, in Single-channel memory configuration.
Supports one pair of modules inserted into both slots as one pair of Dual-channel
memory configuration.
Visit the ASUS website for the latest DDR2-533 MHz QVL.
2-14
Chapter 2: Hardware information
2.4.3 Installing a DIMM
Unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other
system components. Failure to do so can cause severe damage to both
the motherboard and the components.
2
To install a DIMM:
DDR2 DIMM notch
3
1. Unlock a DIMM socket by
pressing the retaining clips
outward.
2. Align a DIMM on the socket
such that the notch on the
DIMM matches the break on
the socket.
1
3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the
socket until the retaining clips
snap back in place and the
DIMM is properly seated.
Unlocked retaining clip
•
•
A DDR2 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.
The DDR2 DIMM sockets do not support DDR DIMMs. DO not install
DDR DIMMs to the DDR2 DIMM sockets.
2.4.4 Removing a DIMM
To remove a DIMM:
2
1. Simultaneously press the retaining
clips outward to unlock the DIMM.
Support the DIMM lightly
with your fingers when
pressing the retaining
clips. The DIMM might get
damaged when it flips out
with extra force.
1
DDR2 DIMM notch
1
2. Remove the DIMM from the socket.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-15
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 the 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.
When using PCI cards on shared slots, ensure that the drivers support
“Share IRQ” or that the cards do not need IRQ assignments. Otherwise,
conflicts will arise between the two PCI groups, making the system
unstable and the card inoperable. Refer to the table on the next page for
details.
2-16
Chapter 2: Hardware information
2.5.3 Interrupt assignments
Standard interrupt assignments
I R Q
Priority
Standard Function
0
1
2
System Timer
1
Keyboard Controller
2
—
11
12
13
14
15
3
Re-direct to IRQ#9
3
IRQ holder for PCI steering*
Communications Port (COM1)*
IRQ holder for PCI steering*
Floppy Disk Controller
4
5
6
7
Printer Port (LPT1)*
8
System CMOS/Real Time Clock
IRQ holder for PCI steering*
IRQ holder for PCI steering*
IRQ holder for PCI steering*
PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port*
Numeric Data Processor
Primary IDE Channel
9
4
10
11
12
13
14
15
5
6
7
8
9
10
Secondary IDE Channel
* These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.
IRQ assignments for this motherboard
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
IDE
—
—
—
—
shared
—
—
shared
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Southbridge Serial ATA
USB 0
—
—
—
—
—
shared
—
USB 1
—
—
—
shared
—
—
—
USB 2
—
—
shared
—
—
—
—
USB 3
shared
—
—
—
—
—
—
USB 2.0
—
—
—
—
—
shared
—
PCIE
shared
—
—
—
—
—
—
PCI 1
—
—
—
shared
—
—
—
PCI 2
—
—
—
—
used
—
—
IEEE 1394
JMB363 Serial ATA
Intel® LAN
Audio
—
—
—
—
shared
—
—
—
—
shared
—
—
—
—
—
—
shared
—
—
—
—
—
used
—
—
—
—
—
Internal graphics display (IGD) shared
—
—
—
—
—
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-17
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 PCI Express x16 slot
This motherboard supports PCI
Express x16 graphic cards that
comply with the PCI Express
specifications.
The figure above shows a graphics
card installed on the PCI Express x16
slot.
This motherboard supports an ASUS
R-DVI-ADD2 card for DVI output. The
figure below shows an R-DVI-ADD2
card installed on the PCI Express x16
slot. Refer to the description and
installation instructions on the next
page.
2-18
Chapter 2: Hardware information
R-DVI-ADD2/R-DVI-ADD2-L support
The motherboard supports an ASUS R-DVI-ADD2/R-DVI-ADD2-L card,
which is especially designed for Intel® Pentium™ 4 systems with Intel®
945GT/945GM chipset and PCI Express x16 slot to support digital visual
interface (DVI) output for LCD monitors, flat panel displays, and projectors
with DVI capability. The card supports dual screen display with an onboard
VGA (video graphics adapter), if available.
The R-DVI-ADD2/R-DVI-ADD2-L card supports:
• Intel® proprietary SDVO technology that provides the display
interface for DVI monitors
• LCD hot-plug detection
• Dual-screen with onboard VGA
• Up to 1600x1200 resolution at 60 Hz fresh rate
• Scaleable output bandwidth from 25 to 162 megapixels per second
• Various display modes and resolutions:
VGA
SVGA
XGA
640x480
800x600
1024x768
SXGA
SXGA+
UXGA
1280x1024
1400x1050
1600x1200
Card layout
DVI-D port
You can adjust the output standard and other graphics configuration
using the motherboard BIOS menu. The BIOS options for these
configurations may be found in the Advanced Menu > Chipset >
North Bridge Configuration. Refer section “4.4.3 Chipset” for
details.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-19
Card installation
Before installing the R-DVI-ADD2/R-DVI-ADD2-L card, make sure that
your system meets the following requirements.
System requirements
• Intel® Pentium™ 4 system with Intel® 945GT/945GM chipset
• Minimum 64 MB system memory
• PCI Express x16 slot
• Windows® 98 SE/ME/2000/XP operating system
The drivers for the R-DVI-ADD2/R-DVI-ADD2-L card are included in
the support CD that came with your Intel® 945GT/945GM
motherboard. Install the card drivers from the support CD after
installing the card to the system.
Installing the card
Follow these steps to install the R-DVI-ADD2/R-DVI-ADD2-L card.
Before handling the card, touch a bare metal portion of your
computer to discharge static electricity from your body. Wear a wrist
strap grounded to the computer chassis when handling the card.
1. Make sure that the computer is turned off. Unplug the system
power cord from the electrical socket.
2. Remove the computer cover, then locate the PCI Express x16 slot.
Refer to the motherboard user guide for the slot location.
3. Remove the rear panel bracket opposite the PCI Express x16 slot.
Keep the bracket screw for later use.
4. Carefully insert the card to the slot until it fits completely.
5.
Secure the card with the screw that you removed earlier.
6. Replace the computer cover, then plug the system power cord to
an electrical socket.
7. Connect the display device to the DVI-D port using a DVI-D cable,
then turn on the computer.
Enabling DVI display and changing resolutions
All Intel® 945GT/945GM (Grantsdale G) video drivers provided by
Intel® have built-in support to enable the ADD2 cards. All the
necessary drivers are available from Intel®.
2-20
Chapter 2: Hardware information
2.6 Jumpers
1 . 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!
N4L-VM DH
CLRTC
®
1 2
2 3
Normal
Clear CMOS
N4L-VM DH Clear RTC RAM
(Default)
•
•
Make sure to re-enter your previous BIOS settings after you clear
the CMOS.
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.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-21
2 . USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34,
USBPW56, USBPW78)
Set these jumpers to +5V to wake up the computer from S1 sleep
mode (CPU stopped, DRAM refreshed, system running in low power
mode) using the connected USB devices. Set to +5VSB to wake up
from S3 and S4 sleep modes (no power to CPU, DRAM in slow refresh,
power supply in reduced power mode).
The USBPW12 and USBPW34 jumpers are for the rear USB ports. The
USBPW56 and USBPW78 jumpers are for the internal USB connectors
that you can connect to additional USB ports.
USBPW34
USBPW12
2
1 2
3
+5V
(Default)
+5VSB
N4L-VM DH
USBPW56
USBPW78
2
1 2
3
®
+5V
(Default)
+5VSB
N4L-VM DH USB device wake-up
•
•
The USB device wake-up feature requires a power supply that can
provide 500mA on the +5VSB lead for each USB device; otherwise,
the system will not power up.
The total current consumed must NOT exceed the power supply
capability (+5VSB) whether under normal condition or in sleep mode.
2-22
Chapter 2: Hardware information
3 . Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR)
This jumper allows you to enable or disable the PS/2 keyboard
wake-up feature. Set this jumper to pins 2-3 (+5VSB) to wake up the
computer when you press a key on the keyboard (the default is the
Space Bar). This feature requires an ATX power supply that can supply
at least 1A on the +5VSB lead, and a corresponding setting in the
BIOS.
KBPWR
1 2
2 3
+5V
(Default)
+5VSB
N4L-VM DH
®
N4L-VM DH Keyboard power setting
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-23
2.7 Connectors
2.7.1 Rear panel connectors
1
2
3
4
5 6 7 8
16
15
14
13
12
11
10 9
1 . PS/2 mouse port (green). This port is for a PS/2 mouse.
2 . Video Graphics Adapter port. This 15-pin port is for a VGA
monitor or other VGA-compatible devices.
3 . IEEE 1394a port. This 6-pin 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
OFF
GREEN
BLINKING
Linked
ORANGE 100Mbps connection
GREEN 1Gbps connection
Acting
LAN port
5 . Rear Speaker Out port (black). This port connects the rear
speakers in a 4/6/8-channel audio configuration.
6 . Center/Subwoofer port (orange). This port connects the
center/subwoofer speakers.
7 . Line In port (light blue). This port connects the tape, CD, DVD
player, or other audio sources.
8 . Line Out port (lime). This port connects a headphone or a
speaker. In 4-channel, 6-channel, and 8-channel configuration, the
function of this port becomes Front Speaker Out.
9 . Microphone port (pink). This port connects a microphone.
2-24
Chapter 2: Hardware information
10. Side Speaker Out port (gray). This port connects the side
speakers in an 8-channel audio configuration.
•
•
Refer to the audio configuration table below for the function of the
audio ports in 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel configuration.
See section “5.3.2 Audio configurations” on page 5-11 for details.
Audio 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel configuration
Port
Headset
2-channel
4-channel
6-channel
8-channel
Light Blue
Lime
Line In
Line In
Line In
Front Speaker Out
Mic In
Line In
Line Out
Front Speaker Out
Front Speaker Out
Mic In
Pink
Mic In
Mic In
Black
–
–
–
Rear Speaker Out
Rear Speaker Out
–
Rear Speaker Out
Side Speaker Out
Center/Subwoofer
Gray
–
–
Orange
Center/Subwoofer
11. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus
(USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.
12. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus
(USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.
13. Optical S/PDIF Out port. This port connects an external audio
output device via an optical S/PDIF cable.
14. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port. This port connects an external audio
output device via a coaxial S/PDIF cable.
15. External SATA port. This port connects to an external SATA box
or a Serial ATA port multiplier.
The external SATA port supports
external Serial ATA 1.5 and 3 Gb/
s devices. Longer cables support
higher power requirements to
deliver signal up to two meters
away, and enables improved
hot-swap function.
•
•
Do not insert a different connector to this port.
Do not remove/unplug the external SATA device when running under
RAID mode to prevent data loss or damage.
16. PS/2 keyboard port (purple). This port is for a PS/2 keyboard.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-25
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 a FDD cable with a covered Pin 5.
FLOPPY
NOTE: Orient the red markings on
the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1.
N4L-VM DH
PIN 1
®
N4L-VM DH Floppy disk drive connector
2 . IDE connector (40-1 pin IDE)
This connector is for the Ultra DMA 100 signal cable. The Ultra DMA
100 signal cable has three connectors: a blue connector for the primary
IDE connector on the motherboard, a black connector for an Ultra DMA
100 IDE slave device (optical drive/hard disk drive), and a gray
connector for an Ultra DMA 100 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 100 IDE devices.
2-26
Chapter 2: Hardware information
IDE
NOTE: Orient the red markings
(usually zigzag) on the IDE
ribbon cable to PIN 1.
N4L-VM DH
®
PIN 1
N4L-VM DH IDE connector
3 . Intel® ICH7-M DH Southbridge Serial ATA connectors
(7-pin SATA0 [black], SATA2 [black])
These connectors are for the Serial ATA signal cables for Serial ATA I
(1.5 Gb/s) hard disk and optical disk drives.
If you installed Serial ATA hard disk drives, you can create a RAID 0,
RAID 1, and Intel® Matrix Storage configuration through the onboard
Intel® RAID controller. Refer to section “5.4.2 Intel® RAID
configurations” for details on how to set up Serial ATA RAID
configurations.
The RAID function of these connectors is set to [Disabled] by default. If
you intend to create a Serial ATA RAID set using these connectors, set
the Configure SATA As item in the BIOS to [RAID]. See section
“4.3.5 IDE Configuration” for details.
N4L-VM DH
SATA2
®
SATA0
N4L-VM DH SATA connectors
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-27
4 . JMicron Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s RAID connector
(7-pin SATA_RAID1 [red])
This connector is for a Serial ATA signal cable. It supports a Serial ATA
hard disk drive
SATA_RAID1
N4L-VM DH
GND
RSATA_RXN1
RSATA_RXP1
GND
RSATA_TXN1
RSATA_TXP1
GND
®
N4L-VM DH SATA RAID connector
The Serial ATA port multiplier and external Serial ATA box are purchased
separately.
5 . CD audio in connector (4-pin CD)
This connector is for the 4-pin audio cable that connects to the audio
connector at the back of the optical drive.
N4L-VM DH
®
N4L-VM DH CD audio connector
CD
2-28
Chapter 2: Hardware information
6 . USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB78)
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.
N4L-VM DH
USB56
USB78
1
1
®
N4L-VM DH USB 2.0 connectors
Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors. Doing so will
damage the motherboard!
An external infrared (IR) module will occupy one (1) USB port.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-29
7 . 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
N4L-VM DH
®
N4L-VM DH 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.
•
By default, this connector is set to legacy AC`97 audio. If you want
to connect a high-definition front panel audio module to this
connector, set the Front Panel Support Type item in the BIOS
setup to [Azalia]. See page 4-24 for details.
8 . IEEE 1394a port connector (10-1 pin IE1394_2)
This connector is for the IEEE 1394a port. Connect the IEEE 1394
module cable to this connector, then install the module to a slot
opening at the back of the system chassis.
N4L-VM DH
1
®
IE1394_2
N4L-VM DH IEEE 1394 connector
Never connect a USB cable to the IEEE 1394a connectors.
Doing so will damage the motherboard!
2-30
Chapter 2: Hardware information
9 . GAME/MIDI port connector (16-1 pin GAME)
This connector is for a GAME/MIDI port. Connect the USB/GAME or
GAME/MIDI 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.
N4L-VM DH
GAME
®
N4L-VM DH Game connector
The GAME/MIDI module is purchased separately.
10. Serial port connector (10-1 pin COM1)
This connector is for a serial (COM) port. Connect the serial port
module cable to this connector, then install the module to a slot
opening at the back of the system chassis.
COM1
PIN 1
N4L-VM DH
®
N4L-VM DH Serial port2 connector
The serial port module is purchased separately.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-31
11. CPU and chassis fan connectors
(3-pin CPU_FAN, 3-pin CHA_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 +12V. Connect the
fan cables to the fan connectors on the motherboard, making sure that
the black wire of each cable matches the ground pin of the connector.
Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors.
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
N4L-VM DH
Rotation
+12V
GND
®
N4L-VM DH Fan connectors
12. 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.
N4L-VM DH
®
CHASSIS
(Default)
N4L-VM DH Chassis intrusion connector
2-32
Chapter 2: Hardware information
13. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V)
These connectors are for ATX power supply plugs. The power supply
plugs are designed to fit these connectors in only one orientation.
Find the proper orientation and push down firmly until the connectors
completely fit.
EATXPWR
+3 Volts
+12 Volts
+12 Volts
+5V Standby
Power OK
Ground
Ground
+5 Volts
+5 Volts
+5 Volts
-5 Volts
Ground
Ground
Ground
PSON#
Ground
-12 Volts
+3 Volts
ATX12V
+12V DC GND
N4L-VM DH
+12V DC GND
+5 Volts
Ground
+5 Volts
Ground
+3 Volts
+3 Volts
®
N4L-VM DH ATX power connectors
•
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).
•
•
Do not forget to connect the 4-pin ATX +12 V power plug;
otherwise, the system will not boot.
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.
•
Visit www.asus.com for the latest power requirements table.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-33
Power requirements table
Heavy
Normal
Light
CPU
Intel® Core™ Duo
T2600 processor
(Dual-Core 2.16 GHz)
Intel® Core™ Duo
T2600 processor
(Dual-Core 2.16 GHz) (Dual-Core 2.16
Intel® Core™ Duo
T2600 processor
GHz)
PCIe16
6600
2 x 1G
2
Onboard Gfx
Onboard Gfx
DDR2-667 DIMMs
SATA IDE
2 x 512M
2 x 512M
2
2
2
1
Optical drive
2
(DVD/CD-ROW)
PCIe1 Card
PCI Card
USB
1
0
0
2
1
1
6
4
1
Required +12V_V1
(24 Pin)
>= 10 A
>= 5 A
>= 4 A
Required +12V_V2
(4 Pin)
>= 3 A
>250 W
>= 3 A
>= 3 A
Required wattage
>= 150W
>= 120W
•
•
We recommend that you use a PSU with a higher power output when
configuring a system with more power consuming devices.
Different PCI-E x16 Graphics card requires different +12V_V1
power. To support a high-end PCI-E x16 Graphics card, make sure
that the PSU can provide more 12V power on the 12V_V1 lead."
14. Parallel port connector (26-1 pin LPT)
This connector is for a parallel port. Connect the parallel port module
cable to this connector, then install the module to a slot opening at
the back of the system chassis.
N4L-VM DH
LPT
®
Pin 1
N4L-VM DH Parallel port connector
The parallel port cable is purchased separately.
2-34
Chapter 2: Hardware information
15. S/PDIF In/Out connector (6-1 pin SPDIF)
This connector is for an additional Sony/Philips Digital Interface
(S/PDIF) port(s). Connect the S/PDIF In/Out module cable to this
connector, then install the module to a slot opening at the back of the
system chassis.
N4L-VM DH
SPDIF
®
1
N4L-VM DH Digital Audio Connector
The S/PDIF module is purchased separately.
16. TV Out connector (6-1 pin TV_C)
This 6-1 pin connector is for the front panel daughter card with the
audio TV-out port. This connector allows dual display (TV+VGA or
TV+DVI) with the ASUS AV/S.
N4L-VM DH
S-video Y out
S-video C out
CVBS out
GND
GND
TV_C
1
®
N4L-VM DH TV out connector
The ASUS AV/S module is purchased separately.
Do not connect the S-Video and composite TV ports simultaneously to
prevent abnormal or no display.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
2-35
17. System panel connector (20-pin PANEL)
This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.
PLED
SPEAKER
PANEL
N4L-VM DH
IDE_LED
RESET
PWR
®
*
Requires an ATX power supply.
N4L-VM DH 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 LED (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.
ATX power button/soft-off button
(Light Green 2-pin PWR)
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.
2-36
Chapter 2: Hardware information
This chapter describes the power up
sequence, the vocal POST messages,
and ways of shutting down the
system.
Powering up
3
Chapter summary
3
3.1
3.2
Starting up for the first time................................................ 3-1
Powering off the computer .................................................. 3-2
ASUS N4L-VM DH
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 with ATX 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 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.
7. At power on, hold down the <Delete> key to enter the BIOS Setup.
Follow the instructions in Chapter 4.
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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
4
Chapter summary
4
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........................................................................4-29
Boot menu ..........................................................................4-34
Exit menu ...........................................................................4-38
ASUS N4L-VM DH
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 in DOS mode using a floppy disk
or the motherboard support CD.)
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).
Quit all Windows® applications before you update the BIOS using this
utility.
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 ASUS Update. See page 5-3 for
the Utilities screen menu.
3. The ASUS Update utility is copied to your system.
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4-1
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.
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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. Windows® XP users: 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. In the Open field, type D:\bootdisk\makeboot a:
assuming that D is your optical drive letter.
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 N4L-VM.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 “N4L-VM.rom”. Completed.
Start erasing.......|
Start programming...|
Flashed successfully. Rebooting.
•
•
Do not shutdown 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 “N4L-VM.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 N4L-VM.ROM.
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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 1.2 MB free space to save the file.
The succeeding BIOS screens are for reference only. The actual BIOS
screen displays may not be 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 1.19(ASUS V2.07(03.11.24BB))
Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reading flash ..... done
Write to file...... ok
A:\>
The utility returns to the DOS prompt after copying the current BIOS
file.
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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 /iN4L-VM.rom
4. The utility verifies the file and starts updating the BIOS.
A:\>afudos /iN4L-VM.rom
AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.19(ASUS V2.07(03.11.24BB))
Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.
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!
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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 /iN4L-VM.rom
AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.19(ASUS V2.07(03.11.24BB))
Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.
WARNING!! Do not turn off power during flash BIOS
Reading file ....... done
Reading flash ...... done
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 N4L-VM.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 “N4L-VM.ROM”. Completed.
Start programming...
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.
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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 “N4L-VM.ROM”. Completed.
Start programming...
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 N4L-VM DH
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 02/27/2006]
[1.44M, 3.5 in]
Use [+] or [-] to
configure the System
Time.
Primary IDE Master
Primary IDE Slave
Secondary IDE Master
Secondary IDE Slave
[ST320410A]
[ASUS CD-S520/A]
[Not Detected]
[Not Detected]
IDE Configuration
System Information
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Field
Tab
F1
Select Field
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
F10
ESC
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
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.
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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
System Date
Legacy Diskette A
[10:55:25]
[Mon 02/27/2006]
[1.44M, 3.5 in.]
The highlighted item on the menu
bar displays the specific items for
that menu. For example, selecting
Main shows the Main menu items.
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]
Select Screen
Select Item
IDE Configuration
System Information
+-
Tab
F1
F10
ESC
Change Field
Select Field
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
The other items (Advanced,
Power, Boot, and Exit) on the
menu bar have their respective
menu items.
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005,American Megatrends, Inc.
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
A scroll bar appears on the right
below sections may cause system to
malfunction.
side of a menu screen when there
are items that do not fit on the
screen. Press the
Plug And Play O/S
PCI Latency Timer
Allocate IRQ to PCI VGA
Palette Snooping
[No]
[64]
[Yes]
[Disabled]
[
PCI IDE BusMaster
Up/Down arrow keys or <Page Up>
/<Page Down> keys to display the
other items on the screen.
Pop-up window
4.2.9 General help
Scroll bar
At the top right corner of the
menu screen is a brief description of the selected item.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
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 02/27/2006]
[1.44M, 3.5 in]
Use [+] or [-] to
configure the System
Time.
Primary IDE Master
Primary IDE Slave
Secondary IDE Master
Secondary IDE Slave
[ST320410A]
[ASUS CD-S520/A]
[Not Detected]
[Not Detected]
IDE Configuration
System Information
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Field
Tab
F1
Select Field
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
F10
ESC
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
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.]
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Chapter 4: BIOS setup
4.3.4 Primary and Secondary 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-5
SMART Monitoring: Supported
Type
LBA/Large Mode
Block(Multi-sector Transfer) [Auto]
PIO Mode
DMA Mode
SMART Monitoring
32Bit Data Transfer
[Auto]
[Auto]
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
[Auto]
[Auto]
[Auto]
[Enabled]
F1
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
F10
ESC
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
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) [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 N4L-VM DH
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]
SMART Monitoring [Auto]
Sets the Smart Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology.
Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] [Enabled]
32Bit Data Transfer [Enabled]
Enables or disables 32-bit data transfer.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4.3.5 IDE configuration
The items in this menu allow you to set or change the configurations for
IDE devices. Select an item, then press <Enter> to configure.
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Main
IDE Configuration
Options
Disabled
Compatible
Enhanced
ATA/IDE Configuration
[Compatible]
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1
General Help
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
ATA/IDE Configuration [Compatible]
Allows selection of the IDE operation mode depending on the operating
system (OS) that you installed. Set to Enhanced if you are using native OS,
such as Windows® 2000/XP. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Compatible]
[Enhanced]
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Chapter 4: BIOS setup
The following item appears if you set the ATA/IDE Configuration
item to [Enhanced].
Configure SATA as [IDE]
Sets the Serial ATA configuration. When set in Advanced Host
Controller Interface (AHCI) or RAID mode, the SATA controller is set
to Native mode. Configuration options: [IDE] [RAID] [AHCI]
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
: 0120
Build Date : 03/07/06
Processor
Type
Speed
Count
: Genuine Intel(R) CPU
: 1.66GHz
: 2
T2300 @
System Memory
Size
: 504 MB
Select Screen
Select Item
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
F1
F10
ESC
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
AMI BIOS
Displays the auto-detected BIOS information.
Processor
Displays the auto-detected CPU specification.
System Memory
Displays the auto-detected system memory.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
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
Adjust system
frequency/voltage
Jumperfree Configuration
CPU Configuration
Chipset
Onboard Devices Configuration
PCIPnP
USB Configuration
Select Screen
Select Item
Enter Go to Sub Screen
F1 General Help
F10 Save and Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
4.4.1 JumperFree Configuration
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
Configure System Frequency/Voltage
AI Overclocking [Auto]
Select the target CPU
frequency, and the
relevant parameters
will be auto-adjusted.
Frequencies higher
than CPU manufacturer
recommends are not
guaranteed to be
DDR2 Reference Voltage [Auto]
stable. If the system
becomes unstable,
return to the default.
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.
Manual - allows you to individually set overclocking parameters.
Auto - loads the optimal settings for the system.
4-18
Chapter 4: BIOS setup
The following two items appear only when you set the A I
Overclocking item to [Manual].
CPU Frequency [166]
Displays the frequency set by the clock generator to the system bus
and PCI bus. The value of this item is auto-detectedby the BIOS. use
the <+> or <-> keys to adjust the CPU frequency. You can also type
the desired CPU frequency using the numeric keypad. The values
range from 100 ~ 500.
CPU Clock Spread Spectrum [Default]
Allows you to enable or disable the CPU clock spread spectrum.
Configuration options: [Default] [+/- 0.25%] [+/- 0.35%] [+/-
0.40%]... [+/- 1.00%]
DDR2 Reference Voltage [Auto]
Allows you to select the DDR2 reference voltage.
Configuration options: [1.80V] [1.90V] [2.00V] [2.10V]
Refer to the DDR2 documentation before adjusting the memory voltage.
Setting a very high memory voltage may damage the memory module(s)!
ASUS N4L-VM DH
4-19
4.4.2 CPU Configuration
The items in this menu show the CPU-related information that the BIOS
automatically detects.
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
Configure Advanced CPU settings
Module Version: 3C.0F
Disabled for Windows
XP.
Manufacturer: Intel
Brand String: Genuine Intel(R) CPU
T2300
Frequency
FSB Speed
Cache L1
Cache L2
: 1.66 GHz
: 667 MHz
: 32 KB
: 2048 KB
Ratio Status: Unlocked (Max:10, Min:6)
Ratio Actual Value : 10
Max CPUID Value Limit:
Vanderpool Technology:
Execute Disable Bit
Intel(R) SpeedStep (tm) tech. [Automatic]
Intel(R) C-STATE tech [Enabled]
[Disabled]
[Enabled]
[Enabled]
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
F10
ESC
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
Max CPUID Value Limit [Disabled]
Setting this item to [Enabled] allows legacy operating systems to boot
even without support for CPUs with extended CPUID functions.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
Execute Disable Bit [Enabled]
Allows you to enable or disable the No-Execution Page Protection
Technology. Setting this item to [Enabled] forces the XD feature flag to
always return to zero (0). Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
Intel(R) SpeedStep(tm) tech. [Automatic]
Allows you to use the Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology. When set to
[Automatic], you can adjust the system power settings in the operating
system to use the EIST feature.
Set this item to [Disabled] if you do not want to use the EIST.
Configuration options: [Automatic] [Disabled]
•
•
Refer to the Appendix for details on how to use the EIST feature.
The motherboard comes with a BIOS file that supports EIST.
Intel(R) C-STATE tech. [Enabled]
Allows you to enable or disable the Intel® C-State technology feature.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4-20
Chapter 4: BIOS setup
4.4.3 Chipset
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
Advanced Chipset Settings
Configure North
Bridge features.
WARNING: Setting wrong values in below sections may
cause system to malfunction
North Bridge Configuration
South Bridge Configuration
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1
General Help
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
North Bridge Configuration
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
North Bridge Chipset Configuration
Configure DRAM Timing by SPD [Enabled]
Options
Disabled
Compatible
Enhanced
Memory Hole
[Disabled]
Boot Graphic Adapter Priority [PEG/PCI]
Internal Graphics Mode Select [Enabled, 8MB]
Graphic Memory Type
[Auto]
PEG Port Configuration
PEG Port
PEG Force x1
[Auto]
[Disabled]
Select Screen
Select Item
Video Display Devices
TV Standard
[Auto]
[Video BIOS default]
+- Change Option
F1
General Help
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
4-21
Configure DRAM Timing by SPD [Enabled]
When this item is enabled, the DRAM timing parameters are set according
to the DRAM Serial Presence Detect (SPD). When disabled, you can
manually set the DRAM timing parameters through the DRAM sub-items.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
The following sub-items appear when this item is disabled.
DRAM CAS# Latency [5 DRAM Clocks]
Controls the latency between the SDRAM read command and the time
the data actually becomes available. Configuration options: [5 DRAM
Clocks] [4 DRAM Clocks] [3 DRAM Clocks]
DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay [6 DRAM Clocks]
Controls the latency between the DDR SDRAM active command and
the read/write command. Configuration options: [2 DRAM Clocks]
[3 DRAM Clocks] [4 DRAM Clocks] [5 DRAM Clocks] [6 DRAM Clocks]
DRAM RAS# Precharge [6 DRAM Clocks]
Controls the idle clocks after issuing a precharge command to the DDR
SDRAm Configuration options: [2 DRAM Clocks] [3 DRAM Clocks] [4
DRAM Clocks] [5 DRAM Clocks] [6 DRAM Clocks]
DRAM RAS# Activate to Precharge [15 DRAM Clocks]
Configuration options: [4 DRAM Clocks] ~ [15 DRAM Clocks]
Memory Hole [Disabled]
Sets or disables the software memory remapping around the memory hole.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [15MB - 16MB]
Boot Graphic Adapter Priority [PEG/PCI]
Allows selection of the graphics controller to use as primary boot device.
Configuration options: [IGD] [PCI/IGD] [PCI/PEG] [PEG/IGD] [PEG/PCI]
Internal Graphics Mode Select [Enabled, 8MB]
Allows you to disable the internal graphcis device (IGD) or select the
amount of system memory pre-allocated by the IGD.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled, 1MB] [Enabled, 8MB]
Graphic Memory Type [Auto]
Allows you to select the graphic memory type that the system will support.
Configuration options: [Auto] [DVMT] [FIX] [DVMT+FIX]
4-22
Chapter 4: BIOS setup
PEG Port [Auto]
Allows you to set to Auto or disable the PCI Express Graphics port.
Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled]
PEG Force x1 [Disabled]
Allows you to set to enable or disable the PEG force x1.
Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]
Video Display Devices [Auto]
Allows you to select the video display device to use.
Configuration options: [Auto] [CRT only] [TV only]
TV Standard [Video BIOS default]
Allows you to select the TV standard in your area.
Configuration options: [Video BIOS default] [NTSC] [PAL]
South Bridge Configuration
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
South Bridge Chipset Configuration
Options
Audio Controller
Front Panel Support Type
[Auto]
[AC97]
Auto
Disabled
PCIE Ports Configuration
PCIE Port 0
[Auto]
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1
General Help
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
Audio Controller [Auto]
Allows you to disable the onboard audio controller, or lets the BIOS
automatically configure. Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled]
Front Panel Support Type [AC97]
Allows you to set the front panel audio connector (AAP) mode to
legacy AC97 or High Definition Audio depending on the front panel
audio module support. Configuration options: [AC97] [HD Audio]
PCIE Port 0 [Auto]
Configuration options: [Auto] [Enabled] [Disabled]
ASUS N4L-VM DH
4-23
4.4.4 Onboard Devices Configuration
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
Configure Win627EHF Super IO Chipset
Onboard JMB363 Serial-
Onboard JMB363 Serial-ATA
Onboard PCIEX GbE LAN
LAN Option ROM
[RAID]
[Enabled]
[Disabled]
Serial Port1 Address
Parallel Port Address
Parallel Port Mode
[3F8/IRQ4]
[378]
[ECP]
ECP Mode DMA Channel
Parallel Port IRQ
[DMA3]
[IRQ7]
Onboard Game/MIDI Port
Onboard 1394 Controller
[Disabled]
[Enabled]
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
F10
ESC
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
Onboard JMB363 Serial -ATA [RAID]
Allows you to disable or choose the function of the onboard JMB363 Serial
ATA controller. Configuration options: [Disabled] [RAID] [IDE]
Onboard PCIEX GbE LAN [Enabled]
Allows you to enable or disable the onboard PCI Express Gigabit LAN
controller. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]
LAN Option ROM [Disabled]
This item allows you to enable or disable the PCI Express Gigabit LAN
boot ROM configuration. This item appears only when the Onboard
PCIEX GbE LAN item is set to [Enabled]. 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] [3BC]
4-24
Chapter 4: BIOS setup
Parallel Port Mode [ECP]
Allows you to select the Parallel Port mode.
Configuration options: [Normal] [Bi-Directional] [EPP] [ECP]
ECP Mode DMA Channel [DMA3]
Appears only when the Parallel Port Mode is set to [ECP]. This item
allows you to set the Parallel Port ECP DMA channel.
Configuration options: [DMA0] [DMA1] [DMA3]
EPP Version [1.9]
Appears only when the Parallel Port Mode is set to [EPP]. Allows you
to select the parallel port EPP version. Configuration options: [1.9]
[1.7]
Parallel Port IRQ [IRQ7]
Allows you to select the parallel port IRQ.
Configuration options: [IRQ5] [IRQ7]
Onboard Game/MIDI Port [Disabled]
Allows you to select the Game/MIDI port address or to disable the port.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [200/300] [200/330] [208/300]
[208/330]
Onboard 1394 Controller [Enabled]
Allows you to enable or disable the onboard IEEE 1394a controller.
Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]
ASUS N4L-VM DH
4-25
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
operating system
configure Plug and
Play (PnP) devices not
required for boot if
your system has a Plug
and Play operating
system.
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
Palette Snooping
[No]
[64]
[Yes]
[Disabled]
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]
[PCI Device]
[PCI Device]
[PCI Device]
[PCI Device]
[PCI Device]
[PCI Device]
[PCI Device]
[PCI Device]
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1
F10
ESC
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
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: [Yes] [No]
Palette Snooping [Disabled]
When set to [Enabled], the palette snooping feature informs the PCI
devices that an ISA graphics device is installed in the system so that the
latter can function correctly. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4-26
Chapter 4: BIOS setup
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]
4.4.6 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
Options
Module Version - 2.24.0-11.4
Disable
Enable
USB Devices Enabled: None
USB Functions
[Enabled]
[Enabled]
[Enabled]
[Disabled]
[HiSpeed]
[Enabled]
USB 2.0 Controller
Legacy USB Support
Port 64/60 Emulation
USB 2.0 Controller Mode
BIOS EHCI Hand-off
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1 General Help
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
The Module Version and USB Devices Enabled items show the
auto-detected values. If no USB device is detected, the item shows
None.
USB Functions [Enabled]
Allows you to enable or disable the USB functions of the motherboard.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
USB 2.0 Controller [Enabled]
Allows you to enable or disable the USB 2.0 controller.
Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]
Legacy USB Support [Enabled]
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]
ASUS N4L-VM DH
4-27
Port 64/60 Emulation [Disabled]
Allows you to enable or disable the I/O port 60h/64h emulation support.
This item should be enabled for complete USB keyboard legacy support for
non-USB aware operating systems. Configuration options: [Disabled]
[Enabled]
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: [FullSpeed] [HiSpeed]
BIOS EHCI Hand-off [Enabled]
Allows you to enable support for operating systems without an EHCI
hand-off feature. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
4-28
Chapter 4: BIOS setup
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]
[ACPI v1.0]
[Enabled]
Select the ACPI
State used for
System Suspend.
Repost Video on S3 Resume
ACPI 2.0 Support
ACPI APIC Support
APM Configuration
Hardware Monitor
Energy Lake
[Enabled]
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Field
F1
F10
ESC
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
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 [ACPI v1.0]
Allows you to add more tables for Advanced Configuration and Power
Interface (ACPI) 2.0 specifications. Configuration options: [ACPI v1.0]
[ACPI v2.0] [ACPI v3.0]
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]
ASUS N4L-VM DH
4-29
4.5.5 APM Configuration
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Power
APM Configuration
Options
Power Off
Power On
Restore on AC Power Loss
[Power Off]
Advanced Resume Event Controls
Power On By RTC Alarm
Last State
[Disabled]
[Disabled]
[Disabled]
[Disabled]
[Disabled]
[Disabled]
Power On By External Modems
Power On By PCI Devices
Power On By PCIE Devices
Power On By PS/2 Keyboard
Power On By PS/2 Mouse
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1
F10
ESC
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc.
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 RTC Alarm [Disabled]
Allows you to enable or disable RTC to generate a wake event.
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
The succeeding items appear when the Power On By RTC Alarm
item is set to Enabled.
RTC Alarm Date (Days)
To set the alarm date, highlight this item and press the <+> or <->
key to make the selection.
RTC Alarm Time
To set the alarm time, use <Tab> or <Shift+Tab> to select a field. Use
the <+> or <-> key to set the value. Press <Enter> to confirm the
setting for each field.
4-30
Chapter 4: BIOS setup
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]
Power On By PCIE Devices [Disabled]
When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows you to turn on the system
through a PCI Express card. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]
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]
ASUS N4L-VM DH
4-31
4.5.6 Hardware Monitor
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Power
Hardware Monitor
CPU Temperature
CPU Temperature
MB Temperature
[32.5ºC/90.5ºF]
[36.0ºC/96.5ºF]
CPU Fan Speed (RPM)
CPU Q-Fan Control
Chassis Fan Speed (RPM)
[3813 RPM]
[Disabled]
[N/A]
VCORE Voltage
3.3V Voltage
5V Voltage
[ 1.320V]
[ 3.345V]
[ 5.094V]
[11.880V]
12V Voltage
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1
F10
ESC
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
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 (RPM) [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 [Ignored] from the item options
to disable CPU fan speed monitoring.
CPU Q-FAN 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 item appears when you enable the CPU Q-FAN Control.
CPU Fan Profile Mode [Optimal]
Allows you to select the CPU fan profile mode. Set to Optimal to enable
the optimal Q-Fan settings for moderately quiet operation. Set to Silent
Mode to minimize fan speed for very quiet operation. Set to
Performance Mode to balance the fan speed and quiet operation.
Configuration options: [Optimal] [Silent Mode] [Performance Mode]
4-32
Chapter 4: BIOS setup
Chassis Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] 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 [Ignored] from the item
options to disable chassis fan speed monitoring.
VCORE Voltage, 3.3V Voltage, 5V Voltage, 12V Voltage
The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output
through the onboard voltage regulators.
4.5.7 Energy Lake Feature [Enabled]
Allows you to enable or disable the Energy Lake technology feature.
Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]
ASUS N4L-VM DH
4-33
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
F1
F10
ESC
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
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
F1
F10
ESC
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
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]
4-34
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]
[Enabled]
[Force BIOS]
[On]
[Auto]
[Enabled]
[Enabled]
[Disabled]
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1
F10
ESC
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
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 N4L-VM DH
4-35
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
: Not Installed
<Enter> again to
disabled password.
Change Supervisor Password
Change User Password
Select Screen
Select Item
Enter Change
F1
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit
General Help
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc.
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 less than 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.
4-36
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
: Not 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
F1
F10
ESC
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc.
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.
Clear User Password
Select this item to clear the user password.
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4-37
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 less
than 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
F1
F10
ESC
Select Field
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc.
Pressing <Esc> does not immediately exit this menu. Select one of the
options from this menu or <F10> from the legend bar to exit.
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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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4-40
Chapter 4: BIOS setup
This chapter describes the contents
of the support CD that comes with
the motherboard package.
Software
5
support
Chapter summary
5
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
Installing an operating system ............................................. 5-1
Support CD information........................................................ 5-1
Software information ........................................................... 5-9
RAID configurations ............................................................5-27
Creating a RAID driver disk .................................................5-42
ASUS N4L-VM DH
5.1 Installing an operating system
This motherboard supports Windows® 2000/2003 Server/XP/64-bit XP/
MCE 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 Pack2 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.
QFE Driver
Installs the Quick Fix Engineering (QFE) driver.
Intel Chipset Inf Update Program
Installs the Intel® Chipset INF Update Program. This driver enables
Plug-n-Play INF support for the Intel® chipset components on the
motherboard. When installed to the target system, this driver provides the
method for configuring the chipset components.
You can install this utility using three different modes: interactive, silent, or
unattended preload. Installing the driver in interactive mode require user
input during installation. User input is not required when installing the driver
in silent or unattended preload modes. Refer to the online help or readme
file that came with the utility for details.
Intel(R) Graphics Accelerator Driver
Installs the Intel® Graphics Accelerator driver.
Intel(R) Tekoa Ethernet Driver
Installs the driver for the Intel® Tekoa PCI Express Gigabit LAN driver.
Realtek Audio Driver
Installs the Realtek® ALC882M audio driver and application.
5-2
Chapter 5: Software support
JMicron JMB363 RAID Driver and Utility
Installs the JMicron® JMB363 RAID Driver and Utility.
Intel Quick Resume Technology Driver
Installs the Intel® Quick Resume Technology Driver (QRTD) for instant on/
off (after initial boot, when activated) capability of an Intel® Viiv™
technology-based PC, allowing it to behave like a consumer electronic
device.
Intel Viiv Software
Installs the Intel® Viiv™ utility that transforms your PC into an
entertainment center, allowing you to enjoy and share digital multi-media
content. With Intel® ViiV™ Technology-based computers, you can record,
playback, organize, and edit digital media content easily. See page 5-xx for
details.
USB 2.0 Driver
Installs the Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB 2.0) driver.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
5-3
5.2.3 Utilities menu
The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the
motherboard supports.
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 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).
ASUS Screen Saver
Bring life to your computer screen by installing the ASUS screen saver.
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 you 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.
5-4
Chapter 5: Software support
Anti-virus Utility
The anti-virus application scans, identifies, and removes computer viruses.
View the online help for detailed information.
5.2.4 Make Disk menu
The Make Disk menu contains items to create the NVIDIA® nForce™ 4 or
Silicon Image SATA/PATA RAID driver disk.
Intel ICH7 32-bit RAID Driver Disk
Allows you to create an Intel® ICH7 RAID driver disk for a 32-bit system.
JMicron JMB363 RAID Driver Disk
Allows you to create a JMicron JMB363 RAID driver disk.
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5-5
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.
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.
5-6
Chapter 5: Software support
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.
Browse this CD
Displays the support CD contents in graphical format.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
5-7
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 in text format.
5-8
Chapter 5: Software support
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 BIOS Flash 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.
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5-9
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.
5-10
Chapter 5: Software support
5.3.2 Audio configurations
The Realtek® ALC882M audio CODEC provides 8-channel audio capability
to deliver the ultimate audio experience on your computer. The software
provides Jack-Sensing function, S/PDIF Out support, and interrupt
capability. The ALC882M also includes the Realtek® proprietary UAJ®
(Universal Audio Jack) technology for all audio ports, eliminating cable
connection errors and giving users plug and play convenience.
Follow the installation wizard to install the Realtek® Audio Driver from
the support CD that came with the motherboard package.
If the Realtek audio software is correctly installed, you will find the Realtek
HD Audio Manager icon on the taskbar.
From the taskbar, double-click on the
SoundEffect icon to display the
Realtek HD Audio Manager.
Realtek HD Audio Manager
The following screens and menus are for reference only and may not
exactly match what you see on your screen.
Realtek HD Audio Manager
Exit
Configuration
options
button
Minimize
button
Control
settings
window
Information
button
Tool button
Dolby® feature
launch buttons
ASUS N4L-VM DH
5-11
Information
Click the information button
(
) to display information
about the audio driver version,
DirectX version, audio controller,
audio codec, and language setting.
Tools
Click the tool button (
applications.
) to display tools for supported Dolby®
Dolby® feature launch buttons
Click the button of the feature you want to launch.
Minimize
Click the minimize button (
) to minimize the window.
Exit
Click the exit button (
) to exit the Realtek HD Audio Manager.
Configuration options
Click any of the tabs in this area to configure your audio settings. Click the
arrow button ( ) to display more options.
5-12
Chapter 5: Software support
Sound Effect
The Realtek® ALC882M Audio CODEC
allows you to set your listening
environment, adjust the equalizer,
set the karaoke, or select
pre-programmed equalizer settings
for your listening pleasure.
To set the sound effect options:
1. From the Realtek HD Audio
Manager, click the Sound
Effect tab.
2. Click the shortcut buttons or the drop-down menus for options on
changing the acoustic environment or adjust the equalizer to your
desired settings.
3. Click
to effect the Sound Effect settings and exit.
Mixer
The Mixer option allows you to
configure audio output (playback)
volume and audio input (record)
volume.
To set the mixer options:
1. From the Realtek HD Audio
Manager, click the Mixer tab.
2. Turn the volume buttons to
adjust the Playback and/or
Record volume.
The Mixer option activates voice input from all channels by default. Make
sure to set those channels to mute ( ) if you do not want voice
input.
3. Make adjustments to Wave, SW Synth, Front, Rear, Subwoofer, CD
volume, Mic volume, Line Volume, and Stereo mix by clicking the
control tabs and dragging them up and down until you get the desired
levels.
4. Click
to effect the Mixer settings and exit.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
5-13
Bass Management setting
Click this tab to manage your bass
settings.
To set the bass management
options:
1. From the Realtek HD Audio
Manager, click the Bass
Management setting tab.
2. Click <M> to display the
distance in meters, or <FT> to
display the distance in feet.
3. Adjust the values to your desired settings by entering a numeric value
in the boxes, or clicking the up/down arrow.
4. Click
5. Click
to test your settings.
to effect the Bass Management settings and exit.
Audio I/O
The Audio I/O option allows you
configure your input/output
settings.
To set the Audio I/O options:
1. From the Realtek HD Audio
Manager, click the Audio I/O
tab.
2. Click the drop-down menu to
select the channel
configuration.
3. The control settings window displays the status of connected devices.
Click
for analog and digital options.
4. Click <OK> to effect the Audio I/O settings and exit
5-14
Chapter 5: Software support
Microphone
The Microphone option allows you
configure your input/output settings
and to check if your audio devices are
connected properly.
To set the Microphone options:
1. From the Realtek HD Audio
Manager, click the Microphone
tab.
2. Click the Noise Suppression
option button to reduce the static background noise when recording.
3. Click the Acoustic Echo Cancellation option button to reduce
the echo from the front speakers when recording.
4. Click
to effect the Microphone settings and exit.
3D Audio Demo
The 3D Audio Demo option gives
you a demonstration of the 3D audio
feature.
To start the 3D Audio Demo:
1. From the Realtek HD Audio
Manager, click the 3D Audio
Demo tab.
2. Click the option buttons to
change the sound, moving
path, or environment settings.
3. Click
4. Click
to test your settings.
to effect the 3D Audio Demo settings and exit.
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5-15
Designed for Dolby® Master Studio
Dolby® Master Studio combines advanced audio technologies to bring you
the highest-quality in audio entertainment. Enjoy true home theatre
experience with the following advanced sound technologies: Dolby Prologic
IIx, Dolby Headphone, Dolby Virtual Speaker, and Dolby Digital Live.
Dolby® Headphone: Allows you to wear any pair of headphones and
listen to music with the dramatic surround effects of a 5.1-channel audio
configuration.
Dolby® Pro Logic IIx: expands any stereo audio or 5.1-channel audio for
a 6.1 or 7.1-channel playback, creating a seamless, natural surround
soundfield that immerses you in the entertainment experience.
Dolby® Virtual Speaker: Simulates a highly realistic 5.1-speaker
surround sound listening environment using only two speakers.
5-16
Chapter 5: Software support
Using Dolby® Digital Live™
The Dolby® Digital Live™ technology encodes your computer’s digital audio
contents to real-time Dolby® Digital streams. Using the CODEC and the
Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) ports on the motherboard, you can
send the encoded Dolby® Digital streams to an AC-3 decoder for playback
on a multi-channel speaker system.
Refer to the following illustrations when converting sounds to Dolby® Digital
streams.
The audio CODEC
Direct or non-encoded
audio in your computer
passes through the
AC-3 encoder.
processes the streams
then passes it to an AC-3
decoder through the
S/PDIF out port.
The AC-3 encoder
converts the
sound into Dolby®
Digital streams.
Realtek®
ALC882M
CODEC
1
3
2
4
The AC-3 decoder
processes the
streams then plays
them back on a
multi-channel
speaker system.
To enable the Dolby® Digital Live™:
1. Connect an AC-3 decoder to the
coaxial/optical S/PDIF out port.
2. Connect the AC-3 decoder to
the multi-channel speaker
system.
3. Launch the Realtek HD Audio
Manager by double clicking the
Realtek HD Audio Manager
icon on the Windows® taskbar.
4. Click the Dolby Digital Live
button. You can now convert
your computer’s audio content
to Dolby® Digital streams.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
5-17
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
5-18
Chapter 5: Software support
Button
F
u
n
c
t
i
o
n
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.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
5-19
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.
5-20
Chapter 5: Software support
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.
ASUS N4L-VM DH
5-21
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.
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Chapter 5: Software support
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
ASUS N4L-VM DH
5-23
5.3.4 Intel® Viiv™
Intel® Viiv™ Technology transforms your PC into an
entertainment center, allowing you to enjoy and share
digital multi-media content like never before. With Intel®
ViiV™ Technology-based computers, you can record,
playback, organize, and edit digital media content easily.
Enjoy the entertainment experience even more with
sharp graphics, flawless video playback, and support for
up to 7.1 channel surround sound.
Refer to this section for instructions on how to install the Intel® Viiv™
software.
•
•
•
The Intel® Viiv™ software will run only on motherboards with the
required chipset, such as the N4L-VM DH. Visit the Intel® website for
detailed information about Viiv™.
Make sure you have installed Microsoft® Windows ® Media Center
Edition SP2 on your system. The Intel® Viiv™ software will run only
on this operating system.
Visit the Intel® website at www.intel.com for more details about
Intel® Viiv™.
To install Intel® Viiv™ :
1. Place the support CD in the
optical drive.
2. When the drivers menu
appears, click Intel Viiv
Software.
3. A warning message appears.
Exit other programs that are
running, then click OK.
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Chapter 5: Software support
4. The Setup window appears.
Click Next.
5. Read the License Agreement,
then click the appropriate
button to accept the terms.
Click Next.
6. The next screen displays the
default desination folder. Click
Next to install to this folder,
or click Change to install to a
different folder.
7. Click Install to begin
installation; otherwise, click
Back change the installation
settings, or click Cancel to
exit setup without installing.
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5-25
8. Installation begins. A status bar
shows the progress of the
installation.
9. When setup is complete, click
Finish.
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Chapter 5: Software support
5.4 RAID configurations
The Intel® ICH7-M (DH) Southbridge features an onboard RAID controller
that allow 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.
If you want to boot the system from a hard disk drive included in a RAID
set, copy first the RAID driver from the support CD to a floppy disk
before you install an operating system to a selected hard disk drive.
Refer to section “5.6 Creating a RAID driver disk” for details.
5.4.1 Installing hard disks
The motherboard supports Ultra DMA 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.
Refer to the RAID controllers user manual in the motherboard support
CD for detailed information on RAID configurations. See section “5.2.4
Manuals menu.”
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5.4.2 Intel® RAID configurations
This motherboard supports RAID 0 and RAID 1 configurations for Serial ATA
hard disks drives through the Intel® ICH7-M (DH) Southbridge chip.
Setting the RAID item in BIOS
You must set the RAID item in the BIOS Setup before you can create a RAID
set(s). To do this:
1. Enter the BIOS Setup during POST.
2. Go to the Main Menu, select IDE Configuration, then press <Enter>.
3. Select the item ATA/IDE Configuration, then press <Enter> to
display the configuration options.
4. From the configuration options, choose [Enhanced], then press
<Enter> to set.
5. Select the item Configure SATA As, then press <Enter> to display
the configuration options.
6. From the configuration options, choose [RAID], then press <Enter> to
set.
7. Save your changes, then exit the BIOS Setup.
Refer to the Chapter 4 of the motherboard user guide for details on
entering and navigating through the BIOS Setup.
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Intel® Matrix Storage Manager Option ROM Utility
The Intel® Matrix Storage Manager Option ROM utility allows you to create
RAID 0 and RAID 1 set(s) from Serial ATA hard disk drives that are
connected to the Serial ATA connectors supported by the Southbridge.
To enter the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager Option ROM utility:
1. Install all the Serial ATA hard disk drives.
2. Turn on the system.
3. During POST, press <Ctrl+I> to display the utility main menu.
Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager option ROM v5.7.0.1005 ICH7MR
Copyright(C) 2003-05 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
[ MAIN MENU ]
1. Create RAID Volume
2. Delete RAID Volume
3. Reset Disks to Non-RAID
4. Exit
[ DISK/VOLUME INFORMATION ]
RAID Volumes:
None defined.
Physical Disks:
Port Drive Model
Serial #
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Size
Type/Status(Vol ID)
0
1
2
3
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XX.XXGB Non-RAID Disk
XX.XXGB Non-RAID Disk
XX.XXGB Non-RAID Disk
XX.XXGB Non-RAID Disk
[↑ ↓]-Select
[ESC]-Exit
[ENTER]-Select Menu
The navigation keys at the bottom of the screen allow you to move
through the menus and select the menu options.
The RAID BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for reference only
and may not exactly match the items on your screen.
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Creating a RAID 0 set (striped)
To create a RAID 0 set:
1. From the utility main menu, select 1. Create RAID Volume, then
press <Enter>. This screen appears.
Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager option ROM v5.7.0.1005 ICH7MR
Copyright(C) 2003-05 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
[CREATE VOLUME MENU]
Name: Volume0
RAID Level: RAID0(Stripe)
Disks: Select Disks
Strip Size: 128KB
Capacity: 0.0
GB
Create Volume
[ HELP]
Enter a string between 1 and 16 characters in length that can be used
to uniquely identify the RAID volume. This name is case sensitive and
cannot contain special characters.
[↑ ↓]-Change
[TAB]-Next
[ESC]-Previous Menu
[Enter]-Select
2. Enter a name for the RAID 0 set, then press <Enter>.
3. When the RAID Level item is highlighted, press the up/down arrow
key to select RAID 0(Stripe), then press <Enter>.
4. Use the up/down arrow key to select the stripe size for the RAID 0
array, then press <Enter>. The available stripe size values range from
4 KB to 128 KB. The default stripe size is 128 KB.
TIP: We recommend a lower stripe size for server systems, and a higher
stripe size for multimedia computer systems used mainly for audio and
video editing.
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5. When the Capacity item is highlighted, key in the RAID volume
capacity that you want, then press <Enter>. The default value
indicates the maximum allowed capacity.
6. Press <Enter> when the Create Volume item is highlighted. The
following warning message appears.
WARNING: ALL DATA ON SELECTED DISKS WILL BE LOST.
Are you sure you want to create this volume? (Y/N):
7. Press <Y> to create the RAID volume and return to the main menu, or
<N> to go back to the Create Volume menu.
8. When the RAID volume is created, the main menu displays relevant
information about the volume.
Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager option ROM v5.7.0.1005 ICH7MR
Copyright(C) 2003-05 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
[ MAIN MENU ]
1. Create RAID Volume
2. Delete RAID Volume
3. Reset Disks to Non-RAID
4. Exit
[ DISK/VOLUME INFORMATION ]
RAID Volumes:
ID
Name
Level
Strip
Size
Status
Normal
Bootable
Yes
0
Volumename RAID0(Stripe) XXXKB
XXX.XXGB
Physical Disks:
Port Drive Model
Serial #
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Size
Type/Status(Vol ID)
Member Disk(0)
0
2
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XX.XXGB
XX.XXGB
Member Disk(0)
[↑ ↓]-Select
[ESC]-Exit
[ENTER]-Select Menu
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Creating a RAID 1 set (mirrored)
To create a RAID 1 set:
1. From the utility main menu, select 1. Create RAID Volume, then
press <Enter>. This screen appears.
Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager Option ROM v5.0.0.1032 ICH7R wRAID5
Copyright(C) 2003-05 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
[ CREATE ARRAY MENU ]
Name: Volume1
RAID Level: RAID1(Mirror)
Disks: Select Disks
Strip Size: N/A
Capacity: XX.X GB
Create Volume
[ HELP]
Enter a string between 1 and 16 characters in length that can be used
to uniquely identify the RAID volume. This name is case sensitive and
cannot contain special characters.
[↑ ↓]-Change
[TAB]-Next
[ESC]-Previous Menu
[Enter]-Select
2. Enter a name for the RAID 1 set, then press <Enter>.
3. When the RAID Level item is highlighted, press the up/down arrow
key to select RAID 1(Mirror), then press <Enter>.
4. When the Capacity item is highlighted, key in the RAID volume
capacity that you want, then press <Enter>. The default value
indicates the maximum allowed capacity.
5. Press <Enter> when the Create Volume item is highlighted. This
warning message appears.
WARNING: ALL DATA ON SELECTED DISKS WILL BE LOST.
Are you sure you want to create this volume? (Y/N):
6. Press <Y> to create the RAID volume and return to main menu or <N>
to go back to Create Volume menu.
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7. When the RAID volume is created, the main menu displays relevant
information about the volume.
Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager option ROM v5.7.0.1005 ICH7MR
Copyright(C) 2003-05 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
[ MAIN MENU ]
1. Create RAID Volume
2. Delete RAID Volume
3. Reset Disks to Non-RAID
4. Exit
[ DISK/VOLUME INFORMATION ]
RAID Volumes:
ID
Name
Level
Strip
Size
Status
Normal
Bootable
Yes
0
Volumename RAID1(Mirror) N/A
XXX.XXGB
Physical Disks:
Port Drive Model
Serial #
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Size
Type/Status(Vol ID)
Member Disk(0)
0
2
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XX.XXGB
XX.XXGB
Member Disk(0)
[↑ ↓]-Select
[ESC]-Exit
[ENTER]-Select Menu
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Deleting a RAID set
Take caution when deleting a RAID set. You will lose all data on the hard
disk drives when you delete a RAID set.
To delete a RAID set:
1. From the utility main menu, select 2. Delete RAID Volume, then
press <Enter> to display this screen.
Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager option ROM v5.7.0.1005 ICH7MR
Copyright(C) 2003-05 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
[ DELETE VOLUME MENU ]
Name
Level
Drives
X
Capacity
XXX.XGB
Status
Normal
Bootable
Yes
Volume0
RAIDX(xxxxx)
[ HELP ]
Deleting a volume will destroy the volume data on the drive(s) and
cause any member disks to become available as non-RAID disks.
WARNING: EXISTING DATA WITHIN THIS VOLUME WILL BE LOST AND NON-RECOVERABLE.
[↑ ↓]-Select
[<ESC>]-Previous Menu
[<Del>]-Delete Volume
2. Use the up/down arrow key to select the RAID set you want to delete,
then press <Del>. This window appears.
[ DELETE VOLUME VERIFICATION ]
ALL DATA IN THE VOLUME WILL BE LOST!
Are you sure you want to delete volume “VolumeX”? (Y/N):
3. Press <Y> to delete the RAID set and return to the utility main menu;
otherwise, press <N> to return to the Delete Volume menu.
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Resetting disks to Non-RAID
Take caution before you reset a RAID volume HDD to non-RAID. Resetting
a RAID volume HDD deletes all internal RAID structure on the drive.
To reset a RAID set hard disk drive:
1. From the utility main menu, select 3. Reset Disks to Non-RAID,
then press <Enter> to display this screen.
[ RESET RAID DATA ]
Resetting RAID data will remove internal RAID structures
from the selected RAID disks. By removing these structures,
the drive will revert back to a non-RAID disk.
WARNING: Resetting a disk causes all data on the disk to be lost.
Port Drive Model
0 XXXXXXXXXXXX
1 XXXXXXXXXXXX
Serial #
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Size Status
XX.XGB Member Disk
XX.XGB Member Disk
Select the disks that should be reset.
[↑ ↓]-Previous/Next [SPACE]-Selects [ENTER]-Selection Complete
2. Use the up/down arrow key to highlight the RAID set drive you want
to reset, then press <Space> to select.
3. Press <Enter> to reset the RAID set drive. A confirmation message
appears.
4. Press <Y> to reset the drive or press <N> to return to the utility main
menu.
Exiting the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager utility
To exit the utility:
1. From the utility main menu, select 4. Exit, then press <Enter>. This
window appears.
[ CONFIRM EXIT ]
Are you sure you want to exit? (Y/N):
2. Press <Y> to exit or press <N> to return to the utility main menu.
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5.4.3 JMicron® RAID Configuration
The JMicron® Serial ATA controller allows you to configure RAID 0 and RAID
1 sets on the external Serial ATA hard disk drives.
Before creating a RAID set
Prepare the following items:
1. At two HDDs, preferably with the same model and capacity.
2. A white floppy disk
3. Microsoft® Windows® OS installation disk (Windows 2000/XP/2003)
4. Motherboard support CD with JMB363 driver
Complete the following steps before you create a RAID set:
1. Install the external Serial ATA hard disk drives (HDDs) on your system.
2. Set the Onboard JMB363 Serial -ATA item in the BIOS to
[RAID]. See section “4.4.4 Onboard Devices Configuration” for details.
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
Configure Win627EHF Super IO Chipset
Onboard JMB363 Serial-
Onboard JMB363 Serial-ATA
Onboard PCIEX GbE LAN
LAN Option ROM
[RAID]
[Enabled]
[Disabled]
Serial Port1 Address
Parallel Port Address
Parallel Port Mode
[3F8/IRQ4]
[378]
[ECP]
[DMA3]
[IRQ7]
ECP Mode DMA Channel
Parallel Port IRQ
Onboard Game/MIDI Port
Onboard 1394 Controller
[Disabled]
[Enabled]
Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1
General Help
Save and Exit
Exit
F10
ESC
v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.
3. Enter the JMB363 RAID BIOS utility to set up your RAID configuration.
4. Create a JMB363 RAID driver disk for Windows® OS installation. See
section “5.5 Creating a RAID driver disk” for details.
5. Install the JMB363 driver after the Windows® OS had been installed.
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Chapter 5: Software support
Entering the JMB363 RAID BIOS utility
1. During POST, press <Ctrl-J> to enter the JBM363 RAID BIOS menu.
2. The main JMB363 RAID BIOS menu appears.
3. Use the arrow keys to move the color bar and navigate through the
items.
Creating a RAID set
1. In the main JMB363 RAID BIOS menu, highlight Create RAID Disk
Drive using the up/down arrow key then press <Enter>.
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2. When the Level item is highlighted, use the up/down arrow key to
select the RAID set that you want to create.
3. When the Disks item is highlighted, use the up/down arrow key to
highlight an HDD that you want to belong to the RAID set, then press
the space bar to confirm selection. Repeat the process until the HDDs
are selected.
A selected HDD shows a
sign before it.
4. Key in the RAID volume capacity. Use the up/down arrow to choose
the block size. The default value indicates the maximum allowed
capacity.
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Chapter 5: Software support
5. When done, press <Enter> to confirm the creation of the RAID set. A
dialogue box appears to confirm the action. Press <Y> to confirm;
otherwise, press <N>.
Pressing <Y> deletes all the data in the HDDs.
6. The following screen appears, displaying the relevant information
about the RAID set you created.
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Deleting a RAID set
1. In the main JMB363 RAID BIOS menu, highlight Delete RAID Disk
Drive using the up/down arrow key then press <Enter>.
2. Use the space bar to select the RAID set you want to delete.
A selected set shows a
delete the set.
sign before it. Press the <Del> key to
3. A dialogue box appears to confirm the action. Press <Y> to confirm;
otherwise, press <N>.
Pressing <Y> deletes all the data in the HDDs.
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Chapter 5: Software support
Resetting disks to non-RAID
When you install an HDD that has been configured as part of another
RAID set, you may convert this broken RAID HDD to non-RAID mode. All
original data, however, will be lost.
To prevent damage to your system, you cannot select the HDD when
configuring a RAID set through the JMB363 utility.
To reset disks to non-RAID:
1. In the main JMB363 RAID BIOS menu, highlight Revert HDD to
non-RAID using the up/down arrow key then press <Enter>.
2. Use the space bar to select the HDD that you want to reset to
non-RAD.
A selected HDD shows a
sign before it.
3. A dialogue box appears to confirm the action. Press <Y> to confirm;
otherwise, press <N>.
Saving the settings and exiting setup
When you have finished, highlight Save & Exit Setup using the up/down
arrow key then press <Enter> to save the current RAID configuration and
exit the JMB363 RAID BOS utility.
A dialogue box appears to confirm the action. Press <Y> to confirm;
otherwise, press <N> to return to the JMB RAID BIOS menu.
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5.5 Creating a RAID driver disk
A floppy disk with the RAID driver is required when installing Windows®
2000/XP and later operating system on a hard disk drive that is included in
a RAID set.
To create a RAID driver disk:
1. Place the motherboard support CD into the CD-ROM drive.
2. Select Make Disk tab.
3. From the Make Disk menu, select the RAID driver disk you want to
create or browse the contents of the support CD to locate the driver
disk utility.
Refer to section “5.2.4 Make Disk menu” for details.
4. Insert the floppy disk into floppy disk drive.
5. Follow succeeding screen information to complete process.
6. 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. When prompted to select the SCSI adapter to install, make sure you
select Intel(R) 82801GHM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile
ICH7MR/DH) and JMicron JMB 363.
4. Follow the succeeding screen instructions to complete the installation.
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