Asus M2N E SLI User Manual

M2N-E SLI  
 
Contents  
iii  
Contents  
Chapter 3: Powering up  
Chapter 4: BIOS setup  
iv  
Contents  
v
Notices  
Federal Communications Commission Statement  
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to  
the following two conditions:  
This device may not cause harmful interference, and  
This device must accept any interference received including  
interference that may cause undesired operation.  
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a  
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits  
are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference  
in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate  
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with  
manufacturer’s instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio  
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will  
not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful  
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by  
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct  
the interference by one or more of the following measures:  
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.  
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.  
Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to  
which the receiver is connected.  
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.  
The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics  
card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes  
or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party  
responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate  
this equipment.  
Canadian Department of Communications Statement  
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise  
emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference  
Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.  
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian  
ICES-003.  
vii  
 
Safety information  
Electrical safety  
To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from  
the electrical outlet before relocating the system.  
When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that  
the power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables  
are connected. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the existing  
system before you add a device.  
Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard,  
ensure that all power cables are unplugged.  
Seek professional assistance before using an adapter or extension cord.  
These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.  
Make sure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your  
area. If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you  
are using, contact your local power company.  
If the power supply is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact a  
qualified service technician or your retailer.  
Operation safety  
Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully  
read all the manuals that came with the package.  
Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected  
and the power cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage,  
contact your dealer immediately.  
To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from  
connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry.  
Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the  
product in any area where it may become wet.  
Place the product on a stable surface.  
If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a  
qualified service technician or your retailer.  
The symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product  
(electrical and electronic equipment) should not be placed in municipal  
waste. Check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.  
viii  
 
About this guide  
This user guide contains the information you need when installing and  
configuring the motherboard.  
How this guide is organized  
This manual contains the following parts:  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new  
technology it supports.  
Chapter 2: Hardware information  
This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to  
perform when installing system components. It includes description of  
the switches, jumpers, and connectors on the motherboard.  
Chapter 3: Powering up  
This chapter describes the power up sequence, the vocal POST  
messages, and ways of shutting down the system.  
Chapter 4: BIOS setup  
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS  
Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also  
provided.  
Chapter 5: Software support  
This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes  
with the motherboard package.  
Chapter 6: NVIDIA® SLI™ technology support  
This chapter tells how to install SLI-ready PCI Express graphics cards.  
ix  
 
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.  
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:  
awdflash M2N-E SLI.ROM  
x
 
M2N-E SLI specifications summary  
CPU  
Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon™ 64 FX/AMD Athlon™ 64 X2  
/AMD Athlon 64™/AMD Sempron™ processors  
Supports AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology  
AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32-bit and  
64-bit computing  
AMD Live!™ ready  
Chipset  
NVIDIA® nForce® 500 SLI™ MCP  
2000 / 1600 MT/s  
System bus  
Memory  
Dual-channel memory architecture  
-
4 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support unbuffered  
ECC/non-ECC DDR2 800/667/533 MHz memory  
modules  
-
Supports up to 8 GB system memory  
Expansion slots  
2 x PCI Express™ x16 slots  
Supports NVIDIA® SLI™ Technology (both at x8 mode)  
2 x PCI Express™ x1 slots  
2 x PCI 2.2 slots  
Scalable Link Interface  
(SLI™)  
Supports two identical NVIDIA® SLI™-ready graphics card  
ASUS two-slot thermal design  
Storage  
NVIDIA® nForce® 500 SLI™ MCP supports:  
-
-
-
2 x IDE connector for up to four Ultra DMA  
133/100/66/33 devices  
4 x Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s connectors support four  
Serial ATA devices  
RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD  
configurations spanning across Serial ATA drives  
LAN  
NVIDIA® nForce® 500 SLI™ MCP built-in Gigabit MAC  
with external Attansic PHY  
Supports TCP/IP Acceleration  
Audio  
C-Media Superior Quality Audio 7.1 channel audio  
CODEC (Vista ready)  
Supports S/PDIF Out interface  
IEEE 1394a  
USB 2.0  
VIA 1394 controller supports 2 x 1394a ports  
Supports up to 8 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (four at mid-board,  
four on the rear panel)  
ASUS Exclusive  
Overclocking features  
AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner)  
Stepless Frequency Selection(SFS) allows FSB tuning  
from 200 MHz up to 400 MHz at 1 MHz increment  
ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)  
Adjustable FSB/DDR2 ratio. Fixed PCI/PCIe frequencies  
(continued on the next page)  
xi  
 
M2N-E SLI specifications summary  
Special features  
ASUS EZ DIY:  
-
-
-
Q-Connector  
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3  
ASUS EZ Flash 2  
ASUS Q-Fan 2  
ASUS MyLogo2  
Rear panel  
1 x Parallel port  
1 x PS/2 keyboard port (purple)  
1 x PS/2 mouse port (green)  
1 x IEEE 1394a port  
1 x COM port  
1 x S/PDIF Out port  
1 x LAN (RJ-45) ports  
4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports  
8-channel audio ports  
Internal connectors  
2 x USB 2.0 connectors support four additional USB 2.0  
ports  
1 x Floppy disk drive connector  
2 x IDE connector for four devices  
4 x Serial ATA connectors  
1 x CPU / 1 x Chassis / 1 x Power fan connectors  
1 x IEEE 1394a connector  
S/PDIF out connector  
Front panel audio connector  
CD audio in connectors  
24-pin ATX power connector  
4-pin ATX 12 V power connector  
System panel connector  
BIOS features  
4 Mb BIOS ROM, AWARD BIOS, PnP, DMI 2.0, WfM2.0,  
SM BIOS 2.3  
Manageability  
WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chassis intrusion, PXE  
Power requirements  
ATX power supply with 24-pin and 4-pin 12V plugs  
ATX 12V 2.0 compliant  
Support CD contents  
Device drivers  
ASUS PC Probe II  
ASUS Update  
NVIDIA® MediaShield™ RAID  
Anti-virus software (OEM version)  
*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  
1.2  
1.3  
Welcome!.............................................................................. 1-1  
Package contents ................................................................. 1-1  
Special features.................................................................... 1-2  
ASUS M2N-E SLI  
1.1  
Welcome!  
Thank you for buying an ASUS® M2N-E SLI motherboard!  
The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies,  
making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards!  
Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it,  
check the items in your package with the list below.  
1.2  
Package contents  
Check your motherboard package for the following items.  
Motherboard  
Cables  
ASUS M2N-E SLI motherboard  
2 x Serial ATA signal cables  
1 x Serial ATA power cable with dual plugs  
1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable  
1 x Floppy disk drive cable  
Accessories  
I/O shield  
ASUS SLI™ bridge  
1 x ASUS Q-Connector Kit  
(USB, System panel; Retail version only)  
Application CDs  
Documentation  
ASUS motherboard support CD  
User guide  
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.  
ASUS M2N-E SLI  
1-1  
1.3  
Special features  
1.3.1  
Product highlights  
Latest processor technology  
The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket that supports AMD  
Athlon™ 64 FX/AMD Athlon™ 64 X2/AMD Athlon™ 64/AMD Sempron™  
processors. With an integrated low-latency high-bandwidth memory  
controller and a highly scalable HyperTransport™ technology-based system  
bus, the motherboard provides a powerful platform for your diverse  
computing needs, increased office productivity, and enhanced digital media  
experience. See page 2-5 for details.  
Scalable Link Interface (SLI™) technology  
The NVIDIA® Scalable Link Interface (SLI™) technology allows two graphics  
processing units (GPUs) in a single system. This technology takes  
advantage of the PCI Express™ bus architecture and features intelligent  
hardware and software solutions that allows multiple GPUs to work  
together and achieve exceptional graphics performance. See Chapter 6 for  
details.  
AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet!™ Technology  
The motherboard supports the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet!™ Technology that  
dynamically and automatically changes the CPU speed, voltage and amount  
of power depending on the task the CPU performs. See pages 4-25, 5-3  
and 5-9.  
Gigabit LAN  
The motherboard comes with a Gigabit LAN controller built into the  
NVIDIA® nForce™ 500 SLI™ chipset to meet your growing networking  
needs. The controller uses the PCI Express segment to provide faster data  
bandwidth for your Internet, LAN, and file sharing requirements. See page  
2-22 for details.  
DDR2 memory support  
The motherboard supports DDR2 memory that features data transfer rates  
of 800/667/533 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 12.8 GB/s. See pages 2-10 to 2-13 for details.  
1-2  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
Serial ATA 3Gb/s RAID  
The motherboard supports the next-generation Serial ATA hard drives  
based on the SATA 3Gb/s storage specification. The onboard NVIDIA  
nForce® 500 SLI™ MCP allows RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD.  
See page 2-25.  
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 Out function through the S/PDIF  
interfaces on the rear panel. The S/PDIF technology turns your computer  
into a high-end entertainment system with digital connectivity to powerful  
audio and speaker systems. See page 2-23 for details.  
This function can only work under C-Media official driver.  
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 page 2-23 and 2-27 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 2-26 for details.  
ASUS M2N-E SLI  
1-3  
1.3.2  
ASUS Special features  
ASUS Two-slot thermal design  
The motherboard is designed with two PCI Express x1 slots placed between  
the PCI Express x16 slots allowing an increase in airflow between the two  
PCI Express x16 graphics cards. This special design permits more room for  
ventilation thus lowering the overall system temperature.  
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3  
The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data  
from a USB flash disk containing the BIOS file. This utility saves users  
the cost and hassle of buying a replacement BIOS chip. See page 4-5 for  
details.  
ASUS EZ Flash 2  
EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly BIOS update utility. Simply press the predefined  
hotkey to launch the utility and update the BIOS without entering the OS.  
Update your BIOS easily without preparing a bootable diskette or using an  
OS-based flash utility. See page 4-7 for details.  
ASUS Q-Connector  
ASUS Q-Connector allows you to easily connect or disconnect the chassis  
front panel cables to the motherboard. This unique module eliminates the  
trouble of connecting the system panel cables one at a time and avoiding  
wrong cable connections.  
ASUS Q-Fan 2 technology  
The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the CPU and chassis fan  
speeds according to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efficient  
operation. See page 4-35 for details.  
ASUS MyLogo2™  
This new feature present in the motherboard allows you to personalize and  
add style to your system with customizable boot logos.  
1-4  
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  
2.1  
2.2  
2.3  
2.4  
2.5  
2.6  
2.7  
Before you proceed .............................................................. 2-1  
Motherboard overview.......................................................... 2-2  
Central Processing Unit (CPU) .............................................. 2-5  
System memory.................................................................. 2-10  
Expansion slots................................................................... 2-16  
Jumpers .............................................................................. 2-19  
Connectors ......................................................................... 2-22  
ASUS M2N-E SLI  
2.1  
Before you proceed  
Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard  
components or change any motherboard settings.  
Make sure that your power supply unit (PSU) can provide at least  
the minimum power required by your system. See “8. ATX power  
connectors” on page 2-26 for details.  
Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any  
component.  
Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or  
to a metal object, such as the power supply case, before handling  
components to avoid damaging them due to static electricity  
Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.  
Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded  
antistatic pad or in the bag that came with the component.  
Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the ATX  
power supply is switched off or the power cord is detached from  
the power supply. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the  
motherboard, peripherals, and/or components.  
Onboard LED  
The motherboard comes with a standby power LED that lights up to  
indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode.  
This is a reminder that you should shut down the system and unplug  
the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard  
component. The illustration below shows the location of the onboard  
LED.  
M2N-E SLI  
R
SB_PWR  
ON  
Standby  
Power  
OFF  
Powered  
Off  
M2N-E SLI Onboard LED  
ASUS M2N-E SLI  
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 six (6) 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  
M2N-E SLI  
R
2-2  
Chapter 2: Hardware information  
2.2.3  
Motherboard layout  
21.8cm(8.6in)  
ATX12V  
KBPWR  
PS/2KBMS  
T: Mouse  
B: Keyboard  
CPU_FAN  
SPDIF_O1  
COM1  
1394_USB34  
LAN_USB12  
USBPW34  
Attansic  
F1  
AUDIO2  
AUDIO1  
M2N-E SLI  
R
FP_AUDIO  
PCIEX16_1  
CM6501  
PCIEX1_1  
PCIEX1_2  
Nvidia  
NF500 SLI  
PCIEX16_2  
CLRTC  
4Mb  
BIOS  
PCI1  
CR2032 3V  
Lithium Cell  
CMOS Power  
SATA3  
SB_PWR  
SATA1  
SATA2  
CHASSIS  
SATA4  
PCI2  
USB56  
USB78  
IE1394_1  
FLOPPY  
ASUS M2N-E SLI  
2-3  
2.2.4  
Layout Contents  
Slots  
Page  
1. DDR2 DIMM slots  
2. PCI slots  
2-10  
2-17  
2-18  
2-18  
3. PCI Express x16 slot  
4. PCI Express x1 slot  
Slots  
Page  
2-19  
1. CLRTC (3-pin CLRTC1)  
2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56,  
USBPW78, USBPW910)  
2-20  
2-21  
3. Keyboard Power (3-pin KBPWR)  
Rear panel connectors  
Page  
1. PS/2 mouse port (green)  
2. Parallel port  
2-22  
2-22  
2-22  
2-22  
2-22  
2-22  
2-22  
2-22  
2-23  
2-23  
2-23  
2-23  
3. Serial (COM) port  
4. IEEE 1394a port  
5. LAN (RJ-45) port  
6. Line In port (light blue)  
7. Microphone port (pink)  
8. Line Out port (lime)  
9. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4  
10. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2  
11. Coaxial S/PDIF out port  
12. PS/2 keyboard port (purple)  
Internal connectors  
Page  
1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)  
2. Primary/Secondary IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_IDE)  
3. nForce 500 SLI Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4)  
4. CPU fan connector (3-pin CPU_FAN)  
2-23  
2-24  
2-25  
2-26  
2-26  
2-26  
2-27  
2-27  
2-28  
2-28  
2-29  
2-29  
2-30  
5. Power fan connector (3-pin PWR_FAN)  
6. Chassis fan connector (3-pin CHA_FAN)  
7. USB headers (10-1 USB56, USB78)  
8. IEEE 1394a port connector (10-1 pin IE1394_1)  
9. ATX power connector (24-pin EATXPWR1)  
10. ATX 12V power connector (4-pin ATX12V1)  
11. Internal audio connectors (4-pin CD/AUX)  
12. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin FP_AUDIO)  
13. System panel connector (20-8 pin PANEL)  
System power LED (2-pin LED)  
Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pin IDE_LED)  
System warning speaker (4-pin SPEAKER)  
ATX power button/soft-off button (2-pin PWR)  
Reset button (2-pin RESET)  
2-4  
Chapter 2: Hardware information  
2.3  
Central Processing Unit (CPU)  
The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket designed for the AMD  
Athlon™ 64 X2/AMD Athlon™ 64 FX/AMD Athlon™ 64 and AMD Sempron™  
processors.  
Make sure you use a CPU is designed for the AM2 socket. The CPU fits in  
only one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to  
prevent bending the connectors on the socket and damaging the CPU!  
2.3.1  
Installing the CPU  
To install a CPU:  
1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.  
M2N-E SLI  
R
M2N-E SLI CPU Socket M2  
2. Unlock the socket by pressing  
the lever sideways, then lift it up  
to a 90º angle.  
Socket lever  
Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to a 90º angle; otherwise,  
the CPU will not fit in completely.  
ASUS M2N-E SLI  
2-5  
3. Position the CPU above the  
socket such that the CPU corner  
with the gold triangle matches  
the socket corner with a small  
triangle.  
Gold triangle  
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.  
2-6  
Chapter 2: Hardware information