M2N-MX SE PLUS
Contents
Notices......................................................................................................... vi
Safety information ..................................................................................... vii
About this guide ....................................................................................... viii
M2N-MX SE PLUS specifications summary .............................................. x
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1
1.2
1.3
Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-2
Package contents......................................................................... 1-2
Special features............................................................................ 1-2
1.3.1
Product highlights ........................................................... 1-2
1.3.2
Innovative ASUS features .............................................. 1-5
1.4
1.5
Before you proceed ..................................................................... 1-6
Motherboard overview................................................................. 1-7
1.5.1
1.5.2
1.5.3
Motherboard layout......................................................... 1-7
Placement direction ........................................................ 1-8
Screw holes .................................................................... 1-8
1.6
1.7
Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................... 1-9
1.6.1 Installing the CPU ............................................................. 1-9
1.6.2 Installing the heatsink and fan..........................................1-11
System memory ......................................................................... 1-13
1.7.1
1.7.2
1.7.3
1.7.4
Overview....................................................................... 1-13
Memory configurations.................................................. 1-13
Installing a DIMM .......................................................... 1-17
Removing a DIMM ........................................................ 1-17
1.8
Expansion slots.......................................................................... 1-18
1.8.1
1.8.2
1.8.3
1.8.4
Installing an expansion card ......................................... 1-18
Configuring an expansion card ..................................... 1-18
PCI slots........................................................................ 1-20
PCI Express x16 slot..................................................... 1-20
1.9
Jumpers ...................................................................................... 1-21
Connectors ................................................................................. 1-23
1.10.1 Rear panel connectors.................................................. 1-23
1.10.2 Internal connectors ....................................................... 1-24
1.10
iii
Contents
Chapter 2: BIOS setup
2.1
Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 2-2
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.1.3
2.1.4
2.1.5
Creating a bootable floppy disk....................................... 2-2
ASUS EZ Flash utility...................................................... 2-3
AFUDOS utility................................................................ 2-4
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility ...................................... 2-6
ASUS Update utility ........................................................ 2-8
2.2
BIOS setup program .................................................................. 2-11
2.2.1
2.2.2
2.2.3
2.2.4
2.2.5
2.2.6
2.2.7
2.2.8
2.2.9
BIOS menu screen........................................................ 2-12
Menu bar....................................................................... 2-12
Navigation keys............................................................. 2-12
Menu items ................................................................... 2-13
Sub-menu items............................................................ 2-13
Configuration fields ....................................................... 2-13
Pop-up window ............................................................. 2-13
Scroll bar....................................................................... 2-13
General help ................................................................. 2-13
2.3
Main menu .................................................................................. 2-14
2.3.1
2.3.2
2.3.3
2.3.4
2.3.5
2.3.6
2.3.7
System Time ................................................................. 2-14
System Date ................................................................. 2-14
Legacy Diskette A ........................................................ 2-14
IDE Configuration.......................................................... 2-15
Primary IDE Master/Slave............................................. 2-15
SATA1 and SATA2 ........................................................ 2-17
System Information....................................................... 2-18
2.4
Advanced menu ......................................................................... 2-19
2.4.1
2.4.2
2.4.3
2.4.4
2.4.5
CPU Configuration........................................................ 2-20
Chipset.......................................................................... 2-22
Onboard Devices Configuration.................................... 2-25
PCI PnP ........................................................................ 2-26
USB Configuration ........................................................ 2-27
2.5
Power menu................................................................................ 2-29
2.5.1
2.5.2
Suspend Mode.............................................................. 2-29
ACPI Version Features ................................................ 2-29
iv
Contents
2.5.3
2.5.4
2.5.5
ACPI APIC Support [Enabled]....................................... 2-29
APM Configuration........................................................ 2-30
Hardware Monitor ......................................................... 2-31
2.6
Boot menu .................................................................................. 2-32
2.6.1
2.6.2
2.6.3
2.6.4
Boot Device Priority ...................................................... 2-32
Hard Disk Drives........................................................... 2-32
Boot Settings Configuration .......................................... 2-33
Security......................................................................... 2-34
2.7
Exit menu.................................................................................... 2-36
Chapter 3: Software support
3.1
3.2
Installing an operating system ................................................... 3-2
Support CD information .............................................................. 3-2
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.2.3
3.2.4
3.2.5
3.2.6
3.2.7
Running the support CD ................................................. 3-2
Drivers menu................................................................... 3-3
Utilities menu .................................................................. 3-4
Make Disk menu ............................................................. 3-5
Manual menu .................................................................. 3-6
ASUS Contact information.............................................. 3-7
Other information ............................................................ 3-7
3.3
Creating a RAID driver disk......................................................... 3-9
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.
vi
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, Mercury-containing button cell battery) should not
be placed in municipal waste. Please check local regulations for disposal of
electronic products.
vii
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: 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 3: 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.
viii
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 /iM2PLUSSE.ROM
ix
M2N-MX SE PLUS specifications summary
Supports AMD® socket AM2+ / AM2 for AMD Athlon™ 64 /
CPU
Athlon™ FX / Athlon™ 64 X2 / Sempron processors
AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32-bit and
64-bit
Supports AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology
AMD Live!™ Ready
*
This motherboard supports both AM2+ and AM2 processors, but AM2
processors work at AM2 platform, and AM2+ processors work at
AM2+ platform.
NVIDIA® nForce 430 / GeForce6100
Chipset
2000 / 1600 MT/s
Front Side Bus
Memory
Dual-channel memory architecture
2 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support up to 4 GB of
unbufferred non-ECC 1066 / 800 / 667 / 533 MHz DDR2
memory modules
1 x PCI Express™ x16 slot
2 x PCI slots
Expansion slots
Graphics
Integrated in the NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6100 Graphics
Processing Unit (GPU)
High definition video processing with maximum
resolution of 1920 x 1440 x 32bpp pixels (@75Hz)
NVIDIA® nForce™430 media and communications
Storage
processor (MCP) supports:
-
-
-
1 x UltraDMA 133 / 100 / 66 / 33
2 x Serial ATA 3Gb/s with RAID 0, RAID 1
NVIDIA MediaShield™ RAID 0 and 1span cross Serial
ATA drives
ALC662 High Definition Audio 6-channel CODEC
Supports Jack-detect, Multi-Streaming and S/PDIF OUT
interface
High Definition Audio
PHY 10 / 100 Mbps LAN
LAN
Supports up to 8 USB 2.0 / 1.1 ports
USB
ASUS Q-Fan
Special features
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
ASUS EZ Flash
ASUS MyLogo
8Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM
BIOS 2.5, ACPI 2.0
BIOS features
(continued on the next page)
x
M2N-MX SE PLUS specifications summary
Rear panel
1 x Parallel port
1 x LAN (RJ-45) port
4 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x VGA port
1 x COM1 port
1 x PS / 2 keyboard port
1 x PS / 2 mouse port
5.1-channel Audio I/O ports
Internal Connector
2 x USB 2.0 connector supports additional 4 USB 2.0 ports
1 x S / PDIF output connector
1 x High Definition Front panel audio connector
1 x 4-pin CPU Fan connector
1 x 3-pin Chassis Fan connector
1 x 10-pin System Panel connector
1 x CD audio-in connector
1 x 24-pin ATX power connector
1 x 4-pin ATX 12V Power connector
Accessories
1 x Serial ATA cable
1 x SATA power cable
1 x UltraDMA 133 / 100 / 66 cable
1 x Floppy disk drive cable
1 x I / O Shield
User manual
Manageability
Wfm 2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL by PME, WOR, PXE
Form Factor
MicroATX Form Factor, 9.6 in x 7.6 in (24.5 cm x 19.4 cm)
Support CD contents
Device drivers
ASUS PC Probe II
AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ utility
ASUS Live Update utility
Anti-virus software (OEM version)
*Specifications are subject to change without notice.
xi
xii
This chapter describes the motherboard
features and the new technologies
it supports.
Product
1
introduction
1.1
Welcome!
Thank you for buying an ASUS® M2N-MX SE PLUS
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
ASUS M2N-MX SE PLUS motherboard
Cables
1 x Serial ATA signal cables
1 x Serial ATA power cable
1 x Ultra DMA 133 / 100 / 66 cable
1 x Floppy disk drive cable
Accessories
I/O shield
Application CD
Documentation
ASUS motherboard support CD
User guide
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
1.3
Special features
1.3.1
Product highlights
Latest processor technology
This motherboard supports the latest AM2+ CPUs with better overclocking
capabilities and less power consumption. It provides extremely high performances
and shortened data access time by supporting 2000 / 1600 MT/s HyperTransport
Bus, dual-channel un-buffered DDR2 1066 memory and AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet
Technology. See page 1-9 for details.
AM2+ CPU socket is backward compatible with AM2 CPU socket, but the AM2
processors work at AM2 platform, and AM2+ processors work at AM2+ platform.
1-2
Chapter 1: Product introduction
AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Technology
This motherboard supports the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Technology, which monitors
system operation and automatically adjusts CPU voltage and frequency for a cool
and quiet operating environment.
NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6100 GPU
and NVIDIA® nForce™ 430 MCP chipsets
The NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6100 Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Northbridge
supports Microsoft® DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0, and PCI Express interface.
The NVIDIA® nForce™ 430 Media and Communications Processor (MCP)
Southbridge delivers NVIDIA® Gigabit and NVIDIA® MediaShield storage
management technology allowing easy RAID configuration (RAID 0, RAID 1, and
JBOD) for Serial ATA 3Gb/s.
DDR2 memory support
This motherboard supports DDR2 1066 memory which provides great performance
for 3D graphics and other memory demanding applications on the next generation
memory technology. See pages 1-13 to 1-16 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 1-20 for details.
Serial ATA 3Gb/s technology
The motherboard supports next-generation SATA hard drives based on the
new SATA 3Gb/s storage specification. The onboard NVIDIA® nForce 430 MCP
southbridge allows RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD configurations for four SATA
connectors.
ASUS M2N-MX SE PLUS
1-3
10 / 100 Mbps LAN
Easy connectivity to your network or broadband connection with the onboard LAN
port. Allows you to play online games without buying expensive additional LAN
cards. See page 1-23 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 1-28 for details.
High Definition Audio
Enjoy high-quality sound system on your PC! The onboard 6-channel HD audio
(High Definition Audio, previously codenamed Azalia) CODEC enables high-quality
192KHz / 24-bit audio output, giving you crystal sound effect.
1-4
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.3.2
Innovative ASUS features
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
This feature allows you to restore the original BIOS data from the support CD in case
when the BIOS codes and data are corrupted. This protection eliminates the need to
buy a replacement BIOS chip. See page 2-6 for details.
ASUS EZ Flash
With the ASUS EZ Flash, you can easily update the system BIOS even before
loading the operating system. No need to use a DOS-based utility or boot from a
floppy disk. See page 2-3 for details.
ASUS Q-Fan technology
The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according to the
system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efficient operation.
See page 2-31 for details.
ASUS MyLogo™
This feature present in the motherboard allows you to personalize and add style to
your system with customizable boot logos.
Green ASUS
This motherboard and its packaging comply with the European Union’s Restriction
on the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). This is in line with the ASUS vision
of creating environment-friendly and recyclable products/packaging to safeguard
consumers’ health while minimizing the impact on the environment.
ASUS M2N-MX SE PLUS
1-5
1.4
Before you proceed
Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components
or change any motherboard settings.
•
•
Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any
component.
Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or a metal
object, such as the power supply case, before handling components to
avoid damaging them due to static electricity
•
•
Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.
Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic
pad or in the bag that came with the component.
•
Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the ATX power
supply is switched off or the power cord is detached from the power
supply. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the motherboard,
peripherals, and/or components.
Onboard LED
The motherboard comes with a standby power LED that lights up to indicate
that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode. This is a reminder
that you should shut down the system and unplug the power cable before
removing or plugging in any motherboard component. The illustration below
shows the location of the onboard LED.
R
SB_PWR
M2N-MX SE PLUS
ON
OFF
Standby
Powered
Off
Power
M2N-MX SE PLUS Onboard LED
1-6
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.5
Motherboard overview
1.5.1
Motherboard layout
19.3cm (7.6in)
PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard
ATX12V
USB34
PS2_USBPW1-4
Attansic
F2
LAN_USB12
AUDIO
R
CPU_FAN
M2N-MX SE PLUS
PCIEX16
CLRTC
CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell
CMOS Power
Super I/O
Nvidia MCP61P
SB_PWR
8Mb
BIOS
PCI1
PCI2
USBPW5-8
SPEAKER
ALC662
AAFP
SPDIF_OUT
USB56
USB78
FLOPPY
F_PANEL
AM2+ socket is backward compatible with AM2 socket.
ASUS M2N-MX SE PLUS
1-7
1.5.2
Placement direction
When installing the motherboard, make sure that you place it into the chassis in
the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the
chassis as indicated in the image below.
1.5.3
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
R
M2N-MX SE PLUS
1-8
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.6
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2+ socket designed for the AMD
Athlon™ 64 X2 / Athlon™ 64 / Athlon™ FX / Sempron™ processor.
The AM2+ socket has a different pinout from the 940-pin socket designed for
the AMD Opteron™ processor. 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!
AM2+ socket is backward compatible with AM2 socket.
1.6.1
Installing the CPU
To install a CPU.
1.
Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.
R
M2N-MX SE PLUS
M2N-MX SE PLUS CPU Socket AM2+
2.
Unlock the socket by pressing the
lever sideways, then lift it up to a
90°-100° angle.
Socket lever
Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to 90°-100° angle, otherwise the
CPU does not fit in completely.
ASUS M2N-MX SE PLUS
1-9
3.
Position the CPU above the socket
such that the CPU corner with the
gold triangle matches the socket
corner with a small triangle.
4.
Carefully insert the CPU into the
socket until it fits in place.
Small triangle
Gold triangle
The CPU fits only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the
socket to prevent bending the pins and damaging the CPU!
5.
6.
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.
Install a CPU heatsink and fan
following the instructions that came
with the heatsink package.
7.
Connect the CPU fan cable to the CPU_FAN connector on the motherboard.
CPU_FAN
R
M2N-MX SE PLUS
CPU FAN PWM
CPU FAN IN
CPU FAN PWR
GND
M2N-MX SE PLUS CPU Fan Connector
Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring errors
can occur if you fail to plug this connector.
1-10
Chapter 1: Product introduction
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