Asus P5Q VM User Manual

P5Q-VM  
Contents  
iii  
 
Contents  
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.  
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 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.  
This 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.  
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. It also 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.  
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 DVD 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.  
2.  
ASUS websites  
The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware and  
software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.  
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 connected with a plus sign (+).  
Example: <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<D>  
Command  
Means that you must type the command exactly as  
shown.  
Example: At the DOS prompt, type the command line:  
afudos /iP5QVM.ROM  
ix  
P5Q-VM specifications summary  
CPU  
LGA775 socket for Intel® Core2 Extreme / Core2 Quad  
/ Core2 Duo / Pentium® dual-core / Celeron® dual-  
core / Celeron® processors  
Compatible with Intel® 05B/05A/06 processors  
Supports Intel® 45nm multi-core CPUs  
Chipset  
Intel® G45 / ICH10 with Intel® Fast Memory Access (FMA)  
Technology  
System bus  
Memory  
1600/1333/1066/800 MHz  
Dual-channel memory architecture  
-
4 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support unbuffered  
non-ECC DDR2 1066(O.C.)/800/667MHz memory  
modules  
-
Supports up to 16 GB system memory  
*When installing total memory of 4GB capacity or more,  
Windows® 32-bit operation system may only recognize  
less than 3GB. Hence, a total installed memory of less  
than 3 GB is recommended.  
**Refer to www.asus.com or this user manual for the  
Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists).  
VGA  
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD integrated  
Dual VGA output support: DVI-D, and RGB  
-
-
DVI with max. resolution 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz  
RGB with max. resolution 2048 x 1536 @ 75 Hz  
Maximum shared memory of 1849 MB  
Supports Microsoft® DirectX®10, OpenGL®2.1,  
Pixel Shader 4.0  
Expansion slots  
Storage  
1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 slot  
2 x PCIe x1 slot  
1 x PCI slot  
Southbridge  
-
6 x Serial ATA 3 Gb/s ports  
Marvell® 6102 controller  
1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 for up to 2 PATA devices  
-
LAN  
Realtek® 8111C PCIe Gigabit LAN controller featuring  
AI NET2  
Audio  
Realtek® ALC1200 8-channel High-Definition Audio codec  
-
-
Supports Jack-detection, Multi-streaming  
ASUS Noise Filtering  
USB  
12 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports (6 at mid-board, 6 at back panel)  
(continued on the next page)  
x
 
P5Q-VM specifications summary  
ASUS Unique features  
ASUS Power Saving solution:  
-
-
ASUS EPU-4 Engine  
AI Nap  
ASUS Express Gate  
ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution:  
-
-
ASUS Fanless Design  
ASUS Fan Xpert  
ASUS Crystal Sound:  
ASUS Noise Filtering  
-
ASUS EZ DIY:  
-
-
-
ASUS O.C. Profile  
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3  
ASUS EZ Flash 2  
Other features  
ASUS MyLogo 2™  
ASUS Exclusive  
Precision Tweaker 2:  
Overclocking features  
-
vCore: Adjustable CPU voltage at 0.00625V  
increment  
-
-
-
-
vDIMM: 45-step DRAM voltage control  
vChipset (N.B.): 30-step chipset voltage control  
vCPU PLL: 35-step CPU PLL voltage control  
vFSB Termination: 25-step reference voltage control  
SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection)  
-
FSB tuning from 200MHz up to 800MHz at 1MHz  
increment  
-
PCI Express frequency tuning from 100MHz up to  
180MHz at 1MHz increment  
Overclocking Protection:  
ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)  
-
Rear panel connectors  
1 x PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse combo port  
1 x D-Sub port  
1 x DVI port  
1 x LAN (RJ-45) port  
6 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports  
8-channel audio ports  
(continued on the next page)  
xi  
P5Q-VM specifications summary  
Internal connectors  
3 x USB connectors support 6 additional USB ports  
1 x Floppy disk drive connector  
1 x IDE connector  
6 x SATA connectors  
1 x CPU / 1 x Chassis / 1 x Power fan connectors  
1 x COM connector  
1 x S/PDIF Out header  
1 x Chassis intrusion connector  
1 x Front panel audio connector  
1 x CD audio in connector  
24-pin ATX power connector  
4-pin ATX 12 V power connector  
System panel connector  
BIOS features  
8 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0,  
SM BIOS 2.4, ACPI 2.0a, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3,  
ASUS EZ Flash 2  
Manageability  
WOL by PME, WOR by PME, WOR by Ring, Chassis  
Intrusion, PXE  
Support DVD contents  
Drivers  
ASUS Express Gate  
ASUS PC Probe II  
ASUS Update  
ASUS AI Suite  
Anti-virus software (OEM version)  
Image-Editing Suite  
Form factor  
uATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in (24.4 cm x 24.4 cm)  
*Specifications are subject to change without notice.  
xii  
This chapter describes the motherboard  
features and the new technologies it  
supports.  
Product  
1
introduction  
 
1.1  
Welcome!  
Thank you for buying an ASUS® P5Q-VM 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 P5Q-VM  
2 x SATA signal cables  
1 x SATA power cables for 2 devices  
1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable  
1 x Floppy disk drive cable  
Accessories  
1 x I/O Shield  
Application DVD  
Documentation  
ASUS motherboard support DVD  
User guide  
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.  
1-2  
Chapter 1: Product Introduction  
 
1.3  
Special features  
1.3.1  
Product highlights  
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/packagings to safeguard  
consumers’ health while minimizing the impact on the environment.  
Intel® Core™2 Extreme / Core™ 2 Quad / Core™2 Duo  
Processor Support  
This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Core™2 processors in LGA775  
package. It can also support Intel® 45nm multi-core CPUs. With new Intel® Core™  
microarchitecture technology and 1600/1333/1066/800MHz FSB, Intel® Core™2  
processor is one of the most powerful and energy efficient CPUs in the world.  
Intel® G45 Chipset  
The Intel® G45 Express Chipset is the latest chipset designed to support dual-  
channel DDR2 800/667 architecture, 1333/1066/800 FSB (Front Side Bus), PCIe  
2.0, and multi-core CPUs. It provides digital home entertainment of full 1080p high-  
definition video playback, including Blu-ray disc movies, with the next-generation  
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD. The Intel® G45 Express Chipset  
delivers optimized 3D graphics performance and support for Microsoft DirectX  
10, Shader Model 4.0 and OpenGL 2.1. It especially includes Intel® Fast Memory  
Access technology that significantly optimizes the use of available memory  
bandwidth and reduces the latency of the memory accesses.  
PCIe 2.0  
This motherboard supports the latest PCIe 2.0 device for twice the current speed  
and bandwidth. This enhances system performance while still providing backward  
compatibility to PCIe 1.0 devices. See page 1-27 for details.  
Serial ATA 3 Gb/s technology  
This motherboard supports hard drives based on the Serial ATA (SATA) 3 Gb/s  
storage specification, delivering enhanced scalability and doubling the bus  
bandwidth for high-speed data retrieval and saves. See page 1-36 for details.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
1-3  
 
DVI/D-Sub Interface  
DVI (Digital Visual Interface) provides high visual quality for digital display devices  
like LCD monitors. This motherboard supports dual VGA output—DVI and  
RGB—and is HDCP compliant, allowing playback of HD DVD and Blu-ray Discs.  
See pages 1-30 and 1-31 for details.  
High Definition Audio  
Enjoy high-end sound quality on your PC! The onboard 8-channel HD audio (High  
Definition Audio, previously codenamed Azalia) CODEC enables high-quality  
192KHz/24-bit audio output that simultaneously sends different audio streams to  
different destinations. You can now talk to your partners on the headphone while  
playing multi-channel network games. See page 1-30 for details.  
S/PDIF digital sound ready  
This motherboard provides convenient connectivity to external home theater audio  
systems via the coaxial (mid-board) S/PDIF (SONY-PHILIPS Digital Interface) Out  
interface. It allows digital audio transferring without converting it to analog format,  
and therefore well preserves signal quality. See pages 1-39 for details.  
1-4  
Chapter 1: Product Introduction  
1.3.2  
ASUS unique features  
ASUS Express Gate  
Taking only 5 seconds to go online from bootup, Express Gate is the one-stop  
gateway to instant fun! It’s a unique motherboard built-in OS. You can utilize the  
most popular Instant Messengers (IM) like MSN, Skype, Google talk, QQ, and  
Yahoo! Messenger to keep in touch with friends, or quickly check on the weather  
and e-mails just before leaving your house. What’s more, the user-friendly picture  
manager lets you view your pictures without entering Windows at any time! See  
pages 3-9 to 3-17 for details.  
The actual boot time depends on the system configuration.  
ASUS Power Saving Solution  
ASUS Power Saving solution intelligently and automatically provides balanced  
computing power and energy consumption.  
ASUS EPU-4 Engine  
The new ASUS EPU—the world’s first power saving engine, has been  
upgraded to a new 4-engine version, which provides total system power  
savings by detecting current PC loadings and intelligently moderating power  
in real-time. With auto phase switching for components (which includes  
the CPU, VGA card, hard drives, and CPU cooler/system fan), the EPU  
automatically provides the most appropriate power usage via intelligent  
acceleration and overclocking—helping save power and money.  
AI Nap  
With AI Nap, the system can continue running at minimum power and noise  
when you are temporarily away. To wake the system and return to the OS  
environment, simply click the mouse or press a key.  
ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution  
ASUS Quiet Thermal solution makes system more stable and enhances the  
overclocking capability.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
1-5  
 
Fan Xpert  
ASUS Fan Xpert intelligently allows users to adjust both the CPU and chassis  
fan speed according to different ambient temperature, which is caused  
by different climate conditions in different geographic regions and system  
loading. Built-in variety of useful profiles offer flexible controls of fan speed to  
achieve a quiet and cool environment.  
ASUS Crystal Sound  
This feature can enhance speech-centric applications like Skype, online game,  
video conference and recording.  
Noise Filtering  
This feature detects repetitive and stationary noises (non-voice signals) like  
computer fans, air conditioners, and other background noises then eliminates  
it in the incoming audio stream while recording.  
ASUS EZ DIY  
ASUS EZ DIY feature collection provides you easy ways to install computer  
components, update the BIOS or back up your favorite settings.  
ASUS O.C. Profile  
The motherboard features the ASUS O.C. Profile that allows users to  
conveniently store or load multiple BIOS settings. The BIOS settings can be  
stored in the CMOS or a separate file, giving users freedom to share and  
distribute their favorite settings. See page 2-41 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 paages 22--6 and 22-39 ffoor detaails.  
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3  
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data from a  
USB flash disk containing the BIOS file. See page 2-9 for details.  
1-6  
Chapter 1: Product Introduction  
ASUS MyLogo 2™  
This feature allows you to convert your favorite photo into a 256-color boot logo for  
a more colorful and vivid image on your screen. See page 2-36 for details.  
1.3.3  
ASUS Intelligent Performance & Overclocking features  
AI Booster  
The ASUS AI Booster allows you to overclock the CPU speed in Windows  
environment without the hassle of booting the BIOS.  
Precision Tweaker 2  
Allows the user to adjust the NB Voltage, FSB termination Voltage, CPU PLL  
Voltage and the DRAM Voltage in 0.02v steps to finetune voltages to achieve the  
most precise setting for the ultimate customized overclocking configuration. See  
pages 2-22 to 2-24 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 P5Q-VM  
1-7  
 
1-8  
Chapter 1: Product Introduction  
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. 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.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
1-9  
 
1.5  
Motherboard overview  
1.5.1  
Motherboard layout  
Refer to 1.10 Connectors for more information about rear panel connectors and  
internal connectors.  
1-10  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
1.5.2  
Layout contents  
Connectors/Jumpers/Slots  
Page  
1-30  
1-41  
1-14  
1-19  
1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
5.  
Keyboard power (3-pin PS2_USBPW56)  
ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V)  
LGA775 CPU Socket  
DDR2 DIMM slots  
CPU, chassis, and power fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN;  
3-pin CHA_FAN1; 3-pin PWR_FAN)  
1-38  
6.  
Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)  
Serial port connector (10-1 pin COM1)  
1-34  
1-37  
1-35  
1-36  
1-28  
1-42  
1-39  
1-9  
7.  
8.  
IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_EIDE)  
9.  
ICH10 Serial ATA connectors [red] (7-pin SATA1-6)  
Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC)  
10.  
11.  
12.  
13.  
14.  
15.  
16.  
17.  
18.  
System panel connector (20-8 pin PANEL)  
Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS)  
Onboard LED (SB_PWR)  
USB connectors (10-1 pin USB78; USB910; USB1112)  
USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW1-4; USB7-10; USB1112)  
Optical drive audio connector (4-pin CD)  
Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP)  
Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT)  
1-37  
1-29  
1-40  
1-40  
1-39  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
1-11  
 
1.5.3  
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.  
1.5.4  
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  
1-12  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
1.6  
Central Processing Unit (CPU)  
The motherboard comes with a surface mount LGA775 socket designed for the  
Intel® Core™2 Extreme / Core™2 Quad / Core™2 Duo / Pentium® dual-core /  
Celeron® dual-core / Celeron® Processors.  
Make sure that all power cables are unplugged before installing the CPU.  
If installing a dual-core CPU, connect the chassis fan cable to the  
CHA_FAN1 connector to ensure system stability.  
Due to the chipset limitation, we recommend you use FSB 800MHz CPU or  
above.  
Upon purchase of the motherboard, make sure that the PnP cap is on  
the socket and the socket contacts are not bent. Contact your retailer  
immediately if the PnP cap is missing, or if you see any damage to the PnP  
cap/socket contacts/motherboard components. ASUS will shoulder the cost  
of repair only if the damage is shipment/transit-related.  
Keep the cap after installing the motherboard. ASUS will process Return  
Merchandise Authorization (RMA) requests only if the motherboard comes  
with the cap on the LGA775 socket.  
The product warranty does not cover damage to the socket contacts  
resulting from incorrect CPU installation/removal, or misplacement/loss/  
incorrect removal of the PnP cap.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
1-13  
 
1.6.1  
Installing the CPU  
To install a CPU:  
1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.  
Before installing the CPU, make sure that the cam box is facing towards you  
and the load lever is on your left.  
2.  
Press the load lever with your  
Retention tab  
thumb (A), then move it to the left  
(B) until it is released from the  
A
retention tab.  
To prevent damage to the  
B
socket pins, do not remove  
the PnP cap unless you are  
Load lever  
installing a CPU.  
3.  
4.  
Lift the load lever in the direction of  
the arrow to a 135º angle.  
PnP cap  
Load plate  
Lift the load plate with your thumb  
and forefinger to a 100º angle (4A),  
then push the PnP cap from the  
load plate window to remove (4B).  
4B  
4A  
3
1-14  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
5.  
Position the CPU over the socket,  
making sure that the gold triangle  
is on the bottom-left corner of the  
socket then fit the socket alignment  
key into the CPU notch.  
CPU notch  
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!  
Gold  
triangle  
mark  
Alignment key  
6.  
Apply several drops of thermal  
paste to the exposed area of the  
CPU that the heatsink will be in  
contact with, ensuring that it is  
spread in an even thin layer.  
Some heatsinks come with pre-  
applied thermal paste. If so,  
skip this step.  
The Thermal Interface Material is toxic and inedible. If it gets into your eyes  
or touches your skin, ensure to wash it off immediately, and seek professional  
medical help.  
To prevent contaminating the paste, DO NOT spread the paste with your finger  
directly.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
1-15  
7.  
Close the load plate (A), then push  
the load lever (B) until it snaps into  
the retention tab.  
A
B
The motherboard supports Intel® LGA775 processors with the Intel® Enhanced  
Memory 64 Technology (EM64T), Enhanced Intel® SpeedStep Technology  
(EIST), and Hyper-Threading Technology.  
1-16  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
1.6.2  
Installing the CPU heatsink and fan  
The Intel® LGA775 processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan  
assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance.  
When you buy a boxed Intel® processor, the package includes the CPU fan  
and heatsink assembly. If you buy a CPU separately, make sure that you  
use only Intel®-certified multi-directional heatsink and fan.  
Your Intel® LGA775 heatsink and fan assembly comes in a push-pin design  
and requires no tool to install.  
Make sure that you have installed the motherboard to the chassis before you  
install the CPU fan and heatsink assembly.  
If you purchased a separate CPU heatsink and fan assembly, ensure that the  
Thermal Interface Material is properly applied to the CPU heatsink or CPU  
before you install the heatsink and fan assembly.  
To install the CPU heatsink and fan:  
A
1.  
Place the heatsink on top of the  
installed CPU, making sure that the  
four fasteners match the holes on  
the motherboard.  
B
B
2.  
Push down two fasteners at a time in  
a diagonal sequence to secure the  
heatsink and fan assembly in place.  
A
A
B
1
B
A
1
Orient the heatsink and fan assembly such that the CPU fan cable is closest to  
the CPU fan connector.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
1-17  
 
3.  
Connect the CPU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled  
CPU_FAN.  
DO NOT forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring errors  
can occur if you fail to plug this connector.  
1.6.3  
Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan  
To uninstall the CPU heatsink and fan:  
A
1.  
2.  
3.  
Disconnect the CPU fan cable from  
the connector on the motherboard.  
B
Rotate each fastener  
counterclockwise.  
B
Pull up two fasteners at a time in a  
diagonal sequence to disengage the  
heatsink and fan assembly from the  
motherboard.  
A
A
B
B
A
4.  
Carefully remove the heatsink and fan assembly from the motherboard.  
1-18  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
1.7  
System memory  
1.7.1  
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:  
Channel  
Sockets  
Channel A  
Channel B  
DIMM_A1 and DIMM_A2  
DIMM_B1 and DIMM_B2  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
1-19  
 
1.7.2  
Memory configurations  
You may install 512 MB, 1 GB, 2 GB, and 4 GB non-ECC, unbuffered, DDR2  
DIMMs into the DIMM sockets.  
Due to chipset behavior, to obtain memory frequency higher than DDR2  
800, you can manually adjust DRAM Frequency in BIOS settings. Refer to  
2.4 Ai Tweaker menu for details.  
For DRAM Frequency configuration options in relation to FSB Frequency  
settings, see page 2-19 for details.  
You may install varying memory sizes in Channel A and Channel B. The  
system maps the total size of the lower-sized channel for the dual-channel  
configuration. Any excess memory from the higher-sized channel is then  
mapped for single-channel operation.  
It is recommended to install the memory modules from the yellow slots for  
better overclocking capability.  
Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency. For optimum  
compatibility, it is recommended that you obtain memory modules from the  
same vendor.  
When installing total memory of 4GB capacity or more, Windows® 32-bit  
operation system may only recognize less than 3GB. Hence, a total  
installed memory of less than 3 GB is recommended.  
This motherboard does not support memory modules made up of 256 Mb  
chips.  
Due to chipset limitation, this motherboard can only support up to 16 GB  
on the operating systems listed below. You may install a maximum of 4 GB  
DIMMs on each slot.  
64-bit  
Windows® XP Professional x64 Edition  
Windows® Vista x64 Edition  
The default memory operation frequency is dependent on its SPD. Under  
the default state, some memory modules for overclocking may operate at a  
lower frequency than the vendor-marked value. To operate at the vendor-  
marked or at a higher frequency, see section 2.4 Ai Tweaker menu for  
manual memory frequency adjustment.  
The memory modules may require a better cooling system to work stably  
under full loading (4 DIMMs) or overclocking setting.  
1-20  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
P5Q-VM Motherboard Qualified Vendors Lists (QVL)  
DDR2-1066MHz capability  
DIMM support  
SS/  
DS  
Vendor  
Part No.  
Size  
Chip No.  
CL  
A* B* C*  
A-DATA  
Apacer  
ADQYE1B16  
2048MB  
DS  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
5
Box P/N:CH.02GAF.C0KK2  
(78.0AG9S.9KF)  
2048MB(Kit of 2)  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
5-5-5-15  
BoxP/N:CH.04GAF.F0KK2  
(78.AAGAL.9KF)  
Apacer  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
1024MB  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
5-5-5-15  
N/A  
Box P/N:TWIN2X2048-8500C5D  
(CM2X1024-8500C5D)(EPP)  
CORSAIR  
CORSAIR  
Box P/N:TWIN2X4096-8500C5DF  
(CM2X2048-8500C5D)(EPP)  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
5-5-5-15  
G.SKILL  
G.SKILL  
GEIL  
F2-8500CL5D-2GBPK  
F2-8500CL5S-1GBPK  
GB22GB8500C5DC  
GE24GB1066C5QC  
GB24GB8500C5DC  
GB24GB8500C5QC  
GE24GB1066C5DC  
GX24GB8500C5UDC  
HYMP564U64FP8-G7  
HYMP 512U64FP8-G7  
KHX8500D2/ 512  
2048MB(Kit of 2)  
1024MB  
DS  
DS  
SS  
SS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
SS  
SS  
SS  
DS  
SS  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
GL2L128M88BA25AB  
Heat-Sink Package  
GL2L128M88BA25AB  
GL2L128M88BA25AB  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
HY5PS12821FFP-G7  
HY5PS12821FFP-G7  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
E5108AJBG -1J-E  
E5108AJBG -1J-E  
D9JKH  
5-5-5-15  
5-5-5-15  
5-5-5-15  
5-5-5-15  
5-5-5-15  
5-5-5-15  
N/A  
1024MB  
GEIL  
4096MB(Kit of 4)  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
4096MB(Kit of 4)  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
512MB  
GEIL  
GEIL  
GEIL  
GEIL  
5-5-5-15  
7
Hynix  
Hynix  
1024MB  
7
Kingston  
Kingston  
Kingston  
Kingston  
MICRON  
512MB  
N/A  
KHX8500D2K2/1G  
1024MB(Kit of 2)  
512MB  
N/A  
KVR1066D2N7/ 512  
KVR1066D2N7/1G  
N/A  
1024MB  
N/A  
MT8HTF12864AY-1GAE1  
1024MB  
7
Box P/N:OCZ2N10662GK  
(OCZ2N10662GK)(EPP)  
OCZ  
2048MB(Kit of 2)  
DS  
Heat-Sink Package  
N/A  
OCZ  
OCZ2RPR10664GK  
HYS64T64000EU-19F-C  
HYS64T128020EU-1.9-C  
TX1066QLU-2GK  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
512MB  
DS  
SS  
DS  
SS  
Heat-Sink Package  
HYB18T 512800CF19F  
HYB18T 512800CF19  
Heat-Sink Package  
N/A  
6
Qimonda  
Qimonda  
Transcend  
1024MB  
7
2048MB(Kit of 2)  
5
P5Q-VM Motherboard Qualified Vendors Lists (QVL)  
DDR2-800MHz capability  
DIMM support  
A* B* C*  
SS/  
DS  
Vendor  
Part No.  
Size  
Chip No.  
CL  
A-DATA  
Apacer  
Apacer  
Apacer  
M2OAD6H3J4171Q1E52  
78.01GA0.9K5  
2048MB  
1024MB  
512MB  
DS  
SS  
SS  
DS  
AD20908A8A-25EG  
AM4B5808CQJS8E  
AM4B5708JQJS8E  
AM4B5808CQJS8E  
N/A  
N/A  
N/A  
5
78.91G9I.9K5  
78.A1GA0.9K4  
2048MB  
Box P/N:TWIN2X4096-6400C5  
(CM2X2048-6400C5)  
CORSAIR  
CORSAIR  
CORSAIR  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
DS  
DS  
DS  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
N/A  
BoxP/N:TWIN2X4096-6400C4DHX  
(CM2X2048-6400C4DHX)  
4-4-4-12  
N/A  
BoxP/N:TWIN2X4096-6400C5DHX  
(CM2X2048-6400C5DHX)  
CORSAIR  
Crucial  
CM2X1024-6400C4  
1024MB  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
SS  
SS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
E1108AB-8E-E(ECC)  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
GL2L64M088BA30EB  
4
BL12864AA804.16FD3  
BL12864AA804.16FD  
BL12864AL804.16FD3  
EBE10EE8ABFA-8E-E  
F2-6400CL5D-1GBNQ  
F2-6400CL4D-2GBHK  
F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK  
F2-6400CL4D-4GBPK  
F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ  
F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ  
F2-6400CL6D-4GBMQ  
F2-6400CL6D-8GBNQ  
F2-6400PHU2-2GBNR  
GB22GB6400C4DC  
1024MB  
4
Crucial  
1024MB  
4
Crucial  
1024MB  
4
ELPIDA  
G.SKILL  
G.SKILL  
G.SKILL  
G.SKILL  
G.SKILL  
G.SKILL  
G.SKILL  
G.SKILL  
G.SKILL  
GEIL  
1024MB  
5
1024MB(Kit of 2)  
1024MB  
5-5-5-15  
N/A  
N/A  
4
1024MB  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
1024MB  
N/A  
5
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
8192MB(Kit of 2)  
1024MB  
6
6-6-6-18  
N/A  
N/A  
2048MB(Kit of 2)  
(continued on the next page)  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
1-21  
GEIL  
GB22GB6400C5DC  
GB24GB6400C4DC  
GB24GB6400C4QC  
GB24GB6400C5DC  
GB24GB6400C5QC  
GB28GB6400C4QC  
GB28GB6400C5QC  
GE22GB800C4DC  
GE22GB800C5DC  
GE24GB800C4DC  
GE24GB800C4QC  
GE24GB800C5DC  
GE24GB800C5QC  
GE28GB800C4QC  
GE28GB800C5QC  
GX22GB6400C4USC  
GX22GB6400DC  
2048MB(Kit of 2)  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
4096MB(Kit of 4)  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
8192MB(Kit of 4)  
8192MB(Kit of 4)  
2048MB(Kit of 2)  
2048MB(Kit of 2)  
DDR2 800 2048MB  
4096MB(Kit of 4)  
2048MB  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
DS  
SS  
SS  
SS  
SS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
SS  
SS  
SS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
DS  
GL2L64M088BA30EB  
GL2L128M88BA25AB  
GL2L64M088BA30EB  
GL2L128M88BA25AB  
GL2L64M088BA30EB  
GL2L128M88BA25AB  
GL2L128M88BA25AB  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
HY5PS12821CFP-S5  
HY5PS12821CFP-S5  
KKA8FEIBF-HJK-25A  
KKA8FEIBF-HJK-25A  
KKB8FFBXF-CFA-25A  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
E5108AJBG-8E-E  
E5108AJBG-8E-E  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
E5108AJBG-8E-E  
E5108AJBG-8E-E  
V59C1 512804QBF25  
E1108ACBG-8E-E  
E5108AJBG-8E-E  
E2108ABSE-8G-E  
NT5TU64M8BE-25C  
NT5TU64M8BE-25C  
NT5TU64M8CE-25D  
NT5TU128M8CE-AC  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
A3R1GE3CFF734MAA0E  
HYB18T1G800C2F-2.5  
HYB18T1G800C2F-25F  
K4T1G084QQ  
5-5-5-15  
4-4-4-12  
N/A  
GEIL  
GEIL  
GEIL  
5-5-5-15  
N/A  
GEIL  
GEIL  
N/A  
GEIL  
N/A  
GEIL  
4-4-4-12  
5-5-5-15  
4-4-4-12  
N/A  
GEIL  
GEIL  
GEIL  
GEIL  
5-5-5-15  
5-5-5-15  
4-4-4-12  
5-5-5-15  
4-4-4-12  
5-5-5-15  
5-5-5-15  
4-4-4-12  
5-5-5-15  
5-5-5  
5-5-5  
N/A  
GEIL  
4096MB(Kit of 4)  
2048MB  
GEIL  
GEIL  
2048MB  
GEIL  
2048MB  
GEIL  
2048MB(Kit of 2)  
2048MB  
GEIL  
GX22GB6400LX  
GEIL  
GX22GB6400UDC  
GX24GB6400DC  
2048MB(Kit of 2)  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
512MB  
GEIL  
Hynix  
HYMP564U64CP8-S5  
HYMP 512U64CP8-S5  
KLDC28F-A8KI5  
Hynix  
1024MB  
KINGMAX  
KINGMAX  
KINGMAX  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
NANYA  
NANYA  
NANYA  
NANYA  
OCZ  
512MB  
KLDD48F-ABKI5  
1024MB  
N/A  
KLDE88F-B8KB5  
KHX6400D2/ 512  
KHX6400D2ULK2/1G  
KVR800D2N5/ 512  
KVR800D2N6/ 512  
KHX6400D2/2G  
2048MB  
N/A  
512MB  
N/A  
1024MB(Kit of 2)  
512MB  
N/A  
N/A  
512MB  
1.8  
2048MB  
N/A  
KHX6400D2LL/1G  
KVR800D2N5/1G  
KVR800D2N5/1G  
KVR800D2N5/1G  
KVR800D2N5/2G  
KVR800D2N6/1G  
N/A  
1024MB  
4-4-4-12  
N/A  
1024MB  
1024MB  
N/A  
1024MB  
N/A  
2048MB  
N/A  
1024MB  
1.8  
4096MB  
N/A  
NT 512T64U880BY-25C  
NT1GT64U8HB0BY-25C  
NT1GT64U8HCOBY-25D  
NT2GT64U8HC0BY-AC  
OCZ2FX800C32GK  
OCZ2G8002GK  
512MB  
5
1024MB  
5
1024MB  
N/A  
2048MB  
5
1024MB  
N/A  
OCZ  
1024MB  
N/A  
OCZ  
OCZ2P8004GK  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
2048MB(Kit of 2)  
1024MB  
5-4-4  
4
OCZ  
OCZ2P800R22GK  
OCZ2T8002GK  
OCZ  
N/A  
PSC  
AL8E8F73C-8E1  
2048MB  
5
Qimonda  
Qimonda  
SAMSUNG  
SAMSUNG  
SAMSUNG  
SAMSUNG  
SAMSUNG  
SAMSUNG  
SAMSUNG  
Super Talent  
Super Talent  
Transcend  
Transcend  
Transcend  
HYS64T256020EU-2.5-C2  
HYS64T256020EU-25F-C2  
M378T2863QZS-CF7  
M378T6553GZS-CF7  
M391T2863QZ3-CF7  
M378T2953GZ3-CF7  
M378T5263AZ3-CF7  
M378T5663QZ3-CF7  
M391T5663QZ3-CF7  
T800UA12C4  
2048MB  
6
2048MB  
5
1024MB  
6
512MB  
K4T51083QG  
6
1024MB  
K4T1G084QQ(ECC)  
K4T51083QG  
6
1024MB  
6
4096MB  
K4T2G084QA-HCF7  
K4T1G084QQ(ECC)  
K4T1G084QQ  
6
2048MB  
6
2048MB  
6
512MB  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
TQ243ECF8  
N/A  
T800UB1GC4  
1024MB  
N/A  
JM800QLU-1G  
1024MB  
5
JM800QLJ-1G  
1024MB  
TQ123PJF8  
5
JM800QLU-2G  
2048MB  
TQ243PCF8  
5
1-22  
Chapter 1: Product introduction  
P5Q-VM Motherboard Qualified Vendors Lists (QVL)  
DDR2-667MHz capability  
DIMM support  
A* B* C*  
SS/  
DS  
Vendor  
Part No.  
Size  
Chip No.  
CL  
Apacer  
78.01G9O.9K5  
1024MB  
512MB  
SS  
SS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
DS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
SS  
DS  
SS  
AM4B5808CQJS7E  
AM4B5708JQJS7E  
AM4B5808CQJS7E  
64M8CFEG  
N/A  
Apacer  
78.91G92.9K5  
N/A  
Apacer  
78.A1G9O.9K4  
2048MB  
512MB  
N/A  
CORSAIR  
CORSAIR  
crucial  
VS 512MB667D2  
VS1GB667D2  
N/A  
1024MB  
512MB  
64M8CFEG  
N/A  
BL6464AA663.8FD  
BL12864AA663.16FD2  
BL12864AA663.16FD  
BL12864AL664.16FD  
EBE51UD8AEFA-6E-E  
F2-5300CL5D-4GBMQ  
F2-5400PHU2-2GBNT  
GX21GB5300SX  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
E5108AE-6E-E  
3
crucial  
1024MB  
1024MB  
1024MB  
512MB  
3
crucial  
3
crucial  
3
ELPIDA  
5
G.SKILL  
G.SKILL  
GEIL  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
2048MB(Kit of 2)  
1024MB  
2048MB  
4096MB(Kit of 2)  
1024MB  
1024MB  
512MB  
Heat-Sink Package  
D264M8GCF  
5-5-5-15  
5-5-5-15  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
HY5PS1G831CFP-Y5  
HY5PS12821CFP-Y5  
D6408TEBGGL3U  
E5108AGBG-6E-E(ECC)  
D9HNL(ECC)  
3-4-4-8  
GEIL  
GX22GB5300LX  
5-5-5-15  
GEIL  
GX24GB5300LDC  
HYMP112U64CP8-Y5  
HYMP 512U64CP8-Y5  
KVR667D2N5/ 512  
KVR667D2E5/1G  
KVR667D2E5/2G  
KVR667D2N5/1G  
KVR667D2N5/1G  
KVR667D2N5/1G  
KVR667D2N5/2G  
KVR667D2N5/2G  
NT 512T64U88B0BY-3C  
NT2GT64U8HB0JY-3C  
AL7E8E63J-6E1  
5-5-5-15  
Hynix  
5
Hynix  
5
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
KINGSTON  
NANYA  
5
1024MB  
2048MB  
1024MB  
1024MB  
1024MB  
2048MB  
2048MB  
512MB  
N/A  
N/A  
N/A  
N/A  
N/A  
N/A  
N/A  
5
E5108AGBG-6E-E  
E5108AJBG-8E-E  
HY5PS12821CFP-Y5  
E1108AB-6E-E  
HY5PS1G831CFP-Y5  
NT5TU64M8BE-3C  
NT5TU128M8BJ-3C  
A3R12E3JFF719A9T02  
HYB18T1GB00C2F-3S  
K4T51083QE  
NANYA  
2048MB  
1024MB  
2048MB  
512MB  
5
PSC  
5
Qimonda  
SAMSUNG  
SAMSUNG  
SAMSUNG  
Super Talent  
Super Talent  
Transcend  
Transcend  
TwinMOS  
HYS64T256020EU-3S-C2  
M378T6553EZS-CE6  
M378T2953EZ3-CE6  
M378T5263AZ3-CE6  
T6UA 512C5  
555-12  
5
1024MB  
4096MB  
512MB  
K4T51083QE  
5
K4T2G084QA-HCE6  
Heat-Sink Package  
Heat-Sink Package  
TQ243ECF8  
5
5
T6UB1GC5  
1024MB  
1024MB  
2048MB  
512MB  
5
JM667QLU-1G  
5
JM667QLU-2G  
TQ243ECF8  
5
8D-23JK5M2ETP  
TMM6208G8M30C  
5
SS - Single-sided / DS - Double-sided  
DIMM support:  
A*: Supports one module inserted in any slot as Single-channel  
memory configuration.  
B*: Supports one pair of modules inserted into either the yellow slots  
or the black slots as one pair of Dual-channel memory configuration.  
C*: Supports four modules inserted into both the yellow and black slots  
as two pairs of Dual-channel memory configuration.  
Visit the ASUS website for the latest DDR2-1066/800/667MHz QVL.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
1-23  
1.7.3  
Installing a DIMM  
Make sure to unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or  
other system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to both  
the motherboard and the components.  
2
To install a DIMM  
DDR2 DIMM notch  
1.  
Unlock a DDR2 DIMM socket  
by pressing the retaining clips  
outward.  
1
2.  
Align a DIMM on the socket  
such that the notch on the DIMM  
matches the break on the socket.  
1
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.  
3.  
Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket  
until the retaining clips snap back  
in place and the DIMM is properly  
seated.  
Locked Retaining Clip  
1.7.4  
Removing a DIMM  
2
To remove a DIMM  
1. Simultaneously press the  
1
retaining clips outward to unlock  
the DIMM.  
1
DDR2 DIMM notch  
Support the DIMM lightly with your fingers when pressing the retaining clips.  
The DIMM might get damaged when it flips out with extra force.  
2.  
Remove the DIMM from the socket.  
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Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
1.8  
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.  
1.8.1  
Installing an expansion card  
To install an expansion card:  
1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
Before installing the expansion card, read the documentation that came with  
it and make the necessary hardware settings for the card.  
Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed in a  
chassis).  
Remove the bracket opposite the slot that you intend to use. Keep the screw  
for later use.  
Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is  
completely seated on the slot.  
5.  
6.  
Secure the card to the chassis with the screw you removed earlier.  
Replace the system cover.  
1.8.2  
Configuring an expansion card  
After installing the expansion card, configure it by adjusting the software settings.  
1.  
Turn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings, if any. See  
Chapter 3 for information on BIOS setup.  
2.  
3.  
Assign an IRQ to the card. Refer to the tables on the next page.  
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.  
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1.8.3  
Interrupt assignments  
IRQ  
Priority  
Standard function  
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
2
System timer  
Keyboard controller  
Re-direct to IRQ#9  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
3
IRQ holder for PCI steering*  
Communications port (COM1)*  
IRQ holder for PCI steering*  
Floppy disk controller  
IRQ holder for PCI steering*  
System CMOS/Real Time Clock  
9
4
5
IRQ holder for PCI steering*  
IRQ holder for PCI steering*  
IRQ holder for PCI steering*  
PS/2 compatible mouse port*  
Numeric data processor  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
6
7
8
9
IRQ holder for PCI steering*  
IRQ holder for PCI steering*  
10  
* These IRQs are usually available for PCI devices.  
IRQ assignments for this motherboard  
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
LAN (8111C)  
shared  
Marvell 6102  
shared  
PCIEX16_1  
shared  
PCIEX1_1  
shared  
PCIEX1_2  
shared  
PCI1  
shared  
USB controller 1  
USB controller 2  
USB controller 3  
USB controller 4  
USB controller 5  
USB controller 6  
USB 2.0 controller 1  
USB 2.0 controller 2  
SATA controller 1  
SATA controller 2  
shared  
shared  
shared  
shared  
shared  
used  
shared  
shared  
shared  
shared  
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Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
1.8.4  
PCI slot  
The PCI slot supports cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other  
cards that comply with PCI specifications. Refer to the figure below for the location  
of the slot.  
1.8.5  
PCI Express x1 slots  
This motherboard supports PCI Express x1 network cards, SCSI cards and other  
cards that comply with the PCI Express specifications. Refer to the figure below for  
the location of the slots.  
1.8.6  
PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot  
This motherboard has a PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot that supports PCI Express 2.0  
x16 graphics cards complying with the PCI Express specifications. Refer to the  
figure below for the location of the slot.  
PCI slot  
PCIe x1 slot  
PCIe 2.0 x16 slot  
PCIe x1 slot  
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1.9  
Jumpers  
1.  
Clear RTC RAM (3-pin 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. 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.  
3. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer.  
4. 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!  
If the steps above do not help, remove the onboard battery and move  
the jumper again to clear the CMOS RTC RAM data. After the CMOS  
clearance, reinstall the battery.  
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.  
Due to the chipset behavior, AC power off is required to enable C.P.R.  
function. You must turn off and on the power supply or unplug and plug the  
power cord before rebooting the system.  
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Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
2.  
Keyboard power (3-pin PS2_USBPW56)  
This jumper allows you to enable or disable the keyboard and USB port 5-6  
wake-up feature. When you set this jumper to pins 2-3 (+5VSB), you can  
wake up the computer by pressing a key on the keyboard (the default is  
the Space Bar) or using a USB device. This feature requires an ATX power  
supply that can supply at least 1A on the +5VSB lead, and a corresponding  
setting in the BIOS. The USBPW56 jumper is for the internal USB connectors  
that you can connect to additional USB ports.  
3.  
USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW1-4; USB7-10; USB1112)  
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 USBPW1-4 jumper is for the rear USB ports. The USBPW7-10 and  
USBPW1112 jumpers are for the internal USB connectors that you can  
connect to additional USB ports.  
The USB device wake-up feature requires a power supply that can  
provide 500mA on the +5VSB lead for each USB port; otherwise,  
the system would not power up.  
The total current consumed must NOT exceed the power supply  
capability (+5VSB) whether under normal condition or in sleep mode.  
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1.10 Connectors  
1.10.1  
Rear panel connectors  
1.  
2.  
3.  
PS/2 keyboard / mouse combo port. This port is for a PS/2 keyboard or  
mouse.  
Video Graphics Adapter (VGA) port. This 15-pin port is for a VGA monitor  
or other VGA-compatible devices.  
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  
Activity/Link LED  
ACT/LINK SPEED  
LED LED  
Speed LED  
Status  
Status  
OFF  
Description  
No link  
Description  
OFF  
10 Mbps connection  
100 Mbps connection  
1 Gbps connection  
GREEN  
BLINKING  
Linked  
ORANGE  
GREEN  
Data activity  
LAN port  
4.  
5.  
6.  
7.  
Center/Subwoofer port (orange). This port connects the center/subwoofer  
speakers.  
Rear Speaker Out port (black). This port connects the rear speakers in a  
4-channel, 6-channel, or 8-channel audio configuration..  
Line In port (light blue). This port connects the tape, CD, DVD player, or  
other audio sources.  
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.  
8.  
9.  
Microphone port (pink). This port connects a microphone.  
Side Speaker Out port (gray). This port connects the side speakers in an  
8-channel audio configuration.  
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Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
Refer to the audio configuration table below for the function of the audio ports in  
2, 4, 6, or 8-channel configuration.  
Audio 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel configuration  
Headset  
2-channel  
Port  
4-channel  
6-channel  
8-channel  
Light Blue Line In  
Line In  
Line In  
Line In  
Lime  
Line Out  
Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out  
Front Speaker Out  
Mic In  
Pink  
Mic In  
Mic In  
Mic In  
Orange  
Black  
Gray  
Center/Subwoofer  
Rear Speaker Out  
Center/Subwoofer  
Rear Speaker Out  
Side Speaker Out  
Rear Speaker Out  
10. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are  
available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.  
11. DVI-D Out port. This port is for any DVI-D compatible device and is HDCP  
compliant allowing playback of HD DVD, Blu-Ray and other protected  
content.  
This motherboard comes with dual VGA output that features different  
display on two monitors at the same time if you connect two monitors to  
both VGA and DVI-D ports.  
DVI-D cannot be converted to output RGB Signal to CRT and is not  
compatible with DVI-I.  
To play HD DVD or Blu-Ray Disc, make sure to use an HDCP compliant  
monitor.  
Due to the Intel® VGA driver issue, the Windows® Display Settings menu  
may offer some resolution options that your monitor does not support. When  
you set a resolution not supported by your monitor, it will black out. If this  
happens, wait 15 seconds for the system to return to its original setting or  
restart the system and press F8 to enter Safe Mode. In Safe Mode, change  
the display setting to 800 x 600, and then restart the system to adjust the  
monitor resolution from the Windows® Display Settings menu.  
Due to the Intel® driver issue, some monitor resolution settings will  
lead to monitor overscan or underscan. Refer to the next page for the  
troubleshooting on monitor overscan/underscan problem  
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Playback of HD DVD and Blu-Ray Discs  
The speed and bandwidth of the CPU/Memory, DVD player, and drivers will  
affect the playback quality. Following is a configuration example for your  
reference. Using the CPU/Memory of higher speed and bandwidth with the  
higher-version DVD player and drivers will upgrade the playback quality.  
CPU: Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz  
DIMM: DDR2-800 1GB  
Playback software - CyberLink PowerDVD Ultra v8.0 1730.05  
To play HD DVD or Blu-Ray Disc, make sure to use an HDCP compliant  
monitor.  
You can only play HD DVD or Blu-Ray Disc under Windows® Vista™ OS.  
12. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4. These 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are  
available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.  
13. USB 2.0 ports 5 and 6. These 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are  
available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.  
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Chapter 1: Product introduction  
Troubleshooting on monitor overscan/underscan problem  
1.  
2.  
Install Intel Graphics Accelerator Driver from the motherboard support  
DVD.  
From the Windows® notification area,  
double-click the Intel(R) Graphics  
Media Accelerator Driver icon and click  
Graphics Properties.  
3.  
Click Display Settings and  
select a Screen Resolution.  
Click Apply.  
4.  
Or you can click Aspect Ratio  
Options (if available). Move the  
Horizontal and Vertical sliders  
and then click Apply.  
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1.10.2  
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.  
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Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
2.  
IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_EIDE)  
The onboard IDE connector is for the Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cable.  
There are three connectors on each Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cable:  
blue, black, and gray. Connect the blue connector to the motherboard’s IDE  
connector, then select one of the following modes to configure your device.  
Mode of  
device(s)  
Drive jumper setting  
Cable connector  
Single device  
Two devices  
Cable-Select or Master  
-
Black  
Black  
Gray  
Master  
Slave  
Master  
Slave  
Cable-Select  
Master  
Slave  
Black or gray  
Pin 20 on the IDE connector is removed to match the covered hole on the  
Ultra DMA cable connector. This prevents incorrect insertion when you  
connect the IDE cable.  
Use the 80-conductor IDE cable for Ultra DMA 133/100/66 IDE devices.  
If any device jumper is set as “Cable-Select,” make sure all other device  
jumpers have the same setting.  
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3.  
ICH10 Serial ATA connectors [red] (7-pin SATA1-6)  
These connectors are for the Serial ATA signal cables for Serial ATA hard disk  
drives and optical disc drives.  
These connectors are set to Standard IDE mode by default. In Standard  
IDE mode, you can connect Serial ATA boot/data hard disk drives to these  
connectors. See section 2.3.5 Storage Configuration for details.  
AHCI mode is not supported in Windows® XP.  
right angle side  
Connect the right-angle side of SATA  
signal cable to SATA device. Or you may  
connect the right-angle side of SATA  
cable to the onboard SATA port to avoid  
mechanical conflict with huge graphics  
cards.  
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Chapter 1: Product introduction  
4.  
USB connectors (10-1 pin USB78; USB910; USB1112)  
These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the USB 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.  
Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors. Doing so will damage the  
motherboard!  
If your chassis supports front panel USB ports, you can attach a front panel  
USB cable to these connectors.  
The USB module cable is purchased separately.  
5.  
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.  
The serial port module is purchased separately.  
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1-37  
6.  
CPU, chassis and power fan connectors  
(4-pin CPU_FAN, 3-pin CHA_FAN1, 3-pin PWR_FAN)  
The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350 mA–2000 mA (24 W max.)  
or a total of 1 A–7 A (84 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!  
Only the CPU_FAN and CHA_FAN 1 connectors support the ASUS Fan Xpert  
feature.  
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Chapter 1: Product introduction  
7.  
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 pin 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.  
8.  
Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT)  
This connector is for an additional Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF)  
port(s).  
The S/PDIF out cable is purchased separately.  
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9.  
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.  
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.  
If you want to connect a high-definition front panel audio module to this  
connector, make sure that the Front Panel Type item in the BIOS is set  
to [HD Audio]. If you want to connect an AC' 97 front panel audio module  
to this connector, set the item to [AC97]. Refer to 2.5.3 Onboard Devices  
Configuration for details.  
10. Optical drive audio connector (4-pin CD)  
This connector allows you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources  
such as a CD-ROM, TV tuner, or MPEG card.  
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Chapter 1: Product introduction  
11. 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.  
For a fully configured system, we recommend that you use a power supply  
unit (PSU) that complies with ATX 12 V Specification 2.0 (or later version)  
and provides a minimum power of 400 W.  
Do not forget to connect the 4-pin ATX12V 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.  
If you are uncertain about the minimum power supply requirement for your  
system, refer to the Recommended Power Supply Wattage Calculator  
at http://support.asus.com/PowerSupplyCalculator/PSCalculator.  
aspx?SLanguage=en-us for details.  
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12. System panel connector (20-8 pin PANEL)  
This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.  
System power LED (2-pin PLED)  
This 2-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 (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 (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 (2-pin PWRSW)  
This connector is for the system power button. Pressing the power button  
turns the system on or puts the system in sleep or soft-off mode depending  
on the BIOS settings. Pressing the power switch for more than four seconds  
while the system is ON turns the system OFF.  
Reset button (2-pin RESET)  
This 2-pin connector is for the chassis-mounted reset button for system  
reboot without turning off the system power.  
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Chapter 1: Product introduction  
1.11 Starting up for the first time  
1.  
2.  
3.  
After making all the connections, replace the system case cover.  
Be sure that all switches are off.  
Connect the power cord to the power connector at the back of the system  
chassis.  
4.  
5.  
Connect the power cord to a power outlet that is equipped with a surge  
protector.  
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 (see BIOS beep codes table below) or additional  
messages appear on the screen. If you do not see anything within 30  
seconds from the time you turned on the power, the system may have failed  
a power-on test. Check the jumper settings and connections or call your  
retailer for assistance.  
BIOS Beep  
Description  
One short beep  
VGA detected  
Quick boot set to disabled  
No keyboard detected  
No memory detected  
One continuous beep followed by two  
short beeps then a pause (repeated)  
One continuous beep followed by three  
short beeps  
No VGA detected  
One continuous beep followed by four  
short beeps  
Hardware component failure  
7.  
At power on, hold down the <Delete> key to enter the BIOS Setup. Follow the  
instructions in Chapter 2.  
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1.12 Turning off the computer  
1.12.1  
Using the OS shut down function  
If you are using Windows® Vista:  
1.  
2.  
Click the Start button and then select Shut Down.  
The power supply should turn off after Windows® shuts down.  
If you are using Windows® XP:  
1.  
2.  
3.  
Click the Start button and then select Turn Off Computer.  
Click the Turn Off button to shut down the computer.  
The power supply should turn off after Windows® shuts down.  
1.12.2  
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 2.6 Power Menu for  
details.  
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Chapter 1: Product introduction  
 
This chapter tells how to change the  
system settings through the BIOS Setup  
menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS  
parameters are also provided.  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
2
 
2.1  
Managing and updating your BIOS  
The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic  
Input/Output System (BIOS) setup.  
1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
ASUS Update (Updates the BIOS in Windows® environment.)  
ASUS EZ Flash 2 (Updates the BIOS using a floppy disk or USB flash disk.)  
ASUS AFUDOS (Updates the BIOS using a bootable floppy disk)  
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 (Updates the BIOS using a bootable floppy disk,  
USB flash disk or the motherboard support DVD 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 or  
USB flash disk in case you need to restore the BIOS in the future. Copy the  
original motherboard BIOS using the ASUS Update or AFUDOS utilities.  
2.1.1  
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 DVD that comes with the motherboard  
package.  
ASUS Update requires an Internet connection either through a network or an  
Internet Service Provider (ISP).  
Installing ASUS Update  
To install ASUS Update:  
1.  
2.  
3.  
Place the support DVD in the optical drive. The Drivers menu appears.  
Click the Utilities tab, then click Install ASUS Update VX.XX.XX.  
The ASUS Update utility is copied to your system.  
2-2  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
Quit all Windows® applications before you update the BIOS using this utility.  
Updating the BIOS through the Internet  
To update the BIOS through the Internet:  
1.  
Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows® desktop by clicking Start  
> Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate. The ASUS Update  
main window appears.  
2.  
Select Update BIOS from the  
Internet option from the drop-down  
menu, then click Next.  
3.  
Select the ASUS FTP site nearest  
you to avoid network traffic, or  
click Auto Select. Click Next.  
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2-3  
4.  
5.  
From the FTP site, select the BIOS  
version that you wish to download.  
Click Next.  
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.  
2.  
Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows® desktop by clicking Start  
> Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate. The ASUS Update  
main window appears.  
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 Open.  
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4.  
Follow the screen instructions to  
complete the update process.  
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Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
2.1.2  
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:/Sthen 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 My Computer.  
c. Select the 3 1/2 Floppy Drive icon.  
d. Click File from the menu, then select Format. A Format 3 1/2 Floppy  
Disk window appears.  
e. Select Create an MS-DOS startup disk from the format options field,  
then click Start.  
Windows® Vista environment  
a. Insert a formatted, high density 1.44 MB floppy disk to the floppy disk  
drive.  
b. Click Start from the Windows® desktop, then select Computer.  
c. Right-click Floppy Disk Drive then click Format to display the Format 3  
1/2 Floppy dialog box.  
d. Select the Create an MS-DOS startup disk check box.  
e. Click Start.  
2.  
Copy the original or the latest motherboard BIOS file to the bootable floppy  
disk.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-5  
 
2.1.3  
ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility  
The ASUS EZ Flash 2 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 2 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 2  
1.  
2.  
3.  
Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) to download the latest BIOS file for  
the motherboard.  
Save the BIOS file to a floppy disk or a USB flash disk, then restart the  
system.  
You can launch the EZ Flash 2 by two methods.  
(1) Insert the floppy disk / USB flash disk that contains the BIOS file to the  
floppy disk drive or the USB port.  
Press <Alt> + <F2> during POST to display the following.  
ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility V3.25  
FLASH TYPE: MXIC 25L8005  
Current ROM  
BOARD: P5Q-VM  
VER: 0131  
Update ROM  
BOARD: Unknown  
VER: Unknown  
DATE: 07/14/2008  
DATE: Unknown  
PATH: A:\  
A:  
Note  
[Enter] Select or Load  
[Up/Down/Home/End] Move  
[Tab] Switch  
[B] Backup  
[V] Drive Info  
[Esc] Exit  
(2) Enter BIOS setup program. Go to the Tools menu to select EZ Flash2  
and press <Enter> to enable it.  
You can switch between drives by pressing <Tab> before the correct file  
is found. Then press <Enter>.  
4.  
When the correct BIOS file is found, EZ Flash 2 performs the BIOS update  
process and automatically reboots the system when done.  
This function can support devices such as a USB flash disk or a floppy disk  
with FAT 32/16 format and single partition only.  
DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent  
system boot failure!  
2-6  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
2.1.4  
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  
1024KB 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.  
2.  
Copy the AFUDOS utility (afudos.exe) from the motherboard support DVD to  
the bootable floppy disk you created earlier.  
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(02.11.24BB))  
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.  
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.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-7  
 
Write the BIOS filename on a piece of paper. You need to type the exact BIOS  
filename at the DOS prompt.  
2.  
3.  
Copy the AFUDOS utility (afudos.exe) from the motherboard support DVD to  
the bootable floppy disk you created earlier.  
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 /iP5QVM.ROM  
4.  
The utility verifies the file and starts updating the BIOS.  
A:\>afudos /iP5QVM.ROM  
AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.19(ASUS V2.07(02.11.24BB))  
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!  
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 /iP5QVM.ROM  
AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.19(ASUS V2.07(02.11.24BB))  
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:\>  
2-8  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
2.1.5  
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility  
The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 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 DVD, the floppy disk,  
or the USB flash disk that contains the updated BIOS file.  
Prepare the motherboard support DVD, the floppy disk or the USB flash  
disk containing the updated motherboard BIOS before using this utility.  
If you use a SATA optical drive, always connect the SATA cable to the  
SATA1/2/3/4 connector; otherwise, the utility will not function.  
Ensure that you rename the original or updated BIOS file in the floppy disk  
or USB flash disk to P5QVM.ROM.  
If you connect your display to the onboard DVI connector, the monitor  
will not show and the system will beep twice while CrashFree BIOS 3 is  
working. Wait for a few minutes and then reboot the system. The display  
will show after the system restarts.  
Recovering the BIOS from the support DVD  
To recover the BIOS from the support DVD:  
1.  
2.  
3.  
Turn on the system.  
Insert the motherboard support DVD to the optical drive.  
The utility displays the following message and automatically checks the DVD  
for the 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 “P5QVM.ROM”. Completed.  
Start flashing...  
4.  
Restart the system after the utility completes the updating process.  
Recovering the BIOS from the USB flash disk  
To recover the BIOS from the USB flash disk:  
1.  
2.  
3.  
Insert the USB flash disk that contains BIOS file to the USB port.  
Turn on the system.  
The utility will automatically checks the devices for the BIOS file When found,  
the utility reads the BIOS file and starts flashing the corrupted BIOS file.  
Restart the system after the utility completes the updating process.  
4.  
Only the USB flash disk with FAT 32/16 format and single partition can  
support ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3. The device size should be smaller than  
8GB.  
DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS! Doing so  
can cause system boot failure!  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-9  
 
2.2  
BIOS setup program  
This motherboard supports a programmable firmware chip that you can update  
using the provided utility described in section 2.1 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 of the  
SPI chip.  
The firmware chip 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 Setup Defaults item under the  
Exit Menu. See section 2.9 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.  
2-10  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
2.2.1  
Menu items  
Main  
BIOS menu screen  
Menu bar  
Configuration fields  
General help  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Advanced Power Boot  
Ai Tweaker  
Tools  
Exit  
Use [ENTER], [TAB]  
or [SHIFT-TAB] to  
select a field.  
System Time  
System Date  
Legacy Diskette A  
[11:55:25]  
[Tue 07/15/2008]  
[1.44M, 2.5 in.]  
Use [+] or [-]  
to configure the  
System Time.  
SATA1  
SATA2  
SATA3  
SATA4  
SATA5  
SATA6  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
Change Field  
Select Field  
General Help  
Storage Configuration  
System Information  
+-  
Tab  
F1  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
Sub-menu items  
Navigation keys  
2.2.2  
Menu bar  
The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items:  
Main  
For changing the basic system configuration  
For changing the overclocking settings  
For changing the advanced system settings  
Ai Tweaker  
Advanced  
Power  
For changing the advanced power management (APM)  
configuration  
Boot  
Tools  
Exit  
For changing the system boot configuration  
For configuring options for special functions  
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.  
2.2.3  
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.  
The navigation keys may differ from one screen to another.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-11  
 
2.2.4  
Menu items  
The highlighted item on the menu bar  
displays the specific items for that  
menu. For example, selecting Main  
shows the Main menu items.  
Use [ENTER], [TAB], or  
[SHIFT-TAB] to select  
System Time  
System Date  
Floppy Diskette  
[11:56:54]  
[Tue 07/15/2008]  
[1.44M, 2.5 in.]  
a
field.  
A
Use [+] or [-] to  
configure system Time.  
SATA1  
SATA2  
SATA3  
SATA4  
SATA5  
SATA6  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
Storage Configuration  
System Information  
The other items (Advanced, Power,  
Boot, and Exit) on the menu bar have  
their respective menu items.  
Main menu items  
2.2.5  
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>.  
2.2.6  
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 2.2.7 Pop-up window.  
2.2.7  
Pop-up window  
Select a menu item then press <Enter>  
to display a pop-up window with the  
configuration options for that item.  
2.2.8  
Scroll bar  
A scroll bar appears on the right side of a  
menu screen when there are items that do  
not fit on the screen. Press the  
Pop-up window  
Up/Down arrow keys or <Page Up> /<Page  
Down> keys to display the other items on  
the screen.  
Scroll bar  
2.2.9  
General help  
At the top right corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the selected  
item.  
2-12  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
2.3  
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 2.2.1 BIOS menu screen for information on the menu screen  
items and how to navigate through them.  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Main  
Ai Tweaker  
Advanced  
Power  
Boot  
Tools  
Exit  
Use [ENTER], [TAB]  
or [SHIFT-TAB] to  
select a field.  
System Time  
[11:55:25]  
[Tue 07/15/2008]  
[1.44M, 2.5 in.]  
System Date  
Legacy Diskette A  
Use [+] or [-] to  
configure System Time.  
SATA1  
SATA2  
SATA3  
SATA4  
SATA5  
SATA6  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
[Not Detected]  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
Change Field  
Select Field  
General Help  
Storage Configuration  
System Information  
+-  
Tab  
F1  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
2.3.1  
System Time [xx:xx:xx]  
Allows you to set the system time.  
2.3.2  
System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx]  
Allows you to set the system date.  
2.3.3  
Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 2.5 in.]  
Sets the type of floppy drive installed.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [720K , 2.5 in.] [1.44M, 2.5 in.]  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-13  
 
2.3.4  
SATA 1–6  
While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of Serial ATA  
devices. There is a separate sub-menu for each SATA device. Select a device item  
then press <Enter> to display the SATA device information.  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Main  
SATA 1  
Select the type of  
device connected to  
the system.  
Device  
: Hard Disk  
: WDC WD800JD-00LSA0  
: 80.0GB  
Vendor  
Size  
LBA Mode  
Block Mode  
PIO Mode  
Async DMA  
Ultra DMA  
: Supported  
: 16Sectors  
: 4  
: MultiWord DMA-2  
: Ultra DMA-5  
SMART Monitoring: Supported  
Type  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Enabled]  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
LBA/Large Mode  
Block(Multi-Sector Transfer)M  
PIO Mode  
+-  
Change Option  
General Help  
F1  
DMA Mode  
SMART Monitoring  
32Bit Data Transfer  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, 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) M [Auto]  
Enables or disables data multi-sectors transfers. When set to [Auto], the data  
transfer from and to the device occurs multiple sectors at a time if the device  
supports multi-sector transfer feature. When set to [Disabled], the data transfer  
from and to the device occurs one sector at a time.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Auto]  
PIO Mode [Auto]  
Allows you to select the data transfer mode.  
Configuration options: [Auto] [0] [1] [2] [3] [4]  
2-14  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
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]  
2.3.5  
Storage Configuration  
The items in this menu allow you to set or change the configurations for the SATA  
devices installed in the system. Select an item then press <Enter> if you want to  
configure the item.  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Main  
Storage Configuration  
Options  
SATA Configuraton  
Configure SATA as  
[Enhanced]  
[IDE]  
Disabled  
Compatible  
Enhanced  
Hard Disk Write Protect  
IDE Detect Time Out (Sec)  
[Disabled]  
[35]  
SATA Configuration [Enhanced]  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Compatible] [Enhanced]  
Configure SATA as [IDE]  
Sets the configuration for the Serial ATA connectors supported by the  
Southbridge chip. Configuration options: [IDE] [AHCI]  
If you want to use the Serial ATA hard disk drives as Parallel ATA physical  
storage devices, keep the default setting [IDE].  
If you want the Serial ATA hard disk drives to use the Advanced Host  
Controller Interface (AHCI), set this item to [AHCI]. The AHCI allows  
the onboard storage driver to enable advanced Serial ATA features that  
increases storage performance on random workloads by allowing the drive  
to internally optimize the order of commands.  
AHCI mode is not supported in Windows® XP.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-15  
 
Hard Disk Write Protect [Disabled]  
Disables or enables device write protection. This will be effective only if the device  
is accessed through BIOS.  
Configuration option: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
IDE Detect Time Out (Sec) [35]  
Selects the time out value for detecting ATA/ATAPI devices.  
Configuration options: [0] [5] [10] [15] [20] [25] [30] [35]  
2.3.6  
AHCI Configuration  
This menu is the section for AHCI configuration. It appears only when you set the  
item Configure SATA as from the sub-menu of SATA Configuration to [AHCI].  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Main  
AHCI Settings  
Some SATA CD/DVD in  
AHCI mode need to  
wait ready longer.  
AHCI CD/DVD Boot Time out  
[35]  
SATA Port1 [Not Detected]  
SATA Port2 [Not Detected]  
SATA Port3 [Not Detected]  
SATA Port4 [Not Detected]  
SATA Port5 [Not Detected]  
SATA Port6 [Not Detected]  
AHCI CD/DVD Boot Time out [35]  
Selects the boot time out value for ACHI CD/DVD devices.  
Congifuration options: [0] [5] [10] [15] [20] [25] [30] [35]  
SATA Port1–6 [XXXX]  
Displays the status of auto-detection of SATA devices.  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Main  
SATA Port1  
Select the type  
of devices connected  
to the system.  
Device  
:Not Detected  
SATA Port1  
SMART Monitoring  
[Auto]  
[Enabled]  
SATA Port1 [Auto]  
Allows you to select the type of device connected to the system.  
Configuration options: [Auto] [Not Installed]  
SMART Monitoring [Enabled]  
Allows you to set the Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology.  
Configration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
2-16  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
2.3.7  
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  
Bios Information  
Version  
: 0131  
Build Date : 07/14/08  
Processor  
Type  
: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E6750 @  
2.66GHz  
: 2666MHz  
: 1  
Speed  
Count  
System Memory  
Installed Size : 2048MB  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
General Help  
Usable Size  
: 2048MB  
F1  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
Bios Information  
Displays the auto-detected BIOS information.  
Processor  
Displays the auto-detected CPU specification.  
System Memory  
Displays the auto-detected system memory.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-17  
 
2.4  
Ai Tweaker menu  
The Ai Tweaker menu items allow you to configure overclocking-related items.  
Take caution when changing the settings of the Ai Tweaker menu items.  
Incorrect field values can cause the system to malfunction.  
The default values of the following items vary depending on the CPU and  
memory modules you install on the motherboard.  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Main  
Ai Tweaker  
Advanced  
Power  
Boot  
Tools  
Exit  
Configure System Performance Settings  
Options  
Ai Overclock Tuner  
CPU Ratio Setting  
FSB Strap to North Bridge  
DRAM Frequency  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
Manual  
Auto  
DRAM Timing Control  
1st Information : 5-5-5-15-3-44-5-3  
2nd Information : 8-3-5-4-6-4-6  
3rd Information : 13-5-1-6-6  
DRAM Static Read Control  
DRAM Read Training  
MEM. OC Charger  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
Ai Clock Twister  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
Ai Transaction Booster  
C/P : B1 B2 B3 B4  
LVL : 12 12 12 12  
Enter Go to Sub Screen  
+-  
F1  
Change Option  
General Help  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
******** Please key in numbers directly! ********  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
Scroll down to display the following items:  
CPU Voltage  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
CPU PLL Voltage  
FSB Termination Voltage  
DRAM Voltage  
NB Voltage  
PCIE SATA Voltage  
*************************************************  
Load-Line Calibration  
CPU GTL Reference  
CPU Spread Spectrum  
PCIE Spread Spectrum  
CPU Clock Skew  
NB Clock Skew  
CPU Margin Enhancement  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Auto]  
[Optimized]  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
2.4.1  
Configure System performance Settings  
Ai Overclock Tuner [Auto]  
Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal  
frequency. Select either one of the preset overclocking configuration options:  
Manual  
Auto  
Allows you to individually set overclocking parameters.  
Loads the optimal settings for the system.  
2-18  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
CPU Ratio Setting [Auto]  
Allows you to adjust the ratio between CPU Core Clock and FSB Frequency. Use  
the <+> and <-> keys to adjust the value. The values may vary depending on the  
CPU installed. Configuration options: [Auto] [06.0] [07.0]–[XX.X]  
The following two items appear only when you set the Ai Overclock Tuner item  
to [Manual].  
FSB Frequency [XXX]  
Displays the frequency sent by the clock generator to the system bus and PCI bus.  
The value of this item is auto-detected by the BIOS. Use the <+> and <-> keys to  
adjust the frequency. You can also type the desired frequency using the numeric  
keypad. The values range from 200 to 800. Refer to the table below for the correct  
Front Side Bus and CPU External Frequency settings.  
FSB/CPU External Frequency Synchronization  
Front Side Bus  
FSB 1600  
FSB 1333  
FSB 1066  
FSB 800  
CPU External Frequency 400 MHz  
333 MHz  
266 MHz  
200 MHz  
PCIE Frequency [Auto]  
Allows you to set the PCI Express frequency. Use the <+> and <-> keys to adjust  
the frequency or type the desired frequency using the numeric keypad. The values  
range from 100 to 180.  
FSB Strap to North Bridge [Auto]  
When set to [Auto], the FSB Strap will be adjusted automatically by FSB  
Frequency and DRAM Frequency.  
Congifuration options: [Auto] [200 MHz] [266 MHz] [333 MHz] [400 MHz]  
DRAM Frequency [Auto]  
Allows you to set the DDR2 operating frequency.  
Configuration options: [Auto] [DDR2-667 MHz] [DDR2-800 MHz] [DDR2-1002MHz]  
[DDR2-1111MHz]  
Due to chipset behavior, to obtain memory frequency higher than DDR2  
800, you can manually adjust DRAM Frequency.  
The following table shows the variation of DRAM Frequency configuration  
options according to FSB Frequency settings.  
DRAM Frequency (MHz)  
FSB  
Auto  
667  
800  
960  
1002  
1064  
1111  
1200  
1600  
1333  
1066  
800  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-19  
Selecting a very high DRAM frequency may cause the system to become  
unstable! If this happens, revert to the default setting.  
DRAM Timing Control [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [Manual]  
The following sub-items apprear only when you set the DRAM Timing  
Control item to [Manual].  
The configuration options for some of the following items vary depending  
on the DIMMs you install on the motherboard.  
1st Information : 5-5-5-15-3-44-5-3 (These values are auto-detected)  
CAS# Latency [5 DRAM Clocks]  
Configuration options: [3 DRAM Clocks] [4 DRAM Clocks]–[11 DDRAM Clocks]  
DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay [5 DRAM Clocks]  
Configuration options: [3 DRAM Clocks] [4 DRAM Clocks]–[17 DRAM Clocks]  
[18 DRAM Clocks]  
DRAM RAS# Precharge Time [5 DRAM Clocks]  
Configuration options: [3 DRAM Clocks] [4 DRAM Clocks]–[17 DRAM Clocks]  
[18 DRAM Clocks]  
DRAM RAS# Activate to Precharge Time [15 DRAM Clocks]  
Configuration options: [3 DRAM Clocks] [4 DRAM Clocks]–[17 DRAM Clocks]  
[18 DRAM Clocks]  
RAS# to RAS# Delay [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
Row Refresh Cycle Time [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [20 DRAM Clocks] [25 DRAM Clocks]  
[30 DRAM Clocks] [35 DRAM Clocks]–[80 DRAM Clocks] [85 DRAM Clocks]  
[105 DRAM Clocks] [132 DRAM Clocks]  
Write Recovery Time [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
Read to Precharge Time [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
2nd Information : 8-3-5-4-6-4-6 (These values are auto-detected)  
READ to WRITE Delay(S/D) [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
WRITE to READ Delay(S) [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
2-20  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
WRITE to READ Delay(D) [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
READ To READ Delay(S) [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
READ To READ Delay(D) [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
WRITE To WRITE Delay(S) [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
WRITE To WRITE Delay(D) [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
3rd Information : 13-5-1-6-6 (These values are auto-detected)  
WRITE to PRE Delay [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[31 DRAM Clocks]  
READ to PRE Delay [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
PRE to PRE Delay [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[3 DRAM Clocks]  
ALL PRE to ACT Delay [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
ALL PRE to REF Delay [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [1 DRAM Clocks]–[15 DRAM Clocks]  
DRAM Static Read Control [Auto]  
Adjusting this item might enhance DRAM overclocking ability.  
Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] [Enabled]  
DRAM Read Training [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] [Enabled]  
MEM. OC Charger [Auto]  
Enable this item to increase DRAM overclockability.  
Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] [Enabled]  
Ai Clock Twister [Auto]  
Allows you to set the DRAM performance. Set this item to [Light] or [Lighter]  
to enhance DRAM compatibility, or [Strong] or [Stronger] to accelerate DRAM  
performance.  
Configuration options: [Auto] [Lighter] [Light] [Moderate] [Strong] [Stronger]  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-21  
Ai Transaction Booster [Auto]  
Allows you to set the system performance.  
Configuration options: [Auto] [Manual]  
The following two sub-items appear only when you set the Ai Transaction  
Booster item to [Manual].  
Common Performance Level [05]  
Set this item to a higher level for better compatibility or a lower level for  
better performance. Use the <+> and <-> keys to adjust the value or type the  
desired value using the numeric keypad. The values range from 1 to 31.  
Pull-In of CHA/B PH1–5 [Disabled]  
Set this item to [Enabled] to apply enhancement on DRAM Channel A and B,  
Phase 1 to 5. The number of phases is determined by DRAM frequency and  
FSB strap. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
The following six items are adjusted by typing the desired values using the  
numeric keypad and press the <Enter> key. You can also use the <+> and <->  
keys to adjust the value. To restore the default setting, type [auto] using the  
keyboard and press the <Enter> key.  
CPU Voltage [Auto]  
Allows you to set the CPU VCore voltage. The values range from 0.85000V to  
1.60000V with a 0.00625V interval.  
Refer to the CPU documentation before setting the CPU voltage. Setting a high  
CPU voltage may damage the CPU permanently, and setting a low voltage may  
make the system unstable.  
CPU PLL Voltage [Auto]  
Allows you to set the CPU PLL voltage. The values range from 1.50V to 2.20V with  
a 0.02V interval.  
FSB Termination Voltage [Auto]  
Allows you to set the front side bus termination voltage. The values range from  
1.20V* to 1.70V with a 0.02V interval.  
The minimum value of this item becomes 1.10V when a 45nm CPU is installed.  
DRAM Voltage [Auto]  
Allows you to set the memory voltage. The values range from 1.80V to 2.70V with  
a 0.02V interval.  
2-22  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
NB Voltage [Auto]  
Allows you to set the North Bridge voltage. The values range from 1.10V to 1.70V  
with a 0.02V interval.  
Setting the CPU PLL Voltage, FSB Termination Voltage, DRAM Voltage and  
NB Voltage items to a high level may damage the chipset, memory module  
and CPU permanently. Proceed with caution.  
Values of the CPU PLL Voltage, FSB Termination Voltage, DRAM  
Voltage and NB Voltage items are labeled in different colors, indicating the  
risk levels of high voltage settings. Refer to the table below for details.  
The system may need better cooling system to work stably under high  
voltage settings.  
Blue  
Yellow  
Purple  
Red  
CPU PLL Voltage  
1.50V–1.78V  
1.80V–2.00V  
1.40V–1.70V  
2.00V–2.20V  
1.28V–1.40V  
2.02V–2.20V  
N/A  
N/A  
FSB Termination Voltage 1.20V–1.38V  
N/A  
DRAM Voltage  
NB Voltage  
1.80V–1.98V  
1.10V–1.26V  
2.22V–2.40V  
1.42V–1.58V  
2.42V–2.70V  
1.60V–1.70V  
PCIE SATA Voltage [Auto]  
Allows you to set the PCI Express SATA voltage. The values range from 1.50V to  
1.80V with a 0.10V interval.  
Load-Line Calibration [Auto]  
Allows you to select the CPU Load-Line mode. Set to [Disabled] to follow Intel®  
specifications, or to [Enabled] to improve CPU VDroop directly.  
Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled] [Enabled]  
CPU GTL Reference [Auto]  
Allows you to enable or set the CPU GTL voltage reference. Setting a high CPU  
voltage may damage the components permanently, and setting a low voltage may  
make the system unstable.  
Configuration options: [Auto] [0.65x] [0.63x] [0.61x]  
CPU Spread Spectrum [Auto]  
Set to [Disabled] to enhance FSB overclocking ability or [Auto] for EMI control.  
Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled]  
PCIE Spread Spectrum [Auto]  
Set to [Disabled] to enhance PCIE overclocking ability or [Auto] for EMI control.  
Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled]  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-23  
CPU Clock Skew [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [Normal] [Delay 100ps] [Delay 200ps]–[Delay 1500ps]  
NB Clock Skew [Auto]  
Configuration options: [Auto] [Normal] [Delay 100ps] [Delay 200ps]–[Delay 1500ps]  
CPU Margin Enhancement [Optimized]  
Configuration options: [Optimized] [Compatible] [Performance Mode]  
2-24  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
2.5  
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  
Main  
Ai Tweaker  
Advanced  
Power  
Boot  
Tools  
Exit  
CPU Configuration  
Chipset  
Configure CPU.  
Onboard Devices Configuration  
USB Configuration  
PCIPnP  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
Enter Go to Sub Screen  
F1  
General Help  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
2.5.1  
CPU Configuration  
The items in this menu show the CPU-related information that the BIOS  
automatically detects.  
The items shown in this screen may vary with CPU model.  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Advanced  
Configure advanced CPU settings  
Sets the ratio between  
CPU Core Clock and the  
FSB Frequency.  
Manufacturer:Intel  
Brand String:Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E6750 @  
2.66GHz  
NOTE: If an invalid  
ratio is set in CMOS  
then actual and  
setpoint values may  
differ.  
Frequency  
FSB Speed  
Cache L1  
Cache L2  
:2.66GHz  
:1333 MHz  
:64 KB  
:4096 KB  
Ratio Status: Unlocked (Min:06, Max:08)  
Ratio Actual Value:8  
CPUID  
:6FB  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
CPU Ratio Setting  
[Auto]  
C1E Support  
[Enabled]  
[Enabled]  
[Enabled]  
[Enabled]  
[Enabled]  
[Enabled]  
+-  
Change Option  
General Help  
Intel(R) Virtualization Tech  
CPU TM Function  
Execute-Disable Bit  
Intel(R) SpeedStep(TM) Tech  
Intel(R) C-STATE Tech  
F1  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-25  
 
CPU Ratio Setting [Auto]  
Allows you to adjust the ratio between CPU Core Clock and FSB Frequency. Use  
the <+> and <-> keys to adjust the value. The values may vary depending on the  
CPU installed. Configuration options: [Auto] [06.0] [07.0]–[XX.X]  
C1E Support [Enabled]  
Allows you to enable or disable Enhanced Halt State support.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
Intel(R) Virtualization Tech [Enabled]  
The Intel® Virtualization Technology allows a hardware platform to run multiple  
operating systems separately and simultaneously, enabling one system to virtually  
function as several systems.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
CPU TM Function [Enabled]  
This function enables the overheated CPU to throttle the clock speed to cool down.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
Execute-Disable Bit [Enabled]  
Allows you to enable or disable the No-Execution Page Protection Technology.  
Setting this item to [Disabled] forces the XD feature flag to always return to zero  
(0). Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
The following items appear only when you set the CPU Ratio Setting item to  
[Auto].  
Intel(R) SpeedStep (TM) Tech [Enabled]  
When set to [Disabled], the CPU runs at its default speed. When set to [Enabled],  
the CPU speed is controlled by the operating system.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
Intel(R) C-STATE Tech [Enabled]  
Allows you enable or disable the Intel® C-STATE Technology. When enabled, the  
CPU idle is set to C2/C3/C4.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
2-26  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
2.5.2  
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.  
WARMING: Setting wrong values in below sections  
may cause system to malfunction.  
North Bridge Configuration  
North Bridge Configuration  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Advanced  
North Bridge Chipset Configuration  
ENABLE: Allow  
remapping of  
Memory Remap Feature  
[Enabled]  
overlapped PCI memory  
above the total  
physical memory.  
Initiate Graphic Adapter  
IGD Graphics Mode Select  
GTT Graphics Memory Select  
PAVP Function  
[PEG/IGD]  
[Enabled, 32MB]  
[No VT mode, 2MB]  
[Disabled]  
DISABLE: Do not allow  
remapping of memory.  
DVMT Memory  
[256MB]  
Memory Remap Feature [Enabled]  
Allows you to enable or disable the remapping of the overlapped PCI memory  
above the total physical memory. Enable this option only when you install  
64-bit operating system. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
Initiate Graphic Adapter [PEG/IGD]  
Allows you to decide which graphics controller to use as the primary boot  
device.  
Configuration options: [IGD] [PCI/IGD] [PCI/PEG] [PEG/IGD] [PEG/PCI]  
IGD Graphics Mode Select [Enabled, 32MB]  
Allows you to select the amount of system memory used by the internal  
graphics device.  
Configuration options: [Enabled, 32MB] [Enabled, 64MB] [Enabled, 128MB]  
GTT Graphics Memory Size [No VT mode, 2MB]  
This item is not available.  
PAVP Function [Disabled]  
Allows you to set the GMCH Protected Audio Video Path (PAVP) BIOS  
support. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Lite Mode] [Paranoid]  
DVMT Memory [256MB]  
Configuration options: [128MB] [256MB] [Maximum DVMT]  
The [Maximum DVMT] option appears only when you install DIMM modules  
more than 1 GB.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-27  
 
This motherboard supports Intel® DVMT 5.0 Technology whose maximum  
graphics memory size in total varies with the system memory size in total and  
the operating system. Refer to the following table for details.  
Maximum Total Graphics Memory  
System Memory  
Windows® XP  
512MB  
768MB  
1024MB  
Windows® Vista™  
552MB  
1GB to < 1.5GB  
1GB to < 2GB  
2GB to < 3GB  
3GB to < 4GB  
4GB and above  
808MB  
1320MB  
1832MB  
1849MB  
2.5.3  
Onboard Devices Configuration  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Advanced  
Onboard Devices Configuration  
Enable or Disable  
High Definition Audio  
Controller  
High Definition Audio  
[Enabled]  
SPDIF Mode Setting  
Front Panel Type  
[HDMI Output]  
[HD Audio]  
[Enabled]  
Marvell IDE Controller  
RealTek LAN Controller  
RealTek LAN Boot ROM  
[Enabled]  
[Disabled]  
Serial Port1 Address  
[3F8/IRQ4]  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
+-  
F1  
Change Option  
General Help  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
High Definition Audio [Enabled]  
Allows you to enable or disable the High Definition Audio controller. The following  
two items appear only when you set this item to [Enabled].  
Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]  
SPDIF Mode Setting [HDMI Output]  
Allows you to set the digital audio connector (SPDIF) mode to SPDIF or  
HDMI depending on the device you use.  
Configuration options: [HDMI Output] [SPDIF Output]  
Front Panel Type [HD Audio]  
Allows you to set the front panel audio connector (AAFP) mode to legacy  
AC’97 or high-definition audio depending on the audio standard that the front  
panel audio module supports. Configuration options: [AC97] [HD Audio]  
2-28  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
Marvell IDE Controller [Enabled]  
Allows you to enable or disable the onboard Marvell IDE controller.  
Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]  
RealTek LAN Controller [Enabled]  
Allows you to enable or disable the onboard RealTek LAN port.  
Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]  
RealTek LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]  
This item appears only when you enable the previous item.  
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]  
2.5.4  
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  
USB Devices Enabled:  
None  
Disabled  
Enabled  
USB Functions  
[Enabled]  
[Enabled]  
[HiSpeed]  
[Enabled]  
[Auto]  
USB 2.0 Controller  
USB 2.0 Controller Mode  
BIOS EHCI Hand-off  
Legacy USB Support  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
Change Option  
General Help  
+-  
F1  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
The USB Devices Enabled item shows 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 Host Controllers.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
The following items appear only when you set USB Functions to [Enabled].  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-29  
 
USB 2.0 Controller [Enabled]  
Allows you to enable or disable the USB 2.0 controller.  
Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]  
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]  
The USB 2.0 Controller Mode item appears only when you enable the USB  
2.0 Controller.  
BIOS EHCI Hand-off [Enabled]  
Allows you to enable the support for operating systems without an EHCI hand-off  
feature. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
Legacy USB Support [Auto]  
Allows you to enable or disable the 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]  
2.5.5  
PCIPnP  
The PCIPnP menu items allow you to change the advanced settings for PCI/PnP  
devices.  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Advanced  
Advanced PCI/PnP Settings  
NO: lets the BIOS  
configure all the  
devices in the system.  
YES: lets the  
WARNING: Setting wrong values in below sections  
may cause system to malfunction.  
operating system  
configure Plug and  
Play (PnP) devices not  
required for boot if  
your system has a Plug  
and Play operating  
system.  
Plug And Play O/S  
[No]  
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]  
2-30  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
2.6  
Power menu  
The Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced  
Power Management (APM). Select an item then press <Enter> to display the  
configuration options.  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Main  
Ai Tweaker  
Advanced  
Power  
Boot  
Tools  
Exit  
Select the ACPI state  
used for System  
Suspend.  
Suspend Mode  
[Auto]  
[No]  
[Disabled]  
[Enabled]  
Repost Video on S3 Resume  
ACPI 2.0 Support  
ACPI APIC Support  
APM Configuration  
Hardware Monitor  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
+-  
Change Option  
General Help  
F1  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
2.6.1  
Suspend Mode [Auto]  
Allows you to select the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) state  
to be used for system suspend.  
Configuration options: [S1 (POS) Only] [S3 Only] [Auto]  
2.6.2  
Repost Video on S3 Resume [No]  
Determines whether to invoke VGA BIOS POST on S3/STR resume.  
Configuration options: [No] [Yes]  
2.6.3  
ACPI 2.0 Support [Disabled]  
Add additional tables as per ACPI 2.0 specifications.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
2.6.4  
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 P5Q-VM  
2-31  
 
2.6.5  
APM Configuration  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Power  
APM Configuration  
<Enter> to select  
whether or not to  
restart the system  
after AC power loss.  
Restore on AC Power Loss  
[Power Off]  
Power On By RTC Alarm  
[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  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
+-  
Change Option  
General Help  
F1  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, 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. When this item  
is set to [Enabled], the items RTC Alarm Date/ RTC Alarm Hour/ RTC Alarm  
Minute/ RTC Alarm Second will become user-configurable with set values.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
Power On By External Modems [Disabled]  
This 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]  
Allows you to enable or disable the PME to wake up from S5 by PCI devices.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
Power On By PCIE Devices [Disabled]  
Allows you to enable or disable the PCIE devices to generate a wake event.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
2-32  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
Power On By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled]  
Allows you to disable the Power On by PS/2 keyboard function or set specific keys  
on the PS/2 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] [Space Bar] [Ctrl-Esc] [Power Key]  
2.6.6  
Hardware Monitor  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Power  
Hardware Monitor  
CPU Temperature  
CPU Temperature  
MB Temperature  
[47ºC/116.5ºF]  
[32ºC/89.5ºF]  
CPU Fan Speed  
CPU Q-Fan Control  
CPU Fan Profile  
[4500RPM]  
[Enabled]  
[Standard]  
Chassis Fan 1 Speed  
[N/A]  
Select Screen  
Chassis Q-Fan Control  
[Disabled]  
Select Item  
Change Field  
General Help  
+-  
Power Fan Speed  
[N/A]  
F1  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
CPU  
Voltage  
[ 1.304V]  
[ 2.248V]  
[ 5.112V]  
[12.096V]  
3.3V Voltage  
5V  
12V  
Voltage  
Voltage  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, 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 [xxxxRPM] or [Ignored] / [N/A]  
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].  
CPU Q-Fan Control [Enabled]  
Allows you to enable or disable the CPU Q-fan control feature.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
The following item appears only when you enable the CPU Q-Fan Control item.  
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2-33  
 
CPU Fan Profile [Standard]  
Allows you to set the appropriate performance level of the ASUS Q-Fan.  
When set to [Standard], the CPU fan automatically adjusts depending on  
the CPU temperature. Set this item to [Silent] to minimize fan speed for  
quiet CPU fan operation, or [Turbo] to achieve maximum CPU fan speed.  
Configuration options: [Standard] [Silent] [Turbo]  
Chassis Fan 1 Speed [xxxxRPM] or [Ignored] / [N/A]  
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  
motherboard, the field shows [N/A].  
Chassis Q-Fan Control [Disabled]  
Allows you to enable or disable the Chassis Q-fan control feature.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
The following item appears only when you enable the Chassis Q-Fan Control  
item.  
Chassis Fan Profile [Standard]  
Allows you to set the appropriate performance level of the ASUS Q-Fan.  
When set to [Standard], the chassis fan automatically adjusts depending  
on the chassis temperature. Set this item to [Silent] to minimize fan speed  
for quiet chassis fan operation, or [Turbo] to achieve maximum chassis fan  
speed. Configuration options: [Standard] [Silent] [Turbo]  
Power Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] or [Ignored] / [N/A]  
The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the power  
fan speed in rotations per minute (RPM). If the fan is not connected to the  
motherboard, the field shows [N/A].  
CPU Voltage, 3.3V Voltage, 5V Voltage, 12V Voltage  
The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through  
the onboard voltage regulators. Select [Ignored] if you do not want to detect this  
item.  
2-34  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
2.7  
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  
Main  
Ai Tweaker  
Advanced  
Power  
Boot  
Tools  
Exit  
Boot Settings  
Specifies the Boot  
Device Priority  
sequence.  
Boot Device Priority  
Boot Settings Configuration  
Security  
A virtual floppy disk  
drive (Floppy Drive B:  
) may appear when you  
set the CD-ROM drive  
as the first boot  
device.  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
Enter Go to Sub Screen  
F1  
General Help  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
2.7.1  
Boot Device Priority  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Boot  
Specifies the boot  
Boot Device Priority  
sequence from the  
available devices.  
1st Boot Device  
2nd Boot Device  
3rd Boot Device  
[1st FLOPPY DRIVE]  
[Hard Drive]  
[ATAPI CD-ROM]  
A device enclosed in  
parenthesis has been  
disabled in the  
corresponding type  
menu.  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
+-  
Change Option  
General Help  
F1  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
1st ~ xxth Boot Device [xxx 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: [1st FLOPPY DRIVE] [Hard Drive] [ATAPI CD-ROM]  
[Disabled]  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-35  
 
2.7.2  
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  
[Enabled]  
[Enabled]  
[Force BIOS]  
[On]  
Full Screen Logo  
AddOn ROM Display Mode  
Bootup Num-Lock  
Wait for ‘F1’ if Error  
[Enabled]  
Hit ‘DEL’ Message Display [Enabled]  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
+-  
Change Option  
General Help  
F1  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, 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]  
This 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 2™ feature.  
AddOn 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]  
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]  
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]  
2-36  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
2.7.3  
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.  
<Enter> again to  
disabled password.  
Supervisor Password  
User Password  
: Not Installed  
: Not Installed  
Change Supervisor Password  
Change User Password  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
Enter Change  
F1  
General Help  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, 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.  
2.  
Select the Change Supervisor Password item and press <Enter>.  
From the password box, type a password composed of at least six letters  
and/or numbers, then press <Enter>.  
3.  
Confirm the password when prompted.  
The message “Password Installed” appears after you successfully set your  
password.  
To change the supervisor password, follow the same steps as in setting a user  
password.  
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 1.9 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.  
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2-37  
 
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Boot  
Security Settings  
<Enter> to change  
password.  
<Enter> again to  
disabled password.  
Supervisor Password  
User Password  
: Installed  
: Installed  
Change Supervisor Password  
User Access Level  
Change User Password  
Clear User Password  
Password Check  
[Full Access]  
[Setup]  
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.  
To set a User Password  
1.  
2.  
Select the Change User Password item and press <Enter>.  
On the password box that appears, type a password composed of at least six  
letters and/or numbers, then press <Enter>.  
3.  
Confirm the password when prompted.  
The message “Password Installed” appears after you set your password  
successfully.  
To change the user password, follow the same steps as in setting a user password.  
Clear User Password  
Select this item to clear the 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]  
2-38  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
2.8  
Tools menu  
The Tools menu items allow you to configure options for special functions. Select  
an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu.  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Main  
Ai Tweaker  
Advanced  
Power  
Boot  
Tools  
Exit  
Press ENTER to run  
the utility to select  
and update BIOS.  
This utility doesn't  
support :  
ASUS EZ Flash 2  
Express Gate  
Enter OS Timer  
Reset User Data  
[Enabled]  
[10 Seconds]  
[No]  
1.NTFS format  
ASUS O.C. Profile  
AI Net 2  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
+-  
Change Field  
Enter Go to Sub Screen  
F1  
General Help  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
2.8.1  
ASUS EZ Flash 2  
Allows you to run ASUS EZ Flash 2. When you press <Enter>, a confirmation  
message appears. Use the left/right arrow key to select between [Yes] or [No],  
then press <Enter> to confirm your choice. Please see section 2.1.3 ASUS EZ  
Flash 2 utility for details.  
ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility V3.25  
FLASH TYPE: MXIC 25L8005  
Current ROM  
BOARD: P5Q-VM  
VER: 0131  
Update ROM  
BOARD: Unknown  
VER: Unknown  
DATE: 07/14/2008  
DATE: Unknown  
PATH: A:\  
A:  
Note  
[Enter] Select or Load  
[Up/Down/Home/End] Move  
[Tab] Switch  
[B] Backup  
[V] Drive Info  
[Esc] Exit  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-39  
 
2.8.2  
Express Gate  
Allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Express Gate feature. The ASUS  
Express Gate feature is a unique instant-on environment that provides quick  
access to the Internet browser and Skype.  
Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
Enter OS Timer [10 Seconds]  
Sets countdown duration that the system waits at the Express Gate’s first  
screen before starting Windows or other installed OS. Choose [Prompt User]  
to stay at the first screen of Express Gate for user action.  
Configuration options: [Prompt User] [1 second] [3 seconds] [5 seconds]  
[10 seconds] [15 seconds] [20 seconds] [30 seconds]  
Reset User Data [No]  
Allows you to clear Express Gate’s user data.  
Configuration options: [No] [Reset]  
When setting this item to [Reset], make sure to save the setting to the BIOS  
so that the user data will be cleared the next time you enter the Express  
Gate. User data includes the Express Gate’s settings as well as any personal  
information stored by the web browser (bookmarks, cookies, browsing  
history, etc.). This is useful in the rare case where corrupt settings prevent  
the Express Gate environment from launching properly.  
The first time wizard will run again when you enter the Express Gate  
environment after clearing its settings.  
2-40  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
2.8.3  
ASUS O.C. Profile  
This item allows you to store or load multiple BIOS settings.  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Tools  
O.C. PROFILE Configuration  
Save BIOS settings  
to Profile 1  
O.C. Profile 1 Status : Not Installed  
O.C. Profile 2 Status : Not Installed  
Save to Profile 1  
Load from Profile 1  
Save to Profile 2  
Load from Profile 2  
Start O.C. Profile  
Save to Profile 1/2  
Allows you to save the current BIOS file to the BIOS Flash. Press <Enter> to save  
the file.  
Load from Profile 1/2  
Allows you to load the previous BIOS settings saved in the BIOS Flash. Press  
<Enter> to load the file.  
Start O.C. Profile  
Allows you to run the utility to save and load CMOS. Press <Enter> to run the  
utility.  
ASUSTek O.C. Profile Utility V1.25  
Current CMOS  
BOARD: P5Q-VM  
VER: 0131  
Restore CMOS  
BOARD: Unknown  
VER: Unknown  
DATE: 07/14/2008  
DATE: Unknown  
PATH: A:\  
A:  
Note  
[Enter] Select or Load  
[Tab] Switch  
[V] Drive Info  
[Esc] Exit  
[Up/Down/Home/End] Move [B] Backup  
This function can support devices such as a USB flash disk or a floppy disk  
with FAT 32/16 format and single partition only.  
DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent  
the system boot failure!  
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2-41  
 
2.8.4  
AI Net 2  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Tools  
Realtek Check LAN  
cable during POST.  
AI NET 2  
Pair Status Length  
It will take 3 to 10  
seconds to diagnose  
LAN cable.  
Check Realtek LAN cable  
[Disabled]  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
+-  
Change Field  
Enter Go to Sub Screen  
F1  
General Help  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.  
Check Realtek LAN Cable [Disabled]  
Enables or disables checking of the Marvell LAN cable during the Power-On  
Self-Test (POST). Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]  
2-42  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
 
2.9  
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  
Main  
Ai Tweaker  
Advanced  
Power  
Boot  
Tools  
Exit  
Exit Options  
Exit system setup  
after saving the  
changes.  
Exit & Save Changes  
Exit & Discard Changes  
Discard Changes  
F10 key can be used  
for this operation.  
Load Setup Defaults  
Select Screen  
Select Item  
Enter Go to Sub Screen  
F1  
General Help  
F10 Save and Exit  
ESC Exit  
v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, 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.  
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.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
2-43  
 
2-44  
Chapter 2: BIOS setup  
This chapter describes the contents of  
the support DVD that comes with the  
motherboard package.  
Chapter 3:  
Software  
3
support  
 
3.1  
Installing an operating system  
This motherboard supports Windows® XP/64-bit XP/Vista/64-bit Vista 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® XP Service Pack2 or later versions  
before installing the drivers for better compatibility and system stability.  
3.2  
Support DVD information  
The support DVD 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 DVD are subject to change at any time without  
notice. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) for updates.  
3.2.1  
Running the support DVD  
Place the support DVD to the optical drive. The DVD automatically displays the  
Drivers menu if Autorun is enabled in your computer.  
Click an icon to  
display support  
DVD/motherboard  
information  
Click an item to install  
If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer, browse the contents of the support  
DVD to locate the file ASSETUP.EXE from the BIN folder. Double-click the  
ASSETUP.EXE to run the DVD.  
3-2  
Chapter 3: Software support  
 
3.2.2  
Drivers menu  
The drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed  
devices. Install the necessary drivers to activate the devices.  
ASUS InstAll-Installation Wizard for Anti-Virus and Drivers Utility  
Installs anti-virus software and all of the drivers through the Installation Wizard.  
Norton Internet Security 2008  
Install the Norton Internet Security 2008 software to protect your computer from the  
latest online virus and spyware threats.  
Intel Chipset Inf Update Program  
Installs the Intel® chipset Inf update program.  
Realtek Audio Driver  
Installs the Realtek® ALC1200 audio driver and application.  
Intel Graphics Accelerator Driver  
Installs the Intel® graphics accelerator driver.  
Realtek RTL8111B/C LAN Driver  
Installs the Realtek 8111C LAN driver.  
ASUS EPU-4 Engine  
Installs the ASUS EPU-4 Engine driver and utility.  
USB 2.0 Driver  
Installs the Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB 2.0) driver.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
3-3  
 
3.2.3  
Utilities menu  
The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard  
supports.  
Click to display  
the next screen  
Click to display  
the previous  
screen  
ASUS InstAll-Installation Wizard for Utilities  
Installs all of the utilities through the Installation Wizard.  
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 AI Suite  
Installs the ASUS AI Suite.  
3-4  
Chapter 3: Software support  
 
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 Express Gate Installer  
Installs the ASUS Express Gate application.  
Adobe Acrobat Reader 8  
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 in your computer. Visit the  
Microsoft website (www.microsoft.com) for updates.  
Ulead Burn.Now  
Installs the Ulead Burn.Now application for Audio CD, DVD and data disc creation.  
Corel MediaOne Starter  
Installs the Corel MediaOne Starter application to easily manage, edit share and  
protect your multimedia data.  
CyberLink PowerBackup  
Installs the CyberLink Powerbackup software.  
Ulead PhotoImpact 12 SE  
Installs the Ulead PhotoImpact 12 SE software.  
Winzip 11  
Installs the Winzip utility for easy file-compression and protection.  
Norton Internet Security 2008  
Install the Norton Internet Security 2008 software to protect your computer from the  
latest online virus and spyware threats.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
3-5  
3.2.4  
Manual menu  
The Manual 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 before opening a user manual file.  
3.2.5  
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.  
3-6  
Chapter 3: Software support  
 
3.2.6  
Other information  
The icons on the top right corner of the screen give additional information on the  
motherboard and the contents of the support DVD. Click an icon to display the  
specified information.  
Motherboard Info  
Displays the general specifications of the motherboard.  
Browse this DVD  
Displays the support DVD contents in graphical format.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
3-7  
 
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 DVD and a brief description of each in text  
format.  
3-8  
Chapter 3: Software support  
3.3  
ASUS Express Gate  
ASUS Express Gate is an instant-on environment that gives you quick access to  
the Internet. Within a few seconds of powering on your computer, you will be at the  
Express Gate menu where you can start the web browser, Skype, or other Express  
Gate softwares.  
Installing ASUS Express Gate  
ASUS Express Gate supports installation on SATA HDDs in IDE mode only.  
ASUS Express Gate supports HDDs connected to motherboard chipset-  
controlled onboard SATA ports only.  
ASUS Express Gate supports installation on USB HDDs and Flash drives,  
but the software performance may be slower than installed on SATA HDDs.  
To install Express Gate on your computer  
1.  
Place the support DVD to the optical drive. The Drivers installation tab  
appears if your computer has enabled Autorun feature.  
2.  
3.  
Click the Utilities tab, then click ASUS Express Gate Installer.  
Select the language for installation  
and click OK.  
4.  
The InstallShield Wizard for Express  
Gate appears. Click Next to  
continue.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
3-9  
 
5.  
6.  
Select the target disk volume for you  
to install Express Gate. If you have  
multiple volumes and OS installed in  
your hard drive, it is recommended  
to install Express Gate in Volume  
C. Click Next to continue.  
Follow the screen instructions to  
complete installation.  
The First Screen  
Express Gate’s first screen appears  
within a few seconds after you power  
on the computer. From here, you can  
immediately start the web browser or  
Skype.  
You can also choose to continue booting  
normally (e.g. to your installed OS such  
as Windows), enter BIOS setup, or power  
off.  
If you don’t make any selection, Express  
Gate will automatically exit and boot to your normal OS after a certain amount of  
time. The timer countdown is shown on-screen inside the “boot to OS” button. As  
you move the mouse or type a key, the countdown stops and the timer disappears,  
so you can take your time to make a selection.  
The Express Gate Environment  
The very first time you enter the Express  
Gate environment (by launching either  
web or Skype from the first screen), a  
first time wizard will guide you through  
basic Express Gate configurations. Basic  
configurations include language, date and  
time and screen resolution.  
3-10  
Chapter 3: Software support  
Once inside the Express Gate environment, click on the icons on the LaunchBar,  
by default at bottom of the screen, to launch or switch between softwares. You  
can re-arrange, re-size and move windows. Bring a window to the foreground by  
clicking within it or by clicking on its corresponding software icon. Re-size a window  
by dragging any of its four corners. Move a window by dragging its title bar.  
Besides using the LaunchBar, you can also switch between softwares by pressing  
<Alt> +<Tab> on the keyboard. You can also right-click anywhere on the desktop to  
bring up a menu of softwares.  
The red triangle on an software icon in the LaunchBar denotes that the software is  
already running. This means that you can switch to it without any delay. In the rare  
case where an software stops responding, right-click on its icon to force close it.  
Knowing the Express Gate hot-keys  
Here is a list of common-used hot-keys for Express Gate.  
In the First Screen:  
Key  
Function  
PAUSE/BREAK  
Power-off  
ESC  
DEL  
F8  
Continue to boot OS  
Enter BIOS setup  
Enter Boot selection pop-up  
In the Express Gate Environment:  
Key  
Function  
<Alt> + <Tab>  
Switch between softwares  
<Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Del>  
Bring up Power-Off dialog box  
<Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Print Screen>  
Save screen snapshot as picture to file  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
3-11  
Using the Configuration Panel  
Use the configuration panel to change various Express Gate settings.  
Click on an icon to open a particular configuration tool. The following tools are  
available:  
Date and Time: set current date and time as well as time zone.  
Input Method: choose your preferred input language and method.  
Language and Keyboard: choose your language and keyboard preferences.  
LaunchBar Settings: customize your LaunchBar (where it docks, whether it  
auto-hides, etc.)  
Network: Specify how your computer connects to the Internet. Enable the  
network port. LAN1 refers to the RJ-45 network port on your computer. Also  
specify whether to use DHCP (most common) or static IP. For PPPoE and  
wireless (optional), set the login credentials (user name, password, SSID, etc.)  
as well.  
Environment Settings: This function allows you to clear the Express Gate  
settings, as well as any personal information stored by the web browser  
(Bookmarks, Cookies, History, etc.). The user data will be reset to the original  
default configuration.  
After you click Restore System, a confirmation dialog box will open. If you click  
Yes” in the confirmation dialog box, your system will immediately restart and  
then re-enter Express Gate to finish clearing the settings. This is also useful in  
the rare case where settings might become corrupted.  
The first-time Wizard will run again when you enter the Express Gate  
environment after clearing its settings.  
Screen Settings: Choose the most optimal screen resolution for your display.  
Volume Control: Control the volume for your speaker output, microphone  
input, etc.  
3-12  
Chapter 3: Software support  
Using the LaunchBar  
The LaunchBar has several system icons that show you various system statuses  
and let you configure individual Express Gate settings. The LaunchBar can be  
configured to auto-hide, if you want more screen space for the softwares. It can  
also be configured to dock on any of the four sides of the screen.  
Starts the Web Browser for quick access to the World Wide Web.  
Opens the Online Games web page.  
Starts the Photo Manager album / organizer tool.  
Starts the Chat instant messaging tool.  
Start the Skype software, which lets you call other people on Skype  
for free, as well as offering affordable, high quality voice communications  
to phones all over the world.  
Opens Configuration Panel, which lets you specify network settings  
and other preferences.  
In the rare case that one of the above softwares stops responding, you can right-  
click on its icon and then select Close to force it to close.  
The smaller icons on the right side of the LaunchBar are:  
Click on this icon to open the File Manager window, which lets you  
conveniently access the files on a USB drive. If a USB device is  
detected, the icon contains a green arrow.  
ASUS Express Gate supports file uploading from SATA HDDs, ODDs and USB  
drive and downloading to USB drives only.  
Shows network status; click to configure network.  
Shows mute status; click to change volume.  
Click to choose input language and method as well as keyboard  
shortcuts (Ctrl-Space by default).  
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3-13  
Click to change LaunchBar options (auto-hide, docking position, etc).  
Click to show the “ASUS Utility” panel (if supported).  
Click to show “About Express Gate.”  
Click to open Express Gate Help.  
Click to bring up power options window to boot to OS, restart or power  
down. This window is also shown when you press Ctrl-Alt-Del on the  
keyboard.  
Power off  
Enter OS  
Restart  
Check to save  
user profile  
Cancel and return to  
Express Gate  
How Do I Get on to the Internet  
If Internet doesn’t seem to be working in the Express Gate environment, check the  
following:  
1.  
Open the Configuration Panel.  
Open Configuration Panel  
2.  
Open Network.  
Network  
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Chapter 3: Software support  
3.  
Make the proper network configurations.  
Each network interface is enabled immediately when you check the box next  
to it.  
If you use a network cable connected to a home router (which is then  
connected to your DSL/cable modem), enable LAN1.  
The most common scenario is for your computer to automatically obtain  
network settings (i.e. DHCP). If this is the case, you don’t need to click Setup  
for any LAN port. If this is not the case, click Setup to configure the static IP  
settings manually.  
If you use a network cable connected directly to your DSL/cable modem (no  
router in between), click Setup for xDSL/cable dial-up. This method is also  
referred to as PPPoE. Choose whether the DSL/cable modem is connected  
to your computer’s LAN port. Then enter the username and password for your  
dial-up account.  
Click OK to enable xDSL/cable dial-up and establish the PPPoE connection.  
When PPPoE is enabled, the port it uses will automatically be unchecked and  
grayed out.  
ASUS P5Q-VM  
3-15  
Using the Online Games  
Express Gate introduces a Splashtop Gaming portal site, which provides many  
interesting games in different categories. The game titles are updated from time to  
time. Enjoying these great games is just as easy as it gets!  
You have to enable the network connection to run the Online Games feature.  
Search a game  
See the latest games  
See games in  
See the most  
different categories  
popular games  
Game list  
Using the Photo Manager  
Express Gate provides a easy-to-use Photo Manager that allows you to view  
pictures stored in your hard drive or external storage devices (such as USB  
dongles, card readers, or optical disks). You can view pictures in thumbnail view;  
in an enlarged view individually; in a filename/data list view; or play them in a  
slideshow with background music and fancy transition effects. JPEG, GIF, BMP,  
and PNG formats are supported. Refer to the on-line Help for detailed software  
operation.  
Photo slideshow  
Help  
View mode  
selection  
Shows  
the image  
folder(s)  
found in your  
hard drive  
or external  
devices  
Shows user-  
created image  
album(s)  
Image  
control bar  
ASUS Express Gate supports HDDs connected to motherboard chipset-  
controlled onboard SATA ports only. All onboard extended SATA ports and  
external SATA ports are NOT supported.  
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Chapter 3: Software support  
Configuring Express Gate in BIOS Setup  
Enter BIOS setup by pressing DEL key after powering on or by clicking on the  
BIOS setup icon on Express Gate’s first screen. Express Gate configuration  
options are under the Tools menu. Refer to section 2.8.2 Express Gate for details.  
BIOS SETUP UTILITY  
Main  
Ai Tweaker  
Advanced  
Power  
Boot  
Tools  
Exit  
Press ENTER to run  
the utility to select  
and update BIOS.  
This utility doesn't  
support :  
ASUS EZ Flash 2  
Express Gate  
Enter OS Timer  
Reset User Data  
[Enabled]  
[10 Seconds]  
[No]  
1.NTFS format  
Updating Express Gate  
You may update your existing Express Gate software to new versions. New  
versions of the Express Gate software will be released regularly, adding  
refinements or new applications. You can find original version of the software on  
the support DVD or download new versions from the ASUS support website.  
To update Express Gate  
1.  
Double-click the Express Gate setup  
file to start software update.  
2.  
A software update confirmation  
dialog box appears. Click Yes to  
continue.  
3.  
The InstallShield Wizard for Express Gate appears. Click Next to continue.  
4.  
Follow the screen instructions to complete installation.  
Repairing Express Gate  
In case Express Gate cannot start normally, you can repair Express Gate by  
reinstalling the software or using the repairing utility.  
To repair Express Gate  
Click Start > All Programs > Express  
Gate > Express Gate Installer >  
Repair this software.  
OR  
Double click the Express Gate setup  
file, choose Repair, and click Next to  
continue.  
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3-17  
3-18  
Chapter 3: Software support  

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