A8N-VM
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Contents
Notices................................................................................................ vi
Safety information ............................................................................. vii
A8N-VM specifications summary ...................................................... viii
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1
1.2
1.3
Welcome!.............................................................................. 1-2
Package contents ................................................................. 1-2
Special features.................................................................... 1-2
1.3.1
1.3.2
Product highlights................................................... 1-2
Innovative ASUS features ....................................... 1-4
1.4
1.5
Before you proceed .............................................................. 1-5
Motherboard overview.......................................................... 1-6
1.5.1
1.5.2
1.5.3
Motherboard layout ................................................ 1-6
Placement direction ................................................ 1-7
Screw holes ............................................................ 1-7
1.6
1.7
Central Processing Unit (CPU) .............................................. 1-8
System memory .................................................................1-10
1.7.1
1.7.2
1.7.3
1.7.4
Overview................................................................. -10
Memory configurations .........................................1-10
Installing a DIMM ...................................................1-12
Removing a DIMM .................................................1-12
1.8
Expansion slots...................................................................1-13
1.8.1
1.8.2
1.8.3
1.8.4
1.8.5
Installing an expansion card..................................1-13
Configuring an expansion card..............................1-13
PCI slots................................................................1-15
PCI Express x1 slot ...............................................1-15
PCI Express x16 slot .............................................1-15
1.9
Jumpers..............................................................................1-16
1.10 Connectors .........................................................................1-19
1.10.1 Rear panel connectors ..........................................1-19
1.10.2 Internal connectors...............................................1-21
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Contents
Chapter 2: BIOS setup
2.1
Managing and updating your BIOS ........................................ 2-2
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.1.3
2.1.4
2.1.5
Creating a bootable floppy disk.............................. 2-2
ASUS EZ Flash utility .............................................. 2-3
AFUDOS utility ........................................................ 2-4
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility ................................ 2-6
ASUS Update utility ................................................ 2-8
2.2
BIOS setup program ...........................................................2-11
2.2.1
2.2.2
2.2.3
2.2.4
2.2.5
2.2.6
2.2.7
2.2.8
2.2.9
BIOS menu screen.................................................2-12
Menu bar...............................................................2-12
Navigation keys ....................................................2-12
Menu items ...........................................................2-13
Sub-menu items ...................................................2-13
Configuration fields ..............................................2-13
Pop-up window .....................................................2-13
Scroll bar ..............................................................2-13
General help..........................................................2-13
2.3
Main menu ..........................................................................2-14
2.3.1
2.3.2
2.3.3
2.3.4
System Time.........................................................2-14
System Date .........................................................2-14
Legacy Diskette A ................................................2-14
Primary and Secondary IDE Master/Slave;
First and Second SATA.........................................2-15
2.3.5
2.3.6
IDE Configuration ..................................................2-16
System Information ..............................................2-17
2.4
Advanced menu..................................................................2-18
2.4.1
2.4.2
2.4.3
2.4.4
2.4.5
2.4.6
2.4.7
AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Configuration .........................2-18
JumperFree Configuration ....................................2-19
CPU Configuration.................................................2-20
Chipset .................................................................2-20
Onboard Devices Configuration ............................2-27
PCI PnP .................................................................2-28
USB Configuration.................................................2-29
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Contents
2.5
Power menu........................................................................2-30
2.5.1
2.5.2
2.5.3
2.5.4
2.5.5
2.5.6
Suspend Mode ......................................................2-30
Repost Video on S3 Resume ................................2-30
ACPI 2.0 Support ..................................................2-30
ACPI APIC Support ................................................2-30
APM Configuration ................................................2-31
Hardware Monitor .................................................2-32
2.6
2.7
Boot menu ..........................................................................2-34
2.6.1
2.6.2
2.6.3
Boot Device Priority..............................................2-34
Boot Settings Configuration .................................2-35
Security ................................................................2-36
Exit menu ...........................................................................2-38
Chapter 3: Software support
3.1
3.2
Installing an operating system ............................................. 3-2
Support CD information........................................................ 3-2
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.2.3
3.2.4
3.2.5
3.2.6
3.2.7
Running the support CD ......................................... 3-2
Drivers menu .......................................................... 3-3
Utilities menu.......................................................... 3-4
Make Disk menu...................................................... 3-5
Manual menu........................................................... 3-6
ASUS Contact information...................................... 3-7
Other information ................................................... 3-7
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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.
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Safety information
Electrical safety
•
To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the
electrical outlet before relocating the system.
•
When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that the
power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables are
connected. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the existing
system before you add a device.
•
•
•
Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard,
ensure that all power cables are unplugged.
Seek professional assistance before using an adapter or extension cord.
These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.
Make sure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your
area. If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you are
using, contact your local power company.
•
If the power supply is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact a
qualified service technician or your retailer.
Operation safety
•
Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully read
all the manuals that came with the package.
•
Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected
and the power cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage,
contact your dealer immediately.
•
•
To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from
connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry.
Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the
product in any area where it may become wet.
•
•
Place the product on a stable surface.
If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualified
service technician or your retailer.
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A8N-VM specifications summary
Socket 939 for AMD Athlon™ 64FX/Athlon™ 64 X2/
CPU
Athlon™ 64 processors
Supports AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology
Chipset
Northbridge: NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6100 GPU
Southbridge: NVIDIA® nForce™410 MCP
2000/1600 MT/s
Front Side Bus
Memory
Dual-channel memory architecture
4 x 184-pin DIMM sockets support up to 4 GB of
unbufferred ECC/non-ECC 400/333 MHz DDR
memory modules
1 x PCI Express™ x16 slot
1 x PCI Express™ x1 slot
2 x PCI slots
Expansion slots
Graphics
Storage
Integrated in the NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6100 Graphics
Processing Unit (GPU)
NVIDIA® nForce™410 media and communications
processor (MCP) supports:
- 2 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33 interfaces for four
(4) hard disk drives
- 2 x Serial ATA I/Serial ATA II 3 Gb/s hard disk
drives support RAID 0 and RAID 1 configuration
NVIDIA® MediaShield storage management technology
High Definition
Audio
SoundMAX® ADI AD1986A 5.1-channel CODEC
Supports Jack Sensing technology
S/PDIF out interface
Integrated 10/100 Mb MAC with Realtek® ALC8201CL
external PHY
LAN
USB
Supports up to 8 USB 2.0 ports
ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
Special features
ASUS EZ Flash
ASUS MyLogo2™
Stepless Frequency Selection (SFS) allows FSB tuning
from 200 MHz to 240 MHz at 1 MHz increment
(continued on the next page)
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A8N-VM specifications summary
BIOS features
Rear panel
4 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI, WfM2.0, ACPI 2.0a,
SM BIOS 2.3
1 x Parallel port
1 x LAN (RJ-45) port
4 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x VGA
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
6-channel audio ports
Internal
connectors
1 x Front panel audio connector
1 x CD in audio connector
1 x Chassis intrusion connector
1 x Serial port connector
1 x CPU fan connector
1 x Chassis fan connector
1 x Floppy disk drive connector
1 x Primary IDE connector
1 x Secondary IDE connector
1 x S/PDIF Out connector
2 x Serial ATA connectors
2 x USB 2.0 connectors for four additional USB 2.0 ports
24-pin ATX power connector
4-pin x ATX 12V power connector
System panel connector
Power
Requirement
ATX power supply (with 24-pin and 4-pin 12 V plugs)
ATX 12 V 2.0 compliant
Form Factor
uATX: 9.6 in. x 9.6 in. (24.5cm x 24.5cm)
WfM2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL by PME, WOR by PME
Manageability
Support CD
contents
Device drivers
ASUS PC Probe II
AMD Cool ‘n’Quiet™ utility
ASUS Live Update utility
Anti-virus software (OEM version)
*Specifications are subject to change without notice.
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This chapter describes the motherboard
features and the new technologies
it supports.
Product
1
introduction
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1.1 Welcome!
Thank you for buying an ASUS® A8N-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 A8N-VM motherboard
1 x Serial ATA signal cable
1 x Serial ATA power cable
1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable
1 x Floppy disk drive cable
Accessory
I/O shield
Application CD
Documentation
ASUS motherboard support CD
User guide
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
1.3 Special features
1.3.1 Product highlights
Latest processor technology
The motherboard comes with a 939-pin surface mount, Zero Insertion
Force (ZIF) socket that supports AMD Athlon™ 64/Athlon™ 64 FX/Athlon™
64 X2 processors. With an integrated low-latency high-bandwidth memory
controller and a highly-scalable HyperTransport™ technology-based system
bus, the motherboard provides a powerful platform for your diverse
computing needs, increased office productivity, and enhanced digital media
experience. See page 1-8.
1-2
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NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6100 GPU
and NVIDIA® nForce™ 410 MCP chipsets
The NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6100 graphics processing unit (GPU) Northbridge
supports Microsoft® DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0, and PCI Express
interface.
The NVIDIA® nForce™ 410 media and communications processor (MCP)
Southbridge delivers NVIDIA® 10/100 Mbps LAN and NVIDIA® MediaShield
storage management technology allowing easy RAID configuration (RAID 0,
RAID 1) for Serial ATA II.
Dual-channel DDR memory support
Employing the Double Data Rate (DDR) memory technology, the
motherboard supports up to4 GB of system memory using DDR400/333
DIMMs. The ultra-fast 400 MHz memory bus delivers the required
bandwidth for the latest 3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet applications.
See page 1-10 for details.
PCI Express™ interface
The motherboard fully supports PCI Express, the latest I/O interconnect
technology that speeds up the PCI bus. PCI Express features point-to-point
serial interconnections between devices and allows higher clockspeeds by
carrying data in packets. This high speed interface is software compatible with
existing PCI specifications. See page 1-15 for details.
Serial ATA II technology
The motherboard supports the Serial ATA 3 Gb/s technology through the
Serial ATA interfaces and the NVIDIA® nForce™410 MCP Southbridge. The
Serial ATA II 3 Gb/s specification provides twice the bandwidth of the
current Serial ATA products with a host of new features, including Native
Command Queueing (NCQ), and Power Management (PM) Implementation
Algorithm. Serial ATA allows for thinner, more flexible cables with lower pin
count, reduced voltage requirement. See page 1-23 for details.
The Hot Swap function is supported only in RAID mode.
ASUS A8N-VM
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S/PDIF digital sound ready
The motherboard supports the S/PDIF Out function through the S/PDIF
interfaces on the rear panel and at midboard. The S/PDIF technology turns
your computer into a high-end entertainment system with digital connectivity
to powerful audio and speaker systems. See page 1-24 for details.
USB 2.0 technology
The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
specification, dramatically increasing the connection speed from the
12 Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is
backward compatible with USB 1.1. See pages 1-20 and 1-25 for details.
1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features
ASUS EZ Flash BIOS
With the ASUS EZ Flash, you can easily update the system BIOS even
before loading the operating system. No need to use a DOS-based utility or
boot from a floppy disk. See page 2-3 for details.
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
This feature allows you to restore the original BIOS data from the support CD
in case when the BIOS codes and data are corrupted. This protection
eliminates the need to buy a replacement ROM chip. See page 2-6 for
details.
ASUS MyLogo2™
This feature allows you to personalize and add style to your system with
customizable boot logos. See page 2-35 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.
1-4
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1.4 Before you proceed
Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard
components or change any motherboard settings.
•
•
Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any
component.
Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or a
metal object, such as the power supply case, before handling
components to avoid damaging them due to static electricity
•
•
Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.
Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded
antistatic pad or in the bag that came with the component.
•
Before you install or remove any component, ensure
that the ATX power supply is switched off or the
power cord is detached from the power supply. Failure
to do so may cause severe damage to the motherboard, peripherals,
and/or components.
Onboard LED
The motherboard comes with a standby power LED that lights up to
indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode.
This is a reminder that you should shut down the system and unplug
the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard
component. The illustration below shows the location of the onboard
LED.
SB_PWR
®
ON
Standby
Power
OFF
Powered
Off
A8N-VM Onboard LED
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1-5
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1.5 Motherboard overview
1.5.1 Motherboard layout
24.5cm (9.6in)
CPU_FAN
PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard
KBPWR
ATX12V
VGA
USB12
nVIDIA¤
LAN_USB12
GeForce“6100
Top:Line In
Center:Line Out
Bottom:Mic In
CHA_FAN
PCIEX16_1
¤
4Mb
BIOS
PCI1
nVIDIA¤
nForce“410
CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell
CMOS Power
RTL8201CL
PCI2
SATA2
SATA2
USBPW78
USBPW56
ADI
1986A
PCIEX1_1
USB56
USB78
CD
PANEL
AAFP
SB_PWR
SPDIF_OUT
COM1
1-6
Chapter 1: Product introduction
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1.5.2 Placement direction
When installing the motherboard, make sure that you place it into the
chassis in the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the
rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below.
1.5.3 Screw holes
Place 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
®
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1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The motherboard comes with a surface mount 939-pin Zero Insertion Force
(ZIF) socket designed for the AMD Athlon™ 64FX/AMD Athlon™ 64 /
Athlon™ 64 X2 processor.
The 128-bit-wide data paths of these processors can run applications
faster than processors with only 32-bit or 64-bit wide data paths.
Take note of the marked corner (with
gold triangle) on the CPU. This mark
should match a specific corner on the
socket to ensure correct installation.
Gold triangle
Installing the CPU
Follow these steps to install a CPU.
1. Locate the 939-pin ZIF socket on the motherboard.
®
A8N-VM CPU Socket 939
2. Unlock the socket by pressing
the lever sideways, then lift it up
to a 90°-100° angle.
Socket Lever
Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to 90°-100° angle, otherwise
the CPU does not fit in completely.
1-8
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3. Position the CPU above the
socket such that the CPU corner
with the gold triangle matches
the socket corner with a small
triangle.
4. Carefully insert the CPU into the
socket until it fits in place.
Small triangle
Gold triangle
The CPU fits only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into
the socket to prevent bending the pins and damaging the CPU!
5. When the CPU is in place, push
down the socket lever to secure
the CPU. The lever clicks on the
side tab to indicate that it is
locked.
6. Install a CPU heatsink and fan
following the instructions that
came with the heatsink package.
7. Connect the CPU fan cable to the CPU_FAN connector on the
motherboard.
CPU_FAN
®
A8N-VM CPU fan connector
Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring
errors can occur if you fail to plug this connector.
ASUS A8N-VM
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