Asus K8N-LR User manual

Motherboard
K8N-LR

ii
E2360
First Edition
January 2006
Copyright © 2006 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form
or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the
express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or
altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the
serial number of the product is defaced or missing.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS,
ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS
OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS
HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR
ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.
SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR
INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND
SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY
OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL,
INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered
trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification or
explanation and to the ownersʼ benefit, without intent to infringe.

iii
Contents
Notices ............................................................................................... vii
Safety information .............................................................................viii
About this guide .................................................................................. ix
Typography .......................................................................................... x
K8N-LR specifications summary .......................................................... xi
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1 Welcome! .............................................................................. 1-1
1.2 Package contents ................................................................. 1-1
1.3 Special features .................................................................... 1-2
1.3.1 Product highlights ................................................... 1-2
1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features ....................................... 1-4
Chapter 2: Hardware information
2.1 Before you proceed .............................................................. 2-1
Onboard LEDs ....................................................................... 2-1
2.2 Motherboard overview .......................................................... 2-2
2.2.1 Placement direction ................................................ 2-2
2.2.2 Screw holes ............................................................. 2-2
2.2.3 Motherboard layout ................................................ 2-3
2.2.4 Layout Contents ..................................................... 2-4
2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) .............................................. 2-6
2.3.1 Overview ................................................................. 2-6
2.3.2 Installing the CPU .................................................... 2-6
2.3.3 Installing the heatsink and fan ................................ 2-8
2.4 System memory .................................................................. 2-11
2.4.1 Overview ............................................................... 2-11
2.4.2 Memory Configurations ......................................... 2-11
2.4.3 Installing a DIMM ................................................... 2-12
2.4.4 Removing a DIMM .................................................. 2-12
2.5 Expansion slots ................................................................... 2-13
2.5.1 Installing an expansion card .................................. 2-13
2.5.2 Configuring an expansion card .............................. 2-13
2.5.3 Interrupt assignments ........................................... 2-14
2.5.4 PCI Express x16 ................................................... 2-14
2.5.5 PCI/PCI-X slots ..................................................... 2-15

iv
Contents
2.6 Jumpers .............................................................................. 2-16
2.7 Connectors ......................................................................... 2-20
2.7.1 Rear panel connectors .......................................... 2-20
2.7.2 Internal connectors ............................................... 2-21
Chapter 3: Powering up
3.1 Starting up for the first time ................................................ 3-1
3.2 Powering off the computer ................................................... 3-2
3.2.1 Using the OS shut down function ........................... 3-2
3.2.2 Using the dual function power switch ..................... 3-2
Chapter 4: BIOS setup
4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ........................................ 4-1
4.1.1 Creating a bootable floppy disk .............................. 4-1
4.1.2 AFUDOS utility ........................................................ 4-2
4.1.3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility ................................ 4-5
4.1.4 ASUS Update utility ................................................ 4-7
4.2 BIOS setup program ............................................................ 4-10
4.2.1 BIOS menu screen ................................................. 4-11
4.2.2 Menu bar ............................................................... 4-11
4.2.3 Navigation keys ..................................................... 4-11
4.2.4 Menu items ........................................................... 4-12
4.2.5 Sub-menu items .................................................... 4-12
4.2.6 Configuration fields ............................................... 4-12
4.2.7 Pop-up window ...................................................... 4-12
4.2.8 Scroll bar ............................................................... 4-12
4.2.9 General help .......................................................... 4-12
4.3 Main menu ........................................................................... 4-13
4.3.1 System Date ........................................................ 4-13
4.3.2 System Time ........................................................ 4-13
4.3.3 Legacy Deskette A/B .......................................... 4-13
4.3.4 Primary and Secondary Master/Slave, Third,
Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth IDE Master ....................... 4-14
4.3.5 IDE Configuration .................................................. 4-15
4.3.6 System Information .............................................. 4-17
4.4 Advanced menu .................................................................. 4-18

v
Contents
4.4.1 CPU Configuration ................................................. 4-18
4.4.2 Chipset .................................................................. 4-19
4.4.3 Onboard Devices Configuration ............................. 4-23
4.4.4 PCI PnP .................................................................. 4-25
4.4.5 MPS Configuration ................................................. 4-26
4.4.6 USB Configuration ................................................. 4-28
4.4.7 AMD Cool ʻNʼ Quiet Configuration ......................... 4-29
4.4.8 Hyper Transport Configuration ............................. 4-29
4.5 Power menu ........................................................................ 4-30
4.5.1 ACPI 2.0 Support .................................................. 4-30
4.5.2 ACPI APIC Support ................................................ 4-30
4.5.3 ACPI MCFG Support ............................................... 4-30
4.5.4 APM Configuration ................................................ 4-31
4.5.5 Hardware Monitor .................................................. 4-33
4.6 Boot menu .......................................................................... 4-34
4.6.1 Boot Device Priority .............................................. 4-34
4.6.2 Boot Settings Configuration ................................. 4-35
4.6.3 Security ................................................................. 4-36
4.7 Exit menu ............................................................................ 4-38
Chapter 5: RAID configuration
5.1 Setting up RAID .................................................................... 5-1
5.1.1 RAID definitions ....................................................... 5-1
5.1.2 Installing hard disk drives ........................................ 5-2
5.1.3 RAID configuration utility ........................................ 5-2
5.2 NVIDIA® RAID configurations ................................................ 5-3
5.2.1 Setting the BIOS RAID items ................................... 5-3
5.2.2 Entering the NVIDIA® RAID Utility ........................... 5-4
5.2.3 Creating a RAID 0 set (Stripe) ................................ 5-5
5.2.4 Creating a RAID 1 set (Mirror) ................................ 5-7
5.2.5 Rebuilding a RAID set .............................................. 5-8
5.2.6 Deleting a RAID array .............................................. 5-9
5.2.7 Clearing the disk data ........................................... 5-10
Chapter 6: Driver installation
6.1 RAID driver installation .......................................................... 6-1
Creating a RAID driver disk ................................................... 6-1

vi
6.2 LAN driver installation .......................................................... 6-3
6.3 Support CD information ........................................................ 6-4
6.3.1 Running the support CD .......................................... 6-4
6.3.2 Drivers menu ........................................................... 6-5
6.3.3 Management Software ............................................ 6-6
6.3.4 Utilities .................................................................... 6-7
Appendix: Reference information
A.1 K8N-LR block diagram .......................................................... A-1
Contents

vii
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
manufacturerʼs 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.
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.
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 userʼs authority to operate
this equipment.

viii
Safety information
Electrical safety
• To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from
the electrical outlet before relocating the system.
• When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that
the power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal
cables are connected. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the
existing system before you add a device.
• Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard,
ensure that all power cables are unplugged.
• Seek professional assistance before using an adapter or extension
cord. These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.
• Make sure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your
area. If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you
are using, contact your local power company.
• If the power supply is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact
a qualified service technician or your retailer.
Operation safety
• Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully
read all the manuals that came with the package.
• Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected
and the power cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage,
contact your dealer immediately.
• To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from
connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry.
• Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the
product in any area where it may become wet.
• Place the product on a stable surface.
• If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a
qualified service technician or your retailer.
The symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product
(electrical and electronic equipment) should not be placed in municipal
waste. Check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.

ix
About this guide
This user guide contains the information you need when installing and
configuring the motherboard.
How this guide is organized
This manual contains the following parts:
• Chapter 1: Product introduction
This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new
technology it supports.
• Chapter 2: Hardware information
This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to
perform when installing system components. It includes description of
the switches, jumpers, and connectors on the motherboard.
• Chapter 3: Powering up
This chapter describes the power up sequence, the vocal POST
messages, and ways of shutting down the system.
• Chapter 4: BIOS setup
Tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus.
Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.
• Chapter 5: RAID configuration
Provides information on RAID configurations for this motherboard.
• Chapter 6: Driver installation
This chapter provides information on RAID and LAN driver installation
for this motherboard.
• Appendix: Reference information
This appendix includes additional information that you may refer to
when configuring the motherboard.
Where to find more information
Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product
and software updates.
1. ASUS websites
The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware
and software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.
2. Optional documentation
Your product package may include optional documentation, such as
warranty flyers, that may have been added by your dealer. These
documents are not part of the standard package.

x
Conventions used in this guide
To make sure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the
following symbols used throughout this manual.
Typography
Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select.
Italics Used to emphasize a word or a phrase.
<Key> Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-
than sign means that you must press the
enclosed key.
Example: <Enter> means that you must press
the Enter or Return key.
<Key1>+<Key2>+<Key3> If you must press two or more keys
simultaneously, the key names are linked with
a plus sign (+).
Example: <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<D>
Command Means that you must type the command
exactly as shown, then supply the required
item or value enclosed in brackets.
Example: At the DOS prompt, type the
command line: format A:/S
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.
NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a
task.
IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a
task.

xi
K8N-LR specifications summary
(continued on the next page)
CPU
Chipset
System Bus
Memory
Expansion slots
Storage
Dual LAN
USB
Special features
Rear panel
BIOS features
Power
Requirement
Socket 939 for AMD Athlon™ 64 and Opteron™ 64
processors
Supports AMD 64 architecture that enables simultaneous
32-bit and 64-bit computing
NVIDIA® nForce™ 4 SLI
1600/2000 MT per second
Dual-channel memory architecture
4 x 184-pin DIMM sockets support ECC unbuffered
400/333/266 MHz DDR memory modules
Supports up to 4 GB system memory
1 x PCI Express x16 slot (x8 link, PCI Express 1.0a)
2 x PCI slots
2 x PCI-X slots
NVIDIA® nForce™ 4 SLI chipset supports:
- 2 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33 IDE drives
- 4 x SATA-II 3Gb/s drives
- RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD
configurations
2 x BROADCOM® BCM5721 Gigabit PCI-E LAN controllers
2 x USB 2.0 ports (on the rear panel)
8 x USB 2.0 connector (on board)
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
ASUS MyLogo2
1 x Serial port (COM1)
1 x Parallel port
2 x LAN (RJ-45) ports
1 x VGA port
2 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
8 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, ACPI2.0,
SM BIOS 2.3, Crash-Free BIOS2
ATX power supply
ATX 12 V compliant

xii
K8N-LR specifications summary
Internal
connectors
Form Factor
Support CD
contents
1 x Floppy disk drive connector
2 x IDE connectors
4 x Serial ATA connectors
2 x CPU Fan connectors
2 x Front fan connectors
2 x Rear fan connectors
1 x Mini-PCI connector (optional)
1 x BMC connector (optional)
1 x 24-pin ATX power connector
1 x 4-pin ATX 12 V power connector
1 x Power supply SMBUS connector
1 x Serial port (COM2)
8 x USB 2.0 connectors for 8 additional USB 2.0 ports
1 x SMBus header for back-plane
1 x auxiliary panel connector
1 x system panel connector
ATX form factor: 12 in x 9.6 in (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm)
Device drivers
ASUS Live Update utility
NVIDIA Raid Utility
*Specifications are subject to change without notice.

1
Product
introduction
This chapter describes the motherboard
features and the new technologies
it supports.

ASUS K8N-LR
Chapter summary
1.1 Welcome! .............................................................................. 1-1
1.2 Package contents ................................................................. 1-1
1.3 Special features .................................................................... 1-2

ASUS K8N-LR 1-1
1.1 Welcome!
Thank you for buying an ASUS® K8N-LR motherboard!
The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies,
making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards!
Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it,
check the items in your package with the list below.
1.2 Package contents
Check your motherboard package for the following items.
Motherboard ASUS K8N-LR motherboard
Cables 1 x Serial ATA cable
1 x USB 2.0 cable
1 x 3-in-1 IDE cable
Accessories I/O shield
Application CD ASUS motherboard support CD
Documentation 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
Latest processor and 64-bit computing technology
The AMD Athlon™ 64 and AMD Opteron™ 64 desktop processors are based
on AMDʼs 64-bit and 32-bit architecture, which represents the landmark
introduction of the industryʼs first x86-64 technology. These processors
provide a dramatic leap forward in compatibility, performance, investment
protection, and reduced total cost of ownership and development. See
page 2-6 for details.
PCI Express™ interface
The motherboard fully supports PCI Express, the latest I/O interconnect
technology that speeds up the PCI bus. PCI Express features point-to-point
serial interconnections between devices and allows higher clockspeeds by
carrying data in packets. This high speed interface is software compatible
with existing PCI specifications. See page 2-14 and 2-15 for details.
Dual Channel DDR memory support
Employing the Double Data Rate (DDR) memory technology,
the motherboard supports up to 4GB of system memory using
DDR400/333/266 DIMMs. The ultra-fast 400MHz memory bus delivers the
required bandwidth for the latest 3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet
applications. See page 2-11.
Serial ATA 3Gb/s technology
The motherboard supports the next-generation Serial ATA 3Gb/s
technology through the Serial ATA interfaces and the NVIDIA® nForce™ 4
SLI chipset. The SATA 3Gb/s specification provides twice the bandwidth
of the current Serial ATA products. Additionally, Serial ATA allows thinner,
more flexible cables with lower pin count, and reduced voltage requirement.
See pages 2-22.
USB 2.0 technology
The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
specification, dramatically increasing the connection speed from the
12 Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is
backward compatible with USB 1.1. See pages 2-24 for details.

ASUS K8N-LR 1-3
Temperature, fan, and voltage monitoring
The CPU temperature is monitored by the ASIC (Winbond W83792) to
prevent overheating and damage. The system fan rotations per minute
(RPM) is monitored for timely failure detection. The ASIC monitors the
voltage levels to ensure stable supply of current for critical components.
See section “4.5.4 Hardware Monitor” on page 4-33.
1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features
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 details on page 4-5.
ASUS MyLogo2™
This new feature present in the motherboard allows you to personalize and
add style to your system with customizable boot logos. See details on page
4-35.

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction

2
Hardware
information
This chapter lists the hardware setup
procedures that you have to perform
when installing system components.
It includes description of the jumpers
and connectors on the motherboard.

ASUS K8N-LR
Chapter summary
2.1 Before you proceed .............................................................. 2-1
2.2 Motherboard overview .......................................................... 2-2
2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) .............................................. 2-6
2.4 System memory .................................................................. 2-11
2.5 Expansion slots ................................................................... 2-13
2.6 Jumpers .............................................................................. 2-16
2.7 Connectors ......................................................................... 2-20