Asus M2N-X PLUS User manual

Motherboard
M2N-X

ii
Copyright © 2007 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, modied or
altered, unless such repair, modication 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 identication or
explanation and to the owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.
E3147
Second Edition V2.0
March 2007

iii
Contents
Notices ................................................................................................ vi
Safety information ..............................................................................vii
M2N-X specications summary ............................................................ x
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1 Welcome! .............................................................................. 1-2
1.2 Package contents ................................................................. 1-2
1.3 Special features .................................................................... 1-2
1.3.1 Product highlights ................................................... 1-2
1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features ...................................... 1-4
1.4 Before you proceed .............................................................. 1-5
1.5 Motherboard overview .......................................................... 1-6
1.5.1 Motherboard layout ................................................ 1-6
1.5.2 Placement direction ................................................ 1-7
1.5.3 Screw holes............................................................. 1-7
1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU) .............................................. 1-8
1.6.1 Installing the CPU.................................................... 1-8
1.6.2 Installing the heatsink and fan.............................. 1-10
1.7 System memory.................................................................. 1-12
1.7.1 Overview ............................................................... 1-12
1.7.2 Memory congurations ......................................... 1-12
1.7.3 Installing a DIMM ................................................... 1-15
1.7.4 Removing a DIMM.................................................. 1-15
1.8 Expansion slots ................................................................... 1-16
1.8.1 Installing an expansion card .................................. 1-16
1.8.2 Conguring an expansion card .............................. 1-16
1.8.3 PCI slots ................................................................ 1-18
1.8.4 PCI Express x1 slot ............................................... 1-18
1.8.5 PCI Express x16 slot ............................................. 1-18
1.9 Jumpers .............................................................................. 1-19
1.10 Connectors ......................................................................... 1-21
1.10.1 Rear panel connectors .......................................... 1-21
1.10.2 Internal connectors ............................................... 1-22

iv
Contents
Chapter 2: BIOS setup
2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ........................................ 2-2
2.1.1 Creating a bootable oppy disk .............................. 2-2
2.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash utility............................................... 2-3
2.1.3 AFUDOS utility ........................................................ 2-4
2.1.4 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility ................................ 2-6
2.1.5 ASUS Update utility ................................................ 2-8
2.2 BIOS setup program............................................................ 2-11
2.2.1 BIOS menu screen ................................................. 2-12
2.2.2 Menu bar ............................................................... 2-12
2.2.3 Navigation keys..................................................... 2-12
2.2.4 Menu items ........................................................... 2-13
2.2.5 Sub-menu items.................................................... 2-13
2.2.6 Conguration elds ............................................... 2-13
2.2.7 Pop-up window...................................................... 2-13
2.2.8 Scroll bar............................................................... 2-13
2.2.9 General help .......................................................... 2-13
2.3 Main menu........................................................................... 2-14
2.3.1 System Time ......................................................... 2-14
2.3.2 System Date ......................................................... 2-14
2.3.3 Legacy Diskette A ............................................... 2-14
2.3.4 IDE Conguration .................................................. 2-15
2.3.5 Primary IDE Master/Slave...................................... 2-15
2.3.6 SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, and SATA4 .................... 2-17
2.3.7 System Information............................................... 2-18
2.4 Advanced menu .................................................................. 2-19
2.4.1 Jumperfree Conguration ..................................... 2-19
2.4.2 CPU Conguration ................................................ 2-21
2.4.3 Chipset.................................................................. 2-22
2.4.4 Onboard Devices Conguration............................. 2-28
2.4.5 PCI PnP.................................................................. 2-29
2.4.6 USB Conguration ................................................. 2-30
2.5 Power menu ........................................................................ 2-31
2.5.1 Suspend Mode....................................................... 2-31
2.5.2 ACPI Version Features .......................................... 2-31

v
Contents
Chapter 3: Software support
3.1 Installing an operating system.............................................. 3-2
3.2 Support CD information ........................................................ 3-2
3.2.1 Running the support CD.......................................... 3-2
3.2.2 Drivers menu........................................................... 3-3
3.2.3 Utilities menu .......................................................... 3-4
3.2.4 Make Disk menu ...................................................... 3-5
3.2.5 Manual menu ........................................................... 3-6
3.2.6 ASUS Contact information ...................................... 3-7
3.2.7 Other information ................................................... 3-7
3.3 Creating a RAID driver disk ................................................... 3-9
2.5.3 ACPI APIC Support ................................................ 2-31
2.5.4 APM Conguration ................................................ 2-32
2.5.5 Hardware Monitor.................................................. 2-33
2.6 Boot menu .......................................................................... 2-34
2.6.1 Boot Device Priority .............................................. 2-34
2.6.2 Boot Settings Conguration ................................. 2-35
2.6.3 Security................................................................. 2-36
2.7 Exit menu............................................................................ 2-38

vi
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.
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 modications to this unit not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate
this equipment.

vii
Safety information
Electrical safety
• To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from
the electrical outlet before relocating the system.
• When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that
the power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables
are connected. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the existing
system before you add a device.
• Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard,
ensure that all power cables are unplugged.
• Seek professional assistance before using an adapter or extension cord.
These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.
• Make sure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your
area. If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you
are using, contact your local power company.
• If the power supply is broken, do not try to x it by yourself. Contact a
qualied 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
qualied 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. Please check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.

viii
About this guide
This user guide contains the information you need when installing and
conguring the motherboard.
How this guide is organized
This guide contains the following parts:
• Chapter 1: Product introduction
This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new
technology it supports.
• Chapter 2: BIOS setup
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS
Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also
provided.
• Chapter 3: Software support
This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with
the motherboard package.
Where to nd 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 yers, that may have been added by your dealer. These
documents are not part of the standard package.

ix
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:
awdash M2N-X.BIN
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.

x
M2N-X specications summary
(continued on the next page)
CPU
Chipset
Front Side Bus
Memory
Expansion slots
Storage
High Denition Audio
LAN
USB
Overclocking features
Special features
Supports AMD socket AM2 for AMD Athlon™ 64 FX/
Athlon™ 64 X2/Athlon™ 64/Sempron processors
AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32-bit and
64-bit computing
Supports AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology
AMD Live!™ Ready
NVIDIA®nForce®520 MCP (MCP65S)
2000/1600 MT/s
Dual-channel memory architecture
2 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support up to 2 GB of
unbuffered/ECC/non-ECC 800/667/533 MHz
1 x PCI Express™ x16 slot
2 x PCI Express™ x1 slots
3 x PCI slots
Supports:
- 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33 interfaces
- 4 x Serial ATA 3 Gb/s devices
- NVIDIA®MediaShield™ RAID supports RAID 0, RAID
1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD span cross Serial
ATA drives
ALC883-GR 6-channel High Denition Audio Azalia CODEC
1 x Coaxial S/PDIF out port
Supports Enumeration Technology
Supports Multi-Streaming Technology
10/100 PHY
Supports up to 10 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (six on board and
four on back)
Stepless Frequency Selection (SFS):
- HT LINK frequency tuning from 200MHz up to 300
MHz at 1MHz increment;
Prole
Overclocking Protection:
- ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
ASUS EZ DIY:
- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
- ASUS EZ Flash
ASUS Install
ASUS MyLogo™
ASUS Dram Burnt Proof
ASUS Fanless Thermal Solution (heatsink)

xi
M2N-X specications summary
Manageability
BIOS features
Rear panel
Internal Connector
Manageability
Form Factor
Support CD contents
4 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI, Wfm2.0, ACPI2.0a,
SM BIOS2.3, CPU Multiplier
1 x Parallel port
1 x LAN (RJ-45) port
4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Out port
1 x COM port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
6-channel audio ports
1 x 10-pin Azalia Analog Front panel Audio connector
1 x CD audio in connector
1 x CPU fan connector
1 x Chassis fan connector
1 x Floppy disk drive connector
1 x speaker connector
1 x IDE connector for two devices
4 x Serial ATA connectors
3 x USB 2.0 connectors for 6 additional USB 2.0 ports
1 x 24-pin ATX power connector
1 x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector
1 x System panel connector
WOR by Ring, WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chassis
Intrusion(option), PXE
ATX Form Factor: 12 in. x 7.6 in. (30.5cm x 19.3cm)
Device drivers
ASUS PC Probe II
ASUS Update
NVIDIA®MediaShield™ RAID
Anti-virus software (OEM version)
*Specications are subject to change without notice.

xii

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

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1 Welcome!
Thank you for buying an ASUS®M2N-X 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.
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
1.2 Package contents
Check your motherboard package for the following items.
Motherboard ASUS M2N-X motherboard
Cables 1 x Serial ATA cable
1 x Serial ATA power cable
1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable
1 x Floppy disk drive cable
Accessories I/O shield
Application CD ASUS motherboard support CD
Documentation User guide
1.3 Special features
1.3.1 Product highlights
Latest processor technology
The motherboard supports AMD socket AM2 single-core Athlon 64/
Sempron and dual-core Athlon 64 X2/Athlon 64 FX processors with 2MB/
1MB/512KB L2 cache, which is based on 64-bit architecture. It features
2000/1600 MT/s HyperTransport Bus, dual-channel ECC, non-ECC and un-
buffered DDR2 800 memory support and AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Technology.
See page 1-8 for details.

ASUS M2N-X 1-3
NVIDIA®nForce™ 520 MCP chipsets
The NVIDIA®nForce™ 520 media and communications processor (MCP)
builds on the award-winning single-chip, scalable architecture of the NVIDIA
nForce MCP.
DDR2 memory support
The motherboard supports DDR2 memory which features data transfer
rates of 800MHz/667 MHz/533 MHz to meet the higher bandwidth
requirements of the latest 3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet
applications. The dual-channel DDR2 architecture doubles the bandwidth
of your system memory to boost system performance, eliminating
bottlenecks with peak bandwidths of up to 12.8 GB/s. See pages 1-12 to
1-14 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 specications. See page 1-18 for details.
AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Technology
The motherboard supports the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Technology, which
monitors system operation and automatically adjusts CPU voltage and
frequency for a cool and quiet operating environment.
Serial ATA 3Gb/s technology
The motherboard supports next-generation SATA hard drives based on
the new SATA 3Gb/s storage specication. The onboard NVIDIA® nForce
520 MCP southbridge allows RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD
congurations for four SATA connectors.
10/100 Mbps LAN
Easy connectivity to your network or broadband connection with the
onboard LAN port. Allows you to play online games without buying
expensive additional LAN cards. See page 1-21 for details.
USB 2.0 technology
The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
specication, dramatically increasing the connection speed from the
12 Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is
backward compatible with USB 1.1. See page 1-26 for details.

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features
Fanless Design
The ASUS fanless design allows multi-directional heat ow from major
thermal sources in the motherboard to lower overall system temperature,
resulting in quieter operation and longer system life. ASUS has devoted
special efforts to address the thermal issues across the motherboard, and
most notably in the following areas: CPU, power, VGA, Northbridge and
Southbridge.
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
This feature allows you to restore the original BIOS data from the support
CD in case when the BIOS codes and data are corrupted. This protection
eliminates the need to buy a replacement BIOS chip. See page 2-6 for
details.
ASUS EZ Flash
With the ASUS EZ Flash, you can easily update the system BIOS even before
loading the operating system. No need to use a DOS-based utility or boot
from a oppy disk. See page 2-3 for details.
High Definition Audio
The onboard 6-channel High Denition audio CODEC enables high-quality
Realtek ALC883 audio CODEC, which automatically detects and identies
what types of peripherals are plugged into the audio I/O jacks and noties
users of inappropriate connection.
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 MyLogo™
This new feature present in the motherboard allows you to personalize and
add style to your system with customizable boot logos. See page 2-35 for
details.

ASUS M2N-X 1-5
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.
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.
M2N-X
M2N-X Onboard LED
SB_PWR
ON
Standby
Power
OFF
Powere
d
Off

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.5.1 Motherboard layout
1.5 Motherboard overview
19.3cm(7.6in)
30.5cm(12.0in)
M2N-X
DDR2 DIMM_A1 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 bit,240-pin module)
EATXPWR
PWR_FAN CPU_FAN
Socket AM2
ATX12V
AUDIO
LAN_USB12
USB34
SPDIF_O1
PARALLE PORT
COM1
PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard
PCI2
PCI1
PCI3
PCIEX16
PCIEX1_1
PCIEX1_2
Nvidia
MCP65S
SATA4 SATA3 SATA2 SATA1
FLOPPY
PRI_IDE
SPEAKER
F_PANELAAFP USB78USB910
USB56
CLRTC
USBPW7-10
USBPW56
SB_PWR
R
CD
CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell
CMOS Power
4Mb
BIOS
ALC883
PS2_USBPW1-4
Super I/O
10/100
PHY

ASUS M2N-X 1-7
M2N-X
R
Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard.
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.
Place this side towards
the rear of the chassis
1.5.3 Screw holes
Place six (6) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the
motherboard to the chassis.

1-8 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket designed for the AMD
Athlon™ 64 X2/Athlon™ 64/Athlon™ FX/Sempron™ processor.
The AM2 socket has a different pinout from the 940-pin socket designed
for the AMD Opteron™ processor. Make sure you use a CPU is designed
for the AM2 socket. The CPU ts 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!
1.6.1 Installing the CPU
To install a CPU.
1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.
2. Unlock the socket by pressing the
lever sideways, then lift it up to a
90°-100° angle.
Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to 90°-100° angle, otherwise
the CPU does not t in completely.
Socket lever
M2N-X
M2N-X CPU Socket AM2