Asus M2N32-SLI PREMIUM VISTA User manual

Motherboard
M2N32-SLI
Premium
Vista Edition

ii
E2982
First Edition V1
January 2007
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.

iii
Contents
Notices........................................................................................................ vii
Safety information .................................................................................... viii
About this guide ......................................................................................... ix
M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition specications 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 ASUS AI Lifestyle features ............................................. 1-4
1.3.3 ASUS special features .................................................... 1-7
1.3.4 ASUS Intelligent Overclocking features .......................... 1-8
1.3.5 ASUS features and the supporting OS ........................... 1-9
Chapter 2: Hardware information
2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 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 ASUS Stack Cool 2......................................................... 2-3
2.2.4 Motherboard layout ......................................................... 2-4
2.2.5 Layout contents............................................................... 2-5
2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................... 2-7
2.3.1 Installing the CPU ........................................................... 2-7
2.3.2 Installing the heatsink and fan ........................................ 2-9
2.3.3 Installing the optional fan .............................................. 2-12
2.4 System memory ......................................................................... 2-13
2.4.1 Overview ....................................................................... 2-13
2.4.2 Memory congurations.................................................. 2-13
2.4.3 Installing a DIMM .......................................................... 2-15
2.4.4 Removing a DIMM ........................................................ 2-15
2.5 Expansion slots.......................................................................... 2-19
2.5.1 Installing an expansion card ......................................... 2-19
2.5.2 Conguring an expansion card ..................................... 2-19
2.5.3 Interrupt assignments ................................................... 2-20
2.5.4 PCI slots........................................................................ 2-21

iv
Contents
2.5.5 PCI Express x4 slot & PCI Express x1 slot .................. 2-21
2.5.6 PCI Express x16 slots................................................... 2-21
2.6 Jumper ........................................................................................ 2-22
2.7 Connectors ................................................................................. 2-23
2.7.1 Rear panel connectors.................................................. 2-23
2.7.2 Internal connectors ....................................................... 2-26
Chapter 3: Powering up
3.1 Starting up for the rst time........................................................ 3-1
3.2 Turning 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 ASUS Update utility ........................................................ 4-1
4.1.2 Creating a bootable oppy disk....................................... 4-4
4.1.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility................................................... 4-5
4.1.4 Updating the BIOS .......................................................... 4-6
4.1.5 Saving the current BIOS le............................................ 4-8
4.1.6 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility ...................................... 4-9
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 Legend bar.................................................................... 4-12
4.2.4 Menu items ................................................................... 4-12
4.2.5 Sub-menu items............................................................ 4-12
4.2.6 Conguration elds ....................................................... 4-12
4.2.7 Pop-up window ............................................................. 4-13
4.2.8 General help ................................................................. 4-13
4.3 Main menu .................................................................................. 4-14
4.3.1 System Time ................................................................ 4-14
4.3.2 System Date ................................................................. 4-14
4.3.3 Language ...................................................................... 4-14
4.3.4 Legacy Diskette A ........................................................ 4-14
4.3.5 Primary IDE Master/Slave............................................. 4-15
4.3.6 SATA 1-6..........................................................................................4-17

v
Contents
4.3.7 HDD SMART Monitoring ............................................... 4-18
4.3.8 Installed Memory........................................................... 4-18
4.3.9 Usable Memory............................................................. 4-18
4.4 Advanced menu ......................................................................... 4-19
4.4.1 JumperFree Conguration ............................................ 4-19
4.4.2 AI NET2 ........................................................................ 4-22
4.4.3 CPU Conguration ........................................................ 4-23
4.4.4 Chipset.......................................................................... 4-27
4.4.5 PCIPnP ......................................................................... 4-29
4.4.6 Onboard Device Conguration...................................... 4-30
4.5 Power menu................................................................................ 4-33
4.5.1 ACPI Suspend Type...................................................... 4-33
4.5.2 ACPI APIC Support....................................................... 4-33
4.5.3 APM Conguration........................................................ 4-34
4.5.4 Hardware Monitor ......................................................... 4-36
4.6 Boot menu .................................................................................. 4-38
4.6.1 Boot Device Priority ...................................................... 4-38
4.6.2 Removable Drives......................................................... 4-39
4.6.3 Hard Disk Drives ........................................................... 4-39
4.6.4 CDROM Drives ............................................................. 4-39
4.6.5 Boot Settings Conguration ......................................... 4-40
4.6.6 Security ......................................................................... 4-41
4.7 Tools menu ................................................................................. 4-43
4.7.1 ASUS O.C. Prole......................................................... 4-43
4.7.2 ASUS EZ Flash 2.......................................................... 4-46
4.8 Exit menu.................................................................................... 4-47
Chapter 5: Software support
5.1 Installing an operating system ................................................... 5-1
5.2 Support DVD information ............................................................ 5-1
5.2.1 Running the support DVD ............................................... 5-1
5.2.2 Drivers menu................................................................... 5-2
5.2.3 Utilities menu .................................................................. 5-3
5.2.4 Make Disk menu ............................................................. 5-5
5.2.5 Manuals menu ................................................................ 5-6
5.2.6 ASUS Contact information .............................................. 5-6
5.2.7 Other information ............................................................ 5-7

vi
Contents
5.3 Software information ................................................................... 5-9
5.3.1 ASUS MyLogo3 .............................................................. 5-9
5.3.2 Cool ‘n’ Quiet™Technology ............................................5-11
5.3.3 SoundMAX® High Denition Audio utility....................... 5-13
5.3.4 ASUS PC Probe II......................................................... 5-18
5.3.5 ASUS AI Suite............................................................... 5-24
5.3.6 ASUS AI N.O.S ............................................................. 5-26
5.3.7 ASUS AI Gear ............................................................... 5-27
5.3.8 ASUS AI Nap ................................................................ 5-28
5.3.9 ASUS AI Booster........................................................... 5-29
5.3.10 ASUS Q-Fan ................................................................. 5-30
5.3.11 ASUS AI Remote .......................................................... 5-31
5.4 Windows®Vista feature ............................................................. 5-39
5.4.1 ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) ............................ 5-39
5.5 RAID congurations .................................................................. 5-40
5.5.1 Installing hard disks ...................................................... 5-41
5.5.2 NVIDIA® MediaShield RAID congurations................... 5-42
5.5.3 Silicon Image RAID congurations ............................... 5-49
5.6 Creating a RAID driver disk....................................................... 5-56
Chapter 6: NVIDIA®SLI™technology support
6.1 Overview ....................................................................................... 6-1
6.2 Dual graphics card setup ............................................................ 6-2
6.2.1 Installing SLI-ready graphics cards................................. 6-2
6.2.2 Installing the device drivers............................................. 6-5
6.2.3 Enabling the multi-GPU feature in Windows®................. 6-5

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 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.

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 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 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.
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.

ix
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: 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 and ways of shutting down
the system.
• Chapter 4: 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 5: Software support
This chapter describes the contents of the support DVD that comes with the
motherboard package.
• Chapter 6: NVIDIA®SLI™technology support
This chapter tells how to install SLI-ready PCI Express graphics cards.
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.

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:
awdash M2N32SLI.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.

xi
M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition
specications summary
(continued on the next page)
CPU Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon™64 X2 / Athlon™64 / Athlon™
64 FX / Sempron™processor
Supports AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™Technology
AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32-bit and
64-bit computing
AMD LIVE!™Ready
Chipset NVIDIA®nForce®590 SLI™MCP
NVIDIA®LinkBoost™Technology
System bus 2000 / 1600 MT/s
Memory Dual-channel memory architecture
- 4 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support unbufferred
ECC/non-ECC DDR2 800/667/533 MHz memory
modules
- Supports up to 8 GB system memory
Expansion slots 2 x PCI Express™x16 slots with NVIDIA® SLI™support
at full x16, x16 speed
1 x PCI Express™x4 slot (supports PCI Express™x4 or
x1 card)
1 x PCI Express™x1 slot
2 x PCI 2.2 slots
Scalable Link Interface
(SLI™)
Supports two identical NVIDIA® SLI™-ready graphics
cards, both at x16 mode
ASUS two-slot thermal design
Storage NVIDIA®nForce®590 SLI™MCP supports:
- 1 x IDE connector for up to two Ultra DMA
133/100/66/33 devices
- 6 x Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s connectors support six
Serial ATA devices
- RAID 0, RAID1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD
congurations spanning across Serial ATA drives
via the onboard NVIDIA®MediaShield™RAID
controller
Silicon Image®3132 Serial ATA controller supports:
- 1 x Internal Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s
- 1 x External Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s on the rear panel
(SATA-On-The-Go)
- RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD conguration
LAN Dual Gigabit LAN controllers support NVIDIA®DualNet
technology
NVIDIA®nForce®590 SLI™MCP built-in dual Gigabit
MAC with external Marvell®PHY
- Supports Teaming and Fail-Over functions
- Supports TCP/IP Acceleration

xii
High Denition Audio SoundMAX®ADI AD1988B 8-channel CODEC
Supports Jack-Sensing, Enumeration, Multi-Streaming,
and Jack-Retasking Technology
Optical and Coaxial S/PDIF Out back I/O ports
IEEE 1394 TI 1394 controller supports:
- 2 x IEEE 1394a connectors (1 at mid-board; 1 on
the rear panel)
USB 8 x USB 2.0 ports (4 at mid-board; 4 on the rear panel)
ASUS AI Lifestyle
features
ASUS AI Lifestyle Vista Edition features:
- ScreenDUO
- AI Remote
- ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller)
- TPM Support (the module is purchased separately)
- AP Trigger
*ASUS ScreenDUO, AI Remote, and TPM can run both
Windows®Vista and XP
ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution:
- ASUS AI Gear
- ASUS AI Nap
- ASUS 8-Phase Power Design
- ASUS Fanless Design: Heat-pipe solution & Stack
Cool 2
- ASUS Q-Fan 2
- ASUS optional fan for water-cooling or passive
cooling only
ASUS Crystal Sound
- ASUS Array Microphone
- Noise Filer
ASUS EZ DIY
- ASUS Q-Connector
- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
- ASUS EZ Flash 2
Other features ASUS MyLogo3
(continued on the next page)
M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition
specications summary

xiii
(continued on the next page)
ASUS Exclusive
Overclocking features
Intelligent overclocking tools:
- AI NOS™(Non-delay Overclocking System)
- AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner)
- AI Clock Skew
- ASUS O.C. Prole: overclocking conguration-sharing
tool
Precision Tweaker:
- vDIMM: 25-step DRAM voltage control
- vCore: Adjustable CPU voltage at 0.0125V
increment
- Stepless Frequency Selection (SFS) allows FSB
tuning from 200 MHz up to 400 MHz at 1 MHz
increment
- PCI Express x16 frequency allows PCI Express x16
frequency tuning from 100 MHz to 200 MHz at 1
MHz increment
Overclocking protection:
- ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
ASUS AI Booster Utility
Adjustable FSB/DDR2 ratio; xed PCI/PCIe frequencies
Rear panel I/O ports 1 x PS/2 keyboard port (purple)
1 x PS/2 mouse port (green)
1 x Serial (COM1) port
1 x IEEE 1394a port
1 x Optical + 1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Out port
1 x External SATA port
2 x LAN (RJ-45) ports
4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
8-channel audio ports
M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition
specications summary

xiv
Internal connectors 2 x USB 2.0 connectors support four additional USB 2.0
ports
1 x Floppy disk drive connector
1 x IDE connector for two devices
7 x Serial ATA connectors
1 x CPU / 4 x Chassis / 1 x Chipset / 1 x Power fan
connectors
1 x IEEE 1394a connector
1 x Parallel connector
1 x S/PDIF Out connector
1 x TPM connector
Chassis intrusion connector
Front panel audio connector
CD audio in connector
24-pin ATX power connector
4-pin ATX 12 V power connector
System panel connector
BIOS features 8 Mb AWARD BIOS, PnP, DMI 2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.3
Manageability WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chassis intrusion, PXE
Accessories 1 x SLI bridge
1 x ASUS Array Mic
1 x ASUS optional fan
1 x ASUS Q-Connector kit (USB, 1394, system panel;
Retail version only)
1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable
1 x Floppy disk drive cable
6 x SATA cables
3 x SATA power cables for 6 devices
1 x 2-port USB 2.0 module
1 x IEEE 1394a module
1 x I/O shield
ScreenDUO (Retail version only)
AI Remote (Retail version only)
User’s manual
Support CD contents Drivers
ASUS AI Suite
ASUS PC Probe II
ASUS Update
NVIDIA®MediaShield™RAID
Anti-virus Utility (OEM version)
Form factor ATX form factor: 12 in x 9.6 in (30.5 cm x 24.5 cm)
*Specications are subject to change without notice.
M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition
specications summary

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

ASUS M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition
Chapter summary 1
1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-1
1.2 Package contents......................................................................... 1-1
1.3 Special features............................................................................ 1-2

ASUS M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition 1-1
1.1 Welcome!
Thank you for buying an ASUS®M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition motherboard!
The motherboard delivers a host of new features and the 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 M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition
I/O modules IEEE 1394a module
1 x 2-port USB 2.0 module
Cables 6 x Serial ATA cables
3 x Serial ATA power cables for six devices
1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable
1 x Floppy disk drive cable
Accessories I/O shield
ASUS SLI™Bridge
ASUS Array Mic
ASUS Optional Fan
ASUS Q-Connector Kit (USB, 1394, system panel;
Retail version only)
ScreenDUO Kit (ScreenDUO, user guide, support
CD, USB cable; Retail version only)
AI Remote (Retail version only)
Application DVD ASUS motherboard support DVD
Documentation User guide

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.3 Special features
1.3.1 Product highlights
Latest processor technology
The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket that supports AMD Athlon™
64 X2/Athlon™ 64/Athlon™ 64 FX/Sempron™ processor. 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 ofce productivity, and enhanced digital
media experience. See page 2-7 for details.
NVIDIA®Scalable Link Interface (SLI™)
The NVIDIA®Scalable Link Interface (SLI™) technology allows two graphics
processing units (GPUs) in a single system. This technology takes advantage of
the PCI Express™ bus architecture and features intelligent hardware and software
solutions that allows multiple GPUs to work together and achieve exceptional
graphics performance.
NVIDIA nForce® 590 SLI™ (NVIDIA LinkBoost™ certied)
NVIDIA nForce® 590 SLI™ media and communication processors (MCPs) deliver
the tools and performance PC enthusiasts demand. When combined with selected
NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards and other system components, you get automatic
access to faster bus speeds. Ready for system overclocking and greater data
throughput.
Dual-Core CPU
The advanced processing technology contains two physical CPU cores with
individually dedicated L2 caches to satisfy the rising demand for more powerful
processing capability.
Dual-Channel DDR2 800
DDR2 is the next generation memory technology that replaces the current DDR.
With the highest speed up to 800 MHz, DDR2 memory provides great performance
for 3D graphics and other memory demanding applicaitons. See page 2-13 and
2-14 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 2-21 for details.

ASUS M2N32-SLI Premium Vista Edition 1-3
Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s technology and SATA-On-The-Go
The motherboard fully supports the Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s technology through the Serial
ATA interfaces and the NVIDIA® nForce® 590 SLI™ chipset. The Serial ATA 3 Gb/s
specication provides twice the bandwidth of the current Serial ATA products with
a host of new features, including Nativa Command Queueing (NCQ), and Power
Management (PM) Implementation Algorithm. Serial ATA allows for thinner, more
exible cables with lower pin count and reduced voltage required. Leveraging these
Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s features is the SATA-On-The-Go. Supported by the Silicon
Image Sil3132 Serial ATA controller, two Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s connectors (one at mid-
board and one on the rear panel) provide smart setup, and hot-plug function. See
page 2-24, 2-27, and 2-28 for details.
Dual RAID solution
Onboard RAID controllers provide the motherboard with dual-RAID functionality that
allows you to select the best RAID solution using Serial ATA devices.
The NVIDIA® nForce® 590 SLI™ chipset allows RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID
5, and JBOD conguration for six SATA 3.0 Gb/s connector. See pages 2-24.
The Silicon Image®Sil3132 controller supports two additional Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s
connectors (one at mid-board and one on the rear panel) and allows RAID 0, RAID
1, and JBOD congurations on these ports. See pages 2-28 for details.
IEEE 1394a support
The IEEE 1394a interface provides high-speed and exible PC connectivity to a
wide range of peripherals and devices compliant to the IEEE 1394a standard. The
IEEE 1394a interface allows up to 400 Mbps transfer rates through simple, low-
cost, high-bandwidth asynchronous (real-time) data interfacing between computers,
peripherals, and consumer electronic devices such as camcorders, VCRs, printers,
TVs, and digital cameras. See page 2-23 and 2-29 for details.
High Denition Audio
Enjoy high-end sound quality on your PC! The onboard 8-channel HD audio (High
Denition Audio, previously codenamed Azalia) CODEC enables high-quality
192KHz/24-bit audio output, jack-sensing feature, retasking functions and multi-
streaming technology 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 2-23 and 2-24 for details.

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction
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 2-24 and 2-29 for details.
Dual Gigabit LAN solution
The motherboard comes with dual Gigabit LAN controllers to provide the total
solution for your networking needs. These network controllers provide faster data
bandwidth for your wired or wireless Internet, LAN, and le sharing requirements.
See page 2-23 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. See page 4-27 for details.
1.3.2 ASUS AI Lifestyle features
AI Remote
The revolutionary AI Remote gives you unprecedented control from the comfort of
your couch. With just a touch of the button, you can quickly do your usual computer
activities such as turn ON/OFF your PC, launch your favorite applications by
enabling AP Trigger function, or control AI Gear and AI Nap. The AI Remote also
gives you the comfort of a traditional remote on media player. Have an AI Remote
in your hand and do more with your PC from a distance! See page 5-31 for details.
ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller)
ASAP gets you to your destination ASAP. ASAP supports the Windows®
ReadyBoost™technology which improves system performance under Windows®
Vista. Enjoy greater efciency and get more productivity out of your system. See
page 5-39 for details.