Asus M2V-MX SE User manual

Motherboard
M2V-MX SE

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.
E3023
First Edition
July 2007

iii
Contents
Notices......................................................................................................... vi
Safety information ..................................................................................... vii
M2V-MX SE specications summary ...................................................... viii
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 DDR2 Qualied Vendoros List ...................................... 1-13
1.7.4 Installing a DIMM .......................................................... 1-17
1.7.5 Removing a DIMM ........................................................ 1-17
1.8 Expansion slots.......................................................................... 1-18
1.8.1 Installing an expansion card ......................................... 1-18
1.8.2 Conguring an expansion card ..................................... 1-18
1.8.3 PCI slots........................................................................ 1-20
1.8.4 PCI Express x1 slot....................................................... 1-20
1.8.5 PCI Express x16 slot..................................................... 1-20
1.9 Jumpers ...................................................................................... 1-21
1.10 Connectors ................................................................................. 1-23
1.10.1 Rear panel connectors.................................................. 1-23
1.10.2 Internal connectors ....................................................... 1-24

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 Primary and Secondary IDE Master/Slave .................. 2-15
2.3.5 SATA1 and SATA2 ........................................................ 2-17
2.3.6 IDE Conguration.......................................................... 2-18
2.3.7 System Information ....................................................... 2-19
2.4 Advanced menu ......................................................................... 2-20
2.4.1 USB Conguration ........................................................ 2-20
2.4.2 CPU Conguration ........................................................ 2-22
2.4.3 Chipset.......................................................................... 2-23
2.4.4 Onboard Devices Conguration.................................... 2-28
2.4.5 PCI PnP ........................................................................ 2-29
2.5 Power menu................................................................................ 2-30
2.5.1 Suspend Mode.............................................................. 2-30
2.5.2 ACPI Version Support ................................................... 2-30
2.5.3 ACPI APIC Support....................................................... 2-30

v
Contents
2.5.4 APM Conguration........................................................ 2-31
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.................................................................................... 2-39
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 ............................................................. 3-6
3.2.5 Manual menu .................................................................. 3-7
3.2.5 ASUS Contact information .............................................. 3-8

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. Check local
regulations for disposal of electronic products.

viii
M2V-MX SE specications summary
(continued on the next page)
CPU
Chipset
System Bus
Memory
Expansion slots
Graphics
Storage
Audio
LAN
USB 2.0
Special features
Backpanel I/O ports
Support AMD socket AM2 for AMD Athlon™ 64 FX/
Athlon™ 64 X2/Athlon™ 64/AMD Sempron™/
AMD Opetron™ processor
AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32-bit and
64-bit computing
Supports AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology
VIA®K8M890
VIA®VT8237S
2000 MT/s
2 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support up to 2 GB of ECC/
non-ECC unbufferred DDR2 800/667/533 MHz DIMMs
1 x PCI Express™ x16 slot
1 x PCI Express™ x1 slot
2 x PCI slots
Integrated in the Gfx in North Bridge
Supports a maximum of 256MB shared memory
VIA®VT8237S supports:
- 2 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33
- 2 x Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s hard disk drives supporting
RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD congurations
Realtek® ALC662-GR Azalia 6-channel audio CODEC
Supports Multi-Streaming Technology
S/PDIF out support
Phy 10/100 LAN
Supports up to 8 USB 2.0 ports
ASUS EZ Flash
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
ASUS MyLogo™
ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
ASUS Q-Fan technology
ASUS Fanless thermal solution
1 x Parallel port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
1 x 6-channel Audio I/O port
1 x RJ45 port
1 x VGA port
4 x USB ports
1 x Serial port

ix
M2V-MX SE specications summary
Internal I/O connectors
BIOS features
Manageability
Support CD contents
Form factor
2 x USB connector supports additional 4 USB ports
24-pin ATX power connector
4-pin ATX 12V power connector
1 x S/PDIF out connector
1 x CD audio-in connector
1 x CPU/ 1 x Chassis fan connectors
1 x Front Panel High Denition audio connector
1 x 10-1 pin system panel connector
1 x 4-pin speaker connector
4 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM
BIOS 2.4, ACPI 3.0
WfM 2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL/WOR by PME, PXE, WOR by Ring,
Drivers
Anti-virus software
ASUS LiveUpdate
ASUS InstALL
ASUS PC ProbeII
uATX form factor: 9.6 in x 7.6 in
*Specications are subject to change without notice.

x

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®M2V-MX SE 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 M2V-MX SE motherboard
Cables 1 x Serial ATA signal cables
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 64FX/ Athlon 64 X2 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 unbuffered DDR2 800 memory support and AMD
Cool ‘n’ Quiet Technology. See page 1-8 for details.

ASUS M2V-MX SE 1-3
DDR2 800MHz memory support
DDR2 is the next generation memory technology to replace the current DDR. With
the highest speed up to 800MHz, DDR2 memory provides great performance for
3D graphics and other memory demanding applications.
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 1-20 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 pages 1-24 and 1-28 for details.
10/100 Mbps LAN
Easy connectivity to your network or broadband connection with the onboard LAN
port, lets you take gaming online without buying expensive additional LAN cards.
See page 1-23 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.

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features
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.
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 Q-Fan technology
The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the CPU speed according to the
system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efcient operation. See page 2-33 for
details.
ASUS MyLogo™
This new feature present in the motherboard allows you to personalize and add
styles 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.
Due to chipset behavior, AC power off is required prior using C.P.R. function.
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 M2V-MX SE 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.
M2V-MX SE
R
M2V-MX SE Onboard LED
SB_PWR
ON
Standby
Power
OFF
Powered
Off

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.5.1 Motherboard layout
1.5 Motherboard overview
19.3cm (7.6in)
DDR2 DIMM_A1 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 bit,240-pin module)
24.5cm (9.6in)
Socket AM2
EATXPWR
CHA_ FAN
SEC_IDE
SATA2
SATA1
CLRTC
CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell
CMOS Power
PCI2
PCI1
PCIEX1_1
FLOPPY
USB56
F_PANEL
USB78 SPEAKER
USBPW5-8
SPDIF_OUT
AAFP
Super I/O
VIA K8M890
VIA VT8237S
4Mb
BIOS
ALC662
Attansic
F2
CD PS2_USBPW1-4
PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard
PARALLEL PORT
AUDIO
LAN1_USB12
USB34
VGA COM1
ATX12V
M2V-MX SE
R
CPU_FAN
PCIEX16
PRI_IDE
SB_PWR
W83124RG-A2

ASUS M2V-MX SE 1-7
M2V-MX SE
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
OpetronTM/AMD Athlon™ 64 FX/Athlon™ 64 X2/AMD Athlon™ 64/AMD Sempron™
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
M2V-MX SE
R
M2V-MX SE CPU Socket AM2

ASUS M2V-MX SE 1-9
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 ts in place.
The CPU ts 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.
Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring errors
can occur if you fail to plug this connector.
Gold triangle
Small triangle
M2V-MX SE
R
M2V-MX SE CPU Fan Connector
CPU_FAN
GND
CPU FAN PWR
CPU FAN IN
CPU FAN PWM

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.6.2 Installing the heatsink and fan
The AMD Opetron™/AMD Athlon™ 64 FX/ AMD Athlon™ 64 X2/AMD Athlon™
64/AMD Sempron™ processor require a specially designed heatsink and fan
assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance.
Follow these steps to install the CPU heatsink and fan.
1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed CPU, making sure that the heatsink
ts properly on the retention module base.
Make sure that you use only qualied heatsink and fan assembly.
• The retention module base is already installed on the motherboard
upon purchase.
• You do not have to remove the retention module base when
installing the CPU or installing other motherboard components.
• If you purchased a separate CPU heatsink and fan assembly, make
sure that a Thermal Interface Material is properly applied to the CPU
heatsink or CPU before you install the heatsink and fan assembly.
Your boxed CPU heatsink and fan assembly should come with installation
instructions for the CPU, heatsink, and the retention mechanism. If the
instructions in this section do not match the CPU documentation, follow the
latter.
Retention Module Base
CPU Heatsink
CPU Fan
Retention bracket lockRetention bracket