ASUS E2898 User Manual

Striker

Extreme

Motherboard

E2898

First Edition V1 October 2006

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.

Contents

Notices ........................................................................................................ vii

Safety information .................................................................................... viii

About this guide ......................................................................................... ix

Striker Extreme specications summary ................................................. xi

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-1

1.2 Package contents .........................................................................

1.3 Special features ............................................................................

1.3.1 Product highlights ...........................................................

1.3.2 ASUS AI Lifestyle features .............................................

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-1

2.2 Motherboard overview .................................................................

2.2.1 Placement direction ........................................................

2.2.2 Screw holes ....................................................................

2.2.3 ASUS Stack Cool 2 .........................................................

2.2.4 Motherboard layout .........................................................

2.2.5 Layout contents ...............................................................

2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ...................................................

2.3.1 Installing the CPU ...........................................................

2.3.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fan ..............................

2.3.3 Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan .........................

2.3.4 Installing the optional fan ..............................................

2.4 System memory .........................................................................

2.4.1 Overview .......................................................................

2.4.2 Memory congurations ..................................................

2.4.3 Installing a DIMM ..........................................................

2.4.4 Removing a DIMM ........................................................

2.5 Expansion slots ..........................................................................

2.5.1 Installing an expansion card .........................................

2.5.2 Conguring an expansion card .....................................

2.5.3 Interrupt assignments ...................................................

2.5.4 PCI slots ........................................................................

1-1

1-2

1-2 1-4

2-2

2-2 2-2 2-3 2-4 2-5

2-7

2-8 2-10 2-12 2-14

2-15

2-15 2-16 2-17 2-17

2-18

2-18 2-18 2-19 2-20

iii

Contents

2.5.5 PCI Express x1 slot ....................................................... 2-20

2.5.6 PCI Express x16 slots ...................................................

2.6 Jumper ........................................................................................

2.7 Audio Card and EL I/O Installation ...........................................

2.7.1 Audio Card Installation ..................................................

2.7.2 EL I/O Installation ..........................................................

2.8 Connectors .................................................................................

2.8.1 Rear panel connectors ..................................................

2.8.2 Internal connectors .......................................................

2.8.3 Onboard switches .........................................................

Chapter 3: Powering up

3.1 Starting up for the rst time ........................................................ 3-1

3.2 Turning off the computer .............................................................

3.2.1 Using the OS shut down function ....................................

3.2.2 Using the dual function power switch ..............................

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 4-1

4.1.1 ASUS Update utility ........................................................

4.1.2 Creating a bootable oppy disk .......................................

4.1.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility ...................................................

4.1.4 Updating the BIOS ..........................................................

4.1.5 Saving the current BIOS le ............................................

4.2 BIOS setup program ....................................................................

4.2.1 BIOS menu screen ........................................................

4.2.2 Menu bar .......................................................................

4.2.3 Legend bar .....................................................................

4.2.4 Menu items ....................................................................

4.2.5 Sub-menu items .............................................................

4.2.6 Conguration elds ........................................................

4.2.7 Pop-up window .............................................................

4.2.8 General help .................................................................

4.3 Main menu ..................................................................................

4.3.1 System Time .................................................................

2-20

2-21

2-22

2-22 2-22

2-23

2-23 2-26 2-37

3-2

3-2 3-2

4-1 4-4 4-5 4-6 4-8

4-9

4-10 4-10 4-11 4-11 4-11 4-11 4-12 4-12

4-13

Contents

4.3.2 System Date ................................................................. 4-13

4.3.3 Language ......................................................................

4.3.4 Legacy Diskette A ........................................................

4.3.5 Primary IDE Master/Slave .............................................

4.3.6

4.3.7 HDD SMART Monitoring ...............................................

4.3.8 Installed Memory ...........................................................

4.3.9 Usable Memory .............................................................

4.4 Extreme Tweaker menu .............................................................

4.4.1 AI Tuning .......................................................................

4.4.2 Overclocking .................................................................

4.4.3 Over Voltage .................................................................

4.4.4 NVIDIA GPU Ex ............................................................

4.4.5 SLI-Ready Memory .......................................................

4.4.6 SLI-Ready Memory CPUOC .........................................

4.5 Advanced menu .........................................................................

4.5.1 AI NET2 ........................................................................

4.5.2 PCIPnP .........................................................................

4.5.3 Onboard Device Conguration ......................................

4.6 Power menu ................................................................................

4.6.1 ACPI Suspend Type [S1&S3]

4.6.2 ACPI APIC Support [Enabled] .......................................

4.6.3 APM Conguration ........................................................

4.6.4 Hardware Monitor .........................................................

4.7 Boot menu ..................................................................................

4.7.1 Boot Device Priority ......................................................

4.7.2 Removable Drives .........................................................

4.7.3 Hard Disk Drives ...........................................................

4.7.4 CDROM Drives .............................................................

4.7.5 Boot Settings Conguration .........................................

SATA 1 ~ 6 ......................................................................................4-16

........................................ 4-30

4-13 4-13 4-14

4-17 4-17 4-17

4-18

4-18 4-21 4-23 4-24 4-24 4-24

4-25

4-25 4-26 4-27

4-30

4-30 4-31 4-33

4-37

4-37 4-38 4-38 4-38 4-39

Contents

4.7.6 Security ......................................................................... 4-40

4.8 Tools menu .................................................................................

4.8.1 ASUS Music Alarm ........................................................

4.8.2 ASUS O.C. Prole .........................................................

4.8.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 ..........................................................

4.9 Exit menu ....................................................................................

Chapter 5: Software support

5.1 Installing an operating system ................................................... 5-1

5.2 Support CD information ..............................................................

5.2.1 Running the support CD .................................................

5.2.2 Drivers menu ...................................................................

5.2.3 Utilities menu ..................................................................

5.2.4 Make Disk menu .............................................................

5.2.5 Manuals menu ................................................................

5.2.6 ASUS Contact information ..............................................

5.2.7 Other information ............................................................

5.3 Software information ...................................................................

5.3.1 ASUS MyLogo3™ ...........................................................

5.3.2 SoundMAX

5.3.3 ASUS PC Probe II .........................................................

5.3.4 ASUS Music Alarm ........................................................

5.3.5 ASUS Ai Booster ...........................................................

5.4 RAID congurations ..................................................................

5.4.1 RAID denitions ............................................................

5.4.2 NVIDIA

5.4.3 Silicon Image

5.5 Creating a RAID driver disk .......................................................

High Denition Audio utility ........................5-11

RAID congurations........................................ 5-27

RAID congurations ............................. 5-34

4-42

4-42 4-43 4-45

4-46

5-1

5-1 5-2 5-3 5-5 5-6 5-6 5-7

5-9

5-16 5-22 5-25

5-26

5-41

Chapter 6: NVIDIA® SLI™ technology support

6.1 Overview ....................................................................................... 6-1

6.2 Dual graphics card setup ............................................................

6.2.1 Installing SLI-ready graphics cards .................................

6.2.2 Installing the device drivers .............................................

6.2.3 Enabling the multi-GPU feature in Windows

................. 6-5

6-2

6-2 6-5

Notices

Federal Communications Commission Statement

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

•

This device may not cause harmful interference, and

•

This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

•

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

•

Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

•

Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

•

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is

required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or modications

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

Canadian Department of Communications Statement

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

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.

viii

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.

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 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. Descriptions of the BIOS items are also provided.

• Chapter 5: Software support

This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with the motherboard package.

• Chapter 6: NVIDIA

This chapter tells how to install SLI-ready PCI Express graphics cards.

SLI™ technology support

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.

Conventions used in this guide

To make sure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual.

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.

IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a

task.

NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a

task.

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

Striker Extreme specications summary

CPU LGA775 socket for Intel® Core™2 Extreme / Core™2

Duo / Pentium® Extreme / Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 / Celeron® D Processors Intel® Quad-core CPU Ready Compatible with Intel® 06/05B/05A processors

Note: Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com for the Intel® CPU support list.

Chipset NVIDIA® nForce 680i SLI

- Supports SLI-Ready Memory Technology

Front Side Bus 1333** / 1066 / 800 / 533 MHz

Memory Dual-channel memory architecture

- 4 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support non-ECC unbuffered DDR2 800/667/533 MHz memory modules

- Supports up to 8 GB system memory

Note: Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com for the latest Qualied

Vendors List (QVL).

SLI-Ready Memory 1200 MHz

Expansion slots 2 x PCI Express™ x16 slots support NVIDIA®

SLI™ technology at full x16, x16 speed (blue) 1 x PCI Express™ 16, at x 8 speed (middle) 1 x PCI Express™ x1 2 x PCI 2.2

Scalable Link Interface (SLI™)

Supports two identical NVIDIA® SLI™-Ready graphics cards (both at x16 mode)

Note: The blue PCI Express x 16 slots support NVIDIA® SLI™ technology at full x16, x16 speed. The middle slot is for an add-on card at x8 speed.

Storage/RAID Southbridge supports:

- 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33

- 6 x Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s

- NVIDIA® MediaShield™ RAID supports RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5 and JBOD conguration across Serial ATA drives

Silicon Image® 3132 SATA controller supports:

- 2 x External Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s ports (SATA-on-the-Go) on the rear panel

LAN NVIDIA® nForce 680i SLI built-in dual Gigabit MAC with

external Marvell PHY

- Supports NVIDIA® DualNet®å Technology

(continued on the next page)

Striker Extreme specications summary

High Denition Audio SupremeFX Audio Card

IEEE 1394 VIA6308P controller supports:

USB Supports up to 10 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (6 at mid-board, 4

ASUS Exclusive Overclocking features

ASUS Unique features LCD Poster

Rear panel 1 x LCD Poster

- ADI 1988B 8-channel High Denition Audio CODEC

- Supports Jack-Sensing, Enumeration, Multi-streaming and Jack-Retasking

- Noise Filter Coaxial, Optical S/PDIF out DTS® Connect ASUS Array Mic

- 2 x IEEE 1394a connectors (1 at mid-board, 1 on the rear panel)

on the rear panel)

Extreme Tweaker Intelligent overclocking tools:

- AI NOS™ (Non-delay Overclocking System)

- AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner)

- AI Booster

Overclocking protection:

- ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)

EL I/O Onboard LED Onboard Switches: Power / Reset / Clr CMOS Q-Connector Q-Fan Plus ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS Music Alarm ASUS MyLogo 3

1 x PS/2 Keyboard port (purple) 1 x PS/2 Mouse (green) 1 x Optical S/PDIF Output port 1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Output port 2 x External Serial ATA ports 2 x LAN (RJ45) port 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports 1 x IEEE1394a port 1 x Onboard LED switch

(continued on the next page)

xii

Striker Extreme specications summary

Internal connectors 1 x Floppy disk drive connector

BIOS features 8 Mb AWARD BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS

Manageability WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chasis Intrusion, PXE

Accessories SLI bridge

Support DVD contents The hottest 3D game: Ghost Recon

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. ** available when the installed CPU is supporting 1333MHz FSB.

1 x IDE connector for 2 devices 6 x Serial ATA connectors 3 x USB 2.0 connectors support six additional USB 2.0 ports 1 x IEEE 1394a port connector 1 x Chassis intrusion connector 1 x 24-pin ATX power connector 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector 1 x S/PDIF output connector 3 x thermal sensor connectors 8 x Fan connectors: 1 x CPU / 1 x Power / 1 x Chassis / 5 x optional fan connectors 1 x EL I/O Shield connector System panel connector

2.3, Multi-Language BIOS

ASUS Array Mic ASUS optional fan ASUS Q-connector Kit UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable Floppy disk drive cable SATA cables SATA power cables Thermal sensor cables Cable ties 2-port USB2.0 module IEEE1394a module EL I/O Shield ROG key ring InterVideo® Media Launcher (OEM version only) User’s manual

Device drivers ASUS PC Probe II ASUS Update ASUS AI Booster Futuremark® 3DMark® 06 Advanced Edition Kaspersky® Anti-virus NVIDIA® MediaShield™ RAID

xiii

xiv

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

Product

introduction

Chapter summary

1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-1

1.2 Package contents .........................................................................

1.3 Special features ............................................................................

1-1

1-2

ASUS Striker Extreme

1.1 Welcome!

Thank you for buying an ASUS® Striker Extreme 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 Striker Extreme motherboard

I/O modules 1 x 1-port IEEE 1394a module 1 x 2-port USB 2.0 module

Cables Serial ATA power and signal cables for 6 devices 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable 1 x Floppy disk drive cable 3 x Thermal sensor cables Cable ties

Accessories I/O shield with EL 1 x ROG key ring ASUS Array Mic 1 x ASUS Optional Fan 1 x 3-in-1 ASUS Q-Connector Kit (USB, IEEE 1394, system panel; Retail version only) 1 x ASUS SLI Bridge

Application DVD ASUS motherboard support CD/DVD InterVideo® Media Launcher (OEM version)

3D Game-Ghost Recon Advanced Warghter

Documentation User guide

If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.

ASUS Striker Extreme 1-1

1.3 Special features

1.3.1 Product highlights

Republic of Gamers

The Republic of Gamers consists only the best of the best. We offer the best hardware engineering, the fastest performance, the most innovating ideas, and we welcome the best gamers to join in.

In the Republic of Gamers, mercy rules are only for the weak, and bragging rights means everything. We believe in making statements and we excel in competitions. If your character matches our trait, then join the elite club, make your presence felt, in the Republic of Gamers.

Green ASUS

This motherboard and its packaging comply with the European Union’s Restriction

on the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). This is in line with the ASUS vision

of creating environment-friendly and recyclable products/packaging to safeguard

consumers’ health while minimizing the impact on the environment.

Intel® Core™2 / Quad-core Processor Ready

This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Core™2 processor in the LGA775 package. With the new Intel® Core™ microarchitecture technology and 1066 /

800 MHz FSB, the Intel® Core™2 is one of the most powerful and energy efcient

CPUs in the world. This motherboard also supports the latest Intel® Quad-core processor, which is excellent for multi-tasking, multi-media and enthusiastic

gamers with 1066 / 800 MHz FSB. See page 2-7 for details.

NVIDIA® nForce® 680i SLI chipset

The NVIDIA® nForce 680i SLI chipset supports the NVIDIA® Scalable Link Interface (SLI™) technology that allows two graphics processing units (GPUs) in a single system. It’s designed for enthusiast, extreme overclocking capability, ultimate

gaming performance with SLI technology support. It’s denitely one of the fastest

platform in the world. See Chapter 6 for details. The NVIDIA® nForce 680i SLI chipset also supports six (6) Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s devices, dual PCI Express™ x16 slots at with NVIDIA® SLI™ support at full x16, x16 mode, and up to 10 USB 2.0 ports.

NVIDIA® Scalable Link Interface (SLI™)

NVIDIA SLI™ (Scalable Link Interface) takes advantage of the increased bandwidth of the PCI Express bus architecture and features intelligent hardware

and software that allows two GPUs to efciently work together to deliver earth-

shattering, scalable performance.

1-2 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

DDR2 memory support

The motherboard supports DDR2 memory that features data transfer rates

of 800/667/533 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 page 2-15 for details.

Serial ATA I/II technology and SATA-On-The-Go

The motherboard fully supports the Serial ATA II 3.0 Gb/s technology through the Serial ATA interfaces and the NVIDIA® nForce

ATA 3.0 Gb/s specication provides twice the bandwidth of the current Serial ATA

products with a host of new features, including Native Command Queueing (NCQ), and Power Management (PM) Implementation Algorithm. Serial ATA allows for

thinner, more exible cables with lower pin count and reduced voltage required.

See page 2-27 for details.

Leveraging these Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s features is the SATA-On-The-Go. Supported by the Silicon Image® 3132 Serial ATA controller are two external Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s ports on the rear panel that provide smart setup and hot-plug function. See page 2-24 for details.

680i SLI™ chipset. The Serial

Dual RAID solution

Onboard RAID controllers provide the motherboard with dual-RAID functionality that allows you to select the best RAID solution for Serial ATA devices.

The NVIDIA® MediaShield™ RAID controller integrated in the NVIDIA® nForce 680i SLI™ chipset allows RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD

congurations for six SATA 3.0 Gb/s connectors. See pages 2-30 and 5-27 for

details.

The Silicon Image® 3132 controller supports two additional external Serial ATA

3.0 Gb/s ports on the rear panel and allows RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD

congurations through port multiplier functions. See page 5-34 for details.

IEEE 1394a support

The IEEE 1394a interface provides high speed digital interface for audio/video appliances such as digital television, digital video camcorders, storage peripherals & other PC portable devices. See pages 2-25 and 2-29 for details.

ASUS Striker Extreme 1-3

S/PDIF digital sound ready

This motherboard provides convenient connectivity to external home theater audio systems via coaxial and optical S/PDIF-out (SONY/PHILIPS Digital Interface) jacks.It allows to transfer digital audio without converting to analog format and keeps the best signal quality. See pages 2-23, 2-25 and 2-28 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 use the PCI Express segment to provide faster data bandwidth for your wired or wireless

Internet, LAN, and le sharing requirements. See page 2-23 for details.

1-4 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

1.3.2 ASUS unique features

8-phase cap-less Power design

The 8-phase EL Capless Power Design demonstrates two hardcore commitments of ROG products: ultimate overclocking capability, and ultimate reliability. The 8phase power design yields unparalleled superiority in the overclocking arena, while the cap-less design removes any worries of capacitor problems once and for all.

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. The heat pipe, heatsink, and strategic board layout were tailor made to dissipate heat in the most

efcient manner.

AI NOS™ (Non-Delay Overclocking System)

ASUS Non-delay Overclocking System™ (NOS) is a technology that auto-detects the CPU loading and dynamically overclocks the CPU speed only when needed. See page 4-18 for details.

Extreme Tweaker

This feature allows you to ne tune the CPU/memory voltage and gradually increase the memory Front Side Bus (FSB) and PCI Express frequency at 1MHz

increment to achieve maximum system performance.

ASUS Q-Connector

The ASUS Q-Connector allows you to connect or disconnect chassis front panel cables in one easy step. This unique adapter eliminates the trouble of plugging in one cable at a time, making connection quick and error-free. See pages 2-36 for details.

ASUS Striker Extreme 1-5

ASUS LCD Poster

The LCD Poster displays actual boot error messages instead of codes that other

debug cards show. This unique feature allows you to easily nd out which devices

fail during the boot process, eliminating guesswork and allowing you to solve the problem immediately.

Onboard LEDs

This motherboard features onboard LEDs located near connector labels, allowing

you to connect cables and devices without a ashlight. With this ASUS-patented

feature, you can easily identify connector locations to make sure that cables and devices are plugged in and installed correctly.

Onboard Switches

A power-on button, a resetbutton, and a clear CMOS button are onboard to provide overclockers and gamers the convenience of fine-tuning performance when working on a bare (open-case) system. Press the power-on button to wake up the system, the reset button to reboot, and the clear CMOS button to clear setup information when the system hangs due to overclocking. See page 2-37 for details.

ASUS Q-Fan plus technology

The ASUS Q-Fan plus technology smartly adjusts the CPU and chassis fan

1 speeds according to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efcient

operation. See page 4-35 for details.

ASUS Multi-language BIOS

The multi-language BIOS allows you to select the language of your choice from the

available options. The localized BIOS menus allow easier and faster conguration.

See page 4-13 for details.

ASUS MyLogo3

This new feature present in the motherboard allows you to personalize and add style to your system with customizable boot logos. See page 5-9 for details.

1-6 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

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 Music Alarm

Wake up to the music of your choice instead of the irritating sound of an alarm clock. The ASUS Music Alarm gives you a personal wake-up call with your favorite CD music without having to enter the OS. See pages 4-42 and 5-22 for details.

Supreme FX features

This feature can enhance speech-centric applications like Skype, online game, video conference and recording.

ASUS Array Mic

The Bundled Superbeam Array Microphone receives only the sound coming from the reception cone and ignores the sounds coming from other directions. This mechanism eliminates a large number of interferences, including neighboring speakers and reverberations. It also uses advanced

de-reverberation techniques to reduce echo and minimize its effect on the

speech engine. This feature can enchance speech-centric applications like Skype, online game, video conference, and recording. See page 5-15 for details.

Noise Filter

This feature detects repetitive and stationary noises (non-voice signals) like computer fans, air conditioners, and other background noises then eliminates

it in the incoming audio stream while recording. See page 5-15 for details.

DTS® Connect

This feature is consists of two elements: DTS interactive and DTS NEO:PC. DTS interactive re-encodes your stereo or multi-channel sound into a DTS audio signal and send it out from your PC to any DTS enabled system. While DTS NEO:PC turns your stereo audio such as MP3, WMA, CD, and other sound format into a convincing multi-channel audio experience. See page 5-14 for details.

ASUS Striker Extreme 1-7

1-8 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

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.

information

Hardware