ASUS E7640 User Manual

F2A55-M LE

Motherboard

E7640
First Edition

July 2012

Copyright © 2012 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
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ii

Contents

Safety information ...................................................................................................... vi

About this guide ........................................................................................................ vii

F2A55-M LE specications summary ....................................................................... ix

Package contents ...................................................................................................... xii

Product introduction

1.1 Special features ............................................................................................ 1-1

1.1.1 Product highlights ...........................................................................

1.1.2 ASUS Digital power Design ............................................................

1.1.3 ASUS Exclusive Features ...............................................................

1.2 Before you proceed ......................................................................................

1.3 Motherboard overview .................................................................................

1.3.1 Placement direction ........................................................................

1.3.2 Screw holes ....................................................................................

1.3.3 Motherboard layout .........................................................................

1.3.4 Layout contents ...............................................................................

1.4 Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) ............................................................

1.4.1 APU installation ...............................................................................

1.4.2 APU heatsink and fan assembly installation ...................................

1.5 System memory ..........................................................................................

1.5.1 Overview .......................................................................................

1.5.2 Memory congurations ..................................................................

1.5.3 Installing a DIMM ..........................................................................

1.6 Expansion slots ..........................................................................................

1.6.1 Installing an expansion card .........................................................

1.6.2 Conguring an expansion card .....................................................

1.6.3 PCI slot .........................................................................................

1.6.4 PCI Express x1 slot .......................................................................

1.6.5 PCI Express x16 slots ...................................................................

1.7 Jumpers

1.8 Connectors ..................................................................................................

1.8.1 Rear panel ports ...........................................................................

1.8.2 Internal connectors .......................................................................

1.9 Software support ........................................................................................

1.9.1 Installing an operating system ......................................................

1.9.2 Support DVD information ..............................................................

.......................................................................................................1-20

1-1

1-1

1-2

1-4

1-5

1-5

1-5

1-6

1-7

1-7

1-8

1-9

1-11

1-11

1-12

1-17

1-18

1-18

1-18

1-18

1-18

1-19

1-21

1-21

1-23

1-30

1-30

1-30

iii

BIOS information

2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS .............................................................2-1

2.1.1 ASUS Update utility ........................................................................

2.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 ............................................................................

2.1.3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility ......................................................

2.1.4 ASUS BIOS Updater .......................................................................

2.2 BIOS setup program .....................................................................................

2.3 Main menu ...................................................................................................

2.3.1 System Language [English] ..........................................................

2.3.2 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx] .......................................................

2.3.3 System Time [xx:xx:xx] .................................................................

2.3.4 Security .........................................................................................

2.4 Ai Tweaker menu ........................................................................................

2.4.1 Ai Overclock Tuner [Auto] .............................................................

2.4.2 Memory Frequency [Auto] .............................................................

2.4.3 APU Multiplier [Auto] .....................................................................

2.4.4

2.4.5 EPU Power Saving Mode [Disabled] ............................................

2.4.6 GPU Boost [Auto] ..........................................................................

2.4.7 OC Tuner ......................................................................................

2.4.8 DRAM Timing Control ...................................................................

2.4.9 CPU Voltage [Offset Mode] ...........................................................

2.4.10 DRAM Voltage [Auto] ....................................................................

2.4.11 SB 1.1V Voltage [Auto] .................................................................

2.4.12 1.1Vsb Voltage [Auto] ...................................................................

2.4.13 APU1.2V Voltage [Auto] ................................................................

2.4.14 VDDA Voltage [Auto] .....................................................................

2.4.15 DIGI + VRM ...................................................................................

2.5 Advanced menu ..........................................................................................

2.5.1 CPU Conguration ........................................................................

2.5.2 SATA Conguration .......................................................................

2.5.3 USB Conguration ........................................................................

2.5.4 NB Conguration ...........................................................................

2.5.5 Onboard Devices Conguration ....................................................

2.5.6 APM ..............................................................................................

2.5.7 Network Stack ...............................................................................

2.6 Monitor menu ..............................................................................................

NB Frequency [Auto] .....................................................................2-13

2-1

2-2

2-3

2-4

2-6

2-10

2-10

2-10

2-10

2-10

2-12

2-12

2-13

2-13

2-13

2-13

2-14

2-14

2-14

2-14

2-14

2-15

2-15

2-15

2-15

2-17

2-17

2-18

2-19

2-19

2-19

2-21

2-22

2-23

iv

2.6.1 CPU Temperature / MB Temperature [xxxºC/xxxºF]...................... 2-23

2.6.2 CPU_FAN / CHA_FAN / PWR_FAN Speed .................................

2.6.3 CPU Q-Fan Control [Enabled] ......................................................

2.6.4 CPU Voltage, 3.3V Voltage, 5V Voltage, 12V Voltage ..................

2.6.5 Anti Surge Support [Enabled] .......................................................

2.7 Boot menu ...................................................................................................

2.7.1 Bootup NumLock State [On] .........................................................

2.7.2 Full Screen Logo [Enabled] ...........................................................

2.7.3 Fast Boot [Enabled] ......................................................................

2.7.4 Post Logo Delay Time [3 sec] .......................................................

2.7.5 Wait For ‘F1’ If Error [Enabled] ......................................................

2.7.6 Option ROM Messages [Force BIOS] ...........................................

2.7.7 Next boot after AC Power Loss [Normal Boot] ..............................

2.7.8 CSM Parameters ..........................................................................

2.7.9 Security Boot parameters .............................................................

2.7.10 Setup Mode [EZ Mode] .................................................................

2.7.11 Boot Option Priorities ....................................................................

2.7.12 Boot Override ................................................................................

2.8 Tools menu ..................................................................................................

2.8.1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 Utility ................................................................

2.8.2 ASUS SPD Information .................................................................

2.8.3 ASUS O.C. Prole .........................................................................

2.9 Exit menu ....................................................................................................

2-23

2-23

2-24

2-24

2-25

2-26

2-26

2-26

2-26

2-26

2-27

2-27

2-27

2-27

2-29

2-29

2-29

2-30

2-30

2-30

2-30

2-31

Appendices

Notices ..................................................................................................................... A-1

v

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.

Ensure 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, ensure 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.

vi

About this guide

This user guide contains the information you need when installing and conguring the

motherboard.

How this guide is organized

This guide contains the following parts:

• Chapter 1: Product introduction

This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new technology it
supports.

• Chapter 2: BIOS information

This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus.
Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.

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.

vii

Conventions used in this guide

To ensure 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

<Key> Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-than sign

<Key1> + <Key2> + <Key3> If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key

Used to emphasize a word or a phrase.

means that you must press the enclosed key.

Example: <Enter> means that you must press the Enter or
Return key.

names are linked with a plus sign (+).

viii

F2A55-M LE specications summary

APU FM2 socket for AMD® A-Series Accelerated Processor Unit (APU) with AMD

Radeon™ HD 7000 Series graphics, up to 4 CPU cores

AMD® Turbo Core Technology 3.0 support

Microsoft® DirectX® 11 support

• The AMD® Turbo Core Technology 3.0 support depends on the APU types.

• Refer to

www.asus.com for the AMD® APU support list.

Chipset AMD® A55 FCH (Hudson D2)

Memory 2 x DDR3 DIMM slots support a maximum 32GB unbuffered non-ECC

DDR3 2400(O.C.)/ 2250(O.C.) / 2200(O.C.) / 2133(O.C.) / 2000(O.C.) /

1866 / 1600 / 1333 / 1066MHz memory modules

Dual-channel memory architecture

• The maximum 32GB memory capacity can be supported with 16GB or above
DIMMs. ASUS will update the memory QVL once the DIMMs are available in the
market.

• Refer to www.asus.com for the latest Memory QVL (Qualied Vendors List).

• When you install a total memory of 4GB capacity or more, Windows® 32-bit
operation system may only recognize less than 3GB. We recommend a
maximum of 3GB system memory if you are using a Windows® 32-bit operating
system.

Graphics Integrated AMD Radeon™ HD 7000 Series Graphics in Northbridge A55

Multi-VGA output support: HDMI, DVI, D-Sub ports

- Supports HDMI with max. resolution 1920x1080@60Hz

- Supports DVI with max. resolution 2560x1600@60Hz

- Supports D-Sub with max. resolution 1920x1600@60Hz

- Supports Microsoft

- Maximum shared memory of 2G

- Supports AMD

* Refer to

www.amd.com for the discrete GPUs which support Dual

Graphics technology.

®

DirectX 11

®

Dual Graphics technology

Expansion slots 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots (blue @ x16 mode, black @ x4 mode)

1 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slot

1 x PCI slot

Multi-GPU support Supports AMD® 2-Way CrossFireX™ Technology (x16 and x4)

Storage AMD® A55 FCH:

- 6x Serial ATA 3Gb/s connectors with RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10 and
JBOD support

LAN

Realtek® 8111F PCIe Gigabit LAN controller

Audio Realtek® ALC887 8-Channel High Denition Audio CODEC

- Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-Retasking

USB AMD® A55 FCH:

- 12 x USB 2.0 ports (6 ports at the back panel, 6 ports at mid-board)

(continued on the next page)

ix

F2A55-M LE specications summary

ASUS unique features

ASUS Exclusive
overclocking features

ASUS Digital Power Design:

- Industry leading digital 3+2 phase power design for APU

- APU Power Utility

ASUS EPU

- EPU

ASUS Exclusive Features

- ASUS Network iControl*

- ASUS AI Charger

- ASUS GPU Boost

- ASUS Turbo V

- ASUS Disk Unlocker

- ASUS AI Suite II

- ASUS Anti Surge

- ASUS ESD

- 100% All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors

ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution

- ASUS Fanless Design: Stylish heatsink solution

- ASUS Fan Xpert

ASUS EZ DIY

- ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode featuring friendly graphics user interface

- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

- ASUS EZ Flash 2

- ASUS My Logo 2

* The ASUS Network iControl feature does not support Windows

XP/Vista operating systems.

®

Precision Tweaker 2

- vCore: Adjustable CPU voltage at 0.00625V increment

- vDDNB: Adjustable CPU/NB voltage at 0.00625V increment

- vDRAM Bus: Adjustable DRAM voltage at 0.005V increment

- vFCH: Adjustable FCH voltage at 0.01V increment

SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection)

- APU Frequency tuning from 90MHz up to 300MHz at 1MHz

increment

Overclocking Protection

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

(continued on the next page)

x

F2A55-M LE specications summary

Back Panel I/O ports 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port

1 x HDMI port

1 x DVI port

1 x D-Sub port

1 x Optical S/PDIF Output port

1 x LAN (RJ-45) port

6 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports

8-channel audio I/O ports (3 jacks)

Internal I/O
connectors

BIOS features 64 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI 2.0, WfM 2.0, SM

Support DVD Drivers

Form factor

3 x USB 2.0/1.1 connectors support additional 6 USB ports

6 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors

1 x CPU fan connector (4-pin)

1 x Chassis fan connector (4-pin)

1 x Front panel audio connector

1 x S/PDIF Out header

1 x COM connector

1 x System panel connector

1 x 24-pin EATX power connector

1 x LPT connector

1 x Power Fan (3-pin)

1 x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector

BIOS 2.7, ACPI 2.0a, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash 2, ASUS
CrashFreen BIOS 3, F12 Printscreen function, F3 Shortcut function and
ASUS DRAM SPD (Serial Presence Detect) memory information

ASUS utilities

ASUS Update

Anti-virus software (OEM version)

MicroATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.2 in (24.4 cm x 23.4 cm)

Specications are subject to change without notice.

xi

Package contents

F2A55-M LE

PCIEX16_1

PCIEX16_2

PCI1

PCIEX1_1

USB56USB78USB910

LPT

SPDIF_OUT

AAFP

CPU_FANPWR_FAN

DIGI
+VRM

CHA_FAN

Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

Super

I/O

AUDIO

ALC

887-CG

RTL
8111F

COM

KBMS_USB34

64Mb
BIOS

SB_PWR

CLRTC

AMD

®

A55FCH

DDR3 DIMM_A1 (64bit, 240-pin module)

DDR3 DIMM_A2 (64bit, 240-pin module)

USB_11 12

LAN
_USB12

SATA6G_6SATA6G_5

SPDIFO
_HDMI

DVI_VGA

SOCKET FM2

EATXPWR

ATX12V

F_PANEL

SATA3G_4

SATA3G_3

SATA3G_2

SATA3G_1

SPEAKER

User Guide

Check your motherboard package for the following items.

ASUS F2A55-M LE motherboard 2 x Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s cables

1 x I/O-Shield User Guide Support DVD

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

• The illustrated items above are for reference only. Actual product specications may

vary with different models.

xii

Product introduction

1

1.1 Special features

1.1.1 Product highlights

AMD® A-series accelerated processors with AMD® Radeon™ HD 7000 series
graphics

This motherboard supports AMD® A-series accelerated processor with AMD® Radeon™
HD 7000 series graphics. This revolutionary APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) combines

processing power and advanced DirectX 11 graphics in one small, energy-efcient design to

enable accelerated performance and an industry-leading visual experience. It features Dual­channel DDR3 memory support and accelerates data transfer rate up to 5GT/s.

AMD® A55 (Hudson D2) FCH Chipset

AMD® A55 FCH (Hudson D2) is designed to support up to 5GT/s interface and PCI Express

2.0 x 16 graphics.

AMD® CrossFireX™ Technology

AMD’s CrossFireX™ boosts image quality along with rendering speed, eliminating the
need to scale down screen resolution to get high quality images. CrossFireX™ allows

higher antialiasing, anisotropic ltering, shading, and texture settings. Adjust your display
congurations, experiment with the advanced 3D settings, and check the effects with a real-

time 3D-rendered previews within AMD Catalyst™ Control Center.

100% All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors

This motherboard uses all high-quality conductive polymer capacitors for durability, improved
lifespan, and enhanced thermal capacity.

1.1.2 ASUS Digital power Design

DIGI+ POWER CONTROL: Digital Power Design for the APU

ASUS motherboards using the AMD® A55 chipset employ precise digital voltage regulation
for the APU, called DIGI+VRM (Voltage Regulation Modules) digital power design. The
APU voltage and VRM Frequency are adjusted via either carefully developed automated

modes, or by using user-dened proles. The effect is that DIGI+ VRM technology ensures
greater energy efciency and the most precise energy delivery. Boosted by world-renowned

ASUS quality, it creates an ideal computing platform for a diverse range of applications,

from gaming to multimedia or ofce work and heavy multi-tasking. Engineered and tested to
assure unimitigated performance, ASUS A55 boards with DIGI+ VRM remain efcient and

accurate, for reliable application in every scenario.

*DIGI+ VRM functions also available in FM2 socket compatible CPUs.

ASUS F2A55-M LE

1-1

1.1.3 ASUS Exclusive Features

Network iControl

Network iControl is an intuitive one-step network control center that makes it easier for you to
manage your bandwidth and allows you to set, monitor, and schedule the bandwidth priorities
for your network programs. It allows you to automatically connect to a PPPoE network for a
more convenient online experience.

* The ASUS Network iControl feature does not support Windows® XP/Vista operating systems.

Ai Charger

Ai Charger is ASUS fast-charging software that supports iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

• Check your USB mobile device if it fully supports the BC 1.1 function.

• The actual charging speed may vary with your USB device’s conditions.

ASUS UEFI BIOS (EZ Mode)

ASUS UEFI BIOS, a UEFI compliant architecture, offers the rst mouse-controlled intuitive

graphical BIOS interface that goes beyond the traditional keyboard-only BIOS controls,

providing you with more exibility, convenience, and easy to navigate EFI BIOS than the

traditional BIOS versions. It offers you with dual selectable modes and native support for hard
drives larger than 2.2 TB.

ASUS UEFI BIOS includes the following new features:

• F12 BIOS snapshot hotkey

• F3 Shortcut for most accessed information

• ASUS DRAM SPD (Serial Presence Detect) information detecting faulty DIMMs, and

helping with difcult POST situations.

ASUS TurboV

With its user-friendly interface, ASUS TurboV offers you the adrenaline rush of real-time
overclocking without exiting or rebooting the OS. It also provides you with the ASUS OC

proles for the best overclocking settings in different scenarios.

GPU Boost

GPU Boost accelerates the integrated GPU for extreme graphics performance, facilitates

exible frequency adjustments, and easily delivers stable system-level upgrades for every

use.

EPU

EPU (Energy Processing Unit), the world’s rst real-time system power-saving chip,

automatically detects the current system load and intelligently moderates power usage.

It offers a total system-wide energy optimization, reduces fan noise, and extends the

component’s lifespan.

1-2

Chapter 1: Product introduction

ASUS Anti-Surge Protection

This special design protects expensive devices and the motherboard from damage caused
by power surges from switching power supply unit (PSU).

AI Suite II

With its user interface, ASUS AI Suite II integrates several ASUS utilities and allows you to

launch and operate these utilities simultaneously. It allows you to congure the overclocking

settings, adjust the frequencies and related voltages, remotely control the system via a
mobile device, and other easy-to-use helpful utilities.

ASUS Fan Xpert

ASUS Fan Xpert intelligently allows you to adjust the CPU fan speed based on different
ambient temperatures, resulting to a quiet and cool computing environment.

ASUS EZ Flash 2

ASUS EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly utility that allows you to update the BIOS without using a

bootable oppy disk or an OS-based utility.

ASUS MyLogo2™

Turn your favorite photos into 256-color boot logos to personalize your system.

ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows you to restore a corrupted BIOS le from a USB storage
device that contains the BIOS le.

C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)

The BIOS C.P.R. feature automatically restores the CPU default settings when the system
hangs due to overclocking failure. 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 parameters to their default settings.

ErP ready

The motherboard is European Union´s Energy-related Products (ErP) ready, and ErP

requires products to meet certain energy efciency requirements in regards to energy

consumptions. This is in line with ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and energy-

efcient products through product design and innovation to reduce carbon footprint of the

product and thus mitigate environmental impacts.

ASUS F2A55-M LE

1-3

1.2 Before you proceed

F2A55-M LE

SB_PWR

ON

Standby Power Powered Off

OFF

F2A55-M LE Onboard LED

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.

• Before handling components, use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded
object or a metal object, such as the power supply case, 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, switch off the ATX power supply and
detach its power cord. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the motherboard,
peripherals, or components.

Standby Power 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

Chapter 1: Product introduction

F2A55-M LE

1.3 Motherboard overview

1.3.1 Placement direction

When installing the motherboard, ensure 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.

1.3.2 Screw holes

Place six screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis.

DO NOT overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard.

Place this side towards
the rear of the chassis.

ASUS F2A55-M LE

1-5

1.3.3 Motherboard layout

F2A55-M LE

PCIEX16_1

PCIEX16_2

PCI1

PCIEX1_1

USB56USB78USB910

LPT

SPDIF_OUT

AAFP

CPU_FANPWR_FAN

DIGI
+VRM

CHA_FAN

Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

Super

I/O

AUDIO

ALC

887-CG

RTL

8111F

COM

KBMS_USB34

64Mb
BIOS

SB_PWR

CLRTC

23.4cm(9.2in)

24.4cm(9.6in)

AMD

®

A55FCH

DDR3 DIMM_A1 (64bit, 240-pin module)

DDR3 DIMM_A2 (64bit, 240-pin module)

USB_11 12

LAN
_USB12

SATA3G_6SATA3G_5

SPDIFO
_HDMI

DVI_VGA

SOCKET FM2

EATXPWR

ATX12V

F_PANEL

SATA3G_4

SATA3G_3

SATA3G_2

SATA3G_1

SPEAKER

1 2 41 3

5

13 12 6711 8910

2

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Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.3.4 Layout contents

F2A55-M LE

F2A55-M LE CPU socket FM2

Connectors/Jumpers/Slots/LED Page

1. Power, CPU, and chassis fan connectors (3-pin PWR_FAN, 4-pin CPU_FAN, and 4-pin
CHA_FAN)

2. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V)

3. AMD FM2 socket

4. DDR3 DIMM slots

5. SATA 3.0Gb/s connectors (7-pin SATA3G_1~6)

6. System panel connector (10-1 pin F_PANEL)

7. Speaker connector (4-pin SPEAKER)

8. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC)

9. Standby power LED (SB_PWR)

10. USB 2.0 connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB78, USB910)

11. LPT connector

12. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP)

13. Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT)

(26-1 pin LPT)

1-23

1-24

1-7

1-11

1-25

1-26

1-26

1-20

1-4

1-28

1-28

1-27

1-27

1.4 Accelerated Processing Unit (APU)

This motherboard comes with an FM2 socket designed for AMD® A-series accelerated
processors with AMD® Radeon™ HD 7000 series graphics.

Ensure that you use a APU designed for the FM2 socket. The APU ts in only one correct

orientation. DO NOT force the APU into the socket to prevent bending the pins and
damaging the APU!

ASUS F2A55-M LE

1-7

1.4.1 APU installation

1

2

43

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Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.4.2 APU heatsink and fan assembly installation

Apply the Thermal Interface Material
to the APU heatsink and APU before
you install the heatsink and fan if
necessary.

To install the APU heatsink and fan assembly

1

2

53 4

ASUS F2A55-M LE

1-9

To uninstall the APU heatsink and fan assembly

1

3

2

4

5

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Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.5 System memory

F2A55-M LE

F2A55-M LE 240-pin DDR3 DIMM sockets

DIMM_A1

DIMM_B1

1.5.1 Overview

This motherboard comes with two Double Data Rate 3 (DDR3) Dual Inline Memory Modules
(DIMM) sockets.

A DDR3 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR2 DIMM but is notched
differently to prevent installation on a DDR2 DIMM socket. DDR3 modules are developed for
better performance with less power consumption.

The gure illustrates the location of the DDR3 DIMM sockets:

Channel Sockets

Channel A DIMM_A1

Channel B DIMM_B1

ASUS F2A55-M LE

1-11

1.5.2 Memory congurations

You may install 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB unbuffered non-ECC DDR3 DIMMs into the DIMM
sockets.

• You may install varying memory sizes in Channel A and Channel B. The system maps
the total size of the lower-sized channel for the dual-channel conguration. Any excess
memory from the higher-sized channel is then mapped for single-channel operation.

• We recommend that you install the memory modules from the blue slots for better
overclocking capability.

• Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency. For optimal compatibility, we
recommend that you install memory modules of the same version or date code (D/C)
from the same vendor. Check with the retailer to get the correct memory modules.

• Due to the memory address limitation on 32-bit Windows
or more memory on the motherboard, the actual usable memory for the OS can be
about 3GB or less. For effective use of memory, we recommend that you do any of the
following:

- Install a maximum of 3GB system memory if you are using a 32-bit Windows

OS.

- Use a 64-bit Windows

®

OS if you want to install 4GB or more memory on the

motherboard.

• This motherboard does not support DIMMs made up of 512Mb (64MB) chips or less.

• The maximum 32GB memory capacity can be supported with 16GB or above DIMMs.
ASUS will update the memory QVL once the DIMMs are available in the market.

• The default memory operation frequency is dependent on its Serial Presence Detect
(SPD), which is the standard way of accessing information from a memory module.
Under the default state, some memory modules for overclocking may operate at a
lower frequency than the vendor-marked value. To operate at the vendor-marked
or at a higher frequency, refer to section 2.4 Ai Tweaker menu for manual memory
frequency adjustment.

• For system stability, use a more efcient memory cooling system to support a full

memory load (2 DIMMs) or overclocking condition.

®

OS, when you install 4GB

®

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Chapter 1: Product introduction