ASUS M2N4-SLI User Manual

M2N4-SLI

Motherboard

E2670

First Edition July 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

Typography .......................................................................................... x

M2N4-SLI 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 Special 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 Motherboard layout ................................................

2.2.4 Layout Contents .....................................................

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

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

2.3.2 Installing the heatsink and 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 ................................................................

2.5.5 PCI Express x1 slot ...............................................

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

1-1 1-2 1-2 1-4

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

2-7 2-10 2-10 2-10 2-15 2-15 2-16 2-16 2-16 2-17 2-17 2-18 2-18

iii

Contents

2.6 Jumpers .............................................................................. 2-19

2.7 Connectors .........................................................................

2.7.1 Rear panel connectors ..........................................

2.7.2 Internal connectors ...............................................

Chapter 3: Powering up

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

3.2 Powering 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 Creating a bootable oppy disk ..............................

4.1.2 Updating the BIOS ...................................................

4.1.3 Saving the current BIOS le ....................................

4.1.4 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility ................................

4.1.5 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility ............................................

4.1.6 ASUS Update utility ................................................

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 ........................................................

4.3.2 System Date ........................................................

4.3.3 Legacy Diskette A ...............................................

4.3.5 Primary and Secondary IDE Master/Slave .............

4.3.6 SATA 1, 2, 3, 4 .....................................................

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

2-22 2-22 2-24

3-2 3-2 3-2

4-1 4-2 4-4 4-5 4-7

4-8 4-11 4-12 4-12 4-13 4-13 4-13 4-13 4-14 4-14 4-15 4-15 4-15 4-15 4-16 4-18 4-19

Contents

4.3.8 Installed Memory ................................................... 4-19

4.4 Advanced menu ..................................................................

4.4.1 JumperFree Conguration .....................................

4.4.3 CPU Conguration .................................................

4.4.4 PCIPnP ...................................................................

4.4.5 Onboard Device Conguration ..............................

4.4.6 SLI Conguration ...................................................

4.5 Power menu ........................................................................

4.5.1 ACPI Suspend Type ..............................................

4.5.2 ACPI APIC Support ...............................................

4.5.3 APM Conguration ................................................

4.5.4 Hardware Monitor ..................................................

4.6 Boot menu ..........................................................................

4.6.1 Boot Device Priority ..............................................

4.6.2 Removable Drives ..................................................

4.6.3 Hard Disk Drives ....................................................

4.6.4 Boot Settings Conguration ................................

4.6.5 Security .................................................................

4.7 Tools menu .........................................................................

ASUS EZ Flash 2 .................................................................. 4-43

4.8 Exit menu ............................................................................

4-20 4-20 4-23 4-25 4-26 4-31 4-32 4-32 4-32 4-33 4-35 4-37 4-37 4-38 4-38 4-39 4-41 4-43

4-44

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 Manuals menu .........................................................

5.2.5 ASUS Contact information ......................................

5.2.6 Other information ...................................................

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

5.3.1 Cool ‘n’ Quiet!™ Technology ...................................

5.3.2 ASUS PC Probe II ...................................................

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

5-1 5-1 5-2 5-3 5-4 5-5 5-5 5-8

5-8 5-10 5-16

Contents

5.4.1 Installing hard disks ............................................... 5-17

5.4.2 NVIDIA

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

Chapter 6: NVIDIA® SLI™ technology support

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

Requirements ........................................................................ 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 ............

RAID congurations ................................. 5-18

5-25

6-2 6-2 6-5 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

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.

About this guide

This user guide contains the information you need when installing and

conguring the motherboard.

How this guide is organized

This manual contains the following parts:

• Chapter 1: Product introduction This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new

technology it supports.

• Chapter 2: Hardware information This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to

perform when installing system components. It includes description of the switches, jumpers, and connectors on the motherboard.

• Chapter 3: Powering up This chapter describes the power up sequence, the vocal POST

messages, and ways of shutting down the system.

• Chapter 4: BIOS setup This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS

Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.

• Chapter 5: Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support 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: awdash M2N4SLI.ROM

M2N4-SLI specications summary

CPU Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon™ 64 FX/AMD Athlon™ 64 X2

/AMD Athlon 64™/AMD Sempron™ processors Supports AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32-bit and 64-bit computing AMD Live!™ ready

Chipset NVIDIA

nForce® 4 SLI™ MCP

System bus 2000 / 1600 MT/s

Memory Dual-channel memory architecture

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

modules

- Supports up to 8 GB system memory

Expansion slots 2 x PCI Express™ x16 slots

Supports NVIDIA® SLI™ Technology (both at x8 mode) 2 x PCI Express™ x1 slots 2 x PCI 2.2 slots

Scalable Link Interface (SLI™)

Supports two identical NVIDIA ASUS two-slot thermal design

Storage NVIDIA® nForce

4 SLI™ MCP supports:

SLI™-ready graphics card

- 2 x IDE connector for up to four Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33 devices

- 4 x Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s connectors support four Serial ATA devices

- RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD congurations spanning across Serial ATA drives

LAN NVIDIA® nForce

4 SLI™ MCP built-in Gigabit MAC with external Attansic PHY Supports TCP/IP Acceleration

Audio Realtek® ALC850 6-channel AC’97 CODEC

Supports Jack-Sensing and Enumeration Technology Supports S/PDIF Out interface

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

four on the rear panel)

ASUS Exclusive Overclocking features

AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner) Stepless Frequency Selection(SFS) allows FSB tuning from 200 MHz up to 400 MHz at 1 MHz increment ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall) Adjustable FSB/DDR2 ratio. Fixed PCI/PCIe frequencies

(continued on the next page)

M2N4-SLI specications summary

Special features ASUS EZ DIY:

Rear panel 1 x Parallel port

Internal connectors 3 x USB 2.0 connectors support six additional USB 2.0

BIOS features 4 Mb BIOS ROM, AWARD BIOS, PnP, DMI 2.0, WfM2.0,

Manageability WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chassis intrusion, PXE

- Q-Connector

- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

- ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS Q-Fan 2 ASUS MyLogo2

1 x PS/2 keyboard port (purple) 1 x PS/2 mouse port (green) 1 x Serial (COM1) port 1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Out port 1 x LAN (RJ-45) ports 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports 6-channel audio ports

ports

1 x Floppy disk drive connector 2 x IDE connector for four devices 4 x Serial ATA connectors 1 x CPU / 1 x Chassis / 1 x Power fan connectors S/PDIF out connector Front panel audio connector CD/AUX audio in connectors 24-pin ATX power connector 4-pin ATX 12 V power connector System panel connector

SM BIOS 2.3

Power requirements ATX power supply with 24-pin and 4-pin 12V plugs

Support CD contents Device drivers

Form factor ATX form factor: 12 in x 9 in (30.5 cm x 22.8 cm)

*Specications are subject to change without notice.

xii

ATX 12V 2.0 compliant

ASUS PC Probe II ASUS Update NVIDIA® MediaShield™ RAID Anti-virus software (OEM version)

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

introduction

Product

Chapter summary

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

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

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

1-1 1-2

ASUS M2N4-SLI

1.1 Welcome!

Thank you for buying an ASUS

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.

M2N4-SLI motherboard!

1.2 Package contents

Check your motherboard package for the following items.

Motherboard ASUS M2N4-SLI motherboard

Cables 2 x Serial ATA signal cables 1 x Serial ATA power cable with dual plugs 1 x Ultra DMA/133 cable 1 x Floppy disk drive cable

Accessories I/O shield

ASUS SLI™ bridge 1 x ASUS Q-Connector Kit

(USB, System panel; Retail version only)

Application CDs ASUS motherboard support CD

Documentation User guide

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

ASUS M2N4-SLI 1-1

1.3 Special features

1.3.1 Product highlights

Latest processor technology

The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket that supports AMD

Athlon™ 64 X2/AMD Athlon™ 64/AMD Athlon™ 64 FX/AMD Sempron™

processors. With an integrated low-latency high-bandwidth memory

controller and a highly scalable HyperTransport™ technology-based system

bus, the motherboard provides a powerful platform for your diverse

computing needs, increased ofce productivity, and enhanced digital media

experience. See page 2-5 for details.

Scalable Link Interface (SLI™) technology

The NVIDIA® nForce4® Scalable Link Interface (SLI™) technology allows two graphics processing units (GPUs) in a single system. This technology takes

advantage of the PCI Express™ bus architecture and features intelligent

hardware and software solutions that allows multiple GPUs to work together and achieve exceptional graphics performance. See Chapter 6 for details.

AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet!™ Technology

The motherboard supports the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet!™ Technology that

dynamically and automatically changes the CPU speed, voltage and amount of power depending on the task the CPU performs. See pages 4-25, 5-3 and 5-9.

Gigabit LAN

The motherboard comes with a Gigabit LAN controller built into the NVIDIA® nForce™4 chipset to meet your growing networking needs. The controller uses the PCI Express segment to provide faster data bandwidth

for your Internet, LAN, and le sharing requirements. See page 2-22 for

details.

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 pages 2-10 to 2-13 for details.

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction

Serial ATA 3Gb/s RAID

The motherboard supports the next-generation Serial ATA hard drives

based on the SATA 3Gb/s storage specication. The onboard NVIDIA

nForce® 4 SLI™ MCP allows RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD. See page 2-25.

PCI Express™ interface

The motherboard fully supports PCI Express, the latest I/O interconnect technology that speeds up the PCI bus. PCI Express features point-to-point serial interconnections between devices and allows higher clockspeeds by carrying data in packets. This high speed interface is software compatible

with existing PCI specications. See page 2-18 for details.

S/PDIF digital sound ready

The motherboard supports the S/PDIF Out function through the S/PDIF interfaces on the rear panel. The S/PDIF technology turns your computer into a high-end entertainment system with digital connectivity to powerful audio and speaker systems. See page 2-23 for details.

USB 2.0 technology

The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0

specication, dramatically increasing the connection speed from the

12 Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1. See page 2-23 and 2-27 for details.

ASUS M2N4-SLI 1-3

1.3.2 ASUS Special features

ASUS Two-slot thermal design

The motherboard is designed with two PCI Express x1 slots placed between

the PCI Express x16 slots allowing an increase in airow between the two

PCI Express x16 graphics cards. This special design permits more room for ventilation thus lowering the overall system temperature.

ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data

from a USB ash disk containing the BIOS le. This utility saves users

the cost and hassle of buying a replacement BIOS chip. See page 4-5 for details.

ASUS EZ Flash 2

EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly BIOS update utility. Simply press the predened

hotkey to launch the utility and update the BIOS without entering the OS. Update your BIOS easily without preparing a bootable diskette or using an

OS-based ash utility. See page 4-7 for details.

ASUS Q-Connector

ASUS Q-Connector allows you to easily connect or disconnect the chassis

front panel cables to the motherboard. This unique module eliminates the trouble of connecting the system panel cables one at a time and avoiding wrong cable connections.

ASUS Q-Fan 2 technology

The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the CPU and chassis fan speeds according to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efcient

operation. See page 4-35 for details.

ASUS MyLogo2™

This new feature present in the motherboard allows you to personalize and add style to your system with customizable boot logos.

1-4 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

Chapter summary

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

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

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

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

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

2.6 Jumpers ..............................................................................

2.7 Connectors .........................................................................

2-2

2-5 2-10 2-16 2-19 2-22

ASUS M2N4-SLI

2.1 Before you proceed

M2N4-SLI

M2N4-SLI Onboard LED

SB_PWR

Standby

Power

OFF

Powered

Off

Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings.

• Make sure that your power supply unit (PSU) can provide at least

the minimum power required by your system. See “8. ATX power

connectors” on page 2-26 for details.

• Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any component.

• Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or to 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.

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.

ASUS M2N4-SLI 2-1

M2N4-SLI

2.2 Motherboard overview

Before you install the motherboard, study the conguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard ts into it.

Make sure to unplug the power cord before installing or removing the motherboard. Failure to do so can cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components.

2.2.1 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.

2.2.2 Screw holes

Place six (6) 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

2-2 Chapter 2: Hardware information

Socket AM2

Super I/O

M2N4-SLI

CR2032 3V

SB_PWR

Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

ATX12V

KBPWR

23.0cm (9.0in)

30.5cm (12.0in)

PANEL

CPU_FAN

PS/2KBMS

T: Mouse B: Keyboard

PARALLEL PORT

COM1

SPDIF_O1

PRI_IDE

SEC_IDE

USBPW56 USBPW78 USBPW910

USB910

FLOPPY

USB78USB56

SATA4

SATA3

SATA2

SATA1

CLRTC

CHASSIS

F_PANEL

USBPW34

NVIDIA NF4 SLI

CHA_FAN PWR_FAN

USB12

LAN_USB34

FP_AUDIO

SPDIF_OUT

USBPW12

AUX

PCIEX16_1

PCIEX1_1

PCIEX1_2

PCIEX16_2

PCI1

PCI2

DDR2 DIMM_A1 (64 bit,240-pin module)

DDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 bit,240-pin module)

DDR2 DIMM_A2 (64 bit,240-pin module)

DDR2 DIMM_B2 (64 bit,240-pin module)

EATXPWR

AUDIO

Attansic

ALC850

4Mb

BIOS

2.2.3 Motherboard layout

ASUS M2N4-SLI 2-3

2.2.4 Layout Contents

Slots Page

1. DDR2 DIMM slots 2-10

2. PCI slots 2-17

3. PCI Express x16 slot 2-18

4. PCI Express x1 slot 2-18

Slots Page

1. CLRTC (3-pin CLRTC1) 2-19

2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56, USBPW78, USBPW910) 2-20

3. Keyboard Power (3-pin KBPWR) 2-21

Rear panel connectors Page

1. PS/2 mouse port (green) 2-22

2. Parallel port 2-22

3. Serial (COM) port 2-22

4. LAN (RJ-45) port 2-22

5. Line In port (light blue) 2-22

6. Microphone port (pink) 2-22

7. Line Out port (lime) 2-22

8. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4 2-23

9. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2 2-23

10. Coaxial S/PDIF out port 2-23

11. PS/2 keyboard port (purple) 2-23

Internal connectors Page

1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) 2-23

2. Primary/Secondary IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_IDE) 2-24

3. nForce 4 Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4) 2-25

4. CPU fan connector (3-pin CPU_FAN) 2-26

5. Power fan connector (3-pin PWR_FAN) 2-26

6. Chassis fan connector (3-pin CHA_FAN) 2-26

7. USB headers (10-1 USB56, USB78, USB910) 2-27

8. ATX power connector (24-pin EATXPWR1) 2-28

9. ATX 12V power connector (4-pin ATX12V1) 2-28

10. Internal audio connectors (4-pin CD/AUX) 2-29

11. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin FP_AUDIO) 2-29

12. System panel connector (20-8 pin PANEL) 2-30

•

System power LED (2-pin LED)

•

Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pin IDE_LED)

•

System warning speaker (4-pin SPEAKER)

•

ATX power button/soft-off button (2-pin PWR)

•

Reset button (2-pin RESET)

2-4 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

M2N4-SLI

M2N4-SLI CPU Socket AM2

The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket designed for the AMD

Athlon™ 64 X2/AMD Athlon™ 64 FX/AMD Athlon™ 64 and AMD Sempron™

processors.

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!

2.3.1 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 90º angle.

ASUS M2N4-SLI 2-5

Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to a 90º angle; otherwise,

the CPU will not t in completely.

Socket lever

3. Position the CPU above the socket such that the CPU corner with the gold triangle matches the socket corner with a small triangle.

Gold triangle

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.

Small triangle

2-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.3.2 Installing the heatsink and fan

The the AMD Athlon™ FX, AMD Athlon 64™, AMD Sempron™ or AMD Athlon™ X2 processor require a specially designed heatsink and fan

assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance.

Make sure that you use only qualied heatsink and fan assembly.

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.

• 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.

CPU Fan

CPU Heatsink

Retention Module Base

Retention bracket lockRetention bracket

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.

ASUS M2N4-SLI 2-7

2. Attach one end of the retention bracket to the retention module base.

3. Align the other end of the retention bracket (near the retention bracket lock) to the retention module base. A clicking sound denotes that the retention bracket is in place.

Make sure that the fan and heatsink assembly perfectly

ts the retention mechanism

module base, otherwise you cannot snap the retention bracket in place.

4. Push down the retention bracket lock on the retention mechanism to secure the heatsink and fan to the module base.

2-8 Chapter 2: Hardware information

5. When the fan and heatsink assembly is in place, connect the CPU fan

M2N4-SLI

M2N4-SLI CPU Fan Connectors

GND

CPU FAN PWR

CPU FAN IN

CPU FAN PWM

CPU_FAN

cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_FAN.

Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring errors can occur if you fail to plug this connector.

ASUS M2N4-SLI 2-9

2.4 System memory

M2N4-SLI

M2N4-SLI 240-pin DDR2 DIMM Sockets

DIMM_B1

DIMM_A2

DIMM_B2

DIMM_A1

112 Pins128 Pins

2.4.1 Overview

The motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets.

A DDR2 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR DIMM but has a 240-pin footprint compared to the 184-pin DDR DIMM. DDR2 DIMMs are notched differently to prevent installation on a DDR DIMM socket.

The gure illustrates the location of the DDR2 DIMM sockets:

Channel Sockets

Channel A DIMM_A1 and DIMM_A2

Channel B

DIMM_B1 and DIMM_B2

2.4.2 Memory congurations

You may install 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2GB unbuffered ECC/non-ECC DDR2 DIMMs into the DIMM sockets.

Recommended Memory Congurations

Mode

Single Channel

Dual-channel (1)

Dual-channel (2)

DIMM_A1 DIMM_A2 DIMM_B1 DIMM_B2

Populated – – –

– Populated – – – – Populated – – – – Populated

Populated – Populated –

– Populated – Populated

Populated Populated Populated Populated

2-10 Chapter 2: Hardware information

Sockets

+ 108 hidden pages

ASUS M2N4-SLI User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual