Asus M2N68-AM PLUS, M2N68 User Manual
M2N68-AM PLUS
Motherboard
E4428
First Edition V1
January 2009
Copyright © 2009 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, modied or altered, unless
such repair, modication 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 identication or explanation and to the
owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.
ii
Contents
Notices .......................................................................................................... v
Safety information ...................................................................................... vi
About this guide ......................................................................................... vi
M2N68-AM PLUS specications summary ............................................. viii
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 1-1
1.2 Motherboard overview .................................................................
1.2.1 Motherboard layout .........................................................
1.2.2 Layout contents ...............................................................
1.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ...................................................
1.4 System memory ...........................................................................
1.4.1 Overview .........................................................................
1.4.2 Memory congurations ....................................................
1.5 Expansion slots ............................................................................
1.5.1 Installing an expansion card ...........................................
1.5.2 Conguring an expansion card .......................................
1.5.3 PCI slot ...........................................................................
1.5.4 PCI Express x1 slot .........................................................
1.5.5 PCI Express x16 slot .......................................................
1.6 Jumpers ........................................................................................
1.7 Connectors ...................................................................................
1.7.1 Rear panel ports .............................................................
1.7.2 Internal connectors .........................................................
1.8 Software support ........................................................................
1.8.1 Installing an operating system ......................................
1.8.2 Support DVD information ..............................................
1-2
1-2
1-2
1-3
1-3
1-3
1-3
1-6
1-6
1-6
1-6
1-6
1-6
1-7
1-8
1-8
1-9
1-15
1-15
1-15
Chapter 2: BIOS information
2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 2-1
2.1.1 ASUS Update utility ........................................................
2.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility ...................................................
2.1.3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility ......................................
2.2 BIOS setup program ....................................................................
2-1
2-2
2-3
2-4
iii
Contents
2.3 Main menu .................................................................................... 2-4
2.3.1 System Time ...................................................................
2.3.2 System Date ...................................................................
2.3.3 IDE Conguration ............................................................
2.3.4 Primary IDE Master/Slave and SATA 1~4 .......................
2.3.6 System Information .........................................................
2.4 Advanced menu ...........................................................................
2.4.1 JumperFree Conguration ..............................................
2.4.2 CPU Conguration ..........................................................
2.4.3 Chipset ............................................................................
2.4.4 Onboard Devices Conguration ....................................
2.4.5 PCI PnP ........................................................................
2.4.6 USB Conguration ........................................................
2.5 Power menu ................................................................................
2.5.1 Suspend Mode ...............................................................
2.5.2 ACPI 2.0 Support ...........................................................
2.5.3 ACPI APIC Support ........................................................
2.5.4 APM Conguration ........................................................
2.5.5 HW Monitor Conguration .............................................
2.6 Boot menu ..................................................................................
2.6.1 Boot Device Priority ......................................................
2.6.2 Boot Settings Conguration ..........................................
2.6.3 Security .........................................................................
2.7 Tools menu .................................................................................
2.7.1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 ..........................................................
2.7.2 AI NET 2
2.8 Exit menu ....................................................................................
........................................................................ 2-15
2-4
2-4
2-5
2-5
2-6
2-6
2-6
2-8
2-9
2-10
2-10
2-10
2-11
2-11
2-11
2-11
2-12
2-12
2-13
2-13
2-13
2-14
2-15
2-15
2-15
iv
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 modications 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.
DO NOT throw the motherboard in municipal waste. This product has been designed to
enable proper reuse of parts and recycling. 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.
DO NOT throw the mercury-containing button cell battery in municipal waste. This symbol
of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the battery should not be placed in municipal
waste.
v
Safety information
Electrical safety
• To prevent electric shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electric 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 qualied 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 that 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 at and stable surface.
• If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualied service
technician or your retailer.
About this guide
This user guide contains the information you need when installing and conguring 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.
vi
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.
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.
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.
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:
afudos /i[lename]
afudos /iM2N68AMP.ROM
vii
M2N68-AM PLUS specications summary
CPU AMD® Socket AM2+ / AM2 for AMD Phenom™ II / Phenom™ /
Chipset GeForce 7025 / NVIDIA nForce 630a
System bus 2000 / 1600 MT/s
Memory Dual-channel memory architecture
Expansion slots 1 x PCI Express™ x16 slot
Storage / RAID 1 x UltraDMA 133/100
Audio ALC662 High Denition Audio 6-channel CODEC
USB Supports up to 10 USB 2.0 ports (6 ports at mid-board,
LAN Gigabit LAN
Back panel I/O
ports
Athlon™ FX / Athlon™ 64 / Sempron™ processor
AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32-bit
and 64-bit computing
AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology
* Refer to www.asus.com for AMD CPU support list
2 x 240-pin DIMM slots support unbuffered ECC and non-ECC
DDR2 1066/800/667MHz
Supports up to 4GB system memory
* Due to AM2+ CPU limitation, only one DDR2 1066 DIMM is
supported per channel. When two DDR2 1066 DIMMs are
installed, all DIMMs run at 800MHz frequency by default for
system stability.
** Refer to www.asus.com or user manual for Memory QVL
(Qualied Vendors List)
*** Due to the memory address limitation on 32-bit Windows OS,
when you install 4GB 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 install a 64-bit Windows OS when having 4GB or more
memory installed on the motherboard.
1 x PCI Express™ x1 slot
2 x PCI slots
4 x Serial ATA 3Gb/s connectors
Supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, RAID 5 (only for Vista OS)
Supports Vista Premium, Multistreaming Technologies.
4 ports at the back panel)
1 x PS/2 Keyboard port
1 x Mouse port
1 x VGA port
1 x RJ45 port
1 x COM port
1 x LPT port
4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
6-channel Audio I/O ports
viii
(continued on the next page)
M2N68-AM PLUS specications summary
Internal I/O
connectors
Graphics Integrated Programmable Shader model3.0 DirectX 9 graphics
ASUS special
features
ASUS Overclocking
features
BIOS 8Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, ACPI2.0,
Accessories User manual
Form Factor uATX Form factor: 9.6’’ x 8.2’’ (24.4cm x 20.8cm)
Support DVD Drivers
3 x USB 2.0 connectors support additional 6 USB 2.0/1.1 ports
1 x IDE connector
4 x SATA connectors
1 x front panel audio connector
1 x system panel connector
1 x CD audio-in connector
1 x S/PDIF out connector
1 x Internal speaker connector
1 x CPU fan connector
24-pin ATX power connector
4-pin ATX 12V power connector
processor
Supports maximum shared memory up to 256MB
Supports RGB with max. resolution up to 1920 x 1440 @75Hz
* We recommend system conguration when playing HD-DVD
and Blu-ray Disc: DDR 800 1GB x 2 / Althlon 64 x 2 4400+ /
Graphich shared memory 256MB / Purevideo HD support
ASUS Q-Fan
ASUS CrashFree BIOS3
ASUS EZ Flash2
ASUS MyLogo2
ASUS AI NET2
SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection):
- HT turning from 200MHz to 300MHz at 1MHz increment
- Memory turning from 533 MHz to 1066 MHz
- PCIe frequency turning from 100 MHz up to 150 MHz at
1 MHz increment
Overclocking protection
- ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
SMBIOS 2.5
1 x Serial ATA cable
1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable
1 x I/O shield
ASUS PC Probe II
ASUS LiveUpdate Utilitys
Anti-Virus software (OEM version)
*Specications are subject to change without notice.
ix
Chapter 1
Product introduction
Thank you for buying an ASUS® M2N68-AM PLUS motherboard!
Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it, check the items in
your motherboard package. Refer to page ix for the list of accessories.
If any of the items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
1.1 Before you proceed
Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change
any motherboard settings.
• Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any component.
• Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or a metal object, such
as the power supply case, before handling components to avoid damaging them due to
static electricity
• Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.
• Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic pad or in the
bag that came with the component.
• Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the ATX power supply is
switched off or the power cord is detached from the power supply. Failure to do so may
cause severe damage to the motherboard, peripherals, or components.
Onboard LED
This 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 must 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.
Chapter 1: Product introduction1-1
1.2 Motherboard overview
1.2.1 Motherboard layout
Ensure that you install the motherboard into the chassis in the correct orientation. The edge
with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis.
Place this side towards
the rear of the chassis.
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.
1.2.2 Layout contents
Connectors/Jumpers/Slots Page Connectors/Jumpers/Slots Page
1. Keyboard/mouse power (3-pin KBPWR) 1-8 9. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56 USB78,
2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW1-4 ,and5-8) 1-7 10. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC) 1-7
3. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin
ATX12V)
4. CPU fan connector (4-pin CPU_FAN) 1-11 12. Onboard LED 1-1
5. AM2/AM2+ CPU socket 1-3 13. System panel connector (10-1 pin PANEL) 1-13
6. DDR2 DIMM slots 1-3 14. Digital audio connector (4-1 pin
7. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1-4) 1-9 15. Optical drive audio connector (4-pin CD) 1-10
8 IDE connector (40-pin PRI-EIDE) 1-10 16. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin
1-12 11. Speaker connector (4-pin SPEAKER) 1-12
and USB 910)
SPDIF_OUT)
AAFP)
1-11
1-14
1-13
1-2ASUS M2N68-AM PLUS
1.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
This motherboard comes with a 940-pin AMD® Socket AM2+ / AM2 for AMD Phenom™ II /
Phenom™ / Athlon™ FX / Athlon™ 64 / Sempron™ processor.
The AM2/AM2+ socket has a different pinout from the 940-pin socket designed for the
AMD Opteron™ processor. Ensure that you use a CPU that is designed for the AM2/AM2+
socket. The CPU ts in only one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket
to prevent bending the pins and damaging the CPU!
1.4 System memory
1.4.1 Overview
This motherboard comes with two Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) Dual Inline Memory Modules
(DIMM) sockets. A DDR2 DIMM 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
Channel B DIMM_B1
1.4.2 Memory congurations
You may install 512MB, 1GB, and 2GB unbuffered ECC/non-ECC DDR2 DIMMs into the
DIMM sockets.
Chapter 1: Product introduction1-3
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