ASUS M2N8-VMX User Manual

Motherboard

M2N8-VMX

ii

Copyright © 2006 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced,

transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form
or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the
express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).

Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modied or
altered, unless such repair, modication of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the

serial number of the product is defaced or missing.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS

OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS,
ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS
OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS
HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR
ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.

SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR
INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND
SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY
OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL,
INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.

Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered

trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identication or
explanation and to the owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.

E2813

First Edition V1
September 2006

iii

Contents

Notices ................................................................................................ vi

Safety information ..............................................................................vii

M2N8-VMX specications summary ..................................................... x

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.1 Welcome! .............................................................................. 1-2

1.2 Package contents ................................................................. 1-2

1.3 Special features .................................................................... 1-2

1.3.1 Product highlights ................................................... 1-2

1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features ...................................... 1-5

1.4 Before you proceed .............................................................. 1-6

1.5 Motherboard overview .......................................................... 1-7

1.5.1 Motherboard layout ................................................ 1-7

1.5.2 Placement direction ................................................ 1-8

1.5.3 Screw holes ............................................................. 1-8

1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU) .............................................. 1-9

1.6.1 Installing the CPU .................................................... 1-9

1.6.2 Installing the heatsink and fan .............................. 1-11

1.7 System memory .................................................................. 1-13

1.7.1 Overview ............................................................... 1-13

1.7.2 Memory congurations .........................................1-13

1.7.3 Installing a DIMM ...................................................1-17

1.7.4 Removing a DIMM .................................................. 1-17

1.8 Expansion slots ................................................................... 1-18

1.8.1 Installing an expansion card .................................. 1-18

1.8.2 Conguring an expansion card .............................. 1-18

1.8.3 PCI slots ................................................................ 1-20

1.8.4 PCI Express x1 slot ............................................... 1-20

1.8.5 PCI Express x8 slot ............................................... 1-20

1.9 Jumpers .............................................................................. 1-21

1.10 Connectors .........................................................................1-23

1.10.1 Rear panel connectors .......................................... 1-23

1.10.2 Internal connectors ............................................... 1-24

iv

Contents

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

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

2.1.1 Creating a bootable oppy disk .............................. 2-2

2.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash utility ............................................... 2-3

2.1.3 AFUDOS utility ........................................................ 2-4

2.1.4 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility ................................ 2-6

2.1.5 ASUS Update utility ................................................ 2-8

2.2 BIOS setup program ............................................................ 2-11

2.2.1 BIOS menu screen ................................................. 2-12

2.2.2 Menu bar ............................................................... 2-12

2.2.3 Navigation keys .....................................................2-12

2.2.4 Menu items ........................................................... 2-13

2.2.5 Sub-menu items .................................................... 2-13

2.2.6 Conguration elds ............................................... 2-13

2.2.7 Pop-up window ...................................................... 2-13

2.2.8 Scroll bar ............................................................... 2-13

2.2.9 General help .......................................................... 2-13

2.3 Main menu ........................................................................... 2-14

2.3.1 System Time ......................................................... 2-14

2.3.2 System Date ......................................................... 2-14

2.3.3 Legacy Diskette A ...............................................2-14

2.3.4 IDE Conguration .................................................. 2-15

2.3.5 Primary IDE Master/Slave ...................................... 2-15

2.3.6 SATA1, SATA2 ..................................................... 2-17

2.3.7 System Information............................................... 2-18

2.4 Advanced menu .................................................................. 2-19

2.4.1 Jumperfree Conguration ..................................... 2-19

2.4.2 CPU Conguration ................................................ 2-20

2.4.3 Chipset .................................................................. 2-21

2.4.4 Onboard Devices Conguration .............................2-25

2.4.5 PCI PnP .................................................................. 2-26

2.4.6 USB Conguration ................................................. 2-27

2.5 Power menu ........................................................................ 2-28

2.5.1 Suspend Mode ....................................................... 2-28

2.5.2 ACPI Support ........................................................ 2-28

v

Contents

Chapter 3: Software support

3.1 Installing an operating system .............................................. 3-2

3.2 Support CD information ........................................................ 3-2

3.2.1 Running the support CD .......................................... 3-2

3.2.2 Drivers menu ........................................................... 3-3

3.2.3 Utilities menu .......................................................... 3-4

3.2.4 Make Disk menu ...................................................... 3-5

3.2.5 Manual menu ........................................................... 3-6

3.2.6 ASUS Contact information ...................................... 3-7

3.2.7 Other information ................................................... 3-7

3.3 Creating a RAID driver disk ................................................... 3-9

2.5.3 ACPI APIC Support ................................................ 2-28

2.5.4 APM Conguration ................................................2-29

2.5.5 Hardware Monitor .................................................. 2-30

2.6 Boot menu .......................................................................... 2-31

2.6.1 Boot Device Priority .............................................. 2-31

2.6.2 Removable Drives ..................................................2-31

2.6.3 Boot Settings Conguration ................................. 2-32

2.6.4 Security ................................................................. 2-33

2.7 Exit menu ............................................................................ 2-35

vi

Notices

Federal Communications Commission Statement

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

•

This device may not cause harmful interference, and

•

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

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits
are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with

manufacturer’s instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio

communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will
not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following measures:

•

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

•

Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

•

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

•

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

Canadian Department of Communications Statement

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

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

The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics
card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes

or modications to this unit not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate

this equipment.

vii

Safety information

Electrical safety

•

To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from

the electrical outlet before relocating the system.

•

When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that
the power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables
are connected. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the existing
system before you add a device.

•

Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard,
ensure that all power cables are unplugged.

•

Seek professional assistance before using an adapter or extension cord.
These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.

•

Make sure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your
area. If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you
are using, contact your local power company.

•

If the power supply is broken, do not try to x it by yourself. Contact a
qualied service technician or your retailer.

Operation safety

•

Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully
read all the manuals that came with the package.

•

Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected
and the power cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage,
contact your dealer immediately.

•

To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from
connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry.

•

Avoid dust, humidity, and extreme temperature. Do not place the
product in any area where it may become wet.

•

Place the product on a stable surface.

•

If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a

qualied service technician or your retailer.

The symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product
(electrical and electronic equipment) should not be placed in municipal
waste. Check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.

viii

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. It also 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 2: 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 3: Software support
This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes

with the motherboard package.

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.

ix

Conventions used in this guide

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

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]

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.

NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a

task.

IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a

task.

x

M2N8-VMX specications summary

(continued on the next page)

CPU

Chipset

Front Side Bus

Memory

Expansion slots

Graphics

Storage

High Denition Audio

LAN

USB

Supports AMD socket AM2 for AMD Athlon™ 64/
Athlon™ FX/Athlon™ X2/Sempron processors
AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32-bit and
64-bit computing

Supports AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology

NVIDIA® nForce 405/GeForce6100

2000/1600 MT/s

Dual-channel memory architecture
4 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support up to 4 GB of

unbufferred/ECC or non-ECC 800/667/533 MHz

DDR2 memory modules

1 x PCI Express™ x8 slot
1 x PCI Express™ x1 slot
2 x PCI slots

Integrated in the NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6100 Graphics
Processing Unit (GPU)

High denition video processing with maximum
resolution of 1920 x 1440 x 32bpp pixels (@75Hz)

NVIDIA® nForce™405 Media and Communications
Processor (MCP) with NVIDIA MediaShield™ supports:

- 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 interfaces for two (2)
hard disk drives

- 2 x Serial ATA 3 Gb/s hard disk drives with RAID 0
and RAID 1

Azalia ALC883-GR High Denition Audio 6-channel CODEC

Supports Jack-Sensing & Enumeration technology
S/PDIF OUT interface

ATTANSIC Gigabit LAN PCIe

Supports up to 8 USB 2.0/1.1 ports

xi

M2N8-VMX specications summary

Manageability

Special features

BIOS features

Rear panel

Internal Connector

Power Requirement

Form Factor

Support CD

ASUS Q-Fan
ASUS C.P.R.
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2
ASUS EZ Flash
ASUS MyLogo2™
Stepless Frequency Selection (SFS) allows FSB tuning
from 200 MHz to 300 MHz at 1 MHz increment
Note: ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 and ASUS EZ Flash only
support VGA/RGB output.

4 Mb Flash ROM, Award BIOS,Green, PnP, DMI, Wfm2.0,
ACPI v 2.0a, SM BIOS v 2.3

1 x Parallel port
1 x LAN (RJ-45) port
4 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x COM1 port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
1 x 6-channel audio port

1 x 10-pin Azalia Analog Front panel connector
1 x CD audio in connector
1 x CPU fan connector
1 x Chassis fan connectors
1 x Floppy disk drive connector
1 x S/PDIF Out connector
1 x PRI_IDE connectors
2 x Serial ATA connectors
2 x USB 2.0 connectors for 4 additional USB 2.0 ports
1 x 24-pin ATX power connector
1 x 4-pin EATX 12V power connector
1 x System panel connector

ATX power supply (with 24-pin and 4-pin 12 V plugs)
ATX 12 V 2.0 compliant

uATX: 9.6 in. x 8.8 in (24.5cm x 22.4cm)

Device drivers
ASUS PC Probe II
AMD Cool ‘n’Quiet™ utility
ASUS Update

*Specications are subject to change without notice.

xii

1

Product

introduction

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

1-2 Cha pte r 1 : P ro d uc t i ntr odu cti on

1.1 Welcome!

T h a n k y o u f o r b u y i n g a n A S US® M 2 N 8 - V M X m o t h e r b o a r d !

The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies,
making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards!

Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it,
check the items in your package with the list below.

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

1.2 Package contents

Check your motherboard package for the following items.

Motherboard ASUS M2N8-VMX motherboard

Cables 1 x Serial ATA signal cable
1 x Serial ATA power cable
1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable
1 x Floppy disk drive cable

Accessories I/O shield

Application CD ASUS motherboard support CD

Documentation User guide

1.3 Special features

1.3.1 Prod u c t highli g h ts

Late s t pro cesso r tech n ology

The motherboard supports AMD socket AM2 single-core Athlon 64/
Sempron and dual-core Athlon 64 X2/Athlon 64 FX processors with
2MB/1MB/512KB L2 cache, which is based on 64-bit architecture. It
features 2000/1600 MT/s HyperTransport Bus, dual-channel un-buffered

DDR2 800 memory support and AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Technology. See page

1-9 for details.

ASU S M 2N8 -VM X 1-3

NVID I A® GeF o rce™ 6100 G PU
and N VIDIA® nFo r ce™ 4 05 MC P chip s ets

The NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6100 graphics processing unit (GPU) Northbridge
supports Microsoft® DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0, and PCI Express
interface.

The NVIDIA® nForce™ 405 MCP delivers NVIDIA® MediaShield storage

management technology, allowing easy RAID conguration (RAID 0, RAID 1)

for Serial ATA 3Gb/s.

DDR2 memor y sup p ort

The motherboard supports DDR2 memory which 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 1-13 to 1-16 for details.

PCI E xpres s™ in t erfac e

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

with existing PCI specications. See page 1-18 for details.

AMD C ool ‘ n’ Qu i et Te c hnolo gy

The motherboard supports the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Technology, which

monitors system operation and automatically adjusts CPU voltage and
frequency for a cool and quiet operating environment.

1-4 Cha pte r 1 : P ro d uc t i ntr odu cti on

Seri a l ATA 3Gb/ s tech n olog y

The motherboard supports next-generation SATA hard drives based on the

new SATA 3Gb/s storage specication. The onboard NVIDIA

®

nForce 405

MCP southbridge allows RAID 0 and RAID 1 congurations for two SATA

connectors.

Giga b it LA N sol u tion

Gb LAN controller delivers transfer speeds up to ten times faster than
conventional 10/100 Ethernet connections. Gigabit LAN is the networking
standard for the early future and is ideal for handling large amounts of data
such as video, audio, and voice.

USB 2 .0 te chnol o gy

The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0

specication, dramatically increasing the connection speed from the

12 Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is
backward compatible with USB 1.1. See pages 1-26 for details.

High Defin ition Audio

SoundMAX is the highest performing, most reliable and user-friendly PC
audio solution for business professionals, audiophiles, musicians, and
gamers. Hear crystal-clear quality from all your audio - MP3 playback, home
theatre, advanced gaming, VOIP and more, and never worry - SoundMAX

high-denition audio is there to enhance your experience!

ASU S M 2N8 -VM X 1-5

1.3.2 Inno v a tive ASU S features

ASUS Crash Free B IOS 2

This feature allows you to restore the original BIOS data from the support
CD in case when the BIOS codes and data are corrupted. This protection
eliminates the need to buy a replacement BIOS chip. See page 2-6 for
details.

ASUS EZ Fl ash

With the ASUS EZ Flash, you can easily update the system BIOS even before
loading the operating system. No need to use a DOS-based utility or boot
from a oppy disk. See page 2-3.

ASUS Q-Fan tech n ology

The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according to
the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efcient operation.
See page 2-31 for details.

C.P. R . (CP U Par a meter Reca l l)

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 MyLog o2™

This feature allows you to personalize and add style to your system with
customizable boot logos.

Install memory module in DIMM_A1 or DIMM_A2 slots.

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction

Onboard LED

The motherboard comes with a standby power LED that lights up to
indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode.
This is a reminder that you should shut down the system and unplug
the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard
component. The illustration below shows the location of the onboard
LED.

1.4 Before you proceed

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

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

• Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or
a metal object, such as the power supply case, before handling
components to avoid damaging them due to static electricity

• Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.

• Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded
antistatic pad or in the bag that came with the component.

• Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the ATX
power supply is switched off or the power cord is detached from
the power supply. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the
motherboard, peripherals, and/or components.

M2N8-VMX Onboard LED

SB_PWR

ON

Standby

Power

OFF

Powered

Off

ASUS M2N8-VMX 1-7

1.5.1 Moth e r board la y o ut

1.5 Motherboard overview

22.4cm (8.8in)

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

PRI_IDE

FLOPPY

Socket M2

CHA_ FAN

SATA1

SATA2

Nvidia

MCP61S

M2N8-VMX

24.5cm (9.6in

)

PANEL

USB78

USB56

PCI2

PCI1

PCIEX1_1

PCIEX8

CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

R

SB_PWR

SPDIF_OUT

AAFP

CPU_FAN

4Mb BIOS

Super I/O

ALC883

Attansic

L1

CD

PS2_USB_PWR

ATX12V

PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard

PARALLEL

POR

T

AUDIO

LAN_USB34

USB12

VGA COM1

CLRTC

1-8 Chapter 1: Product introduction

M2N8-VMX

R

Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard.

1.5.2 Plac e m ent dire c t ion

When installing the motherboard, make sure that you place it into the
chassis in the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the
rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below.

Place t his s id e t ow ar ds
the r ea r o f th e c ha ss is

1.5.3 Scre w holes

Place six (6) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the
motherboard to the chassis.

ASUS M2N8-VMX 1-9

1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket designed for the AMD
Athlon™ 64 X2/Athlon™ 64/Athlon™ FX/Sempron™ processor.

Make sure you use a CPU designed for the AM2 socket. The CPU ts in

only one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to
prevent bending the connectors on the socket and damaging the CPU!

1.6. 1 I nstal l ing t he CP U

To install a CPU.

1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.

2. Unlock the socket by pressing the
lever sideways, then lift it up to a
90°-100° angle.

Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to 90°-100° angle, otherwise

the CPU does not t in completely.

Socke t lev er

M2N8-VMX CPU Socket M2

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

4. Carefully insert the CPU into the

socket until it ts in place.

The CPU ts only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into

the socket to prevent bending the pins and damaging the CPU!

5. When the CPU is in place, push
down the socket lever to secure
the CPU. The lever clicks on the
side tab to indicate that it is
locked.

6. Install a CPU heatsink and fan
following the instructions that
came with the heatsink package.

Gold tr ian gl e

7. Connect the CPU fan cable to the CPU_FAN connector on the
motherboard.

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

M2N8-VMX CPU Fan Connector

CPU_FAN

GND

CPU FAN PWR

CPU FAN IN

CPU FAN PWM

Small t ria ng le

ASUS M2N8-VMX 1-11

1.6.2 Inst a l ling the h eatsink a n d fan

The AMD Athlon™ 64 X2/Athlon™ 64/Athlon™ FX/Sempron™ processor
require a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure optimum
thermal condition and performance.

Follow these steps to install the CPU heatsink and fan.

1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed CPU, making sure that the

heatsink ts properly on the retention module base.

Reten ti on Mo du le Ba se

CPU H ea tsi nk

CPU F an

Reten ti on br ac ket l oc kReten ti on br ac ket

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

• The retention module base is already installed on the motherboard
upon purchase.

• You do not have to remove the retention module base when
installing the CPU or installing other motherboard components.

• If you purchased a separate CPU heatsink and fan assembly, make

sure that a Thermal Interface Material is properly applied to the CPU
heatsink or CPU before you install the heatsink and fan assembly.

Your boxed CPU heatsink and fan assembly should come with installation
instructions for the CPU, heatsink, and the retention mechanism. If the
instructions in this section do not match the CPU documentation, follow
the latter.

1-12 Chapter 1: Product introduction

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.

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

Make sure that the fan and
heatsink assembly perfectly

ts the retention mechanism
module base; otherwise, you

cannot snap the retention
bracket in place.

ASUS M2N8-VMX 1-13

1.7.2 Memo r y configu r a tions

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

1.7 System memory

1.7.1 Over v i ew

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:

Recomm e n ded Memor y Configur a t ions

Sockets

DIMM_A1 DIMM_A2 DIMM_B1 DIMM_B2
Populated - - -

- Populated - -

- - Populated -

- - - Populated
Populated - Populated -

- Populated - Populated
Populated Populated Populated Populated

Mode

Single Channel

Dual-channel (1)

Dual-channel (2)

Channel Sockets

Channel A DIMM_A1 and DIMM_A2
Channel B DIMM_B1 and DIMM_B2

M2N8-VMX 240-pin DDR2 DIMM Sockets

DIMM_B1

DIMM_A2

DIMM_B2

DIMM_A1

128 Pins

112 Pins

1-14 Chapter 1: Product introduction

* For dual-channel memory conguration (2), you may:

• install identical DIMMs in all four sockets OR

• install an identical DIMM pair in DIMM_A1 and DIMM_B1 (yellow
sockets) and another identical DIMM pair in DIMM_A2 and
DIMM_B2 (black sockets)

* Always use identical DDR2 DIMM pairs for dual-channel model. For

optimum compatibility, we recommend that you obtain memory
modules from the same vendor. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.

com) for the latest Qualied Vendors List.

Important notice on installing Windows® XP 32-bit version

If you install Windows® XP 32-bit version Operating System (OS), the
limitation of this OS version is that it may reserve a certain amount of
memory space for system devices. We recommend that you install less
than 3 GB system memory if you would like to work under Windows

®

XP

32-bit version OS. The excess memory installation will not cause any

usage problem, but it will not give users the benet of manipulating this

excess memory space.

Visit the ASUS FAQ site for further
explanation:
http://support.asus.com/faq/faq.
aspx?SLanguage=en-us
Under General Search, make the
selections as shown, then click
Search. Click the article titled “4GB

memory installed but less memory size detected.”

You also may check the URLs below for third party comments on this
issue:
http://dlsvr01.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/4GB_Rev1.pdf
http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/sb/cs-016594.htm

Windows® 2000 Advanced Server
Windows® Server 2003 Enterprise

Edition

Windows® Server 2003 Standard
x64 Edition

Windows® XP Professtional x64
Edition

Windows® Server 2003 Enterprise
x64 Edition

32-bit 64-bit

ASUS M2N8-VMX 1-15

Qualif i e d Vendors L ists (QV L )

512MB Kingston KVR800D2N5/512 Samsung SS K4T51083QC-ZCE7 • •
1G Kingston KVR800D2N5/1G Samsung DS K4T51083QC-ZCE7 • •
1G Kingston KHX6400D2LL/1G Kingston DS Heat-Sink Package
512MB Samsung KR M378T6553CZ3-CE7 Samsung SS K4T51083QC-ZCE7 • •
1G Samsung KR M378T2953CZ3-CE7 Samsung DS K4T51083QC-ZCE7 • •
512MB Samsung KR M391T6553CZ3-CE7 Samsung SS K4T51083QC-ZCE7(ECC) • •
1G Samsung KR M391T2953CZ3-CE7 Samsung DS K4T51083QC-ZCE7(ECC) • •

256MB Inneon HYS64T32001HU-2.5-A Inneon SS HYB18T256800AF25SSS49313 • •
512MB Inneon HYS64T64020HU-2.5-A Inneon DS HYB18T256800AF25SSS25063 • •

512MB HY HYMP564U64AP8-S6 AA Hynix SS HY5PS12821AFP-S6 • •
1G HY HYMP512U64AP8-S6 AA Hynix DS HY5PS12821AFP-S6

Siz e Vend or Model Bra nd Side(s) C omponent A B

DIMM support

DDR2 8 0 0

Siz e Vendor Chip No Sid e(s) Part No. A B C

DDR2 6 6 7

256MB Kingston KVR667D2N5/256 Elpida SS E2508AB-6E-E • •
512MB Kingston KVR667D2N5/512 Kingston SS D6408TE8WL-27 • •
512MB Kingston KVR667D2E5/512 Elpida SS E5108AE-6E-E(ECC) • •
1G Kingston KVR667D2N5/1G Kingston DS D6408TE8WL-3 • •
512MB Samsung KR M378T6553CZ0-CE6 Samsung SS K4T51083QC • •
512MB Samsung KR M378T6453FZ0-CE6 Samsung DS K4T56083QF-ZCE6 • •
512MB Samsung M378T6553CZ3-CE6 Samsung SS K4T51083QC-ZCE6 • •
1G Samsung M378T2953CZ3-CE6 Samsung DS K4T51083QC-ZCE6 • •
1G Samsung KR M378T2953CZ0-CE6 Samsung SS K4T51083QC-ZCE6 • •

256MB Inneon HYS64T32000HU-3S-A Inneon SS HYB18T512160AF-3SSSS17310 • •
512MB Inneon HYS64T32000HU-3S-A Inneon SS HYB18T5128000AF-3SSSS27416 • •
512MB Inneon HYS64T64000HU-3S-A Inneon SS HYB18T512800AF3SFSS05346 • •
1G Inneon HYS64T128020HU-3S-A Inneon DS HYB18T512800AF3SSSS28104 • •

512MB HY HYMP564U64AP8-Y4 AA Hynix SS HY5PS12821AFP-Y4 • •
512MB HY HYMP564U64AP8-Y5 AA Hynix SS HY5PS12821AFP-Y5 • •
512MB HY HYMP564U72AP8-Y4 Hynix SS HY5PS12821AFP-Y4(ECC) • •
512MB HY HYMP564U72AP8-Y5 Hynix SS HY5PS12821AFP-Y5(ECC) • •
1G HY HYMP512U72AP8-Y5 Hynix DS HY5PS12821AFP-Y5(ECC) • •
1G HY HYMP512U64AP8-Y5 AB Hynix DS HY5PS12821AFP-Y5 • •
512MB Kingmax KLCC28F-A8EB5 Elpida SS E5108AE-6E-E • •
512MB Kingmax KLCC28F-A8KB5 Kingmax SS KKEA88B4LAUG-29DX • •
1G Kingmax KLCD48F-A8KB5 Kingmax DS KKEA88B4LAUG-29DX • •
512MB Apacer 78.91092.420 Elpida SS E5108AE-6E-E • •
512MB Apacer AU512E667C5KBGC Apacer SS AM4B5708MIJS7E0627B • •
1G Apacer 78.01092.420 Elpida DS E5108AE-6E-E • •
1G Apacer AU01GE667C5KBGC Apacer DS AM4B5708MIJS7E0627B • •
512MB ADATA M20EL5G3H3160B1C0Z Elpida SS E5108AE-6E-E • •
512MB VDATA M2GVD5G3H31A4I1C52 VDATA SS VD29608A8A-3EC20615 • •
512MB VDATA M2YVD5G3H31P4I1C52 VDATA SS VD29608A8A-3EG20627 • •
1G VDATA M2GVD5G3I41P6I1C52 VDATA DS VD29608A8A-3EG20627 • •
1G VDATA M2GVD5G3I41C4I1C52 VDATA DS VD29608A8A-3EC20620 • •

Siz e Vend or Mo del Bra nd Side(s) Co mpon ent A B

DIMM support