Asus M3A User Manual

M3A

Motherboard

E3422

First Edition V1 October 2007

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

Contents ...................................................................................................... iii

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

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

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

M3A specications summary .................................................................... xi

Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

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

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

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

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

1.3.3 ASUS intelligent performance and

overclocking features ...................................................... 1-6

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 slots .....................................................

1-1

1-2

1-4

2-2

2-3

2-4

2-6

2-8

2-11

2-15

2-16

2-17

2-18

iii

Contents

2.5.6 PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot ............................................... 2-18

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

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

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

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

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

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

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

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

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

4.1.4 AFUDOS utility ................................................................

4.1.5 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility ......................................

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

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

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

4.2.3 Navigation keys .............................................................

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 Scroll bar ........................................................................

4.2.9 General help ..................................................................

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

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

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

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

4.3.4 Primary IDE Master/Slave .............................................

4.3.5

4.3.6

SATA1/2/3/4 ....................................................................................4-14

Storage Conguration ....................................................................4-15

2-19

2-21

2-23

3-2

4-1

4-4

4-5

4-6

4-8

4-9

4-10

4-11

4-12

4-13

Contents

4.3.7 System Information ....................................................... 4-16

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

4.4.1 Jumperfree Conguration .............................................

4.4.2 AI NET 2

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

4.4.4 Chipset ..........................................................................

4.4.5 OnBoard Devices Conguration ...................................

4.4.6 PCI PnP ........................................................................

4.4.7 USB Conguration ........................................................

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

4.5.1 Suspend Mode ..............................................................

4.5.2 ACPI 2.0 Support ..........................................................

4.5.3 ACPI APIC Support .......................................................

4.5.4 APM Conguration ........................................................

4.5.5 Hardware Monitor .........................................................

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

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

4.6.2 Boot Settings Conguration ..........................................

4.6.3 Security .........................................................................

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

4.7.1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 ..........................................................

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

........................................................................ 4-20

4-17

4-21

4-22

4-24

4-25

4-26

4-27

4-28

4-29

4-31

4-32

4-34

4-36

4-37

Software support

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

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

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

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

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

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

5.2.5 Manual menu ..................................................................

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

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

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

5.3.1 ASUS MyLogo2™ ...........................................................

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

5-1

5-2

5-3

5-4

5-5

5-6

5-8

5-10

Contents

5.3.3 Audio congurations ..................................................... 5-13

5.3.4 ASUS PC Probe II .........................................................

5.3.5 ASUS AI Gear 2 ............................................................

5.3.6 ASUS AI Nap ................................................................

5.3.7 ASUS Q-Fan 2 ..............................................................

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

5.4.1 Installing hard disks ......................................................

5.4.2 AMD

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

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

5-17

5-23

5-24

5-25

5-26

5-33

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 adpater or extension cord. These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.

•

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

•

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

service technician or your retailer.

Operation safety

•

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

•

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

•

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

•

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

•

Place the product on a stable surface.

•

If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualied

service technician or your retailer.

viii

This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product (electrical, electronic equipment, and mercury-containing button cell battery) should not be placed in municipal waste. Check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.

About this guide

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

the motherboard.

How this guide is organized

This guide contains the following parts:

• Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

• Chapter 2: Hardware information

This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when installing system components. It includes description of the switches, jumpers, and connectors on the motherboard.

• Chapter 3: Powering up

This chapter describes the power up sequence and ways of shutting down the system.

• Chapter 4: BIOS setup

This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. 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.

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 M3A.bin

M3A specications summary

CPU AMD® Socket AM2+ Phenom™ FX / Phenom X4 /

Chipset AMD 770 / SB600

System bus Up to 5200 MT/s; HyperTransport™ 3.0 interface

Memory Dual-channel memory architecture

Expansion slots 1 x PCIe x16 slot

Storage - 4 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s connectors support RAID 0, 1, and

LAN Atheros® PCIe Gigabit LAN controller featuring AI NET 2

High Denition audio Realtek ALC883 8-channel High Denition audio CODEC

USB 10 x USB 2.0 ports (6 at mid-board; 4 on the rear panel)

ASUS AI Lifestyle unique features

BIOS features 8 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI 2.0, WfM2.0, SM

Phenom X2 / Athlon™ X2 / Sempron™ processor AMD® Socket AM2 Athlon 64 X2 / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 / Sempron processor

AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology

for AM2+ CPU 2000 / 1600 MT/s for AM2 CPU

- 4 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support unbufferred ECC/non-ECC DDR2 1066*/800/667/533 MHz memory modules

- Supports up to 8 GB system memory *DDR2 1066 is supported by AM2+ CPU only *Refer to www.asus.com or this user manual for the

Memory QVL (Qualied Vendors Lists)

2 x PCIe x1 slots 3 x PCI 2.2 slots Support PCIe 2.0 / 1.0 Architecture

0+1

- 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100

- Supports Jack-Detection, and Multi-Streaming

- Coaxial S/PDIF Out ports at back I/O

ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution:

- ASUS AI Gear 2

- ASUS AI Nap

- ASUS Q-Fan 2

ASUS Crystal Sound

- ASUS Noise Filter

ASUS EZ DIY

- ASUS Q-Shield

- ASUS Q-Connector

- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

- ASUS EZ Flash 2

BIOS 2.3, ACPI 2.0a, ASUS EZ Flash 2, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

(continued on the next page)

M3A specications summary

Other features ASUS MyLogo2™

ASUS exclusive overclocking features

Rear panel I/O ports 1 x PS/2 keyboard port

Internal I/O connectors 3 x USB connectors support additional 6 USB ports

Support CD contents Drivers

Form factor ATX form factor: 12 in x 8.6 in (30.5 cm x 21.8 cm)

*Specications are subject to change without notice.

Intelligent overclocking tools:

- AI Overclocking (Intelligent CPU Frequency Tuner)

Precision Tweaker:

- vCore: Adjustable CPU voltage at 0.025V increment

- vDIMM: 8-step DRAM voltage control

- vChipset: 4-step Chipset voltage control

SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection):

- FSB tuning from 200 MHz up to 600 MHz at 1 MHz increment

- Memory tuning from 533 MHz up to 1066 MHz (1066 MHz mode is supported by AM2+ CPU only.)

- PCIe frequency tuning from 100 MHz up to 150 MHz at 1 MHz increment

Overclocking protection:

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

1 x PS/2 Mouse 1 x Serial port 1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Out 1 x LAN (RJ-45) 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 8-channel audio I/O

1 x Floppy disk drive connector 1 x IDE connector 4 x SATA connectors 1 x CPU Fan connector 1 x Chassis Fan connector 1 x Power Fan connector Front panel audio connector 1 x S/PDIF Out Header Chassis Intrusion connector CD audio in 24-pin ATX Power connector 1 x 4-pin ATX 12V Power connector System Panel (Q-Connector)

ASUS Gear 2 ASUS AI Nap ASUS Q-Fan2 ASUS PC Probe II ASUS Update Anti-virus Utility (OEM version)

xii

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

Product

introduction

Chapter summary

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

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

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

1-1

1-2

ASUS M3A

1.1 Welcome!

Thank you for buying an ASUS® M3A motherboard!

The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies, making it

another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards!

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

1.2 Package contents

Check your motherboard package for the following items.

Motherboard ASUS M3A

Cables 1 x Serial ATA power cable for 2 devices 2 x Serial ATA signal cables 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable 1 x Floppy disk drive cable

Accessories ASUS Q-Shield 1 x ASUS Q-Connector Kit (USB, system panel; Retail version only)

Application CD ASUS motherboard support CD

Documentation User guide

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

ASUS M3A 1-1

1.3 Special features

1.3.1 Product highlights

Green ASUS

This motherboard and its packaging comply with the European Union’s Restriction on the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). This is in line with the ASUS vision

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

consumers’ health while minimizing the impact on the environment.

AMD® Socket AM2+ Phenom™ FX / Phenom X4 / Phenom X2 / Athlon™ 64 X2 / Sempron™ CPU support

This motherboard supports AMD® Socket AM2+ multi-core processors with unique L3 cache and delivers better overclocking capabilities with less power consumption. It features dual-channel DDR2 1066 memory support and accelerates data transfer rate up to 5200MT/s via HyperTransport™ 3.0 based system bus. See page 2-6 for details.

HyperTransport™ 3.0 support

HyperTransport™ 3.0 technology provides 2.6 times more bandwidth than

HyperTransport™ 1.0, radically improving system efciency to create a smoother,

faster computing environment.

AMD® Socket AM2 Athlon™ 64 X2 / Athlon™ 64 FX / Athlon™ 64 / Sempron™ CPU support

This 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 based on 64-bit architecture. It features 2000 / 1600 MT/s HyperTransport™-based system bus, dual-channel un-buffered DDR2 800 memory support, and AMD® Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology. See page 2-6 for details.

AMD 770 Chipset

AMD 770 Chipset is designed to support up to 5200MT/s HyperTransport™ 3.0

(HT 3.0) interface speed and PCI Express™ 2.0 x16 graphics. It is optimized with

AMD®’s latest AM2+ and multi-core CPUs to provide excellent system performance and overclocking capabilities.

1-2 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

Native DDR2 1066 support

This motherboard is the rst AMD® platform with native DDR2 1066 support.

It provides faster data transfer rate and more bandwidth to increase memory

computing efciency, enhancing system performance in 3D graphics and other

memory demanding applications. See page 2-11 for details. *DDR2 1066 is supported by AM2+ CPU only.

PCIe 2.0 support

This motherboard supports the latest PCIe 2.0 devices for double speed and bandwidth which enhances system performance. See page 2-18 for details.

Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s technology

This motherboard supports the next-generation hard disk drives based on the

Serial ATA (SATA) 3Gb/s storage specications, delivering enhanced scalability

and doubling the bus bandwidth for high-speed data retrieval and save. See page 2-25 for details.

S/PDIF digital sound ready

This motherboard provides convenient connectivity to external home theater audio systems via coaxial S/PDIF (SONY-PHILIPS Digital Interface) Out jack.It allows digital audio transferring without converting it to analog format, and therefore well preserves signal quality. See pages 2-22 and 2-28 for details.

High Denition Audio

Enjoy high-end sound quality on your PC! The onboard 8-channel HD audio (High Denition Audio, previously codenamed Azalia) CODEC enables high-quality 192KHz/24-bit audio output that simultaneously sends different audio streams to

different destinations. You can now talk to your partners on the headphones while playing multi-channel network games. See pages 2-21 and 2-22 for details.

ASUS M3A 1-3

1.3.2 ASUS AI Lifestyle unique features

ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution

ASUS Quiet Thermal solution makes system more stable and enhances the overclocking capability.

AI Gear 2

AI Gear 2 allows you to choose from proles to adjust CPU frequency and vCore voltage, minimizing system noise and saving 50% power consumption

at most. You can real-time chnage the mode under operating system to suit your needs. See page 5-23 for details.

AI Nap

With AI Nap, the system can continue running at minimum power and noise when you are temporarily away. To wake the system and return to the OS environment, simply click the mouse or press a key. See page 5-24 for details.

Q-Fan 2

ASUS Q-Fan2 technology intelligently adjusts both CPU fan and chassis

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

operation. See page 4-30 and 5-25 for details.

ASUS Crystal Sound

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

Noise Filter

This feature detects repetitive and stationary noises (non-voice signals) like computer fans, air conditioners, and other background noises then eliminates it in the incoming audio stream while recording. See page 5-16 for details.

1-4 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

ASUS EZ DIY

ASUS EZ DIY feature collection provides you easy ways to install computer components, update the BIOS or back up your favorite settings.

ASUS Q-Shield

The specially designed ASUS Q-Shield does without the usual “ngers”

- making it convenient and easy to install. With better electric conductivity, it ideally protects your motherboard against static electricity and shields it against Electronic Magnetic Interference (EMI).

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. See page 2-32 for details.

ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data from a

USB ash disk containing the BIOS le. See page 4-8 for details.

ASUS EZ Flash 2

ASUS 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 pages 4-5 and 4-36 for details.

Smart Support CD

This feature provides a checklist that allows the user to know which drivers are already installed, as well as those that are not. When using ASUS PC Probe II, you can easily monitor the critical components of the computer.

ASUS MyLogo2™

This feature allows you to convert your favorite photo into a 256-color boot logo for a more colorful and vivid image on your screen. See pages 4-32 and 5-8 for details.

ASUS M3A 1-5

1.3.3 ASUS intelligent performance and overclocking features

Precision Tweaker

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

increment to achieve maximum system performance.

C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)

The C.P.R. feature of the motherboard BIOS allows automatic re-setting to the BIOS default settings in case the system hangs due to overclocking. When the system hangs due to overclocking, C.P.R. eliminates the need to open the system chassis and clear the RTC data. Simply shut down and reboot the system, and the BIOS automatically restores the CPU default setting for each parameter.

1-6 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 Jumper ........................................................................................

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

2-2

2-6

2-11

2-16

2-19

2-21

ASUS M3A

2.1 Before you proceed

M3A

M3A 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.

• 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. The green LED 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 M3A

2-1

2.2 Motherboard overview

M3A

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 nine (9) 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

PANEL

M3A

AAFP

CHASSIS

21.8cm (8.6in)

30.5cm (12.0in)

CPU_FAN

DDR2 DIMM_A1 (64 bit,240-pin module)

FLOPPY

Super

I/O

CLRTC

AMD

SB600

EATXPWR

CR2032 3V Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

PCI1

LAN1_USB12

USB34

PCIEX16_1

SPDIF_OUT

USB78

PWR_FAN

AUDIO

BIOS

SB_PWR

PCI2

USB910

AMD

770

ALC883

CHA_FAN1

ICS

PCI3

Attansic

PCIEX1_1

PCIEX1_2

DDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 bit,240-pin module)

DDR2 DIMM_A2 (64 bit,240-pin module)

DDR2 DIMM_B2 (64 bit,240-pin module)

Socket AM2+

USB56

PRI_IDE

KBMS

ATX12V

SATA1

SATA3

SATA4

SATA2

COM1

SPDIF_O

USBPW7-10

USBPW1-4 USBPW56

KBPWR

2.2.3 Motherboard layout

ASUS M3A

Refer to 2.7 Connectors for more information about rear panel connectors and internal connectors.

2-3

2.2.4 Layout contents

Slots Page

1. DDR2 DIMM slots 2-11

2. PCI slots

3. PCI Express x1 slots

Jumper Page

1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC) 2-19

2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW1-4, USBPW56)

3. Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR)

Rear panel connectors Page

1. PS/2 mouse port (green) 2-21

2. Serial connector

3. LAN (RJ-45) port.

4. Center/Subwoofer port (orange)

5. Rear Speaker Out port (black)

6. Line In port (light blue)

7. Line Out port (lime)

8. Microphone port (pink)

9. Side Speaker Out port (gray)

10. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2

11. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4

12. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port

13. PS/2 keyboard port (purple)

PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot 2-18

2-18

2-20

2-21

2-22

2-4 Chapter 2: Hardware information

Internal connectors Page

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

2. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE)

3. AMD

SB600 Southbridge Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1

2-24

2-25

[red]; SATA2 [black]; SATA3 [red]; SATA4 [black]

4. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB78; USB910)

5. CPU, chassis, power, and power fan connectors

2-26

2-27

(4-pin CPU_FAN; 3-pin CHA_FAN1; 3-pin PWR_FAN)

6. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS)

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

8. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR; 8-pin ATX12V)

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

10. Optical drive audio connector (4-pin CD)

11. System panel connector (20-8-pin PANEL)

•

System power LED (2-pin PLED) Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pin IDE_LED) System warning speaker (4-pin SPEAKER) ATX power button/soft-off button (2-pin PWRSW) Reset button (2-pin RESET)

12. ASUS Q-Connector(system panel)

2-28

2-29

2-30

2-31

2-32

ASUS M3A

2-5

2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

M3A

M3A CPU Socket AM2+/AM2

The motherboard comes with an AM2+/AM2 socket designed for AMD® Socket AM2+ Phenom™ FX / Phenom X4 / Phenom X2 / Athlon™ 64 X2 / Sempron™ processor or for Socket AM2 Athlon 64 X2 / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 / Sempron processor.

The AM2+/AM2 socket has a different pinout from the 940-pin socket designed for the AMD Opteron processor. Make sure you use a CPU 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 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.

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

2-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information

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.

4. Carefully insert the CPU into the

socket until it ts in place.

Gold triangle

Small 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.

ASUS M3A

2-7

2.3.2 Installing the heatsink and fan

The AMD® Phenom™ FX / Phenom X4 / Phenom X2 / Athlon™ 64 X2 / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 / Sempron™ processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance.

Make sure that you use only AMD-certied heatsink and fan assembly.

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

Retention bracket lock

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.

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