Asus M4A89TD PRO User Manual

M4A89TD
PRO

Motherboard

E5283

First Edition (V1)
March 2010

Copyright © 2010 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),
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DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.

SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR
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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

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owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.

Offer to Provide Source Code of Certain Software

This product may contain copyrighted software that is licensed under the General Public License (“GPL”)
and under the Lesser General Public License Version (“LGPL”). The GPL and LGPL licensed code in this
product is distributed without any warranty. Copies of these licenses are included in this product.

You may obtain the complete corresponding source code (as dened in the GPL) for the GPL Software,

and/or the complete corresponding source code of the LGPL Software (with the complete machine­readable “work that uses the Library”) for a period of three years after our last shipment of the product
including the GPL Software and/or LGPL Software, which will be no earlier than December 1, 2011, either
(1) for free by downloading it from http://support.asus.com/download;
or
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Legal Compliance Dept.
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Beitou, Taipei 112
Taiwan

In your request please provide the name, model number and version, as stated in the About Box of the
product for which you wish to obtain the corresponding source code and your contact details so that we
can coordinate the terms and cost of shipment with you.

The source code will be distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY and licensed under the same license as
the corresponding binary/object code.

This offer is valid to anyone in receipt of this information.

ASUSTeK is eager to duly provide complete source code as required under various Free Open Source
Software licenses. If however you encounter any problems in obtaining the full corresponding source code
we would be much obliged if you give us a notication to the email address [e-mail], stating the
product and describing the problem (please do NOT send large attachments such as source code archives
etc to this email address).

ii

Contents

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

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

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

M4A89TD PRO 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 Xtreme Design—Hybrid Processor* .................................

1.3.3 ASUS Xtreme Design—Hybrid Switches* ...................................

1.3.4 ASUS Xtreme Design—Hybrid OS .............................................

1.3.5 ASUS unique features

Chapter 2: Hardware information

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

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

2.2.1 Motherboard layout .....................................................................

2.2.2 Layout contents ...........................................................................

2.2.3 Placement direction

2.2.4 Screw holes

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

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

2.3.2 Installing the CPU 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 2.0 x4 / x1 slots ....................................................

2.5.6 PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots .........................................................

2.6 Onboard switches ....................................................................................

....................................................................................... 1-1

.......................................................................................... 1-2

........................................................................ 1-2

................................................................. 1-3

..................................................................... 2-4

................................................................................. 2-4

........................................................................................ 2-17

...................................................... 2-17

................................................................ 2-18

1-2

1-3

1-3

2-2

2-2

2-3

2-5

2-5

2-7

2-10

2-10

2-11

2-16

2-16

2-17

2-19

2-19

2-19

2-20

iii

Contents

2.7 Connectors ...............................................................................................2-23

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

2.7.2 Audio I/O connections ...............................................................

2.7.3 Internal connectors

2.7.4. ASUS Q-Connector (system panel) ..........................................

2.8 Onboard LEDs ..........................................................................................

2.9 Starting up for the rst time ....................................................................

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

Chapter 3: BIOS setup

3.1 Knowing BIOS ............................................................................................3-1

3.2 Updating BIOS ............................................................................................

3.2.1 ASUS Update utility

3.2.2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility ...............................................................

3.2.3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility

3.2.4 ASUS BIOS Updater ...................................................................

3.3 BIOS setup program ..................................................................................

3.3.1 BIOS menu screen ......................................................................

3.3.2 Menu bar .....................................................................................

3.3.3 Navigation keys .........................................................................

3.3.4 Menu items

3.3.5 Submenu items .........................................................................

3.3.6 Conguration elds ...................................................................

3.3.7 Pop-up window

3.3.8 Scroll bar ...................................................................................

3.3.9 General help

3.4 Main menu ................................................................................................

3.4.1 SATA 1–6 ..................................................................................

3.4.2 Storage Conguration ...............................................................

3.4.3 System Information ...................................................................

3.5 Ai Tweaker menu ......................................................................................

3.5.1 CPU Level UP ..........................................................................

3.5.2 OC Tuner Utility .........................................................................

3.5.3 Ai Overclock Tuner ...................................................................

3.5.4 CPU Ratio ................................................................................

3.5.5 DRAM Frequency

3.5.6 CPU/NB Frequency

3.5.7 HT Link Speed .........................................................................

3.5.8 DRAM Timing Conguration

.................................................................... 2-27

..................................................................... 3-2

................................................... 3-5

................................................................................ 3-10

.......................................................................... 3-10

.............................................................................. 3-10

..................................................................... 3-17

.................................................................. 3-17

...................................................... 3-17

2-23

2-24

2-35

2-36

2-38

2-38

3-1

3-4

3-6

3-9

3-9

3-9

3-10

3-10

3-10

3-10

3-11

3-11

3-13

3-14

3-15

3-15

3-16

3-16

3-17

3-17

iv

Contents

3.5.9 DRAM Driving Conguration ..................................................... 3-18

3.5.10 CPU & NB Voltage Mode ..........................................................

3.5.11 CPU VDDA Voltage ..................................................................

3.5.12 DRAM Voltage

3.5.13 HT Voltage ...............................................................................

3.5.14 NB Voltage ...............................................................................

3.5.15 NB 1.8V Voltage .......................................................................

3.5.16 SB Voltage ...............................................................................

3.5.17 CPU Load-Line Calibration ......................................................

3.5.18 CPU/NB Load-Line Calibration ................................................

3.5.19 CPU Spread Spectrum

3.5.20 PCIE Spread Spectrum ............................................................

3.6 Advanced menu .......................................................................................

3.6.1 CPU Conguration ....................................................................

3.6.2 Chipset ......................................................................................

3.6.3 Onboard Devices Conguration ................................................

3.6.4 USB Conguration ....................................................................

3.6.5 PCIPnP .....................................................................................

3.7 Power menu ..............................................................................................

3.7.1 Suspend Mode .........................................................................

3.7.2 Repost Video on S3 Resume ....................................................

3.7.3 ACPI 2.0 Support ......................................................................

3.7.4 ACPI APIC Support ...................................................................

3.7.5 APM Conguration ....................................................................

3.7.6 Hardware Monitor

3.8 Boot menu ................................................................................................

3.8.1 Boot Device Priority

3.8.2 Boot Settings Conguration ......................................................

3.8.3 Security .....................................................................................

3.9 Tools menu ...............................................................................................

3.9.1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 ......................................................................

3.9.2 Express Gate ...........................................................................

3.9.3 ASUS O.C. Prole .....................................................................

3.9.4 AI NET 2 ....................................................................................

3.10 Exit menu ..................................................................................................

.......................................................................... 3-19

............................................................. 3-20

...................................................................... 3-29

................................................................... 3-31

3-19

3-19

3-20

3-20

3-20

3-20

3-20

3-20

3-20

3-21

3-21

3-22

3-24

3-25

3-26

3-27

3-27

3-27

3-27

3-27

3-28

3-31

3-32

3-33

3-35

3-35

3-35

3-36

3-37

3-38

Chapter 4: Software support

v

Contents

4.1 Installing an operating system .................................................................4-1

4.2 Support DVD information ..........................................................................

4.2.1 Running the support DVD ...........................................................

4.2.2 Obtaining the software manuals

4.3 Software information .................................................................................

4.3.1 ASUS PC Probe II .......................................................................

4.3.2 ASUS AI Suite .............................................................................

4.3.3 ASUS Fan Xpert

.......................................................................... 4-5

4.3.4 ASUS EPU ..................................................................................

4.3.5 ASUS Express Gate

4.3.6 Audio congurations

.................................................................... 4-7

.................................................................... 4-8

4.4 ASUS Unique Overclocking Utility—TurboV EVO ...................................

4.4.1 Using ASUS TurboV ....................................................................

4.4.2 Using ASUS TurboV Auto Tuning Mode ....................................

4.4.3 Using CPU Level UP .................................................................

4.4.4 Using ASUS Turbo Key .............................................................

4.5 RAID congurations ................................................................................

4.5.1 RAID denitions ........................................................................

4.5.2 Installing Serial ATA hard disks .................................................

4.5.3 Setting the RAID item in BIOS ..................................................

4.5.4 AMD

4.6 Creating a RAID driver disk

®

Option ROM Utility .......................................................... 4-14

..................................................................... 4-17

4.6.1 Creating a RAID driver disk without entering the OS ................

4.6.2 Creating a RAID driver disk in Windows

4.6.3 Installing the RAID driver during Windows

4.6.4 Using a USB oppy disk drive ...................................................

.................................................. 4-2

®

.................................. 4-17

®

OS installation ...... 4-17

4-1

4-1

4-3

4-3

4-4

4-6

4-9

4-9

4-10

4-11

4-11

4-12

4-12

4-13

4-13

4-17

4-18

Chapter 5: ATI® CrossFireX™ technology support

5.1 ATI® CrossFireX™ technology ..................................................................5-1

5.1.1 Requirements ..............................................................................

5.1.2 Before you begin .........................................................................

5.1.3 Installing two CrossFireX™ graphics cards ................................

5.1.4 Installing the device drivers .........................................................

5.1.5 Enabling the ATI

vi

®

CrossFireX™ technology ...............................5-3

5-1

5-1

5-2

5-3

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.

REACH

Complying with the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of
Chemicals) regulatory framework, we published the chemical substances in our products at
ASUS REACH website at http://green.asus.com/english/REACH.htm.

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.

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.

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

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

technician or your retailer.

Operation safety

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

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

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

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

• Place the product on a stable surface.

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

technician or your retailer.

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 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: 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 4: Software support

This chapter describes the contents of the support DVD that comes with the
motherboard package and the software.

• Chapter 5: ATI

This chapter describes the ATI® CrossFireX™ feature and shows the graphics card
installation procedures.

®

CrossFireX™ technology support

Where to nd more information

Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and software updates.

1. ASUS websites

The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware and software
products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.

2. Optional documentation

Your product package may include optional documentation, such as warranty yers,

that may have been added by your dealer. These documents are not part of the
standard package.

ix

Conventions used in this guide

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

DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying to

complete a task.

CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components when trying to

complete a task.

IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a task.

NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a task.

Typography

Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select.

Italic

s 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> + <Del>

x

M4A89TD PRO specications summary

CPU

Chipset

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

Memory

Expansion slots

Storage AMD® SB850 chipset

LAN Realtek® 8111E PCIe Gigabit LAN controller featuring AI NET 2

Audio

USB

AMD® Socket AM3*; Phenom™ II / Athlon™ II / Sempron™ 100
Series Processors
AMD® 140W CPU Support
AMD® Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ Technology
Supports 45nm CPU

AMD® 890FX / SB850

4 x DIMM, max. 16 GB, DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1600/1333/1066 MHz

ECC / non-ECC, un-buffered memory
Dual channel memory architecture

* Due to the CPU spec., AMD AM3 100 and 200 series CPUs

support up to DDR3 1066MHz. With ASUS design, this
motherboard can support up to DDR3 1333MHz.

** When you install a total memory of 4 GB capacity or more,

Windows® 32-bit operating system may only recognize less
than 3 GB. We recommend using a maximum of 3 GB system
memory if you are using a Windows® 32-bit OS.

*** Refer to www.asus.com or this user manual for the Memory

QVL (Qualied Vendors Lists)

2 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots (@ dual x16 speed), support ATI
CrossFireX™ technology
1 x PCI Express 2.0 x4 slot
1 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slot
2 x PCI slots

- 6 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports with RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 support

JMicron® JMB361 PATA and SATA controller

- 1 x Power eSATA 3.0 Gb/s port

- 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100 for up to 2 PATA devices

ALC892 8-channel High Denition Audio CODEC

- Supports 192khz/24bit BD Lossless Sound

- DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC

- Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-Streaming, and
Front Panel Jack-Retasking

- Optical S/PDIF Out port at back I/O

- ASUS Noise Filter

14 x USB 2.0 ports (6 ports at midboard,8 ports at back panel)

(continued on the next page)

xi

M4A89TD PRO specications summary

IEEE 1394

ASUS unique features ASUS Xtreme Design

ASUS exclusive
overclocking features

VIA® 6315N controller supports 2 x IEEE 1394a ports
(one at midboard, one at back panel)

ASUS Hybrid Processor – TurboV EVO

- TurboV, Auto Tuning, CPU Level UP

ASUS Hybrid OS – Express Gate

ASUS Hybrid Switches

- Turbo Key II

- Core Unlocker

ASUS Power Solutions

- 6+2 Phase Power Design

- ASUS EPU

ASUS Exclusive Features

- MemOK!

ASUS Quiet Thermal Solutions

- ASUS Fanless Design: Heat pipe solution

- ASUS Fan Xpert

ASUS EZ DIY

- ASUS Q-DIMM

- ASUS O.C. Prole

- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

- ASUS EZ Flash 2

- ASUS MyLogo 2™

- Multi-language BIOS

Precision Tweaker 3

- vCore: Adjustable CPU voltage at 0.003125V increment

- vDDNB: Adjustable CPU NB voltage at 0.003125V increment

- vCPU PLL: Adjustable CPU PLL voltage at 0.00625V
increment

- vHT Bus: Adjustable PCH voltage at 0.00625V increment

- vDRAM Bus: Adjustable DRAM voltage at 0.00625V
increment

- vChipset: Adjustable Chipset voltage at 0.00625V increment

SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection)

- Internal Base Clock tuning from 100MHz up to 600MHz at
1MHz increment

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

Overclocking protection

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

(continued on the next page)

xii

M4A89TD PRO specications summary

Back panel I/O ports

Internal I/O connectors

BIOS features

Manageability

Support DVD contents Drivers

Form factor ATX form factor: 12 in. x 9.6 in. (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm)

*Specications are subject to change without notice.

1 x PS/2 keyboard port (purple)
1 x PS/2 mouse port (green)
1 x Optical S/PDIF Out port
1 x Power eSATA port
1 x IEEE 1394a port
1 x LAN (RJ-45) port
1 x Clear CMOS button
8 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
8-channel Audio I/O ports

3 x USB connectors support additional 6 USB ports
1 x IDE connector
6 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s connectors
1 x CPU Fan connector
2 x Chassis Fan connectors (1 x 4-pin, 1 x 3-pin)
1 x Power Fan connector
1 x IEEE1394a connector
1 x S/PDIF Out header
1 x Core Unlocker switch
1 x Turbo Key II switch
1 x MemOK! button
Front panel audio connector
1 x COM connector
24-pin ATX Power connector
8-pin EATX 12V Power connector
System Panel

16 Mb Flash ROM, SPI, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI 2.0, WfM2.0,
SM BIOS 2.5, ACPI 2.0a, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ
Flash 2, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

WfM 2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL by PME, WOR by PME, PXE

ASUS Utilities
ASUS Update
Anti-virus software (OEM version)

xiii

xiv

Chapter 1

User Manual

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.1 Welcome!

Thank you for buying an ASUS® M4A89TD PRO 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.

Chapter 1

ASUS M4A89TD PRO

motherboard

4 x Serial ATA 6.0 Gb/s cables

with 6.0 Gb/s label

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

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

vary with different models.

User guide Support DVD

1 x Ultra DMA 133/

100/66 cable

1 x 2-in-1 ASUS Q-Connector kit

1 x ASUS Q-Shield

ASUS M4A89TD PRO

1-1

1.3 Special features

1.3.1 Product highlights

Chapter 1

AMD® Phenom™ II / Athlon™ II / Sempron™ 100 Series Processors (socket AM3)

This motherboard supports AMD® AM3 multi-core processors with unique L3 cache and
delivers better overclocking capabilities with less power consumption. It features
dual-channel DDR3 1333 memory support and accelerates data transfer rate up to 5200MT/s
via HyperTransport™ 3.0 based system bus. This motherboard also supports AMD® CPUs in
the new 45nm manufacturing process.

AMD® 890FX Chipset

AMD® 890FX 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 AM3

and multi-core CPUs to provide excellent system performance and overclocking capabilities.

Dual-Channel DDR3 2000(O.C.) / 1600 / 1333 / 1066 support

The motherboard supports DDR3 memory that features data transfer rates of 2000(O.C.) /

1600 / 1333 / 1066 MHz to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of the latest 3D graphics,

multimedia, and Internet applications. The dual-channel DDR3 architecture enlarges the
bandwidth of your system memory to boost system performance. Refer to page 2-10 for details.

ATI® CrossFireX™ Technology

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

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

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

AMD® SB850 Chipset

The AMD® SB850 Southbridge natively supports the next generation SATA 6.0 Gb/s data
transfer rate and PCI Express 2.0 interface.

1.3.2 ASUS Xtreme Design—Hybrid Processor*

TurboV EVO

The ultimate O.C. processor satises every level of overclockers—from die-hard enthusiasts

to beginners. Auto tuning intelligently pushes the system to the fastest clock speeds while
maintaining stability. Turbo Key boosts performance with just one touch without exiting OS
while TurboV offers more options to advanced overclockers to achieve world O.C. record.
Moreover, upgrade your CPU at no additional cost with CPU Level UP! Refer to page 4-9 for
details.

Auto Tuning

Auto Tuning is an intelligent tool that automates overclocking to achieve a total system level
up. This tool also provides stability testing. Even O.C. beginners can achieve extreme yet
stable overclocking results with Auto Tuning!

1-2 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

1.3.3 ASUS Xtreme Design—Hybrid Switches*

Turbo Key II

Enjoy superb performance by auto-tuning your processor to an extreme yet stable state. Simply
activate a dedicated switch on the motherboard to unleash extra processing capabilities. Refer
to page 2-21 for details.

Core Unlocker

ASUS Core Unlocker simplies the activation of a latent AMD® CPU—with just a simple

switch. Enjoy an instant performance boost by simply unlocking the extra cores, without
performing complicated BIOS changes. Refer to page 2-22 for details.

* The actual overclocking result depends on the system conguration.

1.3.4 ASUS Xtreme Design—Hybrid OS

Express Gate

Express Gate is an ASUS exclusive OS that provides you with quick access to the Internet and
key applications before entering the Windows® OS. Refer to pages 3-37 and 4-7 for details.

1.3.5 ASUS unique features

ASUS Power Solutions

ASUS Power solutions intelligently and automatically provide balanced computing power and
energy consumption.

6+2 Phase Power Design

To fully unleash the next-generation AM3 CPU’s potential, the ASUS M4A89TD
PRO motherboard has adopted the brand new 6-phase VRM power design, which

delivers high power efciency and supreme overclocking ability. These high quality

power components effectively lower system temperature to ensure longer component
lifespan. This motherboard also features an extra 2 phase power dedicated to
integrated memory/HT controller.

ASUS EPU

The ASUS EPU (Energy Processing Unit) provides total system power management by
detecting current PC loadings and intelligently moderating power usage for critical PC
components in real-time–helping save power and money! Refer to page 4-6 for details.

Chapter 1

MemOK!

Memory compatibility is among the top concerns during computer upgrades. Worry no more.
MemOK! is the fastest memory booting solution today. This remarkable memory rescue tool
requires nothing but a push of a button to patch memory issues and get your system up and
running in no time. The technology is able to determine failsafe settings that can dramatically
improve your system booting success. Refer to page 2-20 for details.

ASUS Quiet Thermal Solutions

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

ASUS M4A89TD PRO

1-3

ASUS Fanless Design—Heat pipe solution

The ASUS heat pipe features 0-dB thermal solution that offers users a noiseless

Chapter 1

PC environment. Not only the beautiful shape upgrades the visual enjoyment for
motherboard users, but also the heat pipe design lowers the temperature of the chipset

and power phase area through high efcient heat-exchange. Combined with usability

and aesthetics, the ASUS heat pipe will give users an extremely silent and cooling
experience with the elegant appearance!

Fan Xpert

ASUS Fan Xpert intelligently allows you to adjust both the CPU and chassis fan speeds
according to different ambient temperatures caused by different climate conditions
in different geographic regions and your PC’s loading. The built-in variety of useful

proles offer exible controls of fan speed to achieve a quiet and cool environment.

Refer to page 4-5 for details.

ASUS EZ DIY

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

ASUS Q-Design

ASUS Q-Design enhances your DIY experience. Both of Q-Slot and Q-DIMM design
speed up and simplify the DIY process!

ASUS O.C. Prole

The motherboard features the ASUS O.C. Prole that allows you to conveniently store

or load multiple BIOS settings. The BIOS settings can be stored in the CMOS or a

separate le, giving you the freedom to share and distribute your favorite settings.

ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows you to restore corrupted BIOS data from a USB ash
disk containing the BIOS le. This protection eliminates the need to buy a replacement

ROM chip.

ASUS EZ-Flash 2

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

using a bootable oppy disk or an OS-based utility. Refer to page 3-4 for details.

Precision Tweaker 3

Allows you to adjust the CPU/NB voltage in 0.003125V steps and DRAM voltage in 0.00625V

steps to ne-tune voltage to achieve the most precise setting for the ultimate overclocking
conguration.

1-4 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.1 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.

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

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

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

• Before you install or remove any component, 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.

Chapter 2

ASUS M4A89TD PRO 2-1

2.2 Motherboard overview

2.2.1 Motherboard layout

Chapter 2

Refer to

2.8 Connectors

connectors.

2-2 Chapter 2: Hardware information

for more information about rear panel connectors and internal

2.2.2 Layout contents

Connectors/Jumpers/Slots Page

1. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 8-pin EATX12V)

2. AM3 CPU Socket

3. CPU, chassis, and power fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN,
4-pin CHA_FAN1, 3-pin CHA_FAN2, 3-pin PWR_FAN)

4. DDR3 DIMM slots

5. Core Unlocker switch (CORE_UNLOCKER)

6. Turbo Key II switch (TURBO_KEY_II)

7. MemOK! switch

8. Serial port connector (10-1 pin COM1)

9. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_EIDE)

10. Standby power LED (SB_PWR)

11. AMD

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

13. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB910, USB1112, USB1314)

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

15. IEEE 1394a port connector (10-1 pin IE1394_2)

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

®

SB850 Serial ATA 6.0 Gb/s connectors (7-pin SATA1–6) 2-28

2-33

2-5

2-31

2-10

2-22

2-21

2-20

2-29

2-27

2-36

2-34

2-30

2-32

2-29

2-32

Chapter 2

ASUS M4A89TD PRO 2-3

2.2.3 Placement direction

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

2.2.4 Screw holes

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

Chapter 2

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

Place this side towards

the rear of the chassis

2-4 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The motherboard comes with an AM3 socket designed for AMD® Phenom™ II / Athlon™ II /
Sempron™ 100 Series Processors.

Ensure that all power cables are unplugged before installing the CPU.

The AM3 socket has a different pinout from the 940-pin socket designed for the AMD

Opteron processor. Ensure that you use a CPU designed for the AM3 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.

Chapter 2

2. Press the lever sideways to unlock the
socket, then lift it up to a 90º angle.

Ensure that the socket lever is lifted up
to a 90º angle. Otherwise, the CPU will

not t in completely.

ASUS M4A89TD PRO 2-5

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.

Chapter 2

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.

Gold triangle

Small triangle

6. Apply some Thermal Interface Material
to the exposed area of the CPU that the
heatsink will be in contact with, ensuring
that it is spread in an even thin layer.

Some heatsinks come with pre-applied
thermal paste. If so, skip this step.

The Thermal Interface Material is toxic
and inedible. DO NOT eat it. If it gets into
your eyes or touches your skin, wash it
off immediately, and seek professional
medical help.

To prevent contaminating the paste, DO NOT spread the paste with your nger.

2-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.3.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fan

The AMD® AM3 processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure
optimum thermal condition and performance.

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

CPU fan

Chapter 2

Retention bracket

Retention bracket

ASUS M4A89TD PRO 2-7

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.

CPU heatsink

Re te nti on mo dul e
base

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

Chapter 2

3. Align the other end of the retention
bracket 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.

Ensure that the fan and heatsink

assembly perfectly ts the retention

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

2-8 Chapter 2: Hardware information

5. When the fan and heatsink assembly is in place, connect the CPU fan cable to the
connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_FAN.

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

• This connector is backward compatible with old 3-pin CPU fan.

Chapter 2

ASUS M4A89TD PRO 2-9

2.4 System memory

2.4.1 Overview

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

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

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

Chapter 2

Recommended memory congurations

One DIMM:

When installing one memory module, we suggest that you install it on A1 slot.

Two DIMMs (dual-channel operation):

Four DIMMs (dual-channel operation):

2-10 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.4.2 Memory congurations

You may install 512MB, 1GB, 2GB and 4GB unbuffered ECC and non-ECC DDR3 DIMMs
into the DIMM sockets.

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

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

• Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency. For optimum compatibility, we
recommend that you obtain memory modules from the same vendor.

• Due to the CPU spec., AMD AM3 100 and 200 series CPUs support up to DDR3

1066MHz. With ASUS design, this motherboard can support up to DDR3 1333MHz.

• When overclocking, some AMD CPU models may not support DDR3 1600 or higher
frequency DIMMs.

• 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 do any of the
following:

- Use a maximum of 3GB system memory if you are using a 32-bit Windows OS.

- Install a 64-bit Windows OS when you want to install 4GB or more on the

motherboard.
For more details, refer to the Microsoft® support site at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605/en-us.

• This motherboard does not support DIMMs made up of 512Mb (64MB) chips or less
(Memory chip capacity counts in Megabit, 8 Megabit/Mb = 1 Megabyte/MB).

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

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

memory load (4 DIMMs) or overclocking condition.

3.5 Ai Tweaker menu

for manual memory

Chapter 2

ASUS M4A89TD PRO 2-11

M4A89TD PRO Motherboard Qualied Vendors Lists (QVL)
DDR3-1066 MHz capability

Vendor Part No. Size

Crucial CT12864BA1067.8FF 1GB SS MICRON D9KPT 7 - • • •

Crucial CT12864BA1067.8SFD 1GB SS MICRON D9JNL 7 - • •

Crucial CT12872BA1067.9FF 1GB SS MICRON D9KPT(ECC) 7 - • • •

Crucial

Crucial CT25664BA1067.16SFD 2GB DS MICRON D9JNL 7 - • • •

Crucial CT25672BA1067.18FF 2GB DS MICRON D9KPT(ECC) 7 - • • •

ELPIDA EBJ10UE8BAW0-AE-E 1GB SS ELPIDA J1108BABG-DJ-E 7 - • •

ELPIDA EBJ10UE8EDF0-AE-F 1GB SS ELPIDA J1108EDSE-DJ-F - - • • •

ELPIDA EBJ21UE8EDF0-AE-F 2GB DS ELPIDA J1108EDSE-DJ-F - - • •

Hynix

Hynix HYMT112U64ZNF8-G7 1GB SS HYNIX HY5TQ1G831ZNFP-G7 7 - • •

Hynix HMT125U6AFP8C-G7N0 2GB DS HYNIX H5TQ1G83AFPG7C 7 - • •

Hynix HYMT125U64ZNF8-G7 2GB DS HYNIX HY5TQ1G831ZNFP-G7 7 - • •

Chapter 2

KINGSTON KVR1066D3N7/1G 1GB SS KINGSTON D1288JEKAPA7U 7 1.5 • • •

KINGSTON KVR1066D3N7/2G 2GB DS KINGSTON D1288JEKAPGA7U 7 1.5 • • •

KINGSTON KVR1066D3N7/2G 2GB DS ELPIDA J1108BABG-DJ-E - 1.5 • •

KINGSTON KVR1066D3N7/4G 4GB DS SAMSUNG K4B2G0846B-HCF8 - 1.5 • • •

MICRON MT8JTF12864AZ-1G1F1 1GB SS MICRON 8ZF22 D9KPV 7 - • • •

MICRON MT8JTF12864AZ-1G1F1 1GB SS MICRON D9KPT 7 - • • •

MICRON MT9JSF12872AZ-1G1F1 1GB SS MICRON D9KPT(ECC) 7 - • • •

MICRON MT16JTF25664AZ-1G1F1 2GB DS MICRON 8ZF22 D9KPV 7 - • • •

MICRON MT16JTF25664AZ-1G1F1 2GB DS MICRON D9KPT 7 - • • •

MICRON MT18JSF25672AZ-1G1F1 2GB DS MICRON D9KPT(ECC) 7 - • • •

SAMSUNG M378B5273BH1-CF8 4GB DS SAMSUNG K4B2G0846B-HCF8 8 1.5 • • •

CT25664BA1067.16FF 2GB

HMT112U6AFP8C-G7N0 1GB

SS/

Chip Brand Chip NO. Timing Voltage

DS

MICRON D9KPT

DS

HYNIX H5TQ1G83AFPG7C

SS

7

7

- •

- •

DIMM socket support
(Optional)

1 DIMM 2 DIMM 4 DIMM

• •

• •

2-12 Chapter 2: Hardware information