Asus P5L-MX/IPAT User Manual

P5L-MX/
IPAT

Motherboard

E299 9

Firs t E diti o n
Marc h 2 007

Copyright © 2007 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.

ii

Contents

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

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

About this guide .................................................................................viii

Typography ......................................................................................... ix

P5L-MX/IPAT specications summary .................................................. x

Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

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

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

1.4 Before you proceed ..............................................................

1.5 Motherboard overview ..........................................................

1.5.1 Placement direction ................................................

1.5.2 Screw holes .............................................................

1.5.3 Motherboard layout ................................................

1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ..............................................

1.6.1 Installling the CPU ...................................................

1.6.2 Installling the CPU heatsink and fan ......................

1.6.3 Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan ...................

1.7 System memory ..................................................................

1.7.1 Overview ...............................................................

1.7.2 Memory congurations .........................................

1.7.3 DDR2 Qualied Vendors List .................................

1.7.4 Installing a DIMM ...................................................

1.7.5 Removing a DIMM ..................................................

1.8 Expansion slots ...................................................................

1.8.1 Installing an expansion card ..................................

1.8.2 Conguring an expansion card ..............................

1.8.3 Interrupt assignments ...........................................

1.8.4 PCI slots ................................................................

1.8.5 PCI Express x16 ...................................................

1.8.6 PCI Express x1 .....................................................

1.9 Jumpers ..............................................................................

1-2
1-2
1-4
1-5
1-5
1-5
1-6
1-7

1-7
1-10
1-12
1-14
1-14
1-14
1-16
1-18
1-18
1-19
1-19
1-19
1-20
1-21
1-21
1-21
1-22

iii

Contents

1.10 Connectors .........................................................................1-24

1.10.1 Rear panel connectors ..........................................

1.10.2 Internal connectors ...............................................

Chapter 2: BIOS setup

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

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

2.1.2 AFUDOS utility ........................................................

2.1.3 AFUWIN utility .........................................................

2.2 BIOS setup program ..............................................................

2.2.1 BIOS menu screen ...................................................

2.2.2 Menu bar .................................................................

2.2.3 Navigation keys .......................................................

2.2.4 Menu items .............................................................

2.2.5 Sub-menu items ......................................................

2.2.6 Conguration elds .................................................

2.2.7 Pop-up window ........................................................

2.2.8 Scroll bar .................................................................

2.2.9 General help ............................................................

2.3 Main menu .............................................................................

2.3.1 BIOS Information .....................................................

2.3.2 Memory Information ................................................

2.3.3 System Language ..................................................

2.3.4 System Date ...........................................................

2.3.5 System Time ...........................................................

2.4 Advanced menu ..................................................................

2.4.1 On Board LAN Chip ...............................................

2.4.2 S5 WOL .................................................................

2.4.3 On Board LAN Boot ROM

2.4.4 Power On By PS/2 Keyboard ................................

2.4.5 Power On By PS/2 Mouse .....................................

2.4.6 Power On By External Modems ............................

2.4.7 ACPI Settings ........................................................

2.4.8 CPU Conguration ................................................

2.4.9 IDE Conguration .................................................

2.4.10 Super IO Conguration .........................................

....................................... 2-10

1-24
1-25

2-2
2-3
2-5
2-6
2-7
2-7
2-7
2-8
2-8
2-8
2-8
2-8
2-8
2-9
2-9
2-9
2-9
2-9

2-9
2-10
2-10
2-10

2-10
2-10
2-10
2-11
2-12
2-13
2-14

iv

Contents

2.5 Chipset menu ...................................................................... 2-16

2.5.1 North Bridge ..........................................................

2.5.2 South Bridge ........................................................

2.5.3 Legacy USB Conguration

2.6 Boot menu ..........................................................................

2.6.1 Quiet Boot .............................................................

2.6.2 Fast Boot ..............................................................

2.6.3 Boot to Linux ........................................................

2.6.4 Setup Prompt Timeout

2.7 Security

............................................................................... 2-20

2.7.1 Setup Administrator Password

2.7.2 User Password .......................................................

2.8 Exit menu ............................................................................

Chapter 3: Software support

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

3.2 Support CD information ........................................................

3.2.1 Running the support CD ..........................................

3.2.2 Drivers menu ...........................................................

3.2.3 Utilities menu ..........................................................

3.2.4 Manuals menu .........................................................

3.2.5 ASUS Contact information ......................................

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

.......................................... 2-19

.............................. 2-20

2-16
2-17

2-19
2-19
2-19
2-19

2-21
2-22

3-2
3-2
3-3
3-4
3-6
3-6

Appendix: CPU features

A.1 Intel® EM64T ......................................................................... A-2

Using the Intel® EM64T feature ............................................ A-2

®

A.2 Enhanced Intel SpeedStep

A.2.1 System requirements ..............................................

A.2.2 Using the EIST .........................................................

®

A.3 Intel

Hyper-Threading Technology ...................................... A-4

Using the Hyper-Threading Technology ............................... A-4

Technology (EIST) .................... A-2

A-2
A-3

v

Notices

Fed er al Co mm un ica ti on s C om mi ssi on S tat em en t

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.

Can ad ia n D ep ar tme nt o f C om mu nic at io ns St at eme nt

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.

vi

Safety information

Ele ct ri cal s af ety

•

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 fix it by yourself. Contact
a qualified service technician or your retailer.

Ope ra ti on sa fe ty

•

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
qualified 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.

vii

About this guide

This user guide contains the information you need when installing and

conguring the motherboard.

How t hi s g ui de is o rg ani ze d

This manual contains the following parts:

• Chap t e r 1: P r o duct i n trod u c t ion
This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the

new technology it supports. This chapter 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.

• Chap t e r 2: B I O S se t u p
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS

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

• Chap t e r 3: S o f twar e s uppo r t
This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes

with the motherboard package.

• Appe n d i x: C P U feat u r e s
The Appendix describes the CPU features and technologies that the

motherboard supports.

Whe re t o f in d mor e in for ma ti on

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

1. ASUS w e bsit e s
The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware

and software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.

2. Opti o n a l do c u m enta t i o n
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.

viii

Con ve nt ion s us ed in t his g ui de

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:
afudos /i[lename]

afudos /iP5L-MXIP.ROM

ix

P5L-MX/IPAT specications summary

CPU

Chipset

Front Side Bus

Memory

VGA

Expansion slots

Storage

Audio

LAN

USB

Rear panel

BIOS features

LGA775 socket for Intel® Core™2 Extreme / Core™2 Duo /

Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 / Celeron® D Processors
Compatible with Intel® 06/05B/05A processors
Supports Intel® next generation 65nm processors
Supports Intel® Enhanced Memory 64 Technology (EM64T),
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology (EIST), and
Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology

Northbridge: Intel® 945G
Southbridge: Intel® ICH7

1066/800/533 MHz

Dual-channel memory architecture
2 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support up to 4GB of
unbufferred non-ECC 667/533/400 MHz DDR2 DIMMs

Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950

1 x PCI Express x16 slot for discrete graphics cards
1 x PCI Express x1
2 x PCI slots

Intel® ICH7 SouthBridge supports:

- 1 x IDE connector for up to two Ultra DMA
100/66/33 devices

- 4 x Serial ATA 3Gb/s ports

ADI® ADI1986A 6-channel High-Denition audio CODEC
Supports Jack-Sensing, Enumeration Technology
S/PDIF out interface support

Attansic L1 Gigabit LAN controller

Supports up to 8 USB 2.0 ports

1 x Parallel port
1 x LAN (RJ-45) port
4 x USB 2.0 ports

1 x VGA port

1 x Serial port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port

6-channel high-denition audio I/O ports

8 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, WfM2.0, DMI2.0,
SMBIOS 2.4

(continued on the next page)

x

P5L-MX/IPAT specications summary

Industry standard

Manageability

Internal
connectors

Power
Requirement

Form Factor

Support CD
contents

*Specications are subject to change without notice.

PCI 2.2, USB 2.0

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

2 x USB 2.0 connectors for 4 additional USB 2.0 ports
1 x CPU fan connector
1 x Chassis fan connector
1 x 24-pin EATX power connector
1 x 4-pin ATX 12 V power connector
1 x CD in connector

1 x Front panel high-denition audio connector

1 x S/PDIF out connector
1 x System Panel connector

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

Micro-ATX form factor: 9.6 in x 8 in (24.5cm x 20.3cm)

Device drivers
ASUS PC Probe II
ASUS update
ASUS Screensaver

xi

xii

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

introduction

Product

1

1.1 Welcome!

T h a n k y o u f o r b u y i n g a n A S U S® P 5 L - M X / I P A T 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.

1.2 Package contents

Check your motherboard package for the following items.

Motherboard ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT motherboard

Cables 1 x Serial ATA Cable Kit (SATA/Power)
1 x Ultra DMA 100/66 cable
1 x Floppy disk drive cable

Accessories I/O shield

Application CDs ASUS motherboard support CD
IPAT software CD

Documentation User guide

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

1.3 Special features

LGA 7 75 Int e l® Co r e™ 2 Pr o ce s sor Re a dy

This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Core™2 processor in the
LGA775 package. With the new Intel® Core™ microarchitecture technology
and 1066/800/533 MHz FSB, Intel® Core™2 processor is one of the most

powerful and energy efcient CPU in the world.

64- b it CPU sup por t

The motherboard supports 64-bit processors that provides
high-performance computing and faster memory access required for
memory and data intensive applications.

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction

Int e l® 94 5 G c hip s et

The Intel® 945G graphics memory controller hub (GMCH) and the ICH7 I/O
controller hub provide the vital interfaces for the motherboard. The GMCH
features the Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950, an integrated graphics
engine for enhanced 3D, 2D, and video capabilities. The GMCH provides the
interface for a processor in the 775-land package with 533/800/1066
MHz front side bus (FSB), dual channel DDR2 at speeds of up to 667 MHz,
and PCI Express x16 graphics card.

The Intel® ICH7 Southbridge represents the seventh generation I/O
controller hub that provides the interface for PCI Express and 6-channel

high denition audio.

DDR 2 m e mor y s u ppo r t

The motherboard supports DDR2 memory which features data transfer rates
of 667/533/400 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 10.7 GB/s. See pages 1-14 to 1-17 for details.

PCI Ex p res s ™ i nte r fa c 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 1-21 for details.

Ser i al ATA te c hno l og y

The motherboard supports the Serial ATA technology through the Serial
ATA interfaces and the Intel® ICH7 chipset. The SATA specication allows

for thinner, more exible cables with lower pin count, reduced voltage

requirement, and up to 300 MB/s data transfer rate.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-3

1.4 Before you proceed

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT Onboard LED

SB_PWR

ON

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 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 Chapter 1: Product introduction

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

1.5 Motherboard overview

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

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

1.5 .1 Pl ac eme nt d ire ct io n

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.

1.5 .2 Sc re w h ol es

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

motherboard to the chassis.

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

Place this side towards
the rear of the chassis

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-5

20.3cm (8in)

24.5cm (9.6in

)

DDR2 DIMM_A1 (64 bit,240-pin module)

DDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 bit,240-pin module)

P5L-MX/IPAT

LAN_USB34

AUDIO

LGA775

CPU_FAN

Super I/O

CHA_FAN1

FLOPPY

PRI_IDE

PANEL

SATA1

SATA2

SATA3

SATA4

Intel ICH7

Intel GMCH945G

CLRTC

USB78

SPI_J1

8Mb
BIOS

SPDIF_OUT

CD

AAFP

USB56

PCI2

PCI1

PCIEX16

PCIEX1_1

SB_PWR

AD1986A

Attansic

L1

ICS PRS552

USBPW5678

CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

USBPW1234

ATX12V

PARALLEL

POR

T

VGA COM1

PS/2KBMS
T: Mouse
B: Keyboard

USB12

EATXPWR

R

1.5 .3 Mo th erb oa rd la yo ut

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT CPU Socket 775

The motherboard comes with a surface mount LGA775 socket designed
for the Intel® Core™2 Extreme/Core™2 Duo/Pentium® D/Pentium® 4 and

®

Celeron

1.6 .1 In st all li ng th e CP U

To install a CPU:

D processors.

•

Your boxed Intel® Core™2 Extreme/Core™2 Duo/Pentium® D/
Pentium® 4 or Celeron® D LGA775 processor package should
come with installation instructions for the CPU, fan and heatsink
assembly. If the instructions in this section do not match the CPU
documentation, follow the latter.

• Upon purchase of the motherboard, make sure that the PnP cap
is on the socket and the socket pins are not bent. Contact your
retailer immediately if the PnP cap is missing, or if you see any
damage to the PnP cap/socket pins/motherboard components.
ASUS will shoulder the cost of repair only if the damage is shipment/
transit-related.

• Keep the cap after installing the motherboard. ASUS will process
Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) requests only if the
motherboard comes with the cap on the LGA775 socket.

•

The product warranty does not cover damage to the socket pins
resulting from incorrect CPU installation/removal, or misplacement/
loss/incorrect removal of the PnP cap.

1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.

Before installing the CPU, make sure that the socket box is facing
towards you and the load lever is on your left.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-7

2. Press the load lever with your thumb (A) and move it to the left (B)
until it is released from the retention tab.

Ret e n t ion t a b

Loa d l ever

To prevent damage to the socket pins, do not remove the PnP cap
unless you are installing a CPU.

A

B

3. Lift the load lever in the direction
of the arrow to a 135º angle.

4. Lift the load plate with your

thumb and forenger to a 100º

angle (A), then push the PnP cap
from the load plate window to
remove (B).

PnP C a p

Thi s s ide o f t he ca m
box s h ould f a c e you .

B

A

Loa d p late

5. Position the CPU over the
socket, making sure that
the gold triangle is on
the bottom-left corner of
the socket. The socket

alignment key should t

into the CPU notch.

1-8 Chapter 1: Product introduction

Ali g n m ent k e y

Gol d t riang l e mark

6. Close the load plate (A), then
push the load lever (B) until it
snaps into the retention tab.

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!

A

B

The motherboard supports Intel® LGA775 processors with the Intel®
Enhanced Memory 64 Technology (EM64T), Enhanced Intel SpeedStep

®

Technology (EIST), and Hyper-Threading Technology.

If you install a dual-core CPU, make sure to connect the chassis fan cable
to CHA_FAN connector for system stability.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-9

1.6 .2 In st all li ng th e CP U h ea ts ink a nd fa n

The Intel® Core™2 Extreme/Core™2 Duo/Pentium® D/Pentium® 4 and

®

Celeron
assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance.

To install the CPU heatsink and fan:

1. Place the heatsink on top of the

D processors require a specially designed heatsink and fan

• Install the motherboard to the chassis before you install the CPU fan
and heatsink assembly

®

• When you buy a boxed Intel
Pentium® D/Pentium® 4 or Celeron® D LGA775 processor, the
packageincludes the CPU fan and heatsink assembly. If you buy
a CPU separately, make sure that you use only Intel®-certied
multi-directional heatsink and fan.

®

• Your I Intel
or Celeron® D LGA775 heatsink and fan assembly comes in a push­pin design and requires no tool to install.

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.

Core™2 Extreme/Core™2 Duo/Pentium® D/Pentium® 4

Core™2 Extreme/Core™2 Duo/

installed CPU, making sure that
the four fasteners match the
holes on the motherboard.

Fas t e n er

Mot h e r board h o le

Make sure each fastener is oriented as shown, with the narrow groove
directed outward.

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introduction

2. Push down two fasteners at

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT

CPU Fan Connector

CPU_FAN

GND

CPU FAN PWR

CPU FAN IN

CPU FAN PWM

a time in a diagonal sequence
to secure the heatsink and fan
assembly in place.

B

A

A

A

B

B

A

B

3. 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.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-11

1.6 .3 Un in sta ll in g t he C PU he at s in k an d f an

To uninstall the CPU heatsink and fan:

1. Disconnect the CPU fan
cable from the connector
on the motherboard.

2. Rotate each fastener
counterclockwise.

3. Pull up two fasteners at a
time in a diagonal sequence
to disengage the heatsink
and fan assembly from the
motherboard.

A

B

A

B

B

A

B

A

1-12 Chapter 1: Product introduction

4. Remove the heatsink and
fan assembly from the
motherboard.

5. Rotate each fastener
clockwise to reset the
orientation.

Nar r o w end o f the g r o o ve

The narrow end of the
groove should point
outward after resetting.
(The photo shows the
groove shaded for
emphasis.)

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-13

1.7 System memory

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT

240-pin DDR2 DIMM Sockets

128 Pins

112 Pins

DIMM_B1

DIMM_A1

1.7 .1 Ov er vie w

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

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

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

Channel Sockets

Channel A DIMM_A1
Channel B DIMM_B1

1.7 .2 Me mo ry co nf igu ra ti ons

You may install 128MB, 256 MB, 512 MB and 1 GB unbuffered non-ECC
DDR2 DIMMs into the DIMM sockets.

• For dual-channel conguration, the size of memory module installed

per channel must be the same (DIMM_A1= DIMM_B1)

• Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency. For optimum
compatibility, it is recommended that you obtain memory modules

from the same vendor. Refer to the DDR2 Qualied Vendors List on

page 1-17 for details.

• If you are installing only one DIMM module for a Single-channel

conguration, install the module on DIMM_B1.

1-14 Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-15

1.7 .3 DD R2 Qu al if ied V en dor s Li st

The following table lists the memory modules that have been tested and

qualied for use with this motherboard. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.

com) for the latest DDR2 DIMM modules for this motherboard.

DDR 2 66 7 Q u ali f ie d Ve n do r s L i st

DIMM support

Size Vendor Model Brand Side(s) Component A B

56MB 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 • •
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 • •
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 Corsair VS512MB667D2 Corsair DS MIII0052532M8CEC • •

512MB HY HYMP564U64AP8-Y4 AA Hynix SS HY5PS12821AFP-Y4 • •
512MB HY HYMP564U64AP8-Y5 AA Hynix SS HY5PS12821AFP-Y5 • •
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 • •

256MB Nanya NT256T64UH4A1FY-3C Nanya SS NT5TU32M16AG-3C • •
512MB Nanya NT512T64U88A1BY-3C Nanya SS NT5TU64M8AE-3C • •
512MB AENEON AET660UD00-30DA98Z AENEON SS AET93F30DA 0552 • •
1G AENEON AET760UD00-30DA98Z AENEON DS AET93F30DA8EE47414G 0540 • •
512MB AENEON AET660UD00-30DA98Z AENEON SS AET93F300A 0606 • •
1G AENEON AET760UD00-30DA98Z AENEON DS AET93F30DA 0604 • •

512MB VERITECH GTP512HLTM45EG VERITECH SS VTD264M8PC6G01A164129621 • •
1G VERITECH GTP01GHLTM55EG VERITECH DS VTD264M8PC6G01A164129621 • •

512MB GEIL GX21GB5300DC GEIT SS Heat-Sink Package • •
512MB Century CENTURY 512MB Nanya SS NT5TU64M8AE-3C • •
512MB Century CENTURY 512MB Hynix SS HY5PS12821AFP-Y5 • •
1G Century CENTURY 1G Hynix DS HY5PS12821AFP-Y5 • •
1G Century CENTURY 1G Nanya DS NT5TU64M8AE-3C • •
512MB KINGBOX 512MB 667MHz KINGBOX SS EPD264082200-4 • •

1-16 Chapter 1: Product introduction

DDR 2 53 3 Q u ali f ie d Ve n do r s L i st

DIMM support

Size Vendor Model Brand Side(s) Component A B

256MB Kingston KVR533D2N4/256 Elpida SS E5116AB-5C-E • •
256MB Kingston KVR533D2N4/256 Elpida SS E5116AF-5C-E • •
512MB Kingston KVR533D2N4/512 Hynix DS HY5PS56821 • •
512MB Kingston KVR533D2N4/512 Inneon SS HYB18T512800AF3733336550 • •
1G Kingston KVR533D2N4/1G Kingston DS D6408TE7BL-37 • •
1G Kingston KVR533D2N4/1G Micron DS 5YD11D9GCT • •

256MB Samsung M378T3253FG0-CD5 Samsung SS K4T56083QF-GCD5 • •
512MB Samsung M378T6553BG0-CD5 Samsung SS K4T51083QB-GCD5 • •

256MB Inneon HYS64T32000HU-3.7-A Inneon SS HYB18T512160AF-3.7AFSS31270 • •
512MB Inneon HYS64T64000GU-3.7-A Inneon SS HYB18T512800AC37SSS11511 • •
512MB Inneon HYS64T64000HU-3.7-A Inneon SS HYB18T512800AF37SSS12079 • •
512MB Inneon HYS64T64000HU-3.7-A Inneon SS HYB18T512800AF37FSS29334 • •

512MB Micron MT 16HTF6464AG-53EB2 Micron DS D9BOM • •
512MB Micron MT 16HTF6464AG-53EB2 Micron DS Z9BQT • •
1G Micron MT 16HTF12864AY-53EA1 Micron DS D9CRZ • •

512MB Corsair VS512MB533D2 Corsair DS MIII0052532M8CEC • •

512MB Elpida EBE51UD8ABFA-5C-E Elpida SS E5108AB-5C-E • •
512MB Kingmax KLBC28F-A8KB4 Kingmax SS KKEA88B4IAK-37 • •
256MB Kingmax KLBB68F-36EP4 Elpida SS E5116AB-5C-E • •
512MB Kingmax KLBC28F-A8EB4 Elpida SS E5108AE-5C-E • •
512MB PQI MEAB-323LA PQI SS D2-E04180W025 • •
1G PQI MEAB-423LA PQI DS D2-E04230W107 • •
512MB AENEON AET660UD00-370A98Z AENEON SS AET93F370A G 0513 • •

256MB AENEON AET560UD00-370A98Z AENEON SS AET94F370AWVV34635G0520 • •
512MB AENEON AET660UD00-370A98Z AENEON SS AET93F370A 3VV36328G 0522 • •

512MB AENEON AET660UD00-370A98X AENEON SS AET93F370A 0518 • •
512MB AENEON AET660UD00-370A88S AENEON DS AET82F370A 0550 • •
1G AENEON AET760UD00-370A98Z AENEON DS AET93F370A 0551 • •
1G AENEON AET760UD00-370A98S AENEON DS AET92F370A 0606 • •

2G AENEON AET860UD00-370A08X AENEON DS AET03F370AFVV26176G 0542 • •
512MB VERITECH GTP512HLTM46DG VERITECH SS VTD264M8PC6G01A164129621 • •
1G VERITECH GTP01GHLTM56DG VERITECH DS VTD264M8PC6G01A164129621 • •

Side(s): SS - Single Sided DS - Double Sided
DIMM Support:
A - supports one module inserted into either slot, in a Single-channel memory

conguration.

B - supports on pair of modules inserted into either the yellow slots as one pair of

Dual-channel memory conguration.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-17

1.7 .4 In st all in g a D IM M

Unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other
system components. Failure to do so can cause severe damage to both
the motherboard and the components.

To install a DIMM:

1. Unlock a DIMM socket by
pressing the retaining clips
outward.

2. Align a DIMM on the socket
such that the notch on the
DIMM matches the break on

1

the socket.

3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the
socket until the retaining clips
snap back in place and the
DIMM is properly seated.

• A DDR2 DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it ts in only one

direction. Do not force a DIMM into a socket to avoid damaging the
DIMM.

• The DDR2 DIMM sockets do not support DDR DIMMs. DO not install
DDR DIMMs to the DDR2 DIMM sockets.

1.7 .5 Re mo vin g a DIM M

Follow these steps to remove a DIMM.

1. Simultaneously press the retaining
clips outward to unlock the DIMM.

2

3

DDR 2 D IMM n o t c h

Unl o c k ed re t a i ning c l i p

2

Support the DIMM lightly with

your ngers when pressing the

retaining clips. The DIMM might

get damaged when it ips out

with extra force.

1

DDR 2 D IMM n o t c h

2. Remove the DIMM from the socket.

1-18 Chapter 1: Product introduction

1

1.8 Expansion slots

In the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following
sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support.

Make sure to unplug the power cord before adding or removing
expansion cards. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and
damage motherboard components.

1.8 .1 In st all in g an ex pa nsi on c ard

To install an expansion card:

1. Before installing the expansion card, read the documentation that
came with it and make the necessary hardware settings for the card.

2. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already
installed in a chassis).

3. Remove the bracket opposite the slot that you intend to use. Keep
the screw for later use.

4. Align the card connector with the slot and press rmly until the card is

completely seated on the slot.

5. Secure the card to the chassis with the screw you removed earlier.

6. Replace the system cover.

1.8 .2 Co nf igu ri ng an e xp ans io n car d

After installing the expansion card, congure it by adjusting the software

settings.

1. Turn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings, if any.
See Chapter 2 for information on BIOS setup.

2. Assign an IRQ to the card. Refer to the tables on the next page.

3. Install the software drivers for the expansion card.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-19

1.8 .3 In te rru pt a ssi gn me nts

Sta n da r d i n te r rup t a s sig n me n ts

IRQ Standard Function

0 System Timer
1 Keyboard Controller
2 Re-direct to IRQ#9
4 Communications Port (COM1)*
5 IRQ holder for PCI steering*
6 Floppy Disk Controller
7 Printer Port (LPT1)*
8 System CMOS/Real Time Clock
9 IRQ holder for PCI steering*
10 IRQ holder for PCI steering*
11 IRQ holder for PCI steering*
12 PS/2 Compatible Mouse Port*
13 Numeric Data Processor
14 Primary IDE Channel

* These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.

IRQ as s ign m en t s f o r t his mo t her b oa r d

A B C D E F G H

PCI slot 1 — shared — — — — — —
PCI slot 2 — — — — — non-shared — —
PCI Express x16 slot shared — — — — — — —
PCI Express x1 slot shared — — — — — — —
Onboard USB controller 1 — — — — shared — — —
Onboard USB controller 2 — shared — — — — — —
Onboard USB controller 3 — — shared — — — — —
Onboard USB controller 4 — — — shared — — — —
Onboard USB 2.0 controller — — — — shared — — —
Onboard IDE port — — — — — — shared —
Onboard HD audio — — — shared — — — —
Onboard LAN — shared — — — — — —

When using PCI cards on shared slots, ensure that the drivers support
“Share IRQ” or that the cards do not need IRQ assignments. Otherwise,

conicts will arise between the two PCI groups, making the system

unstable and the card inoperable.

1-20 Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.8 .4 PC I slo ts

The PCI slots support cards such
as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card,
and other cards that comply with

PCI specications. The gure shows

a LAN card installed on a PCI slot.

1.8 .6 PC I Exp re ss x1

This motherboard supports PCI
Express x1 network cards, SCSI
cards and other cards that comply

with the PCI Express specications.
The gure shows a network card

installed on the PCI Express x1 slot.

1.8 .5 PC I Exp re ss x1 6

This motherboard supports one
PCI Express x16 graphics card.

The gure shows a graphics card

installed on the PCI Express x16
slot.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-21

1.9 Jumpers

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT

Clear RTC RAM

CLRTC

Normal

Clear CMOS

(Default)

1 2 2 3

1. Clea r R TC R A M (CLR T C )
This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in

CMOS. You can clear the CMOS memory of date, time by erasing the
CMOS RTC RAM data. The onboard button cell battery powers the RAM
data in CMOS.

To erase the RTC RAM:

1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord.

2. Remove the onboard battery.

3. Move the jumper cap from pins 1-2 (default) to pins 2-3. Keep the
cap on pins 2-3 for about 5~10 seconds, then move the cap back to
pins 1-2.

4. Re-install the battery.

5. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer.

6. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS
setup to re-enter data.

Except when clearing the RTC RAM, never remove the cap on CLRTC
jumper default position. Removing the cap will cause system boot failure!

You do not need to clear the RTC when the system hangs due to
overclocking. For system failure due to overclocking, use the C.P.R. (CPU
Parameter Recall) feature. Shut down and reboot the system so the BIOS
can automatically reset parameter settings to default values.

1-22 Chapter 1: Product introduction

2. USB d e v ice w a k e-up ( 3 -pin U S BPW1 2 3 4 , USB P W 5 678)

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT USB Device Wake Up

3

2

2

1

USBPW5678

+5

V

(D

e

fa

u

lt

)

+5VSB

3

2

2

1

USBPW1234

+5

V

(D

e

fa

u

lt

)

+5VSB

Set these jumpers to +5V to wake up the computer from S1 sleep

mode (CPU stopped, DRAM refreshed, system running in low power

mode) using the connected USB devices. Set to +5VSB to wake up

from S3 and S4 sleep modes (no power to CPU, DRAM in slow refresh,
power supply in reduced power mode).

The USBPW1234 jumper is for the rear USB ports. The USBPW5678
jumper is for the internal USB connectors that you can connect to
additional USB ports.

• The USB device wake-up feature requires a power supply that can

provide 500 mA on the +5VSB lead for each USB port; otherwise,

the system would not power up.

• The total current consumed must NOT exceed the power supply

capability (+5VSB) whether under normal condition or in sleep mode.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-23

SPEED

LED

ACT/LINK

LED

LAN port

1.10 Connectors

1

11

4

5

6

7

2 3

8

10

9

1.1 0. 1 R ea r p an el c o nn ec to r s

1. PS/2 mouse port (green). This port is for a PS/2 mouse.

2. Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer, a scanner, or
other devices.

3. LAN (RJ-45) port. This port allows Gigabit connection to a Local Area
Network (LAN) through a network hub. Refer to the table below for
the LAN port LED indications.

LAN po r t L E D i ndi c at i ons

ACT/LINK LED SPEED LED

Status Description Status Description
OFF No link OFF 10 Mbps connection
YELLOW Data activity ORANGE 100 Mbps connection

(blinking)
YELLOW Linked GREEN 1 Gbps connection

(no blinking)

4. Line In port (light blue). This port connects the tape, CD, DVD player,

or other audio sources.

5. Line Out port (lime). This port connects a headphone or a speaker. In

4-channel, 6-channel, and 8-channel conguration, the function of this

port becomes Front Speaker Out.

6. Microphone port (pink). This port connects a microphone.

Refer to the audio conguration table on the next page for the function
of the audio ports in 2, 4, or 6-channel conguration.

1-24 Chapter 1: Product introduction

Aud i o 2 , 4 , o r 6- c han nel con fig u rat ion

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT

Floppy Disk Drive Connector

NOTE:

Orient the red markings on

the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1.

PIN 1

FLOPPY

Port Headset 4-channel 6-channel
2-channel

Light Blue Line In Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out
Lime Line Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out
Pink Mic In Mic In Bass/Center

7. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB)
ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.

8. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB)
ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.

9. VGA port. This port is for a VGA monitor or other VGA-compatible

devices.

10. Serial port. This port connects a mouse, modem, or other devices that

conform with serial specication.

11. PS/2 keyboard port (purple). This port is for a PS/2 keyboard.

1.1 0. 2 I nt er n al c on n ec to rs

1. Flop p y disk d r ive c o n nect o r (34- 1 p in F L O P PY)

This connector is for the provided oppy disk drive (FDD) signal cable.

Insert one end of the cable to this connector, then connect the other

end to the signal connector at the back of the oppy disk drive.

Pin 5 on the connector is removed to prevent incorrect cable connection
when using an FDD cable with a covered Pin 5.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-25

2. IDE c o n nect o r s (40 - 1 pin P R I _IDE )

Black or gray

Drive jumper Mode Cable
setting of device(s) connector

Single device Cable-Select or Master - Black
Two devices Cable-Select Master Black
Slave Gray

Master Master
Slave Slave

• Pin 20 on the IDE connector is removed to match the covered hole
on the Ultra DMA cable connector. This prevents incorrect insertion
when you connect the IDE cable.

• Use the 80-conductor IDE cable for Ultra DMA 133/100/66 IDE devices.

If any device jumper is set as “Cable-Select,” make sure all other device
jumpers have the same setting.

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT IDE Connector

PRI_IDE

The onboard IDE connectors are for Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal
cables. There are three connectors on each Ultra DMA 133/100/66
signal cable: blue, black, and gray. Connect the blue connector to

the motherboard’s IDE connector, then select one of the following
modes to congure your device(s).

1-26 Chapter 1: Product introduction

3. Seri a l ATA c o n nect o r s

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT SATA Connectors

GND

RSATA_TXP1

RSATA_TXN1

GND

RSATA_RXP1

RSATA_RXN1

GND

SATA1

GND

RSATA_TXP2

RSATA_TXN2

GND

RSATA_RXP2

RSATA_RXN2

GND

SATA2

GND

RSATA_TXP3

RSATA_TXN3

GND

RSATA_RXP3

RSATA_RXN3

GND

SATA3

GND

RSATA_TXP4

RSATA_TXN4

GND

RSATA_RXP4

RSATA_RXN4

GND

SATA4

(7-p i n SATA 1 , SATA 2 , SATA 3 , S ATA 4 )
These connectors are for the Serial ATA signal cables for Serial ATA

hard disk drives.

When using the connectors in Standard IDE mode, connect the primary
(boot) hard disk drive to the SATA1/2 connector. Refer to the table
below for the recommended SATA hard disk drive connections.

Ser i al ATA ha r d d i sk dri v e c onn e ct i on

Connector Color Setting Use

SATA1/2 Red Master Boot disk

SATA3/4 Black Slave Data Disk

Connect the right-angle side
of SATA signal cable to SATA
device. Or you may connect
the right-angle side of SATA
cable to the onboard SATA
port to avoid mechanical

conict with huge graphics

cards.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-27

right angle side

4. CPU, P o wer a n d Cha s s i s fa n c onne c t o rs ( 4 - p in C P U _ F AN,

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT

Fan Connectors

CPU_FAN

GND

CPU FAN PWR

CPU FAN IN

CPU FAN PWM

CHA_FAN

GND

Rotation

+12V

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT CPU Digital Audio Connector

+5V

SPDIFOUT

GND

SPDIF_OUT

3-pi n P WR_F A N (opt i o n al), 3 - pin C H A _FAN )
The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350mA~2000mA (24W

max.) or a total of 1A~7A (84W max.) at +12V. Connect the fan cables

to the fan connectors on the motherboard, making sure that the black
wire of each cable matches the ground pin of the connector.

Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors.

Insufcient air ow inside the system may damage the motherboard

components. These are not jumpers! DO NOT place jumper caps on the
fan connectors.

5. Digi t a l Aud i o conn e c t or ( 4 - 1 pin S P DIF_ O U T )
This connector is for the S/PDIF audio module to allow digital sound

output. Connect one end of the S/PDIF audio cable to this connector
and the other end to the S/PDIF module.

The S/PDIF out module is purchased separately.

1-28 Chapter 1: Product introduction

6. AT X pow er co nnec tors ( 2 4 - p i n E A T X P W R a n d 4 - p i n ATX12V)

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT ATX Power Connector

EATXPWR

+3 Volts

+3 Volts

Ground

+5 Volts

+5 Volts

Ground

Ground

Power OK

+5V Standby

+12 Volts

-5 Volts

+5 Volts

+3 Volts

-12 Volts

Ground

Ground
Ground
PSON#

Ground

+5 Volts

+12 Volts

+3 Volts

+5 Volts

Ground

EATX12V

GND

+12V DC

GND

+12V DC

These connectors are for ATX power supply plugs. The power supply

plugs are designed to t these connectors in only one orientation.
Find the proper orientation and push down rmly until the connectors
completely t.

•

Do not forget to connect the 4-pin ATX +12 V power plug;

otherwise, the system will not boot.

• Use of a PSU with a higher power output is recommended when

conguring a system with more power-consuming devices. The

system may become unstable or may not boot up if the power is
inadequate.

• Make sure that your power supply unit (PSU) can provide at least
the minimum power required by your system. See the table below
for details.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-29

7. Opti c a l dri v e audi o c onne c t o r (4 - p i n CD )

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT Internal Audio Connector

CD

(black)

Right Audio Channel

Left Audio Channel

Ground

Ground

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT

USB 2.0 Connectors

USB78

USB+5V

USB_P8-

USB_P8+

GND

NC

USB+5V

USB_P7-

USB_P7+

GND

1

USB56

USB+5V

USB_P6-

USB_P6+

GND

NC

USB+5V

USB_P5-

USB_P5+

GND

1

This connector is for the 4-pin audio cable that connects to the audio
connector at the back of the optical drive.

Enable the CD-IN function in the audio utility when using this
connector.

8. USB c o n nect o r s (10 - 1 p in U S B 5 6, U S B 7 8)
These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the optional

USB module cable to any of these connectors, then install the module
to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis. These USB

connectors comply with USB 2.0 specication that supports up to 480

Mbps connection speed.

Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors. Doing so will
damage the motherboard!

1-30 Chapter 1: Product introduction

9. Fron t p anel a u dio c o n nect o r (10- 1 p in A A F P )

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT

Front Panel Audio Connector

HP_HD

MIC2_L

HP_R

HP_L

MIC2_JD

Jack_Sense

MIC2_R

PRESENSE#

AGND

AAFP

Legacy AC’97-compliant

pin definition

NC

MIC2_L

Line out_R

Line out_L

NC

NC

MIC2_R

NC

AGND

Azalia-compliant

pin definition

This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O module

that supports either HD Audio or legacy AC’97 audio standard.

It is recommended that you connect a high-denition front panel audio
module to this connector to avail of the motherboard’s high-denition

audio capability.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 1-31

10. S y s tem p a n el c o n n ecto r ( 10-1 p i n F_ P A N EL)

P5L-MX/IPAT

R

P5L-MX/IPAT System Panel Connector

*

Requires an ATX power supply

NEL

PLED-

PWR

+5V

Speaker

Ground

RESET

Ground

Reset

Ground

Ground

PWRSW

PLED+

IDE_LED­IDE_LED+

IDE_LED

PLED SPEAKER

PA

This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.

• System power LED (2-pin PLED)

This 2-pin connector is for the system power LED. Connect the

chassis power LED cable to this connector. The system power LED
lights up when you turn on the system power, and blinks when the
system is in sleep mode.

• Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pin IDE_LED)

This 2-pin connector is for the HDD Activity LED. Connect the HDD

Activity LED cable to this connector. The IDE LED lights up or ashes

when data is read from or written to the HDD.

• System warning speaker (4-pin SPEAKER)

This 4-pin connector is for the chassis-mounted system warning

speaker. The speaker allows you to hear system beeps and warnings.

• ATX power button/soft-off button (2-pin PWRSW)

This connector is for the system power button. Pressing the power

button turns the system on or puts the system in sleep or soft-off
mode depending on the BIOS settings. Pressing the power switch for
more than four seconds while the system is ON turns the system OFF.

• Reset button (2-pin RESET)

This 2-pin connector is for the chassis-mounted reset button for

system reboot without turning off the system power.

1-32 Chapter 1: Product introduction

This chapter tells how to change
the system settings through the BIOS
Setup menus. Detailed descriptions
of the BIOS parameters are also
provided.

BIOS setup

2

2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS

The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard
Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) setup.

1. ASUS AFUDOS (Updates the BIOS in DOS mode using a bootable oppy
disk.)

ASUS AFUWIN (Updates the BIOS in Windows® environment.)

2.

Refer to the corresponding sections for details on these utilities.

Save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS le to a bootable oppy

disk in case you need to restore the BIOS in the future. Copy the original
motherboard BIOS using the AFUDOS utility.

2.1 .1 Cr ea tin g a boo ta bl e f lo pp y d is k

1. Do either one of the following to create a bootable oppy disk.

DOS environment

a. Insert a 1.44MB oppy disk into the drive.

b. At the DOS prompt, type format

Windows® XP environment

a. Insert a 1.44 MB oppy disk to the oppy disk drive.

b. Click

Start from the Windows® desktop, then select My Computer.
c. Select the 3 1/2 Floppy Drive icon.
d. Click

File from the menu, then select Format. A Format 3 1/2

Floppy Disk window appears.

e. Select

Create an MS-DOS startup disk from the format options

eld, then click Start.

Windows® 2000 environment

To create a set of boot disks for Windows® 2000:

a. Insert a formatted, high density 1.44 MB oppy disk into the drive.

®

b. Insert the Windows
c. Click

Start, then select Run.

2000 CD to the optical drive.

d. From the Open eld, type

D:\bootdisk\makeboot a:
assuming that D: is your optical drive.
e. Press <Enter>, then follow screen instructions to continue.

A:/S then press <Enter>.

2. Copy the original or the latest motherboard BIOS le to the bootable
oppy disk.

2-2 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.1 .2 AF UD OS ut il ity

The AFUDOS utility allows you to update the BIOS le in DOS environment
using a bootable oppy disk with the updated BIOS le. This utility also
allows you to copy the current BIOS le that you can use as backup when

the BIOS fails or gets corrupted during the updating process.

Cop y in g th e c u rre n t B IOS

To copy the current BIOS le using the AFUDOS utility:

• Make sure that the oppy disk is not write-protected and has at
least 1024KB free space to save the le.

• The succeeding BIOS screens are for reference only. The actual BIOS
screen displays may not be same as shown.

1. Copy the AFUDOS utility (afudos.exe) from the motherboard support

CD to the bootable oppy disk you created earlier.

2. Boot the system in DOS mode, then at the prompt type:

afudos /o[lename]

where the [lename] is any user-assigned lename not more than
eight alphanumeric characters for the main lename and three

alphanumeric characters for the extension name.

A:\>afudos /oOLDBIOS1.rom

Mai n f ilena m e Exte n s i o n na m e

3. Press <Enter>. The utility copies the current BIOS le to the oppy

disk.

A:\>afudos /oOLDBIOS1.rom
AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.19(ASUS V2.07(03.11.24BB))
Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.

Reading ash ..... done

Write to le...... ok

A:\>

The utility returns to the DOS prompt after copying the current BIOS

le.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 2-3

Upd a ti n g t h e B IOS fi l e

To update the BIOS le using the AFUDOS utility:

1. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) and download the latest BIOS
le for the motherboard. Save the BIOS le to a bootable oppy disk.

Write the BIOS lename on a piece of paper. You need to type the exact
BIOS lename at the DOS prompt.

2. Copy the AFUDOS utility (afudos.exe) from the motherboard support

CD to the bootable oppy disk you created earlier.

3. Boot the system in DOS mode, then at the prompt type:

afudos /i[lename]

where [lename] is the latest or the original BIOS le on the bootable
oppy disk.

A:\>afudos /iP5L-MXIP.ROM

4. The utility veries the le and starts updating the BIOS.

A:\>afudos /iP5L-MXIP.ROM

AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.19(ASUS V2.07(03.11.24BB))
Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.

WARNING!! Do not turn off power during ash BIOS

Reading le ....... done

Reading ash ...... done

Advance Check ......

Erasing ash ...... done

Writing ash ...... 0x0008CC00 (9%)

Do not shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to
prevent system boot failure!

5. The utility returns to the DOS prompt after the BIOS update process is
completed. Reboot the system from the hard disk drive.

A:\>afudos /iP5L-MXIP.ROM

AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.19(ASUS V2.07(03.11.24BB))
Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.

WARNING!! Do not turn off power during ash BIOS

Reading le ....... done

Reading ash ...... done

Advance Check ......

Erasing ash ...... done

Writing ash ...... done

Verifying ash .... done

Please restart your computer

A:\>

2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.1 .3 AF UW IN ut il ity

The AFUWIN utility allows you to update the BIOS le in a Windows®

environment.

To update the BIOS using AFUWIN:

1. Download the latest BIOS le for your motherboard from the ASUS
website (www.asus.com) and save the BIOS le to a new folder.

Write the BIOS lename on a piece of paper. You need to type the exact
BIOS lename at the DOS prompt later.

2. Copy the AFUWIN utilities (Afwin.exe and AMIFLDrv.sys) from the

motherboard support CD to the folder with the downloaded BIOS le.

3. Click

4. From the command prompt, change the directory to the folder with

The utility veries the le and starts updating the BIOS.

Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt to run the
DOS command promt. You can also click Start > RUN, then type cmd
at the prompt.

the BIOS le and AFUWIN utilities, then type:

afuwin /i[BIOS lename]

C:\BIOS>afuwin /iP5L-MXIP.ROM

Do not shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to
prevent system boot failure!

5. The utility returns to the command prompt after the BIOS update
process is completed. Type Exit to return to Windows.

C:\BIOS>afuwin /iP5L-MXIP.ROM
AMI Firmware Update Utility for APTIO - Version 2.09 ASUS 0.03
Copyright (C) 2004 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.

BIOS Version 0272<11.24> Image Version 0273<11.25>

Reading le ....... done

Erasing ash ...... done

Writing ash ...... done

Verifying ash .... done

Erasing BootBlock...done
Writing BootBlock...done
Verifying BootBlock...done

C:\BIOS>

6. Restart your computer.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 2-5

2.2 BIOS setup program

This motherboard supports a programmable rmware chip that you can

update using the provided utility described in section “2.1 Managing and
updating your BIOS.”

Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard,

reconguring your system, or prompted to“Run Setup.” This section
explains how to congure your system using this utility.

Even if you are not prompted to use the Setup program, you can change

the conguration of your computer in the future. For example, you can

enable the security password feature or change the power management

settings. This requires you to recongure your system using the BIOS Setup

program so that the computer can recognize these changes and record
them in the CMOS RAM of the SPI chip.

The rmware chip on the motherboard stores the Setup utility. When you

start up the computer, the system provides you with the opportunity to
run this program. Press <Del> during the Power-On Self-Test (POST) to

enter the Setup utility; otherwise, POST continues with its test routines.

If you wish to enter Setup after POST, reboot the system by doing any of
the following procedures:

• Restart using the OS standard shut-down procedure.

• Press <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Del> simultaneously.

• Press the reset button on the system chassis.

• Press the power button to turn the system off then back on.

Using the power button, reset button, or the <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Del> keys
to force reset from a running operating system can cause damage to
your data or system. We recommend to always shut-down the system
properly from the operating system.

The Setup program is designed to make it as easy to use as possible. Being
a menu-driven program, it lets you scroll through the various sub-menus and
make your selections from the available options using the navigation keys.

• The default BIOS settings for this motherboard apply for most
conditions to ensure optimum performance. If the system becomes
unstable after changing any BIOS settings, load the default settings
to ensure system compatibility and stability. Select the Load Setup
Defaults item under the Exit Menu. See section “2.8 Exit Menu.”

• The BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for reference purposes
only, and may not exactly match what you see on your screen.

• Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) to download the latest BIOS
le for this motherboard.

2-6 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.2 .1 BI OS me nu s cre en

Men u b ar

On Board LAN Conguration
On Board LAN Chip [Enabled]
S5 WOL [Enabled]
On Board LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]

Power On By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled]
Power On By PS/2 Mouse [Disabled]
Power On By External Modems [Disabled]

ACPI Settings
CPU Conguration
IDE Conguration
Super IO Conguration

Sub - m e nu it e m s

Con f i g urati o n field sMen u i tems

Gen e r a l hel p

Enable or Disable Onboard
LAN Chip.

Nav i g a tion k e y s

2.2 .2 Me nu ba r

The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items:

Main For changing the basic system conguration
Advanced For changing the advanced system settings
Chipset For changing the chipset conguration
Boot For changing the system boot conguration
Security For changing the system security settings.
Save & Exit For selecting the exit options and loading default

settings

To select an item on the menu bar, press the right or left arrow key on the
keyboard until the desired item is highlighted.

2.2 .3 Na vi gat io n key s

At the bottom right corner of a menu screen are the navigation keys for
that particular menu. Use the navigation keys to select items in the menu
and change the settings.

Some of the navigation keys differ from one screen to another.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 2-7

2.2 .4 Me nu it em s

The highlighted item on the menu bar

displays the specic items for that menu.

For example, selecting Main shows the
Main menu items.

BIOS Information

BIOS Vendor American Megatrends
Core Version 4.5.0
Project Version A0657 2.49
Build Date Dec 19 2006

Memory Information

Total Memory 256 MB (DDR2)

System Language [eng]

System Date [Sun 01/16/2005]
System Time [05:06:04]

Access Level Administrator

The other items (Advanced, Chipset, Boot,
Security, and Save & Exit) on the menu
bar have their respective menu items.

Mai n m enu i t e m s

Choose the system default
language

2.2 .5 Su b- men u it ems

A solid triangle before each item on any menu screen means that the
iteam has a sub-menu. To display the sub-menu, select the item and press
<Enter>.

2.2 .6 Co nf igu ra ti on fi el ds

These elds show the values for the menu items. If an item is user­congurable, you can change the value of the eld opposite the item. You
cannot select an item that is not user-congurable.

A congurable eld is enclosed in brackets, and is highlighted when
selected. To change the value of a eld, select it then press <Enter> to

display a list of options. Refer to “2.2.7 Pop-up window.”

2.2 .7 Po p- up wi nd ow

Select a menu item then press <Enter> to display a pop-up window with

the conguration options for that item.

2.2 .8 Sc ro ll ba r

On Board LAN Conguration
On Board LAN Chip [Enabled]

A scroll bar appears on the right side of
a menu screen when there are items that
do not t on the screen. Press the

S5 WOL [Enabled]

ACPI Settings
CPU Conguration
IDE Conguration
USB Conguration
Super IO Conguration

Up/Down arrow keys or <Page Up>
/<Page Down> keys to display the other
items on the screen.

Pop - u p wind o w

Enable or Disable Onboard
LAN Chip.

2.2 .9 Ge ne ral h el p

At the top right corner of the menu
screen is a brief description of the selected item.

2-8 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

Scr o l l bar

2.3 Main menu

When you enter the BIOS Setup program, the Main menu screen appears,
giving you an overview of the basic system information.

Refer to section “2.2.1 BIOS menu screen” for information on the menu
screen items and how to navigate through them.

BIOS Information

BIOS Vendor American Megatrends
Core Version 4.5.0
Project Version A0657 2.49
Build Date Dec 19 2006

Memory Information

Total Memory 256 MB (DDR2)

System Language [eng]

System Date [Sun 01/16/2005]
System Time [05:06:04]

Access Level Administrator

Choose the system default
language

2.3 .1 BI OS In fo rm ati on

Displays the auto-detected BIOS information

2.3 .2 Me mo ry In fo rma ti on

Displays the auto-detected system memory

2.3 .3 Sy st em La ng uag e [e ng]

Allows you to choose the system default langauge. Conguration options:
[eng] [chi]

2.3 .4 Sy st em Da te [D ay x x/x x/ xx xx]

Allows you to set the system date.

2.3 .5 Sy st em Ti me [x x: xx :xx ]

Allows you to set the system time.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 2-9

2.4 Advanced menu

The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU
and other system devices.

Take caution when changing the settings of the Advanced menu items.

Incorrect eld values can cause the system to malfunction.

On Board LAN Conguration
On Board LAN Chip [Enabled]
S5 WOL [Enabled]
On Board LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]

Power On By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled]
Power On By PS/2 Mouse [Disabled]
Power On By External Modems [Disabled]

ACPI Settings
CPU Conguration
IDE Conguration
Super IO Conguration

Enable or Disable Onboard
LAN Chip.

2.4 .1 On B oar d LA N C hi p [En ab le d]

Allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN chip.

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

2.4 .2 S5 W OL [E na ble d]

Allows you to enable or disable the LAN S5 wake up.

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

2.4 .3 On B oar d LA N B oo t ROM [ Di sab le d]

Allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN Boot ROM.

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

2.4 .4 P ow e r On B y P S/ 2 K ey bo ar d [ Di sa b le d]

Allows you to use specic keys on the keyboard to turn on the system.

This feature requires an ATX power supply that provides at least 1A on

the +5VSB lead. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Space Bar] [Ctrl-Esc]
[Power Key]

2.4 .5 P owe r On By P S/ 2 M ou se [D is ab led ]

When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows you to use the PS/2 mouse to

turn on the system. This feature requires an ATX power supply that provides

at least 1A on the +5VSB lead. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2-10 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.4 .6 P ow e r On B y E xt er n al M od e ms [ Di s ab le d]

This allows either settings of [Enabled] or [Disabled] for powering up the

computer when the external modem receives a call while the computer is in

Soft-off mode. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2.4 .7 AC PI Se tt in gs

The items in this menu allows you to change the settings for the Advanced

Conguration and Power Interface (ACPI). Select an item then press
<Enter> to display the conguration options.

Enable ACPI Auto Conguration [Disabled]

ACPI Sleep State [S3(suspend to RAM)]

Enable or Disable BIOS
ACPI Auto Conguration.

Ena b le ACP I A u to C on f igu r at i on [ Di s abl e d]

Allows you to enable or disable the ACPI auto conguration.
Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

The following items appear only when the Enable ACPI Auto Conguration

item is set to disabled.

ACP I S l eep St a te [ S3 ( Sus p en d to RA M )]

Allows you to select the highest ACPI sleep state the system would enter
when the SUSPEND button is pressed.

Conguration options: [Suspend Disabled] [S1(CPU Stop Clock]
[S3(Suspend to RAM)]

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 2-11

2.4 .8 CP U Con fi gu rat io n

The items in this menu show the CPU-related information that the BIOS
automatically detects.

CPU Conguration

Processor Type Intel(R) Celeron(R)CPU 2
Processor Speed 2665 MHz
System Bus Speed 533 MHz
Processor Stepping f49
Microcode Revision 3
Processor Core Single
Hyper-Threading Not Supported

Hyper-Threading [Enabled]
Enhanced Debug [Disabled]
Limit CPUID Maximum [Disabled]

Enabled for Windows
XP and Linux(OS
optimized for Hyper­Threading Technology)and
Disabled for other
OS(OS not optimized
for Hyper-Threading
Technology).

Hyp e r- T hre a di n g [ E na b led ]

Allows you to enable or disable the Hyper-Threading feature. Sets it to
enabled when you use a OS optimized for Hyper-Threading technology,
such as Windows XP, Linux, or later version.

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

Enh a nc e d D e bu g [D i sa b led ]

Allows you to enable or disable the enhanced debug function. Sets it
to disabled for normal system operation, and sets it to enabled for test

environments. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Lim i t C PUI D M a xim u m [ Dis a bl e d]

Enable this item to boot legacy operating systems that cannot support
CPUs with extended CPUID functions.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2-12 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.4 .9 ID E Con fi gu rat io n

The items in this menu allow you to set or change the congurations for

the IDE devices installed in the system. Select an item then press <Enter>

if you wish to congure the item.

IDE Conguration

PATA Master Not Present
PATA Slave Not Present

SATA Port1 Not Present
SATA Port2 Not Present
SATA Port3 Not Present
SATA Port4 Not Present

IDE Controller [Enabled]
IDE mode [PATA-Primary,SATA-...]

Serial-ATA Port1 [Enabled]
Serial-ATA Port2 [Enabled]
Serial-ATA Port3 [Enabled]
Serial-ATA Port4 [Enabled]

Enable/Disable IDE
Controller

IDE Co n tro l le r [E n ab l ed]

Allows you to enable or disable the onboard IDE controller.

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

IDE Mo d e [ P AT A -Pr i ma r y, S AT A -.. . ]

Allows you to select the IDE mode.Conguration options: [SATA only­Primary/Secondary (Non-combined, Legacy)] [SATA-Primary, PATA­Secondary (combined, Legacy)] [PATA-Primary, SATA-Secondary
(Combined, Legacy)] [PATA only-Primary (Non-combined, Legacy)] [PATA-
Primary, SATA-Ports 1,2,3,4 (Non-combined, PATA-Legacy)]

Ser i al - ATA Po r t1/ 2 /3/ 4 [ E nab led ]

Allows you to disable or enable the Serial-ATA devices.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 2-13

2.4 .1 0 S up er IO C on f ig ur at i on

The items in this menu allow you to set or change the congurations

for super IO devices. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the

conguration options.

Super IO Conguration

Super IO Chip Winbond W83627

Floopy Disk Controller Conguration
Serial Port Conguration
Parallel Port Controller Conguration

Set Parameters of
Floppy Disk Controller
(FDC)

Flo p py Dis k C o ntr o ll e r C o nf i gur a ti o n

Floopy Disk Controller Conguration

Floopy Disk Controller [Enabled]

Device Settings Reset Required

Change Settings [Auto]
Device Mode [Read Write]

Floppy Disk Controller [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the oppy disk controller.
Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Change Settings [Auto]

Allows you to select an optimal settings for the super IO device.

Conguration options: [Auto] [IO=3F0h; IRQ=6; DMA=2]
[IO=3F0h; IRQ=3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12; DMA=1, 2, 3;]

Device Mode [Read Write]

Allows you to set the mode of oppy disk controller. Selects Read

Write mode for normal operation. Selects Write Protect mode for read

only operation. Conguration options: [Read Write] [Write Protect]

Enable or Disable
Floppy Disk Controller

2-14 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

Ser i al Por t C o nfi g ur a tio n

Serial Port Conguration

Serial Port [Enabled]

Device Settings IO=3F8h; IRQ=4;

Change Settings [Auto]
Device Mode [Normal]

Enable or Disable
Serial Port(COM)

Serial Port [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the Serial Port (COM).

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Change Settings [Auto]

Allows you to select an optimal settings for the super IO device.

Conguration options: [Auto] [IO=3F8h; IRQ=4;] [IO=3F8h; IRQ=3,
4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11,12;] [IO=2F8h; IRQ=3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11,12;]
[IO=3E8h; IRQ=3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11,12;] [IO=2E8h; IRQ=3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
10, 11,12;]

Device Mode [Normal]

Allows you to set the mode of Serial Port.

Conguration options: [Normal] [High Speed]

Par a ll e l P o rt Con f ig u rat i on

Parallel Port Conguration

Parallel Port [Enabled]

Device Settings IO=378h; IRQ=5;

Change Settings [Auto]
Device Mode [STD Printer Mode]

Enable or Disable
Parallel Port(LPT/
LPTE)

Parallel Port [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the Parallel Port (LPT/LPTE).

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Change Settings [Auto]

Allows you to select an optimal settings for the super IO device.

Conguration options: [Auto] [IO=378h; IRQ=5;] [IO=378h; IRQ=5, 6,
7, 10, 11,12;] [IO=278h; IRQ=5, 6, 7, 10, 11,12;] [IO=3BCh; IRQ=5,
6, 7, 10, 11,12;]

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 2-15

Device Mode [STD Printer Mode]

Allows you to set the mode of Printer Port.

Conguration options: [STD Printer Mode] [SPP Mode] [EPP-1.9 and
SPP Mode] [EPP-1.7 and SPP Mode] [ECP Mode] [ECP and EPP 1.9
Mode] [ECP and EPP 1.7 Mode]

2.5 Chipset menu

The Advanced menu items allow you to change the advanced chipset
settings.

North Bridge
South Bridge
Legacy USB Conguration

North Bridge
Parameters

2.5 .1 No rt h B ri dg e

Memory Information

Total Memory 256 MB (DDR2)

Memory Slot0 256 MB

Memory Slot2 Not Present

DVMT Size [Auto]
Boot Graphic Adapter Priority [PCIE-

>

PCI->IGD]

DVM T S i ze [ 128 M]

Allows you to select the DVMT size. This option is not functional when a
VGA card is installed. Conguration options: [Auto] [32M] [64M] [128M]

Boo t G r aph i c A dap t er Pri o ri t y [ P CI E -> P C I- > IGD ]

Allows you to select the graphics controller as the primary boot device.
Conguration options: [PCIE->PCI->IGD] [IGD->PCIE->PCI] [PCI->PCIE->IGD]

Select DVMT Size; This
option is no function
when a VGA Card is
Installed

2-16 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.5 .2 So ut h B ri dg e

Audio Conguration
Azalia HD Audio [Enabled]

USB Conguration
ALL USB Ports [Enabled]
USB 2.0(EHCI) Support [Enabled]

Aza l ia HD A ud i o [ E na b led ]

Allows you to enable or disable the Azalia HD Audio.

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

All US B Po r ts [En a bl e d]

Allows you to enable or disable all USB

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

USB 2.0 (EH C I) Sup p ort [E n abl ed]

Allows you to enable USB 2.0 (EHCI) support.

Conguration options: [Enabled]

Enable/Disable Azalia
HD Audio

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 2-17

2.5 .3 Le ga cy US B Con fi gu rat io n

The items in this menu allows you to change the USB-related features.

Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conguration options.

USB Conguration

Module Version 08.06.05

USB Devices:

None

Legacy USB Support [Auto]
Device Reset timeout [20 sec]

The Module Version and USB Devices Enabled items show the
auto-detected values. If no USB device is detected, the item shows
None.

Leg a cy USB Su p por t [ A uto ]

Allows you to enable or disable support for USB devices on legacy
operating systems (OS). Setting to Auto allows the system to detect the
presence of USB devices at startup. If detected, the USB controller legacy
mode is enabled. If no USB device is detected, the legacy USB support is

disabled. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] [Auto]

Dev i ce Res e t t ime o ut [20 sec ]

Allows you to set the USB mass storage device start unit command

timeout. Conguration options: [10 sec] [20 sec] [30 sec] [40 sec]

2-18 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.6 Boot menu

The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. Select

an item then press <Enter> to display the conguration options.

Boot Conguration
Quiet Boot [Disabled]
Fast Boot [Disabled]
Boot to Linux [Disabled]
Setup Prompt Timeout 3

Boot Option Priorities

Enable/Disable Quiet
Boot option

2.6 .1 Qu ie t B oo t [Di sa bl ed]

Allows you to enable or disable the quiet boot function.

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

2.6 .2 Fa st Bo ot [ Dis ab le d]

Allows you to enable or disable the fast boot function.

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

2.6 .3 Bo ot to L in ux [D is abl ed ]

Enable this item to patch some Kernel of Linux.

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

2.6 .4 Se tu p P ro mp t T im eo ut [3 ]

Allows you to set the time to wait for setup activation key. Type the desired
number of seconds using the numeric keypad. The values range from 0 to

65535. 0 Means no waiting, while 65535 means indenite waiting.

We do not recommend you to set the setup prompt timeout to 0.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 2-19

2.7 Security

The Security menu items allow you to change the system security settings.

Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conguration options.

2.7 .1 Se tu p A dm in ist ra to r P as sw ord

Select this item to set or change the Administrator password. No password
is installed by default.

To set a Administrator Password:

1. Select the Setup Administrator Password item and press <Enter>.

2. From the password box, type a password composed of letters and/or
numbers, then press <Enter>.

3. Conrm the password when prompted.

To change the administrator password, select the Setup Administrator
Password then press <Enter>. Type the current password then press
<Enter>. Follow the steps of setting a administrator password from 2 to 3.

To clear the administrator password, select the Setup Administrator
Password then press <Enter>. Type the current password then press
<Enter>. Type <Enter> when prompted.

2-20 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

2.7 .2 Us er Pa ss wo rd

Select this item to set or change the user password. No password is
installed by default.

To set a User Password:

1. Select the User Password item and press <Enter>.

2. From the password box, type a password composed of letters and/or
numbers, then press <Enter>.

3. Conrm the password when prompted.

To change the user password, select the User Password then press
<Enter>. Type the current password then press <Enter>. Follow the steps
of setting a user password from 2 to 3.

To clear the user password, select the User Password then press <Enter>.
Type the current password then press <Enter>. Type <Enter> when
prompted.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 2-21

2.8 Exit menu

The Exit menu items allow you to load the optimal or failsafe default values
for the BIOS items, and save or discard your changes to the BIOS items.

Save Changes and Reset
Discard Changes and Reset

Save Options

Save Changes
Discard Changes

Restore Defaults

Boot Override

Pressing <Esc> does not immediately exit this menu. Select one of the
options from this menu or <F10> from the legend bar to exit.

Exit system setup
after saving the
changes.

Sav e C h ang e s a nd R es e t

This option allows you to save the changes that you made to the Setup

program and reset the system. After selecting this option, a conrmation
appears. When you select this option, a conrmation window appears.

Select Ok to save changes and reset.

Dis c ar d Ch a ng e s a n d R ese t

Select this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you
made to the Setup program and reset the system. If you made changes to

elds other than System Date, System Time, and Password, the BIOS asks
for a conrmation before exiting.

Sav e C h ang e s

This option allows you to save all the changes you made so far. After

selecting this option, a conrmation appears. Select Ok to save the

changes.

Dis c ar d Ch a ng e s

This option allows you to discard the selections you made and restore the

previously saved values. After selecting this option, a conrmation appears.

Select Ok to discard any changes and load the previously saved values.

2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

Res t or e De f au l ts

This option allows you to load the default values for each of the
parameters on the Setup menus. When you select this option or if you

press <F3>, a conrmation window appears. Select Ok to load default

values. Select Save Changes and Exit or make other changes before saving
the values to the non-volatile RAM.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 2-23

2-24 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

This chapter describes the contents
of the support CD that comes with
the motherboard package.

Software

3

support

3.1 Installing an operating system

This motherboard supports Windows® 2000/XP/2003 Server operating
systems (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding
updates to maximize the features of your hardware.

• Motherboard settings and hardware options vary. Use the setup
procedures presented in this chapter for reference only. Refer to
your OS documentation for detailed information.

®

• Make sure that you install Windows
Windows® XP Service Pack 1 or later versions before installing the
drivers for better compatibility and system stability.

®

• Intel

Platform Administration Technology (IPAT) application
programs are included in an IPAT SCD that came with the
motherboard package. Check the IPAT SCD for details.

2000 Service Pack 4 or the

3.2 Support CD information

The support CD that came with the motherboard package contains the
drivers, software applications, and utilities that you can install to avail all
motherboard features.

The contents of the support CD are subject to change at any time

without notice. Visit the ASUS website(www.asus.com) for updates.

3.2 .1 Ru nn ing t he su pp or t C D

Place the support CD to the optical drive. The CD automatically displays the
Drivers menu if Autorun is enabled in your computer.

Cli c k an ic o n to
dis p l a y sup p o r t
CD/ m o t herbo a r d
inf o r m ation

Cli c k an it e m to in s t a ll

If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer, browse the contents of the

support CD to locate the le ASSETUP.EXE from the BIN folder. Double-

3-2 Chapter 3: Software support

click the ASSETUP.EXE to run the CD.

3.2 .2 Dr iv ers m en u

The drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects
installed devices. Install the necessary drivers to activate the devices.

Int e l( R ) C h ip s et I nf Upd a te Pro g ra m

This item installs the Intel® Chipset INF Update Program. This driver
enables Plug-n-Play INF support for the Intel
motherboard. When installed to the target system, this driver provides the

method for conguring the chipset components.

You can install this utility using three different modes: interactive, silent, or
unattended preload. Installing the driver in interactive mode requires user
input during installation. User input is not required when installing the driver
in silent or unattended preload modes. Refer to the online help or readme

le that came with the utility for details.

®

chipset components on the

Int e l( R ) G r ap h ics Ac c ele r at o r D r iv e r

Installs the Intel® Graphics Accelerator driver.

Sou n dM A X A D I1 9 86A Aud i o D riv e r

Installs the SoundMAX ADI1986A high-denition audio driver and

application.

Att a ns i c L 1 G i gab i t E the r ne t Dr i ve r

Installs the Attansic L1 Gigabit Ethernet driver.

USB 2.0 Dr i ver

Installs the USB 2.0 driver.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 3-3

3.2 .3 Ut il iti es m enu

The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the
motherboard supports.

ASU S S c ree n S a ver

Bring life to your computer screen by installing the ASUS screen saver.

ADO B E A cro b at Rea d er V7. 0

Installs the Adobe® Acrobat® Reader that allows you to open, view, and
print documents in Portable Document Format (PDF).

Mic r os o ft D ir e ctX 9. 0 c

Installs the Microsoft® DirectX 9.0c driver. The Microsoft DirectX® 9.0c
is a multimedia technology that enhances computer graphics and sound.
DirectX® improves the multimedia features of you computer so you can

enjoy watching TV and movies, capturing videos, or playing games in your
computer. Visit the Microsoft website (www.microsoft.com) for updates.

Ant i -v i rus Ut i lit y

The anti-virus utility scans, identies, and removes computer viruses.
View the online help for detailed information.

3-4 Chapter 3: Software support

3.2 .4 Ma nu als m en u

The Manuals menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals. Click an
item to open the folder of the user manual.

Most user manual les are in Portable Document Format (PDF). Install

the Adobe® Acrobat® Reader from the Utilities menu before opening a

user manual le.

3.2 .5 AS US Co nt ac t i nf or mat io n

Click the Contact tab to display the ASUS contact information. You can also

nd this information on the inside front cover of this user guide.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT 3-5

3-6 Chapter 3: Software support

The Appendix describes the CPU
features that the motherboard
supports.

CPU features

A

A.1 Intel® EM64T

• The motherboard is fully compatible with Intel® Pentium® 4 LGA775
processors running on 32-bit operating systems.

• The motherboard comes with a BIOS le that supports EM64T. You
can download the latest BIOS le from the ASUS website (www.asus.
com/support/download/) if you need to update the BIOS le. See

Chapter 2 for details.

• Visit www.intel.com for more information on the EM64T feature.

®

• Visit www.microsoft.com for more information on Windows

Usi ng t he In te l® EM 64 T fea tu re

To use the Intel® EM64T feature:

1. Install an Intel

2. Install a 64-bit operating system (Windows
Edition or Windows® Server 2003 x64 Edition).

3. Install the 64-bit drivers for the motherboard components and devices
from the support CD.

4. Install the 64-bit drivers for expansion cards or add-on devices, if any.

Refer to the expansion card or add-on device(s) documentation, or visit
the related website, to verify if the card/device supports a 64-bit system.

®

Pentium® 4 CPU that supports the Intel® EM64T.

®

XP Professional x64

64-bit OS.

A.2 Enhanced Intel SpeedStep®

Technology (EIST)

• The motherboard comes with a BIOS le that supports EIST. You
can download the latest BIOS le from the ASUS website (www.

asus.com/support/download/) if you need to update the BIOS. See
Chapter 2 for details.

• Visit www.intel.com for more information on the EIST feature.

A.2 .1 Sy ste m re qui re me nts

Before using EIST, check your system if it meets the following
requirements:

• Intel

• BIOS le with EIST support

• Operating system with EIST support (Windows

A-2 Appendix: CPU features

®

Pentium® 4 processor with EIST support

®

XP SP2/Windows®

Server 2003 SP1/Linux 2.6 kernel or later versions)

A.2 .2 Us ing t he EI ST

To use the EIST feature:

1. Turn on the computer, then enter the BIOS Setup.

2. Go to the Advanced Menu, highlight CPU Conguration,
then press <Enter>.

3. Set the Intel(R) SpeedStep Technology item to [Automatic],

then press <Enter>. See page 2-24 for details.

4. Press <F10> to save your changes and exit the BIOS setup.

5. After the computer restarts, right click on a blank space on the desktop,
then select Properties from the pop-up menu.

6. When the Display Properties
window appears, click the Screen
Saver tab.

7. Click the Power button on the
Monitor power section to open
the Power Options Properties
window.

8. On the Power schemes section,
click , then select any option
except Home/Ofce Desktop or
Always On.

9. Click Apply, then click OK.

10. Close the Display Properties
window.

After you adjust the power

scheme, the CPU internal
frequency slightly decreases
when the CPU loading is low.

The screen displays and procedures may vary depending on the
operating system.

ASUS P5L-MX/IPAT

A-3

A.3 Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology

• The motherboard supports Intel® Pentium® 4 LGA775 processors
with Hyper-Threading Technology.

®

• Hyper-Threading Technology is supported under Windows
Server and Linux 2.4.x (kernel) and later versions only. Under Linux,
use the Hyper-Threading compiler to compile the code. If you are
using any other operating systems, disable the Hyper-Threading
Techonology item in the BIOS to ensure system stability and
performance.

®

• Installing Windows
recommended.

• Make sure to enable the Hyper-Threading Technology item in BIOS
before installing a supported operating system.

• For more information on Hyper-Threading Technology, visit www.
intel.com/info/hyperthreading.

XP Service Pack 1 or later version is

Usi ng t he Hy pe r-T hr ea din g Te chn ol og y

To use the Hyper-Threading Technology:

1. Install an Intel
Technology.

2. Power up the system and enter the BIOS Setup. Under the Advanced
Menu, make sure that the item Hyper-Threading Technology is set to
Enabled.

The BIOS item appears only if you installed a CPU that supports

Hyper-Threading Technology.

3. Restart the computer.

®

Pentium® 4 CPU that supports Hyper-Threading

XP/2003

A-4 Appendix: CPU features