Asus P5N73-AM User Manual

P5N73-AM

Motherboard

E4401

Second Edition V2
January 2009

Copyright © 2009 ASUSTeK Computer Inc. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any
means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written
permission of ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (“ASUS”).

Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, 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 ........................................................................................ vii

P5N73-AM specications summary .......................................................... ix

Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

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

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

1.3.1 Product

1.3.2 ASUS 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 .........................................................

1.5.4 Layout contents ...............................................................

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

1.6.1 Installing the CPU ...........................................................

1.6.2 Installing 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 Installing a DIMM ..........................................................

1.7.4 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 PCI slots ........................................................................

1.8.4 PCI Express x1 slot .......................................................

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

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

1.10 Connectors .................................................................................

1.10.1 Rear panel ports ...........................................................

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

highlights ........................................................... 1-1

1-1

1-1

1-3

1-4

1-5

1-5

1-5

1-6

1-6

1-7

1-7

1-9

1-11

1-11

1-11

1-12

1-15

1-15

1-16

1-16

1-16

1-16

1-16

1-17

1-17

1-18

1-18

1-19

iii

Contents

1.11 Software support ........................................................................ 1-26

1.11.1 Installing an operating system ......................................

1.11.2 Support DVD information ..............................................

Chapter 2: BIOS information

2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 2-1

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

2.1.2 ASUS Update utility ........................................................

2.1.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility ...................................................

2.1.4 AwardBIOS Flash Utility ..................................................

2.1.5 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility ......................................

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

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

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

2.2.3 Legend bar ......................................................................

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

2.2.5 Submenu items ...............................................................

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

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

2.2.8 General help ...................................................................

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

2.3.1 System Time ...................................................................

2.3.2 System Date ...................................................................

2.3.3 Language ........................................................................

2.3.4 Legacy Diskette A ...........................................................

2.3.5 Primary IDE Master/Slave .............................................

2.3.6 SATA 1-4 ........................................................................

2.3.7 HDD SMART Monitoring ................................................

2.3.8 Installed Memory ............................................................

2.3.9 Usable Memory ..............................................................

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

2.4.1 JumperFree ...................................................................

2.4.2 CPU Conguration ........................................................

2.4.3 Chipset ..........................................................................

2.4.4 PCIPnP .........................................................................

2.4.5 Onboard Device Conguration ......................................

2.4.6 USB Conguration ........................................................

1-26

1-26

2-1

2-2

2-3

2-4

2-5

2-6

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

2-10

2-11

2-11

2-11

2-11

2-12

2-12

2-14

2-14

2-15

2-15

2-16

iv

Contents

2.5 Power menu ................................................................................ 2-17

2.5.1 ACPI Suspend Type ......................................................

2.5.2 ACPI APIC Support .......................................................

2.5.3 APM Conguration ........................................................

2.5.4 Hardware Monitor .........................................................

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

2.6.1 Boot Device Priority ......................................................

2.6.2 Removable Drives .........................................................

2.6.3 Boot Settings Conguration .........................................

2.6.5 Security .........................................................................

2.7 Tools menu .................................................................................

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

2-17

2-17

2-17

2-19

2-20

2-20

2-20

2-20

2-21

2-22

2-23

v

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.

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.

vi

Safety information

Electrical safety

• To prevent electric shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electric outlet

before relocating the system.

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

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

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

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

•

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

technician or your retailer.

Operation safety

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

•

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

•

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

•

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

•

Place the product on a at and stable surface.

•

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

technician or your retailer.

About this guide

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

motherboard.

How this guide is organized

This manual contains the following parts:

• Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

• Chapter 2: BIOS information

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

vii

Where to nd more information

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

1. ASUS websites

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

2. Optional documentation

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

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

Conventions used in this guide

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

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

complete a task.

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

complete a task.

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

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

Typography

Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select.

Italics

Used to emphasize a word or a phrase.

<Key> Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-than sign means

<Key1>+<Key2>+<Key3> If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key

Command Means that you must type the command exactly as shown,

Example: At the DOS prompt, type the command line:
afudos /i[lename]

afudos /iP5N73AM.ROM

viii

that you must press the enclosed key.

Example: <Enter> means that you must press the Enter or
Return key.

names are linked with a plus sign (+).

Example: <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<D>

then supply the required item or value enclosed in brackets.

P5N73-AM specications summary

CPU LGA775 socket for Intel® Core™ 2 Quad / Core™ 2 Duo /

Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 / Celeron® processors
Compatible with Intel® 06 / 05B / 05A processors
Supports Intel® next generation 45nm CPU
Supports Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology (EIST)
Supports Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology
* Refer to www.asus.com for Intel CPU support list

Chipset NVIDIA GeForce 7050 / nForce 610i (MCP73V)

Front side bus 1333 / 1066 / 800 / 533MHz

Memory Single-channel memory architecture

2 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support unbufferred non-ECC
DDR2-800 (overclocking) / 667 / 533 memory modules
Supports up to 4GB system memory

* When you install total memory of 4GB or more, Windows®

32-bit operating system may only recognize less than

3GB. Hence, a total installed memory of less than 3GB is
recommended if you are using a Windows® 32-bit operating
system.

Expansion slots 1 x PCIe x16 slot

1 x PCIe x1 slot
2 x PCI slots

Audio VIA VT1708B High Denition Audio 8-channel CODEC

1 x CD Audio in
1 x S/PDIF Out connector
Supports jack-dectect and Anti Pop Function

Storage Southbridge:

- 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66

- 4 x Serial ATA 3Gb/s devices

- RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD conguration

LAN Realtek RTL8201CP 10/100Mbps LAN

USB Supports up to 8 USB 2.0 ports (4 ports at mid-board,

4 ports at rear panel)

VGA GeForce 7050 GPU supports maximum resolution of

1920 x 1440 (@ 75Hz)
Maximum shared memory of 256MB

ASUS Special features ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2

ASUS Q-Fan
ASUS EZ Flash 2
ASUS MyLogo 2

BIOS features 8Mb Flash ROM, Award BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0,

SM BIOS 2.5

(continued on the next page)

ix

P5N73-AM specications summary

Rear panel ports 1 x Parallel port

Internal connectors 1 x Floppy disk drive connector

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

Manageability WOL, PXE, WOR by Ring, PME Wake UP

Support DVD contents Drivers

Form factor MicroATX Form Factor: 9.6 in x 7.6 in (24.4 cm x 19.3 cm)

1 x LAN (RJ-45) port
4 x USB 2.0 / 1.1 ports
1 x COM port
1 x VGA port
1 x PS/2 keyboard port (purple)
1 x PS/2 mouse port (green)
8-channel audio I/O ports

1 x CD audio in connector
1 x 24-pin ATX power connector
1 x 4-pin ATX 12 V power connector
2 x USB connectors for additional four USB 2.0 ports
1 x S/PDIF out connector
1 x Chassis intrusion connector
1 x Front panel audio connector
1 x CPU Fan connector
1 x Chassis fan connector
1 x Power fan connector
1 x Speaker conncetor
System panel connector

ATX 12V 2.0 compliant

ASUS PC Probe II
ASUS Update
Anti-virus software

*Specications are subject to change without notice.

x

Chapter 1

Product introduction

1.1 Welcome!

Thank you for buying an ASUS® P5N73-AM motherboard!
The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies, making it another

standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards!
Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it, check the items in

your package with the list below.

1.2 Package contents

Check your motherboard package for the following items.

Motherboard ASUS P5N73-AM motherboard
Cables 1 x Serial ATA cable

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

Accessories 1 x I/O shield
Application DVD ASUS motherboard Support DVD
Documentation User Manual

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

1.3 Special features

1.3.1 Product highlights

Green ASUS

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

with the ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and recyclable

products/packaging to safeguard consumers’ health while minimizing

the impact on the environment.

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-1

LGA775 Intel® Quad-core Processor Ready

This motherboard supports the latest powerful and energy efcient

processors from Intel. Intel® Quad-core is based on the Intel Core
Microarchitecture process technology that allows users to step up
to new levels of gaming experience and multi-tasking performance.
Combined with 1333 / 1066 / 800 front side bus (FSB), this
motherboard guarantees enhanced user experience in the digital home

and ofce.

Intel® Core™2 Processor Ready

This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Core™2 processor in
the LGA775 package. With the new Intel® Core™ microarchitecture

technology and 1333 / 1066 / 800 MHz FSB, Intel® Core™2 processor
is designed to provide powerful and energy efcient performance.

NVIDIA® GeForce™ 7050 / nForce™ 610i

The brand new NVIDIA® GeForce™ 7050 / nForce® 610i Media and
Communications Processor (MCP) features CineFXTM 3.0 Engine. This
unique combination of MCP creates a single motherboard featuring a
world-class DX9, Shader Model 3.0 GPU for faster and smooter game­play, a high quality video processing engine for advancing quality of
video and DVD playback.

DDR2 memory support

The motherboard supports DDR2 memory that features data transfer

rates of 533/667/800 (overclocking) MHz to meet the higher bandwidth

requirements of the latest 3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet
applications.

S/PDIF digital sound ready

The motherboard supports the SONY-PHILIPS Digtal Interface function
(S/PDIF-out) through the S/PDIF interface at mid-board. It allows to
transfer digital audio without converting to analog format and keeps the
best signal quality.

High Denition Audio

Enjoy high-end sound quality on your PC! The onboard 8-channel HD

audio (High Denition Audio, previously codenamed Azalia) CODEC
enables high-quality 192KHz/24-bit audio output, jack-detect feature.

Serial ATA 3Gb/s technology and RAID support

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction

This motherboard supports hard drives based on the Serial ATA (SATA)

3Gb/s storage specications, delivering enhanced scalability and

doubling the bus bandwidth for high-speed data retrieval and save.

It also supports RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD congurations for SATA

drives.

1.3.2 ASUS special features

ASUS Q-Fan

ASUS Q-Fan smartly adjusts the CPU fan speeds according to the

system loading to ensure a quiet, cool, and efcient operation.

ASUS MyLogo2™

This feature allows you to convert your favorite photo into a 256-color
boot logo for a more colorful and vivid image on your screen.

ASUS EZ Flash 2

ASUS EZ Flash 2 is a utility that allows you to update the BIOS without
using an OS-based utility.

ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2

ASUS CrashFree BIOS2 is an auto-recovery tool that allows you to

restore the original BIOS data from the support DVD when the BIOS le

is corrupted.

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-3

1.4 Before you proceed

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM 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 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 must shut down
the system and unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard
component. The illustration below shows the location of the onboard LED.

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.5 Motherboard overview

P5N73-AM

R

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

Ensure that you 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 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.

1.5.2 Screw holes

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

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

Place this side towards
the rear of the chassis

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-5

1.5.3 Motherboard layout

P5N73-AM

19.3cm (7.6in)

24.4cm (9.6in

)

SATA1
SATA4

SATA2
SATA3

PWR_FAN

CHA_FAN

E

A

TXPWR

USB56

USB78

AAFP

MCP73V

DDR2 DIMM 1 (64 bit,240-pin module)

DDR2 DIMM

2 (64 bit,240-pin module

)

CR2032 3V
Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

PCI2

PCI1

PCIEX16

PCIEX1_1

CD

AUDIO

USB34

LAN1_USB12

CHASSIS

SPEAKER

ATX12V

R

FLOPPY

Super I/O

CPU_FAN

SB_PWR

CLRTC

SPDIF_OUT

RTL

8201CP

VIA

VT1708B

LGA775

PS/2KBMS

T: Mouse
B: Keyboard

COM1

PARALLEL PORT

VGA1

PRI_IDE

F_PANE

L

8Mb
BIOS

1.5.4 Layout contents

Connectors/Jumpers/Slots/LED Page Connectors/Jumpers/Slots/LED Page

1. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V) 1-24 9. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB78) 1-22

2. LGA775 CPU Socket

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

4. DDR2 DIMM slots

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

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

7. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1-4)

8. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE)

1-7 10. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP) 1-23

1-21 11. Optical drive audio connector (4-pin CD) 1-22

1-11 12. Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT) 1-20

1-19 13. System panel connector (10-1 pin F_PANEL) 1-25

1-23 14. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC) 1-17

1-21 15. Speaker connector (4-pin SPEAKER) 1-24

1-20 16. Onboard LED (SB_PWR) 1-4

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM CPU

Socket 775

This motherboard comes with a surface mount LGA775 socket designed for the
Intel® Core™2 Quad / Core™2 Duo / Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 / Celeron® processors.

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

• Connect the chassis fan cable to the CHA_FAN connector to ensure system stability.

• Upon purchase of the motherboard, ensure that the PnP cap is on the socket and the
socket contacts are not bent. Contact your retailer immediately if the PnP cap is missing,
or if you see any damage to the PnP cap/socket contacts/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 contacts resulting from
incorrect CPU installation/removal, or misplacement/loss/incorrect removal of the PnP
cap.

1.6.1 Installing the CPU

To install a CPU:

1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.

2. Press the load lever with your thumb

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-7

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

(A), then move it to the left (B) until it is
released from the retention tab.

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

Retention tab

A

B

Load lever

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 (4A), then

push the PnP cap from the load plate
window to remove (4B).

PnP cap

Load plate

4B

4A

3

5. Position the CPU over the socket,
ensuring that the gold triangle is on the

bottom-left corner of the socket then t

the socket alignment key into the CPU
notch.

The CPU ts in only one correct

orientation. DO NOT force the CPU
into the socket to prevent bending the
pins and damaging the CPU.

CPU notch

Gold
triangle
mark

Alignment key

1-8 Chapter 1: Product introduction

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 pre­applied thermal paste. If so, skip this
step.

DO NOT eat the Thermal Interface Material. If it gets into your eyes or touches your skin,
ensure that you wash it off immediately, and seek professional medical help.

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

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

A

retention tab.

This motherboard supports
Intel® LGA775 processors with the
Intel® Enhanced Intel SpeedStep®
Technology (EIST) and
Hyper-Threading Technology.

B

1.6.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fan

The Intel® LGA775 processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to
ensure optimum thermal condition and performance.

• When you buy a boxed Intel® processor, the package includes the CPU fan and
heatsink assembly. If you buy a CPU separately, ensure that you use only Intel®-certied
multi-directional heatsink and fan.

• Ensure that you have installed the motherboard to the chassis before you install the
CPU fan and heatsink assembly.

• If you purchased a separate CPU heatsink and fan assembly, make sure that you have
properly applied Thermal Interface Material to the CPU heatsink or CPU before you
install the heatsink and fan assembly.

Your Intel® LGA775 heatsink and fan assembly comes in a push-pin design and requires no
tool to install.

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-9

To install the CPU heatsink and fan:

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM CPU Fan Connector

1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed
CPU, ensuring that the four fasteners
match the holes on the motherboard.

A

B

B

Orient the heatsink and fan assembly
such that the CPU fan cable is closest

A

to the CPU fan connector.

2. Push down two fasteners at a time in
a diagonal sequence to secure the
heatsink and fan assembly in place.

A

B

B

A

The type of CPU heatsink and fan assembly may differ, but the installation steps and
fucntions should remain the same. The illustration above is for reference only.

1

1

3. 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.

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.6.3 Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM 240-pin DDR2 DIMM Sockets

DIMM2

DIMM1

128 Pins

112 Pins

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.

B

A

B

A

A

B

B

A

4. Carefully remove the heatsink and fan assembly from the motherboard.

5. Rotate each fastener clockwise to ensure correct orientation when reinstalling.

1.7 System memory

1.7.1 Overview

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

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

Channel Sockets

Yellow DIMM1

Black DIMM2

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-11

1.7.2 Memory congurations

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

• This motherboard supports the single-channel conguration only.

• Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency. For optimum compatibility, we
recommend that you obtain memory modules from the same vendor. Refer to the DDR2

Qualied Vendors List for details.

• Due to the memory address limitation on 32-bit Windows
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:

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

- Use a 64-bit Windows® OS if you want to install 4GB or more memory on the
motherboard.

• This motherboard does not support DIMMs made up of 256 megabits (Mb) or less.

This motherboard supports up to 4GB on Windows® XP Professional x64 and Windows®
Vista x64 editions. You may install a maximum of 2GB DIMM on each slot.

P5N73-AM Motherboard Qualied Vendors Lists (QVL)

DDR2-800MHz capability

®

OS, when you install 4GB

®

Size Vendor Model CL Brand SS/DS Component

1G Kingston KVR800D2N5/1G N/A Samsung DS K4T51083QC-ZCE7 • •
1G Kingston KHX6400D2LL/1G N/A Kingston DS Heat-Sink Package • •
512MB Kingston KHX6400D2LLK2/1GN N/A Kingston SS Heat-Sink Package • •
1G Kingston KHX6400D2K2/2G N/A Kingston DS Heat-Sink Package • •
512MB Samsung KR M378T6553CZ3-CE7 N/A Samsung SS K4T51083QC-ZCE7 • •
1G Samsung KR M378T2953CZ3-CE7 N/A Samsung DS K4T51083QC-ZCE7 • •
512MB Qimonda HYS64T64000EU-2.5-B2 6 Qimonda SS HYB18T512800B2F25FSS28380 • •
1G Qimonda HYS64T128020EU-2.5-B2 6 Qimonda DS HYB18T512800B2F25FSS28380 • •
1G Corsair XMS2-6400 4 Corsair DS Heat-Sink Package • •
512MB HY HYMP564U64AP8-S6 AA N/A Hynix SS HY5PS12821AFP-S6 • •
512MB HY HYMP564U64BP8-S5 AB N/A Hynix SS HY5PS12821BFP-S5 • •
1G HY HYMP512U64AP8-S6 AA N/A Hynix DS HY5PS12821AFP-S6 • •
1G HY HYMP512U64CP8-S5 AB 5 Hynix DS HY5PS12821CFPS5 • •
512MB ADATA M20AD6G3H3160I1E58 N/A ADATA SS AD29608A8A-25EG80720 • •
1G PSC AL7E8F73C-8E1 5 PSC SS A3R1GE3CFF734MAA0E • •
512MB AENEON AET660UD00-25DB98X N/A AENEON SS AET93F25DB 0621 • •
1G AENEON AET760UD00-25DB97X 5 AENEON DS AET93R25DB 0640 • •
512MB MDT MDT 512MB 5 MDT SS 18D51280D-2.50726F • •
1G MDT MDT 1024MB 5 MDT DS 18D51280D-2.50726E • •
512MB SIS SLY264M8-JGE-3 N/A SIS SS DDRII6408-8E 7212 • •
1G SIS SLY264M8-JGE-3 N/A SIS DS DDRII6408-8E 7301 • •
512MB TAKEMS TMS51B264C081-805EP 5 takeMS SS MS18T51280-2.5P0710 • •
1G OCZ OCZ2RPR8002GK 4 OCZ DS Heat-Sink Package • •
1G OCZ OCZ2VU8004GK 6 OCZ DS Heat-Sink Package • •

DIMM support

A* B*

1-12 Chapter 1: Product introduction

DDR2-667MHz capability

Size Vendor Model CL Brand

256MB Kingston KVR667D2N5/256 N/A Kingston SS D3216TLSAKL3U • •
256MB Kingston
512MB Kingston KVR667D2N5/512 N/A Elpida SS E5108AGBG-6E-E • •
1G Kingston KVR667D2N5/1G N/A Kingston DS D6408TEBGGL3U • •
1G Kingston KVR667D2N5/1G N/A Elpida DS E5108AGBG-6E-E • •
512MB Samsung KR M378T6553CZ0-CE6 N/A Samsung SS K4T51083QC • •
512MB Samsung
512MB Samsung M378T6553CZ3-CE6 N/A Samsung SS K4T51083QC-ZCE6 • •
1G Samsung M378T2953CZ3-CE6 N/A Samsung DS K4T51083QC-ZCE6 • •
1G Samsung KR M378T2953CZ0-CE6 N/A Samsung DS K4T51083QC-ZCE6 • •
512MB Qimonda HYS64T64000EU-3S-B2 5 Qimonda SS HYB18T512B00B2F3SFSS28171 • •

Qimonda HYS64T128020EU-3S-B2 5 Qimonda DS HYB18T512B00B2F3SFSS28171 • •

1G
2G Qimonda HYS64T256020EU-3S-B 5 Qimonda DS HTB18T1G800BF-3S3VV10907 • •
512MB Corsair
512MB Corsair VS512MB667D2 N/A Corsair DS MIII0052532M8CEC • •
1G Corsair VS1GB667D2 N/A Corsair DS MID095D62864M8CEC • •
1G Corsair XMS2-5400 4 Corsair DS Heat-Sink Package • •
256MB HY HYMP532U64CP6-Y5 AB 5 Hynix SS HY5PS121621CFP-Y5 • •
512MB HY HYMP564U64AP8-Y4 AA N/A Hynix SS HY5PS12821AFP-Y4 • •
512MB HY HYMP564U64AP8-Y5 AA N/A Hynix SS HY5PS12821AFP-Y5 • •
1G HY HYMP512U64AP8-Y5 AB N/A Hynix DS HY5PS12821AFP-Y5 • •
1G HY HYMP512U64CP8-Y5 AB 5 Hynix DS HY5PS12521CFP-Y5 • •
512MB Kingmax KLCC28F-A8EB5 N/A Elpida SS E5108AE-6E-E • •
512MB Kingmax KLCC28F-A8KB5 N/A Kingmax SS KKEA88B4LAUG-29DX • •
1G Kingmax KLCD48F-A8KB5 N/A Kingmax DS KKEA88B4LAUG-29DX • •
512MB Apacer 78.91092.420 N/A Elpida SS E5108AE-6E-E • •
512MB Apacer AU512E667C5KBGC 5 Apacer SS AM4B5708GQJS7E06332F • •
512MB Apacer 78.91G92.9KC 5 Apacer SS AM4B5708GQJS7E0706F • •
1G Apacer AU01GE667C5KBGC N/A Apacer DS AM4B5708GQJS7E0636B • •
1G Apacer 78.01092.420 5 Elpida DS E5108AE-6E-E • •
1G Apacer AU01GE667C5KBGC 5 Apacer DS AM4B5708MIJS7E0627B • •
512MB ADATA M20EL5G3H3160B1C0Z N/A Elpida SS E5108AE-6E-E • •
512MB ADATA M20AD5G3H3166I1C52 N/A ADATA SS AD29608A8A-3EG20648 • •
512MB ADATA M20AD5G3H3166I1C52 N/A ADATA SS AD29608A8A-3EG20718 • •
1G ADATA M2OAD5G3I4176I1C52 N/A ADATA DS AD29608A8A-3EG20645 • •
2G ADATA M2OAD5H3J4170I1C53 N/A ADATA DS AD20908A8A-3EG 30724 • •
512MB VDATA M2GVD5G3H31A4I1C52 N/A VDATA SS VD29608A8A-3EC20615 • •
512MB VDATA M2YVD5G3H31P4I1C52 N/A VDATA SS VD29608A8A-3EG20627 • •
512MB VDATA M2GVD5G3H166I1C52 N/A VDATA SS VD29608A8A-3EG20637 • •
1G VDATA M2GVD5G3I41P6I1C52 N/A VDATA DS VD29608A8A-3EG20627 • •
1G VDATA M2GVD5G3I41C4I1C52 N/A VDATA DS VD29608A8A-3EC20620 • •
1G VDATA M2GVD5G3I4176I1C52 N/A VDATA DS VD29608A8A-3EG20641 • •
512MB PSC AL6E8E63B-6E1K 5 PSC SS A3R12E3GEF637BLC5N • •
512MB PSC AL6E8E63J-6E1 5 PSC SS A3R12E3JFF717B9A00 • •
1G PSC AL7E8E63B-6E1K 5 PSC DS A3R12E3GEF637BLC5N • •
1G PSC AL7E8E63J-6E1 5 PSC DS A3R12E3JFF717B9A01 • •
1G PSC AL7E8F73C-6E1 5 PSC SS A3R1GE3CFF734MAA0J • •
2G PSC AL8E8F73C-6E1 5 PSC DS A3R1GE3CFF733MAA00 • •
512MB Nanya NT512T64U88A1BY-3C N/A Nanya SS NT5TU64M8AE-3C • •
1G Kingtiger E0736001024667 N/A Kingtiger DS KTG667PS6408NST-C6 GDBTX • •
1G ELIXIR M2Y1G64TU8HA2B-3C 5 ELIXIR DS M2TU51280AE-3C717095R28F • •
1G Leadmaax LRMP512U64A8-Y5 N/A Hynix DS HY5PS12821CFP-Y5 C 702AA • •
1G MDT MDT 1024MB 4 MDT DS 18D51280D-30726E • •
1G MDT MDT 1024MB 4 MDT DS 18D51280D-30646E • •
512MB AENEON AET660UD00-30DB97X 5 AENEON SS AET93R300B 0634 • •
1G AENEON AET760UD00-30DB97X 5 AENEON DS AET93R300B 0639 • •
1G TAKEMS TMS1GB264C081-665AP 5 takeMS DS MS18T51280-3SP0717A • •
512MB GEIL GX21GB5300DC 4 GEIT SS Heat-Sink Package • •
1G Century CENTURY 1G N/A Nanya DS NT5TU64M8AE-3C • •
1G KINGBOX DDRII 1G 667MHz N/A KINGBOX DS EPD264082200-4 • •

KVR667D2N5/256

KR M378T6453FZ0-CE6 N/A

VS512MB667D2

N/A Inneon

Samsung

N/A Corsair

SS/

Component

DS

SS HYB18T256800AF3SW65 33154

DS K4T56083QF-ZCE6

SS 64M8CFEGPS0900647

DIMM support

A* B*

•

• •

•

•

•

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-13

DDR2-533MHz capability

Size Vendor Model CL Brand SS/DS Component

256MB Kingston KVR533D2N4/256 N/A Elpida SS E5116AF-5C-E • •
512MB Kingston
1G Kingston KVR533D2N4/1G N/A Kingston DS D6408TLRAGL37U • •
256MB Samsung M378T3253FG0-CD5 N/A Samsung SS K4T56083QF-GCD5 • •
512MB Samsung M378T6553BG0-CD5 4 Samsung SS K4T51083QB-GCD5 • •
256MB HY HYMP532U64CP6-C4 AB 4 Hynix SS HY5PS121621CFP-C4 • •

HY

1G
512MB Micron MT 16HTF6464AG-53EB2 4 Micron DS D9BOM • •
512MB Corsair VS512MB533D2 N/A Corsair DS MIII0052532M8CEC • •
512MB Corsair VS512MB533D2 N/A Corsair DS MI110052532M8CEC • •
1G Corsair VS1GB533D2 N/A Corsair DS 64M8CFEGQIB0900718 • •

Elpida EBE51UD8ABFA-5C-E N/A Elpida SS E5108AB-5C-E • •

512MB
512MB Kingmax KLBC28F-A8KB4 N/A Kingmax SS KKEA88B4IAK-37 • •
256MB Kingmax
512MB Kingmax KLBC28F-A8EB4 N/A Elpida SS E5108AE-5C-E • •
512MB ADATA M2OAD2G3H3166I1B52 N/A ADATA SS AD29608A8A-37DG20719 • •

ADATA M20AD2H3J4170I1B53 N/A ADATA DS AD20908A8A-37DG30721 • •

2G
512MB PQI MEAB-323LA N/A PQI SS D2-E04180W025 • •
512MB AENEON AET660UD00-370A98X N/A AENEON SS AET93F370A 0518 • •
512MB AENEON AET660UD00-370A88S N/A AENEON DS AET82F370A 0550 • •
512MB AENEON AET660UD00-370B97X 4 AENEON SS AET93R370B 0640 • •
1G AENEON AET760UD00-370A98S N/A AENEON DS AET92F370A 0606 • •
1G AENEON AET760UD00-370B97X 4 AENEON DS AET93R370B 0640 • •
2G AENEON AET860UD00-370A08X N/A AENEON DS AET03F370AFVV26176G 0542 • •
512MB REMAXEL RML1040EG38D6F-533 4 Elpida SS E5108AG-5C-E • •
512MB TAKEMS TMS51B264C081-534AP 4 takeMS SS MS18T51280-3.7P0704D • •
512MB TAKEMS TMS51B264C081-534AE 4 takeMS SS MS18T51280-3.7EA07100 • •
1G TAKEMS TMS1GB264C081-534AE 4 takeMS DS MS18T51280-3.7EA0651D • •
1G TAKEMS TMS1GB264C081-534QI 4 takeMS DS MS18T51280-3.7 • •
1G TAKEMS TMS1GB264C081-534AP 4 takeMS DS MS18T51280-3.7P0645D • •

KVR533D2N4/512 N/A

HYMP512U64CP8-C4 AB 4

KLBB68F-36EP4 N/A

Inneon

Hynix DS

Elpida

SS HYB18T512800AF3733336550

HY5PS12821CFP-C4

SS E5116AB-5C-E

DIMM support

A* B*

• •

• •

• •

SS: Single-sided / DS: Double - sided
DIMM support:

• A*: Supports one module inserted into either slot as single-channel memory

conguration.

• B*: Supports two modules inserted into both slots as single-channel memory

conguration.

Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com for the latest QVL.

1-14 Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.7.3 Installing a DIMM

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.

1. Unlock a DDR2 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 the socket.

Unlocked retaining clip

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.

2

DDR2 DIMM notch

1

1

3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket
until the retaining clips snap back in place

3

and the DIMM is properly seated.

Locked Retaining Clip

1.7.4 Removing a DIMM

To remove a DIMM:

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

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

2. Remove the DIMM from the socket.

2

DDR2 DIMM notch

1

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-15

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.

Ensure 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 Installing an expansion card

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 Conguring an expansion card

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.

3. Install the software drivers for the expansion card.

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.

1.8.3 PCI slots

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

comply with PCI specications.

1.8.4 PCI Express x1 slot

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

comply with the PCI Express specications.

1-16 Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.8.5 PCI Express x16 slot

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM

Clear RTC RAM

CLRTC

Normal

Clear RTC

(Default)

1 2 2 3

This motherboard supports a PCI Express x16 graphics card that complies with the PCI

Express specications.

1.9 Jumpers

1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC)

This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. You can
clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters by erasing
the CMOS RTC RAM data. The onboard button cell battery powers the RAM data in
CMOS, which include system setup information such as system passwords.

To erase the RTC RAM:

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

2. 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.

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

4. Hold down the
data.

<Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to re-enter

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

• If the steps above do not help, remove the onboard battery and move the jumper again
to clear the CMOS RTC RAM data. After clearing the CMOS, reinstall the battery.

• Due to the chipset limitation, AC power off is required before you use the C.P.R.
function. You must turn off and on the power supply or unplug and plug the power cord
before rebooting the system.

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-17

1.10 Connectors

1

14 10

2 3

11

13

12

465

7

8

9

1.10.1 Rear panel ports

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

2. Parallel port.

3. LAN (RJ-45) port.

connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. Refer to the table
below for the LAN port LED indications.

LAN port LED indications

100M LED 10M LED

Status Description Status Description

OFF No link OFF No link

ORANGE Linked Green Linked

BLINKING Data activity BLINKING Data activity

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

Supported by 10/100 LAN controller, this port allows 100Mbps

100M LED

10M LED

LAN port

4. Rear Speaker Out port (black).

6-channel, or 8-channel audio conguration.

5. Center/Subwoofer port (orange).

6. Line In port (light blue).

sources.

7. Line Out port (lime).

6-channel, and 8-channel conguration, the function of this port becomes Front

Speaker Out.

8. Microphone port (pink).

9. Side Speaker Out port (gray).

audio conguration.

Refer to the audio conguration table on the next page for the function of the audio ports in
2, 4, 6, or 8-channel conguration.

This port connects a headphone or a speaker. In 4-channel,

This port connects the rear speakers in a 4-channel,

This port connects the center/subwoofer speakers.

This port connects the tape, CD, DVD player, or other audio

This port connects a microphone.

This port connects the side speakers in an 8-channel

1-18 Chapter 1: Product introduction

Audio 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel conguration

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM

Floppy Disk Drive Connector

NOTE:

Orient the red markings on

the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1.

PIN1

FLOPPY

Headset

Port

2-channel

Light Blue Line In Line In Line In Line In

Lime Line Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out

Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In Mic In

Orange – – Center/Subwoofer Center/Subwoofer

Black – Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out

Gray – – – Side Speaker Out

4-channel 6-channel 8-channel

10. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are

available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.

11. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4.

These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are

available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.

12. VGA port.

13. Serial port.

14. PS/2 keyboard port (purple).

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

This 9-pin COM1 port is for pointing devices or other serial devices.

This port is for a PS/2 keyboard.

1.10.2 Internal connectors

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

This connector is for the 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 a FDD
cable with a covered Pin 5.

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-19

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

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM

IDE Connector

PRI_IDE

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM

Digital Audio Connector

+5V

SPDIFOUT

GND

SPDIF_OUT

This connector is for an additional Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) port. Connect
the S/PDIF Out module cable to this connector, then install the module to a slot
opening at the back of the system chassis.

The S/PDIF module is purchased separately.

3. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE)

The onboard IDE connector is for an Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cable. There are
three connectors on an 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.

Drive jumper setting Mode of device(s) Cable connector

Single device Cable-Select or Master - Black

Master Black

Slave Gray

Black or gray

Two devices

Cable-Select

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,” ensure that
all other device jumpers have
the same setting.

1-20 Chapter 1: Product introduction

4. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1-4)

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM

SATA Connectors

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM CPU Fan Connector

These connectors are for the Serial ATA signal cables for Serial ATA hard disk drives.

right angle side

Connect the right-angle side of SATA
signal cable to SATA device.You may
also connect the right-angle side of
SATA cable to the onboard SATA

port to avoid mechanical conict with

huge graphics cards.

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

The fan connectors support cooling fans of a total of 1A~2.2A (26.4W max.) at +12V.
Connect the fan cables to the fan connectors on the motherboard, ensuring 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!

Only the CPU fan supports the ASUS Q-FAN feature.

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-21

6. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB78)

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM USB 2.0 Connectors

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM

Internal Audio Connector

CD

(black)

Right Audio Channel

Left Audio Channel

Ground

Ground

These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the 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

480Mbps connection speed.

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

The USB module cable is purchased separately.

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

These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources such as
a CD-ROM, TV tuner, or MPEG card.

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

1-22 Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM Azalia Analog Front Panel 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

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM

Intrusion Connector

CHASSIS

+5VSB_MB

Chassis Signal

GND

(Default)

This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O module that supports
either HD Audio or legacy AC`97 audio standard. Connect one end of the front panel
audio I/O module cable to this connector.

• We recommend that you connect a high-denition front panel audio module to this
connector to avail yourself of the motherboard’s high-denition audio capability.

• If you want to connect a high-denition front panel audio module to this connector,

set the Front Panel Support Type item in the BIOS setup to [HD Audio]. If you want to
connect an AC'97 front panel audio module to this connector, set the item to [AC97].
By default, this connector is set to [HD Audio]. See section 2.4.5 Onboard Device
Conguration for details.

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

This connector is for a chassis-mounted intrusion detection sensor or switch. Connect
one end of the chassis intrusion sensor or switch cable to this connector. The chassis
intrusion sensor or switch sends a high-level signal to this connector when a chassis
component is removed or replaced. The signal is then generated as a chassis intrusion
event.

By default, the pin labeled “Chassis Signal” and “Ground” are shorted with a jumper
cap. Remove the jumper caps only when you intend to use the chassis intrusion
detection feature.

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-23

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM 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

GND

+12V DC

GND

+12V DC

ATX12V

10. Speaker connector (4- pin SPEAKER)

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM

Speaker Out Connector

SPEAKER

+5V

GND

GND

Speaker Out

1

This 4-pin connector is for the chassis-mounted system warning speaker. The speaker
allows you to hear system beeps and warnings.

11. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V)

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.

• We recommend that you use a power supply unit (PSU) with a higher power output

when conguring a system with more power-consuming devices when you intend to

install additional devices. The system may become unstable or may not boot up if the
power is inadequate.

• Ensure that your PSU can provide at least the minimum power required by your system.

• If you intent to use a PSU with 20-pin and 4-pin power plugs, ensure that the 20-pin
power plug can provide at least 15A on +12V and that the PSU has a minimum power
rating of 350 W. The system may become unstable or may not boot up if the power is
inadequate.

1-24 Chapter 1: Product introduction

12. System panel connector (10-1 pin F_PANEL)

P5N73-AM

R

P5N73-AM

System Panel Connector

F_PANEL

Ground

PLED-

PWR

PLED+

GND

Reset

IDELED+

IDELED-

+HDLED

RESET

PLED

PWRBTN

This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.

• System power LED (2-pin PWRLED)

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 HDLED)

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.

• Power/Soft-off button (2-pin PWRBTN)

This 2-pin 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.

ASUS P5N73-AM 1-25

1.11 Software support

1.11.1 Installing an operating system

This motherboard supports Windows® 32-bit XP / 64-bit XP / 32-bit Vista / 64-bit Vista
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 section for reference only. Refer to your OS documentation for detailed information.

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

1.11.2 Support DVD information

The Support DVD that comes with the motherboard package contains the drivers, software
applications, and utilities that you can install to get all motherboard features.

The contents of the Support DVD are subject to change at any time without notice. Visit the
ASUS website at www.asus.com for updates.

To run the Support DVD

Place the Support DVD into the optical drive. The DVD automatically displays the Drivers
menu if the Autorun function is enabled on your computer.

®

XP Service Pack 3 or later versions / Windows® Vista

Click an icon to
display Support DVD/
motherboard information

Click an item to install

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

Support DVD to locate the le ASSETUP.EXE from the BIN folder. Double-click
ASSETUP.EXE to run the DVD.

1-26 Chapter 1: Product introduction

Chapter 2

BIOS information

2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS

Save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS le to a oppy disk or a USB ash disk in

case you need to restore the BIOS in the future. Copy the original motherboard BIOS using
the ASUS Update or AwardBIOS Flash utilities.

2.1.1 Creating a bootable oppy disk

Create a bootable oppy disk using a different computer.

To create a bootable oppy disk:

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

2. Follow the instructions based on your system environment.

DOS environment

a. At the DOS prompt, type format A:/S then press <Enter>.

Windows® XP environment

a. From the Windows® desktop, click Start > My Computer.

b. Select the 3 1/2 Floppy Drive icon.

c. Click

appears.

d. Select

then click Start.

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

Create an MS-DOS startup disk from the format options eld,

Windows® Vista environment

a. From the Windows® desktop, click > Computer.

b. Right-click

Floppy dialog box.

c. Select the

d. Click

ASUS P5N73-AM 2-1

Floppy Disk Drive then click Format to display the Format 3 1/2

Create an MS-DOS startup disk check box.

Start.

2.1.2 ASUS Update utility

The ASUS Update is a utility that allows you to manage, save, and update the motherboard
BIOS in Windows® environment.

• ASUS Update requires an Internet connection either through a network or an Internet
Service Provider (ISP).

• This utility is available in the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package.

Installing ASUS Update

To install ASUS Update:

1. Place the support DVD into the optical drive. The

2. Click the

Utilities tab, then click Install ASUS Update.

3. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.

Quit all Windows® applications before you update the BIOS using this utility.

Updating the BIOS

To update the BIOS:

1. From the Windows

ASUSUpdate to launch the ASUS Update utility.

2. From the dropdown list, select either of the updating process:

Updating from the Internet

a. Select Update BIOS from the Internet, then click Next.

b. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network trafc, or click Auto

Select

c. From the FTP site, select the BIOS version that you want to download then click

Next.

®

desktop, click Start > Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate >

then click Next.

Drivers menu appears.

The ASUS Update utility is capable of updating itself through the Internet. Always update
the utility to avail all its features.

Updating from a BIOS file

a. Select Update BIOS from a le, then click Next.

b. Locate the BIOS le from the

Open window, then click Open.

3. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the updating process.

2-2 Chapter 2: BIOS information

2.1.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility

The ASUS EZ Flash 2 feature allows you to update the BIOS without using an OS-based
utility.

Before you start using this utility, download the latest BIOS le from the ASUS website at

www.asus.com.

To update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2:

1. Insert the oppy disk or the USB ash disk that contains the latest BIOS le to the
oppy disk drive or the USB port, then launch EZ Flash 2 in either of these two ways:

•. Press

<Alt> + <F2> during POST to display the following:

ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility B328

FLASH TYPE: MXIC MX25L8005 8Mb SPI

Current ROM Update ROM

BOARD: P5N73-AM
VER: 0107
DATE: 05/29/2008

PATH: C:\M2NPVOC

A:

C:

Note

[Enter] Select [S] Save [ESC]Exit

[Tab] Switch [Up/Down/Home/End] Move

WIN98SE <DIR>

WIN98E <DIR>
NETTERM <DIR>

DRIVERS <DIR>

RECYCLED <DIR>

WUTEMP <DIR>

NEWFOL~1 <DIR>

BOARD: Unknown
VER: Unknown
DATE: Unknown

• Enter the BIOS setup program. Go to the Tools menu to select EZ Flash 2 and
press <Enter> to enable it.
Press <Tab> to switch between drives until the correct BIOS le is found.

2. When the correct BIOS le is found, EZ Flash 2 performs the BIOS updating process

and automatically reboots the system when done.

• This function supports devices such as USB ash disks or oppy disks with FAT 32/16

format and single partition only.

•

DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent system boot
failure!

ASUS P5N73-AM 2-3

2.1.4 AwardBIOS Flash Utility

The AwardBIOS Flash Utility allows you to update the BIOS le in DOS environment using a
bootable oppy disk. 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.

• Ensure that you prepare two oppy disks: the bootable oppy disk and the oppy disk
containing both the AFUDOS utility and the latest BIOS le.

• Ensure that the oppy disk is not write-protected and has enough space to save both the
AwardBIOS Flash and BIOS les.

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

Updating the BIOS le

To update the BIOS le using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility:

1. Insert the bootable oppy disk into the oppy disk drive to boot the system in DOS

mode.

2. Replace the bootable oppy disk and insert the oppy disk that contains the
AwardBIOS Flash Utility and the latest BIOS le.

• Obtain the AwardBIOS Flash Utility (awdash.exe) from the bundled support DVD and
the latest BIOS le from the ASUS website at www.asus.com.

• We recommend that you write the BIOS lename on a piece of paper. You will need to
key in the exact BIOS lename at the DOS prompt later.

3. Under the DOS mode, use <X:> (X stands for the name of the disk assignment) to

switch to the folder of the oppy disk you saved the BIOS le and the AwardBIOS

Flash Utility.

4. At the DOS prompt, type
screen appears.

5. Key in the BIOS lename in the

awdash then press <Enter>. The AwardBIOS Flash Utility

File Name to Program eld, then press <Enter>.

File Name to Program: P5N73-AM.bin

6. Press

<N> when the utility prompts you to save the current BIOS le.

7. The utility veries the BIOS le in the oppy disk and starts ashing the BIOS le.

DO NOT turn off or reset the system during the ashing process!

8. The utility displays a Flashing Complete message indicating that you have
successfully ashed the BIOS le. Remove the oppy disk then press <F1> to restart
the system.

2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS information

2.1.5 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility

The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS le

when it fails or gets corrupted during the updating process. You can update a corrupted BIOS

le using the motherboard support DVD or a oppy disk that contains the updated BIOS le.

• Prepare the motherboard support DVD or a oppy disk containing the updated

motherboard BIOS before using this utility.

• Ensure that you rename the original or updated BIOS le in the oppy disk to

P5N73-AM.bin.

Recovering the BIOS

To recover the BIOS:

1. Turn on the system.

2. Insert the oppy disk or the support DVD containing the BIOS le to the oppy disk

drive or the optical drive.

3. The utility displays the following message and automatically checks the oppy disk or
the support DVD for the BIOS le.

Bad BIOS checksum. Starting BIOS recovery...
Checking for oppy...

When found, the utility reads the BIOS le and starts erasing the corrupted BIOS le.

Bad BIOS checksum. Starting BIOS recovery...
Checking for oppy...
Floppy found!
Reading le “P5N73-AM.bin”. Completed.
Start erasing...

4. Restart the system after the utility completes the updating process.

The recovered BIOS may not be the latest BIOS version for this motherboard. Download

the latest BIOS le from the ASUS website at www.asus.com.

ASUS P5N73-AM 2-5

2.2 BIOS setup program

This motherboard supports a programmable Low-Pin Count (LPC) 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 LPC chip.
The LPC 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 shutdown procedure.

• Press

• Press the reset button on the system chassis.

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

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 submenus and make your selections from the
available options using the navigation keys.

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

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 that
you always shut down the system properly from the operating system.

• 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 Default 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 at www.asus.com to download the latest BIOS le for this

motherboard.

2-6 Chapter 2: BIOS information

2.2.1 BIOS menu screen

Conguration eldsMenu items

Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

System Time 15 : 26 : 45
System Date Mon, Apr 9 2007

Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5 in.]

Primary IDE Master [None]
Primary IDE Slave [None]
SATA1 [None]
SATA2 [None]
SATA3 [ST380817AS]
SATA4 [None]
HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled]

Installed Memory 512MB

Usable Memory 447MB

F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults
ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit

General helpMenu bar

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Change the day, month,
year and century.

Sub-menu items

Legend bar

2.2.2 Menu bar

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.

Power For changing the advanced power management (APM)

Boot For changing the system boot conguration.

Tools For conguring options for special functions.

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.

conguration.

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

• Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com to download the latest BIOS information.

ASUS P5N73-AM 2-7

2.2.3 Legend bar

At the bottom of the Setup screen is a legend bar. The keys in the legend bar allow you to
navigate through the various setup menus. The following table lists the keys found in the
legend bar with their corresponding functions.

Navigation Key Function

<F1> Displays the General Help screen

<F5> Loads setup default values

<Esc> Exits the BIOS setup or returns to the main menu from a sub-menu

Left or Right arrow Selects the menu item to the left or right

Up or Down arrow Moves the highlight up or down between elds

Page Down or – (minus) Scrolls backward through the values for the highlighted eld

Page Up or + (plus) Scrolls forward through the values for the highlighted eld

<Enter> Brings up a selection menu for the highlighted eld

<F10> Saves changes and exit

2.2.4 Menu items

The highlighted item on the menu bar displays the specic items for that menu. For example,

selecting Main shows the Main menu items.
The other items (Advanced, Power, Boot, Tools, and Exit) on the menu bar have their

respective menu items.

2.2.5 Submenu items

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

2.2.6 Conguration elds

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

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

conguration options for that item.

Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

System Time 21 : 38 : 36
System Date Wed, Jan 9 2008
Language [English]

Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5 in.

Primary IDE Master [ST321122A]
Primary IDE Slave [ASUS CDS520/A]
SATA1 [None]
SATA2 [None]
SATA3 [None]
SATA4 [None]
HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled]

Installed Memory 512MB
Usable Memory 512MB

F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults
ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Legacy Diskette A:

Disabled ..... [ ]

720K , 3.5 in. ..... [ ]

1.44M, 3.5 in. ..... [ ]

↑↓ :Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

Pop-up menu

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Species the capacity and
physical size of diskette
drive A.

2.2.8 General help

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

2-8 Chapter 2: BIOS information

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.

Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

System Time 20 : 7 : 38 System Date Wed, Jan 9 2008 Language [English]

Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5 in.]

Primary IDE Master [None]
Primary IDE Slave [None]
SATA1 [None]
SATA2 [None]
SATA3 [None]
SATA4 [None]
HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled]

Installed Memory 512MB

Usable Memory 512MB

F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults
ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Item Specic Help

Change the internal
time.

Select Menu

2.3.1 System Time [xx:xx:xx]

Allows you to set the system time.

2.3.2 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx]

Allows you to set the system date.

2.3.3 Language [English]

Sets the language in BIOS. Conguration options: [English] [Chinese]

2.3.4 Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in.]

Sets the type of oppy drive installed. Conguration options: [Disabled] [720K , 3.5 in.]

[1.44M, 3.5 in.]

ASUS P5N73-AM 2-9

2.3.5 Primary IDE Master/Slave

While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of IDE devices. There is
a separate submenu for each IDE device. Select a device item then press <Enter> to display
the IDE device information.

The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed items (Capacity, Cylinder,

Head, Sector and Transfer Mode). These values are not user-congurable. These items show

N/A if no IDE device is installed in the system.

PIO Mode [Auto]

Sets the PIO mode for the IDE device. Conguration options: [Auto] [Mode 0] [Mode 1] [Mode

2] [Mode 3] [Mode 4]

UDMA Mode [Auto]

Disables or sets the UDMA mode. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Auto]

Primary IDE Master/Slave [Auto]

Select [Auto] to automatically detect an IDE hard disk drive. If automatic detection is

successful, the BIOS automatically lls in the correct values for the remaining elds on this

sub-menu. If the hard disk was already formatted on a previous system, the setup BIOS
may detect incorrect parameters. Select [Manual] to manually enter the IDE hard disk

drive parameters. If no drive is installed select [None]. Conguration options: [None] [Auto]

[Manual]

Access Mode [Auto]

The default [Auto] allows automatic detection of an IDE hard disk drive. Select [CHS] for this

item if you set the Primary IDE Master/Slave to [Manual]. Conguration options: [CHS] [LBA]

[Large] [Auto]

Before attempting to congure a hard disk drive, ensure you have the correct conguration

information supplied by the drive manufacturer. Incorrect settings may cause the system to

fail to recognize the installed hard disk.

Capacity

Displays the auto-detected hard disk capacity. This item is not congurable.

Cylinder

Shows the number of the hard disk cylinders. This item is not congurable.

Head

Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not congurable.

Sector

Shows the number of sectors per track. This item is not congurable.

Transfer Mode

Shows the Transfer mode. This item is not congurable.

After entering the IDE hard disk drive information into BIOS, use a disk utility, such as
FDISK, to partition and format new IDE hard disk drives. This is necessary so that you can
write or read data from the hard disk. Ensure to set the partition of the Primary IDE hard
disk drives to active.

2-10 Chapter 2: BIOS information

2.3.6 SATA 1-4

While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of Serial ATA devices.
There is a separate sub-menu for each SATA device. Select a device item then press <Enter>
to display the SATA device information.

The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed items (Capacity, Cylinder,

Head, Precomp, Landing Zone and Sector). These values are not user-congurable. These

items show 0 if no SATA device is installed in the system.

Extended IDE Drive [Auto]

Selects the type of xed disk connected to the system.
Conguration options: [None] [Auto]

Access Mode [Auto]

Sets the sector addressing mode. Conguration options: [Large] [Auto]

Before attempting to congure a hard disk drive, ensure that you have the correct
conguration information supplied by the drive manufacturer. Incorrect settings may cause
the system to fail to recognize the installed hard disk.

Capacity

Displays the auto-detected hard disk capacity. This item is not congurable.

Cylinder

Shows the number of the hard disk cylinders. This item is not congurable.

Head

Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not congurable.

Landing Zone

Shows the number of landing zone per track. This item is not congurable.

Sector

Shows the number of sectors per track. This item is not congurable.

After entering the IDE hard disk drive information into BIOS, use a disk utility, such as
FDISK, to partition and format new IDE hard disk drives. This is necessary so that you can
write or read data from the hard disk. Ensure to set the partition of the Primary IDE hard
disk drives to active.

2.3.7 HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the HDD Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology

(SMART) feature. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2.3.8 Installed Memory [XXX MB]

Shows the size of installed memory.

2.3.9 Usable Memory [XXX MB]

Shows the size of usable memory.

ASUS P5N73-AM 2-11

2.4 Advanced menu

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

Be cautious when changing the settings of the Advanced menu items. Incorrect eld values

can cause the system to malfunction.

Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

Jumperfree

CPU Conguration
Chipset

PCIPnP
Onboard Device Conguration
USB Conguration

F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults
ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

2.4.1 JumperFree

FSB - Memory Clock Mode [Auto]

Allows you to select the FSB memory clock mode. Conguration options: [Auto] [Linked]

[Unlinked]

FSB - Memory Ratio [Auto]

Allows you to select the FSB memory ratio. This item becomes user-congurabled

when the FSB - Memory Clock Mode item is set to [Linked].

Conguration options: [Auto] [1:1] [5:4] [3:2] [Sync Mode]

FSB (QDR), MHz [Auto]

Allows you to adjust CPU FSB frequency from 400 to 2400. You may enter a new

value or use +/- keys to adjust. This item becomes user-congurabled when the FSB

- Memory Clock Mode item is set to [Linked] or [Unlinked].

The Actual FSB (QDR) reects the actual frequency that takes effect on a reboot.

MEM (DDR), MHz [Auto]

Allows you to adjust the memory frequency from 400 to 1400. You may enter a new

value or use +/- keys to adjust. This item becomes user-congurabled when the FSB

- Memory Clock Mode item is set to [Unlinked].

The actual MEM (DDR) reects the actual frequency that takes effect on a reboot.

2-12 Chapter 2: BIOS information

Memory Timing Setting

Memory Timing Setting [Optimal]

Allows you to set the memory timing setting. Conguration options: [Optimal] [Expert]

The following items become user-congurable when the Memory Timing Setting item is

set to [Expert].

tCL (CAS Latency) [Auto]

Allows you to set tCL (CAS Latency). Conguration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6].

tRCD [Auto]

Allows you to set RAS to CAS delay for a RD/WR command to the same bank.

Conguration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

tRP [Auto]

Allows you to set the row precharge time Precharge-to-Active or Auto-Refresh of the

same bank. Conguration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

tRAS [Auto]

Allows you set the minimum RAS active time. Conguration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] [4]

[5] [6] [7]...[31]

Command Per Clock (CMD) [Auto]

Allows you to command timing setting (per clock unit). Conguration options: [Auto] [1

clock] [2 clock]

**Advanced Memory Settings**

tRRD [Auto]

Allows you to set tRRD. Conguration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]...[15].

tRC [Auto]

Allows you set the RAS to RAS or auto refresh time of the same bank. Conguration

options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]...[31]

tWR [Auto]

Allows you set the tWR. Conguration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

tWTR [Auto]

Allows you set the tWTR. Conguration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]...[15]

tREF [Auto]

Allows you set the tREF. Conguration options: [Auto] [1] [2]

1.8VDual Over Voltage Control Default]

Allows you to adjust the +1.8V dual over voltage. Conguration options: [Default] [+6.25mV]

[+12.50mV] [+18.75mV]...[+393.75mV]

1.35V Over Voltage Control [Disabled]

Allows you to adjust the +1.35V over voltage. Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disable]

VCORE Over Voltage Control [Disabled]

Allows you to adjust the VCORE over voltage. Conguration options: [Disabled] [+50 mV]

[+100 mV] [+150 mV]

ASUS P5N73-AM 2-13

2.4.2 CPU Conguration

CPU Internal Thermal Control [Auto]

Allows you to set the CPU internal thermal control to auto mode or disable it.

Conguration options: [Auto] [Disabled]

Limit CPUID MaxVal [Disabled]

Enables or disables the Limit CPUID MaxVal technology. Conguration options: [Disabled]

[Enabled]

Enhanced C1 (C1E) [Disabled]

Enables or disables the Enhanced C1 (C1E) technology. The process lowers the core to bus
ratio and VID when physical process enters an enhance C1 state.

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

Execute Disable Bit [Enabled]

Enables or disables Intel® Execute Disable Bit function. This function enhances protection

for your computer, reducing exposure to viruses and malicious buffer overow attacks when
working with its supporting software and system.Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Virtualization Technology [Enabled]

Enables or disables the Virtualization technology. When enabled, a VMM can utilize the

additional hardware capabilities provided by Vanderpool Technology.

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

CPU Multiplier [7.0]

Allows you to select the ratio between CPU Core Clock and the FSB Frequency.

Conguration options: [6.0] [7.0]

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep(tm) Tech [Enabled]

Enables or disables the Enhanced Intel SpeedStep technology to adjust CPU speed

according to CPU workload. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2.4.3 Chipset

Frame Buffer Size [128M]

Allows you to set the frame buffer size. Conguration options: [16M] [32M] [64M] [128M]

[256M]

Primary Display Adapter [PCI-E]

Allows you to select the graphics controller to use as the primary boot device. Confguration

options: [PCI] [Onboard] [PCI-E]

2-14 Chapter 2: BIOS information

2.4.4 PCIPnP

Plug & Play O/S [No]

When set to [No], the BIOS congures all the devices in the system. When set to [Yes] and if
you install a Plug and Play operating system, the operating system congures the Plug and

Play devices not required for boot.

Conguration options: [No] [Yes]

2.4.5 Onboard Device Conguration

IDE Function Setup

OnChip IDE Channel 0 [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the OnChip IDE channel 0 controller.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

IDE DAM transfer access [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable IDE DMA transfer access .

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Serial-ATA Controller [Enabled]

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

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the IDE prefetch mode.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Serial-ATA conguration

SATA Operation Mode [IDE]

Allows you to select SATA operation mode. Conguration options: [IDE] [RAID] [AHCI].

The following items become user-congurable when the SATA Operation Mode item is set

to [RAID].

SATA 1/2/3/4 [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable SATA 1/2/3/4.

Conguration options: [Disable] [Enabled]

HD Audio Controller [Auto]

Allows you to enable or disable the HD Audio controller.

Conguration options: [Auto] [Disabled]

Front Panel Support Type [HD Audio]

Allows you to set the front panel audio connector (AAFP) mode to legacy AC`97 or high-

denition audio depending on the audio standard that the front panel audio module supports.
Conguration options: [AC97] [HD Audio]

Onboard nVidia LAN [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the onboard nVidia LAN device support.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

ASUS P5N73-AM 2-15

OnBoard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]

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

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4]

Allows you to select the Serial Port1 base address. Conguration options: [Disabled] [3F8/

IRQ4] [2F8/IRQ3] [3E8/IRQ4] [2E8/IRQ3] [Auto]

Parallel Port Address [378/IRQ7]

Allows you to select the Parallel Port address. Conguration options: [Disabled] [378/IRQ7]

[278/IRQ5] [3BC/IRQ7]

Parallel Port Mode [ECP]

Allows you to select the Parallel Port mode. Conguration options: [SPP] [EPP] [ECP]

[ECP+EPP] [Normal]

The “EPP Mode Select” item becomes user-congurable when the Parallel Port Mode item
is set to [EPP] or [ECP+EPP]

EPP Mode Select [EPP1.7]

Allows you to select EPP mode. Conguration options: [EPP1.9] [EPP1.7]

The “ECP Mode Use DMA” item becomes user-congurable when the Parallel Port Mode

item is set to [ECP] or [ECP+EPP]

ECP Mode Use DMA [3]

Allows you to select ECP mode use DMA. Conguration options: [1] [3]

2.4.6 USB Conguration

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 Controller [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the USB controller. Conguration options: [Disabled]

[Enabled]

USB 2.0 Controller [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the USB 2.0 controller. Conguration options: [Disabled]

[Enabled]

USB Legacy Support [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable support for USB devices on legacy operating systems (OS).

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2-16 Chapter 2: BIOS information

2.5 Power menu

The Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced Conguration and

Power Interface (ACPI) and the Advanced Power Management (APM). Select an item then

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

Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

ACPI Suspend Type [S1&S3]

ACPI APIC support Enabled

APM Conguration
HardWare Monitor

F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults
ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Select the ACPI state
used for System
Suspend.

2.5.1 ACPI Suspend Type [S1&S3]

Allows you to select the Advanced Conguration and Power Interface (ACPI) state to be used
for system suspend. Conguration options: [S1(POS)] [S3(STR)] [S1&S3]

2.5.2 ACPI APIC Support [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the Advanced Conguration and Power Interface (ACPI)
support in the Application-Specic Integrated Circuit (ASIC). When set to Enabled, the ACPI
APIC table pointer is included in the RSDT pointer list. Conguration options: [Disabled]

[Enabled]

2.5.3 APM Conguration

Restore on AC Power Loss [Power Off]

When set to Power Off, the system goes into off state after an AC power loss. When set to
Power On, the system goes on after an AC power loss. When set to

Conguration options: [Power Off] [Power On] [Last State]

PWR Button < 4 secs [Instant-Off]

Allows you to set the event after the power button is pressed for more than 4 seconds.

Conguration options: [Suspend] [Instant-Off]

Power On By PCI/PCIE Devices [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the PME to wake up from S5 by PCI/PCIE devices & NV
Onboard LAN. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Power On By External Modems [Disabled]

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]

The computer cannot receive or transmit data until the computer and applications are fully

running. Thus, connection cannot be made on the rst try. Turning an external modem
off and then back on while the computer is off causes an initialization string that turns the

system power on.

ASUS P5N73-AM 2-17

Power On By RTC Alarm [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the power on by RTC alarm.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

The following items become user-congurable when the Power On By RTC Alarm item is

set to [Enabled].

Date (of Month) Alarm [0]

To set the date of alarm, highlight this item and press <Enter> to display the Date

of Month Alarm pop-up menu. Key-in a value within the specied range then press
<Enter>. Conguration options: [Min=0] [Max=31]

Alarm Time (hh:mm) [0:0:0]

To set the time of alarm:

1. Highlight this item and press <Enter> to display a pop-up menu for the hour eld.

2. Key-in a value (Min=0, Max=23), then press <Enter>.

3. Press <TAB> to move to the minutes eld then press <Enter>.

4. Key-in a minute value (Min=0, Max=59), then press <Enter>.

5. Press <TAB> to move to the seconds eld then press <Enter>.

6. Key-in a value (Min=0, Max=59), then press <Enter>.

HPET Support [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable HPET (Hardware Precision Efcient Timer) support. The
HPET support increases the performance of Vista Multimedia player. Conguration options:

[Disabled] [Enabled]

Power On By Keyboard [Disabled]

Allows you to set power on by keyboard. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Ctrl-ESC] [Space

Bar] [Power Key]

Power On By PS/2 Mouse [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable PS/2 mouse power on the system.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

2-18 Chapter 2: BIOS information

2.5.4 Hardware Monitor

The items in this sub-menu displays the hardware monitor values automatically detected by
the BIOS. It also allows you to change CPU Q-Fan feature-related parameters. Select an

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

Q-Fan Function [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the Q-Fan function.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

The following item becomes user-congurable when the Q-Fan Function item is set to

[Enabled].

CPU Fan Profile [Performance Mode]

Allows you to adjust the CPU target temperature.

Conguration options: [Optimal] [Silent Mode] [Performance Mode]

CPU/MB Temperature

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the motherboard and CPU

temperatures. These items are not user-congurable.

CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Speed [xxxxRPM]

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU, and Chassis fan
speeds in rotations per minute (RPM). If any of the fans is not connected to the motherboard,

the eld shows 0. These items are not user-congurable.

Vcore, Vcc 12, Vcc 3.3V, 5V [xxxV]

The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through the onboard

voltage regulators. Conguration options: [xxx] [Ignored]

CPU Fan Speed warning [600 RPM]

Sets the CPU fan speed warning feature. Conguration options: [Disabled] [600RPM]

[1200RPM] [1600RPM]

ASUS P5N73-AM 2-19

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 sub-menu.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

Boot Device Priority

Removable Drives
Boot Settings Conguration
Security

F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults
ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit

2.6.1 Boot Device Priority

1st ~ 4th Boot Device [Removable]

These items specify the boot device priority sequence from the available devices. The
number of device items that appears on the screen depends on the number of devices
installed in the system.

Conguration options: [Removable] [Hard Disk] [CDROM] [Disabled]

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Select Boot Device
Priority

2.6.2 Removable Drives

1. Floppy Disks

Allows you to assign a removable drive attached to the system.

2.6.3 Boot Settings Conguration

Quick Boot [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the system quick boot feature. When Enabled, the system

skips certain tests while booting. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Boot Up Floppy Seek [Disabled]

Enables or disables the chassis open status feature. Setting to Enabled, clears the chassis

open status. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Bootup Num-Lock [On]

Allows you to select the power-on state for the NumLock.

Conguration options: [Off] [On]

2-20 Chapter 2: BIOS information

Typematic Rate Setting [Disabled]

Allows you to set the keystroke rate. Enable this item to congure the Typematic Rate (Chars/
Sec) and the Typematic Delay (Msec). Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

The items Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec) and Typematic Delay (Msec) become user­congurable only when the item Typematic Rate Setting is enabled.

Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec) [6]

Allows you to select the rate at which a character repeats when you hold a key.

Conguration options: [6] [8] [10] [12] [15] [20] [24] [30]

Typematic Delay (Msec) [250]

Allows you to set the delay before keystrokes begin to repeat. Conguration options:

[250] [500] [750] [1000]

Full Screen LOGO [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the full screen logo display feature.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Ensure that the above item is set to [Enabled] if you want to use the ASUS MyLogo2™
feature.

Halt On [All Errors]

Allows you to error report type. Conguration options: [All Errors] [No Errors] [All, But

Diskette]

2.6.5 Security

Supervisor Password
User Password

These elds allow you to set passwords:

To set a password:

1. Select an item then press <Enter>.

2. Type in a password using a combination of a maximum of eight (8) alpha-numeric
characters, then press <Enter>.

3. When prompted, conrm the password by typing the exact characters again, then
press <Enter>. The password eld setting is changed to Set.

To clear the password:

1. Select the password eld and press <Enter> twice. The following message appears:

PASSWORD DISABLED !!!
Press any key to continue...

ASUS P5N73-AM 2-21

2. Press any key to continue. The password eld setting is changed to Clear.

A note about passwords
The Supervisor password is required to enter the BIOS Setup program preventing

unauthorized access. The User password is required to boot the system preventing
unauthorized use.

Forgot your password?
If you forget your password, you can clear it by erasing the CMOS Real Time Clock

(RTC) RAM. The RAM data containing the password information is powered by the
onboard button cell battery. If you need to erase the CMOS RAM, refer to section 1.9
Jumper for instructions.

Password Check

This eld requires you to enter the password before entering the BIOS setup or the system.

Select [Setup] to require the password before entering the BIOS Setup. Select [System] to
require the password before entering the system.

Conguration options: [Setup] [System]

2.7 Tools menu

The Tools menu items allow you to congure options for special functions. Select an item

then press <Enter> to display the submenu.

Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

ASUS EZ Flash 2

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Item Specic Help

Press [Enter] to Run
ASUS EX Flash 2

Select Menu

F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults
ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit

ASUS EZ Flash 2

Allows you to run ASUS EZ Flash 2. When you press <Enter>, a conrmation message

appears. Use the left/right arrow key to select between [Yes] or [No], then press <Enter> to

conrm your choice. Please see page 2-3, section 2.1.3 for details.

2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS information

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.

Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

Exit & Save Changes

Exit & Discard Changes
Load Setup Default
Discard Changes

F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults
ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit

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 & Save Changes

Once you are nished making your selections, choose this option from the Exit menu to

ensure the values you selected are saved to the CMOS RAM. An onboard backup battery
sustains the CMOS RAM so it stays on even when the PC is turned off. When you select this

option, a conrmation window appears. Select YES to save changes and exit.

If you attempt to exit the Setup program without saving your changes, the program
prompts you with a message asking if you want to save your changes before exiting. Press
<Enter> to save the changes while exiting.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Item Specic Help

Item Specic Help

This option save data

This option save data

to CMOS and exiting

to CMOS and exiting

the setup memu.

the setup menu.

Select Menu

Select Menu

Exit & Discard Changes

Select this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you made to the

Setup program. If you made changes to elds other than System Date, System Time, and
Password, the BIOS asks for a conrmation before exiting.

Load Setup Defaults

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 <F5>, a conrmation window appears.
Select YES to load default values. Select Exit & Save Changes or make other changes

before saving the values to the non-volatile RAM.

Discard Changes

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 YES to discard any

changes and load the previously saved values.

ASUS P5N73-AM 2-23

2-24 Chapter 2: BIOS information