Asus P5N73-CM User Manual

P5N73-CM

Motherboard

E4407

Second Edition V2 December 2008

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

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

product is defaced or missing.

ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.

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

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

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

Contents

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

Safety information

About this guide

P5N73-CM 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 highlights ...........................................................

1.3.2 Innovative ASUS 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 slots .....................................................

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

1.9 Jumpers

1.10 Connectors

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

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

..................................................................................... vii

........................................................................................ vii

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

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

..................................................................... 1-4

................................................................. 1-5

................................................... 1-7

......................................................................... 1-12

.......................................................................... 1-18

...................................................................................... 1-19

................................................................................. 1-20

1-1

1-3

1-5

1-6

1-7

1-10

1-11

1-12

1-13

1-17

1-18

1-20

1-21

iii

Contents

1.11 Software support ........................................................................ 1-29

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

2.1.2 Creating a bootable oppy disk .......................................

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

2.1.4 Updating the BIOS ..........................................................

2.1.5 Saving the current BIOS le ............................................

2.1.6 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utility ......................................

2.2 BIOS setup program

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2.3 Main menu

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

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

2.3.3 Legacy Diskette A ..........................................................

2.3.4 Primary IDE Master/Slave ..............................................

2.3.5 SATA 1-4 .......................................................................

2.3.6 HDD SMART Monitoring ...............................................

2.3.7 Installed Memory ...........................................................

2.3.8 Usable Memory .............................................................

2.4 Advanced menu

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

2.4.2 AI NET 2

2.4.3 CPU Conguration ........................................................

2.4.4 Chipset ..........................................................................

.................................................................................. 2-11

.................................................................... 2-8

......................................................................... 2-14

........................................................................ 2-15

1-29

2-1

2-2

2-3

2-4

2-5

2-6

2-9

2-10

2-11

2-12

2-13

2-14

2-15

2-16

Contents

2.4.5 PCIPnP ......................................................................... 2-16

2.4.6 Onboard Device Conguration ......................................

2.4.7 USB Conguration ........................................................

2.5 Power menu

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

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

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

2.6.4 Security .........................................................................

2.7 Tools menu

2.7.1

2.7.2 Express Gate ................................................................

2.8 Exit menu

2-17

2-18

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

2-19

2-20

.................................................................................. 2-21

2-21

2-22

................................................................................. 2-23

ASUS EZ Flash 2 .......................................................... 2-23

2-23

.................................................................................... 2-24

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.

Safety information

Electrical safety

•

To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet

before relocating the system.

•

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

•

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

•

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

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

•

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

technician or your retailer.

Operation safety

•

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

•

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

•

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

•

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

•

Place the product on a stable surface.

•

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

technician or your retailer.

About this guide

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

motherboard.

How this guide is organized

This guide contains the following parts:

• Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

• Chapter 2: BIOS setup

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

<Key1>+<Key2>+<Key3> If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key names are linked with a plus sign (+). Example: <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<D>

Command Means that you must type the command exactly as shown, then supply the required item or value enclosed in brackets. Example: At the DOS prompt, type the command line: afudos /i[lename]

afudos /iP5N73CM.ROM

viii

P5N73-CM specications summary

CPU LGA775 socket for Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme /

Chipset NVIDIA GeForce 7100 / nForce 630i (MCP73PV)

Front Side Bus 1333 / 1066 / 800 MHz

Memory Single-channel memory architecture

Expansion Slots 1 x PCI Express x16 slot

Audio VIA VT1708B, 8-CH High-Denation Audio CODEC

Storage Southbridge:

LAN Realtek 8211CL Gb LAN

USB Supports up to 10 USB 2.0 ports (6 ports at mid-board, 4

ASUS Special Features ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2

Rear panel 1 x DVI port

Core™ 2 Quad / Core™ 2 Duo / Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 / Celeron® E1000 Series and Celeron® 400 Series 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

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

1 x PCI Express x1 slot 2 x PCI slots

- 1 x Ultra DMA 133

- 4 x Serial ATA 3Gb/s devices

- RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD

conguration

ports at rear panel)

ASUS Q-Fan ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS MyLogo 2 ASUS Express Gate

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

(continued on the next page)

P5N73-CM specications summary

Internal connectors 1 x Floppy Disk connector

VGA GeForce 7100 GPU supports maximum resolution of

BIOS features 8 MB Flash ROM, Award BIOS, Green, PnP, DMI v2.0,

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

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

Support CD contents Drivers

Form factor uATX Form Factor: 9.6 in x 8.4 in (24.5 cm x 21.3 cm)

*Specications are subject to change without notice.

1 x CD audio in connector 1 x 24-pin EPS 12V power connector 1 x 4-pin ATX 12 V power connector 3 x USB connectors for additional six USB 2.0 ports 1 x S/PDIF out connector 1 x Chassis intrusion connector 1 x Front panel High Denation audio connector 1 x LPT connector 1 x CPU Fan connector 1 x Chassis Fan connector 1 x Power Fan conncetor System panel connector

1920 x1440 X32bpp (@ 75Hz)

WfM2.0, ACPI v2.0a, SMBIOS v2.5

ATX 12V 2.0 compliant

ASUS PC Probe II ASUS Update Anti-virus software

Chapter 1

Product introduction

1.1 Welcome!

Thank you for buying an ASUS® P5N73-CM 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-CM motherboard

Cables 1 x Serial ATA cable

1 x Serial ATA power cable 1 x Ultra DMA 133 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

LGA775 Intel® Quad-core Processor Ready

This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Quad-core processors in LGA775 package. It also can support Intel® next generation 45nm MultiCore CPU. It´s excellent for multi-tasking, multi-media and enthusiastic

gamers with 1333/1066/800 MHz FSB.

ASUS P5N73-CM 1-1

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 7100/ nForce 630i Chipset

The brand new NVIDIA® GeForce 7100 / nForce 630i MCP (Media and Communications Processor) features CineFX™ 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 smoother game-play, a high quality video processing engine for advance quality of video and DVD playback.

Serial ATA 3 Gb/s with RAID function

This motherboard supports the next-generation hard drives based on

the Serial ATA (SATA) 3 Gb/s storage specication, delivering enhanced

scalability and doubling the bus bandwidth for high-speed data retrieval and saves. Easily backup photos, videos and other entertainment contents to external devices. It allows RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10,

and JBOD congurations for four onboard SATA connectors.

Japan-made 5000hrs VRM Solid Capacitors

Stable system operation depends upon the quality of CPU VRM (voltage regulator module). ASUS adopts Japan-made 5000hrs Conductive Polymer Solid Capacitors CPU VRM to ensure a longer lifespan for systems in daily operation and boost system stability under extreme conditions. CPU VRM with Polymer Capacitors featuring better electronic conductivity, excellent heat resistance enhances system durability even operating in high temperature environment.

Gigabit LAN solution

The onboard LAN controller is a highly integrated Gb LAN controller. It is

enhanced with an ACPI management function to provide efcient power

management for advanced operating systems.

PCI Express Architecture

PCI Express is the latest I/O interconnect technology that will replace the existing PCI. With a bus bandwidth 4 times higher than that of AGP 8X interface, PCI Express x16 bus performs much better than AGP 8X in applications such as 3D gaming.

Max. 10 USB 2.0 ports supports

USB 2.0 is the latest connectivity standard for next generation components and peripherals. Backwards compatible with current USB

1.1 peripherals, USB 2.0 delivers transfer speeds up to 40 times faster at 480Mb/s, for easy connectivity and ultra-fast data

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction

8-Channel High Denition Audio

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

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

DVI Interface

DVI (Digital Visual Interface) provides high visual quality of digital display devices such as LCD monitor. The interface of this motherboard is HDCP compliant, allowing playback of HD DVD, Blu-ray Disc and other protected content.

Dual VGA Output

This motherboard supports Dual-VGA output (RGB / DVI). DVI interface is compliant with HDCP.

1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features

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 CrashFree BIOS 2

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

ASUS EZ Flash 2

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

Express Gate

Express Gate is a unique OS built into the motherboard. Five minutes after bootup, you can instantly surf the Internet without entering the Windows® OS.

• The actual boot time depends on the system conguration.

• ASUS Express Gate supports le uploading from SATA HDDs, ODDs and USB drives

and downloading to USB drives only.

ASUS Q-Fan technology

The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efcient operation. See page 2-34 for details.

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-CM 1-3

1.4 Before you proceed

P5N73-CM Onboard LED

SB_PWR

Standby

Power

OFF

Powered

Off

P5N73-CM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

P5N73-CM

1.5 Motherboard overview

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-CM 1-5

1.5.3 Motherboard layout

P5N73-CM

21.3cm (8.4in)

24.5cm (9.6in

)

SATA1

SATA4

SATA2

SATA3

PS/2KBMS

Mouse

Keyboard

CPU_FAN

PWR_FAN

TXPWR

PRI_IDE

PANEL

USB910

USB78

USB1112

AAFP

MCP73PV

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

AUDIO

USB34

LAN1_USB12

CHASSIS

ATX12V

FLOPPY

Super I/O

CPU_FAN

LPT

8Mb

BIOS

DVI_VGA

COM2

SB_PWR

CLRTC

SPDIF_OUT

RTL

8211CL

VIA

VT1708B

LGA775

31 12 4 5

111315 1416 12

1.5.4 Layout contents

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

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

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

3. LGA775 CPU socket 1-7 11. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin

4. DDR2 DIMM slots 1-12 12. Onboard LED 1-4

5. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1-4) 1-23 13. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56 USB78

6. IDE connector (40-pin PRI-EIDE) 1-24 14. Digital audio connector (4-1 pin

7. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC) 1-19 15. Optical drive audio connector (4-pin CD) 1-27

8. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS) 1-23 16. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin

1-21 9. System panel connector (20-8 pin PANEL) 1-25

1-22 10. LPT connector (26-1 pin LPT) Onboard

LED USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW5-8)

FLOPPY)

and USB910)

SPDIF_OUT)

AAFP)

1-26

1-28

1-26

1-27

1-28

1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

P5N73-CM CPU

Socket 775

P5N73-CM

The motherboard comes with a surface mount LGA775 socket designed for the Core™2 Extreme / Core™2 Quad / Core™2 Duo / Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 and Celeron® E1000 Series and Celeron® 400 Series processors.

• Unplug all power cables 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.

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

1.6.1 Installing the CPU

To install a CPU:

1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.

ASUS P5N73-CM 1-7

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

2. Press the load lever with your thumb (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

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).

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.

CPU notch

Alignment key

PnP cap

Load plate

Gold triangle mark

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 pre-applied 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 retention tab.

ASUS P5N73-CM 1-9

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.

• Your Intel

• If you purchased a separate CPU heatsink and fan assembly, ensure that you have

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

LGA775 heatsink and fan assembly comes in a push-pin design and requires

no tool to install.

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

To install the CPU heatsink and fan:

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

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

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

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introduction

+ 44 hidden pages