ASUS P7F-C4L, P7F-CSAS, P7F-C User Manual

P7F-C Series

P7F-C/SAS

P7F-C/4L

Motherboard

E5217

First Edition V1

December 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, modified or altered, unless such repair, modification 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 identification or explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.

ii

Contents

Notices........................................................................................................	vii
Safety information.....................................................................................	viii
About this guide..........................................................................................	ix
Typography...................................................................................................	x
P7F-C Series specifications summary......................................................	xi

Chapter 1:		Product introduction
1.1	Welcome!.......................................................................................		1-3
1.2	Package contents.........................................................................		1-3
1.3	Serial number label.......................................................................		1-4
1.4	Special features............................................................................		1-4
	1.4.1	Product highlights............................................................	1-4

Chapter 2:		Hardware information
2.1	Before you proceed......................................................................		2-3
2.2	Motherboard overview.................................................................		2-4
	2.2.1	Placement direction.........................................................	2-4
	2.2.2	Screw holes.....................................................................	2-4
	2.2.3	Motherboard layout..........................................................	2-5
	2.2.4	Layout contents...............................................................	2-7
2.3	Central Processing Unit (CPU)....................................................		2-9
	2.3.1	Installing the CPU............................................................	2-9
	2.3.2	Installing the CPU heatsink and fan..............................	2-12
	2.3.3	Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan..........................	2-13
	2.3.4	Installing the CPU heatsink in rack................................	2-14
2.4	System memory..........................................................................		2-15
	2.4.1	Overview........................................................................	2-15
	2.4.2	Memory Configurations.................................................	2-15
	2.4.3	Installing a DIMM...........................................................	2-16
	2.4.4	Removing a DIMM.........................................................	2-16
2.5	Expansion slots..........................................................................		2-17
	2.5.1	Installing an expansion card..........................................	2-17
	2.5.2	Configuring an expansion card......................................	2-17
	2.5.3	Interrupt assignments....................................................	2-18
	2.5.4	PCI Express x16 slots (x8 link)......................................	2-19
	2.5.5	PCI slots........................................................................	2-19
	2.5.6	Installing i Button...........................................................	2-20

iii

Contents

	2.5.7	Connect Thermal sensor cable ......................................	2-20
2.6	Jumpers	.......................................................................................	2-21
2.7	Connectors..................................................................................		2-25
	2.7.1 ..................................................	Rear panel connectors	2-25
	2.7.2 ........................................................	Internal connectors	2-26

Chapter 3:		Powering up
3.1	Starting up for the first time........................................................		3-3
3.2	Powering off the computer..........................................................		3-4
	3.2.1	Using the OS shut down function....................................	3-4
	3.2.2	Using the dual function power switch..............................	3-4

Chapter 4:		BIOS setup
4.1	Managing and updating your BIOS.............................................		4-3
	4.1.1	ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility...................................................	4-3
	4.1.2	BUPDATER utility............................................................	4-4
	4.1.3	ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility.......................................	4-6
4.2	BIOS setup program.....................................................................		4-7
	4.2.1	BIOS menu screen..........................................................	4-8
	4.2.2	Menu bar.........................................................................	4-8
	4.2.3	Navigation keys...............................................................	4-8
	4.2.4	Menu items......................................................................	4-9
	4.2.5	Sub-menu items..............................................................	4-9
	4.2.6	Configuration fields..........................................................	4-9
	4.2.7	Pop-up window................................................................	4-9
	4.2.8	Scroll bar.........................................................................	4-9
	4.2.9	General help....................................................................	4-9
4.3	Main menu...................................................................................		4-10
	4.3.1	System Time [xx:xx:xx]..................................................	4-10
	4.3.2	System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx].......................................	4-10
	4.3.3	SATA1—6.......................................................................	4-11
	4.3.4	Storage Configuration....................................................	4-13
	4.3.5	AHCI Configuration........................................................	4-14
	4.3.6	System Information........................................................	4-15
4.4	Advanced menu..........................................................................		4-16
	4.4.1	CPU Configuration.........................................................	4-16
	4.4.2	Chipset..........................................................................	4-20

iv

Contents

	4.4.3	Onboard Devices Configuration....................................	4-22
	4.4.4	USB Configuration.........................................................	4-24
	4.4.5	PCIPnP..........................................................................	4-25
	4.4.6	ACPI Configuration........................................................	4-26
	4.4.7	Event Log Configuration................................................	4-28
	4.4.8	Intel VT-d Configuration [Disabled]................................	4-28
	4.4.9	SR-IOV Supprted [Disabled]..........................................	4-28
4.5	Server menu................................................................................		4-29
	4.5.1	Remote Access Configuration.......................................	4-29
4.6	Power menu................................................................................		4-31
	4.6.1	APM Configuration........................................................	4-31
	4.6.2	Hardware Monitor..........................................................	4-33
4.7	Boot menu...................................................................................		4-34
	4.7.1	Boot Device Priority.......................................................	4-34
	4.7.2	Hard Disk Drives; CDROM Drives.................................	4-34
	4.7.3	Boot Settings Configuration...........................................	4-35
	4.7.4	Security..........................................................................	4-36
4.8	Tools menu..................................................................................		4-38
	4.8.1	ASUS EZ Flash 2..........................................................	4-38
4.9	Exit menu.....................................................................................		4-39

Chapter 5:		RAID configuration
5.1	Setting up RAID............................................................................		5-3
	5.1.1	RAID definitions...............................................................	5-3
	5.1.2	Installing hard disk drives................................................	5-4
	5.1.3	Setting the RAID item in BIOS.........................................	5-4
	5.1.4	RAID configuration utilities..............................................	5-4
5.2	Intel® Matrix Storage Manager Option ROM Utility....................		5-5
	5.2.1	Creating a RAID set.........................................................	5-6
	5.2.2	Creating a Recovery set..................................................	5-7
	5.2.3	Deleting a RAID set.........................................................	5-9
	5.2.4	Resetting disks to Non-RAID.........................................	5-10
	5.2.5	Recovery Volume Options..............................................	5-11
	5.2.6	Exiting the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager.....................	5-12
	5.2.7	Rebuilding the RAID......................................................	5-12
	5.2.8	Setting the Boot array in the BIOS Setup Utility............	5-14
5.3	LSI Logic MPT Setup Utility (P7F-C/SAS model only).............		5-15

Contents

	5.3.1	Integrated Mirroring.......................................................	5-15
	5.3.2	Integrated Mirroring Enhanced......................................	5-19
	5.3.3	Integrated Striping (IS) volume......................................	5-22
	5.3.4	Managing Arrays............................................................	5-25
	5.3.5	Viewing SAS topology...................................................	5-30
	5.3.6	Global Properties...........................................................	5-31
5.4	LSI Software RAID Configuration Utility		5-34
	(P7F-C/4L model only)................................................................
	5.4.1	Creating a RAID set.......................................................	5-35
	5.4.2	Adding or viewing a RAID configuration........................	5-41
	5.4.3	Initializing the virtual drives............................................	5-42
	5.4.4	Rebuilding failed drives.................................................	5-46
	5.4.5	Checking the drives for data consistency......................	5-48
	5.4.6	Deleting a RAID configuration.......................................	5-51
	5.4.7	Selecting the boot drive from a RAID set......................	5-52
	5.4.8	Enabling WriteCache.....................................................	5-53

Chapter 6:		Driver installation
6.1	RAID driver installation................................................................		6-3
	6.1.1	Creating a RAID driver disk.............................................	6-3
	6.1.2	Installing the RAID controller driver.................................	6-6
6.2	Intel® chipset device installation...............................................		6-19
6.3	LAN driver installation...............................................................		6-21
6.4	VGA driver installation...............................................................		6-23
	6.4.1	Windows® Server 2003..................................................	6-23
6.5	Management applications and utilities installation.................		6-25
	6.5.1	Running the support DVD..............................................	6-25
	6.5.2	Drivers menu.................................................................	6-25
	6.5.3	Utilities menu.................................................................	6-26
	6.5.4	Make disk menu............................................................	6-26
	6.5.5	Contact information.......................................................	6-26

Appendix:		Reference information
A.1	P7F-C/SAS Series block diagram................................................		A-3
A.2	P7F-C/4L Series block diagram...................................................		A-4

vi

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 modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

Canadian Department of Communications Statement

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

REACH

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

vii

Safety information

Electrical safety

•To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet before relocating the system.

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

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

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

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

•If the power supply is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact a qualified service technician or your retailer.

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 qualified service technician or your retailer.

This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product (electrical, electronic equipment, and mercury-containing button cell battery) should not

be placed in municipal waste. Check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.

viii

About this guide

This user guide contains the information you need when installing and configuring the motherboard.

How this guide is organized

This user guide contains the following parts:

•Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

•Chapter 2: Hardware information

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

•Chapter 3: Powering up

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

•Chapter 4: BIOS setup

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

•Chapter 5: RAID configuration

This chapter provides instructions for setting up, creating, and configuring RAID sets using the available utilities.

•Chapter 6: Driver installation

This chapter provides instructions for installing the necessary drivers for different system components.

•Appendix: Reference information

This appendix includes additional information that you may refer to when configuring the motherboard.

Where to find 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 flyers, that may have been added by your dealer. These documents are not part of the standard package.

ix

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: format A:/S

P7F-C Series specifications summary

Model Name	P7F-C/SAS	P7F-C/4L
Processor / System Bus	1 * Socket LGA1156

Core Logic

Form Factor

ASUS Features	FAN speed
	control
	Rack Ready
	(Rack and
	Pedestal dual
	use)
	ASWM2.0
Memory	Total Slots
	Capacity
	Memory Type
	Memory Size

Quad Core Intel Xeon 3400 series Server Processor Quad Core Intel Core i7-800 series Desktop Processor Quad Core Intel Core i5-700 series Desktop Processor Dual Core 32nm CPU design Ready

Dual Core/Quad Core

Intel® 3420 PCH

ATX, 12" * 9.6"

V	V
V	V
V	V
6/4 (RDIMM/UDIMM)

Maximum up to 32GB (RDIMM) Maximum up to 16GB (UDIMM )

Desktop Processor do not support RDIMM nor ECC UDIMM

DDR3 1066/1333 Unbuffered DIMM with ECC/ non ECC**

DDR3 800/1066/1333 Reg DIMM

1 GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB (RDIMM)

1 GB, 2GB, 4GB (UDIMM)

Expansion Slots	Total PCI/PCI-X/
		6		6
(follow SSI	PCI-E Slots
Loacation #)	Slot Loacation 1	1	* PCI 32bit/33 MHz
	Slot Loacation 2
		1	* PCI 32bit/33 MHz
	Slot Loacation 3	1	* PCI 32bit/33 MHz
	Slot Loacation 4
		1	* PCI-E x16 (Gen2 x8 link)
	Slot Loacation 5	1	* PCI 32bit/33 MHz
	Slot Loacation 6	1	* PCI-E x16 (Gen2 x8 link)
Storage	SATA Controller	Intel® 3420:
		6* SATA2 300MB/s ports -
		Intel Matrix Storage utility supports software RAID 0, 1,
			10 & 5(Windows)
		LSI MegaRAID driver supports software RAID 0, 1&
	SAS Controller		10(Windows & Linux) (P7F-C/4L only)
		LSI 1068E 8-port SAS		—
		controller:
		LSI® Integrated RAID 0, 1,
Networking	LAN	1E support
		2	* Marvell® 8056 PCI-E	4 * Marvell® 8056 PCI-E
Graphic	VGA	GbE LAN		GbE LAN
		XGI® Z9s DDR2 64MB

xi

P7F-C Series specifications summary

Onboard I/O	PSU Connector
Connectors
	USB Connectors
	Fan Header
	Chassis Intruder
	Serial Port
	Header
Rear I/O	External Serial
Connectors	Port
	External USB
	Port
	VGA Port
	RJ-45
	PS/2 KB/Mouse
Management	Software
Solution
Monitoring	CPU
	Temperature
Environment	FAN RPM

24-pin ATX power connector + 8-pin ATX 12V power connector

24+4 pin power supply supported

3 (support 5 USB port)

(One for internal Type A USB connector )

5* 4pin

1	1
1	1
1	1
2	2
1	1
2	4
1	1
ASWM2.0	ASWM2.0
V	V
V	V

Operation temperature: 10 —35 Non operation temperature: -40 —70

Non operation humidity: 20%—90% ( Non condensing)

*Specifications are subject to change without notice.

xii

This chapter describes the motherboard		1
features and the new technologies it supports.
		Product
	introduction

Chapter summary	1

1.1	Welcome!.......................................................................................	1-3
1.2	Package contents.........................................................................	1-3
1.3	Serial number label.......................................................................	1-4
1.4	Special features............................................................................	1-4

ASUS P7F-C Series

1.1Welcome!

Thank you for buying an ASUS® P7F-C Series 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.

1.2Package contents

Check your motherboard package for the following items.

			Standard Gift Box	Standard Bulk Pack
			Pack
	Cables	SATA data cable	P7F-C Series
			6	--
		IO shield
	Accessories		1	1
		Plate for LGA1156 (1U)
			1	1
	Application CD	Support CD
			1	1
	Documentation	User Guide	1	1
	Packing Qty.		1pc per carton	10pcs per carton

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

ASUS P7F-C Series

1-3

1.3Serial number label

Before requesting support from the ASUS Technical Support team, you must take note of the motherboard's serial number containing 13 characters xxS2xxxxxxxxx

shown as the figure below. With the correct serial number of the product, ASUS Technical Support team members can then offer a quicker and satisfying solution to your problems.

P7F-C Series	Made
	in
	China
xxS2xxxxxxxxx

1.4Special features

1.4.1Product highlights

Intel® LGA1156 Xeon 3400 Processor Ready

This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Xeon 3400 processors in LGA1156 package, which has memory and PCI Express controller integrated to support 2-channel (6 DIMMs) DDR3 memory and 16 PCI Express 2.0 lanes, providing great graphics performance. Intel® Xeon 3400 processor is one of the most powerful and energy efficient CPU in the world.

Intel Turbo Boost

Intel® Turbo Boost opportunistically and automatically allows the processor to run faster than the marked frequency if the processor is operating below power, temperature and current limits. This technology increases performance of both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads.

Intel Hyper Threading

The thread-level parallelism on each processor makes more efficient use of the processor resources, higher processing throughout and improved performance on today's multi-threaded software.

Intel® EM64T

The motherboard supports Intel® processors with the Intel® EM64T (Extended Memory 64 Technology). The Intel® EM64T feature allows your computer to run on 64-bit operating systems and access larger amounts of system memory for faster and more efficient computing.

1-4	Chapter 1: Product introduction

DDR3 memory support

The P7F-C Series supports UDIMM and RDIMM DDR3 memory that features data transfer rates of 1333/1066 MHZ to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of server and workstation applications. The 2-channel DDR3 architecture boosts system performance, eliminating bottlenecks. Furthermore, the supply voltage for the memory is reduced from 1.8 V for DDR2 to just 1.5V for DDR3. This voltage reduction limits the power consumption and heat generation of DDR3 which makes it an ideal memory solution.

PCIe 2.0

This motherboard supports the latest PCIe 2.0 device for twice the current speed and bandwidth. This enhances system performance while still providing backward compatibility to PCIe 1.0 devices.

Marvell 88E8056 LAN Solution

The motherboard comes with dual/quad Gigabit LAN controllers and ports which provide a total solution for your networking needs. The onboard Marvell 88E8056 Gigabit LAN controllers use the PCI Express interface and could achieve network throughput close to Gigabit bandwidth.

Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) technology support

(P7F-C/SAS model only)

SAS is the latest storage interface for enterprise-class storage devices. Building on and improving the parallel SCSI foundation, SAS is the new industry standard that includes Serial ATA interoperability, and is projected to be the successor of the Ultra320 SCSI technology.

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST)

The Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST) intelligently manages the CPU resources by automatically adjusting the CPU voltage and core frequency depending on the CPU loading and system speed or power requirement.

Serial ATA II technology

The motherboard supports the Serial ATA II 3 Gb/s technology through the Serial ATA interface and Intel 3420 chipset. The Serial ATA II specification provides twice the bandwidth of the current Serial ATA products with a host of new features, including Native Command Queuing (NCQ), Power Management (PM) Implementation Algorithm, and Hot Swap. Serial ATA allows thinner, more flexible cables with lower pin count and reduced voltage requirements.

ASUS P7F-C Series

1-5

USB 2.0 technology

The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 specification, dramatically increasing the connection speed from the 12 Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1.

Temperature, fan, and voltage monitoring

The CPU temperature is monitored to prevent overheating and damage. The system fan rotations per minute (RPM) is monitored for timely failure detection. The chip monitors the voltage levels to ensure stable supply of current for critical components.

1-6	Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

Hardware2 information

Chapter summary	2

2.1	Before you proceed......................................................................	2-3
2.2	Motherboard overview.................................................................	2-4
2.3	Central Processing Unit (CPU)....................................................	2-9
2.4	System memory..........................................................................	2-15
2.5	Expansion slots..........................................................................	2-17
2.6	Jumpers.......................................................................................	2-21
2.7	Connectors..................................................................................	2-25

ASUS P7F-C Series

2.1Before you proceed

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

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

•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 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

1.Standby Power LED

The motherboard comes with a standby power LED. The green LED lights up to indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode. This is a reminder that you should shut down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard component. The illustration below shows the location of the onboard LED.

ASUS P7F-C Series

2-3

2.2Motherboard overview

Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it.

To optimize the motherboard features, we highly recommend that you install it in an ATX 1.1 compliant chassis.

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

2.2.1Placement direction

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

2.2.2Screw holes

Place nine (9) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis.

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

Place this side towards the rear of the chassis

2-4

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.2.3 Motherboard layout

P7F-C/SAS

ASUS P7F-C Series

2-5

P7F-C/4L

2-6

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.2.4Layout contents

	Slots/Soocket		Page
1.		CPU sockets	2-9
2.		DDR3 sockets	2-15
	3.	PCI Express x 16 slot (x8 link)	2-19
	4.	PCI slots	2-19

	Jumpers		Page
1.		Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC1)	2-21
2.		VGA controller setting (3-pin VGA_SW1))	2-22
3.		CPU Fan and Chassis Fan control setting	2-22
		(3-pin CPUFAN_SEL1, CHAFAN_SEL1)

4.LAN controller setting (3-pin LAN_SW1, LAN_SW2) (LAN_SW3, LAN_SW4 P7F-C/4L Model only)

5.RAID configuration utility selection (3-pin RAID_SEL1) (P7F-C/4L Model only)

6.Onboard storage setting (3-pin SAS_SW1) (P7F-C/SAS Model only)

7.Force BIOS recovery setting (3-pin RECOVERY1)

2-23

2-23

2-24

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	Rear panel connectors		Page
1.		PS/2 mouse port (green)	2-25
2.		PS/2 keyboard port (purple)	2-25
3.		USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2	2-25
4.		Serial (COM1) port	2-25
5.		Video Graphics Adapter port	2-25
6.		LAN 1 (RJ-45) port	2-25
	7.	LAN 2 (RJ-45) port	2-25
	8.	LAN 2 (RJ-45) port	2-25
	9.	LAN 2 (RJ-45) port	2-25

ASUS P7F-C Series

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Internal connectors

Page

1.Serial ATA connectors

	(7-pin SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4; RED)	2-26
	(7-pin SATA5, SATA6; Black)
2.	Hard disk activity LED connector (4-pin HDLED1)	2-26
3.	SAS connectors
	(7-pin SAS1, SAS2, SAS3, SAS4; RED)	2-27
	(7-pin SAS5, SAS6, SAS7, SAS8; Blue) (P7F-C/SAS model only)
4.	USB connector (10-1 pin USB34, USB56; A-Type USB7)	2-27
5.	Serial General Purpose Input/Output connector (6-1 pin SGPIO1)	2-28
6.	Serial General Purpose Input/Output connectors	2-28
	(6-1 pin SGPIO2/3) (P7F-C/SAS model only)
7.	Serial port connector (10-1 pin COM2)	2-29
8.	CPU, front and rear fan connectors
	(4-pin CPU_FAN1, FRNT_FAN1, FRNT_FAN2, FRNT_FAN3,	2-29
	REAR_FAN1)
9.	ATX power connectors	2-30
	(24-pin EATXPWR1, 8-pin EATX12V1)
10.	Thermal sensor cable connectors (3-pin TR1)	2-31
11.	Parallel port connector (26-1 pin LPT1)	2-31
12.	System panel connector (20-1 pin PANEL1)	2-32
13.	Auxiliary panel connector (20-2 pin AUX_PANEL1)	2-33

2-8	Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.3Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The motherboard comes with a surface mount LGA1156 socket designed for the Intel® Xeon 3400 series Processors.

•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 LGA1156 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.

2.3.1Installing the CPU

To install a CPU:

1.Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.

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

2.Press the load lever with your thumb (A), and then move it to the right (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.

Load lever

B

Retention tab

ASUS P7F-C Series

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3.Lift the load lever in the direction of the arrow until the load plate is completely lifted.

4.Remove the PnP cap from the CPU socket.

PnP cap

Cap tab

5.Position the CPU over the socket, ensuring that the gold triangle is on the bottom left corner of the socket, and then fit the socket alignment keys into the CPU notches.

CPU notches

The CPU fits in only one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the connectors on the socket and damaging the CPU!

Gold

triangle

mark

Alignment keys

2-10	Chapter 2: Hardware information

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.

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

	7. Close the load plate (A), and then	B
	push down the load lever (B),
	ensuring that the front edge of the
	load plate slides under the retention
	knob (C).	A

8.Insert the load lever under the

retention tab.

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2.3.2Installing the CPU heatsink and fan

The Intel® LGA1156 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® certified multi directional heatsink and fan.

•Your Intel® LGA1156 heatsink and fan assembly comes in a push-pin design and requires no tool to install.

•Use an LGA1156-compatible CPU heatsink and fan assembly only. The LGA1156 socket is incompatible with the LGA775 and LGA1366 sockets in size and dimension.

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

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

To install the CPU heatsink and fan:

	1. Place the heatsink on top of the	A
	installed CPU, making sure that the	B
	four fasteners match the holes on
		B
	the motherboard.
	2. Push down two fasteners at a time
	in a diagonal sequence to secure	A
	the heatsink and fan assembly in
	place.

A B

1

B

A

1

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

2-12	Chapter 2: Hardware information