Asus P8B-C-SAS-2L, P8B-C–4L User Manual

P8B-C series

Motherboard

E6852

Second Edition V2

September 2011

Copyright © 2011 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, modiied or altered, unless such repair, modiication 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 identiication or explanation and to the owners’ beneit, without intent to infringe.

ii

Contents

Notices........................................................................................................	vii
Safety information ....................................................................................	viii
About this guide .........................................................................................	ix
P8B-C series speciications 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
	1.4.2	Innovative ASUS features...............................................	1-6

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..............................................................	2-11
2.3	Central Processing Unit (CPU) .................................................		2-13
	2.3.1	Installing the CPU .........................................................	2-13
	2.3.2	Installing the CPU heatsink and fan..............................	2-16
	2.3.3	Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan .........................	2-17
	2.3.4	Installing the CPU heatsink in rack ...............................	2-18
2.4	System memory .........................................................................		2-19
	2.4.1	Overview.......................................................................	2-19
	2.4.2	Memory Conigurations.................................................	2-19
	2.4.3	Installing a DIMM ..........................................................	2-20
	2.4.4	Removing a DIMM ........................................................	2-20
2.5	Expansion slots..........................................................................		2-21
	2.5.1	Installing an expansion card .........................................	2-21
	2.5.2	Coniguring an expansion card .....................................	2-21
	2.5.3	Interrupt assignments ...................................................	2-22
	2.5.4	PCI Express x8 slot (x4 link).........................................	2-22
	2.5.5	PCI Express x16 slot (x16 link).....................................	2-22

iii

Contents

	2.5.6	PCI slots........................................................................	2-22
	2.5.7	Connecting the thermal sensor cable ...........................	2-24
2.6	Jumpers	......................................................................................	2-25
2.7	Connectors .................................................................................		2-32
	2.7.1	Rear panel connectors..................................................	2-32
	2.7.2	Internal connectors .......................................................	2-33

Chapter 3:		Powering up
3.1	Starting up for the irst 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 CrashFree BIOS 3 utility ......................................	4-3
	4.1.2	ASUS EZ Flash Utility.....................................................	4-4
	4.1.3	BUPDATER utility............................................................	4-5
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	Menu items .....................................................................	4-9
	4.2.4	Submenu items...............................................................	4-9
	4.2.5	Navigation keys...............................................................	4-9
	4.2.6	General help ...................................................................	4-9
	4.2.7	Coniguration ields .........................................................	4-9
	4.2.8	Pop-up window ...............................................................	4-9
	4.2.9	Scroll bar.........................................................................	4-9
4.3	Main menu ..................................................................................		4-10
	4.3.1	System Date .................................................................	4-10
	4.3.2	System Time .................................................................	4-10
	4.3.3	Security.........................................................................	4-10
4.4	Event Logs menu .......................................................................		4-12
4.5	Advanced menu .........................................................................		4-14
	4.5.1	ACPI Settings................................................................	4-14
	4.5.2	Trusted Computing........................................................	4-15

iv

Contents

	4.5.3	WHEA Coniguration .....................................................	4-15
	4.5.4	CPU Coniguration ........................................................	4-16
	4.5.5	North Bridge..................................................................	4-18
	4.5.6	South Bridge .................................................................	4-18
	4.5.7	SATA Coniguration.......................................................	4-19
	4.5.8	Intel TXT(LT) Coniguration...........................................	4-20
	4.5.9	USB Coniguration ........................................................	4-20
	4.5.10	Onboard Devices Coniguration....................................	4-21
	4.5.11	APM ..............................................................................	4-23
	4.5.12	Serial Port Console Redirection....................................	4-24
4.6	Monitor menu .............................................................................		4-26
4.7	Boot menu ..................................................................................		4-27
4.8	Tool menu ...................................................................................		4-29
4.9	Exit menu....................................................................................		4-29

Chapter 5:		RAID coniguration
5.1	Setting up RAID............................................................................		5-3
	5.1.1	RAID deinitions ..............................................................	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 coniguration utilities..............................................	5-4
5.2	LSI Software RAID Coniguration Utility (P8B-C/4L only) ........		5-5
	5.2.1	Creating a RAID set........................................................	5-6
	5.2.2	Adding or viewing a RAID coniguration .......................	5-12
	5.2.3	Initializing the virtual drives ...........................................	5-13
	5.2.4	Rebuilding failed drives.................................................	5-17
	5.2.5	Checking the drives for data consistency .....................	5-19
	5.2.6	Deleting a RAID coniguration.......................................	5-22
	5.2.7	Selecting the boot drive from a RAID set......................	5-23
	5.2.8	Enabling WriteCache ....................................................	5-24
5.3	Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM Utility.............		5-25
	5.3.1	Creating a RAID set......................................................	5-26
	5.3.2	Creating a Recovery set ...............................................	5-27
	5.3.3	Deleting a RAID set ......................................................	5-29
	5.3.4	Resetting disks to Non-RAID ........................................	5-30

v

Contents

5.3.5	Recovery Volume Options ............................................	5-31
5.3.6	Exiting the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology utility........	5-32
5.3.7	Rebuilding the RAID .....................................................	5-32
5.3.8	Setting the Boot array in the BIOS Setup Utility............	5-34

5.4LSI Corporation MPT Setup Utility

(P8B-C/SAS/2L, P8B-C/SAS/4L only)........................................		5-35
5.4.1	RAID 1 volume..............................................................	5-36
5.4.2	RAID 1E/10 volume ......................................................	5-39
5.4.3	RAID 0 volume..............................................................	5-41
5.4.4	Managing Arrays...........................................................	5-43
5.4.5	Viewing SAS topology...................................................	5-50
5.4.6	Global Properties ..........................................................	5-51

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 software installation...............................		6-13
6.3	LAN driver installation...............................................................		6-15
6.4	VGA driver installation...............................................................		6-18
	6.4.1	XGI Volari Z9s VGA Driver (R1.0x)...............................	6-18
	6.4.2	ASPEED AST1100 VGA Driver (R2.0x)........................	6-20
6.5	Management applications and utilities installation ................		6-22
	6.5.1	Running the support DVD.............................................	6-22
	6.5.2	Drivers menu.................................................................	6-22
	6.5.3	Utilities menu ................................................................	6-23
	6.5.4	Make disk menu............................................................	6-23
	6.5.5	Contact information.......................................................	6-23

Appendix:		Reference information
A.1	P8B-C series block diagram........................................................		A-3

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 modiications

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 publish the chemical substances in our products at ASUS REACH website at http://csr.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 ix it by yourself. Contact a qualiied 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 qualiied service technician or your retailer.

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.

viii

About this guide

This user guide contains the information you need when installing and coniguring 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 coniguration

This chapter provides instructions for setting up, creating, and coniguring

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 coniguring the motherboard.

Where to ind 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 lyers, 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+Del>
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

x

P8B-C series speciications summary

Model Name

Processor Support / System Bus

Core Logic

Form Factor

ASUS Features	Fan Speed Control
	Rack Ready (Rack
	and Pedestal dual
	use)
	ASWM Enterprise
Memory	Total Slots
	Capacity
	Memory Type
Expansion Slots	Total PCI/PCI-X/
(follow SSI	PCI-E Slots
Location #)	Slot Location 1
	Slot Location 2
	Slot Location 3
	Slot Location 4
	Slot Location 5
	Slot Location 6
	Slot Location 7
Storage	SATA Controller

	SAS Controller
Networking	LAN
Graphic	VGA
Onboard I/O	TPM Header
Connectors	PSU Connector
	USB Connectors
	Fan Header
	Chassis Intruder
	Serial Port Header

P8B-C/4L

P8B-C/SAS/2L* P8B-C/SAS/4L

1 x Socket LGA1155

Intel® Xeon® E3-1200 Processor Family

Intel® Core™ i3-2100 Processor Family

Intel® C202 Chipset	Intel® C204 Chipset
ATX, 12” x 9.6”
V
V
V
4 (2 Channels)
Maximum up to 32GB

DDR3 1066/1333 ECC UDIMM

7

1 x PCI 32bit/33 MHz

1 x PCI 32bit/33 MHz

1 x PCI 32bit/33 MHz

1 x PCI 32bit/33 MHz

1 x PCI 32bit/33 MHz

1 x PCI-E x16 (Gen 2 x16 link)

1 x PCI-E x8 (Gen2 x4 link)

Intel® C202:		Intel® C204:
- 6 x SATA 3Gb/s ports		- 2 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
-	Intel® Rapid Storage	- 4 x SATA 3Gb/s ports
	Technology (RST)	- Intel® Rapid Storage
	supports software	Technology (RST) supports
	RAID 0, 1, 10 & 5	software RAID 0, 1, 10 & 5
	(Windows)	(Windows)
-	LSI MegaRAID driver
	supports software
	RAID 0, 1 & 10
	(Windows & Linux)

—LSI 2008 8-port SAS controller with RAID 0, 1, 1E & 10 support

4 x Intel 82574L	2 x Intel	4 x Intel
	82574L	82574L

XGI® Z9s + 64MB VRAM (R1.0x)

ASPEED® AST1100 + 64MB VRAM (R2.0x)

1

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

1 x USB connector (Type A USB socket)

2 x USB pin header (up to 4 devices)

5 x 4pin

1

2

(continued on the next page)

xi

P8B-C series speciications summary

Model Name

Rear I/O	External USB Port
Connectors	VGA Port
	RJ-45
	PS/2 KB/Mouse
Monitoring	CPU Temperature
	FAN RPM
Environment

P8B-C/4L	P8B-C/SAS/2L*	P8B-C/SAS/4L
2
1
4	2	4
1
V

V

Operation temperature: 10 – 35 Non operation temperature: -40 – 70 Non operation humidity: 20% – 90%

(Non condensing)

* P8B-C/SAS/2L may not be available in all markets.

**Speciications are subject to change without notice.

xii

This chapter describes the motherboard

features and the new technologies it supports. 1

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 P8B-C series

1.1Welcome!

Thank you for buying an ASUS® P8B-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.

P8B-C/4L

Standard Gift Box Pack Standard Bulk Pack

	Cables	SATA 3G cable
	Accessories	IO shield
		Plate for LGA1155
	Application CD	Support CD
	Documentation	User Guide
	Packing Qty.

6	—
1	1
1	1
1	1
1	1
1pcs per carton	10pcs per carton

P8B-C/SAS/2L*, P8B-C/SAS/4L

			Standard Gift Box Pack	Standard Bulk Pack
	Cables	SATA 6G cable		—
			2
		SATA 3G cable	4	—
	Accessories	IO shield	1	1
		Plate for LGA1155	1	1
	Application CD	Support CD	1	1
	Documentation	User Guide	1	1
	Packing Qty.
			1pcs per carton	10pcs per carton

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

P8B-C/SAS/2L may not be available in all markets.

ASUS P8B-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 12 characters xxS2xxxxxxxx shown as the igure 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.

P8B-C series	Made
	in
	China
xxS2xxxxxxxx

1.4Special features

1.4.1Product highlights

Latest processor technology

This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Xeon® E3-1200/Core™ i3-2100 processors in LGA1155 package, which has memory and PCI Express controller integrated to support 2-channel (4 DIMMs) DDR3 memory and 20 PCI Express 2.0

lanes, providing great graphics performance. Intel® Xeon® E3-1200/Core™ i3-2100 processor is one of the most powerful and energy eficient CPU in the world.

Intel® Dynamic Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Dynamic Turbo Boost Technology 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 eficient 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 eficient computing.

1-4	Chapter 1: Product introduction

DDR3 memory support

The P8B-C series supports UDIMM, ECC 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 with peak bandwidth of up to 21GB/s. 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.

Intel® 82574L LAN Solution

The motherboard comes with dual / quad Gigabit LAN controllers and ports which provide a total solution for your networking needs. The onboard Intel® 82574L Gigabit LAN controllers use the PCI Express interface and could achieve network throughput close to Gigabit bandwidth.

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® C202 / C204 chipset. The Serial ATA II speciication

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 lexible cables with lower pin count and reduced voltage requirements.

Serial ATA III technology

The motherboard supports the Serial ATA III technology through the Serial ATA interface and Intel® C204 chipset, delivering up to 6Gb/s data transfer rates. Additionally, get enhanced scalability, faster data retrieval, double the bandwidth of current bus systems.

USB 2.0 technology

The motherboard implements the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 speciication, 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.

ASUS P8B-C series

1-5

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.

1.4.2Innovative ASUS features

ASUS Fan Speed technology

The ASUS Fan Speed technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and eficient operation.

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) .................................................	2-13
2.4	System memory .........................................................................	2-19
2.5	Expansion slots..........................................................................	2-21
2.6	Jumpers ......................................................................................	2-25
2.7	Connectors .................................................................................	2-32

ASUS P8B-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.

Standby Power LED (SB_PWR1)

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 P8B-C series

2-3

2.2Motherboard overview

Before you install the motherboard, study the coniguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard its 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

2.2.3Motherboard layout

P8B-C/4L (R1.0x)

ASUS P8B-C series

2-5

P8B-C/4L (R2.0x)

2-6

Chapter 2: Hardware information

P8B-C/SAS/2L (R1.0x)

ASUS P8B-C series

2-7

P8B-C/SAS/2L (R2.0x)

2-8

Chapter 2: Hardware information

P8B-C/SAS/4L (R1.0x)

ASUS P8B-C series

2-9

P8B-C/SAS/4L (R2.0x)

2-10

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.2.4Layout contents

	Slots/Soocket		Page
1.		CPU sockets	2-13
2.		DDR3 sockets	2-19
	3.	PCI Express x8 / PCI Express x16 / PCI slots	2-22

	Jumpers		Page
1.		Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC1)	2-25
2.		VGA controller setting (3-pin VGA_SW1)	2-26
3.		CPU Fan and Chassis Fan control setting	2-27
		(3-pin CPUFAN_SEL1, CHAFAN_SEL1)
4.		LAN controller setting
		(3-pin LAN_SW1–2, P8B-C/SAS/2L only)	2-28
		3-pin LAN_SW1–4, P8B-C/4L, P8B-C/SAS/4L only)
	5.	RAID coniguration utility selection	2-28
		(3-pin RAID_SEL1, P8B-C/4L only)
	6.	Force BIOS recovery setting (3-pin RECOVERY1; R1.0x only)	2-29
	7.	Chassis intrusion connector (2-pin CHASSIS)	2-30
	8.	ME irmware force recovery setting (3-pin ME_RECOVERY1)	2-30
	9.	SAS switch setting	2-31
		(3-pin SAS_SW1, P8B-C/SAS/2L, P8B-C/SAS/4L only)
	Rear panel connectors		Page
1.		PS/2 mouse port (green)	2-32
2.		PS/2 keyboard port (purple)	2-32
3.		USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2	2-32
4.		Video Graphics Adapter port	2-32
5.		LAN 1 (RJ-45) port	2-32
6.		LAN 2 (RJ-45) port	2-32
	7.	LAN 3 (RJ-45) port (P8B-C/4L, P8B-C/SAS/4L only)	2-32
	8.	LAN 4 (RJ-45) port (P8B-C/4L, P8B-C/SAS/4L only)	2-32

ASUS P8B-C series

2-11

Internal connectors		Page
1.	Serial ATA connectors
	P8B-C/4L:
	(SATA 3Gb/s: 7-pin SATA1–6 [Black])	2-33
	P8B-C/SAS/2L, P8B-C/SAS/4L:
	(SATA 6Gb/s: 7-pin SATA1–2 [Blue])
	(SATA 3Gb/s: 7-pin SATA3–6 [Black])
2.	SAS connectors (7-pin SAS1–4 [Blue]; 7-pin SAS5–8 [Black];	2-34
	P8B-C/SAS/2L, P8B-C/SAS/4L only)
3.	Hard disk activity LED connector (4-pin HDLED1)	2-34
4.	USB connectors (10-1 pin USB34, USB56; A-Type USB7)	2-35
5.	Parallel port connector (26-1 pin LPT1)	2-35
6.	CPU, front and rear fan connectors	2-36
	(4-pin CPU_FAN1, FRNT_FAN1–3, REAR_FAN1)
7.	Serial General Purpose Input/Output connector	2-37
	(6-1 pin SGPIO1)
8.	Serial General Purpose Input/Output connector	2-37
	(8-1 pin SGPIO2/3, P8B-C/SAS/2L, P8B-C/SAS/4L only)
9.	Thermal sensor cable connectors (3-pin TR1)	2-38
10.	Serial port connectors (10-1 pin COM1/COM2)	2-38
11.	TPM connector (20-1-pin TPM)	2-39
12.	LAN34 LED connector	2-39
	(5-1 pin LAN34_LED1, P8B-C/4L, P8B-C/SAS/4L only)
13.	ATX power connectors (24-pin ATXPWR1, 8-pin ATX12V1)	2-40
14.	System panel connector (20-1 pin PANEL1)	2-41
15.	Auxiliary panel connector (20-2 pin AUX_PANEL1)	2-42

2-12	Chapter 2: Hardware information