ASUS STRIKER EXTREME User Manual

Motherboard

Striker

Extreme

ii

E2898

First Edition V1
October 2006

Copyright © 2006 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

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

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

product is defaced or missing.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS

OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS,
LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE),
EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY
DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.

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

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

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

iii

Contents

Notices ........................................................................................................ vii

Safety information .................................................................................... viii

About this guide ......................................................................................... ix

Striker Extreme specications summary ................................................. xi

Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

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

1-1

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

1-2

1.3.1 Product highlights ...........................................................

1-2

1.3.2 ASUS AI Lifestyle features .............................................

1-4

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-1

2.2 Motherboard overview .................................................................

2-2

2.2.1 Placement direction ........................................................

2-2

2.2.2 Screw holes ....................................................................

2-2

2.2.3 ASUS Stack Cool 2 .........................................................

2-3

2.2.4 Motherboard layout .........................................................

2-4

2.2.5 Layout contents ...............................................................

2-5

2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ...................................................

2-7

2.3.1 Installing the CPU ...........................................................

2-8

2.3.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fan ..............................

2-10

2.3.3 Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan .........................

2-12

2.3.4 Installing the optional fan ..............................................

2-14

2.4 System memory .........................................................................

2-15

2.4.1 Overview .......................................................................

2-15

2.4.2 Memory congurations ..................................................

2-16

2.4.3 Installing a DIMM ..........................................................

2-17

2.4.4 Removing a DIMM ........................................................

2-17

2.5 Expansion slots ..........................................................................

2-18

2.5.1 Installing an expansion card .........................................

2-18

2.5.2 Conguring an expansion card .....................................

2-18

2.5.3 Interrupt assignments ...................................................

2-19

2.5.4 PCI slots ........................................................................

2-20

iv

Contents

2.5.5 PCI Express x1 slot ....................................................... 2-20

2.5.6 PCI Express x16 slots ...................................................

2-20

2.6 Jumper ........................................................................................

2-21

2.7 Audio Card and EL I/O Installation ...........................................

2-22

2.7.1 Audio Card Installation ..................................................

2-22

2.7.2 EL I/O Installation ..........................................................

2-22

2.8 Connectors .................................................................................

2-23

2.8.1 Rear panel connectors ..................................................

2-23

2.8.2 Internal connectors .......................................................

2-26

2.8.3 Onboard switches .........................................................

2-37

Chapter 3: Powering up

3.1 Starting up for the rst time ........................................................ 3-1

3.2 Turning off the computer .............................................................

3-2

3.2.1 Using the OS shut down function ....................................

3-2

3.2.2 Using the dual function power switch ..............................

3-2

Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 4-1

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

4-1

4.1.2 Creating a bootable oppy disk .......................................

4-4

4.1.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility ...................................................

4-5

4.1.4 Updating the BIOS ..........................................................

4-6

4.1.5 Saving the current BIOS le ............................................

4-8

4.2 BIOS setup program ....................................................................

4-9

4.2.1 BIOS menu screen ........................................................

4-10

4.2.2 Menu bar .......................................................................

4-10

4.2.3 Legend bar .....................................................................

4-11

4.2.4 Menu items ....................................................................

4-11

4.2.5 Sub-menu items .............................................................

4-11

4.2.6 Conguration elds ........................................................

4-11

4.2.7 Pop-up window .............................................................

4-12

4.2.8 General help .................................................................

4-12

4.3 Main menu ..................................................................................

4-13

4.3.1 System Time .................................................................

4-13

v

Contents

4.3.2 System Date ................................................................. 4-13

4.3.3 Language ......................................................................

4-13

4.3.4 Legacy Diskette A ........................................................

4-13

4.3.5 Primary IDE Master/Slave .............................................

4-14

4.3.6

SATA 1 ~ 6 ......................................................................................4-16

4.3.7 HDD SMART Monitoring ...............................................

4-17

4.3.8 Installed Memory ...........................................................

4-17

4.3.9 Usable Memory .............................................................

4-17

4.4 Extreme Tweaker menu .............................................................

4-18

4.4.1 AI Tuning .......................................................................

4-18

4.4.2 Overclocking .................................................................

4-21

4.4.3 Over Voltage .................................................................

4-23

4.4.4 NVIDIA GPU Ex ............................................................

4-24

4.4.5 SLI-Ready Memory .......................................................

4-24

4.4.6 SLI-Ready Memory CPUOC .........................................

4-24

4.5 Advanced menu .........................................................................

4-25

4.5.1 AI NET2 ........................................................................

4-25

4.5.2 PCIPnP .........................................................................

4-26

4.5.3 Onboard Device Conguration ......................................

4-27

4.6 Power menu ................................................................................

4-30

4.6.1 ACPI Suspend Type [S1&S3]

........................................ 4-30

4.6.2 ACPI APIC Support [Enabled] .......................................

4-30

4.6.3 APM Conguration ........................................................

4-31

4.6.4 Hardware Monitor .........................................................

4-33

4.7 Boot menu ..................................................................................

4-37

4.7.1 Boot Device Priority ......................................................

4-37

4.7.2 Removable Drives .........................................................

4-38

4.7.3 Hard Disk Drives ...........................................................

4-38

4.7.4 CDROM Drives .............................................................

4-38

4.7.5 Boot Settings Conguration .........................................

4-39

vi

Contents

4.7.6 Security ......................................................................... 4-40

4.8 Tools menu .................................................................................

4-42

4.8.1 ASUS Music Alarm ........................................................

4-42

4.8.2 ASUS O.C. Prole .........................................................

4-43

4.8.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 ..........................................................

4-45

4.9 Exit menu ....................................................................................

4-46

Chapter 5: Software support

5.1 Installing an operating system ................................................... 5-1

5.2 Support CD information ..............................................................

5-1

5.2.1 Running the support CD .................................................

5-1

5.2.2 Drivers menu ...................................................................

5-2

5.2.3 Utilities menu ..................................................................

5-3

5.2.4 Make Disk menu .............................................................

5-5

5.2.5 Manuals menu ................................................................

5-6

5.2.6 ASUS Contact information ..............................................

5-6

5.2.7 Other information ............................................................

5-7

5.3 Software information ...................................................................

5-9

5.3.1 ASUS MyLogo3™ ...........................................................

5-9

5.3.2 SoundMAX

®

High Denition Audio utility ........................5-11

5.3.3 ASUS PC Probe II .........................................................

5-16

5.3.4 ASUS Music Alarm ........................................................

5-22

5.3.5 ASUS Ai Booster ...........................................................

5-25

5.4 RAID congurations ..................................................................

5-26

5.4.1 RAID denitions ............................................................

5-26

5.4.2 NVIDIA

®

RAID congurations........................................ 5-27

5.4.3 Silicon Image

®

RAID congurations ............................. 5-34

5.5 Creating a RAID driver disk .......................................................

5-41

Chapter 6: NVIDIA® SLI™ technology support

6.1 Overview ....................................................................................... 6-1

6.2 Dual graphics card setup ............................................................

6-2

6.2.1 Installing SLI-ready graphics cards .................................

6-2

6.2.2 Installing the device drivers .............................................

6-5

6.2.3 Enabling the multi-GPU feature in Windows

®

................. 6-5

vii

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.

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.

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.

viii

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 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.

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.

ix

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: Hardware information

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.

• 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. Descriptions of the BIOS items are also provided.

• Chapter 5: Software support

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

• Chapter 6: NVIDIA

®

SLI™ technology support

This chapter tells how to install SLI-ready PCI Express graphics cards.

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.

x

Conventions used in this guide

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

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

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.

NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a

task.

IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a

task.

xi

Striker Extreme specications summary

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

Duo / Pentium® Extreme / Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 /
Celeron® D Processors
Intel® Quad-core CPU Ready
Compatible with Intel® 06/05B/05A processors

Note: Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com for the Intel® CPU support
list.

Chipset NVIDIA® nForce 680i SLI

- Supports SLI-Ready Memory Technology

Front Side Bus 1333** / 1066 / 800 / 533 MHz

Memory Dual-channel memory architecture

- 4 x 240-pin DIMM sockets support non-ECC
unbuffered DDR2 800/667/533 MHz memory modules

- Supports up to 8 GB system memory

Note: Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com for the latest Qualied

Vendors List (QVL).

SLI-Ready Memory 1200 MHz

Expansion slots 2 x PCI Express™ x16 slots support NVIDIA®

SLI™ technology at full x16, x16 speed (blue)
1 x PCI Express™ 16, at x 8 speed (middle)
1 x PCI Express™ x1
2 x PCI 2.2

Scalable Link Interface
(SLI™)

Supports two identical NVIDIA® SLI™-Ready graphics
cards (both at x16 mode)

Note: The blue PCI Express x 16 slots support NVIDIA® SLI™
technology at full x16, x16 speed. The middle slot is for an add-on card at
x8 speed.

Storage/RAID Southbridge supports:

- 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33

- 6 x Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s

- NVIDIA® MediaShield™ RAID supports RAID 0, 1,
0+1, 5 and JBOD conguration across Serial ATA
drives

Silicon Image® 3132 SATA controller supports:

- 2 x External Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s ports
(SATA-on-the-Go) on the rear panel

LAN NVIDIA® nForce 680i SLI built-in dual Gigabit MAC with

external Marvell PHY

- Supports NVIDIA® DualNet®å Technology

(continued on the next page)

xii

Striker Extreme specications summary

High Denition Audio SupremeFX Audio Card

- ADI 1988B 8-channel High Denition Audio CODEC

- Supports Jack-Sensing, Enumeration,
Multi-streaming and Jack-Retasking

- Noise Filter
Coaxial, Optical S/PDIF out
DTS® Connect
ASUS Array Mic

IEEE 1394 VIA6308P controller supports:

- 2 x IEEE 1394a connectors (1 at mid-board, 1 on
the rear panel)

USB Supports up to 10 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (6 at mid-board, 4

on the rear panel)

ASUS Exclusive
Overclocking features

Extreme Tweaker
Intelligent overclocking tools:

- AI NOS™ (Non-delay Overclocking System)

- AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner)

- AI Booster

Overclocking protection:

- ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)

ASUS Unique features LCD Poster

EL I/O
Onboard LED
Onboard Switches: Power / Reset / Clr CMOS
Q-Connector
Q-Fan Plus
ASUS EZ Flash 2
ASUS Music Alarm
ASUS MyLogo 3

Rear panel 1 x LCD Poster

1 x PS/2 Keyboard port (purple)
1 x PS/2 Mouse (green)
1 x Optical S/PDIF Output port
1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Output port
2 x External Serial ATA ports
2 x LAN (RJ45) port
4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
1 x IEEE1394a port
1 x Onboard LED switch

(continued on the next page)

xiii

Striker Extreme specications summary

Internal connectors 1 x Floppy disk drive connector

1 x IDE connector for 2 devices
6 x Serial ATA connectors
3 x USB 2.0 connectors support six additional USB 2.0
ports
1 x IEEE 1394a port connector
1 x Chassis intrusion connector
1 x 24-pin ATX power connector
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
1 x S/PDIF output connector
3 x thermal sensor connectors
8 x Fan connectors: 1 x CPU / 1 x Power / 1 x Chassis /
5 x optional fan connectors
1 x EL I/O Shield connector
System panel connector

BIOS features 8 Mb AWARD BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS

2.3, Multi-Language BIOS

Manageability WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chasis Intrusion, PXE

Accessories SLI bridge

ASUS Array Mic
ASUS optional fan
ASUS Q-connector Kit
UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable
Floppy disk drive cable
SATA cables
SATA power cables
Thermal sensor cables
Cable ties
2-port USB2.0 module
IEEE1394a module
EL I/O Shield
ROG key ring
InterVideo® Media Launcher (OEM version only)
User’s manual

Support DVD contents The hottest 3D game: Ghost Recon

Device drivers
ASUS PC Probe II
ASUS Update
ASUS AI Booster
Futuremark® 3DMark® 06 Advanced Edition
Kaspersky® Anti-virus
NVIDIA® MediaShield™ RAID

Form factor ATX form factor: 12 in x 9.6 in (30.5 cm x 24.5 cm)

*Specications are subject to change without notice.
** available when the installed CPU is supporting 1333MHz FSB.

xiv

1

Product

introduction

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

ASUS Striker Extreme

Chapter summary

1

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

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

1-1

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

1-2

ASUS Striker Extreme 1-1

1.1 Welcome!

Thank you for buying an ASUS® Striker Extreme 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.

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

1.2 Package contents

Check your motherboard package for the following items.

Motherboard ASUS Striker Extreme motherboard

I/O modules 1 x 1-port IEEE 1394a module
1 x 2-port USB 2.0 module

Cables Serial ATA power and signal cables for 6 devices
1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable
1 x Floppy disk drive cable
3 x Thermal sensor cables
Cable ties

Accessories I/O shield with EL
1 x ROG key ring
ASUS Array Mic
1 x ASUS Optional Fan
1 x 3-in-1 ASUS Q-Connector Kit
(USB, IEEE 1394, system panel; Retail version only)
1 x ASUS SLI Bridge

Application DVD ASUS motherboard support CD/DVD
InterVideo® Media Launcher (OEM version)

3D Game-Ghost Recon Advanced Warghter

Documentation User guide

1-2 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

1.3 Special features

1.3.1 Product highlights

Republic of Gamers

The Republic of Gamers consists only the best of the best. We offer the best
hardware engineering, the fastest performance, the most innovating ideas, and we
welcome the best gamers to join in.

In the Republic of Gamers, mercy rules are only for the weak, and bragging rights
means everything. We believe in making statements and we excel in competitions.
If your character matches our trait, then join the elite club, make your presence felt,
in the Republic of Gamers.

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.

Intel® Core™2 / Quad-core Processor Ready

This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Core™2 processor in the LGA775
package. With the new Intel® Core™ microarchitecture technology and 1066 /

800 MHz FSB, the Intel® Core™2 is one of the most powerful and energy efcient

CPUs in the world. This motherboard also supports the latest Intel® Quad-core
processor, which is excellent for multi-tasking, multi-media and enthusiastic

gamers with 1066 / 800 MHz FSB. See page 2-7 for details.

NVIDIA® nForce® 680i SLI chipset

The NVIDIA® nForce 680i SLI chipset supports the NVIDIA® Scalable Link Interface
(SLI™) technology that allows two graphics processing units (GPUs) in a single
system. It’s designed for enthusiast, extreme overclocking capability, ultimate

gaming performance with SLI technology support. It’s denitely one of the fastest

platform in the world. See Chapter 6 for details. The NVIDIA® nForce 680i SLI
chipset also supports six (6) Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s devices, dual PCI Express™ x16
slots at with NVIDIA® SLI™ support at full x16, x16 mode, and up to 10 USB 2.0
ports.

NVIDIA® Scalable Link Interface (SLI™)

NVIDIA SLI™ (Scalable Link Interface) takes advantage of the increased
bandwidth of the PCI Express bus architecture and features intelligent hardware

and software that allows two GPUs to efciently work together to deliver earth-

shattering, scalable performance.

ASUS Striker Extreme 1-3

DDR2 memory support

The motherboard supports DDR2 memory that features data transfer rates

of 800/667/533 MHz to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of the latest

3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet applications. The dual-channel DDR2
architecture doubles the bandwidth of your system memory to boost system
performance, eliminating bottlenecks with peak bandwidths of up to 12.8 GB/s.
See page 2-15 for details.

Serial ATA I/II technology and SATA-On-The-Go

The motherboard fully supports the Serial ATA II 3.0 Gb/s technology through the
Serial ATA interfaces and the NVIDIA® nForce

®

680i SLI™ chipset. The Serial

ATA 3.0 Gb/s specication provides twice the bandwidth of the current Serial ATA

products with a host of new features, including Native Command Queueing (NCQ),
and Power Management (PM) Implementation Algorithm. Serial ATA allows for

thinner, more exible cables with lower pin count and reduced voltage required.

See page 2-27 for details.

Leveraging these Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s features is the SATA-On-The-Go. Supported
by the Silicon Image® 3132 Serial ATA controller are two external Serial ATA 3.0
Gb/s ports on the rear panel that provide smart setup and hot-plug function. See
page 2-24 for details.

Dual RAID solution

Onboard RAID controllers provide the motherboard with dual-RAID functionality
that allows you to select the best RAID solution for Serial ATA devices.

The NVIDIA® MediaShield™ RAID controller integrated in the NVIDIA® nForce

®

680i SLI™ chipset allows RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD

congurations for six SATA 3.0 Gb/s connectors. See pages 2-30 and 5-27 for

details.

The Silicon Image® 3132 controller supports two additional external Serial ATA

3.0 Gb/s ports on the rear panel and allows RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD

congurations through port multiplier functions. See page 5-34 for details.

IEEE 1394a support

The IEEE 1394a interface provides high speed digital interface for audio/video
appliances such as digital television, digital video camcorders, storage peripherals
& other PC portable devices. See pages 2-25 and 2-29 for details.

1-4 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

S/PDIF digital sound ready

This motherboard provides convenient connectivity to external home theater
audio systems via coaxial and optical S/PDIF-out (SONY/PHILIPS Digital
Interface) jacks.It allows to transfer digital audio without converting to analog
format and keeps the best signal quality. See pages 2-23, 2-25 and 2-28 for
details.

Dual Gigabit LAN solution

The motherboard comes with dual Gigabit LAN controllers to provide the total
solution for your networking needs. These network controllers use the PCI
Express segment to provide faster data bandwidth for your wired or wireless

Internet, LAN, and le sharing requirements. See page 2-23 for details.

ASUS Striker Extreme 1-5

1.3.2 ASUS unique features

8-phase cap-less Power design

The 8-phase EL Capless Power Design demonstrates two hardcore commitments
of ROG products: ultimate overclocking capability, and ultimate reliability. The 8­phase power design yields unparalleled superiority in the overclocking arena, while
the cap-less design removes any worries of capacitor problems once and for all.

Fanless Design

The ASUS fanless design allows multi-directional heat ow from major thermal

sources in the motherboard to lower overall system temperature, resulting in
quieter operation and longer system life. ASUS has devoted special efforts to
address the thermal issues across the motherboard, and most notably in the
following areas: CPU, power, VGA, Northbridge and Southbridge. The heat pipe,
heatsink, and strategic board layout were tailor made to dissipate heat in the most

efcient manner.

AI NOS™ (Non-Delay Overclocking System)

ASUS Non-delay Overclocking System™ (NOS) is a technology that auto-detects
the CPU loading and dynamically overclocks the CPU speed only when needed.
See page 4-18 for details.

Extreme Tweaker

This feature allows you to ne tune the CPU/memory voltage and gradually
increase the memory Front Side Bus (FSB) and PCI Express frequency at 1MHz

increment to achieve maximum system performance.

ASUS Q-Connector

The ASUS Q-Connector allows you to connect or disconnect chassis front panel
cables in one easy step. This unique adapter eliminates the trouble of plugging in
one cable at a time, making connection quick and error-free. See pages 2-36 for
details.

1-6 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

ASUS LCD Poster

The LCD Poster displays actual boot error messages instead of codes that other

debug cards show. This unique feature allows you to easily nd out which devices

fail during the boot process, eliminating guesswork and allowing you to solve the
problem immediately.

Onboard LEDs

This motherboard features onboard LEDs located near connector labels, allowing

you to connect cables and devices without a ashlight. With this ASUS-patented

feature, you can easily identify connector locations to make sure that cables and
devices are plugged in and installed correctly.

Onboard Switches

A power-on button, a resetbutton, and a clear CMOS button are onboard to provide
overclockers and gamers the convenience of fine-tuning performance when
working on a bare (open-case) system. Press the power-on button to wake up
the system, the reset button to reboot, and the clear CMOS button to clear setup
information when the system hangs due to overclocking. See page 2-37 for details.

ASUS Q-Fan plus technology

The ASUS Q-Fan plus technology smartly adjusts the CPU and chassis fan

1 speeds according to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efcient

operation. See page 4-35 for details.

ASUS Multi-language BIOS

The multi-language BIOS allows you to select the language of your choice from the

available options. The localized BIOS menus allow easier and faster conguration.

See page 4-13 for details.

ASUS MyLogo3

This new feature present in the motherboard allows you to personalize and add
style to your system with customizable boot logos. See page 5-9 for details.

ASUS Striker Extreme 1-7

C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)

The C.P.R. feature of the motherboard BIOS allows automatic re-setting to the
BIOS default settings in case the system hangs due to overclocking. When the
system hangs due to overclocking, C.P.R. eliminates the need to open the system
chassis and clear the RTC data. Simply shut down and reboot the system, and the
BIOS automatically restores the CPU default setting for each parameter.

ASUS Music Alarm

Wake up to the music of your choice instead of the irritating sound of an alarm
clock. The ASUS Music Alarm gives you a personal wake-up call with your favorite
CD music without having to enter the OS. See pages 4-42 and 5-22 for details.

Supreme FX features

This feature can enhance speech-centric applications like Skype, online game,
video conference and recording.

ASUS Array Mic

The Bundled Superbeam Array Microphone receives only the sound
coming from the reception cone and ignores the sounds coming from other
directions. This mechanism eliminates a large number of interferences,
including neighboring speakers and reverberations. It also uses advanced

de-reverberation techniques to reduce echo and minimize its effect on the

speech engine. This feature can enchance speech-centric applications like
Skype, online game, video conference, and recording. See page 5-15 for
details.

Noise Filter

This feature detects repetitive and stationary noises (non-voice signals) like
computer fans, air conditioners, and other background noises then eliminates

it in the incoming audio stream while recording. See page 5-15 for details.

DTS® Connect

This feature is consists of two elements: DTS interactive and DTS NEO:PC.
DTS interactive re-encodes your stereo or multi-channel sound into a DTS
audio signal and send it out from your PC to any DTS enabled system. While
DTS NEO:PC turns your stereo audio such as MP3, WMA, CD, and other
sound format into a convincing multi-channel audio experience. See page
5-14 for details.

1-8 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

2

Hardware

information

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.

ASUS Extreme Striker

Chapter summary

2

2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-1

2.2 Motherboard overview .................................................................

2-2

2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ...................................................

2-7

2.4 System memory .........................................................................

2-15

2.5 Expansion slots ..........................................................................

2-18

2.6 Jumper ........................................................................................

2-21

2.7 Audio Card and EL I/O Installation ...........................................

2-22

2.8 Connectors .................................................................................

2-23

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-1

Onboard LED

Blue lights strategically located beside key motherboard connectors allow you

to install components conveniently, even without a ashlight.

2.1 Before you proceed

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

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

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

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

Before you install or remove any component, make sure to press the onboard

LED switch rst and the standby power LED is off. Failure to do so may cause

injury or severe damage to the motherboard, peripherals, and/or components.

On Board LED switch

2-2 Chapter 2: Hardware information

STRIKER EXTREME

®

2.2 Motherboard overview

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

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

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

2.2.1 Placement direction

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

2.2.2 Screw holes

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

Place this side towards
the rear of the chassis

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-3

2.2.3 ASUS Stack Cool 2

The motherboard comes with the ASUS Stack Cool 2 cooling solution that lowers
the temperature of critical heat generating components. The motherboard uses
a special design on the printed circuit board (PCB) to dissipate heat that critical
components generate.

2-4 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.2.4 Motherboard layout

PANEL

STRIKER EXTREME

®

CHASSIS

PRI_IDE

24.5cm (9.6in)

CPU_FAN

DDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 bit,240-pin module)

DDR2 DIMM_A1 (64 bit,240-pin module)

DDR2 DIMM_A2 (64 bit,240-pin module)

DDR2 DIMM_B2 (64 bit,240-pin module)

PWR_FAN

LAN2_USB34

OPT_FAN5

FLOPPY

Super

I/O

8Mb

BIOS

PS/2KBMS

T: Mouse
B: Keyboard

LAN1_USB12

Audio slot

PCIEX16_1

PCI1

CLRTC

USB78USB56

SB_PWR

EATXPWR

CR2032 3V

Lithium Cell

CMOS Power

CHA_FAN1

IE1394_2

ATX12V

LGA775

SATA12

30.5cm (12.0in)

PCIEX1

PCIEX16_2

PCIEX16_3

PCI2

SATA34 SATA56

OPT_FAN4

SPDIF_O1

NVIDIA

®

NFORCE® 680i SLI

NVIDIA

®

NFORCE® 680i SLI

Silicon Image

®

3132

ADH

VIA

VT6308P

Marvell

88E1116

Marvell

88E1116

SPDIF_O2

ESATA12

1394a

USB910

OPT_FAN2

OPT_FAN1

OPT_FAN3

P_ELJ1

PWR_SW RST_SW CLR_CMOS

OPT_TEMP3

OPT_TEMP1

OPT_TEMP2

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-5

2.2.5 Layout contents

Slots Page

1. DDR2 DIMM slots 2-15

2. PCI slots

2-20

3. PCI Express x1 slot

2-20

4. PCI Express x16 slots

2-20

Jumper Page

1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC_EN) 2-21

Rear panel connectors Page

1. PS/2 mouse port (green) 2-23

2. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port

2-23

3. LCD Poster

2-23

4. IEEE 1394a port

2-25

5. External SATA ports

2-24

6. LAN 2 (RJ-45) port.

2-23

7. LAN 1 (RJ-45) port

2-23

8. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2, 3 and 4

2-24

9. Optical S/PDIF Out port

2-25

10. PS/2 keyboard port (purple)

2-23

Supreme FX Page

1. Line In port (light blue) 2-24

2. Line Out port (lime)

2-24

3. Microphone port (pink)

2-24

4. Center/Subwoofer port (orange)

2-24

5. Side Speaker Out port (gray)

2-24

6. Rear Speaker Out port (black)

2-24

2-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information

Internal connectors Page

1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) 2-26

2. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE

) 2-26

3. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1, SATA2,
SATA3, SATA4, SATA5, SATA6)

2-27

4. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB 78, USB910

) 2-28

5. IEEE 1394a port connector (10-1 pin IE1394_2

) 2-29

6. CPU, chassis, and power fan connectors
(4-pin CPU_FAN, 3-pin CHA_FAN1, 3-pin OPT-FAN 1~5,
3-pin PWR_FAN)

2-30

7. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS

) 2-31

8. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 1 x 8-pin ATX12V

) 2-31

9. S/PDIF output connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_02

) 2-34

10. System panel connector (20-8-pin PANEL

)

• System power LED (2-pin PLED)

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

• System warning speaker (4-pin SPEAKER)

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

• Reset button (2-pin RESET)

2-35

ASUS Q-connector (system panel)

2-36

11. Thermal sensor cable connectors 2-37

Onboard switches Page

1. Clear CMOS switch 2-37

2. Power-on switch

2-38

3. Reset switch

2-38

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-7

2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

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

•

Upon purchase of the motherboard, make sure 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.

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

• Connect the chassis fan cable to the CHA_FAN1 connector to ensure
system stability.

2-8 Chapter 2: Hardware information

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

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

Retention tab

Load lever

This side of the socket box
should face you.

PnP cap

A

B

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

2.3.1 Installing the CPU

To install a CPU:

1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.

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

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME CPU Socket 775

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-9

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

socket then t the socket

alignment key into the
CPU notch.

Alignment key

Gold triangle mark

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

7. If installing a dual-core CPU,
connect the chassis fan cable
to the CHA_FAN1 connector to
ensure system stability.

A

B

The CPU ts in only one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the

socket to prevent bending the connectors on the socket and damaging the CPU!

The motherboard supports Intel® LGA775 processors with the Intel® Enhanced
Memory 64 Technology (EM64T), Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology
(EIST), and Hyper-Threading Technology. Refer to the Appendix for more
information on these CPU features.

4. Lift the load plate with your thumb

and forenger to a 100º angle (A),

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

Load plate

A

B

CPU notch

2-10 Chapter 2: Hardware information

Fastener

Motherboard hole

2.3.2 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.

To install the CPU heatsink and fan:

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

•

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

• Your Intel

®

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

and requires no tool to install.

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

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

Make sure to orient each fastener with the narrow end of the groove pointing
outward. (The photo shows the groove shaded for emphasis.)

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

Narrow end
of the groove

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-11

3. Connect the CPU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled
CPU_FAN.

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

B

A

A

A

B

B

Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring errors
can occur if you fail to plug this connector.

A

B

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME CPU fan connector

GND

CPU FAN PWR

CPU FAN IN

CPU FAN PWM

CPU_FAN

2-12 Chapter 2: Hardware information

To uninstall the CPU heatsink and fan:

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

2. Rotate each fastener
counterclockwise.

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

B

B

A

A

A

A

B

B

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

2.3.3 Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-13

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

Narrow end of the groove

Refer to the documentation in the boxed or stand-alone CPU fan package for
detailed information on CPU fan installation.

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

2-14 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.3.4 Installing the optional fan

1. Position the fan above the pipe
and heatsink assembly.

2. Fit the grooved edge to the
heatsink.

3. Carefully push down the fan until

it snugly ts the heatsink, then

connect the fan cables.

4. The above photo shows the fan
installed on the motherboard.

•

Plug the optional fan cables to any of the OPT FAN1~5 connectors on the
motherboard.

•

Make sure the optional fan is installed correctly to prevent damage to the
fan and motherboard components.

Install the optional fan only if you are using a passive cooler or a water cooler.

Installing the optional fan with an active CPU cooler will interfere with the airow
and destabilize the system.

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-15

2.4 System memory

2.4.1 Overview

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

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

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

Channel Sockets

Channel A DIMM_A1 and DIMM_A2
Channel B DIMM_B1 and DIMM_B2

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME

DIMM_A2

DIMM_A1

DIMM_B2

DIMM_B1

2-16 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.4.2 Memory congurations

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

32-bit 64-bit

Windows® 2000 Advanced Server

Windows® Server 2003 Enterprise

Edition

Windows® Server 2003 Standard x64

Edition

Windows® XP Professional x64 Edition

Windows® Server 2003 Enterprise x64

Edition

• For dual-channel conguration, the total size of memory module(s) installed

per channel must be the same (DIMM_A1 + DIMM_A2 = DIMM_B1 +
DIMM_B2).

• Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency. For optimum
compatibility, we recommend that you obtain memory modules from the
same vendor. Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com for the latest DDR2

Qualied Vendors List.

• Due to chipset resource allocation, the system may detect less than 32 GB
system memory when you installed four 8 GB DDR2 memory modules.

• The motherboard can support up to 32 GB on the operating system listed
below. You may install a maximum of 8 GB DIMMs on each slot.

Visit the ASUS website for the latest DDR2-800/667/533 MHz QVL.

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-17

2.4.3 Installing a DIMM

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

To install a DIMM:

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

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

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

2.4.4 Removing a DIMM

To remove a DIMM:

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

2. Remove the DIMM from the socket.

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

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

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

Unlocked retaining clip

DDR2 DIMM notch

Support the DIMM lightly with

your ngers when pressing the

retaining clips. The DIMM might

get damaged when it ips out with

extra force.

DDR2 DIMM notch

1

2

3

1

2

1

1

2-18 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.5 Expansion slots

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

2.5.1 Installing an expansion card

To install an expansion card:

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

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

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

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

completely seated on the slot.

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

6. Replace the system cover.

2.5.2 Conguring an expansion card

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

1. Turn on the system and change the necessary BIOS settings, if any. See
Chapter 4 for information on BIOS setup.

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

3. Install the software drivers for the expansion card.

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

When using PCI cards on shared slots, ensure that the drivers support “Share

IRQ” or that the cards do not need IRQ assignments. Otherwise, conicts will

arise between the two PCI groups, making the system unstable and the card
inoperable. Refer to the table on the next page for details.

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-19

2.5.3 Interrupt assignments

IRQ assignments for this motherboard

A B C D E F G H

PCIEx16_1 – – – – shared – – –
PCIEx16_2 – – – – – shared – –
PCIEx16_3 – – – – shared – – –
PCIEx1_1 – – – – – shared – –
PCI Slot_1 shared – – – – – – –

PCI Slot_2 – shared – – – – – –
USB 1.1 – shared – – – – – –
USB 2.0 – – shared – – – – –
LAN_1 – shared – – – – – –
LAN_2 – shared – – – – – –
PATA shared – – – – – – –
SATA_1 – shared – – – – – –
SATA_2 – – shared – – – – –
SATA_3 – – – used – – – –
SATA_RAID – shared – – – – – –
1394 – shared – – – – – –
Audio – – shared – – – – –

IRQ Standard function

0 System timer
1 Standard 101/102-key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
4 Communications Port (COM1)*
6 Standard oppy disk controller
8 System CMOS/real-time clock
9 Microsoft ACPI-compliant system
9 NVIDIA nForce networking controller #3
9 NVIDIA nForce networking controller #4

10 NVIDIA nForce PCI system management
11 Mass storage controller
12 PS/2 compatible mouse port
13 Numeric data processor
14 Primary IDE channel
16 NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT
19 VIA OHCI compliant IEEE 1394 host controller
20 NVIDIA nForce 590/570/550 Serial ATA controller
20 NVIDIA network bus enumerator
21 NVIDIA network bus enumerator
22 Standard OpenHCD USB host controller
22 NVIDIA nForce 590/570/550 Serial ATA controller
23 Standard Enhanced PCI to USB host controller
23 NVIDIA nForce 590/570/550 Serial ATA controller

2-20 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.5.4 PCI slots

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

cards that comply with PCI specications. Refer to the gure below for the location

of the slots.

2.5.5 PCI Express x1 slot

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

cards that comply with the PCI Express specications. Refer to the gure below for

the location of the slot.

2.5.6 PCI Express x16 slots

This motherboard has three PCI Express x16 slots that support PCI Express x16

graphic cards complying with the PCI Express specications. Refer to the gure

below for the location of the slots.

PCI Express x 16 slot (blue)

PCI slot

PCI Express x 16 slot (blue)

PCI slot

PCI Express x 1 slot

PCI Express x 16 slot

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME
Clear RTC RAM

CLRTC_EN

Normal Clear RTC

(Default)

1 2 2 3

2.6 Jumper

Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC)

This jumper allows you to enable the CLRTC switch. You can clear the
CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters by erasing the
CMOS RTC RAM data. The onboard clr CMOS switch helps you easily to
clear the system setup information such as system passwords. See page
2-35 for details.

To erase the RTC RAM:

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

2. Move the jumper cap from pins 1-2 (default) to pins 2-3 to enable the
CLRTC function.

3. Press down the clr CMOS

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

5.

Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup

to re-enter data.

The clr CMOS button will not function until the jumper cap on CLRTC is moved
to the ENABLE position. Removing the cap will cause system boot failure!

button and again to release it.

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-21

• Make sure to re-enter your previous BIOS settings after you clear the
CMOS.

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

• To prevent accidental pressing of the Clear CMOS switch, the CLRTC
jumper default setting disables the switch.

2-22 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.7 Audio Card and EL I/O Installation

2.7.1 Audio Card Installation

2.7.2 EL I/O Installation

1. Take out the Audio card from
the package.

2. Locate the slot on the
motherboard.

3. Align the card connector

with the slot and press rmly

until the card sits on the slot
completely.

4.

The above photo shows the
audio card installed on the
motherboard.

1. Take out the EL I/O from the
package.

2. Locate the connector on the
motherboard.

3. Connector the cable to
the connector in a correct
orientation.

4. The above photo shows
the EL I/O installed on the
motherboard.

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-23

1

17

2 3 4 5

12131415

6

7

8

9

10

11

16

2.8 Connectors

2.8.1 Rear panel connectors

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

2. Coaxial S/PDIF Out port.

This port connects an external audio output device

via an optical S/PDIF cable.

3. LCD Poster.

This poster displays actual boot error messages.

4. LAN 1 (RJ-45) port.

Supported by NV Gigabit LAN
controller, this port allows Gigabit connection to a Local
Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. Refer to the
table on the next page for the LAN port LED indications.

5. LAN 2 (RJ-45) port

. Supported by the NV Gigabit LAN
controller, this port allows Gigabit connection to a Local
Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. Refer to the
table below for the LAN port LED indications.

SPEED

LED

ACTIVITY/

LINK LED

LAN port

32-bit OS LAN port LED indications

* Blinking

Activity/Link Speed LED Description

OFF OFF Soft-off Mode
YELLOW* OFF During Power ON/OFF
YELLOW* ORANGE 100 Mbps connection

2-24 Chapter 2: Hardware information

64-bit OS LAN port LED indications

Activity/Link Speed LED Description

DNR DNR Soft-off Mode
DNR DNR During Power ON/OFF
DNR DNR 100 Mbps connection
DNR DNR 1 Gbps connection

6. Line In port (light blue). This port connects the tape, CD, DVD player, or
other audio sources.

7. Line Out port (lime).

This port connects a headphone or a speaker. In

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

becomes Front Speaker Out.

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

9. Center/Subwoofer port (orange).

This port connects the center/subwoofer

speakers.

10.

Rear Speaker Out port (black). This port connects the rear speakers on a

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

11.

Side Speaker Out port (gray). This port connects the side speakers in an

8-channel audio conguration.

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

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

Port

Headset

2-channel

4-channel 6-channel 8-channel

Light Blue Line In Line In Line In Line In

Lime Line Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out
Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In Mic In

Orange – – Center/Subwoofer Center/Subwoofer

Black – Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Ou Rear Speaker Out

Gray – – – Side Speaker Out

12. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2, 3 and 4. These 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB)
ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.

13. External SATA ports.

These ports connect to an external SATA box or a

Serial ATA port multiplier. These ports support a Serial ATA hard disk drive

that you can combine with an external Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s device to congure

a RAID 0, RAID 1, or JBOD set through the onboard Silicon Image

®

SATA

RAID controller. Refer to Chapter 5 for details on how to set up Serial ATA

RAID congurations.

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-25

• DO NOT insert a different connector to this port.

• DO NOT unplug the external Serial ATA box when a RAID 0 or RAID 1 is

congured.

• Before creating a RAID set using Serial ATA hard disks, make sure that you
have connected the Serial ATA signal cable and installed Serial ATA hard

disk drives; otherwise, you cannot enter the Silicon Image RAID utility and

SATA BIOS setup during POST.

• The external SATA ports support external Serial ATA 1.5 and 3 Gb/s
devices. Longer cables support higher power requirements to deliver signal
up to two meters away, and enables improved hot-swap function.

• If you intend to create a RAID conguration using this connector, set the

Silicon SATAII Controller item in the BIOS to [RAID Mode]. See section

“4.5.3 Onboard Device Conguration” for details.

• Use these ports and an external Serial ATA box connected to the external

SATA port, if you want to congure a RAID 0 or RAID 1 set.

• The Serial ATA port multiplier and external Serial ATA box are purchased
separately.

14. IEEE 1394a port. This 6-pin IEEE 1394a port provides high-speed
connectivity for audio/video devices, storage peripherals, PCs, or portable
devices.

15.

Onboard LED switch. This motherboard features onboard LEDs that light

up the labels, making it easy for you to install or plug in devices even in the
dark. Press this switch to turn on the onboard LEDs.

16. Optical S/PDIF Out port

. This port connects an external audio output device

via an optical S/PDIF cable.

17. PS/2 keyboard port (purple)

. This port is for a PS/2 keyboard.

2-26 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.8.2 Internal connectors

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

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

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

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

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

2. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE)

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

connector, then select one of the following modes to congure your device.

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

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

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

Drive jumper setting Mode of

device(s)

Cable connector

Single device Cable-Select or Master - Black

Two devices Cable-Select Master

Black

Slave Gray
Master Master Black or gray
Slave Slave

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME Floppy disk drive connector

NOTE: Orient the red markings on

the floppy ribbon cable to PIN 1.

PIN 1

FLOPPY

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-27

3. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4, SATA5,
SATA6)

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

If you installed Serial ATA hard disk drives, you can create a RAID 0, RAID

1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, or JBOD conguration with the onboard NVIDIA

®

MediaShield™ RAID controller.

The RAID function of these connectors is set to [Disabled] by default. If you
intend to create a Serial ATA RAID set using these connectors, enable the RAID
Enabled item under the Serial ATA Conguration sub-menu in the BIOS. See

section “4.5.3 Onboard Device Conguration” for details.

These connectors support Native Command Queuing (NCQ), Power
Management (PM) Implementation Algorithm, Hot Swap and smart setup.

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME IDE connector

NOTE: Orient the red markings

(usually zigzag) on the IDE

ribbon cable to PIN 1.

PRI_IDE

PIN 1

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME SATA connectors

SATA1

GND

RSATA_TXP1

RSATA_TXN1

GND

RSATA_RXP1

RSATA_RXN1

GND

SATA2

GND

RSATA_TXP2

RSATA_TXN2

GND

RSATA_RXP2

RSATA_RXN2

GND

SATA3

GND

RSATA_TXP3

RSATA_TXN3

GND

RSATA_RXP3

RSATA_RXN3

GND

SATA4

GND

RSATA_TXP4

RSATA_TXN4

GND

RSATA_RXP4

RSATA_RXN4

GND

SATA5

GND

RSATA_TXP5

RSATA_TXN5

GND

RSATA_RXP5

RSATA_RXN5

GND

SATA6

GND

RSATA_TXP6

RSATA_TXN6

GND

RSATA_RXP6

RSATA_RXN6

GND

2-28 Chapter 2: Hardware information

Connect the right-angle side of SATA
signal cable to the SATA device, or
connect the right-angle side of the
SATA cable to the onboard SATA port

to avoid mechanical conict with huge

graphics cards.

Right-angle side

4. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB78, USB910)

These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the USB module cable
to any of these connectors, then install the module to a slot opening at the
back of the system chassis. These USB connectors comply with USB 2.0

specication that supports up to 480 Mbps connection speed.

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

You can connect the USB cable to ASUS Q-Connector (USB, blue) rst, and

then install the Q-Connector (USB) to the USB connector onboard.

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME
USB 2.0 connectors

USB56

NC

GND

USB_P6+

USB_P6-

USB+5V

GND

USB_P5+

USB_P5-

USB+5V

1

USB78

NC

GND

USB_P8+

USB_P8-

USB+5V

GND

USB_P7+

USB_P7-

USB+5V

1

USB910

1

NC

GND

USB_P6+

USB_P6-

USB+5V

GND

USB_P5+

USB_P5-

USB+5V

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-29

5. IEEE 1394a port connector (10-1 pin IE1394_2)

This connector is for a IEEE 1394a port. Connect the IEEE 1394a module
cable to this connector, then install the module to a slot opening at the back
of the system chassis.

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

You can connect the 1394 cable to ASUS Q-Connector (1394, red) rst, and

then install the Q-Connector (1394) to the 1394 connector onboard.

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME
IEEE 1394 connector

IE1394_2

PIN1

GND

+12V

TPB2-

GND

TPA2-

+12V

TPB2+

GND

TPA2+

2-30 Chapter 2: Hardware information

6. CPU, chassis, power, and optional fan connectors
(4-pin CPU_FAN, 3-pin CHA_FAN1, 3-pin PWR_FAN, 3-pin OPT_FAN1~5)

The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350 mA ~ 2000 mA (24 W max.)
or a total of 1 A ~ 7 A (84 W max.) at +12V. Connect the fan cables to the
fan connectors on the motherboard, making sure that the black wire of each
cable matches the ground pin of the connector.

Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Insufcient air
ow inside the system may damage the motherboard components. These are

not jumpers! Do not place jumper caps on the fan connectors!

• Only the CHA_FAN1 and OPT_FAN 1~3 connectors support the ASUS
Q-FAN 2 feature.

• If you install two VGA cards, we recommend that you plug the rear chassis
fan cable to the motherboard connector labeled OPT_FAN1 or OPT_FAN2
for better themal environment.

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME Fan connectors

CPU_FAN CHA_FAN1

CPU_FAN

PWR_FAN

GND

CPU FAN PWR

CPU FAN IN

CPU FAN PWM

GND

Rotation

+12V

OPT_FAN4
OPT_FAN5

PWR_FAN

GND

Rotation

+12V

CHA_FAN1

OPT_FAN2

OPT_FAN1

OPT_FAN3

OPT_FAN3

GND

Rotation

+12V

GND

Rotation

+12V

OPT_FAN2

GND

Rotation

+12V

OPT_FAN1

GND

Rotation

+12V

OPT_FAN4

GND

Rotation

+12V

OPT_FAN5

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-31

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Make sure to remove the cap on the ATX12V connector before connecting
an 8-pin EPS +12V power plug.

• Use only either a 4-pin ATX12V or an 8-pin EPS +12V power plug for the
ATX12V connector.

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME Chassis intrusion connector

CHASSIS

+5VSB_MB

Chassis Signal

GND

(Default)

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME ATX power connectors

EATXPWR

ATX12V

+3 Volts

+3 Volts

Ground

+5 Volts

+5 Volts

Ground

Ground

Power OK

+5V Standby

+12 Volts

-5 Volts

+5 Volts

+3 Volts

-12 Volts

Ground

Ground
Ground
PSON#

Ground

+5 Volts

+12 Volts

+3 Volts

+5 Volts

Ground

GND +12V DC

GND +12V DC

GND +12V DC

GND +12V DC

2-32 Chapter 2: Hardware information

•

For a fully congured system, we recommend that you use a power supply

unit (PSU) that complies with ATX 12 V Specication 2.0 (or later version)

and provides a minimum power of 550 W.

• Do not forget to connect the 4-pin/8pin EATX12V power plug; otherwise,

the system will not boot.

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

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

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

• If you want to use two high-end PCI Express x16 cards, use a PSU with
500 W to 600 W power or above to ensure the system stability.

Power supply requirements

Heavy Loading

CPU SMF 3.2XE

DDR533 256MB*4

PCI-E VGA Nvidia 7950GTX*2

SATA-HD 6

ESATA-HD 2

IDE-HD 1

CD-ROM 1

USB 2

PCI-E 1X 0

PCI 0

+12V-V2

(4 PIN)

+12V-V1

(24PIN)

+5V +3.3V VGA

+12V

HDD
+12V

HDD

+5V

+5VSB Total

PSU

Po_max

(W)

Io_max (A) 17 11.4 5.66 9.18 15.76 7.6 7.96 0.548

Io_rms (A) 12.35 7.68 4.42 8.52 10.74 3.32 5.26 0.413

Vout (V) 11.93 11.9 5.022 3.316 11.42 11.95

Po_max (W) 202.81 135.66 28.42 30.44 179.98 90.82 4.993 5.054 678.18

(continued on the next page)

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-33

Normal Loading

CPU PSC 3.73G 1066

DDR800 1GB*2

VGA Nvidia 7800GTX*2

SATA-HD SATA*4

ESATA-HD 1

IDE-HD 1

CD-ROM 1

USB 2

PCI 1

+12V-V2

(4 PIN)

+12V-V1

(24PIN)

+5V +3.3V VGA

+12V

HDD

+12V

HDD

+5V

+5VSB Total

PSU

Po_max

(W)

Io_max (A) 12.72 11.44 6.88 8.72 8.88 4.04 4.14 0.588

Io_rms (A) 9.16 8.1 5.6 8 5.86 2.14 2.92 0.435

Vout (V) 11.94 11.9 5.026 3.32 11.57 11.99 5.04 5.05

Po_max (W) 151.88 136.14 34.58 28.95 102.74 48.44 20.87 2.97 526.56

Light Loading

CPU PSC 3.8G EM64T

DDR667 512MB*2

VGA Nvidia 7800GTX*1

SATA-HD SATA*2

IDE-HD 1

CD-ROM 1

USB 1

PCI 1

+12V-V2

(4 PIN)

+12V-V1

(24PIN)

+5V +3.3V VGA

+12V

HDD
+12V

HDD

+5V

+5VSB Total

PSU

Po_max

(W)

Io_max (A) 12.36 7.6 8.44 3.24 4.28 4.34 3.58 0.556

Io_rms (A) 8.98 4.8 6.76 3.01 2.84 23.4 2.48 0.396

Vout (V) 11.93 11.93 5.026 3.33 11.91 12.03 5.09 5.066

Po_max (W) 147.45 90.67 42.42 10.79 50.97 52.21 18.22 2.82 415.56

Power supply requirements

2-34 Chapter 2: Hardware information

9. S/PDIF output connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_02)

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

The S/PDIF module is purchased separately.

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME SPDIF OUT connector

+5V

SPDIFOUT

GND

SPDIF_O2

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-35

•

System power LED (2-pin PLED)

This 2-pin connector is for the system power LED. Connect the chassis
power LED cable to this connector. The system power LED lights up when
you turn on the system power, and blinks when the system is in sleep mode.

•

Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pin IDE_LED)

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

LED cable to this connector. The IDE LED lights up or ashes when data is

read from or written to the HDD.

•

System warning speaker (4-pin SPEAKER)

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

•

ATX power button/soft-off button (2-pin PWR)

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

•

Reset button (2-pin RESET)

This 2-pin connector is for the chassis-mounted reset button for system
reboot without turning off the system power.

10. System panel connector (20-8 pin PANEL)

This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME System panel connector

* Requires an ATX power supply.

PANEL

PLED-

PWR

+5V

Speaker

Ground

RESET

Ground

Reset

Ground

Ground

PWR

PLED+

IDE_LED-

IDE_LED+

IDE_LED

PLED SPEAKER

2-36 Chapter 2: Hardware information

ASUS Q-Connector (system panel)

You can use the ASUS Q-Connector to connect/disconnect chassis front panel
cables in a few steps. Refer to the instructions below to install the ASUS Q­Connector.

1. Connect the front panel cables to the
ASUS Q-Connector.

Refer to the labels on the Q-Connector

to know the detailed pin denitions, then

match them to the respective front panel
cable labels.

2. Install the ASUS Q-Connector to the
system panel connector, making sure
the orientation matches the labels on the
motherboard.

3. The front panel functions are now enabled.

The gure shows the Q-Connector properly

installed on the motherboard.

11. Thermal sensor cable connectors (2-pin OPT_TEMP1/2/3)

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME
Thermal sersor cable connectors

OPT_TEMP3

Temperature3

Ground

OPT_TEMP1

Temperature1

Ground

OPT_TEMP2

Temperature2

Ground

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME CMOS switch

These connectors are for temperature monitoring. Connect the thermal
sensor cables to these connectors and place the other ends to the devices,
which you want to monitor temperature. The optional fan1~3 can work with
the temperature sensors for a better cooling effect.

2.8.3 Onboard switches

Onboard switches allow you to ne-tune performance when working on a bare
or open-case system. This is ideal for overclockers and gamers who continually
change settings to enhance system performance.

1. Clear CMOS switch

Press the clear CMOS switch to clear setup information when the system
hangs due to overclocking.

To prevent accidental pressing of the Clear CMOS switch, the CLRTC jumper
default setting disables the switch. See page 2-21 for details.

ASUS Striker Extreme 2-37

2-38 Chapter 2: Hardware information

2. Power-on switch

Press the clear power-on switch to wake/power up the system.

3. Reset switch

Press the reset switch to reboot the system.

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME Power on switch

STRIKER EXTREME

®

STRIKER EXTREME Reset switch

3

Powering up

This chapter describes the power up
sequence, the vocal POST messages,
and ways of shutting down the system.

ASUS Striker Extreme

Chapter summary

3

3.1 Starting up for the rst time ........................................................ 3-1

3.2 Turning off the computer .............................................................

3-2

ASUS Striker Extreme 3-1

3.1 Starting up for the rst time

1. After making all the connections, replace the system case cover.

2. Be sure that all switches are off.

3. Connect the power cord to the power connector at the back of the system
chassis.

4. Connect the power cord to a power outlet that is equipped with a surge
protector.

5. Turn on the devices in the following order:

a. Monitor
b. External SCSI devices (starting with the last device on the chain)
c. System power

6. After applying power, the system power LED on the system front panel case
lights up. For systems withATX power supplies, the system LED lights up
when you press the ATX power button. If your monitor complies with “green”
standards or if it has a “power standby” feature, the monitor LED may light up
or switch between orange and green after the system LED turns on.

The system then runs the power-on self tests or POST. While the tests are

running, the BIOS beeps (see BIOS beep codes table below) or additional
messages appear on the screen. If you do not see anything within 30
seconds from the time you turned on the power, the system may have failed
a power-on test. Check the jumper settings and connections or call your
retailer for assistance.

7. At power on, hold down the <Delete> key to enter the BIOS Setup. Follow the
instructions in Chapter 4.

3-2 Chapter 3: Powering up

3.2 Turning off the computer

3.2.1 Using the OS shut down function

If you are using Windows® 2000:

1. Click the Start button then click Shut Down...

2. Make sure that the Shut Down option button is selected, then click the OK
button to shut down the computer.

3. The power supply should turn off after Windows

®

shuts down.

If you are using Windows® XP or later version:

1. Click the Start button then select Turn Off Computer.

2. Click the Turn Off button to shut down the computer.

3. The power supply should turn off after Windows

®

shuts down.

3.2.2 Using the dual function power switch

While the system is ON, pressing the power switch for less than four seconds puts
the system to sleep mode or to soft-off mode, depending on the BIOS setting.
Pressing the power switch for more than four seconds lets the system enter the
soft-off mode regardless of the BIOS setting. Refer to section “4.6 Power Menu” in
Chapter 4 for details.

4

BIOS setup

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

Chapter summary

4

ASUS Striker Extreme

4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 4-1

4.2 BIOS setup program ....................................................................

4-9

4.3 Main menu ..................................................................................

4-15

4.4 Extreme Tweaker menu .............................................................

4-18

4.5 Advanced menu .........................................................................

4-25

4.6 Power menu ................................................................................

4-30

4.7 Boot menu ..................................................................................

4-37

4.8 Tools menu .................................................................................

4-42

4.9 Exit menu .................................................................................... 4-46

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-1

4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS

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

1.

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

2.

ASUS EZ Flash 2 (Updates the BIOS in DOS using a oppy disk or a USB
ash disk.)

3.

Award BIOS Flash Utility (Updates the BIOS in DOS mode using a bootable

oppy disk.)

Refer to the corresponding sections for details on these utilities.

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

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

Installing ASUS Update

To install ASUS Update:

1. Place the support DVD in the optical drive. The Drivers menu appears.

2. Click the Utilities tab, then click Install ASUS Update VX.XX.XX. See page
5-3 for the Utilities screen menu.

3. The ASUS Update utility is copied to your system.

4.1.1 ASUS Update utility

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

• Save the current BIOS le

• Download the latest BIOS le from the Internet

• Update the BIOS from an updated BIOS le

• Update the BIOS directly from the Internet, and

• View the BIOS version information.

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

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

4-2 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

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

3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest

you to avoid network trafc, or

click Auto Select. Click Next.

Updating the BIOS through the Internet

To update the BIOS through the Internet:

1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows

®

desktop by clicking Start
> Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate. The ASUS Update
main window appears.

2. Select Update BIOS from the
Internet option from the drop-down
menu, then click Next.

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-3

Updating the BIOS through a BIOS le

To update the BIOS through a BIOS le:

1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows

®

desktop by clicking Start
> Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate. The ASUS Update
main window appears.

2. Select Update BIOS from a le

option from the drop-down menu,
then click Next.

4. From the FTP site, select the BIOS
version that you wish to download.
Click Next.

5. Follow the screen instructions to
complete the update process.

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

3. Locate the BIOS le from the Open

window, then click Open.

4. Follow the screen instructions to
complete the update process.

4-4 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.1.2 Creating a bootable oppy disk

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

DOS environment

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

b. At the DOS prompt, type

format

A:/S then press <Enter>.

Windows® XP environment

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

b. Click

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

Format. A Format 3 1/2 Floppy

Disk window appears.

e. Select

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

then click Start.

Windows® 2000 environment

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

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

b. Insert the Windows

®

2000 CD to the optical drive.

c. Click

Start, then select Run.

d. From the Open eld, type

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

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

disk.

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-5

To update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2:

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

the motherboard.

2. Save the BIOS le to a oppy disk, then restart the system.

3. You can launch the EZ Flash 2 by two methods.

(1) Insert the oppy disk/USB ash disk that contains the BIOS le to

the oppy disk drive or the USB port.

4.1.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility

The ASUS EZ Flash 2 feature allows you to update the BIOS without having to go

through the long process of booting from a oppy disk and using a DOS-based

utility. The EZ Flash utility is built-in the BIOS chip so it is accessible by pressing
<Alt> + <F2> during the Power-On Self Tests (POST).

• This function can support devices such as USB ash disk, hard disk,
or oppy disk with FAT32/16/12 format only.

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

ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility B312

Current ROM Update ROM

BOARD: StrikerExtreme
VER: 0116
DATE: 10/30/2006

BOARD: Unknown
VER: Unknown
DATE: Unknown

PATH: C:\

[Enter] Select [S] Save [ESC]Exit
[Tab]Switch [Up/Down/Home/End] Move

WIN98E <DIR>
NETTERM <DIR>
DRIVERS <DIR>
RECYCLED <DIR>
WUTEMP <DIR>
NEWFOL~1 <DIR>
INSTALL <DIR>
TEST-REB <DIR>
MSDOWNLD.TMP <DIR>

Note

(2) Enter BIOS setup program. Go to the Tools menu to select EZ

Flash 2 and press <Enter> to enable it.

You can switch between drives by pressing <Tab> before the

correct le is found. Then press <Enter>.

4. When the correct BIOS le is found, EZ Flash 2 performs the BIOS update

process and automatically reboots the system when down.

Press <Alt> + <F2> during POST to display the following.

FLASH TYPE: Winbond W39V080A 8Mb LPC

WIN98E <DIR>

C

4-6 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.1.4 Updating the BIOS

The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) can be updated using the AwardBIOS
Flash Utility. Follow these instructions to update the BIOS using this utility.

1. Download the latest BIOS le from the ASUS web site. Unzip the le and
save it to a oppy disk.

Save only the updated BIOS le in the oppy disk to avoid loading the wrong
BIOS le.

2. Copy the AwardBIOS Flash Utility (awdash.exe) from the Software folder of
the support DVD to the oppy disk with the latest BIOS le.

3. Boot the system in DOS mode using the bootable oppy disk you created

earlier.

4. When the A:> appears, replace the bootable oppy disk with the oppy disk
containing the new BIOS le and the Award BIOS Flash Utility.

5. At the prompt, type

awdash then press

<Enter>. The Award
BIOS Flash Utility screen
appears.

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18

(C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Message: Please input File Name!

For C55XEMCP55PXE-StrikerE-00 DATE:10/30/2006
Flash Type - Unknown Flash

File Name to Program:

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18

(C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved

For C55XEMCP55PXE-StrikerE-00 DATE:10/30/2006
Flash Type - Unknown Flash

File Name to Program: 0113.bin

Message: Do You Want To Save Bios (Y/N)

6. Type the BIOS le name in

the File Name to Program

eld, then press <Enter>.

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-7

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

following screen appears.

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

Do not turn off or reset the system during the ashing process!

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18

(C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Warning: Don’t Turn Off Power Or Reset System!

9. The utility displays a
Flashing Complete
message indicating that
you have successfully

ashed the BIOS le.
Remove the oppy disk

then press <F1> to restart
the system.

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18

(C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved

F1

Reset

For C55XEMCP55PXE-StrikerE-00 DATE:10/30/2006
Flash Type - Unknown Flash

File Name to Program: 0116.bin
Flashing Complete

Press <F1> to Continue

Write OK No Update Write Fail

For C55XEMCP55PXE-StrikerE-00 DATE:10/30/2006
Flash Type - Unknown Flash

File Name to Program: 0116.bin

Programming Flash Memory - OFE00 OK

Write OK No Update Write Fail

4-8 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4. The utility saves the

current BIOS le to the
oppy disk, then returns to
the BIOS ashing process.

3. Type a lename for the
current BIOS le in the
Save current BIOS as eld,

then press <Enter>.

To save the current BIOS le using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility:

1. Follow steps 1 to 6 of the
previous section.

2. Press <Y> when the utility
prompts you to save the

current BIOS le. The

following screen appears.

4.1.5 Saving the current BIOS le

You can use the AwardBIOS Flash Utility to save the current BIOS le. You can
load the current BIOS le when the BIOS le gets corrupted during the ashing

process.

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18

(C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Message:

For C55XEMCP55PXE-StrikerE-00 DATE:10/30/2006
Flash Type - Unknown Flash

File Name to Program: 0116.bin

Save current BIOS as:

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18

(C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Message: Please Wait!

For C55XEMCP55PXE-StrikerE-00 DATE:10/30/2006
Flash Type - Unknown Flash

File Name to Program: 0113.bin
Checksum: D800H
Save current BIOS as: old.bin

AwardBIOS Flash Utility for ASUS V1.18

(C) Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Message: Please Wait!

For C55XEMCP55PXE-StrikerE-00 DATE:10/30/2006
Flash Type - Unknown Flash

File Name to Program: 0115.bin
Now Backup System BIOS to

File!

Make sure that the oppy disk has enough disk space to save the le.

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-9

4.2 BIOS setup program

This motherboard supports a programmable Low-Pin Count (LPC) chip that you
can update using the provided utility described in section “4.1 Managing and
updating your BIOS.”

Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard, reconguring
your system, or prompted to“Run Setup.” This section explains how to congure

your system using this utility.

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

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

security password feature or change the power management settings. This

requires you to recongure your system using the BIOS Setup program so that the
computer can recognize these changes and record them in the CMOS RAM of the

LPC chip.

The LPC chip on the motherboard stores the Setup utility. When you start up the
computer, the system provides you with the opportunity to run this program. Press

<Del> during the Power-On Self-Test (POST) to enter the Setup utility; otherwise,

POST continues with its test routines.

If you wish to enter Setup after POST, restart the system by pressing
<Ctrl+Alt+Delete>, or by pressing the reset button on the system chassis. You can
also restart by turning the system off and then back on. Do this last option only if

the rst two failed.

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

• The default BIOS settings for this motherboard apply for most conditions
to ensure optimum performance. If the system becomes unstable after
changing any BIOS settings, load the default settings to ensure system
compatibility and stability. Select the Load Default Settings item under the
Exit Menu. See section “4.9 Exit Menu.”

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

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

this motherboard.

4-10 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.2.1 BIOS menu screen

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Change the day, month,
year and century.

Legend bar

General helpMenu bar

Sub-menu items

Conguration eldsMenu items

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

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

System Time 15 : 30 : 36
System Date Sat, Jan 21 2006
Language [English]

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

Primary IDE Master [ST321122A]
Primary IDE Slave [ASUS CDS520/A]
SATA1 [None]
SATA2 [None]
SATA3 [None]
SATA4 [None]
SATA5 [None]
SATA6 [None]

HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled]

Installed Memory 512MB
Usable Memory 511MB

4.2.2 Menu bar

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

Main For changing the basic system conguration
Extreme Tweaker For changing the overclocking settings
Advanced For changing the advanced system settings
Power For changing the advanced power management (APM)

conguration

Boot For changing the system boot conguration

Tools

For conguring options for special functions

Exit For selecting the exit options and loading default

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

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

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

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-11

4.2.4 Menu items

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

For example, selecting Main shows the Main menu items.

The other items (Advanced, Power, Boot, and Exit) on the menu bar have their
respective menu items.

4.2.5 Sub-menu items

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

4.2.6 Conguration elds

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

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

Refer to “4.2.7 Pop-up window.”

4.2.3 Legend bar

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

Navigation Key Function
<F1> Displays the General Help screen
<F5> Loads setup default values
<Esc> Exits the BIOS setup or returns to the main menu from a

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

Up or Down arrow Moves the highlight up or down between elds
Page Down or – (minus) Scrolls backward through the values for the highlighted eld
Page Up or + (plus) Scrolls forward through the values for the highlighted eld
<Enter> Brings up a selection menu for the highlighted eld

<F10> Saves changes and exit

4-12 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.2.7 Pop-up window

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

conguration options for that item.

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

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Species the capacity and

physical size of diskette
drive A.

System Time 15 : 30 : 36
System Date Thu, Apr 6 2006
Language [English]

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

Primary IDE Master [ST321122A]
Primary IDE Slave [ASUS CDS520/A]
SATA1 [None]
SATA2 [None]
SATA3 [None]
SATA4 [None]
SATA5 [None]
SATA6 [None]

HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled]

Installed Memory 512MB

Usable Memory 512MB

4.2.8 General help

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

Pop-up menu

Legacy Diskette A:

Disabled ..... [ ]

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

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

↑↓ :Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-13

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

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Change the day, month,
year and century.

System Time 15 : 30 : 36
System Date Sat, Jan 21 2006
Language [English]

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

Primary IDE Master [ST321122A]
Primary IDE Slave [ASUS CDS520/A]
SATA1 [None]
SATA2 [None]
SATA3 [None]
SATA4 [None]
SATA5 [None]
SATA6 [None]

HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled]

Installed Memory 512MB
Usable Memory 511MB

4.3 Main menu

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

Refer to section “4.2.1 BIOS menu screen” for information on the menu screen
items and how to navigate through them.

4.3.1 System Time [xx:xx:xx]

Allows you to set the system time.

4.3.2 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx]

Allows you to set the system date.

4.3.3 Language [English]

Allows you to choose the BIOS language version from the options. Conguration

options: [English] [French] [Deutsch] [Chinese (Trad.)] [Chinese (Simp.)]
[Japanese]

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

Sets the type of oppy drive installed.
Conguration options: [Disabled] [720K , 3.5 in.] [1.44M, 3.5 in.]

4-14 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.3.5 Primary IDE Master/Slave

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

The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed items
(Capacity, Cylinder, Head, Sector and Transfer Mode). These values are not

user-congurable. These items show N/A if no IDE device is installed in the

system.

PIO Mode [Auto]

Sets the PIO mode for the IDE device.

Conguration options: [Auto] [Mode 0] [Mode 1] [Mode 2] [Mode 3] [Mode 4]

UDMA Mode [Auto]

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

Primary IDE Master/Slave [Auto]

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

is successful, the BIOS automatically lls in the correct values for the remaining
elds on this sub-menu. If the hard disk was already formatted on a previous

system, the setup BIOS may detect incorrect parameters. Select [Manual] to
manually enter the IDE hard disk drive parameters. If no drive is installed select

[None]. Conguration options: [None] [Auto] [Manual]

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

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Set a PIO mode for IDE
device. Mode0 through 4
for successive increase in
performance.

Primary IDE Master

PIO Mode [Auto]
UDMA Mode [Auto]

Primary IDE Master [Auto]
Access Mode [Auto]

Capacity 82 GB

Cylinder 39420
Head 16
Sector 255
Transfer Mode UDMA 5

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-15

Capacity

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

Cylinder

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

Head

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

Sector

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

Transfer Mode

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

Access Mode [Auto]

The default [Auto] allows automatic detection of an IDE hard disk drive.
Select [CHS] for this item if you set the IDE Primary Master/Slave to [Manual].

Conguration options: [CHS] [LBA] [Large] [Auto]

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

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

4-16 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.3.6 SATA1/2/3/4/5/6

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

The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed items (Capacity,
Cylinder, Head, Landing Zone and Sector). These values are not user-

congurable. These items show 0 if no SATA device is installed in the system.

Extended IDE Drive [Auto]

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

Access Mode [Auto]

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

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

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Selects the type of xed

disk connected to the
system.

SATA1

Extended IDE Drive [Auto]
Access Mode [Auto]

Capacity 0 MB

Cylinder 0
Head 0
Landing Zone 0
Sector 0

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

Capacity

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

Cylinder

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

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-17

Head

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

Landing Zone

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

Sector

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

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

4.3.7 HDD SMART Monitoring [Disabled]

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

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

4.3.8 Installed Memory [xxx MB]

Shows the size of installed memory.

4.3.9 Usable Memory [XXX MB]

Shows the size of usable memory.

4-18 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.4 Extreme Tweaker menu

The Extreme menu items allow you to congure overclocking-related items.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Press [Enter] to select
overclock prole.

AI Tuning [Auto]

x Overclock Options Disabled
x N.O.S. Option
x System Clocks
x FSB & Memory Cong

Overclocking
Over Voltage

NVIDIA GPU EX [Disabled]

x SLI-Ready Memory Not Detected

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

4.4.1 AI Tuning [Auto]

Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal

frequency. Selct either one of the preset overclocking conguration options:

Manual Allows you to individually set overclocking parameters.

Auto

Loads the optimal settings for the system.

Standard

Loads the standard settings for the system.

AI Overclock

Loads overclocking proles with optimal parameters for

stability when overclocking.

AI N.O.S.

The ASUS Non-delay Overclocking System feature
intelligently determines the system load and automatically
boosts the performance for the most demanding tasks.

The following item becomes user-congurable when you set AI Tuning to

[AI Overclock]

Overclock Options [Disabled]

Allows you to set the overclocking options.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Overclock 5%] [Overclock 10%] [Overclock 15%]
[Overclock 20%] [FSB 960/800] [FSB 1280/800] [FSB 1000/667] [FSB 1333/667]

[FSB 1200/800]

Take caution when changing the settings of the Extreme menu items. Incorrect

eld values can cause the system to malfunction.

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-19

The following items become user-congurable when you set AI Tuning to

[Manual].

System Clocks

This sub-menu allows you to adjust the system frequency-related items. Select an
item, then press <Enter> to edit.

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Set C55 PCIE Overclock

System Clocks

PCIEX16_1 Frequency (MHz) [100]
PCIEX16_2 Frequency (MHz) [100]
PCIEX16_3 Frequency (MHz) [100]
SPP <-> MCP Ref Clock, MHz [Auto]

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Extreme Tweaker

PCIEX16_1 Frequency (MHz) [100]

Allows you to set the PCIEX16_1 overclocking frequency.

Conguration options: [100 MHz]~[200 MHz]

PCIEX16_2 Frequency (MHz) [100]

Allows you to set the PCIEX16_2 overclocking frequency.

Conguration options: [100 MHz]~[200 MHz]

PCIEX16_3 Frequency (MHz) [100]

Allows you to set the PCIEX16_3 overclocking frequency.

Conguration options: [100 MHz]~[200 MHz]

SPP <-> MCP Ref Clock, MHz [Auto]

Conguration options: [Auto] [200.0 MHz] [200.5 MHz] [201.0 MHz] [201.5
MHz]...[500.0 MHz]

4-20 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

FSB - Memory Ratio [Auto]

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

FSB (QDR), MHz [800]

Conguration options: [533 MHz]~[2600 MHz]

The following item becomes user-congurable when you set the FSB-Memory

Clock Mode item to [Unlinked].

FSB (QDR), MHz [800]

Conguration options: [533]~[3000]

MEM (DDR), MHz [667]

Conguration options: [400]~[1400]

ECC Control [Disabled]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Auto]

ECC Uncorrectable [Disabled]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [No Notify] [MCERR] [NMI] [SCI] [SMI]

ECC Correctable [Disabled]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [No Notify] [MCERR] [NMI] [SCI] [SMI]

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

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

System clock mode

[Optimal]
Set FSB and memory speed
automatically.

[Linked]
Enter FSB Speed manually.
Memory Speed changes
proportionally.

FSB - Memory Clock Mode [Linked]
FSB - Memory Ratio [Auto]
FSB (QDR), MHz [800]

Actual FSB (QDR), MHz 800.0
x MEM (DDR), MHz Linked
Actual MEM (DDR), MHz 667

ECC Control [Disabled]
ECC Uncorrectable [Disabled]
ECC Correctable [Disabled]

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Extreme Tweaker

FSB & Memory Cong

FSB & Memory Cong

This sub-menu allows you to adjust the system frequency-related items. Select an
item, then press <Enter> to edit.

FSB - Memory Clock Mode [Auto]

Allows you to set the system clock mode.

Conguration options: [Auto] [Linked] [Unlinked]

The following items become user-congurable when you set the FSB-Memory

Clock Mode item to [Linked].

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-21

4.4.2 Overclocking

This sub-menu allows you to adjust the system frequency-related items. Select an
item, then press <Enter> to edit.

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

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Overclocking

CPU Type Genuine Intel (R) CPU
CPU Speed 2.80GHz
Cache RAM 1024K x2

CPU Multiplier [17]

Memory Timing Setting
Spread Spectrum Control

Intel SpeedStep [Disabled]
CPU Internal Thermal Control [Auto]

X TM2 Bus Ratio 12 X
X TM2 Bus VID 1.2000V

Limit CPUID MaxVal [Disabled]
EnhancedC1 (C1E) [Disabled]
Execute Disable Bit [Enabled]
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep(tm) Tech. [Disabled]
Hyper-Threading Technology [Enabled]
LDT Frequency [5x]

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Extreme Tweaker

Memory Timing Setting

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Memory Timing Setting

tCL (CAS Latency) [Auto]

tRCD [Auto]
tRAS [Auto]
Command Per Clock (CMD) [Auto]

** Advanced Memory Settings **

tRRD [Auto]
tRC [Auto]
tWR [Auto]
tWTR [Auto]
tREF [Auto]
Async Latency [Auto]

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Extreme Tweaker

tCL (CAS Latency) [Auto]

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

tRCD [Auto]

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

tRP [Auto]

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

tRAS [Auto]

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

CPU Multiplier [17]

Conguration options: [6]~[50]

4-22 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

MCP PCIE Spread Spectrum [Down Spread]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Down Spread]

SATA Spread Spectrum [Disabled]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

LDT Spread Spectrum [Disabled]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Center] [Down]

Command Per Clock (CMD) [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [1 clock] [2 clock]

tRRD [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]...[15]

tRC [Auto]

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

tWR [Auto]

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

tWTR [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]...[15]

tREF [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [1] [2]

Async Latency [Auto]

Configuration options: [Auto] [1.00nS] [1.25nS] [1.50nS] [1.75nS] [2.00nS]
[2.25nS] [2.50nS]

Spread Spectrum Control

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Spread Spectrum Control

CPU Spread Spectrum [Disabled]

PCIE Spread Spectrum [Down Spread]
MCP PCIE Spread Spectrum [Down Spread]
SATA Spread Spectrum [Disabled]
LDT Spread Spectrum [Disabled]

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Extreme Tweaker

CPU Spread Spectrum [Disabled]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Center Spread] [UP Spread]

PCIE Spread Spectrum [Down Spread]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Down Spread]

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-23

Intel SpeedStep [Disabled]

This item is user-congurable only when you set [AI Tuning] to [Standard], [Auto],
or [AI N.O.S.]. Conguration options: [Auto] [Disabled]

CPU Internal Thermal Control [Auto]

Conguration options: [Auto] [Disabled]

Limit CPUID MaxVal [Disabled]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Enhanced C1 (CIE) [Disabled]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Execute Disable Bit [Enabled]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

4.4.3 Over Voltage

This sub-menu allows you to adjust the system voltage-related items. Select an
item, then press <Enter> to edit.

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Set CPU VID to desired
voltage, but it will cause
other CPU power management
feature such as C1E, EIST,
and TM2) fail to control
CPU VID. Select [Auto] to
let CPU VID keep original
value.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Extreme Tweaker

Over Voltage

VCore Voltage [Auto]
Memory Voltage [Auto]

1.2V HT Voltage [Auto]
NB Core Voltage [Auto]
SB Core Voltage [Auto]
CPU VTT Voltage [Auto]
DDR2 Controller Ref Voltage [Auto]
DDR2 Channel A Ref Voltage [Auto]
DDR2 Channel B Ref Voltage [Auto]

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep(tm) Tech. [Disabled]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Hyper-Threading Technology [Enabled]

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

LDT Frequency [5x]

Conguration options: [1x] [2x] [3x] [4x] [5x]

VCore Voltage [Auto]

Conguration options: [Auto] [1.90000V] [1.89375V] [1.88750V] [1.88125V]

[1.87500V]...[0.83750V] [0.83125V]

Memory Voltage [Auto]

Conguration options: [Auto] [1.850V] [1.875V] [1.900V]...[3.400V] [3.425V]

4-24 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

DDR2 Channel A Ref Voltage / DDR2 Channel B Ref Voltage [Auto]

Allows you to set the DDR2 Controller/ChannelA/B Ref voltage.

Conguration options: Conguration options: [Auto] [DDR2_Vol/2] [DDR2_

Vol/2-30mv] [DDR2_Vol/2-20mv] [DDR2_Vol/2-10mv] [DDR2_Vol/2+10mv]
[DDR2_Vol/2+20mv] [DDR2_Vol/2+30mv]

4.4.4 NVIDIA GPU Ex [Disabled]

Enables or disables with the optimized NVIDIA Ex graphics driver.
Conguration options: [Auto] [Disabled]

1.2V HT Voltage [Auto]

Conguration options: [Auto] [1.20V] [1.25V] [1.30V]...[1.90V] [1.95V]

NB Core Voltage [Auto]

Conguration options: [Auto] [1.20V] [1.25V] [1.30V]...[2.70V] [2.75V]

SB Core Voltage [Auto]

Conguration options: [Auto] [1.50V] [1.55V] [1.60V] [1.65V] [1.70V] [1.75V]

[1.80V] [1.85V]

CPU VTT Voltage [Auto]

Conguration options: [Auto] [1.20V] [1.25V] [1.30V] [1.35V]...[1.50V] [1.55V]

DDRII Controller Ref Voltage [Auto]

Conguration options: [Auto] [DDR2_Vol/2] [DDR2_Vol/2-30mv] [DDR2_

Vol/2-20mv] [DDR2_Vol/2-10mv] [DDR2_Vol/2+10mv] [DDR2_Vol/2+20mv]
[DDR2_Vol/2+30mv]

4.4.5 SLI-Ready Memory [Disabled]

Allows you to select the SPD prole for SLI-Ready memory modules. The
conguration options may vary depending on the type of module you installed.
Conguration options: [Disabled] [Optimal] [High Performance] [High Frequency]

The following item becomes user-congurable when SLI-Ready Memory is set

to Enabled.

4.4.6 SLI-Ready Memory CPUOC [CPUOC 0%]

Conguration options: [CPUOC 0%] [CPUOC 1%]~[CPUOC 14%] [CPUOC MAX]

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-25

POST Check LAN Cable [Disabled]
POST Check LAN2 Cable [Disabled]

Enables or disables checking of the LAN/LAN2 cable during the Power-On

Self-Test (POST). Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

4.5.1 AI NET2

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

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Enable or Disable LAN
cable check during POST.

AI NET2

POST Check LAN Cable [Disabled]
POST Check LAN2 Cable [Disabled]

Pair Status Length

LAN1(1-2) Open N/A
LAN1(3-6) Open N/A
LAN1(4-5) Open N/A
LAN1(7-8) Open N/A

LAN2(1-2) Open N/A
LAN2(3-6) Open N/A
LAN2(4-5) Open N/A
LAN2(7-8) Open N/A

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

4.5 Advanced menu

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

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Press [Enter] to set.

AI NET2
PCIPnP

Onboard Device Conguration
USB Conguration

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

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

eld values can cause the system to malfunction.

4-26 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Select Yes if you are using
a Plug and Play capable
operating system. Select
No if you need the BIOS to

congure non-boot devices.

PCIPnP

Plug & Play O/S [No]
Primary Display Adapter [PCI]

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

4.5.2 PCIPnP

Plug & Play O/S [No]

When set to [No], the BIOS congures all the devices in the system. When set to

[Yes] and if you install a Plug and Play operating system, the operating system

congures the Plug and Play devices not required for boot. Conguration options:

[No] [Yes]

Primary Display Adapter [PCI]

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

Conguration options: [PCI] [PCI-E]

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-27

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

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Onboard Device Conguration

IDE Function Setup

Serial-ATA Conguration

HD Audio [Auto]
Front Panel Support Type [AC97]
Onboard 1st nVidia LAN [Enabled]
Onboard 2nd nVidia LAN [Enabled]
Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]
Silicon SATAII Controller [SATA Mode]
Onboard 1394 [Enabled]
LCD Poster Backlight [Disabled]
LCD Poster Mode [Current Time]

x LCD Poster String

Internal Connector LED [by Switch]

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

4.5.3 Onboard Device Conguration

IDE Function Setup

This sub-menu contains IDE function-related items. Select an item then press
<Enter> to edit.

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

IDE Function Setup

OnChip IDE Channel0 [Enabled]
IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled]
IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled]

OnChip IDE Channel0 [Enabled]

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

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the IDE DMA transfer access.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the IDE PIO read prefetch mode.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

4-28 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

Serial-ATA Conguration

This sub-menu allows you to change Serial ATA settings. Select an item then press
<Enter> to edit.

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

Serial-ATA Conguration

Serial-ATA Controller [Enabled]
RAID Enabled [Disabled]

x SATA1 RAID Disabled
x SATA2 RAID Disabled
x SATA3 RAID Disabled
x SATA4 RAID Disabled
x SATA5 RAID Disabled
x SATA6 RAID Disabled

Serial-ATA Controller [Enabled]

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

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

RAID Enabled [Disabled]

Enables or disables the onboard RAID controller. When set to [Enabled],

the succeeding items become user-congurable. Conguration options:

[Disabled] [Enabled]

SATA1/2/3/4/5/6 [Disabled]

Enables or disables the RAID function of the rst to sixth SATA master drive.
Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

HD Audio [Auto]

Allows you to disable or set the High-Denition audio function.
Conguration options: [Auto] [Disabled]

Front Panel Support Type [HD Audio]

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

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

Onboard 1st/2nd Nvidia LAN [Enabled]

Enables or disables the onboard NVIDIA® LAN controller.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

OnBoard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]

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

Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]

Silicon SATAII Controller

Allows you to disable or set the function of the extended SATA II controller.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [SATA Mode] [RAID Mode]

ASUS Striker Extreme 4-29

Onboard 1394 [Enabled]

Allows you to disable or enable the onboard 1394 device support.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

LCD Poster Backlight [Disabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the LCD poster backlight.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

LCD Poster Mode [Current Time]

Allows you to select the LCD poster mode.

Conguration options: [Current Time] [User String]

The following item becomes congurable when the “LCD Poster Mode” item is

set to [User String].

LCD Poster String

Allows you to enter a string on the LCD poster.

USB Conguration

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

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

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Enable or disable
the USB 1.1 and 2.0
Controller.

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced

USB Conguration

USB Controller [Enabled]
USB2.0 Controller [Enabled]
USB Legacy support [Enabled]

USB Controller [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the onchip USB controller.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

USB 2.0 Controller [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the USB 2.0 controller.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

USB Legacy Support [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable support for USB devices on legacy operating

systems (OS). Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Internal Connector LED [by Switch]

Conguration options: [Always On] [by Switch]

4-30 Chapter 4: BIOS setup

4.6 Power menu

The Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced

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

4.6.1 ACPI Suspend Type [S1&S3]

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

[S1&S3]

4.6.2 ACPI APIC Support [Enabled]

Allows you to enable or disable the Advanced Conguration and Power Interface
(ACPI) support in the Application-Specic Integrated Circuit (ASIC). When set

to Enabled, the ACPI APIC table pointer is included in the RSDT pointer list.

Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]

Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Main Extreme Tweaker Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit

Select Menu

Item Specic Help

Press [Enter] to select
overclock prole.

ACPI Suspend Type [S1&S3]

ACPI APIC support Enabled

APM Conguration

Hardware Monitor

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