Manuale d’uso / di manutenzione del prodotto M2N-PLUS SLI del fabbricante Asus
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Motherboard M2N-Plus SLI V ista Edition.
ii E3166 Second Edition V2 April 2007 Copyright © 2007 ASUST eK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, tran.
iii Contents Notices ........................................................................................................ vii Safety information .................................................................................... viii About this guide .
iv Contents 2.6 Jumper ........................................................................................ 2-20 2.7 Connectors ................................................................................. 2-22 2.7.1 Rear panel connectors ....
v Contents 4.4 Advanced menu ......................................................................... 4-19 4.4.1 JumperFree Conguration ............................................ 4-19 4.4.2 CPU Conguration ....................................
vi Contents 5.3.4 ASUS PC Probe II ......................................................... 5-16 5.3.5 ASUS AI Gear ............................................................... 5-22 5.3.6 ASUS AI Nap ...............................................
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.
viii Safety information Electrical safety • T o 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.
ix About this guide This user guide contains the information you need when installing and conguring 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.
x Conventions used in this guide T o make sure that you perform certain tasks properly , take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual. T ypography Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select. Italics Used to emphasize a word or a phrase.
xi M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition specications summary (continued on the next page) CPU Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon ™ 64 FX / AMD Athlon ™ 64 X2 / AMD Athlon 64 ™ / AMD Sempron ™ processors Suppo.
xii ASUS AI Lifestyle features ASUS AI Lifestyle Vista Edition features: - AI Remote - ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) - TPM Support (the module is purchased separately) - AP Trigger *ASUS AI Remote.
xiii M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition specications summary BIOS features 4 Mb BIOS ROM, AW ARD BIOS, PnP , DMI 2.0, WfM2.0, SM B IOS 2. 3 Manageability WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chassis intrusion, PXE Acce.
xiv.
1 Product introduction This chapter describes the motherboard features and the new technologies it supports..
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 1 1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Package contents ......................................................................... 1-1 1.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 1-1 1.1 Welcome! Th ank yo u f or bu yin g a n A SUS ® M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition motherboard ! The motherboard delivers a host of new features and the latest technolo.
1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.3 Special features 1.3.1 Product highlights Latest processor technology The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket that supports AMD Athlon ™ 64 X2/Athlon ™ 64/Athlon ™ 64 FX/Sempron ™ processor .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 1-3 PCI Express ™ interface Th e m oth erb oa rd fu lly s up por ts PCI E xp res s, the latest I/O interconnect technology that speeds up the PCI bus. PCI Express features point-to-point serial interconnections between devices and allows higher clockspeeds by carrying data in packets.
1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.3.2 ASUS AI Lifestyle features AI Remote The revolutionary AI Remote gives you unprecedented control from the comfort of your couch.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 1-5 1.3.3 ASUS Special features Fanless Design Cooling fans, though a popular thermal solution, also come with noise and malfunction likelihood. ASUS motherboard’s fanless concept is specically created to provide a cool environment without all the baggage.
1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction Green ASUS This motherboard and its packaging comply with the European Union’s Restriction on the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS).
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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 2 2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Motherboard overview ................................................................. 2-2 2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-1 Onboard LED The motherboard comes with a standby power LED. The green LED lights up to indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode. This is a reminder that you should shut down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard component.
2-2 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.2 Motherboard overview Before you install the motherboard, study the conguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard ts into it. 2.2.1 Placement direction When installing the motherboard, make sure that you place it into the chassis in the correct orientation.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-3 2.2.3 Motherboard layout M2N-PLUS SLI ® 24.5cm (9.6in) 30.5cm (12.0in) DDR2 DIMM_A2 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_A1 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 b.
2-4 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.2.4 Layout contents Slots Page 1. DDR2 DIMM slots 2-1 1 2. PCI slots 2-18 3. PCI Express x 1 slot 2-18 4. PCI Express x16 slots 2-19 Jumper Page 1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLR TC) 2-20 2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56, USBPW78) 2-21 3.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-5 Internal connectors Page 1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) 2-24 2. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_IDE) 2-24 3. NVIDIA ® nForce ® 500 SLI Southbridge Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1 [red], SA T A2 [red], SA T A3 [red], SA T A4 [red]) 2-25 4.
2-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.3.1 Installing the CPU T o install a CPU: 1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard. Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to a 90º angle; otherwise, the CPU will not t in completely . 2. Unlock the socket by pressing the lever sideways, then lift it up to a 90º angle.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-7 3. Position the CPU above the socket such that the CPU corner with the gold triangle matches the socket corner with a small triangle. 4. Carefully insert the CPU into the socket until it ts in place. 5. When the CPU is in place, push down the socket lever to secure the CPU.
2-8 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.3.2 Installing the heatsink and fan The AMD Athlon ™ 64FX/Athlon ™ 64/Athlon ™ 64 X2/Sempron ™ processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-9 2. Attach one end of the retention bracket to the retention module base. 3. Align the other end of the retention bracket (near the retention bracket lock) to the retention module base. A clicking sound denotes that the retention bracket is in place.
2-10 Chapter 2: Hardware information 5. When the fan and heatsink assembly is in place, connect the CPU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_F AN. • Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring errors can occur if you fail to plug this connector .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-1 1 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.
2-12 Chapter 2: Hardware information Important notice on installing Windows ® XP 32-bit version If you install Windows ® XP 32-bit version Operating System (OS), the limitation of this OS version is that it may reserve a certain amount of memory space for system devices.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-13 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. T o install a DIMM: 1.
2-14 Chapter 2: Hardware information DDR2-800 MHz capability M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Motherboard Qualied V endors Lists (QVL) Size V endor Chip No.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-15 DDR2-667 MHz capability Size Vendor Chip No. SS/ DS Part No. DIMM support A* B* C* 256MB KINGSTON HYB18T256800AF3 SS KVR667D2N5/256 • • • 512MB KINGSTON D640.
2-16 Chapter 2: Hardware information DDR2-533 MHz capability • A*: Supports one module inserted in any slot as Single-channel memory conguration. • B*: Supports one pair of modules inserted into either the yellow slots or the black slots as one pair of Dual-channel memory conguration.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-17 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 T o install an expansion card: 1.
2-18 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.5.3 Interrupt assignments Standard interrupt assignments * These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-19 • Connect a rear chassis fan to the chassis (CHA_F AN1) connector when using two graphics cards for better thermal environment. See page 2-26 for details. • Due to chipset limitation, the black PCI Express x16 (PCIEX16_2) slot can run only up to x8 speed.
2-20 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.6 Jumper 1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC) This jumper allows you to clear the Real T ime Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. Y ou can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-21 2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56, USBPW78) Set these jumpers to +5V to wake up the computer from S1 sleep mode (CPU stopped, DRAM refreshed, system running in low power mode) using the connected USB devices.
2-22 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.7 Connectors 2.7.1 Rear panel connectors 1. PS/2 mouse port (green). This port is for a PS/2 mouse. 2. Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer , a scanner , or other devices. 3. IEEE 1394a port.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-23 Refer to the audio conguration table below for the function of the audio ports in 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel conguration. 9. Microphone port (pink). This port connects a microphone. 10. Center/Subwoofer port (orange).
2-24 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.7.2 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.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-25 3. NVIDIA ® nForce ® 500 SLI Southbridge Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1 [red], SA T A2 [red], SA T A3 [red], SA T A4 [red]) These connectors are for the Serial A T A signal cables for Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s hard disk and optical disk drives.
2-26 Chapter 2: Hardware information Connect the right-angle side of SA T A signal cable to SA T A device. Or you may connect the right-angle side of SA T A cable to the onboard SA T A port to avoid mechanical conict with huge graphics cards. right angle side 4.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-27 5. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB 78, ASAP) 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.
2-28 Chapter 2: Hardware information 8. AT X p owe r c on ne cto rs (24-pin EA TXPWR, 4-pin A TX12V) These connectors are for A TX 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.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-29 • For a fully congured system, we recommend that you use a power supply unit (PSU) that complies with A TX 12 V Specication 2.0 (or later version) and provides a minimum power of 600 W . • Do not forget to connect the 4-pin A TX +12 V power plug; otherwise, the system will not boot.
2-30 Chapter 2: Hardware information 12. TPM connector (20-1 pin TPM) This connector supports a T rusted Platform Module (TPM) system, which can securely store keys, digital certicates, passwords, and data. A TPM system also helps enhance network security , protects digital identities, and ensures platform integrity .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-31 • 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.
2-32 Chapter 2: Hardware information ASUS Q-Connector (system panel) Y ou 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 Q- Connector . 1. Connect the front panel cables to the ASUS Q-Connector .
3 Powering up This chapter describes the power up sequence, the vocal POST messages, and ways of shutting down the system..
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 3 3.1 Starting up for the rst time ........................................................ 3-1 3.2 T urning off the computer .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 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.
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 .
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 M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 4-1 4.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................. 4-10 4.3 Main menu .......
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 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.
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 trafc, or click Auto Select. Click Next . Updating the BIOS through the Internet T o update the BIOS through the Internet: 1.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-3 Updating the BIOS through a BIOS le T o update the BIOS through a BIOS le: 1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows ® desktop by clicking Start > Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate .
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>.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-5 T o 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 or a USB ash disk, then restart the system.
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.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-7 7. Press <N> when the utility prompts you to save the current BIOS le. The following screen appears. 8. The utility veries the BIOS le in the oppy disk, CD ROM or a USB ash disk and starts ashing the BIOS le.
4-8 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4. The utility saves the current BIOS le to the disk, then returns to the BIOS ashing process. 3. T ype a lename for the current BIOS le in the Save current BIOS as eld, then press <Enter>. T o save the current BIOS le using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility: 1.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-9 4.1.6 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS le when it fails or gets corrupted during the updating process.
4-10 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 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, reconguring your system, or prompted to “Run Setup.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-1 1 4.2.1 BIOS menu screen Legend bar General help Menu bar Sub-menu items Conguration elds Menu items Select Menu Item Specic Help Change the internal time.
4-12 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.2.4 Menu items The highlighted item on the menu bar displays the specic 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.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-13 4.2.7 Pop-up window Select a menu item then press <Enter> to display a pop-up window with the conguration options for that item. 4.2.8 General help At the top right corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the selected item.
4-14 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 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.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-15 4.3.4 Primary/Secondary 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.
4-16 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Capacity Displays the auto-detected hard disk capacity . This item is not congurable. Cylinder Shows the number of the hard disk cylinders. This item is not congurable. Head Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-17 4.3.5 SA T A1~4 While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of Serial A T A devices. There is a separate sub-menu for each SA T A device. Select a device item then press <Enter> to display the SA T A device information.
4-18 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Head Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not congurable. Landing Zone Shows the number of landing zone per track. This item is not congurable. Sector Shows the number of sectors per track. This item is not congurable.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-19 Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Select Menu Item Specic Help Adjust system frequency/voltage. JumperFree Conguration CPU Conguration PCIPnP Onboard Device Conguration SLI Conguration 4.
4-20 Chapter 4: BIOS setup AI T uning [Auto] Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal frequency . Selct either one of the preset overclocking conguration options: Manual Allows you to individually set overclocking parameters.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-21 4.4.2 CPU Conguration DRAM Conguration The items in the sub-menu show the DRAM-related information auto-detected by the BIOS.
4-22 Chapter 4: BIOS setup DRAM T iming Control F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →← : Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu I.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-23 T cl [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T rcd [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T rp [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [.
4-24 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.4.3 PCIPnP Select Menu Item Specic Help Select Yes if you are using a Plug and Play capable operating system. Select No if you need the BIOS to congure non-boot devices.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-25 IDE Function Setup This sub-menu contains IDE function-related items. Select an item then press <Enter> to edit.
4-26 Chapter 4: BIOS setup IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable IDE PIO read prefetch mode. When prefetch is enabled, either 16-bit or 32-bit are allowed on IDE bus. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Select Menu Item Specic Help Disable.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-27 Select Menu Item Specic Help Enable or Disable USB 1.1 and 2.0 Controller. USB Conguration USB Controller [Enabled] USB2.0 Controller [Enabled] USB Legacy support [Enabled] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced USB Conguration The items in this menu allows you to change the USB-related features.
4-28 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.4.5 SLI Conguration AI-Selector[Auto] Allows you to select the Scalable Link Interface mode. When set to [Auto], BIOS detects the setting of SLI EZ Selector Card. Set this item to [Single Video Card] when using single PCI-E graphics card.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-29 4.5 Power menu The Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced Conguration and Power Interface (ACPI) and the Advanced Power Management (APM). Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conguration options.
4-30 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.5.3 APM Conguration Select Menu Item Specic Help Press [Enter] to select whether or not to restart the system after AC power loss.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-31 Date (of Month) Alarm [xx] T o set the date of alarm, highlight this item then press <+> or <-> to make the selection (Min=0; Max=31).
4-32 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.5.4 Hardware Monitor The items in this sub-menu displays the hardware monitor values automatically detected by the BIOS. It also allows you to change CPU Q-Fan feature-related parameters. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conguration options.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-33 Chassis Q-Fan Prole [Performance] Allows you to set the appropriate performance level of the chassis Q-Fan. When set to [Optimal], the chassis fan automatically adjusts depending on the chassis temperature.
4-34 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.6 Boot menu The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-35 4.6.2 Removable Drives 1. Floppy Disks Allows you to assign a removable drive attached to the system. Select Menu Item Specic Help Removable Drives 1. Floppy Disks Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot 4.6.3 Hard Disk Drives 1.
4-36 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.6.5 Boot Settings Conguration F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →← : Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Specic Help Press [Enter] to enable or disable.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-37 T ypematic Rate (Chars/Sec) [6] Allows you to select the rate at which a character repeats when you hold a key . Conguration options: [6] [8] [10] [12] [15] [20] [24] [30] T ypematic Delay (Msec) [250] Allows you to set the delay before keystrokes begin to repeat.
4-38 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 3. When prompted, conrm the password by typing the exact characters again, then press <Enter>. The password eld setting is changed to Set. T o clear the password: 1. Select the password eld and press <Enter> twice.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-39 4.7 Tools menu The T ools menu items allow you to congure options for special functions. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu.
4-40 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.8 Exit menu The Exit menu items allow you to load the optimal or failsafe default values for the BIOS items, and save or discard your changes to the BIOS items.
5 Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with the motherboard package..
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 5 5.1 Installing an operating system ................................................... 5-1 5.2 Support CD information .............................................................. 5-1 5.3 Software informtion .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-1 If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer , browse the contents of the support CD to locate the le ASSETUP .EXE from the BIN folder .
5-2 Chapter 5: Software support 5.2.2 Drivers menu The drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed devices. Install the necessary drivers to activate the devices. ASUS InstAll-Installation Wizard for Drivers Installs all of the drivers through the Installation Wizard.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-3 5.2.3 Utilities menu The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports. ASUS InstAll-Installation Wizard for Utilities Installs all of the utilities through the Installation Wizard.
5-4 Chapter 5: Software support ADOBE Acrobat Reader V7.0 Installs the Adobe ® Acrobat ® Reader that allows you to open, view , and print documents in Portable Document Format (PDF). Microsoft DirectX 9.0c Installs the Microsoft ® DirectX 9.0 driver .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-5 5.2.4 Make Disk menu The Make Disk menu contains items to create the NVIDIA ® nForce ™ 500-SLI SA T A RAID driver disk. NVIDIA 32/64bit 2000/XP/Vista SA T A RAID Driver Allows you to create an NVIDIA ® Serial A T A RAID driver disk for a 32/64-bit 2000/ XP/Vista system.
5-6 Chapter 5: Software support 5.2.5 Manual menu The Manual menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals. Click an item to open the folder of the user manual. Most user manual les are in Portable Document Format (PDF). Install the Adobe ® Acrobat ® Reader from the ASUS Superb Software Library CD before opening a user manual le.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-7 5.2.7 Other information The icons on the top right corner of the screen give additional information on the motherboard and the contents of the support CD. Click an icon to display the specied information. Motherboard Info Displays the general specications of the motherboard.
5-8 Chapter 5: Software support T echnical support Form Displays the ASUS T echnical Support Request Form that you have to ll out when requesting technical support. Filelist Displays the contents of the support CD and a brief description of each in text format.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-9 5.3 Software information Most of the applications in the support CD have wizards that will conveniently guide you through the installation. View the online help or readme le that came with the software application for more information.
5-10 Chapter 5: Software support 9. When the screen returns to the ASUS Update utility , ash the original BIOS to load the new boot logo. 10. After ashing the BIOS, restart the computer to display the new boot logo during POST . 8. Adjust the boot image to your desired size by selecting a value on the Ratio box.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-1 1 5.3.2 Cool ‘n’ Quiet! ™ T echnology The motherboard supports the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet! ™ T echnology that dynamically and automatically change the CPU speed, voltage, and amount of power depending on the task the CPU performs.
5-12 Chapter 5: Software support • Make sure to install the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet! ™ driver and application before using this feature. • The AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet! ™ technology feature works.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-13 5.3.3 C-Media CM6501 audio utility The C-Media Superior Quality Audio CODEC provides 8-channel audio capability through the C-Media 6501 sound conguration software to deliver the ultimate audio experience on your computer .
5-14 Chapter 5: Software support 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter Click to enable this function. Click to adjust the volume. Click to arrange the position of the virtual speakers. Click to reset the speaker positions. Click to effect the settings and exit.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-15 Effect The Effect option allows you to set your listening environment, adjust the equalizer , or select pre-programmed equalizer settings for your listening pleasure. Click the shortcut buttons or the drop-down menus for options on changing the acoustic environment.
5-16 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.4 ASUS PC Probe II PC Probe II is a utility that monitors the computer’s vital components, and detects and alerts you of any problem with these components. PC Probe II senses fan rotations, CPU temperature, and system voltages, among others.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-17 Button Function Opens the Conguration window Opens the Report window Opens the Desktop Management Interface window Opens the Peripheral Component Interconnect w.
5-18 Chapter 5: Software support Changing the monitor panels position T o change the position of the monitor panels in the desktop, click the arrow down button of the Scheme options, then select another position from the list box. Click OK when nished.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-19 Monitoring sensor alert The monitor panel turns red when a component value exceeds or is lower than the threshold value. Refer to the illustrations below . Large display Small display WMI browser Click to display the WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) browser .
5-20 Chapter 5: Software support PCI browser Click to display the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) browser . This browser provides information on the PCI devices installed on your system. Click the plus sign (+) before the PCI Information item to display available information.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-21 Memory usage The Memory tab shows both used and available physical memory . The pie chart at the bottom of the window represents the used (blue) and the available physical memory . Conguring PC Probe II Click to view and adjust the sensor threshold values.
5-22 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.5 ASUS AI Gear ASUS AI Gear provides four system performance options that allows you to select the best performance setting for your computing needs. This easy-to-use utility adjusts the processor frequency and vCore voltage to minimize system noise and power consumption.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-23 5.3.6 ASUS AI Nap This feature allows you to minimize the power consumption of your computer whenever you are away .
5-24 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.7 AI Remote With the ASUS AI Remote, you can play , pause, or adjust the volume on any songs desired without leaving your sofa. Have AI Remote in your hand and do more with your PC at a distance away . Overview of the ASUS AI Remote 1.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-25 ASUS >>USB receiver USB receiver USB IR Receiver Y our motherboard will come bundled with a IR Receiver , simply connect the USB end to your PC USB ports under the LAN2 port and place the IR receiver end at a suitable place without hindrance.
5-26 Chapter 5: Software support Activating HID-Compliant Devices Due to the limitation of the operating system, if you remove the IR receiver from the previous port and have it reinstall into the other USB port, the IR receiver will not function.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-27 ASUS AI Remote Settings After the installation of the ASUS AI Remote software, the utility screen will show up and allows you to congure the ASUS AI Remote settings. Set up the function keys following the instructions below .
5-28 Chapter 5: Software support 3. Multimedia Keys Prole There are nine default applications in the Prole drop-down menu and ve sets of User Dene . Default applications are Media Player , iTunes, PowerDVD, WinDVD, QuickTime, Real Player , DivX Player , WinAmp and Power Point.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-29 Select File After selecting the correct path, you should select the correct executable le (.exe) of the application for launching the application.
5-30 Chapter 5: Software support Dene Hotkeys for Application If you want to use the Media Control Zone to control non-default applications, such as ACDSee, you can select User Dene from the drop-down menu and rename it by pressing Rename .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-31 Media Player iT unes PowerDVD WinDVD QuickTime Full Screen v v v v v v v v/x v v + vvvvv - vvvvv vvvvx vvvvx *NOTE only play , no pause Real Player DivX Player Win.
5-32 Chapter 5: Software support 5.4 Windows ® Vista feature 5.4.1 ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) This motherboard is equipped with the ASUS Accelerated Propeller (ASAP) feature. ASAP supports the Windows ® ReadyBoost ™ technology that improves system performance under Windows ® Vista.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-33 5.5 RAID congurations The motherboard comes with the NVIDIA ® SLI Southbridge RAID controllers that allow you to congure IDE and Serial A T A hard disk drives as RAID sets. The motherboard supports the following RAID congurations.
5-34 Chapter 5: Software support 5.5.1 Installing hard disks The motherboard supports Ultra DMA /133/100/66 and Serial A T A hard disk drives. For optimal performance, install identical drives of the same model and capacity when creating a disk array .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-35 5.5.2 NVIDIA ® RAID congurations The motherboard includes a high performance IDE RAID controller integrated in the NVIDIA ® SLI southbridge chipset. It supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, and JBOD with four independent Serial A T A channels.
5-36 Chapter 5: Software support Entering the NVIDIA ® RAID utility T o enter the NVIDIA ® RAID utility: 1. Boot up your computer . 2. During POST , press <F10> to display the main menu of the utility . The RAID BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for reference only , and may not exactly match the items on your screen.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-37 TIP: For server systems, we recommend using a lower array block size. For multimedia computer systems used mainly for audio and video editing, we recommend a higher array block size for optimum performance. T ake caution in using this option.
5-38 Chapter 5: Software support Rebuilding a RAID array T o rebuild a RAID array: 1. From the Array List menu, use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array then press <Enter>.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-39 A new set of navigation keys is displayed on the bottom of the screen. 2. Press <R> to rebuild a RAID array . The following screen appears. 3. Use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array to rebuild, then press <F7>.
5-40 Chapter 5: Software support Deleting a RAID array T o delete a RAID array: 1. From the Array List menu, use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array then press <Enter>. The RAID Array details appear . [R] Rebuild [D] Delete [C] Clear Disk [ENTER] Return Array 1 : NVIDIA MIRROR XXX.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-41 Clearing a disk data T o clear disk data: 1. From the Array List menu, use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array then press <Enter>. The RAID Array details appear . [R] Rebuild [D] Delete [C] Clear Disk [ENTER] Return Array 1 : NVIDIA MIRROR XXX.
5-42 Chapter 5: Software support 5.6 Creating a RAID driver disk A oppy disk with the RAID driver is required when installing Windows ® 2000/XP/ Vista operating system on a hard disk drive that is included in a RAID set. T o create a RAID driver disk: 1.
6 This chapter tells how to install SLI-ready PCI Express graphics cards. NVIDIA ® SLI ™ technology support.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 6.1 Overview ....................................................................................... 6-1 6.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 6-1 6.1 Overview The motherboar d supports the NVIDIA ® SLI ™ (Sc alable Link In terface)-Intel ® Edition technology that allows you t o install two identical PCI E xpress ™ x16 graphics cards. Follow the installation procedures in this section.
6-2 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI ™ technology support 6.2 Dual graphics card setup 6.2.1 Installing SLI-ready graphics cards Install only identical SLI-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA ® -certied. Different types of graphics cards will not work together properly .
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 6-3 4. Insert the second graphics card into the other slot. Make sure that the card is properly seated on the slot. If required, connect an auxiliary power source to the PCI Express graphics cards. 3. Insert one graphics card into either the blue or black slot.
6-4 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI ™ technology support 7. Connect a VGA cable or a DVI-I cable to the graphics card/s. We recommend to install an additional chassis fan for better thermal environment. 5. Align and insert the SLI connector to the goldngers on each graphics card.
ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 6-5 NVIDIA Settings icon T o enable the multi-GPU feature: 1. Click the NVIDIA Settings icon on your Windows taskbar . 2. From the pop-up menu, select nView Desktop Manager then click nView Properties . Make sure that your PCI Express graphics card driver supports the NVIDIA SLI technology .
6-6 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI ™ technology support 5. From the Display Properties dialog box, select the Settings tab then click Advanced . 6. Select the NVIDIA GeForce tab. 7. Click the slider to display the following screen, then select the SLI multi-GPU item.
Un punto importante, dopo l’acquisto del dispositivo (o anche prima di acquisto) è quello di leggere il manuale. Dobbiamo farlo per diversi motivi semplici:
Se non hai ancora comprato il Asus M2N-PLUS SLI è un buon momento per familiarizzare con i dati di base del prodotto. Prime consultare le pagine iniziali del manuale d’uso, che si trova al di sopra. Dovresti trovare lì i dati tecnici più importanti del Asus M2N-PLUS SLI - in questo modo è possibile verificare se l’apparecchio soddisfa le tue esigenze. Esplorando le pagine segenti del manuali d’uso Asus M2N-PLUS SLI imparerai tutte le caratteristiche del prodotto e le informazioni sul suo funzionamento. Le informazioni sul Asus M2N-PLUS SLI ti aiuteranno sicuramente a prendere una decisione relativa all’acquisto.
In una situazione in cui hai già il Asus M2N-PLUS SLI, ma non hai ancora letto il manuale d’uso, dovresti farlo per le ragioni sopra descritte. Saprai quindi se hai correttamente usato le funzioni disponibili, e se hai commesso errori che possono ridurre la durata di vita del Asus M2N-PLUS SLI.
Tuttavia, uno dei ruoli più importanti per l’utente svolti dal manuale d’uso è quello di aiutare a risolvere i problemi con il Asus M2N-PLUS SLI. Quasi sempre, ci troverai Troubleshooting, cioè i guasti più frequenti e malfunzionamenti del dispositivo Asus M2N-PLUS SLI insieme con le istruzioni su come risolverli. Anche se non si riesci a risolvere il problema, il manuale d’uso ti mostrerà il percorso di ulteriori procedimenti – il contatto con il centro servizio clienti o il servizio più vicino.
