Asus MAXIMUS III EXTREME Specifications

MotherboardMaximus III GENE

xWhere to nd more informationRefer to the following sources for additional information and for product and software updates.1. ASUS websitesThe ASUS

3-30 Chapter 3: BIOS setupThe USB Devices Enabled item shows the auto-detected values. If no USB device is detected, the item shows None.USB Functions

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-313.5.5 LED ControlThe LED Control menu items allow you to change the advanced settings for the onboard LEDs. Take caution whe

3-32 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.5.6 iROG CongurationiROG Timer Keeper [Last State]Allows you to set the iROG Time Keeper operation mode. 

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-333.6 Power menuThe Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced Power Management (APM). Select an item

3-34 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.6.6 APM CongurationRestore On AC Power Loss [Power Off][Power Off] The system goes into off state after an AC power l

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-35Power On By RTC Alarm [Disabled]Allows you to enable or disable RTC to generate a wake event. When this item is set to [Enabl

3-36 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.6.7 Hardware MonitorVoltage Monitor 

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-37CPU Q-Fan Control [Disabled]Allows you to enable or disable the CPU fan controller.[Disabled] Disables the CPU Q-fan contro

3-38 Chapter 3: BIOS setupThe Chassis Fan Prole item appears when you enable the Chassis Q-Fan Function feature.Chassis Fan Prole [Standard]This ite

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-393.7 Boot menuThe Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. Select an item then press <Enter> to dis

xi DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying to complete a task. CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the c

3-40 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.7.2 Boot Settings CongurationQuick Boot [Enabled]Allows you to enable or disable the Quick Boot function.[Disabled] Wh

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-41POST State LEDs [Enabled][Enabled] Turn on onboard device LEDs in the order of the device POST sequence.[Disabled] Disables

3-42 Chapter 3: BIOS setupUser Access Level [Full Access]This item allows you to select the access restriction to the Setup items. 

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-433.8 Tools menuan item then press <Enter&

3-44 Chapter 3: BIOS setupASUSTek O.C. Prole Utility V2.06Restore CMOSA:Note [Enter] Select or Load [Tab] Switch [V] Drive Info [Up/Down/Home

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-45Save File to: 

3-46 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.8.4 MemPerfectMemPerfect [Disabled] 

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-473.9 Exit menuThe Exit menu items allow you to load the optimal or failsafe default values for the BIOS items, and save or di

3-48 Chapter 3: BIOS setup

4Software supportThis chapter describes the contents of the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package and the software.

xiiMaximus III GENE specications summaryCPU Supports the Intel® Core™i7 and Intel® Core™i5 Processors in the LGA1156 package Supports Intel® Turb

ROG Maximus III GENEChapter summary44.1 Installing an operating system ... 4-14.2 Support DVD inform

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-1If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer, browse the contents of the support 

4-2 Chapter 4: Software support4.2.2 Drivers menuThe drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed devices. Install

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-34.2.3 Utilities menuThe Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports.ASUS UpdateThe

4-4 Chapter 4: Software support4.2.4 Make disk menuThe Make disk menu contains items to create the Intel and JMicron RAID driver disk.Intel AHCI/RAID

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-54.2.5 Manual menuThe Manuals menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals. Click an item to open the folder of the user

4-6 Chapter 4: Software support4.2.8 Other informationThe icons on the top right corner of the screen give additional information on the motherboard

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-7Browse this DVDDisplays the support DVD contents in graphical format.FilelistDisplays the contents of the support DVD and a br

4-8 Chapter 4: Software support4.3 Software information

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-9Main PanelThe Main Panel displays all the features and functions the SupremeFX X-Fi 

xiiiUSB max. 14 USB 2.0 ports (5 ports at mid-board, 9 ports at back panel)back panel)ROG Exclusive Overclocking FeaturesCPU Power Design - 8-ph

4-10 Chapter 4: Software supportEAX Effects Panel This panel contains environment effects that you can select to obtain a sense of realism during inte

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-11Smart Volume Management Panel Click to switch on/off S

4-12 Chapter 4: Software support4.3.2 ASUS PC Probe IIPC Probe II is a utility that monitors the computer’s vital components, and detects and alerts

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-13Button FunctionOpens the Report windowOpens the Desktop Management Interface windowOpens the Per

4-14 Chapter 4: Software supportChanging the monitor panels positionTo change the position of the monitor panels in the desktop, click the arrow down

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-15Monitoring sensor alertThe monitor panel turns red when a component value exceeds or is lower than the threshold value. Refer

4-16 Chapter 4: Software supportPCI browserClick to display the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) browser. This browser provides information o

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-17Memory usageThe Memory tab shows both used and available physical memory. The pie chart at the bottom of the window represent

4-18 Chapter 4: Software support4.3.3 ASUS AI SuiteASUS AI Suite allows you to launch several ASUS utilities easily.Installing AI SuiteTo install AI

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-19Other feature buttonsClick on right corner of the main window to open the monitor window. Click on right corner of the ex

xivInternal I/O Connectors 3 x USB 2.0 connectors supports additional 5 USB 2.0 ports (1 port reserved for ROG Connect @ rear) 7 x SATA connectors 5

4-20 Chapter 4: Software support4.3.4 ASUS Fan XpertAsus Fan Xpert allows you to adjust both the CPU and chassis fan speeds according to different am

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-214.3.5 ASUS EPU-6 Engineneeds. This utility pr

4-22 Chapter 4: Software support4.3.6 TurboV EVOASUS TurboV EVO introduces TurboV and Turbo Key—two powerful tools that allow you to overclock your s

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-23Click to show / hide more settingsAdvanced CPU, chipset and DRAM voltage settingsASUS TurboV Complete Manual ModeClick More s

4-24 Chapter 4: Software supportASUS TurboV Auto Tuning ModeThe Auto Tuning Mode allows smart auto-overclocking. Follow the instructions below to let

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-25Using ASUS Turbo KeyASUS Turbo Key allows the user to set a group of hot-keys into physical overclocking buttons. After the e

4-26 Chapter 4: Software support4.4 RAID congurationsThe motherboard comes with the Intel®Serial ATA hard d

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-274.4.4 Intel® Matrix Storage Manager option ROM utilityTo enter the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager option ROM utility1. Turn

4-28 Chapter 4: Software support The navigation keys at the bottom of the screen allow you to move through the menus and select the menu options.The

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-295. Use the up/down arrow key to select a drive, and then press <Space> to select. A small triangle marks the selected

1Chapter 1: Product introductionThis chapter describes the motherboard features and the new technologies it supports.

4-30 Chapter 4: Software supportDeleting a RAID setTake caution when deleting a RAID set. You will lose all data on the hard disk drives when you dele

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-314.5 Creating a RAID driver disk® XP operating system on

4-32 Chapter 4: Software support4.5.3 Installing the RAID driver during Windows® OS installationTo install the RAID driver for Windows® XP1. During

ROG Maximus III GENE 4-334. Click Details tab. The Vendor ID (VID) and Product ID (PID) are displayed.5. Browse the contents of the 

4-34 Chapter 4: Software support8. Find the [HardwareIds.scsi.iaAHCI_PCH] and [HardwareIds.scsi.iastor_8R9R10RDOPCH] sections in the txtsetup.oem 

5 ATI® CrossFireX™ technology supportThis chapter describes how to install and ® CrossFireX™ graphics cards.

ROG Maximus III GENEChapter summary55.1 ATI® CrossFireX™ technology ... 5-15.2 NVIDIA® SLI™ technol

ROG Maximus III GENE 5-15.1 ATI® CrossFireX™ technologyThe motherboard supports the ATI® CrossFireX™ technology that allows you to install multi-grap

5-2 Chapter 5: Multiple GPU technology support5. Connect two independent auxiliary power sources from the power supply to the two graphics cards sep

ROG Maximus III GENE 5-35.1.4 Installing the device driversRefer to the documentation that came with your graphics card package to install the device

ROG Maximus III GENEChapter summary11.1 Welcome! ... 1-11.2 Packa

5-4 Chapter 5: Multiple GPU technology supportEnabling CrossFireX settings1. In the Catalyst Control Center window, click Graphics Settings > Cros

ROG Maximus III GENE 5-55.2 NVIDIA® SLI™ technologyThe motherboard supports the NVIDIA® SLI™ (Scalable Link Interface) technology that allows you to

5-6 Chapter 5: Multiple GPU technology support 

ROG Maximus III GENE 5-7B1. If you cannot see the NVIDIA Control Panel item in step (A), select Personalize.B2. From the Personalization window, sel

5-8 Chapter 5: Multiple GPU technology supportB4. Select the NVIDIA GeForce tab, and then click Start the NVIDIA Control Panel.B5. The NVIDIA Contro

AAppendix: Debug code tableThe Appendix lists the debug code table for the LCD Poster.

ROG Maximus III FormulaChapter summaryADebug code table ...A-1

ROG Maximus III Formula A-1Code DescriptionCPU INITCPU InitiationDET CPUTest CMOS R/W functionality.CHIPINIT -Disable sha

A-2 Appendix: Debug code tableCode Description8254TESTTest 82548259MSK1Test 8259 interrupt mask bits for channel 1.8259MSK2Test 8259 interrupt mask bi

ROG Maximus III Formula A-3Code DescriptionPASSWORD 1. Call chipset power management hook. 2. Recover the text fond us

ROG Maximus III GENE 1-11.1 Welcome!Thank you for buying an ROG Maximus III GENE motherboard!The motherboard delivers a host of new features and late

A-4 Appendix: Debug code table

1-2 Chapter 1: Product Introduction1.3 Special features1.3.1 Product highlightsRepublic of Gamers The Republic of Gamers consists only the best of

ROG Maximus III GENE 1-3Dual-Channel, DDR3 2133(O.C.) MHzThe motherboard supports DDR3 memory that features data transfer rates of 

iiE4946First Edition August 2009Copyright © 2009 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.No part of this manual, including the products and software

1-4 Chapter 1: Product IntroductioniROG Intelligent multiple control at hand iROG is a special IC which enables several ROG highlighted functions tha

ROG Maximus III GENE 1-5Voltiminder LED Friendly reminder on Voltage Settings In the pursuit of extreme performance, overvoltage adjustment is critic

1-6 Chapter 1: Product IntroductionOnboard Switches No more shorting pins or moving jumpers With an easy press during overclocking, this exclusive on

ROG Maximus III GENE 1-7ASUS EZ Flash 2EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly BIOS update utility. Simply launch this tool and 

1-8 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

2Chapter 2: Hardware informationThis chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when installing system components. It inclu

ROG Maximus III GENEChapter summary22.1 Before you proceed ... 2-12.2 Motherboard

2.1 Before you proceedTake note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings.• Unplug t

Onboard LEDsThe motherboard comes with LEDs that indicate the voltage conditions of CPU, memory, and PCH. You may adjust the voltages in BIO

4. Hard Disk LED The hard disk LED is designed to indicate the hard disk activity. It blinks when data is being written into or read from the hard d

iiiContentsNotices ... viiiSafety information ...

5. Power LED The motherboard comes with a power-on switch that lights up to indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode. This

2.2 Motherboard overview2.2.1 Motherboard layoutROG Maximus III GENE 2-5

2.2.2 Layout contentsConnectors/Jumpers/Switches/Slots Page1. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 8-pin EATX12V) 2-362. LGA1156 CPU Socket 2-8

Place this side towards the rear of the chassis2.2.3 Placement directionWhen installing the motherboard, ensure that you place it into the chassis in

2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)The motherboard comes with a surface mount LGA1156 socket designed for the Intel® Core™ i7 / Core™ i5 Processors.2.3

3. Lift the load lever in the direction of the arrow until the load plate is completely lifted.Load plate4. Remove the PnP cap from the CPU socket.P

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

2.3.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fanThe Intel® LGA1156 processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure opt

3. Connect the CPU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_FAN.DO NOT forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware

2.4 System memory2.4.1 OverviewThe motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 3 (DDR3) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets.A DDR3 module has

ivContents2.6 Jumper ... 2-262.7 I/O shield installation ...

2.4.2 Memory congurationsYou may install 1GB, 2GB and 4GB unbuffered and non-ECC DDR3 DIMMs into the DIMM sockets.• The default memory operation fr

Maximus III GENE Motherboard Qualied Vendors Lists (QVL) DDR3-1067MHz capabilityVendor Part No. SizeSS/DSChip Brand Chip NO.Timing Lable(Bios)Voltag

Maximus III GENE Motherboard Qualied Vendors Lists (QVL) DDR3-1333MHz capabilityVendor Part No. SizeSS/DSChip Brand Chip NO.Timing Lable(Bios)Voltag

Vendor Part No. SizeSS/DSChip Brand Chip NO.Timing Lable(Bios)VoltageDIMM socket supportA* B* C*MICRON MT16JTF25664AZ-1G4F1 2GB DS MICRON 9FF22 D9KPT

Maximus III GENE Motherboard Qualied Vendors Lists (QVL) DDR3-1600MHz capabilityVendor Part No. SizeSS/DSChip BrandChip NO.Timing Lable(Bios)Voltage

Maximus III GENE Motherboard Qualied Vendors Lists (QVL) DDR3-1625MHz capabilityVendor Part No. SizeSS/DSChip BrandChip NO.Timing Lable(Bios)Voltage

Maximus III GENE Motherboard Qualied Vendors Lists (QVL) DDR3-2000MHz capabilityVendor Part No. SizeSS/DSChip BrandChip NO.Timing Lable(Bios)Voltage

2.4.4 Removing a DIMMFollow these steps to remove a DIMM.2. Remove the DIMM from the socket.2.4.3 Installing a DIMM3. Firmly insert the DIMM into

2.5 Expansion slotsIn the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that

2.5.3 Interrupt assignmentsStandard interrupt assignments* These IRQs are usually available for PCI devices.IRQ Priority Standard function0 1 System

v3.3.8 Intel(R) TurboMode Tech ... 3-143.3.9 QPI Frequency ...

2.5.4 PCI slotThe PCI slot supports cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other 

 Express x16 graphics card to get better performance.• In CrossFireX™ or SLI™ m

2.6 JumperClear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC_SW)This jumper allows you to enable the clr CMOS switch on the back I/O. You can clear the CMOS memory and syste

2.7 I/O shield installation1. Install the I/O shield to the chassis by snapping it in place from inside.2. Orient the motherboard and install it to

2.8 Connectors2.8.1 Rear panel connectorsRear panel connectors1. PS/2 keyboard port (purple) 8. IEEE 1394a port2. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4 9. Exter

* LAN port LED indicationsActivity/LinkSpeed LEDDescriptionOFF OFF Soft-off ModeYellow Blinking OFF During Power ON/OFFYellow Blinking ORANGE 100 Mbps

2.8.2 Internal connectors1. Intel® P55 Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA 1-6 [gray])These connectors are for the Serial ATA signal cables for Serial

2. JMicron® JMB363 Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA_E1 [black])This connectors is for the Serial ATA signal cables for Serial ATA optical disk drive

5. OC Station connector (8-pin OC_STATION) This connector is for ASUS OC Station connection only. Connect one end of the supplied data cable to the

6. IEEE 1394a port connector (10-1 pin IE1394_2)This connector is for an IEEE 1394a port. Connect the IEEE 1394a module cable to this connector, then

vi3.5.7 ROG Connect ... 3-323.6 Power menu ...

8. CPU, chassis, and optional fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN, 4-pin CHA_FAN1–2, 4-pin OPT_FAN1–2)The fan connectors support cooling fans of 350 mA–200

9. Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT)This connector is for an additional Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) port(s). Connect the S/PDIF

11. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 8-pin EATX12V)These connectors are for ATX power supply plugs. The power supply plugs 

• 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 pow

2.8.3 ASUS Q-Connector (system panel)Use the ASUS Q-Connector to connect/disconnect the chassis front panel cables.To install the ASUS Q-Connector:1.

2.8.4 Onboard switchesor open-case system. This is ideal for overclockers a

3. GO button Press the GO button before POST to enable MemOK! or press it to quickly 2-

2.9 Starting up for the rst time1. After making all the connections, replace the system case cover. 2. Be sure that all switches are off.3. Conne

2.10 Turning off the computer2.10.1 Using the OS shut down functionIf you are using Windows® Vista™:1. Click the Start button then select Shut Dow

3BIOS setupThis chapter tells how to change the system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also pr

vii4.3.4 ASUS Fan Xpert ... 4-204.3.5 ASUS EPU-6 Engine ...

Chapter summary3ROG Maximus III GENE3.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ... 3-13.2 BIOS setup program ...

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-13.1 Managing and updating your BIOSThe following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic Input/Output

3-2 Chapter 3: BIOS setupQuit all Windows® applications before you update the BIOS using this utility.3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest 

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-3Updating the BIOS through a BIOS le1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows®

3-4 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utilityThe ASUS EZ Flash 2 feature allows you to update the BIOS without having to use a DOS-based uti

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-53.1.3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utilityThe ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility is an auto recovery tool that allows you to 

3-6 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.1.4 ASUS BIOS Updater

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-7Updating the BIOS le 

3-8 Chapter 3: BIOS setup6. Select Yes and press <Enter>. When BIOS update is done, press <ESC> to exit BIOS Updater. Restart your comput

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-93.2 BIOS setup programusing the provided utility

viiiNoticesFederal Communications Commission StatementThis device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two co

3-10 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.2.3 Navigation keysAt the bottom right corner of a menu screen are the navigation keys for that particular menu. Use the

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-113.2.4 Menu itemsexample, selecting Main s

3-12 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.3 Extreme Tweaker menuitems.Take caution when c

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-133.3.1 CPU Level Up [Auto]Allows you to select a CPU level, and the related parameters will be automatically 

3-14 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.3.5 CPU Ratio Setting [Auto]Allows you to adjust the ratio between CPU Core Clock and FSB Frequency. Use the <+> an

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-153.3.10 DRAM Timing ControlDIMMs you install o

3-16 Chapter 3: BIOS setupDRAM Round Trip Latency on CHA/B [Auto][Auto] [Advance 15 Clock]–[Advance 1 Clock] [Normal] [Delay 1 Clock] [Delay 15 Clock

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-173.3.12 PCH Clock Amplitude [Auto]3.3.13 CPU Clock Skew [Auto]A

3-18 Chapter 3: BIOS setup• Refer to the CPU documentation before setting the CPU Vcore voltage. Setting a high VCore voltage may damage the CPU perm

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-193.3.25 DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHA/B [Auto]Allows you to set the DRAM Control Reference Voltage on Channel A/B. The values

ixSafety informationElectrical safety electrical outlet before relocating th

3-20 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.4 Main menuWhen you enter the BIOS Setup program, the Main menu screen appears, giving you an overview of the basic syste

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-213.4.4 SATA 1–6While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of Serial ATA devices. There is a separate s

3-22 Chapter 3: BIOS setupBlock (Multi-Sector Transfer) M [Auto]Enables or disables data multi-sectors transfers. [Auto] When set to [Auto], the data

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-23SATA Conguration [Enhanced]Configure SATA as [IDE]

3-24 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.4.7 System Informationautomatically detects

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-253.5 Advanced menuThe Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices.3.5.1 CPU Co

3-26 Chapter 3: BIOS setupCPU Ratio Setting [Auto]Allows you to adjust the ratio between CPU Core Clock and BCLK Frequency. Use the <+> and <

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-27Intel(R) HT Technology [Enabled][Enabled] Enables the Intel Hyper-Threading Technology.[Disabled] Only one thread per activ

3-28 Chapter 3: BIOS setup3.5.2 ChipsetThe Chipset menu allows you to change the advanced chipset settings. Select an item then press <Enter> t

ROG Maximus III GENE 3-293.5.3 Onboard Device CongurationOnboard Devices [Standard][Standard] Enables standard onboard devices.[Disabled] Disables