Asus P5L-MX Specifications Page 1

MotherboardP5L-MX

xP5L-MX specications summary(continued on the next page)CPU Chipset Front Side BusMemory VGAExpansion slots Storage Audio L

xi*Specications are subject to change without notice.P5L-MX specications summarySpecial features Industry standardManageability

xii

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

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.1 Welcome!T h a n k y o u f o r b u y i n g a n A S U S® P 5 L - M X m o t h e r b o a r d !The mot

ASUS P5L-MX 1-3Intel® 945G chipset The Intel® 945G graphics memory controller hub (GMCH) and the ICH7 I/O controller hub provide the vital interface

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.3.2 Innovative ASUS featuresCrashFree BIOS 2 This feature allows you to restore the original BIOS data from th

ASUS P5L-MX 1-5Onboard LEDThe motherboard comes with a standby power LED that lights up to indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introductionP5L-MXR1.5 Motherboard overviewBefore you install the motherboard, study the conguration of your chassis to ensur

ASUS P5L-MX 1-71.5.3 Motherboard layout20.3cm (8in)24.5cm (9.6in)DDR2 DIMM_A1 (64 bit,240-pin module)DDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 bit,240-pin module)P5L-MXLAN_US

iiCopyright © 2006 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be repro

1-8 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.6.1 Installling the CPUTo install a CPU:1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.1.6 Central Processing Uni

ASUS P5L-MX 1-93. Lift the load lever in the direction of the arrow to a 135º angle.4. Lift the load plate with your thumb and forenger to a 100º a

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introductionThe CPU ts in only one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the connector

ASUS P5L-MX 1-111.6.2 Installling the CPU heatsink and fanThe Intel® Core™2 Extreme/Core™2 Duo/Pentium® D/Pentium® 4 and Celeron® D processors requi

1-12 Chapter 1: Product introductionDo not forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring errors can occur if you fail to plug this conn

ASUS P5L-MX 1-131.6.3 Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fanTo uninstall the CPU heatsink and fan:1. Disconnect the CPU fan cable from the connector

1-14 Chapter 1: Product introduction4. Remove the heatsink and fan assembly from the motherboard.5. Rotate each fastener clockwise to reset the orie

ASUS P5L-MX 1-151.7 System memory1.7.1 OverviewThe motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets.A

1-16 Chapter 1: Product introductionImportant notice on installing Windows® XP 32-bit versionIf you install Windows® XP 32-bit version Operating Syste

ASUS P5L-MX 1-171.7.3 DDR2 Qualified Vendors ListThe following table lists the memory modules that have been tested and qualied for use with this mo

iiiContentsNotices ... viSafety information ...

1-18 Chapter 1: Product introductionDDR2 533 Qualified Vendors List DIMM support Size Vendor

ASUS P5L-MX 1-191.7.4 Installing a DIMMUnplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other system components. Failure to do so can cause

1-20 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.8 Expansion slotsIn the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following sub-sections describe th

ASUS P5L-MX 1-211.8.3 Interrupt assignmentsStandard interrupt assignmentsIRQ Standard Function0 System Timer1 Keyboard Controller2 Re-di

1-22 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.8.4 PCI slotsThe PCI slots support cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply w

ASUS P5L-MX 1-231.9 Jumpers1. Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC)This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. You can clear the CMOS me

1-24 Chapter 1: Product introduction• The USB device wake-up feature requires a power supply that can provide 500 mA on the +5VSB lead for each USB

ASUS P5L-MX 1-25SPEEDLEDACT/LINKLEDLAN portLAN port LED indications ACT/LINK LED SPEED LEDStatus Description Status Descriptio

1-26 Chapter 1: Product introductionAudio 2, 4, or 6-channel configurationLight Blue Line In Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker OutLime Line Out Front

ASUS P5L-MX 1-272. IDE connectors (40-1 pin PRI_IDE)The onboard IDE connectors are for Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cables. There are three connectors

ivContents1.10 Connectors ... 1-251.10.1 Rear panel connectors ...

1-28 Chapter 1: Product introduction3. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4)These connectors are for the Serial ATA signal cable

ASUS P5L-MX 1-295. Digital Audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT)This connector is for the S/PDIF audio module to allow digital sound output. Connect on

1-30 Chapter 1: Product introduction6. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR and 4-pin ATX12V)These connectors are for ATX power supply plugs. The pow

ASUS P5L-MX 1-317. Optical drive audio connector (4-pin CD)This connector is for the 4-pin audio cable that connects to the audio connector at the ba

1-32 Chapter 1: Product introduction9. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP)This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O modul

ASUS P5L-MX 1-3310. System panel connector (10-1 pin F_PANEL) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.• System power LED (2-pin P

1-34 Chapter 1: Product introduction

2BIOS setupThis chapter tells how to change the system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also

2-2 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.1 Managing and updating your BIOSThe following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic Input/Output

ASUS P5L-MX 2-32. Copy the original or the latest motherboard BIOS le to the bootable oppy disk.2.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash utilityThe ASUS EZ Flash featu

vContents2.5 Power menu ... 2-292.5.1 Suspend Mode ...

2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.1.3 AFUDOS utilityThe AFUDOS utility allows you to update the BIOS le in DOS environment using a bootable oppy disk with

ASUS P5L-MX 2-5Updating the BIOS fileTo update the BIOS le using the AFUDOS utility:1. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) and download the latest

2-6 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.1.4 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 utilityThe ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS l

ASUS P5L-MX 2-7Recovering the BIOS from the support CDTo recover the BIOS from the support CD:1. Remove any oppy disk from the oppy disk drive, the

2-8 Chapter 2: BIOS setupInstalling ASUS UpdateTo install ASUS Update:1. Place the support CD in the optical drive. The Drivers menu appears. 2. Cli

ASUS P5L-MX 2-93. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network trafc, or click Auto Select. Click Next.Updating the BIOS through the Intern

2-10 Chapter 2: BIOS setupUpdating the BIOS through a BIOS fileTo update the BIOS through a BIOS le:1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windo

ASUS P5L-MX 2-112.2 BIOS setup programThis motherboard supports a programmable rmware chip that you can update using the provided utility described

2-12 Chapter 2: BIOS setupSystem Time [11:51:19] System Date [Thu 05/07/2004] Legacy Diskette A [1.44M, 3.5 in] Primary IDE Master :[ST

ASUS P5L-MX 2-132.2.4 Menu itemsThe highlighted item on the menu bar displays the specic items for that menu. For example, selecting Main shows the

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

2-14 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.3 Main menuWhen you enter the BIOS Setup program, the Main menu screen appears, giving you an overview of the basic syste

ASUS P5L-MX 2-152.3.4 Primary, Third and Fourth IDE Master/SlaveWhile entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of IDE devices. The

2-16 Chapter 2: BIOS setupPIO Mode [Auto]Selects the PIO mode. Conguration options: [Auto] [0] [1] [2] [3] [4]DMA Mode [Auto]Selects the DMA mode. C

ASUS P5L-MX 2-17Enhanced Mode Support On [S-ATA]The default setting S-ATA allows you to use native OS on Serial ATA and Parallel ATA ports. We recomme

2-18 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.4 Advanced menuThe Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices.Take caution

ASUS P5L-MX 2-19FSB/CPU External Frequency Synchronization Front Side Bus CPU External Frequency FSB 1066 266 MHz FSB 800 200 MHz FSB 533 133

2-20 Chapter 2: BIOS setupThe following item appears only when the AI Overclocking item is set to [Overclock Prole].FSB Termination Voltage [Auto]All

ASUS P5L-MX 2-21USB Function [Enabled]Allows you to enable or disable the USB function. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Legacy USB Support

2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.4.3 CPU ConfigurationThe items in this menu show the CPU-related information that the BIOS automatically detects. Sel

ASUS P5L-MX 2-232.4.4 ChipsetThe Chipset menu allows you to change the advanced chipset settings. Select an item then press <Enter> to display

viiThe symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product (electrical and electronic equipment) should not be placed in municipal waste.

2-24 Chapter 2: BIOS setupDRAM Write Recovery Time [4 Clocks]Sets the DRAM Write Recover Time. Conguration options: [2 Clocks] [3 Clocks] [4 Clocks]

ASUS P5L-MX 2-25TV Connector [Auto]Conguration options: [Auto] [Composite] [Component] [Composite & Component] [SCART Composite] [SCART Component

2-26 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.4.5 Onboard Devices ConfigurationCongure Win627EHF Super IO ChipsetHD Audio Controller [Enabled]Onboard PCIEX GbE LAN

ASUS P5L-MX 2-27ECP Mode D MA C hannel [DMA 3]Appears only when the Parallel Port Mode is set to [ECP]. This item allows you to set the Parallel Port

2-28 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.4.6 PCI PnPThe PCI PnP menu items allow you to change the advanced settings for PCI/PnP devices. The menu includes settin

ASUS P5L-MX 2-29IRQ-xx assigned to [PCI Device]When set to [PCI Device], the specic IRQ is free for use of PCI/PnP devices. When set to [Reserved], t

2-30 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.5.4 APM Configuration Select Screen Select Item+- Change OptionF1 General HelpF10 Save and ExitESC ExitEnab

ASUS P5L-MX 2-31Power On By PCI Devices [Disabled]When set to [Enabled], this parameter allows you to turn on the system through a PCI LAN or modem ca

2-32 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.5.5 Hardware Monitor Select Screen Select Item+- Change OptionF1 General HelpF10 Save and ExitESC ExitHardw

ASUS P5L-MX 2-33Chassis Fan Speed [xxxxRPM] or [N/A]The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the chassis fan speed in rotations

viiiAbout this guideThis user guide contains the information you need when installing and conguring the motherboard.How this guide is organizedThis m

2-34 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.6 Boot menuThe Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. Select an item then press <Enter> to di

ASUS P5L-MX 2-352.6.2 Boot Settings Configuration Select Screen Select Item+- Change OptionF1 General HelpF10 Save and ExitESC ExitBoot

2-36 Chapter 2: BIOS setupIf you forget your BIOS password, you can clear clear it by erasing the CMOS Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM. See section “2.6 Ju

ASUS P5L-MX 2-37After you have set a supervisor password, the other items appear to allow you to change other security settings. User Access Level (Fu

2-38 Chapter 2: BIOS setup If you attempt to exit the Setup program without saving your changes, the program prompts you with a message asking if you

ASUS P5L-MX 2-39Exit & Discard ChangesSelect this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you made to the Setup program. If you m

2-40 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

3Software supportThis chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with the motherboard package.

3-2 Chapter 3: Software supportIf Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer, browse the contents of the support CD to locate the le ASSETUP.EXE from th

ASUS P5L-MX 3-33.2.2 Drivers menuThe drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed devices. Install the necessary d

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

3-4 Chapter 3: Software support3.2.3 Utilities menuThe Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports. ASUS P

ASUS P5L-MX 3-53.2.4 Make Disk menuThe Make Disk menu allows you to make a RAID driver disk.Make Intel® ICH7 32bit RAID Driver DiskAllows you to crea

3-6 Chapter 3: Software support3.2.5 Manuals menuThe Manuals menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals. Click an item to open the folder of

ACPU featuresThe Appendix describes the CPU features that the motherboard supports.

A-2 Appendix: CPU featuresA.1 Intel® EM64T• The motherboard is fully compatible with Intel® Pentium® 4 LGA775 processors running on 32-bit operating

ASUS P5L-MXA-3A.2.2 Using the EISTTo use the EIST feature:1. Turn on the computer, then enter the BIOS Setup.2. Go to the Advanced Menu, highlight

A-4 Appendix: CPU featuresA.3 Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology• The motherboard supports Intel® Pentium® 4 LGA775 processors with Hyper-Threading