Asus P5N7A-VM User Manual

MotherboardP5N7A-VM

xP5N7A-VM specications summary(continued on the next page)CPU LGA775 socket for Intel® Core™2 Quad/Core™2 Extreme/Core™2 Duo/Pentium® dual-core/Ce

3-8 Chapter 3: Software support3.2.6 Other informationThe icons on the top right corner of the screen give additional information on the motherboard

ASUS P5N7A-VM 3-9Technical support FormDisplays the ASUS Technical Support Request Form that you have to ll out when requesting technical support.Fil

3-10 Chapter 3: Software support3.3 Software informationMost of the applications in the support DVD have wizards that will conveniently guide you thr

ASUS P5N7A-VM 3-11The First ScreenExpress Gate’s rst screen appears within a few seconds after you power on the computer. From here, you can immediat

3-12 Chapter 3: Software supportKnowing the Express Gate hot-keysHere is a list of common-used hot-keys for Express Gate.In the First Screen:Key Funct

ASUS P5N7A-VM 3-13• Screen Settings: Choose the most optimal screen resolution for your display.• Volume Control: Control the volume for your speaker

3-14 Chapter 3: Software supportASUS Express Gate supports le uploading from SATA HDDs, ODDs and USB drive and downloading to USB drives only.Using t

ASUS P5N7A-VM 3-15NetworkPower offEnter OSCancel and return to Express Gate RestartCheck to save user proleOpen Conguration Panel Click to change L

3-16 Chapter 3: Software support3. Make the proper network congurations.Each network interface is enabled immediately when you check the box next to

ASUS P5N7A-VM 3-17Using the Photo ManagerExpress Gate provides a easy-to-use Photo Manager that allows you to view pictures stored in your hard drive

xiP5N7A-VM specications summaryStorage Southbridge - 5 x Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s ports - 1 x External SATA 3Gb/s port - Supports RAID 0, RAID 1,

3-18 Chapter 3: Software supportConguring Express Gate in BIOS SetupEnter BIOS setup by pressing DEL key after powering on or by clicking on the BIOS

ASUS P5N7A-VM 3-193.4 Creating a RAID driver diskA oppy disk with the RAID driver is required when installing Windows® XP operating system on a hard

3-20 Chapter 3: Software supportTo install the RAID driver in Windows® XP:1. During the OS installation, the system prompts you to press the F6 key t

xiiP5N7A-VM specications summaryRear panel connectors 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port 1 x VGA port 1 x Optical S/PDIF Out port 1 x DisplayPort 1

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

1-2 Chapter 1: Product Introduction1.1 Welcome!Thank you for buying an ASUS® P5N7A-VM motherboard!The motherboard delivers a host of new features and

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-3NVIDIA GeForce 9300 Chipset The NVIDIA GeForce® 9300 motherboard GPU is the industry’s rst desktop PC singlechip solution for Intel

1-4 Chapter 1: Product IntroductionDue to chipset limitation, DisplayPort on this motherboard only supports video signals.DisplayPort This motherboar

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-5HDMITM Interface High-Deniton Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is the rst and only industry-supported, uncompressed, all digital au

1-6 Chapter 1: Product IntroductionASUS EZ DIYASUS EZ DIY feature collection provides you easy ways to install computer components, update the BIOS or

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-71.3.4 ASUS Intelligent Overclocking featuresC.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall) The C.P.R. feature of the motherboard BIOS allows automat

iiE3921First Edition August 2008Copyright © 2008 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.No part of this manual, including the products and software

1-8 Chapter 1: Product Introduction1.4 Before you proceedTake note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change a

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-91.5 Motherboard overviewBefore you install the motherboard, study the conguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard t

1-10 Chapter 1: Product Introduction1.5.3 Motherboard layoutRefer to 1.10 Connectors for more information about rear panel connectors and internal co

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-111.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)The motherboard comes with a surface mount LGA775 socket designed for the Intel® Core™2 Quad/Core™

1-12 Chapter 1: Product Introduction3. Lift the load lever in the direction of the arrow to a 135º angle.4. Lift the load plate with your thumb and

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-13The CPU ts in only one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the connectors on the socket an

1-14 Chapter 1: Product Introduction1.6.2 Installling the CPU heatsink and fanThe Intel® Core™ 2 Quad/Core™ 2 Duo/Pentium D/Pentium® 4/Celeron® proce

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-15• Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring errors can occur if you fail to plug this connector.• We r

1-16 Chapter 1: Product Introduction1.6.3 Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fanTo uninstall the CPU heatsink and fan:1. Disconnect the CPU fan cabl

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-175. Rotate each fastener clockwise to ensure correct orientation when reinstalling.Narrow end of the grooveRefer to the documentatio

iiiContentsNotices ... viSafety information ...

1-18 Chapter 1: Product IntroductionChannel SocketsChannel A DIMM_A1 and DIMM_A2Channel B DIMM_B1 and DIMM_B21.7 System memory1.7.1 OverviewThe moth

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-19• You may install varying memory sizes in Channel A and Channel B. The system maps the total size of the lower-sized channel for th

1-20 Chapter 1: Product Introduction(continued on the next page)512MB Kingmax KLCC28F-A8KB5 N/A Kingmax SS KKEA88B4LAUG-29DX • •1G Kingmax KLCD48F-A8K

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-21(continued on the next page)2G Kingston KHX6400D2/2G N/A Kingston DS Heat-Sink Package • •4G Kingston KVR800D2N6/4G N/A Elpida DS E

1-22 Chapter 1: Product IntroductionSS - Single-sided/DS - Double - sided DIMM support: • A*: Supports one module inserted in any slot as Single-chan

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-231.7.3 Installing a DIMMUnplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other system components. Failure to do so can cau

1-24 Chapter 1: Product Introduction1.8 Expansion slotsIn the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following sub-sections describe th

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-251.8.3 Interrupt assignmentsIRQ Priority Standard function0 1 System timer1 2 Keyboard controller2– Re-direct to IRQ#93 11 IRQ holde

1-26 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 P5N7A-VM 1-271.9 Jumper1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC)This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. You can clear the

ivContents1.10 Connectors ... 1-281.10.1 Rear panel connectors ...

1-28 Chapter 1: Product Introduction1.10 Connectors1.10.1 Rear panel connectorsLAN port LED indicationsSPEED LEDACT/LINK LEDLAN portActivity/Link LE

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-29Audio 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel congurationRefer to the audio conguration table below for the function of the audio ports in 2, 4, 6,

1-30 Chapter 1: Product IntroductionPlayback of HD DVD and Blu-Ray Discs The speed and bandwidth of the CPU/Memory, DVD player, and drivers will affec

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-313. Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT for ASUS HDMI VGA card)This connector is for an additional Sony/Philips Digital Inter

1-32 Chapter 1: Product Introduction4. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE)The onboard IDE connector is for the Ultra DMA 133/100 signal cable. There are

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-335. NVIDIA nForce 730i Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1 [red], SATA2 [red], SATA4 [red], SATA5 [black], SATA6 [black])These connec

1-34 Chapter 1: Product Introduction6. LPT connector (26-1 pin LPT) The LPT (Line Printing Terminal) connector supports devices such as a printer. L

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-358. Optical drive audio connector (4-pin CD)These connectors allow you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources such as a CD

1-36 Chapter 1: Product Introduction10. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS)This connector is for a chassis-mounted intrusion detection sens

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-37• 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 (o

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

1-38 Chapter 1: Product Introduction• System power LED (2-pin PLED)This 2-pin connector is for the system power LED. Connect the chassis power LED cab

ASUS P5N7A-VM 1-39ASUS Q-Connector (system panel)You can use the ASUS Q-Connector to connect/disconnect chassis front panel cables in a few steps. Ref

1-40 Chapter 1: Product Introduction

2Chapter 2: BIOS setupThis chapter tells how to change the system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS paramete

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 P5N7A-VM 2-3Quit all Windows® applications before you update the BIOS using this utility.3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid networ

2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS setupUpdating the BIOS through a BIOS leTo update the BIOS through a BIOS le:1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-52.1.2 Creating a bootable oppy disk1. Do either one of the following to create a bootable oppy disk.DOS environmenta. Insert a 1

2-6 Chapter 2: BIOS setupTo update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2:1. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) to download the latest BIOS le for the motherb

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-72.1.4 AFUDOS utilityThe AFUDOS utility allows you to update the BIOS le in DOS environment using a bootable oppy disk with the upd

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

2-8 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2. Copy the AFUDOS utility (afudos.exe) from the motherboard support DVD to the bootable oppy disk you created earlier.3.

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-9• Prepare the motherboard support DVD, the oppy disk, or the USB ash disk containing the updated motherboard BIOS before using thi

2-10 Chapter 2: BIOS setupBad BIOS checksum. Starting BIOS recovery...Checking for oppy...Floppy not found!Checking for DVD-ROM...DVD-ROM found!Readi

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-112.2 BIOS setup programThis motherboard supports a programmable Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) chip that you can update using the

2-12 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.2.2 Menu barThe menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items:Main For changing the basic system congur

ASUS P5N7A-VM 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 t

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 P5N7A-VM 2-152.3.4 SATA 1/2/4; ESATAWhile entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of IDE devices. There is a separate sub-me

2-16 Chapter 2: BIOS setupSMART Monitoring [Auto]Enables or disables the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) capability of

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-172.3.6 System InformationThis menu gives you an overview of the general system specications. The BIOS automatically detects the ite

viiSafety informationElectrical safety• To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet before relocating th

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 P5N7A-VM 2-192.4.1 CPU CongurationThe items in this menu show the CPU-related information that the BIOS automatically detects. Select Screen

2-20 Chapter 2: BIOS setupCPU TM Function [Enabled]Enables or disables Intel® CPU Thermal Monitor (TM) function, a CPU overheating protection functio

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-21The following two items appear when the System Clock Mode item is set to [Linked].FSB - Memory Ratio [Auto]Allows you to select the

2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS setupMemory Over Voltage [Auto]Allows you to set the Memory Over Voltage. Use +/- to adjust the voltage. The increment is 0.00625

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-23tWTR [Auto]Allows you to set tWTR. Conguration options:[Auto] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]Burst Length [Auto]Allows you to set t

2-24 Chapter 2: BIOS setupiGPU and Ext-VGA Selection [Disable iGPU if Ex]Allows you to select the internal VGA card or the external VGA card to displa

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-252.4.4 OnBoard Devices CongurationOnboard Device Conguraiton Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4]Parallel Port Address [378]Parallel

2-26 Chapter 2: BIOS setupAZALIA Audio [Auto]Allows you to enable or disable the AZALIA Audio. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Auto]Front Panel Typ

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-272.4.5 USB CongurationThe items in this menu allows you to change the USB-related features. Select an item then press <Enter>

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

2-28 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.4.6 PCIPnPThe PCI PnP menu items allow you to change the advanced settings for PCI/PnP devices.Take caution when changing

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-292.5 Power menuThe Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced Power Management (APM). Select an item then pr

2-30 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.5.4 APM Conguration Select Screen Select Item+- Change OptionF1 General HelpF10 Save and ExitESC Exitv02.61

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-312.5.5 Hardware Monitorv02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. Select Screen Select Item+- Change FieldF1

2-32 Chapter 2: BIOS setupCPU Fan Prole [Optimal]Allows you to set the appropriate performance level of the CPU Q-Fan. When set to [Optimal], the CPU

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-332.6 Boot menuThe Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. Select an item then press <Enter> to display th

2-34 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.6.2 Boot Settings CongurationBoot Settings CongurationQuick Boot [Enabled]Full Screen Logo [Enabled]AddOn ROM Displa

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-352.6.3 SecurityThe Security menu items allow you to change the system security settings. Select an item then press <Enter> to

2-36 Chapter 2: BIOS setup<Enter> to changepassword.<Enter> again to disabled password.BIOS SETUP UTILITY Boot

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-372.7 Tools menuThe Tools menu items allow you to congure options for special functions. Select an item then press <Enter> to

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

2-38 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.7.2 Express Gate [Enabled]Allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Express Gate feature. The ASUS Express Gate feature is

ASUS P5N7A-VM 2-392.8 Exit menuThe Exit menu items allow you to load the optimal or failsafe default values for the BIOS items, and save or discard y

2-40 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

3Chapter 3: Software supportThis chapter describes the contents of the support DVD 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 DVD to locate the le ASSETUP.EXE from t

ASUS P5N7A-VM 3-33.2.2 Drivers menuThe drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed devices. Install the necessary

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

ASUS P5N7A-VM 3-5ASUS PC Probe IIThis smart utility monitors the fan speed, CPU temperature, and system voltages, and alerts you of any detected probl

3-6 Chapter 3: Software support3.2.4 Make Disk menuThe Make Disk menu allows you to make a RAID driver disk.NVIDIA 32/64bit XP AHCI DriverAllows you

ASUS P5N7A-VM 3-73.2.4 Manual menuThe Manual menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals. Click an item to open the folder of the user manual.