Asus P7F-M User Manual Page 1

MotherboardP7F-M

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

5-6 Chapter 5: RAID configuration5.2.1 Creating a RAID setThe LSI Software RAID Configuration Utility allows you to create a RAID 0, RAID 1, or RAID

ASUS P7F-M 5-73. Select all the drives required for the RAID set, and then press <F10> to configure array setting.4. Press <Space> to se

5-8 Chapter 5: RAID configuration5. Press <F10> again, the virtual drive information appears including a Virtual Drive menu that allows you to

ASUS P7F-M 5-98. When creating a RAID 1 or a RAID 10 set, select DWC from the Virtual Drive menu, and then press <Enter>. When creating a RAID

5-10 Chapter 5: RAID configuration11. Follow step 2 to 10 to configure additional virtual drives.12. Press <Esc> to finish RAID configuration.

ASUS P7F-M 5-112. Follow step 2 to 7 of the previous section: Using Easy Conguration.3. Select Size from the Virtual Drive menu, and then press <

5-12 Chapter 5: RAID configuration5.2.2 Adding or viewing a RAID congurationYou can add a new RAID configuration or view an existing configuration u

ASUS P7F-M 5-135.2.3 Initializing the virtual drivesAfter creating the RAID set(s), you must initialize the virtual drives. You may initialize the vi

5-14 Chapter 5: RAID configuration3. Press <F10> to start initialization. When prompted, select Yes from the Initialize? dialog box, and then p

ASUS P7F-M 5-15Using the Objects commandTo initialize the virtual drives using the Objects command1. From the Management Menu, select Objects > Vi

xiP7F-M specications summaryRefer to 2.3 Central Processing Unit for more information on CPU.Model Name P7F-MProcessor / System Bus1 * Socket LGA1156

5-16 Chapter 5: RAID configuration3. Select Initialize from the pop-up menu, and then press <Enter> to start initialization.Management MenuCon

ASUS P7F-M 5-175.2.4 Rebuilding failed drivesYou can manually rebuild failed hard disk drives using the Rebuild command in the Management Menu.To reb

5-18 Chapter 5: RAID configuration3. After selecting the drive to rebuild, press <F10>. When prompted, press <Y> to rebuild the drive.4.

ASUS P7F-M 5-195.2.5 Checking the drives for data consistencyYou can check and verify the accuracy of data redundancy in the selected virtual drive.

5-20 Chapter 5: RAID configuration3. When prompted, use the arrow keys to select Yes from the Consistency Check? dialog box, and then press <Enter

ASUS P7F-M 5-21Using the Objects commandTo check data consistency using the Objects command1. From the Management Menu, select Objects, and then sele

5-22 Chapter 5: RAID configuration5.2.6 Deleting a RAID congurationTo delete a RAID configuration1. From the Management Menu, select Congure >

ASUS P7F-M 5-235.2.7 Selecting the boot drive from a RAID setYou must have created a new RAID configuration before you can select the boot drive from

5-24 Chapter 5: RAID configuration5.2.8 Enabling WriteCacheYou may manually enable the RAID controller’s WriteCache option after creating a RAID set

ASUS P7F-M 5-255.3 Intel® Matrix Storage Manager Option ROM UtilityThe Intel® Matrix Storage Manager Option ROM utility allows you to create RAID 0

xiiP7F-M specications summary*Specications are subject to change without notice.Onboard I/O ConnectorsPSU Connector24-pin ATX power connector + 8-pi

5-26 Chapter 5: RAID configuration5.3.1 Creating a RAID setTo create a RAID set1. From the utility main menu, select 1. Create RAID Volume and press

ASUS P7F-M 5-276. Use the up/down arrow key to select the stripe size for the RAID array (for RAID 0, 10 and 5 only), and then press <Enter>. T

5-28 Chapter 5: RAID configuration2. Enter a name for the recovery set and press <Enter>.3. When the RAID Level item is selected, press the up

ASUS P7F-M 5-295.3.3 Deleting a RAID setTake caution when deleting a RAID set. You will lose all data on the hard disk drives when you delete a RAID

5-30 Chapter 5: RAID configuration5.3.4 Resetting disks to Non-RAIDTake caution before you reset a RAID volume hard disk drive to non-RAID. Resetting

ASUS P7F-M 5-315.3.5 Recovery Volume OptionsIf you have created a recovery set, you can configure more recovery set options following the description

5-32 Chapter 5: RAID configurationSelect a destination disk with the same size as the original hard disk.[ DEGRADED VOLUME DETECTED ][↑↓]-Previous/Nex

ASUS P7F-M 5-333. The utility immediately starts rebuilding after the disk is selected. The status of the degraded RAID volume is changed to “Rebuild

5-34 Chapter 5: RAID configuration5.3.8 Setting the Boot array in the BIOS Setup UtilityYou can set the boot priority sequence in the BIOS for your R

6Driver installationThis chapter provides instructions for installing the necessary drivers for different system components.

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

ASUS P7F-MChapter summary66.1 RAID driver installation ... 6-36.2 Intel chipset device s

ASUS P7F-M6-36.1 RAID driver installationAfter creating the RAID sets for your server system, you are now ready to install an operating system to the

6-4Chapter 6: Driver installation6. Locate the RAID driver and place a blank, high-density floppy disk to the floppy disk drive.7. Press <Enter&g

ASUS P7F-M6-5To create a RAID driver disk in Windows® environment1. Start Windows®.2. Place the motherboard support DVD into the optical drive.3.

6-6Chapter 6: Driver installation6.1.2 Installing the RAID controller driverWindows® Server OSDuring Windows® Server OS installationTo install the RA

ASUS P7F-M6-74. Insert the RAID driver disk you created earlier to the floppy disk drive, then press <Enter>.5. Select the RAID controller dri

6-8Chapter 6: Driver installationTo verify the RAID controller driver installation:1. Right-click the My Computer icon on the Windows® desktop, and t

ASUS P7F-M6-9Red Hat® Enterprise Linux OS 4.7/4.8To install the RAID controller driver when installing Red Hat Red Hat® Enterprise OS:1. Boot the sys

6-10Chapter 6: Driver installation7. Select your desired language and press <Enter> to continue.OK#Choose a LanguageWhat language would you lik

ASUS P7F-M6-119. Select the media and press <tab> to select OK. Press<Enter> to continue.OKInstallation MethodWhat type of media contains

ASUS P7F-MChapter summary11.1 Welcome! ... 1-31.2 Package content

6-12Chapter 6: Driver installation11. Scroll down to locate the driver and press <Enter> to continue.BackSelect Device Driver to LoadPlease sel

ASUS P7F-M6-1313. Select Done and press <Enter> to continue.Add Device DevicesThe following devices have been found on your system. Intel Pr

6-14Chapter 6: Driver installationRed Hat® Enterprise Linux OS 5.0To install the RAID controller driver when installing Red Hat Red Hat® Enterprise OS

ASUS P7F-M6-157. When asked if you will load additional RAID controller drivers, select No, then press <Enter>.6. Insert the Red Hat® Enterpri

6-16Chapter 6: Driver installation10. Type the following commands when using a USB floppy. cat /proc/partitionsWrite down the Major and Minor number

ASUS P7F-M6-17SUSE Linux OSTo install the RAID controller driver when installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Server OS:1. Boot the system from the SUSE OS

6-18Chapter 6: Driver installation4. Insert the RAID driver disk to the floppy disk drive. Make sure that Installation from the Boot Options menu is

ASUS P7F-M6-196.2 Intel® chipset device installationThis section provides instructions on how to install the Plug and Play components for the Intel®

6-20Chapter 6: Driver installation5. Select Yes to accept the terms of the License Agreement and continue the process.6. Read the Readme File Inform

ASUS P7F-M6-216.3 LAN driver installationThis section provides instructions on how to install the Intel® Gigabit LAN controller drivers on a Windows®

ASUS P7F-M 1-31.1 Welcome!Thank you for buying an ASUS® P7F-M motherboard!The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies, ma

6-22Chapter 6: Driver installation5. Click Next when the Intel(R) Network Connections–InstallShield Wizard window appears. 6. Toggle I accept the te

ASUS P7F-M6-238. Follow the screen instructions to complete installation.9. When finished, press Finish to continue.

6-24Chapter 6: Driver installation6.4 VGA driver installationThis section provides instructions on how to install the Aspeed® Video Graphics Adapter

ASUS P7F-M6-255. When the installation completes, click Finish to restart your computer before using the program.4. Click Install to update the VGA

6-26Chapter 6: Driver installation6.5 Management applications and utilities installationThe support DVD that came with the motherboard package cont

ASUS P7F-M6-276.5.3 Utilities menuThe Utilities menu displays the software applications and utilities that the motherboard supports. Click an item to

6-28Chapter 6: Driver installation

AReference informationThis appendix includes additional information that you may refer to when configuring the motherboard.

Appendix summaryAASUS P7F-MA.1 P7F-M block diagram ...A-3

ASUS P7F-M A-3A.1 P7F-M block diagram

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.4 Special features1.4.1 Product highlightsIntel® LGA1156 Xeon 3400 Processor ReadyThis motherboard supports the

A-4 Appendix A: Reference information

ASUS P7F-M 1-5DDR3 memory supportThe P7F-M supports UDIMM and RDIMM DDR3 memory that features data transfer rates of 1333/1066 MHZ to meet the higher

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introductionTemperature, fan, and voltage monitoringThe CPU temperature is monitored to prevent overheating and damage. The sys

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

iiE5041First Edition V1 October 2009Copyright © 2009 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.No part of this manual, including the products and soft

ASUS P7F-MChapter summary22.1 Before you proceed ... 2-32.2 Motherboard overview .

ASUS P7F-M 2-32.1 Before you proceedTake note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settin

2-4 Chapter 2: Hardware information2. BMC LED (BMC_LED1) The green heartbeat LED blinks per second to indicate that the ASMB4 is working normally.•

ASUS P7F-M 2-52.2 Motherboard overviewBefore you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits

2-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information2.2.3 Motherboard layout

ASUS P7F-M 2-72.2.4 Layout contentsSlots/Soocket Page1. CPU sockets2-92. DDR3 sockets2-153. PCI Express x 16 slot (x16 link)2-194. PCI Express x

2-8 Chapter 2: Hardware informationInternal connectors Page1. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4; RED) (7-pin SATA5, SATA6;

ASUS P7F-M 2-92.3.1 Installing the CPUTo install a CPU:1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.Before installing the CPU, ensure that the socket

2-10 Chapter 2: Hardware information3. Lift the load lever in the direction of the arrow until the load plate is completely lifted.4. Remove the PnP

ASUS P7F-M 2-117. 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 re

iiiContentsNotices ... viiSafety information ...

2-12 Chapter 2: Hardware information2.3.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fanThe Intel® LGA1156 processor requires a specially designed heatsink and

ASUS P7F-M 2-133. Connect the CPU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_FAN.DO NOT forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardw

2-14 Chapter 2: Hardware information2.3.4 Installing the CPU heatsink in rackThe Intel® 1156 processors require a specially designed heatsink to ensu

ASUS P7F-M 2-152.4 System memory2.4.1 OverviewThe motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 3 (DDR3) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets.A

2-16 Chapter 2: Hardware information2.4.3 Installing a DIMMUnplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other system components. Failur

ASUS P7F-M 2-172.5 Expansion slotsIn the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following subsections describe the slots and the expans

2-18 Chapter 2: Hardware information* These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.IRQ Priority Standard function0 1 System Timer1 2 Keyboa

ASUS P7F-M 2-192.5.4 PCI Express x16 slot (x16 link)The onboard PCI Express x16 slots provides one x16 link to CPU. This slot supports VGA cards and

2-20 Chapter 2: Hardware information2.5.7 Installing ASMB4 management boardFollow the steps below to install an optional ASMB4 management board on yo

ASUS P7F-M 2-212.5.9 Connect Thermal sensor cableFollow the steps below to connect the thermal sensor cable to the connector on your motherboard.1.

ivContents2.5.6 PCI Express x16 slot (x16 link) ... 2-182.5.7 PCI Express x1 slot ...

2-22 Chapter 2: Hardware information2.6 Jumpers1. Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC1)This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. You

ASUS P7F-M 2-232. VGA controller setting (3-pin VGA_SW1)This jumper allows you to enable or disable the onboard VGA controller. Set to pins 1–2 to ac

2-24 Chapter 2: Hardware information4. LAN controller setting (3-pin LAN_SW1, LAN_SW2)These jumpers allow you to enable or disable the onboard Intel®

ASUS P7F-M 2-256. Force BIOS recovery setting (3-pin RECOVERY1)This jumper allows you to quickly update or recover the BIOS settings when it becomes

2-26 Chapter 2: Hardware information2.7 Connectors2.7.1 Rear panel connectors1. PS/2 mouse port (green). This port is for a PS/2 mouse.2. RJ-45 po

ASUS P7F-M 2-272.7.2 Internal connectors1. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4; RED) (7-pin SATA5, SATA6; Black)Supported by th

2-28 Chapter 2: Hardware information3. USB connector (10-1 pin USB34, USB56; A-Type USB7)These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the USB modu

ASUS P7F-M 2-295. Serial General Purpose Input/Output connector (6-1 pin SGPIO1)This connector is used for the SGPIO peripherals for the LSI MegaRAID

2-30 Chapter 2: Hardware information7. BMC header (BMC_FW1) The BMC connector on the motherboard supports an ASUS® Server Management Board 4 Series

ASUS P7F-M 2-319. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR1, 8-pin EATX12V1)These connectors are for an ATX power supply plugs. The power supply plugs ar

vContents4.3.2 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx] ... 4-104.3.3 SATA1—6 ...

2-32 Chapter 2: Hardware information11. System panel connector (20-pin PANEL1)This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.1. System po

ASUS P7F-M 2-3312. Auxiliary panel connector (20-pin AUX_PANEL1)This connector is for additional front panel features including front panel SMB, loca

2-34 Chapter 2: Hardware information

3Powering upThis chapter describes the power up sequence, and ways of shutting down the system.

ASUS P7F-MChapter summary33.1 Starting up for the rst time ... 3-33.2 Turning off the computer

ASUS P7F-M 3-33.1 Starting up for the rst time1. After making all the connections, replace the system case cover. 2. Be sure that all switches are

3-4 Chapter 3: Powering up3.2 Powering off the computer3.2.1 Using the OS shut down functionIf you are using Windows® 2003 Server:1. Click the Sta

4BIOS setupThis chapter tells how to change the system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also pr

Chapter summary4ASUS P7F-M4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ... 4-14.2 BIOS setup program ...

ASUS P7F-M 4-34.1 Managing and updating your BIOSThe following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic Input/Output System (BI

viContents5.2.1 Creating a RAID set ... 5-65.2.2 Adding or viewing a RAID configuration ...

4-4 Chapter 4: BIOS setup3. Press <Tab> to switch between drives until the correct BIOS file is found. When found, EZ Flash 2 performs the BIOS

ASUS P7F-M 4-54. The utility verifies the file, then starts updating the BIOS file.DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to pr

4-6 Chapter 4: BIOS setup4.1.3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utilityThe ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS fi

ASUS P7F-M 4-74.2 BIOS setup programThis motherboard supports a programmable firmware chip that you can update using the provided utility described i

4-8 Chapter 4: BIOS setupv02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc.BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Advanced Server Power Boot Too

ASUS P7F-M 4-94.2.4 Menu itemsThe highlighted item on the menu bar displays the specific items for that menu. For example, selecting Main shows the M

4-10 Chapter 4: BIOS setup4.3 Main menuWhen you enter the BIOS Setup program, the Main menu screen appears, giving you an overview of the basic syste

ASUS P7F-M 4-114.3.3 SATA1—6While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of IDE/SATA devices. There is a separate submenu for ea

4-12 Chapter 4: BIOS setupDMA Mode [Auto]Sets the DMA mode. Configuration options: [Auto] [SWDMA0] [SWDMA1] [SWDMA2] [MWDMA0] [MWDMA1] [MWDMA2] [UDMA

ASUS P7F-M 4-13v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc.BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Storage Conguration SATA Conguration [Enhanced]

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

4-14 Chapter 4: BIOS setupSATA Port1 [Auto]Allows you to select the type of device connected to the system. Configuration options: [Auto] [Not Install

ASUS P7F-M 4-154.3.6 System InformationThis menu gives you an overview of the general system specifications. The BIOS automatically detects the items

4-16 Chapter 4: BIOS setup4.4 Advanced menuThe Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices.Take caution

ASUS P7F-M 4-17Scroll down for more items.v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced CPU TM Function

4-18 Chapter 4: BIOS setupCPU TM Function [Enabled]This function enables the overheated CPU to throttle the clock speed to cool down. Configuration op

ASUS P7F-M 4-19C6 State [Enabled]Allows you to select Nehalem C state action. Configuratiton options: [Disabled] [Enabled]C State package limit settin

4-20 Chapter 4: BIOS setupv02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced Advanced Chipset Settings WARNING

ASUS P7F-M 4-21Congure DRAM Timing by SPD [Enabled]Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled]The ofllowing 10 items appear when you set Configure DR

4-22 Chapter 4: BIOS setupDouble Rate Refresh [Auto]Allows you to enable or disable Double Rate Refresh. Configuration options: [Auto] [Disabled]Page

ASUS P7F-M 4-23Onboard LAN1/2 Boot ROM [PXE]Allows you to configure the onboard LAN1/2 boot mode. Configuration: [Disabled] [PXE] [iSCSI]Serial Port1

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

4-24 Chapter 4: BIOS setupBIOS EHCI Hand-Off [Enabled]Enables or disables the BIOS EHCI hand-off support. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]4

ASUS P7F-M 4-254.4.6 ACPI Congurationv02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc.BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced ACPI Settings Advan

4-26 Chapter 4: BIOS setupBIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced South Bridge ACPI CongurationEnergy Lake Feature [Disabled]APIC ACPI SCI IRQ [

ASUS P7F-M 4-27BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main AdvancedEvent Logging detailsView Event LogMark all event as readClear Event Log4.4.7 Event Log Conguratio

4-28 Chapter 4: BIOS setup4.5.1 Remote Access CongurationThe items in this menu allows you to configure the Remote Access features. Select an item t

ASUS P7F-M 4-29Serial port number [COM2]Selects the serial port for console redirection. Configuration options: [COM1] [COM2]Base Address. IRQ [2F8h,

4-30 Chapter 4: BIOS setup4.6 Power menuv02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc.BIOS SETUP UTILITYMain Advanced Server Powe

ASUS P7F-M 4-31Power On By RTC Alarm [Disabled]Allows you to enable or disable RTC to generate a wake-up event. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Ena

4-32 Chapter 4: BIOS setup4.6.2 Hardware Monitorv02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc.BIOS SETUP UTILITY

ASUS P7F-M 4-334.7 Boot menuThe Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the s

ixAbout this guideThis user guide contains the information you need when installing and configuring the motherboard.How this guide is organizedThis us

4-34 Chapter 4: BIOS setup4.7.3 Boot Settings CongurationQuick Boot [Enabled]Enabling this item allows the BIOS to skip some power on self tests (PO

ASUS P7F-M 4-354.7.4 SecurityThe Security menu items allow you to change the system security settings. Select an item then press <Enter> to dis

4-36 Chapter 4: BIOS setupAfter you have set a supervisor password, the other items appear to allow you to change other security settings. User Access

ASUS P7F-M 4-374.8 Tools menuThe Tools menu items allow you to configure options for special functions. Select an item then press <Enter> to di

4-38 Chapter 4: BIOS setup4.9 Exit menuThe Exit menu items allow you to load the optimal or failsafe default values for the BIOS items, and save or d

5RAID congurationThis chapter provides instructions for setting up, creating, and configuring RAID sets using the available utilities.

5.1 Setting up RAID ... 5-15.2 LSI Software RAID Conguration Utility ...

ASUS P7F-M 5-35.1 Setting up RAIDThe motherboard comes with the Intel® 3420 controller that supports the following SATA RAID solutions:• LSI MegaRAID

5-4 Chapter 5: RAID configuration5.1.3 Setting the RAID item in BIOSYou must set the RAID item in the BIOS Setup before you can create a RAID set fro

ASUS P7F-M 5-53. The utility main window appears. Use the arrow keys to select an option from the Management Menu and then press <Enter>. Refer