Asus M3A78-VM User Manual Page 1

MotherboardM3A78-VM

xM3A78-VM specications summary(continued on the next page)CPU AMD® Socket AM2+ / AM2 for AMD Phenom™FX / Phenom / Athlon™ / Sempron™ processor AMD Co

xiM3A78-VM specications summaryExpansion slots 1 x PCI Express™ x16 slot 1 x PCI Express™ x1 slot 2 x PCI 2.2 slots Supports PCI Express™ 2.0 / 1.0

xiiInternal I/O connectors 3 x USB 2.0 connectors support additional 6 USB 2.0/1.1 ports 1 x Floppy disk drive connector 1 x IDE connector 1 x COM

1Product 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® M3A78-VM motherboard!The motherboard delivers a host of new features and

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-3AMD Socket AM2 Athlon 64 X2 / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 / Sempron CPU supportThe motherboard supports AMD socket AM2 single-c

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introductionDVI Interface DVI (Digital Visual Interface) provides high visual quality of digital display devices such as LC

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-5Max. 12 USB 2.0 ports USB 2.0 is the latest connectivity standard for next generation components and peripherals. Backwards compat

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features ASUS CrashFree BIOS3 The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BI

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-7Onboard LEDThe motherboard comes with a standby power LED that lights up to indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft

iiCopyright © 2008 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 introduction1.5.1 Motherboard layout1.5 Motherboard overviewM3A78-VMPCIEX16PCIEX1_1PCI2PCI1FLOPPYUSB78 USB910 USB1112SPDIF_OU

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-9Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard.1.5.2 Placement directionWhen installing the motherboard, ensure

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)The motherboard comes with an AM2+ socket designed for AMD® Phenom™ FX / Phenom

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-113. Position the CPU above the socket such that the CPU corner with the gold triangle matches the socket corner with a small triang

1-12 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.6.2 Installing the heatsink and fanThe AMD Phenom™ FX / Phenom / Athlon™ / Sempron™ processors require a specia

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-132. Attach one end of the retention bracket to the retention module base.3. Align the other end of the retention bracket (near the

1-14 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.7 System memory1.7.1 OverviewThe motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) Dual Inline Memory Modu

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-15• When using only one memory module, start installing the DDR2 DIMM from slot DIMM_A1 or DIMM_B1 for better overclocking capability

1-16 Chapter 1: Product introductionDDR2-800MHz capabilitySize Vendor Part No. CL Chip BrandSS/DS Chip No.DIMM support (Optional)A* B* C*1G Kingston K

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-17DDR2-667MHz capability Size Vendor Part No. CL Chip BrandSS/DS Chip No.DIMM support (Optional)A* B* C*512MB Kingston KVR667D2N5/512

iiiContentsNotices ... viSafety information ...

1-18 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.7.3 Installing a DIMM1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward.2. Align a DIMM on the s

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-191.8 Expansion slotsIn the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following sub-sections describe the slots and the ex

1-20 Chapter 1: Product introductionInterrupt assignmentsIRQ Standard Function0 System timer1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard2 Prog

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-211.8.3 PCI slotsThe PCI slots support cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply with PCI specicati

1-22 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.9 Jumpers1. Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC)This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. You c

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-231.10 Connectors1.10.1 Rear panel connectors4 5 6 71 32891114 1013 121. PS/2 keyboard/Mouse Combo port (purple). This port is for

1-24 Chapter 1: Product introductionRefer to the audio conguration table for the function of the audio ports in 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel conguration.Au

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-251.10.2 Internal connectors1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)This connector is for the oppy disk drive (FDD) signal

1-26 Chapter 1: Product introduction3. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE)The onboard IDE connector is for an Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cable. There a

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-274. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4, SATA5, SATA6)These connectors are for the Serial ATA signal cables for

ivContentsChapter 2: BIOS setup2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ... 2-22.1.1 Creating a bootable oppy

1-28 Chapter 1: Product introduction5. Power, CPU, and Chassis Fan connectors (3-pin PWR_FAN, 4-pin CPU_FAN, 3-pin CHA_FAN)The fan connectors support

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-296. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB78, USB910, USB1112)These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the USB module cable to any of t

1-30 Chapter 1: Product introduction7. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP)This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O modul

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-318. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V)These connectors are for an ATX power supply. The plugs from the power supply

1-32 Chapter 1: Product introduction9. System panel connector (20-8 pin PANEL) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.• System p

ASUS M3A78-VM 1-3310. TPM connector (20-1 pin TPM) This connector supports a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) system, which can securely store keys, dig

1-34 Chapter 1: Product introduction12. LPT connectorThe LPT (Line Printing Terminal) connector supports devices such as a printer. LPT standardizes

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

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 M3A78-VM 2-32.1.2 AFUDOS utilityThe AFUDOS utility allows you to update the BIOS le in DOS environment using a bootable oppy disk with the upd

vContents2.5.4 APM Conguration ... 2-312.5.5 HW Monitor Conguration ...

2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS setupThe utility returns to the DOS prompt after copying the current BIOS le.3. Press <Enter> The utility copies the curre

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-55. The utility returns to the DOS prompt after the BIOS update process is completed. Reboot the system from the hard disk drive.A:\&

2-6 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.1.3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utilityThe ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS l

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-7Recovering the BIOS from the support DVDTo recover the BIOS from the support DVD:1. Remove any oppy disk from the oppy disk drive,

2-8 Chapter 2: BIOS setupTo update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2:1. Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com to download the latest BIOS le for the mother

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-9Installing ASUS UpdateTo install ASUS Update:1. Place the support DVD in the optical drive. The Drivers menu appears. 2. Click the

2-10 Chapter 2: BIOS setup3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network trafc, or click Auto Select. Click Next.Updating the BIOS through

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-11Updating the BIOS through a BIOS leTo update the BIOS through a BIOS le:1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows® deskt

2-12 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.2 BIOS setup programThis motherboard supports a programmable Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) chip that you can update u

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-132.2.1 BIOS menu screen2.2.2 Menu barThe menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items:Main For changing the basi

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 setup2.2.4 Menu itemsThe highlighted item on the menu bar displays the specic items for that menu. For example, selecting Main

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-152.2.8 Pop-up windowSelect a menu item then press <Enter> to display a pop-up window with the conguration options for that i

2-16 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 M3A78-VM 2-172.3.4 Primary IDE Master/SlaveWhile entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of IDE devices. There is a separat

2-18 Chapter 2: BIOS setupDMA Mode [Auto]Selects the DMA mode. Conguration options: [Auto]SMART Monitoring [Auto]Sets the Smart Monitoring, Analysis

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-19Block (Multi-sector Transfer) M [Auto]Enables or disables data multi-sectors transfers. When set to [Auto], the data transfer from

2-20 Chapter 2: BIOS setupOnChip SATA Type [SATA]This item appears only when you set the OnChip SATA Channel item to [Enabled]. Allows you to set the

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-212.4.1 JumperFree Conguration2.4 Advanced menuThe Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other syst

2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS setupCPU Overclocking [Auto]Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal frequency. Select either

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-232.4.2 CPU CongurationThe items in this menu show the CPU-related information that the BIOS automatically detects.GART Error Repor

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

2-24 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.4.3 ChipsetNorthBridge CongurationNorthBridge Chipset Conguration Memory Conguration ECC CongurationMemory CLK :33

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-25Bank Interleaving [Auto]Allows you to enable the bank memory interleaving. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Auto]Channel Interlea

2-26 Chapter 2: BIOS setupDisplayPort Conguration [Disabled]Allows you to congure PCIe lane for the onboard DisplayPort. Conguration options: [Auto

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-272.4.4 Onboard Device CongurationSerial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4]Allows you to select the Serial Port1 base address. Conguration

2-28 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.4.5 PCIPnPThe PCI PnP menu items allow you to change the advanced settings for PCI/PnP devices. The menu includes setting

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-29USB Functions [Enabled]Enables or disables USB Controllers. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]USB 2.0 Controller [Enabled]E

2-30 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.5 Power menuThe Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced Conguration and Power Interface (ACPI

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-312.5.4 APM CongurationRestore on AC Power Loss [Always Off]When set to Power Off, the system goes into off state after an AC power

2-32 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.5.5 HW Monitor Congurationv02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. Select Screen Select Item+- Ch

ASUS M3A78-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 t

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

2-34 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.6.2 Boot Settings Conguration Select Screen Select Item+- Change OptionF1 General HelpF10 Save and ExitESC

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-35AddOn ROM Display Mode [Force BIOS]Sets the display mode for option ROM. Conguration options: [Force BIOS] [Keep Current]Bootup Nu

2-36 Chapter 2: BIOS setupChange Supervisor PasswordSelect this item to set or change the supervisor password. The Supervisor Password item on top of

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-37 Select Screen Select ItemEnter ChangeF1 General HelpF10 Save and ExitESC Exitv02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Me

2-38 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.7 Tools menuThe Tools menu items allow you to congure options for special functions. Select an item then press <Enter

ASUS M3A78-VM 2-392.7.2 Express Gate [Enabled]Allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Express Gate feature. The ASUS Express Gate feature is a uniqu

2-40 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.8 Exit menuThe Exit menu items allow you to load the optimal or failsafe default values for the BIOS items, and save or d

3Software 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

3-3ASUS M3A78-VM3.2.2 Drivers menuThe Drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed devices. Install the necessary

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

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

3-5ASUS M3A78-VMMicrosoft DirectX 9.0cInstalls the Microsoft® DirectX 9.0c driver. The Microsoft DirectX® 9.0c is a multimedia technology that enhance

3-6 Chapter 3: Software support3.2.4 Make disk menuThe Make disk menu allows you to make a RAID driver disk.Make ATI RAID/AHCI Vista32 DriverAllows y

3-7ASUS M3A78-VM3.2.5 Manual menuThe Manual menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals. Click an item to open the folder of the user manual.M

3-8 Chapter 3: Software support3.2.6 ASUS Contact informationClick the Contact tab to display the ASUS contact information. You can also nd this inf

3-9ASUS M3A78-VMTechnical support FormDisplays the ASUS Technical Support Request Form that you have to ll out when requesting technical support.File

3-10 Chapter 3: Software support