Asus M2N DH Specifications

MotherboardM2N-VM DH

x*Specications are subject to change without notice. M2N-VM DH specications summaryRear panel Internal connectors Power Requ

3-8 Chapter 3: Software supportTechnical support FormDisplays the ASUS Technical Support Request Form that you have to ll out when requesting technic

3-9ASUS M2N - V M D H3.3 Creating a RAID driver diskA oppy disk with the RAID driver is required when installing Windows® 2000/XP operating system

3-10 Chapter 3: Software support

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® M2N-VM DH motherboard!The motherboard delivers a host of new features an

ASUS M2N-VM DH 1-3NVIDIA® nForce™ 430 MCP chipsets The NVIDIA® nForce™ 430 media and communications processor (MCP) Southbridge delivers NVIDIA® Gi

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introductionSerial ATA I/II technology and SATA-On-The-Go The motherboard fully supports the Serial ATA II 3.0 Gb/s te

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-51.3.2 Innovative ASUS features CrashFree BIOS 2 This feature allows you to restore the original BIOS data from the support

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introductionS/PDIF digital sound ready This motherboard provides convenient connectivity to external home theater audio syste

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-7ASUS MP3-In™ A convenient interface between computers and MP3 players, the ASUS MP3-In™ feature enables MP3 players to con

1-8 Chapter 1: Product introductionOnboard LEDThe motherboard comes with a standby power LED that lights up to indicate that the system is ON, in slee

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-91.5.1 Motherboard layout1.5 Motherboard overview24.5cm (9.6in)EATXPWRKBPWRSuper I/ODDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 bit,240-pin module)DDR2

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

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introductionRM2N-VM DHDo not overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard.1.5.2 Placement directionWhen instal

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-111.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket designed for the AMD Athlon™ 64 X2/Athlon™

1-12 Chapter 1: Product introduction3. Position the CPU above the socket such that the CPU corner with the gold triangle matches the socket corner w

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-131.6.2 Installing the heatsink and fanThe AMD Socket AM2 Athlon™ 64 X2/Athlon™ 64/Athlon™ FX/Sempron™ processor require a sp

1-14 Chapter 1: Product introduction2. Attach one end of the retention bracket to the retention module base.3. Align the other end of the retention

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-151.7.2 Memory configurationsYou may install 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2 GB unbuffered non-ECC DDR2 DIMMs into the DIMM socke

1-16 Chapter 1: Product introduction* For dual-channel memory conguration (2), you may: • install identical DIMMs in all four sockets OR • instal

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-17 Size Vendor Model Brand Side(s) Component A B CDIMM supportDDR2-800 MHz capabilityQualified Vendors L

1-18 Chapter 1: Product introductionSide (s): SS - Sin gle -side d DS - Do uble- sidedDIMM support :A - Supports one module inserted in any sl

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-191.7.3 Installing a DIMM1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward.2. Align a DIMM on the socket such

iiiContentsNotices ... viSafety information ...

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 M2N - V M D H 1-21Standard interrupt assignmentsIRQ Priority Standard Function0 1 System Timer1 2 Keyboard Controller2 – Re-direct to

1-22 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.8.3 PCI slotsThe PCI slots support cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply w

ASUS M2N - V M D H 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 t

1-24 Chapter 1: Product introduction2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56, USBPW78, USBPW910)Set these jumpers to +5V to wake up the

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-253. Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR)This jumper allows you to enable or disable the keyboard wake-up feature. Set this jumper to

1-26 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.10 Connectors1.10.1 Rear panel connectors1. PS/2 mouse port (green). This port is for a PS/2 mouse.2. Video G

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-2714. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices.15

1-28 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.10.2 Internal connectors1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)This connector is for the provided opp

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-292. IDE connectors (40-1 pin PRI_IDE)The onboard IDE connector is for Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cable(s). There are three

ivContentsChapter 2: BIOS setup2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ... 2-22.1.1 ASUS Update utility ...

1-30 Chapter 1: Product introduction3. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS)This connector is for a chassis-mounted intrusion detection senso

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-315. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4)These connectors are for the Serial ATA signal cables

1-32 Chapter 1: Product introduction6. CPU, Chassis, Power, and Chip Fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN, 3-pin CHA_FAN, 3-pin PWR_FAN, 3-pin CHIP_FAN)Th

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-33Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors. Doing so will damage the motherboard!8. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, U

1-34 Chapter 1: Product introduction10. JMicron® JMB363 Serial ATA connector (7-pin SATA_RAID1 [black])This connector is for a Serial ATA signal cab

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-3511. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP)This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O module that su

1-36 Chapter 1: Product introduction13. Parallel port connector (26-1 pin LPT)This connector is for a parallel port. Connect the parallel port module

ASUS M2N - V M D H 1-3715. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V)These connectors are for an ATX power supply. The plugs from the pow

1-38 Chapter 1: Product introduction16. System panel connector (20-8 pin PANEL) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.• System p

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

vContents2.5 Power menu ... 2-302.5.1 ACPI Suspend Type ...

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 M2N - V M D H 2-3Quit all Windows® applications before you update the BIOS using this utility.3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid

2-4 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 Window

ASUS M2N - V M D H 2-52.1.2 Creating a bootable floppy disk1. Do either one of the following to create a bootable oppy disk.DOS environmenta. In

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 M2N - V M D H 2-72.1.4 Updating the BIOSThe Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) can be updated using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility. Follow these in

2-8 Chapter 2: BIOS setup7. Press <N> when the utility prompts you to save the current BIOS le. The following screen appears.Do not turn off o

ASUS M2N - V M D H 2-92.1.5 Saving the current BIOS fileYou can use the AwardBIOS Flash Utility to save the current BIOS le. You can load the curr

2-10 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 

ASUS M2N - V M D H 2-11Recovering the BIOS from the support CDTo recover the BIOS from the support CD:1. Remove any oppy disk from the oppy disk

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

2-12 Chapter 2: BIOS setup• The default BIOS settings for this motherboard apply for most conditions to ensure optimum performance. If the system bec

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-132.2.1 BIOS menu screenSelect MenuItem Specic HelpChange the day, month, year and century.Lege nd barGene ral helpMenu barSub- me

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 M2N-VM DH 2-15System Time 15 : 30 : 36System Date Mon, Mar 2 2006 Legacy Diskette A: [1.44M, 3.5in.] Primary IDE Master [ST321122A] Prima

2-16 Chapter 2: BIOS setupF1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →←: Select Menu Enter: Select Su

ASUS M2N-VM DH 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 setupAccess Mode [Auto]The default [Auto] allows automatic detection of an IDE hard disk drive. Select [CHS] for this item if you

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-192.3.5 SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of Serial ATA devices. There is

2-20 Chapter 2: BIOS setupHeadShows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not congurable. Landing ZoneShows the number of landin

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-212.4 Advanced menuThe Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices.Take caution when c

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

2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS setupThe following item becomes user-congurable when you set AI Tuning to [AI Overclocking].Overclock Options [Disabled]Allows y

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-23Select MenuItem Specic HelpSelect Frame Buffer Size for Onboard Graphic Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanc

2-24 Chapter 2: BIOS setupDRAM ConfigurationThe items in the sub-menu show the DRAM-related information auto-detected by the BIOS.Select MenuItem Spec

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-25PCIE Spread Spectrum [Enabled]Enables or disables Spread Spectrum for PCI Express. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled]SATA S

2-26 Chapter 2: BIOS setupSelect MenuItem Specic Help Select Yes if you are using a Plug and Play capable operating system Select No if

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-27IRQ-xx assigned toWhen set to [PCI Device], the specic IRQ is free for use of PCI/PnP devices. When set to [Reserved], the IRQ is

2-28 Chapter 2: BIOS setupSATA Port 1, 2 [Enabled]Allows you to disable or set the SATA 1 and 2 ports. Conguration options: [Disabled] [SATA-1] [SATA

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-29HD Audio [Auto]Allows you to disable or set the High-Denition audio function. Conguration options: [Auto] [Disabled]Front Pane

2-30 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.5.1 ACPI Suspend Type [S1&S3]Allows you to select the Advanced Conguration and Power Interface (ACPI) state to be us

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-312.5.3 APM ConfigurationSelect MenuItem Specic HelpSelect system power state when AC Power returns.APM Conguration Restore on

viiiM2N-VM DH specications summary(continued on the next page)CPU ChipsetFront Side BusMemory Expansion slots Graphics

2-32 Chapter 2: BIOS setupPower On By RTC Alarm [Disabled]Allows you to enable or disable RTC to generate a wake event. When this item is set to Enabl

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-332.5.4 Hardware MonitorThe items in this sub-menu displays the hardware monitor values automatically detected by the BIOS. It also

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 M2N-VM DH 2-351st ~ 4th Boot Device [Removable]These items specify the boot device priority sequence from the available devices. The number of de

2-36 Chapter 2: BIOS setupTypematic Rate (Chars/Sec) [6] Allows you to select the rate at which a character repeats when you hold a key. Conguration

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-37Halt On [All, But Keyboard]Allows you to error report type. Conguration options: [All Errors] [No Errors] [All, But Keybo

2-38 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2. Press any key to continue. The password eld setting is changed to Clear.

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-392.7 Tools menuThe Tools menu items allow you to congure options for special functions. Select an item then press <Enter> to

2-40 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 1. Insert the storage device that contains the “xxx.CMO” BIOS prole. 2. Turn on the system. 3. Enter BIOS setup prog

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-414. Press <Tab> to select the drive with the BIOS prole then press <Enter> to load le.5. Follow message screen when

ixM2N-VM DH specications summaryLAN IEEE 1394 USBASUS Digital Home features ASUS Exclusive Overclocking features Manageability Other

2-42 Chapter 2: BIOS setupPhoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tool Exit Select MenuItem Specic HelpThis opti

ASUS M2N-VM DH 2-43Load Setup Defaults This option allows you to load the default values for each of the parameters on the Setup menus. When you selec

2-44 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

3-3ASUS M2N - V M D H3.2.2 Drivers menuThe drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed devices. Install the nec

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 M2N - V M D HMicrosoft® Windows® XP Service Pack 2 already includes Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0c. If your system is Microsoft® Windows® XP Servi

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

3-7ASUS M2N - V M D H3.2.6 ASUS Contact informationClick the Contact tab to display the ASUS contact information. You can also nd this information