Asus M2N-PLUS SLI manual

Motherboard M2N-Plus SLI V ista Edition[...]

ii E3166 Second Edition V2 April 2007 Copyright © 2007 ASUST eK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purc[...]

iii Contents Notices ........................................................................................................ vii Safety information .................................................................................... viii About this guide ......................................................................................... ix M[...]

iv Contents 2.6 Jumper ........................................................................................ 2-20 2.7 Connectors ................................................................................. 2-22 2.7.1 Rear panel connectors .................................................. 2-22 2.7.2 Internal connectors .....................[...]

v Contents 4.4 Advanced menu ......................................................................... 4-19 4.4.1 JumperFree Conguration ............................................ 4-19 4.4.2 CPU Conguration ........................................................ 4-21 4.4.3 PCIPnP ............................................................[...]

vi Contents 5.3.4 ASUS PC Probe II ......................................................... 5-16 5.3.5 ASUS AI Gear ............................................................... 5-22 5.3.6 ASUS AI Nap ................................................................ 5-23 5.3.7 AI Remote ............................................................[...]

vii Notices Federal Communications Commission Statement This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: • This device may not cause harmful interference, and • This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation. This equipment has [...]

viii Safety information Electrical safety • T o prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet before relocating the system. • When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that the power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables are connected. If possible, disconnect a[...]

ix About this guide This user guide contains the information you need when installing and conguring the motherboard. How this guide is organized This guide contains the following parts: • Chapter 1: Product introduction This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new technology it supports. • Chapter 2: Hardware informatio[...]

x Conventions used in this guide T o make sure that you perform certain tasks properly , take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual. T ypography Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select. Italics Used to emphasize a word or a phrase. <Key> Key s encl osed i n the less- than a nd gre ater-t han s ign mea ns tha t you [...]

xi M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition specications summary (continued on the next page) CPU Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon ™ 64 FX / AMD Athlon ™ 64 X2 / AMD Athlon 64 ™ / AMD Sempron ™ processors Supports AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet ™ T echnology AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32-bit and 64-bit computing AMD Live! ™ ready Chipset NVIDIA ® n[...]

xii ASUS AI Lifestyle features ASUS AI Lifestyle Vista Edition features: - AI Remote - ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) - TPM Support (the module is purchased separately) - AP Trigger *ASUS AI Remote, AP T rigger , and TPM run with both Windows ® Vista and XP ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution: - ASUS AI Gear - ASUS AI Nap Overclocking features AI Overc[...]

xiii M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition specications summary BIOS features 4 Mb BIOS ROM, AW ARD BIOS, PnP , DMI 2.0, WfM2.0, SM B IOS 2. 3 Manageability WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chassis intrusion, PXE Accessories 1 x SLI bridge 1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable 2 x SA T A cables 1 x SA T A power cable for 2 devices 1 x I/O shield 1 x ASUS Q-Connector kit (U[...]

xiv[...]

1 Product introduction This chapter describes the motherboard features and the new technologies it supports.[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 1 1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Package contents ......................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Special features ............................................................................[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 1-1 1.1 Welcome! Th ank yo u f or bu yin g a n A SUS ® M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition motherboard ! The motherboard delivers a host of new features and the latest technologies, making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards! Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on i[...]

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.3 Special features 1.3.1 Product highlights Latest processor technology The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket that supports AMD Athlon ™ 64 X2/Athlon ™ 64/Athlon ™ 64 FX/Sempron ™ processor . With an integrated low- latency high-bandwidth memory controller and a highly scalable HyperT ransport[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 1-3 PCI Express ™ interface Th e m oth erb oa rd fu lly s up por ts PCI E xp res s, the latest I/O interconnect technology that speeds up the PCI bus. PCI Express features point-to-point serial interconnections between devices and allows higher clockspeeds by carrying data in packets. This high speed interface is s[...]

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.3.2 ASUS AI Lifestyle features AI Remote The revolutionary AI Remote gives you unprecedented control from the comfort of your couch. With just a touch of the button, you can quickly do your usual computer activities such as turn ON/OFF your PC, launch your favorite applications by enabling AP Trigger function, [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 1-5 1.3.3 ASUS Special features Fanless Design Cooling fans, though a popular thermal solution, also come with noise and malfunction likelihood. ASUS motherboard’s fanless concept is specically created to provide a cool environment without all the baggage. ASUS has devoted special efforts to address the thermal [...]

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction Green ASUS This motherboard and its packaging comply with the European Union’s Restriction on the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). This is in line with the ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and recyclable products/packaging to safeguard consumers’ health while minimizing the impact on the enviro[...]

2 Hardware information This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when installing system components. It includes description of the jumpers and connectors on the motherboard.[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 2 2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Motherboard overview ................................................................. 2-2 2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................... 2-6 2.4 System memory [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-1 Onboard LED The motherboard comes with a standby power LED. The green LED lights up to indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft-off mode. This is a reminder that you should shut down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or plugging in any motherboard component. The illustration b[...]

2-2 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.2 Motherboard overview Before you install the motherboard, study the conguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard ts into it. 2.2.1 Placement direction When installing the motherboard, make sure that you place it into the chassis in the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-3 2.2.3 Motherboard layout M2N-PLUS SLI ® 24.5cm (9.6in) 30.5cm (12.0in) DDR2 DIMM_A2 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_A1 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_B2 (64 bit,240-pin module) Super I/O 4Mb BIOS PCIEX16_1 PCIEX1_1 PCI1 EA TXPWR CR2032 3V Lithium Cell CMOS Power PCIEX16_[...]

2-4 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.2.4 Layout contents Slots Page 1. DDR2 DIMM slots 2-1 1 2. PCI slots 2-18 3. PCI Express x 1 slot 2-18 4. PCI Express x16 slots 2-19 Jumper Page 1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLR TC) 2-20 2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56, USBPW78) 2-21 3. Keyboard power (3-pin KBPWR) 2-21 Rear panel connectors P[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-5 Internal connectors Page 1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) 2-24 2. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE, SEC_IDE) 2-24 3. NVIDIA ® nForce ® 500 SLI Southbridge Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1 [red], SA T A2 [red], SA T A3 [red], SA T A4 [red]) 2-25 4. CPU, chassis, and power fan connectors (4-p[...]

2-6 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.3.1 Installing the CPU T o install a CPU: 1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard. Make sure that the socket lever is lifted up to a 90º angle; otherwise, the CPU will not t in completely . 2. Unlock the socket by pressing the lever sideways, then lift it up to a 90º angle. 2.3 Central Processing Unit [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-7 3. Position the CPU above the socket such that the CPU corner with the gold triangle matches the socket corner with a small triangle. 4. Carefully insert the CPU into the socket until it ts in place. 5. When the CPU is in place, push down the socket lever to secure the CPU. The lever clicks on the side tab to [...]

2-8 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.3.2 Installing the heatsink and fan The AMD Athlon ™ 64FX/Athlon ™ 64/Athlon ™ 64 X2/Sempron ™ processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance. T o install the CPU heatsink and fan: 1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed CPU, m[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-9 2. Attach one end of the retention bracket to the retention module base. 3. Align the other end of the retention bracket (near the retention bracket lock) to the retention module base. A clicking sound denotes that the retention bracket is in place. 4. Push down the retention bracket lock on the retention mechani[...]

2-10 Chapter 2: Hardware information 5. When the fan and heatsink assembly is in place, connect the CPU fan cable to the connector on the motherboard labeled CPU_F AN. • Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring errors can occur if you fail to plug this connector . • This connector is backward compatiable with old 3-pi[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-1 1 2.4 System memory 2.4.1 Overview The motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets. A DDR2 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR DIMM but has a 240-pin footprint compared to the 184-pin DDR DIMM. DDR2 DIMMs are notched differently to prevent installat[...]

2-12 Chapter 2: Hardware information Important notice on installing Windows ® XP 32-bit version If you install Windows ® XP 32-bit version Operating System (OS), the limitation of this OS version is that it may reserve a certain amount of memory space for system devices. We recommend that you install less than 3 GB system memory if you would like[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-13 2.4.3 Installing a DIMM Unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other system components. Failure to do so can cause severe damage to both the motherboard and the components. T o install a DIMM: 1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward. 2. Align a DIMM on the socket such [...]

2-14 Chapter 2: Hardware information DDR2-800 MHz capability M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Motherboard Qualied V endors Lists (QVL) Size V endor Chip No. SS/ DS Part No. DIMM support A* B* C* 512MB KINGSTON K4T51083QC SS KVR800D2N5/512 • • • 1024MB KINGSTON Heat-Sink Package DS KHX6400D2LL/1G • • • 1024MB KINGSTON Heat-Sink Package SS K[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-15 DDR2-667 MHz capability Size Vendor Chip No. SS/ DS Part No. DIMM support A* B* C* 256MB KINGSTON HYB18T256800AF3 SS KVR667D2N5/256 • • • 512MB KINGSTON D6408TEBGGL3U SS KVR667D2N5/512 • • • 1024MB KINGSTON D6408TEBGGL3U DS KVR667D2N5/1G • • • 256MB KINGSTON HYB18T256800AF3S SS KVR667D2N5/256 ?[...]

2-16 Chapter 2: Hardware information DDR2-533 MHz capability • A*: Supports one module inserted in any slot as Single-channel memory conguration. • B*: Supports one pair of modules inserted into either the yellow slots or the black slots as one pair of Dual-channel memory conguration. • C*: Supports 4 modules inserted into both the yell[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-17 2.5 Expansion slots In the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following sub-sections describe the slots and the expansion cards that they support. 2.5.1 Installing an expansion card T o install an expansion card: 1. Before installing the expansion card, read the documentation that came with it [...]

2-18 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.5.3 Interrupt assignments Standard interrupt assignments * These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices. IRQ Priority Standard function 0 1 System Timer 1 2 Keyboard Controller 2 – Redirect to IRQ#9 4 12 Communications Port (COM1)* 5 13 IRQ Holder for PCI Steering* 6 14 Floppy Disk Controller 7 15[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-19 • Connect a rear chassis fan to the chassis (CHA_F AN1) connector when using two graphics cards for better thermal environment. See page 2-26 for details. • Due to chipset limitation, the black PCI Express x16 (PCIEX16_2) slot can run only up to x8 speed. • We recommend that you provide sufcient power w[...]

2-20 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.6 Jumper 1. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC) This jumper allows you to clear the Real T ime Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. Y ou can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data. The onboard button cell battery powers the RAM data in CMOS, which include system setup inf[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-21 2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW12, USBPW34, USBPW56, USBPW78) Set these jumpers to +5V to wake up the computer from S1 sleep mode (CPU stopped, DRAM refreshed, system running in low power mode) using the connected USB devices. Set to +5VSB to wake up from S3 and S4 sleep modes (no power to CPU, DRAM in slow r[...]

2-22 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.7 Connectors 2.7.1 Rear panel connectors 1. PS/2 mouse port (green). This port is for a PS/2 mouse. 2. Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer , a scanner , or other devices. 3. IEEE 1394a port. This 6-pin IEEE 1394a port provides high-speed connectivity for audio/video devices, storage per[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-23 Refer to the audio conguration table below for the function of the audio ports in 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel conguration. 9. Microphone port (pink). This port connects a microphone. 10. Center/Subwoofer port (orange). This port connects the center/subwoofer speakers. Audio 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel conguration 1[...]

2-24 Chapter 2: Hardware information 2.7.2 Internal connectors 1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY) This connector is for the provided oppy disk drive (FDD) signal cable. Insert one end of the cable to this connector , then connect the other end to the signal connector at the back of the oppy disk drive. Pin 5 on the connector is [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-25 3. NVIDIA ® nForce ® 500 SLI Southbridge Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1 [red], SA T A2 [red], SA T A3 [red], SA T A4 [red]) These connectors are for the Serial A T A signal cables for Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s hard disk and optical disk drives. The Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s is backward compatible with Serial A[...]

2-26 Chapter 2: Hardware information Connect the right-angle side of SA T A signal cable to SA T A device. Or you may connect the right-angle side of SA T A cable to the onboard SA T A port to avoid mechanical conict with huge graphics cards. right angle side 4. CPU, chassis, and power fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN, 3-pin PWR_F AN, 3-pin CHA_F [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-27 5. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB 78, ASAP) These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the USB module cable to any of these connectors, then install the module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis. These USB connectors comply with USB 2.0 specication that supports up to 480 Mbps conne[...]

2-28 Chapter 2: Hardware information 8. AT X p owe r c on ne cto rs (24-pin EA TXPWR, 4-pin A TX12V) These connectors are for A TX power supply plugs. The power supply plugs are designed to t these connectors in only one orientation. Find the proper orientation and push down rmly until the connectors completely t. 7. Chassis intrusion conn[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-29 • For a fully congured system, we recommend that you use a power supply unit (PSU) that complies with A TX 12 V Specication 2.0 (or later version) and provides a minimum power of 600 W . • Do not forget to connect the 4-pin A TX +12 V power plug; otherwise, the system will not boot. • Use of a PSU wi[...]

2-30 Chapter 2: Hardware information 12. TPM connector (20-1 pin TPM) This connector supports a T rusted Platform Module (TPM) system, which can securely store keys, digital certicates, passwords, and data. A TPM system also helps enhance network security , protects digital identities, and ensures platform integrity . See section “4.6.6 Securi[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 2-31 • System power LED (2-pin PLED) This 2-pin connector is for the system power LED. Connect the chassis power LED cable to this connector . The system power LED lights up when you turn on the system power , and blinks when the system is in sleep mode. • Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pin IDE_LED) This 2-pin c[...]

2-32 Chapter 2: Hardware information ASUS Q-Connector (system panel) Y ou can use the ASUS Q-Connector to connect/disconnect chassis front panel cables in a few steps. Refer to the instructions below to install the ASUS Q- Connector . 1. Connect the front panel cables to the ASUS Q-Connector . Refer to the labels on the Q-Connector to know the deta[...]

3 Powering up This chapter describes the power up sequence, the vocal POST messages, and ways of shutting down the system.[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 3 3.1 Starting up for the rst time ........................................................ 3-1 3.2 T urning off the computer ............................................................. 3-2[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 3-1 3.1 Starting up for the rst time 1. After making all the connections, replace the system case cover . 2. Be sure that all switches are off. 3. Connect the power cord to the power connector at the back of the system chassis. 4. Connect the power cord to a power outlet that is equipped with a surge protector . 5[...]

3-2 Chapter 3: Powering up 3.2 Turning off the computer 3.2.1 Using the OS shut down function If you are using Windows ® 2000: 1. Click the Start button then click Shut Down. 2. Make sure that the Shut Down option button is selected, then click the OK button to shut down the computer . 3. The power supply should turn off after Windows ® shuts dow[...]

4 BIOS setup This chapter tells how to change the system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.[...]

Chapter summary 4 ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 4-1 4.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................. 4-10 4.3 Main menu .................................................................................. 4-14 4.4 Advanced menu [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-1 4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) setup. 1. ASUS Update (Updates the BIOS in Windows ® environment.) 2. ASUS EZ Flash 2 (Updates the BIOS in DOS using a oppy disk / USB ash disk, or the motherboard sup[...]

4-2 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Quit all Windows ® applications before you update the BIOS using this utility . 3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network trafc, or click Auto Select. Click Next . Updating the BIOS through the Internet T o update the BIOS through the Internet: 1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows ® deskto[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-3 Updating the BIOS through a BIOS le T o update the BIOS through a BIOS le: 1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows ® desktop by clicking Start > Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate . The ASUS Update main window appears. 2. Select Update BIOS from a le option from the drop-do[...]

4-4 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.1.2 Creating a bootable oppy disk 1. Do either one of the following to create a bootable oppy disk. DOS environment a. Insert a 1.44MB oppy disk into the drive. b. At the DOS prompt, type format A: / S then press <Enter>. Windows ® XP environment a. Insert a 1.44 MB oppy disk to the oppy disk drive.[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-5 T o update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2: 1. Visit the ASUS website (www .asus.com) to download the latest BIOS le for the motherboard. 2. Save the BIOS le to a oppy disk or a USB ash disk, then restart the system. 4.1.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility The ASUS EZ Flash 2 feature allows you to update the BIOS wit[...]

4-6 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.1.4 Updating the BIOS The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) can be updated using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility . Follow these instructions to update the BIOS using this utility . 1. Download the latest BIOS le from the ASUS web site. Rename the le to M2NPLUSSLI.BIN and save it to a oppy disk, CD ROM or a USB ash[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-7 7. Press <N> when the utility prompts you to save the current BIOS le. The following screen appears. 8. The utility veries the BIOS le in the oppy disk, CD ROM or a USB ash disk and starts ashing the BIOS le. Do not turn off or reset the system during the ashing process! AwardBIOS Fl[...]

4-8 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4. The utility saves the current BIOS le to the disk, then returns to the BIOS ashing process. 3. T ype a lename for the current BIOS le in the Save current BIOS as eld, then press <Enter>. T o save the current BIOS le using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility: 1. Follow steps 1 to 6 of the previous section[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-9 4.1.6 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS le when it fails or gets corrupted during the updating process. Y ou can update a corrupted BIOS le using the motherboard support CD, the oppy disk, or the USB ash disk that conta[...]

4-10 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.2 BIOS setup program This motherboard supports a programmable Low-Pin Count (LPC) chip that you can update using the provided utility described in section “4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS.” Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard, reconguring your system, or prompted to “Run Setup.?[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-1 1 4.2.1 BIOS menu screen Legend bar General help Menu bar Sub-menu items Conguration elds Menu items Select Menu Item Specic Help Change the internal time. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit [...]

4-12 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.2.4 Menu items The highlighted item on the menu bar displays the specic items for that menu. For example, selecting Main shows the Main menu items. The other items (Advanced, Power , Boot, and Exit) on the menu bar have their respective menu items. 4.2.5 Sub-menu items A solid triangle before each item on any menu sc[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-13 4.2.7 Pop-up window Select a menu item then press <Enter> to display a pop-up window with the conguration options for that item. 4.2.8 General help At the top right corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the selected item. Pop-up menu Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power[...]

4-14 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.3 Main menu When you enter the BIOS Setup program, the Main menu screen appears, giving you an overview of the basic system information. Refer to section 4.2.1 BIOS menu screen for information on the menu screen items and how to navigate through them. 4.3.1 System Time [xx:xx:xx] Allows you to set the system time. 4.3.2[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-15 4.3.4 Primary/Secondary IDE Master/Slave While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of IDE devices. There is a separate sub-menu for each IDE device. Select a device item then press <Enter> to display the IDE device information. The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the [...]

4-16 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Capacity Displays the auto-detected hard disk capacity . This item is not congurable. Cylinder Shows the number of the hard disk cylinders. This item is not congurable. Head Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not congurable. Sector Shows the number of sectors per track. This item is [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-17 4.3.5 SA T A1~4 While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of Serial A T A devices. There is a separate sub-menu for each SA T A device. Select a device item then press <Enter> to display the SA T A device information. The BIOS automatically detects the values opposite the dimmed ite[...]

4-18 Chapter 4: BIOS setup Head Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not congurable. Landing Zone Shows the number of landing zone per track. This item is not congurable. Sector Shows the number of sectors per track. This item is not congurable. After entering the IDE hard disk drive information into BIOS, use a[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-19 Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Select Menu Item Specic Help Adjust system frequency/voltage. JumperFree Conguration CPU Conguration PCIPnP Onboard Device Conguration SLI Conguration 4.4 Advanced menu The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings[...]

4-20 Chapter 4: BIOS setup AI T uning [Auto] Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal frequency . Selct either one of the preset overclocking conguration options: Manual Allows you to individually set overclocking parameters. Auto Loads the optimal settings for the system. Standard Loads the standard settings [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-21 4.4.2 CPU Conguration DRAM Conguration The items in the sub-menu show the DRAM-related information auto-detected by the BIOS. F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →← : Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advan[...]

4-22 Chapter 4: BIOS setup DRAM T iming Control F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →← : Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Specic Help Load Fail-Safe Defaults Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced DRAM Timing Control Load Fail-Safe Defaults Precomp 0 Landing[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-23 T cl [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T rcd [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T rp [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [3] [4] [5] [6] T ras [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [5] [6] [7]~[18] T rc [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [1 1] [12] [13]~[25] [26] T wr [...]

4-24 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.4.3 PCIPnP Select Menu Item Specic Help Select Yes if you are using a Plug and Play capable operating system. Select No if you need the BIOS to congure non-boot devices. PCIPnP Plug & Play O/S [No] Primary Display Adapter [PCI] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced Plug & Play O/S [No] When set to [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-25 IDE Function Setup This sub-menu contains IDE function-related items. Select an item then press <Enter> to edit. F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →← : Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced Select Me[...]

4-26 Chapter 4: BIOS setup IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled] Allows to disable or enable IDE PIO read prefetch mode. When prefetch is enabled, either 16-bit or 32-bit are allowed on IDE bus. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Select Menu Item Specic Help Disable.Enable nVIDIA RAID feture. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced NVRAID [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-27 Select Menu Item Specic Help Enable or Disable USB 1.1 and 2.0 Controller. USB Conguration USB Controller [Enabled] USB2.0 Controller [Enabled] USB Legacy support [Enabled] Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced USB Conguration The items in this menu allows you to change the USB-related features.[...]

4-28 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.4.5 SLI Conguration AI-Selector[Auto] Allows you to select the Scalable Link Interface mode. When set to [Auto], BIOS detects the setting of SLI EZ Selector Card. Set this item to [Single Video Card] when using single PCI-E graphics card. Conguration: [Auto] [Single Video Card] [Dual V ideo Card] F1:Help ↑↓ : [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-29 4.5 Power menu The Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced Conguration and Power Interface (ACPI) and the Advanced Power Management (APM). Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conguration options. Select Menu Item Specic Help Select the ACPI state used for Sy[...]

4-30 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.5.3 APM Conguration Select Menu Item Specic Help Press [Enter] to select whether or not to restart the system after AC power loss. APM Conguration Restore on AC Power Loss [Power-Off] PWR Button < 4 secs [Instant-Off] Power Up On PCI/PCIE Devices [Disabled] Power On By External Modems [Disabled] Power On by [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-31 Date (of Month) Alarm [xx] T o set the date of alarm, highlight this item then press <+> or <-> to make the selection (Min=0; Max=31). Alarm Time (hh:mm:ss) [xx:xx:xx] T o set the time of alarm, use <T ab> or < → > / < ← > to select a eld, then press <+> or <-> to[...]

4-32 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.5.4 Hardware Monitor The items in this sub-menu displays the hardware monitor values automatically detected by the BIOS. It also allows you to change CPU Q-Fan feature-related parameters. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conguration options. CPU Q-Fan Control [Disabled] Allows you to enable or d[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-33 Chassis Q-Fan Prole [Performance] Allows you to set the appropriate performance level of the chassis Q-Fan. When set to [Optimal], the chassis fan automatically adjusts depending on the chassis temperature. Set this item to [Silent] to minimize fan speed for quiet chassis fan operation, or [Performance] to ac[...]

4-34 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.6 Boot menu The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu. Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Select Menu Item Specic Help Select Boot Device Priority Boot Device Priority Removable Drives Hard Dis[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-35 4.6.2 Removable Drives 1. Floppy Disks Allows you to assign a removable drive attached to the system. Select Menu Item Specic Help Removable Drives 1. Floppy Disks Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Boot 4.6.3 Hard Disk Drives 1. SA T A1: XXXXXXXXX Allows you to assign hard disk drives attached to the syste[...]

4-36 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.6.5 Boot Settings Conguration F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →← : Select Menu Enter: Select Sub-menu F10: Save and Exit Select Menu Item Specic Help Press [Enter] to enable or disable. Boot Settings Conguration Case Open Warning [Enabled] Quick Boot [Enabled] Boo[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-37 T ypematic Rate (Chars/Sec) [6] Allows you to select the rate at which a character repeats when you hold a key . Conguration options: [6] [8] [10] [12] [15] [20] [24] [30] T ypematic Delay (Msec) [250] Allows you to set the delay before keystrokes begin to repeat. Conguration options: [250] [500] [750] [10[...]

4-38 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 3. When prompted, conrm the password by typing the exact characters again, then press <Enter>. The password eld setting is changed to Set. T o clear the password: 1. Select the password eld and press <Enter> twice. The following message appears: PASSWORD DISABLED !!! Press any key to continue... 2. Pr[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 4-39 4.7 Tools menu The T ools menu items allow you to congure options for special functions. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu. Select Menu Item Specic Help Press Enter to Run ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Ex[...]

4-40 Chapter 4: BIOS setup 4.8 Exit menu The Exit menu items allow you to load the optimal or failsafe default values for the BIOS items, and save or discard your changes to the BIOS items. Exit & Save Changes Once you are nished making your selections, choose this option from the Exit menu to ensure the values you selected are saved to the [...]

5 Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support CD that comes with the motherboard package.[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 5 5.1 Installing an operating system ................................................... 5-1 5.2 Support CD information .............................................................. 5-1 5.3 Software informtion ..................................................................... 5-9 5.4 Windows ® V [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-1 If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer , browse the contents of the support CD to locate the le ASSETUP .EXE from the BIN folder . Double-click the ASSETUP .EXE to run the CD. Click an item to install 5.1 Installing an operating system This motherboard supports Windows ® 2000/XP/64-bit XP/Vista/64-bit V i[...]

5-2 Chapter 5: Software support 5.2.2 Drivers menu The drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed devices. Install the necessary drivers to activate the devices. ASUS InstAll-Installation Wizard for Drivers Installs all of the drivers through the Installation Wizard. NVIDIA nForce Chipset Driver Installs the NVI[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-3 5.2.3 Utilities menu The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports. ASUS InstAll-Installation Wizard for Utilities Installs all of the utilities through the Installation Wizard. ASUS PC Probe II This smart utility monitors the fan speed, CPU temperature, and system vol[...]

5-4 Chapter 5: Software support ADOBE Acrobat Reader V7.0 Installs the Adobe ® Acrobat ® Reader that allows you to open, view , and print documents in Portable Document Format (PDF). Microsoft DirectX 9.0c Installs the Microsoft ® DirectX 9.0 driver . The Microsoft DirectX ® 9.0 is a multimedia technology that enhances computer graphics and sou[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-5 5.2.4 Make Disk menu The Make Disk menu contains items to create the NVIDIA ® nForce ™ 500-SLI SA T A RAID driver disk. NVIDIA 32/64bit 2000/XP/Vista SA T A RAID Driver Allows you to create an NVIDIA ® Serial A T A RAID driver disk for a 32/64-bit 2000/ XP/Vista system.[...]

5-6 Chapter 5: Software support 5.2.5 Manual menu The Manual menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals. Click an item to open the folder of the user manual. Most user manual les are in Portable Document Format (PDF). Install the Adobe ® Acrobat ® Reader from the ASUS Superb Software Library CD before opening a user manual le. 5.2.6[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-7 5.2.7 Other information The icons on the top right corner of the screen give additional information on the motherboard and the contents of the support CD. Click an icon to display the specied information. Motherboard Info Displays the general specications of the motherboard. Browse this CD Displays the supp[...]

5-8 Chapter 5: Software support T echnical support Form Displays the ASUS T echnical Support Request Form that you have to ll out when requesting technical support. Filelist Displays the contents of the support CD and a brief description of each in text format.[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-9 5.3 Software information Most of the applications in the support CD have wizards that will conveniently guide you through the installation. View the online help or readme le that came with the software application for more information. 5.3.1 ASUS MyLogo2 ™ The ASUS MyLogo2 ™ utility lets you customize the [...]

5-10 Chapter 5: Software support 9. When the screen returns to the ASUS Update utility , ash the original BIOS to load the new boot logo. 10. After ashing the BIOS, restart the computer to display the new boot logo during POST . 8. Adjust the boot image to your desired size by selecting a value on the Ratio box. 7. When the logo images appear[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-1 1 5.3.2 Cool ‘n’ Quiet! ™ T echnology The motherboard supports the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet! ™ T echnology that dynamically and automatically change the CPU speed, voltage, and amount of power depending on the task the CPU performs. Enabling Cool ‘n’ Quiet! ™ T echnology T o enable Cool ‘n’ Quiet![...]

5-12 Chapter 5: Software support • Make sure to install the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet! ™ driver and application before using this feature. • The AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet! ™ technology feature works only with the AMD heatsink and fan assembly with monitor chip • If you purchased a separate heatsink and fan package, use the ASUS Q-Fan technology[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-13 5.3.3 C-Media CM6501 audio utility The C-Media Superior Quality Audio CODEC provides 8-channel audio capability through the C-Media 6501 sound conguration software to deliver the ultimate audio experience on your computer . The software provides high quality audio synthesis/rendering, 3D sound positioning, an[...]

5-14 Chapter 5: Software support 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter Click to enable this function. Click to adjust the volume. Click to arrange the position of the virtual speakers. Click to reset the speaker positions. Click to effect the settings and exit. Mixer The Mixer option allows you to congure audio output/input (record) volume. Click the cont[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-15 Effect The Effect option allows you to set your listening environment, adjust the equalizer , or select pre-programmed equalizer settings for your listening pleasure. Click the shortcut buttons or the drop-down menus for options on changing the acoustic environment. Y ou may manually adjust the equalizer or sele[...]

5-16 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.4 ASUS PC Probe II PC Probe II is a utility that monitors the computer’s vital components, and detects and alerts you of any problem with these components. PC Probe II senses fan rotations, CPU temperature, and system voltages, among others. Because PC Probe II is software-based, you can start monitoring your [...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-17 Button Function Opens the Conguration window Opens the Report window Opens the Desktop Management Interface window Opens the Peripheral Component Interconnect window Opens the Windows Management Instrumentation window Opens the hard disk drive, memory , CPU usage window Shows/Hides the Preference section Mini[...]

5-18 Chapter 5: Software support Changing the monitor panels position T o change the position of the monitor panels in the desktop, click the arrow down button of the Scheme options, then select another position from the list box. Click OK when nished. Moving the monitor panels All monitor panels move together using a magnetic effect. If you wan[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-19 Monitoring sensor alert The monitor panel turns red when a component value exceeds or is lower than the threshold value. Refer to the illustrations below . Large display Small display WMI browser Click to display the WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) browser . This browser displays various Windows® manag[...]

5-20 Chapter 5: Software support PCI browser Click to display the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) browser . This browser provides information on the PCI devices installed on your system. Click the plus sign (+) before the PCI Information item to display available information. Usage The Usage browser displays real-time information on the CPU[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-21 Memory usage The Memory tab shows both used and available physical memory . The pie chart at the bottom of the window represents the used (blue) and the available physical memory . Conguring PC Probe II Click to view and adjust the sensor threshold values. The Cong window has two tabs: Sensor/Threshold and[...]

5-22 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.5 ASUS AI Gear ASUS AI Gear provides four system performance options that allows you to select the best performance setting for your computing needs. This easy-to-use utility adjusts the processor frequency and vCore voltage to minimize system noise and power consumption. After installing AI Gear from the bundle[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-23 5.3.6 ASUS AI Nap This feature allows you to minimize the power consumption of your computer whenever you are away . Enable this feature for minimum power consumption and a more quiet system operation. After installing AI Nap from the bundled support CD, you can launch the utility by double-clicking the AI Nap i[...]

5-24 Chapter 5: Software support 5.3.7 AI Remote With the ASUS AI Remote, you can play , pause, or adjust the volume on any songs desired without leaving your sofa. Have AI Remote in your hand and do more with your PC at a distance away . Overview of the ASUS AI Remote 1. Power: T urns the computer on/off. 2. Full Screen: Puts the media application[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-25 ASUS >>USB receiver USB receiver USB IR Receiver Y our motherboard will come bundled with a IR Receiver , simply connect the USB end to your PC USB ports under the LAN2 port and place the IR receiver end at a suitable place without hindrance. IR Receiver Software Installation Before enjoying the convenienc[...]

5-26 Chapter 5: Software support Activating HID-Compliant Devices Due to the limitation of the operating system, if you remove the IR receiver from the previous port and have it reinstall into the other USB port, the IR receiver will not function. T o activate the HID-compliant devices again, go to Device Manager / Power Manager and check the box o[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-27 ASUS AI Remote Settings After the installation of the ASUS AI Remote software, the utility screen will show up and allows you to congure the ASUS AI Remote settings. Set up the function keys following the instructions below . 1 1. Power On / Off Key Enable power key Click this box to enable this power button.[...]

5-28 Chapter 5: Software support 3. Multimedia Keys Prole There are nine default applications in the Prole drop-down menu and ve sets of User Dene . Default applications are Media Player , iTunes, PowerDVD, WinDVD, QuickTime, Real Player , DivX Player , WinAmp and Power Point. (Default applications in the ASUS AI Remote software may cha[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-29 Select File After selecting the correct path, you should select the correct executable le (.exe) of the application for launching the application. If the executable le is located by the software successfully or you have already set up correctly in advance, this screen will show up directly when the applica[...]

5-30 Chapter 5: Software support Dene Hotkeys for Application If you want to use the Media Control Zone to control non-default applications, such as ACDSee, you can select User Dene from the drop-down menu and rename it by pressing Rename . The ASUS AI Remote software has correctly set up nine popular applications and dened the funtion but[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-31 Media Player iT unes PowerDVD WinDVD QuickTime Full Screen v v v v v v v v/x v v + vvvvv - vvvvv vvvvx vvvvx *NOTE only play , no pause Real Player DivX Player WinAmp Power Point User Defne Full Screen v v x v v v v/x Full Screen + v x v B - v x v ESC v x v Page Down v x v Page Up *NOTE only play , no pause The [...]

5-32 Chapter 5: Software support 5.4 Windows ® Vista feature 5.4.1 ASAP (ASUS Accelerated Propeller) This motherboard is equipped with the ASUS Accelerated Propeller (ASAP) feature. ASAP supports the Windows ® ReadyBoost ™ technology that improves system performance under Windows ® Vista. Refer to page 1-6 for the OS that supports ASAP . Befor[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-33 5.5 RAID congurations The motherboard comes with the NVIDIA ® SLI Southbridge RAID controllers that allow you to congure IDE and Serial A T A hard disk drives as RAID sets. The motherboard supports the following RAID congurations. RAID 0 (Data striping) optimizes two identical hard disk drives to read [...]

5-34 Chapter 5: Software support 5.5.1 Installing hard disks The motherboard supports Ultra DMA /133/100/66 and Serial A T A hard disk drives. For optimal performance, install identical drives of the same model and capacity when creating a disk array . Installing Parallel A T A hard disks T o install IDE hard disks for a RAID conguration: 1. Set[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-35 5.5.2 NVIDIA ® RAID congurations The motherboard includes a high performance IDE RAID controller integrated in the NVIDIA ® SLI southbridge chipset. It supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, and JBOD with four independent Serial A T A channels. Setting the BIOS RAID items After installing the hard disk drives, [...]

5-36 Chapter 5: Software support Entering the NVIDIA ® RAID utility T o enter the NVIDIA ® RAID utility: 1. Boot up your computer . 2. During POST , press <F10> to display the main menu of the utility . The RAID BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for reference only , and may not exactly match the items on your screen. [F6] Back [F[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-37 TIP: For server systems, we recommend using a lower array block size. For multimedia computer systems used mainly for audio and video editing, we recommend a higher array block size for optimum performance. T ake caution in using this option. All data on the RAID drives will be lost! 2. Press <T AB> select[...]

5-38 Chapter 5: Software support Rebuilding a RAID array T o rebuild a RAID array: 1. From the Array List menu, use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array then press <Enter>. The RAID Array details appear . [Ctrl-X]Exit [ ↑↓ ]Select [B]Set Boot [N]New Array [ENTER]Detail NVIDIA RAID Utility Oct 5 2004 - Array List - Boot Id Stat[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-39 A new set of navigation keys is displayed on the bottom of the screen. 2. Press <R> to rebuild a RAID array . The following screen appears. 3. Use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array to rebuild, then press <F7>. The following conrmation message appears. [ ↑↓ ] Select [F6] Back [F7[...]

5-40 Chapter 5: Software support Deleting a RAID array T o delete a RAID array: 1. From the Array List menu, use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array then press <Enter>. The RAID Array details appear . [R] Rebuild [D] Delete [C] Clear Disk [ENTER] Return Array 1 : NVIDIA MIRROR XXX.XXG - Array Detail - RAID Mode: Mirroring Stripin[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 5-41 Clearing a disk data T o clear disk data: 1. From the Array List menu, use the up or down arrow keys to select a RAID array then press <Enter>. The RAID Array details appear . [R] Rebuild [D] Delete [C] Clear Disk [ENTER] Return Array 1 : NVIDIA MIRROR XXX.XXG - Array Detail - RAID Mode: Mirroring Striping[...]

5-42 Chapter 5: Software support 5.6 Creating a RAID driver disk A oppy disk with the RAID driver is required when installing Windows ® 2000/XP/ Vista operating system on a hard disk drive that is included in a RAID set. T o create a RAID driver disk: 1. Place the motherboard support CD into the CD-ROM drive. 2. Select Make Disk tab. 3. From th[...]

6 This chapter tells how to install SLI-ready PCI Express graphics cards. NVIDIA ® SLI ™ technology support[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition Chapter summary 6.1 Overview ....................................................................................... 6-1 6.2 Dual graphics cards setup .......................................................... 6-2[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 6-1 6.1 Overview The motherboar d supports the NVIDIA ® SLI ™ (Sc alable Link In terface)-Intel ® Edition technology that allows you t o install two identical PCI E xpress ™ x16 graphics cards. Follow the installation procedures in this section. Requirements • Y ou should have two identical SLI-ready graphics[...]

6-2 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI ™ technology support 6.2 Dual graphics card setup 6.2.1 Installing SLI-ready graphics cards Install only identical SLI-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA ® -certied. Different types of graphics cards will not work together properly . T o install the graphics cards: 1. Prepare two graphics cards. Each graphics ca[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 6-3 4. Insert the second graphics card into the other slot. Make sure that the card is properly seated on the slot. If required, connect an auxiliary power source to the PCI Express graphics cards. 3. Insert one graphics card into either the blue or black slot. Make sure that the card is properly seated on the slot.[...]

6-4 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI ™ technology support 7. Connect a VGA cable or a DVI-I cable to the graphics card/s. We recommend to install an additional chassis fan for better thermal environment. 5. Align and insert the SLI connector to the goldngers on each graphics card. Make sure that the connector is rmly in place. 6. When installing tw[...]

ASUS M2N-Plus SLI Vista Edition 6-5 NVIDIA Settings icon T o enable the multi-GPU feature: 1. Click the NVIDIA Settings icon on your Windows taskbar . 2. From the pop-up menu, select nView Desktop Manager then click nView Properties . Make sure that your PCI Express graphics card driver supports the NVIDIA SLI technology . Download the latest drive[...]

6-6 Chapter 6: NVIDIA ® SLI ™ technology support 5. From the Display Properties dialog box, select the Settings tab then click Advanced . 6. Select the NVIDIA GeForce tab. 7. Click the slider to display the following screen, then select the SLI multi-GPU item. 8. Click the Enable SLI multi-GPU check box. 9. Click OK when done. Slider[...]