Asus M4A77T manual

Motherboard M4A77T[...]

ii E5248 First Edition V1 December 2009 Copyright © 2009 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 pu[...]

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

iv Contents 1.12 Software support ........................................................................ 1-27 1.12.1 Installing an operating system ...................................... 1-27 1.12.2 Support DVD information .............................................. 1-27 Chapter 2: BIOS information 2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS .........[...]

v Contents 2.5.4 APM Conguration ........................................................ 2-16 2.5.5 HW Monitor Conguration ............................................. 2-17 2.6 Boot menu .................................................................................. 2-18 2.6.1 Boot Device Priority ........................................[...]

vi 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 b[...]

vii Safety information Electrical safety • T o prevent electric shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electric 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 all po[...]

viii Conventions used in this guide T o ensure that you perform certain tasks properly , take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual. DANGER/W ARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying to complete a task. CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components when trying to complete a task. NOTE: T ips and a[...]

ix M4A77T specications summary (continued on the next page) CPU AMD ® Socket AM3 for AMD ® Phenom™ II / Athlon™ II / Sempron™ 100 series processors Supports AMD ® 45nm CPU Supports CPU up to 140W * Refer to www .asus.com for the AMD ® CPU support list Chipset AMD ® 770 / SB710 Front Side Bus Up to 5200MT/s HyperT ransport™ 3.0 inter[...]

x M4A77T specications summary * Specications are subject to change without notice. ASUS exclusive overclocking features Intelligent overclocking tools: – T urbo Key SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection): – FSB frequency tuning from 200MHz up to 550MHz at 1MHz increment – PCIe frequency tuning from 100MHz up to 150MHz at 1MHz increment Over[...]

1.2 Package contents Check your motherboard package for the following items. Motherboard ASUS M4A77T motherboard Cables 2 x Serial A T A cables 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 cable Accessories 1 x I/O shield Application DVD ASUS motherboard Support DVD Documentations User Manual If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer . Cha[...]

AMD ® 770 Chipset The AMD ® 770 Chipset is designed to support up to 5200MT/s HyperT ransport™ 3.0 (HT 3.0) interface speed and PCI Express 2.0 x16 graphics. It is optimized with AMD’s latest AM3 multi-core CPUs to provide excellent system performance and overclocking capabilities. HyperT ransport™ 3.0 support HyperT ransport™ 3.0 technol[...]

MemOK! Memory compatibility is among the top concerns during computer upgrades. Worry no more. MemOK! is the fastest memory booting solution today . This remarkable memory rescue tool requires nothing but a push of a button to patch memory issues and get your system up and running in no time. The technology is able to determine failsafe settings th[...]

1.4 Before you proceed T ake note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings. • Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any component. • Before handling components, use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or a metal object, such as the power s[...]

1.5 Motherboard overview 1.5.1 Placement direction When installing the motherboard, ensure that you place it into the chassis in the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below . DO NOT overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard. Place this side towards the [...]

1.5.3 Motherboard layout 1.5.4 Layout contents Connectors/Jumpers/Slots/LED Page Connectors/Jumpers/Slots/LED Page 1. CPU and chassis fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN and 3-pin CHA_F AN) 1-20 8. System panel connector (20-8 pin P ANEL) 1-24 2. A TX power connectors (24-pin EA TXPWR, 4-pin A TX12V) 1-21 9. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB78, USB910, USB1 [...]

1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU) This motherboard comes with an AM3 socket designed for AMD ® Phenom™ II / Athlon™ II / Sempron™ 100 processors. 1.6.1 Installing the CPU T o install a CPU: 1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard. 2. Press the lever sideways to unlock the socket, then lift it up to a 90°-100° angle. Socket lever Ensure[...]

5. When the CPU is in place, push down the socket lever to secure the CPU. The lever clicks on the side tab to indicate that it is locked. 6. Install a CPU heatsink and fan following the instructions that comes with the heatsink package. Y ou can also refer to section 1.6.2 Installing heatsink and fan for instructions. 7. Connect the CPU fan cable [...]

1.6.2 Installing the heatsink and fan Ensure that you use only AMD-certied heatsink and fan assembly . T o install the CPU heatsink and fan: 1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed CPU, ensuring that the heatsink ts properly on the retention module base. • The retention module base is already installed on the motherboard upon purchase[...]

3. Align the other end of the retention bracket to the retention module base. A clicking sound denotes that the retention bracket is in place. Ensure that the fan and heatsink assembly perfectly ts the retention mechanism module base, otherwise you cannot snap the retention bracket in place. 4. Push down the retention bracket lock on the retenti[...]

1.7.2 Memory congurations Y ou may install 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB unbuffered ECC and non-ECC DDR3 DIMMs into the DIMM sockets. • Y ou may install varying memory sizes in Channel A and Channel B. The system maps the total size of the lower-sized channel for the dual-channel conguration. Any excess memory from the higher-sized channel is th[...]

DDR3-1333MHz capability DDR3-1600(O.C.)MHz capability We recommend that you install the DDR3 1600+ memory modules on the blue slots for better overclocking performance. (continued on the next page) V endor Part No. Size SS/ DS Chip Brand Chip NO. CL DIMM support A* B* C* A-Data AD31600X002GMU 4096MB(Kit of 2) DS N/A Heat-Sink Package 7-7-7-20 • C[...]

DDR3-1333MHz capability G.SKILL F3-10600CL9D-2GBNQ 1024MB DS G.SKILL Heat-Sink Package N/A • • • G.SKILL F3-10666CL9D-4GBPK 2048MB DS G.SKILL Heat-Sink Package N/A • • • G.SkiLL F3-10666CL7T -6GBPK 6144MB(Kit of 3 ) DS N/A Heat-Sink Package 7-7-7-18 • • • G.SKILL F3-1066CL9T -6GBNQ 6144MB(Kit of 3) DS N/A Heat-Sink Package 9-9-9-2[...]

SS: Single-sided / DS: Double-sided DIMM support: • A*: Supports one module inserted into any slot as single-channel memory conguration. • B*: Supports one pair of modules inserted into either the blue slots or the black slots as one pair of dual-channel memory conguration. • C*: Supports two pairs of modules inserted into both the blue[...]

1.7.3 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. 1. Press the retaining clips outward to unlock a DIMM socket. 2. Align a DIMM on the socket such that the notch on the DIMM matches the DIMM slot key on the [...]

1.8 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. Unplug the power cord before adding or removing expansion cards. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components. 1.8.1 Installing an expansion card T o[...]

1.9 Jumpers 1. Clear RTC RAM (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 information such as system passwords. Except [...]

• The DRAM_LED also lights when the DIMM is not properly installed. Turn off the system and reinstall the DIMM before using the MemOK! function. • Press the MemOK! switch under Windows® OS environment will reboot the computer and start memory tuning. • During the tuning process, the system loads and tests failsafe memory settings. It takes a[...]

1.1 1 Connectors 1.1 1.1 Rear panel ports 1. PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Combo port (purple). This port is for a PS/2 keyboard or PS/2 mouse. 2. Parallel port. This 25-pin port connects a parallel printer , a scanner, or other devices. 3. LAN (RJ-45) port. This port allows Gigabit connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. LAN port LED[...]

7. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are for USB 2.0 devices. 8. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4 . These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are for USB 2.0 devices. 9. Serial port. This 9-pin COM1 port is for pointing devices or other serial devices. 10. USB 2.0 ports 5 and 6. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus[...]

2. A TX power connectors (24-pin EA TXPWR, 4-pin A TX12V) These connectors are for an A TX power supply . The plugs from the power supply are designed to t these connectors in only one orientation. Find the proper orientation and push down rmly until the connectors completely t. • We recommend that you use an A TX 12V Specication 2.0-[...]

3. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE) The onboard IDE connector is for Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cable. There are three connectors on each Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cable: blue, black, and gray . Connect the blue connector to the motherboard’s IDE connector , then select one of the following modes to congure your devices: Drive jumper settin[...]

4. Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1~6) These connectors are for the Serial A T A signal cables for Serial A T A 3Gb/s hard disk and optical disk drives. The Serial A T A 3Gb/s is backward compatible with Serial A T A 1.5Gb/s specication. The data transfer rate of the Serial A T A 3Gb/s is faster than the standard parallel A T A with 133 MB[...]

5. System panel connector (20-8 pin P ANEL) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions. • 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 m[...]

6. Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT) This connector is for an additional Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) port. Ensure that the audio device of Sound playback is VIA High Denition Audio (the name may be different based on the OS) . Go to Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Sound Playback to congure the[...]

8. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB78, USB910, USB1 1 12) 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 480Mbps connection speed. Never connect a 1394[...]

1.12 Software support 1.12.1 Installing an operating system This motherboard supports Windows ® XP / V ista / 7 Operating Systems (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates to maximize the features of your hardware. • Motherboard settings and hardware options vary . Refer to your OS documentation for detailed informatio[...]

Chapter 1: Product introduction 1-28[...]

ASUS M4A77T 2-1 Chapter 2 BIOS information 2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS Save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS le to a USB ash disk in case you need to restore the BIOS in the future. Copy the original motherboard BIOS using the ASUS Update utility . • ASUS Update requires an Internet connection either through a network or an I[...]

2-2 Chapter 2: BIOS information Updating from a BIOS file a. Select Update BIOS from a le , then click Next . b. Locate the BIOS le from the Open window , then click Open . 3. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the updating process. The ASUS Update utility is capable of updating itself through the Internet. Always update the utility[...]

ASUS M4A77T 2-3 • This function supports USB ash disks with F A T 32/16 format and single partition only . • DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent system boot failure! 2.1.3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS The ASUS CrashFree BIOS is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS le when it fails or gets co[...]

2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS information 2.2 BIOS setup program Use the BIOS Setup program to update the BIOS or congure its parameters. The BIOS screens include navigation keys and brief online help to guide you in using the BIOS Setup program. Entering BIOS Setup at startup T o enter BIOS Setup at startup: • Press <Delete> during the Power-On S[...]

ASUS M4A77T 2-5 2.2.1 BIOS menu screen 2.2.2 Menu bar The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items: Main For changing the basic system conguration Advanced For changing the advanced system settings Power For changing the advanced power management (APM) conguration Boot For changing the system boot conguration T ools For c[...]

2-6 Chapter 2: BIOS information 2.2.4 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, T ools, and Exit) on the menu bar have their respective menu items. 2.2.5 Submenu items A solid triangle before each item on[...]

ASUS M4A77T 2-7 2.3 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 2.2.1 BIOS menu screen for information on the menu screen items and how to navigate through them. 2.3.1 System Time [xx:xx:xx] Allows you to set the system time. 2.3.2 System Dat[...]

2-8 Chapter 2: BIOS information LBA/Large Mode [Auto] Enables or disables the LBA mode. Setting this item to [Auto] enables the LBA mode if the device supports this mode, and if the device was not previously formatted with LBA mode disabled. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Auto] Block (Multi-Sector T ransfer) M [Auto] Enables or disables data m[...]

ASUS M4A77T 2-9 2.4 Advanced menu The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices. T ake caution when changing the settings of the Advanced menu items. Incorrect eld values can cause the system to malfunction. v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Advanced P[...]

2-10 Chapter 2: BIOS information The following items only appear when you set Ai Overclock T uner to [Manual] . Ai Overclock T uner [Auto] Selects the CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal frequency . Conguration options: [Manual] [Auto] [Overclock Prole] [T est Mode] [CPU Level Up] Overclock Options [Auto] Selects the over[...]

ASUS M4A77T 2-1 1 DRAM Command Rate [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [1T] [2T] TCL [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [4 CLK] ~ [12 CLK] TRCD [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [5 CLK] ~ [12 CLK] TRP [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [5 CLK] ~ [12 CLK] TRAS [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [15 CLK] ~ [30 CLK] TRTP [Auto] Cong[...]

2-12 Chapter 2: BIOS information TWTR [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [4 CLK] ~ [7 CLK] TWRWR [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [3 CLK] ~ [10 CLK] TRDRD [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [3 CLK] ~ [10 CLK] TRFC0/1 [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [90ns] [1 10ns] [160ns] [300ns] [350ns] TREF [Auto] Conguration options: [Auto] [[...]

ASUS M4A77T 2-13 2.4.3 Chipset NorthBridge Conguration DRAM Controller Conguration Bank Interleaving [Auto] Allows you to enable the bank memory interleaving. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Auto] Channel Interleaving [XOR of Address bit] Allows you to enable the channel memory interleaving. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Address bit[...]

2-14 Chapter 2: BIOS information 2.4.4 Onboard Devices Conguration Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4] Selects the Serial Port1 base address. Conguration options: [Disabled] [3F8/IRQ4] [2F8/IRQ3] [3E8/IRQ4] [2E8/IRQ3] Parallel Port Address [378] Selects the Parallel Port base addresses. Conguration options: [Disabled] [378] [278] [3BC] Paralle[...]

ASUS M4A77T 2-15 The Module V ersion and USB Devices Enabled items show the auto-detected values. If no USB device is detected, the item shows None . USB Functions [Enabled] Enables or disables the USB functions. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] USB 2.0 Controller [Enabled] Enables or disables the USB 2.0 controller . Conguration opt[...]

2-16 Chapter 2: BIOS information Select Screen Select Item +- Change Option F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. Suspend Mode [Auto] ACPI 2.0 Support [Enabled] ACPI APIC support [Enabled] APM Conguration HW Monitor Conguration Select the ACPI state used for System Suspend. BIOS SE[...]

ASUS M4A77T 2-17 Power on By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled] Enables or disables PS/2 Keyboard to generate a wake event. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Space Bar] [Power Key] [Ctrl - Esc] Power on From S5 By RTC Alarm [Disabled] Enables or disables RTC to generate a wake event. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] 2.5.5 HW Monitor Congurat[...]

2-18 Chapter 2: BIOS information 2.6 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. Select Screen Select Item Enter Go to Sub Screen F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. Boot Settings Congura[...]

ASUS M4A77T 2-19 Bootup Num-Lock [On] Selects the power-on state for the NumLock. Conguration options: [Off] [On] W ait for ‘F1’ If Error [Enabled] When this item is set to [Enabled] , the system waits for the F1 key to be pressed when error occurs. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Hit ‘DEL’ Message Display [Enabled] When thi[...]

2-20 Chapter 2: BIOS information Change User Password Select this item to set or change the user password. The User Password item on top of the screen shows the default Not Installed . After you set a password, this item shows Installed . T o set a User Password: 1. Select the Change User Password item and press <Enter> . 2. In the password b[...]

ASUS M4A77T 2-21 2.7.2 Express Gate [Auto] Enables or disables the ASUS Express Gate feature. ASUS Express Gate is a unique instant-on environment that provides quick access to the Internet and Skype. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] [Auto] Enter OS T imer [10 Seconds] Sets countdown duration that the system waits at the Express Gate’[...]

2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS information 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 CMOS RAM. An onboard backup battery sustains the CMOS RAM so it stays on even when the PC is turned off. When you select this option, a conrmation window [...]