Asus Motherboard M3A78-EM manual

Motherboard M3A78-EM[...]

ii Copyright © 2008 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 purchaser for backup purposes, without [...]

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

iv Contents Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 2-2 2.1.1 Creating a bootable oppy disk ....................................... 2-2 2.1.2 AFUDOS utility ................................................................ 2-3 2.1.3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility ......................[...]

v Contents 2.5.4 APM Conguration ........................................................ 2-31 2.5.5 HW Monitor Conguration ............................................. 2-32 2.6 Boot menu .................................................................................. 2-33 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 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 al[...]

viii 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. This chapter also lists the hard[...]

ix 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. DANGER/WARNING: 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[...]

x M3A78-EM specications summary (continued on the next page) CPU AMD ® Socket AM2+ / AM2 for Phenom™FX / Phenom / Athlon™ / Sempron™ processor AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ T echnology Supports CPU up to 140W Chipset AMD 780G / SB700 System bus Up to 5200 MT/s HyperT ransport™ 3.0 interface for AM2+ CPU 2000 / 1600 MT/s for AM2 CPU Memory D[...]

xi M3A78-EM specications summary USB Supports up to 12 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (6 ports at mid-board, 6 ports at back panel) Storage / RAID A TI SB700 chipset supports 1 x UltraDMA 133/100 connector 5 x SA T A 3Gb/s connectors with RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 10 conguration support 1 x ESA T A 3Gb/s connector with RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 10 congur[...]

xii Internal I/O connectors 3 x USB 2.0 connectors support additional 6 USB 2.0 ports 1 x Floppy disk drive connector 1 x IDE connector 1 x COM connector 5 x SA T A connectors 1 x 1394 connector High denition front panel audio connector 1 x system panel connector 1 x CD audio-in connector 1 x S/PDIF out header 1 x Chassis intrusion connector Pow[...]

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

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.1 Welcome! Thank you for buying an ASUS ® M3A78-EM motherboard! The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies, making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards! Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it, check the items in your pac[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-3 AMD ® Socket AM2+ Phenom™ FX / Phenom / Athlon™ / Sempron™ CPU support This motherboard supports AMD ® Socket AM2+ multi-core processors with unique L3 cache and delivers better overclocking capabilities with less power consumption. It features dual-channel DDR2 1066 memory support and accelerates data transfer rate up to [...]

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction HDMI Interface HDMI (High-Denition Multimedia Interface) is the rst and only industry-supported, uncompressed, all digital audio and video interface via a single cable and is HDCP compliant allowing playback of HD DVD, Blu-Ray Disc and other protected content. See page 1-26 for details. HDMI/DVI/RGB Support[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-5 Serial A T A 3Gb/s technology The motherboard supports next-generation SA T A hard drives based on the new SA T A 3Gb/s storage specication. The onboard A TI ® SB700 allows RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10 congurations for ve onboard SA T A connectors. See pages 1-33 and 2-19 for details. Gigabit LAN solution The on-board LAN [...]

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction ASUS Power Saving Solution ASUS Power Saving Solution intelligently and automatically provides banlanced computing power and energy consumption. Q-Fan The ASUS Q-Fan technology smartly adjusts the CPU fan speeds according to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efcient operation. See page 2-33 for det[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-7 AI Gear 2 AI Gear 2 allows you to choose from proles to adjust CPU frequency and vCore voltage, minimizing system noise and saving CPU power consumption at most. Y ou can real-time change the mode under operating system to suit your needs. AI Nap With AI Nap, the system can continue running at minimum power and noise when you a[...]

1-8 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.3.4 ASUS intelligent overclocking features C.P .R. (CPU Parameter Recall) The C.P .R. feature of the motherboard BIOS allows automatic re-setting to the BIOS default settings in case the system hangs due to overclocking failure. When the system hangs due to overclocking failure, C.P .R. eliminates the need to o[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-9 Onboard LED The motherboard comes with a standby power LED that 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 below shows the location of t[...]

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.5.1 Motherboard layout 1.5 Motherboard overview 24.4cm (9.6in 24.4cm (9.6in) ) Super I/O SATA6 SATA5 SATA3 SATA2 SATA1 Socket AM2+ CPU_FAN E A TXPWR PRI_IDE COM1 P ANEL USB11 12 USB78 USB910 AAFP SB_PWR 8Mb BIOS AMD 780G SB7 00 DDR2 DIMM_A1 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM_B1 (64 bit,240-pin module) DDR2 DIMM[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-1 1 Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard. 1.5.2 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 to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below . 1.5.3 Screw holes Place eight [...]

1-12 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU) The motherboard comes with an AM2+ / AM2 socket designed for AMD® Phenom™ FX / Phenom / Athlon™ / Sempron™ processor . The AM2+/AM2 socket has a different pinout from the 940-pin socket designed for the AMD Opteron processor . Ensure you use a CPU designed for the AM2+/AM[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-13 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. The CPU ts only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the pins and damaging the[...]

1-14 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.6.2 Installing the heatsink and fan The AMD Phenom™ FX / Phenom / Athlon™ / Sempron™ processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance. Follow these steps to install the CPU heatsink and fan. 1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-15 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 mechanism to secure the [...]

1-16 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.7 System memory 1.7.1 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 installati[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-17 • When using only one memory module, start installing the DDR2 DIMM from slot DIMM_A1 or DIMM_B1 for better overclocking capability . • For dual-channel conguration (2), you may: - install identical DIMMs in all four sockets OR - install identical DIMM pair in DIMM_A1 and DIMM_B1 (yellow sockets) and another identical DIMM[...]

1-18 Chapter 1: Product introduction M3A78-EM Motherboard Qualied V endors Lists (QVL) DDR2-1066 MHz capability Due to AMD CPU limitation, DDR2 1066 is supported by AM2+ CPU for one DIMM per channel only . Refer to www.asus.com for the supported CPU models. DDR2-800 MHz capability Size V endor Part No. CL Chip Brand SS/ DS Chip No. DIMM support [...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-19 DDR2-667MHz capability Size V endor Part No. CL Chip Brand SS/ DS Chip No. DIMM support (Optional) A* B* C* 512MB Kingston KVR667D2N5/512 N/A Hynix SS HY5PS12821EFP-Y5 • • 1G Kingston KVR667D2N5/1G N/A Hynix DS HY5PS12821EFP-Y5 • • 512MB Qimonda HYS64T64000EU-3S-B2 5 Qimonda SS HYB18T512B00B2F3SFSS28171 • • 1G Qimonda[...]

1-20 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.7.3 Installing a DIMM 1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward. 2. Align a DIMM on the socket such that the notch on the DIMM matches the break on the socket. 3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the socket until the retaining clips snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated. Make sure[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-21 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. 1.8.1 Installing an expansion card T o install an expansion card: 1. Before installing the expansion card, read the documentation that came with it and make the neces[...]

1-22 Chapter 1: Product introduction * These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices. Interrupt assignments IRQ Standard function 0 System timer 1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard 2 Programmable interrupt controller 3 Standard OpenHCI USB Host Controller 4 Communications Port (COM 1) 5 ACPI IRQ Holder for PCI IRQ Steerin[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-23 IRQ assignments for this motherboard A B C D E F G H I PCIEX1 Slot shared – – – – – – – – PCIEX16 Slot – – shared – – – – – – Onboard USB1.1 Controller 1 shared – – – – – – – – Onboard USB1.1 Controller 2 – – – – – – – – – Onboard USB1.1 Controller 3 – – shared[...]

1-24 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.8.3 PCI slots The PCI slots support cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply with PCI specications. The photo shows a LAN card installed on a PCI slot. 1.8.4 PCI Express x1 slot This motherboard supports PCI Express x1 network cards, SCSI cards and other cards that comply w[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-25 1.9 Jumpers 1. Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC) This jumper allows you to clear the Real T ime Clock (R TC) 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 syste[...]

1-26 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.10 Connectors 1.10.1 Rear panel connectors 1. PS/2 keyboard/Mouse Combo port (purple). This port is for a PS/2 keyboard or mouse. 2. Optical S/PDIF Out port. This port connects an external audio output device via a optical S/PDIF cable. 3. HDMI port. This port is for a High-Denition Multimedia Interface (HD[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-27 LAN port LED indications LAN port SPEED LED ACT/LINK LED Activity/Link Speed LED Status Description Status Description OFF No link OFF 10 Mbps connection ORANGE Linked ORANGE 100 Mbps connection BLINKING Data activity GREEN 1 Gbps connection 7. LAN (RJ-45) port. This port allows Gigabit connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) th[...]

1-28 Chapter 1: Product introduction 14. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices. 15. External SA T A port . This port connects to an external Serial A T A hard disk drive. 16. DVI-D Out port. This port is for any DVI-D compatible device and is HDCP compliant allowing play[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-29 1.10.2 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 removed to preven[...]

1-30 Chapter 1: Product introduction 3. IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE) The onboard IDE connector is for an 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?[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-31 4. Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1, SA T A2, SA T A3, SA T A5, SA T A6) 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 i[...]

1-32 Chapter 1: Product introduction 5. Power , CPU, and Chassis Fan connectors (3-pin PWR_F AN, 4-pin CPU_F AN, 3-pin CHA_F AN) The fan conn ecto rs s uppo rt c oolin g fa ns o f 35 0mA~ 740mA (8. 88W max. ) or a t otal of 1 A~2. 22A (26. 64W max.) at +12V . Co nnec t the fan cab les to t he fa n con nect ors o n th e mo ther boar d, ma king sur e[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-33 Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors. Doing so will damage the motherboard! 6. 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 conne[...]

1-34 Chapter 1: Product introduction 8. Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT) This connector is for an additional Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) port(s). Connect the HDMI module cable to this connector , then install the module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis. Ensure the audio device of Sound playback is Realtek H[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-35 10. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP) This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O module that supports either High Denition Audio or AC’97 audio standard. Connect one end of the front panel audio I/O module cable to this connector . • We recommend that you connect a high-denition front panel [...]

1-36 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1 1. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS) This connector is for a chassis-mounted intrusion detection sensor or switch. Connect one end of the chassis intrusion sensor or switch cable to this connector . The chassis intrusion sensor or switch sends a high-level signal to this connector when a chassis co[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-37 Never connect a USB cable to the IEEE 1394a connector. Doing so will damage the motherboard! Y ou can attach a FireWire/1394 cable to this connector if your chassis suppots the front panel IEEE1394 port. Connect the 1394 cable to ASUS Q-Connector (1394, red) rst, and then install the Q-Connector (1394) to the 1394 connector on[...]

1-38 Chapter 1: Product introduction 14. System panel connector (20-8 pin P ANEL) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions. • System power LED 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[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 1-39 Q-Connector (system panel) Y ou can use ASUS Q-Connector to connect / disconnect chassis front panel cables by only a few steps. Directions below shows how to install ASUS Q-Connector . Step2. Properly install the ASUS Q-Connector to the System panel connctor . Step1. Connect correct front panel to ASUS Q-Connector rst. Y ou c[...]

1-40 Chapter 1: Product introduction[...]

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

2-2 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) setup. 1. ASUS AFUDOS: Updates the BIOS in DOS mode using a bootable oppy disk. 2. ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3: Updates the BIOS using a bootable oppy disk, a USB ash disk or the mo[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-3 2.1.2 AFUDOS utility The AFUDOS utility allows you to update the BIOS le in DOS environment using a bootable oppy disk with the updated BIOS le. This utility also allows you to copy the current BIOS le that you can use as backup when the BIOS fails or gets corrupted during the updating process. Copying the current BIOS[...]

2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS setup The utility returns to the DOS prompt after copying the current BIOS le. 3. Press <Enter> . The utility copies the current BIOS le to the oppy disk. A:>afudos /oOLDBIOS1.rom AM I Fi rm wa re U pda te U ti li ty - V er si on 1. 19 (A SU S V2 .0 7( 03 .11 .2 4B B) ) Cop yri ght (C ) 2 002 Am eric an Meg at[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-5 5. The utility returns to the DOS prompt after the BIOS update process is completed. Reboot the system from the hard disk drive. A:>afudos /iM3A78EM.rom AM I Fi rm wa re U pda te U ti li ty - V er si on 1. 19 (A SU S V2 .0 7( 03 .11 .2 4B B) ) Cop yri ght (C ) 2 002 Am eric an Meg atr end s, Inc. Al l r igh ts res erv ed. WARN[...]

2-6 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.1.3 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 DVD , the oppy disk or the USB ash disk that contains the u[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-7 The recovered BIOS may not be the latest BIOS version for this motherboard. Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com to download the latest BIOS le. Recovering the BIOS from the Support DVD T o recover the BIOS from the Support DVD: 1. Remove any oppy disk from the oppy disk drive, then turn on the system. 2. Insert the Sup[...]

2-8 Chapter 2: BIOS setup • Only the USB ash disk with F A T 32/16 format and single partition can support ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3. The device size should be smaller than 8GB. • DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS! Doing so can cause system boot failure! T o update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2: 1. Visit the ASUS website a[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-9 Installing ASUS Update T o install ASUS Update: 1. Place the Support DVD in the optical drive. The Drivers menu appears. 2. Click the Utilities tab, then click Install ASUS Update VX.XX.XX. See page 3-4 for the Utilities screen menu. 3. The ASUS Update utility is copied to your system. 2.1.5 ASUS Update utility The ASUS Update is [...]

2-10 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 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 ® desktop by clicking Start > Programs > ASUS > ASUSUpdate > ASUSUpdate . Th[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-1 1 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-down menu, then cl[...]

2-12 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.2 BIOS setup program This motherboard supports a programmable Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) chip that you can update using the provided utility described in section “2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS.” Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard, reconguring your system, or prompted to [...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-13 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 Fo[...]

2-14 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 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 Sub-menu items A solid triangle before each item on any[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-15 2.2.8 Pop-up window Select a menu item then press <Enter> to display a pop-up window with the conguration options for that item. Select Screen Select Item +- Change Field Tab Select Field F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Advanced P[...]

2-16 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 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.[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-17 2.3.4 Primary 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 dimmed items (Device, V endo[...]

2-18 Chapter 2: BIOS setup PIO Mode [Auto] Selects the PIO mode. Conguration options: [Auto] [0] [1] [2] [3] [4] DMA Mode [Auto] Selects the DMA mode. Conguration options: [Auto] SMART Monitoring [Auto] Sets the Smart Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting T echnology . Conguration options: [Auto] [Disabled] [Enabled] 32Bit Data T ransfer [Di[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-19 LBA/Large Mode [Auto] Enables or disables the LBA mode. Setting 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 multi-sectors transfers.[...]

2-20 Chapter 2: BIOS setup OnChip SA T A T ype [SA T A] This item appears only when you set the OnChip SA T A Channel item to [Enabled]. Allows you to set the OnChip SA T A T ype. Conguration options: [SA T A] [RAID] [AHCI] 2.3.7 System Information This menu gives you an overview of the general system specications. The BIOS automatically dete[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-21 2.4.1 JumperFree Conguration 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 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.[...]

2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS setup CPU Overclocking [Auto] Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal frequency . Select either one of the preset overclocking. Conguration options: [Auto] [Manual] [Overclock Prole] [T est Mode] GPU Overclocking [Auto] Allows you to congure overclocking of GPU. Conguration optio[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-23 2.4.2 CPU Conguration GART Error Reporting [Disabled] This option should remain disabled for the normal operation. The driver developer may enable it for testing purpose. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Microcode Updation [Enabled] Enables or disables Microcode Updation. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled[...]

2-24 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.4.3 Chipset Chipset Conguration NorthBridge Conguration Internal Graphics Memory Options & Information NorthBridge Conguration NorthBridge Chipset Conguration Memory Conguration ECC Conguration Memory CLK :333MHz CAS Latency(Tc1) :5.0 RAS/CAS Delay(Trcd) :5 CLK Row Precharge Time(Trp) :5 CLK Min Ac[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-25 MemClk T ristate C3/A TL VID [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable MemClk T ri-Stating during C3 and Alt VID. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Memory Hole Remapping [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable memory remapping around memory hole. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] DCT Unganged Mode [Auto] [...]

2-26 Chapter 2: BIOS setup AMD 780 HD Audio [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable AMD 780 HD audio. Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] DisplayPort Conguration [Disabled] Enables or disables the DisplayPort. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Internal Graphics Internal Graphics Primary Video Controller [GFX0-GPP-IGFX-PCI] [...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-27 2.4.4 Onboard Device Conguration Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4] Allows you to select the Serial Port1 base address. Conguration options: [Disabled] [3F8/IRQ4][2F8/IRQ3] [3E8/IRQ4] [2E8/IRQ3] Parallel Port Address [378] Allows you to select the Parallel Port base addresses. Conguration options: [Disabled] [378] [278] [3B[...]

2-28 Chapter 2: BIOS setup OnBoard LAN Controller [Enabled] Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] OnBoard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled] Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] 1394 Controller [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the 1394 controller . Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Plug and Play O/S [No] When set to [No], BI[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-29 2.4.6 USB Conguration The items in this menu allows you to change the USB-related features. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the conguration options. Select Screen Select Item +- Change Option F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTI[...]

2-30 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.5 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 Screen Select Item +- Change Option F1 General Help F10 Save and Exi[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-31 2.5.4 APM Conguration Select Screen Select Item +- Change Option F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Power APM Conguration Restore on AC Power Loss [Always Off] Power on From S5 By PME# [Disabled] Power on From S5 By Ring [Disabled] Power on [...]

2-32 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.5.5 HW Monitor Conguration v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2006, American Megatrends, Inc. Select Screen Select Item +- Change Field F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit CPU Temperature v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Power Hardware Monitor CPU Temperature [43ºC/109ºF] MB [...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-33 Smart Q-Fan Function [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Q-Fan feature that smartly adjusts the fan speeds for more efcient system operation. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Fan Auto Mode Start V oltage [5.0V] Allows you to select the fan auto mode start voltage. Conguration options: [4.0V] [4.5V[...]

2-34 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.6.1 Boot Device Priority Select Screen Select Item +- Change Option F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. Boot Device Priority 1st Boot Device [1st FLOPPY DRIVE] 2nd Boot Device [Hard Drive] 3rd Boot Device [ATAPI CD-ROM] Species the boot sequence from the[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-35 Full Screen Logo [Enabled] This allows you to enable or disable the full screen logo display feature. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] AddOn ROM Display Mode [Force BIOS] Sets the display mode for option ROM. Conguration options: [Force BIOS] [Keep Current] Bootup Num-Lock [On] Allows you to select the power-on sta[...]

2-36 Chapter 2: BIOS setup If you forget your BIOS password, you can clear it by erasing the CMOS Real T ime Clock (RTC) RAM. See section “1.9 Jumpers” for information on how to erase the RTC RAM. 2.6.3 Security The Security menu items allow you to change the system security settings. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the con?[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-37 After you have set a supervisor password, the other items appear to allow you to change other security settings. User Access Level [Full Access] This item allows you to select the access restriction to the Setup items. Conguration options: [No Access] [V iew Only] [Limited] [Full Access] No Access prevents user access to the S[...]

2-38 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.7 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 Screen Select Item +- Change Field Enter Go to Sub Screen F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit v02.61 (C)Copyright 1985-2007, American Megatrends, Inc. A[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM 2-39 2.7.2 Express Gate [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Express Gate feature. The ASUS Express Gate feature is a unique instant-on environment that provides quick access to the Internet browser and Skype. Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] Enter OS T imer [10 Seconds] Sets countdown duration that the syste[...]

2-40 Chapter 2: BIOS setup Exit & Discard Changes Select this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you made to the Setup program. If you made changes to elds other than System Date, System T ime, and Password, the BIOS asks for a conrmation before exiting. Discard Changes This option allows you to discard the selections[...]

3 Software support This chapter describes the contents of the Support DVD that comes with the motherboard package.[...]

3-2 Chapter 3: Software support If Autorun is NOT enabled in your computer , browse the contents of the Support DVD to locate the le ASSETUP .EXE from the BIN folder . Double-click the ASSETUP .EXE to run the DVD. 3.1 Installing an operating system This motherboard supports Windows ® XP/ Vista operating systems (OS). Always install the latest O[...]

3-3 ASUS M3A78-EM 3.2.2 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 Launches the ASUS InstallAll - drivers installation wizard. AMD Chipset Driver Installs the AMD chipset driver . Realt[...]

3-4 Chapter 3: Software support 3.2.3 Utilities menu The Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports. ASUS InstAll - Installation Wizard for Utilities Launches the ASUS InstAll - installation wizard for utilities. ASUS Cool‘n’Quiet Utility This item guides you in installing the ASUS Cool‘n’Quiet ut[...]

3-5 ASUS M3A78-EM Microsoft DirectX 9.0c Installs the Microsoft ® DirectX 9.0c driver . The Microsoft DirectX ® 9.0c is a multimedia technology that enhances computer graphics and sound. DirectX ® improves the multimedia features of you computer so you can enjoy watching TV and movies, capturing videos, or playing games in your computer . V isit[...]

3-6 Chapter 3: Software support Ulead PhotoImpact 12 SE Installs the PhotoImpact image editing software. ASUS Express Gate Installer Installs the ASUS Expres Gate. Anti-Virus Utility Installs the anti-virus application that detects and protects your computer from viruses that destroy data. Anti-Virus Utility Download Downloads and installs the late[...]

3-7 ASUS M3A78-EM 3.2.5 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 Utilities menu before opening a user manual le. Make A TI RAID/AHCI Vista32 Driver A[...]

3-8 Chapter 3: Software support 3.2.6 ASUS Contact information Click the Contact tab to display the ASUS contact information. Y ou can also nd this information on the inside front cover of this user guide. 3.2.7 Other information The icons on the top right corner of the screen give additional information on the motherboard and the contents of th[...]

3-9 ASUS M3A78-EM 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 DVD and a brief description of each in text format. Browse this DVD Displays the Support DVD contents in graphical format.[...]

3-10 Chapter 3: Software support[...]

Appendix This chapter describes how to enable A TI Hybrid CrossFireX under Windows Vista OS.[...]

A-2 Appendix ATI ® Hybrid CrossFireX™ The motherboard supports the A TI ® Hybrid CrossFire™ technology that allows you to install multi-graphics processing units (GPU) CrossFireX cards. A.1 System requirements Before using A TI Hybrid CrossFireX, ensure that your system meets the following basic requirements: Operating System: Windows ® Vist[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM A-3 A.3 Installing AMD Chipset Driver T o install the driver that supports Hybrid CrossFireX technology: 1. Insert the Support DVD that comes with your M3A78-EM into the optical drive. The DVD automatically displays the Drivers menu if Autorun is enabled in your computer . 2. From the Drivers menu, click AMD Chipset Driver to install [...]

A-4 Appendix Using the onboard graphics card 1. Right-click on the Windows ® desktop, then click A TI CA T AL YST(R) Control Center from the shortcut menu. The A TI CA T AL YST Control Center screen appears. 2. Click Graphics Settings > CrossFire™ , then clear the Enable CrossFire™ check box. When a conrmation message pops up, click Y es[...]

ASUS M3A78-EM A-5 1. Follow steps 1 to 3 on Using the onboard graphics card . 2. From the A TI CA T AL YST(R) Control Center screen, click Display Manager > Graphics Adapter . Select A TI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics [Gabbs, G HW173] . Click OK , and then Y es from the conrmation window . 3. Follow steps 6 to step 8 on Using the onboard graphics c[...]

A-6 Appendix[...]