Asus P8H61-MX manual

Motherboard • P8H61-MX R2.0 • P8H61-MX USB3 P8H61-MX Series[...]

ii E7380 First Edition May 2012 Copyright © 2012 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 [...]

iii Contents Safety information ...................................................................................... vi About this guide ........................................................................................ vii P8H61-MX Series specications summary .............................................. ix Chapter 1 Product introducti[...]

iv Contents Chapter 2 BIOS information 2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 2-1 2.1.1 ASUS Update utility ........................................................ 2-1 2.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 ............................................................ 2-2 2.1.3 ASUS BIOS Updater ............................[...]

v Contents 2.7 Boot menu .................................................................................. 2-25 2.7.1 Bootup NumLock State [On] ......................................... 2-25 2.7.2 Full Screen Logo [Enabled] ........................................... 2-25 2.7.3 W ait for ‘F1’ If Error [Enabled] ................................[...]

vi 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 pow[...]

vii Conventions used in this guide T o ensure that you perform certain tasks properly , take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual. 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 [...]

viii Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select. Italic s Used to emphasize a word or a phrase. <Key> Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-than sign means that you must press the enclosed key . Example: <Enter> means that you must press the Enter or Return key . <K ey 1> + < Ke y2 > + <K ey 3> If you must pr[...]

ix P8H61-MX Series specications summary (continued on the next page) CPU LGA1 155 socket for Intel ® 3 rd /2 nd Generation Core™ i7 / i5 / i3 / Pentium ® / Celeron ® processors Supports 22/32nm CPU *Refer to www .asus.com for Intel ® CPU support list. Chipset Intel ® H61 Express Chipset Memory 2 x DIMMs, max. 16GB DDR3 2200 (O.C.) / 2133 [...]

x P8H61-MX Series specications summary ASUS unique features ASUS MyLogo 2™ ASUS Anti-Surge Protection ASUS UEFI BIOS ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS Fa nXpert ASUS AI Charger (P8H61-MX R2 .0 only ) ASUS AI Charger + (P8H61-MX U SB3 onl y) ASUS Q-Fan 2 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 ASUS GP U Boost Rear panel ports 1 x PS/2 keyboard / mouse combo port 1 x DVI port[...]

1-1 Chapter 1: Product introduction Chapter 1 Product introduction • If any of the items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer . • ASUS P8H61-MX Series motherboards include P8H61-MX R2.0 and P8H61-MX USB3 models. The layout varies between the two models. The layout illustrations in this user manual are for P8H61-MX R2.0 only . Thank you [...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-2 P8H61-MX R2.0 1.2 Motherboard overview Before you install the motherboard, study the conguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard ts. Unplug the power cord before installing or removing the motherboard. Failure to do so can cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components. 1.2.1 Placement dire[...]

1-3 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.2.3 Motherboard layout P8H61-MX R2.0 PCIEX16 PCIEX1_1 PCIEX1_2 F_PANEL SPEAKER CLRTC USB78 USB910 AAFP ATX12V EATXPWR CPU_FAN CHA_FAN Lithium Cell CMOS Power Super I/O VIA VT1708S RTL 8111F 64Mb BIOS SB_PWR 24.4cm(9.6in) LGA1155 Intel ® H61 DDR3 DIMM_A1 (64bit, 240-pin module) DDR3 DIMM_B1 (64bit, 240-pin modu[...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-4 1.2.4 Layout contents Connectors/Jumpers/Slots/LED Page Connectors/Jumpers/Slots/LED Page 1. CPU and chassis fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN, 3-pin CHA_FAN) 1-19 7. Speaker connector (4-pin SPEAKER) 1-20 2. A TX power connectors (24-pin EA TXPWR, 4-pin A TX12V) 1-18 8. Clear RTC RAM (3-pin CLRTC) 1-15 3. Intel ® LGA1 155 CP[...]

1-5 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) The motherboard comes with a surface mount LGA1 155 socket designed for Intel ® processors. Unplug all power cables before installing the CPU. • Upon purchase of the motherboard, ensure that the PnP cap is on the socket and the socket contacts are not bent. Contact your retail[...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-6 3. Lift the load lever in the direction of the arrow until the load plate is completely lifted. Load plate 4. Remove the PnP cap from the CPU socket by lifting the tab only . The CPU ts in only one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the connectors on the socket and damaging the C[...]

1-7 Chapter 1: Product introduction 7. Close the load plate (A), and then push down the load lever (B), ensuring that the front edge of the load plate slides under the retention knob (C). B A C 8. Insert the load lever under the retention tab. 6. Apply some Thermal Interface Material to the exposed area of the CPU that the heatsink will be in conta[...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-8 1.3.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fan The Intel ® LGA1 155 processor requires a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance. • When you buy a boxed Intel ® processor , the package includes the CPU fan and heatsink assembly . If you buy a CPU separately , ensure th[...]

1-9 Chapter 1: Product introduction 3. 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 . 1.3.3 Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan T o uninstall the CPU heatsink and fan: 1. Disconnect the CPU fan[...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-10 1.4 System memory 1.4.1 Overview The motherboard comes with two Double Data Rate 3 (DDR3) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets. A DDR3 module has the same physical dimensions as a DDR2 DIMM but is notched differently to prevent installation on a DDR2 DIMM socket. DDR3 modules are developed for better performance with [...]

1-1 1 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.4.2 Memory congurations Y ou may install 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB unbuffered non-ECC DDR3 DIMMs into the DIMM sockets. • The default memory operation frequency is dependent on its Serial Presence Detect (SPD), which is the standard way of accessing information from a memory module. Under the default state, [...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-12 DDR3-1333 MHz capability V endors Part No. Size SS/ DS Chip Brand Chip NO. Timing V oltage DIMM socket support (Optional) A* B* A-Data AD31333001GOU 1GB SS A-Data AD30908C8D-151C E0906 - - • • A-Data AD63I1B0823EV 2GB SS A-Data 3CCA-1509A - - • • A-Data AD31333G001GOU 3GB(3 x 1GB) SS - - 8-8-8-24 1.65-1.85V • •[...]

1-13 Chapter 1: Product introduction DDR3-1333 MHz capability V endors Part No. Size SS/ DS Chip Brand Chip NO. Timing V oltage DIMM socket support (Optional) A* B* KINGSTON KVR1333D3N9/4G-SP(low prole) 4GB DS KINGSTON D2568JENCPGD9U - 1.5V • • Micron MT4JTF12864AZ-1G4D1 1GB SS Micron OJD12D9LGQ - - • • Micron MT8JTF12864AZ-1G4F1 1GB SS [...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-14 V endors Part NO. Size SS/ DS Chip Brand Chip NO. Timing Voltage DIMM socket support (optional) 1DIMM 2DIMMs G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-2GBNQ(XMP) 2GB(2 x 1GB) SS - - 9-9-9-24 1.5V · · G.SKILL F3-12800CL7D-4GBRH(XMP) 4GB(2 x 2GB) SS - - 7-7-7-24 1.6V · · G.SKILL F3-12800CL7D-4GBECO(XMP) 4GB(2 x 2GB) DS - - 7-7-8-24 XMP 1.35V[...]

1-15 Chapter 1: Product introduction DDR3-2000 MHz capability (continued on the next page) DDR3-1866 MHz capability V endors Part No. Size SS/DS Chip Brand Chip NO. Timing V oltage DIMM socket support (optional) 1DIMM 2DIMM A-DA TA AX3U1866PB2G8-DP2(XMP) 2GB DS - - 8-8-8-24 1.55V-1.75V CORSAIR CMT4GX3M2A1866C9(XMP) 4GB(2 x 2GB) DS - - 9-9-9-24 1.65[...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-16 SS: Single-sided / DS: Double-sided DIMM support: • A*: Supports one module inserted into either slot as single-channel memory conguration. • B*: Supports one pair of modules inserted into both the blue slots as one pair of dual- channel memory conguration. Visit the ASUS website at www .asus.com for the latest Q[...]

1-17 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.4.3 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. 1. Press the retaining clips outward to unlock a DIMM socket. 2. Align a DIMM on the socket such that the notch on the D[...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-18 1.5 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. Unplug the power cord before adding or removing expansion cards. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components. 1.5.1 Instal[...]

1-19 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.6 Jumpers 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 infor[...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-20 1.7 Connectors 1.7.1 Rear panel connectors 1. PS/2 Keyboard / Mouse Combo port. This port is for a PS/2 keyboard or PS/2 mouse. 2. LAN (RJ-45) port. This port allows Gigabit connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. Refer to the table below for the LAN port LED indications. LAN port LED indications LA[...]

1-21 Chapter 1: Product introduction 6. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are for USB 2.0/1.1 devices. 7. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4 (P8H61-MX R2.0 only) . These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are for USB 2.0 devices. USB 3.0 ports 1 and 2 (P8H61-MX USB3 only) . These two 9-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB)[...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-22 • We recommend that you connect a high-denition front panel audio module to this connector to avail of the motherboard’s high-denition audio capability . • If you want to connect a high-denition front panel audio module to this connector , set the Front Panel T ype item in the BIOS setup to [HD] . If you wan[...]

1-23 Chapter 1: Product introduction Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Insufcient air ow inside the system may damage the motherboard components. These are not jumpers! Do not place jumper caps on the fan connectors! 3. CPU and chassis fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN, 3-pin CHA_FAN) Connect the fan cables to the fa[...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-24 Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors. Doing so will damage the motherboard! The USB module cable is purchased separately . 5. Intel ® H61 Serial A T A 3.0Gb/s connectors (7-pin SA T A3G_1~4) These connectors connect to Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s hard disk drives and optical drives via Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s signal c[...]

1-25 Chapter 1: Product introduction 7. System panel connector (10-1 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[...]

ASUS P8H61-MX Series 1-26 1.8 Software support 1.8.1 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[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-1 Chapter 2 BIOS information 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 Internet Service Prov[...]

2-2 ASUS P8H61-MX Series 2.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 The ASUS EZ Flash 2 feature allows you to update the BIOS without using an OS-based utility . Before you start using this utility , download the latest BIOS le from the ASUS website at www .asus.com. T o update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2: 1. Insert the USB ash disk that contains the latest BIOS ?[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-3 2.1.3 ASUS BIOS Updater The ASUS BIOS Updater allows you to update the BIOS in a DOS environment. This utility also allows you to copy the current BIOS le for use as a backup when the BIOS fails or gets corrupted during the updating process. The succeeding utility screens are for reference only . The actual utilit[...]

2-4 ASUS P8H61-MX Series Updating the BIOS le T o update the BIOS le using BIOS Updater 1. At the FreeDOS prompt, type bupdater /pc /g and press <Enter>. ASUSTek BIOS Updater for DOS V1.18 Current ROM Update ROM A: Note [Enter] Select or Load [Tab] Switch [V] Drive Info [Up/Down/Home/End] Move [B] Backup [Esc] Exit P8H61-MX-R2-SI-0401 4[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-5 4. Select Y es and press <Enter>. When BIOS update is done, press <ESC> to exit BIOS Updater . Restart your computer . DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent system boot failure! • For BIOS Updater version 1.04 or later , the utility automatically exits to the DOS prompt[...]

2-6 ASUS P8H61-MX Series BIOS menu screen The BIOS setup program can be used under two modes: EZ Mode and Advanced Mode . Y ou can change modes from the Exit menu or from the Exit/Advanced Mode button in the EZ Mode/Advanced Mode screen. EZ Mode By default, the EZ Mode screen appears when you enter the BIOS setup program. The EZ Mode provides you a[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-7 Advanced Mode The Advanced Mode provides advanced options for experienced end-users to congure the BIOS settings. The gure below shows an example of the Advanced Mode . Refer to the following sections for the detailed congurations. T o access the EZ Mode, click Exit , then select ASUS EZ Mode . Menu bar The [...]

2-8 ASUS P8H61-MX Series 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 (Ai T weaker, Advanced, Monitor , Boot, T ool, and Exit) on the menu bar have their respective menu items. Back button This button appears when entering a submenu[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-9 2.3 Main menu The Main menu screen appears when you enter the Advanced Mode of the BIOS Setup program. The Main menu provides you an overview of the basic system information, and allows you to set the system date, time, language, and security settings. 2.3.1 System Language [English] Allows you to choose the BIOS lan[...]

2-10 ASUS P8H61-MX Series Administrator Password If you have set an administrator password, we recommend that you enter the administrator password for accessing the system. Otherwise, you might be able to see or change only selected elds in the BIOS setup program. T o set an administrator password: 1. Select the Administrator Password item and p[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-1 1 • The conguration options for this section vary depending on the CPU and DIMM model you installed on the motherboard. • The item Ai Overclock T uner will be displayed on the Ai Tweaker menu when an X.M.P . memory module is installed on the motherboard 2.4 Ai T weaker menu The Ai T weaker menu items allow you[...]

2-12 ASUS P8H61-MX Series Selecting a very high memory frequency may cause the system to become unstable! If this happens, revert to the default setting. 2.4.3 Memory Frequency [Auto] 2.4.2 ASUS MultiCore Enhancement [Enabled] Allows you to set the memory frequency mode under XMP/Manual/User for maximum performance. Conguration options: [Enabled[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-13 2.4.7 CPU Power Management The sub-items in this menu allow you to set the CPU ratio and features. CPU Ratio [Auto] Allows you to manually adjust the maximum non-turbo CPU ratio. Use <+> and <-> keys or the numeric keypad to adjust the ratio. The valid value ranges vary according to your CPU model. Enhan[...]

2-14 ASUS P8H61-MX Series Be cautious when changing the settings of the Advanced menu items. Incorrect eld values can cause the system to malfunction. 2.5 Advanced menu The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices.[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-15 2.5.1 CPU Conguration The items in this menu show the CPU-related information that the BIOS automatically detects. The items shown in submenu may be different due to the CPU you installed. Intel Adaptive Thermal Monitor [Enabled] [Enabled] Enables the overheated CPU to throttle its clock speed to cool down. [Disa[...]

2-16 ASUS P8H61-MX Series CPU Power Management Conguration CPU Ratio [Auto] Allows you to set the ratio between the CPU Core Clock and the BCLK Frequency . Use <+> and <-> keys to adjust the ratio. The valid value ranges vary according to your CPU model. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep T echnology [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable t[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-17 2.5.2 PCH Conguration High Precision Timer [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the High Precision Event T imer . Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] The following three items appear only when you set the Intel(R) Rapid Start T echnology to [Enabled]. Entry on S3 RTC W ake [Enabled] Allows you to en[...]

2-18 ASUS P8H61-MX Series 2.5.3 SA T A Conguration While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of SA T A devices. The SA T A Port items show Not Present if no SA T A device is installed to the corresponding SA T A port. SA T A Mode Selection [IDE Mode] Allows you to set the SA T A conguration. [IDE Mode] Set to [IDE Mode[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-19 Legacy USB Support [Enabled] [Enabled] Enables the support for USB devices on legacy operating systems (OS). [Disabled] The USB devices can be used only for the BIOS setup program. [Auto] Allows the system to detect the presence of USB devices at startup. If detected, the USB controller legacy mode is enabled. If no[...]

2-20 ASUS P8H61-MX Series 2.5.6 Onboard Devices Conguration HD Audio Controller [Enabled] [Enabled] Enables the High Denition Audio Controller . [Disabled] Disables the controller . The following two items appear only when you set the HD Audio Controller item to [Enabled]. Front Panel T ype [HD] Allows you to set the front panel audio connect[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-21 Power On By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled] [Disabled] Disables the Power On by a PS/2 keyboard. [Space Bar] Sets the Space Bar on the PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system. [Ctrl-Esc] Sets the Ctrl+Esc key on the PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system. [Power Key] Sets Power key on the PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system. This[...]

2-22 ASUS P8H61-MX Series Scroll down to display the following items: 2.6 Monitor menu The Monitor menu displays the system temperature/power status, and allows you to change the fan settings.[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-23 2.6.1 CPU T emperature / MB T emperature [xxxºC/xxxºF] The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU and motherboard temperatures. Select Ignore if you do not wish to display the detected temperatures. 2.6.2 CPU / Chassis Fan Speed [xxxx RPM] or [Ignore] / [N/A] The onboard hardware monit[...]

2-24 ASUS P8H61-MX Series 2.6.5 Chassis Q-Fan Control [Enabled] [Disabled] Disables the Chassis Q-Fan control feature. [Enabled] Enables the Chassis Q-Fan control feature. Chassis Fan Speed Low Limit [600 RPM] This item appears only when you enable the Chassis Q-Fan Control feature and allows you to disable or set the chassis fan warning speed. Con[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-25 2.7 Boot menu The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. 2.7.1 Bootup NumLock State [On] [On] Sets the power-on state of the NumLock to [On]. [Off] Sets the power-on state of the NumLock to [Of f]. 2.7.2 Full Screen Logo [Enabled] [Enabled] Enables the full screen logo display feature. [Disable[...]

2-26 ASUS P8H61-MX Series 2.7.4 Option ROM Messages [Force BIOS] [Force BIOS] The third-party ROM messages will be forced to display during the boot sequence. [Keep Current] The third-party ROM messages will be displayed only if the third-party manufacturer had set the add-on device to do so. 2.7.5 Setup Mode [EZ Mode] [A dv an ce d Mo de ] Sets Ad[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-27 2.8 T ools menu The T ools menu items allow you to congure options for special functions. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the submenu. 2.8.1 ASUS EZ Flash Utility Allows you to run ASUS EZ Flash 2. Press [Enter] to launch the ASUS EZ Flash 2 screen. For more details, see section 2.1.2 ASUS EZ F[...]

2-28 ASUS P8H61-MX Series 2.9 Exit menu The Exit menu items allow you to load the optimal default values for the BIOS items, and save or discard your changes to the BIOS items. Y ou can access the EZ Mode from the Exit menu. Load Optimized Defaults This option allows you to load the default values for each of the parameters on the Setup menus. When[...]

Appendices A-1 Appendices 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. • This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation. This equi[...]

A-2 ASUS P8H61-MX Series VCCI: Japan Compliance Statement VCCI Class B Statement KC: Korea W arning Statement Canadian Department of Communications Statement This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communica[...]

Appendices A-3 ASUS contact information ASUST eK COMPUTER INC. Address 15 Li-T e Road, Peitou, T aipei, T aiwan 1 1259 T elephone +886-2-2894-3447 Fax +886-2-2890-7798 E-mail info@asus.com.tw Web site www .asus.com.tw T echnical Support T elephone +86-21-3842991 1 Online support support.asus.com ASUS COMPUTER INTERNA TIONAL (America) Address 800 Co[...]

A-4 ASUS P8H61-MX Series DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY Per FCC Part 2 Section 2. 1077(a) Responsible Party Name: Asus Computer International Address: 800 Corporate Way, Fremont , CA 94539. Phone/Fax No: (510)739-3777/(510)608-4555 hereby declares that the product Product Name : Motherboard Model Number : P8H61-MX R2.0, P8H61-MX USB3 ʳ Conforms to the [...]