Asus P8H61-M LX3 PLUS manual

Motherboard P8H61-M LX3 Series • P8H61-M LX3 • P8H61-M LX3 PLUS[...]

ii E7258 First Edition March 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 purchase[...]

iii Contents Safety information ...................................................................................... vi About this guide ......................................................................................... vi P8H61-M LX3 Series specications summary ....................................... viii Chapter 1: Product introductio[...]

iv Contents 1.1 1 Software support ........................................................................ 1-23 1.1 1.1 Installing an operating system ...................................... 1-23 1.1 1.2 Support DVD information .............................................. 1-23 Chapter 2: BIOS information 2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ......[...]

v Contents 2.7 Boot menu .................................................................................. 2-23 2.7.1 Bootup NumLock State [On] ......................................... 2-23 2.7.2 Full Screen Logo [Enabled] ........................................... 2-23 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. 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 ad[...]

viii P8H61-M LX3 Series specications summary (continued on the next page) CPU LGA1 155 socket for Intel ® 2nd Generation Core™ i7 / Core™ i5 / Core™ i3 / Pentium ® / Celeron ® processors Supports Intel 32nm CPU Supports Intel ® T urbo Boost T echnology 2.0 * The Intel ® T urbo Boost T echnology 2.0 support depends on the CPU types. **[...]

ix P8H61-M LX3 Series specications summary Internal connectors/ switches/ buttons 3 x USB 2.0 connectors support additional 6 USB 2.0 ports 4 x SA T A 3.0 Gb/s connectors 1 x CPU fan connector 1 x 4-pin chassis fan connector 1 x Front panel audio connector 1 x System panel connector 1 x Speaker connector 1 x 24-pin A TX power connector 1 x 4-pin[...]

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1-1 Chapter 1: Product introduction Chapter 1 Product introduction Motherboard ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series motherboard Cables 2 x Serial A T A 3.0Gb/s cables Accessories 1 x I/O shield Application DVD ASUS motherboard support DVD Documentation User Manual If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer . 1.3 Special features 1.3.[...]

ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 1-2 Intel ® H61 Express Chipset The Intel ® H61 Express Chipset is the latest single-chipset design to support the new 1 155 socket Intel ® 2nd generation Core™ i7/i5/i3/ Pentium ® /Celeron ® processors. It provides improved performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, which allows increased bandwidth and sta[...]

1-3 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features ASUS UEFI BIOS Flexible and Easy BIOS Interface ASUS UEFI BIOS offers the rst mouse-controlled graphical BIOS designed with selectable modes, providing a user-friendly interface that goes beyond the traditional keyboard-only controls. It also natively supports fully-utilized hard[...]

ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 1-4 ASUS MyLogo2™ This feature allows you to convert your favorite photo into a 256-color boot logo for a more colorful and vivid image on your screen. ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto-recovery tool that allows you to restore a corrupted BIOS le using the bundled support DVD or USB ash disk that[...]

1-5 Chapter 1: Product introduction P8H61-M LX3 Series 1.5 Motherboard overview Before you install the motherboard, study the conguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard ts into it. Ensure that you unplug the power cord before installing or removing the motherboard. Failure to do so can cause you physical injury and damage moth[...]

ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 1-6 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, 4-pin CHA_FAN) 1-21 6. System panel connector (10-1 pin P ANEL) 1-22 2. A TX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin A TX12V) 1-20 7. Speaker connector (4-p[...]

1-7 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU) The motherboard comes with a surface mount LGA1 155 socket designed for Intel ® 2nd generation Core™ i7/i5/i3/Pentium ® /Celeron ® processors. Unplug all power cables before installing the CPU. • Upon purchase of the motherboard, ensure that the PnP cap is on the socket an[...]

ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 1-8 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 th[...]

1-9 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-M LX3 Series 1-10 1.6.2 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 , ensur[...]

1-1 1 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 . 1.6.3 Uninstalling the CPU heatsink and fan T o uninstall the CPU heatsink and fan: 1. Disconnect the CPU f[...]

ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 1-12 P8H61-M LX3 Series P8H61-M LX3 Series 240-pin DDR3 DIMM sockets DIMM_A1 DIMM_B1 1.7 System memory 1.7.1 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 installa[...]

1-13 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.7.2 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, s[...]

ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 1-14 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-DA TA AM2U139C2P1 2GB SS ADA TA 3CCD-1509A EL1 127T - - • • A-DA TA AM2U139C4P2 4GB DS ADAT A 3CCD-1509A EL1 127T - - • • A-DA TA SU3U1333W8G9-B 8GB DS ELPIDA J4208BASE-DJ-F - - • ?[...]

1-15 Chapter 1: Product introduction 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 D[...]

ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 1-16 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 Ins[...]

1-17 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.9 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-M LX3 Series 1-18 1.10 Connectors 1.10.1 Rear panel connectors 1. PS/2 Mouse port. This port connects to a 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 LAN port Speed LED Activit[...]

1-19 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 . These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are for USB 2.0/1.1 devices. 8. D-Sub port. This 15-pin port connects to a VGA monitor or other VGA-compatible devices. 9. PS/2 Keybo[...]

ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 1-20 • 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 350 W . • DO NOT forget to connect the 4-pin A TX +12V power plug. Otherwise, the system will not boot up. • We recommend that you[...]

1-21 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! 4. CPU and chassis fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN, 4-pin CHA_F AN) Connect the fan cables to the f[...]

ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 1-22 6. 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 blinks [...]

1-23 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.1 1 Software support 1.1 1.1 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 O[...]

ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 1-24[...]

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-M LX3 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 • This function supports USB ash disks with FA 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! 3. Press <T ab> to switch to the Drive eld. 4. Press the Up/Down arrow keys to nd the USB ash disk that contain[...]

2-4 ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series Welcome to FreeDOS (http://www.freedos.org)! C:>d: D:> 3. When the Make Disk menu appears, select the FreeDOS command prompt item by pressing the item number . 4. At the FreeDOS prompt, type d: and press <Enter> to switch the disk from Drive C (optical drive) to Drive D (USB ash drive). Please select boo[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-5 2. The BIOS Updater backup screen appears indicating the BIOS backup process. When BIOS backup is done, press any key to return to the DOS prompt. D:>bupdater /oOLDBIOS1.rom Filename Extension Backing up the current BIOS T o backup the current BIOS le using the BIOS Updater Ensure that the USB ash drive is [...]

2-6 ASUS P8H61-M LX3 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 P8H61LX3.ROM 41943[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-7 Using the power button , reset button , or the <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Del> keys to force reset from a running operating system can cause damage to your data or system. We recommend to always shut down the system properly from the operating system. • The BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for refe[...]

2-8 ASUS P8H61-M LX3 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 yo[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-9 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 . Main Ai T wea[...]

2-10 ASUS P8H61-M LX3 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 sub[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-1 1 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 l[...]

2-12 ASUS P8H61-M LX3 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 an[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-13 2.4 Ai T weaker menu The Ai T weaker menu items allow you to congure overclocking-related items. Be cautious when changing the settings of the Ai T weaker menu items. Incorrect eld values can cause the system to malfunction. The conguration options for this section vary depending on the CPU and DIMM model y[...]

2-14 ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 2.4.2 DRAM Timing Control The sub-items in this menu allow you to set the DRAM timing control features. Key in a desired value directly . T o restore the default setting, type [auto] using the keyboard and press <Enter>. Changing the values in this menu may cause the system to become unstable! If this happens, rev[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-15 Primary Plane Current Limit [Auto] Maximum instantaneous current allowed at any given time for CPU cores. The value is represented in 1/8 A (0.125A) increment. Use the <+> and <-> keys to adjust the value. Secondary Plane Current Limit [Auto] Maximum instantaneous current allowed at any given time for in[...]

2-16 ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 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. CPU Ratio [Auto] Allows you to set the ratio between the CPU Core Clock and the BCLK Frequency . Use <+> and <-> keys[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-17 CPU C3 Report [Enabled] Allows you to disable or enable the CPU C3 report to the operating system. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] CPU C6 Report [Enabled] Allows you to disable or enable the CPU C6 report to the operating system. Conguration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] 2.5.2 System Agent Congura[...]

2-18 ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series Serial-A T A Controller 0 [Enhanced] This item appears only when you set the SA T A Mode item to [IDE Mode]. [Disabled] Disables the SA T A function. [Enhanced] Set to [Enhanced] to support more than four SA T A devices. [Compatible] Set to [Compatible] when using Windows 98/NT/2000/MS-DOS. Up to four SA T A devices are[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-19 Front Panel T ype [HD] Allows you to set the front panel audio connector (AAFP) mode to legacy AC’97 or high- denition audio depending on the audio standard that the front panel audio module supports. [HD] Sets the front panel audio connector (AAFP) mode to high denition audio. [AC97] Sets the front panel au[...]

2-20 ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series 2.6 Monitor menu The Monitor menu displays the system temperature/power status, and allows you to change the fan settings. Main Ai T weaker Advanced Monitor Boot Tool Exit Version 2.00.1201. Copyright (C) 201 1 American Megatrends, Inc. CPU T emperature →← : Select Screen ↑↓ : Select Item Enter: Select +/-: Chan[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-21 CPU Fan Speed Low Limit [600 RPM] This item appears only when you enable the CPU Q-Fan Control feature and allows you to disable or set the CPU fan warning speed. Conguration options: [Ignore] [200 RPM] [300 RPM] [400 RPM] [500 RPM] [600 RPM] CPU Fan Profile [Standard] This item appears only when you enable the C[...]

2-22 ASUS P8H61-M LX3 Series The following four items appear only when you set Chassis Fan Prole to [Manual]. Chassis Upper T emperature [70] Use the <+> and <-> keys to adjust the upper limit of the CPU temperature. The values range from 40ºC to 90ºC. Chassis Fan Max. Duty Cycle(%) [100] Use the <+> and <-> keys to adj[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-23 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 [Off]. 2.7.2 Full Screen Logo [Enabled] [Enabled] Enables the full screen logo display feature. [Disabled[...]

2-24 ASUS P8H61-M LX3 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[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-25 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[...]

2-26 ASUS P8H61-M LX3 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. W[...]

Chapter 2: BIOS information 2-27[...]

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-M LX3 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 Commun[...]

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 Corporate Way , F[...]

EC Declaration of Conformity We, the undersigned, Manufacturer: ASUSTek COMPUTER INC. Address, City: No. 150, LI-TE RD., PEITOU, TAIPEI 112, TAIWAN R.O.C. Country: TAIWAN Authorized representative in Europe: ASUS COMPUTER GmbH Address, City: HARKORT STR. 21-23, 40880 RATINGEN Country: GERMANY declare the following apparatus: Product name : Motherbo[...]