Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product M2A-VM Asus
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Motherboard M2A-VM.
ii Copyright © 2007 ASUST eK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a r.
iii Contents Notices ......................................................................................................... vi Safety information ..................................................................................... vii M2A-VM specications summary .
iv Contents Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 2-2 2.1.1 ASUS Update utility ........................................................ 2-2 2.1.2 Creating a bootable oppy disk ......
v Contents 2.5 Power menu ................................................................................ 2-27 2.5.1 ACPI Suspend T ype ...................................................... 2-27 2.5.2 ACPI APIC Support ..............................
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.
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.
viii About this guide This user guide contains the information you need when installing and conguring the motherboard. How this guide is organized This manual contains the following parts: • Chapter 1: Product introduction This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new technology it supports.
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.
x M2A-VM specications summary (continued on the next page) CPU Support AMD socket AM2 for AMD Athlon™ 64FX/ Athlon™ 64 X2/Athlon™ 64/Sempron processors AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous.
xi M2A-VM specications summary Manageability WfM2.0, DMI2.0, WOL by PME, WOR, PXE, WOR by PME Special features ASUS Q-Fan ASUS C.P .R. (CPU Parameter Recall) ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS O.C. Prole ASUS MyLogo2™ ASUS Music Alarm BIOS features 8 Mb Flash ROM, Award BIOS, PnP , DMI2.
xii.
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 ® M2A-VM motherboard! The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies, making it another standout.
ASUS M2A-VM 1-3 AMD ® 690G and A TI SB600 chipsets The AMD 690G Northbridge is the latest AMD chipset designed to support 800/1000MHz HT(HyperT ransport) interface speeds, Microsoft ® DirectX 9.0, Pixel Shader V2.0 and dual VGA outputs, and max. shared memory up to 256MB.
1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features Gigabit LAN solution PCI Express Gb LAN controller delivers transfer speeds up to ten times faster than conventional 10/100/1000 Ethernet connections.
ASUS M2A-VM 1-5 ASUS O.C. Prole The motherboard features the ASUS O.C. Prole that allows users to conveniently store or load multiple BIOS settings. The BIOS settings can be stored in the CMOS or a separate le, giving users freedom to share distribute their favorite overclocking settings.
1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction 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.
ASUS M2A-VM 1-7 1.5.1 Motherboard layout 1.5 Motherboard overview Bottom:Mic In Center:Line Out T op:Line In P ANEL M2 A- VM ® CR2032 3V Lithium Cell CMOS Power AAFP CHASSIS 22.
1-8 Chapter 1: Product introduction M2A -VM ® 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 .
ASUS M2A-VM 1-9 1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU) The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2 socket designed for the AMD Athlon™ 64 X2/Athlon™ 64/Athlon™ FX/Sempron™ processor . The AM2 socket has a different pinout from the 940-pin socket designed for the AMD Opteron™ processor .
1-10 Chapter 1: Product introduction 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.
ASUS M2A-VM 1-1 1 1.6.2 Installing the heatsink and fan The AMD Athlon™ 64/Sempron™ processor require a specially designed heatsink and fan assembly to ensure optimum thermal condition and performance. Follow these steps to install the CPU heatsink and fan.
1-12 Chapter 1: Product introduction 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.
ASUS M2A-VM 1-13 1.7.2 Memory congurations Y ou may install 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2 GB unbuffered ECC/non-ECC DDR2 DIMMs into the DIMM sockets. 1.7 System memory 1.7.1 Overview The motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets.
1-14 Chapter 1: Product introduction • When using only one memory module, start installing the DDR2 DIMM from slot DIMM_A1 or DIMM_B1 for better overclocking capability .
ASUS M2A-VM 1-15 Size V endor Chip No. CL SS/DS Part No. DIMM support A* B* C* 512MB KINGSTON K4T51083QC N/A SS KVR800D2N5/512 • • • 1024MB KINGSTON Heat-Sink Package N/A SS KHX6400D2LLK2/1GN .
1-16 Chapter 1: Product introduction Side(s): SS - Single-sided DS - Double-sided DIMM support: A - Supports one module inserted in any slot as Single-channel memory conguration B - Supports one pa.
ASUS M2A-VM 1-17 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.
1-18 Chapter 1: Product introduction 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.
ASUS M2A-VM 1-19 * These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices. When using PCI cards on shared slots, ensure that the drivers support “Share IRQ” or that the cards do not need IRQ assignments; otherwise, conicts will arise between the two PCI groups, making the system unstable and the card inoperable.
1-20 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 specications.
ASUS M2A-VM 1-21 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.
1-22 Chapter 1: Product introduction 2. USB device wake-up (3-pin USBPW1-4, USBPW5-8, USBPW910) Set these jumpers to +5V to wake up the computer from S1 sleep mode (CPU stopped, DRAM refreshed, system running in low power mode) using the connected USB devices.
ASUS M2A-VM 1-23 Refer to the audio conguration table for the function of the audio ports in 2, 4, or 6,-channel conguration. Audio 2, 4, or 6-channel conguration Port Headset 2-channel 4-channel 6-channel Light Blue Line In Surround Surround Lime Headphone/Front Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Pink Mic In Mic In Center/Subwoofer 1.
1-24 Chapter 1: Product introduction 7. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.0 devices. 8. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available for connecting USB 2.
ASUS M2A-VM 1-25 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.
1-26 Chapter 1: Product introduction 3. IDE connectors (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 .
ASUS M2A-VM 1-27 4. Serial A T A connectors (7-pin SA T A1, SA T A2, SA T A3, SA T A4) These connectors are for the Serial A T A signal cables for Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s hard disk and optical disk drives. The Serial A T A 3.0 Gb/s is backward compatible with Serial A T A 1.
1-28 Chapter 1: Product introduction 5. CPU, Chassis, and Power Fan connectors (4-pin CPU_F AN, 3-pin PWR_F AN, 3-pin CHA_F AN1) 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 .
ASUS M2A-VM 1-29 Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors. Doing so will damage the motherboard! 7. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB56, USB78, USB910) 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.
1-30 Chapter 1: Product introduction 9. Serial port connectors (10-1 pin COM1) The connector is for a serial (COM) port. Connect the serial port module cable to the connector , then install the module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis.
ASUS M2A-VM 1-31 1 1. 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.
1-32 Chapter 1: Product introduction 12. System panel onnector (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 .
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 Update (Updates the BIOS in Windows ® environment.) 2. ASUS EZ Flash 2 (Updates the BIOS using a oppy disk/ USB ash disk or the motherboard support CD/DVD.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-3 Quit all Windows ® applications before you update the BIOS using this utility . 3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network trafc, or click Auto Select. Click Next. Updating the BIOS through the Internet T o update the BIOS through the Internet: 1.
2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 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.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-5 2. Copy the original or the latest motherboard BIOS le to the bootable oppy disk. 2.1.2 Creating a bootable oppy disk 1. Do either one of the following to create a bootable oppy disk. DOS environment a. Insert a 1.44MB oppy disk into the drive.
2-6 Chapter 2: BIOS setup T o update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2: 1. Visit the ASUS website (www .asus.com) to download the latest BIOS le for the motherboard. 2. Save the BIOS le to a oppy disk, then restart the system. 3. Y ou can launch the EZ Flash 2 by two methods.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-7 2.1.4 Updating the BIOS The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) can be updated using the A wardBIOS Flash Utility . Follow these instructions to update the BIOS using this utility . 1. Download the latest BIOS le from the ASUS web site.
2-8 Chapter 2: BIOS setup Do not turn off or reset the system during the ashing process! 9. The utility displays a Flashing Complete message indicating that you have successfully ashed the BIOS le. Remove the oppy disk then press <F1> to restart the system.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-9 4. The utility saves the current BIOS le to the oppy disk, then returns to the BIOS ashing process. 3. T ype a lename for the current BIOS le in the Save current BIOS as eld, then press <Enter>. T o save the current BIOS le using the AwardBIOS Flash Utility: 1.
2-10 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.1.6 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS le when it fails or gets corrupted during the updating process.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-1 1 2.2 BIOS setup program This motherboard supports a programmable Low-Pin Count (LPC) chip that you can update using the provided utility described in section “2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS.” Use the BIOS Setup program when you are installing a motherboard, reconguring your system, or prompted to“Run Setup.
2-12 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 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 conguration Advanced For changing.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-13 2.2.4 Menu items The highlighted item on the menu bar displays the specic items for that menu. For example, selecting Main shows the Main menu items. The other items (Advanced, Power , Boot, and Exit) on the menu bar have their respective menu items.
2-14 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.2.7 Pop-up window Select a menu item then press <Enter> to display a pop-up window with the conguration options for that item. 2.2.8 General help At the top right corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the selected item.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-15 F1:Help ↑↓ : Select Item -/+: Change Value F5: Setup Defaults ESC: Exit →← : Select Menu Enter: Select SubMenu F10: Save and Exit Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Select Menu Item Specic Help Change the day, month, year and century.
2-16 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 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.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-17 Capacity Displays the auto-detected hard disk capacity . This item is not congurable. Cylinder Shows the number of the hard disk cylinders. This item is not congurable. Head Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not congurable.
2-18 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2.3.5 SA T A 1-4 While entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of Serial A T A devices. There is a separate sub-menu for each SA T A device. Select a device item then press <Enter> to display the SA T A device information.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-19 Head Shows the number of the hard disk read/write heads. This item is not congurable. Landing Zone Shows the number of landing zone per track. This item is not congurable. Sector Shows the number of sectors per track. This item is not congurable.
2-20 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 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.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-21 2.4.2 CPU Conguration Select Menu Item Specic Help Control CPU Voltage by software Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced CPU Conguration CPU Type AMD Sempron(tm) Pro.
2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS setup Select Menu Item Specic Help DRAM timing and control Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced Chipset DRAM Conguration LDT & PCI Bus Control UMA Frame Buffer Size [64MB] Current UMA Size 64 MB X Surroundview Disabled Spread Spectreum [Autoz] 2.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-23 Plug & Play O/S [No] When set to [No], the BIOS congures all the devices in the system. When set to [Y es] and if you install a Plug and Play operating system, the operating sy stem congures the Plug and Play devices not required for boot.
2-24 Chapter 2: BIOS setup PCI Latenct Timer (CLK) [64] Use <+> and <-> to adjust the value. The value ranges from 0 to 255. Maximum Payload Size [4096] Sets maximum TLP payload size for the PCI Express devices.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-25 IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the IDE DMA transfer access. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] OnChip IDE Channel 0 [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the onchip IDE channel 0 controller .
2-26 Chapter 2: BIOS setup OnBoard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled] Allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN boot ROM. Conguration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Serial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4] Allows you to select the Serial Port1 base address.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-27 2.5.1 ACPI Suspend T ype [S1&S3] Allows you to select the Advanced Conguration and Power Interface (ACPI) state to be used for system suspend.
2-28 Chapter 2: BIOS setup Power On By External Modem [Disabled] This allows either settings of [Enabled] or [Disabled] for powering up the computer when the external modem receives a call while the computer is in Soft-off mode.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-29 Date of Month Alarm [xx] T o set the date of alarm, highlight this item and press <Enter> to display the Date of Month Alarm pop-up menu. Key-in a value within the specied range then press <Enter>. Conguration options: [Min=0] [Max=31] Alarm T ime (hh:mm) [xx:xx:xx] T o set the time of alarm: 1.
2-30 Chapter 2: BIOS setup CPU T emperature, MB T emperature The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the motherboard and CPU temperatures.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-31 1st ~ 4th Boot Device [Removable] These items specify the boot device priority sequence from the available devices. The number of device items that appears on the screen depends on the number of devices installed in the system. Conguration options: [Removable] [Hard Disk] [CDROM] [Disabled] 2.
2-32 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 1. SA T A Allows you to assign a hard disk drive attached to the system. 2.6.3 Hard Disk Drives Select Menu Item Specic Help Hard Disk Drives 1.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-33 T ypematic Rate (Chars/Sec) [6] Allows you to select the rate at which a character repeats when you hold a key . Conguration options: [6] [8] [10] [12] [15] [20] [24] [30] T ypematic Delay (Msec) [250] Allows you to set the delay before keystrokes begin to repeat.
2-34 Chapter 2: BIOS setup 2. Press any key to continue. The password eld setting is changed to Clear . A note about passwords The Supervisor password is required to enter the BIOS Setup program preventing unauthorized access. The User password is required to boot the system preventing unauthorized use.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-35 2.7 Tools menu The T ools menu items allow you to congure options for special functions. Select an item then press <Enter> to display the sub-menu. Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Select Menu Item Specic Help Press [Enter] to Set.
2-36 Chapter 2: BIOS setup Alarm Time (hh:mm) 0 : 0 Allows you to set the alarm time. Press <T ab> to select the eld, then use <+> or <-> to change the value.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-37 3. Enter BIOS setup program. Go to the “T ools” menu to select “Load from File”. Press <Enter> then the setup screen will appear . 4. Press <T ab> to switch between drives before the correct “xxx.CMO” le is found.
2-38 Chapter 2: BIOS setup Select Menu Item Specic Help Save current BIOS Prole to Prole 1. Save BIOS Prole Save to Prole 1 Save to Prole 2 Save to File Save BIOS Prole Save to Prole 1/2 Allows you to save the current BIOS le to the BIOS Flash.
ASUS M2A-VM 2-39 2.7.3 ASUS EZ Flash 2 Allows you to run ASUS EZ Flash 2. When you press <Enter>, a conrmation message appears. Use the left/right arrow key to select between [Y es] or [No], then press <Enter> to conrm your choice. Please see page 2-6, section 2.
2-40 Chapter 2: BIOS setup Select Menu Item Specic Help This option save data to CMOS and exiting the setup menu. Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Exit &.
3 Software support This chapter describes the contents of the support CD/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 CD/DVD to locate the le ASSETUP .EXE from the BIN folder .
3-3 ASUS M2A-VM 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 - Drivers Installation Wizard Launches the ASUS InstallAll driver installation wizard.
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 InstallAll utilities installation wizard.
3-5 ASUS M2A-VM 3.2.4 Make Disk menu The Make Disk menu allows you to make a RAID driver disk. Make A TI RAID/AHCI Driver Allows you to create an A TI ® Serial A T A (SA T A) RAID/AHCI driver disk.
3-6 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.
3-7 ASUS M2A-VM T echnical support Form Displays the ASUS T echnical Support Request Form that you have to ll out when requesting technical support. Filelist Displays the contents of the support CD/DVD and a brief description of each in text format.
3-8 Chapter 3: Software support.
An important point after buying a device Asus M2A-VM (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought Asus M2A-VM yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data Asus M2A-VM - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Asus M2A-VM you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get Asus M2A-VM will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of Asus M2A-VM, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Asus M2A-VM.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Asus M2A-VM. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Asus M2A-VM along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
