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Asus M4A78-EM - Motherboard - Micro ATX User Manual

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  • Page 1 M4A78-EM...
  • Page 2 Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Welcome! ..................1-1 Package contents ................. 1-1 Special features ................1-1 1.3.1 Product highlights ............1-1 1.3.2 Innovative ASUS features ..........1-3 Before you proceed ..............1-5 Motherboard overview ..............1-6 1.5.1 Placement direction ............1-6 1.5.2 Screw holes ..............1-6 1.5.3...
  • Page 4 Chapter 2: BIOS information Managing and updating your BIOS ..........2-1 2.1.1 ASUS Update utility ............2-1 2.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility ........... 2-3 2.1.3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility ........2-4 BIOS setup program ..............2-5 2.2.1 BIOS menu screen ............2-6 2.2.2...
  • Page 5 Boot Device Priority ............2-17 2.6.2 Boot Settings Configuration .......... 2-17 2.6.3 Security ................. 2-18 Tools menu ................. 2-20 2.7.1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 ............2-20 2.7.2 Express Gate ..............2-20 2.7.3 AI NET 2................ 2-20 Exit menu ..................2-21...

  • Page 6: Notices

    Complying with the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals) regulatory framework, we published the chemical substances in our products at ASUS REACH website at http://green.asus.com/english/REACH.htm. DO NOT throw the motherboard in municipal waste. This product has been designed to enable proper reuse of parts and recycling.

  • Page 7: Safety Information

    Safety information Electrical safety • To 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 power cables from the existing system before you add a device.

  • Page 8: Conventions Used In This Guide

    Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and software updates. ASUS websites The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware and software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information. Optional documentation Your product package may include optional documentation, such as warranty flyers, that may have been added by your dealer.

  • Page 9: M4A78-Em Specifications Summary

    Supports 45nm CPU AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet™ 2.0 Technology (depends on CPU type) Supports CPU up to 125W Refer to www.asus.com for the AMD CPU support list Chipset AMD 780G / SB700 Front side bus Up to 5200MT/s HyperTransport™ 3.0 interface for...
  • Page 10 SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection) from 200MHz to features 400MHz at 1MHz increment Adjustable CPU voltage at 0.05V increment ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall) Back panel I/O ports 1 x PS/2 Keyboard / Mouse Combo port 1 x RJ-45 port 1 x VGA port...
  • Page 11 1 x User Manual Form factor MicroATX form factor: 9.6 in x 9.6 in (24.4 cm x 24.4 cm) Support DVD Drivers ASUS LiveUpdate Utility ASUS PC Probe II Anti-Virus software (OEM version) *Specifications are subject to change without notice.

  • Page 13: Chapter 1: Product Introduction

    ® 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 package with the list below.
  • Page 14 • We recommend that you install the DDR2 1200 memory modules on the yellow slots for better performance. • Ensure that you download the latest BIOS version at www.asus.com and purchase the memory modules on the ASUS official Memory Qualified Vendors Lists (QVL).

  • Page 15: Innovative Asus Features

    Turn your favorite photos into 256-color boot logos to personalize your system. ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto-recovery tool that allows you to restore a corrupted BIOS file using the bundled support DVD or a USB flash disk that contains the BIOS file.
  • Page 16 ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 allows you to update the BIOS from a USB flash disk before entering the OS. ASUS Q-Fan ASUS Q-Fan technology intelligently adjusts CPU fan speeds according to system loading to ensure a quiet, cool, and efficient operation.

  • Page 17: Before You Proceed

    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 the onboard LED. ASUS M4A78-EM...

  • Page 18: Motherboard Overview

    Motherboard overview 1.5.1 Placement direction When installing the motherboard, ensure that you place it into the chassis in the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below. 1.5.2 Screw holes Place eight screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the...

  • Page 19: Motherboard Layout

    1-27 Serial port connector (10-1 pin COM1) 1-24 14. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP) 1-27 IDE connector (40-1 pin PRI_IDE) 1-23 15. Optical drive audio connector (4-pin CD) 1-26 System panel connector (20-8 pin PANEL) 1-25 ASUS M4A78-EM...

  • Page 20: Central Processing Unit (Cpu)

    Right Central Processing Unit (CPU) This motherboard comes with an AM2+ / AM2 socket designed for AMD Phenom™ x4 / ® Phenom™ x3 / Athlon™ x2 / Athlon™ / Sempron™ processors. It also supports AM3 CPUs including Phenom™ II / Athlon™ x4 / Athlon™ x3 / Athlon™ x2 processors. The AM2+ / AM2 socket has a different pinout from the 940-pin socket designed for the AMD Opteron™...
  • Page 21 Connect the CPU fan cable to the CPU_FAN connector on the motherboard. DO NOT forget to connect the CPU fan connector! Hardware monitoring errors can occur if you fail to plug this connector. ASUS M4A78-EM...

  • Page 22: Installing The Heatsink And Fan

    1.6.2 Installing the heatsink and fan Ensure that you use only AMD-certified heatsink and fan assembly. To install the CPU heatsink and fan: Place the heatsink on top of the installed CPU, ensuring that the heatsink fits properly on the retention module base. •...

  • Page 23: System Memory

    240-pin footprint compared to the 184-pin DDR DIMM. DDR2 DIMMs are notched differently to prevent installation on a DDR DIMM socket. The figure illustrates the location of the DDR2 DIMM sockets: Channel Sockets Channel A DIMM_A1 and DIMM_A2 Channel B DIMM_B1 and DIMM_B2 ASUS M4A78-EM 1-11...

  • Page 24: Memory Configurations

    1.7.2 Memory configurations You may install 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB unbuffered ECC and non-ECC DDR2 DIMMs into the DIMM sockets. • You may install varying memory sizes in Channel A and Channel B. The system maps the total size of the lower-sized channel for the dual-channel configuration. Any excess memory from the higher-sized channel is then mapped for single-channel operation.
  • Page 25 F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ Heat-Sink Package G.SKILL · · · 2048MB G.SKILL F2-6400CL4D-4GBPK Heat-Sink Package G.SKILL · · · 2048MB G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ Heat-Sink Package G.SKILL · · 4096MB G.SKILL F2-6400CL6Q-16GMQ Heat-Sink Package · · · (continued on the next page) ASUS M4A78-EM 1-13...
  • Page 26 DDR2-800MHz capability DIMM socket support Size Vendor Part No. SS/DS Chip NO. Chip Brand (Optional) 1024MB GEIL GB22GB6400C4DC GL2L64M088BA30EB GEIL · · · 1024MB GEIL GB22GB6400C5DC GL2L64M088BA30EB GEIL · · · 1024MB GEIL GB24GB6400C4QC GL2L64M088BA30EB GEIL · · · 1024MB GEIL GB24GB6400C5QC GL2L64M088BA30EB...
  • Page 27 • C*: Supports two pairs of modules inserted into both the yellow slots and the black slots as two pairs of dual-channel memory configuration. Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com for the latest QVL. ASUS M4A78-EM 1-15...

  • Page 28: Installing A Dimm

    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. Press the retaining clips outward to DDR2 DIMM notch unlock a DDR2 DIMM socket.

  • Page 29: Expansion Slots

    This motherboard supports PCI Express x1 network cards, SCSI cards, and other cards that comply with the PCI Express specifications. 1.8.5 PCI Express x16 slot This motherboard supports a PCI Express x16 graphics card that complies with the PCI Express specifications. ASUS M4A78-EM 1-17...

  • Page 30: Jumpers

    Jumpers Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC) This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. You can clear the CMOS memory of date, time, and system setup parameters by erasing the CMOS RTC RAM data. The onboard button cell battery powers the RAM data in CMOS, which include system setup information such as system passwords.

  • Page 31: Connectors

    Side Speaker Out port (gray). This port connects to the side speakers in the 8-channel audio configuration. Refer to the audio configuration table on the next page for the function of the audio ports in the 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel configuration. ASUS M4A78-EM 1-19...
  • Page 32 Audio 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel configuration Headset Port 4-channel 6-channel 8-channel 2-channel Light Blue Line In Line In Line In Line In Lime Line Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In Mic In Orange...
  • Page 33 1280 x 1080p • To play HD DVD or Blu-Ray disc, ensure to use HDCP compliant devices and software. USB 2.0 ports 5 and 6. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are for USB 2.0 devices. ASUS M4A78-EM 1-21...

  • Page 34: Internal Connectors

    The system may become unstable or may not boot up if the power is inadequate. • If you are uncertain about the minimum power supply requirement for your system, refer to the Recommended Power Supply Wattage Calculator at http://support.asus. com/PowerSupplyCalculator/PSCalculator.aspx?SLanguage=en-us for details. 1-22...

  • Page 35: Lpt Connector (26-1 Pin Lpt)

    If any device jumper is set as “Cable-Select”, ensure that all other device jumpers have the same setting. LPT connector The LPT (Line Printing Terminal) connector supports devices such as a printer. LPT is standardized as IEEE 1284, which is the parallel port interface on IBM PC-compatible computers. ASUS M4A78-EM 1-23...
  • Page 36 Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA5, and SATA6) These connectors are for the Serial ATA signal cables for Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard disk and optical disk drives. The Serial ATA 3Gb/s is backward compatible with Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s specification. The data transfer rate of the Serial ATA 3Gb/s is faster than the standard parallel ATA with 133 MB/s (Ultra DMA133).

  • Page 37: System Panel Connector (20-8 Pin Panel)

    BIOS settings. Pressing the power switch for more than four seconds while the system is ON turns the system OFF. • Reset button This 2-pin connector is for the chassis-mounted reset button for system reboot without turning off the system power. ASUS M4A78-EM 1-25...

  • Page 38: Usb Connectors (10-1 Pin Usb78, Usb910, Usb1112)

    USB connectors (10-1 pin USB78, USB910, USB1112) These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the USB module cable to any of these connectors, then install the module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis. These USB connectors comply with USB 2.0 specification that supports up to 480Mbps connection speed.

  • Page 39: Digital Audio Connector (4-1 Pin Spdif_Out)

    • If you want to connect a high definition front panel audio module to this connector, set the Front Panel Select item in the BIOS to [HD Audio]. See section 2.4.4 Onboard Device Configuration for details. ASUS M4A78-EM 1-27...
  • Page 40 DO NOT forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Insufficient air flow inside the system may damage the motherboard components. These are not jumpers! DO NOT place jumper caps on the fan connectors. Only the CPU fan supports the ASUS Q-Fan feature. 1-28 Chapter 1: Product introduction...

  • Page 41: Software Support

    The contents of the Support DVD are subject to change at any time without notice. Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com for updates. To run the Support DVD Place the Support DVD into the optical drive.
  • Page 42 1-30 Chapter 1: Product introduction...

  • Page 43: Chapter 2: Bios Information

    BIOS in the future. Copy the original motherboard BIOS using the ASUS Update or AFUDOS utilities. 2.1.1 ASUS Update utility The ASUS Update is a utility that allows you to manage, save, and update the motherboard BIOS in Windows environment. ®...

  • Page 44: Updating The Bios

    Updating from the Internet Select Update BIOS from the Internet, then click Next. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network traffic, or click Auto Select then click Next. From the FTP site, select the BIOS version that you want to download then click Next.

  • Page 45: Asus Ez Flash 2 Utility

    2.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility 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 file from the ASUS website at www.asus.com.

  • Page 46: Asus Crashfree Bios 3 Utility

    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 file when it fails or gets corrupted during the updating process. You can update a corrupted BIOS file using the motherboard support DVD or a USB flash disk that contains the updated BIOS file.

  • Page 47: Bios Setup Program

    • The BIOS setup screens in this chapter are for reference only. They may not exactly match what you see on your screen. • Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com to download the latest BIOS file for this motherboard. ASUS M4A78-EM...

  • Page 48: Bios Menu Screen

    2.2.1 BIOS menu screen Menu items Menu bar Configuration fields General help BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Advanced Power Boot Tools Exit Main Settings Use [ENTER], [TAB] System Time [19:34:30] or [SHIFT-TAB] to System Date [Tue 11/19/2007] select a field. Primary IDE Master :[Not Detected] Use [+] or [-] to Primary IDE Slave...

  • Page 49: Menu Items

    Press the <Up> / <Down> arrow keys or <Page Up> /<Page Down> keys to display the other items on the screen. 2.2.9 General help At the top right corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the selected item. ASUS M4A78-EM...

  • Page 50: Main Menu

    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. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Advanced...

  • Page 51: Sata Configuration

    This menu gives you an overview of the general system specifications. The BIOS automatically detects the items in this menu. BIOS Information Displays the auto-detected BIOS information. Processor Displays the auto-detected CPU specification. System Memory Displays the auto-detected system memory. ASUS M4A78-EM...

  • Page 52: Advanced Menu

    Advanced menu The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices. Take caution when changing the settings of the Advanced menu items. Incorrect field values can cause the system to malfunction. BIOS SETUP UTILITY Main Advanced Power...

  • Page 53: Cpu Configuration

    Allows you to enable or disable the CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E) function, a CPU power-saving function in system halt state. When this item is enabled, the CPU core frequency and voltage will be reduced during the system halt state to decrease power consumption. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] ASUS M4A78-EM 2-11...

  • Page 54: Chipset

    2.4.3 Chipset NorthBridge Configuration Memory Configuration Bank Interleaving [Auto] Allows you to enable the bank memory interleaving. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Auto] Channel Interleaving [Disabled] Allows you to enable the channel memory interleaving. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Address bits 6] [Address bits 12] [XOR of Address bits [20:16, 6]] [XOR of Address bits [20:16, 9]] Enable Clock to All DIMMs [Disabled] Enables unused Clocks to DIMMs even though memory slots are not populated.

  • Page 55: Onboard Device Configuration

    Configuration options: [HD Audio] [AC97] SPDIF_OUT Mode Setting [SPDIF Output] Allows you to set the SPDIF_O UT mode. Configuration options: [HDMI Output] [SPDIF Output] OnBoard LAN Controller [Enabled] Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] OnBoard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled] Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] ASUS M4A78-EM 2-13...

  • Page 56: Pcipnp

    2.4.5 PCIPnP The PCI PnP menu items allow you to change the advanced settings for PCI/PnP devices. The menu includes setting IRQ and DMA channel resources for either PCI/PnP or legacy ISA devices, and setting the memory size block for legacy ISA devices. Take caution when changing the settings of the PCI PnP menu items.

  • Page 57: Power Menu

    Power on From S5 By PME# [Disabled] Enables or disables PME wake from sleep states. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Power on From S5 By Ring [Disabled] Enables or disables ring to generate a wake event. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] ASUS M4A78-EM 2-15...

  • Page 58: Hw Monitor Configuration

    The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects the voltage output through the onboard voltage regulators. Smart Q-Fan Function [Enabled] Allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Q-Fan feature that smartly adjusts the fan speeds for more efficient system operation. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Fan Auto Mode Start Voltage [5.0V]...

  • Page 59: Boot Menu

    POST items. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Full Screen Logo [Enabled] This allows you to enable or disable the full screen logo display feature. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] Set this item to [Enabled] to use the ASUS MyLogo2™ feature. ASUS M4A78-EM 2-17...

  • Page 60: Security

    AddOn ROM Display Mode [Force BIOS] Sets the display mode for option ROM. Configuration options: [Force BIOS] [Keep Current] Bootup Num-Lock [On] Allows you to select the power-on state for the NumLock. Configuration options: [Off] [On] Wait for ‘F1’ If Error [Enabled] When set to Enabled, the system waits for the F1 key to be pressed when error occurs.

  • Page 61: Change User Password

    Password Check [Setup] When set to [Setup], BIOS checks for user password when accessing the Setup utility. When set to [Always], BIOS checks for user password both when accessing Setup and booting the system. Configuration options: [Setup] [Always] ASUS M4A78-EM 2-19...

  • Page 62: Tools Menu

    (C)Copyright 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. 2.7.1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 Allows you to run ASUS EZ Flash 2. When you press <Enter>, a confirmation message appears. Use the left/right arrow key to select between [Yes] or [No], then press <Enter> to confirm your choice.

  • Page 63: Exit Menu

    When you select this option or if you press <F5>, a confirmation window appears. Select OK to load default values. Select Exit & Save Changes or make other changes before saving the values to the non-volatile RAM. ASUS M4A78-EM 2-21...
  • Page 64 2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS information...

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