MotherboardM3N78-VM

xM3N78-VM specications summary(continued on the next page)CPU AMD socket AM2+ / AM2 for AMD Phenom™FX / Phenom™ / Athlon™ / SempronTM processor

3-8 Chapter 3: Software support3.2.5 Manual menuThe Manual menu contains a list of supplementary user manuals. Click an item to open the folder of th

3-9ASUS M3N78-VM Browse this DVDDisplays the support DVD contents in graphical format.3.2.7 Other informationThe icons on the top right corner of the

3-10 Chapter 3: Software supportTechnical support FormDisplays the ASUS Technical Support Request Form that you have to ll out when requesting techni

3-11ASUS M3N78-VM 3.3 Creating a RAID driver diskA oppy disk with the RAID driver is required when installing Windows® XP operating system on a hard

3-12 Chapter 3: Software supportENTER=Continue ESC=Cancel F3=ExitPlease insert the disk labeledManufacturer-supplied hardware support disk into Dr

3-13ASUS M3N78-VM To install the RAID driver in Windows® VistaTM:1. Insert the motherboard support DVD or a USB device with RAID driver into the opti

3-14 Chapter 3: Software support3. Select the language for installation and click OK.4. The InstallShield Wizard for Express Gate appears. Click Nex

3-15ASUS M3N78-VM The Express Gate EnvironmentThe very rst time you enter the Express Gate environment (by launching either web or Skype from the rs

3-16 Chapter 3: Software supportUsing the Conguration PanelUse the conguration panel to change various Express Gate settings.Click on an icon to ope

3-17ASUS M3N78-VM • Screen Settings: Choose the most optimal screen resolution for your display.• Volume Control: Control the volume for your speaker

xiM3N78-VM specications summaryUSB 12 USB 2.0 / 1.1 ports (6 ports at mid-board, 6 ports at rear panel)LAN NVIDIA® nForce built-in Gigabit MAC wit

3-18 Chapter 3: Software support Click to choose input language and method as well as keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl-Space by default). Click to change

3-19ASUS M3N78-VM 2. Open Network.Network3. Make the proper network congurations.Each network interface is enabled immediately when you check the b

3-20 Chapter 3: Software support• If you have wireless network, click Setup for the WiFi option. In the WiFi tab of the Advanced Network Settings box

3-21ASUS M3N78-VM Conguring Express Gate in BIOS SetupEnter BIOS setup by pressing DEL key after powering on or by clicking on the BIOS setup icon on

3-22 Chapter 3: Software support

4Chapter 4: NVIDIA® technology supportThis chapter tells how to use the Hybrid SLI® feature.

4-2 Chapter 4: NVIDIA® technology support4.1 NVIDIA® Hybrid SLI® Technology The motherboard supports the NVIDIA® Hybrid SLI® technology that includes

4-3ASUS M3N78-VM 4.1.2 Enabling Hybrid SLI• Before enabling GeForce Boost and HybridPower, ensure that you have installed a dGPU recommended

4-4 Chapter 4: NVIDIA® technology supportPower Saving mode is disabled. When the Power Saving mode is enabled, the dGPU is turned off and do

xiiRear panel I/O 1 x LAN (RJ-45) port 1 x HDMI port 1 x DVI port 1 x VGA port 6 x USB 2.0 / 1.1 ports 1 x External SATA port 1 x PS/2 keyboard / mous

1Chapter 1: Product introductionThis chapter describes the motherboard features and the new technologies it supports.

1-2 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.1 Welcome!Thank you for buying an ASUS® M3N78-VM motherboard!The motherboard delivers a host of new features and

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-3AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Technology The motherboard supports the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Technology, which monitors system operation and aut

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introductionGigabit LAN solution Gigabit LAN is the networking standard for the early future and is ideal for handling large a

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-5ASUS Q-Fan technology ASUS Q-Fan technology intelligently adjusts CPU fan speeds according to system loading to ensure quiet, cool

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introductionGreen ASUS The motherboard and its packaging comply with the European Union’s Restriction on the use of Hazardou

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-7Onboard LEDThe motherboard comes with a standby power LED that lights up to indicate that the system is ON, in sleep mode, or in soft

iiCopyright © 2008 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be repro

1-8 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.5.1 Motherboard layout1.5 Motherboard overview24.4cm (9.6in24.4cm (9.6in))Super I/OSATA5SATA4SATA3SATA2SATA1Soc

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-9RM3N78-VMDo not overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard.1.5.2 Placement directionWhen installing the motherboard

1-10 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.6 Central Processing Unit (CPU)The motherboard comes with a 940-pin AM2+ / AM2 socket designed for the AMD Athl

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-113. Position the CPU above the socket such that the CPU corner with the gold triangle matches the socket corner with a small triang

1-12 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.6.2 Installing the heatsink and fanThe AMD Athlon™ 64 / Sempron™ / Athlon™ FX / Athlon™ 64 X2 / AM2+ / Phenom™

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-132. Attach one end of the retention bracket to the retention module base.3. Align the other end of the retention bracket (near the

1-14 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.7.2 Memory congurationsYou may install 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2 GB unbuffered ECC / non-ECC DDR2 DIMMs into

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-15• When using only one memory module, start installing the DDR2 DIMM from slot DIMM_A1 or DIMM_B1 for better overclocking capability

1-16 Chapter 1: Product introductionSize Vendor Model CL Brand SS/DSComponent DIMM support A* B* C* 2G Kingston KVR667D2N5/2G N/A Micron DS 7RE22 D9HN

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-17SS - Single-sided / DS - Double - sided DIMM support: • A*: Supports one module inserted into any slot as Single-channel memory

iiiContentsNotices ... viSafety information ...

1-18 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.7.3 Installing a DIMM1. Unlock a DIMM socket by pressing the retaining clips outward.2. Align a DIMM on the s

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-191.8 Expansion slotsIn the future, you may need to install expansion cards. The following sub-sections describe the slots and the ex

1-20 Chapter 1: Product introduction* These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices.Interrupt assignmentsIRQ Standard function0 Standard tim

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-21When using PCI cards on shared slots, ensure that the drivers support “Share IRQ” or that the cards do not need IRQ assignments. Oth

1-22 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.8.3 PCI slotsThe PCI slots support cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply w

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-231.9 Jumper1. Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC)This jumper allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. You can clear the CMOS m

1-24 Chapter 1: Product introduction1.10 Connectors1.10.1 Rear panel connectors5. Rear Speaker Out port (black). This port connects the re

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-25Audio 2, 4, 6, or 8-channel conguration11. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are available f

1-26 Chapter 1: Product introductionPlayback of HD DVD and Blu-Ray Discs The speed and bandwidth of the CPU/Memory, DVD player, and drivers will affec

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-271.10.2 Internal connectors1. Floppy disk drive connector (34-1 pin FLOPPY)This connector is for the provided oppy disk drive (FDD

ivContentsChapter 2: BIOS setup2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ... 2-22.1.1 Creating a bootable oppy

1-28 Chapter 1: Product introduction3. IDE connectors (40-1 pin PRI_IDE)The onboard IDE connector is for an Ultra DMA 133/100/66 signal cable. There

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-294. Serial ATA connectors (7-pin SATA1 [red], SATA2 [red], SATA3 [red], SATA4 [black], SATA5 [black])These connectors are for the Se

1-30 Chapter 1: Product introduction5. CPU, Chassis and Power Fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN, 3-pin CHA_FAN, 3-pin PWR_FAN)The fan connectors support

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-317. USB connectors (10-1 pin USB78, USB910, USB1112)These connectors are for USB 2.0 ports. Connect the USB module cable to any of t

1-32 Chapter 1: Product introduction9. Serial port connectors (10-1 pin COM1)The connector is for a serial (COM) port. Connect the serial port module

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-3311. Chassis intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS)This connector is for a chassis-mounted intrusion detection sensor or switch. Conn

1-34 Chapter 1: Product introduction13. ATX power connectors (24-pin ATX-PWRGD, 4-pin ATX12V)These connectors are for an ATX power supply. The plugs

ASUS M3N78-VM 1-3514. System panel connector (20-8 pin PANEL) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions.• System power LED (2-pin PL

1-36 Chapter 1: Product introduction

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

vContents2.5.3 ACPI APIC Support ... 2-342.5.4 APM Conguration ...

2-2 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.1 Managing and updating your BIOSThe following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic Input/Output

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-3Windows® Vista environmenta. Insert a formatted, high density 1.44 MB oppy disk to the oppy disk drive. b. Click from the Windo

2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS setupTo update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2:1. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) to download the latest BIOS le for the motherb

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-52.1.3 AFUDOS utilityThe AFUDOS utility allows you to update the BIOS le in DOS environment using a bootable oppy disk with the upd

2-6 Chapter 2: BIOS setupUpdating the BIOS leTo update the BIOS le using the AFUDOS utility:1. Visit the ASUS website (www.asus.com) and download t

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-72.1.4 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utilityThe ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS le when i

2-8 Chapter 2: BIOS setupRecovering the BIOS from the support DVDTo recover the BIOS from the support DVD:1. Remove any oppy disk from the oppy dis

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-9Installing ASUS UpdateTo install ASUS Update:1. Place the support DVD in the optical drive. The Drivers menu appears. 2. Click the

2-10 Chapter 2: BIOS setup3. Select the ASUS FTP site nearest you to avoid network trafc, or click Auto Select. Click Next.Updating the BIOS through

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-11Updating the BIOS through a BIOS leTo update the BIOS through a BIOS le:1. Launch the ASUS Update utility from the Windows® deskt

viNoticesFederal Communications Commission StatementThis device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two cond

2-12 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.2 BIOS setup programThis motherboard supports a programmable Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) chip that you can update u

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-132.2.1 BIOS menu screen• The BIOS setup screens shown in this chapter are for reference purposes only, and may not exactly match wh

2-14 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.2.4 Menu itemsThe highlighted item on the menu bar displays the specic items for that menu. For example, selecting Main

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-152.3 Main menuWhen you enter the BIOS Setup program, the Main menu screen appears, giving you an overview of the basic system inform

2-16 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.3.4 Primary IDE Master/Slave, SATA1~3, ESATAWhile entering Setup, the BIOS automatically detects the presence of IDE devi

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-17Block (Multi-Sector Transfer) M [Auto]Enables or disables data multi-sectors transfers. When set to Auto, the data transfer from and

2-18 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.3.5 Storage CongurationThe items in this menu allow you to set or change the congurations for the IDE devices installed

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-192.3.6 System InformationThis menu gives you an overview of the general system specications. The BIOS automatically detects the ite

2-20 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.4 Advanced menuThe Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices.Take caution

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-21CPU Overclocking [Auto]Allows selection of CPU overclocking options to achieve desired CPU internal frequency. Select either one of

viiSafety informationElectrical safety• To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet before relocating th

2-22 Chapter 2: BIOS setupPCIE Overclocking [Auto]Allows selection of PCIE overclocking options to achieve desired PCIE frequency. Select either one o

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-23The following item appears only when the Memory Clock Mode item is set to [Manual].Memclock Value [266 MHz]Allows you to select the

2-24 Chapter 2: BIOS setuptRWTTO [ Auto]Allows you to set tRWTTO. Conguration options: [Auto] [2 CLK] [3 CLK] [4 CLK] [5 CLK] [6 CLK] [7 CLK] [8 CLK]

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-252.4.2 CPU CongurationGART Error Reporting [Disabled]This option should remain disabled for the normal operation. The driver develo

2-26 Chapter 2: BIOS setupNorthBridge Chipset Conguration Memory Conguration ECC CongurationNorthBridge Conguration2.4.3 ChipsetThe Chipset men

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-27Memory CongurationEnable Bank Memory InterleavingMemory CongurationBank Interleaving [Auto]Channel Interleaving [Disabled]Enable

2-28 Chapter 2: BIOS setupECC Mode [Disabled]Enables or disables the DRAM ECC that allows the hardware to report and correct memory errors automatical

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-29Primary Graphics Adapter [PCIE VGA Card First]Display Device Priority, from high to low. Conguration options: [PCIE VGA Card First]

2-30 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.4.4 Onboard Devices CongurationOnboard Devices CongurationSerial Port1 Address [3F8/IRQ4] Serial Port1 Mode [Normal]

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-312.4.5 PCI PnPThe PCI PnP menu items allow you to change the advanced settings for PCI/PnP devices. The menu includes setting IRQ an

viiiAbout this guideThis user guide contains the information you need when installing and conguring the motherboard.How this guide is organizedThis m

2-32 Chapter 2: BIOS setupIRQ-xx assigned to [PCI Device]When set to [PCI Device], the specic IRQ is free for use of PCI/PnP devices. When set to [Re

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-332.4.7 Trusted ComputingThe items in this menu allows you to congure Trusted Computing related settings. Select an item then press

2-34 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.5 Power menuThe Power menu items allow you to change the settings for the Advanced Conguration and Power Interface (ACPI

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-352.5.4 APM CongurationAPM CongurationRestore on AC Power Loss [Power Off]Power On By PCI Device [Disabled] Power On By Ring [Di

2-36 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.5.5 Hardware MonitorHardware MonitorCPU Temperature [46ºC/114.5ºF]MB Temperature [34ºC/93ºF]CPU Fan Speed [3276RPM]Cha

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-372.6 Boot menuThe Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options. Select an item then press <Enter> to display th

2-38 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.6.2 Boot Settings Conguration Select Screen Select Item+- Change OptionF1 General HelpF10 Save and ExitESC

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-39Interrupt 19 Capture [Disabled]When set to [Enabled], this function allows the option ROMs to trap Interrupt 19. Conguration option

2-40 Chapter 2: BIOS setupUser Access Level [Full Access]This item allows you to select the access restriction to the Setup items. Conguration option

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-412.7 Tools menuASUS EZ Flash 2Express Gate [Enabled] Enter OS Timer [10 Seconds] Reset User Data [No] AI NET 22.7.1 ASUS EZ Fl

ixConventions used in this guideTo ensure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual.

2-42 Chapter 2: BIOS setup2.7.2 Express Gate [Enabled]Allows you to enable or disable the ASUS Express Gate feature. The ASUS Express Gate feature is

ASUS M3N78-VM 2-43Exit & Discard ChangesSelect this option only if you do not want to save the changes that you made to the Setup program. If you

2-44 Chapter 2: BIOS setup

3Chapter 3: Software supportThis chapter describes the contents of the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package.

3-2 Chapter 3: Software support3.1 Installing an operating systemThis motherboard supports Windows® 32-bit XP / 32-bit Vista / 64-bit XP / 64-bit Vis

3-3ASUS M3N78-VM 3.2.2 Drivers menuThe drivers menu shows the available device drivers if the system detects installed devices. Install the necessary

3-4 Chapter 3: Software support3.2.3 Utilities menuThe Utilities menu shows the applications and other software that the motherboard supports. ASUS I

3-5ASUS M3N78-VM Anti-Virus UtilityThe anti-virus utility detects and protects your computer from viruses that destroys data.Anti-Virus Utility Downlo

3-6 Chapter 3: Software support3.2.4 Make Disk menuThe Make Disk menu allows you to make a RAID driver disk.NVIDIA 32/64bit XP SATA RAID Driver (Disk

3-7ASUS M3N78-VM Due to oppy disk capacity limitation, when creating a RAID conguration under Windows® Vista, install the AHCI / RAID driver through