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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.
Contents Notices ......................vi Safety information ..................vii About this guide ..................viii P8H61-M LX2 Series specifications summary ......... ix Chapter 1 Product introduction Before you proceed ..............1-1 Motherboard overview ..............1-2 1.2.1 Placement direction ............1-2 1.2.2 Screw holes ..............1-2 1.2.3 Motherboard layout ............
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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 CrashFree BIOS 3 utility ........2-3 2.1.4 ASUS BIOS Updater ............2-4 BIOS setup program ..............2-7 Main menu .................. 2-11 2.3.1 System Language [English] ...........2-11...
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Setup Mode [EZ Mode] ..........2-25 2.7.6 Boot Option Priorities ............ 2-25 2.7.7 Boot Override ..............2-25 Tools menu ................. 2-26 2.8.1 ASUS EZ Flash Utility ........... 2-26 2.8.2 ASUS SPD Information ..........2-26 2.8.3 ASUS O.C. Profile ............2-26 Exit menu ..................2-27...
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. ASUS Recycling/Takeback Services ASUS recycling and takeback programs come from our commitment to the highest standards for protecting our environment. We believe in providing solutions for you to be able to responsibly recycle our products, batteries, other components as well as the packaging materials.
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://csr.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.
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.
2 x DIMM, max. 8GB, DDR3 1333 / 1066 MHz, non-ECC, un-buffered memory Dual-channel memory architecture * Refer to www.asus.com for the latest Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors List). ** When you install a total memory of 4GB capacity or more,...
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1 x I/O shield 1 x User Manual 1 x Support DVD Support DVD Drivers ASUS utilities ASUS Update Anti-virus software (OEM version) Form factor MicroATX form factor: 9.6 in x 7.8 in (24.4 cm x 19.8 cm) * Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Refer to page x for the list of accessories. • If any of the items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer. • ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series motherboards include P8H61-M LX2 and P8H61-M LX2/CSM two models. The layout varies with models. The layout illustrations in this user manual are for P8H61-M LX2/CSM only.
Place six screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis. Do not overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard. Place this side towards the rear of the chassis P8H61-M LX2/CSM ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
Contact your retailer immediately if the PnP cap is missing, or if you see any damage to the PnP cap/socket contacts/motherboard components. ASUS will shoulder the cost of repair only if the damage is shipment/transit-related. • Keep the cap after installing the motherboard. ASUS will process Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) requests only if the motherboard comes with the cap on the LGA1155 socket.
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Lift the load lever in the direction of the arrow until the load plate is completely lifted. Load plate Remove the PnP cap from the CPU socket by lifting the tab only. PnP cap Position the CPU over the socket, ensuring that the gold triangle is on the bottom-left corner of the socket, and CPU notches...
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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). Insert the load lever under the retention tab. ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
1.3.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and fan The Intel LGA1155 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 ®...
Disconnect the CPU fan cable from the connector on the motherboard. Rotate each fastener counterclockwise. Pull up two fasteners at a time in a diagonal sequence to disengage the heatsink and fan assembly from the motherboard. ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
Carefully remove the heatsink and fan assembly from the motherboard. Rotate each fastener clockwise to ensure correct orientation when reinstalling. 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.
• A*: Supports one module inserted into either slot as single-channel memory configuration. • B*: Supports one pair of modules inserted into both the blue slots as one pair of dual- channel memory configuration. Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com for the latest QVL. 1-12 ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
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. Press the retaining clips outward to DIMM notch unlock a DIMM socket.
This motherboard supports PCI Express x1 network cards, SCSI cards, and other cards that comply with the PCI Express specifications. 1.5.5 PCI Express x16 slot This motherboard has a PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot that supports PCI Express x16 2.0 graphic cards complying with the PCI Express specifications. 1-14 ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
Jumpers Clear RTC RAM (3-pin 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.
Mic In Bass/Center Bass/Center Lime (Front panel) – – – Side Speaker Out To configure an 8-channel audio output: Use a chassis with HD audio module in the front panel to support 8-channel audio output. 1-16 ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are for USB 2.0/1.1 devices. USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are for USB 2.0/1.1 devices. Video Graphics Adapter (VGA) port. This 15-pin port is for a VGA monitor or other VGA-compatible devices.
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• 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. Serial port connector (10-1 pin COM1) This connector is for a serial (COM) port.
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CPU and chassis fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN, 3-pin CHA_FAN) Connect the fan cables to the fan connectors on the motherboard, ensuring that the black wire of each cable matches the ground pin of the connector. CPU_FAN CHA_FAN +12V Rotation Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Insufficient air flow inside the system may damage the motherboard components.
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This connector is for an additional Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) port. Connect the S/PDIF Out module cable to this connector, then install the module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis. SPDIF_OUT The S/PDIF module is purchased separately. 1-20 ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
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System panel connector (10-1 pin PANEL) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions. PWR LED PWR BTN F_PANEL PIN 1 HD_LED RESET • 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.
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PIN 1 PCICLK FRAME PCIRST# PWROWN LAD3 LAD2 LAD1 LAD0 SMBSCL SMBSDA +3VSB SERIRQ GPIO SB_SUS_STAT RESET The TPM module is purchased separately! The TPM function is supported by P8H61-M LX2/CSM only. 1-22 ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
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.
BIOS in the future. Copy the original motherboard BIOS using the ASUS Update utility. 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. ®...
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the updating process. 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 file from the ASUS website at www.asus.com.
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 restore a corrupted BIOS file using the motherboard support DVD or a USB flash drive that contains the updated BIOS file.
2.1.4 ASUS BIOS Updater The ASUS BIOS Updater allows you to update BIOS in DOS environment. This utility also allows you to copy the current BIOS file that you can use as a backup when the BIOS fails or gets corrupted during the updating process.
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Backing up the current BIOS To backup the current BIOS file using the BIOS Updater Ensure that the USB flash drive is not write-protected and has at least 4MB free space to save the file. At the FreeDOS prompt, type bupdater /o[filename] and press <Enter>. D:\>bupdater /oOLDBIOS1.rom Filename Extension The [filename] is any user-assigned filename with no more than eight alphanumeric...
Select the Load Optimized Defaults item under the Exit menu. Refer to section 2.9 Exit menu for details. • Ensure to connect all SATA hard disk drives after updating the BIOS file if you have disconnected them. ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
• The BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for reference purposes only, and 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.
Selects the boot device priority • The boot device options vary depending on the devices you installed to the system. • The Boot Menu(F8) button is available only when the boot device is installed to the system. ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
The Advanced Mode provides advanced options for experienced end-users to configure the BIOS settings. The figure below shows an example of the Advanced Mode. Refer to the following sections for the detailed configurations. To access the EZ Mode, click Exit, then select ASUS EZ Mode. Back button Menu items...
You cannot select an item that is not user-configurable. A configurable field is highlighted when selected. To change the value of a field, select it and press <Enter> to display a list of options. 2-10 ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
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. EFI BIOS Utility - Advanced Mode Exit Main...
To clear the user password, follow the same steps as in changing a user password, but press <Enter> when prompted to create/confirm the password. After you clear the password, the User Password item on top of the screen shows Not Installed. 2-12 ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
Ai Tweaker menu The Ai Tweaker menu items allow you to configure overclocking-related items. Be cautious when changing the settings of the Ai Tweaker menu items. Incorrect field values can cause the system to malfunction. The configuration options for this section vary depending on the CPU and DIMM model you installed on the motherboard.
Technology and Turbo Mode items to [Enabled]. Long Duration Power Limit [Auto] Use <+>/<-> to adjust the value. Long Duration Maintained [Auto] Use <+>/<-> to adjust the value. Short Duration Power Limit [Auto] Use <+>/<-> to adjust the value. 2-14 ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
Primary Plane Current Limit [Auto] Use <+>/<-> to adjust the value. Secondary Plane Current Limit [Auto] Use <+>/<-> to adjust the value. Advanced menu The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices.
This item appears only when you set the Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology item to [Enabled] and allows you to enable or disable the Intel Turbo Mode Technology. ® [Enabled] Allows processor cores to run faster than marked frequency in specific condition. [Disabled] Disables this function. 2-16 ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
CPU C1E [Enabled] [Enabled] Enables the C1E support function. This item should be enabled in order to enable the Enhanced Halt State. [Disabled] Disables this function. CPU C3 Report [Enabled] Allows you to disable or enable the CPU C3 report to the operating system. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] CPU C6 Report [Enabled] Allows you to disable or enable the CPU C6 report to the operating system.
USB controller legacy mode is enabled. If no USB device is detected, the legacy USB support is disabled. EHCI Hand-off [Disabled] [Enabled] Enables the support for operating systems without an EHCI hand-off feature. [Disabled] Disables the function. 2-18 ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
2.5.6 Onboard Devices Configuration HD Audio Controller [Enabled] [Enabled] Enables the High Definition Audio Controller. [Disabled] Disables the controller. The following two items appear only when you set the HD Audio Controller item to [Enabled]. Front Panel Type [HD] Allows you to set the front panel audio connector (AAFP) mode to legacy AC’97 or high- definition audio depending on the audio standard that the front panel audio module supports.
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Enables Ring to generate a wake event. Power On By RTC [Disabled] [Disabled] Disables RTC to generate a wake event. [Enabled] When set to [Enabled], the items RTC Alarm Date (Days) and Hour/ Minute/Second will become user-configurable with set values. 2-20 ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
Monitor menu The Monitor menu displays the system temperature/power status, and allows you to change the fan settings. EFI BIOS Utility - Advanced Mode Exit Main Ai Tweaker Advanced Monitor Boot Tool CPU Temperature CPU Temperature +45ºC / +113ºF MB Temperature +34ºC / +93ºF CPU Fan Speed 4515 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. Configuration options: [Ignore] [200RPM] [300 RPM] [400 RPM] [500 RPM] [600 RPM] 2-22 ASUS P8H61-M LX2 Series...
Chassis Fan Profile [Standard] This item appears only when you enable the Chassis Q-Fan Control feature and allows you to set the appropriate performance level of the chassis fan. [Standard] Sets to [Standard] to make the chassis fan automatically adjust depending on the chassis temperature.
[Disabled] Disables the full screen logo display feature. Set this item to [Enabled] to use the ASUS MyLogo 2™ feature. Post Report [5 sec] This item appears only when the Full Screen Logo item is set to [Disabled] and allows you to set the waiting time for the system to display the post report.
> ASUS O.C. Profile 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 Flash 2. 2.8.2 ASUS SPD Information...
Load Optimized Defaults Save Changes & Reset Discard Changes & Exit ASUS EZ Mode Launch EFI Shell from filesystem device Load Optimized Defaults This option allows you to load the default values for each of the parameters on the Setup menus.
+1-510-739-3777 +1-510-608-4555 Web site usa.asus.com Technical Support Telephone +1-812-282-2787 Support fax +1-812-284-0883 Online support support.asus.com ASUS COMPUTER GmbH (Germany and Austria) Address Harkort Str. 21-23, D-40880 Ratingen, Germany +49-2102-959911 Web site www.asus.de Online contact www.asus.de/sales Technical Support Telephone (Component) +49-1805-010923*...