Motherboard A78M-E
E9124 First Edition March 2014 Copyright © 2014 ASUSTeK 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 purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).
Contents Safety information....................................................................................... iv About this guide.......................................................................................... iv Package contents........................................................................................ vi A78M-E specifications summary................................................................ vi Chapter 1: Product introduction 1.1 Before you proceed.....................
Safety information Electrical safety • To 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. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the existing system before you add a device.
Where to find more information Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and software updates. 1. ASUS websites The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware and software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information. 2. Optional documentation Your product package may include optional documentation, such as warranty flyers, that may have been added by your dealer. These documents are not part of the standard package.
Package contents Check your motherboard package for the following items. Motherboard ASUS A78M-E motherboard Cables 2 x Serial ATA 6.0 Gb/s cables Accessories 1 x I/O Shield Application DVD Support DVD Documentation User Guide If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer. A78M-E specifications summary APU AMD® FM2+ socket for AMD® A-Series/Athlon™ series processors Supports CPU up to 4 cores AMD® Turbo Core Technology 3.0 support • The AMD® Turbo Core Technology 3.
A78M-E specifications summary Storage AMD® A78 FCH: - 6 x Serial ATA 6 Gb/s connectors with RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10 and JBOD support LAN Realtek® 8111GR PCIe Gigabit LAN controller Audio Realtek® ALC887-VD 7.1-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC • Use a chassis with HD audio module in the front panel to support a 7.1-channel audio output. USB AMD® A78 FCH: - 4 x USB 3.0 ports* (2 ports at the back panel [blue], 2 ports at midboard) - 6 x USB 2.
A78M-E specifications summary Rear panel I/O ports 1 x PS/2 keyboard port 1 x PS/2 mouse port 1 x HDMI port 1 x DVI-D port 1 x D-Sub output port 1 x LAN (RJ-45) port 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports (blue) 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports 3-jack 7.1-channel audio I/O ports Internal connectors 1 x 19-pin USB 3.0/2.0 connector supports additional 2 USB ports 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 connectors support additional 4 USB ports 6 x SATA 6.
Product introduction 1.1 Before you proceed 1 Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings. • Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any component. • Before handling components, use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or a metal object, such as the power supply case, to avoid damaging them due to static electricity. • Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.
1.2 Motherboard overview Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits. Unplug the power cord before installing or removing the motherboard. Failure to do so can cause you physical injury and damage to motherboard components. 1.2.1 Placement direction When installing the motherboard, 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. 1.2.
1.2.3 Motherboard layout 1 2 3 4 1 5 18.8cm(7.4in) KBMS DIGI +VRM ATX12V CPU_FAN CHA_FAN AUDIO EATXPWR LAN_USB12 TPM SPEAKER F_PANEL PCI1 SPDIF_OUT USB3_34 USB34 SATA6G_2 8 SB_PWR SATA6G_3 CLRTC COM 15 14 USB56 64Mb BIOS SATA6G_1 7 SATA6G_4 ALC 887 AMD® A78 BATTERY PCIEX1_1 SATA6G_5 SATA6G_6 6 PCIEX16 Super I/O ASUS A78M-E 2 A78M-E 8111 GR AAFP 22.6cm(8.
1.2.4 Layout contents Connectors/Jumpers/Slots/LED 1. CPU and chassis fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN, and 4-pin CHA_FAN) 2. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V) 3. TPM connector (20-1 pin TPM) 4. AMD FM2+ socket 5. DDR3 DIMM slots 6. Speaker connector (4-pin SPEAKER) 7. SATA 6.0 Gb/s connectors (7-pin SATA6G_1~6) 8. System panel connector (10-1 pin F_PANEL) 9. Standby power LED (SB_PWR) 10. USB 2.0 connectors (10-1 pin USB34, USB56) 11. USB 3.0 connector (20-1 pin USB3_34) 12.
1.3.
1.3.2 APU heatsink and fan assembly installation Apply the Thermal Interface Material to the APU heatsink and APU before you install the heatsink and fan if necessary.
To uninstall the APU heatsink and fan assembly 1 3 2 4 5 ASUS A78M-E 1-7
1.4 System memory 1.4.1 Overview This 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. DDR3 modules are developed for better performance with less power consumption.
1.4.3 • 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, some memory modules for overclocking may operate at a lower frequency than the vendor-marked value. To operate at the vendor-marked or at a higher frequency, refer to section 2.5 Ai Tweaker menu for manual memory frequency adjustment.
To remove a DIMM B A A 1.5 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. 1.5.1 Installing an expansion card To install an expansion card: 1.
1.5.3 PCI slot The PCI slot supports cards such as a LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other cards that comply with PCI specifications. 1.5.4 PCI Express 2.0 x1 slot 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 supports PCI Express x16 network cards, SCSI cards, and other cards that comply with the PCI Express specifications.
1.6 Jumpers Clear RTC RAM (2-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. CLRTC A78M-E 1 2 Normal (Open) 1 2 Clear CMOS (Short) A78M-E Clear RTC RAM To erase the RTC RAM: 1-12 1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord.
1.7 Connectors 1.7.1 Rear panel connectors 2 1 11 9 10 3 8 7 4 5 6 1. PS/2 mouse port. This port is for a PS/2 mouse. 2. Video Graphics Adapter (VGA) port. This 15-pin port is for a VGA monitor or other VGA-compatible devices. 3. LAN (RJ-45) port. This port allows Gigabit connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub.
To configure a 7.1-channel audio output: Use a chassis with HD audio module in the front panel to support a 7.1-channel audio output. 1-14 7. USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are for USB 2.0/1.1 devices. 8. USB 3.0 ports 1 and 2. These two 9-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are for USB 3.0/2.0 devices. • DO NOT connect a keyboard / mouse to any USB 3.0 port when installing Windows® operating system. • Due to USB 3.0 controller limitation, USB 3.
1.7.2 1. Internal connectors CPU and chassis fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN, and 4-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 PWM CPU FAN IN CPU FAN PWR GND CPU_FAN CHA_FAN CHA FAN PWM CHA FAN IN CHA FAN PWR GND A78M-E A78M-E Fan connectors DO NOT forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors.
3. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V) These connectors are for an ATX power supply. The plugs from the power supply are designed to fit these connectors in only one orientation. Find the proper orientation and push down firmly until the connectors completely fit.
4. Serial ATA 6.0 Gb/s connectors (7-pin SATA6G 1~6) These connectors are for the Serial ATA 6.0 Gb/s signal cables for Serial ATA hard disk drives and optical disc drives. If you installed Serial ATA hard disk drives, you can create a RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10 and JBOD configuration through the onboard controller.
6. System panel connector (10-1 pin F_PANEL) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions. F_PANEL PWR_LED+ PWR_LEDPWR GND +PWR LED PWR BTN HDD_LED+ HDD_LEDGround HWRST# (NC) PIN 1 A78M-E +HDD_LED RESET A78M-E System panel connector • System power LED (2-pin PWR_LED) 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 when the system is in sleep mode.
8. Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP) NC AGND NC NC SENSE2_RETUR AGND NC SENSE1_RETUR This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O module that supports either High Definition Audio or AC`97 audio standard. Connect one end of the front panel audio I/O module cable to this connector.
10. USB 2.0 connectors (10-1 pin USB34, USB56) 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. PIN 1 USB+5V USB_P4USB_P4+ GND PIN 1 USB+5V USB_P6USB_P6+ GND A78M-E USB+5V USB_P3USB_P3+ GND NC USB34 USB+5V USB_P5USB_P5+ GND NC USB56 A78M-E USB2.
1.8 Software support 1.8.1 Installing an operating system This motherboard supports Windows® XP / Windows® 7 / 64-bit Windows® 7 / Windows® 8 / 64-bit Windows® 8 / Windows® 8.1 / 64-bit Windows® 8.1 Operating Systems (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates to maximize the features of your hardware. 1.8.2 • Motherboard settings and hardware options vary. Refer to your OS documentation for detailed information.
1-22 Chapter 1: Product introduction
2 BIOS information 2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS Save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS file to a USB flash disk in case you need to restore the BIOS in the future. Copy the original motherboard BIOS using the ASUS Update utility. 2.1.1 EZ Update EZ Update is a utility that allows you to automatically update your motherboard’s softwares, drivers and the BIOS version easily. With this utlity, you can also manually update the saved BIOS and select a boot logo when the system goes into POST.
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. To update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2: 2-2 1. Insert the USB flash disk that contains the latest BIOS file to the USB port. 2. Enter the Advanced Mode of the BIOS setup program. Go to the Tool menu to select ASUS EZ Flash Utility and press to enable it. 3.
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. • Before using this utility, rename the BIOS file in the removable device into A78ME.CAP. • The BIOS file in the support DVD may not be the latest version.
Booting the system to a DOS environment 1. Insert the DOS-bootable USB flash drive with the latest BIOS file and BIOS Updater to your computer’s USB port. 2. Boot your computer. When the ASUS Logo appears, press to show the BIOS Boot Device Select Menu. 3. Select the optical drive as the boot device. The DOS screen appears. Updating the BIOS file To update the BIOS file using BIOS Updater: 1. At the FreeDOS prompt, type bupdater /pc /g and press . 2.
3. Press to switch between screen fields and use the keys to select the BIOS file and press . BIOS Updater checks the selected BIOS file and prompts you to confirm BIOS update. 4. Select Yes and press . When BIOS update is done, press to exit BIOS Updater. Restart your computer. DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent system boot failure! ASUS A78M-E • For BIOS Updater version 1.
2.2 BIOS setup program Use the BIOS Setup program to update the BIOS or configure its parameters. The BIOS screens include navigation keys and brief online help to guide you in using the BIOS Setup program. Entering BIOS Setup at startup To enter BIOS Setup at startup: • Press during the Power-On Self Test (POST). If you do not press , POST continues with its routines. Entering BIOS Setup after POST To enter BIOS Setup after POST: • Press ++ simultaneously.
The default screen for entering the BIOS setup program can be changed. Refer to the Setup Mode item in section 2.8 Boot menu for details.
Back button Menu items Menu bar Configuration fields General help Pop-up window Menu bar Navigation keys Last modified settings Quick Scroll bar note The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items: My Favorites For saving the frequently-used system settings and configuration Main For changing the basic system configuration Ai Tweaker For changing the overclocking settings Advanced For changing the advanced system settings Monitor For displaying the system temperature, power st
Pop-up window Select a menu item and press to display a pop-up window with the configuration options for that item. Scroll bar A scroll bar appears on the right side of a menu screen when there are items that do not fit on the screen. Press the Up/Down arrow keys or / keys to display the other items on the screen. Navigation keys At the bottom right corner of the menu screen are the navigation keys for the BIOS setup program.
Adding items to My Favorites To add frequently-used BIOS items to My Favorites: 1. Use the arrow keys to select an item that you want to add. When using a mouse, hover the pointer to the item. 2. Press on your keyboard or right-click on your mouse to add the item to My Favorites page. You cannot add the following items to My Favorites: 2.
• If you have forgotten your BIOS password, erase the CMOS Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM to clear the BIOS password. See section 1.6 Jumpers for information on how to erase the RTC RAM. • The Administrator or User Password items on top of the screen show the default Not Installed. After you set a password, these items show Installed. Administrator Password If you have set an administrator password, we recommend that you enter the administrator password for accessing the system.
2.5 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.
Target CPU Speed : xxxxMHz Displays the current CPU speed. Target DRAM Speed : xxxxMHz Displays the current DRAM speed. 2.5.1 Ai Overclock Tuner [Auto] Allows you to select the CPU overclocking options to achieve the desired CPU internal frequency. Select any of these preset overclocking configuration options: [Auto] Loads the optimal settings for the system. [Manual] Allows you to individually set overclocking parameters.
2.5.6 DRAM Timing Control The sub-items in this menu allow you to set the DRAM timing control features. Use the <+> and <-> keys to adjust the value. To restore the default setting, type [auto] using the keyboard and press . Changing the values in this menu may cause the system to become unstable! If this happens, revert to the default settings. 2.5.7 TDP Configuration This item appears depending on the APU type installed.
2.5.10 • The values of the CPU Offset Voltage, VDDNB Offset Voltage, DRAM Voltage, and SB 1.1V Voltage items are labeled in different colors, indicating the risk levels of high voltage settings. • The system may need better cooling system to work stably under high voltage settings. DIGI+ VRM CPU Load Line Calibration [Auto] Load-line Calibration is defined by AMD VRM specifications and affects CPU voltage. The CPU working voltage will decrease proportionally to CPU loading.
Manual Adjustment [Fast] This item appears only when you set the previous item to [Manual Adjustment]. Select [Ultra Fast] for a faster response. The reaction time will be longer when [Regular] is selected. Configuration options: [Ultra Fast] [Fast] [Medium] [Regular] CPU Voltage Frequency [300] Switching frequency will affect the VRM transient response and component thermal. Setting a higher frequency gets faster transient response. Use the <+> and <-> keys to adjust the value.
2.6.1 CPU Configuration 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. AMD PowerNow function [Enabled] Enables or disables the AMD PowerNow function. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] NX Mode [Enabled] Enables or disables the No-execute page protection function. Configuration options: [Enabled] [Disabled] SVM [Enabled] Enables or disables CPU virtualization.
OnChip SATA Type [AHCI] Allows you to set the SATA configuration. [IDE] Set to [IDE] when you want to use the Serial ATA hard disk drives as Parallel ATA physical storage devices. [RAID] Set to [RAID] when you want to create a RAID configuration from the SATA hard disk drives. [AHCI] Set to [AHCI] when you want the SATA hard disk drives to use the AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface).
Legacy USB Support [Enabled] [Enabled] [Disabled] [Auto] Enables the support for USB devices on legacy operating systems (OS). The USB devices can be used only for the BIOS setup program. Allows the system to detect the presence of USB devices at startup. If detected, the USB controller legacy mode is enabled. If no USB device is detected, the legacy USB support is disabled. EHCI Hand-off [Disabled] [Enabled] [Disabled] Enables the support for operating systems without an EHCI hand‑off feature.
Front Panel Type [HD] Allows you to set the front panel audio connector (AAFP) mode to legacy AC’97 or highdefinition audio depending on the audio standard that the front panel audio module supports. [HD] [AC97] Sets the front panel audio connector (AAFP) mode to high definition audio. Sets the front panel audio connector (AAFP) mode to legacy AC’97. SPDIF Out Type [SPDIF] [SPDIF] [HDMI] Sets to [SPDIF] for SPDIF audio output. Sets to [HDMI] for HDMI audio output.
WOL (include AC Power Loss) [Disabled] [Disabled] Disables Wake On LAN after a power failure (G3 state). [Enabled] Enables Wake On LAN after a power failure (G3 state). Power On By PS/2 Keyboard [Disabled] [Disabled] Disables the Power On by a PS/2 keyboard. [Space Bar] Sets the Space Bar on the PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system. [Ctrl-Esc] Sets the Ctrl+Esc key on the PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system. [Power Key] Sets Power key on the PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system.
Ipv6 PXE Support [Enabled] This item allows user to disable or enable the Ipv6 PXE Boot support. Configuration options: [Disabled] [Enabled] 2.7 Monitor menu The Monitor menu displays the system temperature/power status, and allows you to change the fan settings.
2.7.1 CPU Temperature / MB Temperature [xxxºC/xxxºF] The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU and motherboard temperatures. 2.7.2 CPU / Chassis Fan Speed [xxxx RPM] / [N/A] The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU / chassis fan speeds in rotations per minute (RPM). If the fan is not connected to the motherboard, the field shows N/A. 2.7.3 CPU Q-Fan Control [Enabled] [Disabled] [Enabled] Disables the CPU Q-Fan control feature.
2.7.4 Chassis Q-Fan Control [Enabled] [Disabled] Disables the Chassis1 Q-Fan control feature. [Enabled] Enables the Chassis1 Q-Fan control feature. Fan Speed Low Limit [600 RPM] This item appears only when you enable the Chassis1 Q-Fan Control feature and allows you to disable or set the chassis1 fan warning speed.
2.8 Boot menu The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options.
2.8.1 Fast Boot [Enabled] [Enabled] Select to accelerate the boot speed. [Disabled] Select to go back to normal boot. The following four items appear when you set Fast Boot to [Enabled]. SATA Support [All Devices] [All Devices] All devices connected to SATA ports will be available during POST. [Hard Drive Only] Only hard drives connected to SATA ports will be detected during POST. [Boot Drive Only] Only boot drives connected to SATA ports will be detected during POST.
2.8.2 Boot Logo Display [Enabled] [Auto] Auto adjustment for Windows requirements. [Disabled] Hide the logo during POST. [Full Screen] Maximize the boot logo size. POST Delay Time [3 sec] This item appears only when you set Full Screen Logo to [Enabled]. This item allows you to select the desired additional POST waiting time to easily enter the BIOS setup. You can only execute the POST delay time during Normal Boot. The values range from 0 to 10 seconds.
Launch CSM [Enabled] [Auto] The system automatically detects the bootable devices and the add-on devices. [Enabled] For better compatibility, enable the CSM to fully support the non-UEFI driver add-on devices or the Windows® UEFI mode. [Disabled] Disable the CSM to fully support the Windows® Security Update and Security Boot. The following four items appear when you set Launch CSM to [Enabled]. Boot Device Control [UEFI and Legacy OpROM] Allows you to select the type of devices that you want to boot up.
Key Management This item appears only when you set Secure Boot Mode to [Custom]. It allows you to manage the Secure Boot keys. Clear Secure Boot keys This item appears only when you load the default Secure Boot keys. This item allows you to clear all default Secure Boot keys. Save Secure Boot keys This item appears only when you load the default Secure Boot keys. This item allows you to save all default Secure Boot keys.
Load db from File Allows you to load the downloaded db from a USB storage device. Append db from file Allows you to load the additional db from a storage device so that more images can be loaded securely. The DB file must be formatted as a UEFI variable structure with time-based authenticated variable. DBX Management The dbx (Revoked Signature database) lists the forbidden images of db items that are no longer trusted and cannot be loaded.
2.9 Tools menu The Tools menu items allow you to configure options for special functions. Select an item then press to display the submenu. 2.9.1 ASUS EZ Flash 2 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. 2.9.2 ASUS SPD Information DIMM Slot # [DIMM_A1] Displays the Serial Presence Detect (SPD) information of the DIMM module installed on the selected slot.
2.10 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. You 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. When you select this option or if you press , a confirmation window appears. Select Yes to load the default values.
Appendices 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. • This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
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 Communications. This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
ASUS contact information ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Address 15 Li-Te Road, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 11259 Telephone +886-2-2894-3447 Fax +886-2-2890-7798 E-mail info@asus.com.tw Web site http://www.asus.com Technical Support Telephone Fax Online support +86-21-3842-9911 +86-21-5866-8722 ext. 9101# http://support.asus.com/techserv/techserv.
A-4 Appendices (510)739-3777/(510)608-4555 800 Corporate Way, Fremont, CA 94539. Asus Computer International Date : Signature : Representative Person’s Name : Mar. 31, 2014 Steve Chang / President This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
