Motherboard H81M-F PLUS
E10354 First Edition May 2015 Copyright © 2015 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 H81M-F PLUS specifications summary.....................................................................
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 H81M-F PLUS motherboard Cables 2 x Serial ATA 6.0 Gb/s cables Accessories 1 x I/O Shield 1 x Screw Application DVD Support DVD Documentation User Guide If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
H81M-F PLUS specifications summary Audio Realtek® ALC887 7.1-channel High Definition Audio CODEC - Dedicated audio PCB layers: Separate layers for left and right channels to guard the quality of the sensitive audio signals - Premium Japanese-made audio capacitors: Provide warm, natural and immersive sound with exceptional clarity and fidelity * Use a chassis with HD audio module in the front panel to support a 7.1-channel audio output USB Intel® H81 Express Chipset - supports ASUS USB 3.
H81M-F PLUS specifications summary Back Panel I/O ports 1 x PS/2 keyboard port (purple) 1 x PS/2 mouse port (green) 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports 1 x D-Sub port 1 x DVI port 1 x LAN (RJ-45) port 3 x Audio jacks support 7.1-channel audio output 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 connectors support additional 4 USB 2.0/1.1 ports Internal I/O connectors 2 x SATA 6.0Gb/s connectors 2 x SATA 3.
Product introduction 1.1 Before you proceed 1 Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings. 1.2 • 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.
Place this side towards the rear of the chassis H81M-F PLUS 1.2.3 Motherboard layout 1 2 3 4 18.0cm(7.1in) KBMS CPU_FAN DIGI +VRM LAN_USB56 1 22.6cm(8.
1.2.4 Layout contents Connectors/Jumpers/Slots/LED Page 1. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V) 1-15 2. CPU and chassis fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN, 4-pin CHA_FAN) 1-14 3. Intel® LGA1150 CPU socket 1-3 4. DDR3 DIMM slots 1-6 5. Intel® H81 Serial ATA 6.0Gb/s connector (7-pin SATA6G_1~2 [gray]) 1-16 6. Speaker connector (4-pin SPEAKER) 1-15 7. System panel connector (10-1 pin F_PANEL) 1-17 8. Clear RTC RAM (2-pin CLRTC) 1-10 9. Intel® H81 Serial ATA 3.
1.3.
1.3.2 CPU heatsink and fan assembly installation Apply the Thermal Interface Material to the CPU heatsink and CPU before you install the heatsink and fan if necessary.
To uninstall the CPU heatsink and fan assembly 2 1 A B B A 1.4 System memory 1.4.1 Overview This motherboard comes with two Double Data Rate 3 (DDR3) Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) sockets. A DDR3 module is notched differently from a DDR or DDR2 module. DO NOT install a DDR or DDR2 memory module to the DDR3 slot. According to Intel® CPU spec, DIMM voltage below 1.65V is recommended to protect the CPU.
1.4.3 • 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. • Due to Intel® chipset limitations, DDR3 1600MHz and higher memory modules on XMP mode will run at the maximum transfer rate of DDR3 1600MHz. • Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency.
2 3 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. Before installing the expansion card, read the documentation that came with it and make the necessary hardware settings for the card. 2. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed in a chassis). 3. Remove the bracket opposite the slot that you intend to use. Keep the screw for later use. 4. Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is completely seated on the slot. 5.
1.6 1. Headers Clear RTC RAM (2-pin CLRTC) This header allows you to clear the Real Time Clock (RTC) RAM in CMOS. You can clear the CMOS memory of date, 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. +3V_BAT GND CLRTC H81M-F PLUS PIN 1 H81M-F PLUS Clear RTC RAM To erase the RTC RAM: 1-10 1. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord. 2.
1.7 Connectors 1.7.1 Rear panel connectors 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 3 4 5 1. PS/2 Mouse port (green). This port is for a PS/2 mouse. 2. LAN (RJ-45) port. This port allows Gigabit connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. Refer to the table below for the LAN port LED indications.
Audio 2.1, 4.1, 5.1 or 7.1-channel configuration Headset 2.1-channel Ports Light Blue (Rear panel) Lime (Rear panel) Pink (Rear panel) Lime (Front panel) 4.1-channel 5.1-channel 7.1-channel Line In Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Line Out Mic In — Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Mic In Bass/Center Bass/Center — — Side Speaker Out For a 7.1-channel speaker setup, refer to the 7.1-channel configuration in the table. 6. 1-12 USB 3.0 ports 1 and 2.
1.7.2 1. Internal connectors 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 HD Audio or legacy AC`97 audio standard. Connect one end of the front panel audio I/O module cable to this connector.
3. CPU and chassis fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN, 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 +5V CHA FAN IN CHA FAN PWR GND CHA_FAN H81M-F PLUS H81M-F PLUS Fan connectors Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Insufficient air flow inside the system may damage the motherboard components.
5. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V) These connectors are for ATX power supply plugs. The power supply plugs are designed to fit these connectors in only one orientation. Find the proper orientation and push down firmly until the connectors completely fit.
7. Intel® H81 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s connectors (7-pin SATA3G_1~2 [black]) SATA3G_1 SATA3G_2 GND RSATA_RXP2 RSATA_RXN2 GND RSATA_TXN2 RSATA_TXP2 GND H81M-F PLUS GND RSATA_RXP1 RSATA_RXN1 GND RSATA_TXN1 RSATA_TXP1 GND These connectors connect to Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s hard disk drives via Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s signal cables. H81M-F PLUS SATA 3.0Gb/s connectors When using hot-plug and NCQ, set the SATA Mode Selection item in the BIOS to [AHCI]. 8. Intel® H81 Serial ATA 6.
9. System panel connector (10-1 pin F_PANEL) This connector supports several chassis-mounted functions. PIN 1 RESET (NC) HWRST# Ground HDD_LEDHDD_LED+ GND PWR PWR_LEDPWR_LED+ +HDD_LED H81M-F PLUS +PWR LED PWR BTN F_PANEL H81M-F PLUS 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.
1.8 Software support 1.8.1 Installing an operating system This motherboard supports Windows® 7 (32bit/64bit), Windows® 8 (32bit/64bit) and Windows® 8.1 (32bit/64bit) Operating Systems (OS). Always install the latest OS version and corresponding updates to maximize the features of your hardware. Motherboard settings and hardware options vary. Refer to your OS documentation for detailed information. 1.8.
BIOS information 2.1 Managing and updating your BIOS 2 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 H81MFP.CAP. • The BIOS file in the support DVD may not be the latest version.
Booting the system in DOS environment To boot the system in DOS: 1. Insert the USB flash drive with the latest BIOS file and BIOS Updater to the USB port. 2. Boot your computer then press to launch the select boot device screen. 3. When the select boot device screen appears, insert the Support DVD into the optical drive then select the optical drive as the boot device.
ASUSTeK BIOS Updater for DOS V1.30 [2014/01/01] Current ROM BOARD: H81M-F PLUS VER: 0201 (H :00 B :00) DATE: 04/07/2015 PATH: Update ROM BOARD: Unknown VER: Unknown DATE: Unknown C:\ C: D: FORMAN~1 H81MFP.CAP
8390656 2015-04-22 21:14:34 Drives panel Files panel Note [Enter] Select or Load [Up/Down/Home/End] Move [Tab] Switch [Esc] Exit [V] Drive Info 3.2.2 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 or during the Power-On Self Test (POST). If you do not press or , POST continues with its routines.
BIOS menu screen The BIOS setup program can be used under two modes: EZ Mode and Advanced Mode. You can change modes from the Exit menu or from the Exit/Advanced Mode button in the EZ Mode/Advanced Mode screen. EZ Mode By default, the EZ Mode screen appears when you enter the BIOS setup program. The EZ Mode provides you an overview of the basic system information, and allows you to select the display language, system performance mode and boot device priority.
Advanced Mode 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. To access the EZ Mode, click Exit, then select ASUS EZ Mode or press .
2.3 My Favorites MyFavorites is your personal space where you can easily save and access your favorite BIOS items. 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.
2.4 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. 2-10 • 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.
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. 2.6 Advanced menu The Advanced menu items allow you to change the settings for the CPU and other system devices.
2.7 Monitor menu The Monitor menu displays the system temperature/power status, and allows you to change the fan settings.
2.8 Boot menu The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options.
2.9 Tool menu The Tool menu items allow you to configure options for special functions. Select an item then press to display the submenu. 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.
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.
IC: Canadian Compliance Statement Complies with the Canadian ICES-003 Class B specifications. This device complies with RSS 210 of Industry Canada. This Class B device meets all the requirements of the Canadian interference-causing equipment regulations. This device complies with Industry Canada license exempt RSS standard(s).
REACH 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.
English AsusTek Inc. hereby declares that this device is in compliance with the essential requirements and other relevant provisions of CE Directives. Please see the CE Declaration of Conformity for more details. Français AsusTek Inc. déclare par la présente que cet appareil est conforme aux critères essentiels et autres clauses pertinentes des directives européennes. Veuillez consulter la déclaration de conformité CE pour plus d’informations. Deutsch AsusTek Inc.
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-6 Appendices (510)739-3777/(510)608-4555 800 Corporate Way, Fremont, CA 94539. Asus Computer International Date : Signature : Representative Person’s Name : May. 10, 2015 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.
