![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Tuesday , June 27, 2006
- Author:
- Daniel Dobrowolski
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
M2N32-SLI Deluxe
ASUS brings their motherboard engineering expertise to AMD's new Socket AM2 platform. This new board supports all the latest NVIDIA chipset features and is targeted at the enthusiast and high end PC market. Don't miss this one.
BIOS
ASUS used the Phoenix Award BIOS with the M2N32-SLI Deluxe. Version 404 was used for testing.
The main settings tab has the time and date settings, floppy disk drive settings and standard hard drive settings like SMART monitoring and the like. This is pretty much the standard fair that you will find with any modern motherboard.
As usual, the Advanced Tab is where all the good stuff can be found. Here is the ASUS JumperFree Configuration Menu, AI Net2, PEG Link Mode, CPU Configuration, Chipset, PCIPNP, and finally the On board Device Configuration. Under the JumperFree Configuration is the AI Tuning menu which is used for CPU clock speed control. The AI Tuning settings are is responsible for controlling CPU clock speeds. The first selection is manual, fallowed by auto, standard, overclock profile (for preset overclocking settings) and AI NOS. The CPU frequency selection actually controls the CPU's FSB. It is adjustable from a range of 200.0MHz to 450.0MHz and of course can be manipulated in 1MHz increments. PCIEX16_1 and PCIEX_2 clock speed settings are adjustable here as well from 100MHz to 200MHz. DDR2 voltage is adjusted here as well from 1.8v to 2.5v. This is less than we are used to seeing, however DDR2 ram runs at lower voltages than DDR1 ram does. CPU VCore is adjustable up to 1.5625v on the FX-62 test CPU. The CPU's multiplier is adjustable up to x25. Under advanced voltage control you'll find CPU VCore offset voltage and DDR Termination Voltage. When Northbridge and Southbridge Over-Voltage is enabled, additional Core, Hyper Transport, and PCI-Express Voltage options are displayed. 1.30-1.50 additional volts may be added per item and are individually adjustable.
After the JumperFree Configuration menu is the AI NET2 menu. This menu has options for testing LAN cable status and length of the cables. Below this is the PEG Link Mode sub menu.
The CPU Configuration Tab is also found under the Advanced Tab. Here we also have DRAM Configuration. Memory Clock Frequency is the first setting under this section and DDR2 400, 533, 667, and 800 speeds are all selectable. Memory timings are here as well. TCL (CAS Latency), TRCD (RAS To CAS Delay), TRAS (Min Ras Active Time), TRP (Row Precharge Time), 1T/2T Memory Timing, Channel A&B Clock Skew, are all present on this page. At first this section seems overly simplified and lacking in tuning settings. However, there are sub menus which are infinitely more complex. The first of these is the Advanced Memory Settings sub menu. Here there are the following settings: CPU On-Die Termination, TRC, TWR, TRRD, TRWT, TRWT, TRTP, TWDRD, TREF, TRFC, Dram Termination, Max Async Latency, R/W Bypass, Dynamic Idle Cycle Counter, Idle Cycle Limit, DCQ, Bypass Maximum, DRAM Burst Length, RdPadRcwFIFO Delay, Disable Jitter, DRAM Bank Interleaving, Bank Swizzle Mode.
DRAM Timing Control is the next sub menu. The settings in here are numerous as well. CKE Fine Delay, CKE Setup Time, CS/ODT Fine Delay, CS/ODT Setup Time, Address/Command Fine Delay, Address/Command Setup Delay, Read DQS Timing Control, Write Data Timing Control, DQS Receiver Enable Timing are all listed. Each contains a multitude of settings. Back under DRAM Configuration we have yet another sub menu. This one has CKE Drive Strength, CS/ODT Drive Strength, Add/CMD Drive Strength, MEMCLK Drive Strength, Data Drive Strength, DQS Drive Strength, DRAM Drivers Weak Mode are listed here. At the very bottom of the DRAM Configuration screen is the Current DRAM Timing.
Back under the CPU Configuration are additional settings. The SLI-Ready Memory setting has four settings of it's own. Disabled, Optimal, High Performance, High Frequency. After that we have the AMD Cool 'n' Quiet Function.
Next is the Chipset sub menu of the Advanced section of the BIOS. Under the Chipset sub menu there are several settings, as one would expect for an enthusiast motherboard. Starting with NB to SB HT Frequency, CPU <-->NB HT Speed, NB-->SB HT Speed, SB-->NB HT Speed, CPU <-->NB HT Width, NB<-->SB HT Width and ending with NVIDIA GPU Ex as the final setting under this sub menu. Back under advanced we have PCIPNP and On board Devices Configuration. All these sections are really self explanatory and are basically the same for any Phoenix-Award based motherboard BIOS.
The next section is Power, which has all the standard ACPI, APM, and Hardware Monitor settings. Under Hardware Monitor, nothing really stands out. Though the usual ASUS Q-Fan control is there. Which is used to control fan speed and temperature thresholds.
The final item of note in the BIOS is the Tools section. I have to admit, these features aren't really all that amazing or important, but they are interesting. ASUS has there Music Alarm so that you can use your PC as an alarm clock. The PC can play songs on the schedule you define. Not sure I would use this, but it is interesting and just adds one more trick a PC build around this motherboard can do.