Motherboard A88X-PLUS/USB 3.
E11342 First Edition January 2016 Copyright © 2016 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 A88X-PLUS/USB 3.1 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 A88X-PLUS/USB 3.1 motherboard Cables 2 x Serial ATA 6.0 Gb/s cables Accessories 1 x I/O Shield Application DVD Support CD Documentation User Guide If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer. A88X-PLUS/USB 3.1 specifications summary APU FM2+ socket for AMD® A- series and Athlon™Series Processors Supports APU up to 4 cores Supports AMD® Turbo Core Technology 3.
A88X-PLUS/USB 3.1 specifications summary Storage AMD® A88X FCH (Bolton D4) chipset : - 8 x Serial ATA 6.0 Gb/s connectors (gray) - Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10 and JBOD LAN Realtek® 8111H Gigabit LAN Controller Audio Realtek® ALC887 8-channel High Definition Audio CODEC - Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-Streaming, and Front Panel JackRetasking USB AMD® A88X FCH (Bolton D4) Chipset - 4 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports (2 ports at mid-board, 2 ports at the rear panel, blue) - 8 x USB 2.0/1.
A88X-PLUS/USB 3.1 specifications summary EZ DIY Push Notice - Monitor your PC status with smart devices in real time UEFI BIOS EZ Mode - Featuring a friendly graphical user interface - ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 - ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS Q-Design - ASUS Q-Slot Back Panel I/O ports 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port 1 x HDMI port 1 x DVI-D port 1 x D-Sub Output port 1 x LAN (RJ-45) port 2x USB 3.1 Type A ports 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports 2 x USB 2.0/1.
1 Product introduction 1.1 Before you proceed 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.
1.2.1 Layout contents Page Connectors/Jumpers/Slots/LED 1. ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 4-pin ATX12V) 2. APU and chassis fan connectors (4-pin APU_FAN, 4-pin CHA_FAN1/2) 1-2 1-2 3. AMD® FM2+ APU socket 1-3 4. DDR3 DIMM slots 1-3 5. USB 3.0 connector (20-1 pin USB3_12) 1-3 6. AMD® A88X SATA 6.0Gb/s ports (SATA6G_1~8) 1-3 7. System panel connector (20-5 pin PANEL) 1-3 8. USB 2.0 connectors (10-1 pin USB34/56/78) 1-4 9. Clear RTC RAM (2-pin CLRTC) 1-4 10.
3. CHA_FAN CHA FAN PWM CHA FAN IN CHA FAN PWR GND CPU_FAN GND CPU FAN PWM CPU FAN IN CPU FAN PWR Do not forget to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors. Insufficient air flow inside the system may damage the motherboard components. These are not jumpers! Do not place jumper caps on the fan connectors! The APU_FAN connector supports a APU fan of maximum 1A (12 W) fan power. AMD® FM2+ APU socket This motherboard comes with a FM2+ socket designed for AMD® A-series and Athlon™Series processors.
Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pin HDD_LED) +5V_SPKO Ground Ground Speaker SPEAKER System warning speaker (4-pin SPEAKER) PIN 1 This 4-pin connector is for the chassis-mounted system warning speaker. The speaker allows you to hear system beeps and warnings. • PWR_SW +HDD_LED- ATX power button/soft-off button (2-pin PWR_SW) RESET PLED- • PANEL +PWR_LED- PLED+ PLEDPWR Ground This 2-pin connector is for the HDD Activity LED. Connect the HDD Activity LED cable to this connector.
Serial port connector (10-1 pin COM) COM RXD DTR DSR CTS This connector is for a serial (COM) port. Connect the serial port module cable to this connector, then install the module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis. PIN 1 NC AGND NC NC SENSE2_RETUR Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP) This connector is for a chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O module that supports either HD Audio or legacy AC`97 audio standard.
15. • In single VGA card mode, use the PCIe 3.0 x16_1 slot (gray) for a PCI Express x16 graphics card to get better performance. • We recommend that you provide sufficient power when running CrossFireX™ mode. • Connect a chassis fan to the motherboard connector labeled CHA_FAN1/2 when using multiple graphics cards for better thermal environment. PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots This motherboard has two PCI Express 2.
1.2.2 Rear panel connectors 2 1 14 3 12 13 11 10 4 5 6 7 9 8 1. PS/2 combo port. This port is for a PS/2 mouse or keyboard. 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. Refer to the table below for the LAN port LED indications.
Audio 2.1, 4.1, 5.1 or 7.1-channel configuration Port Light Blue Lime Pink Orange Black Gray Headset 2.1 channel Line In Line Out Mic In - 4.1 channel 5.1 channel 7.1 channel Line in Front Speaker Out Mic In Rear Speaker Out Line in Front Speaker Out Mic in Center/Subwoofer Rear Speaker Out Line in Front Speaker Out Mic in Center/Subwoofer Rear Speaker Out - - - Side Speaker Out For a 7.1-channel speaker setup, refer to the 7.1-channel configuration in the table. 9.
1.3 Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) This motherboard comes with a FM2+ socket designed for AMD® A-series and Athlon™Series processors. Unplug all power cables before installing the APU. Ensure that you use an APU designed for the FM2+ socket. The APU fits in only one correct orientation.
1.4 System memory Overview This motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 3 (DDR3) Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) sockets. The figure illustrates the location of the DDR3 DIMM sockets: 1-10 Sockets DIMM_A1 DIMM_A2 Channel DIMM_B1 DIMM_B2 Channel A DIMM_A1 & DIMM_A2 Channel B DIMM_B1 & DIMM_B2 • 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.
Installing a DIMM 1 2 3 To remove a DIMM B A A ASUS A88X-PLUS/USB 3.
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: 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 A88XPU31.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. When the booting message appears, press within five (5) seconds to enter FreeDOS prompt.
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.
2.2.1 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. To access the Advanced Mode, click Exit/Advanced Mode, then select Advanced Mode or press for the advanced BIOS settings. The default screen for entering the BIOS setup program can be changed.
2.2.2 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 .
Menu bar 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 Boot For changing the advanced system settings For displaying the system temperature, power status, and changing the fan settings For changing the system boot configuration Tool Exit For configuring options for special functions For selecting the
Hot keys This button above the menu bar contains the navigation keys for the BIOS setup program. Use the navigation keys to select items in the menu and change the settings. 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. General help At the bottom left corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the selected item.
2.3 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 OK to load the default values.
Appendices 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 Telephone Fax Web site Technical Support Telephone Fax Online support 4F, No. 150, Li-Te Rd., Peitou, Taipei 112, Taiwan +886-2-2894-3447 +886-2-2890-7798 www.asus.com/ +86-21-38429911 +86-21-5866-8722, ext. 9101# http://qr.asus.com/techserv ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America) Address 800 Corporate Way, Fremont, CA 94539, USA Telephone +1-510-739-3777 Fax +1-510-608-4555 Web site http://www.asus.
Appendices A-6 (510)739-3777/(510)608-4555 800 Corporate Way, Fremont, CA 94539. Asus Computer International Date : Signature : Representative Person’s Name : Feb. 22, 2016 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.
A-7 ASUS A88X-PLUS/USB 3.1 Fabricante: ASUS COMPUTER GmbH HARKORT STR. 21-23, 40880 RATINGEN GERMANY Representante autorizado en Europa: Dirección, Ciudad: País: Motherboard A88X-PLUS/USB 3.1 Nombre del modelo : A88X-PLUS/USB 3.1 Modellbezeichnung: Ver.
Appendices A-8 Fabricant: HARKORT STR. 21-23, 40880 RATINGEN GERMANY Adresse, ville: Pays: EN 301 489-1 V1.9.2(2011-09) EN 301 489-3 V1.6.1(2013-12) EN 301 489-4 V2.1.1(2013-12) EN 301 489-7 V1.3.1(2005-11) EN 301 489-9 V1.4.1(2007-11) EN 301 489-17 V2.2.1(2012-09) EN 301 489-24 V1.5.1(2010-09) EN 301 357-2 V1.4.1(2008-11) EN 302 291-2 V1.1.1(2005-07) EN 302 623 V1.1.
