BIOS Features

The BIOS on the Asus N4L-VM DH motherboard is pretty bare.  Since the board is a micro-ATX solution based mainly on the idea of an HTPC, a minimal BIOS makes some sense.  However, as we saw with the Pentium M and Dothan processors, there are still some users that would like to take these chips and motherboard and try to overclock them and stretch their performance to the limit. 

This BIOS isn’t up to that task. 

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This first BIOS screen shows us the processor specs as well as allows the user to change the power management features as well as the Vanderpool and Execute Disable Bit features. 

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In the memory timings page of the BIOS, only the four major memory timings can be adjusted including CAS latency, RAS to CAS, RAS Precharge and RAS Activate.  Command rate controls (1T or 2T) apparently aren’t adjustable either and must remain at the SPD setting. 

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This is the extent really of our overclocking options on the Asus N4L-VM motherboard.  Setting the AI Overclocking setting to manual opens up the ability for us to change the FSB frequency and DDR2 voltages only.

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DDR2 voltage adjustments are limited to just a handful. 

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Finally, the only other interesting page in the BIOS is the hardware monitor, and that’s not saying too much, is it?

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