Motherboard PRIME A520M-E
E16799 First Edition June 2020 Copyright © 2020 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........................................................................................................... v Package contents........................................................................................................ vi PRIME A520M-E 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.
About this guide This user guide contains the information you need when installing and configuring the motherboard. How this guide is organized This guide contains the following parts: • Chapter 1: Product Introduction This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new technology it supports. It includes descriptions of the switches, jumpers, and connectors on the motherboard.
Package contents Check your motherboard package for the following items. Motherboard 1 x PRIME A520M-E motherboard Cables 2 x SATA 6Gb/s cables Miscellaneous 1 x I/O Shield 1 x M.2 SSD screw package Application DVD 1 x Support DVD Documentation 1 x User manual If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer. PRIME A520M-E specifications summary CPU AMD Socket AM4 for 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Graphics Processors* *Refer to www.asus.
PRIME A520M-E specifications summary Front USB (Total 6 ports) USB 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 header supports additional 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports 2 x USB 2.0 headers support additional 4 USB 2.0 ports Realtek ALC887 7.
PRIME A520M-E specifications summary ASUS 5X PROTECTION III - ASUS DIGI+ VRM - ASUS LANGuard - ASUS Overvoltage Protection - ASUS SafeSlot Core - ASUS Stainless-Steel Back I/O Special Features ASUS Q-Design - ASUS Q-DIMM - ASUS Q-Slot ASUS Thermal Solution - Aluminum heatsink design ASUS Lighting Control ASUS Exclusive Software Armoury Crate AI Suite 3 - Performance and Power Saving Utility TurboV EVO EPU DIGI+ VRM Fan Xpert - EZ update Software Features ASUS CPU-Z AI Charger DAEMON Tools Norton Anti-vir
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 1. CPU socket The motherboard comes with an AMD Socket AM4 designed for 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Graphics Processors. For more details, refer to Central Processing Unit (CPU). 2. DDR4 DIMM slots The motherboard comes with Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) slots designed for DDR4 (Double Data Rate 4) memory modules. For more details, refer to System memory. 3. Expansion slots 4. Fan headers The Fan headers allow you to connect fans to cool the system.
8. USB 3.2 Gen 1 header The USB 3.2 Gen 1 header allows you to connect a USB 3.2 Gen 1 module for additional USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. The USB 3.2 Gen 1 header provides data transfer speeds of up to 5 Gb/s. PIN 1 USB3+5V IntA_P1_SSRXIntA_P1_SSRX+ GND IntA_P1_SSTXIntA_P1_SSTX+ GND IntA_P1_DIntA_P1_D+ GND USB3+5V IntA_P2_SSRXIntA_P2_SSRX+ GND IntA_P2_SSTXIntA_P2_SSTX+ GND IntA_P2_DIntA_P2_D+ The USB 3.2 Gen 1 module is purchased separately. The USB 2.
+5V This header is for an additional Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF) port. Connect the S/PDIF Out module cable to this header, then install the module to a slot opening at the back of the system chassis. SPDIFOUT GND 13. S/PDIF Out header SPDIF_OUT 14. Speaker header SPEAKER +5V GND GND Speaker Out The 4-pin header is for the chassis-mounted system warning speaker. The speaker allows you to hear system beeps and warnings.
1.2.2 Rear panel connectors 1 2 6 7 8 9 10 3 4 6 11 5 1. PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse combo port. This port is for a PS/2 keyboard or mouse. 2. Video Graphics Adapter (VGA) port. This 15-pin port is for a VGA monitor or other VGA-compatible devices. 3. Ethernet port. This port allows Gigabit connection to a Local Area Network (LAN) through a network hub. Refer to the table below for the Ethernet port LED indications.
9. USB 2.0 ports. These 4-pin Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are for USB 2.0 devices. 10. USB 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10Gbps) port (teal blue, Type A). This 9-pin Universal Serial Bus 3.2 (USB 3.2) port is for a USB 3.2 Gen 2 device. 11. Microphone port (pink). This port connects a microphone. Refer to the audio configuration table for the function of the audio ports in 2, 4, 5.1, or 7.1-channel configuration. Audio 2, 4, 5.1 or 7.
1.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) The motherboard comes with an AMD Socket AM4 designed for 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Graphics Processors. Unplug all power cables before installing the CPU. The AM4 socket has a different pinout design. Ensure that you use a CPU designed for the AM4 socket. The CPU fits in only one correct orientation.
1.4 System memory This motherboard comes with two Double Data Rate 4 (DDR4) Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) sockets. The figure illustrates the location of the DDR4 DIMM sockets: DIMM_A1* DIMM_B1* • • Channel Sockets Channel A DIMM_A1* Channel B DIMM_B1* 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 A A B To remove a DIMM A B ASUS PRIME A520M-E 1-9
1-10 Chapter 1: Product Introduction
BIOS and RAID Support 2.1 2 Knowing BIOS The new ASUS UEFI BIOS is a Unified Extensible Interface that complies with UEFI architecture, offering a user-friendly interface that goes beyond the traditional keyboardonly BIOS controls to enable a more flexible and convenient mouse input. You can easily navigate the new UEFI BIOS with the same smoothness as your operating system. The term “BIOS” in this user manual refers to “UEFI BIOS” unless otherwise specified.
2.2 BIOS Setup program Use the BIOS Setup to update the BIOS or configure its parameters. The BIOS screens include navigation keys and brief onscreen help to guide you in using the BIOS Setup program. Entering BIOS 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. Entering BIOS Setup after POST To enter BIOS Setup after POST: • Press ++ simultaneously.
2.3 ASUS EZ Flash 3 The ASUS EZ Flash 3 feature allows you to update the BIOS without using an OS‑based utility. Ensure to load the BIOS default settings to ensure system compatibility and stability. Select the Load Optimized Defaults item under the Exit menu or press hotkey . To update the BIOS by USB: • This function can support devices such as a USB flash disk with FAT 32/16 format and single partition only.
2.4 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility 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 a USB flash drive that contains the BIOS file. If you want to use the latest BIOS file, download the file at https://www.asus.com/support, and save it to a USB flash drive. Recovering the BIOS To recover the BIOS: 1. Turn on the system. 2.
2.5 RAID configurations The motherboard supports RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 10 configuration. For more information on configuring your RAID sets, please refer to the RAID Configuration Guide which you can find at https://www.asus.com/support, or by scanning the QR code. RAID definitions RAID 0 (Data striping) optimizes two identical hard disk drives to read and write data in parallel, interleaved stacks.
2-6 Chapter 2: BIOS and RAID Support
Appendix Notices FCC Compliance Information Responsible Party: Address: Phone / Fax No: Asus Computer International 48720 Kato Rd., Fremont, CA 94538, USA (510)739-3777 / (510)608-4555 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.
Compliance Statement of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) This device complies with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada licence exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.
Google™ License Terms Copyright© 2020 Google Inc. All Rights Reserved. Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the “License”); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at: http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an “AS IS” BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
ASUS Recycling/Takeback Services ASUS recycling and takeback programs come from our commitment to the highest standards for protecting our environment. We believe in providing solutions for you to be able to responsibly recycle our products, batteries, other components as well as the packaging materials. Please go to http://csr.asus.com/english/Takeback.htm for detailed recycling information in different regions. DO NOT throw the motherboard in municipal waste.
English ASUSTeK Computer Inc. hereby declares that this device is in compliance with the essential requirements and other relevant provisions of related Directives. Full text of EU declaration of conformity is available at: www.asus.com/support Français AsusTek Computer Inc. déclare par la présente que cet appareil est conforme aux critères essentiels et autres clauses pertinentes des directives concernées. La déclaration de conformité de l’UE peut être téléchargée à partir du site Internet suivant : www.
ASUS contact information ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Address Telephone Fax Web site Technical Support Telephone Online support 1F., No. 15, Lide Rd., Beitou Dist., Taipei City 112, Taiwan +886-2-2894-3447 +886-2-2890-7798 https://www.asus.com +86-21-38429911 https://qr.asus.com/techserv ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL (America) Address 48720 Kato Rd., Fremont, CA 94538, USA Telephone +1-510-739-3777 Fax +1-510-608-4555 Web site https://www.asus.
