ASRock AM2NF6G-VSTA User Manual

AM2NF6G-VSTA

User Manual

Version 2.0

Published July 2006

Copyright©2006 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.

11

1

11

Copyright Notice:Copyright Notice:

Copyright Notice:

Copyright Notice:Copyright Notice:

No part of this manual may be reproduced, transcribed, transmitted, or translated in
any language, in any form or by any means, except duplication of documentation by
the purchaser for backup purpose, without written consent of ASRock Inc.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be regis­tered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for
identification or explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.

Disclaimer:Disclaimer:

Disclaimer:

Disclaimer:Disclaimer:

Specifications and information contained in this manual are furnished for informa­tional use only and subject to change without notice, and should not be constructed
as a commitment by ASRock. ASRock assumes no responsibility for any errors or
omissions that may appear in this manual.
With respect to the contents of this manual, ASRock does not provide warranty of
any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warran­ties or conditions of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
In no event shall ASRock, its directors, officers, employees, or agents be liable for
any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages (including damages for
loss of profits, loss of business, loss of data, interruption of business and the like),
even if ASRock has been advised of the possibility of such da mages arising from any
defect or error in the manual or product.

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.

ASRock Website: http://www.asrock.com

22

2

22

ContentsContents

Contents

ContentsContents

1.1.

IntroductionIntroduction

1.

Introduction

1.1.

IntroductionIntroduction

1.1 Package Contents..................................................................... 5

1.2 Specifications........................................................................... 6

1.3 Minimum Hardware Requirement Table for Windows® Vista

Premium and Basic Logo .......................................................... 9

1.4 Motherboard Layout ................................................................. 10

1.5 HD 8CH I/O ................................................................................ 11

2.2.

InstallationInstallation

2.

Installation

2.2.

InstallationInstallation

Pre-installation Precautions ............................................................... 12

2.1 CPU Installation ......................................................................... 13

2.2 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink ....................................... 1 3

2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM).................................... 14

2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI Express, PCI, and HDMR Slots) .................... 16

2.5 Easy Multi Monitor Feature........................................................ 17

2.6 Jumpers Setup.......................................................................... 1 8

2.7 Onboard Headers and Connectors .......................................... 19

2.8 SATAII Hard Disk Setup Guide .................................................. 2 3

2.9 Serial ATA (SATA) / Serial ATAII (SATAII) Hard Disks

Installation ................................................................................. 24

2.10 Hot Plug and Hot Swap Functions for SATA / SATAII HDDs.... 24

2.11 Driver Installation Guide ............................................................ 24

2.12 HDMR Card and Driver In stallation............................................ 25

2.13 Installing Windows® 2000 / XP / XP 64-bit / VistaTM Without RAID

Functions .................................................................................. 25

2.14 Installing Windows® 2000 / XP / XP 64-bit / VistaTM With RAID

Functions. ................................................................................. 25

2.15 Untied Overclocking Technology .............................................. 26

3.3.

BIOS SBIOS S

3.

BIOS S

3.3.

BIOS SBIOS S

3.1 Introduction ............................................................................... 27

3.2 Main Screen.............................................................................. 28

3.3 Advanced Screen.................................................................... 28

ETUP UTILITYETUP UTILITY

ETUP UTILITY

ETUP UTILITYETUP UTILITY

3.1.1 BIOS Menu Bar ............................................................... 27

3.1.2 Navigation Keys ............................................................. 28

3.3.1 CPU Configuration .......................................................... 29

3.3.2 Chipset Configuration ..................................................... 32

3.3.3 ACPI Configuration ......................................................... 33

3.3.4 IDE Configuration ............................................................ 34

3.3.5 PCIPnP Configuration ...................................................... 36

3.3.6 Floppy Configuration ...................................................... 37

........................................................................................................................

............................................................

........................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................

..............................................................

............................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................

...................................................

......................................................................................................

5 5

5

5 5

TM

12 12

12

12 12

27 27

27

27 27

33

3

33

3.3.7 Super IO Configuration ................................................... 37

3.3.8 USB Configuration .......................................................... 38

3.4 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen ............................. 39

3.5 Boot Screen.............................................................................. 4 0

3.5.1 Boot Settings Configuration ........................................... 40

3.6 Security Screen........................................................................ 41

3.7 Exit Screen ............................................................................... 42

4.4.

Software SupportSoftware Support

4.

Software Support

4.4.

Software SupportSoftware Support

4.1 Install Operating System........................................................... 43

4.2 Support CD Information............................................................. 43

4.2.1 Running Support CD ....................................................... 43

4.2.2 Drivers Menu .................................................................. 43

4.2.3 Utilities Menu ................................................................... 43

4.2.4 Contact Information ........................................................ 43

APPENDIX: AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietAPPENDIX: AMD’s Cool ‘n’ Quiet

APPENDIX: AMD’s Cool ‘n’ Quiet

APPENDIX: AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietAPPENDIX: AMD’s Cool ‘n’ Quiet

......................................................................................................

...................................................

......................................................................................................

TMTM

TM

TMTM

T T

echnologyechnology

T

echnology

T T

echnologyechnology

............

......

............

43 43

43

43 43

44 44

44

44 44

44

4

44

1.1.

IntroductionIntroduction

1.

Introduction

1.1.

IntroductionIntroduction

Thank you for purchasing ASRock AM2NF6G-VSTA motherboard, a reliable
motherboard produced under ASRock’s consistently stringent quality control. It de­livers excellent performance with robust design conforming to ASRock’s commit­ment to quality and endurance.
In this manual, chapter 1 and 2 contain introduction of the motherboard and step-by­step guide to the hardware installation. Chapter 3 and 4 contain the configuration
guide to BIOS setup and information of the Support CD.

Because the motherboard specifications and the BIOS software might be
updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without
notice. In case any modifications of this manual occur, the updated
version will be available on ASRock website without further notice. You
may find the latest VGA cards and CPU support lists on ASRock website

as well. ASRock website

1.11.1

Package ContentsPackage Contents

1.1

Package Contents

1.11.1

Package ContentsPackage Contents

1 x ASRock AM2NF6G-VSTA Motherboard

(Micro ATX Form Factor: 9.6-in x 9.6-in, 24.4 cm x 24.4 cm)
1 x ASRock AM2NF6G-VSTA Quick Installation Guide
1 x ASRock AM2NF6G-VSTA Support CD
1 x Ultra ATA 66/100/133 IDE Ribbon Cable (80-conductor)
1 x 3.5-in Floppy Drive Ribbon Cable
1 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cable (Optional)
1 x Serial ATA (SATA) HDD Power Cable (Optional)
1 x HD 8CH I/O Shield
1 x COM Port Bracket
1 x HDMR Card (Optional)

http://www.asrock.com

55

5

55

1.21.2

SpecificationsSpecifications

1.2

Specifications

1.21.2

SpecificationsSpecifications

Platform - Micro ATX Form Factor: 9.6-in x 9.6-in, 24.4 cm x 24.4 cm

CPU - Socket AM2 for AMD AthlonTM 64FX / 64X2 / 64 and Sempron

Processors

- Supports AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietTM T e chnology
(see CAUTION 1)

- FSB 1000 MHz (2.0 GT/s)

- Supports Untied Overclocking Technology (see CAUTION 2)

- Supports Hyper-Transport Technology

Chipset - N VIDIA® NF-6100-405

Memory - Dual Channel DDRII Memory T echnology (see CAUTION 3)

- 4 x DDRII DIMM slots

- Support DDRII800/667/533

- Max. capacity: 8GB

Hybrid Booster - CPU Frequency Stepless Control (see CAUTION 4)

- ASRock U-COP (see CAUTION 5)

- Boot Failure Guard (B.F.G.)

- ASRock AM2 Boost: ASRock Patented Technology to boost
memory performance up to 12.5% (see CAUTION 6)

Expansion Slot - 2 x PCI slots

- 1 x PCI Express Graphics slot (see CAUTION 7)

- 1 x PCI Express x1 slot

- 1 x HDMR slot

Graphics - Integrated NVIDIA® GeForce6-class graphics D X9.0 VGA

- Pixel Shader 3.0

- Max. shared memory 256MB

Audio - Realtek ALC888 7.1 channel audio CODEC with High

Definition audio

LAN - Realtek PHY RTL8201CL

- Speed: 10/100 Ethernet

- Supports Wake-On-LAN

Rear Panel I/O HD 8CH I/O

- 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port

- 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port

- 1 x VGA Port

- 1 x Parallel Port (ECP/EPP Support)

- 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports

- 1 x RJ-45 Port

- HD Audio Jack: Side Speaker/Rear Speaker/Central/Bass/
Line in/Front Speaker/Microphone (see CAUTION 8)

66

6

66

Connector - 2 x Serial ATAII 3.0Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,

RAID 1, JBOD), NCQ, and “Hot Plug” functions
(see CAUTION 9)

- 1 x ATA133 IDE connector (supports 2 x IDE devices)

- 1 x Floppy connector

- 1 x IR header

- 1 x Game header

- 1 x COM port header

- CPU/Chassis FAN connector

- 20 pin ATX power connector

- 4 pin 12V power connector

- CD in header

- Front panel audio connector

- 2 x USB 2.0 headers (support 4 USB 2.0 ports)
(see CAUTION 10)

BIOS Feature - 4Mb AMI BIOS

- AMI Legal BIOS

- Supports “Plug and Play”

- ACPI 1.1 Compli ance Wake Up Events

- Supports jumperfree

- SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support
Support CD - Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version)
Hardware - CPU Temperature Sensing
Monitor - Chassis Temperature Sensing

- CPU Fan Tachometer

- Chassis Fan Tachometer

- CPU Quiet Fan

- Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, Vcore
OS - Microsoft® Windows® 2000/XP/XP 64-bit/VistaTM compliant

(see CAUTION 11)

Certifications - FCC, CE, Microsoft® WHQL Certificated

77

7

77

CAUTION!

1. For power-saving’s sake, it is strongly recommended to enable AMD’s Cool ‘n’

2. This motherboard supports Untied Overclocking Technology. Please read “Un-

3. This motherboard supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. Before you

4. Although this motherboard offers stepless control, it is not recommended to

5. While CPU overheat is detected, the system will automatically shutdown.

6. This motherboard supports ASRock AM2 Boost overclocking technology. If

7. PCI Express Graphics slot (PCIE1) supports most of the ATi® and NVIDIA

8. For microphone input, this motherboard supports both stereo and mono modes.

9. Before installing SATAII hard disk to SATAII connector, please re a d the “SATA II

10. Power Management for USB 2.0 works fine under Microsoft® Windows

11. Microsoft

TM

Quiet

technology under Windows system. See APPENDIX on page 44 to

enable AMD’s Cool ‘n’ Quiet

TM

technology.

tied Overclocking Technology” on page 26 for details.

implement Dual Channel Memory Technology, make sure to read the
installation guide of memory modules on page 14 for proper installation.

perform over-clocking. Frequencies other than the recommended CPU bus
frequencies may cause the instability of the system or damage the CPU.

Before you resume the system, plea se check if the CPU fa n on the motherboard
functions properly and unplug the power cord, then plug it back again. To
improve heat dissipation, remember to spray thermal grease between the
CPU and the heatsink when you install the PC system.

you enable this function in the BIOS setup, the memory performance will
improve up to 12.5%, but the effect still depends on the AM2 CPU you adopt.
Enabling this function will overclock the chipset/CPU reference clock. However,
we can not guarantee the system stability for all CPU/DRAM configurations.
If your system is unstable after AM2 Boost function is enabled, it may not be
applicative to your system. You may choose to disable this function for
keeping the stability of your system.

graphics cards except some old version ATi® graphics cards, such as ATi
X300, X550, X700, and X800 series gra phics cards.

For audio output, this motherboard supports 2-channel, 4-channel, 6-channel,
and 8-channel mode s. Please check the table on page 1 1 for proper connection.

Hard Disk Setup Guide” on page 23 to adjust your SATAII hard disk drive to
SATAII mode. You can also connect SATA hard disk to SATAII connector
directly.

®

VistaTM / XP 64-bit / XP SP1 or SP2 / 2000 SP4.

®

Windows® VistaTM driver is not ready yet. We will update it to our

website in the future. Please visit our website for Microsoft

®

Windows® Vista
driver and related information.
ASRock website

http://www.asrock.com

®

®

TM

88

8

88

1.31.3

Minimum Hardware RMinimum Hardware R

1.3

Minimum Hardware R

1.31.3

Minimum Hardware RMinimum Hardware R

TMTM

TM

TMTM

VistaVista

Vista

VistaVista

For system integrators and users who purchase this motherboard and
plan to submit Windows® VistaTM Premium and Basic logo, please follow the
below table for minimum hardware requirement. Please adopt the CPU,
memory, and VGA that we suggest.

CPU Sempron 2800+
Memory 512MB x 2 Dual Channel (Premium)

* If you use onboard VGA with total system memory size 512MB and plan to
submit Windows® VistaTM Basic logo, please adjust the shared memory size of onboard
VGA to 64MB. If you use onboard VGA with total system memory size above 512MB
and plan to submit Windows® VistaTM Premium or Basic logo, please adjust the shared
memory size of onboard VGA to 128MB or above.
* If you plan to use external graphics card on this motherboard, please refer to Premium
Discrete requirement at

Premium and Basic Logo Premium and Basic Logo

Premium and Basic Logo

Premium and Basic Logo Premium and Basic Logo

512MB Single Channel (Ba sic)
256MB x 2 Dual Channel (Basic)

equirement Tequirement T

equirement T

equirement Tequirement T

http://www.asrock.com

able for Wable for W

able for W

able for Wable for W

indowsindows

indows

indowsindows

®®

®

®®

99

9

99

1.4 Motherboard Layout1.4 Motherboard Layout

Super

I/O

`

PCI

EXPRESS

USB2.0

CMOS

BATTERY

ATXPWR1

SOCKET AM2

AM2NF6G-VSTA

CD1

NVIDIA

NF-6100-405

Chipset

ATX12V1

PS2_USB_PW1

1

COM1

IDE1

FSB800

DDRII_1(64/72 bit, 240-pinmodule)

DDRII_2(64/72 bit, 240-pinmodule)

FSB800

DDRII_3(64/72 bit, 240-pinmodule)

DDRII_4(64/72 bit, 240-pinmodule)

PCIE1

PCI1

PCI2

4Mb

BIOS

LAN
PHY

AUDIO
CODEC

SATAII_1

SATAII_2

1

CLRCMOS1

1

DDRII800

Dual CoreCPU

FSB1GHz

Dual Channel

ATA133

SATAII

7.1CH HD

RAID

CPU_FAN1

HDLED RESET

PLEDPWRBTN

1

PANEL1

CHA_FAN1

SPEAKER1

1

USB4_5

1

IR1

FLOPPY1

GAME1

1

HD_AUDIO1

1

RoHS

24.4cm (9.6-in)

24.4cm (9.6-in)

6

7

1

2

4

3

5

8

9

10

11

12

13
14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

PCIE2

1

USB6_7

1

HDMR1

USB2.0
T: US B2
B:USB3

PARALLEL PORT

VGA1

PS2

Mouse

PS2

Keyboard

Top:

REAR SPK

Center:

SIDE SPK

Bottom:

CTR BASS

Top:

LINE IN

Center:

FRONT

Bottom:

MIC IN

USB2.0
T: US B0
B:USB1

Top:
RJ-45

1.4 Motherboard Layout

1.4 Motherboard Layout1.4 Motherboard Layout

1 PS2_USB_PW1 Jumper 15 USB 2.0 Header (USB6_7, Blue)
2 A TX 12V Power Connector (A TX12V1) 16 System Panel Header (PANEL1)
3 CPU Heatsink Retention Module 17 USB 2.0 Header (USB4_5, Blue)
4 AM2 940-Pin CPU Socket 18 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER 1)
5 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1) 19 Secondary SA TAII Connector (SA TAII_2, Red)
6 2 x 240-pin DDRII DIMM Slots 20 NVIDIA NF-6100-405 Single Chi p

(Dual Channel A: DDRII_1, DDRII_2; Yellow) 21 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)

7 2 x 240-pin DDRII DIMM Slots 22 HDMR Slot (HDMR1)

(Dual Channel B: DDRII_3, DDRII_4; Orange) 23 Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1)
8 Infrared Module Header (IR1) 24 PCI Express x1 Slot (PCIE2)
9 Game Port Header (GAME1) 25 Internal Audio Connector: CD1 (Black)
10 Floppy Connector (FLOPPY1) 26 PCI Slots (PCI1- 2)
11 Primary IDE Connector (IDE1, Blue) 27 PCI Express Graphics Slot (PCIE1)
12 Flash Memory 28 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1)
13 Primary SATAII Conne ctor (SA T AII_1, Red) 29 Serial Port Connector (COM1)
14 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)

1010

10

1010

1.51.5

1.5

1.51.5

HD 8CH I/OHD 8CH I/O

HD 8CH I/O

HD 8CH I/OHD 8CH I/O

1

1213

1 Parallel Port 8 Microphone (Pink)
2 RJ-45 Port 9 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01)
3 Side Speaker (Gray) 10 USB 2.0 Ports (USB23)
4 Rear Speaker (Black) 11 VG A Port
5 Central / Bass (Orange) 12 PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)
6 Line In (Light Blue) 13 PS/2 Mouse Port (Green)

*7 Front Speaker (Lime)

* If you use 2-channel speaker, please connect the speaker’s plug into “Front Speaker Jack”. See

the table below for connection details in accordance with the type of speaker you use.

Audio Output Channels Front Speaker Rear Speaker Central / Bass Side Speaker

2 V -- -- -­4VV---­6VVV-­8VVVV

11

10

TABLE for Audio Output Connection

(No. 7) (No. 4) (No. 5) (No. 3)

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

* To enable Multi-Streaming function, you need to connect a front panel audio cable to the front

panel audio header. After restarting your computer, you will find “Mixer” tool on your system.
Please select “Mixer ToolBox” , click “Enable playback multi-streaming”, and click

“ok”. Choose “2CH”, “4CH”, “6CH”, or “8CH” and then you are allowed to select “Realtek HDA
Primary output” to use Rear Speaker, Central/Bass, and Front Speaker, or select “Realtek HDA
Audio 2nd output” to use front panel audio.

1111

11

1111

2.2.

InstallationInstallation

2.

Installation

2.2.

InstallationInstallation

AM2NF6G-VSTA is a Micro ATX form factor (9.6-in x 9.6-in, 24.4 cm x 24.4 cm)
motherboard. Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your
chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it.

Pre-installation PrecautionsPre-installation Precautions

Pre-installation Precautions

Pre-installation PrecautionsPre-installation Precautions

Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard
components or change any motherboard settings.

Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the
power is switched off or the power cord is detached from the
power supply. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the
motherboard, peripherals, and/or components.

1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any
component.

2. To avoid damaging the motherboard components due to static
electricity, NEVER place your motherboard directly on the carpet or
the like. Also remember to use a grounded wrist strap or touch a
safety grounded object before you handle components.

3. Hold components by the edges and do not touch the ICs.

4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded anti­static pad or in the bag that comes with the component.

5. When pla cing screws into the screw holes to secure the motherboard
to the chassis, please do not over-tighten the screws! Doing so may
damage the motherboard.

1212

12

1212

2.12.1

CPU InstallationCPU Installation

2.1

CPU Installation

2.12.1

CPU InstallationCPU Installation

Step 1. Unlock the socket by lifting the lever up to a 90

o

angle.

Step 2. Position the CPU directly above the socket such that the CPU corner with

the golden triangle matches the socket corner with a small triangle.

Step 3. Carefully insert the CPU into the socket until it fits in place.

The CPU fits only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU
into the socket to avoid bending of the pins.

Step 4. When the CPU is in place, press it firmly on the socket while you push

down the socket lever to secure the CPU. The lever clicks on the side tab
to indicate that it is locked.

Lever 90° Up

STEP 1:
Lift Up The Socket Lever

2.22.2

Installation of CPU Fan and HeatsinkInstallation of CPU Fan and Heatsink

2.2

Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink

2.22.2

Installation of CPU Fan and HeatsinkInstallation of CPU Fan and Heatsink

CPU Golden Triangle

Socket Corner

STEP 2 / STEP 3:
Match The CPU Golden Triangle
To The Socket Corner

STEP 4:
Push Down And Lock
The Socket Lever

After you install the CPU into this motherboard, it is necessary to install a
larger heatsink and cooling fan to dissipate heat. You also need to spray
thermal grease between the CPU and the heatsink to improve heat
dissipation. Make sure that the CPU and the heatsink are securely fas­tened and in good contact with each other. Then connect the CPU fan to
the CPU FAN connector (CPU_FAN1, see Page 10, No. 5). For proper
installation, please kindly refer to the instruction manuals of the CPU fan
and the heatsink.

1313

13

1313

2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)

2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)

2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)

AM2NF6G-VSTA motherboard provides four 240-pin DDRII (Double Data Rate
II) DIMM slots, a nd supports Dual Channel Me mory Technology. For dual channel
configuration, you always need to install identical (the same brand, speed,
size and chip-type) DDRII DIMM pair in the slots of the same color . In other words,
you have to install identical DDRII DIMM pair in Dual Channel A (DDRII_1 and
DDRII_2; Yellow slots; see p.10 No.6) or identical DDRII DIMM pair in Dual
Channel B (DDRII_3 and DDRII_4; Orange slots; see p.10 No.7), so that Dual
Channel Memory Technology can be activated. This motherboard also allows
you to install four DDRII DIMMs for dual channel configuration, and please install
identical DDRII DIMMs in all four slots. You may refer to the Dual Channel
Memory Configuration Table below.

Dual Channel Memory Configurations

DDRII_1 DDRII_2 DDRII_3 DDRII_4

(Yellow Slot) (Yellow Slot) (Orange Slot) (Orange Slot)
(1) Populated Populated - ­(2) - - Populated Populated
(3)* Populated Populated Populated Populated

* For the configuration (3), plea se in stall identical DD RII DIMM s in all four slots.

1. If you want to install two memory modules, for optimal compatibility
and reliability, it is recommended to install them in the slots of the
same color. In other words, install them either in the set of yellow
slots (DDRII_1 and DDRII_2), or in the set of orange slots (DDRII_3
and DDRII_4).

2. If only one memory module or three memory modules are installed
in the DDRII DIMM slots on this motherboard, it is unable to activate
the Dual Channel Memory Technology .

3. If a pair of memory modules is NOT installed in the same Dual
Channel, for example, installing a pair of memory modules in D DRII_1
and DDRII_3, it is unable to activate the Dual Channel Memory
Technology .

4. It is not allowed to install a DDR memory module into DDRII slot;
otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be damaged.

1414

14

1414