ASRock M3N78D User Manual

M3N78D

User Manual

Version 1.0

Published December 2009

Copyright©2009 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.

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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 regis-

tered 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 informa-

tional 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 warran-

ties 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 damages 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.

CALIFORNIA, USA ONLY

The Lithium battery adopted on this motherboard contains Perchlorate, a toxic

substance controlled in Perchlorate Best Management Practices (BMP) regulations

passed by the California Legislature. When you discard the Lithium battery in

California, USA, please follow the related regulations in advance.

“Perchlorate Material-special handling may apply, see

www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate”

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

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ContentsContents

Contents

ContentsContents

1.1.

IntroductionIntroduction

1.

Introduction

1.1.

IntroductionIntroduction

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

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

1.3 Motherboard Layout ................................................................. 10

1.4 I/O Panel .................................................................................... 11

2.2.

InstallationInstallation

2.

Installation

2.2.

InstallationInstallation

Pre-installation Precautions ............................................................... 13

2.1 CPU Installation ......................................................................... 14

2.2 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink ....................................... 14

2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM) .................................... 15

2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express slots) ................................... 17

2.5 Jumpers Setup .......................................................................... 18

2.6 Onboard Headers and Connectors.......................................... 19

2.7 HDMI_SPDIF Header Connection Guide .................................... 24

2.8 SATAII Hard Disk Setup Guide .................................................. 25

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

Installation ................................................................................. 26

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

Devices ..................................................................................... 26

2.11 SATA / SATAII HDD Hot Plug Feature and Operation Guide ..... 27

2.12 Driver Installation Guide ............................................................ 29

2.13 Installing Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / Vista

XP 64-bit Without RAID Functions ............................................ 29

2.13.1 Installing Windows® XP / XP 64-bit Without RAID

2.13.2 Installing Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / Vista

2.14 Installing Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / Vista

XP 64-bit With RAID Functions ................................................. 31

2.14.1 Installing Windows® XP / XP 64-bit With RAID

2.14.2 Installing Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM /

2.15 Untied Overclocking Technology .............................................. 33

3.3.

BIOS SBIOS S

3.

BIOS S

3.3.

BIOS SBIOS S

3.1 Introduction ............................................................................... 34

3.2 Main Screen .............................................................................. 35

ETUP UTILITYETUP UTILITY

ETUP UTILITY

ETUP UTILITYETUP UTILITY

3.1.1 BIOS Menu Bar ............................................................... 34

3.1.2 Navigation Keys ............................................................. 35

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

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

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

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

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

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

TM

64-bit / XP /

Functions ...................................................................... 29

Without RAID Functions ................................................ 30

Functions ...................................................................... 31

TM

Vista

64-bit With RAID Functions .............................. 32

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

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

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

TM

64-bit / XP /

TM

64-bit

5 5

5

5 5

13 13

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13 13

3434

34

3434

33

3

33

3.3 OC Tweaker Screen ................................................................. 36

3.4 Advanced Screen .................................................................... 43

3.4.1 CPU Configuration .......................................................... 44

3.4.2 Chipset Configuration ..................................................... 45

3.4.3 ACPI Configuration ......................................................... 46

3.4.4 Storage Configuration .................................................... 47

3.4.5 PCIPnP Configuration ...................................................... 49

3.4.6 Floppy Configuration ...................................................... 50

3.4.7 Super IO Configuration ................................................... 50

3.4.8 USB Configuration .......................................................... 51

3.5 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen ............................. 52

3.6 Boot Screen .............................................................................. 53

3.6.1 Boot Settings Configuration ........................................... 53

3.7 Security Screen ........................................................................ 54

3.8 Exit Screen ............................................................................... 55

4.4.

Software SupportSoftware Support

4.

Software Support

4.4.

Software SupportSoftware Support

4.1 Install Operating System ........................................................... 56

4.2 Support CD Information ............................................................. 56

4.2.1 Running Support CD ....................................................... 56

4.2.2 Drivers Menu .................................................................. 56

4.2.3 Utilities Menu ................................................................... 56

4.2.4 Contact Information ........................................................ 56

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

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

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

56 56

56

56 56

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1.1.

IntroductionIntroduction

1.

Introduction

1.1.

IntroductionIntroduction

Thank you for purchasing ASRock M3N78D 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-by-step

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

If you require technical support related to this motherboard, please visit

our website for specific information about the model you are using.

www.asrock.com/support/index.asp

1.11.1

PP

ackack

1.1

1.11.1

ASRock M3N78D Motherboard

(ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 7.5-in, 30.5 cm x 19.1 cm)

ASRock M3N78D Quick Installation Guide
ASRock M3N78D Support CD

Two Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)

One I/O Panel Shield

age Contentsage Contents

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age Contents

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http://www.asrock.com

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1.21.2

SpecificationsSpecifications

1.2

Specifications

1.21.2

SpecificationsSpecifications

Platform - ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 7.5-in, 30.5 cm x 19.1 cm

- Solid Capacitor for CPU power

CPU - Support for Socket AM3 processors: AMD Phenom

X3 / X2 (except 920 / 940) / Athlon II X4 / X3 / X2 / Sempron

processors

- Supports CPU up to 140W

- AMD LIVE!TM Ready

- Supports AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietTM Technology

- FSB 2600 MHz (5.2 GT/s)

- Supports Untied Overclocking Technology (see CAUTION 1)

- Supports Hyper-Transport 3.0 (HT 3.0) Technology

Chipset - NVIDIA
Memory - Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology (see CAUTION 2)

Expansion Slot - 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot (blue @ x16 mode)

Audio - 7.1 CH HD Audio (VIA
LAN - Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s

Rear Panel I/O I/O Panel

Connector - 4 x SATAII 3.0Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,

®

nForce 720D

- 4 x DDR3 DIMM slots

- Support DDR3 1800(OC)/1600(OC)/1333/1066/800 non-ECC,
un-buffered memory (see CAUTION 3)

- Max. capacity of system memory: 16GB (see CAUTION 4)

- 3 x PCI Express x1 slots

- 3 x PCI slots

- Giga PHY Realtek RTL8211CL

- Supports Wake-On-LAN

- 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port

- 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port

- 1 x Coaxial SPDIF Out Port

- 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port

- 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports

- 2 x Powered eSATAII/USB Connectors

- 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED)

- HD Audio Jack: Side Speaker/Rear Speaker/Central/Bass/
Line in/Front Speaker/Microphone (see CAUTION 5)

RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5 and JBOD), NCQ, AHCI and “Hot
Plug” functions (see CAUTION 6)

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

- 1 x Floppy connector

®

VT1718S Audio Codec)

TM

II X4 /

66

6

66

- 1 x COM port header

- 1 x HDMI_SPDIF header

- 1 x Chassis Intrusion header

- 1 x Power LED header

- CPU/Chassis/Power FAN connector

- 24 pin ATX power connector

- 8 pin 12V power connector

- CD in header

- Front panel audio connector

- 3 x USB 2.0 headers (support 6 USB 2.0 ports)
(see CAUTION 7)

BIOS Feature - 8Mb AMI BIOS

- AMI Legal BIOS

- Supports “Plug and Play”

- ACPI 1.1 Compli ance Wake Up Events

- Supports jumperfree

- SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support

- VCCM, NB V oltage Multi-adjustment

- Supports NVIDIA® NVCC (NVIDIA® Clock Calibration)

Support CD - Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version),

ASRock Software Suite (CyberLink DVD Suite and Creative
Sound Blaster X-Fi MB) (OEM and Trial Version)

Unique Feature - ASRock OC Tuner (see CAUTION 8)

- Intelligent Energy Saver (see CAUTION 9)

- Instant Boot

- ASRock Instant Flash (see CAUTION 10)

- ASRock OC DNA (see CAUTION 11)

- Hybrid Booster:

- CPU Frequency Stepless Control (see CAUTION 12)

- ASRock U-COP (see CAUTION 13)

- Boot Failure Guard (B.F.G.)
Hardware - CPU Temperature Sensing
Monitor - Chassis Temperature Sensing

- CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer

- CPU Quiet Fan

- CASE OPEN detection

- Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, CPU Vcore

OS - Microsoft® Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista

TM

/ VistaTM 64-bit

/ XP / XP Media Center / XP 64-bit compliant

Certifications - FCC, CE, WHQL

- EuP Ready (EuP ready power supply is required)
(see CAUTION 14)

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* For detailed product information, please visit our website:

http://www.asrock.com

WA R NING

Please realize that there is a certain risk involved with overclocking, including adjusting
the setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking Technology, or using the third­party overclocking tools. Overclocking may affect your system stability, or even
cause damage to the components and devices of your system. It should be done at
your own risk and expense. We are not responsible for possible damage caused by
overclocking.

CAUTION!

1. This motherboard supports Untied Overclocking Technology. Please read
“Untied Overclocking Technology” on page 33 for details.

2. This motherboard supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. Before
you implement Dual Channel Memory Technology, make sure to read
the installation guide of memory modules on page 15 for proper installation.

3. Whether 1800 / 1600MHz memory speed is supported depends on the AM3
CPU you adopt. If you want to adopt DDR3 1600 memory module on this
motherboard, please refer to the memory support list on our website for
the compatible memory modules.
ASRock website

4. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be
less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows® 7 /

TM

/ XP. For Windows® OS with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limitation.

Vista

5. For microphone input, this motherboard supports both stereo and mono
modes. For audio output, this motherboard supports 2-channel, 4-channel,
6-channel, and 8-channel modes. Please check the table on page 11 for
proper connection.

6. Before installing SATAII hard disk to SATAII connector, plea se rea d the “SATAII
Hard Disk Setup Guide” on page 25 to adjust your SATAII hard disk drive to
SATAII mode. You can also connect SATA hard disk to SATAII connector
directly.

7. Power Management for USB 2.0 works fine under Microsoft
64-bit / 7 / Vista

8. It is a user-friendly ASRock overclocking tool which allows you to surveil
your system by hardware monitor function and overclock your hardware
devices to get the best system performance under Windows
Please visit our website for the operation procedures of ASRock OC
Tuner. ASRock website: http://www.asrock.com

http://www.asrock.com

TM

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

®

Windows® 7

®

environment.

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9. Featuring an advanced proprietary hardware and software design,
Intelligent Energy Saver is a revolutionary technology that delivers
unparalleled power savings. The voltage regulator can reduce the
number of output phases to improve efficiency when the CPU cores are
idle. In other words, it is able to provide exceptional power saving and
improve power efficiency without sacrificing computing performance.
To use Intelligent Energy Saver function, please enable Cool ‘n’ Quiet
option in the BIOS setup in advance. Please visit our website for the
operation procedures of Intelligent Energy Saver.
ASRock website:

10. ASRock Instant Flash is a BIOS flash utility embedded in Flash ROM.
This convenient BIOS update tool allows you to update system BIOS
without entering operating systems first like MS-DOS or Windows
this utility, you can press <F6> key during the POST or press <F2> key to
BIOS setup menu to access ASRock Instant Flash. Just launch this tool
and save the new BIOS file to your USB flash drive, floppy disk or hard
drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without prepar­ing an additional floppy diskette or other complicated flash utility. Please
be noted that the USB flash drive or hard drive must use FAT32/16/12 file
system.

11. The software name itself – OC DNA literally tells you what it is capable of.
OC DNA, an exclusive utility developed by ASRock, provides a conve­nient way for the user to record the OC settings and share with others. It
helps you to save your overclocking record under the operating system
and simplifies the complicated recording process of overclocking settings.
With OC DNA, you can save your OC settings as a profile and share with
your friends! Your friends then can load the OC profile to their own system
to get the same OC settings as yours! Please be noticed that the OC
profile can only be shared and worked on the same motherboard.

12. Although this motherboard offers stepless control, it is not recommended
to perform over-clocking. Frequencies other than the recommended CPU
bus frequencies may cause the instability of the system or damage the
CPU.

13. While CPU overheat is detected, the system will automatically shutdown.
Before you resume the system, please check if the CPU fan 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 a nd the heatsink when you in stall the PC system.

14. EuP, stands for Energy Using Product, was a provision regulated by
European Union to define the power consumption for the completed system.
According to EuP, the total AC power of the completed system shall be
under 1.00W in off mode condition. To meet EuP standard, an EuP ready
motherboard and an EuP ready power supply are required. According to
Intel’s suggestion, the EuP ready power supply must meet the standard of
5v standby power efficiency is higher than 50% under 100 mA current
consumption. For EuP ready power supply selection, we recommend you
checking with the power supply manufacturer for more details.

http://www.asrock.com

®

. With

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1.3 Motherboard Layout1.3 Motherboard Layout

1.3 Motherboard Layout

1.3 Motherboard Layout1.3 Motherboard Layout

SOCKET AM3

CMOS

PANEL1

AM3

HT3.0

PWR_FAN1

181920

140W CPU

FSB2.6GHz

Dual Channel

Phenom II

DDR3 1800

nForce 720D

SPEAKER1

1

USB8_9

1

16

17

5

FSB800

DDR3_A1(64 bit, 240-pinmodule)

NVIDIA

Chipset

DDR3_B1(64 bit, 240-pinmodule)

1

1

DDR3_A2(64 bit, 240-pinmodule)

USB6_7

USB10_11

15

6

FSB800

DDR3_B2(64 bit, 240-pinmodule)

14

SATAII_4(PORT3)

SATAII_3(PORT2)

SATAII_2(PORT1)

SATAII_1(PORT0)

ATXPWR1

IDE1

7

30.5cm (12.0-in)

8

9

10

11

12
13

1

243

Keyboard

Mouse

PS2

PS2

1

ATX12V1

PS2_USB_PW1

Coaxial

SPDIF

Optical

SPDIF

USB2.0
T: US B4
B:USB5

eSATAII5/USB2

eSATAII6/USB3

USB2.0

Top:

T: US B0

RJ-45

B:USB1

Top:

SIDE SPK

Bottom:

CTR BASS

Center:

REAR SPK

35

Bottom:

MIC IN

Top:

LINE IN

Center:

FRONT

34

33

32

PCIE1

LAN
PHY

19.1cm (7.5-in)

CHA_FAN1

CPU_FAN1

M3N78D

PCIE2

PCI Express2.0

31

30
29

28
27

26

AUDIO
CODEC

25

24

HD_AUDIO1

1

23

PCIE3

PCIE4

Super

I/O

CI1

1

CD1

HDMI_SPDIF1

1

FLOPPY1

22

BATTERY

8Mb
BIOS

1

CLRCMOS1

PCI1

RoHS

PCI2

PCI3

PLED1

1

COM1

PLEDPWRBTN

1

1

HDLED RESET

21

1 PS2_USB_PW1 Jumper 19 System Panel Hea der (P ANEL1, Orange)
2 A TX 12V Power Connector (A TX12V1) 20 Power LED Header (PLED1)
3 CPU Heatsink Retention Module 21 Serial Port Connector (COM1)
4 AM3 CPU Socket 22 Floppy Connector (FLOPPY1)
5 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 23 Front Panel Audio Header

(Dual Channel A: DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1; Blue) (HD_AUDIO1, Lime)

6 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 24 HDMI_SPDIF Header

(Dual Channel B: DDR3_A2, DDR3_B2; White) (HDMI_SPDIF1, Yellow)
7 ATX Power Connector (A TXPW R1) 25 PCI Slots (PCI1- 3)
8 Primary IDE Connector (IDE1, Blue) 26 Internal Audio Connector: CD1 (Black)
9 NVIDIA nForce 720D Chi pset 27 Chassis Intrusion Header (CI1)
10 SA TAII Connector (SATAII_4 (PORT 3), Red) 28 SPI BIOS Chip
11 SATAII Connector (SAT AII_3 (PORT 2), Red) 29 PCI Express x1 Slot (PCIE4, White)
12 SATAII Connector (SAT AII_2 (PORT 1), Red) 3 0 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)
13 SATAII Connector (SAT AII_1 (PORT 0), Red) 31 PCI Express x1 Slot (PCIE3, White)
14 USB 2.0 Header (USB6_7, Blue) 32 PCI Express x16 Slot (PCIE2, Blue)
15 USB 2.0 Header (USB10_11, Blue) 33 PCI Express x1 Slot (PCIE1, White)
16 USB 2.0 Header (USB8_9, Blue) 34 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)
17 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER 1, Purple) 35 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)
18 Power Fan Connector (PWR_FAN1)

1010

10

1010

1.41.4

1.4

1.41.4

I/O PanelI/O Panel

I/O Panel

I/O PanelI/O Panel

1

13

14

1 PS/2 Mouse Port (Green) 8 Microphone (Pink)

* 2 LAN RJ-45 Port (LAN1) 9 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01)

3 Side Speaker (Gray) *** 10 Powered eSATAII/USB Connector
4 Rear Speaker (Black) 11 USB 2.0 Ports (USB45)
5 Central / Bass (Orange) 12 Optical SPDIF Out Port
6 Line In (Light Blue) 13 Coaxial SPDIF Out Port

** 7 Front Speaker (Lime) 14 PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)

* There are two LED next to the LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED

indications.

Activity/Link LED SPEED LED

Status Description Status Description

12

LAN Port LED Indications

11

2

3

4

5

10

9

ACT/LINK
LED

6

7

8

SPEED
LED

Off No Activity Off 10Mbps connection

Blinking Data Activity Orange 100Mbps connection

Green 1Gbps connection

LAN Port

** 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.

TABLE for Audio Output Connection

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

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

2 V -- -- --

4VV----

6VVV--

8VVVV

1111

11

1111

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 “VIA HD Audio Deck” tool on

your system. Please follow below instructions according to the OS you install.

For Windows® XP / XP 64-bit OS:

Please click “VIA HD Audio Deck” icon. Click “Jack” and then click “Configuration”. In

“Configuration” screen, please check the item “Independent Headphone”.

For Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS:

Please click “VIA HD Audio Deck” icon. Click “Advanced Options” on the right side on the

bottom. In “Advanced Options” screen, please check the item “Independent Headphone”.

*** Due to chipset limitation, the powered eSATAII function can work in RAID / AHCI mode

only.

If you want to install Windows

driver diskette first. You may refer to our user manual in the support CD or the quick

installation guide for the detail steps of making a SATA driver diskette.

If you want to install Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM 64-bit / VistaTM in RAID / AHCI mode,

please install the OS directly, and you can enjoy the benefit of powered eSATAII function.

®

XP / XP 64-bit in RAID / AHCI mode, please make a SATA

1212

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2.2.

InstallationInstallation

2.

Installation

2.2.

InstallationInstallation

This is an ATX form factor (12.0-in x 7.5-in, 30.5 cm x 19.1 cm) motherboard.

Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to en-

sure 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 anti-

static pad or in the bag that comes with the component.

5. When placing 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.

1313

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1313

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

CPU Golden Triangle

Socker Corner Small Triangle

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

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

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 fas-

tened and in good contact with each other. Then connect the CPU fan to

the CPU FAN connector (CPU_FAN1, see Page 10, No. 35). For proper

installation, please kindly refer to the instruction manuals of the CPU fan

and the heatsink.

1414

14

1414

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)

This motherboard provides four 240-pin DDR3 (Double Data Rate 3) DIMM slots,

and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. For dual channel configuration,
you always need to install identical (the same brand, speed, size and chip-

type) DDR3 DIMM pair in the slots of the same color. In other words, you have to
install identical DDR3 DIMM pair in Dual Channel A (DDR3_A1 and DDR3_B1;
Blue slots; see p.10 No.5) or identical DDR3 DIMM pair in Dual Channel B

(DDR3_A2 and DDR3_B2; White slots; see p.10 No.6), so that Dual Channel

Memory Technology can be activated. This motherboard also allows you to
install four DDR3 DIMMs for dual channel configuration, and please install iden-
tical DDR3 DIMMs in all four slots. You may refer to the Dual Channel Memory

Configuration Table below.

Dual Channel Memory Configurations

DDR3_A1 DDR3_B1 D DR3_A2 DDR3_B2

(Blue Slot) (Blue Slot) (White Slot) (White Slot)

(1) Populated Populated - -

(2) - - Populated Populated

(3)* Populated Populated Populated Populated

* For the configuration (3), please install identical DDR3 DIMMs 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 blue slots

(DDR3_A1 and DDR3_B1), or in the set of white slots (DDR3_A2

and DDR3_B2).

2. If only one memory module or three memory modules are installed

in the DDR3 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

DDR3_A1 and DDR3_A2, it is unable to activate the Dual Channel

Memory Technology .

4. It is not allowed to install a DDR or DDR2 memory module into

DDR3 slot; otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be damaged.

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Installing a DIMMInstalling a DIMM

Installing a DIMM

Installing a DIMMInstalling a DIMM

Please make sure to disconnect power supply before adding or

removing DIMMs or the system components.

Step 1. Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the retaining clips outward.

Step 2. Align a DIMM on the slot such that the notch on the DIMM matches the break

on the slot.

notch
break

notch

break

The DIMM only fits in one correct orientation. It will cause permanent

damage to the motherboard and the DIMM if you force the DIMM into the

slot at incorrect orientation.

Step 3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the slot until the retaining clips at both ends fully

snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.

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2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)

2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)

2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)

There are 3 PCI slots and 4 PCI Express slots on this motherboard.
PCI slots: PCI slots are used to install expansion cards that have the 32-bit PCI

interface.

PCIE slots:

PCIE1 / PCIE3 / PCIE4 (PCIE x1 slot; White) is used for PCI Express

cards with x1 lane width cards, such as Gigabit LAN card, SATA2

card, etc.

PCIE2 (PCIE x16 slot; Blue) is used for PCI Express cards with x16

lane width graphics cards.

Installing an expansion cardInstalling an expansion card

Installing an expansion card

Installing an expansion cardInstalling an expansion card

Step 1. Before installing the expansion card, please make sure that the power

supply is switched off or the power cord is unplugged. Please read the

documentation of the expansion card and make necessary hardware

settings for the card before you start the installation.

Step 2. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed in a

chassis).

Step 3. Remove the bracket facing the slot that you intend to use. Keep the screws

for later use.

Step 4. Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is

completely seated on the slot.

Step 5. Fasten the card to the chassis with screws.

Step 6. Replace the system cover.

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