This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of a Class
B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. There is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
The vendor makes no representations or warranties with respect to the
contents here and specially disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability
or fitness for any purpose. Further the vendor reserves the right to revise this
publication and to make changes to the contents here without obligation to
notify any party beforehand.
Duplication of this publication, in part or in whole, is not allowed without first
obtaining the vendor’s approval in writing.
The content of this user’s manual is subject to be changed without notice and
we will not be responsible for any mistakes found in this user’s manual. All the
brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies.
Dichiarazione di conformità
sintetica
Ai sensi dell’art. 2 comma 3 del D.M.
275 del 30/10/2002
Si dichiara che questo prodotto è
conforme alle normative vigenti e
soddisfa i requisiti essenziali richiesti
dalle direttive
2004/108/CE, 2006/95/CE e
1999/05/CE
quando ad esso applicabili
Short Declaration of conformity
We declare this product is complying
with the laws in force and meeting all
the essential requirements as specified
by the directives
Thank you for choosing our product. Before you start installing the
motherboard, please make sure you follow the instructions below:
Prepare a dry and stable working environment with sufficient
lighting.
Always disconnect the computer from power outlet before
operation.
Before you take the motherboard out from anti-static bag,
ground yourself properly by touching any safely grounded
appliance, or use grounded wrist strap to remove the static
charge.
Avoid touching the components on motherboard or the rear
side of the board unless necessary. Hold the board on the
edge, do not try to bend or flex the board.
Do not leave any unfastened small parts inside the case after
installation. Loose parts will cause short circuits which may
damage the equipment.
Keep the computer from dangerous area, such as heat
source, humid air and water.
The operating temperatures of the computer should be 0 to
45 degrees Celsius.
To avoid injury, be careful of:
Sharp pins on headers and connectors
Rough edges and sharp corners on the chassis
Damage to wires that could cause a short circuit
1.2PACKAGE CHECKLIST
; Serial ATA Cable x2
; Rear I/O Panel for ATX Case x1
; Quick Installation Guide x1
; Fully Setup Driver DVD x1
Note: The package contents may be different due to the sales region or models in which it was
sold. For more information about the standard package in your region, please contact your
dealer or sales representative.
1
Motherboard Manual
1.3 MOTHERBOARD FEATURES
SPEC
CPU
FSB
Chipset
Super I/O
Main
Memory
Graphics
Socket AM3 / AM3+
AMD Sempron / Athlon II / Phenom II /FX
processors (Maximum Watt: 125W)
Support Hyper Transport 3.0
Supports up to 4.4 GT/s Bandwidth
AMD 760G
AMD SB710
ITE 8728F-BX
Provides the most commonly used legacy
Super I/O functionality
DDR3 DIMM Slots x 2
Max Memory Capacity 16GB
Each DIMM supports 512MB/1GB/
2GB/4GB/8GB DDR3
Integrated in AMD 760G Chipset Max Shared Video Memory is 1024MB
2. AMD’s product warranty does not cover damage caused by overclocking (even
when overclocking is enabled via AMD OverDrive software).
http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/processors/amdfx/Pages/amdfx.aspx
3. Due to the AMD AM3+ CPU designation, we strongly recommend you use AMD
original box CPU fan and add an extra system fan inside the chassis.
6
A960D+
2.2 INSTALL A HEATSINK
Step 1: Place the heatsink and fan assembly onto the retention frame. Match the
heatsink clip with the socket mounting-lug. Hook the spring clip to the
mounting-lug.
Step 2: On the other side, push the retention clip straight down to lock into the
plastic lug on the retention frame, and then press down the locker until it
stops.
Note1: Do not forget to connect the CPU fan connector.
Note2: For proper installation, please kindly refer to the installation manual of your CPU heatsink.
7
Motherboard Manual
2.3 FAN HEADERS
These fan headers support cooling-fans built in the computer. The fan
cable and connector may be different due to the fan manufacturer.
Connect the fan cable to the connector while matching the black wire to
pin#1.
CPU_FAN1: CPU Fan Header
PinAssignment
1 Ground
2 +12V
3
FAN RPM rate sense
4 Smart Fan Control
(By Fan)
SYS_FAN1: System Fan Header
PinAssignment
1 Ground
2 +12V
3 FAN RPM rate sense
Note: CPU_FAN1, SYS_FAN1 support 4-pin and 3-pin head connectors. When
connecting with wires onto connectors, please note that the red wire is the positive and
should be connected to pin#2, and the black wire is Ground and should be connected to
GND.
8
A960D+
2.4 INSTALLING SYSTEM MEMORY
A. Memory Modules
1. Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the retaining clips outward. Align a
DIMM on the slot such that the notch on the DIMM matches the
break on the Slot.
2. Insert the DIMM vertically and firmly into the slot until the retaining
chip snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.
Note: If the DIMM does not go in smoothly, do not force it. Pull it all the way out and try again.
9
Motherboard Manual
B. Memory Capacity
DIMM Socket
Location
DDR3_A1 512MB/1GB/2GB/4GB/8GB
DDR3_B1 512MB/1GB/2GB/4GB/8GB
DDR3 Module
Total Memory
Size
Max is 16GB.
C. Dual Channel Memory installation
Please refer to the following requirements to activate Dual Channel function:
Install memory module of the same density in pairs, shown in the table.
Dual Channel Status
Disabled O X
Disabled X O
Enabled O O
(O means memory installed, X means memory not installed.)
Note: The DRAM bus width of the memory module must be the same (x8 or x16)
DDR3_A1
DDR3_B1
10
2.5 CONNECTORS AND SLOTS
SATA1~SATA4: Serial ATA Connectors
The motherboard has a PCI to SATA Controller with 4channels SATA interface, it
satisfies the SATA 2.0 spec and with transfer rate of 3Gb/s.
Pin Assignment
1 Ground
2 TX+
3 TX-
4 Ground
5 RX-
6 RX+
7 Ground
IDE1: Hard Disk Connector
The motherboard has a 32-bit Enhanced PCI IDE Controller that provides PIO
Mode 0~4, Bus Master, and Ultra DMA 33/66/100/133 functionality.
A960D+
11
Motherboard Manual
ATXPWR2: ATX Power Source Connector
This connector provides +12V to CPU power circuit.
ATXPWR1: ATX Power Source Connector
This connector allows user to connect 24-pin power connector on the ATX
power supply.
Note1: Before you power on the system, please make sure that both ATXPWR1 and
ATXPWR2 connectors have been plugged-in.
Note2:Insufficient power supplied to the system may result in instability or the
peripherals not functioning properly. Use of a PSU with a higher power output is
recommended when configuring a system with more power-consuming devices.
A960D+
PEX16_1: PCI-Express Gen2 x16 Slot
- PCI-Express 2.0 compliant.
- Maximum theoretical realized bandwidth of 8GB/s simultaneously per
direction, for an aggregate of 16GB/s totally.
- PCI-Express Gen2 supports a raw bit-rate of 5.0Gb/s on the data pins.
PEX1_1: PCI-Express Gen2 x1 Slot
- PCI-Express 2.0 compliant.
- Data transfer bandwidth up to 500MB/s per direction; 1GB/s in total
PCI1: Peripheral Component Interconnect Slot
This motherboard is equipped with 1 standard PCI slot. PCI stands for Peripheral
Component Interconnect, and it is a bus standard for expansion cards.
Install an Expansion Card
You can install your expansion card by following steps:
1. Read the related expansion card's instruction document before install the
expansion card into the computer.
2. Remove your computer's chassis cover, screws and slot bracket from the
computer.
3. Place a card in the expansion slot and press down on the card until it is
completely seated in the slot.
4. Secure the card’s metal bracket to the chassis back panel with a screw.
5. Replace your computer's chassis cover.
6. Power on the computer, if necessary, change BIOS settings for the
expansion card.
7. Install related driver for the expansion card.
13
Motherboard Manual
CHAPTER 3: HEADERS & JUMPERS SETUP
3.1 H
OW TO SETUP JUMPERS
The illustration shows how to set up jumpers. When the jumper cap is
placed on pins, the jumper is “close”, if not, that means the jumper is
“open”.
Pin opened Pin closed Pin1-2 closed
3.2 DETAIL SETTINGS
JCMOS1: Clear CMOS Jumper
Placing the jumper on pin2-3 allows user to restore BIOS safe setting and
CMOS data. Pease carefully follow the procedures to avoid damaging the
motherboard.
13
Pin 1-2 Close:
Normal Operation (default).
14
13
Pin 2-3 Close:
Clear CMOS data.
Clear CMOS Procedures:※
1. Remove AC power line.
2. Set the jumper to “Pin 2-3 close”.
3. Wait for five seconds.
4. Set the jumper to “Pin 1-2 close”.
5. Power on the AC.
6. Load Optimal Defaults and save settings in CMOS.
A960D+
PANEL1: Front Panel Header
This 16-pin connector includes Power-on, Reset, HDD LED, Power LED, and
speaker connection. It allows user to connect the PC case’s front panel switch
functions.
PinAssignment Function PinAssignment Function
1 +5V 9 N/A
2 N/A 10N/A
3 N/A 11N/A N/A
4 Speaker
5 HDD LED (+) 13Power LED (+)
6 HDD LED (-)
7 Ground 15Power button
8 Reset control
Speaker
Connector
Hard drive
LED
Reset button
12Power LED (+)
14Power LED (-)
16Ground
N/A
Power LED
Power-on button
F_USB1/F_USB2: Headers for USB 2.0 Ports at Front Panel
These headers allow user to connect additional USB cable on the PC front panel,
and also can be connected with internal USB devices, like USB card reader.
This header allows user to connect the front audio output cable with the PC front
panel. This header allows only HD audio front panel connector; AC’97 connector
is not acceptable.
J_PRINT1: Printer Port Connector
This header allows you to connector printer on the PC.
PinAssignment
1 Mic Left in
2 Ground
3 Mic Right in
4 GPIO
5 Right line in
6 Jack Sense
7 Front Sense
8 Key
9 Left line in
10 Jack Sense
16
Pin Assignment Pin Assignment
1 -Strobe 14 Ground
2 -ALF 15 Data 6
3 Data 0 16 Ground
4 -Error 17 Data 7
5 Data 1 18 Ground
6 -Init 19 -ACK
7 Data 2 20 Ground
8 -Scltin 21 Busy
9 Data 3 22 Ground
10 Ground 23 PE
11 Data 4 24 Ground
12 Ground 25 SCLT
13 Data 5 26 Key
CHAPTER 4: USEFUL HELP
A960D+
4.1 D
RIVER INSTALLATION NOTE
After you installed your operating system, please insert the Fully Setup Driver DVD into your
optical drive and install the driver for better system performance.
You will see the following window after you insert the DVD
The setup guide will auto detect your motherboard and operating system.
Note: If this window didn’t show up after you insert the Driver DVD, please use file
browser to locate and execute the file SETUP.EXE under your optical drive.
A. Driver Installation
To install the driver, please click on the Driver icon. The setup guide will list the compatible
driver for your motherboard and operating system. Click on each device driver to launch the
installation program.
B. Software Installation
To install the software, please click on the Software icon. The setup guide will list the
software available for your system, click on each software title to launch the installation
program.
C. Manual
Aside from the paperback manual, we also provide manual in the Driver DVD. Click on the
Manual icon to browse for available manual.
Note: You will need Acrobat Reader to open the manual file. Please download the latest
version of Acrobat Reader software from http://get.adobe.com/reader/
17
Motherboard Manual
e
4.2 SOFTWARE
Installing Software
1. Insert the Setup DVD to the optical drive. The drivers installation program would appear if the
Autorun function has been enabled.
2. Select Software Installation, and then click on the respective software title.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Note1: All the information and content about following software are subject to be changed
without notice. For better performance, the software is being continuously updated.
Note2: The information and pictures described below are for your reference only. The actual
information and settings on board may be slightly different from this manual.
Launching Software
After the installation process, you will see the software icon “eHOT Line” / “BIOS Update”
appears on the desktop. Double-click the icon to launch the utility.
eHot-Line (Optional)
eHot-Line is a convenient utility that helps you to contact with our Tech-Support system. This
utility will collect the system information which is useful for analyzing the problem you may have
encountered, and then send these information to our tech-support department to help you fix
the problem.
Note: Before you use this utility, please set Outlook Express as your default e-mail client application
program.
repr esents important
*
infor mati on that you
must provide. Without
this information, you may
not be able to send out
the mail.
18
This block will show
the information which
would be collected in
the mail.
Send the mail out.
Describe condition
*
of your system.
Save the se informa tion to a .txt fi l
Exit this dialog.
Select your area or
*
the area close to you.
Provide the e-mail
address that you would
like to send the copy to.
Pro vide t he name o f
*
the memory module
manufacturer.
Provide the name of
the power supply
manufacturer and the
model no.
A960D+
After filling up this information, click “Send”
to send the mail out. A warning dialog would
appear asking for your confirmation; click
“Send” to confirm or “Do Not Send” to cancel.
If you want to save this information to a .txt file, click “Save As…” and then you
will see a saving dialog appears asking you to enter file name.
Enter the file name and then click
“Save”. Your system information will
be saved to a .txt file.
Open the saved .txt file, you will see
your system information including
motherboard/BIOS/CPU/video/
device/OS information. This
information is also concluded in the
sent mail.
Note1: We will not share customer’s data with any other third parties, so please feel free to
provide your system information while using eHot-Line service.
Note2: If you are not using Outlook Express as your default e-mail client application, you may
need to save the system information to a .txt file and send the file to our tech support with other
e-mail application. Go to the following web http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/about/contact.php for
getting our contact information.
19
Motherboard Manual
e
n
4.3 BIOSSETUP
BIOS Update is a convenient utility which allows you to update your
motherboard BIOS under Windows system.
Show current BIO S informatio
Update BIOS
from the Internet
Update BIOS
with a BIOS fil
Save current B IOS
to a .bin file
<Backup BIOS>
Once click on this button, the saving
dialog will show. Choose the
position to save file and enter file
name. (We recommend that the file
name should be English/number
and no longer than 7 characters.)
Then click Save.
20
A960D+
<Update BIOS>
Before doing this, please download the proper BIOS file from the website.
Then click Update BIOS button, a
dialog will show for asking you backup
current BIOS. Click Yes for BIOS
backup and refer to the Backup BIOS
procedure; or click No to skip this
procedure.
After the BIOS Backup procedure, the
open dialog will show for requesting the
BIOS file which is going to be updated.
Please choose the proper BIOS file for
updating, then click on Open.
The utility will update BIOS with the
proper BIOS file, and this process may
take minutes. Please do not open any
other applications during this process.
After the BIOS Update process, click on
OK to restart the system.
While the system boots up and the full screen logo shows, press <Delete>
key to enter BIOS setup.
In the BIOS setup, use the Load Optimized Defaults function and then Save and Exit Setup to exit BIOS setup. BIOS Update is completed.
21
Motherboard Manual
BIO-Flasher
BIO-Flasher is a BIOS flashing utility providing you an easy and simple way to
update your BIOS via USB pen drive or floppy disk.
The BIO-Flasher is built in the BIOS chip. To enter the utility, press <F12> during the Power-On Self Tests (POST) procedure while booting up.
Updating BIOS with BIO-Flasher
1. Go to the website to download the latest BIOS file for the motherboard.
2. Then, save the BIOS file into a USB pen drive or a floppy disk.
3. Insert the USB pen drive or the floppy disk that contains the BIOS file to the
USB port or the floppy disk drive.
4. Power on or reset the computer and then
press <F12> during the POST process.
A select dialog as the picture on the right
appears.
Select the device contains the BIOS file and
press <Enter> to enter the utility.
22
5. The utility will show the BIOS
files and their respective
information. Select the proper
BIOS file and press <Enter>
then <Y> to perform the BIOS
update process.
6. After the update process, the utility will ask you to reboot the system. Press
<Y> to proceed. BIOS update completes.
z This utility only allows storage device with FAT32/16 format and single
partition.
z Shutting down or resetting the system while updating the BIOS will lead to
system boot failure.
4.4 TROUBLESHOOTING
Probable Solution
1. There is no power in the system.
Power LED does not shine; the
fan of the power supply does not
work
2. Indicator light on keyboard does
not shine.
System is inoperative. Keyboard lights
are on, power indicator lights are lit,
and hard drives are running.
System does not boot from a hard disk
drive, but can be booted from optical
drive.
System only boots from an optical
drive. Hard disks can be read,
applications can be used, but system
fails to boot from a hard disk.
Screen message shows “Invalid
Configuration” or “CMOS Failure.”
System cannot boot after user installs a
second hard drive.
A960D+
1. Make sure power cable is
securely plugged in.
2. Replace cable.
3. Contact technical support.
Using even pressure on both ends of
the DIMM, press down firmly until the
module snaps into place.
1. Check cable running from disk to
disk controller board. Make sure
both ends are securely plugged
in; check the drive type in the
standard CMOS setup.
2. Backing up the hard drive is
extremely important. All hard
disks are capable of breaking
down at any time.
1. Back up data and applications
files.
2. Reformat the hard drive.
Re-install applications and data
using backup disks.
Review system’s equipment. Make sure
correct information is in setup.
1. Set master/slave jumpers
correctly.
2. Run SETUP program and select
correct drive types. Call the drive
manufacturers for compatibility
with other drives.
23
Motherboard Manual
CPU Overheated
If the system shutdown automatically after power on system for
seconds, that means the CPU protection function has been activated.
When the CPU is over heated, the motherboard will shutdown
automatically to avoid a damage of the CPU, and the system may not
power on again.
In this case, please double check:
1. The CPU cooler surface is placed evenly with the CPU surface.
2. CPU fan is rotated normally.
3. CPU fan speed is fulfilling with the CPU speed.
After confirmed, please follow steps below to relief the CPU protection
function.
1. Remove the power cord from power supply for seconds.
2. Wait for seconds.
3. Plug in the power cord and boot up the system.
Or you can:
1. Clear the CMOS data.
(See “Close CMOS Header: JCMOS1” section)
2. Wait for seconds.
3. Power on the system again.
24
A960D+
4.5 RAIDFUNCTION
Operating System
Supports Windows Vista , Windows 7 and Windows 8.
Raid Arrays
RAID supports the following types of RAID arrays:
RAID 0: RAID 0 defines a disk striping scheme that improves disk read and write
times for many applications.
RAID 1: RAID 1 defines techniques for mirroring data.
RAID 10: RAID 10 combines the techniques used in RAID 0 and RAID 1.
RAID Definitions
RAID 0:
The controller “stripes” data across multiple drives in a RAID 0 array system. It breaks
up a large file into smaller blocks and performs disk reads and writes across multiple
drives in parallel. The size of each block is determined by the stripe size parameter,
which you set during the creation of the RAID set based on the system environment.
This technique reduces overall disk access time and offers high bandwidth.
Features and Benefits
- Drives: Minimum 1, and maximum is up to 6 or 8. Depending on the
platform.
- Uses: Intended for non-critical data requiring high data throughput, or any
environment that does not require fault tolerance.
- Benefits: provides increased data throughput, especially for large files.
No capcity loss penalty for parity.
- Drawbacks: Does not deliver any fault tolerance. If any drive in the array
fails, all data is lost.
- Fault Tolerance: No.
Block 1
Block 3
Block 5
Block 2
Block 4
Block 6
25
Motherboard Manual
RAID 1:
Every read and write is actually carried out in parallel across 2 disk drives in a RAID 1
array system. The mirrored (backup) copy of the data can reside on the same disk or on
a second redundant drive in the array. RAID 1 provides a hot-standby copy of data if
the active volume or drive is corrupted or becomes unavailable because of a hardware
failure.
RAID techniques can be applied for high-availability solutions, or as a form of
automatic backup that eliminates tedious manual backups to more expensive and less
reliable media.
Features and Benefits
- Drives: Minimum 2, and maximum is 2.
- Uses: RAID 1 is ideal for small databases or any other application that
requires fault tolerance and minimal capacity.
- Benefits: Provides 100% data redundancy. Should one drive fail, the
controller switches to the other drive.
- Drawbacks: Requires 2 drives for the storage space of one drive.
Performance is impaired during drive rebuilds.
- Fault Tolerance: Yes.
26
Block 1
Block 2
Block 3
Block 1
Block 2
Block 3
A960D+
RAID 10:
RAID 1 drives can be stripped using RAID 0 techniques. Resulting in a RAID 10
solution for improved resiliency, performance and rebuild performance.
Features and Benefits
- Drives: Minimum 4, and maximum is 6 or 8, depending on the platform.
- Benefits: Optimizes for both fault tolerance and performance, allowing for
automatic redundancy. May be simultaneously used with other RAID
levels in an array, and allows for spare disks.
- Drawbacks: Requires twice the available disk space for data redundancy,
the same as RAID level 1.
- Fault Tolerance: Yes.
Block 1
Block 3
Block 5
Block 1
Block 3
Block 5
Block 2
Block 4
Block 6
Block 2
Block 4
Block 6
27
Motherboard Manual
APPENDIX: SPEC IN OTHER LANGUAGES
G
ERMAN
Spezifikationen
CPU
FSB
Chipsatz
Super E/A
Arbeitsspeich
er
Grafik
Sockel AM3 / AM3+
Die AMD 64-Architektur unterstützt eine 32-Bit- und
AMD Sempron/Athlon II / Phenom II
64-Bit-Datenverarbeitung
/FX Prozessoren (Maximales Watt:
Unterstützt Hyper Transport 3.0
125W)
Unterstützt Hyper Transport 3.0 mit
einer Bandbreite von bis zu 4.4 GT/s
AMD 760G
AMD SB710
Low Pin Count-Schnittstelle
ITE8728F-BX
Umgebungskontrolle,
Bietet die häufig verwendeten alten
Hardware-Überwachung
Super E/A-Funktionen.
"Smart Guardian"-Funktion von ITE
Dual-Kanal DDR3 Speichermodul, Unterstützt DDR3
DDR3 DIMM-Steckplätze x 2
800/1066/1333/1600(OC)/1800(OC für
Max. 16GB Arbeitsspeicher
AM3-CPU-only)
Jeder DIMM unterstützt 512MB/1GB/
registrierte DIMMs. ECC DIMMs werden nicht
2GB/4GB/8GB DDR3.
unterstützt.
Integrierter AMD 760G-Chipsatz Max. 1024MB gemeinsam benutzter Videospeicher