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
Japanese .................................................................................................... 40
Page 3
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Before You Start
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
A960D+V2
1.2 Package 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
Page 4
Motherboard Manual
1.3 Motherboard Features
SPEC
Socket AM3 / AM3+
CPU
FSB
Chipset
Super I/O
Main
Memory
Graphics Integrated in AMD 890GX Chipset Max Shared Video Memory is 1024MB
SATA II Integrated Serial ATA Controller
LAN Realtek RTL 8111G 10 / 100 / 1000 Mb/s auto negotiation
SATA Connector x4 Each connector supports 1 SATA device
IDE Connector x1 Each connector supports 2 IDE device
Front Panel Connector x1 Supports front panel facilities
Front Audio Connector x1 Supports front panel audio function
CPU Fan Header x1 CPU Fan power supply (with Smart Fan function)
System Fan Header x1 System Fan Power supply
2
AMD 64 Architecture enables 32 and 64 bit
computing
Supports Hyper Transport 3.0
Low Pin Count Interface
Environment Control initiatives
H/W Monitor
ITE's "Smart Guardian" function
Dual Channel Mode DDR3 memory module
Supports DDR3 800/1066/1333/1600(OC)/1866(OC
for AM3+ CPU only)
Registered DIMM and ECC DIMM is not supported
Data transfer rates up to 3 Gb/s
SATA Version 2.0 specification compliant
5.1 channels audio out
High Definition Audio
Page 5
SPEC
CMOS Clear Jumper x1 Restore CMOS data to factory default setting
USB Connector x2 Each connector supports 2 front panel USB ports
Power Connector (24pin) x1 Connects to Power supply
Power Connector (4pin) x1 Connects to Power supply
Printer Port Connector x1 Each connector supports 1 Printer port
PS/2 Keyboard x1
PS/2 Mouse x1
Back Panel
I/O
Board Size 190 mm(W) x 235 mm(L)
Special
Features
OS
Support
DVI port x1
VGA port x1
LAN port x1
USB Port x4
Audio Jack x3
RAID 0 / 1 / 10 support
Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10
(Microsoft provides inbox graphics driver for
Windows 8 / 8.1 / 10.)
A960D+V2
Connects to PS/2 Keyboard
Connects to PS/2 Mouse
Connect to DVI-D monitor
Connect to D-SUB monitor
Connect to RJ-45 Ethernet cable
Connect to USB devices
Provide Audio-In/Out and microphone connection
Biostar reserves the right to add or remove support
for any OS With or without notice.
1.4 Rear Panel Connectors
3
Page 6
Motherboard Manual
1.5 Motherboard Layout
Note: ■ represents the 1st pin.
4
Page 7
CHAPTER 2: HARDWARE INSTALLATION
2.1 Installing Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Step 1: Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard
Step 2: Pull the socket locking out from the socket and then raise the lever
up to a 90-degree angel.
A960D+V2
Step 3: Look for the white triangle on socket, and the gold triangle on
CPU should point towards this white triangle. The CPU will fit only
in the correct orientation.
5
Page 8
Motherboard Manual
Step 4: Hold the CPU down firmly, and then close the lever to locked the
position.
Note:
1. This MB is designed for AMD 125W AM3/AM3+ CPU, pleases check the CPU TDP
spec before you install it on MB AM3+ CPU TDP spec from below web link:
http://www.amd.com/en-us/products/processors/desktop/fx
2. AMD’s product warranty does not cover damage caused by overclocking (even
when overclocking is enabled via AMD OverDrive™ software).
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
Page 9
A960D+V2
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
Page 10
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
Pin Assignment
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
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.
3 FAN RPM rate sense
8
Page 11
A960D+V2
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
clips 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.
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.
11
Page 14
Motherboard Manual
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.
12
Page 15
CHAPTER 3: HEADERS & JUMPERS SETUP
3.1 How 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).
A960D+V2
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.
13
Page 16
Motherboard Manual
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.
Pin Assignment Function PinAssignment Function
1 +5V
2 N/A 10 N/A
3 N/A 11 N/A N/A
4 Speaker 12 Power LED (+)
5 HDD LED (+)
6 HDD LED (-) 14 Power LED (-)
7 Ground
8 Reset control 16 Ground
Speaker
Connector
Hard drive
LED
Reset button
9 N/A
13 Power LED (+)
15 Power 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.
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
J_PRINT1: Printer Port Connector
This header allows you to connector printer on the PC.
PinAssignment 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
15
Page 18
Motherboard Manual
CHAPTER 4: USEFUL HELP
4.1 Driver Installation
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/
16
Page 19
A960D+V2
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
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 mation that you
must provide. Without
this information, you may
not be able to send out
the mail.
This block will show
the information which
would be collected in
the mail.
Send the mail out.
Describe conditi on
*
of your system.
Save these infor ma 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 t he 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.
17
Page 20
Motherboard Manual
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.
18
Page 21
A960D+V2
n
4.3 BIOS Setup
BIOS Update is a convenient utility which allows you to update your
motherboard BIOS under Windows system.
Show current BIOS informatio
Update BIOS
from the Internet
with a BIOS file
Update BIOS
Save current BIOS
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.
19
Page 22
Motherboard Manual
<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.
20
Page 23
A960D+V2
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.
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.
This utility only allows storage device with FAT32/16 format and single
partition.
Shutting down or resetting the system while updating the BIOS will lead to
system boot failure.
21
Page 24
Motherboard Manual
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.
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.
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.
22
Page 25
4.5 RAID Function
Features and Benefits
Drives: Minimum 2, 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 capacity
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.
Total Capacity: (Minimal. HDD Capacity) x (Connected HDDs Amount)
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 .
A960D+V2
In a RAID 0 system data are split up in blocks that get
written across all the drives in the array. By using multiple
disks (at least 2) at the same time, this offers superior I/O
performance. This performance can be enhanced further
by using multiple controllers, ideally one controller per
disk.
Data are stored twice by writing them to both the data
disk (or set of data disks) and a mirror disk (or set of
disks). If a disk fails, the controller uses either the data
drive or the mirror drive for data recovery and continues
operation. You need at least 2 disks for a RAID 1 array.
RAID 10 combines the advantages (and
disadvantages) of RAID 0 and RAID 1 in one
single system. It provides security by mirroring all
data on a secondary set of disks (disk 3 and 4 in
the drawing below) while using striping across
each set of disks to speed up data transfers.
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 .
23
Page 26
Motherboard Manual
APPENDIX: SPEC IN OTHER LANGUAGES
German
Spezifikationen
CPU
FSB
Chipsatz
Super E/A
Arbeitsspeic
her
Grafik
SATA
LAN
HD
Audio-Unters
tützung
Sockel AM3 / AM3+
AMD Sempron/Athlon II / Phenom II /FX
Prozessoren (Maximales Watt: 125W)
Unterstützt Hyper Transport 3.0 mit
einer Bandbreite von bis zu 4.8 GT/s
AMD 890GX
AMD SB710
ITE 8728F-EX
Bietet die häufig verwendeten alten
Super E/A-Funktionen.
DDR3 DIMM-Steckplätze x 2
Max. 16GB Arbeitsspeicher
Jeder DIMM unterstützt 512MB/1GB/
2GB/4GB/8GB DDR3.
Integrierter AMD 890GX-Chipsatz Max. 1024MB gemeinsam benutzter Videospeicher