Biostar TA790GXB A2+ Owner's Manual

TA790GXB A2+ Setup Manual

FCC Information and Copyright

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.

	Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................		1
1.1	Before You Start ................................................................................	1
1.2	Package Checklist.............................................................................	1
1.3	Motherboard Features......................................................................	2
1.4	Rear Panel Connectors .....................................................................	3
1.5	Motherboard Layout.........................................................................	4
Chapter 2: Hardware Installation .............................................		5
2.1	Installing Central Processing Unit (CPU).......................................	5
2.2	FAN Headers......................................................................................	7
2.3	Installing System Memory................................................................	8
2.4	Connectors and Slots .......................................................................	10
Chapter 3: Headers & Jumpers Setup .....................................		12
3.1	How to Setup Jumpers ....................................................................	12
3.2	Detail Settings..................................................................................	12
Chapter 4: Hybrid CrossFireX Function...................................		20
4.1	Hybrid CrossFireX Requirements..................................................	20
4.2	Hybrid CrossFireX Installation.......................................................	20
Chapter 5: RAID Functions .....................................................		21
5.1	Operation System............................................................................	21
5.2	Raid Arrays ......................................................................................	21
5.3	How RAID Works.............................................................................	21
Chapter 6: T-Series BIOS & Software .....................................		25
6.1	T-Series BIOS.....................................................................................	25
6.2	T-Series Software .............................................................................	33
Chapter 7: Useful Help ............................................................		43
7.1	Driver Installation Note..................................................................	43
7.2	Extra Information............................................................................	44
7.3	AMI BIOS Beep Code.......................................................................	45
7.4	Troubleshooting...............................................................................	46
Appendix: SPEC In Other Language........................................		48
German..................................................................................................................		48
France ....................................................................................................................		50
Italian.....................................................................................................................		52
Spanish ...................................................................................................................		54
Portuguese	............................................................................................................	56
Polish......................................................................................................................		58
Russian ...................................................................................................................		60
Arabic.....................................................................................................................		62
Japanese ................................................................................................................		64

TA790GXB A2+

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1BEFORE 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.

1.2PACKAGE CHECKLIST

IDE Cable X 1

Serial ATA Cable X 2

Serial ATA Power Cable X 1

Rear I/O Panel for ATX Case X 1

User’s Manual X 1

Fully Setup Driver CD X 1

FDD Cable X 1 (optional)

USB 2.0 Cable X1 (optional)

S/PDIF out Cable X 1 (optional)

DVI to HDMI Adapter X 1 (optional)

Note: The package contents may differ by area or your motherboard version.

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1.3MOTHERBOARD FEATURES

		SPEC
	Socket AM2+			AMD 64 Architecture enables 32 and 64 bit
CPU	AMD Athlon 64 / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 X2		computing
	/ Sempron / Phenom processors			Supports Hyper Transport 3.0 and PowerNow
FSB	Support HyperTransport 3.0
	Supports up to 5.2 GT/s Bandwidth
Chipset	AMD 790GX
	AMD SB750
	ITE IT8718			Environment Control initiatives,
Super I/O	Provides the most commonly used legacy			H/W Monitor
	Super I/O functionality.			Fan Speed Controller
	Low Pin Count Interface			ITE's "Smart Guardian" function
	DIMM Slots x 4			Dual Channel Mode DDR2 memory module
Main	Each DIMM supports 256MB/512MB/			Supports DDR2 533 / 667 / 800
Memory	1GB/2GB/4GB DDR2			Supports DDR2 1066 (by AM2+ CPU)
	Max Memory Capicity 16GB			Registered DIMM and ECC DIMM is not supported
				Max Shared Video Memory is 512MB
Graphics	Radeon HD 3300			DX10/UVD/HDCP support
				Hybrid CrossFireX support (by ATI driver)
IDE	AMD SB750			Ultra DMA 33 / 66 / 100 / 133 Bus Master Mode
				supports PIO Mode 0~4,
				Data transfer rates up to 3 Gb/s.
SATA II	AMD SB750			SATA Version 2.0 specification compliant.
				RAID 0,1,5,1+0 support
LAN	Realtek RTL 8111C			10 / 100 Mb/s / 1Gb/s auto negotiation
				Half / Full duplex capability
Sound	ALC662			5.1channels audio out
				Supports HD Audio
	PCI slot	x3		Supports PCI expansion cards
Slots	PCI Express Gen2 x16 slot	x1		Supports PCI-E Gen2 x16 expansion cards
	PCI Express Gen2 x1 slot	x2		Supports PCI-E Gen2 x1 expansion cards
On Board	Floppy Connector	x1		Each connector supports 2 Floppy drives
Connector	Printer Port Connector	x1		Each connector supports 1 Printer port
	IDE Connector	x1		Each connector supports 2 IDE device
	SATA Connector	x6		Each connector supports 1 SATA devices

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				TA790GXB A2+
			SPEC
	Front Panel Connector	x1		Supports front panel facilities
	Front Audio Connector	x1		Supports front panel audio function
	CD-In Connector	x1		Supports CD audio-in function
	S/PDIF Out Connector	x1		Supports digital audio out function
	CPU Fan Header	x1		CPU Fan power supply (with Smart Fan function)
	System Fan Header	x2		System Fan Power supply
	CMOS Clear Header	x1		Restore CMOS data to factory default
	USB Connector	x3		Each connector supports 2 front panel USB ports
	Serial Port Connector	x1		Connects to RS-232 Port
	Power Connector (24pin)	x1		Connects to Power supply
	Power Connector (4pin)	x2		Connects to Power supply
	PS/2 Keyboard	x1		Connects to PS/2 Keyboard
	PS/2 Mouse	x1		Connects to PS/2 Mouse
Back Panel	VGA Port	x1		Connect to D-SUB monitor
	DVI-D Port	x1		Connect to DVI monitor
I/O	LAN Port	x1		Connect to RJ-45 ethernet cable
	USB Port	x4		Connect to USB devices
	Audio Jack	x3		Provide Audio-In/Out and microphone connection
Board Size	225 mm (W) x 305 mm (L)			ATX
OS Support	Windows XP / VISTA			Biostar Reserves the right to add or remove support
				for any OS With or without notice.

1.4REAR PANEL CONNECTORS

PS/2			LAN
Mouse			Line In/
			Surround
			Line Out
			Mic In 1/
			Bass/ Center
PS/2	VGA	DVI-D	USBX2 USBX2
Keyboard

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1.5MOTHERBOARD LAYOUT

JKBMS1

JATXPWR3

VGA

DVI

JUSB1

JUSBLAN1

JAUDIO1

JATXPWR1

JUSBV1

JNFAN1

JCFAN1

Socket				JATXPWR2
AM2+	DIMMA1	DIMMB1	DIMMA2	DIMMB2

AMD	IDE1
790GX

PEX16_1

LAN

PEX1_1

PEX1_2

PCI1

Codec

PCI2

	SATA4	SATA5	SATA6
	AMD
	SB750
		SATA2	SATA1
	SATA3	LED_D1
		LED_D2
	BAT1	BIOS
Super I/O	JCMOS1

							FDD1
		PCI3
JAUDIOF1	JSPDIF_OUT1	JPRNT1	JCOM1	JUSB5	JUSB4	JSFAN1	JPANEL1	PWRSW1
			JUSBV2			JUSB3
	JCDIN1							RSTSW1

Note: ■ represents the 1st pin.

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TA790GXB A2+

CHAPTER 2: HARDWARE INSTALLATION

2.1INSTALLING CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)

Step 1: Remove the socket protection cap.

Step 2: Pull the lever toward direction A from the socket and then raise the lever up to a 90-degree angle.

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.

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Motherboard Manual

Step 4: Hold the CPU down firmly, and then close the lever toward direct B to complete the installation.

Step 5: Put the CPU Fan on the CPU and buckle it. Connect the CPU FAN power cable to the JCFAN1. This completes the installation.

Note: Please update the BIOS to the latest version while using AM2+ CPUs. Due to the latest CPU transition, you may encounter the situation that the new system failed to boot while using new AM2+ CPUs. In this case, please install one standard AM2 CPU to boot your system, and update the latest BIOS from our website for AM2+ CPUs support.

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TA790GXB A2+

2.2FAN HEADERS

These fan headers support cooling-fans built in the computer. The fan cable and connector may be different according to the fan manufacturer. Connect the fan cable to the connector while matching the black wire to pin#1.

JCFAN1: CPU Fan Header

1

4

Pin

1

2

3

4

Assignment

Ground +12V

FAN RPM rate sense

Smart Fan Control (By Fan)

JNFAN1: NorthBridge Fan Header

JSFAN1: System Fan Header

Note:

			Pin	Assignment
	JNFAN1		1	Ground
			2	+12V
			3	FAN RPM
	1	3		rate sense

JSFAN1

3

1

The JCFAN1, JNFAN1, and JSFAN1 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.

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Motherboard Manual

2.3INSTALLING SYSTEM MEMORY

A. DDR2 Modules

DIMMA1

DIMMB1

DIMMA2

DIMMB2

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.

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TA790GXB A2+

B. Memory Capacity

	DIMM Socket	DDR2 Module	Total Memory
	Location		Size
	DIMMA1	256MB/512MB/1GB/2GB/4GB
	DIMMB1	256MB/512MB/1GB/2GB/4GB	Max is 16GB.
	DIMMA2	256MB/512MB/1GB/2GB/4GB
	DIMMB2	256MB/512MB/1GB/2GB/4GB

C. Dual Channel Memory installation

To trigger the Dual Channel function of the motherboard, the memory module must meet the following requirements:

Install memory module of the same density in pairs, shown in the following table.

Dual Channel Status	DIMMA1	DIMMB1	DIMMA2	DIMMB2
Enabled	O	O	X	X
Enabled	X	X	O	O
Enabled	O	O	O	O

(O means memory installed, X means memory not installed.)

The DRAM bus width of the memory module must be the same (x8 or x16)

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2.4CONNECTORS AND SLOTS

FDD1: Floppy Disk Connector

The motherboard provides a standard floppy disk connector that supports 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88M floppy disk types. This connector supports the provided floppy drive ribbon cables.

																							2				34
																								1			33

IDE1: IDE/ATAPI Connector

The motherboard has a 32-bit Enhanced IDE Controller that provides PIO Mode 0~4, Bus Master, and Ultra DMA 33/66/100/133 functionality.

The IDE connector can connect a master and a slave drive, so you can connect up to two drives.

40 39

2 1

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TA790GXB A2+

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.

-2X bandwidth over the PCI-Express 1.1 architecture.

PEX1_1/PEX1_2: PCI-Express Gen2 x1 Slots

-PCI-Express 2.0 compliant.

-Data transfer bandwidth up to 500MB/s per direction; 1GB/s in total.

-PCI-Express Gen2 supports a raw bit-rate of 5.0Gb/s on the data pins.

-2X bandwidth over the PCI-Express 1.1 architecture.

PEX16_1

PEX1_1

PEX1_2

PCI1~PCI3: Peripheral Component Interconnect Slots

This motherboard is equipped with 3 standard PCI slots. PCI stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect, and it is a bus standard for expansion cards. This PCI slot is designated as 32 bits.

PCI1

PCI2

PCI3

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Motherboard Manual

CHAPTER 3: HEADERS & JUMPERS SETUP

3.1HOW 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

3.2DETAIL SETTINGS

JPANEL1: 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.

	PWR_LED
			On/Off
		+ +	-
9			16
1		+	-	8
	SPK		RST
		HLED

Pin

Assignment

Function

Pin

Assignment

Function

1

+5V

9

N/A

N/A

2

N/A

Speaker

10

N/A

3

N/A

Connector

11

N/A

N/A

4

Speaker

12

Power LED (+)

Power LED

5

HDD LED (+)

Hard drive

13

Power LED (+)

6

HDD LED (-)

LED

14

Power LED (-)

7

Ground

Reset button

15

Power button

Power-on button

8

Reset control

16

Ground

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TA790GXB A2+

JATXPWR2: ATX Power Source Connector

This connector allows user to connect 24-pin power connector on the ATX power supply.

	12		24
	1		13
Pin	Assignment	Pin	Assignment
13	+3.3V	1	+3.3V
14	-12V	2	+3.3V
15	Ground	3	Ground
16	PS_ON	4	+5V
17	Ground	5	Ground
18	Ground	6	+5V
19	Ground	7	Ground
20	NC	8	PW_OK
21	+5V	9	Standby Voltage+5V
22	+5V	10	+12V
23	+5V	11	+12V
24	Ground	12	+3.3V

JATXPWR3: ATX Power Source Connector

By connecting this connector, it will provide +12V to CPU power circuit.

1	4
2	3
Note:

Pin Assignment

1+12V

2+12V

3Ground

4Ground

Before power on the system, please make sure that both JATXPWR2 and JATXPWR3 connectors have been plugged-in.

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Motherboard Manual

JATXPWR1: Auxiliary Power for Graphics

This connector is an auxiliary power connection for graphics cards. Exclusive power for the graphics card provides better graphics performance.

			Pin	Assignment
			1	+12V
	1	4	2	Ground
			3	Ground
			4	VCC

JCMOS1: Clear CMOS Header

By placing the jumper on pin2-3, it allows user to restore the BIOS safe setting and the CMOS data, please carefully follow the procedures to avoid damaging the motherboard.

1 3

Pin 1-2 Close:

Normal Operation (default).

										1	3
												1		3

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.Reset your desired password or clear the CMOS data.

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TA790GXB A2+

SATA1~SATA6: Serial ATA Connectors

The motherboard has a PCI to SATA Controller with 6 channels SATA interface, it satisfies the SATA 2.0 spec and with transfer rate of 3.0Gb/s.

																						Pin	Assignment
																SATA4 SATA5 SATA6						1	Ground
																						2	TX+
																SATA3 SATA2 SATA1						3	TX-
																					7	4	Ground
																						5	RX-
																					4	6	RX+
																						7	Ground
																					1

JUSB3~JUSB5: Headers for USB 2.0 Ports at Front Panel

This header allows user to connect additional USB cable on the PC front panel, and also can be connected with internal USB devices, like USB card reader.

			Pin	Assignment
			1	+5V (fused)
			2	+5V (fused)
			3	USB-
			4	USB-
			5	USB+
	JUSB5	JUSB3	6	USB+
			7	Ground
	JUSB4
			8	Ground
	2	10	9	Key
			10	NC
	1	9

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Motherboard Manual

JAUDIOF1: Front Panel Audio Header

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.

		Pin	Assignment
		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
2	10	10	Jack Sense
1	9

JSPDIF_OUT1: Digital Audio-out Connector

This connector allows user to connect the PCI bracket SPDIF output header.

Pin

Assignment

1

+5V

2

SPDIF_OUT

3

Ground

1 3

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TA790GXB A2+

JCDIN1: CD-ROM Audio-in Connector

This connector allows user to connect the audio source from the variaty devices, like CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, PCI sound card, PCI TV turner card etc.

																Pin	Assignment
																1	Left Channel Input
																2	Ground
																3	Ground
																4	Right Channel Input

1 4

JPRNT1: Printer Port Connector

This header allows you to connector printer on the PC.

	2
	1		25
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

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Motherboard Manual

JCOM1: Serial port Connector

The motherboard has a Serial Port Connector for connecting RS-232 Port.

2 10

1

9

Pin Assignment

1Carrier detect

2Received data

3Transmitted data

4Data terminal ready

5Signal ground

6Data set ready

7Request to send

8Clear to send

9Ring indicator

10 NC

JUSBV1/JUSBV2: Power Source Headers for USB Ports

Pin 1-2 Close:

JUSBV1: +5V for USB ports at JUSB1/JUSBLAN1. JUSBV2: +5V for USB ports at JUSB3/JUSB4/JUSB5.

Pin 2-3 Close:

JUSBV1: +5V STB for USB ports at JUSB1/JUSBLAN1. JUSBV2: +5V STB for USB ports at JUSB3/JUSB4/JUSB5.

		1
JUSBV1		3
		Pin 1-2 close
1
3
		1
JUSBV2		3
1	3	Pin 2-3 close

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TA790GXB A2+

On-Board LED Indicators

There are 2 LED indicators on the motherboard to show system status.

LED_D1

LED_D2

LED_D1 and LED_D2:

These 2 LED indicate system power on diagnostics.

Please refer to the table below for different messages:

LED_D2	LED_D1	Message
OFF	OFF	Abnormal: CPU / Chipset error.
OFF	ON	Memory Error
ON	OFF	VGA Error
ON	ON	Normal

On-Board Buttons

There are 2 on-board buttons.

RSTSW1

PWRSW1

PWRSW1:

This is an on-board Power Switch button.

RSTSW1:

This is an on-board Reset button.

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