ECS A55F2-M3 User Manual
A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
Preface
Copyright
This publication, including all photographs, illustrations and software, is protected
under international copyright laws, with all rights reserved. Neither this manual, nor
any of the material contained herein, may be reproduced without written consent of
the author.
Version 1.0
Disclaimer
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. The manufacturer makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents hereof
and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for
any particular purpose. The manufacturer reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes from time to time in the content hereof without obligation
of the manufacturer to notify any person of such revision or changes.
Trademark Recognition
Microsoft, MS-DOS and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
AMD, Phenom, Athlon, Sempron, Turion, and Duron are registered trademarks of AMD
Corporation.
Other product names used in this manual are the properties of their respective owners
and are acknowledged.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for 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. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by
one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver
• Connect the equipment onto an outlet on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help
Shielded interconnect cables and a shielded AC power cable must be employed with
this equipment to ensure compliance with the pertinent RF emission limits governing this device. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the system’s
manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
Declaration of Conformity
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference.
• This device must accept any interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
Canadian Department of Communications
This class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interferencecausing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Réglement
sur le matériel brouilieur du Canada.
The manual consists of the following:
Describes features of the
motherboard.
H
page 1
Describes installation of
motherboard components.
H
page 7
H
page 25
H
page 49
Installing the Motherboard
Introducing the Motherboard
Provides information on using the BIOS Setup Utility.
Describes the motherboard
software.
Limits and methods of mesurement of radio disturbance characteristics of information technology equipment
EN 55022
EN 61000-3-2
Disturbances in supply systems caused
EN 61000-3-3
Disturbances in supply systems caused by household appliances and similar electrical equipment “ Voltage fluctuations”
EN 55024
Information technology equipment-Immunity characteristicsLimits and methods of measurement
EN 60950
Safety for information technology equipment including electrical business equipment
CE marking
About the Manual
This device is in conformity with the following EC/EMC directives:
Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Using BIOS
Using the Motherboard Software
Chapter 5
Setting Up AMD A55 RAID
Configuration
Provides information about
SATA RAID Setup
page 53
H
Chapter 6
Trouble Shooting
Provides basic trouble
shooting tips.
page 61
H
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
Chapter 2 7
Installing the Motherboard 7
Safety Precautions..............................................................................7
Installing the Motherboard in a Chassis.......................................7
Checking Jumper Settings..................................................................8
Installing Hardware...........................................................................9
Installing the Processor............................................................9
Installing the CPU Cooler........................................................10
Installing Memory Modules...................................................11
Installing Add-on Cards..........................................................12
Connecting Optional Devices.................................................14
Installing a SATA Hard Drive...................................................19
Connecting Case Components........................................................20
Front Panel Header................................................................23
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface i
Chapter 1 1
Introducing the Motherboard 1
Introduction...........................................................................................1
Pakage Contents..................................................................................1
Specifications......................................................................................2
Motherboard Components................................................................4
I/O Ports...............................................................................................6
Chapter 3 25
Using BIOS 25
About the Setup Utility......................................................................25
The Standard Configuration........................ ...........................25
Entering the Setup Utility.......................................................25
Resetting the Default CMOS Values.....................................26
Using BIOS.........................................................................................26
BIOS Navigation Keys..............................................................27
Main Menu.............................................................................28
Advanced Menu......................................................................29
Chipset Menu..........................................................................40
M.I.B III(MB Intelligent Bios III) Menu....................................42
Boot Menu...............................................................................44
Security Menu.........................................................................46
Exit Menu...............................................................................47
Updating the BIOS......................................................................48
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
Chapter 4 49
Using the Motherboard Software 49
Auto-installing under Windows XP/Vista/7.................................49
Running Setup........................................................................49
Manual Installation..........................................................................51
ECS Utility Software (Intelligent EZ Utility).....................................51
Chapter 6 61
Trouble Shooting 61
Start up problems during assembly..............................................61
Start up problems after prolong use............................................62
Maintenance and care tips..............................................................62
Basic Troubleshooting Flowchart.....................................................63
Chapter 5 53
Setting Up AMD A55 RAID Configuration 53
Setting Up a Bootable RAID Array..................................................53
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Introducing the Motherboard
Introduction
Thank you for choosing the A55F2-M3 motherboard. This motherboard is a high performance, enhanced function motherboard that supports socket FM2 for AMD A
series processor for high-end business or personal desktop markets.
The motherboard is based on AMD A55 (Hudson D2) express chipset for best desktop
platform. A55 is a single-chip, highly integrated, high performance Hyper-Transport
peripheral controller, unmatched by any other single chip-device controller
. The
memory controller supports DDR3 memory
DIMM frequencies of 1866*/1600/1333.
It supports two DDR3 slots with maximum memory size of 32 GB. One PCI Express x16
slot, intended for Graphics Interface, is fully compliant to the PCI Express Gen2 (version 2.0). In addition, one PCI Express x1 slot and one PCI slot are supported.
It implements USB 2.0 interface, supporting up to eight USB 2.0 ports (four USB 2.0
ports and two USB 2.0 headers support additional four USB 2.0 ports).
This
motherboard integrates a Serial ATA host controller, supporting four SATA ports with
maximum transfer rate up to 3Gb/s each.
There is an full set of I/O ports in the rear panel, including PS/2 mouse and keyboard
connectors, one D-sub (VGA) port, one HDMI port, four USB 2.0 ports, one LAN port,
three audio jacks for microphone, line-in and 6-ch line-out.
Your motherboard package ships with the following items:
Package Contents
A55F2-M3 Motherboard
Quick Installation Guide
User Manual
DVD
I/O Shield
2 SATA 3Gb/s Cables
The package contents above are for reference only, please take the actual
package items as standard.
*Due to the limitation of chipset spec, it supports up to 1866 MHz for
motherboard with a single DIMM per channel.
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
CPU
Specifications
• AMD A55 Chipset
Chipset
• Dual-channel DDR3 memory architecture
• 2 x 240-pin DDR3 UDIMM sockets support up to 32 GB
• Supports DDR3
1866*/1600/1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
Memory
• 1 x PCI Express x16 Gen2 slot
• 1 x PCI Express x1 Gen2 slot
• 1 x PCI slot
• Supported by AMD A55 (Hudson D2)
- 4 x Serial ATA 3Gb/s devices
Expansion
Slots
Storage
• 1 x PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse connectors
• 1 x D-Sub port (VGA)
• 1 x HDMI port
• 4 x USB 2.0 ports
• 1 x RJ45 LAN connector
• 1 x Audio port (Line in, Line out, Mic_in Rear)
Rear Panel I/O
• Socket FM2 for AMD A series processors
• Supports CPU up to 100W TDP
Note: Please go to ECS website for the latest CPU support list.
Note:
*Due to the limitation of chipset spec, it supports up to
1866 MHz for motherboard with a single DIMM per channel.
Please go to ECS website for the latest Memory support list.
• 1 x 24-pin ATX Power Supply connector
• 1 x 4-pin 12V Power connector
• 1 x 4-pin CPU_FAN connector
• 1 x 3-pin SYS_FAN connector
• 2 x USB 2.0 headers support additional four USB 2.0 ports
• 4 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors
• 1 x COM header
• 1 x Case open header
• 1 x SPDIF out header
• 1 x Front panel USB power select jumper
• 1 x Rear USB/PS2 power select jumper
• 1 x Front Panel audio header
• 1 x Front Panel switch/LED header
• 1 x Speaker header
• 1 x Parallel port header(LPT)
• 1 x Clear CMOS jumper
Internal I/O
Connectors &
Headers
• VT1705CE 6-Ch High Definition audio CODEC
-
6 Channel High Definiton Audio Codec
- Compliant with HD audio specification
Audio
LAN
• RT8111E Giga Lan
• RT8105E 10/100 LAN (optional)
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
Chapter 1
• AMI BIOS with 32Mb SPI Flash ROM
- Supports ECS MIB III Utility
- Supports Plug and Play, STR (S3)/STD (S4)
- Supports Hardware Monitor
- Supports ACPI 3.0 version & DMI
- Supports Audio, LAN, can be disabled in BIOS
- Supports ECS GUI UEFI BIOS
- Supports Dual Display
- F7 hot key for boot up devices option
- Supports Multi-language BIOS
System BIOS
Form Factor
• Micro-ATX Size, 230mm x 180mm
Chapter 1
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
Motherboard Components
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
Chapter 1
Table of Motherboard Components
LABEL COMPONENTS
1. CPU Socket FM2 for AMD A series processors
2. SYS_FAN System cooling fan connector
3. CPU_FAN CPU cooling fan connector
4. DDR3_1~2 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM slots
5. ATX_POWER Standard 24-pin ATX power connector
6. CLR_CMOS Clear CMOS jumper
7. SPK Speaker header
8. SATA3~4 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s connectors
9. SATA1~2 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s connectors
10. F_PANEL Front panel switch/LED header
11. F_USB1~2 Front panel USB 2.0 headers
12. USBPWR_F Front panel USB power select jumper
13. LPT Onboard parallel port header
14. COM Onboard serial port header
15. SPDIFO SPDIF out header
16. PCI 32-bit add-on card slot
17. PCIE1 PCI Express x1 slot
18. CASE Case open header
19. PCIEX16 PCI Express slot for graphics interface
20. F_AUDIO Front panel audio header
21. USBPWR_R Rear USB/PS2 power select jumper
22. ATX12V 4-pin +12V power connector
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
I/O Ports
1. PS/2 Mouse(green)
Use the upper PS/2 port to connect a PS/2 mouse.
2. PS/2 Keyboard(purple)
Use the lower PS/2 port to connect a PS/2 keyboard.
3. VGA Port
You can connect the display device to the VGA port.
4. HDMI Port
Y
ou can connect the display device to the HDMI port.
5. USB 2.0 Ports
Use the USB 2.0 ports to connect USB 2.0 devices.
6. LAN Port
Connect an RJ-45 jack to the LAN port to connect your computer to the Network.
7. Line-in(blue)
It can be connected to an external CD/DVD player, Tape player or other audio
devices for audio input.
8. Line-out(lime)
It is used to connect to speakers or headphones.
9. Microphone(pink)
It is used to connect to a microphone.
LAN LED Status Description
OFF
No da ta
Orange blinking Active
OFF
No link
Green Link
Activity LED
Link LED
Link LED
LAN Port
Chapter 2
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
Chapter 2
Installing the Motherboard
2-1. Safety Precautions
2-2. Installing the motherboard in a Chassis
This motherboard carries a Micro ATX form factor of 230 x 180 mm. Choose a chassis
that accommodates this form factor. Make sure that the I/O template in the chassis
matches the I/O ports installed on the rear edge of the motherboard. Most system
chassis have mounting brackets installed in the chassis, which corresponds to the
holes in the motherboard. Place the motherboard over the mounting brackets and
secure the motherboard onto the mounting brackets with screws.
Follow these safety precautions when installing the motherboard:
• Wear a grounding strap attached to a grounded device to avoid damage
from static electricity.
• Discharge static electricity by touching the metal case of a safely grounded
object before working on the motherboard.
• Leave components in the static-proof bags.
• Always remove the AC power by unplugging the power cord from the power
outlet before installing or removing the motherboard or other hardware
components.
Do not over-tighten the screws as this can stress the motherboard.
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
The following illustration shows the location of the motherboard jumpers. Pin 1 is
labeled.
1. To avoid the system instability after clearing CMOS, we recommend users to
enter the main BIOS setting page to “Load Default Settings” and then “Save
and Exit Setup”.
2. Make sure the power supply provides enough 5VSB voltage before selecting
the 5VSB function.
3. It is required that users place the USBPWR_F & USBPWR_R cap onto 2-3 pin
rather than 1-2 pin as default if you want to wake up the computer by USB/
PS2 KB/Mouse.
2-3. Checking Jumper Settings
Chapter 2
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
2-4. Installing Hardware
2-4-1. Installing the Processor
• This motherboard has an FM2 socket.
• When choosing a processor, consider the performance requirements of
the system. Performance is based on the processor design, the clock speed
and system bus frequency of the processor, and the quantity of internal
cache memory and external cache memory.
• You may be able to change the settings in the system Setup Utility. We
strongly recommend you do not over-clock processor or other components to run faster than their rated speed.
• The following illustration shows CPU installation components.
A. Pull up the lever away from the socket and lift up to 90-degree angle.
B. Locate the CPU cut edge (the corner with the pin hold noticeably
missing). Align and insert the CPU correctly.
C. Press the metal lever back into its original position.
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
A. Apply some thermal grease onto the contacted area between the
heatsink and the CPU, and make it to be a thin layer.
B. Put the CPU Fan down on the retention module and flip the levers
over the heat sink in place.
C. Connect the CPU cooler power connector to the CPU_FAN connector.
2-4-2. Installing the CPU Cooler
• Install the cooling fan in a well-lit work area so that you can clearly see the
motherboard and processor socket.
• Avoid using cooling fans with sharp edges in case the fan casing and the
clips cause serious damage to the motherboard or its components.
• To achieve better airflow rates and heat dissipation, we suggest that you
use a high quality fan with 3800 rpm at least. CPU fan and heat sink installation procedures may vary with the type of CPU fan/heatsink supplied.
The form and size of fan/heatsink may also vary.
• The following illustration shows how to install CPU fan.
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
2-4-3. Installing Memory Modules
• This motherboard accommodates four memory modules. It can support
two 240-pin DDR3 1866
*/1600/1333.
• Do not remove any memory module from its antistatic packaging until
you are ready to install it on the motherboard. Handle the modules only
by their edges. Do not touch the components or metal parts. Always wear
a grounding strap when you handle the modules.
• You must install at least one module in any of the two slots. Total memory
capacity is 32 GB.
• Refer to the following to install the memory modules.
C. The slot latches are levered upwards and latch on to the edges of the
DIMM.
A. Push the latches on each side of the DIMM slot down.
B. Install the DIMM module into the slot and press it firmly down until it
seats correctly. Check that the cutouts on the DIMM module edge
connector match the notches in the DIMM slot.
*Due to the limitation of chipset spec, it supports up to 1866 MHz for
motherboard with a single DIMM per channel.
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
2-4-4. Installing Add-on Cards
The slots on this motherboard are designed to hold expansion cards and connect
them to the system bus. Expansion slots are a means of adding or enhancing the
motherboard’s features and capabilities. With these efficient facilities, you can
increase the motherboard’s capabilities by adding hardware that performs tasks
that are not part of the basic system.
PCIEX16 Slot
The PCI Express x16 slot is used to install an external PCI Express graphics card that is fully compliant to the PCI Express
Base Specification revision 2.0.
Before installing an add-on card, check the documentation for the card carefully. If the card is not Plug and Play, you may have to manually configure the
card before installation.
The PCI Express x1 slot is fully compliant to the PCI Express Base
Specification revision 2.0.
PCIE1 Slot
This motherboard is equipped with one standard PCI slot. PCI
stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect and is a bus
standard for expansion cards, which for the most part, is a
supplement of the older ISA bus standard. The PCI slot on this
board is PCI v2.2 compliant.
PCI Slot
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
1 Remove a blanking plate from the system case corresponding to the slot
you are going to use.
2 Install the edge connector of the add-on card into the expansion slot.
Ensure that the edge connector is correctly seated in the slot.
3 Secure the metal bracket of the card to the system case with a screw.
1. For some add-on cards, for example graphics adapters and network adapters, you have to install drivers and software before you can begin using the
add-on card.
2. The onboard PCI interface does not support 64-bit SCSI cards.
Follow these instructions to install an add-on card:
Please refer the following illustrations to install the add-on card:
Install the VGA Card in the PCIE X16 slot
Install the VGA Card in the PCI slot
Install the LAN Card in the PCIE1 slot
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
2-4-5. Connecting Optional Devices
Refer to the following for information on connecting the motherboard’s optional
devices:
No. Components No. Components
1 SATA1~4 5 SPDIFO
2F_USB1~26 CASE
3LPT 7F_AUDIO
4 COM —— ——
SATA1~4 connectors are used to support the Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s device, simpler disk
drive cabling and easier PC assembly. It eliminates limitations of the current Parallel ATA interface. But maintains register compatibility and software compatibility
with Parallel ATA.
1. SATA1~4: Serial ATA connectors
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
The motherboard has two USB 2.0 headers supporting four USB 2.0 ports. Additionally, some computer cases have USB ports at the front of the case. If you have this
kind of case, use auxiliary USB connector to connect the front-mounted ports to the
motherboard.
2. F_USB1~2: Front Panel USB 2.0 headers
Please make sure that the USB cable has the same pin assignment as indicated above. A different pin assignment may cause damage or system hangup.
3. LPT: Onboard parallel port Header
This is a header that can be used to connect to the printer, scanner or other devices.
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
4. COM: Onboard serial port header
Connect a serial port extension bracket to this header to add a serial port to your
system.
This is an optional header that provides an SPDIFO (Sony/Philips Digital Interface)
output to digital multimedia device through optical fiber or coaxial connector.
5. SPDIFO: SPDIF out header
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A55F2-M3 USER MANUAL
6. CASE: Chassis Intrusion Detect Header
This detects if the chassis cover has been removed. This function needs a chassis
equipped with instrusion detection switch and needs to be enabled in BIOS.
The front panel audio header allows the user to install auxiliary front-oriented microphone and line-out ports for easier access. This header supports HD audio by
default. If you want connect an AC
’ 97 front panel audio to HD onboard headers,
please set as below picture.
7. F_AUDIO: Front Panel Audio Header
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