ECS A970M-A DELUXE User Manual
A970M-A DELUXE 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.
ii
A970M-A DELUXE 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.
page 1
Describes installation of
motherboard components.
page 9
page 27
page 55
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 SB950
RAID Configuration
Provides information about
SATA RAID Setup
page 59
Chapter 6
Trouble Shooting
Provides basic trouble
shooting tips.
page 67
iii
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
Chapter 2 9
Installing the Motherboard 9
Safety Precautions..............................................................................9
Installing the Motherboard in a Chassis.......................................9
Checking Jumper Settings..................................................................10
Installing Hardware...........................................................................11
Installing the Processor............................................................11
Installing the CPU Cooler........................................................12
Installing Memory Modules...................................................13
Installing Add-on Cards..........................................................14
Connecting Optional Devices.................................................16
Installing a SATA Hard Drive...................................................21
Connecting Case Components........................................................22
Front Panel Header................................................................25
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 27
Using BIOS 27
About the Setup Utility......................................................................27
The Standard Configuration........................ ...........................27
Entering the Setup Utility.......................................................27
Resetting the Default CMOS Values.....................................28
Using BIOS.........................................................................................28
BIOS Navigation Keys..............................................................29
Main Menu.............................................................................30
Advanced Menu......................................................................31
Chipset Menu..........................................................................44
M.I.B. X (MB Intelligent BIOS X) Menu....................................46
Boot Menu...............................................................................51
Security Menu.........................................................................52
Save & Exit Menu.......................................................................53
Updating the BIOS......................................................................54
iv
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
Chapter 4 55
Using the Motherboard Software 55
Auto-installing under Windows XP/Vista/7....................................55
Running Setup........................................................................55
Manual Installation..........................................................................57
Chapter 6 67
Trouble Shooting 67
Start up problems during assembly..............................................67
Start up problems after prolong use............................................68
Maintenance and care tips..............................................................68
Basic Troubleshooting Flowchart.....................................................69
Chapter 5 59
Setting Up AMD SB950 RAID Configuration 59
Setting Up a Bootable RAID Array..................................................59
1
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Introducing the Motherboard
Introduction
Thank you for choosing the A970M-A DELUXE motherboard. This motherboard is a
high performance, enhanced function motherboard that supports socket for AMD
PhenomTM and later desktop processors (socket AM3+) for high-end business or personal desktop markets.
The motherboard is based on AMD 970 Northbridge (NB) and SB950 Southbridge (SB)
chipsets. The memory controller supports DDR3 memory DIMM frequencies of
2133(OC)/
1866/1600/1333. It supports four DDR3 slots with maximum memory size
of 64 GB. Two PCI Express x16 slots (the PCIEX16_T slot runs at x4 mode), intended for
Graphics Interface, is fully compliant to the PCI Express Gen2 (version 2.0). In addition, two PCI Express x1 slots are supported.
The SB950 Southbridge supports two PCI slots which are PCI v2.2 compliant. It integrates USB 2.0 interface, supporting up to fourteen USB 2.0 ports (eight USB 2.0 ports
at the rear panel and three USB 2.0 headers support additional six USB 2.0 ports).
The gray USB 2.0 header provides EZ charger technology, please refer to
Front Panel
USB 2.0 headers of chapter 2 for more details. The Southbridge integrates a Serial
ATA host controller, supporting five SATA ports with maximum transfer rate up to
6Gb/s each, and one eSATA3 6Gb/s connector at the rear panel.
In addition, the motherboard assembles extra USB3.0 chip, which supports two USB
3.0 ports at the rear panel with high speed of 5Gb/s.
There is an advanced full set of I/O ports in the rear panel, including PS/2 mouse and
keyboard combo connector, one eSATA port, eight USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports,
one LAN port, one optical SPDIF out port and audio jacks for microphone, line-in and
8-ch line-out.
Your motherboard package ships with the following items:
Package Contents
A970M-A DELUXE Motherboard
Quick Installation Guide
User Manual
DVD
I/O Shield
2 SATA 6Gb/s Cables
The package contents above are for reference only, please take the actual
package items as standard.
Chapter 1
2
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
CPU
Specifications
• NB: AMD 970 SB: SB950
Chipset
• Dual-channel DDR3 memory architecture
• 4 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM sockets support up to 64 GB
• Supports DDR3 2133(OC)/1866/1600/1333 MHz DDR3
SDRAM
Memory
• 2 x PCI Express x16 Gen2 slots (the PCIEX16_T slot runs at x4
mode)
• 2 x PCI Express x1 slots
• 2 x PCI slots
• Supported by AMD SB950 Express Chipset
- 5 x Serial ATA 6Gb/s connectors
- 1 x eSATA 6Gb/s connector
- Supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 10
Expansion
Slots
Storage
• 1 x PS/2 keyboard and mouse combo connector
• 8 x USB 2.0 ports
• 2 x USB 3.0 ports
• 1 x eSATA port
• 1 x RJ45 LAN connector
• 1 x Audio port (Line in, microphone in, Line out, and optical
SPDIF out)
Rear Panel I/O
• AMD PhenomTM and later desktop processors (socket AM3+)
• Supports CPU up to 140W TDP
Note: Please go to ECS website for the latest CPU support list.
• 1 x 24-pin ATX Power Supply connector
• 1 x 8-pin 12V Power connector
• 1 x 4-pin CPU_FAN connector
• 1 x 3-pin SYS_FAN connector
• 1 x 3-pin PWR_FAN connector
• 3 x USB 2.0 headers support additional six USB 2.0 ports
(F_USB1 supports EZ Charger function)
• 5 x Serial SATA 6Gb/s connectors
• 1 x COM header
• 1 x Case open header
• 1 x SPDIF out header
• 1 x TPM header
• 1 x Front Panel audio header
• 1 x Front Panel switch/LED header
• 1 x Speaker header
• 1 x Clear CMOS jumper
Internal I/O
Connectors &
Headers
• Realtek ALC892 8-Ch High Definition audio CODEC
- Compliant with HD audio specification
Audio
LAN
•
RTL8111E Gigabit LAN
Note: Please go to ECS website for the latest CPU support list.
• ASM1042 supports two USB 3.0 ports at the rear panel
Extra Chipset
3
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
Chapter 1
• AMI BIOS with 32Mb SPI Flash ROM
- Supports Plug and Play, S1/STR (S3)/STD (S4)
- Supports ACPI & DMI
- Supports Hardware Monitor
- Audio, LAN, can be disabled in BIOS
- F7 hot key for boot up devices option
- Supports Over-Clocking
- Supports PaUp clear CMOS Hotkey (Has PS2 KB Model only)
- Supports Dual/Triple Display
- Supports GUI UEFI BIOS II
- Supports Multi-language
- Supports AC’97/HD Audio auto detect (default)
System BIOS
Form Factor
• ATX Size, 305mm x 220mm
• Supports EZ Charger
AP Support
Note: Please go to ECS website to get the latest news for AP
supporting.
Chapter 1
4
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
Motherboard Components
5
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
Chapter 1
Table of Motherboard Components
LABEL COMPONENTS
1. CPU Socket
AMD Phenom
TM
and later desktop processors (socket AM3+)
2. CPU_FAN CPU cooling fan connector
3. DDR3_1~4 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM slots
4. ATX_POWER Standard 24-pin ATX power connector
5. PWR_FAN Power cooling fan connector
6. SATA1~5 Serial ATA 6Gb/s connectors
7. CLR_CMOS Clear CMOS jumper
8. F_PANEL Front panel switch/LED header
9. TPM Trusted Platform Module
10. CASE Case open header
11. SPK Speaker header
Front panel USB 2.0 headers
(F_USB1 supports EZ Charger function)
13. COM Serial port header
14. SYS_FAN System cooling fan connector
15. SPDIFO SPDIF out header
16. F_AUDIO Front panel audio header
17. PCI1~2 32-bit PCI add-on card slots
18. PCIE1~2 PCI Express x1 slots
19. PCIEX16_T PCI Express slot for graphics interface (runs at x4 mode)
20. PCIEX16 PCI Express slot for graphics interface
21. ATX12V 8-pin +12V power connector
12. F_USB1~3
Chapter 1
6
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
I/O Ports
1. PS/2 Keyboard and PS/2 Mouse combo connector
Use the PS/2 port to connect a PS/2 mouse or a PS2 keyboard.
2. USB 2.0 Ports
Use the USB 2.0 ports to connect USB 2.0 devices.
3. USB 3.0 Ports
Use the USB 3.0 ports to connect USB 3.0 devices.
4. LAN Port
Connect an RJ-45 jack to the LAN port to connect your computer to the Network.
5. Audio Ports
Use the audio jack to connect audio devices. The C port is for stereo line-in
signal, while the E port is for microphone in signal. This motherboard supports
audio devices that correspond to the A, B, and D port respectively. In addition,
both of the 2 ports, B, and D provide user with both right & left channels
individually. Users please refer to the following note for specific port funtion
definition.
LAN LED Status Description
OFF
No da ta
Orange blinking
Act ive
OFF
No link
Green
Link
Activity LED
Link LED
Link LED
LAN Port
The above port definition can be changed to audio input or audio output by
changing the driver utility setting.
A: C e nter & Woofer D: Front Out
B: Back Surround E: Mic_in Rea r
C: Line-in -
7
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
Chapter 1
6. Optical SPIDF Output
This jack connects to external optical digital audio output devices.
7. eSATA 6Gb/s Ports
Use this port to connect to external SATA boxes or Serial ATA port multipliers.
Chapter 1
8
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
Memo
Chapter 2
9
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
Chapter 2
Installing the Motherboard
2-1. Safety Precautions
2-2. Installing the motherboard in a Chassis
This motherboard carries an ATX form factor of 305 x 220 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 damage the motherboard.
Chapter 2
10
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
The following illustration shows the location of the motherboard jumpers. Pin 1 is
labeled.
2-3. Checking Jumper Settings
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”
Chapter 2
11
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
2-4. Installing Hardware
2-4-1. Installing the Processor
• This motherboard has an AM3+ 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.
Chapter 2
12
A970M-A DELUXE 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.
Chapter 2
13
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
2-4-3. Installing Memory Modules
• This motherboard accommodates four memory modules. It can support
four 240-pin DDR3 2133(OC)/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 four slots. Total memory
capacity is 64 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 c
orrectly. Check that the cutouts on the DIMM module edge
connector match the notches in the DIMM slot.
Chapter 2
14
A970M-A DELUXE 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/
PCIEX16_T Slot
The PCI Express x16 slots are used to install external PCI Express graphics cards that are fully compliant to the PCI Express
Base Specification revision 2.0. And the PCIEX16_T slot runs at
x4 mode.
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 slots are fully compliant to the PCI Express
Base Specification revision 2.0.
PCIE1~2 Slots
This motherboard is equipped with two standard PCI slots. 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 slots on this
board are PCI v2.2 compliant.
PCI1~2 Slots
Chapter 2
15
A970M-A DELUXE 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 PCIEX1 slot
Chapter 2
16
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
No. Components No. Components
1 SATA1~5 5 COM
2 TPM 6 SPDIFO
3 CASE 7 F_AUDIO
4F_USB1~3—— ——
2-4-5. Connecting Optional Devices
Refer to the following for information on connecting the motherboard’s optional
devices:
SATA1~5 connectors are used to support the new Serial ATA device for the highest
data transfer rates (6.0 Gb/s), 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. SATA1~5: Serial ATA III connectors
Chapter 2
17
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
Trusted platform module (TPM) is a published specification detailing a micro controller that can store secured information, and implementations of that specification.
2. TPM: Trusted Platform Module header
3. CASE: Chassis Intrusion Detect Header
This detects if the chassis cover has been removed. This function needs a chassis
equipped with intrusion detection switch and needs to be enabled in BIOS.
Chapter 2
18
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
5. COM: Onboard serial port header
Connect a serial port extension bracket to this header to add a serial port to your
system.
The motherboard has three USB 2.0 headers supporting six USB 2.0 ports. Additionally, some computer cases have USB 2.0 ports at the front of the case. If you have this
kind of case, use auxiliary USB 2.0 connector to connect the front-mounted ports to
the motherboard.
4. F_USB1~3: 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.
F_USB1 supports EZ Charger technology, provides 3 times current than general USB
2.0 port in off mode for USB devices. It is useful and excellent, especially for the
iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices that need a large amount of current for faster
recharging within less time.
Chapter 2
19
A970M-A DELUXE USER MANUAL
This is an optional header that provides an SPDIFO (Sony/Philips Digital Interface)
output to digital multimedia device through optical fiber or coaxial connector.
6. SPDIFO: SPDIF out header
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
Loading...