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 1.0A
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.
MMX, Pentium, Pentium-II, Pentium-III, Pentium-4, Celeron are registered trade-
marks of Intel 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.
Preface
ii
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, and
•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.
About the Manual
The manual consists of the following:
Chapter 1
Introducing the Motherboard
Chapter 2
Installing the Motherboard
Chapter 3
Using BIOS
Chapter 4
Using the Motherboard Soft-
ware
Chapter 5
VIA VT8237 SA T A RAID
Setup Guide
Describes features of the
motherboard.
Go to
Describes installation of
motherboard components.
Go to
Provides information on using the
BIOS Setup Utility.
Using VIA RAID T ool....................................................................56
Chapter 1
Introducing the Motherboard
Introduction
Thank you for choosing this motherboard. This motherboard is a high performance,
enhanced function motherboard that supports the LGA775 socket * Intel® CoreTM2
®
Quad/Intel
or personal desktop markets.
The motherboard incorporates the P4M900 CD Northbridge (NB) and VT8237S
Southbridge (SB) chipsets. The Northbridge supports a Front Side Bus (FSB) frequency of 1066/800/533/400 MHz FSB and Hyper-Threading technology. The
memory controller supports DDR2 memory DIMM frequencies of 667/533/400. It
support
integrated Chrome9 HC 3D/2D Graphics & Video Controllers, one PCI Express x 16
slot, intended for Graphics Interface and fully compliant to the PCI Express Base
Specification revision 1.1, provides users with high-performance along with superior
image and video quality.
The VT8237S Southbridge is a highly integrated peripheral controller, it includes an
integrated keyboard controller with PS2 mouse support, two-channel Serial ATA(SATA) PHY for support of up to two S-ATA devices directly, Dual channel hard disk
controller supporting up to two enhanced IDE devices in Ultra DMA - 133/100/66
Mode and 8 USB 2.0 ports (4 USB ports and 2 USB headers support additional 4 USB
ports) with integrated PHY.
This motherboard is equipped with advanced full set of I/O ports in the rear panel,
including PS/2 mouse and keyboard connectors, COM1, one VGA port, four USB
ports, one LAN port, and audio jacks for microphone, line-in and 6/8-channel
(optional) line-out.
CoreTM 2 Duo/Pentium® 4/Celeron® D processors for high-end business
s two DDR2 Sockets with up to maximum memory of 4 GB. Aside from the
“ * ” stands for this motherboard is ready to support Intel
processor Q6700 (G0) and below.
®
CoreTM2 Quad
1
Introducing the Motherboard
2
Feature
Processor
®
This motherboard uses an LGA775 type of * Intel
Core
TM
2 Quad/Intel
CoreTM 2 Duo/Pentium® 4/Celeron® D that carries the following features:
•Accommodates * Intel® Core
•Supports a system bus (FSB) of 1066/800/533/400 MHz
•Supports “Hyper-Threading” technology CPU
* This motherboard is ready to support Intel® CoreTM2 Quad processor
“Hyper-Threading” technology enables the operating system into thinking it’s
hooked up to two processors, allowing two threads to be run in parallel, both on
separate “logical” processors within the same physical processor.
®
Pentium
Q6700 (G0) and below.
4/Celeron® D processors
TM
2 Quad/Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo/
®
Chipset
The P4M900 CD Northbridge (NB) and VT8237S Southbridge (SB) chipsets are
based on an innovative and scalable architecture with proven reliability and performance.
P4M900
CD
(NB)
VT8237S
(SB)
•Supports 66 MHz, 4x and 8x transfer modes, Ultra V-Link
Host interface with 1 GB/s total bandwidth
•Supports up to two PCI Express ports, configured as one
x16 and one x1 PCI Express lanes
•Integrated Chrome9 HC 3D/2D Graphics & Video Controller
•Advanced 64-bit DDR2 SDRAM controller
• ACPI 2.0 and PCI Bus Power Management 1.1 complaint
•Supports 16-bit 66 MHz Ultra V-Link Host interface with
total bandwidth of 1 GB/s
•Compliant with PCI 2.3 specification at 33 MHz, supporting
up to 6 PCI masters
•Integrated SATA Controller with maximum transfer rate up
to 3.0 Gb/s.
The motherboard comes with the following expansion options:
•One PCI Express x16 slot for Graphics Interface
• One PCI Express x1 slot
•Two 32-bit PCI v2.3 compliant slots
•One 40-pin IDE connectors supporting up to 2 IDE devices
•Two 7-pin SATA connectors
This motherboard supports UltraDMA bus mastering with transfer rates of 133/
100/66 MB/s.
Integrated I/O
The motherboard has a full set of I/O ports and connectors:
•Two PS/2 ports for mouse and keyboard
•One serial port
•One VGA port
•Four USB ports
•One LAN port
•Audio jacks for microphone, line-in and 6/8-channel (optional)
line-out
Introducing the Motherboard
3
4
BIOS Firmware
This motherboard uses AMI BIOS that enables users to configure system
features including the following:
•Power management
•Wake-up alarms
•CPU parameters
•CPU and memory timing
The firmware can also be used to set parameters for different processor clock
speeds.
Some hardware specifications and software items are subject to change
without prior notice.
Introducing the Motherboard
Motherboard Components
5
Introducing the Motherboard
6
Table of Motherboard Components
LABELCOMPONENTS
1. CPU Socket
2. CPU_FAN
3. DDRII1~2
4. ATX1
5. SATA1~2
6. IDE1
7. SPK1
8. IR1
9. PANEL1
10. CLR_CMOS
11. USB3~4
12. USBPWR_F2
13. FDD1
14. CD_IN1
15. F_AUDIO1
16. SPDIFO1
17. PCI1~2
18. PCIEX1
19. PCIEX16
20. USBPWR_R1
LGA775 socket for * Intel
CoreTM2 Duo/Pentium® 4/Celeron® D CPUs
CPU cooling fan connector
240-pin DDR2 SDRAM slots
Standard 24-pin ATX power connector
Serial ATA connectors
Primary IDE connector
Speaker header
Infrared header
Front panel switch/LED header
Clear CMOS jumper
Front Panel USB headers
Front Panel USB Power Select Jumper
Floppy disk drive connector
Analog audio input connector
Front panel audio header
SPDIF out header
32-bit add-on card slots
PCI Express x1 slot
PCI Express slot for graphics interface
Real Panel USB PS/2 Power Select Jumper
®
CoreTM2 Quad/Intel
®
21. SYS_FAN System cooling fan connector
22. LPT1 Parallel port header
23. ATX_12V1 Auxiliary 4-pin power connector
This concludes Chapter 1. The next chapter explains how to install the motherboard.
Introducing the Motherboard
Chapter 2
Installing the Motherboard
Safety Precautions
•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 they came in
•Hold all circuit boards by the edges. Do not bend circuit boards
Choosing a Computer Case
There are many types of computer cases on the market. The motherboard complies
with the specifications for the Micro ATX system case. First, some features on the
motherboard are implemented by cabling connectors on the motherboard to indicators and switches on the system case. Make sure that your case supports all the
features required. Secondly, this motherboard supports one floppy diskette drive and
one enhanced IDE drive. Make sure that your case has sufficient power and space for
all drives that you intend to install.
Most cases have a choice of I/O templates in the rear panel. Make sure that the I/O
template in the case matches the I/O ports installed on the rear edge of the
motherboard.
This motherboard carries a Micro ATX form factor of 244 x 200 mm. Choose a case
that accommodates this form factor.
7
Installing the Motherboard in a Case
Refer to the following illustration and instructions for installing the motherboard in
a case.
Most system cases have mounting brackets installed in the case, which correspond
the holes in the motherboard. Place the motherboard over the mounting brackets
and secure the motherboard onto the mounting brackets with screws.
Ensure that your case has an I/O template that supports the I/O ports and expansion
slots on your motherboard.
Installing the Motherboard
8
Do not over-tighten the screws as this can stress the motherboard.
Checking Jumper Settings
This section explains how to set jumpers for correct configuration of the motherboard.
Setting Jumpers
Use the motherboard jumpers to set system configuration options. Jumpers with
more than one pin are numbered. When setting the jumpers, ensure that the jumper
caps are placed on the correct pins.
The illustrations show a 2-pin jumper. When
the jumper cap is placed on both pins, the
jumper is SHORT. If you remove the jumper
cap, or place the jumper cap on just one pin,
the jumper is OPEN.
This illustration shows a 3-pin jumper. Pins
1 and 2 are SHORT
SHORT OPEN
Installing the Motherboard
Checking Jumper Settings
The following illustration shows the location of the motherboard jumpers. Pin 1 is
labeled.
Jumper Settings
9
Jumper
CLR_CMOS
USBPWR_F2
USBPWR_R1
Type
DescriptionSetting (default)
1-2: NORMAL
3-pin
3-pin
To avoid the system unstability after clearing CMOS, we recommend
users to enter the main BIOS setting page to “Load Optimal Defaults”
and then “Save Changes and Exit”.
3-pin
Clear CMOS
Front Panel
USBPower
Select Jumper
Rear USB PS/2
Power Select
Jumper
2-3: CLEAR CMOS
Before clearing the
CMOS, make sure to
turn off the system.
1-2: VCC
2-3: 5VSB
1-2: VCC
2-3: 5VSB
1
CLR_CMOS
1
USBPWR_F2
1
USBPWR_R1
Installing the Motherboard
10
Connecting Case Components
After you have installed the motherboard into a case, you can begin connecting the motherboard components. Refer to the following:
1Connect the CPU cooling fan cable to CPU_FAN.
2Connect the system cooling fan connector to SYS_FAN.
3Connect the case switches and indicator LEDs to the PANEL1.
4Connect the standard power supply connector to ATX1.
5Connect the auxiliary case power supply connector to ATX_12V1.
6Connect the case speaker cable to SPK1.
Connecting 20/24-pin power cable
Users please note that the 20-pin and 24-pin power cables can both be
connected to the ATX1 connector. With the 20-pin power cable, just align
the 20-pin power cable with the pin 1 of the ATX1 connector. However,
using 20-pin power cable may cause the system to become unbootable or
unstable because of insufficient electricity. A minimum power of 300W is
recommended for a fully-configured system.
With ATX v1.x power supply, users please
note that when installing 20-pin power cable,
the latche of power cable clings to the left
side of the ATX1 connector latch, just as the
20-pin power cable
24-pin power cable
picture shows.
With ATX v2.x power supply, users please
note that when installing 24-pin power cable,
the latches of power cable clings to the right
side of the ATX1 connector latch.
Installing the Motherboard
CPU_FAN: Cooling F AN Power Connectors
PinSignal NameFunction
1GNDSystem Ground
2+12VPower +12V
3 Sense Sensor
4 PWM CPU FAN control
Users please note that the fan connector supports the CPU cooling
fan of 1.1A~2.2A (26.4W max.) at +12V.
SYS_FAN: Cooling F AN Power Connectors
PinSignal NameFunction
1GNDSystem Ground
2+12VPower +12V
3 Sense Sensor
ATX1: A TX 24-pin Power Connector
Pin Signal NamePin Signal Name
1+3.3V13+3.3V
2+3.3V14-12V
3Ground15Ground
4+5V16PS_ON
5Ground17Ground
6+5V18Ground
7Ground19Ground
8PWRGD20-5V
9+5VSB21+5V
10+12V22+5V
11 +12V 23+5V
12 +3.3V 24Ground
11
ATX_12V1: ATX 12V Power Connector
PinSignal Name
1Ground
2Ground
3+12V
4+12V
SPK1: Speaker header
PinSignal Name
1VCC
2Key
3NC
4Signal
Installing the Motherboard
12
Front Panel Header
The front panel header (PANEL1) provides a standard set of switch and LED headers
commonly found on ATX or micro-ATX cases. Refer to the table below for information:
PinSignalFunctionPinSignalFunction
1 HD_LED_P Hard disk LED(+)
3 HD_LED_N Hard disk LED(- )
5 RST_SW_N Reset Switch(-)
7 RST_SW_P Reset Switch(+)
9 RSVDReserved
* MSG LED (dual color or single color)
Hard Drive Activity LED
Connecting pins 1 and 3 to a front panel mounted LED provides visual indication
that data is being read from or written to the hard drive. For the LED to function
properly, an IDE drive should be connected to the onboard IDE interface. The LED
will also show activity for devices connected to the SCSI (hard drive activity LED)
connector.
2 FP PWR/SLP *MSG LED(+)
4 FP PWR/SLP *MSG LED(-)
6 PWR_SW_P Power Switch(+)
8 PWR_SW_N Power Switch(-)
10 KeyNo pin
Power/Sleep/Message waiting LED
Connecting pins 2 and 4 to a single or dual-color, front panel mounted LED provides
power on/off, sleep, and message waiting indication.
Reset Switch
Supporting the reset function requires connecting pin 5 and 7 to a momentarycontact switch that is normally open. When the switch is closed, the board resets and
runs POST.
Power Switch
Supporting the power on/off function requires connecting pins 6 and 8 to a momentary-contact switch that is normally open. The switch should maintain contact for
at least 50 ms to signal the power supply to switch on or off. The time requirement
is due to internal de-bounce circuitry. After receiving a power on/off signal, at least
two seconds elapses before the power supply recognizes another on/off signal.
Installing the Motherboard
Installing Hardware
Installing the Processor
Caution: When installing a CPU heatsink and cooling fan make
sure that you DO NOT scratch the motherboard or any of the
surface-mount resistors with the clip of the cooling fan. If the clip
of the cooling fan scrapes across the motherboard, you may cause
serious damage to the motherboard or its components.
On most motherboards, there are small surface-mount resistors
near the processor socket, which may be damaged if the cooling
fan is carelessly installed.
Avoid using cooling fans with sharp edges on the fan casing and
the clips. Also, install the cooling fan in a well-lit work area so
that you can clearly see the motherboard and processor socket.
Before installing the Processor
This motherboard automatically determines the CPU clock frequency and system
bus frequency for the processor. You may be able to change these settings by making
changes to jumpers on the motherboard, or changing the settings in the system Setup
Utility. We strongly recommend that you do not over-clock processors or other
components to run faster than their rated speed.
Warning: Over-clocking components can adversely affect the
reliability of the system and introduce errors into your system.
Over-clocking can permanently damage the motherboard by
generating excess heat in components that are run beyond the
rated limits.
13
This motherboard has an LGA775 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.
Installing the Motherboard
14
CPU Installation Procedure
The following illustration shows CPU installation components.
A. Read and follow the instructions shown on the
sticker on the CPU cap.
B. Unload the cap
· Use thumb & forefinger to hold the
lifting tab of the cap.
· Lift the cap up and remove the cap
completely from the socket.
C. Open the load plate
· Use thumb & forefinger to hold the
hook of the lever, pushing down and pulling
aside unlock it.
· Lift up the lever.
· Use thumb to open the load plate. Be
careful not to touch the contacts.
D. Install the CPU on the socket
· Orientate CPU package to the socket.
Make sure you match triangle marker
to pin 1 location.
E. Close the load plate
· Slightly push down the load plate onto the
tongue side, and hook the lever.
· CPU is locked completely .
F. Apply thermal grease on top of the CPU.
G. Fasten the cooling fan supporting base onto
the CPU socket on the motherboard.
H. Make sure the CPU fan is plugged to the
CPU fan connector. Please refer to the CPU
cooling fan user’s manual for more detail
installation procedure.
To achieve better airflow rates and heat dissipation, we suggest
1.
that you use a high quality fan with 3800 rpm at least. CPU fan
and heatsink installation procedures may vary with the type of
CPU fan/heatsink supplied. The form and size of fan/heatsink
may also vary.
DO NOT remove the CPU cap from the socket before installing a
2.
CPU.
3.
Return Material Authorization (RMA) requests will be accepted
only if the motherboard comes with the cap on the LGA775
socket.
Installing the Motherboard
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