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680I SLI 122-CK-NF68-XX
User Manual
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EVGA 680I SLI 122-CK-NF68-XX User Manual

User Guide
EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard With Intel Processor
Installation and Configuration
122-CK-NF68-XX
November 2006
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Table of Contents
Before You Begin… .....................................................................................10
Parts NOT in the Kit.......................................................................................10
Intentions of the Kit......................................................................................xlix
Introduction to the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard.............................1
Features.........................................................................................................1
Engineered for Enthusiasts...........................................................................1
Extreme Overclocking ..................................................................................2
Extreme FSB speeds.................................................................................2
Extreme DDR2 Speeds.............................................................................. 2
Comprehensive Overclocking Tools............................................................2
Designed for NVIDIA SLI Technology ............................................................3
True 2 x16 PCI Express SLI Support ..........................................................3
NVIDIA SLI-Ready Memory.......................................................................3
NVIDIA SLI Certified Components..............................................................3
Third PCIe Slot for Graphics Expansion..........................................................3
DualDDR2 Memory Architecture....................................................................3
NVIDIA MediaShield Storage.........................................................................4
Multiple Disk Setup...................................................................................4
DiskAlert System......................................................................................4
RAID Morphing ........................................................................................4
Bootable Multidisk Array ...........................................................................4
Six SATA 3Gb/s Drives..............................................................................4
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Networking with NVIDIA nForce....................................................................5
NVIDIA Native Gigabit Ethernet.................................................................5
NVIDIA FirstPacket™ technology...............................................................5
NVIDIA DualNet® technology...................................................................5
High Definition Audio (HDA) .........................................................................6
USB 2.0 ......................................................................................................6
Motherboard Specifications ..............................................................................7
Unpacking and Parts Descriptions ...............................................................9
Unpacking ......................................................................................................9
Equipment......................................................................................................9
NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard..............................................................10
Hardware Installation.................................................................................13
Safety Instructions ........................................................................................13
Preparing the Motherboard.............................................................................14
Installing the CPU......................................................................................14
Installing the CPU Fan................................................................................15
Installing Memory DIMMs...........................................................................15
Installing the Motherboard.............................................................................16
Installing the I/O Shield .............................................................................16
Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis...................................................16
Connecting Cables and Setting Switches..........................................................17
Power Connections ....................................................................................18
24-pin ATX Power (PWR1) ......................................................................18
8-pin ATX 12V Power (PWR2)..................................................................19
Auxiliary Power for Graphics (PWR3)........................................................19
Connecting IDE Hard Disk Drives ................................................................20
Connecting Serial ATA Cables .....................................................................20
Connecting Internal Headers.......................................................................21
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Front Panel Header ................................................................................21
IEEE 1394a (Optional)............................................................................22
USB Headers .........................................................................................23
Audio........................................................................................................24
Fan Connections........................................................................................25
COM1 (Optional)........................................................................................25
COM1 (Optional)........................................................................................26
FDD Connector..........................................................................................26
Speaker....................................................................................................26
Expansion Slots.........................................................................................27
PCI Slots ...............................................................................................27
PCI Express x1 Slot................................................................................28
PCI Express x16 Slots.............................................................................28
Jumper Settings............................................................................................28
Clear CMOS Jumper: CLR_CMOS.................................................................28
Configuring the BIOS ..................................................................................29
Enter BIOS Setup..........................................................................................30
Main Menu....................................................................................................30
Standard CMOS Features Menu ......................................................................33
Date and Time...........................................................................................34
IDE Channel and SATA Channel..................................................................34
Drive A .....................................................................................................36
Halt On.....................................................................................................36
Memory....................................................................................................37
Advanced BIOS Features................................................................................38
Removable Device Priority..........................................................................39
Hard Disk Boot Priority...............................................................................39
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Network Boot Priority.................................................................................39
CPU Internal Cache....................................................................................39
Quick Power On Self Test...........................................................................40
First/Second/Third Boot Device...................................................................40
Boot Other Device......................................................................................40
Boot Up NumLock Status............................................................................40
Security Option..........................................................................................41
APIC Mode................................................................................................41
MPS Version Control For OS........................................................................41
Full Screen LOGO Show..............................................................................41
Advanced Chipset Features ............................................................................42
System Clocks...........................................................................................43
Frequency Settings.................................................................................44
HT Multiplier..........................................................................................45
Spread Spectrum ...................................................................................45
FSB & Memory Config ................................................................................46
CPU Configuration......................................................................................50
System Voltages........................................................................................51
NVMEM Memory Test.................................................................................53
PCI Clocks.................................................................................................53
Load Timing/Voltage Set ............................................................................53
Save Timing/Voltage Set ............................................................................54
System BIOS Cacheable .............................................................................54
HPET Function...........................................................................................54
NVIDIA GPU Ex .........................................................................................54
LinkBoost..................................................................................................54
Integrated Peripherals Menu ..........................................................................55
IDE Function Setup....................................................................................56
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RAID Config..............................................................................................57
USB Config................................................................................................57
MAC Config...............................................................................................58
IEEE1394 controller ...................................................................................58
HD Audio ..................................................................................................58
IDE HDD Block Mode .................................................................................58
Onboard FDC Controller .............................................................................58
Onboard Serial Port 1.................................................................................58
Power Management Setup Menu.....................................................................59
ACPI Function............................................................................................59
ACPI Suspend Type ...................................................................................59
Soft-Off by PBNT.......................................................................................60
WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off.........................................................................60
Power On by Alarm....................................................................................60
POWER ON Function..................................................................................60
PnP/PCI Configuration Menu...........................................................................61
Init Display First ........................................................................................62
Reset Configuration Data............................................................................62
Resources Controlled By............................................................................. 62
IRQ Resources...........................................................................................63
PCI/VGA Palette Snoop...............................................................................63
Maximum Payload Size...............................................................................63
System Monitor Menu....................................................................................64
Dynamic Fan Control..................................................................................65
Software Installation ..................................................................................67
Windows XP Drivers Install.............................................................................68
Using the NVIDIA Software .......................................................................69
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NVIDIA Monitor.............................................................................................70
NVIDIA nTune 5.0.........................................................................................71
Manual Tuning ..........................................................................................72
Adjust Motherboard Settings...................................................................72
System Voltages ....................................................................................74
System Fans..........................................................................................74
Memory Timing......................................................................................75
Adjust GPU Settings ...............................................................................77
Dynamic BIOS Access ................................................................................78
Available BIOS Pages..............................................................................79
General Settings.....................................................................................79
Advanced Settings..................................................................................79
Boot up Setting......................................................................................80
Automatic Tuning ......................................................................................81
Management.............................................................................................83
View System Information........................................................................83
Adjust Custom Rules ..............................................................................85
System Stability.............................................................................................86
Perform Stability Test.................................................................................86
Storage ........................................................................................................87
Health ......................................................................................................88
View Storage Configuration.....................................................................88
Management.............................................................................................89
Delete Array ..........................................................................................89
Rebuild Array.........................................................................................91
Migrating Array......................................................................................93
Synchronize Array..................................................................................95
NVIDIA Networking .......................................................................................97
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Performance..............................................................................................98
First Packet............................................................................................98
TCP/IP Acceleration .................................................................................100
Teaming .................................................................................................102
Installing Graphics Cards in an SLI Configuration...................................105
Building an SLI System................................................................................105
Determine Component and Operating System Needs..................................105
Install Your NVIDIA SLI-Ready Parts..........................................................105
Install NVIDIA SLI Software...................................................................... 107
Enable NVIDIA SLI...................................................................................111
Appendix A. On-board LED Codes .............................................................112
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Parts NOT in the Kit
This kit contains all the hardware necessary to install and connect your new EVGA nForce 680i SLI motherboard. However, it does not contain the following items that must be purchased separately to make the motherboard functional.
Intel microprocessor:
Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Quad, Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium EE, and Pentium.
Cooling fan for the microprocessor System memory support:
Supports dual channel DDR2 533/667/800, and up to 1200 MHz SLI­Ready Memory. Supports up to 8 GBs DDR2 memory.
Graphics Card
This motherboard is capable of using the NVIDIA SLI technology. To utilize this technology requires an SLI Kit from NVIDIA and two SLI­capable graphics cards. When ordering a graphics card, be sure it is a PCI Express card. The kit does contain the SLI connector used to connect the two graphics cards. See Software Installation
It is important to remember that before installing the driver CD that is shipped in
the kit, you need to load your operating system. The motherboard supports Windows XP 32bit and 64bit and is Vista-capable.
122-CK-NF68-XX
November 2006
Before You Begin…
The kit comes with a CD that contains utility drivers and additional NVIDIA software.
The CD that has been shipped with your NVIDIA motherboard contains the following software and drivers:
NVIDIA nForce drivers RealTek Audio drivers Microsoft DirectX 9.0C NVIDIA nTune
Adobe Acrobat Reader NVIDIA MediaShield RAID Manager NVIDIA Networking (FirstPacket)
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Windows XP Drivers Install
Note: When installing the graphics drivers, the resolution defaults to the lowest
setting (typically 800 x 600), making your display very large. Adjust accordingly.
1. Insert the EVGA NVIDIA nForce 680i installation CD for the graphics
drivers included in the kit.
2. Run
Depending on your system setup, the install disk may automatically run the install CD to open.
setup.exe.
setup.exe. If it does not run, go to My Computer and click on the
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Using the
NVIDIA Software
This section describes how to configure the following NVIDIA software that is included on the CD in the kit from the NVIDIA Control Panel:
NVIDIA Monitor Performance (NVIDIA nTune) Storage (NVIDIA MediaShield RAID Manager) Networking (NVIDIA FirstPacket)
Figure 17. NVIDIA Control Panel, Select a Category
NVIDIA Monitor
The NVIDIA Monitor application can be used at any time with any applications to view the real-time status of various system components. To display the NVIDIA Monitor, select
Monitor.
This display shows the performance (usage) of the CPU, disk, memory,
and network. It also monitors the Bus speeds and voltages.
To view temperatures and fans, click the button.
Start¾All Programs¾NVIDIA Corporation¾NVIDIA
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Introduction
NVIDIA nTune 5.0
The Performance category is used to configure and manage NVIDIA nTune. The NVIDIA nTune program is a full-featured application for accessing, monitoring, and adjusting your system components (including bus speeds and voltages) with clear, user-friendly control panels.
Overclock your system for the highest performance, or underclock it for a nearly silent operation. All changes are performed within the Microsoft Windows interface, enabling full functionality without the need to make changes in the BIOS and reboot your system.
Use the following procedure to access nTune:
3. From the desktop, select
Control Panel.
Start¾All Programs¾NVIDIA Corporation¾NVIDIA
4. Select Performance to display Performance Control Panel Categories.
Figure 18. Performance Control Panel Categories (nTune)
The Performance menu provides the following options:
¾ Manual Tuning
ª Adjust motherboard settings ª Adjust GPU settings ª Dynamic BIOS access
¾ Automatic Tuning
ª Tune system
¾ Management
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ª View system information ª Adjust custom rules
Manual Tuning
The Manual Tuning option provides the ability to adjust motherboard settings, adjust CPU settings, and make changes to the BIOS.
Adjust Motherboard Settings
The controls in the Adjust Motherboard Settings screen let you adjust the performance of the system clocks, system voltages, memory controller timings, and system fans. By manually adjusting these speeds you are able to either increase performance for gaming, or reduce performance to conserve power and create a quieter environment.
Figure 19 shows the Adjust Motherboard Settings screen. Note that as you pass the cursor over the various adjustments, notes display at the bottom of the screen to explain each setting.
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The number to the right of the slider is the new bus speed that will be applied. Make adjustments by using the mouse to drag the slider. All changes take effect immediately after selecting
Apply; however, these setting only remain active for
the current Windows session. This allows you to safely return to Windows if a crash occurs, with no possibility of boot issues since the changes are not made directly to the BIOS settings.
Note: All changes on Adjust Motherboard Settings are dynamically made when you
apply them, and only remain active for the current Windows session. You can save these settings as a profile for use later by using the Profile menu item. If a setting does not allow a change, it probably requires a reboot and should be changed in the BIOS or from the Dynamic BIOS Access page (if available).
Introduction
Figure 19. Adjust Motherboard Settings (nTune)
CAUTION: Increasing the voltage or the clock speed of a component may
void its warranty due to exceeding recommended specifications. NVIDIA and the board manufacturer are not responsible for damage that may occur when component tolerances are exceeded.
System Clocks
This section of the Adjust Motherboard Settings allows you to adjust the reference clocks for the FSB, the SPP PCI Express, and the MCP PCI Express.
Note that as you change the slider for the FSB reference clock, the CPU core frequency, the FSB Frequency and the memory bus frequency are dynamically changed.
System Voltages
CAUTION: Overvoltaging any component can result in damage.
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In this section of the Adjust Motherboard Settings you must understand what you are changing. Overvoltaging any of the components can result in damage to the components. From this menu, you can adjust the following voltages:
CPU Memory FSB HyperTransport SSP MCP nForce SPP nForce MCP Auxiliary
Always note the color of the indicator square to the right of each slider. Green indicates the voltage is within range and will not damage any components. Yellow means to proceed with caution; you are no longer in the safe range. If the indicator square is red, you are possible overvoltaging the component and could be causing damage.
System Fans
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This section of the Adjust Motherboard Settings menu allows you to control the CPU, System, nForce, MCP, and the auxiliary fans. You can either set all the fans to automatic control or you can manually control each fan.
When in manual control, you can specify to show the temperatures in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Introduction
Memory Timing
This section of the Adjust Motherboard Settings allows you to adjust various memory timings and cycles.
Row Address Strobe
Adjusts the minimum RAS active time. This is the amount of time between a row being activated by Precharge and deactivated. A row cannot be deactivated until tRAS has completed. The lower this value, the faster the performance. However, if it is set too low it can cause data corruption by deactivating the row to soon. Adjustable from 1 to 63.
Write Recovery Time
Memory timing that determines the delay between a write command and a Precharge command is set to the same bank of memory. Adjustable from 1 to 15.
W to R Termination Turnaround
The Write-to-Read time is the number of clock cycles between the last write data pair and the subsequent READ command to the same physical block. Adjustable from 1 to 15.
RAS to CAS access
The RAS-to-CAS access (tRCD) is the amount of time in cycles for issuing an active command and the read/write commands. Adjustable from 1 to 15.
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RAS to RAS Delay
The RAS-to-RAS delay (tRRD) is the is the amount of cycles it takes to activate the next bank of memory (this is the opposite of tRAS). The lower the timing the better the system performance. However, this scenario can cause instability. Adjustable from 1 to 15.
Refresh Rate
This value is filled in by the system and can not be changed by the user.
Memory bank switch
The row Precharge time (tRP) is the minimum time between active commands and the read/writes of the next bank on the memory module. Adjustable from 1 to 15.
R to W Turnaround
The Read-to-Write turnaround (tRWT) is a the amount of cycles for the command to be executed when a Write command is received. Adjustable from 1 to 15.
R to R Timing
the Read-to-Read time (tRDRD) is the number of clock cycles between the last read and the subsequent READ command to the same physical bank. Adjustable from 1 to 15.
Row Cycle Time
The Row Cycle Time is the minimum time in cycles it take a row to complete a full cycle. This can be determined by tRC=tRAS+tRP. If this value is set too short, it can cause corruption of data. If this value is set too high, it causes a loss in performance but an increase in stability. Adjustable from 1 to 63 cycles
W to R Command Delay
The Write-to-Read (tWRD) command delay is the amount of cycles required between a valid write command and the next read command. A lower cycle time results in better performance but is can instability. Adjustable from 0 to 6 cycles.
W to W Timing
The Write-to-Write (tWRWR) timing is the number of clock cycles between the last write and the subsequent Write command to the same physical bank. Adjustable from 2 to 15 cycles.
CAS Latency
The CAS Latency (tCL) is the time (in number of clock cycles) that elapses after the memory controller sends a request to read a memory location and before the data is sent to the module's output pins. The value shown cannot be changed.
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Introduction
Clock Drive Strength
This value is filled in by the system and can not be changed by the user.
Command Per Clock
The Command Per Clock (tCPC) sets the Command Rate for the memory controller. The value shown cannot be changed
Async Latency
This value is filled in by the system and can not be changed by the user.
Adjust GPU Settings
Use this interface to adjust the graphics processing unit (GPU) on your video card(s). You can override the shipped clock frequencies of your GPU and GPU memory and set the GPU fan speed. Increasing the clock speeds increases your GPU performance and may require adjusting cooling to maintain the same level of reliability.
Figure 20. Adjust GPU Settings (nTune)
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Dynamic BIOS Access
Dynamic BIOS Access allows you to change some of your system BIOS settings. The changes do not go into effect until you reboot your system. Since these changes are made to actual BIOS settings in the CMOS, the settings remain active until you change them again or restore the CMOS to the default settings.
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Figure 21. Dynamic BIOS Access (nTune)
Introduction
Available BIOS Pages
In the Dynamic BIOS Access page, select a BIOS page that you want to edit from the Available BIOS Pages drop-down menu The BIOS page you select determines which items on the Dynamic BIOS Access menu are available for changing. To edit an item, select an option from the drop-down menus associated with each item. When finished making your changes, click
Apply.
Note: This feature is available only with BIOS support from the motherboard
manufacturer.
OK or
General Settings
This section of the Dynamic BIOS Access menu allows you to Enable or Disable the CPU Internal Cache and the Quick Power on Self Test (POST).
Advanced Settings
This section of the Dynamic BIOS Access menu allows you to set the following options:
Security options
¾ Setup ¾ System
MPS Version Control For
¾ 1.1 ¾ 1.4
APIC Mode
¾ Disabled ¾ Enabled
Full Screen LOGO Show
¾ Disabled ¾ Enabled
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Boot up Setting
This section of the Dynamic BIOS Access menu allows you to set the following options:
First/Second/Third Boot Device
¾ Removable ¾ Hard Disk ¾ CDROM ¾ Legacy LAN ¾ Disable
Swap Floppy Drive
¾ Enable ¾ Disable
Boot Up Floppy Seek
¾ Enable ¾ Disable
Boot UP NumLock Status
¾ On ¾ Off
Gate A20 Option
¾ Normal ¾ Fast
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Introduction
Automatic Tuning
The NVIDIA nTune performance manager uses a complex searching algorithm to determine the best possible and most stable performance for you system. The nTune tuning engine pushes your system to the limits to test the highest possible performance settings. Because of this, there may be instances of system hangs during the testing. When you restart the system, nTune continues its tuning process until the process is complete. It is highly recommended that you check the bottom of the Tune System screen. The effects of the tuning process apply to the current Windows session only.
The nTune tuning engine runs internal benchmark tests on your system and creates performance profiles and rules.
CAUTION: Make sure to save and close all work prior to running the Tune
System function. Close all applications and do not perform other tasks during the tuning session.
Select to continue the tuning process upon reboot box at the
Three tuning options are available on the Tune System menu:
Course tuning takes approximately 20 minutes to run while it adjusts
system bus speeds and parameters. It first saves current bus speeds as two profiles: the
Bestsystem.npe with the highest passing settings.
Fine tuning takes approximately three (3) hours and performs a more
Default.npe file with current bus speeds and
complex tuning on bus speeds, memory timings, and voltages. This more complex testing achieves maximum performance.
Tuning using custom settings allows you to select specific areas to test
and the duration of the tests. Remember that a longer tuning session results in more precise and stable settings. The progress of your test and the results upon completion are displayed when the benchmarks are being executed. You can cancel the tests at any time.
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Figure 22. Tune System Menu (nTune)
Introduction
Management
The Management option on the View System Information screen allows you to view hardware, software, and system information and adjust profiles.
View System Information
This screen is for information purposes only (you cannot make any changes to the information). The View System Information screen provides hardware, software, and system information that you can save to a log file to assist customer support or for your own uses.
Figure 23. View System Information (nTune)
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Hardware and driver version information can be viewed and saved using this interface. The status of the system, including current system clock speeds, system temperatures, memory timings, and system voltages can be logged. Versions of NVIDIA software and other system software are listed under Software information.
Detailed CPU and memory information is displayed when you double-click on a processor or DIMM listed under Hardware information.
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Introduction
Adjust Custom Rules
The Adjust Custom Rules selection provides you with the ability to create a rule to define when the system should use a particular profile (.nsu files or files) that was created from a manual or automatic tuning session.
With custom rules, you can make your system run faster when you are playing games or make it run quieter when you are surfing the Internet.
.npe
Figure 24. Adjust Custom Rules (nTune)
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