EVGA 680i SLI LT User Manual

User Guide

EVGA nForce 680i LT SLI
Motherboard
With Intel Processor

Installation and Configuration

i

Table of Contents

Before You Begin… .....................................................................................vii

Parts NOT in the Kit....................................................................................... vii

Intentions of the Kit.......................................................................................viii

Introduction to the EVGA nForce 680i LT SLI Motherboard .......................1

Features .........................................................................................................1

Ultimate Overclocking ..................................................................................1

High-speed Memory.....................................................................................1

Comprehensive Overclocking Tools................................................................1

NVIDIA nTune Utility ................................................................................2

NV BIOS..................................................................................................2

Designed for NVIDIA SLI Technology ............................................................2

True 2 x16 PCI Express SLI Support ..............................................................2

NVIDIA SLI-Ready Memory...........................................................................2

NVIDIA SLI Certified Components .................................................................2

DualDDR2 Memory Architecture ....................................................................3

NVIDIA MediaShield™ Storage......................................................................3

Multiple Disk Setup ......................................................................................3

DiskAlert System..........................................................................................3

RAID Morphing............................................................................................3

Bootable Multidisk Array...............................................................................3

Networking with NVIDIA nForce....................................................................4

NVIDIA Native Gigabit Ethernet.....................................................................4

NVIDIA FirstPacket™ Technology ..................................................................4

TCP/IP Acceleration .....................................................................................4

High Definition Audio (HDA) .........................................................................4

USB 2.0 ......................................................................................................4

Motherboard Specifications ...............................................................................

Unpacking and Parts Descriptions ...............................................................7

Unpacking ......................................................................................................7

ii

Introduction

Equipment ......................................................................................................7

EVGA nForce 680i LT SLI Motherboard..............................................................8

Hardware Installation .................................................................................11

Safety Instructions ........................................................................................11

Preparing the Motherboard.............................................................................12

Installing the CPU ...................................................................................... 12

Installing the CPU Fan................................................................................ 13

Installing Memory DIMMs ........................................................................... 13

Installing the Motherboard ............................................................................. 14

Installing the I/O Shield .............................................................................14

Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis...................................................14

Connecting Cables and Setting Switches.......................................................... 15

Power Connections ....................................................................................16

24-pin ATX Power (PWR1) ......................................................................16

8-pin ATX 12V Power (PWR2)..................................................................17

Auxiliary Power for Graphics (PWR3)........................................................17

Connecting IDE Hard Disk Drives ................................................................18

Connecting Serial ATA Cables .....................................................................18

Connecting Internal Headers.......................................................................19

Front Panel Header ................................................................................19

IEEE 1394a............................................................................................20

USB Headers .........................................................................................21

Audio........................................................................................................ 22

Fan Connections ........................................................................................ 23

COM1 .......................................................................................................24

FDD Connector ..........................................................................................24

Expansion Slots .........................................................................................24

PCI Slots ...............................................................................................25

iii

PCI Express x1 Slot ................................................................................25

PCI Express x16 Slots .............................................................................25

Jumper Settings ............................................................................................26

Clear CMOS Jumper: CLR_CMOS.................................................................26

Configuring the BIOS ..................................................................................27

Enter BIOS Setup .......................................................................................... 28

Main Menu.................................................................................................... 28

Standard CMOS Features Menu ......................................................................31

Date and Time...........................................................................................32

IDE Channel and SATA Channel ..................................................................32

Drive A .....................................................................................................34

Halt On.....................................................................................................34

Memory ....................................................................................................35

Advanced BIOS Features................................................................................ 36

Removable Device Priority .......................................................................... 37

Hard Disk Boot Priority ............................................................................... 37

Network Boot Priority ................................................................................. 37

CPU Internal Cache.................................................................................... 37

Quick Power On Self Test ........................................................................... 38

First/Second/Third Boot Device ................................................................... 38

Boot Other Device......................................................................................38

Boot Up NumLock Status............................................................................38

Security Option.......................................................................................... 39

APIC Mode ................................................................................................ 39

MPS Version Control For OS........................................................................ 39

Full Screen LOGO Show.............................................................................. 39

Advanced Chipset Features ............................................................................40

System Clocks ...........................................................................................41

Frequency Settings................................................................................. 42

HT Multiplier..........................................................................................43

iv

Introduction

Spread Spectrum ...................................................................................43

FSB & Memory Config ................................................................................44

CPU Configuration......................................................................................48

System Voltages ........................................................................................ 49

NVMEM Memory Test.................................................................................51

PCI Clocks....................................................................................................

Load Timing/Voltage Set ............................................................................51

Save Timing/Voltage Set ............................................................................52

System BIOS Cacheable .............................................................................52

HPET Function........................................................................................... 52

NVIDIA GPU Ex .........................................................................................52

Integrated Peripherals Menu ..........................................................................53

IDE Function Setup....................................................................................54

RAID Config ..............................................................................................55

USB Config................................................................................................ 55

MAC Config ...............................................................................................56

IEEE1394 controller ...................................................................................56

HD Audio ..................................................................................................56

IDE HDD Block Mode .................................................................................56

Onboard FDC Controller .............................................................................56

Onboard Serial Port 1................................................................................. 56

Power Management Setup Menu.....................................................................57

ACPI Function............................................................................................57

ACPI Suspend Type ...................................................................................57

Soft-Off by PBNT .......................................................................................58

WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off ......................................................................... 58

Power On by Alarm....................................................................................58

POWER ON Function .................................................................................. 58

v

PnP/PCI Configuration Menu...........................................................................59

Init Display First ........................................................................................60

Reset Configuration Data............................................................................ 60

Resources Controlled By.............................................................................60

IRQ Resources...........................................................................................61

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop...............................................................................61

Maximum Payload Size...............................................................................61

System Monitor Menu .................................................................................... 62

Dynamic Fan Control.................................................................................. 63

Installing Graphics Cards in an SLI Configuration.....................................65

Building an SLI System ..................................................................................65

Determine Component and Operating System Needs ....................................65

Install Your NVIDIA SLI-Ready Parts............................................................68

Install NVIDIA SLI Software........................................................................ 69

Enable NVIDIA SLI..................................................................................... 70

vi

Introduction

Before You Begin…

Parts NOT in the Kit

This kit contains all the hardware necessary to install and connect your new
EVGA nForce® 680i LT 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 Duo Pentium EE, Pentium

 Cooling fan for the microprocessor

 System memory support:

Supports dual channel DDR2 533/667/800, and up to 800 MHz SLI-Ready
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 SLI-capable
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 Installing Graphics Cards in an
SLI Configuration on page 65.

 Power Supply

The power supply requirement is dependent upon the power and the number
of the GPUs you install. If you are going to SLI two graphics cards, you are
going to require more power. As a rule, for one GPU you need a minimum of
a 350 W power supply. If you have two GPUs in an SLI configuration, you
will need a minimum of a 500 W power supply. To calculate the power you
are going to require for your specific configuration, go to www.slizone.com

.

These instructions tell you how to install each of the parts listed so you can
have a functioning motherboard. As you go through the installation
instructions, we are assuming you have purchased the necessary parts.

vii

Intentions of the Kit

This kit provides you with the motherboard and all connecting cables necessary
to install the motherboard into a PC cabinet. If you are building a PC, you will
use most of the cables provided in the kit. If however, you are replacing a
motherboard, you will not need many of the cables.

When replacing a motherboard in a PC cabinet, you will need to reinstall an
operating system even though the current drives have an operating system.

viii

Thank you for buying the EVGA NFORCE 680i LT SLI Motherboard. This
motherboard offers the tools and performance PC users’ demand. When
combined with two SLI-Ready NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards, you get
innovative NVIDIA SLI Technology for enhanced system performance.

Features

Introduction to the

EVGA nForce 680i LT

SLI Motherboard

Ultimate Overclocking

Unleash the underlying hardware. With comprehensive overclocking tools to
push the limits on front side bus (FSB) speed and support for higher memory
speeds, the EVGA NVIDIA nForce 680i LT SLI MCPs were designed for
overclocking.

High-speed Memory

This board supports high-speed SLI-Ready memory up to DDR2-800 to keep
pace with overclocked system components.

Comprehensive Overclocking Tools

Award-winning NVIDIA overclocking tools provide a complete kit of tools
giving everyone from the most veteran enthusiast to the novice overclocker the
ability to unleash the hardware in their PC.

1

NVIDIA nTune Utility

NVIDIA nTune™ is a Windows-based utility that has added access to more
settings. Adjust CPU and memory speeds without rebooting. You can also
access most BIOS settings from inside Windows without having to go into the
BIOS. Save and automatically load profiles for each application you run.

NV BIOS

NV BIOS delivers easy-to-use tuning to let you have full control over your
hardware including processor voltage tables and memory drive strengths.

Designed for NVIDIA SLI Technology

NVIDIA SLI technology is a revolutionary platform innovation that allows
users to intelligently scale graphics performance by combining multiple
NVIDIA graphics solutions in a single system with an NVIDIA nForce 680i LT
SLI MCP.

True 2 x16 PCI Express SLI Support

Two full-bandwidth, 16-lane PCI Express links ensure maximum graphics
performance for next-generation GPUs and games. True 2 x16 PCI Express
SLI Support offers twice the PCI Express bandwidth of x8 SLI solutions.

NVIDIA SLI-Ready Memory

NVIDIA nForce 680i LT SLI MCP automatically increases bandwidth when
select SLI Certified memory modules are detected.

NVIDIA SLI Certified Components

Look for other components including NVIDIA® GeForce® GPUs and system
memory that have been certified by NVIDIA to deliver unmatched
performance with the EVGA nForce 680i LT SLI motherboard. For more
information on SLI Certified components, visit

2

www.SLIZone.com\nForce.

Introduction

Dual DDR2 Memory Architecture

A state-of-the-art Dual DDR2 memory controller allows high bandwidth and
low latency data access to the CPU and GPU. Ensures data and information are
relayed through the system as quickly as possible for incredible performance.

NVIDIA MediaShield™ Storage

NVIDIA MediaShield is a suite of features that safeguards your most important
digital media assets; always reliable, scalable, and accessible. MediaShield
includes RAID and SATA drive support.

Multiple Disk Setup

Through a simple wizard-based interface, you can effortlessly set up your drives
for better data protection, faster disk access or maximum storage capacity.
MediaShield automatically selects RAID 0, 1, 0+1 or 5 configurations according
to your needs. Advanced users can access RAID options directly.

DiskAlert System

The event of a disk failure, MediaShield users see an image that highlights which
disk has failed to make it easier to identify, replace, and recover.

RAID Morphing

MediaShield allows users to change their current RAID set-up to another
configuration in a one-step process called morphing. This eliminates the need
to back up data and follow multiple steps in the process.

Bootable Multidisk Array

MediaShield storage fully supports the use of multi-disk array for loading the
operating system at power-up.

3

Networking with NVIDIA nForce

NVIDIA networking delivers the highest network throughput at the lowest
CPU utilization. The manageable and stable NVIDIA networking solution
results in better networking management and a lower total cost of ownership.
Only NVIDIA integrates this level of networking features to allow you to take
your online experience to the next level.

NVIDIA Native Gigabit Ethernet

The industry’s fastest Gigabit Ethernet performance eliminates network
bottlenecks and improves overall system efficiency and performance.

NVIDIA FirstPacket™ Technology

Be the ‘King of Ping’ with NVIDIA FirstPacket technology. Get the crystal­clear phone conversations and online gaming performance you expect.
NVIDIA FirstPacket technology assures your game data, VoIP conversations,
and large file transfers are delivered according to preferences set by you in an
intuitive wizard.

TCP/IP Acceleration

TCP/IP Acceleration delivers the highest system performance by offloading
CPU-intensive packet filtering tasks in hardware, providing users with a PC
networking environment that is faster.

High Definition Audio (HDA)

High definition audio brings consumer electronics quality sound to the PC
delivering high quality sound from multiple channels. Using HDA, systems can
deliver 192 kHz/32-bit quality for eight channels, supporting new audio
formats.

USB 2.0

USB 2.0 is standard plug-and-play interface that provides easy-to-use
connectivity for USB devices.

4

Introduction

Motherboard Specifications

 Size

ATX form factor of 12 inch x 9.6 inch

 Microprocessor support

Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Quad, Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium EE,
Pentium

 Operating systems:

Supports Windows XP 32bit/64bit and Windows Vista 32bit/64bit

 Contains NVIDIA nForce 680i LT SLI MCP and SPP

 System Memory support

Supports dual channel JEDEC DDR2-800 and SLI-Ready memory up to 800
MHz. Supports up to 8 GBs DDR2 memories.

 USB 2.0 Ports

¾ Supports hot plug
¾ Eight USB 2.0 ports (four rear panel ports, four onboard USB headers)
¾ Supports wake-up from S1 and S3 mode
¾ Supports USB 2.0 protocol up to 480 Mbps transmission rate

 Onboard Serial ATA II

¾ 300MBps data transfer rate
¾ Six Serial ATA II connectors
¾ NVIDIA MediaShield RAID with support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID

0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD

¾ Supports hot plug and NCQ (Native Command Queuing )

 Onboard LAN

¾ Single LAN interface built-in onboard
¾ Supports 10/100/1000 Mbit/sec Ethernet

5

 Onboard 1394

¾ Support hot plug
¾ Two 1394a ports (one rear panel port, one onboard header) with rate of

transmission at 400 Mbps

 Onboard Audio

¾ Azalia High-Definition audio
¾ Supports 8-channel audio
¾ Supports S/PDIF output
¾ Supports Jack-Sensing function

 Dual PCI Express x16 Support

¾ Supports 4 GB/sec (8 GB/sec concurrent) bandwidth
¾ Low power consumption and power management features

 Green Function

¾ Supports ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)
¾ Supports S0 (normal), S1 (power on suspend), S3 (suspend to RAM), S4

(Suspend to disk - depends on OS), and S5 (soft - off)

 Expansion Slots

¾ Two PCI slots
¾ Two PCI Express x1 slot
¾ Two PCI Express x16 Graphics slots

6

Unpacking

The EVGA nForce 680i LT SLI motherboard comes with all the necessary
cables for adding a motherboard to a new chassis. If you are replacing a
motherboard, you may not need many of these cables.

Be sure to inspect each piece of equipment shipped in the packing box. If
anything is missing or damaged, contact your reseller.

All parts shipped in this kit are RoHS-compliant (lead-free) parts.

Unpacking and

Parts Descriptions

Equipment

The following equipment is included in the EVGA nForce 680i LT SLI
motherboard box.

EVGA nForce 680i LT SLI Motherboard
This PCI Express motherboard contains the NVIDIA

nForce 680i LT SLI SPP and MCP and is SLI-ready.

I/O Shield
Installs in the chassis to block radio frequency

transmissions, protect internet components from dust
and foreign objects and aids in proper airflow within
the chassis.

Floppy Cable

7

Used to attach a floppy drive to the motherboard.

2-Port SATA Power Cable (Qty Three)

1394 Cable
Provides two additional 1394 ports to either the front

or back panels of the chassis.

USB 2.0 4-Port Cable
Provides four additional USB ports to either the front

or back panels of the chassis.

SATA Signal Cable (Qty Six)
Used to support the Serial ATA protocol and each one

connects a single drive to the motherboard

Comm2 Bracket Cable

IDE-ATA 133 HDD Cable

SLI Connector
Used to connect two graphic cards installed in the x16

PCI Express slots in an SLI configuration.

EVGA nForce 680i LT SLI
Motherboard

The EVGA nForce 680i LT SLI motherboard with the NVIDIA nForce 680i
LT SLI SPP and MCP processors is a PCI Express, SLI-ready motherboard.
Figure 1 shows the motherboard and Figures 2 shows the back panel
connectors.

8

Unpacking and Parts Description

18 19 18

20

21

19

22

23

21

14

16

15

14

17

13

12

24

2

3

4

10

9

11

9

7

8

6

5

1. CPU Socket 9. Serial-ATA connectors 17. Front Audio connector

2. NVIDIA SPP with Active fan 10. NVIDIA MCP 18. PCI slots

3. CPU fan connector 11. Floppy drive connector 19. PCI Express x16 slots (SLI)

4. DDR DIMM Slots 0 - 3 12. USB headers 20. NVIDIA MCP fan connector

5. 24-pin ATX Power Connector 13. Motherboard battery 21. PCI Express x1 slot

6. FDD Connector 14. Fan Headers 22. NVIDIA SPP fan connector

7. Front panel connector 15. Serial connector 23. Backpanel connectors (Figure 2)

8. AUX PEX Power connector 16. Clear CMOS 24. 8-pin ATX_12V power connector

Figure 1. EVGA nForce 680i LT SLI Motherboard Layout

9

1

2

3

4

1. PS/2 Mouse Port

2. PS/2 Keyboard Port

3. 1394a (Firewire) Port

4. USB 2.0 ports (two)

5. SPDIF output

6. Port 2-Channel 4-Channel 6-Channel/8-Channel
Blue Line-In Line-In Line-In
Green Line-Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out
Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In
Orange Center/Subwoofer
Black Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out
Grey

7. USB 2.0 Ports (two)

8. Lan Port with LEDs to indicate status.

• Yellow/Light Up/Blink = 10 Mbps/Link/Activity

• Yellow and Green/Light Up/Blink = 100 Mbps/link/Activity

• Green/Light Up/Blink = 1000 Mbps/Link/Activity

5

6

8

7

Figure 2. Chassis Backpanel Connectors

10

This section will guide you through the installation of the motherboard. The
topics covered in this section are:

 Preparing the motherboard

¾ Installing the CPU
¾ Installing the CPU fan
¾ Installing the memory

 Installing the motherboard

 Connecting cables and setting switches

Safety Instructions

Hardware Installation

To reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, and injury, always follow basic
safety precautions.

Remember to remove power from your computer by disconnecting the
AC main source before removing or installing any equipment from/to the
computer chassis.

11

Preparing the Motherboard

The motherboard shipped in the box does not contain a CPU or memory. You
need to purchase a CPU, a CPU fan assembly, and memory to complete this
installation.

Installing the CPU

Be very careful when handling the CPU. Make sure not to bend or break any
pins on the back. Hold the processor only by the edges and do not touch the
bottom of the processor.

Use the following procedure to install the CPU onto
the motherboard.

1. Unhook the socket lever by pushing down and away

from the socket.

2. Lift the load plate. There is a protective socket

cover on the load plate to protect the socket when
there is no CPU installed.

3. Remove the protective socket cover from the load plate.

4. Remove the processor from its protective cover,

making sure you hold it only by the edges.
It is a good idea to save the cover so that
whenever you remove the CPU, you have a safe
place to store it.

5. Align the notches in the processor with the

notches on the socket.

6. Lower the processor straight down into the socket

with out tilting or sliding it into the socket

Note: Make sure the CPU is fully seated and level in the

socket.

Align notches with
notches on the CPU

7. Close the load plate over the CPU and press down

while you close and engage the socket lever.

12

Hardware Installation

Installing the CPU Fan

There are many different fan types that can be used with this motherboard.
Follow the instruction that came with you fan assembly. Be sure that the fan
orientation is correct for your chassis type and your fan assembly.

Installing Memory DIMMs

Your new motherboard has four 1.8V 240-pin slots for DDR2 memory. These
slots support 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB and 2 GB DDR2 technologies for x8 and
x16 devices. They also support dual channel DDR2 memory technology up to

10.7GB/s. There must be at least one memory bank populated to ensure
normal operation. Use the following the recommendations for installing
memory. (See Figure 1 on page 9 for the location of the memory slots on the
card)

 One DIMM: Install into slot 0. You can install the DIMM into any slot,

however, slot 0 is preferred.

 Two DIMMs: Install into either slots 0 and 1 or 2 and 3. The idea is to not

have the DIMMs in adjacent slots.

 Four DIMMS: Install into slots 0, 1, 2, and 3.

CPU side

DIMM Slot 0

DIMM Slot 2

DIMM Slot 1

DIMM Slot 3

Card-edge side

Use the following procedure to install memory DIMMs into the slots on the
motherboard. Note that there is only one gap near the center of the DIMM slot.
This slot matches the slot on the memory DIMM to ensure the component is
installed properly.

1. Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the module clips outward.

2. Align the memory module to the DIMM slot, and insert the module

vertically into the DIMM slot. The plastic clips at both sides of the DIMM
slot automatically lock the DIMM into the connector.

13

Installing the Motherboard

The sequence of installing the motherboard into the chassis depends on the
chassis you are using and if you are replacing an existing motherboard or
working with an empty chassis. Determine if it would be easier to make all the
connections prior to this step or to secure the motherboard and then make all
the connections. Use the following procedure to install the I/O shield and
secure the motherboard into the chassis.

Note: Be sure that the CPU fan assembly has enough clearance for the chassis

covers to lock into place and for the expansion cards. Also make sure the
CPU Fan assembly is aligned with the vents on the covers.

Installing the I/O Shield

The motherboard kit comes with an I/O shield that is used to block radio
frequency transmissions, protects internal components from dust and foreign
objects, and promotes correct airflow within the chassis.

Before installing the motherboard, install the I/O shield from the inside of the
chassis. Press the I/O shield into place and make sure it fits securely. If the
I/O shield does not fit into the chassis, you would need to obtain the proper
size from the chassis supplier.

Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis

Most computer chassis have a base with mounting studs or spacers to allow the
mother board to be secured to the chassis and help to prevent short circuits. If
there are studs that do not align with a mounting hole on the motherboard, it is
recommended that you remove that stud to prevent the possibility of a short
circuit.

1. Carefully place the motherboard onto the studs/spacers located inside the

chassis.

2. Align the mounting holes with the studs/spacers.

3. Align the connectors to the I/O shield.

4. Ensure that the fan assembly is aligned with the chassis vents according to

the fan assembly instruction.

5. Secure the motherboard with a minimum of eight-to-ten screws.

14

Hardware Installation

Connecting Cables and
Setting Switches

This section takes you through all the connections and switch settings necessary
on the motherboard. This will include:

 Power Connections

¾ 24-pin ATX power (
¾ 8-pin ATX 12V power (
¾ Auxiliary power for graphics (

 Internal Headers

¾ Front panel
¾ IEEE 1394a
¾ USB Headers
¾ Audio
¾ COM

 FDD

 IDE

 Serial ATA II

 Chassis Fans

 Rear panel USB 2.0 Adapter

 Expansion slots

 CMOS jumper settings

PWR1)

PWR2)

PWR3)

See Figure 1 on page 9 to locate the connectors and jumpers referenced in the
following procedure.

15

Power Connections

This motherboard requires an ATX power supply. To support a PCI Express
motherboard with the addition of dual graphics cards using NVIDIA SLI
technology, you are going to need a minimum of a 500W power supply. Make
sure you have enough power to cover all the expansion cards you will be
installing. To determine what you power requirements are for your specific
configuration, refer to www.slizone.com

24-pin ATX Power (PWR1)

PWR1 is the main power supply connector located along the edge of the board

next to the DIMM slots. Make sure that the power supply cable and pins are
properly aligned with the connector on the motherboard. Firmly plug the power
supply cable into the connector and make sure it is secure.

Card edge

Figure 3. PWR1 Motherboard Connector

Table 1. PWR1 Pin Assignments

.

PWR1 connector
Plug power cable from system
power supply to PWR1

Connector Pin Signal Pin Signal

24 13

12 1

16

1 +3.3V 13 +3.3V
2 +3.3V 14 -12V
3 GND 15 GND
4 +5V 16 PS_ON
5 GND 17 GND
6 +5V 18 GND
7 GND 19 GND
8 PWROK 20 RSVD
9 +5V_AUX 21 +5V
10 +12V 22 +5V
11 +12V 23 +5V
12 +3.3V 24 GND

Hardware Installation

8-pin ATX 12V Power (PWR2)

PWR2, the 8-pin ATX 12V power connection, is used to provide power to the

CPU. Align the pins to the connector and press firmly until seated.

Backpanel connector edge.

5

1

12V

8 4

GND

Connect a four-pin
power plug to pins
1, 2, 5, and 6.

1 5

It is strongly recommended that you use an 8-pin ATX 12V power supply;
however, if you have a four-pin power supply, plug the connector to pins 1, 2,
5, and 6 as shown.

Auxiliary Power for Graphics (PWR3)

The PWR3 connector is an auxiliary power connection for graphics cards.
Exclusive power for the graphics card provides better graphics performance.

+5V GND

Card Edge

17

GND +1.2

Connecting IDE Hard Disk Drives

The IDE connector supports Ultra ATA 133/100/66 IDE hard disk drives.

1. Connect the blue connector (the cable end with a single connector) to the

motherboard.

2. Connect the black connector (the cable with the two closely spaced black

and gray connectors) to the Ultra ATA master device.

3. Connect the gray connector to a slave device.

If you install two hard disk drives, you must configure the second drive as a
slave device by setting its jumper accordingly. Refer to the hard disk
documentation for the jumper settings.

Note: If an ATA-66/100 disk drive and a disk drive using any other IDE transfer

protocol are attached to the same cable, the maximum transfer rate between
the drives may be reduced to that of the slowest drive.

Connecting Serial ATA Cables

The Serial ATA II connector is used to connect the Serial ATA II device to the
motherboard. These connectors support the thin Serial ATA II cables for
primary storage devices. The current Serial ATA II interface allows up to
300MB/s data transfer rate.

SATA 1
SATA 2

18

There are six serial ATA connectors on the motherboard that support RAID 0,
RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 0+1 and JBOD configurations.

SATA 6 SATA 5
SATA 4 SATA 3

GND GND GND

TX+ RX+

TX- TX-

1. Connect the locking cable end to the

motherboard connector.

2. Connect the end without the lock to the drive.

Hardware Installation

k

Connecting Internal Headers

Front Panel Header

The front panel header on this motherboard is one
connector used to connect the following four
cables:

 PWRLED

Attach the front panel power LED cable to
these two pins of the connector.
The Power LED indicates the system’s status.
When the system is in S0 status, the LED is
on. When the system is in S1, S3, S4, S5
status, the LED is off.

Note: The power LED cable in some chassis is a three pin connector

with the pins installed in positions 1 and 3. If your chassis has a
three pin connector, you will need to remove pin 3 and put it into
position 2 or you can use a pair of scissors to cut out position 2.
Most chassis come with a two pin connector.

 PWRSW

No

Connect

10

HD_LED
RESET - +

9

Blan

PWRSW - +
PWRLED

Attach the power button cable from the case to these two pins. Pressing the
power button on the front panel turns the system on off rather than using the
power supply button.

 HD_LED

Attach the hard disk drive indicator LED cable to these two pins. The HDD
indicator LED indicates the activity status of the hard disks.

 RESET

Attach the Reset switch cable from the front panel of the case to these two
pins. The system restarts when the

RESET switch is pressed.

1

2

19

Table 2. Front Panel Header Pins

Pin Signal In/Out Description

HD_LED

PWRLED

RESET

PWRSW

No Connect

Empty

1 HD_PWR Out Hard disk LED pull-up to +5V

3 HDA# Out Hard disk active LED

2 HDR_BLNK_GRN Out Front panel green light

4 HDR_BLNK_YEL Out Front panel yellow light

5 GND Ground

7 FP_RESET# In Reset switch

6 SWITCH_ON# In Power switch

8 GND Ground

9 No Connect

10 Empty

IEEE 1394a

The IEEE 1394 expansion cable bracket is provided in the box but if you do
not require the additional external connections, you do not need to install it.

1. Secure the bracket to either the front or rear panel of your chassis (not all
chassis are equipped with the front panel option).

2. Connect the two ends of the cables to the IEEE 1394 connectors on the
motherboard.

Table 3. IEEE 1394a Connector Pins

Connector Pin Signal

IEEE 1394a Connector

10

8
6
4
2

20

9
7
5
3
1

1 TPA+
2 TPA­3 GND
4 GND
5 TPB+
6 TPB­7 +12V
8 +12V
9 Empty
10 GND

Hardware Installation

USB Headers

This motherboard contains four (4) USB 2.0
ports that are exposed on the rear panel of the
chassis. The motherboard also contains two
10-pin internal header connectors onboard that
can be used to connect an optional external bracket containing four (4) more
USB 2.0 ports.

1. Secure the bracket to either the front or rear panel of

your chassis (not all chassis are equipped with the
front panel option).

2. Connect the two ends of the cables to the USB 2.0

headers on the motherboard.

Table 4. USB 2.0 Header Pins

Connector Pin Signal Pin Signal

USB 2.0 Header Connector

9

7

5

10

8

6

1 5V_DUAL 2 5V_DUAL

3 D- 4 D-

5 D+ 6 D+

7 GND 8 GND

9 Empty 10 No Connect

3

1

4

2

21

Audio

The audio connector supports HD audio standard and provides two kinds of
audio output choices: the Front Audio, the Rear Audio. The front Audio
supports re-tasking function.

Table 5. Front Audio Connector

Connector Pin Signal

Front Audio Connector

10

8

6

4

2

9

7

5

3

1

1 PORT1_L
2 AUD_GND
3 PORT1_R
4 PRECENCE_J
5 PORT2_R
6 SENSE1_RETURN
7 SENSE_SEND
8 Empty
9 PORT2_L
10 SENSE2_RETURN

22

Hardware Installation

L

g

Fan Connections

There are two fan connections, the system fan and the CPU fan. The fan speed
can be detected and viewed in the
Both fans are automatically turned off after the system enters S3, S4 and S5
mode.

nForce 680i LT SLI
MCP fan connector.

nForce 680i LT SLI SPP fan connector.

PC Health Status section of the CMOS Setup.

The nForce 680i LT SLI SPP and MCP have active
fans to help to cool the chips. The fans plu
3-pin connector.

into a

Fan Connector

3 2 1

GND

+12V

SENSE

23

Note that the CPU fan cable can be either a 3-pin or a 4-pin
connector. Connect a 3-pin connector to pins 1, 2, and 3 on
the motherboard connector.

CPU Fan Connector

4 3 2 1

GND SENSE

PWR CONTRO

COM1

The motherboard kit provides an additional serial COM header for your
machine. Connect one side of a switching cable to the header and then attach
the serial COM device to the other side of the cable.

FDD Connector

The motherboard supports a standard 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44m, and a 2.88M
floppy disk drive (FDD).

Expansion Slots

The EVGA nForce 680i LT SLI motherboard contains six expansion slots, four
PCI Express slots and two PCI slots. For a full list of PCI Express x16 graphics
card supported by this motherboard, go to www.nvidia.com/products

1

2

1

3

4

3

1 – PCI slots
2 – Secondary PCIe x16

slot (GPU2/SLI)
3 – x1 PCIe slots
4 – Primary PCIe x16 slot

(GPU1)

Figure 4. Expansion Slots

24

Hardware Installation

PCI Slots

The two PCI slots support many expansion cards such as a LAN card, USB
card, SCSI card and other cards that comply with PCI specifications. When
installing a card into the PCI slot, be sure that it is fully seated. Secure the card’s
metal bracket to the chassis back panel with the screw used to hold the blank
cover.

PCI Express x1 Slot

There are two PCI Express x1 slots that are designed to accommodate less
bandwidth-intensive cards, such as a modem or LAN card. The x1 slot provides
250 MB/sec bandwidth.

PCI Express x16 Slots

These two PCI Express x16 slots are reserved for graphics or video cards. The
bandwidth of the x16 slot is up to 4GB/sec (8GB/sec concurrent). The design
of this motherboard supports dual PCI-Express graphics cards using NVIDIA’s
SLI technology with multiple displays.

When installing a PCI Express x16 card, be sure the retention clip snaps and
locks the card into place. If the card is not seated properly, it could cause a
short across the pins. Secure the card’s metal bracket to the chassis back panel
with the screw used to hold the blank cover.

To configure for SLI, follow the instructions that come with the SLI kit (the kit
is purchased separately from the motherboard).

25

Jumper Settings

The motherboard contains a 3-pin BIOS configuration jumper that enables all
board configurations to be done in the BIOS Setup program.

The silk screen on the motherboard shows a ∆ next to pin 1.

Clear CMOS Jumper: CLR_CMOS

The motherboard uses the CMOS RAM to store all the set parameters. The
CMOS can be cleared by removing the CMOS jumper.

Use the following procedure to clear CMOS:

1. Turn off the AC power supply and connect pins 1 and 2 together using the

jumper cap.

2. Return the jumper setting to normal (pins 2 and

3. Together with the jumper cap).

4. Turn the AC power supply back on.

26

Configuring the BIOS

This section discusses how to change the system settings through the BIOS
Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.

This section includes the following information:

 Enter BIOS Setup

 Main Menu

 Standard CMOS Features

 Advanced BIOS Features

 Advanced Chipset Features

 Integrated Peripherals

 Power Management Setup

 PnP/PCI Configurations

 System Monitor

27

Enter BIOS Setup

The BIOS is the communication bridge between hardware and software.
Correctly setting the BIOS parameters is critical to maintain optimal system
performance.

Use the following procedure to verify/change BIOS settings.

1. Power on the computer,

2. Press the

Del key when the following message briefly displays at the bottom

of the screen during the Power On Self Test (POST).

Press F1 to continue, DEL to enter Setup.

Pressing Del takes you to the Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility.

Note: It is strongly recommended that you do not change the default BIOS

settings. Changing some settings could damage your computer.

Main Menu

The main menu allows you to select from the list of setup functions and two
exit choices. Use the
options or press
keys to position the selector in the option you choose. To go back to the
previous menu, press

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the

Enter to display the associated submenu. Use the  arrow

Esc.

Note: Note that on the BIOS screens all data in white is for information only, data in

yellow is changeable, data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a

red box is highlighted for selection.

28

Configuring the BIOS

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

` Standard CMOS Features

` Advanced BIOS Features

` Advanced Chipset Features

` Integrated Peripherals

` Power Management Setup

` PnP/PCI Configurations

Esc : Quit
F10 : Save & Exit Setup

Time, Date, Hard Disk Type..,

NVIDIA LinkBoost™ - Not Detected SLI-Ready memory - Disabled

` System Monitor

Load Defaults

Set Password

Save & Exit Setup

Exit Without Saving

 : Select Item

Figure 5. BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Menu

 Standard CMOS Features

Use this menu to set up the basic system configuration.

 Advanced BIOS Features

Use this menu to set up the advanced system features and boot sequence.

 Advanced Chipset Features

Use this menu to optimize system performance and configure clocks,
voltages, memory timings, and more.

 Integrated Peripherals

Use this menu to set up onboard peripherals such as IDE, RAID, USB, LAN,
and MAC control.

 Power Management Setup

Use this menu to configure power management, power on, and sleep features.

 PnP/PCI Configurations

Use this menu to modify the system’s Plug-and-Play and PCI configurations.

 System Monitor

Use this menu to monitor the real-time system status of your PC, including
temperature, voltages, and fan speed.

29

The following items on the CMOS Setup Utility main menu are commands
rather than submenus:

 Load Defaults

Load default system settings.

 Set Password

Use this command to set, change, and disable the password used to access the
BIOS menu.

 Save & Exit Setup

Use this command to save settings to CMOS and exit setup.

 Exit Without Saving

Use this command to abandon all setting changes and exit setup.

The following two items on the CMOS Setup Utility main menu are status
indicators:

 NVIDIA LinkBoost (Status indication at bottom of screen)

This status indicator is displayed at the bottom of the BIOS screen and
consists of the following remarks:

¾ Detected: System detects LinkBoost-capable components.
¾ Not Detected: The LinkBoost components are not detected.

 SLI-Ready Memory (Status indication at bottom of screen)

This status indicator is displayed at the bottom of the BIOS screen and
consists of the following remarks:

¾ Enabled: SLI-Ready memory is detected and enabled.
¾ Disabled: SLI-Ready memory is detected but disabled.
¾ Not Detected: SLI-Ready memory is not detected.

30

Configuring the BIOS

Standard CMOS Features
Menu

The Standard CMOS Features menu is used to configure the standard CMOS
information, such as the date, time, HDD model, and so on. Use the
and Page Down keys to scroll through the options or press Enter to display the
sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys to position the selector in the option you
choose. To go back to the previous menu, press

The information shown in Item Help corresponds to the option highlighted.

Page Up

Esc.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Date (mm:dd:yy) Sat, Jul 01 2006
Time (hh:mm:ss) 12 : 48: 23

` IDE Channel (.) Master [None]
` IDE Channel (.) Slave [None]
` SATA Channel 1 Master [None]
` SATA Channel 2 Master [None]
` SATA Channel 3 Master [None]
` SATA Channel 4 Master [None]
` SATA Channel 5 Master [None]
` SATA Channel 6 Master [None]

Drive A [1.44, 3.5 in.]
Halt On [All , But Keyboard]

Base Memory 640K

Extended Memory 1047552K
Total Memory 1048576K



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Standard CMOS Features

Item Help

Main Level `

Change the day, month,
year and century

Figure 6. Standard CMOS Features Menu

Note: Note that all data in white is for information only, data in yellow is changeable,

data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a red box is highlighted for
selection.

31

Date and Time

Using the arrow keys, position the cursor over the month, day, and year. Use

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through dates and times. Note that

the
the weekday (Sun through Sat) cannot be changed. This field changes to
correspond to the date you enter. Note that the hour value is shown in a
24-hour clock format. Time is represented as hour : minute : second.

Date (mm:dd:yy) Sat, Jul 01 2006
Time (hh:mm:ss) 14 : 48: 43

IDE Channel and SATA Channel

Use these functions to detect and configure the individual IDE and SATA
channels. Select a channel and press

` IDE Channel (.) Master [None]
` IDE Channel (.) Slave [None]
` SATA Channel 1 Master [None]
` SATA Channel 2 Master [None]
` SATA Channel 3 Master [None]
` SATA Channel 4 Master [None]
` SATA Channel 5 Master [None]
` SATA Channel 6 Master [None]

IDE Auto-Detect [Press Enter]

Extended IDE Drive [None}

Access Mode Auto

Capacity 0 MB

Cylinder 0
Head 0
Precomp 0
Landing Zone 0
Sector 0

Press ENTER to display
SATA Channel sub-menu

Enter to display the IDE/SATA sub-menu.

Press ENTER to display
IDE Channel sub-menu

IDE HDD Auto-Detect [Press Enter]

IDE Channel 0 Slave [Manual}
Access Mode [CHS]

Capacity 0 MB

Cylinder [ 0]
Head [ 0]
Precomp [ 0]
Landing Zone [ 0]
Sector [ 0]

32

Configuring the BIOS

Press Enter to auto-detect IDE and SATA channels in the system. Once the
channel is detected, the values for Capacity, Cylinder, Heads, Precomp, Landing
Zone, and Sector are automatically filled in.

 None

There is no HDD installed or set.

 Auto

The system can auto-detect the hard disk when booting up.

 Manual

When you set the channel to [Manual] and change Access Mode to [CHS],
you can then enter the number of cylinders, heads, Precomp, landing zone,
and sector. You can manually enter the values or you can press

Enter to

display a window that tells you the min and max values.

IDE HDD Auto-Detect [Press Enter]

IDE Channel 0 Slave [Manual}
Access Mode [CHS]

Capacity 0 MB

Cylinder .....0

Head [ 0]
Precomp [ 0]
Landing Zone [ 0]
Sector [ 0]

The BIOS supports the following HDD
Access Modes:

¾ CHS

For HDD less than 528 MB.

¾ LBA

For HDD greater than 528 MB and

Press ENTER to display sub-menu
or enter number manually

Cylinder

Min= 0
Max=65535

Key in a DEC number :



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

supporting LBA (Logical Block
Addressing).

¾ Large

For HDD greater than 528 MB but not supporting LBA.

¾ Auto

Recommended mode.

33

Drive A

[

]

The Drive A option allows you to select the kind of FDD to install.
Options are:

Drive A [1.44, 3.5 in.]
Halt On

 None

 360K, 5.25 in.

 1.2M, 5.25 in.

 720K, 3.5 in.

 1.44M, 3.5 in.

 2.88M, 3.5 in.

Use the
through the options or press
the sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys to
position the selector in the option you choose. Press
changes and return to the Standard CMOS Features menu.

Halt On

Halt On determines whether or not the computer stops if an error is detected

during power on. Use the
options or press
to position the selector in the option you choose. Press
changes and return to the Standard CMOS Features menu.

All, But Keyboard

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll

Enter to display

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the

Enter to display the Halt On sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys

Press ENTER to display sub-menu

Drive A

None ..... [ ]

360K, 5.25 in. ..... [ ]

1.2M, 5.25 in. ..... [ ]

720K, 3.5 in. ..... [ ]

1.44M, 3.5 in. ..... [ ]

2.88M, 3.5 in. ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

Enter to accept the

Enter to accept the

Drive A [1.44, 3.5 in.]
Halt On [All , But Keyboard]

 All Errors

Whenever the BIOS detects a nonfatal
error, the system stops and prompts you.

 No Errors

S

ystem boot does not stop for any detected

errors.

 All, But Keyboard

System boot does not stop for keyboard
errors, but does stop for all other errors.

 All, But Diskette

34

Press ENTER to display sub-menu

Halt On

All Errors ..... [ ]

No Errors ..... [ ]

All , But Keyboard ..... [ ]

All , But Diskette ..... [ ]

All , But Disk/Key ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

Configuring the BIOS

The system boot does not stop for a diskette error but will stop for all other
errors.

 All, But Disk/Key

The system boot does not stop for a keyboard or disk error, but will stop for
all other errors.

Memory

These settings are display-only values that are determined by the BIOS POST
(Power-On Self Test).

 Base Memory

BIOS POST determines the
amount of base (or conventional) memory installed in the system.

 Extended Memory

BIOS determines how much extended memory is present during the POST.

 Total Memory

This value represents the total memory of the system.

Base Memory 640K

Extended Memory 1047552K

35

Advanced BIOS Features

Access the Advanced BIOS Features menu from the CMOS Utility Setup
screen. Use the

Enter to display the sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys to position the

press
selector in the option you choose. To go back to the previous menu, press

Note: The options that have associated sub-menus are designated by a `, which

precedes the option. Press Enter to display the sub-menus.

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the options or

Esc.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

` Removable Device Priority [Press Enter]
` Hard Disk Boot Priority [Press Enter]
` Network Boot Priority [Press Enter]

CPU Internal Cache [Enabled]
Quick Power On Self Test [Enabled]
First Boot Device [Removable]
Second Boot Device [CDROM]
Third Boot Device [Hard Disk]
Boot Other Device [Enabled]
Boot Up NumLock Status [On]
Security Option [Setup]
APIC Mode [Enabled]
MPS Version Control For OS [1.4]
Full Screen LOGO Show [Disabled]



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Advanced BIOS Features

Item Help

Main Level `

Select Removable Boot
Device Priority

Figure 7. Advanced BIOS Features Menu

Note: Note that all data in white is for information only, data in yellow is changeable,

data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a red box is highlighted for
selection.

36

Configuring the BIOS

>

Removable Device Priority

Use this option to select the priority for removable device startup. Press Enter
to see the list of removable devices in your system. Use the  arrow keys to go
to the various devices. Then use the
or down in the list. To go back to the previous menu, press

+ or – keys to move the device priority up

Esc.

1. Floppy Disks

Hard Disk Boot Priority

Use this option to select the priority for HDD startup. Press Enter to see the
list of bootable devices in your system. Use the  arrow keys to go to the
various devices. Then use the
down in the list. To go back to the previous menu, press

1. Ch0. : ST3802110A

2. Bootable Add-in Cards

Network Boot Priority

Use this option to select the priority for network startup. Select Network Boot

Priority and press Enter to view available networks. Use the  arrow keys

to go to the various devices. Then use the
priority up or down in the list. To go back to the previous menu, press

1. Network 0 : <description of network>

2. Network 1 : <description of network

+ or – keys to move the device priority up or

Esc.

Use the + and – keys to move the
priority of the device within the list

+ or – keys to move the device

Esc.

CPU Internal Cache

Use this option to enable or disable the CPU internal cache. Use the Page Up
and Page Down keys to scroll through the options or press Enter to display the
options in a sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys to position the selector in the
option you choose.

37

Quick Power On Self Test

Enabling this option allows the system to skip certain test while booting, which
reduces the time needed to boot the system. Use the
keys to toggle between

Enable and Disable.

First/Second/Third Boot Device

Use this option to set the priority sequence of the devices booted at power on.
Use the

Enter to display the sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys to position the selector

in the option you choose.

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the options or press

First Boot Device

Removable ..... [

Hard Disk ..... [ ]

CDROM ..... [ ]

Network ..... [ ]

Disabled ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

]

Page Up and Page Down

Boot Other Device

With the option set to Enable, the system boots from some other device if the
first/second/third boot devices fail.

Boot Up NumLock Status

This option allows you to select the power-on state of NumLock. Select On to
activate the keyboard NumLock when the system is started. Select Off to disable

NumLock key.

the

38

Configuring the BIOS

Security Option

The Security Options allows you to require a password every time the system
boots or only when you enter setup. Select Setup to require a password to gain
access to the CMOS Setup screen. Select System to require a password to
access the CMOS Setup screen and when the system boots.

APIC Mode

Use this function to enable or disable the Advanced Programmable Interrupt
Controller (APIC). If you disable this option, you also disable the MPS Version
Control for OS option.

MPS Version Control For OS

Use this function to select the Multi-Processor Specification (MPS) version that
BIOS passes to the operating system. Use the
scroll through the options.

Page Up and Page Down keys to

Full Screen LOGO Show

This option allows you to enable or disable the display of the full-screen logo
when the system boots. Use the
between

39

Enable and Disable

Page Up and Page Down keys to toggle

Advanced Chipset Features

Select Advanced Chipset Features from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and
press

Enter to display the functions of the Advanced Chipset Functions menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced Chipset Features

` System Clocks [Press Enter]
` FSB & Memory Config [Press Enter]
` CPU Configuration [Press Enter]
` System Voltages [Press Enter]

NVMEM memory test [Disable]

Load timing/voltage set [Press Enter]
Save timing/voltage set [Press Enter]
System BIOS Cacheable [Disabled]

HPET Function [Enable]

NVIDIA GPU Ex [Enable]



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Figure 8. Advanced Chipset Features

Item Help

Main Level `

Voltage control

40

Configuring the BIOS

System Clocks

Select System Clocks from the Advanced Chipset Features menu and press

Enter to display the System Clocks menu. From this menu, you are able to

specify frequency settings, HT multipliers, and Spread Spectrum settings. Note
that in Figure 9, all of the options are listed. On the actual BIOS screen, you will
need to scroll down to see all the options.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Parameters Settings Current Valce
**Frequency Settings**
CPU Freq, MHz 2933.3 2933.3
FSB Reference Clock, MHz 1066.7 1066.7

CPU Multiplier [11 X] 11X

PCIe x16_1, MHz [Auto] 100
PCIe x16_3, MHz [Auto] 100
PCIe x16_2, MHz [Auto] 100
SPP<->MCP Ref Clock, MHz [Auto] 100

**HT Multiplier**

nForce SPP --> nForce MCP [5 x]
nForce SPP <-- nForce MCP [5 x]

**Spread Spectrum**

CPU Spread Spectrum [UP Spread]

HT Spread Spectrum Disabled
PCIe Spread Spectrum(SPP) [Auto]
PCIe Spread Spectrum(MCP) Disabled
SATA Spread Spectrum Disabled



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

System Clocks

Figure 9. System Clocks Menu

Item Help

Main Level `

CPU frequency
multiplier.
CPU core clock
= FSB Ref Clock/4 *
CPU Multiplier

d

Note: Note that all data in white is for information only, data in yellow is changeable,

data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a red box is highlighted for
selection.

41

Frequency Settings

 CPU Freq, MHz

This value is set by the CPU Multiplier (value cannot be changed by the user).

 FSB Reference Clock. MHz

This value is set by the system (value cannot be changed by the user). To
change the SLI-Ready memory, FSB memory, and memory timing, go to the
FSB & Memory screen.

 CPU Multiplier

This value changes the CPU Frequency value depending on the value you
choose. Use the
The options are from 6 X through 60 X.

 PCIe x16_1, MHz

Use the

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the frequency

options for the PCI Express Bus, Slot 1 (the black slot closest to the CPU).
Note that as you go higher in value,
disabled and cannot be changed from this status.

 PCIe x16_3, MHz

Use the

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the frequency

options for the PCI Express Bus, Slot 3 (the blue slot in the middle).

 PCIe x16_2, MHz

Use the

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the frequency

options for the PCI Express Bus, Slot 3 (the black slot farthest from the
CPU).

 SPP<

—

Use the

>MCP Ref Clock, MHz

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the frequency

options for the reference clock between the SPP chip and the MCP chip.

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the options.

PCIe Spread Spectrum(SPP) is

42

Configuring the BIOS

HT Multiplier

 nForce SPP

Use the
options and set the link speed from the SPP chip to the MCP chip. Values are

[1 x] through [5 x].

 nForce MCP <

Use the
options and set the link speed from the MCP chip to the SPP chip. Values are

[1 x] through [5 x].

— —

> nForce MCP

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the HT multiplier

— —

nForce SPP

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the HT multiplier

Spread Spectrum

 CPU Spread Spectrum

Use the
options for the CPU. Option values are

[UP Spread], and [Center Spread].

 HT Spread Spectrum

Disabled

 PCIe Spread Spectrum (SPP)

Use the
options for the SPP PCIe. Option values are

[UP Spread], and [Center Spread]. This option reverts to Disabled and

cannot be changed when the value for PCIe x16_1 exceeds 100MHz.

 PCIe Spread Spectrum(MCP)

Disabled

 SATA Spread Spectrum

Disabled

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the Spread Spectrum

[Disabled],

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the Spread Spectrum

[Disabled],

43

FSB & Memory Config

Select FSB & Memory Config from the Advanced Chipset Features menu and

Enter to display the FSB & Memory Config menu. This menu provides

press
the means to set SLI-Ready memory, FSB memory, and memory timing.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

FSB & Memory Config

Parameters Settings Current Value

SLI-Ready Memory [Disabled] Disabled

CPU Freq, MHz 2933.3 2933.3
CPU Multiplier 11X 11X

FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Auto]

x FSB (QDR), MHz Auto 1066.7
Actual FSB (QDR), MHz 1066.7

x MEM (DDR), MHz Auto 800.6

Actual MEM (DDR), MHz 800.0

` Memory Timing Setting [Press Enter]



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Figure 10. FSB & Memory Config Menu

 SLI-Ready Memory

Use the
Memory options. The options are:

¾ Disabled

¾ CPUOC 0%
¾ CPUOC 1%
¾ CPUOC 2%
¾ CPUOC 3%

¾ CPUOC 4%

¾ CPUOC 5%
¾ CPUOC MAX

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the SLI-Ready

Item Help

Main Level ``

“CPUOC MAX” realizes
the complete optimized
memory settings when
SLI-Ready memory is
installed

Optimized memory
settings by allowing
X% CPU overclocking

CPU overclocking may
require manual
overvolting of the CPU
to improve system
stability

44

Configuring the BIOS

When you select one of the CPUOC x% options, the FSB - Memory

Clock Mode
Ready Memory

 FSB and Memory Clock Mode

Use the

is set to Unlinked and cannot be changed until SLI-

is set to Disable.

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the FSB and

Memory Clock Mode options. The options are:

¾ Auto

This is the optimal setting since it sets the FSB and memory speeds
automatically.

¾ Linked

When Link is selected,

FSB (QDR), MHz is changed to editable and

the FSB speed can be entered manually. As the FSB speed is changed,

CPU Freq, MHz changes proportionally.

CPU Freq, MHz 2933.3 2933.3
CPU Multiplier 11X 11X

FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Linked]

FSB (QDR), MHz [1067] 1066.7

Actual FSB (QDR), MHz 1066.7
x MEM (DDR), MHz Auto 800.6

Actual MEM (DDR), MHz 800.0

¾ Unlinked

When Unlink is selected,

FSB (QDR), MHz and MEM (DDR), MHz

are changed to editable and the FSB and memory speeds can be entered
manually. As the FSB speed is changed,

CPU Freq, MHz changes

proportionally.

FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Linked]

FSB (QDR), MHz [1067] 1066.7

Actual FSB (QDR), MHz 1066.7
MEM (DDR), MHz [1067] 800.6

Actual MEM (DDR), MHz 800.0

 FSB (QDR), MHz

Use the
or type in a new value. Note that the

+ or – keys to scroll through new values for the CPU FSB frequency

Actual FSB (QDR) reflects the actual

frequency that takes effect on a reboot.

 MEM (DDR), MHz

Use the

+ or – keys to scroll through new values for the memory frequency

45

or type in a new value. Note that the Actual MEM (DDR) reflects the actual
frequency that takes effect when the system reboots.

 Memory Timing Setting

Press

Enter to display the Memory Timing Setting menu. Use this menu to

set optimal timings or to manually enter timings.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Memory Timing Setting

Parameters Settings Current Value

Memory Timing Setting [Optimal]

x tCL (CAS Latency) Auto(5) 5
x tRDC Auto(7) 5
x tRP Auto(7) 5
x tRAS Auto(23) 18
x Command Per Clock (CDM) Auto(2T) 1T

** Advanced Memory Settings **

x tRRD Auto(4) 3
x tRC Auto(28) 22
x tWR Auto(7) 5
x tWTR Auto(10) 9
x tREF Auto 6.1uS



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help[

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Main Level ``

Select [Expert] to
enter timings manually

¾ Optimal

Use the

Page Up and Page Down keys to select Optimal. Optimal

prohibits you from manually setting any timing. All timing is set for
optimal performance.

Item Help

46

Configuring the BIOS

¾ Expert

Use the

Page Up and Page Down keys to select Expert. When Expert

is selected, all timing categories are enabled for manual input. Note that
you should set the value to Optimal to use the manufacturers’
recommended values.

Parameters Settings Current Value

Memory Timing Setting [Expert]
tCL (CAS Latency) [Auto(5)] 5
tRDC [Auto(7)] 5
tRP [Auto(7)] 5
tRAS [Auto(23)] 18
Command Per Clock (CDM) [Auto(2T)] 1T

** Advanced Memory Settings **

tRRD [Auto(4)] 3
tRC [Auto(28)] 22
tWR [Auto(7)] 5
tWTR [Auto(10)] 9
tREF [Auto] 6.1uS

ª tCL: CAS# latency (options are 1 through 6).
ª tRDC: RAS#-to-CAS# Delay for Read/Write commands to the

same bank (options are 1 through 7).

ª tRP: Row Precharge time. This is the Precharge-to-Active or Auto-

to-Refresh of the same bank (options are 1 through 7).

ª tRAS: This is the minimum RAS# active time (options are 1 through

31).

ª Command Per Clock: This is the command timing setting on a per

clock unit basis (options are 1T and 2T).

ª tRRD: RAS#-to-RAS# delay of different banks (options are 1

through 15).

ª tRC: RAS#-to-RAS# or auto refresh time of the same bank (options

are 1 through 31).

ª tWR: The Write recovery time (options are 2 through 7).
ª tWTR: This is the minimum write-to-read delay with the same chip

selected (options are 1 through 10).

ª tREF: This is the DRAM refresh rate (options are Auto, 7.8uS, and

3.9uS).

47

CPU Configuration

Select CPU Configuration from the Advanced Chipset Features menu and

Enter to display the CPU Configuration menu.

press

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

CPU Configuration

Limit CPUID MaxVal [Disabled]
x Intel SpeedStep Disabled

CPU Thermal Control [Disabled]

C1E Enhanced Halt State [Enabled]

Execute Disable Bit [Enabled]
Virtualization Technology [Enabled]

CPU Core 0 Enabled
CPU Core 1 [Enabled]

x CPU Core 2 Disabled
x CPU Core 3 Disabled



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Item Help

Main Level ``

Set linit CPUID MaxVal
to 3, should be
“Disabled” for WinXP

Figure 11. CPU Configuration Menu

 Limit CPUID MaxVal

Use this function to enable the set limit of the CPUID MaxVal to 3. Set to
Disable for Win XP.

 CPU Thermal Control

Use this function to enable or disable TM1 and TM2 support. The options
are:

¾ Disable

Disable support for TM1 and TM2.

¾ TM1 Only

The CPU is thermally throttled by cutting active processor clock cycles.

¾ TM2 Only

Thermal throttling is achieved by reducing the CPU multiplier and CPU
core voltage.

48

Configuring the BIOS

¾ TM1 & TM2

Enables support for both TM1 and TM2.

 C1E Enhanced Halt State

Enabled, this function reduces the CPU power consumption when the CPU
is idle. Idle occurs when the operating system issues a halt instruction.

 Execute Disable Bit

When this function is disabled, it forces the XD feature flag to always return
to zero (0).

 Virtualization Technology

When this function is enabled, it allows a VMM to utilize the additional
hardware capabilities provided by Intel Virtualization Technology.

 CPU Core 1

This function allows you to enable or disable CPU Core.

System Voltages

Select System Voltages from the Advanced Chipset Features menu and press

Enter to display the System Voltages menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

System Voltages

Parameters Settings Current Value
CPU Core [Auto] 1.28
Memory [Auto] 1.85V

nForce SPP [Auto] 1.20V



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Item Help

Main Level ``

Voltage level for CPU
Core (CPU VID)

Figure 12. System Voltages Menu

49

 CPU Core

Use the

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the voltages or select

[Auto] to automatically set the voltage level for the CPU Core.

 Memory

This function defines the voltage level for the DRAM. Use the

Page Down keys to select a voltage or select [Auto] to automatically set the

Page Up and

voltage.

 nForce SPP

This function defines the core voltage level for the NVIDIA nForce SPP
chip. Use the

1.40V, 1.50V) or select

Page Up and Page Down keys to select a voltage (1.20V, 1.30V,

[Auto] to automatically set the voltage.

50

Configuring the BIOS

NVMEM Memory Test

This function defines whether you run the NVIDIA memory testing module
during POST. The options are Fast, Medium, Slow, and Disable.

Load Timing/Voltage Set

This function loads the system voltages and timing settings that were defined in
the System Voltages menu. You can set up to four profile settings using the

Save timing/voltage set function.

There are four profile options that can be loaded. The default setting is
for all settings. Press

Load timing/voltage set

Press Enter to Exit ..... [ ]

Select Profile 1 ..... [ ]

Select Profile 2 ..... [ ]

Select Profile 3 ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

Enter to see the options.

Auto

51

Save Timing/Voltage Set

This function saves the system voltages and timing settings that were defined in
the System Voltages menu. There are four profile options that can be loaded.
The default setting is

Save timing/voltage set

Press Enter to Exit ..... [

Select Profile 1 ..... [ ]

Select Profile 2 ..... [ ]

Select Profile 3 ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

Auto for all settings. Press Enter to see the options.

]

System BIOS Cacheable

This function allows you to enable or disable caching the system BIOS.

HPET Function

This function allows you to enable or disable the High Precision Even Timer
(HPET). When
and other time-sensitive application. When HPET is
timer is used.

Enabled, HPET is used as the timing hardware for multimedia

Disabled, the APIC

NVIDIA GPU Ex

To enable or disable this function you need to have the NVIDIA®
ForceWare® graphics driver with NVIDIA EX support. When enabled, the
system uses the optimized NVIDIA EX graphics driver.

52

Configuring the BIOS

Integrated Peripherals Menu

Select Integrated Peripherals from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and

Enter to display the Integrated Peripherals menu.

press

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

` IDE Function Setup [Press Enter]
` RAID Config [Press Enter]
` USB Config [Press Enter]
` MAC Config [Press Enter]

IEEE1394 controller [Auto]
HD Audio [Auto]
IDE HDD Block Mode [Enabled]
Onboard FDC Controller [Enabled]
Onboard Serial Port 1 [3FB/IRQ4]



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Integrated Peripherals

Figure 13. Integrated Peripherals Menu

Item Help

Main Level `

53

IDE Function Setup

Press Enter to display the IDE Function Setup menu.

OnChip IDE Channel0 [Enabled]
Primary Master PIO [Auto]
Primary Slave PIO [Auto]
Primary Master UDMA [Auto]
Primary Slave UDMA [Auto]
IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled]
Serial-ATA Controller [All Enabled]
IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled]

 OnChip IDE Channel0

Use this function to enable
or disable the onchip IDE
Channel0. When disabled,
the Primary Master/Slave
functions are changed to

Auto and cannot be

changed.

 Primary Master/Slave PIO

OnChip IDE Channel0 is set to [Enabled], you can select a

When
mode for the primary Master and Slave PIO. Select from
through

 Primary Master/Slave UDMA

When
primary Master and Slave UDMA or set it to

 IDE DMA transfer access

Use this function to enable or disable IDE DMA transfer access.

 Serial-ATA Controller

This function allows you to enable specific SATA controllers, enable all
controllers, or disable all controllers. The options available are

[SATA-0+1], [Enable All], and [Disabled].

 IDE Prefetch Mode

Use this function to enable or disable the

Mode 4.

OnChip IDE Channel0 is set to [Enabled], you can disable the

OnChip IDE Channel0 [Disabled]

x Primary Master PIO Auto
x Primary Slave PIO Auto
x Primary Master UDMA Auto
x Primary Slave UDMA Auto

IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled]
Serial-ATA Controller [All Enabled]
IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled]

Auto, or Mode 1

[Auto].

[SATA-0],

IDE Prefetch mode.

54

Configuring the BIOS

RAID Config

Press Enter to display the RAID Config menu.

RAID Enable [Enabled]
SATA 0 Primary RAID [Disabled]
SATA 0 Secondary RAID [Disabled]
SATA 1 Primary RAID [Disabled]
SATA 1 Secondary RAID [Disabled]
SATA 2 Primary RAID [Disabled]
SATA 2 Secondary RAID [Disabled]

 RAID Enable

Use this function to enable or
disable RAID. When RAID is
set to [Disabled], all SATA
functions are changed to

Disabled and cannot be

changed.

 SATA x Primary/Secondary

When

RAID Enable is set to [Enabled], you can enable or disable the

various SATA functions.

RAID Enable [Disabled]

x SATA 0 Primary RAID Disabled
x SATA 0 Secondary RAID Disabled
x SATA 1 Primary RAID Disabled
x SATA 1 Secondary RAID Disabled
x SATA 2 Primary RAID Disabled
x SATA 2 Secondary RAID Disabled

USB Config

Press Enter to display the USB Config menu.

OnChip USB [Enabled]
USB Keyboard Support [Disabled]
USB Mouse Support [Disabled]

 OnChip USB

Use this function to enable
specific versions of the USB

OnChip USB [Disabled]

x USB Keyboard Support Enabled
x USB Mouse Support Enabled

or disable the onchip USB.
When the onchip USB is set to
support functions are set to
can be selected are

 USB Keyboard/Mouse Support

[V1.1+V2.0] or [V1.1].

[Disabled], the keyboard and mouse

Enabled and cannot be changed. Versions that

Use these function to enable or disable the onchip WSB support of the
keyboard and/or mouse.

55

MAC Config

Press Enter to display the MAC Config menu.

MAC0 LAN [Enabled]
MAC1 LAN [Disabled]

 MACx LAN

Use these functions to set the MAC0 and/or MAC1 LANs to
disable their functions.

IEEE1394 controller

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or
disable the IEEE1394 (Firewire) interface.

HD Audio

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or
disable the audio function.

IDE HDD Block Mode

Auto or

Using this function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows your IDE hard
drive needs to support block mode. Select
the optimal number of block read/writes per sector the drive can support.

[Disabled] if your drive does not support block mode.

Select

Onboard FDC Controller

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or
disable the onboard FDC controller function.

Onboard Serial Port 1

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to select the
onboard serial port 1 function. Options are

[3E8/IRQ4], [Auto], and [Disabled].

56

[Enabled] to automatically detect

[3F8/IRQ4], [2E8/IRQ3],

Configuring the BIOS

Power Management Setup
Menu

Select Power Management Setup from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and

Enter to display the Power Management Setup menu.

press

ACPI function [Enabled]
APCI Suspend Type [S1&S3]
Soft-Off by PBTN [Instant-Off]
WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off [Disabled]

Power-on by Alarm [Disabled]

x Day of Month Alarm 0
x Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm 0 : 0 : 0

POWER ON Function [BUTTON ONLY]

x KB Power ON Password Enter
x Hot Key Power On Ctrl-F1



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Figure 14. Power Management Setup Menu

ACPI Function

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Power Management Setup

Item Help

Main Level `

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or
disable the ACPI function.

ACPI Suspend Type

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to select an
ACPI Suspend Type. Types to select from are

[S3(STR)].

57

[S1&S3], [S1(POS)], and

Soft-Off by PBNT

y

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to set Soft­Off by PBNT to

[Instant-Off] or [Delay 4 Sec].

WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or
disable WOL(PMW#)

from soft-off.

Power On by Alarm

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or
disable the Power-on by alarm function. Set to
on by alarm. When set to
month and the time of the alarm.

Power-on by Alarm [Disabled]
Day of Month Alarm [ 0]
Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm [0 : 0 : 0]

To enter a day or time, use the
numbers or enter the number using the keyboard number or the

[Enable], you can manually put in the day of the

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through

[Disable] to prevent power-

+ and – keys.

POWER ON Function

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to define the
power-on function. Options for this function are:

 BUTTON ONLY

 Keyboard 98

 Password

When

[Password] is selected, the KB Power ON Password function is

enabled so that you must enter a password.

POWER ON Function [Password]
KB Power ON Password [Enter]

x Hot Ke

58

Power On Ctrl-F1

Configuring the BIOS

 Hot Key Power On

When

[Hot Key] is selected, the Hot key Power On function is enabled

so that you must select a keyboard key as the hot key. To select a hot key use

Ctrl+F1 though Ctrl+F12.

POWER ON Function [Hot key]

x KB Power ON Password Enter

Hot Key Power On [Ctrl-F1]

 Mouse Left

 Mouse Right

 Any Key

PnP/PCI Configuration Menu

Select PnP/PCI Configuration from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press

Enter to display the PnP/PCI Configuration menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Init Display First [PCI Slot]
Reset Configuration Data [Disabled]

Resources Controlled By [Auto(ESCD)]

x IRQ Resources Press Enter

** PCI Express relative items **

Maximum Payload Size [4096]



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

PnP/PCI Configuration

Item Help

Main Level `

Figure 15. PnP/PCI Configuration Menu

59

esources

[Press

]

Init Display First

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to define if the
initial display is in the PCI slot or in the PCI Express slot. Options are

[PCI Slot] and [PCIEx].

Reset Configuration Data

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to enable or
disable the resetting of Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) when you
exit Setup. Set this to

[Enabled] if you have installed a new add-on and the

system reconfiguration has caused a serious conflict that prevents the OS from
booting. The default setting is

[Disabled].

Resources Controlled By

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to define if the
BIOS can automatically configure all the boot and plug-and-play compatible
devices or if you can manually select IRQ, DMA, and memory base address
fields. Select
these fields. If you select

Resources

[Auto(ESCD)] if you want the BIOS to automatically populate

[Manual] so you can assign the resources, IRQ

is enabled for input.

Resources Controlled By [Auto(ESCD)]

x IRQ Resources Press Enter

Resources Controlled By [Manual)]
IRQ R

60

Enter

Configuring the BIOS

IRQ Resources

To enable this field for input, set Resources Controlled By to

[Manual]. With this field enabled, press Enter to see options.

IRQ-5 assigned to [PCI Device]
IRQ-9 assigned to [Reserved]
IRQ-10 assigned to [PCI Device]
IRQ-11 assigned to [PCI Device]
IRQ-14 assigned to [PCI Device]
IRQ-15 assigned to [PCI Device]

Use Legacy ISA for devices compliant with the original PC AT Bus
specification. Use PCI/ISA PnP for devices compliant with the plug-and-play
standard, whether designed for PCI or ISA Bus architecture.

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to enable or
disable the Palette Snoop function.

Maximum Payload Size

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to set the
maximum TLP payload size (in bytes) for the PCI Express devices. Use the

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through sizes or enter the number using

the keyboard numbers or use the
sizes.

61

+ and – keys to go up and down the list of

System Monitor Menu

Select System Monitor from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to
display the System Monitor menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

` Dynamic Fan Control [Press Enter]

CPU 47ºC/ 117ºF

CPU Core 1.28V
CPU FSB 1.19V
Memory 1.81V
+3.3V 3.16V
+3.3V Dual 3/16V
+12V 11.92V
+5V 4.99V
+Vbat 3.00V

CPU Fan Speed 4272 RPM
Aux Fan Speed 4891 RPM
nForce Fan Speed 0 RPM
Chassis Fan Speed 0 RPM
Chassis Fan2 Speed 0 RPM



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

System Monitor

Figure 16. System Monitor Menu

Item Help

Main Level `

All of the values shown in Blue are dynamic and change as the speed and
voltages of the various components change with system usage.

62

Configuring the BIOS

Dynamic Fan Control

Press Enter to display the Dynamic Fan Control menu.

CPU Fan Speed Control [SmartFan]
If temp > 70ºC, Set Fan Speed 100%
If temp < 30ºC, Set Fan Speed 0%

x Manual Fan Speed, % 100

AUX Fan Speed Control, % [100]
nForce Fan Speed Control, % [100]
Chassis Fan Speed Control, % [100]

Use this menu to control the speed of the various fans on the motherboard. Set
CPU fan speed to

[SmartFan] when you want the speed of the fans

automatically controlled based on temperature. To set the fan speed to a
constant rate, select

[Manual] and then enter the speed from 0% to 100%.

Set the desired speed for the Aux, nForce, and Chassis fans from 0% to 100%.
The system defaults to 100%.

63

64

Installing Graphics Cards in an

NVIDIA SLI (Scalable Link Interface) is a revolutionary technology that allows
two NVIDIA SLI graphics cards to work together to deliver incredible 3D
graphics performance.

Your new motherboard can support up to two PCI Express graphics cards
linked using SLI.

Building an SLI System

SLI Configuration

Determine Component and Operating System Needs

To build an NVIDIA SLI system, you are going to need the following
components:

 AN NVIDIA SLI-ready nForce motherboard

 Two NVIDIA SLI-Ready certified PCI Express graphics cards (with

matching GPUs)

 An NVIDIA SLI-Ready power supply

For a complete list of certified components and a matrix to determine the
power supply required for your particular graphic cards, go to:

http://www.slizone.com/content/slizone/build.html.

65

While NVIDIA recommends an SLI-Ready power supply, the following table
provides some general power supply recommendations based on testing
performed in the NVIDIA SLI validation lab.

Table 6. Recommended Power Supplies

NVIDIA SLI
System Type

Extreme SLI PC NVIDIA has tested the majority of power supplies in this high

Ultra High-end SLI PC You must have a power supply that can provide a minimum

High-end SLI PC Minimum of 500-600W Power Supply with a minimum of

Mid-range SLI PC Minimum of 450-500W Power Supply with a minimum of

Entry-level SLI PC Minimum of 400-450W Power Supply with a minimum of

Minimum Recommended PCI Express
Power Supply

power category and therefore only recommends an SLI-ready
power supply.

of +12V @ 22A of dedicated power for the two graphics
cards. Of this 22A requirement, +12V @ 5.5A must be
available to each of the two PCI Express 6-pin auxiliary
power supply connectors. The remaining 11A must be
supplied to the motherboard for dedicated graphics card use.

+12V @ 30A for all PC components.

+12V @ 26A for all PC components.

+12V @ 22A for all PC components.

If the power supply specifies two 12V windings (i.e. 12V1 and 12V2), add these
numbers together to check against the specifications described above.

For systems with the 8800 GTX or 8800 GTS, please make sure the power
supply also contains PCI Express auxiliary power supply connectors. If your
power supply does not have a PCI Express auxiliary connector (6-pin
connector), please contact your graphics board partner for an HDD-to-PCI
Express power adaptor.

The NVIDIA SLI power supply recommendations are based on the following
test configurations:

 Extreme SLI PC Configuration:

¾ Dual GeForce 8800 GTX or 8800 GTS Graphics cards
¾ Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme
¾ EVGA nForce 680 SLI
¾ 2GB system memory
¾ Two HDDs in Raid 0 configuration

66

Installing Graphics Cards in an SLI Configuration

¾ Two optical drives
¾ PCI Sound Card
¾ LCD at 2560x1600 resolution

 Ultra High-End SLI PC Configuration:

¾ Dual GeForce 7900 GTX or Dual GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB
¾ AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 2.6 GHz or Intel Pentium EE 955 3.46 GHz
¾ NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 motherboard with 2GB system memory
¾ Two HDDs in Raid 0 configuration
¾ Two optical drives
¾ PCI Sound Card
¾ LCD at 1600x1200 resolution

 High-End SLI PC Configuration:

¾ Dual GeForce 7800 GTX 256MB or Dual GeForce 6800 Ultra
¾ AMD Athlon 64 FX-57 2.8 GHz or Intel Pentium EE 840 3.2 GHz
¾ NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 motherboard with 2GB system memory
¾ Two HDDs in Raid 0 configuration
¾ Two optical drives
¾ PCI sound card
¾ LCD at 1600x1200 resolution

 Mid-Range SLI PC Configuration:

¾ Dual GeForce 7900 GT or Dual GeForce 6800 GT or Dual GeForce

6800

¾ AMD Athlon 64 4000+
¾ NVIDIA nForce4 SLI motherboard with 1GB system memory
¾ Single HDD
¾ Two optical drives
¾ PCI sound card

 Entry-Level SLI PC Configuration:

¾ Dual GeForce 7600GT or Dual GeForce 6600 GT or Dual GeForce

6600

¾ AMD Athlon 64 4000+
¾ NVIDIA nForce4 SLI motherboard with 1GB system memory
¾ Single HDD
¾ One optical drive

67

For a list of certified power supplies, go to

http://www.slizone.com/content/slizone/build.html.

Install Your NVIDIA SLI-Ready Parts

Now that you have obtained the necessary NVIDIA SLI-Ready parts, and
confirmed your power supply requirements, it is time to configure the system.

This procedure assumes you have already installed the motherboard. The
EVGA nForce 680i LT SLI motherboard has two PCI Express slots used for
the SLI configuration.

SLI graphics cards in these slots

Figure 17. SLI Slots on the Motherboard

68

Installing Graphics Cards in an SLI Configuration

Use the following procedure to build your NVIDIA SLI-Ready PC system:

1. Install two SLI-Ready graphic cards into the two black PCI Express x16

slots on the motherboard (see Figure 29). Be sure to seat the graphic cards
into the connectors.

Two SLI graphics
cards installed in the
two (block) PCI
Express slots on the
motherboard.

2. Connect the PCI Express supplementary power connectors from the

system power supply to each of the graphic cards:

From Power Supply

69

3. Install the NVIDIA SLI connector across the two outer graphics cards as

shown below. Each SLI-Ready graphics card has an SLI finger on the upper
side of the card.

Install NVIDIA SLI Software

Upon power up, the operating system recognizes the new NVIDIA SLI-Ready
components and displays the

Your motherboard shipped with a set of drivers that you must install. To check
for the latest drivers, go to
and download the latest SLI graphics drivers.

Found New Hardware message.

http://www.slizone.com/content/slizone/drivers.html

Install the SLI connector
onto the two outer cards.

Once you have installed the NVIDIA SLI components and booted up your
system, do the following:

1. Install the nForce drivers (provided with the motherboard)

2. Reboot the system

3. Uninstall any old NVIDIA graphics drivers from the system and reboot the

computer. If there are no NVIDIA drivers installed, go to Step 4

4. Install the latest NVIDIA graphics drivers (provided with the add-in cards or

from the SLIZone Downloads Page)

5. Reboot the system.

70

After reboot of the system to the Windows desktop, you will see an SLI
Capable System message.

Click on this message to enable your NVIDIA SLI.

Enable NVIDIA SLI

At this point, you need to enable NVIDIA SLI. You can do this either by
clicking on the
Control Panel.

SLI capable system balloon or by going to the NVIDIA

Installing Graphics Cards in an SLI Configuration

To launch the NVIDIA Control Panel, select

Start¾All Programs

¾NVIDIA Corporation¾NVIDIA Control Panel. Click on the 3D

Settings

icon.

Set SLI configuration from under Performance.

Select

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Click

Enable SLI technology (recommended) and click Apply.

You now have an NVIDIA SLI-enabled PC!

The system reboots to apply the setting and display the following message upon
reboot:

Congratulations on your new NVIDIA SLI-Ready PC system.

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