EVGA 780i SLI FTW, 132-YW-E178 User Manual

User Guide

EVGA force 780i SLI FTW Motherboard

EVGA ii

EVGA iii

Table of Contents

Before You Begin… .......................................................................................................................... ix

Parts NOT in the Kit ..................................................................................................................... ix

Intentions of the Kit ....................................................................................................................... ix

EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Motherboard ......................................................................................... 1

Motherboard Specifications ........................................................................................................... 1

Unpacking and Parts Descriptions .................................................................................................... 3

Unpacking ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Equipment ..................................................................................................................................... 3

EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Motherboard .................................................................................... 4

Hardware Installation ......................................................................................................................... 7

Safety Instructions ......................................................................................................................... 7

Preparing the Motherboard ............................................................................................................ 8

Installing the CPU ..................................................................................................................... 8

Installing the CPU Fan .............................................................................................................. 8

Installing Memory DIMMs ......................................................................................................... 9

Installing the Motherboard ........................................................................................................... 10

Installing the I/O Shield ........................................................................................................... 10

Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis ............................................................................ 10

Connecting Cables and Setting Switches .................................................................................... 11

Power Connections ................................................................................................................. 11

24-pin ATX Power (PWR1) ................................................................................................ 12

8-pin ATX 12V Power (PWR2) ........................................................................................... 14

Connecting IDE Hard Disk Drives ........................................................................................... 14

Connecting Serial ATA Cables................................................................................................ 15

Connecting Internal Headers .................................................................................................. 16

Front Panel Header ............................................................................................................ 16

IEEE 1394a ........................................................................................................................ 17

USB Headers ..................................................................................................................... 18

Audio ...................................................................................................................................... 19

Fan Connections ..................................................................................................................... 20

COM1 ..................................................................................................................................... 21

FDD Connector ....................................................................................................................... 22

Expansion Slots ...................................................................................................................... 22

PCI Slots ............................................................................................................................ 22

PCI Express x1 Slot ........................................................................................................... 23

PCI Express x16 Slots........................................................................................................ 23

Clear CMOS Button ................................................................................................................ 24

Configuring the BIOS ....................................................................................................................... 25

Enter BIOS Setup ........................................................................................................................ 26

Main Menu .................................................................................................................................. 26

Standard CMOS Features Menu ................................................................................................. 28

Date and Time ........................................................................................................................ 29

IDE Channel and SATA Channel ............................................................................................ 30

Drive A .................................................................................................................................... 31

Halt On ................................................................................................................................... 32

Memory ................................................................................................................................... 32

Advanced BIOS Features ............................................................................................................ 33

Removable Device Priority ...................................................................................................... 34

Hard Disk Boot Priority ............................................................................................................ 34

Network Boot Priority .............................................................................................................. 34

CPU Internal Cache ................................................................................................................ 34

Quick Power On Self Test ....................................................................................................... 34

First/Second/Third Boot Device .............................................................................................. 35

Boot Other Device .................................................................................................................. 35

Boot Up NumLock Status ........................................................................................................ 35

Security Option ....................................................................................................................... 35

APIC Mode ............................................................................................................................. 35

MPS Version Control For OS .................................................................................................. 36

Full Screen LOGO Show ........................................................................................................ 36

Advanced Chipset Features ........................................................................................................ 37

EVGA iv

EVGA v

System BIOS Cacheable ........................................................................................................ 37

HPET Function ....................................................................................................................... 37

Integrated Peripherals Menu ....................................................................................................... 38

IDE Function Setup ................................................................................................................. 39

RAID Config ............................................................................................................................ 40

USB Config ............................................................................................................................. 40

MAC Config ............................................................................................................................ 41

IEEE1394 controller ................................................................................................................ 41

HD Audio ................................................................................................................................ 41

IDE HDD Block Mode ............................................................................................................. 41

Onboard FDC Controller ......................................................................................................... 41

Onboard Serial Port 1 ............................................................................................................. 41

Power Management Setup Menu ................................................................................................ 42

ACPI Function......................................................................................................................... 42

ACPI Suspend Type ............................................................................................................... 42

Soft-Off by PBNT .................................................................................................................... 43

WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off ..................................................................................................... 43

Power On by Alarm ................................................................................................................. 43

POWER ON Function ............................................................................................................. 44

PnP/PCI Configuration Menu ...................................................................................................... 45

Init Display First ...................................................................................................................... 45

Reset Configuration Data ........................................................................................................ 45

Resources Controlled By ........................................................................................................ 46

IRQ Resources ....................................................................................................................... 46

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop .......................................................................................................... 46

Maximum Payload Size .......................................................................................................... 47

PC Health Status ............................................................................................................................. 47

Dynamic Fan Control ................................................................................................................... 48

Frequency/Voltage Control .......................................................................................................... 49

Dummy O.C. ............................................................................................................................... 49

System Clocks............................................................................................................................. 50

Frequency Settings ..................................................................................................................... 51

HT Multiplier ................................................................................................................................ 51

Spread Spectrum ........................................................................................................................ 52

FSB & Memory Config ..................................................................................................................... 53

SLI Ready Memory ..................................................................................................................... 53

FSB & Memory clock mode ......................................................................................................... 54

FSB (QDR), MHz ......................................................................................................................... 54

MEM (DDR), MHz ....................................................................................................................... 54

Memory Timing Settings .............................................................................................................. 55

Optimal ....................................................................................................................................... 55

Expert ........................................................................................................................................ 56

CPU Feature .............................................................................................................................. 57

Limit CPUID MaxVal .................................................................................................................... 57

Intel SpedStep ............................................................................................................................ 57

PPM Mode ................................................................................................................................. 57

CPU Thermal Control ................................................................................................................. 58

C1E Enhanced Halt State ........................................................................................................... 58

Execute Disable Bit .................................................................................................................... 58

Virtualization Technology .......................................................................................................... 58

CPU Core 1-3 ............................................................................................................................. 58

EVGA vi

EVGA vii

System Voltage .............................................................................................................................. 59

EVGA VDroop Control ............................................................................................................... 59

CPU Core ................................................................................................................................... 59

CPU FSB .................................................................................................................................... 59

Memory ..................................................................................................................................... 59

nForce SPP ................................................................................................................................ 59

nForce MCP ............................................................................................................................... 60

HT nForce SPP <-> MCP ........................................................................................................... 60

nForce MCP Auxiliary ................................................................................................................. 60

GTLVREF Lane 0-2 .................................................................................................................... 60

GTLVREF Lane 3 ....................................................................................................................... 60

NVMEM Memory Test ................................................................................................................ 60

Load Timing/Voltage Set ............................................................................................................ 61

Save Timing/Voltage Set ............................................................................................................ 61

Installing Drivers and Software ........................................................................................................ 63

Driver Installation ......................................................................................................................... 63

EVGA Enthusiast Glossary .......................................................................................................... 65

Appendix A. POST Codes for EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Platform ............................................... 67

NVMM POST Codes ................................................................................................................... 73

List of Figures

Figure 1. EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Motherboard Layout ....................................................... 5

Figure 2. Chassis Back Panel Connectors ................................................................................. 6

Figure 3. Power Supply Connectors ......................................................................................... 12

Figure 4. PWR1 Motherboard Connector ................................................................................. 13

Figure 5. BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Menu ........................................................................ 27

Figure 6. Standard CMOS Features Menu ............................................................................... 29

Figure 7. Advanced BIOS Features Menu ................................................................................ 33

Figure 8. Advanced Chipset Features ...................................................................................... 37

Figure 9. Integrated Peripherals Menu ..................................................................................... 38

Figure 10. Power Management Setup Menu .............................................................................. 42

Figure 11. PnP/PCI Configuration Menu..................................................................................... 45

Figure 12. PC Health Status ....................................................................................................... 47

Figure 13. System Clocks Menu ................................................................................................. 50

Figure 14. FSB & Memory Config Menu ..................................................................................... 53

Figure 15. CPU Configuration Menu ........................................................................................... 57

Figure 16. System Voltages Menu .............................................................................................. 59

EVGA viii

EVGA ix

Before You Begin…

Parts NOT in the Kit

This kit contains all the hardware necessary to install and connect your new EVGA force® 780i SLI FTW motherboard. However, it does not contain the following items that must be purchased separately to make the motherboard functional.

 Intel microprocessor

 System Memory

 Cooling fan for the microprocessor

 Graphics Card

 Power Supply

EVGA assumes you have purchased all necessary parts needed to allow for proper system functionality.

Intentions of the Kit

This kit provides you with the motherboard and all connecting cables necessary to install the motherboard into a PC case. 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 case, it is highly recommended to reinstall the operating system even though the current drives may already have an operating system.

EVGA 1

EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW

Motherboard

Thank you for buying the EVGA nFore 780i SLI FTW Motherboard: This motherboard offers the tools and performance PC users’ demand. When combined with two or three SLIReady NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards, you get innovative NVIDIA SLI Technology for enhanced system performance.

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 D, Pentium

 Operating systems:

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

 Contains NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI MCP and SPP

 System Memory support

Supports dual channel JEDEC DDR2-800 and SLI-Ready memory up to 1200 MHz. Supports up to 8 GBs of DDR2 memory.

 Ten USB 2.0 Ports

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

 Onboard Serial ATA II

 300MBps data transfer rate  Six Serial ATA II connectors  NVIDIA Media Shield RAID with support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID

5, and JBOD

 Supports hot plug and NCQ (Native Command Queuing )

 Onboard LAN

 Dual LAN interface built-in onboard  Supports 10/100/1000 Mbit/sec Ethernet

 Onboard 1394

 Supports hot plug  Two 1394a ports (one rear panel port, one onboard header) with a rate transmission

of 400 Mbps

 Onboard Audio

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

 Triple PCI Express x16 Support

 2 x16 PCI Express 2.0  1 x16 PCI Express 1.0  Supports 4 GB/sec (8 GB/sec concurrent) bandwidth  Low power consumption and power management features

 Green Function

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

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

 Expansion Slots

 Two PCI slots  One PCI Express x1 slot  Three PCI Express x16 Graphics slots

EVGA 2

EVGA 3

Unpacking and

Parts Descriptions

Unpacking

The EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW 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.

Equipment

The following equipment is included in the EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW motherboard box. (Accessories may vary between models, see product package)

EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Motherboard This PCI Express motherboard contains the NVIDIA

nForce 780i 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 Used to attach a floppy drive to the motherboard.

2-Port SATA Power Cable (Qty Three) Allows a Molex power connector to adapt to a SATA

power connector

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

Serial Port Bracket Cable Used for serial legacy devices

IDE-ATA 133 HDD Cable Passes data between the IDE connection on both the

Motherboard and IDE device

EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Motherboard

The EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW motherboard with the NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI SPP and MCP processor is a PCI Express, SLI-ready motherboard. Figure 1 shows the motherboard and Figures 2 shows the back panel connectors.

EVGA 4

EVGA 5

Figure 1.

EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Motherboard Layout

1. CPU Socket – For use with Intel LGA 775 CPUs

11. USB headers – for additional USB connectors.

21. SPDIF connector – Digital Audio connection

2. NVIDIA SPP with Active fan – Also known as the Northbridge

12. Motherboard battery – helps retain system BIOS settings

22. PCI slots – Used for PCI based components

3. CPU fan connector – Connect CPU Fan to this connector.

13. Fan connector

23. PCI Express x16 slots (SLI) – For gra phics cards, multiple slots are used for SLI configurations

4. DDR DIMM Slots 0 – 3 – For System Memory

14. Serial connector – for Serial Port dongal

24. 1394a connector – Firewire connection

5. 24-pin ATX Power Connector – Main Power connection

15. Front panel connector – For use with system chassis

25. PCI Express x1 slot – Exclusive for devices that require a PCI-E x1 slot

6. IDE Connector – For IDE devices, CD-ROM and Hard Disk Drives

16. CMOS Clear – Easily clears the system the BIOS.

26. Back panel connectors – See Figure 2

7. Serial -ATA (SATA) connectors – For SATA devices, CD-ROM and Hard Disk Drives

17. Power button – with integrated power LED indicator

27. PWM / Voltage Regulator Heatsink – Aids in dispersing heat

8. FDD connector – Floppy Disk Drive Connector

18. Reset Button – With integrated HDD activity light.

28. 8-pin ATX 12V power connector – CPU 8 -Pin Power connector

9. NVIDIA MCP (passive heat sink)

19. Azalia HD Audio Header

29. MCP/SPP fan connector

10. System Speaker – Provides POST Codes via audio

20. Front Panel Audio – For use with system chassis

30. LED POST Code Readout – See Appendix A. For Code descriptions

10 13

7 8 9

6 13

1 2 5 6 4 3 4

7 4 7

Figure 2. Chassis Back Panel Connectors

1. PS/2 Mouse Port

2. PS/2 Keyboard Port

3. 1394a (Firewire) Port

4. USB 2.0 ports (SIX)

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. 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

EVGA 6

EVGA 7

Hardware Installation

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

 Preparing the motherboard

 Installing the CPU  Installing the CPU fan  Installing the memory

 Installing the motherboard

 Connecting cables and setting switches

Safety Instructions

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.

Align notches with

notches on the CPU

Preparing the Motherboard

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

EVGA 8

Make sure the CPU is fully seated and level in the socket.

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

close and engage the socket lever.

Installing the CPU Fan

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

EVGA 9

Installing System 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 memory modules. 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 5 for the location of the memory slots.)

 One DIMM: Install into slot 0. You can install the DIMM into any slot however, slot 0 is

preferred.

 Two DIMMs: Install into either slot 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.

Use the following procedure to install memory DIMMs. 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 while

applying light downward pressure to properly seat the DIMM. The plastic clips at both sides of the DIMM slot automatically lock the DIMM into the connector.

DIMM Slot 0

CPU side

DIMM Slot 2

DIMM Slot 1

DIMM Slot 3

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. It is recommended to secure the motherboard first before making all connections.

Use the following procedure to install the I/O shield and secure the motherboard into the chassis.

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. In most cases, it is recommended to secure the motherboard using a minimum of eight (8) to ten (10) spacers.

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.

EVGA 10

EVGA 11

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

 24-pin ATX power (

PWR1)

 8-pin ATX 12V power (

PWR2)

 Internal Headers

 Front panel  IEEE 1394a  USB Headers  Audio  Speaker  COM

 FDD

 IDE

 Serial ATA II

 Chassis Fans

 Rear panel USB 2.0 Adapter

 Expansion slots

 CMOS jumper settings

See Figure 1 on page 5 to locate the connectors and jumpers referenced in the following procedure.

Power Connections

To support 3-way SLI, this motherboard has the following specific minimum power supply requirements:

 A Power Supply that features 1000 W peak power

 6-pin and/or 8-pin PCI-E power connectors configured in either of the following

configurations (see Figure 3):

 Four 6-pin (3x2) and two 8-pin (4x2) PCI-E power connectors



Six 6-pin (3x2) PCI-E power connectors



Three 6-pin (3x) and three 8-pin (4x2) PCI-E power connectors

EVGA 12

8-pin (4x2) PCI-E Connector 6-pin (3x2) PCI-E connector

Figure 3. Power Supply Connectors

Make sure you have enough power to cover all the expansion cards you will be installing. To determine what power requirements are for your specific configuration or a certified power supply vendor, refer to

www.slizone.com.

EVGA 13

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. This connector is notched, do not force in.

Figure 4. PWR1 Motherboard Connector

Table 1. PWR1 Pin Assignments

Connector

Signal

+3.3V

-12V

GND

+5V

PS_ON

GND

+5V

GND 7 GND

GND

PWROK

RSVD

+5V_AUX

+5V

+12V

+5V

+12V

+5V

+3.3V

GND

PWR1 connector Plug power cable from system power supply to PWR1

Board edge

GND

12V

8 4 5

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. This connector is notched, do not force in.

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 drive’s documentation for the jumper settings.

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.

EVGA 14

EVGA 15

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.

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

SATA 3 SATA 5

SATA 4 SATA 6

SATA 1 (bottom)

SATA 2 (top)

Connect the locking cable end to the motherboard connector.

Connect the end without the lock to the drive.

Connecting Internal Headers

Front Panel Header

The front panel header on this motherboard is one connector used to connect the following four cables: (see Table 2 for pin definitions)

 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.

EVGA 16

Some chassis do not have all four cables. Be sure to match the name on the connectors

 PWRSW

to the corresponding pins.

Attach the power button cable from the case to these two pins. Pressing the power button on the front panel turns the system on and 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 disk drives.

 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.

+ 59 hidden pages