EVGA nForce 132-YW-E180, nForce 790i SLI FTW, 132-YW-E180-A1, 132-YW-E179-A1 User Manual

 Onboard Serial ATA II

 300MBps data transfer rate
 Six Serial ATA II connectors from south bridge with support for RAID 0,

RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD

 Four Serial ATA II connectors from JMicron’s JMB362 (one rear panel port for

eSATA, three onboard)

 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 rate of

transmission at 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
 Two PCI Express x1 slot
 Three PCI Express x16 Graphics slots

1. PS/2 Mouse Port

2. PS/2 Keyboard Port

3. Coaxial SPDIF output

4. Optical SPDIF output

5. eSATA port

6. USB 2.0 ports (Six)

7.

8. Audio Port 2-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 Center/Subwoofer

Black Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out

Grey Side Speaker Out

9. LAN Port with LEDs to indicate status.

Figure 2. Chassis Backpanel Connectors

1 2 5 6 9 6 3 4 6

7

Activity LED

Status

Description

Off

No data transmission

Blinking (Green)

Data transmission

Speed/Link LED Status

Description

Yellow

1000 Mbps data rate

Green

100 Mbps data rate

Off

10 Mbps data rate

8

9

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

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.

Be very careful when handling the CPU. Make sure not to bend or break any pins
in the CPU socket. 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.

Unhook the socket lever by pushing down and

away from the socket.

Lift the load plate. There is a protective socket

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

Remove the protective socket cover from the load

plate.

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.

Align the notches in the processor with the

notches on the socket.

Lower the processor straight down into the socket

with out tilting or sliding it into the socket

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

Close the load plate over the CPU and press down

while you close and engage the socket lever.

Align notches with

notches on the CPU

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.

Your new motherboard has four 240-pin slots for DDR3 memory. These slots
support 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2 GB DDR3. 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.)

For memory over 1600MHz(PC3 12800) use slots 2 and 3 (black).

 One DIMM: Install into slot 3. You can install the DIMM into any slot;

however, slot 3 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.

DIMM Slot 0

DIMM Slot 2

DIMM Slot 1

DIMM Slot 3
CPU side

Board edge

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.

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

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.
It is normally easier to secure the motherboard first.

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.

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.

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 stud(s) that do not align with a mounting hole on the motherboard, it is
recommended that you remove that stud(s) 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) studs.

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

chassis.

Align the mounting holes with the studs/spacers.
Align the connectors to the I/O shield.
Ensure that the fan assembly is aligned with the chassis vents according to the

fan assembly instruction.

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

This section takes you through all the connections 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
 COM

 FDD
 IDE

 Serial ATA II
 Chassis Fans
 Rear panel USB 2.0 Adapter
 Expansion slots
 CMOS Clear Button

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

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

 Minimum 1000 W peak power
 Six PCI-E power connectors configured in either of the following

configurations (see Figure 3):

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

or

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

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 you power requirements are for your specific
configuration or a certified power supply vendor, refer to .

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.

Figure 4. PWR1 Motherboard Connector

Table 1. PWR1 Pin Assignments

Connector

Pin

Signal

Pin

Signal

24 13

12 1

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

PWR1 connector
Plug power cable from power
supply to PWR1

Board edge

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.

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

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

motherboard.

Connect the black connector (the cable with two closely spaced black and grey

connectors) to the Ultra ATA master device.

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.

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.

5

4

1

8

Backpanel connector edge

IDE Connector

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

There are ten Serial ATA connectors on the motherboard, The six black
connectors (SATA1~SATA6) from south bridge chipset that support RAID 0,
RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 0+1 and JBOD configurations and four connectors
(SATA7~SATA10) from JMicron’s JMB362.

SATA3 SATA5

SATA4 SATA6

SATA 1 (bottom)

SATA 2 (top)

SATA 9

SATA 10

SATA 8

SATA 7

Connector with eSATA support.

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

 PWRLED

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

connectors to the corresponding pins.

 PWRSW

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 onboard power 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 button cable from
the front panel of the case to the
these two pins. The system restarts
when the reset button is pressed.

Table 2.Front Panel Header Pins

Pin

Signal

HD_LED

1

HD_PWR

3

HD Active

PWRLED

2

PWR LED

4

STBY LED

RESET

5

Ground

7

RST BTN

PWRSW

6

PWR BTN

8

Ground

No Connect

9

+5V

Empty

10

Empty

Attach the front panel power LED
cable to these two pins of the header.
The Power LED indicates the system’s
status. When the system is turned on,
the LED is on. When the system is turned
off, the LED is off. When the system is in
S1, S1, S3, S4 standby, the LED will blink.

The IEEE 1394a (Firewire) 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.

Secure the bracket to the rear panel of your chassis.
Connect the end of the cable to the IEEE 1394a connector on the

motherboard.

Table 3. IEEE 1394a Connector Pins

Connector

Pin

Signal

IEEE 1394a Connector

10

8
6
4
2

9
7
5
3
1

1

TPA+

2

TPA-

3

GND

4

GND

5

TPB+

6

TPB-

7

+12V

8

+12V

9

Empty

10

GND

This motherboard contains six (6) USB 2.0 ports
that are exposed on the rear panel of the chassis
(Figure 2). The motherboard also contains two 10­pin internal header connectors onboard that can
be used to connect an optional external bracket
containing four (4) USB 2.0 ports.

Secure the bracket to the rear panel

of your chassis.

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

USB 2.0 Header Connector

1

5V_DUAL

3

Data-

5

Data+

7

GND

9

Empty

Pin

Signal

2

5V_DUAL

4

Data-

6

Data+

8

GND

10

No Connect

The audio connector uses the AC97 standard and provides two kinds of audio
output choices: Front Audio and Rear Audio. The front Audio supports re­tasking function.

Table 5. Front Audio Connector

Connector

Pin

Signal

Front Audio Connector

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

9

7

5

3

1

10

8
6
4
2

The HD Audio connection supports HD audio standard. Use this if the case does
not use the AC97 connectors.

Table 6. HD Audio Connector

Connector

Pin

Signal

HD audio Connector

1

BCLK

2

GND

3

RESET#

4

+3.3V

5

SYNC

6

GND

7

SDATA_OUT

8

+3.3V

9

SDATA_IN0

10

+12V

11

SDATA_IN1

12

KEY

13

NC

14

+3.3V_DUAL

15

SDATA_IN2

16

GND

The SPDIF header is used to connect to an NVIDIA graphics card for HDMI
audio.

Connector

Pin

Signal

SPDIF Audio Connector

1

Power

2

No Pin

3

SPDIF

4

SPDIFI

5

GROUND

6

GROUND

System fan
connector

Chassis fan
connector

The motherboard kit provides a serial COM port
bracket for your system. Connect one side of the cable
to the header and then attach the serial COM device to
the other side of the cable.

Fan Connector
3 2

GND

+12V

SENSE

Chassis fan
connector

The EVGA nForce 790i SLI FTW motherboard contains seven expansion slots,
five PCI Express slots and two PCI slots.

1

– PCI slot 1
– PCIe x16 slot 2

– PCI slot 2
– PCIe x16 slot 3
– PCIe x1 slots
– PCIe x16 slot 1

(Primary)

2

3 5 4 6 5

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

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.

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 slots provide
250 MB/sec bandwidth.

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

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.

These onboard buttons include RESET, POWER and Clear CMOS. Easily turn
on/off the system, and conveniently clear the CMOS.

The motherboard uses the CMOS ROM to store all the set parameters in the bios.
The CMOS can be cleared by using the following procedure:

Turn off the AC power supply.
Press and hold the clear CMOS button for 10 seconds.
Turn the AC power supply back on.

These onboard buttons turn the system on/off easily and is especially handy for
debugging or testing the system.

The POWER button with LED indicates the system’s status. When the system is
powered on status, the LED is green. When the system is in Standby mode, the
LED is yellow.

The RESET button with LED indicates the activity status of the hard disks. The
LED is orange.

Clear CMOS

Button

RESET
Button

POWER
Button

Provides a two-digit POST code to allow for quick and easy debugging.

Theses LEDs indicate the system status.



POWER LED (Green):

When the system is powered on, the LED is on.



DIMM LED (Yellow):

When the memory slot has power, the LED is on.



STANDBY LED (Blue):

When the system is in standby mode, the LED is on.



CPU HOT LED (Red):

When the CPU is overheating, the LED is on.

Debug LED

POWER LED

DIMM LED

CPU HOT LED

STANDBY LED

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
 PC Health Status
 Frequency/Voltage Control

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.

Power on the computer.
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.

It is strongly recommended that you do not change the default BIOS settings. Changing

some settings could damage your computer.

The main menu allows you to select from the list of setup functions and two exit
choices. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the options or
press Enter to display the associated submenu. Use the  arrow keys to position
the selector in the option you choose. To go back to the previous menu, press Esc.

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.

–––-

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.

 PC Health Status

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

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

 Frequency/Voltage Control

Load Fail-Safe Defaults

Load Optimized Defaults

Set Supervisor Password

Set User Password

Save & Exit Setup

Exit Without Saving

Esc : Quit

F10 : Save & Exit Setup

 : Select Item

Time, Date, Hard Disk Type..,

 Standard CMOS Features

 Advanced BIOS Features

 Advanced Chipset Features

 Integrated Peripherals

 Power Management Setup

 PnP/PCI Configurations

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

 Load Fail-Safe Defaults

Load Fail-Safe defaults system settings.

 Load Optimized Defaults

Load Optimized defaults system settings.

 Set Supervisor Password/Set User 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 Standard CMOS Features menu is used to configure the standard CMOS
information, such as the date, time, HDD model, and so on. Use the Page Up 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 Esc.

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

Figure 6. Standard CMOS Features Menu

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.



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

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

 IDE Channel 0 Master [None]

 IDE Channel 0 Slave [None]

 SATA 1 (A0) [None]

 SATA 2 (A1) [None]

 SATA 3 (B0) [None]

 SATA 4 (B1) [None]

 SATA 5 (C0) [None]

 SATA 6 (C1) [None]

Drive A [1.44, 3.5 in.]

Halt On [All , But Keyboard]

Base Memory 640K

Extended Memory 1047552K

Total Memory 1048576K

Date (mm:dd:yy) Sat, Jul 01 2008

Time (hh:mm:ss) 12 : 48: 23

Item Help

Main Level 

Change the day, month,

year and century

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Standard CMOS Features

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

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

Use these functions to detect and configure the individual IDE and SATA
channels. Select a channel and press Enter to display the IDE/SATA sub-menu.

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

 IDE Channel 0 Master [None]

 IDE Channel 0 Slave [None]

 SATA 1 (A0) [None]

 SATA 2 (A1) [None]

 SATA 3 (B0) [None]

 SATA 4 (B1) [None]

 SATA 5 (C0) [None]

 SATA 6 (C1) [None]

Date (mm:dd:yy) Sat, Jul 01 2006

Time (hh:mm:ss) 14 : 48: 43

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]

Press ENTER to display
SATA Channel sub-menu

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.

The BIOS supports the following HDD
Access Modes:

 CHS

For HDD less than 528 MB.

 LBA

For HDD greater than 528 MB and
supporting LBA (Logical Block
Addressing).

 Large

For HDD greater than 528 MB but not supporting LBA.

 Auto

Recommended mode.

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

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]

Cylinder

Min= 0

Max=65535

Key in a DEC number :



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

Press ENTER to display sub-menu
or enter number manually

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

Halt On

All Errors ..... [ ]

No Errors ..... [ ]

All , But Keyboard ..... [

]

All , But Diskette ..... [ ]

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



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

 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 Page Up 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. Press Enter to accept the changes and return to the Standard CMOS
Features menu.

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

during power on. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the
options or press Enter to display the Halt On sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys to
position the selector in the option you choose. Press Enter to accept the changes
and return to the Standard CMOS Features menu.

 All Errors

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

 No Errors

System 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

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.

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

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

Press ENTER to display sub-menu

Press ENTER to display sub-menu

Base Memory 640K

Extended Memory 1047552K

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.

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

The options that have associated sub-menus are designated by a , which precedes the

option. Press Enter to display the sub-menus.

Figure 7. Advanced BIOS Features Menu

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.



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

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

 Hard Disk Boot Priority [Press Enter]
 CD-ROM 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]

Item Help

Main Level 

Select Removable Boot
Device Priority

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced BIOS Features

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 + or – keys to move the device priority up or down in the
list. To go back to the previous menu, press Esc.

Use this option to select the priority for CD-ROM 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 – keys to move the device priority up or down
in the list. To go back to the previous menu, press Esc.

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 + or – keys to move the device priority up
or down in the list. To go back to the previous menu, press Esc.

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.

1. Network 0 : <description of network>

2. Network 1 : <description of network>

1. Ch0 M. : BENQ DVD DC DW1810

1. Ch0. : ST3802110A

2. Bootable Add-in Cards

Use the + and – keys to move

the priority of the device within
the list

Enabling this option allows the system to skip certain test while booting, which
reduces the time needed to boot the system. Use the Page Up and Page Down
keys to toggle between Enable and Disable.

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

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

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
the NumLock key.

First Boot Device

Removable ..... [

]

Hard Disk ..... [ ]

CDROM ..... [ ]

Network ..... [ ]

Disabled ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

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.

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.

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

This option allows you to enable or disable the display of the full-screen logo
when the system boots. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to toggle between

Enable and Disable

Select Advanced Chipset Features from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and
press Enter to display the functions of the Advanced Chipset Functions menu.

Figure 8. Advanced Chipset Features

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

This function allows you to enable or disable the High Precision Even Timer
(HPET). When Enabled, HPET is used as the timing hardware for multimedia
and other time-sensitive application. When HPET is Disabled, the APIC timer
is used.



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

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

System BIOS Cacheable [Disabled]

HPET Function [Enable]

Item Help

Main Level 

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced Chipset Features

Select Integrated Peripherals from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press

Enter to display the Integrated Peripherals menu.

Figure 9. Integrated Peripherals Menu



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

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

IEEE 1394 Controller [Enabled]
JMicron AHCI (SATA 7/8) [Enabled]
JMicron AHCI (SATA 9/10) [Enabled]
HD Audio [Auto]
Onboard FDC controller [Enabled]
Onboard Serial Port 1 [3F8/IRQ4]

Item Help

Main Level 

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Integrated Peripherals

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]

IDE HDD Block Mode [Enabled]

Press Enter to display the IDE Function Setup menu.

 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

When OnChip IDE Channel0 is set to [Enabled], you can select a mode
for the primary Master and Slave PIO. Select from Auto, or Mode 1 through

Mode 4.

 Primary Master/Slave UDMA

When OnChip IDE Channel0 is set to [Enabled], you can disable the
primary Master and Slave UDMA or set it to [Auto].

 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. The options
available are [SATA-0], [SATA-0+1], [Enabled], and [Disabled].

 IDE Prefetch Mode

Use this function to enable or disable the IDE Prefetch mode.

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]

IDE HDD Block Mode [Enabled]

RAID Enable [Disabled]

x SATA 1 (A0) RAID Disabled
x SATA 2 (A1) RAID Disabled
x SATA 3 (B0) RAID Disabled
x SATA 4 (B1) RAID Disabled
x SATA 5 (C0) RAID Disabled
x SATA 6 (C1) RAID Disabled

OnChip USB [Disabled]

x USB Keyboard Support Enabled
x USB Mouse Support Enabled

 IDE HDD Block Mode

Using this function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows your IDE hard
drive needs to support block mode. Select [Enabled] to automatically detect
the optimal number of block read/writes per sector the drive can support.
Select [Disabled] if your drive does not support block mode.

Press Enter to display the RAID Config menu.

 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.

Press Enter to display the USB Config menu.

 OnChip USB

Use this function to enable specific versions of the USB or disable the onchip
USB. When the onchip USB is set to [Disabled], the keyboard and mouse
support functions are set to

V1.1+V2.0 and cannot be

changed. Versions that can
be selected are [V1.1+V2.0] or [V1.1].

OnChip USB [V1.1+V2.0]
USB Keyboard Support [Enabled]
USB Mouse Support [Enabled]

RAID Enable [Enabled]
SATA 1 (A0) RAID [Disabled]
SATA 2 (A1) RAID [Disabled]
SATA 3 (B0) RAID [Disabled]
SATA 4 (B1) RAID [Disabled]
SATA 5 (C0) RAID [Disabled]
SATA 6 (C1) RAID [Disabled]

 USB Keyboard/Mouse Support

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

Press Enter to display the MAC Config menu.

 MACx LAN

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

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or disable
the IEEE 1394a (Firewire) interface.

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or disable
SATA port 7 and 8(eSATA).

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or disable
SATA port 9 and 10.

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

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

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to select the onboard
serial port 1 function. Options are [3F8/IRQ4], [2E8/IRQ3], [3E8/IRQ4],

[Auto], and [Disabled].

MAC0 LAN [Auto]
MAC1 LAN [Auto]

Select Power Management Setup from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press

Enter to display the Power Management Setup menu.

Figure 10. Power Management Setup Menu

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

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to select an
ACPI Suspend Type. Types to select from are [S1&S3], [S1(POS)], and

[S3(STR)].



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

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

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

Item Help

Main Level 

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Power Management Setup

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to set Soft-Off
by PBNT to [Instant-Off] or [Delay 4 Sec].

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or
disable WOL(PMW#) from soft-off.

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or
disable WOR(RI#) from soft-off.

 This function enables your computer to automatically restart or return to its

last operating status after power returns from a power failure.

 Off: The system stays off after a power failure.
 On: The system stays on after a power failure

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or
disable the Power-on by alarm function. Set to [Disable] to prevent power-on
by alarm. When set to [Enable], you can manually put in the day of the month
and the time of the alarm.

To enter a day or time, use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through
numbers or enter the number using the keyboard number or the + and – keys.

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

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.

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

Mouse Left

 Mouse Right
 Any Key

POWER ON Function [Hot key]

x KB Power ON Password Enter

Hot Key Power On [Ctrl-F1]

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

x Hot Key Power On Ctrl-F1

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

Enter to display the PnP/PCI Configuration menu.

Figure 11. PnP/PCI Configuration Menu

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].



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

Init Display First [PCI Slot]

Resources Controlled By [Auto(ESCD)]

x IRQ Resources Press Enter

PCI/VGA Palette [Disabled]
PCI Latency Timer(CLK) [32]

** PCI Express relative items **

Maximum Payload Size [4096]

Item Help

Main Level 

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

PnP/PCI Configuration

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 [Auto(ESCD)] if you want the BIOS to automatically populate these
fields. If you select [Manual] so you can assign the resources, IRQ Resources
is enabled for input.

To enable this field for input, set Resources Controlled By to [Manual].
With this field enabled, press Enter to see options.

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.

This item is designed to overcome problems that may be caused by some
nonstandard VGA cards..

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]

Resources Controlled By [Manual)]
IRQ Resources [Press Enter]

Resources Controlled By [Auto(ESCD)]

x IRQ Resources Press Enter

This item controls how long each PCI device can hold the bus before another
takes over. When set to higher values, every PCI device can conduct transactions
for a longer time and thus improve the effective PCI bandwidth. For better PCI
performance, you should set the item to higher values. The options are 0 through

255.

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

Select PC Health Status from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to
display the PC Health Status menu.

Figure 12. PC Health Status Menu

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



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

 Dynamic Fan Control [Press Enter]

CPU 38ºC/ 100ºF
Board 42ºC/ 108ºF
MCP55 59ºC/ 138ºF

CPU Core 1.27V
+5V 4.97V
Memory 1.48V
nForce SPP 1.31V
+3.3V 3.21V
+12V 11.91V
+Vbat 3.02V

CPU Fan Speed 4272 RPM

Chassis Fan Speed 0 RPM

Chassis Fan2 Speed 0 RPM

Aux Fan Speed 4891 RPM

nForce Fan Speed 0 RPM

Item Help

Main Level 

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

PC Health Status

Press Enter to display the Dynamic Fan Control menu.

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%.

CPU Fan Speed Control [SmartFan]
If temp > 70ºC, Set Fan Speed 100%
If temp < 30ºC, Set Fan Speed 1%

x Manual Fan Speed, % 100

Chassis Fan Speed Control [SmartFan]
If temp > 70ºC, Set Fan Speed 100%
If temp < 30ºC, Set Fan Speed 1%

x Manual Fan Speed, % 100

nForce Fan Speed Control [Auto]

x Manual Fan Speed, % 100

AUX Fan Speed Ctrl, % [100]
Chassis Fan2 Speed Ctrl, % [100]

CPU VREG Fan Control [on]

Select Frequency/Voltage Control from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and
press Enter to display the Frequency/Voltage Control menu.

Figure 13. Frequency/Voltage Control Menu



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

 System Clocks [Press Enter]
 FSB & Memory Config [Press Enter]
 CPU Feature [Press Enter]
 System Voltages [Press Enter]

Load timing/voltage set [Press Enter]
Save timing/voltage set [Press Enter]

Item Help

Main Level 

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Frequency/Voltage Control

Select System Clocks from the Frequency/Voltage Control 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.

Figure 14. System Clocks Menu

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.



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

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

Parameters Settings Current Vale
**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 & x16_2, MHz [Auto] 100
PCIe x16_3, 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 [Center Spread]
HT Spread Spectrum [Auto]
PCIe Spread Spectrum(SPP) [Disabled]
PCIe Spread Spectrum(MCP) [Auto]
SATA Spread Spectrum [Disabled]

Item Help

Main Level 

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



Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

System Clocks

 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 Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the options.
The options are from 6 X through 60 X.

 PCIe x16_1, MHz & PCIe x16_2, 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)
and Slot 2 (the black slot farthest from the CPU). Note that as you go higher
in value, PCIe Spread Spectrum(SPP) is 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).

 SPP<

—

>MCP Ref Clock, MHz

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the frequency
options for the reference clock between the SPP chip and the MCP chip.

 nForce SPP

— —

> nForce MCP

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the HT multiplier
options and set the link speed from the SPP chip to the MCP chip. Values are

[1 x] through [5 x].

 nForce MCP <

— —

nForce SPP

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the HT multiplier
options and set the link speed from the MCP chip to the SPP chip. Values are

[1 x] through [5 x].

 CPU Spread Spectrum

This option reduces the EMI generated by the CPU. Options are [Disabled]
and [Center Spread].

 HT Spread Spectrum

This option reduces the EMI generated by the HT. Options are [Disabled]
and [Auto].

 PCIe Spread Spectrum (SPP)

This option reduces the EMI generated by the SPP PCI-E. Options are
[Disabled] and [Auto]. This option reverts to Disabled and cannot be
changed when the value for PCIe x16_1 exceeds 100MHz.

 PCIe Spread Spectrum(MCP)

This option reduces the EMI generated by the PCI-E. Options are [Disabled]
and [Auto]

 SATA Spread Spectrum

This option reduces the EMI generated by the S-ATA. Options are [Disabled]
and [Down Spread].

Select FSB & Memory Config from the Frequency/Voltage Control menu and
press Enter to display the FSB & Memory Config menu. This menu provides the
means to set SLI-Ready memory, FSB memory, and memory timing.

Figure 15. FSB & Memory Config Menu

 EPP 2.0 Memory

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the EPP 2.0 Memory
options. The options are:

 Disabled
 CPUOC 0%
 CPUOC 1%
 CPUOC 2%
 CPUOC 3%
 CPUOC 4%
 CPUOC 5%
 Auto
 Expert



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

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

Parameters Settings Current Value

EPP 2.0 Memory [Disabled] Disabled

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

FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Auto]

x FSB – menory Ratio 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]

Item Help

Main Level 

“Auto” realizes the
complete optimized
memory settings when
EPP 2.0 memory is
installed

Optimized memory
settings by allowing
X% CPU overclocking

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

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

FSB & Memory Config

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

Mode is set to Unlinked and cannot be changed until EPP 2.0 Memory is

set to Disable.

 FSB and Memory Clock Mode

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the FSB and Memory
Clock Mode options. The options are:

 Auto

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

 Linked

When Link is selected, FSB-Memory Ratio and FSB (QDR), MHz are
changed to editable and the FSB speed can be entered manually. As the FSB
speed is changed, CPU Freq, MHz changes proportionally.

 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 (QDR), MHz

Use the + or – keys to scroll through new values for the CPU FSB frequency
or type in a new value. Note that the Actual FSB (QDR) reflects the actual
frequency that takes effect on a reboot.

FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Unlinked]

x FSB – Memory Ratio Auto

FSB (QDR), MHz [1067] 1066.7

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

Actual MEM (DDR), MHz 800.0

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

FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Linked]

FSB – Memory Ratio [Auto]

FSB (QDR), MHz [1067] 1066.7

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

 MEM (DDR), MHz

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

 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.



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

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

Parameters Settings Current Value

Memory Timing Setting [Optimal]

x tCL (CAS Latency) Auto(7) 7
x tRCD Auto(7) 7
x tRP Auto(7) 7
x tRAS Auto(20) 20
x Command Per Clock (CMD) Auto(1T) 1T

** Advanced Memory Settings **

x tRRD Auto(4) 4
x tRC Auto(27) 27
x tWR Auto(10) 10
x tWTR Auto(14) 14
x tFAW Auto(21) 21
x tREF Auto 7.8uS
x tRFC Auto 110ns

Item Help

Main Level 

Select [Expert] to
enter timings manually

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Memory Timing Setting

 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.

tCL: CAS# latency (options are Auto and 5 through 18).
tRCD: RAS#-to-CAS# Delay for Read/Write commands to the same

bank (options are Auto and 1 through 15).

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

Refresh of the same bank (options are Auto and 1 through 15).

tRAS: This is the minimum RAS# active time (options are Auto and 1

through 63).

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

unit basis (options are Auto, 1 clock and 2 clock).

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

through 15).

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

Auto and 1 through 63).

tWR: The Write recovery time (options are Auto and 5 through 12).
tWTR: This is the minimum write-to-read delay with the same chip

selected (options are Auto and 1 through 31).

tFAW: Minimum four Activate Windows delay time (options are Auto and

1 through 63).

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

3.9uS).

Parameters Settings Current Value

Memory Timing Setting [Expert]
tCL (CAS Latency) [Auto(7)] 7
tRCD [Auto(7)] 7
tRP [Auto(7)] 7
tRAS [Auto(20)] 20
Command Per Clock (CMD) [Auto(1T)] 1T

** Advanced Memory Settings **

tRRD [Auto(4)] 4
tRC [Auto(27)] 27
tWR [Auto(10)] 10
tWTR [Auto(14)] 14

tFAW [Auto(21)] 21
tREF [Auto] 7.8uS
tRFC [Auto] 110ns

tRFC: Minimum Refresh Recover Time Delay (options are Auto, 90ns,

110ns,160ns and 285nS).

Select CPU Feature from the Frequency/Voltage Control menu and press Enter
to display the CPU Feature menu.

Figure 16. CPU Feature Menu

 Limit CPUID MaxVal

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

 Intel SpeedStep

Use this function to enable the Intel SpeedStep technology (EIST). When set

to “Auto” the below item become available to set [Native Mode] or [SMM

Mode] for PPM Mode



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

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

Limit CPUID MaxVal [Disabled]
Intel SpeedStep [Disabled]

x PPM Mode Native Mode
CPU Thermal Control [Disabled]

C1E Enhanced Halt State [Enabled]

Execute Disable Bit [Enabled]
Virtualization Technology [Enabled]

CPU Core 0 Enabled
CPU Core 1 [Enabled]

CPU Core 2 [Enabled]
CPU Core 3 [Enabled]

Item Help

Main Level 

Set limit CPUID MaxVal
to 3, should Be
“Disabled” for WinXP

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

CPU Feature

CPU Thermal Control

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

 Disable

Disable support for TM1 and TM2.

 TM1 Only

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

 TM2 Only

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

 TM1 & TM2

Enables support for both TM1 and TM2.

C1E Enhanced Halt State

When set to 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 0/1/2/3

These function allows you to enable or disable CPU Core.

Select System Voltages from the Frequency/Voltage Control menu and press

Enter to display the System Voltages menu.

Figure 17. System Voltages Menu

 EVGA VDroop control

EVGA VDroop control is a safety measure by motherboards to protect the
cpu. Select to [With VDroop] to calibrate CPU VDroop or select to

[Without VDroop] to disable this function.

 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.



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

F5:Previous Values F6:Fail-Safe Defaults F7:Optimized Defaults

Parameters Settings Current Value

EVGA VDroop control [With VDroop]

CPU Core [Auto] 1.30000

CPU FSB [Auto] 1.2V

Memory [Auto] 1.500V

nForce SPP [Auto] 1.30V
nForce MCP [Auto] 1.500V

CPU PLL [Auto] 1.5V

GTLVREF Lane 0 [Auto] +00mv

GTLVREF Lane 1 [Auto] +00mv

GTLVREF Lane 2 [Auto] +00mv

GTLVREF Lane 3 [Auto] +00mv

User should exercise caution when increasing

Voltages. System can become unstable and

Components may be damaged. Overclocking may

Void your warranty.

Item Help

Main Level 

To Calibrate CPU
VDroop

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

System Voltages

 CPU FSB

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 FSB.

 Memory

This function defines the voltage level for the DRAM. Use the Page Up and

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

voltage.

 nForce SPP

This function defines the core voltage level for the NVIDIA nForce SPP chip.
Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to select a voltage or select [Auto]to
automatically set the voltage.

 nForce MCP

This function defines the core voltage level for the NVIDIA nForce MCP
chip. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to select a voltage or select

[Auto]to automatically set the voltage.

 CPU PLL

This function defines the voltage level for the CPU PLL. Use the Page Up
and Page Down keys to select a voltage (1.5V, 1.6V, 1.7V, 1.8V) or select

[Auto]to automatically set the voltage.

 GTLVREF Lane 0

This function defines the voltage level for GTLVREF Lane 0. Use the Page

Up and Page Down keys to select a voltage or select [Auto]to automatically

set the voltage.

 GTLVREF Lane 1

This function defines the voltage level for GTLVREF Lane 1. Use the Page

Up and Page Down keys to select a voltage or select [Auto]to automatically

set the voltage.

 GTLVREF Lane 2

This function defines the voltage level for GTLVREF Lane 2. Use the Page

Up and Page Down keys to select a voltage or select [Auto]to automatically

set the voltage.

 GTLVREF Lane 3

This function defines the voltage level for GTLVREF Lane 3. Use the Page

Up and Page Down keys to select a voltage or select [Auto]to automatically

set the voltage.

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

timing/voltage set function.

There are three profile options that can be loaded. The default setting is Auto for
all settings. Press Enter to see the options.

This function saves the system voltages and timing settings that were defined in
the System Voltages menu. There are three profile options that can be loaded. The
default setting is Auto for all settings. Press Enter to see the options.

Save timing/voltage set

Press Enter to Exit ..... [

]

Select Profile 1 ..... [ ]

Select Profile 2 ..... [ ]

Select Profile 3 ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

Load timing/voltage set

Press Enter to Exit ..... [

]

Select Profile 1 ..... [ ]

Select Profile 2 ..... [ ]

Select Profile 3 ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

It is important to remember that before installing the driver CD that is shipped in the kit,

you need to load your operating system. The motherboard supports Windows
XP 32bit and 64bit and is Vista-capable.

The CD that has been shipped with your EVGA motherboard contains the
following software and drivers:

 Motherboard Drivers
 Audio Drivers
 SATA Controller Drivers
 Create a RAID Floppy Disk
 Adobe Acrobat Reader

®

 View CD Manual

Insert the EVGA nForce 790i SLI FTW installation CD in the the system’s

CD-ROM Drive.

The CD will autorun, install the drivers and utilities listed on the install screen.

If the CD does not run, go to My Computer and click on the CD to open.

ACPI - Advanced Configuration and Power Interface

AFR – Alternate Frame Rendering

APIC - Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller

BIOS - Basic Input Output System

CD-ROM - Compact Disc Read-Only Memory

CMOS - Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor

CPU – Central Processing Unit

D-ICE – Dry Ice Cooling

DDR2 - Double Data Rate 2

DDR3 - Double Data Rate 3

DIMM - Dual In-line Memory Module

DRAM - Dynamic random access memory

DVD - Digital Versatile Disc

DVI – Digital Video Interface

FDC - Floppy Disk Controller

FSB – Front Side Bus

FTW – For The Win!

GHz – Gigahertz

GPU – Graphics Processing Unit

HDD - Hard Disk Drive

HDMI - High-Definition Multimedia Interface

HDR – High Dynamic Range Lighting

HPET - High Precision Event Timer

HSF - Heat Sink Fan

I/O - Input/Output

IDE - Integrated Drive Electronics

IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IGP - Integrated Graphics Processors

IRQ - Interrupt Request

JBOD - Just a Bunch of Disks

JEDEC - Joint Electron Device Engineering Council

LAN - Local Area Network

LCD - Liquid Crystal Display

Award POST Codes

Code

Name

Description

0C

Reserved

0D

Reserved

0E

CheckSum

Check

Check the integrity of the ROM,BIOS and message

0F

Reserved

10

Autodetect

EEPROM

Check Flash type and copy flash write/erase routines

11

Reserved

12

Test CMOS

Test and Reset CMOS

13

Reserved

14

Load Chipset

Load Chipset Defaults

15

Reserved

16

Init Clock

Initialize onboard clock generator

17

Reserved

18

Init CPU

CPU ID and initialize L1/L2 cache

19

Reserved

1A

Reserved

1B

Setup Interrupt

Vector Table

Initialize first 120 interrupt vectors with
SPURIOUS_INT_HDLR and initialize INT 00h-1Fh
according to INT_TBL

1C

CMOS Battery

Check

Test CMOS and check Battery Fail

1D

Early PM

Early PM initialization

1E

Reserved

1F

Re-initial KB

Load keyboard matrix

20

Reserved

21

HPM init

Init Heuristic Power Management (HPM)

22

Reserved

23

Program

chipset

Early Programming of chipset registers

24

Init PNP

Init PNP

25

Shadow VBIOS

Shadow system/video BIOS

Award POST Codes

Code

Name

Description

26

Clock Gen

Init onboard clock generator and sensor

27

Setup BDA

Setup BIOS DATA AREA (BDA)

28

Reserved

29

CPU Speed

detect

Chipset programming and CPU Speed detect

2A

Reserved

2B

Init video

Initialize Video

2C

Reserved

2D

Video memory

test

Test Video Memory and display Logos

2E

Reserved

2F

Reserved

30

Reserved

31

Reserved

32

Reserved

33

Early keyboard

reset

Early Keyboard Reset

34

Reserved

35

Test DMA

Controller 0

Test DMA channel 0

36

Reserved

37

Test DMA

Controller 1

Test DMA channel 1

38

Reserved

39

Test DMA Page

Registers

Test DMA Page Registers

3A

Reserved

3B

Reserved

3C

Test Timer

Test 8254 Timer 0 Counter 2.

3D

Reserved

3E

Test 8259-1

Mask

Verify 8259 Channel 1 masked interrupts by
alternately turning off and on the interrupt lines.

3F

Reserved

40

Test 8259-2

Verify 8259 Channel 2 masked interrupts by

Award POST Codes

Code

Name

Description

Mask

alternately turning off and on the interrupt lines.

41

Reserved

42

Reserved

43

Test Stuck

Interrupt

Turn off interrupts then verify no 8259's interrupt
mask register is on. Test 8259 Force an interrupt and
verify the interrupt occurred.

44

Reserved

45

Reinit serial

port

Reinitialize Preboot agent serial port

46

Reserved

47

EISA Test

If EISA non-volatile memory checksum is good,
execute EISA initialization. If not, execute ISA tests
and clear EISA mode flag.

48

Reserved

49

Size Memory

Size base memory from 256K to 640K and extended
memory above 1MB.

4A

Reserved

4B

Reserved

4C

Reserved

4D

Reserved

4E

Init APIC

Initialize APIC and set MTRR

4F

Reserved

50

USB init

Initialize USB controller

51

Reserved

52

Memory Test

Test all memory of memory above 1MB using Virtual
8086 mode, page mode and clear the memory

53

Reserved

54

Reserved

55

CPU display

Detect CPU speed and display CPU vendor specific
version string and turn on all necessary CPU features

56

Reserved

57

PnP Init

Display

PnP logo and PnP early init

Award POST Codes

Code

Name

Description

58

Reserved

59

Setup Virus

Setup virus protect according to Protect Setup

5A

Reserved

5B

Awdflash Load

If required, will auto load Awdflash.exe in POST

5C

Reserved

5D

Onboard I/O

Init Initializing onboard superIO

5E

Reserved

5F

Reserved

60

Setup enable

Display setup message and enable setup functions

61

Reserved

62

Reserved

63

Initialize

Mouse

Detect if mouse is present, initialize mouse, install
interrupt vectors.

64

Reserved

65

PS2 Mouse

special

Special treatment to PS2 Mouse port

66

Reserved

67

ACPI init

ACPI sub-system initializing

68

Reserved

69

Init Cache

Initialize cache controller

6A

Reserved

6B

Setup

Enter setup check and autoconfiguration check up

6C

Reserved

6D

Initialize

Floppy

Initialize floppy disk drive

6E

Reserved

6F

FDD install

Install FDD and setup BIOS data area parameters

70

Reserved

71

Reserved

72

Reserved

73

Initialize Hard

Drive

Initialize hard drive controller

74

Reserved

Award POST Codes

Code

Name

Description

75

Detect HDD

IDE device detection

76

Reserved

77

Detect serial

ports

Initialize serial ports.

78

Reserved

79

Reserved

7A

Detect parallel

ports

Initialize parallel ports.

7B

Reserved

7C

HDD Write

Protect

HDD check for write protection

7D

Reserved

7E

Reserved

7F

POST error

check

Check POST error and display them and ask for user
intervention

80

Reserved

81

Reserved

82

Security Check

Ask password security.

83

Write CMOS

Write all CMOS values back to RAM and clear screen.

84

Display PNP

Display PNP devices

85

USB Final Init

Final USB initialization

86

Reserved

87

Reserved

88

Reserved

89

Setup ACPI

tables

Setup ACPI tables

8A

Reserved

8B

Option ROM

Detect

Scan for Option ROMs

8C

Reserved

8D

Enable Parity

Check

Enable Parity Check

Award POST Codes

Code

Name

Description

8E

Reserved

8F

IRQ12 Enable

Enable IRQ12 if mouse present

90

Reserved

91

Reserved

92

Reserved

93

Boot Medium

Read

Detect and store boot partition head and cylinders
values in RAM

94

Final Init

Final init for last micro details before boot

95

NumLock

Set NumLock status according to Setup

96

Boot Attempt

Set low stack Boot via INT 19h.

C0

Base CPU test

Read/Write CPU registers

C1

Memory

Presence

Base memory detect

C2

Early Memory

Board Initialization

C3

Extend

Memory

Turn on extended memory, cache initialization

C4

Special Display

First display initialization

C5

Early Shadow

Early shadow enable for fast boot

C6

Cache

presence

External cache size detection

CF

CMOS Check

CMOS checkup

B0

Spurious

If interrupt occurs in protected mode.

B1

Unclaimed NMI

If unmasked NMI occurs, display Press F1 to disable
NMI, F2 reboot.

BF

Program MCP

To program chipset from defaults values

E1-EF

Setup Pages

E1- Page 1, E2 - Page 2, etc.

FF

Boot