Foxconn A74GA Owner's Manual

A74GA Series Motherboard

User’s Manual

Statement:

This manual is the intellectual property of Foxconn, Inc. Although the information

in this manual may be changed or modied at any time, Foxconn does not obligate

itself to inform the user of these changes.

Trademark:

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Version:

User’s Manual V1.1 for A74GA Series motherboard.

P/N: 3A222C500-000-G

Symbol description:

Caution : refers to important information that can help you to use motherboard

better, and tells you how to avoid problems.

Warning : indicating a potential risk of hardware damage or physical injury

may exist.

WEEE:

The use of this symbol indicates that this product may not be treated as household

waste. By ensuring this product is disposed of correctly, you will help prevent potential

negative consequences for the environment and human health, which could other-

wise be caused by inappropriate waste handling of this product. For more detailed

information about recycling of this product, please contact your local city ofce, your

household waste disposal service or the shop where you purchased this product.

More information:

If you want more information about our products, please visit Foxconn’s

website: http://www.foxconnchannel.com

All trade names are registered trademarks of respective manufacturers listed.

All images are for reference only, please refer to the physical motherboard for specic features.

Declaration of conformity

HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY COMPANY LTD

66 , CHUNG SHAN RD., TU-CHENG INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT,

TAIPEI HSIEN, TAIWAN, R.O.C.

declares that the product

Motherboard A74GA

is in conformity with

(reference to the specication under which conformity is declared in

accordance with 89/336 EEC-EMC Directive)

■ EN 55022:1998/A2: 2003 Limits and methods of measurements of radio

disturbance characteristics of information technology equipment

■ EN 61000-3-2/:2000 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)

Part 3: Limits Section 2: Limits for harmonic current emissions (equipment input current <= 16A per phase)

■ EN 61000-3-3/A1:2001 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)

Part 3: Limits

Section 2: Limits of voltage uctuations and icker in low

voltage supply systems for equipment with rated current <= 16A

■ EN 55024/A2:2003 Information technology equipment-Immunity

characteristics limits and methods of measurement

Signature : Place / Date : TAIPEI/2010

Printed Name : James Liang

Declaration of conformity

Trade Name: FOXCONN

Model Name:

Responsible Party: PCE Industry Inc.

Address: 458 E. Lambert Rd.

Fullerton, CA 92835

Telephone: 714-738-8868

Facsimile: 714-738-8838

Equipment Classication: FCC Class B Subassembly

Type of Product: Motherboard

Manufacturer: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY

COMPANY LTD

Address: 66 , CHUNG SHAN RD., TU-CHENG

INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, TAIPEI HSIEN,

TAIWAN, R.O.C.

A74GA

Supplementary Information:

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following

two conditions : (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device

must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired

operation.

Tested to comply with FCC standards.

Signature : Date : 2010

Installation Precautions

■ Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the sudden and momentary electric current

that ows between two objects at different electrical potentials. Normally it

comes out as a spark which will quickly damage your electronic equipment.

Please wear an electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap when handling

components such as a motherboard, CPU or memory.

■ Ensure that the DC power supply is turned off before installing or removing

CPU, memory, expansion cards or other peripherals. It is recommended to

unplug the AC power cord from the power supply outlet. Failure to unplug

the power supply cord may result in serious damage to your system.

Please carefully read the following procedures to install your computer :

■ It is suggested to select high-quality, certied fans in order to avoid damage

to the motherboard and CPU due to high temperature. Never turn on the

computer if the CPU fan is not properly installed.

■ We cannot guarantee that your system can operate normally when your

CPU is overclocked. Normal operation depends on the overclocking capac-

ity of your device.

■ If there is any, when connecting USB, audio, RS232 COM, IrDA or S/PDIF

cables to the internal connectors on the motherboard, make sure their

pinouts are matching with the connectors on the motherboard. Incorrect con-

nections might damage the motherboard.

■ When handling the motherboard, avoid touching any metal leads or connec-

tors.

■ If there is a PCI Express x16 graphics card installed in your system, we

recommend using a 24-pin ATX power supply to get the best performance.

■ Before turning on the power, please make sure the power supply AC input

voltage setting has been congured to the local standard.

■ To prevent damage to the motherboard, do not allow screws to come in contact

with the motherboard circuit or its components. Also, make sure there are no

leftover screws or metal components placed on the motherboard or within the

computer casing.

■ If you are uncertain about any installation steps or have a problem related to

the use of the product, please consult a certied computer technician.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Product Introduction

Product Specications ..............................................................................2

Layout.......................................................................................................4

Back Panel Connectors ............................................................................5

Chapter 2 Hardware Install

Install the CPU and CPU Cooler ..............................................................8

Install the Memory ..................................................................................10

Install an Expansion Card ......................................................................12

Install other Internal Connectors ............................................................13

Jumpers ..................................................................................................17

Install driver and utility ............................................................................19

Chapter 3 BIOS Setup

Enter BIOS Setup ...................................................................................22

Main Menu..............................................................................................22

System Information ................................................................................24

Advanced BIOS Features.......................................................................26

Core Releaser ........................................................................................28

Fox Central Control Unit .........................................................................29

Advanced Chipset Features ...................................................................32

Integrated Peripherals ............................................................................35

Power Management Setup .....................................................................39

PC Health Status ....................................................................................41

BIOS Security Features..........................................................................42

Load Optimal Defaults ............................................................................43

Save & Exit Setup ..................................................................................43

Exit Without Saving ................................................................................43

Chapter 4 RAID Conguration

RAID Introduction ...................................................................................45

Install SATA Hard Disks ..........................................................................46

RAID Conguration ................................................................................46

Create RAID Driver Disk ........................................................................48

Install Windows OS ................................................................................49

Technical Support :

Support

Website :

http://www.foxconnchannel.com

Support Website :

http://www.foxconnsupport.com

Worldwide Online Contact Support :

http://www.foxconnsupport.com/inquiry.aspx

CPU Support List :

http://www.foxconnsupport.com/cpusupportlist.aspx

Memory, VGA Compatibility List :

http://www.foxconnsupport.com/complist.aspx

Thank you for buying Foxconn A74GA Series motherboard. Foxconn

products are engineered to maximize computing power, providing

only what you need for break-through performance.

With advanced overclocking capability and a range of connectivity

features for today multi-media computing requirements, A74GA

enables you to unleash more power from your computer.

This chapter includes the following information:

■ Product Specications

■ Layout

■ Back Panel Connectors

1-1 Product Specications

CPU

http://www.foxconnsupport.com/cpusupportlist.aspx

HyperTransport 2000MT/s

Chipset North Bridge: AMD RS740G

South Bridge: AMD SB710

Memory 4 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM sockets

Support up to 16GB memory size

Audio Realtek ALC662 audio chip:

- High Denition Audio

- 2/4/5.1-channel

- Support Jack-Sensing function

LAN Realtek RTL8111DL Gigabit LAN chip

Expansion Slots 1 x PCI Express x16 slot

1 x PCI Express x1 slot

3 x PCI slots

Storage SB710 chipset:

- 6 x SATA connectors

- 300MB/s data transfer rate

- Support RAID 0, 1, 10

USB Support hot plug

Support up to 12 x USB 2.0 ports (6 rear panel ports, 3 onboard USB

headers supporting 6 extra ports)

Support USB 2.0 protocol up to 480Mb/s

VGA Integrated ATI Radeon2100 Graphics

Support DirectX 9.0

Internal Connectors 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector

1 x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector

1 x IDE connector

6 x SATA connectors

3 x USB 2.0 connectors (supporting 6 x USB devices)

1 x CPU fan header (4-pin)

1 x System fan header (4-pin)

1 x NB fan header (4-pin)

1 x Front Audio connector

1 x CD_IN connector

1 x Speaker connector

1 x Front panel connector

1 x Chassis intrusion alarm header (INTR)

1 x LPT header

Back Panel 1 x PS/2 keyboard port

Connectors 1 x PS/2 mouse port

Support AM3 socket &

For the latest CPU information,

Dual channel DDR3 1333/1066MHz architecture

PhenomTM II

please visit：

processors, Max processor power up to 95W

1 x VGA port

1 x Serial port

6 x USB 2.0 ports

1 x RJ-45 LAN port

6-channel Audio ports

Hardware Monitor System voltage detection

CPU/System temperature detection

CPU/System fan speed detection

CPU/System fan speed control

PCI Express x1 Support 250MB/s (500MB/s concurrent) bandwidth

Low power consumption and power management features

PCI Express x16 Support 4GB/s (8GB/s concurrent) bandwidth

Low power consumption and power management features

Green Function Support EuP Function

Support ACPI (Advanced Conguration and Power Interface)

Support S0 (normal), S1 (power on suspend), S3 (suspend to RAM), S4

(suspend to disk), and S5 (soft - off)

Bundled Software FOX ONE

FOX LiveUpdate

FOX LOGO

FOX DMI

Operating System Support for Microsoft® Windows® 7/Vista/XP

Form Factor ATX Form Factor, 12 inches x 8.6 inches (30.5cm x 21.8cm)

1-2 Layout

19 20 21 22 23

1. 4-pin ATX 12V Power Connector

2. USB_PWR4 Jumper

3. USB_PWR1 Jumper

4. NB_FAN Header

5. North Bridge: AMD RS740G

6. PCI Express x16 Slot

7. Chassis Intrusion Alarm Header

8. PCI Express x1 Slot

9. PCI Slots

10. CD_IN Connector

11. Front Audio Connector

12. LPT Connector (Optional)

13. Clear CMOS Jumper

14. Front USB Connectors

15. USB_PWR3 Jumper

16. Front Panel Connector

17. USB_PWR2 Jumper

18. SATA Connectors

19. IDE Connector

20. Speaker Connector

21. SYS_FAN Header

22. 24-pin ATX Power Connector

23. South Bridge: AMD SB710

24. DDR3 DIMM Slots

25. CPU_FAN Header

26. CPU Socket

Note : The above motherboard layout is for reference only, please refer to the physical mother-

board for detail.

1-3 Back Panel Connectors

PS/2 Mouse Port1VGA Port

PS/2 Keyboard Port

Serial Port

LAN Port

USB Ports

Audio Ports

1. PS/2 Mouse Port

Use the upper port (green) to connect a PS/2 mouse.

2. PS/2 Keyboard Port

Use the lower port (purple) to connect a PS/2 keyboard.

3. VGA Port

To connect with external display devices, such as monitor or LCD display.

4. Serial Port

This is output of RS232 COM1 port.

Line In

Line Out

Microphone

5. USB Ports

The USB ports support the USB 2.0/1.1 specication. Use these ports for USB devices such as

an USB keyboard/mouse, USB printer, USB ash drive and etc.

6. Audio Ports

For the denition of each audio port, please refer to the table below :

Port 2-channel 4-channel 5.1-channel

Blue Line In Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out

Green Line Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out

Pink Microphone In Microphone In Center/Subwoofer Out

7. RJ-45 LAN Port

The Ethernet LAN port provides Internet connection at up to 10/100/1000Mb/s data rate.

LAN Type

1000M

Left: Active Right: Link

Status Description Status Description

Off No Link Off No Link

Green

Blinking

Data Activity

Off 10 Mb/s Connection

Green 100 Mb/s Connection

Orange 1000 Mb/s Connection

Active

LED

Link

LED

This chapter introduces the hardware and software installation proc-

ess, including the installation of the CPU, memory, power supply,

slots, pin headers and the mounting of jumpers. Caution should be

exercised during the installation of these modules. Please refer to the

motherboard layout prior to any installation and read the contents in

this chapter carefully.

This chapter includes the following information :

■ Install the CPU and CPU Cooler

■ Install the Memory

■ Install an Expansion Card

■ Install other Internal Connectors

■ Jumpers

■ Install driver and utility

Please visit the following website for more supporting information about your motherboard.

CPU Support List:

http://www.foxconnsupport.com/cpusupportlist.aspx

Memory, VGA Compatibility List:

http://www.foxconnsupport.com/complist.aspx

2-1 Install the CPU and CPU Cooler

Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the CPU:

■ Make sure that the motherboard supports the CPU.

■ Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power supply before

Install the CPU

Locate the Pin-1 CPU triangle mark and the Pin-1 of the CPU socket.

installing the CPU to prevent hardware damage.

■ Locate the Pin-1 of the CPU. The CPU cannot be inserted if oriented incorrectly.

■ Apply an even and thin layer of thermal grease on the surface of the CPU.

■ Do not turn on the computer if the CPU cooler is not installed, otherwise overheating

and damage of the CPU may occur.

■ Set the CPU host frequency in accordance with the CPU specications. It is not

recommended that the system bus frequency be set beyond hardware specications

since it does not meet the standard requirements for the peripherals. If you want to

set the frequency beyond the standard specications, please do so according to your

hardware specications including the CPU, graphics card, memory, hard drive, etc.

1. Release the CPU socket lever.

Pin-1 corner of the

CPU socket

2. Align Pin-1 of the CPU with the CPU

socket, and gently put the CPU

onto the socket.

Pin-1 triangle

marking of CPU

3. When CPU is properly seated,

push the CPU socket lever back

to its locked position.

Install the CPU Cooler

Follow the steps below to correctly install the CPU cooler. (The following procedures use Foxconn cooler as the example.)

1. Apply and spread an even thermal

grease on the surface of CPU.

2. Buckle the heatsink rmly at one side of the stand.

3. Buckle the heatsink at another

side, and press the fasten lever

down to tightly seat the cooler.

Use extreme care when removing the CPU cooler because the thermal grease may adhere to the CPU. Inadequately removing the CPU cooler may damage the CPU.

4. Attach the CPU cooler connector

to the CPU fan header on the

motherboard .

2-2 Install the Memory

Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the memory :

■ Make sure that the motherboard supports the memory. It is recommended that memory

Dual Channel Memory Conguration

This motherboard provides four DDR3 memory sockets and supports Dual Channel Technology.

When memory is installed, the BIOS will automatically check the memory in your system.

Four DDR3 memory sockets are divided into two channels :

Channel 0 : DIMM1, DIMM2

Channel 1 : DIMM3, DIMM4

The combinations of DIMM modules are :

of the same capacity, brand, speed, and chips be used.

■ Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before

installing the memory to prevent hardware damage.

■ Memory modules have a foolproof design. A memory module can be installed in only

one direction. If you are unable to insert the memory, switch the direction.

DIMM1 DIMM2 DIMM3 DIMM4

Single Channel DS/SS - - -

Single Channel DS/SS DS/SS -

Single Channel - - DS/SS -

Single Channel - - DS/SS DS/SS

Dual Channel DS/SS - DS/SS -

Dual Channel - DS/SS - DS/SS

Dual Channel DS/SS DS/SS DS/SS DS/SS

(DS : Double Side, SS : Single Side, - : No Memory)

It is recommended that memory of the same capacity, brand, speed, and chips be

used and please select dual channel rst to achieve optimum performance.

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