LanParty 790X-M2RS User Manual

935-RS7801-504G

10300916A

System Board User’s Manual

This publication contains information that is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any transformation/adaptation without the prior written permission from the copyright holders.

This publication is provided for informational purposes only. The manufacturer makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents or use of this manual and specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. The user will assume the entire risk of the use or the results of the use of this document. Further, the manufacturer reserves the right to revise this publication and make changes to its contents at any time, without obligation to notify any person or entity of such revisions or changes.

Trademarks

Windows® 2000 and Windows® XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Award is a registered trademark of Award Software, Inc. Other trademarks and registered trademarks of products appearing in this manual are the properties of their respective holders.

FCC and DOC Statement on Class B

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help.

Notice:

1. The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

2. Shielded interface cables must be used in order to comply with the emission limits.

Table of Contents

About this Manual................................................................................

Warranty.................................................................................................

Static Electricity Precaution................................................................

Safety Measures.....................................................................................

About the Package...............................................................................

Before Using the System Board.........................................................

System Board Layout............................................................................

English.....................................................................................................

................................................................................................

....................................................................................................

Appendix A - General Debug LED POST and

Troubleshooting ...................................................................................

114

141

Introduction

About this Manual

An electronic file of this manual is included in the CD. To view the user’s manual in the CD, insert the CD into a CD-ROM drive. The autorun screen (Main Board Utility CD) will appear. Click the “TOOLS” icon then click “Manual” on the main menu.

For additional information on the system board, please download the complete version of the manual from DFI’s website. Visit www. dfi.com.

Warranty

1. Warranty does not cover damages or failures that arised from misuse of the product, inability to use the product, unauthorized replacement or alteration of components and product specifications.

2. The warranty is void if the product has been subjected to physical abuse, improper installation, modification, accidents or unauthorized repair of the product.

3. Unless otherwise instructed in this user’s manual, the user may not, under any circumstances, attempt to perform ser vice, adjustments or repairs on the product, whether in or out of warranty. It must be returned to the purchase point, factory or authorized service agency for all such work.

4. We will not be liable for any indirect, special, incidental or consequencial damages to the product that has been modified or altered.

Introduction

Static Electricity Precautions

It is quite easy to inadvertently damage your PC, system board, components or devices even before installing them in your system unit. Static electrical discharge can damage computer components without causing any signs of physical damage. You must take extra care in handling them to ensure against electrostatic build-up.

1. To prevent electrostatic build-up, leave the system board in its anti-static bag until you are ready to install it.

2. Wear an antistatic wrist strap.

3. Do all preparation work on a static-free surface.

4. Hold the device only by its edges. Be careful not to touch any of the components, contacts or connections.

5. Avoid touching the pins or contacts on all modules and connectors. Hold modules or connectors by their ends.

Important:

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage your processor, disk drive and other components. Perform the upgrade instruction procedures described at an ESD workstation only. If such a station is not available, you can provide some ESD protection by wearing an antistatic wrist strap and attaching it to a metal part of the system chassis. If a wrist strap is unavailable, establish and maintain contact with the system chassis throughout any procedures requiring ESD protection.

Safety Measures

To avoid damage to the system:

•Use the correct AC input voltage range

To reduce the risk of electric shock:

• Unplug the power cord before removing the system chassis cover for installation or servicing. After installation or servicing, cover the system chassis before plugging the power cord.

Battery:

• Danger of explosion if battery incorrectly replaced.

• Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommend

the manufacturer.

• Dispose of used batteries according to local ordinance.

Introduction

About the Package

The system board package contains the following items. If any of these items are missing or damaged, please contact your dealer or sales representative for assistance.

; One system board ; One IDE cable ; One floppy cable ; Four Serial ATA data cables ; One power cable with 2 Serial ATA power connectors (2 sets) ; Smart connectors ; One I/O shield ; One DVD ; One user’s manual ; Auto Boost System (ABS) installation guide

The system board and accessories in the package may not come similar to the information listed above. This may differ in accordance to the sales region or models in which it was sold. For more information about the standard package in your region, please contact your dealer or sales representative.

Before Using the System Board

Before using the system board, prepare basic system components.

If you are installing the system board in a new system, you will need at least the following internal components.

• A CPU

• Memory module

• Storage devices such as hard disk drive, CD-ROM, etc.

You will also need external system peripherals you intend to use which will normally include at least a keyboard, a mouse and a video display monitor.

Introduction

System Board Layout

Mouse

PS/2 power select (JP7)

Optical S/PDIF-out

Coaxial RCA S/PDIF-out

12V power

Clear CMOS (JP1)

USB 0-5 power select (J 5)P

LAN

USB 2-3

Line-in Front R/L Mic-in

Center/

Subwoofer

Side R/L

Rear R/L

NB fan

AMD

790X

5V/12V

power

Marvell

88E8056

Realtek

ALC885

Front audio

CD-in

VIA

VT6307

1394-1

1394-0

USB 0-1

USB 4-5

Standby Power LED

CPU fan

SocketAM2+

DDR2-4

DDR2-3

DDR2-1

DDR2-2

ATX

power

IDE

DRAM

Power LED

PCIE 1

PCIE Gen 1 / Gen 2 select (JP13)

PCIE 3

PCIE 2

3rd fan

2nd fan

PCI 1

PCI 2

PCI 3

1st fan

SATA 4 SATA 5

SATA 2 SATA 3

SATA 0 SATA 1

Battery

AMD

SB750

Clear CMOS

(JP10)

SPI Flash BIOS

ITE

IT8716F

USB 6-11 power select (J 6)P

USB 8-91USB 6-71USB 10-11

System

fan

Download

BIOS (JP14)Flash

Reset

Power

COM

1 1

IrDA

CIR

Speaker on/off (JP8)

Front panel

FDD

English

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Specifications

Processor

Chipset

System Memory

Expansion Slots

BIOS

Audio

LAN

• AMD® AM2+ processors: PhenomTM II / PhenomTM FX / Phenom

/ AthlonTM / Sempron

AMD® AM2 processors: Athlon series / Sempron

• HyperTransport 3.0 (5200MT/s for AM2+) HyperTransport 1.0 (2000/1600MT/s for AM2)

• AMD OverDrive provides tuning options using the new “Advanced Clock Calibration” overclocking feature.

• Socket 940 AM2+ 65nm

• AMD chipset

- Northbridge: AMD 790X

- Southbridge: AMD SB750

• Four 240-pin DDR2 DIMM sockets

• Supports DDR2 667/800/1066 MHz DIMMs

• Supports dual channel (128-bit wide) memory interface

• Supports up to 8GB system memory

• Supports unbuffered non-ECC x8 and x16 DIMMs

• 2 PCI Express (Gen 2) x16 slots

- Hybrid CrossFireX

- combination of the integrated graphics

and a discrete graphics card in a PCIE slot (8-lane por t).

- Two graphics cards support CrossFireXTM; each operating at

x8 (8-lane ports) bandwidth

• 1 PCI Express x1 slot

• 3 PCI slots

• Award BIOS

• CMOS Reloaded

• CPU/DRAM overclocking

• CPU/DRAM/Chipset overvoltage

• 8Mbit SPI flash memory

• Realtek ALC885 8-channel HD Audio Codec

• High-performance DACs with 106dB dynamic range (A-Weight), ADCs with 101dB dynamic range (A-Weight)

• Marvell 88E8056 PCIE Gigabit LAN controllers

• Fully compliant to IEEE 802.3 (10BASE-T), 802.3u (100BASETX) and 802.3ab (1000BASE-T) standards

English

IDE

Serial ATA with RAID

Rear Panel I/O

Internal I/O

Power Management

Hardware Monitor

PCB

• One IDE connector allows connecting up to two UltraDMA 133Mbps hard drives

• Supports up to 6 SATA devices

• SATA speed up to 3Gb/s

• RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 0+1

• 1 mini-DIN-6 PS/2 mouse port

• 1 mini-DIN-6 PS/2 keyboard port

• 1 optical S/PDIF-out port

• 1 coaxial RCA S/PDIF-out port

• 1 IEEE 1394 port

• 6 USB 2.0/1.1 ports

• 1 RJ45 LAN port

• Center/subwoofer, rear R/L and side R/L jacks

• Line-in, line-out (front R/L) and mic-in jacks

• 3 connectors for 6 additional external USB 2.0 ports

• 1 connector for an external COM port

• 1 connector for an external IEEE 1394 port

• 1 front audio connector

• 1 CD-in connector

• 1 IrDA connector

• 1 CIR connector

• 6 Serial ATA connectors

• 1 40-pin IDE connector

• 1 floppy connector

• 1 24-pin ATX power connector

• 1 8-pin 12V power connector

• 1 4-pin 5V/12V power connector (FDD type)

• 1 front panel connector

• 6 fan connectors

• 1 diagnostic LED

• EZ touch switches (power switch and reset switch)

• ACPI and OS Directed Power Management

• ACPI STR (Suspend to RAM) function

• Wake-On-PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse

• Wake-On-USB Keyboard/Mouse

• Wake-On-Ring

• Wake-On-LAN

• RTC timer to power-on the system

• AC power failure recovery

• Monitors CPU/system/chipset temperature

• Monitors 12V/5V/3.3V/Vcore/Vbat/5Vsb/Vdimm/Vchip voltages

• Monitors the speed of the cooling fans

• CPU Overheat Protection function monitors CPU temperature during system boot-up

• ATX form factor

• 24.5cm (9.64") x 30.5cm (12")

English

Chapter 2 - Hardware Installation

Jumper Settings

Clear CMOS Data

2-3 On:

Clear CMOS Data

1-2 On: Normal

(default)

JP10

312

JP1

2-3 On:

Clear CMOS Data

1-2 On: Normal

(default)

3 2

If you encounter the following,

a) CMOS data becomes corrupted. b) You forgot the supervisor or user password. c) The overclocked settings in the BIOS resulted to the system’s in-

stability or caused system boot up problems.

you can reconfigure the system with the default values stored in the ROM BIOS.

JP1 is accessible from the rear panel of the system. This provides convenience by allowing you to clear the CMOS without having to remove the chassis cover.

To load the default values stored in the ROM BIOS, please follow the steps below.

1. Power-off the system then unplug the power cord.

2. Set JP1 or JP10 pins 2 and 3 to On. Wait for a few seconds and set JP1 or JP10 back to its default setting, pins 1 and 2 On.

3. Now plug the power cord then power-on the system.

English

PS/2 Power Select

Selecting 5VSB will allow you to use the PS/2 keyboard or PS/2 mouse to wake up the system.

JP7

USB Power Select

USB 0-5 (JP5)

USB 6-11 (JP6)

2-3 On: 5VSB

1-2 On: 5V

(default)

2-3 On:

5VSB

1-2 On: 5V

(default)

Selecting 5VSB will allow you to use the USB keyboard or USB mouse to wake up the system..

Important:

The 5VSB power source of your power supply must support ≥720mA.

Important:

The 5VSB power source of your power supply must support ≥1.5A (2 devices) or ≥2A (3 or more devices).

312

1-2 On: 5V

(default)

312

2-3 On: 5VSB

312

English

PCIE Gen 1 / Gen 2 Select

2-3 On: Gen 1

1-2 On: Gen 2

(default)

JP13

Set this jumper according to the type of PCI Express card that you are using.

The system board is equipped with a buzzer which serves as the PC’s speaker. By default the buzzer is “on” allowing you to hear the system’s beep messages and warnings. If you intend to use an external speaker, turn this function off by setting JP8 pins 1 and 2 to On.

Speaker On/Off Select

JP8

2-3 On:

Speaker On

(default)

1-2 On:

Speaker Off

312

Buzzer

English

Rear Panel I/O Ports

PS/2 Mouse and PS/2 Keyboard Ports

These ports are used to connect a PS/2 mouse and a PS/2 keyboard.

S/PDIF Ports

The optical S/PDIF jack is used to connect an external audio output device using an optical S/PDIF cable. The coaxial RCA S/PDIF jack is used to connect an external audio output device using a coaxial S/ PDIF cable.

Important:

DO NOT use optical S/PDIF and Coaxial RCA S/PDIF at the same time.

PS/2 Ports and S/PDIF Ports

PS/2

Mouse

PS/2 K/B

Optical S/PDIF-out

USB 4

USB 2-3

Coaxial

S/PDIF-out

Side R/L

USB 0-1

Clear CMOS jumper

USB 5

1394-0

LAN

Center/ Subwoofer

Rear R/L

Mic-in

Line-in

Front R/L

PS/2 Mouse

PS/2 KB

Optical

S/PDIF

Coaxial RCA

S/PDIF

English

USB 5

USB 4

VCC

-Data +Data

GND

Key

VCC

-Data

+Data

GND

N. C.

USB 8-9

USB 10-11

LAN

USB 3

USB 2

USB, IEEE 1394 and LAN Ports

USB

The USB ports are used to connect USB 2.0/1.1 devices. The 10-pin connectors allow you to connect 6 additional USB 2.0/1.1 ports. Your USB ports may

come mounted on a card-edge bracket. Install the cardedge bracket to an available slot at the rear of the system chassis then connect the USB port cables to these connectors.

IEEE 1394

The IEEE 1394 port is used to connect audio/video devices or storage peripherals. The 10-pin connector allows you to connect an additional IEEE 1394 port. Your 1394 port may come mounted on a card-edge bracket. Install the card-edge bracket to an available slot at the rear of the system chassis then connect the 1394 port cable to this connector.

LAN

The LAN port allows the system board to connect to a local area network by means of a network hub.

USB 6-7

USB 1

USB 0

+12V (fused)

TPA+

Ground

TPB+

+12V (fused)

Key

TPA-

Ground

TPB-

Ground

1394-0

1394-1

English

Rear Panel Audio

Center/Subwoofer Jack (Orange)

This jack is used to connect to the center and subwoofer speakers of the audio system.

Rear Right/Left Jack (Black)

This jack is used to connect to the rear right and rear left speakers of the audio system.

Side Right/Left Jack (Gray)

This jack is used to connect to the side left and side right speakers of the audio system.

Line-in (Light Blue)

This jack is used to connect any audio devices such as Hi-fi set, CD player, tape player, AM/FM radio tuner, synthesizer, etc.

Line-out - Front Right/Left Jack (Lime)

This jack is used to connect to the front right and front left speakers of the audio system.

Audio and CD-In

Rear audio

Front audio

Front R/L

Line-in

Mic-in

Rear R/L

Center/

Subwoofer

Side R/L

CD-in

Mic

Mic Power

AuD_R_Out

N. C.

AuD_L_Out

GND

AuD_Vcc

Key

AuD_R_Return

AuD_L_Return

Right audio channel

Left audio

channel

Ground Ground

English

The Serial ATA (SATA) connectors are used to connect Serial ATA drives. Connect one end of the Serial ATA cable to a Serial ATA connector and the other end to your Serial ATA device.

Configuring RAID

Refer to the RAID chapter in this manual for more information about creating RAID on Serial ATA drives.

Serial ATA Connectors

SATA 0-1

SATA 2-3

Mic-in Jack (Pink)

This jack is used to connect an external microphone.

Front Audio

The front audio connector is used to connect to the line-out and mic-in jacks that are at the front panel of your system.

CD-in

The CD-in connector is used to receive audio from a CD-ROM drive, TV tuner or MPEG card.

Internal I/O Connectors

SATA 4-5

English

FDD Connector and IDE Connector

FDD Connector

The floppy disk drive connector is used to connect a floppy drive. Insert one end of the floppy cable into this connector and the other end-most connector to the floppy drive. The colored edge of the cable should align with pin 1 of this connector.

IDE Connector

The IDE disk drive connector is used to connect 2 IDE disk drives. An IDE cable have 3 connectors on them, one that plugs into this connector and the other 2 connects to IDE devices. The connector at the end of the cable is for the Master drive and the connector in the middle of the cable is for the Slave drive. The colored edge of the cable should align with pin 1 of this connector.

Note:

When using two IDE drives, one must be set as the master and the other as the slave. Follow the instructions provided by the drive manufacturer for setting the jumpers and/or switches on the drives.

IDE

FDD

English

IrDA,CIR and Serial (COM) Connectors

IrDA and CIR

Connect the cable connector from your IrDA module to the IrDA connector or CIR connector.

Note:

The sequence of the pin functions on some IrDA/CIR cable may be reversed from the pin function defined on the system board. Make sure to connect the cable connector to the IrDA/ CIR connector according to their pin functions.

You may need to install the proper drivers in your operating system to use the IrDA/CIR function. Refer to your operating system’s manual or documentation for more information.

Serial (COM)

The serial (COM) connector is used to connect modems, serial printers, remote display terminals, or other serial devices. Your COM port may come mounted on a card-edge bracket. Install the cardedge bracket to an available slot at the rear of the system chassis then connect the serial port cable to this connector. The colored edge of the cable should align with pin 1 of this connector.

IrDA

DTR

GND

RTS

DSR

CTS

CIR

VCC

N. C.

IRRX

Ground

IRTX

5VSB

N. C.

CIRRX

GND

CIRTX

COM

English

Cooling Fan Connectors

These fan connectors are used to connect cooling fans. Cooling fans will provide adequate airflow throughout the chassis to prevent overheating the CPU and system board components.

CPU fan

1st fan

NB fan

Ground

Power

Sense

Ground

Power

Sense

3rd fan

Ground

Power

Sense

Power

Ground

Speed Control

2nd fan

Ground

Power

Sense

System fan

Ground

Power

Sense

English

Power

Reset

EZ Touch Switches

The presence of the power switch and reset switch on the system board are user-friendly especially to DIY users. They provide convenience in powering on and/or resetting the system while fine tuning the system board before it is installed into the system chassis.

English

DRAM Power LED

Standby Power LED

LEDs

DRAM Power LED

This LED will light when the system’s power is on.

Standby Power LED

This LED will light when the system is in the standby mode.

Diagnostic LED

The Diagnostic LED displays POST codes. POST (Power-On Self Tests) which is controlled by the BIOS is performed whenever you power-on the system. POST will detect the status of the system and its components. Each code displayed on the LED corresponds to a certain system status.

Warning:

When the DRAM Power LED and/or Standby Power LED lit red, it indicates that power is present on the DIMM sockets and/or PCI slots. Power-off the PC then unplug the power cord prior to installing any memory modules or add-in cards. Failure to do so will cause severe damage to the motherboard and components.

Diagnostic

LED

English

Power Connectors

Use a power supply that complies with the ATX12V Power Supply Design Guide Version 1.1. An ATX12V power supply unit has a standard 24-pin ATX main power connector that must be inserted into this connector.

Your power supply unit may come with an 8-pin or 4-pin +12V power connector. The +12V power enables the delivery of more +12VDC current to the processor’s Voltage Regulator Module (VRM). If available, it is preferable to use the 8-pin power; otherwise connect a 4-pin power to this connector.

131

12 24

+3.3VDC

COM

+5VDC

COM

+5VDC

COM

PWR_OK

+5VSB

+12VDC

+3.3VDC

-12VDC

COM

PS_ON#

COM

+5VDC

COM

+12V

Ground

English

The FDD-type power connector is an additional power connector. If you are using more than one graphics cards, we recommend that you plug a power cable from your power supply unit to the 5V/12V power connector. This will provide more stability to the entire system. The system board will still work even if the additional power connector is not connected.

The system board requires a minimum of 300 Watt power supply to operate. Your system configuration (CPU power, amount of memory, add-in cards, peripherals, etc.) may exceed the minimum power requirement. To ensure that adequate power is provided, we

strongly recommend that you use a minimum of 400 Watt (or greater) power supply.

Important:

Insufficient power supplied to the system may result in instability or the add-in boards and peripherals not functioning properly. Calculating the system’s approximate power usage is important to ensure that the power supply meets the system’s consumption requirements.

The power connectors from the power supply unit are designed to fit the 24-pin and 8-pin connectors in only one orientation. Make sure to find the proper orientation before plugging the connectors.

+5V

+12V

Ground

English

Restarting the PC

Normally, you can power-off the PC by:

1. Pressing the power button at the front panel of the chassis.

2. Pressing the power switch that is on the system board (note: not all system boards come with this switch).

If for some reasons you need to totally cut off the power supplied to the PC, switch off the power supply or unplug the power cord. Take note though that if you intend to restart it at once, please strictly follow the steps below.

1. The time where power is totally discharged varies among power supplies. It's discharge time is highly dependent on the system's configuration such as the wattage of the power supply, the sequence of the supplied power as well as the number of peripheral devices connected to the system. Due to this reason, we strongly recommend that you wait for the Standby Power LED (refer to the “LEDs” section in this chapter for the location of the Standby Power LED) to lit off.

2. After the Standby Power LED has lit off, wait for 6 seconds before powering on the PC.

If the system board is already enclosed in a chassis which apparently will not make the Standby Power LED visible, wait for 15 seconds before you restore power connections. 15 seconds is approximately the time that will take the LED to lit off and the time needed before restoring power.

The above will ensure protection and prevent damage to the motherboard and components.

English

Front Panel Connectors

HD-LED: Primary/Secondary IDE LED

This LED will light when the hard drive is being accessed.

RESET: Reset Switch

This switch allows you to reboot without having to power off the system thus prolonging the life of the power supply or system.

SPEAKER: Speaker Connector

This connects to the speaker installed in the system chassis.

ATX-SW: ATX Power Switch

Depending on the setting in the BIOS setup, this switch is a “dual function power button” that will allow your system to enter the SoftOff or Suspend mode.

1 2

19 20

HD-LED

RESET

SPEAKER

PWR-LED

ATX-SW

English

PWR-LED: Power/Standby LED

When the system’s power is on, this LED will light. When the system is in the S1 (POS - Power On Suspend) or S3 (STR - Suspend To RAM) state, it will blink every second.

Note:

If a system did not boot-up and the Power/Standby LED did not light after it was powered-on, it may indicate that the CPU or memory module was not installed properly. Please make sure they are properly inserted into their corresponding socket.

3 5

14 16

18 20

7 9

13 15 17 19

2 4 6

HD-LED

(Primary/Secondary IDE LED)

Reserved

ATX-SW

(ATX power switch)

Reserved

RESET

(Reset switch)

SPEAKER

(Speaker connector)

PWR-LED

(Power/Standby LED)

Pin Assignment

HDD LED Power HDD

N. C. N. C.

PWRBT+ PWRBT-

N. C. N. C.

Ground H/W Reset

Speaker Data N. C. Ground Speaker Power

LED Power (+) LED Power (+) LED Power (-) or Standby Signal

English

PCI Express Slots

PCI Express x16

Download Flash BIOS Connector

GROUND

8 7

SPI_VCC3

SPI_CS0B

SPI_MIS0

SPI_HOLD#

SPI_CLK

SPI_MOSI

PCI Express x16

PCI Express x1

English

Smart Connectors

The Smart Connectors (USB, IEEE 1394 and Front Panel) serve as extended connectors allowing you to easily connect cables to the connectors that are on the system board. This is specially advantageous when using the front panel connectors as this will prevent wrong cable connection.

1. Connect all front panel cables from the chassis to the front panel smart connector. Connect according to the pin definition shown on the smart connector.

Front Panel Connectors

USB 1394 Front Panel

2. Connect the front panel smart connector to the front panel connector on the system board.

USB and IEEE 1394 Connectors

1. Connect your USB/1394 port cable to the USB/1394 smar t connector. Connect according to the pin definition shown on the smart connector.

2. Connect the USB/1394 smart connector to the respective connectors on the system board.

English

The AMD chip alows configuring RAID on Serial ATA drives. It supports RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 0+1.

RAID Levels

RAID 0 (Striped Disk Array without Fault Tolerance)

RAID 0 uses two new identical hard disk drives to read and write data in parallel, interleaved stacks. Data is divided into stripes and each stripe is written alternately between two disk drives. This improves the I/O performance of the drives at different channel; however it is not fault tolerant. A failed disk will result in data loss in the disk array.

RAID 1 (Mirroring Disk Array with Fault Tolerance)

RAID 1 copies and maintains an identical image of the data from one drive to the other drive. If a drive fails to function, the disk array management software directs all applications to the other drive since it contains a complete copy of the drive’s data. This enhances data protection and increases fault tolerance to the entire system. Use two new drives or an existing drive and a new drive but the size of the new drive must be the same or larger than the existing drive.

RAID 0+1 (Striping and Mirroring)

RAID 0+1 is a combination of data striping and data mirroring providing the benefits of both RAID 0 and RAID 1. Use four new drives or an existing drive and three new drives for this configuration.

Chapter 3 - RAID

English

Settings

To enable the RAID function, the following settings are required.

1. Connect the Serial ATA drives.

2. Configure Serial ATA in the Award BIOS.

3. Configure RAID in the RAID BIOS.

4. Install the RAID driver during OS installation.

Step 1: Connect the Serial ATA Drives

Refer to chapter 2 for details on connecting the Serial ATA drives.

Important:

1. Make sure you have installed the Serial ATA drives and connected the data cables otherwise you won’t be able to enter the RAID BIOS utility.

2. Treat the cables with extreme caution especially while creating RAID. A damaged cable will ruin the entire installation process and operating system. The system will not boot and you will lost all data in the hard drives. Please give special attention to this warning because there is no way of recovering back the data.

Step 2: Configure Serial ATA in the Award BIOS

1. Power-on the system then press <Del> to enter the main menu of the Award BIOS.

2. Select the Integrated Peripherals submenu - OnChip IDE Device section of the BIOS.

3. Configure Serial ATA in the appropriate fields.

4. Press <Esc> to return to the main menu of the BIOS setup utility. Select “Save & Exit Setup” then press <Enter>.

5. Type <Y> and press <Enter>.

6. Reboot the system.

Step 3: Configure RAID in the RAID BIOS

When the system powers-up and all drives have been detected, the AMD BIOS status message screen will appear. Press the <F4> key to enter the utility. The utility allows you to build a RAID system on Serial ATA drives.

+ 115 hidden pages

LanParty 790X-M2RS User Manual

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User Manual