MSI 865PE Neo2-P Platinum Edition, 865PE Neo2-PFISR, 865PE Neo2-PFS, 865PE Neo2-PLS, MS-6728 User Manual

i

865PE Neo2-P

Version 2.1

G52-M6728XN

MS-6728 (v2.X) A TX Mainboard

ii

Manual Rev: 2.1
Release Date: December 2003

FCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement

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 commercial environment. 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. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to
cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to correct
the interference at his own expense.

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.

Notice 2

Shielded interface cables and A.C. power cord, if any, must be used in order to
comply with the emission limits.

VOIR LA NOTICE D’INSTALLA TION AVANT DE RACCORDER AU
RESEAU.

Micro-Star International MS-6728

T ested to comply
with FCC Standard

For Home or Office Use

iii

Copyright Notice

The material in this document is the intellectual property of MICRO-STAR
INTERNATIONAL. We take every care in the preparation of this document,

but no guarantee is given as to the correctness of its contents. Our products
are under continual improvement and we reserve the right to make changes
without notice.

Trademarks

All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
AMD, Athlon™, Athlon™ XP, Thoroughbred™, and Duron™ are registered

trademarks of AMD Corporation.
Intel® and Pentium® are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
PS/2 and OS®/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Windows® 98/
2000/NT/XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, DualNet, and nForce are registered trademarks or
trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Netware® is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.
Award® is a registered trademark of Phoenix T echnologies Ltd.
AMI® is a registered trademark of American Megatrends Inc.
Kensington and MicroSaver are registered trademarks of the Kensington T ech­nology Group.
PCMCIA and CardBus are registered trademarks of the Personal Computer
Memory Card International Association.

Revision History

Revision Revision History Date

V2.0 First release with chipsets September 2003

Intel® 865PE/G & Intel® ICH5/ICH5R

V2.1 Special edition with chipsets December 2003

Intel® 865PE & Intel® ICH5

iv

1. Always read the safety instructions carefully.
2 . Keep this User’ s Manual for future reference.
3 . Keep this equipment away from humidity.
4 . Lay this equipment on a reliable flat surface before setting it up.

5. The openings on the enclosure are for air convection hence protects the

equipment from overheating. Do not cover the openings.

6 . Make sure the voltage of the power source and adjust properly 110/220V

before connecting the equipment to the power inlet.

7. Place the power cord such a way that people can not step on it. Do not
place anything over the power cord.

8. Always Unplug the Power Cord before inserting any add-on card or module.

9. All cautions and warnings on the equipment should be noted.

10 . Never pour any liquid into the opening that could damage or cause electrical

shock.

11. If any of the following situations arises, get the equipment checked by a
service personnel:

z The power cord or plug is damaged.
z Liquid has penetrated into the equipment.
z The equipment has been exposed to moisture.
z The equipment has not work well or you can not get it work according

to User’s Manual.

z The equipment has dropped and damaged.
z The equipment has obvious sign of breakage.

12. Do not leave this equipment in an environment unconditioned, storage
temperature above 600 C (1400F), it may damage the equipment.

Safety Instructions

CAUTION: Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced.

Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the
manufacturer.

v

CONTENTS

FCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement ............................................ii

Copyright Notice ...........................................................................................iii

Revision History ...........................................................................................iii

Safety Instructions .......................................................................................iv

Chapter 1. Getting Started ........................................................................ 1-1

Mainboard Specifications ....................................................................1-2

Mainboard Layout ............................................................................... 1-4

MSI Special Features ...........................................................................1-5

Color Management ........................................................................ 1-5

CoreCenter ....................................................................................1-6

Core CellTM Chip ............................................................................1-8

Round Cable ..................................................................................1-9

CPU Thermal Protection ................................................................1-9

D-Bracket™ 2 .............................................................................. 1-10

Live Monitor™ ............................................................................ 1-12

Live BIOS™/Live Driver™ .......................................................... 1-13

Chapter 2. Hardware Setup ....................................................................... 2-1

Quick Components Guide.....................................................................2-2

Central Processing Unit: CPU ..............................................................2-3

CPU Core Speed Derivation Procedure..........................................2-3

Memory Speed/CPU FSB Support Matrix .....................................2-3

CPU Installation Procedures for Socket 478 ..................................2-5

Installing the CPU Fan...................................................................2-5

Memory................................................................................................2-7

Introduction to DDR SDRAM........................................................ 2-7

DDR Population Rules...................................................................2-7

Installing DDR Modules ................................................................2-8

Power Supply .......................................................................................2-9

ATX 20-Pin Power Connector: ATX1 ............................................2-9

vi

ATX 12V Power Connector: JPW1 ................................................ 2-9

Back Panel .......................................................................................... 2-10

Mouse Connector ....................................................................... 2-10

Keyboard Connector ................................................................... 2-11

USB Connectors.......................................................................... 2-11

Serial Port Connectors: COM A................................................... 2-12

RJ-45 LAN Jack: Giga-bit LAN (8110S) ........................................ 2-12

Audio Port Connectors ............................................................... 2-13

Parallel Port Connector: LPT1...................................................... 2-14

Connectors......................................................................................... 2-15

Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1 ............................................ 2-15

Fan Power Connectors: CPUF AN1/SF AN1, SF AN2/NBF AN1..... 2-15

Front Panel Connectors: JFP1 & JFP2 ......................................... 2-16

AT A100 Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1 & IDE2 ............................. 2-17

Serial ATA Connectors controlled by ICH5: SA TA1, SATA2 .... 2-18

D-Bracket™ 2 Connector: JDB1 .................................................. 2-19

IrDA Infrared Module Header: JIR1 ............................................. 2-20

Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD1 ........................................ 2-20

CD-In Connector: JCD1 ............................................................... 2-21

Chassis Intrusion Switch Connector: JCI1 .................................. 2-21

Front USB Connectors: JUSB1 & JUSB2..................................... 2-21

Jumpers .............................................................................................. 2-22

Clear CMOS Jumper: JBA T1........................................................ 2-22

Slots ................................................................................................... 2-23

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) Slot ......................................... 2-23

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slots.......................... 2-23

PCI Interrupt Request Routing .................................................... 2-23

Chapter 3. BIOS Setup.............................................................................. 3-1

Entering Setup......................................................................................3-2

Selecting the First Boot Device ..................................................... 3-2

vii

Control Keys .................................................................................3-3

Getting Help ..................................................................................3-3

The Main Menu ...................................................................................3-4

Standard CMOS Features.....................................................................3-6

Advanced BIOS Features..................................................................... 3-8

Advanced Chipset Features ............................................................... 3-12

Power Management Features ............................................................. 3-14

PNP/PCI Configurations..................................................................... 3-18

Integrated Peripherals ........................................................................ 3-21

PC Health Status ................................................................................ 3-26

Frequency/Voltage Control ................................................................ 3-27

Set Supervisor/User Password........................................................... 3-31

Load High Performance/BIOS Setup Defaults .................................... 3-32

Appendix A: Using 2-, 4- & 6-Channel Audio Function ............................A-1

Installing the Audio Driver ..................................................................A-2

Installation for Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP................................A-2

Software Configuration .......................................................................A-4

Sound Effect .................................................................................A-4

Equalizer .......................................................................................A-6

Speaker Configuration..................................................................A-7

Speaker Test .................................................................................A-8

HRTF Demo ..................................................................................A-9

General ....................................................................................... A-10

Using 2-, 4- & 6- Channel Audio Function ........................................ A-11

1-1

Getting Started

Chapter 1. Getting
Started

Thank you for choosing the 865PE Neo2-P (MS-6728)

v2.X ATX mainboard. The 865PE Neo2-P is based on Intel

®

865PE & ICH5 chipsets for optimal system efficiency. De-

signed to fit the advanced Intel® Pentium® 4 processors in
478 pin package, the 865PE Neo2-P delivers a high perfor­mance and professional desktop platform solution.

Getting Started

1-2

MS-6728 ATX Mainboard

Mainboard Specifications

CPU

h Supports Intel® P4 Northwood/Prescott (Socket 478) processors.
h FSB 400 (for Northwood only), 533, 800MHz.
h Supports up to 3.4GHz or higher speed.

Chipset

h Intel® 865PE chipset

- Supports FSB 800/533/400MHz.

- Supports AGP 8X interface.

- Supports DDR 400/333/266 memory interface.
h Intel® ICH5 chipset

- Hi-Speed USB (USB2.0) controller, 480Mb/sec, 8 ports.

- 2 Serial AT A/150 ports.

- 2 channel Ultra AT A 100 bus Master IDE controller.

- PCI Master v2.3, I/O APIC.

- Supports both ACPI and legacy APM power management.

Main Memory

h Supports four unbuffered DIMM of 2.5 Volt DDR SDRAM.

hh

hh

h Supports up to 4GB memory size without ECC.

hh

hh

h Supports Dual channel DDR266/333/400/433/466/500/533 MHz and up.

(DDR433/466/500/533 are overclocking spec)

Slots

h One AGP slot supports 8x/4x.
h Five 32-bit v2.3 Master PCI bus slots (support 3.3v/5v PCI bus interface).

On-Board IDE

h Dual Ultra DMA 66/100 IDE controllers integrated in ICH5.

- Supports PIO, Bus Master operation modes.

- Can connect up to four Ultra ATA drives.

h Serial ATA/150 controller integrated in ICH5.

- Up to 150MB/sec transfer speeds.

- Can connect up to two Serial ATA drives.

1-3

Getting Started

On-Board Peripherals

h On-Board Peripherals include:

- 1 floppy port supports 2 FDDs with 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and

2.88Mbytes

- 1 serial port COMA

- 1 parallel port supports SPP/EPP/ECP mode

- 8 USB 2.0 ports (Rear * 4/ Front * 4)

- 1 Line-In / Line-Out / Mic-In audio port

- 1 RJ45 LAN jack

- 1 rear coaxial SPDIF-Out

Audio

h AC97 link controller integrated in Intel® ICH5 chipset.
h 6-channel audio codec Realtek ALC655.

- Compliance with AC97 v2.3 Spec.

- Meet PC2001 audio performance requirement.

LAN

h Realtek® 8110S

- Integrated Fast Ethernet MAC and PHY in one chip.

- Supports 10Mb/s, 100Mb/s and 1000Mb/s.

- Compliance with PCI 2.2.

- Supports ACPI Power Management.

BIOS

h The mainboard BIOS provides “Plug & Play” BIOS which detects the

peripheral devices and expansion cards of the board automatically.

h The mainboard provides a Desktop Management Interface (DMI) function

which records your mainboard specifications.

Dimension

h A TX Form Factor: 30.5 cm (L) x 24.5 cm (W).

Mounting

h 9 mounting holes.

1-4

MS-6728 ATX Mainboard

Mainboard Layout

865PE Neo2-P (MS-6728)

v2.X ATX Mainboard

ICH5

D

I

M

M

1

D

I

M

M

3

D

I

M

M

2

D

I

M

M

4

JAUD1

JUSB1

A

T

X

P

o

w

e

r

S

u

p

p

l

y

CPUFAN1

NBFAN1

S

F

A

N

1

S

F

A

N

2

SATA1

SATA2

JFP1JFP2

JIR1

Codec

Winbond

W83627THF

Realtek

8110S

BIOS

PCI Slot 5

PCI Slot 4

PCI Slot 3

PCI Slot 2

PCI Slot 1

I

D

E

1

I

D

E

2

JPW1

Top : mouse
Bottom: ke yboar d

T: LAN jack
B: USB ports

JCD1

F

D

D

1

AGP Slot

T:
M:
B:

Line-In

Line-Out
Mic

JBAT1

JCI1

JDB1

JUSB2

Top : Parallel Port
Bottom:

COM A

BATT

+

Intel

865PE

T: SPD IF Ou t
B: USB ports

CoreCell

1-5

Getting Started

MSI Special Features

BIOS

BATT

+

Color Management

MSI has a unified color management rule for some connectors on the
mainboards, which helps you to install the memory modules, expansion cards
and other peripherals devices more easily and conveniently.

h Dual Memory DDR DIMMs: Channel A is light green, Channel B is
purple
h Intel spec IDE ATA66/100 connector: 1st IDE is blue, 2nd IDE is
white

h Serial ATA150 connector: orange
h AGP 8X slot: red
h USB 2.0 connector: yellow
h Front panel connector JFP1 : HDD LED is red, Reset Switch is blue,

Power Switch is black, Power LED is light green.
h Front panel connector JFP2: Power LED is light green.

Memory DDR DIMMs

Front Panel connector JFP2

USB 2.0 connector

AGP 8X Slot

Intel spec IDE ATA66/100 connectors:
1st IDE: blue/2nd IDE: white

Front Panel connector JFP1

Serial ATA150 connectors

1-6

MS-6728 ATX Mainboard

CoreCenter

CoreCenter

(TM)

- contains OC Menu panel, users can determine their
processor and memory type to optimize its memory capacity. This all-in-one
hardware console is advanced combination of the popular PC Alert and Fuzzy
Logic. Including powerful function with hardware monitor, system alert and
instinctive UI of overclocking, CoreCenter is just like your PC doctor that can
detect, view and adjust the PC hardware and system status during real time
operation.

In the left side it shows the current system status including the Vcore, 3.
3V, +5V and 12V. In the right side it shows the current PC hardware status such
as the CPU & system temperatures and all fans speeds.

When you click the red triangles in the left and right sides, two sub­menus will open for users to overclock, overspec or to adjust the thresholds of
system to send out the warning messages. If you click the Core Center button
in the top, a screen pops up for you to choose the “Auto mode” or “User
mode” of CPU fan.

1-7

Getting Started

Left-wing: Current system status

In the left sub-menu, you can configure the settings of FSB, Vcore,
Memory Voltage and AGP V oltage by clicking the radio button in front of each
item and make it available (the radio button will be lighted as yellow when
selected), use the “+” and “-” buttons to adjust, then click “OK” to apply the
changes. Then you can click Save to save the desired FSB you just configured.

Also you may click Auto to start testing the maximal CPU overclocking
value, The CPU FSB will automatically increase the testing value until the PC
reboots. Or you may click Default to restore the default values.

Right-wing: PC hardware status during real time operation

In the right sub-menu, you can configure the PC hardware status such as
CPU & system temperatures and fan speeds. You may use the scroll bars to
adjust each item, then click “OK” to apply the changes. The values you set for
the temperatures are the maximum thresholds for the system for warnings, and
the value for fan speeds are the minimum thresholds.

T op-side: User mode/Auto mode

Here you may adjust the CPU fan speed. If you choose User mode, you
may adjust the CPU fan speed in 8 different modes, from Low speed to High

speed.

OC Menu

The exclusive OC Menu is fully de­veloped to support DDR400+ memory
modules. By comprehensive validation
of over 67 DDR400+ memory modules,
MSI concluded best parameters for
DRAM voltage, Vio and other BIOS
settings. You can select DDR433,
DDR450, DDR466 and DDR500 from
DRAM frequency in BIOS setting. Or
you can just click on OC Menu button
to configure in the OC Menu at
CoreCenter. OC Menu will adjust the
necessary parameters of voltage and
frequency simultaneously. The only
limitation was the margin of processor from overclocking.

1-8

MS-6728 ATX Mainboard

BuzzFree

-- Diagnoses current system
utilization & temperature.

-- Controls both CPU and
NorthBridge fans.

-- Cuts up to 50% of sys-

tem noise.

LifePro

-- Prolongs motherboard, CPU and fan life.

-- Maintains motherboard & CPU in constant temperature.

-- Prevents components from operating beyond specifications.

Speedster

-- Advanced O.C. design.

-- Superior O.C. capability.

-- Greater O.C. method.

Features of CoreCell™

Core CellTM Chip

By diagnosing the current system utilization, the
CoreCell™ Chip automatically tunes your motherboard to the
optimal state, leading to less noise, longer duration, more power­saving and higher performance.

PowerPro

-- Saves up to 65% power.

-- Assures motherboard
stability.

-- Empowers O.C
Capability.

1-9

Getting Started

Round Cable

Round cable is an enhanced cable for PCI IDE and Ultra DMA controller .

It has the following benefits:

h Data transfer rate started by 133MB/s
h Backward compatibility (A T A33/66/100/133)
h Higher performance than traditional Flat cable (data rate)
h Improved data robustness
h Better airflow due to thinner ATA/133 cable

CPU Thermal Protection

Aimed to prevent the CPU from overheating, MSI has developed a CPU
Thermal Protection mechanism for Intel® CPU platform. This CPU Thermal
Protection mechanism works on a thermal signal sensor. If the mechanism
senses an abnormal temperature rise, it will automatically shut down the system
and the CPU temperature will then drop down and become normal. With this
unique feature, users can better protect their CPU. Please note that this feature
is for Intel® Pentium CPU only.

Connect one end to the
floppy disk drive
connector (FDD1) and
the other end to the
standard floppy disk.

Connect to the system
connectors on the mainboard.

Connect to the slave drive.

Connect to the master drive.

1-10

MS-6728 ATX Mainboard

Red

Green

D-Bracket™ 2

D-Bracket™ 2 is a USB bracket integrating four Diagnostic LEDs, which
use graphic signal display to help users understand their system. The LEDs
provide up to 16 combinations of signals to debug the system. The 4 LEDs can
detect all problems that fail the system, such as VGA, RAM or other failures.
This special feature is very useful for overclocking users. These users can use
the feature to detect if there are any problems or failures. D-Bracket™ 2 supports
both USB 1.1 & 2.0 spec.

D-Bracket™ 2 Description

System Power ON

- The D-LED will hang here if the processor is damaged or
not installed properly.

Early Chipset Initialization

Memory Detection Test

- Testing onboard memory size. The D-LED will hang if the
memory module is damaged or not installed properly.
Decompressing BIOS image to RAM for fast booting.

Initializing Keyboard Controller.

Testing VGA BIOS

- This will start writing VGA sign-on message to the screen.

D-Bracket™ 2

1 2
3 4

12

3

4

1-11

Getting Started

D-Bracket™ 2 Description

Processor Initialization

- This will show information regarding the processor (like
brand name, system bus, etc…)
Testing RTC (Real Time Clock)

Initializing Video In terface

- This will start detecting CPU clock, checking type of video
onboard. Then, detect and initialize the video adapter.

BIOS Sign On

- This will start showing information about logo, processor
brand name, etc….

Testing Base and Extended Memory

- Testing base memory from 240K to 640K and extended
memory above 1MB using various pa tterns.
Assign Resources to all ISA.

Initializing Hard Drive Controller

- This will initialize IDE drive and controller.

Initializing Floppy Drive Controller

- This will initializing Floppy Drive and controller.

Boot Attempt

- This will set low stack and boot via INT 19h.

Operating System Booting

1-12

MS-6728 ATX Mainboard

Live Monitor™

The Live Monitor™ is a tool used to schedule the search
for the latest BIOS/drivers version on the MSI Web site. To use
the function, you need to install the “MSI Live Update 3”
application. After installation, the “MSI Live Monitor” icon (as
shown on the right) will appear on the screen. Double click this
icon to run the application.

Double click the “MSI Live Monitor” icon at the lower-right corner
of the taskbar, and the following dialog box will appear. Y ou can specify how

often the system will automatically search for the BIOS/drivers version, or
change the LAN settings right from the dialog box.

You can right-click the MSI Live Monitor icon to perform the functions
listed below:

zz

zz

z Auto Search – Searches for the BIOS/drivers version you need immediately.

zz

zz

z View Last Result – Allows you to view the last search result if there is any.

zz

zz

z Preference – Configures the Search function, including the Search schedule.

zz

zz

z Exit – Exits the Live Monitor™ application.

zz

zz

z FAQ – Provides a link to a database which contains various possible questions

about MSI's products for users to inquire.

1-13

Getting Started

Live BIOS™/Live Driver™

The Live BIOS™/Live Driver™ is a tool used to detect
and update your BIOS/drivers online so that you don’t need to
search for the correct BIOS/driver version throughout the whole
Web site. To use the function, you need to install the “MSI
Live Update 3” application. After the installation, the “MSI
Live Update 3” icon (as shown on the right) will appear on the
screen.

Double click the “MSI Live Update 3” icon, and the following screen will
appear:

Five buttons are placed on the left column of the screen. Click the desired
button to start the update process.

Ø Live BIOS – Updates the BIOS online.
Ø Live Driver – Updates the drivers online.
Ø Live VGA BIOS – Updates the VGA BIOS online.
Ø Live VGA Driver – Updates the VGA driver online.

Ø Live OSD – Updates the firmware of the OSD products online.
Ø Live Utility – Updates the utilities online.

If the product you purchased does not support any of the functions listed
above, a “sorry” message is displayed. For more information on the update
instructions, insert the companion CD and refer to the “Live Update Guide”
under the “Manual” Tab.

2-1

Hardware Setup

Chapter 2. Hardware
Setup

This chapter tells you how to install the CPU, memory
modules, and expansion cards, as well as how to setup the
jumpers on the mainboard. Also, it provides the instructions on
connecting the peripheral devices, such as the mouse, keyboard,
etc.

While doing the installation, be careful in holding the
components and follow the installation procedures.

Hardware Setup

2-2

MS-6728 ATX Mainboard

BIOS

BATT

+

Quick Components Guide

DDR DIMMs, p.2-7

CPU, p.2-3

Back Panel
I/O, p.2-10

FDD1, p.2-15

NBFAN1,p.2-15

JUSB1, JUSB2,

p.2-21

JAUD1, p.2-20

JFP1, p.2-16

AGP Slot,

p.2-23

PCI Slots,

p.2-23

IDE1, IDE2,

p.2-17

JIR1, p.2-20

SATA1, SATA2,

p.2-18

ATX1, p.2-9

JBAT1, p.2-22

CPUFAN1, p.2-15

JCD1, p.2-21

JCI1, p.2-21

JDB1, p.2-19

JFP2, p.2-16
SFAN2, p.2-15

JPW1,

p.2-9

SFAN1, p.2-15

2-3

Hardware Setup

Memory

FSB

DDR266 DDR333 DDR400 DDR 433 DDR466 DDR500 DDR5 33

FSB400 OK N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

FSB533 OK OK N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

FSB800 OK OK OK OK * OK * OK * OK*

Central Processing Unit: CPU

CPU Core Speed Derivation Procedure

If CPU Clock = 100MHz

Core/Bus ratio = 20

then CPU core speed = Host Clock x Core/Bus ratio

= 100MHz x 20
= 2.0 GHz

The mainboard supports Intel® Pentium® 4 Northwood/Prescott proces-

sor in the 478 pin package. The mainboard uses a CPU socket called PGA478
for easy CPU installation. When you are installing the CPU, make sure the

CPU has a heat sink and a cooling fan attached on the top to prevent overheating.

If you do not find the heat sink and cooling fan, contact your dealer to pur­chase and install them before turning on the computer.

Memory Speed/CPU FSB Support Matrix

*: Overclocking spec. Please refer to P.10 “Memory Modules” in the ap-

pendant Test Report for the list of qualified test memory modules.

MSI Reminds Y ou...

Overclocking

This mainboard is designed to support overclocking. However,
please make sure your components are able to tolerate such
abnormal setting, while doing overclocking. Any attempt to
operate beyond product specifications is not recommended.

We do not guarantee the damages or risks caused by
inadequate operation or beyond product specifications.

2-4

MS-6728 ATX Mainboard

CPU Installation Procedures for Socket 478

1. Please turn off the power and

unplug the power cord before
installing the CPU.

2. Pull the lever sideways away

from the socket. Make sure
to raise the lever up to a 90­degree angle.

3. Look for the gold arrow. The
gold arrow should point to­wards the lever pivot. The
CPU can only fit in the correct
orientation.

4. If the CPU is correctly
installed, the pins should be
completely embedded into the
socket and can not be seen.
Please note that any violation
of the correct installation pro­cedures may cause permanent
damages to your mainboard.

5. Press the CPU down firmly into

the socket and close the lever.
As the CPU is likely to move
while the lever is being closed,
always close the lever with
your fingers pressing tightly
on top of the CPU to make sure
the CPU is properly and com­pletely embedded into the
socket.

Open Lever

90 degree

Sliding

Plate

Close
Lever

Press down

the CPU

Gold arrow

Gold arrow

Gold arrow

Correct CPU placement

Incorrect CPU place m en t

X

O

2-5

Hardware Setup

Installing the CPU Fan

As processor technology pushes to faster speeds and higher
performance, thermal management becomes increasingly important. To dissi­pate heat, you need to attach the CPU cooling fan and heatsink on top of the
CPU. Follow the instructions below to install the Heatsink/Fan:

2. Position the heatsink onto the reten-

tion mechanism.

1. Locate the CPU and its retention

mechanism on the mainboard.

3. Mount the fan on top of the heatsink.

Press down the fan until its four clips
get wedged in the holes of the reten­tion mechanism.

4. Press the two levers down to fasten

the fan. Each lever can be pressed
down in only ONE direction.

retention mechanism

levers

2-6

MS-6728 ATX Mainboard

5.

Connect the fan power cable from the mounted fan to the 3-pin fan power connec­tor on the board.

fan power cable

NOTES

2-7

Hardware Setup

Memory

DDR DIMM Slots

(DIMM 1~4, from left to right)

Channel A: DIMM1 & DIMM2 (green)

Channel B: DIMM3 & DIMM4 (purple)

The mainboard provides 4 slots for 184-pin, 2.5V DDR DIMM with 8
memory banks. Y ou can install DDR266 / DDR333 / DDR400 / DDR433 / DDR466
/ DDR500 / DDR533 SDRAM modules on the DDR DIMM slots (DIMM 1~4).
T o operate properly , at least one DIMM module must be installed. Please note
that DDR433 / DDR466 / DDR500 / DDR533 are for overclocking spec. (For
the list of qualified test memory modules, please refer to P.10 “Memory Mod­ules” in the appendant Test Report.)

Introduction to DDR SDRAM

DDR (Double Data Rate) SDRAM is similar to conventional SDRAM,
but doubles the rate by transferring data twice per cycle. It uses 2.5 volts as
opposed to 3.3 volts used in SDR SDRAM, and requires 184-pin DIMM modules
rather than 168-pin DIMM modules used by SDR SDRAM. Please note that
the DDR SDRAM does not support ECC (error correcting code) and registered
DIMM.

DDR Population Rules

Install at least one DIMM module on the slots. Each DIMM slot supports
up to a maximum size of 1GB. Users can install either single- or double-sided
modules to meet their own needs. Please note that each DIMM can work

respectively for single-channel DDR, but there are some rules while using
dual-channel DDR (Please refer to the suggested DDR population table on p.

2-8). Users may install memory modules of different type and density on
different-channel DDR DIMMs. However , the same type and density memory
modules are necessary while using dual-channel DDR, or instability may happen.