MSI 875P Master-FA MS-9127 manual rev. 1.0

875P Master-FA

MS-9127 (v1.X) A TX Mainboard

Version 1.0

G52-S9127X1-G22

i

Manual Rev: 1.0
Release Date: May 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’INSTALLATION AVANT DE RACCORDER AU
RESEAU.

Micro-Star International MS-9127

T ested to comply
with FCC Standard

For Home or Office Use

ii

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.
Intel® and Pentium® are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.

PS/2 and OS®/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation.
Windows® 95/98/2000/NT/XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
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.

Revision History

Revision Revision History Date

V1.0 First release May 2003

T echnical Support

If a problem arises with your system and no solution can be obtained from the
user’s manual, please contact your place of purchase or local distributor.
Alternatively, please try the following help resources for further guidance.

Visit the MSI website for FAQ, technical guide, BIOS updates, driver

updates, and other information: http://www.msi.com.tw/

Contact our technical staff at: [e-mail]

iii

Safety Instructions

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 TEMPERA TURE ABOVE 600 C (1400F), IT
MA Y DAMAGE THE EQUIPMENT.

CAUTION: Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced.
Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the
manufacturer.

iv

CONTENTS

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

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

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

T echnical Support......................................................................................... iii

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

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

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

Mainboard Layout ............................................................................... 1-5

MSI Special Features ........................................................................... 1-6

PC Alert™ III ................................................................................. 1-6

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

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

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

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

CPU Installation Procedures for Socket 478 ..................................2-4

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

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

Memory Speed/CPU FSB Support Matrix .....................................2-7

DIMM Module Combination......................................................... 2-7

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

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

A TX 20-Pin Power Connector: JPWR2..........................................2-9

A TX 12V Power Connector: JPWR1.............................................. 2-9

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

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

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

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

RJ-45 LAN Jack: Giga-bit LAN .................................................... 2-12

Serial Port Connectors: COM A & COM B.................................. 2-13

v

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

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

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

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

Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1 & IDE2 ........................................... 2-16

Fan Power Connectors: JCF AN1, JPSU1, JSF AN1/2/3/4 ............. 2-17

Serial AT A Connectors: SATA1 & SATA2.................................. 2-18

Front Panel Connectors: JFP2 ..................................................... 2-20

Front USB Connectors: JUSB4 & JUSB5..................................... 2-21

CD-In Connector: JCDIN1 ........................................................... 2-22

Chassis Intrusion Switch Connector: JINT1 ............................... 2-22

SCSI LED Header: JRAID1 .......................................................... 2-23

Internal Speaker Header: JSPKR1 ................................................2-23

Jumpers .............................................................................................. 2-24

Clear CMOS Jumper: JBA T1........................................................ 2-24

BIOS Write-Protect Jumper: J1 .................................................... 2-25

Slots ................................................................................................... 2-26

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) Pro Slot .................................. 2-26

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slots.......................... 2-26

Mini PCI Slot ............................................................................... 2-27

PCI Interrupt Request Routing .................................................... 2-30

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

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

Control Keys .................................................................................3-2

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

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

System Information ..............................................................................3-6

Standard CMOS Features ....................................................................3-7

Advanced BIOS Features ....................................................................3-9

Advanced Chipset Features............................................................... 3-14

vi

Integrated Peripherals ........................................................................ 3-17

Power Management Setup ................................................................. 3-22

PNP/PCI Configurations..................................................................... 3-25

PC Health Status ................................................................................ 3-27

Load Fail-Safe/Optimized Defaults ..................................................... 3-28

Set Supervisor/User Password........................................................... 3-29

T roubleshooting ........................................................................................ T-1

Glossary ....................................................................................................G-1

vii

Getting Started

Chapter 1. Getting
Started

Getting Started

Thank you for purchasing the 875P Master-F A (MS-9127

v1.X) ATX mainboard. The 875P Master-FA is a superior com­puter mainboard based on Intel® 875P & ICH5 chipsets for
optimal system efficiency. Designed to fit the advanced Intel
Pentium® 4 (Northwood/Prescott) processors in the 478 pin
package, the motherboard provides a cost-effective and profes­sional solution for high performance PC, entry-level workstation
and server markets.

®

1-1

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Mainboard Specifications

CPU

h Supports Intel® P4 Northwood/Prescott processor in 478-pin package
h Supports 533/800MHz FSB
h Meets thermal requirements
h Onboard voltage regulator module

Chipset

h Intel 875P & ICH5
h LPC Super I/O controller with floppy write protect function
h 4 Mbit Flash EEPROM
h Gigabit CSA Ethernet (Intel® 82547EI)

Main Memory

h Supports 4GB ECC memory
h 4 DDR DIMM sockets
h Supports suspend to RAM (STR), S3 sleep state

Slots

h 1 x AGP 8X Pro50 (50 Watts) slot

- Supports AGP 8X and AGP Pro50

h 5 PCI 32b/33MHz slots
h AGP 3.0 compliant
h 1 Mini PCI slot for MS-9518 (Ultra 160 Single Channel SCSI Adapter), MS-

9513 (Rage XL VGA Adapter) and MS-9514 (IEEE1394, 2 ports Adapter)
Support

On-Board IDE

h Two-channel bus master IDE port

On-Board I/O

h 1 x PS/2 Keyboard port
h 1 x PS/2 Mouse port
h 1 x floppy port
h 2 x serial ports
h 1 x parallel port
h 2 x USB 2.0 ports (rear)
h 4 x USB 2.0 ports (front)

1-2

Onboard S-AT A

h T wo-channel Serial ATA

Onboard Audio

h Audio with AC’97 interface
h Line-in, Line-out, and Microphone-in; Headphone out

Onboard LAN

h Intel® 82547EI Gigabit LAN
h Programmed Ethernet MAC address and EEPROM

BIOS

h 4 Mbit flash EEPROM
h Supports BIOS boot recovery from floppy drive
h PnP 1.0A, SMBIOS 2.3, ACPI 1.0A
h Supports PXE boot protocol
h APM1.2, audio 97, ASF adapter support, WOL
h USB keyboard and mouse
h Flash EEPROM write protection
h PC2001 system design compliant

Getting Started

Power Management Features

h Wake up on LAN (WOL)
h RTC alarm
h Wake up on Keyboard/Mouse
h Wake up on USB
h Wake up on PCI (PME)
h Supports ACPI 1.2, S1, S3, S4 and S5 functions supported

Onboard Internal Connectors

h 2 x 10, 20 pins ATX power connector
h 2 x 2, 4 pins ATX-12V power connector
h 2-pin internal speaker header
h 2-pin CD-IN header
h 3-pin cooling fan locking header X 6 (4 for system, 1 for PS and 1 for CPU)
h 3-pin BIOS boot recovery header with a jumper
h 4-pin chassis intrusion header

1-3

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

h 2 x 5, 10 pins shrouded front USB header
h Mouse and keyboard ports
h 2 USB ports
h RJ-45 with LEDs
h Line-in, Line-out, Mic-in and Phone-out ports
h 2 serial ports
h 1 parallel port

Regulatory

h FCC Class B, EMC, CE

Board Size

h ATX compatible form factor with 9 mounting holes

1-4

Top : mou se
Bottom: keyboard

Top : Parallel Po rt
Bottom:

COM A
COM B

Top: LAN Jack
Bottom: USB
ports

JAUD1
T:Line_In
B:Line_Out

JAUD2
T:Microphone_In
B:Headphone_In

JPSU1

Intel

547EI

JSFAN1

Mainboard Layout

JPWR1

JINT1

Intel

875P

AGP Pro Slot

JCFAN1

JSFAN4

1

2

3

R

R

R

D

D

D

D

D

D

Getting Started

BATT

+

JBAT1

y

l
p
p
u

X

S

T

r

A

e
w
o
P

4
R
D
D

2
E
D

I

JUSB5

1
D
D

F

1
E
D

I

VS248AB

JCDIN1

Codec

PCI Slot 1

PCI Slot 2

PCI Slot 3

PCI Slot 4

JRAID1

ICH5

MINIPCI1

PCI Slot 5

BIOS

JUSB4

J1

SATA1 SATA2

875P Master-FA (MS-9127 v1.X) ATX Mainboard

JSFAN2

JSFAN3

JFP2

JSPKR1

1-5

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

MSI Special Features

PC Alert™ III

The PC AlertTM III is a utility you can find in the CD-ROM disk. The
utility is just like your PC doctor that can de­tect the following PC hardware status during
real time operation:

* monitor CPU & chassis temperatures
* monitor fan speed(s)
* monitor system voltage
* monitor chassis intrusion

If one of the items above is abnormal, the
program main screen will be immediately shown
on the screen, with the abnormal item high­lighted in red. This will continue to be shown
until user disables the warning.

1-6

NOTE

Items shown on PC Alert III vary depending on your system’s status.

Hardware Setup

Hardware Setup

This chapter provides you with the information about hard­ware setup procedures. While doing the installation, be careful
in holding the components and follow the installation
procedures. For some components, if you install in the wrong
orientation, the components will not work properly.

Use a grounded wrist strap before handling computer
components. Static electricity may damage the components.

2-1

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Quick Components Guide

Back Panel
I/O, p.2-10

JPWR1, p.2-9

JSFAN1, p.2-17

JPSU1, p.2-17

JINT1, p.2-22

JCDIN1, p.2-22

CPU, p.2-3

JCFAN1, p.2-17

JSFAN4, p.2-17

DIMM1/2/3/4,

p.2-7

JBAT1,

p.2-24

JPWR2,

p.2-9

FDD1,

p.2-15

IDE1/2,

p.2-16

JRAID1,

p.2-23

JUSB5,

p.2-21

JSFAN2/3,

p.2-17

JFP2,

p.2-20

Mini PCI,

p.2-27

2-2

JUSB4, p.2-21 J1, p.2-25

SATA1/2, p.2-18

JSPKR1,

p.2-23

Hardware Setup

Central Processing Unit: CPU

The mainboard supports Intel® P4 Northwood/Prescott processor 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.

CPU Core Speed Derivation Procedure

If CPU Clock = 100MHz

Core/Bus ratio = 14

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

= 100MHz x 14
= 1.4 GHz

MSI Reminds You...

Overheating

Overheating will seriously damage the CPU and system, al­ways make sure the cooling fan can work properly to protect
the CPU from overheating.

Replacing the CPU

While replacing the CPU, always turn off the ATX power sup­ply or unplug the power supply’s power cord from grounded
outlet first to ensure the safety of CPU.

Overclocking

This motherboard 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.

2-3

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

CPU Installation Procedures for Socket 478

1. Please turn off the power and
unplug the power cord before
installing the CPU.

Open Lever

2. Pull the lever sideways away
from the socket. Make sure to
raise the lever up to a 90-de­gree 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.

Sliding

Plate

Gold arrow

Gold arrow

Gold arrow

Press down

the CPU

90 degree

Correct CPU placement

Incorrect CPU placeme n t

O

X

Close
Lever

2-4

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:

1. Locate the CPU and its retention

mechanism on the motherboard.

retention mechanism

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.

2. Position the heatsink onto the reten-

tion mechanism.

4. Press the two levers down to fasten

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

levers

2-5

MS-9127 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

2-6

NOTES

Hardware Setup

Memory

The mainboard provides 4 slots for 184-pin DDR SDRAM DIMM
(Double In-Line Memory Module) modules and supports up to 4GB memory
size. You can install PC1600/PC2100/PC27/00/PC3200 (DDR200/266/333/

400) modules on the DDR DIMM slots (DIMM 1~4).

DDR DIMM Slots

(DIMM 1~4)

DIMM Module Combination

The mainboard supports dual channel (144-bit wide) DDR333/400 memory
interface. Each channel supports 2 DIMM slots. Each DIMM slot supports up
to a maximum size of 1GB. Users can install either single- or double-sided
modules depending on their needs. Make sure that you install memory mod­ules of the same type and density on DDR DIMMs. Installing the modules in
pairs is not required. However, it is recommended to install the modules in
pairs for optimal performance.

2-7

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Memory modules can be installed in any combination as follows:

System Density
Option 1: 128MB~1GB 128MB~1GB
Option 2: 128MB~1GB, 128MB~1GB 256MB~2GB
Option 3: 128MB~1GB, 128MB~1GB, 128MB~1GB 384MB~3GB
Option 4: 128MB~1GB, 128MB~1GB, 128MB~1GB, 128MB~1GB 512MB~4GB

Installing DDR Modules

1. The DDR DIMM has only one notch on the center of module. The mod-

ule will only fit in the right orientation.

2. Insert the DIMM memory module vertically into the DIMM slot. Then

push it in until the golden finger on the memory module is deeply in­serted in the socket.

MSI Reminds You...

You can barely see the golden finger if the module is properly
inserted in the socket.

3. The plastic clip at each side of the DIMM slot will automatically close.

Volt

Notch

2-8

Hardware Setup

Power Supply

The mainboard supports ATX power supply for the power system. Be­fore inserting the power supply connector, always make sure that all compo­nents are installed properly to ensure that no damage will be caused.

A TX 20-Pin Power Connector: JPWR2

This connector allows you to connect to an ATX power supply. To
connect to the ATX power supply, make sure the plug of the power supply is
inserted in the proper orientation and the pins are aligned. Then push down
the power supply firmly into the connector.

A TX 12V Power Connector: JPWR1

This 12V power connector is used to provide power to the CPU.

11

1

JPWR1

2

1

4

3

JPWR1 Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL

1 GND
2 GND
3 12V
4 12V

JPWR2 Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL

1 3.3V
2 3.3V
3 GND
45V
5 GND
65V
7 GND
8 PW_OK
9 5V_SB
10 12V

20

JPWR2

PIN SIGNAL

11 3.3V
12 -12V
13 GND
14 PS_ON
15 GND
16 GND
17 GND
18 -5V
19 5V
20 5V

10

2-9

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Back Panel

The back panel provides the following connectors:

Mouse

Keyboard

COM A

Parallel

COM B

LAN

USB

Audio Jacks

Mouse Connector

The mainboard provides a standard PS/2® mouse mini DIN connector
for attaching a PS/2® mouse. You can plug a PS/2® mouse directly into this
connector. The connector location and pin assignments are as follows:

Pin Definition

6

4

2

5

3

1

PS/2 Mouse (6-pin Female)

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 Mouse DATA Mouse DATA
2 NC No connection
3 GND Ground
4 VCC +5V
5 Mouse Clock Mouse clock
6 NC No connection

2-10

Hardware Setup

Keyboard Connector

The mainboard provides a standard PS/2® keyboard mini DIN connec­tor for attaching a PS/2® keyboard. You can plug a PS/2® keyboard directly
into this connector.

Pin Definition

6

4

2

PS/2 Keyboard (6-pin Female)

5

3

1

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 Keyboard DATA Keyboard DATA
2 NC No connection
3 GND Ground
4 VCC +5V
5 Keyboard Clock Keyboard clock
6 NC No connection

USB Connectors

The mainboard provides a UHCI (Universal Host Controller Interface)
Universal Serial Bus root for attaching USB devices such as keyboard, mouse
or other USB-compatible devices. You can plug the USB device directly into
the connector.

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

USB Ports

USB Port Description

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 VCC +5V
2 -Data 0 Negative Data Channel 0
3 +Data0 Positive Data Channel 0
4 GND Ground
5 VCC +5V
6 -Data 1 Negative Data Channel 1
7 +Data 1 Positive Data Channel 1
8 GND Ground

2-11

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

RJ-45 LAN Jack: Giga-bit LAN

The mainboard provides one standard RJ-45 jack for connection to
Local Area Network (LAN). Giga-bit LAN enables data to be transferred at
1000, 100 or 10Mbps. Pin assignments vary depending on the transfer rates:
10/100Mbps or 1000Mbps. Note that Pin 1/2, 3/6, 4/5, 7/8 must work in pairs.
Please refer to the following for details:

Speed Indicator

8 1

RJ-45 LAN Jack

10/100 LAN Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 TDP Transmit Differential Pair
2 TDN Transmit Differential Pair
3 RDP Receive Differential Pair
4 NC Not Used
5 NC Not Used
6 RDN Receive Differential Pair
7 NC Not Used
8 NC Not Used

Giga-bit LAN Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 D0P Differential Pair 0+
2 D0N Differential Pair 0­3 D1P Differential Pair 1+
4 D2P Differential Pair 2+
5 D2N Differential Pair 2­6 D1N Differential Pair 1­7 D3P Differential Pair 3+
8 D3N Differential Pair 3-

Activity Indicator

2-12

Hardware Setup

Serial Port Connector: COM A & COM B

The mainboard offers two 9-pin male DIN connectors as serial port COM
A and COM B. The ports are 16550A high speed communication ports that
send/receive 16 bytes FIFOs. You can attach a serial mouse or other serial
devices directly to them.

Pin Definition

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9

9-Pin Male DIN Connectors

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 DCD Data Carry Detect
2 SIN Serial In or Receive Data
3 SOUT Serial Out or Transmit Data
4 DTR Data Terminal Ready)
5 GND Ground
6 DSR Data Set Ready
7 RTS Request To Send
8 CTS Clear To Send
9 RI Ring Indicate

Audio Port Connectors

Line-Out is a connector for speakers or headphones. Line-In is used

for external CD player, Tape player, or other audio devices. Mic-In is a con­nector for microphones. HP-Out is used to connect headphones if available.

Line-In Mic-In

Line-Out

HP-Out

2-13

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Parallel Port Connector: LPT1

The mainboard provides a 25-pin female centronic connector as LPT.
A parallel port is a standard printer port that supports Enhanced Parallel Port
(EPP) and Extended Capabilities Parallel Port (ECP) mode.

13 1

25

14

Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 STROBE Strobe
2 DATA0 Data0
3 DATA1 Data1
4 DATA2 Data2
5 DATA3 Data3
6 DATA4 Data4
7 DATA5 Data5
8 DATA6 Data6
9 DATA7 Data7
10 ACK# Acknowledge
11 BUSY Busy
12 PE Paper End
13 SELECT Select
14 AUTO FEED# Automatic Feed
15 ERR# Error
16 INIT# Initialize Printer
17 SLIN# Select In
18 GND Ground
19 GND Ground
20 GND Ground
21 GND Ground
22 GND Ground
23 GND Ground
24 GND Ground
25 GND Ground

2-14

Hardware Setup

Connectors

The mainboard provides connectors to connect FDD, IDE HDD, front
panel of the system case, audio ports, USB Ports, and CPU/System FANs.

Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1

The mainboard provides a standard floppy disk drive connector that
supports 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88M floppy disk types.

FDD1

2-15

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1 & IDE2

The mainboard has a 32-bit Enhanced PCI IDE and Ultra DMA 66/100
controller that provides PIO mode 0~4, Bus Master, and Ultra DMA 66/100
function. You can connect up to four hard disk drives, CD-ROM, 120MB
Floppy (reserved for future BIOS) and other devices. These connectors sup­port the provided IDE hard disk cable.

IDE1IDE2

IDE1 (Primary IDE Connector)
The first hard drive should always be connected to IDE1. IDE1 can

connect a Master and a Slave drive. You must configure second hard
drive to Slave mode by setting the jumper accordingly.

IDE2 (Secondary IDE Connector)
IDE2 can also connect a Master and a Slave drive.

MSI Reminds You...

If you install two hard disks on cable, you must configure the
second drive to Slave mode by setting its jumper. Refer to the
hard disk documentation supplied by hard disk vendors for
jumper setting instructions.

2-16

Hardware Setup

Fan Power Connectors: JCF AN1, JPSU1, JSF AN1/2/3/4

The JCF AN1 (processor fan), JPSU1 (power supply) and JSFAN1/2/3/4
(system fan) support system cooling fan with +12V. It supports three-pin head
connector. When connecting the wire to the connectors, always take note that
the red wire is the positive and should be connected to the +12V, the black wire
is Ground and should be connected to GND. If the mainboard has a System
Hardware Monitor chipset on-board, you must use a specially designed fan
with speed sensor to take advantage of the CPU fan control.

JCFAN1

GND
+12V
SENSOR

JSFAN4

GND
+12V
SENSOR

JSFAN2

GND
+12V
SENSOR

GND

+12V

JSFAN1

SENSOR

JPSU1

GND
+12V
SENSOR

MSI Reminds Y ou...

Always consult the vendors for proper CPU cooling fan.

JSFAN3

GND
+12V
SENSOR

2-17

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Serial A TA Connectors: SATA1 & SAT A 2

The mainboard provides optional dual high-speed Serial ATA interface
ports, SATA1 & SATA2. Each supports 1st generation serial AT A data rates of
150MB/s. Both connectors are fully compliant with Serial A T A 1.0 specifications.
Each Serial ATA connector can connect to 1 hard disk device. Please refer to
Serial ATA Raid manual for detail software installation procedure.

2-18

1

SATA1

1

SATA2

7

7

SA T A1 & SA T A2 Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

1 GND 2 TXP
3 TXN 4 GND
5 RXN 6 RXP
7 GND

Hardware Setup

Optional Serial ATA cable

Take out the dust cover and
connect to the hard disk
devices

Connect to SATA1 or SATA2

MSI Reminds Y ou...

Please do not fold the serial ATA cable in a 90-degree angle,
which will cause the loss of data during the transmission.

2-19

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Front Panel Connectors: JFP2

The mainboard provides one front panel connector for electrical con­nection to the front panel switches and LEDs.

1

10

Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL

1-3 HDD LED
5-7 RESET
1-2 Normal
9-11-13-15 Fast IR
2-4 Power LED
6-8 Power Button
10-12 Sleep Button

9

JFP2

18

2-20

Hardware Setup

Front USB Connector: JUSB4 & JUSB5

The mainboard provides two USB 2.0 pinheaders for connection to addi­tional USB ports. USB 2.0 technology increases data transfer rate up to a
maximum throughput of 480Mbps, which is 40 times faster than USB 1.1,
and is ideal for connecting high-speed USB interface peripherals such as USB
HDD, digital cameras, MP3 players, printers, modems and the like.

JUSB5

192

10

JUSB4

2
1

PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

1 USBPWR 2 GND
3 USBP2- 4 GND
5 USBP2+ 6 USBP3+
7 GND 8 USBP3­9 GND 10 USBPWR

10

9

Pin Definition

2-21

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

CD-In Connector: JCDIN1

The connector is for CD-ROM audio connector.

JCDIN1

R

GND

L

Chassis Intrusion Switch Connector: JINT1

This connector is connected to a 2-pin chassis switch. If the chassis is
opened, the switch will be short. The system will record this status and show
a warning message on the screen. To clear the warning, you must enter the
BIOS utility and clear the record.

JINT1

CINTRU

GND

2-22

Hardware Setup

SCSI LED Header: JRAID1

This mainboard comes with a SCSI LED header. Insert the SCSI card into
the mini PCI slot, and then connect the power cord with the header.

JRAID1

Internal Speaker Header: JSPKR1

This mainboard comes with an internal speaker header that can be con­nected to the speaker on the chassis.

JSPKR1

VOUT+

VOUT-

2-23

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Jumpers

The motherboard provides the following jumpers for you to set the
computer’s function. This section will explain how to change your
motherboard’s function through the use of jumpers.

Clear CMOS Jumper: JBA T1

There is a CMOS RAM on board that has a power supply from external
battery to keep the data of system configuration. With the CMOS RAM, the
system can automatically boot OS every time it is turned on. If you want to
clear the system configuration, use the JBAT1 (Clear CMOS Jumper ) to clear
data. Follow the instructions below to clear the data:

1

JBAT1

2-24

1

3

Keep CMOS

1

3

Clear CMOS

MSI Reminds Y ou...

You can clear CMOS by shorting 2-3 pin while the system is off.
Then return to 1-2 pin position. Avoid clearing the CMOS while
the system is on; it will damage the mainboard.

Hardware Setup

BIOS Write-Protect Jumper: J1

The jumper is used to lock or unlock the boot block area on the BIOS.
When unlocked, the BIOS boot block area can be updated. When locked, the
area cannot be updated.

BIOS Flash Locked
(BIOS Write Disabled)

1

3

J1

BIOS Flash Unlocked
(BIOS Write Enabled)

2-25

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Slots

The motherboard provides one AGP Pro slot, five 32-bit Master PCI
bus slots, and one Mini PCI slot.

AGP Pro Slot

PCI Slots

Mini PCI Slot

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) Pro Slot

The AGP Pro slot allows you to insert the AGP/AGP Pro graphics card.
AGP is an interface specification designed for the throughput demands of 3D
graphics. It introduces a 66MHz, 32-bit channel for the graphics controller to
directly access main memory.

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slots

The PCI slots allow you to insert the expansion cards to meet your needs.
When adding or removing expansion cards, make sure that you unplug the
power supply first. Meanwhile, read the documentation for the expansion card
to make any necessary hardware or software settings for the expansion card,
such as jumpers, switches or BIOS configuration.

MSI Reminds Y ou...

Mainboard photos shown in next section are for demonstra­tion of the installation of miniPCI cards only. The appearance
of your mainboard may vary depending on the model you
purchase.

2-26

Hardware Setup

Mini PCI Slot

This slot is used to connect the optional MS-9518 SCSI card, MS-9513
VGA card, or MS-9514 IEEE 1394 card.

MS-9518 SCSI card MS-9513 VGA card MS-9514 IEEE1394 card

Installing the card:

1. Locate the Mini PCI slot on the
mainboard.

2. Place the card over the Mini PCI slot
and gently insert both ends of the card
slantways (at an angle of 45 degrees)
into the slot until the golden finger of
the card gets fully inserted into the slot.

MSI Reminds Y ou...

You can barely see the golden finger if the card is properly
inserted in the socket.

Mini PCI slot

2-27

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

3. Locate the supporters on the
mainboard (one on the right end and
the other on the left end).

4. Align the two fixing holes on the
card with the supporters and press the
card carefully down until the fixing
holes get locked by the supporters.

supporters

5. Push the retaining clips (on two ends
of the slot) inwards until they lock onto
the notches in the ends of the card. The
card should securely fit into the slot.

2-28

Supporters lock into the fix­ing holes of the card.

Removing the card:

1. Gently push the retaining clips
outwards. Hold the card lightly but
firmly. Use long nose pliers to clip one
of the supporters and press it down­wards until it withdraws from the fix­ing hole.

2. Clip the other supporter and press it
downwards until it withdraws from the
fixing hole.

3. The card will automatically bound
upwards after being released from the
supporters.

Hardware Setup

4. Remove the card from the Mini PCI
slot.

2-29

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

PCI Interrupt Request Routing

The IRQ, acronym of interrupt request line and pronounced I-R-Q, are
hardware lines over which devices can send interrupt signals to the
microprocessor. The PCI IRQ pins are typically connected to the PCI bus INT
A# ~ INT D# pins as follows:

Order 1 Order 2 Order 3 Order 4
PCI Slot 1 PIRQ#A PIRQ#B PIRQ#C PIRQ#D
PCI Slot 2 PIRQ#B PIRQ#C PIRQ#D PIRQ#A
PCI Slot 3 PIRQ#C PIRQ#D PIRQ#A PIRQ#B
PCI Slot 4 PIRQ#D PIRQ#A PIRQ#B PIRQ#C
PCI Slot 5 PIRQ#B PIRQ#C PIRQ#D PIRQ#A
AGP PIRQ_E PIRQ_F
Mini PCI PIRQ#G
82547EI PIRQ#B

2-30

BIOS Setup

Chapter 3. BIOS Setup

BIOS Setup

This chapter provides information on the BIOS Setup pro­gram and allows you to configure the system for optimum use.
You may need to run the Setup program when:

 An error message appears on the screen during the system

booting up, and requests you to run SETUP.

 You want to change the default settings for customized

features.

3-1

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Entering Setup

Power on the computer and the system will start POST (Power On Self
Test) process. When the message below appears on the screen, press <DEL>
key to enter Setup.

Press DEL to enter SETUP

If the message disappears before you respond and you still wish to enter
Setup, restart the system by turning it OFF and On or pressing the RESET
button. You may also restart the system by simultaneously pressing <Ctrl>,
<Alt>, and <Delete> keys.

Control Keys

<↑>
<↓>
<←>
<→>
<Enter> Select the item
<Esc> Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the m ain menu from a submenu
<+/PU> Increase the numeric v a l ue or ma k e changes
<-/PD> Decrease the numeric value or make changes
<F1> General help, only for Status Page Setup Menu and Option Page

<F5> Restore the previous CMOS value from CMOS, only for Option Page

<F6> Load the default CMOS value from Fail-Safe default table, only for

<F7> Load Optimized defaults
<F10> Save all the CMOS changes and exit

Move to the previous item
Move to the next item
Move to the item in the left hand
Move to the item in the right hand

Setup Menu

Setup Menu

Option Page Setup Menu

3-2

BIOS Setup

Getting Help

After entering the Setup menu, the first menu you will see is the Main
Menu.

Main Menu

The main menu lists the setup functions you can make changes to. You
can use the arrow keys ( ↑↓ ) to select the item. The on-line description of the
highlighted setup function is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Sub-Menu

If you find a right pointer symbol (as shown in the right view) appears
to the left of certain fields that means a sub­menu can be launched from this field. A
sub-menu contains additional options for a
field parameter. You can use arrow keys (
↑↓ ) to highlight the field and press <Enter>
to call up the sub-menu. Then you can use
the control keys to enter values and move from field to field within a sub­menu. If you want to return to the main menu, just press the <Esc >.

General Help <F1>

The BIOS setup program provides a General Help screen. You can call
up this screen from any menu by simply pressing <F1>. The Help screen lists
the appropriate keys to use and the possible selections for the highlighted
item. Press <Esc> to exit the Help screen.

MSI Reminds You...

The items under each BIOS category described in this chapter
are under continuous update for better system performance.
Therefore, the description may be slightly different from the lat­est BIOS and should be held for reference only.

3-3

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

The Main Menu

Once you enter AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility, the Main Menu will
appear on the screen. The Main Menu displays twelve configurable functions
and two exit choices. Use arrow keys to move among the items and press
<Enter> to enter the sub-menu.

System Information

This entry shows your PC status (read only).

Standard CMOS Features

Use this menu for basic system configurations, such as time, date etc.

Advanced BIOS Features

Use this menu to configure the special enhanced features.

Advanced Chipset Features

Use this menu to change the values in the chipset registers and optimize your
system’s performance.

Integrated Peripherals

Use this menu to specify your settings for integrated peripherals.

3-4

BIOS Setup

Power Management Setup

Use this menu to specify your settings for power management.

PNP/PCI Configurations

This entry appears if your system supports PnP/PCI.

PC Health Status

This entry shows your PC health status.

Load Fail-Safe Defaults

Use this menu to load the BIOS default values for minimal but stable system
performance.

Load Optimized Defaults

Use this menu to load the BIOS default values that are factory settings for
optimal system operations.

Set Supervisor/User Password

Use this menu to set user and supervisor passwords.

Save & Exit Setup

Save changes to CMOS and exit setup.

Exit Without Saving

Abandon all changes and exit setup.

3-5

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

System Information

This section shows the information of your system, such as machine
type, processor cache size, etc.

3-6

BIOS Setup

Standard CMOS Features

The items inside Standard CMOS Features menu are divided into 10
categories. Each category includes none, one or more setup items. Use the
arrow keys to highlight the item you want to modify and use the <PgUp> or
<PgDn> keys to switch to the value you prefer.

Date (mm:dd:yy)

This allows you to set the system to the date that you want (usually the current
date). The format is <day><month> <date> <year>.

day Day of the week, from Sun to Sat, determined by

BIOS. Read-only.

month The month from Jan. through Dec.
date The date from 1 to 31 can be keyed by numeric

function keys.

year The year can be adjusted by users.

Time (hh:mm:ss)

This allows you to set the system time that you want (usually the current
time). The time format is <hour> <minute> <second>.

IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave

Press PgUp/<+> or PgDn/<-> to select Manual, None, Auto type. Note that
the specifications of your drive must match with the drive table. The hard disk

3-7

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

will not work properly if you enter improper information for this category. If
your hard disk drive type is not matched or listed, you can use Manual to
define your own drive type manually.

If you select Manual, related information is asked to be entered to the follow­ing items. Enter the information directly from the keyboard. This information
should be provided in the documentation from your hard disk vendor or the
system manufacturer.

If the controller of HDD interface is SCSI, the selection shall be “None”. If
the controller of HDD interface is CD-ROM, the selection shall be “None”.

Access Mode The settings are CHS, LBA, Large, Auto.
Capacity The formatted size of the storage device.
Cylinder Number of cylinders.
Head Number of heads.
Precomp Write precompensation.
Landing Zone Cylinder location of the landing zone.
Sector Number of sectors.

Drive A/B

This item allows you to set the type of floppy drives installed. Available
options are None, 360K, 5.25 in., 1.2M, 5.25 in., 720K, 3.5 in., 1.44M, 3.5 in.,

2.88M, 3.5 in.

Video

The setting controls the type of video adapter used for the primary monitor of
the system. Available options are EGA/VGA , CGA 40, CGA 80 and Mono.

Halt On

The setting determines whether the system will stop if an error is detected at
boot. Available options are:

All Errors The system stops when any error is detected.
No Errors The system doesn’t stop for any detected error.
All, But Keyboard The system doesn’t stop for a keyboard error.
All, But Diskette The system doesn’t stop for a disk error.
All, But Disk/Key The system doesn’t stop for either a disk or a key-

board error.

Base/Extended/Total Memory

The three items show the memory status of the system. (Read only)

3-8

Advanced BIOS Features

BIOS Setup

Hard Disk Boot Priority

The items allow you to set the sequence of boot devices where BIOS attempts
to load the hard disk operating system. Use <↑> or <↓> to select a device, then
press <+> to move it up, or <-> to move it down the list. Press ESC to exit this
menu.

Virus W arning

The item is to set the Virus Warning feature for IDE Hard Disk boot sector
protection. If the function is enabled and any attempt to write data into this
area is made, BIOS will display a warning message on screen and beep. Settings:
Disabled and Enabled.

CPU L1 & L2 Cache

The item allows you to turn on or off CPU’s internal (L1) and external (L2)
cache. Settings: Enabled and Disabled.

Hyper-Threading T echnology

The processor uses Hyper-Threading technology to increase transaction

3-9

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

rates and reduces end-user response times. The technology treats the two
cores inside the processor as two logical processors that can execute
instructions simultaneously. In this way, the system performance is highly
improved. If you disable the function, the processor will use only one core
to execute the instructions. Settings: Enabled, Disabled.

Quick Power On Self T est

The option speeds up Power On Self Test (POST) after you power on the
computer. When setting the item to Enabled, BIOS will shorten or skip some
check items during POST. Settings: Enabled, Disabled.

First/Second/Third Boot Device

The items allow you to set the sequence of boot devices where BIOS attempts
to load the disk operating system. The settings are:

Floppy The system will boot from floppy drive.
LS120 The system will boot from LS-120 drive.
Hard Disk The system will boot from the HDD.
CDROM The system will boot from the CD-ROM.
ZIP100 The system will boot from ATAPI ZIP drive.
USB-FDD The system will boot from the floppy drive at USB ports.
LAN The system will boot from the Network drive.
Disabled Disable this sequence.

MSI Reminds Y ou...

Available settings for “First/Second/Third Boot Device” vary
depending on the bootable devices you have installed. For
example, if you did not install a floppy drive, the setting “Floppy”
does not show up.

Boot Other Device

Setting the option to Enabled allows the system to try to boot from other
devices if the system fails to boot from the 1st/2nd/3rd boot device.

Swap Floppy Drive

Setting to Enabled will swap floppy drives A: and B:.

Boot Up Floppy Seek

This setting causes the BIOS to search for floppy disk drives at boot time.
When enabled, the BIOS will activate the floppy disk drives during the boot

3-10

BIOS Setup

process: the drive activity light will come on and the head will move back and
forth once. First A: will be done and then B: if it exists. Setting options:
Disabled, Enabled.

Boot Up NumLock Status

This setting is to set the Num Lock status when the system is powered on.
Setting to On will turn on the Num Lock key when the system is powered on.
Setting to Off will allow users to use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad.
Setting options: On, Off.

Gate A20 Option

This item is to set the Gate A20 status. A20 refers to the first 64KB of ex­tended memory. When the default value Fast is selected, the Gate A20 is
controlled by Port92 or chipset specific method resulting in faster system
performance. When Normal is selected, A20 is controlled by a keyboard con­troller or chipset hardware.

Typematic Rate Setting

This item is used to enable or disable the typematic rate setting including
Typematic Rate & Typematic Delay.

Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec)

After Typematic Rate Setting is enabled, this item allows you to set the rate
(characters/second) at which the keys are accelerated. Settings: 6, 8, 10, 12,
15, 20, 24 and 30.

Typematic Delay (Msec)

This item allows you to select the delay between when the key was first pressed
and when the acceleration begins. Settings: 250, 500, 750 and 1000.

Security Option

This specifies the type of BIOS password protection that is implemented. Set­tings are described below:

Option Description

Setup The password prompt appears only when end users try to

run Setup.

System A password prompt appears every time when the com-

puter is powered on or when end users try to run Setup.

3-11

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

APIC Mode

This setting is used to enable or disable the APIC (Advanced Programmable
Interrupt Controller). Due to compliance to PC2001 design guide, the system
is able to run in APIC mode. Enabling APIC mode will expand available IRQs
resources for the system. Setting options: Enabled, Disabled.

MPS V ersion Control For OS

This field allows you to select which MPS (Multi-Processor Specification)
version to be used for the operating system. You need to select the MPS ver­sion supported by your operating system. To find out which version to use,
consult the vendor of your operating system. Settings: 1.4, 1.1.

OS Select For DRAM > 64MB

This allows you to run the OS/2® operating system with DRAM larger than
64MB. When you choose Non-OS2, you cannot run the OS/2® operating
system with DRAM larger than 64MB. But it is possible if you choose OS2.

Report No FDD For WIN 95

For compatibility with Windows 95 logo certification, select Yes to release
IRQ6 when the system contains no floppy drive. When this setting is set to
Yes, users have to select Disabled for the Onboard FDC Controller in the
Integrated Peripherals menu. Setting options: Yes, No.

Small Logo(EPA) Show

This item enables you to show the EPA logo (brand specific graphics) on the
bootup screen. Settings are:

Disabled Shows the normal POST screen at boot.
Enabled Shows a still image (EPA logo) on the screen at boot.

DMI Event Log

This setting disables or enables the BIOS to log DMI (Desktop Management
Interface) events. Setting options: Enabled, Disabled.

Clear All DMI Event Log

When this setting is set to Yes, the DMI event log will be cleared at next
POST stage. Then, the BIOS will automatically set this option to No.

Setting options: Yes, No.

3-12

BIOS Setup

View DMI Event Log

Press <Enter> to view all DMI event logs.

Mark DMI Events as Read

Press <Enter> and a screen pops up, asking users to confirm whether or not
to clear all DMI event logs immediately. Press <Y> and <Enter>, the BIOS

will clear all DMI event logs right away.

Event Log Capacity

The item allows the system to show if there is enough space for event logs.

Event Log V alidity

The item allows the system to show if the event logs are valid.

3-13

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Advanced Chipset Features

MSI Reminds Y ou...

Change these settings only if you are familiar with the chipset.

DRAM Timing Selectable

Selects whether DRAM timing is controlled by the SPD (Serial Presence Detect)
EEPROM on the DRAM module. Setting to By SPD enables DRAM timings to
be determined by BIOS based on the configurations on the SPD. Selecting
Manual allows users to configure the DRAM timings manually.

CAS Latency Time

This controls the timing delay (in clock cycles) before SDRAM starts a read
command after receiving it. Settings: 2, 2.5, 3 (clocks). 2 (clocks) increases
the system performance the most while 3 (clocks) provides the most stable
performance.

Active Precharge Delay

The field specifies the idle cycles before precharging an idle bank. Settings:
8, 7, 6, 5 (clocks).

DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay

This field allows you to set the number of cycles for a timing delay between
the CAS and RAS strobe signals, used when DRAM is written to, read from

3-14

BIOS Setup

or refreshed. Fast speed offers faster performance while slow speed offers
more stable performance. Settings: 4, 3, 2 (clocks).

DRAM RAS# Precharge

This item controls the number of cycles for Row Address Strobe (RAS) to be
allowed to precharge. If insufficient time is allowed for the RAS to accumu­late its charge before DRAM refresh, refresh may be incomplete and DRAM
may fail to retain data. This item applies only when synchronous DRAM is
installed in the system. Available settings: 4, 3, 2 (clocks).

Memory Frequency For

Use this item to configure the clock frequency of the installed DRAMs.
Setting options: Auto, DDR266, DDR333, DDR320, DDR400.

System BIOS Cacheable

Selecting Enabled allows caching of the system BIOS ROM at F0000h-FFFFFh,
resulting in better system performance. However, if any program writes to this
memory area, a system error may result. Setting options: Enabled, Disabled.

Video BIOS Cacheable

Selecting Enabled allows caching of the video BIOS ROM at C0000h to C7FFFh,
resulting in better video performance. However, if any program writes to this

memory area, a system error may result. Setting options: Disabled, Enabled.

Memory Hole At 15M-16M

In order to improve performance, certain space in memory can be reserved
for ISA peripherals. This memory must be mapped into the memory space
below 16MB. When this area is reserved, it cannot be cached. Settings:
Enabled, Disabled.

Delay Prior to Thermal

When the CPU temperature reaches a factory preset level, a thermal monitoring
mechanism will be enabled following the appropriate timing delay specified in
this field. With the thermal monitoring enabled, clock modulation controlled
by the processor’s internal thermal sensor is also activated to keep the proces­sor within allowable temperature limit. Setting options: 4 Min, 8 Min, 16 Min,
32 Min.

3-15

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

AGP Aperture Size (MB)

This setting controls just how much system RAM can be allocated to AGP for
video purposes. The aperture is a portion of the PCI memory address range
dedicated to graphics memory address space. Host cycles that hit the aperture
range are forwarded to the AGP without any translation. The option allows the
selection of an aperture size of 4MB, 8MB, 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, and

256 MB.

Init Display First

This item specifies which VGA card is your primary graphics adapter. Settings:

PCI Slot, Onboard/AGP.

DRAM Data Integrity Mode

Select ECC (Error-Checking & Correcting Code) or Non-ECC according to the
type of DRAM installed.

Auto Detect PCI Clk

This option allows you to enable/disable the feature of auto detecting the
clock frequency of the installed PCI bus. Settings: Enabled, Disabled.

Spread Spectrum

When the motherboard clock generator pulses, the extreme values (spikes) of
the pulses creates EMI (Electromagnetic Interference). The Spread Spectrum
function reduces the EMI generated by modulating the pulses so that the
spikes of the pulses are reduced to flatter curves. If you do not have any EMI
problem, leave the setting at Disabled for optimal system stability and
performance. But if you are plagued by EMI, setting to Enabled for EMI
reduction. Remember to disable Spread Spectrum if you are overclocking be­cause even a slight jitter can introduce a temporary boost in clockspeed which
may just cause your overclocked processor to lock up.

3-16

BIOS Setup

Integrated Peripherals

OnChip IDE Device

Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:

IDE HDD Block Mode

This allows your hard disk controller to use the fast block mode to trans­fer data to and from the hard disk drive. Block mode is also called block
transfer, multiple commands or multiple sector read/write. Enabled ena­bles IDE controller to use block mode; Disabled allows the controller to
use standard mode.

3-17

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

IDE DMA T ransfer Access

This item is used to enable or disable the DMA transfer function of the
IDE Hard Drive. The settings are: Enabled, Disabled.

On-Chip Primary/Secondary PCI IDE

The integrated peripherals controller contains an IDE interface with sup­port for two IDE channels. Choose Enabled to activate each channel
separately. Setting options: Disabled, Enabled.

IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave PIO

The four IDE PIO (Programmed Input/Output) fields let you set a PIO
mode (0-4) for each of the four IDE devices that the onboard IDE interface
supports. Modes 0 through 4 provide successively increased performance.
In Auto mode, the system automatically determines the best mode for
each device. The settings are: Auto, Mode 0, Mode 1, Mode 2, Mode 3,
Mode 4.

Primary/Secondary Master/Slave UDMA

Ultra DMA/33 implementation is possible only if your IDE hard drive
supports it and the operating environment includes a DMA driver
(Windows 95 OSR2 or a third-party IDE bus master driver). If your hard
drive and your system software both support Ultra DMA/33, Ultra DMA/
66 and Ultra DMA/100 select Auto to enable BIOS support. The settings
are: Auto, Disabled.

**On-Chip Serial A T A Setting**
SATA Mode

This setting allows you to select the SATA controller. Options: IDE,
RAID.

On-Chip Serial A T A

This setting allows you to control the SA TA controller. Options: Disabled,
Auto, Legacy Mode or Native Mode. When set to [Auto], BIOS will

automatically swtich to SAT A. If [Disabled] is selected, SATA controller
will be disabled. [Combined Mode] will combine PATA and SATA, and
support max. of 2 IDE drives in each channel. [Enhanced Mode] will
enable PATA and SATA, and support max. of 6 IDE drives.

3-18

BIOS Setup

Serial A T A Port 0/1 Mode

Select a compatible mode for Port 0 and Port 1 from Award setting to the
chipset settings: Primary Master, Primary Slave, Secondary Master,

Secondary Slave, Primary Master , Secondary Master, SATA0 Master,
SATA1 Master.

Onboard Device

Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:

USB Controller

Select Enabled if your system contains a Universal Serial Bus (USB)
controller and you have USB peripherals. Setting options: Enabled,
Disabled.

USB 2.0 Controller

This setting disables/enables the support for USB 2.0 technology. USB 2.
0 technology increases data transfer rate up to a maximum throughput of
480Mbps, which is 40 times faster than USB 1.1 and is ideal for connect­ing high-speed USB interface peripherals such as USB HDD, digital
cameras, MP3 players, printers, modems and the like. Setting options:

Disabled, Enabled.

USB Keyboard/Mouse Support

Select Enabled if you need to use a keyboard/mouse in the operating
system. Setting options: Enabled, Disabled.

AC97 Audio

This setting is used to enable or disable the onboard AC’97 (Audio
Codec’97) feature. Selecting Auto allows the mainboard to detect whether
an audio device is used. If an audio device is detected, the onboard
AC’97 controller will be enabled; if not, the controller is disabled. Disable
the function if you want to use other controller cards to connect an audio
device. Setting options: Disabled and Auto.

3-19

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

AC97 Modem

[Auto] allows the mainboard to detect whether a modem is used. If a
modem is detected, the onboard AC’97 modem controller will be enabled;
if not, it is disabled. Disable the controller if you want to use other
controller cards to connect a modem. Settings: Auto, Disabled.

CSA LAN (Giga-LAN)

This item is used to enable or disable the onboard LAN controller. Set­ting options: Enabled, Disabled.

Onboard Lan Boot ROM

The item enables or disables the initialization of the onboard LAN Boot
ROMs during bootup. Selecting Disabled will speed up the boot
process.

Super IO Device

Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:

Onboard FDC Controller

Select Enabled if your system has a floppy disk controller (FDD) installed
on the system board and you wish to use it. If you install add-on FDC or
the system has no floppy drive, select Disabled in this field. The settings
are: Enabled and Disabled.

Onboard Serial Port 1/Port 2

Select an address and corresponding interrupt for the first and second
serial ports. The settings are: 3F8/IRQ4, 2E8/IRQ3, 3E8/IRQ4, 2F8/IRQ3,
Disabled, Auto.

UART Mode Select

This setting allows you to specify the operation mode for serial port 2.
Setting options: IrDA, ASKIR, Normal.

3-20

BIOS Setup

Normal RS-232C Serial Port
IrDA IrDA-compliant Serial Infrared Port
ASKIR Amplitude Shift Keyed Infrared Port

Onboard Parallel Port

There is a built-in parallel port on the on-board Super I/O chipset that
provides Standard, ECP, and EPP features. It has the following options:

Disabled
3BC/IRQ7 Line Printer port 0
278/IRQ5 Line Printer port 2
378/IRQ7 Line Printer port 1

Parallel Port Mode

SPP: Standard Parallel Port
EPP: Enhanced Parallel Port
ECP: Extended Capability Port
ECP + EPP: Extended Capability Port + Enhanced Parallel Port

T o operate the onboard parallel port as Standard Parallel Port only , choose
“SPP.” To operate the onboard parallel port in the EPP mode
simultaneously, choose “EPP.” By choosing “ECP”, the onboard parallel
port will operate in ECP mode only. Choosing “ECP + EPP” will allow the
onboard parallel port to support both the ECP and EPP modes simultane­ously.

ECP Mode Use DMA

The ECP mode has to use the DMA channel, so choose the onboard
parallel port with the ECP feature. After selecting it, the following mes­sage will appear: “ECP Mode Use DMA.” At this time, the user can
choose between DMA channel 3 or 1.

PWRON After PWR-fail

This item specifies whether your system will reboot after a power failure
or interrupt occurs. A vailable settings are:

Off Leaves the computer in the power off state.
On Leaves the computer in the power on state.
Former-sts Restores the system to the status before power failure or

interrupt occurred.

3-21

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Power Management Setup

ACPI Function

This item is to activate the ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Man­agement Interface) function. If your operating system is ACPI-aware, such as
Windows 98SE/2000/ME, select Enabled. Setting options: Enabled, Disabled.

ACPI Suspend T ype

This item specifies the power saving modes for ACPI function. If your oper­ating system supports ACPI, such as Windows 98SE, Windows ME and Win­dows 2000, you can choose to enter the Standby mode in S1(POS) or S3
(STR) fashion through the setting of this field. Options are:

S1(POS) The S1 sleep mode is a low power state. In this state, no

system context is lost (CPU or chipset) and hardware
maintains all system context.

S3(STR) The S3 sleep mode is a lower power state where the in

formation of system configuration and open applications/
files is saved to main memory that remains powered
while most other hardware components turn off to save
energy. The information stored in memory will be used
to restore the system when a “wake up” event occurs.

S1 & S3 BIOS determines the best mode automatically.

Run VGA BIOS If S3 Resume

Selecting Enabled allows BIOS to call VGA BIOS to initialize the VGA card

3-22

BIOS Setup

when system wakes up (resumes) from S3 sleep state. The system resume time
is shortened when you disable the function, but system will need an AGP
driver to initialize the VGA card. Therefore, if the AGP driver of the card
does not support the initialization feature, the display may work abnormally
or not function after resuming from S3.

Power Management

This item is used to select the degree (or type) of power saving and is related
to these modes: Suspend Mode and HDD Power Down. There are three op­tions for power management:

Min Saving Minimum Power Management. Suspend Mode = 1 Hour.
Max Saving Maximum Power Management. Suspend Mode = 1 Min.
User Define Allows end users to configure each mode separately.

Video Off Method

This determines the manner in which the monitor is blanked.

V/H SYNC+Blank This selection will cause the system to turn off

the vertical and horizontal synchronization ports
and write blanks to the video buffer.

Blank Screen This option only writes blanks to the video buffer.
DPMS Initial display power management signaling.

Video Off In Suspend

This setting determines whether the monitor will be turned off during suspend
mode. Setting options: Yes, No.

Modem Use IRQ

Name the interrupt request (IRQ) line assigned to the modem (if any) on your
system. Activity of the selected IRQ always awakens the system. Settings are
3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11 and NA.

Suspend Mode

If system activity is not detected for the length of time specified in this field,
all devices except CPU will be shut off. Settings are Disabled, 1 Min, 2 Min,
4 Min, 8 Min, 12 Min, 20 Min, 30 Min, 40 Min and 1 Hour.

HDD Power Down

When enabled and after the set time of system inactivity, the hard disk drive
will be powered down while all other devices remain active. The settings are:

3-23

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Disable, 1~15 Min.

Soft-Off by PWR-BTTN

This feature allows users to configure the power button function. Settings are:

Instant-Off The power button functions as a normal power-on/-

off button.

Delay 4 Sec. When you press the power button, the computer en-

ters the suspend/sleep mode, but if the button is
pressed for more than four seconds, the computer is
turned off.

Wake-Up by PCI card, Power On by Ring, Wake Up on LAN

These fields specify whether the system will be awakened from power saving
modes when activity or input signal of the specified hardware peripheral or
component is detected. Options: Enabled, Disabled.

MSI Reminds Y ou...

You need to install a modem card supporting power on func­tion for “Wake Up On Ring” function.

USB KB Wake-Up fr om S3 (S4)

This setting allows you to enter “Any Key” (max. 8 numbers) to wake up the
system from S3 state. Settings are: Hot Key and Disabled.

Resume By Alarm

The field is used to enable or disable the feature of booting up the system on
a scheduled time/date.

Date (of Month) Alarm

The field specifies the date for Resume by Alarm. Settings: 0~31.

Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm

The field specifies the time for Resume by Alarm. Format is <hour>

<minute><second>.

MSI Reminds Y ou...

If you have changed this setting, you must let the system boot up
until it enters the operating system, before this function will work.

3-24

BIOS Setup

PNP/PCI Configurations

This section describes configuring the PCI bus system and PnP (Plug &
Play) feature. PCI, or Peripheral Component Interconnect, is a system which
allows I/O devices to operate at speeds nearing the speed the CPU itself uses
when communicating with its special components. This section covers some
very technical items and it is strongly recommended that only experienced
users should make any changes to the default settings.

Reset Configuration Data

Normally, you leave this field Disabled. Select Enabled to reset Extended
System Configuration Data (ESCD) when you exit Setup if you have installed
a new add-on card and the system reconfiguration has caused such a serious
conflict that the operating system cannot boot. Setting options: Enabled,
Disabled.

Resource Controlled By

The Award Plug and Play BIOS has the capacity to automatically configure
all of the boot and Plug and Play compatible devices. However, this capability
means absolutely nothing unless you are using a Plug and Play operating sys­tem such as Windows® 95/98. If you set this field to “manual” choose specific
resources by going into each of the sub menu that follows this field (a sub
menu is preceded by a “¾”). The settings are: Auto (ESCD), Manual.

3-25

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

IRQ Resources

The items are adjustable only when Resources Controlled By is set to Manual.
Press <Enter> and you will enter the sub-menu of the items. IRQ Resources
list IRQ 3/4/5/7/9/10/11/12/14/15 for users to set each IRQ a type depending
on the type of device using the IRQ. Settings are:

PCI Device For Plug & Play compatible devices designed for PCI

bus architecture.

Reserved The IRQ will be reserved for further request.

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop

When set to Enabled, multiple VGA devices operating on different buses can
handle data from the CPU on each set of palette registers on every video
device. Bit 5 of the command register in the PCI device configuration space is
the VGA Palette Snoop bit (0 is disabled). For example, if there are two VGA
devices in the computer (one PCI and one ISA) and the:

VGA Palette Snoop

Bit Setting

Disabled Data read or written by the CPU is only directed to the PCI

VGA device’s palette registers.

Enabled Data read or written by the CPU is directed to both the PCI

VGA device’s palette registers and the ISA VGA device’s
palette registers, permitting the palette registers of both VGA
devices to be identical.

Action

The setting must be set to Enabled if any ISA bus adapter in the system re­quires VGA palette snooping.

3-26

BIOS Setup

PC Health Status

This section shows the status of your CPU, fan, overall system status,
etc. Monitor function is available only if there is hardware monitoring mecha­nism onboard.

Case Open Warning

The field enables or disables the feature of recording the chassis intrusion
status and issuing a warning message if the chassis is once opened. To clear
the warning message, set the field to Reset. The setting of the field will auto­matically return to Enabled later. Setting options: Enabled, Reset, Disabled.

Shutdown Temperature

This option is for setting the shutdown temperature level for the processor.
When the processor reaches the temperature you set, the system will be shut
down.

VCC 5V Power Supply, Vcore Power Supply, Main 3.3V Power Supply, Cur­rent CPU T emp., Current CPU/SYS F AN Speed, System Fan1/2/3/4 Speed

These items display the current status of all of the monitored hardware de­vices/components such as CPU voltages, temperatures and all fans’ speeds.

3-27

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Load Fail-Safe/Optimized Defaults

The two options on the main menu allow users to restore all of the BIOS
settings to the default Fail-Safe or Optimized values. The Optimized Defaults
are the default values set by the mainboard manufacturer specifically for op­timal performance of the mainboard. The Fail-Safe Defaults are the default
values set by the BIOS vendor for stable system performance.

When you select Load Fail-Safe Defaults, a message as below appears:

Pressing Y loads the BIOS default values for the most stable, minimal
system performance.

When you select Load Optimized Defaults, a message as below appears:

Pressing Y loads the default factory settings for optimal system
performance.

3-28

BIOS Setup

Set Supervisor/User Password

When you select this function, a message as below will appear on the
screen:

Type the password, up to six characters in length, and press <Enter>.
The password typed now will replace any previously set password from CMOS
memory. You will be prompted to confirm the password. Retype the pass­word and press <Enter>. You may also press <Esc> to abort the selection and
not enter a password.

To clear a set password, just press <Enter> when you are prompted to
enter the password. A message will show up confirming the password will be
disabled. Once the password is disabled, the system will boot and you can
enter Setup without entering any password.

When a password has been set, you will be prompted to enter it every
time you try to enter Setup. This prevents an unauthorized person from chang­ing any part of your system configuration.

Additionally, when a password is enabled, you can also have Award
BIOS to request a password each time the system is booted. This would pre­vent unauthorized use of your computer. The setting to determine when the
password prompt is required is the Security Option of the ADVANCED BIOS
FEATURES menu. If the Security Option is set to System, the password is
required both at boot and at entry to Setup. If set to Setup, password prompt
only occurs when you try to enter Setup.

MSI Reminds You...

About Supervisor Password & User Password:

Supervisor password: Can enter and change the settings of

the setup menu.

User password: Can only enter but do not have the

right to change the settings of the setup
menu.

3-29

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Q: How do I know that the product that I have is from MSI?

A: All MSI product starts with the character MS-XXXX or Marketing Name

(MS-XXXX) wherein XXXX refers to numbers. You should be able to find

the Model number in between the PCI slots. For Example: MS-6368 or 845E

Max (MS-6566E)

Q: How do I identify the BIOS version?

A: Upon boot-up, the 1st line appearing after the memory count is the

BIOS version. It is usually in the format:

A6380MS V1.0 091096 where:

1st digit refers to BIOS maker as A = AMI(R) W = AWARD(R)

2nd - 5th digit refers to the model number.

6th - 7th digit refers to the customer as MS = all standard customers.

V1.0 refers to the BIOS version.

091096 refers to the date this BIOS is released.

Q: Does BIOS update need to be done by one version sequentially (3.0-->3.1-

->3.2-->3.3) or can I update directly to the last version (3.3)?

A: You can update directly to the latest one.

Q: Should I update my BIOS, once a new BIOS is released?

A: A new BIOS is usually released due to the following reasons:

1. New function is supported

2. New BIOS source code

3. Bugs are found

4. Customer-specific request

When we release a new BIOS, there's usually a release note attached

which lists the reason for the release. Refer to this release note and decide

T-1

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

for yourself if upgrading to the new BIOS will be worth it. A word of advice,

though, do not upgrade to the new BIOS, unless you really have to.

Q: How can I update my BIOS?

A: For Award BIOS, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/html/support/bios/

note/award.htm

For AMI BIOS, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/html/support/bios/note/

ami.htm

For user using non-FAT system, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/html/

support/bios/note/ntfs.htm

Q: After flashing the BIOS, my system for unknown reason doesn’t want to

boot, what should I do?

A: Normally, this should not happen unless you flashed the wrong BIOS

or some other reasons.

Suggestions:

1. try the BIOS boot recovery feature as described in http://www.msi.

com.tw/html/support/bios/note/boot.htm

2. try to clear the CMOS

If problem still persists, you would need to purchase new BIOS chip

from Websites like www.flashbios.org where you can order a new BIOS

or you can also contact MSI office near your place to purchase new

BIOS chip http://www.msi.com.tw/html/contact/contact.htm

Q: Why my motherboard BIOS sticker is "Phoenix BIOS" but when I boot up

my system I saw that "Award BIOS" is being used?

A: Phoenix & Award already merged as one company. All MSI motherboard

using Award BIOS comes with Phoenix logo sticker.

Q: Where can I find the BIOS for my motherboard?

A: 1. For Server motherboard, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/program/

T-2

Troubleshooting

sup port/bios/bos/spt_bos_list.php?kind=3

2. For Desktop motherboard, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/program/

support/bios/bos/spt_bos_list.php?kind=1

Note: The BIOS is subdivided as Socket478, SocketA, Socket 470 &

Archives

If your board is socket478 based board, then you should be able to find

your board under the socket478 area

If in case you cannot find your board, then refer to http://www.msi.com.

tw/program/support/bios/bos/spt_bos_list.php?

kind=1&CHIP=Archives&ID=4 and find your board according to the CPU

type

3. For Optical product firmware, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/pro-

gram/support/driver/dvr/spt_dvr_list.php?part=4

Q: Where can I find MSI developed software such as Fuzzy Logic or PC

Alert?

A: Refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/software/swr/

spt_swr_list.php

Q: Where can I find the manual?

A: 1. For Desktop motherboard, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/program/

support/manual/mnu/spt_mnu_list.php

Note: The manual is subdivided as Socket478, SocketA, Socket 470 &

Archives

If your board is socket478 based board, then you should be able to find

your board under the socket478 area

If in case you cannot find your board, then refer to http://www.msi.com.

tw/program/support/manual/mnu/spt_mnu_list.php?

kind=1&CHIP=Archives&ID=4 & find your board according to the CPU

type

T-3

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

2. For VGA card, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/

manual/mnu/spt_mnu_list.php?kind=3

Note: The manual is subdivided as Geforce4, Geforce3, Geforce2 &

Archives

If your VGA is Geforce4 based card, then you should be able to find

your card under the Geforce4 area

If in case you cannot find your card, then refer to http://www.msi.com.

tw/program/support/manual/mnu/spt_mnu_list.php?

kind=2&CHIP=Archives&ID=4 & find your card according to the chipset

type

2. For Server motherboard, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/program/

support/manual/mnu/spt_mnu_list.php?kind=3

3. For peripherals like PC2PC bliuetooth or TV Tuner, refer to http://

www.msi.com.tw/program/support/manual/mnu/spt_mnu_list.php?kind=7

Q: Where can I find the drivers?

A: Please refer to the following suggestions: 1. Try the BIOS boot recov-

ery feature as described in http://www.msi.com.tw/support/bios/boot.htm

2. Try to clear the CMOS If problem still persists, ask your reseller for new

BIOS chip or contact one of MSI office near your place for new BIOS chip

http://www.msi.com.tw/contact/main.htm

Q: Should I update my BIOS, once a new BIOS is released?

A: 1. For Desktop motherboard, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/program/

support/driver/dvr/spt_dvr_list.php where the drivers are divided accord-

ing to chipset, on-board LAN, on-board VGA, on-board audio, on-board

IDE, on-board SCSI & etc.

2. For VGA card, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/driver/

dvr/spt_dvr_list.php?part=2 where the drivers are divided according to video

drivers, capture drivers & others

3. For Server motherboard, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/program/

T-4

Troubleshooting

support/driver/dvr/spt_dvr_list.php?part=3

4. For Optical product firmware, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/pro-

gram/support/driver/dvr/spt_dvr_list.php?part=4

5. For MSI special product like bluetooth or TV tuner, refer to http://

www.msi.com.tw/program/support/driver/dvr/spt_dvr_list.php?part=5

Q: How can I know what CPU can my motherboard support?

A: 1. For Server motherboard, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/program/

support/cpu_support/cpu/spt_cpu_list.php?kind=3

2. For Desktop motherboard, refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/program/

support/cpu_support/cpu/spt_cpu_list.php?kind=1

Note: The BIOS is subdivided as Socket478, SocketA, Socket 470 &

Archives

If your board is socket478 based board, then you should be able to find

your board under the socket478 area

If in case you cannot find your board, then refer to http://www.msi.com.

tw/program/support/cpu_support/cpu/spt_cpu_list.php?

kind=1&CHIP=Archives&ID=4 & find your board according to the CPU

type

Note: On some CPU table you will see N/A, N/A means not applicable

or not supported

Q: Where can I get my motherboard repaired since it is not working?

A: The normal procedure is to contact your reseller (the place you bought

the board from) for repair/exchange If the reseller for some reason like bank-

rupt cannot be contacted, then contact MSI distributor http://www.msi.

com.tw/program/contact/where2buy/ or MSI office near your place http://

www.msi.com.tw/html/contact/contact.htm

Q: My reseller went bankrupt, where can I send back my board for repair?

A: Contact MSI distributor http://www.msi.com.tw/program/contact/

where2buy/ or MSI office near your place http://www.msi.com.tw/html/con-

tact/contact.htm

T-5

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

Q: How long is MSI motherboard warranty?

A: MSI normally gives 2 years warranty to it's direct customer &

distributors. But each distributors & reseller will have a different warranty

policy. So it is advisable you check with your reseller about their warranty

policy.

Q: How can I find MSI distributor in my country?

A: Refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/program/contact/where2buy/ Select the

country & you will find MSI distributor in that country. If in case you

cannot find the country listed, then it means MSI still don¡¦t have distributor

in the said country

Q: How can I find MSI office near my country?

A: Refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/html/contact/contact.htm

For more information of each MSI ?subsidiary company, please move

your mouse arrow to the "+" symbol.

Q: My system cannot boot up, what shall I do?

A: There are many possibilities on why the system cannot boot up, please

refer to below suggestions to see if ti helps or not. If after trying below

suggestions problem still persists, then take the motherboard to the place

you bought from & have them take a look to make sure if the motherboard is

faulty or not

Suggestions:

Make sure the motherboard was installed properly to the chassis (the

board should not touch the chassis)

Make sure all the components (memory, CPU, AGP & power supply

connectors etc.) are properly installed

Clear CMOS

Change to another power supply

Change to another memory

Change to another AGP card

T-6

Troubleshooting

Q: What should I do if my motherboard have compatibility issue with PCI

cards?

A: Suggestions

Remove all the unnecessary devices & try to find the source of the

problem

Disable all on-board device like audio, RAID or others apply & see if it

is due to resource conflict

Move the PCI card to different PCI slots

Update the card BIOS or drivers

Update the motherboard BIOS

Q: What should I do if my MSI VGA card have compatibility issue with an-

other brand of motherboard?

A: Update the video driver

Update the motherboard driver or BIOS

T-7

Glossary

Glossary

Glossary

ACPI (Advanced Configuration & Power Interface)

This power management specification enables the OS (operating system) to control the
amount of power given to each device attached to the computer. Windows 98/98SE,
Windows 2000 and Windows ME can fully support ACPI to allow users managing the
system power flexibly.

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)

A new, high-speed graphics interface that based on PCI construction and designed
especially for the throughput demands of 3-D graphics. AGP provides a direct channel
(32-bit wide bus) between the display controller and main memory for high graphics
quality and performance.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth refers to a worldwide standard for the wireless exchange of data between two
devices. Bluetooth requires that a low-cost transceiver chip be included in each device.
The tranceiver transmits and receives in a previously unused frequency band of 2.45
GHz that is available globally (with some variation of bandwidth in different countries).
In addition to data, up to three voice channels are available. Each device has a unique 48­bit address from the IEEE 802 standard. Connections can be point-to-point or
multipoint. The maximum range is 10 meters. Data can be exchanged at a rate of 1
megabit per second (up to 2 Mbps in the second generation of the technology).

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)

On PCs, an essential software that contains all the control code of input/output inter­face (such as keyboard, disk drives, etc.). It executes hardware test on booting the
system, starts the OS, and provides an interface between the OS and the components.
The BIOS is stored in a ROM chip.

Bus

A set of hardware lines within the computer system, through which the data is trans­ferred among different components. In a PC, the term bus usually refers to a local bus
that connects the internal components to the CPU and main memory.

Cache

A special memory subsystem that is used to speed up the data transfer. It stores the

G-1

MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

contents of frequently accessed RAM locations and the addresses where these data
items are stored.

Chipset

A collection of integrated chips designed to perform one or more related functions. For
example, a modem chipset contains all the primary circuits for transmitting and receiv­ing data; a PC chipset provides the electronic interfaces between all subsystems.

Clock Cycle

Clock cycle (or tick) is the smallest unit of time recognized by a device. For personal
computers, clock cycles generally refer to the main system clock, which runs at 66
MHz. This means that there are 66 million clock cycles per second. Since modern
CPUs run much faster (up to 533 MHz), the CPU can execute several instructions in a
single clock tick.

CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor)

CMOS is a widely used type of semiconductor, which features high speed and low
power consumption. PCs usually contain a small amount of battery-powered CMOS
memory to retain the date, time, and system setup parameters.

DRAM (Dynamic RAM)

A most common type of computer memory. It usually uses one transistor and a
capacitor to represent a bit. As the development of technology, the memory type and
specification used in computer becomes variety, such as SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, and
RDRAM. For further instruction, please see the table below:

Dynamic RAM (DRAM) Memory Technologies

Type

FPM (60,70ns)

EDO (50,60,70ns)

SDRAM (66MHz)

SDRAM (100MHz)

SDRAM (133MHz)

RDRAM (Direct Rambus)

DDR SDRAM (100MHz)

DDR SDRAM (133MHz)

* Memory channel width (64 bits started with 75MHz Pentium)

Source: Computer Desktop Encyclopedia

First Used

1990

1994

1996

1998

1999

1999

2000

2000

Clock Rate

25MHz

40MHz

66MHz

100MHz

133MHz

400MHz

100MHz

133MHz

G-2

Bus* Width

64 bits

64 bits

64 bits

64 bits

64 bits

16 bits

64 bits

64 bits

Peak

Bandwidth

200 MBps

320 MBps

528 MBps

800 MBps

1.1 GBps

1.6 GBps

1.6 GBps

2.1 GBps

Volts

5v

5v

3.3v

3.3v

3.3v

2.5v

3.3v

3.3v

Glossary

ECC Memory (Error Correcting Code Memory)

A type of memory that contains special circuitry for testing the accuracy of data and
correcting the errors on the fly.

EEPROM

Acronym for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. An EEPROM
is a special type of PROM that can be erased by exposing it to an electrical charge. Like
other types of PROM, EEPROM retains its contents even when the power is turned
off. Also like other types of ROM, EEPROM is not as fast as RAM. EEPROM is
similar to flash memory (sometimes called flash EEPROM). The principal difference is
that EEPROM requires data to be written or erased one byte at a time whereas flash
memory allows data to be written or erased in blocks. This makes flash memory faster.

EIDE

Short for Enhanced IDE, a newer version of the IDE mass storage device interface
standard developed by Western Digital Corporation. It supports data rates of between
4 and 16.6 MBps, about three to four times faster than the old IDE standard. In
addition, it can support mass storage devices of up to 8.4 gigabytes, whereas the old
standard was limited to 528 MB. Because of its lower cost, enhanced EIDE has
replaced SCSI in many areas. There are four EIDE modes defined. The most common
is Mode 4, which supports transfer rates of 16.6 MBps. There is also a new mode,
called ATA-3 or Ultra ATA, that supports transfer rates of 33 MBps.

EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture)

EISA is a standard bus (computer interconnection) architecture that extends the ISA
standard to a 32-bit interface. It was developed in part as an open alternative to the
proprietary Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) that IBM introduced in its PS/2
computers. EISA data transfer can reach a peak of 33 megabytes per second.

ESCD (Extended System Configuration Data)

It is a format for storing information about Plug-and-Play (PnP) devices in the BIOS.
Windows and the BIOS access the ESCD area each time you re-boot your computer

External Cache

Short for Level 2 cache, cache memory that is external to the microprocessor. In
general, L2 cache memory, also called the secondary cache, resides on a separate chip
from the microprocessor chip. Although, more and more microprocessors are including
L2 caches into their architectures.

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MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)

A type of disk-drive interface widely used to connect hard disks, CD-ROMs and tape
drives to a PC, in which the controller electronics is integrated into the drive itself,
eliminating the need for a separate adapter card. The IDE interface is known as the
ATA (AT Attachment) specification.

IEEE 1394

A new, high speed external bus standard, also known as FireWire or iLink, which
supports data transfer rates of up to 400 Mbps for connecting up to 63 external
devices.

Internal Cache

Short for Level 1 cache, a memory cache built into the microprocessor. The L1 cache is
also called the primary cache.

IrDA (Infrared Data Association)

A group of device vendors, including computer, component and telecommunications,
who have developed a standard for transmitting data via infrared light waves. This
enables you to transfer data from one device to another without any cables.

IRQ (Interrupt Request Line)

IRQs are hardware lines over which devices can send interrupt signals to the
microprocessor. When you add a new device to a PC, you sometimes need to set its
IRQ number by setting a DIP switch. This specifies which interrupt line the device
may use. IRQ conflicts used to be a common problem when adding expansion boards,
but the Plug-and-Play specification has removed this headache in most cases.

ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)

ISA is a standard bus (computer interconnection) architecture that is associated with
the IBM AT motherboard. It allows 16 bits at a time to flow between the motherboard
circuitry and an expansion slot card and its associated device(s). Also see EISA and
MCA.

LAN (Local Area Network)

A computer network that covers a relatively smaller area, such as in a building or an
enterprise. It is made up of servers, workstations, shared resources, a network operat­ing system and a communications link. These individual PCs and devices on a LAN are
known as “nodes”, and are connected by cables to access data and devices anywhere on
the LAN, so that many users can share expensive devices and data.

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Glossary

LBA (Logical Block Addressing)

Logical block addressing is a technique that allows a computer to address a hard disk
larger than 528 megabytes. A logical block address is a 28-bit value that maps to a
specific cylinder-head-sector address on the disk. 28 bits allows sufficient variation to
specify addresses on a hard disk up to 8.4 gigabytes in data storage capacity. Logical
block addressing is one of the defining features of Enhanced IDE (EIDE), a hard disk
interface to the computer bus or data paths.

LED (Light Emitting Diode)

A semiconductor device that converts electrical energy into light. Since it lights up
(usually red) when electricity is passed through it, it is usually used for the activity
lights on computer’s component, such as disk drivers.

LPT (Line Printer Terminal)

Logical device name for a line printer; a name reserved by the MS-DOS for up to three
parallel printer ports: LPT1, LPT2, and LPT3. It is frequently used by the OS to
identify a printer.

Overclocking

Overclocking is resetting your computer so that the microprocessor runs faster than the
manufacturer-specified speed (for example, setting an Intel 166 MHz (megahertz)
microprocessor to run at 200 Mhz).

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)

A local bus standard developed by Intel that first appeared on PCs in late 1993. PCI
provides “plug and play” capability and allows IRQs to be shared. The PCI controller
can exchange data with the system's CPU either 32 bits or 64 bits at a time.

PnP (Plug and Play)

A set of specifications that allows a PC to configure itself automatically to work with
peripherals. The user can "plug" in a peripheral device and "play" it without configur­ing the system manually. To implement this useful feature, both the BIOS that sup­ports PnP and a PnP expansion card are required.

POST (Power On Self Test)

During booting up your system, the BIOS executes a series of diagnostic tests, include
checking the RAM, the keyboard, the disk drives, etc., to see if they are properly
connected and operating.

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MS-9127 ATX Mainboard

PS/2 Port

A type of port developed by IBM for connecting a mouse or keyboard to a PC. The
PS/2 port supports a mini DIN plug containing just 6 pins. Most modern PCs equipped
with PS/2 ports so that the special port can be used by another device, such as a
modem.

RAID

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks; originally Redundant Array of Inex­pensive Disks) is a way of storing the same data in different places (thus, redundantly)
on multiple hard disks. By placing data on multiple disks, I/O operations can overlap in
a balanced way, improving performance. Since multiple disks increases the mean time
between failure (MTBF), storing data redundantly also increases fault-tolerance.

SCSI

Acronym for Small Computer System Interface. Pronounced "scuzzy," SCSI is a par­allel interface standard used by Apple Macintosh computers, PCs, and many UNIX
systems for attaching peripheral devices to computers. SCSI interfaces provide for
faster data transmission rates (up to 80 megabytes per second) than standard serial and
parallel ports. In addition, you can attach many devices to a single SCSI port, so that
SCSI is really an I/O bus rather than simply an interface.

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

A hardware interface for low-speed peripherals such as the keyboard, mouse, joystick,
etc. USB provides a maximum bandwidth of 12 Mbit/sec (Mbps) for connecting up to
127 peripheral devices to PC. USB features hot swap capability and multiple data
streams, allows external devices to be plugged in and unplugged without turning the
system off.

Virus

A program or a piece of code that infects computer files by inserting in those files
copies of itself. The virus code is buried within an existing program, and is activated
when that program is executed. All the viruses are man-made, and often have damaging
side effects.

WLAN

Acronym for wireless local-area network. Also referred to as LAWN. A type of local­area network that uses high-frequency radio waves rather than wires to communicate
between nodes.

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