MSI K9AU User Manual

MS-96B3 (V2.X) Mainboard

i

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.

AMD, Athlon™, Athlon™ XP, Thoroughbred™, and Duron™ are registered trade­marks of AMD Corporation.
NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, DualNet, and nForce are registered trademarks or trade­marks of NVIDIA Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
PS/2 and OS®/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation.
Windows® 98/2000/NT/XP/Vista are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Netware® is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.
Award® is a registered trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
AMI® is a registered trademark of American Megatrends Inc.

Revision History

Revision Revision History Date

V2.0 First release for PCB 2.X May 2009

Technical 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 up-

dates and other information: http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=service

Contact our technical staff at: http://ocss.msi.com

ii

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 service
personnel:

The power cord or plug is damaged.
Liquid has penetrated into the equipment.
The equipment has been exposed to moisture.
The equipment does not work well or you can not get it work according to
User’s Manual.
The equipment has dropped and damaged.
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.

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

iii

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 in a residential installation. This equipment generates,
uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accor­dance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the measures listed
below.

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to

which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help.

Notice 1

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

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-96B3

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

(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that

may cause undesired operation.

iv

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Statement

v

vi

vii

CONTENTS

Copyright Notice..............................................................................................................ii

Trademarks.......................................................................................................................ii

Revision History..............................................................................................................ii

Technical Support...........................................................................................................ii

Safety Instructions.........................................................................................................iii

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

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Statement....................................v

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

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

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

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

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

CPU (Central Processing Unit)............................................................................2-3

Memory.................................................................................................................2-6

Power Supply......................................................................................................2-7

Back Panel............................................................................................................2-8

Connector............................................................................................................2-9

Jumper................................................................................................................2-15

Slot......................................................................................................................2-16

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

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

The Menu Bar......................................................................................................3-4

Main......................................................................................................................3-5

Advanced............................................................................................................3-6

Boot....................................................................................................................3-13

Security..............................................................................................................3-16

Chipset...............................................................................................................3-17

Power.................................................................................................................3-19

Exit......................................................................................................................3-20

viii

Getting Started

Chapter 1

Getting Started

Thank you for choosing the MS-96B3 v2.X Micro-ATX
mainboard from MSI.

Based on the innovative AMD® RS690E & SB600 con­trollers for optimal system efficiency, the MS-96B3 ac­commodates the latest AMD
Athlon 64 X2 (Quad Core) processors in Socket AM2
and supports four DDR2 533/667/800 DIMM slots to
provide the maximum of 8GB memory capacity.

In the entry-level and mid-range market segment, the
MS-96B3 can provide a high-performance solution for
today’s front-end and general purpose workstation, as
well as in the future.

®

Athlon 64 (Dual Core),

1-1

MS-96B3 Mainboard

Mainboard Specifications

Processor

- AMD Athlon 64 (Dual Core), Athlon 64 X2 (Quad Core) processor in
Socket AM2

- 4-pin CPU fan pinheader with Smart Fan Speed Control

FSB

- Hyper Transport supporting speed up to 1 GHz (2000MT/s)

Chipset

- Northbridge: AMD RS690E

- Southbridge: AMD SB600

Memory

- Unbuffered Non-ECC DDR2 533/667/800 SDRAM (8GB Max)

- 4 DDR2 DIMM slots (240-pin / 1.8V)

LAN

- Supports Gigabit Ethernet by Intel 82573L

SATA

- 4 SATA II ports by AMD SB600

- Supports storage and data transfers at up to 3Gb/s

1-2

Audio

- Chip integrated by Realtek ALC888

- Compliant with Azalia 1.0 Spec

Slots

- 1 PCI Express x16 slot

- 2 PCI Express x1 slots

- 1 32-bit/33MHz PCI slot

Connectors

Rear I/O

- 1 PS/2 mouse port

- 1 PS/2 keyboard port

- 2 serial ports

- 2 RJ-45 LAN jacks

- 4 USB 2.0 ports

- 1 D-Sub VGA port

- 1 HDMI port

Onboard Connector

- 2 USB 2.0 pinheaders (4 ports)

- 2 audio pinheaders

- 1 SPI Flash ROM pinheader (for debugging)

- 1 SPDIF-In connector

- 1 SPDIF-Out connector

Form Factor

- Micro-ATX: 9.6” X 9.6”

Mounting

- 8 mounting holes

Getting Started

1-3

MS-96B3 Mainboard

BATT

JUSB2

JUSB1

JBAT1

CPUFAN1

SYSFAN1

Mainboard Layout

Top: Mouse
Bottom: Keyboard

Serial Ports

Top: LAN Jack
Bottom: USB Ports

Top: LAN Jack
Bottom: USB Ports

VGA Port

HDMI Port

J6

JAUD1

JPW1

JP2

JP3

PCI _EX1

PCI _EX2

PCI _EX3

PCI 1

DIMM4
DIMM3
DIMM2
DIMM1

JAUD2

ATX1

JVID

AMD

RS690E

SPDOUT1

+

SPDIN1

MS-96B3 v2.X Micro-ATX Mainboard

JSPI1

AMD

SB600

SYSFAN2

SATA1SATA3

SATA2SATA4

JFP1

1-4

Hardware Setup

Chapter 2

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-96B3 Mainboard

Quick Components Guide

Back Panel
I/O, p.2-8

JP2, JP3, p.2-15

ATX1, p.2-7

DIMM Slots, p.2-6

JPW1, p.2-7

CPU, p.2-3

J6, p.2-9

PCI-Class Slots,

p.2-16

2-2

JAUD1, p.2-14

JAUD2, p.2-14

SPDIN1,

SPDOUT1,

p.2-11

CPUFAN1, p.2-12

SYSFAN1, p.2-12

SATA1~4, p.2-10

JFP1, p.2-12

SYSFAN2, p.2-12

JBAT1, p.2-15

JUSB1~2, p.2-13

JSPI1, p.2-9

Hardware Setup

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

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 have the

heat sink and cooling fan, contact your dealer to purchase and install them before
turning on the computer.

Important

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

2. Make sure that you apply an even layer of heat sink paste (or thermal tape)
between the CPU and the heatsink to enhance heat dissipation.

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

4. We do not guarantee the damage or risk caused by inadequate operation
or by overclocking beyond product specifications.

2-3

MS-96B3 Mainboard

Gold arrow

Gold arrow

Gold arrow

Correct CPU placement

Incorrect CPU placement

O

Close

Press down

CPU Installation Procedures for Socket AM2

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 of the
CPU. The gold arrow should
point as shown in the picture.
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

90 degree

the CPU

Lever

2-4

Hardware Setup

Installing AMD Socket AM2 CPU Cooler Set

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 have the

heat sink and cooling fan, contact your dealer to purchase and install them before
turning on the computer.

Important

Mainboard photos shown in this section are for demonstration of the cooler
installation for Socket AM2 CPUs only. The appearance of your mainboard
may vary depending on the model you purchase.

1.Position the cooling set onto the re­tention mechanism. Hook one end
of the clip to hook first.

3.Fasten down the lever.

2. Then press down the other end of
the clip to fasten the cooling set on
the top of the retention mechanism.
Locate the Fix Lever and lift it up.

Fixed Lever

4.Attach the CPU Fan cable to the CPU
fan connector on the mainboard.

2-5

MS-96B3 Mainboard

Memory

These DIMM slots are intended for system memory modules.

DDR2

240-pin, 1.8V

64x2=128 pin 56x2=112 pin

Installing Memory Modules

1. Locate the DIMM slots on the mainboard. Flip open the retaining clip at each side
of the DIMM slot.

2. Align the notch on the DIMM with the key on the slot. Insert the DIMM vertically into
the DIMM slot. Then push it in until the golden finger on the DIMM is deeply inserted
in the DIMM slot. The retaining clip at each side of the DIMM slot will automatically
close if the DIMM is properly seated.

Important

You can barely see the golden finger if the DIMM is properly inserted in the
DIMM slot.

3. Manually check if the DIMM has been locked in place by the retaining clips at the
sides.

4. Follow the same procedures to install more DIMMs if necessary.

Volt

Notch

2-6

Hardware Setup

Power Supply

System Power Connector: ATX1

This connector allows you to connect an ATX 24-pin power supply.
To connect the ATX 24-pin 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.

You may use the 20-pin ATX power supply as you like. If you’d like
to use the 20-pin ATX power supply, please plug your power sup­ply along with pin 1 & pin 13 (refer to the image at the right hand).
There is also a foolproof design on pin 11, 12, 23 & 24 to avoid
wrong installation.

Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL

12

24

1 +3.3V
2 +3.3V
3 GND
4 +5V
5 GND
6 +5V
7 GND
8 PWR OK
9 5VSB
10 +12V
11 +12V
12 NC

ATX1

1

13

PIN SIGNAL

13 +3.3V
14 -12V
15 GND
16 PS-ON#
17 GND
18 GND
19 GND
20 Res
21 +5V
22 +5V
23 +5V
24 GND

pin 13

pin 12

CPU Power Connector: JPW1

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

JPW1

1

2

3

4

Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL

1 GND
2 GND
3 12V
4 12V

Important

1. Make sure that both connectors are connected to the power supply to ensure
stable operation of the mainboard.

2. Power supply of 350 watts (and above) is highly recommended for system
stability.

2-7

MS-96B3 Mainboard

Back Panel

Mouse

Keyboard USB Ports

Serial Ports USB Ports

LAN2

LAN1

VGA Port

HDMI Port

Mouse/Keyboard

The standard PS/2® mouse/keyboard DIN connector is for a PS/2® mouse/keyboard.

Serial Port
The serial port is a 16550A high speed communications port that sends/ receives 16
bytes FIFOs. You can attach a serial mouse or other serial devices directly to the
connector.

USB Port
The USB (Universal Serial Bus) port is for attaching USB devices such as keyboard,
mouse, or other USB-compatible devices.

VGA Port
The DB15-pin female connector is provided for monitor.

HDMI Port
The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is an all-digital audio/video interface
capable of transmitting uncompressed streams. HDMI supports all TV format, includ­ing standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a
single cable.

LAN
The standard RJ-45 LAN jack is for con-

Speed IndicatorActivity Indicator

nection to the Local Area Network (LAN).
You can connect a network cable to it.

Left LED Right LED

Active LED 100M/1000M Speed LED

LED Color Yellow Green/Orange
10M Cable Plug-in No Transmission OFF OFF

Transition Yellow(Blinking) OFF

100M Cable Plug-in No Transmission OFF Green(Lighting)

Transition Yellow(Blinking) Green(Lighting)

1000M Cable Plug-in No Transmission OFF Orange(Lighting)

Transition Yellow(Blinking) Orange(Lighting)

In S3/S4/S5 Standby State Green (Lighting) OFF

2-8

Hardware Setup

Connector

Digital IO Connector: J6

The J6 is designed to connect the General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) peripheral
module.

Pin Definition

J6

9 1

10

2

SPI Flash ROM Connector: JSPI1

This connector is used to flash SPI flash ROM.

PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

1 GND 2 VCC5F
3 N_GPO3 4 N_GPO1
5 N_GPO2 6 N_GPO0
7 N_GPI3 8 N_GPI1
9 N_GPI2 10 N_GPI0

JSPI1

2
1

Pin Definition

Pin Description Pin Description

1 VCC3_SB 2 VCC3_SB
3 SPI_MISO_F 4 SPI_MOSI_F
5 SPI_CS0_F# 6 SPI_CLK_F
7 GND 8 GND
9 SPI_HOLD# 10 NC

10

9

2-9

MS-96B3 Mainboard

Serial ATA II Connector: SATA1, SATA2, SATA3, SATA4

This connector is a high-speed Serial ATA II interface port. Each connector can
connect to one Serial ATA II device.

SATA1SATA2

SATA3SATA4

Important

Please do not fold the Serial ATA cable into 90-degree angle. Otherwise,
data loss may occur during transmission.

2-10

Hardware Setup

S/PDIF-In Connector: SPDIN1 (Optional)

S/PDIF-Out Connector: SPDOUT1 (Optional)

This connector is used to connect S/PDIF (Sony & Philips Digital Interconnect Format)
interface for digital audio transmission.

SPDIN1

GND

VCC

SPDIF-In

GND

SPDOUT1

SPDIF-Out

VCC

S/PDIF Bracket (Optional)

2-11

MS-96B3 Mainboard

Fan Power Connectors: CPUFAN1, SYSFAN1, SYSFAN2

The fan power connectors support system cooling fan with +12V. When connecting
the wire to the connectors, always 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 onboard, you must use a
specially designed fan with speed sensor to take advantage of the CPU fan control.

CPUFAN1,
SYSFAN1,

SYSFAN2

GND

+1 2V

SE NS OR

CONTROL

Important

Please refer to the recommended CPU fans at CPU’s official website or con­sult the vendors for proper CPU cooling fan.

Front Panel Connector: JFP1

This connector is provided for electrical connection to the front panel switches and
LEDs and is compliant with Intel® Front Panel I/O Connectivity Design Guide.

HDD

Reset

LED

Switch

--

+

+

JFP1

9

10

Power
Switch

1
2

-

+

Power
LED

2-12

JFP1 Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 HD_LED + Hard disk LED pull-up
2 FP PWR/SLP MSG LED pull-up
3 HD_LED - Hard disk active LED
4 FP PWR/SLP MSG LED pull-up
5 RST_SW - Reset Switch low reference pull-down to GND
6 PWR_SW + Power Switch high reference pull-up
7 RST_SW + Reset Switch high reference pull-up
8 PWR_SW - Power Switch low reference pull-down to GND
9 RSVD_DNU Reserved. Do not use.

Hardware Setup

Front USB Connector: JUSB1, JUSB2

This connector, compliant with Intel® I/O Connectivity Design Guide, is ideal for con­necting high-speed USB interface peripherals such as USB HDD, digital cameras,

MP3 players, printers, modems and the like.

Pin Definition

JUSB1/2

2
1

10

9

PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

1 VCC 2 VCC
3 USB0- 4 USB1­5 USB0+ 6 USB1+
7 GND 8 GND
9 Key (no pin) 10 NC

USB 2.0 Bracket

(Optional)

Important

Note that the pins of VCC and GND must be connected correctly to avoid
possible damage.

2-13

MS-96B3 Mainboard

Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD1

This connector allows you to connect the front panel audio and is compliant with
Intel® Front Panel I/O Connectivity Design Guide.

JAUD1

2
1

HD Audio Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 MIC_L Microphone - Left channel
2 GND Ground
3 MIC_R Microphone - Right channel
4 PRESENCE# Active low signal-signals BIOS that a High Definition Audio dongle

5 LINE out_R Analog Port - Right channel
6 MIC_JD Jack detection return from front panel microphone JACK1
7 Front_JD Jack detection sense line from the High Definition Audio CODEC

8 NC No control
9 LINE out_L Analog Port - Left channel
10 LINEout_JD Jack detection return from front panel JACK2

is connected to the analog header. PRESENCE# = 0 when a
High Definition Audio dongle is connected

jack detection resistor network

10

9

Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD2

This connector is designed to connect an optional audio bracket that provides extra
front panel audio IO jacks.

Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

1 FRONT_JD 2 NC
3 LINE_FOUTL_R 4 LINE_FOUTR_R
5 GND 6 GND

7 LINE1_1L_R 8 LINE1_1R_R
9 MIC1_JD 10 LINE1_JD
11 MIC1_L_R 12 MIC1_R_R
13 GND 14 GND
15 SURR_OUTL_R 16 SURR_OUTR_R
17 SURR_JD 18 GND
19 CENTER_OUT_R20 BASS_OUT_R
21 CEN_JD 22 GND
23 GND 24 SURRBACK_JD
25 SURRBACK_L_R 26 SURRBACK_R_R

2-14

JAUD2

2
1

26
25

Hardware Setup

Jumper

Serial Port Power Jumper: JP2, JP3

These jumpers specify the operation voltage of the onboard serial ports.

JP2
JP3

1
1

+12V +5V

1

1

Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1

There is a CMOS RAM onboard 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, set
this jumper to clear data.

JBAT1

1

Keep Data Clear Data

1

1

Important

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.

2-15

MS-96B3 Mainboard

Slot

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Express Slot

The PCI Express slot supports the PCI Express interface expansion card.
The PCI Express x 16 slot supports up to 4.0 GB/s transfer rate.
The PCI Express x 1 slot supports up to 250 MB/s transfer rate.

PCI Express x16 Slot

PCI Express x1 Slot

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slot

The PCI slot supports LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other add-on cards that
comply with PCI specifications.

32-bit PCI Slot

Important

When adding or removing expansion cards, make sure that you unplug the
power supply first. Meanwhile, read the documentation for the expansion card
to configure any necessary hardware or software settings for the expansion
card, such as jumpers, switches or BIOS configuration.

2-16

Chapter 3

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:

² An error message appears on the screen during the

system booting up, and requests you to run SETUP.

² You want to change the default settings for cus-

tomized features.

BIOS Setup

3-1

MS-96B3 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.

Important

1.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.

2.Upon boot-up, the 1st line appearing after the memory count is the BIOS
version. It is usually in the format:

3-2

A96B3KMS V1.0 071608 where:

1st digit refers to BIOS maker as A = AMI, W = AWARD, and P =
PHOENIX.
2nd - 5th digit refers to the model number.
6th digit refers to the chipset as I = Intel, N = nVidia, A = ATi , K=AMD
and V = VIA.
7th - 8th digit refers to the customer as MS = all standard customers.
V1.0 refers to the BIOS version.
071608 refers to the date this BIOS was released.

BIOS Setup

Control Keys

< -> 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

<Enter> Select the item
<Esc> Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu from a

submenu

<+/PU> Increase the numeric value or make changes
<-/PD> Decrease the numeric value or make changes
<F6> Load Optimized Defaults
<F7> Load Fail-Safe Defaults
<F10> Save all the CMOS changes and exit

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 sub-menu 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 sub-menu. 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.

3-3

MS-96B3 Mainboard

The Menu Bar

Main

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

Advanced

Use this menu to set up the items of special enhanced features.

Boot

Use this menu to specify the priority of boot devices.

Security

Use this menu to set supervisor and user passwords.

Chipset

This menu controls the advanced features of the onboard Northbridge and Southbridge.

Power

Use this menu to specify your settings for power management.

Exit

This menu allows you to load the BIOS default values or factory default settings into
the BIOS and exit the BIOS setup utility with or without changes.

3-4

BIOS Setup

Main

AMI BIOS, Processor, System Memory

These items show the firmware and hardware specifications of your system. Read
only.

System Time

The time format is <Hour> <Minute> <Second>.

System Date

The date format is <Day>, <Month> <Date> <Year>.

3-5

MS-96B3 Mainboard

Advanced

CPU Configuration

These items show the advanced specifications of your CPU. Read only.

3-6

BIOS Setup

PowerNow

This setting enables/disables the generation of ACPI_PPC, _PPS, and _PCT
objects.

AMD Overclocking Configuration

Processor Frequency Multiplier

This setting controls the multiplier that is used to determine the internal clock
speed of the processor relative to the external or motherboard clock speed.

Processor Voltage

This setting controls the CPU voltage.

CPU/HT Reference Clock (MHz)

This setting specifies the CPU/HT reference clock.

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MS-96B3 Mainboard

IDE Configuration

Third/Fourth IDE Master/Slave

[Type] Press PgUp/<+> or PgDn/<-> to select

[LBA/Large Mode] Enabling LBA causes Logical Block Ad-

[Block(Multi-Sector Transfer)]Any selection except Disabled determines
[PIO Mode] Indicates the type of PIO (Programmed Input/
[DMA Mode] Indicates the type of Ultra DMA

[S.M.A.R.T.] This allows you to activate the S.M.A.R.T.

[32 Bit Data Transfer] Enables 32-bit communication between

[Manual], [None] or [Auto] type. Note that the
specifications of your drive must match with
the drive table. The hard disk 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.

dressing to be used in place of Cylinders,
Heads and Sectors

the number of sectors transferred per block
Output)

(Self-Monitoring Analysis & Reporting
Technology) capability for the hard disks. S.
M.A.R.T is a utility that monitors your disk sta
tus to predict hard disk failure. This gives you
an opportunity to move data from a hard disk
that is going to fail to a safe place before the
hard disk becomes offline.

CPU and IDE device

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Super IO Configuration

Serial Port 1 / 2 Address

Select an address and a corresponding interrupt for the serial port.

BIOS Setup

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MS-96B3 Mainboard

Hardware Health Configuration

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

Fan Type Setting

This setting specifies the pin numbers of the CPU fan power connector.

CPU FAN Mode Setting, SYS FAN Mode Setting

This setting controls the Smart Fan feature. Smart Fan is an excellent feature
which will adjust the CPU/system fan speed automatically depending on the
current CPU temperature to prevent your CPU from overheating.

CPU FAN PWM Control, SYS FAN PWM Control

This setting allows users to control the fan speed by changing the duty
cycle of the fan PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) output.

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ACPI Settings

General ACPI Configuration

BIOS Setup

Suspend Mode

This item specifies the power saving modes for ACPI function. If your oper­ating system supports ACPI, 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.

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MS-96B3 Mainboard

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

[Auto] Auto arrange.

USB Configuration

information 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.

Legacy USB Support

Set to [Enabled] if your need to use any USB device in the operating system that
does not support or have any USB driver installed, such as DOS and SCO Unix.
Set to [Disabled] only if you want to use any USB device other than the USB
mouse.

USB 2.0 Controller Mode

Use this field to select the USB 2.0 mode.

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Boot

Boot Settings Configuration

BIOS Setup

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MS-96B3 Mainboard

Quiet Boot

This BIOS feature determines if the BIOS should hide the normal POST mes­sages with the motherboard or system manufacturer's full-screen logo.
When it is enabled, the BIOS will display the full-screen logo during the boot-up
sequence, hiding normal POST messages.
When it is disabled, the BIOS will display the normal POST messages, instead of
the full-screen logo.
Please note that enabling this BIOS feature often adds 2-3 seconds of delay to
the booting sequence. This delay ensures that the logo is displayed for a
sufficient amount of time. Therefore, it is recommended that you disable this
BIOS feature for a faster boot-up time.

AddOn ROM Display Mode

This item is used to determine the display mode when an optional ROM is
initialized during POST. When set to [Force BIOS], the display mode used by AMI
BIOS is used. Select [Keep Current] if you want to use the display mode of
optional ROM.

Bootup Num-Lock

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.

PS/2 Mouse Support

Select [Enabled] if you need to use a PS/2-interfaced mouse in the operating
system.

Boot Device Priority

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BIOS Setup

1st Boot Device

The items allow you to set the sequence of boot devices where BIOS attempts
to load the disk operating system. First press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu.
Then you may use the arrow keys ( -¯ ) to select the desired device, then
press <+>, <-> or <PageUp>, <PageDown> key to move it up/down in the
priority list.

Removable Drives

1st Drive

This setting allows users to set the priority of the available hardware devices.
First press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu. Then you may use the arrow keys (

-¯ ) to select the desired device, then press <+>, <-> or <PageUp>, <PageDown>
key to move it up/down in the priority list.

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MS-96B3 Mainboard

Security

Supervisor Password / Change Supervisor Password

Supervisor Password controls access to the BIOS Setup utility. These settings allow
you to set or change the supervisor password.

User Password / Change User Password

User Password controls access to the system at boot. These settings allow you to
set or change the user password.

Chassis Intrusion

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.

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Chipset

NorthBridge Configuration

These items show the DRAM timing. Read only.

BIOS Setup

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MS-96B3 Mainboard

South Bridge Configuration

USB 1.1 OCHI Controllers, USB 2.0 EHCI Controller

This settings allow you to enable/disable the onboard USB1.1/ 2.0 controller.

AMD 690E Configuration

3-18

BIOS Setup

Internal Graphics Configuration

Internal Graphics Mode

The field allows you to select whether the UMA (Unified Memory Architecture)
or Sideport (Local Frame Buffer) memory allocated for video memory.

UMA Frame Buffer Size

The field specifies the size of the system memory allocated for video
memory.

Current UMA Size

This item shows current UMA Size.

Graphics Clock Mode

Use this setting to select the graphics clock mode.

Multifunction

This setting enables/disables the multifunction option of the onboard video.

Surround View

SURROUNDVIEW ™ provides the power and convenience of multi-adapter,
multi-monitor support for computers that use an AGP- or PCI Express®-based
graphics card in conjunction with ATI integrated graphics processors (IGPs).

Primary Video Controller

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

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MS-96B3 Mainboard

Onboard Peripherals Configuration

Onboard LAN OPTROM

The setting enables/disables the initialization of the onboard LAN Boot ROM
during bootup. Selecting [Disabled] will speed up the boot process.

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BIOS Setup

Power

Power Management/APM

Setting to [Enabled] will activate an Adcanced Power Management (APM) device to
enhance Max Saving mode and stop CPU internal clock.

Restore on AC Power Loss

This setting specifies whether your system will reboot after a power failure or
interrupt occurs. Available settings are:

[Power Off] Leaves the computer in the power off state.
[Power On] Leaves the computer in the power on state.
[Last State] Restores the system to the previous status before power

RTC Resume

When [Enabled], your can set the date and time at which the RTC (real-time clock)
alarm awakens the system from Suspend mode.

failure or interrupt occurred.

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MS-96B3 Mainboard

Exit

Save Changes and Exit

Save changes to CMOS and exit the Setup Utility.

Discard Changes and Exit

Abandon all changes and exit the Setup Utility.

Discard Changes

Abandon all changes and continue with the Setup Utility.

Load Optimal Defaults

Use this menu to load the default values set by the mainboard manufacturer specifi­cally for optimal performance of the mainboard.

Load Failsafe Defaults

Use this menu to load the default values set by the BIOS vendor for stable system
performance.

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