XFX nForce 780i User Manual

Download

User Guide

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Table of Contents

User Guide .....................................................................................................................i

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard.....................................................................i

Before You Begin… .....................................................................................................ix

Inside the 780i 3-Way SLI Installation CD ...............................................................ix

Parts NOT in the Kit ..................................................................................................x

Intentions of the Kit ..................................................................................................xi

XFX nForce 780i Motherboard.....................................................................................1

Motherboard Specifications...................................................................................... 1

Unpacking and Parts Descriptions...............................................................................3

Unpacking ................................................................................................................ 3

Equipment ................................................................................................................ 3

XFX nForce 780i SLI Motherboard .......................................................................... 4

Hardware Installation ....................................................................................................7

Safety Instructions.................................................................................................... 7

Preparing the Motherboard ...................................................................................... 8

Installing the CPU ................................................................................................ 8

Installing the CPU Fan ......................................................................................... 9

Installing Memory DIMMs..................................................................................... 9

Installing the Motherboard...................................................................................... 10

Installing the I/O Shield ...................................................................................... 10

Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis ....................................................... 11

Connecting Cables and Setting Switches .............................................................. 11

Power Connections ............................................................................................ 12

iii

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

24-pin ATX Power (PWR1) ............................................................................ 13

8-pin ATX 12V Power (PWR2)....................................................................... 14

Connecting IDE Hard Disk Drives ...................................................................... 14

Connecting Serial ATA Cables........................................................................... 15

Connecting Internal Headers ............................................................................. 16

Front Panel Header ........................................................................................ 16

IEEE 1394a .................................................................................................... 17

USB Headers ................................................................................................. 18

Audio .................................................................................................................. 19

Fan Connections ................................................................................................ 19

Fan Connections ................................................................................................ 20

COM1 ................................................................................................................. 21

FDD Connector .................................................................................................. 22

Expansion Slots ................................................................................................. 22

PCI Slots ........................................................................................................ 22

PCI Express x1 Slot ....................................................................................... 23

PCI Express x16 Slots ................................................................................... 23

Jumper Settings ..................................................................................................... 24

Clear CMOS Jumper: CLR_CMOS.................................................................... 24

Configuring the BIOS ..................................................................................................25

Enter BIOS Setup................................................................................................... 26

Main Menu.............................................................................................................. 26

Standard CMOS Features Menu ........................................................................... 29

Date and Time.................................................................................................... 30

IDE Channel and SATA Channel ....................................................................... 30

Drive A................................................................................................................ 32

Halt On ............................................................................................................... 32

Memory .............................................................................................................. 33

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Advanced BIOS Features ...................................................................................... 34

Removable Device Priority................................................................................. 35

Hard Disk Boot Priority....................................................................................... 35

Network Boot Priority ......................................................................................... 35

CPU Internal Cache ........................................................................................... 35

Quick Power On Self Test.................................................................................. 36

First/Second/Third Boot Device ......................................................................... 36

Boot Other Device .............................................................................................. 36

Boot Up NumLock Status ................................................................................... 36

Security Option................................................................................................... 37

APIC Mode ......................................................................................................... 37

MPS Version Control For OS ............................................................................. 37

Full Screen LOGO Show.................................................................................... 37

Advanced Chipset Features................................................................................... 38

System Clocks.................................................................................................... 39

Frequency Settings ........................................................................................ 40

HT Multiplier ................................................................................................... 41

Spread Spectrum ........................................................................................... 41

FSB & Memory Config ....................................................................................... 42

CPU Configuration ............................................................................................. 46

System Voltages ................................................................................................ 48

NVMEM Memory Test ........................................................................................ 50

Load Timing/Voltage Set .................................................................................... 50

Save Timing/Voltage Set.................................................................................... 51

System BIOS Cacheable ................................................................................... 51

HPET Function ................................................................................................... 51

NVIDIA GPU Ex ................................................................................................. 51

Integrated Peripherals Menu.................................................................................. 52

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

IDE Function Setup ............................................................................................ 53

RAID Config ....................................................................................................... 54

USB Config......................................................................................................... 54

MAC Config ........................................................................................................ 55

IEEE1394 controller ........................................................................................... 55

HD Audio ............................................................................................................ 55

IDE HDD Block Mode......................................................................................... 55

Onboard FDC Controller .................................................................................... 55

Onboard Serial Port 1 ........................................................................................ 56

Power Management Setup Menu .......................................................................... 56

ACPI Function .................................................................................................... 57

ACPI Suspend Type........................................................................................... 57

Soft-Off by PBNT ............................................................................................... 57

WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off ................................................................................ 57

Power On by Alarm ............................................................................................ 57

POWER ON Function ........................................................................................ 58

PnP/PCI Configuration Menu ................................................................................. 59

Init Display First.................................................................................................. 59

Reset Configuration Data ................................................................................... 60

Resources Controlled By ................................................................................... 60

IRQ Resources................................................................................................... 61

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop ..................................................................................... 61

Maximum Payload Size...................................................................................... 61

System Monitor Menu ............................................................................................ 62

Dynamic Fan Control ......................................................................................... 63

Installing Drivers and Software ..................................................................................65

Drivers Installation.................................................................................................. 66

Using the NVIDIA Software........................................................................................67

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

NVIDIA Performance Group of NVIDIA Control Panel .......................................... 68

Device Settings .................................................................................................. 69

Current Hardware Settings............................................................................. 70

Dynamic BIOS Access ....................................................................................... 76

View System Information ................................................................................... 77

Profile Policies.................................................................................................... 78

Manage Your System BIOS ............................................................................... 79

NVIDIA System Monitor ......................................................................................... 80

Appendix A. POST Codes for Tritium Platform...........................................................85

Appendix B. Configuring an SLI Configuration ...........................................................95

SLI Connector ........................................................................................................ 95

ForceWare Driver ................................................................................................... 96

Enabling 3-Way SLI ........................................................................................... 98

Verifying 3-way SLI is Active................................................................................ 100

Index..........................................................................................................................101

vii

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

List of Figures

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

Figure 5.

Figure 6.

Figure 7.

Figure 8.

Figure 9.

Figure 10. FSB & Memory Config Menu................................................................ 42

Figure 11. CPU Configuration Menu ..................................................................... 46

Figure 12. System Voltages Menu ........................................................................ 48

Figure 13. Integrated Peripherals Menu ................................................................ 52

Figure 14. Power Management Setup Menu......................................................... 56

Figure 15. PnP/PCI Configuration Menu ............................................................... 59

Figure 16. System Monitor Menu .......................................................................... 62

Figure 17. 3-way NVIDIA SLI connector................................................................ 96

XFX nForce 780i SLI Motherboard Layout............................................. 5

Chassis Backpanel Connectors ............................................................. 6

Power Supply Connectors .................................................................... 12

PWR1 Motherboard Connector ............................................................ 13

BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Menu .................................................. 27

Standard CMOS Features Menu.......................................................... 29

Advanced BIOS Features Menu........................................................... 34

Advanced Chipset Features ................................................................. 38

System Clocks Menu............................................................................ 39

Figure 18. Windows Vista Device Manager........................................................... 97

Figure 19. NVIDIA Control Panel, Set SLI Configuration ...................................... 98

Figure 20. SLI Visual Indicators Operating in 3DMark2006 .................................. 99

viii

Inside the 780i 3-Way SLI Installation CD

The following tools and drivers are in the 780i 3-Way SLI Installation CD:

 Motherboard Drivers for:

 Windows XP

 Windows XP 64-bit

 Windows Vista

 Windows Vista 64-bit

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Before You Begin…

 Onboard Audio Drivers

 Windows XP

 Windows XP 64-bit

 Windows Vista

 Windows Vista 64-bit

 Adobe Acrobat Reader 8.0

 Raid Setup Floppy Disk Creator

 Motherboard Manual NVIDIA Software

 NVIDIA MediaShield Storage

 NVIDIA nTune

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Parts NOT in the Kit

This kit contains all the hardware necessary to install and connect your new XFX® nForce® 780i SLI motherboard. However, it does not contain the following items that must be purchased separately to make the motherboard functional.



Intel microprocessor: Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Quad, Intel Core 2 Duo Pentium EE, Pentium D, Pentium



Cooling fan for the microprocessor



System memory support: Supports dual channel DDR2 533/667/800, and up to 1200 MHz SLI-Ready Memory. Supports up to 8 GBs DDR2 memory.



Graphics Card This motherboard supports 3-way SLI with three x16 PCI Express slots.



Power Supply The power supply requirement is dependent upon the power and the number of the GPUs you install. If you are going to SLI two graphics cards, you are going to require more power. As a rule, for one GPU you need a minimum of a 300 W power supply. If you have two GPUs in an SLI configuration, you will need a minimum of a 500 W power supply. If you have three GPUs in an SLI configuration, you will need a minimum of a 1000 W power supply. To calculate the power you are going to require for your specific configuration, go to www.slizone.com.

These instructions tell you how to install each of the parts listed so you can have a functioning motherboard. As you go through the installation instructions, we are assuming you have purchased the necessary parts.

Intentions of the Kit

This kit provides you with the motherboard and all connecting cables necessary to install the motherboard into a PC cabinet. If you are building a PC, you will use most of the cables provided in the kit. If however, you are replacing a motherboard, you will not need many of the cables.

When replacing a motherboard in a PC cabinet, you will need to reinstall an operating system even though the current drives have an operating system.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

xii

Thank you for buying the XFX NFORCE 780i SLI Motherboard. This motherboard offers the tools and performance PC users’ demand. When combined with two or three SLI-Ready NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards, you get innovative NVIDIA SLI Technology for enhanced system performance.

Motherboard Specifications



Size ATX form factor of 12 inch x 9.6 inch



Microprocessor support Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Quad, Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium EE, Pentium D, Pentium



Operating systems: Supports Windows XP 32bit/64bit and Windows Vista 32bit/64bit



Contains NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI MCP and SPP



System Memory support Supports dual channel JEDEC DDR2-800 and SLI-Ready memory up to 1200 MHz. Supports up to 8 GBs DDR2 memories.



Ten USB 2.0 Ports

 Supports hot plug  Ten USB 2.0 ports (six rear panel ports, four onboard USB headers)  Supports wake-up from S1 and S3 mode  Supports USB 2.0 protocol up to 480 Mbps transmission rate

XFX nForce 780i

Motherboard

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard



Onboard Serial ATA II

 300MBps data transfer rate  Six Serial ATA II connectors  NVIDIA MediaShield RAID with support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID

0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD

 Supports hot plug and NCQ (Native Command Queuing )



Onboard LAN

 Dual LAN interface built-in onboard  Supports 10/100/1000 Mbit/sec Ethernet



Onboard 1394

 Support hot plug  Two 1394a ports (one rear panel port, one onboard header) with rate of

transmission at 400 Mbps



Onboard Audio

 Azalia High-Definition audio  Supports 8-channel audio  Supports S/PDIF output  Supports Jack-Sensing function



Triple PCI Express x16 Support

 2 x16 PCI Express 2.0  1 x16 PCI Express 1.0  Supports 4 GB/sec (8 GB/sec concurrent) bandwidth  Low power consumption and power management features



Green Function

 Supports ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)  Supports S0 (normal), S1 (power on suspend), S3 (suspend to RAM), S4

(Suspend to disk - depends on OS), and S5 (soft - off)



Expansion Slots

 Two PCI slots  One PCI Express x1 slot  Three PCI Express x16 Graphics slots

Unpacking

The XFX nForce 780i SLI motherboard comes with all the necessary cables for adding a motherboard to a new chassis. If you are replacing a motherboard, you may not need many of these cables.

Be sure to inspect each piece of equipment shipped in the packing box. If anything is missing or damaged, contact your reseller.

All parts shipped in this kit are RoHS-compliant (lead-free) parts.

Unpacking and

Parts Descriptions

Equipment

The following equipment is included in the XFX nForce 780i SLI motherboard box.

XFX nForce 780i SLI Motherboard This PCI Express motherboard contains the

NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI SPP and MCP and is SLI-ready.

I/O Shield Installs in the chassis to block radio

frequency transmissions, protect internet components from dust and foreign objects and aids in proper airflow within the chassis.

Floppy Cable Used to attach a floppy drive to the

motherboard.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

2-Port SATA Power Cable (Qty Three)

1394 Cable Provides an additional 1394 ports to the back

panels of the chassis.

USB 2.0 4-Port Cable Provides four additional USB ports to the

back panel of the chassis.

SATA Signal Cable (Qty Six) Used to support the Serial ATA protocol and

each one connects a single drive to the motherboard

IDE-ATA 133 HDD Cable

SLI Bridge (use for two graphics cards in SLI)

3-Way SLI Bridge (use for three graphics cards in SLI)

XFX nForce 780i SLI Motherboard

The XFX nForce 780i SLI motherboard with the NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI SPP and MCP processors is a PCI Express, SLI-ready motherboard. Figure 1 shows the motherboard and Figures 2 shows the back panel connectors.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

22 25

1. CPU Socket 11. USB headers 21. SPDIF connector

2. NVIDIA SPP with Active fan 12. Motherboard battery 22. PCI slots

3. CPU fan connector 13. Fan connector 23. PCI Express x16 slots (SLI)

4. DDR DIMM Slots 0 - 3 14. Serial connector 24. 1394a connector

5. 24-pin ATX Power Connector 15. Front panel connector 25. PCI Express x1 slot

6. IDE Connector 16. Jumper 26. Backpanel connectors (Figure 2)

7. Serial-ATA (SATA) connectors 17. Power button 27. Heat dissipater

8. FDD connector 18. Reset Button 28. 8-pin ATX_12V power connector

9. NVIDIA MCP (passive heat sink) 19. Azalia HD Audio Header 29 MCP/SPP fan connector

10. Serial-ATA (SATA) connectors 20. FP Audio connector

Figure 1. XFX nForce 780i SLI Motherboard Layout

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

1. PS/2 Mouse Port

2. PS/2 Keyboard Port

3. 1394a (Firewire) Port

4. USB 2.0 ports (SIX)

5. SPDIF output

6. Port 2-Channel 4-Channel 6-Channel/8-Channel Blue Line-In Line-In Line-In Green Line-Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In Orange Center/Subwoofer Black Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Grey

7. LAN Port with LEDs to indicate status.

•

Yellow/Light Up/Blink = 10 Mbps/Link/Activity

•

Yellow and Green/Light Up/Blink = 100 Mbps/link/Activity

•

Green/Light Up/Blink = 1000 Mbps/Link/Activity

Figure 2. Chassis Backpanel Connectors

This section will guide you through the installation of the motherboard. The topics covered in this section are:



Preparing the motherboard

 Installing the CPU  Installing the CPU fan  Installing the memory



Installing the motherboard



Connecting cables and setting switches

Safety Instructions

Hardware Installation

To reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, and injury, always follow basic safety precautions.

Remember to remove power from your computer by disconnecting the AC main source before removing or installing any equipment from/to the computer chassis.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

notches on the CPU

Preparing the Motherboard

The motherboard shipped in the box does need to purchase these to complete this installation.

Installing the CPU

Be very careful when handling the CPU. Make sure not to bend or break any pins on the back. Hold the processor only by the edges and do not touch the bottom of the processor.

Use the following procedure to install the CPU onto the motherboard.

Unhook the socket lever by pushing down and away from the socket.

Lift the load plate. There is a protective socket cover on the load plate to protect the socket when there is no CPU installed.

Remove the protective socket cover from the load plate.

Remove the processor from its protective cover, making sure you hold it only by the edges. It is a good idea to save the cover so that whenever you remove the CPU, you have a safe place to store it.

not

contain a CPU or memory. You

Align the notches in the processor with the notches on the socket.

Lower the processor straight down into the socket with out tilting or sliding it into the socket

Note: Make sure the CPU is fully seated and level in the

socket.

Align notches with

Hardware Installation

Card-edge

Close the load plate over the CPU and press down while you close and engage the socket lever.

Installing the CPU Fan

There are many different fan types that can be used with this motherboard. Follow the instruction that came with you fan assembly. Be sure that the fan orientation is correct for your chassis type and your fan assembly.

Installing Memory DIMMs

Your new motherboard has four 1.8V 240-pin slots for DDR2 memory. These slots support 256 Mb, 512 Mb and 1 Gb DDR2 technologies for x8 and x16 devices. They also support dual channel DDR2 memory technology up to

10.7GB/s. There must be at least one memory bank populated to ensure normal operation. Use the following the recommendations for installing memory. (See Figure 1 on page 5 for the location of the memory slots.)



One DIMM: Install into slot 0. You can install the DIMM into any slot, however, slot 0 is preferred.



Two DIMMs: Install into either slots 0 and 1 or 2 and 3. The idea is to not have the DIMMs in adjacent slots.



Four DIMMS: Install into slots 0, 1, 2, and 3.

CPU side

DIMM Slot 0

DIMM Slot 2

DIMM Slot 1

DIMM Slot 3

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Use the following procedure to install memory DIMMs. Note that there is only one gap near the center of the DIMM slot. This slot matches the slot on the memory DIMM to ensure the component is installed properly.

Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the module clips outward.

Align the memory module to the DIMM slot, and insert the module vertically into the DIMM slot. The plastic clips at both sides of the DIMM slot automatically lock the DIMM into the connector.

Installing the Motherboard

The sequence of installing the motherboard into the chassis depends on the chassis you are using and if you are replacing an existing motherboard or working with an empty chassis. Determine if it would be easier to make all the connections prior to this step or to secure the motherboard and then make all the connections. It is normally easier to secure the motherboard first.

Use the following procedure to install the I/O shield and secure the motherboard into the chassis.

Installing the I/O Shield

Note: Be sure that the CPU fan assembly has enough clearance for the chassis

covers to lock into place and for the expansion cards. Also make sure the CPU Fan assembly is aligned with the vents on the covers.

The motherboard kit comes with an I/O shield that is used to block radio frequency transmissions, protects internal components from dust and foreign objects, and promotes correct airflow within the chassis.

Before installing the motherboard, install the I/O shield from the inside of the chassis. Press the I/O shield into place and make sure it fits securely. If the I/O shield does not fit into the chassis, you would need to obtain the proper size from the chassis supplier.

Hardware Installation

Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis

Most computer chassis have a base with mounting studs or spacers to allow the mother board to be secured to the chassis and help to prevent short circuits. If there are studs that do not align with a mounting hole on the motherboard, it is recommended that you remove that stud to prevent the possibility of a short circuit. In most cases, it is recommended to secure the motherboard using a minimum of nine (9) spacers.

Carefully place the motherboard onto the studs/spacers located inside the chassis.

Align the mounting holes with the studs/spacers.

Align the connectors to the I/O shield.

Ensure that the fan assembly is aligned with the chassis vents according to the fan assembly instruction.

Secure the motherboard with a minimum of eight-to-ten screws.

Connecting Cables and Setting Switches

This section takes you through all the connections and switch settings necessary on the motherboard. This will include:



Power Connections

 24-pin ATX power (  8-pin ATX 12V power (



Internal Headers

 Front panel  IEEE 1394a  USB Headers  Audio  Speaker  COM



FDD

PWR1

PWR2

)

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard



IDE



Serial ATA II



Chassis Fans



Rear panel USB 2.0 Adapter



Expansion slots



CMOS jumper settings

See Figure 1 on page 5 to locate the connectors and jumpers referenced in the following procedure.

Power Connections

To support 3-way SLI, this motherboard has the following specific power supply requirements:



Minimum 1000 W peak power



Six 6-pin (3x2) PCI-E power connectors (see Figure 3):

6-pin (3x2) PCI-E connector

Figure 3. Power Supply Connectors

Make sure you have enough power to cover all the expansion cards you will be installing. To determine what you power requirements are for your specific configuration or a certified power supply vendor, refer to

www.slizone.com

Hardware Installation

24-pin ATX Power

PWR1

is the main power supply connector located along the edge of the board

(PWR1)

next to the DIMM slots. Make sure that the power supply cable and pins are properly aligned with the connector on the motherboard. Firmly plug the power supply cable into the connector and make sure it is secure.

PWR1 connector Plug power cable from system power supply to PWR1

Card edge

Figure 4. PWR1 Motherboard Connector

Table 1. PWR1 Pin Assignments

Connector Pin Signal Pin Signal

24 13

12 1

1 +3.3V 13 +3.3V

2 +3.3V 14 -12V

3 GND 15 GND

4 +5V 16 PS_ON

5 GND 17 GND

6 +5V 18 GND

7 GND 19 GND

8 PWROK 20 RSVD

9 +5V_AUX 21 +5V

10 +12V 22 +5V

11 +12V 23 +5V

12 +3.3V 24 GND

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Backpanel connector

8-pin ATX 12V Power (

PWR2

, the 8-pin ATX 12V power connection, is used to provide power to the

PWR2

)

CPU. Align the pins to the connector and press firmly until seated.

12V

8 4

Connecting IDE Hard Disk Drives

The IDE connector supports Ultra ATA 133/100/66 IDE hard disk drives.

Connect the blue connector (the cable end with a single connector) to the motherboard.

GND

Connect the black connector (the cable with the two closely spaced black and gray connectors) to the Ultra ATA master device.

Connect the gray connector to a slave device.

If you install two hard disk drives, you must configure the second drive as a slave device by setting its jumper accordingly. Refer to the hard disk documentation for the jumper settings.

Note: If an ATA-66/100 disk drive and a disk drive using any other IDE transfer

protocol are attached to the same cable, the maximum transfer rate between the drives may be reduced to that of the slowest drive.

Hardware Installation

Connecting Serial ATA Cables

The Serial ATA II connector is used to connect the Serial ATA II device to the motherboard. These connectors support the thin Serial ATA II cables for primary storage devices. The current Serial ATA II interface allows up to 300MB/s data transfer rate.

There are six serial ATA connectors on the motherboard that support RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 0+1 and JBOD configurations.

SATA 1 (bottom) SATA 2 (top)

Connect the locking cable end to the motherboard connector. Connect the end without the lock to the drive.

SATA 3 SATA 4 SATA 6

SATA 5

GND GND GND

TX+ RX+

TX- TX-

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Connecting Internal Headers

Front Panel Header

The front panel header on this motherboard is one connector used to connect the following four cables (see Table 2 for pin definitions):

 PWRLED

Attach the front panel power LED cable to these two pins of the connector. The Power LED indicates the system’s status. When the system is in S0 status, the LED is on. When the system is in S1, S3, S4, S5 status, the LED is off.

Note: Some chassis do not have all four cables. Be sure to match the name on the

connectors to the corresponding pins.

PWRSW

PWRLED

910

RESET

HD_LED

No ConnectBlank

 PWRSW

Attach the power button cable from the case to these two pins. Pressing the power button on the front panel turns the system on and off rather than using the power supply button.

 HD_LED

Attach the hard disk drive indicator LED cable to these two pins. The HDD indicator LED indicates the activity status of the hard disks.

 RESET

Attach the Reset switch cable from the front panel of the case to these two pins. The system restarts when the

RESET

switch is pressed.

Hardware Installation

Table 2. Front Panel Header Pins

Pin Signal In/Out Description

1 HD_PWR Out Hard disk LED pull-up to +5V HD_LED 3 HDA# Out Hard disk active LED

2 HDR_BLNK_GRN Out Front panel green light PWRLED 4 HDR_BLNK_YEL Out Front panel yellow light

5 GND Ground RESET 7 FP_RESET# In Reset switch

6 SWITCH_ON# In Power switch PWRSW 8 GND Ground

No Connect 9 No Connect

Empty 10 Empty

IEEE 1394a

The IEEE 1394 expansion cable bracket is provided in the box but if you do not require the additional external connections, you do not need to install it.

Secure the bracket to either the front or rear panel of your chassis (not all chassis are equipped with the front panel option).

Connect the end of the cable to the IEEE 1394 connectors on the motherboard.

Table 3. IEEE 1394a Connector Pins

Connector

IEEE 1394a Connector

8 6 4 2

9 7 5 3 1

Pin Signal

1 TPA+ 2 TPA3 GND 4 GND 5 TPB+ 6 TPB7 +12V 8 +12V 9 Empty 10 GND

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

USB Headers

This motherboard contains six (6) USB 2.0 ports that are exposed on the rear panel of the chassis (Figure 2). The motherboard also contains two 10-pin internal header connectors onboard that can be used to connect an optional external bracket containing four (4) more USB 2.0 ports.

Secure the bracket to either the front or rear panel of your chassis (not all chassis are equipped with the front panel option).

Connect the two ends of the cables to the USB

2.0 headers on the motherboard.

Table 4. USB 2.0 Header Pins

Connector Pin Signal

USB 2.0 Header Connector

10 8 6 4 2

9 7 5 3 1

1 5V_DUAL

3 D-

5 D+

7 GND

9 Empty

Pin Signal

2 5V_DUAL

4 D-

6 D+

8 GND

10 No Connect

Hardware Installation

Audio

The audio connector supports HD audio standard and provides two kinds of audio output choices: the Front Audio, the Rear Audio. The front Audio supports re-tasking function.

Table 5. Front Audio and Internal SPDIF Connector

Connector

Front Audio Connector

1 3 5 7 9

Connector

SPDIF Connector

1 3 5

2 4 6 8 10

2 4 6

Pin Signal

1 Mic (Input)

2 Ground (Mic.)

3 Mic-P (Pulse)

4 Not Used

5 PORT2_R (Right Channel Out)

6 SENSE1_RETURN (Right Channel Ground)

7 Not Used

8 Empty

9 PORT2_L (Left Channel Out)

10 SENSE2_RETURN (Left Channel Ground)

Pin Signal

1 +5V

2 Empty

3 Audio Out

4 Audio In

5 Ground

6 Not Used

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Note that the CPU fan cable

+12V

Fan Connections

There are five fan connections on the motherboard. The fan speed can be detected and viewed in the fans are automatically turned off after the system enters S3, S4 and S5 mode.

can be either a 3-pin or a 4-pin connector. Connect a 3-pin connector to pins 1, 2, and 3 on the motherboard connector.

PC Health Status

section of the CMOS Setup. The

CPU Fan

Connector

GND SENSE

PWR CONTROL

Fan Connector

3 2

GND

SENSE

nForce 780i SLI SPP/MCP fan connector.

Install the fan over the nForce 780i SLI SPP to draw heat from the MCP. The fans plug into a 3pin connector.

Hardware Installation

+12V

SENSE

There are four more fan connectors on the motherboard. For this installation, these will not be used.

Auxiliary fan connector

Fan Connector

3 2

GND

Auxiliary fan connector

System fan connector

COM1

The motherboard kit provides an additional serial COM header for your machine. Connect one side of a switching cable to the header and then attach the serial COM device to the other side of the cable.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

2 2

FDD Connector

The motherboard supports a standard 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44m, and a 2.88M floppy disk drive (FDD).

Expansion Slots

The XFX nForce 780i SLI motherboard contains six expansion slots, four PCI Express slots and two PCI slots. For a full list of PCI Express x16 graphics card supported by this motherboard, go to

www.xfxforce.com

1 – PCI slots 2 – PCIe x16 slots

(3-Way SLI) 3 – PCIe x1 slot

PCI Slots

The two PCI slots support many expansion cards such as a LAN card, USB card, SCSI card and other cards that comply with PCI specifications. When installing a card into the PCI slot, be sure that it is fully seated. Secure the card’s metal bracket to the chassis back panel with the screw used to hold the blank cover.

Hardware Installation

PCI Express x1 Slot

There is one PCI Express x1 slot that is designed to accommodate less bandwidth-intensive cards, such as a modem or LAN card. The x1 slot provides 250 MB/sec bandwidth.

PCI Express x16 Slots

These three PCI Express x16 slots are reserved for graphics or video cards. The bandwidth of the x16 slot is up to 4GB/sec (8GB/sec concurrent). The design of this motherboard supports three PCI-Express graphics cards using NVIDIA’s SLI technology with multiple displays.

When installing a PCI Express x16 card, be sure the retention clip snaps and locks the card into place. If the card is not seated properly, it could cause a short across the pins. Secure the card’s metal bracket to the chassis back panel with the screw used to hold the blank cover.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Jumper Settings

The motherboard contains a 3-pin BIOS configuration jumper that enables all board configurations to be done in the BIOS Setup program.

The silk screen on the motherboard shows a ∆ next to pin 1.

Clear CMOS Jumper: CLR_CMOS

The motherboard uses the CMOS RAM to store all the set parameters. The CMOS can be cleared by removing the CMOS jumper.

Use the following procedure to clear CMOS:

Turn off the AC power supply and connect pins 1 and 2 together using the jumper cap.

Return the jumper setting to normal (pins 2 and 3 together with the jumper cap).

Turn the AC power supply back on.

Configuring the BIOS

This section discusses how to change the system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.

This section includes the following information:



Enter BIOS Setup



Main Menu



Standard CMOS Features



Advanced BIOS Features



Advanced Chipset Features



Integrated Peripherals



Power Management Setup



PnP/PCI Configurations



System Monitor

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Enter BIOS Setup

The BIOS is the communication bridge between hardware and software. Correctly setting the BIOS parameters is critical to maintain optimal system performance.

Use the following procedure to verify/change BIOS settings.

Power on the computer.

Press the of the screen during the Power On Self Test (POST).

Press F1 to continue, DEL to enter Setup.

Del

key when the following message briefly displays at the bottom

Pressing

Note: It is strongly recommended that you do not change the default BIOS settings.

Changing some settings could damage your computer.

Main Menu

The main menu allows you to select from the list of setup functions and two exit choices. Use the options or press keys to position the selector in the option you choose. To go back to the previous menu, press

Note: Note that on the BIOS screens all data in white is for information only, data in

yellow is changeable, data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a

red box is highlighted for selection.

Del

takes you to the Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility.

Page Up

Enter

to display the associated submenu. Use the  arrow

Esc

and

Page Down

keys to scroll through the

Configuring the BIOS

F10 : Save & Exit Setup

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility



Standard CMOS Features



Advanced BIOS Features



Advanced Chipset Features



Integrated Peripherals



Power Management Setup



PnP/PCI Configurations

 System Monitor

Load Defaults

Set Password

Save & Exit Setup

Exit Without Saving

Esc : Quit

Time, Date, Hard Disk Type..,

SLI-Ready memory - Disabled

 : Select Item

Figure 5. BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Menu



Standard CMOS Features

Use this menu to set up the basic system configuration.



Advanced BIOS Features

Use this menu to set up the advanced system features and boot sequence.



Advanced Chipset Features

Use this menu to optimize system performance and configure clocks, voltages, memory timings, and more.



Integrated Peripherals

Use this menu to set up onboard peripherals such as IDE, RAID, USB, LAN, and MAC control.



Power Management Setup

Use this menu to configure power management, power on, and sleep features.



PnP/PCI Configurations

Use this menu to modify the system’s Plug-and-Play and PCI configurations.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard



System Monitor

Use this menu to monitor the real-time system status of your PC, including temperature, voltages, and fan speed.

The following items on the CMOS Setup Utility main menu are commands rather than submenus:



Load Defaults

Load default system settings.



Set Password

Use this command to set, change, and disable the password used to access the BIOS menu.



Save & Exit Setup

Use this command to save settings to CMOS and exit setup.



Exit Without Saving

Use this command to abandon all setting changes and exit setup.

SLI-Ready Memory is a status indicator displayed at the bottom of the BIOS screen. The three status indicators are:



Enabled: SLI-Ready memory is detected and enabled.



Disabled: SLI-Ready memory is detected but disabled.



Not Detected: SLI-Ready memory is not detected.

Configuring the BIOS

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Standard CMOS Features Menu

The Standard CMOS Features menu is used to configure the standard CMOS information, such as the date, time, HDD model, and so on. Use the and

Page Down

sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys to position the selector in the option you choose. To go back to the previous menu, press

keys to scroll through the options or press

Esc

Page Up

Enter

to display the

The information shown in

Date (mm:dd:yy) Sat, Jul 01 2006 Time (hh:mm:ss) 12 : 48: 23

 IDE Channel (.) Master [None]  IDE Channel (.) Slave [None]  SATA Channel 1 Master [None]  SATA Channel 2 Master [None]  SATA Channel 3 Master [None]  SATA Channel 4 Master [None]  SATA Channel 5 Master [None]  SATA Channel 6 Master [None]

Drive A [1.44, 3.5 in.] Halt On [All , But Keyboard]

Base Memory 640K

Extended Memory 1047552K Total Memory 1048576K



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Item Help

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Standard CMOS Features

corresponds to the option highlighted.

Main Level 

Change the day, month, year and century

Figure 6. Standard CMOS Features Menu

Item Help

Note: Note that all data in white is for information only, data in yellow is changeable,

data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a red box is highlighted for selection.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Date and Time

Using the arrow keys, position the cursor over the month, day, and year. Use the

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to scroll through dates and times. Note that the weekday (Sun through Sat) cannot be changed. This field changes to correspond to the date you enter. Note that the hour value is shown in a 24-hour clock format. Time is represented as

Date (mm:dd:yy) Sat, Jul 01 2006 Time (hh:mm:ss) 14 : 48: 43

IDE Channel and SATA Channel

Use these functions to detect and configure the individual IDE and SATA channels. Select a channel and press

IDE Auto-Detect [Press Enter]

Extended IDE Drive [None}

Access Mode Auto

Capacity 0 MB

Cylinder 0 Head 0 Precomp 0 Landing Zone 0 Sector 0

Press ENTER to display

SATA Channel sub-

Enter

to display the IDE/SATA sub-menu.

Press ENTER to display

IDE Channel sub-menu

IDE HDD Auto-Detect [Press Enter]

IDE Channel 0 Slave [Manual} Access Mode [CHS]

Capacity 0 MB

Cylinder [ 0] Head [ 0] Precomp [ 0] Landing Zone [ 0] Sector [ 0]

hour : minute : second

Configuring the BIOS

Press

Enter

to auto-detect IDE and SATA channels in the system. Once the channel is detected, the values for Capacity, Cylinder, Heads, Precomp, Landing Zone, and Sector are automatically filled in.



None

There is no HDD installed or set.



Auto

The system can auto-detect the hard disk when booting up.



Manual

When you set the channel to

[Manual]

and change

Access Mode

[CHS]

, you can then enter the number of cylinders, heads, Precomp, landing zone, and sector. You can manually enter the values or you can press

Enter

display a window that tells you the min and max values.

IDE HDD Auto-Detect [Press Enter]

IDE Channel 0 Slave [Manual} Access Mode [CHS]

Capacity 0 MB

Cylinder .....0

Head [ 0] Precomp [ 0] Landing Zone [ 0] Sector [ 0]

The BIOS supports the following HDD Access Modes:

 CHS

For HDD less than 528 MB.

 LBA

For HDD greater than 528 MB and

Press ENTER to display sub-

Cylinder

Min= 0 Max=65535

Key in a DEC number :



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

supporting LBA (Logical Block Addressing).

 Large

For HDD greater than 528 MB but not supporting LBA.

 Auto

Recommended mode.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Halt On

[All , But Keyboard]

Press ENTER to display sub

Drive A

The

Drive A

Options are:

Drive A [1.44, 3.5 in.]



None



360K, 5.25 in.



1.2M, 5.25 in.



720K, 3.5 in.



1.44M, 3.5 in.



2.88M, 3.5 in.

Use the through the options or press the sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys to position the selector in the option you choose. Press changes and return to the Standard CMOS Features menu.

option allows you to select the kind of FDD to install.

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to scroll

Enter

to display

Drive A

None ..... [ ]

360K, 5.25 in. ..... [ ]

1.2M, 5.25 in. ..... [ ]

720K, 3.5 in. ..... [ ]

1.44M, 3.5 in. ..... [ ]

2.88M, 3.5 in. ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

Enter

to accept the

Halt On

during power on. Use the options or press to position the selector in the option you choose. Press

determines whether or not the computer stops if an error is detected

Enter

to display the

Page Up

and

Page Down

Halt On

keys to scroll through the

sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys

Enter

changes and return to the Standard CMOS Features menu.

Drive A [1.44, 3.5 in.] Halt On [All , But Keyboard]



All Errors

Whenever the BIOS detects a nonfatal error, the system stops and prompts you.



No Errors

ystem boot does not stop for any detected

errors.

Halt On

All Errors ..... [ ]

No Errors ..... [ ]

All , But Keyboard ..... [

All , But Diskette ..... [ ]

All , But Disk/Key ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

to accept the

]

Configuring the BIOS



All, But Keyboard

System boot does not stop for keyboard errors, but does stop for all other errors.



All, But Diskette

The system boot does not stop for a diskette error but will stop for all other errors.



All, But Disk/Key

The system boot does not stop for a keyboard or disk error, but will stop for all other errors.

Memory

These settings are display-only values that are determined by the BIOS POST (Power-On Self Test).



Base Memory

BIOS POST determines the amount of base (or conventional) memory installed in the system.



Extended Memory

BIOS determines how much extended memory is present during the POST.



Total Memory

This value represents the total memory of the system.

Base Memory 640K

Extended Memory 1047552K

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Advanced BIOS Features

Access the Advanced BIOS Features menu from the CMOS Utility Setup screen. Use the press

Enter

selector in the option you choose. To go back to the previous menu, press

Note: The options that have associated sub-menus are designated by a , which

precedes the option. Press

Page Up

and

Page Down

to display the sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys to position the

Enter

to display the sub-menus.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

keys to scroll through the options or

Esc

 Removable Device Priority [Press Enter]  Hard Disk Boot Priority [Press Enter]  Network Boot Priority [Press Enter]

CPU Internal Cache [Enabled] Quick Power On Self Test [Enabled] First Boot Device [Removable] Second Boot Device [CDROM] Third Boot Device [Hard Disk] Boot Other Device [Enabled] Boot Up NumLock Status [On] Security Option [Setup] APIC Mode [Enabled] MPS Version Control For OS [1.4] Full Screen LOGO Show [Disabled]



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Item Help

Main Level 

Select Removable Boot Device Priority

Figure 7. Advanced BIOS Features Menu

Note: Note that all data in white is for information only, data in yellow is changeable,

data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a red box is highlighted for selection.

Configuring the BIOS

Floppy Disks

2. Network 1 : <description of network>

2. Bootable Add

in Cards

the priority of the device within

Removable Device Priority

Use this option to select the priority for removable device startup. Press to see the list of removable devices in your system. Use the  arrow keys to go to the various devices. Then use the + or – keys to move the device priority up or down in the list. To go back to the previous menu, press

Hard Disk Boot Priority

Use this option to select the priority for HDD startup. Press list of bootable devices in your system. Use the  arrow keys to go to the various devices. Then use the + or – keys to move the device priority up or down in the list. To go back to the previous menu, press

1. Ch0. : ST3802110A

Network Boot Priority

Use this option to select the priority for network startup. Select

Priority

to go to the various devices. Then use the + or – keys to move the device priority up or down in the list. To go back to the previous menu, press

and press

Enter

to view available networks. Use the  arrow keys

Esc

Enter

Esc

Use the + and – keys to move

Enter

to see the

Network Boot

Esc.

1. Network 0 : <description of network>

CPU Internal Cache

Use this option to enable or disable the CPU internal cache. Use the and

Page Down

keys to scroll through the options or press

Enter

options in a sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys to position the selector in the option you choose.

Page Up

to display the

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Quick Power On Self Test

Enabling this option allows the system to skip certain test while booting, which reduces the time needed to boot the system. Use the keys to toggle between

Enable

and

Disable

First/Second/Third Boot Device

Use this option to set the priority sequence of the devices booted at power on. Use the

Enter

in the option you choose.

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to scroll through the options or press

to display the sub-menu. Use the  arrow keys to position the selector

First Boot Device

Removable ..... [

Hard Disk ..... [ ]

CDROM ..... [ ]

Network ..... [ ]

Disabled ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

]

Page Up

and

Page Down

Boot Other Device

Boot Up NumLock Status

With the option set to

Enable

, the system boots from some other device if the

first/second/third boot devices fail.

This option allows you to select the power-on state of activate the keyboard the

NumLock

key.

NumLock

when the system is started. Select

NumLock

. Select On to

Off

to disable

Configuring the BIOS

Security Option

The Security Options allows you to require a password every time the system boots or only when you enter setup. Select access to the CMOS Setup screen. Select access the CMOS Setup screen and when the system boots.

APIC Mode

Use this function to enable or disable the Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC). If you disable this option, you also disable the MPS Version Control for OS option.

MPS Version Control For OS

Use this function to select the Multi-Processor Specification (MPS) version that BIOS passes to the operating system. Use the scroll through the options.

Setup

System

Page Up

to require a password to gain

to require a password to

and

Page Down

keys to

Full Screen LOGO Show

This option allows you to enable or disable the display of the full-screen logo when the system boots. Use the between

Enable

and

Disable

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to toggle

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Advanced Chipset Features

Select

Advanced Chipset Features

press

Enter

to display the functions of the Advanced Chipset Functions menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and

 System Clocks [Press Enter]  FSB & Memory Config [Press Enter]  CPU Configuration [Press Enter]  System Voltages [Press Enter]

NVMEM memory test [Disable]

Load timing/voltage set [Press Enter] Save timing/voltage set [Press Enter] System BIOS Cacheable [Disabled]

HPET Function [Enable]

NVIDIA GPY Ex [Enable]



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Figure 8. Advanced Chipset Features

Item Help

Main Level 

Voltage control

Configuring the BIOS

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Phoenix

–

AwardBIOS CMOS

Setup Utility

System Clocks

Select

System Clocks

Enter

to display the System Clocks menu. From this menu, you are able to specify frequency settings, HT multipliers, and Spread Spectrum settings. Note that in Figure 9, all of the options are listed. On the actual BIOS screen, you will need to scroll down to see all the options.

Parameters Settings Current Vale **Frequency Settings** CPU Freq, MHz 2933.3 2933.3 FSB Reference Clock, MHz 1066.7 1066.7

CPU Multiplier [11 X] 11X

PCIe x16_1, MHz [Auto] 100 PCIe x16_3, MHz [Auto] 100 PCIe x16_2, MHz [Auto] 100 SPP<->MCP Ref Clock, MHz [Auto] 100

**HT Multiplier**

nForce SPP --> nForce MCP [5 x] nForce SPP <-- nForce MCP [5 x]

**Spread Spectrum**

CPU Spread Spectrum [UP Spread]

HT Spread Spectrum Disabled PCIe Spread Spectrum(SPP) [Auto] PCIe Spread Spectrum(MCP) Disabled SATA Spread Spectrum Disabled

from the Advanced Chipset Features menu and press

System Clocks

Item Help

Main Level 

CPU frequency multiplier. CPU core clock = FSB Ref Clock/4 * CPU Multiplier





:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Figure 9. System Clocks Menu

Note: Note that all data in white is for information only, data in yellow is changeable,

data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a red box is highlighted for selection.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Frequency Settings



CPU Freq, MHz

This value is set by the CPU Multiplier (value cannot be changed by the user).



FSB Reference Clock. MHz

This value is set by the system (value cannot be changed by the user). To change the SLI-Ready memory, FSB memory, and memory timing, go to the FSB & Memory screen.



CPU Multiplier

This value changes the CPU Frequency value depending on the value you choose. Use the The options are from 6 X through 60 X.



PCIe x16_1, MHz

Use the

Page Up

options for the PCI Express Bus, Slot 1 (the black slot closest to the CPU). Note that as you go higher in value, disabled and cannot be changed from this status.



PCIe x16_3, MHz

Use the

Page Up

options for the PCI Express Bus, Slot 3 (the blue slot in the middle).



PCIe x16_2, MHz

Use the

Page Up

options for the PCI Express Bus, Slot 3 (the black slot farthest from the CPU).



SPP<—>MCP Ref Clock, MHz

Use the

Page Up

options for the reference clock between the SPP chip and the MCP chip.

Page Up

and

Page Down

and

Page Down

and

Page Down

and

Page Down

and

Page Down

keys to scroll through the options.

keys to scroll through the frequency

PCIe Spread Spectrum(SPP)

keys to scroll through the frequency

Configuring the BIOS

HT Multiplier



nForce SPP

Use the options and set the link speed from the SPP chip to the MCP chip. Values are

[1 x]

through



nForce MCP <

Use the options and set the link speed from the MCP chip to the SPP chip. Values are

[1 x]

through

— —

Page Up

[5 x].

Page Up

[5 x]

> nForce MCP

and

Page Down

— —

nForce SPP

and

Page Down

keys to scroll through the HT multiplier

Spread Spectrum



CPU Spread Spectrum

Use the options for the CPU. Option values are

[Center Spread].



HT Spread Spectrum

Disabled



PCIe Spread Spectrum (SPP)

Use the options for the SPP PCIe. Option values are

[Center Spread].

when the value for PCIe x16_1 exceeds 100MHz.



PCIe Spread Spectrum(MCP)

Disabled



SATA Spread Spectrum

Disabled

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to scroll through the Spread Spectrum

and

Page Down

keys to scroll through the Spread Spectrum

This option reverts to

[Disabled], [UP Spread]

Disabled

and cannot be changed

, and

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

stability

FSB & Memory Config

Select

FSB & Memory Config

press

Enter

to display the FSB & Memory Config menu. This menu provides

the means to set SLI-Ready memory, FSB memory, and memory timing.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

from the Advanced Chipset Features menu and

FSB & Memory Config

Parameters Settings Current Value

SLI-Ready Memory [Disabled] Disabled

CPU Freq, MHz 2933.3 2933.3 CPU Multiplier 11X 11X

FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Auto]

x FSB (QDR), MHz Auto 1066.7 Actual FSB (QDR), MHz 1066.7

x MEM (DDR), MHz Auto 800.6

Actual MEM (DDR), MHz 800.0

 Memory Timing Setting [Press Enter]



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Figure 10. FSB & Memory Config Menu



SLI-Ready Memory

Use the Memory options. The options are:

 Disabled  CPUOC 0%  CPUOC 1%  CPUOC 2%  CPUOC 3%

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to scroll through the SLI-Ready

Item Help

Main Level 

“CPUOC MAX” realizes the complete optimized memory settings when SLI-Ready memory is installed

Optimized memory settings by allowing X% CPU overclocking

CPU overclocking may require manual overvolting of the CPU to improve system

Configuring the BIOS

 CPUOC 4%  CPUOC 5%  CPUOC MAX

When you select one of the

Clock Mode Ready Memory



FSB and Memory Clock Mode

Use the

is set to

Page Up

is set to

and

Page Down

CPUOC x%

Unlinked

Disable

options, the

and cannot be changed until

FSB - Memory

SLI-

keys to scroll through the FSB and

Memory Clock Mode options. The options are:

 Auto

This is the optimal setting since it sets the FSB and memory speeds automatically.

 Linked

When Link is selected,

FSB (QDR), MHz

is changed to editable and

the FSB speed can be entered manually. As the FSB speed is changed,

CPU Freq, MHz

changes proportionally.

CPU Freq, MHz 2933.3 2933.3 CPU Multiplier 11X 11X

FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Linked]

FSB (QDR), MHz [1067] 1066.7

Actual FSB (QDR), MHz 1066.7 x MEM (DDR), MHz Auto 800.6

Actual MEM (DDR), MHz 800.0

 Unlinked

When Unlink is selected,

FSB (QDR), MHz

and

MEM (DDR), MHz

are changed to editable and the FSB and memory speeds can be entered manually. As the FSB speed is changed,

CPU Freq, MHz

changes

proportionally.

FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Linked]

FSB (QDR), MHz [1067] 1066.7

Actual FSB (QDR), MHz 1066.7 MEM (DDR), MHz [1067] 800.6

Actual MEM (DDR), MHz 800.0



FSB (QDR), MHz

Use the + or – keys to scroll through new values for the CPU FSB frequency

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

or type in a new value. Note that the

Actual FSB (QDR)

reflects the actual

frequency that takes effect on a reboot.



MEM (DDR), MHz

Use the + or – keys to scroll through new values for the memory frequency or type in a new value. Note that the

Actual MEM (DDR)

reflects the actual

frequency that takes effect when the system reboots.



Memory Timing Setting

Press

Enter

to display the Memory Timing Setting menu. Use this menu to

set optimal timings or to manually enter timings.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Parameters Settings Current Value

Memory Timing Setting [Optimal]

x tCL (CAS Latency) Auto(5) 5 x tRDC Auto(7) 5 x tRP Auto(7) 5 x tRAS Auto(23) 18 x Command Per Clock (CDM) Auto(2T) 1T

** Advanced Memory Settings **

x tRRD Auto(4) 3 x tRC Auto(28) 22 x tWR Auto(7) 5 x tWTR Auto(10) 9 x tREF Auto 6.1uS

Memory Timing Setting

Item Help

Main Level 

Select [Expert] to enter timings manually



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help[

 Optimal

Use the

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to select

Optimal.

Optimal prohibits you from manually setting any timing. All timing is set for optimal performance.

Configuring the BIOS

tREF [Auto]

6.1uS

 Expert

Use the

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to select

Expert

. When Expert is selected, all timing categories are enabled for manual input. Note that you should set the value to Optimal to use the manufacturers’ recommended values.

Parameters Settings Current Value

Memory Timing Setting [Expert] tCL (CAS Latency) [Auto(5)] 5 tRDC [Auto(7)] 5 tRP [Auto(7)] 5 tRAS [Auto(23)] 18 Command Per Clock (CDM) [Auto(2T)] 1T

** Advanced Memory Settings **

tRRD [Auto(4)] 3 tRC [Auto(28)] 22 tWR [Auto(7)] 5 tWTR [Auto(10)] 9



tCL

: CAS# latency (options are 1 through 6).



tRDC

: RAS#-to-CAS# Delay for Read/Write commands to the

same bank (options are 1 through 7).



tRP

: Row Precharge time. This is the Precharge-to-Active or Auto-

to-Refresh of the same bank (options are 1 through 7).



tRAS

: This is the minimum RAS# active time (options are 1 through

31).



Command Per Clock

: This is the command timing setting on a per

clock unit basis (options are 1T and 2T).



tRRD

: RAS#-to-RAS# delay of different banks (options are 1

through 15).



tRC

: RAS#-to-RAS# or auto refresh time of the same bank (options

are 1 through 31).



tWR

: The Write recovery time (options are 2 through 7).



tWTR

: This is the minimum write-to-read delay with the same chip

selected (options are 1 through 10).



tREF

: This is the DRAM refresh rate (options are

3.9uS

Auto, 7.8uS

, and

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

F5: Previous V

alues F7:Defaults

CPU Configuration

Select

CPU Configuration

press

Enter

to display the CPU Configuration menu.

from the Advanced Chipset Features menu and

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

CPU Configuration

Limit CPUID MaxVal [Disabled] x Intel SpeedStep Disabled

CPU Thermal Control [Disabled]

C1E Enhanced Halt State [Enabled]

Execute Disable Bit [Enabled] Virtualization Technology [Enabled]

CPU Core 0 Enabled CPU Core 1 [Enabled]

x CPU Core 2 Disabled x CPU Core 3 Disabled



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Item Help

Main Level 

Set linit CPUID MaxVal to 3, should be “Disabled” for WinXP

Figure 11. CPU Configuration Menu



Limit CPUID MaxVal

Use this function to enable the set limit of the CPUID MaxVal to 3. Set to Disable for Win XP.



CPU Thermal Control

Use this function to enable or disable TM1 and TM2 support. Options are:

 Disable

Disable support for TM1 and TM2.

 TM1 Only

The CPU is thermally throttled by cutting active processor clock cycles.

Configuring the BIOS

 TM2 Only

Thermal throttling is achieved by reducing the CPU multiplier and CPU core voltage.

 TM1 & TM2

Enables support for both TM1 and TM2.



C1E Enhanced Halt State Enabled, this function reduces the CPU power consumption when the CPU

is idle. Idle occurs when the operating system issues a halt instruction.



Execute Disable Bit

When this function is disabled, it forces the XD feature flag to always return to zero (0).



Virtualization Technology

When this function is enabled, it allows a VMM to utilize the additional hardware capabilities provided by Intel Virtualization Technology.



CPU Core 1

This function allows you to enable or disable CPU Core.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

System Voltages

Select

System Voltages

Enter

to display the System Voltages menu.

from the Advanced Chipset Features menu and press

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

System Voltages

Parameters Settings Current Value CPU Core [Auto] 1.28 CPU FSB [Auto] 1.2V

Memory [Auto] 1.85V

nForce SPP [Auto] 1.30V nForce MCP [Auto] 1.50V

HT nForce SPP <-> MCP [Auto] 1.20V

nForce MCP Auxiliary [Auto] 1.50V

GTLVREF Lane 0 [Auto] +00mv

GTLVREF Lane 1 [Auto] +00mv

GTLVREF Lane 2 [Auto] +00mv

GTLVREF Lane 3 [Auto] +00mv



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Main Level 

Voltage level for CPU Core (CPU VID)

Figure 12. System Voltages Menu



CPU Core

Use the

[Auto]



CPU FSB

Use the

[Auto]



Memory

This function defines the voltage level for the DRAM. Use the

Page Down

voltage.

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to scroll through the voltages or select

to automatically set the voltage level for the CPU Core.

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to scroll through the voltages or select

to automatically set the voltage level for the CPU FSB.

keys to select a voltage or select

[Auto]

to automatically set the

Item Help

Page Up

and

Configuring the BIOS



nForce SPP

This function defines the core voltage level for the NVIDIA nForce SPP chip. Use the

1.40V, 1.50V) or select



nForce MCP

Page Up

and

Page Down

[Auto]

keys to select a voltage (1.20V, 1.30V,

to automatically set the voltage.

This function defines the core voltage level for the NVIDIA nForce MCP chip. Use the

[Auto]



HT nForce SPP <-> MCP

Page Up

and

Page Down

to automatically set the voltage.

keys to select a voltage or select

This function defines the voltage level for the NVIDIA HT nForce SPP <-> MCP Link. Use the

[Auto]



nForce MCP Auxiliary

to automatically set the voltage.

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to select a voltage or select

This function defines the core voltage level for the NVIDIA nForce MCP Auxiliary voltage. Use the select

[Auto]



GTLVREF Lane 0

to automatically set the voltage.

This function defines the voltage level for GTLVREF Lane 0. Use the

and

Page Down

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to select a voltage or select

keys to select a voltage or

Page

[Auto]

to automatically

set the voltage.



GTLVREF Lane 1

This function defines the voltage level for GTLVREF Lane 1. Use the

and

Page Down

keys to select a voltage or select

[Auto]

to automatically

Page

set the voltage.



GTLVREF Lane 2

This function defines the voltage level for GTLVREF Lane 2. Use the

and

Page Down

keys to select a voltage or select

[Auto]

to automatically

Page

set the voltage.



GTLVREF Lane 3

This function defines the voltage level for GTLVREF Lane 3. Use the

and

Page Down

keys to select a voltage or select

[Auto]

to automatically

Page

set the voltage.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

NVMEM Memory Test

This function defines whether you run the NVIDIA memory testing module during POST. The options are Fast, Medium, Slow, and Disable.

Load Timing/Voltage Set

This function loads the system voltages and timing settings that were defined in the System Voltages menu. You can set up to four profile settings using the

Save timing/voltage set

function.

There are four profile options that can be loaded. The default setting is for all settings. Press

Enter

to see the options.

Load timing/voltage set

Press Enter to Exit ..... [

Select Profile 1 ..... [ ]

Select Profile 2 ..... [ ]

Select Profile 3 ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

]

Auto

Configuring the BIOS

Save Timing/Voltage Set

This function saves the system voltages and timing settings that were defined in the System Voltages menu. There are four profile options that can be loaded. The default setting is

Save timing/voltage set

Press Enter to Exit ..... [

Select Profile 1 ..... [ ]

Select Profile 2 ..... [ ]

Select Profile 3 ..... [ ]



:Move ENTER:Accept ESC:Abort

Auto

for all settings. Press

]

System BIOS Cacheable

Enter

to see the options.

This function allows you to enable or disable caching the system BIOS.

HPET Function

This function allows you to enable or disable the High Precision Even Timer (HPET). When and other time-sensitive application. When HPET is

Enabled

, HPET is used as the timing hardware for multimedia

Disabled

, the APIC

timer is used.

NVIDIA GPU Ex

To enable or disable this function you need to have the NVIDIA® ForceWare® graphics driver with NVIDIA EX support. When enabled, the system uses the optimized NVIDIA EX graphics driver.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Integrated Peripherals

Integrated Peripherals Menu

Select

Integrated Peripherals

press

Enter

to display the Integrated Peripherals menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and

 IDE Function Setup [Press Enter]  RAID Config [Press Enter]  USB Config [Press Enter]  MAC Config [Press Enter]

IEEE1394 controller [Auto] HD Audio [Auto] IDE HDD Block Mode [Enabled] Onboard FDC Controller [Enabled] Onboard Serial Port 1 [3FB/IRQ4]



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Figure 13. Integrated Peripherals Menu

Item Help

Main Level 

Configuring the BIOS

IDE Function Setup

Press

Enter

to display the IDE Function Setup menu.

OnChip IDE Channel0 [Enabled] Primary Master PIO [Auto] Primary Slave PIO [Auto] Primary Master UDMA [Auto] Primary Slave UDMA [Auto] IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled] Serial-ATA Controller [All Enabled] IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled]



OnChip IDE Channel0

Use this function to enable or disable the onchip IDE Channel0. When disabled, the Primary Master/Slave functions are changed to

Auto

and cannot be

changed.



Primary Master/Slave PIO

When

OnChip IDE Channel0

mode for the primary Master and Slave PIO. Select from through



Primary Master/Slave UDMA

When primary Master and Slave UDMA or set it to



IDE DMA transfer access

Use this function to enable or disable IDE DMA transfer access.



Serial-ATA Controller

This function allows you to enable specific SATA controllers, enable all controllers, or disable all controllers. The options available are

[SATA-0+1], [Enable All]



IDE Prefetch Mode Use this function to enable or disable the

Mode 4

OnChip IDE Channel0

OnChip IDE Channel0 [Disabled]

Primary Master PIO Auto

Primary Slave PIO Auto

Primary Master UDMA Auto

Primary Slave UDMA Auto

IDE DMA transfer access [Enabled] Serial-ATA Controller [All Enabled] IDE Prefetch Mode [Enabled]

is set to

, and

[Enabled]

[Auto]

[Disabled]

, you can select a

, you can disable the

IDE Prefetch mode

Auto

, or

Mode 1

[SATA-0]

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

RAID Config

Press

Enter

to display the RAID Config menu.

RAID Enable [Enabled] SATA 0 Primary RAID [Disabled] SATA 0 Secondary RAID [Disabled] SATA 1 Primary RAID [Disabled] SATA 1 Secondary RAID [Disabled] SATA 2 Primary RAID [Disabled] SATA 2 Secondary RAID [Disabled]



RAID Enable

Use this function to enable or disable RAID. When RAID is set to

[Disabled]

functions are changed to

Disabled



SATA x Primary/Secondary

When

RAID Enable

various SATA functions.

, all SATA

and cannot be changed.

is set to

RAID Enable [Disabled]

SATA 0 Primary RAID Disabled

SATA 0 Secondary RAID Disabled

SATA 1 Primary RAID Disabled

SATA 1 Secondary RAID Disabled

SATA 2 Primary RAID Disabled

SATA 2 Secondary RAID Disabled

[Enabled]

, you can enable or disable the

USB Config

Press

Enter

to display the USB Config menu.

OnChip USB [Enabled] USB Keyboard Support [Disabled] USB Mouse Support [Disabled]



OnChip USB

Use this function to enable specific versions of the USB or disable the onchip USB. When the onchip USB is set to support functions are set to

Enabled

can be selected are

[V1.1+V2.0]



USB Keyboard/Mouse

[V1.1]

[Disabled]

, the keyboard and mouse

and cannot be changed. Versions that

OnChip USB [Disabled]

USB Keyboard Support Enabled

USB Mouse Support Enabled

Support

Use these function to enable or disable the onchip WSB support of the keyboard and/or mouse.

Configuring the BIOS

MAC1 LAN

[Disabled

]

MAC Config

Press

Enter

to display the MAC Config menu.

MAC0 LAN [Enabled]



MACx LAN

Use these functions to set the MAC0 and/or MAC1 LANs to disable their functions.

IEEE1394 controller

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or disable the IEEE1394 (Firewire) interface.

HD Audio

Auto

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or disable the hard disk audio function.

IDE HDD Block Mode

Using this function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows your IDE hard drive needs to support block mode. Select

[Enabled]

to automatically detect the optimal number of block read/writes per sector the drive can support. Select

[Disabled]

if your drive does not support block mode.

Onboard FDC Controller

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or disable the onboard FDC controller function.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Power Mana

gement Setup

Onboard Serial Port 1

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to select the onboard serial port 1 function. Options are

[3E8/IRQ4]

[Auto]

, and

[Disabled].

Power Management Setup Menu

Select

Power Management Setup

press

Enter

to display the Power Management Setup menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and

[3F8/IRQ4]

[2E8/IRQ3]

ACPI function [Enabled] APCI Suspend Type [S1&S3] Soft-Off by PBTN [Instant-Off] WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off [Disabled]

Power-on by Alarm [Disabled]

Day of Month Alarm 0

Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm 0 : 0 : 0

POWER ON Function [BUTTON ONLY]

KB Power ON Password Enter

Hot Key Power On Ctrl-F1



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Main Level 

Figure 14. Power Management Setup Menu

Item Help

Configuring the BIOS

ACPI Function

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or disable the ACPI function.

ACPI Suspend Type

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to select an ACPI Suspend Type. Types to select from are

[S3(STR)]

Soft-Off by PBNT

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to set SoftOff by PBNT to

[Instant-Off]

WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off

[S1&S3], [S1(POS)]

[Delay 4 Sec]

, and

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or disable WOL(PMW#) from soft-off.

Power On by Alarm

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or disable the Power-on by alarm function. Set to on by alarm. When set to

[Enable]

, you can manually put in the day of the

month and the time of the alarm.

Power-on by Alarm [Disabled] Day of Month Alarm [ 0] Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm [0 : 0 : 0]

To enter a day or time, use the

Page Up

numbers or enter the number using the keyboard number or the + and – keys.

and

Page Down

[Disable]

keys to scroll through

to prevent power-

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Hot Key Power On

Ctrl

-F1

POWER ON Function

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to define the power-on function. Options for this function are:



BUTTON ONLY



Keyboard 98



Password When

[Password]

enabled so that you must enter a password.

POWER ON Function [Password] KB Power ON Password [Enter]



Hot Key Power On

When

[Hot Key]

enabled so that you must select a keyboard key as the hot key. To select a hot key use

Ctrl+F1

POWER ON Function [Hot key]

KB Power ON Password Enter

Hot Key Power On [Ctrl-F1]



Mouse Left



Mouse Right



Any Key

is selected, the

though

Ctrl+F12

KB Power ON Password

function is

Hot key Power On function

Configuring the BIOS

PnP/PCI Configuration

PnP/PCI Configuration Menu

Select

PnP/PCI Configuration

Enter

to display the PnP/PCI Configuration menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press

Init Display First [PCI Slot] Reset Configuration Data [Disabled]

Resources Controlled By [Auto(ESCD)]

IRQ Resources Press Enter

** PCI Express relative items **

Maximum Payload Size [4096]



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Figure 15. PnP/PCI Configuration Menu

Init Display First

Item Help

Main Level 

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to define if the initial display is in the PCI slot or in the PCI Express slot. Options are

[PCI Slot]

and

[PCIEx].

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Reset Configuration Data

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to enable or disable the resetting of Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) when you exit Setup. Set this to

[Enabled]

system reconfiguration has caused a serious conflict that prevents the OS from booting. The default setting is

[Disabled]

Resources Controlled By

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to define if the BIOS can automatically configure all the boot and plug-and-play compatible devices or if you can manually select IRQ, DMA, and memory base address fields. Select these fields. If you select

Resources

Resources Controlled By [Auto(ESCD)]

x IRQ Resources Press Enter

[Auto(ESCD)]

if you want the BIOS to automatically populate

[Manual]

is enabled for input.

if you have installed a new add-on and the

so you can assign the resources,

IRQ

Resources Controlled By [Manual)]

Configuring the BIOS

IRQ Resources

To enable this field for input, set

[Manual]

. With this field enabled, press

IRQ-5 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ-9 assigned to [Reserved] IRQ-10 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ-11 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ-14 assigned to [PCI Device] IRQ-15 assigned to [PCI Device]

Use Legacy ISA for devices compliant with the original PC AT Bus specification. Use PCI/ISA PnP for devices compliant with the plug-and-play standard, whether designed for PCI or ISA Bus architecture.

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to enable or disable the Palette Snoop function.

Maximum Payload Size

Resources Controlled By

Enter

to see options.

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to set the maximum TLP payload size (in bytes) for the PCI Express devices. Use the

Page Up

and

Page Down

keys to scroll through sizes or enter the number using the keyboard numbers or use the + and – keys to go up and down the list of sizes.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

System Monitor

System Monitor Menu

Select

System Monitor

display the System Monitor menu.

from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Enter

 Dynamic Fan Control [Press Enter]

CPU 47ºC/ 117ºF

CPU Core 1.28V CPU FSB 1.19V Memory 1.81V +3.3V 3.16V +3.3V Dual 3/16V +12V 11.92V +5V 4.99V +Vbat 3.00V

CPU Fan Speed 4272 RPM Aux Fan Speed 4891 RPM nForce Fan Speed 0 RPM Chassis Fan Speed 0 RPM Chassis Fan2 Speed 0 RPM



:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

Main Level 

Figure 16. System Monitor Menu

All of the values shown in voltages of the various components change with system usage.

Blue

are dynamic and change as the speed and

Item Help

Configuring the BIOS

Dynamic Fan Control

Press

Enter

to display the Dynamic Fan Control menu.

CPU Fan Speed Control [SmartFan] If temp > 70ºC, Set Fan Speed 100% If temp < 30ºC, Set Fan Speed 0%

Manual Fan Speed, % 100

AUX Fan Speed Control, % [100] nForce Fan Speed Control, % [100] Chassis Fan Speed Control, % [100]

Use this menu to control the speed of the various fans on the motherboard. Set CPU fan speed to

[SmartFan]

when you want the speed of the fans automatically controlled based on temperature. To set the fan speed to a constant rate, select

[Manual]

and then enter the speed from 0% to 100%.

Set the desired speed for the Aux, nForce, and Chassis fans from 0% to 100%. The system defaults to 100%.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Installing Drivers and

Software

Note: It is important to remember that before installing the driver CD that is shipped

in the kit, you need to load your operating system. The motherboard supports Windows XP 32bit and 64bit and is Vista-capable.

The kit comes with a CD that contains utility drivers and additional NVIDIA software.

The CD that has been shipped with your XFX motherboard contains the following software and drivers:



NVIDIA nForce drivers



RealTek Audio drivers



Microsoft DirectX 9.0C



NVIDIA Control Panel



Adobe Acrobat Reader



NVIDIA MediaShield RAID Manager



NVIDIA Networking (FirstPacket)

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Drivers Installation

Note: When installing the graphics drivers, the resolution defaults to the lowest

setting (typically 800 x 600), making your display very large. Adjust accordingly.

Insert the XFX nForce 780i SLI installation CD for the graphics drivers included in the kit.

Note: If you have multiple graphics cards installed, you will be asked multiple times

for all events once the drivers are installed.

Run

setup.exe

Depending on your system setup, the install disk may automatically run the install

setp.exe

to open.

. If it does not run, go to My Computer and click on the CD

Using the

NVIDIA Software

Built upon the foundation of NVIDIA’s core motherboard and GPU technologies, NVIDIA System Monitor and Performance Server software utilities bring consolidated reporting and control to the desktop in seamless fashion. Traditionally, users have been forced to endure a sequence of trial and error attempts within the BIOS in order to customize the operation and performance of the system to their needs. As settings are attempted, the user must start and restart Windows several times. Fortunately, NVIDIA’s new System Monitor and Performance Group utilities bring the same rich functionality found in the BIOS to the user’s desktop. From a single convenient interface, the user can adjust settings to minimize noise, optimize performance, and maximize system stability. In addition, a wealth of system information is readily available in a lush 3D presentation which is customizable to suit the user.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

NVIDIA Performance Group of NVIDIA Control Panel

You can start the NVIDIA Performance Group several ways:



Double-click the



Right-click on the desktop and select



From the Windows Control Panel, double-click the

NVIDIA Performance Group

NVIDIA Control Panel

icon on the desktop

NVIDIA Control Panel

NVIDIA Performance Server menus are located under the

Performance

group

in the left column.

Note All changes made within NVIDIA Performance Group are dynamically

applied, and will only remain active for the current Windows session. You can save these settings as a profile by using the Profile menu item.

CAUTION: Increasing the voltage or the clock speed of a component may void its

warranty due to exceeding recommended specifications. NVIDIA and the board manufacturer are not responsible for damage that may occur when component tolerances are exceeded.

Historically, NVIDIA’s Control Panel has contained a wealth of settings and adjustments for NVIDIA GPU’s. In similar fashion, the new NVIDIA Performance Group applies the same depth of control to the rest of the components within a system. Without ever leaving Windows or entering the BIOS, users can optimize and adjust nearly every system component.

Using NVIDIA Software

Device Settings

Device Settings has two tabs,

Profiles

. Under the

Current Hardware Settings

CPU, Motherboard, Memory, and GPU.

and

Hardware

tab there are settings for the

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Current Hardware Settings

CPU

This option deals with CPU parameters and information. Here, the user has the ability to dynamically change FSB speeds, CPU Voltages, and CPU fan speeds. At all times, real-time values for CPU frequency and appropriate CPU multiplier are reported.

CAUTION:

warranty due to exceeding recommended specifications. NVIDIA and the board manufacturer are not responsible for damage that may occur when component tolerances are exceeded.

Increasing the voltage or the clock speed of a component may void its

Using NVIDIA Software

Motherboard

The

Motherboard

option showcases a wide variety of motherboard and system-wide options and settings. The controls located in the Adjust Motherboard Timings screen allow the bus speeds to be adjusted manually to increase performance for gaming, or lower performance to conserve power and create a quieter user environment. The number to the right of the slider is the new bus speed that will be applied. Adjustments can be made by using the mouse to drag the slider. All changes will take effect immediately after selecting Apply; however, these setting will only remain active for the current Windows session. This will allow a user to safely return to Windows in the event of a crash, without any possibility of boot issues since the changes are not made directly to the BIOS settings.

Note: All changes on

apply them, and only remain active for the current Windows session. You can save these settings as a profile for use later by using the a setting does not allow a change, it probably requires a reboot and should be changed in the BIOS or from the available).

Adjust Motherboard Settings

Dynamic BIOS Access

are dynamically made when you

Profile

menu item. If

page (if

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Memory

Memory is one of the most critical components in terms of determining overall system stability and overclocking success, a wealth of information and options for memory modules is available. Both timings and voltage are dynamically adjustable, with real-time values for memory frequency, FSB frequency, and more being viewable to help dictate which settings are most appropriate.



Row Address Strobe Adjusts the minimum RAS active time. This is the amount of time between a row being activated by Precharge and deactivated. A row cannot be deactivated until tRAS has completed. The lower this value, the faster the performance. However, if it is set too low it can cause data corruption by deactivating the row to soon. Adjustable from 1 to 63.

Using NVIDIA Software



Write Recovery Time Memory timing that determines the delay between a write command and a Precharge command is set to the same bank of memory. Adjustable from 1 to

15.



W to R Termination Turnaround The Write-to-Read time is the number of clock cycles between the last write data pair and the subsequent READ command to the same physical block. Adjustable from 1 to 15.



RAS to CAS access The RAS-to-CAS access (tRCD) is the amount of time in cycles for issuing an active command and the read/write commands. Adjustable from 1 to 15.



RAS to RAS Delay

The RAS-to-RAS delay (tRRD) is the is the amount of cycles it takes to activate the next bank of memory (this is the opposite of tRAS). The lower the timing the better the system performance. However, this scenario can cause instability. Adjustable from 1 to 15.



Refresh Rate This value is filled in by the system and can not be changed by the user.



Memory bank switch The row Precharge time (tRP) is the minimum time between active commands and the read/writes of the next bank on the memory module. Adjustable from 1 to 15.



R to W Turnaround The Read-to-Write turnaround (tRWT) is a the amount of cycles for the command to be executed when a Write command is received. Adjustable from 1 to 15.



R to R Timing the Read-to-Read time (tRDRD) is the number of clock cycles between the last read and the subsequent READ command to the same physical bank. Adjustable from 1 to 15.



Row Cycle Time The Row Cycle Time is the minimum time in cycles it take a row to complete a full cycle. This can be determined by tRC=tRAS+tRP. If this value is set too short, it can cause corruption of data. If this value is set too high, it causes a loss in performance but an increase in stability. Adjustable from 1 to 63 cycles



W to R Command Delay The Write-to-Read (tWRD) command delay is the amount of cycles required

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

between a valid write command and the next read command. A lower cycle time results in better performance but is can instability. Adjustable from 0 to 6 cycles.



W to W Timing The Write-to-Write (tWRWR) timing is the number of clock cycles between the last write and the subsequent Write command to the same physical bank. Adjustable from 2 to 15 cycles.



CAS Latency The CAS Latency (tCL) is the time (in number of clock cycles) that elapses after the memory controller sends a request to read a memory location and before the data is sent to the module's output pins. The value shown cannot be changed.



Clock Drive Strength This value is filled in by the system and can not be changed by the user.



Command Per Clock The Command Per Clock (tCPC) sets the Command Rate for the memory controller. The value shown cannot be changed



Async Latency

This value is filled in by the system and can not be changed by the user.

Using NVIDIA Software

GPU

The graphics processing unit (GPU) located on your video card(s) can be adjusted using frequencies of your GPU and GPU memory, and you can set the GPU fan speed. Increasing the clock speeds will increase your GPU performance but may necessitate improved cooling to maintain the same level of reliability.

Device Setting

interface. You can override the shipped clock

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Dynamic BIOS Access

The

Dynamic BIOS Access

The changes do not go into effect until after you reboot your system. Since these changes are made to actual BIOS settings in the CMOS, the settings remain active until you change them again or restore the CMOS to the default settings.

page allows you to change your system BIOS settings.

Click the

Available BIOS Pages

list arrow and select the BIOS page that you want to edit. The BIOS page chosen determines which items on the page are available for changing. To edit an item, select the corresponding list arrow and then select one of the values from the list. When finished making your changes, click the OK or

Apply

Note This feature is available only with BIOS support from the motherboard

manufacturer. Available screen and features will vary between different makes and models of motherboards.

Using NVIDIA Software

View System Information

The

View System Information

of the system are consolidated and presented within a single view. At a glance, the user can clearly see the current status of their components and receives a clear depiction of overall system performance.

menu is a high-level view where all the critical values

Within the

Information

user can also double-click values for both memory modules and processors to receive even more-detailed information regarding those components.

View System

section, the

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Profile Policies

Easily one of the most powerful aspects of NVIDIA Performance Server is the ability to create custom profiles and rules. Essentially, NVIDIA Performance Server allows the user to offer a custom set of settings and alerts which can be tailored from a global setting all the way to something as granular as a particular game. In short, you can effortlessly customize your system to run as silent as possible when performing less-demanding tasks such as browsing the web. When loading a game however, system settings adjust to extract the highest possible performance from every system component and ensure you have the ultimate gaming experience with your current hardware.

Using NVIDIA Software

Manage Your System BIOS

Thanks to the power and flexibility of NVIDIA’s Performance Server software, users can even backup or update their system BIOS from within Windows. In addition to displaying a complete collection of information regarding the current BIOS version being used, the user also has the option of saving a backup version of the BIOS being used. This is especially useful when updating the current BIOS because you have a known good BIOS to revert to should the other version have issues with system stability or performance.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

NVIDIA System Monitor

You can open the NVIDIA System Monitor several ways:



Double-click the



Click

Start

System Monitor

The NVIDIA System Monitor is a unique 3D presentation of core component values. For every supported device, a wide range of information ranging from temperature, frequency, and voltage are reported. Given the fact that the NVIDIA System Monitor is based around an OpenGL foundation, there is nearly zero performance overhead associated with running the utility.

Users can effortlessly navigate through NVIDIA System Monitor by selecting a particular component in order to view that hardware’s appropriate information. The selected component comes to the foreground and all supported information is presented. Should the user prefer an overhead view of the components in the system, they can utilize the mouse-wheel to control the angle of the display.

NVIDIA System Monitor

, then click

All ProgramsNVIDIA CorporationNVIDIA

icon on the desktop

Using NVIDIA Software

In this example, we can see that the motherboard is selected. As a result, a wide array of related settings and status information is displayed in real-time. In addition to fan speeds and temperatures, we also find critical voltage values for core components. By moving the slider on the bottom of the screen, the user also can control the translucency of the screen allowing them to view the desktop if desired.

Specific information fields that the user wants to always have on display can be selected by doubleclicking the appropriate information box. The box will be moved to the top of the screen where it will remain regardless of which component is selected from that point on.

By pressing

Ctrl+Alt+C

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

by clicking the arrow icon in the top-right of the screen, the user can switch modes and bring all selected component fields to the desktop. From here, the component fields can be oriented and moved anywhere on the desktop. Furthermore, component fields can be removed from this view by clicking the small button in the top right of the icon’s box.

By clicking on the customize the way is presented with deals with the application’s appearance. The user can control everything from temperature units to overall translucency of the application, and can manipulate a number of other settings to tailor the program to one’s liking.

Global Settings

nV Monitor

looks and behaves. The first series of options the user

image in the bottom left of the screen, the user can

Using NVIDIA Software

The second series of options the user can alter deals with Event Logging. Here, one can easily select which system components to track and can specify the name of the resulting output file. All fields within the application will be logged and written to this file to aid in troubleshooting issues and tracking overall system behavior.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

The final series of options the user can change handles the specific hotkeys used to control various application actions. In this screen, the user simply enters their desired hotkey configuration and they are able to control every aspect of functionality for

Monitor

according to their own personal preferences.

Appendix A.

POST Codes for Tritium Platform

This section provides the Award POST Codes (Table 6) and the NVMM POST Codes (Table 7) for Tritium platforms during system boot up.

Table 6. Award POST Code

Award POST Codes

Name Description

01 Reserved

Jumps to E000

segment

03 Early SuperIO Init Early Initialized the super IO

04 Reserved

05 Blank video Reset Video controller

06 Reserved

07 Init KBC Keyboard controller init

08 KB test Test the Keyboard

09 Reserved

0A Mouse Init Initialized the mouse

0B Reserved

0C Reserved

0D Reserved

0E CheckSum Check Check the integrity of the ROM,BIOS and message

0F Reserved

Autodetect

EEPROM

11 Reserved

Execution of POST routines in E000

Check Flash type and copy flash write/erase routines

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Award POST Codes

Name Description

12 Test CMOS Test and Reset CMOS

13 Reserved

14 Load Chipset Load Chipset Defaults

15 Reserved

16 Init Clock Initialize onboard clock generator

17 Reserved

18 Init CPU CPU ID and initialize L1/L2 cache

19 Reserved

1A Reserved

Setup Interrupt

Vector Table

CMOS Battery

Check

1D Early PM Early PM initialization

1E Reserved

1F Re-initial KB Load keyboard matrix

20 Reserved

21 HPM init Init Heuristic Power Management (HPM)

22 Reserved

23 Program chipset Early Programming of chipset registers

24 Init PNP Init PNP

25 Shadow VBIOS Shadow system/video BIOS

26 Clock Gen Init onboard clock generator and sensor

27 Setup BDA Setup BIOS DATA AREA (BDA)

28 Reserved

29 CPU Speed detect Chipset programming and CPU Speed detect

2A Reserved

2B Init video Initialize Video

Initialize first 120 interrupt vectors with SPURIOUS_INT_HDLR and initialize INT 00h-1Fh according to INT_TBL

Test CMOS and check Battery Fail

Post Codes

Award POST Codes

Name Description

2C Reserved

Video memory

test

2E Reserved

2F Reserved

30 Reserved

31 Reserved

32 Reserved

Early keyboard

reset

34 Reserved

Test DMA

Controller 0

36 Reserved

Test DMA

Controller 1

38 Reserved

Test DMA Page

Registers

3A Reserved

3B Reserved

3C Test Timer Test 8254 Timer 0 Counter 2.

3D Reserved

3E Test 8259-1 Mask

3F Reserved

40 Test 8259-2 Mask

41 Reserved

42 Reserved

Test Stuck Turn off interrupts then verify no 8259's interrupt

Test Video Memory and display Logos

Early Keyboard Reset

Test DMA channel 0

Test DMA channel 1

Test DMA Page Registers

Verify 8259 Channel 1 masked interrupts by alternately turning off and on the interrupt lines.

Verify 8259 Channel 2 masked interrupts by alternately turning off and on the interrupt lines.

XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard

Award POST Codes

Name Description

Interrupt mask register is on. Test 8259 Force an interrupt and

44 Reserved

45 Reinit serial port Reinitialize Preboot agent serial port

46 Reserved

47 EISA Test

48 Reserved

49 Size Memory

4A Reserved

4B Reserved

4C Reserved

4D Reserved

4E Init APIC Initialize APIC and set MTRR

4F Reserved

50 USB init Initialize USB controller

51 Reserved

52 Memory Test

53 Reserved

54 Reserved

55 CPU display

56 Reserved

57 PnP Init Display PnP logo and PnP early init

58 Reserved

59 Setup Virus Setup virus protect according to Protect Setup

5A Reserved

verify the interrupt occurred.

If EISA non-volatile memory checksum is good, execute EISA initialization. If not, execute ISA tests and clear EISA mode flag.

Size base memory from 256K to 640K and extended memory above 1MB.

Test all memory of memory above 1MB using Virtual 8086 mode, page mode and clear the memory

Detect CPU speed and display CPU vendor specific version string and turn on all necessary CPU features

XFX nForce 780i User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual