K9N Neo V2/ V3 Series

MS-7369 (V1.X) Mainboard

G52-73691X1

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 Copyright Notice
T he material in this doc ument is the intellec tual property of M ICRO-STAR
INTERNATIONAL. We take every care in the preparation of this document, but no
guarantee is given as to the correctness of its contents. Our products are under
continual improvement and we reserve the right to make changes without notice.

Trademarks
All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, DualNet, and nForce are registered trademarks or trade-
marks of NVIDIA Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
AMD, Athlon™, Athlon™ XP, Thoroughbred™, and Duron™ are registered trade-
marks of AMD Corporation.
Intel® and Pentium® are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
PS/2 and OS ® /2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation.
W indows ® 95/98/2000/NT /XP/Vis ta are regis tered trademarks of Mic rosof t
Corporation.
Netware® is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.
Award® is a registered trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
AMI® is a registered trademark of American Megatrends Inc.

Revision History
Revision Revision History Date
V1.0 First release for PCB 1.X June 2007

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

Visit the MSI website for FAQ, technical guide, BIOS updates, driver updates,
an d ot h er i n f orm at i on: h t t p: / / g l o ba l . m s i. c o m . t w / i n d e x .p h p ?
func=faqIndex
Contact our technical staff at: http://support.msi.com.tw/

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 Safety Instructions

1. Always read the safety instructions carefully.

2. Keep this User’s Manual for future reference.
3. Keep this equipment away from humidity.
4. Lay this equipment on a reliable flat surface before setting it up.
5. The openings on the enclosure are for air convection hence protects the equip-
ment from overheating. DO NOT COVER THE OPENINGS.
6. Make sure the voltage of the power source and adjust properly 110/220V be-
fore connecting the equipment to the power inlet.
7. Place the power cord such a way that people can not step on it. Do not place
anything over the power cord.
8. Always Unplug the Power Cord before inserting any add-on card or module.
9. All cautions and warnings on the equipment should be noted.
10. Never pour any liquid into the opening that could damage or cause electrical
shock.
11. If any of the following situations arises, get the equipment checked by service
personnel:
† The power cord or plug is damaged.
† Liquid has penetrated into the equipment.
† The equipment has been exposed to moisture.
† The equipment does not work well or you can not get it work according to
User’s Manual.
† The equipment has dropped and damaged.
† The equipment has obvious sign of breakage.
12. DO NOT LEAVE THIS EQUIPMENT IN AN ENVIRONMENT UNCONDITIONED, STOR-
AGE TEMPERATURE ABOVE 600 C (1400F), IT MAY DAMAGE THE EQUIPMENT.

CAUT ION: Danger of expl os i on if bat ter y i s i nc orrec tl y r epl ac ed.

Replac e only with the same or equivalent type rec ommended by the
manufacturer.

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 FCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement
T h is eq uip men t h as been
tested and found to c omply
with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to Part
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates,
uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accor-
dance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the measures listed
below.
† Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
† Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
† Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected.
† Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help.

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

Notice 2
Shielded interface cables and A.C. power cord, if any, must be used in order to
comply with the emission limits.

VOIR LA NOTICE D’INSTALLATION AVANT DE RACCORDER AU RESEAU.

Micro-Star International
MS-7369

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.

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 WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Statement

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 CONTENTS
Copyright Notice .............................................................................................................. ii
Trademarks ....................................................................................................................... ii
Revision History .............................................................................................................. ii
Technical Support ........................................................................................................... ii
Safety Instructions ......................................................................................................... iii
FCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement ........................................................ iv
W EEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Statement .................................... v
Chapter 1 Getting Started ..................................................................................... 1-1
Mainboard Specifications ................................................................................... 1-2
Mainboard Layout ................................................................................................ 1-4
Packing Checklist ................................................................................................. 1-5
Chapter 2 Hardware Setup ................................................................................... 2-1
Quick Components Guide .................................................................................... 2-2
CPU (Central Processing Unit) ............................................................................ 2-3
Memory ................................................................................................................. 2-6
Power Supply ...................................................................................................... 2-8
Back Panel .......................................................................................................... 2-10
Connectors ........................................................................................................ 2-12
Jumper ................................................................................................................ 2-18
Slots .................................................................................................................... 2-19
Chapter 3 BIOS Setup ............................................................................................. 3-1
Entering Setup ..................................................................................................... 3-2
The Main Menu ..................................................................................................... 3-4
Standard CMOS Features ................................................................................... 3-6
Advanced BIOS Features ................................................................................... 3-8
Integrated Peripherals ....................................................................................... 3-10
Power Management Setup ............................................................................... 3-12
PNP/PCI Configurations ..................................................................................... 3-14
H/W Monitor ........................................................................................................ 3-16
Frequency/Voltage Control ............................................................................... 3-17
Load Fail-Safe/ Optimized Defaults ................................................................. 3-20
BIOS Setting Password ..................................................................................... 3-21
Appendix A Realtek ALC888 Audio .................................................................... A-1
Installing the Realtek Audio Driver ...................................................................... A-2
Software Configuration ...................................................................................... A-4
Hardware Setup ................................................................................................ A-19

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 Appendix B nVidia RAID ......................................................................................... B-1
Introduction .......................................................................................................... B-2
RAID Configuration .............................................................................................. B-3
NVIDIA RAID Utility Installation ............................................................................. B-9
RAID Drives Management .................................................................................. B-12
Appendix C nVidia System Driver ...................................................................... C-1
nVidia System Driver Installation ........................................................................ C-2
nVidia Utility Installaion ........................................................................................ C-5
Appendix D Dual Core Center .............................................................................. D-1
Activating Dual Core Center ............................................................................... D-2
Main ...................................................................................................................... D-3
DOT(Dynamic Over Clocking) ............................................................................. D-5
Clock ..................................................................................................................... D-6
Voltage ................................................................................................................. D-7
FAN Speed ........................................................................................................... D-8
Temperature ......................................................................................................... D-9
User Profile ........................................................................................................ D-10

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 Getting Started

Chapter 1
Getting Started

Thank you for choosing the K9N Neo V2/ V3 Series

(MS-7369 v1.X) ATX mainboard. The K9N Neo V2/ V3
Series mainboards are based on nVidia® nForce 520/
nForce 560 single chipset for optimal system efficiency.
Designed to fit the advanced AM D ® Athlon 64X2/
Athlon 64 & Sempron processor, the K9N Neo V2/
V3 Series deliver a high performance and professional
desktop platform solution.

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Mainboard Specifications

Processor Support
- AMD® Athlon 64/ 64X2 & Sempron in the socket AM2 package
(For the latest information about CPU, please visit http://global.msi.
com.tw/index.php?func=cpuform)
Supported FSB
- HyperTransport supporting speed up to 1 GHz (2000MT/s)
Chipset
- nVidia® nForce 520/ nForce 560 chipset
M emory Support
- DDR2 533/667/800 SDRAM (240pin/ non-ECC)
- 4 DDR2 DIMMs (8GB Max)
(For more information on compatible components, please visit http:/
/global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=testreport)
LAN
- Supports Giga LAN 10/100/1000 Fast Ethernet by Realtek
RTL8111B/ RTL 8211BL (optional)
Audio
- Controlled by Realtek ALC888
- Supports 7.1 channels audio out
- Com pliant with Azalia Spec
IDE
- 1 IDE port
- Supports Ultra DMA 66/100/133, PIO & Bus Master operation
m ode
SATA
- 4 SATA ports support 4 SATA devices
- Supports storage and data transfers at up to 300 MB/s
RAID
- SATA1~4 support RAID 0/ 1/ 0+1/ 5 or JBOD mode (RAID 5 mode
only for MCP65GT)

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 Getting Started

Floppy
- 1 floppy port
- Supports 1 FDD with 360KB, 720KB, 1.2MB, 1.44MB and 2.88MB
Connectors
Back panel
- 1 PS/2 mouse port
- 1 PS/2 keyboard port
- 1 Serial port
- 1 Parallel port support SPP/EPP/ECP mode
- 4 USB 2.0 Ports
- 1 LAN jack
- 6 audio jacks

On-Board Pinheaders
- 3 USB 2.0 pin headers
- 1 Chassis Intrusion Switch pinheader
- 1 SPDIF-Out pinheader
- 1 Front Panel Audio pinheader
- 1 CD-In pinheader
Slots
- 1 PCI Express x 16 slot
- 2 PCI Express x 1 slots
- 3 PCI slots, support 3.3V/ 5V PCI bus Interface
Form Factor
- ATX (30.5 cm X 20.0 cm)

M ounting
- 6 mounting holes

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Mainboard Layout

CPUFAN1
Top : mouse
Bottom:
keyboard SYSFAN2 JPW1

Top :
Parallel Port

Bottom:
COM portA

USB ports

Top: LAN Jack

Bottom: USB ports

T:Line-In
M:Line-Out
B:Mic SYSFAN1

ATX1
T:RS-Out
M:CS-Out
B:SS-Out
DIM M1

DIM M2
DIM M3
DIM M4

LAN nForce 520/

Chip nForce 560

PCI_E2

PCI_E1
IDE1

JCI1

PCI_E16

BATT SATA2 SATA4

+
PCI1

ALC888 JBAT1
SATA1 SATA3
PCI2
JFP1

PCI3
JFP2

JAUD1 JUSB1 JUSB2 JUSB3

JCD1 SPDOUT1 FDD1

K9N Neo V2/ K9N Neo V3 Series

(MS-7369 v1.X) ATX Mainboard

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 Getting Started

Packing Checklist

Standard Cable for

MSI Driver/Utility CD IDE Devices (Optional)
MSI motherboard

SATA Cable Back IO Shield

Power Cable

User’s Guide

* The pictures are for reference only and may vary from the packing contents of the
product you purchased.

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 Hardware Setup

Chapter 2
Hardware Setup

This chapter provides you with the information about

hardware setup procedures. While doing the installation,
be careful in holding the components and follow the
installation procedures. For some components, if you
install in the wrong orientation, the components will not
work properly.
Use a grounded wrist strap before handling computer
c om ponen ts . S tatic elec tric ity m ay damage the
components.

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Quick Components Guide

SYSFAN2,
CPU, p.2-3
p.2-14
DDR2 DIMMs, p.2-6
JPW1,
CPUFAN1,
p.2-8
p.2-14
SYSFAN1, p.2-14

Back Panel
I/O, p.2-10

ATX1, p.2-8

PCIE x1 slot, IDE1, p.2-12

p.2-19

JCI1, p.2-14

PCIE x16 slot, JBAT1, p.2-18

p.2-19
SATA1~4,
p.2-13

JFP1, p.2-17
PCI Slots,
p.2-19 JFP2, p.2-17

SPDOUT1, JUSB1~3,
JAUD1,
p.2-16 p.2-16
p.2-15

JCD1, p.2-14
FDD1, p.2-12

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 Hardware Setup

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The mainboard supports AMD ® Athlon64/ 64x2 & Sempron processors. The mainboard
uses a CPU socket called Socket AM2 for easy CPU installation. W hen you are
installing the CPU, make sure the CPU has a heat sink and a cooling fan
attached on the top to prevent overheating. If you do not have the heat sink and
cooling fan, contact your dealer to purchase and install them before turning on the
computer.
For the latest information about CPU, please visit http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?
func=cpuform

Important

Overheating
Overheating will seriously damage the CPU and system. Always make sure
the cooling fan can work properly to protect the CPU from overheating. Make
sure that you apply an even layer of thermal paste (or thermal tape) between
the CPU and the heatsink to enhance heat dissipation.
Replaceing the CPU
While replacing the CPU, always turn off the ATX power supply or unplug the
power supply’s power cord from the grounded outlet first to ensure the safety
of CPU.
Overclocking
We do not guarantee the damages or risks caused by inadequate operation
or beyond product specifications.

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 M S-7369 M ainboard

CPU Installation Procedures for Socket AM2

1. Please turn off the power and

unplug the power cord before Open Lever
installing the CPU.

Sliding
2. Pull the lever s ideways away Plate
90 degree
from the socket. Make sure to
raise the lever up to a 90-de-
gree angle.

3. Look for the gold arrow of the Gold arrow

CPU. T he gold arrow s hould
point as shown in the picture.
The CPU can only fit in the cor-
rect orientation.

Correct CP U placement
4. If the CPU is correctly installed,
the pins should be completely Gold arrow
embedded into the socket and O
can not be seen. Please note
that any violation of the correct
in s tal lati on p roc edur es m ay
cause permanent damages to
your mainboard.
Incorrect CPU placement
Gold arrow

5. Press the CPU down firmly into Press down

the CPU
the socket and close the lever. Close
Lever
As the CPU is likely to move while
the lever is being closed, al-
ways close the lever with your
fingers pressing tightly on top of
the CPU to make sure the CPU is
properly and completely embed-
ded into the socket.

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 Hardware Setup

Installing AMD Socket AM2 CPU Cooler Set

W hen you are installing the CPU, make sure the CPU has a heat sink and a
cooling fan attached on the top to prevent overheating. If you do not have the
heat sink and cooling fan, contact your dealer to purchase and install them before
turning on the computer.

Important

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

1. Position the cooling set onto the re- 2. Then press down the other end of
tention mechanism. the clip to fasten the cooling set on
Hook one end of the clip to hook the top of the retention mechanism.
first. Locate the Fix Lever and lift up it .

Fixed Lever

3. Fasten down the lever. 4. Attach the CPU Fan cable to the CPU
fan connector on the mainboard.

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 M S-7369 M ainboard

Memory
These DIMM slots are used for installing memory modules.
For more information on compatible components, please visit http://global.msi.com.
tw/index.php?func=testreport

DDR2
240-pin, 1.8V
56x2=112 pin 64x2=128 pin

Dual-Channel mode Population Rule

In Dual-Channel mode, the memory modules can transmit and receive data with two
data bus lines simultaneously. Enabling Dual-Channel mode can enhance the system
performance. Please refer to the following illustrations for population rules under
Dual-Channel mode.

1 DIMM1
DIMM2
DIMM3
DIMM4

2 DIMM1
DIMM2
DIMM3
DIMM4

3 DIMM1
DIMM2
DIMM3
DIMM4

Installed
Empty

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 Hardware Setup

Installing Memory Modules

1. The memory module has only one notch on the center and will only fit in the right
orientation.
2. Insert the memory module vertically into the DIMM slot. Then push it in until the
golden finger on the memory module is deeply inserted in the DIMM slot.

Important

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

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

Volt Notch

Important

- DDR2 memory modules are not interchangeable with DDR and the DDR2
standard is not backwards compatible. You should always install DDR2
memory modules in the DDR2 DIMM slots.
- In Dual-Channel mode, make sure that you install memory modules of the
same type and density in different channel DIMM slots.
- To enable successful system boot-up, always insert the memory modules
into the DIM M1 first.
- Due to the chipset resource deployment, the system density will only be
detected up to 7+GB (not full 8GB) when each DIMM is installed with a 2GB
memory module.

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Power Supply

ATX 24-Pin Power Connector: ATX1

This connector allows you to connect an ATX 24-pin power supply.
pin 13
To connect the ATX 24-pin power supply, make sure the plug of the
power supply is inserted in the proper orientation and the pins are
aligned. Then push down the power supply firmly into the connector.
You may use the 20-pin ATX power supply as you like. If you’d like
to use the 20-pin ATX power supply, please plug your power sup-
ply along with pin 1 & pin 13 (refer to the image at the right hand).
There is also a foolproof design on pin 11, 12, 23 & 24 to avoid pin 12
wrong installation.

Pin Definition
12 24 PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

1 +3.3V 13 +3.3V
2 +3.3V 14 -12V
3 GND 15 GND
4 +5V 16 PS-ON#
ATX1 5 GND 17 GND
6 +5V 18 GND
7 GND 19 GND
8 PWR OK 20 Res
9 5VSB 21 +5V
10 +12V 22 +5V
11 +12V 23 +5V
1 13
12 +3.3V 24 GND

ATX 12V Power Connector: JPW1

This 12V power connector JPW 1 is used to provide power to the CPU.

Pin Definition

4 PIN SIGNAL
2
1 1 GND
3
2 GND
JPW1 3 12V
4 12V

Important

1. Maker sure that all the connectors are connected to proper ATX power sup-
plies to ensure stable operation of the mainboard.
2. Power supply of 350 watts (and above) is highly recommended for system
stability.

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 Hardware Setup

Important Notification about Power Issue

NForce chipset is very sensitive to ESD (Electrostatic Discharge), therefore this
issue mostly happens while the users intensively swap memory modules under S5
(power-off) states, and the power code is plugged while installing modules. Due to
several pins are very sensitive to ESD, so this kind of memory-replacement actions
might cause system chipset unable to boot. Please follow the following solution to
avoid this situation.
Unplug the AC power cable or unplug the power connectors before the 1st installa-
tion or during system upgrade procedure.

Unplug the AC power cable

Unplug the power connector Unplug the power connector

Important

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

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Back Panel

Parallel Port
Mouse LAN

Line-In RS-Out

Line-Out CS-Out

Keyboard Serial Port USB Port USB Port Mic SS-Out

M ouse/Keyboard Connector
The standard PS/2® mouse/keyboard DIN connector is for a PS/2® mouse/keyboard.
Parallel Port Connector
A parallel port is a standard printer port that supports Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP)
and Extended Capabilities Parallel Port (ECP) mode.
Serial Port
The serial port is a 16550A high speed communications port that sends/ receives 16
bytes FIFOs. You can attach a serial mouse or other serial devices directly to the
connector.
LAN (RJ-45) Jack
The standard RJ-45 jack is for connec- Activity Indicator Link Indicator
tion to single Local Area Network (LAN).
You can connect a network cable to it.

LED Color LED State condition

Off LAN link is not established.

Left Yelolow On (steady state) LAN link is established.
On (brighter & pulsing) The computer is communicating with another computer on the LAN.

Green Off 10 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.

Right On 100 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.
Orange On 1000 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.

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 Hardware Setup

USB Port
The USB (Universal Serial Bus) port is for attaching USB devices such as keyboard,
mouse, or other USB-compatible devices.
Audio Ports
These audio connectors are used for audio devices. You can differentiate the color
of the audio jacks for different audio sound effects.
Line-In (Blue) - Line In, is used for external CD player, tapeplayer or other
audio devices.
Line-Out (Green) - Line Out, is a connector for speakers or headphones.
Mic (Pink) - Mic, is a connector for microphones.
RS-Out (Black) - Rear-Surround Out in 4/ 5.1/ 7.1 channel mode.
CS-Out (Orange) - Center/ Subwoofer Out in 5.1/ 7.1 channel mode.
SS-Out (Gray) - Side-Surround Out 7.1 channel mode.

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Connectors

Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1

This connector supports 360KB, 720KB, 1.2MB, 1.44MB or 2.88MB floppy disk drive.

FDD1

IDE Connector: IDE1

This connector supports IDE hard disk drives, optical disk drives and other IDE devices.

IDE1

Important

If you install two IDE devices on the same cable, you must configure the
drives separately to master / slave mode by setting jumpers. Refer to IDE
dev ic e’s doc umentation s upplied by the vendors for jumper s etting
instructions.

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 Hardware Setup

Serial ATA Connector: SATA1/ SATA2/ SATA3/ SATA4

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

SATA2 SATA4

SATA1 SATA3

Important

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

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 M S-7369 M ainboard

Fan Power Connectors: CPUFAN1, SYSFAN1, SYSFAN2

The fan power connectors support system cooling fan with +12V. W hen connecting
the wire to the connectors, always note that the red wire is the positive and should
be connected to the +12V; the black wire is Ground and should be connected to GND.
If the mainboard has a System Hardware Monitor chipset on-board, you must use a
specially designed fan with speed sensor to take advantage of the CPU fan control.

GND
+12V GND
SENSOR +1 2V
Control SENSOR

CPUFAN1 SYSFAN1/2

Important

1. Please refer to the recommended CPU fans at processor’s official website

or consult the vendors for proper CPU cooling fan.
2. Fan cooler set with 3 or 4 pins power connector are both available for
CPUFAN1.
3. CPUFAN1 supports fan control. You can setup it in BIO S Setup. or
CPUFAN1 supports fan control. You can install Dual Core Center utility
that will automatically control the CPU fan speed according to the actual
CPU temperature.

Chassis Intrusion Switch Connector: JCI1

This connector connects to the chassis intrusion switch cable. If the chassis is
opened, the chassis intrusion mechanism will be activated. The system will record
this status and show a warning message on the screen. To clear the warning, you
must enter the BIOS utility and clear the record.

CINTRU 1
GND 2

JCI1

CD-In Connector: JCD1

This connector is provided for external audio input.

GND
L R

JCD1

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 Hardware Setup

Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD1

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

2 10
1 9
JAUD1

HD Audio Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 MIC_L Microphone - Left channel

2 GND Ground
3 MIC_R Microphone - Right channel
4 PRESENCE# Active low signal-signals BIOS that a High Definition Audio dongle
is connected to the analog header. PRESENCE# = 0 when a
High Definition Audio dongle is connected
5 LINE out_R Analog Port - Right channel
6 MIC_JD Jack detection return from front panel microphone JACK1
7 Front_JD Jack detection sense line from the High Definition Audio CODEC
jack detection resistor network
8 NC No control
9 LINE out_L Analog Port - Left channel
10 LINEout_JD Jack detection return from front panel JACK2

AC’97 Audio Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 MIC Microphone input signal

2 GND Ground
3 MIC_PWR Microphone power
4 NC No Control
5 LINE out_R Right channel audio signal to front panel
6 NC No Control
7 NC No Control
8 Key No pin
9 LINE out_L Left channel audio signal to front panel
10 NC No Control

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 M S-7369 M ainboard

Front USB Connector: JUSB1 / JUSB2 / JUSB3

This connector, compliant with Intel® I/O Connectivity Design Guide, is ideal for con-
necting high-speed USB interface peripherals such as USB HDD, digital cameras,
M P3 players, printers, modems and the like.

Pin Definition
PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

2 10 1 VCC 2 VCC
1 9 3 USB0- 4 USB1-
JUSB1/2/3 5 USB0+ 6 USB1+
7 GND 8 GND
9 Key (no pin) 10 USBOC

USB 2.0 Bracket

(Optional)

Important

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

S/PDIF-Out Connector: SPDOUT1 (for HDMI graphics card only)

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

1 2
SPDIFO GND

SPDOUT1

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 Hardware Setup

Front Panel Connectors: JFP1, JFP2

These connectors are for electrical connection to the front panel switches and LEDs.
The JFP1 is compliant with Intel® Front Panel I/O Connectivity Design Guide.

Power Power
LED Switch
- +
2 10
JFP1 1 9
+ - - +
HDD Reset
LED Switch

JFP1 Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

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

Speaker
- +
+ -
2 8
JFP2 1 7

Power
LED

JFP2 Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 GND Ground
2 SPK- Speaker-
3 SLED Suspend LED
4 BUZ+ Buzzer+
5 PLED Power LED
6 BUZ- Buzzer-
7 NC No connection
8 SPK+ Speaker+

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Jumper

Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1

There is a CMOS RAM onboard that has a power supply from an external battery to
keep the data of system configuration. W ith the CMOS RAM, the system can auto-
matically boot OS every time it is turned on. If you want to clear the system configuration,
set the jumper to clear data.

3 3

1
1 1
JBAT1
Keep Data Clear Data

Important

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

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 Hardware Setup

Slots

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Express Slot

The PCI Express slot supports the PCI Express interface expansion card.
The PCI Express x 16 supports up to 4.0 GB/s transfer rate.
The PCI Express x 8 supports up to 2.0 GB/s transfer rate.
The PCI Express x 4 supports up to 1.0 GB/s transfer rate.
The PCI Express x 1 supports up to 250 MB/s transfer rate.

PCI Express x16 Slot

PCI Express x1 Slot

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slot

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

32-bit PCI Slot

Important

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

PCI Interrupt Request Routing

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

Order 1 Order 2 Order 3 Order 4

PCI Slot 1 INT W# INT X# INT Y# INT Z#
PCI Slot 2 INT X# INT Y# INT Z# INT W#
PCI Slot 3 INT Y# INT Z# INT W# INT X#

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Chapter 3
BIOS Setup

This chapter provides information on the BIOS Setup

program and allows you to configure the system for
optimum use.
You may need to run the Setup program when:
² An error message appears on the screen during the
system booting up, and requests you to run SETUP.
² You want to change the default settings for cus-
tomized features.

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Entering Setup

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

Press DEL to enter SETUP

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

Important

1. The items under each BIOS category described in this chapter are under
continuous update for better system performance. Therefore, the descrip-
tion may be slightly different from the latest BIOS and should be held for
reference only.
2. Upon boot-up, the 1st line appearing after the memory count is the BIOS
version. It is usually in the format:

A7369NMS V1.0 060107 where:

1st digit refers to BIOS maker as A = AMI, W = AWARD, and P =

PHOENIX.
2nd - 5th digit refers to the model number.
6th digit refers to the chipset as I = Intel, N = nVidia, and V = VIA.
7th - 8th digit refers to the customer as MS = all standard customers.
V1.0 refers to the BIOS version.
060107 refers to the date this BIOS was released.

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 BIOS Setup

Control Keys

< ↑> Move to the previous item

< ↓> Move to the next item
< ←> Move to the item in the left hand
< →> Move to the item in the right hand
<Enter> Select the item
<Esc> Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu from a
submenu
<+/PU> Increase the numeric value or make changes
<-/PD> Decrease the numeric value or make changes
<F6> Load Optimized Defaults
<F8> Load Fail-Safe Defaults
<F10> Save all the CMOS changes and exit

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

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

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

General Help <F1>

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

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The Main Menu

Standard CM OS Features
Use this menu for basic system configurations, such as time, date etc.

Advanced BIOS Features

Use this menu to setup the items of AMI® special enhanced features.

Integrated Peripherals
Use this menu to specify your settings for integrated peripherals.

Power M anagement Features

Use this menu to specify your settings for power management.

PNP/PCI Configurations
This entry appears if your system supports PnP/PCI.

H/W M onitor
This entry shows your PC health status.

Frequency/Voltage Control
Use this menu to specify your settings for frequency/voltage control and overclocking.

Load Fail-Safe Defaults

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

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 BIOS Setup

Load Optimized Defaults

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

BIOS Setting Password

Use this menu to set the password for BIOS.

Save & Exit Setup

Save changes to CMOS and exit setup.

Exit Without Saving

Abandon all changes and exit setup.

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Standard CMOS Features

The items in Standard CMOS Features Menu includes some basic setup items. Use
the arrow keys to highlight the item and then use the <PgUp> or <PgDn> keys to select
the value you want in each item.

Date (MM:DD:YY)
This allows you to set the system to the date that you want (usually the current date).
The format is <day><month> <date> <year>.
day Day of the week, from Sun to Sat, determined by
BIOS. Read-only.
mon th The month from Jan. through Dec.
date The date from 1 to 31 can be keyed by numeric function keys.
year The year can be adjusted by users.

Time (HH:MM :SS)

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

IDE Primary M aster/ Slave & Serial-ATA1~4

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

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 BIOS Setup

Device/ Vendor/ Size

It will showing the device information that you connected to the IDE/SATA
connectors.

LBA/Large M ode
This allows you to enable or disable the LBA Mode. Setting to Auto enables LBA
mode if the device supports it and the devices is not already formatted with LBA
mode disabled.

DM A M ode
Select DMA Mode.

Hard Disk S.M.A.R.T.

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

Important

IDE Primary M aster/ Slave & Serial-ATA1~4 are appearing when you
connect the HD devices to the SATA connector on the mainboard.

Floppy Drive A
This item allows you to set the type of floppy drives installed. Available options:
[None], [360K, 5.25 in.], [1.2M, 5.25 in.], [720K, 3.5 in.], [1.44M, 3.5 in.], [2.88M, 3.5 in.].

System Information
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu, and the following screen appears.

This sub-menu shows the CPU information, BIOS version and memory status of your
system (read only).

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Advanced BIOS Features

Boot Sector Protection

This function protects the BIOS from accidental corruption by unauthorized users or
computer viruses. W hen enabled, the BIOS’ data cannot be changed when attempt-
ing to update the BIOS with a Flash utility. To successfully update the BIOS, you’ll
need to disable this Flash BIOS Protection function.
You should enable this function at all times. The only time when you need to disable
it is when you want to update the BIOS. After updating the BIOS, you should immedi-
ately re-enable it to protect it against viruses.

Full Screen LOGO Display

This item enables you to show the company logo on the bootup screen. Settings are:
[Enabled] Shows a still image (logo) on the full screen at boot.
[Disabled] Shows the POST messages at boot.

Quick Booting
Setting the item to [Enabled] allows the system to boot within 10 seconds since it will
skip some check items.

Boot Up Num-Lock LED

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

IOAPIC Function
This field is used to enable or disable the APIC (Advanced Programmable Interrupt
Controller). Due to compliance with PC2001 design guide, the system is able to run in
APIC mode. Enabling APIC mode will expand available IRQ resources for the system.

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MPS Table Version

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

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

Set Limit CPUID MaxVal to 3

The Max CPUID Value Limit is designed to limit the listed speed of the processor
to older operating systems.

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

HPET
The HPET (High Precision Event Timers) is a component that is part of the chipset.
You can to enable it, and will provide you with the means to get to it via the
various ACPI methods.

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

1st/ 2nd/ 3rd Boot Device

The items allow you to set the first/ second/ third boot device where BIOS
attempts to load the disk operating system.

Boot From Other Device

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

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Integrated Peripherals

USB Controller
This setting allows you to enable/disable the onboard USB controller.

USB Device Legacy Support

Select [Enabled] if you need to use a USB-interfaced device in the operating system.

Onboard LAN Controller

This item is used to enable/disable the onboard LAN controller.

LAN Option ROM

This item is used to decide whether to invoke the Boot ROM of the LAN controller.

HD Audio Controller
This setting is used to enable/disable the onboard audio controller.

On-Chip ATA Devices

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

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 BIOS Setup

On-Chip IDE Controller

This item allows you to enable/ disable the IDE controller.

PCI IDE BusMaster

This item allows you to enable/ disable BIOS to used PCI busmastering for
reading/ writing to IDE drives.

On-Chip SATA Controller

This item allows you to enable/ disable the SATA controller.

RAID mode
Select [RAID] will enable RAID function. Select [AHCI] to enable the AHCI (Advanced
Host Contoller Interface) function. Select [IDE] to configure the SATA device as
IDE device and without AHCI fucntion.

I/O Devices
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:

COM Port 1
Select an address and corresponding interrupt for the first serial port.

Parallel Port
There is a built-in parallel port on the on-board Super I/O chipset that provides
Standard, ECP, and EPP features. It has the following options:
[Disabled]
[3BC/IRQ7] Line Printer port 0
[278/IRQ5] Line Printer port 2
[378/IRQ7] Line Printer port 1

Parallel Port M ode

[Normal] Stardand Parallel Port
[EPP] Enhanced Parallel Port
[ECP] Extended Capability Port
[Bi-Directional] Extended Capability Port + Enhanced Parallel Port
To operate the onboard parallel port as Standard Parallel Port only, choose
[Normal]. To operate the onboard parallel port in the EPP mode simultaneously,
choose [EPP]. By choosing [ECP], the onboard parallel port will operate in ECP
mode only. Choosing [Bi-Direction] will allow the onboard parallel port to support
both the ECP and EPP modes simultaneously.

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Power Management Setup

Important

S3-related functions described in this section are available only when your
BIOS supports S3 sleep mode.

ACPI Function
This item is to activate the ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Management
Interface) Function. If your operating system is ACPI-aware, such as W indows 2000/
XP, select [Enabled].

ACPI Standby State

This item specifies the power saving modes for ACPI function. If your operating
system supports ACPI, such as W indows 2000/ XP , you can choose to enter the
Standby mode in S1(POS) or S3(STR) fashion through the setting of this field. Set-
tings are:
[S1] The S1 sleep mode is a low power state. In this state, no
system context is lost (CPU or chipset) and hardware main-
tains all system context.
[S3] The S3 sleep mode is a lower power s tate where the in
formation of system configuration and open applications/files
is saved to main memory that remains powered while most
other hardware components turn off to save energy. The
information stored in memory will be used to restore the sys-
tem when a “wake up” event occurs.

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Power Button Function

This feature sets the function of the power button. Settings are:
[Power Off] The power button functions as normal power off button.
[Suspend] W hen you press the power button, the computer enters the
suspend/sleep mode, but if the button is pressed for more
than four seconds, the computer is turned off.

Restore On AC Power Loss

This item specifies whether your system will reboot after a power failure or interrupt
occurs. Settings are:
[Off] Always leaves the computer in the power off state.
[On] Always leaves the computer in the power on state.
[Last State] Restores the system to the status before power failure
or interrupt occurred.

Wake Up Event Setup

Press <Enter> and the following sub-menu appears.

Resume From S3 By PS/2 Keyboard

This setting determines whether the system will be awakened from what power
saving modes when input signal of the PS/2 keyboard is detected.

Resume From S3 By PS/2 M ouse

This setting determines whether the system will be awakened from what power
saving modes when input signal of the PS/2 mouse is detected.

Resume By PCI Device (PM E#)

W hen set to [Enabled], the feature allows your system to be awakened from the
power saving modes through any event on PME (Power Management Event).

Resume By PCI-E Device

W hen set to [Enabled], the feature allows your system to be awakened from the
power saving modes through any event on PCI Express device.

Resume By RTC Alarm

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

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

PCI Latency Timer

This item controls how long each PCI device can hold the bus before another takes
over. W hen set to higher values, every PCI device can conduct transactions for a
longer time and thus improve the effective PCI bandwidth. For better PCI performance,
you should set the item to higher values.

PCI Slot 1/ 2/ 3 IRQ

These items specify the IRQ line for each PCI slot.

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 BIOS Setup

IRQ Resource Setup

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

IRQ 3/4/5/7/9/10/11/14/15
These items specify the bus where the specified IRQ line is used.
The settings determine if AMIBIOS should remove an IRQ from the pool of avail-
able IRQs passed to devices that are configurable by the system BIOS. The
available IRQ pool is determined by reading the ESCD NVRAM. If more IRQs must
be removed from the IRQ pool, the end user can use these settings to reserve
the IRQ by assigning an [Reserved] setting to it. Onboard I/O is configured by
AMIBIOS. All IRQs used by onboard I/O are configured as [Available]. If all IRQs
are set to [Reserved], and IRQ 14/15 are allocated to the onboard PCI IDE, IRQ 9
will still be available for PCI and PnP devices.

Important

IRQ (Interrupt Request) lines are system resources allocated to I/O devices.
When an I/O device needs to gain attention of the operating system, it sig-
nals this by causing an IRQ to occur. After receiving the signal, when the
operating system is ready, the system will interrupt itself and perform the
service required by the I/O device.

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H/W Monitor

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

CPU Smart FAN Target

The mainboard provides the Smart Fan function which can control the CPU fan speed
automatically depending on the current temperature to keep it with in a specific range.
You can select a fan target value here. If the current CPU fan temperature reaches to
the target value, the smart fan function will be activated. It provides several sections
to speed up for cooling down automaticlly.

CPU Fan Tolerance Value

W hen a particular temperature setting is selected for the previous item, CPU
Smart Fan Target, a temperature tolerance value between 1 to 5 can be
adjusted here.

---- PC Health Status ----

CPU/ System Temperature, CPU FAN/ SYS FAN1/ 2 Speed, CPU Vcore,
3.3V, 5V, 12V, 5V SB
These items display the current status of all of the monitored hardware devices/
components such as CPU voltage, temperatures and all fans’ speeds.

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Frequency/Voltage Control

Current CPU/ DRAM Frequency

These items show the current clocks of CPU and Memory speed. Read-only.

AMD Cool’n’Quiet
The Cool’n’ Quiet technology can effectively and dynamically lower CPU speed and
power consumption.

Important

To ensure that Cool’n’Quiet function is ac-

tivated and will be working properly, it is
required to double confirm that:
1. R u n B I O S S e t u p , a n d s e l e c t
Frequcncy/Voltage Control. Under
F re qu cn cy /V ol ta ge C on tr ol , fin d
AMD Cool’n’Quiet, and set this item
to “Enable.”
2. Enter Windows , and select [Start]->
[Settings]->[Control Pannel]->[Power
Options]. Enter Power Options Prop-
erties tag, and select Minimal Power
Management under Power schemes.

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Important

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

Adjust CPU FSB Frequency

This item allows you to select the CPU Front Side Bus clock frequency (in MHz).
Adjust CPU Ratio
This item allows you to set the CPU ratio.
Advance DRAM Configuration
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears.

MCT Timing M ode

This field has the capacity to automatically detect all of the DRAM timing. If you
set this field to [Manual], the following fields will be selectable.
CAS# Latency (TCL)
W hen the M CT Timing M ode sets to [Manual], the field is adjustable.This
controls the CAS latency, which determines the timing delay (in clock cycles)
before SDRAM starts a read command after receiving it.
Min RAS# Active Time (TRAS)
W hen the M CT Timing Mode sets to [Manual], the field is adjustable. This
setting determines the time RAS takes to read from and write to a memory cell.

RAS# Precharge Time (TRP)

W hen the MCT Timing Mode sets to [Manual], the field is adjustable. This item
controls the number of cycles for Row Address Strobe (RAS) to be allowed to
precharge. If insufficient time is allowed for the RAS to accumulate its charge
before DRAM refresh, refreshing may be incomplete and DRAM may fail to retain
data. This item applies only when synchronous DRAM is installed in the system.
RAS# to CAS# Delay (TRCD)
W hen the MCT Timing Mode sets to [Manual], the field is adjustable. W hen
DRAM is refreshed, both rows and columns are addressed separately. This
setup item allows you to determine the timing of the transition from RAS (row
address strobe) to CAS (column address strobe). The less the clock cycles, the
faster the DRAM performance.

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ROW to ROW Delay (TRRD)

W hen the MCT Timing Mode sets to [Manual], the field is adjustable. Specifies
the active-to-active delay of different banks.
ROW Cycle Time (TRC)
W hen the MCT Timing Mode sets to [Manual], the field is adjustable. The row
cycle time determines the minimum number of clock cycles a memory row takes
to complete a full cycle, from row activation up to the precharging of the active
r ow.

1T/2T M emory Timing

This field controls the SDRAM command rate. Selecting [1T] makes SDRAM
signal controller to run at 1T (T=clock cycles) rate. Selecting [2T] makes SDRAM
signal controller run at 2T rate.

Adjust DDR M emory Frequency

You can place an artificial memory clock limit on the system. Please note that memory
is prevented from running faster than this frequency.

Adjust PCI-E Frequency

This field allows you to select the PCIE frequency (in MHz).

Auto Disable DIM M/PCI Frequency

This item is used to auto disable the DIMM/PCI slots. W hen set to [Enabled], the
system will remove (turn off) clocks from empty DIMM/PCI slots to minimize the elec-
tromagnetic interference (EMI).

CPU Voltage
This item allows you to increase the CPU voltage.

M emory Voltage
Adjusting the memory voltage can increase the memory speed.

Spread Spectrum
This setting is used to enable or disable the Spread Spectrum feature. W hen
overclocking, always set it to [Disabled].

Important

1. If you do not have any EMI problem, leave the setting at [Disabled] for
optimal system stability and performance. But if you are plagued by EMI,
select the value of Spread Spectrum for EMI reduction.
2. The greater the Spread Spectrum value is, the greater the EMI is reduced,
and the system will become less stable. For the most suitable Spread
Spectrum value, please consult your local EMI regulation.
3. Remember to disable Spread Spectrum if you are overclocking because
even a slight jitter can introduce a temporary boost in clock speed which
may just cause your overclocked processor to lock up.

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Load Fail-Safe/ Optimized Defaults

The two options on the main menu allow users to restore all of the BIOS settings to
the default Fail-Safe or Optimized values. The Optimized Defaults are the default
values set by the mainboard manufacturer specifically for optimal performance of the
mainboard. The Fail-Safe Defaults are the default values set by the BIOS vendor for
stable system performance.
W hen you select Load Fail-Safe Defaults, a message as below appears:

Selecting Ok and pressing Enter loads the BIOS default values for the most stable,
minimal system performance.

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

Selecting Ok and pressing Enter loads the default factory settings for optimal sys-
tem performance.

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BIOS Setting Password

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

Type the password, up to six characters in length, and press <Enter>. The password
typed now will replace any previously set password from CMOS memory. You will
be prompted to confirm the password. Retype the password and press <Enter>. You
may also press <Esc> to abort the selection and not enter a password.
To clear a set password, just press <Enter> when you are prompted to enter the
password. A message will show up confirming the password will be disabled. Once
the password is disabled, the system will boot and you can enter Setup without
entering any password.
W hen a password has been set, you will be prompted to enter it every time you try
to enter Setup. This prevents an unauthorized person from changing any part of your
system configuration.

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 Realtek ALC888 Audio

Appendix A
Realtek ALC888 Audio

The Realtek ALC888 provides 10-channel DAC that si-

multaneously supports 7.1 sound playback and 2 chan-
nels of independent s tereo s ound output (multiple
streaming) through the Front-Out-Left and Front-Out-
Right channels.

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Installing the Realtek HD Audio Driver

You need to install the driver for Realtek ALC888 codec to function properly before
you can get access to 2-, 4-, 6-, 8- channel or 7.1+2 channel audio operations.
Follow the procedures described below to install the drivers for different operating
systems.

Installation for Windows 2000/XP

For W indows ® 2000, you must install W indows ® 2000 Service Pack4 or later before
installing the driver. For Windows ® XP, you must install W indows ® XP Service Pack1
or later before installing the driver.
The following illustrations are based on W indows ® XP environment and could look
slightly different if you install the drivers in different operating systems.
1. Insert the application CD into the CD-ROM drive. The setup screen will auto-
matically appear.
2. Click Realtek HD Audio Driver.

Click here

Important

The HD Audio Configuration software utility is under continuous update

to enhance audio applications. Hence, the program screens shown here in
this section may be slightly different from the latest software utility and shall
be held for reference only.

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 Realtek ALC888 Audio

3. Click Next to install the Realtek High Definition Audio Driver.

Click here

4. Click Finish to restart the system.

S el ec t t hi s
option

Click here

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Software Configuration

After installing the audio driver, you are able to use the 2-, 4-, 6- or 8- channel audio
feature now. Click the audio icon from the system tray at the lower-right corner of
the screen to activate the HD Audio Configuration. It is also available to enable the
audio driver by clicking the Azalia HD Sound Effect M anager from the Control
Panel.

Double click

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Sound Effect
Here you can select a sound effect you like from the Environment list.

Environment Simulation
You will be able to enjoy different sound experience by pulling down the arrow,
totally 23 kinds of sound effect will be shown for selection. Realtek HD Audio Sound
Manager also provides five popular settings “Stone Corridor”, “Bathroom”, “Sewer
pipe”, “Arena” and “Audio Corridor” for quick enjoyment.
You may choose the provided sound effects, and the equalizer will adjust automatically.
If you like, you may also load an equalizer setting or make an new equalizer setting to
save as an new one by using the “Load EQ Setting” and “Save Preset” button,
click “Reset EQ Setting” button to use the default value, or click “Delete EQ Set-
ting” button to remove a preset EQ setting.
There are also other pre-set equalizer models for you to choose by clicking “Others”
under the Equalizer part.

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Equalizer Selection
Equalizer frees users from default settings; users may create their owned preferred
settings by utilizing this tool.

10 bands of equalizer, ranging from 100Hz to 16KHz.

Save Reset
The settings are saved 10 bands of equalizer
permanently for future would go back to the de-
use fault setting

Enable / Disable Lo ad
To disable, you can tem- W henever you would like to
porarily s top the sound use preload settings, simply
effect without losing the click this, the whole list will
settings be shown for your selection.

Delete
To delete the pre-saved settings which are created from previous steps.

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Frequently Used Equalizer Setting

Realtek recognizes the needs that you might have. By leveraging our long experience
at audio field, Realtek HD Audio Sound Manager provides you certain optimized equal-
izer settings that are frequently used for your quick enjoyment.

[How to Use It]

Other than the buttons “Pop” “Live” “Club” & “Rock” shown on the page, to pull down
the arrow in “Others”, you will find more optimized settings available to you.
Karaoke M ode
Karaoke mode brings Karaoke fun back home. Simply using the music you usually
play, Karaoke mode can help you eliminate the vocal of the song or adjust the key to
accommodate your range.
1.Vocal Cancellation: Single click on “Voice Cancellation”, the vocal of the song would
be eliminated, while the background music is still in place, and you can be that
singer!
2.Key Adjustment: Using “Up / Down Arrow” to find a key which better fits your vocal
range.

Raise the key

Remov e the
human voice

Lower the key

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Mixer
In the Mixer part, you may adjust the volumes of the rear and front panels individually.
1. Adjust Volume
You can adjust the volume of the speakers that you pluged in front or rear panel.

Important

Before set up, please make sure the playback devices are well plugged in the
jacks on the rear or front panel.

2. Multi-Stream Function
ALC888 supports an outstanding feature called Multi-Stream, which means you may
play different audio sources simultaneously and let them output respectively from the
indicated real panel or front panel. This feature is very helpful when 2 people are
using the same computer together for different purposes.

Click the button and the Mixer ToolBox menu will appear. Then check the Enable
playback multi-streaming and click OK to save the setup.

Important

You have to plug the device into the jacks on the rear and front panel first
before enable the multi-stream function.

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W hen you are playing the first audio source (for example: use W indows Media
Player to play DVD/VCD), the output will be played from the rear panel, which is the
default setting.

Then you must to select the Realtek HD Audio 2nd output from the scroll list
first, and use a different program to play the second audio source (for example: use
Winamp to play MP3 files). You will find that the second audio source (MP3 music) will
come out from the Line-Out audio jack of Front Panel.

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3. Playback control

Playback device
Tool Mute This function is to let you freely decide which ports to
output the sound. And this is essential when multi-
streaming playback enabled.
- Realtek HD Audio Output
- Realtek HD Audio 2nd Output

M u te
You may choose to mute single or multiple volume controls or to completely mute
sound output.

Tool
- Show the following volume controls
This is to let you freely decide which volume control items to be displayed.
- Advanced controls
- Enable playback multi-streaming
W ith this function, you will be able to have an audio chat with your friends via
headphone (stream 1 from front panel) while still have music (stream 2 from back
panel) in play. At any given period, you can have maximum 2 streams operating
simultaneously.

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4. Recording control

Tool Mute Recording device

-Realtek HDA Primary input
-Mic in at front panel (Green)

M u te
You may choose to mute single or multiple volume controls or to completely mute
sound input.
Tool
- Show the following volume controls
This is to let you freely decide which volume control items to be displayed.
- Enable recording multi-streaming

Important

ALC888 allows you to record the CD, Line, Mic and Stereo Mix channels
simultaneously, frees you from mixing efforts. At any given period, you may
choose 1 of the following 4 channels to record.

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Audio I/O
In this tab, you can easily configure your multi-channel audio function and speakers.
You can choose a desired multi-channel operation here.
a. Headphone for the common headphone
b. 2CH Speaker for Stereo-Speaker Output
c. 4CH Speaker for 4-Speaker Output
d. 6CH Speaker for 5.1-Speaker Output
e. 8CH Speaker for 7.1-Speaker Output

Speaker Configuration:

1. Plug the speakers in the corresponding jack.

2. Dialogue “connected device” will pop up for your selection. Please select the
device you have plugged in.
- If the device is being plugged into the correct jack, you will be able to find the icon
beside the jack changed to the one that is same as your device.
- If not correct, Realtek HD Audio Manager will guide you to plug the device into the
correct jack.

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Connector Settings

Click to access connector settings.

Disable front panel jack detection (option)

Jack detection function only works with HD audio front panel.

M ute rear panel output when front headphone plugged in.

Enable auto popup dialogue, when device has been plugged in

Once this item checked, the dialog “Connected device” would automatically pop up
when device plugged in.

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S/PDIF (optional, for HDMI graphics card only)

Short for Sony/Philips Digital Interface, a standard audio file transfer format. S/PDIF
allows the transfer of digital audio signals from one device to another without having
to be converted first to an analog format. Maintaining the viability of a digital signal
prevents the quality of the signal from degrading when it is converted to analog.

Output Sampling Rate

44.1KHz: This is recommend while playing CD.
48KHz: This is recommended while playing DVD or Dolby.
96KHz: This is recommended while playing DVD-Audio.
192KHz: This is recommended while playing High quality Audio.

Output Source
No S/PDIF out: There will no S/PDIF out.
Output digital audio source: The digital audio format (such as .wav, .mp3, .midi etc)
will come out through S/PDIF-Out.

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Test Speakers
You can select the speaker by clicking it to test its functionality. The one you select
will light up and make testing sound. If any speaker fails to make sound, then check
whether the cable is inserted firmly to the connector or replace the bad speakers
with good ones. Or you may click the auto test button to test the sounds of
each speaker automatically.

Center

Front Left Front Right

Side Right

Side Left Subwoof er

Rear Left Rear Right

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Microphone
In this tab you may set the function of the microphone. Select the Noise Suppres-
sion to remove the possible noise during recording, or select Acoustic Echo
Cancelltion to cancel the acoustic echo druing recording.
Acoustic Echo Cancelltion prevents playback sound from being recorded by mi-
crophone together with your sound. For example, you might have chance to use
VOIP function through Internet with your friends. The voice of your friend will come
out from speakers (playback). However, the voice of your friend might also be
recorded into your microphone then go back to your friend through Internet. In that
case, your friend will hear his /her own voic e again. W ith AEC(Ac oustic Echo
Cancellation) enabled at your side, your friend can enjoy the benefit with less echo.

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3D Audio Demo
In this tab you may adjust your 3D positional audio before playing 3D audio applica-
tions like gaming. You may also select different environment to choose the most
suitable environment you like.

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Information
In this tab it provides some information about this HD Audio Configuration utility,
including Audio Driver Version, DirectX Version, Audio Controller & Audio Codec. You
may also select the language of this utility by choosing from the Language list.

Also there is a selection Show icon in system tray. Switch it on and an icon
will show in the system tray. Right-click on the icon and the Audio Accessories
dialogue box will appear which provides several multimedia features for you to take
advantage of.

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Hardware Setup

Connecting the Speakers

W hen you have set the Multi-Channel Audio Function mode properly in the software
utility, connect your speakers to the correct phone jacks in accordance with the
setting in software utility.

n 2-Channel M ode for Stereo-Speaker Output

1 4

3
6

1 Line In
2 Line Out (Front channels)
3 MIC
4 No function
5 No function
6 No function

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n 4-Channel M ode for 4-Speaker Output

4
1

2
5

3
6

1 Line In
2 Line Out (Front channels)
3 MIC
4 Line Out (Rear channels)
5 No function
6 No function

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n 6-Channel M ode for 6-Speaker Output

4
1

2 5

3
6

1 Line In
2 Line Out (Front channels)
3 MIC
4 Line Out (Rear channels)
5 Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel)
6 No function

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n 8-Channel M ode for 8-Speaker Output

1 4

2 5

3
6

1 Line In
2 Line Out (Front channels)
3 MIC
4 Line Out (Rear channels)
5 Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel)
6 Line Out (Side channels)

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 nVidia RAID

Appendix B
nVidia RAID

NVIDIA brings Redundant Array of Independent Disks

(RAID) technology—which is used by the world’s lead-
ing businesses—to the common PC desktop. This tech-
nology uses multiple drives to either increase total disk
space or to offer data protection. For all levels, RAID
techniques optimize storage solutions by using multiple
disks grouped together and treating them as a single
storage resource.

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Introduction

System Requirement
Operating System Support
NVRAID supports the following operating systems:
W indows XP/2000 & Vista

RAID Arrays
NVRAID supports the following types of RAID arrays described in this section:
RAID 0: RAID 0 defines a disk striping scheme that improves the disk read and write
times for many applications.
RAID 1: RAID 1 defines techniques for mirroring data.
RAID 0+1: RAID 0+1 combines the techniques used in RAID 0 and RAID 1 arrays.
RAID 5: RAID 5 defines techniques for parity data.
Spanning (JBOD): JBOD provides a method for combining drives of different sizes
into one large disk

Summary of RAID Configurations

Array Uses Advantages Drawbacks # Hard Fault
Disks Tolerance

RAID 0 Non-critical data High data throughput. No fault tolerance. multiple None
requiring high
performance.
RAID 1 Small databases or any 100% data Requires 2 drives for 2 Yes
other small capacity redundancy. the storage space of 1
environment requiring drive.
fault tolerance.

RAID 0+1 Critical data requiring Optimized for both Requires 2 drives for 4+ Yes
high performance. 100% data the storage space of 1
redundancy and drive—the same as
performance. RAID level 1.
Allows spare disks.

RAID 5 Critical data and Fault tolerance and Decreased write 3+ Yes
reasonable level of better utilization of performance due to
performance. disk space. parity calculations.
Requires at least
three drives.

JBOD Combining odd size Combines and uses Decreases Multiple No

drives into one big drive the capacity of odd performance because
size drives. of the difficulty in
using drives
concurrently or to
optimize drives for
different uses.

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RAID Configuration

Basic Configuration Instructions

The following are the basic steps for configuring NVRAID:

Non-Bootable RAID Array

1. Choose the hard disks that are to be RAID enabled in the system BIOS. (Refer the
bios section for details.)
2. Specify the RAID level, either Mirroring (RAID 1), Striping (RAID 0), Striping and
Mirroring (RAID 0+1), RAID 5 or JBOD and create the desired RAID array.
3. Enter the W indows OS, run the W indows nForce Setup application and install the
RAID software. (Check p.B-9 for details.)
4. Initialize the NVRAID Array Disks.

Bootable RAID Array

1. Choose the hard disks that are to be RAID enabled in the system BIOS.(Refer the
bios section for details.)
2. Specify the RAID level, either Mirroring (RAID 1), Striping (RAID 0), Striping and
Mirroring (RAID 0+1), RAID 5 or JBOD and create the desired RAID array.
3. Boot from the W indows CD, use the floppy disk that has the RAID driver to copy
and install the nForce RAID software. (Check p.B-7 for details.)
4. Initialize the NVRAID Array Disks.

Setting Up the NVRAID BIOS

Be sure to enable the RAID mode for SATA devices in BIOS before configuring the
NVRAID BIOS. After that press F10 to save the configuration and exit. The PC will
reboot right away. Then enter the RAID BIOS Setup by pressing F10 when prompted,
and follow the procedures described below to set up the NVRAID BIOS.
NVRAID BIOS setup lets you choose the RAID array type and which hard drives you
want to make part of the array.

Entering the RAID BIOS Setup

1. After rebooting your PC, wait until you see the RAID software prompting you to
press F10. The RAID prompt appears as part of the system POST and boot pro-
cess prior to loading the OS.
2. Press F10, and the NVIDIA RAID Utility
--- Define a New Array window will
appear.
The default RAID Mode is set to Mir-
roring and Striping Block is set to
O pti mal.

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Understanding the “Define a New Array” Window

Use the Define a New Array window to
• Select the RAID Mode
• Set up the Striping Block
• Specify which disks to use for the RAID Array
Depending on the platform used, the system can have one or more channels. In a
typical system there is usually one controller and multiple channels, and each chan-
nel has a slave and a master.
The channel/controller status of each hard disk is given in the Port columns of the
Free Disks and Array Disks lists.

In the example above, 0.0 means the hard drive is attached to Controller 0, Channel 0.
The following is a list of all possible combinations:

Serial ATA
0.0 Controller 0, Channel 0 (SATA1)
0.1 Controller 0, Channel 1 (SATA2)
0.2 Controller 0, Channel 2 (SATA3)
0.3 Controller 0, Channel 3 (SATA4)

Important

There is no such thing as Slave drive in Serial ATA. All drives are considered
to be Master since there is a one to one connection between the drive and the
controller.

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Using the Define a New Array Window

If necessary, press the tab key to move from field to field until the appropriate field is
highlighted.

• Selecting the RAID Mode

By default, this is set to [Mirroring]. To change to a different RAID mode, press the
down arrow key until the mode that you want appears in the RAID Mode box—either
[Mirroring], [Striping], [RAID5], [Spanning], or [Stripe Mirroring].

• Selecting the Striping Block Size

Striping Block size is given in kilobytes, and affects how data is arranged on the
disk. It is recommended to leave this value at the default [Optimal], which is 32KB, but
the values can be between [4 KB] and [128 KB].

• Assigning the Disks

The disks that you enabled from the RAID Config BIOS setup page appear in the Free
Disks block. These are the drives that are available for use as RAID array disks.
To designate a free disk to be used as a RAID array disk,
1. Tab to the Free Disks section. The first disk in the list is selected.
2. Move it from the Free Disks block to the Array Disks block by pressing the right
arrow key (-->). The first disk in the list is moved, and the next disk in the list is
selected and ready to be moved.
3. Continue pressing the right-arrow key (<-- ) until all the disks that you want to use
as RAID array disks appear in the Array Disks block.

It shows that two disks have been assigned as RAID1 array disks in the figure
above.

- Define a New Array -

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Completing the RAID BIOS Setup

1. After assigning your RAID array disks, press F7. The Clear disk data prompt
appears.

2. Press Y if you want to wipe out all the data from the RAID array, otherwise press
N. You must choose Yes if the drives were previously used as RAID drives.
The Array List window appears, where you can review the RAID arrays that you
have set up.

3. Use the arrow keys to select the array that you want to set up, then press Enter.
The Array Detail window appears.

4. If you want to mark this disk as empty and wipe out all its contents then press C.
5. At the prompt, press Y to wipe out all the data, otherwise press N.
6. Press Enter again to go back to the previous window and then press Ctrl+X to
exit the RAID setup. Now that the RAID setup has been configured from the RAID
BIOS, the next step is to configure and load NVRAID drivers under W indows, as
explained in “Installing the NVIDIA RAID Software Under Windows” on p.B-9.

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Installing the RAID Driver (for bootable RAID Array)

1. After you complete the RAID BIOS setup, boot from the W indows CD, and the
W indows Setup program starts.
2. Press F6 and wait for the W indows Setup screen to appear.

3. Specify the NVIDIA drivers:

(1) Insert the floppy that has the RAID driver, press S, then press Enter. The
W indows Setup screen appears as below:

Important

Please follow the instruction below to make an nVIDIA Serial ATA RAID driver
for yourself.
1. Insert the MSI CD into the CD-ROM drive.
2. Click the “Browse CD” on the Setup screen.
3. Copy all the contents in the :\\Nvidia \System \MCP65 \IDE \WinXP
\sataraid to a formatted floppy disk.
4. The driver disk for nVIDIA RAID controller is done.

(2) Select “NVIDIA RAID CLASS DRIVER” and then press Enter.
(3) Press S again at the Specify Devices screen, then press Enter.
(4) Select “NVIDIA NForce Storage Controller” and then press Enter. The follow-
ing W indows Setup screen appears listing both drivers:

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4. Press Enter to continue with W indows XP Installation. Be sure to leave the floppy
disk inserted in the floppy drive until the blue screen portion of W indows XP
installation is completed, then take out the floppy.
5. Follow the instructions on how to install W indows XP. After W indows XP is com-
pletely installed, it is recommended that you install the the RAID management tool.

Important

Each time you add a new hard drive to a RAID array, the RAID driver will have
to be installed under Windows once for that hard drive. After that, the driver
will not have to be installed.

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NVIDIA RAID Utility Installation

Installing the NVIDIA RAID Software Under Windows

(for Non-bootable RAID Array)
The existing W indows IDE Parallel ATA driver (as well as the Serial ATA driver if SATA
is enabled) must be upgraded to use the NVIDIA IDE Parallel ATA driver (as well as the
NV Serial ATA driver if SATA is enabled).
This section describes how to run the setup application and install the RAID software
which will upgrade the W indows IDE driver and install the RAID software.
1. Start the NVIDIA nForce Drivers installation program to open the NVIDIA W indows
nForce Drivers page.

2. Select the modules that you want to install. Make sure that the “NVIDIA IDE Driver”
is selected.

Important

You must install the NVIDIA IDE driver in order to enable NVIDIA
RAID. If you do not install the NVIDIA IDE driver, NVIDIA RAID will not be
worked.

3. Click Next and then follow the instructions.

4. After the installation is completed, be sure to reboot the PC.
5. After the reboot, initialize the newly created array.

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Initializing and Using the Disk Array

The RAID array is now ready to be initialized under W indows.
1. Launch Computer Management by clicking “Start” --> “Settings” --> “Control Panel”
then open the “Administrative Tools” folder and double click on “Computer
Management”.
2. Click “Disk Management” (under the “Storage” section). The Initialize and Convert
Disk W izards appears.

3. Click Next. The Select Disks to Initialize window appears. The disks listed depend
on how many arrays you have configured.

4. Click Next. The Select Disks to Convert window appears.

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5. Check the disk in the list if you want to make the array a dynamic disk, then click
Next. The Completing the Initialize and Convert Disk W izard window appears.

6. Click Finish. The “Computer Management” window appears.

The actual disks listed will depend on your system, and the unallocated partition is
the total combined storage of two hard disks. You must format the unallocated
disk space in order to use it.

7. Format the unallocated disk space. Right click “Unallocated space”, select “New
Partition…” and follow the wizard. After the drive has been formatted, it is ready
for use.

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RAID Drives Management

There is an application called NVRAIDMAN which helps you perform the following
tasks of nVDIA RAID.
• Viewing RAID Array Configurations
View an array configuration (mirrored, striped, mirror-striped, JBOD, or any sup-
ported combination)
• Setting Up a Spare RAID Disk
• View free and/or dedicated free disks
• Designate a free disk to a particular array
• Creating RAID Arrays
• Deleting a RAID Array
• Morphing From One RAID Array to Another
• Hot Plug Array
• Initializing a RAID Array
• Erase the data on the array by writing all zeros to the sectors of each hard
disk.
• Rebuilding a RAID Mirrored Array
• Rebuild a broken mirrored array
• W atch the progress of rebuilding an array
• Only applies to RAID 1, RAID 0+1, and RAID 5 arrays
• Synchronizing a RAID Array
• Rebuild the redundancy in RAID 1 or RAID 0+1 arrays (copy the data to the
redundant disk—the same operation as rebuilding)
• Rebuild the parity in RAID 5 arrays
Viewing RAID Array Configurations
To view your RAID configuration from W indows, launch the NVRAID Management
utility by double-clicking NvRaidMan.exe.
The RAID configuration information appears in the right-side pane, as shown below.

Important

The information in the figures in this part may very from what it is shown in
your system.

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Setting Up a Spare RAID Disk

You can designate a hard drive to be used as a spare drive for a RAID 1, RAID 0+1
or RAID 5 array. The spare drive can take over for a failed disk. NVRAID supports
two types of spare drives:

• Free Disk
A free disk is a disk that is not part of any RAID array, but can be used by any
available RAID 1 or RAID 0+1 array that requires a particular disk when one of its
disks crashes or becomes unusable. The process is automatic and doesn’t require
any user interaction.
For example, if you have a system with four hard disks where one disk is used to
boot the OS, two hard drives are set up in a mirrored array, and a fourth hard disk is
set up as a free disk, then if one of the mirrored array drives fails, the free disk will
be automatically assigned to the mirrored array to be used instead of the failed disk.

• Dedicated Disk
A dedicated free disk is a disk that is assigned to a RAID 1, RAID 0+1 or RAID 5 array
and that disk is used by that array only when needed, for example during a system
crash where a RAID mirrored drive is broken. The dedicated disk can be used only by
the array that it is assigned to and not by any other array, unlike a free disk which can
be used by any available RAID 1, RAID 0+1 or RAID 5 array.
Note: You must have at least two RAID arrays to use this feature.

Assigning a Free Disk

To mark a disk as free, or not a part of any array,
1. Enter the system BIOS setup and make sure that the drive that you want to mark as
free is RAID enabled.
2. Enter the RAID BIOS and make sure that the drive is not part of any array (if one
exists).
3. Boot into W indows and run the NVRAIDMAN program. The drive appears under the
Free Disk section. The figure below shows an example of the NVRAIDMAN display
if you have a mirror array and one free disk.

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Assigning a Dedicated Disk

To mark a disk as dedicated, or reserve it for use by a specific array,

Step 1: Mark the Disk as a Free Disk

1. Enter the system BIOS setup and make sure that the drive that you want to mark as
free is RAID enabled.
2. Boot into W indows and run the NVRAIDMAN program.
If the disk is not part of any RAID array, then it will appear under the Free Disk
section of the RAID GUI.

Step 2: Dedicate the Free Disk to an Array

W hile running NVRAIDMAN, dedicate the free disk to an array by doing the following:

1. Right click one of the two Mirrored arrays as shown below.

2. Select Designate Spare from the menu to launch the Spare Disk Allocation Wizard.

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3. Click Next.
The RAID Array Selection page appears.

4. From the Free Disk Selection page, select one of the two free disks available.
This would be the disk that will be designated to the mirror array.

5. Click Next.
The Completing the NVIDIA Spare Disk Allocation page appears.

6. Click Finish.
As shown in figure below, the ST380011A drive is now a dedicated free disk in the
mirrored array. If a system crash occurs that causes any of the two W D360GD
drives to fail, the ST380011A hard drive will take over and be used in the newly
formed mirrored array.

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Removing a Dedicated Disk

Once a dedicated disk has been assigned to a particular array, it can be removed at
any time. To remove the disk, right click on the dedicated disk and select “Remove
Disk...” to remove it. In the previous example, simply right click on the ST380011A
drive and select “Remove Disk...”. as shown in the screen shot below:

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Morphing From One RAID Array to Another

In a traditional RAID environment, when a user wants to change the current state of
a disk or a current array to a new RAID configuration, the process of reconfiguring
the new array involves multiple steps. The user must back up the data, delete the
array, re-boot the PC, and then reconfigure the new array.
NVIDIA RAID allows the end user to change the current state of the disk or array to
another with a one-step process called .Morphing.. This section describes the NVIDIA
Morphing process and explains how to use Morphing to convert from one RAID array
type to another.
General M orphing Principles
NVIDIA RAID includes extensive support for morphing, a process of converting from
one RAID mode to another RAID mode.

General Requirements and Limitations

• The new array capacity must be equal to or greater than the previous array.
For example, it is possible to morph from a RAID 1 array to a RAID 0 array as long as
the RAID 0 array is the same size as (or larger than) the RAID 1 array.
• You can’t morph
- To or from a JBOD (Spanning) array
- From RAID 1 to RAID 1
- From RAID 0+1 to RAID 1
- From RAID 5 to 1

Specific M orphing Requirements

The following table lists the disk requirements for a new RAID array for various
morphing combinations.

From To New Array Disk Requirements

m>n
RAID 0
Number of disks in the new array must be greater than the original array.
m =2, n =1
RAID 1 RAID 1 array must include two disks, converted from a one disk RAID 0
RAID 0 array.
m >= 2 x n
RAID 0+1 Number of RAID 0+1 disks must be equal to or greater than twice the
number of RAID 0 disks.
RAID5 m >= n+1

RAID 0 No additional restrictions.

RAID 1 ** Not a valid combination **

RAID 1
RAID 0+1 No additional restrictions.

RAID 5 m >= 3

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From To New Array Disk Requirements

m
m >=
> nn2
RAID 0 Number of RAID 0 disks must be equal to or greater than half the number
of RAID 0+1 disks.

RAID 0+1 RAID 1 ** Not a valid combination **

RAID 0+1 ** Not a valid combination **

RAID 5 m >= (n/2 + 1)

RAID 0 m >= n - 1

RAID 1 ** Not a valid combination **

RAID 5
RAID 0+1 m >= 2 x (n -1) ; where m is an even number of disks.

RAID 5 m >= n

Hot Plug Array

W ith respect to RAID, hot plugging is the ability to add a disk to a system safely and
without causing problems for the RAID software. For example, when a drive in a
mirrored array fails, the user can launch the Hot Plug Array W izard which instructs
the user as to when a drive can be safely added to the system. As soon as the drive
is added, the user can then finish running the RAID wizard and the drive becomes
usable by the system. Hot Plug Array allows the user to add or remove an entire array
without degrading the array in the process.

NVRAIDMAN can be used to hot plug a RAID disk. To hot plug a disk, simply do the
following:

1 Launch NVRAIDMAN and click on “Hot Plug Array” and the following screen shot
will appear:

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2 Click Next and the following screen shot will appear:

3 Connect the RAID disk that you want to use with any given RAID array.
4 Click Next and the following screen shot will appear:

5 Click Finish.

Initializing a RAID Array

Initializing a RAID array erases all the data that is stored on that array, and writes all
zeros to the disks. Initialization of newly configured RAID arrays is recommended to
ensure consistency and reliable performance on any supported fault tolerant array
such asRAID 5, RAID 0, and RAID 0+1. Use this feature only if you are absolutely sure
that you want to wipe out all the data on that array.
Initialization of a fault tolerant array can only be done when the array is being
created. To initialize an array, perform the following steps:
Note: In this example, a mirror array is initialized.

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1 From the NVRAIDMAN window, right click on any available free disk and select
Create Array as show in Figure below.

2 The Create Array W izard opens. Follow the W izard to create a Mirror array.
3 At the Create Array W izard Welcome screen, click Next.
4 At the RAID Array Selection page, make sure that RAID Mode is set to “Mirroring”
and Stripe Size is set to its default value of 64K, then click Next.
5 At the Free Disk Selection page, select the two drives that you want to Mirror and
click Next.
6 Click Next again and the following screen shot will appear:

7 Check “Intialize Array” and then click Next. The Initialization Warning dialog appears.

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8 Click OK. The Clearing System Data screen appears again with the Initialize Array
check box checked as shown below.

9 Click Next, then click Finish at the Completing the NVIDIA Create Array W izard
screen. The NVRAIDMAN windows shows the created RAID array as shown below.

The Initialization Process

As you can see from the screen shot above, the initialization process has started
and it will be completed in a short period of time. As soon as the Initialization process
starts, a popup window similar to the following will appear:

followed by the following pop-up window:

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Rebuilding a RAID Array

Rebuilding is the process of restoring data to a hard drive from other drives in the
array. This applies only to fault tolerant arrays such as RAID 1, RAID 0+1, as well as
a RAID 5. For example, assuming you have a three disk RAID 5 array, and one of the
drives fail, then you need the lost data on the newly added drive.

Rebuilding Instructions
After creating a mirrored array, you can rebuild the array using the following steps:
1. Go to W indows and run the NVIDIA RAID Management utility.
The picture below shows an example of a system with one mirrored array and two
free disks.

2. Right-click on Mirroring. The popup menu appears.

3. From the popup menu, click Rebuild Array. The NVIDIA Rebuild Array W izard
appears.

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4. Click Next. The Disk Selection page appears.

5. Select the drive that you want to rebuild by clicking it from the list, then click Next.
The Completing the NVIDIA Rebuild Array page appears.

6. Click Finish. The array rebuilding starts after a few seconds, and a small pop-up
message appears towards the bottom right corner of the screen as shown in the
figure below.

W hen the rebuilding process is finished you will see the pop up box shown in Figure
below.

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During the rebuilding process, the NVRAID Management utility screen shows the
status under the System Tasks and Details sections.

M ore About Rebuilding Arrays

• Rebuilding Occurs in the Background
The rebuilding process is very slow (it can take up to a day) and occurs in the
background so as not to affect the performance of the system.

• Rebuilding Applies Only to RAID 1/ RAID 0+1 or RAID 5 Arrays

Rebuilding an array works only when using RAID 1 , RAID 0+1, or RAID 5. Rebuilding
does not apply to RAID 0 and JBOD arrays.

• Rebuilding applies to a degraded fault tolerant array

You can rebuild a degraded mirrored array using any available Free Disk or Dedicated
Disk. For example, Figure below shows a mirrored array using two 34.48 GB drives
while having two Free Disks each 55.90 GB large.

To use one of these available free disks to rebuild your array, follow the same steps
as explained in “Rebuilding a RAID Array” on p.B-22, except when prompted to select
a disk, choose one of the two available free disks.

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Synchronizing a RAID Array

Synchronizing an array will force a rebuild of redundancy or parity. The operation is
applicable to any fault tolerant array such as RAID 1, 0+1 and RAID 5.
• For RAID1 and RAID 0+1, “sync” results in copying the data to the redundancy disk,
• For RAID 5, “sync” results in rebuilding the parity

To sync an array, do the following (This example assumes you have already created
a fault tolerant array such as RAID 1):
1. Right click on “Mirroring” and select Synchronize Array as shown in Figure
below.

2. The Synchronize Array W izard Welcome screen appears.

3. Click on Next and then click Finish at the W izard Completion screen. The
NVRAIDMAN window indicates that the array is synchronizing, as shown in Figure
below.

As you can see from the screen shot above, the synchronization process has
started and it will be completed in a short period of time.

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Appendix C
nVidia System Driver

MSI provides a setup CD along with your mainboard,

which contains the required drivers for your system,
and many other useful and powerful utility to bring you
the best experience for your office professional work-
ing and for your home leisure entertainment.

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nVidia System Driver Installation

Click on the Driver tab and the screen below will display.

NVIDIA System Driver

This driver is only available for W indows 2000 and W indows XP operating system.
Please follow the following step to install the driver correctly.

1. Click on the NVIDIA MCP68 System Driver button to install the NVIDIA System
Drivers for your Windows OS. Then the welcome dialogue will display. Click Next
to continue.

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2. Then the following screen displays the available components to install. All the
components shown here will be selected to be installed by default. Then click
Next.

3. The system will start installing the selected driver components automatically.

4. Then the following screen displays the information for the NVIDIA IDE SW Driver
installation. Click Next to continue.

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5. Then the following screen displays the installation of NVIDIA IDE SW Driver. Click
Yes to continue.

6. The following screen indicates that the installation is complete. Click Yes to restart
your computer or click No to restart it later.

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nVidia Utility Installaion

1. Click on the Utility tab and the screen below will display.

2. Then click on the NVIDIA Utility tab and the screen below will display.

3. Click the nTune Utility icon to install it.

nTune Utility - provides a safe and easy way to optimize PC performance.

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Appendix D
Dual Core Center

Dual Core Center, the most useful and powerful utility

that MSI has spent muc h researc h and ef forts to
develop, helps users to monitor or configure the hard-
ware status of MSI Mainboard & MSI Graphics card in
windows, such as CPU/GPU clock, voltage, fan speed
and temperature.
Before you install the Dual Core Center, please make
sure the system has meet the following requirements:

1. Intel Pentium4 / Celeron, AMD Athlon XP/ Sempron or

compatible CPU with PCI Express slot.
2. 256MB system memory.
3. CD-ROM drive for software installation.
4. Operation system: W indows XP.
5. DotNet Frame Work 2.0

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Activating Dual Core Center

Once you have your Dual Core Center installed (locate the setup source file in the
setup CD accompanying with your mainboard, path: Utility --> MSI Utility --> Dual
Core Center), it will have an icon in the system tray, a short cut icon on the
desktop, and a short cut path in your “Start-up” menu. You may double-click on each
icon to enable Dual Core Center.

short-cut icon in the system tray

short-cut path in the start-up menu

( path: S t ar t- - >P r ograms - - >MSI - - >
DualCoreCenter-->DualCoreCenter)

Important

Dual Core Center is for reference only.

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Main

Before using this utility, we have to remind you: only when installing the MSI
V044 (V044 has to install with the version 8.26 or newer driver)/ V046 or
V060 graphics card can activate the full function of this utility. If you install a
graphics card of other brand, only hardware status of the MSI mainboard would be
available.

Introduction:
Click each button appearing above to enter sub-menu to make further configuration
or to execute the function.

MB
Click MB button to read current CPU temperature, FSB and CPU clock of
mainboard will show below.

VGA
Click VGA button to read current GPU temperature, GPU clock and memory
clock of graphics card will show below.

DO T
Click DOT button to enable or disable the Dynamic Overclocking Technology.

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AV/ Game/ Office/ Silence/ Cool

MSI provides five common settings for different environments. The settings
had been set to optimal values to reac h better performanc e in eac h
environment. Click the button you need.

Important

Before clicking the AV/ Game/ Office/ Silence or Cool button, select Smooth
mode or Sharp mode to decide whether you want the system to reach the
optimal values smoothly or quickly.
Sharp mode Smooth mode

Clock
In this sub-menu, you can adjust and monitor the clocks of MB and graphics
card.

Voltage
In this sub-menu, you can adjust and monitor the voltages of MB and graphics
card.

FAN Speed
In this sub-menu, you can adjust and monitor the fan speeds of MB and
graphics card.

Temperature
In this sub-menu, you can monitor the temperatures of MB and graphics card.

User Profile
In this sub-menu, you can set the values of clock, voltage and fan speed by
your need and save them in a profile. You can save 3 profiles for further use.

Important

Click on the icon , the clock, voltage, fan, and temperature buttons will
appear beside the icon.

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DOT (Dynamic OverClocking)

Dynamic Overclocking Technology is an automatic overclocking function, included in
the MSITM ’s newly developed Dual CoreCenter Technology. It is designed to detect the
loading of CPU/ GPU while running programs, and to over-clock automatically. When
the motherboard detects that the loading of CPU is exceed the default threshold for a
time, it will speed up the CPU and fan automatically to make the system run smoother
and faster. W hen the graphics card detects that the loading of GPU is exceed the
default threshold for a time, it will speed up the GPU, memory, fan and voltage
automatically to make the system run smoother and faster. W hen the CPU/ GPU is
temporarily suspending or staying in low loading balance, it will restore the default
settings instead. Usually the Dynamic Overclocking Technology will be powered only
when users' PC runs huge amount of data, like 3D games or video process, and the
motherboard/ graphicd card need to be boosted up to enhance the overall performance.
There will be several selections when you click the DOT rate button (include increase
rate and decrease rate buttons), to select the DOT level, then you have to
click the DOT button to apply the DOT function.

DOT FSB-UP
Rate button

DOT FSB-DOWN
Rate button

Important

Even though the Dynamic Overclocking Technology is more stable than

manual overclocking, basically, it is still risky. We suggest user to make
sure that your CPU can afford to overclock regularly first. If you find the PC
appears to be unstable or reboot incidentally, it's better to lower the level of
overclocking options. By the way, if you need to conduct overclocking
manually, please do not to apply the DOT function.

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Clock
In the Clock sub-menu, you can see clock status (including FSB/ CPU clock of
mainboard and GPU/ memory clock of graphics card) of your system. And you can
select desired value for overclocking. There will be several items for you to select for
overclocking after you click button. You can click the plus sign button
to increase the clock, or click the minus sign button to decrease the clock. And
finally, click the Apply button to apply the values adjusted. If you do not want to apply
the adjustments, click the Cancel button to cancel. Or click the Default button to
restore the default values.

On the underside, it shows the graphs of the clocks. Only the curves of the item
which the button is lit up with red color will be shown.

Important

In the user profile, clicking the Save button can save the changes to it. In the
default profile, the Save button is not available.

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Voltage
In the Voltage sub-menu, you can see voltage status (including Vcore, memory, GPU
voltage... etc.) of your system, and you can select desired value for overclocking. It I
will show several items to select for overclocking after you click the button.
You can click the plus sign button to increase the voltage, or click the minus sign
button to decrease. And finally, click the Apply button to apply the adjustments.
If you do not want to apply the adjustments, click the Cancel button to cancel. Or click
the Default button to restore the default values.

On the underside, it shows the graphs of the voltages. Only the curves of the item
which the button is lit up with red color will be shown.

Important

In the user profile, clicking the Save button can save the changes to it. In the
default profile, the Save button is not available.

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FAN Speed

In the FAN Speed sub-menu, you can read fan status of your system. Select higher
speed for better cooling effect. There are several sections for you to change the fan
speed to a section after clicking button. Click the plus sign button to
increase the fan speed to a section, or click the minus sign button to decrease.
Or click the Default button to restore the default values.

On the underside, it shows the graphs of the fan speed. Only the curves of the item
which the button is lit up with red color will be shown.

Important

1. When you set the fan speed manually, please make sure to disabled the
“CPU Smart FAN Target” item in the BIOS.
2. In the user profile, clicking the Save button can save the changes to it. In
the default profile, the Save button is not available.

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Temperature
In the Temperature sub-menu, you can see temperature status of your system.

On the underside, it shows the graphs of the temperatures. Only the curves of the
item which the button is lit up with red color will be shown.

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User Profile
In the User Profile sub-menu, click the setting button that besides the user profile
bar, and the next screen will appear.

Here you can define the clock/ fan speed/ voltage by your need, click the
button to choose a value quickly, or click the plus / minus sign button to
increase/ decrease the value.

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Use the draw bar to set the max system temperature. W hen the system temperature
exceeds the threshold you defined, the system will pop up a warning message and
shut down the system.
Use the draw bar to set the minimal fan speed. When the fan speed is lower than the
threshold you defined, the system will pop up a warning message.

After setting all values you need, you can change the user profile name in the box
then click the save button to save all changes in a profile.

Finally, you can choose the user profile by click the button in the left side and click the
Apply button to load the user profile.

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