AM2NF3-VSTA

User Manual

Version 1.2
Published December 2006
Copyright©2006 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.

1
Copyright Notice:
No part of this manual may be reproduced, transcribed, transmitted, or translated in
any language, in any form or by any means, except duplication of documentation by
the purchaser for backup purpose, without written consent of ASRock Inc.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be regis-
tered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for
identification or explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.

Disclaimer:
Specifications and information contained in this manual are furnished for informa-
tional use only and subject to change without notice, and should not be constructed
as a commitment by ASRock. ASRock assumes no responsibility for any errors or
omissions that may appear in this manual.
With respect to the contents of this manual, ASRock does not provide warranty of
any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warran-
ties or conditions of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
In no event shall ASRock, its directors, officers, employees, or agents be liable for
any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages (including damages for
loss of profits, loss of business, loss of data, interruption of business and the like),
even if ASRock has been advised of the possibility of such damages arising from any
defect or error in the manual or product.

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.

CALIFORNIA, USA ONLY

The Lithium battery adopted on this motherboard contains Perchlorate, a toxic
substance controlled in Perchlorate Best Management Practices (BMP) regulations
passed by the California Legislature. When you discard the Lithium battery in
California, USA, please follow the related regulations in advance.
“Perchlorate Material-special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate”

ASRock Website: http://www.asrock.com

2
 Contents
1 . Introduction ............................................................ 5
1.1 Package Contents ..................................................................... 5
1.2 Specifications ........................................................................... 6
1.3 Minimum Hardware Requirement Table for Windows® VistaTM
Logo ........................................................................................ 9
1.4 Motherboard Layout ................................................................. 10
1.5 ASRock 8CH I/O ........................................................................ 11
2 . Installation .............................................................. 12
Pre-installation Precautions ............................................................... 12
2.1 CPU Installation ......................................................................... 13
2.2 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink ....................................... 13
2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM) .................................... 14
2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and AGP Slots) ............................................... 16
2.5 Jumpers Setup .......................................................................... 17
2.6 Onboard Headers and Connectors .......................................... 18
2.7 Serial ATA (SATA) Hard Disks Installation ................................ 22
2.8 Hot Plug and Hot Swap Functions for SATA HDDs .................. 22
2.9 Driver Installation Guide ............................................................ 22
2.10 Installing Windows® 2000 / XP / XP 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM
64-bit Without RAID Functions .................................................. 23
2.11 Installing Windows® 2000 / XP / XP 64-bit With RAID
Functions. ................................................................................. 23
2.12 Untied Overclocking Technology .............................................. 24
3 . BIOS SSETUP
ETUP UTILITY ................................................... 25
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................... 25
3.1.1 BIOS Menu Bar ............................................................... 25
3.1.2 Navigation Keys ............................................................. 26
3.2 Main Screen .............................................................................. 26
3.3 Advanced Screen .................................................................... 27
3.3.1 CPU Configuration .......................................................... 27
3.3.2 Chipset Configuration ..................................................... 30
3.3.3 ACPI Configuration ......................................................... 31
3.3.4 IDE Configuration ............................................................ 32
3.3.5 PCIPnP Configuration ...................................................... 34
3.3.6 Floppy Configuration ...................................................... 35
3.3.7 Super IO Configuration ................................................... 35
3.3.8 USB Configuration .......................................................... 36
3.4 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen ............................. 37
3.5 Boot Screen .............................................................................. 38

3
 3.5.1 Boot Settings Configuration ........................................... 38
3.6 Security Screen ........................................................................ 39
3.7 Exit Screen ............................................................................... 40
4 . Software Support ................................................... 41
4.1 Install Operating System ........................................................... 41
4.2 Support CD Information ............................................................. 41
4.2.1 Running Support CD ....................................................... 41
4.2.2 Drivers Menu .................................................................. 41
4.2.3 Utilities Menu ................................................................... 41
4.2.4 Contact Information ........................................................ 41

APPENDIX: AMD’s Cool ‘n’ Quiet TM TTechnology

echnology ...... 42

4
1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing ASRock AM2NF3-VSTA motherboard, a reliable
motherboard produced under ASRock’s consistently stringent quality control. It de-
livers excellent performance with robust design conforming to ASRock’s commit-
ment to quality and endurance.
In this manual, chapter 1 and 2 contain introduction of the motherboard and step-by-
step guide to the hardware installation. Chapter 3 and 4 contain the configuration
guide to BIOS setup and information of the Support CD.

Because the motherboard specifications and the BIOS software might be

updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without
notice. In case any modifications of this manual occur, the updated
version will be available on ASRock website without further notice. You
may find the latest VGA cards and CPU support lists on ASRock website
as well. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com

1.1 Package Contents

1 x ASRock AM2NF3-VSTA Motherboard
(ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 8.0-in, 30.5 cm x 20.3 cm)
1 x ASRock AM2NF3-VSTA Quick Installation Guide
1 x ASRock AM2NF3-VSTA Support CD
1 x Ultra ATA 66/100/133 IDE Ribbon Cable (80-conductor)
1 x 3.5-in Floppy Drive Ribbon Cable
1 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cable (Optional)
1 x Serial ATA (SATA) HDD Power Cable (Optional)
1 x ASRock 8CH I/O Shield

5
1.2 Specifications

Platform - ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 8.0-in, 30.5 cm x 20.3 cm

CPU - Socket AM2 for AMD AthlonTM 64FX / 64X2 / 64 and Sempron
Processors
- Supports AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietTM Technology
(see CAUTION 1)
- Supports Untied Overclocking Technology (see CAUTION 2)
- Supports Hyper-Transport Technology
Chipset - NVIDIA® nForce3 250
Memory - Dual Channel DDRII Memory Technology (see CAUTION 3)
- 4 x DDRII DIMM slots
- Support DDRII800/667/533
- Max. capacity: 16GB (see CAUTION 4)
Hybrid Booster - CPU Frequency Stepless Control (see CAUTION 5)
- ASRock U-COP (see CAUTION 6)
- Boot Failure Guard (B.F.G.)
- ASRock AM2 Boost: ASRock Patented Technology to boost
memory performance up to 12.5% (see CAUTION 7)
Expansion Slot - 5 x PCI slots
- 1 x AGP 8X slot (see CAUTION 8)
Audio - C-Media CM6501 7.1 channel audio compliant with UAA
architecture
LAN - Realtek PHY RTL8201CL
- Speed: 10/100 Ethernet
- Supports Wake-On-LAN
Rear Panel I/O ASRock 8CH I/O
- 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port
- 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port
- 1 x Serial Port: COM1
- 1 x Parallel Port (ECP/EPP Support)
- 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports
- 1 x RJ-45 Port
- Audio Jack: Side Speaker/Rear Speaker/Central Bass/
Line in/Front Speaker/Microphone (see CAUTION 9)

6
Connector - 2 x Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,
RAID 1, JBOD) and “Hot Plug” functions
- 2 x ATA133 IDE connectors (support 4 x IDE devices)
- 1 x Floppy connector
- 1 x IR header
- 1 x Game header
- CPU/Chassis FAN connector
- 20 pin ATX power connector
- 4 pin 12V power connector
- CD in header
- Front panel audio connector
- 2 x USB 2.0 headers (support 4 USB 2.0 ports; 2 of them are
shared with USB23 ports on the I/O panel)
(see CAUTION 10)
BIOS Feature - 4Mb AMI BIOS
- AMI Legal BIOS
- Supports “Plug and Play”
- ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events
- Supports jumperfree
- SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support
Support CD - Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version)
Hardware - CPU Temperature Sensing
Monitor - Chassis Temperature Sensing
- CPU Fan Tachometer
- Chassis Fan Tachometer
- CPU Quiet Fan
- Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, Vcore
OS - Microsoft® Windows® 2000/XP/XP 64-bit/VistaTM / VistaTM
64-bit compliant (see CAUTION 11)
Certifications - FCC, CE, Microsoft® WHQL Certificated

WARNING
Please realize that there is a certain risk involved with overclocking, including adjusting
the setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking Technology, or using the third-
party overclocking tools. Overclocking may affect your system stability, or even
cause damage to the components and devices of your system. It should be done at
your own risk and expense. We are not responsible for possible damage caused by
overclocking.

7
CAUTION!
1. For power-saving’s sake, it is strongly recommended to enable AMD’s Cool ‘n’
QuietTM technology under Windows system. See APPENDIX on page 42 to
enable AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietTM technology.
2. This motherboard supports Untied Overclocking Technology. Please read “Un-
tied Overclocking Technology” on page 24 for details.
3. This motherboard supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. Before you
implement Dual Channel Memory Technology, make sure to read the
installation guide of memory modules on page 14 for proper installation.
4. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be
less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows® XP
and Windows® VistaTM. For Windows® XP 64-bit and Windows® VistaTM 64-
bit with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limitation.
5. Although this motherboard offers stepless control, it is not recommended to
perform over-clocking. Frequencies other than the recommended CPU bus
frequencies may cause the instability of the system or damage the CPU.
6. While CPU overheat is detected, the system will automatically shutdown.
Before you resume the system, please check if the CPU fan on the motherboard
functions properly and unplug the power cord, then plug it back again. To
improve heat dissipation, remember to spray thermal grease between the
CPU and the heatsink when you install the PC system.
7. This motherboard supports ASRock AM2 Boost overclocking technology. If
you enable this function in the BIOS setup, the memory performance will
improve up to 12.5%, but the effect still depends on the AM2 CPU you adopt.
Enabling this function will overclock the chipset/CPU reference clock. However,
we can not guarantee the system stability for all CPU/DRAM configurations.
If your system is unstable after AM2 Boost function is enabled, it may not be
applicative to your system. You may choose to disable this function for
keeping the stability of your system.
8. Do NOT use a 3.3V AGP card on the AGP slot of this motherboard!
It may cause permanent damage!
9. For microphone input, this motherboard supports both stereo and mono modes.
For audio output, this motherboard supports 2-channel, 4-channel, 6-channel,
and 8-channel modes. Please check the table on page 11 for proper connection.
10. Power Management for USB 2.0 works fine under Microsoft® Windows®
VistaTM 64-bit / VistaTM / XP 64-bit / XP SP1 or SP2 / 2000 SP4.
11. Microsoft® Windows® VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit driver keeps on updating now. As
long as we have the latest driver, we will update it to our website in the future.
Please visit our website for Microsoft® Windows® VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit driver
and related information.
ASRock website http://www.asrock.com

8
1.3 Minimum Hardware R equirement TTable
Requirement able for W indows ®
Windows
Vista TM Premium and Basic Logo
For system integrators and users who purchase this motherboard and
plan to submit Windows® VistaTM Premium and Basic logo, please follow the
below table for minimum hardware requirement.

CPU Sempron 2800+

Memory 512MB Single Channel
VGA DX9.0 with WDDM Driver
with 128bit VGA memory (Premium)
with 64bit VGA memory (Basic)

9
1.4 Motherboard Layout

1 2 3 4 5 6

20.3cm (8.0-in)

1
PS2_USB_PW1
PS2
Mouse
ATX12V1
Keyboard

PARALLEL PORT
PS2

DDRII_2 (64/72 bit, 240-pin module)

DDRII_4 (64/72 bit, 240-pin module)

DDRII_1 (64/72 bit, 240-pin module)

DDRII_3 (64/72 bit, 240-pin module)

COM1

FSB800

FSB800
SOCKET AM2

30.5cm (12.0-in)
1

USB 2.0
USB2_3

T: USB2
B: USB3
28
USB 2.0
T: USB0 Top:
RJ-45
B: USB1
REAR SPK
Top:
CTR BASS
Bottom:

SIDE SPK
Center:

27
ATXPWR1
MIC IN
Bottom:

LINE IN
Top:
FRONT
Center:

Dual Core CPU

SATA2 SATA1
SATA 7
CPU_FAN1 8
LAN
DDRII800
26
PHY
Dual Channel
25 1.5V_AGP1
9
AGP 8X ATA133
7.1CH

IDE2 IDE1
Super
I/O

PCI1

RAID
NVIDIA 10
24 PCI2 nForce3 250
Chipset
AM2NF3-VSTA
BIOS
4Mb

23
PCI3

22
11
CD1

USB45
PCI4
12
AUDIO
CODEC
1

RoHS USB2.0
CMOS
PCI5 BATTERY
13
SPEAKER1
1
JR1 JL1
FLOPPY1 CHA_FAN1 PANEL 1
GAME1

21
IR1 PLED PWRBTN
1
1 1 1 1
AUDIO1 CLRCMOS1 HDLED RESET

20 19 18 17 16 15 14

1 PS2_USB_PW1 Jumper 14 System Panel Header (PANEL1)

2 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1) 15 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)
3 CPU Heatsink Retention Module 16 Infrared Module Header (IR1)
4 AM2 940-Pin CPU Socket 17 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)
5 2 x 240-pin DDRII DIMM Slots 18 Floppy Connector (FLOPPY1)
(Dual Channel A: DDRII_1, DDRII_2; Yellow) 19 Game Port Header (GAME1)
6 2 x 240-pin DDRII DIMM Slots 20 JR1 / JL1 Jumper
(Dual Channel B: DDRII_3, DDRII_4; Orange) 21 Front Panel Audio Header (AUDIO1)
7 Secondary Serial ATA Connector (SATA2, Black) 22 Internal Audio Connector: CD1 (Black)
8 Primary Serial ATA Connector (SATA1, Black) 23 Flash Memory
9 NVIDIA nForce3 250 Single Chip 24 5 x PCI Slots (PCI1- 5)
10 Primary IDE Connector (IDE1, Blue) 25 AGP Slot (1.5V_AGP1)
11 Secondary IDE Connector (IDE2, Black) 26 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)
12 USB 2.0 Header (USB45, Blue) 27 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1)
13 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER 1) 28 Shared USB 2.0 Header (USB2_3, Blue)

10
1.5 ASRock 8CH I/O

1 2

3 6

4 7

5 8

13 12 11 10 9

1 Parallel Port 8 Microphone (Pink)

2 RJ-45 Port 9 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01)
3 Side Speaker (Gray) 10 USB 2.0 Ports (USB23)
4 Rear Speaker (Black) 11 Serial Port: COM1
5 Central / Bass (Orange) 12 PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)
6 Line In (Light Blue) 13 PS/2 Mouse Port (Green)
*7 Front Speaker (Lime)

* If you use 2-channel speaker, please connect the speaker’s plug into “Front Speaker Jack”. See
the table below for connection details in accordance with the type of speaker you use.

TABLE for Audio Output Connection

Audio Output Channels Front Speaker Rear Speaker Central / Bass Side Speaker
(No. 7) (No. 4) (No. 5) (No. 3)
2 V -- -- --
4 V -- -- V
6 V -- V V
8 V V V V

11
2. Installation
AM2NF3-VSTA is an ATX form factor (12.0-in x 8.0-in, 30.5 cm x 20.3 cm)
motherboard. Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your
chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it.

Pre-installation Precautions
Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard
components or change any motherboard settings.

Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the

power is switched off or the power cord is detached from the
power supply. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the
motherboard, peripherals, and/or components.

1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any
component.
2. To avoid damaging the motherboard components due to static
electricity, NEVER place your motherboard directly on the carpet or
the like. Also remember to use a grounded wrist strap or touch a
safety grounded object before you handle components.
3. Hold components by the edges and do not touch the ICs.
4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded anti-
static pad or in the bag that comes with the component.
5. When placing screws into the screw holes to secure the motherboard
to the chassis, please do not over-tighten the screws! Doing so may
damage the motherboard.

12
2.1 CPU Installation
o
Step 1. Unlock the socket by lifting the lever up to a 90 angle.
Step 2. Position the CPU directly above the socket such that the CPU corner with
the golden triangle matches the socket corner with a small triangle.
Step 3. Carefully insert the CPU into the socket until it fits in place.

The CPU fits only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU
into the socket to avoid bending of the pins.

Step 4. When the CPU is in place, press it firmly on the socket while you push
down the socket lever to secure the CPU. The lever clicks on the side tab
to indicate that it is locked.

Lever 90° Up
CPU Golden Triangle

Socket Corner

STEP 1: STEP 2 / STEP 3: STEP 4:

Lift Up The Socket Lever Match The CPU Golden Triangle Push Down And Lock
To The Socket Corner The Socket Lever

2.2 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink

After you install the CPU into this motherboard, it is necessary to install a
larger heatsink and cooling fan to dissipate heat. You also need to spray
thermal grease between the CPU and the heatsink to improve heat
dissipation. Make sure that the CPU and the heatsink are securely fas-
tened and in good contact with each other. Then connect the CPU fan to
the CPU FAN connector (CPU_FAN1, see Page 10, No. 26). For proper
installation, please kindly refer to the instruction manuals of the CPU fan
and the heatsink.

13
2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)
AM2NF3-VSTA motherboard provides four 240-pin DDRII (Double Data Rate II)
DIMM slots, and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. For dual channel
configuration, you always need to install identical (the same brand, speed,
size and chip-type) DDRII DIMM pair in the slots of the same color. In other words,
you have to install identical DDRII DIMM pair in Dual Channel A (DDRII_1 and
DDRII_2; Yellow slots; see p.10 No.5) or identical DDRII DIMM pair in Dual
Channel B (DDRII_3 and DDRII_4; Orange slots; see p.10 No.6), so that Dual
Channel Memory Technology can be activated. This motherboard also allows
you to install four DDRII DIMMs for dual channel configuration, and please install
identical DDRII DIMMs in all four slots. You may refer to the Dual Channel
Memory Configuration Table below.

Dual Channel Memory Configurations

DDRII_1 DDRII_2 DDRII_3 DDRII_4

(Yellow Slot) (Yellow Slot) (Orange Slot) (Orange Slot)
(1) Populated Populated - -
(2) - - Populated Populated
(3)* Populated Populated Populated Populated

* For the configuration (3), please install identical DDRII DIMMs in all four slots.

1. If you want to install two memory modules, for optimal compatibility

and reliability, it is recommended to install them in the slots of the
same color. In other words, install them either in the set of yellow
slots (DDRII_1 and DDRII_2), or in the set of orange slots (DDRII_3
and DDRII_4).
2. If only one memory module or three memory modules are installed
in the DDRII DIMM slots on this motherboard, it is unable to activate
the Dual Channel Memory Technology.
3. If a pair of memory modules is NOT installed in the same Dual
Channel, for example, installing a pair of memory modules in DDRII_1
and DDRII_3, it is unable to activate the Dual Channel Memory
Technology .
4. It is not allowed to install a DDR memory module into DDRII slot;
otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be damaged.

14
Installing a DIMM

Please make sure to disconnect power supply before adding or

removing DIMMs or the system components.

Step 1. Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the retaining clips outward.

Step 2. Align a DIMM on the slot such that the notch on the DIMM matches the break
on the slot.

notch
break

notch
break

The DIMM only fits in one correct orientation. It will cause permanent
damage to the motherboard and the DIMM if you force the DIMM into the
slot at incorrect orientation.

Step 3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the slot until the retaining clips at both ends fully
snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.

15
2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI Slots and AGP Slot)
There are 5 PCI slots and 1 AGP slot on AM2NF3-VSTA motherboard.

PCI Slots: PCI slots are used to install expansion cards that have the 32-bit PCI
interface.
AGP slot: The AGP slot is used to install a graphics card. The ASRock AGP slot has
a special design of clasp that can securely fasten the inserted graphics
card.

Please do NOT use a 3.3V AGP card on the AGP slot of this
motherboard! It may cause permanent damage! For the voltage infor-
mation of your AGP card, please check with the AGP card vendors.

Installing an expansion card

Step 1. Before installing the expansion card, please make sure that the power
supply is switched off or the power cord is unplugged. Please read the
documentation of the expansion card and make necessary hardware
settings for the card before you start the installation.
Step 2. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed in
a chassis).
Step 3. Remove the bracket facing the slot that you intend to use. Keep the
screws for later use.
Step 4. Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is
completely seated on the slot.
Step 5. Fasten the card to the chassis with screws.
Step 6. Replace the system cover.

16
2.5 Jumpers Setup
The illustration shows how jumpers are
setup. When the jumper cap is placed on
pins, the jumper is “Short”. If no jumper cap
is placed on pins, the jumper is “Open”. The
illustration shows a 3-pin jumper whose pin1
and pin2 are “Short” when jumper cap is
placed on these 2 pins.

Jumper Setting
PS2_USB_PW1 1_2 2_3 Short pin2, pin3 to enable
(see p.10, No. 1) +5VSB (standby) for PS/2 or
+5V +5VSB
USB wake up events.
Note: To select +5VSB, it requires 2 Amp and higher standby current provided by
power supply.

JR1 JL1 Jumper

(see p.10, No. 20) JL1 JR1

Note: If the jumpers JL1 and JR1 are short, both the front panel and the rear panel
audio connectors can work.

Clear CMOS Jumper 1_2 2_3

(CLRCMOS1)
(see p.10, No. 17)
Default Clear CMOS

Note: CLRCMOS1 allows you to clear the data in CMOS. The data in CMOS includes
system setup information such as system password, date, time, and system
setup parameters. To clear and reset the system parameters to default setup,
please turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power
supply. After waiting for 15 seconds, use a jumper cap to short pin2 and pin3
on CLRCMOS1 for 5 seconds. However, please do not clear the CMOS right
after you update the BIOS. If you need to clear the CMOS when you just finish
updating the BIOS, you must boot up the system first, and then shut it down
before you do the clear-CMOS action.

17
2.6 Onboard Headers and Connectors

Onboard headers and connectors are NOT jumpers. Do NOT place

jumper caps over these headers and connectors. Placing jumper caps
over the headers and connectors will cause permanent damage of the
motherboard!
•
Floppy Connector
(33-pin FLOPPY1)
(see p.10 No. 18)
Pin1 FLOPPY1 the red-striped side to Pin1

Note: Make sure the red-striped side of the cable is plugged into Pin1 side of the
connector.

Primary IDE Connector (Blue) Secondary IDE Connector (Black)

(39-pin IDE1, see p.10 No. 10) (39-pin IDE2, see p.10 No. 11)

PIN1 IDE1 PIN1 IDE2

connect the blue end connect the black end

to the motherboard to the IDE devices
80-conductor ATA 66/100/133 cable
Note: If you use only one IDE device on this motherboard, please set the IDE
device as “Master”. Please refer to the instruction of your IDE device vendor
for the details. Besides, to optimize compatibility and performance, please
connect your hard disk drive to the primary IDE connector (IDE1, blue) and
CD-ROM to the secondary IDE connector (IDE2, black).

Serial ATA Connectors These two Serial ATA (SATA)

(SATA1: see p.10 No. 8) connectors support SATA data
(SATA2: see p.10 No. 7) cables for internal storage
SATA2 SATA1 devices. The current SATA
interface allows up to 1.5 Gb/s
data transfer rate.

Serial ATA (SATA) Either end of the SATA data cable

Data Cable can be connected to the SATA
(Optional) hard disk or the SATA connector
on the motherboard.

18
Serial ATA (SATA) Please connect the black end of
Power Cable SATA power cable to the power
(Optional) connect to the SATA HDD
connector on each drive. Then
power connector connect the white end of SATA
connect to the power cable to the power
power supply
connector of the power supply.

USB 2.0 Header USB_PWR

Besides four default USB 2.0
(9-pin USB45)
P-5
P+5 ports on the I/O panel, there are
GND
(see p.10 No. 12) DUMMY
two USB 2.0 headers on this
1 motherboard. Each USB 2.0
GND
P+4 header can support two USB
P-4
USB_PWR 2.0 ports. The shared USB 2.0
header (USB2_3) is shared with
Shared USB 2.0 Header USB ports 23 on the I/O panel.
When using the front panel USB
1

(9-pin USB2_3) USB_PWR USB_PWR

(see p.10 No. 28)

P+2
P-2 P-3
P+3
ports by attaching the front panel
GND GND USB cable to USB2_3 header,
DUMMY
the USB ports 23 on the I/O panel
will not be able to function.

Infrared Module Header IRTX This header supports an

+5VSB
(5-pin IR1) DUMMY optional wireless transmitting
(see p.10 No. 16) 1 and receiving infrared module.
GND
IRRX

Internal Audio Connectors This connector allows you

(4-pin CD1) to receive stereo audio input
CD1
(CD1: see p.10 No. 22) from sound sources such as
CD-R
GND
GND
CD-L

a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, TV
tuner card, or MPEG card.

Front Panel Audio Header This is an interface for front

(8-pin AUDIO1)
GND
panel audio cable that allows
BACKOUT-R
(see p.10 No. 21) BACKOUT-L convenient connection and
control of audio devices.
1
AUD-OUT-L
GND
AUD-OUT-R
MIC-POWER
MIC

19
System Panel Header PLED+ This header accommodates
PLED-
(9-pin PANEL1)
PWRBTN#
GND several system front panel
(see p.10 No. 14) functions.
1
DUMMY
RESET#
GND
HDLED-
HDLED+

Chassis Speaker Header Please connect the chassis

1
(4-pin SPEAKER 1) SPEAKER speaker to this header.
DUMMY
(see p.10 No. 13) DUMMY
+5V

Chassis Fan Connector Please connect a chassis fan

(3-pin CHA_FAN1) cable to this connector and
(see p.10 No. 15) GND
+12V
match the black wire to the
CHA_FAN_SPEED
ground pin.

CPU Fan Connector Please connect the CPU fan

+12V
(4-pin CPU_FAN1) CPU_FAN_SPEED cable to this connector and
GND FAN_SPEED_CONTROL
(see p.10 No. 26) match the black wire to the
1 2 3 4 ground pin.

Though this motherboard provides 4-Pin CPU fan (Quiet Fan) support, the 3-Pin
CPU fan still can work successfully even without the fan speed control function.
If you plan to connect the 3-Pin CPU fan to the CPU fan connector on this
motherboard, please connect it to Pin 1-3.
Pin 1-3 Connected

3-Pin Fan Installation

ATX Power Connector Please connect an ATX power

(20-pin ATXPWR1) supply to this connector.
(see p.10 No. 27)

ATX 12V Power Connector Please note that it is necessary

(4-pin ATX12V1) to connect a power supply with
(see p.10 No. 2) ATX 12V plug to this connector.
Failing to do so will cause power
up failure.

20
 Game Port Header +5V Connect a Game cable to this
JBB1
(15-pin GAME1) JBX
MIDI_OUT header if the Game port bracket
JBY
(see p.10 No. 19) JBB2 is installed.
MIDI_IN

1
+5V
JAB2
JAY
GND
GND
JAX
JAB1
+5V

21
2.7 Serial A
ATTA (SA
(SATTA) Hard Disks Installation
This motherboard adopts NVIDIA® nForce3 250 chipset that supports Serial ATA
(SATA) hard disks and RAID functions. You may install SATA hard disks on this
motherboard for internal storage devices. This section will guide you to install the
SATA hard disks.

STEP 1: Install the SATA hard disks into the drive bays of your chassis.
STEP 2: Connect the SATA power cable to the SATA hard disk.
STEP 3: Connect one end of the SATA data cable to the motherboard’s SATA
connector.
STEP 4: Connect the other end of the SATA data cable to the SATA hard disk.

2.8 Hot Plug and Hot Swap FFunctions

unctions for SA
SATTA HDDs
This motherboard supports Hot Plug and Hot Swap functions for SATA Devices.

NOTE
What is Hot Plug Function?
If the SATA HDDs are NOT set for RAID configuration, it is called “Hot
Plug” for the action to insert and remove the SATA HDDs while the
system is still power-on and in working condition.
However, please note that it cannot perform Hot Plug if the OS has
been installed into the SATA HDD.

What is Hot Swap Function?

If SATA HDDs are built as RAID1 then it is called “Hot Swap” for the
action to insert and remove the SATA HDDs while the system is still
power-on and in working condition.

2.9 Driver Installation Guide

To install the drivers to your system, please insert the support CD to your optical
drive first. Then, the drivers compatible to your system can be auto-detected and
listed on the support CD driver page. Please follow the order from up to bottom
side to install those required drivers. Therefore, the drivers you install can work
properly.

For users who install Windows® XP 64-bit OS and plan to install drivers to your
system from the support CD, since the SATA driver provided by the chipset
vendor has not submitted Windows® Logo yet, we provide you with the following
driver installation choices:
1. “All in 1 Logo Driver( W/O HotPlug & RAID)”: You may choose this item to install
all-in-1 logo driver which does not support Hot Plug and RAID functions, but it
has passed Microsoft® logo certification.
2. “All in 1 Non-Logo Driver( W/ HotPlug & RAID)”: You may choose this item to

22
 install all-in-1 non-logo driver which supports Hot Plug and RAID functions, but it
has not passed Microsoft® logo certification yet.
Please choose the driver which meets your requirement most from the above-
mentioned items during driver installation process.

For users who install Windows® VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS, since Windows®
VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit driver keeps on updating now. As long as we have the
latest driver, we will update it to our website in the future. Please visit our website
for Microsoft® Windows® VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit driver and related information.
ASRock website http://www.asrock.com

2.10 Installing Windows ® 2000 / XP / XP 64-bit / Vista TM

/ Vista TM 64-bit Without RAID Functions
The installation procedures for Windows® VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit are subject to
change. Please visit our website for the updates of Windows® VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit
driver and related information in the future.

If you just want to install Windows ® 2000, Windows ® XP, Windows® XP 64-bit,
Windows ® VistaTM or Windows® VistaTM 64-bit on your SATA HDDs without RAID
functions, you don’t have to make a SATA driver diskette. Besides, there is no need
for you to change the BIOS setting. You can start to install Windows® 2000, Windows®
XP, Windows® XP 64-bit, Windows ® VistaTM or Windows ® VistaTM 64-bit on your
system directly.

2.11 Installing Windows ® 2000 / XP / XP 64-bit With RAID

Functions
Since the chipset vendor does not provide Windows® VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit RAID
driver, RAID function is not available on this motherboard under Windows® VistaTM /
VistaTM 64-bit OS. RAID function is only available under Windows® 2000, XP or XP
64-bit OS.

If you want to install Windows® 2000, Windows® XP or Windows® XP 64-bit on your

SATA HDDs with RAID functions, please follow below steps.
Before installing Windows® 2000 to your system, your Windows® 2000 optical
disk is supposed to include SP4. If there is no SP4 included in your disk,
please visit below website for proper procedures of making a SP4 disk:
http://www.microsoft.com/Windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp4/
spdeploy.htm#the_integrated_installation_fmay

STEP 1: Make a SATA Driver Diskette.

A. Insert the ASRock Support CD into your optical drive to boot your system.
B. During POST at the beginning of system boot-up, press <F11> key, and
then a window for boot devices selection appears. Please select CD-
ROM as the boot device.

23
C. When you see the message on the screen, “Generate Serial ATA driver
diskette [YN]?”, press <Y>.
D. Then you will see these messages,
Please insert a blank
formatted diskette into floppy
drive A:
press any key to start
Please insert a floppy diskette into the floppy drive, and press any key.
E. The system will start to format the floppy diskette and copy SATA drivers
into the floppy diskette.
STEP 2: Set Up BIOS.
A. Enter BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced screen IDE Configuration.
B. Set the “SATA Operation Mode” option to [RAID].
STEP 3: Use “RAID Installation Guide” to set RAID configuration.
Before you start to configure the RAID function, you need to check the installation
guide in the Support CD for proper configuration. Please refer to the document in the
Support CD, “Guide to SATA Hard Disks Installation and RAID Configuration”, which is
located in the folder at the following path:
.. \Information\Manual\RAID Installation Guide
STEP 4: Install Windows® 2000 / Windows® XP / Windows® XP-64bit OS on
your system.
After step1, 2, 3, you can start to install Windows® 2000 / Windows® XP / Windows®
XP 64-bit OS on your system. At the beginning of Windows® setup, press F6 to install
a third-party RAID driver. When prompted, insert the SATA driver diskette containing
the NVIDIA® RAID driver. After reading the floppy disk, the driver will be presented.
Select the driver to install according to the mode you choose and the OS you install.
NOTE. If you install Windows® 2000 / Windows® XP / Windows® XP 64-bit on IDE
HDDs and want to manage (create, convert, delete, or rebuild) RAID functions
on SATA HDDs, you still need to set up “SATA Operation Mode” to [RAID] in BIOS
first. Then, please set the RAID configuration by using “RAID Utility for Windows
Guide” in Windows® environment. Please refer to the document in the Support CD,
“Guide to nVidia RAID Utility for Windows”, which is located in the folder at the
following path:
.. \Information\Manual\RAID Utility for Windows Guide

2.12 Untied Overclocking TTechnology

echnology
This motherboard supports Untied Overclocking Technology, which means during
overclocking, FSB enjoys better margin due to fixed AGP / PCI buses. Before you
enable Untied Overclocking function, please enter “Overclock Mode” option of BIOS
setup to set the selection from [Auto] to [CPU, AGP, Async.]. Therefore, CPU FSB is
untied during overclocking, but AGP / PCI buses are in the fixed mode so that FSB can
operate under a more stable overclocking environment.
Please refer to the warning on page 7 for the possible overclocking risk before
you apply Untied Overclocking Technology.

24
3. BIOS SETUP UTILITY
3.1 Introduction
This section explains how to use the BIOS SETUP UTILITY to configure your system.
The Flash Memory on the motherboard stores the BIOS SETUP UTILITY. You may run
the BIOS SETUP UTILITY when you start up the computer. Please press <F2> during
the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) to enter the BIOS SETUP UTILITY, otherwise, POST
will continue with its test routines.
If you wish to enter the BIOS SETUP UTILITY after POST, restart the system by
pressing <Ctl> + <Alt> + <Delete>, or by pressing the reset button on the system
chassis. You may also restart by turning the system off and then back on.

Because the BIOS software is constantly being updated, the following

BIOS setup screens and descriptions are for reference purpose only,
and they may not exactly match what you see on your screen.

3.1.1 BIOS Menu Bar

The top of thescreen has a menu bar with the following selections:
Main To set up the system time/date information
Advanced To set up the advanced BIOS features
H/W Monitor To display current hardware status
Boot To set up the default system device to locate and load the
Operating System
Security To set up the security features
Exit To exit the current screen or the BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Use < > key or < > key to choose among the selections on the menu bar,
and then press <Enter> to get into the sub screen.

25
 3.1.2 Navigation Keys
Please check the following table for the function description of each navigation
key.

Navigation Key(s) Function Description

/ Moves cursor left or right to select Screens
/ Moves cursor up or down to select items
+ / - To change option for the selected items
<Enter> To bring up the selected screen
<F1> To display the General Help Screen
<F9> To load optimal default values for all the settings
<F10> To save changes and exit the BIOS SETUP UTILITY
<ESC> To jump to the Exit Screen or exit the current screen

3.2 Main Screen

When you enter the BIOS SETUP UTILITY, the Main screen will appear and display
the system overview.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Main Advanced H/W Monitor Boot Security Exit

System Overview
Use [Enter], [TAB]
or [SHIFT-TAB] to
System Time [17:00:09] select a field.
System Date [Fri 06/09/2006]
BIOS Version : AM2NF3-VSTA BIOS P1.0 Use [+] or [-] to
Processor Type : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3400+ configure system Time.
(64bit supported)
Processor Speed : 2200 MHz
Microcode Update : F7A/3A
L1 Cache Size : 128KB Select Screen
L2 Cache Size : 512KB Select Item
+- Change Field
Total Memory : 512MB Tab Select Field
Dual-Channel Memory Mode F1 General Help
DDRII 1 : 256MB/266MHz (DDRII533) F9 Load Defaults
DDRII 2 : 256MB/266MHz (DDRII533) F10 Save and Exit
DDRII 3 : None ESC Exit
DDRII 4 : None

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

System Time [Hour:Minute:Second]

Use this item to specify the system time.
System Date [Day Month/Date/Year]
Use this item to specify the system date.

26
3.3 Advanced Screen
In this section, you may set the configurations for the following items: CPU
Configuration, Chipset Configuration, ACPI Configuration, IDE Configuration, PCIPnP
Configuration, Floppy Configuration, SuperIO Configuration, and USB Configuration.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Main Advanced H/W Monitor Boot Security Exit

Advanced Settings Options for CPU

WARNING : Setting wrong values in below sections

may cause system to malfunction.

CPU Configuration
Chipset Configuration
ACPI Configuration
IDE Configuration
PCIPnP Configuration
Select Screen
Floppy Configuration
Select Item
SuperIO Configuration
Enter Go to Sub Screen
USB Configuration
F1 General Help
F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

Setting wrong values in this section may cause

the system to malfunction.

3.3.1 CPU Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced

CPU Configuration
AM2 Boost [Disabled] If AUTO, multiplier and
Overclock Mode [Auto] voltage will be left at the
rated frequency/voltage. If
CPU Frequency (MHz) [200]
Manual, multiplier and
AGP Frequency (MHz) [66]
Boot Failure Guard [Enabled] voltage will be set based
Spread Spectrum [Auto] on User Selection in Setup.
Cool' n' Quiet [Enabled]
Dual Core Support [Enabled]
Processor Maximum Multiplier x11
Processor Maximum Voltage 1.550 V
Multiplier/Voltage Change [Auto] Select Screen
Select Item
Memory Clock [Auto]
[Disabled] +- Change Option
Flexibility Option F1 General Help
CAS Latency (CL) [Auto]
TRAS [Auto] F9 Load Defaults
TRP [Auto] F10 Save and Exit
TRCD [Auto] ESC Exit
TRRD [Auto]

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

AM2 Boost
If you set this option to [Enabled], you will enable ASRock AM2 Boost
function, which will improve the memory performance. The default value is
[Disabled]. Please refer to caution 7 on page 8 for details.
Overclock Mode
Use this to select Overclock Mode. The default value is [Auto]. Cnfiguration
options: [Auto], [CPU, AGP, Sync.] and [CPU, AGP, Async.].
CPU Frequency (MHz)
Use this option to adjust CPU frequency. The default value is [200].

27
AGP Frequency (MHz)
Use this option to adjust AGP frequency. The default value is [66].
Boot Failure Guard
Enable or disable the feature of Boot Failure Guard.
Spread Spectrum
This feature will be set to [Auto] as default.
Cool ‘n’ Quiet
Use this item to enable or disable AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietTM technology.
Dual Core Support
This item will show if you use Dual Core CPU. Configuration optiona: [Enabled],
[Disabled]. The default value is [Enabled].
Processor Maximum Multiplier
It will display Processor Maximum Multiplier for reference.
Processor Maximum Voltage
It will display Processor Maximum Voltage for reference.
Multiplier/Voltage Change
This item is set to [Auto] by default. If it is set to [Manual], you may adjust the
value of Processor Multiplier and Processor Voltage. However, it is recom-
mended to keep the default value for system stability.
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced

CPU Configuration
If AUTO, multiplier and
AM2 Boost [Disabled]
voltage will be left at the
Overclock Mode [Auto]
rated frequency/voltage. If
CPU Frequency (MHz) [200] Manual, multiplier and
AGP Frequency (MHz) [66] voltage will be set based
Boot Failure Guard [Enabled]
Spread Spectrum [Auto] on User Selection in Setup.
Cool' n' Quiet [Enabled]
Dual Core Support [Enabled]

Processor Maximum Multiplier x11

Processor Maximum Voltage 1.550 V Select Screen
Multiplier/Voltage Change [Manual] Select Item
Processor Multiplier [x8] +- Change Option
Processor Voltage [1.500V] F1 General Help
Memory Clock [Auto] F9 Load Defaults
Flexibility Option [Disabled] F10 Save and Exit
CAS Latency (CL) [Auto] ESC Exit
TRAS [Auto]

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

Processor Multiplier
This item will show when “Multiplier/Voltage Change” is set to [Manual];
otherwise, it will be hidden. The range of the value depends on the CPU
you adopt on this motherboard. However, for system stability, it is not
recommended to adjust the value of this item.
Processor Voltage
This item will show when “Multiplier/Voltage Change” is set to [Manual];
otherwise, it will be hidden. The range of the value depends on the CPU
you adopt on this motherboard. However, for safety and system stability,
it is not recommended to adjust the value of this item.

28
Memory Clock
This item can be set by the code using [Auto]. You can set one of the
standard values as listed: [200 MHz (DDRII 400)], [266 MHz (DDRII 533)],
[333 MHz (DDRII 667)], and [400MHz (DDRII 800)].
Flexibility Option
The default value of this option is [Disabled]. It will allow better tolerance for
memory compatibility when it is set to [Enabled].
CAS Latency (CL)
Use this item to adjust the means of memory accessing. Configuration
options: [Auto], [2.0], [3.0], and [2.5]. The default value is [Auto].
TRAS
Use this to adjust TRAS values. Configuration options: [Auto], [5CLK], [6CLK],
[7CLK], [8CLK], [9CLK], [10CLK], [11CLK], [12CLK], [13CLK], [14CLK], and
[15CLK]. The default value is [Auto].
TRP
Use this to adjust TRP values. Configuration options: [Auto], [2CLK], [3CLK],
[4CLK], [5CLK], and [6CLK]. The default value is [Auto].
TRCD
Use this to adjust TRCD values. Configuration options: [Auto], [2CLK], [3CLK],
[4CLK], [5CLK], and [6CLK]. The default value is [Auto].
TRRD
Use this to adjust TRRD values. The default value is [Auto].
TRC
Use this to adjust TRC values. The default value is [Auto].
MA Timing
Use this to adjust values for MA timing. Configuration options: [Auto], [2T],
[1T]. The default value is [Auto].
Burst Length
Burst length can be set to 8, 4 or 2 beats. 64 Bit Dq must use the 4 beats.
Bank Interleaving
Interleaving allows memory accesses to be spread out over banks on the
same node, or accross nodes, decreasing access contention.
Memory Hole
Use this item to enable or disable memory hole. The Default value is
[Disabled].
DDRII Initialization Mode
Configuration options: [Auto] and [Compatible]. The default value is [Auto].

29
3.3.2 Chipset Configuration
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced

Chipset Settings To set DRAM Voltage.

OnBoard UAA Audio [Auto]
OnBoard LAN [Enabled]

AGP Data Rate [4X]

AGP Aperture Size [64MB]
AGP Fast Write [Disabled]
AGP SideBand Address [Enabled]
Primary Graphics Adapter [PCI]
Select Screen
CPU-NB Link Speed [Auto]
Select Item
CPU-NB Kink Width [Auto]
DRAM Voltage [Auto] +- Change Option
AGP Voltage [Auto] F1 General Help
F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

OnBoard LAN
This allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN feature.
OnBoard UAA Audio
Select [Auto], [Enabled] or [Disabled] for the onboard UAA Audio feature. If
you select [Auto], the onboard UAA Audio will be disabled when PCI Sound
Card is plugged.
AGP Data Rate
Use this item to adjust the AGP Data Rate. Configuration options: [8X], [4X].
The default value is [8X].
AGP Aperture Size
It refers to a section of the PCI memory address range used for graphics
memory. It is recommended to leave this field at the default value unless the
installed AGP card’s specifications requires other sizes. Configuration
options: [32MB], [64MB], [128MB], [256MB], and [512MB].
AGP Fast Write
This allows you to enable or disable the feature of AGP fast write protocol
support.
AGP SideBand Address
This allows you to enable or disable the feature of AGP SideBand Address.
Configuration options: [Enabled], and [Disabled].
Primary Graphics Adapter
This item will switch the PCI Bus scanning order while searching for video
card. It allows you to select the type of Primary VGA in case of multiple
video controllers. The default value of this feature is [PCI]. Configuration
options: [PCI] and [AGP].
CPU - NB Link Speed
This feature allows you selecting CPU to NB link frequency. Configuration
options: [Auto], [200 MHz], [400 MHz], [600 MHz], and [800 MHz].

30
CPU - NB Link Width
This feature allows you selecting CPU to NB link width. Configuration options:
[Auto], [8 bit], and [16 bit].
DRAM Voltage
Use this to select DRAM voltage. Configuration options: [Auto], [Ultra High],
[High], and [Normal]. The default value is [Auto].
AGP Voltage
Use this to select among [Low] and [High] for AGP Voltage. The default
value is [Auto].
3.3.3 ACPI Configuration
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced

ACPI Settings Select auto-detect or

disable the STR
Suspend To RAM [Auto] feature.
Repost Video on STR Resume [No]

Restore on AC / Power Loss [Power Off]

Ring-In Power On [Disabled]
PCI Devices Power On [Disabled]
PS / 2 Keyboard Power On [Disabled]
RTC Alarm Power On [Disabled]
Select Screen
ACPI HPET Table [Disabled] Select Item
+- Change Option
F1 General Help
F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

Suspend to RAM
Use this item to select whether to auto-detect or disable the Suspend-to-
RAM feature. Select [Auto] will enable this feature if the OS supports it. If
you set this item to [Disabled], the function “Repost Video on STR Resume”
will be hidden.
Repost Video on STR Resume
This feature allows you to repost video on STR resume. (STR refers to
suspend to RAM.)
Restore on AC/Power Loss
This allows you to set the power state after an unexpected AC/power
loss. If [Power Off] is selected, the AC/power remains off when the
power recovers. If [Power On] is selected, the AC/power resumes
and the system starts to boot up when the power recovers.
Ring-In Power On
Use this item to enable or disable Ring-In signals to turn on the system from
the power-soft-off mode.
PCI Devices Power On
Use this item to enable or disable PCI devices to turn on the system from the
power-soft-off mode.

31
PS/2 Keyboard Power On
Use this item to enable or disable PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system from
the power-soft-off mode.
RTC Alarm Power On
Use this item to enable or disable RTC (Real Time Clock) to power on the
system.
ACPI HPET Table
Set this item to enable to include High Precision Event Timers support. The
default value is [Disabled]. Please set this option to [Enabled] if you plan to
use this motherboard to submit Windows® VistaTM certification.

3.3.4 IDE Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced

DISABLED: disables the

IDE Configuration integrated IDE
Controller.
OnBoard IDE Controller [Both] PRIMARY: enables only
OnBoard SATA Controller [Enabled] the Primary IDE
SATA Operation Mode [non-RAID] Controller.
HDD Fast Detection [Disabled] SECONDARY: enables
only the Secondary IDE
Primary IDE Master [Hard Disk] Controller.
Primary IDE Slave [Not Detected] BOTH: enables both IDE
Secondary IDE Master [ATAPI CDROM] Controllers.
Secondary IDE Slave [Not Detected]
SATA 1 [Not Detected] Select Screen
SATA 2 [Not Detected] Select Item
+- Change Option
F1 General Help
F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

OnBoard IDE Controller

You may enable either the primary IDE channel or the secondary IDE channel.
Or you may enable both the primary and the secondary IDE channels by
selecting [Both]. Set to [Disabled] will disable the both. Configuration options:
[Disabled], [Primary], [Secondary], [Both].
OnBoard SATA Controller
Use this item to enable or disable the “OnBoard SATA Controller” feature.
SATA Operation Mode
Use this item to adjust SATA Operation Mode. The default value of this
option is [non-RAID]. If you want to operate RAID function on SATA HDDs,
please select [RAID].
HDD Fast Detection
Configuratin optins: [Enabled] and [Disabled]. The default value is [Disabled].
IDE Device Configuration
You may set the IDE configuration for the device that you specify. We will
use the “Primary IDE Master” as the example in the following instruction,
which can be applied to the configurations of “Primary IDE Slave”, “Sec-
ondary IDE Master”, and “Secondary IDE Slave” as well.

32
 BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced

Primary IDE Master Select the type

of device connected
Device :Hard Disk to the system.
Vendor :MAXTOR 6L080J4
Size :80.0 GB
LBA Mode :Supported
Block Mode :16Sectors
PIO Mode :4
Async DMA :MultiWord DMA-2
Ultra DMA :Ultra DMA-6
S.M.A.R.T. :Supported

Type [Auto] Select Screen

LBA/Large Mode [Auto]
[Auto]
Select Item
Block (Multi-Sector Transfer)
PIO Mode [Auto] +- Change Option
DMA Mode [Auto] F1 General Help
S.M.A.R.T. [Disabled] F9 Load Defaults
32Bit Data Transfer [Disabled] F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

TYPE
Use this item to configure the type of the IDE device that you specify.
Configuration options: [Not Installed], [Auto], [CD/DVD], and [ARMD].
[Not Installed]: Select [Not Installed] to disable the use of IDE device.
[Auto]: Select [Auto] to automatically detect the hard disk drive.

After selecting the hard disk information into BIOS, use a disk
utility, such as FDISK, to partition and format the new IDE hard
disk drives. This is necessary so that you can write or read data
from the hard disk. Make sure to set the partition of the Primary
IDE hard disk drives to active.

[CD/DVD]:This is used for IDE CD/DVD drives.

[ARMD]: This is used for IDE ARMD (ATAPI Removable Media Device),
such as MO.
LBA/Large Mode
Use this item to select the LBA/Large mode for a hard disk > 512 MB under
DOS and Windows; for Netware and UNIX user, select [Disabled] to
disable the LBA/Large mode.
Block (Multi-Sector Transfer)
The default value of this item is [Auto]. If this feature is enabled, it will
enhance hard disk performance by reading or writing more data during
each transfer.
PIO Mode
Use this item to set the PIO mode to enhance hard disk performance by
optimizing the hard disk timing.
DMA Mode
DMA capability allows the improved transfer-speed and data-integrity for
compatible IDE devices.

33
S.M.A.R.T.
Use this item to enable or disable the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis,
and Reporting Technology) feature. Configuration options: [Disabled], [Auto],
[Enabled].
32Bit Data Transfer
Use this item to enable 32-bit access to maximize the IDE hard disk data
transfer rate.

3.3.5 PCIPnP Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced

Advanced PCI / PnP Settings Value in units of PCI

clocks for PCI device
latency timer
PCI Latency Timer [64] register.
PCI IDE BusMaster [Enabled]

Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1 General Help
F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

Setting wrong values in this section may cause

the system to malfunction.

PCI Latency Timer

The default value is 32. It is recommended to keep the default value unless
the installed PCI expansion cards’ specifications require other settings.
PCI IDE BusMaster
Use this item to enable or disable the PCI IDE BusMaster feature.

34
3.3.6 Floppy Configuration
In this section, you may configure the type of your floppy drive.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced

Floppy Configuration Select the type of

floppy drive
Floppy A [1.44 MB 31 2"] connected to the
system.

Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1 General Help
F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

3.3.7 Super IO Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced

Configure Super IO Chipset Allow BIOS to Enable

or Disable Floppy
OnBoard Floppy Controller [Enabled] Controller.
Serial Port Address [3F8 / IRQ4]
Infrared Port Address [Disabled]
Parallel Port Address [378]
Parallel Port Mode [ECP + EPP]
EPP Version [1.9]
ECP Mode DMA Channel [DMA3]
Parallel Port IRQ [IRQ7]
OnBoard Game Port [Enabled] Select Screen
OnBoard MIDI Port [Disabled] Select Item
+- Change Option
F1 General Help
F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

OnBoard Floppy Controller

Use this item to enable or disable floppy drive controller.
Serial Port Address
Use this item to set the address for the onboard serial port or disable it.
Configuration options: [Disabled], [3F8 / IRQ4], [2F8 / IRQ3], [3E8 / IRQ4],
[2E8 / IRQ3].
Infrared Port Address
Use this item to set the address for the onboard infrared port or disable it.
Configuration options: [Disabled], [2F8 / IRQ3], and [2E8 / IRQ3].

35
Parallel Port Address
Use this item to set the address for the onboard parallel port or disable it.
Configuration options: [Disabled], [378], and [278].
Parallel Port Mode
Use this item to set the operation mode of the parallel port. The default
value is [ECP+EPP]. If this option is set to [ECP+EPP], it will show the EPP
version in the following item, “EPP Version”. Configuration options:
[Normal], [Bi-Directional], and [ECP+EPP].
EPP Version
Use this item to set the EPP version. Configuration options: [1.9]
and [1.7].
ECP Mode DMA Channel
Use this item to set the ECP mode DMA channel. Configuration
options: [DMA0], [DMA1], and [DMA3].
Parallel Port IRQ
Use this item to set the IRQ for the parallel port. Configuration options:
[IRQ5] and [IRQ7].
OnBoard Game Port
Use this item to enable the Game Port or disable it.
OnBoard MIDI Port
Use this itme to select the address for the MIDI Port or disable it. Configura-
tion options: [Disabled], [300], and [330].

3.3.8 USB Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced

USB Configuration To enable or disable

the onboard USB
USB Controller [Enabled] controllers.
USB 2.0 Support [Enabled]
Legacy USB Support [Disabled]

Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1 General Help
F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

USB Controller
Use this item to enable or disable the use of USB controller.
USB 2.0 Support
Use this item to enable or disable the USB 2.0 support.

36
 Legacy USB Support
Use this item to enable or disable the support to emulate the I/O devices
of legacy OS (DOS) such as mouse, keyboard, USB flash... etc. Or you
may select [Auto] so that the system will start to auto-detect; if there is
no USB device connected, “Auto” option will disable the legacy USB
support.

3.4 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen

In this section, it allows you to monitor the status of the hardware on your system,
including the parameters of the CPU temperature, motherboard temperature, CPU fan
speed, chassis fan speed, and the critical voltage.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Main Advanced H/W Monitor Boot Security Exit

Hardware Health Event Monitoring

CPU Temperature : 37 C / 98 F
M / B Temperature : 31 C / 87 F

CPU Fan Speed : 2833 RPM

Chassis Fan Speed : N/A

Vcore : 1.532 V
+ 3.30V : 3.129 V
+ 5.00V : 4.877 V Select Screen
+ 12.00V : 11.741 V Select Item
F1 General Help
CPU Quiet Fan [Disabled] F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

CPU Quiet Fan

This item allows you to identify the temperature of CPU fan. Configuration
options: [Disabled] and [Enabled]. The default value is [Disabled]. You are
allowed to enable this function only when you install 4-pin CPU fan.

37
3.5 Boot Screen
In this section, it will display the available devices on your system for you to config-
ure the boot settings and the boot priority.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Main Advanced H/W Monitor Boot Security Exit

Boot Settings Configure Settings

during System Boot.
Boot Settings Configuration

1st Boot Device [1st Floppy Device]

2nd Boot Device [HDD: PM-MAXTOR 6L08]
3rd Boot Device [CD/DVD: SM-CD-ROM]
Hard Disk Drives
Removable Drives
CD/DVD Drives
Select Screen
Select Item
Enter Go to Sub Screen
F1 General Help
F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

3.5.1 Boot Settings Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Boot

Boot Settings Configuration To enable or disable the

boot from network feature.
Boot From Network [Disabled]
Bootup Num-Lock [On]

Select Screen
Select Item
+- Change Option
F1 General Help
F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

Boot From Network

Use this item to enable or disable the Boot From Network feature.
Boot Up Num-Lock
If this item is set to [On], it will automatically activate the Numeric Lock
function after boot-up.

38
3.6 Security Screen
In this section, you may set or change the supervisor/user password for the system.
For the user password, you may also clear it.

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Main Advanced H/W Monitor Boot Security Exit

Security Settings Install or Change the

password.
Supervisor Password : Not Installed
User Password : Not Installed

Change Supervisor Password

Change User Password

Select Screen
Select Item
Enter Change
F1 General Help
F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

39
3.7 Exit Screen
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Main Advanced H/W Monitro Boot Security Exit

Exit Options Exit system setup

after saving the
Save Changes and Exit changes.
Discard Changes and Exit
Discard Changes F10 key can be used
for this operation.
Load Optimal Defaults

Select Screen
Select Item
Enter Go to Sub Screen
F1 General Help
F9 Load Defaults
F10 Save and Exit
ESC Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

Save Changes and Exit

When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, “Save
configuration changes and exit setup?” Select [OK] to save the changes
and exit the BIOS SETUP UTILITY.
Discard Changes and Exit
When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, “Dis-
card changes and exit setup?” Select [OK] to exit the BIOS SETUP UTILITY
without saving any changes.
Discard Changes
When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, “Dis-
card changes?” Select [OK] to discard all changes.
Load Optimal Defaults
When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, “Load
optimal defaults?” Select [OK] to load the default values for all the setup
configurations.

40
4. Software Suppor
Supportt
4.1 Install Operating System
This motherboard supports various Microsoft® Windows® operating systems:
2000 / XP / XP 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit. Because motherboard settings and
hardware options vary, use the setup procedures in this chapter for general refer-
ence only. Refer to your OS documentation for more information.

4.2 Support CD Information

The Support CD that came with the motherboard contains necessary drivers and
useful utilities that enhance the motherboard features.

4.2.1 Running The Support CD

To begin using the support CD, insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive. The CD
automatically displays the Main Menu if “AUTORUN” is enabled in your computer.
If the Main Menu did not appear automatically, locate and double click on the file
“ASSETUP.EXE” from the BIN folder in the Support CD to display the menus.

4.2.2 Drivers Menu

The Drivers Menu shows the available devices drivers if the system detects the
installed devices. Please install the necessary drivers to activate the devices.

4.2.3 Utilities Menu

The Utilities Menu shows the applications software that the motherboard supports.
Click on a specific item then follow the installation wizard to install it.

4.2.4 Contact Information

If you need to contact ASRock or want to know more about ASRock, welcome
to visit ASRock’s website at http://www.asrock.com; or you may contact your
dealer for further information.

41
APPENDIX:
AMD’s Cool ‘n’ Quiet TM TTechnology
echnology

For power-saving sake, it is strongly recommended to enable AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietTM
technology under Windows® system. When using this feature, please make sure to
install “AMD Processor Driver” from the “Support CD” first.

If you are using Windows® 2000/XP operating system, please follow the instruction
below to enable AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietTM technology:

1. From the Windows® 2000/XP operating system, click the Start button.
Select Settings, then Control Panel.
2. Switch to Classic View. (for Windows® XP only)
3. Double-click the Display icon in the Control Panel then select the Screen
Saver tab.
4. Click the “Power…” button. The following dialog box appears.
5. From the Power schemes combo list box, select Minimal Power
Management.
6. Click OK to implement settings.

42