MSI P965 Platinum Manual PDF

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P965 Platinum Series

MS-7238 (V1.X) Mainboard

G52-72381X1

i
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 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Netware® is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.
Award® is a registered trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
AMI® is a registered trademark of American Megatrends Inc.

Revision History
Revision Revision History Date
V1.0 First release July 2006

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,
and other information: http://www.msi.com.tw/program/service/faq/
faq/esc_faq_list.php
Contact our technical staff at: http://support.msi.com.tw

ii
Safety Instructions

1. Always read the safety instructions carefully.


2. Keep this User’s Manual for future reference.
3. Keep this equipment away from humidity.
4. Lay this equipment on a reliable flat surface before setting it up.
5. The openings on the enclosure are for air convection hence protects the 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.

iii
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-7238

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

iv
WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Statement

v
vi
vii
CONTENTS
Copyright Notice .............................................................................................................. ii
Trademarks ....................................................................................................................... ii
Revision History .............................................................................................................. ii
Technical Support ........................................................................................................... ii
Safety Instructions ......................................................................................................... iii
FCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement ........................................................ iv
W EEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Statement .................................... v
Chapter 1 Geeting 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
Introduction to LGA 775 CPU ...................................................................... 2-3
CPU & Cooler Installation ............................................................................. 2-4
Memory ................................................................................................................. 2-7
Dual Channel Memory Population Rules .................................................... 2-7
Memory Speed/ CPU FSB Support Matrix ................................................. 2-7
Installing DDRII Modules ............................................................................... 2-8
Power Supply ...................................................................................................... 2-9
ATX 24-Pin Power Connector: JPWR1 ...................................................... 2-9
ATX 12V Power Connector: JPWR2/ JPWR3 ............................................ 2-9
Back Panel .......................................................................................................... 2-10
Connectors ........................................................................................................ 2-12
Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1 .......................................................... 2-12
Hard Disk Connector: IDE1 ........................................................................ 2-12
Serial ATA Connectors: SATA1~SATA7 ................................................... 2-13
Fan Power Connectors: CPUFAN1, SYSFAN1, NBFAN1 & PWRFAN1 .. 2-14
CD-In Connector: JCD1 ............................................................................. 2-14
IrDA Infrared Module Header: JIR1 ........................................................... 2-14
Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD1 ...................................................... 2-15
IEEE 1394 Connectors: J1394_1 (Optional) ........................................... 2-15
Front Panel Connectors: JFP1/JFP2 ........................................................ 2-16
Chassis Intrusion Switch Connector: JCI1 .............................................. 2-16
Front USB Connectors: JUSB1, JUSB2, JUSB3 ...................................... 2-17
SPDIF-Out Connector: JSP1 (Optional) .................................................... 2-17

viii
D-Bracket™ 2 Connector: JDB1 ............................................................... 2-18
Jumpers .............................................................................................................. 2-19
Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1 ..................................................................... 2-19
Slots .................................................................................................................... 2-20
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Express Slots ....................... 2-20
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slots ...................................... 2-20
PCI Interrupt Request Routing ................................................................... 2-21
Chapter 3 BIOS Setup ............................................................................................ 3-1
Entering Setup ..................................................................................................... 3-2
Control Keys ................................................................................................ 3-3
Getting Help .................................................................................................. 3-3
General Help <F1> ....................................................................................... 3-3
The Main Menu ..................................................................................................... 3-4
Standard CMOS Features ................................................................................... 3-6
Advanced BIOS Features ................................................................................... 3-9
Advanced Chipset Features ............................................................................. 3-11
Integrated Peripherals ....................................................................................... 3-13
Power Management Setup ............................................................................... 3-16
PNP/PCI Configurations ..................................................................................... 3-19
H/W Monitor ........................................................................................................ 3-21
Cell Menu ............................................................................................................ 3-22
BIOS Setting Password ..................................................................................... 3-26
Load Optimized Defaults ................................................................................... 3-27
Appendix A Introduction to DigiCell ................................................................. A-1
Activating DigiCell ................................................................................................ A-2
Main ...................................................................................................................... A-3
Introduction: ................................................................................................. A-3
H/W Diagnostic ..................................................................................................... A-5
Communication ..................................................................................................... A-6
Software Access Point ....................................................................................... A-7
Terminology .................................................................................................. A-7
Access Point Mode ..................................................................................... A-8
WLAN Card Mode ........................................................................................ A-9
Live Update ........................................................................................................ A-10
MEGA STICK ....................................................................................................... A-11
Basic Function ............................................................................................ A-11
Non-Unicode programs supported ........................................................... A-13
Power On Agent ................................................................................................ A-15
Power On ................................................................................................... A-15

ix
Power Off / Restart ................................................................................... A-16
Start W ith .................................................................................................... A-16
Auto Login .................................................................................................. A-17
Appendix B Dual Core Center ............................................................................. B-1
Activating Dual Core Center ............................................................................... B-2
Main ...................................................................................................................... B-3
Introduction: ................................................................................................. B-3
DOT (Dynamic OverClocking) ............................................................................. B-5
Clock ..................................................................................................................... B-6
Voltage ................................................................................................................. B-7
FAN Speed ........................................................................................................... B-8
Temperature ......................................................................................................... B-9
User Profile ........................................................................................................ B-10
Appendix C Intel ICH8R SATA RAID .................................................................... C-1
ICH8R Introduction ............................................................................................... C-2
BIOS Configuration .............................................................................................. C-3
Using the Intel Matrix Stroage Manager Option ROM ............................... C-3
Installing Software .............................................................................................. C-8
Install Driver in W indows XP / 2000 ........................................................... C-9
Installation of Intel Matrix Storage Console ............................................. C-10
RAID Migration Instructions ............................................................................... C-14
Create RAID Volume from Existing Disk ................................................... C-15
Degraded RAID Array ........................................................................................ C-21
Missing Hard Drive Member ...................................................................... C-21
Failed Hard Drive Member ......................................................................... C-21
Appendix D JMicron RAID Introduction ............................................................ D-1
Introduction .......................................................................................................... D-2
RAID - Redundant Array of Independent Disks ......................................... D-2
RAID 0 (Striping) .......................................................................................... D-2
RAID 1 (Mirroring) ........................................................................................ D-2
JBOD (Concatenate) ................................................................................... D-2
Creating and Deleting RAID sets with BIOS Utility ............................................ D-3
Creating RAID set ........................................................................................ D-4
Deleting RAID set ......................................................................................... D-7
Revert HDD to non-RAID .............................................................................. D-8
Slove Mirror Conflict .................................................................................... D-9
Rebuild Mirror Drive ..................................................................................... D-9
Installing the RAID Driver (For bootable RAID array) ...................................... D-10
Install Driver in W indows XP / 2000 ......................................................... D-10

x
JMicron Raid Configurer .................................................................................... D-11
Installing JMicron Raid Configurer ............................................................ D-11
Viewing RAID Array Configurations ........................................................ D-11
Appendix E Realtek ALC883 Audio .................................................................... E-1
Installing the Realtek HD Audio Driver ................................................................ E-2
Installation for W indows 2000/XP .............................................................. E-2
Software Configuration ...................................................................................... E-4
Sound Effect ................................................................................................ E-5
Mixer ............................................................................................................. E-8
Audio I/O ..................................................................................................... E-12
Microphone ................................................................................................ E-16
3D Audio Demo ........................................................................................... E-17
Information .................................................................................................. E-18
Hardware Setup ................................................................................................ E-18

xi
Getting Started

Chapter 1
Getting Started

Thank you for choosing the P965 Platinum Series (MS-


7238 v1.X) ATX mainboard. The P965 Platinum Series
mainboards are based on Intel® P965 & ICH8R chipsets
for optimal system efficiency. Designed to fit the ad-
vanced Intel ® Pentium 4/ Pentium D/ Core 2 Duo
processor, the P965 Platinum Series deliver a high per-
formance and professional desktop platform solution.

1-1
M S-7238 M ainboard

Mainboard Specifications

Processor Support*
- Intel ® Pentium 4 and Pentium D processors in the LGA775 package.
- Supports Prescott, Cedar Mill, Smithfield, Presler, Core 2 Duo.
Supported FSB
- 1066/ 800/ 533 MHz
Chipset
- North Bridge: Intel ® P965 chipset
- South Bridge: Intel ® ICH8R chipset
M emory Support**
- DDRII 800/ 667/ 533 SDRAM
- 4 DDRII DIMMs (DDRII 800 supports up to 4 GB, DDRII 667/ 533
support up to 8 GB, 240pin / 1.8V)
LAN
- Supports 10/100/1000 PCI Express LAN by Realtek 8111B
IEEE 1394 (optional)
- Chip integrated by VIA VT6308 or VT6307
- Transfer rate is up to 400Mbps
Audio
- Chip integrated by Realtek® ALC883
- Flexible 8-channel audio with jack sensing
- Compliant with Azalia 1.0 Spec
IDE
- 1 IDE port by JMicron JMB361
- Supports Ultra DMA 66/100/133 mode
- Supports PIO, Bus Master operation mode
SATA
- 6 SATA II ports by ICH8R
- 1 SATA II port by JMicron JMB361
- Supports storage and data transfers at up to 300 MB/s
RAID
- SATA1~6 support RAID 0/ 1/ 10 or RAID 5 mode by ICH8R
- SATA7 and IDE1 support RAID 0/ 1 or JBOD mode by JMB361
Floppy
- 1 floppy port
- Supports 1 FDD with 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88Mbytes

1-2
Getting Started

Connectors
Back panel
- 1 PS/2 mouse port
- 1 PS/2 keyboard port.
- 1 Serial port
- 1 Parallel port supporting SPP/EPP/ECP mode
- 1 IEEE 1394 port
- 4 USB 2.0 Ports.
- 1 LAN jack (10/100/1000) by Realtek 8111B
- 5 flexible audio jacks
- 1 Optical SPDIF jack / 1 Coaxial SPDIF-out port

On-Board Pinheaders
- 1 D-Bracket TM 2 pinheader
- 1 IrDA pinheader
- 3 USB 2.0 pinheaders
- 1 SPDIF_Out pinheader

Slots
- 1 PCI Express x16 slot
- 1 PCI Express Lite slot (PCI_E4, it is compatible with PCI Express x
4 transfer rate)
- 2 PCI Express x1 slots (these 2 PCI Express x 1 slots are sharing with
PCI_E4, and they will auto disable while card plugged into
PCI_E4)
- 2 PCI slots, support 3.3V/ 5V PCI bus Interface, includes one orange
slot which supports 2 master for MSI special PCI function card (ex.
wireless LAN and bluetooth combo card.).
Form Factor
- ATX (30.5cm X 24.5cm)

M ounting
- 9 mounting holes

* For the latest information about CPU, please visit http://www.msi.com.


tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_m bd_cpu_support.php
** For the updated supporting memory modules, please visit http://www.
msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/m bd/pro_mbd_trp_list.php

1-3
M S-7238 M ainboard

Mainboard Layout

JI R1
Top : mou se
B ot tom: k eybo ard

I/ O
Chip

F DD1
Top : P arallel P ort

B ott om:
CO M A
1394 Po rt
S PD IF_Out (coa xial)

U SB ports
CPU FA N1

Intel
T: LA N ja ck
P965
B : U SB port s

J PW R2

T: Line-I n
M:Line- Out
B :Mic

T:RS -Out J PW R3
M:C S- Out

J PW R1
B :S PD IF Out (opt ica l)

NB FA N1
D IMM1

D IMM2

D IMM3

D IMM4

P CI _E 1
JDB 1

RTL8111B
PC I_E 2

PC I_E 3

V IA J CI 1
V T630 7
JFP 2

PC I_E 4 Intel J BAT1 BATT


+
ICH8R
JFP 1

JS P 1
PC I 1
ALC 883
S ATA 3 S ATA 2 S ATA 1
PW RFA N1

J Mic ron J US B1 J US B 2 JUS B 3


PC I 2 J MB 361

S ATA 6 S ATA 5 S ATA 4

J AU D1 J CD1 S YS FA N1 SATA 7 I DE 1
J 1394_ 1

P965 Platinum Series (MS-7238 v1.X) Mainboard

1-4
Getting Started

Packing Checklist

MSI Driver/Utility CD SATA Cable (Optional)


MSI motherboard

Round Cable of D-Bracket 2


Power Cable
IDE Devices (Optional)

IEEE1394-Bracket Round Cable of


Back IO Shield
(Optional) Floppy Disk (Optional)

User’s Guide

* The pictures are for reference only. Your packing contents may vary depending on
the model you purchased.
1-5
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.

2-1
M S-7238 M ainboard

Quick Components Guide

DDRII DIMMs, p.2-7


JPWR2, p.2-9
CPU, p.2-3
CPUFAN1, JIR1, p.2-14
p.2-14

FDD1,
Back Panel, p.2-12
p.2-10

JPWR1,
p.2-9

JPWR3,
p.2-9

NBFAN1,
p.2-14
JDB1, p.2-18
PCIE x 1
Slots, p.2-20 JCI1, p.2-16

JBAT1, p.2-19
PCIE x 16
Slots, p.2-20 JFP2, p.2-16

JSP1, p.2-17 JFP1, p.2-16


PWRFAN1,
p.2-14
PCI Slots,
SATA1~6,
p.2-20
p.2-13

J1394_1, IDE1, p.2-12


p.2-15 SATA7, p.2-13

JCD1, p.2-14
JAUD1, p.2-15 JUSB1~3, p.2-17
SYSFAN1, p.2-14

2-2
Hardware Setup

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

This mainboard supports Intel® Pentium 4 processor in LGA 775 package. W hen you
are installing the CPU, make sure to install the cooler to prevent overheating.
If you do not have the CPU cooler, contact your dealer to purchase and install them
before turning on the computer.
For the latest information about CPU, please visit http://www.msi.com.tw/program/
products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_cpu_support.php

Important

1. Overheating will seriously damage the CPU and system. Always make
sure the cooling fan can work properly to protect the CPU from overheating.
2. Make sure that you apply an even layer of heat sink paste (or thermal tape)
between the CPU and the heatsink to enhance heat dissipation.
3. While replacing the CPU, always turn off the ATX power supply or unplug
the power supply’s power cord from the grounded outlet first to ensure the
safety of CPU.

Introduction to LGA 775 CPU


The pin-pad side of LGA 775 The surface of LGA 775 CPU.
CPU. Remember to apply some silicone
heat transfer compound on it for
better heat dispersion.

Alignment Key Alignment Key

Yellow triangle is the Pin 1 indicator


Yellow triangle is the Pin 1 indicator

2-3
M S-7238 M ainboard

CPU & Cooler Installation


W hen you are installing the CPU, make sure the CPU has a cooler attached on
the top to prevent overheating. If you do not have the cooler, contact your dealer
to purchase and install them before turning on the computer. Meanwhile, do not forget
to apply some silicon heat transfer compound on CPU before installing the heat sink/
cooler fan for better heat dispersion.
Follow the steps below to install the CPU & cooler correctly. W rong installation will
cause the damage of your CPU & mainboard.

1. The CPU has a plastic cap on it to 2. Remove the cap from lever hinge
protect the contact from damage. side (as the arrow shows).
Before you install the CPU, always
cover it to protect the socket pin.

3. The pins of socket reveal. 4. Open the load lever.

2-4
Hardware Setup

Important

1. Confirm if your CPU cooler is firmly installed before turning on your system.
2. Do not touch the CPU socket pins to avoid damaging.
3. The availability of the CPU land side cover depends on your CPU packing.

5. Lift the load lever up and open the 6. After confirming the CPU direction
load plate. for correct mating, put down the
CPU in the socket housing frame.
Be sure to grasp on the edge of
the CPU base. Note that the align-
ment keys are matched.

alignment
key

7. Visually ins pect if the CPU is 8. Cover the load plate onto the
seated well into the socket. If not, package.
take out the CPU with pure vertical
motion and reinstall.

2-5
M S-7238 M ainboard

9. Press down the load lever lightly 10. Align the holes on the mainboard
onto the load plate, and then se- with the heatsink. Push down the
cure the lever with the hook under c ooler u nti l i ts f ou r c lip s g et
retention tab. wedged int o t he holes of t he
mainboard.

11. Press the four hooks down to fas- 12. Turn over the mainboard to con-
ten the cooler. Then rotate the lock- firm that the clip-ends are cor-
ing switch (refer to the correct di- rectly inserted.
rection marked on it) to lock the
hooks.

locking
switch

Important

1. Check the information in H/W M onitor of BIOS (Chapter 3) for the CPU
temperature.
2. Whenever CPU is not installed, always protect your CPU socket pin with the
plastic cap covered (shown in Figure 1) to avoid damaging.
3. Please note that the mating/unmating durability of the CPU is 20 cycles.
Therefore we suggest you do not plug/unplug the CPU too often.

2-6
Hardware Setup

Memory

The mainboard provides four 240-pin non-ECC DDRII 800/ 667/ 533 DIMM slots.
For more information on compatible components, please visit http://www.msi.com.tw/
program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_trp_list.php

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

Dual-Channel: Channel A in GREEN; Channel B in ORANGE

Dual Channel Memory Population Rules

1 DIMM1
DIMM2
DIMM3
DIMM4

2 DIMM1
DIMM2
DIMM3
DIMM4

3 DIMM1
DIMM2
DIMM3
DIMM4

Memory Speed/ CPU FSB Support Matrix

Memory
DDRII 533 DDRII 667 DDRII 800
CPU FSB

533 MHz OK
800 MHz OK OK OK
1066 MHz OK OK OK

2-7
M S-7238 M ainboard

Installing DDRII 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 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

- DDRII modules are not interchangeable with DDR and the DDRII standard is
not backwards compatible. You should always install DDRII memory mod-
ules in the DDRII DIMM slots and DDR memory modules in the DDR DIMM
slots.
- In dual-channel mode, make sure that you install memory modules of the
same type and density in different channel DDR DIMM slots.
- To enable successful system boot-up, always insert the memory modules
into the DIM M1 first.

2-8
Hardware Setup

Power Supply

ATX 24-Pin Power Connector: JPWR1


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
13 1 PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

1 +3.3V 13 +3.3V
2 +3.3V 14 -12V
3 GND 15 GND
JPWR1 4 +5V 16 PS-ON#
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
24 12
12 NC 24 GND

ATX 12V Power Connector: JPWR2/ JPWR3


This 12V power connector JPW R2 is This 12V power connector JPW R3 is
used to provide power to the CPU us ed to provide power to stable the
operation of graphics card.
8 5
JPWR2 1 JPWR3
4 1

PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

1 GND 5 +12V 1 5V
2 GND 6 +12V 2 GND
3 GND 7 +12V 3 GND
4 GND 8 +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 450 watts (and above) is highly recommended for system
stability.

2-9
M S-7238 M ainboard

Back Panel

L-In RS-Out
Parallel Port
M ou se LAN

Keyboard Serial Port 1394 S/PDIF- USB Ports L-Out CS-Out


Port Out Mic S/PDIF-
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 Connector
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.
Coaxial S/PDIF-Out connector
This SPDIF (Sony & Philips Digital Interconnect Format) connector is provided for
digital audio transmission to external speakers through a coaxial cable.
IEEE 1394 Port
The 1394 port on the back panel provides connection to 1394 devices.
LAN (RJ-45) Jack
The standard RJ-45 jack is for connection
Activity Indicator L i n k In d i c a t o r
to single Local Area Network (LAN). You (Left) (Right)
can connect a network cable to it.

LED Color LED State condition

Off LAN link is not established.


Left Orange On (steady state) LAN link is established.
On (blinking) 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.

2-10
Hardware Setup

USB Connectors
The OHCI (Open Host Controller Interface) Universal Serial Bus root is for attaching
USB devices such as keyboard, mouse, or other USB-compatible devices.
Audio Port Connectors
These audio connectors are used for audio devices. You can differentiate the color
of the audio jacks for different audio sound effects.
Blue audio jack - Line In, is used for external CD player, tapeplayer or
other audio devices. Or Side-Surround Out in 7.1 chan-
nel mode
Green audio jack - Line Out, is a connector for speakers or headphones.
Pink audio jack - Mic In, is a connector for microphones.
Black audio jack - Rear-Surround Out in 4-/ 5.1/ 7.1 channel mode.
Orange audio jack - Center/ Subwoofer Out in 5.1/ 7.1 channel mode.
Optical S/PDIF-Out connector
This SPDIF (Sony & Philips Digital Interconnect Format) connector is provided for
digital audio transmission to external speakers through a fiber cable.

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Connectors

Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1


This standard FDD connector supports 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88M floppy
disk types.

FDD1

Hard Disk Connector: IDE1


The mainboard provides a one-channel Ultra ATA 133 bus Master IDE controller that
supports PIO mode 0~4, Bus Master, and Ultra DMA 66/100/133 function. You can
connect hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives and other IDE devices.

IDE1

IDE1
IDE can connect a Master and a Slave drive. You must configure the second
hard drive to Slave mode by setting the jumper accordingly.

Important

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

2-12
Hardware Setup

Serial ATA Connectors: SATA1~SATA7


SATA1~SATA7 are high-speed Serial ATAII interface ports. Each supports 2nd genera-
tion serial ATA data rates of 300MB/s and is fully compliant with Serial ATA 2.0
specifications. Each Serial ATAII connector can connect to 1 hard disk device.

SATA3 SATA2 SATA1

7
SATA1~ SATA7 Pin Definition
1 PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

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

SATA6 SATA5 SATA4

7 1

SATA7

Serial ATA cable

Take out the dust cover


and connect to the hard
disk devices

Connect to SATAII Ports

Important

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

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Fan Power Connectors: CPUFAN1, SYSFAN1, NBFAN1 & PWRFAN1


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

CONTROL
+1 2V

GND
GND

SENSOR GND +12V


+1 2V
+12V NC
GND SENSOR Control

CPUFAN1 SYSFAN1 NBFAN1 PWRFAN1

Important

1. Please refer to the recommended CPU fans at Intel® official website or


consult the vendors for proper CPU cooling fan.

CD-In Connector: JCD1


This connector is provided for CD-ROM audio.

JCD1

R GND L

IrDA Infrared Module Header: JIR1


The connector allows you to connect to IrDA Infrared module. You must configure the
setting through the BIOS setup to use the IR function. JIR1 is compliant with Intel®
Front Panel I/O Connectivity Design Guide.
Pin Definition
Pin Signal

1 IRRX
JIR1 2 IRTX
5 1 3 GND
6 2
4 VCC5
5 Key (no pin)
6 NC

2-14
Hardware Setup

Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD1


The JAUD1 front panel audio connector allows you to connect the front panel audio
and is compliant with Intel® Front Panel I/O Connectivity Design Guide.

Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 PORT 1L Analog Port 1 - Left channel


2 GND Ground
9 1 3 PORT 1R Analog Port 1 - Right channel
4 PRESENCE# Active low signal - signals BIOS that a High Definition Audio
dongle is connected to the analog header. PRESENCE# = 0
10 2
when a High Definition Audio dongle is connected.
JAUD1 5 PORT 2R Analog Port 2 - Right channel
6 SENSE1_RETURN Jack detection return from front panel JACK1
7 SENSE_SEND Jack detection sense line from the High Definition Audio CODEC
jack detection resistor network
8 KEY ConnectorKey
9 PORT 2L Analog Port 2 - Left channel
10 SENSE2_RETURN Jack detection return from front panel JACK2

IEEE 1394 Connectors: J1394_1 (Optional)


The mainboard provides IEEE1394 pinheader that allows you to connect IEEE 1394
ports via an external IEEE1394 bracket (optional).
Pin Definition
J1394_1 PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

1 Ground 2 Key (no pin)


9 1
10 2 3 Cable power 4 Cable power

5 TPB- 6 TPB+

7 Ground 8 Ground
Connected to 1394 connector 9 TPA- 10 TPA+

IEEE1394 Bracket (Optional)


Foolproof design

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M S-7238 M ainboard

Front Panel Connectors: JFP1/JFP2


The mainboard provides two front panel connectors 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 Speaker

2 10 2 8
JFP1 JFP2 1 7
1 9
+ -
HDD Reset Power
LED Switch LED

JFP1 Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 HD_LED + Hard disk LED +


2 PWR/SLP LED Power LED+/ Suspend LED
3 HD_LED - Hard disk LED-
4 PWR/SLP LED Power LED-/ Suspend LED
5 RST_SW Reset Switch
6 PWR_SW Power Switch
7 RST_SW Reset Switch
8 PWR_SW Power Switch
9 N.C. Not Connected
10 Key Key (no pin)

JFP2 Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION


1 GND Ground (LED-)
2 SPK Speaker
3 SLP LED Suspend LED+
4 BUZ Buzzer
5 PWR LED Power LED+
6 BUZ Buzzer
7 Key Key (no pin)
8 SPK Speaker

Chassis Intrusion Switch Connector: JCI1


This connector connects to a 2-pin chassis switch. If the chassis is opened, the
switch will be short. The system will record this status and show a warning mes-
sage on the screen. To clear the warning, you must enter the BIOS Setup and clear
the record.
1 2
CINTRU GND

JCI1

2-16
Hardware Setup

Front USB Connectors: JUSB1, JUSB2, JUSB3


The mainboard provides USB 2.0 pinheaders (optional USB 2.0 bracket available) that
are compliant with Intel® I/O Connectivity Design Guide. USB 2.0 technology increases
data transfer rate up to a maximum throughput of 480Mbps, which is 40 times faster
than USB 1.1, and is ideal for connecting high-speed USB interface peripherals such
as USB HDD, digital cameras, M P3 players, printers, modems and the like.
Pin Definition
PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

JUSB1/2/3 1 VCC 2 VCC

2 10 3 USB0- 4 USB1-
1 9 5 USB0+ 6 USB1+
7 GND 8 GND
9 Key (no pin) 10 N.C.

USB 2.0 Bracket


(Optional)
Connected to USB connector

Important

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

SPDIF-Out Connector: JSP1 (Optional)


This connector is used to connect SPDIF (Sony & Philips Digital Interconnect Format)
interface for digital audio transmission.
Connected to SPDIF_In pinheader
JSP1

GND VCC

SPDIF

SPDIF Bracket (Optional)


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M S-7238 M ainboard

D-Bracket™ 2 Connector: JDB1


The mainboard comes with a JDB1 connector for you to connect to D-Bracket™ 2. D-
Bracket™ 2 is an external USB Bracket that supports both USB1.1 & 2.0 specs. It
integrates four LEDs and allows users to identify system problems through 16 vari-
ous combinations of LED signals. D-Bracket™ 2
(Optional)
10 9 Connected to
NC Key (no-pin) JDB1
DBR4 DBG4
DBR3 DBG3
DBR2 DBG2
DBR1 DBG1
2 1
Connected to USB
connector 1 2
LEDs
3 4
Red Green

LED Signal Description LED Signal Description

System Power ON Initializing Video Interface


1 2 The D-LED will hang here if the 1 2 This will start detecting CPU clock,
3 4 processor is damaged ornot installed 3 4 checking type of video onboard. Then,
properly. detect and initialize the video adapter.

BIOS Sign On
1 2 Early Chipset Initialization 1 2 This will start showing information
3 4 3 4 about logo, processor brand name,
etc...

Memory Detection Test Testing Base and Extended Memory


1 2 Testing onboard memory size. The 1 2 Testing base memory from 240K to
D-LED will hang if the memory mod- 640K and extended memory above
3 4 ule is damaged or not installed 3 4
1MB using various patterns.
properly.

1 2 Decompressing BIOS image to RAM 1 2 Assign Resources to all ISA.


for fast booting.
3 4 3 4

Initializing Hard Drive Controller


1 2 Initializing Keyboard Controller. 1 2
This will initialize IDE drive and
3 4 3 4 controller.

1 2 Testing VGA BIOS 1 2 Initializing Floppy Drive Controller


This will start writing VGA sign-on This will initialize Floppy Drive and
3 4 message to the screen. 3 4 controller.

Processor Initialization
1 2 1 2 BootAttempt
This will show information regarding
This will set low stack and boot via
3 4 the processor (like brand name, sys- 3 4 INT 19h.
tem bus, etc...)

1 2 1 2
Testing RTC (Real Time Clock) Operating System Booting
3 4 3 4

2-18
Hardware Setup

Jumpers

Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1


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

3 1 3 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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Slots

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Express Slots


PCI Express architecture provides a high performance I/O infrastructure for Desktop
Platforms with transfer rates starting at 2.5 Giga transfers per second over a PCI
Express x1 lane for Gigabit Ethernet, TV Tuners, 1394 controllers, and general pur-
pose I/O. Also, desktop platforms with PCI Express Architecture will be designed to
deliver highest performance in video, graphics, multimedia and other sophisticated
applications. Moreover, PCI Express architecture provides a high performance graphics
infrastructure for Desktop Platforms doubling the capability of existing AGP 8x de-
signs with transfer rates of 4.0 GB/s over a PCI Express x16 lane for graphics
controllers, while PCI Express x1 supports transfer rate of 250 MB/s.

PCI Express x16 Slot


(White)

PCI Express x1 Slot

PCI Express Lite Slot


(Yellow, supports PCIE X 4
transfer rate)

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slots


The PCI slots support LAN cards, SCSI cards, USB cards, and other add-on cards
that comply with PCI specifications. At 32 bits and 33 MHz, it yields a throughput rate
of 133 MBps.

32-bit PCI Slot

Important

When adding or removing expansion cards, make sure that you unplug the
power supply first. Meanwhile, read the documentation for the expansion card
to configure any necessary hardware or software settings for the expansion
card, such as jumpers, switches or BIOS configuration.
If you have a PCIE x16 graphics card, please always install it into the PCI
Express x 16 (white/ PCI_E1) slot to ensure the performance of graphics card.

2-20
Hardware Setup

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 A# INT B# INT C# INT D#
PCI Slot 2 INT B# INTC# INT D# INT A#

2-21
BIOS Setup

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.

3-1
M S-7238 M ainboard

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:

A7238IMS V1.0 070706 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.
070706 refers to the date this BIOS was released.

3-2
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
<F1> General Help
<F6> Load Optimized 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.

Advanced Chipset Features


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

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

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.

Cell M enu
Use this menu to specify your settings for frequency/voltage control and overclocking.

3-4
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/Secondary Master/ Slave, IDE Third/ Fourth M aster
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu, and the following screen appears.

3-6
BIOS Setup

Device/ Vender/ Size


It will showing the device information that you connected to the IDE/SATA con-
nector .

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/Secondary Master/ Slave, IDE Third/ Fourth M aster 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.].

Halt On
The setting determines whether the system will stop if an error is detected at boot.
Available options are:
[No Errors] The system doesn’t stop for any detected error.
[All, But Keyboard] The system doesn’t stop for a keyboard error.

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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).

3-8
BIOS Setup

Advanced BIOS Features

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.

Hyper-Threading Function
The processor uses Hyper-Threading technology to increase transaction rates and
reduces end-user response times. The technology treats the two cores inside the
processor as two logical processors that can execute instructions simultaneously.
In this way, the system performance is highly improved. If you disable the function,
the processor will use only one core to execute the instructions. Please disable
this item i f y our operating sy ste m doesn’t support HT F unction, or
unreliability and instability may occur.

3-9
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Important

Enabling the functionality of Hyper-Threading Technology for your computer


system requires ALL of the following platform Components:
* CPU: An Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology;
* Chipset: An Intel® Chipset that supports HT Technology;
* BIOS: A BIOS that supports HT Technology and has it enabled;
* OS: An operating system that supports HT Technology.

For more information on Hyper-threading Technology, go to:


www.intel.com/info/hyperthreading

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.

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.

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 sequence of boot devices where BIOS attempts
to load the disk operating system.

3-10
BIOS Setup

Advanced Chipset Features

Configure DRAM Timing by SPD


The system board designer must select the proper value for this field, according to
the specifications of the installed DRAM chips. W hen Disabled, you can select the
DRAM timing type.

DRAM CAS# Latency


W hen the Configure DRAM Timing by SPD sets to [Disabled], 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.

DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay


W hen the Configure DRAM Timing by SPD sets to [Disabled], 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.

DRAM RAS# Precharge


W hen the Configure DRAM Timing by SPD sets to [Disabled], 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.

3-11
M S-7238 M ainboard

DRAM RAS# Activate to Prec


hen the Configure DRAM Timing by SPD sets to [Disabled], the field is
adjustable. The field specifies the idle cycles before precharging an idle bank.

M emory Hole
In order to improve performance, certain space in memory can be reserved for ISA
peripherals. This memory must be mapped into the memory space below 16MB. W hen
this area is reserved, it cannot be cached.

3-12
BIOS Setup

Integrated Peripherals

USB Functions
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


These items are used to enable/disable the onboard LAN controller.

Onboard LAN Option ROM


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

Onboard RAID Controller (for JMicro RAID)


This item allows you to enable/disable the onboard RAID controller.

Onboard IEEE1394 Controller


This item allows you to enable/disable the onboard IEEE1394 controller.

Onboard 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:

3-13
M S-7238 M ainboard

PCI IDE BusMaster


Set this option to [Enabled] to specify that the IDE controller on the PCI local bus
has bus mastering capability.

SATA#1 Configuration
It allows you to configure the SATA#1 controller.Settings are:
[Disabled] Disable the SATA devices
[Compatible] Enable the SATA devices and release the IRQ14/ 15 for SATA
devic es
[Enhanced] Select Enhanced if you want to use the SATA as IDE / RAID or
AHCI function

Configure SATA#1 as
W hen the SATA#1 Configuration sets to [Enhanced], the field is adjustable. It
allows user to configure the SATA devices as IDE/ AHCI or RAID.

SATA#2 Configuration
W hen the Configure SATA#1 as sets to [IDE], the field is adjustable. It allows
you to Enable/ Disable the SATA#2 controller (SATA5~6).

AHCI Devices Group


Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu. If you set the [AHCI] in Configure SATA#1
as, it will show the Hard Disk status in the sub-menu.

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

3-14
BIOS Setup

Onboard Floppy Controller


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

COM Port 1/ 2
Select an address and corresponding interrupt for the serial port 1/ 2.

COM Port 2 mode


Select the com port 2 mode.

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] Line Printer port 0
[278] Line Printer port 2
[378] Line Printer port 1

Parallel Port M ode


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

Parallel Port IRQ


This item allows you to set parallel port IRQ.

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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 [Yes].

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/POS] 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/STR] 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.
[Auto] Auto arrange the power saving mode for ACPI function.

3-16
BIOS Setup

Re-Call VGA BIOS From S3


W hen ACPI Standby State is set to [S3/STR], users can select the options in this
field. Selecting [Yes] allows BIOS to call VGABIOS to initialize the VGA card when
system wakes up (resumes) from S3 sleep state. The system resume time is short-
ened when you disable the function, but system will need an VGA driver to initialize
the VGA card. Therefore, if the VGA driver of the card does not support the initializa-
tion feature, the display may work abnormally or not function after resuming from S3.

Suspend Time Out (M inute)


If system activity is not detected for the length of time specified in this field, all
devices except CPU will be shut off.

Power Button Function


This feature sets the function of the power button. Settings are:
[On/ 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:
[Power Off] Always leaves the computer in the power off state.
[Power On] Always leaves the computer in the power on state.
[Last State] Restores the system to the status before power failure
or interrupt occurred.

Wakeup Event Setup


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

Resume From S3 By USB Device


The item allows the activity of the USB device to wake up the system from S3
(Suspend to RAM) sleep state.

S3/S4 Power on by PS/2 KB


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

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Specific Key PowerOn


If S3/S4 Power on by PS/2 KB is set to Specific Key, then you can set a
specific key in this field for the PS/2 keyboard to power on the system.

S3/S4 Power On by PS/2 Mouse


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-E Device (PME)


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

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 PCI 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.

Date (of M onth) Alarm


The field specifies the date for Resume by RTC Alarm.

Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm


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

3-18
BIOS Setup

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

Primary Graphics Adapter


This setting specifies which graphics card is your primary graphics adapter.

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 IRQ


These items specify the IRQ line for each PCI slot.

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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.

DM A Resource Setup
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears.

DMA Channel 0/1/3/5/6/7


The settings determine if AMIBIOS should remove a DMA (Direct Memory Access)
from the available DMAs passed to devices that are configurable by the system
BIOS. The available DMA pool is determined by reading the ESCD NVRAM. If more
DMAs must be removed from the pool, the end user can reserve the DMA.

3-20
BIOS Setup

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/ System Temperature, CPU/ NB/ SYSTEM FAN Speed, CPU Vcore,
+5VSB, +5.0V, +12.0V, +3.3V
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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M S-7238 M ainboard

Cell Menu

Important

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

Current CPU Clock/ Current DRAM Frequency


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

Dynamic OverClocking M ode


Dynamic Overclocking Technology is the automatic overclocking function, included in
the MSITM ’s newly developed CoreCellTM Technology. It is designed to detect the load
balance of CPU while running programs, and to adjust the best CPU frequency
automatically. W hen the motherboard detects CPU is running programs, it will speed
up CPU automatically to make the program run smoothly and faster. W hen the CPU is
temporarily suspending or staying in the low load balance, it will restore the default
settings instead. Usually the Dynamic Overclocking Technology will be powered only
when users' PC need to run huge amount of data like 3D games or the video process,
and the CPU frequency need to be boosted up to enhance the overall performance.
This item allows you to select the CPU/ PCIE or CPU+PCIE to overclock.

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BIOS Setup

CPU D.O.T3 step1/2/3 setting


The D.O.T has 3 steps to overclock the CPU, you can set the overclocking percent-
age for each step. W hen the CPU loading reaches to 20%, the CPU frequency will
overclock according the setting of step1. When the CPU loading reaches to 50%, the
CPU frequency will overclock according the setting of step2. W hen the CPU loading
reaches to 80%, the CPU frequency will overclock according the setting of step3.
These items will appear when the Dynamic OverClocking Mode set to CPU only
or CPU and PCIE.

PCIE D.O.T3 step1/2/3 setting


The D.O.T has 3 steps to overclock the PCIE, you can set the overclocking percent-
age for each step. W hen the CPU loading reaches to 20%, the PCIE frequency will
overclock according the setting of step1. When the CPU loading reaches to 50%, the
PCIE frequency will overclock according the setting of step2. W hen the CPU loading
reaches to 80%, the PCIE frequency will overclock according the setting of step3.
These items will appear when the Dynamic OverClocking Mode set to PCIE only
or CPU and PCIE.

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 overclocking regularly first. If you find the
PC appears to be unstable or reboot incidentally, it's better to disable the
Dynamic Overclocking or to lower the level of overclocking options. By the
way, if you need to conduct overclocking manually, you also need to disable
the Dynamic OverClocking first.

Adjust CPU FSB Frequency


This item allows you to select the CPU Front Side Bus clock frequency (in MHz).

Add CPU Voltage (V)


This item allows you to overclock the CPU voltage.

Important

Any changes for the voltage may cause a stability issue, so changing the
voltage for long-term purpose is NOT recommended.

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Adjust DRAM Frequency


Setting to Auto, the system will auto detect the memory clock. Or you can select the
DRAM frequency at your desire.

Adjust DRAM Voltage (V)


Adjusting the DRAM voltage can increase the DDR speed.

PCIEx4 speed Controller


These items allow you to select the speed mode of PCIE x 4 slot.

Adjust PCI Express Frequency


These items allow you to select the PCI Express frequency and overclock the proc-
essor by adjusting the PCI Express frequency to a higher frequency.

Adjust NB Voltage (V)


It allows you to adjust the NB voltage.

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 Enabled 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.

Auto Disable DIM M/PCI Clock


This item is used to auto detect the DIMM/PCI slots. When set to [Enabled], the system
will remove (turn off) clocks from empty DIMM/PCI slots to minimize the electromag-
netic interference (EMI).

3-24
BIOS Setup

CPU and Memory Clock Overclocking


The Adjust CPU FSB Frequency / Dynamic OverClocking Mode/ Adjust DRAM
Frequency are the items for you to overclock the CPU and the Memory. Please refer
to the descriptions of these fields for more information.

Important

1. CPU Speed = CPU FSB Frequency * CPU Ratio


2. This motherboard supports overclocking greatly. However, please make
sure your peripherals and components are bearable for some special
s ettings . Any operation that ex c eeds produc t spec ific ation is not
recommended. Any risk or damge resulting from improper operation will
not be under our product warranty.

Two ways to save your system from failed overclocking...


Reboot
1. Press the Power button to reboot the system three times. Please note that, to
avoid electric current to affect other devices or components, we suggest an
interval of more than 10 seconds among the reboot actions.

2. At the fourth reboot, BIOS will determine that the previous overclocking is failed
and restore the default settings automatically. Please press any key to boot the
system normally when the following message appears on screen.

W arning !!! The previous performance of overclocking is failed,


and the system is restored to the defaults setting.
Please press any key to continue...

Clear CM OS
- Please refer to “chapter 2” for more information about how to clear CMOS data.

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Load Optimized Defaults

The option on the main menu allows users to restore all of the BIOS settings to the
default Optimized values. The Optimized Defaults are the default values set by the
mainboard manufacturer specifically for optimal performance of the mainboard.

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

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

3-26
BIOS Setup

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.

3-27
Introduction to DigiCell

Appendix A
Introduction to DigiCell

DigiCell, the most useful and powerful utility that MSI


has spent much research and efforts to develop, helps
users to monitor and configure all the integrated pe-
ripherals of the system, such as audio program, power
management, MP3 files management and communica-
tion / 802.11g WLAN settings. Moreover, with this unique
utility, you will be able to activate the MSI well-known
features, Live Update and Dual Core Center, which
makes it easier to update the BIOS/drivers online, and
to monitor the system hardware status (CPU/Fan tem-
perature and speed) or to overclock the CPU.

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M S-7238 M ainboard

Activating DigiCell

Once you have your DigiCell installed (locate the setup source file in the setup CD
accompanying with your mainboard, path: Utility --> MSI Utility --> MSI DigiCell), 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 DigiCell.

short-cut icon in the system tray

short-cut path in the start-up menu


(path: Start-->Programs-->MSI-->DigiCell)

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Introduction to DigiCell

Main

Before using this utility, it is required to have all the integrated peripherals/cards (LAN
card, W ireless LAN card, MegaStick... etc.) and all the necessary drivers (onboard
LAN driver, audio driver, CoreCenter, Live Update... etc.) installed correctly.
The icon representing each item will be lit up if it is inserted/installed correctly and
properly. Otherwise, the icon will remain gray and user is not able to view the
functionality/connection of that item.

Introduction:
Click on each icon appearing above to enter the sub-menu to make further configuration.

M SI
Click on this button to link to MSI website:
http://www.msi.com.tw.

Quick Guide
Click on this button and the quick guide of DigiCell will be displayed for you
to review.

H/W Diagnostic
In this sub-menu, it provides the information of each DigiCell button for you to
check if the representing peripherals/cards/drivers are correctly installed.

Comm.
In this sub-menu, you can see the configuration details for communication
products, including the status, strength, speed and channel of the connec-
tion of the Ethernet LAN & W ireless LAN.

Software Access Point


In this sub-menu, you can change your connection mode to different ones,
and configure the advanced settings for each mode, such as the authentica-
tion encryption... etc.
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Live Update
You can take advantage of Live Update to detect and update BIOS and
drivers online.

Dual Core Center


You can take advantage of Dual Core Center to monitor the health status of
your mainboard/ graphics card, and to overclock under W indows OS if your
system supports overclocking function. (See appendix of Dual Core Center
for detail imformation.)

M EGA STICK
If you have your MEGA STICK connected to your system, this icon will be lit
up. Click this blue icon to turn DigiCell into a MP3 player, and then you can load
media files from your MEGA STICK or the system, and edit the preferred
playlist.

Audio Speaker Setting


In this sub-menu, you can configure and test the multi-channel audio function,
speakers, sound effect and environment.

Power on Agent
In this sub-menu, you can configure date, time and auto-executed programs
of the power-on, power-off and restarting features.

Important

Click on back button in every sub-menu and it will bring you back to the
main menu.

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Introduction to DigiCell

H/W Diagnostic

In the H/W Diagnostic sub-menu, you can see the information, status and note of
each DigiCell. You may double check the connection and installation of the item
marked as gray.

You may also click on the Mail to MSI button to send your questions or suggestions
to MSI’s technical support staff.

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Communication

In the Communication sub-menu, you can see the status of all the LAN / W LAN /
Bluetooth on the screen if the hardware is installed. The first icon indicates the
onboard LAN on your system, the second icon indicates the wireless LAN status,
and the third one is the information about the bluetooth on your system. Click on each
item for details.

This icon indicates the information and connection status of onboard LAN,
which is read-only.

The second icon indicates the wireless connection. You may click this icon
to configure the advanced settings in the WLAN Card Mode dialogue box.
Please note that it is only available when the Software Access Point is
set to WLAN Card M ode.

The third icon indicates the connection using bluetooth devices. If your
system is connected to the bluetooth device, the icon will light up.

A-6
Introduction to DigiCell

Software Access Point

In the Software Access Point sub-menu, you can see the communication status on
your system and choose the desired software access point mode by clicking on the
desired icon, in which the default settings are configured for your usage. The default
software access point mode is set to WLAN Card M ode. For more advanced
security settings and channels switching, click on “Setting” button to enter its sub-
menu.

Terminology
Here are the introduction of W LAN / AP communication terminology.
WEP Key
In the wireless network environment, the administrator can set up password
(Network Key) to protect the network from being attacked or unauthorized
access. W hen building the network, you can set up 4 sets of W EP keys,
which can be 5 characters (10 hex-adecimal digital) or 13 characters (26
hex-adecimal digital) and specify one of them to use.
Ad-hoc M ode
An Ad-hoc network is a local area network or other small network, especially
one with wireless or temporary plug-in connections, in which some of the
network devices are part of the network only for the duration of a communi-
cations session. Users in the network can share files, print to a shared
printer, and access the Internet with a shared modem. In this kind of network,
new devices can be quickly added; however, users can only communicate
with other wireless LAN computers that are in this wireless LAN workgroup,
and are within range.
Infrastructure M ode
The difference between Infrastructure network and Ad-hoc network is that
the former one includes an Access Point. In an Infrastructure network, the
Access Point can manage the bandwidth to maximize bandwidth utilization.
Additionally, the Access Point enables users on a wireless LAN to access an
existing wired network, allowing wireless users to take advantage of the
wired networks resources, such as Internet, email, file transfer, and printer
sharing. The scale and range of the Infrastructure networking are larger and
wider than that of the Ad-hoc networking.
A-7
M S-7238 M ainboard

Access Point Mode


Click on “Setting” button of the Access Point Mode and the following screen will
display.

IP Sharing
Click on this icon to enable/disable the IP sharing. The default of this setting is disabled.

Disabled Enabled

Enabling/disabling IP sharing depends on the different situation. For example:


1. If your family and you are getting on Internet at home with multi computers, and
your ISP only provides one IP for you, you may need to enable IP Sharing
function in order to use this one IP to get on Internet with multi computers
simultaneously.
2. If you are getting on Internet in office, usually the LAN card will automatically get
the IP this computer uses. In this case you don’t have to enable this function.
SSID
Means Service Set Identifier, a unique name shared among all points in a wireless
network. It must be identical for all points in the network. Then the card will be able
to connect to an access point with the same SSID.
Channel
Specifies the operating radio frequency channel in Infrastructure mode, which
should be set to an available one (ex: with less traffic to ensure the stable and better
connection).
Associated Client List
This option is to display information of stations that are currently associated to your
wireless gateway.
Association Control
This option allows you to control which PC can connect to the wireless LAN. If you

A-8
Introduction to DigiCell

enable this feature, only PCs with MAC address located in Association Control List
can connect to the wireless LAN.
M AC Address
MAC stands for Media Access Control. A MAC address is the hardware address of
a device connected to a network.
Security
This option allows you to enable/disable the authentication function.
Authentication
Open: Communicates the key across the network.
Shared: Devices must have identical W EP settings to communicate.

WLAN Card Mode


Click on “Setting” button of the WLAN Card Mode for the WEP status of your APs.
If the AP you are selecting (the highlighted one) is not encrypted (Disabled shown in
the Encryption column), the screen will display as below. You can click “Connect”
to make connection to that AP, click “Cancel” to close this dialogue box, or click
“Refresh” button to update the available W LAN connections.

If the network you are selecting is encrypted (WEP shown in the Encryption column),
the screen will display as below. You need to enter the correct W EP key defined by
AP in the specified WEP Key 1~4 fields to make the connection.

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Live Update

Click on the Live Update icon in the main menu and the Live Update program will be
enabled.

The Live Update 3™ is a tool used to detect and update your BIOS/
drivers/VGA BIOS/VGA Driver/Utility online so that you don’t need to
search for the correct BIOS/driver version throughout the whole
W eb site. To use the function, you need to install the “MSI Live
Update 3” application. After the installation, the “MSI Live Update 3”
icon (as shown on the right) will appear on the screen.
Double click the “MSI Live Update 3” icon, and the following screen
will appear:

Several buttons are placed on the left column of the screen. Click the desired button
to start the update process.

Live BIOS – Updates the BIOS online.


Live Driver – Updates the drivers online.
Live VGA BIOS – Updates the VGA BIOS online.
Live VGA Driver – Updates the VGA driver online.
Live Utility – Updates the utilities online.

If the product you purchased does not support any of the functions listed above, a
“sorry” message is displayed. For more information on the update instructions, insert
the companion CD and refer to the “Live Update Guide” under the “Manual” Tab.

A-10
Introduction to DigiCell

MEGA STICK

In the MEGA STICK sub-menu, you can configure the settings of MSI MEGA STICK
and the media files (*.m3u, *.mp3, *.wav, *.cda, *.wma) on your system.

Basic Function
Here you can edit your own play list with the buttons “load”, “save”, “delete”,
“shuttle”, “repeat” & “print”.

Load To load media files or the playlist of mp3 files (*.m3u) on your system or
on your MEGA STICK.
Save To save a loaded playlist of mp3 files (*.m3u) on your system or on
your MEGA STICK.
Del ete Click on the media files in the Play List: field and use “Delete” button
to remove the media file from the play list. You may remove multi media
files simultaneously by using “Ctrl” to select multi files.
Shuffle To play the media file in the Play List: in a random order.
Repeat To repeat the selected files in the Play List:.
Print This button has 2 functions:
1. To print out the details of current play list through your printer with
the following information:
Song title --- Song length --- Singer name
2. To save the details of current play list and save the file in the plain
text file format in the \\Program files\MSI\DigiCell\MyMusic.txt for
your reference. The MyMusic.txt file is with the following information:
Song title --- Song length --- Singer name

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M S-7238 M ainboard

There is also a toolbar for you to execute some basic function, like play, stop, pause,
previous/next song, song info and volume adjust. There is also a scroll bar on the top
for you to forward/rewind.

pause
previous next
f orward/rewind
bar

stop song’s information


play

Right-click on the MP3 file and choose “Info”, a MP3 Info dialogue
will pop up to show the information of the file, including the title, artist,
album, release year and others. You may also add your own comment
in the comment field. Then click “Save” to save the change, click
“Cancel” to discard the change, or click “Remove” to remove all
this information.

A-12
Introduction to DigiCell

Non-Unicode programs supported


If you are using an operating system in European languages, and you’d like to play the
media files in MEGA STICK with East-Asian languages (such as Chinese, Japanese...
etc.), it is possible that the file names display incorrectly.
However, you can ins tall the Supplemental Language Support provided by
Microsoft to solve this problem. You need to have your Microsoft Setup CD prepared
in the CD-ROM. The system will start to install the necessary components after the
settings are configured here. Follow the steps described below.
1. Go to [Control Panel] and choose [Regional and Languages Options].

2. Go to the [Languages] tab and enable the check box of [Install files for East
Asian languages]. A dialogue box will pop up to remind you the above selection
is chosen.

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M S-7238 M ainboard

3. Then go to the [Advanced] tab and select the language you want to be
supported (the language of the filename in the MegaStick) from the drop-
down list in the [Language for non-Unicode programs], then click [Apply]. The
system will install the necessary components from your Microsoft Setup CD
immediately.

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Introduction to DigiCell

Power On Agent

In the Power on Agent sub-menu, you can configure setting of power-on, power-
off and restarting status.
In the screen below, you can set the date, time, start-up programs respectively for
power-on, power-off and restarting.

Power On
Here are the available settings for Power On function:
Date Use the drop-down list to select the date for power-on.
T im e Use the arrow keys to select the hour/minute/second for power-on,
power-off and restarting. Then click “Apply” to save the changes. As
you click “Apply”, the following dialogue will appear to show you the
next power-on schedule, and the system will start to count down to
restart. Click “OK” to restart the computer right away or click “Later”
to restart your computer later.

Important

Please note that the new setting will not take effect until you restart your
computer.

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M S-7238 M ainboard

Power Off / Restart


You may configure the time (in the format hh:mm:ss) for the next power-off / restart.

Start With
Use the button “+Add” to add the start-up programs
as DigiCell is activated next time. For example, you
may like to have Outlook activated or a specified
website linked when you get to the office every
morning.
Step 1: Click on the Program: field and click “>>” add the des ired
button to browse for the path of Outlook or start-with program
Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on “OK” to apply the setting.
Step 3: For specified file or specified website, you
may enter the file name with the complete
path or the website link in the Parameters: field.

To ac tivate O utlook as To activate a s pecif ied


DigiCell is enabled next website as DigiCell is ena-
time bled next time

Of course you may use the button “-Delete” to remove the added programs, or you
can right-click on the selected program and click Delete.

delete the added program

Important

You can also enable the Every turn on function, which will enable the
specified program(s) and file(s) every time the DigiCell utility runs.

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Introduction to DigiCell

Auto Login

Since the Power On function allows the system to power on automatically, you may
have to enable this Auto Login function in the following situations:
1. If you are using a computer belonging to a domain in office, and you need to
enter your user name & password everytime when you boot up your computer.
2. If there are multi users using the same computer and you’d like to power on the
computer automatically with one specific user.

Enable Auto Login


Enable this setting if you want to use the Auto Login feature. It supports the
following operating systems: W in9X, W indows ME, W indows 2000 & W indows XP.

Default User Name


It is only available for W indows 2000 & W indows XP.
-- If you are using a computer belonging to a domain in office, please enter your
login user name in this field.
-- If you are using a computer with multi users (for Windows XP operating system),
please enter the user name you’d like to auto power-on in this field.

Default Password
It is only available for W indows 2000 & W indows XP.
-- If you are using a computer belonging to a domain in office, please enter your
login password in this field.
-- If you are using a computer with multi-users (for Windows XP operating system),
please enter the password for the user name you’d like to auto power-on in
this field.

A-17
Dual Core Center

Appendix B
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. 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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M S-7238 M ainboard

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

All the information/ pictures in this appendix are for reference only and might
different from your system.

B-2
Dual Core Center

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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M S-7238 M ainboard

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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Dual Core Center

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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Dual Core Center

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
“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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Dual Core Center

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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Dual Core Center

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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Intel ICH8R SATA RAID

Appendix C
Intel ICH8R SATA RAID

The ICH8R (NH82801GR) provides a hybrid solution that


combines six independent SATAII ports for support of
up to six Serial ATAII (Serial ATAII RAID) drives.
It offers RAID level 0 (Striping), RAID level 1 (Mirroring
and Duplexing), RAID level 5 (Block Interleaved Distrib-
uted Parity), RAID level 10 (A Stripe of Mirrors) and
Intel® Martix Storage Technology.

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ICH8R Introduction

The ICH8R provides a hybrid solution that combines 6 independent SATAII ports for
support of up to 6 Serial ATAII (Serial ATAII RAID) drives.
Serial ATAII (SATAII) is the latest generation of the ATA interface. SATA hard drives
deliver blistering transfer speeds up to 300MB/sec. Serial ATA uses long, thin cables,
making it easier to connect your drive and improving the airflow inside your PC. The
most outstanding features are:
1. Supports 300MB/s transfers with CRC error checking.
2. Supports Hot-plug-n-play feature.
3. Data handling optimizations including tagged command queuing, elevator
seek and packet chain command.
Intel® ICH8R offers RAID level 0 (Striping), RAID level 1 (Mirroring and Duplexing),
RAID level 5 (Block Interleaved Distributed Parity), RAID level 10 (A Stripe of Mirrors)
and Intel® Martix Storage Technology.
RAID 0 breaks the data into blocks which are written to separate hard drives. Spreading
the hard drive I/O load across independent channels greatly improves I/O performance.
RAID 1 provides data redundancy by mirroring data between the hard drives and
provides enhanced read performance. RAID 5 Provides data striping at the byte level
and also stripe error correction information. This results in excellent performance
and good fault tolerance. Level 5 is one of the most popular implementations of RAID.
RAID 10 Not one of the original RAID levels, multiple RAID 1 mirrors are created, and
a RAID 0 stripe is created over these. Intel Matrix RAID Technology is the advanced
ability for two RAID volumes to share the combined space of two hard drives being
used in unison.

Important

The least number of hard drives for RAID 0, RAID 1 or Matrix mode is 2. The
least number of hard drives for RAID 10 mode is 4. And the least number of
hard drives for RAID 5 mode is 3.
All the information/ volumes/ pictures listed in your system might differ from
the illustrations in this appendix.

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Intel ICH8R SATA RAID

BIOS Configuration

The Intel Matrix Storage Manager Option ROM should be integrated with the system
BIOS on all motherboards with a supported Intel chipset. The Intel Matrix Stroage
Manager Option ROM is the Intel RAID implementation and provides BIOS and DOS
disk services. Please use <Ctrl> + <I> keys to enter the “Intel(R) RAID for Serial ATA”
status screen, which should appear early in system boot-up, during the POST
(Power-On Self Test). Also, you need to enable the RAID function in BIOS to create,
delete and reset RAID volumes.

Using the Intel Matrix Stroage Manager Option ROM


1. Creating, Deleting and Resetting RAID Volumes:
The Serial ATA RAID volume may be configured using the RAID Configuration utility
stored within the Intel RAID Option ROM. During the Power-On Self Test (POST), the
following message will appear for a few seconds:

Important

The “Driver Model”, “Serial #” and “Size” in the following example might be
different from your system.

After the above message shows, press <Ctrl> and <I> keys simultaneously to enter
the RAID Configuration Utility.

Important

The following procedure is only available with a newly-built system or if you


are reinstalling your OS. It should not be used to migrate an existing system
to RAID.

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After pressing the <Ctrl> and <I> keys simultaneously, the following window will
appear:

(1) Create RAID Volume


1. Select option 1 “Create RAID Volume” and press <Enter> key. The following
screen appears. Then in the Name field, specify a RAID Volume name and
then press the <TAB> or <Enter> key to go to the next field.
2. Use the arrow keys to select the RAID level best suited to your usage model
in RAID Level.

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Intel ICH8R SATA RAID

3. In the Disk field, press <Enter> key and the following screen appears. Use
<Space> key to select the disks you want to create for the RAID volume, then
click <Enter> key to finish selection.

4. Then select the strip value for the RAID array by using the “upper arrow” or
“down arrow” keys to scroll through the available values, and pressing the
<Enter> key to select and advance to the next field. The available values
range from 4KB to 128 KB in power of 2 increments. The strip value should be
chosen based on the planned drive usage. Here are some typical values:
RAID0 – 128KB
RAID10 – 64KB
RAID5 – 64KB
5. Then select the capacity of the volume in the Capacity field. The default
value is the maximum volume capacity of the selected disks.

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Important

Since you want to create two volumes (Intel Matrix RAID Technology), this
default size (maximum) needs to be reduced. Type in a new size for the first
volume. As an example: if you want the first volume to span the first half of the
two disks, re-type the size to be half of what is shown by default. The second
volume, when created, will automatically span the remainder of two hard
drives.

6. Then the following screen appears for you to confirm if you are sure to
create the RAID volume. Press <Y> to continue.

7. Then the following screen appears to indicate that the creation is finished.

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Intel ICH8R SATA RAID

(2) Delete RAID Volume


Here you can delete the RAID volume, but please be noted that all data on RAID
drives will be lost.

Important

If your system currently boots to RAID and you delete the RAID volume in the
Intel RAID Option ROM, your system will become unbootable.

Select option 2 Delete RAID Volume from the main menu window and press
<Enter> key to select a RAID volume for deletion. Then press <Delete> key to
delete the selected RAID volume. The following screen appears.

Press <Y> key to accept the volume deletion.

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(3) Reset Disks to Non-RAID


Select option 3 Reset Disks to Non-RAID and press <Enter> to delete the RAID
volume and remove any RAID structures from the drives. The following screen
appears:

Press <Y> key to accept the selection.

Important

1. You will lose all data on the RAID drives and any internal RAID structures
when you perform this operation.
2. Possible reasons to ‘Reset Disks to Non-RAID’ could include issues such
as incompatible RAID configurations or a failed volume or failed disk.

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Intel ICH8R SATA RAID

Installing Software

Install Driver in Windows XP / 2000


† New Windows XP / 2000 Installation
The following details the installation of the drivers while installing W indows XP /
2000.
1. Start the installation:
Boot from the CD-ROM. Press F6 when the message "Press F6 if you need
to install third party SCSI or RAID driver" appears.
2. W hen the W indows XP/ 2000 Setup window is generated, press S to specify
an Additional Device(s).
3. Insert the driver diskette Intel IAA RAID Driver For ICH8R into drive A: and
press <Enter>.

Important

Please follow the instruction below to make an “Intel IAA RAID Driver For
ICH8R (NH82801GR)” 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 \\IDE\Intel\ICH8R\Floppy to a formatted floppy
diskette.
4. The driver diskette for Intel® ICH8R RAID Controller is done.

4. Choose the driver Intel(R) ICH8R SATA RAID Controller from the drop-
down list that appears on W indows XP Setup screen, and press the <Enter>
key.
5. Press <Enter> to continue with installation or if you need to specify any
additional devices to be installed, do so at this time. Once all devices are
specified, press <Enter> to continue with installation.
6. From the W indows XP/2000 Setup screen, press the <Enter> key. Setup will
now load all device files and then continue the Windows XP/2000 installation.

† Existing Windows XP/2000 Driver Installation


1. Insert the MSI CD into the CD-ROM drive.
2. The CD will auto-run and the setup screen will appear.
3. Under the Driver tab, click on Intel IAA RAID Edition.
4. The drivers will be automatically installed.

† Confirming Windows XP/2000 Driver Installation


1. From W indows XP/2000, open the Control Panel from My Computer fol-
lowed by the System icon.
2. Choose the Hardware tab, then click the Device M anager tab.
3. Click the "+" in front of the SCSI and RAID Controllers hardware type. The
driver Intel(R) ICH8R SATA RAID Controller should appear.
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Installation of Intel Matrix Storage Console


The Intel Application Accelerator RAID Edition driver may be used to operate the hard
drive from which the system is booting or a hard drive that contains important data.
For this reason, you cannot remove or un-install this driver from the system after
installation; however, you will have the ability to un-install all other non-driver
components.
Insert the MSI CD and click on the Intel IAA RAID Edition to install the software.

Click on this item

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Intel ICH8R SATA RAID

The InstallShield Wizard will begin automatically for installation showed as following:

Click on the Next button to proceed the installation in the welcoming window.

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The window shows the components to be installed. Click Next button to continue.

After reading the license agreement in the following window, click Yes button to
continue.

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Intel ICH8R SATA RAID

The following window appears to show the Readme File Information. It shows the
system requirements and installation information.

Once the installation is complete, the following window appears.

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RAID Migration Instructions


The Intel Matrix Storage Console offers the flexibility to upgrade from a single Serial
ATA (SATA) hard drive to RAID configuration when an additional SATA hard drive is
added to the system. This process will create a new RAID volume from an existing
disk. However, several important steps must be followed at the time the system is
first configured in order to take advantage of RAID when upgrading to a second
SATA hard drive:
1. BIOS must be configured for RAID before installing W indows XP on the
single SATA hard drive. Refer to On-Chip ATA Devices for properly
setting of the BIOS.
2. Install the Intel Application Accelerator RAID Driver during W indows Setup.
Refer to Installing Software for instructions on installing the driver dur-
ing W indows Setup.
3. Install the Intel Matrix Storage Console after the operating system is installed.
To create a volume from an existing disk, complete the following steps:

Important

A Create from Existing Disk operation will delete all existing data from the
added disk and the data cannot be recovered. It is critical to backup all
important data on the added disk before proceeding. However, during the
migration process, the data on the source disk is preserved.

After the Intel Matrix Storage Console has been successfully installed and the sys-
tem has rebooted, click on the Intel Application Accelerator shortcut link (Start --> All
Programs --> Intel M atrix Storage Manager --> Intel Matrix Storage Console)
and the following window will appear:

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Intel ICH8R SATA RAID

Create RAID Volume from Existing Disk


To create a RAID volume from an existing disk, choose Action --> Create RAID
Volume from Existing Hard Drive.

The Create RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard pops up to lead you
for the following procedure. Click Next to continue.

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(1) Step 1: Configure Volume


Here you can configure the new RAID volume by entering the volume name, selecting
the RAID level and strip size.

† RAID Volume Name:


A desired RAID volume name needs to be typed in where the ‘RAID_Volume1’ text
currently appears above. The RAID volume name has a maximum limit of 16 characters.
The RAID volume name must also be in English alphanumeric ASCII characters.

† RAID Level:
Select the desired RAID level:
RAID 0 (Performance) – A volume optimized for performance will allow you to
access your data more quickly.
RAID 1 (Redundancy) – A volume optimized for data redundancy will provide
you with a realtime duplicate copy of your data. Note:
Only half of the available volume space will be avail-
able for data storage.
RAID 5 (Useful) – RAID 5 can be used on three or more disks, with zero
or more spare-disks. The resulting RAID-5 device size
will be (N-1)*S, where N is the how many drive, S is the
size of the smallest drive in the array. If one of the disks
fail, all data are still intact. It can rebuild the disk from
the parity information. If spare disks are available, re-
construction will begin immediately after the device
failure. If two disks fail simultaneously, all data are lost.
RAID-5 can survive one disk failure, but not two or
more. Both read and wri te perf ormanc e us ually
increase, but can be hard to predict how much. Reads
are similar to RAID-0 reads, writes can be either rather

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Intel ICH8R SATA RAID

expensive (requiring read-in prior to write, in order to


be able to calculate the correct parity information), or
similar to RAID-1 writes. The write efficiency depends
heavily on the amount of memory in the machine, and
the usage pattern of the array. Heavily scattered writes
are bound to be more expensive.
RAID 10 (Mirrored Stripes) – A RAID 1 array of two RAID 0 arrays.
† Strip Sizes:
Select the desired strip size setting. As indicated, the optimal setting is 128KB. Se-
lecting any other option may result in performance degradation. Even though 128KB
is the recommended setting for most users, you should choose the strip size value
which is best suited to your specific RAID usage model. The most typical strip size
settings are:
4KB: For specialized usage models requiring 4KB strips
8KB: For specialized usage models requiring 8KB strips
16KB: Best for sequential transfers
32KB: Good for sequential transfers
64KB: Good general purpose strip size
128KB: Best performance for most desktops and workstations

(2) Select the source disk


Then select the source disk that you wish to use and then click “--->” to move it to the
Selected field. Then click Next to continue.
It is very important to note which disk is the source disk (the one containing all of the
information to be migrated) and which one is the target disk. On a RAID Ready
system, this can be determined by making a note during POST of which port the single
disk is attached to.
You can also use the Intel Application Accelerator RAID Edition utility before the
second disk is installed to verify the Port and serial number of the drive that contains
all the data.

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(3) Select Member Hard Drive(s)


Then select the member disk (the target disk) that you wish to use and then click “-
-->” to move it to the Selected field. Then click Next to continue.
Please note that the existing data on the selected hard drive(s) will be deleted
permanently. Do not forget to back up all the important data before continuing.

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Intel ICH8R SATA RAID

(4) Specify Volume Size


Specify the amount of available array space to be used by the new RAID volume. You
may enter the amount in the space or use the slider to specify. It is recommended you
use 100% of the available space for the optimized usage. For RAID 0 volume, if you
do not specify 100% of the hard drive space, the rest hard drive space will be
worked as RAID 1 volume, which is the new technology called Intel Matrix RAID. Then
click Next to continue.

(5) Start Creating RAID Volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard
Before you continue the procedure of RAID volume creation from existing hard drive,
read the dialogue box below carefully. Please note that once you click Finish, the
existing data on the selected hard drive(s) will be deleted permanently and this
operation cannot be undone. It is critical that you backup all important data before
selecting Finish to start the migration process.

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(6) Start Migration


The migration process may take up to two hours to complete depending on the size
of the disks being used and the strip size selected. A dialogue window will appear
stating that the migration process may take considerable time to complete, meanwhile
a popup dialogue at the taskbar will also show the migration status. While you can still
continue using your computer during the migration process, once the migration proc-
ess starts, it cannot be stopped. If the migration process gets interrupted and your
system is rebooted for any reason, it will pick up the migration process where it left
off. You will be provided with an estimated completion time (the remaining time will
depend on your system) once the migration process starts.

The following screen appears if the migration process is completed successfully.


Then you have to reboot your system to use the full capacity of the new volume.

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Intel ICH8R SATA RAID

Degraded RAID Array

A RAID 1, RAID 5 or RAID 10 volume is reported as degraded when one of its hard
drive members fails or is temporarily disconnected, and data mirroring is lost. As a
result, the system can only utilize theremaining functional hard drive member. To re-
establish data mirroring and restore data redundancy, refer to the procedure below
that corresponds to the current situation.

Missing Hard Drive Member


1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Reconnect the hard drive.
3. Reboot the system to W indows; the rebuild will occur automatically.

Failed Hard Drive Member


1. Make sure the system is powered off.
2. Replace the failed hard drive with a new one that is of equal or greater
capacity.
3. Reboot the system to Intel RAID Option ROM by press <Ctrl> and <I> keys
simultaneously during the Power-On Self Test (POST).

4. Select the port of the destination disk for rebuilding, and then press ENTER.

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5. Exit Intel RAID Option ROM, and then reboot to W indows system.
6. W hen prompted to rebuild the RAID volume, click 'Yes'.
7. The Intel(R) Storage Utility will be launched. Right-click the new hard drive and
select 'Rebuild to this Disk'. The 'Rebuild W izard' will be launched which will
guide you through the process of rebuilding to the new hard drive.

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JMicron RAID

Appendix D
JMicron RAID Introduction

JMicron’s RAID provides Serial ATA RAID 0 (Striping) , RAID 1


(Mirroring) and JBOD functionality to enhance the industry’s
leading PCI Express-to-SATA & PATA host controller products.
Two major challenges facing the storage industry today are (1):
keeping pace with the increasing performance demands of
computer systems by improving disk I/O throughput, and (2):
providing data accessibility in the face of hard disk failures while
utilizing full disk capacity.
JMicron PCI Express-to-SATA/ PATA provide 1 SATA port and 1
PATA port with RAID to slove both of these problems.

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Introduction
RAID - Redundant Array of Independent Disks
RAID technology manages multiple disk drives to enhance I/O performance and pro-
vide redundancy in order to withstand the failure of any individual member, without
loss of data. RAID provides two RAID Set types, Striping (RAID 0) and Mirroring (RAID
1).

RAID 0 (Striping)
Striping is a performance-oriented, non-redundant data mapping technique. W hile
Striping is discussed as a RAID Set type, it actually does not provide fault tolerance.
Striping arrays use multiple disks to form a larger virtual disk.

RAID 1 (Mirroring)
Disk mirroring creates an identical twin for a selected disk by having the data simul-
taneously written to two disks. This redundancy provides instantaneous protection
from a single disk failure. If a read failure occurs on one drive, the system reads the
data from the other drive.

JBOD (Concatenate)
JBOD provides a method for combining drives of different sizes into one large disk

Important

All the information/pictures illustrations in this chapter might differ from the
listed in your system.

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JMicron RAID

Creating and Deleting RAID sets with BIOS Utility


Be sure to set [Enabled] for the Onboard RAID Control of Integrated Peripher-
als in BIOS before configuring the JMicron BIOS utility. After that press F10 to save
the configuration and exit. During boot up (POST), press CTRL+J to enter the JMicorn
RAID BIOS Menu.
The RAID Utility menu screen will be displayed. A brief description of each section is
presented below.

M ain M enu
The Main Menu in the upper left corner is used to choose the operation to be
performed. The selections are:
Create RAID set - is used to create a new legacy RAID set.
Delete RAID set - is used to delete a legacy RAID set.
Revert HDD to non-RAID - is used to revert an existed-RAID HDD to non-RAID.
Solve Mirror Conflict - is used to solve the conflict in RAID 1.
Rebulid Mirror Drive - is used to rebuild any rebuildable mirror drive.
Save And Exit Setup - save all settings and exit the BIOS utility.
Exit W ithout Saving - exit the BIOS utiltiy without any saving.

Hard Disk Driver List


The menu shows the model number and capacities of the drives physically
attached to the SATAII & PATA ports.

RAID Disk Driver List


The menu shows the current configuration of RAID set.

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Creating RAID set


1. Select “Create RAID Disk Drive”. Then press <Enter>.

2. Then in the Name field, specify a RAID set name and then press the <Enter> to go
to the next field.

3. Choose a 0-Striped, a 1-Mirror, or a JBOD-Concatenate combination set and then


press <Enter> to go to the next step.

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JMicron RAID

4. In the Hard Disk Disk List menu, use <Space> key to select the disks you want
to create for the RAID set, then click <Enter> key to finish selection.

5. Then select the strip value for the RAID array by using the “upper arrow” or “down
arrow” keys to scroll through the available values, and pressing the <Enter> key to
select and advance to the next field. The available values range from 4KB to 128 KB.
The default and typical value for RAID 0 is 128KB. (This field only available for RAID
0 mode.)

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6. Then select the capacity of the RAID set in the Size field. The default value is the
maximum capacity of the selected disks. Then press <Enter> to the Confirm Creation
field.
7. The Creation field will display a message to ask you to confirm the creation. Then
press <Y> key to proceed with the RAID set creation.

8. Then the following screen appears to indicate that the creation is finished.

8. Go to the Save And Exit Setup field and press <Enter>, a message will display to
ask you to confirm the setup. Then press <Y> key to save the setting and exit the
BIOS utility.

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JMicron RAID

Deleting RAID set


1. Select “Delete RAID Disk Drive”. Then press <Enter>.

2. In the RAID Disk Driver List menu, use <Space> key to select the RAID set you
want to delete. Then press <Del> key.
3. Press “Y” to accept the deletion when a deletion message is appeared.

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Revert HDD to non-RAID


Select Revert HDD to non-RAID and press <Enter>. In the Hard Disk Driver List
menu use <Space> key to select the disks you want to revert then click <Enter> key.
The following screen appears, press <Y> key to remove any RAID structures from
the drives.

Important

1. You will lose all data on the RAID drives and any internal RAID structures
when you perform this operation.
2. Possible reasons to ‘Revert HDD to non-RAID’ could include issues such as
incompatible RAID configurations or a failed volume or failed disk.

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JMicron RAID

Slove Mirror Conflict


W hen your mirror raid drive has lost each other, it means that both of the members
ever be identify by the Option ROM at different boot. The members will both think
itself as source disk. So that the System can not decide which one is source disk,
the user can not access this raid drive. In such example, the Option ROM gives
users an method to solve this problem. It allow users to choose one of the
members of Mirror drive as source disk. And then users can try to rebuild the
Mirror drive according to the content of chosen one.

Rebuild Mirror Drive


This option will help users to rebuild any Rebuildable Mirror drive. The bottom of the
window will show the achieved percentage of scheduled progress.

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Installing the RAID Driver (For bootable RAID array)


Install Driver in Windows XP / 2000
† New Windows XP / 2000 Installation
The following details the installation of the drivers while installing W indows XP /
2000.
1. Start the installation:
Boot from the CD-ROM. Press F6 when the message "Press F6 if you
need to install third party SCSI or RAID driver" appears.
2. W hen the W indows XP/2000 Setup window is generated, press <S> key to
specify an Additional Device(s).
3. Insert the driver diskette JM icron RAID Driver into drive A: and press
<Enter>.

Important

The JMicron RAID Driver Installation Disk should be accompanied in the


mainboard package. You may make the Serial ATA RAID driver by yourself by
following the instruction below.
1. Insert the MSI CD into the CD-ROM drive.
2. Click the “Browse CD” botton on the Setup Screen.
3. Copy all the contents in the \\IDE \ JM icron \ Floppy to a formatted
floppy disk.
4. The driver disk for JM icron RAID Controller is done.

4. Choose the driver JM icron JM B36X RAID Controller that appears on


W indows XP/2000 Setup screen, and press the <Enter> key.
5. Press <Enter> to continue with installation or if you need to specify any
additional devices to be installed, do so at this time. Once all devices are
specified, press <Enter> to continue with installation.
6. From the W indows XP/2000 Setup screen, press the <Enter> key. Setup
will now load all device files and then continue the W indows XP/2000
installation.
† Installing OS on RAID Drive
1. After setup examines your disks, it will copy files to W indows installation
folders and restart the system.
2. The setup program will continue and finish the installation after restarting.
3. W ait until W indows XP/2000 finishes installing devices, regional settings,
networking settings, components, and final set of tasks, then reboot the
system if necessary.
† Confirming Windows XP/2000 Driver Installation
1. From W indows XP/2000, open the Control Panel from My Computer
followed by the System icon.
2. Choose the Hardware tab, then click the Device M anager tab.
3. Click the "+" in front of the SCSI and RAID Controllers hardware type.
The driver JM icron JM B36X RAID Controller should appear.

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JMicron RAID

JMicron Raid Configurer

There is an application called JMicron Raid Configurer which helps you perform the
following tasks of nVDIA RAID.
• Viewing RAID Array Configurations
View an array configuration (mirrored, striped)
• Create RAID
• Create RAID From Existing Disk
• Deleting a RAID Array

Installing JMicron Raid Configurer


Before use the JMicron Raid Configurer,
you have to install it. Insert the MSI CD and
click on the JMicron RAID Drivers to in-
stall the software.

click JMicron RAID Drivers

Viewing RAID Array Configurations


To view your RAID configuration from W indows, launch the JMicron Raid Configurer
utility by clicking the icon from the system tray at the lower-right corner of the
screen.

Left-click the “Show Disks” button and the information of all hard disks will display
on the right side of the window.

click this button

Important

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

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Creating RAID/ Creating RAID from Existing Disk


JMRaidTool supports the creation of RAID 0/ RAID 1/ JBOD .
1. Left-click the “Create RAID”/ “Create RAID from Existing Disk” button.
2. A wizard dialogue will display on the screen, following the description of every
step to complete the creation.

Deleting RAID
1. Right-click the name of the disk array you want to delete and the “Remove” menu
will appear.

2. A warning message appears to remind you that the data will be lost. Press the
“Yes” button if you really want to delete the disk array.

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Realtek ALC883 Audio

Appendix E
Realtek ALC883 Audio

The Realtek ALC883 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 ALC883 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 ALC883 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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Realtek ALC883 Audio

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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Realtek ALC883 Audio

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
ALC883 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.

E-8
Realtek ALC883 Audio

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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Realtek ALC883 Audio

4. Recording control

Recording device
Tool Mute
-Realtek HD Digital input
-Realtek HD Audio input

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

ALC883 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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Realtek ALC883 Audio

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
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.
S/PDIF-in to S/PDIF -out pass though mode: The data from S/PDIF-In can be real-
time played from S/PDIF-Out.

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Realtek ALC883 Audio

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

Subwoof er
Side Left

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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Realtek ALC883 Audio

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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Realtek ALC883 Audio

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


Refer to the following diagram and caption for the function of each phone jack on the
back panel when 2-Channel Mode is selected.

Back Panel

1 4

7 3
6

1 Line In
2 Line Out (Front channels)
3 MIC
4 Line Out (Rear channels, but no functioning in this mode)
5 Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel, but no functioning in this mode)
6 S/PDIF Out-Optical
7 S/PDIF Out-Coaxial

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n 4-Channel M ode for 4-Speaker Output

Back Panel

4
1

2
5

3
7 6

Description:
Connect two speakers to back
panel’s Line Out connector and
two speakers to the real-chan-
nel Line Out connector.

4-Channel Analog Audio Output

1 Line In
2 Line Out (Front channels)
3 MIC
4 Line Out (Rear channels)
5 Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel, but no functioning in this mode)
6 S/PDIF Out-Optical
7 S/PDIF Out-Coaxial

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Realtek ALC883 Audio

n 6-Channel M ode for 6-Speaker Output

Back Panel

4
1

2 5

7
3
6

Description:
Connect two speakers to back
panel’s Line Out connector, two
speakers to the rear-channel
Line out connec tor and two
s peaker s t o t he c ent er /
6-Channel Analog Audio Output subwoofer-channel Line Out
connector.

1 Line In
2 Line Out (Front channels)
3 MIC
4 Line Out (Rear channels)
5 Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel)
6 S/PDIF Out-Optical
7 S/PDIF Out-Coaxial

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n 8-Channel M ode for 8-Speaker Output

1 4

2 5

3 6

Description:
Connect two speakers to back
panel’s Line Out connector, two
speakers to the rear-channel
Line out connector, two speak-
ers to the center/subwoofer-
8-Channel Analog Audio Output channel Line Out connector and
two speakers to the side-chan-
nel Line Out connector.
1 Side Surround Out (Side channels)
2 Line Out (Front channels)
3 MIC
4 Line Out (Rear channels)
5 Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel)
6 S/PDIF Out-Optical
7 S/PDIF Out-Coaxial

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