ASROCK FM2A55M-DGS User Manual
  1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. ASROCK Manuals
  4. Motherboard
  5. FM2A55M-DGS
  6. User manual

ASROCK FM2A55M-DGS User Manual

User manual
Hide thumbs Also See for FM2A55M-DGS:
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

See also: Installation Manual , Manual
FM2A55M-DGS

User Manual

Version 1.0
Published August 2012
Copyright©2012 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.
1

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading

Related Manuals for ASROCK FM2A55M-DGS

Summary of Contents for ASROCK FM2A55M-DGS

  • Page 1: User Manual

    FM2A55M-DGS User Manual Version 1.0 Published August 2012 Copyright©2012 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.

  • Page 2: Copyright Notice

    ASRock. ASRock assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions that may appear in this manual. With respect to the contents of this manual, ASRock does not provide warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warran- ties or conditions of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots) ......18 Dual Graphics Operation Guide ..........19 Dual Monitor and Surround Display Features ......21 ASRock Smart Remote Installation Guide ......... 24 Jumpers Setup ................26 Onboard Headers and Connectors ........27 2.10 Serial ATA2 (SATA2) Hard Disks Installation...
  • Page 4 3. UEFI SETUP UTILITY ..........37 Introduction ................37 3.1.1 UEFI Menu Bar ..............37 3.1.2 Navigation Keys ............... 38 Main Screen ................38 OC Tweaker Screen..............39 Advanced Screen ..............43 3.4.1 CPU Configuration ............44 3.4.2 North Bridge Configuration ..........45 3.4.3 South Bridge Configuration ..........

  • Page 5: Introduction

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

  • Page 6: Specifications

    1.2 Specifications Platform - Micro ATX Form Factor: 8.9-in x 7.6-in, 22.6 cm x 19.3 cm - Solid Capacitor for CPU power - Support for Socket FM2 100W processors - Supports AMD’s Cool ‘n’ Quiet Technology - UMI-Link GEN2 Chipset - AMD A55 FCH (Hudson-D2) Memory - Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology...
  • Page 7 - Microsoft Windows 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista / Vista 64-bit / XP SP3 compliant Certifications - FCC, CE, WHQL - ErP/EuP Ready (ErP/EuP ready power supply is required) * For detailed product information, please visit our website: http://www.asrock.com...
  • Page 8 4GB for the reservation for system usage un- ® ® der Windows 7 / Vista / XP. For Windows 64-bit OS with 64- bit CPU, there is no such limitation. You can use ASRock XFast ® RAM to utilize the memory that Windows cannot use.

  • Page 9: Unique Features

    OS 32-bit CPU. ASRock Instant Boot ASRock Instant Boot allows you to turn on your PC in just a few seconds, provides a much more efficient way to save energy, time, money, and improves system running speed for your sys- tem.
  • Page 10 ASRock XFast RAM ASRock XFast RAM is a new function that is included into AS- Rock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU). It fully utilizes the memory ® space that cannot be used under Windows OS 32-bit CPU.
  • Page 11 “Dehumidifier Function”. When enabling Dehumidifier Function, the computer will power on automatically to dehumidi- fy the system after entering S4/S5 state. ASRock Easy RAID Installer ASRock Easy RAID Installer can help you to copy the RAID driver from a support CD to your USB storage device. After copying the RAID driver to your USB storage device, please change “SATA Mode” to “RAID”, then you can start installing the...
  • Page 12 ASRock Interactive UEFI ASRock Interactive UEFI is a blend of system configuration tools, cool sound effects and stunning visuals. The unprec- edented UEFI provides a more attractive interface and brings a lot more amusement.

  • Page 13: Motherboard Layout

    1.4 Motherboard Layout 19.3cm (7.6-in) FM2A55M-DGS CPU_FAN1 USB 2.0 T: USB0 B: USB1 PWR_FAN1 Fast RAM USB 2.0 T: USB2 B: USB3 CMOS BATTERY Dual Graphics CLRCMOS1 PCIE1 RoHS A55 FCH PCIE2 (Hudson-D2) SPEAKER1 Chipset 64Mb BIOS AUDIO CODEC PCI1...

  • Page 14: I/O Panel

    1.5 I/O Panel PS/2 Mouse Port (Green) USB 2.0 Ports (USB23) LAN RJ-45 Port USB 2.0 Ports (USB01) Line In (Light Blue) DVI-D Port (DVI1) ** 4 Front Speaker (Lime) D-Sub Port (VGA1) Microphone (Pink) PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple) * There are two LED next to the LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED indications.

  • Page 15: Installation

    2. Installation This is a Micro ATX form factor (8.9-in x 7.6-in, 22.6 cm x 19.3 cm) motherboard. Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it. Pre-installation Precautions Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings.

  • Page 16: Cpu Installation

    2.1 CPU Installation Step 1. Unlock the socket by lifting the lever up to a 90 angle. Step 2. Position the CPU directly above the socket such that the CPU corner with the golden triangle matches the socket corner with a small triangle. Step 3.

  • Page 17: Installation Of Memory Modules (Dimm)

    2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM) This motherboard provides two 240-pin DDR3 (Double Data Rate 3) DIMM slots, and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. For dual channel configuration, you always need to install two identical (the same brand, speed, size and chip- type) memory modules in the DDR3 DIMM slots to activate Dual Channel Memory Technology.

  • Page 18: Expansion Slots (Pci And Pci Express Slots)

    2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots) There is 1 PCI slot and 2 PCI Express slots on this motherboard. PCI Slots: PCI slots are used to install expansion cards that have the 32-bit PCI interface. PCIE Slots: PCIE1 (PCIE x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x16 lane width graphics cards.

  • Page 19: Dual Graphics Operation Guide

    2.5 AMD Dual Graphics Operation Guide This motherboard supports AMD Dual Graphics feature. AMD Dual Graphics brings multi-GPU performance capabilities by enabling an AMD A55 FCH (Hudson-D2) integrated graphics processor and a discrete graphics processor to operate simultaneously with combined output to a single display for blisteringly-fast frame ®...
  • Page 20 Step 7. You can also click “AMD VISION Engine Control Center” on your ® Windows taskbar to enter AMD VISION Engine Control Center. AMD VISION Engine Control Center Step 8. In AMD VISION Engine Control Center, please choose “Performance”. Click “AMD CrossFire ”.

  • Page 21: Dual Monitor And Surround Display Features

    2.6 Dual Monitor and Surround Display Features Dual Monitor Feature This motherboard supports dual monitor feature. With the internal VGA output sup- port (D-Sub and DVI-D), you can easily enjoy the benefits of dual monitor feature without installing any add-on VGA card to this motherboard. This motherboard also provides independent display controllers for D-Sub and DVI-D to support dual VGA output so that D-Sub and DVI-D can drive same or different display contents.
  • Page 22 Surround Display Feature This motherboard supports surround display upgrade. With the internal VGA output support (D-Sub and DVI-D) and external add-on PCI Express VGA cards, you can easily enjoy the benefits of surround display feature. Please refer to the following steps to set up a surround display environment: 1.
  • Page 23 ® For Windows 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista / Vista 64-bit OS: Right click the desktop, choose “Personalize”, and select the “Display Settings” tab so that you can adjust the parameters of the multi-monitor according to the steps below. A.

  • Page 24: Asrock Smart Remote Installation Guide

    2.7 ASRock Smart Remote Installation Guide ASRock Smart Remote is only used for ASRock motherboard with CIR header. Please refer to below procedures for the quick installation and usage of ASRock Smart Remote. Step1. Find the CIR header located next to the USB 2.0 header on ASRock...
  • Page 25 The Multi-Angle CIR Receiver does not support Hot-Plug function. Please install it before you boot the system. * ASRock Smart Remote is only supported by some of ASRock motherboards. Please refer to ASRock website for the motherboard support list: http://www.asrock.com...

  • Page 26: Jumpers Setup

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

  • Page 27: Onboard Headers And Connectors

    2.9 Onboard Headers and Connectors Onboard headers and connectors are NOT jumpers. Do NOT place jumper caps over these headers and connectors. Placing jumper caps over the headers and connectors will cause permanent damage of the motherboard! Serial ATA2 Connectors These six Serial ATA2 (SATA2) connectors support (SATA_1: see p.13, No.
  • Page 28 Infrared Module Header This header supports an IRTX +5VSB optional wireless transmitting (5-pin IR1) DUMMY and receiving infrared module. (see p.13 No. 26) IRRX Consumer Infrared Module Header This header can be used to connect the remote (4-pin CIR1) controller receiver. (see p.13 No.
  • Page 29 System Panel Header This header accommodates several system front panel (9-pin PANEL1) functions. (see p.13 No. 17) Connect the power switch, reset switch and system status indicator on the chassis to this header according to the pin assignments below. Note the positive and negative pins before connecting the cables. PWRBTN (Power Switch): Connect to the power switch on the chassis front panel.
  • Page 30 Chassis and Power Fan Connectors Please connect the fan cables to the fan connectors and (4-pin CHA_FAN1) +12V match the black wire to the (see p.13 No. 16) CHA_FAN_SPEED FAN_SPEED_CONTROL ground pin. CHA_FAN1 fan speed can be controlled through (3-pin PWR_FAN1) +12V PWR_FAN_SPEED UEFI or AXTU.

  • Page 31: Serial Ata2 (Sata2) Hard Disks Installation

    2.10 Serial ATA2 (SATA2) Hard Disks Installation This motherboard adopts AMD A55 FCH (Hudson-D2) chipset that supports Serial ATA2 (SATA2) hard disks and RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10) functions. You may install SATA3 hard disks on this motherboard for internal storage devices. This section will guide you to install the SATA2 hard disks.

  • Page 32: Operation Guide

    * The SATA2 Hot Plug feature might not be supported by the chipset because of its limitation, the SATA2 Hot Plug support information of our motherboard is indicated in the product spec on our website: www.asrock.com 2. Make sure your SATA2 HDD can support Hot Plug function from your dealer or HDD user manual.

  • Page 33: How To Hot Plug A Sata2 Hdd

    How to Hot Plug a SATA2 HDD: Points of attention, before you process the Hot Plug: Please do follow below instruction sequence to process the Hot Plug, improper procedure will cause the SATA2 HDD damage and data loss. Please connect SATA power cable 1x4-pin Step 1 Connect SATA data cable to Step 2...

  • Page 34: Driver Installation Guide

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

  • Page 35: Installing Windows ® Without Raid Functions

    ® 2.15 Installing Windows 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista / Vista 64-bit / XP Without RAID Functions ® If you want to install Windows 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista / Vista 64-bit / XP OS on your SATA2 HDDs without RAID functions, please follow below procedures according to the OS you install.

  • Page 36: Installing Windows

    ® 2.15.2 Installing Windows 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista / Vista 64-bit Without RAID Functions ® If you want to install Windows 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista / Vista 64-bit on your SATA2 HDDs without RAID functions, please follow below steps. Using SATA2 HDDs with NCQ and Hot Plug functions (AHCI mode) STEP 1: Set up UEFI.

  • Page 37: Uefi Setup Utility

    3. UEFI SETUP UTILITY 3.1 Introduction ASRock Interactive UEFI is a blend of system configuration tools, cool sound ef- fects and stunning visuals. Not only will it make BIOS setup less difficult but also a lot more amusing. This section explains how to use the UEFI SETUP UTILITY to configure your system.

  • Page 38: Navigation Keys

    3.1.2 Navigation Keys Please check the following table for the function description of each navigation key. Navigation Key(s) Function Description Moves cursor left or right to select Screens Moves cursor up or down to select items + / - To change option for the selected items <Tab>...

  • Page 39: Oc Tweaker Screen

    3.3 OC Tweaker Screen In the OC Tweaker screen, you can set up overclocking features. EZ OC Mode You can use this option to adjust EZ overclocking setting. Please note that overclocing may cause damage to your components and motherboard. It should be done at your own risk and expense.
  • Page 40 Multiplier/Voltage Change This item is set to [Auto] by default. If it is set to [Manual], you may adjust the value of Processor Frequency and Processor Voltage. However, it is recommended to keep the default value for system stability. Boost Frequency Multiplier For safety and system stability, it is not recommended to adjust the value of this item.
  • Page 41 DRAM Timing Control Power Down Enable Use this item to enable or disable DDR power down mode. Bank Interleaving Interleaving allows memory accesses to be spread out over banks on the same node, or accross nodes, decreasing access contention. Channel Interleaving It allows you to enable Channel Memory Interleaving.
  • Page 42 RAS# Cycle Time (tRC) Use this item to change RAS# Cycle Time (tRC) Auto/Manual setting. The default is [Auto]. Write Recovery Time (tWR) Use this item to change Write Recovery Time (tWR) Auto/Manual setting. The default is [Auto]. Refresh Cyle Time (tRFC) Use this item to change Refresh Cyle Time (tRFC) Auto/Manual setting.

  • Page 43: Advanced Screen

    3.4 Advanced Screen In this section, you may set the configurations for the following items: CPU Configu- ration, Nouth Bridge Configuration, South Bridge Configuration, Storage Configura- tion, Super IO Configuration, ACPI Configuration, USB Configuration and Network Configuration. Setting wrong values in this section may cause the system to malfunction.

  • Page 44: Cpu Configuration

    3.4.1 CPU Configuration Core C6 Mode Use this item to enable or disable Core C6 mode. The default value is [Enabled]. Package C6 Mode This item appears only when you enable the item “Core C6 Mode”. Use this item to enable or disable Package C6 mode. The default value is [Dis- abled].

  • Page 45: North Bridge Configuration

    3.4.2 North Bridge Configuration Primary Graphics Adapter This item will switch the PCI Bus scanning order while searching for video card. It allows you to select the type of Primary VGA in case of multiple video controllers. The default value of this feature is [PCI Express]. Con- figuration options: [Onboard], [PCI] and [PCI Express].

  • Page 46: South Bridge Configuration

    3.4.3 South Bridge Configuration Onboard HD Audio Select [Auto], [Enabled] or [Disabled] for the onboard HD Audio feature. If you select [Auto], the onboard HD Audio will be disabled when PCI Sound Card is plugged. Front Panel Select [Auto] or [Disabled] for the onboard HD Audio Front Panel. Onboard LAN This allows you to enable or disable the onboard LAN feature.

  • Page 47: Storage Configuration

    3.4.4 Storage Configuration SATA Controller Use this item to enable or disable the “SATA Controller” feature. SATA Mode Use this item to adjust SATA Mode. The default value of this option is [AHCI Mode]. Configuration options: [AHCI Mode], [RAID Mode] and [IDE Mode]. If you set this item to RAID mode, it is suggested to install SATA ODD driver on SATA_5 and SATA_6 ports.

  • Page 48: Super Io Configuration

    3.4.5 Super IO Configuration Serial Port Use this item to enable or disable the onboard serial port. Serial Port Address Use this item to set the address for the onboard serial port. Configuration options: [3F8h / IRQ4] and [3E8h / IRQ4]. Infrared Port Use this item to enable or disable the onboard infrared port.

  • Page 49: Acpi Configuration

    3.4.6 ACPI Configuration Suspend to RAM Use this item to select whether to auto-detect or disable the Suspend-to- RAM feature. Select [Auto] will enable this feature if the OS supports it. Check Ready Bit Use this item to enable or disable the feature Check Ready Bit. Restore on AC/Power Loss This allows you to set the power state after an unexpected AC/power loss.
  • Page 50 USB Mouse Power On Use this item to enable or disable USB Mouse to power on the system. ACPI HPET table Use this item to enable or disable ACPI HPET Table. The default value is [Enabled]. Please set this option to [Enabled] if you plan to use this moth- ®...

  • Page 51: Usb Configuration

    3.4.7 USB Configuration USB 2.0 Controller Use this item to enable or disable the use of USB 2.0 controller. Legacy USB Support Use this option to select legacy support for USB devices. There are four confi guration options: [Enabled], [Auto], [Disabled] and [UEFI Setup Only]. The default value is [Enabled].

  • Page 52: Network Configuration

    3.4.8 Network Configuration Internet Setting Use this item to set up the internet connection mode. Configuration options: [DHCP (Auto IP)] and [PPPOE]. UEFI Download Server Use this item to select UEFI firmware download server for Internet Flash. Configuration options: [Asia], [Europe], [USA] and [China].

  • Page 53: Tool

    3.5 Tool Sound Effect Enable or disable sound effects in the setup utility. System Browser System Browser can let you easily check your current system configura- tion in UEFI setup. OMG(Online Management Guard) Administrators are able to establish an internet curfew or restrict internet access at specified times via OMG.
  • Page 54 Internet Flash Internet Flash searches for available UEFI firmware updates from our servers. In other words, the system can auto-detect the latest UEFI from our servers and flash them without entering Windows OS. Please note that you must be running on a DHCP configured computer in order to en- able this function.

  • Page 55: Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen

    3.6 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen In this section, it allows you to monitor the status of the hardware on your system, including the parameters of the CPU temperature, motherboard temperature, CPU fan speed, chassis fan speed, and the critical voltage. CPU Fan 1 Setting This allows you to set the CPU fan 1 speed.

  • Page 56: Boot Screen

    3.7 Boot Screen In this section, it will display the available devices on your system for you to config- ure the boot settings and the boot priority. Setup Prompt Timeout This shows the number of seconds to wait for setup activation key. 65535(0xFFFF) means indefi nite waiting.
  • Page 57 CSM parameters Launch Video OpROM policy Use this to control the execution of UEFI and Legacy Video OpROM. The default value is [Legacy only].

  • Page 58: Security Screen

    3.8 Security Screen In this section, you may set or change the supervisor/user password for the system. For the user password, you may also clear it. Secure Boot Control Use this to enable or disable Secure Boot Control. The default value is [Enabled].
  • Page 59 Fixed Media The default value is [Deny Execute]. Key Management...

  • Page 60: Exit Screen

    3.9 Exit Screen Save Changes and Exit When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, “Save configuration changes and exit setup?” Select [OK] to save the changes and exit the UEFI SETUP UTILITY. Discard Changes and Exit When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, “Discard changes and exit setup?”...

  • Page 61: Software Support

    Click on a specific item then follow the installation wizard to install it. 4.2.4 Contact Information If you need to contact ASRock or want to know more about ASRock, welcome to visit ASRock’s website at http://www.asrock.com; or you may contact your...

  • Page 62: Installing Os On A Hdd Larger Than 2Tb

    Installing OS on a HDD Larger Than 2TB ® This motherboard is adopting UEFI BIOS that allows Windows OS to be installed on a large size HDD (>2TB). Please follow below procedure to install the operating system. ® 1. Please make sure to use Windows Vista 64-bit (with SP1 or above) or ®...

  • Page 63: Installing Os On A Hdd Larger Than 2Tb In Raid Mode

    Installing OS on a HDD Larger Than 2TB in RAID Mode ® This motherboard is adopting UEFI BIOS that allows Windows OS to be installed on a large size HDD (>2TB). Please follow below procedure to install the operating system. ®...
  • Page 64 7. And then key in drvcfg –s [Drv number] [Ctrl number] to enter Raid Utility. For example: key in drvcfg –s 4E B5. 8. Choose Logical Drive Main Menu to set up Raid Drive. 9. Choose Logical Drive Create Menu to create a Raid Drive. 10.
  • Page 65 11. Press Space on keyboard to toggle checkbox. 12. Choose Ld Size setting, and key in the Raid size. 13. After set up Raid size, please click Start to Create. 14. Press <F10> to exit Utility. 15. During reboot, please press <F11> to enter Boot Manual. Choose UEFI: SCSI CD/DVD Drive.
  • Page 66 ® 16. Follow Windows Installation Guide to install OS. ® If you install Windows 7 64-bit / Vista 64-bit in a large hard disk (ex. Disk ® volume > 2TB), it may take more time to boot into Windows or install driver/ utilities.
  • Page 67 B. Disable “Volume Shadow Copy” service. a. Type “computer management” in the Start Menu, then press “Enter”. b. Go to “Services and Applications>Services”; Then double click “Volume Shadow Copy”. c. Set “Startup type” to “Disable” then Click “OK”.
  • Page 68 C. Reboot your system. D. After reboot, please start to install motherboard drivers and utilities. ® Windows 7 64-bit: A. Please request the hotfix KB2505454 thru this link: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2505454/ ® B. After installing Windows 7 64-bit, install the hotfix kb2505454. (This may take long time;...

Table of Contents