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Copyright
This publication, including all photographs, illustrations and software, is protected
under international copyright laws, with all rights reserved. Neither this manual, nor
any of the material contained herein, may be reproduced without written consent of
the author.
Version 1.0
Disclaimer
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. The manufac-
turer makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents hereof
and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for
any particular purpose. The manufacturer reserves the right to revise this publica-
tion and to make changes from time to time in the content hereof without obligation
of the manufacturer to notify any person of such revision or changes.
Trademark Recognition
Microsoft, MS-DOS and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
AMD, Phenom, Athlon, Sempron, Turion, and Duron are registered trademarks of AMD
Corporation.
Other product names used in this manual are the properties of their respective owners
and are acknowledged.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
This equipment has been tested and found to comply 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 instal-
lation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and,
if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interfer-
ence 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 following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver
Connect the equipment onto an outlet on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help
Shielded interconnect cables and a shielded AC power cable must be employed with
this equipment to ensure compliance with the pertinent RF emission limits govern-
ing this device. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the system's
manufacturer could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
A960M-M3 USER MANUAL
Preface

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  • Page 1 Shielded interconnect cables and a shielded AC power cable must be employed with this equipment to ensure compliance with the pertinent RF emission limits govern- ing this device. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the system’s manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 2: Declaration Of Conformity

    49 Describes the motherboard Using the Motherboard Software software. Chapter 5 Provides information about page 53 Setting Up AMD SB710 SATA RAID Setup RAID Configuration Chapter 6 page 61 Provides basic trouble Trouble Shooting shooting tips. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    The Standard Configuration...........25 Entering the Setup Utility............25 Resetting the Default CMOS Values........26 Using BIOS..................26 BIOS Navigation Keys..............27 Main Menu................28 Advanced Menu..............29 Chipset Menu................40 M.I.B III(MB Intelligent Bios III) Menu........42 Boot Menu................45 Security Menu.................46 Exit Menu................47 Updating the BIOS..............48 A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 4 Chapter 4 Using the Motherboard Software Auto-installing under Windows XP/Vista/7.........49 Running Setup...............49 Manual Installation................51 ECS Utility Software (Intelligent EZ Utility)........51 Chapter 5 Setting Up AMD SB710 RAID Configuration Setting Up a Bootable RAID Array..........53 Chapter 6 Trouble Shooting Start up problems during assembly..........61 Start up problems after prolong use..........62...
  • Page 5: Introducing The Motherboard

    Chapter 1 Introducing the Motherboard Introduction Thank you for choosing the A960M-M3 motherboard. This motherboard is a high performance, enhanced function motherboard that supports socket AM3 for AMD / Phenom II /Athlon II / Sempron 100 Series processors for high-end busi- ness or personal desktop markets.
  • Page 6: Specifications

    / Phenom II /Athlon II / Sempron 100 Series processors • Supports “Hyper-Threading” technology CPU Note: Please go to ECS website for the latest CPU support list. Chipset • AMD 760G & AMD SB710 Graphics • On Chip (AMD 760G-based with ATI...
  • Page 7 F7 hot key for boot up devices option • Support Over-Clocking • Support eBLU / Supoort eDLU / Supoort eOC • Support ECS M.I.B III Utility Memory Voltage Adjustable External Clock Adjustable Multiple Frequency Adjustable Form Factor • Micro-ATX Size, 244mm x 180mm...
  • Page 8: Motherboard Components

    Motherboard Components A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 9 Clear CM OS jumper 18. PCIEX1 PCI Express x1 slot 19. CASE Case open header 20. PCIEX16 PCI Express slot for graphics interface 21. ATX12V 4-pin +12V power connector 22. USBPW R_R1 Rear USB/PS2 power select jumper A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 10: I/O Ports

    It can be connected to an external CD/DVD player, Tape player or other audio devices for audio input. 8. Line-out(lime) It is used to connect to speakers or headphones. 9. Microphone(pink) It is used to connect to a microphone. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 11: Installing The Motherboard

    Place the motherboard over the mounting brackets and secure the motherboard onto the mounting brackets with screws. Do not over-tighten the screws as this can stress the motherboard. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 12: Checking Jumper Settings

    2. Make sure the power supply provides enough 5VSB voltage before selecting the 5VSB function. 3. It is required that users place the USBPWR_F1 & USBPWR_R1 cap onto 2-3 pin rather than 1-2 pin as default if you want to wake up the computer by USB/ PS2 KB/Mouse. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 13: Installing Hardware

    Pull up the lever away from the socket and lift up to 90-degree angle. Locate the CPU cut edge (the corner with the pin hold noticeably missing). Align and insert the CPU correctly. Press the metal lever back into its original position. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 14: Installing The Cpu Cooler

    CPU, and make it to be a thin layer. B. Put the CPU Fan down on the retention module and flip the levers over the heat sink in place. C. Connect the CPU cooler power connector to the CPU_FAN connector. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 15: Installing Memory Modules

    DIMM slot. The slot latches are levered upwards and latch on to the edges of the DIMM. *Due to the limitation of chipset spec, it supports up to 1866 MHz for motherboard with a single DIMM per channel. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 16: Installing Add-On Cards

    ISA bus standard. The PCI slot on this board is PCI v2.2 compliant. Before installing an add-on card, check the documentation for the card care- fully. If the card is not Plug and Play, you may have to manually configure the card before installation. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 17 2. The onboard PCI interface does not support 64-bit SCSI cards. Please refer the following illustrations to install the add-on card: Install the LAN Card in the PCIE X1 slot Install the VGA Card in the PCI slot Install the VGA Card in the PCIE X16 slot A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 18: Connecting Optional Devices

    SATA1~4 connectors are used to support the Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s device, simpler disk drive cabling and easier PC assembly. It eliminates limitations of the current Paral- lel ATA interface. But maintains register compatibility and software compatibility with Parallel ATA. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 19 Please make sure that the USB cable has the same pin assignment as indi- cated above. A different pin assignment may cause damage or system hang- 3. COM: Onboard serial port header Connect a serial port extension bracket to this header to add a serial port to your system. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 20 The front panel audio header allows the user to install auxiliary front-oriented mi- crophone and line-out ports for easier access. This header supports HD audio by default. If you want connect an AC’ 97 front panel audio to HD onboard headers, please set as below picture. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 21 If you use AC’ 97 Front Panel, please don’ t tick off “Using Front Jack Detect ”. If you use HD Audio Front Panel, please tick off the option of “Using Front Jack Detect ”. * For reference only A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 22 6. CASE: Chassis Intrusion Detect Header This detects if the chassis cover has been removed. This function needs a chassis equipped with instrusion detection switch and needs to be enabled in BIOS. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 23: Installing A Hard Disk Drive/Cd-Rom/Sata Hard Drive

    SLAVE. Refer to the IDE device user’s manual. Installing two IDE devices on one cable, ensure that one device is set to MASTER and the other device is set to SLAVE. The documentation of your IDE device explains how to do this. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 24 Attach either cable end to the connector on the motherboard. Attach the other cable end to the SATA hard drive. Attach the SATA power cable to the SATA hard drive and connect the other end to the power supply. * For reference only A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 25: Connecting Case Components

    FAN Power Connector) Connect the CPU cooling fan cable to CPU_FAN. Connect the system cooling fan connector to SYS_FAN. Users please note that the fan connector supports the CPU cooling fan of 1.1A ~ 2.2A (26.4W max) at +12V. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 26 24-pin power cable Connecting 4-pin power cable The ATX12V4P power connector is used to provide power to the CPU. When installing 4-pin power cable, the latches of power cable and the ATX12V4P match perfectly. 4-pin power cable A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 27 4. SPK: Speaker Connect the case speaker cable to SPK. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 28: Front Panel Header

    50 ms to signal the power supply to switch on or off. The time requirement is due to internal de-bounce circuitry. After receiving a power on/off signal, at least two seconds elapses before the power supply recognizes another on/off signal. This concludes Chapter 2. The next chapter covers the BIOS. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 29: Using Bios

    When you power on the system, BIOS enters the Power-On Self Test (POST) routines. POST is a series of built-in diagnostics performed by the BIOS. After the POST routines are completed, the following message appears: Press DEL to enter SETUP A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 30: Resetting The Default Cmos Values

    Other options lead to dialog boxes that prompt you for informa- tion. Some options (marked with a triangle ) lead to submenus that enable you to change the values for the option. Use the cursor arrow keys to scroll through the items in the submenu. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 31: Bios Navigation Keys

    BIOS setup screens shown in this chapter are for reference only and may differ from the actual BIOS. Please visit the manufacture’s website for updated manual. 2. In this Gui BIOS, you can operate by mouse or keyboard. Click : select item; Double click: enter; Right click: exit. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 32: Main Menu

    The Date and Time items show the current date and time on the computer. If you are running a Windows OS, these items are automatically updated whenever you make changes to the Windows Date and Time Properties utility. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 33: Advanced Menu

    ESC/Right Click: Exit Version 2.14.1219. Copyright (C) 2011 American Megatrends, Inc. Launch PXE OpROM (Disabled) The item enables or disables launch PXE Option ROM. Launch Storage OpROM (Enabled) Use this item to enable or disable the Storage OpROM. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 34: Lan Configuration

    F4: Save & Exit ESC/Right Click: Exit Version 2.14.1219. Copyright (C) 2011 American Megatrends, Inc. Onboard LAN Controller (Enabled) Use this item to enable or disable the Onboard LAN. Press <Esc> to return to the Advanced Menu page. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 35: Pc Health Status

    If you choose Silent mode, the fan speed will be auto restricted to make system more quietly. If you choose Manual mode, the fan speed will be adjust depending on users’ parameters. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 36 These items display the monitoring of the overall inboard hardware health events, such as System temperature, CPU & DIMM voltage, CPU & System fan speed... etc. • CPU Tct1 • CPU Fan Speed • CPU Voltage • DIMM Voltage Press <Esc> to return to the Advanced Menu page. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 37: Power Management Setup

    EUP Function (Enabled) This item allows user to enable or disable EUP support. Power LED Type (Dual Color LED) This item shows the type of the Power LED. Press <Esc> to return to the Advanced Menu page. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 38: Acpi Configuration

    Version 2.14.1219. Copyright (C) 2011 American Megatrends, Inc. ACPI Sleep State [S3(Suspend to RAM)] This item allows user to enter the ACPI S3 (Suspend to RAM) Sleep State (default). Press <Esc> to return to the Advanced Menu page. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 39: Cpu Configuration

    Use this item to enable the CPU energy-saving function when the system is not run- ning. SB Clock Spread Spectrum (Disabled) This item enables or disables the SB Clock Spread Spectrum. Press <Esc> to return to the Advanced Menu page. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 40: Sata Configuration

    SATA Port 1~4 [ Not Present/INTEL SSDSC2MH (120.0GB ] This motherboard supports four SATA channels and each channel allows one SATA device to be installed. Use these items to configure each device on the SATA channel. Press <Esc> to return to the Advanced Menu page. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 41: Usb Configuration

    All USB Devices (Enabled) Use this item to enable or disable all USB devices. Legacy USB Support (Enabled) Use this item to enable or disable support for legacy USB devices. Press <Esc> to return to the Advanced Menu page. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 42: Super Io Configuration

    This item allows you to enable or disable serial port. Device Settings (IO=3F8h; IRQ=4) This item shows the information of the device settings. Change Settings (Auto) Use this item to change device settings. Press <Esc> to return to the Super IO Configuration page. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 43 Use this item to change device settings. Device Mode (STD Printer Mode) This item shows the information of the device mode. Press <Esc> to return to the Super IO Configuration page. Press <Esc> to return to the Advanced Menu page. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 44: Chipset Menu

    ESC/Right Click: Exit /Click: Select Item Version 2.14.1219. Copyright (C) 2011 American Megatrends, Inc. IGD Memory (Auto) This item shows the information of the IGD (Internal Graphics Device) memory. Press <Esc> to return to the Chipset Menu page. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 45 This item indicates whether the case has been opened. Press <Esc> to return to the Chipset Menu page. NOTE: *This item will not appear if the motherboard doesnot have the HDMI port. Please take the actual BIOS for the standard. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 46: Mb Intelligent Bios Iii) Menu

    This item allows users to set slam time mode, this option is only for RB-C3, BL-C3, DA- VSSlam Time (Auto) This item specifies the time to wait for voltage stabilization during altvid transitions if a new VID is provided to the voltage regulator without ramping. 0:24N:3xDC [31:29] A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 47 Use this item to specify the Row Cycle Time. RAS to CAS Delay (4) This item specifies the active-to-active delay of different banks. Read CAS to Precharge Time (5) Read to Precharge Delay, range from 4 to 15. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 48 This item is used to set the Downstream Link Width. Current IO HT Freq: 2200MHz This item shows the Current IO HT Frequency. IO HT Frequency [Auto] This item enables users to manually set up the HyperTransport frequency. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 49: Boot Menu

    Hard Disk / CD/DVD / USB Floppy/Floppy / USB CD/DVD / USB HardDisk / USB Key / NETWORK / UEFI Boot Drive BBS Priorities (Press Enter) These items enable you to specify the sequence of loading the operating system. Press <Enter> to see the submenu. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 50: Security Menu

    Enter/Dbl Click : Select +/- : Change Opt. F1: General Help F2: Previous Values F3: Optimized Defaults F4: Save & Exit ESC/Right Click: Exit Version 2.14.1219. Copyright (C) 2011 American Megatrends, Inc. Administrator Password Press <Enter> to setup administrator password. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 51: Exit Menu

    This item enables you to save the changes that you have made as user defaults. Restore User Defaults This item enables you to restore user defaults to all the setup options. Boot Override Use this item to select the boot device. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 52: Updating The Bios

    BIOS jumper, reset the jumper to protect the newly installed BIOS from being overwritten. The computer will restart automatically. This concludes Chapter 3. Refer to the next chapter for information on the software supplied with the motherboard. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 53: Using The Motherboard Software

    Click Setup. The installation program begins: The following screens are examples only. The screens and driver lists will be different according to the motherboard you are installing. The motherboard identification is located in the upper left-hand corner. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 54 Windows Vista/7 will appear below UAC (User Account Control) message after the system restart. You must select “Allow” to install the next driver. Continue this process to complete the drivers installation. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 55: Manual Installation

    ECS eDLU utility makes updating drivers fast and easy. eDLU saves time and hassle by listing all the latest drivers online. Just select the one you prefer and start to download and install the drivers.
  • Page 56 ECS eBLU utility makes BIOS update faster and easier. eBLU will list the latest BIOS with a default check-mark. Click”install” button to install. ECS eOC Utility is a simple over-clocking tool that provides user-friendly windows operation interface for novices and over-clockers. Combining with ECS MIB III tech- nology, eOC challenges the undiscovered over-clocking capability than ever before.
  • Page 57: Setting Up Amd Sb710 Raid Configuration

    F4: Save & Exit ESC/Right Click: Exit Version 2.14.1219. Copyright (C) 2011 American Megatrends, Inc. Figure 1.2 SATA Configuration Screen Use the arrow keys to select the SATA Configuration (see Figure 1.2) and globally set SATA Configuration to RAID. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 58 FastBuild (tm) Utility (c) 2006 ATI Technology, Inc. [ Main Menu ] View Drive Assignments....[ 1 ] Define LD..........[ 2 ] Define LD..........[ 3 ] Controller Configuration....[ 4 ] [ Keys Available ] Press 1..4 to Select Option [ESC] Exit Figure 1.3 Main Menu A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 59 Stripe block size is given in kilobytes, and affects how data is arranged on the disk. It is recommended to leave this value at the default Optimal, which is 64KB, but the values can be 64 KB and 128 KB. When choose RAID 1, the Stripe block size is unchangeable. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 60: Assigning The Disks

    ---- ------ ---- LD 7 ---- ---- ------ ---- LD 8 ---- ---- ------ ---- [ Keys Available ] [ ] Up [ ] Down [ESC] Exit [Space] Change Option [Ctrl-Y] Save Figure 1.6 Define LD Menu A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 61 The following screen appears (Figure 1.8). RAID BIOS Version 2.5.1540.33 (c) 2006 ATI Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Mode Size TRACK-MAPPING STATUS 2+0 RAID 0 318000M 38661/255/63 Functional ASUS DVD-E818AT Press <Ctrl-F> to enter FastBuild (tm) Utility..._ A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 62: Installing The Raid Drivers

    * If you do not have any device support disks from a mass storage device manufacturer, or do not want to specify additional mass storage devices for use with Windows, press ENTER. S=Specify Additional Devices ENTER=Continue F3=Exit Figure 1.10 Windows Setup—Specify Devices Specify the AMD drivers. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 63 Note: Each time you add a new hard drive to a RAID array, the RAID driver will have to be installed under Windows once for that hard drive. After that, the driver will not have to be installed. A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 64 Memo A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...
  • Page 65: Trouble Shooting

    Before calling for technical support or returning for warranty, this chapter may help to address some of the common questions using some basic troubleshooting tips. You may also log onto our ECS website for more information: http:// www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Support/Support_FAQ.aspx?MenulD=49& childid=M 49&LanlD=0 a) System does not power up and the fans are not running.
  • Page 66: Start Up Problems After Prolong Use

    5. Check whether there is any bulked up electrolytic capacitor or abnormal component. Please logo onto our ECS website: http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Support/ Technical_Support_List.aspx?MenuID=50&LanID=0 for more information. Maintenance and care tips Your computer, like any electrical appliance, requires proper care and maintenance.
  • Page 68 Memo A960M-M3 USER MANUAL...

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