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Gigabyte GA-X58A-OC User Manual

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GA-X58A-OC
User's Manual
Rev. 1001
12ME-X58AOC-1001R

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Summary of Contents for Gigabyte GA-X58A-OC

  • Page 1 GA-X58A-OC User's Manual Rev. 1001 12ME-X58AOC-1001R...

  • Page 3: Identifying Motherboard Revision

    GIGABYTE's prior written permission. Documentation Classifications In order to assist in the use of this product, GIGABYTE provides the following types of documentations:  For quick set-up of the product, read the Quick Installation Guide included with the product.

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents Box Contents ........................6 Optional Items .........................6 GA-X58A-OC Motherboard Layout ..................7 GA-X58A-OC Motherboard Block Diagram ..............8 Chapter 1 Hardware Installation ..................9 Installation Precautions ..................9 1-2 Product Specifications ..................10 Installing the CPU and CPU Cooler ............... 13 1-3-1 Installing the CPU ....................13 1-3-2 Installing the CPU Cooler ..................15...
  • Page 5 Chapter 3 Drivers Installation ..................61 Installing Chipset Drivers ................61 Application Software ..................62 Technical Manuals ..................62 Contact ......................63 System ......................63 Download Center ................... 64 New Utilities ....................64 Chapter 4 Unique Features ...................65 Xpress Recovery2 ..................65 BIOS Update Utilities ..................

  • Page 6: Box Contents

    Box Contents GA-X58A-OC motherboard Motherboard driver disk User's Manual Quick Installation Guide Four SATA cables I/O Shield One 2-Way SLI bridge connector One 3-Way SLI bridge connector One 2-Way CrossFireX bridge connector Seven voltage measurement cables • The box contents above are for reference only and the actual items shall depend on the product package you obtain. The box contents are subject to change without notice.

  • Page 7: Ga-X58A-Oc Motherboard Layout

    GA-X58A-OC Motherboard Layout Gear CMOS_SW KB_MS FREQ_DW LGA1366 USB_LAN FREQ_UP ATX_12V_2X1 RATIO_DW AUDIO PW_SW RATIO_UP J1 VCORE R_USB3 J2 QPIVTT RST_SW J3 VDIMM ATX_12V_2X J4 DDR_VTT Realtek J6 CPU_PLL RTL8111E J7 VMCH_CORE J5 QPI_PLL Etron EJ168 CPU_FAN SYS_FAN6 Intel ® MCH Temperature Sensor HP_PWR1...

  • Page 8: Ga-X58A-Oc Motherboard Block Diagram

    GA-X58A-OC Motherboard Block Diagram 2 PCI Express x8 2 PCI Express x8 CPU CLK+/- (133 MHz) LGA1366 DDR3 2200/1333/1066/800 MHz Dual/3 Channel Memory Interface IOH CLK (133 MHz) PCIe CLK Switch Switch (100 MHz) PCI Express Bus Intel ® PCI Express Bus PCIe CLK (100 MHz) Marvell...

  • Page 9: Chapter 1 Hardware Installation

    Chapter 1 Hardware Installation Installation Precautions The motherboard contains numerous delicate electronic circuits and components which can become damaged as a result of electrostatic discharge (ESD). Prior to installation, carefully read the user's manual and follow these procedures: • Prior to installation, do not remove or break motherboard S/N (Serial Number) sticker or warranty sticker provided by your dealer.

  • Page 10: Product Specifications

    3/Dual channel memory architecture Š Support for DDR3 2200/1333/1066/800 MHz memory modules Š Support for non-ECC memory modules Š Support for Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules Š (Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest supported memory speeds and memory modules.) Audio Realtek ALC889 codec Š High Definition Audio Š 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel Š...
  • Page 11 South Bridge: Š Up to 4 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (2 on the back panel, 2 via the USB bracket connected to the internal USB header) Etron EJ168 chip: Š Up to 2 USB 3.0/2.0 ports on the back panel * The USB 2.0 signals of the USB 3.0/2.0 ports on the back panel are from the South Bridge.
  • Page 12 Support for Microsoft Windows 7/Vista/XP Š ® System Form Factor ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 26.4cm Š * GIGABYTE reserves the right to make any changes to the product specifications and product-related information without prior notice. Hardware Installation - 12 -...

  • Page 13: Installing The Cpu And Cpu Cooler

    Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the CPU: • Make sure that the motherboard supports the CPU. (Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest CPU support list.) • Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing the CPU to prevent hardware damage.
  • Page 14 B. Follow the steps below to correctly install the CPU into the motherboard CPU socket. Before installing the CPU, make sure to turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet to prevent damage to the CPU. Step 1: Step 2: Gently press the CPU socket lever handle down...

  • Page 15: Installing The Cpu Cooler

    1-3-2 Installing the CPU Cooler Follow the steps below to correctly install the CPU cooler on the motherboard. (The following procedure uses Intel boxed cooler as the example cooler.) ® Male Push Direction of the Arrow Sign on the Male Push The Top of Female Push Pin...

  • Page 16: Installing The Memory

    • Make sure that the motherboard supports the memory. It is recommended that memory of the same capacity, brand, speed, and chips be used. (Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest supported memory speeds and momery modules.) • Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing the memory to prevent hardware damage.

  • Page 17: Installing A Memory

    1-4-2 Installing a Memory Before installing a memory module, make sure to turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet to prevent damage to the memory module. DDR3 and DDR2 DIMMs are not compatible to each other or DDR DIMMs. Be sure to install DDR3 DIMMs on this motherboard.

  • Page 18: Installing An Expansion Card

    Installing an Expansion Card Read the following guidelines before you begin to install an expansion card: • Make sure the motherboard supports the expansion card. Carefully read the manual that came with your expansion card. • Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing an expansion card to prevent hardware damage.

  • Page 19: Setup Of Ati Crossfirex ™ /Nvidia Sli Configuration

    Setup of ATI CrossFireX /NVIDIA SLI Configuration ™ A. System Requirements - The 2-Way SLI and 2-Way CrossFireX technologies currently support Windows 7, Vista, and XP operating systems - The 3-Way SLI and 3-Way/4-Way CrossFireX technologies currently support Windows 7 and Vista operating systems - A CrossFireX/SLI-supported motherboard with two/three/four PCI Express x16 slots and correct driver - CrossFireX/SLI-supported graphics cards of identical brand and chip and correct driver ( Current GPUs that support 3-Way/4-Way CrossFireX technology include the ATI Radeon HD 3800, HD 4800, and HD 5800...
  • Page 20 For 4-Way CrossFireX: After installing the graphics card driver in the operating system, go to the Catalyst Con- trol Center. Browse to the CrossFireX menu, select the Enable CrossFireX check box, ™ and select the 4 GPUs combination. Click OK to apply. C-2.

  • Page 21: Back Panel Connectors

    Back Panel Connectors PS/2 Keyboard and PS/2 Mouse Port Use the upper port (green) to connect a PS/2 mouse and the lower port (purple) to connect a PS/2 key- board. RJ-45 LAN Port The Gigabit Ethernet LAN port provides Internet connection at up to 1 Gbps data rate. The following describes the states of the LAN port LEDs.

  • Page 22: Onboard Buttons, Switches, And Leds

    Onboard Buttons, Switches, and LEDs Overclocking Buttons The overclocking buttons allow users to overclock the CPU in real-time and at anytime (whether in BIOS, DOS or Windows), including CPU Ratio, BCLK and even change BCLK stepping. OC Gear Button: 4G Ready Button: Changes BCLK stepping to 1 MHz or Automatically overclocks the CPU to 4GHz 0.3 MHz.
  • Page 23 1 2 3 1 2 3 Onboard Voltage Measurement Module Users can use a multimeter to measure component voltages, including QPI PLL, IOH core, CPU PLL, DDR, 1 2 3 DDR VTT, QPI VTT, and Vcore. You can employ one of the following two ways to measure component volt- 1 2 3 ages.
  • Page 24 Quick Buttons This motherboard has 3 quick buttons: power button, reset button and clearing CMOS button. The power button and reset button allow users to quickly turn on/off or reset the computer in an open-case environment when they want to change hardware components or conduct hardware testing. Use the clearing CMOS but- ton to clear the CMOS values (e.g. date information and BIOS configurations) and reset the CMOS values to factory defaults when needed.

  • Page 25: Internal Connectors

    Internal Connectors ATX_12V_2X/ATX_12V_2X_1 SATA2_0/1/2/3/4/5 GSATA3_6/7 CPU_FAN F_PANEL SYS_FAN1/2/3/4/5/6 F_AUDIO NB_FAN SPDIF_O HP_PWR/HP_PWR1 F_USB1 ATX4P1/ATX4P4 Read the following guidelines before connecting external devices: • First make sure your devices are compliant with the connectors you wish to connect. • Before installing the devices, be sure to turn off the devices and your computer. Unplug the power cord from the power outlet to prevent damage to the devices.
  • Page 26 1/2) ATX_12V_2X/ATX_12V_2X_1/ATX (2x4 12V Power Connectors and 2x12 Main Power Connector) With the use of the power connector, the power supply can supply enough stable power to all the com- ponents on the motherboard. Before connecting the power connector, first make sure the power supply is turned off and all devices are properly installed. The power connector possesses a foolproof design. Connect the power supply cable to the power connector in the correct orientation.
  • Page 27 3/4) CPU_FAN/SYS_FAN1/2/3/4/5/6 (Fan Headers) All fan headers on this motherboard are 4-pin and support fan speed control function. The fan headers possess a foolproof insertion design. When connecting a fan cable, be sure to connect it in the correct orientation (the black connector wire is the ground wire). The speed control function requires the use of a fan with fan speed control design.
  • Page 28 6) HP_PWR/HP_PWR1 (Heatsink LED Power Connectors) The power connectors provide power to the LEDs on the North Bridge and South Bridge heatsinks. Pin No. Definition 7) ATX4P1/ATX4P4 (PCIe Power Connectors) The power connectors provide auxiliary power to the onboard PCI Express x16 slots. When two or more graphics cards are installed, we recommend that you connect the SATA power cable(s) from the power supply to the ATX4P1/ATX4P4 connector to ensure system stability.
  • Page 29 8) SATA2_0/1/2/3/4/5 (SATA 3Gb/s Connectors, Controlled by Intel ICH10R South Bridge) The SATA connectors conform to SATA 3Gb/s standard and are compatible with SATA 1.5Gb/s standard. Each SATA connector supports a single SATA device. The Intel ICH10R South Bridge supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID5, and RAID 10. Refer to Chapter 5, "Configuring SATA Hard Drive(s)," for instructions on configuring a RAID array.

  • Page 30: F_Panel Front Panel Header

    10) F_PANEL (Front Panel Header) Connect the power switch, reset switch, speaker, chassis intrusion switch/sensor 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. Message/Power/ Power Speaker...
  • Page 31 11) F_AUDIO (Front Panel Audio Header) The front panel audio header supports Intel High Definition audio (HD) and AC'97 audio. You may connect your chassis front panel audio module to this header. Make sure the wire assignments of the module con- nector match the pin assignments of the motherboard header. Incorrect connection between the module connector and the motherboard header will make the device unable to work or even damage it. For HD Front Panel Audio: For AC'97 Front Panel Audio: Pin No.

  • Page 32: Battery

    13) F_USB1 (USB 2.0/1.1 Header) The header conforms to USB 2.0/1.1 specification. Each USB header can provide two USB ports via an optional USB bracket. For purchasing the optional USB bracket, please contact the local dealer. Pin No. Definition Power (5V) Power (5V) USB DX- USB DY- USB DX+ USB DY+ No Pin • Do not plug the IEEE 1394 bracket (2x5-pin) cable into the USB 2.0/1.1 header. •...

  • Page 33: Chapter 2 Bios Setup

    To see more advanced BIOS Setup menu options, you can press <Ctrl> + <F1> in the main menu of the BIOS Setup program. To upgrade the BIOS, use either the GIGABYTE Q-Flash or @BIOS utility. Q-Flash allows the user to quickly and easily upgrade or back up BIOS without entering the operating •...

  • Page 34: Startup Screen

    Startup Screen The following screens may appear when the computer boots. A. The LOGO Screen (Default) Function Keys B. The POST Screen Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG Copyright (C) 1984-2011, Award Software, Inc. X58A-OC F1f Motherboard Model BIOS Version Function Keys <DEL>: BIOS Setup <F9>: XpressRecovery2 <F12>: Boot Menu <End>: Qflash 03/07/2011-X58-ICH10-7A89QG0TC-00 Function Keys:...

  • Page 35: The Main Menu

    The Main Menu Once you enter the BIOS Setup program, the Main Menu (as shown below) appears on the screen. Use ar- row keys to move among the items and press <Enter> to accept or enter a sub-menu. (Sample BIOS Version: F1f) CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2011 Award Software MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.) Load Fail-Safe Defaults...

  • Page 36: Integrated Peripherals

     The Functions of the <F11> and <F12> keys (For the Main Menu Only)  F11: Save CMOS to BIOS This function allows you to save the current BIOS settings to a profile. You can create up to 8 profiles (Profile 1-8) and name each profile. First enter the profile name (to erase the default profile name, use the SPACE key) and then press <Enter> to complete.  F12: Load CMOS from BIOS If your system becomes unstable and you have loaded the BIOS default settings, you can use this function to load the BIOS settings from a profile created before, without the hassles of reconfiguring the BIOS settings. First select the profile you wish to load, then press <Enter> to complete.

  • Page 37: Mb Intelligent Tweaker(M.i.t.)

    MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.) CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2011 Award Software MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.) Item Help  M.I.T Current Status [Press Enter] Menu Level   Advanced Frequency Settings [Press Enter]  Advanced Memory Settings [Press Enter]  Advanced Voltage Settings [Press Enter] ...

  • Page 38: Cpu Clock Ratio

    M.I.T. Current Status  This screen provides information on CPU/memory frequencies/parameters.  Advanced Frequency Settings CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2011 Award Software Advanced Frequency Settings Item Help CPU Clock Ratio [22X] Menu Level  CPU Frequency 2.93GHz (133x22)  Advanced CPU Core Features [Press Enter] QPI Clock Ratio [Auto]...
  • Page 39 Intel(R) Turbo Boost Tech. (Note) Allows you to determine whether to enable the Intel CPU Turbo Boost technology. Auto lets the BIOS automatically configure this setting. (Default: Auto) CPU Cores Enabled (Note) Allows you to determine whether to enable all CPU cores. Enables all CPU cores. (Default) Enables only one CPU core.
  • Page 40 QPI Clock Ratio Allows you to set the QPI clock ratio. Options are: Auto (default), x36, x44, x48, Slow Mode. The ad- justable range is dependent on the CPU being installed. The item is adjustable only when a CPU with unlocked clock ratio is installed.
  • Page 41 >>>>> Advanced Clock Control CPU Clock Drive Allows you to adjust the amplitude of the CPU and Chipset clock. Options are: 700mV, 800mV (default), 900mV, 1000mV. PCI Express Clock Drive Allows you to adjust the amplitude of the PCI Express and Chipset clock. Options are: 700mV, 800mV, 900mV (default), 1000mV.
  • Page 42 Profile DDR Voltage When using a non-XMP memory module or Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.) is set to Disabled, this item will display as 1.5V. When Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.) is set to Profile1 or Profile2, this item will display the value based on the SPD data on the XMP memory. Profile QPI Voltage The value displayed here is dependent on the CPU being used.
  • Page 43 tWTR Options are: Auto (default), 1~31. Options are: Auto (default), 1~15. tWTP Options are: Auto (default), 1~31. Options are: Auto (default), 1~10 tRFC Options are: Auto (default), 1~255. tRTP Options are: Auto (default), 1~15. tFAW Options are: Auto (default), 1~63. Command Rate(CMD) Options are: Auto (default), 1~3.
  • Page 44 Different Ranks Options are: Auto (default), 1~8. On The Same Rank Options are: Auto (default), 1~2. >>>>> Channel A/B/C Writes Followed by Writes Different DIMMs Options are: Auto (default), 1~8. Different Ranks Options are: Auto (default), 1~8. On The Same Rank Options are: Auto (default), 1~2.
  • Page 45 >>> CPU Load-Line Calibration Enables or disables Load-Line Calibration. This item allows you to adjust Vdroop at different levels. En- abling Load-Line Calibration may keep the CPU voltage more constant under light and heavy CPU load. (Default: Auto) Standard Disables Load-Line Calibration and sets VDroop following Intel specifications. Level 1 Enables Load-Line Calibration and slightly adjusts VDroop.

  • Page 46: Miscellaneous Settings

     Miscellaneous Settings CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2011 Award Software Miscellaneous Settings Item Help Isochronous Support [Enabled] Menu Level  Virtualization Technology (Note) [Enabled] higf: Move Enter: Select +/-/PU/PD: Value F10: Save ESC: Exit F1: General Help F5: Previous Values F6: Fail-Safe Defaults F7: Optimized Defaults Isochronous Support Determines whether to enable specific streams within the CPU and Chipset. (Default: Enabled)

  • Page 47: Standard Cmos Features

    Standard CMOS Features CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2011 Award Software Standard CMOS Features Item Help Date (mm:dd:yy) Wed, Jan 19 2011 Menu Level  Time (hh:mm:ss) 22:31:24  IDE Channel 0 Master [None]  IDE Channel 0 Slave [None]  IDE Channel 1 Master [None] ...
  • Page 48 Capacity Approximate capacity of the currently installed hard drive. Cylinder Number of cylinders. Head Number of heads. Precomp Write precompensation cylinder. Landing Zone Landing zone. Sector Number of sectors. Halt On Allows you to determine whether the system will stop for an error during the POST. All Errors Whenever the BIOS detects a non-fatal error the system boot will stop.

  • Page 49: Advanced Bios Features

    Advanced BIOS Features CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2011 Award Software Advanced BIOS Features Item Help  Hard Disk Boot Priority [Press Enter] Menu Level  Quick Boot [Disabled] EFI CD/DVD Boot Option [Auto] First Boot Device [Hard Disk] Second Boot Device [CDROM] Third Boot Device [USB-FDD]...
  • Page 50 Allows you to set a delay time for the BIOS to initialize the hard drive as the system boots up. The ad- justable range is from 0 to 15 seconds. (Default: 0) Full Screen LOGO Show Allows you to determine whether to display the GIGABYTE Logo at system startup. Disabled displays normal POST message. (Default: Enabled) Backup BIOS Image to HDD Allows the system to copy the BIOS image file to the hard drive. If the system BIOS is corrupted, it will...

  • Page 51: Integrated Peripherals

    Enables or disables the X.H.D function for the SATA controllers integrated in the Intel ICH10R South Bridge. When set to Enabled, the ICH SATA Control Mode item below will be set to RAID(XHD) au- tomatically. For details on using the GIGABYTE X.H.D utility, refer to Chaper 4, "eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D)." (Default: Disabled)
  • Page 52 USB Keyboard Function Allows USB keyboard to be used in MS-DOS. (Default: Enabled) USB Mouse Function Allows USB mouse to be used in MS-DOS. (Default: Disabled) USB Storage Function Determines whether to detect USB storage devices, including USB flash drives and USB hard drives during the POST.
  • Page 53 Link Detected Displays transmission speed. Cable Length Displays the approximate length of the attached LAN cable. Note: The Gigabit hub will only operate at a speed of 10/100 Mbps in MS-DOS mode; it will operate at a normal speed of 10/100/1000 Mbps in Windows mode or when the LAN Boot ROM is activated. When a Cable Problem Occurs...

  • Page 54: Power Management Setup

    Power Management Setup CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2011 Award Software Power Management Setup Item Help ACPI Suspend Type [S3(STR)] Menu Level  Soft-Off by PWR-BTTN [Instant-Off] PME Event Wake Up [Enabled] Power On by Ring [Enabled] Resume by Alarm [Disabled] Date (of Month) Alarm Everyday Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm 0 : 0 : 0...
  • Page 55 Date (of Month) Alarm: Turn on the system at a specific time on each day or on a specific day in a month. Time (hh: mm: ss) Alarm: Set the time at which the system will be powered on automatically. Note: When using this function, avoid inadequate shutdown from the operating system or removal of the AC power, or the settings may not be effective. HPET Support (Note) Enables or disables High Precision Event Timer (HPET) for Windows 7/Vista operating system.

  • Page 56: Pc Health Status

    PC Health Status CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2011 Award Software PC Health Status Item Help Reset Case Open Status [Disabled] Menu Level  Case Opened Vcore 1.220V DDR15V 1.504V +3.3V 2.960V 4.972V VTTD 1.168V +12V 12.048V Current CPU Temperature Current MCH Temperature Current SYSTEM1 Temperature Current SYSTEM2 Temperature Current CPU FAN Speed...
  • Page 57 Current CPU Temperature Displays current CPU temperature. Current MCH/SYSTEM1/SYSTEM2 Temperature Displays current system temperatures detected by each system temperature sensor on the motherboard. Current CPU FAN/SYS FAN1/SYS FAN2/SYS FAN3/SYS FAN4/SYS FAN5/SYS FAN6 Speed (RPM) Displays current CPU/system fan speeds detected by each fan header on the motherboard. CPU Warning Temperature Sets the warning threshold for CPU temperature.

  • Page 58: Load Fail-Safe Defaults

    Load Fail-Safe Defaults CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2011 Award Software MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.) Load Fail-Safe Defaults  Standard CMOS Features Load Optimized Defaults  Advanced BIOS Features Set Supervisor Password  Integrated Peripherals Set User Password  Power Management Setup Save &...

  • Page 59: Set Supervisor/User Password

    2-11 Set Supervisor/User Password CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2011 Award Software MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.) Load Fail-Safe Defaults  Standard CMOS Features Load Optimized Defaults  Advanced BIOS Features Set Supervisor Password  Integrated Peripherals Set User Password  Power Management Setup Save &...

  • Page 60: Save & Exit Setup

    2-12 Save & Exit Setup CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2011 Award Software MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.) Load Fail-Safe Defaults  Standard CMOS Features Load Optimized Defaults  Save to CMOS and EXIT (Y/N)? Y Advanced BIOS Features Set Supervisor Password  Integrated Peripherals Set User Password ...

  • Page 61: Chapter 3 Drivers Installation

    • After "Xpress Install" installs all of the drivers, a dialog box will appear asking whether to install new GIGABYTE utilities. Click Yes to automatically install the utilities. Or click No if you want to manually select the utilities to install on the Application Software page later.

  • Page 62: Application Software

    Application Software This page displays all the utilities and applications that GIGABYTE develops and some free software. You can click the Install button on the right of an item to install it. Technical Manuals This page provides GIGABYTE's application guides, content descriptions for this driver disk, and the mother- board manuals.

  • Page 63: Contact

    Contact For the detailed contact information of the GIGABYTE Taiwan headquarter or worldwide branch offices, click the URL on this page to link to the GIGABYTE website. System This page provides the basic system information. - 63 - Drivers Installation...

  • Page 64: Download Center

    The latest version of the BIOS, drivers, or applications will be displayed. New Utilities This page provides a quick link to GIGABYTE's lately developed utilities for users to install. You can click the Install button on the right of an item to install it.

  • Page 65: Chapter 4 Unique Features

    Chapter 4 Unique Features Xpress Recovery2 Xpress Recovery2 is a utility that allows you to quickly compress and back up your system data and perform restoration of it. Supporting NTFS, FAT32, and FAT16 file systems, Xpress Recovery2 can back up data on PATA and SATA hard drives and restore it.
  • Page 66 Step 3: Step 4: When partitioning your hard drive, make sure to After the operating system is installed, click Start, leave unallocated space (10 GB or more is recom- right-click the Computer and select Manage. Go to mended; actual size requirements vary, depending Disk Management to check disk allocation.
  • Page 67 D. Using the Restore Function in Xpress Recovery2 Select RESTORE to restore the backup to your hard drive in case the system breaks down. The RESTORE option will not be present if no backup is created before. E. Removing the Backup Step 1: Step 2: If you wish to remove the backup file, select...

  • Page 68: Bios Update Utilities

    BIOS Update Utilities GIGABYTE motherboards provide two unique BIOS update tools, Q-Flash and @BIOS . GIGABYTE ™ ™ Q-Flash and @BIOS are easy-to-use and allow you to update the BIOS without the need to enter MS-DOS mode. Additionally, this motherboard features the DualBIOS design, which enhances protection for the ™...
  • Page 69 B. Updating the BIOS When updating the BIOS, choose the location where the BIOS file is saved. The following procedure as- sumes that you save the BIOS file to a USB flash drive. Step 1: 1. Insert the USB flash drive containing the BIOS file into the computer. In the main menu of Q-Flash, use the up or down arrow key to select Update BIOS from Drive and press <Enter>. •...
  • Page 70 Step 4: Press <Esc> and then <Enter> to exit Q-Flash and reboot the system. As the system boots, you should see the new BIOS version is present on the POST screen. Step 5: During the POST, press <Delete> to enter BIOS Setup. Select Load Optimized Defaults and press <Enter> to load BIOS defaults.

  • Page 71: Updating The Bios With The @Bios Utility

    BIOS or a system that is unable to start. Do not use the G.O.M. (GIGABYTE Online Management) function when using @BIOS. GIGABYTE product warranty does not cover any BIOS damage or system failure resulting from an inad- equate BIOS flashing.

  • Page 72: Easytune 6

    EasyTune 6 GIGABYTE's EasyTune 6 is a simple and easy-to-use interface that allows users to fine-tune their system settings or do overclock/overvoltage in Windows environment. The user-friendly EasyTune 6 interface also includes tabbed pages for CPU and memory information, letting users read their system-related information without the need to install additional software. The EasyTune 6 Interface...

  • Page 73: Q-Share

    Q-Share, you are able to share your data with computers on the same network, making full use of Internet resources. Directions for using Q-Share After installing Q-Share from the motherboard driver disk, go to Start>All Programs>GIGABYTE>Q-Share. exe to launch the Q-Share tool. Find the Q-Share icon in the notification area and right-click on this icon to configure the data sharing settings.

  • Page 74: Smart 6

    Smart 6 ™ GIGABYTE Smart 6 is designed with user-friendliness in mind, and offers a combination of 6 innovative ™ (Note 1) software utilities that provide easier and smarter PC system management. Smart 6 allows you to speed up ™...
  • Page 75 SMART Recovery 2 Smart Recovery 2 allows you to back up a partition as an image file every hour. You can use these images to restore your system or files when needed. The Smart Recovery 2 main menu: Button Function Settings Allows you to select the source and destination partition Backup Now Allows you to perform the backup immediately File Recovery... Allows you to recover your files from the backup image System Recovery... Allows you to recover your system from the backup image •...
  • Page 76 Recovering your system with Smart Recovery 2 (Windows 7 only): Steps: 1. Click the System Recovery button on the main menu. 2. Select the partition where your backup is saved. 3. Use the time slider to select a time point. 4.
  • Page 77 SMART Recorder SMART Recorder monitors and records the activities in a system such as the time when the computer was turned on/off or even when large data files were moved within the hard drive or copied to an external storage device (Note 2) Instructions: Select the Enable check box at the bottom of the ON/OFF Recorder or File Monitor tab to enable the recording of system on/off time or files copying. Entering the Smart 6 password is required before you...

  • Page 78: Auto Green

    Auto Green Auto Green is an easy-to-use tool that provides users with simple options to enable system power savings via a Bluetooth cell phone. When the phone is out of the range of the computer's Bluetooth receiver, the sys- tem will enter the specified power saving mode. The Configuration dialog box: First, you have to set your Bluetooth cell phone as a portable key.

  • Page 79: Extreme Hard Drive (X.h.d)

    After installing the operating system, insert the motherboard driver disk. You can click the Xpress Install All button to automatically install all motherboard drivers, including the X.H.D utility. Or you can go to the Applica- tion Software screen to individually install the X.H.D utility later. B. Using GIGABYTE eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D) Instructions: (Note 2) Before launching X.H.D, make sure the newly added hard-...

  • Page 80: Cloud Oc

    Cloud OC Cloud OC is an easy-to-use overclocking utility designed for system overclock- (Note 1) ing via virtually any Internet-connected device, such as a smart phone, iPhone, note- book PC, etc. By simply connecting to an Internet browser via LAN, wireless LAN, or Bluetooth and logging in to the Cloud OC server, you can easily access three major functions of Cloud (Note 2)

  • Page 81: Chapter 5 Appendix

    Chapter 5 Appendix Configuring SATA Hard Drive(s) To configure SATA hard drive(s), follow the steps below: A. Install SATA hard drive(s) in your computer. B. Configure SATA controller mode in BIOS Setup. C. Configure a RAID array in RAID BIOS. (Note 1) D. Install the SATA RAID/AHCI driver and operating system. (Note 2) Before you begin Please prepare: • At least two SATA hard drives (to ensure optimal performance, it is recommended that you use two hard...
  • Page 82 B. Configuring SATA controller mode in BIOS Setup Make sure to configure the SATA controller mode correctly in system BIOS Setup. Step 1: Turn on your computer and press <Delete> to enter BIOS Setup during the POST (Power-On Self-Test). To create RAID, set ICH SATA Control Mode under the Integrated Peripherals menu to RAID(XHD) (Figure 1) (IDE by default).
  • Page 83 C. Configuring a RAID array in RAID BIOS Enter the RAID BIOS setup utility to configure a RAID array. Skip this step and proceed with the installation of Windows operating system for a non-RAID configuration. Step 1: After the POST memory test begins and before the operating system boot begins, look for a message which says "Press <Ctrl-I> to enter Configuration Utility" (Figure 2). Press <Ctrl> + <I> to enter the RAID Configura- tion Utility. Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager option ROM v8.9.1.1002 ICH10R/DO wRAID5 Copyright(C) 2003-09 Intel Corporation.
  • Page 84 Step 3: After entering the CREATE VOLUME MENU screen, enter a volume name with 1~16 letters (letters cannot be special characters) under the Name item and press <Enter>. Then, select a RAID level (Figure 4). RAID levels supported include RAID 0, RAID 1, Recovery, RAID 10, and RAID 5 (the selections available depend on the number of the hard drives being installed).
  • Page 85 Step 5: Enter the array capacity and press <Enter>. Finally press <Enter> on the Create Volume item to begin creat- ing the RAID array. When prompted to confirm whether to create this volume, press <Y> to confirm or <N> to cancel (Figure 6). Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager option ROM v8.9.1.1002 ICH10R/DO wRAID5 Copyright(C) 2003-09 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. [ CREATE VOLUME MENU ] Name : Volume0 RAID Level : RAID0(Stripe)
  • Page 86 Recovery Volume Options Intel Rapid Recover Technology provides data protection by allowing users to easily restore data and system operation using a designated recovery drive. With the Rapid Recovery Technology, which employs RAID 1 functionality, users can copy the data from the master drive to the recovery drive; if needed, the data on the recovery drive can be restored back to the master drive.
  • Page 87 Step 3: Press <Enter> under the Select Disks item. In the SELECT DISKS box, press <Tab> on the hard drive you want to use for the master drive and press <Space> on the hard drive you want to use for the recovery drive. (Make sure the recovery drive has equal or larger capacity than the master drive.) Then press <Enter>...
  • Page 88 Delete RAID Volume To delete a RAID array, select Delete RAID Volume in MAIN MENU and press <Enter>. In the DELETE VOLUME MENU section, use the up or down arrow key to select the array to be deleted and press <Delete>. When prompted to confirm your selection (Figure 12), press <Y> to confirm or <N> to abort.

  • Page 89: Configuring Marvell 88Se9182 Sata Controller

    5-1-2 Configuring Marvell 88SE9182 SATA Controller A. Installing SATA hard drive(s) in your computer Attach one end of the SATA signal cable to the rear of the SATA hard drive and the other end to available SATA port on the motherboard. The Marvell 88SE9182 SATA controller controls the onboard GSATA3_6 and GSATA3_7 connectors.
  • Page 90 C. Configuring a RAID array in RAID BIOS Enter the RAID BIOS setup utility to configure a RAID array. Skip this step and proceed to the installation of Windows operating system for a non-RAID configuration. After the POST memory test begins and before the operating system boot begins, look for a message which says "Press <Ctrl>+<M> to enter BIOS Setup or <Space> to continue" (Figure 2). Press <Ctrl> + <M> to en- ter the RAID setup utility.
  • Page 91 Create a RAID Array: Step 1: On the main screen, press <Enter> on the RAID tab. Then the RAID Config menu appears (Figure 4). Press <Enter> on the Create VD item. Marvell BIOS Setup (c) 2009 Marvell Technology Group Ltd. [ Selection] [ Adapter] [ Devices]...
  • Page 92 Step 3: On the Create VD menu (Figure 6), use the up or down arrow key to move the selection bar to select an item and press <Enter> to display options. Set the required items in sequence and press the down arrow key to proceed to the next item.
  • Page 93 When completed, the RAID tab will display the new array. (Figure 8) Marvell BIOS Setup (c) 2009 Marvell Technology Group Ltd. [ Selection] [ Adapter] [ Devices] [ RAID ] [Virtual Disks] Name Size Level Status Stripe CacheMode 152.4GB RAID0 ONLINE 64KB WriteBack...
  • Page 94 Use the Marvell Storage Utility in the Operating System: With the Marvell Storage utility, you can set up an array or view the current array status in the operating system. To install the utility, insert the motherboard driver disk, then go to Application Software\Install Ap- plication Software and select Marvell Storage Utility to install.

  • Page 95: Installing The Sata Raid/Ahci Driver And Operating System

    5-1-3 Installing the SATA RAID/AHCI Driver and Operating System With the correct BIOS settings, you are ready to install Windows 7/Vista/XP. A. Installing Windows 7/Vista (The following instructions use Windows 7 as the example operating system.) For the Intel ICH10R: As Windows 7 and Vista already include Intel SATA RAID/AHCI driver, you do not need to install separate RAID/AHCI driver during the Windows installation process.
  • Page 96 B. Installing Windows XP Before installing Windows XP, connect a USB floppy disk drive to your computer because you need to install the SATA RAID/AHCI driver during the OS installation. Without the driver, the hard drive(s) may not be recog- nized during the Windows setup process. First, copy the driver from the motherboard driver disk to a floppy disk. Refer to the methods below. Method A: • For the Intel ICH10R, copy all files in the \BootDrv\iRST\32Bit folder to your floppy disk. To install Win- dows 64-Bit, copy the files in the 64Bit folder. • For the Marvell 88SE9182, copy all files in the \BootDrv\Marvell\RAID folder to your floppy disk. For AHCI mode, depending on whether you want to install the 32- or 64-bit version, copy the files in the AHCI\Win32 or AHCI\win64 folder.
  • Page 97 Refer to the following for installing the driver during the Windows setup process. Step 1: Restart your system to boot from the Windows XP setup disk and press <F6> as soon as you see the mes- sage "Press F6 if you need to install a 3rd party SCSI or RAID driver." A screen will then appear asking you to specify an additional SCSI adapter.
  • Page 98 For the Marvell 88SE9182: Insert the floppy disk containing the SATA RAID/AHCI driver and press <Enter>. Select either the 32-bit or 64-bit items depending on whether you want to install the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows XP (Figure 4). Both of the Marvell shared library and Marvell 91xx SATA RAID Controller need to be installed. Below we assume that you are installing the 32-bit version.
  • Page 99 C. Rebuilding an Array Rebuilding is the process of restoring data to a hard drive from other drives in the array. Rebuilding applies only to fault-tolerant arrays such as RAID 1, RAID 5 or RAID 10 arrays. The procedures below assume a new drive is added to replace a failed drive to rebuild a RAID 1 array.
  • Page 100 • Performing the Rebuild in the Operating System While in the operating system, make sure the Chipset driver has been installed from the motherboard driver disk. Then launch the Intel Rapid Storage Technology utility from All Programs in the Start menu. Step 2: Select a new drive to rebuild the RAID and click Rebuild.
  • Page 101 • Restoring the Master Drive to a Previous State (for Recovery Volume only) When two hard drives are set to Recovery Volume in Update on Request mode, you can restore the master drive data to the last backup state when needed. For example, in case the master drive detects a virus, you can restore the recovery drive data to the master drive.
  • Page 102 For the Marvell 88SE9182: Turn off your computer and replace the failed hard drive with a new one. Restart your computer. To enable an automatic rebuild in the operating system, you have to set the new hard drive as a Spare drive in the RAID setup utility first.
  • Page 103 Step 3: Make sure you have installed the Marvell RAID driver and Marvell Storage Utility from the motherboard driver disk. While in the operating system, launch the Marvell Storage Utility from Start\All Programs\Marvell Storage Utility\Marvell Tray, right-click on the icon in the notification area, and select Open MSU. Then login the Marvell Storage Utility.

  • Page 104: Configuring Audio Input And Output

    Configuring Audio Input and Output 5-2-1 Configuring 2/4/5.1/7.1-Channel Audio The motherboard provides three audio jacks on the back panel which support 2/4/5.1/7.1 -channel audio. The picture to the right shows (Note) the default audio jack assignments. Line In The integrated HD (High Definition) audio provides jack retasking capa- Front Speaker Out bility that allows the user to change the function for each jack through the audio driver.
  • Page 105 The pictures to the right show the 7.1-channel speak- 7.1-Channel Speakers: er configurations. Front Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out Side Speaker Out Step 2: Connect an audio device to an audio jack. The The cur- rent connected device is dialog box appears. Select the device according to the type of device you connect.

  • Page 106: Configuring Microphone Recording

    D. Activating an AC'97 Front Panel Audio Module If your chassis provides an AC'97 front panel audio mod- ule, to activate the AC'97 functionality, click the tool icon on the Speaker Configuration tab. On the Connector Settings dialog box, select the Disable front panel jack detection check box.
  • Page 107 Step 3: Go to the Microphone screen. Do not mute the record- ing volume, or you'll not be able to record the sound. To hear the sound being recorded during the recording process, do not mute the playback volume. It is recom- mended that you set the volumes at a middle level.

  • Page 108: Using The Sound Recorder

    Step 2: On the Recording tab, right-click on an empty space and select Show Disabled Devices. Step 3: When the Stereo Mix item appears, right-click on this item and select Enable. Then set it as the default de- vice. Step 4: Now you can access the HD Audio Manager to config- ure Stereo Mix and use Sound Recorder to record the sound.

  • Page 109: Troubleshooting

    New Hardware Wizard appears, click Cancel. Then install the onboard HD audio driver from the motherboard driver disk or download the audio driver from GIGABYTE's website to install. For more details, go to the Support & Downloads\FAQ page on our website and search for "onboard HD audio driver."...

  • Page 110: Troubleshooting Procedure

    5-3-2 Troubleshooting Procedure If you encounter any troubles during system startup, follow the troubleshooting procedure below to solve the problem. START Turn off the power. Remove all peripherals, connecting cables, and power cord etc. Make sure the motherboard does not short-circuit with the chassis or Isolate the short circuit.
  • Page 111 The power supply, CPU or When the computer is turned on, is the CPU cooler running? CPU socket might fail. The problem is verified and solved. The graphics card, expansion slot, or monitor Check if there is display on your monitor. might fail. The problem is verified and solved. Turn off the computer. Plug in the keyboard and mouse and restart the computer.

  • Page 112: Post Error Code

    POST Error Code POST (hex) Description Test CMOS R/W functionality Early chipset initialization: -Disable shadow RAM - Program basic chipset registers Detect memory - Auto-detection of DRAM size, type and ECC Expand compressed BIOS code to DRAM Call chipset hook to copy BIOS back to E000 & F000 shadow RAM Expand the Xgroup codes locating in physical address 1000:0 DualBIOS init (optional) Initial Superio_Early_Init switch...
  • Page 113 POST (hex) Description Prepare BIOS resource map for PCI & PnP use. If ESCD is valid, take into consider- ation of the ESCD's legacy information Early PCI initialization: - Enumerate PCI bus number - Assign memory & I/O resource - Search for a valid VGA device & VGA BIOS, and put it into C000:0 26h 1. If Early_Init_Onboard_Generator is not defined Onboard clock generator initializa- tion.
  • Page 114 POST (hex) Description Initialize the combined Trend Anti-Virus code 1. Initialize Init_Onboard_Super_IO 2. Initialize Init_Onbaord_AUDIO Okay to enter Setup utility; i.e. not until this POST stage can users enter the CMOS setup utility 63h Reset keyboard is Early_Reset_KB is not defined Initialize PS/2 Mouse Prepare memory size information for function call: INT 15h ax=E820h Turn on L2 cache 6Bh Program chipset registers according to items described in Setup & Auto-configura-...
  • Page 115 POST (hex) Description 1. Enable L2 cache 2. Program daylight saving 3. Program boot up speed 4. Chipset final initialization 5. Power management final initialization 6. Clear screen & display summary table 7. Boot BIOS support (popup menu) Update keyboard LED & typematic rate 1. Build MP table 2.
  • Page 116 Appendix - 116 -...
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  • Page 118 Appendix - 118 -...
  • Page 119 Web address: http://latam.giga-byte.com TEL: +86-24-83992901 • Giga-Byte SINGAPORE PTE. LTD. - Singapore FAX: +86-24-83992909 WEB address : http://www.gigabyte.sg • GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY (INDIA) LIMITED - India • Thailand WEB address : http://www.gigabyte.in WEB address : http://th.giga-byte.com • Saudi Arabia • Vietnam WEB address : http://www.gigabyte.com.sa...
  • Page 120 WEB address : http://www.gigabyte.com.gr WEB address : http://www.gigabyte.kz • Czech Republic You may go to the GIGABYTE website, select your language WEB address : http://www.gigabyte.cz in the language list on the top right corner of the website. • GIGABYTE Global Service System...

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