EVGA nForce 3 250 User Manual
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EVGA nForce 3 250 User Manual

EVGA nForce 3 250 User Manual

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  • Page 2 Copyright © 2005 EVGA.com Corporation – All Rights Reserved COPYRIGHT OF THIS MANUAL BELONGS TO THE MANUFACTURER. NO PART OF THIS MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT MAY BE REPRODUCED, TRANSMITTED OR TRANSLATED INTO ANY LANGUAGE IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS WITHOUT...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents Overview ..................5 Motherboard Features ............... 5 Preparing Your Computer..............6 Package Contents ................6 Product Specifications.............. 7 Chapter 1 ..................8 Layout Diagram and Jumper Settings ..........8 Jumpers ..................9 Connectors ................... 9 Headers ..................10 Expansion Sockets ..............
  • Page 4 Onboard Super IO Function............39 Init Display First ................40 Power On Function ..............40 PWR Status after PWR Failure........... 40 Power Management Setup .............. 41 PnP/PCI Configuration Setup ............43 PC Health Status ................45 Clock/Voltage Control..............46 Load Standard and Optimized Defaults........... 48 Set Supervisor/User Passwords ............

  • Page 5: Overview

    Overview Thank you for purchasing a genuine EVGA® motherboard. EVGA is an NVIDIA® Select Solution Provider that builds high performance 3D accelerators and motherboards based on reference designs by the NVIDIA Corporation. Your new EVGA motherboard is fully capable of supporting DPMS (energy savings) and DDC-2B (plug and play) functions.

  • Page 6: Preparing Your Computer

    – for example, the metal surface of the power supply – before performing any hardware procedure. EVGA assumes no liability for any damage, caused directly or indirectly, by improper installation of any components.

  • Page 7: Product Specifications

    Product Specifications Spec Description Design ATX form factor 4 layer PCB, size 30.4x21.0cm. Chipset NVIDIA nForce3 250 single Chipset. Support 64bit AMD Athlon64 754-Pin package utilizes Flip- Chip Pin Grid Array package processor Support CPU Frequency 800MHz CPU Socket 754 Support up to 3200+ ~ 4000+ processor Reserves support for future AMD Athlon64 Sempron 754-pin processors...

  • Page 9: Jumpers

    Jumpers Jumper Name Description Page CMOS RAM Clear 3-pin Block Keyboard Power On 3-pin Block Enabled/Disabled USB Power On Enabled/Disabled 3-pin Block JP2/JP6 Connectors Connector Name Description Page ATX Power Connector 20-pin Block ATX 12V Power Connector 4-pin Block ATX12V PS/2 Mouse &...

  • Page 10: Headers

    Headers Header Name Description Page SPEAKER, MIC header 9-pin Block AUDIO USB3 USB Port Headers 9-pin Block USB4 PC Speaker connector 4-pin Block SPEAK Power LED 3-pin Block PWR LED Front Panel Header (including (Power Power LED/ IDE activity 9-pin Block LED/Reset/ LED/Reset Switch / Power On IDE LED/Power...

  • Page 11: Chapter 2

    Chapter 2 Hardware Installation Hardware installation Steps Before using your computer, complete the following steps: Check the motherboard jumper settings. Install the CPU, heatsink and fan. Install the system memory (DIMM). Install any expansion cards that are to be used in the system. Connect the IDE and floppy cables as well as the front and back panel cables.
  • Page 12 JP1 – Keyboard Power On function Enabled/Disabled 2-3 closed - KB Power 1-2 closed - KB Power ON Enabled ON Disable (Default) Keyboard/USB Power On Setting JP2, JP6 – USB Power On function Enabled/Disabled closed 1-2 closed USB Power Power On Enabled ON Disable (Default) 1-2 closed USB Power 2-3 closed USB...

  • Page 13: Installing The Amd Athlon64 754-Pin Cpu

    Installing the AMD Athlon64 754-pin CPU This motherboard provides a 754-pin surface mount, Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket, referred to as the mPGA754 socket which supports the AMD Athlon64 processor in the 754 Pin package utilizes Flip-Chip Pin Grid Array package technology. The CPU that comes with the motherboard should have a cooling FAN attached to prevent overheating.
  • Page 14 Valid Memory Configurations: Total Memory Bank 184-pin DDR DIMM Bank 0, 1 DDR266/DDR333/DDR400 64MB∼1.0GB DDR DRAM Module (DIMM1) Bank 2, 3 DDR266/DDR333/DDR400 64MB∼1.0GB DDR DRAM Module (DIMM) Total System Memory (Max. 2.0GB) 64MB∼2.0GB Installing DDR SDRAM modules in to the motherboard is generally easy;...

  • Page 15: Installing Expansion Cards

    Installing Expansion Cards WARNING: Turn off the power to the system when adding or removing expansion cards or any other system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the system. Installation Procedures: 1. Read the documentation that came with the expansion card and make any necessary hardware or software setting changes for the expansion card.

  • Page 16: Interrupt Request Table For This Motherboard

    - These IRQs are usually available for ISA or PCI devices. Priority Standard function System Timer Keyboard Controller Programmable Interrupt Communications Port (COM2) Communications Port (COM1) Sound Card (sometimes LPT2) Floppy Disk Controller Printer Port (LPT1) System CMOS/Real Time Clock ACPI Mode when enabled IRQ Holder for PCI Steering IRQ Holder for PCI Steering...

  • Page 17: Agp Slot

    AGP Slot This motherboard is equipped with an AGP Slot that supports 8X/4X AGP VGA cards. AGP SLOT...

  • Page 18: Connectors And Headers

    Connectors and Headers Connectors PWR: Power Connector (20-pin block) ATX Power Supply Connector – The motherboard is setup for soft power on by using the momentary switch that connects from the front panel switch to the 2-pin Power On jumper on the motherboard. When the power switch on the back of the ATX power supply is turned on, the full power will not come into the system board until the front panel switch is momentarily pressed.
  • Page 19 KB1: PS/2 Mouse & PS/2 Keyboard Connector These are connectors for the PS/2 keyboard and the PS/2 Mouse. USB1/USB2: USB Port connector These are 4-pin connectors that connect USB devices to the system board. LAN: LAN Port connector This is a standard RJ45 connector which allows connectivity to a network.
  • Page 20 FDD: Floppy drive Connector (34-pin block) This connector supports the 3 ½ inch floppy drive ribbon cable. Use the cable provided to connect the floppy drive to the system motherboard. Pin 1 Floppy Drive Connector IDE1: Primary IDE Connector (40-pin block) This connector supports the IDE1 hard disk ribbon cable.
  • Page 21 IDE2: Primary IDE Connector (40-pin block) This connector supports the IDE2 hard disk ribbon cable. Use the cable provided to connect the primary hard drive to the system motherboard. IDE2 Pin 1 Secondary IDE Connector Two hard disks can be connected to each connector. The first HDD is referred to as the Master and the second HDD is referred to as the Slave.
  • Page 22 Headers AUDIO: Line-Out/MIC Header for the Front Panel (9-pin) Some case manufactures supply audio connectors built into the front of the case. This header will allow a cable to be connected from the motherboard to those built in connectors. This header connects to the front panel Line-Out and the MIC.
  • Page 23 SPEAK: Speaker connector This 4-pin connector connects to the case-mounted speaker. PWR LED: Power LED The Power LED is illuminated while the system power is on. Connect the Power LED from the system case to this pin. HD LED: IDE Activity LED This connector connects to the hard disk activity indicator light on the case.
  • Page 24 SYSFAN1, SYSFAN2, CPUFAN: FAN Headers (3-pin) These connectors support cooling fans of 350mA (4.2 Watts) or less, depending on the fan manufacturer, the wire and plug may be different. The red wire should be positive, while the black should be ground. Connect the fan’s plug to the board taking into consideration the polarity of connector.
  • Page 25 SPDIF: SPDIF IN/OUT Headers (9-pin) SPDIF Pin 1 SPDIF In/Out Header...

  • Page 26: Starting Up Your Computer

    Starting Up Your Computer After all connections have been made and any expansion cards have been installed, close the computer case and fasten the cover. Be sure all switches are off, and confirm that the power supply input voltage is set to proper position, usually in-put voltage is 220V∼240V or 110V∼120V depending on your country’s voltage.

  • Page 27: Chapter 3

    Chapter 3 BIOS Introduction The BIOS is a program that lives in the flash memory of the motherboard. This program acts a bridge between the motherboard and the operating system. When the computer is started, the BIOS performs a self test called POST (Power On Self Test) and runs through a series of auto diagnostic tests.

  • Page 28: Bios Setup Main Menu

    BIOS Setup Main Menu Once inside the Award® BIOS CMOS Setup Utility, the Main Menu will appear with fourteen setup functions and two exit choices. Use arrow the keys to navigate through the items and press ENTER to select the desired function.

  • Page 29: Standard Cmos Features

    Load Optimized Defaults This will load the BIOS’s default values. These settings are used for optimal system performance. Load Standard Defaults This will load the BIOS’s default values for a stable system operation. These are the factory settings for normal use. Set Supervisor/User Password This will allow a Supervisor or an Administrator to setup User and Supervisor Passwords.
  • Page 30 Year (yy): Change this value to the appropriate year. Time The time format is as follows (Military Time is represented here): Hours (hh): Change this value to represent the appropriate time, hours. The range for value is 00 through 24. Minutes (mm): Change this value to the appropriate time, minutes.

  • Page 31: Advanced Bios Features

    Change the following to match the hard disk settings when entering in this information manually. Refer for the hard drive manufacturer documentation for details. Access Mode: The settings for this item are: Auto CHS, LBA and Large. Cylinder: Provide the number of cylinders for the hard drive. Head: Provide the number of heads for the hard drive.
  • Page 32 message will appear on screen and an audible alarm sound indicating an attempt has been made to write data to this area of the boot sector. Disabled (default) – No warning message will appear when attempts to access the boot sector or hard disk partition table. Enabled –...
  • Page 33 Typematic Rate Setting Keystrokes repeat at a rate determined by the keyboard controller. When enabled, the Typematic Rate and Typematic Delay can be selected. This option is either Enabled or Disabled. Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec) This option sets the number of times a second to repeat a keystroke when a key is held down.

  • Page 34: Advanced Chipset Features

    Advanced Chipset Features The Advanced Chipset Features setup option is used to change the values of the chipset registers. These registers control most of the system options in the computer. See Figure 3.4 below. Figure 3.4 DRAM CAS Latency When synchronous DRAM is installed, the number of clock cycles of CAS latency depends on the DRAM timing.
  • Page 35 AGP Aperture Size Select the size of the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) aperture. The aperture is a portion of the PCI memory address range dedicated for graphics memory address space. Host cycles that hit the aperture range are forwarded to the AGP without any translation. Set this function to one of the configuration options: 32M, 64M, 128M, 256M or 512M.

  • Page 36: Integrated Peripherals

    Integrated Peripherals The information contained in this part of the CMOS Setup Utility provides details on setting up the peripheral devices for the system. See the Figure 3.5. Figure 3.5 Onboard IDE Function The following information is provided as a reference for the Onboard IDE Function of the BIOS.
  • Page 37 Primary/Secondary Master/Slave PIO The four IDE PIO (Programmed Input/Output) fields set the PIO mode (0-4) for each of the four IDE devices that the onboard IDE interface supports. Modes 0 through 4 provide successively increased performance. In Auto mode, the system automatically determines the best mode for each device.

  • Page 38: Onboard Device Function

    Onboard Device Function The following information is provided as a reference for the Onboard Device Function of the BIOS. Below is an illustration of the menu for this section. See Figure 3.7. Figure 3.7 AC97 Sound Device Set this option to Enabled to use the on-board AC97 Audio features. The configuration options for this setting are Auto, Enabled and Disabled.

  • Page 39: Onboard Super Io Function

    Onboard Super IO Function The following information is provided as a reference for the Onboard Super IO Function of the BIOS. Below is an illustration of the menu for this section. See Figure 3.8. Figure 3.8 Onboard FDD Controller Select Enabled if the system has a floppy disk controller (FDD) installed and will be used.

  • Page 40: Init Display First

    Parallel Port Mode Select an operating mode for the onboard parallel (printer) port. Select SPP unless the hardware and software both support one of the other available modes. The options for this setting are SPP, EPP, ECP and ECP+EPP. Note: To operate the onboard parallel port as a Standard Parallel Port ONLY, select SPP.

  • Page 41: Power Management Setup

    Power Management Setup The Power Management Setup allows for the most effective power saving configurations while operating the PC in a manner consistent with users own style of computing needs. Below is an illustration of the menu for this section. See Figure 3.9. Figure 3.9 ACPI Function This item allows users to Enabled or Disabled the Advanced...
  • Page 42 Video Off Method This function determines the manner in which the monitor is blanked. The configuration options for this function are DPMS, Blank Screen and V/H SYNC+Blank. DPMS (default) - Initial display power management signaling. Blank Screen - This option only writes blanks to the video buffer. V/H SYNC+Blank - This selection will cause the system to turn off the vertical and horizontal synchronization ports and write blanks to the video buffer.

  • Page 43: Pnp/Pci Configuration Setup

    PnP/PCI Configuration Setup This section describes configuring the PCI bus system. PCI, or Personal Computer Interconnect, is a system which allows I/O devices to operate at speeds nearing the speed the CPU itself uses when communicating with its own 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.
  • Page 44 IRQ Resources - When resources are controlled manually, each system interrupt must be assigned a corresponding IRQ number. The corresponding IRQ type is dependant upon the type of device that requires the interrupt. The settings for this function are PCI Device and Reserved.

  • Page 45: Pc Health Status

    PC Health Status This section shows the over all health Status of the system. From this section of the CMOS Setup Utility Menu, users can monitor current system temperatures, voltages, CPU FAN as well as System FAN operating speeds. Below is an illustration of the menu for this section. See Figure 3.12.

  • Page 46: Clock/Voltage Control

    Any attempt to operate this product beyond the default specifications is not recommended. EVGA is NOT responsible for damage caused by inadequate operation or settings beyond the product specifications.
  • Page 47 This item is used to select the VDIMM voltage. If the VDIMM Over Voltage is enabled, the options for this selection are 2.55V, 2.65V(Default), 2.75V or 2.85V. If the previous option is disabled, the settings are 2.50V, 2.60V(Default), 2.70V and 2.8V. VDDQ Select This item is used to select the VDDQ voltage.

  • Page 48: Load Standard And Optimized Defaults

    Load Standard and Optimized Defaults Load Standard Defaults This option loads the BIOS defaults that are the most stable with minimal system performance. Load Optimized Defaults This option loads the BIOS factory settings that are the most stable with optimal system performance. Set Supervisor/User Passwords Set Supervisor Password Only individuals who have a supervisor password, typically System...

  • Page 49: Chapter 4

    Chapter 4 Motherboard Device Drivers To begin using the nForce3 Motherboard Driver CD, insert it into the CD-ROM drive. The CD will automatically display the device drivers menu if Autorun is enabled on the system. See Figure 4.1 below. Note: In the event Autorun is not enabled, navigate to the CD-ROM Drive within Windows®...

  • Page 50: Chapter 5

    Chapter 5 Glossary Chipset (or core logic) - two or more integrated circuits which control the interfaces between the system processor, RAM, I/O devises, and adapter cards. Processor slot/socket - the slot or socket used to mount the system processor on the motherboard. Slot (AGP, PCI, ISA, RAM) - the slots used to mount adapter cards and system RAM.

  • Page 51: Chapter 6

    Chapter 6 Useful Information Contacting Customer Service EVGA is dedicated to supporting our products. Contacting EVGA Customer Service is easy! We can be reached by phone, fax, and on the web. Before contacting Customer Service, please review this manual. If you need to contact Customer Service, please have your system configuration as well as your motherboards model number and serial number ready.

  • Page 52: Compliance Information

    Advanced Micro Devices. All brands and companies are trademarks of registered Trademarks of their respective companies. EVGA reserves the right to terminate this license if there is a violation of its terms or default by the Original Purchaser. Upon termination, for any reason, all copies of the Software must be immediately returned to EVGA and the Original Purchaser shall be liable to EVGA.com Corp.

  • Page 53: Warranty Information

    Warranty Information...

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