ASROCK FM2A78M-ITX+ User Manual
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ASROCK FM2A78M-ITX+ User Manual

ASROCK FM2A78M-ITX+ User Manual

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Summary of Contents for ASROCK FM2A78M-ITX+

  • Page 1 User Manual...

  • Page 2: Copyright Notice

    (including damages for loss of proits, loss of business, loss of data, interruption of business and the like), even if ASRock has been advised of the possibility of such damages arising from any defect or error in the documentation or product.
  • Page 3 he terms HDMI™ and HDMI High-Deinition Multimedia Interface, and the HDMI logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC in the United States and other countries. Manufactured under license under U.S. Patent Nos: 5,956,674; 5,974,380; 6,487,535; 7,003,467 & other U.S. and worldwide patents issued & pending. DTS, the Symbol, & DTS and the Symbol together is a registered trademark &...

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Contents 1. Introduction ..............1 Package Contents ..............1 1.2 Speciications ................2 Unique Features ................ 6 Motherboard Layout ..............11 I/O Panel .................. 13 2. Installation ..............15 Pre-installation Precautions ..............15 CPU Installation ................. 16 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink ........17 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM) ........
  • Page 5 Security Screen ................. 66 Exit Screen ................67...

  • Page 6: Introduction

    ASRock website without further notice. You may ind the latest VGA cards and CPU support lists on ASRock website as well. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com...

  • Page 7: Speciications

    1.2 Speciications Platform - Mini-ITX Form Factor - All Solid Capacitor design A-Style - Home Cloud - HDMI-In - Supports Socket FM2+ 95W / FM2 100W processors - 4 + 2 Power Phase design Chipset - AMD A78 FCH (Bolton-D3) Memory - Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology - 2 x DDR3 DIMM Slots...
  • Page 8 home/online video - Supports HDCP with DVI-D and HDMI Ports - Supports Full HD 1080p Blu-ray (BD) playback with DVI-D and HDMI Ports Audio - 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC1150 Audio Codec) - Premium Blu-ray Audio support - Supports DTS Connect - PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s ® ® - Qualcomm Atheros AR8171 ®...
  • Page 9 Certiications - 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 WARNING Please realize that there is a certain risk involved with overclocking, including adjusting the setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking Technology, or using third-party overclocking tools.
  • Page 10 4GB for the reservation for system usage un- ® ® der Windows 8 / 7. 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 11: Unique Features

    OC Tweaker and a whole lot more. ASRock Instant Boot ASRock Instant Boot allows you to turn on your PC in just a few seconds, provides a much more eficient way to save energy, time, money, and improves system running speed for your sys- tem.
  • Page 12 Real-Time Analysis of Your Data: With the status window, you can easily recognize which data streams you are transferring currently. ASRock XFast RAM ASRock XFast RAM is included in A-Tuning. It fully utilizes the ® memory space that cannot be used under Windows 32-bit operating systems.
  • Page 13 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”...
  • Page 14 UEFI setup. AS- Rock Restart to UEFI technology is designed for those requiring frequent UEFI access. It is included in ASRock’s exclusive all- in-one A-Tuning tuning program that allows users to easily enter the UEFI automatically when turning on the PC next time.
  • Page 15 ASRock FAN-Tastic Tuning ASRock FAN-Tastic Tuning is included in A-Tuning. Conigure up to ive different fan speeds using the graph. The fans will automatically shift to the next speed level when the assigned temperature is met.

  • Page 16: Motherboard Layout

    1.4 Motherboard Layout TPMS1 ATXPWR1 SPEAKER1 USB 2.0 CLRCMOS1 Keyboard T: USB0 CPU_FAN1 B: USB1 /Mouse DDR3_B1 (64 bit, 240-pin module) DDR3_A1 (64 bit, 240-pin module) PCI Express 3.0 Front USB 3.0 RoHS FM2A78M-ITX+ PANEL1 SOCKET FM2b HDMI1 HDMI_IN1 SATA3_5 SATA3_6 SATA3_4 SATA3_3...
  • Page 17 No. Description TPM Header (TPMS1) CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1) Chassis Intrusion Header (CI1) Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1) ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1) Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER1) 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots (DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1) Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1) System Panel Header (PANEL1) 10 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_0_1) SATA3 Connector (SATA3_6) SATA3 Connector (SATA3_5)

  • Page 18: I/O Panel

    1.5 I/O Panel No. Description No. Description USB 2.0 Ports (USB01)* Microphone (Pink) D-Sub Port Optical SPDIF Out Port USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_23) LAN RJ-45 Port** (AMD A78 FCH (Bolton-D3)) Central / Bass (Orange) HDMI-In Port Rear Speaker (Black) HDMI-Out Port DVI-D Port Line In (Light Blue) Front Speaker (Lime)***...
  • Page 19 * It is recommended to install the USB Keyboard/Mouse cable to USB 2.0 ports (USB01) instead of USB 3.0 ports. ** There are two LEDs on the LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED indica- tions.

  • Page 20: Installation

    2. Installation This is a Mini-ITX form factor motherboard. Before you install the motherboard, study the coniguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard its into it. Pre-installation Precautions Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings. Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the power is switched off or the power cord is detached from the power supply.

  • Page 21: 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 22: Installation Of Cpu Fan And Heatsink

    2.2 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink After you install the CPU into this motherboard, it is necessary to install a larger heatsink and cooling fan to dissipate heat. You also need to spray thermal grease between the CPU and the heatsink to improve heat dis- sipation.

  • Page 23: 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. 1. For dual channel coniguration, you always need to install identical (the same brand, speed, size and chip-type) DDR3 DIMM pairs. 2.

  • Page 25: Expansion Slot (Pci Express Slot)

    2.4 Expansion Slot (PCI Express Slot) There is 1 PCI Express slot on this motherboard. Before installing an expansion card, please make sure that the power supply is switched off or the power cord is unplugged. Please read the documenta- tion of the expansion card and make necessary hardware settings for the card before you start the installation.

  • Page 26: Jumpers Setup

    2.5 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

    2.6 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 ATA3 Connectors These six Serial ATA3 (SATA3) connectors support (SATA3_1: see p.11, No.
  • Page 28 Front Panel Audio Header This is an interface for the front PRESENCE# panel audio cable that allows (9-pin HD_AUDIO1) MIC_RET OUT_RET convenient connection and (see p.11 No. 18) control of audio devices. OUT2_L J_SENSE OUT2_R MIC2_R MIC2_L 1. High Deinition Audio supports Jack Sensing, but the panel wire on the chassis must support HDA to function correctly. Please follow the instruction in our manual and chassis manual to install your system.
  • Page 29 HDLED (Hard Drive Activity LED): Connect to the hard drive activity LED on the chassis front panel. The LED is on when the hard drive is reading or writing data. The front panel design may differ by chassis. A front panel module mainly consists of power switch, reset switch, power LED, hard drive activity LED, speaker and etc.
  • Page 30 Though this motherboard provides 24-pin ATX power connector, it can still work if you adopt a traditional 20-pin ATX power supply. To use the 20-pin ATX power supply, please plug your power supply along with Pin 1 and Pin 13. 20-Pin ATX Power Supply Installation ATX 12V Power Connector Please connect an ATX 12V...

  • Page 31: Dual Graphics Operation Guide

    2.7 AMD Dual Graphics Operation Guide This motherboard supports AMD Dual Graphics feature. AMD Dual Graphics brings multi-GPU performance capabilities by enabling an AMD A78 FCH (Bolton-D3) integrated graphics processor and a discrete graphics processor to operate simultaneously with combined output to a single display for blisteringly-fast frame ®...
  • Page 32 Step 7. You can also click “AMD VISION Engine Control Center” on your taskbar to enter AMD VISION Engine Control Center. ® Windows AMD VISION Engine Control Center Step 8. In AMD VISION Engine Control Center, please choose “Performance”. Click “AMD CrossFire ”. Step 9. Click “Enable CrossFire ” and click “Apply“ to save your change. Step 10. Reboot your system. Then you can freely enjoy the beneit of Dual Graphics feature. * Dual Graphics appearing here is a registered trademark of AMD Technologies Inc., and is used only for identiication or explanation and to the owners’ beneit, without intent to infringe.

  • Page 33: Using The Hdmi-In Port

    2.8 Using the HDMI-In Port The HDMI-In port on this motherboard lets you easily switch between PC screen (on-board VGA) and external video source on the same monitor. This function saves you the hassle of switching cables back and forth when you want to display the screen of another device, such as smartphone, tablet, camcorder, DVD player, or another PC, onto the PC monitor.
  • Page 34 Connection Diagram HDMI Adapter Power Source...
  • Page 35 Step 1 Connect your monitor to the HDMI-Out port on the motherboard via an HDMI cable. Step 2 Connect an external devices with HDMI output to the HDMI-In port on the motherboard via an HDMI cable. Step 3 Double-click the “A-Tuning“ icon on the desktop and ind "HDMI-IN" function in "Tools"...

  • Page 36: Software And Utilities Operation

    3. Software and Utilities Operation 3.1 Installing Drivers The Support CD that comes with the motherboard contains necessary drivers and useful utilities that enhance the motherboard’s features. Running The Support CD To begin using the support CD, insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive. The CD automatically displays the Main Menu if “AUTORUN”...

  • Page 37: A-Tuning

    A-Tuning is ASRock’s multi purpose software suite with a new interface, more new features and improved utilities, including XFast RAM, Dehumidi- ier, Good Night LED, FAN-Tastic Tuning, OC Tweaker and a whole lot more. 3.2.1 Installing A-Tuning When you install the all-in-one driver to your system from ASRock’s support CD, A-Tuning will be auto-installed as well. After the installation, you will ind the icon “A-Tuning“ on your desktop. Double-click the “A-Tuning“ icon, A-Tuning main menu will pop up.

  • Page 38: Fast Boot

    Tools Various tools and utilities. XFast RAM Boost the system’s performance and extend the HDD’s or SDD’s lifespan! Create a hidden partition, then assign which iles should be stored in the RAM drive. Fast Boot Fast Boot minimizes your computer's boot time. Please note that Ultra Fast mode is only supported by Windows 8 and the VBIOS must support UEFI GOP if you are using an external graphics card. Schedule the starting and ending hours of Internet access granted to other users.

  • Page 39: System Info

    FAN-Tastic Tuning Conigure up to ive different fan speeds using the graph. The fans will automatically shift to the next speed level when the assigned temperature is met. Dehumidiier Prevent motherboard damages due to dampness. Enable this function and conigure the period of time until the computer powers on, and the duration of the dehumidifying process. HDMI-IN Connect two different devices to one monitor and toggle between the primary and secondary screen without replugging the connectors every time.
  • Page 40 Tech Service Contact Tech Service.

  • Page 41: Qualcomm Atheros Security Wake On Internet Technology

    ® ® 3.3 Qualcomm Atheros Security Wake On Internet Technology ® ® Qualcomm Atheros Security Wake On Internet Technology allows you to wake up and remote control your home computer from energy eficient sleep mode. Before coniguring this feature, make sure that the "PCI Device Power On" is enabled in UEFI SETUP UTILITY > Advanced > ACPI Coniguration. 3.3.1 Coniguring and Using Sunlogin Oray Sunlogin is a remote control software that lets you easily access and control the remote host that is installed with the Oray SunLogin Client software.
  • Page 42 Step 3 Click on Remote Client and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation. Step 4 Double-click the Sunlogin Remote Control icon in the Windows system tray. Step 5 Make sure that "Remote wakeup module" and "Remote control module" is set to On.
  • Page 43 Installing Sunlogin control client Step 1 For Windows users: Download "Control Client" from the Download section of sunlogin.oray.com and execute it. Log-in with your Sunlogin Account and Password. For iPad/iPhone users: Download “Sunlogin” from the App Store and install the app. Then ill in your Sunlogin Account and Password.
  • Page 44 For Andriod mobile device users: Search “Sunlogin” in Google PLAY and then install the app. Then ill in your Sunlogin Account and Password. Using Remote Wakeup For Windows users: Select one Host (Ofline with Gray power button) on the control client panel to wake up your home computer. For iPad/iPhone users: Tap one Host (Ofline with Gray power button ) on the Host List. Then tap the Power button to wakeup your home computer.
  • Page 45 For Andriod mobile device users: Tap one Host (Ofline with Blue power button ) on the Host List. Then tap the Power button to wakeup your home computer.

  • Page 46: Using Remote Control

    Using Remote Control For Windows users: Right-click on a Host (Online with Blue Windows logo) on the control client panel. Then key in your remote access password. For iPad/iPhone users: Tap one online machine on the Host List and ill in the Access password to start using remote control.
  • Page 47 For Andriod mobile device users: Tap one online machine and ill in the Access password to start using remote control. Tutorial Video...

  • Page 48: Start8

    Install Start8, which is located in the folder at the following path of the Sup- , which is located in the folder at the following path of the Sup- port CD: \ ASRock Utility > Start8. 3.4.2 Coniguring Start8 Style Select between the Windows 7 style and Windows 8 style Start Menu.
  • Page 49 Conigure Conigure provides coniguration options, including icon sizes, which shortcuts you want Start Menu to display, quick access to recently used apps, the functionality of the power button, and more. Control...
  • Page 50 Control lets you conigure what a click on the start button or a press on the Windows key does. Desktop Desktop allows you to disable the hot corners when you are working on the desktop. It also lets you choose whether or not the system boots directly into desktop mode and bypass the Metro user interface. About Displays information about Start8.

  • Page 51: Uefi Setup Utility

    4. UEFI SETUP UTILITY 4.1 Introduction ASRock Interactive UEFI is a blend of system coniguration tools, cool sound ef- fects and stunning visuals. Not only will it make BIOS setup less dificult but also a lot more amusing. This section explains how to use the UEFI SETUP UTILITY to conigure your system. The UEFI chip on the motherboard stores the UEFI SETUP UTILITY. You may run the UEFI SETUP UTILITY when you start up the computer.

  • Page 52: Navigation Keys

    4.1.2 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 53: Oc Tweaker Screen

    4.3 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 54 Processor Maximum Frequency It will display Processor Maximum Frequency for reference. Processor Maximum Voltage It will display Processor Maximum Voltage for reference. 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 55 DRAM Timing Control DRAM Slot Use this item to view SPD data. DRAM Timing Control Use this item to control DRAM timing. 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.

  • Page 56: Advanced Screen

    4.4 Advanced Screen In this section, you may set the conigurations for the following items: CPU Conigu- ration, Nouth Bridge Coniguration, South Bridge Coniguration, Storage Conigura- tion, ACPI Coniguration, USB Coniguration and Trusted Computing. Setting wrong values in this section may cause the system to malfunction.

  • Page 57: Cpu Coniguration

    4.4.1 CPU Coniguration 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 58: North Bridge Coniguration

    4.4.2 North Bridge Coniguration IOMMU This allows you to enable or disable IOMMU support. 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.

  • Page 59: South Bridge Coniguration

    4.4.3 South Bridge Coniguration Onboard HD Audio Select [Auto], [Enabled] or [Disabled] for the onboard HD Audio feature. 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. Good Night LED Enable this option to turn off Power LED when the system is power on.

  • Page 60: Storage Coniguration

    4.4.4 Storage Coniguration 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]. Coniguration 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 SATA3_5 and SATA3_6 ports.

  • Page 61: Acpi Coniguration

    4.4.5 ACPI Coniguration 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 Enable to enter the operating system after S3 only when the hard disk is ready, this is recommended for better system stability.
  • Page 62 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- certiication.

  • Page 63: Usb Coniguration

    4.4.6 USB Coniguration USB 2.0 Controller Use this item to enable or disable the use of USB 2.0 controller. A78M USB 3.0 Controller Use this item to enable or disable the use of USB 3.0 controller. Legacy USB Support Use this option to select legacy support for USB devices. There are four coni guration options: [Enabled], [Auto], [Disabled] and [UEFI Setup Only].

  • Page 64: Trusted Computing

    4.4.7 Trusted Computing Security Device Support Enable to activate Trusted Platform Module (TPM) security for your hard disk drives.

  • Page 65: Tool

    OMG, guest accounts without permission to modify the system time are required. UEFI Tech Service Contact ASRock Tech Service if you are having trouble with your PC. Please setup network coniguration before using UEFI Tech Service. Easy RAID Installer Easy RAID Installer helps you to copy the RAID driver from the support CD to your USB storage device.

  • Page 66: Network Coniguration

    UEFI ile to your USB lash drive, loppy disk or hard drive and launch this tool, then you can update your UEFI only in a few clicks without prepar- ing an additional loppy diskette or other complicated lash utility. Please be noted that the USB lash drive or hard drive must use FAT32/16/12 ile system. If you execute Instant Flash utility, the utility will show the UEFI iles and their respective information. Select the proper UEFI ile to up- date your UEFI, and reboot your system after the UEFI update process is completed.
  • Page 67 Dehumidiier Duration This allows users to conigure the duration of the dehumidifying process before it returns to S4/S5 state. Dehumidiier CPU Fan Setting Use this setting to conigure CPU fan speed while “Dehumidiier” is en- abled. Would you like to save current setting user defaults? In this option, you are allowed to load and save three user defaults according to your own requirements.

  • Page 68: Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen

    4.6 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 Select a fan mode for CPU Fans 1, or choose Customize to set 5 CPU temperatures and assign a respective fan speed for each temperature.

  • Page 69: Boot Screen

    4.7 Boot Screen In this section, it will display the available devices on your system for you to conig- ure the boot settings and the boot priority. Fast Boot Fast Boot minimizes your computer’s boot time. There are three con- iguration options: [Disabled], [Fast] and [Ultra Fast]. The default value is [Disabled]. Please refer to below descriptions for the details of these three options: [Disabled] - Disable Fast Boot. [Fast] - The only restriction is you may not boot by using an USB lash drive.
  • Page 70 Option ROM Messages [Force BIOS] - The third-party ROM messages will be forced to display during the bootsequence. [Keep Current] - The third-party ROM messages will be displayed only if the third-partymanufacturer had set the add-on device to do so. Boot Failure Guard Enable or disable the feature of Boot Failure Guard.

  • Page 71: Security Screen

    4.8 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 ® Enable to support Windows 8 Secure Boot.

  • Page 72: Exit Screen

    4.9 Exit Screen Save Changes and Exit When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, “Save coniguration 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 73: Contact Information

    Contact Information If you need to contact ASRock or want to know more about ASRock, you’re welcome to visit ASRock’s website at http://www.asrock.com; or you may contact your dealer for further information. For technical questions, please submit a support request form at http://www.asrock.com/support/tsd.asp...

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