Msik 9 NGM
Msik 9 NGM
Msik 9 NGM
G52-72521X1
i
Copyright Notice
T he material in this doc ument is the intellec tual property of M ICRO-STAR
INTERNATIONAL. We take every care in the preparation of this document, but no
guarantee is given as to the correctness of its contents. Our products are under
continual improvement and we reserve the right to make changes without notice.
Trademarks
All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, DualNet, and nForce are registered trademarks or trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
AMD, Athlon, Athlon XP, Thoroughbred, and Duron are registered trademarks of AMD Corporation.
Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
PS/2 and OS /2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation.
W indows 95/98/2000/NT/XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Netware is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.
Award is a registered trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
AMI is a registered trademark of American Megatrends Inc.
Revision History
Revision
Revision History
Date
V1.0
First release
May 2006
Technical Support
If a problem arises with your system and no solution can be obtained from the users
manual, please contact your place of purchase or local distributor. Alternatively,
please try the following help resources for further guidance.
Visit the MSI website for FAQ, technical guide, BIOS updates, driver updates,
and other information: http://www.msi.com.tw/program/service/faq/
faq/esc_faq_list.php
Contact our technical staff at: http://support.msi.com.tw/
ii
Safety Instructions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The openings on the enclosure are for air convection hence protects the equipment from overheating. DO NOT COVER THE OPENINGS.
6.
Make sure the voltage of the power source and adjust properly 110/220V before connecting the equipment to the power inlet.
7.
Place the power cord such a way that people can not step on it. Do not place
anything over the power cord.
8.
Always Unplug the Power Cord before inserting any add-on card or module.
9.
10. Never pour any liquid into the opening that could damage or cause electrical
shock.
11. If any of the following situations arises, get the equipment checked by a service
personnel:
iii
Micro-Star International
MS-7252
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
iv
vi
vii
CONTENTS
Copyright Notice .............................................................................................................. ii
Trademarks ....................................................................................................................... ii
Revision History .............................................................................................................. ii
Technical Support ........................................................................................................... ii
Safety Instructions ......................................................................................................... iii
FCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement ........................................................ iv
W EEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Statement .................................... v
Chapter 1 Getting Started ..................................................................................... 1.1
Mainboard Specifications ................................................................................... 1-2
Mainboard Layout ................................................................................................ 1-4
Packing Checklist ................................................................................................. 1-5
MSI Special Feature ............................................................................................ 1-6
Chapter 2 Hardware Setup .................................................................................. 2-1
Quick Components Guide .................................................................................... 2-2
CPU (Central Processing Unit) ............................................................................ 2-3
CPU Installation Procedures for Socket AM2 ............................................ 2-4
Installing AMD Socket AM2 CPU Cooler Set ............................................... 2-5
Memory ................................................................................................................. 2-6
Dual-Channel Memory Population Rules .................................................... 2-6
Installing DDRII Modules ............................................................................... 2-7
Power Supply ...................................................................................................... 2-8
ATX 24-Pin Power Connector: PWR1 ........................................................ 2-8
ATX 12V Power Connector: PWR3/ PWR2 ................................................ 2-8
Important Notification about Power Issue .................................................. 2-9
Back Panel .......................................................................................................... 2-10
Connectors ........................................................................................................ 2-12
Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1 .......................................................... 2-12
ATA133 Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1/ IDE2 .............................................. 2-12
Serial ATA II Connectors: SATA1~SATA4 ................................................ 2-13
Fan Power Connectors: CPUFAN1 & SYSFAN1 ..................................... 2-14
Chassis Intrusion Switch Connector: JCI1 .............................................. 2-14
Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD1 ...................................................... 2-15
CD-In Connector: JCD1 ............................................................................. 2-15
Front USB Connectors: JUSB1 & JUSB2 ................................................. 2-16
IEEE 1394 Connectors: J1394_1 (optional) ............................................. 2-17
Serial Port Header: JCOM1 (optional) ...................................................... 2-17
SPDIF-Out/ SPDIF-ln Connector: JSPDO1/ JSPDI1 (SPDIF-In is optional)2-18
viii
ix
Getting Started
Chapter 1
Getting Started
1-1
M S-7252 M ainboard
Mainboard Specifications
Processor Support
- AMD Athlon 64 and Athlon FX in the socket AM2 package.
(For the latest information about CPU, please visit http://www.msi.
com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_cpu_support.
php)
Supported FSB
- HyperTransport supporting speed up to 1GHz (2000MT/s)
Chipset
- nVIDIA C51G/ C51PV chipset
- nVIDIA MCP51G/ MCP51 chipset
M emory Support
- DDRII 400/ 533/ 667/ 800 SDRAM (8GB Max)
- 4 DDRII DIMMs (240pin, non-ECC)
(For more information on compatible components, please visit http:/
/ w w w . ms i . c om. t w / pr og ra m/ p rod u c t s / mai n b oar d / mb d /
pro_mbd_trp_list.php)
LAN
- Supports 10/100/1000 Fast Ethernet LAN by Vitesse VSC8601 or
10/100 Ethernet LAN by Realtek RTL8201CL
Audio
- Chip integrated by Realtek ALC883
- Flexible 8-channel audio with jack sensing
- Compliant with Azalia 1.0 Spec
IDE
- 2 IDE ports by MCP51G/ MCP51
- Supports Ultra DMA 66/100/133 mode
- Supports PIO, Bus Master operation mode
SATA
- 4 SATA II ports by MCP51
- 2 SATA II ports by MCP51G
- Supports storage and data transfers at up to 300 MB/s
RAID
- SATA1~4 support RAID0/ RAID1/ RAID0+1/ RAID5 or JBOD mode
(for K9NGM2 series)
- SATA1~2 support RAID0/ RAID1 or JBOD mode (for K9NGM
series)
1-2
Getting Started
Floppy
- 1 floppy port
- Supports 1 FDD with 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88Mbytes
Connectors
Back panel
- 1 PS/2 mouse port
- 1 PS/2 keyboard port
- 1 VGA port
- 1 DVI port (only for K9NGM2 series)
- 1 parallel port supporting SPP/EPP/ECP mode
- 1 IEEE 1394 port (optional)
- 4 USB 2.0 Ports
- 1 LAN jack (10/100/1000)
- 3 flexible audio jacks
On-Board Pinheaders
- 2 USB 2.0 pinheaders
- 1 IEEE 1394 pinheader
- 1 TV-out pinheader (only for K9NGM2 series)
- 1 SPDIF-out pinheader/ 1 SPDIF-in pinheader
- 1 COM port pinheader
- 1 Audio-out pinheader
Slots
- 1 PCI Express x 16 slot
- 1 PCI Express x 1 slot
- 2 PCI slots, support 3.3V/ 5V PCI bus Interface
Form Factor
- Micro-ATX (24.4 cm X 24.4 cm)
M ounting
- 8 mounting holes
1-3
M S-7252 M ainboard
Mainboard Layout
Top : mouse
Bottom: keyboard
Top :
Parallel Port
FDD 1
JPWR1
JCI1
W inbond
W8 3627EH G
Bottom:
DVI port (optional)
VGA port
JTV1(optio nal)
JPW1
CPUFAN1
DIMM 4
DIMM 3
Nvidia
MCP51/MCP51G
SYSFAN1
BATT
+
SATA4
PCI1
SATA3
PCI _E2
DIMM 2
VIA
VT6308P
(optional)
Nvidia
C51PV/C51G
DIMM 1
PCI _E1
IDE 2
T: Lin e-In
M:Line- Ou t
B: Mic
IDE 1
LAN
CHIP
J1
J1 394_1 (option al )
JCOM 1
JUSB1
JU SB2
1-4
J FP2
JS PD O1 J S PD I1
SATA2
JCD1
SATA1
BIOS
JAUD1
JBAT1
PCI2
ALC883
JFP1
Getting Started
Packing Checklist
MSI motherboard
Power Cable
MSI Driver/Utility CD
SATA Cable
Back IO Shield
Users Guide
* The pictures are for reference only and may vary from the packing contents of the
product you purchased.
1-5
M S-7252 M ainboard
Adjusting Keys
Temperature
Modes
Users can use the Adjusting Keys to change the minimum and maximum threshold of
each item for the system to send out a warning message. Click Temperature to select
the temperature modes of either Fahrenheit ( oF) or Celsius ( oC). The PC Alert 4 icon
on the Status Area will show the current CPU temperature.
1-6
Hardware Setup
Chapter 2
Hardware Setup
2-1
M S-7252 M ainboard
CPU, p.2-3
JPW1, p.2-8
JTV1, p.2-19
CPUFAN1, p.2-14
JCI1, p.2-14
Back Panel
FDD1, p.2-12
I/O, p.2-10
JPWR1, p.2-8
IDE1/2
, p.2-12
SATA1~4,
p.2-13
PCIE Slots,
p.2-22
SYSFAN1,
p.2-14
JBAT1, p.2-21
PCI Slots,
p.2-23
JAUD1,
p.2-15
JFP2, p.2-20
JFP1, p.2-20
JCD1, p.2-15
J1394_1,
JUSB1/2, p.2-16
p.2-17
JCOM1, p.2-17
JSPDI1, p.2-18
JSPDO1, p.2-18
J1, p.2-18
2-2
Hardware Setup
Important
1. Overheating will seriously damage the CPU and system. Always make
sure the cooling fan can work properly to protect the CPU from overheating.
2. Make sure that you apply an even layer of heat sink paste (or thermal tape)
between the CPU and the heatsink to enhance heat dissipation.
3. While replacing the CPU, always turn off the ATX power supply or unplug
the power supplys power cord from the grounded outlet first to ensure the
safety of CPU.
2-3
M S-7252 M ainboard
Open Lever
Sliding
Plate
Gold arrow
Correc t CP U placement
Gold arrow
Gold arrow
2-4
90 degree
Hardware Setup
Important
Mainboard photos shown in this section are for demonstration of the cooler
installation for Socket AM2 CPUs only. The appearance of your mainboard
may vary depending on the model you purchase.
1. Position the cooling set onto the retention mechanism.
Hook one end of the clip to hook
first.
Fixed Lever
* While disconnecting the Safety Hook from the fixed bolt, it is necessary to
keep an eye on your fingers, because once the Safety Hook is disconnected
from the fixed bolt, the fixed lever will spring back instantly.
2-5
M S-7252 M ainboard
Memory
The mainboard provides four 240-pin non-ECC DDRII DIMMs and supports up to 8 GB
system memory.
For more information on compatible components, please visit http://www.msi.com.tw/
program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_trp_list.php
DDRII
240-pin, 1.8V
56x2=112 pin
64x2=128 pin
DIMM1
DIMM2
DIMM3
DIMM4
DIMM1
DIMM2
DIMM3
DIMM4
DIMM1
DIMM2
DIMM3
DIMM4
2-6
Hardware Setup
Important
You can barely see the golden finger if the module is properly inserted in the
DIMM slot.
3. The plastic clip at each side of the DIMM slot will automatically close.
Volt
Notch
Important
- DDRII modules are not interchangeable with DDR and the DDRII standard is
not backwards compatible. You should always install DDRII memory modules in the DDRII DIMMs and DDR memory modules in the DDR DIMMs.
- In dual-channel mode, make sure that you install memory modules of the
same type and density in different channel DDR DIMMs.
- To enable successful system boot-up, always insert the memory modules
into the DIM M1 first.
- Due to the chipset resource deployment, the system density will only be
detected up to 7+GB (not full 8 GB) when each DIMM is installed with a 2GB
memory module.
2-7
M S-7252 M ainboard
Power Supply
ATX 24-Pin Power Connector: JPWR1
This connector allows you to connect an ATX 24-pin power supply.
To connect the ATX 24-pin power supply, make sure the plug of the
power supply is inserted in the proper orientation and the pins are
aligned. Then push down the power supply firmly into the connector.
You may use the 20-pin ATX power supply as you like. If youd like
to use the 20-pin ATX power supply, please plug your power supply along with pin 1 & pin 13 (refer to the image at the right hand).
There is also a foolproof design on pin 11, 12, 23 & 24 to avoid
wrong installation.
pin 13
pin 12
Pin Definition
13
JPWR1
24
12
PIN
SIGNAL
PIN
SIGNAL
1
2
+3.3V
+3.3V.
13
14
+3.3V
-12V
3
4
GND
+5V
15
16
GND
PS-ON#
5
6
GND
+5V
17
18
GND
GND
7
8
GND
PWR OK
19
20
GND
Res
9
10
5VSB
+12V
21
22
+5V
+5V
11
+12V
12
+3.3V
23
24
+5V
GND
JPW1
4
PIN
SIGNAL
1
2
GND
GND
3
4
12V
12V
Important
1. Maker sure that all the connectors are connected to proper ATX power supplies to ensure stable operation of the mainboard.
2. Power supply of 350 watts (and above) is highly recommended for system
stability.
2-8
Hardware Setup
Figure 1:
Unplug the AC power cable
Figure 2:
Unplug the JPWR1 power conn.
Figure 3:
Unplug the JPW1 power conn.
2-9
M S-7252 M ainboard
Back Panel
Parallel Port
M ou se
LAN
IEEE 1394
L-In
(optional)
L-Out
Mic
Keyboard
DVI-D Port
(optional)
VGA Port
USB Ports
M ouse/Keyboard Connector
The standard PS/2 mouse/keyboard DIN connector is for a PS/2 mouse/keyboard.
Parallel Port Connector
A parallel port is a standard printer port that supports Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP)
and Extended Capabilities Parallel Port (ECP) mode.
VGA Port Connector
The DB 15-pin female connector which allows you to connect a VGA monitor.
DVI-D connector (for K9NGM2 only)
The DVI-D (Digital Visual Interface-Digital) connector which allows you to connect an
LCD monitor. The DVI-D connector provides a high-speed digital interconnection
between the computer and its display device. To connect a LCD monitor, simply plug
your monitor cable into the DVI-D connector, and make sure that the other end of the
cable is properly connected to your monitor. (refer to your monitor manual for more
information.) Please note that the DVI-D connector doesnt support to connect
the DVI to D-sub converter.
IEEE 1394 Port (optional)
The 1394 port on the back panel provides connection to 1394 devices.
LAN (RJ-45) Jack
The standard RJ-45 jack is for connection
to single Local Area Network (LAN). You
can connect a network cable to it.
LED
Color
LED State
Off
Left
Orange
On (steady state)
Activity Indicator
Link Indicator
condition
LAN link is not established.
LAN link is established.
On (brighter & pulsing) The computer is communicating with another computer on the LAN.
Green
Right
Orange
2-10
Off
On
On
Hardware Setup
USB Connectors
The OHCI (Open Host Controller Interface) Universal Serial Bus root is for attaching
USB devices such as keyboard, mouse, or other USB-compatible devices.
Audio Port Connectors
These audio connectors are used for audio devices. You can differentiate the color
of the audio jacks for different audio sound effects.
However, there is an advanced audio application provided by Realtek ALC883 to
offer support for 7.1-channel audio operation. You can use the external audio
cable and the rear audio connectors to function the 2-/4-/5.1-/7.1- channel audio.
Blue audio jack - Line In, is used for external CD player, tapeplayer or
other audio devices.
Green audio jack - Line Out, is a connector for speakers or headphones.
Pink audio jack - Mic In, is a connector for microphones.
Rear Out
Center and Subwoofer Out
Side Surround Out
2-11
M S-7252 M ainboard
Connectors
Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1
This standard FDD connector supports 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88M floppy
disk types.
FDD1
Important
If you install two hard disks on cable, you must configure the second drive to
Slave mode by setting its jumper. Refer to the hard disk documentation
supplied by hard disk vendors for jumper setting instructions.
2-12
Hardware Setup
PIN
SIGNAL
PIN
SIGNAL
GND
TXP
TXN
GND
5
7
RXN
GND
RXP
SATA1 SATA2
Important
Please do not fold the Serial ATA cable into 90-degree angle. Otherwise,
data loss may occur during transmission.
2-13
M S-7252 M ainboard
+1 2V SENSOR
GND
Control
GND
+1 2V
SENSOR
SYSFAN1
CPUFAN1
Important
1. Please refer to the recommended CPU fans at AMD official website or
consult the vendors for proper CPU cooling fan.
2. Always consult the vendors for proper CPU cooling fan.
CINTRU
GND
JCI1
2-14
Hardware Setup
2
1
10
9
JAUD1
Pin Definition
PIN
SIGNAL
DESCRIPTION
1
2
PORT 1L
GND
3
4
PORT 1R
PRESENCE#
5
6
PORT 2R
SENSE1_RETIRN
SENSE_SEND
Jack detection sense line from the High Definition Audio CODEC
jack detection resistor network
8
9
KEY
PORT 2L
ConnectorKey
Analog Port 2 - Left channel
10
SENSE2_RETIRN
R GND L
2-15
M S-7252 M ainboard
Pin Definition
JUSB1
9
10
1
2
JUSB2
2
1
10
9
PIN
SIGNAL
PIN
SIGNAL
VCC
VCC
USB0-
USB1-
USB0+
USB1+
GND
GND
10
USBOC
Important
Note that the pins of VCC and GND must be connected correctly to avoid
possible damage.
2-16
Hardware Setup
10
9
2
1
J1394_1
PIN
SIGNAL
PIN
SIGNAL
TPA+
TPA-
Ground
Ground
TPB+
TPB-
Cable power
Cable power
10
Ground
10
9
JCOM1
PIN
SIGNAL
DESCRIPTION
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
DCD
SIN
SOUT
DTR
GND
DSR
RTS
CTS
RI
2-17
M S-7252 M ainboard
NC
GND
SPDIF-In
JSPDO1
JSPDI1
Audio-out/ SPDIF
Bracket (Optional)
Audio-out Connector: J1
The mainboard optionally provides a audio-out connector for you to attach a AudioOut bracket. The Audio-Out bracket offers three audio-out jacks. Select the appropriate one to connect to the proper speaker.
Pin Definition
2
1
14
13
J1
Connected to J1
Audio-out/ SPDIF
Bracket (Optional)
2-18
PIN
SIGNAL
PIN
SIGNAL
LEFOut
SURROutR
CENTEROut
SURROutL
SURRBackR
SURRJD
SURRBackL
CENJD
SURRBackJD
10
Ground
11
Ground
12
Ground
13
NC
14
Ground
Hardware Setup
4
5
JTV1
Pin
Description
Pin
Description
GND
COMP
Yout
GND
Cout
TV-Out Connector
(HDTV)
TV-Out Connector
(S-Video)
Important
1. Please note that the TV-Out bracket supports to connect one TV only.
Meanwhile you can not connect two TVs to this bracket. Otherwise,
the TVs will not be functional.
2. Please refer to Appendix B: Using the TV-Out Function for details.
2-19
M S-7252 M ainboard
+ Reset
- Switch
- HDD
+ LED
SIGNAL
DESCRIPTION
HD_LED +
2
3
FP PWR/SLP
HD_LED -
4
5
FP PWR/SLP
RST_SW -
6
7
PWR_SW +
RST_SW +
PWR_SW -
RSVD_DNU
Speaker
+
+ -
JFP2
2
1
8
7
Power
LED
2-20
PIN
SIGNAL
DESCRIPTION
1
2
GND
SPK-
Ground
Speaker-
3
4
SLED
BUZ+
Suspend LED
Buzzer+
5
6
PLED
BUZ-
Power LED
Buzzer-
7
8
NC
SPK+
No connection
Speaker+
Hardware Setup
Jumpers
Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1
There is a CMOS RAM onboard that has a power supply from external battery to keep
the data of system configuration. With the CMOS RAM, the system can automatically
boot OS every time it is turned on. If you want to clear the system configuration, set
the JBAT1 (Clear CMOS Jumper ) to clear data.
JBAT1
Keep Data
Clear Data
Important
You can clear CMOS by shorting 2-3 pin while the system is off. Then return
to 1-2 pin position. Avoid clearing the CMOS while the system is on; it will
damage the mainboard.
2-21
M S-7252 M ainboard
Slots
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Express Slots
PCI Express architecture provides a high performance I/O infrastructure for Desktop
Platforms with transfer rates starting at 2.5 Giga transfers per second over a PCI
Express x1 lane for Gigabit Ethernet, TV Tuners, 1394 controllers, and general purpose I/O. Also, desktop platforms with PCI Express Architecture will be designed to
deliver highest performance in video, graphics, multimedia and other sophisticated
applications. Moreover, PCI Express architecture provides a high performance graphics
infrastructure for Desktop Platforms doubling the capability of existing AGP 8x designs with transfer rates of 4.0 GB/s over a PCI Express x16 lane for graphics
controllers, while PCI Express x1 supports transfer rate of 250 MB/s.
Important
When adding or removing expansion cards, make sure that you unplug the
power supply first. Meanwhile, read the documentation for the expansion card
to configure any necessary hardware or software settings for the expansion
card, such as jumpers, switches or BIOS configuration.
2-22
Hardware Setup
Order 1
Order 2
Order 3
Order 4
PCI Slot 1
INT E#
INT F#
INT G#
INT H#
PCI Slot 2
INT F#
INT G#
INT H#
INT E#
2-23
BIOS Setup
Chapter 3
BIOS Setup
3-1
M S-7252 M ainboard
Entering Setup
Power on the computer and the system will start POST (Power On Self Test) process.
W hen the message below appears on the screen, press <DEL> key to enter Setup.
Important
1. The items under each BIOS category described in this chapter are under
continuous update for better system performance. Therefore, the description may be slightly different from the latest BIOS and should be held for
reference only.
2. Upon boot-up, the 1st line appearing after the memory count is the BIOS
version. It is usually in the format:
A7252NMS V1.0 041506 where:
1st digit refers to BIOS maker as A = AMI, W = AWARD, and P =
PHOENIX.
2nd - 5th digit refers to the model number.
6th digit refers to the chipset as I = Intel, N = nVidia, and V = VIA.
7th - 8th digit refers to the customer as MS = all standard customers.
V1.0 refers to the BIOS version.
041506 refers to the date this BIOS was released.
3-2
BIOS Setup
Control Keys
< >
< >
< >
< >
<Enter>
<Esc>
<+/PU>
<-/PD>
<F6>
<F10>
Getting Help
After entering the Setup menu, the first menu you will see is the Main Menu.
M ain M enu
The main menu lists the setup functions you can make changes to. You can use the
arrow keys ( ) to select the item. The on-line description of the highlighted setup
function is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Sub-M enu
If you find a right pointer symbol (as shown in the right
view) appears to the left of certain fields that means a
sub-menu can be launched from this field. A sub-menu
contains additional options for a field parameter. You can
use arrow keys ( ) to highlight the field and press
<Enter> to call up the sub-menu. Then you can use the control keys to enter values
and move from field to field within a sub-menu. If you want to return to the main menu,
just press the <Esc >.
3-3
M S-7252 M ainboard
Standard CM OS Features
Use this menu for basic system configurations, such as time, date etc.
Advanced BIOS Features
Use this menu to setup the items of AMI special enhanced features.
Advanced Chipset Features
Use this menu to change the values in the chipset registers and optimize your systems
performance.
Integrated Peripherals
Use this menu to specify your settings for integrated peripherals.
Power M anagement Setup
Use this menu to specify your settings for power management.
PNP/PCI Configurations
This entry appears if your system supports PnP/PCI.
H/W M onitor
This entry shows your PC health status.
Load Optimized Defaults
Use this menu to load the default values set by the mainboard manufacturer specifically for optimal performance of the mainboard.
3-4
BIOS Setup
3-5
M S-7252 M ainboard
Date (MM:DD:YY)
This allows you to set the system to the date that you want (usually the current date).
The format is <day><month> <date> <year>.
day
Day of the week, from Sun to Sat, determined by
BIOS. Read-only.
mon th
The month from Jan. through Dec.
date
The date from 1 to 31 can be keyed by numeric function keys.
year
The year can be adjusted by users.
Time (HH:MM :SS)
This allows you to set the system time that you want (usually the current time). The
time format is <hour> <minute> <second>.
Primary/ Secondary IDE Master/ Slave, Serial-ATA 0/1 Primary/ Secondary Channel
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu, and the following screen appears.
3-6
BIOS Setup
Device/ Vender/ Size/ LBA Mode/ Block M ode/ PIO Mode/ Async DM A/
Ultra DMA/ S.M.A.R.T.
It will showing the device information that you connected to the IDE/SATA
connector.
Type
Select the type of IDE device. Setting options: [Not Installed], [Auto], [CD/DVD],
[ARMD].
LBA/Large M ode
This allows you to enable or disable the LBA Mode. Setting to Auto enables LBA
mode if the device supports it and the devices is not already formatted with LBA
mode disabled.
DM A M ode
Select DMA Mode.
Hard Disk S.M.A.R.T.
This allows you to activate the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis & Reporting
Technology) capability for the hard disks. S.M.A.R.T is a utility that monitors your
disk status to predict hard disk failure. This gives you an opportunity to move
data from a hard disk that is going to fail to a safe place before the hard disk
becomes offline.
Important
Primary/ Secondary IDE M aster/ Slave, Serial-ATA 0/ 1 Primary/
Secondary Channel are appearing when you connect the HD devices to
the IDE/ SATA connector on the mainboard.
Floppy Drive A
This item allows you to set the type of floppy drives installed.
3-7
M S-7252 M ainboard
Halt On
The setting determines whether the system will stop if an error is detected at boot.
Available options are:
[No Errors]
The system doesnt stop for any detected error.
[All, But Keyboard]
The system doesnt stop for a keyboard error.
System Information
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu, and the following screen appears.
3-8
BIOS Setup
Quick Boot
Setting the item to [Enabled] allows the system to boot within 5 seconds since it will
skip some check items.
Boot Up Num-Lock LED
This setting is to set the Num Lock status when the system is powered on. Setting to
[On] will turn on the Num Lock key when the system is powered on. Setting to [Off]
will allow users to use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad.
Boot to OS/2
This allows you to run the OS/2 operating system with DRAM larger than 64MB.
W hen you choose [No], you cannot run the OS/2 operating system with DRAM
larger than 64MB. But it is possible if you choose [Yes].
IOAPIC Function
This field is used to enable or disable the APIC (Advanced Programmable Interrupt
Controller). Due to compliance with PC2001 design guide, the system is able to run in
APIC mode. Enabling APIC mode will expand available IRQ resources for the system.
MPS Table Version
This field allows you to select which MPS (Multi-Processor Specification) version to
be used for the operating system. You need to select the MPS version supported by
your operating system. To find out which version to use, consult the vendor of your
operating system.
3-9
M S-7252 M ainboard
Boot Sequence
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:
3-10
BIOS Setup
3-11
M S-7252 M ainboard
Integrated Peripherals
USB Controller
This setting allows you to enable/disable the onboard USB 1.1/ 2.0 controller.
USB Device Legacy Support
Select [Enabled] if you need to use a USB-interfaced device in the operating system.
Onboard GigaBit LAN
This setting allows you to enable/disable the onboard gigabit LAN controller.
GigaBit LAN Option ROM
This item is used to decide whether to invoke the Boot ROM of the Onboard GigaBit
LAN Chip.
Onboard IEEE1394 Controller
This setting allows you to enable/disable the onboard IEEE 1394 controller.
AZALIA AUDIO
This setting is used to enable/disable the onboard audio controller.
3-12
BIOS Setup
3-13
M S-7252 M ainboard
COM Port 1
Select an address and corresponding interrupt for the first serial port.
IR Function
This setting allows you to specify the operation mode for serial port. Settings
are:
[Disabled]
Disable IrDA function
[Enabled]
IrDA-compliant Serial Infrared Port
Parallel Port
There is a built-in parallel port on the on-board Super I/O chipset that provides
Standard, ECP, and EPP features. It has the following options:
[Disabled]
[3BC]
Line Printer port 0
[278]
Line Printer port 2
[378]
Line Printer port 1
Parallel Port M ode
[SPP]
Standard Parallel Port
[EPP]
Enhanced Parallel Port
[ECP]
Extended Capability Port
[ECP + EPP]
Extended Capability Port + Enhanced Parallel Port
To operate the onboard parallel port as Standard Parallel Port only, choose [SPP].
To operate the onboard parallel port in the EPP mode simultaneously, choose
[EPP]. By choosing [ECP], the onboard parallel port will operate in ECP mode only.
Choosing [ECP + EPP] will allow the onboard parallel port to support both the ECP
and EPP modes simultaneously.
Parallel Port IRQ
This item allows you to set parallel port IRQ.
3-14
BIOS Setup
Important
S3-related functions described in this section are available only when your
BIOS supports S3 sleep mode.
ACPI Function
This item is to activate the ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Management
Interface) Function. If your operating system is ACPI-aware, such as Windows 98SE/
2000/ME, select [Enabled].
ACPI Standby State
This item specifies the power saving modes for ACPI function. If your operating
system supports ACPI, such as W indows 2000/ XP , you can choose to enter the
Standby mode in S1(POS) or S3(STR) fashion through the setting of this field. Settings are:
[S1/POS]
The S1 sleep mode is a low power state. In this state, no
system context is lost (CPU or chipset) and hardware maintains all system context.
[S3/STR]
The S3 sleep mode is a lower power s tate where the in
formation of system configuration and open applications/files
is saved to main memory that remains powered while most
other hardware components turn off to save energy. The
information stored in memory will be used to restore the system when a wake up event occurs.
[Auto]
3-15
M S-7252 M ainboard
3-16
BIOS Setup
3-17
M S-7252 M ainboard
PNP/PCI Configurations
This section describes configuring the PCI bus system and PnP (Plug & Play) feature.
PCI, or Peripheral Component Interconnect, is a system which allows I/O devices to
operate at speeds nearing the speed the CPU itself uses when communicating with
its 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.
3-18
BIOS Setup
IRQ 3/4/5/7/9/10/11/14/15
These items specify the bus where the specified IRQ line is used.
The settings determine if AMIBIOS should remove an IRQ from the pool of available IRQs passed to devices that are configurable by the system BIOS. The
available IRQ pool is determined by reading the ESCD NVRAM. If more IRQs must
be removed from the IRQ pool, the end user can use these settings to reserve
the IRQ by assigning an [Reserved] setting to it. Onboard I/O is configured by
AMIBIOS. All IRQs used by onboard I/O are configured as [Available]. If all IRQs
are set to [Reserved], and IRQ 14/15 are allocated to the onboard PCI IDE, IRQ 9
will still be available for PCI and PnP devices.
Important
IRQ (Interrupt Request) lines are system resources allocated to I/O devices.
When an I/O device needs to gain attention of the operating system, it signals this by causing an IRQ to occur. After receiving the signal, when the
operating system is ready, the system will interrupt itself and perform the
service required by the I/O device.
DM A Resource Setup
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears.
3-19
M S-7252 M ainboard
H/W Monitor
Spread Spectrum
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears.
3-20
BIOS Setup
Important
For the purpose of ensuring the stability of Cool'n'Quiet function, it is always
recommended to have the memories plugged in DIMM1.
Smart FAN Target
The mainboard provides the Smart Fan function which can control the fan speed
automatically depending on the current temperature to keep it with in a specific range.
You can select a fan target value here. If the current CPU fan temperature reaches to
the target value, the smart fan function will be activated. It provides 5 sections to
speed up for cooling down automaticlly .
PC Health Status
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears.
System/ CPU Temperature, CPUFAN Speed, CPU Vcore, +12.0V, +3.3V,,
+5.0V
These items display the current status of all of the monitored hardware devices/
components such as CPU voltage, temperatures and all fans speeds.
3-21
M S-7252 M ainboard
Pressing Y loads the default factory settings for optimal system performance.
3-22
BIOS Setup
Type the password, up to six characters in length, and press <Enter>. The password
typed now will replace any previously set password from CMOS memory. You will
be prompted to confirm the password. Retype the password and press <Enter>. You
may also press <Esc> to abort the selection and not enter a password.
To clear a set password, just press <Enter> when you are prompted to enter the
password. A message will show up confirming the password will be disabled. Once
the password is disabled, the system will boot and you can enter Setup without
entering any password.
W hen a password has been set, you will be prompted to enter it every time you try
to enter Setup. This prevents an unauthorized person from changing any part of your
system configuration.
3-23
Appendix A
The Realtek ALC883 provides 10-channel DAC that simultaneously supports 7.1 sound playback and 2 channels of independent s tereo s ound output (multiple
streaming) through the Front-Out-Left and Front-OutRight channels.
A-1
M S-7252 M ainboard
Click here
Important
software utility is under continuous update
The HD Audio Configuration
to enhance audio applications. Hence, the program screens shown here in
this section may be slightly different from the latest software utility and shall
be held for reference only.
A-2
Click here
S el ec t t hi s
option
Click here
A-3
M S-7252 M ainboard
Software Configuration
After installing the audio driver, you are able to use the 2-, 4-, 6- or 8- channel audio
feature now. Click the audio icon
from the system tray at the lower-right corner of
the screen to activate the HD Audio Configuration. It is also available to enable the
audio driver by clicking the Azalia HD Sound Effect M anager from the Control
Panel.
Double click
A-4
Sound Effect
Here you can select a sound effect you like from the Environment list.
Environment Simulation
You will be able to enjoy different sound experience by pulling down the arrow,
totally 23 kinds of sound effect will be shown for selection. Realtek HD Audio Sound
Manager also provides five popular settings Stone Corridor, Bathroom, Sewer
pipe, Arena and Audio Corridor for quick enjoyment.
You may choose the provided sound effects, and the equalizer will adjust automatically.
If you like, you may also load an equalizer setting or make an new equalizer setting to
save as an new one by using the Load EQ Setting and Save Preset button,
click Reset EQ Setting button to use the default value, or click Delete EQ Setting button to remove a preset EQ setting.
There are also other pre-set equalizer models for you to choose by clicking Others
under the Equalizer part.
A-5
M S-7252 M ainboard
Equalizer Selection
Equalizer frees users from default settings; users may create their owned preferred
settings by utilizing this tool.
10 bands of equalizer, ranging from 100Hz to 16KHz.
Save
The settings are saved
permanently for future
use
Reset
10 bands of equalizer
would go back to the default setting
Enable / Disable
To disable, you can temporarily s top the sound
effect without losing the
settings
Lo ad
W henever you would like to
use preload settings, simply
click this, the whole list will
be shown for your selection.
Delete
To delete the pre-saved settings which are created from previous steps.
A-6
A-7
M S-7252 M ainboard
Mixer
In the Mixer part, you may adjust the volumes of the rear and front panels individually.
1. Adjust Volume
You can adjust the volume of the speakers that you pluged in front or rear panel.
Important
Before set up, please make sure the playback devices are well plugged in the
jacks on the rear or front panel.
2. Multi-Stream Function
ALC883 supports an outstanding feature called Multi-Stream, which means you may
play different audio sources simultaneously and let them output respectively from the
indicated real panel or front panel. This feature is very helpful when 2 people are
using the same computer together for different purposes.
Click the
button and the Mixer ToolBox menu will appear. Then check the Enable
playback multi-streaming and click OK to save the setup.
Important
You have to plug the device into the jacks on the rear and front panel first
before enable the multi-stream function.
A-8
W hen you are playing the first audio source (for example: use W indows Media
Player to play DVD/VCD), the output will be played from the rear panel, which is the
default setting.
Then you must to select the Realtek HD Audio 2nd output from the scroll list
first, and use a different program to play the second audio source (for example: use
Winamp to play MP3 files). You will find that the second audio source (MP3 music) will
come out from the Line-Out audio jack of Front Panel.
A-9
M S-7252 M ainboard
3. Playback control
Playback device
Tool
Mute
M u te
You may choose to mute single or multiple volume controls or to completely mute
sound output.
Tool
- Show the following volume controls
This is to let you freely decide which volume control items to be displayed.
- Advanced controls
- Enable playback multi-streaming
W ith this function, you will be able to have an audio chat with your friends via
headphone (stream 1 from front panel) while still have music (stream 2 from back
panel) in play. At any given period, you can have maximum 2 streams operating
simultaneously.
A-10
4. Recording control
Tool
Mute
Recording device
-Realtek HD Digital input
-Realtek HD Audio input
M u te
You may choose to mute single or multiple volume controls or to completely mute
sound input.
Tool
- Show the following volume controls
This is to let you freely decide which volume control items to be displayed.
- Enable recording multi-streaming
Important
ALC883 allows you to record the CD, Line, Mic and Stereo Mix channels
simultaneously, frees you from mixing efforts. At any given period, you may
choose 1 of the following 4 channels to record.
A-11
M S-7252 M ainboard
Audio I/O
In this tab, you can easily configure your multi-channel audio function and speakers.
You can choose a desired multi-channel operation here.
a. Headphone for the common headphone
b. 2CH Speaker for Stereo-Speaker Output
c. 4CH Speaker for 4-Speaker Output
d. 6CH Speaker for 5.1-Speaker Output
e. 8CH Speaker for 7.1-Speaker Output
Speaker Configuration:
1. Plug the speakers in the corresponding jack.
2. Dialogue connected device will pop up for your selection. Please select the
device you have plugged in.
- If the device is being plugged into the correct jack, you will be able to find the icon
beside the jack changed to the one that is same as your device.
- If not correct, Realtek HD Audio Manager will guide you to plug the device into the
correct jack.
A-12
Connector Settings
Click
A-13
M S-7252 M ainboard
S/PDIF
Short for Sony/Philips Digital Interface, a standard audio file transfer format. S/PDIF
allows the transfer of digital audio signals from one device to another without having
to be converted first to an analog format. Maintaining the viability of a digital signal
prevents the quality of the signal from degrading when it is converted to analog.
Output Source
No S/PDIF out: There will no S/PDIF out.
Output digital audio source: The digital audio format (such as .wav, .mp3,.midi etc)
will come out through S/PDIF-Out.
S/PDIF-in to S/PDIF -out pass though mode: The data from S/PDIF-In can be realtime played from S/PDIF-Out.
A-14
Test Speakers
You can select the speaker by clicking it to test its functionality. The one you select
will light up and make testing sound. If any speaker fails to make sound, then check
whether the cable is inserted firmly to the connector or replace the bad speakers
with good ones. Or you may click the auto test
Front Left
Front Right
Side Right
Side Left
Rear Left
Subwoof er
Rear Right
A-15
M S-7252 M ainboard
Microphone
In this tab you may set the function of the microphone. Select the Noise Suppression to remove the possible noise during recording, or select Acoustic Echo
Cancelltion to cancel the acoustic echo druing recording.
Acoustic Echo Cancelltion prevents playback sound from being recorded by microphone together with your sound. For example, you might have chance to use
VOIP function through Internet with your friends. The voice of your friend will come
out from speakers (playback). However, the voice of your friend might also be
recorded into your microphone then go back to your friend through Internet. In that
case, your friend will hear his /her own voic e again. W ith AEC(Ac oustic Echo
Cancellation) enabled at your side, your friend can enjoy the benefit with less echo.
A-16
3D Audio Demo
In this tab you may adjust your 3D positional audio before playing 3D audio applications like gaming. You may also select different environment to choose the most
suitable environment you like.
A-17
M S-7252 M ainboard
Information
In this tab it provides some information about this HD Audio Configuration utility,
including Audio Driver Version, DirectX Version, Audio Controller & Audio Codec. You
may also select the language of this utility by choosing from the Language list.
Also there is a selection Show icon in system tray. Switch it on and an icon
will show in the system tray. Right-click on the icon and the Audio Accessories
dialogue box will appear which provides several multimedia features for you to take
advantage of.
A-18
Hardware Setup
Connecting the Speakers
W hen you have set the Multi-Channel Audio Function mode properly in the software
utility, connect your speakers to the correct phone jacks in accordance with the
setting in software utility.
n 2-Channel M ode for Stereo-Speaker Output
Refer to the following diagram and caption for the function of each phone jack on the
back panel when 2-Channel Mode is selected.
1
4
2
5
6
3
Line In
MIC
Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel, but no functioning in this mode)
A-19
M S-7252 M ainboard
2
5
6
3
Description:
Connect two speakers to back
panels Line Out connector and
two speakers to the Rear-channel Line Out connector.
4-Channel Analog Audio Output
1
Line In
MIC
Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel, but no functioning in this mode)
S/PDIF In/Out-Coaxial
A-20
6
3
Description:
Connect two speakers to back
panels Line Out connector, two
speakers to the rear-channel
Line out connec tor and two
s peaker s t o t he c ent er /
subwoofer-channel Line Out
connector.
Line In
MIC
S/PDIF In/Out-Coaxial
A-21
M S-7252 M ainboard
3
6
Line In
MIC
S/PDIF In/Out-Coaxial
A-22
Description:
Connect two speakers to back
panels Line Out connector, two
speakers to the rear-channel
Line out connector, two speakers to the center/subwooferchannel Line Out connector and
two speakers to the side-channel Line Out connector.
TV-Out Function
Appendix B
TV-Out Function
B-1
M S-7252 M ainboard
TV-Out Bracket
F oolp r oof
design
TV-Out Connector
(HDTV)
TV-Out Connector
(S-Video)
Important
If you intend to use the TV-out function, please note that the TV-Out bracket
supports to connect one TV only. Meanwhile you can not connect two TVs to
this bracket. Select one type of the TV-out connector to connect to appropriate
TV.
B-2
TV-Out Function
S-Video cable
B-3
M S-7252 M ainboard
1. Connect one end of the HDTV cable to the TV-Out(C) connectors. The HDTV cable
usually comes with three connecotrs on both ends.
HDTV cable
Green
Red
Blue
Blue
Green
Red
B-4
TV-Out Function
Display Setup
The following procedures describe display setup using W indows XP. W indows
2000 screens are slightly different but the procedures are the same as described.
To enable the TV-Out function, follow this procedure:
click here
2. In the Display Properties dialog box,
click the Settings tab.
click here
B-5
M S-7252 M ainboard
4. In the nView Display Settings field, choose the current display and display
mode.
B-6
TV-Out Function
If you have a TV connected and it is not being detected, you can check the Force
TV detection box in the Tools field.
Important
Please note that the TV-out function can not work with the onboard D-Sub out
function that is to say, you can not use the TV-out function and the onboard
D-Sub out function simultaneously.
B-7
nVidia RAID
Appendix C
nVidia RAID
C-1
M S-7252 M ainboard
Introduct ion
System Requirement
Operating System Support
NVRAID supports the following operating systems:
W indows XP/ 2000
RAID Arrays
NVRAID supports the following types of RAID arrays described in this section:
RAID 0: RAID 0 defines a disk striping scheme that improves the disk read and write
times for many applications.
RAID 1: RAID 1 defines techniques for mirroring data.
RAID 0+1: RAID 0+1 combines the techniques used in RAID 0 and RAID 1 arrays.
RAID 5: RAID 5 defines techniques for parity data.
Spanning (JBOD): JBOD provides a method for combining drives of different sizes
into one large disk
Uses
Advantages
Drawbacks
# Hard
Disks
Fault
Tolerance
RAID 0
Non-critical data
requiring high
performance.
No fault tolerance.
multiple
None
RAID 1
100% data
redundancy.
Yes
RAID 0+1
4+
Yes
RAID 5
Decreased write
performance due to
parity calculations.
Requires at least
three drives.
3+
Yes
JBOD
Decreases
performance because
of the difficulty in
using drives
concurrently or to
optimize drives for
different uses.
Multiple
No
C-2
nVidia RAID
RAID Configuration
Basic Configuration Instructions
The following are the basic steps for configuring NVRAID:
Non-Bootable RAID Array
1. Choose the hard disks that are to be RAID enabled in the system BIOS. (To enable
the SATA 0/ 1 Primary/ Secondary Channel in On-Chip ATA Devices of Integrated Peripherals in BIOS.)
2. Specify the RAID level, either Mirroring (RAID 1), Striping (RAID 0), Striping and
Mirroring (RAID 0+1), RAID 5 or JBOD and create the desired RAID array.
3. Enter the W indows OS, run the W indows nForce Setup application and install the
RAID software. (Check p. C-9 for details.)
4. Initialize the NVRAID Array Disks.
Bootable RAID Array
1. Choose the hard disks that are to be RAID enabled in the system BIOS. (To enable
the SATA 0/ 1 Primary/ Secondary Channel in On-Chip ATA Devices of Integrated Peripherals in BIOS.)
2. Specify the RAID level, either Mirroring (RAID 1), Striping (RAID 0), Striping and
Mirroring (RAID 0+1), RAID 5 or JBOD and create the desired RAID array.
3. Boot from the W indows CD, use the floppy disk that has the RAID driver to copy
and install the nForce RAID software. (Check p.C-7 for details.)
4. Initialize the NVRAID Array Disks.
C-3
M S-7252 M ainboard
In the example above, 1.0.M means the hard drive is attached to Channel 2, Controller
0, and the drive is set to Master. The following is a list of all possible combinations:
Serial ATA
1.0.M
Controller 1, Channel 0,
1.1.M
Controller 1, Channel 1,
2.0.M
Controller 2, Channel 0,
2.1.M
Controller 2, Channel 1,
Master
Master
Master
Master
(SATA1)
(SATA2)
(SATA3)
(SATA4)
Important
There is no such thing as Slave drive in Serial ATA. All drives are considered
to be Master since there is a one to one connection between the drive and the
controller.
C-4
nVidia RAID
It shows that two disks have been assigned as RAID1 array disks in the figure
above.
C-5
M S-7252 M ainboard
2. Press Y if you want to wipe out all the data from the RAID array, otherwise press
N. You must choose Yes if the drives were previously used as RAID drives.
The Array List window appears, where you can review the RAID arrays that you
have set up.
3. Use the arrow keys to select the array that you want to set up, then press Enter.
The Array Detail window appears.
4. If you want to mark this disk as empty and wipe out all its contents then press C.
5. At the prompt, press Y to wipe out all the data, otherwise press N.
6. Press Enter again to go back to the previous window and then press Ctrl+X to
exit the RAID setup. Now that the RAID setup has been configured from the RAID
BIOS, the next step is to configure and load NVRAID drivers under W indows, as
explained in Installing the NVIDIA RAID Software Under Windows on C-9.
C-6
nVidia RAID
Important
Please follow the instruction below to make an nVIDIA Serial ATA RAID driver
for yourself.
1. Insert the MSI CD into the CD-ROM drive.
2. Click the Browse CD on the Setup screen.
3. Copy all the contents in the :\\nVidia \System \C51+MCP51 \IDE \Win
XP or Win2K \sataraid to a formatted floppy disk.
4. The driver disk for nVIDIA RAID controller is done.
(2) Select NVIDIA RAID CLASS DRIVER and then press Enter.
(3) Press S again at the Specify Devices screen, then press Enter.
(4) Select NVIDIA NForce Storage Controller and then press Enter. The following W indows Setup screen appears listing both drivers:
C-7
M S-7252 M ainboard
4. Press Enter to continue with W indows XP Installation. Be sure to leave the floppy
disk inserted in the floppy drive until the blue screen portion of W indows XP
installation is completed, then take out the floppy.
5. Follow the instructions on how to install W indows XP. After W indows XP is completely installed, it is recommended that you install the the RAID management tool.
Important
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.
C-8
nVidia RAID
2. Select the modules that you want to install. Make sure that the NVIDIA IDE Driver
is selected.
Important
You must install the NVIDIA IDE driver in order to enable NVIDIA
RAID. If you do not install the NVIDIA IDE driver, NVIDIA RAID will not be
worked.
3. Click Next and then follow the instructions.
4. After the installation is completed, be sure to reboot the PC.
5. After the reboot, initialize the newly created array.
C-9
M S-7252 M ainboard
3. Click Next. The Select Disks to Initialize window appears. The disks listed depend
on how many arrays you have configured.
C-10
nVidia RAID
5. Check the disk in the list if you want to make the array a dynamic disk, then click
Next. The Completing the Initialize and Convert Disk W izard window appears.
The actual disks listed will depend on your system, and the unallocated partition is
the total combined storage of two hard disks. You must format the unallocated
disk space in order to use it.
7. Format the unallocated disk space. Right click Unallocated space, select New
Partition and follow the wizard. After the drive has been formatted, it is ready
for use.
C-11
M S-7252 M ainboard
Important
The information in the figures in this part may very from what it is shown in
your system.
C-12
nVidia RAID
C-13
M S-7252 M ainboard
2. Select Designate Spare from the menu to launch the Spare Disk Allocation Wizard.
C-14
nVidia RAID
3. Click Next.
The RAID Array Selection page appears.
4. From the Free Disk Selection page, select one of the two free disks available.
This would be the disk that will be designated to the mirror array.
5. Click Next.
The Completing the NVIDIA Spare Disk Allocation page appears.
6. Click Finish.
As shown in figure below, the ST380011A drive is now a dedicated free disk in the
mirrored array. If a system crash occurs that causes any of the two W D360GD
drives to fail, the ST380011A hard drive will take over and be used in the newly
formed mirrored array.
C-15
M S-7252 M ainboard
C-16
nVidia RAID
type to another.
General M orphing Principles
NVIDIA RAID includes extensive support for morphing, a process of converting from
one RAID mode to another RAID mode.
General Requirements and Limitations
The new array capacity must be equal to or greater than the previous array.
For example, it is possible to morph from a RAID 1 array to a RAID 0 array as long as
the RAID 0 array is the same size as (or larger than) the RAID 1 array.
You cant morph
- To or from a JBOD (Spanning) array
- From RAID 1 to RAID 1
- From RAID 0+1 to RAID 1
- From RAID 5 to 1
Specific M orphing Requirements
The following table lists the disk requirements for a new RAID array for various
morphing combinations.
From
To
RAID 0
RAID 1
RAID 0
RAID 0+1
RAID5
m >= n+1
RAID 0
No additional restrictions.
RAID 1
RAID 0+1
No additional restrictions.
RAID 5
m >= 3
RAID 1
C-17
M S-7252 M ainboard
From
RAID 0+1
To
RAID 0
m >=
> nn2
Number of RAID 0 disks must be equal to or greater than half the number
of RAID 0+1 disks.
RAID 1
RAID 0+1
RAID 5
m >= (n/2 + 1)
RAID 0
m >= n - 1
RAID 1
RAID 0+1
RAID 5
m >= n
RAID 5
C-18
nVidia RAID
3 Connect the RAID disk that you want to use with any given RAID array.
4 Click Next and the following screen shot will appear:
5 Click Finish.
C-19
M S-7252 M ainboard
1 From the NVRAIDMAN window, right click on any available free disk and select
Create Array as show in Figure below.
2 The Create Array W izard opens. Follow the W izard to create a Mirror array.
3 At the Create Array W izard Welcome screen, click Next.
4 At the RAID Array Selection page, make sure that RAID Mode is set to Mirroring
and Stripe Size is set to its default value of 64K, then click Next.
5 At the Free Disk Selection page, select the two drives that you want to Mirror and
click Next.
6 Click Next again and the following screen shot will appear:
7 Check Intialize Array and then click Next. The Initialization Warning dialog appears.
C-20
nVidia RAID
8 Click OK. The Clearing System Data screen appears again with the Initialize Array
check box checked as shown below.
9 Click Next, then click Finish at the Completing the NVIDIA Create Array W izard
screen. The NVRAIDMAN windows shows the created RAID array as shown below.
C-21
M S-7252 M ainboard
3. From the popup menu, click Rebuild Array. The NVIDIA Rebuild Array W izard
appears.
C-22
nVidia RAID
5. Select the drive that you want to rebuild by clicking it from the list, then click Next.
The Completing the NVIDIA Rebuild Array page appears.
6. Click Finish. The array rebuilding starts after a few seconds, and a small pop-up
message appears towards the bottom right corner of the screen as shown in the
figure below.
W hen the rebuilding process is finished you will see the pop up box shown in Figure
below.
C-23
M S-7252 M ainboard
During the rebuilding process, the NVRAID Management utility screen shows the
status under the System Tasks and Details sections.
To use one of these available free disks to rebuild your array, follow the same steps
as explained in Rebuilding a RAID Array on D-22, except when prompted to select
a disk, choose one of the two available free disks.
C-24
nVidia RAID
3. Click on Next and then click Finish at the W izard Completion screen. The
NVRAIDMAN window indicates that the array is synchronizing, as shown in Figure
below.
As you can see from the screen shot above, the synchronization process has
started and it will be completed in a short period of time.
C-25
Appendix D
D-1
M S-7252 M ainboard
D-2
2. Then the following screen displays the available components to install. All the
components shown here will be selected to be installed by default. Then click
Next.
3. The system will start installing the selected driver components automatically.
4. Then the following screen displays the information for the NVIDIA IDE SW Driver
installation. Click Next to continue.
D-3
M S-7252 M ainboard
5. Then the following screen displays the installation of NVIDIA IDE SW Driver. Click
Yes to continue.
6. The following screen indicates that the installation is complete. Click Yes to restart
your computer or click No to restart it later.
D-4
2. Then click on the NVIDIA Utility tab and the screen below will display.
D-5