Preface Copyright This publication, including all photographs, illustrations and software, is protected under international copyright laws, with all rights reserved. Neither this manual, nor any of the material contained herein, may be reproduced without written consent of the author. Version 1.0 Disclaimer The information in this document is subject to change without notice.
ii Declaration of Conformity This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following conditions: • This device may not cause harmful interference, and • This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation Canadian Department of Communications This class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interferencecausing Equipment Regulations.
iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface i Chapter 1 1 Introducing the Motherboard 1 Introduction...................................................................................1 Feature............................................................................................2 Specifications................................................................................4 Motherboard Components..........................................................
iv PC Health Status...................................................................39 Frequency/Voltage Control....................................................42 Load Default Settings............................................................43 Supervisor Password............................................................43 User Password......................................................................44 Save & Exit Setup...................................................................
1 Chapter 1 Introducing the Motherboard Introduction Thank you for choosing the P55H-CM motherboard. This motherboard is a high performance, enhanced function motherboard designed to support the LGA1156 socket for Intel ® Lynnfield processor for high-end business or personal desktop markets. This motherboard is based on Intel® P55 Express Chipset for best desktop platform solution.
2 Feature Processor The motherboard uses an LGA1156 type of socket that carries the following features: • Accommodates Intel® Lynnfield processor • Supports “Hyper-Threading” technology CPU “Hyper-Threading” technology enables the operating system into thinking it’s hooked up to two processors, allowing two threads to be run in parallel, both on separate “logical” processors within the same physical processor. Chipset The Intel P55 Express Chipset is a single-chip with proven reliability and performance.
3 Onboard LAN • • • IEEE 802.3 Ethernet interface for 1000BASE-T, 100BASE-TX and 10BASE-T applications Integrated 10/100/1000 transceiver Operates at half of the PCI Express Specification v1.1 speed Expansion Options The motherboard comes with the following expansion options: • • • • • One PCI Express x16 slot for Graphic Interface Two PCI Express x1 slots One 32-bit PCI v2.
4 Specifications CPU • • LGA1156 socket for latest Intel® Lynnfield processor Supports “Hyper-Threading” technology CPU Chipset • Intel P55 Express Chipset Memory • • • Dual-channel DDR3 memory architecture 4 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM sockets support up to 8 GB Supports DDR3 1333/1066/800 DDR3 SDRAM Expansion Slots • • • 1 x PCI Express Gen2 x16 slot 2 x PCI Express x1 slots 1 x PCI slot Storage • • • Supported by Intel P55 Express Chipset 6 x Serial ATA 3.
5 Motherboard Components Table of Motherboard Components LABEL 1. CPU Socket 2. CPU_FAN 3. DIMM1~4 4. PWR_FAN 5. FDD1 6. ATX1 7. SATA1~6 8. F_PANEL 9. COM 10. CLR_CMOS 11. F_USB1~3 12. TCM 13. SPDIFO 14. F_AUDIO1 15. PCI1 16. PCIE1X-1~2 17. PCIE16X 18. SYS_FAN 19.
6 Memo Introducing the Motherboard
7 Chapter 2 Installing the Motherboard Safety Precautions • • • • • Follow these safety precautions when installing the motherboard Wear a grounding strap attached to a grounded device to avoid damage from static electricity Discharge static electricity by touching the metal case of a safely grounded object before working on the motherboard Leave components in the static-proof bags they came in Hold all circuit boards by the edges.
8 Do not over-tighten the screws as this can stress the motherboard. Checking Jumper Settings This section explains how to set jumpers for correct configuration of the motherboard. Setting Jumpers Use the motherboard jumpers to set system configuration options. Jumpers with more than one pin are numbered. When setting the jumpers, ensure that the jumper caps are placed on the correct pins. The illustrations show a 2-pin jumper. When the jumper cap is placed on both pins, the jumper is SHORT.
9 Checking Jumper Settings The following illustration shows the location of the motherboard jumpers. Pin 1 is labeled. Jumper Settings Jumper Type Description Setting (default) 1-2: NORMAL CLR_CMOS 3-pin Clear CMOS 2-3: CLEAR CMOS Before clearing the CMOS, make sure to turn off the system. 1 CLR_CMOS To avoid the system unstability after clearing CMOS, we recommend users to enter the main BIOS setting page to “Load Default Settings” and then “Save and Exit Setup”.
10 Installing Hardware Installing the Processor Caution: When installing a CPU heatsink and cooling fan make sure that you DO NOT scratch the motherboard or any of the surface-mount resistors with the clip of the cooling fan. If the clip of the cooling fan scrapes across the motherboard, you may cause serious damage to the motherboard or its components. On most motherboards, there are small surface-mount resistors near the processor socket, which may be damaged if the cooling fan is carelessly installed.
11 CPU Installation Procedure The following illustration shows CPU installation components. A. Opening of the Load Plate · Put your thumb on the tail of the load plate and press the tail down. · Rotate the load plate to fully open position. B. Disengaging of the Load Lever · Hold the hook of lever and pull it to the left side to clear retention tab. · Rotate the load lever to fully open position. C. Removing the Cap · Be careful not to touch the contact at any time. D.
12 1. To achieve better airflow rates and heat dissipation, we suggest that you use a high quality fan with 3800 rpm at least. CPU fan and heatsink installation procedures may vary with the type of CPU fan/ heatsink supplied. The form and size of fan/heatsink may also vary. 2. DO NOT remove the CPU cap from the socket before installing a CPU. 3. Return Material Authorization (RMA) requests will be accepted only if the motherboard comes with the cap on the LGA1156 socket.
13 1. For best performance and compatibility, we recommend that users give priority to the yellow DIMMs (DDR3_2/DDR3_4) when installing DIMMs. 2. We suggest users not mix memory type. It is recommended to use the same brand and type memory on this motherboard. Do not remove any memory module from its antistatic packaging until you are ready to install it on the motherboard. Handle the modules only by their edges. Do not touch the components or metal parts.
14 Table A: DDR3 (memory module) QVL (Qualified Vendor List) The following DDR3 1800/1600/1333/1066 memory modules have been tested and qualified for use with this motherboard.
15 Type Size Vendor Module Name DDR3 1600 DDR3 1800 1GB 1 GB Kingston KHX12800D3K3/3GX KHX14400D3K3/3GX KingMax User please be noted that DDR3 1800/1600 MHz is validated to run at 1333Mhz only.
16 Expansion Slots Installing Add-on Cards The slots on this motherboard are designed to hold expansion cards and connect them to the system bus. Expansion slots are a means of adding or enhancing the motherboard’s features and capabilities. With these efficient facilities, you can increase the motherboard’s capabilities by adding hardware that performs tasks that are not part of the basic system. PCI1 Slot This motherboard is equipped with one standard PCI slot.
17 Follow these instructions to install an add-on card: 1 2 3 Remove a blanking plate from the system case corresponding to the slot you are going to use. Install the edge connector of the add-on card into the expansion slot. Ensure that the edge connector is correctly seated in the slot. Secure the metal bracket of the card to the system case with a screw. 1.
18 Connecting Optional Devices Refer to the following for information on connecting the motherboard’s optional devices: F_AUDIO1: Front Panel Audio header This header allows the user to install auxiliary front-oriented microphone and lineout ports for easier access.
19 F_USB1~3: Front Panel USB headers The motherboard has eight USB ports installed on the rear edge I/O port array. Additionally, some computer cases have USB ports at the front of the case. If you have this kind of case, use auxiliary USB connector to connect the front-mounted ports to the motherboard.
20 COM1~2: Onboard serial port headers Connect a serial port extension bracket to this header to add a second serial port to your system.
21 Installing a Hard Disk Drive/CD-ROM/SATA Hard Drive This section describes how to install IDE devices such as a hard disk drive and a CDROM drive. About SATA Connectors Your motherboard features six SATA connectors supporting a total of six drives. SATA refers to Serial ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) is the standard interface for the IDE hard drives which are currently used in most PCs. These connectors are well designed and will only fit in one orientation.
22 Connecting I/O Devices The backplane of the motherboard has the following I/O ports: PS2 Mouse Use the upper PS/2 port to connect a PS/2 pointing device. PS2 Keyboard Use the lower PS/2 port to connect a PS/2 keyboard. Parallel Port (LPT1) Use LPT to connect printers or other parallel communica tions devices. LAN Port Connect an RJ-45 jack to the LAN port to connect your computer to the Network. USB Ports Use the USB ports to connect USB devices.
23 Connecting Case Components After you have installed the motherboard into a case, you can begin connecting the motherboard components. Refer to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Connect the CPU cooling fan cable to CPU_FAN. Connect the system cooling fan connector to SYS_FAN. Connect the power cooling fan connector to PWR_FAN. Connect the case switches and indicator LEDs to the F_PANEL. Connect the standard power supply connector to ATX1. Connect the auxiliary case power supply connector to ATX_12V.
24 Connecting 4-pin power cable The ATX_12V power connector is used to provide power to the CPU. When installing 4-pin power cable, the latches of power cable and the ATX_12V match perfectly. 4-pin power cable CPU_FAN: CPU cooling FAN Power Connector Pin 1 2 3 4 Signal Name GND +12V Sense PWM Function System Ground Power +12V Sensor PWM Users please note that the fan connector supports the CPU cooling fan of 1.1A ~ 2.2A (26.4W max) at +12V.
25 ATX_12V: ATX 12V Power Connector Pin Signal Name Pin 1 2 3 4 Ground 5 6 7 8 Ground Ground Ground Signal Name +12V +12V +12V +12V Installing the Motherboard
26 Front Panel Header The front panel header (F_PANEL) provides a standard set of switch and LED headers commonly found on ATX or Micro ATX cases.
27 Chapter 3 Using BIOS About the Setup Utility The computer uses the latest “American Megatrends Inc. ” BIOS with support for Windows Plug and Play. The CMOS chip on the motherboard contains the ROM setup instructions for configuring the motherboard BIOS. The BIOS (Basic Input and Output System) Setup Utility displays the system’s configuration status and provides you with options to set system parameters.
28 Press the delete key to access the BIOS Setup Utility. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. Standard CMOS Setup Advanced Setup Advanced Chipset Setup Integrated Peripherals Power Management Setup PCI/PnP Setup PC Health Status Frequency/Voltage Control Load Default Settings Supervisor Password User Password Save & Exit Setup Exit Without Saving : Move Enter : Select F1:General Help +/-/: Value F10: Save F9: Optimized Defaults ESC: Exit v02.
29 Using BIOS When you start the Setup Utility, the main menu appears. The main menu of the Setup Utility displays a list of the options that are available. A highlight indicates which option is currently selected. Use the cursor arrow keys to move the highlight to other options. When an option is highlighted, execute the option by pressing . Some options lead to pop-up dialog boxes that prompt you to verify that you wish to execute that option.
30 Standard CMOS Setup This option displays basic information about your system. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. Standard CMOS Setup Date (ww mm:dd:yy) Time (hh:mm:ss) SATA1 SATA2 SATA3 SATA4 SATA5 SATA6 Mon 09/28/2009 00 :00:15 Not Detected Hard Disk Not Detected Not Detected Not Detected ATAPI CDROM IDE BusMaster Drive A: Help Item Use [ENTER], [TAB] or [SHIFT-TAB] to select a field. Use [+] or [-] to configure system Date. Enabled 1.
31 Type (Auto) Use this item to configure the type of the IDE device that you specify. If the feature is enabled, it will enhance hard disk performance by reading or writing more data during each transfer. LBA/Large Mode (Auto) Use this item to set the LAB/Large mode to enhance hard disk performance by optimizing the area the hard disk is visited each time.
32 Advanced Setup This page sets up more advanced information about your system. Handle this page with caution. Any changes can affect the operation of your computer. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc.
33 Quick Power on Self Test (Enabled) Enable this item to shorten the power on testing (POST) and have your system start up faster. You might like to enable this item after you are confident that your system hardware is operating smoothly. Boot Up Numlock Status (On) This item defines if the keyboard Num Lock key is active when your system is started. APIC Mode (Enabled) This item allows you to enable or disable the APIC (Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller) mode.
34 Removable Drives (Press Enter) Scroll to this item and press to view the following screen: CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. Removable Drives Help Item Removable Drives 1st Drive 1st FLOPPY DRIVE : Move Enter : Select F1: General Help Specifies the boot sequence from the available devices. +/-/: Value F10: Save ESC: Exit F9: Optimized Defaults Press to return to the Advanced Setup page.
35 Advanced Chipset Setup This page sets up more advanced information about your system. Handle this page with caution. Any changes can affect the operation of your computer. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. Advanced Chipset Setup Help Item Memory Remap Feature Enabled Options ENABLE: Allow remapping of overlapped PCI memory above the total physical memory. DISABLE: Do not allow remapping of memory.
36 Integrated Peripherals This page sets up some parameters for peripheral devices connected to the system. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc.
37 Parallel Port IRQ (IRQ7) Use this item to assign IRQ to the parallel port. USB Functions (Enabled) Use this item to enable or disable the USB function. Legacy USB Support (Enabled) Use this item to enable or disable support for legacy USB devices. Press to return to the main menu setting page. Power Management Setup This page sets up some parameters for system power management operation. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc.
38 Resume By USB (S3) (Disabled) This item allows you to enable/disable the USB device wakeup function from S3/S4 mode. Resume By PS2 KB (S3) (Disabled) This item enables or disables you to allow keyboard activity to awaken the system from power saving mode. Resume By PS2 MS (S3) (Disabled) This item enables or disables you to allow mouse activity to awaken the system from power saving mode. Resume on RTC Alarm (Disabled) The system can be turned off with a software command.
39 PCI/PnP Setup This page sets up some parameters for devices installed on the PCI bus and those utilizing the system plug and play capability. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. PCI/PnP Setup Init Display First PCI Help Item Select which graphics controller to use as the primary boot device.
40 Smart Fan Function (Press Enter) Scroll to this item and press to view the following screen: CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc.
41 System Component Characteristics These items display the monitoring of the overall inboard hardware health events, such as System & CPU temperature, CPU & DIMM voltage, CPU & system fan speed,...etc. • • • • • System Temperature CPU Fan Speed System Fan Speed CPU Vcore VDIMM Press to return to the main menu setting page.
42 Frequency/Voltage Control This page enables you to set the clock speed and system bus for your system. The clock speed and system bus are determined by the kind of processor you have installed in your system. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc.
43 Load Default Settings This option opens a dialog box that lets you install stability-oriented defaults for all appropriate items in the Setup Utility. Select and then press to install the defaults. Select and then press to not install the defaults. Supervisor Password This page helps you install or change a password. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc.
44 User Password This page helps you install or change a password. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2009, American Megatrends, Inc. User Password User Password Help Item : Not Installed Change User Password Install or Change the password. Press Enter : Move Enter : Select F1: General Help +/-/: Value F10: Save ESC: Exit F9: Optimized Defaults User Password (Not Installed) This item indicates whether a user password has been set. If the password has been installed, Installed displays.
45 Updating the BIOS You can download and install updated BIOS for this motherboard from the manufacturer’s Web site. New BIOS provides support for new peripherals, improvements in performance, or fixes for known bugs. Install new BIOS as follows: 1 If your motherboard has a BIOS protection jumper, change the setting to allow BIOS flashing. 2 If your motherboard has an item called Firmware Write Protect in Advanced BIOS features, disable it. (Firmware Write Protect prevents BIOS from being overwritten.
46 Memo Using BIOS
47 Chapter 4 Using the Motherboard Software About the Software DVD-ROM/CD-ROM The support software DVD-ROM/CD-ROM that is included in the motherboard package contains all the drivers and utility programs needed to properly run the bundled products. Below you can find a brief description of each software program, and the location for your motherboard version. More information on some programs is available in a README file, located in the same directory as the software.
48 Setup Tab Setup Click the Setup button to run the software installation program. Select from the menu which software you want to install. Browse CD The Browse CD button is the standard Windows command that allows you to open Windows Explorer and show the contents of the support disk. Before installing the software from Windows Explorer, look for a file named README.TXT or something similar. This file may contain important information to help you install the software correctly.
49 2. Click Next. The following screen appears: 3. Check the box next to the items you want to install. The default options are recommended. 4. Click Next run the Installation Wizard. An item installation screen appears: 5. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the items. 1. Drivers and software are automatically installed in sequence. Follow the onscreen instructions, confirm commands and allow the computer to restart a few times to complete the installation. 2.
50 Windows Vista/7 will appear below UAC (User Account Control) message after the system restart. You must select “Allow” to install the next driver. Continue this process to complete the drivers installation. Manual Installation Insert the disk in the DVD-ROM/CD-ROM drive and locate the PATH.DOC file in the root directory. This file contains the information needed to locate the drivers for your motherboard.
51 Chapter 5 Intel® Matrix Storage Manager RAID Configurations The Intel® Matrix Storage Manager allows you to configure RAID 0, and 1 sets on the external Serial ATA hard disk drives. Before creating a RAID set Prepare the following items: 1. 2. 3. 4. One SATA HDD. A write-enabled floppy disk. Microsoft® Windows® OS installation disk (Windows XP/Vista). Motherboard support CD with Intel® Matrix Storage Manager driver. Complete the following steps before you create a RAID set: 1.
52 Entering Intel® Matrix Storage Manager RAID BIOS utility 1. During POST, press to enter the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager RAID BIOS menu. 2. The main Intel® Matrix Storage Manager RAID BIOS menu appears. 3. Use the arrow keys to move the color bar and navigate through the items.
53 Creating a RAID set 1. In the main Intel® Matrix Storage Manager RAID BIOS menu, highlight Create RAID Volume using the up/down arrow key then press . 2. When the RAID Level item is highlighted, use the up/down arrow key to select the RAID set that you want to create. When more than two HDDs are installed in your computer, the Disks item will be selectable. Then users can select the HDD that you want to belong to the RAID set.
54 4. When done, press to confirm the creation of the RAID set. A dialogue box appears to confirm the action. Press to confirm; otherwise, press . Pressing deletes all the data in the HDDs. 5. The following screen appears, displaying the relevant information about the RAID set you created. Users please be noted that RAID 0 (Stripe) is set to accelerate the data access, and RAID 1 (Mirror) is set to provide the data backup.
55 Deleting a RAID set 1. In the main Intel® Matrix Storage Manager RAID BIOS menu, highlight Delete RAID Volume using the up/down arrow key then press . 2. Use the space bar to select the RAID set you want to delete. Press the key to delete the set. 3. A dialogue box appears to confirm the action. Press to confirm; otherwise, press . Pressing deletes all the data in the HDDs.
56 Resetting disks to Non-RAID An HDD that has been previously configured as part of another RAID set in another platform is called a broken RAID HDD. When you install a broken RAID HDD, you cannot select this disk when configuring a RAID set through the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager option. If you still want to use this broken RAID HDD as part of the RAID set configured through the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager, you may do so by resetting the disk to Non-RAID.
57 Chapter 6 Trouble Shooting Start up problems during assembly After assembling the PC for the first time you may experience some start up problems. Before calling for technical support or returning for warranty, this chapter may help to address some of the common questions using some basic troubleshooting tips. a) System does not power up and the fans are not running. 1.Disassemble the PC to remove the VGA adaptor card, DDR memory, LAN, USB and other peripherals including keyboard and mouse.
58 c) The PC suddenly shuts down while booting up. 1. The CPU may experience overheating so it will shutdown to protect itself. Ensure the CPU fan is working properly. 2. From the BIOS setting, try to disable the Smartfan function to let the fan run at default speed. Doing a Load Optimised Default will also disable the Smartfan. Start up problems after prolong use After a prolong period of use your PC may experience start up problems again.
If fail, contact RMA CLR CMOS and restart. Yes Halt at POST screen? Yes Check if monitor has display Yes Check if Power Supply Unit (PSU) is working Power Bu on is pressed but PC fails to start. CMOS setup error, - need to CLRCMOS. HDD problem.
60 Memo Trouble Shooting