720AL Series Motherboard User’s Manual
Statement: This manual is the intellectual property of Foxconn, Inc. Although the information in this manual may be changed or modified at any time, Foxconn does not obligate itself to inform the user of these changes. Trademark: All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Version: User’s Manual V1.0 for 720AL Series motherboard.
Declaration of conformity HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY COMPANY LTD 66 , CHUNG SHAN RD., TU-CHENG INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, TAIPEI HSIEN, TAIWAN, R.O.C.
Declaration of conformity Trade Name: FOXCONN odel Name: M 720AL Responsible Party: PCE Industry Inc. Address: 458 E. Lambert Rd. Fullerton, CA 92835 Telephone: 714-738-8868 Facsimile: 714-738-8838 Equipment Classification: Type of Product: Manufacturer: Address: FCC Class B Subassembly Motherboard HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY COMPANY LTD 66 , CHUNG SHAN RD., TU-CHENG INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT, TAIPEI HSIEN, TAIWAN, R.O.C.
Installation Precautions NING AR ! W ■ CA UT IO N ■ ! ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the sudden and momentary electric current that flows between two objects at different electrical potentials. Normally it comes out as a spark which will quickly damage your electronic equipment. Please wear an electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap when handling components such as a motherboard, CPU or memory.
Table of Contents Chapter 1 Product Introduction Product Specifications................................................................... 2 Layout............................................................................................ 4 Back Panel Connectors................................................................. 5 Chapter 2 Hardware Install Install the CPU and CPU Cooler................................................... 8 Install the Memory..........................................
Voltage Control...................................................................... 55 Fan Control............................................................................ 56 FOX LiveUpdate Local Update.......................................................................... 57 Online Update........................................................................ 59 Configure .............................................................................. 62 About & Help................
Thank you for buying Foxconn 720AL Series motherboard. Foxconn products are engineered to maximize computing power, providing only what you need for break-through performance. With advanced overclocking capability and a range of connectivity features for today multi-media computing requirements, 720AL enables you to unleash more power from your computer.
1 1-1 Product Specifications CPU Support AMD socket AM2+/AM3 PhenomTM series processors Support AMD socket AM2 series processors : AthlonTM 64 X2 Dual-Core / AthlonTM X2 Dual-Core / AthlonTM 64 / SempronTM HyperTransport 2000/1600MT/s for AM2 CPU Up to 5200MT/s (HT3.
CA UT IO N ! The chipset driver of this motherboard does not support Windows® 2000. 1 Back Panel 1 x PS/2 keyboard port Connectors 1 x PS/2 mouse port 1 x COM1 port 1 x Parallel port 4 x USB 2.
1-2 Layout 1 24 22 21 20 23 19 18 1 2 3 17 4 5 16 6 15 7 14 8 9 10 11 12 1. CD_IN Connector 2. Front Audio Connector 3. S/PDIF Out Connector 4. Speaker Connector 5. Floppy Connector 6. USB_PWR1 Jumper 7. Clear CMOS Jumper 8. Front Panel Connector 9. Front USB Connectors 10. SATA Connectors 11. Chipset: NVIDIA nForce 720D 12. IDE Connector 13 13. 24-pin ATX Power Connector 14. DDR2 DIMM Slots 15. CPU_FAN Header 16. CPU Socket 17. 4-pin ATX 12V Power Connector 18. SYS_FAN Header 19.
1-3 Back Panel Connectors Parallel Port LAN Port 3 7 1 1 PS/2 Mouse Port Line In Line Out Microphone In 2 4 PS/2 Keyboard Port 6 5 Serial Port (COM1) USB Ports Audio Ports 1. PS/2 Mouse Port Use the upper port (green) to connect a PS/2 mouse. 2. PS/2 Keyboard Port Use the lower port (purple) to connect a PS/2 keyboard. 3. Parallel Port This connector provides printer port interface. 4. Serial Port This is output of RS232 COM1 port. 5. USB Port The USB port supports the USB 2.0/1.
1 7. RJ-45 LAN Port The Ethernet LAN port provides Internet connection at up to 10/100/1000Mb/s data rate.
This chapter introduces the hardware installation process, including the installation of the CPU, memory, power supply, slots, pin headers and the mounting of jumpers. Caution should be exercised during the installation of these modules. Please refer to the motherboard layout prior to any installation and read the contents in this chapter carefully.
CA UT IO N 2-1 Install the CPU and CPU Cooler ! 2 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the CPU : Make sure that the motherboard supports the CPU. Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power supply before installing the CPU to prevent hardware damage. Locate the Pin-1 of the CPU. The CPU cannot be inserted if oriented incorrectly. Apply an even and thin layer of thermal grease on the surface of the CPU.
3. When CPU is properly seated, push the CPU socket lever back to its locked position. 2 Install the CPU Cooler Follow the steps below to correctly install the CPU cooler. (The following procedures use Foxconn cooler as the example.) CA UT IO N ! 1. Apply and spread an even thermal grease on the surface of CPU. 2. Buckle the heatsink firmly at one side of the stand. 3. Buckle the heatsink at another side, and press the fasten lever down to tightly seat the cooler. 4.
CA UT IO N 2-2 Install the Memory ! 2 ■ ■ ■ Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the memory : Make sure that the motherboard supports the memory. It is recommended that memory of the same capacity, brand, speed, and chips be used. Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing the memory to prevent hardware damage. Memory modules have a foolproof design. A memory module can be installed in only one direction.
CA UT IO N Installing a Memory ! Before installing a memory module, make sure to turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet to prevent damage to the memory module. Be sure to install DDR2 DIMMs on this motherboard. 128-Pin 112-Pin 2 Notch If you take a look at front side of memory module, it has asymmetric pin counts on both sides separated by a notch in the middle, so it can only fit in one direction.
CA UT IO N 2-3 Install an Expansion Card ! 2 ■ Make sure the motherboard supports the expansion card. Carefully read the manual that ■ came with your expansion card. Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing an expansion card to prevent hardware damage. PCI Express x1 PCI Express x16 PCI Follow the steps below to correctly install your expansion card in the expansion slot. 1. Locate an expansion slot that supports your card.
2-4 Install other Internal Connectors Power Connectors This motherboard uses an ATX power supply. In order not to damage any device, make sure all the devices have been installed properly before applying the power supply. 2 24-pin ATX power connector : PWR1 PWR1 is the ATX power supply connector. Make sure that the power supply cable and pins are properly aligned with the connector on the motherboard. Firmly plug the power supply cable into the connector and make sure it is secure.
Front Panel Connector : FP1 2 This motherboard includes one connector for connecting the front panel switch and LED Indicators. Hard Disk LED Connector (HDD-LED) Connect to the chassis front panel IDE indicator LED. It indicates the active status of the hard disks. This 2-pin connector is directional with +/- sign.
Audio Connector : CD_IN CD_IN is a Sony standard audio connector, it can be connected to a CD/DVD-ROM drive through a CD/DVD CD_L GND CD_R 1 audio cable. CD_IN The audio connector supports HD Audio standard. It provides the Front Audio output choice. 9 10 F_AUDIO 1 2 +5V EMPTY SPDIF_OUT GND S/PDIF Connector : SPDIF_OUT The connector is used for S/PDIF output.
Fan Connectors : CPU_FAN, SYS_FAN 2 There are two fan headers on this motherboard. The fan speed can be controlled and monitored in “PC Health Status” section of the BIOS Setup. These fans can be automatically turned off after the system enters S3, S4 and S5 sleeping states.
2-5 Jumpers For some features needed, users can change the jumper settings on this motherboard to modify them. This section explains how to use the various functions of this motherboard by changing the jumper settings. Users should read the following content carefully prior to modifying any jumper setting. 1. For any jumper on this motherboard, pin 1 can be identified by the bold silkscreen next to it. However, in this manual, pin 1 is simply labeled as “1”. 2.
1. Set the jumper to pins 1-2 (+5V) to wake up the computer from S1 sleep mode using the connected USB devices. 2. Set the jumper to pins 2-3 (+5VSB) to wake up the computer from S3 and S4 sleep modes using the connected USB devices. At the same time, a corresponding setting must be set in BIOS as below: Set “Power Management Setup” -> “USB Resume from S3” to “Enabled”.
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided. You have to run the Setup Program when the following cases occur : 1. An error message appears on the screen during the system Power On Self Test (POST) process. 2. You want to change the default CMOS settings.
Enter BIOS Setup 3 CA UT IO N The BIOS is the communication bridge between hardware and software, correctly setting up the BIOS parameters is critical to maintain optimal system performance. Power on the computer, when the message "Press [DEL] to enter Setup, [ESC] to boot menu" appears at the bottom of the screen, you can press [Del] key to enter Setup.
CA UT IO N ! When we talk about [+] and [-] keys in this manual, they are the single-keypad keys of the numeric keypad which is located at the right hand side of your desktop keyboard. They are not the combination keys made by pressing and holding down [Shift] key first, then press [+ =] or [ _-] key the next. 21 3 ► Power Management Setup All the items related with Green function features can be set up through this menu.
System Information Phoenix - AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility System Information 3 Date (mm:dd:yy) Fri, Feb 29 2008 Item Help Time (hh:mm:ss) 17 : 44 : 13 Menu Level ► [HDS728080PLAT20] ► IDE Channel Master [DVD-ROM DDU1642] Change the day, month, IDE Channel Slave [ None ] year and century SATA Channel 1 Master SATA Channel 2 Master [ None ] [ None ] SATA Channel 3 Master [ None ] SATA Channel 4 Master [1.44M, 3.5 in.
All Errors Whenever the BIOS detects a nonfatal error, the system will stop and you will be prompted. No Errors The system boot will not stop for any errors that may be detected. All, But Keyboard The system boot will not stop for a keyboard error; but it will stop for all other errors. All, But Diskette The system boot will not stop for a diskette error; but it will stop for all other errors.
Fox Central Control Unit 3 Phoenix - AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Fox Central Control Unit ► Smart BIOS ► Fox Intelligent Overclock ► Memory Timing Setting ► Voltage Options AMD K8 Cool&Quiet Control AMD Family 10th Down Core CPU Spread Spectrum PCI Spread Spectrum K8<->NB HT Speed K8<->NB HT Width Auto Detect PCI CIK Super BIOS Protect Press Enter [Press Enter] Item Help [Press Enter] [Press Enter] Menu Level ► [Press Enter] [Auto] [Auto] [Disabled] [Disab
► K8<->NB HT Width The CPU<->NB HT Width controls the CPU to Northbridge link bandwidth, it is highly recommended to set to [Auto] for overall performance. ► Auto Detect PCI Clk This option is used to auto detect PCI slots. When enabled, the system will turn off clock of the empty PCI slot to reduce EMI (Electromagnetic Interference). ► Super BIOS Protect To protect the system BIOS from virus attack, there is a BIOS write-protection mechanism provided.
Fox Intelligent Overclock Phoenix - AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Fox Intelligent Overclock CPU Clock PCIE Clock NPT FID Control [200] Item Help 200 [100] Menu Level ► [Auto] 3 ↑↓→←:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F5: Previous Values F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help F7: Optimized Defaults ► CPU Clock / PCIE Clock These items allow you to select different CPU clock and PCIE clock. ► NPT FID Control (Appears only when CPU support) This is CPU multiplier.
bits. Once this option is enabled, the BIOS can see 4096MB of memory. ► Auto Optimize Bottom IO Auto optimize maximum DRAM size when kernel assigns PCI resources done. ► Bottom of [31:24] IO Space Select bottom of [31:24] IO space manually when "Auto Optimize Bottom IO" option is 27 3 This item allows you to set the system memory's clock value. ► SPD Checksum Restart The Serial Presence Detect (SPD) device is a small EEPROM chip, mounted on a DDR memory module.
3 disabled. ► Bottom of UMA DRAM [31:24] This is a memory allocation method addition to the Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) concept. Normally, select the default value. ► Memory Timing Setting Select [Enabled], you can configure the DRAM timing manually. Select [Disabled], then system will use the DRAM timing provided by the memory vendor. The provision of DRAM timing is done by a SPD device. The Serial Presence Detect (SPD) device is a small EEPROM chip, mounted on a DDR2 memory module.
Voltage Options Phoenix - AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Voltage Options Default CPU Voltage [Default] Item Help Memory Voltage [Default] Menu Level ► 3 . ↑↓→←:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F5: Previous Values F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help F7: Optimized Defaults ► CPU Voltage This option is used to change the CPU voltage. ► Memory Voltage This option is used to change the memory voltage.
Advanced BIOS Features Phoenix - AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced BIOS Features 3 ► Removable Device Priority ► Hard Disk Boot Priority ► CD-ROM Boot Priority First Boot Device Second Boot Device Third Boot Device Boot Other Device Boot Up Floppy Seek Boot Up NumLock Status Security Option Full Screen Logo Show [Press Enter] Item Help Press Enter [Press Enter] [Press Enter] Menu Level ► [Hard Disk] Select removable boot [CDROM] device priority [Remo
Advanced Chipset Features Phoenix - AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Advanced Chipset Features MCP78 PCIE Training Init Display First [ Gen2 If Supported ] Item Help [PCIEx] Menu Level ► Crads supporting Gen2 mode will be trained in Gen2 mode by BIOS. 3 ↑↓→←:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F5: Previous Values F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help F7: Optimized Defaults ► MCP78 PCIE Training [Gen2 If Supported] sets the PCI Express slot working by following Generation II specification.
Integrated Peripherals Phoenix - AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Integrated Peripherals ► OnChip IDE Devices ► MCP SATA Mode ► OnBoard Devices ► SuperIO Devices ► USB Devices Press Enter [Press Enter] Item Help [Press Enter] [Press Enter] Menu Level ► [Press Enter] [Press Enter] 3 ↑↓→←:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F5: Previous Values F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help F7: Optimized Defaults ► OnChip IDE Devices / MCP SATA Mode / OnBoard Devices / SuperIO Devices / USB Devic
MCP SATA Mode Phoenix - AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility MCP SATA Mode x x x x SATA Operation Mode SATA Pri-Master RAID SATA Pri-Slave RAID SATA Sec-Master RAID SATA Sec-Slave RAID [IDE] Item Help IDE Disabled Disabled Menu Level ► Disabled Disabled 3 ↑↓→←:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F5: Previous Values F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help F7: Optimized Defaults ► SATA Operation Mode This item is used to set the operating mode of your SATA ports.
3 CA UT IO N SATA Pri-Slave RAID is the SATA port 2. SATA Sec-Master RAID is the SATA port 3. SATA Sec-Slave RAID is the SATA port 4. ! The Installation procedures for AHCI and RAID drivers are the same, they are : ■ Creating a bootable drive (or RAID array). ■ Creating a non-bootable drive (or RAID array). In Chapter 5, only RAID is introduced. AHCI installation is almost the same, the only difference is BIOS SATA Operation Mode is set to [AHCI] instead of [RAID].
SuperIO Devices Phoenix - AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility SuperIO Devices x OnBoard FDC Controller OnBoard Serial Port 1 OnBoard Serial Port 2 Serial Port 2 Mode Select IrDA Duplex Mode OnBoard Parallel Port Parallel Port Mode ECP Mode Use DMA [Enabled] Item Help Enabled [3F8/IRQ4] [2F8/IRQ3] Menu Level ► [Normal] Half [378/IRQ7] [SPP] 3 3 ↑↓→←:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F5: Previous Values F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help F7: Optimized Defaults ► OnBoard FDC Controller
USB Devices Phoenix - AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility USB Devices Item Help Menu Level ► [Enable] or [Disable] universal host controller interface for universal serial bus 3 USB 1.1 Controller [ Enabled] USB 2.
Power Management Setup Phoenix - AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Power Management Setup ACPI Function ACPI Suspend Type Power Button PWRON after PWR-Fail HPET Support [Enabled] Item Help Enabled [S3(STR)] [Instant-Off] Menu Level ► [Off] [Enabled] ↑↓→←:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F5: Previous Values 3 ** Power Management Events ** [Disabled] Wake Up by PCI/PCIE PME USB Resume from S3 [Disabled] [Disabled] Resume by Alarm x Date of Month Alarm 0 x Time (hh
3 ► ACPI Function This item is used to enable or disable the ACPI function. ► ACPI Suspend Type This item is used to set the energy saving mode of the ACPI function. When you select “S1 (POS)” mode, the power is always on and computer can be resumed at any time. When you select “S3 (STR)” mode, the power will be down after a period of time. The status of the computer before it entering STR will be saved in memory, and the computer can quickly return to previous state when the STR function wakes.
[Any KEY], and [Keyboard 98]. ► KB Resume Password When "PS/2 KB Resume from S3" is set to [Password], this item allows you to input a password to wake up the system from S3 mode. ► Hot Key Resume Wen "PS/2 KB Resume from S3" is set to [Hot KEY], this item allows you to press a [Ctrl] + Function key to wake up the system from S3 mode.
PC Health Status 3 Phoenix - AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility PC Health Status Case Open Warning [Disabled] Item Help Disabled [Disabled] Shutdown Temperature CPU Vcore 1.28 V Menu Level ► VTT(V) 1.89 V +3.3V 3.31 V + 5V 5.25 V + 12V 11.50 V 5VSB(V) 5.12V Voltage of Battery 3.
Load Optimized Defaults Select this option and press [Enter]. A dialogue pops out, input [Y] then press [Enter] to load the defaults; press [N] to skip. Load Optimized Defaults (Y/N)? N By this default, BIOS have set the optimized performance parameters of system to improve the performances of system components. But if the optimized performance parameters to be set cannot be supported by your hardware devices, the system may fail to work.
The utility CD that came with the motherboard contains useful software and several utility drivers that enhance the motherboard features. This chapter includes the following information: ■ Utility CD content ■ Install driver and utility ■ FOX ONE ■ FOX LiveUpdate ■ FOX LOGO ■ FOX DMI Note : Because each module is independent, so the section number will be reorganized and unique to each module, please understand.
Utility CD content This motherboard comes with one DVD. You can simply put it into your DVD-ROM drive, and the main menu will be displayed on your PC screen to guide you how to install. 1. Install Driver Use these options to install all the drivers for your system. You should install the drivers in order, and you need to restart your computer after all the drivers have been installed. A. NVIDIA MCP78 Chipset Driver B. Realtek HDA Audio Driver C.
Install driver and utility 1. Install Driver You can click on each individual driver to install it manually. 4 Manual Installation Step by Step Exit the program Click to visit Foxconn's website Select to Install Utilities Select to Install Drivers Browse CD 2. Install Utility You can select the specific utility to install.
FOX ONE FOX ONE is a powerful utility for easily modifying system settings. It also allows users to monitor various temperature values, voltage values, frequencies and fan speeds at any time. CA UT IO N With FOX ONE, you can : ■ Modify system performance settings, such as the CPU and memory bus speeds, CPU voltages, fan speeds, and other system performance options. ■ Monitor hardware temperatures, voltages, frequencies and fan speeds.
1. Main Page Show CPU Information Toolbar Alert Lamp Switch Button Skin Button Exit 4 Minimum Configuration Homepage Monitor Frequency/Voltage/Fan speed/Temperature value Toolbar Use the toolbar to navigate to other pages. Alert Lamp When the system is in healthy state, the color of alert lamp is green. When the system is in abnormal state, the alert lamp color is red. Switch Button Click this button, it will simplify the whole FOX ONE control panel to a smaller information bar (i.e.
Skin Button There are more choices of FOX ONE screen panels. Click this button, you can select your favorite skin (FOX ONE Panel). Apply the changes Cancel the changes Exit Click this button to exit the program. Minimum Click this button to drop the FOX ONE to Windows system tray located at the lower right corner of your screen. Homepage Click this button to visit Foxconn motherboard website : http://www.foxconnchannel.
Configuration 4 This menu allows you to configure : 1). Monitor interval (ms) : This is to define the interval of different messages of system settings which are to be displayed on Simple Mode screen. Minimum value is 1 second. 2). Simple Mode : To select which message of system settings are to be displayed in the Simple Mode. Messages such as CPU frequency, voltage...etc., they can be displayed one by one in Simple Mode. 3). F.I.S.
Step 1 : Click Calibration icon, a message pops out to ask for continue. Select Yes. 4 Step 2 : After data is collected, it will ask you to restart your computer now. Later on, when the FOX ONE program is activated, and F.I.S. feature (in CPU Page) is also enabled, FOX ONE will automatically adjust your CPU clock according to your system loadings. (Loadings are like Power Gaming, Data Mining...etc.
2. CPU Page - CPU Control This page lets you select (or overclock) CPU clock to meet the current performance level of the system. The fastest and suitable CPU clock running for current system can be calculated by FOX ONE automatically or manually input by yourselves. Manual : You can press the up/down button to adjust your CPU clock. Auto : Click this button to let FOX ONE check the highest CPU clock you can use.
You can see the system is raising CPU clock until the system hangs. Push RESET button on the front panel of your system to restart the computer. 4 Run FOX ONE program again, it will inform you the previous test found that 255MHz is the recommended CPU clock for your system. Click Yes to apply it to your system. Now, your system is running at a CPU clock of 255MHz.
FOX Intelligent Stepping (F.I.S., Optional) 4 Select FOX Intelligent Stepping will allow your system to automatically adjust your CPU clock rate based on different system loadings. For example, if you select Power Gaming, CPU clock will be driven to run at its maximum speed. While in Energy Saving, CPU will lower down its speed to a minimum.
4. Limit Setting 4.1 Limit Setting - CPU Temperature This page lets you to set CPU high limit temperature and enable the alert function. Go to Limit Setting page Show current CPU temperature value Show current high limit value of the CPU temperature Set high limit by dragging the lever 4.2 Limit Setting - System Temperature This page lets you to set system high limit temperature and enable the alert function.
4.3 Limit Setting - CPU Fan This page lets you to set CPU fan low limit rpm and enable the alert function. Show current CPU fan rpm value Enable alert function when the CPU fan runs slower than the low limit rpm value 4 Show current low limit rpm value of CPU fan Set low limit rpm by dragging the lever 4.4 Limit Setting - System Fan This page lets you to set system fan low limit rpm and enable the alert function.
4.5 Limit Setting - FAN1 Fan This page lets you to set FAN1 fan low limit rpm and enable the alert function. Show current FAN1 fan rpm value Enable alert function when the FAN1 fan runs slower than low limit rpm value Set low limit rpm by dragging the lever 5. Voltage Page - Voltage Control (Optional) This page lets you set CPU voltage, memory voltage and North Bridge voltage manually. CPU voltage can be stepped up/down by a unit of 12.5mV, while memory is 0.05V/step, and North Bridge is 0.04V/step.
6. Fan Page - Fan Control This page lets you enable Smart Fan function or set the fan speed by manual. When Smart Fan is selected, you must use a 4-pin CPU cooler in your system.
FOX LiveUpdate FOX LiveUpdate is a useful utility to backup and update your system BIOS, drivers and utilities by local or online. Supporting Operating Systems : ■ Windows 2000 ■ Windows XP (32-bit and 64-bit) ■ Windows 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit) ■ Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) 4 Using FOX LiveUpdate : 1. Local Update 1-1 Local Update - BIOS Information This page lets you know your system BIOS information.
1-2 Local Update - Backup This page can backup your system BIOS. You can click “Backup”, and key in a file name, then click “Save” to finish the backup operation. The extension of this backup file is ".BIN" for Award BIOS and ".ROM" for AMI BIOS. Default directory is "C:\Desktop\My Documents" in Windows XP and "Documents" in Vista. Make sure you can remember the file name together with the directory which it is stored, prevented that you may need them to recover your BIOS later.
2. Online Update 2-1 Online Update - Update BIOS This page lets you update your system BIOS from Internet. Click “start”, it will search the new BIOS from Internet. Then follow the wizard to finish the update operation. Click here Current information 4 Search new BIOS from Internet Select BIOS to update Browse detailed information Update BIOS Close the window 2-2 Online Update - Update Driver This page lets you update your system drivers from Internet.
Select the driver to update Browse detailed information Install the selected driver 4 Close the window 2-3 Online Update - Update Utility This page lets you update utilities from Internet. Click “start”, it will search the new utilities from Internet. Then follow the wizard to finish the update operation.
2-4 Online Update - Update All This page lets you update your system drivers from Internet. Click “start”, it will search all new BIOS/drivers/utilities from Internet. Then follow the wizard to finish the update operation.
3. Configure 3-1 Configure - option This page lets you set auto search options. After you enable the auto search function, FOX LiveUpdate will start its searching from Internet and if any qualified item found, it will pop out a message on the task bar to inform you to do the next step.
When you enable "Auto Search FOX LiveUpdate", if your FOX LiveUpdate version is older, it will auto search from internet and prompt you to install the new version. 3-2 Configure - System This page lets you set the backup BIOS location and change different skin of the FOX LiveUpdate utility.
3-3 Configure - Advance This page lets you select to flash BIOS / Boot Block and clear CMOS. If you choose Flash Boot Block, it means BIOS is not protective, and you must make sure the flash process is continuous and without any interruption.
FOX LOGO FOX LOGO is a simple and useful utility to backup, change and delete the boot time Logo. The boot Logo is the image that appears on screen during POST (Power-On Self-Test). You can prepare a JPG image (1024x768) file, then use FOX LOGO to open it and change the boot time Logo. Boot time Logo will be displayed if you enable the BIOS "Quiet Boot" setting in "Advanced BIOS Features" menu.
FOX DMI FOX DMI is a full Desktop Management Interface viewer, and it provides three DMI data formats : Report, Data Fields and Memory Dump. With DMI information, system maker can easily analyze and troubleshoot your motherboard if there is any problem occurred. 4 Supporting Operating Systems : ■ Windows 2000 ■ Windows XP (32-bit and 64-bit) ■ Windows 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit) ■ Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) Using FOX DMI: Please operate this utility as the comments shows.
This chapter will cover two topics : ■ ■ Creating a Bootable Array - Installing a new Windows XP (Vista) in a brand new RAID system. Creating a Non-Bootable Array - Existing Windows XP (Vista) system with new RAID built as data storage.
Creating a Bootable Array - Installing a new Windows XP (or Vista) in a brand new RAID system. 5 1. Follow 5-1 to create two RAID driver diskettes. 2. Follow 5-2 to set RAID enabled in BIOS. 3. Follow 5-3 to select a RAID array for use. 4. Follow 5-4 to Install a new Windows Operating System. What kinds of hardware and software you need here : 1. A floppy drive. 2. A DVD-ROM drive. 3. Several SATA hard disks. 4. Two RAID driver diskettes. (Can be created by using motherboard driver CD) 5.
RAID Configuration Introduction RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a method for computer data storage schemes that divide and/or replicate data among multiple hard drives. RAID can be designed to provide increased data reliability (fault tolerance) or increased I/O (input/ output) performance, or both. The following RAID configurations are provided for users. There are three major key concepts in RAID: 1. Mirroring : The copying of data to more than one disk; 2.
RAID 0 (Striped) RAID 0 reads and writes sectors of data interleaved among multiple drives. If any disk member fails, it affects the entire array. The disk array data capacity is equal to the number of drive members times the capacity of the smallest member. RAID 0 does not support fault tolerance. 5 RAID 1 (Mirror) RAID 1 writes duplicate data onto a pair of drives and reads both sets of data in parallel.
NVIDIA® MediaShield Driver The NVIDIA® MediaShield driver supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 0+1 functions. It allows you to get high performance with fault tolerance, big capacity, or data safety provided by different RAID functions. Here, we will use four SATA hard disks as an example to guide you how to select your RAID system. Assume four hard disks are connected to the motherboard : SATA port 1 - WDC WD1200JD-98HBBO, 111.79GB SATA port 2 - Hitachi HDT725025VLA, 232.
MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Define a New Array RAID Mode: Striped Mirrored Free Disks Port Disk Model Capacity 0.0 WDC WD1200JD-9 111.79GB 0.2 Hitachi HDT725 232.88GB 0.1 HDS728080PLA38 76.69GB 0.3 ST3320620AS 298.09GB 5 [ESC] Quit [F6] Back [F7] Finish Stripe Block: Optimal Optimal Array Disks Port Disk Model Capacity [+] Add [-] Del [TAB] Navigate [↑↓] Select [ENTER] Popup Two topics will be covered in the following sections : 1).
5-1 Create two RAID Driver Diskettes If you want to install a brand new Windows XP on a RAID system, you need to create two RAID driver floppy diskettes which will be used during Windows XP installation later. 1. Find a PC, put a diskette into its floppy drive A:, this diskette will be formatted later. Put the driver CD into DVD-ROM drive. 3. Click "GO" to start. 4. Select the desired destination FDD drive. It can be the default drive A: or any USB FDD. Click "OK" to continue. 5.
6. You can input a volume label for this diskette, click on "Start" to format. 5 7. Click on "OK" to go through this warning message. 8. Format finished. Click "OK", then click "Close" to continue copying of RAID driver into this diskette. 9. Check if the first diskette contains the driver files. 10. Go to CD:\Driver\NVIDIA\MCP78\ Chipset\WinXP\32bit\IDE\WinXP\ sataraid\Floppy\Disk2, click on RaidTool icon to start the second RAID driver diskette creation. Repeat the steps from step 4 to step 9.
5-2 RAID Enable in BIOS 1. Enter the BIOS setup by pressing [DEL] key when boot up. 2. Select the “Integrated Peripherals” from the “Main menu”, then select the “MCP SATA Mode” menu and press [Enter] to go to the configuration items. 3. Enable RAID function and individual SATA port for hard drive or DVD connection. 4. Press [F10] to save the setting then PC will reboot itself.
Create RAID 0 (Striped) 1. Select "Striped" from the RAID Mode. The menu appears : MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Define a New Array RAID Mode: Striped Mirrored Free Disks Port Disk Model Capacity Optimal Optimal Array Disks Port Disk Model Capacity [+] Add 5 0.0 WDC WD1200JD-9 111.79GB 0.2 Hitachi HDT725 232.88GB 0.1 HDS728080PLA38 76.69GB 0.3 ST3320620AS 298.
4. The stripe value should be selected based on different applications. It ranges from 4KB to 128KB. Some suggested choices are : 16K - Best for sequential transfer. 64K - Good general purpose strip size. 128K - Best performance for most desktops and workstations. Keep it at Optimal default value. Press [F7] to finish the setting.
6. The screen displays a STRIPE array of 153.38GB, which is twice the size of the smallest hard disk. That is, 2*76.69GB = 153.38GB. If you want to build a new Operating System (such as Windows XP) in this RAID system, please press [B] to select it as bootable. You can then press [Ctrl]+[X] keys to exit the setup program, and restart your PC. MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Array List Status Vendor Array Size Healthy NVIDIA STRIPE 153.
Create RAID 1 (Mirrored) 1. Select “Mirrored” from the RAID Mode. MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Define a New Array RAID Mode: Mirrored Mirrored Free Disks Port Disk Model Capacity 0.0 WDC WD1200JD-9 111.79GB 0.2 Hitachi HDT725 232.88GB 0.1 HDS728080PLA38 76.69GB 0.3 ST3320620AS 298.09GB Stripe Block: Optimal Optimal Array Disks Port Disk Model Capacity [+] Add 5 [ESC] Quit [F6] Back [F7] Finish [-] Del [TAB] Navigate [↑↓] Select [ENTER] Popup 2.
4. The stripe block value is fixed and not changeable. Press [F7] to finish the setting. MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Define a New Array RAID Mode: Mirrored Mirrored Free Disks Port Disk Model Capacity Stripe Block: Optimal Optimal Array Disks Port Disk Model Capacity 5 AllHDT725 data on new232.88GB (or added) disks will 0.0 be overwritten. Continue? 111.79GB 0.2 Hitachi WDC WD1200JD-9 0.3 ST3320620AS 298.09GB 0.1 HDS728080PLA38 76.
6. The screen displays a MIRRORED array of 232.88GB, which is the size of the smallest hard disk. That is, 232.88GB. If you want to build a new Operating System (such as Windows XP) in this RAID system, please press [B] to select it as bootable. You can then press [Ctrl]+[X] keys to exit the setup program, and restart your PC. MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Array List Boot Status Vendor Array Healthy NVIDIA MIRROR 232.
Create RAID 0+1 (Striped Mirror) 1. Select “Striped Mirror” from the RAID Mode. The menu appears : MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Define a New Array RAID Mode: Striped Mirrored Mirror Free Disks Port Disk Model Capacity Optimal Optimal Array Disks Port Disk Model Capacity [+] Add 5 0.0 WDC WD1200JD-9 111.79GB 0.2 Hitachi HDT725 232.88GB 0.1 HDS728080PLA38 76.69GB 0.3 ST3320620AS 298.
4. The stripe value should be selected based on different applications. It ranges from 4KB to 128KB. Some suggested choices are : 16K - Best for sequential transfer. 64K - Good general purpose strip size. 128K - Best performance for most desktops and workstations. Keep it at Optimal default value. Press [F7] to finish the setting.
6. The screen displays a RAID 0+1 array of 153.38GB, which is twice the size of the smallest hard disk. That is, 2*76.69= 153.38GB. If you want to build a new Operating System (such as Windows XP) in this RAID system, please press [B] to select it as bootable. You can then press [Ctrl]+[X] keys to exit the setup program, and restart your PC. MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Array List Status Vendor Array Healthy NVIDIA RAID 0+1 153.
Create RAID 5 1. Select “RAID5” from the RAID Mode. The menu appears : MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Define a New Array RAID Mode: RAID5 Mirrored Free Disks Port Disk Model Capacity Optimal Optimal Stripe Block: Array Disks Port Disk Model [+] Add [-] Del 5 0.0 WDC WD1200JD-9 111.79GB 0.2 Hitachi HDT725 232.88GB 0.1 HDS728080PLA38 76.69GB 0.3 ST3320620AS 298.09GB Capacity [ESC] Quit [F6] Back [F7] Finish [TAB] Navigate [↑↓] Select [ENTER] Popup 2.
4. The stripe value should be selected based on different applications. It ranges from 4KB to 128KB. Some suggested choices are : 16K - Best for sequential transfer. 64K - Good general purpose strip size. 128K - Best performance for most desktops and workstations. Keep it at Optimal default value. Press [F7] to finish the setting.
6. The screen displays a RAID5 array of 153.38GB, which is twice the size of the smallest hard disk. That is, 2*76.69= 153.38GB. Another hard disk is used for parity check. If you want to build a new Operating System (such as Windows XP) in this RAID system, please press [B] to select it as bootable. You can then press [Ctrl]+[X] keys to exit the setup program, and restart your PC. MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Array List Boot Status Vendor Array Healthy NVIDIA RAID5 Size 153.
Create Spanned RAID 1. Select “Spanned” from the RAID Mode. The menu appears : MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Define a New Array RAID Mode: Spanned Mirrored Free Disks Port Disk Model Capacity Optimal Optimal Array Disks Port Disk Model Capacity [+] Add 5 0.0 WDC WD1200JD-9 111.79GB 0.2 Hitachi HDT725 232.88GB 0.1 HDS728080PLA38 76.69GB 0.3 ST3320620AS 298.
4. The stripe block value is fixed and not changeable. Press [F7] to finish the setting. MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Define a New Array RAID Mode: Spanned Mirrored Free Disks Port Disk Model Capacity Stripe Block: Optimal Optimal Array Disks Port Disk Model Capacity All data on new298.09GB (or added) disks will 0.0 be overwritten. Continue? 111.79GB WDC WD1200JD-9 0.3 ST3320620AS 0.1 HDS728080PLA38 76.69GB [+] Add 0.2 Hitachi HDT725 232.
6. The screen displays a Spanned RAID array of 421.36GB, which is the total sizes of these three hard disks. That is, 111.79+76.69+232.88= 421.36GB. We recommend not setting it to bootable as it will be impossible to recover if crashed. You can then press [Ctrl]+[X] keys to exit the setup program, and restart your PC. MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Array List Status Vendor Array Healthy NVIDIA SPAN Size 421.36G 5 Boot [Ctrl-X] Exit [↑↓] Select [B] Set Bootable [N] New Array [ENTER] Detail 7.
5-4 Creating a Bootable Array- Install a New Windows XP Assume a Mirrored array (232.88GB) was created as introduced in section 5-3, after the system restarts : 1. Press [DEL] to enter BIOS Setup during POST. 2. Insert the Windows installation CD into the optical drive. 3. Set the “First Boot Device” to “CDROM”, save changes and exit BIOS.
5. After some files are copied to your system, the following picture appears, press [S] to continue the specific driver installation. Windows Setup Setup could not determine the type of one or more mass storage devices installed in your system, or you have chosen to manually specify an adapter.
7. There are two drivers, all these two drivers must be installed. Press [Enter] to select the first driver - "NVIDIA RAID Driver (required)". Windows Setup You have chosen to configure a SCSI Adapter for use with Windows, using a device support disk provided by an adapter manufacturer. Select the SCSI Adapter you want from the following list, or press ESC to return to the previous screen. NVIDIA RAID Driver (required) NVIDIA nForce Storage Controller (required) 5 ENTER=Select F3=Exit 8.
9. Use [↓] key to select "NVIDIA nForce Storage Controller (required)", then press [Enter]. Still, The RAID floppy diskette 1 is inside the floppy drive. Windows Setup You have chosen to configure a SCSI Adapter for use with Windows, using a device support disk provided by an adapter manufacturer. Select the SCSI Adapter you want from the following list, or press ESC to return to the previous screen.
11. Windows will display the partition of your system. As we are using a Mirrored RAID array as an example, its size 232.88GB is now displayed as 238473MB. You can press [C] to create partitions as many as you wish, assign them C:, D: or E: logical drive names. (Note : 238473MB/1024 = 232.88GB) Windows XP Professional Setup The following list shows the existing partitions and unpartitioned space on this computer. Use the UP ad DOWN ARROW keys to select an item in the list.
13. The Windows XP install processes will ask you to format your hard disk, select quick formatting using NTFS file system, press [ENTER]. Windows XP Professional Setup The partition you selected is not formatted. Setup will now format the partition. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to select the file system you want, and then press ENTER. If you want to select a different partition for Windows XP, press ESC.
15. After Setup copies files from RAID floppy diskette 2 to the Windows installation folders, it then will ask you to insert the first RAID diskette into floppy drive again. Press [Enter] to continue when it is done. Windows Setup Insert the disk labeled : NVIDIA RAID DRIVER (SCSI) disk 1 into drive A: * Press ENTER when ready. 5 F3=Quit Enter=Continue 16.
5-5 Setting Up a Non-Bootable RAID Array This section assumes the following setup : ■ Boot Disk with Windows XP installed : One hard disk HDS728080PLAT20 (80GB) is connected to the IDE channel, and set to Master. ■ A Mirrored RAID Array Disk : Two SATA hard disks are configured as a mirrored RAID1 array, they are : Hitachi HDT725025VLA, (232.88GB) connected to SATA port2 of the motherboard. Segate ST3320620AS, (298.09GB) connected to SATA port4. ■ A SATA DVD Drive : A DVD drive connected to SATA port1.
2. Select a RAID array for use (also can refer to section 5-3) After rebooting your computer, you will see the RAID software prompting you to press [F10]. Press [F10] to enter the NVIDIA MediaShield BIOS setup and configure the mirrored RAID array as described in the 5-3 section. Finally, you can reach this step as depicted. MediaShield BIOS Jul 27 2007 - Array List Boot Status Vendor Array Size Healthy NVIDIA MIRROR 232.
5 5. The installation of driver may take a while, after the NVIDIA driver is installed, it will ask you to click "Finish" to restart your computer. 6. When Windows starts, a "Found New Hardware Wizard" appears. Click on "Cancel" to ignore it.
7. After PC starts, the RAID array is now ready to be initialized under Windows. Launch Computer Management by clicking Start -> Settings -> Control Panel then open the Administrative Tools folder and double click on Computer Management. Click Disk Management (under the Storage section). The Initialize and Convert Disk Wizards appears. Click "Next" to continue. The RAID array is named as Disk1 and its status is unknown and not Initialized. 5 8. A "Select Disks to Initialize" window will appear.
11. The Computer Management window appears. The actual disks listed will depend on your system. In below figure, you can see there is a 232.88 GB unallocated partition. You must format the unallocated disk space before using it. 5 Right click "Unallocated space", select "New Partition…" and follow the Wizard instructions. 12. When "New Partition Wizard" appears, click "Next" to continue. 13. When "Primary partition" screen appears, click "Next" to continue. 14.
17. The format of disk array (Disk1) is in processing. 5 18. Format completed, now you can start using your RAID array.
