K9N2 SLI Platinum Series MS-7374 (v1.
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.
Safety Instructions 1. Always read the safety instructions carefully. 2. Keep this User’s Manual for future reference. 3. Keep this equipment away from humidity. 4. Lay this equipment on a reliable flat surface before setting it up. 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.
FCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement T h is eq uip men t h as been tested and found to c omply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Statement v
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CONTENTS Copyright Notice .............................................................................................................. ii Trademarks ....................................................................................................................... ii Revision History .............................................................................................................. ii Technical Support .........................................................................................
Software Configuration ...................................................................................... A-4 Hardware Setup ................................................................................................ A-19 Appendix B NVIDIA RAID ......................................................................................... B-1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... B-2 RAID Configuraiton .....................
Getting Started Chapter 1 Getting Started Thank you for choosing the K9N2 SLI Platinum Series (MS-7374 v1.X) ATX mainboard. The K9N2 SLI Platinum Series mainboards are based on NVIDIA® nForce750a SLI single chipset for optimal system efficiency. Designed to fit the advanced AM D ® Phenom/Athlon/ Sempron series in Socket AM2/ AM2+, the K9N2 SLI Platinum Series deliver a high performance and professional desktop platform solution.
M S-7374 M ainboard Mainboard Specifications Processor Support - AMD® Phenom/ Athlon/ Sempron series processors in AM2/ AM2+ package - Supports 4 pin CPU Fan Pin-Header with Fan Speed Control (For the latest information about CPU, please visit http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=cpuform) Supported FSB - AM2 CPU supports Hyper Transport 1.0 - AM2+ CPU supports Hyper Transport 3.
Getting Started Connectors Back panel - 1 PS/2 mouse port - 1 PS/2 keyboard port - 1 1394 port (optional) - 1 Optical SPDIF-out jack - 1 DVI-D port - 1 LAN jack - 4 USB 2.0 ports - 2 ESATA ports - 6 flexible audio jacks On-Board Pinheaders - 3 USB 2.
M S-7374 M ainboard CPUFAN1 Top : mouse Bottom:keyboard JPW3 Mainboard Layout Top: DVI ports Bottom: 1394 port (optional) Optical SPDIF-out USB ports IDE 1 ATX1 Socket AM 2 Top: LAN Jack Bottom: USB ports JCI1 I/O Chip NForce 750a SLI PCI _E2 JCOM1 SYSFAN3 SATA2_4 DIMM4 CLEAR CMOS PCI _E3 Audio Coedc ( Optional) JTPM1 PCI 1 VIA VT6308P ( optional) JAUD1 JCD1 SPDOUT1 BATT + JMicron JMB363 PCI 2 RESET PWR_BTN FDD1 JFP1 J1394_1 (Opti onal) JFP2 JUSB1 JUSB2 IDE2 K9N2 SLI Plat
Getting Started Packing Checklist MSI motherboard MSI Driver/Utility CD SLI Video Link Card Power Cable SATA Cable IDE Cable external SATA Cable Floppy Cable User’s Guide (Optional) 1394 Bracket (Optional) Back IO Shield * The pictures are for reference only and may vary from the packing contents of the product you purchased.
Hardware Setup Chapter 2 Hardware Setup This chapter provides you with the information about hardware setup procedures. While doing the installation, be careful in holding the components and follow the installation procedures. For some components, if you install in the wrong orientation, the components will not work properly. Use a grounded wrist strap before handling computer c om ponen ts . S tatic elec tric ity m ay damage the components.
M S-7374 M ainboard Quick Components Guide CPU, p.2-3 JPW3, p.2-8 JPW2, p.2-8 CPUFAN1, p.2-14 SYSFAN2, p.2-14 DDR2 DIMMs, p.2-6 Back Panel I/O, p.2-10 IDE1, p.2-12 ATX1, p.2-8 SYSFAN3, p.2-14 SYSFAN1, p.2-14 PCI Express slots, p.2-20 SATA, p.2-13 JCI1, p.2-15 JTPM1, p.2-17 CLEAR CMOS, p.2-19 JCOM1, p.2-16 JUSB1~3, p.2-16 RESET, p.2-19 PWR_BTN, p.2-19 PCI Slots, p.2-24 JAUD1, p.2-15 SPDOUT1, p.2-14 JCD1, p.2-15 2-2 J1394_1, p.2-17 FDD1, p.2-13 JFP2, p.2-18 JFP1, p.2-18 IDE2, p.
Hardware Setup CPU (Central Processing Unit) The mainboard supports AMD ® Phenom/ Athlon/ Sempron processors in Socket AM2/ AM2+. The Socket AM2/ AM2+ offer a easy CPU installation. W hen you are installing the CPU, make sure the CPU has a heat sink and a cooling fan attached on the top to prevent overheating. If you do not have the heat sink and cooling fan, contact your dealer to purchase and install them before turning on the computer. For the latest information about CPU, please visit http://global.
M S-7374 M ainboard CPU Installation Procedures for Socket AM2/ AM2+ 1. Please turn off the power and unplug the power cord before installing the CPU. 2. Pull the lever s ideways away from the socket. Make sure to raise the lever up to a 90-degree angle. 3. Look for the gold arrow on the CPU. The gold arrow should point as shown in the picture. The CPU c an on l y f i t i n t h e c or r ec t orientation. Lower the CPU down onto the socket. 4.
Hardware Setup Installing CPU Cooler Set W hen you are installing the CPU, make sure the CPU has a heat sink and a cooling fan attached on the top to prevent overheating. If you do not have the heat sink and cooling fan, contact your dealer to purchase and install them before turning on the computer. Important 1. Read the CPU status in BIOS (Chapter 3). 2. Mainboard photos shown in this section are for demonstration of the CPU/ cooler installation only.
M S-7374 M ainboard Memory These DIMM slots are used for installing memory modules. For more information on compatible components, please visit http://global.msi.com. tw/index.php?func=testreport DDR2 240-pin, 1.8V 56x2=112 pin 64x2=128 pin Dual-Channel Memory Population Rules In Dual-Channel mode, the memory modules can transmit and receive data with two data bus lines simultaneously. Enabling Dual-Channel mode can enhance the system performance.
Hardware Setup Installing Memory Modules 1. The memory module has only one notch on the center and will only fit in the right orientation. 2. Insert the memory module vertically into the DIMM slot. Then push it in until the golden finger on the memory module is deeply inserted in the DIMM slot. The plastic clip at each side of the DIMM slot will automatically close when the memory module is properly seated. Important You can barely see the golden finger if the module is properly inserted in the DIMM slot.
M S-7374 M ainboard Power Supply ATX 24-Pin Power Connector: ATX1 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.
Hardware Setup Important 1. Make sure that all the connectors are connected to proper ATX power supplies to ensure stable operation of the mainboard. 2. Power supply of 450 watts (and above) is highly recommended for system stability. 3. We recommend you to use the minimum 450 watts power supply to support the needs of SLI technology in the system.
M S-7374 M ainboard Back Panel Mouse LAN DVI-D Port Line-In RS-Out USB Port ESATA Port Line-Out CS-Out Keyboard 1394 Optical Port S/PDIF-Out USB Port Mic SS-Out (optional) M ouse/Keyboard The standard PS/2® mouse/keyboard DIN connector is for a PS/2® mouse/keyboard. DVI-D Port The DVI-D (Digital Visual Interface-Digital) connector allows you to connect a LCD monitor. It provides a high-speed digital interconnection between the computer and its display device.
Hardware Setup LAN The standard RJ-45 LAN jack is for connection to the Local Area Network (LAN). You can connect a network cable to it. LED Color LED State Left Orange On (steady state) Off Yellow Green / Orange 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 Off 10 Mbit/sec data rate is selected. On 100 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.
M S-7374 M ainboard Connectors IDE Connector: IDE1 / IDE2 This connector supports IDE hard disk drives, optical disk drives and other IDE devices. IDE1 IDE2 IDE1 (Primary IDE Connector) The first hard drive should always be connected to IDE1. IDE1 can connect a Master and a Slave drive. IDE2 (Secondary IDE Connector) IDE2 can also connect a Master and a Slave drive.
Hardware Setup Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1 This connector supports 360KB, 720KB, 1.2MB, 1.44MB or 2.88MB floppy disk drive. FDD1 Serial ATA Connector: SATA1~6 This connector is a high-speed Serial ATA interface port. Each connector can connect to one Serial ATA device. SATA6 SATA4/SATA2 SATA5 SATA3/SATA1 Important 1. Please do not fold the Serial ATA cable into 90-degrees angle. Otherwise, data loss may occur during transmission. 2. SATA5 & SATA 6 support AHCI mode and RAID mode only.
M S-7374 M ainboard Fan Power Connectors: CPUFAN1, SYSFAN1/ 2/ 3/ 4 CONTROL SENSOR +12V GND CPUFAN1 GND +12V NC or Sensor SYSFAN1/2/3 GND +12V NC The fan power connectors support system cooling fan with +12V. W hen connecting the wire to the connectors, always note that the red wire is the positive and should be connected to the +12V; the black wire is Ground and should be connected to GND.
Hardware Setup Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD1 This connector allows you to connect the front panel audio and is compliant with Intel® Front Panel I/O Connectivity Design Guide.
M S-7374 M ainboard Front USB Connector: JUSB1/ JUSB2/ JUSB3 This connector, compliant with Intel® I/O Connectivity Design Guide, is ideal for connecting high-speed USB interface peripherals such as USB HDD, digital cameras, M P3 players, printers, modems and the like. Pin Definition 10 9 PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL 1 VCC 2 VCC 3 USB0- 4 USB1- 5 USB0+ 6 USB1+ 2 1 7 GND 8 GND JUSB1 / 2/ 3 9 Key (no pin) 10 NC USB 2.
Hardware Setup IEEE1394 Connector: J1394_1 (optional) This connector allows you to connect the IEEE1394 device via an optional IEEE1394 bracket. Pin Definition 10 9 2 1 J1394_1 PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL 1 TPA+ 2 TPA- 3 Ground 4 Ground 5 TPB+ 6 TPB- 7 Cable power 8 Cable power 9 Key (no pin) 10 Ground IEEE1394 Bracket (optional) TPM Module Connector: JTPM1 (optional) This connector connects to a TPM (Trusted Platform Module) module (optional).
M S-7374 M ainboard Front Panel Connectors: JFP1, JFP2 These connectors are for electrical connection to the front panel switches and LEDs. The JFP1 is compliant with Intel® Front Panel I/O Connectivity Design Guide.
Hardware Setup Button This mainboard provides the following buttons for you to set the computer’s function. This section will explain how to change your mainboard’s function through the use of buttons. Clear CMOS Button: CLEAR CMOS There is a CMOS RAM on board that has a power supply from external battery to keep the system configuration data. With the CMOS RAM, the system can automatically boot OS every time it is turned on. If you want to clear the system configuration, use the button to clear data.
M S-7374 M ainboard Slots PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Express Slots The The The The PCI PCI PCI PCI Express Express Express Express slot supports the PCI Express interface expansion card. 2.0 x 16 supports up to 8.0 GB/s transfer rate. 2.0 x 8 supports up to 4.0 GB/s transfer rate. x 1 supports up to 250 MB/s transfer rate. Mazarine PCI Express x16 Slot supports up to PCI Express 2.0x 16 speed (PCI_E1 ) PCI Express x 1 Slot (PCI_E2) Blue PCI Express x 16 Slot supports up to PCI Express 2.
Hardware Setup NV SLI Technology NVIDIA SLI (Scalable Link Interface) technology allows two GPUs to run in tandem within a system to achieve up to twice the performance of a single graphics card. To utilize this technology, the two GPU cards must be connected by an SLI Video Link card. SLI Video Link Card If you intend to use the SLI mode for better graphics performance, please refer to the following instructions. 1.Install two graphics cards on PCI Express x16 slots.
M S-7374 M ainboard 2. After the hardware installation is completed, restart the system and install the NV SLI driver/utility. A configuration panel will be provided for SLI control. Select the Enable SLI technology (recommended) item to enable the SLI function for the onboard graphics cards (concerning the details of SLI settings, please refer to your graphics card manual) . Select “Enable SLI tec hnology (recommended)” 3.
Hardware Setup NVIDIA Hybrid SLI Technology Hybrid SLI technology, based on NVIDIA’s industry-leading SLI technology, delivers multi-GPU benefits when an NVIDIA mainboard GPU is combined with an NVIDIA discrete GPU. Enabling Hybrid SLI Technology Power off the system and install the NVIDIA SLI graphic card that supports Hybrid SLI technology. After then, power on the system and install the “NVIDIA hSLI Driver” which supports Windows Vista only.
M S-7374 M ainboard PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slots The PCI slots support LAN cards, SCSI cards, USB cards, and other add-on cards that comply with PCI specifications. At 32 bits and 33 MHz, it yields a throughput rate of 133 MBps. 32-bit PCI Slot PCI Interrupt Request Routing The IRQ, acronym of interrupt request line and pronounced I-R-Q, are hardware lines over which devices can send interrupt signals to the microprocessor.
Hardware Setup LED1 LED4 LED5 LED6 LED7 LED8 LED9 LED10 LED11 LED Status Indicators LED2 LED3 LED12 LED13 LED14 LED15 LED16 Name Status LED1 Lights when the 12V power conn. is not connected. LED2 Lights when PCI_E1 slot is functional. LED3 Lights when PCI_E2 slot is functional. LED12 Lights when PCI_E3 slot is functional. LED13 Lights when PCI1 slot is functional. LED14 Lights when PCI2 slot is functional. LED15 Lights when system is power-on.
M S-7374 M ainboard LED 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 These four LEDs allow users to identify system problems through 16 various combinations of LED signals. LED4 LED5 LED6 LED7 LED8 LED9 LED10 LED11 Red LED Signal 2-26 Group4 Group3 Group2 Group1 Green Description LED Signal Description Group4 Group3 Group2 Group1 Initializing Video Interface This will start detecting CPU clock, checking type of video onboard. Then, detect and initialize the video adapter.
BIOS Setup Chapter 3 BIOS Setup This chapter provides information on the BIOS Setup program and allows you to configure the system for optimum use. You may need to run the Setup program when: ² An error message appears on the screen during the system booting up, and requests you to run SETUP. ² You want to change the default settings for customized features.
M S-7374 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 key to enter Setup. Press DEL to enter SETUP If the message disappears before you respond and you still wish to enter Setup, restart the system by turning it OFF and On or pressing the RESET button. You may also restart the system by simultaneously pressing , , and keys. Important 1.
BIOS Setup Control Keys < ↑> Move to the previous item < ↓> Move to the next item < ←> Move to the item in the left hand < →> Move to the item in the right hand Select the item Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu from a submenu <+/PU> Increase the numeric value or make changes <-/PD> Decrease the numeric value or make changes General Help Load Optimized Defaults Load Fail-Safe Defaults Save all the CMOS changes and exit Getting Help
M S-7374 M ainboard The Main Menu 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. 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. H/W M onitor This entry shows your PC health status.
BIOS Setup Load Fail-Safe Defaults Use this menu to load the default values set by the BIOS vendor for stable system performance. Load Optimized Defaults Use this menu to load the default values set by the mainboard manufacturer specifically for optimal performance of the mainboard. Save & Exit Setup Save changes to CMOS and exit setup. Exit Without Saving Abandon all changes and exit setup.
M S-7374 M ainboard Standard CMOS Features The items in Standard CMOS Features Menu includes some basic setup items. Use the arrow keys to highlight the item and then use the or keys to select the value you want in each item. 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 Day of the week, from Sun to Sat, determined by BIOS. Read-only. mon th The month from Jan. to Dec.
BIOS Setup 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.
M S-7374 M ainboard Advanced BIOS Features Full Screen Logo Display This item enables you to show the company logo on the bootup screen. Settings are: [Enabled] Shows a still image (logo) on the full screen at boot. [Disabled] Shows the POST messages at boot. Quick Booting Setting the item to [Enabled] allows the system to boot within 10 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.
BIOS Setup Password Check After you set the password in BIOS Setting Password menu, this item will appear. Selecting [setup] will request the password when enter the BIOS setup menu. Selecting [always] will request the password when enter both the operating system and the BIOS setup menu. Primary Graphic’s Adapter This setting specifies which graphic card is your primary graphics adapter. PCI Latency Timer This item controls how long each PCI device can hold the bus before another takes over.
M S-7374 M ainboard Boot Sequence Press to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears: 1st/ 2nd/ 3rd Boot Device The items allow you to set the first/ second/ third boot device where BIOS attempts to load the disk operating system. Boot From Other Device Setting the option to [Yes] allows the system to try to boot from other device. If the system fails to boot from the 1st/ 2nd/ 3rd boot device.
BIOS Setup Integrated Peripherals USB Controller This setting allows you to enable/disable the onboard USB controller. USB Device Legacy Support Select [Enabled] if you need to use a USB-interfaced device in the operating system. Onboard LAN Controller This item is used to enable/disable the onboard LAN controller. LAN Option ROM This item is used to decide whether to invoke the Boot ROM of the LAN controller.
M S-7374 M ainboard On-Chip ATA Devices Press to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears: On-Chip IDE Controller This item allows you to enable/ disable the IDE controller. PCI IDE BusMaster This item allows you to enable/ disable BIOS to used PCI busmastering for reading/ writing to IDE drives. On-Chip SATA Controller This item allows you to enable/ disable the SATA controller.
BIOS Setup Power Management 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 W indows 2000/ XP, select [Enabled]. ACPI Standby State This item specifies the power saving modes for ACPI function.
M S-7374 M ainboard Re-call VGA BIOS From S3 W hen ACPI Standby State is set to [S3], users can select the options in this field. Selecting [Yes] allows BIOS to call VGABIOS to initialize the VGA card when system wakes up (resumes) from S3 sleep state. The system resume time is shortened when you disable the function, but system will need an VGA driver to initialize the VGA card.
BIOS Setup Resume From S3 By PS/2 M ouse This setting determines whether the system will be awakened from what power saving modes when input signal of the PS/2 mouse is detected. Resume By PCI Device (PM E#) W hen set to [Enabled], the feature allows your system to be awakened from the power saving modes through any event on PME (Power Management Event).
M S-7374 M ainboard H/W Monitor Chassis Intrusion The field enables or disables the feature of recording the chassis intrusion status and issuing a warning message if the chassis is once opened. To clear the warning message, set the field to [Reset]. The setting of the field will automatically return to [Enabled] later.
BIOS Setup BIOS Setting Password W hen you select this function, a message as below will appear on the screen: Type the password, up to six characters in length, and press . 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 . You may also press to abort the selection and not enter a password. To clear a set password, just press when you are prompted to enter the password.
M S-7374 M ainboard Cell Menu Important Change these settings only if you are familiar with the chipset. Current CPU/ DRAM Frequency These items show the current clocks of CPU and Memory speed. Read-only. D.O.T Control D.O.T. (Dynamic Overclocking Technology) is the automatic overclocking function, included in the MSITM ’s newly developed CoreCell TM Technology. It is designed to detect the load balance of CPU while running programs, and to adjust the best CPU frequency automatically.
BIOS Setup [Disabled] [Private] [Sergeant] [Captain] [Colonel] [General] [Commander] Disable Dynamic Overclocking. 1st level of overclocking, increasing the frequency by 1%. 2nd level of overclocking, increasing the frequency by 3%. 3rd level of overclocking, increasing the frequency by 5%. 4th level of overclocking, increasing the frequency by 7%. 5th level of overclocking, increasing the frequency by 10%. 6th level of overclocking, increasing the frequency by 15%.
M S-7374 M ainboard Adjust CPU FSB Frequency (M Hz) This item allows you to select the CPU Front Side Bus clock frequency (in MHz). Adjust CPU Ratio This item is used to adjust CPU clock multiplier (ratio). It is available only when the processor supports this function. Adjusted CPU Frequency (M Hz) This item shows the adjusted CPU frequency. Read only. Advance DRAM Configuration Press to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears.
BIOS Setup Adjusted DRAM Frequency (MHz) This item shows the adjusted DRAM frequency. Read only. HT Configuration Press to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears. SB to AM2 FreqAuto Selecting [Disabled] allows users to configure the frequency (from SB to CPU) and the following related items manually. SB to AM 2 Freq This field selects the frequency from SB to CPU. SB to AM 2 Link This field selects the bandwidth from SB to CPU.
M S-7374 M ainboard Spread Spectrum This setting is used to enable or disable the Spread Spectrum feature. W hen overclocking, always set it to [Disabled]. Important 1. If you do not have any EMI problem, leave the setting at [Disabled] for optimal system stability and performance. But if you are plagued by EMI, select the value of Spread Spectrum for EMI reduction. 2. The greater the Spread Spectrum value is, the greater the EMI is reduced, and the system will become less stable.
BIOS Setup USER SETTINGS Save Settings 1/2 Select this item and press “Enter” to save any changes you have made to your current settings. Load Settings 1/2 Select this item and press “Enter” to load settings from the store.
M S-7374 M ainboard Load Fail-Safe/ Optimized Defaults The two options on the main menu allow users to restore all of the BIOS settings to the default Fail-Safe or Optimized values. The Optimized Defaults are the default values set by the mainboard manufacturer specifically for optimal performance of the mainboard. The Fail-Safe Defaults are the default values set by the BIOS vendor for stable system performance.
Appendix A Realtek ALC888 Audio The Realtek ALC888 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.
M S-7374 M ainboard Installing the Realtek HD Audio Driver You need to install the HD audio driver for Realtek ALC888 codec to function properly before you can get access to 2-, 4-, 6-, 8- channel or 7.1+2 channel audio operations. Follow the procedures described below to install the drivers for different operating systems. Installation for Windows 2000/ XP/ Vista For W indows ® 2000, you must install W indows ® 2000 Service Pack4 or later before installing the driver.
Realtek ALC888 Audio 3. Click Next to install the Realtek High Definition Audio Driver. Click here 4. Click Finish to restart the system.
M S-7374 M ainboard Software Configuration After installing the audio driver, you are able to use the 2-, 4-, 6- or 8- channel audio from the system tray at the lower-right corner of feature now. Click the audio icon the screen to activate the HD Audio Configuration. It is also available to enable the HD Audio Configuration by clicking the Realtek HD Audio M anager from the Control Panel.
Realtek ALC888 Audio 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, several 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.
M S-7374 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.
Realtek ALC888 Audio Frequently Used Equalizer Setting Realtek recognizes the needs that you might have. By leveraging our long experience at audio field, Realtek HD Audio Sound Manager provides you certain optimized equalizer settings that are frequently used for your quick enjoyment. [How to Use It] Other than the buttons “Pop” “Live” “Club” & “Rock” shown on the page, to pull down the arrow in “Others”, you will find more optimized settings available to you.
M S-7374 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 plugged in front or rear panel by select the Realtek HD Audio rear output or Realtek HD Audio front output items. Important Before set up, please make sure the playback devices are well plugged in the jacks on the rear or front panel.
Realtek ALC888 Audio 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 front 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.
M S-7374 M ainboard 3. Playback control Playback device Tool Mute This function is to let you freely decide which ports to output the sound. And this is essential when multistreaming playback enabled. - Realtek HD Audio Rear Output - Realtek HD Audio Front Output 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.
Realtek ALC888 Audio 4. Recording control Tool Mute Recording device -Back Line in/Mic, Front Lin in -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 ALC888 allows you to record the CD, Line, Mic and Stereo Mix channels simultaneously, frees you from mixing efforts.
M S-7374 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.
Realtek ALC888 Audio Connector Settings Click to access connector settings. Disable front panel jack detection (option) Find no function on front panel jacks? Please check if front jacks on your system are so-called AC’97 jacks. If so, please check this item to disable front panel jack detection. M ute rear panel output when front headphone plugged in.
M S-7374 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 Sampling Rate 44.1KHz: This is recommend while playing CD. 48KHz: This is recommended while playing DVD or Dolby.
Realtek ALC888 Audio 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 button to test the sounds of each speaker automatically.
M S-7374 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 Cancellation to cancel the acoustic echo during recording. Acoustic Echo Cancellation 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.
Realtek ALC888 Audio 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.
M S-7374 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.
Realtek ALC888 Audio 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.
M S-7374 M ainboard n 4-Channel M ode for 4-Speaker Output 1 4 2 5 3 6 1 Line In 2 Line Out (Front channels) 3 MIC 4 Line Out (Rear channels) 5 No function 6 No function A-20
Realtek ALC888 Audio n 6-Channel M ode for 6-Speaker Output 1 2 4 5 3 6 1 Line In 2 Line Out (Front channels) 3 MIC 4 Line Out (Rear channels) 5 Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel) 6 No function A-21
M S-7374 M ainboard n 8-Channel M ode for 8-Speaker Output 1 2 4 5 3 6 1 Line In 2 Line Out (Front channels) 3 MIC 4 Line Out (Rear channels) 5 Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel) 6 Line Out (Side channels) Important To enable 7.1 channel audio-out function on Vista operating system, you have to install the Realtek Audio Driver. Or, the mainboard will support 5.1 channel audio-out only.
nVidia RAID Appendix B NVIDIA RAID NVIDIA brings Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) technology—which is used by the world’s leading businesses—to the common PC desktop. This technology uses multiple drives to either increase total disk space or to offer data protection. For all levels, RAID techniques optimize storage solutions by using multiple disks grouped together and treating them as a single storage resource.
M S-7374 M ainboard Introduction System Requirement Operating System Support NVRAID supports the following operating systems: W indows XP, W indows Vista 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.
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. (Refer the bios section for details.) 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.
M S-7374 M ainboard Understanding the “Define a New Array” Window Use the Define a New Array window to • Select the RAID Mode • Set up the Striping Block • Specify which disks to use for the RAID Array The SATA ports are called channels and they are associated with adapters. The first digit in the Location field defines the adapter that the port is associated with. The 2nd digit defines the channel. 0.1 Channel Adapter In the example above, 0.1 means the hard drive is attached to Adapter 0, Channel 1.
nVidia RAID Using the Define a New Array Window If necessary, press the tab key to move from field to field until the appropriate field is highlighted. • Selecting the RAID Mode By default, this is set to [Mirroring]. To change to a different RAID mode, press the down arrow key until the mode that you want appears in the RAID Mode box—either [Mirroring], [Striping], [RAID5], [Spanning], or [Stripe Mirroring].
M S-7374 M ainboard Completing the RAID BIOS Setup 1. After assigning your RAID array disks, press F7. The Clear disk data prompt appears. 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.
nVidia RAID Installing Driver Install Driver in Windows Vista / XP † New Windows Vista/ XP Installation For W indows XP: 1. W hen you start installing W indows XP, you may encounter a message stating, “Setup could not determine the type of one or more mass storage devices installed in your system”. If this is the case, then you are already in the right place and are ready to supply the driver. If this is not the case, then press F6 when prompted at the beginning of W indows setup. 2.
M S-7374 M ainboard NVIDIA RAID Utility Installation Installing the NVIDIA MediaShield Software Under Windows (for Non-bootable RAID Array) The existing W indows Serial ATA driver must be upgraded to use the NVIDIA Serial ATA driver. This section describes how to run the setup application and install the RAID software which will upgrade the W indows SATA driver and install the RAID software. 1. Start the NVIDIA nForce Drivers installation program to open the NVIDIA W indows nForce Drivers page. 2. 3. 4.
nVidia RAID Initializing and Using the Disk Array The RAID array is now ready to be initialized under W indows. 1. Launch Computer Management by clicking “Start” --> “Settings” --> “Control Panel” then open the “Administrative Tools” folder and double click on “Computer Management”. 2. Click “Disk Management” (under the “Storage” section). The Initialize and Convert Disk W izards appears. 3. Click Next. The Select Disks to Initialize window appears.
M S-7374 M ainboard 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. 6. Click Finish. The “Computer Management” 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.
nVidia RAID Using the NVMediaShield Software Accessing the Storage Page To access the NVIDIA Control Panel Storage page: 1. Click Star-> Programs-> NVIDIA Corporation-> NVIDIA Control Panel-> Storage. 2. The NVIDIA Control Panel - Storage page appears.
M S-7374 M ainboard Using the Storage Page From the Storage page, you can accomplish the following tasks: • Create an Array • Delete an Array • Rebuild an Array • Synchronize an Array • Designate a Spare Disk • Remove a Spare • M igrate an Array • View Storage Information Create an Array This option is available only if there are free disks that are RAID-enabled. Click Create array to start the Create Array W izard and then follow the instructions.
nVidia RAID Designate a Spare Disk About Spare Disks You can designate a hard drive to be used as a spare drive for a RAID 1, RAID 0+1 or RAID 5 array2. The spare drive can take over for a failed disk. MediaShield RAID supports two types of spare drives: Free Disk A free disk is a disk that is not part of any RAID array, but can be used by any available RAID 1, RAID 0+1, or RAID 5 array that requires another disk when one of its disks crashes or becomes unusable.
M S-7374 M ainboard Remove a Spare The Remove spare option appears only if you have a RAID array with a spare disk allocated to it. Click Remov e spare to s tart the Remove Spare W izard and then follow the instructions. You can press F1 to access the online help that walks you through the W izard with step-by-step instructions.
nVidia RAID Specific M igrating Requirements The following table lists the disk requirements for a new RAID array for various migrating combinations. From To RAID 0 RAID 1 RAID 0 RAID 0+1 New Array Disk Requirements m>n Number of disks in the new array must be greater than the original array. m =2, n =1 RAID 1 array must include two disks, converted from a one disk RAID 0 array. m >= 2 x n Number of RAID 0+1 disks must be equal to or greater than twice the number of RAID 0 disks.
M S-7374 M ainboard View Storage Information • You can use the Storage page to view the following storage information about the hard drives in your system: - W hich RAID arrays are set up - The process state of each array - W hich drives are configured for each RAID array in your system - W hich drives are designated as free disks - Information about each drive, such as size and model • You can also launch various W izards-such as the Create Array Wizard, Delete Array, and Migrate Array W izard-from the l
Appendix C JMicron RAID Introduction This appendix will assist users in configuring and enabling RAID functionality on platforms The JMicron RAID solution supports RAID level 0 (striping), RAID level 1 (mirroring), RAID level 10 (striping and mirroring) and JBOD (Concatenate).
M S-7374 M ainboard Introduction JMicron JMB363 offers RAID level 0 (Striping), RAID level 1 (Mirroring and Duplexing), RAID level 10 (A Stripe of Mirrors) and JBOD (Concatenate). RAID 0 breaks the data into blocks which are written to separate hard drives. Spreading the hard drive I/O load across independent channels greatly improves I/O performance. RAID 1 provides data redundancy by mirroring data between the hard drives and provides enhanced read performance.
JMicron RAID JMicron RAID BIOS Utility Be sure to set RAID mode for the JMicron 36x ATA Controller in BIOS before configuring the JMicron BIOS utility. After that, save the configuration and exit. During boot up (POST), press CTRL+J to enter the JMicron BIOS RAID utility. The RAID Utility menu screen will be displayed. A brief description of each section is presented below. M ain M enu Create RAID Disk Drive - Create a new legacy RAID set. Delete RAID Disk Drive - Delete a legacy RAID set.
M S-7374 M ainboard Creating RAID set 1. Select “Create RAID Disk Drive”. Then press . 2. Then in the Name field, specify a RAID set name and then press the to go to the next field. 3. Choose a 0-Striped, a 1-Mirror, or a JBOD-Concatenate combination set and then press to go to the next step.
JMicron RAID 4. In the Hard Disk Disk List menu, use key to select the disks you want to create for the RAID set, then click key to finish selection. 5. Then select the block value (stripe value) for the RAID array by using the “upper arrow” or “down arrow” keys to scroll through the available values, and pressing the key to select and advance to the next field. The available values range from 4KB to 128 KB. The default and typical value for RAID 0 is 128KB.
M S-7374 M ainboard 6. Then select the capacity of the RAID set in the Size field. The default value is the maximum capacity of the selected disks. Then press to the Confirm Creation field. 7. The Creation field will display a message to ask you to confirm the creation. Then press key to proceed with the RAID set creation. 8. Then the following screen appears to indicate that the creation is finished. 9.
JMicron RAID Deleting RAID set 1. Select “Delete RAID Disk Drive”. Then press . 2. In the RAID Disk Driver List menu, use key to select the RAID set you want to delete. Then press key. 3. Press “Y” to accept the deletion when a deletion message is appeared.
M S-7374 M ainboard Revert HDD to non-RAID Select Revert HDD to non-RAID and press . In the Hard Disk Driver List menu use key to select the disks you want to revert then click key. The following screen appears, press key to remove any RAID structures from the drives. Important 1. You will lose all data on the RAID drives and any internal RAID structures when you perform this operation. 2.
JMicron RAID Solving a Mirror Conflict A Mirror conflict occurs when both disks in a RAID 1 (Mirror) configuration are unplugged from the system in turn, then plugged in again. Since both disks contain exactly the same data, the system will be unable to determine which of the two is the source drive. This option allows you to set the source drive and rebuild the Mirror drive according to the contents of the source drive. To solving a Mirror conflict: Select Solving a Mirror Conflict and press .
M S-7374 M ainboard Rebuilding a Mirror drive W hen one of the disk in a RAID 1 (Mirror) configuration is unplugged from the system, then plugged in again, a dialogue box appears to ask you to rebuild the Mirror drive. Press to confirm; otherwise, press . This option allows you to rebuild the Mirror drive later and synchronize the data between two hard disks. To rebuild a M irror drive: Select Rebuild Mirror Drive and press .
JMicron RAID Installing Driver Install Driver in Windows Vista / XP † New Windows Vista / XP Installation For W indows XP:. 1. W hen you start installing Windows XP and older operating systems, you may encounter a message stating, “Setup could not determine the type of one or more mass storage devices installed in your system”. If this is the case, then you are already in the right place and are ready to supply the driver.
M S-7374 M ainboard † Existing Windows Vista/XP Driver Installation 1. Insert the MSI CD into the CD-ROM drive. 2. The CD will auto-run and the setup screen will appear. 3. Under the Driver tab, click on JMicron JMB363 Drivers. 4. The drivers will be automatically installed. † Confirming Windows Vista/XP Driver Installation 1. From W indows Vista/XP, open the Control Panel from My Computer followed by the System icon. 2. Choose the Hardware tab, then click the Device M anager tab. 3.
JMicron RAID JMicron RAID Configurer There is an application called JMRaidTool which helps you perform the following tasks of JMicron RAID. • Viewing RAID Array Configurations View an array configuration (mirrored, striped) • Creating RAID Arrays • Deleting a RAID Array • Rebuilding RAID Arrays • Solving Mirror Conflict View RAID Array Configurations Left-click the “Show Disks” button and the information of all hard disks will display on the right side of the window.
M S-7374 M ainboard Create RAID JMRaidTool supports the creation of RAID 0, 1, 0+1 and JBOD. 1. Left-click the “Create Raid” button. 2. A CREATE RAID W IZARD dialogue will display on the screen, following the description of every step to complete the creation. Create RAID from Existing Disk You can combine the Existing Disk (Source disk may content OS and Data) with other HD (must be larger than source Disk) to be RAID. The data on Source Disk will be reserved.
JMicron RAID Remove RAID There are two ways you can choose to remove RAID. Way 1 1. Right-click the name of the disk array you want to delete and the “Remove” menu will appear. Select the “Remove Raid” of the pop-up menu. 2. A warning message appears to remind you that the data will be lost. Press the “Yes” button if you really want to delete the disk array.
M S-7374 M ainboard Way2 1. Left-Click the “Remove Raid” icon on the toolbar. 2. A “REMOVE RAID” wizard dialogue will display on the screen, following the description of every step to complete the deletion. Rebuild RAID RAID 1, 0+1 can be rebuilt while RAID 0, JBOD cannot be rebuilt. There are two ways you can choose to rebuild RAID. Way 1 1. Right-click the name of the disk array you want to rebuild and the “Rebuild” menu will appear.
JMicron RAID 2. Select “Rebuild Raid”. 3. A “REBUILD RAID W IZARD” dialogue will display on the screen, following the description of every step to complete the rebuilding. Way 2 1. If the disk array needs to rebuild then the rebuild button will be enabling on the toolbar.
M S-7374 M ainboard 2. Left-Click the “Rebuild Raid” button on the toolbar. 3. A “REBUILD RAID W IZARD” dialogue will display on the screen, following the description of every step to complete the rebuilding. Solve Mirror Conflict If the conflict occurs, it will show the “REBUILDING RAID W IZARD” dialogue to ask you if you want to rebuild RAID, following the description of every step to rebuild the RAID.
Dual Core Center Appendix D Dual Core Center Dual CoreCenter, the most useful and powerful utility that MSI has spent muc h researc h and ef forts to develop, helps users to monitor or configure the hardware status of MSI Mainboard & MSI Graphics card in windows, such as CPU/GPU clock, voltage, fan speed and temperature. Before you install the Dual CoreCenter, please make sure the system has meet the following requirements: 1.
M S-7374 M ainboard Activating Dual Core Center Once you have your Dual Core Center installed (locate the setup source file in the setup CD accompanying with your mainboard, path: Utility --> MSI Utility --> Dual Core Center), it will have an icon in the system tray, a short cut icon on the desktop, and a short cut path in your “Start-up” menu. You may double-click on each icon to enable Dual Core Center.
Dual Core Center Main Before using this utility, we have to remind you: only when installing the MSI V044 (V044 has to install with the version 8.26 or newer driver)/ V046 or V060 graphics card can activate the full function of this utility. If you install a graphics card of other brand, only hardware status of the MSI mainboard would be available. Introduction: Click each button appearing above to enter sub-menu to make further configuration or to execute the function.
M S-7374 M ainboard AV/ Game/ Office/ Silence/ Cool MSI provides five common settings for different environments. The settings had been set to optimal values to reac h better performanc e in eac h environment. Click the button you need. Important Before clicking the AV/ Game/ Office/ Silence or Cool button, select Smooth mode or Sharp mode to decide whether you want the system to reach the optimal values smoothly or quickly.
Dual Core Center DOT (Dynamic OverClocking) Dynamic Overclocking Technology is an automatic overclocking function, included in the MSITM ’s newly developed Dual CoreCenter Technology. It is designed to detect the loading of CPU/ GPU while running programs, and to over-clock automatically. When the motherboard detects that the loading of CPU is exceed the default threshold for a time, it will speed up the CPU and fan automatically to make the system run smoother and faster.
M S-7374 M ainboard Clock In the Clock sub-menu, you can see clock status (including FSB/ CPU clock of mainboard and GPU/ memory clock of graphics card) of your system. And you can select desired value for overclocking. There will be several items for you to select for overclocking after you click button. You can click the plus sign button to increase the clock, or click the minus sign button to decrease the clock. And finally, click the Apply button to apply the values adjusted.
Dual Core Center Voltage In the Voltage sub-menu, you can see voltage status (including Vcore, memory, GPU voltage... etc.) of your system, and you can select desired value for overclocking. It will show several items to select for overclocking after you click the button. You can click the plus sign button to increase the voltage, or click the minus sign button to decrease. And finally, click the Apply button to apply the adjustments.
M S-7374 M ainboard FAN Speed In the FAN Speed sub-menu, you can read fan status of your system. Select higher speed for better cooling effect. There are several sections for you to change the fan speed to a section after clicking button. Click the plus sign button to increase the fan speed to a section, or click the minus sign button to decrease. Or click the Default button to restore the default values. On the underside, it shows the graphs of the fan speed.
Dual Core Center Temperature In the Temperature sub-menu, you can see temperature status of your system. On the underside, it shows the graphs of the temperatures. Only the curves of the item which the button is lit up with red color will be shown.
M S-7374 M ainboard User Profile In the User Profile sub-menu, click the setting button that besides the user profile bar, and the next screen will appear. Here you can define the clock/ fan speed/ voltage by your need, click the button to choose a value quickly, or click the plus / minus sign button to increase/ decrease the value.
Dual Core Center Use the draw bar to set the max system temperature. W hen the system temperature exceeds the threshold you defined, the system will pop up a warning message and shut down the system. Use the draw bar to set the minimal fan speed. When the fan speed is lower than the threshold you defined, the system will pop up a warning message. After setting all values you need, you can change the user profile name in the box then click the save button to save all changes in a profile.
