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This chapter will cover two topics :

■       Creating a Bootable Array - Installing a new Windows XP

 

(or Vista) in a brand new RAID system.

■ 

Creating a Non-Bootable Array - Existing Windows XP

 

(or Vista) system with new RAID built as data storage.

It includes the following information :

■       RAID Introduction
■       Install SATA Hard Disks
■       RAID Configuration
■       Create RAID Driver Disk
■       Install Windows OS

The RAID BIOS Setup pictures shown in this chapter are for refer-

ence only, please refer to the practical screen. 

Summary of Contents for A74GA Series

Page 1: ...User s Manual A74GA Series Motherboard ...

Page 2: ...indicates that this product may not be treated as household waste By ensuring this product is disposed of correctly you will help prevent potential negative consequences for the environment and human health which could other wise be caused by inappropriate waste handling of this product For more detailed information about recycling of this product please contact your local city office your househo...

Page 3: ...adio disturbance characteristics of information technology equipment EN 61000 3 2 2000 Electromagnetic compatibility EMC Part 3 Limits Section 2 Limits for harmonic current emissions equipment input current 16A per phase EN 61000 3 3 A1 2001 Electromagnetic compatibility EMC Part 3 Limits Section 2 Limits of voltage fluctuations and flicker in low voltage supply systems for equipment with rated cu...

Page 4: ...turer HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY COMPANY LTD Address 66 CHUNG SHAN RD TU CHENG INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT TAIPEI HSIEN TAIWAN R O C Supplementary Information This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 this device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause un...

Page 5: ...ower please make sure the power supply AC input voltage setting has been configured to the local standard To prevent damage to the motherboard do not allow screws to come in contact with the motherboard circuit or its components Also make sure there are no leftover screws or metal components placed on the motherboard or within the computer casing If you are uncertain about any installation steps o...

Page 6: ...y 19 Chapter 3 BIOS Setup Enter BIOS Setup 22 Main Menu 22 System Information 24 Advanced BIOS Features 26 Core Releaser 28 Fox Central Control Unit 29 Advanced Chipset Features 32 Integrated Peripherals 35 Power Management Setup 39 PC Health Status 41 BIOS Security Features 42 Load Optimal Defaults 43 Save Exit Setup 43 Exit Without Saving 43 Chapter 4 RAID Configuration RAID Introduction 45 Inst...

Page 7: ...port Website http www foxconnsupport com Worldwide Online Contact Support http www foxconnsupport com inquiry aspx CPU Support List http www foxconnsupport com cpusupportlist aspx Memory VGA Compatibility List http www foxconnsupport com complist aspx Support ...

Page 8: ...ly what you need for break through performance With advanced overclocking capability and a range of connectivity features for today multi media computing requirements A74GA enables you to unleash more power from your computer This chapter includes the following information Product Specifications Layout Back Panel Connectors ...

Page 9: ...t 3 x PCI slots Storage SB710 chipset 6 x SATA connectors 300MB s data transfer rate Support RAID 0 1 10 USB Support hot plug Support up to 12 x USB 2 0 ports 6 rear panel ports 3 onboard USB headers supporting 6 extra ports Support USB 2 0 protocol up to 480Mb s VGA Integrated ATI Radeon2100 Graphics Support DirectX 9 0 Internal Connectors 1 x 24 pin ATX main power connector 1 x 4 pin ATX 12V pow...

Page 10: ...on and power management features PCI Express x16 Support 4GB s 8GB s concurrent bandwidth Low power consumption and power management features Green Function Support EuP Function Support ACPI Advanced Configuration and Power Interface Support S0 normal S1 power on suspend S3 suspend to RAM S4 suspend to disk and S5 soft off Bundled Software FOX ONE FOX LiveUpdate FOX LOGO FOX DMI Operating System S...

Page 11: ...Optional 13 Clear CMOS Jumper 14 Front USB Connectors 15 USB_PWR3 Jumper 16 Front Panel Connector 17 USB_PWR2 Jumper 18 SATA Connectors 19 IDE Connector 20 Speaker Connector 21 SYS_FAN Header 22 24 pin ATX Power Connector 23 South Bridge AMD SB710 24 DDR3 DIMM Slots 25 CPU_FAN Header 26 CPU Socket Note The above motherboard layout is for reference only please refer to the physical mother board for...

Page 12: ...rt the USB 2 0 1 1 specification Use these ports for USB devices such as an USB keyboard mouse USB printer USB flash drive and etc 6 Audio Ports For the definition of each audio port please refer to the table below Port 2 channel 4 channel 5 1 channel Blue Line In Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Green Line Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Pink Microphone In Microphone In Center Subwoofer ...

Page 13: ...ction at up to 10 100 1000Mb s data rate Active LED Link LED LAN Type Left Active Right Link Status Description Status Description 1000M Off No Link Off No Link Green Blinking Data Activity Off 10 Mb s Connection Green 100 Mb s Connection Orange 1000 Mb s Connection ...

Page 14: ...r to any installation and read the contents in this chapter carefully This chapter includes the following information Install the CPU and CPU Cooler Install the Memory Install an Expansion Card Install other Internal Connectors Jumpers Install driver and utility Please visit the following website for more supporting information about your motherboard CPU Support List http www foxconnsupport com cp...

Page 15: ...te 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 Do not turn on the computer if the CPU cooler is not installed otherwise overheating and damage of the CPU may occur Set the CPU host frequency in accordance with the CPU specifications It is not recommended that the system bus frequency be set beyond ...

Page 16: ...pread 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 Attach the CPU cooler connector to the CPU fan header on the motherboard Use extreme care when removing the CPU cooler because the thermal grease may adhere to the CPU Inadequately removing the CP...

Page 17: ...he 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 ...

Page 18: ...ory socket Place the memory module onto the socket then put your fingers on top edge of the module and push it down firmly and seat it vertically into the memory socket Step 2 The clips at both ends of the socket will snap into place when the memory module is securely inserted Before installing a memory module make sure to turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet to pr...

Page 19: ...y required BIOS changes for your expansion card s 7 Install the driver provided with the expansion card in your operating system Installing and Removing a PCI Express x16 Graphics Card Installing a Graphics Card Gently insert the graphics card into the PCI Express x16 slot Make sure the graphics card is locked by the latch at the end of the PCI Express x16 slot Removing the Card Push the latch at ...

Page 20: ...o the connector and make sure it is secure 4 pin ATX 12 V Power Connector PWR2 Connect the 4 pin ATX 12V power supply to PWR2 and provides power to the CPU We recommend you using a 24 pin power supply If you are using a 20 pin power supply you need to align the ATX power connector according to the picture C A U T I O N 20 Pin Power Pin No 24 Pin Definition 1 GND 2 GND 3 12V 4 12V 3 1 GND 12V 4 2 P...

Page 21: ...tes the system s status When the system is in operation S0 status the LED is on When the system gets into sleep mode S1 the LED is blinking When the system is in S3 S4 sleep state or power off mode S5 the LED is off This 2 pin connector is directional with sign Power Switch Connector PWR SW Connect to the power button on the front panel of the chassis Push this switch allows the system to be turne...

Page 22: ...t which can be connected to a printer or a scanner System usually assign IRQ7 as it s default interrupt request and the parallel port has three operation mode SPP EPP ECP IDE Connector PIDE With the provided Ultra DMA IDE ribbon cable you can connect to any IDE type of hard disk and CD DVD ROM RW drive USB Connectors F_USB 1 2 3 In addition to the USB ports on the rear panel this product also prov...

Page 23: ... 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 Speaker Connector SPEAKER The speaker connector is used to connect speaker of the chassis 1 CPU_FAN SYS_FAN NB_FAN GND POWER SENSE CONTROL NC SPKJ EMPTY SPEAKER SPKJ 1 2 3 4 ...

Page 24: ...dous ESD Electrical Static Discharge problem Clear CMOS Jumper CLR_CMOS The motherboard uses CMOS RAM to store the basic hardware information such as BIOS data date time information hardware password etc Clear CMOS data is the fast way to go back to factory default when the BIOS settings were mistakenly modified The steps to clear CMOS data are 1 Turn off the computer unplug the power cord from th...

Page 25: ...t be set in BIOS as below Set CMOS Setup Power Management Setup USB Wake Up From S3 to Enabled USBPWR1 USBPWR2 USBPWR3 USBPWR4 5V Default 1 2 3 5VSB 1 2 3 USBPWR2 USBPWR3 is for the internal USB connectors USBPWR1 USBPWR4 is for the rear USB ports The USB device wake up feature requires a power supply that can provide 500mA on 5VSB lead for each USB port otherwise the system will not power up The ...

Page 26: ...ll all the drivers for your system You must click AMD Chipset Driver to install it first After that you can click One Click Setup and then choose the items you want to install or you can click on each individual driver to install it manually Visit Foxconn s Website Show Utilities Show Drivers Browse CD View the Utility Help files Manual Installation Step by Step Automatic Installation by One Click...

Page 27: ...2 20 2 Utility Use these options to install additional software programs And click Utility Help button to view the utility FOX ONE FOX LiveUpdate FOX LOGO FOX DMI help manual Click here ...

Page 28: ...led descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided You have to run the Setup Program when the following cases oc cur 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 This chapter includes the following information Enter BIOS Setup Main Menu System Information Advanced BIOS Features Core releaser Fox Cen...

Page 29: ...e Releaser Enabled only if CPU supports The Core Releaser function can be set up through this menu Setting Options are Auto and Disabled Auto the 2 or 3 cores can be upgraded to 4 cores Disabled the system will downloading default CPU core When the message Press F3 to Setup Core Releaser appears at the bottom of the screen you can press F3 key to set the Core Releaser to auto We do not suggest tha...

Page 30: ... your CPU System BIOS Security Features The Supervisor User password can be set up through this menu to prevent unauthorized use of your computer If you set a password the system will ask you to key in correct password before boot or access to Setup Load Optimal Defaults The optimal performance settings can be loaded through this menu Save Exit Setup Save setting values to CMOS and exit Discard Ch...

Page 31: ...ion of IDE devices Halt On This category determines whether or not the computer will stop if an error is detected during powering up All Errors All errors can result in system halt All Errors But All errors but keyboard or mouse or floppy can result in system halt The halt condition can be enabled disabled in the next two settings Keyboard The system boot will not stop for a keyboard error if you ...

Page 32: ...sion It displays the current BIOS version User can check this information and discuss with the field service people if a BIOS upgrade is needed Memory Size This item displays the current memory size The size is depending on how many memory mod ules were installed in your system before powering on MAC Address This item shows the onboard LAN MAC address CPU Name It displays the current CPU name ...

Page 33: ...CI latency timer The value is in unit of PCI cycle for PCI device latency timer register Setting values are 32 64 96 128 160 192 224 248 This feature controls how long each PCI device can hold the bus before another takes over The larger the value the longer the PCI device can retain control of the bus Low values for the PCI Latency Timer will reduce the effective PCI bandwidth while higher values...

Page 34: ...sages Quick Boot While Enabled this option allows BIOS to skip certain tests while booting this will shorten the time needed to boot the system Bootup Num Lock This item defines if the keyboard Num Lock key is active when your system is started The available settings are On default and Off ...

Page 35: ...rican Megatrends Inc Core Releaser Advanced Clock Calibration Help Item AGESA Version 3 7 0 0 Physical Count 1 Logical Count 4 AMD Phenom tm II X4 945 Processor Cache L1 512KB Cache L2 2048KB Cache L3 6MB Current CPU Speed 3000MHz NB Clk 2000MHz Core Releaser NULL Move Enter Select Value F10 Save ESC Exit F1 General Help F9 Optimized Defaults Disabled Disabled Auto Options ...

Page 36: ... Power LED Smart Power LED is a feature built on your motherboard to indicate different states during CMOS Setup Utility Copyright C 1985 2006 American Megatrends Inc Fox Central Control Unit Super BIOS Protect Disabled Help Item Auto Detect PCI Clock Disabled Smart BIOS Press Enter Fox Intelligent Stepping Press Enter Disabled CPU Configuration Press Enter Enabled Move Enter Select Value F10 Save...

Page 37: ...sical speed of the link is determined by multiplying the CPU clock with the CPU NB HT Speed setting Memory Speed Mode This item is used to enable disable provision of DRAM timing by SPD device The Serial Presence Detect SPD device is a small EEPROM chip mounted on a DDR3 memory module It contains important information about the module s speed size addressing mode System Status Power LED Status Nor...

Page 38: ... 1 9V NB Voltage Control This option is used to increase the NB voltage CPU Configuration This menu shows most of the CPU specifications Cool N Quiet Appear only when CPU supports This option helps lowering down the CPU frequency and voltage when system is idling When the CPU speed is slowing down the temperature will drop as well C1E Support Appears only when CPU supports C1E represents Enhanced ...

Page 39: ... in unit of clock cycle Internal Graphics Mode Enable Disable the integrated graphics Surround View SurroundView is the ATI technology that provides multi graphics controller display capability for both the ATI PCIe based graphics card and the ATI integrated graphics processor IGP Enabling SurroundView does not impact display modes resolution and color depth or performance The display mode of each...

Page 40: ...8 bit DIMM Offers highest DDR3 bandwidth Requires both DIMMs in a logical pair to have identical size and timing parameters both DCTs programmed identically Unganged channels DCT channels A and B operate as two completely independent 64 bit channels both chan nels operate at the same frequency Reduce DRAM page conflicts more concurrent open dram pages Better bus efficiency Burst lengths supported ...

Page 41: ...configure the timings manually Settings are Auto DCT 0 DCT 1 Both DCT 1 and Both will appear only in AM2 or AM3 CPU CMOS Setup Utility Copyright C 1985 2006 American Megatrends Inc DRAM Timing Configuration DRAM Timing Configuration Help Item DRAM Timing Mode Auto Auto DCT 0 DCT 1 Both Move Enter Select Value F10 Save ESC Exit F1 General Help F9 Optimized Defaults Auto Options ...

Page 42: ...ng a boot ROM in the network board you can enable a client PC system on the network to be booted remotely HD Audio Controller This item is used to enable or disable the HD Audio Controller CMOS Setup Utility Copyright C 1985 2006 American Megatrends Inc Integrated Peripherals IDE Configuration Press Enter Help Item USB Configuration Press Enter SuperIO Configuration Press Enter Configure the IDE O...

Page 43: ...ced features including SATA features but some SATA drives may not support AHCI unless they are labeled with AHCI support in its specification If you have a SATA device which supports AHCI then you can select IDE option to have fair performance only PATA SATA level or you can select AHCI to get its best performance Legacy IDE This configures the SATA ports to support legacy IDE mode which is runnin...

Page 44: ...le settings are High Speed in 480Mb s Full Speed in 12Mb s CMOS Setup Utility Copyright C 1985 2006 American Megatrends Inc USB Configuration USB Configuration Help Item Module Version 2 24 5 13 4 Enable support for legacy USB USB Devices Enabled Auto option disables None legacy support if no USB devices are Legacy USB Support Enabled connected USB 2 0 Controller Mode High Speed Move Enter Select ...

Page 45: ...rallel Port Mode This item enables you to determine the transfer mode of the parallel port Parallel Port IRQ This item is used to assign interrupt request IRQ for the onboard parallel port CMOS Setup Utility Copyright C 1985 2006 American Megatrends Inc SuperIO Configuration SuperIO Configuration Help Item Serial Port1 Address Allows BIOS to Select Serial Port1 Mode Normal Serial Port 1 Base adres...

Page 46: ...ate is similar to the S4 state except that the OS does not save any context The system is in the soft off state and requires a complete boot when it wakes Software uses a different state value to distinguish between the S5 state and the S4 state to allow for initial boot operations within the BIOS to distinguish whether or not the boot is going to wake from a saved memory image ACPI Suspend Type T...

Page 47: ...ing the power button Disable Normal ACPI function Resume by LAN This item is used to enable disable the LAN to generate a wake up Resume by PCI Card This item is used to enable disable the PCI card to generate a wake up Resume by PCIE Card This item is used to enable disable the PCIE card to generate a wake up Resume by USB Devices This item is used to enable disable the USB keyboard and mouse to ...

Page 48: ... better enable this for suitable temperature and low fan noise Set CPU Smart Fan Function System Smart Fan Function NB Fan Function to Ena bled the following items appear Off PWM Temperature It allows you set a temperature value from which smart fan stops its operation Start PWM Temperature It allows you set a temperature value from which smart fan starts its operation Start PWM Value It allows yo...

Page 49: ...ut Supervisor password it then will ask you to input user password optionally CMOS Setup Utility Copyright C 1985 2006 American Megatrends Inc BIOS Security Features Security Settings Help Item Supervisor Password Not Installed Enter or change the User Password Not Installed password Change Supervisor Password Press Enter Move Enter Select Value F10 Save ESC Exit F1 General Help F9 Optimized Defau...

Page 50: ...s to be set cannot be supported by your hardware devices for example too many expansion cards were installed the system might fail to work Save Exit Setup When you select this option and press Enter a message will be displayed in the center of the screen Select OK to save your changes to CMOS and exit the program select Cancel or ESC to return to the main menu Discard Changes and Exit If you selec...

Page 51: ... Bootable Array Existing Windows XP or Vista system with new RAID built as data storage It includes the following information RAID Introduction Install SATA Hard Disks RAID Configuration Create RAID Driver Disk Install Windows OS The RAID BIOS Setup pictures shown in this chapter are for refer ence only please refer to the practical screen ...

Page 52: ...ormance and good fault tolerance Level 5 is one of the most popular implementations of RAID RAID Ready A RAID Ready system is a specific system configuration that with the addition of a second Se rial ATA hard drive can be seamlessly migrated to a configuration that provides either improved storage performance or data protection from a single hard drive failure JBOD Span JBOD stands for Just a Bun...

Page 53: ... Del key during POST 2 Set the OnChip SATA Type to RAID 3 Press F10 to save the setting then PC will reboot itself Option ROM Utility When PC is rebooting press Ctrl F key during POST to enter the main menu of the Option ROM Utility View Drive Assignment To view the disk drive assignment status by pressing 1 Define LD To Create RAID by pressing 2 Delete LD To Delete RAID by pressing 3 Controller C...

Page 54: ...N Cache Mode WriteThru Channel ID Drive Model Compatibilities Capacity GB Assignment 1 Mas XXXXXXXXXXX SATA XG XX XX Y 2 Mas XXXXXXXXXXX SATA XG XX XX Y 3 Mas XXXXXXXXXXX SATA XG XX XX N 4 Mas XXXXXXXXXXX SATA XG XX XX N Up Down ESC Exit Space Change Crtl Y SAVE PgUp Dn Page Change Option ROM Utility c 2008 Advanced Micro Devices Inc Keys Available Define LD Menu Drives Assignment RAID 0 Fast Init...

Page 55: ...in WinXP or WinVista folder to the USB disk 4 Follow the succeeding screen prompt to complete the process Create a RAID Driver Disk without entering OS 1 Boot your computer press Del during POST to enter BIOS 2 Insert the driver CD into the optical drive 3 Set the 1st Boot Device to CD DVD ROM save changes and exit 4 Press any key when the screen prompts Press any key to boot from the optical driv...

Page 56: ...tform for 64bit XP press Enter 7 A confirmation message appears to double check if the driver is really what we wanted press Enter to continue Then follow the screen prompt to complete the Windows XP installation Install Windows Vista 1 Press Del during POST to enter BIOS 2 Insert the Windows Vista installation CD into the optical drive 3 Set the 1st Boot Device to CD DVD ROM save changes and exit...

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