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A78F2P-M2 USER MANUAL

Preface

Copyright

This publication, including all photographs, illustrations and software, is protected
under international copyright laws, with all rights reserved. Neither this manual, nor
any of the material contained herein, may be reproduced without written consent of
the author.

Version 1.0

Disclaimer

The information in this document is subject to change without notice. The manufac-
turer makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents hereof
and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for
any particular purpose. The manufacturer reserves the right to revise this publica-
tion and to make changes from time to time in the content hereof without obligation
of the manufacturer to notify any person of such revision or changes.

Trademark Recognition

Microsoft, MS-DOS and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

AMD, Phenom, Athlon, Sempron, Turion, and Duron are registered trademarks of AMD
Corporation.

Other product names used in this manual are the properties of their respective owners
and are acknowledged.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

This equipment has been tested and found to comply 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 instal-
lation. 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. However, there is no guarantee that interfer-
ence will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by
one or more of the following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver

Connect the equipment onto an outlet on a circuit different from that to

which the receiver is connected

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help

Shielded interconnect cables and a shielded AC power cable must be employed with
this equipment to ensure compliance with the pertinent RF emission limits govern-
ing this device. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the system’s
manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

Summary of Contents for A78F2P-M2

Page 1: ...as been tested and found to comply 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 instal lation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interferenc...

Page 2: ...s page 7 page 25 page 49 Installing the Motherboard IntroducingtheMotherboard Provides information on us ing the BIOS Setup Utility Describes the motherboard software Limits and methods of mesurement of radio disturbance char acteristics of information technology equipment EN 55022 EN 61000 3 2 Disturbances in supply systems caused EN 61000 3 3 Disturbances in supply systems caused by household ap...

Page 3: ...ive 20 ConnectingCaseComponents 21 Front Panel Header 23 TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface i Chapter 1 1 Introducing the Motherboard 1 Introduction 1 PakageContents 1 Specifications 2 MotherboardComponents 4 I OPorts 6 Chapter 3 25 UsingBIOS 25 AbouttheSetupUtility 25 The Standard Configuration 25 Entering the Setup Utility 25 Resetting the Default CMOS Values 26 UsingBIOS 26 BIOS Navigation Keys 27 Main ...

Page 4: ...stallingunderWindows7 8 8 1 49 Running Setup 49 ManualInstallation 51 ECSUtilitySoftware IntelligentEZUtility 51 Chapter 6 53 Trouble Shooting 53 Start up problems during assembly 53 Start up problems after prolong use 54 Maintenanceandcaretips 54 BasicTroubleshootingFlowchart 55 ...

Page 5: ...SB 2 0 ports and four USB 3 0 ports two USB 3 0 ports at the rear panel and one USB 3 0 header supports additional two USB 3 0 ports The gray USB 2 0 header provides EZ charger technology please refer to Front Panel USB 2 0 headers of chapter 2 for more details This motherboard integrates a Serial ATA host controller supporting six SATA ports with maximum transfer rate up to 6Gb s each There is an...

Page 6: ...te Please go to ECS website for the latest CPU support list 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Supply connector 1 x 4 pin 12V Power connector 1 x 4 pin CPU_FAN connector 2 x 4 pin SYS_FAN connectors 2 x USB 2 0 headers support additional four USB 2 0 ports F_USB1 supports EZ Charger function 1 x USB 3 0 header supports additional two USB 3 0 ports 6 x Serial SATA 6Gb s connectors 1 x COM header 1 x Case open he...

Page 7: ...Hotkey Has PS2 KB Model only System BIOS Form Factor Micro ATX Size 244mm x 210mm Supports eBLU 1 eDLU eSF 1 EZ Charger 3rd Party Bundled Software Cyberlink Media Suite 2 Norton Anti Virus 2 Muzee 2 MAGIX 2 AP Bundled Software Support Note 1 Microsoft NET Framework 4 5 is required 2 Free bundle software is including ECS DVD Cyberlink Media Suite Norton Anti Virus Muzee MAGIX 1 x Speaker header 1 x...

Page 8: ...Chapter 1 4 A78F2P M2 USER MANUAL Motherboard Components ...

Page 9: ...ront panel switch LED header Front panel USB 2 0 headers F_USB1 supports EZ Charger function 9 USB3F Front panel USB 3 0 header 10 SYS_FAN1 4 pin System cooling fan connector 11 SPK Speaker header 12 CLR_CMOS Clear CMOS jumper 13 LPT Parallel port header 14 COM Serial port header 15 TPM Trusted Platform Module header 16 CASE Case open header 17 PCIE1 2 PCI Express x1 slots 18 SPDIFO SPDIF out head...

Page 10: ... HDMI or DP display device to the HDMI or DP port 6 USB 3 0 Ports Use the USB 3 0 ports to connect USB 3 0 devices 7 LAN Port Connect an RJ 45 jack to the LAN port to connect your computer to the Network 8 Line in blue It can be connected to an external CD DVD player tape player or other audio devices for audio input 9 Line out lime It is used to connect to speakers or headphones 10 Microphone pin...

Page 11: ... in the motherboard Place the motherboard over the mounting brackets and secure the motherboard onto the mounting brackets with screws Follow these safety precautions when installing the motherboard Wear a grounding strap attached to a grounded device to avoid damage from static electricity Discharge static electricity by touching the metal case of a safely grounded object before working on the mo...

Page 12: ...tion shows the location of the motherboard jumpers Pin 1 is labeled 2 3 Checking Jumper Settings To avoid the system instability after clearing CMOS we recommend users to enter the main BIOS setting page to Load Default Settings and then Save and Exit Setup ...

Page 13: ...f internal cache memory and external cache memory You may be able to change the settings in the system Setup Utility We strongly recommend you do not over clock processor or other components to run faster than their rated speed The following illustration shows CPU installation components A Pull up the lever away from the socket and lift up to 90 degree angle B Locate the CPU cut edge the corner wi...

Page 14: ...cooling fan in a well lit work area so that you can clearly see the motherboard and processor socket Avoid using cooling fans with sharp edges in case the fan casing and the clips cause serious damage to the motherboard or its components To achieve better airflow rates and heat dissipation we suggest that you use a high quality fan with 3800 rpm at least CPU fan and heat sink installation procedur...

Page 15: ... when you handle the modules You must install at least one module in any of the two slots Total memory capacity is 32 GB Refer to the following to install the memory modules C The slot latches are levered upwards and latch on to the edges of the DIMM A Push the latches on each side of the DIMM slot down B Install the DIMM module into the slot and press it firmly down until it seats correctly Check...

Page 16: ... card that is fully compliant to the PCI Express Base Specification revision 3 0 The PCI Express x1 slots are fully compliant to the PCI Express Base Specification revision 2 0 PCIE1 2 Slots This motherboard is equipped with one standard PCI slot PCI stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect and is a bus standard for expansion cards which for the most part is a supplement of the older ISA bus s...

Page 17: ...e card to the system case with a screw 1 For some add on cards for example graphics adapters and network adapt ers you have to install drivers and software before you can begin using the add on card 2 The onboard PCI interface does not support 64 bit SCSI cards Follow these instructions to install an add on card Please refer the following illustrations to install the add on card Install the VGA Ca...

Page 18: ... new Serial ATA device for the highest data transfer rates 6 0 Gb s simpler disk drive cabling and easier PC assembly It eliminates limitations of the current Parallel ATA interface But maintains register compatibility and software compatibility with Parallel ATA 1 SATA1 6 Serial ATA III connectors No Components No Components 1 SATA1 6 6 TPM 2 F_USB1 2 7 CASE 3 USB3F 8 SPDIFO 4 LPT 9 F_AUDIO 5 COM...

Page 19: ...rent pin assignment may cause damage or system hang up F_USB1 supports EZ Charger technology provides 3 times current than general USB 2 0 port in off mode for USB devices It is useful and excellent especially for the iPhone iPad and iPod touch devices that need a large amount of current for faster recharging within less time Please make sure that the USB cable has the same pin assignment as indi ...

Page 20: ...OM Onboard serial port header Connect a serial port extension bracket to this header to add a serial port to your system 4 LPT Onboard parallel port Header This is a header that can be used to connect to the printer scanner or other devices ...

Page 21: ...een removed This function needs a chassis equipped with intrusion detection switch and needs to be enabled in BIOS Trusted platform module TPM is a published specification detailing a micro controller that can store secured information and implementations of that specification 6 TPM Trusted Platform Module header ...

Page 22: ...ss This header supports HD audio by default If you want connect an AC 97 front panel audio to HD onboard headers please set as below picture 9 F_AUDIO Front Panel Audio Header This is an optional header that provides an SPDIFO Sony Philips Digital Interface output to digital multimedia device through optical fiber or coaxial connector 8 SPDIFO SPDIF out header ...

Page 23: ...Panel please don t tick off Disabled Front Panel Detect For reference only AC 97 Audio Configuration To enable the front panel audio connector to support AC97 Audio mode If you use AC 97 Front Panel please don t tick off Using Front Jack Detect If you use HD Audio Front Panel please tick off the option of Using Front Jack Detect For reference only ...

Page 24: ...elow to install the SATA hard drives To install the Serial ATA SATA hard drives use the SATA cable that supports the Serial ATA protocol This SATA cable comes with a SATA power cable You can connect either end of the SATA cable to the SATA hard drive or the connector on the motherboard Refer to the illustration below for proper installation 1 Attach either cable end to the connector on the motherb...

Page 25: ...ecting the motherboard components Refer to the following Connect the CPU cooling fan cable to CPU_FAN Connect the System cooling fan connector to SYS_FAN Users please note that the fan connector supports the CPU cooling fan of 1 1A 2 2A 26 4W max at 12V 2 4 7 Connecting Case Components No Components No Components 1 SYS_FAN2 5 SYS_FAN1 2 CPU_FAN 6 SPK 3 ATX_POWER 7 ATX_12V 4 F_PANEL ...

Page 26: ...ng 24 pin power cable the latches of power cable and the ATX match perfectly Connecting 24 pin power cable 24 pin power cable Connect the standard power supply connector to ATX_POWER Connect the auxiliary case power supply connector to ATX12V The ATX12V power connector is used to provide power to the CPU When installing 4 pin power cable the latches of power cable and the ATX12V match perfectly Co...

Page 27: ...pporting the reset function requires connecting pin 5 and 7 to a momentary con tact switch that is normally open When the switch is closed the board resets and runs POST Power Switch Supporting the power on off function requires connecting pins 6 and 8 to a momen tary contact switch that is normally open The switch should maintain contact for at least 50 ms to signal the power supply to switch on ...

Page 28: ...Chapter 2 24 A78F2P M2 USER MANUAL This concludes Chapter 2 The next chapter covers the BIOS Connect the case speaker cable to SPK 6 SPK Speaker header ...

Page 29: ... This chapter provides explanations for Setup Utility options The Standard Configuration A standard configuration has already been set in the Setup Utility However we rec ommend that you read this chapter in case you need to make any changes in the future This Setup Utility should be used when changing the system configuration when a configuration error is detected and you are prompted to make cha...

Page 30: ... you to verify that you wish to execute that option Other options lead to dialog boxes that prompt you for informa tion Some options marked with an icon lead to submenus that enable you to change the values for the option Use the cursor arrow keys to scroll through the items in the submenu Resetting the Default CMOS Values When powering on for the first time the POST screen may show a CMOS Setting...

Page 31: ... PreviousValue F3 Optimized Defaults F1 GeneralHelp ESC Exits the current menu Enter Select In this manual default values are enclosed in parenthesis Submenu items are denoted by an icon F4 Save Exit 1 For the purpose of better product maintenance the manufacture reserves the right to change the BIOS items presented in this manual The BIOS setup screens shown in this chapter are for reference only...

Page 32: ...em Language English This item is used to set system language This menu shows the information of BIOS and enables you to set the system language date and time Choosethesystemdefault language Main Advanced Chipset M I B III Boot Security Exit Change Opt Enter Dbl Click Select Select Screen Click Select Item F1 General Help F2 Previous Values F3 OptimizedDefaults F4 Save Exit ESC Right Click Exit BIO...

Page 33: ...n Advanced Chipset M I B III Boot Security Exit Change Opt Enter Dbl Click Select Select Screen Click Select Item F1 General Help F2 Previous Values F3 OptimizedDefaults F4 Save Exit ESC Right Click Exit LAN Configuration PC Health Status PowerManagementSetup ACPI Settings CPU Configuration SATAConfiguration USB Configuration Super IO Configuration Trusted Computing ...

Page 34: ...em to enable or disable Onboard LAN controller Press Esc to return to the Advanced Menu page Main Advanced Chipset M I B III Boot Security Exit Change Opt Enter Dbl Click Select Select Screen Click Select Item F1 General Help F2 Previous Values F3 OptimizedDefaults F4 Save Exit ESC Right Click Exit LAN Configuration Onboard LAN Controller Enabled Enabled Disabled Onboard LAN Controller ...

Page 35: ...ck Select Item F1 General Help F2 Previous Values F3 OptimizedDefaults F4 Save Exit ESC Right Click Exit CPU Tct1 54 SystemTemperature 27O C CPU Fan Speed 3296RPM SystemFan1Speed N A SystemFan2Speed N A CPU Voltage 1 656 V DIMM Voltage 1 564V FCH Voltage 1 298V Smart Fan Function PC Health Status Main Advanced Chipset M I B III Boot Security Exit CPU Smart Fan Control Enabled Smart Fan Mode Normal...

Page 36: ... Press Esc to return to the Advanced Menu page Smart Fan Mode Normal This item allows you to select the fan mode Normal Quiet Silent or Manual for a better operation environment If you choose Normal mode the fan speed will be auto adjusted depending on the CPU temperature If you choose Quite mode the fan speed will be auto minimized for quiet environment If you choose Silent mode the fan speed wil...

Page 37: ...me By PS2 MS S3 Disabled This item enables or disables you to allow mouse activity to awaken the system from power saving mode Resume By PS2 KB S3 Disabled This item enables or disables you to allow keyboard activity to awaken the system from power saving mode Main Advanced Chipset M I B III Boot Security Exit Change Opt Enter Dbl Click Select Select Screen Click Select Item F1 General Help F2 Pre...

Page 38: ...nly Suspend to RAM Sleep State de fault Main Advanced Chipset M I B III Boot Security Exit Change Opt Enter Dbl Click Select Select Screen Click Select Item F1 General Help F2 Previous Values F3 OptimizedDefaults F4 Save Exit ESC Right Click Exit Select ACPI sleep state the system will enter when the SUSPENDbuttonispressed ACPI Settings ACPI Sleep State S3only SuspendtoRAM Press Esc to return to t...

Page 39: ... 16 KB 4 Way L2 Cache 1024 KB 16 way Enabled C6 Mode AMD Turbo Core Auto AMD C Q Enabled Max Intended Speed 3700 MHZ These items show the maximum intended speed of the CPU Microcode Patch Level 6003104 This item shows the Microcode revision L1 Instruction Cache 48KB way This item shows CPU L1 Cache L1 Data Cache 16KB 4 way This item shows CPU L1 Cache L2 Cache 1024 KB 16 way This item shows CPU L2...

Page 40: ...ice on the SATA channel Onchip SATA Channel Enabled Use this item to turn on off SATA Controller F1 General Help F D i s a b l e d 2 PreviouDisableds Values F3 OptimizedDefaults F4 Save Exit Change Opt Enter Dbl Click Select Select Screen F1 General Help F2 Previous Values ESC Right Click Exit Main Advanced Chipset M I B III Boot Security Exit Click Select Item F3 Optimized Defaults SATAConfigurat...

Page 41: ...pport Enabled Use this item to enable or disable support for legacy USB devices Press Esc to return to the Advanced Menu page Main Advanced Chipset M I B III Boot Security Exit Change Opt Enter Dbl Click Select Select Screen Click Select Item F1 General Help F2 Previous Values F3 OptimizedDefaults F4 Save Exit ESC Right Click Exit USB Configuration All USB Devices Enabled Legacy USB Support Enable...

Page 42: ... Help F2 Previous Values F3 OptimizedDefaults F4 Save Exit ESC Right Click Exit Enable or disable Serial Port COM Serial Port 0 Configuration Serial Port Enabled Device Settings IO 3F8h IRQ 4 Change Settings Auto Press Esc to return to the Super IO Configuration page Super IO Configuration Use this item to show the information of Super IO configuration Main Advanced Chipset M I B III Boot Security...

Page 43: ...m to change device settings Device Mode IDE Mode This item shows the information of the device mode Main Advanced Chipset M I B III Boot Security Exit Change Opt Enter Dbl Click Select Select Screen Click Select Item F1 General Help F2 Previous Values F3 OptimizedDefaults F4 Save Exit ESC Right Click Exit Enabled or Disabled Parallel Port LPT LPTE Parallel Port Configuration Parallel Port Enabled ...

Page 44: ...t ESC Right Click Exit Enables or Disables BIOS support for security device O S will not show Security Device TCGEFIprotocoland INT1A interface will not be available Configuration TPM SUPPORT Enabled Current Status Information SUPPORT TURNED OFF TPM SUPPORT Enabled Use this item to enable or disable the TPM port O S will not show TPM Reset of platform is required Use this item to show the informat...

Page 45: ... Exit ESC Right Click Exit Main Advanced Chipset M I B III Boot Security Exit Change Opt Enter Dbl Click Select Select Screen Click Select Item F1 General Help F2 Previous Values F3 OptimizedDefaults F4 Save Exit ESC Right Click Exit IGD Share Memory Size System Agent Configuration IGD Memory Auto Dual Graphics Mode Disabled North Bridge South Bridge Initate Graphic Adapter PCI Express IGD Memory ...

Page 46: ...Configuration Azalia HD Audio Enabled Azalia Internal HDMI codec Enabled Case Open Warning Disabled Chassis Opened Restore AC Power Loss Power Off This item enables your computer to automatically restart or return to its operating status Audio Configuration This item shows the information of the audio configuration Azalia HD Audio Enabled This item enables or disables Azalia HD audio Azalia Intern...

Page 47: ... item at the default value The 2T setting requires faster memory that specifically supports this mode Command Rate 2T This item shows the information of Command Rate Core Clock multiplier Auto Memory Clock Auto Memory Clock is DDR3 1600 800Mhz XMP Profile1 DDR3 2400 10 11 11 30 Ready Memory Profiles2 None Memory Profiles3 None Memory Timing Configuration Auto Load Memory Profile Disabled CommandRa...

Page 48: ...is item enables or disables the SB Spread Spectrum When end users encounter failure after attempting over clocking please take the following steps to recover from it 1 Shut down the computer 2 Press and hold the Page Up Key PgUp of the keyboard and then boot the PC up 3 Two seconds after the PC boots up release the Page Up Key PgUp 4 The BIOS returns to the default setting by itself Warning Over c...

Page 49: ...ock State On This item enables you to select NumLock state Quiet Boot Enabled This item enables or disables quiet boot Boot Mode select LEGACY Use this item to select boot mode Set Boot Priority This item enables you to set boot priority for all boot devices Boot Option 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 These items show the boot priorities Boot Configuration This item shows the information of the Boot Configuration O...

Page 50: ...ed to control the secure boot flow it is possible only if system runs in User Mode Platform Mode Setup This item allows you to set the platform mode Main Advanced Chipset M I B III Boot Security Exit Change Opt Enter Dbl Click Select Select Screen Click Select Item F1 General Help F2 Previous Values F3 OptimizedDefaults F4 Save Exit ESC Right Click Exit Set Administrator Password Administrator Pas...

Page 51: ... have made Save Changes This item enables you to save the changes that you have made Discard Changes This item enables you to discard any changes that you have made Restore Defaults This item enables you to restore the system defaults Discard Changes and Exit This item enables you to exit system setup without saving any changes Save Changes and Reset This item enables you to reset the system setup...

Page 52: ...bootable system disk Refer to Windows online help for information on creating a bootable system disk 4 Download the Flash Utility and new BIOS file from the manufacturer s Web site Copy these files to the bootable device 5 Turn off your computer and insert the bootable device in your computer You might need to run the Setup Utility and change the boot priority items on the Advanced BIOS Features S...

Page 53: ...h for all software and drivers available on the disk Open Windows Explorer and show the contents of the support disk Click Exit button to close the Auto Setup window Browse CD Click the Setup button to select and run the software installation program Click the Utilities button to select and install ECS Intelligent Utility Information Follow these instructions to install device drivers and software...

Page 54: ...stall the items 4 Click Next to run the Installation Wizard An item installation screen appears Drivers and software are automatically installed in sequence Follow the onscreen instructions confirm commands and allow the computer to re start a few times to complete the installation Windows 8 will show the following screen after system restart you must select Desktop in the bottom left to install t...

Page 55: ...o change at anytime without prior notice Please refer to the support disk for available software Manual Installation ECS Utility Software Intelligent EZ Utility ECS Intelligent EZ Utility provides friendly interfaces under Windows O S which makes your computing more easily and conveniently If the driver you want to install does not have a setup program browse to the operating system subfolder and ...

Page 56: ...cordance with your PC s system loading and temperature eDLU ECS eDLU utility makes updating drivers fast and easy eDLU saves time and hassle by listing all the latest drivers online Just select the one you prefer and start to download and install the drivers It has five modes to adjust fan speed in a safe range without entering the BIOS to optimize your system cooling environment Microsoft NET Fra...

Page 57: ...AN connector is connected to the motherboard 4 For Intel platforms check the pins on the CPU socket for damage or bent A bent pin may cause failure to boot and sometimes permanent damage from short circuit 5 Check the 12V power connector is connected to the motherboard 6 Check that the 12V power ATX connectors are fully inserted into the motherboard connectors Make sure the latches of the cable an...

Page 58: ...replace a new one if necessary 3 Check that the 12V power ATX connectors are fully inserted into the motherboard connectors Make sure the latches of the cable and connector are locked into place 4 Remove the hard drive optical drive or DDR memory to determine which of these components may be at fault areas of high moisture content 3 Routinely clean the CPU cooler fan to remove dust and hair 4 In p...

Page 59: ... o r p t o n y r o m e m M M I D e r u l i a f y r o m e m r o d e t r e s n i s p e e b t r o h s 8 d n a p e e b g n o l 1 f I d e t c e t e d t o n A G V s e Y s e Y n e e r c s T S O P t a t l a H s e Y O M C R L d n a S C t s e r t r a A M R t c a t n o c l i a f f I s e Y o N e u s s i e c i v e d l a r e h p i r e P m e l b o r p D D H r o r r e p u t e s S O M C d S O M C R L C o t e e n t...

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