1-8
Introduction
Chapter 1: Introduction
1-4
PC Health Monitoring
T h i s s e c t i o n d e s c r i b e s t h e P C h e a l t h m o n i t o r i n g f e a t u r e s o f t h e
motherboard. All have an onboard System Hardware Monitor chip that
supports PC health monitoring.
Onboard Voltage Monitors for the CPU Cores, Chipset
Voltage, +3.3V, +5V, +12V and +3.3V Standby
An onboard voltage monitor will scan these voltages continuously. Once a
voltage becomes unstable, a warning is given or an error message is sent
to the screen. Users can adjust the voltage thresholds to define the
sensitivity of the voltage monitor.
Fan Status Monitor with Firmware/Software On/Off Control
The PC health monitor can check the RPM status of the cooling fans. The
onboard 3-pin CPU and chassis fans are controlled by the power manage-
ment functions. The thermal fan is controlled by the overheat detection
logic.
Environmental Temperature Control
The thermal control sensor monitors the CPU temperature in real time and
will turn on the thermal control fan whenever the CPU temperature exceeds
a user-defined threshold. The overheat circuitry runs independently from
the CPU. It can continue to monitor for overheat conditions even when the
CPU is in sleep mode. Once it detects that the CPU temperature is too high,
it will automatically turn on the thermal control fan to prevent any overheat
damage to the CPU. The onboard chassis thermal circuitry can monitor the
overall system temperature and alert users when the chassis temperature
is too high.
CPU Fan Auto-Off in Sleep Mode
The CPU fan activates when the power is turned on. It continues to operate
when the system enters Standby mode. When in sleep mode, the CPU will
not run at full power, thereby generating less heat.