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 1.0A Disclaimer The information in this document is subject to change without notice.
ii Declaration of Conformity This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following conditions: • • This device may not cause harmful interference, and This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation Canadian Department of Communications This class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interferencecausing Equipment Regulations.
iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface i Chapter 1 1 Introducing the Motherboard 1 Introduction.....................................................................................1 Feature..............................................................................................2 Specifications...................................................................................4 Motherboard Components............................................................
iv Power Management Setup.................................................34 PCI/PnP Setup...................................................................35 PC Health Status...............................................................36 M.I.B (MB Intelligent BIOS)..............................................39 Load Default Settings........................................................42 Supervisor Password........................................................42 User Password......................
1 Chapter 1 Introducing the Motherboard Introduction Thank you for choosing the X48T-A motherboard. This motherboard is a high performance, enhanced function motherboard designed to support the LGA775 socket Intel® Yorkfield/Wolfdale/CoreTM 2 Extreme/CoreTM 2 Quad/CoreTM 2 Duo processors for high-end business or personal desktop markets. The motherboard incorporates the Intel X48 Northbridge (NB) and Intel ICH9-R Southbridge (SB) chipsets.
2 Feature Processor The motherboard uses an LGA775 type of Intel® Yorkfield/Wolfdale/CoreTM 2 Extreme/CoreTM 2 Quad/CoreTM 2 Duo that carries the following features: • • Accommodates Intel® Yorkfield/Wolfdale/CoreTM 2 Extreme/CoreTM 2 Quad/CoreTM 2 Duo processors Supports a system bus (FSB) of 1600/1333/1066/800 MHz Chipset The X48 Northbridge (NB) and ICH9-R Southbridge (SB) chipsets are based on an innovative and scalable architecture with proven reliability and performance.
3 Expansion Options The motherboard comes with the following expansion options: • • • • • • Two PCI Express x16 slots for Graphic Interface Two PCI Express x1 slots Two 32-bit PCI v2.
4 Specifications • LGA775 socket for latest Intel® Yorkfield/Wolfdale/CoreTM 2 Extreme/CoreTM 2 Quad/CoreTM 2 Duo porcessors FSB 1600/1333/1066/800 MHz Chipset • • • Intel X48 & ICH9R North Bridge: Intel X48 South Bridge: Intel ICH9R Memory • • • • Dual-channel DDR3 memory architecture 4 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM socket support up to 8 GB Supports DDR3 1600/1333/1066/800 DDR3 SDRAM XMP DDR3 Expansion Slots • • • 2 x PCI Express Gen 2.
5 Motherboard Components Table of Motherboard Components LABEL 1. CPU Socket 2. DDR3_1~4 3. CPU_FAN 4. ATX_POWER 5. FDD 6. SATA1~6 7. F_PANEL 8. F_USB1~3 9. CLR_CMOS 10. IR 11. IDE 12. CD_IN 13. F_AUDIO 14. PCI1~2 15. PCIEX16 PCIEX16_C 16. PCIE1~2 17. ATX4P1 18. ATX12V 19.
6 Memo Introducing the Motherboard
7 Chapter 2 Installing the Motherboard Safety Precautions • • • • • 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 motherboard Leave components in the static-proof bags they came in Hold all circuit boards by the edges.
8 Do not over-tighten the screws as this can stress the motherboard. Checking Jumper Settings This section explains how to set jumpers for correct configuration of the motherboard. Setting Jumpers Use the motherboard jumpers to set system configuration options. Jumpers with more than one pin are numbered. When setting the jumpers, ensure that the jumper caps are placed on the correct pins. The illustrations show a 2-pin jumper. When the jumper cap is placed on both pins, the jumper is SHORT.
9 Checking Jumper Settings The following illustration shows the location of the motherboard jumpers. Pin 1 is labeled. Jumper Settings Jumper Type Description Setting (default) 1-2: NORMAL CLR_CMOS 3-pin Clear CMOS 2-3: CLEAR CMOS Before clearing the CMOS, make sure to turn off the system. 1 CLR_CMOS To avoid the system unstability after clearing CMOS, we recommend users to enter the main BIOS setting page to “Load Default Settings” and then “Save Changes and Exit”.
10 Installing Hardware Installing the Processor Caution: When installing a CPU heatsink and cooling fan make sure that you DO NOT scratch the motherboard or any of the surface-mount resistors with the clip of the cooling fan. If the clip of the cooling fan scrapes across the motherboard, you may cause serious damage to the motherboard or its components. On most motherboards, there are small surface-mount resistors near the processor socket, which may be damaged if the cooling fan is carelessly installed.
11 CPU Installation Procedure The following illustration shows CPU installation components. A. Read and follow the instructions shown on the sticker on the CPU cap. B. Unload the cap · Use thumb & forefinger to hold the lifting tab of the cap. · Lift the cap up and remove the cap completely from the socket. C. Open the load plate · Use thumb & forefinger to hold the hook of the lever, pushing down and pulling aside unlock it. · Lift up the lever. · Use thumb to open the load plate.
12 Installing Memory Modules This motherboard accommodates four memory modules. It can support four 240-pin DDR3 1600/1333/1066/800. The total memory capacity is 8 GB. DDR3 SDRAM memory module table Memory module DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 DDR3 800 1066 1333 1600 Memory Bus 400 533 667 800 MHz MHz MHz MHz You must install at least one module in any of the four slots. Each module can be installed with 2 GB of memory; total memory capacity is 8 GB.
13 Installation Procedure Refer to the following to install the memory modules. 1 2 3 4 5 6 This motherboard supports unbuffered DDR3 SDRAM . Push the latches on each side of the DIMM slot down. Align the memory module with the slot. The DIMM slots are keyed with notches and the DIMMs are keyed with cutouts so that they can only be installed correctly. Check that the cutouts on the DIMM module edge connector match the notches in the DIMM slot.
14 Table A: DDR3 (memory module) QVL (Qualified Vendor List) The following DDR3 1600/1333/1066/800 memory modules have been tested and qualified for use with this motherboard.
15 Expansion Slots Installing Add-on Cards The slots on this motherboard are designed to hold expansion cards and connect them to the system bus. Expansion slots are a means of adding or enhancing the motherboard’s features and capabilities. With these efficient facilities, you can increase the motherboard’s capabilities by adding hardware that performs tasks that are not part of the basic system. PCI1~2 Slots This motherboard is equipped with two standard PCI slots.
16 Follow these instructions to install an add-on card: 1 2 3 Remove a blanking plate from the system case corresponding to the slot you are going to use. Install the edge connector of the add-on card into the expansion slot. Ensure that the edge connector is correctly seated in the slot. Secure the metal bracket of the card to the system case with a screw. 1.
17 Connecting Optional Devices Refer to the following for information on connecting the motherboard’s optional devices: F_AUDIO: Front Panel Audio header This header allows the user to install auxiliary front-oriented microphone and lineout ports for easier access.
18 F_USB1~3: Front Panel USB headers The motherboard has six USB ports installed on the rear edge I/O port array. Additionally, some computer cases have USB ports at the front of the case. If you have this kind of case, use auxiliary USB connector to connect the front-mounted ports to the motherboard.
19 Installing a Hard Disk Drive/CD-ROM/SATA Hard Drive This section describes how to install IDE devices such as a hard disk drive and a CDROM drive. About IDE Devices Your motherboard has one IDE interface. An IDE ribbon cable supporting two IDE devices is bundled with the motherboard. You must orient the cable connector so that the pin1 (color) edge of the cable corresponds to the pin 1 of the I/O port connector.
20 Refer to the illustration below for proper installation: 1 2 3 Attach either cable end to the connector on the motherboard. Attach the other cable end to the SATA hard drive. Attach the SATA power cable to the SATA hard drive and connect the other end to the power supply. This motherboard supports the “Hot-Plug” function.
21 Connecting I/O Devices The backplane of the motherboard has the following I/O ports: PS2 Mouse Use the upper PS/2 port to connect a PS/2 pointing device. PS2 Keyboard Use the lower PS/2 port to connect a PS/2 keyboard. Serial Port (COM) Use the COM port to connect serial devices such as mouse or fax/modems. ESATA Port Use this port to connect to an external SATA box or a Serial ATA port multiplier. Before connecting the ESATA cable, make sure to turn off the power of the external enclosure.
22 Connecting Case Components After you have installed the motherboard into a case, you can begin connecting the motherboard components. Refer to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Connect the CPU cooling fan cable to CPU_FAN. Connect the system cooling fan connector to SYS_FAN. Connect the case switches and indicator LEDs to the F_PANEL. Connect the standard power supply connector to ATX_POWER. Connect the connector for graphics interface to ATX4P1. Connect the auxiliary case power supply connector to ATX12V.
23 CPU_FAN: FAN Power Connector Pin Signal Name GND 1 2 3 4 +12V Sense PWM Function System Ground Power +12V Sensor PWM Users please note that the fan connector supports the CPU cooling fan of 1.1A ~ 2.2A (26.4W max) at +12V. SYS_FAN: System Cooling FAN Power Connector Pin Signal Name Function 1 GND System Ground 2 3 +12V Power +12V Sensor Sense ATX_ POWER: ATX 24-pin Power Connector Pin Signal Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +3.3V 10 11 12 +12V Pin 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 +3.
24 ATX4P1: Auxliary Power Connector for Graphics Interface Pin Signal Name 1 2 3 4 NC GND GND +12V Make sure to connect a 4-pin ATX power cable to ATX4P1; otherwise, the system will be unstable. Front Panel Header The front panel header (F_PANEL) provides a standard set of switch and LED headers commonly found on ATX or Micro ATX cases.
25 Chapter 3 Using BIOS About the Setup Utility The computer uses the latest “American Megatrends Inc.” BIOS with support for Windows Plug and Play. The CMOS chip on the motherboard contains the ROM setup instructions for configuring the motherboard BIOS. The BIOS (Basic Input and Output System) Setup Utility displays the system ’ s configuration status and provides you with options to set system parameters.
26 Press the delete key to access the BIOS Setup Utility. CMOS Setup Utility -- Copyright (C) 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. f Standard CMOS Setup f Advanced Setup f Advanced Chipset Setup f Integrated Peripherals f Power Management Setup f PCI/PnP Setup f PC Health Status fM.I.B.
27 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 and may differ from the actual BIOS. Please visit the manufacture’s website for updated manual. Standard CMOS Setup This option displays basic information about your system. CMOS Setup Utility -- Copyright (C) 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.
28 f SATA 1~6/ESATA/PATA MASTER/SLAVE Your computer has one IDE channel and each channel can be installed with one or two devices (Master and Slave). In addition, this motherboard supports six SATA channels and each channel allows one SATA device to be installed. Use these items to configure each device on the SATA channel. CMOS SETUP UTILITY – Copyright (C) 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. SATA1 SATA1 Help Item Device : Hard Disk Vendor : ST3160812AS Size : 160.
29 Press to return to the Standard CMOS Setup page. IDE BusMaster (Enabled) This item enables or disables the DMA under DOS mode. We recommend you to leave this item at the default value. Drive A (1..44 MB 31/2”) This item defines the characteristics of any diskette drive attached to the system. You only can connect one diskette drive. Press to return to the main menu setting page.
30 Advanced Setup This page sets up more advanced information about your system. Handle this page with caution. Any changes can affect the operation of your computer. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. Advanced Setup TM Status Limit CPUID MaxVal Enhanced Halt (C1E) Intel XD Bit Intel Virtualization Tech.
31 APIC Mode (Enabled) This item allows you to enable or disable the APCI (Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller) mode. APIC provides symmetric multi-processing (SMP) for systems, allowing support for up to 60 processors. 1st/2nd3rd Boot Device (Corsair Flash Voyag/CD/DVD/1st FLOPPY DRIVE) Use this item to determine the device order the computer used to look for an operating system to load at start-up time.
32 Boot Other Device (Yes) When enabled, the system searched all other possible location for an operating system if it fails to find one in the devices specified under the First, Second and Third boot devices. Press to return to the main menu setting page. Advanced Chipset Setup This page sets up more advanced information about your system. Handle this page with caution. Any changes can affect the operation of your computer. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.
33 Integrated Peripherals This page sets up some parameters for peripheral devices connected to the system. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.
34 Legacy USB Support (Enabled) Use this item to enable or disable support for legacy USB devices. Setting to Auto allows the system to detect the presence of USB device at startup. If detected, the USB controller legacy mode is enabled. If no USB device is detected, the legacy USB support is disabled. On Chip SATA2 Controller (IDE Mode) This item allows you to enable or disable the onchip Serial ATA controller. Press to return to the main menu setting page.
35 Resume By PCI/PCI-E/Lan PME (Disabled) The system can be turned off with a software command. If you enable this item, the system can automatically resume if there is an incoming call on the PCI Modem or PCI LAN card. You must use an ATX power supply in order to use this feature. Use this item to do wake-up action if inserting the PCI card. Resume By USB (S3) (Disabled) This item allows you to enable or disable the USB device wakeup function from S3 mode.
36 PC Health Status On motherboards support hardware monitoring, this item lets you monitor the parameters for critical voltages, temperatures and fan speeds. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. PC Health Status -=- System Hardware Monitor-=Press Enter f Smart Fan Function System Temperature : 36°C/96°F CPU Fan Speed : 950 RPM System Fan Speed : N/A CPU Vcore : 1.184 V VDIMM : 1.488 V NB Vcore : 1.232 V -=- PECI Mode -=Offset to TCC Activation Temp.
37 CPU/SYS Fan start Offset (-) (30) This item is used to set the start temperature of the smart fan. CPU/SYS DeltaT (+3) This item specifies the range that controls CPU/SYS temperature and keeps it from going so high or so low when smart fan works. CPU/SYS Fan Slope PWM /1 Unit (5) This item is used to set the Slope Select PWM of the CPU/SYS fan. CPU/SYS Fan Full Speed Offset (-) (10) This item is used to set the full speed offset of the CPU/SYS fan. Press to return to the PC Health Status page.
38 ECS supports the latest PECI host technology. While using Wolfdale or Yorkfield CPU, the original images of the BIOS item “PC Health Status” and “Smart FAN Function” will be replaced by PECI mode and negative number. (The max data from PECI is zero.) CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. PC Health Status Help Item Hardware Health Event Monitoring fSmart Fan Function Press Enter 33°C/91°F 2537 RPM 0 RPM 1.280V 1.
39 M.I.B (MB Intelligent BIOS) This page enables you to set the clock speed and system bus for your system. The clock speed and system bus are determined by the kind of processor you have installed in your system. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2008 American Megatrends, Inc. M.I.B (MB Intelligent BIOS) * Manufacturer : Intel Ratio Status: Unlocked (Min:06, Max:Unlimited) Ratio Actual Value: 6 Ratio CMOS Setting 8 CPU Frequency : 400MHz CPU Over-clocking Func.
40 * When enable the item CPU Over-clocking Func., the following picture will show. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2008 American Megatrends, Inc. Frequency/Voltage Control Manufacturer : Intel Ratio Status: Unlocked (Min:06, Max:Unlimited) Ratio Actual Value: 6 Ratio CMOS Setting 6 CPU Over-clocking Func. : Enabled CPU Over-clocking Freq. : 600 PCIE Over-clocking Func. : 100 Auto Detect DIMM/PCI Clk Enabled Spread Spectrum Enabled CPU Voltage Normal Memory Voltage 1.
41 DRAM Command Rate (Auto) When the host (northbridge) locates the desired memory address, it then processors the wait state of command. CPU Voltage (Normal) This item allows users to adjust the CPU voltage. Memory Voltage (1.5V) This item allows users to adjust the memory voltage. Warning: Since the manual adjustment to the DIMM setting may result in the instability of the system, users need adjust it carefully when overclocking. Press to return to the main menu setting page.
42 Load Default Settings This option opens a dialog box that lets you install stability-oriented defaults for all appropriate items in the Setup Utility. Select [OK] and then press to install the defaults. Select [Cancel] and then press to not install the defaults. Supervisor Password This page helps you install or change a password. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc.
43 User Password This page helps you install or change a password. CMOS Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 1985-2008, American Megatrends, Inc. User Password User Password : Not Installed Change User Password Help item Press Enter Install or Change the password. mnlk : Move Enter : Select +/-/: Value F10: Save ESC: Exit F1:General Help F9: Optimized Defaults User Password (Not Installed) This item indicates whether a user password has been set. If the password has been installed, Installed displays.
44 Updating the BIOS You can download and install updated BIOS for this motherboard from the manufacturer’s Web site. New BIOS provides support for new peripherals, improvements in performance, or fixes for known bugs. Install new BIOS as follows: 1 If your motherboard has a BIOS protection jumper, change the setting to allow BIOS flashing. 2 If your motherboard has an item called Firmware Write Protect in Advanced BIOS features, disable it. (Firmware Write Protect prevents BIOS from being overwritten.
45 Chapter 4 Using the Motherboard Software About the Software CD-ROM The support software CD-ROM that is included in the motherboard package contains all the drivers and utility programs needed to properly run the bundled products. Below you can find a brief description of each software program, and the location for your motherboard version. More information on some programs is available in a README file, located in the same directory as the software.
46 Setup Tab Setup Click the Setup button to run the software installation program. Select from the menu which software you want to install. Browse CD The Browse CD button is the standard Windows command that allows you to open Windows Explorer and show the contents of the support CD. Before installing the software from Windows Explorer, look for a file named README.TXT, INSTALL.TXT or something similar. This file may contain important information to help you install the software correctly.
47 2. Click Next. The following screen appears: 3. Check the box next to the items you want to install. The default options are recommended. 4. Click Next run the Installation Wizard. An item installation screen appears: 5. Follow the instructions on the screen to install the items. 1. Drivers and software are automatically installed in sequence. Follow the onscreen instructions, confirm commands and allow the computer to restart a few times to complete the installation. 2.
48 Method 1. Run Reboot Setup Windows Vista will block startup programs by default when installing drivers after the system restart. You must select taskbar icon Run Blocked Program and run Reboot Setup to install the next driver, until you finish all drivers installation. Method 2. Disable UAC (User Account Control) * For administrator account only. Standard user account can only use Method 1.
49 2. Select Classic View. 3. Set User Account. 4. Select Turn User Account Control on or off and press Continue.
50 5. Disable User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer item and press OK, then press Restart Now. Then you can restart your computer and continue to install drivers without running blocked programs. Manual Installation Insert the CD in the CD-ROM drive and locate the PATH.DOC file in the root directory. This file contains the information needed to locate the drivers for your motherboard.
51 Chapter 5 ATI CrossFireXTM Technology Support This motherboard supports the ATI CrossFireX TM Technology that allows you to install multi-graphics processing units (GPU) graphics cards. Follow the installation procedures in this section. Requirements 1 2 3 4 You should have a CrossFireXTM Ready motherboard, a CrossFireXTM Edition graphics card and a CrossFireXTM ready graphics card. Visit the ECS website (www.ecs.com.tw) for a list of qualified CrossFireXTM ready graphics card for this motherboard.
52 Installing CrossFireXTM graphics cards 1. Insert the CrossFireXTM graphics cards into the PCIEX16 and PCIEX16_C slots. Make sure that the card is properly seated on the slot. 2. Connect an external cable to the CrossFireXTM ready graphics card installed on the PCIEX16_C slot. External Cable 3. Connect the two CrossFireXTM Edition graphics cards installed on PCIEX16 and PCIEX16_C slots with the CrossFire Bridge. 4. Connect the external cable to the corresponding port on your monitor. 5.
53 Table A: Supported PCI Express VGA Card List for CrossFireXTM Function Vender ATI PCI-E Card MSI RX1300 TD256E (256M) ATI X1600XT (256M) PowerColor X1900XTX (512M) ASUS EAX1950PRO/HTDP/256M/A (256M) MSI RX2600XT (256MB) MSI RX3850-T2D256E-OC (256MB) POWER Color AX3870 512MD-PH Radeon X1300Pro Radeon X1600XT Radeon X1900XTX Radeon X19500Pro Radeon HD2600XT Radeon HD3850 Radeon HD3870 ATI CrossFireXTM Technology Support
54 The CatalystTM Control Center Dialog Box View The CatalystTM Control Center provides two views; one is Standard view for beginners, the other is Advance view for advanced users to access and configure the complete features of the software. To enable CrossFireXTM: • • • • Set the view to Advance. Click the CrossFireXTM item in Graphics Settings. In the CrossFireX TM Setting dialog, tick the box opposite Enable CrossFireXTM. Click OK to effect the setting.
55 Chapter 6 Intel®Matrix Storage Manager RAID Configurations The Intel® Matrix Storage Manager allows you to configure RAID 0, and 1 sets on the external Serial ATA hard disk drives. Before creating a RAID set Prepare the following items: 1. 2. 3. 4. One SATA HDD. A write-enabled floppy disk. Microsoft ® Windows® OS installation disk (Windows XP/Vista). Motherboard support CD with Intel® Matrix Storage Manager driver. Complete the following steps before you create a RAID set: 1.
56 Entering Intel®Matrix Storage Manager RAID BIOS utility 1. During POST, press to enter the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager RAID BIOS menu. 2. The main Intel® Matrix Storage Manager RAID BIOS menu appears. 3. Use the arrow keys to move the color bar and navigate through the items.
57 Creating a RAID set 1. In the main Intel® Matrix Storage Manager RAID BIOS menu, highlight Create RAID Volume using the up/down arrow key then press . 2. When the RAID Level item is highlighted, use the up/down arrow key to select the RAID set that you want to create. When more than two HDDs are installed in your computer, the Disks item will be selectable. Then users can select the HDD that you want to belong to the RAID set.
58 4. When done, press to confirm the creation of the RAID set. A dialogue box appears to confirm the action. Press to confirm; otherwise, press . Pressing deletes all the data in the HDDs. 5. The following screen appears, displaying the relevant information about the RAID set you created. Users please be noted that RAID 0 (Stripe) is set to accelerate the data access, and RAID 1 (Mirror) is set to provide the data backup.
59 Deleting a RAID set 1. In the main Intel® Matrix Storage Manager RAID BIOS menu, highlight Delete RAID Volume using the up/down arrow key then press . 2. Use the space bar to select the RAID set you want to delete. Press the key to delete the set. 3. A dialogue box appears to confirm the action. Press to confirm; otherwise, press . Pressing deletes all the data in the HDDs.
60 Resetting disks to Non-RAID An HDD that has been previously configured as part of another RAID set in another platform is called a broken RAID HDD. When you install a broken RAID HDD, you cannot select this disk when configuring a RAID set through the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager option. If you still want to use this broken RAID HDD as part of the RAID set configured through the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager, you may do so by resetting the disk to Non-RAID.
