User’s Guide EVGA nForce 730a Motherboard
EVGA ii
EVGA nForce 730a Motherboard Table of Contents User’s Guide .................................................................................................................. i EVGA nForce 730a Motherboard ................................................................................ i Before You Begin… .................................................................................................... ix Parts NOT in the Kit ..............................................................................
8-pin ATX 12V Power (PW12) ............................................................................ 23 Connecting IDE Hard Disk Drives ...................................................................... 23 Connecting Serial ATA Cables ........................................................................... 24 Connecting Internal Headers ............................................................................. 25 Front Panel Header ...............................................................
EVGA nForce 730a Motherboard Halt On ............................................................................................................... 42 Memory .............................................................................................................. 43 Advanced BIOS Features Menu ............................................................................ 44 Removable Device Priority .................................................................................
Onboard Devices ............................................................................................... 53 Legacy Devices .................................................................................................. 54 USB Device Setting............................................................................................ 54 Power Management Setup Menu .......................................................................... 56 ACPI Function ..............................................
EVGA nForce 730a Motherboard K8<->NB HT Width ............................................................................................ 70 CPU Voltage ....................................................................................................... 70 Memory Voltage ................................................................................................. 70 Chipset Voltage .................................................................................................. 71 HT Voltage......
List of Figures EVGA viii Figure 1. EVGA nForce 730a Motherboard Layout ....................... 15 Figure 3. PW1 Motherboard Connector ........................................ 22 Figure 4. BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Menu ............................ 37 Figure 5. Standard CMOS Features Menu .................................... 39 Figure 6. Advanced BIOS Features Menu ..................................... 44 Figure 7. Advanced Chipset Features ...........................................
EVGA nForce 730a Motherboard Before You Begin… Parts NOT in the Kit This kit contains all the hardware necessary to install and connect your new EVGA nForce 730a motherboard. However, it does not contain the following items that must be purchased separately to make the motherboard functional. AMD Microprocessor Cooling fan for the Microprocessor System Memory Graphics Card Power Supply EVGA assumes you have purchased all necessary parts needed to allow for proper system funtionality.
EVGA nForce 730a Motherboard Thank you for purchasing the EVGA nForce 730i Motherboard, with integrated GeForce Graphics, this motherboard offers the tools and performance PC users’ demand. Motherboard Specifications Size ATX form factor of 12 inch x 9.5 inch AMD Socket AM2/AM2+ (940-pin) support ¾ AMD Phenom /Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64 X2/Athlon 64/Sempron ¾ Support Hyper Transport Bus 5.2GT/s (HT 3.
Hardware Installation System Memory support Supports dual channel JEDEC DDR-800. Supports up to 8 GBs DDR2 memories. Twelve USB 2.0 Ports ¾ Supports hot plug ¾ Twelve USB 2.0 ports (four rear panel ports, eight onboard headers) ¾ Supports wake-up from S1 and S3 mode ¾ Supports USB 2.
Unpacking and Parts Descriptions Unpacking The EVGA nForce 730a motherboard comes with all the necessary cables for adding a motherboard to a new system case. If you are replacing a motherboard, you may not need many of these cables. All parts shipped in this kit are RoHS-compliant (lead-free) parts. Equipment The following equipment is included in the motherboard box.
Hardware Installation 1 - Floppy Cable Used to attach a floppy drive to the motherboard. 1 - 2-Port SATA Power Cable Allows a Molex power connector to adapt to a SATA power connector. 2 - SATA Signal Cable Used to support the Serial ATA protocol and each one connects a single drive to the motherboard. 1 - IDE-ATA 133 HDD Cable Passes data between the IDE connection on the motherboard and IDE device. 1 - Driver Installation CD Contains drivers and software needed to setup the motherboard.
23 21 19 22 20 25 24 18 17 16 1 15 2 14 13 10 3 12 4 11 10 9 6 8 5 7 1. AM2 CPU Socket 11. Front Panel Connector 21. PCI Express x1 Slot 2. CPU Fan Connector 12. Speaker Connector 22. PCI Express x16 Slot 3. DDR2 DIMM Slots 1 - 4 13. Diagnostic Code Display 23. Back Panel Connectors (Figure 2) 4. Power Fan Connector 14. Clear CMOS Button 24. 8-pin ATX_12V Power Connector 5. 24-Pin ATX Power Connector 15. System Fan Connector 25. Motherboard Battery 6. IDE Connector 16.
Hardware Installation 1 2 3 4 6 5 7 9 8 8 10 1. PS/2 Mouse Port 2. PS/2 Keyboard Port 3. HDMI Port 4. Coaxial SPDIF output 5. Optical SPDIF output 6. VGA Port 7. DVI-D Port 8. USB 2.0 ports (four) 9. LAN Port with LEDs to indicate status. Activity LED Status Off Blinking (Green) Description Speed/Link LED Status Description No data transmission Yellow 1000 Mbps data rate Data transmission Green 100 Mbps data rate Off 10 Mbps data rate 10.
Hardware Installation This section will guide you through the installation of the motherboard. The topics covered in this section are: Preparing the motherboard ¾ Installing the CPU ¾ Installing the CPU fan ¾ Installing the memory Installing the motherboard Connecting cables and setting switches Safety Instructions To reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, and injury, always follow basic safety precautions.
Hardware Installation Preparing the Motherboard The motherboard shipped in the box does not contain a CPU or memory. You need to purchase these to complete this installation. Installing the CPU Be very careful when handling the CPU. Make sure not to bend or break any pins on the back. Hold the processor only by the edges and do not touch the bottom of the processor. Use the following procedure to install the CPU onto the motherboard. 1. Unhook the socket lever by pushing down and away from the socket.
Installing Memory (DIMMs) Your new motherboard has four 240-pin slots for DDR memory. These slots support 256 MB, 512 MB and 1 GB DDR2 technologies for x8 and x16 devices. There must be at least one memory bank populated to ensure normal operation. Use the following the recommendations for installing memory. (See Figure 1 on page 15 for the location of the memory slots.) One DIMM: Install into slot 1. You can install the DIMM into any slot, however, slot 1 is preferred.
Installing the Motherboard The sequence of installing the motherboard into the system case depends on the system case you are using and if you are replacing an existing motherboard or working with an empty system case. Determine if it would be easier to make all the connections prior to this step or to secure the motherboard and then make all the connections. It is normally easier to secure the motherboard first.
Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis Most computer chassis have a base with mounting studs or spacers to allow the mother board to be secured to the chassis and help to prevent short circuits. If there are studs that do not align with a mounting hole on the motherboard, it is recommended that you remove that stud to prevent the possibility of a short circuit. In most cases, it is recommended to secure the motherboard using a minimum of nine (9) spacers. 1.
Hardware Installation FDD IDE Serial ATA II Chassis Fans Expansion slots CMOS Clear Button See Figure 1 on page 15 to locate the connectors and Button referenced in the following procedure.
24-pin ATX Power (PW1) is the main power supply connector located along the edge of the board next to the DIMM slots. Make sure that the power supply cable and pins are properly aligned with the connector on the motherboard. Firmly plug the power supply cable into the connector and make sure it is secure. PW1 PW1 connector Plug power cable from system power supply to PW1 Card edge Figure 1. PW1 Motherboard Connector Table 1.
8-pin ATX 12V Power (PW12) PW12, the 8-pin ATX 12V power connection, is used to provide power to the CPU. Align the pins to the connector and press firmly until seated. Card-edge side 1 5 GND 12V 4 8 Connecting IDE Hard Disk Drives The IDE connector supports Ultra ATA 133/100/66 IDE hard disk drives. 1. Connect the blue connector (the cable end with a single connector) to the motherboard.
Connecting Serial ATA Cables The Serial ATA II connector is used to connect the Serial ATA II device to the motherboard. These connectors support the thin Serial ATA II cables for primary storage devices. The current Serial ATA II interface allows up to 300MB/s data transfer rate. There are six (6) serial ATA connectors on the motherboard that support RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 0+1 and JBOD configurations.
Hardware Installation Connecting Internal Headers Front Panel Header The front panel header on this motherboard is one connector used to connect the following four cables. (see Table 2 for pin definitions): PWRLED Attach the front panel power LED cable to these two pins of the connector. The Power LED indicates the system’s status. When the system is turn on status, the LED is on. When the system is turn off status, the LED is off. When the system is in S1, S1, S3, S4 status, the LED is blink.
USB Headers This motherboard contains four (4) USB 2.0 ports that are exposed on the rear panel of the chassis (Figure 2). The motherboard also contains four 10-pin internal header connectors onboard that can be used to connect an optional external bracket containing four (4) more USB2.0 ports. 1. Secure the bracket to either the front or rear panel of your chassis (not all chassis are equipped with the front panel option). 2. Connect the two ends of the cables to the USB 2.0 headers on the motherboard.
Hardware Installation Audio The audio connector supports HD audio standard and provides two kinds of audio output choices: the Front Audio, the Rear Audio. The front Audio supports re-tasking function. Table 4.
SPK Header The speaker header is connects to the case’s speaker for PC beeps. Table 5.
Hardware Installation Fan Connections There are three fan connections on the motherboard. The fan speed can be detected and viewed in the PC Health Status section of the CMOS Setup. The fans are automatically turned off after the system enters S3, S4 and S5mode. System Fan Sense +12V Ground CPU Fan Ground +12V Sense Control Power Fan Sense +12V Ground Note: The CPU fan cable can be either a 3-pin or a 4-pin connector. Connect a 3-pin connector to pins 1, 2, and 3 on the motherboard connector.
COM1 The motherboard kit provides an additional serial COM header for your machine. Connect one side of a switching cable to the header and then attach the serial COM device to the other side of the cable. FDD Connector The motherboard supports a standard 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44m, and a 2.88M floppy disk drive (FDD).
Hardware Installation Expansion Slots This motherboard contains six expansion slots, three PCI Express slots and three PCI slots. For a full list of PCI Express x16 graphics card supported by this motherboard, go to www.nvidia.com/estore.
PCI Slots The three PCI slots support many expansion cards such as a LAN card, USB card, SCSI card and other cards that comply with PCI specifications. When installing a card into the PCI slot, be sure that it is fully seated. Secure the card’s metal bracket to the chassis back panel with the screw used to hold the blank cover. PCI Express x1 Slots There are two PCI Express x1 slots that are designed to accommodate less bandwidth-intensive cards, such as a modem or LAN card.
Hardware Installation Onboard Buttons These onboard buttons include RESET, POWER and CMOS, lets you turn on/off the system easily, and convenient for clear CMOS. Clear CMOS Button The motherboard uses the CMOS RAM to store all the set parameters. The CMOS can be cleared by press the CMOS button. RESET and POWER Button These onboard buttons lets you turn on/off the system easily, it is especially handy for debugging or testing the system.
Post Port Debug LED and LED Status Indicators Post Port Debug LED Provides two-digit POST codes to show why the system may be failing to boot. The LED will display the CPU temperature after entering the O/S. Debug LED LED Status Indicators CHIPSET LED The onboard LED Lights indicate the system’s status. CHIPSET LED (LED1): This LED to show the power status of Chipset. CPU LED (LED2): This LED to show the power status of CPU. CPU LED DIMM LED (LED3): This LED to show the power status of Memory.
Configuring the BIOS This section discusses how to change the system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.
Enter BIOS Setup The BIOS is the communication bridge between hardware and software. Correctly setting the BIOS parameters is critical to maintain optimal system performance. Use the following procedure to verify/change BIOS settings. 1. Power on the computer. 2. Press the Del key when the following message briefly displays at the bottom of the screen during the Power On Self Test (POST). Press F1 to continue, DEL to enter Setup. Pressing Del takes you to the Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility.
Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility ` Standard CMOS Features ` Frequency/Voltage Control ` Advanced BIOS Features Load Fail-Safe Defaults ` Advanced Chipset Features Load Optimized Defaults ` Integrated Peripherals Set Supervisor Password ` Power Management Setup Set User Password ` PnP/PCI Configurations Save & Exit Setup ` PC Health Status Exit Without Saving Esc : Quit F10 : Save & Exit Setup : Select Item Time, Date, Hard Disk Type.., Figure 2.
PC Health Status Use this menu to monitor the real-time system status of your PC, including temperature, voltages, and fan speed. The following items on the CMOS Setup Utility main menu are commands rather than submenus: Load Fail-Safe Defaults Load Fail-Safe defaults system settings. Load Optimized Defaults Load Optimized defaults system settings. Set Supervisor Password/Set User Password Use this command to set, change, and disable the password used to access the BIOS menu.
Standard CMOS Features Menu The Standard CMOS Features menu is used to configure the standard CMOS information, such as the date, time, HDD model, and so on. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the options or press Enter to display the sub-menu. Use the arrow keys to position the selector in the option you choose. To go back to the previous menu, press Esc. The information shown in Item Help corresponds to the option highlighted.
Date and Time Using the arrow keys, position the cursor over the month, day, and year. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through dates and times. Note that the weekday (Sun through Sat) cannot be changed. This field changes to correspond to the date you enter. Note that the hour value is shown in a 24-hour clock format. Time is represented as hour : minute : second.
Press Enter to auto-detect IDE and SATA channels in the system. Once the channel is detected, the values for Capacity, Cylinder, Heads, Precomp, Landing Zone, and Sector are automatically filled in. None There is no HDD installed or set. Auto The system can auto-detect the hard disk when booting up. Manual When you set the channel to [Manual] and change Access Mode to [CHS], you can then enter the number of cylinders, heads, Precomp, landing zone, and sector.
Drive A The Drive A option allows you to select the kind of FDD to install. Options are: Drive A Halt On [1.44, 3.5 in.] [All , But Keyboard] None 360K, 5.25 in. 1.2M, 5.25 in. 720K, 3.5 in. 1.44M, 3.5 in. 2.88M, 3.5 in. Press ENTER to display sub-menu Drive A None 360K, 5.25 in. 1.2M, 5.25 in. 720K, 3.5 in. 1.44M, 3.5 in. 2.88M, 3.5 in. ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
All, But Keyboard System boot does not stop for keyboard errors, but does stop for all other errors. All, But Diskette The system boot does not stop for a diskette error but will stop for all other errors. All, But Disk/Key The system boot does not stop for a keyboard or disk error, but will stop for all other errors. Memory These settings are display-only values that are determined by the BIOS POST (Power-On Self Test).
Advanced BIOS Features Menu Access the Advanced BIOS Features menu from the CMOS Utility Setup screen. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the options or press Enter to display the sub-menu. Use the arrow keys to position the selector in the option you choose. To go back to the previous menu, press Esc. The options that have associated sub-menus are designated by a `, which precedes the option. Press Enter to display the sub-menus.
Note that all data in white is for information only, data in yellow is changeable, data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a red box is highlighted for selection. Removable Device Priority Use this option to select the priority for removable device startup. Press Enter to see the list of removable devices in your system. Use the arrow keys to go to the various devices. Then use the + or – keys to move the device priority up or down in the list. To go back to the previous menu, press Esc. 1.
Enter to display the sub-menu. Use the arrow keys to position the selector in the option you choose. First Boot Device Removable Hard Disk CDROM Legacy LAN NVIDIA Boot Age Disabled :Move ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ENTER:Accept [ [ [ [ [ [ ] ] ] ] ] ] ESC:Abort Boot Other Device With the option set to Enable, the system boots from some other device if the first/second/third boot devices fail. Boot Up NumLock Status This option allows you to select the power-on state of NumLock.
APIC Mode Use this function to enable or disable the Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC). If you disable this option, you also disable the MPS Version Control for OS option. MPS Version Control For OS Use this function to select the Multi-Processor Specification (MPS) version that BIOS passes to the operating system. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the options.
Advanced Chipset Features Menu Select Advanced Chipset Features from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to display the functions of the Advanced Chipset Functions menu.
Hybrid SLI This item allows you set the Hybrid SLI function if you install a Hybrid SLI card. The options are Auto and Disabled. Display Detection This item enabling will cause System BIOS to search for monitor connected if boot prefer (BGPU) does not have monitor connected. The options are Enabled and Disabled iGPU Frame Buffer Control This item allows you to set the onboard GPU frame buffer control mode. The options are Auto and Manual.
SSE/ SSE2 Instructions This item allows you to enable or disable the SSE/SSE2 (Stream SIMD Extensions) instructions. CPU Thermal-Throttling To prevent increasing heat from damaging the CPU or causing accidental shutdown while under high workloads, the CPU Thermal Throttling Technology will force the CPU to enter an idle mode from 87.5% to 12.5% according to preset CPU operating temperatures in the BIOS. MCP78 PCIE training The cards supporting gen2 mode will be trained in Gen2 mode by BIOS.
Integrated Peripherals Menu Select Integrated Peripherals from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to display the Integrated Peripherals menu.
IDE Function Setup Press Enter to display the IDE Function Setup menu. OnChip IDE Channel0 Primary Master PIO Primary Slave PIO Primary Master UDMA Primary Slave UDMA IDE DMA transfer access Serial-ATA Controller IDE Prefetch Mode IDE HDD Block Mode OnChip IDE Channel0 Use this function to enable or disable the onchip IDE Channel0. When disabled, the Primary Master/Slave functions are changed to Auto and cannot be changed.
IDE HDD Block Mode Using this function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows your IDE hard drive needs to support block mode. Select [Enabled] to automatically detect the optimal number of block read/writes per sector the drive can support. Select [Disabled] if your drive does not support block mode. MCP Storage Config Press Enter to display the MCP Storage Config menu. SATA Operation Mode SATA SALP Features [IDE] [OFF] SATA Operation Mode This is allows you set the onboard Serial SATA mode.
HD Audio This item allows you to enable or disable the hard disk audio function. Options are Disabled, Internal Codec, External Codec, INT Codec + EXT Codec MAC Lan Use this function to set the MAC LAN to [Auto] or disable this function. P80 Show CPU Temperature When this function is enabled the Post Port LED will display the CPU temperature. Options are Enabled and Disabled. Legacy Devices Press Enter to display the Legacy Devices menu.
USB 1.0 Controller Use this function to enable the USB 1.0 controller. USB 2.0 Controller Use this function to enable the USB 2.0 (EHCI) controller. USB Operation Mode Select the USB Operation Mode for USB device. Options are Full/Low Speed and High Speed. USB Keyboard Function Use this function to enable or disable support for USB keyboard under DOS. USB Mouse Function Use this function to enable or disable support for USB Mouse under DOS.
Power Management Setup Menu Select Power Management Setup from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to display the Power Management Setup menu.
ACPI Suspend Type This function allows you to select an ACPI Suspend Type. Types to select from are [S1&S3], [S1(POS)], and [S3(STR)]. Soft-Off by PBNT This function allows you to set Soft-Off by PBNT to [Instant-Off] or [Delay 4 Sec]. WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off This function allows you to enable or disable WOL(PME#) from soft-off. S5 Resume by USB This function allows a USB device to wake-up the system from Soft-off state.
Disabled Mouse Keyboard Both (Keyboard and Mouse) Hot Key Power On Use this function with the above “POWER ON Function” to set a combination of keys that can be used to power on the system. Options for this function are: Ctrl-Esc Ctrl-F1 Ctrl-Space Anykey PWRON After PWR-Fail This function enables your computer to automatically restart or return to its last operating status after power returns from a power failure. Off: The system stays off after a power failure.
PnP/PCI Configuration Menu Select PnP/PCI Configuration from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to display the PnP/PCI Configuration menu.
Resources Controlled By This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to define if the BIOS can automatically configure all the boot and plug-and-play compatible devices or if you can manually select IRQ, DMA, and memory base address fields. Select [Auto(ESCD)] if you want the BIOS to automatically populate these fields. If you select [Manual] so you can assign the resources, IRQ Resources is enabled for input.
Maximum Payload Size This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to set the maximum TLP payload size (in bytes) for the PCI Express devices. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through sizes or enter the number using the keyboard numbers or use the + and – keys to go up and down the list of sizes.
PC Health Status Menu Select PC Health status from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to display the PC Health Status menu. Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility PC Health Status ` SmartFan Function Shutdown Temperature VCC DIMM(V) 5VSB +12V Chipset(V) CPU(V) 3VSB Voltage Battery CPU temperature System temperature CPU Fan Speed Power Fan Speed System Fan Speed :Move Figure 9. [Press Enter] [Disabled] 4.96V 1.89V 4.96V 12.14V 1.09V 1.21V 3.37V 3.
SmartFan Function Press Enter to display the SmartFan Function menu. x x x x x x Smart CPUFan Function CPU Temperature CPU Fan Speed [Full Speed] 34ºC 3080 RPM SmartFan Duty Cycle 90% Full FAN Speed Temp H-Full FAN Threshold Fast FAN Speed Temp M-Quiet FAN Threshold Quiet FAN Speed Temp L-Start/Stop FAN Stop FAN Speed [100%] 60ºC/ 140ºF 75% 40ºC/ 104ºF 50% 20ºC/ 68ºF [30%] Use this menu to control the speed of the various fans on the motherboard. Full speed fixes fan speed at100% duty cycle.
Frequency/Voltage Control Menu Select Frequency/Voltage Control from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to display the Frequency/Voltage Control menu.
CPU Feature Select CPU Feature from the Frequency/Voltage Controls menu and press Enter to display the CPU Feature menu.
technology is enabled. When set to Disbaled the following related items become available to select. CPU-NB DID The options are 1 and 2. CPU-NB FID The options are 0000 to 0005 in the hex number. CPU-NB VID The options are 0000 to 007F in the hex number. CPU DID The options are 0 to 4. CPU FID The options are 0000 to 0007 in the hex number. CPU VID The options are 0000 to 0018 in the hex number. Secure Virtual Machine Mode This item allows you to set the Secure Virtual Machine Mode.
DRAM Configuration Select DRAM Configuration from the Frequency/Voltage Controls menu and press Enter to display the DRAM Configuration menu. This section allows you to configure the system based on the specific features of the installed chipset. Change these settings only if you are familiar with the Chipset. We recommend that you leave this at the default value.
¾ DRAM Timing Setting Press Enter to display the DRAM Timing Setting menu.
(Trrd) RAS to RAS Delay: RAS#-to-RAS# delay of different banks (options are Auto, 2 through 5). Twtr command Delay: This is the minimum write-to-read delay with the same chip selected (options are Auto, 1 through 3). Trfc x for DIMMx: This is the minimum time from an auto-refresh command to an activate command or another auto refresh command. The recommended programming of this register varies based on DRAM density and speed. (options are Auto, 75ns, 105ns, 127.5ns, 195ns, 327.5ns).
Bottom of UMA DRAM [31:24] Set Bottom of UMA DRAM address. Options are 0000 ~ 00FC. CPU Frequency This item enables you to increment the CPU’s clock generator at 1 MHz step. The options are 200 to 600 in 1MHz increments. PCI Clock This item enables you to subtle tune the PCIE frequency at increments of 1MHz step. The options are 100 to 200 in 1MHz increments. K8<->NB HT Speed This item allows you to set the HyperTransport speed between the CPU and Northbridge. The options are Auto and 200MHz to 1.
Chipset Voltage This item allows you to adjust the chipset voltage. The options are Auto and 1.1V to 1.4V in 0.1V increments. HT Voltage This item allows you to adjust the HyperTransport voltage. The options are Auto and 1.2V to 1.5V in 0.1V increments. Load Timing/Voltage Set This function loads the system voltages and timing settings that were defined in the System Voltages menu. You can set up to two profile settings using the Save timing/voltage set function.
Save Timing/Voltage Set This function saves the system voltages and timing settings that were defined in the System Voltages menu. There are two profile options that can be loaded. The default setting is Auto for all settings. Press Enter to see the options. Save timing/voltage set Press Enter to Exit ..... [ ] Select Profile 1 ..... [ ] Select Profile 2 .....
Installing Drivers and Software It is important to remember that before installing the driver CD that is shipped in the kit, you need to load your operating system. The motherboard supports Windows XP 32bit and 64bit and is Vista-capable. The kit comes with a CD that contains utility drivers and additional NVIDIA software.
ACPI - Advanced Configuration and Power Interface AFR – Alternate Frame Rendering APIC - Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller BIOS - Basic Input Output System CD-ROM - Compact Disc Read-Only Memory CMOS - Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor CPU – Central Processing Unit D-ICE – Dry Ice Cooling DDR2 - Double Data Rate 2 DDR3 - Double Data Rate 3 DIMM - Dual In-line Memory Module DRAM - Dynamic random access memory DVD - Digital Versatile Disc DVI – Digital Video Interface FDC - Floppy Disk Controll
LGA – Land Grid Array LN2 – Liquid Nitrogen Cooling MAC - Media Access Control MCP - Media and Communications Processor MHz - Megahertz NB - Northbridge NCQ - Native Command Queuing NIC - Network Interface Card NTFS - New Technology File System OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer PATA - Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment PCB - Printed Circuit Board PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect PCI-E - Peripheral Component Interconnect Express PCI-X - Peripheral Component Interconnect Extended POST – Power
Appendix A POST Codes for the EVGA nForce 730a Motherboard This section provides the Award POST Codes (Table 6) for the EVGA nForce 730a Motherboard during system boot up. The POST Codes are displayed on the LED POST Code readout located directly onboard the motherboard. The LED POST Code readout will also display current CPU temperatures. Table 3.
Award POST Codes Code Name Description 0E CheckSum Check 0F Reserved 10 Autodetect EEPROM 11 Reserved 12 Test CMOS 13 Reserved 14 Load Chipset 15 Reserved 16 Init Clock 17 Reserved 18 Init CPU 19 Reserved 1A Reserved 1B Setup Interrupt Vector Table Initialize first 120 interrupt vectors with SPURIOUS_INT_HDLR and initialize INT 00h-1Fh according to INT_TBL 1C CMOS Battery Check Test CMOS and check Battery Fail 1D Early PM Early PM initialization 1E Reserved 1F Re-init
Award POST Codes Code Name EVGA 78 2C Reserved 2D Video memory test 2E Reserved 2F Reserved 30 Reserved 31 Reserved 32 Reserved 33 Early keyboard reset 34 Reserved 35 Test DMA Controller 0 36 Reserved 37 Test DMA Controller 1 38 Reserved 39 Test DMA Page Registers 3A Reserved 3B Reserved 3C Test Timer 3D Reserved 3E Test 8259-1 Mask 3F Reserved 40 Test 8259-2 Mask 41 Reserved 42 Reserved 43 Test Stuck Interrupt 44 Reserved 45 Reinit serial port 46 Reser
Award POST Codes Code Name 48 Reserved 49 Size Memory 4A Reserved 4B Reserved 4C Reserved 4D Reserved 4E Init APIC 4F Reserved 50 USB init 51 Reserved 52 Memory Test 53 Reserved 54 Reserved 55 CPU display 56 Reserved 57 PnP Init Display 58 Reserved 59 Setup Virus 5A Reserved 5B Awdflash Load 5C Reserved 5D Onboard I/O 5E Reserved 5F Reserved 60 Setup enable 61 Reserved 62 Reserved 63 Initialize Mouse Description execute EISA initialization.
Award POST Codes Code Name 64 EVGA 80 Description interrupt vectors.
Award POST Codes Code Name Description 83 Write CMOS Write all CMOS values back to RAM and clear screen.
Award POST Codes Code Name EVGA 82 Description BF Program MCP To program chipset from defaults values E1EF Setup Pages E1- Page 1, E2 - Page 2, etc.