User Guide EVGA nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard EVGA Corporation January, 2008 | DU-03597-001_v01
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard EVGA Corporation ii January 11, 2008 | DU-03751-001_v01
nForce 790i SLI Motherboard Table of Contents Before You Begin… ....................................................................................................ix Parts NOT in the Kit .................................................................................................ix Intentions of the Kit .................................................................................................. x EVGA nForce 790i Motherboard ......................................................................
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Connecting IDE Hard Disk Drives ...................................................................... 16 Connecting Serial ATA Cables........................................................................... 18 Connecting Internal Headers ............................................................................. 19 Front Panel Header ........................................................................................ 19 IEEE 1394a..................................
nForce 790i SLI Motherboard Network Boot Priority......................................................................................... 40 CPU Internal Cache ........................................................................................... 41 Quick Power On Self Test.................................................................................. 41 First/Second/Third Boot Device ........................................................................ 41 Boot Other Device.....................
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard HD Audio............................................................................................................ 62 IDE HDD Block Mode ........................................................................................ 62 Onboard FDC Controller .................................................................................... 63 Onboard Serial Port 1 ........................................................................................
nForce 790i SLI Motherboard Profile Policies.................................................................................................... 87 Manage Your System BIOS ............................................................................... 88 NVIDIA System Monitor ......................................................................................... 89 Appendix A. POST Codes for Tritium Platform ........................................................95 Appendix B.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard List of Figures Figure 1. EVGA nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Layout ................................. 6 Figure 2. Chassis Backpanel Connectors ............................................................. 7 Figure 3. Power Supply Connectors ................................................................... 15 Figure 4. PWR1 Motherboard Connector ........................................................... 15 Figure 5. BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Menu .......
nForce 790i SLI Motherboard Before You Begin… Parts NOT in the Kit This kit contains all the hardware necessary to install and connect your new EVGA a nForce® 790i Ultra SLI motherboard. However, it does not contain the following items that must be purchased separately to make the motherboard functional.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Intentions of the Kit This kit provides you with the motherboard and all connecting cables necessary to install the motherboard into a PC cabinet. If you are building a PC, you will use most of the cables provided in the kit. If however, you are replacing a motherboard, you will not need many of the cables. When replacing a motherboard in a PC cabinet, you will need to reinstall an operating system even though the current drives have an operating system.
EVGA nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Thank you for buying the EVGA NFORCE 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard. This motherboard offers the tools and performance PC users’ demand. When combined with two or three SLI-Ready NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards, you get innovative NVIDIA SLI Technology for enhanced system performance. Motherboard Specifications Size ATX form factor of 12 inch x 9.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Onboard Serial ATA II ¾ 300MBps data transfer rate ¾ Six Serial ATA II connectors ¾ NVIDIA MediaShield RAID with support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD ¾ Supports hot plug and NCQ (Native Command Queuing ) Onboard LAN ¾ Dual LAN interface built-in onboard ¾ Supports 10/100/1000 Mbit/sec Ethernet Onboard 1394 ¾ Support hot plug ¾ Two 1394a ports (one rear panel port, one onboard header) with rate of transmission at 400 Mbps Onboard Audio
nForce 790i SLI Motherboard EVGA Corporation January 11, 2008 | DU-03751-001_v01 3
Unpacking and Parts Descriptions Unpacking The EVGA nForce 790i Ultra SLI motherboard comes with all the necessary cables for adding a motherboard to a new chassis. If you are replacing a motherboard, you may not need many of these cables. Be sure to inspect each piece of equipment shipped in the packing box. If anything is missing or damaged, contact your reseller. All parts shipped in this kit are RoHS-compliant (lead-free) parts.
nForce 790i SLI Motherboard motherboard. 2-Port SATA Power Cable (Qty Three) 1394 Cable Provides two additional 1394 ports to either the front or back panels of the chassis. USB 2.0 4-Port Cable Provides four additional USB ports to either the front or back panels of the chassis.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard 21 21 22 26 25 23 24 23 22 22 20 27 28 19 18 1 11 2 29 17 16 3 16 4 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 11 8 7 6 5 1. CPU Socket 11. Fan connectors 21. PCI slots 2. nForce 790i Ultra SLI heatpipe 12. Serial-ATA (SATA) connectors 22. PCI Express x16 slots (SLI) 3. CPU fan connector 13. Front panel connector 23. PCI Express x1 slot 4. DDR3 DIMM slots 0 - 3 14. Serial connector 24. SATA connector 5. 24-pin ATX power connector 15. Jumper 25.
nForce 790i SLI Motherboard 9 6 6 7 1 2 9 3 4 5 6 8 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. PS/2 Mouse Port PS/2 Keyboard Port Coaxial SPDIF SPDIF output eSATA USB 2.0 ports (SIX) 1394a (Firewire) Port Port 2-Channel 4-Channel 6-Channel/8-Channel Blue Line-In Line-In Line-In Green Line-Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In Orange Center/Subwoofer Black Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Grey 9. Lan Port with LEDs to indicate status.
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.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Note: Make sure the CPU is fully seated and level in the socket. 7. Close the load plate over the CPU and press down while you close and engage the socket lever. Installing the CPU Fan There are many different fan types that can be used with this motherboard. Follow the instruction that came with you fan assembly. Be sure that the fan orientation is correct for your chassis type and your fan assembly.
Hardware Installation EVGA Corporation January 11, 2008 | DU-03751-001_v01 11
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Use the following procedure to install memory DIMMs. Note that there is only one gap near the center of the DIMM slot. This slot matches the slot on the memory DIMM to ensure the component is installed properly. 1. Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the module clips outward. 2. Align the memory module to the DIMM slot, and insert the module vertically into the DIMM slot. The plastic clips at both sides of the DIMM slot automatically lock the DIMM into the connector.
Hardware Installation 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.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard ¾ Speaker ¾ COM FDD IDE Serial ATA II Chassis Fans Rear panel USB 2.0 Adapter Expansion slots CMOS jumper settings See Figure 1 on page 6 to locate the connectors and jumpers referenced in the following procedure.
Hardware Installation Figure 3. Power Supply Connectors Make sure you have enough power to cover all the expansion cards you will be installing. To determine what you power requirements are for your specific configuration or a certified power supply vendor, refer to www.slizone.com. 24-pin ATX Power (PWR1) is the main power supply connector located along the edge of the board next to the DIMM slots.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Connector Pin Signal Pin Signal 9 +5V_AUX 21 +5V 10 +12V 22 +5V 11 +12V 23 +5V 12 +3.3V 24 GND 8-pin ATX 12V Power (PWR2) PWR2, 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. Backpanel connector edge 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.
Hardware Installation Note: If an ATA-66/100 disk drive and a disk drive using any other IDE transfer protocol are attached to the same cable, the maximum transfer rate between the drives may be reduced to that of the slowest drive.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI 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 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 1 (see Table 2 for pin definitions): PWRLED 2 + + HD_LED PWRLED - Attach the front panel power LED RESET cable to these two pins of the connector. The Power LED indicates the system’s status. When the system is in S0 status, No Connect 9 the LED is on. When the system is in S1, S3, S4, S5 status, the LED is off.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Table 2.
Hardware Installation 10 GND USB Headers This motherboard contains six (6) USB 2.0 ports that are exposed on the rear panel of the chassis (Figure 2). The motherboard also contains two 10-pin internal header connectors onboard that can be used to connect an optional external bracket containing four (4) more USB 2.0 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.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard 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 5.
Hardware Installation Fan Connections There are five 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 S5 mode. Fan Connector Install the fan on the nForce 790i Ultra SLI MCP to draw heat from the MCP and the SPP. The fans plug into a 3-pin connector.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard There are three more fan connectors on the motherboard. For this installation, these will not be used. System fan connector Fan Connector 3 2 GND +12V SENSE Chassis fan connector Auxiliary fan 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.
Hardware Installation FDD Connector The motherboard supports a standard 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44m, and a 2.88M floppy disk drive (FDD). Expansion Slots The EVGA nForce 790i Ultra SLI motherboard contains seven expansion slots, five PCI Express slots and two PCI slots. For a full list of PCI Express x16 graphics card supported by this motherboard, go to www.nvidia.com/estore.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard PCI Slots The two 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.
Hardware Installation Jumper Settings The motherboard contains a 3-pin BIOS configuration jumper that enables all board configurations to be done in the BIOS Setup program. The silk screen on the motherboard shows a ∆ next to pin 1. Clear CMOS Jumper: CLR_CMOS The motherboard uses the CMOS RAM to store all the set parameters. The CMOS can be cleared by removing the CMOS jumper. Use the following procedure to clear CMOS: 1. Turn off the AC power supply 2.
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.
Configuring the BIOS 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.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility ` Standard CMOS Features ` System Monitor ` Advanced BIOS Features Load Defaults ` Advanced Chipset Features Set Password ` Integrated Peripherals Save & Exit Setup ` Power Management Setup Exit Without Saving ` PnP/PCI Configurations Esc : Quit F10 : Save & Exit Setup : Select Item Time, Date, Hard Disk Type.., SLI-Ready memory - Disabled Figure 5.
Configuring the BIOS PnP/PCI Configurations Use this menu to modify the system’s Plug-and-Play and PCI configurations. System Monitor 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 Defaults Load default system settings. Set Password Use this command to set, change, and disable the password used to access the BIOS menu.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard 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.
Configuring the BIOS Note: 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.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard 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.
Configuring the BIOS IDE Auto-Detect [Press Enter] Extended IDE Drive Access Mode [None} Auto Capacity 0 MB Cylinder Head Precomp Landing Zone Sector 0 0 0 0 0 EVGA Corporation January 11, 2008 | DU-03751-001_v01 35
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard 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.
Configuring the BIOS ¾ Auto Recommended mode. Drive A The Drive A option allows you to select the kind of FDD to install. Options are: Drive A Halt On None 360K, 5.25 in. 1.2M, 5.25 in. 720K, 3.5 in. 1.44M, 3.5 in. 2.88M, 3.5 in. [1.44, 3.5 in.] [All , But Keyboard] Press ENTER to display sub- 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. ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Drive A Halt On [1.44, 3.5 in.] [All , But Keyboard] Press ENTER to display sub-menu Halt On All Errors Whenever the BIOS detects a nonfatal All Errors ..... [ ] error, the system stops and prompts you. No Errors ..... [ ] All , But Keyboard ..... [ ] No Errors All , But Diskette ..... [ ] System boot does not stop for any All , But Disk/Key ..... [ ] detected errors.
Configuring the BIOS Advanced BIOS Features 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. Note: The options that have associated sub-menus are designated by a `, which precedes the option. Press Enter to display the sub-menus.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Note: 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.
Configuring the BIOS CPU Internal Cache Use this option to enable or disable the CPU internal cache. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the options or press Enter to display the options in a sub-menu. Use the arrow keys to position the selector in the option you choose. Quick Power On Self Test Enabling this option allows the system to skip certain test while booting, which reduces the time needed to boot the system.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard 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. Select On to activate the keyboard NumLock when the system is started. Select Off to disable the NumLock key.
Configuring the BIOS Security Option The Security Options allows you to require a password every time the system boots or only when you enter setup. Select Setup to require a password to gain access to the CMOS Setup screen. Select System to require a password to access the CMOS Setup screen and when the system boots. 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.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Advanced Chipset Features Select Advanced Chipset Features from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to display the functions of the Advanced Chipset Functions menu.
Configuring the BIOS System Clocks Select System Clocks from the Advanced Chipset Features menu and press Enter to display the System Clocks menu. From this menu, you are able to specify frequency settings, HT multipliers, and Spread Spectrum settings. Note that in Figure 9, all of the options are listed. On the actual BIOS screen, you will need to scroll down to see all the options.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Frequency Settings CPU Freq, MHz This value is set by the CPU Multiplier (value cannot be changed by the user). FSB Reference Clock. MHz This value is set by the system (value cannot be changed by the user). To change the SLI-Ready memory, FSB memory, and memory timing, go to the FSB & Memory screen. CPU Multiplier This value changes the CPU Frequency value depending on the value you choose.
Configuring the BIOS HT Multiplier nForce SPP — —> nForce MCP Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the HT multiplier options and set the link speed from the SPP chip to the MCP chip. Values are [1 x] through [5 x]. nForce MCP <— — nForce SPP Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the HT multiplier options and set the link speed from the MCP chip to the SPP chip. Values are [1 x] through [5 x].
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard FSB & Memory Config Select FSB & Memory Config from the Advanced Chipset Features menu and press Enter to display the FSB & Memory Config menu. This menu provides the means to set SLI-Ready memory, FSB memory, and memory timing. Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility FSB & Memory Config Parameters SLI-Ready Memory Settings Current Value [Disabled] Disabled CPU Freq, MHz 2933.
Configuring the BIOS ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ CPUOC 3% CPUOC 4% CPUOC 5% CPUOC MAX When you select one of the CPUOC x% options, the FSB - Memory Clock Mode is set to Unlinked and cannot be changed until SLIReady Memory is set to Disable. FSB and Memory Clock Mode Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the FSB and Memory Clock Mode options. The options are: ¾ Auto This is the optimal setting since it sets the FSB and memory speeds automatically.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Linked] FSB (QDR), MHz [1067] Actual FSB (QDR), MHz 1066.7 MEM (DDR), MHz [1067] Actual MEM (DDR), MHz 800.0 1066.7 800.6 FSB (QDR), MHz Use the + or – keys to scroll through new values for the CPU FSB frequency or type in a new value. Note that the Actual FSB (QDR) reflects the actual frequency that takes effect on a reboot. MEM (DDR), MHz Use the + or – keys to scroll through new values for the memory frequency or type in a new value.
Configuring the BIOS ¾ Optimal Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to select Optimal. Optimal prohibits you from manually setting any timing. All timing is set for optimal performance.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard ¾ Expert Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to select Expert. When Expert is selected, all timing categories are enabled for manual input. Note that you should set the value to Optimal to use the manufacturers’ recommended values.
Configuring the BIOS tREF: This is the DRAM refresh rate (options are Auto, 7.8uS, and 3.9uS). CPU Configuration Select CPU Configuration from the Advanced Chipset Features menu and press Enter to display the CPU Configuration menu.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard ¾ Disable Disable support for TM1 and TM2. ¾ TM1 Only The CPU is thermally throttled by cutting active processor clock cycles. ¾ TM2 Only Thermal throttling is achieved by reducing the CPU multiplier and CPU core voltage. ¾ TM1 & TM2 Enables support for both TM1 and TM2. C1E Enhanced Halt State Enabled, this function reduces the CPU power consumption when the CPU is idle. Idle occurs when the operating system issues a halt instruction.
Configuring the BIOS System Voltages Select System Voltages from the Advanced Chipset Features menu and press Enter to display the System Voltages menu. Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility System Voltages Parameters CPU Core CPU FSB Memory nForce SPP nForce MCP HT nForce SPP <-> MCP nForce MCP Auxiliary GTLVREF GTLVREF GTLVREF GTLVREF :Move Figure 12. Lane Lane Lane Lane 0 1 2 3 Settings Current Value [Auto] 1.28 [Auto] 1.2V [Auto] 1.85V [Auto] 1.30V [Auto] 1.50V [Auto] 1.20V [Auto] 1.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard nForce SPP This function defines the core voltage level for the NVIDIA nForce SPP chip. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to select a voltage (1.20V, 1.30V, 1.40V, 1.50V) or select [Auto]to automatically set the voltage. nForce MCP This function defines the core voltage level for the NVIDIA nForce MCP chip. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to select a voltage or select [Auto]to automatically set the voltage.
Configuring the BIOS NVMEM Memory Test This function defines whether you run the NVIDIA memory testing module during POST. The options are Fast, Medium, Slow, and Disable. 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 four profile settings using the Save timing/voltage set function. There are four profile options that can be loaded. The default setting is Auto for all settings.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Save Timing/Voltage Set This function saves the system voltages and timing settings that were defined in the System Voltages menu. There are four 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 Select Profile Select Profile Select Profile :Move Exit 1 2 3 ..... ..... ..... .....
Configuring the BIOS Integrated Peripherals Menu Select Integrated Peripherals from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to display the Integrated Peripherals menu. Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility Integrated Peripherals ` ` ` ` IDE Function Setup RAID Config USB Config MAC Config IEEE1394 controller HD Audio IDE HDD Block Mode Onboard FDC Controller Onboard Serial Port 1 :Move Figure 13.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard IDE Function Setup Press Enter to display the IDE Function Setup menu.
Configuring the BIOS RAID Config Press Enter to display the RAID Config menu. RAID SATA SATA SATA SATA SATA SATA Enable 0 Primary 0 Secondary 1 Primary 1 Secondary 2 Primary 2 Secondary RAID RAID RAID RAID RAID RAID [Enabled] [Disabled] [Disabled] [Disabled] [Disabled] [Disabled] [Disabled] RAID Enable RAID Enable [Disabled] x SATA 0 Primary RAID Disabled Use this function to enable or x SATA 0 Secondary RAID Disabled disable RAID.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard USB Keyboard/Mouse Support Use these function to enable or disable the onchip WSB support of the keyboard and/or mouse. MAC Config Press Enter to display the MAC Config menu. MAC0 LAN MAC1 LAN [Enabled] [Disabled] MACx LAN Use these functions to set the MAC0 and/or MAC1 LANs to Auto or disable their functions. IEEE1394 controller This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or disable the IEEE1394 (Firewire) interface.
Configuring the BIOS Onboard FDC Controller This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or disable the onboard FDC controller function. Onboard Serial Port 1 This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to select the onboard serial port 1 function. Options are [3F8/IRQ4], [2E8/IRQ3], [3E8/IRQ4], [Auto], and [Disabled].
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard x x x x ACPI function APCI Suspend Type Soft-Off by PBTN WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off [Enabled] [S1&S3] [Instant-Off] [Disabled] Power-on by Alarm Day of Month Alarm Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm [Disabled] 0 0 : 0 : 0 POWER ON Function KB Power ON Password Hot Key Power On [BUTTON ONLY] Enter Ctrl-F1 :Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F5: Previous Values Figure 14.
Configuring the BIOS Soft-Off by PBNT This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to set Soft-Off by PBNT to [Instant-Off] or [Delay 4 Sec]. WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or disable WOL(PMW#) from soft-off. Power On by Alarm This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or disable the Power-on by alarm function. Set to [Disable] to prevent power-on by alarm.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard x POWER ON Function KB Power ON Password Hot Key Power On [Password] [Enter] Ctrl-F1 Hot Key Power On When [Hot Key] is selected, the Hot key Power On function is enabled so that you must select a keyboard key as the hot key.
Configuring the BIOS PnP/PCI Configuration Menu Select PnP/PCI Configuration from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to display the PnP/PCI Configuration menu. Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility PnP/PCI Configuration x Init Display First Reset Configuration Data [PCI Slot] [Disabled] Resources Controlled By IRQ Resources [Auto(ESCD)] Press Enter Item Help Main Level ` ** PCI Express relative items ** Maximum Payload Size [4096] :Move Figure 15.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Init Display First This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to define if the initial display is in the PCI slot or in the PCI Express slot. Options are [PCI Slot] and [PCIEx]. Reset Configuration Data This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to enable or disable the resetting of Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) when you exit Setup.
Configuring the BIOS IRQ Resources To enable this field for input, set Resources Controlled By to [Manual]. With this field enabled, press Enter to see options. IRQ-5 IRQ-9 IRQ-10 IRQ-11 IRQ-14 IRQ-15 assigned assigned assigned assigned assigned assigned to to to to to to [PCI Device] [Reserved] [PCI Device] [PCI Device] [PCI Device] [PCI Device] Use Legacy ISA for devices compliant with the original PC AT Bus specification.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard System Monitor Menu Select System Monitor from the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to display the System Monitor menu. Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility System Monitor ` Dynamic Fan Control CPU CPU Core CPU FSB Memory +3.3V +3.3V Dual +12V +5V +Vbat 1.28V 1.19V 1.81V 3.16V 3/16V 11.92V 4.99V 3.00V CPU Fan Speed Aux Fan Speed nForce Fan Speed Chassis Fan Speed Chassis Fan2 Speed :Move Figure 16.
Configuring the BIOS Dynamic Fan Control Press Enter to display the Dynamic Fan Control menu. x CPU Fan Speed Control [SmartFan] If temp > 70ºC, Set Fan Speed 100% If temp < 30ºC, Set Fan Speed 0% Manual Fan Speed, % 100 AUX Fan Speed Control, % [100] nForce Fan Speed Control, % [100] Chassis Fan Speed Control, % [100] Use this menu to control the speed of the various fans on the motherboard.
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Installing Drivers and Software Note: 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.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Drivers Installation Insert the NVIDIA EVGA nForce 780i SLI installation CD for the graphics drivers motherboard included in the kit. 4. The CD will auto run, install the drivers and utilities listed on the install screen. If the CD does not run; go to My Computer and click on the CD to open. 3.
Using the NVIDIA Software Built upon the foundation of NVIDIA’s core motherboard and GPU technologies, NVIDIA System Monitor and Performance Server software utilities bring consolidated reporting and control to the desktop in seamless fashion. Traditionally, users have been forced to endure a sequence of trial and error attempts within the BIOS in order to customize the operation and performance of the system to their needs. As settings are attempted, the user must start and restart Windows several times.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard NVIDIA Performance Group of NVIDIA Control Panel You can start the NVIDIA Performance Group several ways: Double-click the NVIDIA Performance Group icon on the desktop Right-click on the desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel From the Windows Control Panel, double-click the NVIDIA Control Panel NVIDIA Performance Server menus are located under the Performance group in the left column.
Using NVIDIA Software Device Settings Device Settings has two tabs, Current Hardware Settings and Hardware Profiles. Under the Current Hardware Settings tab there are settings for the CPU, Motherboard, Memory, and GPU.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Current Hardware Settings CPU This option deals with CPU parameters and information. Here, the user has the ability to dynamically change FSB speeds, CPU Voltages, and CPU fan speeds. At all times, real-time values for CPU frequency and appropriate CPU multiplier are reported. CAUTION: Increasing the voltage or the clock speed of a component may void its warranty due to exceeding recommended specifications.
Using NVIDIA Software Motherboard The Motherboard option showcases a wide variety of motherboard and systemwide options and settings. The controls located in the Adjust Motherboard Timings screen allow the bus speeds to be adjusted manually to increase performance for gaming, or lower performance to conserve power and create a quieter user environment. The number to the right of the slider is the new bus speed that will be applied. Adjustments can be made by using the mouse to drag the slider.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Memory Memory is one of the most critical components in terms of determining overall system stability and overclocking success, a wealth of information and options for memory modules is available. Both timings and voltage are dynamically adjustable, with real-time values for memory frequency, FSB frequency, and more being viewable to help dictate which settings are most appropriate.
Using NVIDIA Software Row Address Strobe Adjusts the minimum RAS active time. This is the amount of time between a row being activated by Precharge and deactivated. A row cannot be deactivated until tRAS has completed. The lower this value, the faster the performance. However, if it is set too low it can cause data corruption by deactivating the row to soon. Adjustable from 1 to 63.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard write data pair and the subsequent READ command to the same physical block. Adjustable from 1 to 15. RAS to CAS access The RAS-to-CAS access (tRCD) is the amount of time in cycles for issuing an active command and the read/write commands. Adjustable from 1 to 15. RAS to RAS Delay The RAS-to-RAS delay (tRRD) is the is the amount of cycles it takes to activate the next bank of memory (this is the opposite of tRAS).
Using NVIDIA Software lower cycle time results in better performance but is can instability. Adjustable from 0 to 6 cycles. W to W Timing The Write-to-Write (tWRWR) timing is the number of clock cycles between the last write and the subsequent Write command to the same physical bank. Adjustable from 2 to 15 cycles.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard GPU The graphics processing unit (GPU) located on your video card(s) can be adjusted using Device Setting interface. You can override the shipped clock frequencies of your GPU and GPU memory, and you can set the GPU fan speed. Increasing the clock speeds will increase your GPU performance but may necessitate improved cooling to maintain the same level of reliability.
Using NVIDIA Software Dynamic BIOS Access The Dynamic BIOS Access page allows you to change your system BIOS settings. The changes do not go into effect until after you reboot your system. Since these changes are made to actual BIOS settings in the CMOS, the settings remain active until you change them again or restore the CMOS to the default settings. Click the Available BIOS Pages list arrow and select the BIOS page that you want to edit.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Note This feature is available only with BIOS support from the motherboard manufacturer. Available screen and features will vary between different makes and models of motherboards. View System Information The View System Information menu is a high-level view where all the critical values of the system are consolidated and presented within a single view.
Using NVIDIA Software receive even more-detailed information regarding those components. Profile Policies Easily one of the most powerful aspects of NVIDIA Performance Server is the ability to create custom profiles and rules. Essentially, NVIDIA Performance Server allows the user to offer a custom set of settings and alerts which can be tailored from a global setting all the way to something as granular as a particular game.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Manage Your System BIOS Thanks to the power and flexibility of NVIDIA’s Performance Server software, users can even backup or update their system BIOS from within Windows. In addition to displaying a complete collection of information regarding the current BIOS version being used, the user also has the option of saving a backup version of the BIOS being used.
Using NVIDIA Software NVIDIA System Monitor You can open the NVIDIA System Monitor several ways: Double-click the NVIDIA System Monitor icon on the desktop Click Start, then System Monitor. click All Programs¼NVIDIA Corporation¼NVIDIA The NVIDIA System Monitor is a unique 3D presentation of core component values. For every supported device, a wide range of information ranging from temperature, frequency, and voltage are reported.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard In this example, we can see that the motherboard is selected. As a result, a wide array of related settings and status information is displayed in realtime. In addition to fan speeds and temperatures, we also find critical voltage values for core components. By moving the slider on the bottom of the screen, the user also can control the translucency of the screen allowing them to view the desktop if desired.
Using NVIDIA Software Specific information fields that the user wants to always have on display can be selected by double-clicking the appropriate information box. The box will be moved to the top of the screen where it will remain regardless of which component is selected from that point on. By pressing Ctrl+Alt+C or by clicking the arrow icon in the top-right of the screen, the user can switch modes and bring all selected component fields to the desktop.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard removed from this view by clicking the small button in the top right of the icon’s box. By clicking on the Global Settings image in the bottom left of the screen, the user can customize the way nV Monitor looks and behaves. The first series of options the user is presented with deals with the application’s appearance.
Using NVIDIA Software The second series of options the user can alter deals with Event Logging. Here, one can easily select which system components to track and can specify the name of the resulting output file. All fields within the application will be logged and written to this file to aid in troubleshooting issues and tracking overall system behavior.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard The final series of options the user can change handles the specific hotkeys used to control various application actions. In this screen, the user simply enters their desired hotkey configuration and they are able to control every aspect of functionality for nV Monitor according to their own personal preferences.
Appendix A. POST Codes for Tritium Platform This section provides the Award POST Codes (Table 6) and the NVMM POST Codes (Table 7) for Tritium platforms during system boot up. Table 6.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Award POST Codes Co de Name 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-initial KB 20 Reserved 21 HPM ini
Post Codes Award POST Codes Co de Name Description 2B Init video Initialize Video 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 Test Video Memory and display Logos
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Award POST Codes Co de Name 42 Reserved 43 Test Stuck Interrupt 44 Reserved 45 Reinit serial port 46 Reserved 47 EISA Test 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 EVGA Corporation 98 January 11, 2008 | DU-03751-001_v01 Description Turn off inte
Post Codes Award POST Codes Co de Name Description 59 Setup Virus Setup virus protect according to Protect Setup 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 64 Reserved 65 PS2 Mouse special 66 Reserved 67 ACPI init 68 Reserved 69 Init Cache 6A Reserved 6B Setup 6C Reserved 6D Initialize Floppy 6E Reserved 6F FDD install 70 Reserved 71 Reserved 72 Reserved 7
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Award POST Codes Co de Name 74 Reserved 75 Detect HDD 76 Reserved 77 Detect serial ports 78 Reserved 79 Reserved 7A Detect parallel ports IDE device detection Initialize serial ports. Initialize parallel ports. 7B Reserved 7C HDD Write Protect 7D Reserved 7E Reserved 7F POST error check 80 Reserved 81 Reserved 82 Security Check Ask password security. 83 Write CMOS Write all CMOS values back to RAM and clear screen.
Post Codes Award POST Codes Co de Name Description Check 8E Reserved 8F IRQ12 Enable 90 Reserved 91 Reserved Enable IRQ12 if mouse present 92 Reserved 93 Boot Medium Read Detect and store boot partition head and cylinders values in RAM 94 Final Init Final init for last micro details before boot 95 NumLock Set NumLock status according to Setup 96 Boot Attempt Set low stack Boot via INT 19h.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Table 7. NVMM POST Codes NVMM POST Codes Code Name Identify HW in the system 0F1h Register the slam tables 0F2h Early SLAM table 0F3h COM port initialization 000h Initialize the hardware devices 001h Override input parameters, etc.
Post Codes NVMM POST Codes Code Name Description 044h Late SLAM table 048h Previous Power State SLAM table 04Ch Hardware Workarounds 050h Restore, and exit NVMM 054h Memory Test 0FEh ERROR handler 0FFh End of Table 0FFh Invalid APIC ID 0FEh CPU Identify/Init failed 0FDh North Bridge not supported 0FCh South Bridge not supported 0FBh No DIMMs present 0FAh Invalid DIMM types, SDR/DDR 0F9h Different voltage levels 0F8h Invalid REFRESH Rate 0F7h Invalide memory geometry 0F6h
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard EVGA Corporation 104 January 11, 2008 | DU-03751-001_v01
Appendix B. Configuring an SLI Configuration NVIDIA SLI (Scalable Link Interface) is a revolutionary technology that allows up to three NVIDIA SLI graphics cards to work together to deliver incredible 3D graphics performance. Your new motherboard can support up to three PCI Express graphics cards linked using SLI. Currently 3-way NVIDIA SLI is approved and operating on the following graphics cards: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX Figure 17.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard SLI Connector NVIDIA 3-way SLI platform will also require a new SLI connector that connects the SLI headers on the GeForce GPUs (Figure 31). Figure 18. 3-way NVIDIA SLI connector (600-10732-0000-000) ForceWare Driver The 3-way SLI platform uses the NVIDIA ForceWare Windows Vista driver. To install the driver, run the setup.exe file to launch thee InstallShield. The InstallShield runs three installs, one for each GPU. Reboot your PC when the install is complete.
Configuring 3-Way SLI Three GPUs are represented under Display adapters Figure 19.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Enabling 3-Way SLI 3-way NVIDIA SLI is enabled from the NVIDIA Control Panel. Right mouse click on the Windows desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel. Go to 3D Settings¼Set SLI configuration (Figure 19) and select Enable SLI technology (recommended). After selecting this option, you will be prompted to verify the settings have been successfully configured. Note: Selecting Do not use SLI Technology sets the configuration into single GPU mode. Figure 20.
Configuring 3-Way SLI Before closing the NVIDIA Control Panel, go to the top menu option labeled 3D Settings and select Show SLI Visual Indicators. This option overlays a text label of SLI x3 and green SLI scaling bars in fullscreen 3D applications, as seen in Figure 20. Figure 21.
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard Verifying 3-way SLI is Active You can verify 3-way SLI is active and functional by launching a fullscreen 3D application and checking for the SLI Visual indicators. If these visual indicators are visible and there is no flickering or flashing, 3way NVIDIA SLI is operational on your platform.
Index 1394 Cable, 4 Main Menu, 26 2-Port SATA Power Cable, 4 Memory Timing Setting, 44 ACPI function, 57 PnP/PCI Configuration, 59 ACPI Suspend Type, 57 Power Management Setup, 56 Adjust Motherboard Timings screen, 71 Standard CMOS Features, 29 Advanced BIOS Features, 34 System Clocks, 39 Advanced Chipset Functions menu, 38 System Monitor menu, 62 Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller, 37 System Voltages, 48 APIC, 37 Async Latency, 74 ATX form factor, 1 audio connector, 19 auto-detect
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard CPU fan, 20 ESCD, 60 FDD, 22 Event Logging, 83 front audio, 19 Execute Disable Bit, 47 IDE, 14 expansion slots, 22 PWR1, 13 Extended Memory, 33 PWR2, 14 FDC controller function, 55 SATA, 15 Floppy Cable, 3 system fan, 20 Frequency Settings, 40 Cooling fan for CPU, ix Front Audio, 19 CPU Configuration menu, 46 front panel header, 16 CPU cooling fan, ix Front Panel Header Pins, 17 CPU Core 1, 47 front panel power LED, 16 CPU fan, 9, 20 FSB & Memory C
Configuring 3-Way SLI How to I/O Shield, 3 backup and update system BIOS, 79 IDE connector, 14 change system BIOS settings, 76 IDE DMA transfer access, 53 configure CPU in BIOS, 46 IDE Function Setup menu, 53 configure RAID in BIOS, 54 IDE Prefetch Mode, 53 configure USB in BIOS, 54 IDE/SATA sub-menu, 30 connect IDE drives, 14 IDE-ATA 133 HDD Cable, 4 connect power to motherboard, 13 IEEE 1394 expansion cable, 17 create custom profiles, 78 IEEE 1934a Connector Pins, 17 install CPU, 8 ins
nForce 790i Ultra SLI Motherboard memory support, ix PCI slots, 23 Memory Timing Setting, 44 PCIe Spread Spectrum, 41 memory, setting parameters, 72 PCIe x16, 40 microprocessor, ix Performance Group, 68 motherboard PnP/PCI Configuration menu, 59 install procedure, 10 motherboard specifications, 1 Award, 85 motherboard, realtime settings and status information, 81 NVMM, 92 motherboard, setting parameters, 71 MPS, 37 Multi-Processor Specification, 37 Network Boot Priority, 35 NumLock status, 36
Configuring 3-Way SLI Reset switch cable, 16 Total Memory, 33 Row Address Strobe, 72 tRAS, 45, 72 Row Cycle Time, 73 tRC, 45 safety instructions, 7 tRDC, 45 SATA Signal Cable, 4 tRDRD, 73 SATA Spread Spectrum, 41 tREF, 45 Scalable Link Interface, 95 tRP, 45 Security Options, 37 tRRD, 45 Serial ATA II connector, 15 tWR, 45 Serial-ATA Controller, 53 tWRD, 74 How to, 39 tWRWR, 74 Soft-Off by PBNT, 57 tWTR, 45 software installation instructions, 65 unpacking the kit, 3 Spread Spectrum
