ASROCK AM2NF3-VSTA User manual

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Copyright Notice:Copyright Notice:
Copyright Notice:Copyright Notice:
Copyright Notice:
No part of this installation guide may be reproduced, transcribed, transmitted, or trans-
lated in any language, in any form or by any means, except duplication of documen-
tation by the purchaser for backup purpose, without written consent of ASRock Inc.
Products and corporate names appearing in this guide may or may not be registered
trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identifica-
tion or explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.
Disclaimer:Disclaimer:
Disclaimer:Disclaimer:
Disclaimer:
Specifications and information contained in this guide are furnished for informational
use only and subject to change without notice, and should not be constructed as a
commitment by ASRock. ASRock assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions
that may appear in this guide.
With respect to the contents of this guide, ASRock does not provide warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties or
conditions of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall
ASRock, its directors, officers, employees, or agents be liable for any indirect, special,
incidental, or consequential damages (including damages for loss of profits, loss of
business, loss of data, interruption of business and the like), even if ASRock has been
advised of the possibility of such damages arising from any defect or error in the guide
or product.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
Published January 2007
Copyright©2007 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.
CALIFORNIA, USA ONLY
The Lithium battery adopted on this motherboard contains Perchlorate, a toxic
substance controlled in Perchlorate Best Management Practices (BMP) regulations
passed by the California Legislature. When you discard the Lithium battery in
California, USA, please follow the related regulations in advance.
“Perchlorate Material-special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate”
ASRock Website: http://www.asrock.com

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Motherboard LMotherboard L
Motherboard LMotherboard L
Motherboard Layoutayout
ayoutayout
ayout
1 PS2_USB_PW1 Jumper 14 System Panel Header (PANEL1)
2 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1) 15 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)
3 CPU Heatsink Retention Module 16 Infrared Module Header (IR1)
4 AM2 940-Pin CPU Socket 17 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)
5 2 x 240-pin DDRII DIMM Slots 18 Floppy Connector (FLOPPY1)
(Dual Channel A: DDRII_1, DDRII_2; Yellow) 19 Game Port Header (GAME1)
6 2 x 240-pin DDRII DIMM Slots 20 JR1 / JL1 Jumper
(Dual Channel B: DDRII_3, DDRII_4; Orange) 21 Front Panel Audio Header (AUDIO1)
7 Secondary Serial ATA Connector (SATA2, Black) 22 Internal Audio Connector: CD1 (Black)
8 Primary Serial ATA Connector (SATA1, Black) 23 Flash Memory
9 NVIDIA nForce3 250 Single Chip 24 5 x PCI Slots (PCI1- 5)
10 Primary IDE Connector (IDE1, Blue) 25 AGP Slot (1.5V_AGP1)
11 Secondary IDE Connector (IDE2, Black) 26 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)
12 USB 2.0 Header (USB45, Blue) 27 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1)
13 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER 1) 28 Shared USB 2.0 Header (USB2_3, Blue)

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ASRock 8CH I/OASRock 8CH I/O
ASRock 8CH I/OASRock 8CH I/O
ASRock 8CH I/O
1 Parallel Port 8 Microphone (Pink)
2 RJ-45 Port 9 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01)
3 Side Speaker (Gray) 10 USB 2.0 Ports (USB23)
4 Rear Speaker (Black) 11 Serial Port: COM1
5 Central / Bass (Orange) 12 PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)
6 Line In (Light Blue) 13 PS/2 Mouse Port (Green)
*7 Front Speaker (Lime)
* If you use 2-channel speaker, please connect the speaker’s plug into “Front Speaker Jack”. See
the table below for connection details in accordance with the type of speaker you use.
TABLE for Audio Output Connection
Audio Output Channels Front Speaker Rear Speaker Central / Bass Side Speaker
(No. 7) (No. 4) (No. 5) (No. 3)
2 V -- -- --
4 V -- -- V
6V--VV
8 VVVV

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1.1.
1.1.
1. IntroductionIntroduction
IntroductionIntroduction
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing ASRock AM2NF3-VSTA motherboard, a reliable
motherboard produced under ASRock’s consistently stringent quality control. It de-
livers excellent performance with robust design conforming to ASRock’s commit-
ment to quality and endurance.
This Quick Installation Guide contains introduction of the motherboard and step-by-
step installation guide. More detailed information of the motherboard can be found in
the user manual presented in the Support CD.
Because the motherboard specifications and the BIOS software might
be updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without
notice. In case any modifications of this manual occur, the updated
version will be available onASRock website without further notice. You
may find the latest VGA cards and CPU support lists on ASRock
website as well.
ASRock website http://www.asrock.com
1.11.1
1.11.1
1.1 Package ContentsPackage Contents
Package ContentsPackage Contents
Package Contents
1 x ASRock AM2NF3-VSTA Motherboard
(ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 8.0-in, 30.5 cm x 20.3 cm)
1 x ASRock AM2NF3-VSTA Quick Installation Guide
1 x ASRock AM2NF3-VSTA Support CD
1 x Ultra ATA 66/100/133 IDE Ribbon Cable (80-conductor)
1 x 3.5-in Floppy Drive Ribbon Cable
1 x SerialATA (SATA) Data Cable (Optional)
1 x Serial ATA (SATA) HDD Power Cable (Optional)
1 xASRock 8CH I/O Shield
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1.21.2
1.21.2
1.2 SpecificationsSpecifications
SpecificationsSpecifications
Specifications
Platform - ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 8.0-in, 30.5 cm x 20.3 cm
CPU - Socket AM2 for AMDAthlonTM 64FX / 64X2 / 64 and Sempron
Processors
- Supports AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietTM Technology
(see CAUTION 1)
- Supports Untied Overclocking Technology (see CAUTION 2)
- Supports Hyper-Transport Technology
Chipset - NVIDIA®nForce3 250
Memory - Dual Channel DDRII Memory Technology (see CAUTION 3)
- 4 xDDRIIDIMM slots
- SupportDDRII800/667/533
- Max. capacity: 8GB (see CAUTION 4)
Hybrid Booster - CPU Frequency Stepless Control (see CAUTION 5)
- ASRock U-COP (see CAUTION 6)
- Boot Failure Guard (B.F.G.)
- ASRock AM2 Boost: ASRock Patented Technology to boost
memory performance up to 12.5% (see CAUTION 7)
Expansion Slot - 5 x PCI slots
- 1 x AGP 8X slot (see CAUTION 8)
Audio - C-Media CM6501 7.1 channel audio compliant with UAA
architecture
LAN - Realtek PHY RTL8201CL
- Speed: 10/100 Ethernet
- Supports Wake-On-LAN
Rear Panel I/O ASRock 8CH I/O
- 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port
- 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port
- 1 x Serial Port: COM1
- 1 x Parallel Port (ECP/EPP Support)
- 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports
- 1 x RJ-45 Port
- Audio Jack: Side Speaker/Rear Speaker/Central Bass/
Line in/Front Speaker/Microphone (see CAUTION 9)

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Connector - 2 x Serial ATA 1.5Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,
RAID 1, JBOD) and “Hot Plug” functions
- 2 x ATA133 IDE connectors (support 4 x IDE devices)
- 1 x Floppy connector
- 1 x IR header
- 1 x Game header
- CPU/Chassis FANconnector
- 20 pin ATX power connector
- 4 pin 12V power connector
- CD in header
- Front panel audio connector
- 2 x USB 2.0 headers (support 4 USB 2.0 ports; 2 of them are
shared with USB23 ports on the I/O panel)
(see CAUTION 10)
BIOS Feature - 4MbAMI BIOS
-AMI Legal BIOS
- Supports “Plug and Play”
-ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events
- Supports jumperfree
- SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support
Support CD - Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version)
Hardware - CPU Temperature Sensing
Monitor - Chassis Temperature Sensing
- CPU Fan Tachometer
- Chassis Fan Tachometer
- CPU Quiet Fan
- Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, Vcore
OS - Microsoft® Windows® 2000/XP/XP 64-bit/VistaTM / VistaTM
64-bit compliant (see CAUTION 11)
Certifications - FCC, CE, Microsoft®WHQL Certificated
WARNING
Please realize that there is a certain risk involved with overclocking, including adjusting
the setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking Technology, or using the third-
party overclocking tools. Overclocking may affect your system stability, or even
cause damage to the components and devices of your system. It should be done at
your own risk and expense. We are not responsible for possible damage caused by
overclocking.

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CAUTION!
1. For power-saving’s sake, it is strongly recommended to enable AMD’s Cool ‘n’
QuietTM technology under Windows system. See APPENDIX on page 42 of
“User Manual” in the Support CD to enable AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietTM technology.
2. This motherboard supports Untied Overclocking Technology. Please read “Un-
tied Overclocking Technology” on page 21 for details.
3. This motherboard supportsDual Channel Memory Technology. Before you
implement Dual Channel Memory Technology, make sure to read the
installation guide of memory modules on page 10 for proper installation.
4. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be
less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows®XP
and Windows®VistaTM. For Windows®XP 64-bit and Windows®VistaTM 64-
bit with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limitation.
5. Although this motherboard offers stepless control, it is not recommended to
perform over-clocking. Frequencies other than the recommended CPU bus
frequencies may cause the instability of the system or damage the CPU.
6. While CPU overheat is detected, the system will automatically shutdown.
Before you resume the system, please check if the CPU fan on the motherboard
functions properly and unplug the power cord, then plug it back again. To
improve heat dissipation, remember to spray thermal grease between the
CPU and the heatsink when you install the PC system.
7. This motherboard supports ASRock AM2 Boost overclocking technology. If
you enable this function in the BIOS setup, the memory performance will
improve up to 12.5%, but the effect still depends on the AM2 CPU you adopt.
Enabling this function will overclock the chipset/CPU reference clock. However,
we can not guarantee the system stability for all CPU/DRAM configurations.
If your system is unstable after AM2 Boost function is enabled, it may not be
applicative to your system. You may choose to disable this function for
keeping the stability of your system.
8. Do NOT use a 3.3V AGP card on the AGP slot of this motherboard!
It may cause permanent damage!
9. For microphone input, this motherboard supports both stereo and mono modes.
For audio output, this motherboard supports 2-channel, 4-channel, 6-channel,
and 8-channel modes. Please check the table on page 3 for proper connection.
10. Power Management for USB 2.0 works fine under Microsoft®Windows®
VistaTM 64-bit / VistaTM / XP 64-bit / XP SP1 or SP2 / 2000 SP4.
11. Microsoft®Windows®VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit driver keeps on updating now. As
long as we have the latest driver, we will update it to our website in the future.
Please visit our website for Microsoft®Windows®VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit driver
and related information.
ASRock website http://www.asrock.com

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1.31.3
1.31.3
1.3 Minimum Hardware RMinimum Hardware R
Minimum Hardware RMinimum Hardware R
Minimum Hardware Requirement Tequirement T
equirement Tequirement T
equirement Table for Wable for W
able for Wable for W
able for Windowsindows
indowsindows
indows®®
®®
®
VistaVista
VistaVista
VistaTMTM
TMTM
TM Premium and Basic LogoPremium and Basic Logo
Premium and Basic LogoPremium and Basic Logo
Premium and Basic Logo
For system integrators and users who purchase this motherboard and
plan to submit Windows®VistaTM Premium and Basic logo, please follow the
below table for minimum hardware requirement.
CPU Sempron2800+
Memory 512MB Single Channel
VGA DX9.0 with WDDM Driver
with 128bit VGA memory (Premium)
with 64bit VGA memory (Basic)

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2.2.
2.2.
2. InstallationInstallation
InstallationInstallation
Installation
Pre-installation PrecautionsPre-installation Precautions
Pre-installation PrecautionsPre-installation Precautions
Pre-installation Precautions
Take note of the following precautions before you install mother-
board components or change any motherboard settings.
1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any
component. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the
motherboard, peripherals, and/or components.
2. To avoid damaging the motherboard components due to static
electricity, NEVER place your motherboard directly on the car-
pet or the like. Also remember to use a grounded wrist strap or
touch a safety grounded object before you handle components.
3. Hold components by the edges and do not touch the ICs.
4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a
grounded antstatic pad or in the bag that comes with the
component.
5. When placing screws into the screw holes to secure the
motherboardto the chassis, please do not over-tighten the screws!
Doing so may damage the motherboard.
2.12.1
2.12.1
2.1 CPU InstallationCPU Installation
CPU InstallationCPU Installation
CPU Installation
Step 1. Unlock the socket by lifting the lever up to a 90° angle.
Step 2. Position the CPU directly above the socket such that the CPU corner with
the golden triangle matches the socket corner with a small triangle.
Step 3. Carefully insert the CPU into the socket until it fits in place.
The CPU fits only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU
into the socket to avoid bending of the pins.
Step 4. When the CPU is in place, press it firmly on the socket while you push
down the socket lever to secure the CPU. The lever clicks on the side tab
to indicate that it is locked.
Step 5. Install CPU fan and heatsink. For proper installation, please kindly refer to
the instruction manuals of your CPU fan and heatsink vendors.
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2.2 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)2.2 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)
2.2 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)2.2 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)
2.2 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)
AM2NF3-VSTA motherboard provides four 240-pinDDRII (Double Data Rate II)
DIMM slots, and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. For dual channel
configuration, you always need to install identical (the same brand, speed,
size and chip-type)DDRIIDIMM pair in the slots of the same color. In other words,
you have to install identical DDRIIDIMM pair in Dual Channel A (DDRII_1 and
DDRII_2; Yellow slots; see p.2No.5) or identical DDRIIDIMM pair in Dual Chan-
nel B (DDRII_3 and DDRII_4; Orange slots; see p.2 No.6), so thatDual Channel
Memory Technology can be activated. This motherboard also allows you to
install four DDRII DIMMs for dual channel configuration, and please install iden-
tical DDRII DIMMs in all four slots. You may refer to the Dual Channel Memory
Configuration Table below.
Dual Channel Memory Configurations
DDRII_1 DDRII_2 DDRII_3 DDRII_4
(Yellow Slot) (Yellow Slot) (Orange Slot) (Orange Slot)
(1) Populated Populated - -
(2) - - Populated Populated
(3)* Populated Populated Populated Populated
* For the configuration (3), please install identical DDRIIDIMMs in all four slots.
1. If you want to install two memory modules, for optimal compatibility
and reliability, it is recommended to install them in the slots of the
same color. In other words, install them either in the set of yellow
slots (DDRII_1 and DDRII_2), or in the set of orange slots (DDRII_3
and DDRII_4).
2. If only one memory module or three memory modules are installed
in the DDRII DIMM slots on this motherboard, it is unable to activate
the Dual Channel Memory Technology.
3. If a pair of memory modules is NOT installed in the same Dual
Channel, for example, installing a pair of memory modules inDDRII_1
and DDRII_3, it is unable to activate the Dual Channel Memory
Technology .
4. It is not allowed to install a DDR memory module into DDRII slot;
otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be damaged.

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Installing a DIMMInstalling a DIMM
Installing a DIMMInstalling a DIMM
Installing a DIMM
Please make sure to disconnect power supply before adding or
removing DIMMs or the system components.
Step 1. Unlock aDIMM slot by pressing the retaining clips outward.
Step 2. Align aDIMM on the slot such that the notch on the DIMM matches the break
on the slot.
The DIMM only fits in one correct orientation. It will cause permanent
damage to the motherboard and theDIMM if you force theDIMM into the
slot at incorrect orientation.
Step 3. Firmly insert theDIMM into the slot until the retaining clips at both ends fully
snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.

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2.32.3
2.32.3
2.3 Expansion SlotsExpansion Slots
Expansion SlotsExpansion Slots
Expansion Slots (PCI Slots and AGP Slot)(PCI Slots and AGP Slot)
(PCI Slots and AGP Slot)(PCI Slots and AGP Slot)
(PCI Slots and AGP Slot)
There are 5 PCI slots and 1 AGP slot on AM2NF3-VSTA motherboard.
PCI Slots: PCI slots are used to install expansion cards that have the 32-bit PCI
interface.
AGP slot: The AGP slot is used to install a graphics card. TheASRock AGP slot has
a special design of clasp that can securely fasten the inserted graphics
card.
Please do NOT use a 3.3V AGP card on the AGP slot of this
motherboard! It may cause permanent damage! For the voltage infor-
mation of your AGP card, please check with the AGP card vendors.
Installing an expansion cardInstalling an expansion card
Installing an expansion cardInstalling an expansion card
Installing an expansion card
Step 1. Before installing the expansion card, please make sure that the power
supply is switched off or the power cord is unplugged. Please read the
documentation of the expansion card and make necessary hardware
settings for the card before you start the installation.
Step 2. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed in
a chassis).
Step 3. Remove the bracket facing the slot that you intend to use. Keep the
screws for later use.
Step 4. Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is
completely seated on the slot.
Step 5. Fasten the card to the chassis with screws.
Step 6. Replace the system cover.

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Clear CMOSDefault
Short Open
2.42.4
2.42.4
2.4 Jumpers SetupJumpers Setup
Jumpers SetupJumpers Setup
Jumpers Setup
The illustration shows how jumpers are
setup. When the jumper cap is placed on
pins, the jumper is “Short”. If no jumper cap
is placed on pins, the jumper is “Open”. The
illustration shows a 3-pin jumper whose pin1
and pin2 are “Short” when jumper cap is
placed on these 2 pins.
Jumper Setting
PS2_USB_PW1 Short pin2, pin3 to enable
(see p.2, No. 1) +5VSB (standby) for PS/2 or
USB wake up events.
Note: To select +5VSB, it requires 2 Amp and higher standby current provided by
power supply.
JR1 JL1 Jumper
(see p.2, No. 20)
Note: If the jumpers JL1 and JR1 are short, both the front panel and the rear panel
audio connectors can work.
Clear CMOS Jumper
(CLRCMOS1)
(see p.2, No. 17)
Note: CLRCMOS1 allows you to clear the data in CMOS. The data in CMOS includes
system setup information such as system password, date, time, and system
setup parameters. To clear and reset the system parameters to default setup,
please turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power
supply. After waiting for 15 seconds, use a jumper cap to short pin2 and pin3
on CLRCMOS1 for 5 seconds. However, please do not clear the CMOS right
after you update the BIOS. If you need to clear the CMOS when you just finish
updating the BIOS, you must boot up the system first, and then shut it down
before you do the clear-CMOS action.

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SATA2 SATA1
thered-striped sideto Pin1
connect the black end
to the IDE devices
connect the blue end
to the motherboard
80-conductorATA 66/100/133 cable
2.5 Onboard Headers and Connectors2.5 Onboard Headers and Connectors
2.5 Onboard Headers and Connectors2.5 Onboard Headers and Connectors
2.5 Onboard Headers and Connectors
Onboard headers and connectors are NOT jumpers. Do NOT place
jumper caps over these headers and connectors. Placing jumper caps
over the headers and connectors will cause permanent damage of the
motherboard!
•
Floppy Connector
(33-pinFLOPPY1)
(see p.2 No. 18)
Note: Make sure the red-striped side of the cable is plugged into Pin1 side of the
connector.
Primary IDE Connector (Blue) Secondary IDE Connector (Black)
(39-pin IDE1, see p.2 No. 10) (39-pin IDE2, see p.2 No. 11)
Note: If you use only one IDE device on this motherboard, please set the IDE
device as “Master”. Please refer to the instruction of your IDE device vendor
for the details. Besides, to optimize compatibility and performance, please
connect your hard disk drive to the primary IDE connector (IDE1, blue) and
CD-ROM to the secondary IDE connector (IDE2, black).
Serial ATA Connectors These two Serial ATA (SATA)
(SATA1: see p.2 No. 8) connectors support SATA data
(SATA2:see p.2 No. 7) cables for internal storage
devices. The current SATA
interface allows up to 1.5 Gb/s
data transfer rate.
Serial ATA (SATA) Either end of the SATAdata cable
Data Cable can be connected to the SATA
(Optional) hard disk or the SATA connector
on the motherboard.

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connect tothe
powersupply
connect totheSATA
HDDpower connector
CD1
Serial ATA (SATA) Please connect the black end of
Power Cable SATA power cable to the power
(Optional) connector on each drive. Then
connect the white end of SATA
power cable to the power
connector of the power supply.
USB 2.0 Header Besides four default USB 2.0
(9-pinUSB45) ports on the I/O panel, there are
(see p.2 No. 12) two USB 2.0 headers on this
motherboard. Each USB 2.0
header cansupport two USB
2.0 ports. The shared USB 2.0
header (USB2_3) is shared with
Shared USB 2.0 Header USB ports 23 on the I/O panel.
(9-pinUSB2_3) When using the front panel USB
(see p.2 No. 28) ports by attaching the front panel
USB cable to USB2_3 header,
the USB ports 23 on the I/O panel
will not be able to function.
Infrared Module Header This header supports an
(5-pin IR1) optional wireless transmitting
(see p.2 No. 16) and receiving infrared module.
Internal Audio Connectors This connector allows you
(4-pin CD1) to receive stereo audio input
(CD1: see p.2 No. 22) from sound sources such as
a CD-ROM,DVD-ROM, TV
tuner card, or MPEG card.
Front Panel Audio Header This is an interface for front
(8-pin AUDIO1) panel audio cable that allows
(see p.2 No. 21) convenient connection and
control of audio devices.

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Though this motherboard provides 4-Pin CPU fan (Quiet Fan) support, the 3-Pin
CPU fan still can work successfully even without the fan speed control function.
If you plan to connect the 3-Pin CPU fan to the CPU fan connector on this
motherboard, please connect it to Pin 1-3.
3-PinFanInstallation
Pin 1-3 Connected
System Panel Header This header accommodates
(9-pinPANEL1) several system front panel
(see p.2 No. 14) functions.
Chassis Speaker Header Please connect the chassis
(4-pinSPEAKER 1) speaker to this header.
(see p.2 No. 13)
Chassis Fan Connector Please connect a chassis fan
(3-pin CHA_FAN1) cable to this connector and
(see p.2 No. 15) match the black wire to the
ground pin.
CPU Fan Connector Please connect the CPU fan
(4-pin CPU_FAN1) cable to this connector and
(see p.2 No. 26) match the black wire to the
ground pin.
ATX Power Connector Please connect an ATX power
(20-pinATXPWR1) supply to this connector.
(see p.2 No. 27)
ATX 12V Power Connector Please note that it is necessary
(4-pin ATX12V1) to connect a power supply with
(see p.2 No. 2) ATX 12V plug to this connector.
Failing to do so will cause power
up failure.
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Game Port Header Connect a Game cable to this
(15-pinGAME1) header if the Game port bracket
(see p.2 No. 19) is installed.

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2.6 Serial A2.6 Serial A
2.6 Serial A2.6 Serial A
2.6 Serial ATT
TT
TA (SAA (SA
A (SAA (SA
A (SATT
TT
TA) Hard Disks InstallationA) Hard Disks Installation
A) Hard Disks InstallationA) Hard Disks Installation
A) Hard Disks Installation
This motherboard adopts NVIDIA®nForce3 250 chipset that supports SerialATA
(SATA) hard disks and RAID functions. You may install SATA hard disks on this
motherboard for internal storage devices. This section will guide you to install the
SATA hard disks.
STEP1: Install the SATA hard disks into the drive bays of your chassis.
STEP2: Connect the SATA power cable to the SATA hard disk.
STEP3: Connect one end of the SATA data cable to the motherboard’s SATA
connector.
STEP4: Connect the other end of the SATA data cable to the SATA hard disk.
2.72.7
2.72.7
2.7 Hot Plug and Hot Swap FHot Plug and Hot Swap F
Hot Plug and Hot Swap FHot Plug and Hot Swap F
Hot Plug and Hot Swap Functions for SAunctions for SA
unctions for SAunctions for SA
unctions for SATT
TT
TA HDDsA HDDs
A HDDsA HDDs
A HDDs
This motherboard supports Hot Plug and Hot Swap functions for SATADevices.
NOTE
What is Hot Plug Function?
If the SATA HDDs are NOT set for RAID configuration, it is called “Hot
Plug” for the action to insert and remove the SATA HDDs while the
system is still power-on and in working condition.
However, please note that it cannot perform Hot Plug if the OS has
been installed into the SATAHDD.
What is Hot Swap Function?
If SATA HDDs are built as RAID1 then it is called “Hot Swap” for the
action to insert and remove the SATA HDDs while the system is still
power-on and in working condition.
2.82.8
2.82.8
2.8 Driver Installation GuideDriver Installation Guide
Driver Installation GuideDriver Installation Guide
Driver Installation Guide
To install the drivers to your system, please insert the support CD to your optical
drive first. Then, the drivers compatible to your system can be auto-detected and
listed on the support CD driver page. Please follow the order from up to bottom
side to install those required drivers. Therefore, the drivers you install can work
properly.
For users who install Windows®XP 64-bit OS and plan to install drivers to your
system from the support CD, since the SATA driver provided by the chipset vendor
has not submitted Windows®Logo yet, we provide you with the following driver
installation choices:
1. “All in 1 Logo Driver( W/O HotPlug & RAID)”: You may choose this item to install
all-in-1 logo driver which does not support Hot Plug and RAID functions, but it
has passed Microsoft®logo certification.
2. “All in 1 Non-Logo Driver( W/ HotPlug & RAID)”: You may choose this item to

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install all-in-1 non-logo driver which supports Hot Plug and RAID functions, but it
has not passed Microsoft®logo certification yet.
Please choose the driver which meets your requirement most from the above-
mentioned items during driver installation process.
For users who install Windows®VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS, since Windows®VistaTM
/ VistaTM 64-bit driver keeps on updating now. As long as we have the latest driver,
we will update it to our website in the future. Please visit our website for Microsoft®
Windows®VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit driver and related information. ASRock website
http://www.asrock.com
2.92.9
2.92.9
2.9 Installing WindowsInstalling Windows
Installing WindowsInstalling Windows
Installing Windows®2000 / XP / XP 64-bit / Vista2000 / XP / XP 64-bit / Vista
2000 / XP / XP 64-bit / Vista2000 / XP / XP 64-bit / Vista
2000 / XP / XP 64-bit / VistaTMTM
TMTM
TM
/ Vista/ Vista
/ Vista/ Vista
/ VistaTMTM
TMTM
TM 64-bit Without RAID Functions64-bit Without RAID Functions
64-bit Without RAID Functions64-bit Without RAID Functions
64-bit Without RAID Functions
The installation procedures for Windows®VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit are subject to
change. Please visit our website for the updates of Windows® VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit
driver and related information in the future.
If you just want to install Windows®2000, Windows®XP, Windows®XP 64-bit,
Windows®VistaTM or Windows®VistaTM 64-bit on your SATA HDDs without RAID
functions, you don’t have to make a SATA driver diskette. Besides, there is no need
for you to change the BIOS setting. You can start to install Windows®2000, Windows®
XP, Windows®XP 64-bit, Windows®VistaTM or Windows®VistaTM 64-bit on your
system directly.
2.102.10
2.102.10
2.10 Installing WindowsInstalling Windows
Installing WindowsInstalling Windows
Installing Windows®2000 / XP / XP 64-bit With RAID2000 / XP / XP 64-bit With RAID
2000 / XP / XP 64-bit With RAID2000 / XP / XP 64-bit With RAID
2000 / XP / XP 64-bit With RAID
FunctionsFunctions
FunctionsFunctions
Functions
Since the chipset vendor does not provide Windows®VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit RAID
driver, RAID function is not available on this motherboard under Windows®VistaTM /
VistaTM 64-bit OS. RAID function is only available under Windows®2000, XP or XP
64-bit OS.
If you want to install Windows®2000, Windows®XP or Windows®XP 64-bit on your
SATA HDDs with RAID functions, please follow below steps.
Before installing Windows®2000 to your system, your Windows®2000 optical
disk is supposed to include SP4. If there is no SP4 included in your disk,
please visit below website for proper procedures of making a SP4 disk:
http://www.microsoft.com/Windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp4/
spdeploy.htm#the_integrated_installation_fmay
STEP 1: Make a SATA Driver Diskette.
A. Insert the ASRock Support CD into your optical drive to boot your system.
B. During POST at the beginning of system boot-up, press <F11> key, and
then a window for boot devices selection appears. Please select CD-
ROM as the boot device.

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C. When you see the message on the screen, “Generate Serial ATA driver
diskette [YN]?”, press <Y>.
D. Then you will see these messages,
Please insert a blank
formatted diskette into floppy
drive A:
press any key to start
Please insert a floppy diskette into the floppy drive, and press any key.
E. The system will start to format the floppy diskette and copy SATA drivers
into the floppy diskette.
STEP 2: Set Up BIOS.
A. Enter BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced screen IDE Configuration.
B. Set the “SATA Operation Mode” option to [RAID].
STEP 3: Use “RAID Installation Guide” to set RAID configuration.
Before you start to configure the RAID function, you need to check the installation
guide in the Support CD for proper configuration. Please refer to the document in the
Support CD, “Guide to SATAHard Disks Installation and RAIDConfiguration”, which is
located in the folder at the following path:
.. \Information\Manual\RAID Installation Guide
STEP 4: Install Windows®2000 / Windows®XP / Windows®XP-64bit OS on
your system.
After step1, 2, 3, you can start to install Windows®2000 / Windows®XP / Windows®
XP 64-bit OS on your system.At the beginning of Windows®setup, press F6 to install
a third-party RAID driver. When prompted, insert the SATA driver diskette containing
the NVIDIA®RAID driver.After reading the floppy disk, the driver will be presented.
Select the driver to install according to the mode you choose and the OS you install.
NOTE. If you install Windows®2000 / Windows®XP / Windows®XP 64-bit on IDE
HDDs and want to manage (create, convert, delete, or rebuild) RAID functions
on SATA HDDs, you still need to set up “SATA Operation Mode” to [RAID] in BIOS
first. Then, please set the RAID configuration by using “RAID Utility for Windows
Guide” in Windows®environment. Please refer to the document in the Support CD,
“Guide to nVidia RAID Utility for Windows”, which is located in the folder at the
following path:
.. \Information\Manual\RAID Utility for Windows Guide