Biostar N4SIE-A7 User manual

N4SIE-A7
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FCC Information and Copyright
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of a Class
B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. There is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
The vendor makes no representations or warranties with respect to the
contents here and specially disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability
or fitness for any purpose. Further the vendor reserves the right to revise this
publication and to make changes to the contents here without obligation to
notify any party beforehand.
Duplication of this publication, in part or in whole, is not allowed without first
obtaining the vendor’s approval in writing.
The content of this user’s manual is subject to be changed without notice and
we will not be responsible for any mistakes found in this user’s manual. All the
brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies.

Table of Contents
ii
Chapter 1: Introduction...................................................................1
1.1 Motherboard Features ...........................................................................1
1.2 Package Checklist...................................................................................5
1.3 Layout and Components.......................................................................6
Chapter 2: Hardware Installation....................................................7
2.1 Installing Central Processing Unit (CPU)............................................7
2.2 FAN Headers..........................................................................................9
2.3 Installing System Memory ..................................................................10
2.4 Connectors and Slots............................................................................11
Chapter 3: Headers & Jumpers Setup..........................................13
3.1 How to Setup Jumpers.........................................................................13
3.2 Detail Settings.......................................................................................13
Chapter 4: Useful Help ..................................................................20
4.1 Award BIOS Beep Code.......................................................................20
4.2 Extra Information.................................................................................20
4.3 Troubleshooting....................................................................................22
Chapter 5: NVIDIA SLI Function....................................................23
5.1 Requirements........................................................................................23
5.2 Placing the SLI-NF4T Selector Card...................................................23
5.3 Things to Notice....................................................................................25
5.4 Installing SLI-Ready Graphics Cards.................................................25
5.5 Enabling Multi-GPU Feature in Windows........................................27
Chapter 6: NVIDIA RAID Functions...............................................29
6.1 Operation System.................................................................................29
6.2 Raid Arrays...........................................................................................29
6.3 How RAID Works................................................................................29
Chapter 7: WarpSpeeder™............................................................31
7.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................31
7.2 System Requirement............................................................................31
7.3 Installation.............................................................................................32
7.4 [WarpSpeeder™] includes 1 tray icon and 5 panels........................33

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 MOTHERBOARD FEATURES
A. Hardware
CPU
λSupports LGA 775.
λSupports Intel Pentium 4 processor.
λFront Side Bus at the following frequency ranges:
!533MT/s (133MHz Core Clock)
!800MT/s (200MHz Core Clock)
!1066MT/s (266MHz Core Clock)
λSupports Hyper-Threading Technology. (HT)
λSupports Execute Disable Bit Technology (XD).
λSupports Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology (EIST).
λSupports Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology (Intel EM64T).
Chipset
λNorth Bridge: NF4-SLI-SPP.
λSouth Bridge: NF4-SLI-MCP.
Dimensions
λATX Form Factor: 30.48cm (L) x 24.38cm (W)
Operating System Supporting
λSupports Windows 2000, and Windows XP.
System Memory
λSupports dual channel DDR2 up to 8 banks.
λSupports un-buffered non-ECC DIMMs.
λSupports DDR2 400 (200MHz) / 533 (266MHz) / 667 (333MHz)
for a theoretical maximum bandwidth of 10.6 GB/s.
λMaximum DRAM space is up to 16GB.
DIMM Socket
Location DDR Module Total Memory Size
DDR2_A1 256MB/512MB/1GB/2GB/4GB*1
DDR2_A2 256MB/512MB/1GB/2GB/4GB*1
DDR2_B1 256MB/512MB/1GB/2GB/4GB*1
DDR2_B2 256MB/512MB/1GB/2GB/4GB*1
Max is 16GB.

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Expansion Slots
λThree 32bit PCI bus master slots.
λNormal Mode PCI-Express slots:
- One PCI-Express x16 slot: PCI_EX16-1.
- Two PCI-Express x1 slots: PCI-EX1-1 and PCI-EX1-2.
λSLI Mode PCI-Express slots:
- Two PCI-Express x8 slots: PCI-EX16-1 and PCI-EX16-2.
- Two PCI-Express x1 slots. PCI-EX1-1 and PCI-EX1-2.
Notice:
Normal Mode and SLI Mode are switched by SLI-NF4T selector card.
(Please read Chapter 5 for detail information.)
Gigabit Ethernet LAN
λNVIDIA Gigabit MAC + VITESSE Gigabit PHY VSC8201.
λSupports 10Mb/s, 100Mb/s and 1GB/s auto-negotiation.
λHalf/Full duplex capability.
λSupports personal Firewall setup.
λSupports ACPI power management.
On Board AC’97 Sound Codec
λChip: ALC850.
λSupports 8 channels.
λSupports SPDIF-Out and SPDIF-In (optional) functions.
λCompliant with AC’97 version 2.3 specification.
Super I/O
λChip: ITE IT8712F.
λLow Pin Count Interface.
λProvides the most commonly used legacy Super I/O
functionality.
λEnvironment Control initiatives,
!H/W Monitor
!Fan Speed Controller
!ITE's "Smart Guardian" function
IEEE 1394 Chip (optional)
λChip: VIA VT6307.
λSupports two 1394A Firewire ports up to 400Mb/s individually.

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Serial ATA II
λController integrated in NF4-SLI-MCP.
λSupports RAID functions.
λSupports Serial ATA 2.0 specification.
λSupports 4 Serial ATA (SATA) devices.
λData transfer rate up to 1.5GB/s or 3GB/s.
RAID Controller
λController integrated in NF4-SLI-MCP.
λNVIDIA RAID Technology:
- RAID 0 disk striping for highest system and application
performance
- RAID 1 disk mirroring support for fault tolerance
Support for both SATA and ATA-133 disk controller
standards
On Board IDE
λTwo on-board connectors support 4 devices.
λSupports Ultra DMA Modes 6~0 (Ultra DMA –133/100/60/33).
λSupports standard PIO Modes 4~0.
Internal On-board I/O Connectors and Headers
λ1 front panel header supports front panel facilities.
λ1 CD-in connector supports 1 CD-ROM audio-in device.
λ1 front audio header supports front panel audio-out function.
λ1 chassis open header supports PC case-opened warning
function.
λ1 S/PDIF-out connector supports digital audio-out function
λ1 S/PDIF-in connector supports digital audio-in function
(optional).
λ1 1394A header supports 1 1394A Firewire port at front panel
(optional).
λ1 Floppy port supports 2 FDD with 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M
and 2.88Mbytes.
λ2 IDE connectors support 4 hard disk devices.
λ3 USB headers support 6 USB 2.0 ports.
λ4 serial ATA II connectors support 4 SATA I/II devices.

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Back Panel I/O Connectors
λ1 Serial port.
λ1 Parallel port.
λ1RJ-45 LAN jack.
λ1 PS/2 Mouse port.
λ1 PS/2 Keyboard port.
λ1 1394A Firewire port (optional).
λ4 USB 2.0 ports.
λ6 audio ports support 8 channels audio-out facilities.
Parallel Port
COM1
PS/2
Keyboard
PS/2
Mouse
LAN
USB x2
COM1
Parallel
USB x2
Center/Left
Rear
Side
Line-in
Line-out
MIC-in
B. BIOS & Software
BIOS
Award legal BIOS.
Supports APM1.2.
Supports ACPI.
Supports USB Function.
Software
Supports Warpspeeder™, 9th Touch™, WINFLASHER™ and
FLASHER™.

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1.2 PACKAGE CHECKLIST
λFDD Cable x 1
λHDD Cable x 1
λUser’s Manual x 1
λSerial ATA Cable x 1
λBRI-2 SLI Bridge x 1
λFully Setup Driver CD x 1
λRear I/O Panel for ATX Case x 1
λSLI-NF4T Selector Card x 1 (pre-installed)
λSPDIF Cable x 1 (optional)
λUSB 2.0 Cable x 1 (optional)
λRetention Bracket x 1 (optional)
λIEEE 1394A Cable x 1 (optional)
λSerial ATA Power Switch Cable x 1 (optional)

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1.3 LAYOUT AND COMPONENTS
LGA775
CPU1
EARPHONEJACK1
JKBMS1
JPRNT1
Pa ral le l Por t
J1394_USB1
COM1 COM1
JCOM1
JUSBLAN1
DDR2_A1
DDR2_A2
DDR2_B1
DDR2_B2
JCFAN1
JATXPWR1
PCI1
PCI2
PCI3
PCI-Ex1_1
PCI-Ex1_2
PCI-Ex16-1
PCI-Ex16- 2
IDE2
IDE1
JATXPWR2
FDD1
BAT1
Super
I/O
Codec
Giga
LAN
IEEE1394
Chip
(optional)
BIOS
NF4-SLI-SPP
NF4-SLI-MCP
JAUXPWR1
JCDIN1
JSPDIF_IN1
(optional)
JSPDIF_OUT1 J139 4A1 JUSB1 JUSB2 JUSB3
JCI1
JCMOS1 JPANEL1
SATA1SATA2
SATA4 SATA3
JSFAN1
FAN1
JAUXPWR1
JAUDI OF1
SLI1
J1394PWR1
Note: ■represents the 1st pin.

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CHAPTER 2: HARDWARE INSTALLATION
2.1 INSTALLING CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)
CPU1
Special Notice:
Remove Pin Cap before installation, and make good preservation for future use.
When the CPU is removed, cover the Pin Cap on the empty socket to ensure pin
legs won’t be damaged.
pin cap
Step 1: Pull the lever sideways away from the socket and then raise the
lever up to a 90-degree angle.

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Step 2: Look for the black cut edge on socket, and the white dot on CPU
should point forwards this black cut edge. The CPU will fit only in
the correct orientation.
Step 2-1:
Step 2-2:
Step 3: Hold the CPU down firmly, and then close the lever to complete
the installation.
Step 4: Put the CPU Fan on the CPU and buckle it. Connect the CPU
FAN power cable to the JCFAN1. This completes the installation.

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2.2 FAN HEADERS
These fan headers support cooling-fans built in the computer. The fan
wiring and plug may be different according to the fan manufacturer.
Connect the fan cable to the connector while matching the black wire to
pin#1.
JCFAN1: CPU Fan Power Header
Pin Assignment
1 Ground
2 +12V
3 FAN RPM rate
sense
JCFAN1
14
4 Smart Fan Control
Note:
The JCFAN1supports system cooling fan with Smart Fan Control utility. It supports
4 pin head connector. When connecting with wires onto connectors, please note
that the red wire is the positive and should be connected to pin#2, and the black
wire is Ground and should be connected to GND.
FAN1: North Bridge Fan Power Header
JSFAN1: System Fan Power Header
Pin
Assignment
1 Ground
2 +12V
FAN1
13
JSFAN1
1
3
3 FAN RPM rate
sense (optional)

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2.3 INSTALLING SYSTEM MEMORY
DDR2_A1
DDR2_A2
DDR2_B1
DDR2_B2
1. Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the retaining clips outward. Align a
DIMM on the slot such that the notch on the DIMM matches the break
on the Slot.
2. Insert the DIMM vertically and firmly into the slot until the retaining
chip snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.

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2.4 CONNECTORS AND SLOTS
FDD1: Floppy Disk Connector
The motherboard provides a standard floppy disk connector that
supports 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88M floppy disk types.
This connector supports the provided floppy drive ribbon cables.
12
3334
IDE1/IDE2: Hard Disk Connector
The motherboard has two 32-bit Enhanced PCI IDE Controller that
provides PIO Mode 0~5, Bus Master, and Ultra DMA 33/66/100/133
functionality. It has two HDD connectors IDE1 (primary) and IDE2
(secondary).
The IDE connectors can connect a master and a slave drive, so you
can connect up to four hard disk drives. The first hard drive should
always be connected to IDE1.
IDE1
IDE2
139
2
40

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PCI1~PCI3: Peripheral Component Interconnect Slots
This motherboard is equipped with three standard PCI slots. PCI
stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect, and it is a bus
standard for expansion cards. This PCI slot is designated as 32 bits.
PCI1
PCI2
PCI3
PCI-EX16-1/PCI-EX16-2/PCI-EX1-1/PCI-EX1-2:
PCI-Express Slots
PCI-EX16-1 (Normal Mode):
- PCI Express 1.0a compliant.
- Maximum bandwidth is up to 4GB/s per direction.
PCI-EX1-1/PCI-EX1-2 (Normal Mode):
- PCI Express 1.0a compliant.
- Maximum bandwidth is up to 250MB/s per direction.
PCI-EX16-1/PCI-EX16-2 (SLI Mode):
- PCI Express 1.0a compliant.
- Maximum bandwidth is up to 2GB/s per direction.
PCI-EX16-1
PCI-EX16-2
PCI-EX1_1
PCI-EX1_2

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CHAPTER 3: HEADERS & JUMPERS SETUP
3.1 HOW TO SETUP JUMPERS
The illustration shows how to set up jumpers. When the jumper cap is
placed on pins, the jumper is “close”, if not, that means the jumper is
“open”.
Pin opened Pin closed Pin1-2 closed
3.2 DETAIL SETTINGS
JATXPWR1: ATX Power Connector
This connector allows user to connect 20-pin power connector on the ATX
power supply. Pin Assignment
1 +3.3V
2 +3.3V
3 Ground
4 +5V
5 Ground
6 +5V
7 Ground
8 PW_OK
9 Standby Voltage+5V
10 +12V
11 +12V
12 +3.3V
13 +3.3V
14 -12V
15 Ground
16 PS_ON
17 Ground
18 Ground
19 Ground
20 NC
21 +5V
22 +5V
23 +5V
1
1224
13
24 Ground

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JATXPWR2: ATX Power Source Connector
By connecting this connector, it will provide +12V to CPU power circuit.
Pin
Assignment
1 +12V
2 +12V
3 Ground
1
43
2
4 Ground
JAUXPWR1:
PCI-Express x16 Slot Power Source
Connector
When SLI mode is enabled, please
plug in this PEX power source
connector to make sure the system is
working under a stable environment.
Please read Chapter 5 for detail
information.
JCDIN1: CD-ROM Audio-in Connector
This connector allows user to connect the audio source from the variety devices,
like CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, PCI sound card, PCI TV turner card etc..
Pin
Assignment
1 Left channel input
2 Ground
3 Ground
14
4 Right channel input
Ground
Ground
+12V

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JSPDIF_OUT/JSPDIF_IN1: Digital Audio-out Connectors
(JSPDIF_IN1 is optional.)
These connectors allow user to connect the PCI bracket SPDIF output or input
header.
JSPDIF_OUT:
Pin Assignment
1+5V
2 SPDIF OUT
3 Ground
JSPDIF_IN1 (optional):
Pin Assignment
1+5V
2 SPDIF IN
13 13
JSPDIF_IN1
(optional) JSPDIF_OUT1
3 Ground
JAUDIO2: Front Panel Audio-out Header
This connector will allow user to connect with the front audio out put headers on
the PC case. It will disable the output on back panel audio connectors.
Pin Assignment
1 MIC-in/ Stereo MIC-in R
2 Ground
3 Stereo MIC-in L
4 Audio power
5 Right line-out/
Speaker-out Right.
6 Right line-out/
Speaker-out Right
7 Reserved
8 Key
9 Left line-out/ Speaker-out
Left
10 Left line-out/ Speaker-out
Left
11 Right line-in
12 Right line-in
13 Left line-in
1
13
2
14
14 Left line-in

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J1394PWR1 (optional): Power Source Header for 1394 Chip
13
1
3
Pin 1-2 Close:
+3.3V for 1394 chipset (default).
1
3
Pin 2-3 Close:
+3.3V SB for 1394 chipset.
J1394A1 (optional): Header for 1394A Firewire Port at Front Panel
This connector allows user to connect the front 1394 port for digital image
devices.
Pin Assignment
1 A+
2 A-
3 Ground
4 Ground
5 B+
6 B-
7 +12V
8 +12V
9 Key
10 Ground
19
2
10

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JUSB1~JUSB3: Headers for USB Ports at Front Panel
This connector allows user to connect additional USB cables at PC front panel,
and also can be connected with internal USB devices, like USB card reader.
Pin
Assignment
1 +5V (fused)
2 +5V (fused)
3 USB-
4 USB-
5 USB+
6 USB+
7 Ground
8 Ground
9Key
1
102
9
JUSB1 JUSB2 JUSB3
10 NC
JCMOS1: Clear CMOS Header
By placing the jumper on pin2-3, it allows user to restore the BIOS safe setting
and the CMOS data, please carefully follow the procedures to avoid damaging
the motherboard.
13
Pin 1-2 close:
Normal Operation (Default).
13
13
Pin 2-3 close:
Clear CMOS data.
Clear CMOS Procedures:※
※※
※
1. Remove AC power line.
2. Set the jumper to “Pin 2-3 close”.
3. Wait for five seconds.
4. Set the jumper to “Pin 1-2 close”.
5. Power on the AC.
6. Reset the desired password or clear the CMOS data.

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JCI1: Case Open Headers
This connector allows system to monitor PC case open status. If the signal has
been triggered, it will record to the CMOS and show the message on next
boot-up.
Pin
Assignment
1 Case open signal
12
2 Ground
JSATA1~JSATA4: Serial ATA Connectors
The motherboard has a SATA Controller in NVIDIA Crush19 with 4 channels
SATA interface, it satisfies the SATA 2.0 spec and with transfer rate of 3.0Gb/s.
Pin
Assignment
1 Ground
2 TX+
3 TX-
4 Ground
5 RX-
6 RX+
SATA1SATA2
SATA3SATA4
147147
7 Ground