Biostar TFORCE4 SLI User manual

Biostar T-Series TForce4 SLI
User’s Manual
i
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.
PACKAGE CHECKLIST
FDD Cable x 1
HDD Cable x 2
SPDIF Cable x 1
User’s Manual x 1
Overclock Guide x 1
Serial ATA Cable x 4
BRI-2 SLI Bridge x 1
Retention Bracket x 1
Fully Setup Driver CD x 1
SATA RAID Driver Disk x 1
Rear I/O Panel for ATX Case x 1
SLI-NF4 Selector Card x 1 (pre-installed)
USB 2.0 Cable x 1 (optional)
IEEE 1394A Cable x 1 (optional)
Serial ATA Power Switch Cable x 4 (optional)
Free gift

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User’s Manual
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PACKAGE CHECKLIST ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... I
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 MOTHERBOARD FEATURES ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 LAYOUT AND COMPONENTS ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
CHAPTER 2: HARDWARE INSTALLATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................. 3
2.1 CPU ASSEMBLY .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
A. Central Processing Unit (CPU)....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
B. About FAN Headers.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
2.2 SYSTEM MEMORY........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
A. DDR Modules..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
B. Memory Space................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
C. DDR Installation Notice................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
D. Know your CPU Version................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
2.3 PERIPHERALS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
A. Card and I/O Slots:.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................5
B. Connectors and Headers:.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 3: NVIDIA SLI FUNCTION ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12
3.1 REQUIREMENTS.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
3.2 PLACING THE SLI-NF4 SELECTOR CARD ................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
3.3 THINGS TO NOTICE ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
3.4 INSTALLING SLI-READY GRAPHICS CARDS ................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
3.5 ENABLING MULTI-GPU FEATURE IN WINDOWS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 14
CHAPTER 4: NVIDIA RAID FUNCTIONS .................................................................................................................................................................. 15
4.1 OPERATION SYSTEM ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15
4.2 RAID ARRAYS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15
4.3 HOW RAID WORKS .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

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CHAPTER 5: USEFUL HELP......................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
5.1 AWARD BIOS BEEP CODE........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
5.2 EXTRA INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 18
A. BIOS Update.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................18
B. CPU Overheated...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................18
5.3 TROUBLESHOOTING .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
GERMAN........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20
FRENCH............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 21
ITALIAN ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 22
SPANISH............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 23
PORTUGUESE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 24
POLAND............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 25
RUSSIAN ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 26
ARABIC ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 27
JAPANESE ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 28

Biostar T-Series TForce4 SLI
User’s Manual
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Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 MOTHERBOARD FEATURES
CPU
Supports Socket 939.
Supports AMD Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 /Athlon 64 X2 processors.
AMD 64 architecture enables simultaneous 32 and 64 bit computing.
Supports HyperTransport and AMD Cool’n’Quiet Technology.
Chipset
NVIDIA nForce4 SLI, supports:
!Supports NVIDIA Firewall.
!Supports Gigabit Ethernet.
!Supports NVIDIA nTune Utility.
!Supports NVIDIA Secure Networking Processor.
Operating Systems
Supports Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
Note: Does not support Windows 98SE and Windows ME.
Dimensions
ATX Form Factor: 29.4cm (L) x 24.35cm (W)
System Memory
Supports Dual Channel DDR.
Supports DDR333 and DDR400.
Maximum memory space is 4GB, supporting 4 DIMM sockets.
Serial ATA
nForce4 SLI supports SATA 2.0 specification, with data transfer rates up to
3Gb/s.
Super I/O
Chip: ITE IT8712F.
Environment Control initiatives,
!H/W Monitor
!Fan Speed Controller
!ITE's "Smart Guardian" function
IDE
2 on-board connectors support 4 IDE disk drives.
Supports PIO mode 0-4, Block Mode and Ultra DMA 33/66/100/133 bus master
mode.
AC’97 Audio Sound Codec
Chip: ALC850, supports 8 channels audio output.
IEEE 1394A Chip
Chip: VIA VT6307, supports 2 ports with transfer up to 400Mb/s.
Gigabit Ethernet LAN
NVIDIA Gigabit MAC + VITESSE Gigabit PHY VSC8201.
Supports ACPI power management.
Supports NVIDIA StreamThru technology
!Isochronous controller paired with Hyper Transport results in fastest
networking performance.
Security
NVIDIA Firewall technology
!Native firewall solution protects the PC from intruders by filtering
unauthorized traffic.
NVIDIA 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.
RAID 0+1 disk striping and mirroring for highest performance with fault
tolerance.
Internal On-board Slots and Connectors
Normal Mode PCI-Express slots:
-One PCI-Express x16 slot: PEX16-1.
-Three PCI-Express x1 slots: PEX16-2, PEX1-1 and PEX1-2.
SLI Mode PCI-Express slots:
-Two PCI-Express x8 slots: PEX16-1 and PEX16-2.
-Two PCI-Express x1 slots: PEX1-1 and PEX1-2.
Notice: Normal Mode and SLI Mode are switched by SLI-NF4 selector card.
(Please read Chapter 3 for detail information.)
One SPDIF-Out connector.
One CD-ROM audio-in connector.
Two Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33 IDE connectors.
Three PCI slots.
Four SATA II ports.
Back Panel I/O Connectors and Ports
1 Printer Port.
1 RJ-45 LAN jack.
1 PS/2 Mouse Port.
1 PS/2 Keyboard Port.
1 1394A Firewire Port.
1 Serial Port. (COM2 is optional.)
4 USB 2.0 Ports.
6 audio ports support 8 channels audio-out facilities.

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1.2 LAYOUT AND COMPONENTS
Socket 939
JKBMS1 JUSBLAN1
JCOM1
(Optional)
JPRNT1
J1394_USB1 EARPHONEJACK1
JAUDIO2
JKBMSV1
J1394_USBV1
JATXPWR2
JATXPWR1
PEX16-2
PCI1 PCI3
PCI2
BIOS
DIMM2
DIMM4
DIMM1
DIMM3
IDE2
IDE1
JSATA1
JSATA2
JSATA3
JSATA4
FDD1
JCMOS1
JUSBV1
JCI1
JCFAN1
JNBFAN1
PEX1-1
PEX1-2
JUSB3 JUSB2
JUSB1 J1394A1
JSPDIF_OUT
JCDIN1
BAT1
JPANEL1
Codec
nForce4 SLI
Giga LAN
IEEE 1394
Chip
Super I/O
CPU1
JSFAN1
J1394PWR1
PEX16-1
SLI1
JPEXPWR1
JSFAN2
JDDR_0V>3V
LED_D1 LED_D2
LED_DIMM LED_
5SB
PWRSW
RSTSW
JCOM2
Note: ■represents the 1st pin.

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User’s Manual
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Chapter 2: Hardware Installations
2.1 CPU ASSEMBLY
A. Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Step 1:
Remove the socket protection cap.
Step 2:
Pull the socket locking lever out from the socket and then raise the lever up to a
90-degree angle.
Step 3:
Look for the triangular cut edge on socket, and the golden dot on CPU should point
towards this triangular cut edge. The CPU will fit only in the correct orientation.
Step 4:
Hold the CPU down firmly, and then lower the lever to locked position to complete the
installation.
Step 5: Put the CPU Fan and heatsink assembly on the CPU and buckle it on the
retention frame. Connect the CPU FAN power cable into the JCFAN1. This completes
the installation.
B. About FAN Headers
CPU FAN Power Header: JCFAN1
System Fan Power Headers: JSFAN1/JSFAN2
North Bridge Fan Power Header: JNBFAN1
JCFAN1:
Pin Assignment
1 Ground
2 Smart Fan Control
3 FAN RPM rate
sense
JSFAN2:
Pin Assignment
1 Ground
2 +12V
3 Ground
JNBFAN1/JSFAN1:
Pin Assignment
1 Ground
2 +12V
JCFAN1JSFAN2
1313
JNBFAN1 JSFAN1
1
3
1
3
3 Fan RPM rate
Sense
Note:
JCFAN1reserves system cooling fan with Smart Fan Control utilities. It supports 3 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.

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2.2 SYSTEM MEMORY
DIMM2
DIMM4
DIMM1
DIMM3
A. DDR Modules
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 snaps
back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.
Notes:
To remove the DDR modules, push the ejector tabs at both sides of the slot outward at
the same time, and pull the modules out vertically.
B. Memory Space
DIMM Socket Location DDR Module Total Memory Size
DIMM1 128MB/256MB/512MB/1GB *1
DIMM2 128MB/256MB/512MB/1GB *1
DIMM3 128MB/256MB/512MB/1GB *1
DIMM4 128MB/256MB/512MB/1GB *1
Max is 4 GB.
C. DDR Installation Notice
For AMD K8 939 CPU launched before Rev. E, (see the table below to know
your CPU version) please follow the table below to install your DDR memory
module, or the system may not boot up or may not function properly.
“SS” represents Single Side DDR memory module.
“DS” represents Double Side DDR memory module.
Star sign “*” represents leave the DIMM socket empty.
DIMM1 SS/DS * SS/DS * SS/DS
DIMM2 * * SS/DS * SS/DS
DIMM3 * SS/DS * SS/DS SS/DS
DIMM4 * * * SS/DS SS/DS
D. Know your CPU Version
AMD Athlon™64 Processor Ordering Part Number Example
ADA 3200 A E P 5 AP
AMD Athlon ™
™™
™ 64 Processor Part Definition
Part Definition Revision Part Definition Revision
AP Rev C0 BN Rev E4
AR Rev CG BP Rev E3
AS Rev CG BO Rev E3
AW Rev CG BY Rev E6
AX Rev CG BW Rev E6
AZ Rev CG
BI Rev D0
Part Definition: AP = Rev C0
(
see Table 1
)

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2.3 PERIPHERALS
A. Card and I/O Slots:
Floppy Disk Connector: FDD1
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.
1
2
33
34
Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1/IDE2
The motherboard has two 32-bit Enhanced PCI IDE Controllers that provide
PIO Mode 0~4, 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.
12
39 40
IDE2 IDE1
Peripheral Component Interconnect Slots: PCI1~PCI3
This motherboard is equipped with 3 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-Express Slots: PEX16-1/PEX16-2/PEX1-1/PEX1-2
PEX16-1 (Normal Mode):
-PCI Express 1.0a compliant.
-Maximum bandwidth is up to 4GB/s per direction.
PEX16-1/PEX1-1/PEX1-2 (Normal Mode):
-PCI Express 1.0a compliant.
-Maximum bandwidth is up to 250MB/s per direction.
PEX16-1/PEX16-2 (SLI Mode):
-PCI Express 1.0a compliant.
-Maximum bandwidth is up to 2GB/s per direction.
PEX16-1
PEX1-1
PEX1-2
PEX16-2

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B. Connectors and Headers:
How to setup Jumpers
The illustration shows how to set up jumpers. When the jumper cap is placed on pins,
the jumper is “closed”, if not, that means the jumper is “open”.
Pin opened Pin closed Pin1-2 closed
ATX Power Source Connector: JATXPWR1
JATXPWR1 allows user to connect 24-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 Detect
13 +3.3V
14 -12V
15 Ground
16 PS_ON
17 Ground
18 Ground
19 Ground
20 -5V
21 +5V
22 +5V
23 +5V
12
1
24
13
24 Ground
ATX Power Source Connector: JATXPWR2
By connecting JATXPWR2, it will provide +12V to CPU power circuit.
Pin Assignment
1 +12V
2 +12V
3 Ground
21
4
3
4 Ground
PCI-Express x16 Slot Power Source Connector: JPEXPWR1
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.
+12V
Ground
Ground
VCC

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Power Source Header for PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse: JKBMSV1
Pin 1-2 Close: +5V for PS/2 keyboard and mouse.
Pin 2-3 Close: PS/2 keyboard and mouse are powered with +5V standby voltage.
1
3
1
3
Pin 1-2 Close (default)
1
3
Pin 2-3 Close
Note: In order to support this function
“Power-on system via keyboard and
mouse”, “JKBMSV1” jumper cap
should be placed on Pin 2-3.
Power Source Headers for USB Ports at Back Panel: J1394_USBV1
Pin 1-2 Close: +5V for USB ports at J1394_USB1 and JUSBLAN1.
Pin 2-3 Close: USB ports at J1394_USB1 and JUSBLAN1 are powered with +5V
standby voltage.
1
3
1
3
Pin 1-2 Close (default)
1
3
Pin 2-3 Close
Note:
In order to support this function
“Power-on system via USB device,”
J1394_USBV1 jumper cap should be
placed on Pin 2-3 individually.
Front Panel Audio-out Header: JAUDIO2
This connector will allow user to connect with the front audio output 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
(optional)
12 Right line-in
(optional)
13 Left line-in (optional)
14
2
1
13
14 Left line-in (optional)
CD-ROM Audio-in Connector: JCDIN1
This connector allows user to connect the audio source from a variety of devices,
like CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, PCI sound card, PCI TV tuner card etc.
Pin Assignment
1 Left channel input
2 Ground
3 Ground
41
4 Right channel input

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Digital Audio-out Connector: JSPDIF_OUT
This connector allows users to connect the PCI bracket SPDIF output header.
Pin Assignment
1 +5V
2 SPDIF OUT
31
3 Ground
Power Source Header for 1394 Chip: J1394PWR1
31
1
3
Pin 1-2 Close:
+3.3V for 1394 chipset
(default).
1
3
Pin 2-3 Close:
+3.3V SB for 1394
chipset.
Power Source Header for USB Ports at Front Panel: JUSBV1
Pin 1-2 Close: +5V for USB ports at front panel.
Pin 2-3 Close: USB ports at front panel are powered with +5V standby voltage.
31
1
3
Pin 1-2 Close (default)
1
3
Pin 2-3 Close
Note:
In order to support this function
“Power-on system via USB device,”
JUSBV1 jumper cap should be
placed on Pin 2-3 individually.
Header for 1394A Firewire Port at Front Panel: J1394A1
This header 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
91
210
10 Ground

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Headers for USB Ports at Front Panel: JUSB1~JUSB3
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
9 Key
91
2
10
JUSB1
JUSB2
JUSB3
10 NC
Case Open Header: JCI1
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
Clear CMOS Header: JCMOS1
By placing the jumper on pin 2-3, 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 your desired password or clear the CMOS data.

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JPANEL1: Header for Front Panel Facilities
This 24-pin connector includes Power-on, Reset, HDD LED, Power LED, Sleep
button, speaker and IrDA Connection. It allows user to connect the PC case’s front
panel switch functions.
1
2
23
24
Pin Assignment Function Pin Assignment Function
1 +5V 2 Sleep control
3 N/A 4 Ground Sleep button
5 N/A 6 N/A N/A
7 Speaker
Speaker
Connector
8 Power LED (+)
9 HDD LED (+) 10 Power LED (+)
11 HDD LED (-)
Hard drive
LED 12 Power LED (-)
Power LED
13 Ground 14 Power button
15 Reset control Reset button 16 Ground
Power-on
button
17 N/A 18 Key
19 N/A 20 Key
21 +5V 22 Ground
23 IRTX
IrDA
Connector 24 IRRX
IrDA
Connector
Serial ATA Connectors: JSATA1~JSATA4
The motherboard has an SATA Controller in nForce4 SLI with 4 channels SATA
interface; it satisfies the SATA 2.0 spec with transfer rate of 3.0 Gb/s.
Pin Assignment
1 Ground
2 TX+
3 TX-
4 Ground
5 RX-
6 RX+
JSATA1
1
JSATA2
JSATA3 JSATA4
4
7
1
4
7
7 Ground
Header for Memory Voltage Overclocking: JDDR_OV>3V
When processing Memory Voltage Overclocking, please place the jumper to
pin1-2 Closed. The Default setting is Pin 2-3 Closed.
13
Pin 1-2 Close:
Memory voltage Overclocking.
13
13
Pin 2-3 Close:
Normal status (default).
Note:
1. When “JDDR_OV>3V” jumper cap is placed on Pin 2-3, memory voltage can be
manually adjusted under CMOS setup.
2. When “JDDR_OV>3V” jumper cap is placed on Pin 1-2, memory voltage will be fixed
at 3.3V automatically, and can’t be adjusted under COMS setup.
3. Before setting memory voltage overclocking, please ensure that your DDR supports up
to 3V. (Consulting your DDR supplier)

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On-Board LED Indicators
There are 4 LED indicators on the motherboard to show system status.
LED_D1
LED_D2
LED_DIMM
LED_5SB
LED_D1 and LED_D2:
These 2 LED indicate system power on diagnostics.
Please refer to the table below for different messages:
LED_D1 LED_D2 Message
ON ON Normal
ON OFF Memory Error
OFF ON VGA Error
OFF OFF Abnormal: CPU / Chipset error.
LED_DIMM:
This LED indicates the voltage of memory is activated normally.
LED_5SB:
This LED indicates the system is ready for Power-on.
On-Board Buttons
There are 2 on-board buttons.
RSTSW2 PSRSW1
PWRSW:
This is an on-board Power Switch button.
RSTSW:
This is an on-board Reset button.

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Chapter 3: NVIDIA SLI Function
3.1 REQUIREMENTS
Only Windows XP supports SLI (Dual Video) function.
Two identical SLI-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA certified.
The graphics card driver should support NVIDIA SLI technology.
The power supply unit must provide at least the minimum power required by the
system, or the system will be unstable.
3.2 PLACING THE SLI-NF4 SELECTOR CARD
There is a pre-installed SLI-NF4 selector card on the motherboard. The default
setting is Normal Mode, only supports single graphics card.
To use two graphics cards, firstly, you have to set the selector card to SLI Mode,
to support dual video cards.
Step 1: Push the retention clips outward to release SLI-NF4 selector card.
Step 2: Pull the selector card out of the slot.
Step 3: Invert the selector card and insert the edge labeled “SLI MODE”.
Step 4: Push down the selector card until the retention clips snap into place.
Notice: Make sure to insert the card into the slot completely.
○
2pull out the
selector card
○
1about 45O degree
lift.
○
1Insert the card with a
degree about 450.
○
2Push the selector card
downward.

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3.3 THINGS TO NOTICE
Normal Mode:
!Only PEX16-1 slot supports PCI-Express x16 interface graphics card
function.
!PEX16-2, PEX1-1 and PEX1-2 slots provide PCI-Express x1 interface
expansion card function.
SLI Mode:
!Use BRI-2 connector to link two SLI-ready PCI-E x16 interface graphics
cards.
!PEX16-1 and PEX16-2 slots provide PCI-E x8 data transfer rate.
!PEX1-1 and PEX1-2 slots provide PCI-Express x1 interface expansion
card function.
!Coordinate with graphics card driver to set Dual Video function.
3.4 INSTALLING SLI-READY GRAPHICS CARDS
Step 1: Make sure the SLI-NF4 selector card is placed at SLI Mode.
Step 2: Prepare two graphics cards with PCI-E x16 interface.
Step 3: Insert the first one graphics card into the yellow slot (PEX16-1).
Step 4: Insert the second graphics card into the white slot (PEX16-2).
Notice: Make sure both the graphics cards are seated into slots
completely.
Step 5: Connect a 4-pin ATX power cable to PEX power connector (JPEXPWR1),
this will ensure the stabilization of your system.
Step 6: Insert the SLI Bridge (BRI-2) connector on the gold-fingers on each
graphics card.
Frontview Sideview
Step 7: To securely fix the connector between two graphics cards, a retention
bracket must be installed.
Step 7-1: Remove any of the bracket cover between the two graphics
cards.
Step 7-2: Align and insert the retention bracket into the slot and then
fix it with a screw.
Notice:
1. Make sure the retention bracket supports the SLI Bridge
(BRI-2) firmly.
2. Retention bracket is optional
Gold-fingers on
two graphics
PEX16-1
PEX16-2
Notice:
When under SLI mode, please make sure the power
supply is at least 500W (and above).

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3.5 ENABLING MULTI-GPU FEATURE IN WINDOWS
After the graphics cards are installed, enable the Multi-GPU feature in NVIDIA nView
properties.
Step 1:
Click NVIDIA Settings icon on the Windows
taskbar.
Step 2:
Select nView Properties in nView Desktop
Manager pop-up menu.
Step 3:
Click Properties icon in Desktop Management
tab to display Display Properties dialog box.
Step 4:
Click Advanced icon in Settings tab.
Step 5:
Select NVIDIA GeForce tab, and then click on
Multi-GPU item on the left dialog box.
Step 6:
Check before Enable SLI
multi-GPU item, and click on OK
to complete the setting.

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5
Chapter 4: NVIDIA RAID Functions
4.1 OPERATION SYSTEM
Supports Windows XP Home/Professional Edition, and Windows 2000
Professional.
4.2 RAID ARRAYS
NVRAID supports the following types of RAID arrays:
RAID 0: RAID 0 defines a disk striping scheme that improves disk read and write times for
many applications.
RAID 1: RAID 1 defines techniques for mirroring data.
RAID 0+1: RAID 0+1 combines the techniques used in RAID 0 and RAID 1.
Spanning (JBOD): JBOD provides a method for combining drives of different sizes in to one
large disk.
4.3 HOW RAID WORKS
RAID 0:
The controller “stripes” data across multiple drives in a RAID 0 array system. It breaks up a
large file into smaller blocks and performs disk reads and writes across multiple drives in
parallel. The size of each block is determined by the stripe size parameter, which you set
during the creation of the RAID set based on the system environment. This technique reduces
overall disk access time and offers high bandwidth.
Features and Benefits
!Drives: Minimum 1, and maximum is up to 6 or 8. Depending on the platform.
!Uses: Intended for non-critical data requiring high data throughput, or any
environment that does not require fault tolerance.
!Benefits: provides increased data throughput, especially for large files. No
capacity loss penalty for parity.
!Drawbacks: Does not deliver any fault tolerance. If any drive in the array fails,
all data is lost.
!Fault Tolerance: No.
Block 1
Block 3
Block 5
Block 2
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RAID 1:
Every read and write is actually carried out in parallel across 2 disk drives in a RAID 1
array system. The mirrored (backup) copy of the data can reside on the same disk or on a
second redundant drive in the array. RAID 1 provides a hot-standby copy of data if the
active volume or drive is corrupted or becomes unavailable because of a hardware failure.
RAID techniques can be applied for high-availability solutions, or as a form of automatic
backup that eliminates tedious manual backups to more expensive and less reliable media.
Features and Benefits
!Drives: Minimum 2, and maximum is 2.
!Uses: RAID 1 is ideal for small databases or any other application that
requires fault tolerance and minimal capacity.
!Benefits: Provides 100% data redundancy. Should one drive fail, the
controller switches to the other drive.
!Drawbacks: Requires 2 drives for the storage space of one drive.
Performance is impaired during drive rebuilds.
!Fault Tolerance: Yes.
Block 1
Block 2
Block 3
Block 1
Block 2
Block 3
RAID 0+1:
RAID 0 drives can be mirrored using RAID 1 techniques. Resulting in a RAID 0+1
solution for improved performance plus resiliency.
Features and Benefits
-Drives: Minimum 4, and maximum is 6 or 8, depending on the platform.
-Benefits: Optimizes for both fault tolerance and performance, allowing for
automatic redundancy. May be simultaneously used with other RAID levels
in an array, and allows for spare disks.
-Drawbacks: Requires twice the available disk space for data redundancy,
the same as RAID level 1.
-Fault Tolerance: Yes.
Block 2
Block 4
Block 6
Block 1
Block 3
Block 5
Block 2
Block 4
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Spanning (JBOD):
JBOD stands for “Just a Bunch of Disks”. Each drive is accessed as if it were on a
standard SCSI host bus adapter. This is useful when a single drive configuration is needed,
but it offers no speed improvement or fault tolerance.
Features and Benefits
-Uses: JBOD works best if you have odd sized drives and you want to
combine them to make one big drive.
-Benefits: JBOD provides the ability to combine odd size drives using all of
the capacity of the drives.
-Drawbacks: Decreases performance because of the difficulty in using
drives concurrently.
-Fault Tolerance: Yes.
Disk 1: 40GB
Disk 2: 80GB
Disk 3: 40GB
Disk 4: 120GB
Sin
g
le Lo
g
ical
Drive
※For more detailed setup information, please refer to the Driver CD, or go to
http://www.nvidia.com/page/pg_20011106217193.html to download NVIDIA
nForce Tutorial Flash.