EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW User manual

User Guide
EVGA force 780i SLI FTW
Motherboard

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Table of Contents
Before You Begin… .......................................................................................................................... ix
Parts NOT in the Kit ..................................................................................................................... ix
Intentions of the Kit....................................................................................................................... ix
EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Motherboard ......................................................................................... 1
Motherboard Specifications ...........................................................................................................1
Unpacking and Parts Descriptions .................................................................................................... 3
Unpacking .....................................................................................................................................3
Equipment .....................................................................................................................................3
EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Motherboard ....................................................................................4
Hardware Installation ......................................................................................................................... 7
Safety Instructions.........................................................................................................................7
Preparing the Motherboard............................................................................................................8
Installing the CPU .....................................................................................................................8
Installing the CPU Fan ..............................................................................................................8
Installing Memory DIMMs .........................................................................................................9
Installing the Motherboard ...........................................................................................................10
Installing the I/O Shield ...........................................................................................................10
Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis ............................................................................10
Connecting Cables and Setting Switches ....................................................................................11
Power Connections.................................................................................................................11
24-pin ATX Power (PWR1) ................................................................................................12
8-pin ATX 12V Power (PWR2) ...........................................................................................14
Connecting IDE Hard Disk Drives ...........................................................................................14
Connecting Serial ATA Cables................................................................................................15
Connecting Internal Headers ..................................................................................................16
Front Panel Header ............................................................................................................16
IEEE 1394a ........................................................................................................................17
USB Headers .....................................................................................................................18

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Audio ......................................................................................................................................19
Fan Connections.....................................................................................................................20
COM1 .....................................................................................................................................21
FDD Connector.......................................................................................................................22
Expansion Slots ......................................................................................................................22
PCI Slots ............................................................................................................................22
PCI Express x1 Slot ...........................................................................................................23
PCI Express x16 Slots........................................................................................................23
Clear CMOS Button ................................................................................................................24
Configuring the BIOS ....................................................................................................................... 25
Enter BIOS Setup........................................................................................................................26
Main Menu ..................................................................................................................................26
Standard CMOS Features Menu .................................................................................................28
Date and Time ........................................................................................................................29
IDE Channel and SATA Channel ............................................................................................30
Drive A....................................................................................................................................31
Halt On ...................................................................................................................................32
Memory...................................................................................................................................32
Advanced BIOS Features ............................................................................................................33
Removable Device Priority......................................................................................................34
Hard Disk Boot Priority............................................................................................................34
Network Boot Priority ..............................................................................................................34
CPU Internal Cache ................................................................................................................34
Quick Power On Self Test.......................................................................................................34
First/Second/Third Boot Device ..............................................................................................35
Boot Other Device ..................................................................................................................35
Boot Up NumLock Status........................................................................................................35
Security Option .......................................................................................................................35
APIC Mode .............................................................................................................................35
MPS Version Control For OS ..................................................................................................36
Full Screen LOGO Show ........................................................................................................36
Advanced Chipset Features ........................................................................................................37

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System BIOS Cacheable ........................................................................................................37
HPET Function .......................................................................................................................37
Integrated Peripherals Menu .......................................................................................................38
IDE Function Setup.................................................................................................................39
RAID Config............................................................................................................................40
USB Config.............................................................................................................................40
MAC Config ............................................................................................................................41
IEEE1394 controller ................................................................................................................41
HD Audio ................................................................................................................................41
IDE HDD Block Mode .............................................................................................................41
Onboard FDC Controller .........................................................................................................41
Onboard Serial Port 1 .............................................................................................................41
Power Management Setup Menu ................................................................................................42
ACPI Function.........................................................................................................................42
ACPI Suspend Type ...............................................................................................................42
Soft-Off by PBNT ....................................................................................................................43
WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off.....................................................................................................43
Power On by Alarm.................................................................................................................43
POWER ON Function .............................................................................................................44
PnP/PCI Configuration Menu ......................................................................................................45
Init Display First ......................................................................................................................45
Reset Configuration Data........................................................................................................45
Resources Controlled By ........................................................................................................46
IRQ Resources .......................................................................................................................46
PCI/VGA Palette Snoop..........................................................................................................46
Maximum Payload Size ..........................................................................................................47

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PC Health Status .............................................................................................................................47
Dynamic Fan Control...................................................................................................................48
Frequency/Voltage Control ..........................................................................................................49
Dummy O.C. ...............................................................................................................................49
System Clocks.............................................................................................................................50
Frequency Settings .....................................................................................................................51
HT Multiplier ................................................................................................................................51
Spread Spectrum ........................................................................................................................52
FSB & Memory Config .....................................................................................................................53
SLI Ready Memory .....................................................................................................................53
FSB & Memory clock mode .........................................................................................................54
FSB (QDR), MHz.........................................................................................................................54
MEM (DDR), MHz .......................................................................................................................54
Memory Timing Settings..............................................................................................................55
Optimal .......................................................................................................................................55
Expert ........................................................................................................................................56
CPU Feature ..............................................................................................................................57
Limit CPUID MaxVal....................................................................................................................57
Intel SpedStep ............................................................................................................................57
PPM Mode .................................................................................................................................57
CPU Thermal Control .................................................................................................................58
C1E Enhanced Halt State ...........................................................................................................58
Execute Disable Bit ....................................................................................................................58
Virtualization Technology ..........................................................................................................58
CPU Core 1-3 .............................................................................................................................58

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System Voltage ..............................................................................................................................59
EVGA VDroop Control ...............................................................................................................59
CPU Core ...................................................................................................................................59
CPU FSB ....................................................................................................................................59
Memory .....................................................................................................................................59
nForce SPP ................................................................................................................................59
nForce MCP ...............................................................................................................................60
HT nForce SPP <-> MCP ...........................................................................................................60
nForce MCP Auxiliary .................................................................................................................60
GTLVREF Lane 0-2 ....................................................................................................................60
GTLVREF Lane 3 .......................................................................................................................60
NVMEM Memory Test ................................................................................................................60
Load Timing/Voltage Set ............................................................................................................61
Save Timing/Voltage Set ............................................................................................................61
Installing Drivers and Software ........................................................................................................ 63
Driver Installation.........................................................................................................................63
EVGA Enthusiast Glossary..........................................................................................................65
Appendix A. POST Codes for EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Platform............................................... 67
NVMM POST Codes ...................................................................................................................73

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List of Figures
Figure 1. EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Motherboard Layout .......................................................5
Figure 2. Chassis Back Panel Connectors .................................................................................6
Figure 3. Power Supply Connectors .........................................................................................12
Figure 4. PWR1 Motherboard Connector .................................................................................13
Figure 5. BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Menu........................................................................27
Figure 6. Standard CMOS Features Menu ...............................................................................29
Figure 7. Advanced BIOS Features Menu ................................................................................33
Figure 8. Advanced Chipset Features ......................................................................................37
Figure 9. Integrated Peripherals Menu .....................................................................................38
Figure 10. Power Management Setup Menu ..............................................................................42
Figure 11. PnP/PCI Configuration Menu.....................................................................................45
Figure 12. PC Health Status .......................................................................................................47
Figure 13. System Clocks Menu.................................................................................................50
Figure 14. FSB & Memory Config Menu.....................................................................................53
Figure 15. CPU Configuration Menu...........................................................................................57
Figure 16. System Voltages Menu..............................................................................................59

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Before You Begin…
Parts NOT in the Kit
This kit contains all the hardware necessary to install and connect your new EVGA force®
780i SLI FTW motherboard. However, it does not contain the following items that must be
purchased separately to make the motherboard functional.
Intel microprocessor
System Memory
Cooling fan for the microprocessor
Graphics Card
Power Supply
EVGA assumes you have purchased all necessary parts needed to allow for proper system
functionality.
Intentions of the Kit
This kit provides you with the motherboard and all connecting cables necessary to install the
motherboard into a PC case. 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 case, it is highly recommended to reinstall the operating
system even though the current drives may already have an operating system.

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EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW
Motherboard
Thank you for buying the EVGA nFore 780i SLI FTW 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 9.6 inch
Microprocessor support
Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Quad, Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium EE, Pentium D,
Pentium
Operating systems:
Supports Windows XP 32bit/64bit and Windows Vista 32bit/64bit
Contains NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI MCP and SPP
System Memory support
Supports dual channel JEDEC DDR2-800 and SLI-Ready memory up to 1200 MHz.
Supports up to 8 GBs of DDR2 memory.
Ten USB 2.0 Ports
Supports hot plug
Ten USB 2.0 ports (six rear panel ports, four onboard USB headers)
Supports wake-up from S1 and S3 mode
Supports USB 2.0 protocol up to 480 Mbps transmission rate
Onboard Serial ATA II
300MBps data transfer rate
Six Serial ATA II connectors
NVIDIA Media Shield RAID with support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID
5, and JBOD
Supports hot plug and NCQ (Native Command Queuing )

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Onboard LAN
Dual LAN interface built-in onboard
Supports 10/100/1000 Mbit/sec Ethernet
Onboard 1394
Supports hot plug
Two 1394a ports (one rear panel port, one onboard header) with a rate transmission
of 400 Mbps
Onboard Audio
Azalia High-Definition audio
Supports 8-channel audio
Supports S/PDIF output
Supports Jack-Sensing function
Triple PCI Express x16 Support
2 x16 PCI Express 2.0
1 x16 PCI Express 1.0
Supports 4 GB/sec (8 GB/sec concurrent) bandwidth
Low power consumption and power management features
Green Function
Supports ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)
Supports S0 (normal), S1 (power on suspend), S3 (suspend to RAM), S4 (Suspend to
disk - depends on OS), and S5 (soft - off)
Expansion Slots
Two PCI slots
One PCI Express x1 slot
Three PCI Express x16 Graphics slots

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Unpacking and
Parts Descriptions
Unpacking
The EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW 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.
Equipment
The following equipment is included in the EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW motherboard box.
(Accessories may vary between models, see product package)
EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Motherboard
This PCI Express motherboard contains the NVIDIA
nForce 780i SLI SPP and MCP and is SLI-ready.
I/O Shield
Installs in the chassis to block radio frequency
transmissions, protect internet components from dust and
foreign objects and aids in proper airflow within the
chassis.
Floppy Cable
Used to attach a floppy drive to the motherboard.

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2-Port SATA Power Cable (Qty Three)
Allows a Molex power connector to adapt to a SATA
power connector
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.
SATA Signal Cable (Qty Six)
Used to support the Serial ATA protocol and each one
connects a single drive to the motherboard
Serial Port Bracket Cable
Used for serial legacy devices
IDE-ATA 133 HDD Cable
Passes data between the IDE connection on both the
Motherboard and IDE device
EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW
Motherboard
The EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW motherboard with the NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI SPP and
MCP processor is a PCI Express, SLI-ready motherboard. Figure 1 shows the motherboard
and Figures 2 shows the back panel connectors.

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Figure 1.
EVGA nForce 780i SLI FTW Motherboard Layout
1. CPU Socket –For use with Intel LGA 775
CPUs
11. USB headers –for additional USB
connectors.
21. SPDIF connector –Digital Audio connection
2. NVIDIA SPP with Active fan –Also known as
the Northbridge
12. Motherboard battery –helps retain
system BIOS settings
22. PCI slots –Used for PCI based components
3. CPU fan connector –Connect CPU Fan to this
connector.
13. Fan connector
23. PCI Express x16 slots (SLI) –For graphics cards,
multiple slots are used for SLI configurations
4. DDR DIMM Slots 0 –3 –For System Memory
14. Serial connector –for Serial Port
dongal
24. 1394a connector –Firewire connection
5. 24-pin ATX Power Connector –Main Power
connection
15. Front panel connector –For use
with system chassis
25. PCI Express x1 slot –Exclusive for devices that
require a PCI-E x1 slot
6. IDE Connector –For IDE devices, CD-ROM
and Hard Disk Drives
16. CMOS Clear –Easily clears the
system the BIOS.
26. Back panel connectors –See Figure 2
7. Serial-ATA (SATA) connectors –For SATA
devices, CD-ROM and Hard Disk Drives
17. Power button –with integrated
power LED indicator
27. PWM / Voltage Regulator Heatsink –Aids in
dispersing heat
8. FDD connector –Floppy Disk Drive Connector
18. Reset Button –With integrated
HDD activity light.
28. 8-pin ATX 12V power connector –CPU 8-Pin Power
connector
9. NVIDIA MCP (passive heat sink)
19. Azalia HD Audio Header
29. MCP/SPP fan connector
10. System Speaker –Provides POST Codes via
audio
20. Front Panel Audio –For use with
system chassis
30. LED POST Code Readout –See Appendix A. For
Code descriptions
10
13
7
30
18
2
1
4
3
5
7
8
9
6
13
14
15
16
22
23
22
25
23
26
28
11
12
20
23
24
17
13
13
27
29
21
19

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Figure 2. Chassis Back Panel Connectors
1. PS/2 Mouse Port
2. PS/2 Keyboard Port
3. 1394a (Firewire) Port
4. USB 2.0 ports (SIX)
5. SPDIF output
6. 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
7. LAN Port with LEDs to indicate status.
Yellow/Light Up/Blink = 10 Mbps/Link/Activity
Yellow and Green/Light Up/Blink = 100 Mbps/link/Activity
Green/Light Up/Blink = 1000 Mbps/Link/Activity
1
2
5
6
4
3
4
7
4
7

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Hardware Installation
This section will guide you through the installation of the motherboard. The topics covered in this
section are:
Preparing the motherboard
Installing the CPU
Installing the CPU fan
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.
Remember to remove power from your computer by disconnecting the AC main
source before removing or installing any equipment from/to the computer chassis.

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Preparing the Motherboard
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.
2. Lift the load plate. There is a protective socket cover on
the load plate to protect the socket when there is no CPU
installed.
3. Remove the protective socket cover from the load plate.
4. Remove the processor from its protective cover, making
sure you hold it only by the edges.
It is a good idea to save the cover so that whenever you
remove the CPU, you have a safe place to store it.
5. Align the notches in the processor with the notches on
the socket.
6. Lower the processor straight down into the socket
with out tilting or sliding it into the socket
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 instructions that came with your fan
assembly. Be sure that the fan orientation is correct for your
chassis type and your fan assembly.
Align notches with
notches on the CPU

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Installing System Memory (DIMMs)
Your new motherboard has four 1.8V 240-pin slots for DDR2 memory. These slots support
256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2 GB DDR2 memory modules. They also support dual channel
DDR2 memory technology up to 10.7GB/s. There must be at least one memory bank
populated to ensure normal operation. Use the following the recommendations for installing
memory. (See Figure 1 on page 5 for the location of the memory slots.)
One DIMM: Install into slot 0. You can install the DIMM into any slot however, slot 0 is
preferred.
Two DIMMs: Install into either slot 0 and 1 or 2 and 3. The idea is to not have the
DIMMs in adjacent slots.
Four DIMMS: Install into slots 0, 1, 2, and 3.
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 while
applying light downward pressure to properly seat the DIMM. The plastic clips at both
sides of the DIMM slot automatically lock the DIMM into the connector.
DIMM Slot 0
DIMM Slot 2
DIMM Slot 1
DIMM Slot 3
CPU side
DIMM Slot 2
DIMM Slot 2
DIMM Slot 1
DIMM Slot 3
DIMM Slot 1
DIMM Slot 2
DIMM Slot 1
DIMM Slot 3
DIMM Slot 3
DIMM Slot 2
DIMM Slot 1
DIMM Slot 3

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Installing the Motherboard
The sequence of installing the motherboard into the chassis depends on the chassis you are
using and if you are replacing an existing motherboard or working with an empty chassis. It is
recommended to secure the motherboard first before making all connections.
Use the following procedure to install the I/O shield and secure the motherboard into the
chassis.
Be sure that the CPU fan assembly has enough clearance for the chassis covers to lock
into place and for the expansion cards. Also make sure the CPU Fan assembly is
aligned with the vents on the covers.
Installing the I/O Shield
The motherboard kit comes with an I/O shield that is used to block radio frequency
transmissions, protects internal components from dust and foreign objects, and promotes
correct airflow within the chassis.
Before installing the motherboard, install the I/O shield from the inside of the chassis. Press
the I/O shield into place and make sure it fits securely. If the I/O shield does not fit into the
chassis, you would need to obtain the proper size from the chassis supplier.
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 eight (8) to ten (10) spacers.
1. Carefully place the motherboard onto the studs/spacers located inside the chassis.
2. Align the mounting holes with the studs/spacers.
3. Align the connectors to the I/O shield.
4. Ensure that the fan assembly is aligned with the chassis vents according to the fan
assembly instruction.
5. Secure the motherboard with a minimum of eight-to-ten screws.