Gigabyte GA-F2A78M-D3H User manual

GA-F2A78M-D3H
User's Manual
Rev. 3001
12ME-F278M3H-3001R

Motherboard
GA-F2A78M-D3H
Dec. 12, 2013
Dec. 12, 2013
Motherboard GA-F2A78M-D3H

Copyright
©2013 GIGA-BYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. All rights reserved.
The trademarks mentioned in this manual are legally registered to their respective owners.
Disclaimer
Information in this manual is protected by copyright laws and is the property of GIGABYTE.

without prior notice.
No part of this manual may be reproduced, copied, translated, transmitted, or published in
any form or by any means without GIGABYTE's prior written permission.

In order to assist in the use of this product, GIGABYTE provides the following types of docu-
mentations:
For quick set-up of the product, read the Quick Installation Guide included with the product.
For detailed product information, carefully read the User's Manual.
For product-related information, check on our website at: http://www.gigabyte.com
Identifying Your Motherboard Revision
The revision number on your motherboard looks like this: "REV: X.X." For example, "REV: 1.0"
means the revision of the motherboard is 1.0. Check your motherboard revision before updating
motherboard BIOS, drivers, or when looking for technical information.
Example:

- 4 -
Table of Contents
Box Contents...................................................................................................................6
Optional Items .................................................................................................................6
GA-F2A78M-D3H Motherboard Layout ..........................................................................7
GA-F2A78M-D3H Motherboard Block Diagram .............................................................8
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation .....................................................................................9
1-1 Installation Precautions ................................................................................... 9
 ................................................................................... 10
1-3 Installing the APU and APU Cooler............................................................... 13
1-3-1 Installing the APU ..................................................................................................13
1-3-2 Installing the APU Cooler ......................................................................................15
1-4 Installing the Memory .................................................................................... 16
  ....................................................................16
1-4-2 Installing a Memory................................................................................................17
1-5 Installing an Expansion Card......................................................................... 18
  ........................................... 19
1-7 Back Panel Connectors................................................................................. 20
1-8 Internal Connectors ....................................................................................... 22
Chapter 2 BIOS Setup ..................................................................................................31
2-1 Startup Screen............................................................................................... 32
2-2 The Main Menu.............................................................................................. 33
2-3 M.I.T. .............................................................................................................. 35
2-4 System Information........................................................................................ 43
2-5 BIOS Features ............................................................................................... 44
2-6 Peripherals..................................................................................................... 48
2-7 Power Management....................................................................................... 52
2-8 Save & Exit .................................................................................................... 54
  ..................................................................55
 ........................................................................ 55
3-2 Installing the SATA RAID/AHCI Driver and Operating System..................... 64

- 5 -
Chapter 4 Drivers Installation .......................................................................................69
4-1 Installing Chipset Drivers............................................................................... 69
4-2 Application Software...................................................................................... 70
4-3 Technical Manuals......................................................................................... 70
4-4 Contact........................................................................................................... 71
4-5 System........................................................................................................... 71
4-6 Download Center........................................................................................... 72
Chapter 5 Unique Features...........................................................................................73
5-1 BIOS Update Utilities..................................................................................... 73
5-1-1 Updating the BIOS with the Q-Flash Utility...........................................................73
5-1-2 Updating the BIOS with the @BIOS Utility............................................................76
5-2 EasyTune 6 .................................................................................................... 77
5-3 Smart Recovery 2.......................................................................................... 78
Chapter 6 Appendix......................................................................................................81
 .............................................................. 81
 ..................................................................81
 ........................................................................................ 84
 ...................................................................... 85
6-1-4 Using the Sound Recorder ....................................................................................87
6-2 Troubleshooting ............................................................................................. 88
6-2-1 Frequently Asked Questions................................................................................. 88
6-2-2 Troubleshooting Procedure .................................................................................. 89
Regulatory Statements ............................................................................................. 91
Contact Us ................................................................................................................ 95

- 6 -
Box Contents
5GA-F2A78M-D3H motherboard
5Motherboard driver disk
5User's Manual
5Quick Installation Guide
5Four SATA cables
5I/O Shield
Optional Items






The box contents above are for reference only and the actual items shall depend on the product package you
obtain. The box contents are subject to change without notice.

- 7 -
GA-F2A78M-D3H Motherboard Layout
KB_MS_USB

Socket FM2+

F_USB30
AUDIO
DDR3_4
DDR3_2
DDR3_3 DDR3_1
BAT

AMD A78
CODEC
CLR_CMOS
M_BIOS
B_BIOS
DVI_VGA

Realtek®



PCI

iTE® Super I/O
GA-F2A78M-D3H
HDMI
R_USB30
SPDIF_O

F_USB1F_USB2
F_AUDIO TPM
COM

LPT
SATA3
SATA3
0 1 2 34
5
OPTICAL

- 8 -
GA-F2A78M-D3H Motherboard Block Diagram

AMD APU
UMI

Dual Channel Memory
PCI Express Bus
PCI Express Bus
COM
LPC
Bus
1 PCI
PCI Bus
Dual BIOS
PCI CLK

PCIe CLK

PS/2 KB/Mouse
8 USB 2.0/1.1
4 USB 3.0/2.0

RJ45
x1
x4
x1
Realtek®

1 PCI Express x1
1 PCI Express x16
x16
HDMI
6 SATA 6Gb/s
AMD A78

DDR3 2133/1866/1600/

DVI-D
D-Sub
iTE®
Super I/O
1 PCI Express x4
S/PDIF Out




CODEC
LPT

- 9 -
Hardware Installation
1-1 Installation Precautions
The motherboard contains numerous delicate electronic circuits and components which can become

manual and follow these procedures:
•Prior to installation, make sure the chassis is suitable for the motherboard.
•         
warranty sticker provided by your dealer. These stickers are required for warranty validation.
•Always remove the AC power by unplugging the power cord from the power outlet before
installing or removing the motherboard or other hardware components.
•
sure they are connected tightly and securely.
•
•             
components such as a motherboard, CPU or memory. If you do not have an ESD wrist strap,

•Prior to installing the motherboard, please have it on top of an antistatic pad or within an
electrostatic shielding container.
•Before unplugging the power supply cable from the motherboard, make sure the power supply
has been turned off.
•Before turning on the power, make sure the power supply voltage has been set according to
the local voltage standard.
•Before using the product, please verify that all cables and power connectors of your hardware
components are connected.
•To prevent damage to the motherboard, do not allow screws to come in contact with the
motherboard circuit or its components.
•Make sure there are no leftover screws or metal components placed on the motherboard or
within the computer casing.
•Do not place the computer system on an uneven surface.
•Do not place the computer system in a high-temperature environment.
•Turning on the computer power during the installation process can lead to damage to system
components as well as physical harm to the user.
•If you are uncertain about any installation steps or have a problem related to the use of the

Chapter 1 Hardware Installation

- 10 -
Hardware Installation
 
APU FM2+ Socket:
- AMD A series processors
- AMD Athlon™series processors

Chipset AMD A78
Memory 4 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 64 GB of system memory
 

the physical memory installed.
   
           
website when the memory modules are available on the market.
Dual channel memory architecture


modules
 

Onboard
Graphics
Integrated Graphics Processor:
- 1 x D-Sub port, supporting a maximum resolution of 1920x1200
- 1 x DVI-D port, supporting a maximum resolution of 2560x1600
 
Dual Link DVI.
 
- 1 x HDMI port, supporting a maximum resolution of 4096x2160
       
maximum resolution supported is 1920x1200 when using an FM2 APU.
 
- Maximum shared memory of 2 GB
Audio Realtek®ALC887 codec

2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
  
and enable the multi-channel audio feature through the audio driver.
Support for S/PDIF Out
 Realtek®
Expansion Slots 
 

 
 

1 x PCI Express x1 slot
 
1 x PCI slot
Multi-Graphics
Technology
Support for AMD Dual Graphics technology


- 11 -
Hardware Installation
Storage Interface Chipset:
- 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
- Support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, and JBOD
USB Chipset:
 

 

Internal
Connectors


6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
1 x APU fan header
2 x system fan headers
1 x front panel header
1 x front panel audio header
1 x S/PDIF Out header
1 x USB 3.0/2.0 header
2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
1 x serial port header
1 x parallel port header
1 x Clear CMOS jumper

Back Panel
Connectors
1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse port
1 x D-Sub port
1 x DVI-D port
1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector
1 x HDMI port
2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports
4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
1 x RJ-45 port

I/O Controller iTE®I/O Controller Chip
Hardware
Monitor
System voltage detection
APU/System temperature detection
APU/System fan speed detection
APU overheating warning
APU/System fan fail warning
APU/System fan speed control
 
install.
BIOS 
Use of licensed AMI UEFI BIOS
Support for DualBIOS™
PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.0, SM BIOS 2.6, ACPI 2.0a

- 12 -
Hardware Installation
Unique Features Support for @BIOS
Support for Q-Flash

Support for EasyTune
 
Support for Smart Recovery 2

Bundled
Software ®
Operating
System


 .
Form Factor 
 
prior notice.
 Support & Downloads\Utility
for the software listed in the "Unique Features" and "Bundled Software" columns.

- 13 -
Hardware Installation
1-3 Installing the APU and APU Cooler
1-3-1 Installing the APU
 
Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the APU:
•Make sure that the motherboard supports the APU.
 
•Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing the
APU to prevent hardware damage.
•Locate the pin one of the APU. The APU cannot be inserted if oriented incorrectly.
•Apply an even and thin layer of thermal grease on the surface of the APU.
•Do not turn on the computer if the APU cooler is not installed, otherwise overheating and damage
of the APU may occur.
•

standard requirements for the peripherals. If you wish to set the frequency beyond the standard

card, memory, hard drive, etc.
APU
A Small Triangle
Marking Denotes
APU Pin One
A Small Triangle
Marking Denotes Pin
One of the Socket FM2+ Socket

- 14 -
Hardware Installation
B. Follow the steps below to correctly install the APU into the motherboard APU socket.
•Before installing the APU, make sure to turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the
power outlet to prevent damage to the APU.
•
APU orientation if this occurs.
Step 1:
Completely lift up the APU socket locking lever.
Step 2:

on the APU socket and gently insert the APU into the socket. Make


the middle of the APU, lowering the locking lever and latching it into
the fully locked position.
APU Socket
Locking Lever

- 15 -
Hardware Installation
1-3-2 Installing the APU Cooler
Follow the steps below to correctly install the APU cooler on the motherboard.
Use extreme care when removing the APU cooler because the thermal grease/tape between the APU
cooler and APU may adhere to the APU. Inadequately removing theAPU cooler may damage the APU.
Step 1:
Apply an even and thin layer of thermal grease on
the surface of the installed APU.
Step 2:
Hook the APU cooler clip to the mounting lug on
one side of the retention frame. On the other side,
push straight down on the APU cooler clip to hook
it to the mounting lug on the retention frame.
Step 4:
Finally, attach the power connector of the APU

motherboard.
Step 3:
Turn the cam handle from the left side to the




- 16 -
Hardware Installation
1-4 Installing the Memory
Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the memory:
•Make sure that the motherboard supports the memory. It is recommended that memory of the same
capacity, brand, speed, and chips be used.

•Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing the
memory to prevent hardware damage.
•Memory modules have a foolproof design. A memory module can be installed in only one direction.
If you are unable to insert the memory, switch the direction.


DDR3_4 DDR3_2 DDR3_3 DDR3_1
 
This motherboard provides four DDR3 memory sockets and supports Dual Channel Technology. After the

Dual Channel memory mode will double the original memory bandwidth.
The four DDR3 memory sockets are divided into two channels and each channel has two memory sockets as
following:
Channel A: DDR3_2, DDR3_4
Channel B: DDR3_1, DDR3_3
DDR3_4 DDR3_2 DDR3_3 DDR3_1
Two Modules - - DS/SS - - DS/SS
DS/SS - - DS/SS - -
Four Modules DS/SS DS/SS DS/SS DS/SS
Due to APU limitations, read the following guidelines before installing the memory in Dual Channel mode.
1. Dual Channel mode cannot be enabled if only one DDR3 memory module is installed.
2. 
of the same capacity, brand, speed, and chips be used. For optimum performance, when enabling
Dual Channel mode with two memory modules, we recommend that you install them in the DDR3_1
and DDR3_2 sockets.

- 17 -
Hardware Installation
1-4-2 Installing a Memory
Before installing a memory module, make sure to turn off the computer and unplug the power
cord from the power outlet to prevent damage to the memory module. DDR3 and DDR2 DIMMs are
not compatible to each other or DDR DIMMs. Be sure to install DDR3 DIMMs on this motherboard.

DDR3 DIMM

your memory modules in the memory sockets.
Step 1:

at both ends of the memory socket. Place the memory module on the

the top edge of the memory, push down on the memory and insert it
vertically into the memory socket.
Step 2:
The clips at both ends of the socket will snap into place when the
memory module is securely inserted.

- 18 -
Hardware Installation
1-5 Installing an Expansion Card
Read the following guidelines before you begin to install an expansion card:
•Make sure the motherboard supports the expansion card. Carefully read the manual that came
with your expansion card.
•Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing an
expansion card to prevent hardware damage.
Follow the steps below to correctly install your expansion card in the expansion slot.
1. Locate an expansion slot that supports your card. Remove the metal slot cover from the chassis back panel.
2. Align the card with the slot, and press down on the card until it is fully seated in the slot.
3. Make sure the metal contacts on the card are completely inserted into the slot.
4. Secure the card's metal bracket to the chassis back panel with a screw.
5. 
6. Turn on your computer. If necessary, go to BIOS Setup to make any required BIOS changes for your

7. Install the driver provided with the expansion card in your operating system.
Example: Installing and Removing a PCI Express Graphics Card:
PCI Slot
PCI Express x1 Slot
PCI Express x16 Slot
•Installing a Graphics Card:
Gently push down on the top edge of the card until it
is fully inserted into the PCI Express slot. Make sure
the card is securely seated in the slot and does not
rock.
•Removing the Card:
Gently push back on the lever on the slot and then lift the card straight out from the
slot.

- 19 -
Hardware Installation
 
 
installed.
Procedure and driver screen for enabling the AMD Dual Graphics technology may differ by graphics
card and driver version. Refer to the manual that came with your graphics card for more information.
Combining the onboard GPU with a discrete graphics card, AMD's Dual Graphics technology can provide

Dual Graphics system.
A. System Requirements
-AMD A series processor that supports AMD Dual Graphics technology
-
-An AMD Dual Graphics technology-supported motherboard and correct driver
-

for an FM2 APU, please use an AMD Radeon™

Step 1:
Observe the steps in "1-5 Installing an Expansion Card" and install an AMD Dual Graphics technology-supported

Step 2:
Enter BIOS Setup to set the following items under the  menu:
-Set Integrated Graphics to Force.
-Set UMA Frame Buffer Size to 512M or above.
Save the settings and exit BIOS Setup. Restart your computer.

After installing the graphics card driver in the operating system, go to the
AMD VISION Engine Control Center. Browse to Performance\AMD
Radeon™Dual Graphics and ensure the Enable AMD Radeon Dual
Graphics check box is selected.

- 20 -
Hardware Installation
1-7 Back Panel Connectors
USB 2.0/1.1 Port
    

PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Port
Use this port to connect a PS/2 mouse or keyboard.
D-Sub Port
The D-Sub port supports a 15-pin D-Sub connector and supports a maximum resolution of 1920x1200.
Connect a monitor that supports D-Sub connection to this port.
DVI-D Port (Note 1)

Connect a monitor that supports DVI-D connection to this port. Please note that the actual resolutions
supported are dependent on the monitor being used and support for 2560x1600 resolution requires both
a monitor and cable that support Dual Link DVI.
HDMI Port
The HDMI port is HDCP compliant and supports Dolby True HD and DTS HD

output. You can use this port to connect your HDMI-supported monitor. The maximum supported resolution
is 4096x2160, but the actual resolutions supported are dependent on the monitor being used.
After installing the HDMI device, make sure to set the default sound playback device to HDMI.




Audio Device to the default playback device.
 
 
supported is 1920x1200 when using an FM2 APU.