Intel D955XCS User manual

Intel®Desktop Board
D955XCS Product Guide
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Order Number: C98669-002

Revision History
Revision Revision History Date
-001 First release of the Intel®Desktop Board D955XCS Product Guide May 2005
-002 Second release of the Intel®Desktop Board D955XCS Product Guide June 2005
If an FCC declaration of conformity marking is present on the board, the following statement applies:
FCC Declaration of Conformity
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device
may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
For questions related to the EMC performance of this product, contact:
Intel Corporation
5200 N.E. Elam Young Parkway
Hillsboro, OR 97124
1-800-628-8686
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for 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. However, there is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit other than the one to which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Any changes or modifications to the equipment not expressly approved by Intel Corporation could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
Tested to comply with FCC standards for home or office use.
Canadian Department of Communications Compliance Statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the
Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.
Le présent appareil numerique német pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils
numériques de la classe B prescrites dans le Réglement sur le broullage radioélectrique édicté par le ministére des
Communications du Canada.
Disclaimer
Information in this document is provided in connection with Intel®products. No license, express or implied, by estoppel or
otherwise, to any intellectual property rights is granted by this document. Except as provided in Intel’s Terms and Conditions
of Sale for such products, Intel assumes no liability whatsoever, and Intel disclaims any express or implied warranty, relating
to sale and/or use of Intel products including liability or warranties relating to fitness for a particular purpose, merchantability,
or infringement of any patent, copyright or other intellectual property right. Intel products are not intended for use in medical,
life saving, or life sustaining applications. Intel may make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time,
without notice.
Desktop Board D955XCS may contain design defects or errors known as errata which may cause the product to deviate
from published specifications. Current characterized errata are available on request.
Contact your local Intel sales office or your distributor to obtain the latest specifications and before placing your product
order.
Copies of documents which have an ordering number and are referenced in this document, or other Intel literature, may be
obtained from Intel Corporation by going to the World Wide Web site at: http://www.intel.com/ or by calling
1-800-548-4725.
Intel, Pentium, and Celeron are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other
countries.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
Copyright © 2005, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.

iii
Preface
This Product Guide gives information about board layout, component installation, BIOS updates,
and regulatory requirements for Intel®Desktop Board D955XCS.
Intended Audience
The Product Guide is intended only for technically qualified personnel.
Intended Uses
All Intel desktop boards are evaluated as Information Technology Equipment (I.T.E.) for use in
personal computers (PC) for installation in homes, offices, schools, computer rooms, and similar
locations. The suitability of this product for other PC or embedded non-PC applications or other
environments, such as medical, industrial, alarm systems, test equipment, etc. may not be supported
without further evaluation by Intel.
Information Layout
The chapters in this Product Guide are arranged as follows:
1 Desktop Board Features: a summary of product features.
2 Installing and Replacing Desktop Board Components: instructions on how to install the desktop
board and other hardware components.
3 BIOS: information about how to update the BIOS.
4 Configuring for RAID (Intel®Matrix Storage Technology) Requires Microsoft Windows* XP
or 2000 and SATA Hard Drive(s): information about configuring your system for RAID.
A Error Messages and Indicators: information about BIOS error messages and beep codes.
B Regulatory Compliance: safety and EMC regulations, product certification.
Conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:
WARNING
Warnings indicate conditions that, if not observed, may cause personal injury.
CAUTION
Cautions warn the user about how to prevent damage to hardware or loss of data.
NOTE
Notes call attention to important information.

Intel Desktop Board D955XCS Product Guide
iv
Terminology
The table below gives descriptions to some common terms used in the product guide.
Term Description
GB Gigabyte (1,073,741,824 bytes)
GHz Gigahertz (one billion hertz)
KB Kilobyte (1024 bytes)
MB Megabyte (1,048,576 bytes)
Mbit Megabit (1,048,576 bits)
MHz Megahertz (one million hertz)
Box Contents
•Intel®Desktop Board
•I/O shield
•One ATA-66/100 cable
•One floppy cable
•Eight Serial ATA cables
•Two Serial ATA power cables
•One rear panel USB 2.0 adapter
•One front panel USB 2.0/IEEE 1394/audio adapter
•One 2x2 to 2x4 power adapter
•Intel®Express Installer driver CD-ROM
•Intel Express Installer Extreme Series software DVD-ROM
•One Intel®Matrix Storage Technology RAID Driver floppy disk (in black text)
•One Silicon Image RAID Driver floppy disk (in blue text)
•Back panel audio covers
•Quick Reference poster
•Integration Guide poster
•Printed Product Guide
•Configuration and battery caution statement label
•Game flier

v
Contents
1Desktop Board Features
Supported Operating Systems .............................................................................................. 10
Desktop Board Components ................................................................................................. 11
Processor.............................................................................................................................. 13
Power Requirements for Intel®Pentium®Processor Extreme Edition ......................... 13
Processor Type ............................................................................................................ 13
Main Memory ........................................................................................................................ 14
Intel®955X Express Chipset................................................................................................. 14
Audio Subsystem .................................................................................................................. 15
Input/Output (I/O) Controller..................................................................................................16
LAN Subsystem .................................................................................................................... 16
LAN Subsystem Software ............................................................................................ 16
RJ-45 LAN Connector LEDs ........................................................................................ 16
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Support ................................................................................................... 17
Enhanced IDE Interface........................................................................................................17
Serial ATA............................................................................................................................. 17
Expandability......................................................................................................................... 18
BIOS...................................................................................................................................... 18
Serial ATA and IDE Auto Configuration ....................................................................... 18
PCI and PCI Express* Auto Configuration ................................................................... 18
Security Passwords...................................................................................................... 18
Chassis Intrusion................................................................................................................... 19
Power Management Features............................................................................................... 19
ACPI............................................................................................................................. 19
Fan Connectors............................................................................................................ 19
Fan Speed Control (Intel®Precision Cooling Technology) .......................................... 19
Suspend to RAM (Instantly Available PC Technology) ................................................ 20
Resume on Ring .......................................................................................................... 21
Wake from USB ........................................................................................................... 21
Wake from PS/2* Keyboard/Mouse .............................................................................21
PME# Wakeup Support................................................................................................ 21
Speaker................................................................................................................................. 21
Battery................................................................................................................................... 21
Real-Time Clock.................................................................................................................... 21
2Installing and Replacing Desktop Board Components
Before You Begin.................................................................................................................. 23
Installation Precautions......................................................................................................... 24
Installation Instructions.......................................................................................................... 24
Ensure Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Compliance .......................................... 24
Chassis and Component Certifications ........................................................................ 25
Prevent Power Supply Overload .................................................................................. 25
Place Battery Marking .................................................................................................. 25
Installing the I/O Shield ......................................................................................................... 26

Intel Desktop Board D955XCS Product Guide
vi
Installing and Removing the Desktop Board ......................................................................... 27
Installing and Removing a Processor.................................................................................... 28
Installing a Processor................................................................................................... 28
Installing the Processor Fan Heat Sink ........................................................................ 31
Connecting the Processor Fan Heat Sink Cable.......................................................... 31
Removing the Processor.............................................................................................. 31
Installing and Removing Memory.......................................................................................... 32
Installing DIMMs........................................................................................................... 34
Removing DIMMs......................................................................................................... 36
Installing and Removing a PCI Express x16 Card ................................................................ 37
Installing a PCI Express x16 Card ............................................................................... 37
Removing the PCI Express x16 Card ..........................................................................38
Connecting the IDE Cable..................................................................................................... 39
Connecting the Serial ATA Cable .........................................................................................40
Connecting Internal Headers ................................................................................................ 41
Front Panel Audio Header............................................................................................ 42
IEEE 1394a/b Headers ................................................................................................ 42
USB 2.0 Headers ......................................................................................................... 43
Front Panel Header...................................................................................................... 43
Alternate Power LED Header....................................................................................... 43
Installing the Rear Panel Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Adapter .................................................. 44
Installing the Front Panel USB/IEEE 1394/Audio Solution........................................... 45
Connecting Fans................................................................................................................... 46
Connecting Fans and Chassis Intrusion ......................................................................46
Connecting the Auxiliary Power Output Connector...................................................... 47
Connecting Power Cables..................................................................................................... 48
Other Connectors.................................................................................................................. 50
Setting the BIOS Configuration Jumper ................................................................................ 51
Clearing Passwords ..............................................................................................................52
Back Panel Connectors......................................................................................................... 53
Replacing the Battery............................................................................................................ 54
3BIOS
Updating the BIOS ................................................................................................................ 59
Updating the BIOS with the Intel®Express BIOS Update Utility .................................. 59
Updating the BIOS with the Iflash Memory Update Utility............................................ 60
4Configuring for RAID (Intel®Matrix Storage Technology) Requires
Microsoft Windows* XP or 2000 and SATA Hard Drive(s)
Configuring the BIOS for Intel Matrix Storage Technology .......................................... 63
Creating Your RAID Set ............................................................................................... 63
Loading the Intel Matrix Storage Technology RAID Drivers and Software .................. 63
Setting Up a “RAID Ready” System ............................................................................. 64

Contents
vii
AError Messages and Indicators
BIOS Beep Codes.................................................................................................................65
BIOS Error Messages ........................................................................................................... 65
BRegulatory Compliance
Safety Regulations................................................................................................................ 67
European Union Declaration of Conformity Statement ......................................................... 67
Product Ecology Statements................................................................................................. 69
EMC Regulations .................................................................................................................. 72
Product Certification Markings (Board Level)........................................................................ 73
Figures
1. Desktop Board D955XCS Components ......................................................................... 11
2. Back Panel LAN Port LED Locations .............................................................................16
3. Location of the Standby Power Indicator........................................................................ 20
4. Installing the I/O Shield...................................................................................................26
5. Location of Mounting Screw Holes ................................................................................. 27
6. Lift Socket Lever............................................................................................................. 28
7. Lift the Load Plate and Don’t Touch the Socket Contacts.............................................. 28
8. Remove the Protective Socket Cover............................................................................. 29
9. Remove the Processor from the Protective Processor Cover/Do Not Touch................. 29
10. Install the Processor.......................................................................................................30
11. Close the Load Plate ...................................................................................................... 30
12. Connecting the Processor Fan Heat Sink Cable to the Processor Fan Header............. 31
13. Dual Configuration Example 1........................................................................................ 32
14. Dual Configuration Example 2........................................................................................ 32
15. Dual Configuration Example 3........................................................................................ 33
16. Use DDR2 DIMMs .......................................................................................................... 34
17. Installing a DIMM............................................................................................................ 35
18. Slot to Use for One Video Card ...................................................................................... 37
19. Removing the PCI Express x16 Card............................................................................. 38
20. Connecting the IDE Cable .............................................................................................. 39
21. Connecting Serial ATA Cables ....................................................................................... 40
22. Internal Headers............................................................................................................. 41
23. Connecting the Rear Panel Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Adapter ................................................ 44
24. Connecting the Front Panel USB/IEEE 1394/Audio Cables........................................... 45
25. Location of Fan and Chassis Intrusion Headers............................................................. 46
26. Auxiliary Power Output Connector ................................................................................. 47
27. Connecting 2x10 Power Supply Cables ......................................................................... 48
28. Connecting 2x12 Power Supply Cables ......................................................................... 49
29. Other Connector Locations............................................................................................. 50
30. Location of the BIOS Configuration Jumper Block ......................................................... 51
31. Back Panel Connectors .................................................................................................. 53
32. Removing the Battery ..................................................................................................... 57
33. F2 Key ............................................................................................................................ 59

Intel Desktop Board D955XCS Product Guide
viii
Tables
1. Feature Summary............................................................................................................. 9
2. Desktop Board D955XCS Components ......................................................................... 12
3. Power Supply Requirements .......................................................................................... 13
4. RJ-45 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Connector LEDs........................................... 17
5. Front Panel Audio Header Signal Names....................................................................... 42
6. IEEE 1394b Header Signal Names ................................................................................ 42
7. IEEE 1394a Header Signal Names ................................................................................ 42
8. USB 2.0 Header Signal Names ...................................................................................... 43
9. Front Panel Header Signal Names................................................................................. 43
10. Jumper Settings for the BIOS Setup Program Modes.................................................... 51
11. Beep Codes.................................................................................................................... 65
12. BIOS Error Messages..................................................................................................... 65
13. Safety Regulations ......................................................................................................... 67
14. Lead Free Desktop Board ..............................................................................................71
15. EMC Regulations............................................................................................................ 72
16. Product Certification Markings........................................................................................ 73

9
1 Desktop Board Features
This chapter briefly describes the main features of Intel®Desktop Board D955XCS. Table 1
summarizes the major features of the desktop board.
Table 1. Feature Summary
Form Factor BTX (12.875” x 10.50”)
Processor Support for an Intel®processor in the LGA775 package with 1066/800 MHz front side
bus
Main Memory Four 240-pin SDRAM Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) sockets
•667/533 MHz dual channel DDR2 SDRAM interface
•Designed to support up to 8 GB of system memory
Chipset Intel®955X Express Chipset consisting of:
•Intel®82955X Memory Controller Hub (MCH) with Direct Media Interface
•Intel®82801GR I/O Controller Hub (ICH7R) supporting Intel®Matrix Storage
Technology
Audio •Intel 955X Express Chipset
•Intel®High Definition Audio codec
•Up to 8-channel audio with SPDIF support jack sensing
Expansion
Capabilities
•Up to three PCI bus add-in card connectors (SMBus routed to PCI bus connector 2)
•One PCI Express* x16 connector
•One PCI Express x4 (routed to the physical x16 connector)
•One PCI Express x1 connector
LAN Subsystem Intel®82573V or 82573L Gigabit Ethernet LAN controller with RJ-45 connector
BIOS •Intel®Platform Innovation Framework for Extensible Firmware Interface
•8 Mbit flash memory
•Support for SMBIOS
•Intel®Rapid BIOS Boot
•Intel®Express BIOS Update
RAID •Intel®Matrix Storage Technology for Serial ATA
•SATALink* for Serial ATA
continued

Intel Desktop Board D955XCS Product Guide
10
Table 1. Feature Summary (continued)
Peripheral Interfaces •One front panel audio header (yellow)
•Up to eight USB 2.0 ports
⎯Four ports routed to the back panel
⎯Four ports routed to two USB headers
•Up to eight Serial ATA channels (one device per channel)
— Four RAID capable Serial ATA (3.0 Gb/s) connectors (black) via the
ICH7R
— Four RAID capable Serial ATA (SATA) connectors (blue) via the discrete
controller
•Up to three IEEE 1394 ports:
⎯One IEEE 1394a port routed to the back panel
⎯One IEEE 1394a header (blue)
⎯One IEEE 1394b header (pink)
•One IDE interface with ATA-66/100 support
•One diskette drive interface
•One parallel port
•One serial port
•RJ-45 LAN port
•PS/2* keyboard and mouse ports
Power Management •Support for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)
•Suspend to RAM (STR)
•Wake on USB, PCI, PCI Express, PS/2, LAN, and front panel
Hardware Management Hardware monitor with:
•Four fan sensing inputs used to monitor fan activity
•Remote diode temperature sensing
•Intel®Precision Cooling Technology fan speed control
•Voltage sensing to detect out of range values
Related Links
For more information about Intel Desktop Board D955XCS, including the Technical Product
Specification (TPS), BIOS updates, and device drivers, go to:
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/
Supported Operating Systems
The desktop board supports the following operating systems:
•Microsoft Windows* XP Professional
•Microsoft Windows XP Home
•Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
•Microsoft Windows 2000

Desktop Board Features
11
Desktop Board Components
Figure 1 shows the approximate location of the major components on Desktop Board D955XCS.
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P
V
W
Optical Line Out
1394a
IEEE
Line In
OM17778
Intel 82955X
(MCH)
R
82801
(ICH7R)
Intel
R
X
(Toslink)
Channel A DIMM 0
Channel B DIMM 0 Channel A DIMM 1
Channel B DIMM 1
Coaxial Line Out
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Q
R
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T
U
Y
Figure 1. Desktop Board D955XCS Components

Intel Desktop Board D955XCS Product Guide
12
Table 2. Desktop Board D955XCS Components
Label Description
A Front panel audio header (yellow)
B Serial ATA connectors (four, black, ICH7R)
C USB 2.0 headers (two)
D Main power connector (2x12)
E PCI Express x1 connector
F PCI Express x16 connector
G PCI Express x4 connector (routed to a physical x16 connector)
H PCI bus add-in card connectors (four)
I Auxiliary power output header
J IEEE 1394a header (blue)
K IEEE 1394b header (pink)
L Serial ATA connectors (four, blue, Silicon Image)
M Auxiliary front chassis fan header (4-pin, fan speed control)
N Alternate power LED header
O Front panel header
P Front chassis fan (fan speed control)
Q Diskette drive connector
R BIOS configuration jumper
S Alternate power connector (1x4)
T Processor socket (LGA775)
U 12 V power connector (2x4)
V Processor fan header (4-pin, fan speed control)
W Rear chassis fan header (fan speed control)
X IDE connector
Y Chassis intrusion header
Related Links
Go to the following links for more information about:
•Intel Desktop Board D955XCS http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop
•Supported processors http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop
•Audio software and utilities http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd/software.htm
•LAN software and drivers http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd

Desktop Board Features
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Processor
CAUTION
Failure to use the appropriate power supply (below) and/or not connecting the 12 V (2x4) power
connector to the desktop board may result in damage to the board or the system may not function
properly.
Table 3. Power Supply Requirements
Platform Compatibility Guide Power Supply Requirements
05B 12V2 rating of 16 A continuous and 19 A peak current for 10mS
05A 12V2 rating of 13 A continuous and 16.5 A peak current for 10mS
04B or 04A ATX12V (version 2.0 or greater) compliant Power Supply
Power Requirements for Intel®Pentium®Processor Extreme Edition
Using an Intel®Pentium®processor Extreme Edition in conjunction with the 2x2 to 2x4 power
adapter may result in damage to the board. Please see the Technical Product Specification (TPS)
for the appropriate power supply requirements when using an Intel Pentium processor Extreme
Edition. The Technical Product Specifications can be found at the following location:
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/
Processor Type
The desktop board supports an Intel®processor in the LGA775 package. Processors are not
included with the desktop board and must be purchased separately. The processor connects to the
Intel desktop board through the LGA775 socket. The supported processors list for Desktop Board
D955XCS is located on the web at:
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/
Related Links
Go to the following links or pages for more information about:
•Instructions on installing or upgrading the processor, page 28 in Chapter 2
•The location of the power connectors, page 48 in Chapter 2

Intel Desktop Board D955XCS Product Guide
14
Main Memory
NOTE
To be fully compliant with all applicable Intel®SDRAM memory specifications, the desktop board
should be populated with DIMMs that support the Serial Presence Detect (SPD) data structure. If
your memory modules do not support SPD, you will see a notification to this effect on the screen at
power up. The BIOS will attempt to configure the memory controller for normal operation.
The desktop board supports dual or single channel memory configurations defined below:
•Four 240-pin Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) SDRAM Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMMs)
connectors with gold-plated contacts.
•Support for:
⎯Unbuffered, non-registered single or double-sided DIMMs
⎯ECC and non-ECC DDR2 667/533
⎯Serial Presence Detect (SPD) memory only
⎯Memory configuration listed below:
•Up to 2.0 GB utilizing 256 Mb technology
•Up to 4.0 GB utilizing 512 Mb or 1 Gb technology
•Up to 8.0 GB utilizing 1 Gb technology
Related Links
Go to the following links or pages for more information about:
•The latest list of tested memory, http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/
•SDRAM specifications, http://www.intel.com/technology/memory/
•Installing memory, page 32 in Chapter 2
Intel®955X Express Chipset
The Intel 955X Express Chipset consists of the following devices:
•Intel 82955X Memory Controller Hub (MCH) with Direct Media Interface
•Intel 82801GR I/O Controller Hub (ICH7R)
Related Link
Go to the following link for more information about the Intel 955X Express Chipset:
http://developer.intel.com/design/nav/pcserver.htm

Desktop Board Features
15
Audio Subsystem
The desktop board includes a flexible 8-channel audio subsystem based on the Intel High Definition
Audio codec:
The audio subsystem features:
•Impedance sensing capability for jack re-tasking
•S/N (signal-to-noise) ratio: > 90 dB
•Power management support for ACPI 2.0 (driver dependent)
•Intel 82801GR I/O Controller Hub (ICH7R)
•SigmaTel audio codec
•Microphone input that supports:
⎯Microphone array
⎯Acoustic Echo (AEC)
⎯Beam Forming (BF)
⎯Noise Suppression (NX) technology
The subsystem includes the following connectors:
•Front panel audio connector, including pins for:
⎯Line out
⎯Mic
•Back panel audio connectors that are configurable through the drivers of the audio devices:
⎯Line in
⎯Three line out
⎯Mic in or center LFE out
⎯Two digital line out:
•One coaxial line out
•One optical (Toslink) line out
Related Links
Go to the following link or pages for more information about:
•Audio drivers and utilities http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/
•Installing the front panel audio solution, page 45 in Chapter 2

Intel Desktop Board D955XCS Product Guide
16
Input/Output (I/O) Controller
The super I/O controller features the following:
•One serial port
•One parallel port with Extended Capabilities Port (ECP) and Enhanced Parallel Port
(EPP) support
•Serial IRQ interface compatible with serialized IRQ support for PCI systems
•PS/2-style mouse and keyboard interfaces
•Interface for one 1.2 MB, 1.44 MB, or 2.88 MB diskette drive
•Intelligent power management, including a programmable wake up event interface
•PCI power management support
LAN Subsystem
The LAN provides a Fast PCI LAN subsystem and has the following features:
•Intel 82573V or 82573L Ethernet LAN supporting 10/100/1000 Mbit/sec
•Support for RJ-45 connector with status indicator LEDs
•Configurable EEPROM that contains the MAC address
LAN Subsystem Software
For LAN software and drivers, refer to the D955XCS link on Intel’s World Wide Web site at:
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop
RJ-45 LAN Connector LEDs
Two LEDs are built into the RJ-45 LAN port located on the back panel (see Figure 2).
OM17386
Figure 2. Back Panel LAN Port LED Locations

Desktop Board Features
17
Table 4 describes the LED states when the board is powered up and the 10/100/1000 Gigabit
Ethernet LAN subsystem is operating.
Table 4. RJ-45 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Connector LEDs
LED LED Color LED State Indicates
Left Off LAN link is not established. Green
On LAN link is established.
Blinking LAN activity is occurring.
N/A Off 10 Mb/s data rate is selected.
Green On 100 Mb/s data rate is selected.
Right
Yellow On 1000 Mb/s data rate is selected.
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Support
NOTE
Computer systems that have an unshielded cable attached to a USB port might not meet FCC
Class B requirements, even if no device or a low-speed USB device is attached to the cable.
Use a shielded cable that meets the requirements for a full-speed USB device.
The desktop board supports up to eight USB 2.0 ports via ICH7R; four ports routed to the back
panel and four routed to two internal USB 2.0 headers. USB 2.0 ports are backward compatible
with USB 1.1 devices. USB 1.1 devices will function normally at USB 1.1 speeds.
USB 2.0 support requires both an operating system and drivers that fully support USB 2.0 transfer
rates. Disabling Hi-Speed USB in the BIOS reverts all USB 2.0 ports to USB 1.1 operation. This
may be required to accommodate operating systems that do not support USB 2.0.
Enhanced IDE Interface
The ICH7R’s IDE interface handles the exchange of information between the processor and
peripheral devices like hard disks, CD-ROM drives, and Iomega Zip* drives inside the computer.
The interface supports:
•Up to two IDE devices (such as hard drives)
•ATAPI-style devices (such as CD-ROM drives)
•Older PIO Mode devices
•Ultra DMA-33 and ATA-66/100 protocols
•Laser Servo (LS-120) drives
Serial ATA
The desktop board supports eight Serial ATA channels:
•Four via the ICH7R, connecting one device per channel in either a RAID or non-RAID
configuration
•Four via the discrete Silicon Image RAID controller

Intel Desktop Board D955XCS Product Guide
18
Expandability
The desktop board supports the following:
•One PCI Express x16 add-in card
•One PCI Express x4 add-in card (routed to the physical x16 connector)
•One PCI Express x1 add-in card
•Four PCI bus add-in cards
Related Links
For information about installing the PCI Express x16 card, see page 37 in Chapter 2.
BIOS
The BIOS provides the Power-On Self-Test (POST), the BIOS Setup program, the PCI and IDE
auto-configuration utilities, and the video BIOS.
See Chapter 3 on page 59 for more information about the BIOS.
Serial ATA and IDE Auto Configuration
If you install a Serial ATA or IDE device (such as a hard drive) in your desktop board, the auto-
configuration utility in the BIOS automatically detects and configures the device for your computer.
You do not need to run the BIOS Setup program after installing a Serial ATA or IDE device. You
can override the auto-configuration options by specifying manual configuration in the BIOS Setup
program.
When booting from a Serial ATA device, Serial ATA connector 0 is the first boot device and Serial
ATA connector 3 is the last boot device by default.
PCI and PCI Express* Auto Configuration
If you install a PCI/PCI Express add-in card in your desktop board, the PCI/PCI Express auto-
configuration utility in the BIOS automatically detects and configures the resources (IRQs, DMA
channels, and I/O space) for that add-in card. You do not need to run the BIOS Setup program after
you install a PCI/PCI Express add-in card.
Security Passwords
The BIOS includes security features that restrict whether the BIOS Setup program can be accessed
and who can boot the computer. A supervisor password and a user password can be set for the
BIOS Setup and for booting the computer, with the following restrictions:
•The supervisor password gives unrestricted access to view and change all Setup options. If
only the supervisor password is set, pressing <Enter> at the password prompt of Setup gives
the user restricted access to Setup.
•If both the supervisor and user passwords are set, you must enter either the supervisor
password or the user password to access Setup. Setup options are then available for viewing
and changing depending on whether the supervisor or user password was entered.
•Setting a user password restricts who can boot the computer. The password prompt is
displayed before the computer is booted. If only the supervisor password is set, the computer
boots without asking for a password. If both passwords are set, you can enter either password
to boot the computer.

Desktop Board Features
19
Related Links:
For instructions on resetting the password, see Clearing Passwords on page 52.
Chassis Intrusion
The desktop board supports a chassis security feature that detects if the chassis cover has been
removed. The security feature uses a mechanical switch on the chassis that can be connected to the
chassis intrusion header on the desktop board. See Figure 25 on page 46 for the location of the
chassis intrusion header.
Power Management Features
Power management is implemented at several levels, including:
•Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)
•Hardware support:
⎯Fan connectors
⎯Suspend to RAM (Instantly Available PC technology)
⎯Resume on Ring
⎯Wake from USB
⎯Wake from PS/2 keyboard/mouse
⎯PME# wakeup support
ACPI
ACPI gives the operating system direct control over the power management and Plug and Play
functions of a computer. The use of ACPI with the desktop board requires an operating system that
provides full ACPI support.
Fan Connectors
Desktop Board D955XCS has three chassis fan headers (two 3-pin and one 4-pin) and one
processor fan header (4-pin).
Fan Speed Control (Intel®Precision Cooling Technology)
Intel Precision Cooling Technology automatically adjusts the processor fan speed based on the
processor temperature and adjusts the chassis fan speeds depending on the system temperature.
System fan noise may be reduced by operating controlled chassis and processor fans at the
minimum necessary speeds.
The processor and chassis fan speed control features can be disabled independently through the
desktop board BIOS. Disabling the processor fan speed control will result in the fan operating at
full speed if it is not a self controlled fan. It is recommended that processor fan speed control
remain enabled (default BIOS setting) when using the processor fan heat-sink included with Intel®
boxed processors. Disabling the chassis fan speed control results in chassis fans always operating
at full speed. The chassis fan speed control feature should be disabled if a self-controlled chassis
fan is attached to any controlled chassis fan header.
The overall system noise reduction will vary based on system configuration and environment.

Intel Desktop Board D955XCS Product Guide
20
Suspend to RAM (Instantly Available PC Technology)
CAUTION
For Instantly Available PC technology, the 5 V standby line for the power supply must be capable
of delivering adequate +5 V standby current. Failure to provide adequate standby current when
using this feature can damage the power supply and/or affect ACPI S3 sleep state functionality.
CAUTION
Power supplies used with this desktop board must be able to provide enough standby current to
support the standard Instantly Available (ACPI S3 sleep state) configuration. If the standby
current necessary to support multiple wake events from the PCI and/or USB buses exceeds power
supply capacity, the desktop board may lose register settings stored in memory.
Instantly Available PC technology enables the board to enter the ACPI S3 (Suspend-to-RAM) sleep
state. While in the S3 sleep state, the computer will appear to be off. When signaled by a wake-up
device or event, the system quickly returns to its last known awake state.
The desktop board’s standby power indicator, shown in Figure 3, is lit when there is standby power
to the system. This includes the memory modules and PCI bus connectors, even when the
computer appears to be off.
If the system has a dual-colored power LED on the front panel, the sleep state is indicated by the
LED turning amber.
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Figure 3. Location of the Standby Power Indicator
Related Links
For more information on standby current requirements for the desktop board, go to the link below,
select the desktop board name, and then select Technical Documentation:
http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd/