MSI K8N Neo2-F User manual

i
G52-M7025X1
MS-7025 (v1.X) ATX Mainboard
K8N Neo2 Series

ii
Manual Rev: 1.0
Release Date: July 2004
FCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement
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 when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation
of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which
case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Notice 1
The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
Notice 2
Shielded interface cables and A.C. power cord, if any, must be used in order to
comply with the emission limits.
VOIR LA NOTICE D’INSTALLATION AVANT DE RACCORDER AU RESEAU.
Micro-StarInternational
MS-7025
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

iii
Copyright Notice
The material in this document is the intellectual property of MICRO-STAR
INTERNATIONAL. We take every care in the preparation of this document, but no
guarantee is given as to the correctness of its contents. Our products are under
continual improvement and we reserve the right to make changes without notice.
Trademarks
All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
AMD, Athlon™, Athlon™ XP, Thoroughbred™, and Duron™ are registered
trademarks of AMD Corporation.
Intel®and Pentium®are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
PS/2 and OS®/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Windows®98/2000/NT/
XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, DualNet, and nForce are registered trademarks or trade-
marks of NVIDIA Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Netware®is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.
Award®is a registered trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
AMI®is a registered trademark of American Megatrends Inc.
Kensington and MicroSaver are registered trademarks of the Kensington Technology
Group.
PCMCIA and CardBus are registered trademarks of the Personal Computer Memory
Card International Association.
RevisionHistory
Revision Revision History Date
V1.0 First release for PCB 1.X July 2004
with nVidia nForce3 Ultra

iv
1. Always read the safety instructions carefully.
2. Keep this User’s Manual for future reference.
3. Keep this equipment away from humidity.
4. Lay this equipment on a reliable flat surface before setting it up.
5. The openings on the enclosure are for air convection hence protects the equip-
ment from overheating. Do not cover the openings.
6. Make sure the voltage of the power source and adjust properly 110/220V be-
fore connecting the equipment to the power inlet.
7. Place the power cord such a way that people can not step on it. Do not place
anything over the power cord.
8. Always Unplug the Power Cord before inserting any add-on card or module.
9. All cautions and warnings on the equipment should be noted.
10. Never pour any liquid into the opening that could damage or cause electrical
shock.
11. If any of the following situations arises, get the equipment checked by a service
personnel:
hThe power cord or plug is damaged.
hLiquid has penetrated into the equipment.
hThe equipment has been exposed to moisture.
hThe equipment has not work well or you can not get it work according to
User’s Manual.
hThe equipment has dropped and damaged.
hThe equipment has obvious sign of breakage.
12. Do not leave this equipment in an environment unconditioned, storage
temperature above 600 C (1400F), it may damage the equipment.
Safety Instructions
CAUTION: Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced.
Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the
manufacturer.
Technical Support
If a problem arises with your system and no solution can be obtained from the user’s
manual, please contact your place of purchase or local distributor. Alternatively,
please try the following help resources for further guidance.
hVisit the MSI homepage & FAQ site for technical guide, BIOS updates, driver
updates, and other information: http://www.msi.com.tw & http://www.msi.
com.tw/program/service/faq/faq/esc_faq_list.php
hContact our technical staff at: [email protected]

v
CONTENTS
Chapter 1. Getting Started...................................................................................1-1
Mainboard Specifications .................................................................................. 1-2
Mainboard Layout .............................................................................................. 1-5
Packing Contents ............................................................................................... 1-6
Chapter 2. Hardware Setup ................................................................................. 2-1
Quick Components Guide .................................................................................. 2-2
Central Processing Unit: CPU ............................................................................ 2-3
CPU Installation Procedures for Socket 939.............................................2-4
Installing AMD Athlon64 CPU Cooler Set...................................................2-5
Memory ...............................................................................................................2-7
Introduction to DDR SDRAM.......................................................................2-7
DIMMModuleCombination .......................................................................... 2-7
Recommended Memory Combination List ................................................. 2-8
Installing DDR Modules ............................................................................... 2-9
Power Supply...................................................................................................2-10
ATX 20-Pin Power Connector: ATX1.......................................................2-10
ATX 12V Power Connector: JPW1..........................................................2-10
Important Notification about Power Issue ............................................... 2-11
Back Panel ........................................................................................................2-12
Mouse Connector (Green) / Keyboard Connector (Purple) ..................2-12
IEEE1394 Port (Optional) ..........................................................................2-12
Serial Port Connector ...............................................................................2-13
USB Connectors .......................................................................................2-13
LAN (RJ-45) Jack .....................................................................................2-14
Audio Port Connectors.............................................................................2-14
Parallel Port Connector: LPT1 ..................................................................2-15
Connectors .......................................................................................................2-16
Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1 ........................................................2-16
Fan Power Connectors: CPUFAN1 / SFAN1 / SFAN2 / NBFAN1 ...........2-16
Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1/IDE2 ............................................................2-17
Serial ATA/Serial ATA RAID Connectors controlled by
nForce3 Ultra: SATA1 / SATA2 / SATA3 / SATA4 ........................2-18
CD-In Connector: JCD1 ............................................................................2-18
Front Panel Connectors: JFP1 / JFP2 ......................................................2-19
Front USB Connectors: JUSB1 / JUSB2 .................................................2-19
Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD1 .....................................................2-20

vi
IEEE 1394 Connectors: J1394_1 / J1394_2 (Optional) ..........................2-20
IrDA Infrared Module Header: JIR1..........................................................2-21
D-BracketTM 2 Connector: JDB1 (Optional) .............................................2-21
Jumpers ............................................................................................................2-24
Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1 ....................................................................2-24
Slots ..................................................................................................................2-25
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) Slot ...................................................2-25
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slots......................................2-25
PCI Interrupt Request Routing..................................................................2-25
Chapter 3. BIOS Setup........................................................................................... 3-1
Entering Setup .................................................................................................... 3-2
Selecting the First Boot Device ................................................................. 3-2
Control Keys ............................................................................................... 3-3
Getting Help ................................................................................................3-3
The Main Menu ...................................................................................................3-4
Standard CMOS Features.................................................................................. 3-6
Advanced BIOS Features.................................................................................. 3-8
Advanced Chipset Features ........................................................................... 3-11
Integrated Peripherals......................................................................................3-12
Power Management Setup ..............................................................................3-17
PNP/PCIConfigurations ....................................................................................3-20
H/W Monitor ......................................................................................................3-22
CellMenu ..........................................................................................................3-23
Load Fail-Safe/Optimized Defaults .................................................................3-27
Set Supervisor/User Password......................................................................3-28
Chapter 4. Introduction to DigiCell .................................................................... 4-1
Main .....................................................................................................................4-2
H/W Diagnostic ...................................................................................................4-4
Communication ...................................................................................................4-5
Software Access Point ..................................................................................... 4-6
Terminology................................................................................................. 4-6
Access Point Mode ....................................................................................4-7
WLAN Card Mode .......................................................................................4-8
Live Update......................................................................................................... 4-9
MEGASTICK .....................................................................................................4-10
Basic Function ..........................................................................................4-10
Non-Unicode programs supported ..........................................................4-12
Core Center (for AMD K8 Processor) ............................................................4-14

vii
Audio Speaker Setting .....................................................................................4-16
Power on Agent ...............................................................................................4-18
Power On..................................................................................................4-18
Power Off / Restart..................................................................................4-19
Start With ..................................................................................................4-19
Auto Login.................................................................................................4-20
Chapter 5. nVIDIA RAID Introduction ................................................................. 5-1
Introduction .........................................................................................................5-2
System Requirement .................................................................................. 5-2
RAID Arrays ...............................................................................................5-2
Summary of RAID Configurations..............................................................5-2
RAID Configuration.............................................................................................5-3
Basic Configuration Instructions ...............................................................5-3
Setting Up the NVRAID BIOS .....................................................................5-3
NVIDIA RAID Untility Installation ........................................................................ 5-7
Installing the RAID Driver (for bootable RAID Array) ............................... 5-7
Installing the NVIDIA RAID Software Under Windows
(for Non-bootable RAID Array) ................................................................ 5-8
Initializing and Using the Disk Array .......................................................... 5-9
RAID Drives Management ................................................................................ 5-11
Viewing RAID Array Configurations ....................................................... 5-11
Setting Up a Spare RAID Disk..................................................................5-13
Rebuilding a RAID Mirrored Array ...........................................................5-19
Chapter 6. Installation of Driver & Utility.......................................................... 6-1
Driver Installation................................................................................................6-2
NVIDIA nForce3 System Driver .................................................................6-2
Realtek AC97 Audio Driver ........................................................................6-5
Utility Installation ................................................................................................. 6-6

1-1
Getting Started
Chapter 1. Getting
Started
Thank you for choosing the K8N Neo2 Platinum (MS-7025)
v1.X ATX mainboard. The K8N Neo2 Platinum mainboard is based
on nVIDIA®nForce™3 Ultra chipset for optimal system efficiency.
Designed to fit the advanced AMD®K8 Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64
processor, the K8N Neo2 Platinum mainboard delivers a high per-
formance and professional desktop platform solution.
Getting Started

1-2
MS-7025 ATX Mainboard
Mainboard Specifications
CPU
hSupports Socket-939 for AMD K8 Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 (Socket939) processor
hSupports up to 3500+, 3800+ Athlon64FX 53, or higher CPU
(For the latest information about CPU, please visit http://www.msi.com.tw/program/
products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_cpu_support.php)
Chipset
hnVIDIA nForce3 Ultra
- HyperTransport link to the AMD Athlon 64/Athlon 64 FX CPU
- HyperTransport supporting speed up to 1GHz (2000MT/s)
- AGP3.0 8X interface at 533 MT/s (million transfers per second)
- Two independent SATA controllers, for four drives
- IEEE 802.3 nVIDIA MAC for 1000BASE-T
- Dual Fast ATA-133 IDE controllers
Main Memory
hSupports dual channel, eight memory banks DDR 266/333/400, using four 184-
pinDDRDIMMs
hSupports a maximum memory size up to 4GB
hSupports 2.5v DDR SDRAM DIMM
(For the updated supporting memory modules, please visit http://www.msi.com.tw/
program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_trp_list.php.)
Slots
hOne AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) slot
- AGP specification compliant
- Supports AGP 3.0 8x
hFive 32-bit Master PCI Bus slots, includes one orange slot which is reserved as
a communication slot.
hSupport 3.3V/5V PCI bus Interface
On-Board IDE
hAn IDE controller on the nVIDIA®nForce3 Ultra chipset provides IDE HDD/CD-
ROM with PIO, Bus Master and Ultra DMA 66/100/133 operation modes
hCan connect up to 4 IDE devices
On-Board SATA
hSupports 4 SATA ports. Transfer rate is up to 150MB/s.
USB Interface
h8 USB ports
- Controlled by nForce3 Ultra chipset
- 4 ports in the rear I/O, 4 ports via the external bracket

1-3
Getting Started
NV RAID (Software)
hSupports up to 4 SATA and 4 ATA133 Hard drives
- RAID 0 or 1, 0+1, JBOD is supported
- RAID function available for ATA133+SATA H/D drives
LAN
hSupports dual LAN jacks
- 1st LAN supports 10/100/1000 Fast Ethernet by Marvell 88E1111 or Realtek
8201B/CL PHY
- 2nd LAN supports 10/100/1000 Fast Ethernet by Realtek or 8110S
(1000Mbps) or 8100C (10/100Mbps)
IEEE 1394 (Optional)
hSupports up to three 1394 ports (rear panel x 1, pinheader x 2). Transfer rate
is up to 400Mbps
Audio
hChip integrated by Realtek ALC850 (7.1 ch H/W audio)
- Direct Sound AC97 audio
- 7.1 Channel output
- 1 CD-In
On-Board Peripherals
hOn-Board Peripherals include:
- 1 floppy port supports 1 FDD with 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88Mbytes
- 1 serial port (COMA )
- 1 parallel port supporting SPP/EPP/ECP mode
- 1 Audio jack(5-in-1), coaxial/fiber SPDIF out
- 1 IrDA pinheader
- 1 D-Bracket2 pinheader
- 3 IEEE1394s (Rear * 1 / Front * 2)(Optional)
- 8 USB1.1/2.0 ports (Rear * 4 / Front * 4)
BIOS
hThe mainboard BIOS provides “Plug & Play” BIOS which detects the peripheral
devices and expansion cards of the board automatically.
hThe mainboard provides a Desktop Management Interface (DMI) function which
records your mainboard specifications.
hSupports boot from LAN, USB Device 1.1 & 2.0, and SATA HDD.

1-4
MS-7025 ATX Mainboard
MSI Reminds You...
1. Please note that users cannot install OS, either WinME or Win98, in
their SATA hard drive. Under these two OSs, SATA can only be used
as a normal storage device.
2. To create a bootable RAID volume for a Windows 2000 environment,
Microsoft’s Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4) is required. As the
end user cannot boot without SP4, a combination installation CD
must be created before attempting to install the operating system
onto the bootable RAID volume.
To create the combination installation CD, please refer to the follow-
ing website:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/
servicepacks/sp4/HFdeploy.htm
Dimension
hATX Form Factor (30.4 cm X 24.4 cm)
Mounting
h9 mounting holes

1-5
Getting Started
Mainboard Layout
K8N Neo2 Platinum (MS-7025 v1.X) ATX Mainboard
JPW1
DIMM1
DIMM3
DIMM4
DIMM2
IDE1
IDE2
ATX1
SATA2
SATA4
SATA1
SATA3
PCI Slot3
PCI Slot2
PCI Slot 1
PCI Slot 4
PCI Slot 5
J1394_2 JUSB1J1394_1 JUSB2
CPUFAN1
NBFAN1
SFAN1
JFP1
JDB1
JIR1
JFP2
JCI1
BATT
+
FDD1
JBAT1
JAUD1
BIOS
RTL8110S-32
VIA
VT6306
AGP1
JCD1
Winbond
W83627HF
88E1111-RCJ
Top : mouse
Bottom: keyboard
T: LAN jack
B: USB ports
T: LAN jack
B: USB ports
T:
M:
B:
Line-In
Line-Out
Mic
T:RS-Out
M:CS-Out
B:SPDIFOut
Top : Parallel Port
Bottom:
COM A
1394Port
SPDIF
Codec
SFAN2
NVIDIA
nFORCE3
Ultra
(Optional)
(Optional)
(Optional)

1-6
MS-7025 ATX Mainboard
Packing Contents
Power Cable
SATA Cable (Optional)
User’s Guide Test Report
D-Bracket 2 (Optional)
MSI motherboard
MSI Driver/Utility CD
nForce3 SATA RAID
Driver Diskette
Round Cable of
IDE Devices
Back IO Shield
Quick Guide
1394 Cable (Optional)
Round Cable of
Floppy Disk

2-1
Hardware Setup
Chapter 2. Hardware Setup
This chapter tells you how to install the CPU, memory modules,
and expansion cards, as well as how to setup the jumpers on the
mainboard. Also, it provides the instructions on connecting the periph-
eral devices, such as the mouse, keyboard, etc.
While doing the installation, be careful in holding the compo-
nents and follow the installation procedures.
Hardware Setup

2-2
MS-7025 ATX Mainboard
Quick Components Guide
BATT
+
DDR DIMMs,
p.2-7
JDB1, p.2-21
JFP1, p.2-19
Back Panel
I/O, p.2-12
JPW1, p.2-10
IDE1/2, p.2-17
ATX1, p.2-10
JFP2, p.2-19
AGP Slot, p.2-25
PCI Slots 1~5,
p.2-25
JUSB1, JUSB2, p.2-19
SATA2, SATA1,
p.2-18
SATA3, SATA4,
p.2-18
J1394_1, J1394_2, p.2-20
NB_FAN1,
p.2-16
CPUFAN1, p.2-16
JAUD1, p.2-20
JBAT1, p.2-24
FDD1, p.2-16
SFAN2, p.2-16
SFAN1, p.2-16
JIR1, p.2-21
JCD1, p.2-18
JCI1, p.2-17

2-3
Hardware Setup
Central Processing Unit: CPU
The mainboard supports AMD®Athlon64 processor. The mainboard uses a CPU socket
called Socket-939 for easy CPU installation. When you are installing the CPU, make
sure the CPU has a heat sink and a cooling fan attached on the top to
prevent overheating. If you do not have the heat sink and cooling fan, contact your
dealer to purchase and install them before turning on the computer.
For the latest information about CPU, please visit http://www.msi.com.tw/program/
products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_cpu_support.php.
MSI Reminds You...
Overheating
Overheating will seriously damage the CPU and system, always make
sure the cooling fan can work properly to protect the CPU from
overheating.
Replacing the CPU
While replacing the CPU, always turn off the ATX power supply or
unplug the power supply’s power cord from grounded outlet first to
ensure the safety of CPU.
Overclocking
This motherboard is designed to support overclocking. However, please
make sure your components are able to tolerate such abnormal setting,
while doing overclocking. Any attempt to operate beyond product speci-
fications is not recommended. We do not guarantee the damages
or risks caused by inadequate operation or beyond product
specifications.

2-4
MS-7025 ATX Mainboard
CPU Installation Procedures for Socket 939
1. Please turn off the power and
unplug the power cord before
installing the CPU.
2. Pull the lever sideways away
from the socket. Make sure to
raise the lever up to a 90-de-
gree angle.
3. Look for the gold arrow. The gold
arrow should point towards the
lever pivot. The CPU can only fit
in the correct orientation.
4. If the CPU is correctly installed,
the pins should be completely
embedded into the socket and
can not be seen. Please note
that any violation of the correct
installation procedures may
cause permanent damages to
your mainboard.
5. Press the CPU down firmly into
the socket and close the lever.
As the CPU is likely to move while
the lever is being closed, al-
ways close the lever with your
fingers pressing tightly on top of
the CPU to make sure the CPU is
properly and completely embed-
ded into the socket.
OpenLever
90 degree
Sliding
Plate
Gold
arrow
Gold
arrow
Gold
arrow
C orrect
CPU
placem ent
Incorrect
CPU
placem ent
X
O
Close
Lever
Press
dow n
th e C P U

2-5
Hardware Setup
Installing AMD Athlon64 CPU Cooler Set
When you are installing the CPU, make sure the CPU has a heat sink and a
cooling fan attached on the top to prevent overheating. If you do not have the
heat sink and cooling fan, contact your dealer to purchase and install them before
turning on the computer.
1. Detach the shield of the backplate’s
paster.
2. Turn over the mainboard, and install
the backplate to the proper position.
3. Turn over the mainboard again, and
place the mainboard on the flat
surface.
Locate the two screw holes of the
mainboard.
4. Align the retention mechanism and
the backplate.
Fix the retention mechanism and the
backplate with two screws.
retention mechanism

2-6
MS-7025 ATX Mainboard
6. Locate the Fix Lever, Safety Hook
and the Fixed Bolt.
Lift up the intensive fixed lever.
5. Position the cooling set onto the re-
tention mechanism.
Hook one end of the clip to hook first,
and then press down the other end
of the clip to fasten the cooling set
on the top of the retention mechanism.
7. Fasten down the lever.
8. Make sure the safety hook completely
clasps the fixed bolt of the retention
mechanism.
Safety Hook
Fixed Bolt
Fixed Lever
9. Attach the CPU Fan cable to the CPU
fan connector on the mainboard.
MSI Reminds You...
While disconnecting the Safety Hook from the fixed bolt, it is neces-
sary to keep an eye on your fingers, because once the Safety Hook is
disconnected from the fixed bolt, the fixed lever will spring back instantly.

2-7
Hardware Setup
DIMM Module Combination
Install at least one DIMM module on the slots. Each DIMM slot supports up to a maximum
size of 1GB. Users can install either single- or double-sided modules to meet their
own needs. Please note that each DIMM can work respectively for single-
channel DDR, but there are some rules while using dual-channel DDR (Please
refer to the suggested DDR population table below).Users may install memory modules
of different type and density on different-channel DDR DIMMs. However, the same
type and density memory modules are necessary while using dual-channel DDR,
or instability may happen. Please refer to the following table for detailed dual-channel
DDR. Other combination not listed below will function as single-channel DDR.
Memory
DIMM1~4
(from bottom to top)
Introduction to DDR SDRAM
DDR (Double Data Rate) SDRAM is similar to conventional SDRAM, but doubles the
rate by transferring data twice per cycle. It uses 2.5 volts as opposed to 3.3 volts
used in SDR SDRAM, and requires 184-pin DIMM modules rather than 168-pin DIMM
modules used by SDR SDRAM. High memory bandwidth makes DDR an ideal solution
for high performance PC, workstations and servers.
The mainboard provides 4 slots for 184-pin DDR SDRAM DIMM (Double In-Line Memory
Module) modules and supports the memory size up to 4GB. You can install DDR266/
333/400/433/466/500/533 modules on the DDR DIMM slots (DDR 1~4).
For the updated supporting memory modules, please visit http://www.msi.com.tw/
program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_trp_list.php.