MSI MS-6799 User manual

i
Version 1.1
G52-M6799X4
MS-6799 (v1.X) ATX Mainboard
PT8 Neo Series

ii
Manual Rev: 1.1
Release Date: Nov. 2003
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 equip-
ment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses
and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accor-
dance 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 respon-
sible 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-Star International MS-6799
Tested to comply
with FCC Standard
For Home or Office Use

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.
Intel®and Pentium®are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
AMD, Athlon™, Athlon™ XP, Thoroughbred™, and Duron™ are registered
trademarks of AMD Corporation.
PS/2 and OS®/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation.
Windows®95/98/2000/NT/XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
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.
Revision History
Revision Revision History Date
V1.0 First release for PCB 1.X Sep. 2003
V1.1 Second release for PCB 1.X Nov. 2003
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 website for FAQ, technical guide, BIOS updates, driver
updates, and other information: http://www.msi.com.tw/
hContact our technical staff at: [email protected]

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
equipment from overheating. DO NOT COVER THE OPENINGS.
6. Make sure the voltage of the power source and adjust properly 110/220V
before 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 electri-
cal shock.
11. If any of the following situations arises, get the equipment checked by a
service personnel:
zThe power cord or plug is damaged.
zLiquid has penetrated into the equipment.
zThe equipment has been exposed to moisture.
zThe equipment has not work well or you can not get it work according
to User’s Manual.
zThe equipment has dropped and damaged.
zThe equipment has obvious sign of breakage.
12. DO NOT LEAVE THIS EQUIPMENT IN AN ENVIRONMENT
UNCONDITIONED,STORAGETEMPERATUREABOVE600 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.

v
CONTENTS
FCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement .......................................... iii
Copyright Notice .......................................................................................... iii
Revision History ........................................................................................... iii
Technical Support ......................................................................................... iii
Safety Instructions ....................................................................................... iv
Chapter 1. Getting Started ........................................................................ 1-1
Mainboard Specifications .................................................................... 1-2
Mainboard Layout ............................................................................... 1-4
MSI Special Features ........................................................................... 1-5
Color Management ........................................................................ 1-5
Core Center .................................................................................... 1-6
Live BIOS™/Live Driver™ ............................................................ 1-8
Live Monitor™ .............................................................................. 1-9
D-Bracket™ 2 (Optional) ............................................................. 1-10
Round Cable (Optional) .............................................................. 1-12
S-Bracket (Optional) .................................................................... 1-13
CPU Thermal Protection .............................................................. 1-13
Chapter 2. Hardware Setup ....................................................................... 2-1
Quick Components Guide .................................................................... 2-2
Central Processing Unit: CPU .............................................................. 2-3
CPU Core Speed Derivation Procedure ......................................... 2-3
Memory Speed/CPU FSB Support Matrix ..................................... 2-3
Memory ................................................................................................ 2-4
Introduction to DDR SDRAM ....................................................... 2-4
DDR DIMM Module Combination ................................................ 2-4
Installing DDR Modules ............................................................... 2-5
Back Panel / Power Supply ................................................................... 2-6
Back Panel Overview ..................................................................... 2-6
ATX 20-Pin Power Connector: ATX1 ............................................ 2-6

vi
ATX 12V Power Connector: JPW1 ................................................ 2-6
Connectors ........................................................................................... 2-7
Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1 ............................................. 2-7
Fan Power Connectors: CFAN1/SFAN1/SFAN2 ........................... 2-7
Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1/IDE2 ................................................ 2-8
Serial ATA HDD Connectors: SATA1/SATA2 (Optional) ............. 2-9
CD-In Connector: CD1 .................................................................. 2-9
Front Panel Connectors: JFP1/JFP2 ............................................. 2-10
Front USB Connectors: JUSB1/JUSB2 ........................................ 2-10
Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD1 ........................................ 2-11
D-Bracket™ 2 Connector: JDB1 .................................................. 2-12
S-Bracket (SPDIF) Connector: JSP1 (Optional) ............................ 2-13
Jumpers .............................................................................................. 2-14
Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1 ........................................................ 2-14
Slots ................................................................................................... 2-15
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) Slot ......................................... 2-15
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slots .......................... 2-15
PCI Interrupt Request Routing .................................................... 2-15
Chapter 3. BIOS Setup .............................................................................. 3-1
The Main Menu ................................................................................... 3-2
Standard CMOS Features .................................................................... 3-5
Frequency/Voltage Control .................................................................. 3-6
Load High Performance/Optimized Defaults ........................................ 3-9
Set Supervisor/User Password ........................................................... 3-10
AppendixA. Using 4- or 6-Channel Audio Function ................................. A-1
AppendixB. VIA VT8237 Serial ATA RAID Introduction ........................ B-1

1-1
Getting Started
Chapter 1. Getting
Started
Thank you for choosing the PT8 Neo Series (MS-6799 v1.X)
ATX mainboard. The PT8 Neo is based on VIA®PT800 & VT8237
chipsets for optimal system efficiency. Designed to fit the advanced
Intel®Pentium®4 processors in 478 pin package, the PT8 Neo
delivers a high performance and professional desktop platform
solution.
Getting Started

1-2
MS-6799 ATX Mainboard
Mainboard Specifications
CPU
hSupports IntelSupports Intel
Supports IntelSupports Intel
Supports Intel®®
®®
®
P4 Northwood (Socket 478) processor.P4 Northwood (Socket 478) processor.
P4 Northwood (Socket 478) processor.P4 Northwood (Socket 478) processor.
P4 Northwood (Socket 478) processor.
hFSB@400/533/800MHz.
hSupports up to 3.2GHz or higher speed.
Chipset
hVIA®PT800 chipset
-Supports FSB 800/533/400MHz.Supports FSB 800/533/400MHz.
Supports FSB 800/533/400MHz.Supports FSB 800/533/400MHz.
Supports FSB 800/533/400MHz.
-Supports AGP 8X interface.Supports AGP 8X interface.
Supports AGP 8X interface.Supports AGP 8X interface.
Supports AGP 8X interface.
-SupportsDDR400//
//
/333/266 memory interface.
hVIA®VT8237 chipset
- High Bandwidth V-link Client controller
- Integrated Faster Ethernet LPC
- Integrated Hardware Sound Blaster/Direct Sound AC97 audio
- Ultra DMA 66/100/133 master mode PCI EIDE controller
-ACPI
- Supports Serial ATA RAID0/1
- Supports USB2.0
ClockGenerator
h100/133/200 MHz clocks are supported
MainMemory
hSupports four memory banks using two 184-pin DDR DIMMs.
hSupportsup to 2GB DDR 400//
//
/333/266SDRAM.
hSupports 2.5v DDR SDRAM.
Slots
hOne AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) slot supports 8x/4x at 0.8V (AGP 3.0)
or 4x at 1.5V (3.3V not supported).
hFive 32-bit Master PCI bus slots (support 3.3v/5v PCI bus interface).
On-Board IDE
hAn IDE controller integrated in the VIA®VT8237 chipset..
..
.
-SupportsSupports
SupportsSupports
Supports IDEHDD/CD-ROMwithPIO,BusMasterandUltraDMA33/66/
100/133operationmodes..
..
.
- Can connect up to four Ultra ATA drives.
hSerial ATA/150 controller integrated in VIA®VT8237 chipset. (Optional)
- Up to 150MB/sec transfer rate.

1-3
Getting Started
- Can connect up to two Serial ATA drives.
USBInterface
h8 USB ports
- Controlled by VT8237 southbridge
- 4 ports in the rear I/O, 4 ports via the external bracket
On-BoardPeripherals
hOn-Board Peripherals include:
- 1 floppy port supports 2 FDDs with 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and
2.88Mbytes
- 1 serial ports (COM A)
- 1 RCA SPDIF Out
- 1 parallel port supports SPP/EPP/ECP mode
- 8 USB 2.0 ports (Rear x 4 / Front x 4)
- 1 audio (Line-In/Line-Out/Mic) port
- 1 RJ45 LAN jack (Optional)
- 1 D-Bracket2 pinheader
- 1 S-Bracket pinheader
Audio
hAC97linkcontroller integratedinVT8237..
..
.
h6-channel software audio codec Realtek 655.
- Compliance with AC97 v2.2 Spec.
- Meets PC2001 audio performance requirement.
- Can support SPDIF-Out via rear RCA SPDIF Out connector
LAN(Optional)
hVIA8237integratedMAC+Realtek8201BLPHY
h10/100 RJ45 LAN connector
BIOS
hThe mainboard BIOS provides “Plug & Play” BIOS which detects the pe-
ripheral devices and expansion cards of the board automatically.
hThe mainboard provides a Desktop Management Interface (DMI) function
which records your mainboard specifications.
Dimension
hATX Form Factor:ATX Form Factor:
ATX Form Factor:ATX Form Factor:
ATX Form Factor: 30.5cm x 21cm..
..
.
Mounting
h6 standard mounting holes.

1-4
MS-6799 ATX Mainboard
Mainboard Layout
PT8 Neo Series (MS-6799 v1.X) ATX Mainboard
BATT
+
DDR1
DDR2
JSP1
JAUD1 JUSB1 JUSB2
ATX
Power Suppl
y
SFAN2
SFAN1
CFAN1
SATA2
SATA1
JFP1
JFP2
Codec
Winbond
W83697HF
Realtek
8201BL
BIOS
PCI Slot 5
PCI Slot 4
PCI Slot 3
PCI Slot 2
PCI Slot 1
IDE2
IDE1
FDD1
JPW1
Top : Parallel Port
Bottom:
COMA
Top : mouse
Bottom: keyboard
T: LAN jack
B: USB ports
T: SPDIF Out
B: USB ports
JCD1
AGP Slot
T:
M:
B:
Line-In
Line-Out
Mic
JBAT1
JDB1
VIA
VT8237
VIA
PT800

1-5
Getting Started
MSI Special Features
Color Management
MSI has a unified color management rule for some connectors on the
mainboards, which helps you to install the memory modules, expansion cards
and other peripherals devices more easily and conveniently.
hIntel spec IDE ATA133 connector: yellow
hSerial ATA150 connector: orange
hAGP 8X slot: red
hUSB 2.0 connector: yellow
hFront panel connector JFP1: HDD LED in red, Reset Switch in blue,
Power Switch in black, Power LED in light green.
hFront panel connector JFP2: Power LED in light green.
Front Panel Connector JFP2
USB 2.0 Connectors
AGP Slot
Intel Spec IDE ATA133 Connectors
Front Panel Connector JFP1
Serial ATA150 Connectors
(Optional)

1-6
MS-6799 ATX Mainboard
CoreCenter
CoreCenter (TM)- contains OC Menu panel, users can determine their
processor and memory type to optimize its memory capacity. This all-in-one
hardware console is advanced combination of the popular PC Alert and Fuzzy
Logic. Including powerful function with hardware monitor, system alert and
instinctive UI of overclocking, CoreCenter is just like your PC doctor that can
detect, view and adjust the PC hardware and system status during real time
operation.
In the left side it shows the current system status including the Vcore, 3.
3V, +5V and 12V. In the right side it shows the current PC hardware status such
as the CPU & system temperatures and all fans speeds.
When you click the red triangles in the left and right sides, two sub-
menus will open for users to overclock, overspec or to adjust the thresholds of
system to send out the warning messages. If you click the Core Center button
in the top, a screen pops up for you to choose the “Auto mode” or “User
mode” of CPU fan.

1-7
Getting Started
Left-wing:Current systemstatus
In the left sub-menu, you can configure the settings of FSB, Vcore,
Memory Voltage and AGP Voltage by clicking the radio button in front of each
item and make it available (the radio button will be lighted as yellow when
selected), use the “+” and “-” buttons to adjust, then click ““
““
“OK””
””
”to apply the
changes. Then you can click Save to save the desired FSB you just configured.
Also you may click Auto to start testing the maximal CPU overclocking
value, The CPU FSB will automatically increase the testing value until the PC
reboots. Or you may click Default to restore the default values.
Right-wing:PChardwarestatusduringrealtimeoperation
In the right sub-menu, here you can configure the PC hardware status
such as CPU & system temperatures and fan speeds. You may use the scroll
bars to adjust each item, then click““
““
“OK””
””
”to apply the changes. The values you
set for the temperatures are the maximum thresholds for the system for warnings,
and the value for fan speeds are the minimum thresholds.
Top-side:Usermode/Automode
Here you may adjust the CPU fan speed. If you choose User mode, you
may adjust the CPU fan speed in 8 different modes, from Stop to Full speed.
OCMenu
The exclusive OC Menu is fully de-
veloped to support DDR400+ memory
modules. By comprehensive validation of
over67DDR400+memorymodules,MSI
concluded best parameters for DRAM
voltage, Vio and other BIOS settings. You
canselectDDR433,DDR450,DDR466and
DDR500fromDRAMfrequencyinBIOS
setting.Oryoucan just clickon OCMenu
button to configure in the OC Menu at
CoreCenter.OCMenu will adjust the nec-
essary parameters of voltage and fre-
quency simultaneously. The only limita-
tion was the margin of processor from
overclocking.

1-8
MS-6799 ATX Mainboard
Live BIOS™/Live Driver™
The Live BIOS™/Live Driver™ is a tool used to detect
and update your BIOS/drivers online so that you don’t need to
search for the correct BIOS/driver version throughout the whole
Web site. To use the function, you need to install the “MSI
Live Update 3” application. After the installation, the “MSI
Live Update 3” icon (as shown on the right) will appear on the
screen.
Double click the “MSI Live Update 3” icon, and the following screen will
appear:
Six buttons are placed on the left column of the screen. Click the desired
button to start the update process.
ØLive BIOS – Updates the BIOS online.
ØLive Driver – Updates the drivers online.
ØLive VGA BIOS – Updates the VGA BIOS online.
ØLive VGA Driver – Updates the VGA driver online.
ØLive OSD – Updates the firmware of the OSD products online.
ØLive Utility – Updates the utilities online.
If the product you purchased does not support any of the functions listed
above, a “sorry” message is displayed. For more information on the update
instructions, insert the companion CD and refer to the “Live Update Guide”
under the “Manual” Tab.

1-9
Getting Started
Live Monitor™
The Live Monitor™ is a tool used to schedule the search
for the latest BIOS/drivers version on the MSI Web site. To use
the function, you need to install the “MSI Live Update 3”
application. After installation, the “MSI Live Monitor” icon (as
shown on the right) will appear on the screen. Double click this
icon to run the application.
Double click the “MSI Live Monitor” icon at the lower-right corner
of the taskbar, and the following dialog box will appear. You can specify how
often the system will automatically search for the BIOS/drivers version, or
change the LAN settings right from the dialog box.
You can right-click the MSI Live Monitor icon to perform the functions
listed below:
zz
zz
zAuto Search – Searches for the BIOS/drivers version you need immediately.
zz
zz
zView Last Result – Allows you to view the last search result if there is any.
zz
zz
zPreference – Configures the Search function, including the Search schedule.
zz
zz
zExit – Exits the Live Monitor™ application.
zz
zz
zFAQ – Provides a link to a database which contains various possible questions
about MSI's products for users to inquire.

1-10
MS-6799 ATX Mainboard
D-Bracket™ 2
1 2
3 4
D-Bracket™ 2 (Optional)
D-Bracket™ 2 is an external USB bracket integrating four Diagnostic
LEDs, which use graphic signal display to help users understand their system.
The LEDs provide up to 16 combinations of signals to debug the system. The
4 LEDs can debug all problems that fail the system, such as VGA, RAM or
other failures. This special feature is very useful for the overclocking users.
These users can use the feature to detect if there are any problems or failures.
D-Bracket™ 2 supports both USB 1.1 & 2.0 spec.
Red Green
Description
System Power ON
- The D-LED will hang here if the processor is dam-
aged or not installed properly.
Early Chipset Initialization
Memory Detection Test
- Testing onboard memory size. The D-LED will hang
if the memory module is damaged or not installed
properly.
Decompressing BIOS image to RAM for fast booting.
1 2
3 4
Initializing Keyboard Controller.
Testing VGA BIOS
- This will start writing VGA sign-on message to the
screen.
D-Bracket™ 2

1-11
Getting Started
D-Bracket™ 2 Description
Processor Initialization
- This will show information regarding the processor
(like brand name, system bus, etc...)
Testing RTC (Real Time Clock)
Initializing Video Interface
- This will start detecting CPU clock, checking type of
video onboard. Then, detect and initialize the video
adapter.
BIOS Sign On
- This will start showing information about logo, pro-
cessor brand name, etc...
Testing Base and Extended Memory
- Teting base memory from 240K to 640K and ex-
tended memory above 1MB using various patterns.
Assign Resources to all ISA.
Initializing Hard Drive Controller
- This will initialize IDE drive and controller.
Initializing Floppy Drive Controller
- This will initialize Floppy Drive and controller.
Boot Attempt
- Thi will set low stack and boot via INT 19h.
Operating System Booting
1 2
3 4

1-12
MS-6799 ATX Mainboard
RoundCable(Optional)
Round cable is an enhanced cable for PCI IDE and Ultra DMA controller.
It has the following benefits:
hData transfer rate started by 133MB/s
hBackwardcompatibility(ATA33/66/100/133)
hHigher performance than traditional Flat cable (data rate)
hImproved data robustness
hBetter airflow due to thinner ATA/133 cable
Connect to the system
connectors on the mainboard.
Connect to the slave drive.
Connect to the master drive.
Connect one end to the
floopy disk drive
connector (FDD1) and
the other end to the
standard flooy disk.

1-13
Getting Started
CPUThermalProtection
Aimed to prevent the CPU from overheating, MSI has developed a CPU
Thermal Protection mechanism for Intel®CPU platform. This CPU Thermal
Protection mechanism works on a thermal signal sensor. If the mechanism
senses an abnormal temperature rise, it will automatically shut down the system
and the CPU temperature will then drop down and resume normal. With this
unique feature, users can better protect their CPU. Please note that this feature
is for Intel® Pentium CPU only.
S-Bracket(Optional)
S-Bracket is a bracket which provides 2 SPDIF jacks for digital audio
transmission and 2 analog Line-Out connectors for additional 4-channel analog
audio output. With the S-Bracket, your system will be able to perform 6-
channel audio operation for wonderful surround sound effect, or connect to
Sony & Philips Digital Interface (SPDIF) speakers for audio transmission with
better quality.
The S-Bracket offers two types of SPDIF connectors: one for optical
fiber and the other for coaxial connection. Select the appropriate one to meet
your need. For more information on S-Bracket, refer to Appendix. Using 4- or
6-Channel Audio Function.
S-Bracket
SPDIF jack (optical) SPDIF jack (coaxial)
Analog Line-Out jacks

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 peripheral devices, such as the mouse, keyboard,
etc.
While doing the installation, be careful in holding the
components and follow the installation procedures.
Hardware Setup