PCchips A41G V7.0 User manual

i
Motherboard User’s Guide
This publication, including photographs, illustrations and software, is under the
protection of international copyright laws, with all rights reserved. Neither this
guide, nor any of the material contained herein, may be reproduced without the
express written consent of the manufacturer.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. The
manufacturer makes no representations or warranties with respect to the
contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchant-
ability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, the manufacturer reserves
the right to revise this publication and to make changes from time to time in the
content hereof without obligation of the manufacturer to notify any person of
such revision or changes.
Trademarks
IBM, VGA, and PS/2 are registered trademarks of International Business
Machines.
AMDAthlonTM 64 X2 Dual-Core/Athlon 64TM/ SempronTM are registered
trademarks ofAdvanced Micro Devices Inc.
Microsoft, MS-DOS and Windows XP/7 are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
AMI is a registered trademark ofAmerican Megatrends Inc.
Other names used in this publication may be trademarks and are acknowledged.
Static Electricity Precautions
1. Don’t take this motherboard and components out of their original static-
proof package until you are ready to install them.
2. While installing, please wear a grounded wrist strap if possible. If you
don’t have a wrist strap, discharge static electricity by touching the bare
metal of the system chassis.
3. Carefully hold this motherboard by its edges. Do not touch those
components unless it is absolutely necessary. Put this motherboard on
the top of static-protection package with component side facing up
whileinstalling.
Pre-Installation Inspection
1. Inspect this motherboard whether there are any damages to components
and connectors on the board.
2. If you suspect this motherboard has been damaged, do not connect
power to the system. Contact your motherboard vendor about those
damages.
Copyright © 2010
All Rights Reserved
A41G Series, V1.0
July, 2010

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Motherboard User’s Guide
Table of Contents
Trademark............................................................................................................i
Chapter 1: Introduction..................................................................................... 1
Key Features.................................................................................................................... 1
Package Contents ...........................................................................................................4
Chapter 2: Motherboard Installation ..............................................................5
I/O Ports ..........................................................................................................................5
Motherboard Components.................................................................................. 6
Installing the Processor ................................................................................................. 7
Installing Memory Modules .......................................................................................... 8
Jumper Settings ............................................................................................................10
Install the Motherboard ............................................................................................... 11
Connecting Optional Devices .....................................................................................12
Install Other Devices ....................................................................................................15
Expansion Slots ............................................................................................................16
Chapter 3: BIOS Setup Utility....................................................................... 18
Introduction ..................................................................................................................18
Running the Setup Utility...................................................................................18
Standard CMOS Setup Page.......................................................................................19
Advanced Setup Page..................................................................................................20
Advanced Chipset Setup Page ....................................................................................21
Integrated Peripherals Page .......................................................................................22
Power Management Setup Page ................................................................................23
PCI/Plug Setup Page ...................................................................................................24
PC Health Status Page ................................................................................................25
Frequency/Voltage Control Page ...............................................................................28
Load Default Settings...................................................................................................28
Supervisor Password Page ..........................................................................................29
User Password Page ....................................................................................................29
Save & Exit Setup.........................................................................................................30
Exit Without Saving ......................................................................................................30
Chapter 4: Software & Applications ..............................................................31
Introduction ..................................................................................................................31
Installing Support Software ........................................................................................31
Bundled Software Installation ....................................................................................33
Chapter 5: Setting Up AMD SB700 RAID Configuration...........................34
Setting Up a bootable RAID Array ............................................................................34

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Motherboard User’s Guide
Notice:
1. Owing to Microsoft’s certifying schedule is various to every supplier, we
might have some drivers not certified yet by Microsoft. Therefore, it
might happen under Windows XP that a dialogue box (shown as below)
pops out warning you this software has not passed Windows Logo
testing to verify its compatibility with Windows XP. Please rest assured
that our RD department has already tested and verified these drivers.
Just click the “ContinueAnyway” button and go ahead the installation.
2. USB 2.0 Driver Limitations:
2-1. The USB 2.0 driver only supports Windows XP and Windows 2000.
2-2. If you connect a USB 2.0 hub to the root hub, plugging USB devices
into this hub, the system might not successfully execute certain USB
devices’ connection because it could not recognize these devices.
Currently, we are working on such limitations’ solution.As soon as the
olution is done, the updated USB drive will be released to our website:
www.pcchips.com for your downloading.
Chapter 6: Trouble Shooting Tips ................................................................. 41
Start up problems during assemly..............................................................................41
Start up problems after prolong use ..........................................................................42
Maintenance and care tips ..........................................................................................42

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Motherboard User’s Guide
Chapter 1 Introduction
This motherboard is a high performance, enhanced function motherboard that sup-
ports socket AM3 for AMD PhenomTM II processor/Athlon II/Sempron proces-
sors for high-end business or personal desktop markets.
The motherboard incorporates the AMD 740G (RS740) Northbridge (NB) and
SB700 Southbridge (SB) chipsets. The Northbridge supports the HyperTransportTM
1.0 interface. It supports two DDR3 slots with maximum memory size of 8 GB.
One PCI Express x16 slot, intended for Graphics Interface, is fully compliant to the
PCI Express Base Specification Revision 1.1.
The SB700 Southbridge supports two PCI slots which are PCI 2.3 compliant. In
addition, one PCI Express x1 slot is supported, fully compliant to the PCI Express
Base Specification, Revision 1.1. It integrates USB 2.0 interface, supporting up to
eight functional ports (four USB ports and two USB 2.0 headers support addi-
tional four USB ports). One onboard IDE connector supports two IDE devices in
Ultra ATA 133/100/66/33 modes. The Southbridge integrates a Serial ATA host
controller, supporting four SATA ports with maximum transfer rate up to 3.0 Gb/
s each. It provides AMD SATA RAID configuration with RAID 0, 1 and 10 modes
supported.
There is an advanced full set of I/O ports in the rear panel, including PS/2 mouse and
keyboard connectors, one VGA port, one optional DVI port, four USB ports, one
LAN port and audio jacks for microphone, line-in and line-out.
This motherboard is a Micro ATX size motherboard and has power connectors for
an ATX power supply.
Key Features
The key features of this motherboard include:
Socket-AM2 Processor Support
•Supports AM3 for AMD PhenomTM II processor/Athlon II/Sempron
processors

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Motherboard User’s Guide
Chipset
There are AMD740G Northbridge and SB700 Southbridge in this chipset in accor-
dance with an innovative and scalable architecture with proven reliability and per-
formance.
•One x4 A-Link Express II interface (PCI Express 1.1 compliant) for
connection to an AMD Southbridge
•Supports one PCI Express x16 for Graphics Interface, fully compliant to
the PCI Express Base Specification revision 1.1
•Fully supports ACPI states S0, S1,S2, S3, S4, and S5
•Single chip solution in 80nm, 1.2 V CMOS technology
•Compliant with PCI 2.3 specification at 33 MHz
•Supports four Serial ATA devices which speeds up to 3.0 Gb/s
•Integrated USB 2.0 Host Controller supporting up to eight USB 2.0 ports
•Integrated IDE controller supports Ultra ATA 133/100/66/33 modes
•Supports integrated RAID0, RAID1, and RAID 10 (requires use of 4 or
more SATA ports) functionalities across all 6 ports
Memory Support
•Two 240-pin DIMM sockets for DDR SDRAM memory modules
•Supports DDR3 1333/1066 memory bus
•Maximum installed memory is 8 GB
Expansion Slots
•One PCI Express x1 slot
•One PCI Express x16 slot
•Two 32-bit PCI slots for PCI 2.3 compliant bus interface
Onboard IDE channels
•Two IDE Connectors
•Supports PIO (Programmable Input/Output) and DMA (Direct Memory
Access) modes
•Supports IDE Ultra DMA bus mastering with transfer rates of 133/100/66
MB/sec
Serial ATA
•Four Serial ATA Connectors
•Transfer rate exceeding best ATA (~1.5 Gb/s) with scalability to higher
rates
•Low pin count for both host and devices

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Chapter 1: Introduction
Audio (VIA VT1705 CODEC)
•5.1 Channel High Definition Audio Codec
•Exceeds Microsoft Windows Logo Program (WLP) Requirements
•ADCs support 44.1K/48K/88.2K/96K/192KHz sample rate
•Power Support: Digital: 3.3V; Analog: 5.0V
Onboard I/O Ports
•Two PS/2 ports for mouse and keyboard
•One optional DVI port
•One VGA port
•Four back-panel USB2.0 ports
•One LAN port (optional)
•Audio jacks for microphone, line-in and line-out
Fast Ethernet LAN (optional)
•Supports PCI ExpressTM 1.1
•Integrated 10/100/1000 transceiver
•Wake-on-LAN and remote wake-up support
•Supports PCI ExpressTM 1.1
•Integrated 10/100 transceiver
•Wake-on-LAN and remote wake-up support
USB 2.0
•Compliant with Universal Serial Bus Specification Revision 2.0
•Compliant with Intel’s Enhanced Host Controller Interface Specification
Revision 1.0
•Compliant with Universal Host Controller Interface Specification Revi-
sion 1.1
•PCI multi-function device consists of two UHCI Host Controller cores
for full-/low-speed signaling and one EHCI Host Controller core for high-
speed signaling
•Root hub consists 4 downstream facing ports with integrated physical
layer transceivers shared by UHCI and EHCI Host Controller, up to eight
functional ports
•Support PCI-Bus Power Management Interface Specification release 1.1
•Legacy support for all downstream facing ports

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Motherboard User’s Guide
BIOS Firmware
This motherboard uses AMI BIOS that enables users to configure many system
features including the following:
•Power management
•Wake-up alarms
•CPU parameters and memory timing
•CPU and memory timing
The firmware can also be used to set parameters for different processor clock
speeds.
Dimensions
•Micro ATX form factor of 244 x 210 mm
Note: Hardware specifications and software items are subject to change
without notification.
Package Contents
Your motherboard package ships with the following items:
The motherboard
The User’s Guide
One diskette drive ribbon cable (optional)
One IDE drive ribbon cable
The Software support disk
Optional Accessories
You can purchase the following optional accessories for this motherboard.
The Extended USB module
The CNR v.90 56K Fax/Modem card
The Serial ATA cable
The Serial ATA power cable
Note: You can purchase your own optional accessories from the third party,
but please contact your local vendor on any issues of the specification
and compatibility.

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Chapter 2: Motherboard Installation
Chapter 2 Motherboard Installation
To install this motherboard in a system, please follow these instructions in this
chapter:
Identify the motherboard components
Install a CPU
Install one or more system memory modules
Make sure all jumpers and switches are set correctly
Install this motherboard in a system chassis (case)
Connect any extension brackets or cables to headers/connectors on the
motherboard
Install peripheral devices and make the appropriate connections to
headers/connectors on the motherboard
Note:
1 Before installing this motherboard, make sure jumper CLR_CMOS is
under Normal setting. See this chapter for information about locating
CLR_CMOS and the setting options.
2 Never connect power to the system during installation; otherwise, it
may damage the motherboard.
I/O Ports
The illustration below shows a side view of the built-in I/O ports on the
motherboard.

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Motherboard User’s Guide
Motherboard Components
LABEL COMPONENTS
Socket AM3 for AMD PhenomTM II/Athlon
II/Sempron processors
2. CPU_FAN CPU cooling fan connector
3. DDR3_1~2 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM slots
4. ATX_POWER Standard 24-pin ATX power connector
5. IDE Primary IDE connector
6. SATA1~4 Serial ATA connectors
7. SPK Speaker header
8. F_PANEL Front panel switch/LED header
9. SYS_FAN System cooling fan connector
10. CLR_CMOS Clear CMOS jumper
11. LPT Parallel port header
12. F_USB1~2 Front Panel USB headers
13. USBPWR_R1 Rear USB/PS2 power select jumper
14. SPDIFO SPDIF out header
15. F_AUDIO Front panel audio header
16. PCI1~2 32-bit add-on card slots
17. CASE Chassis detect jumper
18. PCIEX1 PCI Express x1 slot
19. PCIEX16 PCI Express x16 slot for graphics interface
20. USBPWR_F1 Front panel USB power select jumper
21. COM Onboard serial header
22. ATX12V 4-pin +12V power connector
1. CPU Socket

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Chapter 2: Motherboard Installation
Installing the Processor
This motherboard has a socketAM3 processor socket. When choosing a processor,
consider the performance requirements of the system. Performance is based on the
processor design, the clock speed and system bus frequency of the processor, and
the quantity of internal cache memory and external cache memory.
PS/2 Mouse Use the upper PS/2 port to connect a PS/2 pointing
device.
PS/2 Keyboard Use the lower PS/2 port to connect a PS/2
keyboard.
VGA Port Use the VGA port to connect VGA devices.
LANPort Connect an RJ-45 jack to the LANport to connect
your computer to the Network.
USB Ports Use the USB ports to connect USB devices.
Audio Ports Use these three audio jacks to connect audio
devices. The first jack is for stereo Line-In signal,
the second jack for stereo Line-Out signal, and the
third jack for Microphone.

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Motherboard User’s Guide
CPU Installation Procedure
Follow these instructions to install the CPU:
1 Unhook the locking lever of the CPU socket.
Pull the locking lever away from the socket
and raising it to the upright position.
2 Match the pin1 corner marked as the beveled
edge on the CPU with the pin1 corner on the
socket. Insert the CPU into the socket. Do
not use force.
3 Push the locking lever down and hook it un-
der the latch on the edge of socket.
4 Apply thermal grease to the top of the CPU.
5 Install the cooling fan/heatsink unit onto the
CPU, and secure them all onto the socket
base.
6 Plug the CPU fan power cable into the CPU
fan connector (CPU_FAN1) on the
motherboard.
Installing Memory Modules
Thismotherboard accommodates two 240-pin DIMM sockets (Dual Inline Memory
Module) for unbuffered DDR3 1333/1066 memory modules (Double Data Rate
SDRAM), and maximum 8 GB installed memory.
Note: To achieve better airflow rates and heat dissipation, we suggest that
you use a high quality fan with 4800 rpm at least. CPU fan and heatsink
installation procedures may vary with the type of CPU fan/heatsink
supplied. The form and size of fan/heatsink may also vary.

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Chapter 2: Motherboard Installation
Over its predecessor, DDR3-SDRAM offers greater bandwidth and density in a
smaller package along with a reduction in power consumption. In addition, DDR2-
SDRAM offers new features and functions that enable a higher clock rate and data
rate operations of 1066 MHz and 1333 MHz. DDR3 transfers 64 bits of data twice
every clock cycle.
Memory Module Installation Procedure
These modules can be installed with up to 8 GB system memory. Refer to the
following to install the memory module.
1. Push down the latches on both sides of the DIMM socket.
2. Align the memory module with the socket. There is a notch on the DIMM
socket that you can install the DIMM module in the correct direction.
Match the cutout on the DIMM module with the notch on the DIMM
socket.
3. Install the DIMM module into the socket and press it firmly down until it
is seated correctly. The socket latches are levered upwards and latch on to
the edges of the DIMM.
4. Install any remaining DIMM modules.

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Motherboard User’s Guide
CLR_CMOS: Clear CMOS Jumper
Use this jumper to clear the contents of the CMOS memory. You may need to clear
the CMOS memory if the settings in the Setup Utility are incorrect and prevent
your motherboard from operating. To clear the CMOS memory, disconnect all the
power cables from the motherboard and then move the jumper cap into the CLEAR
setting for a few seconds.
Function Jumper
Clear CMOS Short Pins 1-2
NORMAL Short Pins 2-3
Jumper Settings
Connecting two pins with a jumper cap is SHORT; removing a jumper cap from
these pins, OPEN.
Note for dual-channel DDR2:
1. You CAN NOT use only one DIMM2 for it might cause the system shutdown.
2. You need to use DIMM1 and DIMM2 with the same size of memory modules.
Note: To avoid the system unstability after clearing CMOS, we recommend
users to enter the main BIOS setting page to “Load Optimal De-faults”
and then “Save Changes and Exit”.

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Chapter 2: Motherboard Installation
Install The Motherboard
Install the motherboard in a system chassis (case). The board is a MicroATX size
motherboard. You can install this motherboard in an ATX case. Make sure your
case has an I/O cover plate matching the ports on this motherboard.
Connect the power connector from the power supply to the ATX_POWER con-
nector on the motherboard. ATX12V is a +12V connecotr for CPU Vcore power.
If there is a cooling fan installed in the system chassis, connect the cable from the
cooling fan to the SYS_FAN fan power connector on the motherboard.
Connect the case switches and indicator LEDs to the F_PANEL header.
Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 HD_LED_P(+) 2 FP PWR/SLP(+)
3 HD_LED_N(-) 4 FP PWR/SLP(-)
5 RESET_SW_N(-) 6 POWER_SW_P(+)
7 RESET_SW_P(+) 8 POWER_SW_N(-)
9 RSVD_DNU 10 KEY
Install the motherboard in a case. Follow the case manufacturer’s instructions to
use the hardware and internal mounting points on the chassis.

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Motherboard User’s Guide
Connecting Optional Devices
Refer to the following for information on connecting the motherboard’s optional
devices:
SPK: Speaker Header
Connect the cable from the PC speaker to the SPK header on the motherboard.
F_AUDIO: Front Panel Audio Header
This header allows the user to install auxiliary front-oriented microphone and line-
out ports for easier access.
Pin Signal
1 +5V
2NC
3GND
4SPKR
Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 AUD_MIC 2 AUD_GND
3 AUD_MIC_BIAS 4 AUD_VCC
5 AUD_FPOUT_R 6 AUD_RET_R
7NC 8KEY
9 AUD_FPOUT_L 10 AUD_RET_L

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Chapter 2: Motherboard Installation
Here is a list of USB pin assignments.
1. Locate the F_USB1~2 headers on the motherboard.
2. Plug the bracket cable onto the F_USB1~2 headers.
3. Remove a slot cover from one of the expansion slots on the system chassis.
Install an extension bracket in the opening. Secure the extension bracket to
the chassis with a screw.
Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 VERG_FP_USBPWR0 2 VERG_FP_USBPWR0
3 USB_FP_P0(-) 4 USB_FP_P1(-)
5 USB_FP_P0(+) 6 USB_FP_P1(+)
7 GROUND 8 GROUND
9 KEY 10 GROUND
F_USB1~2: Front Panel USB Headers
The motherboard has USB ports installed on the rear edge I/O port array.Addition-
ally, some computer cases have USB ports at the front of the case. If you have this
kind of case, use auxiliary USB headers F_USB1~2 to connect the front-mounted
ports to the motherboard.
SPDIFO:SPDIF outheader
This is an optional header that provides an S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface)
output to digital multimedia device through optical fiber or coaxial connector.
Pin Signal
1SPDIF
2 +5VA
3Key
4GND

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Motherboard User’s Guide
LPT: Onboard parallel port header
This is a header that can ba used to connect to the printer, scanner or other devices.
1 STROBE 14 ALF
2 PD0
3 PD1
4 PD2
5 PD3
15 ERROR
16 INIT
17 SLCTIN
18 Ground
Pin Signal Name Pin Signal Name
6 PD4 19 Ground
7 PD5 20 Ground
8 PD6
9 PD7
10 ACK
11 BUSK
12 PE
13 SLCT
21 Ground
22 Ground
23 Ground
24 Ground
25 Ground
26 Key
CASE: Chassis intrusion detect header
This detects if the chassis cover has been removed. This function needs a chassis
equipped with instrusion detection switch and needs to be enabled in BIOS.
Pin 1-2 Function
Short Chassis cover is removed
Open Chassis cover is closed
COM: Onboard serial port header
Connect a serial port extension bracket to this header to add a second serial port
to your system.
1DCDB Data Carrier Detect
2SINB Serial Input
3SOUTB UART B Serial Output
4DTRB UART B Data Terminal Ready
5GND Ground
6DSRB Data Set Ready
7RTSB RART B Request to Send
8CTSB Clear to Send
9RI Ring Indicator
10 Key No pin
Pin Signal Name Function

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Chapter 2: Motherboard Installation
IDE Devices
IDE devices include hard disk drives, high-density diskette drives, and CD-ROM
or DVD-ROM drives, among others.
The mainboard ships with an IDE cable that can support one or two IDE devices.
If you connect two devices to a single cable, you must configure one of the drives
as Master and one of the drives as Slave. The documentation of the IDE device will
tell you how to configure the device as a Master or Slave device. The Master device
connects to the end of the cable.
Install the device(s) and connect power from the system power supply. Use the
cableprovided to connect the device(s) to the Primary IDE channelconnectorIDE1
on the motherboard.
If you want to install more IDE devices, you can purchase a second IDE cable and
connect one or two devices to the Secondary IDE channel connector IDE2 on the
motherboard. If you have two devices on the cable, one must be Master and one
must be Slave.
Install Other Devices
Install and connect any other devices in the system following the steps below.

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Motherboard User’s Guide
Expansion Slots
This motherboard has one PCI Express x16, one PCI Express x1 and two 32-bit
PCI slots.
SerialATADevices
TheSerialATA(AdvancedTechnologyAttachment) is the standard interface for
the IDE hard drives, which is designed to overcome the design limitations while
enabling the storage interface to scale with the growing media rate demands of PC
platforms. It provides you a faster transfer rate of 1.5 Gb/s. If you have installed a
SerialATA hard drive, you can connect the SerialATAcables to the SerialATAhard
drive or the connector on the motherboard.
On the motherboard, locate the Serial ATA connectors SATA1-2, which support
newSerialATAdevices for the highest data transfer rates, simpler disk drive cabling
and easier PC assembly.
It eliminates limitations of the current ParallelATAinterface, but maintains register
compatibility and software compatibility with Parallel ATA.

17
Chapter 2: Motherboard Installation
Follow the steps below to install an PCI Express x16/ PCI Express x1/CNR/PCI
expansion card.
1. Locate the PCI Express x16, PCI Express x1, CNR or PCI slots on the
mainboard.
2. Remove the blanking plate of the slot from the system chassis.
3. Install the edge connector of the expansion card into the slot. Ensure the
edge connector is correctly seated in the slot.
4. Secure the metal bracket of the card to the system chassis with a screw.
PCI Express x16 Slot
You can install an external PCI Express graphics card that is fully compliant to the
PCI Express Base Specification revsion 1.0a.
PCI Express x1 Slot
The two PCI Express x1 slots are fully compliant to the PCI Express Base Specifica-
tion revision 1.0a as well.
PCI Slots
You can install the 32-bit PCI interface expansion cards in the slots.