Zotac ION series User manual

1
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of 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 instructions
contained in this manual, may cause harmful interference to radio and television 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 INTO AN OUTLET ON A CIRCUIT DIFFERENT FROM
THAT OF THE RECEIVER
- CONSULT THE DEALER OR AN EXPERIENCED AUDIO/TELEVISION TECHNICIAN
NOTE:
Connecting this device to peripheral devices that do not comply with Class B requirements, or
using an unshielded peripheral data cable, could also result in harmful interference to radio or
television reception.
The user is cautioned that any changes or modications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.
To ensure that the use of this product does not contribute to interference, it is necessary to use
shielded I/O cables.
Copyright
This manual is copyrighted with all rights reserved. No portion of this manual may be copied or
reproduced by any means.
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this manual, no responsibility for
errors or omissions is assumed. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the
use of the information contained herein.
Trademarks
All brand names, logos and registered trademarks mentioned are property of their respective
owners.
Electronic Emission Notices
WARNING!

2
IONITX Synergy Series Motherboard
Table of Contents
Motherboard Specications ------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
Motherboard Layout------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6
Hardware Installation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
Safety Instructions ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
Preparing the Motherboard -------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
Installing Memory Modules ------------------------------------------------------------------ 10
Installing the Motherboard ------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
Installing the I/O Shield ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis -----------------------------------------------------------11
Connecting Cables and Setting Switches ------------------------------------------------ 12
20-pin ATX Power Connector-PW1 -------------------------------------------------------- 13
Front Audio Header-FP_S1 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 13
COM Header-CN2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14
Speaker Header-SPK1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 14
USB Headers-FP_U1~FP_U2 -------------------------------------------------------------- 14
Front Panel Header-FP1 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 15
Serial-ATA (SATA) Connectors -------------------------------------------------------------- 16
Fan Connectors -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16
Expansion Slots -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17
Mini PCIE Slot ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 17
PCI Express x1 Slot ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 17
Jumper Settings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17
Conguring the BIOS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18
Enter BIOS Setup ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18
Main Menu -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19
Advanced Menu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19
CPU Conguration ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19
IDE Conguration -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20
ACPI Conguration ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20
AHCI Conguration ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20
APM Conguration ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20
Event Log Conguration ----------------------------------------------------------------- 20
MPS Conguration ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20
PCI Express Conguration -------------------------------------------------------------- 20
Smbios Conguration --------------------------------------------------------------------- 21
USB Conguration ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21
Boot Menu -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21
Security Menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22
Chipset Menu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23
Exit Menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23

3
Table of Contents
Flash Update Procedure ------------------------------------------------------------------- 25
Installing Drivers and Software -------------------------------------------------------------- 26
Drivers Installation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26
HDMI SETUP --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32
REALTEK HD AUDIO DRIVER SETUP ----------------------------------------------------- 33
Getting Started ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33
Sound Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33
Environment Simulation ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 33
Equalizer Selection --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34
Frequently Used Equalizer Setting -------------------------------------------------------- 34
Karaoke Mode ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34
Mixer----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35
Playback control --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35
Recording control -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36
Audio I/O ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37
Speaker Conguration ------------------------------------------------------------------- 38
Connector Settings ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 39
S/PDIF --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39
Speaker Calibration ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 40
Microphone---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41
Noise Suppression ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 41
Beam Forming ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41
Acoustic Echo Cancellation ------------------------------------------------------------- 41
Audio Demo --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42
Information --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42
SATA RAID User Manual ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 43
Setting up the BIOS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43
Entering the RAID BIOS Setup ------------------------------------------------------------- 44
Installing the RAID Drivers ------------------------------------------------------------------- 45

4
IONITX Synergy Series Motherboard
Motherboard Specications
q Chipset
v NVIDIA® MCP7A-ION Series
q Size
v Mini-ITX form factor of 6.69inch x 6.69inch (171mm x 171mm)
q Microprocessor support
v Intel® ATOMTM 230/330 CPU
v Support for 533 MT/s (133 MHz FSB)
q Operating systems:
v Supports Windows XP 32bit/64bit, Windows Vista 32bit/64bit and Windows 7 32bit/64bit
q System Memory support
v Supports dual-channel (128 bits wide) DDRIII memory interface
v Supports DDRIII 1066/800
v Maximum memory size: 4 GB
q USB 2.0 Ports
v Supports hot plug and play
v Ten USB 2.0 ports (six on the back panel, four via the USB brackets connected
to the internal USB headers)
v Supports USB 2.0 protocol up to 480 Mbps transmission rate
q Onboard Serial ATA
v Independent DMA operation on four ports
v Data transfer rates of 3 Gb/s.
q On board RTL8211CL Gigabit LAN (Optional)
v Supports 10/100/1000 Mbps operation
q On board RTL8201EL Fast Ethernet (Optional)
v Supports 10/100 Mbps operation
v Supports half/full duplex operation
q Onboard Audio (Optional)
v Azalia High-Denition audio
v Supports 6-channel
v Supports Jack-Sensing function
q Green Function
v Supports ACPI (Advanced Conguration and Power Interface)
v RTC timer to power-on the system
v AC power failure recovery
q Onboard Graphics support
v Integrated 300 MHz DAC for analog displays with resolutions up to 1920x1440
at 75 Hz.

5
Motherboard Specications
v Integrated GeForce 9xxx Series GPU, Supports DX10
v VGA/DVI/HDMI output support (optional)
q Integrated HDMI Interface with HDCP
v Supports DVI or HDMI 1.3 interfaces
v Secure digital audio merged from integrated HDA codec with no external audio
signals required
v Supports for HDCP 1.3 using soft or hard HDCP keys
v HDCP encryption support when congured as DVI or HDMI link without the
need for external HDCP key crypto ROM
q Dual Head Display Controller
v Full NVIDIA nView™ multi-display technology capability, with independent
display controllers for the CRT, TMDS, DisplayPort, and HDMI interface
v Each controller can drive same or different display contents to different resolu-
tions and refresh rates
q Expansion Slots
v One Mini PCI Express slot
v One PCI Express x1 slot

6
IONITX Synergy Series Motherboard
Motherboard Layout
Figure 1 shows the motherboard and Figure 2 shows the back panel connectors.
Figure 1. Board Layout
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120 240
121
120 240
121
1.5V 1.5V
CPU
4
5
6
7
98
2
3
11 10
12
13 14 15 16 17 18
CN1
CN11
U_L AN
SD1
FP_S1
J2505
JP1
SATA1 SATA4
CN2
Chipset
FP_U2
FP_U1
C_FAN1
DDRIII2
DDRIII1
PW1
S_FAN1 FP1
SPK1
J11
2 52
51
SATA2 SATA3
JP3
PCIE1
USB_1
DVI
1. 20-pin ATX Power Connector-PW1
2. System Fan Connector-S_FAN
3. Front Panel Header-FP1
4. Speaker Header-SPK
5. Chip Fan Connector-J2505
6. Serial-ATA (SATA) Connectors
7. BIOS Selection Jumper-JP3 (Optional)
8. COM Header-CN2
9. PCI Express x1-PCIE1(Optional)
10. USB Headers-FP_U1~FP_U2
11. Front Audio Header-FP_S1
12. Backpanel Connectors
13. Mini PCIE Slot-J11
14. CPU
15. Chipset
16. Clear CMOS Jumper-JP1
17. CPU Fan Connector-C_FAN
18. DDRIII DIMM Sockets
Figure 1

7
Rear Panel
5. Port 2-Channel 4-Channel 6-Channel
Blue Line-In Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out
Green Line-Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out
Pink Mic In Mic In Center/Subwoofer
6. LAN Connector
Lan Port with LEDs to indicate status.
· Yellow/Light Up/Blink = 10 Mbps/Link/Activity
· Yellow and Orange/Light Up/Blink = 100 Mbps/link/Activity
· Yellow and Orange/Light Up/Blink = 1000 Mbps/link/Activity
7. SPDIF Out (Coaxial/Optical) (Optional) 8. VGA Port (Optional)
9. WiFi antenna connctor(Optional)
Refer to the following to install the WiFi antenna modules.
Step 1. Secure the MINI PCIE card into the MINI PCIE slot with screws.
Figure 2: Backpanel connectors
2 2
34 5
6
6
11
5
10
15
8
79
1. PS/2 keyboard Port
2. USB Ports
3. HDMI Port
4. DVI Port
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121
1.5V 1.5V
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120 240
121
1.5V 1.5V
Screws

MINI PCIE slot
MINI PCIE card

8
IONITX Synergy Series Motherboard
Step 4. Remove the red cap from the WiFi antenna connector.
Install the WiFi antenna to the WiFi antenna connector, and make sure the screws
are rotated in clockwise direction.



Note: 1. Users please note that the appearance of your WiFi antenna modules may not
be exactly the same as those shown in this manual.
2. Users can bend or rotate the WiFi antennas to the best receiving direction
according to the picture below.
Step 2. Secure the bracket to the motherboard with screws according to the picture below.
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Step 3. Connect the WiFi wires to the MINI PCIE card as the following picture shows.
MINI PCIE card
Bracket
WiFi wire
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120 240
121
1.5V 1.5V

Screws
Bracket




9
Hardware Installation
This section will guide you through the installation of the motherboard. The topics
covered in this section are:
q Preparing the motherboard
v Installing Memory Modules
q Installing the motherboard
q Connecting cables and setting switches
Safety Instructions
To reduce the risk of re, electric shock, and injury, always follow basic safety precations.
Remember to remove power from your computer by disconnecting the AC main
source before removing or installing any equipment from/to the computer chassis.
Hardware Installation

10
IONITX Synergy Series Motherboard
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DDRIII-1
DDRIII-2
Preparing the Motherboard
The motherboard shipped in the box does not contain a memory module. You need to
purchase them to complete this installation.
Installing Memory Modules
Your new motherboard has two 1.5 V 240-pin slots for DDR3 memory modules. These
slots support 1 GB/2 GB DDR3 technologies. There must be at least one memory
bank populated to ensure normal operation. Refer to the following recommendations
to install memory modules. (See Figure 1 for the location of the memory slots.)
q One DIMM: Install it into slot 1 or 2. You can install the DIMM into any slot, however, slot
1 is preferred.
q Two DIMMs: Install them into slot 1 and slot 2.
Note that a memory module has a notch, so it can only t in one direction. Refer to
the following procedure to install memory modules into the slots on the motherboard.
1. Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the module clips outward.
2. Align the memory module to the DIMM slot, and insert the module vertically into
the DIMM slot. The plastic clips at both sides of the DIMM slot automatically lock
the DIMM into the connector.

11
Installing the Motherboard
The sequence of installing the motherboard into the chassis depends on the chassis
you are using and if you are replacing an existing motherboard or working with an
empty chassis. Determine if it would be easier to make all the connections prior to this
step or to secure the motherboard and then make all the connections. It is normally
easier to secure the motherboard rst.
Refer to the following procedure to install the I/O shield and secure the motherboard
into the chassis.
Installing the I/O Shield
The motherboard kit comes with an I/O shield that is used to block radio frequency
transmissions, protects internal components from dust and foreign objects, and
promotes correct airow within the chassis.
Before installing the motherboard, install the I/O shield from the inside of the chassis.
Press the I/O shield into place and make sure it ts securely. If the I/O shield does not
t into the chassis, you would need to obtain the proper size from the chassis supplier.
Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis
Most computer chassis have a base with mounting studs or spacers to allow the motherboard
to be secured to the chassis and help to prevent short circuits. If there are studs that do not
align with a mounting hole on the motherboard, it is recommended that you remove that stud
to prevent the possibility of a short circuit. In most cases, it is recommended to secure the
motherboard with spacers.
1. Carefully place the motherboard onto the studs/spacers located inside the chassis.
2. Align the mounting holes with the studs/spacers.
3. Align the connectors to the I/O shield.
4. Ensure that the fan assembly is aligned with the chassis vents according to the fan assembly
instruction.
5. Secure the motherboard with screws.
Hardware Installation

12
IONITX Synergy Series Motherboard
Connecting Cables and Setting Switches
This section takes you through all the connectors and switch settings necessary on
the motherboard. This will include:
q Power Connectors
v 20-pin ATX power-PW1
v Front Audio Header-FP_S1
q Internal Headers
v COM Header-CN2
v Speaker Header-SPK
v USB Headers-FP_U1~FP_U2
v Front panel header-FP1
q Serial ATA
q Fan Connectors
q Expansion slots
q Jumper settings
See Figure 1 to locate the connectors and jumpers referenced in the following
procedure.

13
Hardware Installation
20-pin ATX Power Connector-PW1
PW1 is the main power supply connector. Make sure that the power supply cable
and pins are properly aligned with the connector on the motherboard. Firmly plug the
power supply cable into the connector and make sure it is secure.
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PW1-Pin Assignments
Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 +3.3V 11 +3.3V
2 +3.3V 12 -12V
3 GND 13 GND
4 +5V 14 PS_ON
5 GND 15 GND
6 +5V 16 GND
7 GND 17 GND
8 PWROK 18 -5V
9 +5V_AUX 19 +5V
10 +12V 20 +5V
Front Audio Header-FP_S1
The audio connector supports HD audio standard and provides two kinds of audio
output choices: the Front Audio, the Rear Audio. The front Audio supports retasking
function.
Note:
In order to utilize the front audio
header, your chassis must have
front audio connector. Also please
make sure the pin assignment on
the cable is the same as the pin
assignment on the mainboard
header. To nd out if the chassis
you are buying supports a front
audio connector, please contact
your dealer.
1
10
11
20
PW1
2 1
10 9
FP_S1
FP_S1-Pin Denition
PIN Assignment PIN Assignment
1 MIC2(L) 2 GND
3 MIC(R) 4 -ACZ-DET
5 Front Audio(R) 6 Reserved
7 FAVDIO-JD 8 Key(No pin)
9 Front Audio(L) 10 Reserved

14
IONITX Synergy Series Motherboard
Speaker Header-SPK1
COM Header-CN2
USB Headers-FP_U1~FP_U2
This motherboard contains six USB 2.0
ports that are exposed on the rear panel
of the chassis (Figure 2). The motherboard
also contains two 10-pin internal header
connectors onboard.
Note. Secure the bracket to either the front
or rear panel of your chassis (not all
chassis are equipped with the front
panel option).
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1.5V 1.5V
CN2
1
2
9
10
1 9
102
FP_U1
1
SPK1
FP_U2
1 9
102
SPK1-Pin Denition
PIN Assignment
1 VCC
2 NC
3 NC
4 SPK-
CN2 - Pin Denition
Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 DCD 2 RXD
3 TXD 4 DTR
5 GND 6 DSR
7 RTS 8 CTS
9 RI 10 NC
FP_U1~FP_U2-Pin Denition
PIN Assignment PIN Assignment
1 VCC 2 VCC
3 USBP0- 4 USBP1-
5 USBP0+ 6 USBP1+
7 GND 8 GND
9 KEY 10 NC

15
Hardware Installation
Front Panel Header-FP1
The front panel header on this motherboard is one connector used to connect the
following four cables :
q PWRLED
Attach the front panel power LED cable to these two pins of the connector. The
Power LED indicates the system’s status.
q PWR SW
Attach the power button cable from the case to these two pins. Pressing the
power button on the front panel turns the system on and off rather than using the
power supply button.
q HDD LED
Attach the hard disk drive indicator LED cable to these two pins. The HDD indicator
LED indicates the activity status of the hard disks.
q RST SW
Attach the Reset switch cable from the front panel of the case to these two pins.
The system restarts when the RESET switch is pressed.
Note: Some chassis do not have all four cables. Be sure to match the name on
the connectors to the corresponding pins.
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FP1
12
910
FP1-Pin Denition
Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 HDD_LED+ 2 PW_LED+
3 HDD_LED- 4 PW_LED-
5 GND 6 PWR_SW
7 RESET 8 GND
9 NC 10 KEY

16
IONITX Synergy Series Motherboard
Fan Connectors
There are three fan connectors on the motherboard, including CPU fan connector,
system fan connector and chip fan connector.
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CPU FAN Connector
GND
+12V
Sense
Control
CHIP FAN Connector
GND 5V
SYS FAN Connector
Sense
+12V
GND
1SATA -1
1
SATA -2
1SATA -4
1
SATA -3
SATA-Pin Denition
PIN Signal
1 GND
2 TXP
3 TXN
4 GND
5 RXN
6 RXP
7 GND
Serial-ATA (SATA) Connectors
The Serial ATA connector is used to connect the Serial
ATA device to the motherboard. These connectors
support the thin Serial ATA cables for primary storage
devices. The current Serial ATA interface allows up to
3Gb/s data transfer rate.
There are four serial ATA connectors on the motherboard
that support AHCI and RAID congurations.

17
Hardware Installation
Expansion Slots
The NVIDIA MCP7A-ION motherboard provides two expansion slots as below:
Mini PCIE Slot
There is one Mini PCI Express slot, reserved for WiFi Module.
PCI Express x1 Slot-PCIE1 (optional)
There is one PCI Express x1 slot that is designed to accommodate less bandwidth-
intensive cards, such as a modem or LAN card. The x1 slot provides 500 MB/sec
bandwidth.
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1.5V 1.5V
1 51
2 52
Mini PCIE
PCI Express x1 slot
Jumper Settings
This chapter explains how to congure the motherboard’s hardware. Before using your
computer, make sure all jumpers and DRAM modules are set correctly. Refer to this
chapter whenever in doubt.
CMOS Clear Jumper-JP1
Close Open * = Default setting.
If you want to clear the system conguration, use the JP1 (Clear CMOS Jumper) to clear data.
Notice:
1. Be sure to save the CMOS setting when exit the CMOS.
2. If the CPU is frequency multiplier locked, no CPU speed change will be seen
even if the frequency multiplier setting in CMOS setup is changed.
BIOS Selection Jumper-JP3 (Optional)
JP1 Selection
1-2* Normal*
2-3 CMOS Clear
1
1
JP3 Selection
1-2* Master*
3-4 Backup
5-6 Use factory BIOS
1
2
5
6
1
2
5
6
1
2
5
6

18
IONITX Synergy Series Motherboard
Conguring the BIOS
This section discusses how to change the system settings through the BIOS Setup
menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.
Enter BIOS Setup
The BIOS is the communication bridge between hardware and software. Correctly
setting the BIOS parameters is critical to maintain optimal system performance.
Use the following procedure to verify/change BIOS settings.
1. Power on the computer.,
2. Press the Del key when the following message briey displays at the bottom of
the screen during the Power On Self Test (POST).
Pressing Del takes you to the BIOS Setup Utility.
Note: 1. We reserve the right to update the BIOS version presented in the manual. The
BIOS pictures shown in this section are for reference only.
2. It is strongly recommended that you do not change the default BIOS settings.
Changing some settings could damage your system.

19
Conguring the BIOS
Main Menu
Note: Note that the data in gray is non-changeable, and the others are for
selection.
This menu gives you an overview of the general system specications. The BIOS
automatically detects the items in this menu.
q AMI BIOS
Displays the auto-detected BIOS information.
q Processor
Displays the auto-detected CPU specication.
q System Memory
Displays the auto-detected system memory.
q System time
Allows you to set the system time.
Advanced Menu
The Advanced menu items allow you to change the setting for the CPU and other
system devices. Press <enter> to display the conguration options:
CPU Conguration
The items in this menu show the CPU-related information that the BIOS automatically
detects. Press <enter>to display the conguration options:
q Congure advanced CPU settings
Displays the auto-detected CPU information.