English dropdown-ico

Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 (rev. 1.0) manual

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112

Go to page of

Similar user manuals

A good user manual

The rules should oblige the seller to give the purchaser an operating instrucion of Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 (rev. 1.0), along with an item. The lack of an instruction or false information given to customer shall constitute grounds to apply for a complaint because of nonconformity of goods with the contract. In accordance with the law, a customer can receive an instruction in non-paper form; lately graphic and electronic forms of the manuals, as well as instructional videos have been majorly used. A necessary precondition for this is the unmistakable, legible character of an instruction.

What is an instruction?

The term originates from the Latin word „instructio”, which means organizing. Therefore, in an instruction of Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 (rev. 1.0) one could find a process description. An instruction's purpose is to teach, to ease the start-up and an item's use or performance of certain activities. An instruction is a compilation of information about an item/a service, it is a clue.

Unfortunately, only a few customers devote their time to read an instruction of Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 (rev. 1.0). A good user manual introduces us to a number of additional functionalities of the purchased item, and also helps us to avoid the formation of most of the defects.

What should a perfect user manual contain?

First and foremost, an user manual of Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 (rev. 1.0) should contain:
- informations concerning technical data of Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 (rev. 1.0)
- name of the manufacturer and a year of construction of the Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 (rev. 1.0) item
- rules of operation, control and maintenance of the Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 (rev. 1.0) item
- safety signs and mark certificates which confirm compatibility with appropriate standards

Why don't we read the manuals?

Usually it results from the lack of time and certainty about functionalities of purchased items. Unfortunately, networking and start-up of Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 (rev. 1.0) alone are not enough. An instruction contains a number of clues concerning respective functionalities, safety rules, maintenance methods (what means should be used), eventual defects of Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 (rev. 1.0), and methods of problem resolution. Eventually, when one still can't find the answer to his problems, he will be directed to the Gigabyte service. Lately animated manuals and instructional videos are quite popular among customers. These kinds of user manuals are effective; they assure that a customer will familiarize himself with the whole material, and won't skip complicated, technical information of Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 (rev. 1.0).

Why one should read the manuals?

It is mostly in the manuals where we will find the details concerning construction and possibility of the Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 (rev. 1.0) item, and its use of respective accessory, as well as information concerning all the functions and facilities.

After a successful purchase of an item one should find a moment and get to know with every part of an instruction. Currently the manuals are carefully prearranged and translated, so they could be fully understood by its users. The manuals will serve as an informational aid.

Table of contents for the manual

  • Page 1

    G1.Assassin 2 User's Manual Rev . 1001 12M E- G1A SI N2-10 01R[...]

  • Page 2

    Motherboard G1.Assassin 2 Oct. 28, 201 1 Oct. 28, 201 1 Motherboard G1.Assassin 2[...]

  • Page 3

    Copyright © 201 1 GIGA-BYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., L TD. All rights reserved. The trademarks mentioned in this manual are legally registered to their respective owners. Disclaimer Information in this manual is protected by copyright laws and is the property of GIGABYTE. Changes to the specications and features in this manual may be made by GIGABYTE wi[...]

  • Page 4

    - 4 - T able of Contents Box Contents ................................................................................................................... 6 Optiona l Items ................................................................................................................. 6 G1 . As sassin 2 M otherbo ard Layout ........................[...]

  • Page 5

    - 5 - 3 -3 T e chnic al M anuals ......................................................................................... 58 3 - 4 Cont act........................................................................................................... 59 3 - 5 System ......................................................................................[...]

  • Page 6

    - 6 - Bo x Contents G1.Assassin 2 5 motherboard Motherboard driver disk 5 User's Manual 5 Quick Installation Guide 5 Four SA T A cables 5 I/O Shield 5 3.5" Front Panel with 2 USB 3.0/2.0 ports 5 One 2-W ay SLI bridge connector 5 One 3-W ay SLI bridge connector 5 One 2-W ay CrossFireX bridge connector 5 One GC-WIFI 5 Optional I tems 2-port[...]

  • Page 7

    - 7 - G 1 . Assassin 2 Motherboard Lay out KB_MS_USB CPU_F AN A TX_12V_2X A TX F_AUDIO AUDIO B_BIOS PCIEX8 DDR3_2 DDR3_4 DDR3_1 DDR3_3 BA T F_P ANEL Intel ® X79 CLR_CMOS F AN1 M_BIOS PCIEX1_1 PCIEX16_1 SPDIF_O F_USB1 LGA201 1 G1.Assassin 2 HS R_USB30 USB_ESA T A2 USB_LAN PCI F_USB30 PCIEX1_2 iTE IT8728 TPM F_USB2 F_USB3 Marvell 88SE9172 USB_ESA T [...]

  • Page 8

    - 8 - G 1 . Assassin 2 Motherboard Block Diagram PS/2 KB/Mouse LGA201 1 CPU CPU CLK+/- (100 MHz) 2 SA T A 6Gb/s Dual BIOS 14 USB 2.0/1.1 (Note) DDR3 2133/1866/1600/1333/1066 MHz 4 Channel Memory LPC Bus Intel ® X79 x1 2 USB 3.0/2.0 Fresco FL1009 iTE IT8728 x1 2 USB 3.0/2.0 PCI Express Bus PCI Express Bus PCIe CLK (100 MHz) 2 PCI Express x1 x1 2 SA[...]

  • Page 9

    - 9 - Hardware Installation 1- 1 Installation Precautions The motherb oard contains numero us delic ate electronic circu its and compo nents which can become damaged as a result of electrostatic discharge (ESD). Prior to installation, carefully read the user's manual and follow these procedures: Prior to installation, make sure the chassis is [...]

  • Page 10

    Hardware Installation - 10 - 1- 2 Product Specications CPU Support for Intel  ® Core ™ i7 processors in the LGA2011 package (Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest CPU support list.) L3 cache varies with CPU  Chipset Intel  ® X79 Express Chipset Memory 4 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 32 GB of system memory  * Du[...]

  • Page 11

    - 11 - Hardware Installation Storage Interface 2 x Marvell 88SE9172 chips:  - 2 x SATA 6Gb/s connect ors (GSAT A3 6/GSATA 3 7) supporting up to 2 SATA 6Gb/s devices - 2 x eS A T A 6Gb /s co nne cto rs (e SA TA/USB C ombo ) on th e bac k pan el supporting up to 2 SA T A 6Gb/s devices - Su ppo r t for R A ID 0 an d R AI D 1 USB Chipset:  - Up t[...]

  • Page 12

    Hardware Installation - 12 - Hardware Monitor System voltage detection  CPU/System temperature detection  CPU/System fan speed detection  CPU overheating warning  CPU/System fan fail warning  CPU/System fan speed control  * Whether the CPU/system fan speed control function is supported will depend on the CPU/system cooler you inst[...]

  • Page 13

    - 13 - Hardware Installation 1-3 Installing the CPU and C PU Cooler 1-3 -1 Inst alli ng th e CPU A. Locate the alignment keys on the motherboard CPU socket and the notches on the CPU. Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the CPU: Make sure that the motherboard supports the CPU. • (Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest [...]

  • Page 14

    Hardware Installation - 14 - Step 1: Push the lever closest to the "unlock" marking " " (below referred as lever A) down and away from the socket to release it. Step 4: Hold the CPU with your thumb and index ngers. Align the CPU pin one marking (triangle) with the pin one corner of the CPU socket (or align the CPU notches wit[...]

  • Page 15

    - 15 - Hardware Installation 1-3 -2 Inst alli ng th e CPU Coole r Refer to the steps below to correctly install the CPU cooler on the motherboard. (Actual installation process may differ depending the CPU cooler to be used. Refer to the user's manual for your CPU cooler.) Use extreme care when removing the CPU cooler because the thermal grease[...]

  • Page 16

    Hardware Installation - 16 - 1- 4 Installing the Memor y Read the following guidelines before you begin to install the memory: Make sure that the motherboard supports the memory. It is recommended that memory of the • same capacity, brand, speed, and chips be used. (Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest supported memory speeds and memory m[...]

  • Page 17

    - 17 - Hardware Installation 1- 4 -2 In sta lling a M emo r y Notch DDR3 DIMM A DDR3 memory module has a notch, so it can only t in one direction. Follow the steps below to correctly install your memory modules in the memory sockets. Before installing a memory module, make sure to turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power ou[...]

  • Page 18

    Hardware Installation - 18 - 1-5 Installing an Expansion Card Follow the steps below to correctly install your expansion card in the expansion slot. Locate an expansi on slot that suppor ts your card. Remove the metal slot cover from the chassis back 1. panel. Align the card with the slot, and press down on the card until it is fully seated in the [...]

  • Page 19

    - 19 - Hardware Installation 1-6 Sett ing up AMD Cr ossFire X ™ /NVID IA SLI Conguration A. System Requirements The 2 -Way Cr oss Fir eX and 2- Way SLI t ech nol ogi es c ur rent ly su ppo r t Win dow s 7 , Vis ta, X P op era tin g syste ms - The 3 - Way Cro ss Fire X and 3 - Way SLI te ch nol ogi es c urr ent ly sup po r t Win dow s 7 and V i[...]

  • Page 20

    Hardware Installation - 20 - 1- 7 Back Panel Con nec tors USB 2.0/1.1 Port The USB port supports the USB 2.0/1.1 specication. Use this port for USB devices such as a USB keyboard/mouse, USB printer, USB ash drive and etc. PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Port Use this port to connect a PS/2 mouse or keyboard. CPU Overclcking Button Press this button to ov[...]

  • Page 21

    - 21 - Hardware Installation In addition to the default speakers settings, the ~ audio jacks can be recongured to perform different functions via the audio software. Only microphones still MUST be connected to the default Mic in jack ( ). Refer to the instructions on setting up a 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel audio conguration in Chapter 5, "Con?[...]

  • Page 22

    Hardware Installation - 22 - 1-8 Internal Connec tors Read the following guidelines before connecting external devices: First make sure your devices are compliant with the connectors you wish to connect. • Before installing the devices, be sure to turn off the devices and your computer. Unplug the power • cord from the power outlet to prevent d[...]

  • Page 23

    - 23 - Hardware Installation DEBUG PO RT G.QBOFM 13 1 24 12 ATX ATX: 1/2) ATX_12V_2X/ATX (2x4 12V Power Connector and 2x12 Main Power Connector) With the use of the power connec tor, the power suppl y can suppl y enou gh stable power to all the compon ents on the motherboard. Before connecting the power connector, rst make sure the power supply [...]

  • Page 24

    Hardware Installation - 24 - 3/4) CPU_FAN/FAN1/FAN2/FAN3/FAN4 (Fan Headers) All fan headers on this motherboard are 4-pin and support fan speed control function. Most fan headers possess a foolproof insertion design. When connecting a fan cable, be sure to connect it in the correct orientation (the black connector wire is the ground wire). The spee[...]

  • Page 25

    - 25 - Hardware Installation A RAID 0 or RAID 1 conguration requires at least two hard drives. If more than two hard drives • are to be used, the total number of hard drives must be an even number. A RAID 5 conguration requires at least three hard drives. (The total number of hard drives does • not have to be an even number.) A RAID 10 co[...]

  • Page 26

    Hardware Installation - 26 - 8) GSATA3 6/7 (SATA 6Gb/s Connectors, Controlled by Marvell 88SE9172 Chip) The SATA connectors conform to SATA 6Gb/s standard and are compatible with SATA 3Gb/s and SATA 1.5Gb/s standard. Each SATA connector supports a single SATA device. The Marvell 88SE9172 chip supports RAID 0 and RAID 1. Refer to Chapter 5, "Co[...]

  • Page 27

    - 27 - Hardware Installation 9) F_PANEL (Front Panel Header) Connect the power switch , reset switch, speake r, chas sis intrusion switch /sensor and system status indic ator on the chassis to this header according to the pin assignments below. Note the positive and negative pins before connecting the cables. PW • (Power Switch, Red): Connects to[...]

  • Page 28

    Hardware Installation - 28 - 10) F_AUDIO (Front Panel Audio Header) The front panel audio header supports Intel High Denition audio (HD) and AC'97 audio. You may connect your chassis front panel audio module to this header. Make sure the wire assignments of the module con - nector match the pin assignm ents of the motherboa rd header. Incor[...]

  • Page 29

    - 29 - Hardware Installation 12) F_USB1/F_USB2/F_USB3 (USB 2.0/1.1 Headers) The headers conform to USB 2.0/1.1 specication. Each USB header can provide two USB ports via an optional USB bracket. For purchasing the optional USB bracket, please contact the local dealer. Do not plug the IEEE 1394 bracket (2x5-pin) cable into the USB 2.0/1.1 header.[...]

  • Page 30

    Hardware Installation - 30 - 15) CLR_CMOS (Clear CMOS Jumper) Use this jumper to clear the CMOS values (e.g. date information and BIOS congurations) and reset the CMOS values to factory defaults. To clear the CMOS values, use a metal object like a screwdriver to touch the two pins for a few seconds. Always turn off your computer and unplug the p[...]

  • Page 31

    - 31 - BIOS Setup BIOS (Ba sic Input and Ou tput System ) records hardware parameters of the system in the CMOS on the motherboard. Its major functions include conducting the Power-On Self-T est (POST) during system startup, saving system parameters and loading operating system, etc. BIOS includes a BIOS Setup program that allows the user to modify[...]

  • Page 32

    BIOS Setup - 32 - 2-1 Startup Screen The following startup Logo screen will appear when the computer boots. Function Keys: <T AB>: POST SCREEN Press the <T ab> key to skip the startup Logo. T o turn off the startup Logo, refer to the instructions on the Full Screen LOGO Show item on page 49. <DEL>: BIOS SETUPQ-FLASH Press the <[...]

  • Page 33

    - 33 - BIOS Setup 2-2 The Main Menu A. The 3D BIOS Screen On GIGABYTE's uniquely designed 3D BIOS screen, you can use your mouse to move through the motherboard image and click to enter the function menu in each area for quick conguration. For example, pass your mouse arrow over the CPU and memory sockets and enter the System T uning menu t[...]

  • Page 34

    BIOS Setup - 34 - BIOS Setup Menus M.I.T .  Use this menu to congure the clock, frequency , and voltages of your CPU and memory , etc. Or check the system/CPU temperatures, voltages, and fan speeds. System  Use this menu to congure the default language used by the BIOS and system time and date. This menu also displays information on the[...]

  • Page 35

    - 35 - BIOS Setup 2-3 M.I.T . Whether the system will work stably with the overclock/overvoltage settings you made is dependent on your overall system congurations. Incorrectly doing overclock/overvoltage may result in damage to CPU, chipset, or memory and reduce the useful life of these components. This page is for advanced users only and we re[...]

  • Page 36

    BIOS Setup - 36 - M.I.T . Current Status ` This screen provides information on CPU/memory frequencies/parameters. BCLK/PCIe Clock Control & Enables or disables the control of CPU base clock and PCIe bus frequency . Enabled will allow the Host Clock Frequency and Processor Base Clock items below to be congurable. Note: If your system fails to[...]

  • Page 37

    - 37 - BIOS Setup (Note) This item is present only when you install a CPU that supports this feature. For more information about Intel CPUs' unique features, please visit Intel's website. CPU Clock Ratio, CPU Frequency & The settings under the two items above are synchronous to that under the same items on the Advanced Frequency Setti[...]

  • Page 38

    BIOS Setup - 38 - CPU Core Enabled & (Note 1) Allows you to determine the number of CPU cores you want to enable. Auto lets the BIOS automatically congure this setting. (Default: Auto) Hyper-Threading T echnology & (Note 1) Allows you to determine whether to enable Hyper-Threading technology when using an Intel CPU that supports this fun[...]

  • Page 39

    - 39 - BIOS Setup (Note) This item is present only when you install a memory module that supports this f eature. Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P .) & (Note) , S ys t em Me m or y M u lt i pl i er (S P D) , M e mo r y Frequency(Mhz) The settings under the three items above are synchronous to those under the same items on the Advanced Frequency Set[...]

  • Page 40

    BIOS Setup - 40 - This sub-menu provides memory timing settings for each channel of memory . The respective timing setting screens are congurable only when DRAM Timing Selectable is set to Quick or Expert . Note: Y our system may become unstable or fail to boot after you make changes on the memory timings. If this occurs, please reset the board [...]

  • Page 41

    - 41 - BIOS Setup 3D Power Control ` Advanced V oltage Settings `[...]

  • Page 42

    BIOS Setup - 42 - PWM Phase Control & Allows you to automatically change the PWM phase according to the CPU load. The power-saving levels are (from lowest to highest): eXm Perf (Extreme Performance ), High Perf (High Performance), Balanced, Perf (Performance), Mid PWR (Mid Power), and Lite PWR (Light Power). Auto lets the BIOS automatically con[...]

  • Page 43

    - 43 - BIOS Setup Auto  Lets the BIOS automatically congure this setting and sets V-droop following Intel specications. (Default) +0.00mΩ~+12.00mΩ  Adjusts the V-droop value. DDR CH(C/D) V oltage Loadline Calibration & Allows you to congure Load-Line Calibration for Channel C and Channel D memory voltage. This item allows you t[...]

  • Page 44

    BIOS Setup - 44 - DDR CH(A/B) Current Protection & Allows you to set the current limit on Channel A and Channel B memory voltage for over-current protection in terms of percentage. The adjustable range is from 50.0% to 160.0%. Auto lets the BIOS automatically congure this setting. (Default: Auto) DDR CH(C/D) Current Protection & Allows y[...]

  • Page 45

    - 45 - BIOS Setup Reset Case Open Status & Disabled Keeps or clears the record of previous chassis intrusion status. (Default)  Enabled Clears the record of previous chassis intrusion status and the  Case Opened eld will show "No" at next boot. Case Opened & Displays the detection status of the chassis intrusion detection[...]

  • Page 46

    BIOS Setup - 46 - CPU Vcore/Dram Channel A/B V oltage/Dram Channel C/D V oltage/+5V/+12V+/CPU VTT & Displays the current system voltages. CPU T emperature/PCH T emperature & Displays current CPU/Chipset temperature. System T emperature/2nd System T emperature/3rd System T emperature & D i s p l a y s c u r r e n t s y s t e m t e m p e [...]

  • Page 47

    - 47 - BIOS Setup Slope PWM & A ll ows you to co ntro l the system fa n spe ed. T his it em is con gura ble only wh en 2 nd S yst em Fan Spe ed Control is se t to Manual . Opti ons ar e: 0.75 PWM valu e / o C ~ 2.5 0 PW M valu e / o C. Isochronous Support & Determines whether to enable specic streams within the CPU and Chipset. This i[...]

  • Page 48

    BIOS Setup - 48 - This section provides information on your CPU, memory , motherboard model, and BIOS version. Y ou can also select the default language used by the BIOS and manually set the system time. A T A Port Information ` This section provides information on the device connected to each SA T A port controlled by Intel X79 Chipset. System Lan[...]

  • Page 49

    - 49 - BIOS Setup 2-5 BIOS Features Boot Option Priorities & Species the overall boot order from the available devices. For example, you can set hard drive as the rst priority ( Boot Option #1 ) and DVD ROM drive as the second priority ( Boot Option #2 ). The list only displays the device with the highest priority for a specic type. Fo[...]

  • Page 50

    BIOS Setup - 50 - (Note) This item is present only when you install a CPU that supports this feature. For more information about Intel CPUs' unique features, please visit Intel's website. Init Display First & Species the rst initiation of the monitor display from the PCI Express graphics card s . PCIe Slot1 Sets the graphics car[...]

  • Page 51

    - 51 - BIOS Setup 2-6 Peripherals USB 2.0 Devices (Intel X79 Chipset) & Enables or disables the USB 2.0 controllers integrated with the Intel X79 Chipset. (Default: Enabled) Intel SA T A Control Mode & Enables or disables RAID for the SA T A controllers integrated in the Intel X79 Chipset or congures the SA T A controllers to AHCI mode. [...]

  • Page 52

    BIOS Setup - 52 - USB Storage Devices & Displays a list of connected USB mass storage devices. Y ou can congure how each device is going to be treated. For example, you can emulate a USB ash drive as a oppy disk drive. (Default: Auto) GSA T A Controller (Marvell 88SE9172 Chip, GSA T A3 6 and GSA T A3 7 connectors) & Enables or disa[...]

  • Page 53

    - 53 - BIOS Setup AC BACK & Determines the state of the system after the return of power from an AC power loss. Always Off The system stays off upon the return of the AC power . (Default)  Always On The system is turned on upon the return of the AC power.  Memory The system returns to its last known awake state upon the return of the AC ?[...]

  • Page 54

    BIOS Setup - 54 - (Note) Supported on Windows 7/Vista operating system only . S3(Suspend to RAM) Enables the system to enter the ACPI S3 sleep state. In S3 sleep state, the  syste m appea rs to be off and consumes less power than in the S1 state . When signaled by a wake-up device or event, the system resumes to its working state exactly where i[...]

  • Page 55

    - 55 - BIOS Setup 2-8 Save & Exit Setup Save & Exit Setup & Press <Enter> on this item and select Yes . This saves the changes to the CMOS and exits the BIOS Setup program. Select No or press <Esc> to return to the BIOS Setup Main Menu. Exit Without Saving & Press <Enter> on this item and select Y es . This exits t[...]

  • Page 56

    BIOS Setup - 56 -[...]

  • Page 57

    - 57 - Drivers Installation 3-1 Installing Chipset Drivers Chapter 3 Drivers Installation Before installing the drivers, rst install the operating system. • After installing the operating system, insert the motherboard driver disk into your optical drive. • The driver Autorun screen is automatically displayed which looks like that shown in t[...]

  • Page 58

    Drivers Installation - 58 - 3-2 Application Software This page displays all the utilities and applications that GIGABYTE develops and some free software. Y ou can click the Install button on the right of an item to install it. 3-3 T echnical Manuals This page provides GIGABYTE's application guides, content descriptions for this driver disk, an[...]

  • Page 59

    - 59 - Drivers Installation 3-4 Contact For the detailed contact information of the GIGABYTE T aiwan headquarter or worldwide branch ofces, click the URL on this page to link to the GIGABYTE website. 3-5 System This page provides the basic system information.[...]

  • Page 60

    Drivers Installation - 60 - 3-6 Download Center T o update the BIOS, drivers, or applications, clic k t he Download Center button to link to the GIGABYTE website. The latest version of the BIOS, drivers, or applications will be displayed. 3-7 New Utilities This page provides a quick link to GIGABYTE's lately developed utilities for users to in[...]

  • Page 61

    - 61 - Unique Features 4-1 Xpress Recovery2 Chapter 4 Unique Features Xpress Recovery2 is a utility that allows you to quickly compress and back up your system data and perform restoration of it. Supporting NTFS, F A T32, and FA T16 le systems, Xpress Recovery2 can back up data on P A T A and SA T A hard drives and restore it. Before You Begin: [...]

  • Page 62

    Unique Features - 62 - Step 3: When partitioning your hard drive, make sure to leave unallocated space (10 GB or more is recommended; act ua l siz e re qui re men ts v ary, d epe ndi ng on t he amo unt of da ta) an d b egin t he ins tall atio n o f t he operating system. Step 4: After the operating system is installed, click Start , right-click the[...]

  • Page 63

    - 63 - Unique Features D. Using the Restore Function in Xpress Recovery2 E. Removing the Backup F . Exiting Xpress Recovery2 Select REST ORE to restore the backup to your hard drive in case the system breaks down. The RESTORE option will n ot be present if no backup is created before. Select REBOOT to exit Xpress Recovery2. Step 2: After the backup[...]

  • Page 64

    Unique Features - 64 - 4-2 BIOS Update Utilities GIGABYTE motherboards provide two unique BIOS update tools, Q-Flash ™ and @BIOS ™ . GIGABYTE Q-Flash and @BIOS are easy-to-use and allow you to update the BIOS without the need to enter MS-DOS mode. Additionally, this motherboard features the DualBIOS ™ design, which enhances protection for the[...]

  • Page 65

    - 65 - Unique Features B. Updating the BIOS In the main menu of Q-Flash, use the keyboard or mouse to select an item to execute. When updating the BIOS, choose the location where the BIOS le is saved. The following procedure assumes that you save the BIOS le to a USB ash drive. Step 1: 1. Insert the USB ash drive containing the BIOS [...]

  • Page 66

    Unique Features - 66 - Select Y es to load BIOS defaults Step 4: After the system reboots, you will see the new BIOS version on the POST screen. Step 5: During the POST , press <Delete> to enter BIOS Setup. Select Load Optimized Defaults on the Save & Exit screen and press <Enter> to load BIOS defaults. System will re-detec t all pe[...]

  • Page 67

    - 67 - Unique Features 4-2-2 Updating the BIOS with the @BIOS Utility A. Before Y ou Begin In Windows, close all applications and TSR (T erminate and Stay Resident) programs. This helps prevent 1. unexpected failures when performing a BIOS update. During the BIOS update process, ensure the Internet connection is stable and do NOT interrupt the Inte[...]

  • Page 68

    Unique Features - 68 - 4-3 EasyT une 6 GIGABYTE's EasyTune 6 is a simple and easy-to-use interface that allows users to ne-tune their system settings or do overclock/overvoltage in Windows environment. The user-friendly EasyTune 6 interface also includes tabbed pages for CPU and memory information, letting users read their system-related in[...]

  • Page 69

    - 69 - Unique Features 4-4 Q-Share Q-Sh are is an easy and conv enient data shar ing tool. After cong uring your LAN conne ction setti ngs and Q-Share , you are able to share your data with computers on the same network, making full use of Internet resources. Directions for using Q-Share After installing Q-Share from the motherboard driver disk,[...]

  • Page 70

    Unique Features - 70 - 4-5 Smart 6 ™ GIGABYTE Smart 6 ™ (Note 1) is designed with user-friendliness in mind, and of fers a combination of 6 innovative software utilities that provide easier and smarter PC system management. Smart 6 ™ allows you to speed up system performance, reduce boot-up time, manage a secure platform and recover specie[...]

  • Page 71

    - 71 - Unique Features SMART Recovery 2 Smart Recovery 2 allows you to back up a partition as an image le every hour . Y ou can use these images to restore your system or les when needed. Supported operating systems: Windows 7 and Vista. • Smart Recovery 2 only supports NTFS le system. • Y ou need to select the destination partition in[...]

  • Page 72

    Unique Features - 72 - SMART DualBIOS SMART DualBIOS is a new feature that can record personal passwords and important dates, and remind users of the dates. It also stores the recorded data in the main and backup BIOS simultaneously , which can prevent loss of the data in case the system/hard drive fails. Instructions: Enter the Smart 6 ™ passwor[...]

  • Page 73

    - 73 - Unique Features (Note 1) When launching Smart 6 ™ for the rst time, the system will request you to set up a password. This password is required when you activate SMART DualBIOS or when you want to make changes to the SMART Recorder or SMART TimeLock settings. (Note 2) Y ou will not be able to use the "Safely Remove Hardware" f[...]

  • Page 74

    Unique Features - 74 - With GIGABYTE eXtreme Hard Dri ve (X.H.D) (Note 1) , users can quickly congure a RAID- rea dy syste m for RAID 0 when a new SA T A drive is adde d. For a RAID 0 array tha t alr eady exists, users also can use X.H.D to easily add a hard drive into the array to expand its capacity . All with a simple click of a button, X.H.D[...]

  • Page 75

    - 75 - Unique Features 4-7 Cloud OC Cloud OC (Note 1) is an easy-to-use overclocking utility designed for system overclocking via virtually any Internet-connected device, such as a smart phone, iPhone, notebook PC, etc. By simply connecting to an Internet browser via LAN, wireless LAN, or Bluetooth (Note 2) and logging in to the Cloud OC server , y[...]

  • Page 76

    Unique Features - 76 - 4-8 T ouchBIOS T ouchBIOS allows you to congure your BIOS settings in Windows environment with a click of your mouse and a touch of your screen. The T ouchBIOS Interface Button Information T able Button Description Button Description Allows you to change CPU ratio, BCLK, memory speed, Vcore and memory voltages. Allows you [...]

  • Page 77

    - 77 - Appendix Chapter 5 Appendix 5-1 Conguring SA T A Hard Drive(s) T o configure SA T A hard drive(s), follow the steps below: Install SA T A hard drive(s) in your computer . A. Configure SA T A controller mode in BIOS Setup. B. Configure a RAID array in RAID BIOS. C. (Note 1) Install the SA T A RAID/AHCI driver and operating system. D. (Note[...]

  • Page 78

    Appendix - 78 - The BIO S Set up menus desc ribed in this sec tion may dif fer from the exac t set tings for your moth erboar d. The actual BIOS Setup menu options you will see shall depend on the motherboard you have and the BIOS version. B. Configuring SA T A controller mode in BIOS Setup Make sure to configure the SA T A controller mode correctl[...]

  • Page 79

    - 79 - Appendix C. Configuring a RAID array in RAID BIOS Enter the RAID BIOS setup utility to configure a RAID array . Skip this step and proceed with the installation of Windows operating system for a non-RAID configuration. Step 1: After the POST memory test begins and before the operating system boot begins, look for a message which says "P[...]

  • Page 80

    Appendix - 80 - Step 3: After entering the CREA TE VOLUME MENU screen, enter a volume name with 1~16 letters (letters cannot be special characters) under the Name item and press <Enter>. Then, select a RAID level (Figure 4). RAID levels supported include RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, and RAID 5 (the selections available depend on the number of the[...]

  • Page 81

    - 81 - Appendix Step 5: Enter the array capacity and press <Enter>. Finally press <Enter> on the Create V olume item to begin creating the RAID array . When prompted to confirm whether to create this volume, press <Y> to confirm or <N> to cancel (Figure 6). When completed, you can see detailed information about the RAID arra[...]

  • Page 82

    Appendix - 82 - Delete RAID V olume T o delete a RAID array , select Delete RAID V olume in MAIN MENU and press <Enter>. In the DELE TE VOLUME MENU section, use the up or down arrow key to select the array to be deleted and press <Delete>. When prompted to confirm your selection (Figure 8), press <Y> to confirm or <N> to abo[...]

  • Page 83

    - 83 - Appendix 5-1-2 Conguring Marvell 88SE9172 SA T A Controllers A. Installing SA T A hard drive(s) in your computer Attach one end of the SA T A signal cable to the rear of the SA T A hard drive and the other end to available SA T A port on the motherboard. The Marvell 88SE9172 SA T A controllers control the onboard GSA T A3 6/7 and eSA TA c[...]

  • Page 84

    Appendix - 84 - Figure 2 Step 2: Save changes and exit BIOS Setup. Figure 3 C. Configuring a RAID array in RAID BIOS Enter the RAID BIOS setup utility to configure a RAID array . Skip this step and proceed to the installation of Windows operating system for a non-RAID configuration. After the POST memory test begins and before the operating system [...]

  • Page 85

    - 85 - Appendix On the main screen of the RAID setup utility (Figure 4), use the left or right arrow key to move through tabs. Figure 4 ENTER/SP ACE: Select, ESC: Back/Exit Adapter 0 [ Adapter ] [ Devices ] [ RAID ] V endor ID Device ID: 1B4B:91A2 BIOS V ersion: 1.0.1.0025 PCI Slot: 00 IRQ Number: 0A Raid Mode: RAID0 RAID1 Marvell BIOS Setup (c) 20[...]

  • Page 86

    Appendix - 86 - Figure 6 Step 2: The next screen displays the two hard drives you installed. Press <Enter> or <Space> on the two hard drives respectively to add them into the RAID array . Selected hard drives are marked with an asterisk (Figure 6). Then press <Enter> on NEXT . ENTER/SP ACE: Select, ESC: Back/Exit [ Adapter] [ Devi[...]

  • Page 87

    - 87 - Appendix NEXT : 6. After completing the settings above, move to NEXT and press <Enter> to begin creating the array . When prompted to confirm, press <Y> to confirm or <N> to cancel (Figure 8). [ Adapter] [ Devices] Marvell BIOS Setup (c) 2009 Marvell T echnology Group Ltd. [ RAID ] Create the VD?[Y] RAID Cong Port Disk N[...]

  • Page 88

    Appendix - 88 - Delete the RAID Array: T o deleted the existing array , press <Enter> on the RAID tab and select Delete VD . When the Delete VD menu appears, press <Enter> on the array to select it and then press <Enter> on NEXT . When prompted, press <Y> to confirm (Figure 10). When the me ssag e "Do y ou wan t to de l[...]

  • Page 89

    - 89 - Appendix 5-1-3 Installing the SA T A RAID/AHCI Driver and Operating System With the correct BIOS settings, you are ready to install the operating system. A. Installing Windows 7/Vista (The following instructions use Windows 7 as the example operating system.) Step 1: Boot from the Windows 7/Vista setup disk and perform standard OS installati[...]

  • Page 90

    Appendix - 90 - Figure 3 B. Installing Windows XP (For the Marvell 88SE9172) (Note) Before installing Windows XP , connect a USB floppy disk drive to your computer first because you need to install the SAT A RAID/AHCI driver from a floppy disk that contains the driver during the OS installation. Without the driver , the hard drive(s) may not be rec[...]

  • Page 91

    - 91 - Appendix Refer to the following for installing the driver during the Windows setup process. Step 1: Restart your system to boot from the Windows XP setup disk and press <F6> as soon as you see the message "Press F6 if you need to install a 3rd party SCSI or RAID driver ." A screen will then appear asking you to specify an add[...]

  • Page 92

    Appendix - 92 - C. Rebuilding an Array Rebuilding is the process of restoring data to a hard drive from other drives in the array . Rebuilding applies only to fault-tolerant arrays such as RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 arrays. The procedures below assume a new drive is added to replace a failed drive to rebuild a RAID 1 array . (Note: The new drive m[...]

  • Page 93

    - 93 - Appendix Performing the Rebuild in the Operating System • While in the operating system, make sure the Chipset driver and Intel Rapid Storage T echnology Enterprise RAID Port Drivers have been installed from the motherboard driver disk. Then launch Intel Rapid Storage T echnology enterprise from All Programs in the Start menu. Step 1: On t[...]

  • Page 94

    Appendix - 94 - Step 2: The new hard drive will be displayed on the screen. Press <Enter> or <Space> on the new hard drive to select it and then press <Enter> on NEXT . When prompted, press <Y> to confirm. The new hard drive is now set as a Spare drive. For the Marvell 88SE9172: Turn of f your computer and replace the failed[...]

  • Page 95

    - 95 - Appendix Manually Rebuilding RAID 1 in the Operating System • Y ou can manually rebuild a RAID 1 array without setting the new hard drive as a Spare drive in the RAID setup utility first. While in the operating system, open the Marvell Storage Utility and login. Under Virtual Disk 0 , the Property t ab dis play s th e rebuild progress on t[...]

  • Page 96

    Appendix - 96 - 5-2 Bigfoot Killer Network Manager The Bigfoot Killer Network Manager allows you to view your network connection status and Internet bandwidth and to configure your network settings. It also displays your system information and CPU/memory usage. After installing the LAN driver , you can access the Bigfoot Killer Network Manager in S[...]

  • Page 97

    - 97 - Appendix Y ou can change the upload and download bandwidth for each application as well. Click the application you want and move the cursor to the arrow on the right end of the bar . When the cursor changes to a double-headed arrow , drag it to change the bandwidth. Bandwidth T esting After instal ling the LAN driver from the motherboa rd dr[...]

  • Page 98

    Appendix - 98 - 5-3-1 Conguring 2/4/5.1/7.1-Channel Audio The motherboard supports 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel audio. R ef e r t o t he f o l lo w i n g fo r m u l ti - c h an n e l s pe a k e r configurations. 2-channel audio: Headphone or Line out. • 4- c h an n e l au d i o: F r o nt s p ea k e r ou t a nd R e a r • peaker out. 5.1-channel audio:[...]

  • Page 99

    - 99 - Appendix 5-3-2 Conguring S/PDIF Out The S/PDIF Out jack can transmit audio signals to an external decoder for decoding to get the best audio quality . 1. Connecting a S/PDIF Out Cable: Connect a S/PDIF optical cable to an external decoder for transmitting the S/PDIF digital audio signals. (Note) Select SPDIF Out if you use the S/PDIF Out [...]

  • Page 100

    Appendix - 100 - After installing the audio driver, you can find the Creative Software Suite in StartAll ProgramsCreative. The Creative Software Suite includes the Creative Audio Control Panel, Creative Software AutoUpdate, Alchemy , and Sound Blaster X-Fi. 5-3-3 Creative Software Suite (The following instructions use Windows 7 as the example ope[...]

  • Page 101

    - 101 - Appendix Sound Blaster X-Fi Sound Blaster X-Fi provides users with three different modes of operation. Users are able to customize their audio settings for different scenarios. For details on how to use each function, click the help icon on the top right corner of the screen to open the help file. Go to StartAll ProgramsCreativeSound Bla[...]

  • Page 102

    Appendix - 102 - Step 3: Enabling Dolby Digital Live: Select the Dolby Digital Live option and then click the Settings button on the right to access the next screen. On the next screen, select the default output device. Enabling DTS Connect: Select the DTS Connect op t i on . T o en a b l e D T S Neo:PC which can turn 2-channel audio source into mu[...]

  • Page 103

    - 103 - Appendix 5-3-5 Conguring Audio Record ing Step 2: In the Recorder section at the right bottom of the AUDIO CREA TION MODE screen, select the record format and click to begin the recording. T o stop the recording, click . After installing the audio driver, go to StartAll Programs CreativeSound Blaster X-Fi and open the C re at ive Cons[...]

  • Page 104

    Appendix - 104 - 5-4 T roubleshooting 5-4-1 Frequently Asked Questions T o read more FAQs for your motherboard, please go to the Support & DownloadsF AQ page on GIGABYTE's website. Q: In the BIOS Setup program, why are some BIOS options missing? A: Some advanced options are hidden in the BIOS Setup program. Press <Delete> to enter B[...]

  • Page 105

    - 105 - Appendix 5-4-2 T roubleshooting Procedure If you encounter any troubles during system startup, follow the troubleshooting procedure below to solve the problem. ST ART A Turn off the power. Remove all peripherals, connecting cables, and power cord etc. Isolate the short circuit. Secure the CPU cooler on the CPU. Connect the CPU cooler power [...]

  • Page 106

    Appendix - 106 - If the procedure above is unable to solve your problem, contact the place of purchase or local dealer for help. Or go to the Support & DownloadsT echnical Support page to submit your question. Our customer service staff will reply you as soon as possible. The power supply , CPU or CPU socket might fail. The keyboard or keyboar[...]

  • Page 107

    - 107 - Appendix 5-4-3 Regulatory Statements Regulatory Notices This document must not be copied without our written permission, and the contents there of must not be imparted to a third party nor be used for any unauthorized purpose. Contravention will be prosecuted. W e believe that the information contained herein was accurate in all respects at[...]

  • Page 108

    Appendix - 108 -[...]

  • Page 109

    - 109 - Appendix[...]

  • Page 110

    Appendix - 110 -[...]

  • Page 111

    - 1 1 1 - Appendix Contact Us GIGA-BYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., L TD. • Address: No.6, Bao Chiang Road, Hsin-Tien Dist., New T aipei City 231,T aiwan TEL: +886-2-8912-4000 F AX: +886-2-8912-4003 T ech. and Non-T ech. Support (Sales/Marketing) : http://ggts.gigabyte.com.tw WEB address (English): http://www .gigabyte.com WEB address (Chinese): http://www .[...]

  • Page 112

    Appendix - 112 - G.B.T . TECHNOLOGY TRADING GMBH - Germany • WEB address : http://www .gigabyte.de G.B.T . TECH. CO., L TD. - U.K. • WEB address : http://www .giga-byte.co.uk Giga-Byte T echnology B.V . - The Netherlands • WEB address : http://www .giga-byte.nl GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY FRANCE - France • WEB address : http://www .gigabyte.fr Swed[...]