Preface
Copyright
This  publication,  including  all  photographs,  illustrations  and  software,  is  protected  under
international  copyright  laws,  with  all  rights  reserved.  Neither  this  manual,  nor  any  of  the
material  contained  herein,  may  be  reproduced  without  written  consent  of  the  author.
Version  1.0
Disclaimer
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  merchantability  or  fitness  for  any  particular  purpose.
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.
Trademark Recognition
Microsoft,  MS-DOS  and  Windows  are  registered  trademarks  of  Microsoft  Corp.
AMD, Athlon,  and  Duron  are  registered  trademarks  of AMD  Corporation.
Other  product  names  used  in  this  manual  are  the  properties  of  their  respective  owners  and
are  acknowledged.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
This  equipment  has  been  tested  and  found  to  comply  with  the  limits  for  a  Class  B  digital
device,  pursuant  to  Part  15  of  the  FCC  Rules.  These  limits  are  designed  to  provide  reason-
able  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  the  instructions,  may  cause  harmful  interference  to  radio  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:
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•
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Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
Connect the equipment onto an outlet on a circuit different from that to which
the  receiver  is  connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Shielded  interconnect  cables  and  a  shielded AC  power  cable  must  be  employed  with  this
equipment  to  ensure  compliance  with  the  pertinent  RF  emission  limits  governing  this
device.  Changes  or  modifications  not  expressly  approved  by  the  system’s  manufacturer
could  void  the  user’s  authority  to  operate  the  equipment.
Preface
ii
Declaration of Conformity
This  device  complies  with  part  15  of  the  FCC  rules.  Operation  is  subject  to  the  following
conditions:
•
•
This device may not cause harmful interference, and
This  device  must  accept  any  interference  received,  including  interference
that may cause undesired operation.
Canadian Department of Communications
This  class  B  digital  apparatus  meets  all  requirements  of  the  Canadian  Interference-causing
Equipment  Regulations.
Cet  appareil  numérique  de  la  classe  B  respecte  toutes  les  exigences  du  Réglement  sur  le
matériel brouilieur du Canada.
About the Manual
The  manual  consists  of  the  following:
Chapter 1
Introducing the Motherboard
Chapter 2
Installing the Motherboard
Chapter 3
Using BIOS
Describes features of the motherboard.
Go to  page  1
Describes  installation  of  motherboard
components.
Go to  page 7
Provides information on using the BIOS
Setup Utility.
Go to  page  25
Chapter 4
Using the Motherboard Software
Describes  the  motherboard  software
Go to  page  47
Preface
iii
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Preface
                              i
Chapter 1
Introducing the Motherboard
              1
                1
Introduction................................................................................................1
Features.......................................................................................................2
 Motherboard Components.......................................................................4
     7 7 7 7 7
Chapter 2
Installing the Motherboard                                                                                      7
Safety Precautions......................................................................................7
Choosing a Computer Case.......................................................................7
Installing the Motherboard in a Case......................................................7
Checking Jumper Settings.........................................................................8
Setting Jumpers..............................................................................8
Checking Jumper Settings..............................................................9
Jumper Settings..............................................................................9
Connecting Case Components...............................................................10
Front Panel Header.....................................................................12
 Installing Hardware...................................................................................13
Installing the Processor...............................................................13
Installing Memory Modules.........................................................14
Installing a Hard Disk Drive/CD-ROM/SATA Hard Drive........17
Installing a Floppy Diskette Drive...............................................19
Installing Add-on Cards..............................................................19
Connecting Optional Devices......................................................21
Connecting I/O Devices..........................................................................23
Chapter 3
Using BIOS
     25 25 25 25 25
    25
About the Setup Utility............................................................................25
The Standard Configuration........................................................25
Entering the Setup Utility..............................................................25
Updating the BIOS.......................................................................27
Using BIOS................................................................................................27
Standard CMOS Features...........................................................28
Advanced BIOS Features.............................................................30
Advanced Chipset Features.........................................................33
iv
Integrated Peripherals.................................................................35
Power Management Setup...........................................................40
PNP/PCI Configurations.............................................................41
PC Health Status..........................................................................42
Voltage Control............................................................................43
Load Optimized Defaults.............................................................44
Set Supervisor/User Password....................................................44
Save & Exit Setup Option.............................................................45
Exit Without Saving......................................................................45
Chapter 4
Using the Motherboard Software
     47 47 47 47 47
    47
About the Software CD-ROM................................................................47
Auto-installing under Windows 98/ME/2000/XP................................47
Running Setup..............................................................................48
Manual Installation..................................................................................50
Utility Software Reference.......................................................................50
1
Chapter 1
Introducing the Motherboard
Introduction
Thank  you  for  choosing  the  NFORCE3-A  motherboard.  This  motherboard  is  a  high  perfor-
mance,  enhanced  function  motherboard  that  supports  Socket  754 AMD  K8  processors  for
high-end  business  or  personal  desktop  markets.
The NFORCE3-A motherboard is based on NVIDIA™ NFORCE®3 250, which is a single-
chip,  highly  integrated,  high  performance  HyperTransport      peripheral  controller,  un-
matched  by  any  other  single  chip-device  controller.   This  motherboard  supports  two  DDR
modules  at  400/333/266/200  MHz  operation  with  up  to  2GB  of  system  memory,  high
resolution  graphics  via  an  5  PCI  slots,  one AGP  8X  slot,  10/100  LAN,  USB  2.0,  and  6-
channel  audio.
There  is  an  advanced  full  set  of  I/O  ports  in  the  rear  panel,  including  PS/2  mouse  and
keyboard  connectors,  COM1,  LPT1,  four  USB  ports,  one  optional  LAN  port,  and  audio
jacks  for  microphone,  line-in,  and  line-out.   This  motherboard  is  designed  in  an ATX  form
factor  using  a  four-layer  printed  circuit  board  and  measures  295  mm  x  205  mm.
™
Introducing the Motherboard
2
Feature
Processor
This  motherboard  uses  a  754-pin  socket  that  carries  the  following  features:
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Accommodates AMD  K8  processors
Supports  HyperTransport      interface  for AMD  K8  processors
T M
T M
HyperTransport      Technology  is  a  point-to-point  link  between  two  devices,  it  enables
integrated  circuits  to  exchange  information  at  much  higher  speeds  than  currently  avail-
able  interconnect  technologies.
Chipset
The  nForce®3  250  is  a  single-chip  with  proven  reliability  and  performance.
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HyperTransport link to the AMD Athlon 64/Athlon 64 FX CPU
AGP3.0 8X interface at 533 MT/s
PCI 2.3 interface, supporting up to six PCI slots
Two separate SATA controllers with integrated PHYs, each supporting two
drives in master mode
IEEE 802.3 NVIDIA MAC for 100BASE-TX/10BASE-T Fast Ethernet/Ethernet
Single USB 2.0 EHCI and Dual USB 1.1 OHCI, supporting up to eight ports
Dual Fast ATA-133 IDE controllers
AC’97 2.3 interface, supporting S/PDIF pass-through function
Memory
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2 x 184-pin, 2.5V, DDR SDRAM DIMM sockets support up to 2GB
Support DDR400/333/266/200 unbuffered DDR SDRAM
AC’97 Audio CODEC
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Compliant with the AC’97 v2.3 CODEC
Supports 6-channel audio CODEC designed for PC multimedia systems
Provides three analog line-level inputs with 5-bit volume control: Line-in, CD,
AUX
Supports S/PDIF output function
Expansion Options
      The  motherboard  comes  with  the  following  expansion  options:
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One AGP 8X slot
Five 32-bit PCI slots
Two IDE headers which support four IDE devices
One floppy disk drive interface
Two  7-pin  SATA  connectors
This  motherboard  supports  UltraDMA  bus  mastering  with  transfer  rates  of  133/100/66
MB/s.
Introducing the Motherboard