G31M-GS / G31M-S

User Manual

Version 2.0
Published June 2009
Copyright2009 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.

Copyright Notice:
No part of this manual may be reproduced, transcribed, transmitted, or translated in
any language, in any form or by any means, except duplication of documentation by
the purchaser for backup purpose, without written consent of ASRock Inc.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for
identification or explanation and to the owners benefit, without intent to infringe.

Disclaimer:
Specifications and information contained in this manual are furnished for informational use only and subject to change without notice, and should not be constructed
as a commitment by ASRock. ASRock assumes no responsibility for any errors or
omissions that may appear in this manual.
With respect to the contents of this manual, ASRock does not provide warranty of
any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties or conditions of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
In no event shall ASRock, its directors, officers, employees, or agents be liable for
any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages (including damages for
loss of profits, loss of business, loss of data, interruption of business and the like),
even if ASRock has been advised of the possibility of such damages arising from any
defect or error in the manual or product.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
CALIFORNIA, USA ONLY
The Lithium battery adopted on this motherboard contains Perchlorate, a toxic
substance controlled in Perchlorate Best Management Practices (BMP) regulations
passed by the California Legislature. When you discard the Lithium battery in
California, USA, please follow the related regulations in advance.
Perchlorate Material-special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate
ASRock Website: http://www.asrock.com

Contents
1 Introduction ................................................... 5
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5

Package Contents ..........................................................

Specifications ................................................................
Motherboard Layout ......................................................
I/O Panel (G31M-GS) .....................................................
I/O Panel (G31M-S) ........................................................

5
6
10
11
12

2 Installation ...................................................... 13
2.1 Screw Holes .................................................................
2.2 Pre-installation Precautions ...........................................
2.3 CPU Installation ..............................................................
2.4 Installation of Heatsink and CPU fan .............................
2.5 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM) .........................
2.6 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots) .....................
2.7 Jumpers Setup ..............................................................
2.8 Onboard Headers and Connectors ..............................
2.9 SATAII Hard Disk Setup Guide .......................................
2.10 Serial ATA (SATA) / Serial ATAII (SATAII) Hard Disks
Installation ......................................................................
2.11 Driver Installation Guide ...............................................
2.12 Untied Overclocking Technology ..................................

13
13
14
16
17
18
19
21
25
26
26
26

3 BIOS SSETUP
ETUP UTILITY ........................................... 27
3.1 Introduction ....................................................................
3.1.1 BIOS Menu Bar ....................................................
3.1.2 Navigation Keys ...................................................
3.2 Main Screen ...................................................................
3.3 Smart Screen ................................................................
3.4 Advanced Screen .........................................................
3.4.1 CPU Configuration ................................................
3.4.2 Chipset Configuration ..........................................
3.4.3 ACPI Configuration ...............................................
3.4.4 IDE Configuration .................................................
3.4.5 PCIPnP Configuration ...........................................
3.4.6 Floppy Configuration ...........................................
3.4.7 Super IO Configuration ........................................
3.4.8 USB Configuration ...............................................
3.5 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen ..................
3.6 Boot Screen ...................................................................
3.6.1 Boot Settings Configuration ..................................

27
27
28
28
30
31
31
33
36
37
39
40
40
41
42
43
43

3.7 Security Screen ............................................................ 44

3.8 Exit Screen .................................................................... 45

4 Software Support ........................................... 46

4.1 Install Operating System ...............................................
4.2 Support CD Information .................................................
4.2.1 Running Support CD ............................................
4.2.2 Drivers Menu ........................................................
4.2.3 Utilities Menu ........................................................
4.2.4 Contact Information ..............................................

46
46
46
46
46
46

Chapter 1 Introduction
Thank you for purchasing ASRock G31M-GS / G31M-S motherboard, a reliable
motherboard produced under ASRocks consistently stringent quality control. It delivers
excellent performance with robust design conforming to ASRocks commitment to quality and endurance.
In this manual, chapter 1 and 2 contain introduction of the motherboard and step-by-step
guide to the hardware installation. Chapter 3 and 4 contain the configuration guide to
BIOS setup and information of the Support CD.
Because the motherboard specifications and the BIOS software might be
updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without
notice. In case any modifications of this manual occur, the updated
version will be available on ASRock website without further notice. You
may find the latest VGA cards and CPU support lists on ASRock website
as well. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com
If you require technical support related to this motherboard, please visit
our website for specific information about the model you are using.
www.asrock.com/support/index.asp

1.1 PPack
ack
age Contents
ackage
ASRock G31M-GS / G31M-S Motherboard
(Micro ATX Form Factor: 9.6-in x 7.2-in, 24.4 cm x 18.3 cm)
ASRock G31M-GS / G31M-S Quick Installation Guide
ASRock G31M-GS / G31M-S Support CD
One 80-conductor Ultra ATA 66/100 IDE Ribbon Cable (Optional)
One Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cable (Optional)
One I/O Panel Shield

1.2

Specifications

Platform
CPU

Chipset
Memory

Expansion Slot

Graphics

Audio
LAN

Rear Panel I/O

- Micro ATX Form Factor: 9.6-in x 7.2-in, 24.4 cm x 18.3 cm

- LGA 775 for Intel CoreTM 2 Extreme / CoreTM 2 Quad / CoreTM
2 Duo / Pentium Dual Core / Celeron Dual Core / Celeron,
supporting Penryn Quad Core Yorkfield and Dual Core
Wolfdale processors
- Compatible with all FSB1600/1333/1066/800/533MHz CPUs
(see CAUTION 1)
- Supports CPU up to 105W
- Supports Hyper-Threading Technology (see CAUTION 2)
- Supports Untied Overclocking Technology (see CAUTION 3)
- Supports EM64T CPU
- Northbridge: Intel G31
- Southbridge: Intel ICH7
- Dual Channel DDR2 Memory Technology (see CAUTION 4)
- 2 x DDR2 DIMM slots
- Supports DDR2 800/667/533 non-ECC, un-buffered memory
(see CAUTION 5)
- Max. capacity of system memory: 8GB (see CAUTION 6)
- 1 x PCI Express x16 slot
- 1 x PCI Express x1 slot
- 2 x PCI slots
- Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100
- Pixel Shader 2.0, DirectX 9.0
- Max. shared memory 384MB (see CAUTION 7)
- 5.1 CH Windows VistaTM Premium Level HD Audio
(Realtek ALC662 Audio Codec)
- G31M-GS
Realtek PCIE x 1 Gigabit LAN RTL8111DL,
speed 10/100/1000 Mb/s
- G31M-S
Realtek PCIE x1 LAN 8103EL / 8102EL, speed 10/100 Mb/s
- Supports Wake-On-LAN
I/O Panel
- 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port
- 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port
- 1 x Serial Port: COM1
- 1 x VGA Port
- 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports
- 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED)

Connector

BIOS Feature

Support CD
Unique Feature

Hardware
Monitor

OS
Certifications

- HD Audio Jack: Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone

- 4 x SATAII 3.0 Gb/s connectors (No Support for RAID and
Hot Plug functions) (see CAUTION 8)
- 1 x ATA100 IDE connector (supports 2 x IDE devices)
- 1 x Floppy connector
- 1 x Print port header
- CPU/Chassis FAN connector
- 24 pin ATX power connector
- 4 pin 12V power connector
- Front panel audio connector
- 2 x USB 2.0 headers (support 4 USB 2.0 ports)
(see CAUTION 9)
- 4Mb AMI BIOS
- AMI Legal BIOS
- Supports Plug and Play
- ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events
- AMBIOS 2.3.1 Support
- Supports Smart BIOS
- Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version)
- ASRock OC Tuner (see CAUTION 10)
- Intelligent Energy Saver (see CAUTION 11)
- Instant Boot
- ASRock Instant Flash (see CAUTION 12)
- Hybrid Booster:
- CPU Frequency Stepless Control (see CAUTION 13)
- ASRock U-COP (see CAUTION 14)
- Boot Failure Guard (B.F.G.)
- CPU Temperature Sensing
- Chassis Temperature Sensing
- CPU Fan Tachometer
- Chassis Fan Tachometer
- CPU Quiet Fan
- Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, Vcore
- Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP / XP 64-bit / VistaTM /
VistaTM 64-bit compliant
- FCC, CE
- EuP Ready (EuP ready power supply is required)
(see CAUTION 15)

* For detailed product information, please visit our website: http://www.asrock.com

WARNING
Please realize that there is a certain risk involved with overclocking, including adjusting
the setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking Technology, or using the thirdparty overclocking tools. Overclocking may affect your system stability, or even
cause damage to the components and devices of your system. It should be done at
your own risk and expense. We are not responsible for possible damage caused by
overclocking.

CAUTION!
1.

FSB1600-CPU will operate in overclocking mode. Under this situation,

PCIE frequency will also be overclocked to 120MHz. Besides, if you want
to overclock the CPU you adopt from FSB800 to FSB1066, you need to
adjust the jumpers. If you adopt FSB533-CPU or FSB1600-CPU, you also
need to adjust the jumpers. Please refer to page 20 for proper jumper

2.

settings.
About the setting of Hyper Threading Technology, please check page 32.

3.

This motherboard supports Untied Overclocking Technology. Please read

Untied Overclocking Technology on page 26 for details.

4.

This motherboard supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. Before you

implement Dual Channel Memory Technology, make sure to read the

5.

installation guide of memory modules on page 17 for proper installation.

Please check the table below for the CPU FSB frequency and its
corresponding memory support frequency.
CPU FSB Frequency
Memory Support Frequency

6.

1600
1333

DDR2 800
DDR2 667, DDR2 800

1066
800

DDR2 667, DDR2 800

DDR2 667, DDR2 800

533
DDR2 533
Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be
less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows XP
and Windows VistaTM. For Windows XP 64-bit and Windows VistaTM 64-

7.

bit with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limitation.

The maximum shared memory size is defined by the chipset vendor and

8.

is subject to change. Please check Intel website for the latest information.
Before installing SATAII hard disk to SATAII connector, please read the SATAII
Hard Disk Setup Guide on page 25 to adjust your SATAII hard disk drive to
SATAII mode. You can also connect SATA hard disk to SATAII connector

9.

directly.
Power Management for USB 2.0 works fine under Microsoft Windows
VistaTM 64-bit / VistaTM / XP 64-bit / XP SP1 or SP2 / 2000 SP4.

10. It is a user-friendly ASRock overclocking tool which allows you to surveil

your system by hardware monitor function and overclock your hardware
devices to get the best system performance under Windows environment.
Please visit our website for the operation procedures of ASRock OC
Tuner. ASRock website: http://www.asrock.com
11. Featuring an advanced proprietary hardware and software design,
Intelligent Energy Saver is a revolutionary technology that delivers
unparalleled power savings. In other words, it is able to provide exceptional power saving and improve power efficiency without sacrificing
computing performance. Please visit our website for the operation procedures of Intelligent Energy Saver.
ASRock website: http://www.asrock.com
12. ASRock Instant Flash is a BIOS flash utility embedded in Flash ROM.
This convenient BIOS update tool allows you to update system BIOS
without entering operating systems first like MS-DOS or Windows. With
this utility, you can press <F6> key during the POST or press <F2> key to
BIOS setup menu to access ASRock Instant Flash. Just launch this tool
and save the new BIOS file to your USB flash drive, floppy disk or hard
drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without preparing an additional floppy diskette or other complicated flash utility. Please
be noted that the USB flash drive or hard drive must use FAT32/16/12 file
system.
13. Although this motherboard offers stepless control, it is not recommended
to perform over-clocking. Frequencies other than the recommended CPU
bus frequencies may cause the instability of the system or damage the
CPU.
14. While CPU overheat is detected, the system will automatically shutdown.
Before you resume the system, please check if the CPU fan on the
motherboard functions properly and unplug the power cord, then plug it
back again. To improve heat dissipation, remember to spray thermal
grease between the CPU and the heatsink when you install the PC system.
15. EuP, stands for Energy Using Product, was a provision regulated by
European Union to define the power consumption for the completed system.
According to EuP, the total AC power of the completed system shall be
under 1.00W in off mode condition. To meet EuP standard, an EuP ready
motherboard and an EuP ready power supply are required. According to
Intels suggestion, the EuP ready power supply must meet the standard of
5v standby power efficiency is higher than 50% under 100 mA current
consumption. For EuP ready power supply selection, we recommend you
checking with the power supply manufacturer for more details.

1.3 Motherboard Layout

2

18.3cm (7.2 in)

PS2
Mouse

PS2_USB_PWR1

COM1

FSB1600
DDR2 800
Dual Channel

1
1
1

OC 800
FSB0
FSB1

Intel
G31
Chipset

LPT1

USB 2.0
T: USB0 Top:
RJ-45
B: USB1

27

6
24.4cm (9.6 in)

USB 2.0
T: USB2
B: USB3

FSB800

VGA1

28

DDRII_2 (64 bit, 240-pin module)

ATX12V1

FSB800

CPU_FAN1

29

DDRII_1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)

PS2
Keyboard

Top:
Line In

Bottom:
Mic In

Center:
Line Out

7
EuP Ready

26

LAN
PHY

PCIE1

IDE1

CMOS
Battery

CLRCMOS1

25

PCIE2

10

Intel
ICH7

PCI1

4Mb
BIOS

SATAII_4

24
23

RoHS
SATAII_3

Super
IO

SATAII_1

CHA_FAN1

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

10

SPEAKER1

1
USB6_7

HD_AUDIO1

21 20

SATAII_2

USB4_5

1
1

22

11

HDLED RESET

PCI2
EUP_LAN
EUP_AUDIO1 FLOPPY1

PANEL 1
PLED PWRBTN

AUDIO
CODEC

19

18

17

PS2_USB_PWR1 Jumper
16
775-Pin CPU Socket
17
North Bridge Controller
18
CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)
19
2 x 240-pin DDR2 DIMM Slots
20
(Dual Channel: DDRII_1, DDRII_2; Yellow)
21
ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1)
IDE1 Connector (IDE1, Blue)
22
Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)
23
South Bridge Controller
24
Third SATAII Connector (SATAII_3; Orange)
25
Fourth SATAII Connector (SATAII_4; Orange)
26
System Panel Header (PANEL1, Orange)
27
Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER 1, Purple) 28
Primary SATAII Connector (SATAII_1; Red)
29
Secondary SATAII Connector (SATAII_2; Red)

16

15

14 13

12

USB 2.0 Header (USB6_7, Blue)

USB 2.0 Header (USB4_5, Blue)
Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)
Floppy Connector (FLOPPY1)
EUP Audio Jumper (EUP_AUDIO1)
Front Panel Audio Header
(HD_AUDIO1, Lime)
EUP LAN Jumper (EUP_LAN1)
PCI Slots (PCI1- 2)
BIOS SPI Chip
PCI Express x16 Slot (PCIE2)
PCI Express x1 Slot (PCIE1)
Print Port Header (LPT1, Purple)
OC 800 / FSB0 / FSB1 Jumper
ATX 12V Connector (ATX12V1)

1.4 I/O Panel (G31M-GS)

1

4
5
6

10
1
2
*3
4
5

PS/2 Mouse Port (Green)

USB 2.0 Ports (USB23)
RJ-45 Port
Line In (Light Blue)
Line Out (Lime)

6
7
8
9
10

Microphone (Pink)
USB 2.0 Ports (USB01)
VGA Port
COM Port
PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)

* There are two LED next to the LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED
indications.

LAN Port LED Indications

Activity/Link LED
Status

Description

Off
No Link
Blinking Data Activity
On
Link

SPEED LED
Status

Off
Orange
Green

Description

10Mbps connection
100Mbps connection
1Gbps connection

ACT/LINK SPEED
LED
LED

LAN Port

** To enable Multi-Streaming function, you need to connect a front panel audio cable to the front
panel audio header. Please refer to below steps for the software setting of Multi-Streaming.
For Windows XP:
After restarting your computer, you will find Mixer tool on your system. Please select Mixer
ToolBox

, click Enable playback multi-streaming, and click ok. Choose 2CH or

4CH and then you are allowed to select Realtek HDA Primary output to use Rear Speaker
and Front Speaker, or select Realtek HDA Audio 2nd output to use front panel audio. Then
reboot your system.
For Windows VistaTM:
After restarting your computer, please double-click Realtek HD Audio Manager on the
system tray. Set Speaker Configuration to Quadraphonic or Stereo. Click Device
advanced settings, choose Make front and rear output devices playbacks two different audio
streams simultaneously, and click ok. Then reboot your system.

11

1.5 I/O Panel (G31M-S)

1

4
5
6

10
1
2
*3
4
5

PS/2 Mouse Port (Green)

USB 2.0 Ports (USB23)
RJ-45 Port
Line In (Light Blue)
Line Out (Lime)

6
7
8
9
10

Microphone (Pink)
USB 2.0 Ports (USB01)
VGA Port
COM Port
PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)

* There are two LED next to the LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED
indications.

LAN Port LED Indications

Activity/Link LED
Status
Description

Off
No Link
Blinking Data Activity
On
Link

Status

Off
Green

SPEED LED
Description

ACT/LINK SPEED
LED
LED

No Activity
100Mbps connection
LAN Port

** To enable Multi-Streaming function, you need to connect a front panel audio cable to the front
panel audio header. Please refer to below steps for the software setting of Multi-Streaming.
For Windows XP:
After restarting your computer, you will find Mixer tool on your system. Please select Mixer
ToolBox
, click Enable playback multi-streaming, and click ok. Choose 2CH or
4CH and then you are allowed to select Realtek HDA Primary output to use Rear Speaker
and Front Speaker, or select Realtek HDA Audio 2nd output to use front panel audio. Then
reboot your system.
For Windows VistaTM:
After restarting your computer, please double-click Realtek HD Audio Manager on the
system tray. Set Speaker Configuration to Quadraphonic or Stereo. Click Device
advanced settings, choose Make front and rear output devices playbacks two different audio
streams simultaneously, and click ok. Then reboot your system.

12

Chapter 2 Installation
G31M-GS / G31M-S is a Micro ATX form factor (9.6" x 7.2", 24.4 x 18.3 cm)
motherboard. Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your
chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it.
Make sure to unplug the power cord before installing or removing the
motherboard. Failure to do so may cause physical injuries to you and
damages to motherboard components.

2.1 Screw Holes

Place screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the
chassis.
Do not over-tighten the screws! Doing so may damage the motherboard.

2.2 Pre-installation Precautions

Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components
or change any motherboard settings.
1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any component.
2. To avoid damaging the motherboard components due to static electricity, NEVER
place your motherboard directly on the carpet or the like. Also remember to use
a grounded wrist strap or touch a safety grounded object before you handle
components.
3. Hold components by the edges and do not touch the ICs.
4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic pad or
in the bag that comes with the component.
Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the power is
switched off or the power cord is detached from the power supply.
Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the motherboard, peripherals,
and/or components.

13

2.3 CPU Installation

For the installation of Intel 775-LAND CPU,
please follow the steps below.

775-Pin Socket Overview

Before you insert the 775-LAND CPU into the socket, please check if
the CPU surface is unclean or if there is any bent pin on the socket.
Do not force to insert the CPU into the socket if above situation is
found. Otherwise, the CPU will be seriously damaged.
CPU Marked Corner
Step 1. Open the socket:
Step 1-1. Disengaging
the lever by depressing
Lift Lever Up to 90
Corner
down and out on the Socket
hookMarked
to clear
retention tab.

Step 1-2. Rotate the load lever to fully open position at approximately 135 degrees.
Step 1-3. Rotate the load plate to fully open position at approximately 100 degrees.

black line

black line

Step 2. Insert the 775-LAND CPU:

Step 2-1. Hold the CPU by the edges where are
marked with black lines.

Step 2-2. Orient the CPU with IHS (Integrated

Heat Sink) up. Locate Pin1 and the two
orientation key notches.
Pin1
orientation
key notch

orientation
key notch

Pin1
alignment key

alignment key

775-Pin Socket
775-LAND CPU

14

For proper inserting, please ensure to match the two orientation key
notches of the CPU with the two alignment keys of the socket.

Step 2-3. Carefully place the CPU into the socket

by using a purely vertical motion.
Step 2-4. Verify that the CPU is within the socket
and properly mated to the orient keys.
Step 3. Remove PnP Cap (Pick and Place Cap):
Use your left hand index finger and thumb to
support the load plate edge, engage PnP cap
with right hand thumb and peel the cap from the
socket while pressing on center of PnP cap to
assist in removal.
1. It is recommended to use the cap tab to handle and avoid kicking
off the PnP cap.
2. This cap must be placed if returning the motherboard for after
service.

Step 4. Close the socket:

Step 4-1. Rotate the load plate onto the IHS.
Step 4-2. While pressing down lightly on load
plate, engage the load lever.
Step 4-3. Secure load lever with load plate tab
under retention tab of load lever.

15

2.4

Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink

This motherboard is equipped with 775-Pin socket that supports Intel 775-LAND CPU.
Please adopt the type of heatsink and cooling fan compliant with Intel 775-LAND CPU
to dissipate heat. Before you installed the heatsink, you need to spray thermal
interface material between the CPU and the heatsink to improve heat dissipation.
Ensure that the CPU and the heatsink are securely fastened and in good contact with
each other. Then connect the CPU fan to the CPU_FAN connector (CPU_FAN1, see
page 10, No. 4).
For proper installation, please kindly refer to the instruction manuals of
your CPU fan and heatsink.
Below is an example to illustrate the installation of the heatsink for 775-LAND CPU.
Step 1. Apply thermal interface material onto center
of IHS on the socket surface.

Step 2.

Step 3.
Step 4.

Place the heatsink onto the socket. Ensure

fan cables are oriented on side closest to the
CPU fan connector on the motherboard
(CPU_FAN1, see page 10, No. 4).
Align fasteners with the motherboard
throughholes.
Rotate the fastener clockwise, then press
down on fastener caps with thumb to install
and lock. Repeat with remaining fasteners.

If you press down the fasteners without rotating them clockwise,

the heatsink cannot be secured on the motherboard.

Step 5.
Step 6.

16

Connect fan header with the CPU fan

connector on the motherboard.
Secure excess cable with tie-wrap to ensure
cable does not interfere with fan operation or
contact other components.

2.5 Installation of Memor y Modules (DIMM)

G31M-GS / G31M-S motherboard provides two 240-pin DDR2 (Double Data Rate 2)
DIMM slots, and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. For dual channel
configuration, you always need to install two identical (the same brand, speed, size
and chip-type) memory modules in the DDR2 DIMM slots to activate Dual Channel
Memory Technology. Otherwise, it will operate at single channel mode.
1.

It is not allowed to install a DDR memory module into DDR2 slot;

otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be damaged.

2.

If you install only one memory module or two non-identical memory

modules, it is unable to activate the Dual Channel Memory Technology.

Installing a DIMM
Please make sure to disconnect power supply before adding or
removing DIMMs or the system components.

Step 1.
Step 2.

Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the retaining clips outward.

Align a DIMM on the slot such that the notch on the DIMM matches the break
on the slot.

notch
break

notch
break

The DIMM only fits in one correct orientation. It will cause permanent
damage to the motherboard and the DIMM if you force the DIMM into the
slot at incorrect orientation.

Step 3.

Firmly insert the DIMM into the slot until the retaining clips at both ends fully
snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.

17

2.6 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)

There are 2 PCI slots and 2 PCI Express slots on this motherboard.
PCI slots: PCI slots are used to install expansion cards that have the 32-bit PCI
interface.
PCIE slots:
PCIE1 (PCIE x1 slot) is used for PCI Express cards with x1 lane width
cards, such as Gigabit LAN card, SATA2 card, etc.
PCIE2 (PCIE x16 slot) is used for PCI Express cards with x16 lane
width graphics cards.

If you install the add-on PCI Express VGA card to PCIE2 (PCIE x16 slot),
the onboard VGA will be disabled. If you install the add-on PCI Express
VGA card to PCIE2 (PCIE x16 slot) and adjust the Internal Graphics
Mode Select BIOS option to [Enabled, 8MB] or [Enabled, 1MB], the onboard
VGA will be enabled, and the primary screen will be onboard VGA.

Installing an expansion card

Step 1.

Step 2.
Step 3.
Step 4.

18

Before installing the expansion card, please make sure that the power
supply is switched off or the power cord is unplugged. Please read the
documentation of the expansion card and make necessary hardware
settings for the card before you start the installation.
Remove the bracket facing the slot that you intend to use. Keep the screws
for later use.
Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is
completely seated on the slot.
Fasten the card to the chassis with screws.

2.7 Jumpers Setup

The illustration shows how jumpers are
setup. When the jumper cap is placed on
pins, the jumper is Short. If no jumper cap
is placed on pins, the jumper is Open. The
illustration shows a 3-pin jumper whose pin1
and pin2 are Short when jumper cap is
placed on these 2 pins.
Jumper
Setting
PS2_USB_PWR1
2_3
1_2

Description
Short pin2, pin3 to enable
(see p.10 No. 1)
+5VSB (standby) for PS/2
+5V
+5VSB
or USB wake up events.
Note: To select +5VSB, it requires 2 Amp and higher standby current provided by
power supply.
Clear CMOS
(CLRCMOS1, 2-pin jumper)
(see p.10 No. 8)

2-pin jumper

Note: CLRCMOS1 allows you to clear the data in CMOS. The data in CMOS includes
system setup information such as system password, date, time, and system
setup parameters. To clear and reset the system parameters to default setup,
please turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power
supply. After waiting for 15 seconds, use a jumper cap to short 2 pins on
CLRCMOS1 for 5 seconds.
EUP LAN / EUP Audio Jumper
(EUP_LAN1, 3-pin jumper, see p.10 No. 22)
(EUP_AUDIO1, 3-pin jumper, see p.10 No. 20)

EUP_LAN1
EUP_AUDIO1

Default (Enable EuP)

Note: EUP_LAN and EUP_AUDIO jumper design decreases the power consumption
of this motherboard to meet EuP standard. With an ASRock EuP ready
motherboard and a power supply that the 5VSB power efficiency is higher
than 50% under 100mA current consumption, your system is able to submit
EuP standard. The default setting (short pin1 and pin2) is EuP enabled. If you
want to disable this power saving function, you may short pin2 and pin3.
Please be noticed that when EUP_LAN jumper is set to enabled, the
Wake-On-LAN function under S3 (Suspend to RAM), S4 (Suspend to Disk),
and S5 (Soft Off) will be disabled.
EUP_LAN1
EUP_AUDIO1

(Disable EuP)

19

OC 800 / FSB0 / FSB1 Jumper

1_2

(OC 800 / FSB0 / FSB1, 3-pin jumper,

see p.10 No. 28)

1_2

Default

1_2

Note: If you want to overclock the FSB800-CPU (e.g. Cel400, E1000, E2000, E4000,
E5000, E6000 series CPU) to FSB1066 on this motherboard, you need to adjust
the jumpers. Please short pin2, pin3 for OC800 jumper. Otherwise, the CPU may
not work properly on this motherboard. Please refer to below jumper settings.
2_3
1_2
1_2

Note: If you adopt FSB1600-CPU on this motherboard, you need to adjust the jumpers.
Please short pin2, pin3 for OC800 jumper. Otherwise, the CPU may not work
properly on this motherboard. Please refer to below jumper settings.
2_3
1_2
1_2

Note: If you adopt FSB533-CPU on this motherboard, you need to adjust the jumpers.
Please short pin2, pin3 for FSB0 and FSB1 jumpers. Otherwise, the CPU may
not work properly on this motherboard. Please refer to below jumper settings.
1_2
2_3
2_3

20

2.8 Onboard Headers and Connectors

Onboard headers and connectors are NOT jumpers. Do NOT place
jumper caps over these headers and connectors. Placing jumper caps
over the headers and connectors will cause permanent damage of the
motherboard!

FDD connector
(33-pin FLOPPY1)

FLOPPY1

Pin1

(see p.10 No. 19)

the red-striped side to Pin1

Note: Make sure the red-striped side of the cable is plugged into Pin1 side of the
connector.
Primary IDE connector (Blue)
(39-pin IDE1, see p.10 No. 7)

IDE1

PIN1

connect the black end

connect the blue end
to the IDE devices
to the motherboard
80-conductor ATA 66/100 cable

SATAII_3

Serial ATAII Connectors

(SATAII_1: see p.10, No. 14)
(SATAII_2: see p.10, No. 15)
(SATAII_3: see p.10, No. 10)

SATAII_1

(SATAII_4: see p.10, No. 11)

SATAII_4

Note: Please refer to the instruction of your IDE device vendor for the details.
These Serial ATAII (SATAII)
connectors support SATAII
or SATA hard disk for internal
storage devices. The current
SATAII interface allows up to
3.0 Gb/s data transfer rate.

SATAII_2

Serial ATA (SATA)

Data Cable

Either end of the SATA data cable

can be connected to the SATA /
SATAII hard disk or the SATAII
connector on the motherboard.

(Optional)

Serial ATA (SATA)

Power Cable
(Optional)

connect to the SATA HDD

power connector
connect to the
power supply

Please connect the black end of

SATA power cable to the power
connector on each drive. Then
connect the white end of SATA
power cable to the power
connector of the power supply.

21

USB 2.0 Headers

USB_PWR
P-7
P+7
GND
DUMMY

(9-pin USB6_7)
(see p.10 No. 16)
1

GND
P+6
P-6
USB_PWR

Besides four default USB 2.0

ports on the I/O panel, there are
two USB 2.0 headers on this
motherboard. Each USB 2.0
header can support two USB
2.0 ports.

USB_PWR
P-5
P+5
GND
DUMMY

(9-pin USB4_5)
(see p.10 No. 17)

1
GND
P+4
P-4
USB_PWR

Print Port Header

AFD#
ERROR#
PINIT#
SLIN#

(25-pin LPT1)
(see p.10 No. 27)
1

GND

SPD7
SPD6 ACK#
SPD5
BUSY
SPD4
PE
SPD3
SLCT
SPD2
SPD1
SPD0
STB#

Front Panel Audio Header

GND
PRESENCE#
MIC_RET
OUT_RET

(9-pin HD_AUDIO1)
(see p.10 No. 21)
1

This is an interface for print

port cable that allows
convenient connection of printer
devices.

This is an interface for front

panel audio cable that allows
convenient connection and
control of audio devices.

OUT2_L
J_SENSE
OUT2_R
MIC2_R
MIC2_L

1. High Definition Audio supports Jack Sensing, but the panel wire on
the chassis must support HDA to function correctly. Please follow the
instruction in our manual and chassis manual to install your system.
2. If you use AC97 audio panel, please install it to the front panel audio
header as below:
A. Connect Mic_IN (MIC) to MIC2_L.
B. Connect Audio_R (RIN) to OUT2_R and Audio_L (LIN) to OUT2_L.
C. Connect Ground (GND) to Ground (GND).
D. MIC_RET and OUT_RET are for HD audio panel only. You dont
need to connect them for AC97 audio panel.
E. Enter BIOS Setup Utility. Enter Advanced Settings, and then select
Chipset Configuration. Set the Front Panel Control option from
[Auto] to [Enabled].
F. Enter Windows system. Click the icon on the lower right hand
taskbar to enter Realtek HD Audio Manager.
For Windows 2000 / XP / XP 64-bit OS:
Click Audio I/O, select Connector Settings

22

, choose

Disable front panel jack detection, and save the change by

clicking OK.
For Windows VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS:
Click the right-top Folder icon

, choose Disable front

panel jack detection, and save the change by clicking OK.

G. To activate the front mic.
For Windows 2000 / XP / XP 64-bit OS:
Please select Front Mic as default record device.
If you want to hear your voice through front mic, please deselect "Mute"
icon in Front Mic of Playback portion.
For Windows VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS:
Go to the "Front Mic" Tab in the Realtek Control panel.
Click "Set Default Device" to make the Front Mic as the default record
device.

System Panel Header

PLED+
PLEDPWRBTN#
GND

(9-pin PANEL1)
(see p.10 No. 12)

This header accommodates

several system front panel
functions.

DUMMY
RESET#
GND
HDLEDHDLED+

Chassis Speaker Header

(4-pin SPEAKER 1)
(see p.10 No. 13)

1
SPEAKER
DUMMY
DUMMY
+5V

Chassis Fan Connector

(3-pin CHA_FAN1)
(see p.10 No. 18)

CPU Fan Connector

GND
+12V
CHA_FAN_SPEED

4 3 2 1

(4-pin CPU_FAN1)
(see p.10 No. 4)

GND
+12V
CPU_FAN_SPEED
FAN_SPEED_CONTROL

Please connect the chassis

speaker to this header.

Please connect a chassis fan

cable to this connector and
match the black wire to the
ground pin.
Please connect a CPU fan cable
to this connector and match
the black wire to the ground pin.

Though this motherboard provides 4-Pin CPU fan (Quiet Fan) support, the 3-Pin
CPU fan still can work successfully even without the fan speed control function.
If you plan to connect the 3-Pin CPU fan to the CPU fan connector on this
motherboard, please connect it to Pin 1-3.
Pin 1-3 Connected
3-Pin Fan Installation

23

ATX Power Connector

12

24

13

(24-pin ATXPWR1)

Please connect an ATX power

supply to this connector.

(see p.10 No. 6)

Though this motherboard provides 24-pin ATX power connector, 12

it can still work if you adopt a traditional 20-pin ATX power supply.
To use the 20-pin ATX power supply, please plug your power
supply along with Pin 1 and Pin 13.

20-Pin ATX Power Supply Installation

ATX 12V Connector

(4-pin ATX12V1)
(see p.10 No. 29)

24

24

13

Please note that it is necessary

to connect a power supply with
ATX 12V plug to this connector
so that it can provides sufficient
power. Failing to do so will cause
the failure to power up.

2.9

SA
SATTAII Hard Disk Setup Guide

Before installing SATAII hard disk to your computer, please carefully read below
SATAII hard disk setup guide. Some default setting of SATAII hard disks may not
be at SATAII mode, which operate with the best performance. In order to enable
SATAII function, please follow the below instruction with different vendors to
correctly adjust your SATAII hard disk to SATAII mode in advance; otherwise, your
SATAII hard disk may fail to run at SATAII mode.
Western Digital
7

If pin 5 and pin 6 are shorted, SATA 1.5Gb/s will be enabled.

On the other hand, if you want to enable SATAII 3.0Gb/s, please remove the
jumpers from pin 5 and pin 6.
SAMSUNG
7

If pin 3 and pin 4 are shorted, SATA 1.5Gb/s will be enabled.

On the other hand, if you want to enable SATAII 3.0Gb/s, please remove the
jumpers from pin 3 and pin 4.
HITACHI
Please use the Feature Tool, a DOS-bootable tool, for changing various ATA
features. Please visit HITACHIs website for details:
http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

The above examples are just for your reference. For different SATAII hard
disk products of different vendors, the jumper pin setting methods may not
be the same. Please visit the vendors website for the updates.

25

2 . 1 0 Serial A
ATTA (SA
(SATTA) / Serial A
ATTAII (SA
(SATTAII) Hard Disks
Installation
This motherboard adopts Intel ICH7 south bridge chipset that supports Serial ATA
(SATA) / Serial ATAII (SATAII) hard disks. You may install SATA / SATAII hard disks
on this motherboard for internal storage devices. This section will guide you to
install the SATA / SATAII hard disks.
STEP 1: Install the SATA / SATAII hard disks into the drive bays of your chassis.
STEP 2: Connect the SATA power cable to the SATA / SATAII hard disk.
STEP 3: Connect one end of the SATA data cable to the motherboards SATAII
connector.
STEP 4: Connect the other end of the SATA data cable to the SATA / SATAII hard
disk.

2 . 1 1 Driver Installation Guide

To install the drivers to your system, please insert the support CD to your optical drive
first. Then, the drivers compatible to your system can be auto-detected and listed on
the support CD driver page. Please follow the order from up to bottom side to install
those required drivers. Therefore, the drivers you install can work properly.

2 . 1 2 Untied Overclocking TTechnology

echnology
This motherboard supports Untied Overclocking Technology, which means during
overclocking, FSB enjoys better margin due to fixed PCI / PCIE buses. Before you
enable Untied Overclocking function, please enter Overclock Mode option of
BIOS setup to set the selection from [Auto] to [CPU, PCIE, Async.]. Therefore, CPU
FSB is untied during overclocking, but PCI / PCIE buses are in the fixed mode so
that FSB can operate under a more stable overclocking environment.

Please refer to the warning on page 8 for the possible overclocking risk
before you apply Untied Overclocking Technology.

26

Chapter 3 BIOS SETUP UTILITY

3.1

Introduction

This section explains how to use the BIOS SETUP UTILITY to configure your system.
The BIOS FWH chip on the motherboard stores the BIOS SETUP UTILITY. You may
run the BIOS SETUP UTILITY when you start up the computer. Please press <F2> or
<Del> during the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) to enter the BIOS SETUP UTILITY,
otherwise, POST will continue with its test routines.
If you wish to enter the BIOS SETUP UTILITY after POST, restart the system by
pressing <Ctl> + <Alt> + <Delete>, or by pressing the reset button on the system
chassis. You may also restart by turning the system off and then back on.
Because the BIOS software is constantly being updated, the
following BIOS setup screens and descriptions are for reference purpose only, and they may not exactly match what you
see on your screen.

3.1.1 BIOS Menu Bar

The top of the
Main
Smart
Advanced
PCIPnP
Boot

screen has a menu bar with the following selections:

To set up the system time/date information
To load the BIOS according to your requirements
To set up the advanced BIOS features
To set up the PCI features
To set up the default system device to locate and load the
Operating System
Security
To set up the security features
Chipset
To set up the chipset features
Exit
To exit the current screen or the BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Use < > key or < > key to choose among the selections on the menu bar,
and then press <Enter> to get into the sub screen.

27

3 . 1 . 2 Navigation Keys
Please check the following table for the function description of each navigation
key.
Navigation Key(s)
/
/
+ / <Enter>
<F1>
<F9>
<F10>
<ESC>

Function Description
Moves cursor left or right to select Screens
Moves cursor up or down to select items
To change option for the selected items
To bring up the selected screen
To display the General Help Screen
To load optimal default values for all the settings
To save changes and exit the BIOS SETUP UTILITY
To jump to the Exit Screen or exit the current screen

3.2 Main Screen

When you enter the BIOS SETUP UTILITY, the Main screen will appear and display
the system overview
G31M-GS

Smart

Main

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced H/W Monitor Boot

System Overview
System Time
System Date

[14:00:09]
[Mon 06/15/2009]

: G31M-GS P1.00
: Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo CPU
E6540 @ 2.33GHz (64bit)
: 2333MHz
Processor Speed
Microcode Update : 6FB/B6
: 4096KB
Cache Size
BIOS Version
Processor Type

Total Memory
DDRII 1
DDRII 2

: 1024MB with 8MB shared memory

and 1MB GTT memory
: 1024MB/333MHz (DDRII667)
: None

Security

Exit

Use [Enter], [TAB]

or [SHIFT-TAB] to
select a field.
Use [+] or [-] to
configure system Time.

+Tab
F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change Field
Select Field
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

System Time [Hour:Minute:Second]

Use this item to specify the system time.
System Date [Day Month/Date/Year]
Use this item to specify the system date.

28

G31M-S
Smart

Main

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced H/W Monitor Boot

System Overview
System Time
System Date

[14:00:09]
[Mon 06/15/2009]

: G31M-S P1.00
: Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo CPU
E6540 @ 2.33GHz (64bit)
: 2333MHz
Processor Speed
Microcode Update : 6FB/B6
: 4096KB
Cache Size
BIOS Version
Processor Type

Total Memory
DDRII 1
DDRII 2

: 1024MB with 8MB shared memory

and 1MB GTT memory
: 1024MB/333MHz (DDRII667)
: None

Security

Exit

Use [Enter], [TAB]

or [SHIFT-TAB] to
select a field.
Use [+] or [-] to
configure system Time.

+Tab
F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change Field
Select Field
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

System Time [Hour:Minute:Second]

Use this item to specify the system time.
System Date [Day Month/Date/Year]
Use this item to specify the system date.

29

3.3 Smart Screen

In the Smart screen, you can load the BIOS setup according to your requirements.

Main

Smart

Advanced

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

H/W Monitor
Boot

Smart Settings
Save Changes and Exit
Load BIOS Defaults
Load Performance Setup Default (IDE/SATA)
Load Power Saving Setup Default

Security

Exit

Exit system setup

after saving the
changes.
F10 key can be used
for this operation.

BIOS Update Utility

ASRock Instant Flash
Enter
F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Go to Sub Screen
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

Save Changes and Exit

When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, Save
configuration changes and exit setup? Select [OK] to save the changes
and exit the BIOS SETUP UTILITY.
Load BIOS Defaults
Load BIOS default values for all the setup questions. F9 key can be used
for this operation.
Load Performance Setup Default (IDE/SATA)
This performance setup default may not be compatible with all system
configurations. If system boot failure occurs after loading, please resume
optimal default settings. F5 key can be used for this operation.
Load Power Saving Setup Default
Load power saving setup default. F6 key can be used for this operation.
ASRock Instant Flash
ASRock Instant Flash is a BIOS flash utility embedded in Flash ROM. This
convenient BIOS update tool allows you to update system BIOS without
entering operating systems first like MS-DOS or Windows. Just launch
this tool and save the new BIOS file to your USB flash drive, floppy disk or
hard drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without
preparing an additional floppy diskette or other complicated flash utility.
Please be noted that the USB flash drive or hard drive must use FAT32/16/
12 file system. If you execute ASRock Instant Flash utility, the utility will
show the BIOS files and their respective information. Select the proper
BIOS file to update your BIOS, and reboot your system after BIOS update
process completes.

30

3.4 Advanced Screen

In this section, you may set the configurations for the following items: CPU
Configuration, Chipset Configuration, ACPI Configuration, IDE Configuration, PCIPnP
Configuration, Floppy Configuration, SuperIO Configuration, and USB Configuration.

Main

Smart

Advanced

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

H/W Monitor
Boot

Security

Exit

Options for CPU

Advanced Settings
WARNING : Setting wrong values in below sections
may cause system to malfunction.
CPU Configuration
Chipset Configuration
ACPI Configuration
IDE Configuration
PCIPnP Configuration
Floppy Configuration
SuperIO Configuration
USB Configuration

Enter
F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Go to Sub Screen
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

Setting wrong values in this section may cause

the system to malfunction.

3.4.1 CPU Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
CPU Configuration
Overclock Mode
CPU Frequency (MHz)
PCIE Frequency (MHz)
Boot Failure Guard
Spread Spectrum
Ratio Status
Ratio Actual Value

[Auto]
[200]
[100]
[Enabled]
[Auto]

Select the over clock

mode.

Unlocked (Min: 12, Max: 17)

17

Enhanced Halt State

CPU Thermal Throttling
No-Excute Memory Protection
Intel (R) SpeedStep (R) tech.
On-Demand Clock Modulation

[Disabled]
[Enabled]
[Disabled]
[Enabled]
[Auto]

+F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change Option
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

Overclock Mode
Use this to select Overclock Mode. The default value is [Auto]. Cnfiguration
options: [Auto], [CPU, PCIE, Sync.], [CPU, PCIE, Async.] and [Optimized].
CPU Frequency (MHz)
Use this option to adjust CPU frequency.
PCIE Frequency (MHz)
Use this option to adjust PCIE frequency.

31

Boot Failure Guard

Enable or disable the feature of Boot Failure Guard.
Spread Spectrum
This item should always be [Auto] for better system stability.
Ratio Status
This is a read-only item, which displays whether the ratio status of this
motherboard is Locked or Unlocked. If it shows Unlocked, you will find
an item Ratio CMOS Setting appears to allow you changing the ratio
value of this motherboard.
Ratio Actual Value
This is a read-only item, which displays the ratio actual value of this
motherboard.
Enhance Halt State
All processors support the Halt State (C1). The C1 state is supported
through the native processor instructions HLT and MWAIT and requires no
hardware support from the chipset. In the C1 power state, the processor
maintains the context of the system caches.
Intel (R) Virtualization tech.
When this option is set to [Enabled], a VMM (Virtual Machine Architecture)
can utilize the additional hardware capabilities provided by Vanderpool
Technology. This option will be hidden if the installed CPU does not support
Intel (R) Virtualization Technology.
CPU Thermal Throttling
You may select [Enabled] to enable P4 CPU internal thermal control mechanism to keep the CPU from overheated. This option will be hidden if the
current CPU does not support CPU Thermal Throttling.
No-Excute Memory Protection
No-Execution (NX) Memory Protection Technology is an enhancement to
the IA-32 Intel Architecture. An IA-32 processor with No Execute (NX)
Memory Protection can prevent data pages from being used by malicious
software to execute code. This option will be hidden if the current CPU
does not support No-Excute Memory Protection.
Hyper Threading Technology
To enable this feature, it requires a computer system with an Intel Pentium
4 processor that supports Hyper-Threading technology and an operating
system that includes optimization for this technology, such as Microsoft
Windows XP. Set to [Enabled] if using Microsoft Windows XP, or Linux
kernel version 2.4.18 or higher. This option will be hidden if the installed
CPU does not support Hyper-Threading technology.

32

Intel (R) SpeedStep(tm) tech.

Intel (R) SpeedStep(tm) tech. is Intels new power saving technology.
Processor can switch between multiple frequency and voltage points to
enable power savings. The default value is [Auto]. Configuration options:
[Auto], [Enabled] and [Disabled]. If you install Windows XP and select
[Auto], you need to set the Power Schemes as Portable/Laptop to enable this function. If you install Windows VistaTM and want to enable this
function, please set this item to [Enabled]. This item will be hidden if the
current CPU does not support Intel (R) SpeedStep(tm) tech..
Please note that enabling this function may reduce CPU voltage and lead to system
stability or compatibility issue with some power supplies. Please set this item to
[Disable] if above issue occurs.

On-Demand Clock Modulation

This provides the On-Demand Clock Modulation duty cycle. It indicates the
clock on to clock off interval ratio. For example, if you set this option to
[75.0% On], your processor will work normally 75% of the time, and spend
the other 25% slacking off. Configuration options: [Auto], [Disabled],
[12.5% On], [25.0% On], [37.5% On], [50.0% On], [62.5% On], [75.0% On]
and [87.5% On]. The default value is [Auto].

3.4.2 Chipset Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
Chipset Configuration
Memory Remap Feature
DRAM Frequency
Flexibility Option
DRAM tCL
DRAM tRCD
DRAM tRP
DRAM tRAS

[Disabled]
[Auto]
[Disabled]
[Auto]
[Auto]
[Auto]
[Auto]

Primary Graphics Adapter

Internal Graphics Mode Select
DVMT Mode Select
DVMT/FIXED Memory

[PCI]
[Auto]
[DVMT Mode]
[256MB]

Onboard HD Audio
Front Panel
OnBoard Lan

[Auto]
[Auto]
[Enabled]

DRAM Voltage

[Auto]

ENABLE: Allow
remapping of
overlapped PCI memory
above the total
physical memory.
DISABLE: Do not allow
remapping of memory.

+F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change Option
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

Memory Remap Feature

Use this item to enable or disable memory remap feature. Configuration
options: [Enabled] and [Disabled]. The default value is [Disabled].
DRAM Frequency
If [Auto] is selected, the motherboard will detect the memory module(s)
inserted and assigns appropriate frequency automatically. You may also
select other value as operating frequency: [266MHz (DDRII533)],

33

[333MHz (DDRII667)] and [400MHz (DDRII800)].

Flexibility Option
The default value of this option is [Disabled]. It will allow better tolerance for
memory compatibility when it is set to [Enabled].
DRAM tCL
Use this item to adjust the means of memory accessing. Configuration
options are [6], [5], [4], [3] and [Auto].
DRAM tRCD
This controls the latency between the DRAM active command and the
read / write command. Configuration options: [2 DRAM Clocks], [3 DRAM
Clocks], [4 DRAM Clocks], [5 DRAM Clocks], [6 DRAM Clocks] and [Auto].
DRAM tRP
This controls the idle clocks after a precharge command is issued.
Configuration options: [2 DRAM Clocks], [3 DRAM Clocks], [4 DRAM
Clocks], [5 DRAM Clocks], [6 DRAM Clocks] and [Auto].
DRAM tRAS
Thhis controls the number of DRAM clocks for TRAS. Configuration
options: [4 DRAM Clocks], [5 DRAM Clocks], [6 DRAM Clocks], [7 DRAM
Clocks], [8 DRAM Clocks], [9 DRAM Clocks], [10 DRAM Clocks], [11
DRAM Clocks], [12 DRAM Clocks], [13 DRAM Clocks], [14 DRAM Clocks],
[15 DRAM Clocks] and [Auto].
Primary Graphics Adapter
This item shows the primary graphics adapter. The default value is [PCI].
Configuration options: [Onboard], [PCI] and [PCI Express].
Internal Graphics Mode Select
If you select [Auto], the onboard VGA will be automatically disabled when
you install VGA card; the onboard VGA will be enabled without the installation of any add-on VGA card. If you select [Enabled, 8MB] or [Enabled,
1MB], the onboard VGA will be enabled.
DVMT Mode Select
Use this option to adjust DVMT mode. Configuration options: [Fixed Mode]
and [DVMT Mode]. The default value is [DVMT Mode]. DVMT (Dynamic Video
Memory Technology) is an architecture that offers breakthrough perfor
mance for the motherboard through efficient memory utilization. In Fixed
mode, a fixed-size fragment of the system memory is allocated to the
graphics core. In DVMT mode, the graphics driver allocates memory as
needed for running graphics applications and is cooperatively using this
memory with other system components. This item will not be used under
Windows VistaTM OS because the driver will intelligently detect physical
memory available and allocate necessary video memory.

34

DVMT/FIXED Memory
You are allowed to adjust the shared memory size in this item if you set
DVMT Mode Select as [DVMT Mode]. Configuration options: [128MB], [256MB]
and [Maximum DVMT].
Onboard HD Audio
Select [Auto], [Enabled] or [Disabled] for the onboard HD Audio feature. If
you select [Auto], the onboard HD Audio will be disabled when PCI Sound
Card is plugged.
Front Panel
Select [Auto], [Enabled] or [Disabled] for the onboard HD Audio Front
Panel.
OnBoard Lan
This allows you to enable or disable the OnBoard Lan feature.
DRAM Voltage
Use this to select DRAM Voltage. Configuration options: [Auto], [1.794V],
[1.851V], [1.908V], [1.965V], [2.029V], [2.086V], [2.144V] and [2.201V].
The default value of this feature is [Auto].
NB Voltage
Use this to select NB Voltage. Configuration options: [Auto], [1.272V] and
[1.319V]. The default value of this feature is [Auto].
VTT Voltage
Use this to select VTT Voltage. Configuration options: [Auto], [1.21V],
[1.32V], [1.40V] and [1.51V]. The default value of this feature is [Auto].
+1.5V Voltage
Use this to select +1.5V Voltage. Configuration options: [Auto], [1.5125V]
and [1.5651V]. The default value of this feature is [Auto].
Intelligent Energy Saver
Intelligent Energy Saver is a revolutionary technology that delivers
unparalleled power savings. The default value is [Auto]. Configuration
options: [Auto], [Enabled] and [Disabled]. If you want to enable this function,
please set this item to [Enabled]. Besides the BIOS option, you can also
choose our Intelligent Energy Saver utility to enable this function.
DRAM RCOMP Setting
Use this to adjust DRAM RCOMP Setting feature. Configuration options:
[Auto] and [Manual]. The default value of this feature is [Auto].

35

3.4.3 ACPI Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
ACPI Configuration
Suspend To RAM

[Disabled]

Restore on AC/Power Loss

Ring-In Power On
PCI Devices Power On
PS / 2 Keyboard Power On
RTC Alarm Power On

[Power Off]
[Disabled]
[Disabled]
[Disabled]
[Disabled]

ACPI HPET Table

[Disabled]

Select auto-detect or
disable the STR
feature.

+F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change Option
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

Suspend to RAM
This field allows you to select whether to auto-detect or disable the
Suspend-to-RAM feature. Select [Auto] will enable this feature if the
system supports it.
Restore on AC/Power Loss
This allows you to set the power state after an unexpected AC/Power
loss. If [Power Off] is selected, the AC/Power remains off when the power
recovers. If [Power On] is selected, the AC/Power resumes and the
system starts to boot up when the power recovers.
Ring-In Power On
Use this item to enable or disable Ring-In signals to turn on the system from
the power-soft-off mode.
PCI Devices Power On
Use this item to enable or disable PCI devices to turn on the system from the
power-soft-off mode.
PS/2 Keyboard Power On
Use this item to enable or disable PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system from
the power-soft-off mode.
RTC Alarm Power On
Use this item to enable or disable RTC (Real Time Clock) to power on the
system.
ACPI HPET Table
Use this item to enable or disable ACPI HPET Table. The default value is
[Disabled]. Please set this option to [Enabled] if you plan to use this
motherboard to submit Windows VistaTM certification.

36

3.4.4 IDE Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
IDE Configuration
ATA/IDE Configuration
SATAII 1
SATAII 2
SATAII 3
SATAII 4
IDE1 Master
IDE1 Slave

[Enhanced]
[Hard Disk]
[Not Detected]
[Not Detected]
[Not Detected]
[ATAPI CDROM]
[Not Detected]

Set [Compatible]
when Legacy OS
(MS-DOS, Win NT)
device is used.
Set [Enhanced]
when Native OS
(Win2000 / XP)
is used.

+F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change Option
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

ATA/IDE Configuration
Please select [Compatible] when you install legacy OS (Windows NT). If
native OS (Windows 2000 / XP / Vista TM) is installed, please select
[Enhanced].
When [Compatible] is selected
Combined Option
It allows you to select between [SATA 1, SATA 2, SATA 3, SATA 4], [SATA
1, SATA 3, IDE 1], and [IDE 1, SATA 2, SATA 4]. If it is set to [SATA 1, SATA
3, IDE 1], then SATAII_2, SATAII_4 will not work. Likewise, if it is set to [IDE
1, SATA 2, SATA 4], then SATAII_1, SATAII_3 will not work.
Because Intel ICH7 south bridge only supports four IDE devices
under legacy OS (Windows NT), you have to choose [SATA 1, SATA 2,
SATA 3, SATA 4], [SATA 1, SATA 3, IDE 1], or [IDE 1, SATA 2, SATA 4]
when the installed device is used with legacy OS.
[SATA 1, SATA 2,
SATA 3, SATA 4]

[SATA 1, SATA 3,
IDE 1]

[IDE 1, SATA 2,
SATA 4]

Master

SATAII 1, SATAII 2

SATAII 1

SATAII 2

Slave

SATAII 3, SATAII 4

SATAII 3

SATAII 4

IDE Device Configuration

You may set the IDE configuration for the device that you specify. We will
use the Primary IDE Master as the example in the following instruction.

37

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced
Primary IDE Master
Device
Vendor
Size
LBA Mode
Block Mode
PIO Mode
Async DMA
Ultra DMA
S.M.A.R.T.

:Hard Disk
:ST340014A
:40.0 GB
:Supported
:16Sectors
:4
:MultiWord DMA-2
:Ultra DMA-5
:Supported

Type
LBA/Large Mode
Block (Multi-Sector Transfer)
PIO Mode
DMA Mode
S.M.A.R.T.
32Bit Data Transfer

[Auto]
[Auto]
[Auto]
[Auto]
[Auto]
[Disabled]
[Enabled]

Select the type

of device connected
to the system.

+F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change Option
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

TYPE
Use this item to configure the type of the IDE device that you specify.
Configuration options: [Not Installed], [Auto], [CD/DVD], and [ARMD].
[Not Installed]: Select [Not Installed] to disable the use of IDE device.
[Auto]: Select [Auto] to automatically detect the hard disk drive.
After selecting the hard disk information into BIOS, use a disk
utility, such as FDISK, to partition and format the new IDE hard
disk drives. This is necessary so that you can write or read
data from the hard disk. Make sure to set the partition of the
Primary IDE hard disk drives to active.
[CD/DVD]: This is used for IDE CD/DVD drives.
[ARMD]: This is used for IDE ARMD (ATAPI Removable Media Device),
such as MO.
LBA/Large Mode
Use this item to select the LBA/Large mode for a hard disk > 512 MB under
DOS and Windows; for Netware and UNIX user, select [Disabled] to
disable the LBA/Large mode.
Block (Multi-Sector Transfer)
The default value of this item is [Auto]. If this feature is enabled, it will
enhance hard disk performance by reading or writing more data during
each transfer.
PIO Mode
Use this item to set the PIO mode to enhance hard disk performance by
optimizing the hard disk timing.
DMA Mode
DMA capability allows the improved transfer-speed and data-integrity for
compatible IDE devices.

38

S.M.A.R.T.
Use this item to enable or disable the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis,
and Reporting Technology) feature. Configuration options: [Disabled], [Auto],
[Enabled].
32-Bit Data Transfer
Use this item to enable 32-bit access to maximize the IDE hard disk data
transfer rate.

3.4.5 PCIPnP Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
Advanced PCI / PnP Settings
PCI Latency Timer
PCI IDE BusMaster

[32]
[Enabled]

Value in units of PCI

clocks for PCI device
latency timer
register.

+F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change Option
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

PCI Latency Timer

The default value is 32. It is recommended to keep the default value unless
the installed PCI expansion cards specifications require other settings.
PCI IDE BusMaster
Use this item to enable or disable the PCI IDE BusMaster feature.

39

3.4.6 Floppy Configuration

In this section, you may configure the type of your floppy drive.
BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
Floppy Configuration
[1.44 MB 31 2"]

Floppy A

Select the type of

floppy drive
connected to the
system.

+F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change Option
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

3.4.7 Super IO Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
Configure Super IO Chipset
OnBoard Floppy Controller
Serial Port Address
Parallel Port Address
Parallel Port Mode
EPP Version
ECP Mode DMA Channel
Parallel Port IRQ

[Enabled]
[3F8 / IRQ4]
[378]
[ECP + EPP]
[1.9]
[DMA3]
[IRQ7]

Allow BIOS to Enable

or Disable Floppy
Controller.

+F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change Option
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

OnBoard Floppy Controller

Use this item to enable or disable floppy drive controller.
Serial Port Address
Use this item to set the address for the onboard serial port or disable it.
Configuration options: [Disabled], [3F8 / IRQ4], [2F8 / IRQ3], [3E8 / IRQ4],
[2E8 / IRQ3].
Parallel Port Address
Use this item to set the address for the onboard parallel port or disable it.
Configuration options: [Disabled], [378], and [278].

40

Parallel Port Mode

Use this item to set the operation mode of the parallel port. The default
value is [ECP+EPP]. If this option is set to [ECP+EPP], it will show the EPP
version in the following item, EPP Version. Configuration options:
[Normal], [Bi-Directional], and [ECP+EPP].
EPP Version
Use this item to set the EPP version. Configuration options: [1.9]
and [1.7].
ECP Mode DMA Channel
Use this item to set the ECP mode DMA channel. Configuration
options: [DMA0], [DMA1], and [DMA3].
Parallel Port IRQ
Use this item to set the IRQ for the parallel port. Configuration options:
[IRQ5] and [IRQ7].

3.4.8 USB Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Advanced
USB Configuration
USB Controller
USB 2.0 Support
Legacy USB Support

[Enabled]
[Enabled]
[Enabled]

To enable or disable
the onboard USB
controllers.

+F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change Option
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

USB Controller
Use this item to enable or disable the use of USB controller.
USB 2.0 Support
Use this item to enable or disable the USB 2.0 support.
Legacy USB Support
Use this option to select legacy support for USB devices. There are four
configuration options: [Enabled], [Auto], [Disabled] and [BIOS Setup
Only]. The default value is [Enabled]. Please refer to below descriptions
for the details of these four options:
[Enabled] - Enables support for legacy USB.
[Auto] - Enables legacy support if USB devices are connected.

41

[Disabled] - USB devices are not allowed to use under legacy OS and
BIOS setup when [Disabled] is selected. If you have USB compatibility
issue, it is recommended to select [Disabled] to enter OS.
[BIOS Setup Only] - USB devices are allowed to use only under BIOS
setup and Windows / Linux OS.

3.5 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen

In this section, it allows you to monitor the status of the hardware on your system,
including the parameters of the CPU temperature, motherboard temperature, CPU fan
speed, chassis fan speed, and the critical voltage.

Main

Smart

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced H/W Monitor Boot

Hardware Health Event Monitoring

CPU Temperature
M / B Temperature

: 37 C / 98 F
: 31 C / 87 F

CPU Fan Speed

Chassis Fan Speed

: 3400 RPM
: N/A

Vcore
+ 3.30V
+ 5.00V
+ 12.00V

:
:
:
:

CPU Quiet Fan

Security

1.629V
3.306V
5.067V
11.890V
[Disabled]

Exit

Enable/Disable
CPU Quiet Fan
Function.

F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

CPU Quiet Fan

This item allows you to identify the temperature of CPU fan. If you set this
option as [Disabled], the CPU fan will operate in full speed. If you set this
option as [Enabled], you will find the items Target CPU Temperature and
Target Fan Speed appear to allow you adjusting them. The default value
is [Disabled]. You are allowed to enable this function only when you install
4-pin CPU fan.
Target CPU Temperature
The target temperature will be between 45 C/113 F and 65 C/149 F.
The default value is [50 C/122 F].
Target Fan Speed
Use this option to set the target fan speed. You can freely adjust the
target fan speed according to the target CPU temperature that you
choose. The default value is [Fast]. Configuration options: [Fast], [Middle]
and [Slow].

42

3.6 Boot Screen

In this section, it will display the available devices on your system for you to configure the boot settings and the boot priority.
Main

Smart

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced H/W Monitor
Boot

Boot Settings

Exit

Configure Settings
during System Boot.

Boot Settings Configuration

1st Boot Device
2nd Boot Device
3rd Boot Device
4th Boot Device
Hard Disk Drives
Removable Drives
CD/DVD Drives

Security

[1st Floppy Device]

[HDD: PM - HDS722580VL]
[CD / DVD: 3S - CD - ROM C]
[USB]

Enter
F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Go to Sub Screen
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

3.6.1 Boot Settings Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY
Boot
Boot Settings Configuration
Full Screen Logo
AddOn ROM Display
Boot From Onboard LAN
Bootup Num-Lock

[Enabled]
[Enabled]
[Disabled]
[On]

Disabled: Displays
normal POST messages.
Enabled: Displays OEM
Logo instead of POST
messages.

+F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change Option
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2003, American Megatrends, Inc.

Full Screen Logo

Use this item to enable or disable OEM Logo. The default value is [Enabled].
AddOn ROM Display
Use this option to adjust AddOn ROM Display. If you enable the option
Full Screen Logo but you want to see the AddOn ROM information when
the system boots, please select [Enabled]. Configuration options: [Enabled]
and [Disabled]. The default value is [Enabled].

43

Boot From Onboard LAN

Use this item to enable or disable the Boot From Onboard LAN feature.
Boot Up Num-Lock
If this item is set to [On], it will automatically activate the Numeric Lock
function after boot-up.

3.7 Security Screen

In this section, you may set or change the supervisor/user password for the system.
For the user password, you may also clear it.

Main

Smart

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced H/W Monitor Boot

Security Settings
Supervisor Password
User Password

Security

Exit

Install or Change the

password.
: Not Installed
: Not Installed

Change Supervisor Password

Change User Password

Enter
F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Change
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

44

3.8 Exit Screen

Main

Smart

BIOS SETUP UTILITY

Advanced H/W Monitor Boot Security

Exit Options
Save Changes and Exit
Discard Changes and Exit
Discard Changes
Would you like to save current setting
user defaults ?

Exit system setup

after saving the
changes.
F10 key can be used
for this operation.

Save 1st User Defaults

Load 1st User Defaults
Save 2nd User Defaults
Load 2nd User Defaults
Save 3rd User Defaults
Load 3rd User Defaults

Exit

Enter
F1
F9
F10
ESC

Select Screen
Select Item
Go to Sub Screen
General Help
Load Defaults
Save and Exit
Exit

v02.54 (C) Copyright 1985-2005, American Megatrends, Inc.

Save Changes and Exit

When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, Save
configuration changes and exit setup? Select [OK] to save the changes
and exit the BIOS SETUP UTILITY.
Discard Changes and Exit
When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, Discard changes and exit setup? Select [OK] to exit the BIOS SETUP UTILITY
without saving any changes.
Discard Changes
When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, Discard changes? Select [OK] to discard all changes.
Would you like to save current setting user defaults?
In this option, you are allowed to load and save three user defaults
according to your own requirements.

45

Software
Supportt
Chapter 4 Sof
tware Suppor
4 . 1 Install Operating System
This motherboard supports various Microsoft Windows operating systems: 2000 /
XP / XP 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit. Because motherboard settings and hardware
options vary, use the setup procedures in this chapter for general reference only.
Refer to your OS documentation for more information.
4 . 2 Support CD Information
The Support CD that came with the motherboard contains necessary drivers and
useful utilities that enhance the motherboard features.
4 . 2 . 1 Running The Support CD
To begin using the support CD, insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive. The CD
automatically displays the Main Menu if AUTORUN is enabled in your computer.
If the Main Menu did not appear automatically, locate and double click on the
file ASSETUP.EXE from the BIN folder in the Support CD to display the menus.
4 . 2 . 2 Drivers Menu
The Drivers Menu shows the available devices drivers if the system detects
installed devices. Please install the necessary drivers to activate the devices.
4 . 2 . 3 Utilities Menu
The Utilities Menu shows the applications software that the motherboard
supports. Click on a specific item then follow the installation wizard to install it.
4.2.4 Contact Information
If you need to contact ASRock or want to know more about ASRock, welcome
to visit ASRocks website at http://www.asrock.com; or you may contact your
dealer for further information.

46