MSI_Neo K9AG-Neo2Digital_7368v1.0(G52-73681X1)

i

K9AG Neo2-DigitalMS-7368 (v1.X) Mainboard

G52-73681X1

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Copyright Notice

The material in this document is the intellectual property of MICRO-STARINTERNATIONAL. We take every care in the preparation of this document, but noguarantee is given as to the correctness of its contents. Our products are undercontinual improvement and we reserve the right to make changes without notice.

Trademarks

All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, DualNet, and nForce are registered trademarks or trade-marks of NVIDIA Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.AMD, Athlon™, Athlon™ XP, Thoroughbred™, and Duron™ are registered trade-marks of AMD Corporation.Intel® and Pentium® are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.PS/2 and OS®/2 are registered trademarks of International Business MachinesCorporation.Windows® 95/98/2000/NT/XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.Netware® is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.Award® is a registered trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd.AMI® is a registered trademark of American Megatrends Inc.

Revision History

Revision Revision History DateV1.0 First Release May 2007

Technical Support

If a problem arises with your system and no solution can be obtained from the user’smanual, please contact your place of purchase or local distributor. Alternatively,please try the following help resources for further guidance.

Visit the MSI website for FAQ, technical guide, BIOS updates, driver updates,and other in f ormat ion: ht tp: / /g lobal .msi.com.tw/ index.php?func=faqIndexContact our technical staff at: http://support.msi.com.tw/


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Safety Instructions

CAUTION: Danger of explos ion if bat tery is incorrectly replaced.Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by themanufacturer.

1. Always read the safety instructions carefully.2. Keep this User’s Manual for future reference.3. Keep this equipment away from humidity.4. Lay this equipment on a reliable f lat surface before setting it up.5. The openings on the enclosure are for air convection hence protects the equip-

ment from overheating. DO NOT COVER THE OPENINGS.6. Make sure the voltage of the power source and adjust properly 110/220V be-

fore connecting the equipment to the power inlet.7. Place the power cord such a way that people can not step on it. Do not place

anything over the power cord.8. Always Unplug the Power Cord before inserting any add-on card or module.9. All cautions and warnings on the equipment should be noted.10. Never pour any liquid into the opening that could damage or cause electrical

shock.11. If any of the following situations arises, get the equipment checked by a service

personnel:Ü The power cord or plug is damaged.Ü Liquid has penetrated into the equipment.Ü The equipment has been exposed to moisture.Ü The equipment has not work well or you can not get it work according to

User’s Manual.Ü The equipment has dropped and damaged.Ü The equipment has obvious sign of breakage.

12. DO NOT LEAVE THIS EQUIPMENT IN AN ENVIRONMENT UNCONDITIONED, STOR-AGE TEMPERATURE ABOVE 600 C (1400F), IT MAY DAMAGE THE EQUIPMENT.



iv

FCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement

This equipment has beentested and found to complywith the limits for a Class Bdigital device, pursuant to Part15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protectionagainst harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates,uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accor-dance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particularinstallation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or televisionreception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user isencouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the measures listedbelow.

Ü Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

Ü Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

Ü Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that towhich the receiver is connected.

Ü Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help.

Notice 1The changes or modif ications not expressly approved by the party responsible forcompliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

Notice 2Shielded interface cables and A.C. power cord, if any, must be used in order tocomply with the emission limits.

VOIR LA NOTICE D’INSTALLATION AVANT DE RACCORDER AU RESEAU.

Micro-Star InternationalMS-7368

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to thefollowing 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.



v

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Statement



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viii

CONTENTSCopyright Notice .............................................................................................................. iiTrademarks ....................................................................................................................... iiRevision History .............................................................................................................. iiTechnical Support ........................................................................................................... iiSafety Instructions ......................................................................................................... iiiFCC-B Radio Frequency Interference Statement ........................................................ ivWEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Statement .................................... vChapter 1. Getting Started .................................................................................... 1-1

Mainboard Specifications ................................................................................... 1-2Mainboard Layout ................................................................................................ 1-4Packing Checklist ................................................................................................. 1-5

Chapter 2. Hardware Setup .................................................................................. 2-1Quick Components Guide .................................................................................... 2-2CPU (Central Processing Unit) ............................................................................ 2-3Memory................................................................................................................. 2-6Power Supply ...................................................................................................... 2-8Back Panel ............................................................................................................ 2-9Connectors .........................................................................................................2-11Jumpers .............................................................................................................. 2-18Slots .................................................................................................................... 2-19

Chapter 3 BIOS Setup ............................................................................................. 3-1Entering Setup ..................................................................................................... 3-2The Main Menu ..................................................................................................... 3-4Standard CMOS Features ................................................................................... 3-6Advanced BIOS Features ................................................................................... 3-9Integrated Peripherals ....................................................................................... 3-12Power Management Setup ............................................................................... 3-14PNP/PCI Configurations ..................................................................................... 3-17H/W Monitor ........................................................................................................ 3-19Cell Menu ............................................................................................................ 3-20Load Optimized Defaults ................................................................................... 3-23BIOS Setting Password ..................................................................................... 3-24

Appendix A Realtek ALC888 Audio .................................................................... A-1Installing the Realtek HD Audio Driver ................................................................ A-2Software Configuration ...................................................................................... A-4Hardware Setup ................................................................................................A-19



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Appendix B AMD SATA RAID ................................................................................. B-1RAID Configuration .............................................................................................. B-2Installing the RAID Driver (for bootable RAID Array) ........................................ B-8Installing the RAID Driver Under Windows (for Non-bootable RAID Array) .... B-9

Appendix C Dual Core Center .............................................................................C-1Activating Dual Core Center ............................................................................... C-2Main ...................................................................................................................... C-3DOT(Dynamic Over Clocking) ............................................................................. C-5Clock ..................................................................................................................... C-6Voltage ................................................................................................................. C-7FAN Speed ........................................................................................................... C-8Temperature ......................................................................................................... C-9User Profile ........................................................................................................ C-10



1-1

Getting Started

Getting StartedChapter 1

Thank you for choosing the K9AG Neo2-Digital Series(MS-7368v1.X) ATX mainboard. The K9AG Neo2-DigitalSeries mainboards are based on AMD® 690G & SB600chipsets for optimal system efficiency. Designed to fitthe advanced AMD® Athlon 64 X2/ Athlon 64 /Sempron AM2 processor, the K9AG Neo2-DigitalSeries deliver a high performance and professionaldesktop platform solution.



MS-7368 Mainboard

1-2

Mainboard Specifications

Processor Support- Supports AMD® Athlon64 / Athlon64x2 / Sempron AM2 processors.- Supports 4 pin CPU Fan Pin-Header with Fan Speed Control- Supports up to 5000+ and higher CPU(For the latest information about CPU, please visithttp://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=cpuform

Supported FSB- 1000/800/600/400/200 MHz

Chipset- North Bridge: AMD® 690G chipset- South Bridge: AMD® SB600 chipset

Memory Support- DDR2 800/667/533 DRAM (8GB Max)- 4 DDR2 DIMMs (240pin / 1.8V)(For more information on compatible components, please visithttp://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=testreport)

LAN (Optional)- Supports PCI Express LAN 10/100/1000 Mbps Fast Ethernet by

Realtek® 8111B

1394 (Optional)- Supports 2 IEEE1394 ports, transfer rate is up to 400Mbps- Controlled by VIA VT6308P (optional)

Audio- Chip integrated by Realtek® ALC888- Flexible 8-channel audio with jack sensing- Compliant with Azalia 1.0 spec

IDE- 1 IDE port by AMD® SB600- Supports Ultra DMA 66/100/133 mode- Supports PIO, Bus Master operation modes

SATA- Supports 4 SATA II devices by AMD® SB600- Supports storage and data transfers at up to 300MB/s

RAID- Supports RAID 0, 1 and 0+1 mode by AMD® SB600


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1-3

Getting Started

Floppy- 1 floppy port- Supports 1 FDD with 360KB, 720KB, 1.2MB, 1.44MB and 2.88MB

Connectors

Back panel- 1 PS/2 mouse port- 1 PS/2 keyboard port- 1 HDMI port- 1 VGA port- 1 DVI port- 1 1394 port (optional)- 4 USB 2.0 Ports- 1 LAN jack- 6 flexible audio jacksOn-Board Pinheaders- 3 USB 2.0 pinheaders- 1 1394 pinheader (optional)- 1 Front Panel Audio pinheader- 1 CD-in connector- 1 S/PDIF-Out pinheader (optional, for HDMI graphics card only)- 4 Serial ATA ports- 1 serial port pinheader

Slots- 1 PCI Express x16 slot- 2 PCI Express x1 slots- 3 PCI slots

Form Factor

- ATX (30.5cm X 21.0 cm)

Mounting- 6 mounting holes



MS-7368 Mainboard

1-4

K9AG Neo2-Digital Series(MS-7368 v1.X) ATX Mainboard

Mainboard Layout

DIM

M2

DIM

M1

DIM

M4

DIM

M3

C P U FA N 1

J P W1

BATT+

J FP 2

Top: M ou se B ot tom : K ey board

To p: LA N Jac kB ot tom : U S B P orts

T :M :B :

L ine -InL ine -O utM ic

T : R S - Ou tM : CS - O u tB : S S - Ou t

J1

J2

S Y S F A N1

HD M I P o rt

PCI _EX1

PCI _EX3

PCI _EX2

PCI1

PCI2

PCI3

J C I1

JC D 1

J S P D 1JA U D 1

J C OM 1 S Y S FA N 2 FD D 1 JFP 1

J U S B 2 JU S B 1J US B 3

J B A T1IDE1

ATX

1

SA

TA1

SA

TA2

SA

TA

3

SA

TA4

AMD690G

AMDSB600

To p: V G A P ortB ot tom : D V I P or t

J 13 94_1 (opt iona l )

To p: IE E E 13 94 P ort ( opt iona l )B o ttom : U S B P orts

VIAVT6308P(optional)



1-5

Getting Started

Packing Checklist

* The pictures are for reference only and may vary from the packing contents of theproduct you purchased.

Power Cable

SATA Cable (Optional)MSI motherboard MSI Driver/Utility CD

Standard Cable forIDE Devices User’s Guide



MS-7368 Mainboard

1-6



2-1

Hardware Setup

Hardware SetupChapter 2

This chapter provides you with the information abouthardware setup procedures. While doing the installation,be careful in holding the components and follow theinstallation procedures. For some components, if youinstall in the wrong orientation, the components will notwork properly.

Use a grounded wrist strap before handling computercomponents. S tatic elec tr ic ity may damage thecomponents.



2-2

MS-7368 Mainboard

IDE1, p.2-11

CPU Socket,p.2-3

Quick Components Guide

JPW1, p.2-18DDR2 DIMMs, p.2-6

SYSFAN1, p.2-13CPUFAN1, p.2-13

Back PanelI/O, p.2-9

J1/J2, p.2-18

PCI Express

slots, p.2-19

PCI Express

slot, p.2-19

JCI1, p.2-12

JCD1, p.2-12

ATX1, p.2-8

JBAT1, p.2-18

JUSB1~3,p.2-15

SATA1~4,p.2-12

JFP1, p.2-14

FDD1, p.2-11 J1394_1, p.2-16

JFP2, p.2-14

SYSFAN2,

p.2-13

JSPD1, p.2-17

JAUD1, p.2-13

JCOM1, p.2-16

PCI Slots,

p.2-19



2-3

Hardware Setup

The mainboard supports AMD® Athlon64 / Athlon64x2 / Sempron AM2 processors. Themainboard uses a CPU socket called Socket AM2 (940-pin) for easy CPU installation.W hen you are installing the CPU, make sure the CPU has a heat sink and acooling fan attached on the top to prevent overheating. If you do not have theheat sink and cooling fan, contact your dealer to purchase and install them beforeturning on the computer.For the latest information about CPU, please visithttp://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=cpuform

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

Important

1. Overheating will seriously damage the CPU and system. Always makesure the cooling fan can work properly to protect the CPU from overheating.

2. Make sure that you apply an even layer of heat sink paste (or thermal tape)between the CPU and the heatsink to enhance heat dissipation.

3. While replacing the CPU, always turn off the ATX power supply or unplugthe power supply’s power cord from the grounded outlet first to ensure thesafety of CPU.


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2-4

MS-7368 Mainboard

CPU Installation Procedures for Socket AM2

1. Please turn off the power andunplug the power cord beforeinstalling the CPU.

2. Pull the lever s ideways awayfrom the socket. Make sure toraise the lever up to a 90-de-gree angle.

3. Look for the gold arrow of theCPU. The gold arrow shouldpoint as shown in the picture.The CPU can only fit in the cor-rect orientation.

4. If the CPU is correctly installed,the pins should be completelyembedded into the socket andcan not be seen. Please notethat any violation of the correctinstal lat ion procedures maycause permanent damages toyour mainboard.

5. Press the CPU down firmly intothe socket and close the lever.As the CPU is likely to move whilethe lever is being closed, al-ways close the lever with yourfingers pressing tightly on top ofthe CPU to make sure the CPU isproperly and completely embed-ded into the socket.

Open Lever

90 degreeSliding Plate

Gold arrow

Gold arrow

Gold arrow

Correc t CPU placement

O



2-5

Hardware Setup

Installing AMD Socket AM2 CPU Cooler SetW hen you are installing the CPU, make sure the CPU has a heat sink and acooling fan attached on the top to prevent overheating. If you do not have theheat sink and cooling fan, contact your dealer to purchase and install them beforeturning on the computer.

Mainboard photos shown in this section are for demonstration of the coolerinstallation for Socket AM2 CPUs only. The appearance of your mainboardmay vary depending on the model you purchase.

Important

2. Then press down the other end ofthe clip to fasten the cooling set onthe top of the retention mechanism.Locate the Fix Lever and lift up it .

1. Position the cooling set onto the re-tention mechanism.Hook one end of the clip to hookfirst.

3. Fasten down the lever. 4. Attach the CPU Fan cable to the CPUfan connector on the mainboard.

* While disconnecting the Safety Hook from the fixed bolt, it is necessary tokeep an eye on your fingers, because once the Safety Hook is disconnectedfrom the fixed bolt, the fixed lever will spring back instantly.

Fixed Lever



2-6

MS-7368 Mainboard

Memory

Dual-Channel mode Population RuleIn Dual-Channel mode, the memory modules can transmit and receive data with twodata bus lines simultaneously. Enabling Dual-Channel mode can enhance the systemperformance. Please refer to the following illustrations for population rules underDual-Channel mode.

64x2=128 pin 56x2=112 pin

DDR2240-pin, 1.8V

Single-Channel: All DIMMs in GREEN

Dual-Channel: Channel A in GREEN; Channel B in ORANGE

These DIMM slots are used for installing memory modules.For more information on compatible components, please visithttp://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=testreport

1 DIMM2

DIMM1

DIMM4 DIMM3

2 DIMM2

DIMM1

DIMM4

DIMM3

DIMM2

DIMM1

DIMM4 DIMM3

EmptyInstalled

3


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2-7

Hardware Setup

Installing Memory Modules1. The memory module has only one notch on the center and will only fit in the right

orientation.2. Insert the memory module vertically into the DIMM slot. Then push it in until the

golden finger on the memory module is deeply inserted in the DIMM slot.

3. The plastic clip at each side of the DIMM slot will automatically close.

Important

You can barely see the golden finger if the memory module is properly insertedin the DIMM slot.

Volt Notch

Important

- DDR2 memory modules are not interchangeable with DDR and the DDR2standard is not backwards compatible. You should always install DDR2memory modules in the DDR2 DIMM slots.

- In Dual-Channel mode, make sure that you install memory modules of thesame type and density in different channel DIMM slots.

- To enable successful system boot-up, always insert the memory modulesinto the DIMM1 first.

- Due to the chipset resource deployment, the system density will only bedetected up to 7+GB (not full 8GB) when each DIMM is installed with a 2GBmemory module.



2-8

MS-7368 Mainboard

Power Supply

PIN SIGNAL

13 +3.3V14 -12V15 GND16 PS-ON#17 GND18 GND19 GND20 Res21 +5V22 +5V23 +5V24 GND

PIN SIGNAL

1 +3.3V 2 +3.3V 3 GND 4 +5V 5 GND 6 +5V 7 GND 8 PWR OK 9 5VSB10 +12V11 +12V12 +3.3V

Pin Definition

pin 12

pin 13

24

ATX1

13 1

12

Important

1. Maker sure that all the connectors are connected to proper ATX power sup-plies to ensure stable operation of the mainboard.

2. Power supply of 350 watts (and above) is highly recommended for systemstability.

ATX 24-Pin Power Connector: ATX1This connector allows you to connect an ATX 24-pin power supply.To connect the ATX 24-pin power supply, make sure the plug of thepower supply is inserted in the proper orientation and the pins arealigned. Then push down the power supply firmly into the connector.You may use the 20-pin ATX power supply as you like. If you’d liketo use the 20-pin ATX power supply, please plug your power sup-ply along with pin 1 & pin 13 (refer to the image at the right hand).There is also a foolproof design on pin 11, 12, 23 & 24 to avoidwrong installation.

PIN SIGNAL

1 GND2 GND3 12V4 12V

JPW1 Pin DefinitionJPW1

ATX 12V Power Connector: JPW1This 12V power connector JPW1 is used to provide power to the CPU.

134 2



2-9

Hardware Setup

Back Panel

Keyboard USB Ports

L-In

Mouse LAN

DVI Port

RS-Out

CS-OutSS-Out

L-OutMic

HDMIPort

Mouse/KeyboardThe standard PS/2® mouse/keyboard DIN connector is for a PS/2® mouse/keyboard.

HDMI PortThe High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is an all-digital audio/video interfacecapable of transmitting uncompressed streams. HDMI supports all TV format, includ-ing standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on asingle cable.

VGA PortThe DB15-pin female connector is provided for monitor.

DVI PortThe DVI (Digital Visual Interface) connector allows you to connect a LCD monitor. Itprovides a high-speed digital interconnection between the computer and its displaydevice. To connect an LCD monitor, simply plug your monitor cable into the DVIconnector, and make sure that the other end of the cable is properly connected toyour monitor (refer to your monitor manual for more information.)

1394 Port (optional)The IEEE1394 port on the back panel provides connection to IEEE1394 devices.

LANThe standard RJ-45 jack is for connectionto single Local Area Network (LAN). Youcan connect a network cable to it.

Link IndicatorActivity Indicator

LED Color LED State condition

Off LAN link is not established.

Left Orange On (steady state) LAN link is established.

On (brighter & pulsing) The computer is communicating with another computer on the LAN.

Green Off 10 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.

Right On 100 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.

Orange On 1000 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.

VGA Port 1394 Port(optional)



2-10

MS-7368 Mainboard

USB PortThe USB (Universal Serial Bus) port is for attaching USB devices such as keyboard,mouse, or other USB-compatible devices.

Audio PortsThese audio connectors are used for audio devices. You can differentiate the colorof the audio jacks for different audio sound effects.

Line-In (Blue) - Line In, is used for external CD player, tapeplayer or other audio devices.

Line-Out (Green) - Line Out, is a connector for speakers or headphones. Mic (Pink) - Mic, is a connector for microphones. RS-Out (Black) - Rear-Surround Out in 4/ 5.1/ 7.1 channel mode. CS-Out (Orange) - Center/ Subwoofer Out in 5.1/ 7.1 channel mode. SS-Out (Gray) - Side-Surround Out 7.1 channel mode.



2-11

Hardware Setup

Connectors

Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1This connector supports 360KB, 720KB, 1.2MB, 1.44MB or 2.88MB floppy disk drive.

FDD1

IDE Connector: IDE1This connector supports IDE hard disk drives, optical disk drives and other IDE devices.

IDE1

Important

If you install two IDE devices on the same cable, you must configure thedrives separately to master / slave mode by setting jumpers. Refer to IDEdevice ’s documentation supplied by the vendors for jumper sett inginstructions.



2-12

MS-7368 Mainboard

CD-In Connector: JCD1This connector is provided for external audio input.

JCD1

JCI12

CINTRUGND

1

Serial ATA Connector: SATA1/ SATA2/ SATA3/ SATA4This connector is a high-speed Serial ATA interface port. Each connector can con-nect to one Serial ATA device.

SATA1

SATA2

SATA3

SATA4

Important

Please do not fold the Serial ATA cable into 90-degree angle. Otherwise,data loss may occur during transmission.

Chassis Intrusion Connector: JCI1This connector connects to the chassis intrusion switch cable. If the chassis isopened, the chassis intrusion mechanism will be activated. The system will recordthis status and show a warning message on the screen. To clear the warning, youmust enter the BIOS utility and clear the record.

GND RL



2-13

Hardware Setup

Important

1. Please refer to the recommended CPU fans at AMD® official website orconsult the vendors for proper CPU cooling fan.

2. Always consult the vendors for proper CPU cooling fan.3. Fan/heatsink with 3 or 4 pins are both available for CPUFAN1.

SYSFAN1+12V

GND SENSOR

CPUFAN1

ControlSENSOR +12V

GND

SYSFAN2+12V

GND SENSOR

Fan Power Connectors: CPUFAN1, SYSFAN1, SYSFAN2The fan power connectors support system cooling fan with +12V. When connectingthe wire to the connectors, always note that the red wire is the positive and shouldbe connected to the +12V; the black wire is Ground and should be connected to GND.If the mainboard has a System Hardware Monitor chipset on-board, you must use aspecially designed fan with speed sensor to take advantage of the CPU fan control.

Front Panel Audio Connector: JAUD1This connector allows you to connect the front panel audio and is compliant withIntel® Front Panel I/O Connectivity Design Guide.

JAUD112

910

PIN SIGNAL DESCRIPTION

1 MIC_L Microphone - Left channel2 GND Ground3 MIC_R Microphone - Right channel4 PRESENCE# Active low signal-signals BIOS that a High Definition Audio dongle

is connected to the analog header. PRESENCE# = 0 when aHigh Definition Audio dongle is connected

5 LINE out_R Analog Port - Right channel6 MIC_JD Jack detection return from front panel microphone JACK17 Front_JD Jack detection sense line from the High Definition Audio CODEC

jack detection resistor network8 NC No control9 LINE out_L Analog Port - Left channel10 LINEout_JD Jack detection return from front panel JACK2

HD Audio Pin Definition



2-14

MS-7368 Mainboard

21

109JFP1

HDDLED

ResetSwitch

PowerLED

PowerSwitch

++

+

--

-

Power LED

Speaker

12

78JFP2

-- +

+


1 HD_LED + Hard disk LED pull-up2 FP PWR/SLP MSG LED pull-up3 HD_LED - Hard disk active LED4 FP PWR/SLP MSG LED pull-up5 RST_SW - Reset Switch low reference pull-down to GND6 PWR_SW + Power Switch high reference pull-up7 RST_SW + Reset Switch high reference pull-up8 PWR_SW - Power Switch low reference pull-down to GND9 RSVD_DNU Reserved. Do not use.

JFP1 Pin Definition


1 GND Ground2 SPK- Speaker-3 SLED Suspend LED4 BUZ+ Buzzer+5 PLED Power LED6 BUZ- Buzzer-7 NC No connection8 SPK+ Speaker+

JFP2 Pin Definition

Front Panel Connectors: JFP1, JFP2These connectors are for electrical connection to the front panel switches and LEDs.The JFP1 is compliant with Intel® Front Panel I/O Connectivity Design Guide.



2-15

Hardware Setup

Front USB Connector: JUSB1 / JUSB2 / JUSB3This connector, compliant with Intel® I/O Connectivity Design Guide, is ideal for con-necting high-speed USB interface peripherals such as USB HDD, digital cameras,MP3 players, printers, modems and the like.

JUSB1/2/3 1 2

10 9PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL1 VCC 2 VCC

3 USB0- 4 USB1-

5 USB0+ 6 USB1+7 GND 8 GND

9 Key (no pin) 10 USBOC

Pin Definition

Important

Note that the pins of VCC and GND must be connected correctly to avoidpossible damage.

USB 2.0 Bracket(Optional)



2-16

MS-7368 Mainboard

IEEE1394 Connector: J1394_1(Optional)This connector allows you to connect the IEEE1394 device via an optional IEEE1394bracket.

Pin Definition

PIN SIGNAL PIN SIGNAL

1 TPA+ 2 TPA-

3 Ground 4 Ground

5 TPB+ 6 TPB-

7 Cable power 8 Cable power

9 Key (no pin) 10 Ground

J1394_1

1 9 2 10

IEEE1394 Bracket (Optional)

Serial Port Connector: JCOM1This connector is a 16550A high speed communication port that sends/receives 16bytes FIFOs. You can attach a serial device.


1 DCD Data Carry Detect 2 SIN Serial In or Receive Data 3 SOUT Serial Out or Transmit Data 4 DTR Data Terminal Ready 5 GND Ground 6 DSR Data Set Ready 7 RTS Request To Send 8 CTS Clear To Send 9 RI Ring Indicate

Pin Definition

JCOM1

1 92



2-17

Hardware Setup

S/PDIF-Out Connector: JSPD1 (Optional, for HDMI graphics cardonly)This connector is used to connect S/PDIF (Sony & Philips Digital Interconnect Format)interface for audio transmission to the HDMI graphics card.

JSPD1

VCCSPDFO

GND



2-18

MS-7368 Mainboard

Jumpers

Important

You can clear CMOS by shorting 2-3 pin while the system is off. Then returnto 1-2 pin position. Avoid clearing the CMOS while the system is on; it willdamage the mainboard.

JBAT11 Clear Data

1 3

Keep Data

1 3

Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1There is a CMOS RAM onboard that has a power supply from an external battery tokeep the data of system configuration. With the CMOS RAM, the system can auto-matically boot OS every time it is turned on. If you want to clear the system configuration,set the jumper to clear data.

Select DVI Port / HDMI Port Jumper: J1, J2The DVI port shares the same controller with the HDMI port. These jumpers allow youto enable the deivce installed on it.

Enable the DVI port. Disable the HDMI port.

Enable the HDMI port. Disable the DVI port.

J1

J2

C1

C1

A1

A1

B1

B1

J1

J2

C1

C1

A1

A1

B1

B1



2-19

Hardware Setup

Slots

PCI Express x16 Slot

PCI Express x1 Slot

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Express SlotThe PCI Express slot supports the PCI Express interface expansion card.The PCI Express x 16 slot supports up to 4.0 GB/s transfer rate.The PCI Express x 1 slot supports up to 250 MB/s transfer rate.

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) SlotThe PCI slot supports LAN card, SCSI card, USB card, and other add-on cards thatcomply with PCI specifications.

32-bit PCI Slot

Important

When adding or removing expansion cards, make sure that you unplug the power supply first. Meanwhile, read the documentation for theexpansion card to configure any necessary hardware or software settingsfor the expansion card, such as jumpers, switches or BIOS configuration.

PCI Interrupt Request RoutingThe IRQ, acronym of interrupt request line and pronounced I-R-Q, are hardware linesover which devices can send interrupt signals to the microprocessor. The PCI IRQpins are typically connected to the PCI bus pins as follows:

Order 1 Order 2 Order 3 Order 4

PCI Slot 1 INT A# INT B# INT C# INT D#

PCI Slot 2 INT B# INT C# INT D# INT A#

PCI Slot 3 INT C# INT D# INT A# INT B#



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MS-7368 Mainboard



3-1

BIOS Setup

Chapter 3

BIOS Setup

This chapter provides information on the BIOS Setupprogram and allows you to configure the system foroptimum use.You may need to run the Setup program when:

² An error message appears on the screen during thesystem booting up, and requests you to run SETUP.

² You want to change the default settings for cus-tomized features.



3-2

MS-7368 Mainboard

Entering Setup

Important

1. The items under each BIOS category described in this chapter are undercontinuous update for better system performance. Therefore, the descrip-tion may be slightly different from the latest BIOS and should be held forreference only.

2. Upon boot-up, the 1st line appearing after the memory count is the BIOSversion. It is usually in the format:

A7368AMS V1.0 041607 where:

1st digit refers to BIOS maker as A = AMI, W = AWARD, and P =PHOENIX.2nd - 5th digit refers to the model number.6th digit refers to the chipset as I = Intel, N = nVidia, and A = AMD.7th - 8th digit refers to the customer as MS = all standard customers.V1.1 refers to the BIOS version.122506 refers to the date this BIOS was released.

Power on the computer and the system will start POST (Power On Self Test) process.When the message below appears on the screen, press <DEL> key to enter Setup.

Press DEL to enter SETUP

If the message disappears before you respond and you still wish to enter Setup,restart the system by turning it OFF and On or pressing the RESET button. You mayalso restart the system by simultaneously pressing <Ctrl>, <Alt>, and <Delete> keys.



3-3

BIOS Setup

Getting HelpAfter entering the Setup menu, the first menu you will see is the Main Menu.

Main MenuThe main menu lists the setup functions you can make changes to. You can use thearrow keys ( ↑↓ ) to select the item. The on-line description of the highlighted setupfunction is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Sub-MenuIf you find a right pointer symbol (as shown in the rightview) appears to the left of certain fields that means asub-menu can be launched from this field. A sub-menucontains additional options for a field parameter. Youcan use arrow keys ( ↑↓ ) to highlight the field andpress <Enter> to call up the sub-menu. Then you canuse the control keys to enter values and move fromfield to field within a sub-menu. If you want to return tothe main menu, just press the <Esc >.

General Help <F1>The BIOS setup program provides a General Help screen. You can call up this screenfrom any menu by simply pressing <F1>. The Help screen lists the appropriate keysto use and the possible selections for the highlighted item. Press <Esc> to exit theHelp screen.

Control Keys

<↑> Move to the previous item<↓> Move to the next item<←> Move to the item in the left hand<→> Move to the item in the right hand<Enter> Select the item<Esc> Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu from a

submenu<+/PU> Increase the numeric value or make changes<-/PD> Decrease the numeric value or make changes<F6> Load Optimized Defaults<F10> Save all the CMOS changes and exit



3-4

MS-7368 Mainboard

Standard CMOS FeaturesUse this menu for basic system configurations, such as time, date etc.

Advanced BIOS FeaturesUse this menu to setup the items of AMI® special enhanced features.

Integrated PeripheralsUse this menu to specify your settings for integrated peripherals.

Power Management SetupUse this menu to specify your settings for power management.

PNP/PCI ConfigurationsThis entry appears if your system supports PnP/PCI.

H/W MonitorThis entry shows your PC health status.

Cell MenuUse this menu to specify your settings for frequency/voltage control and overclocking.

Load Optimized DefaultsUse this menu to load the default values set by the mainboard manufacturer specifi-cally for optimal performance of the mainboard.

The Main Menu



3-5

BIOS Setup

BIOS Setting PasswordUse this menu to set the password for BIOS.

Save & Exit SetupSave changes to CMOS and exit setup.

Exit Without SavingAbandon all changes and exit setup.



3-6

MS-7368 Mainboard

The items in Standard CMOS Features Menu includes some basic setup items. Usethe arrow keys to highlight the item and then use the <PgUp> or <PgDn> keys to selectthe value you want in each item.

Date (MM:DD:YY)This allows you to set the system to the date that you want (usually the current date).The format is <day><month> <date> <year>.

day Day of the week, from Sun to Sat, determined byBIOS. Read-only.

month The month from Jan. through Dec.date The date from 1 to 31 can be keyed by numeric function keys.year The year can be adjusted by users.

Time (HH:MM:SS)This allows you to set the system time that you want (usually the current time). Thetime format is <hour> <minute> <second>.

IDE Primary Master/ Slave, SATA 1/2/3/4Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu, and the following screen appears.

Standard CMOS Features



3-7

BIOS Setup

Device/Vendor/SizeThese 3 items show the information about the specified item. Read-only.

LBA/Large ModeThis item allows you to enable or disable the LBA (Logical Block Address, thelogical block size in hard disk) mode.

DMA ModeThis item allows you to enable or disable the DMA (Direct Memory Access) mode.

Hard Disk S.M.A.R.T.This allows you to activate the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis & ReportingTechnology) capability for the hard disks. S.M.A.R.T is a utility that monitors yourdisk status to predict hard disk failure. This gives you an opportunity to movedata from a hard disk that is going to fail to a safe place before the hard diskbecomes off line.

Important

IDE Primary Master/ Slave, SATA 1/2/3/4 are appearing when youconnect the HD devices to the IDE/ SATA connector on the mainboard.

Floppy AThis item allows you to set the type of the floppy drives installed. Available options:[Disabled], [360 KB, 51/4”], [1.2 MB, 51/4”], [720 KB, 3 1/2”], [1.44 MB, 3 1/2”], [2.88 MB, 31/2”].



3-8

MS-7368 Mainboard

CPU Type, CPUID/MicroCode, CPU Frequency, BIOS Version, PhysicalMemory, Usage Memory, Cache SizeThis sub-menu shows the CPU information, BIOS version and memory status ofyour system (read only).

System InformationPress <Enter> to enter the sub-menu, and the following screen appears.



3-9

BIOS Setup

Full Screen LOGO DisplayThis item enables you to show the company logo on the bootup screen. Settings are:

[Enabled] Shows a still image (logo) on the full screen at boot.[Disabled] Shows the POST messages at boot.

Quick BootingSetting the item to [Enabled] allows the system to boot within 5 seconds since it willskip some check items.

Boot Up Num-Lock LEDThis setting is to set the Num Lock status when the system is powered on. Setting to[ON] will turn on the Num Lock key when the system is powered on. Setting to [OFF]will allow users to use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad.

Boot Sector ProtectionThis function protects the BIOS from accidental corruption by unauthorized users orcomputer viruses. When enabled, the BIOS’ data cannot be changed when attempt-ing to update the BIOS with a Flash utility. To successfully update the BIOS, you’llneed to disable this Flash BIOS Protection function.You should enable this function at all times. The only time when you need to disableit is when you want to update the BIOS. After updating the BIOS, you should immedi-ately re-enable it to protect it against viruses.

Advanced BIOS Features



3-10

MS-7368 Mainboard

IOAPIC FunctionThis field is used to enable or disable the APIC (Advanced Programmable InterruptController). Due to compliance with PC2001 design guide, the system is able to run inAPIC mode. Enabling APIC mode will expand available IRQ resources for the system.

MPS Table VersionThis field allows you to select which MPS (Multi-Processor Specification) version tobe used for the operating system. You need to select the MPS version supported byyour operating system. To find out which version to use, consult the vendor of youroperating system.

Chipset FeaturePress <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:

HPETThe HPET (High Precision Event Timers) is a component that is part of the chipset.You can to enable it, and will provide you with the means to get to it via thevarious ACPI methods.

VGA Share MemoryThe system shares memory to the onboard VGA card. This setting controls theexact memory size shared to the VGA card.

On-Chip VGAThis setting allows you to enable or disable the on-chip VGA function.

Boot SequencePress <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:



3-11

BIOS Setup

1st/ 2nd/ 3rd Boot DeviceThe items allow you to set the f irst/ second/ third boot device where BIOSattempts to load the disk operating system.

Boot From Other DeviceSetting the option to [Yes] allows the system to try to boot from other device. ifthe system fails to boot from the 1st/ 2nd/ 3rd boot device.



3-12

MS-7368 Mainboard

USB ControllerThis setting allows you to enable/disable the onboard USB controller.

USB Device Legacy SupportSet to [Enabled] if you need to use any USB 1.1/2.0 device in the operating systemthat does not support or have any USB 1.1/2.0 driver installed, such as DOS and SCOUnix. Set to [Disabled] only if you want to use any USB device other than the USBmouse.

Onboard LAN ControllerThis item is used to enable/disable the onboard LAN controller.

LAN Option ROMThis item is used to decide whether to invoke the Boot ROM of the LAN controller.

Onboard IEEE1394 ControllerThis item allows you to enable/disable the onboard IEEE1394 controller.

HD Audio ControllerThis setting is used to enable/disable the onboard audio controller.

Onboard E-SATA Option ROMThis item is used to decide whether to invoke the Option ROM of the E-SATA controller.

Integrated Peripherals



3-13

BIOS Setup

On-Chip ATA DevicesPress <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:

PCI IDE BusMasterThis item allows you to enable/ disable BIOS to used PCI busmastering forreading/ writing to IDE drives.

On-Chip SATA ControllerThis setting is used to specify the operating mode for SATA devices.

RAID ModeThis item is available for you to enable/disable the onboard IDE RAID function.

I/O Devices ConfigurationPress <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:

COM Port 1This item specifies the base I/O port addresses of the onboard Serial Port 1(COM 1). Selecting [Auto] allows AMIBIOS to automatically determine the correctbase I/O port address.



3-14

MS-7368 Mainboard

ACPI FunctionThis item is to activate the ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power ManagementInterface) Function. If your operating system is ACPI-aware, such as Windows 2000/XP, select [Enabled].

ACPI Standby StateThis item specif ies the power saving modes for ACPI function. If your operatingsystem supports ACPI, such as Windows 2000/ XP , you can choose to enter theStandby mode in S1(POS) or S3(STR) fashion through the setting of this field. Set-tings are:

[S1/POS] The S1 sleep mode is a low power state. In this state, nosystem context is lost (CPU or chipset) and hardware main-tains all system context.

[S3/STR] The S3 sleep mode is a lower power state where the information of system configuration and open applications/filesis saved to main memory that remains powered while mostother hardware components turn off to save energy. Theinformation stored in memory will be used to restore the sys-tem when a “wake up” event occurs.

Important

S3-related functions described in this section are available only when yourBIOS supports S3 sleep mode.

Power Management Setup



3-15

BIOS Setup

Suspend Time Out (Minute)If system activity is not detected for the length of time specified in this f ield, alldevices except CPU will be shut off.

Power Button FunctionThis feature allows users to configure the Power Button function. Settings are:

[Power Off] The power button functions as a normal power-on/-off button.[Suspend] When you press the power button, the computer enters the

suspend/sleep mode, but if the button is pressed for morethan four seconds, the computer is turned off.

Restore On AC Power LossThis setting specif ies whether your system will reboot after a power failure orinterrupt occurs. Available settings are:

[OFF] Leaves the computer in the power off state.[ON] Leaves the computer in the power on state.[Last State] Restores the system to the previous status before power

failure or interrupt occurred.

Wakeup Event SetupPress <Enter> and the following sub-menu appears.

Resume From S3 By USB DeviceThe item allows the activity of the USB device to wake up the system from S3(Suspend to RAM) sleep state.

Resume From S3 By PS/2 KBThis setting determines whether the system will be awakened from what powersaving modes when input signal of the PS/2 keyboard is detected.

Resume From S3 By PS/2 MouseThis setting determines whether the system will be awakened from what powersaving modes when input signal of the PS/2 mouse is detected.

Resume By PCI Device (PME#)When set to [Enabled], the feature allows your system to be awakened from thepower saving modes through any event on PME (Power Management Event).



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MS-7368 Mainboard

Resume By PCI-E DeviceWhen set to [Enabled], the feature allows your system to be awakened from thepower saving modes through any event on PCIE device.

Resume By RTC AlarmThe field is used to enable or disable the feature of booting up the system on ascheduled time/date.



3-17

BIOS Setup

Primary Video ControllerThis setting specifies which graphics card is your primary graphics adapter.

PCI Latency TimerThis item controls how long each PCI device can hold the bus before another takesover. When set to higher values, every PCI device can conduct transactions for alonger time and thus improve the effective PCI bandwidth. For better PCI performance,you should set the item to higher values.

PCI Slot 1/ 2/ 3 IRQThese items specify the IRQ line for each PCI slot.

PNP/PCI ConfigurationsThis section describes configuring the PCI bus system and PnP (Plug & Play) feature.PCI, or Peripheral Component Interconnect, is a system which allows I/O devices tooperate at speeds nearing the speed the CPU itself uses when communicating withits special components. This section covers some very technical items and it isstrongly recommended that only experienced users should make any changes to thedefault settings.



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MS-7368 Mainboard

IRQ Resource SetupPress <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears.

IRQ 3/4/5/7/9/10/11/14/15These items specify the bus where the specified IRQ line is used.The settings determine if AMIBIOS should remove an IRQ from the pool of avail-able IRQs passed to devices that are configurable by the system BIOS. Theavailable IRQ pool is determined by reading the ESCD NVRAM. If more IRQs mustbe removed from the IRQ pool, the end user can use these settings to reservethe IRQ by assigning an [Reserved] setting to it. Onboard I/O is configured byAMIBIOS. All IRQs used by onboard I/O are configured as [Available]. If all IRQsare set to [Reserved], and IRQ 14/15 are allocated to the onboard PCI IDE, IRQ 9will still be available for PCI and PnP devices.

Important

IRQ (Interrupt Request) lines are system resources allocated to I/O devices.When an I/O device needs to gain attention of the operating system, it sig-nals this by causing an IRQ to occur. After receiving the signal, when theoperating system is ready, the system will interrupt itself and perform theservice required by the I/O device.



3-19

BIOS Setup

Chassis IntrusionThe field enables or disables the feature of recording the chassis intrusion statusand issuing a warning message if the chassis is once opened. To clear the warningmessage, set the field to [Reset]. The setting of the field will automatically return to[Enabled] later.

CPU Smart FAN TargetThe mainboard provides the Smart Fan function which can control the CPU fan speedautomatically depending on the current temperature to keep it within a specific range.You can select a fan target value here. If the current CPU fan temperature reaches tothe target value, the smart fan function will be activated. It provides several sectionsto speed up for cooling down automatically .

PC Health Status CPU/ System Temperature, CPU FAN/ SYS FAN 1 FAN Speed, CPU Vcore,

3.3VCC, 5V, 12V, 3.3VSBThese items display the current status of all of the monitored hardware devices/components such as CPU voltage, temperatures and all fans’ speeds.

H/W Monitor



3-20

MS-7368 Mainboard

Current CPU Clock, Current DDR Memory FrequencyThese two items show the current clocks of CPU & DDR memory frequency. Read-only.

AMD Cool’n’QuietThis feature is especially designed for AMD Athlon processor, which provides a CPUtemperature detecting function to prevent your CPU’s from overheating due to theheavy working loading.

Adjust CPU FSB FrequencyThis item allows you to select the CPU Front Side Bus clock frequency (in MHz).Select the number between [200]~[500] for desired frequency.

Processor Frequency MultiplierThis item allows you to set the CPU frequency ratio.

Adjusted CPU FrequencyIt shows the adjusted CPU frequency (FSB x Ratio). Read-only.

Cell Menu

Important

Change these settings only if you are familiar with the chipset.



3-21

BIOS Setup

Advance DRAM ConfigurationPress <Enter> and the following sub-menu appears.

DRAM TimingThe value in this f ield depends on performance parameters of the installedmemory chips (DRAM). Do not change the value from the factory setting unlessyou install new memory that has a different performance rating than the originalDRAMs.

CAS# Latency (Tcl)When the DRAM Timing is set to [Manual], the field is adjustable. This controlsthe CAS latency, which determines the timing delay (in clock cycles) beforeSDRAM starts a read command after receiving it. Smaller clocks increase sys-tem performance while bigger clocks provide more stable system performance.

Min RAS# Active Time (Tras)When the DRAM Timing is set to [Manual], the field is adjustable. This settingdetermines the time RAS takes to read from and write to a memory cell.

RAS# Precharge Time (Trp)When the DRAM Timing is set to [Manual], this field is adjustable. This settingcontrols the number of cycles for Row Address Strobe (RAS) to be allowed toprecharge. If insuff icient time is allowed for the RAS to accumulate its chargebefore DRAM refresh, refresh may be incomplete and DRAM may fail to retaindata. This item applies only when synchronous DRAM is installed in the system.

RAS# to CAS# Delay (Trcd)When the DRAM Timing is set to [Manual], this f ield is adjustable. This fieldallows you to set the number of cycles for a timing delay between the CAS andRAS strobe signals, used when DRAM is written to, read from or refreshed.Fast speed offers faster performance while slow speed offers more stableperformance.



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MS-7368 Mainboard

FSB/Memory RatioThis setting control the ratio of CPU FSB / DRAM Clock Ratio to enable the CPU &DRAM to run at different frequency combinations. Please note that the setting optionsvary according to the CPU FSB Clock preset.

Adjusted DDR Memory FrequencyIt shows the adjusted DDR memory frequency. Read only.

Auto Disable PCI FrequencyWhen set to [Enabled], the system will remove (turn off) clocks from any empty PCIslots to minimize the electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Processor/ Memory Voltage (V)These items allow you to adjust the processor/ memory voltage. Adjusting the voltagecan increase the speed. Any changes made to this setting may cause a stabilityissue, so changing the voltage for long-term purpose is NOT recommended.

Spread SpectrumWhen the motherboard’s clock generator pulses, the extreme values (spikes) of thepulses creates EMI (Electromagnetic Interference). The Spread Spectrum functionreduces the EMI generated by modulating the pulses so that the spikes of the pulsesare reduced to flatter curves. If you do not have any EMI issue, leave the setting atDisabled for optimal system stability and performance. But if you are plagued by EMI,set to Enabled for EMI reduction. Remember to disable Spread Spectrum if you areoverclocking because even a slight jitter can introduce a temporary boost in clockspeed which may just cause your overclocked processore to lock up.

Important

1. If you do not have any EMI problem, leave the setting at [Disabled] foroptimal system stability and performance. But if you are plagued by EMI,select the value of Spread Spectrum for EMI reduction.

2. The greater the Spread Spectrum value is, the greater the EMI is reduced,and the system will become less stable. For the most suitable SpreadSpectrum value, please consult your local EMI regulation.

3. Remember to disable Spread Spectrum if you are overclocking becauseeven a slight jitter can introduce a temporary boost in clock speed whichmay just cause your overclocked processor to lock up.



3-23

BIOS Setup

Load Optimized Defaults

This options on themain menu allow users to restore all of the BIOS settings to theOptimized values. The Optimized Defaults are the default values set by the mainboardmanufacturer specifically for optimal performance of the mainboard.

When you select Load Optimized Defaults, a message as below appears:

Pressing OK loads the default factory settings for optimal system performance.



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MS-7368 Mainboard

BIOS Setting Password

When you select this function, a message as below will appear on the screen:

Type the password, up to six characters in length, and press <Enter>. The passwordtyped now will replace any previously set password from CMOS memory. You willbe prompted to confirm the password. Retype the password and press <Enter>. Youmay also press <Esc> to abort the selection and not enter a password.To clear a set password, just press <Enter> when you are prompted to enter thepassword. A message will show up confirming the password will be disabled. Oncethe password is disabled, the system will boot and you can enter Setup withoutentering any password.When a password has been set, you will be prompted to enter it every time you tryto enter Setup. This prevents an unauthorized person from changing any part of yoursystem configuration.



A-1

Realtek ALC888 Audio

Realtek ALC888 AudioAppendix A

The Realtek ALC888 provides 10-channel DAC that si-multaneously supports 7.1 sound playback and 2 chan-nels of independent s tereo sound output (multiplestreaming) through the Front-Out-Left and Front-Out-Right channels.



MS-7368 Mainboard

A-2a

You need to install the driver for Realtek ALC888 codec to function properly beforeyou can get access to 2-, 4-, 6-, 8- channel or 7.1+2 channel audio operations.Follow the procedures described below to install the drivers for different operatingsystems.

Installation for Windows 2000/XPFor Windows® 2000, you must install Windows® 2000 Service Pack4 or later beforeinstalling the driver. For Windows® XP, you must install Windows® XP Service Pack1or later before installing the driver.The following illustrations are based on Windows® XP environment and could lookslightly different if you install the drivers in different operating systems.

1. Insert the application CD into the CD-ROM drive. The setup screen will auto-matically appear.

2. Click Realtek HD Audio Driver.

Installing the Realtek HD Audio Driver

Important

The HD Audio Configuration software utility is under continuous updateto enhance audio applications. Hence, the program screens shown here inthis section may be slightly different from the latest software utility and shallbe held for reference only.

Click here



A-3


3. Click Next to install the Realtek High Definition Audio Driver.

Click here

Select thisoption

4. Click Finish to restart the system.

Click here



MS-7368 Mainboard

A-4a

After installing the audio driver, you are able to use the 2-, 4-, 6- or 8- channel audiofeature now. Click the audio icon from the system tray at the lower-right corner ofthe screen to activate the HD Audio Configuration. It is also available to enable theaudio driver by clicking the Azalia HD Sound Effect Manager from the ControlPanel.

Double click

Software Configuration



A-5


Sound Effect

Environment SimulationYou will be able to enjoy different sound experience by pulling down the arrow,totally 23 kinds of sound effect will be shown for selection. Realtek HD Audio SoundManager also provides five popular settings “Stone Corridor”, “Bathroom”, “Sewerpipe”, “Arena” and “Audio Corridor” for quick enjoyment.

You may choose the provided sound effects, and the equalizer will adjust automatically.If you like, you may also load an equalizer setting or make an new equalizer setting tosave as an new one by using the “Load EQ Setting” and “Save Preset” button,click “Reset EQ Setting” button to use the default value, or click “Delete EQ Set-ting” button to remove a preset EQ setting.

There are also other pre-set equalizer models for you to choose by clicking “Others”under the Equalizer part.

Here you can select a sound effect you like from the Environment list.



MS-7368 Mainboard

A-6a

SaveThe settings are savedpermanently for futureuse

Reset10 bands of equalizerwould go back to the de-fault setting

Enable / DisableTo disable, you can tem-porarily s top the soundeffect without losing thesettings

LoadWhenever you would like touse preload settings, simplyclick this, the whole list willbe shown for your selection.

DeleteTo delete the pre-saved settings which are created from previous steps.

Equalizer SelectionEqualizer frees users from default settings; users may create their owned preferredsettings by utilizing this tool.

10 bands of equalizer, ranging from 100Hz to 16KHz.



A-7


Raise the key

Lower the key

Remove thehuman voice

Frequently Used Equalizer SettingRealtek recognizes the needs that you might have. By leveraging our long experienceat audio field, Realtek HD Audio Sound Manager provides you certain optimized equal-izer settings that are frequently used for your quick enjoyment.

[How to Use It]Other than the buttons “Pop” “Live” “Club” & “Rock” shown on the page, to pull downthe arrow in “Others”, you will find more optimized settings available to you.

Karaoke ModeKaraoke mode brings Karaoke fun back home. Simply using the music you usuallyplay, Karaoke mode can help you eliminate the vocal of the song or adjust the key toaccommodate your range.1.Vocal Cancellation: Single click on “Voice Cancellation”, the vocal of the song would be eliminated, while the background music is still in place, and you can be that singer!2.Key Adjustment: Using “Up / Down Arrow” to find a key which better fits your vocal range.



MS-7368 Mainboard

A-8a

MixerIn the Mixer part, you may adjust the volumes of the rear and front panels individually.

1. Adjust VolumeYou can adjust the volume of the speakers that you pluged in front or rear panel byselect the Realtek HD Audio rear output or Realtek HD Audio front outputitems.

2. Multi-Stream FunctionALC888 supports an outstanding feature called Multi-Stream, which means you mayplay different audio sources simultaneously and let them output respectively from theindicated real panel or front panel. This feature is very helpful when 2 people areusing the same computer together for different purposes.

Click the button and the Mixer ToolBox menu will appear. Then check the Enableplayback multi-streaming and click OK to save the setup.

Important

Before set up, please make sure the playback devices are well plugged in thejacks on the rear or front panel. The Realtek HD Audio front output itemwill appear after you pluging the speakers into the jacks on the front panel.

Important

You have to plug audio device into the jacks on the rear and front panel firstbefore enable the multi-stream function.



A-9


W hen you are playing the f irst audio source (for example: use W indows MediaPlayer to play DVD/VCD), the output will be played from the rear panel, which is thedefault setting.

Then you must to select the Realtek HD Audio 2nd output from the scroll listfirst, and use a different program to play the second audio source (for example: useWinamp to play MP3 files). You will find that the second audio source (MP3 music) willcome out from the Line-Out audio jack of Front Panel.



MS-7368 Mainboard

A-10a

3. Playback control

MuteYou may choose to mute single or multiple volume controls or to completely mutesound output.

Tool- Show the following volume controlsThis is to let you freely decide which volume control items to be displayed.- Advanced controls- Enable playback multi-streamingW ith this function, you will be able to have an audio chat with your friends viaheadphone (stream 1 from front panel) while still have music (stream 2 from backpanel) in play. At any given period, you can have maximum 2 streams operatingsimultaneously.

Playback deviceThis function is to let you freely decide which ports tooutput the sound. And this is essential when multi-streaming playback enabled.- Realtek HD Audio Output- Realtek HD Audio 2nd Output

Tool Mute



A-11


4. Recording control

MuteYou may choose to mute single or multiple volume controls or to completely mutesound input.Tool- Show the following volume controlsThis is to let you freely decide which volume control items to be displayed.- Enable recording multi-streaming

Important

ALC888 allows you to record the CD, Line, Mic and Stereo Mix channelssimultaneously, frees you from mixing efforts. At any given period, you maychoose 1 of the following 4 channels to record.

Recording device-Realtek HDA Primary input-Mic in at front panel (Green)

Tool Mute



MS-7368 Mainboard

A-12a

Audio I/OIn this tab, you can easily configure your multi-channel audio function and speakers.You can choose a desired multi-channel operation here.

a. Headphone for the common headphoneb. 2CH Speaker for Stereo-Speaker Outputc. 4CH Speaker for 4-Speaker Outputd. 6CH Speaker for 5.1-Speaker Outpute. 8CH Speaker for 7.1-Speaker Output

Speaker Configuration:

1. Plug the speakers in the corresponding jack.

2. Dialogue “connected device” will pop up for your selection. Please select the device you have plugged in. - If the device is being plugged into the correct jack, you will be able to find the icon beside the jack changed to the one that is same as your device. - If not correct, Realtek HD Audio Manager will guide you to plug the device into the correct jack.



A-13


Connector Settings

Click to access connector settings.

Disable front panel jack detection (option)Find no function on front panel jacks? Please check if front jacks on your system areso-called AC’97 jacks. If so, please check this item to disable front panel jack detection.

Mute rear panel output when front headphone plugged in.

Enable auto popup dialogue, when device has been plugged inOnce this item checked, the dialog “Connected device” would automatically pop upwhen device plugged in.



MS-7368 Mainboard

A-14a

S/PDIF (optional, for HDMI graphics card only)Short for Sony/Philips Digital Interface, a standard audio file transfer format. S/PDIFallows the transfer of digital audio signals from one device to another without havingto be converted first to an analog format. Maintaining the viability of a digital signalprevents the quality of the signal from degrading when it is converted to analog.

Output Sampling Rate 44.1KHz: This is recommend while playing CD. 48KHz: This is recommended while playing DVD or Dolby. 96KHz: This is recommended while playing DVD-Audio. 192KHz: This is recommended while playing High quality Audio.

Output Source No S/PDIF out: There will no S/PDIF out. Output digital audio source: The digital audio format (such as .wav, .mp3, .midi etc) will come out through S/PDIF-Out.



A-15


Test SpeakersYou can select the speaker by clicking it to test its functionality. The one you selectwill light up and make testing sound. If any speaker fails to make sound, then checkwhether the cable is inserted f irmly to the connector or replace the bad speakerswith good ones. Or you may click the auto test button to test the sounds ofeach speaker automatically.

Subwoofer

Front Right

Rear Right

Center

Front Left

Rear Left

Side Left

Side Right



MS-7368 Mainboard

A-16a

MicrophoneIn this tab you may set the function of the microphone. Select the Noise Suppres-sion to remove the possible noise during recording, or select Acoustic Echo Can-cellation to cancel the acoustic echo druing recording.

Acoustic Echo Cancellation prevents playback sound from being recorded bymicrophone together with your sound. For example, you might have chance to useVOIP function through Internet with your friends. The voice of your friend will comeout from speakers (playback). However, the voice of your friend might also berecorded into your microphone then go back to your friend through Internet. In thatcase, your friend will hear his /her own voice again. W ith AEC(Acoustic EchoCancellation) enabled at your side, your friend can enjoy the benefit with less echo.



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3D Audio DemoIn this tab you may adjust your 3D positional audio before playing 3D audio applica-tions like gaming. You may also select different environment to choose the mostsuitable environment you like.



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InformationIn this tab it provides some information about this HD Audio Configuration utility,including Audio Driver Version, DirectX Version, Audio Controller & Audio Codec. Youmay also select the language of this utility by choosing from the Language list.

Also there is a selection Show icon in system tray. Switch it on and an icon

will show in the system tray. Right-click on the icon and the Audio Accessoriesdialogue box will appear which provides several multimedia features for you to takeadvantage of.



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Connecting the SpeakersWhen you have set the Multi-Channel Audio Function mode properly in the softwareutility, connect your speakers to the correct phone jacks in accordance with thesetting in software utility.

n 2-Channel Mode for Stereo-Speaker OutputRefer to the following diagram and caption for the function of each phone jack on theback panel when 2-Channel Mode is selected.

Back Panel

1 Line In2 Line Out (Front channels)3 MIC4 Line Out (Rear surround channels, but no functioning in this mode)5 Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel, but no functioning in this mode)6 Line Out (Side surround channels, but no functioning in this mode)

Hardware Setup

3

1

2

6

4

5



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n 4-Channel Mode for 4-Speaker Output

Back Panel

4-Channel Analog Audio Output

1 Line In2 Line Out (Front channels)3 MIC4 Line Out (Rear surround channels)5 Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel, but no functioning in this mode)6 Line Out (Side surround channels, but no functioning in this mode)

3

1

2

6

4

5



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1 Line In2 Line Out (Front channels)3 MIC4 Line Out (Rear surround channels)5 Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel)6 Line Out (Side surround channels, but no functioning in this mode)

1

2

6

4

5

3

Back Panel



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1 Line In2 Line Out (Front channels)3 MIC4 Line Out (Rear surround channels)5 Line Out (Center and Subwoofer channel)6 Line Out (Side channels)

1

2

6

4

5

3

Important

To enable 7.1 channel audio-out function on Vista operating system, you have toinstall the Realtek Audio Driver. Or, the mainboard will support 5.1 channelaudio-out only.



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AMD SATA RAID

AMD SATA RAIDAppendix B

AMD south bridge SB600 integrate SATA host control-ler that supports four SATAII ports and RAID functionfor performance and reliability.SATA RAID provides support for RAID 0 (Striping), RAID1 (Mirroring), RAID 0+1 (Striping & Mirroring). RAID 0greatly improves hard d isk I/O performance byconcurrently striping data across multiple drives. RAID1 makes sure data is not lost if a drive fails as data issimultaneously written to two drives. Drives configuredfor RAID Striping are said to form a RAID 0 set, whiledrives configured for RAID Mirroring are said to form aRAID 1 set. RAID 0+1 is implemented as a mirroredarray whose segments are RAID 0 arrays. RAID 0+1has same fault tolerance as mirroring and reducesoverhead by striping. It needs at least four drives toform a RAID 0+1.



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B-2

RAID Configuration

Creating and deleting RAID set and performing other RAID setting up operations aredone in the RAID BIOS. During bootup, a screen similar to the one below will appearfor about few seconds. Press <Ctrl-F> to enter the FastBuild utility.

The Fast Build Utility menu screen will appear. The Main Menu is used to choose theoperation to be performed.

Important

Be sure to set the OnChip SATA Type to “RAID” in BIOS (the path is :Integrated Peripherals => IDE Devices Configuration => OnChip SATAType) before configuring the RAID BIOS.



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AMD SATA RAID

View Drives Assignments

This window displays the model number, capacities and assignment of the drivesphysically attached to the SATA host adapter.



MS-7368 Mainboard

B-4

Define LD (Creating RAID)

The selection of the RAID configuration should be based upon factors includingperformance, data security, and the number of drives available. It is best to carefullyconsider the long-term role of the system and plan the data storage strategy. RAIDsets can be created either automatically, or to allow the greatest flexibility, manually.

1. Press 2 on the Main Menu screen to enter the Define LD Menu.2. Press the arrow keys to highlight an logical drive number you want to define

and press Enter to select it.

and press Enter to select it.

3. On the next screen, use the space key to choose a RAID mode (RAID 0/ 1/0+1) and use the arrow key to move to the Drives Assignments window.• Initialize logical drive, zero the disk drives. RAID 1 or 10 only.



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AMD SATA RAID

• Stripe Block Size, the default 64KB is best for most applications. RAID 0 or 10 only.• Gigabyte Boundary, allows use of slightly smaller replacement drives.• Cache Mode, WriteThru or WriteBack.

4. On the Drives Assignments window, use the arrow key to choose the harddrives which you want to make part of the LD, use the space key to changethe assignment to “Y”. Then press [Ctrl+Y] to save the configuration.

5. A message will show up on the bottom, press any key to save the configurationor press [Ctrl-Y] to allocate the RAID capacity manually.

6. The LD creation is done, the screen shows the LD information as below.

Important

1. The default capacity is the full capacity of the selected hard drives.2. If you allocate the first LD capacity manually, you can create second LD with remaining capacity of the selected hard drives.



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Press ESC key to the main screen.

7. Press ESC key to exit the utility, a message “System is going to REBOOT! AreYou Sure?” will display, answer “Y” to exit it and the system will reboot.



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AMD SATA RAID

Delete LD (Deleting RAID)

1. Select “Delete LD” on the main screen.2. Choose a LD No you want to delete and press “Del” or “Alt+D” delete the RAID

set.

3. On the next screen, a message will display to inform you, press “Ctrl+Y” todelete the RAID set or other key to abort it. Press “Ctrl+Y” to complete thedeletion.



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Installing the RAID Driver (for bootable RAID Array)1. After you complete the RAID BIOS setup, boot from the Windows CD, and the

Windows XP Setup program starts.2. Press F6 and wait for the W indows Setup screen to appear.

Important

Please follow the instruction below to make an AMD SATA RAID driver foryourself.

1. Insert the MSI CD into the CD-ROM drive.2. Click the “Browse CD” on the Setup screen.3. Copy all the contents in the :

for Windows XP driver CD \AMD\AMDDrv\SBDrv\RAID

for Windows Vista driver CD\ChipSet\AMD\Packages\Drivers\SBDrv\SB6xx\RAID\x86 and\ChipSet\AMD\Packages\Drivers\SBDrv\SB6xx\RAID\x64 to aformatted floppy disk.

4. The driver disk for AMD SATA RAID controller is done.

3. Insert the floppy that contains the RAID driver,Press the “S” key to select “SpecifyAdditional Device”.

4. For Windows Vista:During the Operating system installation, after selecting the location to installVista click on “Load Driver” button to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver.

5. When prompted, insert the floppy disk or media (Floppy, CD/DVD Or USB) andpress Enter.

6. You should be shown a list of available SCSI Adapters.7. Select “AMD AHCI Compatible RAID Controller -x86 platform” when the

system is 32-bit version or “AMD AHCI Compatible RAID Controller -x64platform” when the system is 64-bit version and then press ENTER.

8. The next screen should confirm that you have selected the AMD RAID controller.Press ENTER again to continue.

9. You have successfully installed the AMD RAID driver, and Windows setup shouldcontinue.

10. Leave the disk in the floppy drive until the system reboots itself. Windows setupwill need to copy the files from the floppy again after the RAID volume is formatted,and Windows setup starts copying files.



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AMD SATA RAID

Installing the RAID Driver Under Windows(for Non-bootable RAID Array)

1. Insert the MSI CD into the CD-ROM drive.2. The CD will auto-run and the setup screen will appear.3. Under the Driver tab, click on AMD System Driver. The AMD System Driver

includes AMD RAID Driver.4. The driver will be automatically installed.

Important

You must install the RAID driver to enable RAID.



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C-1

Dual Core Center

Dual Core Center

Dual CoreCenter, the most useful and powerful utilitythat MSI has spent much research and ef forts todevelop, helps users to monitor or configure the hard-ware status of MSI Mainboard & MSI Graphics card inwindows, such as CPU/GPU clock, voltage, fan speedand temperature.Before you install the Dual CoreCenter, please makesure the system has meet the following requirements:

1. Intel Pentium4 / Celeron, AMD Athlon XP/ Sempron or compatible CPU with PCI Express slot.2. 256MB system memory.3. CD-ROM drive for software installation.4. Operation system: Windows XP.5. DotNet Frame Work 2.0

Appendix C



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MS-7368 Mainboard

Activating Dual Core Center

Once you have your Dual Core Center installed (locate the setup source file in thesetup CD accompanying with your mainboard, path: Utility --> MSI Utility --> DualCore Center), it will have an icon in the system tray, a short cut icon on thedesktop, and a short cut path in your “Start-up” menu. You may double-click on eachicon to enable Dual Core Center.

short-cut icon in the system tray

short-cut path in the start-up menu( p ath : S t ar t - - > P r og rams - - > MSI - - >DualCoreCenter-->DualCoreCenter)



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Dual Core Center

Main

Before using this utility, we have to remind you: only when installing the MSI V044(V044 has to install with the version 8.26 or newer driver)/ V046 or V060 graphicscard can activate the full function of this utility. If you install a graphics card of otherbrand, only hardware status of the MSI mainboard would be available.

Introduction:Click each button appearing above to enter sub-menu to make further configurationor to execute the function.

M BClick MB button to read current CPU temperature, FSB and CPU clock ofmainboard will show below.

VGAClick VGA button to read current GPU temperature, GPU clock and memoryclock of graphics card will show below.

DOTClick DOT button to enable or disable the Dynamic Overclocking Technology.



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MS-7368 Mainboard

AV/ Game/ Office/ Silence/ CoolMSI provides five common settings for different environments. The settingshad been set to optimal values to reach better performance in eachenvironment. Click the button you need.

ClockIn this sub-menu, you can adjust and monitor the clocks of MB and graphicscard.

VoltageIn this sub-menu, you can adjust and monitor the voltages of MB and graphicscard.

FAN SpeedIn this sub-menu, you can adjust and monitor the fan speeds of MB andgraphics card.

TemperatureIn this sub-menu, you can monitor the temperatures of MB and graphics card.

User ProfileIn this sub-menu, you can set the values of clock, voltage and fan speed byyour need and save them in a profile. You can save 3 profiles for further use.

Important

Click on the icon , the clock, voltage, fan, and temperature buttons willappear beside the icon.

Important

Before clicking the AV/ Game/ Office/ Silence or Cool button, select Smoothmode or Sharp mode to decide whether you want the system to reach theoptimal values smoothly or quickly.

Sharp mode Smooth mode



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Dual Core Center

DOT (Dynamic Over Clocking)

Dynamic Overclocking Technology is an automatic overclocking function, included inthe MSITM’s newly developed Dual CoreCenter Technology. It is designed to detect theloading of CPU/ GPU while running programs, and to over-clock automatically. Whenthe motherboard detects that the loading of CPU is exceed the default threshold for atime, it will speed up the CPU and fan automatically to make the system run smootherand faster. When the graphics card detects that the loading of GPU is exceed thedefault threshold for a time, it will speed up the GPU, memory, fan and voltageautomatically to make the system run smoother and faster. When the CPU/ GPU istemporarily suspending or staying in low loading balance, it will restore the defaultsettings instead. Usually the Dynamic Overclocking Technology will be powered onlywhen users' PC runs huge amount of data, like 3D games or video process, and themotherboard/ graphicd card need to be boosted up to enhance the overall performance.There will be several selections when you click the DOT rate button (include increaserate and decrease rate buttons), to select the DOT level, then you have toclick the DOT button to apply the DOT function.

Important

Even though the Dynamic Overclocking Technology is more stable thanmanual overclocking, basically, it is still risky. We suggest user to makesure that your CPU can afford to overclock regularly first. If you find the PCappears to be unstable or reboot incidentally, it's better to lower the level ofoverclocking options. By the way, if you need to conduct overclockingmanually, please do not to apply the DOT function.

DOT FSB-DOWNRate button

DOT FSB-UPRate button



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MS-7368 Mainboard

Clock

In the Clock sub-menu, you can see clock status (including FSB/ CPU clock ofmainboard and GPU/ memory clock of graphics card) of your system. And you canselect desired value for overclocking. There will be several items for you to select foroverclocking after you click button. You can click the plus sign button to increase the clock, or click the minus sign button to decrease the clock. Andfinally, click the Apply button to apply the values adjusted. If you do not want to applythe adjustments, click the Cancel button to cancel. Or click the Default button torestore the default values.

On the underside, it shows the graphs of the clocks. Only the curves of the itemwhich the button is lit up with red color will be shown.

Important

In the user profile, clicking the Save button can save the changes to it. In thedefault profile, the Save button is not available.



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Dual Core Center

Voltage

In the Voltage sub-menu, you can see voltage status (including Vcore, memory, GPUvoltage... etc.) of your system, and you can select desired value for overclocking. Itwill show several items to select for overclocking after you click the button.You can click the plus sign button to increase the voltage, or click the minus signbutton to decrease. And finally, click the Apply button to apply the adjustments.If you do not want to apply the adjustments, click the Cancel button to cancel. Or clickthe Default button to restore the default values.

On the underside, it shows the graphs of the voltages. Only the curves of the itemwhich the button is lit up with red color will be shown.

I

Important

In the user profile, clicking the Save button can save the changes to it. In thedefault profile, the Save button is not available.



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MS-7368 Mainboard

FAN Speed

In the FAN Speed sub-menu, you can read fan status of your system. Select higherspeed for better cooling effect. There are several sections for you to change the fanspeed to a section after clicking button. Click the plus sign button toincrease the fan speed to a section, or click the minus sign button to decrease.Or click the Default button to restore the default values.

On the underside, it shows the graphs of the fan speed. Only the curves of the itemwhich the button is lit up with red color will be shown.

Important

1. When you set the fan speed manually, please make sure to disabled the “CPU Smart FAN Target” item in the BIOS.2. In the user profile, clicking the Save button can save the changes to it. In the default profile, the Save button is not available.



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Dual Core Center

Temperature

In the Temperature sub-menu, you can see temperature status of your system.

On the underside, it shows the graphs of the temperatures. Only the curves of theitem which the button is lit up with red color will be shown.



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MS-7368 Mainboard

User Profile

In the User Profile sub-menu, click the setting button that besides the user profilebar, and the next screen will appear.

Here you can define the clock/ fan speed/ voltage by your need, click thebutton to choose a value quickly, or click the plus / minus sign button toincrease/ decrease the value.



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Dual Core Center

Use the draw bar to set the max system temperature. When the system temperatureexceeds the threshold you defined, the system will pop up a warning message andshut down the system.Use the draw bar to set the minimal fan speed. When the fan speed is lower than thethreshold you defined, the system will pop up a warning message.

Finally, you can choose the user profile by click the button in the left side and click theApply button to load the user profile.

After setting all values you need, you can change the user profile name in the boxthen click the save button to save all changes in a profile.



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MS-7368 Mainboard



Documents

MSI_Neo K9AG-Neo2Digital_7368v1.0(G52-73681X1)