EVGA nForce 122 CK NF68 XX User Manual

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Table of Contents

Before You Begin… .....................................................................................10

Parts NOT in the Kit.......................................................................................10

Intentions of the Kit......................................................................................xlix

Introduction to the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard.............................1

Features.........................................................................................................1

Engineered for Enthusiasts ...........................................................................1

Extreme Overclocking ..................................................................................2

Extreme FSB speeds.................................................................................2

Extreme DDR2 Speeds..............................................................................2

Comprehensive Overclocking Tools............................................................2

Designed for NVIDIA SLI Technology ............................................................3

True 2 x16 PCI Express SLI Support ..........................................................3

NVIDIA SLI-Ready Memory.......................................................................3

NVIDIA SLI Certified Components..............................................................3

Third PCIe Slot for Graphics Expansion..........................................................3

DualDDR2 Memory Architecture....................................................................3

NVIDIA MediaShield Storage.........................................................................4

Multiple Disk Setup...................................................................................4

DiskAlert System......................................................................................4

RAID Morphing ........................................................................................4

Bootable Multidisk Array ...........................................................................4

Six SATA 3Gb/s Drives..............................................................................4

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Networking with NVIDIA nForce....................................................................5

NVIDIA Native Gigabit Ethernet.................................................................5

NVIDIA FirstPacket™ technology ...............................................................5

NVIDIA DualNet® technology ...................................................................5

High Definition Audio (HDA) .........................................................................6

USB 2.0 ......................................................................................................6

Motherboard Specifications ..............................................................................7

Unpacking and Parts Descriptions ...............................................................9

Unpacking ......................................................................................................9

Equipment......................................................................................................9

NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard..............................................................10

Hardware Installation.................................................................................13

Safety Instructions ........................................................................................13

Preparing the Motherboard.............................................................................14

Installing the CPU......................................................................................14

Installing the CPU Fan................................................................................15

Installing Memory DIMMs...........................................................................15

Installing the Motherboard .............................................................................16

Installing the I/O Shield .............................................................................16

Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis...................................................16

Connecting Cables and Setting Switches..........................................................17

Power Connections ....................................................................................18

24-pin ATX Power (PWR1) ......................................................................18

8-pin ATX 12V Power (PWR2)..................................................................19

Auxiliary Power for Graphics (PWR3)........................................................19

Connecting IDE Hard Disk Drives ................................................................20

Connecting Serial ATA Cables .....................................................................20

Connecting Internal Headers.......................................................................21

Front Panel Header ................................................................................21

IEEE 1394a (Optional)............................................................................22

USB Headers .........................................................................................23

Audio........................................................................................................24

Fan Connections........................................................................................25

COM1 (Optional)........................................................................................25

COM1 (Optional)........................................................................................26

FDD Connector..........................................................................................26

Speaker ....................................................................................................26

Expansion Slots .........................................................................................27

PCI Slots ...............................................................................................27

PCI Express x1 Slot ................................................................................28

PCI Express x16 Slots.............................................................................28

Jumper Settings ............................................................................................28

Clear CMOS Jumper: CLR_CMOS.................................................................28

Configuring the BIOS ..................................................................................29

Enter BIOS Setup ..........................................................................................30

Main Menu....................................................................................................30

Standard CMOS Features Menu ......................................................................33

Date and Time...........................................................................................34

IDE Channel and SATA Channel ..................................................................34

Drive A .....................................................................................................36

Halt On.....................................................................................................36

Memory ....................................................................................................37

Advanced BIOS Features................................................................................38

Removable Device Priority ..........................................................................39

Hard Disk Boot Priority...............................................................................39

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Network Boot Priority.................................................................................39

CPU Internal Cache....................................................................................39

Quick Power On Self Test...........................................................................40

First/Second/Third Boot Device...................................................................40

Boot Other Device......................................................................................40

Boot Up NumLock Status............................................................................40

Security Option..........................................................................................41

APIC Mode................................................................................................41

MPS Version Control For OS........................................................................41

Full Screen LOGO Show..............................................................................41

Advanced Chipset Features ............................................................................42

System Clocks ...........................................................................................43

Frequency Settings.................................................................................44

HT Multiplier..........................................................................................45

Spread Spectrum ...................................................................................45

FSB & Memory Config ................................................................................46

CPU Configuration......................................................................................50

System Voltages........................................................................................51

NVMEM Memory Test.................................................................................53

PCI Clocks.................................................................................................53

Load Timing/Voltage Set ............................................................................53

Save Timing/Voltage Set ............................................................................54

System BIOS Cacheable .............................................................................54

HPET Function...........................................................................................54

NVIDIA GPU Ex .........................................................................................54

LinkBoost..................................................................................................54

Integrated Peripherals Menu ..........................................................................55

IDE Function Setup....................................................................................56

RAID Config ..............................................................................................57

USB Config................................................................................................57

MAC Config ...............................................................................................58

IEEE1394 controller ...................................................................................58

HD Audio ..................................................................................................58

IDE HDD Block Mode .................................................................................58

Onboard FDC Controller .............................................................................58

Onboard Serial Port 1.................................................................................58

Power Management Setup Menu.....................................................................59

ACPI Function............................................................................................59

ACPI Suspend Type ...................................................................................59

Soft-Off by PBNT .......................................................................................60

WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off.........................................................................60

Power On by Alarm....................................................................................60

POWER ON Function..................................................................................60

PnP/PCI Configuration Menu...........................................................................61

Init Display First ........................................................................................62

Reset Configuration Data............................................................................62

Resources Controlled By.............................................................................62

IRQ Resources...........................................................................................63

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop...............................................................................63

Maximum Payload Size...............................................................................63

System Monitor Menu....................................................................................64

Dynamic Fan Control..................................................................................65

Software Installation ..................................................................................67

Windows XP Drivers Install.............................................................................68

Using the NVIDIA Software .......................................................................69

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

NVIDIA Monitor.............................................................................................70

NVIDIA nTune 5.0.........................................................................................71

Manual Tuning ..........................................................................................72

Adjust Motherboard Settings ...................................................................72

System Voltages ....................................................................................74

System Fans..........................................................................................74

Memory Timing......................................................................................75

Adjust GPU Settings ...............................................................................77

Dynamic BIOS Access ................................................................................78

Available BIOS Pages..............................................................................79

General Settings.....................................................................................79

Advanced Settings..................................................................................79

Boot up Setting......................................................................................80

Automatic Tuning ......................................................................................81

Management.............................................................................................83

View System Information........................................................................83

Adjust Custom Rules ..............................................................................85

System Stability.............................................................................................86

Perform Stability Test.................................................................................86

Storage ........................................................................................................87

Health ......................................................................................................88

View Storage Configuration.....................................................................88

Management.............................................................................................89

Delete Array ..........................................................................................89

Rebuild Array.........................................................................................91

Migrating Array......................................................................................93

Synchronize Array ..................................................................................95

NVIDIA Networking .......................................................................................97

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Performance..............................................................................................98

First Packet............................................................................................98

TCP/IP Acceleration .................................................................................100

Teaming .................................................................................................102

Installing Graphics Cards in an SLI Configuration...................................105

Building an SLI System ................................................................................105

Determine Component and Operating System Needs ..................................105

Install Your NVIDIA SLI-Ready Parts..........................................................105

Install NVIDIA SLI Software......................................................................107

Enable NVIDIA SLI...................................................................................111

Appendix A. On-board LED Codes .............................................................112

Before You Begin…

Parts NOT in the Kit

This kit contains all the hardware necessary to install and connect your new

EVGA nForce 680i SLI motherboard. However, it does not contain the

following items that must be purchased separately to make the motherboard

functional.

‰

Intel microprocessor:

Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Quad, Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium EE,

and Pentium.

‰

Cooling fan for the microprocessor

System memory support:

Supports dual channel DDR2 533/667/800, and up to 1200 MHz SLI-

Ready Memory. Supports up to 8 GBs DDR2 memory.

‰

Graphics Card

This motherboard is capable of using the NVIDIA SLI technology. To

utilize this technology requires an SLI Kit from NVIDIA and two SLI-

capable graphics cards. When ordering a graphics card, be sure it is a PCI

Express card. The kit does contain the SLI connector used to connect the

two graphics cards. See Software Installation

‰

It is important to remember that before installing the driver CD that is shipped in

122-CK-NF68-XX

the kit, you need to load your operating system. The motherboard supports

November 2006

Windows XP 32bit and 64bit and is Vista-capable.

The kit comes with a CD that contains utility drivers and additional NVIDIA

software.

The CD that has been shipped with your NVIDIA motherboard contains the

following software and drivers:

‰

NVIDIA nForce drivers

RealTek Audio drivers

Microsoft DirectX 9.0C

NVIDIA nTune

‰

Adobe Acrobat Reader

NVIDIA MediaShield RAID Manager

NVIDIA Networking (FirstPacket)

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Windows XP Drivers Install

Note: When installing the graphics drivers, the resolution defaults to the lowest

setting (typically 800 x 600), making your display very large. Adjust

accordingly.

1. Insert the EVGA NVIDIA nForce 680i installation CD for the graphics

drivers included in the kit.

2. Run setup.exe.

Depending on your system setup, the install disk may automatically run the

install setup.exe.If it does not run, go to My Computer and click on the

CD to open.

Using the

NVIDIA Software

This section describes how to configure the following NVIDIA software that is

included on the CD in the kit from the NVIDIA Control Panel:

‰

NVIDIA Monitor

Performance (NVIDIA nTune)

Storage (NVIDIA MediaShield RAID Manager)

Networking (NVIDIA FirstPacket)

Figure 17. NVIDIA Control Panel, Select a Category

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

NVIDIA Monitor

The NVIDIA Monitor application can be used at any time with any applications

to view the real-time status of various system components. To display the

NVIDIA Monitor, select Start¾All Programs¾NVIDIA Corporation¾NVIDIA

Monitor. This display shows the performance (usage) of the CPU, disk, memory,

and network. It also monitors the Bus speeds and voltages.

To view temperatures and fans, click the

button.

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Introduction

NVIDIA nTune 5.0

The Performance category is used to configure and manage NVIDIA nTune.

The NVIDIA nTune program is a full-featured application for accessing,

monitoring, and adjusting your system components (including bus speeds and

voltages) with clear, user-friendly control panels.

Overclock your system for the highest performance, or underclock it for a

nearly silent operation. All changes are performed within the Microsoft

Windows interface, enabling full functionality without the need to make

changes in the BIOS and reboot your system.

Use the following procedure to access nTune:

3. From the desktop, select Start¾All Programs¾NVIDIA Corporation¾NVIDIA

Control Panel.

4. Select Performance to display Performance Control Panel Categories.

Figure 18. Performance Control Panel Categories (nTune)

The Performance menu provides the following options:

¾ Manual Tuning

ª Adjust motherboard settings

ª Adjust GPU settings

ª Dynamic BIOS access

¾ Automatic Tuning

ª Tune system

¾ Management

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

ª View system information

ª Adjust custom rules

Manual Tuning

The Manual Tuning option provides the ability to adjust motherboard settings,

adjust CPU settings, and make changes to the BIOS.

Adjust Motherboard Settings

The controls in the Adjust Motherboard Settings screen let you adjust the

performance of the system clocks, system voltages, memory controller timings,

and system fans. By manually adjusting these speeds you are able to either

increase performance for gaming, or reduce performance to conserve power

and create a quieter environment.

Figure 19 shows the Adjust Motherboard Settings screen. Note that as you pass

the cursor over the various adjustments, notes display at the bottom of the

screen to explain each setting.

The number to the right of the slider is the new bus speed that will be applied.

Make adjustments by using the mouse to drag the slider. All changes take effect

immediately after selecting Apply; however, these setting only remain active for

the current Windows session. This allows you to safely return to Windows if a

crash occurs, with no possibility of boot issues since the changes are not made

directly to the BIOS settings.

Note: All changes on Adjust Motherboard Settings are dynamically made when you

apply them, and only remain active for the current Windows session. You can

save these settings as a profile for use later by using the Profile menu item. If

a setting does not allow a change, it probably requires a reboot and should

be changed in the BIOS or from the Dynamic BIOS Access page (if

available).

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Introduction

Figure 19. Adjust Motherboard Settings (nTune)

CAUTION: Increasing the voltage or the clock speed of a component may

void its warranty due to exceeding recommended specifications. NVIDIA

and the board manufacturer are not responsible for damage that may occur

when component tolerances are exceeded.

System Clocks

This section of the Adjust Motherboard Settings allows you to adjust the

reference clocks for the FSB, the SPP PCI Express, and the MCP PCI Express.

Note that as you change the slider for the FSB reference clock, the CPU core

frequency, the FSB Frequency and the memory bus frequency are dynamically

changed.

System Voltages

CAUTION: Overvoltaging any component can result in damage.

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

In this section of the Adjust Motherboard Settings you must understand what

you are changing. Overvoltaging any of the components can result in damage to

the components. From this menu, you can adjust the following voltages:

‰

CPU

Memory

FSB

HyperTransport SSPꢀ MCP

nForce SPP

nForce MCP

Auxiliary

Always note the color of the indicator square to the right of each slider. Green

indicates the voltage is within range and will not damage any components.

Yellow means to proceed with caution; you are no longer in the safe range. If

the indicator square is red, you are possible overvoltaging the component and

could be causing damage.

System Fans

This section of the Adjust Motherboard Settings menu allows you to control the

CPU, System, nForce, MCP, and the auxiliary fans. You can either set all the

fans to automatic control or you can manually control each fan.

When in manual control, you can specify to show the temperatures in Celsius or

Fahrenheit.

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Introduction

Memory Timing

This section of the Adjust Motherboard Settings allows you to adjust various

memory timings and cycles.

‰

Row Address Strobe

Adjusts the minimum RAS active time. This is the amount of time between a

row being activated by Precharge and deactivated. A row cannot be

deactivated until tRAS has completed. The lower this value, the faster the

performance. However, if it is set too low it can cause data corruption by

deactivating the row to soon. Adjustable from 1 to 63.

‰

Write Recovery Time

Memory timing that determines the delay between a write command and a

Precharge command is set to the same bank of memory. Adjustable from 1

to 15.

W to R Termination Turnaround

The Write-to-Read time is the number of clock cycles between the last write

data pair and the subsequent READ command to the same physical block.

Adjustable from 1 to 15.

RAS to CAS access

The RAS-to-CAS access (tRCD) is the amount of time in cycles for issuing

an active command and the read/write commands. Adjustable from 1 to 15.

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

‰

RAS to RAS Delay

The RAS-to-RAS delay (tRRD) is the is the amount of cycles it takes to

activate the next bank of memory (this is the opposite of tRAS). The lower

the timing the better the system performance. However, this scenario can

cause instability. Adjustable from 1 to 15.

‰

Refresh Rate

This value is filled in by the system and can not be changed by the user.

Memory bank switch

The row Precharge time (tRP) is the minimum time between active

commands and the read/writes of the next bank on the memory module.

Adjustable from 1 to 15.

‰

R to W Turnaround

The Read-to-Write turnaround (tRWT) is a the amount of cycles for the

command to be executed when a Write command is received. Adjustable

from 1 to 15.

R to R Timing

the Read-to-Read time (tRDRD) is the number of clock cycles between the

last read and the subsequent READ command to the same physical bank.

Adjustable from 1 to 15.

Row Cycle Time

The Row Cycle Time is the minimum time in cycles it take a row to

complete a full cycle. This can be determined by tRC=tRAS+tRP. If this

value is set too short, it can cause corruption of data. If this value is set too

high, it causes a loss in performance but an increase in stability. Adjustable

from 1 to 63 cycles

‰

W to R Command Delay

The Write-to-Read (tWRD) command delay is the amount of cycles required

between a valid write command and the next read command. A lower cycle

time results in better performance but is can instability. Adjustable from 0 to

6 cycles.

‰

W to W Timing

The Write-to-Write (tWRWR) timing is the number of clock cycles between

the last write and the subsequent Write command to the same physical bank.

Adjustable from 2 to 15 cycles.

CAS Latency

The CAS Latency (tCL) is the time (in number of clock cycles) that elapses

after the memory controller sends a request to read a memory location and

before the data is sent to the module's output pins. The value shown cannot

be changed.

Introduction

‰

Clock Drive Strength

This value is filled in by the system and can not be changed by the user.

Command Per Clock

The Command Per Clock (tCPC) sets the Command Rate for the memory

controller. The value shown cannot be changed

‰

Async Latency

This value is filled in by the system and can not be changed by the user.

Adjust GPU Settings

Use this interface to adjust the graphics processing unit (GPU) on your video

card(s). You can override the shipped clock frequencies of your GPU and GPU

memory and set the GPU fan speed. Increasing the clock speeds increases your

GPU performance and may require adjusting cooling to maintain the same level

of reliability.

Figure 20. Adjust GPU Settings (nTune)

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Dynamic BIOS Access

Dynamic BIOS Access allows you to change some of your system BIOS

settings. The changes do not go into effect until you reboot your system. Since

these changes are made to actual BIOS settings in the CMOS, the settings

remain active until you change them again or restore the CMOS to the default

settings.

Figure 21. Dynamic BIOS Access (nTune)

xxii

Introduction

Available BIOS Pages

In the Dynamic BIOS Access page, select a BIOS page that you want to edit

from the Available BIOS Pages drop-down menu The BIOS page you select

determines which items on the Dynamic BIOS Access menu are available for

changing. To edit an item, select an option from the drop-down menus

associated with each item. When finished making your changes, click OK or

Apply.

Note: This feature is available only with BIOS support from the motherboard

manufacturer.

General Settings

This section of the Dynamic BIOS Access menu allows you to Enable or

Disable the CPU Internal Cache and the Quick Power on Self Test (POST).

Advanced Settings

This section of the Dynamic BIOS Access menu allows you to set the following

options:

‰

Security options

¾ Setup

¾ System

MPS Version Control For

¾ 1.1

¾ 1.4

APIC Mode

¾ Disabled

¾ Enabled

Full Screen LOGO Show

¾ Disabled

¾ Enabled

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Boot up Setting

This section of the Dynamic BIOS Access menu allows you to set the following

options:

‰

First/Second/Third Boot Device

¾ Removable

¾ Hard Disk

¾ CDROM

¾ Legacy LAN

¾ Disable

‰

Swap Floppy Drive

¾ Enable

¾ Disable

Boot Up Floppy Seek

¾ Enable

¾ Disable

Boot UP NumLock Status

¾ On

¾ Off

Gate A20 Option

¾ Normal

¾ Fast

xxiv

Introduction

Automatic Tuning

The NVIDIA nTune performance manager uses a complex searching algorithm

to determine the best possible and most stable performance for you system.

The nTune tuning engine pushes your system to the limits to test the highest

possible performance settings. Because of this, there may be instances of system

hangs during the testing. When you restart the system, nTune continues its

tuning process until the process is complete. It is highly recommended that you

check the Select to continue the tuning process upon reboot box at the

bottom of the Tune System screen. The effects of the tuning process apply to

the current Windows session only.

The nTune tuning engine runs internal benchmark tests on your system and

creates performance profiles and rules.

CAUTION: Make sure to save and close all work prior to running the Tune

System function. Close all applications and do not perform other tasks

during the tuning session.

Three tuning options are available on the Tune System menu:

‰

Course tuning takes approximately 20 minutes to run while it adjusts

system bus speeds and parameters. It first saves current bus speeds as two

profiles: the Default.npefile with current bus speeds and

Bestsystem.npewith the highest passing settings.

‰

Fine tuning takes approximately three (3) hours and performs a more

complex tuning on bus speeds, memory timings, and voltages. This more

complex testing achieves maximum performance.

Tuning using custom settings allows you to select specific areas to test

and the duration of the tests. Remember that a longer tuning session results

in more precise and stable settings. The progress of your test and the results

upon completion are displayed when the benchmarks are being executed.

You can cancel the tests at any time.

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Figure 22. Tune System Menu (nTune)

xxvi

Introduction

Management

The Management option on the View System Information screen allows you to

view hardware, software, and system information and adjust profiles.

View System Information

This screen is for information purposes only (you cannot make any changes to

the information). The View System Information screen provides hardware,

software, and system information that you can save to a log file to assist

customer support or for your own uses.

Figure 23. View System Information (nTune)

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Hardware and driver version information can be viewed and saved using this

interface. The status of the system, including current system clock speeds,

system temperatures, memory timings, and system voltages can be logged.

Versions of NVIDIA software and other system software are listed under

Software information.

Detailed CPU and memory information is displayed when you double-click on a

processor or DIMM listed under Hardware information.

xxviii

Introduction

Adjust Custom Rules

The Adjust Custom Rules selection provides you with the ability to create a rule

to define when the system should use a particular profile (.nsu files or .npe

files) that was created from a manual or automatic tuning session.

With custom rules, you can make your system run faster when you are playing

games or make it run quieter when you are surfing the Internet.

Figure 24. Adjust Custom Rules (nTune)

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

System Stability

System Stability lets you view your system’s status and perform system stability

testing. To access the System Stability menu, select Start¾All Programs¾NVIDIA

Corporation¾NVIDIA Control Panel and select System Stability.

Perform Stability Test

Use Perform Stability Test to quickly diagnose potential system performance

issues and to gather troubleshooting data.

Stability Test performs a series of stress test to identify probable causes of

performance issues, creates a list of the results, and provides recommendations

for improvements. You can test the entire system (check All system components)

or check individual components.

Figure 25. Perform Stability Test

xxx

Introduction

You can designate a specific settings profile to use or check Use current settings

for the tests. You can indicate the duration of the test by changing the slider

(slider values are from 10 minutes to 48 hours). Click Start to begin testing and

display the NVPerformance Benchmark display. Click Results to view a pop-up

window containing the testing results.

Note that when you click start to begin the testing, Clicking Stop does not

immediately stop the action in the NVPerformance Benchmark window. The

cycle completes before the test is actually stopped.

Storage

The Storage application uses the NVIDIA MediaShield RAID Manager

technology to configure and control NVIDIA storage hardware integrated into

the NVIDIA MCP. NVIDIA RAID technology can protect data from hardware

failure and provide increased file system performance.

To launch MediaShield, select Start¾All Programs¾NVIDIA Corporation¾

NVIDIA Control Panel and select Storage to displays the Storage Control Panel

Categories screen.

Figure 26. Storage Control Panel Categories

(MediaShield)

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Health

The Health option on the Storage menu provides the ability for you to view the

current storage configuration.

View Storage Configuration

The View Storage Configuration screendisplays the current configuration of

your storage devices. Check this screen prior to doing any management

function. The View Storage Configuration screen provides status and capacity

for all the storage disks on your system.

Figure 27. View Storage Configuration (MediaShield)

xxxii

Introduction

Management

The Management options on the Storage menu provides you with the ability to

delete, rebuild, migrate, and synchronize arrays.

Delete Array

Use the following procedure to delete an array:

5. Click on Delete Array under Management to launch the NVIDIA Delete

Array Wizard.

6. Click Next to continue with the wizard and display the RAID Array

Selection menu.

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

7. Select an array you want to delete and press Next.

The Completing the NVIDIA Delete Array Wizard screen displays to verify that

you still want to delete the array selected.

CAUTION: Be sure you are deleting the correct array. Once you click

Finish, you no longer have access to any of the data on this array. The

data may be permanently destroyed in the process. If you do not want

to delete this array, click Cancel

8. Click Finish to delete the selected array.

xxxiv

Introduction

Rebuild Array

The Rebuild Array option allows you to rebuild a disk in the array while the

system is running without disrupting user or application access to the data set.

Note: Rebuilding an array can take up to a full day to complete. This operation

occurs in the background and does not impede any work being done. If you

need to shutdown, the rebuild operation continues upon restart.

Use the following procedure to rebuild an array:

9. Identify the affect disk in the array and replace it.

10.Click on Rebuild Array under Management to launch the NVIDIA Rebuild

Array Wizard.

11.Click Next to continue with the wizard and display the RAID Array

Selection menu.

12.Select the array with that had the affected disk and click Next.

Rebuilding a degrading array adds a new disk to that array. Data from the

healthy disk is rebuilt onto a new disk.

Note: Rebuilding a healthy RAID array resynchronizes the data set onto a disk.

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

13.Select the disk in the array that was replaced and needs to be rebuilt.

14.Click Next.

The Completing the NVIDIA Rebuild Array Wizard screen displays to verify that

you still want to rebuild the array selected.

15.Click Finish to begin the rebuild of the selected disk in the array. (Remember

that rebuilding a disk can take up to a full day.)

xxxvi

Introduction

Migrating Array

The Migrating Array option allows you to migrate a RAID array from one arry

type to another.

There are two reasons to use the Migrating Array option:

‰

Adding disks to an existing RAID array

An example would be to change a 2-disk Striping array to a 3-disk Striping

array.

‰

Changing a RAID array to a different array type

An example would be to change a Mirroring array to a Strip Mirroring array.

Use the following procedure to rebuild an array:

16. Click on Migrate Array under Management to launch the NVIDIA Migrate

Array Wizard.

17.Click Next to continue with the wizard and display the RAID Array

Selection window.

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

18.Select the array to migrate and click Next to display the RAID Mode

Selection window.

19.Select the RAID mode you want to migrate to and click Next.

The Completing the NVIDIA Migrate Array Wizard screen displays to verify that

you still want to migrate the array selected.

CAUTION: Note that this migration is not reversible. Be sure you want

to migrate this array before continuing.

20.Click Finish to begin the migration of the selected array.

xxxviii

Introduction

Synchronize Array

This option is used to synchronize a selected array.

Use the following procedure to rebuild an array:

21.Click on Synchronize Array under Management to launch the NVIDIA

Synchronize Array Wizard.

22.Click Next to continue with the wizard and display the RAID Array

Selection window.

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Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

23.Select the array to synchronize and click Next.

The Completing the NVIDIA Synchronize Array Wizard screen displays to verify

that you still want to synchronize the array selected.

24.Click Finish to begin synchronizing the array.

Introduction

NVIDIA Networking

The NVIDIA Networking function configures and controls NVIDIA

networking hardware integrated into the NVIDIA MCP. In addition to the

typical network configuration functions that are controlled using the Windows

Network Connections panel, the NVIDIA networking solution includes several

key features that are accessed using the NVIDIA control panel.

‰

FirstPacket

FirstPacket provides a better gaming experience over a broadband

connection when multiple applications on the same PC are simultaneously

transmitting data to the Internet

TCP/IP Acceleration

When TCP/IP acceleration is enabled, it lowers the CPU utilization and

provides overall better system performance when the networking traffic is

mainly TCP/IP.

Teaming

Teaming increase bandwidth when serving files in a LAN environment.

Enables multiple integrated network interfaces to work together seamlessly.

To launch the NVIDIA Control Panel, select Start¾All Programs ¾NVIDIA

Corporation¾NVIDIA Control Panel. Click on the Networking icon.

xli

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Performance

The Performance option on the Networking Control Panel Categories screen

provides the means to configure FirstPacket settings and to set TCP/IP

acceleration configuration.

Figure 28. Networking Control Panel Categories

First Packet

NVIDIA FirstPacket offers a new way to manage the traffic on your personal

computer, allowing you to more effectively manage and improve the

performance of networked games and other applications that are sensitive to

network delay (latency), such as Voice-over-IP (VoIP).

FirstPacket creates an additional transmit queue in the network driver so that

network applications can share a limited resource. Based on user preference,

FirstPacket can expedite transmission for user-approved network applications.

For example, when FirstPacket is enabled:

‰

A game that was previously unplayable can be completely usable

VoIP connections will not be dropped due to the network traffic on a local

computer.

xlii

Introduction

Use the following procedure to enable or disable the ability to have network

traffic to prioritized for optimal performance:

25.Select Configure FirstPacket Settings under Performance on the

Networking Control Panel Categories screen to display the Configure

FirstPacket Settings screen.

26.Click the Settings tab.

27. Click Enable FirstPacket (recommended) to enable the options that define

the speed of the broadband connection. This information is needed by the

FirstPacket software to appropriately prioritize network traffic.

xliii

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

28. Define the applications to accelerate by clicking Program Prioritized by

FirstPacket.

29. Click Add to browse for an executable gamming applications. For example,

if you want to accelerate a game such as Serious Sam 2, look for the

Sam2.exeand add it.

30. Click Apply.

Note: Only applications that are added to the Programs Prioritized by

FirstPacket section are prioritized and benefit from FirstPacket

technology

TCP/IP Acceleration

Note: Enabling TCP/IP acceleration enhances your network performance but can

cause your network traffic to bypass the firewall because all processes are

off-loaded to the hardware.

NVIDIA TCP/IP Acceleration technology is a networking solution that moves

the processing of TCP/IP network traffic from your computer’s CPU to its

nForce hardware resulting in greatly improved system performance.

NVIDIA TCP/IP Acceleration provides deep levels of networking and traffic

inspections at full-duplex gigabit Ethernet speeds. Overall system performance

is greatly improved because the CPU is not tied up processing network traffic,

especially at gigabit Ethernet speed.

xliv

Introduction

In traditional networking environments, inspecting packets is laborious and

affects CPU overhead, memory bandwidth, and overall system latency. In

comparison, the NVIDIA TCP/IP Acceleration engine discards bad packets

before the CPU detects them. In addition, good packets take an “express lane”

and bypass the traditional “network stack” process, improving overall

throughput and lowering CPU utilization.

T configure TCP/IP acceleration, select Set TCP/IP Acceleration

configuration from the Networking screen. Note that by default, TCP/IP

acceleration is turned off (the Not be hardware-accelerated radio button is

checked). Click the Use hardware-acceleration (recommended) radio button

to enable TCP/IP acceleration. Click Apply to save changes.

xlv

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Teaming

NVIDIA Teaming technology improves network throughput by distributing

traffic efficiently across all available Ethernet interfaces. In normal network

conditions, both transmit and receive traffic are distributed.

NVIDIA Teaming technology also improves network uploading time. If one of

the physical Ethernet interfaces fails, the network can remain accessible because

the remaining interface can take over the network traffic of the failed interface,

achieving “fault tolerance”. The operating system and network application do

not detect a network failure because network connection is bound to the logical

interface rather than to a single physical interface.

By utilizing the multiple interfaces on an NVIDIA nForce system and load

balancing traffic among them, network users can gain fault tolerance and

achieve greater throughput.

The Adjust Teaming Configuration screen has tow radio buttons:

‰

Combine my network adapters (recommended).

NVIDIA Teaming technology combines two or more NVIDIA Ethernet

interfaces to increase your network bandwidth and also provides load

balancing and fault tolerance benefits.

‰

Do not combine my network adapters (no teaming).

This is also the default setting. You may want to disable network adapter

teaming if your system is not operating as a file server. When disabled, each

NVIDIA Ethernet interface works independently.

xlvi

Introduction

Use the following procedure to configure Teaming:

31. Select Start¾All Programs¾NVIDIA Corporation¾NVIDIA Control Panel

to display the NVIDIA Control Panel.

32. Click on the networking icon to display the Networking Control Panel

Categories.

33. Select Adjust Teaming configuration to display the teaming configuration

window. Note that by default, Teaming is disabled.

34. Select Combine my network adapters (recommended) radio button to

enable Teaming.

35. Click Apply to enable teaming.

‰

Installing Graphics Cards in an

SLI Configuration on page 67.

‰

Power Supply

The power supply requirement is dependent upon the power and the

xlvii

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

number of the GPUs you install. If you are going to SLI two graphics cards,

you are going to require more power. As a rule, for one GPU you need a

minimum of a 350 W power supply. If you have two GPUs in an SLI

configuration, you will need a minimum of a 500 W power supply. To

calculate the power you are going to require for your specific configuration,

go to www.slizone.com.

These instructions tell you how to install each of the parts listed so you can

have a functioning motherboard. As you go through the installation

instructions, we are assuming you have purchased the necessary parts.

xlviii

Introduction

Intentions of the Kit

This kit provides you with the motherboard and all connecting cables necessary

to install the motherboard into a PC cabinet. If you are building a PC, you will

use most of the cables provided in the kit. If however, you are replacing a

motherboard, you will not need many of the cables.

When replacing a motherboard in a PC cabinet, you will need to reinstall an

operating system even though the current drives have an operating system.

xlix

Introduction to the

EVGA nForce 680i

SLI Motherboard

Thank you for buying the EVGA NFORCE 680i SLI Motherboard. This

motherboard offers the tools and performance PC enthusiast’s demand. When

combined with two SLI-Ready NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards, you get

innovative NVIDIA SLI Technology for enhanced system performance.

Features

Engineered for Enthusiasts

NVIDIA nForce® 680i SLI™ media and communications processors (MCPs)

deliver the tools and performance PC enthusiasts demand. When combined

with two NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards, you get innovative NVIDIA®

SLI™ technology for enhanced system performance. With select SLI-Ready

memory you get automatic access to special memory performance. Be ready for

system overclocking and greater data throughput.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Extreme Overclocking

Unleash the underlying hardware. With comprehensive overclocking tools to

push the limits on front side bus (FSB) speed and support for higher memory

speeds, the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCPs were designed for overclocking.

Extreme FSB speeds

The front side bus (FSB) in the NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCP is specified to

run at 1333MHz to support existing and future FSB speeds. Through

overclocking, however, the EVGA nForce 680i SLI MCP can deliver FSB

speeds well beyond specification*. Get the headroom today for overclocking

and/or future FSB speeds.

Extreme DDR2 Speeds

NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCPs support high-speed SLI-Ready memory of

DDR2-1200 and beyond to keep pace with overclocked system components.

Comprehensive Overclocking Tools

Award-winning NVIDIA overclocking tools provide a complete kit of tools

giving everyone from the most veteran enthusiast to the novice overclocker the

ability to unleash the hardware in their PC.

‰

NVIDIA nTune™ Utility

Now with access to more settings from this Windows-based utility. Adjust

CPU and memory speeds without rebooting. Access to most BIOS settings

from inside Windows. Save and automatically load profiles for each

application you run.

‰

NV BIOS

NV BIOS delivers easy-to-use tuning to let you have full control over your

hardware including processor voltage tables and memory drive strengths.

Introduction

Designed for NVIDIA SLI Technology

NVIDIA® SLI™ technology is a revolutionary platform innovation that allows

users to intelligently scale graphics performance by combining multiple

NVIDIA graphics solutions in a single system with an NVIDIA nForce SLI

MCP.

True 2 x16 PCI Express SLI Support

Two full-bandwidth 16-lane PCI Express links ensure maximum graphics

performance for next-generation GPUs and games. This feature offers twice

the PCI Express bandwidth of x8 SLI solutions.

NVIDIA SLI-Ready Memory

NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCP automatically increases bandwidth when select

SLI Certified memory modules are detected.

NVIDIA SLI Certified Components

Look for other components including NVIDIA® GeForce® GPUs and system

memory that have been certified by NVIDIA to deliver unmatched

performance with EVGA nForce 680i SLI motherboards. For more

information on SLI Certified components, visit www.SLIzone.com/nForce.

Third PCIe Slot for Graphics Expansion

Make sure your rig is ready for the future. The third PCIe slot can be used for

new three GPU applications or a PCIe card of your choice.

Dual DDR2 Memory Architecture

A state-of-the-art Dual DDR2 memory controller allows high bandwidth and

low latency data access to the CPU and GPU. Ensures data and information are

relayed through the system as quickly as possible for incredible performance.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

NVIDIA MediaShield Storage

NVIDIA MediaShield™ Storage offers a suite of features that safeguards your

most important digital media assets; always reliable, scalable, and accessible

which includes RAID and SATA drive support.

Multiple Disk Setup

Through a simple wizard-based interface, you can effortlessly set up your drives

for better data protection, faster disk access or maximum storage capacity.

MediaShield automatically selects RAID 0, 1, 0+1 or 5 configuration according

to your needs. Advanced users can access RAID options directly.

DiskAlert System

The event of a disk failure, MediaShield users see an image that highlights which

disk has failed to make it easier to identify, replace, and recover.

RAID Morphing

MediaShield allows users to change their current RAID set-up to another

configuration in a one-step process called morphing. This eliminates the need

to back up data and follow multiple steps in the process.

Bootable Multidisk Array

MediaShield storage fully supports the use of multi-disk array for loading the

operating system at power-up.

Six SATA 3Gb/s Drives

Combine up to six SATA drives into one volume for bigger, faster RAID. More

drives mean more configuration options such as six RAID 0 (striped) drives for

maximum throughput, or Dual RAID 5 arrays. Take advantage of the latest

SATA 3Gb/s hard disk drives with full support for native and tagged command

queuing and hot plug. Native command queuing provides higher disk

performance in a multi-threaded environment by performing out-of-order disk

accesses.

Introduction

Networking with NVIDIA nForce

NVIDIA networking delivers the highest network throughput at the lowest

CPU utilization. The manageable and stable NVIDIA networking solution

results in better networking management and a lower total cost of ownership.

Only NVIDIA integrates this level of networking features to allow you to take

your online experience to the next level.

NVIDIA Native Gigabit Ethernet

The industry’s fastest Gigabit Ethernet performance eliminates network

bottlenecks and improves overall system efficiency and performance.

NVIDIA FirstPacket™ technology

Be the ‘King of Ping’ with NVIDIA FirstPacket technology. Get the crystal-

clear phone conversations and online gaming performance you expect.

NVIDIA FirstPacket technology assures your game data, VoIP conversations,

and large file transfers are delivered according to preferences set by you in an

intuitive wizard.

NVIDIA DualNet® technology

Get Double-Barrel Gigabit Ethernet with two integrated networking

connections on your NVIDIA nForce 680i MCP.

‰

Dual Gigabit Ethernet with Teaming

Teaming allows the two connections to work together to provide up to twice

the Ethernet bandwidth for transferring large amounts of data from home

file servers to other PCs. It also provides network redundancy through fail-

over capability

‰

TCP/IP Acceleration

Delivers the highest system performance by offloading CPU-intensive

packet filtering tasks in hardware, providing users with a PC networking

environment that is faster.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

High Definition Audio (HDA)

High definition audio brings consumer electronics quality sound to the PC

delivering high quality sound from multiple channels. Using HDA, systems can

deliver 192 kHz/32-bit quality for eight channels, supporting new audio

formats.

USB 2.0

A standard plug-and-play interface that provides easy-to-use connectivity for

USB devices.

Note: *While NVIDIA technology will provide FSB speeds beyond spec, the

processor must be capable of this speed.

Introduction

Motherboard Specifications

‰

Size

ATX form factor of 12 inch x 9.6 inch

‰

Microprocessor support

Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Quad, Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium EE,

and Pentium.

‰

Operating systems

Supports Windows XP 32bit and Windows XP 64bit.

‰

Contains NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI MCP

System Memory

¾ Dual-channel DDR2 800/667/533

¾ SLI-Ready Memory up to 1200 MHz

¾ Supports up to 8 GB DDR2 memory

USB 2.0 Ports

‰

¾ Supports hot plug

¾ Ten USB 2.0 ports (six rear panel ports, two onboard USB headers

providing four extra ports)

¾ Supports wake-up from S1 and S3 mode

¾ Supports USB 2.0 protocol up to 480Mbps transmission rate

Onboard Serial ATA II

¾ 3Gb/s data transfer rate

¾ Six Serial ATA II connectors

¾ NVIDIA MediaShield^TMRAID with support for RAID 0, RAID 1,

RAID 0+1, RAID 5, and JBOD

¾ Supports hot plug and NCQ (Native Command Queuing )

Dual Onboard LAN

‰

¾ Two LAN interfaces built-in onboard

¾ Supports 10/100/1000 Mbit/sec Ethernet

Onboard 1394

¾ Supports hot plug

¾ Two 1394a ports with rate of transmission at 400 Mbps

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

‰

Onboard Audio

¾ Supports 8-channel audio

¾ Supports S/PDIF output

¾ Supports Jack-Sensing function

Dual PCI Express x16 Support

‰

¾ Supports 4 GB/sec (8 GB/sec concurrent) bandwidth

¾ Low power consumption and power management features

Green Function

¾ Supports ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)

¾ Supports S0 (normal), S1 (power on suspend), S3 (suspend to RAM), S4

(Suspend to disk - depends on OS), and S5 (soft - off)

‰

Expansion Slots

¾ Two PCI slots

¾ Two PCI Express x1 slots

¾ Three PCI Express x16 Graphics slots

¾ One PCI Express x16 Graphics Expansion slot

(electrical x8)

Unpacking and

Parts Descriptions

Unpacking

The EVGA nForce 680i SLI motherboard comes with all the necessary cables

for adding a motherboard to a new chassis. If you are replacing a motherboard,

you may not need many of these cables.

Be sure to inspect each piece of equipment shipped in the packing box. If

anything is missing or damaged, contact your reseller.

All parts shipped in this kit are RoHS-compliant (lead-free) parts.

Equipment

The following equipment is included in the EVGA nForce 680i SLI

motherboard box.

EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

This PCI Express motherboard contains the NVIDIA

680i MCP and is SLI-ready.

I/O Shield

Installs in the chassis to block radio frequency

transmissions and aids in proper airflow within the

chassis.

Floppy Cable

Used to attach a floppy drive to the motherboard.

2-Port SATA Power Cable (Qty Three)

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

1394 Cable

Provides an additional 1394 ports to either the back

panel of the chassis.

USB 2.0 4-Port Cable

Provides four additional USB ports to either the front

or back panels of the chassis.

SATA Signal Cable (Qty Six)

Used to support the Serial ATA protocol and each one

connects a single drive to the motherboard

Comm2 Bracket Cable

IDE-ATA 133 HDD Cable

SLI Connector

Used to connect two graphic cards installed in the x16

PCI Express slots in an SLI configuration.

Chipset Fan

This fan is recommended for use if overclocking or

using liquid/passive cooling solution.

EVGA nForce 680i SLI

Motherboard

The EVGA nForce 680i SLI motherboard with the 680i SPP and MCP

processors is a PCI Express, SLI-ready motherboard. Figure 1 shows the

motherboard and Figures 2 shows the back panel connectors.

Unpacking and Parts Description

1. CPU Socket

2. NVIDIA SPP with passive heat sink 13. LED POST codes

12. Two Serial-ATA connectors

23. PCI Express x16 slots (SLI)

24. PCI Express Graphics Expansion

25. PCI Express x1 slots

3. CPU fan connector

14. Motherboard battery

15. Serial connector

16. LPC connector (debug)

17. Clear CMOS

4. DDR DIMM Slots 0 - 3

5. 24-pin ATX Power Connector

6. FDD Connector

26. Back panel connectors (Figure 2)

27. 8-pin ATX_12V power connector

28. Front panel audio connections

29. USB Header1 & 2

7. Front panel connector

8. AUX PEX Power connector

9. Serial-ATA connectors

10. NVIDIA MCP

18. Fan Header

19. Power on/off switch

20. Reset switch

30. Firewire Header

31. V-Reg fan header

21. On-board speaker

22. PCI slots

11. Floppy drive connector

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

1. PS/2 Mouse Port

2. PS/2 Keyboard Port

3. 1394a (Firewire) port

4. USB 2.0 ports

5. SPDIF output

6. Port

Blue

2-Channel

Line-In

4-Channel

Line-In

Front Speaker Out

Mic In

6-Channel/8-Channel

Line-In

Front Speaker Out

Mic In

Green Line-Out

Pink

Mic In

Orange

Black

Grey

Center/Subwoofer

Rear Speaker Out

7. USB 2.0 Ports

8. Lan Ports with LEDs to indicate status.

• Yellow/Light Up/Blink = 10 Mbps/Link/Activity

• Yellow and Green/Light Up/Blink = 100 Mbps/link/Activity

• Green/Light Up/Blink = 1000 Mbps/Link/Activity

Figure 2.

Chassis Backpanel Connectors

Hardware Installation

This section will guide you through the installation of the motherboard. The

topics covered in this section are:

‰

Preparing the motherboard

¾ Installing the CPU

¾ Installing the CPU fan

¾ Installing the memory

Installing the motherboard

Connecting cables and setting switches

‰

Safety Instructions

To reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, and injury, always follow basic

safety precautions.

Remember to remove power from your computer by disconnecting the

AC main source before removing or installing any equipment from/to the

computer chassis.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Preparing the Motherboard

The motherboard shipped in the box does not contain a CPU or memory. You

need to purchase a CPU, a CPU fan assembly, and memory to complete this

installation.

Installing the CPU

Be very careful when handling the CPU. Hold the processor only by the edges

and do not touch the bottom of the processor.

Use the following procedure to install the CPU onto

the motherboard.

36.Unhook the socket lever by pushing down and away

from the socket.

37.Lift the load plate. There is a protective socket

cover on the load plate to protect the socket when

there is no CPU installed.

38. Remove the protective socket cover from the load

plate.

39. Remove the processor from its protective cover,

making sure you hold it only by the edges.

It is a good idea to save the cover so that

whenever you remove the CPU, you have a safe

place to store it.

40. Align the notches in the processor with the

notches on the socket.

41. Lower the processor straight down into the socket

with out tilting or sliding it into the socket

Align notches with

notches on the CPU

Note: Make sure the CPU is fully seated and level in the

socket.

42. Close the load plate over the CPU and press down

while you close and engage the socket lever.

Hardware Installation

Installing the CPU Fan

There are many different fan types that can be used with this motherboard.

Follow the instruction that came with you fan assembly. Be sure that the fan

orientation is correct for your chassis type and your fan assembly.

Installing Memory DIMMs

Your new motherboard has four 1.8V 240-pin slots for DDR2 memory. These

slots support 256 Mb, 512 Mb and 1 Gb DDR2 technologies for x8 and x16

devices. They also support dual channel DDR2 memory technology up to

10.7GB/s. There must be at least one memory bank populated to ensure

normal operation. Use the following the recommendations for installing

memory.

‰

One DIMM: Install into slot 0. You can install the DIMM into any slot,

however, slot 0 is preferred.

Two DIMMs: Install into either slots 0 and 1 or 2 and 3. The idea is to not

have the DIMMs in adjacent slots.

Four DIMMS: Install into slots 0, 1, 2, and 3.

CPU side

DIMM Slot 0

DIMM Slot 2

DIMM Slot 1

DIMM Slot 3

Card-edge side

Use the following procedure to install memory DIMMs into the slots on the

motherboard. Note that there is only one gap near the center of the DIMM slot.

This slot matches the slot on the memory DIMM to ensure the component is

installed properly.

43.Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the module clips outward.

44. Align the memory module to the DIMM slot, and insert the module

vertically into the DIMM slot. The plastic clips at both sides of the DIMM

slot automatically lock the DIMM into the connector.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Installing the Motherboard

The sequence of installing the motherboard into the chassis depends on the

chassis you are using and if you are replacing an existing motherboard or

working with an empty chassis. Determine if it would be easier to make all the

connections prior to this step or to secure the motherboard and then make all

the connections.

Use the following procedure to install the I/O shield and secure the

motherboard into the chassis.

Note: Be sure that the CPU fan assembly has enough clearance for the chassis

covers to lock into place and for the expansion cards. Also make sure the

CPU Fan assembly is aligned with the vents on the covers.

Installing the I/O Shield

The motherboard kit comes with an I/O shield that

is used to block radio frequency transmissions,

protects internal components from dust and foreign objects, and promotes

correct airflow within the chassis.

Before installing the motherboard, install the I/O shield from the inside of the

chassis. Press the I/O shield into place and make sure it fits securely. If the

I/O shield does not fit into the chassis, you would need to obtain the proper

size from the chassis supplier.

Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis

Most computer chassis have a base with mounting studs or spacers to allow the

motherboard to be secured to the chassis and help to prevent short circuits. If

there are studs that do not align with a mounting hole on the motherboard, it is

recommended that you remove that stud to prevent the possibility of a short

circuit.

1. Carefully place the motherboard onto the studs/spacers located inside the

chassis.

2. Align the mounting holes with the studs/spacers.

3. Align the connectors to the I/O shield.

Hardware Installation

4. Ensure that the fan assembly is aligned with the chassis vents according to

the fan assembly instruction.

5. Secure the motherboard with a minimum of eight-to-ten screws.

Connecting Cables and

Setting Switches

This section takes you through all the connections and switch settings necessary

on the motherboard. This will include:

‰

Power Connections

¾ 24-pin ATX power (PWR1)

8-pin ATX 12V power (PWR2)

¾ Auxiliary power for graphics (PWR3)

Internal Headers

¾ Front panel

¾ IEEE 1394a

¾ USB Headers

¾ Audio

‰

¾ Speaker

¾ COM

‰

FDD

IDE

Serial ATA II

Chassis Fans

Rear panel USB 2.0 Adapter

Expansion slots

CMOS jumper settings

See Figure 1 on page 11 to locate the connectors and jumpers referenced in the

following procedure.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Power Connections

This motherboard requires an ATX power supply. To support a PCI Express

motherboard with the addition of dual graphics cards using NVIDIA SLI

technology, you are going to need a minimum of a 500W power supply. Make

sure you have enough power to cover all the expansion cards you will be

installing. To determine what you power requirements are for your specific

configuration, refer to www.SLIzone.com.

24-pin ATX Power (PWR1)

PWR1 is the main power supply connector located along the edge of the board

next to the DIMM slots. Make sure that the power supply cable and pins are

properly aligned with the connector on the motherboard. Firmly plug the power

supply cable into the connector and make sure it is secure.

PWR1 connector

Plug power cable

from system power

supply to PWR1

Figure 3.

Table 1.

PWR1 Motherboard Connector

PWR1 Pin Assignments

Connector

Pin Signal

+3.3V

GND

+3.3V

-12V

GND

PS_ON

GND

RSVD

+5V

GND

+5V

GND

PWROK

+5V_AUX

+12V

+3.3V

+5V

GND

Hardware Installation

8-pin ATX 12V Power (PWR2)

PWR2, the 8-pin ATX 12V power connection, is used to provide power to the

CPU. Align the pins to the connector and press firmly until seated.

12V

GND

Connect a four-pin

power plug to pins

1, 2, 5, and 6.

It is strongly recommended that you use an 8-pin ATX 12V

power supply; however, if you have a four-pin power supply,

plug the connector to pins 1, 2, 5, and 6 as shown.

Auxiliary Power for Graphics (PWR3)

The PWR3 connector is an auxiliary power connection for graphics cards. This

connection is only required for SLI configrations when running (2) cards at the same time.

+5V

GND

+1.2

GND

Hardware Installation

Connecting Internal Headers

Front Panel Header

The front panel header on this

motherboard is one connector used to

connect the following four cables:

‰

PWRLED

Attach the front panel power LED

cable to these two pins of the connector.

The Power LED indicates the system’s status.

When the system is in S0 status, the LED is

on. When the system is in S1, S3, S4, S5

status, the LED is off.

Connect

HD_LED

RESET

Blank

PWRSW

PWRLED

Note: The power LED cable in some chassis is a three pin

connector with the pins installed in positions 1 and 3. If your

chassis has a three pin connector, you will need to remove

pin 3 and put it into position 2 or you can use a pair of

scissors to cut out position 2. Most chassis come with a two

pin connector.

‰

PWRSW

Attach the power button cable from the case

to these two pins. Pressing the power button

on the front panel turns the system on off rather than using the power

supply button.

‰

HD_LED

Attach the hard disk drive indicator LED cable to these two pins. The HDD

indicator LED indicates the activity status of the hard disks.

RESET

Attach the Reset switch cable from the front panel of the case to these two

pins. The system restarts when the RESET switch is pressed.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Table 2.

Front Panel Header Pins

Signal

In/Out Description

HD_PWR

Out

Hard disk LED pull-up to +5V

HD_LED

PWRLED

RESET

HDA#

Out

Hard disk active LED

Front panel green light

Front panel yellow light

Ground

HDR_BLNK_GRN Out

HDR_BLNK_YEL

GND

Out

FP_RESET#

SWITCH_ON#

GND

Reset switch

Power switch

PWRSW

Ground

No Connect

Empty

IEEE 1394a (Optional)

The IEEE 1394 expansion cable bracket is provided in the box but if you do

not require the additional external connection you do not need to install it.

1. Secure the bracket to either the front or rear panel of your chassis (not all

chassis are equipped with the front panel option).

2. Connect the end of the cable to the IEEE 1394 connector on the

motherboard.

Table 3.

IEEE 1394a Connector Pins

Connector

Pin Signal

TPA+

TPA-

GND

IEEE 1394a Connector

GND

TPB+

TPB-

+12V

Empty

GND

Hardware Installation

USB Headers

This motherboard contains four (4) USB 2.0

ports that are exposed on the rear panel of the

chassis. The motherboard also contains two

10-pin internal header connectors onboard that

can be used to connect an optional external

bracket containing four (4) more USB 2.0

ports.

1. Secure the bracket to either the front or

rear panel of your chassis (not all chassis

are equipped with the front panel

option).

2. Connect the two ends of the cables to

the USB 2.0 headers on the

motherboard.

Table 4.

USB 2.0 Header Pins

Connector

Signal

USB 2.0 Header Connector

5V_DUAL

D-

D+

GND

Empty

No Connect

Hardware Installation

Fan Connections

There are two fan connections, the system fan and the CPU fan. The fan speed

can be detected and viewed in the PC Health Status section of the CMOS Setup.

Both fans are automatically turned off after the system enters S3, S4 and S5

mode.

Note that the CPU fan cable can be

either a 3-pin or a 4-pin connector.

Connect a 3-pin connector to pins 1, 2,

and 3 on the motherboard connector.

CPU Fan Connector

GND SENSE

PWR CONTROL

The nForce SPP and MCP have a passive

heat sink that draws heat from the chips.

You can install a fan onto the SPP heat

sink that helps to cool the chips. Hook the

fan over the SPP heat sink. Use the two

screws to secure the fan to the SPP. Plug

the cable into the fan connector.

SPP Connector

GND

+12V

SENSE

Secure fan assembly using two screws

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

COM1 (Optional)

The motherboard kit provides an additional serial COM header for your

machine. Connect one side of a switching cable to the header and then attach

the serial COM device to the other side of the cable.

FDD Connector

The motherboard supports a standard 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44m, and a 2.88M

floppy disk drive (FDD).

Hardware Installation

Expansion Slots

The EVGA nForce 680i SLI motherboard contains six expansion slots, four

PCI Express slots and two PCI slots. For a full list of PCI Express x16 graphics

card supported by this motherboard, go to www.evga.com/products/.

1 - Primary PCIe

x16 Slot (GPU1)

2 - Secondary PCIe

x16 (GPU2/SLI)

3 - x16 Graphics

Expansion slot

4 - x1 PCIe

5 - PCI Slots

Figure 4.

Expansion Slots

PCI Slots

The two PCI slots support many expansion cards such as a LAN card, USB

card, SCSI card and other cards that comply with PCI specifications. When

installing a card into the PCI slot, be sure that it is fully seated. Secure the card’s

metal bracket to the chassis back panel with the screw used to hold the blank

cover.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

PCI Express x1 Slot

There is two PCI Express x1 slots that are designed to accommodate less

bandwidth-intensive cards, such as a modem or LAN card. The x1 slot provides

250 MB/sec bandwidth.

PCI Express x16 Slots

These two PCI Express x16 slots are reserved for graphics or video cards. The

bandwidth of the x16 slot is up to 4GB/sec (8GB/sec concurrent). The design

of this motherboard supports dual PCI-Express graphics cards using NVIDIA’s

SLI technology with multiple displays.

When installing a PCI Express x16 card, be sure the retention clip snaps and

locks the card into place. If the card is not seated properly, it could cause a

short across the pins. Secure the card’s metal bracket to the chassis back panel

with the screw used to hold the blank cover.

Jumper Settings

The motherboard contains a 3-pin BIOS configuration jumper that enables all

board configurations to be done in the BIOS Setup program.

The silk screen on the motherboard shows a ∆ next to pin 1.

Clear CMOS Jumper: CLR_CMOS

The motherboard uses the CMOS RAM to store all the set parameters. The

CMOS can be cleared by removing the CMOS jumper.

Use the following procedure to clear CMOS:

1. Turn off the AC power supply and connect pins 1 and 2 together using the

jumper cap.

2. Return the jumper setting to normal (pins 2 and 1

together with the jumper cap).

4. Turn the AC power supply back on.

Configuring the BIOS

This section discusses how to change the system settings through the BIOS

Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.

This section includes the following information:

‰

Enter BIOS Setup

Main Menu

Standard CMOS Features

Advanced BIOS Features

Advanced Chipset Features

Integrated Peripherals

Power Management Setup

PnP/PCI Configurations

System Monitor

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Enter BIOS Setup

The BIOS is the communication bridge between hardware and software.

Correctly setting the BIOS parameters is critical to maintain optimal system

performance.

Use the following procedure to verify/change BIOS settings.

1. Power on the computer,

2. Press the Del key when the following message briefly displays at the bottom

of the screen during the Power On Self Test (POST).

Press F1 to continue, DEL to enter Setup.

Pressing Del takes you to the Phoenix-Award BIOS CMOS Setup Utility.

Note: It is strongly recommended that you do not change the default BIOS

settings. Changing some settings could damage your computer.

Main Menu

The main menu allows you to select from the list of setup functions and two

exit choices. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the

options or press Enter to display the associated submenu. Use the ꢁꢂ arrow

keys to position the selector in the option you choose. To go back to the

previous menu, press Esc.

Note: Note that on the BIOS screens all data in white is for information only, data in

yellow is changeable, data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a

red box is highlighted for selection.

Configuring the BIOS

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

` Standard CMOS Features

` System Monitor

Load Defaults

Set Password

` Advanced BIOS Features

` Advanced Chipset Features

` Integrated Peripherals

` Power Management Setup

` PnP/PCI Configurations

Save & Exit Setup

Exit Without Saving

Esc : Quit

F10 : Save & Exit Setup

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ : Select Item

Time, Date, Hard Disk Type..,

NVIDIA LinkBoost™-Not Detected SLI-Ready memory - Disabled

Figure 5.

BIOS CMOS Setup Utility Main Menu

‰

Standard CMOS Features

Use this menu to set up the basic system configuration.

Advanced BIOS Features

Use this menu to set up the advanced system features and boot sequence.

Advanced Chipset Features

Use this menu to optimize system performance and configure clocks,

voltages, memory timings, and more.

‰

Integrated Peripherals

Use this menu to set up onboard peripherals such as IDE, RAID, USB,

LAN, and MAC control.

Power Management Setup

Use this menu to configure power management, power on, and sleep

features.

PnP/PCI Configurations

Use this menu to modify the system’s Plug-and-Play and PCI configurations.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

‰

System Monitor

Use this menu to monitor the real-time system status of your PC, including

temperature, voltages, and fan speed.

The following items on the CMOS Setup Utility main menu are commands

rather than submenus:

‰

Load Defaults

Use this command to load the NVIDIA LinkBoost technology settings for

LinkBoost-enabled systems. Load default system settings for standard

systems.

‰

Set Password

Use this command to set, change, and disable the password used to access

the BIOS menu.

‰

Save & Exit Setup

Use this command to save settings to CMOS and exit setup.

Exit Without Saving

Use this command to abandon all setting changes and exit setup.

The following two items on the CMOS Setup Utility main menu are status

indicators:

‰

NVIDIA LinkBoost (Status indication at bottom of screen)

This status indicator is displayed at the bottom of the BIOS screen and

consists of the following remarks:

¾ Detected: System detects LinkBoost-capable components.

¾ Not Detected: The LinkBoost components are not detected.

‰

SLI-Ready Memory (Status indication at bottom of screen)

This status indicator is displayed at the bottom of the BIOS screen and

consists of the following remarks:

¾ Enabled: SLI-Ready memory is detected and enabled.

¾ Disabled: SLI-Ready memory is detected but disabled.

¾ Not Detected: SLI-Ready memory is not detected.

Configuring the BIOS

Standard CMOS Features

The Standard CMOS Features menu is used to configure the standard CMOS

information, such as the date, time, HDD model, and so on. Use the Page Up

and Page Down keys to scroll through the options or press Enter to display the

sub-menu. Use the ꢁꢂ arrow keys to position the selector in the option you

choose. To go back to the previous menu, press Esc.

The information shown in Item Helpcorresponds to the option highlighted.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Standard CMOS Features

Date (mm:dd:yy)

Time (hh:mm:ss)

Sat, Jul 01 2006

12 : 48: 23

Item Help

` IDE Channel (.) Master [None]

Main Level

` IDE Channel (.) Slave

` SATA Channel 1 Master

` SATA Channel 2 Master

` SATA Channel 3 Master

` SATA Channel 4 Master

` SATA Channel 5 Master

` SATA Channel 6 Master

[None]

Change the day, month,

year and century

Drive A

Halt On

[1.44, 3.5 in.]

[All , But Keyboard]

Base Memory

640K

Extended Memory

Total Memory

1047552K

1048576K

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Figure 6.

Standard CMOS Features Menu

Note: Note that all data in white is for information only, data in yellow is changeable,

data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a red box is highlighted for

selection.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Date and Time

Using the arrow keys, position the cursor over the month, day, and year. Use

the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through dates and times. Note that

the weekday (Sun through Sat) cannot be changed. This field changes to

correspond to the date you enter. Note that the hour value is shown in a

24-hour clock format. Time is represented as hour : minute : second.

Date (mm:dd:yy)

Time (hh:mm:ss)

Sat, Jul 01 2006

14 : 48: 43

IDE Channel and SATA Channel

Use these functions to detect and configure the individual IDE and SATA

channels. Select a channel and press Enter to display the IDE/SATA sub-menu.

Press ENTER to display

IDE Channel sub-menu

` IDE Channel (.) Master [None]

` IDE Channel (.) Slave

` SATA Channel 1 Master

` SATA Channel 2 Master

` SATA Channel 3 Master

` SATA Channel 4 Master

` SATA Channel 5 Master

` SATA Channel 6 Master

[None]

IDE HDD Auto-Detect

[Press Enter]

IDE Channel 0 Slave

Access Mode

[Manual}

[CHS]

Press ENTER to display

SATA Channel sub-menu

Capacity

0 MB

Cylinder

Head

Precomp

Landing Zone

Sector

[

IDE Auto-Detect

[Press Enter]

Extended IDE Drive

Access Mode

[None}

Auto

Capacity

0 MB

Cylinder

Head

Precomp

Landing Zone

Sector

Configuring the BIOS

Press Enter to auto-detect IDE and SATA channels in the system. Once the

channel is detected, the values for Capacity, Cylinder, Heads, Precomp, Landing

Zone, and Sector are automatically filled in.

‰

None

There is no HDD installed or set.

Auto

The system can auto-detect the hard disk when booting up.

Manual

When you set the channel to [Manual]and change Access Modeto [CHS],

you can then enter the number of cylinders, heads, Precomp, landing zone,

and sector. You can manually enter the values or you can press Enter to

display a window that tells you the min and max values.

IDE HDD Auto-Detect

[Press Enter]

IDE Channel 0 Slave

Access Mode

[Manual}

[CHS]

Capacity

0 MB

Press ENTER to display sub-menu

or enter number manually

Cylinder

Head

Precomp

Landing Zone

Sector

.....0

[

Cylinder

Min=

Max=65535

The BIOS supports the following HDD

Access Modes:

Key in a DEC number :

¾ CHS

For HDD less than 528 MB.

¾ LBA

ꢁꢂ:Move

ENTER:Accept

ESC:Abort

For HDD greater than 528 MB and

supporting LBA (Logical Block

Addressing).

¾ Large

For HDD greater than 528 MB but not supporting LBA.

¾ Auto

Recommended mode.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Drive A

The Drive Aoption allows you to select the kind of FDD to install.

Options are:

Press ENTER to display sub-menu

Drive A

Halt On

[1.44, 3.5 in.]

[All , But Keyboard]

Drive A

‰

None

360K, 5.25 in.

1.2M, 5.25 in.

720K, 3.5 in.

1.44M, 3.5 in.

2.88M, 3.5 in.

None

..... [ ]

360K, 5.25 in. ..... [ ]

1.2M, 5.25 in. ..... [ ]

720K, 3.5 in.

1.44M, 3.5 in. ..... [ ]

2.88M, 3.5 in. ..... [ ]

..... [ ]

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll

through the options or press Enter to display

the sub-menu. Use the ꢁꢂ arrow keys to

ꢁꢂ:Move

ENTER:Accept

ESC:Abort

position the selector in the option you choose. Press Enter to accept the

changes and return to the Standard CMOS Features menu.

Halt On

Halt On determines whether or not the computer stops if an error is detected

during power on. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the

options or press Enter to display the Halt On sub-menu. Use the ꢁꢂ arrow keys

to position the selector in the option you choose. Press Enter to accept the

changes and return to the Standard CMOS Features menu.

Drive A

Halt On

[1.44, 3.5 in.]

[All , But Keyboard]

Press ENTER to display sub-menu

‰

All Errors

Whenever the BIOS detects a nonfatal

error, the system stops and prompts you.

Halt On

All Errors

No Errors

All , But Keyboard ..... [ ]

All , But Diskette ..... [ ]

All , But Disk/Key ..... [ ]

..... [ ]

No Errors

System boot does not stop for any

detected errors.

All, But Keyboard

System boot does not stop for keyboard

errors, but does stop for all other errors.

ꢁꢂ:Move

ENTER:Accept

ESC:Abort

Configuring the BIOS

‰

All, But Diskette

The system boot does not stop for a diskette error but will stop for all other

errors.

All, But Disk/Key

The system boot does not stop for a keyboard or disk error, but will stop for

all other errors.

Memory

These settings are display-only values that are determined by the BIOS POST

(Power-On Self Test).

Base Memory

640K

Extended Memory

Total Memory

1047552K

1048576K

‰

Base Memory

BIOS POST determines the

amount of base (or conventional) memory installed in the system.

‰

Extended Memory

BIOS determines how much extended memory is present during the POST.

Total Memory

This value represents the total memory of the system.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Advanced BIOS Features

Access the Advanced BIOS Features menu from the CMOS Utility Setup

screen. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the options or

press Enter to display the sub-menu. Use the ꢁꢂ arrow keys to position the

selector in the option you choose. To go back to the previous menu, press Esc.

Note: The options that have associated sub-menus are designated by a `, which

precedes the option. Press Enter to display the sub-menus.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced BIOS Features

` Removable Device Priority

` Hard Disk Boot Priority

` Network Boot Priority

CPU Internal Cache

Quick Power On Self Test

First Boot Device

[Press Enter]

[Enabled]

[Removable]

[CDROM]

Item Help

Main Level

Select Removable Boot

Device Priority

Second Boot Device

Third Boot Device

Boot Other Device

Boot Up NumLock Status

Security Option

[Hard Disk]

[Enabled]

[On]

[Setup]

APIC Mode

MPS Version Control For OS

Full Screen LOGO Show

[Enabled]

[1.4]

[Disabled]

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Figure 7.

Advanced BIOS Features Menu

Note: Note that all data in white is for information only, data in yellow is changeable,

data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a red box is highlighted for

selection.

Configuring the BIOS

Removable Device Priority

Use this option to select the priority for removable device startup. Press Enter

to see the list of removable devices in your system. Use the ꢁꢂ arrow keys to go

to the various devices. Then use the + or – keys to move the device priority up

or down in the list. To go back to the previous menu, press Esc.

1. Floppy Disks

Hard Disk Boot Priority

Use this option to select the priority for HDD startup. Press Enter to see the

list of bootable devices in your system. Use the ꢁꢂ arrow keys to go to the

various devices. Then use the + or – keys to move the device priority up or

down in the list. To go back to the previous menu, press Esc.

1. Ch0.

2. Bootable Add-in Cards

: ST3802110A

Use the + and – keys to move the

priority of the device within the list

Network Boot Priority

Use this option to select the priority for network startup. Select Network Boot

Priority and press Enter to view available networks. Use the ꢁꢂ arrow keys

to go to the various devices. Then use the + or – keys to move the device

priority up or down in the list. To go back to the previous menu, press Esc.

1. Network 0 : <description of network>

2. Network 1 : <description of network>

CPU Internal Cache

Use this option to enable or disable the CPU internal cache. Use the Page Up

and Page Down keys to scroll through the options or press Enter to display the

options in a sub-menu. Use the ꢁꢂ arrow keys to position the selector in the

option you choose.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Quick Power On Self Test

Enabling this option allows the system to skip certain test while booting, which

reduces the time needed to boot the system. Use the Page Up and Page Down

keys to toggle between Enable and Disable.

First/Second/Third Boot Device

Use this option to set the priority sequence of the devices booted at power on.

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the options or press

Enter to display the sub-menu. Use the ꢁꢂ arrow keys to position the selector

in the option you choose.

First Boot Device

Removable

Hard Disk

CDROM

Network

Disabled

..... [ ]

ꢁꢂ:Move

ENTER:Accept

ESC:Abort

Boot Other Device

With the option set to Enable, the system boots from some other device if the

first/second/third boot devices fail.

Boot Up NumLock Status

This option allows you to select the power-on state of NumLock. Select Onto

activate the keyboard NumLock when the system is started. Select Offto disable

the NumLock key.

Configuring the BIOS

Security Option

The Security Options allows you to require a password every time the system

boots or only when you enter setup. Select Setupto require a password to gain

access to the CMOS Setup screen. Select Systemto require a password to

access the CMOS Setup screen and when the system boots.

APIC Mode

Use this function to enable or disable the Advanced Programmable Interrupt

Controller (APIC). If you disable this option, you also disable the MPS Version

Control for OS option.

MPS Version Control For OS

Use this function to select the Multi-Processor Specification (MPS) version that

BIOS passes to the operating system. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to

scroll through the options.

Full Screen LOGO Show

This option allows you to enable or disable the display of the full-screen logo

when the system boots. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to toggle

between Enable and Disable

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Advanced Chipset Features

Select Advanced Chipset Featuresfrom the CMOS Setup Utility menu and

press Enter to display the functions of the Advanced Chipset Functions menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Advanced Chipset Features

` System Clocks

[Press Enter]

[Disable]

Item Help

` FSB & Memory Config

` CPU Configuration

` System Voltages

NVMEM memory test

PCI Clocks

Main Level

Voltage control

[Auto]

Load timing/voltage set

Save timing/voltage set

System BIOS Cacheable

HPET Function

[Press Enter]

[Disabled]

[Enable]

NVIDIA GPY Ex

LinkBoost

[Enable]

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Figure 8.

Advanced Chipset Features

Configuring the BIOS

System Clocks

Select System Clocksfrom the Advanced Chipset Features menu and press

Enter to display the System Clocks menu. From this menu, you are able to

specify frequency settings, HT multipliers, and Spread Spectrum settings. Note

that in Figure 9, all of the options are listed. On the actual BIOS screen, you will

need to scroll down to see all the options.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

System Clocks

Parameters

**Frequency Settings**

CPU Freq, MHz

FSB Reference Clock, MHz

CPU Multiplier

Settings Current Valce

Item Help

2933.3

1066.7

[11 X]

2933.3

1066.7

11X

Main Level

CPU frequency

multiplier.

CPU core clock

= FSB Ref Clock/4 *

CPU Multiplier

PCIe x16_1, MHz

PCIe x16_3, MHz

PCIe x16_2, MHz

[Auto]

100

SPP<->MCP Ref Clock, MHz [Auto]

**HT Multiplier**

nForce SPP --> nForce MCP [5 x]

nForce SPP <-- nForce MCP [5 x]

**Spread Spectrum**

CPU Spread Spectrum

HT Spread Spectrum

[UP Spread]

[Auto]

PCIe Spread Spectrum(SPP) [Auto]

PCIe Spread Spectrum(MCP) [Auto]

SATA Spread Spectrum

[Down Spread]

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values

F7:Defaults

Figure 9.

System Clocks Menu

Note: Note that all data in white is for information only, data in yellow is changeable,

data in blue is non-changeable, and data in a red box is highlighted for

selection.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Frequency Settings

‰

CPU Freq, MHz

This value is set by the CPU Multiplier (value cannot be changed by the

user).

‰

FSB Reference Clock. MHz

This value is set by the system (value cannot be changed by the user). To

change the SLI-Ready memory, FSB memory, and memory timing, go to the

FSB & Memory screen.

‰

CPU Multiplier

This value changes the CPU Frequency value depending on the value you

choose. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the options.

The options are from 6 X through 60 X.

PCIe x16_1, MHz

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the frequency

options for the PCI Express Bus, Slot 1 (the black slot closest to the CPU).

Note that as you go higher in value, PCIe Spread Spectrum(SPP) is

disabled and cannot be changed from this status.

‰

PCIe x16_3, MHz

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the frequency

options for the PCI Express Bus, Slot 3 (the blue slot in the middle).

PCIe x16_2, MHz

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the frequency

options for the PCI Express Bus, Slot 3 (the black slot farthest from the

CPU). Note that as you go higher in value, PCIe Spread Spectrum(MCP)is

disabled and cannot be changed from this status.

‰

SPP<^—>MCP Ref Clock, MHz

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the frequency

options for the reference clock between the SPP chip and the MCP chip.

Note that as you go higher in value, HT Spread Spectrumis disabled and

cannot be changed from this status.

Configuring the BIOS

HT Multiplier

‰

nForce SPP ^{— —}> nForce MCP

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the HT multiplier

options and set the link speed from the SPP chip to the MCP chip. Values

are [1 x]through [5 x].

‰

nForce MCP <^{— —}nForce SPP

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the HT multiplier

options and set the link speed from the MCP chip to the SPP chip. Values

are [1 x]through [5 x].

Spread Spectrum

‰

CPU Spread Spectrum

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the Spread

Spectrum options for the CPU. Option values are [Disabled],

[UP Spread], and [Center Spread].

‰

HT Spread Spectrum

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the Spread

Spectrum options for the HyperTransport. Option values are [Disabled],

[UP Spread],and [Center Spread].This option reverts to Disabled

and cannot be changed when the value for SPP<^—>MCP Ref Clock exceeds

200 MHz.

‰

PCIe Spread Spectrum (SPP)

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the Spread

Spectrum options for the SPP PCIe. Option values are [Disabled],

[UP Spread], and [Center Spread].This option reverts to Disabled

and cannot be changed when the value for PCIe x16_1 exceeds 100MHz.

PCIe Spread Spectrum (MCP)

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the Spread

Spectrum options for the MCP PCIe. Option values are [Disabled],

[UP Spread],and [Center Spread]. This option reverts to Disabled

and cannot be changed when the value for PCIe x16_3 exceeds 100 MHz.

SATA Spread Spectrum

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the Spread

Spectrum options for the Serial-ATA. Option values are [Disabled]and

[Down Spread].

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

FSB & Memory Config

Select FSB & Memory Configfrom the Advanced Chipset Features menu and

press Enter to display the FSB & Memory Config menu. This menu provides

the means to set SLI-Ready memory, FSB memory, and memory timing.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

FSB & Memory Config

Parameters

SLI-Ready Memory

Settings Current Value

[Disabled] Disabled

Item Help

CPU Freq, MHz

CPU Multiplier

2933.3

11X

2933.3

11X

Main Level

FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Auto]

“CPUOC MAX” realizes

the complete optimized

memory settings when

SLI-Ready memory is

installed

x FSB (QDR), MHz

Auto

1066.7

800.6

Actual FSB (QDR), MHz

1066.7

x MEM (DDR), MHz

Auto

Actual MEM (DDR), MHz

800.0

Optimized memory

` Memory Timing Setting

[Press Enter]

settings by allowing

X% CPU overclocking

CPU overclocking may

require manual

overvolting of the CPU

to improve system

stability

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

Figure 10. FSB & Memory Config Menu

‰

SLI-Ready Memory

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the SLI-Ready

Memory options. The options are:

¾ Disabled

¾ CPUOC 0%

¾ CPUOC 1%

¾ CPUOC 2%

¾ CPUOC 3%

¾ CPUOC 4%

¾ CPUOC 5%

¾ CPUOC MAX

Configuring the BIOS

When you select one of the CPUOC x%options, the FSB - Memory

Clock Modeis set to Unlinkedand cannot be changed until SLI-

Ready Memoryis set to Disable.

‰

FSB and Memory Clock Mode

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the FSB and

Memory Clock Mode options. The options are:

¾ Auto

This is the optimal setting since it sets the FSB and memory speeds

automatically.

¾ Linked

When Link is selected, FSB (QDR), MHz is changed to editable and

the FSB speed can be entered manually. As the FSB speed is changed,

CPU Freq, MHzchanges proportionally.

CPU Freq, MHz

CPU Multiplier

2933.3

11X

2933.3

11X

FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Linked]

FSB (QDR), MHz

Actual FSB (QDR), MHz

[1067]

1066.7

800.6

x MEM (DDR), MHz

Auto

Actual MEM (DDR), MHz

800.0

¾ Unlinked

When Unlink is selected, FSB (QDR), MHz and MEM (DDR), MHz

are changed to editable and the FSB and memory speeds can be entered

manually. As the FSB speed is changed, CPU Freq, MHzchanges

proportionally.

FSB – Memory Clock Mode [Linked]

FSB (QDR), MHz

Actual FSB (QDR), MHz

MEM (DDR), MHz

[1067]

1066.7

[1067]

800.0

1066.7

800.6

Actual MEM (DDR), MHz

‰

FSB (QDR), MHz

Use the + or – keys to scroll through new values for the CPU FSB

frequency or type in a new value. Note that the Actual FSB (QDR)

reflects the actual frequency that takes effect on a reboot.

MEM (DDR), MHz

Use the + or – keys to scroll through new values for the memory frequency

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

or type in a new value. Note that the Actual MEM (DDR)reflects the

actual frequency that takes effect when the system reboots.

‰

Memory Timing Setting

Press Enter to display the Memory Timing Setting menu. Use this menu to

set optimal timings or to manually enter timings.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Memory Timing Setting

Item Help

Parameters

Settings Current Value

[Optimal]

Memory Timing Setting

Main Level

x tCL (CAS Latency)

x tRDC

x tRP

Auto(5)

Auto(7)

Auto(23)

Select [Expert] to

enter timings manually

x tRAS

x Command Per Clock (CDM) Auto(2T)

** Advanced Memory Settings **

x tRRD

x tRC

x tWR

x tWTR

x tREF

Auto(4)

Auto(28)

Auto(7)

Auto(10)

Auto

6.1uS

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help[

F5: Previous Values F7:Defaults

¾ Optimal

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to select Optimal.Optimal

prohibits you from manually setting any timing. All timing is set for

optimal performance.

Configuring the BIOS

¾ Expert

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to select Expert. When Expert

is selected, all timing categories are enabled for manual input. Note that

you should set the value to Optimal to use the manufacturers’

recommended values.

Parameters

Settings Current Value

[Expert]

Memory Timing Setting

tCL (CAS Latency)

tRDC

tRP

[Auto(5)]

[Auto(7)]

[Auto(23)]

tRAS

Command Per Clock (CDM) [Auto(2T)]

** Advanced Memory Settings **

tRRD

tRC

tWR

tWTR

tREF

[Auto(4)]

[Auto(28)]

[Auto(7)]

[Auto(10)]

[Auto]

6.1uS

ª tCL: CAS# latency (options are 1 through 6).

ª tRDC: RAS#-to-CAS# Delay for Read/Write commands to the

same bank (options are 1 through 7).

ª tRP: Row Precharge time. This is the Precharge-to-Active or Auto-

to-Refresh of the same bank (options are 1 through 7).

ª tRAS: This is the minimum RAS# active time (options are 1 through

31).

ª Command Per Clock: This is the command timing setting on a per

clock unit basis (options are 1T and 2T).

ª tRRD: RAS#-to-RAS# delay of different banks (options are 1

through 15).

ª tRC: RAS#-to-RAS# or auto refresh time of the same bank (options

are 1 through 31).

ª tWR: The Write recovery time (options are 2 through 7).

ª tWTR: This is the minimum write-to-read delay with the same chip

selected (options are 1 through 10).

ª tREF: This is the DRAM refresh rate (options are Auto, 7.8uS, and

3.9uS).

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

CPU Configuration

Select CPU Configurationfrom the Advanced Chipset Features menu and

press Enter to display the CPU Configuration menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

CPU Configuration

Limit CPUID MaxVal

[Disabled]

Item Help

x Intel SpeedStep

Disabled

[Disabled]

[Enabled]

CPU Thermal Control

C1E Enhanced Halt State

Execute Disable Bit

Main Level

Virtualization Technology [Enabled]

Set linit CPUID MaxVal

to 3, should be

“Disabled” for WinXP

CPU Core 0

CPU Core 1

Enabled

[Enabled]

x CPU Core 2

x CPU Core 3

Disabled

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values

F7:Defaults

Figure 11. CPU Configuration Menu

‰

Limit CPUID MaxVal

Use this function to enable the set limit of the CPUID MaxVal to 3. Set to

Disable for Win XP.

‰

CPU Thermal Control

Use this function to enable or disable TM1 and TM2 support. The options

are:

¾ Disable

Disable support for TM1 and TM2.

¾ TM1 Only

The CPU is thermally throttled by cutting active processor clock cycles.

¾ TM2 Only

Thermal throttling is achieved by reducing the CPU multiplier and CPU

core voltage.

Configuring the BIOS

¾ TM1 & TM2

Enables support for both TM1 and TM2.

‰

C1E Enhanced Halt State

Enabled, this function reduces the CPU power consumption when the CPU

is idle. Idle occurs when the operating system issues a halt instruction.

Execute Disable Bit

When this function is disabled, it forces the XD feature flag to always return

to zero (0).

Virtualization Technology

When this function is enabled, it allows a VMM to utilize the additional

hardware capabilities provided by Intel Virtualization Technology.

CPU Core 1

This function allows you to enable or disable CPU Core.

System Voltages

Select System Voltagesfrom the Advanced Chipset Features menu and press

Enter to display the System Voltages menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

System Voltages

Parameters

CPU Core

Settings Current Value

Item Help

[Auto]

1.28

CPU Load Line Rate (mV/A) [1.0]

Main Level

CPU FSB

[Auto]

1.2V

Memory

1.85V

1.20V

1.500V

1.20V

nForce SPP

nForce MCP

HT nForce SPP <-> MCP

Voltage level for CPU

Core (CPU VID)

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values

F7:Defaults

Figure 12. System Voltages Menu

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

‰

CPU Core

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through the voltages or

select [Auto]to automatically set the voltage level for the CPU Core.

CPU FSB

This function defines the voltage level for the CPU FSB I/O (CPU VTT).

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to select a voltage (1.3V, 1.4V or

1.5V) or select [Auto]to automatically set the voltage.

‰

Memory

This function defines the voltage level for the DRAM. Use the Page Up and

Page Down keys to select a voltage or select [Auto]to automatically set the

voltage.

nForce SPP

This function defines the core voltage level for the NVIDIA nForce SPP

chip. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to select a voltage (1.25V,

1.30V, 1.35V, 1.40V, 1.45V, 1.50V, or 1.55V) or select [Auto] to

automatically set the voltage.

‰

nForce MCP

This function defines the core voltage level for the NVIDIA nForce MCP

chip. Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to select a voltage (1.525V,

1.550V, 1.575V, 1.600V, 1.625V, 1.650V, 1.675V, 1.700V, 1.725V. or 1.750)

or select [Auto]to automatically set the voltage.

HT nForce SPP<^-->MCP

This function defines the voltage level for the HyperTransport interface

between the NVIDIA nForce SPP and MCP chips. Use the Page Up and

Page Down keys to select a voltage (1.25V, 1.30V, 1.35V, 1.40V, 1.45V,

1.50V, or 1.55V) or select [Auto]to automatically set the voltage.

Configuring the BIOS

NVMEM Memory Test

This function defines whether you run the NVIDIA memory testing module

during POST. The options are Fast, Medium, Slow, and Disable.

PCI Clocks

This function allows you to enable the PCI clocks or select [Auto]to have the

PCI clocks automatically enabled/disabled.

Load Timing/Voltage Set

This function loads the system voltages and timing settings that were defined in

the System Voltages menu. You can set up to four profile settings using the

Save timing/voltage setfunction.

There are four profile options that can be loaded. The default setting is Auto

for all settings. Press Enter to see the options.

Load timing/voltage set

Press Enter to Exit ..... [ ]

Select Profile 1

Select Profile 2

Select Profile 3

..... [ ]

ꢁꢂ:Move

ENTER:Accept

ESC:Abort

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Save Timing/Voltage Set

This function saves the system voltages and timing settings that were defined in

the System Voltages menu. There are four profile options that can be loaded.

The default setting is Autofor all settings. Press Enter to see the options.

Save timing/voltage set

Press Enter to Exit ..... [ ]

Select Profile 1

Select Profile 2

Select Profile 3

..... [ ]

ꢀꢁ:Move

ENTER:Accept

ESC:Abort

System BIOS Cacheable

This function allows you to enable or disable caching the system BIOS.

HPET Function

This function allows you to enable or disable the High Precision Even Timer

(HPET). When Enabled, HPET is used as the timing hardware for multimedia

and other time-sensitive application. When HPET is Disabled, the APIC

timer is used.

NVIDIA GPU Ex

To enable or disable this function you need to have the NVIDIA®

ForceWare® graphics driver with NVIDIA EX support. When enabled, the

system uses the optimized NVIDIA EX graphics driver.

Configuring the BIOS

Integrated Peripherals Menu

Select Integrated Peripheralsfrom the CMOS Setup Utility menu and

press Enter to display the Integrated Peripherals menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Integrated Peripherals

` IDE Function Setup

` RAID Config

` USB Config

` MAC Config

IEEE1394 controller

HD Audio

[Press Enter]

[Auto]

Item Help

Main Level

[Auto]

IDE HDD Block Mode

Onboard FDC Controller

Onboard Serial Port 1

[Enabled]

[3FB/IRQ4]

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values

F7:Defaults

Figure 13. Integrated Peripherals Menu

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

IDE Function Setup

Press Enter to display the IDE Function Setup menu.

OnChip IDE Channel0

[Enabled]

[Auto]

Primary Master

Primary Slave

Primary Master

Primary Slave

PIO

UDMA

IDE DMA transfer access

Serial-ATA Controller

IDE Prefetch Mode

[Enabled]

[All Enabled]

[Enabled]

‰

OnChip IDE Channel0

Use this function to enable

or disable the onchip IDE

Channel0. When disabled,

the Primary Master/Slave

functions are changed to

Autoand cannot be

OnChip IDE Channel0

x Primary Master PIO

PIO

[Disabled]

Auto

x Primary Slave

x Primary Master

x Primary Slave

UDMA

IDE DMA transfer access

Serial-ATA Controller

IDE Prefetch Mode

[Enabled]

[All Enabled]

[Enabled]

changed.

‰

Primary Master/Slave PIO

When OnChip IDE Channel0is set to [Enabled], you can select a

mode for the primary Master and Slave PIO. Select from Auto, or Mode1

through Mode 4.

Primary Master/Slave UDMA

When OnChip IDE Channel0is set to [Enabled], you can disable the

primary Master and Slave UDMA or set it to [Auto].

‰

IDE DMA transfer access

Use this function to enable or disable IDE DMA transfer access.

Serial-ATA Controller

This function allows you to enable specific SATA controllers, enable all

controllers, or disable all controllers. The options available are [SATA-0],

[SATA-0+1], [Enable All], and [Disabled].

‰

IDE Prefetch Mode

Use this function to enable or disable the IDE Prefetch mode.

Configuring the BIOS

RAID Config

Press Enter to display the RAID Config menu.

RAID Enable

[Enabled]

RAID [Disabled]

SATA 0 Primary

SATA 0 Secondary

SATA 1 Primary

SATA 1 Secondary

SATA 2 Primary

SATA 2 Secondary

‰

RAID Enable

[Disabled]

x SATA 0 Primary

x SATA 0 Secondary

x SATA 1 Primary

x SATA 1 Secondary

x SATA 2 Primary

x SATA 2 Secondary

RAID

Disabled

Use this function to enable

or disable RAID. When

RAID is set to [Disabled],

all SATA functions are

changed to Disabledand

cannot be changed.

SATA x Primary/Secondary

When RAID Enableis set to [Enabled], you can enable or disable the

various SATA functions.

USB Config

Press Enter to display the USB Config menu.

OnChip USB

USB Keyboard Support

USB Mouse Support

[Enabled]

[Disabled]

‰

OnChip USB

x USB Keyboard Support

x USB Mouse Support

[Disabled]

Enabled

Use this function to enable

specific versions of the USB

or disable the onchip USB.

When the onchip USB is set to [Disabled], the keyboard and mouse

support functions are set to Enabledand cannot be changed. Versions that

can be selected are [V1.1+V2.0]or [V1.1].

‰

USB Keyboard/Mouse Support

Use these function to enable or disable the onchip WSB support of the

keyboard and/or mouse.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

MAC Config

Press Enter to display the MAC Config menu.

MAC0 LAN

MAC1 LAN

[Enabled]

[Disabled]

‰

MACx LAN

Use these functions to set the MAC0 and/or MAC1 LANs to Autoor

disable their functions.

IEEE1394 controller

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or

disable the IEEE1394 (Firewire) interface.

HD Audio

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or

disable the high-definition audio function.

IDE HDD Block Mode

Using this function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows your IDE hard

drive needs to support block mode. Select [Enabled]to automatically detect

the optimal number of block read/writes per sector the drive can support.

Select [Disabled]if your drive does not support block mode.

Onboard FDC Controller

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to enable or

disable the onboard FDC controller function.

Onboard Serial Port 1

This function on the Integrated Peripherals menu allows you to select the

onboard serial port 1 function. Options are [3F8/IRQ4], [2E8/IRQ3],

[3E8/IRQ4], [Auto], and [Disabled].

Configuring the BIOS

Power Management Setup

Select Power Management Setupfrom the CMOS Setup Utility menu and

press Enter to display the Power Management Setup menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

Power Management Setup

ACPI function

[Enabled]

[S1&S3]

[Instant-Off]

[Disabled]

Item Help

APCI Suspend Type

Soft-Off by PBTN

WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off

Main Level

Power-on by Alarm

x Day of Month Alarm

x Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm

[Disabled]

0 : 0 : 0

POWER ON Function

x KB Power ON Password

x Hot Key Power On

[BUTTON ONLY]

Enter

Ctrl-F1

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values

F7:Defaults

Figure 14. Power Management Setup Menu

ACPI Function

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or

disable the ACPI function.

ACPI Suspend Type

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to select an

ACPI Suspend Type. Types to select from are [S1&S3], [S1(POS)], and

[S3(STR)].

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Soft-Off by PBNT

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to set Soft-

Off by PBNT to [Instant-Off]or [Delay 4 Sec].

WOL(PME#) From Soft-Off

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or

disable WOL(PMW#) from soft-off.

Power On by Alarm

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to enable or

disable the Power-on by alarm function. Set to [Disable]to prevent power-

on by alarm. When set to [Enable], you can manually put in the day of the

month and the time of the alarm.

Power-on by Alarm

Day of Month Alarm

Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm

[Disabled]

[ 0]

[0 : 0 : 0]

To enter a day or time, use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through

numbers or enter the number using the keyboard number or the + and – keys.

POWER ON Function

This function on the Power Management Setup menu allows you to define the

power-on function. Options for this function are:

‰

BUTTON ONLY

Keyboard 98

Password

When [Password] is selected, the KB Power ON Passwordfunction is

enabled so that you must enter a password.

POWER ON Function

KB Power ON Password

x Hot Key Power On

[Password]

[Enter]

Ctrl-F1

Configuring the BIOS

‰

Hot Key Power On

When [Hot Key]is selected, the Hot key Power Onfunction is

enabled so that you must select a keyboard key as the hot key. To select a

hot key use Ctrl+F1 though Ctrl+F12.

POWER ON Function

x KB Power ON Password

Hot Key Power On

[Hot key]

Enter

[Ctrl-F1]

‰

Mouse Left

Mouse Right

Any Key

PnP/PCI Configuration Menu

Select PnP/PCI Configurationfrom the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press

Enter to display the PnP/PCI Configuration menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

PnP/PCI Configuration

Init Display First

Reset Configuration Data

[PCI Slot]

[Disabled]

Item Help

Main Level

Resources Controlled By

x IRQ Resources

[Auto(ESCD)]

Press Enter

** PCI Express relative items **

Maximum Payload Size [4096]

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values

F7:Defaults

Figure 15. PnP/PCI Configuration Menu

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Init Display First

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to define if the

initial display is in the PCI slot or in the PCI Express slot. Options are

[PCI Slot]and [PCIEx].

Reset Configuration Data

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to enable or

disable the resetting of Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) when you

exit Setup. Set this to [Enabled]if you have installed a new add-on and the

system reconfiguration has caused a serious conflict that prevents the OS from

booting. The default setting is [Disabled].

Resources Controlled By

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to define if the

BIOS can automatically configure all the boot and plug-and-play compatible

devices or if you can manually select IRQ, DMA, and memory base address

fields. Select [Auto(ESCD)]if you want the BIOS to automatically populate

these fields. If you select [Manual]so you can assign the resources, IRQ

Resourcesis enabled for input.

Resources Controlled By [Auto(ESCD)]

x IRQ Resources

Press Enter

Resources Controlled By [Manual)]

IRQ Resources

[Press Enter]

Configuring the BIOS

IRQ Resources

To enable this field for input, set Resources Controlled Byto

[Manual]. With this field enabled, press Enter to see options.

IRQ-5 assigned to

IRQ-9 assigned to

IRQ-10 assigned to

IRQ-11 assigned to

IRQ-14 assigned to

IRQ-15 assigned to

[PCI Device]

[Reserved]

[PCI Device]

Use Legacy ISA for devices compliant with the original PC AT Bus

specification. Use PCI/ISA PnP for devices compliant with the plug-and-play

standard, whether designed for PCI or ISA Bus architecture.

PCI/VGA Palette Snoop

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to enable or

disable the Palette Snoop function.

Maximum Payload Size

This function on the PnP/PCI Configuration menu allows you to set the

maximum TLP payload size (in bytes) for the PCI Express devices. Use the

Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll through sizes or enter the number using

the keyboard numbers or use the + and – keys to go up and down the list of

sizes.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

System Monitor Menu

Select System Monitorfrom the CMOS Setup Utility menu and press Enter to

display the System Monitor menu.

Phoenix – AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility

System Monitor

` Dynamic Fan Control

CPU

Board

MCP

[Press Enter]

47ºC/ 117ºF

51ºC/ 124ºF

45ºC/ 113ºF

Item Help

Main Level

CPU Core

CPU FSB

Memory

+3.3V

+3.3V Dual

+12V

1.28V

1.19V

1.81V

3.16V

3/16V

11.92V

4.99V

3.00V

+5V

+Vbat

CPU Fan Speed

MCP Fan Speed

SPP Fan Speed

Mem Fan Speed

Sys Fan Speed

4272 RPM

4891 RPM

0 RPM

ꢁꢂꢃꢄ:Move Enter:Select +/-/PU/PD:Value F10:Save ESC:Exit F1:General Help

F5: Previous Values

F7:Defaults

Figure 16. System Monitor Menu

All of the values shown in Blueare dynamic and change as the speed and

voltages of the various components change with system usage.

Configuring the BIOS

Dynamic Fan Control

Press Enter to display the Dynamic Fan Control menu.

CPU Fan Speed Control

If temp > 70ºC, Set Fan Speed 100%

If temp < 30ºC, Set Fan Speed 0%

x Manual Fan Speed, % 100

[SmartFan]

Chassis Fan Speed Control [Manual]

x If temp > 60ºC, Set Fan Speed 100%

x If temp < 30ºC, Set Fan Speed

Manual Fan Speed, %

[100]

MCP Fan Speed Control, % [100]

SPP Fan Speed Control, % [100]

Mem Fan Speed Control, % [100]

Use this menu to control the speed of the various fans on the motherboard. Set

CPU and Chassis fan speed to [SmartFan]when you want the speed of the

fans automatically controlled based on temperature. To set the fan speed to a

constant rate, select [Manual]and then enter the speed from 0% to 100%.

Set the desired speed for the MCP, SPP, and memory fans from 0% to 100%.

The system defaults to 100%.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Software Installation

Note: It is important to remember that before installing the driver CD that is shipped

in the kit, you need to load your operating system. The motherboard

supports Windows XP 32bit and 64bit and is Vista-capable.

The kit comes with a CD that contains utility drivers and additional NVIDIA

software.

The CD that has been shipped with your NVIDIA motherboard contains the

following software and drivers:

‰

NVIDIA nForce drivers

RealTek Audio drivers

Microsoft DirectX 9.0C

NVIDIA nTune

Adobe Acrobat Reader

NVIDIA MediaShield RAID Manager

NVIDIA Networking (FirstPacket)

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Windows XP Drivers Install

Note: When installing the graphics drivers, the resolution defaults to the lowest

setting (typically 800 x 600), making your display very large. Adjust

accordingly.

3. Insert the EVGA NVIDIA nForce 680i installation CD for the graphics

drivers included in the kit.

4. Run setup.exe.

Depending on your system setup, the install disk may automatically run the

install setup.exe. If it does not run, go to My Computer and click on the CD

to open.

Using the

NVIDIA Software

This section describes how to configure the following NVIDIA software that is

included on the CD in the kit from the NVIDIA Control Panel:

‰

NVIDIA Monitor

Performance (NVIDIA nTune)

Storage (NVIDIA MediaShield RAID Manager)

Networking (NVIDIA FirstPacket)

Figure 17. NVIDIA Control Panel, Select a Category

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

NVIDIA Monitor

The NVIDIA Monitor application can be used at any time with any applications

to view the real-time status of various system components. To display the

NVIDIA Monitor, select Start¾All Programs¾NVIDIA Corporation¾NVIDIA

Monitor. This display shows the performance (usage) of the CPU, disk, memory,

and network. It also monitors the Bus speeds and voltages.

To view temperatures and fans, click the

button.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

NVIDIA nTune 5.0

The Performance category is used to configure and manage NVIDIA nTune.

The NVIDIA nTune program is a full-featured application for accessing,

monitoring, and adjusting your system components (including bus speeds and

voltages) with clear, user-friendly control panels.

Overclock your system for the highest performance, or underclock it for a

nearly silent operation. All changes are performed within the Microsoft

Windows interface, enabling full functionality without the need to make

changes in the BIOS and reboot your system.

Use the following procedure to access nTune:

5. From the desktop, select Start¾All Programs¾NVIDIA

Corporation¾NVIDIA Control Panel.

6. Select Performance to display Performance Control Panel

Categories.

Figure 18. Performance Control Panel Categories (nTune)

The Performance menu provides the following options:

¾ Manual Tuning

ª Adjust motherboard settings

ª Adjust GPU settings

ª Dynamic BIOS access

¾ Automatic Tuning

ª Tune system

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

¾ Management

ª View system information

ª Adjust custom rules

Manual Tuning

The Manual Tuning option provides the ability to adjust motherboard settings,

adjust CPU settings, and make changes to the BIOS.

Adjust Motherboard Settings

The controls in the Adjust Motherboard Settings screen let you adjust the

performance of the system clocks, system voltages, memory controller timings,

and system fans. By manually adjusting these speeds you are able to either

increase performance for gaming, or reduce performance to conserve power

and create a quieter environment.

Figure 19 shows the Adjust Motherboard Settings screen. Note that as you pass

the cursor over the various adjustments, notes display at the bottom of the

screen to explain each setting.

The number to the right of the slider is the new bus speed that will be applied.

Make adjustments by using the mouse to drag the slider. All changes take effect

immediately after selecting Apply; however, these setting only remain active for

the current Windows session. This allows you to safely return to Windows if a

crash occurs, with no possibility of boot issues since the changes are not made

directly to the BIOS settings.

Note: All changes on Adjust Motherboard Settings are dynamically made when you

apply them, and only remain active for the current Windows session. You can

save these settings as a profile for use later by using the Profile menu item. If

a setting does not allow a change, it probably requires a reboot and should

be changed in the BIOS or from the Dynamic BIOS Access page (if

available).

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Figure 19. Adjust Motherboard Settings (nTune)

CAUTION: Increasing the voltage or the clock speed of a component may

void its warranty due to exceeding recommended specifications. NVIDIA

and the board manufacturer are not responsible for damage that may occur

when component tolerances are exceeded.

System Clocks

This section of the Adjust Motherboard Settings allows you to adjust the

reference clocks for the FSB, the SPP PCI Express, and the MCP PCI Express.

Note that as you change the

slider for the FSB reference

clock, the CPU core frequency,

the FSB Frequency and the

memory bus frequency are

dynamically changed.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

System Voltages

CAUTION: Overvoltaging any component can result in damage.

In this section of the Adjust Motherboard Settings you must understand what

you are changing. Overvoltaging any of the components can result in damage to

the components. From this menu, you can adjust the following voltages:

‰

CPU

Memory

FSB

HyperTransport SSPꢀ MCP

nForce SPP

nForce MCP

Auxiliary

Always note the color of the indicator

square to the right of each slider. Green

indicates the voltage is within range and

will not damage any components.

Yellow means to proceed with caution;

you are no longer in the safe range. If the indicator square is red, you are

possible overvoltaging the component and could be causing damage.

System Fans

This section of the Adjust Motherboard

Settings menu allows you to control the CPU,

System, nForce, MCP, and the auxiliary fans.

You can either set all the fans to automatic

control or you can manually control each fan.

When in manual control, you can specify to

show the temperatures in Celsius or

Fahrenheit.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Memory Timing

This section of the Adjust Motherboard Settings allows you to adjust various

memory timings and cycles.

When you select an option, information explaining

the selection is displayed in the area below the

Memory Timing box.

Clicking on View SPD… displays a

memory information window. This is

for information only and is not editable.

‰

Row Address Strobe

Adjusts the minimum RAS active time. This is the amount of time between a

row being activated by Precharge and deactivated. A row cannot be

deactivated until tRAS has completed. The lower this value, the faster the

performance. However, if it is set too low it can cause data corruption by

deactivating the row to soon. Adjustable from 1 to 63.

‰

Write Recovery Time

Memory timing that determines the delay between a write command and a

Precharge command is set to the same bank of memory. Adjustable from 1

to 15.

W to R Termination Turnaround

The Write-to-Read time is the number of clock cycles between the last write

data pair and the subsequent READ command to the same physical block.

Adjustable from 1 to 15.

RAS to CAS access

The RAS-to-CAS access (tRCD) is the amount of time in cycles for issuing

an active command and the read/write commands. Adjustable from 1 to 15.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

‰

RAS to RAS Delay

The RAS-to-RAS delay (tRRD) is the is the amount of cycles it takes to

activate the next bank of memory (this is the opposite of tRAS). The lower

the timing the better the system performance. However, this scenario can

cause instability. Adjustable from 1 to 15.

‰

Refresh Rate

This value is filled in by the system and can not be changed by the user.

Memory bank switch

The row Precharge time (tRP) is the minimum time between active

commands and the read/writes of the next bank on the memory module.

Adjustable from 1 to 15.

‰

R to W Turnaround

The Read-to-Write turnaround (tRWT) is a the amount of cycles for the

command to be executed when a Write command is received. Adjustable

from 1 to 15.

R to R Timing

the Read-to-Read time (tRDRD) is the number of clock cycles between the

last read and the subsequent READ command to the same physical bank.

Adjustable from 1 to 15.

Row Cycle Time

The Row Cycle Time is the minimum time in cycles it take a row to

complete a full cycle. This can be determined by tRC=tRAS+tRP. If this

value is set too short, it can cause corruption of data. If this value is set too

high, it causes a loss in performance but an increase in stability. Adjustable

from 1 to 63 cycles

‰

W to R Command Delay

The Write-to-Read (tWRD) command delay is the amount of cycles required

between a valid write command and the next read command. A lower cycle

time results in better performance but is can instability. Adjustable from 0 to

6 cycles.

‰

W to W Timing

The Write-to-Write (tWRWR) timing is the number of clock cycles between

the last write and the subsequent Write command to the same physical bank.

Adjustable from 2 to 15 cycles.

CAS Latency

The CAS Latency (tCL) is the time (in number of clock cycles) that elapses

after the memory controller sends a request to read a memory location and

before the data is sent to the module's output pins. The value shown cannot

be changed.

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

‰

Clock Drive Strength

This value is filled in by the system and can not be changed by the user.

Command Per Clock

The Command Per Clock (tCPC) sets the Command Rate for the memory

controller. The value shown cannot be changed

‰

Async Latency

This value is filled in by the system and can not be changed by the user.

Adjust GPU Settings

Use this interface to adjust the graphics processing unit (GPU) on your video

card(s). You can override the shipped clock frequencies of your GPU and GPU

memory and set the GPU fan speed. Increasing the clock speeds increases your

GPU performance and may require adjusting cooling to maintain the same level

of reliability.

When this option is

checked, all

temperatures are shown

in Celsius. When this

option is not check,

temperatures are shown

in Fahrenheit.

Figure 20. Adjust GPU Settings (nTune)

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Dynamic BIOS Access

Dynamic BIOS Access allows you to change some of your system BIOS

settings. The changes do not go into effect until you reboot your system. Since

these changes are made to actual BIOS settings in the CMOS, the settings

remain active until you change them again or restore the CMOS to the default

settings.

Figure 21. Dynamic BIOS Access (nTune)

Installing and Configuring the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Available BIOS Pages

In the Dynamic BIOS Access page, select a BIOS page that you want to edit

from the Available BIOS Pages drop-down

menu The BIOS page you select determines

which items on the Dynamic BIOS Access menu are available for changing. To

edit an item, select an option from the drop-down menus associated with each

item. When finished making your changes, click OK or Apply.