Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product A55F-M2 ECS
Go to page of 72
Preface Preface Copyright This publication, including all photographs, illustrations and software, is protected under international copyright laws, with all rights reserved. Neither this manual, nor any of the material contained herein, may be reproduced without written consent of the author .
ii Preface Declaration of Conformity This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following conditions: • This device may not cause harmful interference. • This device must accept any interference received, including interfer- ence that may cause undesired operation.
iii T T T T T ABLE OF CONTENTS ABLE OF CONTENTS ABLE OF CONTENTS ABLE OF CONTENTS ABLE OF CONTENTS Preface i Chapter 1 1 Introducing the Motherboard 1 Introduction........................................................................................
iv Chapter 4 49 49 49 49 49 Using the Motherboard Software 4 9 About the Software DVD-ROM/CD-ROM.......................................49 Auto-installing under W indows XP/V ista/7.....................................49 Running Setup..................
1 Introducing the Motherboard Chapter 1 Introducing the Motherboard Introduction Than k you for choosing the A55F-M2 motherboard. This motherboard is a high performance, enhanced function motherboard that supports soc k et for FM1 for AMD A series processor for high-end business or personal des k top mar k ets.
2 Audio • 5.1 Channel High Definition Audio Codec • DACs supports 44.1k/48k/96k sample rate • Meets Microsoft WLP 3.10 Vista premium and mobile PCs audio re- quirements • Direct Sound 3D TM co.
3 Expansion Options • One PCI Express x16 slots for Graphics Interface • T wo PCI Express x1 slots • One 32-bit PCI v2.3 compliant slot • Six 7-pin SA T A connectors Integrated I/O The motherboard has a full set of I/O ports and connectors: • One PS/2 keyboard and mouse combo connector • Eight USB 2.
4 Introducing the Motherboard Specifications • AMD A55 (Hudson D2) • FM1 for AM D A series processors • Supports CPU up to 100W TDP • Dual-channel DDR3 memory architecture • 2 x 240-pin DDR3.
5 Introducing the Motherboard Motherboard Components.
6 Introducing the Motherboard T able of Motherboard Components This concludes Chapter 1. The next chapter explains how to install the motherboard. LABE L COMP ONE NT S 1. C P U S ock et FM1 for AMD A series processors 2. SYS _FAN System cooling fan c onn ector 3.
7 Installing the Motherboard Chapter 2 Installing the Motherboard Safety Precautions • Follow these safety precautions when installing the motherboard • Wear a grounding strap attached to a ground.
8 Installing the Motherboard Do not over-tighten the screws as this can stress the motherboard. Checking Jumper Settings This section explains how to set jumpers for correct configuration of the motherboard. Se tt ing Jumpers Use the motherboard jumpers to set system configuration options.
9 Installing the Motherboard Checking Jumper Se tt ings The following illustration shows the location of the motherboard jumpers. Pin 1 is labeled. T o avoid the system unstability after clearing CMOS, we recommend users to enter the main BIOS setting page to “Load Default Settings” and then “Save Changes and Exit”.
10 Installing the Motherboard Installing Hardware Ins t a ll ing t he Processor Caution: When installing a CPU heatsink and cooling fan make sure that you DO NOT scratch the motherboard or any of the surface-mount resis- tors with the clip of the cooling fan.
11 Installing the Motherboard CPU Installation Procedure The following illustration shows CPU installation components. T o achieve better airflow rates and heat dissipation, we suggest that you use a high quality fan with 4800 rpm at least. CPU fan and heatsink installation procedures may vary with the type of CPU fan/heatsink sup- plied.
12 Installing the Motherboard Installation Procedure Refer to the following to install the memory modules. 1 This motherboard supports unbuffered DDR3 SDRAM only . 2 Push the latches on each side of the DIMM slot down. 3 Align the memory module with the slot.
13 Installing the Motherboard Expansion S l o t s Installing Add-on Cards The slots on this motherboard are designed to hold expansion cards and connect them to the system bus. Expansion slots are a means of adding or enhancing the motherboard’s features and capabilities.
14 Installing the Motherboard Follow these instructions to install an add-on card: 1 Remove a blanking plate from the system case corresponding to the slot you are going to use. 2 Install the edge connector of the add-on card into the expansion slot. Ensure that the edge connector is correctly seated in the slot.
15 Installing the Motherboard Connec t ing Op t iona l Devices Refer to the following for information on connecting the motherboard’s optional devices: SA T A1~6: Serial A T A II connectors 1 Ground.
16 Installing the Motherboard F_AUDIO: Front Panel Audio header This header allows the user to install auxiliary front-oriented microphone and line- out ports for easier access. F_USB1~2: Front Panel USB 2.0 headers The motherboard has eight USB 2.0 ports installed on the rear edge I/O port array .
17 Installing the Motherboard COM: Onboard serial port header Connect a serial port extension bracket to this header to add a serial port to your system.
18 Installing the Motherboard Refer to the illustration below for proper installation: This motherboard supports the “Hot-Plug” function. 1 Attach either cable end to the connector on the motherboard. 2 Attach the other cable end to the SA T A hard drive.
19 Installing the Motherboard Connecting I/O Devices The backplane of the motherboard has the following I/O ports: LAN Port Connect an RJ-45 jack to the LAN port to connect your computer to the network. PS/2 mouse and keyboard combo connector Audio Ports Use the audio jacks to connect audio devices.
20 Installing the Motherboard Connecting Case Components After you have installed the motherboard into a case, you can begin connecting the motherboard components. Refer to the following: 1 Connect the CPU cooling fan cable to CPU_F AN . 2 Connect the standard power supply connector to A TX_POWER .
21 Installing the Motherboard SYS_F AN: F AN Power Connector Pi n Signal Name Function 1 GND System Ground 2 +12V Power +12V 3 Sense Sensor CPU_F AN: Cooling FAN Power Connector Users please note that the fan connector supports the CPU cooling fan of 1.
22 Installing the Motherboard A TX12V : A TX 12V Power Connector Pi n Signal Name 4 +12V 3 +12V 2 Ground 1 Ground SPK: Internal speaker Pi n Signal Name 1 VCC 2 Key 3 GND 4 Signal.
23 Installing the Motherboard Reset Switch Supporting the reset function requires connecting pin 5 and 7 to a momentary- contact switch that is normally open.
24 Installing the Motherboard Memo.
25 Using BIOS About the Setup Utility The computer uses the latest “American Megatrends Inc. ” BIOS with support for W indows Plug and Play. The CMOS chip on the motherboard contains the ROM setup instructions for configuring the motherboard BIOS.
26 Using BIOS Press the delete key to access BIOS Setup Utility . Using BIOS When you start the Setup Utility , the main menu appears. The main menu of the Setup Utility displays a list of the options that are available. A highlight indicates which option is currently selected.
27 Using BIOS The default BIOS setting for this motherboard apply for most conditions with optimum performance. W e do not suggest users change the default values in the BIOS setup and take no responsibility to any damage caused by changing the BIOS settings.
28 Using BIOS Date & Time The Date and T ime items show the current date and time on the computer . If you are running a Windows OS, these items are automatically updated whenever you make changes to the W indows Date and T ime Properties utility .
29 Using BIOS Onboard LAN Controller (Enabled) Use this item to enable or disable the Onboard LAN. LAN Configuration The item in the menu shows the LAN-related information that the BIOS automatically detects.
30 Using BIOS PC Health Status On motherboards support hardware monitoring, this item lets you monitor the pa r ameters for critical voltages, temperatures and fan speeds.
31 Using BIOS • CPU T ct1 • CPU F AN • SYS FAN • CPU Vcore • DIMM V oltage • SB V oltage System Component Characteristics These items display the monitoring of the overall inboard hardware health events, such as System & CPU temperature, CPU & DIMM voltage, CPU & system fan speed,.
32 Using BIOS Power Management Setup Resume By RING [Disabled] Resume By PME [Disabled] Resume By USB 1.x/2.0 (S3) [Disabled] Resume By PS2 KB (S3) [Disabled] Resume By PS2 MS (S3) [Disabled] EUP Function [Enabled] Power LED Type [Dual Color LED] Aptio Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 2011 American Megatrends, Inc.
33 Using BIOS ACPI Configuration The item in the menu shows the highest ACPI sleep state when the system enters suspend. ACPI Sleep State (S3(Suspend to RAM)) This item allows user to enter the ACPI S3 (Suspend to RAM) Sleep State(default). Press <Esc> to return to the Advanced Menu page.
34 Using BIOS CPU Configuration The item in the menu shows the CPU. CPU Configuration Node0: AMD Engineering Sample Max Speed: 2133 MHZ Intended Speed: 2133 MHZ Microcode Patch Level: 300000f --------.
35 Using BIOS SA T A Configuration Use this item to show the mode of serial A T A configuration options. Serial-A T A Controller (Enabled) Use this item to select the Serial-A T A controller options: Disabled, Compatible, Enabled. SA T A Port1~6 (WDC WD5000AAKX (500.
36 Using BIOS USB Configuration All USB Devices [Enabled] Legacy USB Support [Enabled] Aptio Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 2011 American Megatrends, Inc. Legacy USB Support (Enabled) Use this item to enable or disable support for legacy USB devices. Main Advanced Chipset M.
37 Using BIOS Super IO Configuration Use this item to show the information of Super IO configuration. Super IO Configuration Serial Port 0 Configuration Parallel Port Configuration Aptio Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 2011 American Megatrends, Inc. V ersion 2.
38 Using BIOS f Parallel Port Configuration Scroll to this item and press <Enter> to view the following screen: Parallel Port (Enabled) This item allows you to enable or disable parallel port. Device Settings (IO=378h; IRQ=5;) This item shows the information of the device settings.
39 Using BIOS f North Bridge Scroll to this item and press <Enter> and view the following screen: IGD Memory (Auto) This item shows the information of the IGD(Internal Graphics device) memory . The chipset menu items allow you to change the settings for the North Bridge chipset, South Bridge chipset and other system.
40 Using BIOS f South Bridge Scroll to this item and press <Enter> to view the following screen. Aptio Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 2011 American Megatrends, Inc.
41 Using BIOS This page enables you to set the clock speed and system bus for your system. The clock speed and system bus are determined by the kind of processor you have installed in your system. M.I.B.III (MB In t e ll igen t BIOS III) Menu CPU Ratio (Auto) This item allows users to control non turbo CPU ratio.
42 Using BIOS Press <Esc> to return to the M.I.B.III Menu page. RAS# to CAS# Delay(tRD) (5 CLK) This item specifies the RAS# to CAS# delay to Rd/Wr command to the same bank. RAS# Active Time(tRAS) (15 CLK) This item specifies the RAS# active time.
43 Using BIOS This page enables you to set the keyboard NumLock state. Boo t Menu Boot Configuration This item shows the information of the Boot Configuration. Bootup NumLock State (On) This item enables you to select NumLock state. Set Boot Priority This item enables you to select boot priority for all boot devices.
44 Using BIOS This page enables you to set setup administrator password and user password. Securi t y Menu Aptio Setup Utility - Copyright (C) 2011 American Megatrends, Inc. V ersion 2.1 1.1210. Copyright (C) 201 1, American Megatrends, Inc. Set Setup Administrator Password Administrator Password Main Advanced Chipset M.
45 Using BIOS Save Options This item enables you to save the options that you have made. Save Changes This item enables you to save the changes that you have made. Discard Changes This item enables you to discard any changes that you have made. Restore Defaults This item enables you to restore the system defaults.
46 Using BIOS Boot Override This item enables you to set the device order . Save Changes and Exit Discard Changes and Exit Save Changes and Reset Discard Changes and Reset Save Options Save Changes Discard Changes Restore Defaults Save as User Defaults Restore User Defaults Boot Override Generic Storage Device 0.
47 Using BIOS Upda t ing t he BIOS Y ou can download and install updated BIOS for this motherboard from the manufacturer’s W eb site. New BIOS provides support for new peripherals, improve- ments in performance, or fixes for known bugs. Install new BIOS as follows: This concludes Chapter 3.
48 Using BIOS Memo.
49 Using the Motherboard Software Chapter 4 Using the Motherboard Software Auto-installing under Windows XP/V ista/7 The Auto-install DVD-ROM/CD-ROM makes it easy for you to install the drivers and software for your motherboard.
50 Using the Motherboard Software Drivers Setup Click the Setup button to run the software installation program. Select from the menu which software you want to install. Browse CD The Browse CD button is the standard Windows command that allows you to open Windows Explorer and show the contents of the support disk.
51 Using the Motherboard Software 2. Click Next. The following screen appears: 3. Check the box next to the items you want to install. The default options are recom- mended. 4. Click Next run the Installation Wizard. An item installation screen appears: 5.
52 Using the Motherboard Software Manual Installation Insert the disk in the DVD-ROM/CD-ROM drive and locate the P A TH.DOC file in the root directory .
53 CrossFire ® T echnology [ AMD Dual Graphics] Suppor t Chapter 5 CrossFire ® T echnology ( AMD Dual Graphics) Suppor t Cr ossFire ® T echnology The CrossFire ® technology provides significant di.
54 CrossFire ® T echnology [ AMD Dual Graphics] Support 3. Set the CrossFire in Advanced Menu to Enabled . Then press F4 to save the configuration and exit the BIOS. 4. Click with your right mouse button on My Computer , then click the option Manage and choose the Device Manager , finally , click the Display Adapters.
55 CrossFire ® T echnology [ AMD Dual Graphics] Suppor t 5. Enter AMD VISION Engine Control Center , you can see the option of CrossFir e TM , click it and select Enable CrossFire TM , then CrossFire ® starts. T o disable CrossFir e ® , please make sur e to cancel Enable CrossFir e TM in Catalyst Control Center firstly .
56 CrossFire ® T echnology [ AMD Dual Graphics] Support Recommendation 1.The APU in the A 5 5 platform delivers a discrete-class of graphics performance and enables leading GPU compute capability -Adding a discrete GPU is optional to extend graphics and GPU compute capacity 2.
57 Setting Up AMD A55 RAID Configuration The BIOS CMOS Setup Utility screen appears. Setting Up a bootable RAID Array This section explains how to configure a bootable AMD RAID array . Se tt ing Up t he BIOS Use the arrow keys to select Advanced menu (see Figure 1.
58 Setting Up AMD A55 RAID Configuration 5 Enter the RAID BIOS Setup by pressing Ctrl-F when prompted, and proceed to set up the AMD RAID BIOS as described in the next section.
59 Setting Up AMD A55 RAID Configuration Select [2], then select LD 1 in the following page. 3 The Define LD Menu screen appears (Figure 1.4). Figure 1.4 Define LD Menu Using t he Define a New Array Screen If necessary , press the tab key to move from field to field until the appropriate field is highlighted.
60 Setting Up AMD A55 RAID Configuration Figure 1.5 illustrates the Define a New Array screen after two disks have been assigned as RAID 0 array disks. Figure 1.5 FastBuild Utility—Array Disks Assigned Assigning t he Disks 1. Select the Assignment to Y to designate a free disk to be used as a RAID array disk.
61 Setting Up AMD A55 RAID Configuration Figure 1.7 Main Menu Press ESC to exit. 4 Press Y to reboot. 3. The Main Menu screen appears (Figure 1.7). Figure 1.8 The following screen appears (Figure 1.8). View Drive Assignments..................[ 1 ] Define LD.
62 Setting Up AMD A55 RAID Configuration 1 Copy all files in " ...RAIDA TIA55FloppyWin3264" to a floppy disk. After you complete the RAID BIOS setup, boot from the Windows CD.
63 Setting Up AMD A55 RAID Configuration b Select “A T I AHCI Compatible RAID Controller -x86 platform” and press Enter for 32-bit OS or Select “A TI AHCI Compatible RAID Controller-x64 platform” and press Enter for 64-bit OS. The following Windows Setup screen appears listing both drivers:.
64 Setting Up AMD A55 RAID Configuration Memo.
65 Trouble Shooting Chapter 7 Trouble Shooting Start up problems during assembly After assembling the PC for the first time you may experience some start up problems. Before calling for technical support or returning for warranty , this chapter may help to address some of the common questions using some basic troubleshooting tips.
66 Trouble Shooting Y our computer , like any electrical appliance, requires proper care and maintenance. Here are some basic PC care tips to help prolong the life of the motherboard and keep it running as best as it can. 1. Keep your computer in a well ventilated area.
u B r e w o P d e s s e r p s i n o . t r a t s o t s l i a f C P t u b s e Y y l p p u S r e w o P f i k c e h C t i n U g n i k r o w s i ) U S P ( No No d n u o s p e e B y n A No k c e h c d n a S.
68 Trouble Shooting Memo.
An important point after buying a device ECS A55F-M2 (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought ECS A55F-M2 yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data ECS A55F-M2 - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, ECS A55F-M2 you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get ECS A55F-M2 will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of ECS A55F-M2, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime ECS A55F-M2.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with ECS A55F-M2. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device ECS A55F-M2 along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
