Gigabyte G1 Sniper 2 Manual

							G1.Sniper 2
User's Manual
Rev. 1001
12ME-Z68SNI2-1001R 
						

							MotherboardG1.Sniper 2Jul. 8, 2011
Jul. 8, 2011MotherboardG1.Sniper 2 
						

							Copyright
© 2011 GIGA-BYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. All rights reserved.
The trademarks mentioned in this manual are legally registered to their \
respective owners.
Disclaimer
Information in this manual is protected by copyright laws and is the pro\
perty of GIGABYTE. 
Changes  to  the  specifications  and  features  in  this  manual  may  be  made  by  GIGABYTE  
without  prior  notice.  No  part  of  this  manual  may  be  reproduced,  copied,  translated,  transmitted, 
or published in any form or by any means without GIGABYTE's prior writte\
n permission.
Documentation Classifications
In order to assist in the use of this product, GIGABYTE provides the fol\
lowing types of documentations:
   For quick set-up of the product, read the Quick Installation Guide included with \
the product.
  For detailed product information, carefully read the User's Manual.
For product-related information, check on our website at: 
http://www.gigabyte.com
Identifying Your Motherboard Revision
The  revision  number  on  your  motherboard  looks  like  this:  "REV:  X.X."  For  example,  "REV:  1.0" 
means the revision of the motherboard is 1.0. Check your motherboard revision before updating 
motherboard BIOS, drivers, or when looking for technical information.
Example: 
						

							- 4 -
Table of Contents
Box Contents ....................................................................................................\
...............6
Optional Items
  ....................................................................................................\
.............6
G1.Sniper 2 Motherboard Layout
  ....................................................................................7
G1.Sniper 2 Motherboard Block Diagram
  .......................................................................8
Chapter 1  Hardware Installation ........................................................................\
.............9
1-1  Installation Precautions ...................................................................................9
1-2	 Product	Specifications ...................................................................................1 0
1-3  Installing the CPU and CPU Cooler............................................................... 13
1-3-1  Installing the CPU ..................................................................................................1 3
1-3-2  Installing the CPU Cooler ......................................................................................1 5
1- 4  Installing the Memory ....................................................................................1 6
1- 4-1	 Dual	Channel	Memory	Configuration ....................................................................1 6
1- 4-2  Installing a Memory  ...............................................................................................1 7
1-5  Installing an Expansion Card .........................................................................1 8
1-6  Setting up AMD CrossFireX™/NVIDIA	SLI	Configuration ..............................1 9
1-7  Installing the 5.25" Front Access Control Panel  ...........................................2 0
1-8  Back Panel Connectors .................................................................................2 1
1-9  Internal Connectors .......................................................................................2 3
Chapter 2  BIOS Setup ........................................................................\
..........................3 5
2-1  Startup Screen ...............................................................................................3 6
2-2  The Main Menu ..............................................................................................3 7
2-3  MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.) .......................................................................3 9
2- 4  Standard CMOS Features .............................................................................4 8
2-5  Advanced BIOS Features ..............................................................................5 0
2-6  Integrated Peripherals ...................................................................................5 2
2-7  Power Management Setup ............................................................................5 4
2-8  PC Health Status ...........................................................................................5 6
2-9  Load Fail-Safe Defaults .................................................................................5 8
2-10  Load Optimized Defaults ...............................................................................5 8
2-11  Set Supervisor/User Password .....................................................................5 9
2-12  Save & Exit Setup ..........................................................................................6 0
2-13  Exit Without Saving........................................................................................ 60 
						

							- 5 -
Chapter 3 Drivers Installation ........................................................................\
...............6 1
3-1  Installing Chipset Drivers ...............................................................................6 1
3-2  Application Software ......................................................................................6 2
3-3  Technical Manuals .........................................................................................6 2
3- 4  Contact........................................................................................................\
... 63
3-5  System .......................................................................................................\
....6 3
3-6  Download Center ...........................................................................................6 4
3-7  New Utilities ...................................................................................................6 4
Chapter 4  Unique Features........................................................................\
................... 65
4-1  Xpress Recovery2 .........................................................................................6 5
4-2  BIOS Update Utilities .....................................................................................6 8
4-2-1  Updating the BIOS with the Q-Flash Utility ..........................................................6 8
4-2-2  Updating the BIOS with the @BIOS Utility ............................................................7 1
4-3  EasyTune 6 ........................................................................\
............................7 2
4- 4  Dynamic Energy Saver™ 2
.............................................................................. 73
4-5   Q-Share .........................................................................................................7 5
4-6  Smart 6™  .......................................................................................................7 6
4-7  Auto Green .....................................................................................................8 0
4-8  eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D) ..........................................................................8 1
4-9  Cloud OC .......................................................................................................\
8 2
4-10  TouchBIOS........................................................................\
............................. 83
Chapter 5  Appendix ........................................................................\
..............................8 5
5-1	 Configuring	SATA	Hard	Drive(s)	 ...................................................................8 5
5-1-1	 Configuring	Intel	Z68	SATA	Controllers	 ..............................................................8 5
5-1-2	 Configuring	Marvell	88SE9172	SATA	Controllers .................................................9 3
5-1-3  Installing the SATA RAID/AHCI Driver and Operating System ............................9 9
5-2  Bigfoot Killer Network Manager ...................................................................10 8
5-3	 Configuring	Audio	Input	and	Output ............................................................10 9
5-3-1	 Configuring	2/4/5.1/7.1-Channel	Audio ................................................................10 9
5-3-2	 Configuring	S/PDIF	Out ........................................................................\
...............11 0
5-3-3  Creative Software Suite ........................................................................\
...............111
5-3- 4  Enabling Dolby Digital Live/DTS Connect Encoding .......................................... 112
5-3-5	 Configuring	Audio	Recording ........................................................................\
......11 4
5-4  Troubleshooting ............................................................................................11 5
5- 4-1  Frequently Asked Questions ........................................................................\
....... 115
5- 4-2  Troubleshooting Procedure .................................................................................11 6 
						

							- 6 -
Box Contents
  G1.Sniper 2 motherboard
  Motherboard driver disk
  User's Manual
  Quick Installation Guide
  Four SATA cables
  I/O Shield
  One 2-Way SLI bridge connector
  5.25" Front Access Control Panel with 2 USB 3.0/2.0 ports,
    1 Power eSATA port, and 1 Quick Boost button
Optional Items
  2-port USB 2.0 bracket (Part No. 12CR1-1UB030-5*R)
  2-port SATA power cable (Part No. 12CF1-2SERPW-0*R)
  COM port cable (Part No. 12CF1-1CM001-3*R)
 The box contents above are for reference only and the actual items shall depend on the product package you obtain.  
  The box contents are subject to change without notice. 
						

							- 7 -
G1.Sniper 2 Motherboard Layout
KB_MS_USBCPU_FAN
ATX_12V_2X4
ATX
F_AUDIO
AUDIO
B_BIOS
PCIEX8
DDR3_2
DDR3_1 DDR3_4
DDR3_3
BAT
F_PANEL
COMA Intel® Z68
SATA3_1
SATA2_3 SATA3_0
SATA2_2
SATA2_4
PCI2 CLR_CMOS
FAN1
M_BIOS
PCIEX1_1
PCIEX16
SPDIF_O F_USB1
FAN3
LGA1155
G1.Sniper 2
OC_BUTTON
USB_ESATA
R_USB30
USB_HDMI
PHASE LED
USB_LAN
PCI1 Etron 
EJ168
F_USB30
PCIEX1_2
Marvell 
88E1118R
P C I e  t o  P C I 
Bridge GSATA3_7
GSATA3_6
iTE
IT8728
F_USB2
F_USB3
Etron 
EJ168
Marvell 
88SE9172
TPM
CREATIVE 
CA20K2 BigFoot Killer E2100
HP_PWR
FAN4
FAN2
System3 Temp. sensor 
System1 Temp. 
sensor 
System4 Temp. 
sensor 
System2 Temp. 
sensor 
OC_BUTTON_F 
						

							- 8 -
G1.Sniper 2 Motherboard Block Diagram
PS/2 KB/Mouse
LGA1155
CPU
PCI Express Bus
CPU CLK+/- (100 MHz)
2 SATA 6Gb/s
Dual BIOS
14 USB 2.0/1.1
DDR3 2133/1866/1600/1333/1066 MHz
Dual Channel Memory
COM Port
LPC Bus
Intel® Z68
x1
2 USB 3.0/2.0
EtronEJ168iTE
IT8728
PCIe CLK
(100 MHz)
Switch
x8x16
1 PCI Express x162 PCI Express x8or
x1
2 USB 3.0/2.0
EtronEJ168
4 SATA 3Gb/s
PCI Express Bus
PCI Express Bus
PCIe CLK
(100 MHz) 2 PCI Express x1
x1x1
2 PCI
PCI Bus
PCI CLK
(33 MHz)
PCIe to PCI Bridge
2 SATA 6Gb/s
x1
Marvell 88SE9172
HDMI
DMI 2.0FDI 
Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out
Line Out
MIC
Line In
S/PDIF Out
Side Speaker Out
Surround Speaker Out
CREATIVE
CA20K2
x1
x1
LAN
RJ45
 BigFoot Killer E2100
Marvell 88E1118R phy
x1 
						

							- 9 -Hardware Installation
1-1 Installation Precautions
The  motherboard  contains  numerous  delicate  electronic  circuits  and  components  which  can 
become damaged as a result of electrostatic discharge (ESD). Prior to installation, carefully read 
the user's manual and follow these procedures:
Prior  to  installation,  do  not  remove  or  break  motherboard  S/N  (Serial  Number)  sticker  or 
 •warranty sticker provided by your dealer. These stickers are required for warranty validation.
Always  remove  the AC  power  by  unplugging  the  power  cord  from  the  power  outlet  before 
 •installing or removing the motherboard or other hardware components.
When  connecting  hardware  components  to  the  internal  connectors  on  the  motherboard, 
 •make sure they are connected tightly and securely.
When handling the motherboard, avoid touching any metal leads or connect\
ors.
 •It is best to wear an electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap when handling electronic com -
 •
ponents  such  as  a  motherboard,  CPU  or  memory.  If  you  do  not  have  an  ESD  wrist  strap, 
keep	your	hands	dry	and	first	touch	a	metal	object	to	eliminate	static	electricity.
Prior  to  installing  the  motherboard,  please  have  it  on  top  of  an  antistatic  pad  or  within  an  •electrostatic shielding container.
Before unplugging the power supply cable from the motherboard, make sure the power sup -
 •
ply has been turned off.
Before turning on the power, make sure the power supply voltage has been set according to 
 •the local voltage standard.
Before  using  the  product,  please  verify  that  all  cables  and  power  connectors  of  your  hard-
 •ware components are connected.
To  prevent  damage  to  the  motherboard,  do  not  allow  screws  to  come  in  contact  with  the 
 •motherboard circuit or its components.
Make sure there are no leftover screws or metal components placed on the motherboard or 
 •within the computer casing.
Do not place the computer system on an uneven surface
 •.
Do not place the computer system in a high-temperature environment. •Turning  on  the  computer  power  during  the  installation  process  can  lead  to  damage  to  sys -
 •
tem components as well as physical harm to the user.
If you are uncertain about any installation steps or have a problem related to the use of the 
 •
product,	please	consult	a	certified	computer	technician.
Chapter 1  Hardware Installation 
						

							Hardware Installation- 10 -
1-2 Product Specifications
CPUSupport for Intel Š® Core™ i7 processors/Intel® Core™ i5 processors/
Intel® Core™ i3 processors/Intel® Pentium® processors/Intel® Celeron® processors 
in the LGA1155 package
(Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest CPU support list.)
L3 cache varies with CPU
 Š
ChipsetIntel Š® Z68 Express Chipset
Memory4 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 32 GB of system memory Š    *   Due to Windows 32-bit operating system limitation, when more than 4 GB of physical memory is installed, the actual memory size displayed will be less than \
4 GB.
Dual channel memory architecture Š
Support for DDR3 2133/1866/1600/1333/1066 MHz memory modules
 ŠSupport for non-ECC memory modules
 Š
Support	for	Extreme	Memory	Profile	(XMP)	memory	modules Š
   (Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest supported memory speeds and memory 
modules.)
Onboard
Graphics  
Integrated in the Chipset: Š
 - 1 x HDMI port, supporting a maximum resolution of 1920x1200 
Audio1 x Creative CA20K2 chip Š
Support for Dolby
 Š® Digital Live and DTS™ Connect
Support for X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity
 Š® and EA X® Advanced HD™ 5.0 technologies 
High	Definition	Audio Š 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
 ŠSupport for S/PDIF
 Š  Out
LAN1 x Bigfoot Killer E2100 chip (10/100/1000 Mbit) Š
1 x Marvell 88E1118R phy
 Š
Expansion Slots 
1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16 (PCIEX16) Š  * For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed,          be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot.
1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x8 (PCIEX8) Š  *   The PCIEX8 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIEX16 slot. When the PCIEX8 slot 
is populated, the PCIEX16 slot will operate at up to x8 mode.
2 x PCI Express x1 slots Š
          (All PCI Express slots conform to PCI Express 2.0 standard.) 
2 x PCI slots ŠMulti-Graphics 
Technology Support for AMD CrossFireX
 Š™/NVIDIA SLI technology 
 
*   The PCIEX16 slot operates at up to x8 mode when AMD CrossFireX™/NVIDIA 
SLI 
is enabled.
Storage Interface1 x Marvell 88SE9172 chip:  Š
  -   2  x  SATA  6Gb/s  connector  (GSATA3_6,  GSATA3_7)  supporting  up  to  2 
SATA 6Gb/s devices
       -    Support for RAID 0 and RAID 1