MSI 945p Neo2 H Manual

							3-1 BIOS SetupChapter 3. BIOS SetupThis chapter provides information on the BIOS Setup program and allows you
to configure the system for optimum use. You may need to run the Setup
program when:
² An error message appears on the screen during the system boot
up, and requests you to run SETUP.
² You want to change the default settings for customized features.BIOS SetupMSI Reminds You...
1. The items under each BIOS category described in this chapter are
under continuous update for better system performance. Therefore,
the description may be slightly different from the latest BIOS and
should be held for reference only.
2. While booting up, the BIOS version is shown in the 1st line ap-
pearing after the memory count. It is usually in the format:
example: A7176IMS V3.0BH 03/04/05
where:
1st digit refers to BIOS maker as A=AMI(R); W=AWARD(R)
2nd-5th digits refer to the model number.
6th digit refers to the customer, MS=all standard customers.
V1.0BH refers to the BIOS version.
03/04/05 refers to the date this BIOS is released. 
						

							3-2MS-7176 ATX MainboardEntering Setup
Power on the computer and the system will start POST (Power On Self Test)
process. When the message below appears on the screen, press  key to
enter Setup. Also you can press  to enter boot menu.
Press DEL to enter SETUP
If the message disappears before you respond and you still wish to enter
Setup, restart the system by turning it OFF and On or pressing the RESET button. You
may also restart the system by simultaneously pressing , , and 
keys.
Control Keys
Getting Help
After entering the Setup utility, the first screen you see is the Main Menu.
Main Menu
The main menu displays the setup categories the BIOS supplies. You can use the
arrow keys ( ­¯ ) to select the item. The on-line description for the selected setup
category is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Default Settings
The preset Optimal Defaults of the BIOS setup program provide optimal performance
settings for all devices and the system.Move to the previous item
Move to the next item
Move to the item in the left hand
Move to the item in the right hand
Select the item
Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu from a
submenu
Increase the numeric value or make changes
Decrease the numeric value or make changes
General Help
Previous Values
Load Fail-Safe Defaults
Load Optimized Defaults 
						

							3-3 BIOS SetupMSI Reminds You...
The items under each BIOS category described in this chapter are
under continuous update for better system performance. Therefore, the
description may be slightly different from the latest BIOS and should be
held for reference only.
Sub-Menu
If you find a right pointer symbol (as shown in the right view) appears to the
left of certain fields that means a sub-menu containing
additional options can be launched from this field. You
can use control keys ( ­¯ )to highlight the field and
press  to call up the sub-menu. Then you can
use the control keys to enter values and  move from
field to field within a sub-menu. If you want to return to
the main menu, just press .
General Help 
The BIOS setup program provides a General  Help screen. You can call up this
screen from any menu by simply pressing . The Help screen lists the appropriate
keys to use and the possible selections for the highlighted item. Press  to exit
the Help screen. 
						

							3-4MS-7176 ATX MainboardThe Main Menu
Standard CMOS Features
Use this menu for basic system configurations, such as time, date etc.
Advanced BIOS Features
Use this menu to setup the items of Award®
 special enhanced features.
Advanced Chipset Features
Use this menu to change the values in the chipset registers and optimize your sys-
tem’s performance.
Integrated Peripherals
Use this menu to specify your settings for integrated peripherals.
Power Management Setup
Use this menu to specify your settings for power management.
PNP/PCI Configurations
This entry appears if your system supports PnP/PCI.
H/W Monitor
This entry shows the status of your CPU, fan, warning for overall system status.
Cell Menu
Use this menu to specify your settings for CPU/AGP frequency/voltage control and
overclocking. Once you enter AwardBIOS CMOS Setup Utility, the Main Menu will appear on the
screen. Use arrow keys to move among the items and press  to enter the
sub-menu. 
						

							3-5 BIOS SetupLoad Fail-Safe Defaults
Use this menu to load the default values set by the BIOS vendor for stable system
performance.
Load Optimized Defaults
Use this menu to load the default values set by the mainboard manufacturer specifically
for optimal performance of the mainboard.
BIOS Setting Password
Use these two menus to set the passwords for BIOS.
Save Changes and Exit
Save changes to CMOS and exit setup.
Exit Without Saving
Abandon all changes and exit setup. 
						

							3-6MS-7176 ATX MainboardStandard CMOS Features
The items in Standard CMOS Features Menu includes some basic setup items. Use
the arrow keys to highlight the item and then use the  or  keys to select the
value you want in each item.
Date (MM:DD:YY)
This allows you to set the system to the date that you want (usually the current date).
The format is    .
dayDay of the week, from Sun to Sat, determined by BIOS. Read only.
monthThe month from Jan. through Dec.
dateThe date from 1 to 31 can be keyed by numeric function keys.
yearThe year can be adjusted by users.
Time (hh:mm:ss)
This allows you to set the system time that you want (usually the current time). The
time format is   .
IDE Primary/Secondary/Third Master/Slave
Press  or  to select the hard disk drive type. The specification of hard disk
drive will show up on the right hand according to your selection. Press  for
the sub-menu of each item: 
						

							3-7 BIOS SetupType
This item allows you to select how to define the HHDD parameters.
LBA/Large Mode
This item allows you to enable or disable the LBA (Logical Block Address, the logical
block size in hard disk) mode. Setting options: [Auto], [Disabled].
Block (Multi-Sector Transfer)
Select Auto for a hard disk performance.
PIO Mode
This item allows you to enable or disable the PIO (Programmed Input/Output) mode.
DMA Mode
This item allows you to enable or disable the DMA (Direct Memory Access) mode.
S.M.A.R.T.
This allows you to activate the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis & Reporting
Technology) capability for the hard disks. S.M.A.R.T is a utility that monitors your disk
status to predict hard disk failure. This gives you an opportunity to move data from a
hard disk that is going to fail to a safe place before the hard disk becomes offline.
Settings: [Auto], [Enabled], [Disabled].
32Bit Data Transfer
Enable 32bit to maximize the IDE hard disk data transfer rate.
Drive A
This item allows you to set the type of the floppy drives installed. Available options:
[Disabled], [360 KB, 51/4
], [1.2 MB, 51/4
], [720 KB, 3 1/2
], [1.44 MB, 3 1/2
], [2.88MB, 3 1/2
].
Halt On
The setting determines whether the system will stop if an error is detected at boot.
Available options are:
[All Errors]The system stops when any error is detected.
[No Errors]The system doesn’t stop for any detected error.
[All, But Keyboard]The system doesn’t stop for a keyboard error.
[All, But Diskette]The system doesn’t stop for a disk error.
[All, But Disk/Key]The system doesn’t stop for either a disk or a keyboard error. 
						

							3-8MS-7176 ATX MainboardAdvanced BIOS Features
Quick Boot
Setting the item to [Enabled] allows the system to boot within 5 seconds since it will
skip some check items. Available options: [Enabled], [Disabled].
CPU  Configuration
Press  to enter the sub-menu.
**CPU Information**
Manufacturer/Frequency/FSB Speed/Cache L1/Cache L2
The three items show the CPU related information of your system (read only).
Max CPUID Value Limit
When CPUID instruction is executed, newer CPU may return a value greater than 3
which causes certain problem with specific operating systems. Enabling Max CPUID
Value Limit will limit the returned value to 3 and less to get rid of the problem. The
problem is not seen with Windows series operating systems so the default is set to
disabled for it.
Hardware Prefetcher
This item allows you to to enable/disable the hardware prefetcher, or in other words
– hardware prefetch mechanism.Settings: [Enabled], [Disabled]. 
						

							3-9 BIOS SetupAdjacent Cache Line Prefetch
This item allows you to enable/disable the adjacent cache line prefetch mode. When
disabled, only one 64 byte line from the 128 byte sector is prefetched (which contains
the requested data). When enabled – both lines are prefetched no matter whether
they have or have not the requested data. Setting options: [Enabled], [Disabled].
Hyper-Threading Technology
The processor uses Hyper-Threading technology to increase transaction rates and
reduces end-user response times. The technology treats the two cores inside the
processor as two logical processors that can execute instructions simultaneously.
In this way, the system performance is highly improved. If you disable the function,
the processor will use only one core to execute the instructions. Please disable this
item if your operating system doesn’t support HT Function, or unreliability and instability
may occur. Setting options: [Enabled], [Disabled].
ACPI APIC support
This field is used to enable or disable the APIC (Advanced Programmable Interrupt
Controller). Due to compliance with PC2001 design guide, the system is able to run in
APIC mode. Enabling APIC mode will expand available IRQ resources for the system.
Setting options: [Enabled], [Disabled].
Boot Up Num-Lock LED
This setting is to set the Num Lock status when the system is powered on. Setting to
[On] will turn on the Num Lock key when the system is powered on. Setting to [Off]
will allow users to use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad. Setting options: [On],
[Off].
MPS Confuration
This field allows you to select which MPS (Multi-Processor Specification) version to
be used for the operating system. You need to select the MPS version supported by
your operating system. To find out which version to use, consult the vendor of your
operating system. Settings: [1.4], [1.1].
PCI Express Confuration - Active State Power-Management
This field allows you to enable/disable PCI Express L0s and L1 link power stats.
Settings: [1.4], [1.1]. 
						

							3-10MS-7176 ATX MainboardAdvanced Chipset Features
DRAM Frequency
Use this field to configure the clock frequency of the installed DRAM. Setting options:
[Auto], [400], [533], [667].
Configure DRAM Timing by SPD
Selects whether DRAM timing is controlled by the SPD (Serial Presence Detect)
EEPROM on the DRAM module. Setting to [Auto] enables DRAM timings and the fol-
lowing related items to be determined by BIOS based on the configurations on the
SPD. Selecting [Manual] allows users to configure the DRAM timings and the follow-
ing related items manually. Setting options: [Manual], [Auto].
Memory Hole
In order to improve performance, certain space in memory can be reserved for ISA
peripherals. This memory must be mapped into the memory space below 16MB. When
this area is reserved, it cannot be cached. Settings: [Disabled], [15MB-16MB].
Initate Graphic Adapter
This item allows you to select which graphics controller to use as the primary boot
device. Setting options: [IGD], [PCI/IGD], [PCI/PEG], [PEG/IGD], [PEG/PCI].
Internal Graphics Select
The field specifies the size of system memory allocated for video memory.  Settings:
1MB, 8MB, Disabled.MSI Reminds You...
Change these settings only if you are familiar with the chipset.