Because the motherboard specifications and the BIOS software might be updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without notice. In case any modifications of this manual occur, the updated version will be available on ASRock website without further notice. You may find the latest VGA cards and CPU support lists on ASRock website as well. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com If you require technical support related to this motherboard, please visit our website for specific information about the model you are using. www.asrock.com/support/index.asp
ackage P ack age Contents
One ASRock N68-GE Motherboard (Micro ATX Form Factor: 9.6-in x 8.2-in, 24.4 cm x 20.8 cm) One ASRock N68-GE Quick Installation Guide Two ASRock N68-GE Support CD One 80-conductor Ultra ATA 66/100/133 IDE Ribbon Cable (Optional) One Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cable (Optional) One I/O Panel Shield

Specifications

- Micro ATX Form Factor: 9.6-in x 8.2-in, 24.4 cm x 20.8 cm - Support for Socket AM2+ / AM2 processors: AMD PhenomTM FX / Phenom / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core / Athlon X2 Dual-Core / Athlon 64 / Sempron processor (see CAUTION 1) - Support for AM3 processors: AMD PhenomTM II X4 / X3 / X2 and Athlon II X4 / X3 / X2 processors - Supports AMDs Cool n QuietTM Technology - FSB 1000 MHz (2.0 GT/s) - Supports Untied Overclocking Technology (see CAUTION 2) - Supports Hyper-Transport Technology - NVIDIA GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a - Dual Channel DDR2 Memory Technology (see CAUTION 3) - 4 x DDR2 DIMM slots - Support DDR2 1200(OC)/1066/800/667/533 non-ECC, un-buffered memory (see CAUTION 4) - Max. capacity of system memory: 16GB (see CAUTION 5) - 1 x PCI Express x16 slot - 1 x PCI Express x1 slot - 2 x PCI slots - Integrated NVIDIA GeForce 7025 graphics - DX9.0 VGA, Pixel Shader 3.0 - Max. shared memory 256MB (see CAUTION 6) - Supports D-Sub with max. resolution up to 1920x1440 @ 60Hz - 7.1 CH Windows VistaTM Premium Level HD Audio (VIA VT1708S Audio Codec) - Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s - Giga PHY Realtek RTL8211CL - Supports Wake-On-LAN I/O Panel - 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port - 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port - 1 x VGA Port - 1 x Parallel Port (ECP/EPP Support) - 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports - 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED) - HD Audio Jack: Side Speaker / Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone (see CAUTION 7)

Platform CPU

Chipset Memory

Expansion Slot

Graphics

Audio LAN

Rear Panel I/O

Connector

BIOS Feature
Support CD Unique Feature

Hardware Monitor

OS Certifications
- 4 x Serial ATAII 3.0Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5, JBOD), NCQ and Hot Plug functions (see CAUTION 8) - 1 x ATA133 IDE connector (supports 2 x IDE devices) - 1 x Floppy connector - 1 x COM port header - CPU/Chassis/Power FAN connector - 24 pin ATX power connector - 4 pin 12V power connector - CD in header - Front panel audio header - 3 x USB 2.0 headers (support 6 USB 2.0 ports) (see CAUTION 9) - 4Mb AMI Legal BIOS - Supports Plug and Play - ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events - Supports jumperfree - SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support - VCCM, NB Voltage Multi-adjustment - Supports Smart BIOS - Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version) - ASRock OC Tuner (see CAUTION 10) - Intelligent Energy Saver (see CAUTION 11) - Instant Boot - ASRock Instant Flash (see CAUTION 12) - ASRock OC DNA (see CAUTION 13) - Hybrid Booster: - CPU Frequency Stepless Control (see CAUTION 14) - ASRock U-COP (see CAUTION 15) - Boot Failure Guard (B.F.G.) - ASRock AM2 Boost: ASRock Patented Technology to boost memory performance up to 12.5% (see CAUTION 16) - CPU Temperature Sensing - Chassis Temperature Sensing - CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer - CPU Quiet Fan - Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, Vcore - Microsoft Windows 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit compliant (see CAUTION 17) - FCC, CE, WHQL - EuP Ready (EuP ready power supply is required) (see CAUTION 18)
* For detailed product information, please visit our website: http://www.asrock.com WARNING Please realize that there is a certain risk involved with overclocking, including adjusting the setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking Technology, or using the thirdparty overclocking tools. Overclocking may affect your system stability, or even cause damage to the components and devices of your system. It should be done at your own risk and expense. We are not responsible for possible damage caused by overclocking.

CAUTION!

1. 2. 3. This motherboard supports CPU up to 95W. Please refer to our website for CPU support list. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com This motherboard supports Untied Overclocking Technology. Please read Untied Overclocking Technology on page 31 for details. This motherboard supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. Before you implement Dual Channel Memory Technology, make sure to read the installation guide of memory modules on page 16 for proper installation. Whether 1066MHz memory speed is supported depends on the AM2+ CPU you adopt. If you want to adopt DDRmemory module on this motherboard, please refer to the memory support list on our website for the compatible memory modules. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com 5. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows XP and Windows VistaTM. For Windows XP 64-bit and Windows VistaTM 64bit with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limitation. 6. The maximum shared memory size is defined by the chipset vendor and is subject to change. Please check NVIDIA website for the latest information. For microphone input, this motherboard supports both stereo and mono modes. For audio output, this motherboard supports 2-channel, 4-channel, 6-channel, and 8-channel modes. Please check the table on page 12 for proper connection. 8. Before installing SATAII hard disk to SATAII connector, please read the SATAII Hard Disk Setup Guide on page 25 to adjust your SATAII hard disk drive to SATAII mode. You can also connect SATA hard disk to SATAII connector directly. 9. Power Management for USB 2.0 works fine under Microsoft Windows VistaTM 64-bit / VistaTM / XP 64-bit / XP SP1 or SP2.

10. It is a user-friendly ASRock overclocking tool which allows you to surveil your system by hardware monitor function and overclock your hardware devices to get the best system performance under Windows environment. Please visit our website for the operation procedures of ASRock OC Tuner. ASRock website: http://www.asrock.com
11. Featuring an advanced proprietary hardware and software design, Intelligent Energy Saver is a revolutionary technology that delivers unparalleled power savings. The voltage regulator can reduce the number of output phases to improve efficiency when the CPU cores are idle. In other words, it is able to provide exceptional power saving and improve power efficiency without sacrificing computing performance. To use Intelligent Energy Saver function, please enable Cool n Quiet option in the BIOS setup in advance. Please visit our website for the operation procedures of Intelligent Energy Saver. ASRock website: http://www.asrock.com 12. ASRock Instant Flash is a BIOS flash utility embedded in Flash ROM. This convenient BIOS update tool allows you to update system BIOS without entering operating systems first like MS-DOS or Windows. With this utility, you can press <F6> key during the POST or press <F2> key to BIOS setup menu to access ASRock Instant Flash. Just launch this tool and save the new BIOS file to your USB flash drive, floppy disk or hard drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without preparing an additional floppy diskette or other complicated flash utility. Please be noted that the USB flash drive or hard drive must use FAT32/ 16/12 file system. 13. The software name itself OC DNA literally tells you what it is capable of. OC DNA, an exclusive utility developed by ASRock, provides a convenient way for the user to record the OC settings and share with others. It helps you to save your overclocking record under the operating system and simplifies the complicated recording process of overclocking settings. With OC DNA, you can save your OC settings as a profile and share with your friends! Your friends then can load the OC profile to their own system to get the same OC settings as yours! Please be noticed that the OC profile can only be shared and worked on the same motherboard. 14. Although this motherboard offers stepless control, it is not recommended to perform over-clocking. Frequencies other than the recommended CPU bus frequencies may cause the instability of the system or damage the CPU. 15. While CPU overheat is detected, the system will automatically shutdown. Before you resume the system, please check if the CPU fan on the motherboard functions properly and unplug the power cord, then plug it back again. To improve heat dissipation, remember to spray thermal grease between the CPU and the heatsink when you install the PC system. 16. This motherboard supports ASRock AM2 Boost overclocking technology. If you enable this function in the BIOS setup, the memory performance will improve up to 12.5%, but the effect still depends on the AM2 CPU you adopt. Enabling this function will overclock the chipset/CPU reference clock. However, we can not guarantee the system stability for all CPU/DRAM configurations. If your system is unstable after AM2 Boost function is enabled, it may not be applicative to your system. You may choose to disable this function for keeping the stability of your system.

17. EuP, stands for Energy Using Product, was a provision regulated by European Union to define the power consumption for the completed system. According to EuP, the total AC power of the completed system shall be under 1.00W in off mode condition. To meet EuP standard, an EuP ready motherboard and an EuP ready power supply are required. According to Intels suggestion, the EuP ready power supply must meet the standard of 5v standby power efficiency is higher than 50% under 100 mA current consumption. For EuP ready power supply selection, we recommend you checking with the power supply manufacturer for more details. 18. Microsoft Windows 7 / 7 64-bit driver keeps on updating now. Please refer to our website for the latest driver. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com

1.3 Motherboard Layout

20.8cm (8.2-in)
DDRII_2 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDRII_1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDRII_3 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDRII_4 (64 bit, 240-pin module)

ATXPWR1

FSB800

USB 2.0 T: USB2 B: USB3

USB 2.0 T: USB0 B: USB1

Top: RJ-45

24.4cm (9.6-in)

Gigabit LAN

PS2 Mouse

PS2_USB_PW1

PS2 Keyboard

CPU_FAN1

ATX12V1

PARALLEL PORT

Top: SIDE SPK

Phenom II

AM2+/AM3
Bottom: SPDIF_01 Bottom: MIC IN Center: REAR SPK Center: FRONT

SOCKET AM2

DDRDual Channel EuP Ready

LAN PHY

Super I/O
NVIDIA GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a

Top: LINE IN

SATAII_1 (PORT 0.0) SATAII_3 (PORT 1.0) SATAII_2 (PORT 0.1) SATAII_4 (PORT 1.1)

CMOS BATTERY

4Mb BIOS

AUDIO CODEC

PWR_FAN1

CLRCMOS1

USB4_5

USB8_9

USB6_7

CHA_FAN1 PANEL 1

PLED PWRBTN

SPEAKER1

HD_AUDIO1

FLOPPY1

HDLED RESET
PS2_USB_PW1 Jumper ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1) CPU Heatsink Retention Module AM2 940-Pin CPU Socket CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1) 2 x 240-pin DDR2 DIMM Slots (Dual Channel A: DDRII_1, DDRII_2; Yellow) 2 x 240-pin DDR2 DIMM Slots (Dual Channel B: DDRII_3, DDRII_4; Orange) ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1) Primary IDE Connector (IDE1, Blue) Primary SATAII Connector (SATAII_1 (PORT 0.0)) Third SATAII Connector (SATAII_3 (PORT 1.0)) Fourth SATAII Connector (SATAII_4 (PORT 1.1)) Secondary SATAII Connector (SATAII_2 (PORT 0.1)) SPI Flash Memory (4Mb) USB 2.0 Header (USB8_9, Blue)
USB 2.0 Header (USB6_7, Blue) USB 2.0 Header (USB4_5, Blue) Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER 1, Purple) System Panel Header (PANEL1, Orange) Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1) Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1) Floppy Connector (FLOPPY1) Serial Port Connector (COM1) Power Fan Connector (PWR_FAN1) Internal Audio Connector: CD1 (Black) Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1, Lime) PCI Slots (PCI1- 2) PCI Express x16 Slot (PCIE2) PCI Express x1 Slot (PCIE1) NVIDIA GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a

(1) (2) (3)*

* For the configuration (3), please install identical DDR2 DIMMs in all four

slots.

If you want to install two memory modules, for optimal compatibility and reliability, it is recommended to install them in the slots of the same color. In other words, install them either in the set of yellow slots (DDRII_1 and DDRII_2), or in the set of orange slots (DDRII_3 and DDRII_4).
If only one memory module or three memory modules are installed in the DDR2 DIMM slots on this motherboard, it is unable to activate the Dual Channel Memory Technology. If a pair of memory modules is NOT installed in the same Dual Channel, for example, installing a pair of memory modules in DDRII_1 and DDRII_3, it is unable to activate the Dual Channel Memory
Technology. It is not allowed to install a DDR memory module into DDR2 slot; otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be damaged.

Installing a DIMM

Please make sure to disconnect power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or the system components.

Step 1. Step 2.

Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the retaining clips outward. Align a DIMM on the slot such that the notch on the DIMM matches the break on the slot.

notch break

The DIMM only fits in one correct orientation. It will cause permanent damage to the motherboard and the DIMM if you force the DIMM into the slot at incorrect orientation.

Step 3.

Firmly insert the DIMM into the slot until the retaining clips at both ends fully snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.
2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)
There are 2 PCI slots and 2 PCI Express slots on this motherboard. PCI slots: PCI slots are used to install expansion cards that have the 32-bit PCI interface. PCIE slots: PCIE1 (PCIE x1 slot) is used for PCI Express cards with x1 lane width cards, such as Gigabit LAN card, SATA2 card, etc. PCIE2 (PCIE x16 slot) is used for PCI Express cards with x16 lane width graphics cards.
Installing an expansion card
Step 1. Before installing the expansion card, please make sure that the power supply is switched off or the power cord is unplugged. Please read the documentation of the expansion card and make necessary hardware settings for the card before you start the installation. Remove the bracket facing the slot that you intend to use. Keep the screws for later use. Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is completely seated on the slot. Fasten the card to the chassis with screws.

Step 2. Step 3. Step 4.

2.5 Easy Multi Monitor Feature
This motherboard supports Multi Monitor upgrade. With the internal onboard VGA and the external add-on PCI Express VGA card, you can easily enjoy the benefits of Multi Monitor feature. Please refer to the following steps to set up a multi monitor environment: 1. Install the NVIDIA PCI Express VGA card to PCIE2 (PCIE x16 slot). Please refer to page 18 for proper expansion card installation procedures for details. 2. Connect the D-Sub monitor cable to the VGA/D-Sub port on the I/O panel of this motherboard. Connect another D-Sub monitor cable to the VGA/D-Sub connector of the add-on PCI Express VGA card. Connect the DVI-D monitor cable to the VGA/DVI-D connector of the add-on PCI Express VGA card. 3. Boot your system. Press <F2> to enter BIOS setup. Enter Share Memory option to adjust the memory capability to [16MB], [32MB], [64MB], [128MB] or [256MB] to enable the function of onboard VGA/D-sub. Please make sure that the value you select is less than the total capability of the system memory. If you do not adjust the BIOS setup, the default value of Share Memory, [Auto], will disable onboard VGA/D-Sub function when the add-on VGA card is inserted to this motherboard. 4. Install the onboard VGA driver to your system. If you have installed the onboard VGA driver already, there is no need to install it again. 5. Set up a multi-monitor display. For Windows XP / XP 64-bit OS: Right click the desktop, choose Properties, and select the Settings tab so that you can adjust the parameters of the multi-monitor according to the steps below. A. Click the Identify button to display a large number on each monitor. B. Right-click the display icon in the Display Properties dialog that you wish to be your primary monitor, and then select Primary. When you use multiple monitors with your card, one monitor will always be Primary, and all additional monitors will be designated as Secondary. C. Select the display icon identified by the number 2. D. Click Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor. E. Right-click the display icon and select Attached, if necessary. F. Set the Screen Resolution and Color Quality as appropriate for the second monitor. Click Apply or OK to apply these new values. G. Repeat steps C through E for the diaplay icon identified by the number one, two and three. For Windows VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS: Right click the desktop, choose Personalize, and select the Display Settings tab so that you can adjust the parameters of the multi-monitor according to the steps below. A. Click the number 2 icon.

B. Click the items This is my main monitor and Extend the desktop onto this monitor. C. Click OK to save your change. D. Repeat steps A through C for the display icon identified by the number one, two and three. 6. Use Multi Monitor feature. Click and drag the display icons to positions representing the physical setup of your monitors that you would like to use. The placement of display icons determines how you move items from one monitor to another.

Jumpers Setup

The illustration shows how jumpers are setup. When the jumper cap is placed on pins, the jumper is Short. If no jumper cap is placed on pins, the jumper is Open. The illustration shows a 3-pin jumper whose pin1 and pin2 are Short when jumper cap is placed on these 2 pins. Jumper PS2_USB_PW1

(see p.11, No. 1)

Setting

1_2 2_3

Short pin2, pin3 to enable +5VSB (standby) for PS/2 or +5V +5VSB USB wake up events. Note: To select +5VSB, it requires 2 Amp and higher standby current provided by power supply. Clear CMOS Jumper
(CLRCMOS1) (see p.11, No. 21)

Default

Clear CMOS
Note: CLRCMOS1 allows you to clear the data in CMOS. The data in CMOS includes system setup information such as system password, date, time, and system setup parameters. To clear and reset the system parameters to default setup, please turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power supply. After waiting for 15 seconds, use a jumper cap to short pin2 and pin3 on CLRCMOS1 for 5 seconds. However, please do not clear the CMOS right after you update the BIOS. If you need to clear the CMOS when you just finish updating the BIOS, you must boot up the system first, and then shut it down before you do the clear-CMOS action.
2.7 Onboard Headers and Connectors
Onboard headers and connectors are NOT jumpers. Do NOT place jumper caps over these headers and connectors. Placing jumper caps over the headers and connectors will cause permanent damage of the motherboard!

Floppy Connector

(33-pin FLOPPY1) (see p.11 No. 22)

Pin1 FLOPPY1

the red-striped side to Pin1
Note: Make sure the red-striped side of the cable is plugged into Pin1 side of the connector. Primary IDE connector (Blue)
(39-pin IDE1, see p.11 No. 9)
connect the blue end to the motherboard
connect the black end to the IDE devices
80-conductor ATA 66/100/133 cable Note: Please refer to the instruction of your IDE device vendor for the details. Serial ATAII Connectors
(SATAII_1 (PORT 0.0): see p.11, No. 10) (SATAII_2 (PORT 0.1): see p.11, No. 13) (SATAII_3 (PORT 1.0): see p.11, No. 11) (SATAII_4 (PORT 1.1): see p.11, No. 12) SATAII_2 (PORT 0.1) SATAII_4 (PORT 1.1) SATAII_1 (PORT 0.0) SATAII_3 (PORT 1.0)
These four Serial ATAII (SATAII) connectors support SATAII or SATA hard disk for internal storage devices. The current SATAII interface allows up to 3.0 Gb/s data transfer rate.

Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cable

(Optional)

Either end of the SATA data cable can be connected to the SATA / SATAII hard disk or the SATAII connector on the motherboard.

USB 2.0 Headers

(9-pin USB8_9) (see p.11 No. 15)
USB_PWR P-9 P+9 GND DUMMY

GND P+8 P-8 USB_PWR

USB_PWR P-7 P+7 GND DUMMY 1 GND P+6 P-6 USB_PWR USB_PWR P-5 P+5 GND DUMMY 1 GND P+4 P-4 USB_PWR
Besides four default USB 2.0 ports on the I/O panel, there are three USB 2.0 headers on this motherboard. Each USB 2.0 header can support two USB 2.0 ports.
(9-pin USB6_7) (see p.11 No. 16)
(9-pin USB4_5) (see p.11 No. 17)
Internal Audio Connectors
(4-pin CD1) (CD1: see p.11 No. 25)

CD-L GND GND CD-R

This connector allows you to receive stereo audio input from sound sources such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, TV tuner card, or MPEG card. This is an interface for the front panel audio cable that allows convenient connection and control of audio devices.

Front Panel Audio Header

(9-pin HD_AUDIO1) (see p.11, No. 26)
GND PRESENCE# MIC_RET OUT_RET
OUT2_L J_SENSE OUT2_R MIC2_R MIC2_L
1. High Definition Audio supports Jack Sensing, but the panel wire on the chassis must support HDA to function correctly. Please follow the instruction in our manual and chassis manual to install your system. 2. If you use AC97 audio panel, please install it to the front panel audio header as below: A. Connect Mic_IN (MIC) to MIC2_L. B. Connect Audio_R (RIN) to OUT2_R and Audio_L (LIN) to OUT2_L. C. Connect Ground (GND) to Ground (GND). D. MIC_RET and OUT_RET are for HD audio panel only. You dont need to connect them for AC97 audio panel. E. Enter BIOS Setup Utility. Enter Advanced Settings, and then select Chipset Configuration. Set the Front Panel Control option from [Auto] to [Enabled].

System Panel Header

(9-pin PANEL1) (see p.11 No. 19)

PLED+ PLEDPWRBTN# GND

This header accommodates several system front panel functions.
DUMMY RESET# GND HDLEDHDLED+

Chassis Speaker Header

(4-pin SPEAKER 1) (see p.11 No. 18)

SPEAKER DUMMY DUMMY +5V

Please connect the chassis speaker to this header.
Chassis and Power Fan Connectors

This motherboard adopts NVIDIA GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a chipset that supports Serial ATA (SATA) / Serial ATAII (SATAII) hard disks and RAID functions. You may install SATA / SATAII hard disks on this motherboard for internal storage devices. This section will guide you to install the SATA / SATAII hard disks. STEP 1: Install the SATA / SATAII hard disks into the drive bays of your chassis. STEP 2: Connect the SATA power cable to the SATA / SATAII hard disk. STEP 3: Connect one end of the SATA data cable to the motherboards SATAII connector. STEP 4: Connect the other end of the SATA data cable to the SATA / SATAII hard disk.
Functions SAT SAT 2. Hot Plug and Hot Swap Functions for SATA / SATAII HDDs
This motherboard supports Hot Plug and Hot Swap functions for SATA / SATAII Devices.
What is Hot Plug Function?
If the SATA / SATAII HDDs are NOT set for RAID configuration, it is called Hot Plug for the action to insert and remove the SATA / SATAII HDDs while the system is still power-on and in working condition. However, please note that it cannot perform Hot Plug if the OS has been installed into the SATA / SATAII HDD.
What is Hot Swap Function?
If SATA / SATAII HDDs are built as RAID1 or RAID 5 then it is called Hot Swap for the action to insert and remove the SATA / SATAII HDDs while the system is still power-on and in working condition.
SAT SAT Feature 2.11 SATA / SATAII HDD Hot Plug Feature and Operation Guide
This motherboard supports Hot Plug feature for SATA / SATAII HDD in RAID mode. Please read below operation guide of SATA / SATAII HDD Hot Plug feature carefully. Before you process the SATA / SATAII HDD Hot Plug, please check below cable accessories from the motherboard gift box pack. A. 7-pin SATA data cable B. SATA power cable with SATA 15-pin power connector interface A. SATA data cable (Red) B. SATA power cable

SATA 7-pin connector

The SATA 15-pin power connector (Black) connect to SATA / SATAII HDD
1x4-pin conventional power connector (White) connect to power supply

Caution

1. Without SATA 15-pin power connector interface, the SATA / SATAII Hot Plug cannot be processed. 2. Even some SATA / SATAII HDDs provide both SATA 15-pin power connector and IDE 1x4-pin conventional power connector interfaces, the IDE 1x4-pin conventional power connector interface is definitely not able to support Hot Plug and will cause the HDD damage and data loss.

2.14 Installing Windows XP / XP 64-bit / Vista TM / Vista TM 64-bit With RAID Functions
If you want to install Windows XP, Windows XP 64-bit, Windows Vista TM or Windows VistaTM 64-bit OS on your SATA / SATAII HDDs with RAID functions, please follow below procedures according to the OS you install.

2.14.1

Installing Windows XP / XP 64-bit With RAID Functions
If you want to install Windows XP or Windows XP 64-bit on your SATA / SATAII HDDs with RAID functions, please follow below steps. STEP 1: Set Up BIOS. A. Enter BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced screen Storage Configuration. B. Set the SATA Operation Mode option to [IDE]. STEP 2: Make a SATA / SATAII Driver Diskette. A. Insert the ASRock Support CD into your optical drive to boot your system. (There are two ASRock Support CD in the motherboard gift box pack, please choose the one for Windows XP / XP 64-bit.) B. During POST at the beginning of system boot-up, press <F11> key, and then a window for boot devices selection appears. Please select CD-ROM as the boot device. C. When you see the message on the screen, Generate Serial ATA driver diskette [YN]?, press <Y>.
D. Then you will see these messages, Please insert a blank formatted diskette into floppy drive A: press any key to start Please insert a floppy diskette into the floppy drive, and press any key. E. The system will start to format the floppy diskette and copy SATA / SATAII drivers into the floppy diskette. STEP 3: Set Up BIOS. A. Enter BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced screen Storage Configuration. B. Set the SATA Operation Mode option to [RAID]. STEP 4: Use RAID Installation Guide to set RAID configuration. Before you start to configure RAID function, you need to check the RAID installation guide in the Support CD for proper configuration. Please refer to the BIOS RAID installation guide in the following path in the Support CD:. \ RAID Installation Guide STEP 5: Install Windows XP / Windows XP 64-bit OS on your system. You can start to install Windows XP / Windows XP 64-bit OS on your system. At the beginning of Windows setup, press F6 to install a third-party RAID driver. When prompted, insert the SATA / SATAII driver diskette containing the NVIDIA RAID driver. After reading the floppy disk, the driver will be presented. Select the driver to install according to the mode you choose and the OS you install.

NOTE. If you install Windows XP / Windows XP 64-bit on IDE HDDs and want to manage (create, convert, delete, or rebuild) RAID functions on SATA / SATAII HDDs, you still need to set up SATA Operation Mode to [RAID] in BIOS first. Then, please set the RAID configuration by using the Windows RAID installation guide in the following path in the Support CD:. \ RAID Installation Guide
2.14.2 Installing Windows Vista TM / Vista TM 64-bit With RAID Functions
If you want to install Windows VistaTM or Windows VistaTM 64-bit on your SATA / SATAII HDDs with RAID functions, please follow below steps. STEP 1: Set Up BIOS. A. Enter BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced screen Storage Configuration. B. Set the SATA Operation Mode option to [RAID]. STEP 2: Use RAID Installation Guide to set RAID configuration. Before you start to configure RAID function, you need to check the RAID installation guide in the Support CD for proper configuration. Please refer to the BIOS RAID installation guide part of the document in the following path in the Support CD:. \ RAID Installation Guide
STEP 3: Install Windows VistaTM / Windows VistaTM 64-bit OS on your system. Insert the Windows VistaTM / Windows VistaTM 64-bit optical disk into the optical drive to boot your system, and follow the instruction to install Windows VistaTM / Windows VistaTM 64-bit OS on your system. When you see Where do you want to install Windows? page, please insert the ASRock Support CD into your optical drive, and click the Load Driver button on the left on the bottom to load the NVIDIA RAID drivers. NVIDIA RAID drivers are in the following path in our Support CD: (There are two ASRock Support CD in the motherboard gift box pack, please choose the one for Windows VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit.). \ I386 \ Vista (For Windows VistaTM OS). \ AMD64 \ Vista64 (For Windows VistaTM 64-bit OS) After that, please insert Windows VistaTM / Windows VistaTM 64-bit optical disk into the optical drive again to continue the installation.
NOTE. If you install Windows VistaTM / Windows VistaTM 64-bit on IDE HDDs and want to manage (create, convert, delete, or rebuild) RAID functions on SATA / SATAII HDDs, you still need to set up SATA Operation Mode to [RAID] in BIOS first. Then, please set the RAID configuration by using the Windows RAID installation guide in the following path in the Support CD:. \ RAID Installation Guide

Multiplier/Voltage Change This item is set to [Auto] by default. If it is set to [Manual], you may adjust the value of Processor Frequency and Processor Voltage. However, it is recommended to keep the default value for system stability.
Overclock Mode CPU Frequency (MHz) PCIE Frequency (MHz) Boot Failure Guard CPU/LDT Spread Spectrum PCIE Spread Spectrum SATA Spread Spectrum Processor Maximum Frequency Processor Maximum Voltage Multiplier/Voltage Change Processor Multiplier Processor Voltage HT Bus Speed HT Bus Width [Auto] [200] [100] [Enabled] [Enabled] [Enabled] [Enabled] x10.MHZ 1.2500 V [Manual] [x10.MHz] [1.2500 V] [Auto] [Auto] Overclocking may cause damage to your CPU and motherboard. It should be done at your own risk and expense.
Processor Frequency This option appears only when you adopt AM2 CPU. This item will show when Multiplier/Voltage Change is set to [Manual]; otherwise, it will be hidden. The range of the value depends on the CPU you adopt on this motherboard. However, for system stability, it is not recommended to adjust the value of this item. Processor Voltage This option appears only when you adopt AM2 CPU. This item will show when Multiplier/Voltage Change is set to [Manual]; otherwise, it will be hidden. The range of the value depends on the CPU you adopt on this motherboard. However, for safety and system stability, it is not recommended to adjust the value of this item. CPU Frequency Multiplier This option appears only when you adopt Phenom CPU. However, for safety and system stability, it is not recommended to adjust the value of this item. NB Frequency Multiplier This option appears only when you adopt Phenom CPU. However, for safety and system stability, it is not recommended to adjust the value of this item. HT Bus Speed This feature allows you selecting Hyper-Transport bus speed. Configuration options: [Auto], [xMHz], [xMHz], [xMHz], [xMHz] and [xMHz].
HT Bus Width This feature allows you selecting Hyper-Transport bus width. Configuration options: [Auto], [8 Bit] and [16 Bit]. Memory Configuration Memory Clock This item can be set by the code using [Auto]. You can set one of the standard values as listed: [200MHz DDR2_400], [266MHz DDR2_533], [333MHz DDR2_667] and [400MHz DDR2_800]. If you adopt Phenom CPU, there is one more option: [533MHz DDR2_1066]. DRAM Voltage Use this to select DRAM voltage. Configuration options: [Auto], [1.794V] to [2.201V]. The default value is [Auto]. Memory Timing
BIOS SETUP UTILITY OC Tweaker Memory Timing
Power Down Enable Bank Interleaving CAS Latency (CL) TRCD TRP TRAS TRTP TRRD TWTR TWR TRC TRWTTO TWRRD TWRWR TRDRD TRFC0 TRFC[Enabled] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] [Auto] Enable or disable DDR power down mode.

+F1 F9 F10 ESC

Select Screen Select Item Change Option General Help Load Defaults Save and Exit Exit

Chipset Settings Chipset Voltage Use this to select chipset voltage. Configuration options: [Auto], [1.262V] to [1.423V]. The default value is [Auto]. Would you like to save current setting user defaults? In this option, you are allowed to load and save three user defaults according to your own requirements.

Advanced Screen

In this section, you may set the configurations for the following items: CPU Configuration, Chipset Configuration, ACPI Configuration, Storage Configuration, PCIPnP Configuration, Floppy Configuration, SuperIO Configuration, and USB Configuration.
BIOS SETUP UTILITY Boot OC Tweaker Advanced H/W Monitor

Advanced Settings

WARNING : Setting wrong values in below sections may cause system to malfunction. CPU Configuration Chipset Configuration ACPI Configuration Storage Configuration PCIPnP Configuration Floppy Configuration SuperIO Configuration USB Configuration BIOS Update Utility ASRock Instant Flash

Options for CPU

Setting wrong values in this section may cause the system to malfunction. ASRock Instant Flash ASRock Instant Flash is a BIOS flash utility embedded in Flash ROM. This convenient BIOS update tool allows you to update system BIOS without entering operating systems first like MS-DOS or Windows. Just launch this tool and save the new BIOS file to your USB flash drive, floppy disk or hard drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without preparing an additional floppy diskette or other complicated flash utility. Please be noted that the USB flash drive or hard drive must use FAT32/16/ 12 file system. If you execute ASRock Instant Flash utility, the utility will show the BIOS files and their respective information. Select the proper BIOS file to update your BIOS, and reboot your system after BIOS update process completes.

3.4.1 CPU Configuration

BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced CPU Configuration
AM2 Boost Cool' n' Quiet Secure Virtual Machine [Disabled] [Auto] [Enabled] Options Enabled Disabled
AM2 Boost This option appears only when you adopt AM2 CPU. If you set this option to [Enabled], you will enable ASRock AM2 Boost function, which will improve the memory performance. The default value is [Disabled]. Please refer to caution 16 on page 9 for details. Cool n Quiet Use this item to enable or disable AMDs Cool n QuietTM technology. The default value is [Auto]. Configuration options: [Auto], [Enabled] and [Disabled]. If you install Windows VistaTM and want to enable this function, please set this item to [Enabled]. Please note that enabling this function may reduce CPU voltage and memory frequency, and lead to system stability or compatibility issue with some memory modules or power supplies. Please set this item to [Disable] if above issue occurs. Secure Virtual Machine This option appears only when you adopt AM2 CPU. When this option is set to [Enabled], a VMM (Virtual Machine Architecture) can utilize the additional hardware capabilities provided by AMD-V. The default value is [Enabled]. Configuration options: [Enabled] and [Disabled]. Enhance Halt State This option appears only when you adopt Phenom CPU. All processors support the Halt State (C1). The C1 state is supported through the native processor instructions HLT and MWAIT and requires no hardware support from the chipset. In the C1 power state, the processor maintains the context of the system caches. L3 Cache Allocation This option appears only when you adopt Phenom CPU. The default value is [BSP Only]. Configuration options: [BSP Only] and [All Cores].

3. 4. 8 USB Configuration
BIOS SETUP UTILITY Advanced USB Configuration
USB Controller USB 2.0 Support Legacy USB Support [Enabled] [Enabled] [Enabled] To enable or disable the onboard USB controllers.
USB Controller Use this item to enable or disable the use of USB controller. USB 2.0 Support Use this item to enable or disable the USB 2.0 support. Legacy USB Support Use this option to select legacy support for USB devices. There are four configuration options: [Enabled], [Auto], [Disabled] and [BIOS Setup Only]. The default value is [Enabled]. Please refer to below descriptions for the details of these four options: [Enabled] - Enables support for legacy USB. [Auto] - Enables legacy support if USB devices are connected. [Disabled] - USB devices are not allowed to use under legacy OS and BIOS setup when [Disabled] is selected. If you have USB compatibility issue, it is recommended to select [Disabled] to enter OS. [BIOS Setup Only] - USB devices are allowed to use only under BIOS setup.
Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen
In this section, it allows you to monitor the status of the hardware on your system, including the parameters of the CPU temperature, motherboard temperature, CPU fan speed, chassis fan speed, and the critical voltage.
BIOS SETUP UTILITY Boot Advanced H/W Monitor
Hardware Health Event Monitoring
CPU Temperature M / B Temperature CPU Fan Speed Chassis Fan Speed Power Fan Speed Vcore + 3.30V + 5.00V + 12.00V CPU Quiet Fan : 37 C / 98 F : 27 C / 80 F : 4722 RPM : N/A : N/A : : : : 1.216V 3.248V 5.136V 12.091V [Disabled]
Enable/Disable CPU Quiet Fan Function.

F1 F9 F10 ESC

Select Screen Select Item General Help Load Defaults Save and Exit Exit
CPU Quiet Fan This item allows you to control the CPU fan speed and fan noise. If you set this option as [Disabled], the CPU fan will operate in full speed. If you set this option as [Enabled], you will find the items Target CPU Temperature and Target Fan Speed appear to allow you adjusting them. The default value is [Disabled]. You are allowed to enable this function only when you install 4-pin CPU fan. Target CPU Temperature The target temperature will be between 45 C/113 F and 65 C/149 F. The default value is [50 C/122 F]. Target Fan Speed Use this option to set the target fan speed. You can freely adjust the target fan speed according to the target CPU temperature that you choose. The default value is [Fast]. Configuration options: [Fast], [Middle] and [Slow].

Boot Screen

In this section, it will display the available devices on your system for you to configure the boot settings and the boot priority.

N68-GE

NVIDIA GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a

Platform CPU

www.asrock.com

Detail Specification

- Micro ATX Form Factor: 9.6-in x 8.2-in, 24.4 cm x 20.8 cm - Support for Socket AM2+ / AM2 processors: AMD PhenomTM FX / Phenom / Athlon 64 FX / Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core / Athlon X2 Dual-Core / Athlon 64 / Sempron processor - Support for AM3 processors: AMD PhenomTM II X4 / X3 / X2 and Athlon II X4 / X3 / X2 processors - Supports AMD's Cool 'n' Quiet Technology - FSB 1000 MHz (2.0 GT/s) - Supports Untied Overclocking Technology - Supports Hyper-Transport Technology - NVIDIA GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a - Dual Channel DDR2 memory technology - 4 x DDR2 DIMM slots - Supports DDR2 1200(OC)/1066/800/667/533 non-ECC, un-buffered memory - Max. capacity of system memory: 16GB - 1 x PCI Express x16 slot - 1 x PCI Express x1 slot - 2 x PCI slots - Integrated NVIDIA GeForce 7025 graphics - DX9.0 VGA, Pixel Shader 3.0 - Max. shared memory 256MB - Supports D-Sub with max. resolution up to 1920x1440 @ 60Hz - 7.1 CH Windows Vista Premium Level HD Audio (VIA VT1708S Audio Codec) - Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s - Giga PHY Realtek RTL8211CL - Supports Wake-On-LAN I/O Panel - 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port - 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port - 1 x VGA Port - 1 x Parallel Port (ECP/EPP Support) - 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports - 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED) - HD Audio Jack: Side Speaker / Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone - 4 x Serial ATAII 3.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 5 and JBOD), NCQ and "Hot Plug" functions - 1 x ATA133 IDE connector (supports 2 x IDE devices) - 1 x Floppy connector - 1 x COM Port header - CPU/Chassis/Power FAN connector - 24 pin ATX power connector - 4 pin 12V power connector - CD in header - Front panel audio connector - 3 x USB 2.0 headers (support 6 USB 2.0 ports) - 4Mb AMI Legal BIOS - Supports "Plug and Play" - ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events - Supports jumperfree - SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support - VCCM, NB Voltage Multi-adjustment - Supports Smart BIOS - Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version) - ASRock OC Tuner - Intelligent Energy Saver - Instant Boot - ASRock Instant Flash - ASRock OC DNA - Hybrid Booster: - CPU Frequency Stepless Control - ASRock U-COP - Boot Failure Guard (B.F.G.) - ASRock AM2 Boost: ASRock Patented Technology to boost memory performance up to 12.5% - CPU Temperature Sensing - Chassis Temperature Sensing - CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer - CPU Quiet Fan - Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, Vcore - Microsoft Windows 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit compliant - FCC, CE, WHQL - EuP Ready (EuP ready power supply is required) - Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield - ATA 133 cable - 1 x SATA data cable (optional)

Chipset Memory

Expansion Slot Graphics

LAN Rear Panel I/O

Product Brief
- Supports 4 x DDR- Integrated NVIDIA GeForce 7025 graphics, DX9.0 VGA, Pixel Shader 3.0, Max. shared memory 256MB - EuP Ready - Supports ASRock Instant Boot, Instant Flash, OC DNA, Smart BIOS, ASRock OC Tuner, Intelligent Energy Saver - 7.1 CH Windows Vista Premium Level HD Audio (VIA 1708S Audio Codec with QSound)

Connector

BIOS Feature
Support CD Unique Feature

Hardware Monitor

OS Certifications
The specification is subject to change without notice. The brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Any configuration other than original product specification is not guaranteed.

Accessories

EuP Ready Motherboard

EuP Ready Power Supply

EuP System

What is EuP?

EuP, stands for Energy Using Product, was a provision regulated by European Union to define the power consumption for the completed system. With the great quantity and the popularly using of the electrical products nowadays and the continuously increasing of the electrical products categories in the following 20 to 30 years, European Union decided to establish an effective strategy to solve the energy consumption problem. That is, according to EuP, the total AC power of the completed system shall be under 1.00W in off mode condition.
How to setup an EuP system?
To meet EuP standard, the EuP ready motherboard and the EuP ready power supply are required. As a motherboard vendor with eco-awareness, ASRock is the pioneer to develop EuP Ready motherboards based on the great efforts of our exceptional hardware design. According to Intel, the EuP ready power supply must meet the standard of 5v standby power efficiency is higher than 50% under 100 mA current consumption. For EuP ready power supply selection, please check with the power supply manufacturer for more details.
ASRock, Worldwide First EuP Ready Motherboard Manufacturer!
ASRock hereby proudly announced that we are the Worldwide First motherboard manufacturer to release EuP Ready motherboard to the market! With ASRock EuP Ready motherboard, you are confident to setup a system to pass the EuP standard.

OC DNA

Save your OC settings as a profile and share with friends. Try OC DNA now!

OC DNA Instruction

Step 1
Save your BIOS OC settings as User Default in BIOS OC Tweaker menu. (For example: we name this User Default setting as CPU_OC3.8GHz)

Step 2

Execute ASRock OC DNA under OS, you will find CPU_OC3.8GHz as User Profile 1.

Step 3

Press Save button to save the CPU_OC3.8GHz OC settings as a profile.

Step 4

Send the CPU_OC3.8GHz profile to other friends.

Step 5

When the friend receives your CPU_OC3.8GHz profile, he can press Load to load the CPU_OC3.8GHz profile in OC DNA.

Step 6

After that, the friend can enter into BIOS OC Tweaker menu to load the CPU_OC3.8GHz profile as his BIOS OC settings.

Now, you have successfully share your OC setting profile with your friends.
*The OC DNA works only when users use the same motherboard and BIOS version.

ASRock Instant Boot

ASRock Instant Boot is a new feature invented exclusively by ASRock. It can boot up system in an amazing speed, which is 10 times faster than traditional boot up. For home users or office PC users, ASRock Instant Boot can also guarantee a clean Windows OS, and consumed less power! For details:
http://www.asrock.com/feature/InstantBoot/index.asp * This function is applicable ONLY to single user that does not secure ID and Password to their systems. * The boot up time depends on the hardware configuration.
10 Times Faster, Only 4 Secs to Boot Up to Windows!

ASRock YouTube

http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=BucIjXZVxXo

ASRock Instant Flash

ASRock Instant Flash is an exclusive and the most userfriendly BIOS flash utility developed by ASRock. It is embedded in Flash ROM which is used to update the system BIOS without having to enter operating systems like MS-DOS or Windows.

Features

Once executing ASRock Instant Flash, the utility will automatically detect all devices such as USB, hard disk or even floppy drive to find the exact BIOS for your system. Instead of giving you all BIOS in your devices, the Instant Flash just list BIOS versions that apply to your motherboard model only. For example, if you have many different BIOS of different motherboards saved in your devices, but you just need to flash your P45 motherboard, the Instant Flash will just list the P45 BIOS versions for you. This unique function allows you to easily select the suitable BIOS version instead of browsing through all data.
Instant Flash just list BIOS versions that apply to your motherboard model.
Click and start Flashing!

Simple!

Quick!