EVGA | X99 Classified (151-HE-E999) | User guide | BIOS Guide

Configuring the X99 Classified BIOS
This supplementary manual explains the different menus and selections within the BIOS and
provides a description of the different options enabling you to configure the X99 Classified BIOS
for your needs.
1.
2.
3.
4.
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6.
7.
Entering BIOS 2
Header and Margin Information 3
Overclock 6
Memory 12
Advanced 15
Boot 31
Save and Exit 36
Enter the BIOS
The X99 Classified features a UEFI BIOS, allowing for full mouse and keyboard support to
streamline configuration. The BIOS enables you to use the base configuration of the
motherboard to set preferences for features and configure the board to perform optimally.
Follow the basic steps below to enter your BIOS.
1. Power on the computer
2. Press the Del / Delete key when the message “Press Del to enter BIOS” appears on
screen.
a. In some instances, the X99 Classified can complete the POST sequence
before the video card fully initializes and prevent you from seeing the POST
screen and the prompt for entering the BIOS, which may cause you to miss
the opportunity to enter the BIOS. In these instances, please repeatedly
press the Del/Delete button for a few seconds following the power on.
The X99 Classified has 3 separate BIOS’s, toggled via the BIOS select switch. EVGA STRONGLY
recommends that you leave at least one BIOS unmodified to ensure that you have a failsafe
point that allows you to boot is an error occurs.
Header and Margin
The header and right margin are permanent fixtures in the BIOS. The header gives a general
overview of hardware installed, basic temperatures and voltages.
In the center above the EVGA logo, is basic CPU information. There is the overall CPU clock
speed shown in GHz (Gigahertz). Above that the CPU Multiplier times Base Clock (BCLK) which
is how clock speed is derived. Adjacent to the CPU Clock there is a small outline of a chip and a
number inside of it, the number in this case 6, is the number of physical cores in the CPU. HT
indicates that Hyper Threading is enabled.
On the left, basic memory information is displayed at the top. The 8 small blue circles above
“Memory” represent the memory slots. The number in the circle indicates the memory size per
slot. If there is no number present, then that specific slot is not populated, or perhaps the
DIMM present may be malfunctioning or incorrectly installed.
Below “MEMORY” is the total RAM size and the memory frequency. The X99 CLASSIFIED can
support up to 128GB of RAM, and speeds up to 2667+MHz. Current Haswell-E processors are
rated for up to 2133 MHz. Most memory will default to 1866 MHz and this will need to be set
manually to the manufacturers spec or to XMP if the memory supports it. Although this board
is rated for 2667+ MHz, there are many factors that can limit your overclocking ability such as
memory controller in the CPU, among others.
Bottom left section shows current voltages for Processor (CPU VCore) and the Memory
(VDIMM).
The PCI-Express Breakdown is on the upper right. From the center out is the uppermost PCI-E
slot to the lower slots. The lower row of blue circles will show what PCIe generation the slot is
running at. The PCIe generation options are 1.0 2.0 and 3.0. The upper circles indicate the PCIe
lane count for the corresponding slot. PCIe lane count options are 1, 4, 8, or 16.
The VRM and CPU temperatures are located below the PCI-E information. These are the 2 most
critical items on the motherboard requiring thermal monitoring. Keep in mind, however, that
these temperatures are at idle and do not necessarily reflect the temperature you may see
either in Windows or within an application under load. Temperatures are displayed in Celsius
which is the industry standard.
Below the header are the 5 buttons that will bring you to specific BIOS menus and these will be
covered in the sections below.
The right Margin is the help legend, and gives a brief description of the current item you have
selected.
The upper portion will give you a brief explanation of a selected item. Below that are the basic
commands for the BIOS. The modern UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) BIOS GUI
also allows for full navigation via mouse or the arrow keys.
The lower portion of this section contains icons for saving screen shots of the BIOS and listing
the current version of the BIOS. The F12 key can be used to save screen shots of the BIOS to a
USB storage drive. To use this feature, a pre-formatted thumb drive must be plugged into one
of the USB headers, and then press F12 and a .bmp image will be saved to the thumb drives
root folder. This may be used to easily share BIOS configurations, or to visually back up settings
prior to doing a BIOS update to quickly and easily set original values back into the BIOS after the
flash is completed.
The BIOS version listed is the current version flashed of the ROM image, and will automatically
update every time the new BIOS is flashed.
Reference for the different bullet points:
• Setting
Sub menu
Preset Configurations (like XMP)
Overclock
•
Intel® Core™ i7-5930K CPU @3.50GHz
This identifies the currently installed CPU model
•
Target CPU Frequency
The product of the BCLK and the Multiplier: (BCLK Frequency * BCLK Ratio) * CPU
Multiplier = CPU Frequency.
•
Target RING Frequency
This is strictly a monitor; it shows the speed (frequency) that the RING is running at.
The RING is the interface between iGPU, CPU cores and System Agent.
•
Target CPU Frequency
The product of the BCLK and the Multiplier: (BCLK Frequency * BCLK Ratio) * CPU
Multiplier = CPU Frequency.
•
CPU Die Temperature
This will show the temperature of the processor core.
•
CPU Multiplier Control
Auto/Manual
Auto – This will run the CPU at default multiplier, and its only variances will be done
dynamically by Turbo Mode and Speed Step.
Manual – This gives you the multiplier control for all CPU ratios. The available range for
the multiplier is 12-80x.
When under Manual, you will have 10 (that number may go up if high core count
processors become available) options to adjust your overclocks with.
o CPU Multiplier Control – This will change the base multiplier for the CPU (ratio
can be set according to utilization loading, see below).
o 1 Core Ratio Limit – Set the CPU multiplier setting for single threaded loading
o 2 Core Ratio Limit – Set the CPU multiplier setting for 2 threaded loading
o 3 Core Ratio Limit – Set the CPU multiplier setting for 3 threaded loading
o 4 Core Ratio Limit – Set the CPU multiplier setting for 4 threaded loading
o 5 Core Ratio Limit – Set the CPU multiplier setting for 5 threaded loading
o 6 Core Ratio Limit – Set the CPU multiplier setting for 6 threaded loading
o Non Turbo Override
o Ring Ratio (Currently limited to a range of 8-35)
•
Non Turbo Ratio Override
This value can be set separately when Multiplier Control is at Auto.
This is the ratio Turbo mode will have if the Turbo function is disabled. This is the
highest tested stable CPU ratio (per Intel), also the ratio which is labeled on the CPU
package/box.
This also means this is the speed in which the CPU will be working at worst case (TDP
load, max power), unless thermal throttling protection is enabled by the system.
Having this setting is useful when pushing for high BCLK, as this is also usually speed on
which BIOS is posting.
•
BCLK Frequency Setting
Base clock frequency adjustment, this can be adjusted in 0.05 MHz increments, this can
be adjusted by clicking the +/- keys or by typing in the value directly.
Adjusting the value may result in connectivity loss from various installed peripherals or
pre-attached components, as their interface speeds will change as well.
•
PEG/DMI Ratio
Auto 5/5 5/4 5/3 5/2
Ratio adjustment between PCIE strap and the BCLK to allow for higher BCLK speeds. It is
usually recommended to leave this setting at AUTO.
•
CPU Voltage Mode
Auto/Adaptive/Override
Auto - Leaves voltage mode at BIOS default.
Adaptive – Allows for manual changes in voltage but will still keep low voltage where
there is less load. This is useful to keep better thermals, when higher voltage is not
needed.
Override – Applies static voltage
•
RING Voltage Mode
Auto/Adaptive/Override
Auto – Leaves voltage mode at BIOS default
Adaptive - Allows for manual changes in voltage but will still keep low voltage where
there is less load. This is useful to keep better thermals, when high voltage is not
required.
Override – Applies a static voltage
•
VSA Voltage Offset
Voltage System Agent
VSA Offset Voltage increases the voltage threshold of the CPU integrated memory
controller (IMC) and system control unit (SCU) voltage. High memory speeds over 2666
or BCLK overclocking may need increasing of this voltage. Auto will adjust voltage
depending on memory frequency, or the values may be entered manually or scroll
through the options with the +/- keys.
•
CPU VIN
CPU Voltage Input
This is the only CPU VRM located on the motherboards PCB that is not controlled by the
FIVR. This voltage must be at least 0.4V to 0.6V higher than set FIVR voltage. For
example, if CPU Core Voltage is set to 1.5V for extreme OC, VIN voltage must be at lease
2.1V. Higher voltage causes higher temperatures for CPU, as efficiency is lower.
•
CPU VIN VDroop
This enables or disables Intel Spec VDroop functions for the CPU VIN. This may help to
get better stability when overclocking over 4.5GHz.
Auto/Enable/Disable
Auto – Adjusts itself based solely off of CPU frequency
Enable – Uses Intel’s reference VDroop settings, when under light load can help reduce
temps and operating voltage.
Disable – This disables VDroop functionality for CPU VIN, this can be helpful for
stabilizing overclocks over 4.5GHz.
•
PCH 1.05V
Platform Controller Hub
PCH serves as a south bridge for modern Intel Chipsets.
1.05v is the base voltage core for the PCH core domain.
•
PCH 1.5V
Platform Controller Hub
PCH serves as a south bridge for modern Intel Chipsets.
1.5v adjustments control the voltage for the PCH I/O and the IVR (Input Voltage Range).
•
FIVR Faults Enable
Fully Integrated Voltage Regulator
Enable/Disable
Intel FIVR power fault protection system. It is recommended to disable this protection
mechanism, when doing extreme overclocking.
•
FIVR Efficiency Enable
Fully Integrated Voltage Regulator
Enable/Disable
Efficiency optimized operation mode for Intel FIVR.
MEMORY
This section is strictly informational.
XMP#1 and XMP#2 will show the profiles, if available, that are supported by your RAM.
•
Memory Profiles
This is where you select between BIOS defaults, profiles hardcoded onto your RAM or
assigning memory values manually.
Automatic/Manual/XMP Profile 1/XMP Profile 2
Automatic: This will be the default values the system detects for the memory.
Manual: Select this option when you want full control over memory speed, voltage and
latency.
XMP Profile 1: Extreme Memory Profile 1. Preset values in the memory for speed and
latency.
XMP Profile 2: Extreme Memory Profile 2. Preset values in the memory for speed and
latency.
•
Memory Frequency
The memory controller can support memory speeds from 1200 through 2667 via
multiplier adjustment. Anything above that will require BCLK adjustments.
•
DIMM Voltage (CH0/1)
Voltage the system memory is running at. This will detect a default voltage, however for
higher speed memory or when you are clocking your memory, you may need to increase
this, and you can click in the field and enter a value manually.
Baseline range is 1.200V to 1.500V
•
DIMM Voltage (CH2/3)
Voltage the system memory is running at. This will detect a default voltage, however for
higher speed memory or when you are clocking your memory, you may need to increase
this, and you can click in the field and enter a value manually.
Baseline range is 1.200V to 1.500V
•
Memory Latency
Latency is shown and can be adjusted when Memory Profiles is set to Manual mode.
tCL, tRCD, tRP, tRAS are the latency settings listed on a typical stick of RAM in the
hyphenated section (15-15-15-36, for example). Those numbers on the RAM are
entered, usually in top to bottom order. There are many additional latencies available
to adjust below these. However, these all involve memory controls and are not used in
most cases. Because this is a quad channel board, you will see CH0-3; if memory is not
present in a specific channel related values will be hidden.
Advanced
•
EIST
Enhanced Intel Speedstep Technology
Enable/Disable
Allows the system to dynamically adjust processor voltage and core frequency, which
can result in decreased average power consumption and decreased average heat
production, based on level of processor load.
•
Turbo Mode
Enable/Disable
Allows the CPU to dynamically adjust frequency to accommodate higher than average
processor load to maintain peak performance. (In essence, low level overclocking built
into the CPU).
This feature works in tandem with EIST to help optimize system performance while
keeping power consumption and heat down.
•
CPU C States
Enable/Disable
This can open the options to use C1 and C3.
o Enhanced C1 State
Enable/Disable
Core clock is off. The processor is not executing instructions, but can return to an
executing state almost instantaneously.
o CPU C3 Report
Enable/Disable
Clock generator is off. The processor does not need to keep its cache coherent,
but maintains other states.
CPU C6 report
Enable/Disable
L2 cache is shrunk, when it reaches zero, CPU will go to a lower core voltage.
Power consumption during C6 is nearly zero.
•
Hyper Threading
Enable/Disable
Hyper threading is processor core virtualization and functions as additional processing
cores for some applications. This is also why a quad core processor shows up as 8
threads in Windows.
•
Intel® Virtualization Technology
Hardware based virtualization built into the CPU, used in conjunction with virtualization
software to create multiple virtual environments/ virtual PC’s within a single PC.
•
Active Processor Cores
All/1/2/3/4/5(/6/7 if appropriate CPU is installed)
This setting allows the selection of the number of processor cores to enable and make
available for use.
CPU Information
This section does not have any settings or adjustments whatsoever. This section provides a
fairly in depth overview of the installed CPU, in the case of this test system, it is a 5930K, and it
shows associated specs and what exactly it does and does not support.
This option gives you as per slot breakdown showing how many lanes are being used by a given
slot as well as what generation the PCIE device is running.
•
PE1 Slot Speed
If you click on the pulldown menu that currently lists auto, this will allow you to force a
specific PCIE generation, in most cases Auto should suffice.
•
PE5 Slot Speed
PE5 does *NOT* have an option for Gen3, as the lanes are not supplied from CPU but
PCH which is limited to Gen2.
This section is strictly informational, this shows the type of PCH (Platform Controller Hub, PCH
has effectively replaced the South Bridge), and the ME (Management Engine) Firmware
revision, this is not something readily changeable by the user, however from time to time there
may be an update to this as needed as part of a BIOS update.
•
SATA Mode (Port 0/1/2/3/4/5)
IDE/AHCI/RAID
IDE - Not typically needed for modern SATA devices.
AHCI - This is a current SATA standard, offering support for NCQ (Native Command
Queuing), Hot Plug. This is also needed for a modern SSD to operate to its full
capabilities (RAID also supports these features).
RAID - Enables the RAID functions for the SATA controller, an array will still need to be
built. Also RAID fully supports ALL AHCI functions.
•
SATA Mode (Port 6/7/8/9)
IDE/AHCI
IDE - Not typically needed for modern SATA devices.
AHCI - This is a current SATA standard, offering support for NCQ (Native Command
Queuing), Hot Plug. This is also needed for a modern SSD to operate to its full
capabilities (RAID also supports these features).
•
Serial ATA Port 0
o Hot Plug
Serial ATA Port 0-9, all 10 ports will have the same information:
Top line will identify what, if anything is attached to the port, if nothing is attached, it will show empty.
The pull-down menu is for Hot-Swap capability, and it is an enable/disable. This is recommended if you
are using a drive rack of some sort.
This identifies all currently attached USB devices. These are fairly generic descriptions; USB
thumb drives can often be labeled the same as USB HDD’s as just “Drive”. Also, many
Keyboards with a USB header on them will show up as a hub or hubs, macro pads and console
controllers will typically detect as keyboard AND mouse devices both, so please bear in mind
that this is not a literal list with hardware ID’s.
•
Legacy USB Support
Enable/Disable
If this is disabled it will only support EFI compliant USB devices.
•
XHCI Mode
eXtensible Host Controller Interface
Enable/Disable for the rear I/O panel USB 2.0 ports.
Enable/Disable for the internal front panel USB 2.0 header.
Enable/Disable for the rear I/O panel USB 3.0 ports.
Enable/Disable for the internal front panel USB 2.0 header.
•
Dark Mode
On/Off
This will allow all of the lights, LEDs, Indicators, etc, to be disabled making the board completely
dark.
•
ERP Mode
Energy Related Products
On/Off
European Union standardization for energy and energy savings.
•
ACPI Sleep State
S3 only (Suspend to RAM)/Suspend disabled
Option to disable sleep altogether or enable only S3 sleep state.
•
Restore AC Power Loss
These are the options in the event the motherboard detects an inbound AC power loss
Power Off – This will leave the system powered off until turned back on by the user
Power On – When power is restored the PC will restart normally
Last State – Will default to whatever state the PC was last in during the loss to AC power
•
Intel LAN 1
Intel i217 LAN
Enable/Disable
o Wake on LAN
Enable/Disable
Enables/Disables Wake On LAN support for i217.
•
Intel LAN 2
Intel i210 LAN
Enable/Disable
•
Azalia
Azalia audio controller
Enable/Disable
•
M.2 Socket1
M.2 Slot E connector
Enable/Disable
**Enabling this M.2 connector will disable USB 2.0 port 5**
•
M.2 Socket3
M.2 Slot M connector
Enable/Disable
**Enabling this M.2 connector will disable PCI-E Slot 5 (4x slot)**
This top section is strictly live monitoring.
CPU Die Temperature – This will list the CPU core temp
CPU Temperature – This is the socket temp.
PWM Temperature – This is the temperature of the PWM MOSFET’s
SYS Temperature – This is ambient case temp derived from an onboard thermal sensor.
The section below is for fan controls.
ALL FAN HEADERS ON THIS MOTHERBOARD HAVE A
MAXIMUM POWER LIMIT OF 1 AMP @ 12 VOLTS, OR 12
WATTS, ANY MORE THAN THIS WILL LIKELY DAMAGE THE
BOARD AND CAUSE PERMANENT FAILURE OF THE FAN
HEADER. IF YOU NEED TO RUN A HIGH CAPACITY FAN, OR A
PUMP THAT PULLS MORE THAN 1 AMP/12 WATTS, PLEASE
USE A MOLEX CONNECTER FROM YOUR POWER SUPPLY, OR IF
CONTROLLING THIS DEVICE IS NECESSARY, PLEASE LOOK TO A
FAN CONTROLLER.
•
CPU Fan – This is a PWM controlled fan, you can either set a static value through PWM
or you can leave it in “Smart” mode where it will auto adjust based on detected temps.
This is an example of a fairly aggressive fan curve, but not uncommon for overclocking
or running in a warmer environment. At each Temperature Level you can manually
enter any value in Celsius you want then below set what speed you want the fan to run
at.
•
CPU Fan2 - This is a PWM controlled fan, you can either set a static value through PWM
or you can leave it in “Smart” mode where it will auto adjust based on detected temps.
This is labeled as CPU Fan2 as it used the same temp detection as “CPU Fan” so it will
ramp up and down in unison with your primary CPU fan. This can be very useful when
running your heatsink fans in a Push/Pull mode.
You can select what you want the curve to be based off of; once this is selected you
have the same controls as CPU1. Keep in mind if you are using this for a secondary CPU
fan, like for a push/pull setup, it is advised to use the same types of fans then set the
Smart controls to be the same for CPU Fan1 and CPU Fan2.
•
CHA Fan - This is a chassis fan that is controller via PWM
You can select what you want the curve to be based off of; once this is selected you
have the same controls as CPU1.
•
All following fans, SYS Fan 1&2, PWR Fan and Aux Fan are all controlled by adjusting
voltage input, not through PWM.
The section below handles Voltage adjustments and monitoring.
•
CPU VIN
This is the only CPU VRM located on the motherboards PCB that is not controlled by the
FIVR. This voltage must be at least 0.4V to 0.6V higher than set FIVR voltage. For
example, if CPU Core Voltage is set to 1.5V for extreme OC, VIN voltage must be at lease
2.1V. Higher voltage causes higher temperatures for CPU, as efficiency is lower.
Voltage range is 1.500V to 3.050V
•
DIMM Voltage (CH0/1)
Voltage the system memory is running at. This will detect a default voltage, however for
higher speed memory or when you are clocking your memory, you may need to increase
this, and you can click in the field and enter a value manually.
Voltage Range is 0.800V to 2.000V
Standard operating voltage range is 1.200V to 1.500V
•
DIMM Voltage (CH2/3)
Voltage the system memory is running at. This will detect a default voltage, however for
higher speed memory or when you are clocking your memory, you may need to increase
this, and you can click in the field and enter a value manually.
Voltage range is 0.800V to 2.000V
Standard operating voltage range is 1.200V to 1.500V
•
DIMM VPP (CH0/1)
DIMM VPP is activation power for memory.
Voltage range is 1.500V-2.700V
Default is set to Auto
•
DIMM VPP (CH2/3)
DIMM VPP is activation power for memory.
Voltage range is 1.500V-2.700V
Default is set to Auto
•
VCCIO
The VCCIO is the voltage control for the Integrated memory Controller (IMC). In most
instances this will not need to be adjusted, however if you are using large volumes of
RAM and overclocking, or are going for brink overclocks of the memory this option can
assist with stabilizing the system.
Voltage Range for VCCIO is 0.800V to 1.800V
Default is Auto
•
PCH 1.05V
Platform Controller Hub
PCH serves as a south bridge for modern Intel Chipsets
1.1v is the base voltage core for the PCH Core Domain
Voltage range is 0.700V to 1.600V
•
PCH 1.5V
Platform Controller Hub
PCH serves as a south bridge for modern Intel Chipsets
1.5v adjustments control the voltage for the PCH I/O and the IVR (Input Voltage Range)
Voltage Range is 1.200V to 2.000V
This section is strictly live monitoring.
•
•
•
•
+12V
VCC
VCC3
3VSB
Boot
•
Bootup NumLock State
On/Off
This sets the NumLock on your keyboard to on or off when powered on; this allows the
use of the number function on the 10 key pad on the keyboard.
Default: On
•
Speaker Beep
On/Off
Toggles the POST beep On or Off.
Default: On
•
Quiet Boot
On/Off
The enables or disables the splash screen during post.
Default: On
•
Fast Boot
On/Off
Enabling fast boot will make the initial post/boot slightly faster by bypassing the boot
device check and using last boot HDD.
Default: On
•
Boot mode select
Legacy/UEFI
This allows you to select your boot mode, which will dictate which OS's and features you
can run. Keep in mind that UEFI does have more requirements for attached hardware
and partition types than Legacy does. Make sure everything in your system supports
UEFI before making that selection.
Default: Legacy
•
Boot option #1-7
All boot options will share the same list of devices to boot from. Use the pull down
menu and select the device you with fro 1st through 7th and when the system posts, it
will follow this list.
Compatibility Support Module
•
Launch CSM
Compatibility Support Module
Enable/Disable
CSM translates the information generated under the EFI environment into the
information required by the legacy environment and makes the legacy BIOS services
available for booting to the operating system and for use in runtime.
Default is Enabled
•
Boot option filter
Allows you to select which boot methodology you wish to use, as you can setup a
HDD/SSD to boot in UEFI mode rather than legacy.
Default is UEFI and Legacy
•
Launch PXE OpROM Policy
(PXE) Preboot Execution Environment
Defines when PXE can be launched
Default is Do not launch
•
Launch Storage OpROM Policy
Defines which option the Storage OpROM launches with
Default is Legacy
•
Launch Video OpROM Policy
Selects when the video OpROM is initialized
•
Other PCI Device ROM priority
Selects the mode for NON storage/network/video OpROM’s.
Default is UEFI
•
Administrator Password
Limits the access to the BIOS.
3-20 characters
•
User Password
Password locks the system; it will not boot or enter BIOS without the password.
3-20 characters
Save and Exit
•
Save Changes and Reset
This will save whatever changes you have made to the BIOS and reboot the PC.
•
Discard Changes and Reset
This will not save any changes made and regress the settings to the state they were in
when you entered the BIOS initially.
•
Restore Defaults
Reset BIOS to factory default
•
Boot Override
This shows the currently selected Boot device
•
Save Profile
This option saves the current BIOS configuration to a profile in the BIOS.
•
Load Profile
This option loads the current BIOS configuration from a saved profile in the BIOS
•
Select BIOS File
This allows you to select a .bin file from a thumb drive to flash BIOS from within BIOS.
**Keep in mind that the thumb drive needs to be formatted for FAT32,
and cannot read NTFS in BIOS, this is needed for screenshots and BIOS
flashes from within the BIOS.**