ASRock 990FX User Manual [en, ru, de, es, fr, it]
Copyright Notice:
No part of this installation guide may be reproduced, transcribed, transmitted, or translated in any language, in any form or by any means, except duplication of documentation
by the purchaser for backup purpose, without written consent of ASRock Inc.
Products and corporate names appearing in this guide may or may not be registered
trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identication or explanation and to the owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.
Disclaimer:
Specications and information contained in this guide are furnished for informational use
only and subject to change without notice, and should not be constructed as a commitment by ASRock. ASRock assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions that may
appear in this guide.
With respect to the contents of this guide, ASRock does not provide warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties or condi-
tions of merchantability or tness for a particular purpose. In no event shall ASRock, its
directors, ofcers, employees, or agents be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or
consequential damages (including damages for loss of prots, loss of business, loss of
data, interruption of business and the like), even if ASRock has been advised of the possibility of such damages arising from any defect or error in the guide or product.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
CALIFORNIA, USA ONLY
The Lithium battery adopted on this motherboard contains Perchlorate, a toxic substance
controlled in Perchlorate Best Management Practices (BMP) regulations passed by the
California Legislature. When you discard the Lithium battery in California, USA, please
follow the related regulations in advance.
“Perchlorate Material-special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate”
ASRock Website: http://www.asrock.com
Published July 2013
Copyright©2013 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
English
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English
DDR3_ A1( 64b it, 240-pi nmo dule)
DDR3_ A2( 64b it, 240-pi nmo dule)
FSB 800
DDR3_ B1( 64b it, 240-pi nmo dule)
DDR3_ B2( 64b it, 240-pi nmo dule)
AMD
SB9 50
Chi pse t
ATX12V1
32Mb
BIOS
CMOS
BATTER Y
CLRCMOS1
1
COM1
1
AUDIO
CODEC
Super
I/O
IR1
1
HD_AUDIO1
1
PCIE 2
HDLED RESET
PLEDPW RBTN
1
PANEL1
SPEAKER1
1
6
7
1
2
4
3
5
8
10
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
PCIE 1
34
35
1
PLED1
SATA3_5_6
36
37
38
39
SATA3_3_4
SATA3_1_2
PCI1
USB6_7
FRONT_139 4
11
Dr.
Debug
CPU_FAN1
40
41
AMD
990FX
Chipset
PS2
Mouse
Coaxial
SPDIF
PS2
Keyboar d
Optical
SPDIF
Clr
CMOS
USB 2.0
T:USB 2
B:U SB3
IEEE 1394
Top:
RJ-45
Top:
SIDE SPK
Center:
REAR SPK
Bottom:
CTR BASS
Top:
LINE IN
Center:
FRONT
Bottom:
MIC IN
USB 3.0
T:US B2
B: USB3
eSATA
11
9
11
12
CHA_FAN3
LAN
990 FX E xtr eme9
RoHS
CPU_FAN2
USB4_5
11
USB3_4_5
SO C KE T AM 3b
USB3_6_7
PWRBTNRSTBTN
CHA_FAN2
CHA_FAN1
PWR_FAN1
USB 2.0
T:USB 0
B:U SB1
eSATA
PCIE 3
PCIE 4
PCIE 5
SATA3_A1_A2
CIR1
1
USB 3.0
T:USB 0
B:U SB1
Motherboard Layout
FSB 800
1 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1) 21 Power Switch (PWRBTN)
2 CPU Heatsink Retention Module 22 Reset Switch (RSTBTN)
3 AM3+ CPU Socket 23 Dr. Debug (LED)
4 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1) 24 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN3)
5 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN2) 25 USB 2.0 Header (USB6_7)
6 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN2) 26 USB 2.0 Header (USB4_5)
7 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 27 Consumer Infrared Module Header (CIR1)
(Dual Channel A: DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1) 28 System Panel Header (PANEL1)
8 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 29 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)
(Dual Channel B: DDR3_A2, DDR3_B2) 30 Power LED Header (PLED1)
9 Power Fan Connector (PWR_FAN1) 31 Serial Port Connector (COM1)
10 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1) 32 Infrared Module Header (IR1)
11 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_6_7) 33 Front Panel IEEE 1394 Header
12 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_4_5) (FRONT_1394)
13 Northbridge Controller 34 Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1)
14 Southbridge Controller 35 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE5)
15 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_A1_A2) 36 SPI Flash Memory (32Mb)
16 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_5_6) 37 PCI Slot (PCI1)
17 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_3_4) 38 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE4)
18 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_1_2) 39 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE3)
19 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER1) 40 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE2)
20 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1) 41 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE1)
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ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
I/O Panel
15
3
14
13
5
6
9
7
10
8
11
12
ACT/LINK
LED
SPEED
LED
1
19
1 PS/2 Mouse Port (Green) 11 Microphone (Pink)
2 Coaxial SPDIF Out Port 12 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_2_3)
3 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01) 13 IEEE 1394 Port (IEEE 1394)
4 USB 2.0 Port (USB23) *** 14 eSATA3 Connector (ESATA1)
* 5 LAN RJ-45 Port *** 15 eSATA3 Connector (ESATA2)
6 Side Speaker (Gray) 16 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_0_1)
7 Rear Speaker (Black) 17 Optical SPDIF Out Port
8 Central / Bass (Orange) 18 Clear CMOS Switch (CLRCBTN)
9 Line In (Light Blue) 19 PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)
** 10 Front Speaker (Lime)
* There are two LED next to the LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED
indications.
Activity/Link LED SPEED LED
Status Description Status Description
2 4
18
17
16
LAN Port LED Indications
Off No Link Off 10Mbps connection
Blinking Data Activity Orange 100Mbps connection
On Link Green 1Gbps connection
LAN Port
If you use 2-channel speaker, please connect the speaker’s plug into “Front Speaker Jack”.
**
See the table below for connection details in accordance with the type of speaker you use.
TABLE for Audio Output Connection
Audio Output Channels Front Speaker Rear Speaker Central / Bass Side Speaker
(No. 10) (No. 7) (No. 8) (No. 6)
2 V -- -- -4 V V -- -6 V V V -8 V V V V
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
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To enable Multi-Streaming function, you need to connect a front panel audio cable to the front
panel audio header. After restarting your computer, you will nd “Mixer” tool on your system.
Please select “Mixer ToolBox” , click “Enable playback multi-streaming”, and click “ok”.
Choose “2CH”, “4CH”, “6CH”, or “8CH” and then you are allowed to select “Realtek HDA Primary output” to use Rear Speaker, Central/Bass, and Front Speaker, or select “Realtek HDA
Audio 2nd output” to use front panel audio.
*** eSATA3 connector supports SATA Gen3 in cable 1M.
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ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing ASRock 990FX Extreme9 motherboard, a reliable motherboard produced under ASRock’s consistently stringent quality control. It delivers
excellent performance with robust design conforming to ASRock’s commitment to
quality and endurance.
This Quick Installation Guide contains introduction of the motherboard and step-bystep installation guide. More detailed information of the motherboard can be found
in the user manual presented in the Support CD.
Because the motherboard specications and the BIOS software might be
updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without no-
tice. In case any modications of this manual occur, the updated version
will be available on ASRock website without further notice. You may nd
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 specic information about the model you are using.
www.asrock.com/support/index.asp
1.1 Package Contents
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard (ATX Form Factor)
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Quick Installation Guide
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Support CD
1 x ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card
1 x ASRock 3-Way SLI-2S1S Bridge Card
6 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)
2 x Serial ATA (SATA) HDD Power Cables (Optional)
1 x I/O Panel Shield
1 x Front USB 3.0 Panel with 2.5” HDD/SSD Rack
4 x HDD Screws
6 x Chassis Screws
1 x Rear USB 3.0 Bracket
ASRock Reminds You...
To get better performance in Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM /
VistaTM 64-bit, it is recommended to set the BIOS option in Storage Con-
guration to AHCI mode. For the BIOS setup, please refer to the “User
Manual” in our support CD for details.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
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1.2 Specications
Platform - ATX Form Factor
- Premium Gold Capacitor design (100% Japan-made
high-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors)
- Multiple Filter Cap (MFC) (Filter different noise by 3 different
capacitors: DIP solid cap, POSCAP and MLCC)
CPU - Support for Socket AM3+ processors
- Support for Socket AM3 processors: AMD PhenomTM II X6 /
X4 / X3 / X2 (except 920 / 940) / Athlon II X4 / X3 / X2 /
Sempron processors
- Supports 8-Core CPU
- Supports UCC feature (Unlock CPU Core) (see CAUTION 1)
- Digi Power Design
- Advanced 12 + 2 Power Phase Design
- Dual-Stack MOSFET (DSM)
- Supports CPU up to 140W
- Supports AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietTM Technology
- FSB 2600 MHz (5.2 GT/s)
- Supports Untied Overclocking Technology
- Supports Hyper-Transport 3.0 (HT 3.0) Technology
Chipset - Northbridge: AMD 990FX
- Southbridge: AMD SB950
Memory - Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology
- 4 x DDR3 DIMM slots
- Supports DDR3 2450(OC)/2100(OC)/1600/1333/1066
non-ECC, un-buffered memory (see CAUTION 2)
- Max. capacity of system memory: 64GB (see CAUTION 3)
- Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Prole (XMP) 1.3 / 1.2
- Supports AMD Memory Prole (AMP)
Expansion Slot - 4 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots (PCIE1 @ x16 mode; PCIE3
@ x4 mode; PCIE4/PCIE5: single at x16 (PCIE4) / x8 (PCIE5)
or dual at x8/x8 mode)
- 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slot
- 1 x PCI slot
- Supports AMD Quad CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireX
and CrossFireX
TM
- Supports NVIDIA® Quad SLITM, 3-Way SLITM and SLI
Audio - 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection
(Realtek ALC898 Audio Codec)
- Premium Blu-ray audio support
TM
TM
6
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
LAN - PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s
- Intel® 82583V
- Supports Wake-On-LAN
- Supports PXE
Rear Panel I/O I/O Panel
- 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port
- 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port
- 1 x Coaxial SPDIF Out Port
- 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
- 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports
- 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 3.0 Ports
- 2 x eSATA3 Connectors
- 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED
LED)
- 1 x IEEE 1394 Port
- 1 x Clear CMOS Switch with LED
- HD Audio Jack: Side Speaker/Rear Speaker/Central/Bass/
Line in/Front Speaker/Microphone
SATA3 - 6 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by AMD SB950, support
RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, JBOD and RAID 5),
NCQ, AHCI and “Hot Plug” functions
- 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by ASMedia ASM1061,
support NCQ, AHCI and “Hot Plug” functions
USB 3.0 - 4 x Rear USB 3.0 ports by Etron EJ188H, support
USB 1.1/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s
- 2 x Front USB 3.0 headers (support 4 USB 3.0 ports) by
Etron EJ188H, support USB 1.1/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s
Connector - 8 x SATA3 6.0Gb/s connectors
- 1 x IR header
- 1 x CIR header
- 1 x COM port header
- 1 x IEEE 1394 header
- 1 x Power LED header
- 2 x CPU Fan connectors (1 x 4-pin, 1 x 3-pin)
- 3 x Chassis Fan connectors (1 x 4-pin, 2 x 3-pin)
- 1 x Power Fan connector (3-pin)
- 24 pin ATX power connector
- 8 pin 12V power connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
- Front panel audio connector
- 2 x USB 2.0 headers (support 4 USB 2.0 ports)
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ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
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- 2 x USB 3.0 headers (support 4 USB 3.0 ports)
- 1 x Dr. Debug (7-Segment Debug LED)
- 1 x Power Switch with LED
- 1 x Reset Switch with LED
BIOS Feature - 32Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with GUI support
- Supports “Plug and Play”
- ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events
- Supports jumperfree
- SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support
- CPU, VCCM, NB, SB Voltage Multi-adjustment
Support CD - Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version),
CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, Google Chrome
Browser and Toolbar
Hardware - CPU Temperature Sensing
Monitor - Chassis Temperature Sensing
- CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer
- CPU/Chassis Quiet Fan
- CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Multi-Speed Control
- Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, Vcore
OS - Microsoft® Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista
TM
/
VistaTM 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit compliant
Certications - FCC, CE, WHQL
- ErP/EuP Ready (ErP/EuP ready power supply is required)
* For detailed product information, please visit our website: http://www.asrock.com
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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 third-party overclocking tools. Overclocking may
affect your system’s 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.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
CAUTION!
1. ASRock UCC (Unlock CPU Core) feature simplies AMD CPU
activation. As long as a simple switch of the UEFI option “ASRock UCC”, you can unlock the extra CPU core to enjoy an
instant performance boost. When UCC feature is enabled, the
dual-core or triple-core CPU will boost to the quad-core CPU,
and some CPU, including quad-core CPU, can also increase L3
cache size up to 6MB, which means you can enjoy the upgrade
CPU performance with a better price. Please be noted that UCC
feature is supported with AM3/AM3+ CPU only, and in addition,
not every AM3/AM3+ CPU can support this function because
some CPU’s hidden core may be malfunctioned.
2. Whether 2450/2100MHz memory speed is supported depends
on the AM3/AM3+ CPU you adopt. If you want to adopt DDR3
2450/2100 memory 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
3. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size
may be less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows® 8 / 7 / VistaTM. For Windows® 64-bit OS with 64bit CPU, there is no such limitation. You can use ASRock XFast
RAM to utilize the memory that Windows® cannot use.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
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1.3 Unique Features
ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU)
ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU) is an all-in-one tool to
ne-tune different system functions in a user-friendly interface,
which includes Hardware Monitor, Fan Control, Overclocking,
OC DNA, IES and XFast RAM. In Hardware Monitor, it shows
the major readings of your system. In Fan Control, it shows the
fan speed and temperature for you to adjust. In Overclocking,
you are allowed to overclock CPU frequency for optimal system
performance. In OC DNA, you can save your OC settings as
a prole and share it with your friends. Your friends then can
load the OC prole to their own system to get the same OC set-
tings. In IES (Intelligent Energy Saver), the voltage regulator
can reduce the number of output phases to improve efciency
when the CPU cores are idle without sacricing computing per-
formance. In XFast RAM, it fully utilizes the memory space that
cannot be used under Windows® OS 32-bit CPU.
ASRock Instant Boot
ASRock Instant Boot allows you to turn on your PC in just a few
seconds, provides a much more efcient way to save energy,
time, money, and improves system running speed for your system. It leverages the S3 and S4 ACPI features which normally
enable the Sleep/Standby and Hibernation modes in Windows®
to shorten boot up time. By calling S3 and S4 at specic timing
during the shutdown and startup process, Instant Boot allows
you to enter your Windows® desktop in a few seconds.
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ASRock Instant Flash
ASRock Instant Flash is a BIOS ash utility embedded in Flash
ROM. This convenient BIOS update tool allows you to update
system BIOS without entering operating systems rst like MS-
DOS or Windows®. With this utility, you can press the <F6> key
during the POST or the <F2> key to enter into the BIOS setup
menu to access ASRock Instant Flash. Just launch this tool and
save the new BIOS le to your USB ash drive, oppy disk or
hard drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks
without preparing an additional oppy diskette or other compli-
cated ash utility. Please be noted that the USB ash drive or
hard drive must use FAT32/16/12 le system.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
ASRock APP Charger
If you desire a faster, less restricted way of charging your
Apple devices, such as iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, ASRock has
prepared a wonderful solution for you - ASRock APP Charger.
Simply install the APP Charger driver, it makes your iPhone
charge much quickly from your computer and up to 40% faster
than before. ASRock APP Charger allows you to quickly charge
many Apple devices simultaneously and even supports continuous charging when your PC enters into Standby mode (S1),
Suspend to RAM (S3), hibernation mode (S4) or power off (S5).
With APP Charger driver installed, you can easily enjoy the marvelous charging experience.
ASRock XFast USB
ASRock XFast USB can boost USB storage device perfor-
mance. The performance may depend on the properties of the
device.
ASRock XFast LAN
ASRock XFast LAN provides a faster internet access, which in-
cludes the benets listed below. LAN Application Prioritization:
You can congure your application’s priority ideally and/or add
new programs. Lower Latency in Game: After setting online
game’s priority higher, it can lower the latency in games. Trafc
Shaping: You can watch Youtube HD videos and download simultaneously. Real-Time Analysis of Your Data: With the status
window, you can easily recognize which data streams you are
transferring currently.
ASRock XFast RAM
ASRock XFast RAM is a new function that is included into AS-
Rock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU). It fully utilizes the memory
space that cannot be used under Windows® OS 32-bit CPU.
ASRock XFast RAM shortens the loading time of previously
visited websites, making web surfing faster than ever. And it
also boosts the speed of Adobe Photoshop 5 times faster. Another advantage of ASRock XFast RAM is that it reduces the
frequency of accessing your SSDs or HDDs in order to extend
their lifespan.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
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ASRock Crashless BIOS
ASRock Crashless BIOS allows users to update their BIOS
without fear of failing. If power loss occurs during the BIOS up-
date process, ASRock Crashless BIOS will automatically nish
the BIOS update procedure after regaining power. Please note
that BIOS les need to be placed in the root directory of your
USB disk. Only USB2.0 ports support this feature.
ASRock OMG (Online Management Guard)
Administrators are able to establish an internet curfew or restrict
internet access at specied times via OMG. You may schedule
the starting and ending hours of internet access granted to other
users. In order to prevent users from bypassing OMG, guest
accounts without permission to modify the system time are required.
ASRock Internet Flash
ASRock Internet Flash searches for available UEFI firmware
updates from our servers. In other words, the system can auto-
detect the latest UEFI from our servers and ash them without
entering Windows® OS.
ASRock UEFI System Browser
ASRock UEFI system browser is a useful tool included in
graphical UEFI. It can detect the devices and configurations
that users are currently using in their PC. With the UEFI system
browser, you can easily examine the current system conguration in UEFI setup.
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ASRock Dehumidier Function
Users may prevent motherboard damages due to dampness by
enabling “Dehumidier Function”. When enabling Dehumidier
Function, the computer will power on automatically to dehumidi-
fy the system after entering S4/S5 state.
ASRock Easy RAID Installer
ASRock Easy RAID Installer can help you to copy the RAID
driver from a support CD to your USB storage device. After
copying the RAID driver to your USB storage device, please
change “SATA Mode” to “RAID”, then you can start installing the
OS in RAID mode.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
ASRock Fast Boot
With ASRock’s exclusive Fast Boot technology, it takes less
than 1.5 seconds to logon to Windows® 8 from a cold boot. No
more waiting! The speedy boot will completely change your user
experience and behavior.
ASRock X-Boost
ASRock’s X-Boost Technology is a smart auto-overclocking
function and is brilliantly designed to unlock the hidden power of
your CPUs. Simply press “X” when turning on the PC, X-Boost
will automatically overclock the relative components to get up to
15.77% performance boost! With the smart X-Boost, overclocking CPU can become a near one-button process.
* The functionality of “Unlock CPU Cores” feature might vary by
different processors.
ASRock Restart to UEFI
Windows® 8 brings the ultimate boot up experience. The light-
ning boot up speed makes it hard to access the UEFI setup. ASRock Restart to UEFI technology is designed for those requiring
frequent UEFI access. It allows users to easily enter the UEFI
automatically when turning on the PC next time. Just simply
enable this function; the PC will be assured to access the UEFI
directly in the very beginning.
Turbo 50 / Turbo 60 Overclocking
Simply click the Turbo 50 / Turbo 60 button in UEFI, the system
performance will boost up to 50% or 60% increase by automatically overclocking CPU, Memory frequency and all related voltage settings.
ASRock Good Night LED
ASRock Good Night LED technology can offer you a better en-
vironment by extinguishing the unessential LED. By enabling
Good Night LED in BIOS, the Power / HDD / LAN LED will be
switched off when system is on. Not only this, Good night LED
will automatically switch off Power and Keyboard LED when the
system enters into Standby / Hibernation mode as well.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
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2. Installation
This is an ATX form factor motherboard. Before you install the motherboard, study
the conguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard ts into it.
Pre-installation Precautions
Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard
components or change any motherboard settings.
Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the
power is switched off or the power cord is detached from the
power supply. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the
motherboard, peripherals, and/or components.
1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any
component.
2. To avoid damaging the motherboard components due to static electricity, NEVER place your motherboard directly on the carpet or the
like. Also remember to use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safety
grounded object before you handle components.
3. Hold components by the edges and do not touch the ICs.
4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic pad or in the bag that comes with the component.
5. When placing screws into the screw holes to secure the motherboard to the chassis, please do not over-tighten the screws! Doing
so may damage the motherboard.
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ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
2.1 CPU Installation
Step 1. Unlock the socket by lifting the lever up to a 90
o
angle.
Step 2. Position the CPU directly above the socket such that the CPU corner with
the golden triangle matches the socket corner with a small triangle.
Step 3. Carefully insert the CPU into the socket until it ts in place.
The CPU ts only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU
into the socket to avoid bending of the pins.
Step 4. When the CPU is in place, press it rmly on the socket while you push
down the socket lever to secure the CPU. The lever clicks on the side tab
to indicate that it is locked.
Lever 90° Up
CPU Golden Triangle
STEP 1:
Lift Up The Socket Lever
STEP 2 / STEP 3:
Match The CPU Golden Triangle
To The Socket Corner Small
Triangle
Socker Corner
Small Triangle
STEP 4:
Push Down And Lock
The Socket Lever
2.2 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink
After you install the CPU into this motherboard, it is necessary to install a
larger heatsink and cooling fan to dissipate heat. You also need to spray
thermal grease between the CPU and the heatsink to improve heat dissipation. Make sure that the CPU and the heatsink are securely fastened
and in good contact with each other. Then connect the CPU fan to the
CPU FAN connector (CPU_FAN1, see Page 2, No. 4 or CPU_FAN2, see
Page 2, No. 5). For proper installation, please kindly refer to the instruction manuals of the CPU fan and the heatsink.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
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2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)
This motherboard provides four 240-pin DDR3 (Double Data Rate 3) DIMM slots,
and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. For dual channel conguration,
you always need to install identical (the same brand, speed, size and chip-type)
DDR3 DIMM pair in the slots. In other words, you have to install identical DDR3
DIMM pair in Dual Channel (DDR3_A1 and DDR3_B1; see p.2 No.7) or identical
DDR3 DIMM pair in Dual Channel (DDR3_A2 and DDR3_B2; see p.2 No.8), so that
Dual Channel Memory Technology can be activated. This motherboard also allows
you to install four DDR3 DIMMs for dual channel conguration, and please install
identical DDR3 DIMMs in all four slots. You may refer to the Dual Channel Memory
Conguration Table below.
Dual Channel Memory Congurations
DDR3_A1 DDR3_A2 DDR3_B1 DDR3_B2
(Black Slot) (Black Slot) (Black Slot) (Black Slot)
(1) - Populated - Populated
(2) Populated - Populated (3)* Populated Populated Populated Populated
* For the conguration (3), please install identical DDR3 DIMMs in all four
slots.
1. Please install the memory module into DDR3_A2 and DDR3_B2
slots for the rst priority.
2. If you want to install two memory modules, for optimal compatibility
and reliability, it is recommended to install them either in the set
of DDR3_A1 and DDR3_B1 slots, or in the set of DDR3_A2 and
DDR3_B2 slots.
3. If only one memory module or three memory modules are installed
in the DDR3 DIMM slots on this motherboard, it is unable to activate
the Dual Channel Memory Technology.
4. If a pair of memory modules is NOT installed in the same Dual
Channel, for example, installing a pair of memory modules in
DDR3_A1 and DDR3_A2, it is unable to activate the Dual Channel
Memory Technology .
5. It is not allowed to install a DDR or DDR2 memory module into
DDR3 slot; otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be damaged.
6. If you adopt DDR3 2450/2100 memory modules on this motherboard, it is recommended to install them on DDR3_A2 and DDR3_
B2 slots.
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ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
Installing a DIMM
Please make sure to disconnect power supply before adding or
removing DIMMs or the system components.
Step 1. Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the retaining clips outward.
Step 2. Align a DIMM on the slot such that the notch on the DIMM matches the
break on the slot.
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.
The DIMM only ts in one correct orientation. It will cause permanent
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
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2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)
There is 1 PCI slot and 5 PCI Express slots on this motherboard.
PCI Slot: PCI slot is used to install expansion cards that have the 32-bit PCI
interface.
PCIE Slots:
PCIE1 (PCIE x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x16 lane width graphics
cards.
PCIE2 (PCIE x1 slot) is used for PCI Express cards with x1 lane width
cards, such as ASRock Game Blaster, Gigabit LAN card, SATA card.
PCIE3 (PCIE x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x4 lane width graphics
cards.
PCIE4 (PCIE x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x16 lane width graphics
cards.
PCIE5 (PCIE x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x8 lane width graphics
cards.
PCIE Slot Congurations
PCIE1 PCIE2 PCIE3 PCIE4 PCIE5
Single Graphics Card x16 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Two Graphics Cards in x16 N/A N/A x16 N/A
CrossFireXTM or SLITM Mode
Three Graphics Cards in x16 N/A N/A x8 x8
3-Way CrossFireXTM or
3-Way SLITM Mode
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1. In single VGA card mode, it is recommended to install a PCI Express
x16 graphics card in the PCIE1 slot.
2. In CrossFireXTM mode or SLITM mode, please install the PCI Express
x16 graphics cards in PCIE1 and PCIE4 slots. Both these two slots
will work at x16 bandwidth.
3. In 3-Way CrossFireXTM mode or 3-Way SLITM mode, please install the
PCI Express x16 graphics cards in PCIE1, PCIE4 and PCIE5 slots.
PCIE1 will work at x16 bandwidth, while PCIE4 and PCIE5 slots will
work at x8 bandwidth.
4. Please connect a chassis fan to the motherboard’s chassis fan
connector (CHA_FAN1, CHA_FAN2 or CHA_FAN3) when using
multiple graphics cards for better thermal environment.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
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.
Step 2. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed
in a chassis).
Step 3. Remove the bracket facing the slot that you intend to use. Keep the
screws for later use.
Step 4. Align the card connector with the slot and press rmly until the card is
completely seated on the slot.
Step 5. Fasten the card to the chassis with screws.
Step 6. Replace the system cover.
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2.5 SLITM, 3-Way SLITM and Quad SLI
TM
Operation Guide
This motherboard supports NVIDIA® SLITM, 3-Way SLITM and Quad SLITM (Scalable
Link Interface) technology that allows you to install up to three identical PCI Express
x16 graphics cards. Currently, NVIDIA® SLITM technology supports Windows® XP
/ XP 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit / 8 / 8 64-bit OS. NVIDIA® 3-Way
TM
SLI
and Quad SLITM technology support Windows® VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / 7 / 7
64-bit / 8 / 8 64-bit OS only. Please follow the installation procedures in this section.
Requirements
1. For SLITM technology, you should have two identical SLITM-ready graphics
cards that are NVIDIA® certied. For 3-Way SLITM technology, you should
have three identical 3-Way SLITM-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA®
certied. For Quad SLITM technology, you should have two identical Quad
SLITM-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA® certied.
2. Make sure that your graphics card driver supports NVIDIA® SLITM technology.
Download the driver from NVIDIA website (www.nvidia.com).
3. Make sure that your power supply unit (PSU) can provide at least the
minimum power required by your system. It is recommended to use
NVIDIA® certied PSU. Please refer to NVIDIA® website for details.
2.5.1 Graphics Card Setup
2.5.1.1 Installing Two SLITM-Ready Graphics Cards
Step 1. Install the identical SLITM-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA® certied
because different types of graphics cards will not work together properly.
(Even the GPU chips version shall be the same.) Insert one graphics card
into PCIE1 slot and the other graphics card to PCIE4 slot. Make sure that
the cards are properly seated on the slots.
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Step2. If required, connect the auxiliary power source to the PCI Express graph-
ics cards.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
Step3. Align and insert the ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card to the goldngers on
each graphics card. Make sure the ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card is rmly
in place.
ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card
Step4. Connect a VGA cable or a DVI cable to the monitor connector or the DVI
connector of the graphics card that is inserted to PCIE1 slot.
2.5.1.2 Installing Three SLITM-Ready Graphics Cards
Step 1. Install the identical 3-Way SLITM-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA®
certied because different types of graphics cards will not work together
properly. (Even the GPU chips version shall be the same.) Each graph-
ics card should have two goldngers for ASRock 3-Way SLI-2S1S Bridge
Card connector. Insert one graphics card into PCIE1 slot, another graphics
card to PCIE4 slot, and the other graphics card to PCIE5 slot. Make sure
that the cards are properly seated on the slots.
Two Goldngers
Step2. Connect the auxiliary power source to the PCI Express graphics card.
Please make sure that both power connectors on the PCI Express graphics card are connected. Repeat this step on the three graphics cards.
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Step3. Align and insert ASRock 3-Way SLI-2S1S Bridge Card to the goldngers
on each graphics card. Make sure ASRock 3-Way SLI-2S1S Bridge Card
is rmly in place.
ASRock 3-Way SLI-2S1S Bridge Card
Step4. Connect a VGA cable or a DVI cable to the monitor connector or the DVI
connector of the graphics card that is inserted to PCIE1 slot.
Please refer to the “User Manual“ in our support CD for drivers installation and
setup procedures.
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* SLITM appearing here is a registered trademark of NVIDIA® Technologies Inc., and is used
only for identication or explanation and to the owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
2.6 CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireXTM and Quad CrossFireX
Operation Guide
Th is motherboard support s C ros sFi reXTM, 3-w ay CrossFireX
TM
TM
an d Quad
CrossFireXTM feature. CrossFireXTM technology offers the most advantageous
means available of combining multiple high performance Graphics Processing
Units (GPU) in a single PC. Combining a range of different operating modes with
intelligent software design and an innovative interconnect mechanism, CrossFireXTM
enables the highest possible level of performance and image quality in any 3D
application. Currently CrossFireXTM feature is supported with Windows® XP with
Service Pack 2 / VistaTM / 7 / 8 OS. 3-way CrossFireXTM and Quad CrossFireX
TM
feature are supported with Windows® VistaTM / 7 / 8 OS only. Please check AMD
website for AMD CrossFireXTM driver updates.
1. If a customer incorrectly configures their system the y will no t see the
performance benets of CrossFireXTM. All three CrossFireXTM components, a
CrossFireXTM Ready graphics card, a CrossFireXTM Ready motherboard and a
CrossFireXTM Edition co-processor graphics card, must be installed correctly
to benet from the CrossFireXTM multi-GPU platform.
2. If you pair a 12-pipe CrossFireXTM Edition card with a 16-pipe card, both
cards will operate as 12-pipe cards while in CrossFireXTM mode.
2.6.1 Graphics Card Setup
2.6.1.1 Installing Two CrossFireXTM-Ready Graphics Cards
Different CrossFireXTM cards may require different methods to enable CrossFi-
reXTM feature. Please refer to AMD graphics card manuals for detailed installation
guide.
Step 1. Insert one Radeon graphics card into PCIE1 slot and the other Radeon
graphics card to PCIE4 slot. Make sure that the cards are properly seated
on the slots.
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Step 2. Connect two Radeon graphics cards by installing CrossFire Bridge on
CrossFire Bridge Interconnects on the top of Radeon graphics cards.
(CrossFire Bridge is provided with the graphics card you purchase, not
bundled with this motherboard. Please refer to your graphics card vendor
for details.)
CrossFire Bridge
or
Step 3. Connect the DVI monitor cable to the DVI connector on the Radeon graph-
ics card on PCIE1 slot. (You may use the DVI to D-Sub adapter to convert
the DVI connector to D-Sub interface, and then connect the D-Sub monitor
cable to the DVI to D-Sub adapter.)
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2.6.1.2 Installing Three CrossFireXTM-Ready Graphics Cards
Step 1. Install the identical 3-Way CrossFireXTM-ready graphics cards that are
AMD certied because different types of graphics cards will not work together properly. (Even the GPU chips version shall be the same.) Insert
one graphics card into PCIE1 slot, another graphics card to PCIE4 slot,
and the other graphics card to PCIE5 slot. Make sure that the cards are
properly seated on the slots.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
Step 2. Use one CrossFireTM Bridge to connect Radeon graphics cards on PCIE1
and PCIE4 slots, and use the other CrossFireTM Bridge to connect Radeon
graphics cards on PCIE4 and PCIE5 slots. (CrossFireTM Bridge is provided
with the graphics card you purchase, not bundled with this motherboard.
Please refer to your graphics card vendor for details.)
CrossFireTM Bridge
Step 3. Connect the DVI monitor cable to the DVI connector on the Radeon graph-
ics card on PCIE1 slot. (You may use the DVI to D-Sub adapter to convert
the DVI connector to D-Sub interface, and then connect the D-Sub monitor
cable to the DVI to D-Sub adapter.)
Please refer to the “User Manual“ in our support CD for drivers installation and
setup procedures.
* CrossFireXTM appearing here is a registered trademark of AMD Technologies Inc., and is
used only for identication or explanation and to the owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.
* For further information of AMD CrossFireXTM technology, please check AMD website for
updates and details.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
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2.7 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 Setting
Clear CMOS Jumper
(CLRCMOS1)
(see p.2, No. 29)
Note: CLRCMOS1 allows you to clear the data in CMOS. The data in CMOS in-
cludes 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 nish updating the BIOS, you must boot up the system rst, and then
shut it down before you do the clear-CMOS action.
The Clear CMOS Switch has the same function as the Clear CMOS
jumper.
Clear CMOSDefault
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ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
2.8 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!
Serial ATA3 Connectors These eight Serial ATA3
(SATA3_1_2: see p.2, No. 18)
(SATA3_3_4: see p.2, No. 17)
(SATA3_5_6: see p.2, No. 16)
(SATA3_A1_A2: see p.2, No. 15)
6.0 Gb/s data transfer rate.
(SATA3) connectors support
SATA data cables for internal
storage devices. The current
SATA3 interface allows up to
SATA3_1 SATA3_3 SATA3_5 SATA3_A1
SATA3_2 SATA3_4 SATA3_6 SATA3_A2
Serial ATA (SATA) Ei ther end of the SATA data
Data Cable cable can be connected to the
(Optional)
SATA3 hard disk or the SATA3
connector on this motherboard.
Serial ATA (SATA) Please connect the black end
Power Cable of SATA power cable to the
(Optional)
Then connect the white end of
SATA power cable to the power
connector of the power supply.
power connector on each drive.
connect to the SATA
HDD power connector
connect to the
power supply
USB 2.0 Headers Besides four default USB 2.0
(9-pin USB4_5)
(see p.2 No. 26)
ports on the I/O panel, there
are two USB 2.0 headers on
this motherboard. Each USB 2.0
header can support two USB
2.0 ports.
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(9-pin USB6_7)
(see p.2 No. 25)
USB 3.0 Headers Besides four default USB 3.0
(19-pin USB3_4_5)
(see p.2 No. 12)
ports on the I/O panel, there are
two USB 3.0 headers on this
motherboard. Each USB 3.0
header can support two USB
3.0 ports.
(19-pin USB3_6_7)
(see p.2 No. 11)
Infrared Module Header This header supports an
(5-pin IR1)
optional wireless transmitting
(see p.2 No. 32)
and receiving infrared module.
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Front Panel Audio Header This is an interface for the front
(9-pin HD_AUDIO1)
(see p.2 No. 34)
panel audio cable that allows
convenient connection and
control of audio devices.
1
GND
PRE SENC E#
MIC 2_R
MIC 2_L
MIC _RET
J_S ENSE
OUT 2_R
OUT _RET
OUT 2_L
1. High Denition 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 AC’97 audio panel, please install it to the front panel audio
header as below:
A. Connect Mic_IN (MIC) to MIC2_L.
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
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 don’t
need to connect them for AC’97 audio panel.
E. To activate the front mic.
For Windows® XP / XP 64-bit OS:
Select “Mixer”. Select “Recorder”. Then click “FrontMic”.
For Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS:
Go to the “FrontMic” Tab in the Realtek Control panel. Adjust
“Recording Volume”.
System Panel Header This header accommodates
(9-pin PANEL1)
(see p.2 No. 28)
several system front panel
functions.
Connect the power switch, reset switch and system status indicator
on the chassis to this header according to the pin assignments below.
Note the positive and negative pins before connecting the cables.
PWRBTN (Power Switch):
Connect to the power switch on the chassis front panel. You may con-
gure the way to turn off your system using the power switch.
RESET (Reset Switch):
Connect to the reset switch on the chassis front panel. Press the reset
switch to restart the computer if the computer freezes and fails to perform a normal restart.
PLED (System Power LED):
Connect to the power status indicator on the chassis front panel. The
LED is on when the system is operating. The LED keeps blinking
when the sys-tem is in S1 sleep state. The LED is off when the system
is in S3/S4 sleep state or powered off (S5).
HDLED (Hard Drive Activity LED):
Connect to the hard drive activity LED on the chassis front panel. The
LED is on when the hard drive is reading or writing data.
The front panel design may differ by chassis. A front panel module
mainly consists of power switch, reset switch, power LED, hard drive
activity LED, speaker and etc. When connecting your chassis front
panel module to this header, make sure the wire assignments and the
pin assign-ments are matched correctly.
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Chassis Speaker Header Please connect the chassis
(4-pin SPEAKER 1)
(see p.2 No. 19)
speaker to this header.
Power LED Header Please connect the chassis
(3-pin PLED1)
(see p.2 No. 30)
power LED to this header to
indicate system power status.
The LED is on when the system
is operating. The LED keeps
blinking in S1 state. The LED is
off in S3/S4 state or S5 state
(power off).
Chassis and Power Fan Connectors Please connect the fan cables
(4-pin CHA_FAN1)
(see p.2 No. 20)
to the fan connectors and
match the black wire to the
ground pin. CHA_FAN1/2/3 fan
(3-pin CHA_FAN2)
(see p.2 No. 6)
(3-pin CHA_FAN3)
(see p.2 No. 24)
speed can be controlled through
UEFI or AXTU.
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(3-pin PWR_FAN1)
(see p.2 No. 9)
CPU Fan Connectors Please connect the CPU fan
(4-pin CPU_FAN1)
(see p.2 No. 4)
cable to the connector and
match the black wire to the
ground pin.
FAN_ SPEE D_CO NTRO L
CPU _FAN_ SPEE D
+12 V
GND
1 2 3 4
Though this motherboard provides 4-Pin CPU fan (Quiet Fan) support, the 3-Pin
CPU fan still can work successfully even without the fan speed control function.
If you plan to connect the 3-Pin CPU fan to the CPU fan connector on this
motherboard, please connect it to Pin 1-3.
Pin 1-3 Connected
3-Pin Fan Installation
ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Motherboard
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