ASRock Fatal1ty Z68 Owner's Manual

Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3

Series

User Manual

Version 1.0

Published June 2011

Copyright©2011 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.

1

Fatal1ty Story

Who knew that at age 19, I would be a World Champion PC gamer. When I was 13, I
actually played competitive billiards in professional tournaments and won four or five
games off guys who played at the highest level. I actually thought of making a career
of it, but at that young age situations change rapidly. Because I’ve been blessed with
great hand-eye coordination and a grasp of mathematics (an important element in video
gaming) I gravitated to that activity.

GOING PRO

I started professional gaming in 1999 when I entered the CPL (Cyberathlete Professional
League) tournament in Dallas and won $4,000 for coming in third place. Emerging as one
of the top players in the United States, a company interested in sponsoring me fl ew me
to Sweden to compete against the top 12 players in the world. I won 18 straight games,
lost none, and took fi rst place, becoming the number one ranked Quake III player in the
world in the process. Two months later I followed that success by traveling to Dallas
and defending my title as the world’s best Quake III player, winning the $40,000 grand
prize. From there I entered competitions all over the world, including Singapore, Korea,
Germany, Australia, Holland and Brazil in addition to Los Angeles, New York and St.
Louis.

WINNING STREAK

I was excited to showcase my true gaming skills when defending my title as CPL
Champion of the year at the CPL Winter 2001 because I would be competing in a totally
different first person shooter (fps) game, Alien vs. Predator II. I won that competition
and walked away with a new car. The next year I won the same title playing Unreal
Tournament 2003, becoming the only three-time CPL champion of the year. And I did it
playing a different game each year, something no one else has ever done and a feat of
which I am extremely proud.

At QuakeCon 2002, I faced off against my rival ZeRo4 in one of the most highly
anticipated matches of the year, winning in a 14 to (-1) killer victory. Competing at
Quakecon 2004, I became the World’s 1st Doom3 Champion by defeating Daler in a
series of very challenging matches and earning $25,000 for the victory.

Since then Fatal1ty has traveled the globe to compete against the best in the world,
winning prizes and acclaim, including the 2005 CPL World Tour Championship in New
York City for a $150,000 fi rst place triumph. In August 2007, Johnathan was awarded the
fi rst ever Lifetime Achievement Award in the four year history of the eSports-Award for
“showing exceptional sportsmanship, taking part in shaping eSports into what it is today
and for being the prime representative of this young sport. He has become the fi gurehead
for eSports worldwide”.

2

LIVIN’ LARGE

Since my fi rst big tournament wins, I have been a “Professional Cyberathlete”, traveling
the world and livin’ large with lots of International media coverage on outlets such as
MTV, ESPN and a 60 Minutes segment on CBS to name only a few. It's unreal - it's crazy.
I’m living a dream by playing video games for a living. I’ve always been athletic and
took sports like hockey and football very seriously, working out and training hard. This
discipline helps me become a better gamer and my drive to be the best has opened the
doors necessary to become a professional.

A DREAM

Now, another dream is being realized – building the ultimate gaming computer, made
up of the best parts under my own brand. Quality hardware makes a huge difference in
competitions…a couple more frames per second and everything gets really nice. It’s all
about getting the computer processing faster and allowing more fl uid movement around
the maps.

My vision for Fatal1ty hardware is to allow gamers to focus on the game without worrying
about their equipment, something I’ve preached since I began competing. I don’t want to
worry about my equipment. I want to be there – over and done with - so I can focus on the
game. I want it to be the fastest and most stable computer equipment on the face of the
planet, so quality is what Fatal1ty Brand products represent.

Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel

The Fatal1ty name, Fatal1ty logos and the Fatal1ty likeness are registered trademarks of
Fatal1ty, Inc., and are used under license. © 2011 Fatal1ty, Inc. All rights reserved. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

3

Copyright Notice:

No part of this manual 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 manual may or may not be regis­tered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for
identifi cation or explanation and to the owners’ benefi t, without intent to infringe.

Disclaimer:

Specifi cations and information contained in this manual are furnished for informa-
tional 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 manual.
With respect to the contents of this manual, ASRock does not provide warranty of
any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warran­ties or conditions of merchantability or fi tness for a particular purpose.
In no event shall ASRock, its directors, offi cers, employees, or agents be liable for
any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages (including damages for
loss of profi ts, 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 manual 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

4

Contents

1 Introduction ......................................................... 7

1.1 Package Contents ......................................................... 7

1.2 Specifi cations ................................................................. 8

1.3 Motherboard Layout ....................................................... 15

1.4 I/O

Panel ...................................................................... 16

2 Installation ........................................................... 18

2.1 Screw Holes ................................................................... 18

2.2 Pre-installation Precautions ......................................... 18

2.3 CPU Installation ............................................................. 19

2.4 Installation of Heatsink and CPU fan ............................. 21

2.5 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM) ........................ 22

2.6 Expansion Slots

2.7 SLITM and Quad SLI

2.8 CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireXTM and Quad

CrossFireXTM Operation Guide ...................................... 29

2.9 Dual Monitor and Surround Display Features ................ 35

2.10 Jumpers Setup .......................................................... 38

2.11 Onboard Headers and Connectors ............................ 39

2.12 Smart Switches .......................................................... 45

2.13 Dr. Debug ................................................................... 46

2.14 Serial ATA (SATA) / Serial ATAII (SATAII) Hard Disks

Installation .................................................................. 50

2.15 Serial ATA3 (SATA3) Hard Disks Installation ............. 50

2.16 Hot Plug and Hot Swap Functions for SATA / SATAII

HDDs ............................................................................ 51

2.17 Hot Plug and Hot Swap Functions for SATA3 HDDs .... 51

2.18 SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD Hot Plug Feature and

Operation Guide ........................................................ 52

2.19 Driver Installation Guide ............................................ 54

2.20 Installing Windows

64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit With RAID Functions .............. 54

2.20.1 Installing Windows® XP / XP 64-bit With RAID

Functions............................................................ 54

2.20.2 Setting Up a “RAID Ready” System ................... 55

2.20.3 Migrating a “RAID Ready” System to RAID 0,

RAID 1 or RAID 5 ............................................... 56

2.20.4 Installing Windows

VistaTM 64-bit With RAID Functions .................... 57

(PCI and PCI Express Slots)

TM

Operation Guide ......................... 25

®

7 / 7 64-bit / Vista

®

7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM /

.................... 24

TM

/ VistaTM

5

2.21 Installing Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista

TM

/ VistaTM 64-bit

/ XP / XP 64-bit Without RAID Functions ................... 58

2.21.1 Installing Windows

®

XP / XP 64-bit Without RAID

Functions............................................................ 58

2.21.2 Installing Windows
Vista

TM

64-bit Without RAID Functions ............... 59

®

7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM /

2.22 Teaming Function Operation Guide ............................ 60

3 UEFI SETUP UTILITY ................................................. 64

3.1 Introduction .................................................................... 64

3.1.1 UEFI Menu Bar .................................................... 64

3.1.2 Navigation Keys ................................................... 65

3.2 Main Screen ................................................................... 65

3.3 OC Tweaker Screen ...................................................... 66

3.4 Advanced Screen ........................................................... 70

3.4.1 CPU Confi guration ............................................... 71

3.4.2 North Bridge Confi guration................................... 73

3.4.3 South Bridge Confi guration .................................. 75

3.4.4 Storage Confi guration .......................................... 76

3.4.5 Super IO Confi guration ........................................ 77

3.4.6 ACPI Confi guration............................................... 78

3.4.7 USB Confi guration ............................................... 79

3.5 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen ................... 80

3.6 Boot Screen ................................................................... 81

3.7 Security Screen ............................................................. 82

3.8 Exit Screen .................................................................... 83

4 Software Support ................................................. 84

4.1 Install Operating System ................................................ 84

4.2 Support CD Information ................................................. 84

4.2.1 Running Support CD ............................................ 84

4.2.2 Drivers Menu ........................................................ 84

4.2.3 Utilities Menu........................................................ 84

4.2.4 Contact Information .............................................. 84

6

Chapter 1: Introduction

Thank you for purchasing ASRock Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 Series 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.
In this manual, chapter 1 and 2 contain introduction of the motherboard and step­by-step guide to the hardware installation. Chapter 3 and 4 contain the confi guration
guide to BIOS setup and information of the Support CD.

Because the motherboard specifi cations and the BIOS software might be
updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without no­tice. In case any modifi cations of this manual occur, the updated version
will be available on ASRock website without further notice. You may fi 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 specifi c information about the model you are using.
www.asrock.com/support/index.asp

1.1 Package Contents

ASRock Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 Series Motherboard
(ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 9.6-in, 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm)
ASRock Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 Series Quick Installation Guide
ASRock Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 Series Support CD
1 x 80-conductor Ultra ATA 66/100/133 IDE Ribbon Cable
1 x Ribbon Cable for a 3.5-in Floppy Drive
6 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)
2 x Serial ATA (SATA) HDD Power Cables (Optional)
1 x 3.5mm Audio Cable (Optional)
1 x I/O Panel Shield
1 x Front USB 3.0 Panel
4 x HDD Screws
6 x Chassis Screws
1 x Rear USB 3.0 Bracket
1 x ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card
1 x HDMI to DVI Adapter

ASRock Reminds You...

To get better performance in Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista
bit, it is recommended to set the BIOS option in Storage Confi guration to
AHCI mode. For the BIOS setup, please refer to the “User Manual” in our
support CD for details.

TM

/ VistaTM 64-

7

1.2 Specifications

Platform - ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 9.6-in, 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm

- All Solid Capacitor design (100% Japan-made high-quality
Conductive Polymer Capacitors)
CPU - Supports 2nd Generation Intel
LGA1155 Package

- Advanced V12+6 Power Phase Design

- Supports Intel

®

Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology

- Supports K-Series unlocked CPU

- Supports Hyper-Threading Technology (see CAUTION 1)

Chipset - Intel® Z68
Memory - Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology (see CAUTION 2)

- 4 x DDR3 DIMM slots

- Supports DDR3 2133(OC)/1866(OC)/1600/1333/1066
non-ECC, un-buffered memory (see CAUTION 3)

- Max. capacity of system memory: 32GB (see CAUTION 4)

- Supports Intel

®

Extreme Memory Profi le (XMP)
Expansion Slot - 2 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots (PCIE2/PCIE4: single at
x16 (PCIE2) / x8 (PCIE4) or dual at x8 (PCIE2) / x8 (PCIE4)
mode) (see CAUTION 5)

- 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot (PCIE5: x4 mode)

- 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots

- 2 x PCI slots

- Supports AMD
and CrossFireX

TM

Quad CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireXTM

TM

- Supports NVIDIA® Quad SLITM and SLI
Graphics * * Requires Processor with Intel® Graphics Technology

- Intel® HD Graphics 2000/3000

- Pixel Shader 4.1, DirectX 10.1

- Max. shared memory 1759MB (see CAUTION 6)

- Four VGA Output options: one D-Sub port, two HDMI ports
and one DVI-D port by the bundled HDMI to DVI adpater
(see CAUTION 7)

- Supports HDMI 1.4a Technology with max. resolution up to
1920x1200 @ 60Hz

- Supports DVI with max. resolution up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz

- Supports D-Sub with max. resolution up to 2048x1536 @
75Hz

- Supports Auto Lip Sync, Deep Color (12bpc), xvYCC and
HBR (High Bit Rate Audio) with HDMI

®

CoreTM i7 / i5 / i3 in

TM

8

(Compliant HDMI monitor is required) (see CAUTION 8)

- Supports Blu-ray Stereoscopic 3D with HDMI 1.4a

- Supports HDCP function with DVI and HDMI ports

- Supports Full HD 1080p Blu-ray (BD) / HD-DVD playback
with DVI and HDMI ports
Audio - 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection
(Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec)

- Premium Blu-ray audio support

- Supports THX TruStudio

TM

LAN - PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s

- Realtek RTL8111E

- Supports Wake-On-LAN

- Supports LAN Cable Detection

- Supports Energy Effi cient Ethernet 802.3az

- Supports Dual LAN with Teaming function

- Supports PXE
Rear Panel I/O I/O Panel

- 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port

- 1 x VGA/D-Sub Port

- 2 x HDMI Ports

- 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port

- 3 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports

- 1 x Fatal1ty Mouse Port (USB2.0)

- 1 x eSATA3 Connector

- 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 3.0 Ports

- 2 x RJ-45 LAN Ports with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED
LED)

- 1 x IEEE 1394 Port

- 1 x Clear CMOS Switch with LED

- HD Audio Jack: Rear Speaker/Central/Bass/Line in/Front
Speaker/Microphone (see CAUTION 9)
SATA3 - 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by Intel Z68, support RAID
(RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, RAID 5, Intel Rapid Storage and
Intel Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and "Hot
Plug" functions

- 4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by ASMedia ASM1061,
support NCQ, AHCI and "Hot Plug" functions
(SATA3_A4 connector is shared with eSATA3 port)
USB3.0 - 4 x Rear USB 3.0 ports by ASMedia ASM1042, support USB

1.0/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s

- 1 x Front USB 3.0 header (supports 2 USB 3.0 ports) by

9

ASMedia ASM1042, supports USB 1.0/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s
Connector - 4 x SATA2 3.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,
RAID 1, RAID 10, RAID 5, Intel Rapid Storage and Intel
Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
functions

- 1x ATA133 IDE connector (supports 2 x IDE devices)

- 1 x Floppy connector

- 1 x IR header

- 1 x COM port header

- 1 x HDMI_SPDIF header

- 1 x IEEE 1394 header

- 1 x Power LED header

- CPU/Chassis/Power FAN connector

- 24 pin ATX power connector

- 8 pin 12V power connector

- CD in header

- Front panel audio connector

- 2 x USB 2.0 headers (support 4 USB 2.0 ports)

- 1 x USB 3.0 header (supports 2 USB 3.0 ports)

- 1 x Dr. Debug (7-Segment Debug LED)
Smart Switch - 1 x Clear CMOS Switch with LED

- 1 x Power Switch with LED

- 1 x Reset Switch with LED
BIOS Feature - 64Mb AMI BIOS

- 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 Core, IGPU, DRAM, PCH, CPU PLL, VTT, VCCSA
Voltage Multi-adjustment
Support CD - Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version),
CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, ASRock Software Suite
(CyberLink DVD Suite - OEM and Trial)
Unique Feature - F-Stream (see CAUTION 10)

- ASRock Instant Boot

- ASRock Instant Flash (see CAUTION 11)

- ASRock APP Charger (see CAUTION 12)

- ASRock SmartView (see CAUTION 13)

- ASRock XFast USB (see CAUTION 14)

- 6 x SATA3 6.0Gb/s connectors

10

- Lucid Virtu (see CAUTION 15)

- ASRock On/Off Play Technology (see CAUTION 16)

- Hybrid Booster:

- CPU Frequency Stepless Control (see CAUTION 17)

- ASRock U-COP (see CAUTION 18)

- Boot Failure Guard (B.F.G.)

- Combo Cooler Option (C.C.O.) (see CAUTION 19)

- Good Night LED
Hardware - CPU Temperature Sensing
Monitor - Chassis Temperature Sensing

- CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer

- CPU/Chassis Quiet Fan (Allow Chassis Fan Speed
Auto-Adjust by CPU Temperature)

- CPU/Chassis Fan Multi-Speed Control

- Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, CPU Vcore
OS - Microsoft

®

Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista

TM

/ VistaTM 64-bit
/ XP / XP 64-bit compliant
Certifi cations - FCC, CE, WHQL

- ErP/EuP Ready (ErP/EuP ready power supply is required)
(see CAUTION 20)

* 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 third-party 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.

11

CAUTION!

1. About the setting of “Hyper Threading Technology”, please check page

71.

2. 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 22 for proper installation.

3. DDR3 frequency options may depend on the processor. Only K-Series
CPU can support DDR3 overclock to 2133 and 1866.

4. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be
less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows
VistaTM / XP. For Windows® OS with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limita­tion.

5. To run the PCI Express in Gen 3 speed, please must install the Ivy Bridge
CPU which supports PCI Express Gen3. If you install the Sandy Bridge
CPU, the PCI Express will run only at PCI Express Gen 2 speed.

6. The maximum shared memory size is defi ned by the chipset vendor and
is subject to change. Please check Intel

®

website for the latest informa-

tion.

7. You can choose to use two of the four monitors only. D-Sub, DVI-D, and
HDMI monitors cannot be enabled at the same time. Besides, with the
HDMI to DVI adapter, the HDMI port can support the same features as
DVI-D port.

8. xvYCC and Deep Color are only supported under Windows

7. Deep Color mode will be enabled only if the display supports 12bpc
in EDID. HBR is supported under Windows

®

7 64-bit / 7 / VistaTM 64-bit /

VistaTM.

9. 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 16
for proper connection.

10. F-Stream is an all-in-one tool to fi ne-tune different system functions in a
user-friendly interface, which currently includes Hardware Monitor, Fan
Control, Overclocking, OC DNA, Mouse Polling and IES. In the Hardware
Monitor mode, F-Stream shows the major readings of your system. In
Fan Control mode, F-Stream shows the fan speed and temperature for
you to adjust. In Overclocking Control mode, F-Stream allows you to
overclock the CPU frequency for optimal system performance. In OC
DNA mode, you can save your OC settings as a profi le and share them
with your friends. Your friends can then load the OC profi le in to their own
system to get the same OC settings. In Mouse Polling mode, F-Stream
allows you to adjust the mouse polling rate of the Fatal1ty Mouse port to
add a professional level mouse confi guration. In IES (Intelligent Energy
Saver) mode, the voltage regulator can reduce the number of output
phases to improve effi ciency when the CPU cores are idle without sacri-
fi cing computing performance.

®

7 /

®

7 64-bit /

12

11. ASRock Instant Flash is a BIOS fl ash utility embedded in Flash ROM.
This convenient BIOS update tool allows you to update system BIOS
without entering operating systems fi rst 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 fi le to your USB fl ash drive, fl oppy disk or hard
drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without prepar­ing an additional fl oppy diskette or other complicated fl ash utility. Please
be noted that the USB fl ash drive or hard drive must use FAT32/16/12 fi le
system.

12. If you desire a faster, less restricted way of charging your Apple devices,
such as iPhone/iPod/iPad Touch, ASRock has prepared a wonderful so­lution for you - ASRock APP Charger. Simply installing the APP Charger
driver, it makes your iPhone charged 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 than ever.

ASRock website: http://www.asrock.com/Feature/AppCharger/index.asp

13. ASRock

SmartView, a new function of internet browser, is the smart
start page for IE that combines your most visited web sites, your history,
your Facebook friends and your real-time newsfeed into an enhanced
view for a more personal Internet experience. ASRock motherboards are
exclusively equipped with the SmartView utility that helps you keep in
touch with friends on-the-go. To use ASRock SmartView feature, please
make sure your OS version is Windows

®

7 / 7 64 bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64

bit, and your browser version is IE8.

ASRock website: http://www.asrock.com/Feature/SmartView/index.asp

14. ASRock XFast USB can boost USB storage device performance. The
performance may depend on the property of the device.

15. With Lucid Virtu technology, you can enjoy benefi ts from both 3D perfor-
mance of the discrete GPU and advanced media features of Intel

®

HD

graphics.

16. ASRock On/Off Play Technology allows users to enjoy the great audio ex­perience from the portable audio devices, such like MP3 player or mobile
phone to your PC, even when the PC is turned off (or in ACPI S5 mode)!
This motherboard also provides a free 3.5mm audio cable (optional) that
ensures users the most convenient computing environment.

17. 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.

18. 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

13

again. To improve heat dissipation, remember to spray thermal grease
between the CPU and the heatsink when you install the PC system.

19. Combo Cooler Option (C.C.O.) provides the fl exible option to adopt three

different CPU cooler types, Socket LGA 775, LGA 1155 and LGA 1156.
Please be noticed that not all the 775 and 1156 CPU Fan can be used.

20. EuP, stands for Energy Using Product, was a provision regulated by Eu-

ropean Union to defi ne 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
Intel’s suggestion, the EuP ready power supply must meet the standard
of 5v standby power effi ciency 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.

14

1.3 Motherboard Layout

12

USB 2.0

T: USB0

B: USB1

Keyboard

PS2

HDMI1

VGA1

HDMI2

Clr

CMOS

USB 3.0

T: USB0

B: USB1

IEEE 1394

eSATA_1

USB 3.0

T: USB2

B: USB3

Center:

REAR SPK

Bottom:

Optical

SPDIF

Bottom:

MIC IN

Center:

FRONT

43
42
41

40

AUDIO
CODEC

39
38

37

36

35

Designed in Taipei

HD_AUDIO1

1

B: USB3

Top:

RJ-45

USB 2.0

T: USB2

Top:

RJ-45

Top:

SIDE SPK

Top:

LINE IN

Super

I/O

HDMI_SPDIF1

1

IR1

1

ATX12V1

LAN
PHY

PWR_FAN1

PCIE1

RoHS
USB 3.0

PCIE2

PCI1

CD1

X

FAST USB

PCIE3

PCIE4

PCI2

Z68 P

ROFESSIONAL GEN3

PCIE5

SATA3 6Gb/s

CMOS
Battery

FATAL1TY

FLOPPY1

24.4cm (9.6 in)

Intel

Z68

COM1

1

1

CPU_FAN2

1394a

Front USB 3.0

USB8_91USB6_7

1

CPU_FAN1

FRONT_1394

3

DDR3_A1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)

DDR3 2133

64Mb
BIOS

ErP/EuPReady
HDMI 1.4a
DX10.1

CHA_FAN2

4

CLRCMOS1

CHA_FAN1

DDR3_A2 (64 bit, 240-pin module)

5

DDR3_B1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)

PWRBTN

11

SPEAKER1

1

PLED PWRBTN

HDLED RESET

DDR3_B2 (64 bit, 240-pin module)

SATA2_4_5

SATA2_2_3

SATA3_0_1

SATA3_A1_A2SATA3_A3_A4

Debug

RSTBTN

1

PLED1

CHA_FAN3

IDE1

USB3_4_5

Dr.

PANEL1

ATXPWR1

6

30.5cm (12.0 in)

7

8

9

10
11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18
19

20

34

23252627282930313233

2124 22

1 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1) 23 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN2)
2 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN2) 24 Front Panel IEEE 1394 Header
3 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1) (FRONT_1394, Red)
4 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 25 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)
(Dual Channel: DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1, Red) 26 Power Switch (PWRBTN)
5 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 27 USB 2.0 Header (USB8_9, Black)
(Dual Channel: DDR3_A2, DDR3_B2, Black) 28 USB 2.0 Header (USB6_7, Black)
6 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN3) 29 COM Port Header (COM1)
7 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1) 30 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE5, Red)
8 Primary IDE Connector (IDE1, Black) 31 Floppy Connector (FLOPPY1)
9 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_4_5, Black) 32 HDMI_SPDIF Header (HDMI_SPDIF1, Black)
10 Intel Z68 Chipset 33 Infrared Module Header (IR1)
11 64Mb SPI Flash 34 Front Panel Audio Header
12 SATA2 Connector (SATA2_4_5, Black) (HD_AUDIO1, Black)
13 SATA2 Connector (SATA2_2_3, Black) 35 PCI Slot (PCI2)
14 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_0_1, Red) 36 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE4, Red)
15 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_A1_A2, Red) 37 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE3, Black)
16 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_A3_A4, Red) 38 Internal Audio Connector: CD1 (Black)
17 Dr. Debug 39 PCI Slot (PCI1)
18 Reset Switch (RSTBTN) 40 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE2, Red)
19 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER 1, Black) 41 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE1, Black)
20 Power LED Header (PLED1) 42 Power Fan Connector (PWR_FAN1)
21 System Panel Header (PANEL1, Black) 43 1155-Pin CPU Socket
22 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)

15

1.4 I/O Panel

3

17

20

1 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01) ** 11 Front Speaker (Lime)
2 VGA/D-Sub Port 12 Microphone (Pink)
* 3 LAN RJ-45 Port 13 USB 3.0 Ports (USB23)
4 Fatal1ty Mouse Port (USB2) 14 IEEE 1394 Port (IEEE 1394)
5 USB 2.0 Port (USB3) *** 15 eSATA3 Connector
* 6 LAN RJ-45 Port 16 USB 3.0 Ports (USB01)
7 Central / Bass (Orange) 17 Clear CMOS Switch (CLRCBTN)
8 Rear Speaker (Black) **** 18 VGA/HDMI Port (HDMI2)
9 Optical SPDIF Out Port **** 19 VGA/HDMI Port (HDMI1)
10 Line In (Light Blue) 20 PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)

* 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

LAN Port LED Indications

1819

16

15

5

14

6

13

ACT/LINK
LED

7

8

9

10

11

12

SPEED
LED

412

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 Line In or
(No. 11) (No. 8) (No. 7) Side Speaker
(No. 10)

2 V -- -- -­4 V V -- -­6 V V V -­8 V V V V

16

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 fi 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.

**** HDMI is backwards compatible with DVI. VGA/HDMI port can function similarly as DVI port
by applying the bundled HDMI to DVI adapter. Please connect the HDMI to DVI adapter to
the VGA/HDMI port on the I/O panel and then connect the DVI-D monitor cable to the VGA/
DVI-D connector on the adpater.

For PS/2 Keyboard users, it is recommended to apply the adapter on HDMI2. If HDMI1 is
connected to the adapter, please use USB Keyboard and do not use the PS/2 Keyboard

port. For the other users, apply it either on

HDMI connector

DVI connector

HDMI1 or HDMI2.

HDMI to DVI adapter

17

Chapter 2: Installation

This is an ATX form factor (12.0" x 9.6", 30.5 x 24.4 cm) motherboard. Before you
install the motherboard, study the confi guration of your chassis to ensure that the
motherboard fi ts into it.

motherboard. Failure to do so may cause physical injuries to you and
damages to motherboard components.

Make sure to unplug the power cord before installing or removing the

2.1 Screw Holes

Place screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the
chassis.

Do not over-tighten the screws! Doing so may damage the motherboard.

2.2 Pre-installation Precautions

Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components
or change any motherboard settings.

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.

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.

18

2.3 CPU Installation

For the installation of Intel 1155-Pin CPU,
please follow the steps below.

Before you insert the 1155-Pin CPU into the socket, please check if the
CPU surface is unclean or if there is any bent pin on the socket. Do not
force to insert the CPU into the socket if above situation is found. Other­wise, the CPU will be seriously damaged.

Step 1. Open the socket:

Step 1-1. Disengaging the lever by depressing

down and out on the hook to clear
retention tab.

Step 1-2. Rotate the load lever to fully open po-

sition at approximately 135 degrees.

Step 1-3. Rotate the load plate to fully open po-

sition at approximately 100 degrees.

1155-Pin Socket Overview

Step 2. Remove PnP Cap (Pick and Place Cap).

1. It is recommended to use the cap tab to handle and avoid kicking
off the PnP cap.

2. This cap must be placed if returning the motherboard for after
service.

19

Step 3. Insert the 1155-Pin CPU:

Step 3-1. Hold the CPU by the edge where is

marked with black line.

Step 3-2. Orient the CPU with IHS (Integrated

Heat Sink) up. Locate Pin1 and the
two orientation key notches.

orientation key notch

Pin1

orientation key notch

1155-Pin CPU

For proper inserting, please ensure to match the two orientation key
notches of the CPU with the two alignment keys of the socket.

Step 3-3. Carefully place the CPU into the

socket by using a purely vertical mo­tion.

Step 3-4. Verify that the CPU is within the sock-

et and properly mated to the orient
keys.

black line

alignment key

Pin1

alignment key

1155-Pin Socket

Step 4. Close the socket:

Step 4-1. Rotate the load plate onto the IHS.
Step 4-2. While pressing down lightly on load

plate, engage the load lever.

Step 4-3. Secure load lever with load plate tab

under retention tab of load lever.

20

2.4 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink

This motherboard is equipped with 1155-Pin socket that supports Intel 1155-Pin
CPU. Please adopt the type of heatsink and cooling fan compliant with Intel 1155­Pin CPU to dissipate heat. Before you installed the heatsink, you need to spray
thermal interface material between the CPU and the heatsink to improve heat dis­sipation. Ensure 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 15, No. 3).

For proper installation, please kindly refer to the instruction manuals of your
CPU fan and heatsink.

Below is an example to illustrate the installation of the heatsink for 1155-Pin CPU.
Step 1. Apply thermal interface material onto center of

IHS on the socket surface.

Step 2. Place the heatsink onto the socket. Ensure

fan cables are oriented on side closest to the
CPU fan connector on the motherboard (CPU_
FAN1, see page 15, No. 3).

Step 3. Align fasteners with the motherboard through-

holes.

Step 4. Rotate the fastener clockwise, then press

down on fastener caps with thumb to install
and lock. Repeat with remaining fasteners.

If you press down the fasteners without rotating them clockwise, the
heatsink cannot be secured on the motherboard.

Step 5. Connect fan header with the CPU fan connector on the motherboard.
Step 6. Secure excess cable with tie-wrap to ensure cable does not interfere with
fan operation or contact other components.

Please be noticed that this motherboard supports Combo Cooler
Option (C.C.O.), which provides the fl exible option to adopt three dif-
ferent CPU cooler types, Socket LGA 775, LGA 1155 and LGA 1156.
The white throughholes are for Socket LGA
1155/1156 CPU fan.

21

2.5 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 con­fi guration, you always need to install identical (the same brand, speed, size
and chip-type) DDR3 DIMM pair in the slots of the same color. In other words,
you have to install identical DDR3 DIMM pair in Dual Channel A (DDR3_A1
and DDR3_B1; Red slots; see p.15 No.4) or identical DDR3 DIMM pair in Dual
Channel B (DDR3_A2 and DDR3_B2; Black slots; see p.15 No.5), so that Dual
Channel Memory Technology can be activated. This motherboard also allows
you to install four DDR3 DIMMs for dual channel confi guration, and please in-
stall identical DDR3 DIMMs in all four slots. You may refer to the Dual Channel
Memory Confi guration Table below.

Dual Channel Memory Confi gurations

DDR3_A1 DDR3_A2 DDR3_B1 DDR3_B2
(Red Slot) (Black Slot) (Red Slot) (Black Slot)
(1) Populated - Populated ­(2) - Populated - Populated
(3)* Populated Populated Populated Populated

For the confi guration (3), please install identical DDR3 DIMMs in all four

*

slots.

1. 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 red slots
(DDR3_A1 and DDR3_B1), or in the set of black slots (DDR3_A2
and DDR3_B2).

2. 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.

3. 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 T echnology .

4. It is not allowed to install a DDR or DDR2 memory module into
DDR3 slot; otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be dam­aged.

5. Some DDR3 1GB double-sided DIMMs with 16 chips may not work
on this motherboard. It is not recommended to install them on this
motherboard.

22

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.

notch

notch

break

break

damage to the motherboard and the DIMM if you force the DIMM into the slot
at incorrect orientation.

The DIMM only fi ts in one correct orientation. It will cause permanent

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.

23

2.6 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)

There are 2 PCI slots and 5 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 / PCIE3 (PCIE x1 slot; Black) is used for PCI Express cards with

x1 lane width cards, such as Gigabit LAN card, SATA2 card, etc.

PCIE2 / PCIE4 (PCIE x16 slot; Red) is used for PCI Express x16 lane

width graphics cards, or used to install PCI Express graphics cards to
support CrossFireX

PCIE5 (PCIE x16 slot; Red) is used for PCI Express x4 lane width

graphics cards, or used to install PCI Express graphics cards to support
3-Way CrossFireX

1. In single VGA card mode, it is recommended to install a PCI Ex­press x16 graphics card on PCIE2 slot.

2. In CrossFireXTM mode or SLITM mode, please install PCI Express
x16 graphics cards on PCIE2 and PCIE4 slots. Therefore, both
these two slots will work at x8 bandwidth.

3. In 3-Way CrossFireX
graphics cards on PCIE2, PCIE4 and PCIE5 slots. Therefore,
PCIE2 and PCIE4 slots will work at x8 bandwidth while PCIE5 slot
will work at x4 bandwidth.

4. Please connect a chassis fan to motherboard chassis fan connec­tor (CHA_FAN1, CHA_FAN2 or CHA_FAN3) when using multiple
graphics cards for better thermal environment.

5. To run the PCI Express in Gen 3 speed, please must install the Ivy
Bridge CPU which supports PCI Express Gen3. If you install the
Sandy Bridge CPU, the PCI Express will run only at PCI Express
Gen 2 speed.

TM

or SLITM function.

TM

function.

TM

mode, please install PCI Express x16

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 fi rmly until the card is

completely seated on the slot.

24

Step 5. Fasten the card to the chassis with screws.
Step 6. Replace the system cover.

2.7 SLITM and Quad SLI

TM

Operation Guide

This motherboard supports NVIDIA® 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 OS. NVIDIA® Quad SLITM technology support
Windows

®

VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / 7 / 7 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
have two identical Quad SLITM-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA®
certifi ed.

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

®

certifi ed PSU. Please refer to NVIDIA® website for details.

®

certifi ed. For Quad SLITM technology, you should

25

2.7.1 Graphics Card Setup

2.7.1.1 Installing Two SLITM-Ready Graphics Cards

Step 1. Install the identical SLITM-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA® certifi ed

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 PCIE2 slot and the other graphics card to PCIE4 slot. Make sure that
the cards are properly seated on the slots.

Step2. If required, connect the auxiliary power source to the PCI Express
graphics cards.

Step3. Align and insert ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card to the goldfi ngers on each

graphics card. Make sure ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card is fi 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 PCIE2 slot.

26