Asrock Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 User 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

2.7.2 Driver Installation and Setup

Install the graphics card drivers to your system. After that, you can enable the Multi­Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) feature in the NVIDIA® nView system tray utility.
Please follow the below procedures to enable the multi-GPU feature.

For Windows

®

XP / XP 64-bit OS:

(For SLITM mode only)

A. Double-click NVIDIA Settings icon on your Windows® taskbar.

B. From the pop-up menu, select Set SLI and PhysX confi guration. In

Set PhysX GPU acceleration item, please select Enabled. In Select
an SLI confi guration item, please select Enable SLI. And click Apply.

C. Reboot your system.
D. You can freely enjoy the benefi t of SLITM feature.

27

For Windows® VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit OS:
(For SLI

TM

and Quad SLITM mode)

A. Click the Start icon on your Windows taskbar.
B. From the pop-up menu, select All Programs, and then click NVIDIA

Corporation.
C. Select NVIDIA Control Panel tab.
D. Select Control Panel tab.

E. From the pop-up menu, select Set SLI and PhysX confi guration. In

Set PhysX GPU acceleration item, please select Enabled. In Select

an SLI confi guration item, please select Enable SLI. And click Apply.

F. Reboot your system.
G. You can freely enjoy the benefi t of SLITM or Quad SLITM feature.

* SLITM appearing here is a registered trademark of NVIDIA® Technologies Inc., and is used
only for identifi cation or explanation and to the owners’ benefi t, without intent to infringe.

28

2.8 CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireXTM and Quad

CrossFireX

This motherboard supports CrossFireXTM, 3-way CrossFireX
CrossFireX
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, CrossFireX
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 OS. 3-way CrossFireXTM and Quad CrossFireX
are supported with Windows
ATITM CrossFireXTM driver updates.

1. If a customer incorrectly confi gures their system they will not see the
performance benefi ts 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
benefi t from the CrossFireX

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 CrossFireX

TM

Operation Guide

TM

feature. CrossFireXTM technology offers the most advantageous

®

VistaTM / 7 OS only. Please check AMD website for

TM

multi-GPU platform.

TM

mode.

TM

and Quad

TM

feature

2.8.1 Graphics Card Setup

TM

2.8.1.1 Installing Two CrossFireX

Different CrossFireXTM cards may require different methods to enable CrossFireXTM

feature. In below procedures, we use Radeon HD 3870 as the example graphics
card. For other CrossFireX

future, please refer to AMDTM graphics card manuals for detailed installation guide.

TM

-Ready Graphics Cards

TM

cards that AMDTM has released or will release in the

Step 1. Insert one Radeon graphics card into PCIE2 slot and the other Radeon

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

29

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
graphics card on PCIE2 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.)

30

2.8.1.2 Installing Three CrossFireXTM-Ready Graphics Cards

Step 1. Install one Radeon graphics card to PCIE2 slot. For the proper installation

procedures, please refer to section “Expansion Slots”.

Step 2. Install one Radeon graphics card to PCIE4 slot. For the proper installation

procedures, please refer to section “Expansion Slots”.

Step 3. Install one Radeon graphics card to PCIE5 slot. For the proper installation

procedures, please refer to section “Expansion Slots”.

Step 4. Use one CrossFireTM Bridge to connect Radeon graphics cards on PCIE2

and PCIE4 slots, and use the other CrossFire

TM

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.)

31

CrossFireTM Bridge

Step 5. Connect the DVI monitor cable to the DVI connector on the Radeon graph-

ics card on PCIE2 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.)

32

2.8.2 Driver Installation and Setup

Step 1. Power on your computer and boot into OS.
Step 2. Remove the ATITM driver if you have any VGA driver installed in your
system.

The Catalyst Uninstaller is an optional download. We recommend using this

utility to uninstall any previously installed Catalyst drivers prior to installation.

Please check AMD website for ATITM driver updates.

Step 3. Install the required drivers to your system.
For Windows

®

XP OS:

A. AMDTM recommends Windows® XP Service Pack 2 or higher to be

installed (If you have Windows® XP Service Pack 2 or higher installed
in your system, there is no need to download it again):

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx
B. You must have Microsoft .NET Framework installed prior to

downloading and installing the CATALYST Control Center. Please
check Microsoft website for details.

For Windows

®

7 / VistaTM OS:

Install the CATALYST Control Center. Please check AMD website for de-

tails.

Step 4. Restart your computer.
Step 5. Install the VGA card drivers to your system, and restart your computer.
Then you will fi nd “ATI Catalyst Control Center” on your Windows

ATI Catalyst Control Center

®

taskbar.

Step 6. Double-click “ATI Catalyst Control Center”. Click “View”, select “CrossFi-

TM

reX

”, and then check the item “Enable CrossFireXTM”. Select “2 GPUs”
and click “Apply” (if you install two Radeon graphics cards). Select “3
GPUs” and click “OK” (if you install three Radeon graphics cards).

33

Although you have selected the option “Enable CrossFireTM”, the CrossFireXTM

function may not work actually. Your computer will automatically reboot. After
restarting your computer, please confi rm whether the option “Enable
CrossFireTM” in “ATI Catalyst Control Center” is selected or not; if not, please
select it again, and then you are able to enjoy the benefi t of CrossFireX

TM

feature.

Step 7. You can freely enjoy the benefi t of CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireXTM or

Quad CrossFireX

* CrossFireXTM appearing here is a registered trademark of AMDTM Technologies Inc., and is
used only for identifi cation or explanation and to the owners’ benefi t, without intent to infringe.
* For further information of AMDTM CrossFireXTM technology, please check AMD website for
updates and details.

TM

feature.

34

2.9 Dual Monitor and Surround Display Features

Dual Monitor Feature

This motherboard supports dual monitor feature. With the internal VGA output sup­port (D-Sub, HDMI and DVI-D by the bundled HDMI to DVI adapter), you can easily
enjoy the benefi ts of dual monitor feature without installing any add-on VGA card to
this motherboard. This motherboard also provides independent display controllers
for D-Sub, HDMI and DVI-D to support dual VGA output so that D-sub, HDMI and
DVI-D can drive same or different display contents.
To enable dual monitor feature, please follow the steps below:

1. Connect D-Sub monitor cable to VGA/D-Sub port on the I/O panel, connect HDMI
monitor cable HDMI port on the I/O panel, or connect the HDMI to DVI adapter to
the HDMI port on the I/O panel and then connect the DVI-D monitor cable to the
DVI-D connector on the adpater.

VGA/D-Sub port

HDMI port

HDMI port

2. If you have installed onboard VGA driver from our support CD to your system
already, you can freely enjoy the benefi ts of dual monitor function after your
system boots. If you haven’t installed onboard VGA driver yet, please install
onboard VGA driver from our support CD to your system and restart your
computer.

D-Sub, HDMI and DVI-D (by the bundled HDMI to DVI adapter) monitors
cannot be enabled at the same time. You can only choose two of them.

35

Surround Display Feature

This motherboard supports surround display upgrade. With the internal VGA output
support (D-Sub, HDMI and DVI-D by the bundled HDMI to DVI adapter) and exter­nal add-on PCI Express VGA cards, you can easily enjoy the benefi ts of surround
display feature.
Please refer to the following steps to set up a surround display environment:

1. Install the PCI Express VGA cards on PCIE2, PCIE4 and PCIE5 slots. Please
refer to page 24 for proper expansion card installation procedures for details.

2. Connect the D-Sub monitor cable to the VGA/D-Sub port on the I/O panel,
connect HDMI monitor cable to HDMI port on the I/O panel, or connect the HDMI
to DVI adapter to the HDMI port on the I/O panel and then connect the
DVI-D monitor cable to the DVI-D connector on the adpater. Next, connect other
monitor cables to the corresponding connectors of the add-on PCI Express VGA
cards on PCIE2, PCIE4 and PCIE5 slots.

3. Boot your system. Press <F2> or <Del> to enter UEFI setup. Enter “Onboard
VGA Share Memory” option to adjust the memory capability to [32MB], [64MB],
[128MB], [256MB] or [512MB] to enable the function of VGA/D-sub. Please make
sure that the value you select is less than the total capability of the system
memory. If you do not adjust the UEFI setup, the default value of “Onboard VGA
Share Memory”, [Auto], will disable VGA/D-Sub function when the add-on VGA
card is inserted to this motherboard.

4. Install the onboard VGA driver and the add-on PCI Express VGA card driver to
your system. If you have installed the drivers already, there is no need to install
them again.

5. Set up a multi-monitor display.

For Windows

®

XP / XP 64-bit OS:

Right click the desktop, choose “Properties”, and select the “Settings” tab
so that you can adjust the parameters of the multi-monitor according to
the steps below.
A. Click the “Identify” button to display a large number on each monitor.
B. Right-click the display icon in the Display Properties dialog that you
wish to be your primary monitor, and then select “Primary”. When
you use multiple monitors with your card, one monitor will always be
Primary, and all additional monitors will be designated as Secondary.
C. Select the display icon identifi ed by the number 2.
D. Click “Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor”.
E. Right-click the display icon and select “Attached”, if necessary.
F. Set the “Screen Resolution” and “Color Quality” as appropriate for the
second monitor. Click “Apply” or “OK” to apply these new values.

36

G. Repeat steps C through E for the diaplay icon identifi ed by the number
one to eight.

For Windows

®

7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS:

Right click the desktop, choose “Personalize”, and select the “Display
Settings” tab so that you can adjust the parameters of the multi-monitor
according to the steps below.
A. Click the number ”2” icon.
B. Click the items “This is my main monitor” and “Extend the desktop onto
this monitor”.
C. Click “OK” to save your change.
D. Repeat steps A through C for the display icon identifi ed by the number
three to eight.

6. Use Surround Display. Click and drag the display icons to positions representing
the physical setup of your monitors that you would like to use. The placement
of display icons determines how you move items from one monitor to another.

HDCP Function
HDCP function is supported on this motherboard. To use HDCP
function with this motherboard, you need to adopt the monitor
that supports HDCP function as well. Therefore, you can enjoy
the superior display quality with high-defi nition HDCP
encryption contents. Please refer to below instruction for more
details about HDCP function.

What is HDCP?

HDCP stands for High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection,
a specifi cation developed by Intel

®

for protecting digital
entertainment content that uses the DVI interface. HDCP is a
copy protection scheme to eliminate the possibility of
intercepting digital data midstream between the video source,
or transmitter - such as a computer, DVD player or set-top box ­ and the digital display, or receiver - such as a monitor, television
or projector. In other words, HDCP specifi cation is designed to
protect the integrity of content as it is being transmitted.

Products compatible with the HDCP scheme such as DVD
players, satellite and cable HDTV set-top-boxes, as well as few
entertainment PCs requires a secure connection to a compliant
display. Due to the increase in manufacturers employing HDCP
in their equipment, it is highly recommended that the HDTV or
LCD monitor you purchase is compatible.

37

2.10 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 Description

Clear CMOS Jumper

(CLRCMOS1)
(see p.15, No. 25)

Note: CLRCMOS1 allows you to clear the data in CMOS. 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 fi nish updating the BIOS, you must boot
up the system fi rst, and then shut it down before you do the clear-CMOS ac-
tion. Please be noted that the password, date, time, user default profi le, 1394
GUID and MAC address will be cleared only if the CMOS battery is removed.

The Clear CMOS Switch has the same function as the Clear CMOS
jumper.

Clear CMOSDefault

38

2.11 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!

FDD connector

(33-pin FLOPPY1)
(see p.15 No. 31)

the red-striped side to Pin1

Note: Make sure the red-striped side of the cable is plugged into Pin1 side of the
connector.

Primary IDE connector (Black)

(39-pin IDE1, see p.15 No. 8)

connect the blue end

to the motherboard

80-conductor ATA 66/100/133 cable

Note: Please refer to the instruction of your IDE device vendor for the details.

Serial ATAII Connectors These four Serial ATAII (SATAII)

(SATA2_2_3: see p.15, No. 13)
(SATA2_4_5: see p.15, No. 12)

connectors support SATA data

cables for internal storage
devices. The current SATAII
interface allows up to 3.0 Gb/s

data transfer rate.

SATA2_2_3 SATA2_4_5

connect the black end
to the IDE devices

Serial ATA3 Connectors These six Serial ATA3 (SATA3)

(SATA3_0_1: see p.15, No. 14)
(SATA3_A1_A2: see p.15, No. 15)
(SATA3_A3_A4: see p.15, No. 16)

connectors support SATA data

cables for internal storage

devices. The current SATA3
interface allows up to 6.0 Gb/s
data transfer rate. If you install
the HDD on the eSATA port on
the rear I/O, the internal
SATA3_A4 will not function.

SATA3_A3_A4 SATA3_A1_A2 SATA3_0_1

39

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

Serial ATA (SA T A) Either end of the SATA data
Data Cable cable can be connected to the

(Optional)

SATA / SATAII / SATA3 hard
disk or the SATAII / SATA3
connector on this motherboard.

3.5mm Audio Cable Either end of the 3.5mm audio

(Optional)

cable can be connected to the
portable audio devices, such
as MP3 player and mobile
phone or the Line-in port of
your PC.

USB 2.0 Headers Besides four default USB 2.0

(9-pin USB6_7)
(see p.15 No. 28)

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.

(9-pin USB8_9)
(see p.15 No. 27)

USB 3.0 Header Besides four default USB 3.0

(19-pin USB3_4_5)
(see p.15 No. 9)

ports on the I/O panel, there is

one USB 3.0 header on this
motherboard. This USB 3.0
header can support two USB

3.0 ports.

40

Infrared Module Header This header supports an

(5-pin IR1)

optional wireless transmitting

(see p.15 No. 33)

and receiving infrared module.

Internal Audio Connectors This connector allows you

(4-pin CD1)
(see p.15 No. 38)

a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, TV

to receive stereo audio input

from sound sources such as

CD1

tuner card, or MPEG card.

Front Panel Audio Header This is an interface for front

(9-pin HD_AUDIO1)
(see p.15 No. 34)

panel audio cable that allows

convenient connection and

control of audio devices.

1. High Defi nition 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.
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

Select “Mixer”. Select “Recorder”. Then click “FrontMic”.

For Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS:
Go to the "FrontMic" Tab in the Realtek Control panel. Adjust

“Recording Volume”.

®

XP / XP 64-bit OS:

System Panel Header This header accommodates

(9-pin PANEL1)
(see p.15 No. 21)

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.

41

PWRBTN (Power Switch):
Connect to the power switch on the chassis front panel. You may confi 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.

Chassis Speaker Header Please connect the chassis

(4-pin SPEAKER 1)
(see p.15 No. 19)

speaker to this header.

1

+5V

DUMMY

DUMMY

SPEAKER

Power LED Header Please connect the chassis

(3-pin PLED1)
(see p.15 No. 20)

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.15 No. 22)

to the fan connectors and

match the black wire to the

ground pin. CHA_FAN1/2/3 fan

(3-pin CHA_FAN2)
(see p.15 No. 23)

(3-pin CHA_FAN3)
(see p.15 No. 6)

speed can be controlled through
UEFI or AXTU.

42

(3-pin PWR_FAN1)
(see p.15 No. 42)

CPU Fan Connectors Please connect the CPU fan

(4-pin CPU_FAN1)
(see p.15 No. 3)

cable to the connector and

match the black wire to the

1
2
3
4

ground pin.

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

(3-pin CPU_FAN2)
(see p.15 No. 2)

ATX Power Connector Please connect an ATX power

(24-pin ATXPWR1)
(see p.15 No. 7)

GND

+12V
CPU_FAN_SPEED

12 124

supply to this connector.

13

Though this motherboard provides 24-pin ATX power connector,
it can still work if you adopt a traditional 20-pin ATX power supply.
To use the 20-pin ATX power supply, please plug your
power supply along with Pin 1 and Pin 13.

12

24

20-Pin ATX Power Supply Installation

ATX 12V Power Connector Please connect an ATX 12V

(8-pin ATX12V1)
(see p.15 No. 1)

power supply to this connector.

8 5

4 1

1

Though this motherboard provides 8-pin ATX 12V power connector, it can still work
if you adopt a traditional 4-pin ATX 12V power supply. To use the 4-pin ATX power
supply, please plug your power supply along with Pin 1 and Pin 5.

8 5

4-Pin ATX 12V Power Supply Installation

4 1

43

13

IEEE 1394 Header Besides one default IEEE 1394

(9-pin FRONT_1394)
(see p.15 No. 24)

port on the I/O panel, there

is one IEEE 1394 header
(FRONT_1394) on this
motherboard. This IEEE 1394
header can support one IEEE
1394 port.

Serial port Header This COM1 header supports a

(9-pin COM1)
(see p.15 No. 29)

serial port module.

HDMI_SPDIF Header HDMI_SPDIF header, providing

(2-pin HDMI_SPDIF1)
(see p.15 No. 32)

SPDIF audio output to HDMI

VGA card, allows the system to
connect HDMI Digital TV/
projector/LCD devices. Please
connect the HDMI_SPDIF
connector of HDMI VGA card to
this header.

The Installation Guide of Front USB 3.0 Panel

Prepare the bundled Front USB 3.0

Step 1 Step 2 Screw the 2.5” HDD/SSD to the Front

Panel, four HDD screws, and six
chassis screws.

USB 3.0 Panel with four HDD
screws.

Intall the Front USB 3.0 Panel into

Step 3 Step 4 Screw the Front USB 3.0 Panel to

the 2.5” drive bay of the chassis.

the drive bay with six chassis screws.

44

Plug the Front USB 3.0 cable into the

Step 5 Step 6

USB 3.0 header (USB3_4_5) on the
motherboard.

The Front USB 3.0 Panel is ready to
use.

The Installation Guide of Rear USB 3.0 Bracket

Step 1

Unscrew the two screws from the
Front USB 3.0 Panel.

Step 3

Screw the two screws into the rear
USB 3.0 bracket.

Step 2

Put the USB 3.0 cable and the rear
USB 3.0 bracket together.

Step 4

Put the rear USB 3.0 bracket into the
chassis.

2.12 Smart Switches

The motherboard has three smart switches: power switch, reset switch and clear
CMOS switch, allowing users to quickly turn on/off or reset the sytem clear the
CMOS values.

Power Switch Power Switch is a smart switch,

(PWRBTN)

allowing users to quickly turn

(see p.15 No. 26)

on/off the system.

Reset Switch Reset Switch is a smart switch,

(RSTBTN)

allowing users to quickly reset

(see p.15 No. 18)

the system.

Clear CMOS Switch Clear CMOS Switch is a smart

(CLRCBTN)
(see p.16 No. 17)

switch, allowing users to quickly

clear the CMOS values.

45

2.13 Dr. Debug

Dr. Debug is used to provide code information, which makes troubleshooting even
easier. Please see the diagrams below for reading the Dr. Debug codes.

Status Code Description
0x00 Not used
0x01 Power on. Reset type detection (soft/hard)
0x02 AP initialization before microcode loading
0x03 North Bridge initialization before microcode loading
0x04 South Bridge initialization before microcode loading
0x05 OEM initialization before microcode loading
0x06 Microcode loading
0x07 AP initialization after microcode loading
0x08 North Bridge initialization after microcode loading
0x09 South Bridge initialization after microcode loading
0x0A OEM initialization after microcode loading
0x0B Cache initialization
0x0C – 0x0D Reserved for future AMI SEC error codes
0x0E Microcode not found
0x0F Microcode not loaded
0x10 PEI Core is started
0x11 Pre-memory CPU initialization is started
0x12 Pre-memory CPU initialization (CPU module specifi c)
0x13 Pre-memory CPU initialization (CPU module specifi c)
0x14 Pre-memory CPU initialization (CPU module specifi c)
0x15 Pre-memory North Bridge initialization is started
0x16 Pre-Memory North Bridge initialization (North Bridge module specifi c)
0x17 Pre-Memory North Bridge initialization (North Bridge module specifi c)
0x18 Pre-Memory North Bridge initialization (North Bridge module specifi c)
0x19 Pre-memory South Bridge initialization is started
0x1A Pre-memory South Bridge initialization (South Bridge module specifi c)
0x1B Pre-memory South Bridge initialization (South Bridge module specifi c)
0x1C Pre-memory South Bridge initialization (South Bridge module specifi c)
0x1D – 0x2A OEM pre-memory initialization codes
0x2B Memory initialization. Serial Presence Detect (SPD) data reading
0x2C Memory initialization. Memory presence detection
0x2D Memory initialization. Programming memory timing information
0x2E Memory initialization. Confi guring memory
0x2F Memory initialization (other)
0x30 Reserved for ASL (see ASL Status Codes section below)
0x31 Memory Installed
0x32 CPU post-memory initialization is started
0x33 CPU post-memory initialization. Cache initialization
0x34 CPU post-memory initialization. Application Processor(s) (AP) initialization
0x35 CPU post-memory initialization. Boot Strap Processor (BSP) selection
0x36 CPU post-memory initialization. System Management Mode (SMM)
initialization

46

0x37 Post-Memory North Bridge initialization is started
0x38 Post-Memory North Bridge initialization (North Bridge module specifi c)
0x39 Post-Memory North Bridge initialization (North Bridge module specifi c)
0x3A Post-Memory North Bridge initialization (North Bridge module specifi c)
0x3B Post-Memory South Bridge initialization is started
0x3C Post-Memory South Bridge initialization (South Bridge module specifi c)
0x3D Post-Memory South Bridge initialization (South Bridge module specifi c)
0x3E Post-Memory South Bridge initialization (South Bridge module specifi c)
0x3F-0x4E OEM post memory initialization codes
0x4F DXE IPL is started
0x50 Memory initialization error. Invalid memory type or incompatible memory
speed
0x51 Memory initialization error. SPD reading has failed
0x52 Memory initialization error. Invalid memory size or memory modules do not
match
0x53 Memory initialization error. No usable memory detected
0x54 Unspecifi ed memory initialization error
0x55 Memory not installed
0x56 Invalid CPU type or Speed
0x57 CPU mismatch
0x58 CPU self test failed or possible CPU cache error
0x59 CPU micro-code is not found or micro-code update is failed
0x5A Internal CPU error
0x5B reset PPI is not available
0x5C-0x5F Reserved for future AMI error codes
0xE0 S3 Resume is stared (S3 Resume PPI is called by the DXE IPL)
0xE1 S3 Boot Script execution
0xE2 Video repost
0xE3 OS S3 wake vector call
0xE4-0xE7 Reserved for future AMI progress codes
0xE8 S3 Resume Failed
0xE9 S3 Resume PPI not Found
0xEA S3 Resume Boot Script Error
0xEB S3 OS Wake Error
0xEC-0xEF Reserved for future AMI error codes
0xF0 Recovery condition triggered by fi rmware (Auto recovery)
0xF1 Recovery condition triggered by user (Forced recovery)
0xF2 Recovery process started
0xF3 Recovery fi rmware image is found
0xF4 Recovery fi rmware image is loaded
0xF5-0xF7 Reserved for future AMI progress codes
0xF8 Recovery PPI is not available
0xF9 Recovery capsule is not found
0xFA Invalid recovery capsule
0xFB – 0xFF Reserved for future AMI error codes
0x60 DXE Core is started
0x61 NVRAM initialization

47

0x62 Installation of the South Bridge Runtime Services
0x63 CPU DXE initialization is started
0x64 CPU DXE initialization (CPU module specifi c)
0x65 CPU DXE initialization (CPU module specifi c)
0x66 CPU DXE initialization (CPU module specifi c)
0x67 CPU DXE initialization (CPU module specifi c)
0x68 PCI host bridge initialization
0x69 North Bridge DXE initialization is started
0x6A North Bridge DXE SMM initialization is started
0x6B North Bridge DXE initialization (North Bridge module specifi c)
0x6C North Bridge DXE initialization (North Bridge module specifi c)
0x6D North Bridge DXE initialization (North Bridge module specifi c)
0x6E North Bridge DXE initialization (North Bridge module specifi c)
0x6F North Bridge DXE initialization (North Bridge module specifi c)
0x70 South Bridge DXE initialization is started
0x71 South Bridge DXE SMM initialization is started
0x72 South Bridge devices initialization
0x73 South Bridge DXE Initialization (South Bridge module specifi c)
0x74 South Bridge DXE Initialization (South Bridge module specifi c)
0x75 South Bridge DXE Initialization (South Bridge module specifi c)
0x76 South Bridge DXE Initialization (South Bridge module specifi c)
0x77 South Bridge DXE Initialization (South Bridge module specifi c)
0x78 ACPI module initialization
0x79 CSM initialization
0x7A – 0x7F Reserved for future AMI DXE codes
0x80 – 0x8F OEM DXE initialization codes
0x90 Boot Device Selection (BDS) phase is started
0x91 Driver connecting is started
0x92 PCI Bus initialization is started
0x93 PCI Bus Hot Plug Controller Initialization
0x94 PCI Bus Enumeration
0x95 PCI Bus Request Resources
0x96 PCI Bus Assign Resources
0x97 Console Output devices connect
0x98 Console input devices connect
0x99 Super IO Initialization
0x9A USB initialization is started
0x9B USB Reset
0x9C USB Detect
0x9D USB Enable
0x9E – 0x9F Reserved for future AMI codes
0xA0 IDE initialization is started
0xA1 IDE Reset
0xA2 IDE Detect
0xA3 IDE Enable
0xA4 SCSI initialization is started
0xA5 SCSI Reset

48

0xA6 SCSI Detect
0xA7 SCSI Enable
0xA8 Setup Verifying Password
0xA9 Start of Setup
0xAA Reserved for ASL (see ASL Status Codes section below)
0xAB Setup Input Wait
0xAC Reserved for ASL (see ASL Status Codes section below)
0xAD Ready To Boot event
0xAE Legacy Boot event
0xAF Exit Boot Services event
0xB0 Runtime Set Virtual Address MAP Begin
0xB1 Runtime Set Virtual Address MAP End
0xB2 Legacy Option ROM Initialization
0xB3 System Reset
0xB4 USB hot plug
0xB5 PCI bus hot plug
0xB6 Clean-up of NVRAM
0xB7 Confi guration Reset (reset of NVRAM settings)
0xB8 – 0xBF Reserved for future AMI codes
0xC0 – 0xCF OEM BDS initialization codes
0xD0 CPU initialization error
0xD1 North Bridge initialization error
0xD2 South Bridge initialization error
0xD3 Some of the Architectural Protocols are not available
0xD4 PCI resource allocation error. Out of Resources
0xD5 No Space for Legacy Option ROM
0xD6 No Console Output Devices are found
0xD7 No Console Input Devices are found
0xD8 Invalid password
0xD9 Error loading Boot Option (LoadImage returned error)
0xDA Boot Option is failed (StartImage returned error)
0xDB Flash update is failed
0xDC Reset protocol is not available

49

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

This motherboard adopts Intel® Z68 chipset that supports Serial ATA (SATA) / Serial
ATAII (SATAII) hard disks and RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, RAID 5, Intel Rapid
Storage and Intel Smart Response Technology) functions. You may install SATA /
SATAII hard disks on this motherboard for internal storage devices. This section will
guide you to install the SATA / SATAII hard disks.

STEP 1: Install the SATA / SATAII hard disks into the drive bays of your chassis.
STEP 2: Connect the SATA power cable to the SATA / SATAII hard disk.
STEP 3: Connect one end of the SATA data cable to the motherboard’s SATAII con-

nector.

STEP 4: Connect the other end of the SATA data cable to the SATA / SATAII hard

disk.

2.15 Serial ATA3 (SATA3) Hard Disks Installation

This motherboard adopts Intel® Z68 chipset that supports Serial ATA3 (SATA3) hard
disks and RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, RAID 5, Intel Rapid Storage and Intel
Smart Response Technology) functions for SATA3_0 and SATA3_1 connectors. It
also adopts ASMedia ASM1061 chipset that supports Serial ATA3 (SATA3) hard
disks for SATA3_A1 to SATA3_A4 connectors. You may install SATA3 hard disks on
this motherboard for internal storage devices. This section will guide you to install
the SATA3 hard disks.

STEP 1: Install the SATA3 hard disks into the drive bays of your chassis.
STEP 2: Connect the SATA power cable to the SATA3 hard disk.
STEP 3: Connect one end of the SATA data cable to the motherboard’s SATA3 con-

nector.

STEP 4: Connect the other end of the SATA data cable to the SATA3 hard disk.

Please be noted that SATA3_ A1 to SATA3_A4 do not support RAID func­tion. If you want to use RAID function on SATA3 connectors, please use
SATA3_0 and SATA3_1 connectors.

50

2.16 Hot Plug and Hot Swap Functions for SATA / SATAII HDDs

This motherboard supports Hot Plug and Hot Swap functions for SATA / SATAII in
RAID / AHCI mode. Intel® Z68 chipset provides hardware support for Advanced Host
controller Interface (AHCI), a new programming interface for SATA host controllers
developed thru a joint industry effort.

NOTE
What is Hot Plug Function?

If the SATA / SATAII HDDs are NOT set for RAID confi guration, it is called “Hot
Plug” for the action to insert and remove the SATA / SATAII HDDs while the
system is still power-on and in working condition.
However, please note that it cannot perform Hot Plug if the OS has been
installed into the SATA / SATAII HDD.

What is Hot Swap Function?

If SATA / SATAII HDDs are built as RAID 1 or RAID 5 then it is called “Hot
Swap” for the action to insert and remove the SATA / SATAII HDDs while the
system is still power-on and in working condition.

2.17 Hot Plug and Hot Swap Functions for SATA3 HDDs

This motherboard supports Hot Plug and Hot Swap functions for SATA3 in RAID /
AHCI mode. Intel
for Advanced Host controller Interface (AHCI), a new programming interface for
SATA host controllers developed thru a joint industry effort.

®

Z68 and ASMedia ASM1061 chipsets provide hardware support

NOTE
What is Hot Plug Function?

If the SATA3 HDDs are NOT set for RAID confi guration, it is called “Hot
Plug” for the action to insert and remove the SATA3 HDDs while the system
is still power-on and in working condition.
However, please note that it cannot perform Hot Plug if the OS has been
installed into the SATA3 HDD.

What is Hot Swap Function?

If SATA3 HDDs are built as RAID 1 or RAID 5 then it is called “Hot Swap”
for the action to insert and remove the SATA3 HDDs while the system is still
power-on and in working condition.

51

2.18 SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD Hot Plug Feature and Operation

Guide

This motherboard supports Hot Plug feature for SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD in
RAID / AHCI mode. Please read below operation guide of Hot Plug feature carefully.
Before you process the SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD Hot Plug, please check below
cable accessories from the motherboard gift box pack.
A. 7-pin SATA data cable
B. SATA power cable with SATA 15-pin power connector interface

A. SATA data cable (Red) B. SATA power cable

SATA 7-pin
connector

The SATA 15-pin power
connector (Black) connect
to SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD

1x4-pin conventional
power connector (White)
connect to power supply

Caution

1. Without SATA 15-pin power connector interface, the SATA / SATAII / SATA3 Hot
Plug cannot be processed.

2. Even some SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDDs provide both SATA 15-pin power
connector and IDE 1x4-pin conventional power connector interfaces, the IDE
1x4-pin conventional power connector interface is defi nitely not able to support
Hot Plug and will cause the HDD damage and data loss.

Points of attention, before you process the Hot Plug:

1. Below operation procedure is designed only for our motherboard, which
supports SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD Hot Plug.
* The SATA / SATAII / SATA3 Hot Plug feature might not be supported by the
chipset because of its limitation, the SATA / SATAII / SATA3 Hot Plug support
information of our motherboard is indicated in the product spec on our
website: www.asrock.com

2. Make sure your SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD can support Hot Plug function from
your dealer or HDD user manual. The SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD, which cannot
support Hot Plug function, will be damaged under the Hot Plug operation.

3. Please make sure the SATA / SATAII / SATA3 driver is installed into system
properly. The latest SATA / SATAII / SATA3 driver is available on our support
website: www.asrock.com

4. Make sure to use the SATA power cable & data cable, which are from our
motherboard package.

5. Please follow below instructions step by step to reduce the risk of HDD crash
or data loss.

52

How to Hot Plug a SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD:

Points of attention, before you process the Hot Plug:
Please do follow below instruction sequence to process the Hot Plug, improper
procedure will cause the SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD damage and data loss.

Please connect SATA power cable 1x4-pin end

Step 1 Step 2

(White) to the power supply 1x4-pin cable.

SATA power cable 1x4-pin
power connector (White)

Connect SATA data cable to
the motherboard’s SATAII /
SATA3 connector.

Connect SATA 15-pin power cable connector

Step 3 Step 4

(Black) end to SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD.

Connect SATA data cable to
the SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD.

How to Hot Unplug a SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD:

Points of attention, before you process the Hot Unplug:
Please do follow below instruction sequence to process the Hot Unplug, improper
procedure will cause the SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD damage and data loss.

Step 1

Unplug SATA data cable from SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD side.

Step 2

Unplug SATA 15-pin power cable connector (Black) from SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD side.

53

2.19 Driver Installation Guide

To install the drivers to your system, please insert the support CD to your optical
drive fi rst. Then, the drivers compatible to your system can be auto-detected and
listed on the support CD driver page. Please follow the order from up to bottom side
to install those required drivers. Therefore, the drivers you install can work properly.

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

TM

/ Vista

TM

64-bit / XP

/ XP 64-bit With RAID Functions

If you want to install Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit
OS on your SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDDs with RAID functions, please follow below
procedures according to the OS you install.

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

If you want to install Windows® XP / XP 64-bit on your SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDDs
with RAID functions, please follow below steps.

STEP 1: Set up UEFI.

A. Enter UEFI SETUP UTILITY Advanced screen SATA Confi guration.
B. Set the option “SATA Mode” to [RAID].

STEP 2: Make a SATA / SATAII / SATA3 Driver Diskette.

A. Insert the Support CD into your optical drive to boot your system.
B. During POST at the beginning of system boot-up, press <F11> key, and then a
window for boot devices selection appears. Please select CD-ROM as the boot
device.
C. When you see the message on the screen, “Do you want to generate Serial
ATA driver diskette [YN]?”, press <Y>.
D. Then you will see these messages,
Please insert a diskette into the fl oppy drive.

WARNING! Formatting the fl oppy diskette will
lose ALL data in it!
Start to format and copy fi les [YN]?

Please insert a fl oppy diskette into the fl oppy drive, and press <Y>.
E. The system will start to format the fl oppy diskette and copy SATA / SATAII /
SATA3 drivers into the fl oppy diskette.

54

STEP 3: Use “RAID Installation Guide” to set RAID confi guration.

Before you start to confi gure the RAID function, you need to check the
installation guide in the Support CD for proper confi guration. Please refer to the
document in the Support CD, “Guide to SATA Hard Disks Installation and RAID
Confi guration”, which is located in the folder at the following path:

.. \ RAID Installation Guide

®

STEP 4: Install Windows

XP / XP 64-bit OS on your system.

After making a SATA / SATAII / SATA3 driver diskette and using “RAID Installation
Guide” to set RAID confi guration, you can start to install Windows® XP / XP 64­bit on your system. At the beginning of Windows setup, press F6 to install a third­party RAID driver. When prompted, insert the SATA / SATAII / SATA3 driver diskette
containing the Intel

®

RAID driver. After reading the fl oppy disk, the driver will be
presented. Select the driver to install according to the mode you choose and the OS
you install.

After the installation of Windows® XP / XP-64bit OS, if you want to manage RAID func­tions, you are allowed to use both “RAID Installation Guide” and “Intel Rapid Storage Infor­mation” for RAID confi guration. Please refer to the document in the Support CD, “Guide to
SATA Hard Disks Installation and RAID Confi guration”, which is located in the folder at the
following path: .. \ RAID Installation Guide and the document in the support CD, “Guide
to Intel Rapid Storage”, which is located in the folder at the following path:

.. \ Intel Rapid Storage Information

If you want to use “Intel Rapid Storage” in Windows® environment, install

“SATAII driver” from the Support CD again so that “Intel Rapid Storage”
will be installed to your system as well.

2.20.2 Setting Up a “RAID Ready” System

You can also set up a “RAID Ready” system with a single SATA / SATAII / SATA3
hard disk. A “RAID Ready” system can be seamlessly upgraded to RAID 0, RAID
1 or RAID 5 at a later date by using RAID migration feature of Intel Rapid Storage.
The following steps outline how to build an Intel “RAID Ready” system.

1. Assemble the system and attach a single SATA / SATAII / SATA3 hard drive.

2. Set up system UEFI as step 1 of page 54. When done, exit Setup.

3. Make a SATA / SATAII / SATA3 driver diskette as step 2 of page 54. Begin
Windows

4. At the beginning of Windows® setup, press F6 to install a third-party RAID driver.
When prompted, insert the SATA / SATAII / SATA3 driver diskette containing the
Intel
Select the driver to install according to the mode you choose and the OS you
install.

®

setup by booting from the installation CD.

®

RAID driver. After reading the fl oppy disk, the driver will be presented.

55

®

5. Finish the Windows

installation and install all necessary drivers.

6. Install the Intel(R) Rapid Storage software via the CD-ROM included with your
motherboard or after downloading it from the Internet. This will add the Intel(R)
Rapid Storage Console which can be used to manage the RAID confi guration.

7. After setting up a “RAID Ready” system as the above steps, you can follow the
procedures of the next section to migrate the system to RAID 0, RAID 1 or RAID

5.

2.20.3 Migrating a “RAID Ready” System to RAID 0, RAID 1 or

RAID 5

If you have an existing “RAID Ready” system, then you can use the following
steps to perform a migration from a single non-RAID confi guration to a two drive
RAID 0, RAID 1 confi guration or three drive RAID 5 confi guration. To prepare for
this, you will need another SATA / SATAII hard drive with a capacity equal to or
greater than that currently being used as the source hard drive.

1. Physically attach one additional SATA / SATAII / SATA3 hard drive to the SATAII
/ SATA3 port not being used. Note the serial number of the hard drive already in
the system; you will use this to select it as the source hard drive when initiating
the migration.

2. Boot Windows
installed, using the setup package obtained from a CD-ROM or from the
Internet. This will install the necessary Intel Storage Utility and start menu links.

3. Open the Intel Storage Utility from the Start Menu and select “Create RAID
volume from Existing Hard Drive” from the Actions menu. This will activate the
Create RAID volume from Existing Hard Drive Wizard. Click through the dialogs
as prompted. It’s important to understand what will occur during the migration
process because any data on the destination hard drive will be lost.

4. Once the migration is complete, reboot the system. If you migrated to a RAID 0
volume, use Disk Management from within Windows
format the empty space created when the two hard drive capacities are
combined. You may also use third-party software to extend any existing
partitions within the RAID volume.

®

, install the Intel(R) Rapid Storage software, if not already

®

in order to partition and

56

2.20.4 Installing Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / Vista

TM

64-bit With

RAID Functions

If you want to install Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit on your SATA /
SATAII / SATA3 HDDs with RAID functions, please follow below steps.

STEP 1: Set up UEFI.

A. Enter UEFI SETUP UTILITY Advanced screen SATA Confi guration.
B. Set the option “SATA Mode” to [RAID].

STEP 2: Use “RAID Installation Guide” to set RAID confi guration.

Before you start to confi gure the RAID function, you need to check the installation
guide in the Support CD for proper confi guration. Please refer to the document in
the Support CD, “Guide to SATA Hard Disks Installation and RAID Confi guration”,
which is located in the folder at the following path:

.. \ RAID Installation Guide
STEP 3: Install Windows
system.

After the installation of Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS, if you want to
manage RAID functions, you are allowed to use both “RAID Installation Guide” and “Intel
Rapid Storage Information” for RAID confi guration. Please refer to the document in the
Support CD, “Guide to SATA Hard Disks Installation and RAID Confi guration”, which is lo-
cated in the folder at the following path: .. \ RAID Installation Guide and the document in
the support CD, “Guide to Intel Rapid Storage”, which is located in the folder at the follow­ing path: .. \ Intel Rapid Storage Information

If you want to use “Intel Rapid Storage” in Windows® environment, install

“SATAII driver” from the Support CD again so that “Intel Rapid Storage”
will be installed to your system as well.

®

7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS on your

57

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

TM

/ Vista

TM

64-bit / XP

/ XP 64-bit Without RAID Functions

If you want to install Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / XP / XP 64­bit OS on your SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDDs without RAID functions, please follow
below procedures according to the OS you install.

2.21.1 Installing Windows® XP / XP 64-bit Without RAID

Functions

If you want to install Windows® XP / XP 64-bit OS on your SATA / SATAII / SATA3
HDDs without RAID functions, please follow below steps.

Using SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDDs with NCQ function

STEP 1: Set Up UEFI.

A. Enter UEFI SETUP UTILITY Advanced screen SATA Confi guration.
B. Set the option “SATA Mode” to [AHCI]. (For SATA3_0, SATA3_1, and SATA2_2 to
SATA2_5 ports.)
Set the option “SATA3 Mode” to [AHCI]. (For SATA3_A1 to SATA3_A4 ports.)

STEP 2: Make a SATA / SATAII / SATA3 driver diskette.

Please make a SATA / SATAII / SATA3 driver diskette by following section 2.20.1
step 2 on page 54.

STEP 3: Install Windows

After making a SATA / SATAII / SATA3 driver diskette, you can start to install Win­dows® XP / XP 64-bit on your system. At the beginning of Windows® setup, press
F6 to install a third-party AHCI driver. When prompted, insert the SATA / SATAII /
SATA3 driver diskette containing the Intel
the driver will be presented. Select the driver to install according to the mode you
choose and the OS you install.

®

XP / XP 64-bit OS on your system.

®

AHCI driver. After reading the fl oppy disk,

Using SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDDs without NCQ function

STEP 1: Set Up UEFI.

A. Enter UEFI SETUP UTILITY Advanced screen SATA Confi guration.
B. Set the option “SATA Mode” to [IDE]. (For SATA3_0, SATA3_1, and SATA2_2 to
SATA2_5 ports.)
Set the option “SATA3 Mode” to [IDE]. (For SATA3_A1 to SATA3_A4 ports.)

STEP 2: Install Windows

®

XP / XP 64-bit OS on your system.

58

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

TM

/ Vista

TM

64-bit

Without RAID Functions

If you want to install Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS on your SATA
/ SATAII / SATA3 HDDs without RAID functions, please follow below steps.

Using SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDDs with NCQ function

STEP 1: Set Up UEFI.

A. Enter UEFI SETUP UTILITY Advanced screen SATA Confi guration.
B. Set the option “SATA Mode” to [AHCI]. (For SATA3_0, SATA3_1, and SATA2_2 to
SATA2_5 ports.)
Set the option “SATA3 Mode” to [AHCI]. (For SATA3_A1 to SATA3_A4 ports.)

STEP 2: Install Windows
system.

Using SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDDs without NCQ function

STEP 1: Set Up UEFI.

A. Enter UEFI SETUP UTILITY Advanced screen SATA Confi guration.
B. Set the option “SATA Mode” to [IDE]. (For SATA3_0, SATA3_1, and SATA2_2 to
SATA2_5 ports.)
Set the option “SATA3 Mode” to [IDE]. (For SATA3_A1 to SATA3_A4 ports.)

STEP 2: Install Windows
system.

®

7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS on your

®

7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit OS on your

59

2.22 Teaming Function Operation Guide

Dual LAN with Teaming function enabled on this motherboard allows two single
connections to act as one single connection for twice the transmission bandwidth,
making data transmission more effective and improving the quality of transmission
of distant images. Fault tolerance on the dual LAN network prevents network
downtime by transferring the workload from a failed port to a working port.

The speed of transmission is subject to the actual network environment
or status even with Teaming enabled.

Before setting up Teaming function, please make sure if your Switch (or Router)
could support Teaming (IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation) function. (For example:
D-Link DGS-3100.) Then, please refer to following steps to set up Teaming function
according to the OS you install.

For Windows

®

XP / XP 64-bit OS:

1. Install Teaming driver from the following path of motherboard Support CD:
.. \ Drivers \ other \ EXE_Teaming_Green(Normal)
(This is a special driver for Teaming function only. If you don't want to use
Teaming, please install the LAN driver provided by our support CD link.)
When installing teaming driver, system will show below warming message.
Please choose Continue Anyway and keep installing driver.

2. After installing driver, please open Teaming Utility in Programs.
(Start > Programs > Realtek > Teaming Utility)

3. Click Teaming item and then press Create Team button.

60

4. Key in Team Name and choose Link Aggregation \ LACP (802.3ad) for Settings.

5. Select two available onboard LAN cards and then press OK button. (After
pressing OK button, system will show below warming message. Please choose
Continue Anyway.)

6. After doing above settings, system will auto create a new Local Area Connection.

7. Reboot your system. Then, you will fi nd the Speed column of new Local Area
Connection show 2.0Gbps.

61

For Windows® VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit OS:

1. Install Teaming driver from the following path of motherboard Support CD:
.. \ Drivers \ other \ EXE_Teaming_Green(Normal)
(This is a special driver for Teaming function only. If you don’t want to use
Teaming, please install the LAN driver provided by our support CD link.)
When installing teaming driver, system will show below warming message.
Please choose Continue Anyway and keep installing driver.

2. After installing driver, please open Teaming Utility in Programs.
(Start > Programs > Realtek > Teaming Utility)

3. Click Teaming item and then press Create Team button.

4. Key in Team Name and choose Link Aggregation \ LACP (802.3ad) for Settings.

62

5. Select two available onboard LAN cards and then press OK button. (After
pressing OK button, system will show below warming message. Please choose
Continue Anyway.)

6. After doing above settings, system will auto create a new Local Area Connection.

7. Reboot your system. Then, you will fi nd the Speed column of new Local Area
Connection show 2.0Gbps.

63

Chapter 3: UEFI SETUP UTILITY

3.1 Introduction

This section explains how to use the UEFI SETUP UTILITY to confi gure your
system. The UEFI chip on the motherboard stores the UEFI SETUP UTILITY. You
may run the UEFI SETUP UTILITY when you start up the computer. Please press
<F2> or <Del> during the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) to enter the UEFI SETUP
UTILITY, otherwise, POST will continue with its test routines.
If you wish to enter the UEFI SETUP UTILITY after POST, restart the system by
pressing <Ctl> + <Alt> + <Delete>, or by pressing the reset button on the system
chassis. You may also restart by turning the system off and then back on.

Because the UEFI software is constantly being updated, the
following UEFI setup screens and descriptions are for reference
purpose only, and they may not exactly match what you see on
your screen.

3.1.1 UEFI Menu Bar

The top of the screen has a menu bar with the following selections:

Main To set up the system time/date information
OC Tweaker To set up overclocking features
Advanced To set up the advanced UEFI features
H/W Monitor To display current hardware status
Boot To set up the default system device to locate and load the

Operating System

Security To set up the security features
Exit To exit the current screen or the UEFI SETUP UTILITY

Use < > key or < > key to choose among the selections on the menu
bar, and then press <Enter> to get into the sub screen. You can also use the
mouse to click your required item.

64

3.1.2 Navigation Keys

Please check the following table for the function description of each navigation
key.

Navigation Key(s) Function Description
/ Moves cursor left or right to select Screens
/ Moves cursor up or down to select items
+ / - To change option for the selected items
<Enter> To bring up the selected screen
<F1> To display the General Help Screen
<F9> To load optimal default values for all the settings
<F10> To save changes and exit the UEFI SETUP UTILITY
<ESC> To jump to the Exit Screen or exit the current screen

3.2 Main Screen

When you enter the UEFI SETUP UTILITY, the Main screen will appear and display
the system overview.

65

3.3 OC Tweaker Screen

In the OC Tweaker screen, you can set up overclocking features.

Advanced Turbo 50
You can use this option to increase your system performance. This option

appears only when your CPU supports this function.

Load Optimized CPU OC Setting
You can use this option to load optimized CPU overclocking setting.

Please note that overclocing may cause damage to your CPU and mother­board. It should be done at your own risk and expense.

Load Optimized GPU OC Setting
You can use this option to load optimized GPU overclocking setting.

Please note that overclocing may cause damage to your GPU and moth­erboard. It should be done at your own risk and expense.

CPU Control
CPU Ratio Setting
Use this item to change the ratio value of this motherboard.
Internal PLL Overvoltage
Use this item to enable or disable CPU Internal PLL Overvoltage Function.
GT Over Clock
Use this to enable or disable GT Over Clock by Internal Graphics Device.

The default value is [Disabled].

Intel SpeedStep Technology
Intel SpeedStep technology is Intel’s new power saving technology. Pro-

cessor can switch between multiple frequency and voltage points to en­able power savings. The default value is [Enabled]. Confi guration options:
[Enabled] and [Disabled]. If you install Windows

®

VistaTM / 7 and want to
enable this function, please set this item to [Enabled]. This item will be hid­den if the current CPU does not support Intel SpeedStep technology.

66

Please note that enabling this function may reduce CPU voltage and lead to system

stability or compatibility issue with some power supplies. Please set this item to

[Disable] if above issue occurs.

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Use this item to enable or disable Intel Turbo Boost Technology. Turbo

Boost allows processor cores to run faster than marked frequency in spe­cifi c condition. The default value is [Enabled].

Turbo Boost Power Limit

Use this item to adjust Turbo Boost power limit. Confi guration options: [Auto]

and [Manual]. The default value is [Auto].

Additional Turbo Voltage

Use this item to add voltage when CPU is in Turbo mode.

Core Current Limit

Use this item to add voltage when CPU is in Turbo mode.

Host Clock Override (BCLK)

Use this to adjust the host clock (BCLK) frequency. Min: 95MHz, Max:

110MHz.

Spread Spectrum
This item should always be [Auto] for better system stability.

DRAM Timing Control
DRAM Confi guration

Load XMP Setting

Use this to load XMP setting. Confi guration options: [Auto] and [Profi le 1].
The default value is [Auto].

DRAM Frequency

If [Auto] is selected, the motherboard will detect the memory module(s)
inserted and assigns appropriate frequency automatically.

67

CAS# Latency (tCL)

Use this item to change CAS# Latency (tCL) Auto/Manual setting. The de­fault is [Auto].

RAS# to CAS# Delay (tRCD)

Use this item to change RAS# to CAS# Delay (tRCD) Auto/Manual setting.
The default is [Auto].

Row Precharge Time (tRP)

Use this item to change Row Precharge Time (tRP) Auto/Manual setting.
The default is [Auto].

RAS# Active Time (tRAS)

Use this item to change RAS# Active Time (tRAS) Auto/Manual setting.
The default is [Auto].

Command Rate (CR)

Use this item to change Command Rate (CR) Auto/Manual setting. Min:
1N. Max: 2N. The default is [Auto].

Write Recovery Time (tWR)

Use this item to change Write Recovery Time (tWR) Auto/Manual setting.
The default is [Auto].

Refresh Cyle Time (tRFC)

Use this item to change Refresh Cyle Time (tRFC) Auto/Manual setting.
The default is [Auto].

RAS to RAS Delay (tRRD)

Use this item to change RAS to RAS Delay (tRRD) Auto/Manual setting.
The default is [Auto].

Write to Read Delay (tWTR)

Use this item to change Write to Read Delay (tWTR) Auto/Manual setting.
The default is [Auto].

Read to Precharge (tRTP)

Use this item to change Read to Precharge (tRTP) Auto/Manual setting.
The default is [Auto].

Four Activate Window (tFAW)

Use this item to change Four Activate Window (tFAW) Auto/Manual set­ting. The default is [Auto].

Memory Fast Boot

Use this item to adjust DDR fast boot mode. The default value is [Auto].

Memory Power Down Mode

Use this item to adjust DDR power down mode. Configuration options:
[Auto], [Slow] and [Fast]. The default value is [Auto].

ODT WR (CHA)

Use this item to change ODT WR (CHA) Auto/Manual setting. The default
is [Auto].

68

ODT NOM (CHA)

Use this item to change ODT NOM (CHA) Auto/Manual setting. The de­fault is [Auto].

ODT WR (CHB)

Use this item to change ODT WR (CHB) Auto/Manual setting. The default
is [Auto].

ODT NOM (CHB)

Use this item to change ODT NOM (CHB) Auto/Manual setting. The de­fault is [Auto].

Voltage Control
Power Saving Mode

Use this to enable or disable Power Saving Mode. The default value is
[Disabled].

CPU Core Voltage

Use this to select CPU Core Voltage. The default value is [Auto].

CPU Load-Line Calibration

CPU Load-Line Calibration helps prevent CPU voltage droop when the
system is under heavy load.

IGPU Voltage

Use this to select IGPU Voltage. The default value is [Auto].

IGPU Load-Line Calibration

IGPU Load-Line Calibration helps prevent IGPU voltage droop when the
system is under heavy load.

DRAM Voltage

Use this to select DRAM Voltage. The default value is [Auto].

PCH Voltage

Use this to select PCH Voltage. The default value is [Auto].

CPU PLL Voltage

Use this to select CPU PLL Voltage. The default value is [Auto].

VTT Voltage

Use this to select VTT Voltage. The default value is [Auto].

VCCSA Voltage

Use this to select VCCSA Voltage. The default value is [Auto].

User Default

In this option, you are allowed to load and save three user defaults ac­cording to your own requirements.

69

3.4 Advanced Screen

In this section, you may set the confi gurations for the following items: CPU Confi gu-
ration, North Bridge Confi guration, South Bridge Confi guration, Storage Confi gura-
tion, Super IO Confi guration, ACPI Confi guration and USB Confi guration.

Setting wrong values in this section may cause
the system to malfunction.

Instant Flash

Instant Flash is a UEFI fl ash utility embedded in Flash ROM. This conve-
nient UEFI update tool allows you to update system UEFI without entering
operating systems fi rst like MS-DOS or Windows
and save the new UEFI fi le to your USB fl ash drive, fl oppy disk or hard
drive, then you can update your UEFI 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. If you execute Instant Flash utility, the utility will show the UEFI
fi les and their respective information. Select the proper UEFI fi le to update
your UEFI, and reboot your system after UEFI update process completes.

®

. Just launch this tool

70

3.4.1 CPU Configuration

Intel Hyper Threading Technology

To enable this feature, it requires a computer system with an Intel proces­sor that supports Hyper-Threading technology and an operating system
that includes optimization for this technology, such as Microsoft® Win­dows® XP / VistaTM / 7. Set to [Enabled] if using Microsoft® Windows®
XP, VistaTM, 7, or Linux kernel version 2.4.18 or higher. This option will be
hidden if the installed CPU does not support Hyper-Threading technology.

Active Processor Cores
Use this item to select the number of cores to enable in each processor

package. Confi guration options: [All], [1], [2] and [3]. The default value is
[All].

Hardware Prefetcher
Use this item to turn on/off the MLC streamer prefetcher.
Adjacent Cache Line Prefetch
Use this item to turn on/off prefetching of adjacent cache lines.
Enhance Halt State (C1E)

All processors support the Halt State (C1). The C1 state is supported
through the native processor instructions HLT and MWAIT and requires no
hardware support from the chipset. In the C1 power state, the processor
maintains the context of the system caches.

CPU C3 State Support
Use this to enable or disable CPU C3 (ACPI C2) report to OS.
CPU C6 State Support
Use this to enable or disable CPU C6 (ACPI C3) report to OS.
Package C State Support

Selected option will program into C State package limit register. The de­fault value is [Auto].

71

CPU Thermal Throttling

You may select [Enabled] to enable CPU internal thermal control mecha­nism to keep the CPU from overheated.

Intel Virtualization Technology

When this option is set to [Enabled], a VMM (Virtual Machine Architecture)
can utilize the additional hardware capabilities provided by Vanderpool
Technology. This option will be hidden if the installed CPU does not sup­port Intel Virtualization Technology.

No-Excute Memory Protection
No-Execution (NX) Memory Protection Technology is an enhancement

to the IA-32 Intel Architecture. An IA-32 processor with “No Execute (NX)
Memory Protection” can prevent data pages from being used by malicious
software to execute code. This option will be hidden if the current CPU
does not support No-Excute Memory Protection.

Local x2APIC
Use this to enable or disable Local x2APIC. The default value is [Disabled].

Please be noted that some OS do not support this function.

72

3.4.2 North Bridge Configuration

Low MMIO Align

Low MMIO resources align at 64MB/1024MB. The default value is
[1024MB].

VT-d

Use this to enable or disable Intel® VT-d technology (Intel® Virtualization
Technology for Directed I/O). The default value of this feature is [Disabled].

Primary Graphics Adapter

This allows you to select [Onboard], [PCI] or [PCI Express] as the boot
graphic adapter priority. The default value is [PCI Express].

Onboard VGA Share Memory

This allows you to set onboard VGA share memory feature. The default
value is [Auto]. Confi guration options: [Auto], [32MB], [64MB], [128MB],
[256MB] and [512MB].

Render Standby

Use this to enable or disable Render Standby by Internal Graphics Device.
The default value is [Enabled].

IGD Multi-Monitor

Use this to enable or disable IGD Multi-Monitor by Internal Graphics De­vice. The default value is [Enabled].

DVMT Mode Select

Use this option to adjust DVMT mode. The default value is [DVMT Mode].
DVMT (Dynamic Video Memory Technology) is an architecture that of­fers breakthrough performance for the motherboard through efficient
memory utilization. In DVMT mode, the graphics driver allocates memory
as needed for running graphics applications and is cooperatively using
this memory with other system components. This item will not be used un­der Windows® VistaTM / 7 OS because the driver will intelligently detect

73

DVMT Memory

You are allowed to adjust the shared memory size in this item.

Configuration options: [256MB] and [Maximum]. The option [Maximum]
only appears when you adopt the memory module with 1024MB or above.

74

3.4.3 South Bridge Configuration

Restore on AC/Power Loss

This allows you to set the power state after an unexpected AC/power
loss. If [Power Off] is selected, the AC/power remains off when the power
recovers. If [Power On] is selected, the AC/power resumes and the system
starts to boot up when the power recovers.

Deep Sx

Mobile platforms support Deep S4/S5 in DC only and desktop platforms
support Deep S4/S5 in AC only. Confi guration options: [Disabled], [Enabled
in S5] and [Enabled in S4 and S5]. The default value is [Disabled].

Onboard LAN1

This allows you to enable or disable the “Onboard LAN1” feature.

Onboard LAN2

This allows you to enable or disable the “Onboard LAN2” feature.

Onboard 1394

This allows you to enable or disable the “Onboard 1394” feature.

Onboard HD Audio

Select [Auto], [Enabled] or [Disabled] for the onboard HD Audio feature. If
you select [Auto], the onboard HD Audio will be disabled when PCI Sound
Card is plugged.

Front Panel

Select [Auto] or [Disabled] for the onboard HD Audio Front Panel.

On/Off Play

Use this item to enable or disable On/Off Play Technology. The default val-

ue is [Enabled]. When On/Off Play is enabled, Deep Sx will be disabled. If
you want to enable Deep Sx, please disable On/Off Play fi rst.

Onboard HDMI HD Audio

This allows you to enable or disable the “Onboard HDMI HD Audio” fea­ture.

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ACPI HPET Table

Use this item to enable or disable ACPI HPET Table. The default value is
[Enabled]. Please set this option to [Enabled] if you plan to use this moth­erboard to submit Windows® VistaTM certifi cation.

Good Night LED

This allows you to enable to turn off Power LED, Lan LED at power on.

Onboard Debug Port LED

This allows you to enable or disable the onboard Debug Port LED.

3.4.4 Storage Configuration

SATA3 Mode
This item is for SATA3_A1 to SATA3_A4 ports. Use this to select SATA3

mode. Configuration options: [IDE Mode], [AHCI Mode] and [Disabled].
The default value is [IDE Mode].

We recommend to use Intel® Z68 SATA ports (SATA3_0,

SATA3_1, and SATA2_2 to SATA2_5 ports) for your

bootable devices. This will minimum your boot time and
get the best performance. But if you still want to boot from
Marvell SATA3 controller, you can still enable this in UEFI.

SATA Mode
This item is for SATA3_0, SATA3_1, and SATA2_2 to SATA2_5 ports. Use

this to select SATA mode. Confi guration options: [Disabled], [IDE Mode],
[AHCI Mode] and [RAID Mode]. The default value is [IDE Mode].

AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) supports NCQ
and other new features that will improve SATA disk perfor­mance but IDE mode does not have these advantages.

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SATA Controller0

This item is for SATA3_0, SATA3_1, SATA2_2 and SATA2_3 ports. Please

select [Compatible] when you install legacy OS. If native OS (Windows
XP / VistaTM / 7) is installed, please select [Enhanced].

SATA Controller1

This item is for SATA2_4 and SATA2_5 ports. Use this item to enable or

disable the “SATA Controller1” feature.

Hard Disk S.M.A.R.T.

Use this item to enable or disable the S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analy-

sis, and Reporting Technology) feature. Confi guration options: [Disabled]
and [Enabled].

3.4.5 Super IO Configuration

®

OnBoard Floppy Controller

Use this item to enable or disable fl oppy drive controller.

Serial Port
Use this item to enable or disable the onboard serial port.
Serial Port Address
Use this item to set the address for the onboard serial port. Confi guration

options: [3F8h / IRQ4] and [3E8h / IRQ4].

Infrared Port
Use this item to enable or disable the onboard infrared port.
Infrared Port Address

Use this item to set the address for the onboard infrared port. Confi gura-

tion options: [2F8h / IRQ3] and [2E8h / IRQ3].

77

3.4.6 ACPI Configuration

Suspend to RAM

Use this item to select whether to auto-detect or disable the Suspend-to­RAM feature. Select [Auto] will enable this feature if the OS supports it.

Check Ready Bit

Use this item to enable or disable the feature Check Ready Bit.

PS/2 Keyboard Power On
Use this item to enable or disable PS/2 keyboard to turn on the system

from the power-soft-off mode.

PCI Devices Power On

Use this item to enable or disable PCI devices to turn on the system from

the power-soft-off mode.

Ring-In Power On

Use this item to enable or disable Ring-In signals to turn on the system

from the power-soft-off mode.

RTC Alarm Power On

Use this item to enable or disable RTC (Real Time Clock) to power on the

system.

USB Keyboard/Remote Power On
Use this item to enable or disable the system to wake from S5 using USB

Keyboard/Remote.

USB Mouse Power On
Use this item to enable or disable the system to wake from S5 using USB

Mouse.

78

3.4.7 USB Configuration

USB 2.0 Controller

Use this item to enable or disable the use of USB 2.0 controller.

USB 3.0 Controller

Use this item to enable or disable the use of USB 3.0 controller.

Legacy USB Support

Use this option to select legacy support for USB devices. There are four
confi guration options: [Enabled], [Disabled], [Auto] and [UEFI Setup Only].
The default value is [Enabled]. Please refer to below descriptions for the
details of these four options:
[Enabled] - Enables support for legacy USB.
[Disabled] - USB devices are not allowed to use under legacy OS and
UEFI setup when [Disabled] is selected. If you have USB compatibility is­sue, it is recommended to select [Disabled] to enter OS.
[Auto] - Enables legacy support if USB devices are connected.
[UEFI Setup Only] - USB devices are allowed to use only under UEFI
setup and Windows / Linux OS.

Legacy USB 3.0 Support

Use this option to enable or disable legacy support for USB 3.0 devices.
The default value is [Disabled].

79

3.5 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen

In this section, it allows you to monitor the status of the hardware on your system,
including the parameters of the CPU temperature, motherboard temperature, CPU
fan speed, chassis fan speed, and the critical voltage.

CPU Fan 1 & 2 Setting

This allows you to set the CPU fan 1 & 2 speed. Confi guration options: [Full

On] and [Automatic Mode]. The default is value [Full On].

Chassis Fan 1 Setting

This allows you to set the chassis fan 1 speed. Confi guration options: [Full
On], [Automatic Mode] and [Manual Mode]. The default is value [Full On].

Chassis Fan 2 Setting

This allows you to set the chassis fan 2 speed. Confi guration options: [Level

1] to [Level 4]. The default is value [Level 4].

Chassis Fan 3 Setting

This allows you to set the chassis fan 3 speed. Confi guration options: [Full
On] and [Manual Mode]. The default is value [Full On].

Over Temperature Protection

Use this to enable or disable Over Temperature Protection. The default

value is [Enabled].

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3.6 Boot Screen

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

Boot Option Priorities
Boot Option #1

Set the fi rst priority of the system boot device.

Boot Option #2

Set the second priority of the system boot device.

Boot Option #3

Set the third priority of the system boot device.

Boot Option #4

Set the fourth priority of the system boot device.

Boot Option #5

Set the fi fth priority of the system boot device.

Hard Drive BBS Priorities

Set the order of the legacy devices in this group.

CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities

Set the order of the legacy devices in this group.

Setup Prompt Timeout

This shows the number of seconds to wait for setup activation key.
65535(0XFFFF) means indefi nite waiting.

Bootup Num-Lock

If this item is set to [On], it will automatically activate the Numeric Lock
function after boot-up.

PCI ROM Priority

Use this option to select PCI ROM Priority. There are two options: [Legacy
Rom] and [EFI Compatible ROM]. The default value is [Legacy ROM].

Full Screen Logo

Use this item to enable or disable OEM Logo. The default value is

81

[Enabled].

AddOn ROM Display

Use this option to adjust AddOn ROM Display. If you enable the option Full
Screen Logo” but you want to see the AddOn ROM information when the
system boots, please select [Enabled]. Confi guration options: [Enabled]
and [Disabled]. The default value is [Enabled].

Boot From Onboard LAN

Use this item to enable or disable the Boot From Onboard LAN feature.

Boot Failure Guard

Enable or disable the feature of Boot Failure Guard.

Boot Failure Guard Count

Enable or disable the feature of Boot Failure Guard Count.

3.7 Security Screen

In this section, you may set or change the supervisor/user password for the system.
For the user password, you may also clear it.

82

3.8 Exit Screen

Save Changes and Exit

When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, “Save
confi guration changes and exit setup?” Select [Yes] to save the changes
and exit the UEFI SETUP UTILITY.

Discard Changes and Exit

When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, “Discard
changes and exit setup?” Select [Yes] to exit the UEFI SETUP UTILITY
without saving any changes.

Discard Changes

When you select this option, it will pop-out the following message, “Discard
changes?” Select [Yes] to discard all changes.

Load UEFI Defaults

Load UEFI default values for all the setup questions. F9 key can be used
for this operation.

Launch EFI Shell from fi lesystem device

Attempts to Launch EFI Shell application (Shell64.efi) from one of the
available fi lesystem devices.

83

Chapter 4: Software Support

4.1 Install Operating System

This motherboard supports various Microsoft
64-bit / Vista

TM

/ Vista

TM

64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit. Because motherboard settings and
hardware options vary, use the setup procedures in this chapter for general refer­ence only. Refer to your OS documentation for more information.

4.2 Support CD Information

The Support CD that came with the motherboard contains necessary drivers and
useful utilities that enhance the motherboard features.

4.2.1 Running The Support CD

To begin using the support CD, insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive. The
CD automatically displays the Main Menu if “AUTORUN” is enabled in your
computer. If the Main Menu did not appear automatically, locate and double
click on the fi le “ASSETUP.EXE” from the BIN folder in the Support CD to dis-
play the menus.

4.2.2 Drivers Menu

The Drivers Menu shows the available devices drivers if the system detects
installed devices. Please install the necessary drivers to activate the devices.

4.2.3 Utilities Menu

The Utilities Menu shows the applications software that the motherboard sup­ports. Click on a specifi c item then follow the installation wizard to install it.

®

Windows® operating systems: 7 / 7

4.2.4 Contact Information

If you need to contact ASRock or want to know more about ASRock, welcome
to visit ASRock’s website at http://www.asrock.com; or you may contact your
dealer for further information.

84

Installing OS on a HDD Larger Than 2TB

This motherboard is adopting UEFI BIOS that allows Windows® OS to be installed
on a large size HDD (>2TB). Please follow below procedure to install the operating
system.

1. Please make sure to use Windows

®

VistaTM 64-bit (with SP1 or above) or

Windows® 7 64-bit.

2. Press <F2> or <Delete> at system POST. Set AHCI Mode in UEFI Setup Utility >
Advanced > Storage Confi guration > SATA Mode.

3. Choose the item “UEFI:xxx“ to boot in UEFI Setup Utility > Boot > Boot Option #1.
(“xxx” is the device which contains your Windows

®

installation fi les. Normally it is
an optical drive.) You can also press <F11> to launch boot menu at system POST
and choose the item “UEFI:xxx“ to boot.

4. Start Windows

®

installation.

5. If you install Windows® 7 64-bit OS, OS will be formatted by GPT (GUID Partition
Table). Please install the hotfi x fi le from Microsoft®:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/979903

85

Note

1. For Windows® XP / XP 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit users, if you plan to install
the PCI Express graphics card for video output, please set the UEFI option "IGD
Multi-Monitor" to [Disabled] to disable the onboard VGA in advance.

®

2. Intel

will update the new version Rapid Storage Technology driver in the near
future. For the new version Rapid Storage Technology driver, please check our

website for the latest information: http://www.asrock.com

3. If you want to use
graphics card driver version is 270.61 and later.

4. We provide Cyberlink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, which is located in the following
path of our support CD: ..\Utilities\MediaEspresso\CyberLink\Win7-64_Win7_
Vista64_Vista_XP64_XP(v6.5)\setup.exe

CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 trial now supports Intel
hardware transcoding and is optimized for second generation Core i7, i5, and i3
processors to accelerated conversion of all your favorite media fi les for your
favorite portable players. Now you can easily display your favorite movies, songs
and photos on iPhone, iPas, PSP, Xbox, Youtube, Facebook etc. Compile,
convert and enjoy images and songs as much as your want and enhance your
videos to new levels with TrueTheater Technology. Try it today.
Limitations:
* 30-day trial limitation
* Convert videos to the H.264 format 50 times

NVIDIA® SLITM Technology, please make sure that your

®

Quick Sync Video

86