ASRock FM2A85X Extreme6 Owner's Manual

FM2A85X Extreme6

User Manual

Version 1.1

Published May 2013

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 regis-

tered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for

identication or explanation and to the owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.

Disclaimer:

Speci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 warran-

ties or conditions of merchantability or tness for a particular purpose.

In no event shall ASRock, its directors, ofcers, employees, or agents be liable for

any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages (including damages for

loss of pro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 fol-

lowing 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 Cali-

fornia, 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

Contents

1. Introduction ................................................................ 5

1.1 Package Contents ..................................................................... 5

1.2 Specications ............................................................................. 6

1.3 Unique Features ........................................................................ 10

1.4 Motherboard Layout ................................................................. 14

1.5 I/O Panel .................................................................................. 15

2. Installation .................................................................. 17

Pre-installation Precautions ................................................................ 17

2.1 CPU Installation ......................................................................... 18

2.2 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink ...................................... 18

2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM) .................................... 19

2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots) ........................... 21

2.5 CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireXTM and Quad CrossFireXTM

Operation Guide ........................................................................ 22

2.6 Dual Graphics Operation Guide ................................................ 27

2.7 Multi Monitor and Surround Display Features .......................... 29

2.8 ASRock Smart Remote Installation Guide ................................. 32

2.9 Jumpers Setup ........................................................................... 34

2.10 Onboard Headers and Connectors ....................................... 35

2.11 Smart Switches .......................................................................... 40

2.12 Dr. Debug .............................................................................. 41

2.13 Serial ATA3 (SATA3) Hard Disks Installation ......................... 42

2.14 Hot Plug and Hot Swap Functions for SATA3 HDDs ................. 42

2.15 SATA3 HDD Hot Plug and Hot Swap Feature and Operation

Operation Guide ........................................................................ 43

2.16 Driver Installation Guide ............................................................ 45

2.17 Installing Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / Vista

64-bit With RAID Functions ....................................................... 45

2.18 Installing Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / Vista

64-bit Without RAID Functions .................................................. 46

3. UEFI SETUP UTILITY .................................................. 47

3.1 Introduction ................................................................................ 47

3.1.1 UEFI Menu Bar ................................................................ 47

3.1.2 Navigation Keys ............................................................... 48

3.2 Main Screen ............................................................................... 48

3.3 OC Tweaker Screen................................................................... 49

3.4 Advanced Screen ...................................................................... 52

3.4.1 CPU Conguration ........................................................... 53

3.4.2 North Bridge Conguration .............................................. 54

3.4.3 South Bridge Conguration ............................................. 55

3.4.4 Storage Conguration ...................................................... 56

3.4.5 Super IO Conguration .................................................... 57

3.4.6 ACPI Conguration .......................................................... 58

3.4.7 USB Conguration ........................................................... 60

3.5 Tool ............................................................................................ 61

3.6 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen ............................... 64

3.7 Boot Screen ............................................................................... 65

3.8 Security Screen ......................................................................... 67

3.9 Exit Screen ................................................................................ 69

4. Software Support ....................................................... 70

4.1 Install Operating System ............................................................ 70

4.2 Support CD Information ............................................................. 70

4.2.1 Running Support CD ....................................................... 70

4.2.2 Drivers Menu ................................................................... 70

4.2.3 Utilities Menu ................................................................... 70

4.2.4 Contact Information ......................................................... 70

1. Introduction

Thank you for purchasing ASRock FM2A85X Extreme6 motherboard, a reliable

motherboard produced under ASRock’s consistently stringent quality control. It

delivers excellent performance with robust design conforming to ASRock’s commit-

ment to quality and endurance.

In this manual, chapter 1 and 2 contain introduction of the motherboard and step-

by-step guide to the hardware installation. Chapter 3 and 4 contain the conguration

guide to BIOS setup and information of the Support CD.

Because the motherboard specications and the BIOS software might

be updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without

notice. In case any modications of this manual occur, the updated ver-

sion will be available on ASRock website without further notice. You may

nd the latest VGA cards and CPU support lists on ASRock website as

well. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com

If you require technical support related to this motherboard, please visit

our website for specic information about the model you are using.

www.asrock.com/support/index.asp

1.1 Package Contents

ASRock FM2A85X Extreme6 Motherboard (ATX Form Factor)

ASRock FM2A85X Extreme6 Quick Installation Guide

ASRock FM2A85X Extreme6 Support CD

4 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)

1 x I/O Panel Shield

ASRock Reminds You...

To get better performance in Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM

/ VistaTM 64-bit, it is recommended to set the BIOS option in Storage

Conguration to AHCI mode.

1.2 Specications

Platform - ATX Form Factor

- Premium Gold Capacitor design (100% Japan-made

high-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors)

CPU - Support for Socket FM2 100W processors

- Digi Power Design

- 8 + 2 Power Phase Design

- Supports AMD’s Cool ‘n’ QuietTM Technology

- UMI-Link GEN2

Chipset - AMD A85X (Hudson-D4)

Memory - Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology

- 4 x DDR3 DIMM slots

- Support DDR3 2600+(OC)/2400(OC)/2133(OC)/1866/1600/

1333/1066/800 non-ECC, un-buffered memory

(see CAUTION 1)

* 2600+ is only supported with two DIMMs

- Max. capacity of system memory: 64GB (see CAUTION 2)

- Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Prole (XMP) 1.3 / 1.2

- Supports AMD Memory Prole (AMP)

Expansion Slot - 3 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots

(PCIE2/PCIE4: single at x16 (PCIE2) / x8 (PCIE4), or dual

at x8 (PCIE2) / x8 (PCIE4) ; PCIE5: x4 mode)

- 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots

- 2 x PCI slots

- Supports AMD Quad CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireXTM,

CrossFireXTM and Dual Graphics

Graphics - AMD Radeon HD 7000 graphics

- DirectX 11, Pixel Shader 5.0

- Max. shared memory 2GB

- Four VGA Output options: D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI and

DisplayPort (see CAUTION 3)

- Supports HDMI 1.4a Technology with max. resolution up to

1920x1200 @ 60Hz

- Supports Dual-link DVI with max. resolution up to

2560x1600 @ 75Hz

- Supports D-Sub with max. resolution up to 1920x1600 @

60Hz

- Supports DisplayPort 1.2 with max. resolution up to

4096x2160 @ 30Hz

- Supports DP++

- Supports Multi-Streaming

- Supports Auto Lip Sync, Deep Color (12bpc), xvYCC and

HBR (High Bit Rate Audio) with HDMI (Compliant HDMI

monitor is required) (see CAUTION 4)

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

- Supports AMD Steady VideoTM 2.0: New video post

processing capability for automatic jutter reduction on home/

online video

- Supports HDCP function with DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort

ports

- Supports Full HD 1080p Blu-ray (BD) / HD-DVD playback

with DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort ports

Audio - 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection

(Realtek ALC898 Audio Codec)

- Premium Blu-ray audio support

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

- Realtek RTL8111E

- Supports Wake-On-LAN

- Supports LAN Cable Detection

- Supports Energy Efcient Ethernet 802.3az

- Supports PXE

Rear Panel I/O I/O Panel

- 1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port

- 1 x D-Sub Port

- 1 x DVI-D Port

- 1 x HDMI Port

- 1 x DisplayPort

- 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port

- 2 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports

- 1 x eSATA3 Connector

- 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 3.0 Ports

- 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED

LED)

- 1 x Clear CMOS Switch with LED

- HD Audio Jack: Rear Speaker/Central/Bass/Line in/Front

Speaker/Microphone

SATA3 - 7 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,

RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10), NCQ, AHCI and “Hot Plug”

functions

USB 3.0 - 2 x Rear USB 3.0 ports by AMD A85X (Hudson-D4), support

USB 1.1/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s

- 2 x Rear USB 3.0 ports by ASMedia ASM1042, support USB

1.1/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s

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

AMD A85X (Hudson-D4), supports USB 1.1/2.0/3.0 up to

5Gb/s

Connector - 7 x SATA3 6.0Gb/s connectors

- 1 x IR header

- 1 x CIR header

- 1 x COM port header

- 1 x HDMI_SPDIF header

- 1 x Power LED header

- 1 x Chassis Intrusion header

- 2 x CPU Fan connectors (1 x 4-pin, 1 x 3-pin)

- 3 x Chassis Fan connectors (1 x 4-pin, 2 x 3-pin)

- 1 x Power Fan connector (3-pin)

- 24 pin ATX power connector

- 8 pin 12V power connector

- XFire power connector

- Front panel audio connector

- 3 x USB 2.0 headers (support 6 USB 2.0 ports)

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

- 1 x Dr. Debug (7-Segment Debug LED)

- 1 x Power Switch with LED

- 1 x Reset Switch with LED

BIOS Feature - 64Mb 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

- DRAM, APU PCIE VDDP, CPU and CPU NB/GFX Voltage

Multi-adjustment

Support CD - Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version),

CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, Google Chrome

Browser and Toolbar

Hardware - CPU Temperature Sensing

Monitor - Chassis Temperature Sensing

- CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer

- CPU Quiet Fan

- CPU/Chassis Fan Multi-Speed Control

- CASE OPEN detection

- Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, Vcore

OS - Microsoft® Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista

VistaTM 64-bit compliant

Certications - FCC, CE, WHQL

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

* For detailed product information, please visit our website: http://www.asrock.com

WARNING

Please realize that there is a certain risk involved with overclocking,

including adjusting the setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking

Technology, or using third-party overclocking tools. Overclocking may

affect your system’s stability, or even cause damage to the components

and devices of your system. It should be done at your own risk and

expense. We are not responsible for possible damage caused by

overclocking.

CAUTION!

1. Whether 2600/2400/ 2133/1866/1600MHz memory speed is

supported depends on the CPU you adopt. If you want to adopt

DDR3 2600/2400/2133/1866/1600 memory module on this

motherboard, please refer to the memory support list on our

website for the compatible memory modules.

ASRock website http://www.asrock.com

2. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size

may be less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage un-

der Windows® 8 / 7 / VistaTM. For Windows® 64-bit OS with 64-

bit CPU, there is no such limitation. You can use ASRock XFast

RAM to utilize the memory that Windows® cannot use.

3. You can choose to use three of the four monitors only. D-Sub,

DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort monitors cannot be enabled at

the same time. Besides, with the DVI-to-HDMI adapter, the DVI-

D port can support the same features as HDMIport.

4. xvYCC and Deep Color are only supported under Windows® 8

64-bit / 8 / 7 64-bit / 7. Deep Color mode will be enabled only

if the display supports 12bpc in EDID. HBR is supported under

Windows® 8 64-bit / 8 / 7 64-bit / 7 / VistaTM 64-bit / VistaTM.

1.3 Unique Features

ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU)

ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU) is an all-in-one tool to

ne-tune different system functions in a user-friendly interface,

which includes Hardware Monitor, Fan Control, Overclocking,

OC DNA, IES and XFast RAM. In Hardware Monitor, it shows

the major readings of your system. In Fan Control, it shows the

fan speed and temperature for you to adjust. In Overclocking,

you are allowed to overclock CPU frequency for optimal system

performance. In OC DNA, you can save your OC settings as

a prole and share it with your friends. Your friends then can

load the OC prole to their own system to get the same OC set-

tings. In IES (Intelligent Energy Saver), the voltage regulator

can reduce the number of output phases to improve efciency

when the CPU cores are idle without sacricing computing per-

formance. In XFast RAM, it fully utilizes the memory space that

cannot be used under Windows® OS 32-bit CPU.

ASRock Instant Boot

ASRock Instant Boot allows you to turn on your PC in just a few

seconds, provides a much more efcient way to save energy,

time, money, and improves system running speed for your sys-

tem. It leverages the S3 and S4 ACPI features which normally

enable the Sleep/Standby and Hibernation modes in Windows®

to shorten boot up time. By calling S3 and S4 at specic timing

during the shutdown and startup process, Instant Boot allows

you to enter your Windows® desktop in a few seconds.

ASRock Instant Flash

ASRock Instant Flash is a BIOS ash utility embedded in Flash

ROM. This convenient BIOS update tool allows you to update

system BIOS without entering operating systems rst like MS-

DOS or Windows®. With this utility, you can press the <F6> key

during the POST or the <F2> key to enter into the BIOS setup

menu to access ASRock Instant Flash. Just launch this tool and

save the new BIOS le to your USB ash drive, oppy disk or

hard drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks

without preparing an additional oppy diskette or other compli-

cated ash utility. Please be noted that the USB ash drive or

hard drive must use FAT32/16/12 le system.

ASRock APP Charger

If you d es ir e a fast er, less restricted way of c ha rg in g y ou r

Apple devices, such as iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, ASRock has

prepared a wonderful solution for you - ASRock APP Charger.

Simply install the APP Charger driver, it makes your iPhone

charge much quickly from your computer and up to 40% faster

than before. ASRock APP Charger allows you to quickly charge

many Apple devices simultaneously and even supports continu-

ous 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 mar-

velous charging experience.

ASRock XFast USB

ASRock XFast USB can boost USB stor age device perfor-

mance. The performance may depend on the properties of the

device.

ASRock XFast LAN

ASRock XFast LAN provides a faster internet access, which

includes the benefits listed below. LAN Application Prioritiza-

tion: You can congure your application’s priority ideally and/or

add new programs. Lower Latency in Game: After setting online

game’s priority higher, it can lower the latency in games. Trafc

Shaping: You can watch Youtube HD videos and download si-

multaneously. Real-Time Analysis of Your Data: With the status

window, you can easily recognize which data streams you are

transferring currently.

ASRock XFast RAM

ASRock XFast RAM is a new function that is included into AS-

Rock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU). It fully utilizes the memory

space that cannot be used under Windows® OS 32-bit CPU.

ASRock XFast RAM shortens the loading time of previously

visited websites, making web surfing faster than ever. And it

also boosts the speed of Adobe Photoshop 5 times faster. An-

other advantage of ASRock XFast RAM is that it reduces the

frequency of accessing your SSDs or HDDs in order to extend

their lifespan.

ASRock Crashless BIOS

ASRock Crashless BIOS allows users to update their BIOS

without fear of failing. If power loss occurs during the BIOS up-

date process, ASRock Crashless BIOS will automatically nish

the BIOS update procedure after regaining power. Please note

that BIOS les need to be placed in the root directory of your

USB disk. Only USB2.0 ports support this feature.

ASRock OMG (Online Management Guard)

Administrators are able to establish an internet curfew or restrict

internet access at specied times via OMG. You may schedule

the starting and ending hours of internet access granted to other

users. In order to prevent users from bypassing OMG, guest

accounts without permission to modify the system time are re-

quired.

ASRock Internet Flash

ASRock Internet Flash searches for available UEFI firmware

updates from our servers. In other words, the system can auto-

detect the latest UEFI from our servers and ash them without

entering Windows® OS. Please note that you must be running

on a DHCP congured computer in order to enable this function.

ASRock UEFI System Browser

ASRoc k UEFI system b rowse r is a use ful tool inc luded in

graphical UEFI. It can detect the devices and configurations

that users are currently using in their PC. With the UEFI system

browser, you can easily examine the current system congura-

tion in UEFI setup.

ASRock Dehumidier Function

Users may prevent motherboard damages due to dampness by

enabling “Dehumidier Function”. When enabling Dehumidier

Function, the computer will power on automatically to dehumidi-

fy the system after entering S4/S5 state.

ASRock Easy RAID Installer

ASRock Easy RAID Installer can help you to copy the RAID

driver from a support CD to your USB storage device. After

copying the RAID driver to your USB storage device, please

change “SATA Mode” to “RAID”, then you can start installing the

OS in RAID mode.

ASRock Interactive UEFI

ASRock Interactive UEFI is a blend of system configuration

tools, cool sound effects and stunning visuals. The unprec-

edented UEFI provides a more attractive interface and brings a

lot more amusing.

ASRock Fast Boot

With ASRock’s exclusive Fast Boot technology, it takes less

than 1.5 seconds to logon to Windows® 8 from a cold boot. No

more waiting! The speedy boot will completely change your user

experience and behavior.

ASRock X-Boost

Brilliantly designed for combo overclocking, ASRock X-Boost

Technology is able to unleash the hidden power of your CPUs.

Simply press “X” when turning on the PC, X-Boost will automati-

cally overclock the relative components to get up to 15.77%

performance boost! With the smart X-Boost, overclocking CPU

can become a near one-button process.

ASRock Restart to UEFI

Windows® 8 brings the ultimate boot up experience. The light-

ning boot up speed makes it hard to access the UEFI setup. AS-

Rock Restart to UEFI technology is designed for those requiring

frequent UEFI access. It is included in ASRock’s exclusive all-

in-one AXTU tuning program that allows users to easily enter

the UEFI automatically when turning on the PC next time. Just

simply enable this function; the PC will be assured to access the

UEFI directly in the very beginning.

Lucid Virtu Universal MVP

VIRTU Un ivers al MVP in clude s the b ase fe ature s of Virt u

Universal technology, which virtualizes integrated GPU and

discrete GPU for best of breed functionality. It also features Vir-

tual Vsync™ for no-compromise visual quality. With the added

benets of HyperFormance technology, VIRTU Universal MVP

improves game performance by intelligently reducing redundant

rendering tasks in the ow between the CPU, GPU and the dis-

play.

1.4 Motherboard Layout

SOCK ET FM2

AMD

A85 X

(Hu dson -D4 )

Chi pse t

ATXPW R1

DDR3 _A1 (6 4 bit , 240 -pin m odul e)

DDR3 _A2 (6 4 bit , 240 -pin m odul e)

DDR3 _B1 (6 4 bit , 240 -pin m odul e)

DDR3 _B2 (6 4 bit , 240 -pin m odul e)

SATA3_1_2

SATA3_5

SATA3_3_4SATA3_7_8

CPU_FAN1

CPU_FAN2

PWR_FAN1

64Mb BIOS

PCIE 4

PCIE 2

PCIE 5

PCIE 1

PCIE 3

PCI2

PCI1

AUDIO CODEC

HD_AUDIO1

HDMI_SPDIF1

CLRCMOS1

USB3_5_6

SPEAKER1

CHA_FAN1

HDLED RESET

PLEDPWR BTN

PANEL1

CIR1

USB_4_5

USB_2_3

USB_0_1

FM2 A8 5X Ex tr eme 6

Fast RAM

Fast LAN

Fast USB

Fron t US B 3. 0

RoHS

DX11

DDR3 260 0+

Dual Gra phi cs

Top: RJ-45

USB 3.0 T:USB 3 B:U SB4

USB 2.0 T:USB 6 B:U SB7

eSATA

DVI1

VGA1

USB3 .0 T:USB1 B:US B2

Ps2 Keyboar d /Mouse

PLED1

CHA_FAN3

CHA_FAN2

Super

I/O

CMOS

BATTER Y

IR1

CI1

DP_1

HDMI

Clr CMOS

CROSS_FIRE _PWR1

Dr.

Debug

RESET

POWER

COM1

ATX12V1

3031

ErP/ EuP Rea dy

Top:

CTR BASS

Center:

REAR SPK

Bottom:

Optical

SPDIF

Top:

LINE IN

Center:

FRONT

Bottom:

MIC IN

LAN

1 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1) 22 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)

2 CPU Heatsink Retention Module 23 Infrared Module Header (IR1)

3 CPU Socket 24 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)

4 Power Fan Connector (PWR_FAN1) 25 SPI Flash Memory (64Mb)

5 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1) 26 USB 2.0 Header (USB_0_1)

6 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN2) 27 USB 2.0 Header (USB_2_3)

7 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 28 USB 2.0 Header (USB_4_5)

(Dual Channel A: DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1) 29 Consumer Infrared Module Header (CIR1)

8 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 30 Chassis Intrusion Header (CI1)

(Dual Channel B: DDR3_A2, DDR3_B2) 31 COM Port Header (COM1)

9 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1) 32 HDMI_SPDIF Header (HDMI_SPDIF1)

10 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_5_6) 33 Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1)

11 Southbridge Controller 34 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE5)

12 SATA3 Connectors (SATA3_1_2) 35 PCI Slot (PCI2)

13 SATA3 Connectors (SATA3_3_4) 36 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE4)

14 SATA3 Connectors (SATA3_7_8) 37 PCI Slot (PCI1)

15 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_5) 38 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE3)

16 Power LED Header (PLED1) 39 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE2)

17 System Panel Header (PANEL1) 40 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE1)

18 Power Switch (PWRBTN) 41 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN2)

19 Dr. Debug (LED) 42 XFire Power Connector (CROSS_FIRE_PWR1)

20 Reset Switch (RSTBTN) 43 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN3)

21 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER1)

1.5 I/O Panel

ACT/LINK

LED

SPEED

LED

1 PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port (Green/Purple) *** 10 Front Speaker (Lime)

2 D-Sub Port (VGA1) 11 Microphone (Pink)

3 DisplayPort (DP_1) 12 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_3_4)

* 4 USB 2.0 Ports (USB_6_7) **** 13 eSATA3 Connector (SATA3_6)

** 5 LAN RJ-45 Port 14 Clear CMOS Switch (CLRCBTN)

6 Central / Bass (Orange) 15 HDMI Port (HDMI1)

7 Rear Speaker (Black) 16 DVI-D Port (DVI1)

8 Optical SPDIF Out Port 17 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_1_2)

9 Line In (Light Blue)

* It is recommended to install the USB Keyboard/Mouse cable to USB 2.0 ports (USB_7_9)

instead of USB 3.0 ports.

** 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

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. 10) (No. 7) (No. 6) Side Speaker

(No. 9)

2 V -- -- --

4 V V -- --

6 V V V --

8 V V V V

To enable Multi-Streaming function, you need to connect a front panel audio cable to the front

panel audio header. After restarting your computer, you will nd “Mixer” tool on your system.

Please select “Mixer ToolBox” , click “Enable playback multi-streaming”, and click “ok”.

Choose “2CH”, “4CH”, “6CH”, or “8CH” and then you are allowed to select “Realtek HDA Pri-

mary 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.

2. Installation

This is an ATX form factor motherboard. Before you install the motherboard, study

the conguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard ts into it.

Pre-installation Precautions

Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard

components or change any motherboard settings.

Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the

power is switched off or the power cord is detached from the

power supply. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the

motherboard, peripherals, and/or components.

1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any

component.

2. To avoid damaging the motherboard components due to static elec-

tricity, 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 anti-

static pad or in the bag that comes with the component.

5. When placing screws into the screw holes to secure the mother-

board to the chassis, please do not over-tighten the screws! Doing

so may damage the motherboard.

2.1 CPU Installation

Step 1. Unlock the socket by lifting the lever up to a 90

angle.

Step 2. Position the CPU directly above the socket such that the CPU corner with

the golden triangle matches the socket corner with a small triangle.

Step 3. Carefully insert the CPU into the socket until it ts in place.

The CPU ts only in one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU

into the socket to avoid bending of the pins.

Step 4. When the CPU is in place, press it rmly on the socket while you push

down the socket lever to secure the CPU. The lever clicks on the side tab

to indicate that it is locked.

Lever 90° Up

CPU Golden Triangle

STEP 1:

Lift Up The Socket Lever

STEP 2 / STEP 3:

Match The CPU Golden Triangle

To The Socket Corner Small

Triangle

Socket Corner Small

Triangle

STEP 4:

Push Down And Lock

The Socket Lever

2.2 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink

After you install the CPU into this motherboard, it is necessary to install a

larger heatsink and cooling fan to dissipate heat. You also need to spray

thermal grease between the CPU and the heatsink to improve heat dis-

sipation. Make sure that the CPU and the heatsink are securely fastened

and in good contact with each other. Then connect the CPU fan to the

CPU FAN connector (CPU_FAN1, see Page 14, No. 5 or CPU_FAN2,

see Page 14, No. 6). For proper installation, please kindly refer to the

instruction manuals of the CPU fan and the heatsink.

2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)

This motherboard provides four 240-pin DDR3 (Double Data Rate 3) DIMM

slots, and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. For dual channel con-

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; see p.14 No.7) or identical DDR3 DIMM pair in Dual Channel

B (DDR3_A2 and DDR3_B2; see p.14 No.8), so that Dual Channel Memory

Technology can be activated. This motherboard also allows you to install four

DDR3 DIMMs for dual channel conguration, and please install identical DDR3

DIMMs in all four slots. You may refer to the Dual Channel Memory Congura-

tion Table below.

Dual Channel Memory Congurations

DDR3_A1 DDR3_A2 DDR3_B1 DDR3_B2

(1) Populated - Populated -

(2) - Populated - Populated

(3)* Populated Populated Populated Populated

For the con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: DDR3_

A1 and DDR3_B1, or 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

Cha nn el , for examp le , installi ng a p ai r of me mo ry modules in

DDR3_A1 and DDR3_A2, it is unable to activate the Dual Channel

Memory Technology .

4. It is not allowed to install a DDR or DDR2 memory module into

DDR3 slot; otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be dam-

aged.

5. If you adopt DDR3 2600/2400/2133/1866/1600 memory modules

on this motherboard, it is recommended to install them on DDR3_

A2 and DDR3_B2 slots.

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.

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

damage to the motherboard and the DIMM if you force the DIMM into

the slot at incorrect orientation.

Step 3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the slot until the retaining clips at both ends

fully snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.

2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)

There are 2 PCI slots and 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) is used for PCI Express cards with x1

lane width cards, such as Gigabit LAN card and SATA2 card.

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

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

CrossFireXTM function.

PCIE5 (PCIE x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x4 lane width cards, or

used to install PCI Express graphics cards to support 3-Way

CrossFireXTM function.

1. In single VGA card mode, it is recommended to install a PCI Ex-

press x16 graphics card on PCIE2 slot.

2. In CrossFireXTM 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 CrossFireXTM mode, please install the PCI Express x16

gra ph ics card s in PCIE 2, PCIE4 and PCIE5 slot s. PCIE2 an d

PCIE4 will work at x8 bandwidth, while PCIE5 works at x4 band-

width.

4. Please connect a chassis fan to motherboard chassis fan connec-

tor (CHA_FAN1, CHA_FAN2 or CHA_FAN3) when using multiple

graphics cards for better thermal environment.

5. When PCIE2 slot is occupied, the DisplayPort cannot be used.

Installing an expansion card

Step 1. Before installing the expansion card, please make sure that the power

supply is switched off or the power cord is unplugged. Please read the

documentation of the expansion card and make necessary hardware

settings for the card before you start the installation.

Step 2. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed

in a chassis).

Step 3. Remove the bracket facing the slot that you intend to use. Keep the

screws for later use.

Step 4. Align the card connector with the slot and press rmly until the card is

completely seated on the slot.

Step 5. Fasten the card to the chassis with screws.

Step 6. Replace the system cover.

2.5 CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireXTM and Quad

CrossFireXTM Operation Guide

This motherboard supports CrossFireXTM, 3-way CrossFireX

CrossFireXTM feature. C rossFireXTM technology offers the most advantag eous

means available of combining multiple high performance Graphics Processing

Units (GPU) in a single PC. Combining a range of different operating modes with

intelligent software design and an innovative interconnect mechanism, CrossFireXTM

enables the highest possible level of performance and image quality in any 3D

application. Please check AMD website for ATITM CrossFireXTM driver updates.

1. If a customer incorrectly congures their system they will not see the

performance bene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

benet from the CrossFireXTM multi-GPU platform.

2. If you pair a 12-pipe CrossFireXTM Edition card with a 16-pipe card, both cards

will operate as 12-pipe cards while in CrossFireXTM mode.

and Quad

2.5.1 Graphics Card Setup

2.5.1.1 Installing Two CrossFireXTM-Ready Graphics Cards

Different CrossFireXTM cards may require different methods to enable CrossFireXTM

feature. For other CrossFireXTM cards that AMD has released or will release in the

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

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.

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

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.)

2.5.1.2 Installing Three CrossFireXTM-Ready Graphics Cards

Step 1. Install the identical 3-Way CrossFireXTM-ready graphics cards that are

AMD certied because different types of graphics cards will not work to-

gether properly. (Even the GPU chips version shall be the same.) Insert

one graphics card into PCIE2 slot, another graphics card to PCIE4 slot,

and the other graphics card to PCIE5 slot. Make sure that the cards are

properly seated on the slots.

Step 2. Use one CrossFireTM Bridge to connect Radeon graphics cards on PCIE2

and PCIE4 slots, and use the other CrossFireTM Bridge to connect Radeon

graphics cards on PCIE4 and PCIE5 slots. (CrossFireTM Bridge is provided

with the graphics card you purchase, not bundled with this motherboard.

Please refer to your graphics card vendor for details.)

CrossFireTM Bridge

Step 3. Connect the DVI monitor cable to the DVI connector on the Radeon graph-

ics card on 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.)

+ 53 hidden pages

ASRock FM2A85X Extreme6 Owner's Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual