Asrock Z170A-X1/3.1 User Manual

Version 1.0

Published October 2015

Copyright©2015 ASRock INC. All rights reser ved.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this documentation 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 documentation may or may not
be registered 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 documentation are furnished for
informational use only and subject to change without notice, and should not be
constructed as a commitment by ASRock. ASRock assumes no responsibility for
any errors or omissions that may appear in this documentation.

With respect to the contents of this documentation, 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 tness for a particular
purpose.

In no event shall ASRock, its directors, o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 documentation or product.

is 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

e 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 ww w.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate”

ASRock Website: http://www.asrock.com

Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

1.1 Package Contents 1

1.2 Specications 2

1.3 Motherboard Layout 6

1.4 I/O Panel 8

Chapter 2 Installation 10

2.1 Installing the CPU 11

2.2 Installing the CPU Fan and Heatsink 14

2.3 Installing Memory Modules (DIMM) 15

2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI Express Slots) 17

2.5 Jumpers Setup 18

2.6 Onboard Headers and Connectors 19

2.7 CrossFireXTM and Quad CrossFireXTM Operation Guide 23

2.7.1 Installing Two CrossFireXTM-Ready Graphics Cards 23

2.7.2 Driver Installation and Setup 25

Chapter 3 Software and Utilities Operation 26

3.1 Installing Drivers 26

3.2 A-Tuning 27

3.3 ASRock Live Update & APP Shop 31

3.3.1 UI Overview 31

3.3.2 Apps 32

3.3.3 BIOS & Drivers 35

3.3.4 Setting 36

3.4 Creating Windows® 7 Installation Disk with USB 3.0 Drivers
Packed 37

Chapter 4 UEFI SETUP UTILITY 41

4.1 Intro d uc tion 41

4.2 EZ Mode 42

4.3 Advanced Mode 43

4.3.1 UEFI Menu Bar 43

4.3.2 Navigation Keys 44

4.4 Main Screen 45

4.5 OC Tweaker Screen 46

4.6 Advanced Screen 55

4.6.1 CPU Conguration 56

4.6.2 Chipset Conguration 58

4.6.3 Storage Conguration 60

4.6.4 ACPI Conguration 61

4.6.5 USB Conguration 63

4.6.6 Trusted Computing 64

4.7 Tools 65

4.8 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen 68

4.9 Security Screen 70

4.10 Boot Screen 71

4.11 Exit Screen 74

Chapter 1 Introduction

ank you for purchasing ASRock Z170A-X1/3.1 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 documentation, Chapter 1 and 2 contains the introduction of the

motherboard and step-by-step installation guides. Chapter 3 contains the operation

guide of the soware and utilities. Chapter 4 contains the conguration guide of

the BIOS setup.

Becau se the motherboard specications and the BIOS soware might be updated, the
content of this documentation will be subject to change without notice. In case any modi­cations of this documentation occur, the updated version will be available on ASRock’s
website w ithout further notice. If you require technical support related to this mother­board, please visit our website for specic information about the model you are using. You
may nd the l atest VGA cards and CPU suppor t list on ASRock’s website a s well. ASRock
website http://www.asrock.com.

Z170A-X1/3.1

1.1 Package Contents

ASRock Z170A-X1/3.1 Motherboard (ATX Form Factor)

•

ASRock Z170A-X1/3.1 Quick Installation Guide

•

ASRock Z170A-X1/3.1 Support CD

•

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

•

1 x I/O Panel Shield

•

English

1.2 Specications

Platform

CPU

Chipset

Memory

•

•

•

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•

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•

•

•

•

•

•

* 3466+(OC) memory frequency can only be achieved when a

single memory module is installed (Single channel memory).

* Please refer to Memory Support List on ASRock's website for

more information. (http://www.asrock.com/)

•

•

•

ATX Form Factor

Solid Capacitor design

Supports 6th Generation Intel® CoreTM i7/i5/i3/Pentium®/

Celeron® Processors (Socket 1151)

5 Power Phase design

Supports Intel® Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology

Supports Intel® K-Series unlocked CPUs

Supports ASRock BCLK Full-range Overclocking

Intel® Z170

Dual Channel DDR4 Memory Technology

4 x DDR4 DIMM Slots

Supports DDR4 3466+(OC)*/3200(OC)/2933(OC)/2800(OC)

/2400(OC)/2133 non-ECC, un-buered memory

Supports ECC UDIMM memory modules (operate in non-

ECC mode)

Max. capacity of system memory: 64GB

Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Prole (XMP) 2.0

15μ Gold Contact in DIMM Slots

2 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slots (PCIE2: x16 mode; PCIE4: x4

Expansion
Slot

English

Graphics

2 3

•

mode)*

* Supports NVMe SSD as boot disks

3 x PCI Express 3.0 x1 Slots (Flexible PCIe)

•

Supports AMD Quad CrossFireXTM and CrossFireXTM

•

Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visua ls and the VGA outputs

•

can be supported only with processors which are GPU

integrated.

Supports Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals : Intel® Quick

•

Sync Video with AVC, MVC (S3D) and MPEG-2 Full

HW Encode1, Intel® InTruTM 3D, Intel® Clear Video HD

Technology, Intel® InsiderTM, Intel® HD Graphics 510/530

Audio

LAN

Pixel Shader 5.0, DirectX 12

•

Supports DVI-D with ma x. resolution up to 1920x1200 @

•

60Hz

Supports Accelerated Media Codecs: HEVC, VP8, VP9

•

Supports HDCP with DVI-D Port

•

Supports Full HD 1080p Blu-ray (BD) playback with DVI-D

•

Port

7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892

•

Audio Codec)

* To congure 7.1 CH HD Audio, it is required to use an HD

front panel audio module and enable the multi-channel audio

feature through the audio driver.

Premium Blu-ray Audio support

•

Supports Surge Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection)

•

ELNA Audio Caps

•

Gigabit LAN 10/100/10 00 Mb/s

•

Giga PHY Intel® I219V

•

Supports Wake-On-LAN

•

Supports Lightning/ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike

•

Protection)

Supports Energy Ecient Ethernet 802.3az

•

Supports PXE

•

Z170A-X1/3.1

Rear Panel
I/O

1 x PS/2 Mouse Port

•

1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port

•

1 x DVI-D Port

•

1 x USB 3.1 Type-A Port (10 Gb/s) (ASMedia ASM1142)

•

(Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))

1 x USB 3.1 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s) (ASMedia ASM1142)

•

(Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))

6 x USB 3.0 Ports (Intel® Z170) (Supports ESD Protection

•

(ASRock Full Spike Protection))

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

•

LED)

HD Audio Jacks: Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone

•

English

Storage

Connector

BIOS
Feature

Hardware
Monitor

6 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,

•

RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel Rapid Storage Technology

14 and Intel Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and

Hot Plug

1 x TPM Header

•

1 x Power LED and Speaker Header

•

1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)

•

2 x Chassis Fan Connectors (4-pin)

•

1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector

•

1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector

•

1 x Front Panel Audio Connector

•

2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports) (Supports

•

ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))

1 x USB 3.0 Header (Supports 2 USB 3.0 ports) (Supports

•

ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))

AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with multilingual GUI support

•

ACPI 5.0 Compliant wake up events

•

SMBIOS 2.7 Support

•

CPU, GT_CPU, DRAM, VPPM, PCH 1.0V, VCCIO, VCCSA

•

Voltage Multi-adjustment

CPU/Chassis temperature sensing

•

CPU/Chassis Fan Tachometer

•

CPU/Chassis Quiet Fan (Auto adjust chassis fan speed by

•

CPU temperature)

CPU/Chassis Fan multi-speed control

•

Voltage monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, CPU Vcore

•

Microso® Windows® 10 64-bit / 8.1 64-bit / 7 32-bit / 7 64-

OS

English

Certica­tions

•

bit

* To install Windows® 7 OS, a modied installation disk with

xHCI drivers packed into the ISO le is required. Please refer to

page 37 for more detailed instructions.

* For the updated Windows® 10 driver, please visit ASRock ’s

website for details: http://ww w.asrock.com

FCC, CE, WHQL

•

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

•

4 5

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

Please realiz e that the re is a certain r isk involved with o verclocking, including adjusting
the setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking Technolog y, or using third-party
overclocking to ols. O verclocking may aect your system’s stability, or even c ause damage to
the components and devices of your system. It should be don e at your ow n risk and expense.
We are not responsibl e for possible damage caused by overclo cking.

Z170A-X1/3.1

English

Intel

Z170

DDR 4_A2 (6 4 bit, 28 8-pin m odule )

DDR 4_A1 (6 4 bit, 28 8-pin m odule )

DDR 4_B2 (6 4 bit, 28 8-pin m odule )

DDR 4_B1 (6 4 bit, 28 8-pin m odule )

ATX12V1

ATXP WR 1

PCIE2

Top:
RJ-45

USB 3.0
T: USB0
B: USB1

PCIE4

HDLED RESET

PLED PWRBTN

PANEL1

1

USB4_5

1

1

SPK_PLED1

1

HD_AUDIO1

PCIE1

CPU_FAN1

RoHS

5

7

8
9
10
11

12

21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13

1

2

4

3

Z170A-X1/3.1

CMOS

Battery

CLRMOS1

1

PCIE3

USB3_4_5

1

CHA_FAN1

CHA_FAN2

SATA3_2SATA3_4 SATA3_0

SATA3_3SATA3_5 SATA3_1

USB2_3

1

1

TPMS1

PCIE5

USB 3.1
T: USB31_TA_1
B: USB31_TC_1

Front USB 3.0

PCI Express 3.0

BIOS

USB 3.0
T: USB0
B: USB1

USB 3.0
T: USB2
B: USB3

DVI 1

Top:

LINE IN

Cente r:

FRONT

Botto m:

MIC IN

PS2

Keyb oard

PS2

Mous e

6

LAN

AUDIO
CODEC

1.3 Motherboard Layout

English

6 7

No. Description

1 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1)

2 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)

3 2 x 288-pin DDR4 DIMM Slots (DDR4_A1, DDR4_B1)

4 2 x 288-pin DDR4 DIMM Slots (DDR4_A2, DDR4_B2)

5 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1)

6 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_4_5)

7 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)

8 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRMOS1)

9 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_2)

10 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN2)

11 Power LED and Speaker Header (SPK_PLED1)

12 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_0)

13 System Panel Header (PANEL1)

14 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_1)

15 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_3)

16 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_5)

17 SATA 3 C onnector (SATA3_4)

18 USB 2.0 Header (USB2_3)

19 USB 2.0 Header (USB4_5)

20 TPM Header (TPMS1)

21 Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1)

Z170A-X1/3.1

English

1.4 I/O Panel

1

2

4

3

12 6

891011

5

7

No. Description No. Description

1 PS/2 Mouse Port 7 USB 3.1 Type-C Port (USB31_TC_1)

2 LAN RJ-45 Port* 8 USB 3.0 Ports (USB_01)

3 Line In (Light Blue) 9 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_23)

4 Front Speaker (Lime)** 10 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_01)

5 Microphone (Pink) 11 DVI-D Port

6 USB 3.1 Type-A Port (USB31_TA_1) 12 PS/2 Keyboard Port

* ere are two LEDs on the LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED indications.

ACT/LINK LED

SPEED LED

LAN Por t

Activity / Link LED Speed LED

Status Description Status Description

O No Link O 10Mbps connection
Blinking Data Activity Orange 100Mbps connection
On Link Green 1Gbps connection

English

8 9

Z170A-X1/3.1

** To congure 7.1 CH HD Audio, it i s required to use an HD front panel audio module and enable the multi­channel audio feature through the audio driver.

Please set Speaker Conguration to “7.1 Speaker”in the Realtek HD Audio Manager.

Function of the Audio Ports in 7.1-channel Conguration:

Port Function

Light Blue (Rear panel) Rear Speaker Out
Lime (Rear panel) Front Speaker Out
Pink (Rear panel) Central /Subwoofer Speaker Out
Lime (Front panel) Side Speaker Out

English

Chapter 2 Installation

is 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.

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

•

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

components.

In order to avoid damage from static electricity to the motherboard’s components,

•

NEVER place your motherboard directly on a carpet. Also remember to use a grounded

wrist strap or touch a safety grounded object before you handle the components.

Hold components by the edges and do not touch the ICs.

•

Whenever you uninstall any components, place them on a grounded anti-static pad or

•

in the bag that comes with the components.

When placing screws to secure the motherboard to the chassis, please do not over-

•

tighten the screws! Doing so may damage the motherboard.

English

10 11

2.1 Installing the CPU

1. Before you insert the 1151-Pin CPU into the socket, please check if the P nP cap is on the
socket, if the CPU surface is unclean, or if there are any bent pins in the sock et. Do not
force to in sert the CPU into the socket if above situation is found . Otherwise, the CPU
will be seriously damaged.

2. Unplug all power c ables before in stalling the CPU.

1

Z170A-X1/3.1

A

B

2

English

3

4

5

English

12 13

Please save and replace the cover if the processor i s removed. e cover must be placed if
you wish to return the motherboard for aer service.

Z170A-X1/3.1

English

2.2 Installing the CPU Fan and Heatsink

1 2

FAN

CPU_

English

14 15

2.3 Installing Memory Modules (DIMM)

is motherboard provides four 288-pin DDR4 (Double Data Rate 4) DIMM slots,

and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology.

1. For dual channel cong uration , you always need to in stall identical (the same b rand,

speed , size and chip-type) DDR4 DIMM pairs.

2. It is unable to activate Dual Channel Memor y Te chnology with only one or three memory
module installed.

3. It is not allowed to install a DDR, DDR2 or DDR3 memory module into a DDR4 sl ot;
otherwise , this motherboard and DIM M may be damaged.

Dual Channel Memory Conguration

Priority DDR4_A1 DDR4_A2 DDR4_B1 DDR4_B2

1 Populated Populated
2 Populated Populated
3 Populated Populated Populated Populated

Z170A-X1/3.1

e DIMM only ts in one correct orie ntation. It will cause permanent dam age to the
motherboard and the DIMM if you force the DIMM into the slot at incorrect orientation.

English

1

2

3

English

16 17

2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI Express Slots)

ere are 5 PCI Express slots on the motherboard.

Before installing an ex pansion card, please make sure that the power supply is switched o
or the power cord is unplug ged. Pl ease re ad the documentation of the expansion card and
make necessary hardware settings for the card before you start the installation.

PCIe slots:

PCIE1 (PCIe 3.0 x1 slot) is used for PCI Express x1 lane width cards.

PCIE2 (PCIe 3.0 x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x16 lane width graphics cards.

PCIE3 (PCIe 3.0 x1 slot) is used for PCI Express x1 lane width cards.

PCIE4 (PCIe 3.0 x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x4 lane width graphics cards.

PCIE5 (PCIe 3.0 x1 slot) is used for PCI Express x1 lane width cards.

PCIe Slot Congurations

PCIE2 PCIE4

Z170A-X1/3.1

Single Graphics Card x16 N/A

Two Graphics Cards in

CrossFireXTM Mode

For a better thermal environment, please connect a chassis fan to the motherboard’s chassis
fan connector (CHA _FAN1 or CH A_FAN2) when using multiple graphics card s.

x16 x4

English

2.5 Jumpers Setup

e illustration shows how jumpers are setup. When the jumper cap is placed on

the pins, the jumper is “Short”. If no jumper cap is placed on the pins, the jumper

is “Open”. e illustration shows a 3-pin jumper whose pin1 and pin2 are “Short”

when a jumper cap is placed on these 2 pins.

Clear CMOS Jumper

(CLRMO S1)

(see p.6, No. 8)

CLRMOS1 allows you to clear the data in CMOS. To clear and reset the system

parameters to default setup, please turn o the computer and unplug the power

cord from the power supply. Aer waiting for 15 seconds, use a jumper cap to

short pin2 and pin3 on CLRMOS1 for 5 seconds. However, please do not clear the

CMOS right aer you update the BIOS. If you need to clear the CMOS when you

just nish updating the BIOS, you must boot up the system rst, and then shut it

down before you do the clear-CMOS action. Please be noted that the password,

date, time, and user default prole will be cleared only if the CMOS battery is

removed.

Clear CMOSDefault

English

18 19

2.6 Onboard Headers and Connectors

1

Onboard headers and connectors are NOT jump ers. Do NOT place jumper caps over these
heade rs and connectors. Placing jumper caps over the headers and connectors will cause
permanent damage to the motherboard.

Z170A-X1/3.1

System Panel Header

(9-pi n PANEL1)

(see p.6, No. 13)

PWRBTN (Power Switch):

Connec t to the power switch on the ch assi s front panel. You may congure the way to tur n
o your system using the power switch.

RESET (Reset Switch):
Connec t to the reset switch on the chassi s front panel. Press the reset sw itch to restart the
computer if the computer f reezes and fails to per form a normal restar t.

PLED (Syste m Power LED):
Connec t to the power status indicator on the chas sis front panel. e LED i s on when the
system is operating. e LED keeps blinking when the system is in S1/S3 sleep state. e
LED is o when the system is in S4 slee p state or powered o (S5).

HDLED (Ha rd Drive Activity LED):
Connec t to the hard drive ac tivity LED on the chassis front panel. e LED is on when the
hard drive is reading or wr iting data.

e front panel de sign may dier by chassis. A front panel module mainly consists of powe r
switch, reset switch , power LED, hard dr ive activity LED, speaker and etc. When connect­ing your ch assi s front panel module to thi s header, make sure the wire a ssignments and the
pin assignments are matched correctly.

PLED+

PLED-

HDLED-

HDLED+

PWRBTN#

GND

RESET#

GND

GND

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.

English

Power LED and Speaker

1

+5V

DUMMY

PLED+

PLED+

PLED-

DUMMY

SPEAKER

DUMMY

GND

GND

P+

P-

USB_PWR

P+

P-

USB_PWR

1

1

ID

IntA_P_D+

Header

(7-pin SPK_PLED1)

(see p.6, No. 11)

Please connect the

chassis power LED and

the chassis speaker to this

header.

Serial ATA3 Connectors

(SATA3_0:

see p.6, No. 12)

(SATA3_1:

see p.6, No. 14)

(SATA3_ 2:

see p.6, No. 9)

(SATA3_ 3:

see p.6, No. 15)

SATA3_2SATA3_4

SATA3_3SATA3_5

SATA3_0

SATA3_1

ese six SATA3

connectors support SATA

data cables for internal

storage devices with up

to 6.0 Gb/s data transfer

rate. To minimize the

boot time, use Intel® Z170

SATA ports (SATA3_0)

for your bootable devices.

(SATA3_4:

see p.6, No. 17)

(SATA3_ 5:

see p.6, No. 16)

USB 2.0 Headers

(9-pin USB2_3)

(see p.6, No. 18)

(9-pin USB4_5)

ere are two headers

on this motherboard.

Each USB 2.0 header can

support two ports.

(see p.6, No. 19)

USB 3.0 Header

(19-pin USB3_4_ 5)

(see p.6, No. 6)

English

20 21

IntA_P_D-

GND

IntA_P_D-

IntA_P_D+

IntA_P_SSTX+

IntA_P_SSTX-

GND

IntA_P_SSTX-

IntA_P_SSTX+

GND

IntA_P_SSRX+

IntA_P_SSRX-

Vbus

IntA_P_SSRX-

IntA_P_SSRX+

GND

Besides si x USB 3.0 ports

on the I/O panel, there

is one header on this

motherboard. Each USB

3.0 header can support

two ports.

Vbus

Z170A-X1/3.1

J_SENSE

OUT2_L

1

MIC_RET

PRESENCE#

GND

OUT2_R

MIC2_R

MIC2_L

OUT_RET

GND

OL

FAN_SPEED_CONTROL

4 3 2 1

Front Panel Audio Header

(9-pin HD_ AUDIO1)

(see p.6, No. 21)

1. High Denition Audio support s Jack Sensing, but the panel wire on the cha ssis must sup ­port HDA to function correctly. Ple ase fol low the instructions in our manual and chassis
manual to install your system.

2. If you use an AC’97 audio panel , please install it to th e front panel audio header by the
steps below:
A. Connect Mic_IN (MIC) to MIC2_ L.
B. Conne ct 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 the HD audio panel only. You don’t ne ed to conn ect
them for the AC’97 audio panel .
E. To activate the front mic, go to the “FrontMic” Tab in the Realtek Control panel and
adjust “Recording Volume”.

Chassis Fan Connectors

(4-pin CHA_FAN1)

(see p.6, No. 7)

FAN_VOLTAGE

CHA_FAN_SPEED

FAN_SPEED_CONTR

(4-pin CHA_FAN2)

is header is for

connecting audio devices

to the front audio panel.

Please connect fan cables

to the fan connectors and

match the black wire to

the ground pin.

(see p.6, No. 10)

CPU Fan Connectors

(4-pin CPU_FAN1)

(see p.6, No. 2)

ATX Power Connector

(24-p i n ATX PWR1)

(see p.6, No. 8)

CPU_F

12

1

GND

FAN_VOLTAGE

AN_SPEED

24

13

is motherboard pro-

vides a 4-Pin CPU fan

(Quiet Fan) connector.

If you plan to connect a

3-Pin CPU fan, please

connect it to Pin 1-3.

is motherboard pro-

vides a 24-pin ATX power

connector. To use a 20-pin

ATX power supply, please

plug it along Pin 1 and Pin

13.

English

ATX 12V Power

5

1

8

#

Connector

(8-pin ATX12V1)

(see p.6, No. 1)

is motherboard pro-

vides an 8-pin ATX 12V

power connector. To use a

4-pin ATX power supply,

please plug it along Pin 1

and Pin 5.

TPM Header

(17-pi n TP MS1)

(see p.6, No. 20)

GN D

LAD 0

+3 V

+3V S B

D

GN

GN D

LAD 1

SER IRQ #

S_P WRD WN #

PC ICL K

LAD 3

PC IRS T

FRA M E

GN D

LAD 2

Platform Module (TPM) system,

1

which can securely store keys,

digital certicates, passwords,

and data. A TPM system also

helps enhance network security,

SMB _CL K_MA IN

SMB _DA TA_M AIN

protects digital identities, and

ensures platform integrity.

is connector supports Trusted

English

22 23

2.7 CrossFireXTM and Quad CrossFireXTM Operation Guide

is motherboard supports CrossFireXTM and Quad CrossFireXTM that allows you

to install up to three identical PCI Express x16 graphics cards.

1. You should only use identical CrossFireXTM-ready g raphics cards that are AM D

certied.

2. Make sure that your g raphics card driver supports A MD CrossFireXTM technology.

Download the drivers from the A MD’s website: www.amd.com

3. Make sure that your power sup ply unit (PSU) can prov ide at le ast the minimum

power your syste m require s. It is recommended to use a AMD certied PSU. Plea se
refer to the AMD’s website for d etail s.

4. If you pair a 12-pipe Cros sFireXTM Edition card with a 16-pipe card, both cards will

operate a s 12-pipe cards while in CrossFireXTM mode.

5. Dierent CrossFireXTM cards may require dierent method s to enable CrossFi-

reXTM. Please refer to A MD graphics card manuals for de tailed installation guide.

2.7.1 Installing Two CrossFireXTM-Ready Graphics Cards

Step 1

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.

Z170A-X1/3.1

CrossFire Bridge

Step 2

Connect two graphics cards by installing

a CrossFire Bridge on the CrossFire Bridge

Interconnects on the top of the graphics

cards. (e CrossFire Bridge is provided

with the graphics card you purchase, not

bundled with this motherboard. Please

refer to your graphics card vendor for

deta ils .)

English

Step 3

Connect a VGA cable or a DVI cable to the

monitor connector or the DVI connec-

tor of the graphics card that is inserted to

PCIE2 slot.

English

24 25

2.7.2 Driver Installation and Setup

Step 1

Power on your computer and boot into OS.

Step 2

Remove the AMD drivers if you have any VGA drivers installed in your system.

e Catalyst Unins talle r is an optional do wnload. We recommend us ing this utility to un­install any previously installed Catalyst drivers prior to installation. Plea se check AMD’s
website for AMD driver updates .

Step 3

Install the required drivers and CATALYST Control Center then restart your

computer. Please check AMD’s website for details.

Step 4

Double-click the AMD Catalyst Control

AMD Catalyst Control Center

Center icon in the Windows® sy stem tray.

Z170A-X1/3.1

Step 5

In the le pane, click Performance and

then AMD CrossFireXTM. en select

Enable AMD CrossFireX and click Apply.

Select the GPU number according to your

graphics card and click Apply.

English

Chapter 3 Software and Utilities Operation

3.1 Installing Drivers

e Support CD that comes with the motherboard contains necessary drivers and

useful utilities that enhance the motherboard’s features.

Running The Support CD

To begin using the support CD, insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive. e CD

automatically displays the Main Menu if “AUTORUN” is enabled in your computer.

If the Main Menu does not appear automatically, locate and double click on the le

“ASRSETUP.EXE” in the Support CD to display the menu.

Drivers Menu

e drivers compatible to your system will be auto-detected and listed on the

support CD driver page. Please click Install All or follow the order from top to

bottom to install those required drivers. erefore, the drivers you install can work

properly.

Utilities Menu

e Utilities Menu shows the application soware that the motherboard supports.

Click on a specic item then follow the installation wizard to install it.

To improve Windows 7 compatibility, please download and install the following hot x
provided by Microso.
“KB2720599”: http://support.microso.com/kb/2720599/en-us

English

26 27

3.2 A-Tuning

A-Tuning is ASRock’s multi purpose soware suite with a new interface, more new

features and improved utilities.

3.2.1 Installing A-Tuning

A-Tu ni n g can be downloaded from ASRock Live Update & APP Shop. Aer the

installation, you will nd the icon “A-Tu n i ng“ on your desktop. Double-click the

“A-Tu ni n g“ icon, A-Tu n i n g main menu will pop up.

3.2.2 Using A-Tuning

ere are six sections in A-Tuning main menu: Operation Mode, OC Tweaker,

System Info, FAN-Tastic Tuning, Tech Service and Settings.

Operation Mode

Choose an operation mode for your computer.

Z170A-X1/3.1

English

OC Tw eaker

Congurations for overclocking the system.

System Info

View information about the system.

*e System Browser tab may not appear for certain models.

English

28 29

Z170A-X1/3.1

FAN-Tastic Tuning

Congure up to ve dierent fan speeds using the graph. e fans will automatically shi

to the next speed level when the assigned temperature is met.

Tech Ser vice

Contact Tech Service if you have problems with your computer. Please leave your

contact information along with details of the problem.

English

Settings

Congure ASRock A-Tuning. Click to select "Auto run at Windows Startup" if you

want A-Tuning to be launched when you start up the Windows operating system.

English

30 PB

3.3 ASRock Live Update & APP Shop

e ASRock Live Update & APP Shop is an online store for purchasing and

downloading soware applications for your ASRock computer. You can quickly and

easily install various apps and support utilities, such as USB Key, XFast LAN, XFast

RAM and more. With ASRock APP Shop, you can optimize your system and keep

your motherboard up to date simply with a few clicks.

Double-click on your desktop to access ASRock Live Update & APP Shop
utility.

*You need to be connected to the Internet to download apps f rom the ASRock Live Update & APP Shop.

3.3.1 UI Overview

Category Panel

Hot News

Z170A-X1/3.1

Information Panel

Category Panel: e category panel contains several category tabs or buttons that

when selected the information panel below displays the relative information.

Information Panel: e information panel in the center displays data about the

currently selected category and allows users to perform job-related tasks.

Hot News: e hot news section displays the various latest news. Click on the image

to visit the website of the selected news and know more.

English

3.3.2 Apps

When the "Apps" tab is selected, you will see all the available apps on screen for you

to download.

Installing an App

Step 1

Find the app you want to install.

e most recommended app appears on the le side of the screen. e other various

apps are shown on the right. Please scroll up and down to see more apps listed.

You can check the price of the app and whether you have already intalled it or not.

- e red icon displays the price or "Free" if the app is free of charge.

- e green "Installed" icon means the app is installed on your computer.

Step 2

Click on the app icon to see more details about the selected app.

English

32 33

Step 3

If you want to install the app, click on the red icon to start downloading.

Step 4

When installation completes, you can nd the green "Installed " icon appears on the

upper right corner.

Z170A-X1/3.1

To uninstall it, simply click on the trash can icon .
*e trash icon may not appear for certain apps.

English

Upgrading an App

You can only upgrade the apps you have already installed. When there is an

available new version for your app, you will nd the mark of "New Version"

appears below the installed app icon.

Step 1

Click on the app icon to see more details.

Step 2

Click on the yellow icon to start upgrading.

English

34 35

3.3.3 BIOS & Drivers

Installing BIOS or Drivers

When the "BIOS & Drivers" tab is selected, you will see a list of recommended or

critical updates for the BIOS or drivers. Please update them all soon.

Z170A-X1/3.1

Step 1

Please check the item information before update. Click on to see more details.

Step 2

Click to select one or more items you want to update.

Step 3

Click Update to start the update process.

English

3.3.4 Setting

In the "Setting" page, you can change the language, select the server location, and

determine if you want to automatically run the ASRock Live Update & APP Shop

on Windows startup.

English

36 37

Z170A-X1/3.1

3.4 Creating Windows® 7 Installation Disk with USB 3.0 Drivers Packed

e USB 3.0 ports on your motherboard require the USB 3.0 drivers to function

properly. Due to the Windows® 7 installation disk does not include the USB 3.0

drivers, please create a Windows® 7 installation disk with the Intel® USB 3.0

eXtensible Host Controller (xHCI) drivers packed into the ISO le of your own.

Requirements

A program that can create and modify ISO les, such as UltraISO

•

Windows® 7 installation disk

•

USB 3.0 drivers (included in the ASRock Support CD)

•

Windows® PC

•

Instructions

Step 1

Create a new folder under C:\ on your computer. Here we name the folder "asrock" as an

example.

Step 2

Create another two subfolders under the "asrock" folder. Name the subfolder "mount" and

"usb3" as examples.

Step 3

Insert Windows® 7 installation disk in your CD drive.

Step 4

Copy "boot.wim" and "install.wim" les from the "Sources" folder in the Windows® 7

installation disk to the "asrock" folder created in Step 1.

Step 5

Insert the ASRock Support CD in your CD drive.

Step 6

Go to folder "Drivers" and then nd the "Intel USB3.0 Driver" folder.

English

Step 7

Make sure the Windows 7 you are going to install is the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version.

For 64-bit Windows 7:

Copy all 12 les under the folders "HCSwitch" (x64) and "Win7" (x64) in the "Drivers" to

the subfolder "usb3" created in Step 2.

For 32-bit Windows 7:

Copy all 12 les under the folders "HCSwitch" (x86) and "Win7" (x86) in the "Drivers" to

the subfolder "usb3" created in Step 2.

Step 8

Open the "Start" menu and type "command" or "cmd" to launch the command prompt as

an administrator.

English

38 39

Z170A-X1/3.1

Step 9

Enter the folder created in Step 1, by inputting "cd.." and "cd (folder name)" commands.

Refer to the screenshot below.

"cd.." : go to the upper level

"cd (folder name)" : enter the assigned folder

Ste p 10

To add USB 3.0 drivers into " boot.wim" in order to install Windows® 7 by ash3.0, please

input the following commands in order and wait until the each process completes.

dism /mount-wim /wimle:boot.wim /index:2 /mountdir:mount

dism /image:mount /add-driver:"usb3" /recurse

dism /unmount-wim /mountdir:mount /commit

Ste p 11

To add the drivers into the "insta ll.wim" image le, please input the following commands

in order and wait until the each process completes.

dism /mount-wim /wimle:install.wim /index:4 /mountdir:mount

dism /image:mount /add-driver:"usb3" /recurse

dism /unmount-wim /mountdir:mount /commit

English

English

In this step, please particularly pay attention to the Index number in the rst command.

Index represents the dierent versions of Windows® 7. Please check the followings for the

versions you use:

Index : 1 Windows 7 HOMEBASIC

Index : 2 Windows 7 HOMEPREMIUM

Index : 3 Windows 7 PROFESSIONAL

Index : 4 Windows 7 ULTIMATE

St ep 12

Use a program that can create and modify ISO les, such as UltraISO, to copy the modied

"boot.wim" and "install.win" les to the same directory in the Windows® 7 installation disk

and cover the original les. (We recommend backing up the original version just in case.)

Save as a new ISO le, and then burn the CD or USB which can be used to install.

40 PB

Chapter 4 UEFI SETUP UTILITY

4.1 Introduction

is section explains how to use the UEFI SETUP UTILITY to congure your

system. You may run the UEFI SETUP UTILITY by pressing <F2> or <Del> right

aer you power on the computer, other wise, the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) will

continue with its test routines. If you wish to enter the UEFI SETUP UTILITY aer

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 o

and then back on.

Becau se the UEFI soware is constantly being upd ated, the following UEFI setup screens
and descriptions are for reference pur pose only, and they may not exactly match what you
see on your screen.

Z170A-X1/3.1

English

4.2 EZ Mode

e EZ Mode screen appears when you enter the BIOS setup program by default. EZ

mode is a dashboard which contains multiple readings of the system’s current status.

You can check the most crucial information of your system, such as CPU speed,

DRAM frequency, SATA information, fan speed, etc.

Press <F6> or click the "Advanced Mode" button at the upper right corner of the

screen to switch to "Advanced Mode" for more options.

No. Function

Help

1

Load UEFI Defaults

2

Save Changes and Exit

3

Discard Changes

4

Change Language

5

Switch to Advanced Mode

English

6

42 43

4.3 Advanced Mode

e Advanced Mode provides more options to congure the BIOS settings. Refer to

the following sections for the detailed congurations.

To access the EZ Mode, press <F6> or click the "EZ Mode" button at the upper right

corner of the screen.

4.3.1 UEFI Menu Bar

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

Z170A-X1/3.1

Main

OC Tweaker

Advanced

Tool

H/W Monitor

Boot

Security

Exit

For setting system time/date information

For overclocking congurations

For advanced system congurations

Useful tools

Displays current hardware status

For conguring boot settings and boot priority

For security settings

Exit the current screen or the UEFI Setup Utility

English

4.3.2 Navigation Keys

Use < > key or < > key to choose among the selections on the menu bar, and

use < > key or < > key to move the cursor up or down to select items, then

press <Enter> to get into the sub screen. You can also use the mouse to click your

required item.

Please check the following table for the descriptions of each navigation key.

Navigation Key(s) Description

+ / -

<Tab>

<PGUP>

<PGDN>

<HOME>

<END>

<F1>

<F5>

<F6>

<F7>

<F9>

<F10>

<F12>

To change option for the selected items

Switch to next function

Go to the previous page

Go to the next page

Go to the top of the screen

Go to the bottom of the screen

To display the General Help Screen

Add / Remove Favorite

Switch to the EZ mode

Discard changes and exit the SETUP UTILITY

Load optimal default values for all the settings

Save changes and exit the SETUP UTILITY

Print screen

<ESC>

Jump to the Exit Screen or exit the current screen

English

44 45

4.4 Main Screen

When you enter the UEFI SETUP UTILITY, the Main screen will appear and

display the system overview.

Favorite

Display your collection of BIOS items. Press F5 to add/remove your favorite items.

Z170A-X1/3.1

English

4.5 OC Tweaker Screen

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

Becau se the UEFI soware is constantly being upd ated, the following UEFI setup screens
and descriptions are for reference pur pose only, and they may not exactly match what you
see on your screen.

Advanced Turbo

You can use this option to increase your system performance. is option appears only

when your CPU supports this function. is option appears only when you adopt K-Series

CPU.

Load Optimized CPU OC Setting

You can use this option to load optimized CPU overclocking setting. Please note that

overclocking may cause damage to your CPU and motherboard. It should be done at your

own risk and expense.

English

Load Optimized GPU OC Setting

You can use this option to load optimized GPU overclocking setting. Please note that

overclocking may cause damage to your GPU and motherboard. It should be done at your

own risk and expense. is option appears only when you adopt K-Series CPU.

46 47

CPU Conguration

Multi Core Enhancement

Improve the system's performance by forcing the CPU to perform the highest

frequency on all CPU cores simultaneously. Disable to reduce power consumption .

CPU Ratio

e CPU speed is determined by the CPU Ratio multiplied with the BCLK.

Increasing the CPU Ratio will increase the internal CPU clock speed without

aecting the clock speed of other components.

CPU Cache Ratio

e CPU Internal Bus Speed Ratio. e maximum should be the same as the CPU

Ratio.

Minimum CPU Cache Ratio

Set the minimum CPU Internal Bus Speed Ratio.

BCLK Frequency

e CPU speed is determined by the CPU Ratio multiplied with the BCLK.

Increasing the BCLK will increase the internal CPU clock speed but also aect the

clock speed of other components.

Z170A-X1/3.1

BCLK Spread Spectrum

Enable BCLK Spread Spectrum to reduce electromagnetic interference for passing

EMI tests. Disable to achieve higher clock speeds when overclocking.

Boot Performance Mode

Select the performance state that the BIOS will set before OS hando.

Reliability Stress Restrictor

Disable or Enable Reliability Stress Restrictor feature.

FCLK Frequency

Congure the FCLK Frequency.

Intel SpeedStep Technology

Intel SpeedStep technology allows processors to switch between multiple frequen-

cies and voltage points for better power saving and heat dissipation.

English

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel Turbo Boost Technolog y enables the processor to run above its base operating

frequency when the operating system requests the highest performance state.

Long Duration Power Limit

Congure Package Power Limit 1 in watts. When the limit is exceeded, the CPU

ratio will be lowered aer a period of time. A lower limit can protect the CPU and

save power, while a higher limit may improve performance.

Long Duration Maintained

Congure the period of time until the CPU ratio is lowered when the Long

Duration Power Limit is exceeded.

Short Duration Power Limit

Congure Package Power Limit 2 in watts. When the limit is exceeded, the CPU

ratio will be lowered immediately. A lower limit can protect the CPU and save

power, while a higher limit may improve performance.

System Agent Current Limit

Congure the current limit of the system agent. A lower limit can protect the CPU

and save power, while a higher limit may improve performance.

CPU Core Current Limit

Congure the current limit of the CPU core. A lower limit can protect the CPU and

save power, while a higher limit may improve performance.

GT Slice Current Limit

Congure the current limit of the GT slice. A lower limit can protect the CPU and

save power, while a higher limit may improve performance.

GT Frequency

Congure the frequency of the integrated GPU.

DRAM Conguration

DRAM Information

English

Fine tune the DRAM settings by leaving marks in checkboxes. Click OK to conrm and

apply your new settings.

48 49

Z170A-X1/3.1

DRAM Timing Conguration

Load XMP Setting

Load XMP settings to overclock the memory and perform beyond standard specications.

DRAM Reference Clock

Select Auto for optimized settings.

DRAM Frequency

If [Auto] is selected, the motherboard will detect the memory module(s) inserted

and assign the appropriate frequency automatically.

Primary Timing

CAS# Latency (tCL)

e time between sending a column address to the memory and the beginning of the data

in response.

RAS# to CAS# Delay and Row Precharge (tRCDtRP)

RAS# to CAS# Delay : e number of clock cycles required between the opening of

a row of memory and accessing columns within it.

Row Precharge: e number of clock cycles required between the issuing of the

precharge command and opening the next row.

RAS# Active Time (tRAS)

e number of clock cycles required between a bank active command and issuing the

precharge command.

Command Rate (CR)

e delay between when a memor y chip is selected and when the rst active command can

be issued.

Secondary Timing

Write Recovery Time (tWR)

e amount of delay that must elapse aer the completion of a valid write operation,

before an active bank can be precharged.

Refresh Cycle Time (tRFC)

e number of clocks from a Refresh command until the rst Activate command to

the same rank.

English

RAS to RAS Delay (tRRD_L)

e number of clocks between two rows activated in dierent banks of the same

rank.

RAS to RAS Delay (tRRD_S)

e number of clocks between two rows activated in dierent banks of the same

rank.

Write to Read Delay (tWTR_L)

e number of clocks between the last valid write operation and the next read command to

the same interna l bank.

Write to Read Delay (tWTR_S)

e number of clocks between the last valid write operation and the next read command to

the same interna l bank.

Read to Precharge (tRTP)

e number of clocks that are inserted between a read command to a row pre-

charge command to the same rank.

Four Activate Window (tFAW)

e time window in which four activates are allowed the same rank.

CAS Write Latency (tCWL)

Congure CAS Write Latency.

Third Timing

tREFI

Congure refresh cycles at an average periodic interval.

tCKE

Congure the period of time the DDR4 initiates a minimum of one refresh

command internally once it enters Self-Refresh mode.

tRDRD_sg

English

Congure between module read to read delay.

tRDRD_dg

Congure between module read to read delay.

50 51

tRDRD_dr

Congure between module read to read delay.

tRDRD_dd

Congure between module read to read delay.

tRDWR_sg

Congure between module read to write delay.

tRDWR_dg

Congure between module read to write delay.

tRDWR_dr

Congure between module read to write delay.

tRDWR_dd

Congure between module read to write delay.

tWRRD_sg

Congure between module write to read delay.

Z170A-X1/3.1

tWRRD_dg

Congure between module write to read delay.

tWRRD_dr

Congure between module write to read delay.

tWRRD_dd

Congure between module write to read delay.

tWRWR_sg

Congure between module write to write delay.

tWRWR_dg

Congure between module write to write delay.

tWRWR_dr

Congure between module write to write delay.

English

tWRWR_dd

Congure between module write to write delay.

RTL (CH A)

Congure round trip latency for channel A.

RTL (CH B)

Congure round trip latency for channel B.

IO-L (CH A)

Congure IO latency for channel A.

IO-L (CH B)

Congure IO latency for channel B.

Fourth Timing

twRPRE

Congure twR PRE.

Write_Early_ODT

Congure Write_Early_ODT.

tAONPD

Congure tAONPD.

tXP

Congure tXP.

tXPDLL

Congure tXPDLL.

tPRPDEN

Congure tPRPDEN.

tRDPDEN

English

Congure tRDPDEN.

twRPDEN

Congure twR PDEN.

52 53

OREF_RI

Congure OREF_RI.

tREFIx9

Congure tR EFIx9.

txSDLL

Congure txSDLL.

txs_oset

Congure txs_oset.

tZQOPER

Congure tZQOPER.

tMOD

Congure tMOD.

ZQCS_period

Congure ZQCS_period.

Z170A-X1/3.1

tZQCS

Congure tZQCS.

Advanced Setting

ODT WR (CH A)

Congure the memory on die termination resistors' WR for channel A.

ODT WR (CH B)

Congure the memory on die termination resistors' WR for channel B.

ODT PARK (CH A)

Congure the memory on die termination resistors' PARK for channel A.

ODT PARK (CH B)

Congure the memory on die termination resistors' PARK for channel B.

ODT NOM (CH A)

Use this to change ODT (CH A) Auto/Manual settings. e default is [Auto].

English

ODT NOM (CH B)

Use this to change ODT (CH B) Auto/Manual settings. e default is [Auto].

MRC Fast Boot

Enable Memory Fast Boot to skip DRAM memory training for booting faster.

Voltage Conguration

DRAM Voltage

Use this to congure DRAM Voltage. e default value is [Auto].

CPU Vcore Voltage

Congure the voltage for the CPU Vcore.

PCH +1.0 Voltage

Congure the chipset voltage.

VCC PLL Voltage

Congure the chipset voltage.

GT Voltage

Congure the voltage for the integrated GPU. .

VCCSA Voltage

Congure the voltage for the VCCSA.

Save User Default

Type a prole name and press enter to save your settings as user default.

Load User Default

Load previously saved user defaults.

English

54 55

4.6 Advanced Screen

In this section, you may set the congurations for the following items: CPU

Conguration, Chipset Conguration, Storage Conguration, ACPI Conguration,

USB Conguration and Trusted Computing.

Z170A-X1/3.1

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

UEFI Conguration

UEFI Setup Style

Select the default mode when entering the UEFI setup utility.

Active Page on Entry

Select the default page when entering the UEFI setup utility.

Full HD UEFI

When [Auto] is selected, the resolution will be set to 1920 x 1080 if the monitor

supports Full HD resolution. If the monitor does not support Full HD resolution,

then the resolution will be set to 1024 x 768. When [Disable] is selected, the

resolution will be set to 1024 x 768 directly.

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4.6.1 CPU Conguration

Active Processor Cores

Select the number of cores to enable in each processor package.

CPU C States Support

Enable CPU C States Support for power saving. It is recommended to keep C3, C6

and C7 all enabled for better power saving.

Enhanced Halt State (C1E)

Enable Enhanced Halt State (C1E) for lower power consumption.

CPU C3 State Support

Enable CPU C3 State Support for power saving.

CPU C6 State Support

Enable CPU C6 State Support for power saving.

CPU C7 State Support

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Enable CPU C7 State Support for power saving.

Package C State Support

Enable CPU, PCIe, Memor y, Graphics C State Support for power saving.

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CPU Thermal Throttling

Enable CPU internal thermal control mechanisms to keep the CPU from overheat-

ing.

No-Execute Memory Protection

Processors with No-Execution Memory Protection Technology may prevent certain

classes of malicious buer overow attacks.

Intel Virtualization Technology

Intel Virtualization Technology allows a platform to run multiple operating systems

and applications in independent partitions, so that one computer system can

function as multiple virtual systems.

Hardware Prefetcher

Automatically prefetch data and code for the processor. Enable for better

performance.

Adjacent Cache Line Prefetch

Automatically prefetch the subsequent cache line while retrieving the currently

requested cache line. Enable for better performance.

Z170A-X1/3.1

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4.6.2 Chipset Conguration

Primary Graphics Adapter

Select a primary VGA.

Top of Lower usable DRAM

Set the maximum value of TOLUD. Set this item to Dynamic to allow TOLUD to

adjust automatically based on the largest MMIO length of the installed graphic

cont roller.

VT-d

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O helps your virtual machine

monitor better utilize hardware by improving application compatibility and

reliability, and providing additional levels of manageability, security, isolation, and

I/O performance.

PCIE2 Link Speed

Select the link speed for PCIE2.

PCIE ASPM Support

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is option enables/disables the ASPM support for all CPU downstream devices.

PCH PCIE ASPM Support

is option enables/disables the ASPM support for all PCH PCIE devices.

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Z170A-X1/3.1

DMI ASPM Support

is option enables/disables the control of ASPM on CPU side of the DMI Link.

PCH DMI ASPM Support

is option enables/disables the ASPM support for all PCH DMI devices.

Share Memory

Congure the size of memory that is allocated to the integrated graphics processor when

the system boots up.

IGPU Multi-Monitor

Select disable to disable the integrated graphics when an external graphics card is installed.

Select enable to keep the integrated graphics enabled at all times.

Onboard LAN

Enable or disable the onboard network interface controller.

Onboard HD Audio

Enable/disable onboard HD audio. Set to Auto to enable onboard HD audio and

automatically disable it when a sound card is installed.

Front Panel

Enable/disable front panel HD audio.

Deep Sleep

Congure deep sleep mode for power saving when the computer is shut down.

Restore on AC/Power Loss

Select the power state aer a power failure. If [Power O] is selected, the power will

remain o when the power recovers. If [Power On] is selected, the system will start

to boot up when the power recovers.

Good Night LED

By enabling Good Night LED, the Power/HDD LEDs will be switched o when the

system is on. It will also automatically switch o the Power and Keyboard LEDs

when the system enters into Standby/Hibernation mode.

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4.6.3 Storage Conguration

SATA Controller(s)

Enable/disable the SATA controllers.

SATA Mode Selection

AHCI: Supports new features that improve performance.

RAID: Combine multiple disk drives into a logical unit.

AHCI (Advanc ed Host Controll er Inter face) support s NCQ and other new features that
will improve SATA disk performance but IDE mod e does not have these advantages.

SATA Aggressive Link Power Management

SATA Aggressive Link Power Management allows SATA devices to enter a low

power state during periods of inactivity to save power. It is only supported by AHCI

mode.

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

S.M.A.R.T stands for Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology. It is a

monitoring system for computer hard disk drives to detect and report on various

indicators of reliability.

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4.6.4 ACPI Conguration

Suspend to RAM

Select disable for ACPI suspend type S1. It is recommended to select auto for ACPI

S3 power saving.

Z170A-X1/3.1

ACPI HEPT Table

Enable the High Precision Event Timer for better performance.

PS/2 Keyboard Power On

Allow the system to be waked up by a PS/2 Keyboard.

PCIE Devices Power On

Allow the system to be waked up by a PCIE device and enable wake on LAN.

RTC Alarm Power On

Allow the system to be waked up by the real time clock alarm. Set it to By OS to let

it be handled by your operating system.

USB Keyboard/Remote Power On

Allow the system to be waked up by an USB keyboard or remote controller.

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USB Mouse Power On

Allow the system to be waked up by an USB mouse.

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4.6.5 USB Conguration

Legacy USB Support

Enable or disable Legacy OS Support for USB 2.0 devices. If you encounter USB

compatibility issues it is recommended to disable legacy USB support. Select UEFI

Setup Only to support USB devices under the UEFI setup and Windows/Linux

operating systems only.

Z170A-X1/3.1

PS/2 Simulator

Enable this item for the complete USB keyboard legacy support for non-USB aware

operating system.

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4.6.6 Trusted Computing

Security Device Support

Enable or disable BIOS support for security device.

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4.7 Tools

System Browser

ASRock System Browser shows the overview of your current PC and the devices

connected.

Z170A-X1/3.1

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 required.

UEFI Tech Service

Contact ASRock Tech Service if you are having trouble with your PC. Please setup

network conguration before using UEFI Tech Service.

Easy RAID Installer

Easy R AID Installer helps you to copy the R AID driver from the support CD to

your USB storage device. Aer copying the drivers please change the SATA mode to

RAID, then you can start installing the operating system in RAID mode.

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Easy Driver Installer

For users that don’t have an optical disk drive to install the drivers from our support

CD, Easy Driver Installer is a handy tool in the UEFI that installs the LAN driver

to your system via an USB storage device, then downloads and installs the other

required drivers automatically.

Boot Manager

Boot Manager is specically designed for the dual OS platform/multi-OS platform

users to easily customize and manage the boot menu.

*Please connect more than one boot devices to use this tool.

Boot Manager

Enable/disable the Boot Manager.

Boot Manager Timeout

Enable/disable the Boot Manager Timeout.

Timeout Seconds

Congure the number of seconds to wait for the Boot Manager.

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Instant Flash

Save UEFI les in your USB storage device and run Instant Flash to update your

UEFI.

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Internet Flash - DHCP (Auto IP), Auto

ASRock Internet Flash downloads and updates the latest UEFI rmware version

from our servers for you. Please setup network conguration before using Internet

Flash.

*For BIOS backup and recovery purpose, it is recommended to plug in your USB

pen drive before using this function.

Network Conguration

Use this to congure internet connection settings for Internet Flash.

Z170A-X1/3.1

Internet Setting

Enable or disable sound eects in the setup utility.

UEFI Download Server

Select a server to download the UEFI rmware.

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4.8 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen

is section allows you to monitor the status of the hardware on your system,

including the parameters of the CPU temperature, motherboard temperature, fan

speed and voltage.

Fan-Tastic Tuning

Select a fan mode for CPU Fans 1&2, or choose Customize to set 5 CPU

temperatures and assign a respective fan speed for each temperature.

CPU Fan 1 Setting

Select a fan mode for CPU Fans 1, or choose Customize to set 5 CPU temperatures

and assign a respective fan speed for each temperature.

Chassis Fan 1 Setting

Select a fan mode for Chassis Fan 1, or choose Customize to set 5 CPU temperatures

and assign a respective fan speed for each temperature.

Chassis Fan 1 Temp Source

Select a fan temperature source for Chassis Fan 1.

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Chassis Fan 2 Setting

Select a fan mode for Chassis Fan 2, or choose Customize to set 5 CPU temperatures

and assign a respective fan speed for each temperature.

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Chassis Fan 2 Temp Source

Select a fan temperature source for Chassis Fan 2.

Over Temperature Protection

When Over Temperature Protection is enabled, the system automatically shuts

down when the motherboard is overheated.

Z170A-X1/3.1

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4.9 Security Screen

In this section you may set or change the supervisor/user password for the system.

You may also clear the user password.

Supervisor Password

Set or change the password for the administrator account. Only the administrator

has authority to change the settings in the UEFI Setup Utility. Leave it blank and

press enter to remove the password.

User Password

Set or change the password for the user account. Users are unable to change the

settings in the UEFI Setup Utility. Leave it blank and press enter to remove the

password.

Secure Boot

Use this item to enable or disable support for Windows 8.1 Secure Boot.

Intel(R) Platform Trust Technology

Enable/disable Intel PTT in ME. Disable this option to use discrete TPM Module.

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4.10 Boot Screen

is section displays the available devices on your system for you to congure the

boot settings and the boot priority.

Fast Boot

Fast Boot minimizes your computer's boot time. In fast mode you may not boot

from an USB storage device. Ultra Fast mode is only supported by Windows 8.1

and the VBIOS must support UEFI GOP if you are using an external graphics card.

Please notice that Ultra Fast mode will boot so fast that the only way to enter this

UEFI Setup Utility is to Clear CMOS or run the Restart to UEFI utility in Windows.

Z170A-X1/3.1

Boot From Onboard LAN

Allow the system to be waked up by the onboard LAN.

Setup Prompt Timeout

Congure the number of seconds to wait for the setup hot key.

Bootup Num-Lock

Select whether Num Lock should be turned on or o when the system boots up.

Boot Beep

Select whether the Boot Beep should be turned on or o when the system boots up. Please

note that a buzzer is needed.

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Full Screen Logo

Enable to display the boot logo or disable to show normal POST messages.

AddOn ROM Display

Enable AddOn ROM Display to see the AddOn ROM messages or congure the

AddOn ROM if you've enabled Full Screen Logo. Disable for faster boot speed.

Boot Failure Guard Message

If the computer fails to boot for a number of times the system automatically restores

the default settings.

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CSM (Compatibility Support Module)

CSM

Enable to launch the Compatibility Support Module. Please do not disable unless

you’re running a WHCK test. If you are using Windows 8.1 64-bit and all of your

devices support UEFI, you may also disable CSM for faster boot speed.

Z170A-X1/3.1

Launch PXE OpROM Policy

Select UEFI only to run those that support UEFI option ROM only. Select Legacy

only to run those that support legacy option ROM only. Select Do not launch to not

execute both legacy and UEFI option ROM.

Launch Storage OpROM Policy

Select UEFI only to run those that support UEFI option ROM only. Select Legacy

only to run those that support legacy option ROM only. Select Do not launch to not

execute both legacy and UEFI option ROM.

Launch Video OpROM Policy

Select UEFI only to run those that support UEFI option ROM only. Select Legacy

only to run those that support legacy option ROM only. Select Do not launch to not

execute both legacy and UEFI option ROM.

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4.11 Exit Screen

Save Changes and Exit

When you select this option the following message, “Save conguration changes

and exit setup?” will pop out. Select [OK] to save changes and exit the UEFI SETUP

UTILITY.

Discard Changes and Exit

When you select this option the following message, “Discard changes and exit

setup?” will pop out. Select [OK] to exit the UEFI SETUP UTILITY without saving

any changes.

Discard Changes

When you select this option the following message, “Discard changes?” will pop

out. Select [OK] to discard all changes.

Load UEFI Defaults

Load UEFI default values for a ll options. e F9 key can be used for this operation.

Launch EFI Shell from lesystem device

English

Copy shellx64.e to the root directory to launch EFI Shell.

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Z170A-X1/3.1

English

Contact Information

If you need to contact ASRock or want to know more about ASRock, you’re welcome

to visit ASRock’s website at http://ww w.asrock.com; or you may contact your dealer

for further information. For technical questions, please submit a support request

form at http://www.asrock.com/support/tsd.asp

ASRock Incorporation

2F., No.37, Sec. 2, Jhongyang S. Rd., Beitou District,

Taipei City 112, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

ASRock EUROPE B.V.

Bijsterhuizen 11-11

6546 AR Nijmegen

e Netherlands

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

ASRock America, Inc.

13848 Magnolia Ave, Chino, CA91710

U.S.A.

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]