ASROCK Z170 OC Formula User Manual

Version 1.0
Published July 2015
Copyright©2015 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.

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 www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate”

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

e terms HDMI™ and HDMI High-Denition Multimedia Interface, and the HDMI
logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC in the United
States and other countries.

Manufactured under license under U.S. Patent Nos: 5,956,674; 5,974,380; 6,487,535;
7,003,467 & other U.S. and worldwide patents issued & pending. DTS, the Symbol, &
DTS and the Symbol together is a registered trademark & DTS Connect, DTS Interactive,
DTS Neo:PC are trademarks of DTS, Inc. Product includes soware.
© DTS, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Motherboard Layout

Intel

Z170

ATX12V1

ATX12V2

1

SPK_PLED1

CPU_FAN1

CHA_FAN3

Purity

Sound 3

TM

Ultra M.2

PCIe Gen3x4

BIOS_A_LED

128Mb

BIOS

128Mb

BIOS

BIOS_B_LED

CLRMOS1

1

CT2CT3CT5

VOL_CO N1

CHA_FAN1

1

TPMS1

USB 3.1
T: USB31_TA_1
B: USB31_TC_1

CT1

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

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

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

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

ATXP WR1

Reset

Power

PANEL1

HDLED RESET

PLED PWRBTN

1

CHA_FAN2

Top:

Central/B ass

Top:

LINE IN

Clr

CMOS

USB 3.0
T: USB1
B: USB2

Top:
RJ-45

USB 3.0
T: USB3
B: USB4

Center:

REAR SPK

Center:

FRONT

Bottom:

Optical

SPDIF

Bottom:

MIC IN

+

CHA_FAN4

CPU_FAN2

3

4

-

20

22

19

USB 2.0

T: USB1

B: USB2

ON

1 2 3 4

ON

OFF

USB3_7_8

31

USB5_6

1

USB3_4

1

BIOS_SEL 1

AB

PS2

Keybo ard

/Mous e

MENU

ON

OFF

SATA_EXP1

SATA_EXP0

SATA3_A3

SATA3_A4

SATA3_0

SATA3_2

SATA3_1

SATA3_3

COM1

1

1

HD_AUDIO1

1

T B2

T B1

1

PCIE3

PCIE2

PCIE4

Z170 OC Formula

PCIE6

M2_1

PCIE1

PCIE5

ON

OFF

LN2MODE1

SWITCH1

2

5

1

9

7

8

6

13

11

10

12

21

23

27

24
25

26

14
15

16

18

17

32

33

343536

38

41

42

43

44

46

47

30

28

37

39

40

48

49

50

USB3_5_6

SATA3_A1

SATA3_A2

M2_2

M2_3

45

CT2CT3CT1

CT2CT3

MINI_PCIE1

DISP LAY1

HDM I1

CPU

DRAM

VGA

BOOT

USB3_9

Vertica l Type A

USB 3.0

29

DIRKEY1

Dr.

Debug

BIOS_A1

BIOS_B1

SLOWMODE1

CT4

CT4

CT4

CMOS

Battery

SATA3_4SATA3_5

SATA_EXP2

XMP_ON1

Z170 OC Formula

English

1

English

No. Description

1 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V2)

2 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1)

3 2 x 288-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots (DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1)

4 2 x 288-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots (DDR3_A2, DDR3_B2)

5 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN4)

6 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN2)

7 V-ProbeTM (VOL _CO N1)

8 Post Status Checker (PSC)

9 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1)

10 Vertical Type A USB 3.0 (USB3_9)

11 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_5_6)

12 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_7_8)

13 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)

14 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_0)

15 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_2)

16 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_1)

17 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_3)

18 SATA Express Connector (SATA_EXP0)

19 SATA Express Connector (SATA_EXP1)

20 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_A3)

21 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_ A4)

22 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_A1)

23 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_A2)

24 SATA Express Connector (SATA_EXP2)

25 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_5)

26 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_4)

27 BIOS Selection Switch (BIOS_SEL1)

28 System Panel Header (PANEL1)

29 Direct Key Button (DIRKEY1)

30 XMP Switch (XMP_ON1)

31 Power Switch (PWR)

32 Reset Switch (RST)

33 Rapid OC Button (+) (PLUS)

2

No. Description

34 Slow Mode Switch (SLOWMODE)

35 Rapid OC Button (–) (MINUS)

36 Menu Button (MENU)

37 LN2 Mode Switch (LN2MODE)

38 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN2)

39 PCIe ON/OFF Switch (SWITCH1)

40 COM Port Header (COM1)

41 USB 2.0 Header (USB5_6)

42 USB 2.0 Header (USB3_4)

43 Power LED and Speaker Header (SPK_PLED1)

44 TPM Header (TPMS1)

45 underbolt 3 AIC Connector (TB2)

46 underbolt 2 AIC Connector (TB1)

47 Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1)

48 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)

49 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN3)

50 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRMOS1)

Z170 OC Formula

English

3

I/O Panel

1

5

2

436

16 913

No. Description No. Description

1 USB 2.0 Ports (USB12) 9 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_34)

2 LAN RJ-45 Port* 10 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_12)

3 Central / Bass (Orange) 11 USB 3.1 Type-A Port (USB31_TA_1)

4 Rear Speaker (Black) 12 USB 3.1 Type-C Port (USB31_TC_1)

5 Line In (Light Blue) 13 DisplayPort 1.2

6 Front Speaker (Lime)** 14 HDMI Port

7 Microphone (Pink) 15 Clear CMOS Switch

8 Optical SPDIF Out Port 16 PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port

15

14

11

12

10

78

English

4

Z170 OC Formula

* ere are two LEDs on each LAN port. Plea se 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

** If you use a 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.

Audio Output

Channels

Front Speaker

(No. 6)

Rear Speaker

(No. 4)

Central / Bass

(No. 3)

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

To enable Multi-Streaming, you need to connect a front panel audio cable to the front
panel audio header. Aer restarting your computer, you will nd the “Mixer” tool on your
system. Please select “Mixer ToolBox” , click “Enable playback multi-streaming”, and
click “ok”. Choose “2CH”, “4CH”, “6CH”, or “8CH” and then you are allowed to select
“Realtek HDA Primary output” to use the Rear Speaker, Central/Bass, and Front Speaker,
or select “Realtek HDA Audio 2nd output” to use the front panel audio.

Line In
(No. 5)

English

5

Chapter 1 Introduction

ank you for purchasing ASRock Z170 OC Formula 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.

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 occ ur, the updated version will be available on ASRock’s
website w ithout further notice. If you require technical suppor t 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 support list on ASRock’s website as well . ASRock
website http://www.asrock.com.

1.1 Package Contents

ASRock Z170 OC Formula Motherboard (ATX Form Factor)

•

ASRock Z170 OC Formula Quick Installation Guide

•

ASRock Z170 OC Formula Support CD

•

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

•

1 x I/O Panel Shield

•

1 x ASRock Flexible SLI Bridge Connector Cable

•

1 x WiFi Module Bracket

•

2 x Screws for WiFi Module

•

3 x Screws for M.2 Socket

•

English

6

1.2 Specications

Platform

CPU

Chipset

Memory

* Please refer to Memory Support List on ASRock's website for
more information. (http://www.asrock.com/)

Z170 OC Formula

ATX Form Factor

•

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

•

Celeron® Processors (Socket 1151)
Digi Power design

•

16 Power Phase design

•

Supports Intel® Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology

•

Supports Intel® K-Series unlocked CPUs

•

Supports ASRock BCLK Full-range Overclocking

•

Supports ASRock Hyper BCLK Engine

•

Intel® Z170

•

Dual Channel DDR4 Memory Technology

•

4 x DDR4 DIMM Slots

•

Supports DDR4 4400+(OC)*/4300(OC)/4266(OC) /4200

•

(OC)/4133(OC)/4000(OC)/3866(OC)/3800(OC)/3733 (OC)/
3666(OC)/3600(OC)/3466(OC)/3400(OC)/3333(OC)/
3300(OC)/3200(OC)/3000(OC)/2933(OC)/2800(OC)/2600
(OC)/2400(OC)/2133 non-ECC, un-buered memory

Max. capacity of system memory: 64GB

•

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

•

15μ Gold Contact in DIMM Slots

•

Expansion
Slot

4 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slots (PCIE1/PCIE2/PCIE4/PCIE6:

•

single at x16 (PCIE1); dual at x8 (PCIE1) / x8 (PCIE4); triple
at x8 (PCIE1) / x4 (PCIE2) / x8 (PCIE4)); quad at x8 (PCIE1)
/ x4 (PCIE2) / x4 (PCIE4) / x4 (PCIE6))
1 x PCI Express 3.0 x1 Slot (PCIE3) (Flexible PCIe)

•

1 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE5)

•

1 x Vertical Half-size Mini-PCI Express Slot: For WiFi + BT

•

Module
Supports AMD Quad CrossFireXTM, 4-Way CrossFireXTM,

•

3-Way CrossFireXTM and CrossFireXTM
Supports NVIDIA® Quad SLITM and SLI

•

15μ Gold Contact in VGA PCIe Slot (PCIE1 and PCIE4)

•

TM

English

7

Graphics

Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals 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
Pixel Shader 5.0, DirectX 12

•

Max. shared memory 1792MB

•

Dual graphics output: Support HDMI and DisplayPort 1.2

•

ports by independent display controllers
Supports HDMI with max. resolution up to 4K x 2K

•

(4096x2304) @ 24Hz
Supports DisplayPort 1.2 with max. resolution up to 4K x 2K

•

(4096x2304) @ 24Hz or 4K x 2K (3840x2160) @ 60Hz
Supports Auto Lip Sync, Deep Color (12bpc), xvYCC and

•

HBR (High Bit Rate Audio) with HDMI Port (Compliant
HDMI monitor is required)
Supports Accelerated Media Codecs: HEVC, VP8, VP9

•

Supports HDCP with DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort 1.2

•

Ports
Supports Full HD 1080p Blu-ray (BD) playback with HDMI

•

and DisplayPort 1.2 Ports

English

8

Audio

7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek

•

ALC1150 Audio Codec)
Premium Blu-ray Audio support

•

Supports Surge Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection)

•

Supports Purity SoundTM 3

•

- Nichicon Fine Gold Series Audio Caps

- 115dB SNR DAC with Dierential Amplier

- TI® NE5532 Premium Headset Amplier (Supports up to
600 Ohms headsets)

- Pure Power-In

- Direct Drive Technology

- PCB Isolate Shielding
Supports DTS Connect

•

LAN

Rear Panel
I/O

Z170 OC Formula

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

•

1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port

•

1 x HDMI Port

•

1 x DisplayPort 1.2

•

1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port

•

2 x USB 2.0 Ports (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full

•

Spike Protection))
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))
4 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

•

LE D)
1 x Clear CMOS Switch

•

HD Audio Jacks: Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in /

•

Front Speaker / Microphone

Storage

6 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors by Intel® Z170, 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
4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors by ASMedia ASM1061, sup-

•

port NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
3 x SATA Express 10 Gb/s Connectors*

•

* Support to be announced
* M2_1, SATA3_0, SATA3_1 and SATA_EXP0 share lanes. If
either one of them is in use, the others will be disabled.
* M2_2, SATA3_2, SATA3_3 and SATA_EXP1 share lanes. If
either one of them is in use, the others will be disabled.
* M2_3, SATA3_4, SATA3_5 and SATA_EXP2 share lanes. If
either one of them is in use, the others will be disabled.

English

9

English

Connector

3 x Ultra M.2 Sockets, supports M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module

•

and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s)

* Supports 3 x ASRock U.2 Kits

1 x COM Port Header

•

1 x TPM Header

•

1 x Power LED and Speaker Header

•

2 x CPU Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)

•

4 x Chassis Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed

•

Control)
1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector

•

1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power

•

Connec tor)
1 x 4 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power

•

Connec tor)
1 x Front Panel Audio Connector

•

1 x underbolt 2 AIC Connector (5-pin)

•

1 x underbolt 3 AIC Connector (10-pin)

•

* Only one underbolt AIC Card is supported.

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

•

ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))
2 x USB 3.0 Headers (Supports 4 USB 3.0 ports) (Supports

•

ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))
1 x Vertical Type A USB 3.0

•

1 x Dr. Debug with LED

•

1 x Power Switch with LED

•

1 x Reset Switch with LED

•

V-ProbeTM: 1 x 7-set of onboard voltage measurement points

•

laid
Rapid OC Buttons: +/- buttons to adjust OC frequency

•

1 x Menu Button

•

1 x PCIe ON/OFF Switch

•

1 x Post Status Checker (PSC)

•

1 x Slow Mode Switch

•

1 x LN2 Mode Switch

•

1 x BIOS Selection Switch

•

1 x XMP Switch

•

1 x Direct Key Button

•

10

BIOS
Feature

Hardware
Monitor

OS

Z170 OC Formula

2 x 128Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with multilingual GUI

•

support (1 x Main BIOS and 1 x Backup BIOS)
Supports Secure Backup UEFI Technology

•

ACPI 1.1 Compliant wake up events

•

SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support

•

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

•

VCCPLL, 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, GT_CPU,

•

DRAM, VPPM, PCH 1.0V, VCCIO, VCCSA

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

•

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 217 for more detailed instructions.
* For the updated Windows® 10 driver, please visit ASRock’s
website for details: http://www.asrock.com

FCC, CE, WHQL

Certica­tions

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

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 aect your system’s stability, or even cau se damage to
the components and devices of your system. It should be done at your own r isk and expense.
We are not responsible for possible damage caused by overclocking.

•

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

•

English

11

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

12

2.1 Installing the CPU

1. Before you insert the 1151-Pin CPU into the socket, please check if the PnP cap is on the
socket, if the CPU sur face is unclean, or if the re are any bent pins in the socket. 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 cables be fore installing the CPU.

1

Z170 OC Formula

A

B

2

English

13

3

4

5

English

14

Please save and replace the cover if the processor is removed. e cove r must be placed if
you wish to return the motherboard for ae r service.

2.2 Installing the CPU Fan and Heatsink

1 2

Z170 OC Formula

FAN

CPU_

English

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guration, you always need to install identical (the same brand,
speed , size and chip-type) DDR4 DIMM pairs.

2. It is unable to activate Dual Channel Memory Technology 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 slot;
otherwise, this motherboard and DI MM may be damaged.

Dual Channel Memory Conguration

If you install two memory modules, make sure to install DIMMs into DDR4_A2
and DDR4_B2 slots.

Priority DDR4_A1 DDR4_A2 DDR4_B1 DDR4_B2

1 Populated Populated
2 Populated Populated Populated Populated

e 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 .

English

16

Z170 OC Formula

1

2

3

English

17

2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI Express Slots)

ere are 6 PCI Express slots and 1 mini-PCI Express slot on the motherboard.

Before installing an expansion card, plea se make sure that the power supply is switched o
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.

PCIe slots:

PCIE1 (PCIe 3.0 x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x16 lane width graphics cards.
PCIE2 (PCIe 3.0 x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x4 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 x8 lane width graphics cards.
PCIE5 (PCIe 2.0 x1 slot) is used for PCI Express x1 lane width cards.
PCIE6 (PCIe 3.0 x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x4 lane width graphics cards.

mini-PCIe slot:

MINI_PCIE1 (mini-PCIe slot) is used for WiFi module.

English

18

PCIe Slot Congurations

Z170 OC Formula

PCIE1 PCIE2 PCIE4 PCIE6

Single Graphics

Card

Two Graphics

Cards in

CrossFireXTM or

SLITM Mode

ree Graphics

Cards in 3-Way

CrossFireXTM

Mode

Four Graphics

Cards in 4-Way

CrossFireXTM

Mode

For a better thermal environment, please connect a chassis fan to the motherboard ’s chas­sis fan connector (CHA_FAN1, CHA_FAN2, CHA_FAN3 or CHA_ FAN4) when using
multiple graphics cards.

x16 N/A N/A N/A

x8 N/A x8 N/A

x8 x4 x8 N/A

x8 x4 x4 x4

19

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
(C LRC MO S1)
(see p.1, No. 50)

CLRCMOS1 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 CLRCMOS1 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

20

e Clear CMOS Switch has the same function as the Cl ear CMOS jumper.

2.6 Onboard Headers and Connectors

1

+5V

DUMMY

PLED+

PLED+

PLED-

DUMMY

SPEAKER

Onboard headers and connectors are NOT jumpers. 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.

Z170 OC Formula

System Panel Header
(9-p in PA NEL1)
(see p.1, No. 28)

PWRBTN (Power Switch):

Connec t to the power switch on the cha ssis front panel. You may congure the way to turn
o your system using the power switch.

RESET (Reset Sw itch):
Connec t to the reset switch on the cha ssis front panel. Press the reset switch to restart the
computer if the computer freezes and fails to perform a normal restart.

PLED (Syste m Power LED):
Connec t to the power status indicator on the chassis 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 sleep state or powered o (S5).

HDLED (Ha rd Drive Activity LED):
Connec t to the hard drive activity LED on the cha ssis front panel. e LED is on when the
hard drive is reading or writing data.

e front panel design may dier by chassis. A f ront panel module mainly consists of power
switch, reset switch, power LED, hard drive activity LED, speaker and etc. When connect­ing your chassis front panel module to this header, make sure the wire assignme nts and the
pin assignment s are matched cor rectly.

1

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.

Power LED and Speaker
Header
(7-pin SPK_PLED1)
(see p.1, No. 43)

Please connect the
chassis power LED and
the chassis speaker to this
header.

English

21

Serial ATA3 Connectors
(SATA3_0
see p.1, No. 14)
(SATA3_1:
see p.1, No. 16)
(SATA3_2:
see p.1, No. 15)
(SATA3_3:
see p.1, No. 17)
(SATA3_4:
see p.1, No. 26)
(SATA3_5:
see p.1, No. 25)
(SATA3_A1
see p.1, No. 22)
(SATA3_A2
see p.1, No. 23)
(SATA3_A3:
see p.1, No. 20)
(SATA3_A4:
see p.1, No. 21)

SATA3_4SATA3_5

SATA3_0SATA3_1

SATA3_A3SATA3_A1

ese ten SATA3
connectors support SATA

SATA3_2SATA3_3

data cables for internal
storage devices with up
to 6.0 Gb/s data transfer
rate. e SATA3_0,
SATA3_1 are shared with
the SATA_EXP0. e
SATA3_2, SATA3_3 are

SATA3_A4SATA3_A2

shared with the SATA_
EXP1. e SATA3_4,
SATA3_5 are shared with
the SATA_EXP2.
To minimize the boot
time, use Intel® Z170
SATA ports (SATA3_0)
for your bootable devices.

English

22

Serial ATA Express
Connectors
(SATA_EX P_0:
see p.1, No. 18)
(SATA_EX P_1:
see p.1, No. 19)
(SATA_EX P_2:
see p.1, No. 24)

SATA3_0

SATA3_1

SATA_EXP0

Please connect either
SATA or PCIe storage

SATA3_2

devices to these
connectors.

SATA3_3

*SATA_EXP0 is shared
with the SATA3_0,
SATA3_1 and the M2_1;

SATA_EXP1

SATA_EXP1 is shared

SATA3_4SATA3_5SATA_EXP2

with the SATA3_2,
SATA3_3 and the M2_2;
SATA_EXP2 is shared
with the SATA3_4,
SATA3_5 and the M2_3.

Z170 OC Formula

J_SENSE

OUT2_L

1

MIC_RET

PRESENCE#

GND

OUT2_R

MIC2_R

MIC2_L

OUT_RET

DUMMY

GND

GND

P+

P-

USB_PWR

P+

P-

USB_PWR

1

USB 2.0 Headers
(9-pin USB3_4)
(see p.1, No. 42)
(9-pin USB5_6)
(see p.1, No. 41)

USB 3.0 Headers
(19-pin USB3_5_6)
(see p.1, No. 11)
(19-pin USB3_7_8)
(see p.1, No. 12)

(USB3_9)
(see p.1, No. 10)

Front Panel Audio Header
(9-pin HD_AU DIO1)
(see p.1, No. 47)

Vbus

IntA_PA_SSRX-

IntA_PA_SSRX+

GND

IntA_PA_SSTX-

IntA_PA_SSTX+

GND

IntA_PA_D-

IntA_PA_D+

VbusVbus

IntA_PB_SSRX-

IntA_PB_SSRX+

GND

IntA_PB_SSTX-

IntA_PB_SSTX+

GND

IntA_PB_D-

IntA_PB_D+

Dummy

1

Besides two USB 2.0 ports
on the I/O panel, there
are two headers on this
motherboard. Each USB

2.0 header can support
two ports.

Besides six USB 3.0 ports
on the I/O panel, there
are two headers and one
port on this motherboard.
Each USB 3.0 header can
support two ports.

is header is for
connecting audio devices
to the front audio panel.

1. High Denition Audio supports Jack Sensing, but the panel wire on the chassis must sup­port HDA to function correctly. Please follow 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 the 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 need to connect
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”.

English

23

Chassis Fan Connectors

F

4 3 2 1

GND

OL

1
2
3
4

GND

GND

OL

FAN_SPEED_CONTROL

1 2 3 4

1

(4-pin CHA_FAN1)
(see p.1, No. 13)

AN_SPEED_CONTROL

CHA_FAN_SPEED

FAN_VOLTAGE

Please connect fan cables
to the fan connectors and
match the black wire to
the ground pin.

(4-pin CHA_FAN2)
(see p.1, No. 38)

(4-pin CHA_FAN3)
(see p.1, No. 49)

(4-pin CHA_FAN4)
(see p.1, No. 5)

CPU Fan Connectors
(4-pin CPU_FAN1)
(see p.1, No. 48)

(4-pin CPU_FAN2)
(see p.1, No. 6)

ATX Power Connector
(24-pin ATXPW R1)
(see p.1, No. 9)

FAN_VOLTAGE

FAN_SPEED

FAN_VOLTAGE

FAN_SPEED

GND

2

FAN_VOLTAGE
CPU_FAN_SPEED

3

FAN_SPEED_CONTROL

4

CPU_FAN_SPEED

FAN_VOLTAGE

GND

12

1

FAN_SPEED_CONTR

FAN_VOLTAGE

CHA_FAN_SPEED

FAN_SPEED_CONTR

FAN_SPEED_CONTROL

24

13

is motherboard
provides 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 pro­vides a 24-pin ATX power
connector. To use a 20-pin
ATX power supply, please
plug it along Pin 1 and Pin

13.

English

24

Z170 OC Formula

1

1

5

1

8

I2C_DATA

GND

SLP_S3#

FRC_PWR

DUMMY

PLUG_EVENT

SLP_S4#

IRQ

GND

I2C_CLOCK

1

ATX 12V Power
Connectors
(8-pin ATX12V1)
(see p.1, No. 2)

is motherboard
provides an 8-pin ATX
12V power connector and
a 4-pin ATX 12V power
connector. To use a 4-pin
ATX power supply, please
plug it along Pin 1 and Pin

5.
(4-pin ATX12V2)
(see p.1, No. 1)

*e 4-pin ATX 12V
power connector is used
to supply additional power
to the motherboard.

underbolt AIC
Connector
(5-pin TBT1)
(see p.1, No. 46)

Please connect a underbolt™
add-in card (AIC) to this
connector via the GPIO cable.
*Please install the underbolt™
AIC card to PCIE2 (default
slot).
*Only one underbolt AIC
Card is supported on this
motherboard.

*e type of underbolt AIC connector depends on the underbolt AIC cable. If your
underbolt AIC cable supports 5-pin, please install it to 5-pin TBT1 connector. If your
underbolt AIC cable supports 10-pin, please install it to 10-pin TBT2 connector.

underbolt AIC
Connector
(10-pin TBT2)
(see p.1, No. 45)

Serial Port Header
(9-pin COM1)
(see p.1, No. 40)

RRXD1

DDTR#1

TTXD1

DDCD#1

DDSR#1

CCTS#1

RRTS#1

GND

RRI#1

Please connect a underbolt™
add-in card (AIC) to this
connector via the GPIO cable.
*Please install the underbolt™
AIC card to PCIE2 (default
slot).
*Only one underbolt AIC
Card is supported on this
motherboard.

is COM1 header
supports a serial port
module.

English

25

TPM Header

#

(17-pi n TPMS1)
(see p.1, No. 44)

is connector supports Trusted

GN D

LAD 0

LAD 3

+3 V

PC IRST

+3V S B

D

GN

GN D

SER IRQ #

S_P WRDW N #

FRA ME

GN D

LAD 1

LAD 2

SMB _CLK _MAI N

Platform Module (TPM) system,

PC ICL K

which can securely store keys,

1

digital certicates, passwords,
and data. A TPM system also
helps enhance network security,
protects digital identities, and
ensures platform integrity.

English

V-Probe

(7-pin VOL_
CO N1)
(see p.1, No. 7)

TM

1

1.0V PCH

VCCSA

VCCM

CPU GT

VCCIO

VCORE

GND

Users are able to measure
onboard components
voltage.

PIN1:

1.0V PCH:
PC H Vol tage

PIN2:

VCCSA:
CPU SYSTEM AGENT
VOLTAGE

PIN3:

VCCM:
DRAM VOLTAGE

PIN4

:

CPU GT:
CPU GRAPHIC
VOLTAG E

PIN5

:

VCCIO: CPU IO
VOLTAG E

PIN6

:

VCORE :
CPU CORE VOLTAGE

26

PIN7

GND

:

Z170 OC Formula

+

-

2.7 Smart Switches

e motherboard has twelve smart switches: Power Switch, Reset Switch, Clear
CMOS Switch, Rapid OC Buttons, Menu Button, PCIe ON/OFF Switch, Slow Mode
Switch, BIOS Selection Switch, LN2 Mode Switch, Direct Key Button and XMP
Switch.

Power Switch
(PWR)
(see p.7, No. 31)

Reset Switch
(RST)
(see p.7 No. 32)

Clear CMOS Switch
(C LRC BT N1)
(see p.10, No. 15)

is function is workable only when you power o your computer and unplug the power
supp ly.

+ / - Rapid OC
Buttons

(PLUS: see p.7, No.

33)
(MINUS: see p.7, No.

35)

Power

Reset

Power Switch allows users to
quickly turn on/o the system.

Reset Switch allows users to
quickly reset the system.

Clear CMOS Switch allows
users to quickly clear the
CMOS values.

+ / - Rapid OC Buttons allow
users to quickly and easily
adjust OC frequency in Rapid
OC.

is overclocking behavior depends on the system cong uration, such a s memory capabil­ity, thermal solution, etc. Overclocking may aect your system stability, or even cause dam­age to the component s and devices. We are not responsible for possible damage caused by
overc locking.

Menu Button

(MENU: see p.7, No.

36)

MENU

Use MENU Button in Rapid
OC to quickly toggle among
various overclocking options,
such as BCLK, Ratio and
Cache Ratio.

English

27

PCIe ON/OFF

AB

Switch
(SWITCH1)
(see p.1, No. 39)

ON

1 2 3 4

1: PCIE1
2: PCIE2
3: PCIE4
4: PCIE6

PCIe ON/OFF Switch allows
you to enable and disable the
corresponding PCIE x16 slots.
When one of the installed
PCIE x16 cards is out of order,
you can use PCIe ON/OFF
Switch to nd out the faulty
one just with a single click
without removing the cards.

1. Make sure that you power o the system be fore changing the switch.

2. When you turn o PCIe ON/OFF switch, your PCIE card could be burnt if it was poorly
designed. For more information about your card ’s spec ications please contact the card’s
ve ndor.

3. PCIe ON/OFF switch is for debug only. If you do not want to u se your PCIE card, please
remove it f rom the motherboard.

English

Slow Mode Switch
(SLOWMODE1)
(see p.1, No. 34)

BIOS Selection
Switch
(BIOS_SEL1)

(see p.1, No. 27)

is motherboard has two BIOS chips, a primary BIOS (BIOS_A) and a ba ckup BIOS (BIOS_
B), which enhances the safety and stability of your system. Normally, the system will work
on the primary BIOS . However, if the primary BIOS is corrupted or damaged, just ip the
BIOS Selection Switch to “B”, then the backup BIOS will take over on the next system boot.
Aer that, use “Secure Backup UEFI” in the UEFI Setup Utility to duplicate a working copy
of the BIOS les to the primary BIOS to ensure normal system operation. For safety issues,
users are not able to update the backup BIOS manually. Users may refer to the BIOS LEDs
(BIOS_ A_LED or BIOS_B_ LED) to identify which BIOS is currently activated.

ON

OFF

If Slow Mode is on, the
processor runs at lowest fre­quenc y.

BIOS Selection Switch allows
the system to boot from either
BIOS A or BIOS B.

28