ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 User Manual [en, ru, de, es, fr, it]

Copyright Notice:

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

Disclaimer:

Specifi cations and information contained in this guide 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 guide.
With respect to the contents of this guide, ASRock does not provide warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties or condi­tions of merchantability or fi tness for a particular purpose. In no event shall ASRock, its
directors, offi cers, employees, or agents be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or
consequential damages (including damages for loss of profi ts, loss of business, loss of
data, interruption of business and the like), even if ASRock has been advised of the pos­sibility of such damages arising from any defect or error in the guide or product.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that

may cause undesired operation.

CALIFORNIA, USA ONLY

The Lithium battery adopted on this motherboard contains Perchlorate, a toxic substance
controlled in Perchlorate Best Management Practices (BMP) regulations passed by the
California Legislature. When you discard the Lithium battery in California, USA, please
follow the related regulations in advance.
“Perchlorate Material-special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate”

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

Published July 2011

Copyright©2011 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

English

1

Motherboard Layout

English

1

2

3

4

6

5

21.8cm (8.6in)

Keyboard

PS2

USB2.0
T:US B0
B:USB1

ATX12V1

DVI_CON1

VGA1

HDMI1

Clr

CMOS

eSATA_1

USB2.0
T:USB2
B:USB3

USB3.0

Top:

T:U SB 4

RJ-45

B:USB5

Top:

Central/Bass

Center:

REARSPK

Bottom:

Optical

SPDIF

Bottom:

MICIN

Top:

LINEIN

Center:

FRONT

41

40

39

38

37

USB 3.0

LAN
PHY

AUDIO
CODEC

PCI Express3.0

Super

I/O

36

Designedin Taipei

35

HDMI_SPDIF1

1

HD_AUDIO1

IR1

1

1

1

HDMI 1.4a

PCIE1

PCIE3

RoHS

COM1

CHA_FAN2

CHA_FAN3

Z68 Extreme3Gen3

PCIE2

CMOS

Battery

PCI1

SATA36Gb/s

PCIE4

PCI2

USB6_7

1

1

1

CIR1

CPU_FAN1

PWR_FAN1

DX10.1

DDR3 2133

DDR3_A2(64 bit, 240-pinmodule)

DDR3_B1(64 bit, 240-pinmodule)

DDR3_A1(64 bit, 240-pinmodule)

ErP/EuPReady

X

Fast USB

Intel

Z68

CLRCMOS1

1

Dr.

Debug

SPEAKER1

PLED1

1

1

PANEL1

CHA_FAN1

USB12_13

USB10_11

USB8_9

1

1

PLEDPWRBTN

64Mb
BIOS

1

HDLEDRESET

DDR3_B2(64 bit, 240-pinmodule)

ATA3_0_1
S

SATA2_4_5 SATA2_2_3

7

CPU_FAN2

30.5cm (12.0in)

8

ATXPWR1

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

RSTBTN

17

18

PWRBTN

19

1 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1) 22 64Mb SPI Flash
2 1155-Pin CPU Socket 23 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)
3 Power Fan Connector (PWR_FAN1) 24 Dr. Debug
4 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1) 25 USB 2.0 Header (USB12_13, Black)
5 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 26 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)
(Dual Channel: DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1, Black) 27 USB 2.0 Header (USB10_11, Black)
6 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 28 USB 2.0 Header (USB8_9, Black)
(Dual Channel: DDR3_A2, DDR3_B2, Black) 29 USB 2.0 Header (USB6_7, Black)
7 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN2) 30 Consumer Infrared Module Header
8 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1) (CIR1, Gray)
9 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN2) 31 COM Port Header (COM1)
10 Intel Z68 Chipset 32 HDMI_SPDIF Header
11 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_1, Gray) (HDMI_SPDIF1, Black)
12 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_0, Gray) 33 Infrared Module Header (IR1)
13 SATA2 Connector (SATA2_3, Black) 34 Front Panel Audio Header
14 SATA2 Connector (SATA2_2, Black) (HD_AUDIO1, Black)
15 SATA2 Connector (SATA2_5, Black) 35 PCI Slot (PCI2)
16 SATA2 Connector (SATA2_4, Black) 36 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE4, Black)
17 Reset Switch (RSTBTN) 37 PCI Slot (PCI1)
18 Power LED Header (PLED1) 38 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE3, Black)
19 Power Switch (PWRBTN) 39 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE2, Black)
20 System Panel Header (PANEL1, Black) 40 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE1, Black)
21 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER 1, Black) 41 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN3)

2

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

I/O Panel

2

1

16

1 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01) ** 9 Front Speaker (Lime)
2 D-Sub Port (VGA1) 10 Microphone (Pink)
3 USB 2.0 Ports (USB23) 11 USB 3.0 Ports (USB45)
* 4 LAN RJ-45 Port *** 12 eSATA3 Connector
5 Central / Bass (Orange) 13 Clear CMOS Switch (CLRCBTN)
6 Rear Speaker (Black) 14 HDMI Port (HDMI1)
7 Optical SPDIF Out Port 15 DVI-D Port (DVI1)
8 Line In (Light Blue) 16 PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)

* There are two LED next to the LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED
indications.

Activity/Link LED SPEED LED

Status Description Status Description

15

LAN Port LED Indications

14

13

12

3

4

8

5

9

6

10

7

11

ACT/LINK
LED

SPEED
LED

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

LAN Port

If you use 2-channel speaker, please connect the speaker’s plug into “Front Speaker Jack”.

**

See the table below for connection details in accordance with the type of speaker you use.

TABLE for Audio Output Connection

Audio Output Channels Front Speaker Rear Speaker Central / Bass Line In or
(No. 9) (No. 6) (No. 5) Side Speaker
(No. 8)

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

3

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

English

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

panel audio header. After restarting your computer, you will fi nd “Mixer” tool on your system.
Please select “Mixer ToolBox” , click “Enable playback multi-streaming”, and click

“ok”. Choose “2CH”, “4CH”, “6CH”, or “8CH” and then you are allowed to select “Realtek HDA
Primary output” to use Rear Speaker, Central/Bass, and Front Speaker, or select “Realtek
HDA Audio 2nd output” to use front panel audio.

*** eSATA3 connector supports SATA Gen3 in cable 1M.

English

4

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

1. Introduction

Thank you for purchasing ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 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.
This Quick Installation Guide contains introduction of the motherboard and step-by­step installation guide. More detailed information of the motherboard can be found
in the user manual presented in the Support CD.

Because the motherboard specifi cations and the BIOS software might be
updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without no­tice. In case any modifi cations of this manual occur, the updated version
will be available on ASRock website without further notice. You may fi nd
the latest VGA cards and CPU support lists on ASRock website as well.
ASRock website http://www.asrock.com
If you require technical support related to this motherboard, please visit
our website for specifi c information about the model you are using.
www.asrock.com/support/index.asp

1.1 Package Contents

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard
(ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 8.6-in, 30.5 cm x 21.8 cm)
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Quick Installation Guide
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Support CD
2 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)
1 x 3.5mm Audio Cable (Optional)
1 x I/O Panel Shield
1 x ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card

ASRock Reminds You...

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

TM

/ VistaTM 64-

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

English

5

English

1.2 Specifications

Platform - ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 8.6-in, 30.5 cm x 21.8 cm

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

- Advanced V8 + 4 Power Phase Design

- Supports Intel® Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology

- Supports K-Series unlocked CPU

- Supports Hyper-Threading Technology (see CAUTION 1)
Chipset - Intel

®

Z68

Memory - Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology (see CAUTION 2)

- 4 x DDR3 DIMM slots

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

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

- Supports Intel

®

Extreme Memory Profi le (XMP)

Expansion Slot - 2 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots (PCIE2/PCIE4: single at x16
(PCIE2) / x8 (PCIE4), or dual at x8 (PCIE2) / x8 (PCIE4))
(PCI Express 3.0 with Intel® Ivy Bridge CPU, PCI Express 2.0
with Intel® Sandy Bridge CPU)

- 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots

- 2 x PCI slots

- Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX

- Supports NVIDIA® Quad SLITM and SLI
Graphics - Supports Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals: Intel® Quick
Sync Video, Intel® InTruTM 3D, Intel® Clear Video HD
Technology, Intel® HD Graphics 2000/3000, Intel® Advanced
Vector Extensions (AVX)

- Pixel Shader 4.1, DirectX 11 with Intel
DirectX 10.1 with Intel® Sandy Bridge CPU

- Max. shared memory 1759MB (see CAUTION 5)

- Three VGA Output options: D-Sub, DVI-D and HDMI
(see CAUTION 6)

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

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

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

®

CoreTM i7 / i5 / i3 in

TM

and CrossFireX

TM

®

Ivy Bridge CPU,

TM

6

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

- Supports Auto Lip Sync, Deep Color (12bpc), xvYCC and
HBR (High Bit Rate Audio) with HDMI
(Compliant HDMI monitor is required) (see CAUTION 7)

- Supports HDCP function with DVI and HDMI

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

- Premium Blu-ray audio support

- Supports THX TruStudio

TM

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

- Realtek RTL8111E

- Supports Wake-On-LAN

- Supports LAN Cable Detection

- Supports Energy Effi cient Ethernet 802.3az

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

- 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port

- 1 x D-Sub Port

- 1 x DVI-D Port

- 1 x HDMI Port

- 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port

- 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports

- 1 x eSATA3 Connector

- 2 x Ready-to-Use USB 3.0 Ports

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

- 1 x Clear CMOS Switch with LED

- HD Audio Jack: Rear Speaker/Central/Bass/Line in/Front
Speaker/Microphone (see CAUTION 8)
SATA 3 - 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,
RAID 1, RAID 10, RAID 5, Intel Rapid Storage and Intel
Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and “Hot Plug”
functions (SATA3_1 connector is shared with eSATA3 port)
USB3.0 - 2 x USB 3.0 ports by ASMedia ASM1042, support
USB 1.0/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s
Connector - 4 x SATA2 3.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,
RAID 1, RAID 10, RAID 5, Intel Rapid Storage and Intel
Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
functions

English

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

7

English

- 1 x IR header

- 1 x CIR header

- 1 x COM port header

- 1 x HDMI_SPDIF header

- 1 x Power LED header

- CPU/Chassis/Power FAN connector

- 24 pin ATX power connector

- 8 pin 12V power connector

- Front panel audio connector

- 4 x USB 2.0 headers (support 8 USB 2.0 ports)

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

- 1 x Power Switch with LED

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

- AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with GUI support

- Supports “Plug and Play”

- ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events

- Supports jumperfree

- SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support

- CPU Core, IGPU, DRAM, PCH, CPU PLL, VTT, VCCSA
Voltage Multi-adjustment
Support CD - Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version),
CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, ASRock Software Suite
(CyberLink DVD Suite - OEM and Trial; ASRock MAGIX
Multimedia Suite - OEM)
Unique Feature - ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU) (see CAUTION 9)

- ASRock Instant Boot

- ASRock Instant Flash (see CAUTION 10)

- ASRock APP Charger (see CAUTION 11)

- ASRock SmartView (see CAUTION 12)

- ASRock XFast USB (see CAUTION 13)

- ASRock XFast LAN (see CAUTION 14)

- Lucid Virtu (see CAUTION 15)

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

- Hybrid Booster:

- CPU Frequency Stepless Control (see CAUTION 17)

- ASRock U-COP (see CAUTION 18)

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

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

- Good Night LED

- 2 x SATA3 6.0Gb/s connectors

8

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

Hardware - CPU Temperature Sensing
Monitor - Chassis Temperature Sensing

- CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer

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

- CPU/Chassis Fan Multi-Speed Control

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

®

Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista

TM

/ VistaTM 64-bit

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

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

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

WARNING

Please realize that there is a certain risk involved with overclocking, including
adjusting the setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking Technology, or
using the third-party overclocking tools. Overclocking may affect your system
stability, or even cause damage to the components and devices of your system.
It should be done at your own risk and expense. We are not responsible for possible
damage caused by overclocking.

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

English

9

English

CAUTION!

1. About the setting of “Hyper Threading Technology”, please check page
60 of “User Manual” in the support CD.

2. This motherboard supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. Before
you implement Dual Channel Memory Technology, make sure to read the
installation guide of memory modules on page 16 for proper installation.

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

4. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be
less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows® 7 /

TM

Vista

/ XP. For Windows® OS with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limita-

tion.

5. The maximum shared memory size is defi ned by the chipset vendor and
is subject to change. Please check Intel® website for the latest informa­tion.

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

7. xvYCC and Deep Color are only supported under Windows

7. Deep Color mode will be enabled only if the display supports 12bpc
in EDID. HBR is supported under Windows® 7 64-bit / 7 / VistaTM 64-bit /

TM

Vista

.

8. For microphone input, this motherboard supports both stereo and mono
modes. For audio output, this motherboard supports 2-channel, 4-chan­nel, 6-channel, and 8-channel modes. Please check the table on page 3
for proper connection.

9. ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU) is an all-in-one tool to fi ne-tune
different system functions in a user-friendly interface, which is including
Hardware Monitor, Fan Control, Overclocking, OC DNA and IES. In
Hardware Monitor, it shows the major readings of your system. In Fan
Control, it shows the fan speed and temperature for you to adjust. In
Overclocking, you are allowed to overclock CPU frequency for optimal
system performance. In OC DNA, you can save your OC settings as a
profi le and share with your friends. Your friends then can load the OC
profi le to their own system to get the same OC settings. In IES (Intelligent
Energy Saver), the voltage regulator can reduce the number of output
phases to improve efficiency when the CPU cores are idle without
sacrificing computing performance. Please visit our website for the
operation procedures of ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU).

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

®

7 64-bit /

10

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

10. ASRock Instant Flash is a BIOS fl ash utility embedded in Flash ROM.
This convenient BIOS update tool allows you to update system BIOS
without entering operating systems fi rst like MS-DOS or Windows®. With
this utility, you can press <F6> key during the POST or press <F2> key to
BIOS setup menu to access ASRock Instant Flash. Just launch this tool
and save the new BIOS fi le to your USB fl ash drive, fl oppy disk or hard
drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without prepar­ing an additional fl oppy diskette or other complicated fl ash utility. Please
be noted that the USB fl ash drive or hard drive must use FAT32/16/12 fi le
system.

11. If you desire a faster, less restricted way of charging your Apple devices,
such as iPhone/iPod/iPad Touch, ASRock has prepared a wonderful

solution for you - ASRock APP Charger. Simply installing the APP Char-

ger driver, it makes your iPhone charged much quickly from your com­puter and up to 40% faster than before. ASRock APP Charger allows you
to quickly charge many Apple devices simultaneously and even supports
continuous charging when your PC enters into Standby mode (S1), Sus­pend to RAM (S3), hibernation mode (S4) or power off (S5). With APP
Charger driver installed, you can easily enjoy the marvelous charging
experience than ever.

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

12.

SmartView, a new function of internet browser, is the smart start page for
IE that combines your most visited web sites, your history, your Facebook
friends and your real-time newsfeed into an enhanced view for a more
personal Internet experience. ASRock motherboards are exclusively
equipped with the SmartView utility that helps you keep in touch with
friends on-the-go. To use SmartView feature, please make sure your
OS version is Windows
browser version is IE8. ASRock website: http://www.asrock.com/Feature/

SmartView/index.asp

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

14. ASRock XFast LAN provides a faster internet access, which includes
below benefits. LAN Application Prioritization: You can configure your
application priority ideally and/or add new programs. Lower Latency in
Game: After setting online game priority higher, it can lower the latency in
game. Traffi c Shaping: You can watch Youtube HD video and download
fi les simultaneously. Real-Time Analysis of Your Data: With the status
window, you can easily recognize which data streams you are currently
transferring.

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

®

7 / 7 64 bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64 bit, and your

®

HD

English

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

11

16. ASRock On/Off Play Technology allows users to enjoy the great audio ex-

perience from the portable audio devices, such like MP3 player or mobile
phone to your PC, even when the PC is turned off (or in ACPI S5 mode)!
This motherboard also provides a free 3.5mm audio cable (optional) that
ensures users the most convenient computing environment.

17. Although this motherboard offers stepless control, it is not recommended

to perform over-clocking. Frequencies other than the recommended CPU
bus frequencies may cause the instability of the system or damage the
CPU.

18. While CPU overheat is detected, the system will automatically shutdown.

Before you resume the system, please check if the CPU fan on the
motherboard functions properly and unplug the power cord, then plug it
back again. To improve heat dissipation, remember to spray thermal

grease between the CPU and the heatsink when you install the PC sys-

tem.

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

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

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

ropean Union to defi ne the power consumption for the completed system.
According to EuP, the total AC power of the completed system shall be
under 1.00W in off mode condition. To meet EuP standard, an EuP ready
motherboard and an EuP ready power supply are required. According to
Intel’s suggestion, the EuP ready power supply must meet the standard
of 5v standby power effi ciency is higher than 50% under 100 mA current
consumption. For EuP ready power supply selection, we recommend you
checking with the power supply manufacturer for more details.

English

12

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

2. Installation

Pre-installation Precautions

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

1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any
component. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the
motherboard, peripherals, and/or components.

2. To avoid damaging the motherboard components due to static
electricity, NEVER place your motherboard directly on the car­pet or the like. Also remember to use a grounded wrist strap or
touch a safety grounded object before you handle components.

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

4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded
antstatic pad or in the bag that comes with the component.

5. When placing screws into the screw holes to secure the moth­erboard to the chassis, please do not over-tighten the screws!
Doing so may damage the motherboard.

2.1 CPU Installation

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

LoadPlate

LoadLever

ContactArray

1155-Pin Socket Overview

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

SocketBody

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

English

13

Step 1. Open the socket:

Step 1-1. Disengaging the lever by depressing

down and out on the hook to clear
retention tab.

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

sition at approximately 135 degrees.

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

sition at approximately 100 degrees.

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

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

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

Step 3. Insert the 1155-Pin CPU:

Step 3-1. Hold the CPU by the edges where

are marked with black lines.

black line

English

14

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

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

orientation key notch

Pin1

orientation key notch

1155-Pin CPU

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

alignment key

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

Pin1

alignment key

1155-Pin Socket

Step 3-3. Carefully place the CPU into the

socket by using a purely vertical mo­tion.

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

et and properly mated to the orient
keys.

Step 4. Close the socket:

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

plate, engage the load lever.

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

under retention tab of load lever.

2.2 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink

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

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

IHS on the socket surface.

Step 2. Place the heatsink onto the socket. Ensure

fan cables are oriented on side closest to the
CPU fan connector on the motherboard (CPU_
FAN1, see page 2, No. 4).

Step 3. Align fasteners with the motherboard through-

holes.

Step 4. Rotate the fastener clockwise, then press

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

Fancables on side
closestto MB header

PressDown
(4Places)

ApplyThermal
InterfaceMaterial

Fastenerslots
pointingstraight out

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

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

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

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2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)

This motherboard provides four 240-pin DDR3 (Double Data Rate 3) DIMM
slots, and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. For dual channel confi g-
uration, you always need to install identical (the same brand, speed, size and
chip-type) DDR3 DIMM pair in the slots: You have to install identical DDR3
DIMM pair in Dual Channel A (DDR3_A1 and DDR3_B1; Black slots; see p.2
No.5) or identical DDR3 DIMM pair in Dual Channel B (DDR3_A2 and DDR3_
B2; Black slots; see p.2 No.6), so that Dual Channel Memory Technology can
be activated. This motherboard also allows you to install four DDR3 DIMMs for
dual channel confi guration, and please install identical DDR3 DIMMs in all four
slots. You may refer to the Dual Channel Memory Confi guration Table below.

Dual Channel Memory Confi gurations

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

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

*

slots.

1. If you want to install two memory modules, for optimal compatibility
and reliability, it is recommended to install them in the slots: DDR3_
A1 and DDR3_B1, or DDR3_A2 and DDR3_B2.

2. If only one memory module or three memory modules are installed
in the DDR3 DIMM slots on this motherboard, it is unable to activate
the Dual Channel Memory Technology.

3. If a pair of memory modules is NOT installed in the same Dual
Channel, for example, installing a pair of memory modules in
DDR3_A1 and DDR3_A2, it is unable to activate the Dual Channel
Memory Technology .

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

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

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ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

Installing a DIMM

Please make sure to disconnect power supply before adding or
removing DIMMs or the system components.

Step 1. Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the retaining clips outward.
Step 2. Align a DIMM on the slot such that the notch on the DIMM matches the
break on the slot.

The DIMM only fi ts in one correct orientation. It will cause permanent
damage to the motherboard and the DIMM if you force the DIMM into
the slot at incorrect orientation.

Step 3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the slot until the retaining clips at both ends
fully snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.

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2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)

There are 2 PCI slots and 4 PCI Express slots on this motherboard.
PCI slots: PCI slots are used to install expansion cards that have the 32-bit PCI
interface.

PCIE slots:

PCIE1/PCIE3 (PCIE 2.0 x1 slot) is used for PCI Express cards with x1

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

PCIE2 (PCIE 3.0 x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x16 lane width

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

PCIE4 (PCIE 3.0 x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x8 lane width graph-

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

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

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

3. Please connect a chassis fan to motherboard chassis fan connector
(CHA_FAN1, CHA_FAN2 or CHA_FAN3) when using multiple

graphics cards for better thermal environment.

4. To run the PCI Express in Gen 3 speed, please must install the Ivy

Bridge CPU which supports PCI Express Gen3. If you install the
Sandy Bridge CPU, the PCI Express will run only at PCI Express Gen
2 speed.

TM

or SLITM function.

TM

or SLITM function.

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Installing an expansion card

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

supply is switched off or the power cord is unplugged. Please read the
documentation of the expansion card and make necessary hardware

settings for the card before you start the installation.
Step 2. Remove the system unit cover (if your motherboard is already installed

in a chassis).

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

screws for later use.

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

completely seated on the slot.

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

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ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

2.5 SLITM and Quad SLI

TM

Operation Guide

This motherboard supports NVIDIA® SLITM and Quad SLITM (Scalable Link Interface)
technology that allows you to install up to three identical PCI Express x16 graphics
cards. Currently, NVIDIA

®

SLITM technology supports Windows® XP / XP 64-bit /
VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit OS. NVIDIA® Quad SLITM technology support
Windows

®

VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit OS only. Please follow the installation

procedures in this section.

Requirements

1. For SLITM technology, you should have two identical SLITM-ready graphics
cards that are NVIDIA
have two identical Quad SLITM-ready graphics cards that are NVIDIA®
certifi ed.

2. Make sure that your graphics card driver supports NVIDIA® SLITM technology
(driver version 270.61 and later). Download the driver from NVIDIA website
(www.nvidia.com).

3. Make sure that your power supply unit (PSU) can provide at least the
minimum power required by your system. It is recommended to use
NVIDIA

®

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

®

certifi ed. For Quad SLITM technology, you should

2.5.1 Graphics Card Setup

2.5.1.1 Installing Two SLI

TM

-Ready Graphics Cards

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

because different types of graphics cards will not work together properly.
(Even the GPU chips version shall be the same.) Insert one graphics card
into PCIE2 slot and the other graphics card to PCIE4 slot. Make sure that
the cards are properly seated on the slots.

Step2. If required, connect the auxiliary power source to the PCI Express graph-

ics cards.

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

graphics card. Make sure ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card is fi rmly in place.

ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card

Step4. Connect a VGA cable or a DVI cable to the monitor connector or the DVI

connector of the graphics card that is inserted to PCIE2 slot.

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ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

2.5.2 Driver Installation and Setup

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

For Windows

®

XP / XP 64-bit OS:

(For SLITM mode only)

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

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

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

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

TM

feature.

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For Windows® VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit OS:
(For SLITM and Quad SLITM mode)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

2.6 CrossFireXTM and Quad CrossFireXTM Operation Guide

This motherboard supports CrossFireXTM and Quad CrossFireXTM feature.
CrossFireXTM technology offers the most advantageous means available of
combining multiple high performance Graphics Processing Units (GPU) in a single
PC. Combining a range of different operating modes with intelligent software design

TM

and an innovative interconnect mechanism, CrossFireX

enables the highest
possible level of performance and image quality in any 3D application. Currently
CrossFireXTM feature is supported with Windows® XP with Service Pack 2 / VistaTM /
7 OS. Quad CrossFireX

TM

feature are supported with Windows® VistaTM / 7 OS only.

Please check AMD website for ATITM CrossFireXTM driver updates.

1. If a customer incorrectly confi gures their system they will not see the
performance benefi ts of CrossFireXTM. All three CrossFireXTM components, a
CrossFireX
CrossFireXTM Edition co-processor graphics card, must be installed correctly to
benefi t from the CrossFireXTM multi-GPU platform.

2. If you pair a 12-pipe CrossFireXTM Edition card with a 16-pipe card, both cards
will operate as 12-pipe cards while in CrossFireXTM mode.

TM

Ready graphics card, a CrossFireXTM Ready motherboard and a

2.6.1 Graphics Card Setup

2.6.1.1 Installing Two CrossFireX

Different CrossFireXTM cards may require different methods to enable CrossFireXTM

feature. In below procedures, we use Radeon HD 3870 as the example graphics
card. For other CrossFireXTM cards that AMD has released or will release in the

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

TM

-Ready Graphics Cards

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

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

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Step 2. Connect two Radeon graphics cards by installing CrossFire Bridge on

CrossFire Bridge Interconnects on the top of Radeon graphics cards.
(CrossFire Bridge is provided with the graphics card you purchase, not
bundled with this motherboard. Please refer to your graphics card vendor
for details.)

CrossFire Bridge

or

Step 3. Connect the DVI monitor cable to the DVI connector on the Radeon
graphics card on PCIE2 slot. (You may use the DVI to D-Sub adapter to

convert the DVI connector to D-Sub interface, and then connect the D-Sub
monitor cable to the DVI to D-Sub adapter.)

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ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

2.6.2 Driver Installation and Setup

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

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

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

Please check AMD website for ATITM driver updates.

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

®

XP OS:

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

installed (If you have Windows® XP Service Pack 2 or higher installed

in your system, there is no need to download it again):
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx
B. You must have Microsoft .NET Framework installed prior to

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

For Windows

®

7 / VistaTM OS:

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

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

ATI Catalyst Control Center

®

taskbar.

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

TM

reX

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

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

function may not work actually. Your computer will automatically reboot. After
restarting your computer, please confi rm whether the option “Enable
CrossFire
select it again, and then you are able to enjoy the benefi t of CrossFireX

TM

” in “ATI Catalyst Control Center” is selected or not; if not, please

TM

feature.

Step 7. You can freely enjoy the benefi t of CrossFireXTM or Quad CrossFireXTM

feature.

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

TM

technology, please check AMD website for

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ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

2.7 Dual Monitor and Surround Display Features

Dual Monitor Feature

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

1. Connect DVI-D monitor cable to DVI-D port on the I/O panel, connect D-Sub
monitor cable to D-Sub port on the I/O panel, connect HDMI monitor cable to
HDMI port on the I/O panel.

D-Sub port

DVI-D port

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

D-Sub, DVI-D and HDMI monitors cannot be enabled at the same time.
You can only choose two of them.

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HDMI port

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Surround Display Feature

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

1. Install the PCI Express VGA cards on PCIE2 and PCIE4 slots. Please refer to
page 18 for proper expansion card installation procedures for details.

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

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

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

5. Set up a multi-monitor display.

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For Windows

®

XP / XP 64-bit OS:

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

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ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard

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

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

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

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

What is HDCP?

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

®

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

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

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2.8 ASRock Smart Remote Installation Guide

ASRock Smart Remote is only used for ASRock motherboard with CIR header.
Please refer to below procedures for the quick installation and usage of ASRock
Smart Remote.

Step1. Find the CIR header located next
to the USB 2.0 header on ASRock
motherboard.

USB 2.0 header (9-pin, black)

CIR header (4-pin, gray)

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Step2. Connect the front USB cable to the
USB 2.0 header (as below, pin 1-5)
and the CIR header. Please make

USB_PWR

P-

P+

GND

DUMMY

sure the wire assignments and the
pin assignments are matched
correctly.

GND

IRTX

IRRX

ATX+5VSB

Step3. Install Multi-Angle CIR Receiver to the front USB port.

Step4. Boot up your system. Press <F2> or <Del> to enter BIOS Setup Utility.
Make sure the option "CIR Controller" is setting at [Enabled].
(Advanced -> Super IO Confi guration -> CIR Controller -> [Enabled])

If you cannot fi nd this option, please shut down your system and install
Multi-Angle CIR Receiver to the other front USB port then try again.

Step5. Enter Windows. Execute ASRock
support CD and install CIR Driver.
(It is listed at the bottom of driver
list.)

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3 CIR sensors in different angles

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard