ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 User Manual

Z68 Extreme4 Gen3

User Manual

Version 1.0

Published June 2011

No part of this manual may be reproduced, transcribed, transmitted, or translated in

any language, in any form or by any means, except duplication of documentation by

the purchaser for backup purpose, without written consent of ASRock Inc.

Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be regis-

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

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

Disclaimer:

Speci cations and information contained in this manual are furnished for informa-

tional use only and subject to change without notice, and should not be constructed

as a commitment by ASRock. ASRock assumes no responsibility for any errors or

omissions that may appear in this manual.

With respect to the contents of this manual, ASRock does not provide warranty of

any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warran-

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

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

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

loss of pro ts, loss of business, loss of data, interruption of business and the like),

even if ASRock has been advised of the possibility of such damages arising from

any defect or error in the manual or product.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the fol-

lowing two conditions:

(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and

(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that

may cause undesired operation.

CALIFORNIA, USA ONLY

The Lithium battery adopted on this motherboard contains Perchlorate, a toxic

substance controlled in Perchlorate Best Management Practices (BMP) regulations

passed by the California Legislature. When you discard the Lithium battery in Cali-

fornia, USA, please follow the related regulations in advance.

“Perchlorate Material-special handling may apply, see

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

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

Contents

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

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

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

1.3 Motherboard Layout ....................................................... 13

1.4 I/O

Panel ...................................................................... 14

2 Installation ........................................................... 16

2.1 Screw Holes ................................................................... 16

2.2 Pre-installation Precautions ......................................... 16

2.3 CPU Installation ............................................................. 17

2.4 Installation of Heatsink and CPU fan ............................. 19

2.5 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM) ........................ 20

2.6 Expansion Slots

2.7 SLITM and Quad SLI

2.8 CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireXTM and Quad

CrossFireXTM Operation Guide ...................................... 27

2.9 Dual Monitor and Surround Display Features ................ 33

2.10 ASRock Smart Remote Installation Guide ..................... 36

2.11 Jumpers Setup .......................................................... 37

2.12 Onboard Headers and Connectors ............................ 38

2.13 Smart Switches .......................................................... 44

2.14 Dr. Debug ................................................................... 45

2.15 Serial ATA (SATA) / Serial ATAII (SATAII) Hard Disks

Installation .................................................................. 49

2.16 Serial ATA3 (SATA3) Hard Disks Installation ............. 49

2.17 Hot Plug and Hot Swap Functions for SATA / SATAII

HDDs ............................................................................ 50

2.18 Hot Plug and Hot Swap Functions for SATA3 HDDs .... 50

2.19 SATA / SATAII / SATA3 HDD Hot Plug Feature and

Operation Guide ........................................................ 51

2.20 Driver Installation Guide ............................................ 53

2.21 Installing Windows

64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit With RAID Functions .............. 53

2.21.1 Installing Windows® XP / XP 64-bit With RAID

Functions............................................................. 53

2.21.2 Setting Up a “RAID Ready” System ................... 54

2.21.3 Migrating a “RAID Ready” System to RAID 0,

RAID 1 or RAID 5 ................................................ 55

2.21.4 Installing Windows

VistaTM 64-bit With RAID Functions .................... 56

(PCI and PCI Express Slots)

Operation Guide ......................... 23

7 / 7 64-bit / Vista

7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM /

.................... 22

/ VistaTM

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

/ VistaTM 64-bit

/ XP / XP 64-bit Without RAID Functions ................... 57

2.22.1 Installing Windows

XP / XP 64-bit Without RAID

Functions............................................................ 57

2.22.2 Installing Windows

Vista

64-bit Without RAID Functions ............... 58

7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM /

3 UEFI SETUP UTILITY ................................................. 59

3.1 Introduction .................................................................... 59

3.1.1 UEFI Menu Bar .................................................... 59

3.1.2 Navigation Keys ................................................... 60

3.2 Main Screen ................................................................... 60

3.3 OC Tweaker Screen ...................................................... 61

3.4 Advanced Screen ........................................................... 65

3.4.1 CPU Con guration ............................................... 66

3.4.2 North Bridge Con guration................................... 68

3.4.3 South Bridge Con guration .................................. 70

3.4.4 Storage Con guration .......................................... 71

3.4.5 Super IO Con guration ........................................ 72

3.4.6 ACPI Con guration............................................... 73

3.4.7 USB Con guration ............................................... 74

3.5 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen ................... 75

3.6 Boot Screen ................................................................... 76

3.7 Security Screen ............................................................. 77

3.8 Exit Screen .................................................................... 78

4 Software Support ................................................. 79

4.1 Install Operating System ................................................ 79

4.2 Support CD Information ................................................. 79

4.2.1 Running Support CD ............................................ 79

4.2.2 Drivers Menu ........................................................ 79

4.2.3 Utilities Menu........................................................ 79

4.2.4 Contact Information .............................................. 79

Chapter 1: Introduction

Thank you for purchasing ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 motherboard, a reliable

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

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

ment to quality and endurance.

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

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

guide to BIOS setup and information of the Support CD.

Because the motherboard speci cations and the BIOS software might be

updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without no-

tice. In case any modi cations of this manual occur, the updated version

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

the latest VGA cards and CPU support lists on ASRock website as well.

ASRock website http://www.asrock.com

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

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

www.asrock.com/support/index.asp

1.1 Package Contents

ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 Motherboard

(ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 9.6-in, 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm) ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 Quick Installation Guide ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 Support CD

1 x Ribbon Cable for a 3.5-in Floppy Drive

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

2 x Serial ATA (SATA) HDD Power Cables (Optional)

1 x 3.5mm Audio Cable (Optional)

1 x I/O Panel Shield

1 x Front USB 3.0 Panel

4 x HDD Screws

6 x Chassis Screws

1 x Rear USB 3.0 Bracket

1 x ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card

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 Con guration to

AHCI mode. For the BIOS setup, please refer to the “User Manual” in our

support CD for details.

/ VistaTM 64-

1.2 Specifications

Platform - ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 9.6-in, 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm

- All Solid Capacitor design (100% Japan-made high-quality

Conductive Polymer Capacitors) CPU - Supports 2nd Generation Intel

LGA1155 Package

- Advanced V8 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 Pro le (XMP)

Expansion Slot - 2 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots (PCIE2/PCIE4: single at x16

or dual at x8/x8 mode) (PCI Express 3.0 with Intel® Ivy

Bridge CPU, PCI Express 2.0 with Intel® Sandy Bridge CPU)

- 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot (PCIE5: x4 mode)

- 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots

- 2 x PCI slots

- Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX

and 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)

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

, 3-Way CrossFireXTM

Ivy Bridge CPU,

- Supports DisplayPort with max. resolution up to 2560x1600

@ 60Hz

- 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, HDMI and DisplayPort

ports

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

with DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort ports Audio - 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection

(Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec)

- Premium Blu-ray audio support

- Supports THX TruStudio

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

- Broadcom BCM57781

- Supports Wake-On-LAN

- Supports Energy Ef 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 DisplayPort

- 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 IEEE 1394 Port

- 1 x Clear CMOS Switch with LED

- HD Audio Jack: Rear Speaker/Central/Bass/Line in/Front Speaker/Microphone (see CAUTION 8) SATA3 - 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

- 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by Marvell SE9120,

support NCQ, AHCI and "Hot Plug" functions

(SATA3_M2 connector is shared with eSATA3 port)

USB3.0 - 2 x Rear USB 3.0 ports by Etron EJ168A, support USB 1.0/

2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s

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

Etron EJ168A, supports USB 1.0/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s Connector - 4 x SATA2 3.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,

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

Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug

functions

- 1 x Floppy connector

- 1 x IR header

- 1 x CIR header

- 1 x COM port header

- 1 x HDMI_SPDIF header

- 1 x IEEE 1394 header

- 1 x Power LED header

- CPU/Chassis/Power FAN connector

- 24 pin ATX power connector

- 8 pin 12V power connector

- SLI/XFire power connector

- Front panel audio connector

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

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

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

- 4 x SATA3 6.0Gb/s connectors

- 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 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

/ 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.

CAUTION!

1. About the setting of “Hyper Threading Technology”, please check page

66.

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 20 for proper installation.

3. DDR3 frequency options may depend on the processor. Only K-Series

CPU can support DDR3 overclock to 2133 and 1866.

4. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be

less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows

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

tion.

5. The maximum shared memory size is de ned by the chipset vendor and

is subject to change. Please check Intel® website for the latest informa-

tion.

6. You can choose to use two of the four monitors only. D-Sub, DVI-D,

HDMI and DisplayPort monitors cannot be enabled at the same time.

Besides, with the DVI-to-HDMI adapter, the DVI-D port can support the

same features as HDMIport.

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 /

VistaTM.

8. For microphone input, this motherboard supports both stereo and mono

modes. For audio output, this motherboard supports 2-channel, 4-chan-

nel, 6-channel, and 8-channel modes. Please check the table on page 14

for proper connection.

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

pro le and share with your friends. Your friends then can load the OC

pro 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 /

7 /

10. ASRock Instant Flash is a BIOS ash utility embedded in Flash ROM.

This convenient BIOS update tool allows you to update system BIOS

without entering operating systems rst like MS-DOS or Windows®. With

this utility, you can press <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 le to your USB ash drive, oppy disk or hard

drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without prepar-

ing an additional oppy diskette or other complicated ash utility. Please

be noted that the USB ash drive or hard drive must use FAT32/16/12 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 com-

puter 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), Sus-

pend 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

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

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. Traf c Shaping: You can watch Youtube HD video and download

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 bene ts from both 3D perfor-

mance of the discrete GPU and advanced media features of Intel

graphics.

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 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 de 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 ef 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.

1.3 Motherboard Layout

24.4cm (9.6in)

Keyboard

PS2

USB2.0 T:US B0 B:USB1

ATX12V1

PWR_FAN1

DVI_CON1

VGA1

HDMI_DP_1

HDMI1

Clr

CMOS

IEEE1394

eSATA_1

USB2.0 T:U SB 2 B:USB3

USB3.0

Top:

T:USB4

RJ-45

B:USB5

Top:

SIDESPK

Center:

REARSPK

Bottom:

Optical

SPDIF

Bottom:

MICIN

Top:

LINEIN

Center:

FRONT

USB 3.0

LAN PHY

ErP/EuPReady

Super

AUDIO

Designedin Taipei

CODEC

38 37

HD_AUDIO1

SLI/XFIRE_PWR1

HDMI1.4a

PCIE1

PCIE3

PCI Express3.0

I/O

Z68 Extreme4Gen3

DX10.1

HDMI_SPDIF1

FLOPPY1

COM1

3435

CHA_FAN3

CHA_FAN2

PCIE2

PCI1

PCIE4

FastUSB

PCI2

Front USB3.0

PCIE5

1394a

FRONT_1394

IR1

CPU_FAN1

RoHS

CMOS Battery

USB8_9

USB6_7

CIR1

293031

1 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1) 26 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_12_13, Black) 2 Power Fan Connector (PWR_FAN1) 27 Dr. Debug 3 1155-Pin CPU Socket 28 USB 2.0 Header (USB10_11, Black) 4 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1) 29 USB 2.0 Header (USB8_9, Black) 5 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN2) 30 USB 2.0 Header (USB6_7, Black) 6 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 31 Consumer Infrared Module Header (Dual Channel: DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1, Black) (CIR1, Gray) 7 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 32 Front Panel IEEE 1394 Header (Dual Channel: DDR3_A2, DDR3_B2, Black) (FRONT_1394, Black) 8 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1) 33 Infrared Module Header (IR1) 9 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1) 34 Floppy Connector (FLOPPY1) 10 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1) 35 COM Port Header (COM1) 11 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_M1, Gray) 36 Front Panel Audio Header 12 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_M2, Gray) (HD_AUDIO1, Black) 13 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_0, Gray) 37 HDMI_SPDIF Header 14 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_1, Gray) (HDMI_SPDIF1, Black) 15 SATA2 Connector (SATA2_2, Black) 38 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE5, Black) 16 SATA2 Connector (SATA2_3, Black) 39 PCI Slot (PCI2) 17 SATA2 Connector (SATA2_4, Black) 40 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE4, Black) 18 SATA2 Connector (SATA2_5, Black) 41 PCI Slot (PCI1) 19 64Mb SPI Flash 42 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE3, Black) 20 Intel Z68 Chipset 43 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE2, Black) 21 Reset Switch (RSTBTN) 44 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE1, Black) 22 Power Switch (PWRBTN) 45 SLI / XFIRE Power Connector 23 Power LED Header (PLED1) 46 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN3) 24 System Panel Header (PANEL1, Black) 47 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN2) 25 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER 1, Black)

CPU_FAN2

DDR3 2133

30.5cm (12.0in)

ATXPWR1

DDR3_B2(64 bit, 240-pinmodule)

DDR3_A2(64 bit, 240-pinmodule)

DDR3_B1(64 bit, 240-pinmodule)

DDR3_A1(64 bit, 240-pinmodule)

CHA_FAN1

CLRCMOS1

SATA36Gb/s

Intel

Z68

Dr.

Debug

USB3_12_13

USB10_11

SPEAKER1

2627

SATA3_0_1 SATA3_M1_M2

SATA2_4_5 SATA2_2_3

PLED1

PANEL1

PLEDPWRBTN

HDLEDRESET

64Mb

BIOS

RSTBTN

PWRBTN

1.4 I/O Panel

1 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01) ** 10 Front Speaker (Lime) 2 D-Sub Port 11 Microphone (Pink) 3 DisplayPort (HDMI_DP_1) 12 USB 3.0 Ports (USB45) 4 USB 2.0 Ports (USB23) 13 IEEE 1394 Port (IEEE 1394) * 5 LAN RJ-45 Port *** 14 eSATA3 Connector 6 Central / Bass (Orange) 15 Clear CMOS Switch (CLRCBTN) 7 Rear Speaker (Black) 16 HDMI Port 8 Optical SPDIF Out Port 17 DVI-D Port 9 Line In (Light Blue) 18 PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)

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

indications.

Activity/Link LED SPEED LED

Status Description Status Description

LAN Port LED Indications

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

(No. 9)

2 V -- -- --

4 V V -- --

6 V V V --

8 V V V V

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

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

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

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

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.

Chapter 2: Installation

This is an ATX form factor (12.0" x 9.6", 30.5 x 24.4 cm) motherboard. Before you

install the motherboard, study the con guration of your chassis to ensure that the

motherboard ts into it.

motherboard. Failure to do so may cause physical injuries to you and

damages to motherboard components.

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

2.1 Screw Holes

Place screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the

chassis.

Do not over-tighten the screws! Doing so may damage the motherboard.

2.2 Pre-installation Precautions

Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components

or change any motherboard settings.

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

2. To avoid damaging the motherboard components due to static electricity,

NEVER place your motherboard directly on the carpet or the like. Also

remember to use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safety grounded object

before you handle components.

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

4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic pad or

in the bag that comes with the component.

Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the power is

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

Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the motherboard, peripherals,

and/or components.

2.3 CPU Installation

For the installation of Intel 1155-Pin CPU,

please follow the steps below.

LoadPlate

LoadLever

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. Other-

wise, the CPU will be seriously damaged.

Step 1. Open the socket:

Step 1-1. Disengaging the lever by depressing

down and out on the hook to clear

retention tab.

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

sition at approximately 135 degrees.

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

sition at approximately 100 degrees.

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

ContactArray

SocketBody

1155-Pin Socket Overview

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 edge where is

marked with black line.

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

Heat Sink) up. Locate Pin1 and the

two orientation key notches.

orientation key notch

Pin1

orientation key notch

1155-Pin CPU

For proper inserting, please ensure to match the two orientation key

notches of the CPU with the two alignment keys of the socket.

Step 3-3. Carefully place the CPU into the

socket by using a purely vertical mo-

tion.

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

et and properly mated to the orient

keys.

black line

alignment key

Pin1

alignment key

1155-Pin Socket

Step 4. Close the socket:

Step 4-1. Rotate the load plate onto the IHS.

Step 4-2. While pressing down lightly on load

plate, engage the load lever.

2.4 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink

This motherboard is equipped with 1155-Pin socket that supports Intel 1155-Pin

CPU. Please adopt the type of heatsink and cooling fan compliant with Intel 1155-

Pin CPU to dissipate heat. Before you installed the heatsink, you need to spray

thermal interface material between the CPU and the heatsink to improve heat dis-

sipation. Ensure that the CPU and the heatsink are securely fastened and in good

contact with each other. Then connect the CPU fan to the CPU_FAN connector

(CPU_FAN1, see page 13, No. 4).

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.

Apply Thermal Interface Material

Step 2. Place the heatsink onto the socket. Ensure

fan cables are oriented on side closest to the

Fan cableson side closest toMB header

CPU fan connector on the motherboard (CPU_

FAN1, see page 13, No. 4).

Step 3. Align fasteners with the motherboard through-

Fastener slots pointing straightout

holes.

Step 4. Rotate the fastener clockwise, then press

down on fastener caps with thumb to install

and lock. Repeat with remaining fasteners.

If you press down the fasteners without rotating them clockwise, the

heatsink cannot be secured on the motherboard.

Press Down (4 Places)

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 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.

2.5 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)

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

slots, and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. For dual channel con guration, 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.13 No.6) or identical DDR3 DIMM pair in Dual Channel B (DDR3_A2 and DDR3_

B2; Black slots; see p.13 No.7), so that Dual Channel Memory Technology can

be activated. This motherboard also allows you to install four DDR3 DIMMs for dual channel con guration, and please install identical DDR3 DIMMs in all four

slots. You may refer to the Dual Channel Memory Con 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 con guration (3), please install identical DDR3 DIMMs in all four

slots.

1. If you want to install two memory modules, for optimal compatibility

and reliability, it is recommended to install them in the slots: DDR3_

A1 and DDR3_B1, or DDR3_A2 and DDR3_B2.

2. If only one memory module or three memory modules are installed

in the DDR3 DIMM slots on this motherboard, it is unable to activate

the Dual Channel Memory Technology.

3. If a pair of memory modules is NOT installed in the same Dual

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 dam-

aged.

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.

Installing a DIMM

Please make sure to disconnect power supply before adding or

removing DIMMs or the system components.

Step 1. Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the retaining clips outward.

Step 2. Align a DIMM on the slot such that the notch on the DIMM matches the

break on the slot.

notch break

notch

break

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

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

the slot at incorrect orientation.

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

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

2.6 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)

There are 2 PCI slots and 5 PCI Express slots on this motherboard. PCI slots: PCI slots are used to install expansion cards that have the 32-bit PCI

interface.

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

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

PCIE2 / PCIE4 (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

PCIE5 (PCIE 2.0 x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x4 lane width graph-

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

3-Way CrossFireX

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

x16 graphics card on PCIE2 slot.

2. In CrossFireXTM mode or SLITM mode, please install PCI Express x16

graphics cards on PCIE2 and PCIE4 slots. Therefore, both these two

slots will work at x8 bandwidth.

3. In 3-Way CrossFireX

graphics cards on PCIE2, PCIE4 and PCIE5 slots. Therefore, PCIE2

and PCIE4 slots will work at x8 bandwidth while PCIE5 slot will work

at x4 bandwidth.

4. Please connect a chassis fan to motherboard chassis fan connector

(CHA_FAN1, CHA_FAN2 or CHA_FAN3) when using multiple

graphics cards for better thermal environment.

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

Bridge CPU which supports PCI Express Gen3. If you install the

Sandy Bridge CPU, the PCI Express will run only at PCI Express Gen

2 speed.

or SLITM function.

function.

mode, please install PCI Express x16

Installing an expansion card

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

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

documentation of the expansion card and make necessary hardware

settings for the card before you start the installation.

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

in a chassis).

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

screws for later use.

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

completely seated on the slot.

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

Step 6. Replace the system cover.

2.7 SLITM and Quad SLI

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®

certi ed.

2. Make sure that your graphics card driver supports NVIDIA® SLITM

technology. Download the driver from NVIDIA

(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® certi ed PSU. Please refer to NVIDIA® website for details.

certi ed. For Quad SLITM technology, you should

website

2.7.1 Graphics Card Setup

2.7.1.1 Installing Two SLI

-Ready Graphics Cards

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

because different types of graphics cards will not work together properly.

(Even the GPU chips version shall be the same.) Insert one graphics card

into PCIE2 slot and the other graphics card to PCIE4 slot. Make sure that

the cards are properly seated on the slots.

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

graphics cards.

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

graphics card. Make sure ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card is 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.

2.7.2 Driver Installation and Setup

Install the graphics card drivers to your system. After that, you can enable the Multi-

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) feature in the NVIDIA® nView system tray utility.

Please follow the below procedures to enable the multi-GPU feature.

For Windows (For SLITM mode only)

XP / XP 64-bit OS:

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 bene t of SLITM feature.

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ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 User Manual

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Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual