Asus Z97-WS User Manual

Z97-WS

Motherboard

E9146

First Edition

April 2014

Copyright© 2014 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).

Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered, unless such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the product is defaced or missing.

ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.

SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.

Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification or explanation and to the owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.

Offer to Provide Source Code of Certain Software

This product contains copyrighted software that is licensed under the General Public License (“GPL”), under the Lesser General Public License Version (“LGPL”) and/or other Free Open Source Software Licenses. Such software in this product is distributed without any warranty to the extent permitted by the applicable law. Copies of these licenses are included in this product.

Where the applicable license entitles you to the source code of such software and/or other additional data, you may obtain it for a period of three years after our last shipment of the product, either

(1)for free by downloading it from http://support.asus.com/download

or

(2)for the cost of reproduction and shipment, which is dependent on the preferred carrier and the location where you want to have it shipped to, by sending a request to:

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

Legal Compliance Dept.

15 Li Te Rd.,

Beitou, Taipei 112

Taiwan

In your request please provide the name, model number and version, as stated in the About Box of the product for which you wish to obtain the corresponding source code and your contact details so that we can coordinate the terms and cost of shipment with you.

The source code will be distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY and licensed under the same license as the corresponding binary/object code.

This offer is valid to anyone in receipt of this information.

ASUSTeK is eager to duly provide complete source code as required under various Free Open Source Software licenses. If however you encounter any problems in obtaining the full corresponding source code we would be much obliged if you give us a notification to the email address [e-mail], stating the product and describing the problem (please DO NOT send large attachments such as source code archives, etc. to this email address).

ii

Contents

Safety information......................................................................................................	vi
About this guide.........................................................................................................	vii
Z97-WS specifications summary...............................................................................	ix
Package contents......................................................................................................	xv
Installation tools and components..........................................................................	xvi

Chapter 1:		Product Introduction
1.1	Special features..........................................................................................		1-1
	1.1.1	Product highlights........................................................................	1-1
	1.1.2	ASUS-exclusive workstation features..........................................	1-2
	1.1.3	Other special features..................................................................	1-3
1.2	Motherboard overview...............................................................................		1-4
	1.2.1	Before you proceed.....................................................................	1-4
	1.2.2	Motherboard layout......................................................................	1-5
	1.2.3	Central Processing Unit (CPU)....................................................	1-7
	1.2.4	System memory...........................................................................	1-8
	1.2.5	Expansion slots..........................................................................	1-10
	1.2.6	Onboard buttons and switches..................................................	1-13
	1.2.7	Jumpers.....................................................................................	1-18
	1.2.8	Onboard LEDs...........................................................................	1-18
	1.2.9	Internal connectors....................................................................	1-26

Chapter 2:		Basic installation
2.1	Building your PC system...........................................................................		2-1
	2.1.1	Motherboard installation..............................................................	2-1
	2.1.2	CPU installation...........................................................................	2-3
	2.1.3	CPU heatsink and fan assembly installation................................	2-4
	2.1.4	DIMM installation.........................................................................	2-6
	2.1.5	ATX Power connection................................................................	2-7
	2.1.6	SATA device connection..............................................................	2-8
	2.1.7	Front I/O Connector.....................................................................	2-9
	2.1.8	Expansion Card installation.......................................................	2-10
2.2	BIOS update utility....................................................................................		2-11
2.3	Motherboard rear and audio connections..............................................		2-13
	2.3.1	Rear I/O connection...................................................................	2-13
	2.3.2	Audio I/O connections................................................................	2-15
2.4	Starting up for the first time....................................................................		2-17
2.5	Turning off the computer.........................................................................		2-18

iii

Chapter 3:		BIOS setup
3.1	Knowing BIOS.............................................................................................		3-1
3.2	BIOS setup program...................................................................................		3-2
	3.2.1	EZ Mode......................................................................................	3-3
	3.2.2	Advanced Mode...........................................................................	3-4
	3.2.3	QFan Control...............................................................................	3-7
	3.2.4	EZ Tuning Wizard........................................................................	3-9
3.3	My Favorites..............................................................................................		3-11
3.4	Main menu.................................................................................................		3-13
3.5	Ai Tweaker menu......................................................................................		3-15
3.6	Advanced menu........................................................................................		3-31
	3.6.1	CPU Configuration.....................................................................	3-32
	3.6.2	PCH Configuration.....................................................................	3-35
	3.6.3	PCH Storage Configuration.......................................................	3-36
	3.6.4	System Agent Configuration......................................................	3-38
	3.6.5	USB Configuration.....................................................................	3-39
	3.6.6	Platform Misc Configuration.......................................................	3-40
	3.6.7	Onboard Devices Configuration.................................................	3-42
	3.6.8	APM Configuration.....................................................................	3-44
	3.6.9	Network Stack Configuration.....................................................	3-45
3.7	Monitor menu............................................................................................		3-46
3.8	Boot menu.................................................................................................		3-50
3.9	Tool menu..................................................................................................		3-56
	3.9.1	ASUS EZ Flash 2 Utility.............................................................	3-56
	3.9.2	ASUS O.C. Profile.....................................................................	3-57
	3.9.3	ASUS DRAM SPD Information..................................................	3-58
3.10	Exit menu...................................................................................................		3-59
3.11	Updating BIOS..........................................................................................		3-60
	3.11.1	EZ Update..................................................................................	3-60
	3.11.2	ASUS EZ Flash 2.......................................................................	3-61
	3.11.3	ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3..........................................................	3-62

Chapter 4:		Software support
4.1	Installing an operating system..................................................................		4-1
4.2	Support DVD information...........................................................................		4-1
	4.2.1	Running the support DVD ............................................................	4-1
	4.2.2	Obtaining the software manuals ..................................................	4-3
4.3	Software information..................................................................................		4-4
4.4	AI Suite 3	.....................................................................................................	4-4
	4.4.1 .................................................................................	Ai Charger+	4-7

iv

	4.4.2	USB 3.0 Boost.............................................................................	4-8
	4.4.3	EZ Update....................................................................................	4-9
	4.4.4	USB BIOS Flashback................................................................	4-11
	4.4.5	USB Charger+...........................................................................	4-13
	4.4.6	Push Notice...............................................................................	4-14
	4.4.7	System Information....................................................................	4-17
4.5	Audio configurations................................................................................		4-18
4.6	ASUS Dr. Power Utility.............................................................................		4-20

Chapter 5:		RAID support
5.1	RAID configurations...................................................................................		5-1
	5.1.1	RAID definitions...........................................................................	5-1
	5.1.2	Installing Serial ATA hard disks...................................................	5-2
	5.1.3	Setting the RAID item in BIOS.....................................................	5-2
	5.1.4	Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM utility...................	5-3
5.2	Creating a RAID driver disk.......................................................................		5-7
	5.2.1	Creating a RAID driver disk without entering the OS...................	5-7
	5.2.2	Creating a RAID driver disk in Windows®..................................................................	5-8
	5.2.3	Installing the RAID driver during Windows® OS installation.........	5-8

Chapter 6:		Multi GPU support
6.1	AMD® CrossFireX™ technology................................................................		6-1
	6.1.1	Requirements..............................................................................	6-1
	6.1.2	Before you begin..........................................................................	6-1
	6.1.3	Installing two CrossFireX™ graphics cards.................................	6-2
	6.1.4	Installing three CrossFireX™ graphics cards..............................	6-3
	6.1.5	Installing four CrossFireX™ graphics cards................................	6-4
	6.1.6	Installing the device drivers.........................................................	6-5
	6.1.7	Enabling the AMD® CrossFireX™ technology.............................	6-5
6.2	NVIDIA® SLI™ technology.........................................................................		6-7
	6.2.1	Requirements..............................................................................	6-7
	6.2.2	Installing two SLI-ready graphics cards.......................................	6-7
	6.2.3	Installing three SLI-ready graphics cards....................................	6-8
	6.2.4	Installing four SLI-ready graphics cards......................................	6-9
	6.2.5	Installing the device drivers.......................................................	6-10
	6.2.6	Enabling the NVIDIA® SLI™ technology....................................	6-10
Appendices
Notices	.....................................................................................................................		A-1
ASUS contact information......................................................................................			A-5

v

Safety information

Electrical safety

•To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet before relocating the system.

•When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that the power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables are connected. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the existing system before you add a device.

•Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard, ensure that all power cables are unplugged.

•Seek professional assistance before using an adapter or extension cord. These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit.

•Ensure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your area. If you are not sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you are using, contact your local power company.

•If the power supply is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact a qualified service technician or your retailer.

Operation safety

•Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully read all the manuals that came with the package.

•Before using the product, ensure all cables are correctly connected and the power cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage, contact your dealer immediately.

•To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry.

•Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the product in any area where it may become wet.

•Place the product on a stable surface.

•If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualified service technician or your retailer.

vi

About this guide

This user guide contains the information you need when installing and configuring the motherboard.

How this guide is organized

This guide contains the following parts:

1.Chapter 1: Product introduction

This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new technology it supports. It includes description of the switches, jumpers, and connectors on the motherboard.

2.Chapter 2: Basic installation

This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when installing system components.

3.Chapter 3: BIOS setup

This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.

4.Chapter 4: Software support

This chapter describes the contents of the support DVD that comes with the motherboard package and the software.

5.Chapter 5: RAID support

This chapter describes the RAID configurations.

Where to find more information

Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and software updates.

1.ASUS website

The ASUS website (www.asus.com) provides updated information on ASUS hardware and software products.

2.Optional documentation

Your product package may include optional documentation, such as warranty flyers, that may have been added by your dealer. These documents are not part of the standard package.

vii

Conventions used in this guide

To ensure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual.

DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying to complete a task.

CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components when trying to complete a task

IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a task.

NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a task.

Typography

Bold text	Indicates a menu or an item to select.
Italics	Used to emphasize a word or a phrase.
<Key>	Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-than sign
	means that you must press the enclosed key.
	Example: <Enter> means that you must press the Enter or
	Return key.
<Key1> + <Key2> + <Key3>	If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key
	names are linked with a plus sign (+).

viii

Z97-WS specifications summary

		LGA1150 socket for the 4th Generation and New 4th Generation Intel®
		Core™ i7/Intel® Core™ i5/ Intel® Core™ i3, Pentium® and Celeron®
	CPU	processors
		Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0*
		* The Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 support depends on the CPU types.
	Chipset	Intel® Z97 Express Chipset
		4 x DIMM, max. 32 GB, DDR3 3300 (O.C.)* / 3200 (O.C.)* / 3100
		(O.C.)* / 3000 (O.C.)* / 2933 (O.C.)* /2800 (O.C.)* / 2666 (O.C.)* /
		2600 (O.C.)* / 2500 (O.C.)* / 2400 (O.C.)* / 2200 (O.C.)* / 2133 (O.C.)*
		/ 2000 (O.C.)* / 1866 (O.C.)* / 1800 (O.C.)* / 1600 / 1333 MHz, non-
	Memory	ECC, un-buffered memory
		Dual channel memory architecture
		Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
		* Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual
		CPUs. Please refer to Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors List) for details.
		4 x PCI Express 3.0*/2.0 x16 slots (single at x16, dual at x16/x16, triple
		at x16/x8/x8, or quad at x8/x8/x8/x8 mode)
		1 x PCI Express 2.0 x4 slots* (max. at x4 mode, compatible with PCIe
		x1 and x4 devices)
	Expansion slots	2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots
		* The PCIe x4_1, USB3_E56 and SATA Express_E1 connectors share the
		same bandwidth. The PCIe x4_1’s default setting is in Auto mode that
		automically optimizes the system bandwidth. If you use two of these
		connectors, the system automatically disables the unused connector.
		Integrated Graphics Processor - Intel® HD Graphics support
		Multi-VGA output support: DisplayPort/Mini DisplayPort/HDMI port
		Supports DisplayPort 1.2* with max. resolution of 4096 x 2304 @24 Hz
		/ 3840 x 2160 @60 Hz (for DisplayPort and Mini DisplayPort)
		Supports HDMI with max. resolution of 4096 x 2304 @24 Hz / 2560 x
	VGA	1600 @60 Hz
		Supports Intel® InTru™ 3D, Intel® Quick Sync Video, Intel® Clear Video
		HD Technology, and Intel® Insider™
		Supports up to three displays simultaneously
		Maximum shared memory 512 MB
		* DisplayPort 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport compliant; supports DisplayPort 1.2
		monitor daisy-chain up to 3 displays
		Supports NVIDIA® 4-Way SLI™ Technology (with 4 PCIe x16 graphics
	Multi-GPU support	cards)
		Supports AMD® 4-Way CrossFireX™ Technology
		Intel® Z97 Express Chipset with RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 and Intel®
		Rapid Storage Technology support
	Storage	- 1 x SATA Express port (black at bottom, compatible with 2 x SATA 6
		Gb/s ports)
		- 1 x M.2 socket 3
		(continued on the next page)

ix

Z97-WS specifications summary

Storage	-	4 x SATA 6 Gb/s ports (gray)
	-	Supports Intel® Smart Response Technology, Intel® Rapid Start
		Technology, Intel® Smart Connect Technology**

ASMedia® SATA Express controller***

-1 x SATA Express ports (black at top slot, compatible with 2 x SATA 6 Gb/s ports)

ASMedia® SATA 6 Gb/s controller***

- 1 x eSATA 6 Gb/s ports

*M.2 Socket 3 shares bandwidth with SATAExpress_1, and supports M Key and type 2260/2280 storage devices.

**These functions work depending on the CPU installed.

***These SATA ports are for data hard drives only. ATAPI devices are not supported.

LAN	Dual Gigabit LAN controllers—802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet
	(EEE) appliance
	-	Intel® I218-LM Gigabit LAN - Dual interconnect between the
		integrated Media Access Controller (MAC) and physical layer
		(PHY)
	-	Intel® I210-AT Gigabit LAN controller
Audio	Realtek® ALC1150 8-channel high definition audio CODEC
		-	High Quality 112 dB SNR stereo playback output (Line-out at
			rear) and 104 dB SNR recording (Line-in) support
		-	Absolute pitch 192 KHz/24-bit True BD Lossless Sound
		- BD audio layer content protection
		-	DTS UltraPC II
		-	DTS Connect
		- Supports jack-detection, multi-streaming and front panel jack-
			retasking
		- Optical S/PDIF out ports at rear I/O

USB	Intel® Z97 Express Chipset - supports ASUS USB 3.0
	Boost
	- 4 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports at rear panel (blue)
	- 1 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports at mid-board for front panel support
	- 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports at rear panel
	- 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports at mid-board

ASMedia® USB 3.0 controller - supports ASUS USB 3.0

Boost

-2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports at rear panel (blue)

-3 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports at mid-board for front panel support

(continued on the next page)

x

Z97-WS specifications summary

ASUS Exclusive	High Performance
Features	5-Way Optimization by Dual Intelligent Processors 5
	- Whole system optimization with a single click! 5-Way
	Optimization tuning key perfectly consolidates TPU, EPU,
	DIGI+ Power Control, Fan Xpert 3, and the whole new Turbo
	APP together, providing better CPU performance, efficient
	power saving, precise digital power control, whole system
	cooling and even tailor your own app usages.
	DIGI+ Power Control
	CPU Power
	- Industry leading digital 8-phase power design
	- ASUS CPU power utility
	DRAM Power
	- Industry leading digital 2-phase DRAM power design
	- ASUS DRAM power utility
	TPU
	- Auto Tuning, TPU, GPU Boost, 2-level TPU switch
	EPU
	- EPU, EPU switch

ASUS Fan Xpert3

-Featuring Fan Auto Tuning function and multiple thermistors selection for optimized system cooling control.

Turbo App

-Featuring automatic system performance tuning, network priority, and audio scene configuration for selected applications.

UEFI BIOS

- Most advanced options with fast response time

M.2 and SATA Express onboard

-The latest transfer technologies with up to 10 Gb/s data transfer speeds

Special Memory O.C. Design

-Superb memory O.C. capability under full load by minimizing the coupling noise and signal reflection effect

Thunderbolt Ready

-Blistering-fast 20 Gb/s data transfer upgrades with ThunderboltEX II series

HomeCloud Server

Media Streamer

-Pipe music or movies from your PC to a smart TV

-Media Streamer app for portable smartphone/tablet, supporting iOS7 and Android 2.3 systems

(continued on the next page)

xi

Z97-WS specifications summary

ASUS Exclusive	Gaming Scenario
Features	Turbo APP
	- Featuring tuning system performance customization, network
	priority, and automatic audio scene configurations for selected
	applications
	Turbo LAN
	- Experience smooth online gaming with lower pings and less
	lags
	Q Stereo
	- Feel the sound power with different usage scenarios.
	Steam support
	- Enjoy the ultimate entertainment platform under Windows
	system

ASUS EZ DIY

Push Notice

- Monitor your PC status with smart devices in real time

USB BIOS Flashback

- with USB BIOS Flashback Wizard for EZ BIOS download scheduling

UEFI BIOS EZ Mode

- featuring friendly graphics user interface

- ASUS O.C. Tuner

- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

- ASUS EZ Flash 2

		Q-Design
		-	ASUS Q-Code
		-	ASUS Q-Shield
		-	ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED)
		-	ASUS Q-Slot
		- ASUS Q-DIMM
		-	ASUS Q-Connector
	ASUS Special Features	USB 3.0 Boost
		USB Charger+
		Ai Charger+
		Disk Unlocker
		AI Suite 3
		MemOK!
		EZ XMP
	ASUS Workstation	4 PCIe x 16 slots
	Unique Features	ASUS Dr. Power
		ProCool Power Connector
		Q-Code Logger
			(continued on the next page)

xii

Z97-WS specifications summary

ASUS Quiet Thermal	Quiet Thermal Design
Solution	-	ASUS Fan Xpert 3
	-	ASUS Fanless Design: Heat-pipe solution

ASUS Exclusive	Precision Tweaker 2
Overclocking Features	-	vCore: Adjustable CPU Core voltage at 0.001 V increment
	-	iGPU: Adjustable CPU Graphics voltage at 0.001 V increment
	- vCCIO: Adjustable Analog and Digital I/O voltage at 0.001 V
		increment
	-	vCCIN: Adjustable CPU Input voltage at 0.01 V increment
	-	vCCSA: Adjustable CPU System Agent voltage at 0.001 V
		increment
	-	vDRAM Bus: 144-step Memory voltage control
	- vPCH: 88-step Chipset voltage control

		SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection)
		- BCLK/PCIE frequency tuning from 80 MHz to 300 MHz at 0.1
		MHz increment.
		Overclocking Protection
		- ASUS C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall)
	Rear Panel I/O Ports	1 x DisplayPort
		1 x Mini DisplayPort
		1 x HDMI port
		1 x Optical S/PDIF Out port
		2 x LAN (RJ45) ports (2 x Intel® LAN)
		6 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports
		2 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports (bottom port supports USB BIOS Flashback,
		top port supports Q-Code Logger)
		1 x eSATA port
		8-channel Audio I/O ports
	Internal I/O connectors	2 x 19-pin USB 3.0/2.0 connectors support additional 4 USB ports
		2 x USB 2.0/1.1 connectors support additional 4 USB ports
		1 x M.2 Socket 3
		2 x SATA Express connectors (black)
		(continued on the next page)

xiii

Z97-WS specifications summary

Internal I/O connectors	4 x SATA 6Gb/s Connectors (4 x gray)
	1 x 4-pin CPU Fan connector for both 3-pin (DC mode) and 4-pin
	(PWM mode) CPU coolers control*
	1 x 4-pin CPU Optional Fan connector (CPU_OPT)
	4 x 4-pin Chassis Fan connectors for 3-pin (DC mode) and 4-pin
	(PWM mode) coolers control
	1 x Front panel audio connector (AAFP)
	1 x S/PDIF out header
	1 x 5-pin Thunderbolt header for Thunderbolt add-on card support
	1 x TPM connector
	1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector
	2 x 8-pin EATX 12V Power connectors
	1 x Clear CMOS button
	1 x MemOK! button
	1 x EPU switch
	1 x TPU switch (with advanced two-stage adjustments)
	1 x Power-on switch
	1 x Reset switch
	1 x EZ XMP switch
	System Panel (Q-Connector)
	1x Dr.Power switch
	1 x 6-pin EATX 12V_1 Power connector
	1x CHAFAN_SEL header
	1x COM port connector
	1x Chassis Intruder header
	1x T_Sensor1 header
	* The CPU Q-Fan control setting is set as default in Auto mode for
	detecting the type of CPU fan installed and switches to the control
	mode automatically.
BIOS features	64 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI 2.7, WfM 2.0, SM
	BIOS 2.7, ACPI 5.0, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash 2,
	CrashFree BIOS 3, F11 EZ Tuning Wizard, F6 Qfan Control, F3 My
	Favorites, Quick Note, Last Modified Log, F12 PrintScreen function,
	F3 Shortcut function, and ASUS DRAM SPD (Serial Presence
	Detect) memory information
Manageability	WfM 2.0, DMI 2.7, WOL by PME, PXE
Support DVD contents	Drivers
	ASUS Utilities
	EZ Update
	Anti-virus software (OEM version)
Operating system	Windows® 8.1
support	Windows® 8
	Windows® 7
Form factor	ATX form factor: 12 in. x 9.6 in. (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm)

Specifications are subject to change without notice.

xiv

Package contents

Check your motherboard package for the following items

Manual

User

ASUS Z97-WS motherboard

User manual

Support DVD

8 x Serial ATA 6 Gb/s cables	COM port bracket	1 x ASUS SLI™ bridge
		connector

1 x ASUS 4-Way SLI™ bridge connector	1 x ASUS 3-Way SLI™ bridge	1 x 2-in-1 Q-connector
	connector

1 x I/O Shield

xv

Installation tools and components

Intel® LGA1150 CPU

Intel® LGA1150 compatible CPU Fan

SATA hard disk drive	Philips (cross) screwdriver
PC chassis

1 bag of screws	DIMM

Power supply unit

SATA optical disc drive (optional)

Graphics card

The tools and components in the table above are not included in the motherboard package.

xvi

Product introduction

1

1.1Special features

1.1.1Product highlights

LGA1150 socket for New 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7/Intel® Core™ i5/Intel® Core™ i3, Pentium® and Celeron® processors

This motherboard supports new 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7/Intel® Core™ i5/Intel® Core™ i3, Pentium®, and Celeron® processors in the LGA1150 package. It provides great graphics and system performance with its GPU, dual-channel DDR3 memory slots and PCI Express 2.0/3.0 expansion slots.

Intel® Z97 Express Chipset

Intel® Z97 Express Chipset is a single chipset that supports the LGA1150 socket for 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7/Intel® Core™ i5/Intel® Core™ i3, Pentium®, and Celeron® processors. It utilizes the serial point-to-point links, which increases bandwidth and enhances the system’s performance. It natively supports up to six USB 3.0 ports, six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and M.2 support for faster data retrieval. It also enables the iGPU function for Intel® integrated graphics performance.

PCI Express® 3.0

PCI Express® 3.0 (PCIe 3.0) is the PCI Express bus standard that provides twice the performance and speed of PCIe 2.0. It provides an optimal graphics performance, unprecedented data speed and seamless transition with its complete backward compatibility to PCIe 1.0/2.0 devices.

Intel® Desktop Responsiveness Technologies

Intel Desktop Responsiveness Technologies comprise of three technologies: Intel Rapid Start Technology, Intel Smart Response Technology, and Intel Smart Response Technology. These technologies provide faster and better performance for your computer, allow your system to receive the freshest updates from the Internet, and quickly resume your system from a deep sleep or hibernate mode.

SATA Express support

SATA Express provides faster data transfer speeds of up to 6 Gb/s, allowing your system to catch up with the speed of the SSDs. It also features backward compatibility with up to two SATA drives of the same speed.

Chapter 1

Z97-WS

1-1

1 Chapter

Dual-Channel DDR3 3400 (O.C) / 1600 / 1333 MHz Support

The motherboard supports the dual-channel DDR3 memory that features data transfer rates of DDR3 3400 (O.C.)* / 1600 / 1333 MHz to boost the system’s performance, and to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of 3D graphics, multimedia and Internet applications.

M.2 Support

This motherboard features the M.2 slot, which shares bandwidth with PCI Express x2 slot to speed up data transfer up to 10 Gb/s. This helps enhance the performance of your SSD (Solid State Drive) that is dedicated only to the operating system. The M.2 slot also includes Intel Rapid Storage Technology support for faster access to data and applications, and quicker wake up time for your system.

Complete USB 3.0 integration

This motherboard offers you the strategic USB 3.0 accessibility for both the front and rear panels, allowing you to experience the convenience of the latest plug and play connectivity solution at speed up to ten times faster than USB 2.0.

Extra SATA 6 Gb/s support

The Intel Z97 Express chpset natively supports the next-generation Serial ATA (SATA) interface, delivering up to 6 Gb/s of data transfer. This motherboard features an extra 6 Gb/s ports for an enchanced scalability, faster data retrieval, and double bandwidth of current bus systems.

1.1.2ASUS-exclusive workstation features

PCI Express 3.0 for 4-Way CrossFireX™ and SLI™ Support

The motherboard provides PCI Express x16 slots for 4-Way AMD CrossFireX™ and NVIDIA SLI™ graphics cards, giving you with ample graphics power to easily run even the most demanding computer games for enhanced entertainment.

Q-Code Logger

Q-Code Logger is your one-touch troubleshooter that lets you easily check Q-Code event logs without opening the computer’s case. If a workstation is behaving abnormally, plug a flash drive into the adjacent USB port, press the motherboard’s dedicated Flash Log button and all ASUS Q-Code event logs for the current live session will be copied to the drive.

ProCool Connector

ProCool eliminates the hollow areas associated with traditional power connectors, ensuring an exceptionally close and secure connection with this motherboard. This design is much stronger, and provides better heat dissipation, allowing cooler operating temperatures.

ASUS Dr. Power

ASUS Dr. Power detects any relevant power issues to prevent sudden system shutdown and hassle-free notifications when power delivery is not sufficient.

Built-in dual Intel® Ethernet

For more reliable networking, this motherboard features the latest server class built-in dual Intel® Ethernet. This leads to lower CPU utilization and temperatures, achieving outstanding performance, and providing better support for diverse operating systems.

1-2	Chapter 1: Product introduction

Beat Thermal Chokes

ASUS Beat Thermal Chokes deliver great durability, minimal power loss, and up to 93% power efficiencyundernormaloperation.Aspecialfindesignresultsin3-5oC lower choke temperatures for added stability, which is increased exponentially by use of highly conductive and efficient gold-treated coating.

1.1.3Other special features

DTS Connect

To get the most out of your audio entertainment across all formats and quality levels, DTS Connect combines two enabling technologies, DTS Neo:PC™ upmixes stereo sources (CDs, MP3s, WMAs, internet radio) into as many as 7.1 channels of incredible surround sound. Consumers can connect their PC to a home theater system. DTS Interactive is capable of performing mult-channel encoding of DTS bitstreams on personal computers, and sending encoded bitstreams out of a digital audio connection (such as S/PDIF or HDMI) designed to deliver audio to an external decoder.

DTS UltraPC II

DTS UltraPC II delivers a superior surround sound experience through your system’s speakers and headphones while monitoring and balancing the loudness level difference between digital audio formats. It also ehnances the audio settings through augmenting low and high frequencies of musical tones, restores compressed or re-mastered sounds,

improves bass performance even without a subwoofer, and improves dialogues derived from DVD or Blu-ray Disc™.

ErP Ready

The motherboard is European Union’s Energy-related Products (ErP) ready, and ErP requires products to meet certain energy efficiency requirement in regards to energy consumptions. This is in line with ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and energyefficient products through product design and innovation to reduce carbon footprint of the product and thus mitigate environmental impacts.

Chapter 1

Z97-WS

1-3

1.2Motherboard overview

1.2.1Before you proceed

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

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

•Before handling components, use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or a metal object, such as the power supply case, to avoid damaging them due to static electricity.

•Hold components by the edges to avoid touching the ICs on them.

•Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic pad or in the bag that came with the component.

•Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the ATX power supply 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, or components.

1 Chapter

1-4	Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.2.2Motherboard layout

1

2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

2

24.4cm(9.6in)

CPU_OPT

TPU

EPU

SPDIFO

I

II

CHA_FAN4

CPU_FAN

OLED2

_HDMI

EATX12V1

TPU_LED

DRAM_LED MemOK!

8

_DP

ASM

+12V_PWR LED

1442K

ASP

EATX12V

1257

9

TPU

XLED1

ESATA6G

EZ_XMP

_USB56

ASM

1061

BIOS_FLBK

module)

module)

module)

module)

USB3_E56

ASM

10

1042AE

-pin

-pin

-pin

-pin

EATXPWR

LAN2_USB3_34

(64bit,A1 240

(64bit,A2 240

(64bit,B1 240

(64bit,B2 240

mDP

LGA1150

_

_

_

_

SUPPLYPWRLED E12USB3

30.5cm(12.0in)

DDR3DIMM

DDR3DIMM

DDR3DIMM

DDR3DIMM

1

LAN1_USB3_12

DIAG_CPU LED

AUDIO

CHA_FAN1

PLX

8747

VGA_LED

EATX12V_1

PCIEX16_1

34

11

WGI

USB3

2

ICS

210AT

PCIEX1_1

CHA_FAN3

9DB433AGLF

12

Z97-WS

DR.Power LED

DR_POWER

13

PCIEX16_2

Intel®

1 2

WGI

218LM

Z97

SATA6G

SATA6G

14

SATA6G3

SATA6G4

PCIEX4_1

ASM

BIOS

1187e

TB_HEADER

TPU

SATA6GE1

SATA6G5

PCIEX16_3

SATA6GE2

SATA6G6

E1SATAEXPRESS1 1SATAEXPRESS

ASM

M.2(SOCKET3)

Lithium Cell

Super

106SE

15

PCIEX1_2

CMOS Power

VIA 1394

I/O

6315N

ALC

1150

CHASSIS

CLR_CMOS

16

PCIEX16_4

CPU_OV

CHA_FAN2

_SEL

Q_CODE1

T_SENSOR1

CHAFAN

SPDIF_OUT RST_SW

RWR_SW

IE1394

USB910

USB1112

DRCT

17

TPM

PANEL

	AAFP	RESET
		COM	Q_CODE2

31

30 29 28

27

26

25

24

23

22

21

20

19

18

Refer to 1.2.9 Internal connectors and 2.3.1 Rear I/O connection for more information about rear panel connectors and internal connectors.

Chapter 1

Z97-WS

1-5

1 Chapter

Layout contents

Connectors/Jumpers/Buttons and switches/Slots

Page

1.ATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR, 2 x 8-pin EATX12V)

2.CPU, CPU optional, and chassis fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN, 4-pin CPU_OPT, 4-pin CHA_FAN1-4 )

3.LGA1150 CPU socket

4.CPU Over Voltage jumper (3-pin CPU_OV)

5.EPU switch

6.TPU switch

7.DDR3 DIMM slots

8.MemOK! button

9.EZ XMP switch

10.M.2 Socket 3

11.USB 3.0 connectors (20-1 pin USB3_E12, USB3_E34)

12.Dr. Power LED

13.ASUS Dr. POWER switch

14.Intel® Serial ATA 6 Gb/s connectors (7-pin SATA6G_1/6, SATAEXPRESS_1)

15.ASMedia® Serial ATA 6 Gb/s connectors (7-pin SATA6G_E3, SATA6G_E4; SATAEXPRESS_E1)

16.Clear CMOS button (CLR_CMOS)

17.DirectKey connector (2-pin DRCT)

18.Chassis Fan control setting (3-1 pin CHAFEN_SEL)

19.System panel connector (20-8 pin PANEL)

20.TPM connector (20-1 pin TPM)

21.T Sensor connector (2-pin T_SENSOR1)

22.USB 2.0 connectors (10-1 pin USB910; USB1112)

23.Chassis Intrusion connector (4-1 pin CHASSIS)

24.Q-Code LEDs

25.Serial port connector (10-1 pin COM)

26.IEEE 1394 port connector (10-1 pin IE1394)

27.Power-on button

28.Reset button

29.Digital audio connector (4-1 pin SPDIF_OUT)

30.Front panel audio connector (10-1 pin AAFP)

31.Thunderbolt header (5-pin TB_HEADER)

1-6	Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.2.3Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The motherboard comes with a surface mount LGA1150 socket designed for the 4th Generation and the New 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 / Intel® Core™ i5 / Intel® Core™ i3, Pentium®, and Celeron® processors.

Z97-WS

Z97-WS CPU LGA1150

Ensure that you install the correct CPU designed for LGA1150 socket only. DO NOT install a CPU designed for LGA155 and LGA1156 sockets on the LGA1150 socket.

• Ensure that all power cables are unplugged before installing the CPU.

•Upon purchase of the motherboard, ensure that the PnP cap is on the socket and the socket contacts are not bent. Contact your retailer immediately if the PnP cap is missing, or if you see any damage to the PnP cap/socket contacts/motherboard components. ASUS will shoulder the cost of repair only if the damage is shipment/ transit-related.

•Keep the cap after installing the motherboard. ASUS will process Return Merchandise

Authorization (RMA) requests only if the motherboard comes with the cap on the LGA1150 socket.

•The product warranty does not cover damage to the socket contacts resulting from incorrect CPU installation/removal, or misplacement/loss/incorrect removal of the PnP cap.

Chapter 1

Z97-WS

1-7

1.2.4System memory

The motherboard comes with eight DDR 3 (Double Data Rate 3) Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMM) slots.

A DDR3 module is notched differently from a DDR or DDR2 module. DO NOT install a DDR or DDR2 memory module to the DDR3 slot.

Z97-WS

DIMM A1

DIMM A2

DIMM B1

DIMM B2

Z97-WS 240-pin DDR3 DIMM sockets

Recommended memory configurations

1 Chapter

1-8	Chapter 1: Product introduction

Memory configurations

You may install 2 GB, 4 GB and 8 GB unbuffered and non ECC DDR3 DIMMs into the DIMM sockets.

• You may install varying memory sizes in Channel A and Channel B. The system maps the total size of the lower-sized channel for the dual-channel configuration. Any excess memory from the higher-sized channel is then mapped for single-channel operation.

•According to Intel® CPU spec, DIMM voltage below 1.65 V is recommended to protect the CPU.

•Due to the memory address limitation on 32-bit Windows® OS, when you install 4GB or more memory on the motherboard, the actual usable memory for the OS can be about 3GB or less. For effective use of memory, we recommend that you do any of the following:

a)Use a maximum of 3GB system memory if you are using a 32-bit Windows® OS.

b)Install a 64-bit Windows® OS when you want to install 4 GB or more on the motherboard.

c)For more details, refer to the Microsoft® support site at http://support.microsoft. com/kb/929605/en-us.

•This motherboard does not support DIMMs made up of 512 Mb (64 MB) chips or less

(Memory chip capacity counts in Megabit, 8 Megabit/Mb = 1 Megabyte/MB).

• The default memory operation frequency is dependent on its Serial Presence Detect

(SPD), which is the standard way of accessing information from a memory module. Under the default state, some memory modules for overclocking may operate at a lower frequency than the vendor-marked value. To operate at the vendor-marked or at a higher frequency, refer to section 3.5 Ai Tweaker menu for manual memory frequency adjustment.

•For system stability, use a more efficient memory cooling system to support a full memory load (4 DIMMs) or overclocking condition.

•Memory modules with memory frequency higher than 2133MHz and their corresponding timing or the loaded XMP profile is not the JEDEC memory standard.

The stability and compatibility of the memory modules depend on the CPU’s capabilities and other installed devices.

•Always install the DIMMS with the same CAS Latency. For an optimum compatibility, we recommend that you install memory modules of the same version or data code (D/C) from the same vendor. Check with the vendor to get the correct memory modules.

•Visit the ASUS website for the latest QVL.

Chapter 1

Z97-WS

1-9

1.2.5Expansion slots

Unplug the power cord before adding or removing expansion cards. Failure to do so may cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components.

1 Chapter

PCIEX16_1

PCIEX1_1

Z97-WS

PCIEX16_2

PCIEX4_1

PCIEX16_3

PCIEX1_2

PCIEX16_4

Slot No. Slot Description

1PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16_1 slot

2PCIe 2.0 x1_1 slot

3PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16_2 slot

4PCIe 2.0 x4 slot

5PCIe 3.0/2.0x16_3 slot

6PCIe 2.0 x1_2 slot

7PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16_4 slot

1-10	Chapter 1: Product introduction

			PCI Express 3.0 operating mode
Slot						3-WAY SLI		4-WAY SLI
No.		Single VGA		SLI CrossFireX
						CrossFireX		CrossFireX
1		x16		x16		x8		x8
		(single VGA recommended)
3		-		-		x8		x8
				x16
5		-		(dual VGA		x16		x8
				recommended)
7		-		-		-		x8

•We recommend that you provide sufficient power when running CrossFireX™ or SLI™ mode.

•Connect a chassis fan to the motherboard connector labeled CHA_FAN1-4 when using multiple graphics cards for better thermal environment.

•We recommend you connect an EATX 12V_1 cable when running CrossFireX and

SLI.

Chapter 1

Z97-WS

1-11

IRQ assignments for this motherboard

		A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
	PCIe x16_1	shared	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	PCIe x16_2	–	shared	–	–	–	–	–	–
	PCIe x16_3	shared	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	PCIe x16_4	–	shared	–	–	–	–	–	–
	PCIe x4_1	shared	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	PCIe x1_1	shared	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	PCIe x1_2	shared	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	SMBUS Controller	–	–	shared	–	–	–	–	–
	VIA1394	–	–	shared	–	–	–	–	–
	SATA Controller	–	–	–	shared	–	–	–	–
	Intel® LAN1 (i218)	–	–	–	–	shared	–	–	–
	Intel® LAN1 (i210)	–	shared	–	–	–	–	–	–
	ASMedia SATA	–	–	shared	–	–	–	–	–
	Controller 1 (1061)
	ASMedia SATA	shared	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	Controller 2 (106SE)
	Intel® xHCI	–	–	–	–	–	shared	–	–
	Intel® EHCI 1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	shared
	Intel® EHCI 2	shared	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	HD Audio	–	–	–	–	–	–	shared	–
	ASMedia Controller	–	–	shared	–	–	–	–	–
	1042

1 Chapter

1-12	Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.2.6Onboard buttons and switches

Onboard buttons and switches allow you to fine-tune performance when working on a bare or open-case system. This is ideal for overclockers and gamers who continually change settings to enhance system performance.

1.Power-on button

The motherboard comes with a power-on button that allows you to power up or wake up the system. The button also lights up when the system is plugged to a power source indicating that you should shut down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or installing any motherboard component.

Z97-WS

PWR_SW

Z97-WS Power on button

2.Reset button

Press the reset button to reboot the system.

Z97-WS

RST_SW

Z97-WS Reset button

Chapter 1

Z97-WS

1-13

3.MemOK! button

Installing DIMMs that are not compatible with the motherboard may cause system boot failure, and the DRAM_LED near the MemOK! button lights continuously. Press and hold the MemOK! button until the DRAM_LED starts blinking to begin automatic memory compatibility tuning for successful boot.

Z97-WS

Z97-WS MemOK! button

1 Chapter

•Refer to section 1.2.8 Onboard LEDs for the exact location of the DRAM_LED.

•The DRAM_LED also lights up when the DIMM is not properly installed. Turn off the system and reinstall the DIMM before using the MemOK! function.

•The MemOK! button does not function under Windows® OS environment.

•During the tuning process, the system loads and tests failsafe memory settings. It takes about 30 seconds for the system to test one set of failsafe settings. If the test fails, the system reboots and test the next set of failsafe settings. The blinking speed of the DRAM_LED increases, indicating different test processes.

•Due to memory tuning requirement, the system automatically reboots when each timing set is tested. If the installed DIMMs still fail to boot after the whole tuning process, the DRAM_LED lights continuously. Replace the DIMMs with ones recommended in the Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists) in this user manual or at www.asus.com.

•If you turn off the computer and replace DIMMs during the tuning process, the system continues memory tuning after turning on the computer. To stop memory tuning, turn off the computer and unplug the power cord for about 5–10 seconds.

•If your system fails to boot up due to BIOS overclocking, press the MemOK! button to boot and load the BIOS default settings. A message will appear during POST reminding you that the BIOS has been restored to its default settings.

•We recommend that you download and update to the latest BIOS version from www.asus.com after using the MemOK! function.

1-14	Chapter 1: Product introduction