Asus Z9PA-D8C, Z9PA-D8 User Manual

Z9PA-D8

Series

Motherboard

E7572

First Edition

August 2012

Copyright © 2012 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 byASUS; 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.

ii

Contents

Notices........................................................................................................	vii
Safety information.....................................................................................	viii
About this guide...........................................................................................	x
Z9PA-D8 series specifications summary.................................................	xii

Chapter 1:		Product introduction
1.1	Welcome!.......................................................................................		1-3
1.2	Package contents.........................................................................		1-3
1.3	Serial number label.......................................................................		1-4
1.4	Special features............................................................................		1-4
	1.4.1	Product highlights............................................................	1-4
	1.4.2	Innovative ASUS features................................................	1-6

Chapter 2:		Hardware information
2.1	Before you proceed......................................................................		2-3
2.2	Motherboard overview.................................................................		2-4
	2.2.1	Placement direction.........................................................	2-4
	2.2.2	Screw holes.....................................................................	2-4
	2.2.3	Motherboard layout..........................................................	2-5
	2.2.4	Layout contents...............................................................	2-7
2.3	Central Processing Unit (CPU)....................................................		2-8
	2.3.1	Installing the CPU............................................................	2-8
2.4	System memory..........................................................................		2-13
	2.4.1	Overview........................................................................	2-13
	2.4.2	Memory Configurations.................................................	2-13
2.5	Expansion slots..........................................................................		2-16
	2.5.1	Installing an expansion card..........................................	2-16
	2.5.2	Configuring an expansion card......................................	2-16
	2.5.3	Interrupt assignments....................................................	2-17
	2.5.4	PCI Express x16 slot (x16 link)......................................	2-17
	2.5.5	PCI Express x8 slot (x8 link)..........................................	2-17
	2.5.6	PCI Express x8 slot (x4 link)..........................................	2-17
	2.5.7	PIKE slots (Z9PA-D8 SKU only)....................................	2-18
	2.5.8	Installing an ASUS PIKE RAID card..............................	2-19
	2.5.9	Installing ASMB6 management board...........................	2-20
	2.5.10	Installing the audio card.................................................	2-20
2.6	Onboard LEDs.............................................................................		2-21

iii

Contents

2.7	Jumpers	.......................................................................................	2-26
2.8	Connectors..................................................................................		2-30
	2.8.1 ....................................................	Rear panel connector	2-30
	2.8.2 ........................................................	Internal connectors	2-31

Chapter 3:		Powering up
3.1	Starting up for the first time........................................................		3-3
3.2	Powering off the computer..........................................................		3-4
	3.2.1	Using the OS shut down function....................................	3-4
	3.2.2	Using the dual function power switch..............................	3-4

Chapter 4:		BIOS setup
4.1	Managing and updating your BIOS.............................................		4-3
	4.1.1	ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3................................................	4-3
	4.1.2	ASUS EZ Flash 2............................................................	4-4
	4.1.3	BUPDATER.....................................................................	4-5
4.2	BIOS setup program.....................................................................		4-7
	4.2.1	BIOS menu screen..........................................................	4-8
	4.2.2	Menu bar.........................................................................	4-8
	4.2.3	Menu items......................................................................	4-9
	4.2.4	Submenu items................................................................	4-9
	4.2.5	Navigation keys...............................................................	4-9
	4.2.6	General help....................................................................	4-9
	4.2.7	Configuration fields..........................................................	4-9
	4.2.8	Pop-up window................................................................	4-9
	4.2.9	Scroll bar.........................................................................	4-9
4.3	Main menu...................................................................................		4-10
	4.3.1	System Date..................................................................	4-10
	4.3.2	System Time..................................................................	4-10
4.4	Advanced menu..........................................................................		4-11
	4.4.1	CPU Configuration..........................................................	4-11
	4.4.2	CPU Power Management Configuration.......................	4-13
	4.4.3	Chipset Configuration....................................................	4-15
	4.4.4	PCH SATAConfiguration...............................................	4-21
	4.4.5	PCI Subsystem Settings................................................	4-22
	4.4.6	USB Configuration.........................................................	4-25
	4.4.7	Trusted Computing........................................................	4-27

iv

Contents

	4.4.8	ACPI Settings................................................................	4-27
	4.4.9	WHEAConfiguration......................................................	4-28
	4.4.10	APM setting...................................................................	4-28
	4.4.11	Serial Port Console Redirection....................................	4-29
	4.4.12	Onboard LAN Configuration..........................................	4-32
	4.4.13	ME Subsystem..............................................................	4-33
	4.4.14	Onboard Devices Configuration....................................	4-33
	4.4.15	Runtime Error Logging..................................................	4-34
4.5	Server Mgmt menu.....................................................................		4-35
	4.5.1	System Event Log.........................................................	4-36
	4.5.2	BMC network configuration...........................................	4-37
4.6	Event Logs menu........................................................................		4-38
	4.6.1	Change Smbios Event Log Settings..............................	4-38
4.7	Boot menu...................................................................................		4-40
	4.7.1	CSM parameters...........................................................	4-42
4.8	Monitor menu..............................................................................		4-43
4.9	Security menu.............................................................................		4-44
4.10	Tool menu....................................................................................		4-46
4.11	Exit menu.....................................................................................		4-46

Chapter 5:		RAID configuration
5.1	Setting up RAID............................................................................		5-3
	5.1.1	RAID definitions...............................................................	5-3
	5.1.2	Installing hard disk drives................................................	5-4
	5.1.3	Setting the RAID item in BIOS.........................................	5-4
	5.1.4	RAID configuration utilities..............................................	5-4
5.2	LSI Software RAID Configuration Utility ....................................		5-5
	5.2.1	Creating a RAID set.........................................................	5-6
	5.2.2	Adding or viewing a RAID configuration........................	5-12
	5.2.3	Initializing the virtual drives............................................	5-13
	5.2.4	Rebuilding failed drives.................................................	5-17
	5.2.5	Checking the drives for data consistency......................	5-19
	5.2.6	Deleting a RAID configuration.......................................	5-22
	5.2.7	Selecting the boot drive from a RAID set......................	5-23
	5.2.8	Enabling WriteCache.....................................................	5-24

5.3Intel® Rapid Storage Technology enterprise SATA Option

ROM Utility..................................................................................	5-25

Contents

5.3.1	Creating a RAID set.......................................................	5-27
5.3.2	Creating a Recovery set................................................	5-28
5.3.3	Deleting a RAID set.......................................................	5-30
5.3.4	Resetting disks to Non-RAID.........................................	5-31
5.3.5	Exiting the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology utility........	5-32
5.3.6	Rebuilding the RAID......................................................	5-32
5.3.7	Setting the Boot array in the BIOS Setup Utility............	5-34

5.4Intel® Rapid Storage Technology enterprise Utility

(Windows)....................................................................................		5-35
5.4.1	Creating a RAID set.......................................................	5-36
5.4.2	Changing a Volume Type...............................................	5-38
5.4.3	Deleting a volume..........................................................	5-39
5.4.4	Preferences...................................................................	5-40

Chapter 6:		Driver installation
6.1	RAID driver installation................................................................		6-3
	6.1.1	Creating a RAID driver disk.............................................	6-3
	6.1.2	Installing the RAID controller driver.................................	6-6
6.2	Intel® chipset device software installation...............................		6-16
6.3	Intel@ Network Connections Software installation..................		6-19
6.4	VGA driver installation...............................................................		6-22
6.5	Intel® C600 MEI NULL HECI Driver............................................		6-24

6.6Intel® Rapid Storage Technology enterprise 3.1 installation.. 6-25

6.7Asmedia ASM104x USB 3.0 Host Controller Driver

	installation...................................................................................		6-28
6.8	Intel® WG82574L Gigabit Adapters Driver installation............		6-31
6.9	Management applications and utilities installation.................		6-35
	6.9.1	Running the support DVD..............................................	6-35
	6.9.2	Drivers menu.................................................................	6-35
	6.9.3	Utilities menu.................................................................	6-36
	6.9.4	Make disk menu............................................................	6-36
	6.9.5	Contact information.......................................................	6-36

Appendix:		Reference information
A.1	Z9PA-D8 block diagram................................................................		A-3
A.2	Z9PA-D8C block diagram.............................................................		A-4

vi

Notices

Federal Communications Commission Statement

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

•This device may not cause harmful interference, and

•This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential

installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

•Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

Canadian Department of Communications Statement

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

REACH

Complying with the REACH (Registration, Evaluation,Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) regulatory framework, we publish the chemical substances in our products at ASUS REACH website at http://csr.asus.com/english/REACH.htm.

vii

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.

•Make sure 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, make sure 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.

viii

DO NOT throw the motherboard in municipal waste. This product has been designed to enable proper reuse of parts and recycling. This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product (electrical and electronic equipment) should not be placed in municipal waste. Check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.

DO NOT throw the mercury-containing button cell battery in municipal waste. This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the battery should not be placed in municipal waste.

Australia statement notice

From 1 January 2012 updated warranties apply to all ASUS products, consistent with the Australian Consumer Law. For the latest product warranty details please visit http://support.asus.com. Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.

If you require assistance please call ASUS Customer Service 1300 2787 88 or visit us at http://support.asus.com

ix

About this guide

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

How this guide is organized

This user guide contains the following parts:

•Chapter 1: Product introduction

This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new technologies it supports.

•Chapter 2: Hardware information

This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when installing system components. It includes description of the switches, jumpers, and connectors on the motherboard.

•Chapter 3: Powering up

This chapter describes the power up sequence and ways of shutting down the system.

•Chapter 4: BIOS setup

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

•Chapter 5: RAID configuration

This chapter provides instructions for setting up, creating, and configuring

RAID sets using the available utilities.

•Chapter 6: Driver installation

This chapter provides instructions for installing the necessary drivers for different system components.

•Appendix: Reference information

This appendix includes additional information that you may refer to when configuring the motherboard.

Where to find more information

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

1.ASUS websites

The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware and software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.

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.

Conventions used in this guide

To make sure 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 (+).
	Example: <Ctrl> + <Alt> + <Del>
Command	Means that you must type the command
	exactly as shown, then supply the required
	item or value enclosed in brackets.
	Example: At the DOS prompt, type the
	command line: format A:/S

xi

Z9PA-D8 series specifications summary

Model Name

Processor Support

Core Logic

Form Factor

ASUS	FAN speed
Features	control
	Rack Ready
	(Rack and
	Pedestal dual
	use)
	Rack Optimized
	(Dedicate for
	Rack)
	ASWM
Memory	Enterprise
	Total Slots
	Voltage
	Capacity
	Memory Type
	Memory Size
Expansion	Total PCI/PCI-
Slots	X/PCI-E Slots
	Slot Location 2
	Slot Location 3
	Slot Location 4
	Slot Location 5
	Slot Location 6
	Additional Slot 1

Z9PA-D8	Z9PA-D8C
2 x LGA 2011 socket

Intel® Xeon® processor E5-2600 product family (up to 135W)

Intel® QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) 6.4/7.2/8.0 GT/s

Intel® C602-A chipset 12” x 10”

P

P

-

P

8 (4-channel per CPU, 4 DIMM per CPU) 1.5V/1.35V

Maximum up to 256GB

DDR3 1066/1333/1600 RDIMM

DDR3 1066/1333/1600 ECC UDIMM/Non-ECC

UDIMM

DDR3 1066/1333 LR-DIMM 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB* (RDIMM) 2GB, 4GB, 8GB* (UDIMM)

8GB, 16GB, 32GB* (LRDIMM) 5

1 x PCI -E x8 (x4 GEN2 Link)

1 x PCI -E x16 (x16 GEN3 Link)

(Auto switch to x8 Link if slot 4 is occupied) 1 x PCI -E x8 (x8 GEN3 Link)

1 x PCI -E x16 (x16 GEN3 Link)

(Auto switch to x8 Link if slot 6 is occupied)

1 x PCI -E x8 (x8 GEN3 Link), MIO-892 supported PIKE slot for Storage N/A

expansion (GEN3 supported)

(continued on the next page)

xii

Z9PA-D8 series specifications summary

Model Name		Z9PA-D8	Z9PA-D8C
Storage	SATA Controller	Intel® C602-A Chipset:	Intel® C602-A Chipset:
		<AHCI>	<AHCI>
		4 x SATA 3 Gb/s, 2 x	4 x SATA 3 Gb/s, 2 x
		SATA 6 Gb/s	SATA 6 Gb/s
		Intel® Rapid Storage	Intel® Rapid Storage
		Technology	Technology
		(for Windows only)	(for Windows only)
		(Supports software	(Supports software
		RAID 0, 1, 10, & 5)	RAID 0, 1, 10, & 5)
		LSI® Mega RAID
		(for Windows/Linux)
		(Supports software
	SAS Controller	RAID 0, 1, & 10)
		Optional:	N/A
		ASUS PIKE 2008
		8-port SAS 6G RAID
		card
		ASUS PIKE 2008/IMR
		8-port SAS 6G RAID
		card
		ASUS PIKE 2108
		8-port SAS 6G H/W
		RAID card
		ASUS PIKE 2208
		8-port SAS 6G H/W
		RAID card
		ASUS PIKE 9230
		4-port SATA 6G RAID
Networking	LAN	card
		2 x Intel® 82574L +	2 x Intel® 82574L
Graphic	VGA	1 Management port
		Aspeed AST2300	Aspeed AST1300
		16MB	64MB

(continued on the next page)

xiii

Z9PA-D8 series specifications summary

Model Name
Onboard I/O	TPM header
Connectors	PSU connector
	Management
	connector
	USB
	connectors
	Fan header
	SMBus
	Chassis
	intruder
	Front LAN LED
	Serial port
Real I/O	header
	External Serial
Connectors	port
	External USB
	port
	VGA port
	RJ-45
Management	PS/2 KB/Mouse
	Software
Solution	Out of Band
	Bemote
Monitoring	Management
	CPU
	Temperature
Environment	FAN RPM

Z9PA-D8	Z9PA-D8C
1

24-pin SSI power connector + 8-pin SSI 12V power connector (95W or below CPU only) 24-pin SSI power connector + 8-pin SSI 12V + 8-pin SSI 12V power connector

(Support both ATX and SSI powert supply)**

Onboard socket for	N/A
management card
1 x USB connector (Type	A USB socket)
2 x USB pin header (up to 4 devices)
8 x 4-pin
1
1

2

1

1

2 x USB 3.0 (from Asmedia AS1042)

2 x USB 2.0

1

2 x GbE LAN +	2 x GbE LAN
1 x Mgmt LAN
1
ASWM Enterprise
Optional ASMB6-iKVM	N/A
for KVM-over-Internet

P

P

Operating Temperature: 10°C ~ 35°C Non-operating Temperature: -40°C ~ 70°C Non-operating Humidity: 20% ~ 90% (non-condensing)

*Refer to ASUS Server AVL for latest update.

** Minimum requirement of ATX Power supply:1) 500W 2) All +12V output ≥ 20A

***Specifications are subject to change without notice.

xiv

This chapter describes the motherboard		1
features and the new technologies it supports.
		Product
	introduction

Chapter summary	1

1.1	Welcome!.......................................................................................	1-3
1.2	Package contents.........................................................................	1-3
1.3	Serial number label.......................................................................	1-4
1.4	Special features............................................................................	1-4

ASUS Z9PA-D8

1.1Welcome!

Thank you for buying an ASUS® Z9PA-D8 Series motherboard!

The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies, making it another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards!

Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it, check the items in your package with the list below.

1.2Package contents

Check your motherboard package for the following items.

I/O Shield
Cables	SATA DOM Power cable
	SATA 6G cable
	SATA 3G cable
Application CD	Support CD
	ASWM Enterprise SDVD
Documentation	Motherboard User Guide
Packing Qty.

Standard Gift Box	Standard Bulk Pack
Pack
1	1
1	-
2	-
4	-
1	1
1	1
1	1
1 pc per carton	10 pcs per carton

If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.

Optional items	Description
PIKE 2208	LSI 8-port SAS 6G HW RAID card
PIKE 2108	LSI 8-port SAS 6G HW RAID card
PIKE 2008/IMR	LSI 8-port SAS 6G RAID card
PIKE 2008	LSI 8-port SAS 6G RAID card
PIKE 9230	MARVELL 4-port SATA 6G RAID card
ASMB6-iKVM	Remote management solution provides KVM over IP solution

ASUS Z9PA-D8

1-3

1.3Serial number label

For faster and quicker troubleshooting solutions from the ASUS Technical Support team, provide the product’s serial number containing 12 characters such as xxS2xxxxxxxx as shown in the figure below.

Z9PA-D8	Made
	in
	China
xxS2xxxxxxxx

1.4Special features

1.4.1Product highlights

Latest Processor Technology

The motherboard supports Intel Xeon® processor E5-2600 product family in LGA 2011 package with integrated memory controller to support 4 channel DDR3 memory (4 DIMM for CPU). Intel Xeon® processor E5-2600 product family supports Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) with a system bus of up to 8.0GT/s.

Optimized Intel® Turbo Boost Technology

Optimized Intel® Turbo Boost Technology further optimizes the processor’s performance and automatically allows it to run faster than the marked frequency if it is operating below power, temperature, and current limits.

Intel® Hyper Threading

The thread-level parallelism on each processor makes more efficient use of the processor resources, higher processing throughout, and improved performance on today's multi-threaded software.

Intel® EM64T

The motherboard supports Intel® processors with the Intel® EM64T (Extended Memory 64 Technology), feature which allows your computer to run on 64-bit operating systems and access larger amounts of system memory for faster and more efficient computing.

1-4	Chapter 1: Product introduction

DDR3 memory support

The motherboard supports the 4-channel DDR3 memory that features data transfer rates of DDR3 1600 / 1333 / 1066 MHz to boost the system’s performance, and to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of server and workstation applications.

The 4-channel DDR3 architecture also manages traffic with bandwidth of up to

52GB/s, and reduces voltage thus reducing power usage and heat generation. Also, the motherboard supports LR-DIMM (Load reduced DIMM) which uses a specially designed buffer to reduce the data load to a single load and can increase overall server system memory capacity.

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® 82574L Gigabit LAN Solution

This motherboard features the built-in dual server class Intel® Gigabit LAN ports, which helps reduce CPU usage, thus increasing throughput to achieve highlyreliable network connections, outstanding performance, and better support for diverse operating systems.

Intel® 82574L chipset is VMware-certified to support the virtualization technology.

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST)

The Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST) intelligently manages the CPU resources by automatically adjusting the CPU voltage and core frequency depending on the CPU loading and system speed or power requirement.

Serial ATA II technology

The motherboard supports the Serial ATA II 3 Gb/s technology through the Serial ATA interface and Intel® C602 chipset. The SerialATAII specification provides twice the bandwidth of the current Serial ATA products with a host of new features, including Native Command Queuing (NCQ), Power Management (PM)

ImplementationAlgorithm, and Hot Swap. SerialATAallows thinner, more flexible cables with lower pin count and reduced voltage requirements.

Serial ATA III technology

The motherboard supports the Serial ATA III technology through the Serial ATA interface and Intel® C602 chipset, delivering up to 6Gb/s data transfer rates. Additionally, get enhanced scalability, faster data retrieval, double the bandwidth of current bus systems.

ASUS Z9PA-D8

1-5

USB 2.0 technology

The motherboard provides USB 2.0 accessibility, allowing you to experience the dramatic increase in connection speed from 12Mbps bandwidth on USB 1.1 to a fast 480 Mbps on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 is backward compatible with USB 1.1.

Complete USB 3.0 Integration

ASUS facilitates the strategic USB 3.0 accessibility for rear panel — two USB 3.0 ports in total. Experience the latest plug & play connectivity at speeds up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. The motherboard affords greater convenience to high speed connectivity.

Temperature, fan, and voltage monitoring

The CPU temperature is monitored to prevent overheating and damage. The system fan rotations per minute (RPM) is monitored for timely failure detection. The chip monitors the voltage levels to ensure stable supply of current for critical components.

1.4.2Innovative ASUS features

ASUS Fan Speed control technology

The ASUS Fan Speed control technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efficient operation.

PIKE (Proprietary I/O Kit Expansion)

PIKE is an on-demand upgrade kit for users. This ASUS unique feature enables users to choose their preferred I/O solutions. ASUS provides multiple SAS solutions for different segments and purposes and PIKE saves lots of validation efforts and hardware cost for end users. Moreover, the special patent design offers multiple I/O solutions without occupying the PCI slot in 1U system.

ASUS MIO Audio card

Enjoy high-end sound quality! The ASUS MIO audio card is a discrete 8-channel high definition audio (High DefinitionAudio previously codenamedAzalia) CODEC that offers the clearest high quality audio output, jack-sensing feature, retasking functions, and multi-streaming technology that simultaneously send different audio streams to different destinations.

1-6	Chapter 1: Product introduction

This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when installing system components. It includes description of the jumpers and connectors on the motherboard.

Chapter 2:

Hardware2 information

Chapter summary	2

2.1	Before you proceed......................................................................	2-3
2.2	Motherboard overview.................................................................	2-4
2.3	Central Processing Unit (CPU)....................................................	2-8
2.4	System memory..........................................................................	2-13
2.5	Expansion slots..........................................................................	2-16
2.6	Onboard LEDs.............................................................................	2-21
2.7	Jumpers.......................................................................................	2-26
2.8	Connectors..................................................................................	2-30

ASUS Z9PA-D8

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.

•Use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safely grounded object or a metal object, such as the power supply case, before handling components 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 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, and/or components.

Standby Power LED (SB_PWR1)

The motherboard comes with a standby power LED. The green LED lights up to indicate that the system AC power cable is plugged or not plugged. This is a

reminder that you should shut down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or installing any motherboard component.

ASUS Z9PA-D8

2-3

2.2Motherboard overview

Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it.

To optimize the motherboard features, we highly recommend that you install it in an

ATX 2.2 compliant chassis.

Unplug the chassis power cord before installing or removing the motherboard. Failure to do so can cause you physical injury and damage motherboard components!

2.2.1Placement direction

When installing the motherboard, ensure that you place it into the chassis in the correct orientation. The edge with external ports goes to the rear part of the chassis as indicated in the image below.

2.2.2Screw holes

Place nine (9) screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the chassis.

DO NOT overtighten the screws! Doing so can damage the motherboard.

2-4

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.2.3 Motherboard layout

Z9PA-D8

ASUS Z9PA-D8

2-5

Z9PA-D8C

2-6

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.2.4Layout contents

	Slots/Socket		Page
1.		CPU sockets	2-8
	2.	DDR3 sockets	2-13
	Onboard LEDs		Page
1.		Baseboard Management Controller LED (BMC_LED1)	2-21
2.		CPU Warning LED (ERR_CPU1/2)	2-21
3.		DIMM Warning LED (ERR_DIMMA1~H1)	2-22
	4.	CATT Error LED (CATTERR_LED1)	2-22
	5.	Q-Code LED (LED1)	2-23
	Jumpers		Page
1.		Clear RTC RAM (CLRTC1)	2-26
2.		VGA controller setting (3-pin VGA_SW1)	2-27
3.		LAN controller setting (3-pin LAN_SW1/ LAN_SW2)	2-27
	4.	LSI MegaRAID or Intel RSTe selection jumper (3-pin RAID_SEL1)	2-28
	5.	ME firmware force recovery setting (3-pin ME_RCVR1)	2-28
	6.	DDR3 thermal event setting (3-pin DIMMTRIP1)	2-29
	7.	PMBus 1.2 PSU select jumper (3-pin SMART_PSU1)	2-29
	Internal connectors		Page
1.		Serial ATA 6.0/3.0 Gb/s connectors	2-31
		(7-pin SATA6G 1–2 [light blue]; 7-pin SATA3G 3–6 [black])
2.		PSAS connectors (PIKE required)	2-31
3.		Hard disk activity LED connector (4-pin HDLED1)	2-32
4.		USB connectors (10-1 pin USB34, USB56;A-Type USB10)	2-32
5.		Serial port connector (10-1 pin COM2)	2-33
6.		Serial General Purpose Input/Output connectors (6-1 pin	2-34
		SGPIO1, 8-1 pin PSGPIO 1/2)
7.		TPM connector (20-1 pin TPM1)	2-35
8.		Power Supply SMBus connector (5-pin PSUSMB1)	2-35
9.		EATX power connectors (24-pin EATXPWR1, 8-pin EATX12V1,	2-36
		8-pin EATX12V2 )
10.		CPU, front and rear fan connectors (4-pin CPU_FAN1-2,	2-37
		FRNT_FAN1–4, REAR FAN1-2)
11.		System panel connector (20-1 pin PANEL1)	2-38
12.		Auxiliary panel connector (20-2 pin AUX_PANEL1)	2-39

ASUS Z9PA-D8

2-7

2.3Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The motherboard comes with a surface mount LGA2011 socket designed for the Intel® Xeon E5-2600 processors.

• 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

MerchandiseAuthorization (RMA) requests only if the motherboard comes with the cap on the LGA2011 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.

2.3.1Installing the CPU

To install a CPU:

1.Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.

2-8

Chapter 2: Hardware information

2.Press the left load lever with your thumb (A), then move it to the left

(B)until it is released from the retention tab.

To prevent damage to the socket pins, do not remove the PnP cap unless you are installing a CPU.

3.Slightly lift the load lever in the direction of the arrow.

4.Press the right load lever with your thumb (C), then move it to the right

(D)until it is released from the retention tab. Lift the load lever in the direction of the arrow (E).

A

B

Load lever

E

C

D

ASUS Z9PA-D8

2-9

5. Push the left load lever (F) to lift the	F
load plate (G).

G

6.Position the CPU over the socket, ensuring that the triangle mark is on the top right corner of the socket.

Triangle

mark

The CPU fits in only one correct orientation. DO NOT force the CPU into the socket to prevent bending the connectors on the socket and damaging the CPU!

7.Remove the PnP cap (H) from the CPU socket and close the load plate (I).

I

H

2-10	Chapter 2: Hardware information