Zotac Z77-ITX, Z68-ITX user manual

Electronic Emission Notices

WARNING!

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Statement

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of 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 instructions
contained in this manual, may cause harmful interference to radio and television 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 THE RECEIVER

- CONNECT THE EQUIPMENT INTO AN OUTLET ON A CIRCUIT DIFFERENT FROM
THAT OF THE RECEIVER

- CONSULT THE DEALER OR AN EXPERIENCED AUDIO/TELEVISION TECHNICIAN

NOTE:

Connecting this device to peripheral devices that do not comply with Class B requirements, or
using an unshielded peripheral data cable, could also result in harmful interference to radio or
television reception.

The user is cautioned that any changes or modications not expressly approved by the party

responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

To ensure that the use of this product does not contribute to interference, it is necessary to use
shielded I/O cables.

Copyright

This manual is copyrighted with all rights reserved. No portion of this manual may be copied or
reproduced by any means.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this manual, no responsibility for
errors or omissions is assumed. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the
use of the information contained herein.

Trademarks

All brand names, logos and registered trademarks mentioned are property of their respective
owners.

CAUTION:

Risk of explosion if the battery is replaced with an incorrect type. Batteries should be recycled

where possible. Disposal of used batteries must be in accordance with local environmental
regulations.

1

Intel Z68-ITX series Motherboard

Table of Contents

Motherboard Specications ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------4
Motherboard Layout--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6
Hardware Installation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9

Safety Instructions-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9
Preparing the Motherboard -------------------------------------------------------------------------------10

Installing the CPU --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10
Installing the CPU Fan --------------------------------------------------------------------------------11
Installing Memory Modules --------------------------------------------------------------------------11

Installing the Motherboard --------------------------------------------------------------------------------12

Installing the I/O Shield -------------------------------------------------------------------------------12
Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis ----------------------------------------------------- 12

Installing an mSATA SSD module (optional) ----------------------------------------------------13

Connecting Cables and Setting Switches ------------------------------------------------------------- 14

24-pin ATX Power Connector-PW1 ----------------------------------------------------------------15
4-pin ATX_12V power connector-PW2 -----------------------------------------------------------15
COM Header-CN4 (Optional) -----------------------------------------------------------------------16
Front panel header-FP1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------16
USB Headers-FP_U1/FP_USB3_1 ----------------------------------------------------------------17
Front Pannel Audio Header-FP_S1 ---------------------------------------------------------------17
Speaker Header-SPK1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------18
Serial-ATA (SATA) Connectors (SATA1~4) ------------------------------------------------------18
Fan Connectors-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18
Expansion Slots ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------19
Jumper Settings ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------19

Conguring the BIOS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------20

Enter BIOS Setup -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------20
Main Menu ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------20
Advanced Menu----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------21

X-Setting --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------21
H/W Monitor ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------21

Storage Conguration ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------22
CPU Conguration -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------22
USB Conguration -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------23
Super IO Conguration -------------------------------------------------------------------------------23

ACPI Settings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------23

Chipset Menu -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------24

Display Conguration ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------24
OnBoard Device Cong ------------------------------------------------------------------------------24

2

Table of Contents

Boot Menu -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------25

Boot Settings Conguration -------------------------------------------------------------------------25

Security Menu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------26

Administrator Password ------------------------------------------------------------------------------26
User Password ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------26

Exit Menu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------27

Save Changes and Exit-------------------------------------------------------------------------------27
Discard Changes and Exit ---------------------------------------------------------------------------27

Save Changes and Reset ----------------------------------------------------------------------------27
Discard Changes and Reset ------------------------------------------------------------------------27
Save Changes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------27
Discard Changes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------28
Restore Defaults----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------28
Save as User Defaults --------------------------------------------------------------------------------28
Restore User Defaults --------------------------------------------------------------------------------28
Launch EFI Shell from lesystem device --------------------------------------------------------28

Flash Update Procedure ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------28

Installing Drivers and Software ----------------------------------------------------------------------------29

Drivers Installation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------29
Realtek HD Audio Driver Setup -------------------------------------------------------------------------40
Getting Started ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------40
Sound Effect ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------40
Mixer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------42
Audio I/O --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------44
Microphone -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------48
3D Audio Demo -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------49
Information -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------49

SATA RAID User Manual --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------50

Setting up the BIOS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------50
Entering the RAID BIOS utility ---------------------------------------------------------------------------51
Creating a RAID set -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------51
Deleting a RAID set -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------52

Intel® Rapid Storage Technology -------------------------------------------------------------------------53

Instruction -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------53
Setting Intel® Rapid Storage -----------------------------------------------------------------------------53

3

Intel Z68-ITX series Motherboard

Motherboard Specications

q Chipset

v Intel® Z68 Chipset

v Support Processor, Memory and Graphics Processor over clocking performence

v Support RST SSD Caching (with Intel Rapid Sotrage Technology v10.5)

q Size

v Mini ITX form factor of 6.7 X 6.7 inch

q Microprocessor support

v Supports LGA 1155 Socket for 2nd Generation Intel® Core i3/i5/i7 and Pentium processors

q Operating systems

v Supports Windows XP 32bit/64bit, Windows Vista 32bit/64bit and Windows 7 32bit/64bit

q System Memory

v Supports 1 GB/2 GB/4 GB/8 GB DDR3 SO-DIMM devices

v Two 204-pin SO-DIMMs DDR3-1066/1333 MT/s

v Maximum memory size: 16 GB

q USB 2.0 ports

v Supports hot plug and play

v Four USB 2.0 ports (two ports on the back panel, two via the USB brackets connected

to the internal USB header)

v Supports USB 2.0 protocol up to 480 Mbps transmission rate

q USB 3.0 ports

v Supports hot plug and play

v Four USB 3.0 ports (two on the back panel, two via the USB bracket connected to the

internal USB header)

v Fully backward compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1 specications

q Onboard Serial ATA ports

v Independent DMA operation on four ports

v Supports two SATAIII ports (6.0 Gb/s), two SATAII ports (3.0 Gb/s) and one mSATA port

via mini PCIe slot at the bottom of board

q Onboard LAN

v Support Full Duplex ow control (IEEE802.3x)

v 10/100/1000 BASE-T IEEE 802.3 compliant

v Wake On LAN (WOL) power management support

4

Motherboard Specications

q WiFi support

v Compliant with IEEE802.11n Draft 2.0 Standard

v High speed wireless connection and enhanced wireless security

v Max transfer rate up to 150 Mbps (optional for different models)

q Audio

v 8 channel High Denition Audio (including one optical SPDIF output port)

v All DACs support 192k/96k/48k/44.1kHz sample rate

v One SPDIF-out header on board

q Green Function

v Support SMM, APM, ACPI

v Suspend to DRAM supported (STR)

v AC power failure recovery

q Onboard Graphics Features

v Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 2000 or 3000 (depend on CPU)

v DX10.1 and OpenGL 3.0 are supported

v 3D Graphics Rendering Enhancements

v One HDMI port and one DVI-I port output support

q Discrete Graphics Features

v Support Fermi D12M family of GPUs

v DX11 and OpenGL 3.2 are supported

v NVIDIA® Ageia PhysX® technology

v NVIDIA® CUDATM technology

v One Display Port and one DVI-I port support

Note: Support two simultaneous independent displays from DVI-I/DVI-I/HDMI/DP

q PCI Express Interface

v Supports PCI Express 2.0

v Wake up function is supported

v Clock spread spectrum capability

q Expansion slots

v One PCI Express x4 slot

v One half-sized Mini PCI Express slot (vertical)

v One full-sized Mini PCI Express slot (at the bottom of board)

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Intel Z68-ITX series Motherboard

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REMOVE

1.5V

1.5V

7

FP_U 1

CN4

PW2

13

14

15

PCIE_X4

17

18

19

20

DDR3_1

LAN/USB

DP/HDMI

DVI

SD1

SYSFAN4

PW1

FP1

JP1

FP_S1

USB/e-SATA

4

FP_USB3_1

SW1

3

12

SYSF AN3

SPK1

5
6

8

9

1011

Chipset

GPU

M_PCIE1

16

SATA3 /SAT A1

SATA4 /SAT A2

DDR3_2

1

CPUFAN3

2

Motherboard Layout

Figure 1 shows the top of motherboard, Figure 2 shows the bottom, and Figure 3 shows the back

panel connectors.

Figure 1. Board Layout

1. CPU Fan Connector-CPUFAN3

2. DDRIII SO-DIMM Sockets-DDR3_1/2

3. SYS Fan Connector-SYSFAN4

4. USB 2.0 Headers-FP_U1

5. 24-pin ATX Power Connector-PW1

6. SYS Fan Connector-SYSFAN3

7. Front Panel Header-FP1

8. Speaker Header-SPK1

9. COM Header-CN4 (Optional)

10. Serial-ATA (SATA) Connectors (SATA1~4)

6

Figure 1

11. Chipset

12. GPU

13. PCI Express x4 Slot-PCIE_X4

14. Mini PCI Express Slot-M_PCIE1

15. Front Pannel Audio Header-FP_S1

16. Clear CMOS Jumper-JP1

17. Backpanel Connectors

18. USB 3.0 Header-FP_USB3_1

19. 4-pin ATX_12V power connector-PW2

20. CPU Socket

11

9

6 7

12

4

1

10

21

Figure 2

Figure 2. Bottom Layout

21. Mini PCI Express Slot for mSATA SSD

Figure 3. Backpanel connectors

Rear panel

3

2

1. LAN port LED indicators

Speed LED Activity LED

5

Speed LED

Status Description

Off Speed: 10 Mbps

Green Speed: 100 Mbps

Orange Speed: 1000 Mbps

8

Activity LED

Status Descritption

Off No link

Orange Linked

Blinking Data activity

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2. USB 3.0 Ports

3. Clear CMOS Button

4. eSATA Port

5. USB 2.0 Ports

6. HDMI Port (Intel® HD 2000/3000 output)

7. DVI-I Port (Intel® HD 2000/3000 output)

8. Optical SPDIF Output

9. Port 2-Channel 4-Channel 6-Channel 8-Channel

Blue Line-In Line-In Line-In Side Speaker Out

Green Line-Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out

Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In Mic In

Black -- -- Center/Subwoofer Center/Subwoofer

Orange -- Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out

10. Display Port (NVIDIA® GT430) 11. DVI-I Port (NVIDIA® GT430)

12. WiFi antenna connectors (Optional)

This motherboard can support two WiFi antenna modules. Refer to the following to install

the WiFi antenna modules.

Step 1. Remove the red caps from the WiFi antenna connectors.

Step 2. Install the WiFi antennas to the WiFi antenna connectors, and make sure the screws

are rotated in clockwise direction.







Note: 1. Users please note that the appearance of your WiFi antenna modules may

not be exactly the same as those shown in this manual.

2. Users can install one or two WiFi antennas to the motherboard.

3. Users can bend or rotate the WiFi antennas to the best receiving direction

according to the picture below.







8

Hardware Installation

Hardware Installation

This section will guide you through the installation of the motherboard. The topics covered in this

section are:

q Preparing the motherboard

v Installing the CPU

v Installing the CPU fan

v Installing Memory DIMMs

q Installing the motherboard

v Installing the I/O Shield

v Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis

v Installing an mSATA SSD module (optional)

q Connecting cables and setting switches

Safety Instructions

To reduce the risk of re, electric shock, and injury, always follow basic safety precautions.

Remember to remove power from your computer by disconnecting the AC main source before

removing or installing any equipment from/to the computer chassis.

9

Intel Z68-ITX series Motherboard

Preparing the Motherboard

The motherboard shipped in the box does not contain a CPU or memory DIMM. You need to

purchase them to complete this installation.

Installing the CPU

Be very careful when handling the CPU. Make sure not to bend or break any pins on the back.

Hold the processor only by the edges and do not touch the bottom of the processor.

The following illustration shows CPU installation components

1. Unhook the socket lever by pushing down

and away from the socket.

2. Lift the socket lever and the load plate to

fully open position.

3. Use your thumb and forenger to lift the cap

up vertically.

● Be careful not to touch the socket contacts.

4. Hold the processor with your thumb and

forenger. Insert the processor into the socket

vertically.

● Align the CPU pin 1 mark with the pin 1

corner of the CPU socket.

5. Make sure the CPU is fully seated, and then

replace the load plate.

● Be sure that the front end of the load

plate is under the shoulder screw.

6. Secure the load lever to its locked location.

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Hardware Installation

Installing the CPU Fan

There are many different fan types that can be used with this motherboard. Follow the instruction

that came with your fan assembly. Be sure that the fan orientation is correct for your chassis type

and your fan assembly.

Installing Memory Modules

Your new motherboard has two 1.5V 204-pin slots for SO-DIMM DDR3 memory. These slots

support 1 GB/2 GB/4 GB/8 GB DDR3 devices. There must be at least one memory bank

populated to ensure normal operation. Refer to the following recommendations to install memory

modules.

DDR3_1

DDR3_2

Note that a memory module has a notch, so it can only t in one direction. Refer to the following

procedure to install memory modules into the slots on the motherboard.

1. Unlock a SO-DIMM slot by pressing the module clips outward.

2. Align the memory module to the SO-DIMM slot, and insert the module vertically into the

slot. The plastic clips at both sides of the slot automatically lock the SO-DIMM into the
connector.

11

Intel Z68-ITX series Motherboard

Installing the Motherboard

The sequence of installing the motherboard into the chassis depends on the chassis you are

using and if you are replacing an existing motherboard or working with an empty chassis. Deter-

mine if it would be easier to make all the connections prior to this step or to secure the mother-

board and then make all the connections. It is normally easier to secure the motherboard rst.

Use the following procedure to install the I/O shield and secure the motherboard into the chassis.

Note: Be sure that the CPU fan assembly has enough clearance for the chassis covers

to lock into place and for the expansion cards. Also make sure the CPU Fan assem

-bly is aligned with the vents on the covers.

Installing the I/O Shield

The motherboard kit comes with an I/O shield that is used to block radio frequency transmis-

sions, protects internal components from dust and foreign objects, and promotes correct airow

within the chassis.

Before installing the motherboard, install the I/O shield from the inside of the chassis. Press the

I/O shield into place and make sure it ts securely. If the I/O shield does not t into the chassis,

you would need to obtain the proper size from the chassis supplier.

Securing the Motherboard into the Chassis

Most computer chassis have a base with mounting studs or spacers to allow the motherboard

to be secured to the chassis and help to prevent short circuits. If there are studs that do not

align with a mounting hole on the motherboard, it is recommended that you remove that stud

to prevent the possibility of a short circuit. In most cases, it is recommended to secure the

motherboard with spacers.

1. Carefully place the motherboard onto the studs/spacers located inside the chassis.

2. Align the mounting holes with the studs/spacers.

3. Align the connectors to the I/O shield.

4. Ensure that the fan assembly is aligned with the chassis vents according to the fan assembly

instruction.

5. Secure the motherboard with screws.

12

Hardware Installation

Installing an mSATA SSD module (optional)

The motherboard supports one mSATA SSD via mini PCIe slot of the bottom. Users please install

the mSATA SSD module according to the following instructions.

1. Locate the Mini-PCIe slot of the bottom, and insert an mSATA SSD into the slot at a 45

degree angle.

2. Gently press down on the mSATA SSD with one nger and secure the screw.

Note: The motherboard shipped in the box does not contain an mSATA SSD.

13

Intel Z68-ITX series Motherboard

Connecting Cables and Setting Switches

This section takes you through all the connectors and switch settings necessary on the mother-

board. This will include:
q Power Connectors
v 24-pin ATX Power Connector-PW1

v 4-pin ATX_12V Power Connector-PW2
q Internal Headers/Connectors
v COM Header-CN4 (Optional)
v Front Panel Header-FP1
v USB Headers (FP_U1/FP_USB3-1)
v Front Pannel Audio Header-FP_S1
v Speaker Header-SPK1
q Serial-ATA (SATA) Connectors (SATA1~4)
q Fan Connectors
q Expansion Slots
q Jumper Settings

See Figure 1 to locate the connectors and jumpers referenced in the following procedure.

14

Hardware Installation

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24-pin ATX Power Connector-PW1

PW1 is the main power supply connector. Make sure that the power supply cable and pins are

properly aligned with the connector on the motherboard. Firmly plug the power supply cable into

the connector and make sure it is secure.

PW2

1

PW1

12

1

PW1-Pin Denition

Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 +3.3V 13 +3.3V

2 +3.3V 14 -12V

3 GND 15 GND

4 +5V 16 PS_ON

5 GND 17 GND

6 +5V 18 GND

7 GND 19 GND

24

8 PWROK 20 -5V

9 +5V_AUX 21 +5V

10 +12V 22 +5V

11 +12V 23 +5V

12 +3.3V 24 GND

13

4-pin ATX_12V power connector-PW2

PW2, the 4-pin ATX 12V power connector, is used to provide power to the CPU. Align the pins to

the connector and press rmly until seated.

PW2-Pin Denition

Pin Signal

1 GND

2 GND

3 +12V

4 +12V

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COM Header-CN4 (Optional)

CN4

CN4 - Pin Denition

Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 DCD 2 RXD

3 TXD 4 DTR

5 GND 6 DSR

7 RTS 8 CTS

9 RI 10 NC

Front Panel Header-FP1

The front panel header on this motherboard is

one connector used to connect the following four

cables :

FP1-Pin Denition

Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 HDD_LED+ 2 PW_LED+

3 HDD_LED- 4 PW_LED-

5 GND 6 PWR_SW

7 RESET 8 GND

9 NC 10 KEY

q PWRLED

Attach the front panel power LED cable to these two pins of the connector. The Power LED

indicates the system’s status.

q PWR SW

Attach the power button cable from the case to these two pins. Pressing the power button

on the front panel turns the system on and off rather than using the power supply button.

q HDD LED

Attach the hard disk drive indicator LED cable to these two pins. The HDD indicator LED

indicates the activity status of the hard disks.

q RST SW

Attach the Reset switch cable from the front panel of the case to these two pins. The system

restarts when the RESET switch is pressed.

Note: Some chassis do not have all four cables. Be sure to match the name on the

connectors to the corresponding pins.

FP1

1

1

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USB Headers-FP_U1/FP_USB3_1

This motherboard contains two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports that are exposed on the rear

panel of the chassis. The motherboard also contains one 10-pin internal USB 2.0 header and

one 20-pin USB 3.0 connector onboard.

1

FP_USB3_1

1

FP_S1

FP_U1-Pin Denition

PIN Assignment PIN Assignment

1 VCC 2 VCC

3 USBP0- 4 USBP1-

5 USBP0+ 6 USBP1+

7 GND 8 GND

9 KEY 10 NC

Front Panel Audio Header-FP_S1

The audio connector supports HD audio standard

and provides two kinds of audio output choices: the

Front Audio, the Rear Audio. The front Audio supports

retasking function.

FP_S1-Pin Denition

PIN Assignment PIN Assignment

1 MIC2(L) 2 GND

3 MIC(R) 4 -ACZ-DET

5 Front Audio(R) 6 Reserved

7 FAVDIO-JD 8 Key(No pin)

9 Front Audio(L) 10 Reserved

Note: Secure the bracket

to either the front or rear

panel of your chassis (not

all chassis are equipped

with the front panel option).

FP_U1
1

FP_USB3_1-Pin Denition

Pin Signal Pin Signal

1 NC 2 BD+

3 AD+ 4 BD-

5 AD- 6 GND2

7 GND1 8 BSSTX+

9 ASSTX+ 10 BSSTX-

11 ASSTX- 12 GND3

13 GND 14 BSSRX+

15 ASSRX+ 16 BSSRX-

17 ASSRX- 18 BVBUS

19 AVBUS 20 KEY

Note:

In order to utilize the front audio

header, your chassis must have front

audio connector. Also please make

sure the pin assignment on the cable

is the same as the pin assignment

on the mainboard header. To nd

out if the chassis you are buying

supports a front audio connector,

please contact your dealer.

17