Asus Z87-A, User Manual

Page 1: ...Motherboard Z87 A ...

Page 2: ...pective 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 ...

Page 3: ...xpansion slots 1 20 1 6 Jumpers 1 23 1 7 Connectors 1 25 1 8 Onboard LEDs 1 36 1 9 Onboard buttons and switches 1 38 1 10 Software support 1 42 Chapter 2 BIOS information 2 1 Managing and updating your BIOS 2 1 2 2 BIOS setup program 2 7 2 3 My Favorites 2 15 2 4 Main menu 2 16 2 5 Ai Tweaker menu 2 18 2 6 Advanced menu 2 34 2 7 Monitor menu 2 45 2 8 Boot menu 2 49 2 9 Tool menu 2 55 2 10 Exit men...

Page 4: ...erboard and adding components 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 extrem...

Page 5: ...ks properly take note of the following symbols used throughout this manual DANGER WARNING Information to prevent injury to yourself when completing a task CAUTION Information to prevent damage to the components when completing 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 ...

Page 6: ... C 2133 O C 2000 O C 1866 O C 1800 O C 1600 1333 MHz non 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 Expansion slots 2 x PCI Express 3 0 2 0 x16 slots single at x16 or dual at x8 x8 mode 1 x PCI Express ...

Page 7: ...annel High Definition Audio CODEC featuring Crystal Sound 2 Separate layer for left and right track ensuring both sound deliver quality Top notch audio sensation delivers according to the audio configuration Audio shielding ensures precision analog digital separation and greatly reduced multi lateral interference Audio Amplifier to enhance the highest quality sound for headphone and speakers EMI p...

Page 8: ...ct Thunderbolt Ready Optional Blistering fast 20 Gb s data transfers upgrade with ThunderboltEX II series Interactive Home Cloud Remote GO Remote GO Function Cloud GO Remote Desktop Remote Keyboard Mouse File Transfer Wi Fi GO NFC Remote app for portable smart phone tablet devices supporting Android 4 0 and iOS 7 systems Media Streamer Pipe music or movies from your PC to a smart TV your entertain...

Page 9: ...al Solution Quiet Thermal Design ASUS Fan Xpert 3 ASUS Fanless Design Heatsink solution ASUS Exclusive Overclocking Features Precision Tweaker 2 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 C...

Page 10: ...ltEX series support 1 x TPM connector 1 x Serial COM port 1 x MemOK button 1 x Clear CMOS jumper 1 x DirectKey DRCT connector 1 x TPU switch with advanced two stage adjustments 1 x EPU switch 1 x EZ XMP switch 1 x Power on button 24 pin EATX Power connector 8 pin EATX 12 V Power connector System Panel Q Connector Front panel audio connector AAFP BIOS features 64 Mb Flash ROM UEFI AMI BIOS PnP DMI ...

Page 11: ...cket 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...

Page 12: ...1 2 Chapter 1 Product introduction Place this side towards the rear of the chassis 1 2 3 Motherboard layout ...

Page 13: ...Z97 Serial ATA 6 0 Gb s connector 7 pin SATA6G_1 SATA6G_2 SATA6G_34 SATA6G_56 SATA Express 1 27 10 EPU switch 1 38 11 TPU switch 1 40 12 DirectKey connector 2 pin DRCT 1 31 13 System panel connector 20 8 pin PANEL 1 33 14 USB 2 0 connectors 10 1 pin USB910 USB1112 USB1314 1 32 15 T Sensor connector 2 pin T_SENSOR1 1 35 16 Clear RTC RAM 3 pin CLRTC 1 23 17 TPM connector 20 1 pin TPM 1 32 18 Power o...

Page 14: ...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 resul...

Page 15: ...ASUS Z97 A 1 5 1 3 1 Installing the CPU ...

Page 16: ...introduction 1 3 2 CPU heatsink and fan assembly installation Apply the Thermal Interface Material to the CPU heatsink and CPU before you install the heatsink and fan if necessary To install the CPU heatsink and fan assembly ...

Page 17: ...motherboard comes with four Double Data Rate 3 DDR3 Dual Inline Memory Module DIMM sockets 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 According to Intel CPU spec DIMM voltage below 1 65 V is recommended to protect the CPU ...

Page 18: ...any of the following Use a maximum of 3 GB system memory if you are using a 32 bit Windows OS Install a 64 bit Windows OS if you want to install 4GB or more on the motherboard This motherboard does not support DIMMs made up of 512 Mb 64 MB chips or less The default memory operation frequency is dependent on its Serial Presence Detect SPD which is the standard way of accessing information from a me...

Page 19: ...oltage DIMM socket support Optional 1 2 4 AVEXIR AVD3UH30001204G 4BZ1 XMP 16GB 4x4GB SS 12 14 14 35 1 65V G SKILL F3 3000C12Q 16GTXDG XMP 16GB 4x4GB SS 12 14 14 35 1 65V G SKILL F3 3000C12D 8GTXDG XMP 8GB 2x4GB SS 12 14 14 35 1 65V CORSAIR CMY8GX3M2A3000C12R XMP 8GB 2x4GB SS 12 14 14 36 1 65V DDR3 2933 O C MHz capability Vendors Part No Size SS DS Chip Brand Chip NO Timing Voltage DIMM socket supp...

Page 20: ...4x4GB DS 11 14 14 35 1 65V G SKILL F3 2800C10D 8GTXD XMP 8GB 2x4GB DS 10 12 12 35 1 65V G SKILL F3 2800C12Q 16GTXDG XMP 16GB 4x4GB DS 12 14 14 35 1 65V G SKILL F3 2800C11D 16GTXDG XMP 16GB 2x8GB DS 11 14 14 35 1 65V G SKILL F3 2800C11Q 32GTXDG XMP 32GB 4x8GB DS 11 14 14 35 1 65V G SKILL F3 2800C11D 16GTXD XMP 16GB 2x 8GB DS 11 13 13 35 1 65V G SKILL F3 2800C11Q 32GTXD XMP 32GB 4x8GB DS 11 13 13 35...

Page 21: ...tage DIMM socket support Optional 1 2 4 A DATA AX3U2400W4G11 DMV XMP 8GB 2x4GB SS 11 13 13 35 1 65 A DATA AX3U2400W8G11 DMV XMP 16GB 2x8GB DS 11 13 13 35 1 65 Apacer 78 BAGFL AFD0C XMP 8GB 2x4GB DS 11 12 12 30 Apacer 783BAGF3 AFD0C XMP 8GB 2x4GB DS 11 11 11 30 CORSAIR CMD16GX3M2A2400C10 Ver4 21 XMP 16GB 2x8GB DS 10 12 12 31 1 65 CORSAIR CMD32GX3M4A2400C10 Ver5 29 XMP 32GB 4x8GB DS 10 12 12 31 1 65...

Page 22: ...2400 11 13 13 32 Transcend TX2400KLN 8GK XMP 8GB 2x4GB DS 2400 11 12 11 29 1 6 DDR3 2400 O C MHz capability DDR3 2200 O C MHz capability Vendors Part No Size SS DS Chip Brand Chip NO Timing Voltage DIMM socket support Optional 1 2 4 G SKILL F3 17600CL7D 4GBFLS XMP 4G 2x2GB DS 7 10 10 28 1 65 GEIL GET34GB2200C9DC XMP 4GB 2x2GB DS 9 10 9 28 1 65 GEIL GET38GB2200C9ADC XMP 8GB 2x4GB DS 9 11 9 28 1 65 ...

Page 23: ... 10 27 1 6 Transcend TX2133KLN 8GK XMP 8GB 2x4GB DS 2133 10 11 10 27 1 6 DDR3 2133 O C MHz capability Vendors Part No Size SS DS Chip Brand Chip NO Timing Voltage DIMM socket support Optional 1 2 4 AEXEA AXA3ES4GK2000LG28V XMP 4GB 2x2GB DS 1 65 Asint SLA302G08 ML2HB XMP 4GB DS Hynix H5TQ2G83 BFRH9C 9 9 9 27 GEIL GUP34GB2000C9DC XMP 4GB 2x2GB DS 9 9 9 28 1 65 DDR3 2000 O C MHz capability Vendors Pa...

Page 24: ...B 2x4GB DS 9 10 9 27 1 5 CORSAIR CMZ8GX3M2A1866C9G Ver5 12 XMP 8GB 2x4GB DS 1866 9 10 9 27 1 5 Cricial BLE8G3D1869DE1T X0 16FED XMP 16GB 2x8GB DS 1866 9 9 9 27 1 5 Crucial BLE4G3D1869DE1X T0 16FMD XMP 4GB DS 9 9 9 27 1 5 G SKILL F3 14900CL10Q 32GBZL XMP 32GB 4x8GB DS 10 11 10 30 1 5 G SKILL F3 14900CL9D 8GBSR XMP 8GB 2x4GB DS 9 10 9 28 1 5 G SKILL F3 14900CL9Q 16GBXL XMP 16GB 4x4GB DS 9 10 9 28 1 ...

Page 25: ...11 11 31 Apacer AHU04GFA60C9 Q3R XMP 4GB DS 11 11 11 28 Apacer AHU08GFA60CB T3R XMP 8GB DS 9 9 9 24 Asint SLA302G08 EGG 1C XMP 4GB DS Asint 302G08 GG1C 9 9 9 27 Asint SLA302G08 EGJ 1C XMP 4GB DS Asint 302G08 GJ1C 9 9 9 27 Asint SLA302G08 EGN 1C 4GB DS ASint 302G08 GN1C Asint SLA304G08 ENG1B 4GB SS Asint 304G08 GN1B 9 11 11 28 Asint SLB304G08 EGJ 1B XMP 8GB DS 9 9 9 27 Asint SLB304G08 EG N1B 8GB DS...

Page 26: ...2CB G80GN DG 9 9 9 28 Elixir M2X4G64CB8HG5N DG XMP 4GB DS Elixir N2CB 2G80GN DG 9 9 9 28 G SKILL F3 12800CL9D 8GBSR2 XMP 8GB 2x4GB DS 9 9 9 24 1 25 G SKILL F3 12800CL9Q 16GBXL XMP 16GB 4x4GB DS 9 9 9 24 1 5 G Skill F3 12800CL9Q 16GBZL XMP 16GB 4x4GB DS 9 9 9 24 1 5 G SKILL F3 1600C9Q 32GXM XMP 32GB 4x8GB DS 1 5 GEIL GUP34GB1600 C7DC XMP 4GB 2x2GB DS 7 7 7 24 1 6 KINGMAX FLGE85F C8KL9A XMP 2GB SS K...

Page 27: ...G68NG 16KK 4GB DS ELPIDA J2108BDB G GN F SanMax SMD 8G28NP 16KM 8GB DS ELPIDA J4208BBB G GN F 1600 Silicon Power SP002GBLT U160V02 XMP 2GB SS S POWER 20YT5NG 9 11 11 28 1 5 Silicon Power SP004GBLT U160V02 XMP 4GB DS S POWER 20YT5NG 9 9 9 24 1 5 Silicon Power SP004GXLY U160NSA XMP 4GB SS 1600 9 9 9 27 Silicon Power SP008GXLY U160NSA XMP 8GB DS 1600 9 9 9 27 Team TED34GM16 00C11BK 4GB DS Hynix H5TC2...

Page 28: ...4 CORSAIR CMX4GX3M1A13 33C9 Ver2 12 4GB 1x4GB DS 9 9 9 24 1 5 CORSAIR CMX4GX3M1A13 33C9 Ver5 11 4GB 1x4GB DS 9 9 9 24 1 5 CORSAIR CMX8GX3M1A13 33C9 Ver2 2 8GB DS 9 9 9 24 1 5 CORSAIR CMX8GX3M2A1 333C9 XMP 8GB 2x4GB DS 9 9 9 24 1 5 G SKILL F3 10666CL9D 8GBXL 8GB 2x4GB DS 9 9 9 24 1 5 GEIL GG34GB1333C9DC 4GB 2x2GB DS GEIL GL1L128M88 BA15B 9 9 9 24 1 3 GEIL GVP34GB1333C9DC 4GB 2x2GB DS 9 9 9 24 1 5 G...

Page 29: ...PM128M8D 3BU 15 9 RiDATA C304627CB1AG22Fe 2GB DS RiDATA C304627CB 1AG22Fe 9 RiDATA E304459CB1AG32Cf 4GB DS RiDATA E304459CB 1AG32Cf 9 Silicon Power SP001GBLTU133S02 1GB SS S POWER 10YT3E5 9 Silicon Power SP002GBLTU133V02 2GB SS S POWER 20YT3NG 9 9 9 24 Silicon Power SP004GBLTU133V02 4GB DS S POWER 20YT3NG 9 9 9 24 UMAX 84E44G93UM 13BPSYW 4GB SS UMAX U2S96D3 0TP 13 1333 9 9 9 24 UMAX 84E48G93UM 13B...

Page 30: ...the slot that you intend to use Keep the screw for later use 4 Align the card connector with the slot and press firmly until the card is completely seated on the slot 5 Secure the card to the chassis with the screw you removed earlier 6 Replace the system cover 1 5 Expansion slots In the future you may need to install expansion cards The following sub sections describe the slots and the expansion ...

Page 31: ...een the two PCI groups making the system unstable and the card inoperable 1 5 3 PCI slots The PCI slot supports cards such as a LAN card SCSI card USB card and other cards that comply with PCI specifications 1 5 4 PCI Express 2 0 x1 slots This motherboard supports PCI Express x1 network cards SCSI cards and other cards that comply with the PCI Express specifications 1 5 5 PCI Express 3 0 2 0 x16 s...

Page 32: ...16_2 Shared PCIE x1_1 Shared PCIE x1_2 Shared Intel LAN Shared PCI Slot 1 Shared PCI Slot 2 Shared 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 VGA configuration PCI Express 3 0 operating mode PCIe 3 0 2 0 x16_1 PCIe 3 0 2 0 x...

Page 33: ...d down the Del key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup to re enter data Except when clearing the RTC RAM never remove the cap on CLRTC jumper default position Removing the cap will cause system boot failure If the steps above do not help remove the onboard battery and move the jumper again to clear the CMOS RTC RAM data After clearing the CMOS reinstall the battery You do not need to clea...

Page 34: ... CPU Over Voltage jumper allows you to set a higher CPU voltage for a flexible overclocking system depending on the type of the installed CPU To gain more CPU voltage setting insert the jumper to pins 2 3 To go back to its default CPU voltage setting insert the jumper to pins 1 2 ...

Page 35: ...bles on the next page for LAN port LEDs and audio port definitions Rear panel connectors 1 DisplayPort 7 DVI D port 2 VGA port 8 USB 3 0 ports 56 3 USB 2 0 ports 7 8 9 USB 3 0 ports 34 4 PS 2 keyboard mouse port 10 Optical S PDIF Out port 5 LAN port 11 Audio I O ports 6 HDMI port ...

Page 36: ... display architecture design supports the following maximum supported pixel clocks Pixel Clock H total x V Total x Frame Rate Screen refresh rate DVI port 165 MHz DisplayPort 533 MHz VGA port 180 MHz HDMI port 300 MHz Port Headset 2 channel 4 channel 6 channel 8 channel Light Blue Line In Line In Line In Side Speaker Out Lime Line Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Pink Mic ...

Page 37: ...ng at the back of the system chassis The COM module is purchased separately 2 Intel Z87 Serial ATA 6 0 Gb s connectors 7 pin SATA6G_1 SATA6G_2 SATA6G_34 SATA6G_56 SATA Express This connector connects to Serial ATA 6 0 Gb s hard disk drives via Serial ATA 6 0 Gb s signal cables When using hot plug and NCQ set the SATA Mode Selection item in the BIOS to AHCI See section 2 6 3 PCH Storage Configurati...

Page 38: ...to connect the fan cables to the fan connectors Insufficient air flow inside the system may damage the motherboard components These are not jumpers Do not place jumper caps on the fan connectors The CPU_FAN connector supports a CPU fan of maximum 1 A 12 W fan power Ensure that the CPU fan cable is securely installed to the CPU fan connector The CPU_FAN connector supports the CPU fan of maximum 1A ...

Page 39: ... unstable or may not boot up if the power is inadequate If you want to use two or more high end PCI Express x16 cards use a PSU with 1000W power or above to ensure the system stability If you are uncertain about the minimum power supply requirement for your system refer to the Recommended Power Supply Wattage Calculator at http support asus com PowerSupplyCalculator PSCalculator aspx SLanguage en ...

Page 40: ...bility If you want to connect a high definition front panel audio module to this connector set the Front Panel Type item in the BIOS setup to HD If you want to connect an AC 97 front panel audio module to this connector set the item to AC97 By default this connector is set to HD See section 2 6 7 Onboard Devices Configuration for details 6 Digital audio connector 4 1 pin SPDIF_OUT This connector i...

Page 41: ...hassis to this connector on the motherboard Ensure that your chassis comes with the extra button cable that supports the DirectKey feature Refer to the technical documentation that came with the chassis for details 8 M 2 socket 3 This socket allows you to install an M 2 NGFF SSD module This socket supports M Key and type 2260 2280 storage devices The M 2 NGFF SSD module is purchased separately ...

Page 42: ...tion speed Never connect a 1394 cable to the USB connectors Doing so will damage the motherboard The USB 2 0 module is purchased separately These connectors are based on xHCI specification We recommend you to install the related driver to fully use the USB 2 0 ports under Windows 7 10 TPM connector 20 1 pin TPM This connector supports a Trusted Platform Module TPM system which securely store keys ...

Page 43: ... 4 pin SPEAKER This 4 pin connector is for the chassis mounted system warning speaker The speaker allows you to hear system beeps and warnings ATX power button soft off button 2 pin PWR_SW This connector is for the system power button Pressing the power button turns the system on or puts the system in sleep or soft off mode depending on the operating system settings Pressing the power switch for m...

Page 44: ...ing time for USB chargeable devices optimized power efficiency and backward compatibility with USB 2 0 The USB 3 0 module is purchased separately These connectors are based on xHCI specification We recommend you to install the related driver to fully use the USB 3 0 ports under Windows 7 The plugged USB 3 0 device may run on xHCI or EHCI mode depending on the operating system s setting These USB 3...

Page 45: ...olt enabled devices and a DisplayPort enabled display in a daisy chain configuration The add on Thunderbolt I O card and Thunderbolt cables are purchased separately 14 T_Sensor connector 2 pin T_SENSOR1 This connector is for the thermistor cable that allows you to monitor the temperature of your motherboard s critical components and connected devices The thermistor cable is purchased separately ...

Page 46: ... you should shut down the system and unplug the power cable before removing or plugging any motherboard components The illustration below shows the location of the onboard LED 2 POST State LEDs The POST State LEDs provide the status of these key components during POST Power On Self Test CPU memory modules VGA card and hard disk drives If an error is found the critical component s LED stays lit up ...

Page 47: ...ASUS Z97 A 1 37 4 EPU LED OLED2 The EPU LED lights up when the EPU switch is enabled 3 TPU LED TPU_LED The TPU LED lights up when the TPU switch is enabled ...

Page 48: ...ngs and intelligently moderate the power consumption Enable this switch when the system is powered off The EPU LED OLED2 near the EPU switch lights up when the EPU switch is enabled Refer to section 1 8 Onboard LEDs for the exact location of the EPU LED If you enable this switch under Windows OS environment the EPU function will be activated after the next system bootup You may change the EPU sett...

Page 49: ...t 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...

Page 50: ...PU_II CPU BCLK and Ratio Boost the system automatically adjusts the base clock rate BLCK and the CPU ratio for a more enhanced performance The TPU LED TPU_LED near the TPU switch lights up when the TPU switch is enabled Refer to section 1 8 Onboard LEDs for the exact location of the TPU LED If you enable this switch under Windows OS environment the TPU function will be activated after the next sys...

Page 51: ...m 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 5 EZ XMP switch Enable this switch to overclock the installed DIMMs allowing you to enhance the DIMM s speed and performance ...

Page 52: ...rboard features The contents of the Support DVD are subject to change at any time without notice Visit the ASUS website at www asus com for updates The following screen is for reference only Running the support DVD Place the Support DVD into the optical drive If Autorun is enabled in your computer the DVD automatically displays the lists of the unique features of your ASUS motherboard Click the Dr...

Page 53: ...file for this motherboard The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard BIOS setup program 1 EZ Update Updates the BIOS in Windows environment 2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 Updates the BIOS using a USB flash drive 3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 Restores the BIOS using the motherboard support DVD or a USB flash drive when the BIOS file fails or gets corrupted 4 ASUS BIOS Updater Updates the B...

Page 54: ...to update the BIOS 2 1 2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 The ASUS EZ Flash 2 feature allows you to update the BIOS without using an OS based utility Before you start using this utility download the latest BIOS file from the ASUS website at http www asus com To update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2 1 Insert the USB flash disk that contains the latest BIOS file to the USB port 2 Enter the Advanced Mode of the BIOS setup...

Page 55: ...he system while updating the BIOS to prevent system boot failure 2 1 3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 is an auto recovery tool that allows you to restore the BIOS file when it fails or gets corrupted during the updating process You can restore a corrupted BIOS file using the motherboard support DVD or a USB flash drive that contains the updated BIOS file Before using this ...

Page 56: ... that your USB flash drive is in single partition and in FAT32 16 format Turn off the computer Ensure that your computer has a DVD optical drive Recovering the BIOS To recover the BIOS 1 Turn on the system 2 Insert the support DVD into the optical drive or the USB flash drive that contains the BIOS file to the USB port The utility automatically checks the devices for the BIOS file When found the u...

Page 57: ...Support DVD into the optical drive then select the optical drive as the boot device 4 When the booting message appears press Enter within five 5 seconds to enter FreeDOS prompt Welcome to FreeDOS http www freedos org C d D 5 On the FreeDOS prompt type d then press Enter to switch the disk from Drive C optical drive to Drive D USB flash drive ISOLINUX 3 20 2006 08 26 Copyright C 1994 2005 H Peter A...

Page 58: ...l to Files panel then press Up Down or Home End keys to select the BIOS file and press Enter 5 Select Yes then press Enter When BIOS update is done press ESC to exit BIOS Updater 6 Restart your computer DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent system boot failure Ensure to load the BIOS default settings to ensure system compatibility and stability Select Load Optimiz...

Page 59: ...down the system properly from the operating system The BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for reference only Some screen displays may not be the same as what you see on your screen Visit the ASUS website at www asus com to download the latest BIOS file for this motherboard Ensure that a USB mouse is connected to your motherboard if you want to use the mouse to control the BIOS setup prog...

Page 60: ...section Boot menu for details The boot device options vary depending on the devices you installed to the system Saves the changes and resets the system Selects the display language of the BIOS setup program Displays the CPU motherboard temperature CPU voltage output CPU chassis power fan speed and SATA information Displays the system properties of the selected mode Click or to switch EZ System Tun...

Page 61: ...otherboard temperature CPU and memory voltage output Q Fan control 2 2 2 Advanced Mode The Advanced Mode provides advanced options for experienced end users to configure the BIOS settings The figure below shows an example of the Advanced Mode Refer to the following sections for the detailed configurations To switch from EZ Mode to Advanced Mode click Advanced Mode or press F7 hotkey System date an...

Page 62: ...or Boot Tool and Exit on the menu bar have their respective menu items Submenu items A greater than sign before each item on any menu screen means that the item has a submenu To display the submenu select the item and press Enter System date and time settings This panel shows the time and date of your system Click this panel to change the system date and time settings Language This button above th...

Page 63: ...lect items in the menu and change the settings Scroll bar A scroll bar appears on the right side of a menu screen when there are items that do not fit on the screen Press the Up Down arrow keys or Page Up Page Down keys to display the other items on the screen General help At the top right corner of the menu screen is a brief description of the selected item Use F12 key to capture the BIOS screen ...

Page 64: ...lect Manual from the list of profiles to manually configure your fans operating speed Speed points Click to select a fan to be configured Click to activate PWM Mode Click to undo the changes Click to apply the fan setting Click to go back to main menu Select a profile to apply to your fans Click to activate DC Mode Select to manually configure your fans Click or tap to manually configure your fans...

Page 65: ...also easily set RAID in your system using this feature System OC setup RAID setup Tuning your system settings To tune your settings 1 Press F11 on your keyboard or click from the BIOS screen to open EZ Tuning Wizard screen then click Next 2 Select a PC scenario Daily Computing or Gaming Media Editing then click Next 3 Select the CPU fan type Box cooler Tower cooler or Water cooler that you install...

Page 66: ...the type of storage for your RAID Easy Backup or Super Speed then click Next a For Easy Backup click Next then select from Easy Backup RAID1 or Easy Backup RAID10 4 After selecting the type of RAID click Next then click Yes to continue the RAID setup 5 After the RAID setup is done click Yes to exit the setup then click OK to reset your system You can only select Easy Backup RAID 10 if you connect ...

Page 67: ...ur favorite BIOS items Adding items to My Favorites To add BIOS items 1 Press F3 on your keyboard or click from the BIOS screen to open Setup Tree Map screen 2 On the Setup Tree Map screen select the BIOS items that you want to save in MyFavorites screen Main menu panel Submenu panel Selected shortcut items ...

Page 68: ...e saved BIOS items 2 4 Main menu The Main menu screen appears when you enter the Advanced Mode of the BIOS Setup program The Main menu provides you an overview of the basic system information and allows you to set the system date time language and security settings 2 4 1 Security The Security menu items allow you to change the system security settings If you have forgotten your BIOS password erase...

Page 69: ...en prompted to create confirm the password After you clear the password the Administrator Password item on top of the screen shows Not Installed User Password If you have set a user password you must enter the user password for accessing the system The User Password item on top of the screen shows the default Not Installed After you set a password this item shows Installed To set a user password 1...

Page 70: ... motherboard Scroll down to display other BIOS items 2 5 1 Ai Overclock Tuner Auto This item allows you to select the CPU overclocking options to achieve the desired CPU internal frequency Select any of these preset overclocking configuration options Auto Loads the optimal settings for the system Manual Automatically optimizes the CPU ratio and BCLK frequency X M P If you install memory modules su...

Page 71: ...adjust the value The value ranges depend on the value you set on BCLK Frequency The following item appears only when you set the Ai Overclocking Tuner to X M P eXtreme Memory Profile This item allows you to select the X M P mode supported by your memory module Configuration options Profile 1 Profile 2 2 5 2 ASUS MultiCore Enhancement Auto Auto This item allows you to maximize the oveclocking perfo...

Page 72: ...to 2 5 4 Min CPU Cache Ratio Auto This item allows you to set the minimum possible ratio on the Uncore part of the processor Use the or keys to adjust the value The values depend on the CPU installed 2 5 5 Max CPU Cache Ratio Auto This item allows you to set the maximum possible ratio on the Uncore part of the processor Use the or keys to adjust the value The values depend on the CPU installed 2 5...

Page 73: ...requencies and voltage for an enhanced system performance It also accelerates the CPU graphics performance to the extreme depending on the CPU graphics loading Configuration options Keep Current Settings Ratio First BCLK First Ensure that you installed an efficient CPU fan for CPU and graphics loading before selecting either BCLK First or Ratio First To keep the current overclocking tuner status s...

Page 74: ...ime Auto Configuration options Auto 1 511 DRAM Refresh Interval Auto Configuration options Auto 1 65535 DRAM WRITE Recovery Time Auto Configuration options Auto 1 16 DRAM READ to PRE Time Auto Configuration options Auto 1 15 DRAM FOUR ACT WIN Time Auto Configuration options Auto 1 255 DRAM WRITE to READ Delay Auto Configuration options Auto 1 15 DRAM CKE Minimum Pulse Width Auto Configuration opti...

Page 75: ...ion options Auto 1 63 DRAM RTL CHB_R1D1 Auto Configuration options Auto 1 63 DRAM IO L CHA_R0D0 Auto Configuration options Auto 1 15 DRAM IO L CHA_R0D1 Auto Configuration options Auto 1 15 DRAM IO L CHA_R1D0 Auto Configuration options Auto 1 15 DRAM IO L CHA_R1D1 Auto Configuration options Auto 1 15 DRAM IO L CHB_R0D0 Auto Configuration options Auto 1 15 DRAM IO L CHB_R0D1 Auto Configuration optio...

Page 76: ...r Auto Configuration options Auto 1 15 tWRWR_dd Auto Configuration options Auto 1 15 Dec_WRD Auto Configuration options Auto 0 1 tRDWR Auto Configuration options Auto 1 31 tRDWR_dr Auto Configuration options Auto 1 31 tRDWR_dd Auto Configuration options Auto 1 31 MISC MRC Fast Boot Auto This item allows you to enable disable or automatically set the MRC fast boot Configuration options Auto Enabled...

Page 77: ...ess the Enter key Transmitter Rising Slope Auto Configuration options Auto 1 31 Transmitter Falling Slope Auto Configuration options Auto 1 31 Transmitter Control Time Auto Configuration options Auto 1 31 Receiver Rising Slope Auto Configuration options Auto 1 31 Receiver Falling Slope Auto Configuration options Auto 1 31 Receiver Control Time Auto Configuration options Auto 1 31 2 5 14 DIGI VRM C...

Page 78: ...to enhance the system stability Configuration options Disabled Enabled CPU Power Phase Control Auto This item allows you to set the power phase control of the CPU Configuration options Auto Standard Optimized Extreme DO NOT remove the thermal module when setting this item to Extreme The thermal conditions should be monitored CPU Power Duty Control T Probe DIGI VRM Duty Control adjusts the current ...

Page 79: ...values range from 1 W t0 4096 W Package Power Time Window Auto Also known as Power Limit 1 this item allows you to maintain the time window for Turbo Ratio over TDP Thermal Design Power Use the or keys to adjust the value The values range from 1 to 127 in seconds Short Duration Package Power Limit Auto Also known as Power Limit 2 this item allows you to provide rapid protection when the package po...

Page 80: ...he Fully Integrated Voltage Regulator as the processor goes into low current state Configuration options Auto Disabled Enabled Idle Power in Response Auto This item allows you to set the slew rate for the Fully Integrated Voltage Regulator when it enters manual override mode Configuration options Auto Regular Fast Idle Power out Response Auto This item allows you to set the slew rate for the Fully...

Page 81: ...o Lower value provides sufficient overclocking tolerance to enlarge the overclocking potential Higher value provides better power saving condition Use or key to adjust the value The values range from 0 A to 30 A at 1A increment 2 5 16 Extreme Over voltage This item allows you to set higher voltages for overclocking When you enable this item you can choose a high level voltage to overclock but does...

Page 82: ...ys to adjust the value The values range from 0 001V to 1 920 V with a 0 001 V interval CPU Cache Voltage Override Auto This item allows you to set the CPU Cache Voltage override By default this item takes the standard value of the installed CPU You can use the or keys to adjust the value The values range from 0 001V to 1 920 V with a 0 001 V interval The following items appear only when you set th...

Page 83: ...PU Graphics Voltage Auto This item allows you to increase the voltage for Turbo Mode CPU Graphics By default this item takes the standard value of the installed CPU You can use the or keys to adjust the value The values range from 0 001V to 1 920V with a 0 001V interval Total Adaptive Mode CPU Graphics Voltage Auto This item sums up the voltages of the CPU Graphics Voltage offset and Additional Tu...

Page 84: ...em to Enabled when overclocking your system Disabling this item stops the CPU from communicating with the external voltage regulator Configuration options Auto Disabled Enabled The following item appears only when you set SVID Support to Enabled SVID Voltage Override Auto This item allows you to set the SVID Voltage override By default this item takes the standard value of the installed CPU You ca...

Page 85: ...s to adjust the value The values range from 0 6000 V to 1 0000 V with a 0 0125 V interval 2 5 28 DRAM CTRL REF Voltage Auto This item allows you to set the DRAM reference voltage on the control lines from the memory bus You can use the or keys to adjust the value The values range from 0 39500x to 0 63000x with a 0 00500x interval To set a value for the DRAM reference voltage we recommend you to se...

Page 86: ...al to the falling edge of the BCLK D You can use the or keys to adjust the value The values range from 0 1 V to 1 9 V with a 0 00625 V interval 2 5 33 CPU Spread Spectrum Auto This item allows you to enhance the BCLK overclocking capability or reduce the EMI electromagnetic disturbance generated by the BCLK Set this item to Enabled for EMI reduction or set this item to Disabled to enhance BCLK ove...

Page 87: ...ts certain classes of malicious buffer overflow attacks when combined with a supporting OS SuSE Linux 9 2 RedHat Enterprise 3 Update 3 Configuration options Disabled Enabled Intel Virtualization Technology Disabled When set to Enabled a VMM can utilize the additional hardware capabilities provided by Vanderpool Technology Configuration options Disabled Enabled Hardware Prefetcher L2 Cache Enabled ...

Page 88: ...current and temperature specification limit Configuration options Enabled Disabled CPU states Auto This item allows you to set the power saving of the CPU states Configuration options Auto Disabled Enabled The following items appear only when you set the CPU states to Enabled Enhanced C1 state Enabled This item allows your CPU to reduce power consumption when the system is in idle mode Configurati...

Page 89: ...rt Technology Configuration options Enabled Disabled The following items appear only when you set the Intel Rapid Start Technology to Enabled Entry on S3 RTC Wake Enabled The system automatically wakes up and set to Rapid Start Technology S3 mode Configuration options Enabled Disabled Entry After 0 This item allows you to set the RTC wake up timer at S3 entry The time ranges from 0 minute immediat...

Page 90: ...et to AHCI Mode when you want the SATA hard disk drives to use the AHCI Advanced Host Controller Interface The AHCI allows the onboard storage driver to enable advanced Serial ATA features that increases storage performance on random workloads by allowing the drive to internally optimize the order of commands RAID Mode Set to RAID Mode when you want to create a RAID configuration from the SATA har...

Page 91: ... DVI port audio Configuration options Off On Graphics Configuration This item allows you to select a primary display from CPU and PCIe graphical devices Primary Display Auto This item allows you to select the primary display from CPU and PCIe devices Configuration options Auto CPU Graphics PCIE PCI CPU Graphics Memory Auto This item allows you to empower both integrated and discrete graphics devic...

Page 92: ...RAM address remapping for 64 bit operating systems Configuration options Enabled Disabled 2 6 5 USB Configuration The items in this menu allow you to change the USB related features The Mass Storage Devices item shows the auto detected values If no USB device is detected the item shows None Legacy USB Support Enabled Enabled Your system supports the USB devices in legacy operating systems Disabled...

Page 93: ...ce the power saving feature of PCI Express and perform ASPM operations in the operating system Configuration options Disabled Enabled The following item appears only when you set the PCI Express Native Power Management to Enabled Native ASPM Disabled Enabled Windows Vista OS controls the ASPM active state power management support for devices Disabled BIOS controls the ASPM support for the device P...

Page 94: ...Scroll down to view the other BIOS items HD Audio Controller Enabled This item allows you to use the Azalia High Definition Audio Controller Configuration options Disabled Enabled The following items appear only when you set the HD Audio Controller to Enabled Front Panel Type HD Audio This item allows you to set the front panel audio connector AAFP mode to legacy AC 97 or high definition audio dep...

Page 95: ...ions IO 3F8h IRQ 4 IO 2F8h IRQ 3 IO 3E8h IRQ 4 IO 2E8h IRQ 3 2 6 8 APM Configuration ErP Ready Disabled This item allows you to switch off some power at S4 S5 or S5 to get the system ready for ErP requirement When set to Enabled all other PME options are switched off Configuration options Disabled Enabled S4 S5 Enabled S5 Restore AC Power Loss Power Off This item allows your system to go to ON sta...

Page 96: ...ns Disabled Enabled 2 6 10 Intel R Rapid Storage Technology Create RAID Volume This item allows you to create a RAID volume This item only appears when at least one HDD is connected to the Intel SATA ports and set to RAID mode Name Volume1 This item allows you to key in a volume name for your RAID setup Use only alphanumeric characters for your RAID volume name It should be 16 characters or less R...

Page 97: ... C xxx F The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the CPU motherboard PCH Core and SENSOR1 temperatures Select Ignore if you do not wish to display the detected temperatures 2 7 3 CPU Fan Speed xxxx RPM or Ignore N A CPU Optional Fan Speed xxxx RPM or Ignore N A Chassis Fan 1 4 Speed xxxx RPM or Ignore N A The onboard hardware monitor automatically detects and displays the C...

Page 98: ... for CPU Fan speed Configuration options Ignore 200 RPM 300 RPM 400 RPM 500 RPM 600 RPM CPU Fan Profile Standard This item allows you to set the appropriate performance level of the CPU fan Standard Set to make the CPU fan adjust automatically depending on the CPU temperature Silent Set to minimize the fan speed for quiet CPU fan operation Turbo Set to achieve maximum CPU fan speed Manual Set to a...

Page 99: ... 1 4 Q Fan Source DC Mode This item controls the assigned fan according to the selected temperature source Configuration options CPU MB VRM PCH Core T_SENSOR1 If you select T_SENSOR1 plug a thermistor cable to T_SENSOR1 header and stick the thermistor cable s head to the desired component as the temperature source Chassis Fan 1 4 Speed Low Limit 1 4 300 RPM This item allows you to disable or set t...

Page 100: ...sis fans lower temperature The values range from 20 to 75 Chassis Fan 1 4 Min Duty Cycle 60 Use the or keys to adjust the minimum chassis fan duty cycle The values range from 20 to 100 When the chassis temperature is under 40 C the chassis fan operates at the minimum duty cycle Allow Fan Stop Disabled This item allows your fans to run at 0 duty cycle when the temperature of the source drops below ...

Page 101: ...ed to SATA ports are available during POST This process extends the POST time Hard Drive Only Only hard drives connected to SATA ports are detected during POST Boot Drive Only Only boot drives connected to a SATA ports are detected during POST USB Support Partial Initialization Disabled All USB devices will not be available until OS boot up for a fastest POST time Full Initialization All USB devic...

Page 102: ...k driver during POST Next Boot after AC Power Loss Normal Boot Normal Boot Returns to normal boot on the next boot after an AC power loss Fast Boot Accelerates the boot speed on the next boot after an AC power loss 2 8 2 DirectKey DRCT Enabled Disabled Disables the DirectKey button The system will only power on or off when you press the DirectKey button Enabled Allows the system to power on and go...

Page 103: ...rupt 19 by the option ROMs Configuration options Disabled Enabled 2 8 8 Above 4G Decoding Disabled This item allows you to decode the 64 bit capable devices above 4G address space Ensure that your system supports 64 bit PCI decoding Configuration options Disabled Enabled 2 8 9 Setup Mode EZ Mode Advanced Mode This item allows you to go to Advanced Mode of the BIOS after POST EZ Mode This item allo...

Page 104: ...e the Windows Secure Boot settings and manage its keys to protect the system from unauthorized access and malwares during POST OS Type Windows UEFI Mode Windows UEFI Mode This item allows you to select your installed operating system Execute the Microsoft Secure Boot check Only select this option when booting on Windows UEFI mode or other Microsoft Secure Boot compliant OS Other OS Get the optimiz...

Page 105: ... KEK from your system Configuration options Yes No Load KEK from File This item allows you to load the downloaded KEK from a USB storage device Append KEK from File This item allows you to load the additional KEK from a storage device for an additional db and dbx loaded management The KEK file must be formatted as a UEFI variable structure with time based authenticated variable DB Management The d...

Page 106: ... dbx file must be formatted as a UEFI variable structure with time based authenticated variable 2 8 12 Boot Option Priorities These items specify the boot device priority sequence from the available devices The number of device items that appears on the screen depends on the number of devices installed in the system To access Windows OS in Safe Mode press F8 after POST Windows 8 not supported To s...

Page 107: ...re or load multiple BIOS settings Load from Profile This item allows you to load the previous BIOS settings saved in the BIOS Flash Key in the profile number that saved your BIOS settings press Enter and then select Yes DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS to prevent the system boot failure We recommend that you update the BIOS file only coming from the same memory CPU conf...

Page 108: ...rmation This item allows you to view the DRAM SPD information 2 10 Exit menu The Exit menu items allow you to load the optimal default values for the BIOS items and save or discard your changes to the BIOS items You can access the EZ Mode from the Exit menu ...

Page 109: ...ent 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 equi...

Page 110: ...out wheeled bin indicates that the battery should not be placed in municipal waste ASUS Recycling Takeback Services ASUS recycling and takeback programs come from our commitment to the highest standards for protecting our environment We believe in providing solutions for you to be able to responsibly recycle our products batteries other components as well as the packaging materials Please go to ht...

Page 111: ... the License You may obtain a copy of the License at http www apache org licenses LICENSE 2 0 Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing software distributed under the License is distributed on an AS IS BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND either express or implied See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License ...

Page 112: ...1 Fax 86 21 5866 8722 ext 9101 Online support http www asus com tw support ASUS COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL America Address 800 Corporate Way Fremont CA 94539 USA Telephone 1 510 739 3777 Fax 1 510 608 4555 Web site http www asus com us Technical Support Support fax 1 812 284 0883 Telephone 1 812 282 2787 Online support http www service asus com ASUS COMPUTER GmbH Germany and Austria Address Harkort St...

Page 113: ...01 489 24 V1 5 1 2010 09 EN 302 326 2 V1 2 2 2007 06 EN 302 326 3 V1 3 1 2007 09 EN 301 357 2 V1 4 1 2008 11 EN 302 291 1 V1 1 1 2005 07 EN 302 291 2 V1 1 1 2005 07 2006 95 EC LVD Directive EN 60950 1 A12 2011 EN 60065 2002 A12 2011 2009 125 EC ErP Directive Regulation EC No 1275 2008 Regulation EC No 642 2009 Regulation EC No 278 2009 Regulation EC No 617 2013 2011 65 EU RoHS Directive Ver 130816...

Page 114: ...A 6 Appendices ...