ASROCK 970M Pro3 User manual

970M Pro3970M Pro3
970M Pro3970M Pro3

Version 1.0
Published January 2015
Copyright©2015 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.
Copyright Notice:
No part of this documentation may be reproduced, transcribed, transmitted, or
translated in any language, in any form or by any means, except duplication of
documentation by the purchaser for backup purpose, without written consent of
ASRock Inc.
Products and corporate names appearing in this documentation may or may not
be registered trademarks or copyrights of their respective companies, and are used
only for identication or explanation and to the owners’ benet, without intent to
infringe.
Disclaimer:
Specications and information contained in this documentation are furnished for
informational use only and subject to change without notice, and should not be
constructed as a commitment by ASRock. ASRock assumes no responsibility for
any errors or omissions that may appear in this documentation.
With respect to the contents of this documentation, ASRock does not provide
warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to
the implied warranties or conditions of merchantability or tness for a particular
purpose.
In no event shall ASRock, its directors, ocers, employees, or agents be liable for
any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages (including damages for
loss of prots, loss of business, loss of data, interruption of business and the like),
even if ASRock has been advised of the possibility of such damages arising from any
defect or error in the documentation or product.
is device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
CALIFORNIA, USA ONLY
e Lithium battery adopted on this motherboard contains Perchlorate, a toxic substance
controlled in Perchlorate Best Management Practices (BMP) regulations passed by the
California Legislature. When you discard the Lithium battery in California, USA, please
follow the related regulations in advance.
“Perchlorate Material-special handling may apply, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate”
ASRock Website: http://www.asrock.com

Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1 Package Contents 1
1.2 Specications 2
1.3 Motherboard Layout 6
1.4 I/O Panel 8
Chapter 2 Installation 10
2.1 Installing the CPU 11
2.2 Installing the CPU Fan and Heatsink 13
2.3 Installing Memory Modules (DIMM) 14
2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots) 16
2.5 Jumpers Setup 17
2.6 Onboard Headers and Connectors 18
2.7 CrossFireXTMand Quad CrossFireXTM Operation Guide 22
2.7.1 Installing Two CrossFireXTM-Ready Graphics Cards 22
2.7.2 Driver Installation and Setup 24
Chapter 3 Software and Utilities Operation 25
3.1 Installing Drivers 25
3.2 ASRock EXTREME TUNING UTILITY 26
3.3 ASRock APP Shop 31
3.3.1 UI Overview 31
3.3.2 Apps 32
3.3.3 BIOS & Drivers 35

3.3.4 Setting 36
3.4 Start8 37
Chapter 4 UEFI SETUP UTILITY 40
4.1 Introduction 40
4.1.1 UEFI Menu Bar 40
4.1.2 Navigation Keys 41
4.2 Main Screen 42
4.3 OC Tweaker Screen 43
4.4 Advanced Screen 47
4.4.1 CPU Conguration 48
4.4.2 North Bridge Conguration 50
4.4.3 South Bridge Conguration 51
4.4.4 Storage Conguration 52
4.4.5 Super IO Conguration 54
4.4.6 ACPI Conguration 55
4.4.7 USB Conguration 57
4.4.8 Trusted Computing 58
4.5 Tools 59
4.6 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen 62
4.7 Boot Screen 63
4.8 Security Screen 66
4.9 Exit Screen 67

970M Pro3
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Chapter 1 Introduction
ank you for purchasing ASRock 970M Pro3 motherboard, a reliable motherboard
produced under ASRock’s consistently stringent quality control. It delivers excellent
performance with robust design conforming to ASRock’s commitment to quality
and endurance.
In this manual, Chapter 1 and 2 contains the introduction of the motherboard
and step-by-step installation guides. Chapter 3 contains the operation guide of the
soware and utilities. Chapter 4 contains the conguration guide of the BIOS setup.
1.1 Package Contents
•ASRock 970M Pro3 Motherboard (Micro ATX Form Factor)
•ASRock 970M Pro3 Quick Installation Guide
•ASRock 970M Pro3 Support CD
•2 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)
•1 x I/O Panel Shield
Because the motherboard specications and the BIOS soware might be updated, the
content of this manual will be subject to change without notice. In case any modica-
tions of this manual occur, the updated version will be available on ASRock’s website
without further notice. If you require technical support related to this motherboard,
please visit our website for specic information about the model you are using. You
may nd the latest VGA cards and CPU support list on ASRock’s website as well.
ASRock website http://www.asrock.com.

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1.2 Specications
Platform •Micro ATX Form Factor
•Solid Capacitor design
•High Density Glass Fabric PCB
CPU •Supports Socket AM3+ processors
•Supports Socket AM3 processors: AMD PhenomTM II X6
/ X4 / X3 / X2 (except 920 / 940) / Athlon II X4 / X3 / X2 /
Sempron processors
•Supports 8-Core CPU
•Supports UCC feature (Unlock CPU Core)
•4 + 1 Power Phase design
•Supports CPU up to 140W
•Supports AMD's Cool 'n' Quiet Technology
•FSB 2400 MHz (4.8 GT/s)
•Supports Untied Overclocking Technology
•Supports Hyper-Transport 3.0 (HT 3.0) Technology
Chipset •Northbridge: AMD 970
•Southbridge: AMD SB950
Memory •Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology
•4 x DDR3 DIMM Slots
•Supports DDR3 2400+(OC)/2100(OC)/1866(OC)/1800
(OC)/1600(OC)/1333/1066 non-ECC, un-buered memory
(see CAUTION1)
•Max. capacity of system memory: 64GB (see CAUTION2)
•Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Prole (XMP) 1.3 / 1.2
•Supports AMD Memory Prole Technology (AMP) up to
AMP 2400
Expansion
Slot
•2 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slots (PCIE2: x16 mode; PCIE3: x4
mode)
•1 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot
•1 x PCI Slot
•Supports AMD Quad CrossFireXTM and CrossFireXTM

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Audio •7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892
Audio Codec)
*To congure 7.1 CH HD Audio, it is required to use an HD
front panel audio module and enable the multi-channel audio
feature through the audio driver.
•Premium Blu-ray Audio support
•Supports Surge Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection)
•ELNA Audio Caps
LAN •PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s
•Realtek RTL8111E
•Supports Wake-On-LAN
•Supports Lightning/ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike
Protection)
•Supports LAN Cable Detection
•Supports Energy Ecient Ethernet 802.3az
•Supports PXE
Rear Panel
I/O
•1 x PS/2 Mouse Port
•1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port
•6 x USB 2.0 Ports (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full
Spike Protection))
•2 x USB 3.0 Ports (Etron EJ188H) (Supports ESD Protection
(ASRock Full Spike Protection))
•1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED
LED)
•HD Audio Jacks: Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone
Storage •6 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,
RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
Connector •1 x IR Header
•1 x TPM Header
•1 x Power LED Header
•1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)
•1 x Chassis Fan Connector (4-pin)
•1 x Power Fan Connector (3-pin)
•1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector

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•1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector
•1 x Front Panel Audio Connector
•2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports) (Supports ESD
Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))
•1 x USB 3.0 Header by Etron EJ188H (Supports 2 USB
3.0 ports) (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike
Protection))
BIOS
Feature
•32Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with with GUI support
•Supports “Plug and Play”
•ACPI 1.1 Compliant wake up events
•Supports jumperfree
•SMBIOS 2.3.1 support
•CPU, VCCM, NB Voltage multi-adjustment
Hardware
Monitor
•CPU/Chassis temperature sensing
•CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer
•CPU/Chassis Quiet Fan (Auto adjust fan speed by CPU tem-
perature)
•CPU/Chassis Fan multi-speed control
•Voltage monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, CPU Vcore Voltage
OS •Microso® Windows® 8.1 32-bit / 8.1 64-bit / 8 32-bit / 8 64-
bit / 7 32-bit / 7 64-bit / VistaTM 32-bit / VistaTM 64-bit / XP
32-bit / XP 64-bit
Certica-
tions
•FCC, CE, WHQL
•ErP/EuP ready (ErP/EuP ready power supply is required)
* For detailed product information, please visit our website: http://www.asrock.com

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Please realize that there is a certain risk involved with overclocking, including adjust-
ing the setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking Technology, or using third-
party overclocking tools. Overclocking may aect your system’s stability, or even cause
damage to the components and devices of your system. It should be done at your own
risk and expense. We are not responsible for possible damage caused by overclocking.
1. Whether 2400/2100MHz memory speed is supported depends on the AM3/AM3+
CPU you adopt. If you want to adopt DDR3 2400/2100 memory module on this
motherboard, please refer to the memory support list on our website for the compatible
memory modules. ASRock website: http://www.asrock.com
2. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be less than 4GB
for the reservation for system usage under Windows® 32-bit OS. For Windows® 64-bit
OS with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limitation. You can use ASRock XFast RAM to
utilize the memory that Windows® cannot use.

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1.3 Motherboard Layout
FSB800
DDR3_A1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDR3_A2 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
FSB800
DDR3_B1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDR3_B2 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
AMD
SB950
Chipset
32Mb
BIOS
CMOS
BATTERY
CLRCMOS1
1
Super
I/O
PCIE1
HDLED RESET
PLED PWRBTN
1
PANEL1
SPEAKER1
1
PCIE2
1
PLED1
PS2
Mouse
PS2
Keyboard
Top:
RJ-45
USB 2.0
T: USB0
B: USB1
RoHS
USB3_2 _3
SOCKET AM3b
AMD
970
Chipset
ATX12V2
USB 2.0
T: USB2
B: USB3
LAN
USB_8_9
1
Top:
LINE I N
Center:
FRON T
Bottom:
MIC IN
5
6
7
8
9
10
14 13
15
16
11
21 19
24
3
1
1718
PCIE3
PCI1
USB 2.0
T: USB0
B: USB1
USB 3.0
T: USB0
B: USB1
USB_10_11
1
12
22
23
HD_AUDIO1
1
IR1
CPU_FAN1
Front USB 3.0
SATA3_1
SATA3 _3
SATA3_2
1
PWR_FAN1
CHA_FAN1
SATA3 _5
SATA3 _4 SATA3 _6
Audio
CODEC
970M Pro3
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TPMS1
20

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No. Description
1 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V2)
2 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)
3 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots (DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1)
4 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots (DDR3_A2, DDR3_B2)
5 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1)
6 Power Fan Connector (PWR_FAN1)
7 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_5)
8 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_6)
9SATA3 Connector (SATA3_4)
10 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_3)
11 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_1)
12 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_2)
13 System Panel Header (PANEL1)
14 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER1)
15 Power LED Header (PLED1)
16 USB 2.0 Header (USB_8_9)
17 USB 2.0 Header (USB_10_11)
18 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)
19 Infrared Module Header (IR1)
20 TPM Header (TPMS1)
21 Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1)
22 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_2_3)
23 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)

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1.4 I/O Panel
No. Description No. Description
1 PS/2 Mouse Port 8 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_0_1)
2 LAN RJ-45 Port* 9 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01)
3 Line In (Light Blue) 10 USB 2.0 Ports (USB_0_1)
4 Front Speaker (Lime)** 11 USB 2.0 Ports (USB_2_3)
5Microphone (Pink) 12 PS/2 Keyboard Port
1
9 78 510 6
4
3
2

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* ere are two LEDs on each LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED indications.
Activity / Link LED Speed LED
Status Description Status Description
O No Link O 10Mbps connection
Blinking Data Activity Orange 100Mbps connection
On Link Green 1Gbps connection
** If you use a 2-channel speaker, please connect the speaker’s plug into “Front Speaker Jack”. See the table below
for connection details in accordance with the type of speaker you use.
Audio Output
Channels
Front Speaker
(No. 4)
Line in
(No. 3)
Microphone
(No. 5)
Front Panel
Headphone
2V -- -- --
4V V -- --
6V V V --
8V V V V
To enable Multi-Streaming, you need to connect a front panel audio cable to the front
panel audio header. Aer restarting your computer, you will nd the “Mixer” tool on your
system. Please select “Mixer ToolBox” , click “Enable playback multi-streaming”, and
click “ok”. Choose “2CH”, “4CH”, or “6CH” and then you are allowed to select “Realtek
HDA Primary output” to use the Rear Speaker, Central/Bass, and Front Speaker, or select
“Realtek HDA Audio 2nd output” to use the front panel audio.
ACT/LINK LED
SPEED LED
LAN Port

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is is a Micro ATX form factor motherboard. Before you install the motherboard,
study the conguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard ts into it.
Pre-installation Precautions
Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components
or change any motherboard settings.
•Make sure to unplug the power cord before installing or removing the motherboard.
Failure to do so may cause physical injuries to you and damages to motherboard
components.
•In order to avoid damage from static electricity to the motherboard’s components,
NEVER place your motherboard directly on a carpet. Also remember to use a grounded
wrist strap or touch a safety grounded object before you handle the components.
•Hold components by the edges and do not touch the ICs.
•Whenever you uninstall any components, place them on a grounded anti-static pad or
in the bag that comes with the components.
•When placing screws to secure the motherboard to the chassis, please do not over-
tighten the screws! Doing so may damage the motherboard.
Chapter 2 Installation

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2.1 Installing the CPU
Unplug all power cables before installing the CPU.
2
1

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3

970M Pro3
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2.2 Installing the CPU Fan and Heatsink
Aer you install the CPU into this motherboard, it is necessary to install a larger
heatsink and cooling fan to dissipate heat. You also need to spray thermal grease
between the CPU and the heatsink to improve heat dissipation. Make sure that the
CPU and the heatsink are securely fastened and in good contact with each other.
en connect the CPU fan to the CPU FAN connector. For proper installation,
please kindly refer to the instruction manuals of the CPU fan and the heatsink.

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2.3 Installing Memory Modules (DIMM)
is motherboard provides four 240-pin DDR3 (Double Data Rate 3) DIMM slots,
and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology.
Dual Channel Memory Conguration
e DIMM only ts in one correct orientation. It will cause permanent damage to
the motherboard and the DIMM if you force the DIMM into the slot at incorrect
orientation.
Priority DDR3_A1 DDR3_A2 DDR3_B1 DDR3_B2
1Populated Populated
2Populated Populated
3Populated Populated Populated Populated
1. For dual channel conguration, you always need to install identical (the same
brand, speed, size and chip-type) DDR3 DIMM pairs.
2. It is unable to activate Dual Channel Memory Technology with only one or three
memory module installed.
3. It is not allowed to install a DDR or DDR2 memory module into a DDR3 slot;
otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be damaged.
4. Please install the memory module into DDR3_A2 and DDR3_B2 slots for the rst
priority.
5. If you adopt DDR3 2400/2100 memory modules on this motherboard, it is recom-
mended to install them on DDR3_A2 and DDR3_B2 slots.

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1
2
3

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2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots)
ere is 1 PCI slot and 3 PCI Express slots on the motherboard.
PCI slot:
e PCI1 slot is used to install expansion cards that have 32-bit PCI interface.
PCIe slots:
PCIE1 (PCIe 2.0 x1 slot) is used for PCI Express x1 lane width cards.
PCIE2 (PCIe 2.0 x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x16 lane width graphics cards.
PCIE3 (PCIe 2.0 x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x4 lane width cards.
PCIe Slot Congurations
PCIE2 PCIE3
Single Graphics Card x16 N/A
Two Graphics Cards in
CrossFireXTM Mode x16 x4
For a better thermal environment, please connect a chassis fan to the motherboard’s
chassis fan connector (CHA_FAN1) when using multiple graphics cards.
Before installing an expansion card, please make sure that the power supply is
switched o or the power cord is unplugged. Please read the documentation of the
expansion card and make necessary hardware settings for the card before you start
the installation.