ASROCK Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series User manual

Version 1.0
Published September 2014
Copyright©2014 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

e terms HDMI™ and HDMI High-Denition Multimedia Interface, and the HDMI
logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC in the United
States and other countries.
Manufactured under license under U.S. Patent Nos: 5,956,674; 5,974,380; 6,487,535;
7,003,467 & other U.S. and worldwide patents issued & pending. DTS, the Symbol, &
DTS and the Symbol together is a registered trademark & DTS Connect, DTS Interactive,
DTS Neo:PC are trademarks of DTS, Inc. Product includes soware.
© DTS, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Who knew that at age 19, I would be a World Champion PC gamer. When I was 13, I actually
played competitive billiards in professional tournaments and won four or ve games o guys
who played at the highest level. I actually thought of making a career of it, but at that young
age situations change rapidly. Because I’ve been blessed with great hand-eye coordination and
a grasp of mathematics (an important element in video gaming) I gravitated to that activity.
GOING PRO
I started professional gaming in 1999 when I entered the CPL (Cyberathlete Professional
League) tournament in Dallas and won $4,000 for coming in third place. Emerging as one
of the top players in the United States, a company interested in sponsoring me ew me to
Sweden to compete against the top 12 players in the world. I won 18 straight games, lost
none, and took rst place, becoming the number one ranked Quake III player in the world
in the process. Two months later I followed that success by traveling to Dallas and defending
my title as the world’s best Quake III player, winning the $40,000 grand prize. From there
I entered competitions all over the world, including Singapore, Korea, Germany, Australia,
Holland and Brazil in addition to Los Angeles, New York and St. Louis.
WINNING STREAK
I was excited to showcase my true gaming skills when defending my title as CPL
Champion of the year at the CPL Winter 2001 because I would be competing in a totally
dierent rst person shooter (fps) game, Alien vs. Predator II. I won that competition and
walked away with a new car. e next year I won the same title playing Unreal Tournament
2003, becoming the only three-time CPL champion of the year. And I did it playing a
different game each year, something no one else has ever done and a feat of which I am
extremely proud.
At QuakeCon 2002, I faced o against my rival ZeRo4 in one of the most highly
anticipated matches of the year, winning in a 14 to (-1) killer victory. Competing at Quakecon
2004, I became the World’s 1st Doom3 Champion by defeating Daler in a series of very
challenging matches and earning $25,000 for the victory.
Since then Fatal1ty has traveled the globe to compete against the best in the world, winning
prizes and acclaim, including the 2005 CPL World Tour Championship in New York City for
a $150,000 rst place triumph. In August 2007, Johnathan was awarded the rst ever Lifetime
Achievement Award in the four year history of the eSports-Award for “showing exceptional
sportsmanship, taking part in shaping eSports into what it is today and for being the prime
representative of this young sport. He has become the gurehead for eSports worldwide”.
Fatal1ty Story

LIVIN’ LARGE
Since my rst big tournament wins, I have been a “Professional Cyberathlete”, traveling the
world and livin’ large with lots of International media coverage on outlets such as MTV,
ESPN and a 60 Minutes segment on CBS to name only a few. It's unreal - it's crazy. I’m living
a dream by playing video games for a living. I’ve always been athletic and took sports like
hockey and football very seriously, working out and training hard. is discipline helps me
become a better gamer and my drive to be the best has opened the doors necessary to become
a professional.
A DREAM
Now, another dream is being realized – building the ultimate gaming computer, made
up of the best parts under my own brand. Quality hardware makes a huge difference in
competitions…a couple more frames per second and everything gets really nice. It’s all about
getting the computer processing faster and allowing more uid movement around the maps.
My vision for Fatal1ty hardware is to allow gamers to focus on the game without worrying
about their equipment, something I’ve preached since I began competing. I don’t want to
worry about my equipment. I want to be there – over and done with - so I can focus on
the game. I want it to be the fastest and most stable computer equipment on the face of the
planet, so quality is what Fatal1ty Brand products represent.
Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel
e Fatal1ty name, Fatal1ty logos and the Fatal1ty likeness are registered trademarks of Fatal1ty, Inc., and are used
under license. © 2014 Fatal1ty, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.

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English
Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series
DDR3_A2 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDR3_A1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDR3_B2 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDR3_B1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
ATX12V1
CPU_FAN1
Super
I/O
ATXPWR1
1
USB 3_ 4_5
CPU_FAN2
PCIE2
PCIE1
PCIE3
PLED1
1
HDLED RESET
PLED PWRBTN
PANEL1
1
1
USB6_7 USB4_5
1
COM1
1
CHA_FAN2
Z97M Killer
6
7
22 17
21
23
24
Purity
Sound 2
TM
1345
2
18
1920
25
1
HD_AUDIO1
CMOS
Battery
SATA3_ 0
SATA3_ 3
SATA3_ 2
SATA3_ 5
SATA3_ 1
SATA3_ 4
SATAE_ 1
9
11
13
14
10
12
CLRMOS1
1
T B1
1
CHA_FAN1
1
SPEAKER1
1
TPMS1
PCIE4
NUT1
NUT2NUT3NUT4
M2
PWR_FAN1
Killer
E2200
PCIE_PWR1
USB 2. 0
T: USB0
B:US B1
Top:
Central/Bass
Cen te r:
REA R SP K
Top:
LIN E IN
Cen te r:
FRO NT
Bot to m:
Opt ic al
SPD IF
Bot to m:
MIC I N
Top:
RJ-45
USB 3.0
T: USB2
B: USB3
PS2
Keyb oa rd
/Mou se
VGA1
DVI1
USB 3.0
T: USB0
B: USB1
HDMI1
USB 2.0
T: USB2
B: USB3
eSATA1
64Mb
BIOS
8
15
16
28
26
27
RoHS
Intel
Z97
Intel
Z97
FATAL TY 1
Motherboard Layout

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No. Description
1 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1)
2 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN2)
3 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)
4 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots (DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1)
5 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots (DDR3_A2, DDR3_B2)
6 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1)
7 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_4_5)
8 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_0)
9 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_3)
10 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_1)
11 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_4)
12 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_2)
13 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_5)
14 SATA Express Connector (SATAE_1)
15 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRMOS1)
16 underbolt AIC Connector (TB1)
17 Power LED Header (PLED1)
18 System Panel Header (PANEL1)
19 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)
20 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER1)
21 TPM Header (TPMS1)
22 USB 2.0 Header (USB4_5)
23 USB 2.0 Header (USB6_7)
24 PCIe Power Connector (PCIE_PWR1)
25 COM Port Header (COM1)
26 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN2)
27 Power Fan Connector (PWR_FAN1)
28 Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1)

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Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series
I/O Panel
No. Description No. Description
1 Fatal1ty Mouse Port (USB0) 10 Front Speaker (Lime)**
2 USB 2.0 Port (USB1) 11 Microphone (Pink)
3D-Sub Port 12 Optical SPDIF Out Port
4 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_01) 13 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_23)
5 USB 2.0 Ports (USB23) 14 eSATA Connector***
6 LAN RJ-45 Port* 15 HDMI Port
7 Central / Bass (Orange) 16 DVI-D Port
8 Rear Speaker (Black) 17 PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port
9 Line In (Light Blue)
11
12
13
14
15
2 3 854
7
10
9
1617
1
6

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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. 10)
Rear Speaker
(No. 8)
Central / Bass
(No. 7)
Line In
(No. 9)
2V -- -- --
4V V -- --
6V V V --
8V V V V
*** e eSATA connector supports SATA3 with cables within 1 meters.
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”, “6CH”, or “8CH” 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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Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series
Chapter 1 Introduction
ank you for purchasing ASRock Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series 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.
1.1 Package Contents
•ASRock Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series Motherboard (Micro ATX Form Factor)
•ASRock Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series Quick Installation Guide
•ASRock Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series Support CD
•2 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)
•1 x ASRock SLI_Bridge Card
•1 x I/O Shield
•1 x Screw for M.2_SSD (NGFF) Socket 3
Because the motherboard specications and the BIOS soware might be updated, the
content of this documentation will be subject to change without notice. In case any modi-
cations of this documentation occur, the updated version will be available on ASRock’s
website without further notice. If you require technical support related to this mother-
board, 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
•High Density Glass Fabric PCB
CPU •Supports 4th Gen & 5th Generation Intel® CoreTM Processors
(Socket 1150)
•Digi Power design
•8 Power Phase design
•Supports Intel® Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology
•Supports Intel® K-Series unlocked CPUs
•Supports ASRock BCLK Full-range Overclocking
Chipset •Intel® Z97
Memory •Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology
•4 x DDR3 DIMM Slots
•Supports DDR3 3000+(OC)/2933(OC)/2800(OC)/2400(OC)/
2133(OC)/1866(OC)/1600/1333/1066 non-ECC, un-buered
memory
•Max. capacity of system memory: 32GB
•Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Prole (XMP) 1.3 / 1.2
Expansion
Slot
•2 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slots (PCIE1/PCIE3: single at x16
(PCIE1); dual at x8 (PCIE1) / x8 (PCIE3))
•1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE4: x4 mode)
•1 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot
•Supports AMD Quad CrossFireXTM and CrossFireXTM
•Supports NVIDIA® Quad SLITM and SLITM

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Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series
Graphics •Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals and the VGA outputs can
be supported only with processors which are GPU integrated.
•Supports Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals : Intel® Quick
Sync Video with AVC, MVC (S3D) and MPEG-2 Full
HW Encode1, Intel® InTruTM 3D, Intel® Clear Video HD
Technology, Intel® InsiderTM, Intel® HD Graphics 4400/4600
•Pixel Shader 5.0, DirectX 11.1
•Max. shared memory 1792MB
•ree graphics output options: D-Sub, DVI-D and HDMI
•Supports Triple Monitor
•Supports HDMI with max. resolution up to 4K x 2K
(4096x2304) @ 24Hz
•Supports DVI-D with max. resolution up to 1920x1200 @
60Hz
•Supports D-Sub with max. resolution up to 1920x1200 @
60Hz
•Supports Auto Lip Sync, Deep Color (12bpc), xvYCC and
HBR (High Bit Rate Audio) with HDMI Port
(Compliant HDMI monitor is required)
•Supports HDCP with DVI-D and HDMI Ports
•Supports Full HD 1080p Blu-ray (BD) playback with DVI-D
and HDMI Ports
Audio •7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC1150
Audio Codec)
•Premium Blu-ray Audio support
•Supports Surge Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection)
•Supports Purity SoundTM 2
- Nichicon Fine Gold Series Audio Caps
- 115dB SNR DAC with Dierential Amplier
- TI® NE5532 Premium Headset Amplier (Supports up to
600 Ohm headsets)
- Direct Drive Technology
- EMI Shielding Cover
- PCB Isolate Shielding
•Supports DTS Connect

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LAN •PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s
•Qualcomm® Atheros® KillerTM E2200 Series
•Supports Qualcomm® Atheros® Security Wake On Internet
Technology
•Supports Wake-On-LAN
•Supports Lightning/ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike
Protection)
•Supports Energy Ecient Ethernet 802.3az
•Supports PXE
Rear Panel
I/O
•1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port
•1 x D-Sub Port
•1 x DVI-D Port
•1 x HDMI Port
•1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
•1 x eSATA Connector
•3 x USB 2.0 Ports (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full
Spike Protection))
•1 x Fatal1ty Mouse Port (USB 2.0) (Supports ESD Protection
(ASRock Full Spike Protection))
•4 x USB 3.0 Ports (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full
Spike Protection))
•1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED
LED)
•HD Audio Jacks: Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in /
Front Speaker / Microphone
Storage •6 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,
RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel Rapid Storage Technology
13 and Intel Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and
Hot Plug (SATA3_1 connector is shared with the eSATA port)
•1 x SATA Express Connector (shared with SATA3_4,
SATA3_5 and M.2 Socket)
*Support to be announced
•1 x eSATA Connector, supports RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1,
RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel Rapid Storage Technology 13 and
Intel Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
•1 x M.2_SSD (NGFF) Socket 3, supports M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s
module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen2 x2 (10 Gb/s)

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Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series
Connector •1 x COM Port Header
•1 x Chassis Intrusion Header
•1 x TPM Header
•1 x Power LED header
•2 x CPU Fan Connectors (1 x 4-pin, 1 x 3-pin)
•2 x Chassis Fan Connectors (1 x 4-pin, 1 x 3-pin)
•1 x Power Fan Connector (3-pin)
•1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector
•1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power
Connector)
•1 x PCIe Power Connector
•1 x Front Panel Audio Connector
•1 x underbolt AIC 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 (Supports 2 USB 3.0 ports) (Supports ESD
Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))
BIOS
Feature
•64Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with multilingual GUI support
•ACPI 1.1 Compliant wake up events
•SMBIOS 2.3.1 support
•CPU, DRAM, PCH 1.05V, PCH 1.5V Voltage multi-adjust-
ment
Hardware •CPU/Chassis temperature sensing
•CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer
•CPU/Chassis Quiet Fan (Auto adjust chassis fan speed by
CPU temperature)
•CPU/Chassis Fan multi-speed control
•CASE OPEN detection
•Voltage monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, CPU Vcore
OS •Microso® Windows® 10 64-bit / 8.1 32-bit / 8.1 64-bit / 8 32-
bit / 8 64-bit / 7 32-bit / 7 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 adjusting
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.
Due to limitation, the actual memory size may be less than 4GB for the reservation for sys-
tem usage under Windows® 32-bit operating systems. Windows® 64-bit operating systems
do not have such limitations. You can use ASRock XFast RAM to utilize the memory that
Windows® cannot use.

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Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series
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
components. 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
1. Before you insert the 1150-Pin CPU into the socket, please check if the PnP cap is on the
socket, if the CPU surface is unclean, or if there are any bent pins in the socket. Do not
force to insert the CPU into the socket if above situation is found. Otherwise, the CPU
will be seriously damaged.
2. Unplug all power cables before installing the CPU.
2
1
A
B

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Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series
4
5
3

14
English
Please save and replace the cover if the processor is removed. e cover must be placed if
you wish to return the motherboard for aer service.

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Fatal1ty Z97M Killer Series
2.2 Installing the CPU Fan and Heatsink
1 2
CPU_FAN

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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.