ASROCK FM2A88X-ITX User manual

User Manual

Version 1.1
Published September 2013
Copyright©2013 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.

Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................ 1
1.1 Package Contents ..................................................................... 1
 1.2 Specications............................................................................. 2
1.3 Unique Features ........................................................................ 6
1.4 WiFi-802.11n Module and ASRock WiFi 2.4/5GHz Antenna ..... 11
1.5 Motherboard Layout ................................................................. 13
1.6 I/O Panel .................................................................................. 15
2. Installation .................................................................. 17
Pre-installation Precautions ................................................................ 17
2.1 CPU Installation ......................................................................... 18
2.2 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink ...................................... 19
2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM) .................................... 20
2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI Express Slots)......................................... 22
2.5 Jumpers Setup........................................................................... 23
2.6 Onboard Headers and Connectors ....................................... 24
2.7 Dual Graphics Operation Guide ................................................ 28
2.8 Using the HDMI-In Port ............................................................. 30
3. Software and Utilities Operation............................... 33
3.1 Installing Drivers ........................................................................ 33
3.2 A-Tuning .................................................................................... 34
3.3 Qualcomm®Atheros®Security Wake On Internet Technology .. 38
3.4 Start8 ......................................................................................... 45
4. UEFI SETUP UTILITY.................................................. 48
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................ 48
4.1.1 UEFI Menu Bar................................................................ 48
4.1.2 Navigation Keys............................................................... 49
4.2 Main Screen............................................................................... 49
4.3 OC Tweaker Screen................................................................... 50
4.4 Advanced Screen ...................................................................... 53
  4.4.1 CPUConguration........................................................... 54
  4.4.2 NorthBridgeConguration .............................................. 55
  4.4.3 SouthBridgeConguration ............................................. 56
  4.4.4 StorageConguration...................................................... 57
  4.4.5 ACPIConguration.......................................................... 58
  4.4.6 USBConguration........................................................... 60
4.4.7 Trusted Computing .......................................................... 61

4.5 Tool ............................................................................................ 62
4.6 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen ............................... 65
4.7 Boot Screen ............................................................................... 66
4.8 Security Screen ......................................................................... 68
4.9 Exit Screen ................................................................................ 69

1
1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing ASRock FM2A88X-ITX+ motherboard, a reliable moth-
erboard 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 documentation, Chapter 1 and 2 contains the introduction of the motherboard
and step-by-step installation guides. Chapter 3 contains the operation guide of the
softwareandutilities.Chapter4containsthecongurationguideoftheBIOSsetup.
 Because the motherboard specications and the BIOS software might
be updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without
notice.Incaseanymodicationsofthismanualoccur,theupdatedver-
sion will be available on ASRock website without further notice. You may
ndthelatestVGAcardsand CPUsupportlistsonASRock website as
well. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com
If you require technical support related to this motherboard, please visit
ourwebsiteforspecicinformationaboutthemodelyouareusing.
www.asrock.com/support/index.asp
1.1 Package Contents
ASRock FM2A88X-ITX+ Motherboard (Mini-ITX Form Factor)
ASRock FM2A88X-ITX+ Quick Installation Guide
ASRock FM2A88X-ITX+ Support CD
2 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)
1 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5GHz Antenna
2 x SMA Wi-Fi Antenna Cables
1 x I/O Panel Shield
ASRock Reminds You...
To get better performance in Windows®8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit, it is
recommendedtosettheBIOSoptioninStorageCongurationtoAHCI
mode.

2
1.2 Specications
Platform - Mini-ITX Form Factor
- Premium Gold Capacitor design (100% Japan-made high-
quality conductive polymer capacitors)
A-Style - Home Cloud
- HDMI-In
CPU - Supports Socket FM2+ 95W / FM2 100W processors
- 4 + 2 Power Phase design
Chipset - AMD A88X (Bolton-D4)
Memory - Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology
- 2 x DDR3 DIMM Slots
- Supports DDR3 2400+(OC)/2133/1866/1600/1333/1066
non-ECC, un-buffered memory (see CAUTION 1)
- Max. capacity of system memory: 32GB (see CAUTION 2)
- Supports Intel®ExtremeMemoryProle(XMP)1.3/1.2
 -SupportsAMDMemoryProle(AMP)
Expansion Slot - 1 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE1 @ x16 mode)
* PCIE 3.0 is only supported with FM2+ CPU. With FM2
CPU, it only supports PCIE 2.0.
- 1 x Half/Full (mSATA) mini-PCI Express Slot
- Supports AMD Dual Graphics
Graphics - Integrated AMD Radeon HD 8000/7000 series graphics in
A-series APU
- DirectX 11.1, Pixel Shader 5.6 with FM2+ CPU. DirectX 11,
Pixel Shader 5.0 with FM2 CPU.
- Max. shared memory 2GB
 -ThreeVGAoutputoptions:D-Sub,DVI-DandHDMIPorts
- Supports Triple Monitor
- Supports HDMI Technology with max. resolution up to
1920x1200 @ 60Hz
 -SupportsDual-linkDVI-Dwithmax.resolutionupto
2560x1600 @ 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) (see CAUTION 3)
- Supports Blu-ray Stereoscopic 3D with HDMI Port
 -SupportsAMDSteadyVideoTM 2.0: New video post
processing capability for automatic jitter reduction on

3
home/online video
 -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
- TI®NE5532PremiumHeadsetAmplier(Supportsupto600
ohm headsets)
- Supports DTS Connect
LAN - PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s
- Qualcomm®Atheros®AR8171
- Supports Qualcomm®Atheros®Security Wake On Internet
Technology
- Supports Wake-On-LAN
 -SupportsEnergyEfcientEthernet802.3az
- Supports PXE
Wireless LAN - Supports IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n
- Supports Dual-Band (2.4/5 GHz)
- Supports High speed wireless connection up to 300Mbps
- 2 antennas to support 2 (Transmit) x 2 (Receive) MIMO
Technology
- Supports Bluetooth 4.0 Class II
Rear Panel I/O - 2 x Antenna Ports
- 1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port
- 1 x D-Sub Port
 -1xDVI-DPort
- 1 x HDMI-Out Port
- 1 x HDMI-In Port
- 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
- 4 x USB 2.0 Ports
- 1 x eSATA Connector
- 2 x USB 3.0 Ports (AMD A88X (Bolton-D4))
- 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 and RAID 10), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
- 1 x mSATA 6.0 Gb/s Connector (Solid-State Drive
connector), supports NCQ and AHCI

4
Connector - 1 x Chassis Intrusion Header
- 1 x TPM Header
- 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)
- 1 x Chassis Fan Connector (4-pin)
- 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector
 -1x4pin12VPowerConnector
- 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector
- 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports)
- 1 x USB 3.0 Header by AMD A88X (Bolton-D4)
(Supports 2 USB 3.0 ports)
BIOS Feature - 64Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with GUI support
- Supports “Plug and Play”
- ACPI 1.1 compliance wake up events
- Supports jumperfree
- SMBIOS 2.3.1 support
 -DRAM,VDDP,VDDRVoltagemulti-adjustment
Support CD -Drivers,Utilities,AntiVirusSoftware(TrialVersion),
CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, Google Chrome
Browser and Toolbar, Start8 (30 days trial)
Hardware - CPU temperature sensing
Monitor - Chassis temperature sensing
- CPU Fan Tachometer
- Chassis Fan Tachometer
- CPU/Chassis Quiet Fan
- CPU/Chassis Fan multi-speed control
- CASE OPEN detection
 -Voltagemonitoring:+12V,+5V,+3.3V,Vcore
OS - Microsoft® Windows®8.1 32-bit / 8.1 64-bit / 8 32-bit /
8 64-bit / 7 32-bit / 7 64-bit / XP 32-bit
Certications - 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

5
WARNING
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
affect 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.
CAUTION!
1. Whether 2400/2133/1866/1600MHz memory speed is support-
ed depends on the CPU you adopt. If you want to adopt DDR3
2400/2133/1866/1600 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 un-
der Windows®8 / 7. 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.
3. xvYCC and Deep Color are only supported under Windows®8
64-bit / 8 / 7 64-bit / 7. Deep Color mode will be enabled only
if the display supports 12bpc in EDID. HBR is supported under
Windows®8 64-bit / 8 / 7 64-bit / 7.

6
1.3 Unique Features
ASRock A-Tuning
A-Tuning is ASRock’s multi purpose software suite with a new
interface, more new features and improved utilities, including
XFast RAM, Dehumidier, Good Night LED, FAN-Tastic Tun-
ing, OC Tweaker and a whole lot more.
ASRock Instant Boot
ASRock Instant Boot allows you to turn on your PC in just a few
seconds, provides a much more efcient way to save energy,
time, money, and improves system running speed for your sys-
tem. It leverages the S3 and S4 ACPI features which normally
enable the Sleep/Standby and Hibernation modes in Windows®
toshortenbootuptime.BycallingS3andS4atspecictiming
during the shutdown and startup process, Instant Boot allows
you to enter your Windows®desktop in a few seconds.
ASRock Instant Flash
 ASRockInstantFlashisaBIOSashutilityembeddedinFlash
ROM. This convenient BIOS update tool allows you to update
system BIOS without entering operating systems rst like MS-
DOS or Windows®. With this utility, you can press the <F6> key
during the POST or the <F2> key to enter into the BIOS setup
menu to access ASRock Instant Flash. Just launch this tool and
savethe new BIOS letoyourUSB ash drive, oppydiskor
hard drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks
withoutpreparing anadditionaloppydiskette orothercompli-
cated ash utility. Please be noted that the USB ash drive or
harddrivemustuseFAT32/16/12lesystem.
ASRock APP Charger
If you desire a faster, less restricted way of charging your
Apple devices, such as iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, ASRock has
prepared a wonderful solution for you - ASRock APP Charger.
Simply install the APP Charger driver, it makes your iPhone
charge much quickly from your computer and up to 40% faster
than before. ASRock APP Charger allows you to quickly charge
many Apple devices simultaneously and even supports continu-
ous charging when your PC enters into

7
Suspend to RAM (S3), hibernation mode (S4) or power off (S5).
With APP Charger driver installed, you can easily enjoy the mar-
velous charging experience.
ASRock XFast USB
ASRock XFast USB can boost USB storage device perfor-
mance. The performance may depend on the properties of the
device.
ASRock XFast LAN
ASRock XFast LAN provides a faster internet access, which
includes the benefits listed below. LAN Application Prioritiza-
tion:Youcancongureyourapplication’spriorityideallyand/or
add new programs. Lower Latency in Game: After setting online
game’spriorityhigher,itcanlowerthelatencyingames.Trafc
Shaping: You can watch Youtube HD videos and download si-
multaneously. Real-Time Analysis of Your Data: With the status
window, you can easily recognize which data streams you are
transferring currently.
ASRock XFast RAM
ASRock XFast RAM is included in A-Tuning. It fully utilizes the
memory space that cannot be used under Windows® 32-bit
operating systems. ASRock XFast RAM shortens the loading
timeof previouslyvisitedwebsites, making websurngfaster
than ever. And it also boosts the speed of Adobe Photoshop 5
times faster. Another advantage of ASRock XFast RAM is that
it reduces the frequency of accessing your SSDs or HDDs in
order to extend their lifespan.
ASRock Crashless BIOS
ASRock Crashless BIOS allows users to update their BIOS
without fear of failing. If power loss occurs during the BIOS up-
dateprocess,ASRockCrashlessBIOSwill automaticallynish
the BIOS update procedure after regaining power. Please note
that BIOS les need to be placed in the root directory of your
USB disk. Only USB2.0 ports support this feature.

8
ASRock OMG (Online Management Guard)
Administrators are able to establish an internet curfew or restrict
internetaccessatspeciedtimesviaOMG.Youmayschedule
the starting and ending hours of internet access granted to other
users. In order to prevent users from bypassing OMG, guest
accounts without permission to modify the system time are re-
quired.
ASRock Internet Flash
ASRock Internet Flash searches for available UEFI firmware
updates from our servers. In other words, the system can auto-
detectthelatestUEFIfromourserversandashthemwithout
entering Windows®OS.
ASRock UEFI System Browser
ASRock UEFI system browser is a useful tool included in
graphical UEFI. It can detect the devices and configurations
that users are currently using in their PC. With the UEFI system
browser,youcaneasilyexaminethecurrentsystemcongura-
tion in UEFI setup.
ASRock UEFI Tech Service
Contact ASRock Tech Service by sending a support request
from the UEFI setup utility if you are having trouble with your
PC.
ASRock Dehumidier Function
Users may prevent motherboard damages due to dampness by
enabling “Dehumidier Function”. When enabling Dehumidier
Function, the computer will power on automatically to dehumidi-
fy the system after entering S4/S5 state.
ASRock Easy RAID Installer
ASRock Easy RAID Installer can help you to copy the RAID
driver from a support CD to your USB storage device. After
copying the RAID driver to your USB storage device, please
change “SATA Mode” to “RAID”, then you can start installing the
OS in RAID mode.

9
ASRock Easy Driver Installer
For users that don’t have an optical disk drive to install the
drivers from our support CD, Easy Driver Installer is a handy
tool in the UEFI that installs the LAN driver to your system via
an USB storage device, then downloads and installs the other
required drivers automatically.
ASRock Interactive UEFI
ASRock Interactive UEFI is a blend of system configuration
tools, cool sound effects and stunning visuals. The unprec-
edented UEFI provides a more attractive interface and brings a
lot more amusing.
ASRock Fast Boot
With ASRock’s exclusive Fast Boot technology, it takes less
than 1.5 seconds to logon to Windows®8 from a cold boot. No
more waiting! The speedy boot will completely change your user
experience and behavior.
ASRock X-Boost
Brilliantly designed for combo overclocking, ASRock X-Boost
Technology is able to unleash the hidden power of your CPUs.
Simply press “X” when turning on the PC, X-Boost will automati-
cally overclock the relative components to get up to 15.77%
performance boost! With the smart X-Boost, overclocking CPU
can become a near one-button process.
ASRock Restart to UEFI
Windows®8 brings the ultimate boot up experience. The light-
ning boot up speed makes it hard to access the UEFI setup. AS-
Rock Restart to UEFI technology is designed for those requiring
frequent UEFI access. It is included in ASRock’s exclusive all-
in-one A-Tuning tuning program that allows users to easily enter
the UEFI automatically when turning on the PC next time. Just
simply enable this function; the PC will be assured to access the
UEFI directly in the very beginning.

10
ASRock USB Key
In a world where time is money, why waste precious time
everyday typing usernames to log in to Windows? Why should
we even bother memorizing those foot long passwords? Just
plug in the USB Key and let your computer log in to windows
automatically!
ASRock FAN-Tastic Tuning
ASRock FAN-Tastic Tuning is included in A-Tuning. Congure
up to ve different fan speeds using the graph. The fans will
automatically shift to the next speed level when the assigned
temperature is met.

11
1.4 WiFi-802.11n Module and ASRock WiFi 2.4/5GHz Antenna
WiFi + BT Module
This motherboard comes with an exclusive WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n + BT v4.0
module that offers support for WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity standards
and Bluetooth v4.0. WiFi + BT module is an easy-to-use wireless local
area network (WLAN) adapter to support WiFi + BT. Bluetooth v4.0
standard features Smart Ready technology that adds a whole new class of
functionality into the mobile devices including Apple’s most recent iPhone.
BT 4.0 also includes Low Energy Technology and ensures extraordinary low
power consumption for PCs. The 2T2R WiFi solution sets a WiFi high speed
standard and offers max link rate up to 300Mbps. Compared to other 1T1R
WiFi motherboards with 150Mbps, ASRock’s 2T2R WiFi solution drives up
to 2X faster.
* The transmission speed may vary according to the environment.
* The WiFi + BT module is supported under Windows®8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-
bit only.
ASRock WiFi 2.4/5GHz Antenna
WiFi-802.11n Module

12
Installing the SMA Wi-Fi Antenna Cables and ASRock WiFi 2.4/5GHz
Antenna
Step 1
Prepare the SMA Wi-Fi Antenna Cables that
come with the package.
Step 2
Locate the WiFi Module that is installed on
the motherboard's half/full (mSATA) mini-
PCI Express slot. Then attach the SMA Wi-
Fi Antenna Cables to the WiFi Module.
Step3
Insert the RP-SMA Wi-Fi Antenna Connec-
tors to the antenna ports on the I/O shield.
Step 4
Fasten the screw nuts to secure the connec-
tors. Then connect ASRock WiFi 2.4/5GHz
Antenna to the antenna ports on the I/O
shield.

13
1.5 Motherboard Layout
ATXPWR1
DDR3_B1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDR3_A1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
PCIE1
AMD
A88X
(Bolton-D4)
Chipset
Front USB 3.0
Top:
CTR BASS
Center:
REAR SPK
Bottom:
Optical
SPDIF
Top:
LINE IN
Center:
FRONT
Bottom:
MIC IN
Top:
RJ-45
USB 3.0
T: USB2
B: USB3
USB 2.0
T: USB2
B: USB3
eSATA3_1
HD_AUDIO1
1
1
CLRCMOS1
64Mb
BIOS
RoHS
FM2A88X-ITX+
HDLED RESET
PLED PWRBTN
1
PANEL1
CHA_FAN1
USB_67
1
USB_45
CMOS
Battery
CI1
1
1
SATA3_2
SATA3_4
SATA3_1
SATA3_3
SATA3_6 SATA3_5
ATX12V1
SOCKET FM2b
USB 2.0
T: USB0
B: USB1
PS2
Keyboard
/Mouse
VGA1
DVI1
HDMI1
HDMI_IN1
TPMS1
1
CPU_FAN1
1
USB3_0_1
PCI Express 3.0
MINI_PCIE1(mSATA)
SPEAKER1
1
NUT2 NUT1
WiFi-802.11n+BT
Module

14
No. Description
1 TPM Header (TPMS1)
2 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)
3 Chassis Intrusion Header (CI1)
4 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)
5 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1)
6 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER1)
7 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots (DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1)
8 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)
9 System Panel Header (PANEL1)
10 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_0_1)
11 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_6)
12 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_5)
13 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_4)
14 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_3)
15 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_2)
16 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_1)
17 ATX12VPowerConnector(ATX12V1)
18 Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1)
19 USB 2.0 Header (USB_45)
20 USB 2.0 Header (USB_67)

15
10111213141516
1 2 3
75
46
9
8
1.6 I/O Panel
No. Description No. Description
1 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01)* 9 Microphone (Pink)
2 D-Sub Port 10 Optical SPDIF Out Port
3 USB 2.0 Ports (USB23)* 11 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_23)
(AMD A88X (Bolton-D4))
4 LAN RJ-45 Port** 12 eSATA Connector
5 Central / Bass (Orange) 13 HDMI-In Port
6 Rear Speaker (Black) 14 HDMI-Out Port
7 Line In (Light Blue) 15 DVI-DPort
8 Front Speaker (Lime)*** 16 PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port