ASROCK H61M-VG3 User manual

1
H61M-VG3 /
H61M-VS3
User Manual
Version 1.0
Published October 2012
Copyright©2012 ASRock INC. All rights reserved.

2
Copyright Notice:
No part of this manual 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 manual may or may not be regis-
tered 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 manual are furnished for informa-
tional 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 manual.
With respect to the contents of this manual, ASRock does not provide warranty of
any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warran-
ties or conditions of merchantability or tness for a particular purpose.
In no event shall ASRock, its directors, of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 manual or product.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the fol-
lowing 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
The 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 Cali-
fornia, 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

3
Contents
1 Introduction ........................................................ 5
1.1 Package Contents ......................................................... 5
1.2 Specications ................................................................. 6
1.3 Unique Features ............................................................ 9
1.4 Motherboard Layout (H61M-VG3 / H61M-VS3) ............. 13
1.5 I/O Panel (H61M-VG3) ................................................ 14
1.6 I/O Panel (H61M-VS3) ................................................. 15
2 Installation .......................................................... 16
2.1 Screw Holes ................................................................... 16
2.2 Pre-installation Precautions ......................................... 16
2.3 CPU Installation ............................................................. 17
2.4 Installation of Heatsink and CPU fan ............................. 19
2.5 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM) ........................ 20
2.6 Expansion Slots (PCI Express Slots)................................. 21
2.7 Multi Monitor Feature ..................................................... 22
2.8 Jumpers Setup .......................................................... 24
2.9 Onboard Headers and Connectors ............................ 25
2.10 Serial ATA (SATA) / Serial ATA2 (SATA2) Hard Disks
Installation .................................................................. 29
2.11 Hot Plug Function for SATA / SATA2 HDDs .................. 29
2.12 SATA / SATA2 HDD Hot Plug Feature and Operation
Guide ......................................................................... 30
2.13 Driver Installation Guide ............................................ 32
2.14 Installing Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM /
VistaTM 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit Without RAID Functions . 32
2.14.1 Installing Windows® XP / XP 64-bit Without RAID
Functions............................................................ 32
2.14.2 Installing Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit /
VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit Without RAID Functions . 33
2.15 ASRock XFast 555 ..................................................... 34
2.15.1 ASRock XFast RAM ........................................... 35
2.15.2 ASRock XFast LAN ............................................ 38
2.15.3 ASRock XFast USB............................................ 42

4
3 UEFI SETUP UTILITY .......................................... 44
3.1 Introduction .................................................................... 44
3.1.1 UEFI Menu Bar .................................................... 44
3.1.2 Navigation Keys ................................................... 45
3.2 Main Screen ................................................................... 45
3.3 OC Tweaker Screen ...................................................... 47
3.4 Advanced Screen ........................................................... 51
3.4.1 CPU Conguration ............................................... 52
3.4.2 North Bridge Conguration................................... 54
3.4.3 South Bridge Conguration .................................. 55
3.4.4 Storage Conguration .......................................... 56
3.4.5 Intel(R) Rapid Start Technology ........................... 57
3.4.6 Intel(R) Smart Connect Technology ..................... 58
3.4.7 ACPI Conguration............................................... 59
3.4.8 USB Conguration ............................................... 60
3.5 Tool ................................................................................ 61
3.6 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen ................... 63
3.7 Boot Screen ................................................................... 64
3.8 Security Screen ............................................................. 66
3.9 Exit Screen .................................................................... 67
4 Software Support ............................................... 68
4.1 Install Operating System ................................................ 68
4.2 Support CD Information ................................................. 68
4.2.1 Running Support CD ............................................ 68
4.2.2 Drivers Menu ........................................................ 68
4.2.3 Utilities Menu........................................................ 68
4.2.4 Contact Information .............................................. 68

5
Chapter 1: Introduction
Thank you for purchasing ASRock H61M-VG3 / H61M-VS3 motherboard, a reli-
able motherboard produced under ASRock’s consistently stringent quality control. It
delivers excellent performance with robust design conforming to ASRock’s commit-
ment to quality and endurance.
In this manual, chapter 1 and 2 contain introduction of the motherboard and step-
by-step guide to the hardware installation. Chapter 3 and 4 contain the conguration
guide to BIOS setup and information of the Support CD.
Because the motherboard specications and the BIOS software might be
updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without no-
tice. In case any modications of this manual occur, the updated version
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 H61M-VG3 / H61M-VS3 Motherboard (Micro ATX Form Factor)
ASRock H61M-VG3 / H61M-VS3 Quick Installation Guide
ASRock H61M-VG3 / H61M-VS3 Support CD
2 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)
1 x I/O Panel Shield
ASRock Reminds You...
To get better performance in Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM /
VistaTM 64-bit, it is recommended to set the BIOS option in Storage Con-
guration to AHCI mode.

6
1.2 Specications
Platform - Micro ATX Form Factor
- All Solid Capacitor design (H61M-VG3)
- Solid Capacitor for CPU power (H61M-VS3)
CPU - Supports 3rd and 2nd Generation Intel® CoreTM i7 / i5 / i3 in
LGA1155 Package
- Supports Intel® Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology
- Supports K-Series unlocked CPU
Chipset - Intel® H61
- Supports Intel® Rapid Start Technology and Smart Connect
Technology
Memory - Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology
- 2 x DDR3 DIMM slots
- Supports DDR3 1600/1333/1066 non-ECC, un-buffered
memory (DDR3 1600 with Intel® Ivy Bridge CPU, DDR3
1333 with Intel® Sandy Bridge CPU)
- Max. capacity of system memory: 16GB (see CAUTION 1)
- Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Prole (XMP) 1.3 / 1.2 with
Intel® Ivy Bridge CPU
Expansion Slot - 1 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot (blue @ x16 mode)
* PCIE 3.0 is only supported with Intel® Ivy Bridge CPU. With
Intel® Sandy Bridge CPU, it only supports PCIE 2.0.
- 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slot
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 2.0, Intel® InTruTM 3D, Intel® Clear Video HD
Technology, Intel® InsiderTM, Intel® HD Graphics 2500/4000
with Intel® Ivy Bridge CPU
- Supports Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals: Intel® Quick
Sync Video, Intel® InTruTM 3D, Intel® Clear Video HD
Technology, Intel® HD Graphics 2000/3000, Intel® Advanced
Vector Extensions (AVX) with Intel® Sandy Bridge CPU
- Pixel Shader 5.0, DirectX 11 with Intel® Ivy Bridge CPU.
Pixel Shader 4.1, DirectX 10.1 with Intel® Sandy Bridge
CPU.
- Max. shared memory 1760MB with Intel® Ivy Bridge CPU.
Max. shared memory 1759MB with Intel® Sandy Bridge
CPU.

7
- Supports D-Sub with max. resolution up to 2048x1536 @
75Hz
Audio - 5.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC662 Audio Codec)
LAN - H61M-VG3
Realtek PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN RTL8111E,
speed 10/100/1000 Mb/s
- H61M-VS3
Realtek PCIE x1 LAN RTL8105E, speed 10/100 Mb/s
- Supports PXE
Rear Panel I/O I/O Panel
- 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port
- 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port
- 1 x VGA Port
- 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports
- 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED
LED)
- HD Audio Jack: Line in/Front Speaker/Microphone
Connector - 4 x SATA2 3.0 Gb/s connectors, support NCQ, AHCI and
Hot Plug functions
- 1 x Power LED header
- 1 x Chassis Intrusion header
- 1 x CPU Fan connectors (4-pin)
- 1 x Chassis Fan connector (3-pin)
- 24 pin ATX power connector
- 4 pin 12V power connector
- Front panel audio connector
- 2 x USB 2.0 headers (support 4 USB 2.0 ports)
BIOS Feature - 32Mb 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
Support CD - Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version),
CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, ASRock MAGIX
Multimedia Suite - OEM, Google Chrome Browser and
Toolbar
Hardware - CPU Temperature Sensing
Monitor - Chassis Temperature Sensing
- CPU Fan Tachometer
- Chassis Fan Tachometer

8
CAUTION!
1. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size
may be less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage
under Windows® 8 / 7 / VistaTM / XP. For Windows® OS with 64-
bit CPU, there is no such limitation. You can use ASRock XFast
RAM to utilize the memory that Windows® cannot use.
- CPU Quiet Fan (Allow Chassis Fan Speed Auto-Adjust by
CPU Temperature)
- CPU Fan Multi-Speed Control
- CASE OPEN detection
- Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, CPU Vcore
OS - Microsoft® Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM /
VistaTM 64-bit / XP / XP 64-bit compliant
Certications - FCC, CE, WHQL
* For detailed product information, please visit our website: http://www.asrock.com
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.

9
1.3 Unique Features
ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU)
ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU) is an all-in-one tool to
ne-tune different system functions in a user-friendly interface,
which includes Hardware Monitor, Fan Control and XFast RAM.
In Hardware Monitor, it shows the major readings of your sys-
tem. In Fan Control, it shows the fan speed and temperature for
you to adjust. In XFast RAM, it fully utilizes the memory space
that cannot be used under Windows® OS 32-bit CPU.
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.

10
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 Standby mode (S1),
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 a new function that is included into AS-
Rock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU). It fully utilizes the memory
space that cannot be used under Windows® OS 32-bit CPU.
ASRock XFast RAM shortens the loading time of previously
visited websites, making web surfing faster than ever. And it
also boosts the speed of Adobe Photoshop 5 times faster. An-
other advantage of ASRock XFast RAM is that it reduces the
frequency of accessing your SSDs or HDDs in order to extend
their lifespan.

11
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.
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. Please note that you must be running
on a DHCP congured computer in order to enable this function.
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 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.

12
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 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.
ASRock Good Night LED
ASRock Good Night LED technology can offer you a better en-
vironment by extinguishing the unessential LED. By enabling
Good Night LED in BIOS, the Power / HDD / LAN LED will be
switched off when system is on. Not only this, Good night LED
will automatically switch off Power and Keyboard LED when the
system enters into Standby / Hibernation mode as well.

13
1.3 Motherboard Layout (H61M-VG3 / H61M-VS3)
1 32Mb SPI Flash 11 Power LED Header (PLED1)
2 SATA2 Connector (SATA_1 (PORT 1)) 12 System Panel Header (PANEL1)
3 SATA2 Connector (SATA_0 (PORT 0)) 13 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)
4 SATA2 Connector (SATA_2 (PORT 4)) 14 Chassis Intrusion Header (CI1)
5 SATA2 Connector (SATA_3 (PORT 5)) 15 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE2)
6 USB 2.0 Header (USB6_7) 16 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE1)
7 USB 2.0 Header (USB4_5) 17 Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1)
8 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1) 18 1155-Pin CPU Socket
9 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 19 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)
(Dual Channel: DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1) 20 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1)
10 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1) 21 Intel H61 Chipset
DDR3_A1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDR3_B1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
Intel
H61
PCIE2
AUDIO
CODEC
32Mb
BIOS
ATXPWR1
ATX12V1
1
USB6_7
HDLED RESET
PLED PWRBTN
PANEL1
CLRCMOS1
1
PLED1
1
1
CHA_FAN1
CPU_FAN1
1
HD_AUDIO1
SATA_ 1 (PORT 1)
SATA_0 (PORT 0) SATA_2 (PORT 4)
1
USB4_5
SATA_ 3 (PORT 5)
CMOS
BATTERY
PCIE1
LAN
CI1
1
PS2
Keyboard
PS2
Mouse
VGA1
USB 2.0
T: USB0
B: USB1
Top:
RJ-45
USB 2.0
T: USB2
B: USB3
Top:
LINE IN
Center:
FRONT
Bottom:
MIC IN
DDR3
X
Fast RAM
XFast USB
XFast LAN
RoHS
1234567
10
89
11
12
14 13
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

14
1.4 I/O Panel (H61M-VG3)
1 PS/2 Mouse Port (Green) 6 USB 2.0 Ports (USB23)
* 2 LAN RJ-45 Port 7 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01)
3 Line In (Light Blue) 8 VGA Port
** 4 Front Speaker (Lime) 9 PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)
5 Microphone (Pink)
12
5
3
6
7
8
9
4
* There are two LED next to the LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED
indications.
LAN Port LED Indications
Activity/Link LED SPEED LED
Status Description Status Description
Off No Link Off 10Mbps connection
Blinking Data Activity Orange 100Mbps connection
On Link Green 1Gbps connection
ACT/LINK
LED
SPEED
LED
LAN Port
** To enable Multi-Streaming function, you need to connect a front panel audio cable to the front
panel audio header. Please refer to below steps for the software setting of Multi-Streaming.
For Windows® XP:
After restarting your computer, you will nd “Mixer” tool on your system. Please select “Mixer
ToolBox” , click “Enable playback multi-streaming”, and click “ok”. Choose “2CH” or
“4CH” and then you are allowed to select “Realtek HDA Primary output” to use Rear Speaker
and Front Speaker, or select “Realtek HDA Audio 2nd output” to use front panel audio. Then
reboot your system.
For Windows® 8 / 7 / VistaTM:
After restarting your computer, please double-click “Realtek HD Audio Manager” on the
system tray. Set “Speaker Conguration” to “Quadraphonic” or “Stereo”. Click “Device
advanced settings”, choose “Make front and rear output devices playbacks two different audio
streams simultaneously”, and click “ok”. Then reboot your system.

15
1.5 I/O Panel (H61M-VS3)
1 PS/2 Mouse Port (Green) 6 USB 2.0 Ports (USB23)
* 2 LAN RJ-45 Port 7 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01)
3 Line In (Light Blue) 8 VGA Port
** 4 Front Speaker (Lime) 9 PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)
5 Microphone (Pink)
12
5
3
6
7
8
9
4
** To enable Multi-Streaming function, you need to connect a front panel audio cable to the front
panel audio header. Please refer to below steps for the software setting of Multi-Streaming.
For Windows® XP:
After restarting your computer, you will nd “Mixer” tool on your system. Please select “Mixer
ToolBox” , click “Enable playback multi-streaming”, and click “ok”. Choose “2CH” or
“4CH” and then you are allowed to select “Realtek HDA Primary output” to use Rear Speaker
and Front Speaker, or select “Realtek HDA Audio 2nd output” to use front panel audio. Then
reboot your system.
For Windows® 8 / 7 / VistaTM:
After restarting your computer, please double-click “Realtek HD Audio Manager” on the
system tray. Set “Speaker Conguration” to “Quadraphonic” or “Stereo”. Click “Device
advanced settings”, choose “Make front and rear output devices playbacks two different audio
streams simultaneously”, and click “ok”. Then reboot your system.
* There are two LED next to the LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED
indications.
LAN Port LED Indications
Activity/Link LED SPEED LED
Status Description Status Description
Off No Link Off 10Mbps connection
Blinking Data Activity On 100Mbps connection
On Link
ACT/LINK
LED
SPEED
LED
LAN Port

16
Chapter 2: Installation
This 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.
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.
2.1 Screw Holes
Place screws into the holes indicated by circles to secure the motherboard to the
chassis.
Do not over-tighten the screws! Doing so may damage the motherboard.
2.2 Pre-installation Precautions
Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components
or change any motherboard settings.
1. Unplug the power cord from the wall socket before touching any component.
2. To avoid damaging the motherboard components due to static electricity,
NEVER place your motherboard directly on the carpet or the like. Also
remember to use a grounded wrist strap or touch a safety grounded object
before you handle components.
3. Hold components by the edges and do not touch the ICs.
4. Whenever you uninstall any component, place it on a grounded antistatic pad or
in the bag that comes with the component.
Before you install or remove any component, ensure that the power is
switched off or the power cord is detached from the power supply.
Failure to do so may cause severe damage to the motherboard, peripherals,
and/or components.

17
2.3 CPU Installation
For the installation of Intel 1155-Pin CPU,
please follow the steps below.
Before you insert the 1155-Pin CPU into the socket, please check if the
CPU surface is unclean or if there is any bent pin on the socket. Do not
force to insert the CPU into the socket if above situation is found. Other-
wise, the CPU will be seriously damaged.
Step 1. Open the socket:
Step 1-1. Disengaging the lever by depressing
down and out on the hook to clear
retention tab.
Step 1-2. Rotate the load lever to fully open po-
sition at approximately 135 degrees.
Step 1-3. Rotate the load plate to fully open po-
sition at approximately 100 degrees.
Step 2. Remove PnP Cap (Pick and Place Cap).
1. It is recommended to use the cap tab to handle and avoid kicking
off the PnP cap.
2. This cap must be placed if returning the motherboard for after
service.
1155-Pin Socket Overview
Contact Array Socket Body
Load Lever
Load Plate

18
Pin1
alignment key
alignment key
Pin1
1155-Pin CPU
1155-Pin Socket
Step 3. Insert the 1155-Pin CPU:
Step 3-1. Hold the CPU by the edge where is
marked with black line.
Step 3-2. Orient the CPU with IHS (Integrated
Heat Sink) up. Locate Pin1 and the
two orientation key notches.
For proper inserting, please ensure to match the two orientation key
notches of the CPU with the two alignment keys of the socket.
Step 3-3. Carefully place the CPU into the
socket by using a purely vertical mo-
tion.
Step 3-4. Verify that the CPU is within the sock-
et and properly mated to the orient
keys.
Step 4. Close the socket:
Step 4-1. Rotate the load plate onto the IHS.
Step 4-2. While pressing down lightly on load
plate, engage the load lever.
orientation key notch
orientation key notch
black line

19
1155-Pin Socket
2.4 Installation of CPU Fan and Heatsink
This motherboard is equipped with 1155-Pin socket that supports Intel 1155-Pin
CPU. Please adopt the type of heatsink and cooling fan compliant with Intel 1155-
Pin CPU to dissipate heat. Before you installed the heatsink, you need to spray
thermal interface material between the CPU and the heatsink to improve heat dis-
sipation. Ensure that the CPU and the heatsink are securely fastened and in good
contact with each other. Then connect the CPU fan to the CPU_FAN connector
(CPU_FAN1, see page 13, No. 19).
For proper installation, please kindly refer to the instruction manuals of your
CPU fan and heatsink.
Below is an example to illustrate the installation of the heatsink for 1155-Pin CPU.
Step 1. Apply thermal interface material onto center of
IHS on the socket surface.
Step 2. Place the heatsink onto the socket. Ensure
fan cables are oriented on side closest to the
CPU fan connector on the motherboard (CPU_
FAN1, see page 13, No. 19).
Step 3. Align fasteners with the motherboard through-
holes.
Step 4. Rotate the fastener clockwise, then press
down on fastener caps with thumb to install
and lock. Repeat with remaining fasteners.
If you press down the fasteners without rotating them clockwise, the
heatsink cannot be secured on the motherboard.
Step 5. Connect fan header with the CPU fan connector on the motherboard.
Step 6. Secure excess cable with tie-wrap to ensure cable does not interfere with
fan operation or contact other components.
Apply Thermal
Interface Material
Fan cables on side
closest to MB header
Fastener slots
pointing straight out
Press Down
(4 Places)

20
2.5 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)
This motherboard provides two 240-pin DDR3 (Double Data Rate 3) DIMM slots,
and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. For dual channel configuration,
you always need to install two identical (the same brand, speed, size and chip-
type) memory modules in the DDR3 DIMM slots to activate Dual Channel Memory
Technology. Otherwise, it will operate at single channel mode.
1. It is not allowed to install a DDR or DDR2 memory module into
DDR3 slot;otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be
damaged.
2. If you install only one memory module or two non-identical
memory modules, it is unable to activate the Dual Channel
Memory Technology.
3. Some DDR3 1GB double-sided DIMMs with 16 chips may not
work on this motherboard. It is not recommended to install them
on this motherboard.
notch
break
notch break
Installing a DIMM
Please make sure to disconnect power supply before adding or
removing DIMMs or the system components.
Step 1. Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the retaining clips outward.
Step 2. Align a DIMM on the slot such that the notch on the DIMM matches the
break on the slot.
The 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.
Step 3. Firmly insert the DIMM into the slot until the retaining clips at both ends
fully snap back in place and the DIMM is properly seated.