ASROCK X99 Taichi User manual

Version 1.0
Published June 2016
Copyright©2016 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

AUSTRALIA ONLY
Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer
Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for
any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage caused by our goods. You are also entitled
to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the
failure does not amount to a major failure. If you require assistance please call ASRock Tel
: [phone] ext.123 (Standard International call charges apply)
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.

English
PB
1
X99 Taichi
Motherboard Layout
Intel
X99
ATX12V1
ATXPWR1
1
USB3_1_2
LAN
LAN
PCIE2
Top:
Central/Bass
Center:
REAR SPK
Top:
LINE IN
Center:
FRONT
Bottom:
Optical
SPDIF
Bottom:
MIC IN
PCIE4
HDLED RESET
PLED PWRBTN
PANEL1
1
USB5_6
11
USB3_4
COM1
1
1
HD_AUDIO1
X99
Taichi
PCIE5
SATA3_0_3
SATA3_1_4
SATA3_2_5
PCIE3
CPU_FAN1
CPU_OPT/W_PUMP
RoHS
8
10
11
9
14
15
16
17
18
19202227
CLRC
BTN1
Top:
RJ-45
USB 3.0
T: USB3
B: USB4
SSATA3_0_1
SSATA3_3 SSATA3_2
347
DDR4_A2 (64 bit, 288-pin module)
DDR4_A1 (64 bit, 288-pin module)
DDR4_B2 (64 bit, 288-pin module)
DDR4_B1 (64 bit, 288-pin module)
2
1
25 23
24
Purity
Sound 3
TM
BIOS_B_LED
BIOS_B1
BIOS BIOS
BIOS_A1
BIOS_LED_A_B
1
TPMS1
CMOS
Battery
CLRMOS1
1
M2_WIFI
CHA_FAN2
CHA_FAN3
CHA_FAN1
26 21
12
13
28
M2
CT5NUT2_0NUT2_1NUT2_2NUT2_3
DDR4_D1 (64 bit, 288-pin module)
DDR4_D2 (64 bit, 288-pin module)
DDR4_C1 (64 bit, 288-pin module)
DDR4_C2 (64 bit, 288-pin module)
6
5
2011-3 Socket
Dr.
Debug
BIOS_SEL1
AB
PCIE1
USB 2.0
T: USB1
B: USB2
PS2
Keyboard
/Mouse
Top:
RJ-45
USB 2.0
T: USB7
USB 3.0
B: USB5
SATAE _1
Ultra M.2
PCIe Gen3 x4
1
SPK_PLED1
M2
NUT1_0NUT1_1NUT1_2NUT1_3
USB 3.1
T: USB31_TA_1
B: USB31_TC_1

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No. Description
1 2 x 288-pin DDR4 DIMM Slots (DDR4_A1, DDR4_B1)
2 2 x 288-pin DDR4 DIMM Slots (DDR4_A2, DDR4_B2)
3 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1)
4 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)
5 2 x 288-pin DDR4 DIMM Slots (DDR4_D2, DDR4_C2)
6 2 x 288-pin DDR4 DIMM Slots (DDR4_D1, DDR4_C1)
7 CPU Optional/Water Pump Fan Connector (CPU_OPT/W_PUMP)
8 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1)
9 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN3)
10 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_1_2)
11 SATA3 Connectors (SSATA3_3)
12 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN2)
13 SATA3 Connectors (SSATA3_2)
14 SATA3 Connectors (SSATA3_0_1)
15 SATA3 Connectors (SATA3_0_3)
16 SATA3 Connectors (SATA3_1_4)
17 SATA3 Connectors (SATA3_2_5)
18 SATA Express Connector (SATAE_1)
19 USB 2.0 Header (USB3_4)
20 USB 2.0 Header (USB5_6)
21 COM Port Header (COM1)
22 TPM Header (TPMS1)
23 System Panel Header (PANEL1)
24 Power LED and Speaker Header (SPK_PLED1)
25 BIOS Selection Switch (BIOS_SEL1)
26 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)
27 Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1)
28 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)

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X99 Taichi
I/O Panel
No. Description No. Description
1 USB 2.0 Ports (USB12) 10 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_34)
2 LAN RJ-45 Port 11 USB 2.0 Port (USB7)
(Intel® I211AT)* 12 USB 3.0 Port (USB3_5)
3 LAN RJ-45 Port 13 USB 3.1 Type-A Port (USB31_TA_1)
(Intel® I218V)* (ASMedia ASM1142)
4 Central / Bass (Orange) 14 USB 3.1 Type-C Port (USB31_TC_1)
5 Rear Speaker (Black) (ASMedia ASM1142)
6 Line In (Light Blue) 15 Clear CMOS Switch
7 Front Speaker (Lime)** 16 Antenna Ports
8Microphone (Pink) 17 PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port
9 Optical SPDIF Out Port
CAUTION:
For operating system installation, be sure to plug your USB ash drive into the USB 2.0
Ports (USB12).
1
17 891011
12
13
14
1516
32 5
4
7
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. 7)
Rear Speaker
(No. 5)
Central / Bass
(No. 4)
Line In
(No. 6)
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”, “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
Chapter 1 Introduction
ank you for purchasing ASRock X99 Taichi 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 X99 Taichi Motherboard (ATX Form Factor)
• ASRock X99 Taichi Quick Installation Guide
• ASRock X99 Taichi Support CD
• 1 x I/O Panel Shield
• 1 x ASRock SLI_HB_Bridge_2S Card (Optional)
• 1 x ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card (Optional)
• 1 x ASRock 3-Way SLI-2S1S Bridge Card (Optional)
• 4 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)
• 2 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antennas (Optional)
• 2 x Screws for Ultra M.2 Socket (Optional)

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X99 Taichi
Chapter 1 Introduction
ank you for purchasing ASRock X99 Taichi 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 X99 Taichi Motherboard (ATX Form Factor)
• ASRock X99 Taichi Quick Installation Guide
• ASRock X99 Taichi Support CD
• 1 x I/O Panel Shield
• 1 x ASRock SLI_HB_Bridge_2S Card (Optional)
• 1 x ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card (Optional)
• 1 x ASRock 3-Way SLI-2S1S Bridge Card (Optional)
• 4 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)
• 2 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antennas (Optional)
• 2 x Screws for Ultra M.2 Socket (Optional)
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 • ATX Form Factor
• 8 Layer PCB
• 4 x 2oz Copper
CPU • Supports Intel® CoreTM i7 and Xeon® 18-Core Processors
Family for the LGA 2011-3 Socket
• Digi Power design
• 12 Power Phase design
• Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0
* Intel® CoreTM i7-59xx/58xx processors only support Intel®
Turbo Boost Max Technology 2.0.
• Supports Untied Overclocking Technology
Chipset • Intel® X99
Memory • Quad Channel DDR4 Memory Technology
• 8 x DDR4 DIMM Slots
• Supports DDR4 3300+(OC)*/2933(OC)/2800(OC)/2400
(OC)/2133 non-ECC, un-buered memory
* Please refer to Memory Support List on ASRock's website for
more information. (http://www.asrock.com/)
• Supports non-ECC RDIMM (Registered DIMM)
• Supports DDR4 ECC, un-buered memory/RDIMM with
Intel® Xeon® processors E5 series in the LGA 2011-3 Socket
• Max. capacity of system memory: 128GB
• Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Prole (XMP) 2.0
• 15μ Gold Contact in DIMM Slots
Expansion
Slot
• 3 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slots (PCIE2 @ x16 mode; PCIE4 @
x16 mode; PCIE5 @ x0 mode) (PCIE2 @ x16 mode; PCIE4 @
x8 mode; PCIE5 @ x8 mode)
* If you install CPU with 28 lanes, PCIE2/PCIE4/PCIE5 will
run at x16/x0/x8 or x8/x8/x8.
* Supports NVMe SSD as boot disks
• 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slots

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X99 Taichi
• Supports AMD Quad CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireXTM
and CrossFireXTM
• Supports NVIDIA® Quad SLITM, 3-Way SLITM and SLITM
• 1 x Vertical M.2 Socket (Key E), supports type 2230 WiFi/BT
module
* e M.2 socket does not support SATA M.2 SSDs.
• 15μ Gold Contact in VGA PCIe Slot (PCIE2 and PCIE4)
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 3
- 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)
- Pure Power-In
- Direct Drive Technology
- PCB Isolate Shielding
• Supports DTS Connect
LAN • Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s
• 1 x Giga PHY Intel® I218V, 1 x GigaLAN Intel® I211AT
• Supports Wake-On-LAN
• Supports Lightning/ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike
Protection)
• Supports Dual LAN with Teaming
* Windows® 10 is not supported.
• Supports Energy Ecient Ethernet 802.3az
• Supports PXE
Wireless
LAN
• Supports IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
• Supports Dual-Band (2.4/5 GHz)
• Supports high speed wireless connections up to 433Mbps
• Supports Bluetooth 4.0 / 3.0 + High speed class II
Rear Panel
I/O
• 1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port
• 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port

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• 3 x USB 2.0 Ports (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full
Spike Protection))
• 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A Port (10 Gb/s) (ASMedia ASM1142)
(Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))
• 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s) (ASMedia ASM1142)
(Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))
• 3 x USB 3.0 Ports (Intel® X99) (Supports ESD Protection
(ASRock Full Spike Protection))
• 2 x RJ-45 LAN Ports with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED
LED)
• 1 x Clear CMOS Switch
• HD Audio Jacks: Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in /
Front Speaker / Microphone
Storage • 10 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors, support RAID (RAID 0,
RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel Rapid Storage Technology
13), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
* SSATA3_3 connector is shared with the M2_1; SSATA3_2
connector is shared with the M2_2
* RAID is supported on SATA3_0 ~ SATA3_5 ports only.
• 1 x SATA Express 10 Gb/s Connector (shared with SATA3_4
and SATA3_5)
* Support to be announced
• 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket (M2_2), support type
2230/2242/2260/2280/22110 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module
and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s)**
• 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket (M2_1), support type
2230/2242/2260/2280 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2
PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s)**
* If you install CPU with 28 lanes, the M2_1 only supports
SATA type M.2 module.
** Supports NVMe SSD as boot disks
** Supports ASRock U.2 Kit
Connector • 1 x COM Port Header
• 1 x TPM Header
• 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
• 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)
* e CPU Fan Connector supports the CPU fan of maximum
1A (12W) fan power.

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X99 Taichi
• 1 x CPU Optional/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin)
* e CPU Optional/Water Pump Fan supports the water cooler
fan of maximum 1.5A (18W) fan power.
• 3 x Chassis Fan Connectors (4-pin)
* CHA_FAN1 and CHA_FAN2 can auto detect if 3-pin or 4-pin
fan is in use.
• 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector
• 1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connec-
tor)
• 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 (Supports 2 USB 3.0 ports) (Supports
ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))
• 1 x Dr. Debug with LED
• 1 x BIOS Selection Switch
BIOS
Feature
• 2 x AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with multilingual GUI support
(1 x Main BIOS and 1 x Backup BIOS)
• Supports Secure Backup UEFI Technology
• ACPI 5.0 Compliant wake up events
• SMBIOS 2.7 Support
• CPU, DRAM, PCH 1.05V, PCH 1.5V, VPPM Voltage Multi-
adjustment
Hardware
Monitor
• CPU/Chassis/ CPU Optional/Water Pump Fan temperature
sensing
• CPU/Chassis/ CPU Optional/Water Pump Tachometer
• CPU/Chassis/ CPU Optional/Water Pump Quiet Fan (Auto
adjust chassis fan speed by CPU temperature)
• CPU/Chassis/ CPU Optional/Water Pump Fan multi-speed
control
• Voltage monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, CPU Input Voltage,
CPU Internal Voltages
OS • Microso® Windows® 10 64-bit / 8.1 64-bit / 8 64-bit / 7 32-
bit / 7 64-bit

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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.
* For detailed product information, please visit our website: http://www.asrock.com
Certica-
tions
• FCC, CE, WHQL
• ErP/EuP Ready (ErP/EuP ready power supply is required)

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X99 Taichi
1.3 WiFi-802.11ac Module and ASRock WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antenna
WiFi-802.11ac + BT Module
is motherboard comes with an exclusive WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac + BT v4.0
module that oers support for WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 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. BT 4.0 also includes Low Energy Technology and ensures extraordinary
low power consumption for PCs.
* e transmission speed may vary according to the environment.
ASRock WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antennas
(included in the package)
WiFi + BT Module
(pre-installed Intel® Dual
Band Wireless-AC 3160)

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WiFi Antennas Installation Guide
Step 1
Prepare the WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antennas that come
with the package.
Step 2
Connect the two WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antennas to
the antenna connectors. Turn the antenna clock-
wise until it is securely connected.
Step 3
Set the WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antenna as shown in the
illustration.
*You may need to adjust the direction of
the antenna for a stronger signal.

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X99 Taichi
is is an 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 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
CAUTION:
Please note that X99 platform is only compatible with the LGA 2011-3 socket, which is
incompatible with the LGA 2011 socket (for X79 platform).
1. Before you insert the 2011-3-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.
A
B
A
B
1
2

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X99 Taichi
4
A
3
B
5

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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.
6
A
B
8
B
7
A

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X99 Taichi
2.2 Installing the CPU Fan and Heatsink
CPU_FAN
1 2

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2.3 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM)
is motherboard provides eight 288-pin DDR4 (Double Data Rate 4) DIMM slots, and
supports Quad Channel Memory Technology.
Quad Channel Memory Conguration
Priority 1 2
DDR4_A1 Populated Populated
DDR4_A2 Populated
DDR4_B1 Populated Populated
DDR4_B2 Populated
DDR4_C1 Populated Populated
DDR4_C2 Populated
DDR4_D1 Populated Populated
DDR4_D2 Populated
• Due to Intel® CPU spec denition, please install the memory modules on DDR4_A1,
DDR4_B1, DDR4_C1 and DDR4_D1 for rst priority. If the four DDR4 DIMM slots
above are fully installed, and you want to use more than four memory modules, please
install the other memory modules from le to right (from DDR4_A2, DDR4_B2,
DDR4_D2 to DDR4_C2.)
• If only two memory modules are installed in the DDR4 DIMM slots, then Dual
Channel Memory Technology is activated. If three memory modules are installed, then
Triple Channel Memory Technology is activated. If more than four memory modules
are installed in the DDR4 DIMM slots, then Quad Channel Memory Technology is
activated.
1. For quad channel conguration, you always need to install identical (the same brand,
speed, size and chip-type) DDR4 DIMM pairs.
2. It is not allowed to install a DDR, DDR2 or DDR3 memory module into a DDR4 slot;
otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be damaged.
3. 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.