ASROCK Z97E-ITX/ac User manual

Version 1.0
Published April 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.

Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1 Package Contents 1
1.2 Specications 2
1.3 Unique Features 7
1.4 Motherboard Layout 11
1.5 I/O Panel 14
1.6 WiFi-802.11ac Module and ASRock WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antenna 16
Chapter 2 Installation 17
2.1 Installing the CPU 18
2.2 Installing the CPU Fan and Heatsink 21
2.3 Installing Memory Modules (DIMM) 22
2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI Express Slots) 24
2.5 Jumpers Setup 25
2.6 Onboard Headers and Connectors 26
2.7 Using the HDMI-In Port 30
2.8 M.2_SSD (NGFF) Module Installation Guide 33
Chapter 3 Software and Utilities Operation 35
3.1 Installing Drivers 35
3.2 A-Tuning 36
3.3 Intel® Rapid Start Technology 42
3.4 Intel® Smart Connect Technology 47
3.5 ASRock Cloud 52

3.6 ASRock APP Shop 62
3.6.1 UI Overview 62
3.6.2 Apps 63
3.6.3 BIOS & Drivers 66
3.6.4 Setting 67
3.7 Start8 68
Chapter 4 UEFI SETUP UTILITY 71
4.1 Introduction 71
4.1.1 UEFI Menu Bar 71
4.1.2 Navigation Keys 72
4.2 Main Screen 73
4.3 OC Tweaker Screen 74
4.4 Advanced Screen 83
4.4.1 CPU Conguration 84
4.4.2 Chipset Conguration 86
4.4.3 Storage Conguration 88
4.4.4 Intel® Rapid Start Technology 90
4.4.5 Intel® Smart Connect Technology 91
4.4.6 Super IO Conguration 92
4.4.7 ACPI Conguration 93
4.4.8 USB Conguration 95
4.4.9 Trusted Computing 97
4.5 Tools 98
4.6 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen 101

4.7 Boot Screen 102
4.8 Security Screen 105
4.9 Exit Screen 106
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Chapter 1 Introduction
ank you for purchasing ASRock Z97E-ITX/ac motherboard, a reliable
motherboard produced under ASRock’s consistently stringent quality control.
It delivers excellent performance with robust design conforming to ASRock’s
commitment to quality and endurance.
In this manual, Chapter 1 and 2 contains the introduction of the motherboard
and step-by-step installation guides. Chapter 3 contains the operation guide of the
soware and utilities. Chapter 4 contains the conguration guide of the BIOS setup.
1.1 Package Contents
• ASRock Z97E-ITX/ac Motherboard (Mini-ITX Form Factor)
• ASRock Z97E-ITX/ac Quick Installation Guide
• ASRock Z97E-ITX/ac Support CD
• 2 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)
• 1 x I/O Panel Shield
• 1 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antenna
• 1 x Screw for M.2_SSD (NGFF) Socket 3
• 1 x Stando for M.2_SSD (NGFF) Socket 3
Because the motherboard specications and the BIOS soware might be updated, the
content of this manual will be subject to change without notice. In case any modica-
tions of this manual occur, the updated version will be available on ASRock’s website
without further notice. If you require technical support related to this motherboard,
please visit our website for specic information about the model you are using. You
may nd the latest VGA cards and CPU support list on ASRock’s website as well.
ASRock website http://www.asrock.com.

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1.2 Specications
Platform • Mini-ITX Form Factor
• High Density Glass Fabric PCB
Unique
Feature
ASRock Super Alloy
• Premium Alloy Choke (Reduces 70% core loss compared to
iron powder choke)
• Dual-Stack MOSFET (DSM)
• NexFETTM MOSFET
• 12K Pl at i nu m C aps (10 0 % Jap an ma de h ig h qu a l it y
conductive polymer capacitors)
• Sapphire Black PCB
ASRock 802.11ac WiFi
ASRock HDMI-In
ASRock Full Spike Protection
ASRock Cloud
ASRock APP Shop
CPU • Supports 4th Gen & 5th Generation Intel® Coreth Processors
(Socket 1150)
• Digi Power design
• 6 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
• 2 x DDR3 DIMM Slots
• Supports DDR3 2933+(OC)/2800(OC)/2400(OC)/2133(OC)/
1866(OC)/1600/1333/1066 non-ECC, un-buered memory
• Max. capacity of system memory: 16GB (see CAUTION)
• Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Prole (XMP) 1.3 / 1.2
• 15 Gold Contact in DIMM Slots
Expansion
Slot
• 1 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE1: x16 mode)
• 1 x mini-PCI Express Slot: For WiFi + BT Module
• 15Gold Finger in VGA PCIe Slot (PCIE1)

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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: DVI-I, HDMI and DisplayPort
1.2
• Supports Triple Monitor
• Supports HDMI with max. resolution up to 4K x 2K
(4096x2160) @ 24Hz
• Supports DVI-I with max. resolution up to 1920x1200 @
60Hz
• Supports DisplayPort 1.2 with max. resolution up to 4K x 2K
(4096x2160) @ 24Hz or 4K x 2K (3840x2160) @ 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-I, HDMI and DisplayPort 1.2
Ports
• Supports Full HD 1080p Blu-ray (BD) playback with DVI-I,
HDMI and DisplayPort 1.2 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)
• Nichicon Fine Gold Series Audio Caps
• TI® NE5532 Premium Headset Amplier (Supports up to 600
Ohm headsets)
• Supports DTS Connect
LAN • Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s
• Giga PHY Intel® I218V
• Supports Intel® Remote Wake Technology
• Supports Wake-On-LAN

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• Supports Lightning/ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike
Protection)
• 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 connection up to 867Mbps
• 2 antennas to support 2 (Transmit) x 2 (Receive) diversity
technology
• Supports Bluetooth 4.0 / 3.0 + High speed class II
Rear Panel
I/O
• 1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port
• 1 x DVI-I Port
• 1 x HDMI-Out Port
• 1 x HDMI-In Port
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.2
• 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
• 2 x USB 2.0 Ports (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)
• 1 x Clear CMOS Switch
• 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
• 1 x SATA Express Connector (shared with SATA3_4,
SATA3_5 and M.2_SSD (NGFF) Socket 3)
* Support to be announced
• 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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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 8 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power
Connector)
• 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector
• 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (support 4 USB 2.0 ports) (Supports ESD
Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))
• 1 x USB 3.0 Header (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
Support
CD
• Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Soware (Trial Version), Google
Chrome Browser and Toolbar, Start8 (30 days trial), Kloudian
Orbweb.ME Professional (Win 8.1)
Hardware
Monitor
• CPU/Chassis temperature sensing
• CPU/Chassis 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® 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 adjust-
ing the setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking Technology, or using third-
party overclocking tools. Overclocking may aect your system’s stability, or even cause
damage to the components and devices of your system. It should be done at your own
risk and expense. We are not responsible for possible damage caused by overclocking.
Due to limitation, the actual memory size may be less than 4GB for the reservation
for system usage under Windows® 32-bit operating systems. Windows® 64-bit operat-
ing systems do not have such limitations. You can use ASRock XFast RAM to utilize
the memory that Windows® cannot use.

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1.3 Unique Features
ASRock Super Alloy
is motherboard is specially designed with Super Alloy Technology for faster, sta-
bler, and more durable performance, including Premium Alloy Choke, Dual-Stack
MOSFET (DSM), NexFETTM MOSFET, 12K Platinum Cap, and Sapphire Black PCB.
ASRock 802.11ac WiFi
No one has time for weak WiFi signals and sluggish Internet connection! at’s why
this motherboard comes with an exclusive 2T2R 802.11ac WiFi (5G WiFi) module
that supports up to 867Mbps wireless networks and Bluetooth v4.0. Experience up
to 289% speed boost compared to your old WiFi!
ASRock HDMI-In
Tired of constantly switching devices to connect to your one and only monitor?
From now on just connect the monitor to your motherboard, and connect your sec-
ondary device (such as a PS3 or Xbox) to the motherboard’s HDMI-In port. With
HDMI-In users may conveniently toggle between the computer’s screen and the
secondary device’s screen with a hotkey, or even use their secondary device without
powering on the computer.
ASRock Full Spike Protection
A technology consists of 3 unique features: Surge Protection, Lightning Protection,
and ESD Protection. By adding specialized ICs and reworking circuits, the onboard
USB ports, LAN ports, and MOSFETs in critical areas are all well protected from
surges, spikes, and electrostatic discharge.
ASRock Cloud
ASRock partners with Kloudian to make your mobile devices connect to your PC
seamlessly! ASRock Cloud allows you to get connected with your PC’s les, music,
photos, and video clips remotely with tablets anytime, anywhere.
* OrbWeb ME is provided by a third party. Restriction may apply and the oer is subject to change, termina-
tion or discontinuation by the third party without prior notice. Please visit the website for further details:
http://www.asrock.com/feature/cloud/index.html
ASRock APP Shop
ASRock APP Shop is designed for your convenience. We provide various apps and
support soware for users to download on the mainpage of APP Shop. You can eas-
ily optimize your system and keep your motherboard up to date with a few clicks.

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ASRock A-Tuning
A-Tuning is ASRock’s multi purpose soware suite with a new interface, more new
features and improved utilities.
ASRock Disk Health Report
Displaying detailed HDD information. You can check the model names, capacities,
temperatures, SMART info, health status, and other information of your HDDs
here.
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 APP Charger
Simply by installing the ASRock APP Charger makes your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch
charge up to 40% faster than before on your computer. ASRock APP Charger allows
you to quickly charge many Apple devices simultaneously and even supports
continuous charging when your PC enters into Standby mode (S1), Suspend to RAM
(S3), hibernation mode (S4) or power o (S5).
ASRock XFast LAN
ASRock XFast LAN provides faster internet access, which includes the benets
listed below. LAN Application Prioritization: You can congure your application’s
priority ideally and add new programs to the list. Lower Latency in Game: Aer
setting online game’s priority higher, it can lower the latency in games. Trac
Shaping: You can watch Youtube HD videos and download simultaneously. Real-
Time Analysis of Your Data: With the status window, you can easily recognize
which data streams you are currently transferring.
ASRock XFast RAM
ASRock XFast RAM is included in F-Stream. 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.

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ASRock Restart to UEFI
Windows® 8 brings the ultimate boot up experience. e lightning boot up speed
makes it hard to access the UEFI setup. ASRock Restart to UEFI allows users to
enter the UEFI automatically when turning on the PC. By enabling this function,
the PC will enter the UEFI directly aer you restart.
ASRock Full HD UEFI
All new Full HD UEFI with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. e UEFI should be de-
signed easy to use and setup. With Full HD resolution, now it is much easier and
clearer for all users to setup, optimize, and update their BIOS.
ASRock My Favorites in UEFI
Another handy design in ASRock UEFI. You can select and add commonly used
BIOS options to “My Favorites” by clicking the asterisk icon at the upper right hand
corner of the screen. ese chosen options will show up on “My Favorites” page in
UEFI.
ASRock UEFI Guide
Need help to optimize your UEFI setting? Got lost among UEFI pages? Just select
“UEFI Guide”! e tutorial will explain every detailed setting and help you to cus-
tomize your UEFI easily.
ASRock Instant Flash
ASRock Instant Flash is a BIOS ash utility embedded in Flash ROM. is conve-
nient BIOS update tool allows you to update the system BIOS in a few clicks without
preparing an additional oppy diskette or other complicated ash utility. Just save
the new BIOS le to your USB storage and launch this tool by pressing <F6> or
<F2> during POST to enter the BIOS setup menu to access ASRock Instant Flash.
Please be noted that the USB ash drive or hard drive must use FAT32/16/12 le
system.
ASRock Internet Flash
ASRock Internet Flash downloads and updates the latest UEFI rmware version
from our servers for you without entering Windows®OS. Please setup network
conguration before using Internet Flash.

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ASRock Crashless BIOS
ASRock Crashless BIOS allows users to update their BIOS without fear of failing. If
power loss occurs during the BIOS updating process, ASRock Crashless BIOS will
automatically nish the BIOS update procedure aer regaining power. Please note
that BIOS les need to be placed in the root directory of your USB disk. Only USB 2.0
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 required.
ASRock UEFI System Browser
ASRock System Browser shows the overview of your current PC and the devices
connected.
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 personal computer. Users may try to
choose the category of the issue they have encountered, describe the problem in
detail, and then attach an optional picture or log le for our technical support team.
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 dehumidify the system aer entering S4/S5 state.
ASRock Easy RAID Installer
ASRock Easy RAID Installer can help you to copy the RAID driver from the
support CD to your USB storage device. Aer 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.
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.

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1.4 Motherboard Layout
Intel
Z97
PCIE1
DDR3_A1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDR3_B1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
64Mb
BIOS
HDL ED R ESE T
PLE D PW RBT N
PANE L1
1
1
HD_AUDIO1
CHA_FAN1
CPU_FAN1
USB 2.0
T: USB1
B: USB2
DVI1
HDMI
DP_1
CLRCBTN1
USB 3.0
T: USB1
B: USB2
HDMI_IN
Top:
RJ-45
USB 3.0
T: USB3
B: USB4
Top:
CTR BASS
Center:
REAR SPK
Bottom:
Optical
SPDIF
Top:
LINE IN
Center:
FRONT
Bottom:
MIC IN
MPCIE1
WiFi-802.11ac
Module
ATXPWR1
RoHS
Z97E-ITX/ac
AUDIO
CODEC
ATX12V1
SATA3_2
SATA3_3
CMOS
Battery
USB3_5_6
1
TPMS1
1
SPE AKE R1
CLR MO S1
1
USB_5_ 6
1
USB_3_ 4
1
1
CI1
PS2
Keyboard
/Mouse
SATA3_0
SATA3_1
SATA3_4_5

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M2

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No. Description
1 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1)
2 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1)
3 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots (DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1)
4 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1)
5 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1)
6 USB 3.0 Header (USB3_5_6)
7 TPM Header (TPMS1)
8 Chassis Intrusion Header (CI1)
9 System Panel Header (PANEL1)
10 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1)
11 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER1)
12 SATA3 and SATA Express Connectors (SATA3_4_5)
13 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_1)
14 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_3)
15 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_2)
16 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_0)
17 USB 2.0 Header (USB_3_4)
18 USB 2.0 Header (USB_5_6)
19 Front Panel Audio Header (HD_AUDIO1)

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1.5 I/O Panel
No. Description No. Description
1 USB 2.0 Ports (USB_1_2) 10 Microphone (Pink)
2 Antenna Ports 11 Optical SPDIF Out Port
3 DisplayPort 1.2 12 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_3_4)
4 USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_1_2) 13 HDMI-In Port
5 LAN RJ-45 Port* 14 Clear CMOS Switch
6 Central / Bass (Orange) 15 HDMI-Out Port
7 Rear Speaker (Black) 16 DVI-I Port
8 Line In (Light Blue) 17 PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port
9 Front Speaker (Lime)**
1011121314151617
1 2 3 754
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