Asus WS C246 PRO User manual

Motherboard
WS C246
PRO

ii
E14688
Revised Edition V2
August 2018
Copyright© 2018 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
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iii
Contents
Safety information...................................................................................................... vi
About this guide........................................................................................................ vii
WS C246 PRO specifications summary ................................................................... ix
Package contents....................................................................................................... xi
Installation tools and components.......................................................................... xii
Chapter 1: Product Introduction
1.1 Motherboard overview............................................................................... 1-1
1.1.1 Before you proceed..................................................................... 1-1
1.1.2 Motherboard layout ..................................................................... 1-2
1.1.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................... 1-4
1.1.4 System memory .......................................................................... 1-5
1.1.5 Expansion slots........................................................................... 1-7
1.1.6 Onboard buttons and switches.................................................... 1-9
1.1.7 Jumpers .................................................................................... 1-10
1.1.8 Onboard LEDs .......................................................................... 1-11
1.1.9 Internal connectors.................................................................... 1-13
Chapter 2: Basic Installation
2.1 Building your PC system...........................................................................2-1
2.1.1 CPU installation........................................................................... 2-1
2.1.2 Cooling system installation.......................................................... 2-3
2.1.3 Motherboard installation.............................................................. 2-4
2.1.4 DIMM installation......................................................................... 2-6
2.1.5 ATX power connection................................................................ 2-7
2.1.6 SATA device connection............................................................. 2-8
2.1.7 Front I/O connector ..................................................................... 2-9
2.1.8 Expansion card installation ....................................................... 2-10
2.1.9 M.2 installation .......................................................................... 2-11
2.2 BIOS update utility................................................................................... 2-12
2.3 Motherboard rear and audio connections ............................................. 2-14
2.3.1 Rear I/O connection .................................................................. 2-14
2.3.2 Audio I/O connections............................................................... 2-16
2.4 Starting up for the first time.................................................................... 2-18
2.5 Turning off the computer ........................................................................ 2-18

iv
Chapter 3: BIOS Setup
3.1 Knowing BIOS ............................................................................................3-1
3.2 BIOS setup program ..................................................................................3-2
3.2.1 EZ Mode...................................................................................... 3-3
3.2.2 Advanced Mode .......................................................................... 3-4
3.2.3 Q-Fan Control ............................................................................. 3-7
3.2.4 EZ Tuning Wizard ....................................................................... 3-9
3.3 My Favorites .............................................................................................3-11
3.4 Main menu ................................................................................................3-13
3.5 Ai Tweaker menu......................................................................................3-13
3.6 Advanced menu .......................................................................................3-14
3.6.1 Platform Misc Conguration...................................................... 3-14
3.6.2 CPU Conguration .................................................................... 3-14
3.6.3 System Agent (SA) Conguration ............................................. 3-14
3.6.4 PCH Conguration .................................................................... 3-14
3.6.5 PCH Storage Conguration....................................................... 3-15
3.6.6 PCH-FW Conguration ............................................................. 3-16
3.6.7 Onboard Devices Conguration................................................ 3-16
3.6.8 APM Conguration.................................................................... 3-16
3.6.9 USB Conguration .................................................................... 3-16
3.6.10 Network Stack Conguration..................................................... 3-17
3.6.11 NVMe Conguration.................................................................. 3-17
3.6.12 HDD/SSD SMART Information ................................................. 3-17
3.7 Monitor menu ...........................................................................................3-17
3.8 Boot menu ................................................................................................3-17
3.9 Tool menu.................................................................................................3-19
3.9.1 ASUS EZ Flash 3 Utility ............................................................ 3-19
3.9.2 ASUS Secure Erase..................................................................3-20
3.9.3 ASUS User Prole..................................................................... 3-21
3.9.4 ASUS SPD Information............................................................. 3-21
3.9.5 Graphics Card Information........................................................ 3-21
3.10 Exit menu..................................................................................................3-22
3.11 Updating BIOS.......................................................................................... 3-22
3.11.1 EZ Update................................................................................. 3-22
3.11.2 ASUS EZ Flash 3...................................................................... 3-23
3.11.3 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3.......................................................... 3-25
Contents

v
Chapter 4: RAID Support
4.1 RAID configurations ..................................................................................4-1
4.1.1 RAID denitions .......................................................................... 4-1
4.1.2 Installing storage devices............................................................ 4-2
4.1.3 Intel®Rapid Storage Technology in UEFI BIOS.......................... 4-2
4.1.4 Intel®Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM utility.................. 4-6
4.2 Creating a RAID driver disk ....................................................................4-10
4.2.1 Creating a RAID driver disk in Windows®................................. 4-10
Chapter 5: Multi GPU Support
5.1 AMD®CrossFireX™ technology ...............................................................5-1
5.1.1 Requirements.............................................................................. 5-1
5.1.2 Before you begin......................................................................... 5-1
5.1.3 Installing two CrossFireX™ graphics cards ................................ 5-2
5.1.4 Installing three CrossFireX™ graphics cards.............................. 5-3
5.1.5 Installing the device drivers......................................................... 5-4
5.1.6 Enabling the AMD®CrossFireX™ technology............................. 5-4
Appendix
WS C246 PRO block diagram................................................................................. A-1
Q-Code table............................................................................................................ A-2
Notices .................................................................................................................... A-5
ASUS contact information...................................................................................... A-9
Contents

vi
Safety information
Electrical safety
• To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet
before relocating the system.
• When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that the power cables
for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables are connected. If possible,
disconnect all power cables from the existing system before you add a device.
• Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard, ensure that all
power cables are unplugged.
• Seek professional assistance before using an adapter or extension cord. These devices
could interrupt the grounding circuit.
• Ensure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage in your area. If you are not
sure about the voltage of the electrical outlet you are using, contact your local power
company.
• If the power supply is broken, do not try to x it by yourself. Contact a qualied service
technician or your retailer.
Operation safety
• Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully read all the manuals
that came with the package.
• Before using the product, ensure all cables are correctly connected and the power
cables are not damaged. If you detect any damage, contact your dealer immediately.
• To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from connectors,
slots, sockets and circuitry.
• Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the product in any area
where it may become wet.
• Place the product on a stable surface.
• If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualied service
technician or your retailer.

vii
About this guide
This user guide contains the information you need when installing and conguring the
motherboard.
How this guide is organized
This guide contains the following parts:
1. Chapter 1: Product Introduction
This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new technology it
supports. It includes description of the switches, jumpers, and connectors on the
motherboard.
2. Chapter 2: Basic Installation
This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when
installing system components.
3. Chapter 3: BIOS Setup
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus.
Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.
4. Chapter 4: RAID Support
This chapter describes the RAID congurations.
5. Chapter 5: Multi GPU Support
This chapter describes how to install and congure multiple AMD®CrossFire™
graphics cards.
Where to find more information
Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and software
updates.
1. ASUS website
The ASUS website (www.asus.com) provides updated information on ASUS hardware
and software products.
2. Optional documentation
Your product package may include optional documentation, such as warranty yers,
that may have been added by your dealer. These documents are not part of the
standard package.

viii
Conventions used in this guide
To ensure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the following symbols used
throughout this manual.
DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying to
complete a task.
CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components when trying to
complete a task.
IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a task.
NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a task.
Typography
Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select.
Italics Used to emphasize a word or a phrase.
<Key> Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-than sign
means that you must press the enclosed key.
Example: <Enter> means that you must press the Enter or
Return key.
<Key1> + <Key2> + <Key3> If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key
names are linked with a plus sign (+).

ix
WS C246 PRO specifications summary
(continued on the next page)
CPU
LGA1151 socket for Intel®Xeon®Processor E Family (Coffee Lake)
/ Intel®8th Generation Core™ i7/i5/i3 processors / Intel®Pentium™
processors / Intel®Celeron™ processors*
Supports Intel®Turbo Boost Technology
* Refer to www.asus.com for Intel®CPU support list
Chipset Intel®C246 Chipset
Memory
4 x DIMM, Max 64GB, DDR4 2666 / 2400 / 2133 MHz, ECC/ non-ECC
UDIMM*
Dual channel architecture
* Refer to www.asus.com for the Memory QVL(Qualified Vendors List)
Expansion slots
PCIEX1_1: PCI-E x1 slot, x1 Gen3 Link, from PCH
PCIEX16_1: PCI-E x16 slot, x16 / x8 Gen3 Link, from CPU
PCIEX16_2: PCI-E x16 slot, x8 Gen3 Link, switched from PCIEX16_1,
from CPU
PCIEX1_2: PCI-E x1 slot, x1 Gen3 Link, from PCH
PCIEX16_3: PCI-E x16 slot, x4 Gen3 Link, from PCH
PCIEX16_4: PCI-E x16 slot, x4 Gen3 Link, from PCH, shared with 4
SATA
VGA Output
1 x Integrated Graphics Processor
Multi-VGA output support: DVI-D / HDMI / DisplayPort / VGA
- Supports DVI-D with Max resolution 1920 x 1200@60 Hz
- Supports HDMI with Max resolution 4096 x 2160@24 Hz
- Supports DisplayPort with Max resolution 4096 x 2304@60 Hz
- Supports VGA with Max resolution 1920 x 1200@60 Hz
Multi-GPU support Support AMD®3-Way CrossFireX™ Technology
Storage
Intel®C246 Chipset:
8 x SATA 6Gb/s ports or 7 x SATA 6Gb/s with 1 x M.2 (SATA 6Gb/s &
PCIe Gen3 x2 link, NGFF 22110 / 2280 / 2260 / 2242)
- 4 x SATA shared with PCIEX16_4
1 x M.2 (SATA 6Gb/s & PCIe Gen3 x4 link, NGFF 22110 / 2280 / 2260
/ 2242)
Intel®RST (Windows & Linux)
(Support software RAID 0, 1, 10 & 5)
LAN
1 x Intel®I210-AT GbE LAN
1 x Intel®I219-LM GbE LAN
(Supports teaming function)
USB
Intel®C246 Chipset
- 4 x USB 2.0 ports (4 from mid-board)
- 6 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports (2 from mid-board, 4 ports Type-A at back
panel)
- 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2ports (1 Type-A port and 1 Type-C™ port at back
panel)

x
WS C246 PRO specifications summary
Audio Realtek®ALC887 8-channel high definition audio CODEC
- Optical S/PDIF out port at back I/O
Rear Panel I/O Ports
- 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports (1 port at Type-A, 1 port at Type-C™)
- 4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports
- 1 x HDMI
- 1 x DisplayPort
- 1 x DVI-D
- 1 x VGA
- 2 x RJ-45 ports
- 8-channel Audio I/O ports (5+1 Audio jacks)
Internal I/O
Connectors
- 2 x USB 2.0 connectors support additional 4 USB ports (9-pin)
- 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 connectors support additional 2 USB ports (19-pin)
- 8 x SATA 6.0Gb/s ports
- 2 x M.2 Socket
- 4 x Chassis Fan connectors (4-pin) for both 3-pin(DC mode) and
4-pin(PWM mode) coolers control
- 1 x CPU OPT Fan connector (4-pin)
- 1 x CPU fan with PWM control (4-pin)
- 1 x Front panel audio connector (AAFP)
- 1 x S/PDIF out header
- 1 x 6-pin EATX12V_1 Power connector
- 1 x TPM connector
- 1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector
- 1 x 8-pin EATX 12V Power connector
- 1 x System Panel(Q-Connector)
- 1 x COM port header
- 1 x USB BIOS Flashback button
- 1 x Power-on button
- 1 x Reset button
BIOS Feature 16 MB Flash ROM, EFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI3.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 3.0,
ACPI 5.0a, ASUS EZ Flash Utility, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
Manageability WfM 2.0, DMI 3.0, WOL by PME, WOR by PME, PXE
OS
Windows 10/64 bit
RedHat®Enterprise Linux
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
Form Factor ATX Form Factor, 12” x 9.6” (305mm x 244mm)
• Specications are subject to change without notice.
• Visit the ASUS website for the software manual.

xi
Package contents
Check your motherboard package for the following items.
Motherboard 1 x WS C246 PRO motherboard
Cables 6 x Serial ATA 6Gb/s cables
1 x USB 2.0 bracket cable
Accessories
2 x M.2 screws kits
1 x COM port brackets
1 X I/O shield
Application DVD 1 x Motherboard support DVD
Documentation 1 x User guide
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.

xii
Installation tools and components
The tools and components in the table above are not included in the motherboard package.
PC chassis
Power supply unit
Intel®LGA1151 compatible CPU Fan Intel®LGA1151 CPU
DIMM
SATA hard disk drive
Graphics card
Phillips (cross) screwdriver
SATA optical disc drive (optional)
1 bag of screws

ASUS WS C246 PRO 1-1
Chapter 1
Product Introduction
1
Chapter 1: Product Introduction
• Unplugthepowercordfromthewallsocketbeforetouchinganycomponent.
• Beforehandlingcomponents,useagroundedwriststraportouchasafelygrounded
objectorametalobject,suchasthepowersupplycase,toavoiddamagingthemdue
tostaticelectricity.
• HoldcomponentsbytheedgestoavoidtouchingtheICsonthem.
• Wheneveryouuninstallanycomponent,placeitonagroundedantistaticpadorinthe
bagthatcamewiththecomponent.
• Beforeyouinstallorremoveanycomponent,ensurethattheATXpowersupply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,orcomponents.
1.1 Motherboard overview
1.1.1 Before you proceed
Takenoteofthefollowingprecautionsbeforeyouinstallmotherboardcomponentsorchange
anymotherboardsettings.

1-2 Chapter 1: Product Introduction
Chapter 1
Referto1.1.9 Internal connectorsand2.3.1 Rear I/O connectionformoreinformation
aboutrearpanelconnectorsandinternalconnectors.
1.1.2 Motherboard layout

ASUS WS C246 PRO 1-3
Chapter 1
Layout contents
Connectors/Jumpers/Buttons and switches/Slots Page
1. Fanandpumpconnectors(4-pinCPU_FAN;4-pinCPU_OPT;4-pin
CHA_FAN1-4)
1-17
2. ATXpowerconnectors(24-pinEATXPWR;8-pinEATX12V;6-pin
EATX12V_1)
1-19
3. LGA1151CPUsocket 1-4
4. DDR4DIMMslots 1-5
5. M.2sockets(M.2_1;M.2_2) 1-20
6. Intel®SerialATA6Gb/sconnectors(7-pinSATA6G_1-8) 1-13
7. Q-CodeLED 1-12
8. BIOSFlashbackbutton 2-12
9. Systempanelconnector(20-3pinPANEL) 1-18
10. Resetbutton 1-9
11. Power-onbutton 1-9
12. USB2.0connectors(10-1pinUSB1112,USB1314;4-pinType-AUSB9) 1-16
13. ClearRTCRAM(2-pinCLRTC) 1-10
14. USB3.1Gen1connector(20-1pinU31G1_12) 1-15
15. TPMconnector(14-1pinTPM) 1-14
16. Serialportconnector(10-1pinCOM1) 1-16
17. Frontpanelaudioconnector(10-1pinAAFP) 1-14
18. Digitalaudioconnector(4-1pinSPDIF_OUT) 1-17

1-4 Chapter 1: Product Introduction
Chapter 1
1.1.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
ThemotherboardcomeswithasurfacemountLGA1151socketdesignedfortheIntel®Xeon®
ProcessorEFamily(CoffeeLake)/Intel®8thGenerationCore™i7/i5/i3processors/Intel®
Pentium™processors/Intel®Celeron™processors.
• EnsurethatallpowercablesareunpluggedbeforeinstallingtheCPU.
• Uponpurchaseofthemotherboard,ensurethatthePnPcapisonthesocketand
thesocketcontactsarenotbent.ContactyourretailerimmediatelyifthePnPcap
ismissing,orifyouseeanydamagetothePnPcap/socketcontacts/motherboard
components.ASUSwillshoulderthecostofrepaironlyifthedamageisshipment/
transit-related.
• Keepthecapafterinstallingthemotherboard.ASUSwillprocessReturnMerchandise
Authorization(RMA)requestsonlyifthemotherboardcomeswiththecaponthe
LGA2066socket.
• Theproductwarrantydoesnotcoverdamagetothesocketcontactsresultingfrom
incorrectCPUinstallation/removal,ormisplacement/loss/incorrectremovalofthePnP
cap.
EnsurethatyouinstallthecorrectCPUdesignedforLGA1151socketonly.DONOTinstall
aCPUdesignedforothersocketsontheLGA1151socket.

ASUS WS C246 PRO 1-5
Chapter 1
1.1.4 System memory
ThemotherboardcomeswithfourDDR4(DoubleDataRate4)DualInlineMemoryModules
(DIMM)slots.
ADDR4moduleisnotcheddifferentlyfromaDDR,DDR2orDDR3module.DONOTinstall
aDDR,DDR2orDDR3memorymoduletotheDDR4slot.
Recommended memory configurations

1-6 Chapter 1: Product Introduction
Chapter 1
Memory configurations
Youmayinstall2GB,4GB,8GBand16GBunbufferedandECCandnon-ECCDDR4
DIMMsintotheDIMMsockets.
YoumayinstallvaryingmemorysizesinChannelAandChannelB.Thesystemmapsthe
totalsizeofthelower-sizedchannelforthedual-channelconguration.Anyexcessmemory
fromthehigher-sizedchannelisthenmappedforsingle-channeloperation.
• ThedefaultmemoryoperationfrequencyisdependentonitsSerialPresenceDetect
(SPD),whichisthestandardwayofaccessinginformationfromamemorymodule.
Underthedefaultstate,somememorymodulesforoverclockingmayoperateata
lowerfrequencythanthevendor-markedvalue.
• Forsystemstability,useamoreefcientmemorycoolingsystemtosupportafull
memoryload(8DIMMs)oroverclockingcondition.
• AlwaysinstalltheDIMMSwiththesameCASLatency.Foranoptimumcompatibility,
werecommendthatyouinstallmemorymodulesofthesameversionordatacode
(D/C)fromthesamevendor.Checkwiththevendortogetthecorrectmemory
modules.
• VisittheASUSwebsiteforthelatestQVL.

ASUS WS C246 PRO 1-7
Chapter 1
1.1.5 Expansion slots
Unplugthepowercordbeforeaddingorremovingexpansioncards.Failuretodosomay
causeyouphysicalinjuryanddamagemotherboardcomponents.
Slot No. Slot Description
1PCIEx1_1slot
2PCIEx16_1slot
3PCIEx1_2slot
4 PCIEx16_2slot
5 PCIEx16_3slot
6 PCIEx16_4slot

1-8 Chapter 1: Product Introduction
Chapter 1
VGA configuration
PCI Express operating mode
PCIe 3.0 x16_1 (gray) PCIe 3.0 x16_2
Single VGA/PCIe card x16(Recommendedforsingle
VGAcard) N/A
Dual VGA/PCIe cards x8 x8
• InsingleVGAcardmode,usethePCIe3.0x16_1slot(gray)foraPCIExpressx16
graphicscardtogetbetterperformance.
• WerecommendthatyouprovidesufcientpowerwhenrunningCrossFireX™mode.
• WerecommendyouconnecttheEATX12V_1cablewhenrunningCrossFireX™.
• ConnectachassisfantothemotherboardconnectorlabeledCHA_FAN1/2when
usingmultiplegraphicscardsforbetterthermalenvironment.