Asus XC Cube box User manual

Motherboard
Z9PE-D8 WS

ii
E8726
Revised Edition V4
October 2013
Copyright © 2013 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted,
transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means,
except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission
of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modied or altered, unless
such repair, modication of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the
product is defaced or missing.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS,
LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE),
EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY
DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.
SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR
INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE, AND
SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY
OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS MANUAL,
INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual 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.

iii
Contents
Notices....................................................................................................... viii
Federal Communications Commission Statement.......................... viii
Canadian Department of Communications Statement.................... viii
REACH viii
Safety information ...................................................................................... ix
Electrical safety.................................................................................ix
Operation safety................................................................................ix
About this guide .......................................................................................... x
How this guide is organized ...............................................................x
Where to nd more information..........................................................x
Conventions used in this guide .........................................................xi
Typography .......................................................................................xi
 ..................................................... xii
Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-3
1.2 Package contents......................................................................... 1-3
1.3 Serial number label...................................................................... 1-4
1.4 Special features............................................................................ 1-4
1.4.1 Product highlights ........................................................... 1-4
1.4.2 Innovative ASUS features ............................................... 1-6
Chapter 2: Hardware information
2.1 Before you proceed ..................................................................... 2-3
2.2 Motherboard overview................................................................. 2-4
2.2.1 Placement direction ........................................................ 2-4
2.2.2 Screw holes .................................................................... 2-4
2.2.3 Motherboard layout ......................................................... 2-5
2.2.4 Layout contents............................................................... 2-6
2.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................... 2-8
2.3.1 Installing the CPU ........................................................... 2-8
2.4 System memory ......................................................................... 2-13
2.4.1 Overview ....................................................................... 2-13
2.4.2 Memory Congurations................................................. 2-13
2.5 Expansion slots.......................................................................... 2-16
2.5.1 Installing an expansion card ......................................... 2-16

iv
Contents
2.5.2 Conguring an expansion card ..................................... 2-16
2.5.3 Interrupt assignments ................................................... 2-17
2.5.4 PCI Express x16 slot (x16 link) ..................................... 2-18
2.5.5 PCI Express x16 slot (x8 link) ....................................... 2-18
2.5.6 Installing the ASMB6 management board..................... 2-19
2.6 Onboard Switches...................................................................... 2-20
2.7 Onboard LEDs............................................................................ 2-21
2.8 Jumpers ...................................................................................... 2-26
2.9 Connectors ................................................................................. 2-29
2.9.1 Rear panel connectors.................................................. 2-29
2.9.2 Internal connectors ....................................................... 2-31
Chapter 3: Powering up
 ........................................................ 3-3
3.2 Powering off the computer.......................................................... 3-4
3.2.1 Using the OS shut down function.................................... 3-4
3.2.2 Using the dual function power switch.............................. 3-4
Chapter 4: BIOS setup
4.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 4-3
4.1.1 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3................................................ 4-3
4.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash 2 ........................................................... 4-4
4.1.3 BUPDATER .................................................................... 4-5
4.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................... 4-7
4.2.1 BIOS menu screen.......................................................... 4-8
4.2.2 Menu bar......................................................................... 4-8
4.2.3 Menu items ..................................................................... 4-9
4.2.4 Submenu items ............................................................... 4-9
4.2.5 Navigation keys............................................................... 4-9
4.2.6 General help ................................................................... 4-9
4.2.7 Conguration elds ......................................................... 4-9
4.2.8 Pop-up window ............................................................... 4-9
4.2.9 Scroll bar......................................................................... 4-9
4.3 Main menu .................................................................................. 4-10
4.3.1 System Date ................................................................. 4-10
4.3.2 System Time ................................................................. 4-10

v
Contents
4.4 Ai Tweaker menu........................................................................ 4-11
4.4.1 DRAM Timing Control .................................................. 4-13
4.5 Advanced menu ......................................................................... 4-15
4.5.1 CPU Conguration ........................................................ 4-15
4.5.2 CPU Power Management Conguration....................... 4-18
4.5.3 Chipset Conguration ................................................... 4-20
4.5.4 PCH SATA Conguration .............................................. 4-26
4.5.5 PCH SCU Conguration ............................................... 4-27
4.5.6 PCI Subsystem Settings ............................................... 4-28
4.5.7 USB Conguration ........................................................ 4-31
4.5.8 ACPI Settings................................................................ 4-33
4.5.9 WHEA Conguration ..................................................... 4-33
4.5.10 APM setting................................................................... 4-34
4.5.11 Serial Port Console Redirection.................................... 4-35
4.5.12 Onboard LAN Conguration.......................................... 4-37
4.5.13 Marvell SATA Conguration .......................................... 4-38
4.5.14 Onboard Devices Conguration.................................... 4-39
4.5.15 Runtime Error Logging.................................................. 4-40
4.6 Server Management menu ........................................................ 4-41
4.6.1 System Event Log......................................................... 4-42
4.6.2 BMC network conguration........................................... 4-43
4.7 Event Logs menu ....................................................................... 4-44
4.7.1 Change Smbios Event Log Settings ............................. 4-45
4.8 Boot menu .................................................................................. 4-47
4.9 Monitor menu ............................................................................. 4-50
4.10 Security menu ............................................................................ 4-52
4.11 Tool menu ................................................................................... 4-53
4.12 Exit menu.................................................................................... 4-54
 n
5.1 Setting up RAID............................................................................ 5-3
5.1.1 RAID denitions .............................................................. 5-3
5.1.2 Installing hard disk drives................................................ 5-4
5.1.3 Setting the RAID item in BIOS ........................................ 5-4
5.1.4 RAID conguration utilities.............................................. 5-4
  ................................... 5-5

vi
Contents
5.2.1 Creating a RAID set ........................................................ 5-6
5.2.2 Adding or viewing a RAID conguration ....................... 5-12
5.2.3 Initializing the virtual drives ........................................... 5-13
5.2.4 Rebuilding failed drives................................................. 5-17
5.2.5 Checking the drives for data consistency ..................... 5-19
5.2.6 Deleting a RAID conguration....................................... 5-22
5.2.7 Selecting the boot drive from a RAID set...................... 5-23
5.2.8 Enabling WriteCache .................................................... 5-24
5.3 Intel®Rapid Storage Technology enterprise SCU/SATA
Option ROM Utility ..................................................................... 5-25
5.3.1 Creating a RAID set ...................................................... 5-27
5.3.2 Creating a Recovery set ............................................... 5-28
5.3.3 Deleting a RAID set ...................................................... 5-30
5.3.4 Resetting disks to Non-RAID ........................................ 5-31
5.3.5 Exiting the Intel®Rapid Storage Technology utility........ 5-31
5.3.6 Rebuilding the RAID ..................................................... 5-32
5.3.7 Setting the Boot array in the BIOS Setup Utility............ 5-34
5.4 Intel®Rapid Storage Technology enterprise Utility (Windows)5-35
5.4.1 Creating a RAID set ...................................................... 5-36
5.4.2 Change Volume Type.................................................... 5-38
5.4.3 Delete volume ............................................................... 5-39
5.4.4 Preferences................................................................... 5-40
5.5 Marvell RAID utility .................................................................... 5-41
5.5.1 Create a RAID Array ..................................................... 5-41
5.5.2 Delete an existing RAID Array ...................................... 5-43
Chapter 6: Driver installation
6.1 RAID driver installation ............................................................... 6-3
6.1.1 Creating a RAID driver disk ............................................ 6-3
6.1.2 Installing the RAID controller driver ................................ 6-5
6.2 Intel®Chipset Device Software installation ............................. 6-14
6.3 Intel@Network Connections Software installation.................. 6-16
6.4 Audio driver installation............................................................ 6-19
6.5 Intel®C600 Series Chipset SCU SATA RAID Drivers
installation .................................................................................. 6-21
6.6 Marvell Magni installation ......................................................... 6-22

vii
6.7 Intel®Rapid Storage Technology enterprise 3.0 installation . 6-23
6.8 Marvell Storage Utility installation ........................................... 6-26
6.9 Asmedia ASM104x USB 3.0 Host Controller Driver
installation .................................................................................. 6-30
6.10 Intel®WG82574L Gigabit Adapters Driver installation............ 6-33
6.11 VGA driver installation............................................................... 6-36
6.12 Management applications and utilities installation ................ 6-39
6.12.1 Running the support DVD ............................................. 6-39
6.12.2 Drivers menu................................................................. 6-39
6.12.3 Utilities menu ................................................................ 6-40
6.12.4 Make disk menu............................................................ 6-40
6.12.5 Contact information....................................................... 6-40
Chapter 7: Multiple GPU technology support
7.1 AMD®CrossFireX™ technology ................................................. 7-3
7.1.1 Requirements.................................................................. 7-3
7.1.2 Before you begin............................................................. 7-3
7.1.3 Installing two CrossFireX™ graphics cards .................... 7-4
7.1.4 Installing the device drivers............................................. 7-5
7.1.5 Enabling the AMD®CrossFireX™ technology................. 7-5
7.2 NVIDIA®SLI™ technology ........................................................... 7-7
7.2.1 Requirements.................................................................. 7-7
7.2.2 Installing two SLI-ready graphics cards .......................... 7-7
7.2.3 Installing three SLI-ready graphics cards........................ 7-8
7.2.4 Installing four SLI-ready graphics cards.......................... 7-9
7.2.5 Installing the device drivers........................................... 7-10
7.2.6 Enabling the NVIDIA®SLI™ technology ....................... 7-10
7.3 NVIDIA®CUDA™ technology .................................................... 7-13
7.3.1 Requirements................................................................ 7-13
7.3.2 Installing CUDA-ready graphics cards .......................... 7-13
Appendix: Reference information
A.1 Z9PE-D8 WS block diagram ........................................................A-3

viii
Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference, and
• This device must accept any interference received including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class
B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined
by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Canadian Department of Communications Statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the
Canadian Department of Communications.
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card is
required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or modications
to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could
void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.
REACH
Complying with the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction
of Chemicals) regulatory framework, we publish the chemical substances in our
products at ASUS REACH website at http://csr.asus.com/english/REACH.htm.

ix
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.
• Make sure 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, make sure 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.
DO NOT throw the motherboard in municipal waste. This product has been
designed to enable proper reuse of parts and recycling. This symbol of the
crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product (electrical and electronic
equipment) should not be placed in municipal waste. Check local regulations for
disposal of electronic products.
DO NOT throw the mercury-containing button cell battery in municipal waste.
This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the battery should not
be placed in municipal waste.

x
About this guide
This user guide contains the information you need when installing and conguring
the motherboard.
How this guide is organized
This user guide contains the following parts:
• Chapter 1: Product introduction
This chapter describes the features of the motherboard and the new
technologies it supports.
• Chapter 2: Hardware information
This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform
when installing system components. It includes description of the switches,
jumpers, and connectors on the motherboard.
• Chapter 3: Powering up
This chapter describes the power up sequence and ways of shutting down
the system.
• Chapter 4: BIOS setup
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup
menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.
 
This chapter provides instructions for setting up, creating, and conguring
RAID sets using the available utilities.
• Chapter 6: Driver installation
This chapter provides instructions for installing the necessary drivers for
different system components.
• Appendix: Reference information
This appendix includes additional information that you may refer to when
conguring the motherboard.

Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and
software updates.
1. ASUS websites
The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware and
software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.
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.

xi
Conventions used in this guide
To make sure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the following
symbols used throughout this manual.
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 (+).
Example: <Ctrl+Alt+Del>
Command Means that you must type the command
exactly as shown, then supply the required
item or value enclosed in brackets.
Example: At the DOS prompt, type the
command line: format A:/S
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.
NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a
task.
IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a
task.

xii
Z9PE-D8 WS specications summary
(continues on next page)
CPU Dual Intel® Socket 2011 for Xeon® processor E5-2600
product family
Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0
QPI 6.4/7.2/8.0 GTs
*Refer to www.asus.com for CPU support list
Chipset Intel® C602 Express Chipset
Memory 8 x DIMM, Max. 256GB DDR3 1600/1333/1066/800 MHz,
Registered Memory; Max. 64GB, DDR3 2133(O.C.)/
2000(O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/1600/1333/1066 MHz, ECC,
Non-ECC, un-buffered Memory
Quad channel memory architecture
*Refer to www.asus.com for the memory QVL (Qualied
Vendors Lists).
Expansion slots 4 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (Dual@x16/x16; Quad@x8/x8/x8/
x8)
2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (@x16 speed)
1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slot (@x8 speed)
* This motherboard is ready to support PCIe 3.0 SPEC.
Functions will be available when using PCIe 3.0-compliant
devices. Please refer to www.asus.com for updated details.
VGA Output ASpeed AST2300 16MB
VGA port (with bracket)
Supports VGA with max. resolution 1920 x 1200@60Hz
Multi-GPU support Supports NVIDIA® 4-Way SLI™ Technology
Supports AMD® Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology
Storage Intel® C602 Chipset:
- 2 x SATA 6Gb/s ports with RAID 0,1,5 and 10 support (for
Windows only) (AHCI)
- 4 x SATA 3Gb/s ports with RAID 0,1,5 and 10 support (for
Windows only) (AHCI)
- 4 x SATA 3Gb/s ports with RAID 0,1,5 and 10 support (for
Windows only) (SCU)
Marvell® 9230 SATA controller:
- 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports (RAID 0, 1, 10 for Windows only)
LAN 2*Intel® 82574L Gigabit LAN controller
Audio Realtek® ALC 898 8-channel High Denition Audio
CODEC
- Supports 192kHz/ 24bit BD Lossless Sound
- DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC II
- Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-Streaming, and Front
Panel Jack-Retasking
- Optical S/PDIF Out port at back I/O

xiii
Z9PE-D8 WS specications summary
(continues on next page)
USB ASMedia USB 3.0 controllers
- 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports at mid-board for front panel support
- 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports at back panel
Intel®C602 Chipset
- 12 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports (6 ports at mid-board, 6 ports at
back panel)
ASUS Unique Features CPU Power
- Digital 7+1 Phase Power Design
DRAM Power
- Digital 2 Phase Power Design
ASUS Exclusive Features
- ASUS SSD Caching
- Front Panel USB 3.0 Support
ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution
- ASUS Fanless Design: Heat pipe solution
ASUS Q-Design
- ASUS Q-Code
- ASUS Q-Shield
- ASUS Q-Slot
- ASUS Q-DIMM
ASUS EZ DIY
- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
- ASUS EZ Flash 2
- ASUS MyLogo 2
- Multi-language BIOS
Workstation Unique
Features
- 7 PCIe x 16 slots
- Quick Gate:2 vertical USB 2.0 on board
- ASWM Enterprise
- ASMB6-iKVM Remote Management Tool
Back Panel I/O Ports 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports (blue)
6 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
1 x PS/2 KB port
2 x LAN (RJ45) ports (2 x Intel® LAN)
1 x Optical S/PDIF Out port
8-channel Audio I/O

xiv
*Refer to ASUS Server AVL for latest update.

Internal I/O Connectors 1 x USB 3.0/2.0 connector support additional 2 USB ports
(19-pin)
2 x USB 2.0/1/1 connectors support additional 4 USB ports
2 x USB 2.0/1.1 type A vertical ports
6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
8 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors
2 x CPU Fan connector (4-pin)
6 x Chassis Fan connectors (4-pin)
2 x IEEE1394a headers
2 x Serial Port headers
1 x RAID key header
1 x ASMB6-iKVM connector
1 x VGA connector
1 x Front panel audio connector(AAFP)
1 x AUX panel header
1 x SMBus headers
1 x S/PDIF Out header
1 x Clear CMOS header
1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector
2 x 8-pin EATX 12V Power connectors
1 x 4-pin EZ_PLUG Power connector(s)
1 x System Panel
1 x PWR button
1 x Reset button
BIOS Features 64 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0,
SM BIOS 2.6, ACPI 2.0a, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ
Flash 2, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
Manageability WfM 2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL by PME, WOR by PME, PXE
Accessories 6 x Serial ATA 6Gb/s cables
8 x Serial ATA 3Gb/s cables
1 x ASUS 4-Way SLI bridge connector
1 x ASUS 3-Way SLI bridge connector
1 x ASUS SLI bridge connector
1 x 2-port USB2.0 + 1394 bracket
2 x COM port bracket
I/O Shield
User’s manual
Support DVD Drivers
ASUS Utilities
ASUS Update
Form Factors EEB Form Factor, 12”x 13”
Z9PE-D8 WS specications summary

1
Product
introduction
This chapter describes the motherboard
features and the new technologies it supports.

ASUS Z9PE-D8 WS
Chapter summary 1
1.1 Welcome! ...................................................................................... 1-3
1.2 Package contents......................................................................... 1-3
1.3 Serial number label...................................................................... 1-4
1.4 Special features............................................................................ 1-4

ASUS Z9PE-D8 WS 1-3
1.1 Welcome!
Thank you for buying an ASUS®Z9PE-D8 WS motherboard!
The motherboard delivers a host of new features and latest technologies, making it
another standout in the long line of ASUS quality motherboards!
Before you start installing the motherboard, and hardware devices on it, check the
items in your package with the list below.
1.2 Package contents
Check your motherboard package for the following items.
Z9PE-D8 WS
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
Standard Gift Box
Pack Standard Bulk Pack
Cables
SATA DOM cable 1 --
SATA 6G cable 6 --
SATA 3G cable 8 --
COM port cable 2 --
I/O Modules 2-port USB 2.0+1394a 1 --
Accessories
IO shield 1 1
2-Way SLI Bridge
connector 1 --
3-Way SLI Bridge
connector 1 --
4-Wat SLI Bridge
connector 1 --
Application CD Support CD 2 2
Documentation User Guide 1 1
Packing Qty. 1 or 3pcs per carton 5pcs per carton

1-4 Chapter 1: Product introduction
1.4 Special features
1.4.1 Product highlights
Latest Processor Technology
The motherboard supports the latest Intel Xeon®processor E5-2600 product family
in LGA 2011 package with integrated memory controller to support 4 channel
(4DIMM per CPU) DDR3 memory. Intel Xeon®processor E5-2600 product family
supports Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) with a system bus of up to 8.0GT/s.
Optimized Intel®Turbo Boost Technology
Optimized Intel® Turbo Boost Technology further optimizes the processor’s
performance and automatically allows it to run faster than the marked frequency if
it is operating below power, temperature, and current limits.
Intel®Hyper Threading
The thread-level parallelism on each processor makes more efcient use of the
processor resources, higher processing throughout, and improved performance on
today's multi-threaded software.
Intel®EM64T
The motherboard supports Intel®processors with the Intel®EM64T (Extended
Memory 64 Technology). The Intel®EM64T feature allows your computer to run on
64-bit operating systems and access larger amounts of system memory for faster
and more efcient computing.
1.3 Serial number label
Before requesting support from the ASUS Technical Support team, you must take
note of the motherboard's serial number containing 12 characters xxS1xxxxxxxx
shown as the gure below. With the correct serial number of the product, ASUS
Technical Support team members can then offer a quicker and satisfying solution
to your problems.
xxS1xxxxxxxx
Z9PE-D8 WS Made
in
Taiwan
合格

ASUS Z9PE-D8 WS 1-5
DDR3 memory support
The motherboard supports the 4-channel DDR3 memory that features data
transfer rates of DDR3 1600 / 1333 / 1066 MHz to boost the system’s performance,
and to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of server and workstation
applications. The 4-channel DDR3 architecture also manages trafc with bandwidth
of up to 52GB/s, and reduces voltage thus reducing power usage and heat
generation. Also, the motherboard supports LR-DIMM (Load reduced DIMM) which
uses a specially designed buffer to reduce the data load to a single load and can
increase overall server system memory capacity.
PCI Express®3.0
PCI Express®3.0 (PCIe 3.0) is the PCI Express bus standard that provides twice the
performance and speed of PCIe 2.0. It provides an optimal graphics performance,
unprecedented data speed, and seamless transition with its complete backward
compatibility to PCIe 1.0/2.0 devices.
Intel®82574L Gigabit LAN Solution
This motherboard features the built-in dual server class Intel®Gigabit LAN ports,
which helps reduce CPU usage, thus increasing throughput to achieve highly-reliable
network connections, outstanding performance, and better support for diverse
operating systems.
Intel® 82574L chipset is VMware-certied to support the virtualization technology.
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST)
The Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST) intelligently manages the
CPU resources by automatically adjusting the CPU voltage and core frequency
depending on the CPU loading and system speed or power requirement.
Serial ATA II technology
The motherboard supports the Serial ATA II 3 Gb/s technology through the Serial
ATA interface and Intel® C602 chipset. The Serial ATA II specication provides
twice the bandwidth of the current Serial ATA products with a host of new
features, including Native Command Queuing (NCQ), Power Management (PM)
Implementation Algorithm, and Hot Swap. Serial ATA allows thinner, more exible
cables with lower pin count and reduced voltage requirements.

1-6 Chapter 1: Product introduction
Serial ATA III technology
The motherboard supports the Serial ATA III technology through the Serial ATA
interface and Intel®C602 chipset, delivering up to 6Gb/s data transfer rates.
Additionally, get enhanced scalability, faster data retrieval, double the bandwidth of
current bus systems.
Extra SATA 6.0 Gb/s Support
The Intel®C602 Express Chipset natively supports the next-generation Serial ATA
(SATA) interface, delivering up to 6.0 Gb/s data transfer. ASUS provides extra
SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports with enhanced scalability, faster data retrieval, and double the
bandwidth of current bus systems.
Complete USB 3.0 Integration
ASUS facilitates strategic USB 3.0 accessibility for both the front and rear panel
– 4USB 3.0 ports in total. Experience the latest plug & play connectivity at speeds
up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. The Z9PE-D8 WS affords greater convenience
to high speed connectivity.
Temperature, fan, and voltage monitoring
The CPU temperature is monitored to prevent overheating and damage. The
system fan rotations per minute (RPM) is monitored for timely failure detection.
The chip monitors the voltage levels to ensure stable supply of current for critical
components.
1.4.2 Innovative ASUS features
ASUS Fan Speed control technology
The ASUS Fan Speed control technology smartly adjusts the fan speeds according
to the system loading to ensure quiet, cool, and efcient operation.
Best graphics performance for 4-way NVIDIA®GeForce®SLI™
Native second generation PCI-Expressx16 4-way SLI™ offers the fastest and most
reliable graphics performance ever. It's ideal for professional use in mechanical,
architectural, interior design, aeronautics, audio and video design applications.
Additionally, this ample graphics power can easily run even the most demanding
PC games in full detail for enhanced entertainment.
Quick Gate
Quick Gate is a vertical USB connector on the motherboard, allowing you to install
USB devices directly with no messy cables. This stops important data storage
devices from breaking off unexpectedly. Z9PE-D8 WS with this unique design
provides a convenient and safe way to install data and applications on your PC.