Intel DZ68AF User manual

Intel® Desktop Board
DZ68AF
Technical Product Specification
October 2012
Order Number: G42418-002
The Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF may contain design defects or errors known as errata that may cause the product to deviate from published specifications.
Current characterized errata are documented in the Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF Specification Update.

ii
Revision History
Revision Revision History Date
-001 First release of the Intel
®
Desktop Board DZ68AF Technical Product
Specification
October 2011
-002 Specification clarification October 2012
This product specification applies to only the standard Intel® Desktop Board DZ68AF with BIOS identifier
PLZ6810H.86A.
INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH INTEL®PRODUCTS. NO LICENSE,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, BY ESTOPPEL OR OTHERWISE, TO ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IS
GRANTED BY THIS DOCUMENT. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN INTEL’S TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE FOR
SUCH PRODUCTS, INTEL ASSUMES NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER, AND INTEL DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED WARRANTY, RELATING TO SALE AND/OR USE OF INTEL PRODUCTS INCLUDING LIABILITY OR
WARRANTIES RELATING TO FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, MERCHANTABILITY, OR
INFRINGEMENT OF ANY PATENT, COPYRIGHT OR OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT. UNLESS
OTHERWISE AGREED IN WRITING BY INTEL, THE INTEL PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED NOR INTENDED
FOR ANY APPLICATION IN WHICH THE FAILURE OF THE INTEL PRODUCT COULD CREATE A SITUATION
WHERE PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH MAY OCCUR.
All Intel®desktop boards are evaluated as Information Technology Equipment (I.T.E.) for use in personal
computers (PC) for installation in homes, offices, schools, computer rooms, and similar locations. The
suitability of this product for other PC or embedded non-PC applications or other environments, such as
medical, industrial, alarm systems, test equipment, etc. may not be supported without further evaluation by
Intel.
Intel Corporation may have patents or pending patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other
intellectual property rights that relate to the presented subject matter. The furnishing of documents and
other materials and information does not provide any license, express or implied, by estoppel or otherwise,
to any such patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights.
Intel may make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time, without notice.
Designers must not rely on the absence or characteristics of any features or instructions marked “reserved”
or “undefined.” Intel reserves these for future definition and shall have no responsibility whatsoever for
conflicts or incompatibilities arising from future changes to them.
Intel desktop boards may contain design defects or errors known as errata, which may cause the product to
deviate from published specifications. Current characterized errata are available on request.
Intel, Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3 are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
Copyright 2011, 2012 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.

iii
Board Identification Information
Basic Desktop Board DZ68AF Identification Information
AA Revision
BIOS Revision
Notes
G42747-301 PLZ6810H.86A.0002 1,2
Notes:
1. The AA number is found on a small label on the component side of the board.
2. The Z68 chipset used on this AA revision consists of the following component:
Device Stepping S-Spec Numbers
82Z68 B3 SLJ4F
Specification Changes or Clarifications
The table below indicates the Specification Changes or Specification Clarifications that
apply to the Intel®Desktop Board DZ68AF.
Specification Changes or Clarifications
Date
Type of Change
Description of Change or Clarification
October 2012 Spec Clarification Updated Table 33. Environmental Specifications to address
operating temperature requirements for the board.
Errata
Current characterized errata, if any, are documented in a separate Specification
Update. See http://developer.intel.com/products/desktop/motherboard/index.htm
for the latest documentation.

Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF Technical Product Specification
iv

v
Preface
This Technical Product Specification (TPS) specifies the board layout, components,
connectors, power and environmental requirements, and the BIOS for Intel®Desktop
Board DZ68AF.
Intended Audience
The TPS is intended to provide detailed, technical information about Intel Desktop
Board DZ68AF and its components to the vendors, system integrators, and other
engineers and technicians who need this level of information. It is specifically not
intended for general audiences.
What This Document Contains
Chapter Description
1
A description of the hardware used on Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF
2
A map of the resources of the Intel Desktop Board
3
The features supported by the BIOS Setup program
4
A description of the BIOS error messages, beep codes, and POST codes
5
Regulatory compliance and battery disposal information
Typographical Conventions
This section contains information about the conventions used in this specification. Not
all of these symbols and abbreviations appear in all specifications of this type.
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
NOTE
Notes call attention to important information.
CAUTION
Cautions are included to help you avoid damaging hardware or losing data.

Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF Technical Product Specification
vi
Other Common Notation
# Used after a signal name to identify an active-low signal (such as USBP0#)
GB Gigabyte (1,073,741,824 bytes)
GB/s Gigabytes per second
Gb/s Gigabits per second
KB Kilobyte (1024 bytes)
Kb Kilobit (1024 bits)
kb/s 1000 bits per second
MB Megabyte (1,048,576 bytes)
MB/s Megabytes per second
Mb Megabit (1,048,576 bits)
Mb/s Megabits per second
xxh An address or data value ending with a lowercase h indicates a hexadecimal value.
x.x V Volts. Voltages are DC unless otherwise specified.
* This symbol is used to indicate third-party brands and names that are the property of their
respective owners.

vii
Contents
Revision History
Board Identification Information ..................................................................iii
Specification Changes or Clarifications..........................................................iii
Errata ......................................................................................................iii
Preface
Intended Audience..................................................................................... v
What This Document Contains..................................................................... v
Typographical Conventions ......................................................................... v
1Product Description
1.1 Overview ......................................................................................... 11
1.1.1 Feature Summary ................................................................. 11
1.1.2 Board Layout ........................................................................ 13
1.1.3 Block Diagram ...................................................................... 15
1.2 Legacy Considerations....................................................................... 16
1.3 Online Support ................................................................................. 16
1.4 Processor ........................................................................................ 17
1.4.1 PCI Express x16 Graphics....................................................... 17
1.5 System Memory ............................................................................... 18
1.5.1 Memory Configurations .......................................................... 19
1.6 Intel®Z68 Express Chipset ................................................................ 21
1.6.1 Intel®RST ............................................................................ 21
1.6.2 USB..................................................................................... 22
1.7 SATA Interfaces ............................................................................... 23
1.8 Real-Time Clock Subsystem ............................................................... 24
1.9 Legacy I/O Controller ........................................................................ 24
1.9.1 Consumer Infrared (CIR)........................................................ 25
1.10 Audio Subsystem.............................................................................. 25
1.10.1 Audio Subsystem Software ..................................................... 26
1.10.2 Audio Subsystem Components ................................................ 26
1.11 LAN Subsystem ................................................................................ 27
1.11.1 Intel®82579V Gigabit Ethernet Controller ................................ 27
1.11.2 LAN Subsystem Software ....................................................... 28
1.11.3 RJ-45 LAN Connector with Integrated LEDs .............................. 28
1.12 Hardware Management Subsystem ..................................................... 29
1.12.1 Hardware Monitoring ............................................................. 29
1.12.2 Fan Monitoring ...................................................................... 29
1.12.3 Chassis Intrusion and Detection .............................................. 29
1.12.4 Thermal Monitoring ............................................................... 30

Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF Technical Product Specification
viii
1.13 Power Management .......................................................................... 31
1.13.1 ACPI .................................................................................... 31
1.13.2 Hardware Support ................................................................. 33
2Technical Reference
2.1 Memory Resources ........................................................................... 39
2.1.1 Addressable Memory ............................................................. 39
2.1.2 Memory Map......................................................................... 41
2.2 Connectors and Headers.................................................................... 41
2.2.1 Back Panel Connectors........................................................... 42
2.2.2 Component-side Connectors and Headers................................. 43
2.3 Jumper Block ................................................................................... 52
2.4 Mechanical Considerations ................................................................. 54
2.4.1 Form Factor.......................................................................... 54
2.5 Electrical Considerations .................................................................... 55
2.5.1 Power Supply Considerations .................................................. 55
2.5.2 Fan Header Current Capability ................................................ 56
2.5.3 Add-in Board Considerations................................................... 56
2.6 Thermal Considerations ..................................................................... 56
2.7 Reliability......................................................................................... 59
2.8 Environmental.................................................................................. 59
3Overview of BIOS Features
3.1 Introduction..................................................................................... 61
3.2 BIOS Flash Memory Organization........................................................ 62
3.3 Resource Configuration ..................................................................... 62
3.3.1 PCI Autoconfiguration ............................................................ 62
3.4 System Management BIOS (SMBIOS) ................................................. 63
3.5 Legacy USB Support ......................................................................... 63
3.6 BIOS Updates .................................................................................. 64
3.6.1 Language Support ................................................................. 64
3.6.2 Custom Splash Screen ........................................................... 65
3.7 BIOS Recovery................................................................................. 65
3.8 Boot Options .................................................................................... 66
3.8.1 Optical Drive Boot ................................................................. 66
3.8.2 Network Boot........................................................................ 66
3.8.3 Booting Without Attached Devices ........................................... 66
3.8.4Changing the Default Boot Device During POST......................... 66
3.9 Adjusting Boot Speed........................................................................ 67
3.9.1 Peripheral Selection and Configuration ..................................... 67
3.9.2 BIOS Boot Optimizations ........................................................ 67
3.10 BIOS Security Features ..................................................................... 68
3.11 BIOS Performance Features ............................................................... 69

Contents
ix
4Error Messages and Beep Codes
4.1 Speaker .......................................................................................... 71
4.2 BIOS Beep Codes ............................................................................. 71
4.3 Front-panel Power LED Blink Codes..................................................... 72
4.4 BIOS Error Messages ........................................................................ 72
4.5 Port 80h POST Codes ........................................................................ 73
5Regulatory Compliance and Battery Disposal Information
5.1 Regulatory Compliance...................................................................... 79
5.1.1 Safety Standards................................................................... 79
5.1.2 European Union Declaration of Conformity Statement ................ 80
5.1.3 Product Ecology Statements ................................................... 81
5.1.4 EMC Regulations ................................................................... 83
5.1.5 ENERGY STAR* 5.0, e-Standby, and ErP Compliance ................. 86
5.1.6 Regulatory Compliance Marks (Board Level) ............................. 87
5.2 Battery Disposal Information.............................................................. 88
Figures
1. Major Board Components .................................................................. 13
2. Block Diagram.................................................................................. 15
3. Memory Channel and DIMM Configuration............................................ 20
4. Back Panel Audio Connectors ............................................................. 26
5. LAN Connector LED Locations............................................................. 28
6. Thermal Sensors and Fan Headers...................................................... 30
7. Location of the Standby Power LED..................................................... 37
8. Detailed System Memory Address Map ................................................ 40
9. Back Panel Connectors ...................................................................... 42
10. Component-side Connectors and Headers............................................ 43
11. Connection Diagram for Front Panel Header ......................................... 49
12. Connection Diagram for Front Panel USB 2.0 Headers ........................... 51
13. Location of the Jumper Block ............................................................. 52
14. Board Dimensions............................................................................. 54
15. Localized High Temperature Zones ..................................................... 57
Tables
1. Feature Summary............................................................................. 11
2. Components Shown in Figure 1 .......................................................... 14
3. Supported Memory Configurations ...................................................... 19
4. Audio Jack Support ........................................................................... 25
5. LAN Connector LED States ................................................................. 28
6. Effects of Pressing the Power Switch ................................................... 31
7. Power States and Targeted System Power ........................................... 32
8. Wake-up Devices and Events ............................................................. 33
9. System Memory Map ........................................................................ 41

Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF Technical Product Specification
x
10. Component-side Connectors and Headers Shown in Figure 10................ 44
11. IEEE 1394a Header........................................................................... 45
12. Front Panel Audio Header for Intel HD Audio ........................................ 45
13. Front Panel Audio Header for AC ’97 Audio........................................... 45
14. Front Panel USB 2.0 Headers ............................................................. 45
15. SATA Connectors.............................................................................. 46
16. S/PDIF Header ................................................................................. 46
17. Chassis Intrusion Header ................................................................... 46
18. Processor, Front, and Rear Chassis (4-Pin) Fan Headers ....................... 46
19. Back Panel CIR Emitter (Output) Header ............................................. 46
20. Front Panel CIR Receiver (Input) Header ............................................. 47
21. Processor Core Power Connector ........................................................ 48
22. Main Power Connector....................................................................... 48
23. Front Panel Header ........................................................................... 49
24. States for a One-Color Power LED....................................................... 50
25. States for a Two-Color Power LED ...................................................... 50
26. Alternate Front Panel Power/Sleep LED Header..................................... 50
27. LPC Debug Header............................................................................ 51
28. BIOS Setup Configuration Jumper Settings .......................................... 53
29. Recommended Power Supply Current Values........................................ 55
30. Fan Header Current Capability............................................................ 56
31. Thermal Considerations for Components.............................................. 58
32. Tcontrol Values for Components ......................................................... 58
33. Environmental Specifications.............................................................. 59
34. BIOS Setup Program Menu Bar........................................................... 62
35. BIOS Setup Program Function Keys .................................................... 62
36. Acceptable Drives/Media Types for BIOS Recovery................................ 65
37. Boot Device Menu Options ................................................................. 66
38. Supervisor and User Password Functions ............................................. 68
39. BIOS Beep Codes ............................................................................. 71
40. Front-panel Power LED Blink Codes..................................................... 72
41. BIOS Error Messages ........................................................................ 72
42. Port 80h POST Code Ranges .............................................................. 73
43. Port 80h POST Codes ........................................................................ 74
44. Typical Port 80h POST Sequence ........................................................ 78
45. Safety Standards.............................................................................. 79
46. EMC Regulations............................................................................... 83
47. Regulatory Compliance Marks ............................................................ 87

11
1Product Description
1.1 Overview
1.1.1 Feature Summary
Table 1 summarizes the major features of the board.
Table 1. Feature Summary
Form Factor
MicroATX (9.60 inches by 9.60 inches [243.84 millimeters by
243.84 millimeters])
Processor
•Intel®Core™ i7, Intel®Core™ i5, and Intel®Core™ i3 processors with up to
95W TDP in an LGA1155 socket
―One PCI Express* 2.0 x16 graphics interface
―Integrated memory controller with dual channel DDR3 memory support
Memory
•Four 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) sockets
•Support for DDR3 1333 MHz and DDR3 1066 MHz DIMMs
•Support for 1 Gb, 2 Gb, and 4 Gb memory technology
•Support for up to 32 GB of system memory with four DIMMs using 4 Gb
memory technology
•Support for non-ECC memory
•Support for 1.35 V low voltage JEDEC memory
Chipset Intel
®
Z68 Express Chipset consisting of the Intel Z68 Platform Controller Hub
(PCH) with support for:
•Intel®Rapid Storage Technology (Intel®RST)
•Intel®Smart Response Technology
•Intel®Rapid Recover Technology (Intel® RRT)
Graphics
Discrete graphics support for PCI Express 2.0 x16 add-in graphics card
Audio
10-channel (7.1 + 2) Intel High Definition Audio via the Realtek ALC892 audio
codec
Peripheral
Interfaces
•Two USB 3.0 ports are implemented with stacked back panel connectors
(blue)
•Fourteen USB 2.0 ports:
―Six ports are implemented with stacked back panel connectors (black)
―Eight front panel ports implemented through four internal headers
•Two SATA 6.0 Gb/s interfaces through Intel Z68 Express Chipset with Intel®
Rapid Storage Technology RAID support (blue)
•Four Serial ATA (SATA) 3.0 Gb/s interfaces through Intel Z68 Express Chipset
with Intel Rapid Storage Technology RAID support:
―Two internal SATA ports (black)
―One internal eSATA port (red)
―One back panel eSATA port (red)
•Two IEEE 1394a ports:
―One port via a back panel connector
―One port via an internal header for front panel cabling
continued

Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF Technical Product Specification
12
Table 1. Feature Summary (continued)
Expansion
Capabilities
•One PCI Express 2.0 x16 add-in card connector
•Two PCI Express 2.0 x1 add-in card connectors
•One Conventional PCI bus connector
BIOS
•Intel®BIOS resident in the SPI Flash device
•Support for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), Plug and
Play, and SMBIOS
Instantly Available
PC Technology
•Support for PCI* Local Bus Specification Revision 2.2
•Support for PCI Express* Revision 2.0
•Suspend to RAM support
•Wake on PCI, PCI Express, LAN, front panel, Consumer Infrared (CIR), and
USB ports
LAN Support
Gigabit (10/100/1000 Mb/s) LAN subsystem using the Intel®82579V Gigabit
Ethernet Controller
Legacy I/O Control Nuvoton W83677HG-i I/O controller for CIR and hardware management support
Hardware Monitor
Subsystem
•Hardware monitoring through the Nuvoton I/O controller
•Voltage sense to detect out of range power supply voltages
•Thermal sense to detect out of range thermal values
•Three fan headers
•Two fan sense inputs used to monitor fan activity
•Fan speed control

Product Description
13
1.1.2 Board Layout
Figure 1 shows the location of the major components on Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF.
Figure 1. Major Board Components

Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF Technical Product Specification
14
Table 2 lists the components identified in Figure 1.
Table 2. Components Shown in Figure 1
Item/callout
from Figure 1 Description
A PCI Conventional bus add-in card connector
B PCI Express x1 add-in card connector
C IEEE 1394a front panel header
D PCI Express x1 bus add-in card connector
E PCI Express x16 bus add-in card connector
F Back panel connectors
G Processor core power connector (2 x 2)
H Rear chassis fan header
I LGA1155 processor socket
J Processor fan header
K DIMM 3 (Channel A DIMM 0)
L DIMM 1 (Channel A DIMM 1)
M DIMM 4 (Channel B DIMM 0)
N DIMM 2 (Channel B DIMM 1)
O Front chassis fan header
P Chassis intrusion header
Q Low Pin Count (LPC) Debug header
R Consumer IR receiver (input) header
S Consumer IR emitter (output) header
T Main power connector (2 x 12)
U Battery
V Piezoelectric speaker
W Intel Z68 Express Chipset
X SATA connectors
Y Front panel header
Z Alternate front panel power LED header
AA BIOS Setup configuration jumper block
BB Front panel USB 2.0 headers (4)
CC Standby power LED
DD S/PDIF out header
EE Front panel audio header

Product Description
15
1.1.3 Block Diagram
Figure 2 is a block diagram of the major functional areas of the board.
Figure 2. Block Diagram

Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF Technical Product Specification
16
1.2 Legacy Considerations
This board differs from other Intel Desktop Board products, with specific changes
including (but not limited to) the following:
•No parallel port connector
•No floppy drive connector
•No serial port connector or header
•No PS/2 connectors
•No PATA connector
1.3 Online Support
To find information about…
Visit this World Wide Web site:
Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF http://www.intel.com/products/motherboard/index.htm
Desktop Board Support http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support?iid=hdr+support
Available configurations for Intel
Desktop Board DZ68AF
http://ark.intel.com
Supported processors http://processormatch.intel.com
Chipset information http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/chipsets/index.htm
BIOS and driver updates http://downloadcenter.intel.com
Tested memory http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-
025414.htm
Integration information http://www.intel.com/support/go/buildit

Product Description
17
1.4 Processor
The board is designed to support the Intel Core i7, Intel Core i5, and Intel Core i3
processors in an LGA1155 socket
Other processors may be supported in the future. This board is designed to support
processors with a maximum wattage of 95 W Thermal Design Power (TDP). The
processors listed above are only supported when falling within the wattage
requirements of Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF. See the Intel web site listed below for
the most up-to-date list of supported processors.
For information about…
Refer to:
Supported processors http://processormatch.intel.com
CAUTION
Use only the processors listed on the web site above. Use of unsupported processors
can damage the board, the processor, and the power supply.
NOTE
This board has specific requirements for providing power to the processor. Refer to
Section 2.5.1 on page 55 for information on power supply requirements for this board.
1.4.1 PCI Express x16 Graphics
The Intel Core i7, Intel Core i5, and Intel Core i3 processors in an LGA1155 socket
support discrete add in graphics cards via the PCI Express 2.0 x16 graphics connector:
•Supports PCI Express GEN2 frequency of 2.5 GHz resulting in 5.0 Gb/s each
direction (500 MB/s) per lane. The maximum theoretical bandwidth on the
interface is 8 GB/s in each direction, simultaneously, for an aggregate of 16 GB/s
when operating in x16 GEN2 mode.
•Supports PCI Express GEN1 frequency of 1.25 GHz resulting in 2.5 Gb/s each
direction (250 MB/s) per lane. The maximum theoretical bandwidth on the
interface is 4 GB/s in each direction, simultaneously, for an aggregate of 8 GB/s
when operating in x16 GEN1 mode.
For information about Refer to
PCI Express technology http://www.pcisig.com

Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF Technical Product Specification
18
1.5 System Memory
The board has four DIMM sockets and supports the following memory features:
•1.5 V DDR3 SDRAM DIMMs with gold plated contacts, with the option to raise the
voltage to support higher performance DDR3 SDRAM DIMMs.
•Support for 1.35 V Low Voltage DDR3 (JEDEC specification)
•Two independent memory channels with interleaved mode support
•Unbuffered, single-sided or double-sided DIMMs with the following restriction:
Double-sided DIMMs with x16 organization are not supported.
•32 GB maximum total system memory (with 4 Gb memory technology). Refer to
Section 2.1.1 on page 39 for information on the total amount of addressable
memory.
•Minimum recommended total system memory: 512 MB
•Non-ECC DIMMs
•Serial Presence Detect
•DDR3 1333 MHz and DDR3 1066 MHz SDRAM DIMMs
NOTE
To be fully compliant with all applicable DDR SDRAM memory specifications, the board
should be populated with DIMMs that support the Serial Presence Detect (SPD) data
structure. This allows the BIOS to read the SPD data and program the chipset to
accurately configure memory settings for optimum performance. If non-SPD memory
is installed, the BIOS will attempt to correctly configure the memory settings, but
performance and reliability may be impacted or the DIMMs may not function under the
determined frequency.
CAUTION
1.5 V is the recommended and default setting for DDR3 memory voltage. The other
memory voltage settings in the BIOS Setup program are provided for performance
tuning purposes only. Altering the memory voltage may (i) reduce system stability
and the useful life of the system, memory, and processor; (ii) cause the processor and
other system components to fail; (iii) cause reductions in system performance; (iv)
cause additional heat or other damage; and (v) affect system data integrity.
Intel has not tested and does not warranty the operation of the processor beyond its
specifications. For information on the processor warranty, refer to
http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-
020033.htm?wapkw=(processor+warranty).
Intel assumes no responsibility that the memory installed on the desktop board, if used
with altered clock frequencies and/or voltages, will be fit for any particular purpose.
Check with the memory manufacturer for warranty terms and additional details.

Product Description
19
Table 3 lists the supported DIMM configurations.
Table 3. Supported Memory Configurations
DIMM
Capacity
Configuration
(Note)
SDRAM
Density
SDRAM Organization
Front-side/Back-side
Number of SDRAM
Devices
512 MB
SS
1 Gbit
64 M x16/empty
4
1024 MB
SS
1 Gbit
128 M x8/empty
8
1024 MB
SS
2 Gbit
128 M x16/empty
4
2048 MB
DS
1 Gbit
128 M x8/128 M x8
16
2048 MB
SS
2 Gbit
128 M x16/empty
8
4096 MB
DS
2 Gbit
256 M x8/256 M x8
16
4096 MB
SS
4 Gbit
512 M x8/empty
8
8192 MB
DS
4 Gbit
512 M x8/512 M x8
16
Note: “DS” refers to double-sided memory modules (containing two rows of SDRAM) and “SS” refers to
single-sided memory modules (containing one row of SDRAM).
For information about… Refer to:
Tested Memory http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb
/CS-025414.htm
1.5.1 Memory Configurations
The Intel Core i7, Intel Core i5, and Intel Core i3 processors in the LGA1155 socket
support the following types of memory organization:
•Dual channel (Interleaved) mode. This mode offers the highest throughput for
real world applications. Dual channel mode is enabled when the installed memory
capacities of both DIMM channels are equal. Technology and device width can vary
from one channel to the other but the installed memory capacity for each channel
must be equal. If different speed DIMMs are used between channels, the slowest
memory timing will be used.
•Single channel (Asymmetric) mode. This mode is equivalent to single channel
bandwidth operation for real world applications. This mode is used when only a
single DIMM is installed or the memory capacities are unequal. Technology and
device width can vary from one channel to the other. If different speed DIMMs are
used between channels, the slowest memory timing will be used.
•Flex mode. This mode provides the most flexible performance characteristics.
The bottommost DRAM memory (the memory that is lowest within the system
memory map) is mapped to dual channel operation; the topmost DRAM memory
(the memory that is nearest to the 8 GB address space limit), if any, is mapped to
single channel operation. Flex mode results in multiple zones of dual and single
channel operation across the whole of DRAM memory. To use flex mode, it is
necessary to populate both channels.
For information about…
Refer to:
Memory Configuration Examples http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/cs-
011965.htm

Intel Desktop Board DZ68AF Technical Product Specification
20
Figure 3 illustrates the memory channel and DIMM configuration.
Figure 3. Memory Channel and DIMM Configuration
NOTE
The Intel Core i7, Intel Core i5, and Intel Core i3 processors require memory to be
populated in the DIMM 1 (Channel A, DIMM 1) socket.
For best memory performance always install memory into the blue DIMM memory
sockets if only installing two DIMMs in your configuration.