ASRock 970 EXTREME4: 1. Introduction
1. Introduction: ASRock 970 EXTREME4
1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing ASRock 970 Extreme4 motherboard, a reliable mother-
board 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 contain introduction of the motherboard and step-
by-step guide to the hardware installation. Chapter 3 and 4 contain the conf guration
guide to BIOS setup and information of the Support CD.
Because the motherboard specif cations and the BIOS software might
be updated, the content of this manual will be subject to change without
notice. In case any modi f cations of this manual occur , the updated ver-
sion will be available on ASRock website without further notice. You may
f nd the latest VGA cards and CPU support lists on ASRock website as
well. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com
If you require technical support related to this motherboard, please visit
our website for specif c information about the model you are using.
www.asrock.com/support/index.asp
1.1 Package Contents
ASRock 970 Extreme4 Motherboard
(ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 9.6-in, 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm)
ASRock 970 Extreme4 Quick Installation Guide
ASRock 970 Extreme4 Support CD
1 x ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card
4 x Serial ATA (SATA) Data Cables (Optional)
1 x 3.5mm Audio Cable (Optional)
1 x I/O Panel Shield
ASRock Reminds You...
®
TM
TM
To get better performance in Windows
7 / 7 64-bit / V ista
/ Vista
64
bit, it is recommended to set the BIOS option in Storage Con f guration
to AHCI mode. For the BIOS setup, please refer to the “User Manual” in
our support CD for details.
5
1.2 Specifications
Platform - ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 9.6-in, 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm
- All Solid Capacitor design (100% Japan-made high-quality
Conductive Polymer Capacitors)
CPU - Support for Socket AM3+ processors
TM
- Support for Socket AM3 processors: AMD Phenom
II X6 /
X4 / X3 / X2 (except 920 / 940) / Athlon II X4 / X3 / X2 /
Sempron processors
- Supports 8-Core CPU
- Supports UCC feature (Unlock CPU Core) (see CAUTION 1)
- V4 + 1 Power Phase Design
- Supports CPU up to 140W
TM
- Supports AMD’s Cool ‘n’ Quiet
Technology
- FSB 2600 MHz (5.2 GT/s)
- Supports Untied Overclocking Technology (see CAUTION 2)
- Supports Hyper-Transport 3.0 (HT 3.0) Technology
Chipset - Northbridge: AMD 970
- Southbridge: AMD SB950
Memory - Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology (see CAUTION 3)
- 4 x DDR3 DIMM slots
- Support DDR3 2100(OC)/1866(OC)/1800(OC)/1600(OC)/
1333/1066/800 non-ECC, un-buffered memory
(see CAUTION 4)
- Max. capacity of system memory: 32GB (see CAUTION 5)
Expansion Slot - 3 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot (PCIE2/PCIE4: single at
x16 (PCIE2) / x8 (PCIE4), or dual at x8 (PCIE2) / x8 (PCIE4);
PCIE5: x4 mode)
- 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots
- 2 x PCI slots
TM
TM
TM
- Supports AMD
Quad CrossFireX
, 3-Way CrossFireX
TM
and CrossFireX
®
TM
- Supports NVIDIA
SLI
Audio - 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection
(Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec)
- Premium Blu-ray audio support
LAN - PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s
- Realtek RTL8111E
- Supports Wake-On-LAN
- Supports LAN Cable Detection
6
- Supports Energy Eff cient Ethernet 802.3az
- Supports PXE
Rear Panel I/O I/O Panel
- 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port
- 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port
- 1 x Coaxial SPDIF Out Port
- 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
- 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports
- 2 x Ready-to-Use USB 3.0 Ports
- 1 x eSATA3 Connector
- 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED
LED)
- 1 x IEEE 1394 Port
- 1 x Clear CMOS Switch with LED
- HD Audio Jack: Side Speaker/Rear Speaker/Central/Bass/
Line in/Front Speaker/Microphone (see CAUTION 6)
SATA3 - 5 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by AMD SB950, support
RAID(RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, JBOD and RAID 5), NCQ,
AHCI and "Hot Plug" functions
USB 3.0 - 2 x Rear USB 3.0 ports by ASMedia ASM1042, support
USB 1.0/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s
- 1 x Front USB 3.0 header (supports 2 USB 3.0 ports) by
ASMedia ASM1042, supports USB 1.0/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s
Connector - 5 x SATA3 6.0Gb/s connectors
- 1 x IR header
- 1 x CIR header
- 1 x COM port header
- 1 x IEEE 1394 header
- 1 x HDMI_SPDIF header
- 1 x Power LED header
- CPU/Chassis/Power FAN connector
- 24 pin ATX power connector
- 8 pin 12V power connector
- Front panel audio connector
- 3 x USB 2.0 headers (support 6 USB 2.0 ports)
- 1 x USB 3.0 header (supports 2 USB 3.0 ports)
- 1 x Dr. Debug (7-Segment Debug LED)
Smart Switch - 1 x Clear CMOS Switch with LED
- 1 x Power Switch with LED
- 1 x Reset Switch with LED
BIOS Feature - 32Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with GUI support
- Supports “Plug and Play”
7
BIOS Feature - 32Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with GUI support
- Supports “Plug and Play”
- ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events
- Supports jumperfree
- SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support
- CPU, VCCM, NB, SB Voltage Multi-adjustment
Support CD - Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version),
CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial
Unique Feature - ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU) (see CAUTION 8)
- ASRock Instant Boot
- ASRock Instant Flash (see CAUTION 9)
- ASRock APP Charger (see CAUTION 10)
- ASRock XFast USB (see CAUTION 11)
- ASRock On/Off Play Technology (see CAUTION 12)
- Hybrid Booster:
- CPU Frequency Stepless Control (see CAUTION 13)
- ASRock U-COP (see CAUTION 14)
- Boot Failure Guard (B.F.G.)
- Turbo UCC
Hardware - CPU Temperature Sensing
Monitor - Chassis Temperature Sensing
- CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer
- CPU Quiet Fan
- CPU/Chassis Fan Multi-Speed Control
- Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, Vcore
®
®
TM
TM
OS - Microsoft
Windows
7 / 7 64-bit / Vista
/ Vista
64-bit / XP
/ XP 64-bit compliant
Certifi cations - FCC, CE, WHQL
- ErP/EuP Ready (ErP/EuP ready power supply is required)
(see CAUTION 15)
* For detailed product information, please visit our website: http://www.asrock.com
WARNING
Please realize that there is a certain risk involved with overclocking, including adjusting the
setting in the BIOS, applying Untied Overclocking Technology, or using the third-party over-
clocking tools. Overclocking may affect your system 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.
8
CAUTION!
1. ASRock UCC (Unlock CPU Core) feature simplifi es AMD CPU activa-
tion. As long as a simple switch of the UEFI option “ASRock UCC”, you
can unlock the extra CPU core to enjoy an instant performance boost.
When UCC feature is enabled, the dual-core or triple-core CPU will boost
to the quad-core CPU, and some CPU, including quad-core CPU, can
also increase L3 cache size up to 6MB, which means you can enjoy the
upgrade CPU performance with a better price. Please be noted that UCC
feature is supported with AM3/AM3+ CPU only, and in addition, not every
AM3/AM3+ CPU can support this function because some CPU’s hidden
core may be malfunctioned.
2. This motherboard supports Untied Overclocking Technology. Please read
“Untied Overclocking Technology” on page 47 for details.
3. This motherboard supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. Before
you implement Dual Channel Memory Technology, make sure to read the
installation guide of memory modules on page 17 for proper installation.
4. Whether 2100/1866/1800/1600MHz memory speed is supported de-
pends on the AM3/AM3+ CPU you adopt. If you want to adopt DDR3
2100/1866/1800/1600 memory module on this motherboard, please refer
to the memory support list on our website for the compatible memory
modules.
ASRock website: http://www.asrock.com
5. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be
®
less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows
7 /
TM
®
Vista
/ XP. For Windows
64-bit OS with 64-bit CPU, there is no such
limitation.
6. For microphone input, this motherboard supports both stereo and mono
modes. For audio output, this motherboard supports 2-channel, 4-chan-
nel, 6-channel, and 8-channel modes. Please check the table on page 13
for proper connection.
7. Users need to choose computer chassis which has USB3.0 connectors
to enjoy the Front USB3.0 feature.
8. ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU) is an all-in-one tool to ne-tune
different system functions in a user-friendly interface, which is including
Hardware Monitor, Fan Control, Overclocking, OC DNA and IES. In Hard-
ware Monitor, it shows the major readings of your system. In Fan Control,
it shows the fan speed and temperature for you to adjust. In Overclock-
ing, you are allowed to overclock CPU frequency for optimal system
performance. In OC DNA, you can save your OC settings as a profi le
and share with your friends. Your friends then can load the OC profi le to
their own system to get the same OC settings. In IES (Intelligent Energy
Saver), the voltage regulator can reduce the number of output phases to
improve effi ciency when the CPU cores are idle without sacrifi cing com-
puting performance. Please visit our website for the operation procedures
of ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU).
ASRock website: http://www.asrock.com
9
9. ASRock Instant Flash is a BIOS fl ash utility embedded in Flash ROM.
This convenient BIOS update tool allows you to update system BIOS
®
without entering operating systems fi rst like MS-DOS or Windows
. With
this utility, you can press <F6> key during the POST or press <F2> key to
BIOS setup menu to access ASRock Instant Flash. Just launch this tool
and save the new BIOS fi le to your USB fl ash drive, fl oppy disk or hard
drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without prepar-
ing an additional fl oppy diskette or other complicated fl ash utility. Please
be noted that the USB fl ash drive or hard drive must use FAT32/16/12 fi le
system.
10. If you desire a faster, less restricted way of charging your Apple devices,
such as iPhone/iPod/iPad Touch, ASRock has prepared a wonderful solu-
tion for you - ASRock APP Charger. Simply installing the APP Charger
driver, it makes your iPhone charged much quickly from your computer
and up to 40% faster than before. 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), Sus-
pend to RAM (S3), hibernation mode (S4) or power off (S5). With APP
Charger driver installed, you can easily enjoy the marvelous charging
experience than ever.
ASRock website: http://www.asrock.com/Feature/AppCharger/index.asp
11. ASRock XFast USB can boost USB storage device performance. The
performance may depend on the property of the device.
12. ASRock On/Off Play Technology allows users to enjoy the great audio ex-
perience from the portable audio devices, such like MP3 player or mobile
phone to your PC, even when the PC is turned off (or in ACPI S5 mode)!
This motherboard also provides a free 3.5mm audio cable (optional) that
ensures users the most convenient computing environment.
13. Although this motherboard offers stepless control, it is not recommended
to perform over-clocking. Frequencies other than the recommended CPU
bus frequencies may cause the instability of the system or damage the
CPU.
14. While CPU overheat is detected, the system will automatically shutdown.
Before you resume the system, please check if the CPU fan on the moth-
erboard functions properly and unplug the power cord, then plug it back
again. To improve heat dissipation, remember to spray thermal grease
between the CPU and the heatsink when you install the PC system.
10
15. EuP, stands for Energy Using Product, was a provision regulated by Eu-
ropean Union to defi ne the power consumption for the completed system.
According to EuP, the total AC power of the completed system shall be
under 1.00W in off mode condition. To meet EuP standard, an EuP ready
motherboard and an EuP ready power supply are required. According to
Intel’s suggestion, the EuP ready power supply must meet the standard
of 5v standby power effi ciency is higher than 50% under 100 mA current
consumption. For EuP ready power supply selection, we recommend you
checking with the power supply manufacturer for more details.
11
1.3 Motherboard Layout
12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
24.4cm (9.6-in)
Keyboard
PS2
Mouse
PS2
PWR_FAN1
CPU_FAN2
CPU_FAN1
SPDIF
Coaxial
ATX12V1
SPDIF
Optical
CMOS
Clr
LAN
PHY
SOCKET AM3b
USB 2.0
RJ-45 LAN
140W CPU
B: USB1
T: U SB0
30.5cm (12.0-in)
Support 8-Core CPU
AM3+
FSB800
FSB800
CHA_FAN1
9
eSATA3
IEEE 1394
T: USB2
USB 2.0
B: USB3
10
USB 3.0
B: USB5
T: US B4
ErP/EuP Ready
DDR3 2000+
DDR3_A1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDR3_A2 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDR3_B1 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
DDR3_B2 (64 bit, 240-pin module)
CTR BASS
Bottom:
REAR SPK
Center:
SIDE SPK
Top:
USB 3.0
RoHS
MIC IN
Bottom:
FRONT
Center:
LINE IN
Top:
HD_AUDIO1
AMD
11
42
1
970
USB_12_13
41
PCIE1
Chipset
12
40
PCIE2
CODEC
AUDIO
13
39
PCI1
SATA3 6Gb/s
970 Extreme4
CMOS
38
PCIE3
BATTERY
SATA3_4_5
14
37
AMD
36
SB950
SATA3_2_3
15
Super
I/O
PCIE4
Chipset
SATA3_1
16
PCI2
32Mb
X
FAST USB
Dr.
Designed in Taipei
Front USB 3.0
Debug
35
BIOS
17
34
PCIE5
1394a
1
PLED1
CLRCMOS1
18
HDMI_SPDIF1
IR1
COM1
1
USB_10_11
USB_8_9
USB_6_7
FRONT_1394
PANEL 1
PLED PWRBTN
1
SPEAKER1
19
1
PWRBTN1
1
1
1
1
CHA_FAN3
CHA_FAN2
11
RSTBTN1
CIR1
1
HDLED RESET
1
33
32
3031
29
28
27
2526
24
23
22
21
20
1 ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1) 23 Power Switch (PWRBTN)
2 Power Fan Connector (PWR_FAN1) 24 Front Panel IEEE 1394 Header
3 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN2) (FRONT_1394, White)
4 CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1) 25 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN2)
5 AM3+ CPU Socket 26 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN3)
6 CPU Heatsink Retention Module 27 USB 2.0 Header (USB_6_7, Blue)
7 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 28 Consumer Infrared Module Header
(Dual Channel A: DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1; Blue) (CIR1)
8 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots 29 USB 2.0 Header (USB_8_9, Blue)
(Dual Channel B: DDR3_A2, DDR3_B2; White) 30 USB 2.0 Header (USB_10_11, Blue)
9 Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1) 31 COM Port Header (COM1)
10 ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1) 32 Infrared Module Header (IR1)
11 USB 3.0 Header (USB_12_13, Blue) 33 HDMI_SPDIF Header
12 Northbridge Controller (HDMI_SPDIF1, White)
13 Southbridge Controller 34 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE5; Blue)
14 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_4_5, White) 35 SPI Flash Memory (32Mb)
15 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_2_3, White) 36 PCI Slot (PCI2)
16 SATA3 Connector (SATA3_1, White) 37 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE4; Blue)
17 Dr. Debug (LED) 38 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE3; White)
18 Power LED Header (PLED1) 39 PCI Slot (PCI1)
19 Clear CMOS Jumper (CLRCMOS1) 40 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (PCIE2; Blue)
20 Chassis Speaker Header (SPEAKER 1, White) 41 PCI Express 2.0 x1 Slot (PCIE1; White)
21 System Panel Header (PANEL1, White) 42 Front Panel Audio Header
22 Reset Switch (RSTBTN) (HD_AUDIO1, White)
1.4 I/O Panel
1
1
2
3
4
7
5
8
6
9
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
1 PS/2 Mouse Port (Green) 10 USB 3.0 Port (USB45)
* 2 LAN RJ-45 Port 11 IEEE 1394 Port (IEEE 1394)
3 USB 2.0 Ports (USB23) *** 12 eSATA3 Connector
4 Side Speaker (Gray) 13 USB 2.0 Ports (USB01)
5 Rear Speaker (Black) 14 Clear CMOS Switch (CLRCBTN)
6 Central / Bass (Orange) 15 Optical SPDIF Out Port
7 Line In (Light Blue) 16 Coaxial SPDIF Out Port
** 8 Front Speaker (Lime) 17 PS/2 Keyboard Port (Purple)
9 Microphone (Pink)
* There are two LED next to the LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED
indications.
LAN Port LED Indications
ACT/LINK
SPEED
Activity/Link LED SPEED LED
LED
LED
Status Description Status Description
Off No Link Off 10Mbps connection
Blinking Data Activity Orange 100Mbps connection
On Link Green 1Gbps connection
LAN Port
**
If you use 2-channel speaker, please connect the speaker’s plug into “Front Speaker Jack”.
See the table below for connection details in accordance with the type of speaker you use.
TABLE for Audio Output Connection
Audio Output Channels Front Speaker Rear Speaker Central / Bass Side Speaker
(No. 8) (No. 5) (No. 6) (No. 7)
2 V -- -- --
4 V V -- --
6 V V V --
8 V V V V
13
To enable Multi-Streaming function, you need to connect a front panel audio cable to the front
panel audio header. After restarting your computer, you will f nd “Mixer” tool on your system.
Please select “Mixer ToolBox” , click “Enable playback multi-streaming”, and click “ok”.
Choose “2CH”, “4CH”, “6CH”, or “8CH” and then you are allowed to select “Realtek HDA Pri-
mary output” to use Rear Speaker, Central/Bass, and Front Speaker, or select “Realtek HDA
Audio 2nd output” to use front panel audio.
*** eSATA3 connector supports SATA Gen3 in cable 1M.
14
