Page 2
In no event shall ASRock Rack, 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 data, interruption of business and the like), even if ASRock Rack has been advised of the possibility of such damages arising from any defect or error in the documentation or product.
Page 3
INTEL END USER SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT IMPORTANT - READ BEFORE COPYING, INSTALLING OR USING. LICENSE. Licensee has a license under Intel’s copyrights to reproduce Intel’s Software only in its unmodified and binary form, (with the accompanying documentation, the “Software”) for Licensee’s personal use only, and not commercial use, in connection with Intel-based products for which the Software has been provided, subject to the following conditions: (a) Licensee may not disclose, distribute or transfer any part of the Software, and You agree...
Page 4
TERMINATION OF THIS LICENSE. Intel or the sublicensor may terminate this license at any time if Licensee is in breach of any of its terms or conditions. Upon termination, Licensee will immediately destroy or return to Intel all copies of the Software. THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARY.
Page 5
ASRock Rack follows the green design concept to design and manufacture our products, and makes sure that each stage of the product life cycle of ASRock Rack product is in line with global environmental regulations. In addition, ASRock Rack disclose the relevant information based on regulation requirements.
In case any modifications of this manual occur, the updated version will be available on ASRock Rack website without further notice. You may find the latest memory and CPU support lists on ASRock Rack website as well. ASRock Rack’s Website: www.ASRockRack.com If you require technical support related to this motherboard, please visit our website for specific information about the model you are using.
Note *M.2 from CPU will not fuction when installing 10 Gen Intel® Pentium® Series Processors SATA/SAS Storage PCH Built-in Storage E3C256D4ID2: Intel® C256 (8 SATA 6Gb/s; RAID 0/1/5/10): 2 OCuLink E3C252D4ID2: Intel® C252 (6 SATA 6Gb/s; RAID 0/1/5/10): 2 OCuLink...
Page 11
AMI 256Mb SPI Flash ROM Features Plug and Play, ACPI 6.2 and above compliance wake up events, SMBIOS 3.3 and above , ASRock Rack instant flash Internal Connectors/Headers PSU connector 1 (4-pin, ATX PSU signal) w/ ATX 24-pin adapter cable, 1 (8-...
Page 12
256Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS BIOS Features - Plug and Play (PnP) - ACPI 2.0 Compliance Wake Up Events - SMBIOS 2.8 Support - ASRock Rack Instant Flash Support OS Microsoft® Windows® - Server 2019 (64 bit) - Server 2022 (64 bit) Linux®...
Page 13
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 This motherboard supports Wake from on Board LAN. To use this function, please make sure that the “Wake on Magic Packet from power off state” is enabled in Device Manager > Intel® Ethernet Connection > Power Management. And the “PCI Devices Power On” is enabled in UEFI SETUP UTILITY >...
POST or the <F2> key to enter into the BIOS setup menu to access ASRock Rack Instant Flash. Just launch this tool and save the new BIOS file to your USB flash drive, floppy disk or hard drive, then you can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without preparing an additional floppy diskette or other complicated flash utility.
1.6 I/O Panel No. Description No. Description USB 3.2 Gen1 Ports (USB3_1_2) 1G LAN RJ-45 Port (LAN2)** LAN RJ-45 Port (IPMI_LAN)* VGA Port (VGA1) 1G LAN RJ-45 Port (LAN1)** UID Switch (UID1) LAN Port LED Indications *There are two LEDs on each LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED indications.
Page 19
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 **There are two LEDs on each LAN port. Please refer to the table below for the LAN port LED indications. ACT/LINK LED SPEED LED LAN Port LAN Port LED Indications Activity / Link LED Speed LED Status Description...
Chapter 2 Installation This is a deep mini ITX form factor (6.7'' x 8.2'', 17.02 cm x 20.82 cm) motherboard. Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it. Make sure to unplug the power cord before installing or removing the motherboard. Failure to do so may cause physical injuries to you and damages to motherboard components.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 2.3 Installing the CPU 1. Before you insert the CPU into the socket, please check if the PnP cap is on the socket, if the CPU surface is unclean, or if there are any bent pins in the socket. Do not force to insert the CPU into the socket if above situation is found.
Page 24
Please save and replace the cover if the processor is removed. The cover must be placed if you wish to return the motherboard for after service.
2.5 Installation of Memory Modules (DIMM) This motherboard provides four 288-pin DDR4 (Double Data Rate 4) DIMM slots. 1. It is not allowed to install a DDR, DDR2 or DDR3 memory module into a DDR4 slot; otherwise, this motherboard and DIMM may be damaged. 2.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 2.6 Expansion Slot (PCI Express Slot) There is a PCI Express slot on this motherboard. PCIE slot: PCIE7 (PCIe 4.0 x16 slot) is used for PCI Express x16 lane width cards. Slot Generation Mechanical Electrical Source PCIE 7 Installing an expansion card Step 1.
2.7 Jumper Setup The illustration shows how jumpers are setup. When the jumper cap is placed on the pins, the jumper is “Short”. If no jumper cap is placed on the pins, the jumper is “Open”. The illustration shows a 3-pin jumper whose pin1 and pin2 are “Short” when a jumper cap is placed on these 2 pins.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 2.8 Onboard Headers and Connectors Onboard headers and connectors are NOT jumpers. Do NOT place jumper caps over these headers and connectors. Placing jumper caps over the headers and connectors will cause permanent damage to the motherboard. System Panel Header...
Page 30
Micro-Fit Power The motherboard provides ATX_PG Connector one Micro-Fit power/signal PSON# +5VSB (4-pin ATX4PIN1 connector which is a required input for ATX power source. (ATX 24pin-to-4pin) (see p.7, No. 4) When using ATX power, it is necessary to use a 24pin-to- 4pin power cable to connect between the 24pin power connector of PSU and the...
Page 31
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 ATX 12V Power The motherboard provides one Connector 8-pin 12V power connector (8-pin ATX12V2) which is a required input for (see p.7, No. 5) either DC-IN 12V or ATX +12V power source. When using ATX power, it is...
Page 32
O CU2 (see p.7, No. 21) the connectors. (OCU2) O CU1 (see p.7, No. 22) O CU3 (OCU3) (see p.7, No. 15) (E3C256D4ID2 only) RRXD1 Serial Port Header This COM header supports a DDTR#1 DDSR#1 (9-pin COM1) serial port module. CCTS#1 (see p.7, No.
Page 33
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 PSU SMBus PSU SMBus monitors the SMBCLK SMBDATA (PSU_SMB1) status of the power supply, fan ALERT (see p.7, No. 7) and system temperature. +3VSB Intelligent Platform This 4-pin connector is used No connect Management Bus Header to provide a cabled base-board...
2.9 ATX PSU / DC-IN Power Connections This motherboard supports both +12V DC and ATX power input. Please refer to the table below for the required connections between the motherboard and the power supply. Connector DC-IN ATX PSU 12V 8pin ATX 4pin (with the bundled ATX (Micro-Fit Connector)
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 2.10 Unit Identification purpose LED/Switch With the UID button, You are able to locate the server you’re working on from behind a rack of servers. Unit Identification When the UID button on the purpose LED/Switch front or rear panel is pressed,...
2.11 Dual LAN and Teaming Operation Guide Dual LAN with Teaming enabled on this motherboard allows two single connections to act as one single connection for twice the transmission bandwidth, making data transmission more effective and improving the quality of transmission of distant images.
Page 37
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 2.12 M.2 SSD Module Installation Guide (M2_1/M2_2) The M.2 Socket (M2_1, Key M) supports a type 2280 PCI Express module up to Gen4 x4 (16GT/s x4). The M.2 Socket (M2_2, Key M) supports a type 2280 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (8GT/s x4).
Chapter 3 UEFI Setup Utility 3.1 Introduction This section explains how to use the UEFI SETUP UTILITY to configure your system. The UEFI chip on the motherboard stores the UEFI SETUP UTILITY. You may run the UEFI SETUP UTILITY when you start up the computer. Please press <F2> or <Del> during the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) to enter the UEFI SETUP UTILITY;...
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.1.2 Navigation Keys Please check the following table for the function description of each navigation key. Navigation Key(s) Function Description Moves cursor left or right to select Screens Moves cursor up or down to select items + / - To change option for the selected items <Tab>...
3.2 Main Screen Once you enter the UEFI SETUP UTILITY, the Main screen will appear and display the system overview. The Main screen provides system overview information and allows you to set the system time and date.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.3 Advanced Screen In this section, you may set the configurations for the following items: CPU Configuration, DRAM Configuration, Chipset Configuration, Storage Configuration, NVMe Configura- tion, ACPI Configuration, Super IO Configuration, Serial Port Console Redirection, H/W Monitor, Intel SPS Configuratio, Driver Health, Network Stack Configuration, Tls Auth Configuration, RAM Disk Configuration, iSCSI Configuration and Instant Flash.
3.3.1 CPU Configuration SGX settings Hyper-Threading (Supported depending on your CPU) Intel Hyper Threading Technology allows multiple threads to run on each core, so that the overall performance on threaded software is improved. Active Processor Cores Select the number of cores to enable in each processor package. CPU C States Support Enable CPU C States Support for power saving.
Page 43
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 Package C State Support Enable CPU, PCIe, Memory, Graphics C State Support for power saving. Intel (VMX) Virtualization Technology When enabled, a VMM can utiliza the addiyional hardware capabilities provided by Vanderpool Technology. VT-d Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O helps your virtual machine monitor better utilize hardware by improving application compatibility and reliability, and providing additional levels of manageability, security, isolation, and I/O performance.
Page 44
Enable Intel TXT Support Use this to enable or disable Intel Trusted Execution Technology. CPU Thermal Throttling Enable CPU internal thermal control mechanisms to keep the CPU from overheating.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.3.2 DRAM Configuration DRAM Frequency If [Auto] is selected, the motherboard will detect the memory module(s) inserted and assign the appropriate frequency automatically.
3.3.3 Chipset Configuration Intel IGFX Keep IGFX enabled based on the setup options. The default value is [Enabled]. Onboard VGA Use this to enable or disable the Onboard VGA functions. The default value is [Enabled]. Onboard LAN1 and LAN2 Use this to enable or disable the Onboard LAN functions. The default value is [Enabled]. Above 4G Decoding Enable or disable above 4G MemoryMappedIO decoding.
Page 47
This option enables or disables the PCI Express Hot Plug feature. OCU2 Mode Selection Swith the OCUlink to PCIE/SATA. OCU3 Mode Selection (E3C256D4ID2 only) Swith the OCUlink to PCIE/SATA. OCU3 Link Speed (E3C256D4ID2 only) This allows you to select OCU1 Link Speed. The default value is [Auto].
3.3.4 Storage Configuration Hard Disk S.M.A.R.T. S.M.A.R.T. stands for Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology. It is a monitoring system for computer hard disk drives to detect and report on various indicators or reliability. SATA Storage Configuration SATA Controller Use this item to enable or disable SATA Controllers. SATA/M.2_SATA Mode Selection Identify the SATA/M.2_SATA port is connected to Solid State Drive or Hard Disk Drive.
3.3.6 ACPI Configuration PCIE Devices Power On This allows the system to be waked up by a PCIE device and enable wake-on-LAN. Ring-In Power On This allows the system to be waked up by onboard COM port modem Ring-In signals. RTC Alarm Power On This allows the system to be waked up by the real time clock alarm.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.3.7 Super IO Configuration Serial Port 1 Configuration Use this item to set parameters of COM1. Serial Port Use this item to enable or disable the serial port. Change Settings Use this item to select an optimal setting for Super IO device.
3.3.8 Serial Port Console Redirection COM1 / SOL Console Redirection Use this option to enable or disable Console Redirection. If this item is set to Enabled, you can select a COM Port to be used for Console Redirection. Console Redirection Settings Use this option to configure Console Redirection Settings, and specify how your computer and the host computer to which you are connected exchange information.
Page 53
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 Bits Per Second Use this item to select the serial port transmission speed. The speed used in the host computer and the client computer must be the same. Long or noisy lines may require lower transmission speed. The options include [9600], [19200], [57600] and [115200].
Page 54
Out-of-Band Mgmt Port Microsoft Windows Emergency Mangement Services (EMS) allows for remote management of a Windows Server OS through a serial port. Terminal Type EMS Use this item to select the preferred terminal emulation type for out-of-band management. It is recommended to select [VT-UTF8]. Option Description VT100...
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.3.9 H/W Monitor In this section, it allows you to monitor the status of the hardware on your system, includ- ing the parameters of the CPU temperature, motherboard temperature, CPU fan speed, chassis fan speed, and the critical voltage.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.3.11 Driver Health This page provides health status for the drivers/controllers. Note: The screenshot here is for for your references only. The items on this page vary depending on models and devices you use.
3.3.12 Network Stack Configuration Network Stack Use this item to enable or disable UEFI Network Stack. The default value is [Disabled]. When [Enabled] is selected, the following items appear. Ipv4 PXE Support Use this item to enable or disable IPv4 PXE boot support. If disabled, IPv4 PXE boot support will not be available.
Page 59
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 keys to set the value. Media detect count Number of times the presence of media will be checked. Use either +/- or numeric keys to set the value.
3.3.13 Tls Auth Configuration Server CA Configuration Press <Enter> to configure Server CA. Client Cert Configuration Press <Enter> to configure Client Cert.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.3.14 RAM Disk Configuration Disk Memory Type Specifies type of memory to use from available memory pool in system to create a disk. Create raw Create a raw RAM disk. Create from file Create a RAM disk from a given file.
3.3.15 iSCSI Configuration Attempt Priority Change this priority using +/- keys. Use arrow keys to selct the attempt then press +/- to move the attempt up/down in the attempt odder list. Host iSCSI Configuration Use this to configure iSCSI settings.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.3.16 Instant Flash Instant Flash is a UEFI flash utility embedded in Flash ROM. This convenient UEFI update tool allows you to update system UEFI without entering operating systems ® first like MS-DOS or Windows . Just save the new UEFI file to your USB flash drive,...
3.4 Server Mgmt Wait For BMC Wait For BMC response for specified time out. BMC starts at the same time when BIOS starts during AC power ON. It takes around 90 seconds to initialize Host to BMC interfaces. FRB-2 Timer Use this item to enable or disable FRB-2 timer (POST timer).
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.4.1 BMC Network Configuration BMC Out of band Access Use this item to enable or disable BMC Out of band Access. Manual Setting IPMI LAN If [No] is selected, the IP address is assigned by DHCP. If you prefer using a static IP address, toggle to [Yes], and the changes take effect after the system reboots.
Page 66
The default login information for the IPMI web interface is: Username: admin Password: admin For more instructions on how to set up remote control environment and use the IPMI man- agement platform, please refer to the IPMI Configuration User Guide or go to the Support website at: http://www.asrockrack.com/support/faq.asp VLAN Enabled/Disabled Virtual Local Area Network.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.4.2 System Event Log SEL Components Change this to enable ro disable event logging for error/progress codes during boot. Erase SEL Use this to choose options for earsing SEL. When SEL is Full Use this to choose options for reactions to a full SEL.
3.4.3 Bmc self test log Erase Log Use this to choose options for earsing Log. When Log is Full Use this to select the action to be taken when log is full.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.4.4 BMC Tools Load BMC Default Settings Use this item to Load BMC Default Settings KCS Control Select this KCS interface state after POST end. If [Enabled] us selected, the BMC will remain KCS interface after POST stage. If [Disabled] is selected, the BMC will disable KCS...
3.4.5 View FRU Information This page displays the FRU Information, such as Manufacturer, Product Name, Version, System Serial Number of the system, board and chassis.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.5 Security In this section, you may set or change the supervisor/user password for the system. For the user password, you may also clear it. Supervisor Password Set or change the password for the administrator account. Only the administrator has authority to change the settings in the UEFI Setup Utility.
3.5.1 Key Management In this section, expert users can modify Secure Boot Policy variables without full authenti- cation. Factory Key Provision Install factory default Secure Boot keys after the platform reset and while the System is in Setup mode. Install Default Secure Boot Keys Please install default secure boot keys if it’s the first time you use secure boot.
Page 73
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 Remove 'UEFI CA' from DB Device Guard ready system must not list ‘Microsoft UEFI CA’ Certificate in Autho- rized Signature database (db). Restore DB defaults Restore DB variable to factory defaults. Platform Key(PK) Enroll Factory Defaults or load certificates from a file: 1.
Page 74
1. Public Key Certificate in: a) EFI_SIGNATURE_LIST b) EFI_CERT_X509 (DER) c) EFI_CERT_RSA2048 (bin) d) EFI_CERT_SHAXXX 2. Authenticated UEFI Variable 3. EFI PE/COFF Image(SHA256) Key Source: Factory, External, Mixed Forbidden Signatures Enroll Factory Defaults or load certificates from a file: 1. Public Key Certificate in: a) EFI_SIGNATURE_LIST b) EFI_CERT_X509 (DER) c) EFI_CERT_RSA2048 (bin)
Page 75
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 OsRecovery Signatures Enroll Factory Defaults or load certificates from a file: 1. Public Key Certificate in: a) EFI_SIGNATURE_LIST b) EFI_CERT_X509 (DER) c) EFI_CERT_RSA2048 (bin) d) EFI_CERT_SHAXXX 2. Authenticated UEFI Variable 3. EFI PE/COFF Image(SHA256) Key Source: Factory, External, Mixed...
3.6 Boot Screen In this section, it will display the available devices on your system for you to configure the boot settings and the boot priority. Boot Option #1 Use this item to set the system boot order. Boot Option #2 Use this item to set the system boot order.
Page 77
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 UEFI NVME Drive BBS Priorities Specifies the Boot Device Priority sequence from available UEFI NVME Drives. UEFI NEYWORK Drive BBS Priorities Specifies the Boot Device Priority sequence from available UEFI NETWORK Drives. UEFI Application Boot Priorities Specifies the Boot Device Priority sequence from available UEFI Application.
3.6.1 CSM Parameters Enable to launch the Compatibility Support Module. Please do not disable unless you’re running a WHCK test. If you are using Windows 8.1 64-bit and all of your devices support UEFI, you may also disable CSM for faster boot speed. Launch PXE OpROM Policy Select UEFI only to run those that support UEFI option ROM only.
E3C256D4ID2 E3C252D4ID2 3.7 Event Logs Change Smbios Event Log Settings This allows you to configure the Smbios Event Log Settings. When entering the item, you will see the followings: Smbios Event Log Use this item to enable or disable all features of the SMBIOS Event Logging during system boot.
3.8 Exit Screen Save Changes and Exit When you select this option, the following message “Save configuration changes and exit setup?” will pop-out. Press <F10> key or select [Yes] to save the changes and exit the UEFI SETUP UTILITY. Discard Changes and Exit When you select this option, the following message “Discard changes and exit setup?”...
4.3 Contact Information If you need to contact ASRock Rack or want to know more about ASRock Rack, welcome to visit ASRock Rack’s website at http://www.ASRockRack.com; or you may contact your...
Chapter 5 Troubleshooting 5.1 Troubleshooting Procedures Follow the procedures below to troubleshoot your system. Always unplug the power cord before adding, removing or changing any hardware com- ponents. Failure to do so may cause physical injuries to you and damages to motherboard components.
Page 83
1. Verify if the battery on the motherboard provides ~3VDC. Install a new battery if it does not. 2. Confirm whether your power supply provides adaquate and stable power. Other problems... 1. Try searching keywords related to your problem on ASRock Rack’s FAQ page: http://www.asrockrack.com/support...
5.2 Technical Support Procedures If you have tried the troubleshooting procedures mentioned above and the problems are still unsolved, please contact ASRock Rack’s technical support with the following information: 1. Your contact information 2. Model name, BIOS version and problem type.
Page 85
Contact Information If you need to contact ASRock Rack or want to know more about ASRock Rack, you’re welcome to visit ASRock Rack’s website at http://www.asrockrack.com; or you may contact your dealer for further information. For technical questions, please submit a support request form at https://event.asrockrack.com/tsd.asp ASRock Rack Incorporation e-mail: ASRockRack_sales@asrockrack.com...