(including damages for loss of profits, loss of business, loss of data, interruption of business and the like), even if ASRock has been advised of the possibility of such damages arising from any defect or error in the documentation or product.
If you require technical support related to this motherboard, please visit our website for specific information about the model you are using. You may find the latest VGA cards and CPU support list on ASRock’s website as well. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com.
Page 8
• 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port • 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port • 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port • 4 x USB 2.0 Ports (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection)) • 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A Port (10 Gb/s) (ASMedia ASM1143) (Sup- ports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection)) • 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s) (ASMedia ASM1143) (Sup-...
Page 9
/ 8 32-bit / 8 64-bit / 7 32-bit / 7 64-bit / Vista 32-bit / Vista 64-bit / XP 32-bit / XP 64-bit * For the updated Windows® 10 driver, please visit ASRock’s web- site for details: http://www.asrock.com...
Page 10
2. Due to the operating system limitation, the actual memory size may be less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows® 32-bit OS. For Windows® 64-bit OS with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limitation. You can use ASRock XFast RAM to utilize the memory that Windows® cannot use.
1.3 Motherboard Layout CHA_FAN4 CPU_FAN2 CPU_FAN1 USB 2.0 T: USB2 B: USB3 USB 2.0 T: USB0 B: USB1 USB 3.1 T: USB31_TA_1 B: USB31_TC_1 USB 3.0 Top: T: USB0 RJ-45 B: USB1 USB3_2_3 Chipset CHA_FAN3 PCIE1 PCIE2 USB 3.1 PCIE3 SB950 970A-G/3.1 Chipset...
Page 12
970A-G/3.1 No. Description ATX 12V Power Connector (ATX12V1) Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN4) CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN2) CPU Fan Connector (CPU_FAN1) 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots (DDR3_A1, DDR3_B1) 2 x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Slots (DDR3_A2, DDR3_B2) ATX Power Connector (ATXPWR1) Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN1) Chassis Fan Connector (CHA_FAN3) SATA3 Connector (SATA3_0)
1.4 I/O Panel No. Description No. Description PS/2 Mouse Port Microphone (Pink) USB 3.1 Type-A Port (USB31_TA_1) Optical SPDIF Out Port LAN RJ-45 Port* USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_0_1) Central / Bass (Orange) USB 3.1 Type-C Port (USB31_TC_1) Rear Speaker (Black) USB 2.0 Ports (USB_0_1) Line In (Light Blue) USB 2.0 Ports (USB_2_3)
Page 14
970A-G/3.1 * 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 Activity / Link LED Speed LED Status Description Status Description No Link 10Mbps connection Blinking Data Activity...
Chapter 2 Installation This is an ATX form factor motherboard. Before you install the motherboard, study the configuration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard fits into it. Pre-installation Precautions Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings.
970A-G/3.1 2.2 Installing the CPU Fan and Heatsink After you install the CPU into this motherboard, it is necessary to install a larger heatsink and cooling fan to dissipate heat. You also need to spray thermal grease between the CPU and the heatsink to improve heat dissipation. Make sure that the CPU and the heatsink are securely fastened and in good contact with each other.
2.3 Installing Memory Modules (DIMM) This motherboard provides four 240-pin DDR3 (Double Data Rate 3) DIMM slots, and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. 1. For dual channel configuration, you always need to install identical (the same brand, speed, size and chip-type) DDR3 DIMM pairs. 2.
2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI and PCI Express Slots) There is 1 PCI slot and 4 PCI Express slots on the motherboard. Before installing an expansion card, please make sure that the power supply is switched off or the power cord is unplugged. Please read the documentation of the expansion card and make necessary hardware settings for the card before you start the installation.
970A-G/3.1 2.5 Jumpers 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.
2.6 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 Connect the power PLED+ PLED-...
Page 24
970A-G/3.1 Power LED Header Please connect the chassis (3-pin PLED1) power LED to this header PLED- PLED+ PLED+ (see p.6, No. 17) to indicate the system’s power status. Serial ATA3 Connectors These six SATA3 (SATA3_0: connectors support SATA see p.6, No. 10) data cables for internal (SATA3_1: storage devices with up to...
Page 25
Front Panel Audio Header This header is for PRESENCE# (9-pin HD_AUDIO1) connecting audio devices MIC_RET OUT_RET (see p.6, No. 24) to the front audio panel. OUT2_L J_SENSE OUT2_R MIC2_R MIC2_L 1. High Definition Audio supports Jack Sensing, but the panel wire on the chassis must support HDA to function correctly.
Page 26
970A-G/3.1 CPU Fan Connectors This motherboard pro- FAN_SPEED_CONTROL FAN_SPEED (4-pin CPU_FAN1) vides a 4-Pin CPU fan +12V (see p.6, No. 4) (Quiet Fan) connector. If you plan to connect a (3-pin CPU_FAN2) 3-Pin CPU fan, please FAN_SPEED FAN_VOLTAGE (see p.6, No. 3) connect it to Pin 1-3.
2.7 CrossFireX and Quad CrossFireX Operation Guide This motherboard supports CrossFireX and Quad CrossFireX that allows you to install up to two identical PCI Express x16 graphics cards. Currently CrossFireX ® and Quad CrossFireX are supported with Windows 10 32-bit / 10 64-bit / 8.1 32- bit / 8.1 64-bit / 8 32-bit / 8 64-bit / 7 32-bit / 7 64-bit OS.
Page 28
970A-G/3.1 Step 3 Connect a VGA cable or a DVI cable to the monitor connector or the DVI connec- tor of the graphics card that is inserted to PCIE2 slot.
2.7.2 Driver Installation and Setup Step 1 Power on your computer and boot into OS. Step 2 Remove the AMD drivers if you have any VGA drivers installed in your system. The Catalyst Uninstaller is an optional download. We recommend using this utility to uninstall any previously installed Catalyst drivers prior to installation.
970A-G/3.1 2.8 M.2_SSD (NGFF) Module Installation Guide The M.2, also known as the Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF), is a small size and versatile card edge connector that aims to replace mPCIe. The M.2_SSD (NGFF) Socket 3 can accommodate a M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen 2 x4 (20 Gb/s). Installing the M.2_SSD (NGFF) Module Step 1 Prepare a M.2_SSD (NGFF) module.
Page 31
Tighten the screw knob to secure the module into place. NUT2 NUT1 M.2_SSD (NGFF) Module Support List PCIe Interface SanDisk SD6PP4M-128G SanDisk SD6PP4M-256G For the latest updates of M.2_SSD (NFGG) module support list, please visit our website for details: http://www.asrock.com...
970A-G/3.1 Chapter 3 Software and Utilities Operation 3.1 Installing Drivers The Support CD that comes with the motherboard contains necessary drivers and useful utilities that enhance the motherboard’s features. Running The Support CD To begin using the support CD, insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive. The CD automatically displays the Main Menu if “AUTORUN”...
3.2 A-Tuning A-Tuning is ASRock’s multi purpose software suite with a new interface, more new features and improved utilities. 3.2.1 Installing A-Tuning A-Tuning can be downloaded from ASRock Live Update & APP Shop. After the installation, you will find the icon “A-Tuning“ on your desktop. Double-click the “A- Tuning“...
970A-G/3.1 OC Tweaker Configurations for overclocking the system. System Info View information about the system. *The System Browser tab may not appear for certain models.
Page 35
FAN-Tastic Tuning Configure up to five different fan speeds using the graph. The fans will automatically shift to the next speed level when the assigned temperature is met. Tech Service Contact Tech Service if you have problems with your computer. Please leave your contact information along with details of the problem.
Page 36
970A-G/3.1 Settings Configure ASRock A-Tuning. Click to select "Auto run at Windows Startup" if you want A-Tuning to be launched when you start up the Windows operating system.
Double-click on your desktop to access ASRock APP Shop utility. *You need to be connected to the Internet to download apps from the ASRock APP Shop. 3.3.1 UI Overview Category Panel Hot News...
970A-G/3.1 3.3.2 Apps When the "Apps" tab is selected, you will see all the available apps on screen for you to download. Installing an App Step 1 Find the app you want to install. The most recommended app appears on the left side of the screen. The other various apps are shown on the right.
Page 39
Step 3 If you want to install the app, click on the red icon to start downloading. Step 4 When installation completes, you can find the green "Installed" icon appears on the upper right corner. To uninstall it, simply click on the trash can icon *The trash icon may not appear for certain apps.
Page 40
970A-G/3.1 Upgrading an App You can only upgrade the apps you have already installed. When there is an available new version for your app, you will find the mark of "New Version" appears below the installed app icon. Step 1 Click on the app icon to see more details.
3.3.3 BIOS & Drivers Installing BIOS or Drivers When the "BIOS & Drivers" tab is selected, you will see a list of recommended or critical updates for the BIOS or drivers. Please update them all soon. Step 1 Please check the item information before update. Click on to see more details.
970A-G/3.1 3.3.4 Setting In the "Setting" page, you can change the language, select the server location, and determine if you want to automatically run the ASRock APP Shop on Windows startup.
Chapter 4 UEFI SETUP UTILITY 4.1 Introduction This section explains how to use the UEFI SETUP UTILITY to configure your system. You may run the UEFI SETUP UTILITY by pressing <F2> or <Del> right after you power on the computer, otherwise, the Power-On-Self-Test (POST) will continue with its test routines.
970A-G/3.1 4.1.2 Navigation Keys Use < > key or < > key to choose among the selections on the menu bar, and use < > key or < > key to move the cursor up or down to select items, then press <Enter>...
4.2 Main Screen When you enter the UEFI SETUP UTILITY, the Main screen will appear and display the system overview. Active Page on Entry Select the default page when entering the UEFI setup utility.
970A-G/3.1 4.3 OC Tweaker Screen In the OC Tweaker screen, you can set up overclocking features. Because the UEFI software is constantly being updated, the following UEFI setup screens and descriptions are for reference purpose only, and they may not exactly match what you see on your screen.
ASRock UCC (Unlock CPU Core) feature simplifies AMD CPU activation. 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...
970A-G/3.1 CPU Frequency Multiplier For safety and system stability, it is not recommended to adjust the value of this item. CPU Voltage It allows you to adjust the value of CPU voltage. However, for safety and system stability, it is not recommended to adjust the value of this item. NB Frequency Multiplier For safety and system stability, it is not recommended to adjust the value of this item.
DRAM Timing Control DRAM Slot Use this item to view SPD data. DRAM Timing Control Use this item to control DRAM timing. Power Down Enable Use this item to enable or disable DDR power down mode. Bank Interleaving Interleaving allows memory accesses to be spread out over banks on the same node, or accross nodes, decreasing access contention.
Page 50
970A-G/3.1 CPU Voltage Offset Configure the dynamic CPU voltage added to the CPU. NB Voltage Use this to select NB Voltage. The default value is [Auto]. HT Voltage Use this to select HT Voltage. The default value is [Auto]. CPU VDDA Voltage Use this to select CPU VDDA Voltage.
4.4 Advanced Screen In this section, you may set the configurations for the following items: CPU Configuration, North Bridge Configuration, South Bridge Configuration, Storage Configuration, Super IO Configuration, ACPI Configuration and USB Configura- tion. Setting wrong values in this section may cause the system to malfunction.
970A-G/3.1 4.4.1 CPU Configuration Cool 'n' Quiet Use this item to enable or disable AMD’s Cool ‘n’ Quiet technology. The default value is [Enabled]. Configuration options: [Enabled] and [Disabled]. If you install ® Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 and want to enable this function, please set this item to [Enabled].
Page 53
CPU Thermal Throttle Use this item to enable CPU internal thermal control mechanism to keep the CPU from overheated. The default value is [Auto].
970A-G/3.1 4.4.2 North Bridge Configuration Primary Graphics Adapter Select a primary VGA. IOMMU Use this to enable or disable IOMMU. The default value of this feature is [Disabled].
4.4.3 South Bridge Configuration Onboard HD Audio Enable/disable onboard HD audio. Set to Auto to enable onboard HD audio and automatically disable it when a sound card is installed. Front Panel Enable/disable front panel HD audio. Onboard LAN Enable or disable the onboard network interface controller. Good Night LED By enabling Good Night LED, the Power/HDD LEDs will be switched off when the system is on.
970A-G/3.1 4.4.4 Storage Configuration SATA Controller(s) Enable/disable the SATA controllers. SATA Mode IDE: For better compatibility. AHCI: Supports new features that improve performance. RAID: Combine multiple disk drives into a logical unit. If you set this item to RAID mode, it is suggested to install SATA ODD driver on SATA3_4 or SATA3_5 port.
If you want to build RAID on SATA3_4 and SATA3_5 ports, please disable this item. Aggressive Link Power Management Aggressive Link Power Management allows SATA devices to enter a low power state during periods of inactivity to save power. It is only supported by AHCI mode. Hard Disk S.M.A.R.T.
4.4.6 ACPI Configuration Suspend to RAM Select disable for ACPI suspend type S1. It is recommended to select auto for ACPI S3 power saving. Check Ready Bit Enable to enter the operating system after S3 only when the hard disk is ready, this is recommended for better system stability.
Page 60
970A-G/3.1 Ring-In Power On Allow the system to be waked up by onboard COM port modem Ring-In signals. RTC Alarm Power On Allow the system to be waked up by the real time clock alarm. Set it to By OS to let it be handled by your operating system.
4.4.7 USB Configuration USB Controller Enable or disable all the USB 2.0 ports. Etron USB 3.0 Controller Enable or disable all the Etron USB 3.0 ports. ASMedia USB 3.1 Controller Enable or disable all the ASMedia USB 3.1 ports. Legacy USB Support Enable or disable Legacy OS Support for USB 2.0 devices.
In order to prevent users from bypassing OMG, guest accounts without permission to modify the system time are required. UEFI Tech Service Contact ASRock Tech Service if you are having trouble with your PC. Please setup network configuration before using UEFI Tech Service. Easy RAID Installer Easy RAID Installer helps you to copy the RAID driver from the support CD to your USB storage device.
Save UEFI files in your USB storage device and run Instant Flash to update your UEFI. Internet Flash ASRock Internet Flash downloads and updates the latest UEFI firmware version from our servers for you. Please setup network configuration before using Internet Flash.
Page 64
970A-G/3.1 Save User Default Type a profile name and press enter to save your settings as user default. Load User Default Load previously saved user defaults.
4.6 Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen This section allows you to monitor the status of the hardware on your system, including the parameters of the CPU temperature, motherboard temperature, fan speed and voltage. CPU Fan 1 & 2 Setting This allows you to set the CPU fan 1 & 2 speed. Configuration options: [Full On] and [Automatic Mode].
970A-G/3.1 4.7 Boot Screen This section displays the available devices on your system for you to configure the boot settings and the boot priority. Fast Boot Fast Boot minimizes your computer's boot time. In fast mode you may not boot from an USB storage device.
Page 67
AddOn ROM Display Enable AddOn ROM Display to see the AddOn ROM messages or configure the AddOn ROM if you've enabled Full Screen Logo. Disable for faster boot speed. Boot Failure Guard If the computer fails to boot for a number of times the system automatically restores the default settings.
970A-G/3.1 CSM (Compatibility Support Module) 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 / 8 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.
4.8 Security Screen In this section you may set or change the supervisor/user password for the system. You may also clear the user password. 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. Leave it blank and press enter to remove the password.
970A-G/3.1 4.9 Exit Screen Save Changes and Exit When you select this option the following message, “Save configuration changes and exit setup?” will pop out. Select [OK] to save changes and exit the UEFI SETUP UTILITY. Discard Changes and Exit When you select this option the following message, “Discard changes and exit setup?”...
Contact Information If you need to contact ASRock or want to know more about ASRock, you’re welcome to visit ASRock’s website at http://www.asrock.com; or you may contact your dealer for further information. For technical questions, please submit a support request form at http://www.asrock.com/support/tsd.asp...
Need help?
Do you have a question about the 970A-G3.1 and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers