ASROCK 970A-G3.1 User Manual
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Summary of Contents for ASROCK 970A-G3.1

  • Page 2: Copyright Notice

    (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.
  • Page 3 Manufactured under license under U.S. Patent Nos: 5,956,674; 5,974,380; 6,487,535; 7,003,467 & other U.S. and worldwide patents issued & pending. DTS, the Symbol, & DTS and the Symbol together is a registered trademark & DTS Connect, DTS Interactive, DTS Neo:PC are trademarks of DTS, Inc. Product includes software. ©...
  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    CrossFireX and Quad CrossFireX Operation Guide 2.7.1 Installing Two CrossFireX -Ready Graphics Cards 2.7.2 Driver Installation and Setup M.2_SSD (NGFF) Module Installation Guide Chapter 3 Software and Utilities Operation Installing Drivers A-Tuning ASRock APP Shop 3.3.1 UI Overview 3.3.2 Apps...
  • Page 5 3.3.3 BIOS & Drivers 3.3.4 Setting Chapter 4 UEFI SETUP UTILITY Introduction 4.1.1 UEFI Menu Bar 4.1.2 Navigation Keys Main Screen OC Tweaker Screen Advanced Screen 4.4.1 CPU Configuration 4.4.2 North Bridge Configuration 4.4.3 South Bridge Configuration 4.4.4 Storage Configuration 4.4.5 Super IO Configuration 4.4.6 ACPI Configuration 4.4.7 USB Configuration...
  • Page 6: Chapter 1 Introduction

    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 7: Specifications

    1.2 Specifications Platform • ATX Form Factor • Solid Capacitor design • Supports Socket AM3+ processors • Supports 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)
  • 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.
  • Page 11: Motherboard Layout

    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)
  • Page 13: I/O Panel

    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...
  • Page 15: Chapter 2 Installation

    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.
  • Page 16: Installing The Cpu

    970A-G/3.1 2.1 Installing the CPU Unplug all power cables before installing the CPU.
  • Page 18: Installing The Cpu Fan And Heatsink

    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.
  • Page 19: Installing Memory Modules (Dimm)

    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.
  • Page 20 970A-G/3.1...
  • Page 21: Expansion Slots (Pci And Pci Express Slots)

    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.
  • Page 22: Jumpers Setup

    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.
  • Page 23: Onboard Headers And Connectors

    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.
  • Page 27: Tm Operation Guide

    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.
  • Page 29: Driver Installation And Setup

    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.
  • Page 30: M.2_Ssd (Ngff) Module Installation Guide

    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...
  • Page 32: Chapter 3 Software And Utilities Operation

    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”...
  • Page 33: A-Tuning

    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“...
  • Page 34: System Info

    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.
  • Page 37: Asrock App Shop

    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...
  • Page 38: Apps

    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.
  • Page 41: Bios & Drivers

    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.
  • Page 42: Setting

    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.
  • Page 43: Chapter 4 Uefi Setup Utility

    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.
  • Page 44: Navigation Keys

    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>...
  • Page 45: Main Screen

    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.
  • Page 46: Oc Tweaker Screen

    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.
  • Page 47: Spread Spectrum

    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...
  • Page 48: Dram Timing Configuration

    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.
  • Page 49: Channel Interleaving

    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.
  • Page 51: Advanced Screen

    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.
  • Page 52: Cpu Configuration

    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].
  • Page 54: North Bridge Configuration

    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].
  • Page 55: South Bridge Configuration

    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.
  • Page 56: Storage Configuration

    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.
  • Page 57: Aggressive Link Power Management

    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.
  • Page 58: Super Io Configuration

    970A-G/3.1 4.4.5 Super IO Configuration Serial Port Enable or disable the Serial port. Serial Port Address Select the address of the Serial port.
  • Page 59: Acpi Configuration

    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.
  • Page 61: Usb Configuration

    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.
  • Page 62: Tools

    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.
  • Page 63: Network Configuration

    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.
  • Page 65: Hardware Health Event Monitoring Screen

    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].
  • Page 66: Boot Screen

    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.
  • Page 68: Launch Storage Oprom Policy

    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.
  • Page 69: Security Screen

    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.
  • Page 70: Exit Screen

    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?”...
  • Page 71: Contact Information

    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...

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