(including damages for loss of proits, 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.
ASRock’s website without further notice. If you require technical support related to this motherboard, please visit our website for speciic information about the model you are using. You may ind the latest VGA cards and CPU support list on ASRock’s website as well. ASRock website http://www.asrock.com.
1.2 Speciications • Micro ATX Form Factor Platform • Solid Capacitor design • High Density Glass Fabric PCB • Supports New 4 and 4 Generation Intel® Core i7/i5/i3/ Xeon®/Pentium®/Celeron® Processors (Socket 1150) • Supports Intel® Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology • Intel® H81 Chipset • Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Technology Memory...
Page 7
• 1 x D-Sub Port • 1 x DVI-D Port • 1 x HDMI Port • 4 x USB 2.0 Ports (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection)) • 2 x USB 3.0 Ports (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection)) • 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED...
Page 9
Due to limitation, the actual memory size may be less than 4GB for the reservation for system usage under Windows® 32-bit operating systems. Windows® 64-bit operat- ing systems do not have such limitations. You can use ASRock XFast RAM to utilize the memory that Windows® cannot use.
1.4 I/O Panel No. Description No. Description USB 2.0 Ports (USB01) USB 3.0 Ports (USB3_01) LAN RJ-45 Port* HDMI Port Line In (Light Blue) D-Sub Port Front Speaker (Lime) DVI-D Port Microphone (Pink) PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port USB 2.0 Ports (USB23) * here are two LEDs on each LAN port.
H81M-HDS R2.0 Chapter 2 Installation his is a Micro ATX form factor motherboard. Before you install the motherboard, study the coniguration of your chassis to ensure that the motherboard its into it. Pre-installation Precautions Take note of the following precautions before you install motherboard components or change any motherboard settings.
2.1 Installing the CPU 1. Before you insert the 1150-Pin 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.
2.3 Installing Memory Modules (DIMM) his motherboard provides two 240-pin DDR3 (Double Data Rate 3) DIMM slots, and supports Dual Channel Memory Technology. 1. For dual channel coniguration, you always need to install identical (the same brand, speed, size and chip-type) DDR3 DIMM pairs. 2.
2.4 Expansion Slots (PCI Express Slots) here are 2 PCI Express slots on the motherboard. Before installing an expansion card, please make sure that the power supply is switched of 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.
H81M-HDS R2.0 2.5 Jumpers Setup he 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”. he illustration shows a 3-pin jumper whose pin1 and pin2 are “Short”...
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 23
H81M-HDS R2.0 Serial ATA2 Connectors hese two SATA2 (SATA2_4: connectors support SATA see p.6, No. 6) data cables for internal (SATA2_5: storage devices with up to see p.6, No. 5) 3.0 Gb/s data transfer rate. Serial ATA3 Connectors hese two SATA3...
Page 24
1. High Deinition Audio supports Jack Sensing, but the panel wire on the chassis must support HDA to function correctly. Please follow the instructions in our manual and chassis manual to install your system. 2. If you use an AC’97 audio panel, please install it to the front panel audio header by the steps below: A.
Page 25
H81M-HDS R2.0 ATX 12V Power Please connect an ATX Connector 12V power supply to this (4-pin ATX12V1) connector. (see p.6, No. 2) Chassis Intrusion Header his motherboard (2-pin CI1) supports CASE OPEN Signal (see p.6, No. 17) detection feature that detects if the chassis cove has been removed.
Chapter 3 Software and Utilities Operation 3.1 Installing Drivers he 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. he CD automatically displays the Main Menu if “AUTORUN”...
H81M-HDS R2.0 3.2 A-Tuning A-Tuning is ASRock’s multi purpose sotware suite with a new interface, more new features and improved utilities, including XFast RAM, Dehumidiier, Good Night LED, FAN-Tastic Tuning, OC Tweaker and a whole lot more. 3.2.1 Installing A-Tuning When you install the all-in-one driver to your system from ASRock’s support CD,...
Page 28
Tools Various tools and utilities. XFast RAM Boost the system’s performance and extend the HDD’s or SDD’s lifespan! Create a hidden partition, then assign which iles should be stored in the RAM drive. XFast LAN Boost the speed of your internet connection! Select a speciic mode for making the designated program's priority highest.
Page 29
H81M-HDS R2.0 FAN-Tastic Tuning Conigure up to ive diferent fan speeds using the graph. he fans will automatically shit to the next speed level when the assigned temperature is met. Dehumidiier Prevent motherboard damages due to dampness. Enable this function and conigure the period of time until the computer powers on, and the duration of the dehumidifying process.
Page 30
OC Tweaker Conigurations for overclocking the system. System Info View information about the system. *he System Browser tab may not appear for certain models.
H81M-HDS R2.0 Live Update Check for newer versions of BIOS or drivers. Tech Service Contact Tech Service if you have problems with your computer. Please leave your contact information along with details of the problem.
Page 32
Settings Conigure 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.
H81M-HDS R2.0 3.3 Intel® Smart Connect Technology Intel® Smart Connect Technology is a feature that periodically wakes your computer from Windows® sleep state to refresh email or social networking applications. It saves your waiting time and keeps the content always up-to-date.
3.3.2 Setup Guide Installing ASRock Smart Connect Utility Step 1 Install ASRock Smart Connect Utility, which is located in the folder at the following path of the Support CD: \ ASRock Utility > Smart Connect. Step 2 Once installed, run ASRock Smart Connect from your desktop or go to Windows...
Page 35
H81M-HDS R2.0 Step 3 Click the Add button. Take Foxmail as an example, add Foxmail to the Application list. Step 4 Select Foxmail from the Application List, then click the arrow pointing right to add this application to the Smart Connect List.
Page 36
Step 6 Double-click the Intel® Smart Connect Technology Manager icon in the Windows system tray. Step 7 Drag the slider to conigure how oten the system will connect to the network to download updates. Shorter durations will provide more frequent updates, but may cause more power consumption.
Page 37
H81M-HDS R2.0 he system will wake up from sleep state periodically, and then start to update Foxmail. he screen will not display anything so the computer can maintain minimum power usage. Aterwards, the system will automatically return to sleep state again.
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. 3.4.1 UI Overview Category Panel Hot News...
H81M-HDS R2.0 3.4.2 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. he most recommended app appears on the let side of the screen. he other various apps are shown on the right.
Page 40
Step 3 If you want to install the app, click on the red icon to start downloading. Step 4 When installation completes, you can ind the green "Installed" icon appears on the upper right corner. To uninstall it, simply click on the trash can icon *he trash icon may not appear for certain apps.
Page 41
H81M-HDS R2.0 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 ind the mark of "New Version" appears below the installed app icon. Step 1 Click on the app icon to see more details.
3.4.3 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.
H81M-HDS R2.0 3.4.4 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.
3.5.1 Installing Start8 Install Start8, which is located in the folder at the following path of the Support CD: \ ASRock Utility > Start8. 3.5.2 Coniguring Start8 Style Select between the Windows 7 style and Windows 8 style Start Menu. hen select...
Page 45
H81M-HDS R2.0 Conigure Conigure provides coniguration options, including icon sizes, which shortcuts you want Start Menu to display, quick access to recently used apps, the functionality of the power button, and more. Control...
Page 46
Control lets you conigure what a click on the start button or a press on the Windows key does. Desktop Desktop allows you to disable the hot corners when you are working on the desktop. It also lets you choose whether or not the system boots directly into desktop mode and bypass the Metro user interface.
Chapter 4 UEFI SETUP UTILITY 4.1 Introduction ASRock Interactive UEFI is a blend of system coniguration tools, cool sound efects and stunning visuals. Not only will it make BIOS setup less diicult but also a lot more amusing. his section explains how to use the UEFI SETUP UTILITY to conigure your system.
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>...
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. UEFI Guide UEFI Guide is a quick tutorial for ASRock's UEFI setup Utility. You may abort the tutorial by pressing "esc".
4.3 OC Tweaker Screen In the OC Tweaker screen, you can set up overclocking features. Because the UEFI sotware 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.
H81M-HDS R2.0 CPU Coniguration Multi core enhancement Improve the system's performance by forcing the CPU to perform the highest frequency on all CPU cores simultaneously. Disable to reduce power consumption. CPU Ratio he CPU speed is determined by the CPU Ratio multiplied with the BCLK.
Primary Plane Current Limit Conigure the current limit of the CPU under Turbo Mode in ampere. A lower limit can protect the CPU and save power, while a higher limit may improve performance. GT Frequency Conigure the frequency of the integrated GPU. GT Voltage Mode Auto: For optimized settings.
H81M-HDS R2.0 DRAM Coniguration CAS# Latency (tCL) he time between sending a column address to the memory and the beginning of the data in response. RAS# to CAS# Delay (tRCD) he number of clock cycles required between the opening of a row of memory and accessing columns within it.
Page 54
Refresh Cycle Time (tRFC) he number of clocks from a Refresh command until the irst Activate command to the same rank. RAS to RAS Delay (tRRD) he number of clocks between two rows activated in diferent banks of the same rank.
Page 55
H81M-HDS R2.0 tWRRDDR Conigure between module write to read delay from diferent ranks. tWRRDDD Use this to change DRAM tRRSR Auto/Manual settings. he default is [Auto]. Conigure between module write to read delay from diferent DIMMs. tWRWR Conigure between module write to write delay.
ODT WR (CHB) Conigure the memory on die termination resistors' WR for channel B. ODT NOM (CHA) Use this to change ODT (CHA) Auto/Manual settings. he default is [Auto]. ODT NOM (CHB) Use this to change ODT (CHB) Auto/Manual settings. he default is [Auto]. Command Tri State Enable for DRAM power saving.
H81M-HDS R2.0 System Agent Voltage Ofset Conigure the voltage for the System Agent. Setting the voltage higher may increase system stability when overclocking. CPU Analog IO Voltage Ofset CPU I/O Analog Voltage. CPU Digital IO Voltage Ofset CPU I/O Digital Voltage.
4.4 Advanced Screen In this section, you may set the conigurations for the following items: CPU Con- iguration, Chipset Coniguration, Storage Coniguration, Intel® Smart Connect Technology, Super IO Coniguration, ACPI Coniguration, USB Coniguration and Trusted Computing. Setting wrong values in this section may cause the system to malfunction.
H81M-HDS R2.0 4.4.1 CPU Coniguration Intel Hyper Threading Technology Intel Hyper hreading Technology allows multiple threads to run on each core, so that the overall performance on threaded sotware is improved. Active Processor Cores Select the number of cores to enable in each processor package.
Package C State Support Enable CPU, PCIe, Memory, Graphics C State Support for power saving. CPU Thermal Throttling Enable CPU internal thermal control mechanisms to keep the CPU from overheat- ing. No-Execute Memory Protection Processors with No-Execution Memory Protection Technology may prevent certain classes of malicious bufer overlow attacks.
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 HDMI HD Audio Enable audio for the onboard digital outputs. Onboard LAN Enable or disable the onboard network interface controller.
H81M-HDS R2.0 4.4.3 Storage Coniguration SATA Controller(s) Enable/disable the SATA controllers. SATA Mode Selection IDE: For better compatibility. AHCI: Supports new features that improve performance. AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) supports NCQ and other new features that will improve SATA disk performance but IDE mode does not have these advan- tages.
4.4.4 Intel® Smart Connect Technology ® Intel Smart Connect Technology ® Intel Smart Connect Technology automatically updates your email and social networks, such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. while the computer is in sleep mode.
4.4.6 ACPI Coniguration 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 ater S3 only when the hard disk is ready, this is recommended for better system stability.
Page 67
H81M-HDS R2.0 USB Keyboard/Remote Power On Allow the system to be waked up by an USB keyboard or remote controller. USB Mouse Power On Allow the system to be waked up by an USB mouse.
4.4.7 USB Coniguration USB Controller Enable or disable all the USB ports. Intel USB 3.0 Mode Select Intel® USB 3.0 controller mode. Set [Smart Auto] to keep the USB 3.0 driver enabled ater rebooting (USB 3.0 is enabled in BIOS). Set [Auto] to automatically enable the USB 3.0 driver ater entering the OS (USB 3.0 is disabled in BIOS).
Page 69
H81M-HDS R2.0 USB Compatibility Patch If your USB devices (i.e. USB mouse or storage) encounter compatibility problems, please enable this option to ix it. Please note that ater enabling this option, it is normal that the system will postpone booting up ater pressing the power button.
H81M-HDS R2.0 4.5 Tools UEFI Tech Service Contact ASRock Tech Service if you are having trouble with your PC. Please setup network coniguration before using UEFI Tech Service. Easy Driver Installer For users that don’t have an optical disk drive to install the drivers from our support...
Page 72
Internet Setting Enable or disable sound efects in the setup utility. UEFI Download Server Select a server to download the UEFI irmware. Dehumidiier Function If Dehumidiier Function is enabled, the computer will power on automatically to dehumidify the system ater entering S4/S5 state. Dehumidiier Period Conigure the period of time until the computer powers on and enables Dehumidiier ater entering S4/S5 state.
Page 73
H81M-HDS R2.0 Save User Default Type a proile 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 his 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 Setting Select a fan mode for CPU Fans 1, or choose Customize to set 5 CPU temperatures and assign a respective fan speed for each temperature.
H81M-HDS R2.0 4.7 Boot Screen his section displays the available devices on your system for you to conigure 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 76
Full Screen Logo Enable to display the boot logo or disable to show normal POST messages. AddOn ROM Display Enable AddOn ROM Display to see the AddOn ROM messages or conigure 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 77
H81M-HDS R2.0 Launch PXE OpROM Policy Select UEFI only to run those that support UEFI option ROM only. Select Legacy only to run those that support legacy option ROM only. Launch Storage OpROM Policy Select UEFI only to run those that support UEFI option ROM only. Select Legacy only to run those that support legacy 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.
H81M-HDS R2.0 4.9 Exit Screen Save Changes and Exit When you select this option the following message, “Save coniguration 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...
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 H81M-HDS R2.0 and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers