Z68 Extreme4

Intel® Z68 Chipset w w [Link] . com

Detail Specification
- ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 9.6-in, 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm
Platform - All Solid Capacitor design (100% Japan-made high-quality Conductive
Polymer Capacitors)
- Supports 2nd Generation Intel® CoreTM i7 / i5 / i3 in LGA1155 Package
CPU - Advanced V8 Power Phase Design
- Supports Intel® Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology
- Supports Intel® K-Series unlocked CPU
- Supports Hyper-Threading Technology

Chipset - Intel® Z68

- Dual Channel DDR3 memory technology

Memory - 4 x DDR3 DIMM slots
- Supports DDR3 2133(OC)/1866(OC)/1600/1333/1066 non-ECC,
un-buffered memory
- Max. capacity of system memory: 32GB
- Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
- 3 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots (PCIE2/PCIE4: single at x16 or dual
Expansion Slot at x8/x8 mode; PCIE5: x4 mode)
- 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots
- 2 x PCI slots
- Supports ATITM Quad CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireXTM and
CrossFireXTM
- Supports NVIDIA® Quad SLITM and SLITM
- Supports Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals : Intel® Quick Sync Video,
Graphics Intel® InTruTM 3D, Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, Intel® HD Graphics 2000/
3000, Intel® Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX)
- Pixel Shader 4.1, DirectX 10.1
- Max. shared memory 1759MB
- Four VGA Output options: D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort
- Supports HDMI 1.4a Technology with max. resolution up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz
- Supports DVI with max. resolution up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz
- Supports D-Sub with max. resolution up to 2048x1536 @ 75Hz
- Supports DisplayPort with max. resolution up to 2560x1600 @ 60Hz
- Supports Auto Lip Sync, Deep Color (12bpc), xvYCC and HBR (High Bit Rate
Audio) with HDMI (Compliant HDMI monitor is required)
- Supports HDCP function with DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort ports
- Supports Full HD 1080p Blu-ray (BD) / HD-DVD playback with DVI, HDMI and
DisplayPort ports
- 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892 Audio
Audio Codec)
- Premium Blu-ray audio support
- Supports THX TruStudio PROTM
- PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s
LAN - Broadcom BCM57781
- Supports Wake-On-LAN
- Supports Energy Efficient Ethernet 802.3az
- Supports PXE
I/O Panel
Rear Panel I/O - 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port

Trial
- 1 x VGA/D-Sub Port
- 1 x VGA/DVI-D Port
- 1 x HDMI Port
- 1 x DisplayPort
Intel - 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
Smart Response - 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports
- 1 x eSATA3 Connector
Technology Supports Intel Quick Sync Video
- 2 x Ready-to-Use USB 3.0 Ports
- 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: Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in / Front Speaker /
Microphone
On/Off - 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10,
Play Built-in
Visuals SATA3 RAID 5, Intel Rapid Storage and Intel Smart Response Technology), NCQ,
AHCI and "Hot Plug" functions
- 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by Marvell SE9120, support NCQ,
AHCI and "Hot Plug" functions
(SATA3_M2 connector is shared with eSATA3 port)

Free Bundle USB 3.0

- 2 x Rear USB 3.0 ports by Etron EJ168A, 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 Etron
EJ168A, supports USB 1.0/2.0/3.0 up to 5Gb/s
- 4 x SATA2 3.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10,
Connector RAID 5, Intel Rapid Storage and Intel Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI
and Hot Plug functions
- 4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors
- 1 x Floppy connector
- 1 x IR header
Front USB 3.0 Panel 3.5mm Audio Cable - 1 x CIR header
- 1 x COM port header
- 1 x HDMI_SPDIF header
- 1 x IEEE 1394 header
- 1 x Power LED header
- CPU/Chassis/Power FAN connector
Product Brief - 24 pin ATX power connector
- 8 pin 12V power connector
- SLI/XFire power connector
- ASRock DuraCaps (2.5 x longer life time), 100% Japan-made - 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)
high-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors - 1 x Dr. Debug with LED

- Digi Power, Advanced V8 Power Phase Design Smart Switch - 1 x Power Switch with LED
- 1 x Reset Switch with LED
- 1 x Clear CMOS Switch with LED
- Supports Intel® K-Series unlocked CPU
- 64Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with GUI support
- Supports Intel® Smart Response Technology BIOS Feature - Supports "Plug and Play"
- ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events
- Supports jumperfree
- Supports Dual Channel DDR3 2133(OC) - SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support
- CPU Core, IGPU, DRAM, PCH, CPU PLL, VTT, VCCSA Voltage
- Supports ATITM Quad CrossFireXTM, 3-Way CrossFireXTM and Multi-adjustment
- Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version), ASRock Software
CrossFireXTM Support CD Suite (CyberLink DVD Suite - OEM and Trial)
- ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU)
- Supports NVIDIA® Quad SLITM and SLITM Unique Feature - ASRock Instant Boot
- ASRock Instant Flash
- Supports Intel® HD Graphics with Built-in Visuals - ASRock APP Charger
- ASRock SmartView
- ASRock XFast USB
- Four VGA Output options: D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort - Lucid Virtu
- ASRock On/Off Play Technology
- 2 x Front USB 3.0 ports, 2 x Rear USB 3.0 ports, 4 x SATA3 - Hybrid Booster:
- CPU Frequency Stepless Control
connectors, 1 x eSATA3 connector - ASRock U-COP
- Boot Failure Guard (B.F.G.)
- Combo Cooler Option (C.C.O.)
- Supports ASRock XFast USB Technology, Graphical UEFI, - Good Night LED
- CPU Temperature Sensing
Lucid Virtu Hardware Monitor - Chassis Temperature Sensing
- CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer
- Supports ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU), Instant Boot, - CPU/Chassis Quiet Fan (Allow Chassis Fan Speed Auto-Adjust by
CPU Temperature)
- CPU/Chassis Fan Multi-Speed Control
Instant Flash, Good Night LED, APP Charger, SmartView - Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, CPU Vcore

- Combo Cooler Option (C.C.O.) OS - Microsoft® Windows® 7 / 7 64-bit / VistaTM / VistaTM 64-bit / XP /
XP 64-bit compliant
- 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892 - FCC, CE, WHQL
Certifications - ErP/EuP Ready (ErP/EuP ready power supply is required)
Audio Codec), THX TruStudio PROTM
- 1 x ASRock SLI_Bridge_2S Card
- Free Bundle : 1 x Front USB 3.0 Panel, 1 x Rear USB 3.0 Accessories - Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield
- Floppy Cable
- 4 x SATA Data Cables (Optional)
Bracket, 1 x 3.5mm Audio Cable - 2 x SATA 1 to 1 Power Cables (Optional)
- 1 x 3.5mm Audio Cable (Optional)
- 1 x Front USB 3.0 Panel
The specification is subject to change without notice. The brand and product names are trademarks of their - 4 x HDD Screws
respective companies. Any configuration other than original product specification is not guaranteed. - 6 x Chassis Screws
- 1 x Rear USB 3.0 Bracket
 Z68 Extreme4
Intel® Z68 Chipset www. asrock .com

ASRock XFast USB Technology -

Faster Than Your Imagination!

Exclusive

(The rear I/O photo is example only)

ASRock XFast USB Technology redefines the new standard in high performance computing. Proving once
again to be the pioneer in motherboard industry, ASRock XFast USB Series Motherboards integrate with
the latest XFast USB Technology which delivers the world's fastest USB data transfer speed. According to
the below graph, it shows that the ASRock XFast USB technology can even boost USB 3.0 performance up
to 185.52%!

USB 3.0 Benchmark

ASRock Motherboard with XFast USB Technology
ATTO Disk Benchmark - 4K Read
185.52%
Other Motherboard without XFast USB Technology

150528 KB/s
52720 KB/s Faster

ASRock Motherboard with XFast USB Technology

ATTO Disk Benchmark - 4K Write
145.28%
Other Motherboard without XFast USB Technology

138916 KB/s
56636 KB/s Faster
Z68 Extreme4
Intel® Z68 Chipset www. asrock .com

Lucid VirtuTM
With Lucid Virtu software, next-generation PCs with 2nd
Generation Intel® Core™ processor platforms will
dynamically assign tasks in real time to the best available
graphics resource based on power, performance and
features.

Video File Convert Comparison ASRock Z68 MB with Lucid Virtu (Convert by Intel HD Graphics)
Other Z68 MB without Lucid Virtu (Convert by Nvidia GTX580)
m2ts => MP4
31 sec 235.48%
Faster
104 sec

Convert time (Lower is better)

Test Platform :

MB : ASRock Z68 Motherboard OS : Windows 7 64bit SP1

Other Z68 Motherboard Lucid : Lucid VIRTU 1.0.105
CPU : Intel Core i7 2600K 3.4GHz Nvidia Driver : 266.58
DRAM : Kingston DDR3-1333 2Gx2 Application : Cyberlink MediaEspresso 6.5
HDD : WD 500GB Original File : m2ts, 1080p, 2200MB
VGA : Nvidia GTX580 ; Intel HD Graphics

Free Bundle
Cyberlink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial Exclusive

CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 trial now supports Intel® Quick

Trial
Sync Video hardware transcoding and is optimized for second
generation Core i7, i5, and i3 processors to accelerated
conversion of all your favorite media files for your favorite
portable players. Now you can easily display your favorite
movies, songs and photos on iPhone, iPad, PSP, Xbox,
Youtube, Facebook etc. Compile, convert and enjoy images
and songs as much as you want and enhance your videos to
new levels with TrueTheater Technology. Try it today!

Supports Intel Quick Sync Video

Limitations:
30-day trial limitation
Convert videos to the H.264 format 50 times
 Z68 Extreme4
Intel® Z68 Chipset www. asrock .com

Intel Smart Response Technology

PCMark 05 HDD Score
WD 1TB SATA3 HDD
Intel SSD 311 Series + WD 1TB SATA3 HDD
(With Smart Response Technology)

SSD Cache
6149 355.5%
Performance

Performance
28009 Boosts Up
HDD
Boost Up!

Boot time
For users who are tempted to connect the WD 1TB SATA3 HDD

SSD and HDD on ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Intel SSD 311 Series + WD 1TB SATA3 HDD
(With Smart Response Technology)
motherboard, the Intel Smart Response
Technology can make the SSD become the
35.2 sec 19.4%
Performance
"Cache of the HDD" to boost up the HDD 28.36 sec Boosts Up

access speed.

System Configuration:
MB : Z68 Extreme4 SSD : Intel SSD 311 Series
BIOS : L0.33 HDD : WD 1TB SATA3 HDD
CPU : i7-2600K 3.4G OS : Windows 7 64bit SP1 on WD 1TB
DRAM : Kingston DDR3-1333 2Gx2 SATA3 HDD

On/Off Play Technology Exclusive

Even when the system is power off (in

ACPI S5 mode), On/Off Play
Technology still allows users to enjoy
the great audio experience from the

On/Off portable audio devices through the PC

Play Free Bundle

3.5mm Audio Cable
speaker.
 Z68 Extreme4
Intel® Z68 Chipset www. asrock .com

Graphical UEFI BIOS Interface

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a
revolutionary BIOS utility which offers tweak-
friendly options in an advanced viewing interface.
Compared with traditional BIOS design, the latest
UEFI utility provides lots improved functions. The
major features of UEFI include:

1. Graphical Visual Experience – UEFI provides an

improved visual interface with colorful icons and
makes your computing environment more versatile
to replace the traditional dull BIOS page.

2. Mouse Enabling – Besides keyboard control,

you can freely use mouse to select your ideal
settings in UEFI as well.

*Windows Vista-64bit or Windows 7-64bit OS is required 3. Supports 3TB bootable HDD* - UEFI breaks
the limitations of 2TB bootable HDD on traditional
BIOS. With UEFI, you can enjoy 3TB bootable
HDD size.

AXTU – The All-in-1 Tuning Software

ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU) is an all-in-one software to fine-tune different features in an user-
friendly interface, which includes Hardware Monitor, Fan Control, Overclocking, OC DNA and IES. In
Hardware Monitor, it shows the major readings of your system. In Fan Control, it shows the fan speed and
temperature for you to adjust. In Overclocking, you are allowed to overclock the GT frequency which helps
to boost up the graphics performance and some voltage settings for optimal system performance.
In OC DNA, you can save your OC settings as a profile and share with your friends. Your friends then can
load the OC profile 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 efficiency when the CPU cores are
idle without sacrificing computing performance.
Z68 Extreme4
Intel® Z68 Chipset www. asrock .com

DuraCap Support Intel®

100% Japan-made high-quality K-Series unlocked CPU
Conductive Polymer Capacitors

Digi Power
By adopting digital Pulse-width modulation (PWM), the
Z68 Extreme4 motherboard can provide CPU Vcore voltage
more efficiently and smoothly. Compared to analog PWM,
digital PWM can optimize the CPI power solution and
provide a proper and stable Vcore for the processor.

C.C.O. Exclusive

Combo Cooler Option

C.C.O. provides the flexible option to adopt three
different CPU cooler types, Socket LGA 775*,
LGA 1155 and LGA 1156**

*C.C.O. may not be compatible with all Socket 775 CPU coolers.
**O is for Socket 1155 and Socket 1156 CPU cooler.
 Z68 Extreme4
Intel® Z68 Chipset www. asrock .com

Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals

Intel® Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video saves valuable time for PC users who want to
create and edit video, synchronize it with other devices, and share it–at
home and on the internet. Intel Quick Sync Video uses hardware on the
processor, instead of software, to accelerate video encoding.

Intel® InTruTM 3D
Enjoy the ultimate 3D visual experiences–seamlessly–from your PC. Now
you can watch your favorite 3D movies with Blu-ray Stereo 3D playback
using active shutter 3D glasses. It delivers it all in 1080p full, high-
definition resolution on your TV over HDMI 1.4.

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology (Intel® CVT HD) enables rich media
experiences with picture perfect images by using a host of advanced
graphics technologies that support optimized, high-definition video play-
back and sharp image quality.

Intel® HD Graphics 2000/3000

Intel® HD Graphics is now built right into the processor! This integration
means lower latencies and leads to superior mainstream gaming and
enhanced 3D experiences.

Intel® Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX)

Intel® Advanced Vector Extensions (Intel® AVX) gives more computing
power to application developers with a new, 256 bit instruction set exten-
sion to Intel® SSE.
 Z68 Extreme4
Intel® Z68 Chipset www. asrock .com

Front USB 3.0 Panel

The Front USB 3.0 Panel supports
2 x USB 3.0 ports and provides a
2.5” SSD/HDD rack.

1. Prepare a 2.5" HDD/SSD 2. Screw the 2.5” HDD/SSD to 3. Intall the Front USB 3.0
and place it on the Front USB the Front USB 3.0 Panel with Panel into the 2.5” drive bay of
3.0 Panel. four HDD screws. the chassis.

4. Screw the Front USB 3.0 5. Plug the Front USB 3.0 cable 6. The Front USB 3.0 Panel is
Panel to the drive bay with six into the USB 3.0 header on the ready to use.
chassis screws. motherboard.

*HDD/SSD is not included in motherboard retail package.

Z68 Extreme4
Intel® Z68 Chipset w w [Link] . com

CyberLink Power2Go 6.1 LE OEM

Power2Go 6 lets you burn and backup videos, photos, music and data onto Blu-ray
Discs and DVDs.

CyberLink MediaShow 4.1 SE OEM

Photo and video management software MediaShow edits videos and photos
instantly, creates slideshow, and allows publishing directly to YouTube and Flickr.

CyberLink PowerDVD 8.0 DTS Trial

World-renowned PowerDVD 8 DTS delivers outstanding DVD movie playback quality
on your PC.

CyberLink PowerDirector 8.0 Trial

PowerDirector - Video Editing software – edits high-definition videos including
AVCHD, allows output to PSP iPod and Blu-ray Disc.

CyberLink PowerBackup 2.5 Trial

PowerBackup backups valuable data on your PC.