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E7246
Revised Edition
February
Chapter 1:
Product introduction
Chapter 2:
Hardware information
Chapter 3:
BIOS setup
Chapter 4:
Software support
Chapter 5:
Multiple GPU technology support
Appendices
Notices
A-1
Electrical safety
Operation safety
•Place the product on a stable surface
How this guide is organized
This guide contains the following parts:
•Chapter 1: Product introduction
•Chapter 2: Hardware information
•Chapter 3: BIOS setup
Conventions used in this guide
DANGER/WARNING:
CAUTION:
IMPORTANT
NOTE
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Thank you for buying an ASUS® SABERTOOTH Z77 motherboard
Check your motherboard package for the following items
Chapter
ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77
1 Chapter
1.3.1Product highlights
Intel® Z77 Express Chipset
PCI Express®
Dual-Channel1866 / 1600 / 1333 / 1066 MHz Support
Intel® Smart Response Technology
SSD Speed with HDD Capacity
Intel® Smart Connect Technology
Intel® Rapid Start Technology
Complete USB 3.0 Integration
TUF Thermal Radar
1.3.3“TUF ENGINE!” Power Design
New DIGI+ Power Control
TUF Components (Choke, Cap. & MOSFET; certified by military- standard)
1.3.4“Safe & Stable!” Guardian Angel
ESD Guards
1.3.5ASUS EZ DIY
ASUS UEFI BIOS (EZ Mode)
ASUS Q-Design
DIY Quickly, DIY Easily
USB Charger+
USB BIOS Flashback
Network iControl
1.3.7Other special features
LucidLogix Virtu MVP
DisplayPort 1.1a Support
HDMI 1.4a Support
ErP Ready
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2.2.1Motherboard layout
2 Chapter
Layout contents
Connectors/Jumpers/Slots
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2.2.2Central Processing Unit (CPU)
2.2.3System memory
Recommended memory configurations
Memory configurations
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2.2.4Expansion slots
1PCIe 2.0 x1_1 slot
2PCIe 3.0 x16_1 slot (single at x16 or dual at x8/x8 mode)
3PCIe 2.0 x1_2 slot
4PCIe 3.0 x16_2 slot
PCIe x16_3 configuration
PCIE x16_3
PCI Express sharing mode
Configuration
PCIE x16_3
2.2.5Jumper
Clear RTC RAM (3-pinCLRTC)
To erase the RTC RAM
1.Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord
Move the jumper cap from pins
2.2.6Onboard switch
MemOK! switch
2.2.7Onboard LEDs
1.Standby Power LED
2.POST State LEDs
2.2.8Internal connectors
1.Intel® Z77 Serial ATA 6Gb/s connectors (7-pinSATA6G_1/2 [brown])
2.Intel® Z77 Serial ATA 3Gb/s connectors (7-pin SATA3G_3–6[black])
3.ASMedia® Serial ATA 6Gb/s connectors (7-pinSATA6G_E1/E2 [gray])
SABERTOOTH Z77 ASMediaSATA 6.0 Gb/s connectors
5.USB 3.0 connector (20-1pin USB3_34)
SABERTOOTH Z77 USB3.0 connector
6.USB 2.0 connectors (10-1pin USB78, USB56, USB910)
480 Mbps connection speed
7.Digital audio connector (4-1pin SPDIF_OUT)
8.CPU, chassis, and assistant fan connectors
(4-pinCPU_FAN; 4-pinCPU_OPT FAN; 4-pin CHA_FAN1-4; 3-pinASST_FAN)
9.Front panel audio connector (10-1pin AAFP)
10.ATX power connectors (24-pinEATXPWR; 8-pinEATX12V)
11.System panel connector (20-8pin PANEL)
This connector supports several chassis-mountedfunctions
•System power LED (2-pinPLED)
•Hard disk drive activity LED (2-pinIDE_LED)
•System warning speaker (4-pinSPEAKER)
2.3.1Additional tools and components to build a PC system
2.3.2CPU installation
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2.3.3CPU heatsink and fan assembly installation
To install the CPU heatsink and fan assembly
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2.3.5Motherboard installation
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2.3.6Thermal Armor for ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77
Installing the first accessory fan:
Installing the second accessory fan:
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2.3.7ATX Power connection
OROR
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2.3.9Front I/O Connector To install ASUS Q-Connector
_LED
IDE
POWER
RESET
2.3.10Rear panel connection
Rear panel connectors
USB 2.0 ports 1, 2, 3 and
External SATA 6G
USB 3.0 ports 5 and
*LAN ports LED indications
Activity Link LED
Description
OFF
No link
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2.3.12USB BIOS Flashback
2.Connect the USB flash drive to the bottom USB 3.0 port at the rear panel
1.After making all the connections, replace the system case cover
2.Be sure that all switches are off
5.Turn on the devices in the following order:
a.Monitor
b.External SCSI devices (starting with the last device on the chain)
We recommend that you not change the default BIOS settings
EZ Mode
Advanced Mode
Exit/Advanced Mode
3 Chapter
3.2.1EZ Mode
3.2.2Advanced Mode
Menu bar
The menu bar on top of the screen has the following main items:
For changing the basic system configuration
Ai Tweaker
Menu items
Back button
Submenu items
Pop-upwindow
Scroll bar
Security
The Security menu items allow you to change the system security settings
Administrator Password
To set an administrator password:
1.Select the Administrator Password item and press <Enter
2.From the Create New Password box, key in a password, then press <Enter
3.Confirm the password when prompted
The Ai Tweaker menu items allow you to configure overclocking-relateditems
Scroll down to display the following items:
eXtreme Memory Profile
1-CoreRatio Limit [Auto]
2-CoreRatio Limit [Auto]
3-CoreRatio Limit [Auto]
4-CoreRatio Limit [Auto]
DRAM Timing Control
DRAM CAS# Latency [Auto]
DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay [Auto]
DRAM RAS# PRE Time [Auto]
DRAM RAS# ACT Time [Auto]
DRAM COMMAND Mode [Auto]
DRAM WRITE to READ Delay [Auto]
DRAM CKE Minimum pulse width [Auto]
DRAM CAS# Write to Latency [Auto]
DRAM RTL (CHA) [Auto]
DRAM RTL (CHB) [Auto]
DRAM CLK Period [Auto]
Transmitter Slew(CHA) [Auto]
Transmitter Slew(CHB) [Auto]
Receiver Slew(CHA) [Auto]
Receiver Slew(CHB) [Auto]
CPU Ratio [Auto]
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology [Enabled]
CPU Load-LineCalibration [Auto]
CPU Voltage Frequency [Auto]
VRM Spread Spectrum [Disabled]
CPU Power Phase Control [Standard]
CPU Power Duty Control [T.Probe]
CPU Current Capability [100%]
iGPU Current Capability [100%]
DRAM Current Capability [100%]
DRAM Voltage Frequency [Auto]
DRAM Power Phase Control [Auto]
DRAM Power Thermal Control [110]
CPU Manual Voltage [Auto]
Black
Yellow
Pink
Red
CPU Manual
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3.5.1CPU Configuration
Intel Adaptive Thermal Monitor [Enabled]
Disables the CPU thermal monitor function
Hyper-threading[Enabled]
CPU C1E [Auto]
CPU C3 Report [Auto]
CPU C6 Report [Auto]
Intel (R) Rapid Start Technology [Disabled]
Intel (R) Smart Connect Technology [Disabled]
ISCT Configuration [Disabled]
3.5.3SATA Configuration
SATA Mode Selection [AHCI]
Allows you to set the SATA configuration
Disables the SATA function
[IDE Mode]
Parallel ATA physical storage devices
Primary Display [Auto]
iGPU Memory [64M]
Render Standby [Enabled]
iGPU Multi-Monitor[Disabled]
PCIEX16_1 Link Speed [Auto]
3.5.5USB Configuration
The items in this menu allow you to change the USB-relatedfeatures
Legacy USB Support [Enabled]
The USB devices can be used only for the BIOS setup program
detected, the legacy USB support is disabled
Front Panel Type [HD]
SPDIF Out Type [SPDIF]
PCI Express X16_3 slot (black) [X1 mode]
ASM1061 Storage Controller Front/Rear [Enable]
ASM1061 Storage OPROM Front/Rear [Enabled]
Asmedia USB 3.0 Controller (USB3_E12) [Enabled]
Asmedia USB 3.0 Battery Charging Support [Disabled]
3.5.7APM
ErP Ready [Disabled]
Restore AC Power Loss [Power Off]
Power On By PCIE/PCI [Disabled]
Power On By RTC [Disabled]
Ipv4 PXE Support [Enable]
Ipv6 PXE Support [Enable]
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CPU Fan Profile [Standard]
Chassis 1/2/3/4 Fan Profile [Standard]
ASST 1/2 Fan Profile [Standard]
Allow Fan Stop [Disable]
Fan Overtime [1 minute]
Anti Surge Support [Enabled]
The Boot menu items allow you to change the system boot options
Bootup NumLock State [On]
[On]
Sets the power-onstate of the NumLock to [On]
[Off]
Setup Mode [EZ Mode]
program
[EZ Mode]
UEFI/Legacy Boot [Enable both UEFI and Legacy]
[Enable both UEFI and Legacy]
3.8.1ASUS EZ Flash 2 Utility
3.8.2.ASUS O.C. Profile
This item allows you to store or load multiple BIOS settings
Label
Allows you to input the label of setup profile
Save to Profile
Yes
Load from Profile
Load Optimized Defaults
Save Changes & Reset
Yes
Discard Changes & Exit
ASUS EZ Mode
1.ASUS Update: Updates the BIOS in Windows® environment
2.ASUS EZ Flash 2: Updates the BIOS using a USB flash drive
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3:
ASUS BIOS Updater:
Refer to the corresponding sections for details on these utilities
Updating the BIOS through the Internet
To update the BIOS through the Internet:
From the ASUS Update screen, select
Update BIOS from Internet
5.Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the update process
Updating the BIOS through a BIOS file
To update the BIOS through a BIOS file:
Update BIOS from file
You can decide whether to change the BIOS boot logo. Click
4.Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the update process
3.10.2ASUS EZ Flash 2 utility
To update the BIOS using EZ Flash 2:
1.Insert the USB flash disk that contains the latest BIOS file to the USB port
Enter the Advanced Mode of the BIOS setup program. Go to the
ASUS EZ Flash Utility
3.10.3ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility
Recovering the BIOS
To recover the BIOS:
1.Turn on the system
3.10.4ASUS BIOS Updater
Before updating BIOS
3.Turn off the computer and disconnect all SATA hard disk drives (optional)
Booting the system in DOS environment
Boot your computer. When the ASUS Logo appears, press <F8> to show the
Backing up the current BIOS
To backup the current BIOS file using the BIOS Updater
1.At the FreeDOS prompt, type bupdater /o[filename] and press <Enter
Updating the BIOS file
To update the BIOS file using BIOS Updater
1.At the FreeDOS prompt, type bupdater /pc /g and press <Enter
2.The BIOS Updater screen appears as below
Select
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4.2.1Running the support DVD
4 Chapter
4.2.2Obtaining the software manuals
Click on the
Manual
ASUS Motherboard Utility Guide
4.3.1AI Suite
Installing AI Suite
To install AI Suite II on your computer
2.Click the Utilities tab, then click AI Suite
3.Follow the onscreen instructions to complete installation
4.3.2ASUS TUF Thermal Radar
Launching Thermal Radar
Thermal Radar
Using the Thermal Radar main screen
On the right part of the Thermal Radar main screen, click
Configuring system fan settings
Loading default fan profiles
To load the system default fan profiles
2.Click a fan to configure. For example, click CPU Fan
3.Read the introduction and notice of the selected fan. Click Setting
Configuring user-customizablefan settings
1.Select User in the Profile Name drop- down list
in the
drop- down list
3.Click Apply
Configuring Fan-Offsettings
To enable or disable the assistant fans:
1. Click and select the fan from the Fan Name drop-downlist
2.Select Fan-Off in the Profile name dropdown list
dropdown list
Configuring Fan Overtime settings
To fast customize the fan overtime:
1.Click
2.Drag the scroll bar on the Fan Overtime screen
3.Click Apply. Click Undo to cancel the fan overtime settings made
4.3.3TurboV EVO
TurboV
Using Advanced Mode
Click on the Advanced Mode tab to adjust the advanced voltage settings
CPU Ratio
Allows you to manually adjust the CPU ratio
1.Click the CPU Ratio tab
4.3.4DIGI+ Power Control
Tool > DIGI+ Power Control
Select CPU Power or DRAM Power to adjust the power control settings
Function no. Function description
1CPU Load-lineCalibration
7CPU Power Thermal Control
8CPU Power Response Control
9CPU Power Duty Control
1DRAM Current Capability
2DRAM Voltage Frequency
3DRAM Power Phase Control
4DRAM Power Thermal Control
Smart DIGI+
135W
Allows you to limit the wattage to 35W for power saving
245W
Allows you to limit the wattage to 45W for power saving
4.3.5Sensor Recorder
Launching Sensor Recorder
Tool > Sensor Recorder
Using Sensor Recorder
Voltage/ Temperature/ Fan Speed
4.3.6Ai Charger+
Tool > Ai Charger+
4.3.7USB Charger+
Launching the USB Charger+
To launch this utility, open the AI Suite II, then click Tool > USB Charger+
USB fast-chargingmode settings
•Disable: disables the USB fast-chargingfunction
Setting up the charging function
Charging the device
Disabling the charging function
4.3.8USB 3.0 Boost
Launching USB 3.0 Boost
Tool > USB 3.0 Boost
Configuring USB 3.0 Boost
1.Connect a USB 3.0 device to the USB 3.0 port
4.3.9Network iControl
Tool > Network iControl
Using EZ Start
To use EZ Start:
Using Quick Connection
Configuring the PPPoE connection settings
Quick Connection
To configure the PPPoE settings:
1.Right-clickin the taskbar, and select Open Network and Sharing Center
Configuring the Quick Connection
To configure the auto-PPPoEconnection:
1.Click the Quick Connection tab
tab
Tick
Using EZ Profile
To use the EZ Profile:
EZ Profile
4.3.10ASUS Update
Update> ASUS Update
Using ASUS Update
•Update BIOS from Internet
•Download BIOS from Internet
4.3.11MyLogo2
Update> MyLogo
Using MyLogo
Change the BIOS boot logo of my motherboard
Browse
Auto Tune
3.You can click on Booting Preview to preview the boot image. Then click Next
4.Click on Flash to start updating the image to the boot logo
At BIOS File
Follow steps
4.3.12Audio configurations
A. Realtek HD Audio Manager for Windows® 7™
Realtek HD Audio Manager for Windows XP
Rapid Storage Technology
4.4.1RAID definitions
RAID
4.4.2Installing Serial ATA hard disks
To install the SATA hard disks for a RAID configuration:
1.Install the SATA hard disks into the drive bays
2.Connect the SATA signal cables
3.Connect a SATA power cable to the power connector on each drive
Creating a RAID set
To create a RAID set:
From the utility main menu, select
1. Create RAID Volume
2.Enter a name for the RAID set and press <Enter
RAID 0: 128KB
RAID 10: 64KB
RAID 5: 64KB
Create Volume
CREATE VOLUME
Deleting a RAID set
To delete a RAID set:
2. Delete RAID Volume
DELETE VOLUME
Exiting the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM utility
4.4.5Intel® 2012 Desktop responsiveness technologies
Intel® 2012 Desktop responsiveness technologies feature the three technologies:
•Intel® Smart Response Technology
•Intel® Rapid Start Technology
•Intel® Smart Connect Technology
SSD Capacity Requirements
SSD Partition Capacity
Requirements
Intel® Rapid Start
storage
Installing Intel® Smart Response Technology
tab, then click
software
3.Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation
Using the Intel® Smart Response Technology
Creating a partition
To create a partition:
1.Go to Start, right-click Computer > Manage > Disk Management
Go to Start
right-click
4.If your SSD is not initialized and not formatted:
a.Right-clickthe disk that you want to partition, and select Initialize
New Simple Volume
size, which must be equal to
(1GB = 1024MB). Click
To launch the disk partitioning tool, click
Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt
7.Type diskpart and press Enter
detail disk
(x = number), and press
13.Reboot the system after creating the partition
Enabling and disabling the Intel® Rapid Start Technology
Show hidden icons
Rapid Start Technology Manager
2.Tick On in the Status field to enable the function, and click Save
Recovering the partition
1.Run the Command Prompt tool
Run the
tool
Type
, press
Enter
and select the partition where the Intel
Rapid Start Technology is installed by typing
10.Click Next after selecting the default selected disk
Extend volume setup is completed. Click
Finish
12.Reboot the system after deleting the partition
Installing the Intel® Smart Connect Technology
5.Select all and click Next for Custom Setup
6.Click Install to proceed the installation
Click Yes to restart your system, and for the newly installed Intel
Using the Intel® Smart Connect Technology
1. Click Start > All Programs > Intel > Intel® Smart Connect Technology
Advanced tab. To reset to defaults, click Reset All to Defaults
In the
Help
About
Topics
4.5.1Creating a RAID driver disk without entering the OS
To create a RAID driver disk without entering the OS:
1.Boot your computer
2.Press <Del> during POST to enter the BIOS setup utility
3.Set the optical drive as the primary boot device
4.5.3Installing the RAID driver during Windows® OS installation
To install the RAID driver in Windows® XP:
4.Follow the succeeding screen instructions to complete the installation
To install the RAID driver for Windows® 7 or later OS:
During the OS installation, click
4.5.4Using a USB floppy disk drive
and then select Manage from the pop-upwindow
Browse the contents of the RAID driver
disk to locate the file txtsetup.oem
Double-clickthe file. A window appears
7.Use Notepad to open the file
Find the
and
sections in the
file
5.1.1Requirements
5.1.2Before you begin
To uninstall existing graphics card drivers:
1.Close all current applications
2.For Windows XP, go to Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs
5 Chapter
5.1.3Installing two CrossFireX™ graphics cards
1.Prepare two CrossFireX-readygraphics cards
3.Ensure that the cards are properly seated on the slots
6.Connect a VGA or a DVI cable to the graphics card
5.1.4Installing the device drivers
5.1.5Enabling the AMD® CrossFireX™ technology
Launching the AMD VISION Engine Control Center
To launch the AMD VISION Engine Control Center:
Center
5.2.1Requirements
In SLI mode, you should have two identical
5.2.2Installing two SLI-readygraphics cards
1.Prepare two SLI-readygraphics cards
5.2.3Installing the device drivers
5.2.4Enabling the NVIDIA® SLI™ technology
Launching the NVIDIA Control Panel
You can launch the NVIDIA Control Panel by the following two methods
Right click on the empty space of the Windows
Personalize
Advanced Settings
Start the NVIDIA Control Panel
B5. The NVIDIA Control Panel window appears
Enabling SLI settings
5.3.1Installing LucidLogix Virtu MVP
To install LucidLogix Virtu MVP:
Insert the support DVD in the optical drive. The
ASUS Support Wizard
2.Click the Utilites tab, then click LucidLogix Virtu MVP Software
5.3.2Setting up your display
i-Mode
d-Mode
5.3.3Configuring LucidLogix Virtu MVP
Open Virtu MVP Control Panel
Main
Performance
Allows you to turn ON/OFF the Hyperformance® or Virtual Vsync function
Applications
Allows you to select applications for graphic virtualization
See the descriptions of these columns below:
Federal Communications Commission Statement
•This device may not cause harmful interference
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver
•Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help
Canadian Department of Communications Statement
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003
VCCI: Japan Compliance Statement
VCCI Class B Statement
KC: Korea Warning Statement
Address
Telephone
+886-2-2894-3447
Fax
+886-2-2890-7798
Appendices
EC Declaration of Conformity
