Review - Motherboard Asrock Z87 Pro3

 

Features

High Density Glass Fabric PCB


What you’ve never understood about your computer is that it is scared to death of water, H2O, humidity or whatever you’d like to name it. And even though you do not see the water, actually there may be lots of excessive moist in the air killing your motherboard silently and slowly. No, your motherboard doesn’t melt when in contact with water like the wicked witch of the west, but it dies of short circuit. Luckily, ASRock has a new High Density Glass Fabric PCB design that reduces the gaps between the PCB layers to protect the motherboard against electrical shorts caused by humidity.



All Solid Capacitor Design

ASRock is determined to use high quality materials to build the best motherboards, that's why all the capacitors on this motherboard are built with 100% solid capacitors. These solid capacitors bring long lasting durability and ultra stable performance.

Digi Power


More Precise, More Efficient

Unlike traditional motherboards that use analog power, this motherboard uses a next generation digital PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) design, which provides CPU Vcore voltage more efficiently and smoothly, so that the stability and lifespan of the motherboard is greatly enhanced.

ASRock APP Shop

ASRock APP Shop is designed for your convenience. We provide various apps and support software for users to download. You can easily optimize your system and keep your motherboard up to date with ASRock APP Shop.






A-Tuning

A-Tuning is ASRock's multi purpose software suite with a new interface, more new features and improved utilities, including EZ OC, Auto Tuning, XFast 555, OC Tweaker, System Browser, Live Update, Tech Service and a whole lot more!





Triple Monitor

Graphics, graphics and even more graphics! You've demanded for more eye candy, so this motherboard supports Triple Monitor. You may choose up to three display interfaces from the rear i/o to connect monitors and use them simultaneously without installing another graphics card.


FAN-Tastic Tuning

Configure different fan speeds for respective temperatures using the graph. The fans will automatically shift to the next speed level when the assigned temperature is met.


Easy Driver Installer

For users that don’t have an optical disk drive to install the drivers from our support CD, Easy Driver Installer is a handy tool in the UEFI that installs the LAN driver to your system via an USB storage device, then downloads and installs the other required drivers automatically through the internet. Completely no CD or optical disk drive required!


USB Key

In a world where time is money, why waste precious time everyday typing usernames to log in to Windows? Why should we even bother memorizing those foot long passwords? Nobody has time for that! Just plug in the USB Key and let your computer log in to windows automatically!


UEFI Tech Service

Contact ASRock Tech Service by sending a support request from the UEFI setup utility if you are having trouble with your personal computer. Users may try to choose the category of the issue they have encountered, describe the problem in detail, and then attach an optional picture or log file for our technical support team.

Fast Boot

With ASRock’s exclusive Fast Boot technology, it takes less than 1.5 seconds* to logon to Windows® 8 from a cold boot. No more waiting! The speedy boot will completely change your user experience and behavior.

*The boot time may vary with a different configuration.

Restart to UEFI

Fast Boot is so fast that it is impossible for users to enter the UEFI setup utility during POST. Therefore, ASRock Restart to UEFI technology allows users to easily enter the UEFI setup utility automatically when turning on the PC next time. It is designed for those who constantly need to enter the UEFI setup utility.


UEFI System Browser

UEFI system browser is a useful tool included in ASRock's graphical UEFI. It can detect the devices and configurations that users are currently using on their motherboard. With UEFI system browser, you can easily examine the current system configuration in the UEFI setup without having to open the chassis and take everything apart.

OMG

Limit and control your children's time spent on the internet. ASRock OMG (Online Management Guard) technology allows you to establish an internet curfew or restrict internet access at specified times. Administrators are able to schedule the starting and ending hours of internet access granted to other users.

Dehumidifier

Dampness kills most electronics, so it's a better idea to keep your personal computer dry. Now users may prevent motherboard damages due to dampness by enabling Dehumidifier. When it is enabled, the computer will power on automatically to dehumidify the system after entering S4/S5 state.

HDMI™ (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)

This motherboard supports HDMI™ (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) which is an interface standard for transferring uncompressed video data and delivering multi-channel audio through a single cable. Both video and audio data signals transferred through the HDMI™ interface are digital without being converted into analog, therefore it delivers the richest pictures and the most realistic sounds.

Specifications

General
A-Style- Home Cloud
CPU- Supports New 4th and 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3/Xeon®/Pentium®/Celeron® Processors (Socket 1150)
- Digi Power Design
- 4 Power Phase Design
- Supports Intel® Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology
- Supports Intel® K-Series unlocked CPU
- Supports ASRock BCLK Full-range Overclocking
Chipset- Intel® Z87
Memory- Dual Channel DDR3 memory technology
- 4 x DDR3 DIMM slots
- Supports DDR3 2800+(OC)/2400(OC)/2133(OC)/1866(OC)/1600/1333/1066 non-ECC, un-buffered memory
- Max. capacity of system memory: 32GB*
- Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) 1.3 / 1.2

*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.
BIOS- 64Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with Multilingual GUI support
- ACPI 1.1 Compliance Wake Up Events
- SMBIOS 2.3.1 Support
- CPU, DRAM, PCH 1.05V Voltage Multi-adjustment
 Audio, Video and Networking
Graphics- Supports Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals : Intel® Quick Sync Video with AVC, MVC (S3D) and MPEG-2 Full HW Encode1, Intel® InTru™ 3D, Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, Intel® Insider™, Intel® HD Graphics 4400/4600
- Pixel Shader 5.0, DirectX 11.1
- Max. shared memory 1792MB
- Three graphics output options: D-Sub, DVI-D and HDMI
- Supports Triple Monitor
- Supports HDMI Technology with max. resolution up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz
- Supports DVI-D with max. resolution up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz
- Supports D-Sub with max. resolution up to 1920x1200 @ 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-D and HDMI ports
- Supports Full HD 1080p Blu-ray (BD) playback with DVI-D and HDMI ports

*Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals and the VGA outputs can be supported only with processors which are GPU integrated.

**Due to chipset limitation, the Blu-ray playback of Intel® HD Graphics is only supported under Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit / Vista™ / Vista™ 64-bit.

***Intel® InTru™ 3D is only supported under Windows® 8 / 8 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit.
Audio- 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec)
- Premium Blu-ray audio support
LAN- Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s
- Giga PHY Intel® I217V
- Supports Intel® Remote Wake Technology
- Supports Wake-On-LAN
- Supports Energy Efficient Ethernet 802.3az
- Supports PXE
 Expansion / Connectivity
Slots- 1 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot (PCIE2: x16 mode)
- 3 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots
- 2 x PCI slots
Storage- 6 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel® Rapid Storage Technology 12 and Intel® Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
Connector- 1 x IR header
- 1 x COM Port header
- 1 x Power LED header
- 2 x CPU Fan connectors (1 x 4-pin, 1 x 3-pin)
- 2 x Chassis Fan connectors (2 x 4-pin)
- 1 x Power Fan connector (3-pin)
- 1 x 24 pin ATX power connector
- 1 x 8 pin 12V power connector
- 1 x Front panel audio connector
- 1 x SPDIF Out connector
- 2 x USB 2.0 headers (support 4 USB 2.0 ports)
- 1 x USB 3.0 header (supports 2 USB 3.0 ports)
Rear Panel I/OI/O Panel
- 1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port
- 1 x D-Sub Port
- 1 x DVI-D Port
- 1 x HDMI Port
- 2 x USB 2.0 Ports
- 4 x USB 3.0 Ports
- 1 x RJ-45 LAN Ports with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED)
- HD Audio Jack: Side Speaker / Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone
 Other Features / Miscellaneous
Unique Feature- ASRock APP Shop
- ASRock A-Tuning
- ASRock Instant Flash
- ASRock APP Charger
- ASRock XFast USB
- ASRock XFast LAN
- ASRock XFast RAM
- ASRock Crashless BIOS
- ASRock OMG (Online Management Guard)
- ASRock Internet Flash
- ASRock UEFI System Browser
- ASRock UEFI Tech Service
- ASRock Dehumidifier
- ASRock Easy RAID Installer
- ASRock Easy Driver Installer
- ASRock Interactive UEFI
- ASRock Fast Boot
- ASRock Restart to UEFI
- ASRock On/Off Play Technology
- ASRock USB Key
- ASRock FAN-Tastic Tuning
- Hybrid Booster:
- CPU Frequency Stepless Control
- ASRock U-COP
- Boot Failure Guard (B.F.G.)
- Good Night LED
Support CD- Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version), CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, Google Chrome Browser and Toolbar, Start8 (30 days trial), MeshCentral, Splashtop Streamer
Accessories- Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield
- 2 x SATA Data Cables
Hardware Monitor- CPU/Chassis Temperature Sensing
- CPU/Chassis/Power Fan Tachometer
- CPU/Chassis Quiet Fan (Allow Chassis Fan Speed Auto-Adjust by CPU Temperature)
- CPU/Chassis Fan Multi-Speed Control
- Voltage Monitoring: +12V, +5V, +3.3V, CPU Vcore
Form Factor- ATX Form Factor
- All Solid Capacitor design
OS- Microsoft® Windows® 8.1 32-bit / 8.1 64-bit / 8 32-bit / 8 64-bit / 7 32-bit / 7 64-bit
Certifications- FCC, CE, WHQL
- ErP/EuP Ready (ErP/EuP ready power supply is required)

Manual

DescriptionLanguageDownload
User ManualEnglishDownload from Asia server AsiaDownload from Europe server EuropeDownload from America server AmericaDownload from China server China
Quick Installation GuideMulti-LanguageDownload from Asia server AsiaDownload from Europe server EuropeDownload from America server AmericaDownload from China server China
RAID Installation GuideEnglishDownload from Asia server AsiaDownload from Europe server EuropeDownload from America server AmericaDownload from China server China
RAID Installation Guide中文 (T.Chinese)Download from Asia server AsiaDownload from Europe server EuropeDownload from America server AmericaDownload from China server China
Intel Rapid Storage GuideEnglishDownload from Asia server AsiaDownload from Europe server EuropeDownload from America server AmericaDownload from China server China
Intel Rapid Storage Guide中文 (T.Chinese)Download from Asia server AsiaDownload from Europe server EuropeDownload from America server AmericaDownload from China server China
Intel Smart Response Installation GuideEnglishDownload from Asia server AsiaDownload from Europe server EuropeDownload from America server AmericaDownload from China server China
Intel Smart Response Installation Guide中文 (T.Chinese)Download from Asia server AsiaDownload from Europe server EuropeDownload from America server AmericaDownload from China server China

For information product : Asrock