Asus P8Z68 DELUXE/GEN3 - Manual (Page 14)

1-2 Chapter 1: Product Introduction
Chapter 1
1.3 Special features
1.3.1 Product highlights
LGA1155 socket for Intel ® Second Generation Core™ i7 / Core™ i5 / Core™ i3
Processors
This motherboard supports the Intel ® second generation Core™ i7 / Core™ i5 / Core™ i3
processors in LGA1155 package with memory and PCI Express controllers integrated to
support 2-channel (4 DIMMs) DDR3 memory and 16 PCI Express 2.0 lanes. This provides
great graphics performance. Intel ® second generation Core™ i7 / Core™ i5 / Core™ i3 second generation Core™ i7 / Core™ i5 / Core™ i3
processors are among the most powerful and energy efficient CPUs in the world.
Intel ® Z68 Express Chipset
The Intel ® Z68 Express Chipset is the latest single-chipset design to support the new 1155
socket Intel ® Core™ i7 / Core™ i5 / Core™ i3 second generation processors. It uses serial
point-to-point links, which allows increased bandwidth and stability, and provides an improved
performance. It also provides two SATA 6.0 Gb/s and four SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports for faster
data retrieval at double the bandwidth of current bus systems. Moreover, Intel ®
Z68 Express
Chipset also supports iGPU function, letting users enjoy the latest Intel integrated graphic
performance.
PCI Express ® 3.0
The latest PCI Express bus standard delivers improved encoding for twice the performance
of current PCIe 2.0. Total bandwidth for a x16 link reaches a maximum of 32GB/s, double
the 16GB/s of PCIe 2.0 (in x16 mode). PCIe 3.0 provides users unprecedented data speeds,
combined with the convenience and seamless transition offered by complete backward
compatibility with PCIe 1.0 and PCIe 2.0 devices. It’s a must-have feature for PC users
aiming to improve and optimize graphics performance, as well as have the latest, most
future-proof technology.
* Actual PCIe Speed depends on installed CPU type.
Intel ® Smart Response Technology
Intel ® Smart Response Technology boosts overall system performance. It uses an installed
fast SSD (min 18.6GB available capacity required) as a cache for frequently accessed data.
Key benefits include reduced load and wait times, and lower power consumption through the
elimination of unnecessary hard drive spin. This technology combines SSD performance with
hard drive capacity, operating up to 4X faster than a hard drive-only system, and an important
part of Green ASUS eco-friendly computing.
* Intel ® Smart Response Technology supports Windows ® 7/ Vista operating systems.
** Intel ® Smart Response Technology is supported by 2nd generation Intel ® Core™ processor
family.
*** Operating systems must be installed on the HDD to launch Intel
® Smart Response Technology.
The capacity of the SSD is reserved for caching function.
Quad-GPU SLI™ and Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Support
The motherboard’s powerful Intel ® Z68 platform optimizes PCIe allocation in multiple-GPU
configurations of either SLI™ or CrossFireX™. This allows you to enjoy a never before-
experienced brand new gaming style.