Question 1

can this run windows 10?

Accepted Answer

Yes it will run 10 however there are some issues with cpu integrated graphics depending on which processor you have. The Devil's Canyon i5 in particular had some issues to work around to get Windows to ok the install.

Question 2

Does buying a new motherboard automatically change operating systems? I have Vista (Old, I know. Lol) And I was wondering if when I go to buy a new motherboard if I will have to buy Windows 10 or if it comes with it.

Accepted Answer

No, of course not.  A motherboard is just a big circuit card.  You decide when to upgrade OS - if you replace the motherboard and processor, you could connect your old hard drive with Vista installed and boot.  You have to usually recover your OS install - it will crash if you try to boot normally - but it is possible to make it work.

You probably want to buy yourself a copy of Windows 10, however, and don't forget an SSD - in fact, if you can't afford to upgrade everything, upgrade to the SSD before anything else - and then start fresh.

Question 3

I have a question about this mother board. ASRock H!70M Pro4, I see it will take G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 8GB  Memory Model F4-2133C15D-8GVR.

I was wondering if I purchase 4 of these memory modules to equal out to 16G of memory will it work with this motherboard with out any issue?

I am in a process of a new build and I need at least 16GB of memory but cannot afford the recommend memory that is on the FAQ sheet

Accepted Answer

Yes it will work. I recommend buying them as a kit. You only need to buy TWO 8GB sticks to make 16GB. A 2x8GB kit is 2 memory modules(sticks) that each hold 8GB(hence 2x8), thus holding a grand total of 16GB. If you buy 4x8 you will have 32GB of RAM. 16 should be all you need unless doing some heavy duty work loads like servers and heavy duty video work.

Question 4

The product description says: "The PCIe Gen3 x4 Ultra M.2 interface pushes data transfer speeds up to 32Gb/s. In addition, it also supports SATA3 6Gb/s M.2 modules, and is compatible with ASRock’s U.2 Kit for installing some of the world’s fastest U.2 PCIe Gen3 x4 SSDs."

What is this U.2 kit, and can you recommend what SSDs go with this mobo?  I want to get a crazy fast board and a PCIE SSD to match it.

Accepted Answer

Some background. M.2 is a specification that defines both the form factor of a new computer component (module) and the port that new module plugs into, but not the interface to use. The term 'interface' is kind of a catch all word for how components, or parts of a computer, interact with each other and transfer data. As explanation, take the USB interface. We are now on USB 3.1, but the port itself is the same as USB 1.0. What has changed with every revision is not the port, but how data is transfered through the port, allowing increased speeds with each new revision.

Anyway, back to M.2. The M.2 specification defines support for multiple interfaces (PCIe, SATA, and USB I believe). The motherboard manufacturer can choose which interfaces to support when implementing M.2. What this means for a consumer, is that if a manufacturer implements an M.2 port on their motherboard but it only supports the USB interface, it's going to be super slow. With regard to THIS board, PCIe and SATA are both supported at 32Gb/s and 6Gb/s respectively. So you'll want to get an SSD that uses the PCIe interface, not the SATA interface, in order to get the best possible speeds.

Now, to actually answer your question. U.2 is an interface that extends the SATA interface. The U.2 kit referenced in the description is a small M.2 module that will provide you with a U.2 port that you can plug a 2.5" form factor SSD into using a cable. I'm not sure what speeds you would get using the U.2 port as it can theoretically be as high as PCIe 3.0x4.

Finally, to find a drive, I'd just recommend doing a quick power search here on newegg in the 'internal SSD' department for drives that have the PCIe 3.0x4 interface and the M.2 form factor. There's only 2 of them at the time of writing, so it's just a matter of choosing which one you can afford. What is really important though, is not the form factor or the port that you decide to use, but the interface, as that is what will limit your read/write speeds.

Question 5

Do I need to upgrade my ram to DDR4? Right now I have 16GB of DDR3 1600mhz

Accepted Answer

DDR3 memory will NOT fit into a DDR4 slot, so either find another DDR3 board or get new DDR4 memory for the Asrock H170M. There might be a couple of boards that have both types of memory slots, but I don't know  of one.

Question 6

can i put ddr4 2400 in this mobo?

Accepted Answer

Yes.  However, note that this board is NOT OVERCLOCKABLE, so you will not get enough CPU performance to need it.  If you found a deal on DDR4 2400 and it's cheaper than the regular speed stuff, or if you already have some, go ahead.  Just don't pay more for faster RAM and then use it with this board, it won't help.

Question 7

Does the VGA output work when using a Skylake processor w/ HD 530 graphics?

Accepted Answer

I have set up two computers using these boards in an office using dual monitors, one VGA, one DVI.  On both systems, both types of connector look identical in quality, which is important when dual screens are viewed next to each other all day!  I try to use digital output when I can, but the VGA output looks perfect from these boards.  Your mileage may vary, since a cheap monitor may have crummy VGA implementation, or you may have crummy cables, etc.

Question 8

One question, is the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB AMP! Omega compatible with this motherboard? Please answer

Accepted Answer

Quick suggestion : while the card is compatible with your motherboard, I suggest you cut a piece of cardboard to the dimensions listed online of the card itself.  See how well that piece of cardboard fits in the case.  Is there room to plug in the power connector?  That will save you a lot of hassle - if it doesn't fit, you can choose a different video card.

Question 9

Can Displayport and HDMI work at the same time? 
I like to use 2 monitors with 2560x1440. The manual doesn't say if they both can work at the same time (some older boards only allow some of their graphic ports at the same time)

Accepted Answer

Yes.  This is how I happen to be using it as I type this message in reply to you.

I bought this board as an inexpensive way to drive a 4k monitor at 60  Hz via displayport, and my side screen is connected via HDMI at the moment.  It's also possible to connect a third monitor via DVI at the same time, and you can obviously use DVI HDMI cables.

Only displayport can do 4k, by the way.  The HDMI port is not HDMI 2.0.  So if you are wanting to drive a 4k TV, which is a good way to get a cheap 4k monitor, you need a recent model Nvidia GFX card.

Question 10

Does this motherboard support single sticks of ram or must it always run in dual channel?

Accepted Answer

From page 15 of the instruction manual :

1. "For dual channel configuration, you always need to install identical DDR4 DIMM pairs".  
2.  It is unable to activate Dual Channel Memory Technology with only one or three memory module installed

To me this says it will probably work with just 1.  Keep in mind it cuts your bandwidth in half and it probably actually affects CPU performance.  You should buy a second, identical stick as soon as you can.

Questions & Answers