Biostar H170GT3 User manual

FCC Informaon and Copyright
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits of a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protecon
against harmful interference in a residenal installaon. This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instrucons,
may cause harmful interference to radio communicaons. There is no guarantee that interference
will not occur in a parcular installaon.
The vendor makes no representaons or warranes with respect to the contents here and
specially disclaims any implied warranes of merchantability or tness for any purpose. Further
the vendor reserves the right to revise this publicaon and to make changes to the contents here
without obligaon to nofy any party beforehand.
Duplicaon of this publicaon, in part or in whole, is not allowed without rst obtaining the
vendor’s approval in wring.
The content of this user’s manual is subject to be changed without noce and we will not be
responsible for any mistakes found in this user’s manual. All the brand and product names are
trademarks of their respecve companies.
Dichiarazione di conformità sinteca
Ai sensi dell’art. 2 comma 3 del D.M. 275 del
30/10/2002
Si dichiara che questo prodoo è conforme
alle normave vigen e soddisfa i requisi
essenziali richies dalle direve
2004/108/CE, 2006/95/CE e 1999/05/CE
quando ad esso applicabili
Short Declaraon of conformity
We declare this product is complying with the
laws in force and meeng all the essenal
requirements as specied by the direcves
2004/108/CE, 2006/95/CE and 1999/05/CE
whenever these laws may be applied

2 | Table Of Contents
Table Of Contents
FCC Informaon and Copyright ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1
Chapter 1: Introducon������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3
1.1 Before You Start.................................................................................................................. 3
1.2 Package Checklist................................................................................................................ 3
1.3 Specicaons...................................................................................................................... 4
1.4 Rear Panel Connectors........................................................................................................ 5
1.5 Motherboard Layout .......................................................................................................... 6
Chapter 2: Hardware installaon����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7
2.1 Install Central Processing Unit (CPU) .................................................................................. 7
2.2 Install a Heatsink................................................................................................................. 9
2.3 Connect Cooling Fans ....................................................................................................... 10
2.4 Install System Memory ..................................................................................................... 10
2.5 Expansion Slots ................................................................................................................. 12
2.6 Jumper & Switch Seng................................................................................................... 13
2.7 Headers & Connectors...................................................................................................... 14
2.8 Buons & LEDs ................................................................................................................. 18
Chapter 3: UEFI BIOS & Soware��������������������������������������������������������������������������� 19
3.1 UEFI BIOS Setup................................................................................................................ 19
3.2 BIOS Update...................................................................................................................... 19
3.3 Soware............................................................................................................................ 23
Chapter 4: Useful help������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 30
4.1 Driver Installaon ............................................................................................................. 30
4.2 AMI BIOS Beep Code......................................................................................................... 31
4.3 AMI BIOS post code .......................................................................................................... 31
4.4 Troubleshoong................................................................................................................ 33
4.5 RAID Funcons.................................................................................................................. 34
APPENDIX I: Specicaons in Other Languages ����������������������������������������������������� 36
Arabic...................................................................................................................................... 36
German................................................................................................................................... 37
Russian.................................................................................................................................... 38
Spanish ................................................................................................................................... 39
Thai ......................................................................................................................................... 40

Chapter 1: Introducon | 3
H170GT3
Chapter 1: Introducon
1�1 Before You Start
Thank you for choosing our product. Before you start installing the motherboard, please make
sure you follow the instrucons below:
• Prepare a dry and stable working environment with sucient lighng.
• Always disconnect the computer from power outlet before operaon.
• Before you take the motherboard out from an-stac bag, ground yourself properly
by touching any safely grounded appliance, or use grounded wrist strap to remove the
stac charge.
• Avoid touching the components on motherboard or the rear side of the board unless
necessary. Hold the board on the edge, do not try to bend or ex the board.
• Do not leave any unfastened small parts inside the case aer installaon. Loose parts
will cause short circuits which may damage the equipment.
• Keep the computer from dangerous area, such as heat source, humid air and water.
• The operang temperatures of the computer should be 0 to 45 degrees Celsius.
• To avoid injury, be careful of:
Sharp pins on headers and connectors
Rough edges and sharp corners on the chassis
Damage to wires that could cause a short circuit
1.2 Package Checklist
• Serial ATA Cable x4
• Rear I/O Panel for ATX Case x1
• User’s Manual x1
• Fully Setup Driver DVD x1
• LED Strip x1 (oponal)
Note
»  Thepackagecontentsmaybedierentduetothesalesregionormodelsinwhichitwassold.For
moreinformaonaboutthestandardpackageinyourregion,pleasecontactyourdealerorsales
representave.

4 | Chapter 1: Introducon
1�3 Specicaons
Specicaons
CPU Support
Socket 1151 for Intel® Core i7 / i5 / i3 / Penum / Celeron processor
Maximum CPU TDP (Thermal Design Power): 95Wa
* Please refer to www.biostar.com.tw for CPU support list.
Chipset INTEL® H170
Memory
Supports Dual Channel DDR4 2133/1866
4x DDR4 DIMM Memory Slot, Max. Supports up to 64 GB Memory
Each DIMM supports non-ECC 4/8/16GB DDR4 module
* Please refer to www.biostar.com.tw for Memory support list.
Storage
2x SATA III (6Gb/s)
1x SATA Express Connector (16Gb/s) / 2x SATA III (6Gb/s)
1x PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 (Key M) Slot (32Gb/s)
supports RAID 0,1,10, 5 & AHCI
* PCI-E Storage supports RAID 0 & 1
LAN Intel i219V
1x 10/ 100/ 1000 Mb/s auto negoaon, Half / Full duplex capability
Audio Codec ALC887
7.1 Channels, High Denion Audio, Hi-Fi(Front)
USB
INTEL® H170:
8x USB 3.0 port (4 on rear I/Os and 4 via internal headers)
6x USB 2.0 port (2 on rear I/Os and 4 via internal headers)
Expansion Slots
2x PCIe 3.0 x1 Slot
1x PCIe 3.0 x16 Slot (x4)
1x PCIe 3.0 x16 Slot (x16)
Rear I/Os
1x PS/2 Mouse
1x PS/2 Keyboard
1x DVI-D Port
2x HDMI Port
4x USB 3.0 Port
2x USB 2.0 Port
1x LAN port
3x Audio Jack
Internal I/Os
2x SATA III
1x SATA Express Connector / 2x SATA III
2x USB 2.0 Header (each header supports 2 USB 2.0 ports)
2x USB 3.0 Header (each header supports 2 USB 3.0 ports)
1x 8-Pin Power Connector
1x 24-Pin Power Connector
1x CPU Fan Connector
2x System Fan Connector
1x Front Panel Header
1x Front Audio Header
1x Clear CMOS Header
1x COM Port Header
Form Factor uATX Form Factor, 230 mm x 244 mm
OS Support Windows 7/ 8.1(64bit)/ 10(64bit)
Biostar reserves the right to add or remove support for any OS with or without noce.

Chapter 1: Introducon | 5
H170GT3
1.4 Rear Panel Connectors
HDMI HDMI
Note
»  HDMI,DVI-DportsonlyworkwithanIntel®integratedGraphicsProcessor.
»  Maximumresoluon
HDMI:4096x2160@24Hz,compliantwithHDMI1.4a
DVI-D:1920x1200@60Hz
»  Themainboardsupportsthreeonboarddisplayoutputsatsamemeandthedisplayoutput
conguraoncanbeselectedinIntelgraphicsdriverulity.
The 2/ 4/ 5.1/ 7.1-channel conguraon
Audio Port 2-channel 4-channel 5.1 channel 7.1 channel
Blue (Rear Panel) Line In Line In Line In Side Speaker Out
Green (Rear Panel) Line Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out Front Speaker Out
Pink (Rear Panel) Mic In Mic In Center/Subwoofer Out Center/Subwoofer Out
Green (Front Panel) Headphone Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out Rear Speaker Out

6 | Chapter 1: Introducon
1.5 Motherboard Layout
Note
»  representsthe1stpin.

Chapter 2: Hardware installaon | 7
H170GT3
Chapter 2: Hardware installaon
2.1 Install Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Step 1: Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard
Note
»  Removepincapbeforeinstallaon,andmakegoodpreservaonforfutureuse.WhentheCPUis
removed,coverthepincapontheemptysockettoensurepinlegswon’tbedamaged.
»  Themotherboardmightequipwithtwodierenttypesofpincap.Pleasereferbelowinstruconto
removethepincap.
Step 2: Pull the socket locking lever out from the socket and then raise the lever up.
Step 3: Remove the Pin Cap.

8 | Chapter 2: Hardware installaon
Step 4: Hold processor with your thumb and index ngers, oriented as shown. Align the
notches with the socket. Lower the processor straight down without lng or sliding the
processor in the socket.
Step 5: Hold the CPU down rmly, and then lower the lever to locked posion to complete the
installaon.
Note
»  EnsurethatyouinstallthecorrectCPUdesignedforLGA1151socket.
»  TheCPUtsonlyinonecorrectorientaon.DonotforcetheCPUintothesockettoprevent
damagingtheCPU.

Chapter 2: Hardware installaon | 9
H170GT3
2.2 Install a Heatsink
Step 1: Place the CPU fan assembly on top of the installed CPU and make sure that the four
fasteners match the motherboard holes. Orient the assembly and make the fan cable is closest
to the CPU fan connector.
Step 2: Press down two fasteners at one me in a diagonal sequence to secure the CPU fan
assembly in place. As each fastener locks into posion a click should be heard.
Note
»  ApplythethermalinterfacematerialontheCPUbeforeheatsinkinstallaon,ifnecessary.
»  DonotforgettoconnecttheCPUfanconnector.
»  Forproperinstallaon,pleasekindlyrefertotheinstallaonmanualofyourCPUheatsink.

10 | Chapter 2: Hardware installaon
2.3 Connect Cooling Fans
These fan headers support cooling-fans built in the computer. The fan cable and connector
may be dierent according to the fan manufacturer.
CPU_FAN1: CPU Fan Header
Pin Assignment
1 Ground
2+12V
3 FAN RPM rate sense
4 Smart Fan Control (By Fan)
SYS_FAN1/2: System Fan Header
Pin Assignment
1 Ground
2+12V
3 FAN RPM rate sense
4 Smart Fan Control (By Fan)
Note
»  CPU_FAN1,SYS_FAN1/2support4-pinand3-pinheadconnectors.Whenconnecngwithwires
ontoconnectors,pleasenotethattheredwireistheposiveandshouldbeconnectedtopin#2,and
theblackwireisGroundandshouldbeconnectedtopin#1(GND).
»  TheSYS_FAN2’ssmartfanfunconwillbeenabledwhenbothSYS_FAN1andSYS_FAN2are
connecngwithfans.
2.4 Install System Memory
DDR4 Modules

Chapter 2: Hardware installaon | 11
H170GT3
Step 1: Unlock a DIMM slot by pressing the retaining clips outward. Align a DIMM on the slot
such that the notch on the DIMM matches the break on the slot.
Step 2: Insert the DIMM vercally and rmly into the slot unl the retaining clips snap back in
place and the DIMM is properly seated.
Note
»  IftheDIMMdoesnotgoinsmoothly,donotforceit.Pullitallthewayoutandtryagain.
Memory Capacity
DIMM Socket Locaon DDR4 Module Total Memory Size
DIMMA1 4GB/8GB/16GB
Max is 64GB.
DIMMA2 4GB/8GB/16GB
DIMMB1 4GB/8GB/16GB
DIMMB2 4GB/8GB/16GB
Dual Channel Memory Installaon
Please refer to the following requirements to acvate Dual Channel funcon:
Install memory module of the same density in pairs, shown in the table.
Dual Channel Status DIMMA1 DIMMA2 DIMMB1 DIMMB2
Enabled O XOX
Enabled XOXO
Enabled O O O O
(O means memory installed, X means memory not installed.)
Note
»  Wheninstallingmorethanonememorymodule,werecommendtousethesamebrandand
capacitymemoryonthismotherboard.

12 | Chapter 2: Hardware installaon
2.5 Expansion Slots
PEX16_1: PCI-Express Gen3 x16 Slot (x16 speed)
• PCI-Express 3.0 compliant.
• Maximum theorecal realized bandwidth of 16Gb/s simultaneously per direcon, for an
aggregate of 32GB/s totally.
PEX16_2: PCI-Express Gen3 x16 Slot (x4 speed)
• PCI-Express 3.0 compliant.
• Maximum theorecal realized bandwidth of 4GB/s simultaneously per direcon, for an
aggregate of 8GB/s totally.
PEX1_1/1_2: PCI-Express Gen3 x1 Slots
• PCI-Express 3.0 compliant.
• Data transfer bandwidth up to 1GB/s per direcon; 2GB/s in total
PCIE-M2: M.2 (Key M) Slot
• The M.2 slot supports M.2 Type 2242/2260/2280 SSD module. When installing M.2 SSD
module, please place the screw and hex pillar to correct posion.
• The M.2 slot supports M.2 SATA III (6.0 Gb/s) module and M.2 PCI Express module up to
Gen3 x4 (32Gb/s)
Install an Expansion Card
You can install your expansion card by following steps:
• Read the related expansion card’s instrucon document before install the expansion
card into the computer.
• Remove your computer’s chassis cover, screws and slot bracket from the computer.
• Place a card in the expansion slot and press down on the card unl it is completely
seated in the slot.
• Secure the card’s metal bracket to the chassis back panel with a screw.
• Replace your computer’s chassis cover.
• Power on the computer, if necessary, change BIOS sengs for the expansion card.
• Install related driver for the expansion card.

Chapter 2: Hardware installaon | 13
H170GT3
2.6 Jumper & Switch Seng
The illustraon shows how to set up jumpers. When the jumper cap is placed on pins, the
jumper is “close”, if not, that means the jumper is “open”.
Pin opened Pin closed Pin 1-2 closed
JCMOS1: Clear CMOS Jumper
The jumper allows users to restore the BIOS safe seng and the CMOS data. Please carefully
follow the procedures to avoid damaging the motherboard.
Pin 1-2 Open: Normal Operaon (Default)
Pin 1-2 Close: Clear CMOS data
Clear CMOS Procedures:
1. Remove AC power line.
2. Set the jumper to “Pin 1-2 close”, you can use a metal object like a screwdriver to touch
the two pins.
3. Wait for ve seconds.
4. Aer clearing the CMOS values, be sure the jumper is “Pin 1-2 open”.
5. Power on the AC.
6. Load Opmal Defaults and save sengs in CMOS.
BIOS_SW1: Dual BIOS Switch
The Dual BIOS Switch allows you to choose one of the BIOS ROMs (ROM1/ROM2) for boot up.
Main BIOS (ROM1) Enabled
The LED indicator (ROM1_LED) will light
and the Main BIOS is enabled.
Backup BIOS (ROM2) Enabled
The LED indicator (ROM2_LED) will light
and the Backup BIOS is enabled.
Note
»  Donotusethisswitchwhenyoursystemispower-on.
BeforeashingBIOSROMs,pleasemakesurethisswitchissettotheBIOSROMwhichyouwantto 
»
update.

14 | Chapter 2: Hardware installaon
2.7 Headers & Connectors
ATXPWR1: ATX Power Source Connector
For beer compability, we recommend to use a standard ATX 24-pin power supply for this
connector. Make sure to nd the correct orientaon before plugging the connector.
Pin Assignment Pin Assignment
13 +3.3V 1+3.3V
14 -12V 2+3.3V
15 Ground 3 Ground
16 PS_ON 4 +5V
17 Ground 5 Ground
18 Ground 6 +5V
19 Ground 7 Ground
20 NC 8 PW_OK
21 +5V 9Standby Voltage+5V
22 +5V 10 +12V
23 +5V 11 +12V
24 Ground 12 +3.3V
ATXPWR2: ATX Power Source Connector
The connector provides +12V to the CPU power circuit. If the CPU power plug is 4-pin, please
plug it into Pin 1-2-5-6 of ATXPWR2.
Pin Assignment
1+12V
2+12V
3+12V
4+12V
5 Ground
6 Ground
7 Ground
8 Ground
Note
»  Beforeyoupoweronthesystem,pleasemakesurethatbothATXPWR1andATXPWR2connectors
havebeenplugged-in.
»  Insucientpowersuppliedtothesystemmayresultininstabilityortheperipheralsnotfunconing
properly.UseofaPSUwithahigherpoweroutputisrecommendedwhenconguringasystemwith
morepower-consumingdevices.

Chapter 2: Hardware installaon | 15
H170GT3
PANEL1: Front Panel Header
This 16-pin header includes Power-on, Reset, HDD LED, Power LED, and speaker connecon.
Pin Assignment Funcon Pin Assignment Funcon
1+5V
Speaker
Connector
9 N/A N/A
2 N/A 10 N/A
3 N/A 11 N/A N/A
4 Speaker 12 Power LED (+)
Power LED5 HDD LED (+) Hard drive
LED
13 Power LED (+)
6HDD LED (-) 14 Power LED (-)
7 Ground Reset
buon
15 Power buon Power-on
buon
8 Reset control 16 Ground
SATA_Express_1: SATA Express Connector
Each SATA Express connector can support one SATA Express device or two SATA devices.
Pin Assignment Pin Assignment
S1/S8 Ground P1 Reserved
S2/S9 TX+ P2 PERST#
S3/S10 TX- P3 CLKREQ#/DEVSLP
S4/S11 Ground P4 IFDet
S5/S12 RX-
S6/S13 RX+
S7/S14 Ground
SATA3_3/3_4: Serial ATA Connectors
These connectors connect to SATA hard disk drives via SATA cables.
Pin Assignment
1 Ground
2TX+
3TX-
4 Ground
5RX-
6RX+
7 Ground

16 | Chapter 2: Hardware installaon
JFRONT_USB3_1/3_2: Header for USB 3.0 Ports at Front Panel
This header allows user to add addional USB ports on the PC front panel, and also can be
connected with a wide range of external peripherals.
Pin Assignment Pin Assignment
1VBUS0 11 D2+
2SSRX1- 12 D2-
3SSRX1+ 13 Ground
4 Ground 14 SSTX2+
5SSTX1- 15 SSTX2-
6SSTX1+ 16 Ground
7 Ground 17 SSRX2+
8D1- 18 SSRX2-
9 D1+ 19 VBUS1
10 ID 20 Key
F_USB1/2: Header for USB 2.0 Ports at Front Panel
This header allows user to add addional USB ports on the PC front panel, and also can be
connected with a wide range of external peripherals.
Pin Assignment
1+5V (fused)
2+5V (fused)
3USB-
4USB-
5 USB+
6 USB+
7 Ground
8 Ground
9Key
10 NC
J_COM: Serial Port Header
The motherboard has a serial port header for connecng RS-232 Port.
Pin Assignment
1 Carrier detect
2 Received data
3Transmied data
4 Data terminal ready
5 Signal ground
6 Data set ready
7 Request to send
8 Clear to send
9 Ring indicator
10 Key

Chapter 2: Hardware installaon | 17
H170GT3
F_AUDIO1: Front Panel Audio Header
This header allows user to connect the chassis-mount front panel audio I/O which supports HD
and AC’97 audio standards.
HD Audio AC’97
Pin Assignment Pin Assignment
1Mic Le in 1 Mic In
2 Ground 2 Ground
3 Mic Right in 3 Mic Power
4 GPIO 4 Audio Power
5 Right line in 5 RT Line Out
6 Jack Sense 6 RT Line Out
7 Front Sense 7 Reserved
8Key 8Key
9Le line in 9 LFT Line Out
10 Jack Sense 10 LFT Line Out
Note
»  Itisrecommendedthatyouconnectahigh-denionfrontpanelaudiomoduletothisconnectorto
availofthemotherboard’shighdenionaudiocapability.
»  Pleasetrytodisablethe“FrontPanelJackDetecon”ifyouwanttouseanAC’97frontaudiooutput
cable.ThefunconcanbefoundviaO.S.AudioUlity.
5050_RGBLED1: RGB LED Strip (5050 SMD) Header
This header providers 12V power and RGB control pins for LED strip (5050 SMD).
Pin Assignment
1VCC12
2 LED_GREEN
3 LED_RED
4 LED_BLUE
Note
»  EnsureproperpinconnecngtoyourLEDstrips,wrongconneconmaydamageyourLEDstripsor
motherboard.

18 | Chapter 2: Hardware installaon
2.8 Buons & LEDs
Touch Buons
ECO Mode:
Enabled ECO mode, it allows you save energy
by slightly reducing system performance.
Sport Mode:
Enabled Sport mode, it allows you to maximize
system performance but may use more energy.
Reset:
Touch this buon to reboot the system.
Power:
Touch this buon to turn-on/o the system.
Note
»  ECO/SPORTmodebuonswillonlybeavailablewhenrunningRACINGGTUlityinWindows
environment.
LEDs
Below LEDs are controlled by RACING GT program. Please refer to Chapter 3.3 for more detail
soware seng.
1. MOSFET Heatsink LED
2. RGB LED Strip Header (LED Strip is oponal)
3. on-board LEDs (x7)

Chapter 3: UEFI BIOS & Soware | 19
H170GT3
Chapter 3: UEFI BIOS & Soware
3.1 UEFI BIOS Setup
• The BIOS Setup program can be used to view and change the BIOS sengs for the
computer. The BIOS Setup program is accessed by pressing the <DEL> key aer the
Power-On Self-Test (POST) memory test begins and before the operang system boot
begins.
• For further informaon of seng up the UEFI BIOS, please refer to the UEFI BIOS Manual
on our website.
3.2 BIOS Update
The BIOS can be updated using either of the following ulies:
• BIOSTAR BIOS Flasher: Using this ulity, the BIOS can be updated from a le on a hard
disk, a USB drive (a ash drive or a USB hard drive), or a CD-ROM.
• BIOSTAR BIOS Update Ulity: It enables automated updang while in the Windows
environment. Using this ulity, the BIOS can be updated from a le on a hard disk, a USB
drive (a ash drive or a USB hard drive), or a CD-ROM, or from the le locaon on the
Web.
BIOSTAR BIOS Flasher
Note
»  ThisulityonlyallowsstoragedevicewithFAT32/16formatandsingleparon.
»  ShungdownorresengthesystemwhileupdangtheBIOSwillleadtosystembootfailure.
Updang BIOS with BIOSTAR BIOS Flasher
1. Go to the website to download the latest BIOS le for the motherboard.
2. Then, copy and save the BIOS le into a USB ash (pen) drive.
3. Insert the USB pen drive that contains the BIOS le to the USB port.
4. Power on or reset the computer and then press <F12> during the POST process.
5. Aer entering the POST screen, the BIOS-
FLASHER ulity pops out. Choose <fs0> to search
for the BIOS le.

20 | Chapter 3: UEFI BIOS & Soware
6. Select the proper BIOS le, and a message asking
if you are sure to ash the BIOS le. Click “Yes” to
start updang BIOS.
7. A dialog pops out aer BIOS ash is completed,
asking you to restart the system. Press the <Y> key
to restart system.
8. While the system boots up and the full screen logo shows up, press <DEL> key to enter BIOS
setup.
Aer entering the BIOS setup, please go to the <Save & Exit>, using the <Restore Defaults>
funcon to load Opmized Defaults, and select <Save Changes and Reset> to restart the
computer. Then the BIOS Update is completed.
BIOS Update Ulity (through the Internet)
1. Installing BIOS Update Ulity from the DVD Driver.
2. Please make sure the system is connected to the internet before using this funcon.
3. Launch BIOS Update Ulity and click the
“Online Update” buon on the main screen.
4. An open dialog will show up to request your
agreement to start the BIOS update. Click “Yes”
to start the online update procedure.