EVGA Z390 FTW User manual

EVGA Z390 FTW (123-CS-E397)
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User Guide
EVGA Z390 FTW
Specs and Initial Installation

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Table of Contents
User Guide...............................................................................................................- 1 -
EVGA Z390 FTW .....................................................................................................- 1 -
Specs and Initial Installation.....................................................................................- 1 -
Before You Begin… .................................................................................................- 4 -
Parts NOT in the Kit............................................................................................................. - 5 -
Intentions of the Kit.............................................................................................................. - 5 -
Motherboard.............................................................................................................- 6 -
Motherboard Specifications.................................................................................................. - 6 -
Unpacking and Parts Descriptions...........................................................................- 8 -
Intel®Z390 FTW Motherboard LED reference.................................................................... - 9 -
Intel®Z390 FTW Motherboard Component Legend.......................................................... - 10 -
PCIe Slot Breakdown ......................................................................................................... - 21 -
M.2 Slot Breakdown........................................................................................................... - 21 -
Preparing the Motherboard................................................................................................. - 22 -
Installing the CPU .............................................................................................................. - 22 -
Installing the CPU Cooling Device .................................................................................... - 23 -
Installing System Memory (DIMMs) ................................................................................. - 24 -
Installing the I/O Shield...................................................................................................... - 25 -
Installing the Motherboard......................................................................................- 25 -
Securing the Motherboard into a System Case................................................................... - 26 -
Installing M.2 devices.............................................................................................- 28 -
Installing M.2 Key-M Socket 3 Devices ............................................................................ - 28 -
Tested CPU......................................................................................................................... - 30 -
Tested Memory................................................................................................................... - 31 -
Tested M.2 Key-M ............................................................................................................. - 31 -
Tested M.2 Key-E............................................................................................................... - 32 -

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Connecting Cables.............................................................................................................. - 33 -
Onboard Buttons................................................................................................................. - 45 -
First Boot................................................................................................................- 46 -
M.2 SSD, PCIe SSD, and NVMe SSD Installation steps ................................................... - 48 -
Internal RAID Controller.........................................................................................- 50 -
Fan Header and PWM Setup.................................................................................- 86 -
Setting Up SLI and PhysX......................................................................................- 90 -
Realtek HD Audio Manager............................................................................................... - 94 -
EVGA NU Audio...................................................................................................- 112 -
The NU Audio Control Panel ........................................................................................... - 115 -
NU Audio Custom Settings:............................................................................................. - 123 -
Installing Drivers and Software ............................................................................- 130 -
Windows 10 Driver Installation........................................................................................ - 130 -
Warranty and Overclocking.............................................................................................. - 132 -
Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................- 133 -
Flashing the BIOS ............................................................................................................ - 133 -
Flashing the BIOS Without a CPU................................................................................... - 136 -
SSD / HDD is not detected ............................................................................................... - 137 -
System does not POST, and POST code indicator reads “C”........................................... - 139 -
System does not POST, and POST code indicator reads “55” ......................................... - 139 -
System does not POST, and POST code indicator reads “d7” ......................................... - 140 -
Have a question not covered above, or want some online resources? .............................. - 141 -
POST Beep codes............................................................................................................. - 142 -
POST Port Debug LED .................................................................................................... - 143 -
POST Codes........................................................................................................- 144 -
EVGA Glossary of Terms ................................................................................................ - 149 -
Compliance Information.......................................................................................- 152 -

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Before You Begin…
The EVGA Z390 FTW has everything you need to upgrade and enjoy Intel’s
latest 8th/9th Gen Core i7/i5 CPUs. With the Z390 platform, high-end gaming is
now better than ever without costing an arm and a leg. Featuring 6 SATA ports,
USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A and Type C ports, USB 3.1 Gen1 ports, USB 2.0 ports,
multiple M.2 sockets, Intel Optane™, 7.1 Channel Audio with EVGA NU
Audio, and an Intel Gigabit NIC, this board is ready for everything. However,
this board wouldn’t be FTW without a highly-efficient Digital VRM connected
to an 11 Phase power design, 2-way SLI®support, metal-reinforced slots, and
EVGA’s New GUI BIOS featuring OC Robot and an in-BIOS stress test. The
EVGA Z390 FTW is primed to be the center of everything you do next.
Furthermore, this board is designed not only for overclockers, but also for
gamers with NVIDIA®2-Way SLI®Support, without the need for PLX chips;
blazing-fast networking, Dual M.2 Key-M slots and much more!
Lastly, a motherboard is only as good as its BIOS, and the EVGA Z390 FTW
features EVGA’s newest UEFI/BIOS GUI with a focus on overclocking and
functionality in a lean, straightforward package. You won’t need to be an expert
to configure your motherboard, but if you are, you’ll find features unavailable
anywhere else.
Combining the best of current technology with the latest innovations, EVGA is
further refining motherboard performance!

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Parts NOT in the Kit
This kit contains all the hardware necessary to install and connect your new
EVGA Z390 FTW Motherboard. However, it does NOT contain the following
items, which must be purchased separately in order to make the system fully-
functional and install an Operating System:
Intel® Socket 1151 Processor
DDR4 System Memory
CPU Cooling Device
PCI Express Graphics Card
Power Supply
Hard Drive or SSD
Keyboard / Mouse
Monitor
(Optional) Optical Drive
EVGA assumes you have purchased all the necessary parts needed to allow for
proper system functionality. For a full list of supported CPUs on this
motherboard, please visit www.evga.com/support/motherboard.
Intentions of the Kit
When replacing a different model motherboard in a PC case, you may need to
reinstall your operating system, even though the current HDD/SSD may
already have one installed. Keep in mind, however, you may sometimes also
need to reinstall your OS after a RMA even if your motherboard remains the
same due to issues that occurred prior to replacing the motherboard.

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Motherboard
Motherboard Specifications
Size:
ATX form-factor of 12 inches x 9.6 inches (305x243.8mm)
Microprocessor support:
Intel®Socket 1151 Processor
Operating Systems:
Supports Windows 10 64-Bit
Contains Intel®Z390 chipset
System Memory support:
Supports Dual channel DDR4 up to 4133MHz+ (OC).
Supports up to 64GB of DDR4 memory.
USB 2.0 Ports:
2x from Intel®Z390 PCH –4x from USB HUB
Supports hot plug
Supports wake-up from S3 mode
Supports USB 2.0 protocol up to a 480 Mbps transmission rate
USB 3.1 Gen.1 Ports:
4x from Intel®Z390 PCH –2x internal via 1 FP headers
Supports transfer speeds up to 5Gbps
Backwards-compatible USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 support
USB 3.1 Gen.2 Ports:
5x from Intel®Z390 PCH –4x external (4x Type-A), 1x internal header
(Type-C)
Supports transfer speeds up to 10Gbps
Backwards-compatible USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 support

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SATA Ports:
Intel®Z390 PCH Controller
6x SATA 6Gbps data transfer rate
- Support for RAID0, RAID1, RAID5, AND RAID10
- Supports hot plug
Onboard LAN:
Intel®i219V Gigabit NIC
Onboard Audio:
Realtek ALC1220 High Definition Audio + EVGA NU AUDIO
Supports 7.1 Channel HD Audio
Supports Optical Out
Power Functions:
Supports ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)
Supports S0 (normal), S3 (suspend to RAM), S4 (Suspend to disk - depends
on OS), and S5 (soft - off)
PCI-Express Expansion Slots:
1x PCIe x16/8 slot, 1x PCIe x8
1x PCIe x4
2x PCIe x1 slot
PCIe 3.0 Support:
Low power consumption and power management features
SLI and Crossfire Support:
2-Way SLI, 2-Way Crossfire
Additional Expansion Slots:
1x M.2 Key-M 110mm slot
1x M.2 Key-M 80mm slot (Shared with SATA 4/5 for bottom M.2)
1x M.2 Key-E slot
Fan Headers:
6x 4-pin PWM controlled headers
ALL FAN HEADERS HAVE A MAXIMUM POWER
LIMIT OF 1 AMP @ 12 VOLTS (12 WATTS)
EXCEDING THIS LIMIT WILL CAUSE
IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO THE BOARD.

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Unpacking and Parts Descriptions
The following accessories are included with the EVGA Z390 FTW
Motherboard:

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Intel®Z390 FTW Motherboard LED reference
The EVGA Z390 FTW Motherboard has an LED to indicating power, connectivity, and
activity. Below is the location of the LED and its function.
1. 5VSB
a. White: Voltage present (Does not mean PSU is outputting in-spec, only
that this specific voltage is detected)
2. POST Code Indicator
a. After bootup, this will display the CPU temperature.
b. During boot, this LED will cycle through many different hexadecimal
POST codes with a range of 00-FF to indicate which aspect of the Power
On Self Test (POST) is currently running.
i. For list of POST Codes, please see Page 142.
1.
2.
LED Component Legend
5VSB
POST Code Indicator

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Intel®Z390 FTW Motherboard Component Legend
The EVGA Z390 FTW Motherboard with the Intel®Z390 and PCH Chipset.
Figure 1 shows the motherboard and Figure 2 shows the back panel connectors.
FIGURE 1. Z390 FTW Motherboard Layout

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**For a FULL description of the above legend, please see Page 13.
1. CPU Socket 1151 11. M.2 Socket 1Key-E 32mm 21. USB 2.0 Headers
2. Intel Z390 PCH (Southbridge) 12. PCIe Slot x16/x8 22. Front Panel Audio Connector
3. PWM Fan Header (1amp) 13. PCIe Slot x8 23. PC Speaker
4. DDR4 MemoryDIMM Slots 1-4 14. PCIe Slot x4 24. Front Panel Connectors
5. 24-pin ATX power connector 15. PCIe Slot x1 25. CMOS Battery
6. 8-pin EPS Connector 16. RGB Headers 26. USB 3.1Gen2 Header (Type-C)
7. Supplemental PCIe 6-pin Power 17. Power Button 27 USB 3.1Gen1Header
8. Intel Sata 6G Ports 18. Reset Button 28 Rear Panel Connectors (Figure 2)
9. M.2 Socket 3 Key-M 110mm 19. Debug LED / CPUTemp
10. M.2 Socket 3 Key-M 80mm 20. USB to SPIfor BIOS Flash
Component Legend

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Figure 2. Chassis Rear Panel Connectors
1. BIOS /CMOS Reset 4. USB 3.1 Gen2 (Type-A) 7. Analog Audio Jacks
2. PS/2 Port for Mouse or KB 5. Intel i219V NIC 8. Optical Out
3. USB 2.0 6. USB 3.1 Gen1
I/O Hub Legend
Analog Audio Port
Breakdown
2/2.1 (Channel) 4.0/4.1 (Channel) 5.1 (6 Channel) 7.1 (8 Channel)
Blue Line In *Rear Speakers Out Line In
*Rear Speakers Out
Front Speakers Out /
Front Speakers Out /
Front Speakers +Sub
Front Speakers +Sub
Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In
Mic In
Black Side Speakers Out Side Speakers Out
Orange Center / Sub Out Center / Sub Out
*Only used in 7.1 and is changed via Realtek Software from within Windows.
3.5mm Audio Jack Legend
Front Speakers Out
Green
Front Speakers Out

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Component Legend Descriptions
1. CPU Socket 1151
This is the interface for the Central Processing Unit (CPU), and supports Core
i3, i5, and Core i7 models compatible with the Intel®1151 Socket and Coffee
Lake-S architecture.
2. Intel®Z390 PCH (Southbridge)
The Platform Controller Hub (PCH) handles the role that was previously held
by the South Bridge. The PCH has 4 PCIe Gen 3 lanes and allocates bandwidth
to smaller PCIe slots, M.2, USB, audio, etc. In simplified terms, the PCH works
as a hub for peripherals that are less bandwidth-intensive.
3. PWM Fan Headers
4-pin fan headers that control the fan speed based on a configurable curve or
static percentage. PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) works by pulsing power to
the fan at a constant rate and sending the RPM signal to the fan’s controller via
a Sense cable, rather than adjusting fan speed by increasing and decreasing
voltage. This method is preferable because it eliminates voltage-based fan stall
points. Please see Page 86 for more in-depth PWM breakdown and PWM
controls within BIOS/UEFI.
These headers also support 12v. fans. However, fan speed is based on
decreasing voltage to the fan, starting at a default of 100%/12V. When using a
12v. fan, the minimum speed will vary depending on the motor because most
fan motors require a set amount of voltage before stalling.
4. DDR4 Memory Slots
The memory slots support up to four 288-pin DDR4 DIMMs in Dual-Channel
mode. Dual-Channel mode will be enabled only upon using two or four sticks
of supported memory, according to the installation guide above; using one or
three sticks of memory will lower the board to Single-Channel mode, which
may significantly lower performance. Some Quad-Channel kits *MAY* work;
however, the kit will continue to run in Dual-Channel mode due to the
limitations of the CPU’s memory controller. 64GB of RAM is supported in a
4x16GB configuration; 32GB modules are *NOT* officially supported. At the
time of this manual’s release, this motherboard officially supports up to
4133MHz+ speeds. These speeds cannot be guaranteed, however, because
Intel®only certifies the speed of the memory controller up to 2666MHz for
Coffee Lake-S processors.

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5. 24-pin ATX power connector
The main power for the motherboard is located on the right side of the board
and perpendicular to the PCB; this is also described as a “Vertical” connector
(See Page 34 for more specifics to the connector itself, and associated
wiring/pinouts). The 24-pin connector IS directional and the connector needs
the tab on the socket to line up with the release clip located on the 24-pin
connector from the power supply. This connector pulls the bulk of the power
for all components; other connectors, such as EPS, PCIe (video card AND
motherboard sides), have been added to reduce the load and increase longevity
due to wiring and trace limitations.
6. 8-pin EPS Connector
The EPS is dedicated power for the CPU (See Page 35 for more specifics to the
connector itself, and associated wiring/pinouts). Carefully choose the correct
power cable by consulting with the installation manual for your power supply.
This connector is designed to only work with an EPS or CPU cable. System
builders sometimes make the mistake of plugging in a PCIe 8-pin or 6+2-pin
connector, which will prevent the board from completing POST and possibly
short or damage the board. Although PCIe and EPS cables appear similar, they
are wired differently and attaching the wrong connector may cause damage to
the motherboard.
Alternatively, if no power cable is connected or detected, the system will not
POST and will hang at POST code “C.”
7. Supplemental PCIe 6-pin Power Connector
There is a 6-pin PCIe connector at the bottom of the motherboard (See Page 36
for more specifics to the connector itself, and associated wiring/pinouts). This
connector provides dedicated power to the PCIe x16 slots, augmenting the
power provided by the 24-pin and the GPU directly.
This is optional for a single card solution, but is recommended for SLI, CFX,
and dual-processor video cards.
8. Intel®SATA 6G Ports
The Intel®Z390 PCH has a 6-port SATA 3/6G controller (See Page 44 for
specifics on the connectors). This controller is backwards compatible with
SATA and SATA 2 devices, and supports SSDs, HDDs and various types of
optical devices (CDROM, DVDROM, BD-ROM, etc.). The controller also
supports NCQ, TRIM, hot swap capability (provided the proper HDD/SSD
bays/racks are installed), and RAID levels 0/1/5/10.

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9. M.2 Socket 3 Key-M 110mm
M.2 is an SSD standard, which uses up to four PCIe lanes and utilizes Gen3
speeds. Most popularly paired with NVMe SSDs, this standard offers
substantially faster transfer speeds and seek time than SATA interface
standards. All M.2 devices are designed to connect via a card-bus style
connector, secured by bolting into place, and powered by the connector –rather
than a dedicated data cable and power cable.
This socket will support Key-M devices of 110mm, 80mm, 60mm, and 42mm
length.
10. M.2 Socket 3 Key-M 80mm
M.2 is an SSD standard, which uses up to four PCIe lanes and utilizes Gen3
speeds. Most popularly paired with NVMe SSDs, this standard offers
substantially faster transfer speeds and seek time than SATA interface
standards. All M.2 devices are designed to connect via a card-bus style
connector, secured by bolting into place, and powered by the connector –rather
than a dedicated data cable and power cable.
This socket will support Key-M devices of 80mm, 60mm, and 42mm length.
Conflict: The top Key-M slot shares lanes with SATA ports 4/5. As a result,
these devices are mutually exclusive and must be enabled/disabled in the BIOS.
11. M.2 Socket 1 Key-E 32mm
M.2 Key-E sockets are generally used for WiFi and Bluetooth cards. Key-E and
Key-M connectors are different, meaning that devices are not interchangeable
between sockets.
12. PCIe Slot x16/x8
PCIe x16/x8 slots are primarily for video cards. These full-length slots will
provide 8 or 16 lanes of bandwidth to a full-size card, and are backwards-
compatible with x8, x4, and x1-length cards.
Coffee Lake-S Socket 1151 processors have 16 PCIe lanes available for routing.
The 16 PCIe lanes are pulled from the CPU and shared with the x16 PCIe slot 4
(PE4). Lanes automatically switch from x16/x0 to x8/x8 when the
motherboard detects a card in slot PE4.
13. PCIe Slot x8
PCIe x16/x8 slots are primarily for video cards. These full-length slots will
provide up to 8 lanes of bandwidth to a full-size card, and are backwards
compatible with x8, x4, and x1 length cards.

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This slot is limited to a maximum of 8 lanes as it shares bandwidth with the
primary PCIe x16 slot 2 (PE2). This slot is primarily recommended for
secondary video cards, such as the 2nd card in a SLI configuration, or a PhysX
card.
* Please see the description for Physical (length) vs Electrical (lanes) on Page 19.
14. PCIe Slot x4
PCIe x4 is pulled from the PCH, rather than the CPU. This slot would be used
for any other card that will work on a single or x4 PCIe lane. If x4 is disabled in
the BIOS, this slot should be used for cards that will work on x1 or x2 slots.
* Please see the description for Physical (length) vs Electrical (lanes) on Page 19.
15. PCIe Slot x1
PCIe x1 is the smallest form-factor PCIe card slot. They are all one lane and
are used for low-bandwidth products.
16. RGB LED Controller Header
The RBG header is a 4 pin header that allows for software-based control within
windows for RGB devices via E-LEET X. Please see Page 39 for header
specifics, and Page 129 for control options in E-LEET X.
17. Power Button
This is an onboard power button, and may be used in place of, or in
conjunction with, a front panel power button wired to the board.
Benching systems, or test benches before final assembly, are best served by
using the onboard power because it removes the need to wire a Power/Reset
button or cross posts with a screwdriver, which is a semi-common practice.
This button provides a safer and easier option than jumpering the Power posts.
18. Reset Button
This is an onboard system reset button, and may be used in place of, or in
conjunction with, a front panel system reset button wired to the board.
Benching systems, or test benches before final assembly, are best served by
using the onboard power because it removes the need to wire a Power/Reset
button or cross posts with a screwdriver, which is a semi-common practice.
This button provides a safer and easier option than jumpering the Power posts.

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19. Debug LED / CPU Temp
This is a two-digit POST code reader, displaying in hexadecimal, which means
the characters available (when working as intended) are 0-9, A-F and has a cap
of 255 characters. The POST codes are listed in the troubleshooting section on
Page 144. After the system boots, it will display the temperature in Celsius.
This temperature is specifically for the CPU socket, which usually reads slightly
higher than a given CPU core. To read this temperature in Fahrenheit, take the
value in Celsius, multiply by 9/5 (or 1.8) and add 32.
20. USB to SPI for BIOS Flash
This USB port is designed to connect directly to the motherboard to allow the
motherboard BIOS to be flashed, even if no CPU is installed. For more
information on how to flash your BIOS using this method, please see Page 136.
21. USB 2.0 Headers
The USB2.0 header is used to connect additional USB interface plugs to the
motherboard; these headers are most often used to connect the motherboard to
the chassis to enable the USB2.0 ports on the chassis. These will function
similarly to the USB2.0 ports found on the motherboard’s hardwired I/O hub,
but these can also be used for the chassis’ front panel USB, auxiliary ports that
mount in the card slots, and certain devices that directly connect to the header.
USB 2.0 standard is 500ma @ 5V per port (header total is 1000ma) for
unpowered devices. If your USB device requires more power, it is
recommended to attach a powered USB Hub.
22. Front Panel Audio Connector
This motherboard header is used to plug in the audio cable included with most
PC chassis. This connector is required for audio recording and/or playback
via the audio connectors on the chassis. This header has a connector that
looks similar to the USB2.0 header and uses the standard “HD Audio” jack.
Some chassis may provide two headers: one labeled HD Audio, and one
labeled AC’97 – an AC’97 cable is not compatible with this header on the
Z390 FTW.
23. PC Speaker
This is a small mono low-fidelity speaker, which is permanently attached to the
motherboard. Its primary use is for debugging purposes. A POST beep may
indicate a successful POST or various tones for USB initialization, while other
beeps may indicate an issue during the POST process. Please see Page 142 for
more details.

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24. Front Panel Connectors
The Front Panel Connectors are the four main chassis connections. These
include the Power Switch, Power LED, Reset Switch, and HDD LED. The
Power and Reset switches are “Momentary Switches,” rather than “Latching
Switches,” which means the connection between two posts only needs a brief
moment to turn on the device, as opposed to requiring a constant connection.
For example, the Power and Reset switches can be triggered instantly with a
screwdriver by simultaneously touching the + and - posts.
The Power LED will power on with the system, indicating the system is on and
can blink in conjunction with CPU activity.
HDD LED will blink during access to the SATA ports; this is not activated for
M.2 SSDs.
25. CMOS Battery
The CMOS battery backup provides uninterruptable power to the BIOS/UEFI
to store all its settings; otherwise, each power on would act as if the BIOS was
just reset. These batteries typically last several years and rarely need to be
replaced.
26. USB 3.1 Gen2 Header (Type-C)
The USB 3.1 Gen2 header is used to connect additional USB interface plugs to
the motherboard; these headers are most often used to connect the
motherboard to the chassis to enable the USB 3.1 Gen2 ports on the chassis.
These will function similarly to the USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port sometimes
found on a motherboard’s rear I/O hub, but can also be used for the chassis’
front panel USB, auxiliary ports that mount in the card slots, and certain
devices that directly connect to the header. The USB 3.1 Gen2 Header on the
Z390 FTW is a shielded USB 3.1 Gen2 Header and supports up to 10Gb/s
with USB 3.1 Gen2.
This USB 3.1 Gen2 Header has a power limit of 3000ma (3A) @ 5V.
27. USB 3.1 Gen1 Header
The USB 3.1 Gen1 header is used to connect additional USB interface plugs to
the motherboard; these headers are most often used to connect the
motherboard to the chassis to enable the USB 3.1 Gen1 ports on the chassis.
These will function similarly to the USB 3.1 Gen1 ports found on the
motherboard’s rear I/O hub, but can also be used for the chassis’ front panel
USB, auxiliary ports that mount in the card slots, and certain devices that
directly connect to the header.

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USB 3.1 Gen1 standard is 900ma @ 5V for unpowered devices. If your USB
device requires more power, it is recommended to attach a powered USB Hub.
USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A (found on the I/O Hub) shares the power limit of USB
3.1 Gen1 at 900ma @ 5V.
Note: USB 3.1 Gen1 is more commonly referred to as USB 3.0.
28. Rear Panel Connectors (Figure 2)
This is the section referred to as the I/O Hub. This panel contains the
hardwired USB, Sound, and Ethernet connections. Please see Page 12 for a
component level breakdown.
* There are two numeric references for PCI-Express: one is mechanical (the actual slot-
length footprint across the motherboard), while the second is electrical (the number of
PCIe lanes available to the slot from the CPU, PCH, or both).
PCI Express was designed with a universal architecture; you can install x1 cards,
such as sound cards or USB controllers, into an x16 slot. Many types of cards
can use various numbers of PCIe lanes; similarly, some applications might only
use certain parts of a card (e.g. compute apps), requiring only a single PCIe lane
to accomplish its task without affecting performance. This is why there are x16
mechanical slots with an x1 electrical PCIe lane. Using the entire length of a
PCIe slot is unnecessary, nor does it cause an adverse effect to use a shorter
form-factor bus card in a slot that physically can hold a larger form-factor bus
card.

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Card Slots
The Z390 FTW features two x16 PCIe slots, one x4 PCIe slot, two x1 PCIe slots, one
Socket 3 Key-M M.2 110mm, one Socket 3 Key-M M.2 80mm, and one Socket 1 Key-E
M.2.