MSI MEG Z390 ACE User manual

1
Quick Start
DDR4 Memory
Graphics Card
SATA Hard Disk Drive SATA DVD Drive
Phillips Screwdriver
Chassis
Power Supply Unit
A Package of Screws
Thermal Paste
Quick Start
Thank you for purchasing the MSI®MEG Z390 ACE motherboard. This Quick Start
section provides demonstration diagrams about how to install your computer. Some
of the installations also provide video demonstrations. Please link to the URL to watch
it with the web browser on your phone or tablet. You may have even link to the URL by
scanning the QR code.
Preparing Tools and Components
Intel®LGA 1151 CPU
CPU Fan

2Quick Start
https://youtu.be/4ce91YC3Oww
Installing a Processor
1
2
3
6
45
7
8
9

3
Quick Start
Installing DDR4 memory
http://youtu.be/T03aDrJPyQs
DIMMB2 DIMMB2
DIMMB1
DIMMA2 DIMMA2 DIMMA2
DIMMA1
1
1
2
2
3
3

4Quick Start
Connecting the Front Panel Header
http://youtu.be/DPELIdVNZUI
RESET SW
POWER SW
POWER LED+
POWER LED-
HDD LED
HDD LED
RESET SW
JFP1
HDD LED HDD LED -
HDD LED +
POWER LED -
POWER LED +
POWER LED
1
2 10
9
+
+
+- -- -
+
Power LED
HDD LED Reset Switch
Reserved
Power Switch
JFP1
1 HDD LED + 2 Power LED +
3 HDD LED - 4 Power LED -
5 Reset Switch 6 Power Switch
7 Reset Switch 8 Power Switch
9 Reserved 10 No Pin

5
Quick Start
Installing the Motherboard
BAT1
2
1

6Quick Start
Installing SATA Drives
http://youtu.be/RZsMpqxythc
1
23
4
5

7
Quick Start
1
Installing a Graphics Card
http://youtu.be/mG0GZpr9w_A
2
3
4
5
6

8Quick Start
Connecting Peripheral Devices

9
Quick Start
Connecting the Power Connectors
http://youtu.be/gkDYyR_83I4
ATX_PWR1 CPU_PWR1
CPU_PWR2

10 Quick Start
Power On
1
4
2
3

11
Contents
Contents
Quick Start ............................................................................................................. 1
Preparing Tools and Components.......................................................................... 1
Installing a Processor............................................................................................. 2
Installing DDR4 memory ........................................................................................ 3
Connecting the Front Panel Header....................................................................... 4
Installing the Motherboard..................................................................................... 5
Installing SATA Drives............................................................................................. 6
Installing a Graphics Card...................................................................................... 7
Connecting Peripheral Devices .............................................................................. 8
Connecting the Power Connectors......................................................................... 9
Power On............................................................................................................... 10
Specifications....................................................................................................... 14
JCORSAIR1 Connector Specification.................................................................... 19
Package contents ................................................................................................ 20
Block Diagram .................................................................................................... 21
Rear I/O Panel ..................................................................................................... 22
LAN Port LED Status Table................................................................................... 22
Audio Ports Configuration.................................................................................... 22
Realtek Audio Console ......................................................................................... 23
Installing Antennas............................................................................................... 25
Overview of Components .................................................................................... 26
CPU Socket ........................................................................................................... 28
DIMM Slots............................................................................................................ 29
PCI_E1~6: PCIe Expansion Slots.......................................................................... 30
M2_1~3: M.2 Slots (Key M) ................................................................................... 32
SATA1~6: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors ....................................................................... 34
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors................................................................... 35
OC1: GAME BOOST Knob ..................................................................................... 35
OC_RT1: OC Retry Jumper................................................................................... 37
OC_FS1: OC Force Enter BIOS Jumper............................................................... 37
JSLOW1: Slow Mode Booting Jumper.................................................................. 37
JLN1: Low Temperature Booting Jumper............................................................ 37
CPU_PWR1~2, ATX_PWR1: Power Connectors ................................................... 38
V-Check Points ..................................................................................................... 38
JUSB1, JUSB3: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors........................................................... 39
JUSB2, JUSB6: USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C Connectors .............................................. 40
JUSB4~5: USB 2.0 Connectors............................................................................. 40

12 Contents
CPU_FAN1, PUMP_FAN1, SYS_FAN1~5: Fan Connectors................................... 41
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................ 42
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector....................................................................... 42
POWER1, RESET1: Power Button, Reset Button ................................................. 43
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper........................................................... 43
JRGB1, JRGB2, JRAINBOW1: RGB LED connectors............................................ 44
JCORSAIR1: CORSAIR Connector ........................................................................ 45
Onboard LEDs ...................................................................................................... 46
EZ Debug LED....................................................................................................... 46
DIMM LEDs ........................................................................................................... 46
XMP LED ............................................................................................................... 46
JPWRLED1: LED power input............................................................................... 46
Fan LEDs............................................................................................................... 47
GAME BOOST LEDs .............................................................................................. 47
Debug Code LED .................................................................................................. 48
Hexadecimal Character Table .............................................................................. 48
Boot Phases.......................................................................................................... 48
Debug Code LED Table ......................................................................................... 48
ACPI States Codes................................................................................................ 52
CPU Temperature ................................................................................................. 52
Installing OS, Drivers & Utilities ......................................................................... 53
Installing Windows®10......................................................................................... 53
Installing Drivers .................................................................................................. 53
Installing Utilities ................................................................................................. 53
MYSTIC LIGHT...................................................................................................... 54
Device LED effect control screen ......................................................................... 54
Nahimic 3 ............................................................................................................. 57
BIOS Setup ........................................................................................................... 60
Entering BIOS Setup............................................................................................. 60
Resetting BIOS...................................................................................................... 61
Updating BIOS....................................................................................................... 61
EZ Mode ................................................................................................................ 63
Advanced Mode .................................................................................................... 65
SETTINGS.............................................................................................................. 66
Advanced............................................................................................................... 66
Boot....................................................................................................................... 71
Security................................................................................................................. 72
Save & Exit............................................................................................................ 73
OC.......................................................................................................................... 74

13
Contents
M-FLASH .............................................................................................................. 80
OC PROFILE.......................................................................................................... 81
HARDWARE MONITOR.......................................................................................... 82
RAID Configuration.............................................................................................. 83
Enabling Intel®Rapid Storage Technology........................................................... 83
Creating RAID Volume ......................................................................................... 84
Removing a RAID Volume .................................................................................... 85
Resetting Disks to Non-RAID............................................................................... 86
Rebuilding RAID Array.......................................................................................... 87
Installing RAID Driver........................................................................................... 88
Installing Intel®Rapid Storage Technology Software .......................................... 88
Intel®Optane™ Memory Configuration .............................................................. 89
System Requirements ......................................................................................... 89
Installing the Intel®Optane™ memory ................................................................ 89
Removing the Intel®Optane™ memory ............................................................... 91
Troubleshooting .................................................................................................. 92
Regulatory Notices.............................................................................................. 93

14 Specifications
Specifications
CPU
Supports Intel®Core™ 9000 Series family/ 8th Gen Intel®
Core™ / Pentium®Gold / Celeron®processors for LGA 1151
socket
* Please go to www.intel.com for more compatibility information.
Chipset Intel®Z390 Chipset
Memory
y4x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 64GB*
ySupports DDR4 4500(OC)/ 4400(OC)/ 4300(OC)/ 4266(OC)/
4200(OC)/ 4133(OC)/ 4000(OC)/ 3866(OC)/ 3733(OC)/
3600(OC)/ 3466(OC)/ 3400(OC)/ 3333(OC)/ 3300(OC)/
3200(OC)/ 3000(OC) /2800(OC)/ 2666/ 2400/ 2133 MHz*
ySupports Dual-Channel mode
ySupports non-ECC, un-buffered memory
ySupports Intel®Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
* Please refer www.msi.com for more information on compatible memory.
Expansion Slot
y3x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots,
Support x16/ x0/ x0, x8/ x8/ x0, x8/ x4/ x4 modes
y3x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots
Multi-GPU ySupports 2-Way NVIDIA®SLI™Technology
ySupports 3-Way AMD®CrossFire™Technology
Storage
Intel®Z390 Chipset
y6x SATA 6Gb/s ports*
y3x M.2 slots (Key M)*
M2_1 supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s, 2242/
2260/ 2280/ 22110 storage devices
M2_2 supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s, 2242/
2260/ 2280 storage devices
M2_3 supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4, 2242/ 2260/ 2280
storage devices
Intel®Optane™ Memory Ready**
* M.2 slots and SATA ports share the bandwidth. Please refer to page 34 for
details.
** Before using Intel®Optane™ memory modules, please ensure that you have
updated the drivers and BIOS to the latest version from MSI website.
Continued on next page

15
Specifications
Continued from previous page
RAID
Intel®Z390 Chipset
ySupports RAID 0, RAID1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA
storage devices
ySupports RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID5 for M.2 PCIe storage
devices
LAN y1x Killer®E2500 Gigabit LAN controller
Wirsless LAN &
Bluetooth®
Intel® Wireless-AC 9560
ySupport 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MU-MIMO Rx, 2.4GHz/ 5GHz
(160MHz) up to 1.73Gbps
ySupports Bluetooth®2.1, 2.1+EDR, 3.0,4.0, 5
USB
yIntel®Z390 Chipset
6x USB 3.1 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) ports
(4 Type-A ports on the back panel, 2 Type-C internal
connectors)
8x USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) ports (4 Type-A ports on
the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal
USB 2.0 connectors)
yASMedia®ASM1042 Chipset
4x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports available
through the internal USB connectors
yASMedia®ASM3142 Chipset
2x USB 3.1 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) ports (1x
Type-A, 1x Type-C) on the back panel
Audio
yRealtek®ALC1220 Codec
7.1-Channel High Definition Audio
Supports S/PDIF output
Continued on next page

16 Specifications
Continued from previous page
Back Panel
Connectors
y1x Clear CMOS button
y1x Flash BIOS Button
y4x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
y1x LAN (RJ45) port
y5x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A ports
y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
y2x Wi-Fi Antenna connectors
y5x OFC audio jacks
y1x Optical S/PDIF OUT connector
Internal Connectors
y1x 24-pin ATX main power connector
y2x 8-pin ATX 12V power connectors
y6x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
y3x M.2 slots
y2x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C ports
y2x USB 3.1 Gen1 connectors (supports additional 4 USB 3.1
Gen1 ports)
y2x USB 2.0 connectors (supports additional 4 USB 2.0
ports)
y1x 4-pin CPU fan connector
y1x 4-pin Water Pump connector
y5x 4-pin system fan connectors
y1x Front panel audio connector
y2x System panel connectors
y1x Chassis Intrusion connector
y2x 4-pin RGB LED connectors
y1x 3-pin RAINBOW LED connector
y1x 3-pin CORSAIR LED connector
Internal Buttons
y1x GAME BOOST knob
y1x Power button
y1x Reset button
Continued on next page

17
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Jumper
y1x Clear CMOS jumper
y1x Slow mode jumper
y1x OC retry jumper
y1x OC force enter BIOS jumper
y1x Low Temperature Booting Jumper
Debug LED y1x 2-Digit Debug Code LED
y4x EZ Debug LED
I/O Controller NUVOTON NCT6797 Controller Chip
Hardware Monitor
yCPU/System temperature detection
yCPU/System fan speed detection
yCPU/System fan speed control
Form Factor yATX Form Factor
y12 in. x 9.6 in. (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm)
BIOS Features
y1x 128 Mb flash
yUEFI AMI BIOS
yACPI 6.1, SMBIOS 2.8
yMulti-language
Software
yDrivers
yDRAGON CENTER
yNahimic Audio
yMYSTIC LIGHT
yKiller Control Center
yCPU-Z MSI GAMING
yIntel®Extreme Tuning Utility
yGoogle Chrome™ ,Google Toolbar, Google Drive
yNorton™ Internet Security Solution
Continued on next page

18 Specifications
Continued from previous page
Dragon Center
Features
yGAME OPTIMIZATION
yOC Performance
yHardware Monitor
yEyerest
yLAN Manager
yLive Update
Please refer to http://download.msi.
com/manual/mb/DRAGONCENTER2.
pdf for more details.
Special Features
yAudio
Audio Boost HD
Nahimic 3
Voice Boost
yNetwork
GAMING LAN with Killer LAN Manager
Intel WiFi
yStorage
Triple Turbo M.2
yFan
Pump Fan
GAMING Fan Control
yLED
Mystic Light
Mystic Light Extension (RGB)
Mystic Light Extension (RAINBOW)
Mystic Light Extension (CORSAIR)
Mystic Light Sync
EZ DEBUG LED
yProtection
DDR4 Steel Armor
M.2 Shield Frozr
PCI-E Steel Armor
Pre-installed IO shielding
Continued on next page

19
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Special Features
yPerformance
Multi GPU-SLI Technology
Multi GPU-CrossFire Technology
DDR4 Boost
Core Boost
GAME Boost (8 modes)
OC Engine (Clock gen)
Lightning USB
Intel Turbo USB 3.1 Gen 2
USB with type A+C
yVR
VR Ready
yGamer Experience
GAMING HOTKEY
GAMING MOUSE Control
APP Player
yBIOS
Click BIOS 5
JCORSAIR1 Connector Specification
Supporting CORSAIR RGB Products Maximum connection
Lighting PRO RGB LED Strip
20*
* 20% brightness is recommended when the number of
LED strips exceeds 8.
HD RGB Fan 6
SP RGB Fan 6
LL RGB Fan 6

20 Package contents
Package contents
Please check the contents of your motherboard package. It should contain:
Motherboard MEG Z390 ACE
Cable
SATA 6Gb/s Cables 4
LED Y Cable 1
LED JCORSAIR Cable 1
LED JRAINBOW Cable 1
Accessories
Antenna Set 1
SLI HB BRIDGE M 1
M.2 Screw 3
Case Badge 1
SATA Cable Lables 1
Product Registration Card 1
Application DVD Driver DVD 1
Documentation User Manual 1
Quick Installation Guide 1
Important
If any of the above items are damaged or missing, please contact your retailer.