MSI X299 XPOWER GAMING AC User manual

1
Unpacking
Unpacking
Thank you for buying the MSI®X299 XPOWER GAMING AC motherboard. Check
to make sure your motherboard box contains the following items. If something is
missing, contact your dealer as soon as possible.
1 to 2 RGB LED Extension
Y Cable 80cm x1
SATA Cable x6
SLI Bridge
Connector
Thermistor
Cable
Drivers & Utilities
Disc Motherboard User
Guide
I/O Shield
M.2 Xpander-Z
Motherboard
SATA Cable Labels Antenna x2
Case Badge
Quick Guide
3D X-MOUNTING
Screw Pillars

2Safety Information
Safety Information
yThe components included in this package are prone to damage from electrostatic
discharge (ESD). Please adhere to the following instructions to ensure successful
computer assembly.
yEnsure that all components are securely connected. Loose connections may cause
the computer to not recognize a component or fail to start.
yHold the motherboard by the edges to avoid touching sensitive components.
yIt is recommended to wear an electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap when
handling the motherboard to prevent electrostatic damage. If an ESD wrist strap is
not available, discharge yourself of static electricity by touching another metal object
before handling the motherboard.
yStore the motherboard in an electrostatic shielding container or on an anti-static pad
whenever the motherboard is not installed.
yBefore turning on the computer, ensure that there are no loose screws or metal
components on the motherboard or anywhere within the computer case.
yDo not boot the computer before installation is completed. This could cause
permanent damage to the components as well as injury to the user.
yIf you need help during any installation step, please consult a certified computer
technician.
yAlways turn off the power supply and unplug the power cord from the power outlet
before installing or removing any computer component.
yKeep this user guide for future reference.
yKeep this motherboard away from humidity.
yMake sure that your electrical outlet provides the same voltage as is indicated on the
PSU, before connecting the PSU to the electrical outlet.
yPlace the power cord such a way that people can not step on it. Do not place anything
over the power cord.
yAll cautions and warnings on the motherboard should be noted.
yIf any of the following situations arises, get the motherboard checked by service
personnel:
Liquid has penetrated into the computer.
The motherboard has been exposed to moisture.
The motherboard does not work well or you can not get it work according to user
guide.
The motherboard has been dropped and damaged.
The motherboard has obvious sign of breakage.
yDo not leave this motherboard in an environment above 60°C (140°F), it may damage
the motherboard.

3
Quick Start
DDR4 Memory
Graphics Card
SATA Hard Disk Drive
SATA DVD Drive
A Package of Screws
Phillips Screwdriver
Chassis
Power Supply Unit
Thermal Paste
Quick Start
Preparing Tools and Components
Intel®LGA 2066 CPU
CPU Fan

4Quick Start
Installing a Processor
1
2
3
6
4
5
789
10
11
12
13
https://youtu.be/ecdkLMmkya4

5
Quick Start
Installing DDR4 memory
http://youtu.be/T03aDrJPyQs
1
2
2
3
DIMMC1

6Quick Start
Connecting the Front Panel Header
http://youtu.be/DPELIdVNZUI
1
2 10
9
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
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

7
Quick Start
Installing the Motherboard
1
2

8Quick Start
Installing SATA Drives
http://youtu.be/RZsMpqxythc
1
23
4
5

9
Quick Start
1
Installing a Graphics Card
http://youtu.be/mG0GZpr9w_A
2
3
4
5
6

10 Quick Start
Connecting Peripheral Devices

11
Quick Start
Connecting the Power Connectors
http://youtu.be/gkDYyR_83I4
ATX_PWR1
JPWR1
CPU_PWR1
CPU_PWR2

12 Quick Start
Power On
1
4
2
3

13
Contents
Contents
Unpacking .............................................................................................................. 1
Safety Information................................................................................................. 2
Quick Start ............................................................................................................. 3
Preparing Tools and Components.......................................................................... 3
Installing a Processor............................................................................................. 4
Installing DDR4 memory ........................................................................................ 5
Connecting the Front Panel Header....................................................................... 6
Installing the Motherboard..................................................................................... 7
Installing SATA Drives............................................................................................. 8
Installing a Graphics Card ...................................................................................... 9
Connecting Peripheral Devices............................................................................ 10
Connecting the Power Connectors....................................................................... 11
Power On............................................................................................................... 12
Specifications....................................................................................................... 16
Block Diagram .................................................................................................... 23
Rear I/O Panel ..................................................................................................... 24
LAN Port LED Status Table................................................................................... 24
Audio Ports Configuration.................................................................................... 24
Realtek HD Audio Manager .................................................................................. 25
Installing Antennas............................................................................................... 27
Overview of Components .................................................................................... 28
CPU Socket ........................................................................................................... 30
DIMM Slots............................................................................................................ 31
PCI_E1~6: PCIe Expansion Slots.......................................................................... 34
PCIe and M2_3 slots bandwidth table .................................................................. 34
U2_1: U.2 Connector............................................................................................. 37
M2_1~3: M.2 Slots (Key M) ................................................................................... 38
Installing the M.2 Xpander-Z ............................................................................... 40
SATA1~10: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors ..................................................................... 41
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors ................................................................... 42
OC1: GAME BOOST Knob ..................................................................................... 43
OC_RT1: OC Retry Jumper................................................................................... 44
OC_FS1: OC Force Enter BIOS Jumper................................................................ 44
JSLOW1: Slow Mode Booting Jumper.................................................................. 44
CPU_PWR1~2, ATX_PWR1, JPWR1: Power Connectors...................................... 45
JUSB1~2: USB 2.0 Connectors............................................................................. 46
JUSB3~4: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors ................................................................... 46

14 Contents
JUSB5: USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C Connector............................................................. 47
CPU_FAN1, PUMP_FAN1, SYS_FAN1~4, EXS_FAN1~4: Fan Connectors............ 48
T_SEN1: Thermal Sensor Connector................................................................... 48
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................ 49
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector....................................................................... 49
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector........................................................................... 50
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper........................................................... 50
BIOS_SW1: Multi-BIOS Switch............................................................................. 51
POWER1, RESET1: Power Button, Reset Button ................................................. 52
Plus, Minus buttons: BCLK-Ratio buttons........................................................... 52
VRAID1: Virtual RAID on CPU Connector............................................................. 53
JLED1: RGB LED connector ................................................................................. 53
Onboard LEDs ...................................................................................................... 54
EZ Debug LED....................................................................................................... 54
PCIe x16 slot LEDs................................................................................................ 54
DIMM LEDs ........................................................................................................... 54
XMP LED ............................................................................................................... 54
Fan LEDs............................................................................................................... 55
Fan Speed Indicators............................................................................................ 55
Multi-BIOS LEDs................................................................................................... 55
JPWRLED1: LED light demonstration power input connector............................ 55
Debug Code LED................................................................................................... 56
Hexadecimal Character Table .............................................................................. 56
Boot Phases.......................................................................................................... 56
Debug Code LED Table ......................................................................................... 56
ACPI States Codes................................................................................................ 58
CPU Temperature ................................................................................................. 58
Updating LED Firmware....................................................................................... 59
BIOS Setup ........................................................................................................... 60
Entering BIOS Setup............................................................................................. 60
Resetting BIOS...................................................................................................... 61
Updating BIOS....................................................................................................... 61
EZ Mode ................................................................................................................ 63
Advanced Mode .................................................................................................... 65
SETTINGS.............................................................................................................. 66
Advanced............................................................................................................... 66
Boot....................................................................................................................... 72
Security................................................................................................................. 73
Save & Exit............................................................................................................ 74
OC.......................................................................................................................... 75

15
Contents
M-FLASH .............................................................................................................. 82
OC PROFILE.......................................................................................................... 83
Software Description........................................................................................... 84
Installing Windows®10......................................................................................... 84
Installing Drivers .................................................................................................. 84
Installing Utilities ................................................................................................. 84
APP MANAGER ..................................................................................................... 85
LIVE UPDATE 6...................................................................................................... 86
COMMAND CENTER ............................................................................................. 88
GAMING APP......................................................................................................... 92
X-BOOST ............................................................................................................... 97
MYSTICLIGHT........................................................................................................ 99
MSI SMART TOOL ............................................................................................... 101
RAMDISK............................................................................................................. 103
GAMING LAN MANAGER .................................................................................... 104
DRAGON EYE ...................................................................................................... 106
Nahimic 2............................................................................................................ 107
XSplit Gamecaster V2 ......................................................................................... 111
SteelSeries Engine 3 .......................................................................................... 115
Intel®Extreme Tuning Utility.............................................................................. 117
CPU-Z.................................................................................................................. 118
TriDef VR ............................................................................................................. 119
TriDef SmartCam................................................................................................ 122
RAID Configuration............................................................................................ 123
Using Intel®Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM ......................................... 123
Degraded RAID Array ......................................................................................... 126
M.2 PCIe SSD RAID............................................................................................. 128
Intel®Optane™ Memory Configuration ............................................................ 131
System Requirements ....................................................................................... 131
Installing the Intel®Optane™ memory .............................................................. 131
Removing the Intel®Optane™ memory ............................................................. 133
Troubleshooting.................................................................................................. 134
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................ 135

16 Specifications
Specifications
CPU Supports Intel®Core™ X-Series Processor Family for
LGA2066 Socket
Chipset Intel® X299 Chipset
Memory
y8x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 128GB*
yQuad channel memory architecture with the CPU that
supports up to 4-channels DDR4**
X-series processor support DDR4 4133(OC)/ 4000(OC)/
3866(OC)/ 3800(OC)/ 3733(OC)/ 3600(OC)/ 3466(OC)/
3400(OC)/ 3333(OC)/ 3200(OC)/ 3000(OC)/ 2933(OC)/
2800(OC)/ 2667/ 2400/ 2133 MHz*
yDual channel memory architecture with the CPU that
supports up to 2-channels DDR4**
X-series processor support DDR4 4500(OC)/ 4400(OC)/
4333(OC)/ 4266(OC)/ 4200(OC)/ 4133(OC)/ 4000(OC)/
3866(OC)/ 3800(OC)/ 3733(OC)/ 3600(OC)/ 3466(OC)/
3400(OC)/ 3333(OC)/ 3200(OC)/ 3000(OC)/ 2933(OC)/
2800(OC)/ 2667/ 2400/ 2133 MHz*
ySupports Intel®Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
* For the latest information about memory, please visit http://www.msi.com
** Please refer the DIMM Slots section for more details.
Expansion Slots
y4x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots
Support x16/x0/x16/x8, x8/x8/x16/x8 mode with the
44-lane CPU.*
Support x16/x0/x8/x4, x8/x8/x8/x4 mode with the 28-
lane CPU.*
Support x8/x0/x4/x4 mode with the 16-lane CPU.*
y1x PCIe 3.0 x1 slot
* Please refer to page 34 for PCIe 3.0 bandwidth table.
Multi-GPU ySupports NVIDIA®SLI™Technology
ySupports AMD®CrossFire™Technology
LAN y1x Intel I219-V Gigabit LAN controller
y1x Intel I211 Gigabit LAN controller
Wirsless LAN &
Bluetooth®
Intel®Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 module
yThe Wireless module is pre-install in the M2_3 (Key-E) slot.
ySupports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual band (2.4GHz,
5GHz) up to 867 Mbps speed.
ySupports Dual Mode Bluetooth®2.1, 2.1+EDR, 3.0, 4.0,
BLE, 4.2
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17
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Storage
Intel®X299 Chipset
y10x SATA 6Gb/s ports*
y3x M.2 slots (Key M)*
M2_1, M2_2 slots support 2242/ 2260 /2280/ 22110
storage devices
Supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s
M2_3 slot supports 2242/ 2260 /2280 storage devices
Supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4
Intel®Optane™ Memory Ready for M2_1, M2_2 slots **
y1x U.2 port *
Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe storage
ySupports Intel®Smart Response Technology***
* M.2 slots and SATA ports share the same bandwidth. Please refer to page 41
for M.2 & SATA combination table.
** Please refer to page 129 for Intel®Optane™ Memory Configuration.
***The functions will be supported depend on the CPU.
RAID
Intel®X299 Chipset
ySupports RAID 0, RAID1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA
storage devices
ySupports RAID 0 and RAID1 for M.2 PCIe storage devices*
* M.2 PCIe RAID volume can be created with M.2 GENIE.
USB
yASMedia®ASM3142 Chipset
3x USB 3.1 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) ports
(1 Type-A port and 1 Type-C port on the back panel,
1 Type-C port available through the internal USB
connector)
yASMedia®ASM1074 Chipset
6x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports on the back
panel
yIntel®X299 Chipset
4x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports available
through the internal USB connectors
6x USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) ports (2 Type-A ports on
the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal
USB connectors)
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18 Specifications
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Back Panel
Connectors
y1x Clear CMOS button
y1x BIOS FLSAHBACK+ button
y1x PS/2 keyboard/ mouse combo port
y2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
1x BIOS FLASHBACK+ port
y6x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports
y2x LAN (RJ45) ports
y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A port
y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
y2x WiFi antenna connectors
y5x OFC audio jacks
y1x Optical S/PDIF OUT connector
Internal Connectors
y1x 24-pin ATX main power connector
y1x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
y1x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector
y1x flat 4-pin ATX 12V power connector*
y10x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
y2x USB 2.0 connectors (supports additional 4 USB 2.0
ports)
y2x USB 3.1 Gen1 connectors (supports additional 4 USB 3.1
Gen1 ports)
y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
y1x 4-pin CPU fan connector
y1x 4-pin Water Pump connector
y4x 4-pin system fan connectors
y4x 4-pin extend fan connectors
y2x Front panel connectors
y1x Front panel audio connector
y1x RGB LED connector
y1x TPM module connector
y1x Virtual RAID on CPU connector
y1x 2-pin Thermal Sensors connector
* Provides additional power to PCIe x16 slots
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19
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Internal Buttons
y1x GAME BOOST knob
y1x Power button
y1x Reset button
y1x BCLK+/ Ratio+ button
y1x BCLK-/ Ratio- button
Switches y1x Multi-BIOS switch
Jumper
y1x Clear CMOS jumper
y1x OC retry connector
y1x OC force enter BIOS connector
y1x Chassis Intrusion connector
y1x Slow mode connector
Debug LED y1x 2-Digit Debug Code LED
Audio
yRealtek®ALC1220 Codec
y7.1-Channel High Definition Audio
ySupports S/PDIF output
I/O Controller NUVOTON NCT6795 Controller Chip
Hardware Monitor
yCPU/System temperature detection
yCPU/System fan speed detection
yCPU/System fan speed control
Form Factor yEATX Form Factor
y12 in. x 10.7 in. (30.5 cm x 27.2 cm)
BIOS Features
y2x 128 Mb flash
yUEFI AMI BIOS
yACPI 6.0, SM BIOS 3.0
yMulti-language
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20 Specifications
Continued from previous page
Software
yDrivers
yAPP MANAGER
yCOMMAND CENTER
yLIVE UPDATE 6
ySMART TOOL
yDRAGON EYE
yGAMING APP
yX-BOOST
yMYSTIC LIGHT
yRAMDISK
yGAMING LAN MANAGER
yDPC LATENCY TUNER
yFAST BOOST
ySUPER CHARGER
yNahimic Audio
yXSplit Gamecaster V2
ySteelSeriesEngine 3
yWTFast
yCPU-Z MSI GAMING
yIntel Extreme Tuning Utility
yNorton™ Internet Security Solution
yGoogle Chrome™ ,Google Toolbar, Google Drive
yTriDef® VR
yTriDef® SmartCam
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