MSI X99A GAMING PRO CARBON User manual

1
Unpacking
Unpacking
Thank you for buying the MSI®X99A GAMING PRO CARBON motherboard. Check
to make sure your motherboard box contains the following items. If something is
missing, contact your dealer as soon as possible.
SATA Cable x6
SLI Bridge
Connector x2
Drivers & Utilities
Disc Motherboard User
Guide
I/O Shield
Door Hanger
Quick Guide
Motherboard
SATA Cable Labels
Case Badge
* These pictures are for reference only and may vary without notice.
** The packing contents may vary according to the country you purchased.
RGB LED Extension Cable 40cm x1
RGB LED Extension Cable 80cm x1

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
Intel®LGA 2011-3 CPU
DDR4 Memory
Graphics Card
SATA Hard Disk Drive
SATA DVD Drive
A Package of Screws
Phillips Screwdriver
Chassis
Power Supply Unit
CPU Fan Thermal Paste
Quick Start
Preparing Tools and Components

4Quick Start
Installing a Processor
1
2
3
6
4
5
789
https://youtu.be/QnwHWBx3NnE
10
11
12
13

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

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
4
5
Installing a Graphics Card
http://youtu.be/mG0GZpr9w_A
2
3

10 Quick Start
Connecting Peripheral Devices

11
Quick Start
Connecting the Power Connectors
http://youtu.be/gkDYyR_83I4
JPWR1 JPWR2

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
Overview of Components .................................................................................... 27
CPU Socket ........................................................................................................... 29
DIMM Slots............................................................................................................ 30
PCI_E1~6: PCIe Expansion Slots.......................................................................... 32
PCIe 3.0 bandwidth table...................................................................................... 32
SATA1~10: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors ..................................................................... 35
SE1_65: SATAe Connector.................................................................................... 35
M2_1: M.2 Slot (Key M)......................................................................................... 36
U2_1: U.2 Connector............................................................................................. 37
OC1: GAME BOOST Knob ..................................................................................... 40
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector........................................................................... 41
JPWR1~2: Power Connectors............................................................................... 42
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors ................................................................... 43
JUSB1~2: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors ................................................................... 43
USB5: USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C Connector............................................................... 44

14 Contents
JUSB3~4: USB 2.0 Connectors............................................................................. 45
JLED1: RGB LED connector ................................................................................. 45
CPUFAN1,SYSFAN1~3,PUMPFAN1: Fan Connectors .......................................... 46
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................ 47
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector....................................................................... 47
BIOS1: Multi-BIOS Switch .................................................................................... 48
POWER1, RESET1: Power Button, Reset Button ................................................. 49
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper........................................................... 49
JSLOW1: Slow Mode Booting Jumper.................................................................. 50
LED Status Indicators.......................................................................................... 51
LED Status Table................................................................................................... 51
Debug Code LED Table ......................................................................................... 52
BIOS Setup ........................................................................................................... 53
Entering BIOS Setup............................................................................................. 53
Resetting BIOS...................................................................................................... 54
Updating BIOS....................................................................................................... 54
EZ Mode ................................................................................................................ 55
Advanced Mode .................................................................................................... 57
SETTINGS.............................................................................................................. 58
Advanced............................................................................................................... 58
Boot....................................................................................................................... 64
Security................................................................................................................. 64
Save & Exit............................................................................................................ 65
OC.......................................................................................................................... 66
M-FLASH .............................................................................................................. 74
OC PROFILE.......................................................................................................... 75
HARDWARE MONITOR.......................................................................................... 76
Software Description........................................................................................... 77
Installing Windows®7/ 8.1/ 10.............................................................................. 77
Installing Drivers .................................................................................................. 77
Installing Utilities ................................................................................................. 77
COMMAND CENTER ............................................................................................. 78
LIVE UPDATE 6...................................................................................................... 82
GAMING APP......................................................................................................... 84
M-CLOUD.............................................................................................................. 88
RAMDISK............................................................................................................... 91
USB SPEED UP..................................................................................................... 92
GAMING LAN MANAGER ...................................................................................... 93

15
Contents
Nahimic 2.............................................................................................................. 95
XSplit Gamecaster V2 ........................................................................................... 99
Intel®Extreme Tuning Utility.............................................................................. 103
RAID Configuration............................................................................................ 104
Using Intel®Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM ......................................... 104
Degraded RAID Array ......................................................................................... 107
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................ 109
Regulatory Notices............................................................................................ 110

16 Specifications
Specifications
CPU
ySupports New Intel®Core™ i7 Processor Extreme Edition
for LGA2011-3 Socket
ySupports Intel®Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0*
* This function will be supported depend on the CPU.
Chipset Intel® X99 Chipset
Memory
y8x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 128GB*
Supports DDR4 3466(OC)/ 3400(OC)/ 3333(OC)/ 3200(OC)/
3000(OC)/ 2933(OC)/ 2800(OC)/ 2666(OC)/ 2600(OC)/
2400/ 2200(OC)/ 2133 MHz
yQuad channel memory architecture
ySupports Intel®Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
* For the latest information about memory, please visit http://www.msi.com
Expansion Slots
y4x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots*
Support x16/ x0/ x0/ x0, x16/ x16/ x0/ x0, x16/ x16/ x0/
x8, x8/ x16/ x8/ x8 with the CPU that supports 40 PCIe
lanes.
Support x16/ x0/ x0/ x0, x16/ x8/ x0/ x0, x8/ x8/ x8/ x0,
x8/ x8/ x8/ x4 with the CPU that supports 28 PCIe lanes.
y2x PCIe 2.0 x1 slots
* PCI_E6 slot shares the bandwidth with U.2 port and M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4. Please
refer to page 32 for PCIe 3.0 bandwidth table.
Multi-GPU ySupports 3-Way AMD®CrossFire™Technology
ySupports 3-Way NVIDIA®SLI™Technology
USB
yASMedia®ASM1142 Chipset
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) port on the
back panel
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 (Super Speed USB 10Gbps) Type-C port
on the back panel
yIntel®X99 Chipset
5x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports (1 internal
Type-C port on the board, 4 ports available through the
internal USB connectors)
8x USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) ports (4 ports on the
back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB
connectors)
yVIA VL805 Chipset
4x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports on the back
panel
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17
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Storage
Intel®X99 Chipset
y10x SATA 6Gb/s ports (2 ports from SATAe port)
SATA1~6 support RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10
SATA7~10 only support IDE mode and AHCI mode
y1x M.2 slot (Key M)*
Supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s
Supports 2242/ 2260/ 2280 storage devices
y1x U.2 port */ **
Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe storage
y1x SATAe port* (compatible with 2 SATA ports)
Supports up to PCIe 2.0x2
ySupports Intel®Smart Response Technology***
* M.2 slot (PCIe 3.0 x4) and U.2 share the same bandwidth. Please refer to
page 38 for U.2/ M.2/ SATAe & SATA combination table.
** The U.2 port will be unavailable when installing the PCIe device in PCI_E6
slot.
***This function will be supported depend on the CPU.
Audio
yRealtek®ALC1150 Codec
y7.1-Channel High Definition Audio
ySupports S/PDIF output
LAN 1x Intel I218-V Gigabit LAN controller
Back Panel
Connectors
y1x PS/2 keyboard/ mouse combo port
y4x USB 2.0 ports
y1x Clear CMOS button
y4x USB 3.1 Gen1 ports
y1x LAN (RJ45) port
y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 port
y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
y1x Optical S/PDIF OUT connector
y5x OFC audio jacks
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18 Specifications
Continued from previous page
Internal Connectors
y1x 24-pin ATX main power connector
y1x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
y10x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
y1x SATA Express connector
y1x M.2 slot
y1x U.2 port
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 Gen1 Type-C port
y1x 4-pin CPU fan connector
y1x 4-pin Water Pump connector
y3x 4-pin system fan connectors
y1x Front panel audio connector
y2x Front panel connectors
y1x TPM module connector
y1x Chassis Intrusion connector
y1x Clear CMOS jumper
y1x Slow mode booting jumper
y1x GAME BOOST knob
y1x Power button
y1x Reset button
y1x Multi-BIOS switch
y1x RGB LED connector
I/O Controller NUVOTON NCT6792D 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
y2x 128 Mb flash
yUEFI AMI BIOS
yACPI 5.0, PnP 1.0a, SM BIOS 2.8
yMulti-language
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19
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Software
yDrivers
yCOMMAND CENTER
yLIVE UPDATE 6
yFAST BOOT
ySUPER CHARGER
yGAMING APP
ySMART UTILITIES
yM-CLOUD
yRAMDISK
yGAMING LAN MANAGER
yUSB SPEED UP
yNahimic 2
yXSplit Gamecaster V2
yIntel®Extreme Tuning Utility
yNorton™Internet Security Solution
yGoogle Chrome™,Google Toolbar, Google Drive
ySteelSeries Engine 3
yCPU-Z
Performance
GAMING Features
yWTFast GPN
2-Month Premium License
Multi-Server Network Optimization
Advanced Lag Spike & Disconnect Reduction
yGAMING CERTIFIED
yOpen Broadcaster Software
Encoding using H264 (x264) and AAC.
Support for Intel Quick Sync Video (QSV) and NVENC.
Unlimited number of scenes and sources.
Live RTMP streaming to Twitch, YouTube,
DailyMotion,Hitbox and more.
yMYSTIC LIGHT
16.8 Million Colors
17 LED Effects
1x Extend Header for 1 additional RGB Strip
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20 Specifications
Continued from previous page
Performance
GAMING Features
yAUDIO BOOST 3
Isolated Audio PCB
EMI Shielding
High Quality Audio Capacitors
Golden Audio Connectors
yGAME BOOST
Easy Overclocking
7 Gear Clock Change
yGAMING LAN
Intel®Gigabit Ethernet
GAMING Network Manager power by cFos
Electric Wave Surge
yGAMING APP
System Mode Switching: OC/Gaming/Silent
Gaming Hotkey
Gaming Mouse Control
Gaming LED Control
yOptimized Thermal Design
Heat-pipe Direct Touch Technology
Enhanced Choke Thermal Design
yNahimic 2
Sound Tracker
HD Audio Recorder 2
Expert Mode
Sound Effect Equalizer
Microphone Noise Reduction
yXSplit
XSplit GAMECASTER V2
XSplit BROADCASTER V2
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