MSI X99A WORKSTATION User manual

1
Unpacking
Unpacking
Thank you for buying the MSI®X99A WORKSTATION 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 x8
SLI Bridge
Connector x3
Drivers & Utilities
Disc Motherboard User
Guide
I/O Shield
Motherboard
* 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 x1 SATA Cable Labels

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
10
11
12
13

5
Quick Start
Installing DDR4 memory
1
2
2
3

6Quick Start
Connecting the Front Panel Header
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
BAT1

8Quick Start
Installing SATA Drives
1
23
4
5

9
Quick Start
1
4
5
Installing a Graphics Card
2
3

10 Quick Start
Connecting Peripheral Devices

11
Quick Start
Connecting the Power Connectors
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....................................................................................................... 15
Rear I/O Panel ..................................................................................................... 21
LAN Port LED Status Table................................................................................... 21
Audio Ports Configuration.................................................................................... 21
Realtek HD Audio Manager .................................................................................. 22
Overview of Components .................................................................................... 24
Component Contents............................................................................................ 25
CPU Socket ........................................................................................................... 26
DIMM Slots............................................................................................................ 27
PCI_E1~5: PCIe Expansion Slots.......................................................................... 29
PCIe x16 slots bandwidth table ............................................................................ 29
SATA1~10: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors ..................................................................... 32
SE1_65: SATAe Connector.................................................................................... 32
M2_1: M.2 Slot (Key M) ......................................................................................... 33
U2_1: U.2 Connector............................................................................................. 34
JPWR1~2: Power Connectors............................................................................... 37
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors ................................................................... 38
JUSB1~2: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors ................................................................... 38
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector........................................................................... 39
JUSB3~4: USB 2.0 Connectors............................................................................. 40
JLED1: RGB LED connector ................................................................................. 40
CPUFAN1,SYSFAN1~3,PUMPFAN1: Fan Connectors .......................................... 41
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................ 42
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector....................................................................... 42

14 Contents
BIOS1: Multi-BIOS Switch .................................................................................... 43
POWER1, RESET1: Power Button, Reset Button ................................................. 44
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper........................................................... 44
JSLOW1: Slow Mode Booting Jumper.................................................................. 45
LED Status Indicators.......................................................................................... 46
LED Status Table................................................................................................... 46
Debug Code LED................................................................................................... 47
BIOS Setup ........................................................................................................... 50
Entering BIOS Setup............................................................................................. 50
Resetting BIOS...................................................................................................... 51
Updating BIOS....................................................................................................... 51
EZ Mode ................................................................................................................ 52
Advanced Mode .................................................................................................... 54
SETTINGS.............................................................................................................. 55
Advanced............................................................................................................... 55
Boot....................................................................................................................... 61
Security................................................................................................................. 61
Save & Exit............................................................................................................ 62
OC.......................................................................................................................... 63
M-FLASH .............................................................................................................. 72
OC PROFILE.......................................................................................................... 73
HARDWARE MONITOR.......................................................................................... 74
Software Description........................................................................................... 75
Installing Windows®7/ 8.1/ 10.............................................................................. 75
Installing Drivers .................................................................................................. 75
Installing Utilities ................................................................................................. 75
COMMAND CENTER ............................................................................................. 76
LIVE UPDATE 6...................................................................................................... 80
SHORTCUT MANAGER.......................................................................................... 82
MYSTIC LIGHT....................................................................................................... 84
M-CLOUD.............................................................................................................. 85
RAMDISK............................................................................................................... 88
USB SPEED UP..................................................................................................... 89
Intel®Extreme Tuning Utility................................................................................ 90
RAID Configuration.............................................................................................. 91
Using Intel®Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM ........................................... 91
Degraded RAID Array ........................................................................................... 94
Troubleshooting .................................................................................................. 96
Regulatory Notices.............................................................................................. 97

15
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 3333(OC)/ 3200(OC)/ 3000(OC)/ 2933(OC)/
2800(OC)/ 2666(OC)/ 2600(OC)/ 2400/ 2200(OC)/ 2133
MHz
yQuad channel memory architecture
ySupports ECC/ non-ECC un-buffered memory
ySupports DDR4 ECC RDIMM Memory
ySupports Intel®Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
Expansion Slots
y3x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots
Support x16, x16/x16, x8/x16/x8*
Support x16, x16/x8, x8/x8/x8**
y2x PCIe 2.0 x1 slots
* For the CPU with 40 PCIe lanes support.
** For the CPU with 28 PCIe lanes support.
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
yASMedia®ASM1074 Chipset
4x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports on the back
panel
yIntel®X99 Chipset
4x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports available
through the internal USB 3.1 connectors
8x USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) ports (4 ports on the back
panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB 2.0
connectors)
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16 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)
For 40-lanes CPU, it supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA
6Gb/s
For 28-lanes CPU, it supports up to PCIe 2.0 x2 and SATA
6Gb/s
Supports 2242/ 2260/ 2280/ 22110 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***
* For the motherboard with 40-lanes CPU, SATAe port (include SATA5~6) will
be unavailable when installing M.2 SATA SSD module in M.2 slot.
** For the motherboard with 28-lanes CPU, SATAe port (include SATA5~6) will
be unavailable when installing M.2 SATA/ PCIe SSD module in M.2 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®I218LM Gigabit LAN controller
1x Intel®I210AT Gigabit LAN controller
ySupports Intel LAN Teaming Technology
Back Panel
Connectors
y1x PS/2 keyboard/ mouse combo port
y4x USB 2.0 ports
y1x Clear CMOS button
y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 port
y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
y4x USB 3.1 Gen1 ports
y2x LAN (RJ45) ports
y1x Optical S/PDIF OUT connector
y5x OFC audio jacks
Continued on next page

17
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 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 Power button
y1x Reset button
y1x Multi-BIOS switch
y1x RGB LED connector
y1x Slow mode booting jumper
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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18 Specifications
Continued from previous page
Software
yDrivers
yCOMMAND CENTER
yLIVE UPDATE 6
yFAST BOOT
ySUPER CHARGER
ySHORTCUT MANAGER
yMYSTIC LIGHT
yM-CLOUD
yRAMDISK
yUSB SPEED UP
ySMART UTILITIES
yIntel®Extreme Tuning Utility
yNorton™Internet Security Solution
yGoogle Chrome™,Google Toolbar, Google Drive
yCPU-Z MSI GAMING
Specification
Highlights
yDDR4 BOOST Support
Quad-Channel DDR4 Memory Support
Isolated DDR4 Circuit Design
DDR4 XMP Ready
Steel Armor Ready
yPCI Express 3.0 Support
3-Way Nvidia SLITM Support
3-Way AMD CrossFireTM Support
yMulti-GPU with Steel Armor
yUSB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A/ Type-C Ready
yTurbo M.2 Ready
PCIe 3.0 x4 (32 Gb/s) Support
PCIe/ SATA Dual Mode Support
Steel Armor Ready
yU.2 Ready
yNVMe / AHCI Driver Support
y2-Digit Debug Code LED
yEZ Debug LED
yRGB LED pin header
Continued on next page

19
Specifications
Continued from previous page
MSI Exclusive
Features
yCLICK BIOS 5
EZ Mode & Advanced Mode Switching
Board Explorer
Hardware Monitor
yMILITARY CLASS 5
Military Class Component
Military Class Stability and Reliability
ESD Protection
EMI Protection
Humidity Protection
Circuit Protection
High Temperature Protection
VGA Armor Slot
yCOMMAND CENTER
System Monitor
Smart Fan Control
yRAMDISK
yLIVE UPDATE 6
yM-CLOUD
yCPU-Z MSI GAMING
ySUPER CHARGER

20 Block Diagram
Block Diagram
LPC Bus
2x USB 3.1 Gen2
4 Channel DDR4 Memory
4x USB 3.1 Gen1
1x SATA Express
1x M.2
10x SATA 6Gb/s PCI Express Bus
PS/2 Mouse / Keyboard
DMI 2.0
PCI Express Bus
X99 PCH
Processor
NV6792
Super I/O
Realtek
ALC1150
ASMEDIA
ASM1074
ASMEDIA
ASM1142
x2
Switch
S/PDIF-Out
(2 ports reserved for SATA Express)
Line-OutRS-Out
CS-Out
MIC
4x USB 3.1 Gen1
8x USB 2.0
1x U.2
x1
x1
PCIe x1 slot
PCIe x1 slot