MSI Z170A GAMING PRO CARBON User manual

1
Unpacking
Unpacking
Thank you for buying the MSI®Z170A 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 SLI Bridge
Connector
Drivers & Utilities
Disc
Motherboard User
Guide
I/O Shield
Motherboard

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 1151 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
http://youtu.be/bf5La099urI
Installing a Processor
1
2
3
6
45
7
8
9

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

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
2
3
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
JPWR1 JPWR2
http://youtu.be/gkDYyR_83I4

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
Block Diagram .................................................................................................... 21
Rear I/O Panel ..................................................................................................... 22
LAN Port LED Status Table................................................................................... 22
Audio Ports Configuration.................................................................................... 22
Realtek HD Audio Manager .................................................................................. 23
Overview of Components .................................................................................... 25
CPU Socket ........................................................................................................... 27
DIMM Slots............................................................................................................ 28
PCI_E1~E7: PCIe Expansion Slots........................................................................ 29
SATA1~6: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors ....................................................................... 31
SE1_21: SATAe Connector.................................................................................... 31
M2_1: M.2 Slot ...................................................................................................... 32
JPWR1~2: Power Connectors............................................................................... 33
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors ................................................................... 34
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................ 34
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector........................................................................... 34
JUSB3~4: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connector ..................................................................... 35
JUSB1~2: USB 2.0 Connectors............................................................................. 35
CPUFAN1~2, SYSFAN1~3: Fan Connectors.......................................................... 36
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector....................................................................... 37
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper........................................................... 38
EZ Debug LED: Debug LED indicators ................................................................ 38

14 Contents
BIOS Setup ........................................................................................................... 39
Entering BIOS Setup............................................................................................. 39
Resetting BIOS...................................................................................................... 40
Updating BIOS....................................................................................................... 40
EZ Mode ................................................................................................................ 41
Advanced Mode .................................................................................................... 43
SETTINGS.............................................................................................................. 44
Advanced............................................................................................................... 44
Boot....................................................................................................................... 50
Security................................................................................................................. 51
Save & Exit............................................................................................................ 52
OC.......................................................................................................................... 53
M-FLASH .............................................................................................................. 60
OC PROFILE.......................................................................................................... 61
HARDWARE MONITOR.......................................................................................... 62
Software Description........................................................................................... 63
Installing Windows®7/ 8.1/ 10.............................................................................. 63
Installing Drivers .................................................................................................. 63
Installing Utilities ................................................................................................. 63
COMMAND CENTER ............................................................................................. 64
LIVE UPDATE 6...................................................................................................... 68
GAMING APP......................................................................................................... 70
M-CLOUD.............................................................................................................. 74
RAMDISK............................................................................................................... 77
GAMING LAN MANAGER ...................................................................................... 78
Nahimic................................................................................................................. 80
Intel®Extreme Tuning Utility................................................................................ 82
RAID Configuration (optional) ............................................................................. 83
Using Intel®Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM ........................................... 83
Degraded RAID Array ........................................................................................... 86
Troubleshooting .................................................................................................. 88
Regulatory Notices.............................................................................................. 89

15
Specifications
Specifications
CPU Supports 6th Gen Intel®Core™i3/i5/i7 processors, and Intel®
Pentium®and Celeron®processors for Socket LGA1151
Chipset Intel® Z170 Chipset
Memory
y4x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 64GB
Supports DDR4 3600(OC)/ 3200(OC)/ 3000(OC)/ 2800(OC)/
2600(OC)/ 2400/ 2133 MHz*
yDual channel memory architecture
ySupports ECC, un-buffered memory
ECC UDIMM memory (non-ECC mode)
ySupports Intel®Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
* Please refer to www.msi.com for more information on compatible memory.
Expansion Slots
y3x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (support x16/x0/x4 or x8/x8/x4
modes)
y4x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots
Onboard Graphics
y1x HDMI™port, support a maximum resolution of
4096x2160@24Hz, 2560x1600@60Hz
y1x DVI-D port, support a maximum resolution of
1920x1200@60Hz
Multi-GPU ySupports 3-Way AMD®CrossFire™ Technology
ySupports 2-Way NVIDIA®SLI™ Technology
Storage
Intel®Z170 Chipset
y6x SATA 6Gb/s ports* (2 ports reserved for SATA Express
port)
y1x M.2 slot*
Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s standards, 4.2cm/
6cm/ 8cm length M.2 SSD cards
Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe Mini-SAS SSD with Turbo U.2
Host Card**
y1x SATAe port (PCIe 3.0 x2)***
ySupports Intel®Smart Response Technology for Intel
Core™ processors
* SATA5 and SATA6 ports will be unavailable when installing the M.2 module
in M.2 slot.
** The Turbo U.2 Host Card is not included, please purchase separately.
*** SATAe port is backward compatible with SATA. SATA and SATAe ports
maximum support 6x SATAs or 1x SATAe + 4x SATAs.
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16 Specifications
Continued from previous page
RAID
Intel®Z170 Chipset
ySupports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA
storage devices
USB
yASMedia®ASM1142 Chipset
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) port on the
back panel
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port on the back panel
yIntel®Z170 Chipset
6x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports (2 ports on the
back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB
3.1 Gen1 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)
Audio
yRealtek®ALC1150 Codec
y7.1-Channel High Definition Audio
ySupports S/PDIF output
LAN 1x Intel®I219-V Gigabit LAN controller
Back Panel
Connectors
y1x PS/2 keyboard/ mouse combo port
y4x USB 2.0 ports
y1x DVI-D port
y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 port
y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
y1x HDMI™port
y1x LAN (RJ45) port
y2x USB 3.1 Gen1 ports
y1x Optical S/PDIF OUT connector
y5x OFC audio jacks
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17
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Internal Connectors
y1x 24-pin ATX main power connector
y1x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
y6x SATA 6Gb/s connectors (2 ports reserved for SATA
Express port)
y1x SATAe connector
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)
y2x 4-pin CPU fan connectors
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 TBT connector
I/O Controller NUVOTON NCT6793 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 5.0, PnP 1.0a, SM BIOS 2.8
yMulti-language
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18 Specifications
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Software
yDrivers
yCOMMAND CENTER
yLIVE UPDATE 6
yFAST BOOT
ySUPER CHARGER
yGAMING APP
yM-CLOUD
yRAMDISK
yGAMING LAN MANAGER
yNahimic Audio
yOpen Broadcaster Software
yIntel®Extreme Tuning Utility
yNorton™Internet Security Solution
yGoogle Chrome™,Google Toolbar, Google Drive
ySteelSeries Engine 3
yCPU-Z
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19
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Performance
GAMING Features
yMYSTIC LIGHT
16.8 Million Colors
16 LED Effects
yAUDIO BOOST 3
Isolated Audio PCB
EMI Shielding
Dual Headphone Amplifiers
High Quality Audio Capacitors
Golden Audio Connectors
yGAME BOOST
Easy Overclocking
yGAMING LAN
Intel I219-V Gigabit Ethernet
MSI Network Manager
Electric Wave Surge
yGAMING APP
System Mode Switching: OC/Gaming/Silent
Gaming Hotkey
Gaming Mouse Master
Gaming LED Control
yNahimic
Sound Effect Equalizer
Microphone Noise Reduction
HD Audio Recorder
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.
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20 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
Steel Armor PCIe Slots
VGA Armor Slot
yCOMMAND CENTER
System Monitor
Smart Fan Control
yRAMDISK
yLIVE UPDATE 6
yM-CLOUD
yCPU-Z
yEZ Debug LED
Specification
Highlights
yDDR4 Boost Support
Dual-Channel DDR4 Memory Support
Isolated DDR4 Circuit Design
DDR4 XMP Ready
yPCI Express 3.0 Support
2-Way Nvidia SLITM Support
3-Way AMD CrossFireTM Support
yUSB 3.1 Gen2 Ready
USB 3.1 Gen2 (10 Gb/s) Type-A Ready
USB 3.1 Gen2 (10 Gb/s) Type-C Ready
yTurbo M.2 Ready
PCIe 3.0 x4 (32 Gb/s) Support
PCIe / SATA Dual Mode Support
ySATA Express Support
yNVMe / AHCI Driver Support
yU.2 Support (Optional)