MSI Z170A MPOWER GAMING TITANIUM User manual

1
Unpacking
Unpacking
Thank you for buying the MSI®Z170A MPOWER GAMING TITANIUM 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
Drivers & Utilities
Disc
Motherboard User
Guide
I/O Shield
Motherboard
SLI Bridge
Connector
Door Hanger
M-Connector
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 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
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
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....................................................................................................... 16
Block Diagram .................................................................................................... 22
Rear I/O Panel ..................................................................................................... 23
LAN Port LED Status Table................................................................................... 23
Audio Ports Configuration.................................................................................... 23
Realtek HD Audio Manager .................................................................................. 24
Overview of Components .................................................................................... 26
CPU Socket ........................................................................................................... 28
DIMM Slots............................................................................................................ 29
PCI_E1~6: PCIe Expansion Slots.......................................................................... 30
PCIe slots bandwidth table................................................................................... 30
SATA1~6: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors ....................................................................... 33
M2_1 & M2_2: M.2 Slot (Key M)............................................................................ 34
U2_1: U.2 Connector............................................................................................. 35
JPWR1~2: Power Connectors............................................................................... 38
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors ................................................................... 39
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector........................................................................... 39
USB4: USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C Connector............................................................... 40
JUSB2~3: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors ................................................................... 40
JUSB1: USB 2.0 Connector .................................................................................. 41

14 Contents
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................ 41
CPUFAN1~2,SYSFAN1~3: Fan Connectors .......................................................... 42
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector....................................................................... 43
JSLOW1: Slow Mode Booting Jumper.................................................................. 44
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper........................................................... 44
FV1: V-Check Points ............................................................................................. 45
JLED1: RGB LED connector ................................................................................. 45
LED Status Indicators.......................................................................................... 46
LED Status Table................................................................................................... 46
Debug Code LED................................................................................................... 46
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................................................................................................................. 62
Save & Exit............................................................................................................ 63
OC.......................................................................................................................... 64
M-FLASH .............................................................................................................. 73
OC PROFILE.......................................................................................................... 74
HARDWARE MONITOR.......................................................................................... 75
Software Description........................................................................................... 76
Installing Windows®7/ 8.1/ 10.............................................................................. 76
Installing Drivers .................................................................................................. 76
Installing Utilities ................................................................................................. 76
COMMAND CENTER ............................................................................................. 77
LIVE UPDATE 6...................................................................................................... 81
GAMING APP......................................................................................................... 83
M-CLOUD.............................................................................................................. 87
RAMDISK............................................................................................................... 90
USB SPEED UP..................................................................................................... 91
DRAGON EYE ........................................................................................................ 92

15
Contents
GAMING LAN MANAGER ...................................................................................... 93
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
M.2 PCIe SSD RAID............................................................................................. 109
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................ 111
Regulatory Notices............................................................................................ 112

16 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)
* For the latest information about memory, please visit http://www.msi.com
Expansion Slots
y3x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots*
y3x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots*
* PCI_E6 slot and PCIe x1 slots share the same bandwidth. Please refer to
page 30 for PCIe slots bandwidth table.
Multi-GPU ySupports 3-Way AMD®CrossFire™Technology
ySupports 2-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®Z170 Chipset
6x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports (2 ports on the
back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB
connectors)
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) Type-C port on the
board
6x USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) ports (4 ports on the
back panel, 2 ports available through the internal USB
connector)
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17
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Storage
Intel®Z170 Chipset
y6x SATA 6Gb/s ports*
Support RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10
y2x M.2 slots (Key M)*
Supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s
Supports 2242/ 2260/ 2280/ 22110 storage devices**
Supports RAID 0 and RAID 1 for M.2 PCIe Storage
devices***
y1x U.2 port*
Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe storage
ySupports Intel®Smart Response Technology****
* M2_1 and SATA5~6 share the same bandwidth. M2_2 , SATA1~2 and U.2 port
share the same bandwidth. Please refer to page 36 for M.2/ U.2 & SATA
combination table.
** Only M2_1 slot supports type 22110 storage device.
*** M.2 PCIe RAID volume can be created with UEFI BIOS.
****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 I219 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
Continued on next page

18 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
y2x M.2 slots
y1x U.2 port
y1x USB 2.0 connector (supports additional 2 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
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 RGB LED connector
y1x Clear CMOS jumper
y1x Slow mode booting jumper
I/O Controller NUVOTON NCT6793D 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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19
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Software
yDrivers
yCOMMAND CENTER
yLIVE UPDATE 6
yFAST BOOT
ySUPER CHARGER
yGAMING APP
yUSB SPEED UP
yDRAGON EYE
yM-CLOUD
yRAMDISK
yGAMING LAN MANAGER
yNahimic 2
yXSplit Gamecaster V2
yIntel®Extreme Tuning Utility
yNorton™Internet Security Solution
yGoogle Chrome™,Google Toolbar, Google Drive
ySteelSeries Engine 3
yCPU-Z MSI GAMING
Enthusiast GAMING
Features
yGAMING CERTIFIED
yAUDIO BOOST 3
Isolated Audio PCB
EMI Shielding
High Quality Audio Capacitors
Golden Audio Connectors
yGAME BOOST
Easy Overclocking
yGAMING LAN
Intel®Gigabit Ethernet
yGAMING APP
System Mode Switching: OC/Gaming/Silent
Gaming Hotkey
Gaming Mouse Control
Gaming LED Control
yOptimized Thermal Design
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20 Specifications
Continued from previous page
Enthusiast GAMING
Features
yNahimic 2
Sound Tracker
HD Audio Recorder 2
Sound Effect Equalizer
Microphone Noise Reduction
yXSplit
XSplit GAMECASTER V2
XSplit BROADCASTER V2
yWTFast GPN*
2-Month Premium License
Multi-Server Network Optimization
Advanced Lag Spike & Disconnect Reduction
* This offer is valid for a limited period only, for more information please visit
www.msi.com
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 Slot
yCOMMAND CENTER
System Monitor
Smart Fan Control
yRAMDISK
yLIVE UPDATE 6
yM-CLOUD
yUSB Redrivers
yCPU-Z MSI GAMING
ySteel Series Engine 3
ySUPER CHARGER
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