MSI Z170A TOMAHAWK User manual

1
Unpacking
Unpacking
Thank you for buying the MSI®motherboard Z170A TOMAHAWK/ B150A TOMAHAWK/
B150 TOMAHAWK/ Z170A TOMAHAWK AC/ B150A TOMAHAWK AC/ B150 TOMAHAWK
AC. 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
Antenna x2
For Z170A/ B150A/ B150 TOMAHAWK AC
Intel 8260 Wi-
Fi/ Bluetooth
Module
Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth
Module Bracket
Antenna Bracket
Intel 8260 Wi-Fi/
Bluetooth Driver
Disc

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
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
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
Specification Comparison Table........................................................................... 20
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
M2_2: M.2 Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth module slot ............................................................. 27
CPU Socket ........................................................................................................... 28
DIMM Slots............................................................................................................ 29
PCI_E1~5, PCI1~2: PCIe and PCI Expansion Slots............................................... 30
SATA1~6: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors ....................................................................... 31
M2_1: M.2 Slot ...................................................................................................... 32
JPWR1~2: Power Connectors............................................................................... 33
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors ................................................................... 34
JUSB1: USB 2.0 Connector .................................................................................. 34
JUSB2, JUSB3(optional): USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors........................................... 35
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................ 35
CPUFAN1~2, SYSFAN1~3: Fan Connectors.......................................................... 36
JLPT1: Parallel Port Connector ........................................................................... 37
JCOM1: Serial Port Connector ............................................................................. 37
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector........................................................................... 38

14 Contents
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper........................................................... 38
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector....................................................................... 39
EZ Debug LED: Debug LED indicators ................................................................. 39
BIOS Setup ........................................................................................................... 40
Entering BIOS Setup............................................................................................. 40
Resetting BIOS...................................................................................................... 41
Updating BIOS....................................................................................................... 41
EZ Mode ................................................................................................................ 42
Advanced Mode .................................................................................................... 44
SETTINGS.............................................................................................................. 45
Advanced............................................................................................................... 45
Boot....................................................................................................................... 51
Security................................................................................................................. 52
Save & Exit............................................................................................................ 53
OC.......................................................................................................................... 54
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.............................................................................................................. 73
RAMDISK............................................................................................................... 76
GAMING LAN MANAGER ...................................................................................... 77
Intel®Extreme Tuning Utility................................................................................ 79
RAID Configuration (optional) ............................................................................. 80
Using Intel®Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM ........................................... 80
Degraded RAID Array ........................................................................................... 83
Troubleshooting .................................................................................................. 85
Regulatory Notices.............................................................................................. 86

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/ B150 Chipset (optional)
Memory
y4x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 64GB
Supports DDR4 3600(OC)/ 3200(OC)/ 3000(OC)/2800(OC)/
2600(OC)/ 2400(OC)/ 2133 MHz*
yDual channel memory architecture
ySupports ECC, un-buffered memory*
ySupports Intel®Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
* Only Z170 supports overclocking (OC) frequency.
** Supports ECC UDIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8 memory (non-ECC mode)
* *Supports non-ECC UDIMM 1Rx8/2Rx8/1Rx16 memory
Expansion Slots
y2x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (support x16/x4 modes)
y3x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots
y2x PCI slots*
y1x M.2 Wi-Fi module slot (Key E)
* No support PCI wake-up on S3, S4 & S5
Onboard Graphics
y1x HDMI™port, supports a maximum resolution of
4096x2160@24Hz, 2560x1600@60Hz
y1x DVI-D port, supports a maximum resolution of
1920x1200@60Hz
Multi-GPU ySupports 2-Way AMD®CrossFire™Technology
Storage
Intel®Z170/ B150 Chipset
y6x SATA 6Gb/s ports*
y1x M.2 slot (Key M)
Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s standards, 4.2cm/
6cm/ 8cm length M.2 SSD cards (optional)**
Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe Mini-SAS SSD with Turbo U.2
Host Card (optional)***
ySupports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA
storage devices (optional)
ySupports Intel®Smart Response Technology for Intel
Core™ processors (optional)
* SATA5~6 ports will be unavailable when installing the M.2 module in M.2
(M2_1) slot.
** Only support M.2 SATA interface for B150.
*** The Turbo U.2 Host Card is not included, please purchase separately.
Continued on next page

16 Specifications
Continued from previous page
USB
yASMedia®ASM1142 Chipset (optional)
2x USB 3.1 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) ports on the
back panel (optional)
yIntel®Z170/ B150 Chipset
6x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports (2 ports on the
back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB
3.1 Gen 1 connectors)
4x or 6x USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) ports (2 or 4 ports
on the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal
USB 2.0 connectors) (optional)
Audio
yRealtek®ALC892 Codec
y7.1-Channel High Definition Audio
ySupports S/PDIF output
LAN 1x Realtek®RTL8111H Gigabit LAN controller
WLAN & Bluetooth®
(optional)
yWi-Fi/ Bluetooth®expansion module with Intel®Dual Band
Wireless-AC 8260 chip (optional)
Supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual band (2.4GHz,
5GHz) up to 867 Mbps speed.
Supports Dual Mode Bluetooth®2.1, 2.1+EDR, 3.0, 4.0,
BLE, 4.2
Back Panel
Connectors
y1x PS/2 keyboard/ mouse port
y4x or 2x USB 2.0 ports (optional)
y2x USB 3.1 Gen2 ports (optional)
y1x DVI-D port
y1x HDMI™port
y1x Clear CMOS button
y1x LAN (RJ45) port
y2x USB 3.1 Gen1 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
y6x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
y1x USB 2.0 connector (supports additional 2 USB 2.0 ports)
y2x or 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 connectors (supports additional 4
or 2 USB 3.1 Gen1 ports)(optional)
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 Serial port connector
y1x Parallel port connector
y1x Clear CMOS jumper
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. (30.4 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
Continued on next page

18 Specifications
Continued from previous page
Software
yDrivers
yCOMMAND CENTER
yLIVE UPDATE 6
yFAST BOOT
ySUPER CHARGER
yGAMING APP
yM-CLOUD
yRAMDISK
yIntel®Small Business Advantage (optional)
yGAMING LAN MANAGER
yOpen Broadcaster Software
yIntel®Extreme Tuning Utility
yNorton™Security
yGoogle Chrome™,Google Toolbar, Google Drive
ySteelSeries Engine 3
yCPU-Z
Arsenal GAMING
Features
yAudio Boost
Isolated Audio PCB
High Quality Audio Capacitors
yGame Boost
Easy Overclocking
yGAMING LAN
Realtek RTL8111H Gigabit Ethernet
GAMING Network Manager power by cFos
yGAMING APP
Gaming Hotkey
Gaming Mouse Control
yGAMING CERTIFIED
yGAMING DNA
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
yCOMMAND CENTER
System Monitor
Smart Fan Control
yRAM DISK
yLIVE UPDATE 6
yM-CLOUD
Specification
Highlights
yDDR4 Boost Support
Dual-Channel DDR4 Memory Support
Isolated DDR4 Circuit Design
DDR4 XMP Ready
yPCI Express 3.0 Support
2-Way AMD CrossFireTM Support
yEZ Debug LED
y1x Clear CMOS button on rear I/O
yAudio Boost
ySupport M.2 Gen3 x4 (optional)

20 Specifications
Specification Comparison Table
Z170A
TOMAHAWK/
Z170A
TOMAHAWK AC
B150A
TOMAHAWK/
B150A
TOMAHAWK AC
B150
TOMAHAWK/
B150
TOMAHAWK AC
Chipest Z170 B150 B150
Supports DDR4 Fre-
quency (MHz)
3600(OC),
3200(OC),
3000(OC),
2800(OC),
2600(OC),
2400(OC), 2133
2133 2133
Supports M.2 Interface PCIe, SATA SATA SATA
Support M.2 Gen3 x4 Yes No No
Supports U.2 Card Yes No No
Supports RAID 0,1,5,10 Yes No No
Supports Intel®Smart
Response Technology Yes No No
USB 3.1 Gen2 ports on
the back panel 220
USB 3.1 Gen1 internal
connectors
2 (4 ports)
JUSB2 & JUSB3
1 (2 ports)
JUSB2
1 (2 ports)
JUSB2
USB 2.0 ports on the
rear back panel 224
Supports Intel®Small
Business Advantage No Yes Yes
With Intel®Dual Band
Wireless-AC 8260
Module
Z170A
TOMAHAWK AC
B150A
TOMAHAWK AC
B150
TOMAHAWK AC