MSI Z270 GAMING M6 AC User manual

1
Unpacking
Unpacking
Thank you for buying the MSI®Z270 GAMING M6 AC 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 x4
Drivers & Utilities
Disc Motherboard User
Guide
I/O Shield
Motherboard
SLI Bridge
Connector
SATA Cable Labels RGB LED Extension
Cable 80cm x1
* These pictures are for reference only and may vary without notice.

2Unpacking
12V INPUT
RGB LED Strip set
WiFi-Bluetooth card pcaking set
WiFi-Bluetooth
PCIe card
USB Cable
Screw Antenna x2

3
Safety 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.

4Quick 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

5
Quick Start
http://youtu.be/bf5La099urI
Installing a Processor
1
2
3
6
45
7
8
9

6Quick Start
1
1
2
2
3
3
Installing DDR4 memory
http://youtu.be/T03aDrJPyQs
DIMMB2 DIMMB2
DIMMB1
DIMMA2 DIMMA2 DIMMA2
DIMMA1

7
Quick 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

8Quick Start
BAT1
Installing the Motherboard
1
2

9
Quick Start
Installing SATA Drives
http://youtu.be/RZsMpqxythc
1
23
4
5

10 Quick Start
1
Installing a Graphics Card
http://youtu.be/mG0GZpr9w_A
2
3
4
5
6

11
Quick Start
Connecting Peripheral Devices

12 Quick Start
Connecting the Power Connectors
http://youtu.be/gkDYyR_83I4
ATX_PWR1 CPU_PWR1

13
Quick Start
Power On
1
4
2
3

14 Contents
Contents
Unpacking .............................................................................................................. 1
Safety Information................................................................................................. 3
Quick Start ............................................................................................................. 4
Preparing Tools and Components.......................................................................... 4
Installing a Processor............................................................................................. 5
Installing DDR4 memory ........................................................................................ 6
Connecting the Front Panel Header....................................................................... 7
Installing the Motherboard..................................................................................... 8
Installing SATA Drives............................................................................................. 9
Installing a Graphics Card .................................................................................... 10
Connecting Peripheral Devices............................................................................ 11
Connecting the Power Connectors....................................................................... 12
Power On............................................................................................................... 13
Specifications....................................................................................................... 17
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
U2_1: U.2 Connector............................................................................................. 33
M2_1~2: M.2 Slots (Key M) ................................................................................... 34
SATA1~6: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors ....................................................................... 35
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors ................................................................... 37
JCOM1: Serial Port Connector ............................................................................. 37
CPU_PWR1, ATX_PWR1: Power Connectors ....................................................... 38
JUSB1~2: USB 2.0 Connectors............................................................................. 39
JUSB3~4: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors ................................................................... 39
CPU_FAN1,SYS_FAN1~4, PUMP_FAN1: Fan Connectors.................................... 40
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................ 41
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector....................................................................... 41
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector........................................................................... 42

15
Contents
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper........................................................... 42
JLED1: RGB LED connector ................................................................................. 43
FLASHB1: BIOS FLASHBACK+ Button................................................................. 43
Onboard LEDs ...................................................................................................... 44
EZ Debug LEDs..................................................................................................... 44
DIMM LEDs ........................................................................................................... 44
XMP LED ............................................................................................................... 44
PCIe x16 slot LEDs................................................................................................ 45
Debug Code LED................................................................................................... 45
Debug Code LED Table ......................................................................................... 46
ACPI States Codes................................................................................................ 48
CPU Temperature ................................................................................................. 48
BIOS Setup ........................................................................................................... 49
Entering BIOS Setup............................................................................................. 49
Resetting BIOS...................................................................................................... 50
Updating BIOS....................................................................................................... 50
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
RAMDISK............................................................................................................... 88
DRAGON EYE ........................................................................................................ 89
MSI SMART TOOL ................................................................................................. 90
X-BOOST ............................................................................................................... 92

16 Contents
Nahimic 2.............................................................................................................. 94
XSplit Gamecaster V2 ........................................................................................... 98
SteelSeries Engine 3 .......................................................................................... 102
Intel®Extreme Tuning Utility.............................................................................. 104
CPU-Z.................................................................................................................. 105
RAID Configuration............................................................................................ 106
Using Intel®Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM ......................................... 106
Degraded RAID Array ......................................................................................... 109
M.2 PCIe SSD RAID............................................................................................. 111
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................ 113
Regulatory Notices............................................................................................ 114

17
Specifications
Specifications
CPU
ySupports 7th/6th Gen Intel®Core™i3/i5/i7 processors, and
Intel®Pentium®and Celeron®processors for Socket LGA1151
Chipset Intel® Z270 Chipset
Memory
y4x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 64GB
7th Gen processors support DDR4 3800(OC)/ 3600(OC)/
3200(OC)/ 3000(OC)/ 2800(OC)/ 2600(OC)/ 2400/ 2133 MHz*
6th Gen processors support DDR4 3600(OC)/ 3200(OC)/
3000(OC)/ 2800(OC)/ 2600(OC)/ 2400(OC)/ 2133 MHz*
yDual channel memory architecture
ySupports non-ECC, un-buffered memory
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, x8/x8/x4 modes)
y3x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots
Onboard Graphics
y1x HDMI™port, supports a maximum resolution of
4096x2160@30Hz(7th Gen CPU), 4096x2160@24Hz(6th Gen
CPU), 2560x1600@60Hz
y1x DisplayPort, supports a maximum resolution of
4096X2304@24Hz, 3840X2160@60Hz,1920X1200@60Hz
Multi-GPU ySupports 2-Way NVIDIA®SLI™Technology
ySupports 3-Way AMD®CrossFire™Technology
Storage
Intel®Z270 Chipset
y6x SATA 6Gb/s ports*
y2x M.2 slots (Key M)
Support up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s
M2_1 slot supports 2242/ 2260 /2280/ 22110 storage
devices
M2_2 slot supports 2242/ 2260 /2280 storage devices
Intel®Optane™ Memory Ready for all M.2 slots***
y1x U.2 port **
Supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe U.2 SSD
ySupports Intel®Smart Response Technology for Intel
Core™ processors
* The SATA1/ SATA5 port will be unavailable when an M.2 SATA SSD module
has been installed in the M.2_1/ M.2_2 slot. The SATA5 and SATA 6 ports will
be unavailable when M.2 PCIe SSD module has been installed in the M.2_2
slot. Please refer to page 35 for M.2 & SATA combination table.
** The U.2 port will be unavailable when an PCIe expansion card has been
installed in PCI_E6 slot.
***
Intel®Optane™ Technology is only supported when using 7th Gen processors.
Before using Intel®Optane™ memory modules, please ensure that you have
updated the drivers and BIOS to the latest version from MSI website.
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18 Specifications
Continued from previous page
RAID
Intel®Z270 Chipset
ySupports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA
storage devices
ySupports RAID 0 and RAID 1 for M.2 storage devices*
* M.2 PCIe RAID volume can be created with M.2 GENIE. Please refer to page
53 for details about M.2 GENIE.
USB
yASMedia®ASM2142 Chipset
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) Type-C port
on the back panel
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) Type-A port
on the back panel
yIntel®Z270 Chipset
6x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports (2 Type-A
ports on the back panel, 4 ports available through the
internal USB connectors)
7x USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) ports (3 Type-A ports on
the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal
USB connectors)
Audio yRealtek®ALC1220 Codec
y7.1-Channel High Definition Audio
LAN 1x KillerTM E2500 Gigabit LAN controller
WiFi & Bluetooth
yIntel®Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
Dual Band 2x2 802.11ac
80MHz Channels
867 Mbps Max Speed
MU-MIMO Rx
Support for ACS enabling concurrent multi-channel
usage
Bluetooth 4.2 (BR/EDR, BLE)
Support Windows 7, 8.1/ 10
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19
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Back Panel
Connectors
y1x PS/2 mouse & keyboard combo port
y3x USB 2.0 ports
1x BIOS FLASHBACK+ port
y1x Clear CMOS button
y1x DisplayPort
y1x HDMI™port
y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A port
y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
y1x LAN (RJ45) port
y2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports
y1x Optical S/PDIF OUT connector
y5x OFC audio jacks
Internal Connectors
y1x 24-pin ATX main power connector
y1x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
y6x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
y1x U.2 port
y2x M.2 slots
y2x USB 3.1 Gen1 connectors (supports additional 4 USB
3.1 Gen1 ports)
y2x USB 2.0 connectors (supports additional 4 USB 2.0
ports)
y1x 4-pin CPU fan connector
y1x 4-pin water pump fan connector
y4x 4-pin system fan connectors
y1x Front panel audio connector
y2x Front panel connectors
y1x Serial port connector
y1x RGB LED connector
y1x TPM module connector
y1x Chassis Intrusion connector
y1x Clear CMOS jumper
y1x BIOS FLASHBACK+ button
y1x 2-Digit Debug Code LED
I/O Controller NUVOTON NCT6795 Controller Chip
Continued on next page

20 Specifications
Continued from previous page
Hardware Monitor
yCPU/System temperature detection
yCPU/System fan speed detection
yCPU/System fan speed control
From Factor yATX Form Factor
y12.0 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
Software
yDrivers
ySUPER CHARGER
yFAST BOOT
yCOMMAND CENTER
yLIVE UPDATE 6
yMSI SMART TOOL
yDRAGON EYE
yGAMING APP
yX-BOOST
yRAMDISK
yKiller Control Center
yNahimic Audio
yXSplit Gamecaster V2
ySteelSeries Engine 3
yCPU-Z MSI GAMING
yIntel®Extreme Tuning Utility
yNorton™Internet Security Solution
yGoogle Chrome™, Google Toolbar, Google Drive
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