MSI Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC User manual

1
Unpacking
Unpacking
Thank you for buying the MSI®Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON 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 x2
Drivers & Utilities
Disc Motherboard User
Guide
I/O Shield
Motherboard
SATA Cable Labels
RGB LED Extension
Cable 80cm x1
Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth
Driver Disc
Antenna x2

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 60oC (140oF), 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
210
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
Installing a Graphics Card
http://youtu.be/mG0GZpr9w_A
2
3
4
5
6

10 Quick Start
Connecting Peripheral Devices

11
Quick Start
Connecting the Power Connectors
http://youtu.be/gkDYyR_83I4
ATX_PWR1 CPU_PWR1

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 .................................................................................................... 20
Rear I/O Panel ..................................................................................................... 21
LAN Port LED Status Table................................................................................... 21
Audio Ports Configuration.................................................................................... 21
Realtek HD Audio Manager .................................................................................. 22
Overview of Components .................................................................................... 24
M2_1: M.2 Slot (Key M) ......................................................................................... 26
CPU Socket ........................................................................................................... 27
DIMM Slots............................................................................................................ 28
M2_2: M.2 Wi-Fi module slot (Key E) ................................................................... 28
PCI_E1: PCIe Expansion Slot................................................................................ 29
SATA1~4: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors ....................................................................... 29
CPU_PWR1, ATX_PWR1: Power Connectors ....................................................... 30
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors ................................................................... 30
JUSB1: USB 2.0 Connector .................................................................................. 31
JUSB2: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connector ......................................................................... 31
CPU_FAN1,SYS_FAN1~2: Fan Connectors........................................................... 32
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................ 33
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector....................................................................... 33
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector........................................................................... 34
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper........................................................... 34
JLED1: RGB LED connector ................................................................................. 35

14 Contents
Onboard LEDs ...................................................................................................... 36
EZ Debug LEDs..................................................................................................... 36
DIMM LEDs ........................................................................................................... 36
PCIe x16 slot LEDs ............................................................................................... 36
BIOS Setup ........................................................................................................... 37
Entering BIOS Setup............................................................................................. 37
Resetting BIOS...................................................................................................... 38
Updating BIOS....................................................................................................... 38
EZ Mode ................................................................................................................ 39
Advanced Mode .................................................................................................... 41
SETTINGS.............................................................................................................. 42
Advanced............................................................................................................... 42
Boot....................................................................................................................... 48
Security................................................................................................................. 49
Save & Exit............................................................................................................ 50
OC.......................................................................................................................... 51
M-FLASH .............................................................................................................. 57
OC PROFILE.......................................................................................................... 58
HARDWARE MONITOR.......................................................................................... 59
Software Description........................................................................................... 60
Installing Windows®7/ 8.1/ 10.............................................................................. 60
Installing Drivers .................................................................................................. 60
Installing Utilities ................................................................................................. 60
COMMAND CENTER ............................................................................................. 61
LIVE UPDATE 6...................................................................................................... 65
GAMING APP......................................................................................................... 67
RAMDISK............................................................................................................... 70
GAMING LAN MANAGER ...................................................................................... 71
DRAGON EYE ........................................................................................................ 73
Nahimic 2.............................................................................................................. 74
XSplit Gamecaster V2 ........................................................................................... 78
Intel®Extreme Tuning Utility................................................................................ 82
CPU-Z.................................................................................................................... 83
RAID Configuration (optional) ............................................................................. 84
Using Intel®Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM ........................................... 84
Degraded RAID Array ........................................................................................... 87
Troubleshooting .................................................................................................. 89
Regulatory Notices.............................................................................................. 90

15
Specifications
Specifications
CPU
Supports 6th/7th Gen Intel®Core™i3/i5/i7 processors,
and Intel®Pentium®and Celeron®processors for Socket
LGA1151
Chipset Intel®Z270 Chipset
Memory
y2x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 32GB
7th processors support DDR4 3800(OC)/ 3600(OC)/
3200(OC)/ 3000(OC)/ 2800(OC)/ 2600(OC)/ 2400/ 2133
MHz*
6th 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 y1x PCIe 3.0 x16 slot
Onboard Graphics
y1x HDMI™port, supports a maximum resolution of
4096x2160@30Hz (7th CPU), 4096x2160@24Hz (6th CPU),
2560x1600@60Hz
y1x DisplayPort, supports a maximum resolution of
4096X2304@24Hz, 3840X2160@60Hz,1920X1200@60Hz
Storage
Intel®Z270 Chipset
y4x SATA 6Gb/s ports
y1x M.2 slot (Key M)
Supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s
Supports 2242/ 2260 /2280 storage devices
Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe U.2 SSD with Turbo U.2 Host
Card*
Intel®Optane™ Memory Ready
ySupports Intel®Smart Response Technology for Intel
Core™ processors
* The Turbo U.2 Host Card is not included, please purchase separately.
RAID
Intel®Z270 Chipset
ySupports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA
storage devices
Continued on next page

16 Specifications
Continued from previous page
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
4x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports (2 Type-A
ports on the back panel, 2 ports available through the
internal USB connector)
4x USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) ports (2 Type-A ports on
the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal
USB connector)
Audio
yRealtek®ALC1220 Codec
y7.1-Channel High Definition Audio
ySupports S/PDIF output
LAN 1x Intel I219-V Gigabit LAN controller
WLAN & Bluetooth®
yIntel®Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 module
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 mouse & keyboard combo port
y2x USB 2.0 ports
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 Clear CMOS button
y2x antenna connectors
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
y4x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
y1x USB 3.1 Gen1 connector (supports additional 2 USB 3.1
Gen1 ports)
Continued on next page

17
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Internal Connectors
y1x USB 2.0 connector (supports additional 2 USB 2.0 ports)
y1x 4-pin CPU fan connector
y2x 4-pin system fan connectors (Interlinked)
y1x Front panel audio connector
y2x Front panel connectors
y1x RGB LED connector
y1x TPM module connector
y1x Chassis Intrusion connector
y1x Clear CMOS jumper
I/O Controller NUVOTON NCT5565 Controller Chip
Hardware Monitor
yCPU/System temperature detection
yCPU/System fan speed detection
yCPU/System fan speed control
Form Factor yMini-ITX Form Factor
y6.7 in. x 6.7 in. (17.0 cm x 17.0 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
yGAMING LAN MANAGER
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
Continued on next page

18 Specifications
Continued from previous page
Performance
GAMING Features
yAUDIO BOOST 4
Isolated Audio PCB
EMI Shielding
High Quality Audio Capacitors
Golden Audio Connectors
De-pop audio circuit
yGAMING LAN
Intel®Gigabit Ethernet
GAMING Network Manager power by cFos
Electric Wave Surge
15KV anti-surge
yNahimic 2
Sound Tracker
HD Audio Recorder 2
Expert Mode
Sound Effect Equalizer
Microphone Noise Reduction
yXSplit
XSplit GAMECASTER
XSplit BROADCASTER
yGAMING CERTIFIED
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
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
yMSI Steel Armor
PCI-E Steel Armor
DDR4 Steel Shielding
yCOMMAND CENTER
System Monitor
Smart Fan Control
yMYSTIC LIGHT EXTENSION
Dedicated HEADER for 4-pin RGB-strip
LIGHT CONTROL via GAMING APP
yRAMDISK
yLIVE UPDATE 6
yVR Ready
yX-BOOST
System Performance Enhancement
User Scenario Profile
Specification
Highlights
yDDR4 Boost Support
Dual-Channel DDR4 Memory Support
Isolated DDR4 Circuit Design
DDR4 XMP Ready
yUSB 3.1 Gen2 Ready
USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A Ready
USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C Ready
yNVMe / AHCI Driver Support
yU.2 Support (Optional)

20 Block Diagram
Block Diagram
LPC Bus
Dual Channel DDR4 Memory
4 x SATA 6Gb/s
4 x USB 2.0
PS/2 Mouse / Keyboard
DMI 3.0
Chipset
CPU
NV5565
Super I/O
4 x USB 3.1 Gen1
(5 Gbps)
2 x USB 3.1 Gen2
(10 Gbps)
HDMI DisplayPort
Intel I219
Audio Jacks
PCI Express Bus
Realtek
ALC1220
ASMEDIA
ASM2142