Page 1
1
Contents
Contents
Safety Information ........................................................................................... 2
Specifications ...................................................................................................3
Rear I/O Panel .................................................................................................6
LAN Port LED Status Table ................................................................................6
Overview of Components ................................................................................7
CPU Socket .........................................................................................................8
DIMM Slots .........................................................................................................9
PCI_E1~3: PCIe Expansion Slots........................................................................9
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors ...............................................................10
SATA1~6: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors ...................................................................10
M2_1: M.2 Slot (Key M) .....................................................................................11
ATX_PWR1, CPU_PWR1: Power Connectors ...................................................11
JUSB2~3: USB 2.0 Connectors ........................................................................12
JUSB1: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connector .....................................................................12
CPU_FAN1, SYS_FAN1~2: Fan Connectors .....................................................13
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector.......................................................................14
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector ..................................................................14
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ........................................................................15
JCOM1: Serial Port Connector .........................................................................15
JLPT1: Parallel Port Connector ....................................................................... 15
JLED1: RGB LED connector .............................................................................16
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper .......................................................16
Onboard LEDs...................................................................................................17
BIOS Setup ..................................................................................................... 18
Entering BIOS Setup.........................................................................................18
Resetting BIOS .................................................................................................19
Updating BIOS ..................................................................................................19
Software Description ..................................................................................... 20
Installing Windows® 7/ 8.1/ 10 .........................................................................20
Installing Drivers ..............................................................................................20
Installing Utilities .............................................................................................20
Thank
you for purchasing the MSI® H270M PRO-VDH/ B250M
PRO-VDH motherboard. This User Guide gives information
about board layout, component overview, BIOS setup and
software installation.
Page 2
2
Safety Information
Safety Information
y The components included in this package are prone to damage from electrostatic
discharge (ESD). Please adhere to the following instructions to ensure successful
computer assembly.
y Ensure that all components are securely connected. Loose connections may cause
the computer to not recognize a component or fail to start.
y Hold the motherboard by the edges to avoid touching sensitive components.
y It 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.
y
Store the motherboard in an electrostatic shielding container or on an anti-static
pad whenever the motherboard is not installed.
y Before turning on the computer, ensure that there are no loose screws or metal
components on the motherboard or anywhere within the computer case.
y Do not boot the computer before installation is completed. This could cause
permanent damage to the components as well as injury to the user.
y If you need help during any installation step, please consult a certified computer
technician.
y Always turn off the power supply and unplug the power cord from the power
outlet before installing or removing any computer component.
y Keep this user guide for future reference.
y Keep this motherboard away from humidity.
y Make sure that your electrical outlet provides the same voltage as is indicated on
the PSU, before connecting the PSU to the electrical outlet.
y Place the power cord such a way that people can not step on it. Do not place
anything over the power cord.
y All cautions and warnings on the motherboard should be noted.
y If 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.
y Do not leave this motherboard in an environment above 60°C (140°F), it may
damage the motherboard.
Page 3
3
Specifications
Specifications
CPU
Supports 6th/ 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i3/i5/i7 processors, and
Intel® Pentium® and Celeron® processors for Socket LGA1151
Chipset Intel
®
H270/ B250 Chipset
Memory
y4x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 64GB
7th Gen processors support DDR4 2400/ 2133 MHz*
6th Gen processors support DDR4 2133 MHz*
yDual channel memory architecture
ySupports Intel
®
Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)**
** DDR4 memory modules can only run at maximum of 2400
MHz for 7th Gen processors and 2133 MHz for 6th Gen
processors on XMP mode.
Expansion Slots
y 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 slot (supports x16 mode)
y 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots
Onboard Graphics
y 1x HDMI
™
port, supports a maximum resolution of
4096x2160@24Hz, 2560x1600@60Hz
y 1x DVI-D port, supports a maximum resolution of
1920x1200@60Hz
y 1x VGA port, supports a maximum resolution of
2048x1536@50Hz, 2048x1280@60Hz, 1920x1200@60Hz
Storage
Intel
®
H270/ B250 Chipset
y 6x SATA 6Gb/s ports
y 1x M.2 slot (Key M)
Supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s
Supports 2242/ 2260 /2280 storage devices
Intel
®
Optane™ Memory Ready
y H270 supports RAID 0, RAID1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA
storage devices
USB
Intel
®
H270/ B250 Chipset
y 6x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports (3 Type-A & 1
Type-C ports on the back panel, 2 ports available through the
internal USB connector)
y 6x USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) ports (2 ports on the back
panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB connector)
Audio
y Realtek
®
ALC887 Codec
y 7.1-Channel High Definition Audio
LAN 1x Realtek
®
8111H Gigabit LAN controller
Continued on next page
Page 4
4
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Back Panel
Connectors
y 1x PS/2 keyboard port
y 1x PS/2 mouse port
y 1x HDMI
™
port
y 1x VGA port
y 1x DVI-D port
y 1x LAN (RJ45) port
y 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
y 3x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports
y 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C port
y 3x audio jacks
Internal
Connectors
y 1x 24-pin ATX main power connector
y 1x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
y 6x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
y 2x USB 2.0 connectors (supports additional 4 USB 2.0 ports)
y 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 connector (supports additional 2 USB 3.1
Gen1 ports)
y 1x 4-pin CPU fan connector
y 2x 4-pin system fan connectors
y 1x Front panel audio connector
y 2x Front panel connectors
y 1x TPM module connector
y 1x Chassis Intrusion connector
y 1x Serial port connector
y 1x Parallel port connector
y 1x RGB LED connecotr
y 1x TBT connector
y 1x Clear CMOS jumper
I/O Controller NUVOTON NCT6795 Controller Chip
Hardware
Monitor
y CPU/System temperature detection
y CPU/System fan speed detection
y CPU/System fan speed control
Form Factor
y m-ATX Form Factor
y 9.6 in. x 9.0 in. (24.4 cm x 22.8 cm)
BIOS Features
y 1x 64 Mb flash
y UEFI AMI BIOS
y ACPI 5.0, PnP 1.0a, SM BIOS 2.8
y Multi-language
Continued on next page
Page 5
5
Specifications
Continued from previous page
Software
y Drivers
y COMMAND CENTER
y LIVE UPDATE 6
y FAST BOOT
y SUPER CHARGER
y MYSTIC LIGHT
y RAMDISK
y X-BOOST
y MSI SMART TOOL
y NETWORK GENIE
y Intel
®
Extreme Tuning Utility
y Norton
™
Security
y Google Chrome
™
,Google Toolbar, Google Drive
y CPU-Z MSI GAMING
Page 6
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Rear I/O Panel
Rear I/O Panel
PS/2 Mouse
PS/2 Keyboard
LAN
USB 3.1
Gen1
Type-A
USB 3.1
Gen1
Type-A
USB 3.1 Gen1
Type-C
USB 2.0
DVI-D
VGA
Line-in
Line-out
Mic in
Link/ Activity LED
Status Description
Off No link
Yellow Linked
Blinking Data activity
Speed LED
Status Description
Off 10 Mbps connection
Green 100 Mbps connection
Orange 1 Gbps connection
LAN Port LED Status Table
Audio 7.1-channel Configuration
To configure 7.1-channel audio, you have to connect front audio I/O module to JAUD1
connector and follow the below steps.
1. Click on the Realtek HD Audio Manager > Advanced Settings to open the dialog
below.
2. Select Mute the rear output device, when a front headphone plugged in.
3. Plug your speakers to audio jacks on rear and front I/O panel. When you plug into
a device at an audio jack, a dialogue window will pop up asking you which device
is current connected.
Page 7
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Overview of Components
Overview of Components
CPU_FAN1
CPU Socket
PCI_E1
SYS_FAN1
PCI_E2
PCI_E3
M2_1
JCI1
JTPM1
DIMMA1
DIMMA2
DIMMB1
DIMMB2
DIMM LEDs
SYS_FAN2
JUSB1
JBAT1
JLED1
JFP1
JFP2
ATX_PWR1
CPU_PWR1
EZ Debug LED
SATA3
SATA4
SATA5
SATA6JUSB2
JUSB3
JLPT1
JCOM1
JAUD1
JTBT1*
SATA▼1▲2
* JTBT1 is used to connect a specific card.
Page 8
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Rear I/O Panel
CPU Socket
Please install the CPU into the CPU socket as shown below.
Important
y
Always unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing or removing
the CPU.
y
Please retain the CPU protective cap after installing the processor. MSI will deal
with Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) requests if only the motherboard
comes with the protective cap on the CPU socket.
y
When installing a CPU, always remember to install a CPU heatsink. A CPU heatsink
is necessary to prevent overheating and maintain system stability.
y
Confirm that the CPU heatsink has formed a tight seal with the CPU before booting
your system.
y
Overheating can seriously damage the CPU and motherboard. Always make sure
the cooling fans work properly to protect the CPU from overheating. Be sure to
apply an even layer of thermal paste (or thermal tape) between the CPU and the
heatsink to enhance heat dissipation.
y
Whenever the CPU is not installed, always protect the CPU socket pins by covering
the socket with the plastic cap.
y
If you purchased a separate CPU and heatsink/ cooler, Please refer to the
documentation in the heatsink/ cooler package for more details about installation.
1
4
6
5
7
8
9
3
2
Page 9
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Rear I/O Panel
DIMM Slots
Please install the memory module into the DIMM slot as shown below.
Important
y
To boot up the system successfully, always insert the memory module into DIMMA2
first.
y
Due to chipset resource usage, the available capacity of memory will be a little less
than the amount of installed.
y
Please note that the maximum capacity of addressable memory is 4GB or less
for 32-bit Windows OS due to the memory address limitation. Therefore, we
recommended that you to install 64-bit Windows OS if you want to install more than
4GB memory on the motherboard.
PCI_E1~3: PCIe Expansion Slots
PCI_E1: PCIe 3.0 x16 slot
PCI_E3: PCIe 3.0 x1 slot
PCI_E2: PCIe 3.0 x1 slot
Important
When adding or removing expansion cards, always turn off the power supply and
unplug the power supply power cable from the power outlet. Read the expansion
card’s documentation to check for any necessary additional hardware or software
changes.
1
1
2
3
3
2
Page 10
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Rear I/O Panel
SATA1~6: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors
These connectors are SATA 6Gb/s interface ports. Each connector can connect to one
SATA device.
SATA1
SATA2
SATA3
SATA5
SATA4
SATA6
Important
y
Please do not fold the SATA cable at a 90-degree angle. Data loss may result during
transmission otherwise.
y
SATA cables have identical plugs on either sides of the cable. However, it is
recommended that the flat connector be connected to the motherboard for space
saving purposes.
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors
These connectors connect to the switches and LEDs on the front panel.
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
1
JFP2
1 Speaker - 2 Buzzer +
3 Buzzer - 4 Speaker +
HDD LED
RESET SW
HDD LED
HDD LED HDD LED +
POWER LED -
POWER LED +
POWER LED
JFP1
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Rear I/O Panel
M2_1: M.2 Slot (Key M)
Please install the M.2 solid-state drive (SSD) into the M.2 slot as shown below.
ATX_PWR1, CPU_PWR1: Power Connectors
These connectors allow you to connect an ATX power supply.
24
131
12
ATX_PWR1
1 +3.3V 13 +3.3V
2 +3.3V 14 -12V
3 Ground 15 Ground
4 +5V 16 PS-ON#
5 Ground 17 Ground
6 +5V 18 Ground
7 Ground 19 Ground
8 PWR OK 20 Res
9 5VSB 21 +5V
10 +12V 22 +5V
11 +12V 23 +5V
12 +3.3V 24 Ground
5
4
1
8
CPU_PWR1
1 Ground 5 +12V
2 Ground 6 +12V
3 Ground 7 +12V
4 Ground 8 +12V
Important
Make sure that all the power cables are securely connected to a proper ATX power
supply to ensure stable operation of the motherboard.
1
2
3
4
5
Important
Intel® RST only supports PCIe M.2 SSD with UEFI ROM, does not support Legacy
ROM.
30°
Page 12
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Rear I/O Panel
JUSB1: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connector
This connector allows you to connect USB 3.1 Gen1 ports on the front panel.
1
10 11
20
1 Power 11 USB2.0+
2 USB3_RX_DN 12 USB2.03 USB3_RX_DP 13 Ground
4 Ground 14 USB3_TX_C_DP
5 USB3_TX_C_DN 15 USB3_TX_C_DN
6 USB3_TX_C_DP 16 Ground
7 Ground 17 USB3_RX_DP
8 USB2.0- 18 USB3_RX_DN
9 USB2.0+ 19 Power
10 NC 20 No Pin
Important
Note that the Power and Ground pins must be connected correctly to avoid possible
damage.
JUSB2~3: USB 2.0 Connectors
These connectors allow you to connect USB 2.0 ports on the front panel.
1
2 10
9
1 VCC 2 VCC
3 USB0- 4 USB15 USB0+ 6 USB1+
7 Ground 8 Ground
9 No Pin 10 NC
Important
y
Note that the VCC and Ground pins must be connected correctly to avoid possible
damage.
y
In order to recharge your iPad,iPhone and iPod through USB ports, please install
MSI
®
SUPER CHARGER utility.
Page 13
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Rear I/O Panel
CPU_FAN1, SYS_FAN1~2: Fan Connectors
Fan connectors can be classified as PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) Mode and DC
Mode. PWM Mode fan connectors provide constant 12V output and adjust fan speed
with speed control signal. DC Mode fan connectors control fan speed by changing
voltage. Therefore, when you plug a 3-pin (Non-PWM) fan to a PWM Mode fan
connector, the fan speed will be always maintained at 100%, and that could be noisy.
1
CPU_FAN1
1 Ground 2 +12V
3 Sense 4
Speed Control
Signal
1
SYS_FAN1
1
SYS_FAN2
1 Ground 2
Voltage
Control
3 Sense 4 NC
PWM Mode fan connector DC Mode fan connector
Switching fan mode and adjusting fan speed
You can switch between PWM mode and DC mode and adjust fan speed in BIOS >
HARDWARE MONITOR.
Select PWM mode or DC mode
Important
Make sure fans are working properly after switching the PWM/ DC mode.
There are gradient points of the fan speed that allow you to
adjust fan speed in relation to CPU temperature.
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Rear I/O Panel
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector
This connector is for TPM (Trusted Platform Module). Please refer to the TPM
security platform manual for more details and usages.
1
2 14
13
1 LPC Clock 2 3V Standby power
3 LPC Reset 4 3.3V Power
5 LPC address & data pin0 6 Serial IRQ
7 LPC address & data pin1 8 5V Power
9 LPC address & data pin2 10 No Pin
11 LPC address & data pin3 12 Ground
13 LPC Frame 14 Ground
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector
This connector allows you to connect the chassis intrusion switch cable.
Normal
(default)
Trigger the chassis
intrusion event
Using chassis intrusion detector
1. Connect the JCI1 connector to the chassis intrusion switch/ sensor on the
chassis.
2. Close the chassis cover.
3. Go to BIOS > Security > Chassis Intrusion Configuration.
4. Set Chassis Intrusion to Enabled.
5. Press F10 to save and exit and then press the Enter key to select Yes.
6. Once the chassis cover is opened again, a warning message will be displayed on
screen when the computer is turned on.
Resetting the chassis intrusion warning
1. Go to BIOS > Security > Chassis Intrusion Configuration.
2. Set Chassis Intrusion to Reset.
3. Press F10 to save and exit and then press the Enter key to select Yes.
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Rear I/O Panel
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector
This connector allow you to connect audio jacks on the front panel.
1
2 10
9
1 MIC L 2 Ground
3 MIC R 4 NC
5 Head Phone R 6 MIC Detection
7 SENSE_SEND 8 No Pin
9 Head Phone L 10 Head Phone Detection
JCOM1: Serial Port Connector
This connector allows you to connect the optional serial port with bracket.
1
2 10
9
1 DCD 2 SIN
3 SOUT 4 DTR
5 Ground 6 DSR
7 RTS 8 CTS
9 RI 10 No Pin
1
2 26
25
1 RSTB# 2 AFD# 3 PRND0
4 ERR# 5 PRND1 6 PINIT#
7 PRND2 8 LPT_SLIN# 9 PRND3
10 Ground 11 PRND4 12 Ground
13 PRND5 14 Ground 15 PRND6
16 Ground 17 PRND7 18 Ground
19 ACK# 20 Ground 21 BUSY
22 Ground 23 PE 24 Ground
25 SLCT 26 No Pin
JLPT1: Parallel Port Connector
This connector allows you to connect the optional parallel port with bracket.
Page 16
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Rear I/O Panel
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper
There is CMOS memory onboard that is external powered from a battery located on
the motherboard to save system configuration data. If you want to clear the system
configuration, set the jumpers to clear the CMOS memory.
Keep Data
(default)
Clear CMOS/ Reset
BIOS
Resetting BIOS to default values
1. Power off the computer and unplug the power cord
2. Use a jumper cap to short JBAT1 for about 5-10 seconds.
3. Remove the jumper cap from JBAT1.
4. Plug the power cord and power on the computer.
JLED1: RGB LED connector
These connectors allow you to connect the 5050 RGB LED strips.
Important
y
This connector supports 5050 RGB multi-color LED strips (12V/G/R/B) with the
maximum power rating of 3A (12V). Please keeping the LED strip shorter than 2
meters to prevent dimming.
y
Always turn off the power supply and unplug the power cord from the power outlet
before installing or removing the RGB LED strip.
y
Please use the LED Effect of GAMING APP to adjust, calibrate and control the LED
light, refer to the Software section for details.
1
JLED1
Extension cable
5050 LED strip
1
1 +12V 2 G
3 R 4 B
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Rear I/O Panel
Onboard LEDs
DIMM LEDs - indicate the memory modules are installed.
PCIe x16 slot LED - indicates the PCIe x16 slots status. [Red] - x16 mode.
[White] - X8, X4, X1 mode.
EZ Debug LED
These LEDs indicate the status of the motherboard.
CPU - indicates CPU is not detected or fail.
DRAM - indicates DRAM is not detected or fail.
VGA - indicates GPU is not detected or fail.
BOOT - indicates booting device is not detected or fail.
Page 18
18
BIOS Setup
BIOS Setup
The default settings offer the optimal performance for system stability in normal
conditions. You should always keep the default settings to avoid possible system
damage or failure booting unless you are familiar with BIOS.
Important
y
BIOS items are continuous update for better system performance. Therefore, the
description may be slightly different from the latest BIOS and should be held for
reference only. You could also refer to the HELP information panel for BIOS item
description.
y
The pictures in this chapter are for reference only and may vary from the product
you purchased.
Entering BIOS Setup
Please refer the following methods to enter BIOS setup.
y Press Delete key, when the Press DEL key to enter Setup Menu, F11 to enter Boot
Menu message appears on the screen during the boot process.
y Use MSI FAST BOOT application. Click on GO2BIOS button and choose OK. The
system will reboot and enter BIOS setup directly.
Click on GO2BIOS
Function key
Key Function Key Function
F1 General Help F2 Add/ Remove a favorite item
F3 Enter Favorites menu F4 Enter CPU Specifications menu
F5 Enter Memory-Z menu F6 Load optimized defaults
F7
Switch between Advanced mode
and EZ mode
F8 Load Overclocking Profile
F9 Save Overclocking Profile F10 Save Change and Reset*
F12 Take a screenshot and save it to USB flash drive (FAT/ FAT32 format only).
* When you press F10, a confirmation window which provides the modification
information appears. Select between Yes or No to confirm your choice.
Page 19
19
BIOS Setup
Resetting BIOS
You might need to restore the default BIOS setting to solve certain problems. There
are several ways to reset BIOS:
y Go to BIOS and press F6 to load optimized defaults.
y Short the Clear CMOS jumper on the motherboard.
Important
Please refer to the Clear CMOS jumper section for resetting BIOS.
Updating BIOS
Updating BIOS with M-FLASH
Before updating:
Please download the latest BIOS file that matches your motherboard model from MSI
website. And then save the BIOS file into the USB flash drive.
Updating BIOS:
1. Insert the USB flash drive that contains the update file into the computer.
2. Reboot the system, and then press Del key to enter the BIOS Setup during POST.
3. Go to BIOS > M-FLASH > Select one file to update BIOS and ME, select a BIOS file
to perform the BIOS update process.
4. After the flashing process is 100% complete, the system will reboot.
Updating the BIOS with Live Update 6
Before updating:
Make sure the LAN driver is already installed and the internet connection is set
properly.
Updating BIOS:
1. Install and launch MSI LIVE UPDATE 6.
2. Select Manual scan.
3. Check MB BIOS box and click on Scan button.
4. Select the MB BIOS and click on
icon to download and install the latest BIOS
file.
5. Click Next and choose In Windows mode. And then click Next and Start to start
updating BIOS.
6. After the flashing process is 100% completed, the system will restart
automatically.
Page 20
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Software Description
Software Description
Installing Windows® 7/ 8.1/ 10
1. Power on the computer.
2. Insert the Windows
®
7/ 8.1/ 10 disc into your optical drive.
Note: Due to chipset limitation, during the Windows® 7 installation process, USB
optical drives and USB pen drives are not supported. You can use MSI Smart Tool
to install Windows® 7.
3. Press the Restart button on the computer case.
4. For windows 8.1/ 10, skip this step. For Windows 7, access the BIOS menu
Advanced > Windows OS Configuration > Windows 7 Installation and set the item
to enabled, save changes and restart.
Note: It is suggested to plug in your USB Keyboard/USB Mouse to the leftmost
USB port when installing Windows 7.
5. Press F11 key during the computer POST (Power-On Self Test) to get into Boot
Menu.
6. Select your optical drive from the Boot Menu.
7. Press any key when screen shows Press any key to boot from CD or DVD...
message.
8. Follow the instructions on the screen to install Windows
®
7/ 8.1/ 10.
Installing Drivers
1. Start up your computer in Windows® 7/ 8.1/ 10.
2. Insert MSI
®
Driver Disc into your optical drive.
3. The installer will automatically appear and it will find and list all necessary
drivers.
4. Click Install button.
5. The software installation will then be in progress, after it has finished it will
prompt you to restart.
6. Click OK button to finish.
7. Restart your computer.
Installing Utilities
Before you install utilities, you must complete drivers installation.
1. Insert MSI
®
Driver Disc into your optical drive.
2. The installer will automatically appear.
3. Click Utilities tab.
4. Select the utilities you want to install.
5. Click Install button.
6. The utilities installation will then be in progress, after it has finished it will
prompt you to restart.
7. Click OK button to finish.
8. Restart your computer.
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