MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Pro carbon Manual

Quick Start

Thank you for purchasing the MSI® MPG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON AC/ MPG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON motherboard. This Quick Start section provides demonstration diagrams about how to install your computer. Some of the installations also provide video demonstrations. Please link to the URL to watch it with the web browser on your phone or tablet. You may have even link to the URL by scanning the QR code.

Preparing Tools and Components

Intel® LGA 1151 CPU

CPU Fan

Chassis

DDR4 Memory

Power Supply Unit

Graphics Card

Thermal Paste

SATA Hard Disk Drive	SATA DVD Drive

Phillips Screwdriver

A Package of Screws

Quick Start 1

Installing a Processor	2

https://youtu.be/4ce91YC3Oww

1

3

	7
4	5	9

6

8

2 Quick Start

Installing DDR4 memory

http://youtu.be/T03aDrJPyQs

1

1

2

3 2

3

	DIMMB2	DIMMB2
		DIMMB1
DIMMA2	DIMMA2	DIMMA2
		DIMMA1

Quick Start 3

Connecting the Front Panel Header

http://youtu.be/DPELIdVNZUI

		-
		LED
	LED+		POWER
			POWER
	LED
SW		HDD
POWER
SW
RESET

		Power LED							Power Switch
				+ - + -
	JFP1			2										10
				1										9
				+ - - +											Reserved
			HDD LED							Reset Switch
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

HDD LED

POWER LED

RESETSW

HDDLED

HDD LED - HDD LED +

POWER LED - POWER LED +

4 Quick Start

Installing the Motherboard

1

Quick Start 5

Installing SATA Drives

http://youtu.be/RZsMpqxythc	1

2	3

5

4

6 Quick Start

Installing a Graphics Card

http://youtu.be/mG0GZpr9w_A

1

3

2

5

4

6

Quick Start 7

Connecting Peripheral Devices

8 Quick Start

Connecting the Power Connectors

http://youtu.be/gkDYyR_83I4

ATX_PWR1	CPU_PWR1

CPU_PWR2

Quick Start 9

Power On

1

2

3

4

10 Quick Start

Contents
Quick Start .............................................................................................................	1
Preparing Tools and Components..........................................................................	1
Installing a Processor.............................................................................................	2
Installing DDR4 memory ........................................................................................	3
Connecting the Front Panel Header.......................................................................	4
Installing the Motherboard.....................................................................................	5
Installing SATA Drives.............................................................................................	6
Installing a Graphics Card ......................................................................................	7
Connecting Peripheral Devices ..............................................................................	8
Connecting the Power Connectors.........................................................................	9
Power On...............................................................................................................	10
Specifications.......................................................................................................	14
JCORSAIR1 Connector Specification....................................................................	19
Package contents ................................................................................................	19
Block Diagram ....................................................................................................	20
Rear I/O Panel .....................................................................................................	21
LAN Port LED Status Table...................................................................................	21
Audio Ports Configuration ....................................................................................	21
Realtek Audio Console .........................................................................................	22
Installing Antennas...............................................................................................	24
Overview of Components ....................................................................................	25
CPU Socket ...........................................................................................................	27
DIMM Slots............................................................................................................	28
PCI_E1~6: PCIe Expansion Slots..........................................................................	29
M2_1~2: M.2 Slots (Key M) ...................................................................................	31
SATA1~6: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors .......................................................................	32
CPU_PWR1~2, ATX_PWR1: Power Connectors ...................................................	34
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors ...................................................................	35
JUSBC1: USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C Connector ..........................................................	35
JUSB1~2: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors ...................................................................	36
JUSB3~4: USB 2.0 Connectors.............................................................................	36
CPU_FAN1, PUMP_FAN1, SYS_FAN1~5: Fan Connectors...................................	37
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................	38
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector.......................................................................	38
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector...........................................................................	39
JCOM1: Serial Port Connector .............................................................................	39
JTBT1: Thunderbolt Add-on Card Connector ......................................................	39

Contents 11

JRGB1~2, JRAINBOW1: RGB LED connectors.....................................................	40
JCORSAIR1: CORSAIR Connector ........................................................................	41
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper ...........................................................	42
Onboard LEDs......................................................................................................	43
EZ Debug LED.......................................................................................................	43
DIMM LEDs ...........................................................................................................	43
XMP LED ...............................................................................................................	43
JPWRLED1: LED power input...............................................................................	43
Installing OS, Drivers & Utilities .........................................................................	44
Installing Windows® 10.........................................................................................	44
Installing Drivers ..................................................................................................	44
Installing Utilities .................................................................................................	44
MYSTIC LIGHT......................................................................................................	45
Device LED effect control screen .........................................................................	45
Nahimic 3 .............................................................................................................	48
Installation and Update ........................................................................................	48
Audio Tab ..............................................................................................................	48
Microphone Tab ....................................................................................................	49
Sound Tracker Tab................................................................................................	50
Settings Tab ..........................................................................................................	50
BIOS Setup...........................................................................................................	51
Entering BIOS Setup.............................................................................................	51
Resetting BIOS......................................................................................................	52
Updating BIOS.......................................................................................................	52
EZ Mode ................................................................................................................	53
Advanced Mode ....................................................................................................	55
SETTINGS..............................................................................................................	56
Advanced...............................................................................................................	56
Boot.......................................................................................................................	63
Security.................................................................................................................	64
Save & Exit............................................................................................................	65
OC..........................................................................................................................	66
M-FLASH ..............................................................................................................	72
OC PROFILE..........................................................................................................	73
HARDWARE MONITOR..........................................................................................	74
RAID Configuration..............................................................................................	75
Enabling Intel® Rapid Storage Technology ..........................................................	75
Creating RAID Volume .........................................................................................	76
Removing a RAID Volume ....................................................................................	77

12 Contents

Resetting Disks to Non-RAID ...............................................................................	78
Rebuilding RAID Array..........................................................................................	79
Installing RAID Driver...........................................................................................	80
Installing Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Software ..........................................	80
Intel® Optane™ Memory Configuration ..............................................................	81
System Requirements .........................................................................................	81
Installing the Intel® Optane™ memory ................................................................	81
Removing the Intel® Optane™ memory ...............................................................	83
Troubleshooting ..................................................................................................	84

Contents 13

Specifications

		Supports Intel® Core™ 9000 Series family/ 8th Gen Intel®
	CPU	Core™ / Pentium® Gold / Celeron® processors for LGA 1151
		socket
		* Please go to www.intel.com for more compatibility information.
	Chipset	Intel® Z390 Chipset
		y4x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 64GB*
		ySupports DDR4 4400(OC)/ 4300(OC)/ 4266(OC)/ 4200(OC)/
		4133(OC)/ 4000(OC)/ 3866(OC)/ 3733(OC)/ 3600(OC)/
		3466(OC)/ 3400(OC)/ 3333(OC)/ 3300(OC)/ 3200(OC)/ 3000(OC)
	Memory	/ 2800(OC)/ 2666/ 2400/ 2133 MHz*
		ySupports Dual-Channel mode
		ySupports non-ECC, un-buffered memory
		ySupports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
		* Please refer www.msi.com for more information on compatible memory.
	Expansion Slot	y3x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (support x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4 modes)
		y3x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots
		y1x HDMI™ port 1.4, supports a maximum resolution of
	Onboard Graphics	4096x2160@24Hz
		y1x DisplayPort port 1.2, supports a maximum resolution of
		4096X2304@60Hz
	Multi-GPU	ySupports 2-Way NVIDIA® SLI™ Technology
		ySupports 3-Way AMD® CrossFire™ Technology
		Intel® Z390 Chipset
		y6x SATA 6Gb/s ports*
		y2x M.2 slots (Key M)*
	Storage	Support up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s, 2242/ 2260/
		2280/ 22110 storage devices
		Intel® Optane™ Memory Ready**
		* M.2 slots and SATA ports share the bandwidth. Please refer to page 32 for
		details.
		** Before using Intel® Optane™ memory modules, please ensure that you have
		updated the drivers and BIOS to the latest version from MSI website.
		Continued on next page

14 Specifications

Continued from previous page

		Intel® Z390 Chipset
	RAID	ySupports RAID 0, RAID1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA
		storage devices
		ySupports RAID 0 and RAID 1 for M.2 PCIe storage devices
	LAN	1x Intel I219-V Gigabit LAN controller
	Wirsless LAN &	Intel® Wireless-AC 9560
	Bluetooth®	ySupports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MU-MIMO Rx, 2.4GHz/ 5GHz
	(for MPG Z390
		(160MHz) up to 1.73Gbps
	GAMING PRO	ySupports Bluetooth®2.1, 2.1+EDR, 3.0,4.0, 5
	CARBON AC only)
		Intel® Z390 Chipset
		y5x USB 3.1 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) ports (1 Type-C
		and 3 Type-A ports on the back panel, 1 Type-C internal
		connector)
	USB	y4x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports available through
		the internal USB connectors
		y6x USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) ports (2 Type-A ports on
		the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB
		connectors)
		Realtek® ALC1220P Codec
	Audio	y7.1-Channel High Definition Audio
		ySupports S/PDIF output
		y1x PS/2 keyboard/ mouse combo port
		y2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
		y1x DisplayPort port
		y1x HDMI™ port
	Back Panel	y3x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A ports
		y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
	Connectors
		y1x LAN (RJ45) port
		y2x Wi-Fi Antenna connectors (for MPG Z390 GAMING PRO
		CARBON AC only)
		y5x OFC audio jacks
		y1x Optical S/PDIF OUT connector
		Continued on next page

Specifications 15

Continued from previous page

y1x 24-pin ATX main power connector

y1x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector

y1x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector

y6x SATA 6Gb/s connectors

y1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port

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

Internal Connectors y1x 4-pin Water Pump connector

y5x 4-pin system fan connectors

y1x Serial port connector

y1x Front panel audio connector

y2x System panel connectors

y1x Thunderbolt Add-on Card Connector

y1x Chassis Intrusion connector

y1x TPM module connector

y2x 4-pin RGB LED connectors

y1x 3-pin RAINBOW LED connector

y1x 3-pin CORSAIR LED connector

	Debug LED	y4x EZ Debug LED
	I/O Controller	NUVOTON NCT6797 Controller Chip
		yCPU/System temperature detection
	Hardware Monitor	yCPU/System fan speed detection
		yCPU/System fan speed control
	Form Factor	yATX Form Factor
		y9.6 in. x 12 in. (24.3 cm x 30.4 cm)
		y1x 128 Mb flash
	BIOS Features	yUEFI AMI BIOS
		yACPI 6.1, SMBIOS 2.8
		yMulti-language
		Continued on next page

16 Specifications

Continued from previous page

	yDrivers
	yDRAGON CENTER
	yMYSTIC LIGHT
	yNahimic Audio
Software	yOpen Broadcaster Software (OBS)
	yCPU-Z MSI GAMING
	yMSI App Player (BlueStacks)
	yIntel® Extreme Tuning Utility
	yGoogle Chrome™, Google Toolbar, Google Drive
	yNorton™ Internet Security Solution
	yGAME OPTIMIZATION
	yOC Performance
Dragon Center	yHardware Monitor
Features	yEyerest
	yLAN Manager	Please refer to http://download.msi.
	yLive Update	com/manual/mb/DRAGONCENTER2.
		pdf for more details.
	yAudio
	Audio Boost 4
	Nahimic 3
	Voice Boost
	yNetwork
	GAMING LAN with Gaming LAN Manager
Special Features	Intel CNVi WiFi (MPG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON AC)*
	yStorage
	Twin Turbo M.2
	yFan
	Pump Fan
	GAMING Fan Control
	* MPG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON doesn’t support Intel CNVi WiFi
	Continued on next page

Specifications 17

Continued from previous page

		yLED
		Mystic Light
		Mystic Light Extension (RGB)
		Mystic Light Extension (RAINBOW)
		Mystic Light Extension (CORSAIR)
		Mystic light SYNC
		EZ DEBUG LED
		yProtection
		DDR4 Steel Armor
		PCI-E Steel Armor
		M.2 Shield Frozr
		Pre-installed IO shielding
		yPerformance
	Special Features	Multi GPU – SLI Technology
		Multi GPU – CrossFire Technology
		DDR4 Boost
		Core Boost
		GAME Boost
		USB with type A+C
		INTEL Turbo USB 3.1 Gen 2
		yVR
		VR Ready
		yGamer Experience
		GAMING HOTKEY
		GAMING MOUSE Control
		APP Player
		yBIOS
		Click BIOS 5

18 Specifications

JCORSAIR1 Connector Specification

	Supporting CORSAIR RGB Products	Maximum connection
	Lighting Node PRO LED Strip	20*
		* In the case of 20% brightness
	HD120 RGB Fan	6
	SP120 RGB Fan	6
	LL120 RGB Fan	6

Package contents

Please check the contents of your motherboard package. It should contain:

			MPG Z390	MPG Z390
	Motherboard		GAMING PRO	GAMING PRO
			CARBON	CARBON AC
		SATA 6Gb/s Cables	2	2
	Cable	LED Y CABLE	1	1
		LED JCORSAIR CABLE	1	1
		LED JRAINBOW CABLE	1	1
		Antenna Set	N/A	1
		SLI HB BRIDGE M	1	1
	Accessories	M.2 Screw	2	2
		Case Badge	1	1
		SATA Cable Lables	1	1
		VIP Card	1	1
	Application DVD	Driver DVD	1	1
	Documentation	User Manual	1	1
		Quick Installation Guide	1	1

Important

If any of the above items are damaged or missing, please contact your retailer.

Package contents 19

Block Diagram

2 Channel DDR4 Memory

Processor

Switch

PCI Express Bus

DMI 3.0

4x SATA 6Gb/s
1x M.2
		PCIe x1 slot
2x SATA 6Gb/s	Switch	PCIe x1 slot
		PCIe x1 slot
1x M.2		PCH
4x USB 3.1 Gen1		Intel I219
6x USB 2.0		5x USB 3.1 Gen2
	NV6797	Realtek
	Super I/O	ALC1220P
	P/S2 Mouse / Keyboard	(Rear + Front)
		Audio Jacks

20 Block Diagram

Rear I/O Panel

Wi-Fi Antenna connectors

Audio Ports

PS/2	LAN
	USB 3.1 Gen2
	DisplayPort

USB 2.0	USB 3.1 Gen2	Optical S/PDIF-Out
	USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C

LAN Port LED Status Table

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

Audio Ports Configuration

Audio Ports

Channel

2

4

6

8

Center/ Subwoofer Out

●

●

Rear Speaker Out

●

●

●

Line-In/ Side Speaker Out

●

Line-Out/ Front Speaker Out

●

●

●

●

Mic In

(●: connected, Blank: empty)

Rear I/O Panel 21

Realtek Audio Console

After Realtek Audio Console is installed. You can use it to change sound settings to get better sound experience.

Application Enhancement

Advanced Settings

Device

Selection

Main Volume

Connector Settings
	Jack Status

yDevice Selection - allows you to select a audio output source to change the related options. The check sign indicates the devices as default.

yApplication Enhancement - the array of options will provide you a complete guidance of anticipated sound effect for both output and input device.

yMain Volume - controls the volume or balance the right/left side of the speakers that you plugged in front or rear panel by adjust the bar.

yAdvanced Settings - provides the mechanism to deal with 2 independent audio streams.

yJack Status - depicts all render and capture devices currently connected with your computer.

yConnector Settings - configures the connection settings.

Auto popup dialog

When you plug into a device at an audio jack, a dialogue window will pop up asking you which device is current connected.

Each jack corresponds to its default setting as shown on the next page.

Important

The pictures above for reference only and may vary from the product you purchased.

22 Rear I/O Panel

Audio jacks to headphone and microphone diagram

Audio jacks to stereo speakers diagram

AUDIO INPUT

Audio jacks to 7.1-channel speakers diagram

AUDIO INPUT

Rear	Front
Side	Center/
	Subwoofer

Rear I/O Panel 23

Installing Antennas

1.Combine the antenna with the base.

2.Screw two antenna cables tight to the WiFi antenna connectors as shown.

2

1

3. Place the antenna as high as possible.

24 Rear I/O Panel

Overview of Components

CNVI_1

SYS_FAN2

PCI_E1

PCI_E2

JBAT1

PCI_E3

JTPM1

PCI_E4

PCI_E5

PCI_E6

JAUD1

	DIMMA1
		DIMMA2
		DIMMB1
CPU_PWR2	CPU Socket	DIMMB2
CPU_PWR1	CPU_FAN1	JRGB2

JCORSAIR1

PUMP_FAN1

SYS_FAN1

ATX_PWR1

JUSB1

JUSBC1

M2_1

JUSB2

SATA▼1▲2

SATA▼3▲4

SATA▼5▲6

M2_2

JFP2

JFP1

	JRGB1	JTBT1
	JRAINBOW1	JUSB3 JUSB4
	SYS_FAN3	JCI1
	SYS_FAN4
	SYS_FAN5	JPWRLED1
	JCOM1

Overview of Components 25

Component Contents

	Port Name	Port Type	Page
	CPU_FAN1, PUMP_FAN1,	Fan Connectors	37
	SYS_FAN1~5
	CPU_PWR1~2, ATX_PWR1	Power Connectors	34
	CPU Socket	LGA1151 CPU Socket	27
	DIMMA1/A2/B1/B2	DIMM Slots	28
	JAUD1	Front Audio Connector	38
	JBAT1	Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper	42
	JCI1	Chassis Intrusion Connector	38
	JCOM1	Serial Port Connector	39
	JCORSAIR1	CORSAIR Connector	41
	JFP1, JFP2	Front Panel Connectors	35
	JPWRLED1	LED power input	43
	JRGB1~2, JRAINBOW1	RGB LED connectors	40
	JTBT1	Thunderbolt Add-on Card Connector	39
	JTPM1	TPM Module Connector	39
	JUSB1~2	USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors	36
	JUSB3~4	USB 2.0 Connectors	36
	JUSBC1	USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C Connector	35
	M2_1~2	M.2 Slots (Key M)	31
	PCI_E1~6	PCIe Expansion Slots	29
	SATA1~6	SATA 6Gb/s Connectors	32

26 Overview of Components

CPU Socket

Distance from the center of the

CPU to the nearest DIMM slot.

50.77 mm

Introduction to the LGA 1151 CPU

The surface of the LGA 1151 CPU has two notches and a golden triangle to assist in correctly lining up the CPU for motherboard placement. The golden triangle is the Pin 1 indicator.

Important

yAlways unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing or removing the CPU.

yPlease 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.

yWhen installing a CPU, always remember to install a CPU heatsink. A CPU heatsink is necessary to prevent overheating and maintain system stability.

yConfirm that the CPU heatsink has formed a tight seal with the CPU before booting your system.

yOverheating 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.

yWhenever the CPU is not installed, always protect the CPU socket pins by covering the socket with the plastic cap.

yIf you purchased a separate CPU and heatsink/ cooler, Please refer to the documentation in the heatsink/ cooler package for more details about installation.

yThis motherboard is designed to support overclocking. Before attempting to overclock, please make sure that all other system components can tolerate overclocking. Any attempt to operate beyond product specifications is not recommended. MSI® does not guarantee the damages or risks caused by inadequate operation beyond product specifications.

Overview of Components 27