MSI X470 Gaming Pro Max operation manual

Unpacking

Thank you for buying the MSI® X470 GAMING PRO MAX motherboard. Check to make sure your motherboard box contains the following items. If something is missing, contact your dealer as soon as possible.

Motherboard

I/O Shield

Case Badge

Drivers & Utilities

Disc

SATA Cable x2

SATA Cable Labels

Motherboard User

Guide

M.2 Screw x2

Unpacking

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.

Safety Information

Quick Start

Preparing Tools and Components

AMD® AM4 CPU

DDR4 Memory

SATA DVD Drive

CPU Fan

Chassis

SATA Hard Disk Drive

Thermal Paste

Power Supply Unit

Graphics Card

Phillips Screwdriver

A Package of Screws

Quick Start

Installing a Processor

https://youtu.be/Xv89nhFk1vc

Quick Start

CPU_FAN1

Important

If you are installing the screw-type CPU heatsink, please follow the figure below to remove the retention module first and then install the heatsink.

Quick Start

Installing DDR4 memory

http://youtu.be/T03aDrJPyQs

Quick Start

DIMMB2 DIMMB2

DIMMA2 DIMMA2 DIMMA2

DIMMB1

DIMMA1

Connecting the Front Panel Header

RESET SW

POWER SW

POWER LED+

POWER LED-

HDD LED

http://youtu.be/DPELIdVNZUI

2 10

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

HDD LED

POWER LED

HDD LED

HDD LED HDD LED +

POWER LED POWER LED +

Quick Start

RESET SW

JFP1

Installing the Motherboard

Quick Start

Installing SATA Drives

http://youtu.be/RZsMpqxythc

Quick Start

Installing a Graphics Card

http://youtu.be/mG0GZpr9w_A

Quick Start

Connecting Peripheral Devices

Integrated Graphics Processing Unit (iGPU)

Quick Start

Connecting the Power Connectors

http://youtu.be/gkDYyR_83I4

Quick Start

ATX_PWR1

CPU_PWR2

CPU_PWR1

Power On

Quick Start

Contents

Unpacking .............................................................................................................. 1

Safety Information ................................................................................................. 2

Quick Start ............................................................................................................. 3

Preparing Tools and Components .......................................................................... 3

Installing a Processor ............................................................................................. 4

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

M2_1~2: M.2 Slots (Key M) ................................................................................... 32

SATA1~6: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors ....................................................................... 33

JLPT1: Parallel Port Connector ........................................................................... 33

CPU_PWR1, CPU_PWR2, ATX_PWR1: Power Connectors .................................. 34

JUSB1~2: USB 2.0 Connectors ............................................................................. 35

JUSB3~4: USB 3.2 Gen1 Connectors ................................................................... 35

CPU_FAN1, PUMP_FAN1, SYS_FAN1~4: Fan Connectors ................................... 36

JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................37

JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector ....................................................................... 37

JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors ................................................................... 38

JTPM1: TPM Module Connector ........................................................................... 38

JCOM1: Serial Port Connector ............................................................................. 39

JRGB1, JRGB2: RGB LED Connectors ................................................................. 39

JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper ........................................................... 40

Contents

CLR_CMOS1: Clear CMOS Button ........................................................................ 40

BIOS Setup ........................................................................................................... 41

Entering BIOS Setup ............................................................................................. 41

Resetting BIOS ...................................................................................................... 42

Updating BIOS ....................................................................................................... 42

EZ Mode ................................................................................................................ 43

Advanced Mode .................................................................................................... 45

SETTINGS .............................................................................................................. 46

Advanced ............................................................................................................... 46

Boot ....................................................................................................................... 51

Security ................................................................................................................. 52

Save & Exit ............................................................................................................ 54

OC .......................................................................................................................... 55

M-FLASH .............................................................................................................. 60

OC PROFILE .......................................................................................................... 61

HARDWARE MONITOR .......................................................................................... 62

A-XMP Operation .................................................................................................. 63

Software Description ........................................................................................... 64

Installing Windows® 10 ......................................................................................... 64

Installing Drivers .................................................................................................. 64

Installing Utilities ................................................................................................. 64

APP MANAGER ..................................................................................................... 65

LIVE UPDATE 6 ...................................................................................................... 66

COMMAND CENTER ............................................................................................. 68

GAMING APP ......................................................................................................... 72

X-BOOST ............................................................................................................... 77

MYSTIC LIGHT ....................................................................................................... 79

MYSTIC LIGHT PARTY ........................................................................................... 83

Joining Group ........................................................................................................ 84

Group Control Panel ............................................................................................. 85

Inviting Member .................................................................................................... 86

SMART TOOL ......................................................................................................... 87

RAMDISK............................................................................................................... 89

Nahimic 2.5 ........................................................................................................... 90

RAID Configuration .............................................................................................. 95

Using AMD RAID Controller BIOS Configuration Utility ....................................... 95

Initialize Disks ...................................................................................................... 97

Create Arrays ........................................................................................................ 98

Delete Arrays ........................................................................................................ 99

Swap Arrays ........................................................................................................ 100

Contents

Manage Spares ................................................................................................... 101

Change the Controller Options ........................................................................... 102

Booting the system from an array ...................................................................... 102

Pausing the boot sequence for warning messages ........................................... 102

Change the Staggered Spinup Count ................................................................. 103

Using UEFI to create a 2.2TB RAID .................................................................... 104

Installing RAID Driver ......................................................................................... 105

Troubleshooting ................................................................................................ 106

Contents

Specifications

Supports 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™/ Ryzen™ with

CPU

Chipset AMD

Memory

Expansion Slots

Radeon™ Vega Graphics and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Graphics/ Athlon™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Desktop Processors for Socket AM4

* Athlon™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics processors support up to 2400 MHz. And the supporting frequency of memory varies with installed processor. Please refer www.msi.com for more information on compatible memory.

* PCI_E6 slot will be unavailable when installing M.2 PCIe SSD in M2_2 slot.

X470 Chipset

y 4x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 64GB

 Supports DDR4 1866/ 2133/ 2400/ 2667 Mhz by JEDEC, and 2667/ 2800/ 2933/ 3000/ 3066/ 3200/ 3466 Mhz by A-XMP OC MODE*

y Dual channel memory architecture y Supports non-ECC UDIMM memory y Supports ECC UDIMM memory

y 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (PCIE_1, PCIE_4)

 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ Processors support x16/x0, x8/x8 mode

 Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Graphics Processors support x8/ x0 mode

 Athlon™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors support x4/x0 mode

y 1x PCIe 2.0 x16 slot (PCIE_6, supports x4 mode)* y 3x PCIe 2.0 x1 slots

Onboard Graphics

y 1x DVI-D port, supports a maximum resolution of

1920x1200@60Hz*

y 1x HDMI™ port 1.4, supports a maximum resolution of

4096x2160@30Hz*

* Only support when using Radeon™ Vega Graphics and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Graphics/ Athlon™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors

* Maximum shared memory of 2048 MB

Continued on next page

Speciﬁcations

Continued from previous page

y 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ Processors

 Supports 3-Way AMD

Multi-GPU

y Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Graphics/ Athlon™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors

 Supports 2-Way AMD

LAN 1x Realtek

CrossFire™ Technology

8111H Gigabit LAN controller

Storage

RAID

USB

y 6x SATA 6Gb/s ports (from AMD

X470 Chipset)

y 2x M.2 ports (Key M)*

 M2_1 slot (from AMD

processor) supports PCIe

3.0x4 (1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™/ Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Graphics Processors) or PCIe 3.0x2 (Athlon™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors) 2242/ 2260 /2280/ 22110 storage devices

 M2_2 slot (from AMD

X470 Chipset) supports PCIe 2.0

x4 and SATA 6Gb/s 2242/ 2260 /2280 storage devices

* SATA1 port will be unavailable when installing SATA M.2 SSD in M2_2 slot. * PCI_E6 slot will be unavailable when installing PCIe M.2 SSD in M2_2 slot.

AMD

X470 Chipset

y Supports RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10 for SATA storage devices

y ASMedia

ASM1143 Chipset

 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) Type-A

ports on the back panel

y AMD

X470 Chipset

 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports through the

internal USB connectors

 6x USB 2.0 (High-speed USB) ports (2 Type-A ports on the back panel, 4 ports available through the internal USB connectors)

y AMD

CPU

 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) Type-A ports on the back panel

Speciﬁcations

Continued on next page

Audio

Back Panel Connectors

Internal Connectors

Continued from previous page

y Realtek

ALC892 Codec y 7.1-Channel High Definition Audio y Supports S/PDIF output

y 1x PS/2 keyboard/ mouse combo port y 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports y 1x DVI-D port y 1x HDMI™ 1.4 port y 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports y 1x LAN (RJ45) port y 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports y 5x OFC audio jacks y 1x Optical S/PDIF OUT connector

y 1x 24-pin ATX main power connector y 1x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector y 1x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector y 6x SATA 6Gb/s connectors y 2x USB 2.0 connectors (support additional 4 USB 2.0 ports) y 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 connectors (support additional 4 USB 3.2

Gen1 ports)

y 1x 4-pin CPU fan connector y 1x 4-pin PUMP fan connector (supports up to 2A) y 4x 4-pin system fan connectors y 1x Serial port connector y 1x Parallel port connector y 2x 5050 RGB LED strip 12V connectors y 1x TPM module connector y 1x Front panel audio connector y 2x System panel connectors y 1x Chassis Intrusion connector y 1x Clear CMOS jumper y 1x Clear CMOS button

Continued on next page

Speciﬁcations

Continued from previous page

I/O Controller NUVOTON NCT6795D Controller Chip

y CPU/System temperature detection

Hardware Monitor

y CPU/System fan speed detection y CPU/System fan speed control

Form Factor

BIOS Features

Software

y ATX Form Factor y 12 in. x 9.6 in. (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm)

y 1x 256 Mb flash y UEFI AMI BIOS y ACPI 6.1, SM BIOS 2.8 y Multi-language

y Drivers y APP MANAGER y COMMAND CENTER y LIVE UPDATE 6 y MYSTIC LIGHT y SUPER CHARGER y GAMING APP y RAMDISK y X-BOOST y SMART TOOL y Nahimic Audio y Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) y Norton™ Internet Security Solution y Google Chrome™, Google Toolbar, Google Drive y CPU-Z MSI GAMING

Speciﬁcations

Continued on next page

Special Features

Continued from previous page

y Audio

 Audio Boost  Voice Boost  Nahimic 2.5

y Storage

 Turbo M.2

y Fan

 Pump Fan  Smart Fan Control

y LED

 Mystic Light  Mystic Light Extension  Mystic light SYNC  EZ DEBUG LED

y Protection

 PCI-E Steel Armor

y Performance

 Multi GPU-CrossFire Technology  DDR4 Boost  GAME Boost  X-Boost  A-XMP

y Stability

 7000+ Quality Test

y VR

 VR Ready

y Gamer Experience

 RAMDisk

y BIOS

 Click BIOS 5

y Certification

 GAMING Certified

Speciﬁcations

Block Diagram

PCI Express Bus

PCIe x4 slot

Switch

1 x M.2

Switch

6 x SATA 6Gb/s

HDMI DVI-D

CPU

PCIex4

PCI Express Bus

2 Channel DDR4 Memory

NV6795

Super I/O

1 x M.2

4 x USB 3.2 Gen1

Realtek ALC892

Audio Jacks

P/S2 Mouse / Keyboard

PCIe x1 slot

Block Diagram

4 x USB 3.2 Gen1

6 x USB 2.0

X470

ASMEDIA ASM1143

RTL8111H

2 x USB 3.2 Gen2

Rear I/O Panel

PS/2

DVI-D

USB 2.0

LAN Port LED Status Table

Link/ Activity LED

Status Description

Off No link

Yellow Linked

Blinking Data activity

USB 3.2 Gen1

LAN

USB 3.2 Gen2

USB 3.2 Gen1

Optical S/PDIF-Out

Speed LED

Status Description

Off 10 Mbps connection

Green 100 Mbps connection

Orange 1 Gbps connection

Audio Ports

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

Realtek HD Audio Manager

After installing the Realtek HD Audio driver, the Realtek HD Audio Manager icon will appear in the system tray. Double click on the icon to launch.

Device Selection

Advanced Settings

Application Enhancement

Main Volume

Profiles

Jack Status

Connector Settings

y Device Selection - allows you to select a audio output source to change the related

options. The check sign indicates the devices as default.

y Application Enhancement - the array of options will provide you a complete guidance

of anticipated sound effect for both output and input device.

y Main 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.

y Profiles - toggles between profiles. y Advanced Settings - provides the mechanism to deal with 2 independent audio

streams.

y Jack Status - depicts all render and capture devices currently connected with your

computer.

y Connector 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.

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

Overview of Components

SYS_FAN1

CPU_PWR2

CPU_PWR1

CPU Socket

DIMMA1

CPU_FAN1

DIMMB1

DIMMA2

DIMMB2

PUMP_FAN1

SYS_FAN3

ATX_PWR1

JRGB2

M2_1

PCI_E1

PCI_E2

JTPM1

PCI_E3

JCI1

PCI_E4

JBAT1

PCI_E5

M2_2

PCI_E6

JAUD1

JRGB1

SYS_FAN2

JCOM1

Clear CMOS

JLPT1

SYS_FAN4

JUSB4

SATA▼5▲6

SATA▼3▲4

SATA▼1▲2

JFP2

JFP1

JUSB3

JUSB2

JUSB1

Overview of Components

Component Contents

Port Name Port Type Page

CLR_CMOS1 Clear CMOS Button 40

CPU_FAN1, PUMP_FAN1, SYS_FAN1~4

CPU_PWR1, CPU_PWR2, ATX_PWR1

CPU Socket AM4 CPU Socket 28

DIMMA1, DIMMA2, DIMMB1, DIMMB2

JAUD1 Front Audio Connector 37

JBAT1 Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper 40

JCI1 Chassis Intrusion Connector 37

JCOM1 Serial Port Connector 39

JFP1, JFP2 Front Panel Connectors 38

JLPT1 Parallel Port Connector 33

JRGB1, JRGB2 RGB LED Connectors 39

JTPM1 TPM Module Connector 38

Fan Connectors 36

Power Connectors 34

DIMM Slots 29

JUSB1~2 USB 2.0 Connectors 35

JUSB3~4

M2_1~2 M.2 Slots (Key M) 32

PCI_E1~6 PCIe Expansion Slots 30

SATA1~6 SATA 6Gb/s Connectors 33

USB 3.2 Gen1 Connectors

Overview of Components

CPU Socket

Distance from the center of the CPU to the nearest DIMM slot.

53.43 mm

Introduction to the AM4 CPU

The surface of the AM4 CPU has a yellow triangle to assist in correctly lining up the CPU for motherboard placement. The yellow triangle is the Pin 1 indicator.

Important

When changing the processor, the system configuration could be cleared and reset

BIOS to default values, due to the AM4 processor’s architecture.

Always unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing or removing

the CPU.

When installing a CPU, always remember to install a CPU heatsink. A CPU heatsink

is necessary to prevent overheating and maintain system stability.

Confirm that the CPU heatsink has formed a tight seal with the CPU before booting

your system.

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.

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

This 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 operation beyond product specifications.

does not guarantee the damages or risks caused by inadequate

Overview of Components

DIMM Slots

DIMMA1 DIMMB1

Channel A Channel B

DIMMA2 DIMMB2

Memory module installation recommendation

DIMMB2 DIMMB2

DIMMA2 DIMMA2 DIMMA2

DIMMB1

DIMMA1

Important

Always insert memory modules in the DIMMA2 slot first.

Due to chipset resource usage, the available capacity of memory will be a little less

than the amount of installed.

Based on the processor specification, the Memory DIMM voltage below 1.35V is

suggested to protect the processor.

Some memory modules may operate at a lower frequency than the marked value when overclocking due to the memory frequency operates dependent on its Serial Presence Detect (SPD). Go to BIOS and find the DRAM Frequency to set the memory frequency if you want to operate the memory at the marked or at a higher frequency.

It is recommended to use a more efficient memory cooling system for full DIMMs installation or overclocking.

The stability and compatibility of installed memory module depend on installed CPU and devices when overclocking.

Due to AM4 CPU/memory controller official specification limitation, the frequency of memory modules may operate lower than the marked value under the default state. Please refer www.msi.com for more information on compatible memory.

Overview of Components

PCI_E1~6: PCIe Expansion Slots

PCI_E1: PCIe 3.0 x16*/ PCIe 3.0 x8**/ PCIe 3.0 x4***

PCI_E2: PCIe 2.0 x1

PCI_E3: PCIe 2.0 x1

PCI_E4: PCIe 3.0 x8*/ Unavailable**/ Unavailable***

PCI_E5: PCIe 2.0 x1

PCI_E6: PCIe 2.0 x4

* For 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ Processors ** Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™

Graphics Processors *** Athlon™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors

Multiple graphics cards installation recommendation (Ryzen™ series processors)

x16

Overview of Components

Important

If you install a large and heavy graphics card, you need to use a tool such as MSI Gaming Series Graphics Card Bolster to support its weight to prevent deformation of the slot.

For a single PCIe x16 expansion card installation with optimum performance, using the PCI_E1 slot is recommended.

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.

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