MSI Z270 PC Manual

Unpacking

Thank you for buying the MSI® Z270 PC MATE/ H270 PC MATE/ B250 PC MATE motherboard. Check to make sure your motherboard box contains the following items. If something is missing, contact your dealer as soon as possible.

Drivers & Utilities

Disc Motherboard User

Guide

Motherboard

I/O Shield

SATA Cable x2

*These pictures are for reference only and may vary without notice.

*The packing contents may vary according to the model you purchased.

Unpacking 1

Safety Information

yThe components included in this package are prone to damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD). Please adhere to the following instructions to ensure successful computer assembly.

yEnsure that all components are securely connected. Loose connections may cause the computer to not recognize a component or fail to start.

yHold the motherboard by the edges to avoid touching sensitive components.

yIt is recommended to wear an electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap when handling the motherboard to prevent electrostatic damage. If an ESD wrist strap is not available, discharge yourself of static electricity by touching another metal object before handling the motherboard.

yStore the motherboard in an electrostatic shielding container or on an anti-static pad whenever the motherboard is not installed.

yBefore turning on the computer, ensure that there are no loose screws or metal components on the motherboard or anywhere within the computer case.

yDo not boot the computer before installation is completed. This could cause permanent damage to the components as well as injury to the user.

yIf you need help during any installation step, please consult a certified computer technician.

yAlways turn off the power supply and unplug the power cord from the power outlet before installing or removing any computer component.

yKeep this user guide for future reference.

yKeep this motherboard away from humidity.

yMake sure that your electrical outlet provides the same voltage as is indicated on the PSU, before connecting the PSU to the electrical outlet.

yPlace the power cord such a way that people can not step on it. Do not place anything over the power cord.

yAll cautions and warnings on the motherboard should be noted.

yIf any of the following situations arises, get the motherboard checked by service personnel:

Liquid has penetrated into the computer.

The motherboard has been exposed to moisture.

The motherboard does not work well or you can not get it work according to user guide.

The motherboard has been dropped and damaged.

The motherboard has obvious sign of breakage.

yDo not leave this motherboard in an environment above 60°C (140°F), it may damage the motherboard.

2 Safety Information

Quick Start

Preparing Tools and Components

Intel® LGA 1151 CPU	CPU Fan	Thermal Paste

DDR4 Memory

Power Supply Unit

Chassis

SATA DVD Drive

SATA Hard Disk Drive

Graphics Card

Phillips Screwdriver

A Package of Screws

Quick Start 3

Installing a Processor	2

http://youtu.be/bf5La099urI

1

3

	7
4	5	9

6

8

4 Quick Start

Installing DDR4 memory

http://youtu.be/T03aDrJPyQs

1

1

2

3 2

3

	DIMMB2	DIMMB2
		DIMMB1
DIMMA2	DIMMA2	DIMMA2
		DIMMA1

Quick Start 5

Connecting the Front Panel Header

http://youtu.be/DPELIdVNZUI

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

2					10		1	HDD LED +	2	Power LED +
							3	HDD LED -	4	Power LED -
							5	Reset Switch	6	Power Switch
1					9
		JFP1					7	Reset Switch	8	Power Switch
							9	Reserved	10	No Pin

RESETSW

HDDLED

	HDD LED						HDD LED -
							HDD LED +
							POWER LED -
	POWER LED						POWER LED +

6 Quick Start

Installing the Motherboard

1

2

Quick Start 7

Installing SATA Drives

http://youtu.be/RZsMpqxythc	1

2	3

5

4

8 Quick Start

Installing a Graphics Card

http://youtu.be/mG0GZpr9w_A

1

3

2

5

4

6

Quick Start 9

Connecting Peripheral Devices

10 Quick Start

Connecting the Power Connectors

http://youtu.be/gkDYyR_83I4

ATX_PWR1	CPU_PWR1

Quick Start 11

Power On

1

2

3

4

12 Quick Start

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
Specification Comparison Table...........................................................................	20
Block Diagram ....................................................................................................	21
Rear I/O Panel .....................................................................................................	22
LAN Port LED Status Table...................................................................................	22
Realtek HD Audio Manager ..................................................................................	22
Overview of Components ....................................................................................	24
CPU Socket ...........................................................................................................	26
DIMM Slots............................................................................................................	27
PCI_E1~5, PCI1: PCIe/ PCI Expansion Slots ........................................................	28
M2_1~2: M.2 Slots (Key M) ...................................................................................	29
SATA1~6: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors .......................................................................	30
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors ...................................................................	31
CPU_PWR1, ATX_PWR1: Power Connectors .......................................................	32
JCOM1: Serial Port Connector .............................................................................	32
JUSB1~2: USB 2.0 Connectors.............................................................................	33
JUSB3, JUSB4(optional): USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors ...........................................	33
CPU_FAN1, PUMP_FAN1, SYS_FAN1~4: Fan Connectors...................................	34
JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................	35
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector.......................................................................	35
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector...........................................................................	36
JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper ...........................................................	36
JLPT1: Parallel Port Connector ...........................................................................	37

Contents 13

EZ Debug LED.......................................................................................................	37
BIOS Setup...........................................................................................................	38
Using BIOS............................................................................................................	39
Entering BIOS Setup.............................................................................................	39
Resetting BIOS......................................................................................................	40
Updating BIOS.......................................................................................................	40
EZ Mode ................................................................................................................	41
Advanced Mode ....................................................................................................	43
SETTINGS..............................................................................................................	44
Advanced...............................................................................................................	44
Boot.......................................................................................................................	51
Security.................................................................................................................	52
Save & Exit............................................................................................................	53
OC..........................................................................................................................	54
M-FLASH ..............................................................................................................	60
OC PROFILE..........................................................................................................	61
HARDWARE MONITOR..........................................................................................	62
Software Description...........................................................................................	63
Installing Windows® 7/ 8.1/ 10..............................................................................	63
Installing Drivers ..................................................................................................	63
Installing Utilities .................................................................................................	63
COMMAND CENTER .............................................................................................	64
LIVE UPDATE 6......................................................................................................	68
RAMDISK...............................................................................................................	70
NETWORK MANAGER...........................................................................................	71
RAID Configuration (optional) .............................................................................	73
Using Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM ...........................................	73
Degraded RAID Array ...........................................................................................	76
M.2 PCIe SSD RAID...............................................................................................	78
Troubleshooting ..................................................................................................	80
Regulatory Notices..............................................................................................	81

14 Contents

Specifications

		Supports 6th/7th Gen Intel® Core™ i3/i5/i7 processors,
	CPU	and Intel® Pentium® and Celeron® processors for Socket
		LGA1151
	Chipset	Intel® Z270/ H270/ B250 Chipset
		y 4x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 64GB
		Z270 chipset + 7th Gen processors support DDR4
		3800(OC)/ 3600(OC)/ 3200(OC)/ 3000(OC)/ 2800(OC)/
		2600(OC)/ 2400/ 2133 MHz*
		Z270 chipset + 6th Gen processors support DDR4
		3600(OC)/ 3200(OC)/ 3000(OC)/ 2800(OC)/ 2600(OC)/
	Memory	2400(OC)/ 2133 MHz*
		H270/ B250 chipset + 7th Gen processors support DDR4
		2400/ 2133 MHz*
		H270/ B250 chipset + 6th Gen processors support DDR4
		2133 MHz*
		y Dual channel memory architecture
		y Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
		* Please refer www.msi.com for more information on compatible memory.
		y 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (supports x16/x4 mode)*
		y 3x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots**
	Expansion Slots	y 1x PCI slot
		* The PCI_E4 slot will be unavailable when an M.2 PCIe SSD module has been
		installed in the M.2_2 slot.
		** The PCI_E2/ PCI_E5 slot will be unavailable when an expansion card has
		been installed in the PCI_E3/ PCI1 slot.
		y 1x HDMI™ port, supports a maximum resolution of
		4096x2160@30Hz(7th CPU), 4096x2160@24Hz(6th CPU),
		2560x1600@60Hz
	Onboard Graphics	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
	Multi-GPU	y Supports 2-Way AMD® CrossFire™ Technology
		Continued on next page

Specifications 15

Continued from previous page

		Intel® Z270/ H270/ B250 Chipset
		y 6x SATA 6Gb/s ports*
		y 2x M.2 slots (Key M)
			Support up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s
			Support PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe U.2 SSD with Turbo U.2 Host
			Card**
			M2_1 slot supports 2242/ 2260 /2280/ 22110 storage
	Storage		devices
			M2_2 slot supports 2242/ 2260 /2280 storage devices
			Intel® Optane™ Memory Ready
		y Supports Intel® Smart Response Technology for Intel
			Core™ processors (optional)
			* M.2 and SATA ports maximum support 2x M.2 PCIe SSDs + 6x SATA HDDs.
			Please refer to page 31 for M.2 slots with examples of various combination
			possibilities.
			** The Turbo U.2 Host Card is not included, please purchase separately.
		Intel® Z270/ H270 Chipset
		y Supports RAID 0, RAID1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA
	RAID (optional)		storage devices
		y	Supports RAID 0 and RAID1 for M.2 PCIe storage devices*
			* M.2 PCIe RAID volume can be created with M.2 GENIE. Please refer to page
			42 for details about M.2 GENIE.
		y ASMedia® 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
	USB	y Intel® Z270/ H270/ B250 Chipset
			8x/ 6x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports (4 Type-A
			ports on the back panel, 4/ 2 ports available through the
			internal USB connector) (optional)
			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 Intel I219-V Gigabit LAN controller
			Continued on next page

16 Specifications

Continued from previous page

	y 1x PS/2 keyboard/ mouse combo port
	y 2x USB		2.0 Type-A ports
	y 1x VGA port
	y 1x DVI-D port
Back Panel	y 1x HDMI™ port
Connectors	y 1x LAN (RJ45) port
	y 4x USB		3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports
	y 1x USB		3.1 Gen2 Type-A port
	y 1x USB		3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
	y 3x audio jacks
	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 (support additional 4 USB 2.0 ports)
	y 2x/ 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 connectors (support additional 4/ 2
	USB 3.1 Gen1 ports) (optional)
	y 1x	4-pin CPU fan connector
	y 1x	4-pin water pump fan connector

Internal Connectors y 4x 4-pin system fan connectors

y1x Front panel audio connector

y2x Front panel connectors

y1x TPM module connector

y1x Chassis Intrusion connector

y1x Serial port connector

y1x Parallel port connector

y1x TBT connector

y1x Clear CMOS jumper

	I/O Controller	NUVOTON NCT6795 Controller Chip
		y CPU/System temperature detection
	Hardware Monitor	y CPU/System fan speed detection
		y CPU/System fan speed control
	Form Factor	y ATX Form Factor
		y 12 in. x 9.6 in. (30.4 cm x 24.3 cm)
		Continued on next page

Specifications 17

Continued from previous page

		y 1x 128 Mb/ 64 Mb flash (optional)
	BIOS Features	y UEFI AMI BIOS
		y ACPI 5.0, PnP 1.0a, SM BIOS 2.8
		y Multi-language
		y Drivers
		y COMMAND CENTER
		y LIVE UPDATE 6
		y FAST BOOT
		y SUPER CHARGER
		y MYSTIC LIGHT
	Software	y RAMDISK
		y X-BOOST
		y MSI SMART TOOL
		y NETWORK MANAGER
		y Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility
		y Norton™ Internet Security Solution
		y Google Chrome™ ,Google Toolbar, Google Drive
		y CLICK BIOS 5 (optional)
		EZ Mode & Advanced Mode Switching
		Board Explorer (optional)
	MSI Exclusive	Hardware Monitor
		y COMMAND CENTER
	Features
		System Monitor
		Smart Fan Control
		y RAMDISK
		y LIVE UPDATE 6
		Continued on next page

18 Specifications

Continued from previous page

		y Isolated Audio PCB
		EMI Shielding
		High Quality Audio Capacitors
		De-pop audio circuit
		y DDR4 Boost Support
		Dual-Channel DDR4 Memory Support
	Specification	Isolated DDR4 Circuit Design
		DDR4 XMP Ready
	Highlights
		y PCI Express 3.0 Support
		2-Way AMD CrossFireTM Support
		y USB 3.1 Gen2 Ready
		USB 3.1 Gen2 (10 Gb/s) Type-A Ready
		USB 3.1 Gen2 (10 Gb/s) Type-C Ready
		USB Power Delivery Profile 3 Support
		y EZ Debug LED

Specifications 19

Specification Comparison Table

		Z270 PC MATE	H270 PC MATE	B250 PC MATE
	Chipest	Z270	H270	B250
		3800(OC),
		3600(OC),
	7th Gen processors	3200(OC),
	support DDR4 frequency	3000(OC),	2400, 2133	2400, 2133
	(MHz)	2800(OC),
		2600(OC), 2400,
		2133
		3600(OC),
	6th Gen processors	3200(OC),
		3000(OC),
	support DDR4 frequency		2133	2133
		2800(OC),
	(MHz)
		2600(OC),
		2400(OC), 2133
	Supports RAID 0,1,5,10	Yes	Yes	No
	Supports Intel® Smart	Yes	No	No
	Response Technology
	Intel® Optane™ Memory	M.2_1 & M.2_2	M.2_1 & M.2_2	M.2_2 slot
	Ready	slots	slots
	USB 3.1 Gen1 internal	2 (4 ports)	2 (4 ports)	1 (2 ports)
	connectors	JUSB3 & JUSB4	JUSB3 & JUSB4	JUSB3
	BIOS capacity	128Mb	64Mb	64Mb
	BIOS interface	CLICK BIOS 5	CLICK BIOS	CLICK BIOS
	Board Explorer	Yes	No	No
	OC GENIE 4	Yes	No	No

20 Specifications

Block Diagram

HDMI

VGA

DVI-D

				Dual Channel DDR4 Memory
			CPU
PCI Express Bus
	Switch	DMI 3.0			x1	PCIe x1 slot
M.2					Switch
					x1	PCIe x1 slot
	Switch	PCI
					x1
		Express				PCIe x1 slot
SATA 6Gb/s
		Bus	Z270/ H270/ B250		Switch
USB 3.1 Gen1						PCI slot
				PCI-E Bus
USB 2.0
		LPC Bus		x2	ASMEDIA
					ASM2142	2 x USB 3.1 Gen2
		NV6795		Realtek
		Super I/O		ALC887
		P/S2 Mouse / Keyboard		Audio Jacks

Block Diagram 21

Rear I/O Panel

		VGA		Line-in
	PS/2		LAN	Line-out
				USB 3.1 Gen2

USB 3.1

Mic

in

USB 2.0

DVI-D

USB 3.1 Gen1

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

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

Jack Status

Application

Enhancement

Main Volume											Connector
											Strings
						Profiles

22 Rear I/O Panel

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.

yProfiles - toggles between profiles.

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.

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 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.

Rear I/O Panel 23

Overview of Components

M2_1

PCI_E1

PCI_E2 JBAT1

PCI_E3 JCI1 PCI_E4

M2_2

PCI_E5

JTPM1

PCI1

CPU Socket		DIMMA1
SYS_FAN4	CPU_FAN1		DIMMA2
			DIMMB1
CPU_PWR1			DIMMB2

PUMP_FAN1

SYS_FAN2

SYS_FAN1

EZ Debug LED

ATX_PWR1

JUSB3

JUSB4

SATA▼1▲2

SATA4

SATA▼5▲6

SATA3

JTBT1

JAUD1

JFP1

SYS_FAN3

JFP2

JUSB1

JCOM1

JUSB2

JLPT1

* JTBT1 is used to connect a specific card.

24 Overview of Components

Component Contents

	Port Name	Port Type	Page
	CPU_FAN1, PUMP_FAN1,	Fan Connectors	34
	SYS_FAN1~4
	CPU_PWR1, ATX_PWR1	Power Connectors	32
	JAUD1	Front Audio Connector	35
	JBAT1	Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper	36
	JCI1	Chassis Intrusion Connector	35
	JCOM1	Serial Port Connector	32
	JFP1, JFP2	Front Panel Connectors	31
	JLPT1	Parallel Port Connector	37
	JTPM1	TPM Module Connector	36
	JUSB1~2	USB 2.0 Connectors	33
	JUSB3, JUSB4(optional)	USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors	33
	M2_1~2	M.2 Slots (Key M)	29
	PCI_E1~5, PCI1	PCIe/ PCI Expansion Slots	28
	SATA1~6	SATA 6Gb/s Connectors	30

Overview of Components 25

CPU Socket

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.

26 Overview of Components