Msi Z370 GAMING PLUS User Manual

Unpacking

Thank you for buying the MSI® Z370 GAMING PLUS 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

Drivers & Utilities

Disc

Motherboard User

Guide

SATA Cable 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

Intel® LGA 1151 CPU

DDR4 Memory

SATA DVD Drive

CPU Fan Thermal Paste

Chassis

SATA Hard Disk Drive

Power Supply Unit

Graphics Card

Phillips Screwdriver

A Package of Screws

Quick Start

Installing a Processor

http://youtu.be/bf5La099urI

Quick Start

Installing DDR4 memory

http://youtu.be/T03aDrJPyQs

DIMMB2 DIMMB2

DIMMA2 DIMMA2 DIMMA2

DIMMB1

DIMMA1

Quick Start

Connecting the Front Panel Header

RESET SW

POWER SW

POWER LED+

POWER LED-

HDD LED

http://youtu.be/DPELIdVNZUI

Quick Start

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

RESET SW

HDD LED

JFP1

HDD LED HDD LED +

POWER LED POWER LED +

Installing the Motherboard

BAT1

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

Quick Start

Connecting the Power Connectors

http://youtu.be/gkDYyR_83I4

ATX_PWR1

CPU_PWR1

Quick Start

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 ........................................................................................ 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 ....................................................................................................... 16

Block Diagram .................................................................................................... 21

Rear I/O Panel ..................................................................................................... 22

LAN Port LED Status Table................................................................................... 22

Audio Ports Configuration .................................................................................... 22

Realtek HD Audio Manager .................................................................................. 23

Overview of Components .................................................................................... 25

CPU Socket ........................................................................................................... 27

DIMM Slots ............................................................................................................ 28

PCI_E1~6: PCIe Expansion Slots .......................................................................... 29

M2_1: M.2 Slot (Key M) ......................................................................................... 30

SATA1~6: SATA 6Gb/s Connectors ....................................................................... 31

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

JUSB3~4: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors ................................................................... 33

CPU_FAN1,SYS_FAN1~4, PUMP_FAN1: Fan Connectors .................................... 34

JAUD1: Front Audio Connector ............................................................................35

JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector ....................................................................... 35

JTPM1: TPM Module Connector ........................................................................... 36

JLPT1: Parallel Port Connector ........................................................................... 36

JBAT1: Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper ........................................................... 37

Contents

EZ Debug LED ....................................................................................................... 37

JRGB1: RGB LED connector ................................................................................. 38

PCIe x16 slot LEDs................................................................................................ 38

BIOS Setup ........................................................................................................... 39

Entering BIOS Setup ............................................................................................. 39

Resetting BIOS ...................................................................................................... 40

Updating BIOS ....................................................................................................... 40

EZ Mode ................................................................................................................ 41

Advanced Mode .................................................................................................... 43

SETTINGS .............................................................................................................. 44

Advanced ............................................................................................................... 44

Boot ....................................................................................................................... 50

Security ................................................................................................................. 51

Save & Exit ............................................................................................................ 52

OC .......................................................................................................................... 53

M-FLASH .............................................................................................................. 61

OC PROFILE .......................................................................................................... 62

HARDWARE MONITOR .......................................................................................... 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

MYSTICLIGHT ........................................................................................................ 79

MSI SMART TOOL ................................................................................................. 81

RAMDISK............................................................................................................... 83

GAMING LAN MANAGER ...................................................................................... 84

DRAGON EYE ........................................................................................................ 86

SteelSeries Engine 3 ............................................................................................ 87

Intel

Extreme Tuning Utility ................................................................................ 89

CPU-Z.................................................................................................................... 90

TriDef VR ............................................................................................................... 91

TriDef SmartCam .................................................................................................. 94

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

Contents

Using Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Option ROM ........................................... 95

Degraded RAID Array ........................................................................................... 98

Intel® Optane™ Memory Configuration ............................................................ 100

System Requirements ....................................................................................... 100

Installing the Intel Removing the Intel

Troubleshooting .................................................................................................. 103

Optane™ memory .............................................................. 100

Optane™ memory ............................................................. 102

Troubleshooting ................................................................................................ 104

Regulatory Notices ............................................................................................ 105

Contents

Specifications

CPU

Chipset Intel

Memory

Pentium

3466(OC)/ 3400(OC)/ 3333(OC)/ 3300(OC)/ 3200(OC)/ 3000(OC) / 2800(OC)/ 2667/ 2400/ 2133 MHz*

*Please refer to www.msi.com for more information on compatible memory.

y Supports 8th Gen Intel

and Celeron® processors for Socket LGA1151

Z370 Chipset

Core™ processors, and Intel®

y 4x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 64GB y Supports 4000+(OC)/ 3866(OC)/ 3733(OC)/ 3600(OC)/

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

Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)

Expansion Slots

y 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots y 4x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots

y 1x VGA port, supports a maximum resolution of

2048x1536@50Hz, 2048x1280@60Hz, 1920x1200@60Hz

Onboard Graphics

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

1920x1200@60Hz

y 1x DisplayPort, supports a maximum resolution of

4096x2304@24Hz, 3840x2160@60Hz, 1920x1200@60Hz

Multi-GPU y Supports 2-Way AMD

Z370 Chipset

Intel

y 6x SATA 6Gb/s ports* y 1x M.2 slot (Key M)

Storage

 Support up to PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s  Supports 2242/ 2260 /2280/ 22110 storage devices

 Intel

Optane™ Memory Ready**

* The SATA1 port will be unavailable when M.2 SATA SSD has been installed in M.2 slot.

** Please refer to page 100 for Intel

Continued on next page

CrossFire™ Technology

Optane™ Memory Configuration.

Speciﬁcations

Continued from previous page

Intel

RAID

y Supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA

storage devices

y Intel

 8x USB 3.1 Gen1 (SuperSpeed USB) ports (4 Type-A

ports on the back panel, 4 ports available through the

USB

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)

Audio

y Realtek y 7.1-Channel High Definition Audio

LAN 1x Intel

y 1x PS/2 mouse / keyboard combo port y 2x USB 2.0 ports y 1x VGA port

Back Panel Connectors

y 1x DVI-D port y 1x DisplayPort port y 1x LAN (RJ45) port y 4x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports y 6x OFC audio jacks

Z370 Chipset

ALC892 Codec

I219-V Gigabit LAN controller

Continued on next page

Speciﬁcations

Continued from previous page

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 3.1 Gen1 connectors (supports additional 4 USB 3.1

Gen1 ports)

y 2x USB 2.0 connectors (supports additional 4 USB 2.0

ports)

y 1x 4-pin CPU fan connector y 1x 4-pin water pump fan connector

Internal Connectors

I/O Controller NUVOTON NCT6795 Controller Chip

Hardware Monitor

y 4x 4-pin system fan connectors y 1x Front panel audio connector y 2x Front panel connectors y 1x RGB LED connector y 1x TPM module connector y 1x Chassis Intrusion connector y 1x Parallel port connector y 1x Serial port connector y 1x Clear CMOS jumper

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

Speciﬁcations

From Factor

BIOS Features

y ATX Form Factor y 12.0 in. x 9.6 in. (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm)

y 1x 128 Mb flash y UEFI AMI BIOS

y ACPI 6.0, SM BIOS 2.8 y Multi-language

Continued on next page

Software

Continued from previous page

y Drivers y APP MANAGER y SUPER CHARGER y COMMAND CENTER y LIVE UPDATE 6 y SMART TOOL y RAMDISK y DPC Latency Tuner y FAST BOOT y X-BOOST y DRAGON EYE y GAMING APP y MYSTIC LIGHT y GAMING LAN MANAGER y Open Broadcaster Software

y Tridef

VR & Smart Cam y SteelSeries Engine 3 y WTFast* y CPU-Z MSI GAMING

y Intel

Extreme Tuning Utility

™

y Norton y Google Chrome

* This offer is valid for a limited period only, for more information please visit www.msi.com

Internet Security Solution

™

, Google Toolbar, Google Drive

Continued on next page

Speciﬁcations

Special Features

Continued from previous page

y Audio

 Audio Boost

y Network

 GAMING LAN with Gaming LAN Manager

y Storage

 Turbo M.2

y Fan

 Pump Fan  Smart Fan Control

y LED

 Mystic Light  Mystic Light Extension (RGB)  Mystic light SYNC  EZ DEBUG LED

y Protection

 PCI-E Steel Armor

y Performance

 Multi GPU – CrossFire Technology  DDR4 Boost

y Stability

 Military Class 5

y VR

 VR Ready

y Gamer Experience

 GAMING HOTKEY  GAMING MOUSE Control

y BIOS

 Click BIOS 5

y Certification

 Quadro Ready  SteelSeries Certified

Speciﬁcations

Block Diagram

1 x M.2

6 x SATA 6Gb/s

8 x USB 3.1 Gen1

6 x USB 2.0

PCI Express Bus

P/S2 Mouse / Keyboard

LPC Bus

DVI-D

CPU

DMI 3.0

Z370

2 Channel DDR4 Memory

Realtek ALC892

Audio Jacks

VGA DisplayPort

PCI Express Bus

NV6795

Super I/O

PCIe x1 slot

Block Diagram

Rear I/O Panel

PS/2 Port

VGA

Audio Ports

LAN

USB 2.0

DVI-D

LAN Port LED Status Table

Link/ Activity LED

Status Description

Off No link

Yellow Linked

Blinking Data activity

Audio Ports Configuration

DisplayPort

USB 3.1 Gen1

Speed LED

Status Description

Off 10 Mbps connection

Green 100 Mbps connection

Orange 1 Gbps connection

Audio Ports

Line-In

Line-Out/ Front Speaker Out ● ● ● ●

Rear Speaker Out ● ● ●

Center/ Subwoofer Out ● ●

Side Speaker Out ●

Mic In

(●: connected, Blank: empty)

USB 3.1 Gen1

Channel

2 4 6 8

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 Strings

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

M2_1

PCI_E1

PCI_E2

PCI_E3

PCI_E4

PCI_E5

JTPM1

PCI_E6

CPU_PWR1

SYS_FAN4

BAT1

CPU Socket

CPU_FAN1

DIMMA1

DIMMA2

DIMMB1

DIMMB2

PUMP_FAN1

SYS_FAN2

EZ Debug LED

ATX_PWR1

JUSB3

JBAT1

JUSB4

SATA▼1▲2

SATA▼3▲4

SATA5 SATA6

JCI1

JAUD1

JRGB1

SYS_FAN3

JCOM1

JLPT1

JUSB2

JUSB1

JFP2

SYS_FAN1

JFP1

Overview of Components

Component Contents

Port Name Port Type Page

CPU_FAN1,SYS_FAN1~4, PUMP_ FAN1

CPU_PWR1, ATX_PWR1 Power Connectors 32

CPU Socket LGA1151 CPU Socket 27

DIMMA1/ A2/ B1/ B2 DIMM Slots 28

JAUD1 Front Audio Connector 35

JBAT1 Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper 37

JCI1 Chassis Intrusion Connector 35

JCOM1 Serial Port Connector 32

JFP1, JFP2 Front Panel Connectors 31

JLPT1 Parallel Port Connector 36

JRGB1 RGB LED connector 38

JTPM1 TPM Module Connector 36

JUSB1~2 USB 2.0 Connectors 33

Fan Connectors 34

JUSB3~4 USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors 33

M2_1 M.2 Slot (Key M) 30

PCI_E1~6 PCIe Expansion Slots 29

SATA1~6 SATA 6Gb/s Connectors 31

Overview of Components

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

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

the CPU.

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.

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.

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

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 Intel CPU specification, the Memory DIMM voltage below 1.35V is suggested to protect the CPU.

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.

Some memory 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 Memory Try It! 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.

Overview of Components

PCI_E1~6: PCIe Expansion Slots

PCI_E1: PCIe 3.0 x16 (CPU lanes)

BAT1

Multiple graphics cards installation recommendation

PCI_E2: PCIe 3.0 x1 (PCH lanes)

PCI_E3: PCIe 3.0 x1 (PCH anes)

PCI_E4: PCIe 3.0 x4 (PCH lanes)

PCI_E5: PCIe 3.0 x1 (PCH lanes)

PCI_E6: PCIe 3.0 x1 (PCH lanes)

x16

Important

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.

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 and to prevent deformation of the slot.

Overview of Components

M2_1: M.2 Slot (Key M)

Installing M.2 module

1. Remove the screw from

the base screw.

2. Remove the base screw.

Important

Intel® OptaneTM Memory Ready.

Video Demonstration

Watch the video to learn how to Install M.2 module.

http://youtu.be/JCTFABytrYA

3. Tighten the base screw

into the hole of the distance to the M.2 slot as the length your M.2 module.

4. Insert your M.2 module

into the M.2 slot at a 30-degree angle.

5. Put the screw in the

notch on the trailing edge of your M.2 module and tighten it into the base screw.

Overview of Components

30°

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