Drivers & Utilities Motherboard User Disc Guide Motherboard I/O Shield SATA Cable x6 Intel 8260 Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth Driver Disc For Z170A-G43 PLUS AC/ H170A-G43 PLUS AC Intel 8260 Wi-Fi/ Antenna Bracket Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth Antenna x2 Bluetooth Module Bracket Module Unpacking...
Safety Information ● 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. ● Ensure that all components are securely connected. Loose connections may cause the computer to not recognize a component or fail to start.
Quick Start Preparing Tools and Components Intel LGA 1151 CPU ® CPU Fan Thermal Paste DDR4 Memory Power Supply Unit Chassis SATA Hard Disk Drive Graphics Card SATA DVD Drive A Package of Screws Phillips Screwdriver Quick Start...
Connecting the Front Panel Header http://youtu.be/DPELIdVNZUI HDD LED + Power LED + HDD LED - Power LED - Reset Switch Power Switch Reset Switch Power Switch JFP1 Reserved No Pin JFP1 HDD LED - HDD LED HDD LED + POWER LED - POWER LED POWER LED + Quick Start...
® ™ ® Pentium and Celeron processors for Socket LGA1151 ® ® Intel Z170 Chipset (Z170A-G43 PLUS/ Z170A-G43 PLUS ® Chipset Intel H170 Chipset (H170A-G43 PLUS/ H170A-G43 PLUS ® ● 4x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 64GB ▶ Supports DDR4 3200(OC)/ 3000(OC)/ 2800(OC)/ 2600(OC)/ 2400/ 2133 MHz ●...
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Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s standards, 4.2cm/ 6cm/ 8cm length M.2 SSD cards** ▶ Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe Mini-SAS SSD with Turbo U.2 Host Card (Z170A-G43 PLUS AC/ Z170A-G43 PLUS)*** Storage ● Supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA storage devices ●...
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Continued from previous page ● 1x PS/2 keyboard/ mouse port ● 2x USB 2.0 ports ● 2x USB 3.1 Gen2 ports ● 1x DVI-D port ● 1x HDMI port ™ Back Panel Connectors ● 1x Clear CMOS button ● 1x LAN (RJ45) port ●...
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CPU-Z ● CLICK BIOS 5 ▶ EZ Mode & Advanced Mode Switching ▶ Board Explorer ▶ Hardware Monitor ● COMMAND CENTER MSI Exclusive Features ▶ System Monitor ▶ Smart Fan Control ● RAM DISK ● LIVE UPDATE 6 ● M-CLOUD...
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DDR4 XMP Ready ● PCI Express 3.0 Support Specification ▶ 2-Way AMD CrossFire Support Highlights ● EZ Debug LED ● 1x Clear CMOS button on rear I/O ● Audio Boost ● Support M.2 Gen3 x4 (Z170A-G43 PLUS AC/ Z170A-G43 PLUS) Specifications...
Rear I/O Panel Audio Ports USB 3.1 Gen2 PS/2 Clear DVI-D CMOS USB 2.0 USB 3.1 Gen1 LAN Port LED Status Table Link/ Activity LED Speed LED Status Description Status Description No link 10 Mbps connection Yellow Linked Green 100 Mbps connection Blinking Data activity Orange...
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...
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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...
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Component Contents Port Name Port Type Page CPUFAN1~2, SYSFAN1~3 Fan Connectors CPU Socket LGA1151 CPU Socket DIMM1~4 DIMM Slots EZ Debug LED Debug LED indicators JAUD1 Front Audio Connector JBAT1 Clear CMOS (Reset BIOS) Jumper JCI1 Chassis Intrusion Connector JCOM1 Serial Port Connector JFP1, JFP2 Front Panel Connectors...
M2_2: M.2 Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth module slot This slot is used for a M.2 Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth module. Please follow the steps below to install the optional Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth module. Secure the Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth module bracket to the M2_2 slot with two screws as shown below. Secure the antenna bracket to the back panel with two screws as shown below.
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.
DIMM Slots DIMM1 DIMM3 Channel A Channel B DIMM2 DIMM4 Memory module installation recommendation DIMM4 DIMM4 DIMM3 DIMM2 DIMM2 DIMM2 DIMM1 Important Always insert memory modules in the DIMM2 slot first. ● Due to chipset resource usage, the available capacity of memory will be a little less ●...
PCIe slots bandwidth table The PCI_E5 slot shares bandwidth with PCI_E1, PCI_E3 & PCI_E4 Slot Bandwidth PCI_E1 ─ ─ ─ ─ PCI_E3 ─ ─ ─ ─ PCI_E4 ─ ─ ─ ─ PCI_E5 (─: empty) Important When adding or removing expansion cards, always turn off the power supply and unplug the power supply power cable from the power outlet.
M2_1: M.2 Slot Important Only support M.2 SATA interface for H170. ● ● Intel RST only supports PCIe M.2 SSD with UEFI ® ROM, does not support Legacy ROM. Video Demonstration Watch the video to learn how to Install M.2 module. http://youtu.be/JCTFABytrYA Installing M.2 module Remove the screw from...
JFP1, JFP2: Front Panel Connectors These connectors connect to the switches and LEDs on the front panel. JFP1 HDD LED + Power LED + HDD LED - Power LED - Reset Switch Power Switch Reset Switch Power Switch Reserved No Pin Speaker - Buzzer + JFP2...
JUSB2~3: USB 3.1 Gen1 Connectors These connectors allow you to connect USB 3.1 Gen1 ports on the front panel. Power USB2.0+ USB3_RX_DN USB2.0- USB3_RX_DP Ground Ground USB3_TX_C_DP USB3_TX_C_DN USB3_TX_C_DN USB3_TX_C_DP Ground Ground USB3_RX_DP USB2.0- USB3_RX_DN USB2.0+ Power Ground No Pin Important Note that the Power and Ground pins must be connected correctly to avoid possible damage.
CPUFAN1~2, SYSFAN1~3: Fan Connectors Fan connectors can be classified as PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) Mode and Voltage Mode. PWM Mode fan connectors provide constant 12V output and adjust fan speed with speed control signal. Voltage Mode fan connectors control fan speed by changing voltage.
JLPT1: Parallel Port Connector This connector allows you to connect the optional parallel port with bracket. RSTB# AFD# PRND0 ERR# PRND1 PINIT# PRND2 LPT_SLIN# PRND3 Ground PRND4 Ground PRND5 Ground PRND6 Ground PRND7 Ground ACK# Ground BUSY Ground Ground SLCT No Pin JCOM1: Serial Port Connector This connector allows you to connect the optional serial port with bracket.
JTPM1: TPM Module Connector This connector is for TPM (Trusted Platform Module). Please refer to the TPM security platform manual for more details and usages. LPC Clock 3V Standby power LPC Reset 3.3V Power LPC address & data pin0 Serial IRQ LPC address &...
JCI1: Chassis Intrusion Connector This connector allows you to connect the chassis intrusion switch cable. Normal Trigger the chassis intrusion event (default) Using chassis intrusion detector Connect the JCI1 connector to the chassis intrusion switch/ sensor on the chassis. Close the chassis cover. Go to BIOS >...
Press Delete key, when the Press DEL key to enter Setup Menu, F11 to enter Boot Menu message appears on the screen during the boot process. Use MSI FAST BOOT application. Click on GO2BIOS button and choose OK. The ●...
Updating BIOS Updating BIOS with M-FLASH Before updating: Please download the latest BIOS file that matches your motherboard model from MSI website. And then save the BIOS file into the USB flash drive. Updating BIOS: Press Del key to enter the BIOS Setup during POST.
EZ Mode At EZ mode, it provides the basic system information and allows you to configure the basic setting. To configure the advanced BIOS settings, please enter the Advanced Mode by pressing the Setup Mode switch or F7 function key. XMP switch Setup Mode switch Screenshot...
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OC GENIE 4 toggle - click on it to toggle the OC GENIE 4 function which can ● automatically overclock the CPU with MSI optimized setting. Important Please don’t make any changes in OC menu and don’t load defaults to keep the optimal performance and system stability after enabling the OC GENIE 4 function.
Advanced Mode Press Setup Mode switch or F7 function key can switch between EZ Mode and Advanced Mode in BIOS setup. XMP switch Setup Mode switch Screenshot Favorites Language System information OC GENIE 4 toggle Boot device priority bar BIOS menu BIOS menu selection selection...
SETTINGS System Status ▶ System Date Sets the system date. Use tab key to switch between date elements. The format is <day> <month> <date> <year>. <day> Day of the week, from Sun to Sat, determined by BIOS. Read-only. <month> The month from Jan. through Dec. <date>...
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PEG X - Max Link Speed [Auto] ▶ Sets PCI Express protocol of PCIe x16 slots for matching different installed devices. [Auto] This item will be configured automatically by BIOS. [Gen1] Enables PCIe Gen1 support only. [Gen2] Enables PCIe Gen2 support only. [Gen3] Enables PCIe Gen3 support only.
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[Disabled] Disables the Ipv6 PXE boot support. SATA Mode [AHCI Mode] ▶ Sets the operation mode of the onboard SATA controller. [AHCI Mode] Specify the AHCI mode for SATA storage devices. AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) offers some advanced features to enhance the speed and performance of SATA storage device, such as Native Command Queuing (NCQ) and hot-plugging.
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Legacy USB Support [Enabled] ▶ Sets Legacy USB function support. [Auto] The system will automatically detect if any USB device is connected and enable the legacy USB support. [Enabled] Enable the USB support under legacy mode. [Disabled] The USB devices will be unavailable under legacy mode. USB Speed Optimization [Auto] ▶...
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Disables this function. ▶ MSI Fast Boot [Disabled] MSI Fast Boot is the fastest way to boot the system. It will disable more devices to speed up system boot time which is faster than the boot time of Fast Boot. [Enabled] Enables the MSI Fast Boot function to speed up booting time.
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Internal GOP Configuration ▶ Manages the onboard Graphics Output Protocol (GOP). Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu. This sub-menu will appear when Windows 8.1/ 10 WHQL Support is enabled. ▶ Secure Boot Sets the Windows secure boot to prevent the unauthorized accessing. Press <Enter>...
Resume By PCI-E Device [Disabled] ▶ Enables or disables the system wake up by PCI-E devices. [Enabled] Enables the system to be awakened from the power saving modes when activity or input signal of PCI-E device is detected. Note: enables this Item to support Resume by USB Device with third party USB 3.1 port if any.
Bootup NumLock State [On] ▶ Select the keyboard NumLock staten upon bootup. ▶ AUTO CLR_CMOS [Disabled] Enables or disables the CMOS data to be resumed automatically when the booting process hang-up over 5 seconds. ▶ Boot Mode Select [LEGACY+UEFI] Sets the system boot mode from legacy or UEFI architecture depending on OS installation requirement.
is disabled, you can enter the setup and OS without authorization. Trusted Computing ▶ Sets TPM (Trusted Platform Module) function. ▶ Security Device Support [Disabled] Enables or disables the TPM function to build the endorsement key for accessing the system. ▶...
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Important ● Overclocking your PC manually is only recommended for advanced users. ● Overclocking is not guaranteed, and if done improperly, it could void your warranty or severely damage your hardware. ● If you are unfamiliar with overclocking, we advise you to use OC GENIE 4 function for easy overclocking.
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Adjusted Ring Frequency ▶ Shows the adjusted Ring frequency. Read-only. ▶ GT Ratio [Auto] Sets the integrated graphics ratio. The valid value range depends on the installed CPU. ▶ Adjusted GT Frequency Shows the adjusted integrated graphics frequency. Read-only. ▶ Misc Setting* Press Enter, + or - key to open or close the following 3 items related to CPU features.
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Sets the DRAM frequency. Please note the overclocking behavior is not guaranteed. Adjusted DRAM Frequency ▶ Shows the adjusted DRAM frequency. Read-only. ▶ Memory Try It ! [Disabled] (for Z170A-G43 PLUS/ Z170A-G43 PLUS AC) It can improve memory compatibility or performance by choosing optimized memory preset. ▶ DRAM Timing Mode [Link] Selects the memory timing mode.
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Disables this function and keeps the current BIOS settings. ▶ OC Quick View Timer [3 Sec]* (for Z170A-G43 PLUS/ Z170A-G43 PLUS AC) Sets a time to allow the BIOS to show the variations of CPU base clock, CPU ratio, Ring ratio and DRAM ratio if any. If set to Disabled, BIOS will not show the variations when you change the CPU base clock, CPU ratio, Ring ratio and DRAM ratio.
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Execute Disable Bit [Enabled] ▶ Intel’s Execute Disable Bit functionality can prevent certain classes of malicious buffer overflow attacks where worms attempt to execute code to damage the system. It is recommended that keeps this item enabled always. [Enabled] Enables NO-Execution protection to prevent the malicious attacks and worms.
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C1E Support [Disabled] ▶ Enables or disables the C1E function for power-saving in halt state. This item appears when Intel C-State is enabled. [Enabled] Enables C1E function to reduce the CPU frequency and voltage for power-saving in halt state. [Disabled] Disables this function.
M-FLASH provides the way to update BIOS with a USB flash drive. Please download the latest BIOS file that matches your motherboard model from MSI website, save the BIOS file into your USB flash drive. And then follow the steps below to update BIOS.
OC PROFILE ▶ Overclocking Profile 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6 Overclocking Profile 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6 management. Press <Enter> to enter the sub- menu. ▶ Set Name for Overclocking Profile 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6 Name the current overclocking profile. ▶...
HARDWARE MONITOR Current Temperature & Speed information Fan control field Setting Buttons Voltage display ▶ Current Temperature & Speed information Shows the current CPU temperature, system temperature and fans' speeds. ▶ Fan control field This motherboard provides a fan speed control feature call Smart Fan. Please check the Smart Fan Mode box to enable the Smart Fan.
® Installing Drivers Start up your computer in Windows 7/ 8.1/ 10. ® Insert MSI Driver Disc into your optical drive. ® The installer will automatically appear and it will find and list all necessary drivers. Click Install button. The software installation will then be in progress, after it has finished it will prompt you to restart.
COMMAND CENTER COMMAND CENTER is an user-friendly software and exclusively developed by MSI, helping users to adjust system settings and monitor status under OS. With the help of COMMAND CENTER, making it possible to achieve easier and efficient monitoring process and adjustments than that under BIOS. In addition, the COMMAND CENTER can be a server for mobile remote control application.
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CPU Fan CPU Fan control panel provides Smart mode and Manual Mode. You can switch the control mode by clicking the Smart Mode and Manual Mode buttons on the top of the CPU Fan control panel. ● Manual Mode - allows you to manually control the CPU fan speed by percentage.
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OC GENIE 4 OC GENIE 4 provides a specified CPU frequency for overclocking the CPU. Option Buttons - Advanced When click the Advanced button, The Voltage, Fan and DRAM icons will appear. ● Voltage - allows you to adjust advanced voltage values of CPU and chipset. ●...
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Find the IP address on the SoftAP Management Setting area, and enter the IP address on your MSI COMMAND CENTER APP to link your system. ® Press Refresh on the MSI COMMAND CENTER APP to verify that monitoring ® and OC functions are working properly.
LIVE UPDATE 6 LIVE UPDATE 6 is an application for the MSI system to scan and download the latest ® drivers, BIOS and utilities. With LIVE UPDATE 6, you don’t need to search the drivers on websites, and don’t need to know the models of motherboard and graphics cards.
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Select the Live Update tab. Choose Automatic scan, system will automatically scan all the items and search for the latest update files. Or you can choose Manual scan and select the items you wish to scan. Click the Scan button at the bottom. It may take several moments to complete the process.
M-CLOUD M-CLOUD is an application of MSI network sharing. It allows you to turn your computer into Wi-Fi AP. It can also transfer files between your MSI computers. Soft AP ON/OFF History Server Information Users & Permissions Server Local Directory...
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Setting up Soft AP (optional) The Soft AP function is only available for the motherboard with the built-in WiFi module. You can share your network connection to your smartphones, tablets and laptops with the Soft AP function. Important ● You must have an active network connection and an installed Wi-Fi moudle to enable Soft AP.
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Managing User Accounts This section describes how to create/ remove a user account and configure individual access permissions. Click the Users & Permissions button and the Users & Permissions Management window will pop up. Click Add Account button create a new user account. Fill in user’s ID, password and Confirm Password fields.
RAMDISK RAMDISK creates a virtual RAM drive using the available memory in your computer, the performance of the RAMDISK is faster than an SSD and hard drive. RAMDISK allows you to store any temporary information on it. Furthermore, using the RAMDISK will extend your SSD’s life by sparing it from excessive reading and writing.
Exit - exits NETWORK GENIE. ● In case no icon is shown on the system tray, it is possible to activate NETWORK GENIE manually by clicking Start > Programs > MSI > NETWORK GENIE > NETWORK GENIE. NETWORK GENIE Control Panel ●...
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Configuring Application’s Network Priority Go to Application tab. Click L to assign the low network priority to the application, and H to hight. You can also click the Lock icon to block an application network connection. Click the Save button to store your settings. Configuring Network Speed There are two parts in the Advanced tab, one is Internet Speed, and another is Delay/Sensitivity Settings.
Intel Extreme Tuning Utility ® Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel XTU) is a simple overclocking software for you to ® tune, test and monitor your system. Tuning Controls Views Settings Help System Navigation Table System System Monitors Graphs Views Settings Help ●...
RAID Configuration Below are the different types of a RAID. RAID 0 breaks the data into blocks which are written to separate hard drives. Spreading the hard drive I/O load across independent channels greatly improves I/O performance. RAID 1 provides data redundancy by mirroring data between the hard drives and provides enhanced read performance.
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Creating RAID Volume Select option Create RAID Volume and press Enter key. The following screen appears. CREATE VOLUME MENU Name : Volume0 RAID Level : RAID1(Mirror) Disks : Select Disks Strip Size : N / A Capacity : XXX.X GB Sync : N / A Create Volume...
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Delete RAID Volume Here you can delete the RAID volume, but please be noted that all data on RAID drives will be lost. Important If your system currently boots to RAID and you delete the RAID volume in the IRST Option ROM, your system will become unbootable.
Important ● You will lose all data on the RAID drives and any internal RAID structures when you perform this operation. Possible reasons to Reset Disks to Non-RAID could include issues such as ● incompatible RAID configurations or a failed volume or failed disk. Recovery Volume Options Select option Recovery Volume Options from the main menu screen and press Enter to change recovery volume mode.
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Reboot to Windows ; the rebuild will occur automatically. ® Failed Hard Drive Member Power off. Replace the failed hard drive with a new one that is of equal or greater capacity. Reboot the system to IRST Option ROM by press Ctrl + I keys during the POST. Select the port of the destination disk for rebuilding, and then press Enter.
Troubleshooting Lost BIOS password Before sending the motherboard for RMA repair, try to go over troubleshooting ● Clear the CMOS, but that will cause guide first to see if your got similar you to lose all customized settings in symptoms as mentioned below. the BIOS.
EU REACH Regulation (Regulation EC No. 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and the This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Council), MSI provides the information of chemical Operation is subject to the following two conditions: substances in products at: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, http://www.msi.com/html/popup/csr/evmtprtt_pcm.html...
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MSI will comply with the product take entregar a una empresa autorizada para la recogida de back requirements at the end of life of MSI-branded estos residuos.
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MSI si adeguerà a tale Direttiva ritirando tutti i prodotti marchiati MSI che sono stati venduti all’interno dell’Unione Europea alla fine del loro ciclo di vita.
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Alternatively, please try the following help resources for further guidance. ● Visit the MSI website for technical guide, BIOS updates, driver updates, and other information: http://www.msi.com ● Register your product at: http://register.msi.com...
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