MSI Z97 Gaming 7 User Guide

							
GA-Z97X-Gaming 7
Users Manual
Re
1  
						

							MotherboardGA-Z97X-Gaming 7Apr. 7, 2014
Apr. 7, 2014
MotherboardGA-Z97X-Gaming 7  
						

							 
Copyright
\251 2014 GIGA-BYTE 
The trademarks mentioned in this manual are legally registered to their \
respective owners.
Disclaimer
Information in this manual is protected by copyright laws and is the pro\
perty of GIGABYTE.
0026004B00440051004A00480056
without prior notice.
No part of this 
form or by any means without GIGABYTEs prior written permission.
0027005200460058005000480051005700440057004C0052005100030026004F004400560056004C00C0004600440057004C005200510056
In order to assist in the use of this product, GIGABYTE provides the fol\
lowing types of docu-
mentations:
 0084For quick set-up of the product, read the Quick Installation Guide inclu\
ded with the product.
 0084For detailed product information, carefully read the Users Manual.
For product-related information, check on our website at: http://www
Identifying 
The revision number on your motherboard looks like this: REV
means the revision of the motherboard is 1.0. Check your motherboard rev\
ision before updating
motherboard BIOS, drivers, or when looking for technical information.
Example:  
						

							- 4 -
Table of Contents
Box Contents ....................................................................................................\
...............6
Optional Items ....................................................................................................\
.............6
GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 Motherboard Layout .......................................................................7
GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 Motherboard Block Diagram ..........................................................8
Chapter 1 Hardware Installation ........................................................................\
.............9
1-1   Installation Precautions ...................................................................................9
1-2	 Product	Specifications ...................................................................................10
1-3  Installing the CPU and CPU Cooler...............................................................13
1-3-1  Installing the CPU ..................................................................................................13
1-3-2 Installing the CPU Cooler ......................................................................................15
1- 4 Installing the Memory ....................................................................................16
1- 4-1	 Dual	Channel	Memory	Configuration ....................................................................16
1- 4-2  Installing a Memory ................................................................................................17
1-5 Installing an Expansion Card .........................................................................18
1-6 Setting up AMD CrossFire™/NVIDIA® SLI™	Configuration ............................19
1-7  Back Panel Connectors .................................................................................20
1-8 Onboard Buttons, Switches and LEDs ..........................................................22
1-9  Internal Connectors .......................................................................................24
Chapter 2  BIOS Setup ........................................................................\
..........................35
2-1  Startup Screen ...............................................................................................36
2-2  The Main Menu ..............................................................................................37
2 - 3 M . I .T. ..............................................................................................................40
2-4   System Information ........................................................................................52
2-5  BIOS Features ...............................................................................................53
2-6 Peripherals .....................................................................................................57
2-7  Power Management .......................................................................................62
2-8  Save & Exit ....................................................................................................64
Chapter	3	 Configuring	SATA	Hard	Drive(s) ..................................................................65
3-1	 Configuring	Intel® Z97 SATA Controllers .......................................................65
3-2	 Configuring	Marvell® 88SE9172 SATA Controller .........................................77
3-3  Installing the SATA RAID/AHCI Driver and Operating System .....................82  
						

							- 5 -
Chapter 4 Drivers Installation ........................................................................\
...............89
4-1  Chipset Drivers ..............................................................................................89
4-2  Application Software ......................................................................................90
4-3 Information ........................................................................\
.............................90
Chapter 5  Unique Features........................................................................\
...................91
5-1 BIOS Update Utilities .....................................................................................91
5-1-1  Updating the BIOS with the Q-Flash Utility ...........................................................91
5-1-2 Updating the BIOS with the @BIOS Utility ...........................................................94
5-2  APP Center ........................................................................\
............................95
5 - 2 -1 E a s yTu n e ...............................................................................................................96
5-2-2  System Information Viewer ........................................................................\
............97
5-2-3  EZ Setup ........................................................................\
.......................................98
5-2- 4 Fast Boot ........................................................................\
......................................103
5-2-5 Smart TimeLock ...................................................................................................104
5-2- 6  Smart Recovery 2 ................................................................................................105
5-2-7 USB Blocker ........................................................................\
.................................107
5-2-8 Smart Switch ........................................................................\
................................108
5-2-9 Game Controller ........................................................................\
...........................109
Chapter 6  Appendix ........................................................................\
............................111
6-1 Qualcomm® Atheros Killer Network Manager ..............................................111
6-2	 Configuring	Audio	Input	and	Output .............................................................112
6-2-1	 Configuring	2/4/5.1/7.1-Channel	Audio ................................................................112
6-2-2	 Configuring	S/PDIF	Out .......................................................................................114
6-2-3	 Configuring 	Microphone 	Recording .....................................................................115
6-2- 4  Using the Sound Recorder ........................................................................\
..........117
6-2-5 Creative Software Suite ........................................................................\
...............118
6-3  Troubleshooting ...........................................................................................121
6-3-1  Frequently Asked Questions........................................................................\
........121
6-3-2 Troubleshooting Procedure .................................................................................122
6- 4  Debug LED Codes .......................................................................................124
Regulatory Statements ...........................................................................................128
Contact Us ..............................................................................................................131  
						

							- 6 -
Box Contents
 5GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 motherboard
 5Motherboard driver disk
 5User's Manual
 5Quick Installation Guide
 5Four SATA cables
 5I/O Shield
 5One 2-Way SLI bridge connector
Optional Items
 †2-port	USB	2.0	bracket	(Part	No.	12CR1-1UB030-6*R)
 †eSATA	bracket	(Part	No.	12CF1-3SATPW-4*R)
 †3.5"	Front	Panel	with	2	USB	3.0/2.0	ports	(Part	No.	12CR1-FPX582-2*R)
 †COM	port	cable	(Part	No.	12CF1-1CM001-3*R)
 †HDMI-to-DVI	adapter	(Part	No.	12CT2-HDMI01-1*R)
   The box contents above are for reference only and the actual items shall depend on the product package you 
obtain. The box contents are subject to change without notice.  
						

							- 7 -
GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 Motherboard Layout
F_USB30
KB_MSCPU_FAN
LGA1150
AT X
AUDIO
DDR3_4DDR3_2DDR3_3DDR3_1
B AT
ATX_12V_2X4
Intel® Z97
CODEC
CLR_CMOS
M_BIOSB_BIOS
DVIVGA
USB30LAN
PCIEX16
PCIEX8
PCIEX1_2
PCIEX1_1
PCI
PCIEX4
PCIEX1_3
CPU_OPT
SYS_FAN1
M.2
Qualcomm® Atheros Killer E2201 LAN
PCIe to PCIBridge
GA-Z97X-Gaming 7
R_USB
HDMIR_USB30
F_PANELF_USB2F_USB1SYS_FAN2SYS_FAN3SYS_FAN4SPDIF_OF_AUDIOTPMCOMA
S ATA 3
GSATA3
iTE® Super I/O
10
76
CMOS_SW
PW_SWBIOS_SWSB
RST_SW
Debug LED
	(Note)
ATX4P
(Note)		 For	debug	code	information,	please	refer	to	Chapter	6.
Marvell® 88SE9172
S ATA 3
3254
SATA_EXPRESS
MBIOS_LEDBBIOS_LED  
						

							- 8 -
GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 Motherboard Block Diagram
For	detailed	product	information/limitation(s),	refer	to	"1-2	Product	Specifications."
iTE® Super I/O
PS/2 KB/Mouse
LGA1150
CPU
Intel® Z97
PCIe CLK(100	MHz)
CPU	CLK+/-	(100	MHz)
1 PCI Express x162 PCI Express x8
2 PCI Express x4 + 1 PCI Express x8
COM
DDR3	1600/1333	MHz
PCI Express Bus
HDMI
DVI-D
DMI 2.0FDI 
x16x16x16
LPC 
Bus
Switch
oror
Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out
Line Out
MICLine In
S/PDIF Out
Side Speaker OutRear Speaker Out
CODEC
Dual Channel Memory
PCIe CLK(100	MHz)
PCI Bus
PCI Express Bus
D-Sub
x1x1
LAN 
RJ45
Qualcomm® Atheros Killer E2201 LAN
PCIe to PCIBridge
PCI CLK(33	MHz)
1 PCI
3 PCI Express x1
x1x1x1
8 USB 2.0/1.1
6 USB 3.0/2.0
4 SATA 6Gb/s
2 SATA 6Gb/s
Dual BIOS
Marvell® 88SE9172
SATA Express
M.2
or
orSwitch
2 SATA 6Gb/s  
						

							- 9 -
1-1 Installation Precautions
The motherboard contains numerous delicate electronic circuits and components which can become 
damaged	 as	a	result	 of	electrostatic	 discharge	(ESD).	Prior	to	installation,	 carefully	read	the	user's	
manual and follow these procedures:
 •Prior to installation, make sure the chassis is suitable for the motherb\
oard.
 •Prior	 to	installation,	 do	not	 remove	 or	break	 motherboard	 S/N	(Serial	 Number)	 sticker	or	
warranty sticker provided by your dealer. These stickers are required for warranty validation.
 •Always remove the AC power by unplugging the power cord from the power outlet before 
installing or removing the motherboard or other hardware components.
 •When connecting hardware components to the internal connectors on the motherboard, make 
sure they are connected tightly and securely.
 •When handling the motherboard, avoid touching any metal leads or connect\
ors.
 •It	is	 best	 to	wear	 an	electrostatic	 discharge	(ESD)	wrist	strap	 when	 handling	 electronic	 com-
ponents such as a motherboard, CPU or memory. If you do not have an ESD wrist strap, keep 
your	hands	dry	and	first	touch	a	metal	object	to	eliminate	static	electricity.
 •Prior to installing the motherboard, please have it on top of an antistatic pad or within an 
electrostatic shielding container.
 •Before unplugging the power supply cable from the motherboard, make sure the power supply 
has been turned off.
 •Before turning on the power, make sure the power supply voltage has been set according to 
the local voltage standard.
 •Before using the product, please verify that all cables and power connectors of your hardware 
components are connected. 
 •To prevent damage to the motherboard, do not allow screws to come in contact with the 
motherboard circuit or its components.
 •Make sure there are no leftover screws or metal components placed on the motherboard or 
within the computer casing.
 •Do not place the computer system on an uneven surface.
 •Do not place the computer system in a high-temperature environment.
 •Turning on the computer power during the installation process can lead to damage to system 
components as well as physical harm to the user.
 •If you are uncertain about any installation steps or have a problem related to the use of the 
product,	please	consult	a	certified	computer	technician.
Chapter 1  Hardware Installation
Hardware Installation  
						

							- 10 -
1-2	 Product	Specifications
CPU ŠSupport for Intel® Core™ i7 processors/Intel® Core™ i5 processors/  
Intel® Core™ i3 processors/Intel® Pentium® processors/  
Intel® Celeron® processors in the LGA1150 package
(Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest CPU support list.)
 Š L3 cache varies with CPU
Chipset ŠIntel® Z97 Express Chipset
Memory Š4 x DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 32 GB of system memory*  Due to a Windows 32-bit operating system limitation, when more than 4 GB\
 of physical  memory is installed, the actual memory size displayed will be less than the size of 
the physical memory installed.
 ŠDual channel memory architecture ŠSupport for DDR3 1600/1333 MHz memory modules ŠSupport for non-ECC memory modules ŠSupport for Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules
(Go to GIGABYTE's website for the latest supported memory speeds and memory 
modules.)
Onboard Graphics ŠIntegrated Graphics Processor:- 1 x D-Sub port, supporting a maximum  resolution of 1920x1200@60Hz- 1 x DVI-D port, supporting a maximum r esolution of 1920x1200@60Hz*   The DVI-D port does not support D-Sub connection by adapter.-   1 x HDMI port, supporting a maximum resolution of 4096x2160@24Hz or 2560x1600@60Hz*   Support for HDMI 1.4a version.-   Support for up to 3 displays at the same  time-   Maximum shared memory of 1 GB
Audio ŠRealtek® ALC1150 codec ŠSupport for Sound Blaster X-Fi MB3 ŠHigh Definition Audio Š2/4/5.1/7.1-channel ŠSupport for S/PDIF Out
LAN ŠQualcomm® Atheros Killer E2201 LAN chip (10/100/1000 Mbit)
Expansion Slots Š1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16 (PCIEX16)*   For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot. Š1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x8 (PCIEX8)*   The PCIEX8 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIEX16 slot. When the PCIEX8 slot is populated, the PCIEX16 slot will operate at up to x8 mode. Š1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x4 (PCIEX4)*   The PCIEX4 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIEX8 and PCIEX16 slots. When the PCIEX4 slot is populated, the PCIEX16 slot will operate at up to x8 mode and the 
PCIEX8 will operate at up to x4 mode.
*   When installing a x8 or above card in the PCIEX4 slot, make sure to set PCIE Slot Configuration	( CPU) in BIOS Setup to  x4. (Refer to Chapter 2, "BIOS Setup," 
"Peripherals," for more information.)
(The PCIEX16, PCIEX8 and PCIEX4 slots conform to PCI Express 3.0 standard.) Š 3 x PCI Express x1 slots
(The PCI Express x1 slots conform to PCI Express 2.0 standard.)
 Š1 x PCI slot 
Hardware Installation