EVGA Z270 Stinger User Manual
  1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. EVGA Manuals
  4. Motherboard
  5. Z270 Stinger
  6. User manual

EVGA Z270 Stinger User Manual

Hide thumbs
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Download this manual
EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272)
User Guide
EVGA Z270 Stinger
Specs and Initial Installation
- 1 -

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading
Need help?

Need help?

Do you have a question about the Z270 Stinger and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Related Manuals for EVGA Z270 Stinger

Summary of Contents for EVGA Z270 Stinger

  • Page 1 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) User Guide EVGA Z270 Stinger Specs and Initial Installation - 1 -...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Motherboard Specifications..................- 6 - Unpacking and Parts Descriptions ................- 9 - Intel Z270 STINGER Motherboard LED reference ..........- 10 - Intel Z270 STINGER Motherboard Component Legend ........- 12 - PCI-E Slot Breakdown ................... - 21 - M.2 and U.2 Slot Breakdown .................
  • Page 3 SSD / HDD is not detected................... - 116 - Have a question not covered above, or want some online resources? ....- 118 - EVGA Glossary of Terms ..................- 119 - Compliance Information ..................- 122 - - 3 -...

  • Page 4: Before You Begin

    SFF gamers with a x16slot for blazing-fast video, integrated Intel WiFi, an Intel i219 NIC, M.2 type M, U.2, and much more! Lastly, a motherboard is only as good as its BIOS, and the EVGA Z270 STINGER features an updated UEFI\BIOS GUI with a focus on overclocking and functionality in a lean, straight-forward package.

  • Page 5: Parts Not In The Kit

     Monitor  (Optional) Optical Drive  EVGA assumes you have purchased all the necessary parts needed to allow for proper system functionality. For a full list of supported CPUs on this motherboard, please visit www.evga.com/support/motherboard Intentions of the Kit...

  • Page 6: Motherboard

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Motherboard Motherboard Specifications Size:  m-ITX form-factor of 6.7 inches x 6.7 inches (170.18x170.18mm) Microprocessor support:  Intel Socket 1151 Processor Operating Systems:  Supports Windows 10 / 8* / 7* (*Dependant upon CPU support for Windows. Kaby Lake-S CPUs **ONLY** support Windows 10.
  • Page 7 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) SATA Ports:  Intel Z270 PCH Controller 4x SATA 3/6G (600 MB/s) data transfer rate - Support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, AND RAID 10 - Supports hot plug Onboard LAN:  1x Intel i219v Gigabit (10/100/1000) Ethernet Onboard WiFi: ...
  • Page 8 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Fan Headers:  1x 4-pin PWM controlled 2x 4-pin DC\PWM headers - Each fan header can be selected in BIOS to share PWM profiles, or be controlled by DC. ALL FAN HEADERS HAVE A MAXIMUM POWER...

  • Page 9: Unpacking And Parts Descriptions

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Unpacking and Parts Descriptions The following accessories are included with the EVGA Z270 STINGER Motherboard: The EVGAZ270 Stinger Motherboard This motherboard contains the Intel Z270 chipset. I/O Shield Installs in the system case to block radio frequency transmissions, protect internal components from dust, foreign objects, and aids in proper airflow within the chassis.

  • Page 10: Intel Z270 Stinger Motherboard Led Reference

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Intel Z270 STINGER Motherboard LED reference The EVGA Z270 STINGER Motherboard has several LEDs indicating power, connectivity, and activity. Below is the location of the LEDs and their function. LED Legend Remo vable B IOS LED 4. VSM 7.
  • Page 11 RED: BIOS chip is detected and active b. This BIOS chip can be removed and replaced while the motherboard is powered off. Please contact EVGA Support for any concerns with the BIOS chip, and never remove the chip while the PC is powered on.

  • Page 12: Intel Z270 Stinger Motherboard Component Legend

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Intel Z270 STINGER Motherboard Component Legend The EVGA Z270 STINGER Motherboard with the Intel Z270 and PCH Chipset. Figure 1 shows the motherboard and Figure 2 shows the back panel connectors FIGURE 1. Z270 STINGER Motherboard Layout...
  • Page 13 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Component Legend CP U So cket 1 1 51 8. Intel SA TA 3/6G 1 5. USB 2.0 Headers 2. Intel Z270 P CH (So uthbridge) 9. U.2 P o rt 1 6. B acklit A udio Traces 3.
  • Page 14 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Figure 2. Chassis Rear Panel Connectors I/O Hub Legend 1. USB 3.0 4. BIOS/CMOS Reset 7. HDMI 1.4 2. USB 3.1 Type-A 5. Intel I 219 NIC 8. Analog Audio Jacks 3. USB 3.1 Type-C 6. Display Port 1.2 9.
  • Page 15 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Component Legend Descriptions 1. CPU Socket 1151 This is the interface for the Central Processing Unit (CPU), and supports Pentium, Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 models compatible with the Intel 1151 Socket and Skylake or Kaby Lake-S architecture.
  • Page 16 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) 6. 24-pin ATX power connector The main power for the motherboard is located on the right side of the board and perpendicular to the PCB; this is also described as a “Vertical” connector (See Page 37 for more specifics to the connector itself, and associated wiring/pinouts).
  • Page 17 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) 10. M.2 Mount Holes This component is noted because the M.2 Key-M is located on the bottom of the motherboard, which is not visible from the top of the board. The upper component image shows the mount location from the front, while the lower image shows the holes from the bottom.
  • Page 18 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) USB 3.1 Type-A (found on the I/O Hub) shares the power limit of USB 3.0 at 900ma @ 5V. Whereas USB 3.1 Type-C (also found on the IO Hub) has a power limit of 3000ma (3A) @ 5V.
  • Page 19 BIOS failures, bad BIOS flashes, BIOS corruption, etc. This feature also allows EVGA to work with end-users if something happens to render the BIOS chip unusable or a BIOS update is needed for CPU compatibility; rather than...
  • Page 20 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Card Slots The Z270 STINGER features 1 x16 PCI-E slots, 1 Socket 3 Key-M M.2 80mm (backwards compatible with Key-M 60mm) placed on the back of the motherboard, and 1 Socket 1 Key-E M.2 on a vertical riser.

  • Page 21: Pci-E Slot Breakdown

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) PCI-E Slot Breakdown PCI-E Lane Distribution (All Socket 1151 processors are 16 lanes.) PE1 – x16 (Gen3, x16 lanes from CPU)  M.2 and U.2 Slot Breakdown M.2 Lane Distribution M.2 Key M (80mm, back) – x4 from PCH ...

  • Page 22: Preparing The Motherboard

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Preparing the Motherboard Installing the CPU Be very careful when handling the CPU. Hold the processor only by the edges and do not touch the bottom of the processor. Note: Use extreme caution when working with the...

  • Page 23: Installing The Cpu Cooling Device

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) 5. Align the notches on the CPU to the notches in the socket. 6. Lower the processor straight down into the socket. Note: Make sure the CPU is fully seated and level in the socket. 7. Lower the load plate so it is resting on the CPU.

  • Page 24: Installing System Memory (Dimms)

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Installing System Memory (DIMMs) Your Z270 Stinger has two (2) 288-pin slots for DDR4 memory. These slots support 4GB, 8GB and 16GB DDR4 DIMMs. There must be at least one memory slot populated for the board to boot and operate.

  • Page 25: Installing The I/O Shield

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Installing the I/O Shield The motherboard kit comes with an I/O shield that is used to block internal components from dust and foreign objects, while also promoting correct airflow within the chassis. Before installing the motherboard, install the I/O shield from the inside of the chassis.

  • Page 26: Securing The Motherboard Into A System Case

    Once all screws are properly threaded, remember to go back and tighten the rest of the screws. 6. See the picture below for a zoomed-in view of a hole to place over a standoff, as well as the locations of standoff holes for the Z270 STINGER. - 26 -...
  • Page 27 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) 1. All safe locations to secure the board to a standoff are circled above in red. 2. Keep in mind that when the screws are installed, but not fully tightened, the motherboard should have 1-2mm of movement; this can help with mounting cards or tight-fits with other components.

  • Page 28: Installing M.2 Devices

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Installing M.2 devices Securing a M.2 device to the motherboard requires a few extra steps compared to other current drive or slot-based connectors. M.2 devices used on this motherboard, Socket 3 (for SSDs) and Socket 1 (for WiFi/Bluetooth), will be installed and attached the same way.
  • Page 29 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) 3. Gently push the M.2 device down on the raised end. There will be some tension - this is normal - then use the screw you removed in Step 2 to secure the device. Below, you can see that the contacts will be nearly invisible when the device is properly seated and the copper mounting semi-circle is partially visible around the screw.
  • Page 30 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Incorrect installation Example: *NOTE* This is one of the most common examples of an incorrect installation of a M.2 device. Do not intentionally attempt this, or complete your installation with this example. Doing so could cause damage to the device or the M.2 port.

  • Page 31: Tested Cpu And Memory

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Tested CPU and Memory Core Count Frequency PCI-E Lanes KabyLake-S Core ™ i7 7700K 4 Cores + HT 4.20 GHz Core ™ i7 7700 4 Cores + HT 4.00 GHz Core ™ i5 7600K 4 Cores 3.80 GHz...
  • Page 32 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Vendor Part Number Size Frequency Slot Timing Voltage G.SKILL F4-2133C15D-8GRR 2133 15-15-15-35 1.2V Kingston HX421C14FBK4/16 2133 14-14-14-35 1.2V Kingston HX421C13PBK4/16 2133 13-13-13-36 1.2V CORSAIR CMK32GX4M2A2400C14 2133 15-15-15-36 1.2V Crucial BLS4G4D24DFSA.8FAR 2400 16-16-16-40 1.2V G.SKILL F4-2400C15Q-16GRR 2400 15-15-15-35 1.2V...

  • Page 33: Tested U.2

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Vendor Part Number Size Frequency Slot Timing Voltage Kingston HX430C15PBK4/16 3000 15-16-16-39 1.35V CORSAIR CMK16GX4M4B3000C15 3000 15-17-17-35 1.35V G.SKILL F4-3000C15Q-32GVR 3000 15-15-15-35 1.35V G.SKILL F4-3200C16Q-16GRKD 3200 16-16-16-36 1.35V Kingston HX432C16PBK4/16 3200 16-16-16-39 1.35V CORSAIR CMD16GX4M4B3200C16 3200 16-18-18-36 1.35V...

  • Page 34: Tested M.2 Key-M

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Tested M.2 Key-M M.2 Key M (SSD) : Brand Part Number Size Interface Samsung MZ-HPU128T/004 128G 128GB Samsung MZ-HPV1280 SM951 128GB Intel SSDSCKHW120A4 120GB Transcend TS128GMTS800 128GB Samsung MZ-HPU128T/004 128GB Kingston SHPM2280P2H/240 240GB M.2 + PCIE Adapter Card...

  • Page 35: Connecting Cables

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Connecting Cables Important caveat: the images below do *NOT* necessarily represent the physical orientation of the your specific header on motherboard. Rather, these are physical representations designed to give you a basic physical footprint of the component AND the cable pinouts for the ports.
  • Page 36 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) 24pin ATX Power (ATX_PWR_24P) is the main power supply connector located along the lower- ATX_PWR_24p right edge of the board. Make sure that the power supply cable and pins are properly aligned with the connector on the motherboard. Firmly plug the power supply cable into the connector and make sure it is secure.
  • Page 37 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) EPS 8-pin 12V Power (PWR , the 8-pin ATX 12V power connection(s), is used to provide EPS PWR 8P power to the CPU. Align the pins to the connector and press firmly until seated. The secondary EPS, if present, is optional for improved overclocking. Please remember to make sure that the tab on the EPS socket is aligned with the release clip on the cable.
  • Page 38 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Front Panel Header The front panel header on this motherboard is used to connect the following four cables: PWRLED  Attach the front panel power LED cable to these two pins of the connector. The Power LED indicates the system’s status. When the system is powered on, the LED will be on.
  • Page 39 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Fan Header This motherboard line only has 4-pin fan headers, which are backwards compatible with 3-pin fan connectors. Fans may be controlled by PWM or DC controls. The headers have an absolute safe power limit of 1 Amp @ 12 Volts (12 Watts).
  • Page 40 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) USB Headers This motherboard contains USB 3.1 and 3.0 ports that are exposed on the rear panel of the chassis. The motherboard contains 2x 19-pin internal header connectors onboard that can be used to connect an optional external bracket containing up to four (4) USB 3.0 ports.
  • Page 41 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The motherboard contains 1x 9-pin internal header connectors onboard that can be used to connect an optional external bracket containing up to four (4) USB 2.0 ports. Secure the bracket to either the front or rear panel of your chassis (not ...
  • Page 42 Front panel audio connectors support different audio standards and can provide two kinds of audio output choices: HD Audio, or AC’97 to accommodate older cases that still use AC’97 rather than HD. The Z270 STINGER only has a HD Audio front panel connector.
  • Page 43 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Drive Headers (SATA/ U.2) SATA3/6G is the current standard for HDD/SSD/Optical interface. These cables are the data interconnect for the motherboard. Your HDD/SSD/Optical interface will still require a separate power connection from your power supply. SATA ports on this platform natively support full AHCI and RAID functions.

  • Page 44: Clear Cmos Button

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Clear CMOS Button The motherboard uses CMOS RAM to store set parameters. The CMOS may be cleared by pressing the Clear CMOS button on the motherboard PCB or on the external I/O Panel. External Clear CMOS Button...

  • Page 45: First Boot

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) First Boot When you power the system on for the first time (or after a BIOS update/reset) it may take a little longer than expected, and follow with a pause and message on the screen reading “BIOS Checksum error, Press F2 to continue or F12 to enter the BIOS.”...
  • Page 46 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Next, click “Boot” from the menu list at the top. “Boot Option #1” should show the device that you intend to install your operating system. If the device does not show up in this menu, and is a standard SSD/HDD plugged into a SATA port, proceed down to “UEFI Hard Disk Drive BBS Priorities”...

  • Page 47: Ssd, Pci-E Ssd, And Nvme Ssd Installation Steps

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) M.2 SSD, PCI-e SSD, and NVMe SSD Installation steps M.2 is a card bus that can use multiple connecter types to connect many types of devices, such as WiFi or SSDs, in a very small and power efficient package that is also very fast.
  • Page 48 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) PLEASE FULLY READ THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT COME WITH YOUR M.2 or PCI-E NVMe SSD BEFORE INSTALLATION. 2. After reviewing your SSD’s instructions and its respective Physical installation instructions above, power on the PC and enter the BIOS/UEFI by pressing the F2 key repeatedly.

  • Page 49: Internal Raid Controller

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Internal RAID Controller This section introduces RAID, RAID levels, and the basics of the controller integrated into the PCH. It covers the basics of what RAID does, how RAID works, and why you may or may not want to use RAID.
  • Page 50 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) its quality, and many other factors; but the number should give you a ballpark estimate on what to expect as a final capacity once formatted. Please see below for examples of what to expect when you build an array of each type.
  • Page 51 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) one drive fails, the array fails. It MAY be possible to recover the data but that usually requires a data recovery service, which is not guaranteed and is usually very expensive. RAID0 is typically only limited by the controller; however, you will get severely diminishing performance returns after 4 drives.
  • Page 52 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) RAID 0 (4 Drive) P-DRIVE1 P-DRIVE2 P-DRIVE3 P-DRIVE4 P-DRIVE1 P-DRIVE2 P-DRIVE3 P-DRIVE4 DATA-A DATA-B DATA-C DATA-D DATA-A DATA-B DATA-C DATA-D DATA-ABCD DATA-ABCD P-DRIVE1 P-DRIVE2 P-DRIVE3 P-DRIVE4 P-DRIVE1 P-DRIVE2 P-DRIVE3 P-DRIVE4 DATA-A DATA-B DATA-C DATA-D DATA-A DATA-B...
  • Page 53 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The Bad-  RAID1 is not a storage capacity-friendly array, because the capacity will be limited to 1 drive. o Due to the capacity available on modern drive solutions, this issue may not be as significant as it once was.
  • Page 54 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Similar to RAID1, or any other current type of array with fault tolerance, a RAID5 array is still usable even while it is experiencing a missing or failed drive resulting in the array functioning in a degraded state. Performance will suffer in a degraded state until the missing drive is replaced and the software rebuild process is completed.
  • Page 55 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) ≃ RAID 5 (4 Drive) L-DRIVE = P-DRIVE1 P-DRIVE2 P-DRIVE3 P-DRIVE4 P-DRIVE1 P-DRIVE2 P-DRIVE3 P-DRIVE4 P-DRIVE1 P-DRIVE2 P-DRIVE3 P-DRIVE4 DATA-A DATA-B DATA-C DATA-A DATA-A DATA-B DATA-C DATA-A DATA-A DATA-B DATA-C DATA-A DATA-B DATA-C DATA-A DATA-B DATA-B...
  • Page 56 L-Drive = DATA-AB L-Drive = DATA-AB While the Z270 STINGER controller will support a four or six drive RAID10 array, RAID10 can scale indefinitely provided the controller supports more drives. Every pair of drives adds an additional mirrored node, which increases the theoretical number of failures the array can suffer before a loss of data occurs.
  • Page 57 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) ≃ RAID 10 (6 Drive) L-DRIVE = In the case of a drive P-DRIVE1 P-DRIVE2 P-DRIVE3 P-DRIVE4 P-DRIVE5 P-DRIVE6 failure, the array P-DATA-A P-DATA-A P-DATA-B P-DATA-B P-DATA-C P-DATA-C controller will notify you. When you replace a...
  • Page 58 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) RAID0+1 : RAID0+1 is a form of nested RAID that was widely used on previous generation boards. Although the Z270 series motherboards do not use this type of array, it is listed here to show the improvements made by RAID10, and to clear up a common misperception that RAID0+1 and RAID10 are the same.
  • Page 59 L-Drive = DATA-AB L-Drive = DATA-AB Motherboard controllers that support RAID0+1 (such as on older generation EVGA motherboards) will generally support 4 or 6 drive arrays of this type; other controllers can allow this array type to scale indefinitely. Each pair of drives adds to the drive count for the stripes and increases the theoretical volume of failures the array can suffer before a loss of data occurs.
  • Page 60 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) ≃ RAID 0+1 (6 Drive) L-DRIVE = As you can see, the P-DRIVE1 P-DRIVE2 P-DRIVE3 P-DRIVE4 P-DRIVE5 P-DRIVE6 difference between RAID0+1 and RAID10 DATA-A DATA-B DATA-C DATA-A DATA-B DATA-C is significant when looking at how data is...
  • Page 61 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Which types of RAID can I use with my setup? 1 Drive – No RAID arrays are supported 2 Drives – RAID0 for speed (do regular backups) or RAID1 for data protection. 3 Drives – RAID0 for speed (do regular backups) or RAID5 for speed and protection.
  • Page 62 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) RAID mode not only includes the RAID controls, but also shares the same options/functions/commands as AHCI; you may continue using your AHCI devices normally when the SATA Configuration is set to RAID mode. The SATA Information menu shows a list of all drives currently detected by the controller;...
  • Page 63 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Once in the RAID controller, you will see a list of all detected drives and a “Create RAID Volume” button. To begin, click on “Create RAID Volume” or navigate to the button and hit “Enter.” Choose a name for the volume. The controller allows up to 15 characters; you can use numbers and letters, but not special characters.
  • Page 64 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Next, select your intended array type. This can be done by either clicking on the down arrow and clicking on the RAID level you want, or pressing the enter key and using the down arrow to select the RAID level and pressing Enter again. Please see the top half of Page 62 for a quick reference on different RAID levels and RAID types based on your total number of drives.
  • Page 65 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Strip size (also called “block size” in other controllers) can be selected manually at 16k, 32k, 64k, or 128k. The controller will determine the default strip size after looking at your drives and array type. Although there are some limited instances where this must be set manually, it is highly recommended to leave this at default.
  • Page 66 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) If your array will be your boot drive, the operating system will normally detect the array and see it as a single drive (this is expected), it *MAY* detect it as a RAID array; either way, the OS installation will show the size of the array, not a single drive, and allow you to install the OS to the array without any further steps.
  • Page 67 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Non-RAID Physical Disks list will display any remaining drives on the controller, whether it is a random storage drive, a boot drive, or a replacement drive installed to replace a failed unit. For this example, you will see a degraded array and a “Non-RAID Physical Disk,”...
  • Page 68 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Next, you will see a list of all attached HDD/SSDs that can be used to rebuild the array. Select the disk, then click on it or press enter. Once the process has started you will see the status change to “Rebuilding.”...
  • Page 69 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) IRST (Intel Rapid Storage Technology) The IRST is the software front-end for the Intel SATA controller. It is recommended to install the IRST drivers after installing the Intel Chipset Drivers – the main motherboard drivers. This guide walks you through not only the building, but also the repairing of an array from within Windows, since it may be more convenient to build new arrays within the OS rather than from within the UEFI.
  • Page 70 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) SATA will be selected by default. PCI-E primarily refers to PCI-E / M.2 based NVMe drives; the same basic steps do apply to both, however. Select SATA, and “Real-time protection (RAID1).” Then, click Next at the bottom of the window.
  • Page 71 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) - 71 -...
  • Page 72 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) In the Advanced tab, you can select the option to “Initialize Volume,” which will occur after the array is created. If the array is not initialized now, it can be initialized later in “Disk Management.” See Page 80 for Disk Management instructions.
  • Page 73 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Review the summary provided on the confirmation screen. If you are unsure about any selections made, click the “Back” key and make your corrections. When ready, click “Create Volume” at the bottom. This typically takes between a few seconds to a couple minutes depending on the size and complexity of the volume.
  • Page 74 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Once you click the OK button on the RAID creation window you will be brought back to the main window, “Status” tab. If the option to initialize was selected, the initialization status will be shown below, circled in red.
  • Page 75 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Repairing an array within IRST This section of the guide will illustrate how to repair a degraded array from within the IRST. For purposes of this guide, we are repairing a degraded RAID 1 array using a third drive plugged into the controller, but not currently in use.
  • Page 76 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The “Manage” tab shows the array specifically, and not just the controller as a whole. Next to “Status: Degraded,” left-click the hyperlink labeled “Rebuild to another disk.” This will bring a pop-up window over the IRST showing a list of attached drives that...
  • Page 77 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Select the drive you wish to use for the repair and click the “Rebuild” button. - 77 -...
  • Page 78 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The rebuild process will begin. As with any RAID array with Fault Tolerance, the rebuilding time depends on several factors, such as array size, array type, CPU, etc. You will then see the Rebuild % status in the Manage tab. Once repairs are complete, the array will update to “Status: Normal.”...
  • Page 79 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Partitioning and Formatting a drive Once you have created your array, either from UEFI or from IRST, you will not initially see your array in “This PC.” This is expected, because even though you have created the array, you have not yet prepared the array to be used.
  • Page 80 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) After “Disk Management” loads, you’ll see a pop-up to Initialize Disk if you’ve added a new drive or created a new array. Generally, it’s recommended to select “GPT,” unless you need backwards compatibility with an old OS or PC. When you’ve made your choice, click “OK.”...
  • Page 81 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Before you can assign a drive letter to a drive or array, the initialized disk must be partitioned. If you are following this guide and just initialized your drive or array, the New Simple Volume Wizard will automatically pop-up.
  • Page 82 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Leave the size at default to create a partition using the entire volume of disk space, then click “Next.” Select the drive letter you want to represent this drive, then click “Next.” Note: The drive letter does NOT have to be a consecutive letter with previous drive(s).
  • Page 83 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) After the quick format is completed, you will see the last Window of the wizard, a summary of the process, then click “Finish.” The drive is now usable. To confirm, go back to File Explorer in Windows. Click on “This PC” and check the drives section.

  • Page 84: Fan Header Dc And Pwm Setup

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Fan Header DC and PWM setup This motherboard supports both 4-pin PWM fans and 3-pin voltage-controlled fans. All of the fans can be set to a static voltage manually. The upper two (2) fan headers (see...
  • Page 85 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Once into the H/W Monitor section, you can see the temperature monitors across the top. Below the monitor is the PWM fan: CPU_FAN. The PWM fan is set to “Smart,” which means the PWM controller is using a Smart curve for fan controls. The PWM fan can be set to a separate fan curve.
  • Page 86 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) First, choose the temperature monitor the PWM controller will use to monitor for its temp information. It’s recommended to tie the fan control to the CPU, which is predominantly the most important temperature in the system. The exception is when you are pushing memory overclocks HARD with 64GB of RAM installed, which may cause PWM temps to be a concern;...
  • Page 87 When monitoring temperatures vs. fan speed, you may notice a variance in ramp up/down temps; this is due to a function EVGA hardcodes into the BIOS called Hysteresis. Hysteresis builds in a buffer to control fan speed behavior. This feature prevents a constant ramp up/down from happening when your system sits exactly at the temp you set for SMART fan controls.

  • Page 88: Realtek Hd Audio Manager

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Realtek HD Audio Manager The Z270 STINGER and Stinger both use a 7.1 Realtek ALC1150 audio controller. This section will cover installation of the controller (in Windows 10) and the basic configuration options that are available in the software.
  • Page 89 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Once you have rebooted and re-entered Windows, there should be a new shortcut in the system tray with a red- orange speaker icon. When you mouse over it, the icon reads “Realtek HD Audio Manager.” When the menu opens, left-click on it, and left-click the similar red-orange speaker icon labeled “Sound Manager”...
  • Page 90 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) On the right margin, you can see the different ports labeled in the picture above. The top portion covers the five (5) analog ports on the I/O Hub. The two (2) labeled “Speaker Out” ports and “Line In” port all use a diffused color to show that a port is not currently connected;...
  • Page 91 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) component number 9. The optical out contains all audio data the controller can provide; however, only 2.0/2.1 is pre-encoded form the controller. Audio with a higher channel count through optical S/PDIF must be connected to a receiver that supports live encoding, or an equivalent technology.
  • Page 92 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The icon of the file folder in the upper right is “Connector Settings.” This is the window for setting up port detection. The default setting in this Window allows the Manager to create a popup notification to let you know when you’ve plugged in a new device into a Realtek port(s) while Windows is running.
  • Page 93 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The “i” located at the bottom right of the Manager is an information button. Clicking on this will provide DirectX information, the CODEC and Language selection options. The main page defaults to the first audio device it detects;...
  • Page 94 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) If you switch over to the Sound Effects tab, you’ll notice the “Main Volume” controls near the top. The slider directly under Main Volume adjusts the Balance of your speakers. It is generally recommended to leave the slider centered, since most audio is meant to run with the audio output centered;...
  • Page 95 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) will drop down similar to the image above. For default devices, the box will be grayed- out if the device selected above (i.e. Speakers, Digital Output, etc.) is the default device. Below the Main Volume section is the “Sound Effects” and “Default Format” section.
  • Page 96 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The last section in Sound Effects is the Equalizer. Much like the environment section, there are visual references for presets, a pulldown with 14 options, and a more traditional equalizer setup with a 10-band EQ as part of the software suite.
  • Page 97 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The last section in Sound Effects is voice cancellation, also called Karaoke mode (this should not be confused with noise cancellation options in the Microphone menu). By left-clicking the icon, a red X will pop up, as shown in the image to the right.
  • Page 98 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The “Audio Test” button will be present for all speaker configurations, and serves the same function in all speaker iterations. Pressing the “Auto Test” button will play the same sound file out of each speaker that should be present, based on the configuration option you selected.
  • Page 99 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272)  Assume your speakers are not full-range. Modern speaker design uses a subwoofer to handle the relatively small percentage of content you hear in an audio signal. Low frequency content, more commonly known as sub-bass, is greatly amplified by the subwoofer, which explains why the smallest percentage of your audio content can often be the loudest.
  • Page 100 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) When Full-range is enabled, the speaker icons are enlarged to represent the change. Finally, Virtual Sound is an option created to send a stereo signal with positioning data to a Matrix decoder to simulate surround over a stereo signal.
  • Page 101 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) reversed such that the voice channel is joined with the front pair on one channel and the subwoofer has a dedicated connector, which can lead to voice channels and subwoofer receiving the wrong signal. The "Swap Center / Subwoofer Output" can resolve this type of issue.
  • Page 102 Windows. Due to the advanced nature of editing the Windows registry, we do not provide instructions in this manual. However, if you would like to adjust the crossover frequency settings, please see our FAQ on the EVGA website to walk you through how to adjust this setting: http://www.evga.com/support/faq/?f=59663.
  • Page 103 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Room Correction menu without an error message. All speakers will initially show semi- transparently. To edit this menu, check the box for “Enable Room Correction” at the bottom-center. After you check the box to Enable Room Correction, you will need to select whether you want distances displayed in Feet or Meters.
  • Page 104 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The final Device section covers the microphone. This tab includes both a recording and a playback section. Both features have similar balance options as the other sections, but differ slightly in the Volume slider function. The Recording...
  • Page 105 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) louder than others, and too much gain can ruin a recording. Likewise, if you use your microphone for VOIP applications, too much boost can be painfully loud for whomever is on the other side. Under “Microphone Effects,” there are two options that may be enabled: “Noise Suppression”...
  • Page 106 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) Using the Eleet Software Suite EVGA E-LEET is a monitoring and tuning software designed for EVGA motherboards, which is available on the driver DVD and the EVGA website at www.evga.com/E-LEET After installation, E-LEET will launch directly...
  • Page 107 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The next tab is “Monitoring,” which is an overview of temperatures and voltages in real- time. Please note that all readings on this page are pulled from motherboard sensors, and can change at any time. Temperatures...
  • Page 108 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The Options tab is for managing your E- LEET profiles. You can save overclock profiles made in the previous section, as well as selecting an option to load a profile at boot. Use care, however, when setting a profile to load on startup;...
  • Page 109 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The final section is “Voltages,” which provides a level of voltage control similar to what is available in the BIOS. Using the right image, you’ll notice that there are options for multiple voltages, and two options for your CPU Vcore: Adaptive and Override voltages.
  • Page 110 LEET will open the pulldown to the currently detected voltage. Please be careful when adjusting voltages, as there are risks to running electronics out of spec. Although EVGA warranties overclocking, other components are manufactured by different brands (i.e. RAM and CPU), which may have different policies towards overclocking.

  • Page 111: Installing Drivers And Software

    32bit and 64bit versions of Windows 10, 8, and 7. The kit comes with a CD that contains utilities, drivers, and additional software. The CD that has been shipped with the EVGA Z270 Motherboard contains the following software and drivers: Chipset Drivers ...

  • Page 112: Warranty And Overclocking

    Of course, there are some limitations to our warranties. If an EVGA motherboard or graphics card sustains physical (i.e. damage to the PCB or component due to slippage with a hand tool) or liquid damage, the warranty is void.

  • Page 113: Troubleshooting

    FOR ANY AND ALL INSTANCES WHERE YOU THINK YOU MAY NEED A REPLACEMENT BIOS CHIP, PLEASE CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE BIOS CHIP WITH ONE **NOT** SUPPLIED BY EVGA, AS EVGA CANNOT OTHERWISE GUARANTEE COMPATIBILITY. CONTACT INFORMATION, HOURS, AND LOCATIONS FOR ALL EVGA CUSTOMER SUPPORT OFFICES CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://www.evga.com/about/contactus/...
  • Page 114 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) The steps for replacement below assume you have already contacted EVGA Customer Support and have received a pre-flashed replacement chip directly from EVGA. 1. Locate the housing for the chip on the motherboard. It should be located on the right side below the RAM, about halfway down the board.
  • Page 115 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) 3. Remove the BIOS chip by lifting it straight up. Set it aside and insert the replacement chip. Once installed, close the left door first and the right door second, making sure both latch into place; you will feel a click when this happens. It is normal if the chip moves a little in the socket when closing the left door.

  • Page 116: Ssd / Hdd Is Not Detected

    EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) SSD / HDD is not detected. It is important to note that, as with *ALL* storage devices, if there is a connectivity issue, make sure it is enabled in BIOS. Likewise, if there is a device that shares bandwidth with your SSD or HDD (Page 22), make sure that the desired device is enabled in BIOS, or all other troubleshooting that comes after this section is moot.
  • Page 117 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) If you’ve already done this, test a different device using the same cable and SATA port to see if the issue persists. If the issue is not resolved, test a different SATA cable, or a different SATA port. Always be sure to test each step separately, otherwise, if several aspects are changed and drives are now detected, then you will not know what change actually fixed it.

  • Page 118: Have A Question Not Covered Above, Or Want Some Online Resources

    YOUR system!  Still building your rig? Make a build log here: http://forums.evga.com/EVGA-MODS-RIGS-f33.aspx  Want to join the online EVGA Gaming Community? Sign up and play with like-minded gamers here: http://www.evga.com/TEAMEVGA/ - 118 -...

  • Page 119: Evga Glossary Of Terms

    DMI – Direct Memory Interface DP – Display Port DRAM - Dynamic random access memory DVI – Digital Video Interface ELEET/ELEET X – EVGA motherboard monitoring and tuning software FIVR – Fully Integrated Voltage Regulator GHz – Gigahertz GPIO (Thunderbolt) – General Purpose Input/Output GPU –...
  • Page 120 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) HSF - Heat Sink Fan I/O - Input/Output IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IGP - Integrated Graphics Processors IMC – Integrated memory controller IOH – Input/Output Hub IRQ - Interrupt Request JBOD - Just a Bunch of Disks...
  • Page 121 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) PLL – Phase Locked Loop POST – Power on Self-Test PWM – Pulse Width Modulation QDR - Quad Data Rate QOS – Quality of Service QPI – Quick Path Interconnect RAID - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks RAM –...

  • Page 122: Compliance Information

    Original Purchaser. Upon termination, for any reason, all copies of Software and materials must be immediately returned to EVGA and the Original Purchaser shall be liable to EVGA.com CORP for any and all damages suffered as a result of the violation or default.
  • Page 123 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) MEMO...
  • Page 124 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) MEMO...
  • Page 125 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) MEMO...
  • Page 126 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) MEMO...
  • Page 127 EVGA Z270 Stinger (111-KS-E272) MEMO...

Table of Contents