Build a compact desktop system with the Z370I Gaming Pro Carbon AC LGA 1151 Mini-ITX Motherboard from MSI. The Z370I Gaming Pro Carbon AC is equipped with an Intel Z370 chipset and LGA 1151 socket to handle 8th-generation Intel processors as well as an 802.11ac/Bluetooth module for wireless connectivity. With a mini-ITX form factor, the motherboard is designed to accommodate two sticks of DDR4 memory chips, operating at up to 4500 MHz over-clocked timings, along with a single PCIe card installed in its PCIe 3.0 x16 slot. For storage, there are four SATA connectors and one M.2 slot which supports PCIe- and SATA-based M.2 SSDs.
On the rear panel, the motherboard features one PS/2 combo port, one DisplayPort, one HDMI port, and one Gigabit Ethernet port along with two USB 2.0, two USB 3.0, and two USB 3.1 ports. One of the USB 3.1 ports sports a convenient USB Type-C design for easy connections with USB-C cables. Other notable connections on the rear panel include five audio jacks as well as one optical S/PDIF-out jack. Furthermore, onboard LED lighting and support for optional LED strips allow you to illuminate the insides of your case.
Mystic Light
MSI's Mystic Light feature provides built-in lighting that can produce 16.8 million colors to match the style of your system. In addition to color selection, it provides 17 LED effects. You can turn off the onboard lighting or connect optional RGB strips to the motherboard. The motherboard comes with 4-pin JRGB-strip and 3-pin JCORSAIR-strip headers for supporting LED strips and LED fan hubs. A Mystic Light app is available for controlling all of the LEDs. Moreover, the lighting system can sync to Mystic Light compatible products.
Cooling
The motherboard's six fan headers can automatically detect fans running in DC or PWM mode for optimal tuning of speeds and quietness. Hysteresis also makes your fans spin up fluently to help ensure your system stays silent. With the Total Fan Control app, you can take control of your fans and check the primary system's characteristics in a simplified graphical interface. Additionally, you can set up four temperature targets for the processor and motherboard to automatically adjust the fan's speed. For AIO or custom liquid-cooling solutions, there's a dedicated water header that supports up to 2A of power, giving you full control of the pump's speed.
Software Features
- Gaming Hotkey assigns functions to any key to launch your favorite games, load profiles, or overclock the CPU with the push of a single button
- Mouse Master software and dedicated PS/2 port to enhance mouse controls
- MSI Game Boost enables one-second overclocking for the CPU and memory
- MSI Dragon Eye allows you to watch a video or stream while playing a game simultaneously
- Gaming app produces an on-screen overlay on top of your game to help you keep track of CPU speeds, FPS, and temperatures
- WTFAST provides an optimized private network for gaming
- X-Boost optimizes SSDs and USB ports
- One Click to VR sets all your key components to their highest performance and makes sure other software applications won't impact the virtual-reality experience
- TriDef VR provides 2D-to-3D conversion technology and allows you to tweak your HMD to offer an optimal user experience
- MSI GAMING LAN Manager automatically classifies and prioritizes latency-sensitive applications for online games
- DDR4 Boost for enhancing speeds of memory modules
- MSI Command Center allows you to tune settings to increase system stability, maximize performance, and optimize cooling
- MSI Live Update automatically downloads and installs the latest drivers, BIOS, and software
- RAMDisk creates a virtual drive from RAM
- UEFI provides a "Fast Boot" option for faster boot times
- Go2BIOS lets you boot into the BIOS setup screen on the next restart without pressing the DEL or F2 key
- CPU-Z gathers key information of the CPU speed, memory speed and timings, motherboard BIOS version, and more
- CLICK BIOS 5 offers EZ and Advanced modes as well as search and favorites features to help you configure the system's components
- MSI 300 series motherboards support Legacy (MBR) and UEFI (GPT) boot options for compatibility with older and newer operating systems
- Secure Erase+ uses an optimized formatting algorithm, so SSDs can operate at maximum speeds
Additional Features
- Intel Optane Memory ready to enhance the performance for hard drives
- M.2 slots deliver speeds of up to 32 Gb/s to accommodate NVMe drives
- Audio Boost 4 technology enhances the sound quality coming from the EMI-shielded Realtek ALC1220 processor
- Nahimic Sound Technology provides features such as a sound tracker that visually shows where the enemies are making noise in game
- Isolated audio design with RGB LED border
- Separated layers in the PCB help ensure clear sound quality for both left and right audio channels
- De-pop protection eliminates popping noise when turning your system on or off as well as plugging or unplugging devices
- Built-in dedicated headphone amplifier supports headphones with up to 600Ω impedance
- Intel LAN reduces CPU overhead and offers high TCP and UDP throughputs
- LAN Protect shields the motherboard from power surges
- Intel Wi-Fi/Bluetooth PCIe module uses smart MU-MIMO technology to deliver AC speeds up to 867 Mb/s wirelessly
- Optimized traces and isolated memory circuitry help ensure stability and performance
- Supports XMP memory profiles
- Load-line calibration helps ensure CPU voltage levels remain stable under various loads
- A digital power design allows for faster and undistorted current delivery to the CPU
- Onboard LEDs indicate the source of the problem during system failures
- Overvoltage protection prevents potential short-circuit damage to the CPU and other critical components
- Two USB 3.1 ports on the rear panel transfer data at speeds up to 10 Gb/s
- MSI Super Charger USB ports deliver more power than standard ports to charge mobile devices quickly
- Double ESD protection with double layer grounding around the motherboard mounting holes prevent Electrostatic discharge (ESD) surges from damaging the motherboard
- PCI Express Steel Armor slot is armed with more solder points to prevent electromagnetic interference and damage from heavy graphics cards
- Supports 3D-printable parts