GIGABYTE Z790 UD (01) PDF Document

To identify the revision number of your GIGABYTE Z790 UD motherboard, look for a marking that says “REV: X.X” printed on the board itself. For example, “REV: 1.0” indicates that the motherboard is revision 1.0. You should check your motherboard’s revision number before updating the BIOS, drivers, or when looking for technical information.

Before installing your GIGABYTE Z790 UD motherboard, please follow these precautions to prevent damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD) and ensure proper installation:

• Make sure the chassis is suitable for the motherboard.

• Do not remove the motherboard’s S/N (Serial Number) or warranty sticker.

• Always unplug the AC power cord from the outlet before installing or removing any components.

• Ensure all hardware components are connected tightly and securely to the internal connectors.

• When handling the motherboard, avoid touching metal leads or connectors. It is best to wear an ESD wrist strap. If you don’t have one, keep your hands dry and touch a metal object first to discharge static electricity.

• Place the motherboard on an antistatic pad or in an electrostatic shielding container before installation.

• Before connecting or unplugging the power supply cable, ensure the power supply is turned off.

• Before turning on the power, ensure the power supply voltage is set correctly for your local standard.

• Verify that all cables and power connectors are properly connected before use.

• To prevent damage, do not let screws touch the motherboard circuit or its components.

• Make sure there are no leftover screws or metal components on the motherboard or inside the computer case.

• Do not place the computer system on an uneven surface or in a high-temperature or wet environment.

• Powering on the computer during installation can damage components and cause physical harm.

• If you are uncertain about any installation steps, consult a certified computer technician.

Internal I/O Connectors:

• 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector

• 2 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connectors

• 1 x CPU fan header

• 1 x water cooling CPU fan header

• 3 x system fan headers

• 1 x system fan/water cooling pump header

• 2 x addressable LED strip headers

• 2 x RGB LED strip headers

• 3 x M.2 Socket 3 connectors

• 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors

• 1 x front panel header

• 1 x front panel audio header

• 1 x S/PDIF Out header

• 1 x USB Type-C® header, with USB 3.2 Gen 1 support

• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 header

• 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers

• 1 x serial port header

• 2 x Thunderbolt™ add-in card connectors

• 1 x Trusted Platform Module header

• 1 x reset button

• 1 x Q-Flash Plus button

• 1 x reset jumper

• 1 x Clear CMOS jumper

Back Panel Connectors:

• 1 x USB Type-C® port, with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 support

• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port (red)

• 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports

• 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports

• 1 x HDMI 2.0 port

• 1 x DisplayPort

• 1 x RJ-45 port

• 3 x audio jacks

CPU Installation Guidelines:

• Ensure the motherboard supports the CPU you are installing.

• Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord before starting.

• Locate the pin one triangle on the CPU and the corresponding corner on the socket for correct orientation. The CPU also has notches on the sides that align with keys on the socket.

• Apply an even and thin layer of thermal grease on the surface of the CPU.

• Do not turn on the computer without a CPU cooler installed to prevent overheating.

Installing the CPU:

Step 1. Gently press the CPU socket lever handle down and away from the socket, then completely lift it up.

Step 2. Use the finger tab to lift open the metal load plate. The plastic protective cover will be attached to it.

Step 3. Hold the CPU by its edges. Align the pin one triangle on the CPU with the pin one corner of the socket (or align the notches) and gently insert the CPU into position.

Step 4. Once the CPU is properly seated, close the load plate. The plastic protective cover will pop off automatically; remove it. Secure the lever back under its retention tab to lock the CPU in place.

Installing the CPU Cooler:

Step 1. Apply an even and thin layer of thermal grease to the surface of the installed CPU.

Step 2. Place the cooler on top of the CPU, aligning the four push pins through the corresponding holes on the motherboard. Push down on the pins diagonally to secure the cooler.

Step 3. Attach the power connector of the CPU cooler to the CPU_FAN header on the motherboard.

To enable Dual Channel memory mode on your GIGABYTE Z790 UD, which doubles the memory bandwidth, follow these guidelines:

Pre-installation Checks:

• Make sure the motherboard supports the memory. It is recommended to use memory of the same capacity, brand, speed, and chips.

• Always turn off the computer and unplug the power cord before installing memory.

• Memory modules are designed to be installed in only one direction. If you cannot insert the memory, switch the direction.

Dual Channel Configuration:

The four memory sockets are divided into two channels:

• Channel A: DDR5_A1, DDR5_A2

• Channel B: DDR5_B1, DDR5_B2

For optimal performance, follow the recommended configuration:

• When installing a single memory module, it is recommended to install it in the DDR5_A2 socket.

• When enabling Dual Channel mode with two or four modules, it is recommended that memory of the same capacity, brand, speed, and chips be used.

Follow these steps to correctly install an expansion card (like a graphics card) in an expansion slot on your GIGABYTE Z790 UD motherboard:

Step 1. Locate a suitable expansion slot that supports your card. Remove the corresponding metal slot cover from the computer chassis back panel.

Step 2. Align the card’s connector with the slot on the motherboard and press down firmly on the card until it is fully seated in the slot.

Step 3. Ensure the card’s metal bracket is flush with the chassis back panel and secure it with a screw.

Step 4. After installing all expansion cards, replace the chassis cover(s).

Step 5. Turn on your computer. If needed, enter BIOS Setup to make any required changes for your expansion card.

Step 6. Install the driver provided with the expansion card in your operating system.

The audio jacks on the back panel of the GIGABYTE Z790 UD can be configured for different speaker setups through the audio software. Here is a table of the default configurations:

You can change the functionality of an audio jack using the audio software. To configure 7.1-channel audio, you must access the audio software for settings.

Quick Buttons

• RST_SW (Reset Button): Allows you to quickly restart the computer, which is useful in an open-case environment for testing hardware. This button can be remapped to perform other tasks through the BIOS setup.

QFLASH_PLUS (Q-Flash Plus Button)

• This button allows you to update the BIOS even when the system is off (S5 shutdown state) without a CPU or memory installed. Save the latest BIOS to a USB flash drive, plug it into the dedicated USB port (labeled BIOS), and press the Q-Flash Plus button. The QFLED will flash to indicate the process has started and will stop when the BIOS flashing is complete.

Status LEDs

The motherboard has four status LEDs that show the status of key components during the Power-On Self-Test (POST).

• CPU: If this LED is on, the CPU is not working properly.

• DRAM: If this LED is on, the memory is not working properly.

• VGA: If this LED is on, the graphics card is not working properly.

• BOOT: If this LED is on, it indicates that you haven’t entered the operating system yet.

Connect the switches and indicators from your computer case to the F_PANEL header on your GIGABYTE Z790 UD. The pin assignments are as follows:

• PLED/PWR_LED (Power LED): Connects to the power status indicator. The LED is on when the system is operating.

• PW (Power Switch): Connects to the power button on your case. This allows you to turn the system on and off.

• SPEAK (Speaker): Connects to the case speaker for hearing system beep codes during startup.

• HD (Hard Drive Activity LED): Connects to the HDD LED. This light is on when the hard drive is reading or writing data.

• RES (Reset Switch): Connects to the reset button on your case for restarting the computer.

• CI (Chassis Intrusion Header): Connects to a sensor on the chassis that detects if the cover has been removed.

• NC: No connection.

When connecting the cables, be sure to match the positive (+) and negative (-) pins correctly.

You can clear the BIOS configuration and reset the CMOS values to factory defaults using one of two methods on your GIGABYTE Z790 UD.

Method 1: Using the CLR_CMOS Jumper

Step 1. Turn off your computer and unplug the power cord from the power outlet.

Step 2. Use a metal object, like a screwdriver, to touch the two pins of the CLR_CMOS jumper for a few seconds. This will short the jumper and clear the settings.

Step 3. Remove the metal object, plug the power cord back in, and restart your computer.

Method 2: Removing the Battery

Step 1. Turn off your computer and unplug the power cord.

Step 2. Gently remove the battery from the battery holder on the motherboard and wait for one minute.

Step 3. Replace the battery, ensuring the positive (+) side is facing up.

Step 4. Plug in the power cord and restart your computer.

After clearing the CMOS, you may need to enter the BIOS Setup to load optimized defaults or reconfigure your settings.

When the startup logo screen appears after you turn on your GIGABYTE Z790 UD, you can press the following keys for different functions:

• <DEL>: BIOS SETUP\Q-FLASH – Press the <Delete> key to enter the main BIOS Setup utility or to access the Q-Flash utility from within the BIOS.

• <F12>: BOOT MENU – Pressing this key opens the Boot Menu, which allows you to select a boot device for the current startup without changing the permanent boot order in the BIOS. Use the arrow keys to select a device and press <Enter>. This setting is for one-time use only.

• <END>: Q-FLASH – Press the <End> key to directly access the Q-Flash utility for BIOS updates, bypassing the need to enter the main BIOS Setup menu first.

If you are installing an operating system on a RAID volume, you must load the Intel® RST VMD Controller driver during the installation process. Follow these steps:

Step 1. First, download the Intel SATA Preinstall driver file. Unzip the file and copy the contents to a USB thumb drive.

Step 2. Boot from your Windows setup media and proceed with the standard installation steps. When you reach the screen that asks where to install Windows and your RAID volume is not visible, select the option to load a driver (often labeled “Load driver” or “Browse”).

Step 3. Insert the USB thumb drive containing the driver. Browse to the location of the driver files on the drive.

Step 4. Select the “Intel RST VMD Controller 467F” driver from the list and click Next. This will load the driver, allowing the Windows installer to detect your RAID volume so you can continue with the OS installation.

The GIGABYTE Z790 UD motherboard supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10. Below are the requirements for each level:

Before you begin configuring a RAID array, you will need SATA hard drives or SSDs (it is recommended to use identical models and capacities for optimal performance), a Windows setup disc, an Internet-connected computer, and a USB thumb drive. Please note that an M.2 PCIe SSD cannot be used to create a RAID set with a SATA hard drive.