121-RL-E799-KR

EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N (121-RL-E799)
User Guide
EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N

Specs and Initial Installation
-1-
Table of Contents
Before You Begin… ................................................................................................. - 4 -

Parts NOT in the Kit ............................................................................................................. - 5 -
Intentions of the Kit .............................................................................................................. - 5 -
Motherboard Specifications .................................................................................................. - 6 -
Unpacking and Parts Descriptions ........................................................................................ - 8 -
EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N Motherboard LED ............................................................. - 10 -
EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N Component Legend ........................................................... - 14 -
PCIe Slot Breakdown ......................................................................................................... - 26 -
M.2 Slot Breakdown ........................................................................................................... - 26 -
Preparing the Motherboard ................................................................................................. - 27 -
Installing the CPU .............................................................................................................. - 27 -
Installing the CPU Cooling Device .................................................................................... - 28 -
Installing System Memory (DIMMs) ................................................................................. - 29 -
Installing the I/O Shield ...................................................................................................... - 29 -
Installing the Motherboard...................................................................................... - 30 -
Securing the Motherboard into a System Case ................................................................... - 31 -
Installing M.2 Devices ............................................................................................ - 33 -
Installing M.2 Key-M Socket 3 Devices ............................................................................ - 33 -
Tested CPU......................................................................................................................... - 36 -
Tested M.2 Key-M ............................................................................................................. - 37 -
Tested M.2 Key-E............................................................................................................... - 38 -
Connecting Cables .............................................................................................................. - 39 -
Onboard and External Buttons ............................................................................................ - 51 -
First Boot ................................................................................................................ - 52 -
M.2 SSD, PCIe SSD, and NVMe SSD Installation steps ................................................... - 54 -
-2-
Configuring RAID With M.2 SSDs .................................................................................... - 56 -

Internal SATA RAID Controller............................................................................... - 60 -
Fan Header DC and PWM setup ........................................................................... - 86 -
Installing Drivers and Software ............................................................................ - 100 -
Windows 11/10 Driver Installation .................................................................................. - 100 -
Warranty and Overclocking .............................................................................................. - 102 -
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................... - 103 -
Flashing the BIOS ............................................................................................................ - 103 -
Flashing the BIOS Without a CPU ................................................................................... - 105 -
SSD / HDD is not detected ............................................................................................... - 107 -
Using the POST code indicator to troubleshoot ............................................................... - 109 -
System does not POST and Multi-function Display reads “C” ........................................ - 109 -
System does not POST, and Multi-function Display reads “55” ...................................... - 110 -
System does not POST, and Multi-function Display reads “d7” ...................................... - 110 -
Have a question not covered above, or want some online resources? .............................. - 111 -
Multi-function Display POST Debug LED ...................................................................... - 112 -
Multi-function LED indicator ........................................................................................... - 113 -
POST Beep codes ............................................................................................................. - 115 -
POST Codes ........................................................................................................ - 116 -
EVGA Glossary of Terms ................................................................................................ - 121 -
Compliance Information ....................................................................................... - 124 -
-3-
Before You Begin…
The EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N rises once again. This world record-
setting motherboard is built on a 14-layer low-loss PCB with a 21-phase VRM –
capable of squeezing every last bit of performance out of the most extreme 13th
Gen Intel® Core™ processors. This board supports current and future standards
with up to 64GB DDR5 and up to 8000MHz+(OC)*, PCIe Gen5, and PCIe
Gen4 M.2 NVMe support. The Z790 DARK K|NGP|N auto-switches the x16
PCIe Gen 5 CPU lanes between slots 1 and 2 to give your PCIe device
maximum bandwidth no matter where it’s installed**. Beyond excessive
overclocking support, the board also includes multiple USB options, 8x SATA
6Gb/s ports, Wi-Fi 6E / BT 5.2, and 3x M.2 Key-M slots. The Z790 DARK
K|NGP|N remains the choice of those that want a board capable of
unbelievable performance.
For its other features, the Z790 DARK K|NGP|N contains Realtek 7.1
Channel HD Audio, an Intel® 2.5 GbE NIC, a Marvell 10 GbE NIC, onboard
power/reset/CMOS buttons, triple BIOS support, 8 smart fan headers
(including 2x pump headers exclusively built for CPU AIO), and many more
premium features. If you’ve been holding out for a serious motherboard, the
time is at hand.
Lastly, a motherboard is only as good as its BIOS, and the EVGA Z790 DARK
K|NGP|N features EVGA’s latest BIOS GUI with a focus on overclocking
and functionality in a lean, straightforward package. You won’t need to be an
expert to configure your motherboard, but if you are, you’ll find features
unavailable anywhere else.
*Achievable speeds may vary depending on memory configuration and CPU memory controller.
**x16 lane support if only one PCIe slot (PE1/PE2) is populated. x8/x8 lanes if both PE1 and PE2 are
populated.
-4-
Parts NOT in the Kit

Your EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N package contains all the accessories
necessary to install and connect your new motherboard to the rest of your
hardware. However, the following items must be purchased separately in order
to make the system fully functional and ready to install an Operating System:
 Intel® Socket 1700 Processor

 DDR5 System Memory
 CPU Cooling Device
 PCI-Express Graphics Card
 Power Supply
 Hard Drive or SSD
 Keyboard and Mouse
 Display
 (Optional) Optical Drive
EVGA assumes you have purchased all the necessary parts needed to allow for
proper system functionality. For a full list of compatible CPUs for this
motherboard, please visit https://www.evga.com/support/motherboard
Intentions of the Kit
This motherboard is designed to be the hub for most – if not all – of your PC
hardware components, and is therefore a critical component for your OS. If you
are upgrading or replacing another motherboard, it is recommended to start
with a fresh install of your OS.
-5-
Motherboard Specifications
 Form-Factor: E-ATX - 11.99 inches x 10.89 inches (304.5mm x 276.6mm)
 Microprocessor support:
Intel® Socket 1700 Processors (Raptor Lake-S and Alder Lake-S)
 Operating Systems:
Supports Windows 11, Windows 10 64bit
 System Memory support:
Supports up to 64GB Dual-Channel DDR5
Supports up to 8000MHz+ (OC) Dual-Channel DDR5
- Achievable speeds depend upon configuration and CPU memory controller
 USB 2.0 Ports:
4x from Intel® Z790 PCH – 4x internal via 2 FP headers
1x from Update Port for flashing the BIOS without CPU
 USB 3.2 Gen1 Ports:
4x from Intel® Z790 PCH – 2x external (Type-A), 2x internal via 1 FP header
Supports transfer speeds up to 5Gb/s
 USB 3.2 Gen2 Ports:
3x from Intel® Z790 PCH – 3x external (Type-A), 1x internal via 1 FP header
2x from ASMedia ASM3142 – 2x external (Type-A)
 USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Port:
1x from Intel® Z790 PCH – 1x external (Type-C)
 SATA Ports:
6x SATA 6Gb/s data transfer rate / Intel® Z790 PCH Controller
- Support for RAID0, RAID1, RAID5, AND RAID10
- Supports hot plug
2x SATA 6Gb/s data transfer rate / ASMedia ASM1061 Controller
- No RAID or Hot-Plug Support
 Onboard LAN:
1x Marvell® 10GbE (10/100/1000/2500/5000/10000) Ethernet Controller
1x Intel® i226V 2.5 GbE (10/100/1000/2500) Ethernet Controller
Intel® Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6E / BT5.2
-6-
 Onboard Audio:
Realtek ALC1220 High Definition Audio
- Supports 7.1 Channel audio + Optical S/PDIF Out
 Power Functions:
Supports ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface)
Supports S0 (normal), S3 (suspend to RAM), S4 (Suspend to disk - depends
on OS), and S5 (soft - off).
 PCI-Express Expansion Slots:
2x PCIe Gen5 x16 slots – x16/x8
1x PCIe Gen4 x4 slot (via PCH)
 PCIe 5.0 Support:
Low power consumption and power management features
 MGPU Support:
AMD mGPU is supported.
 Additional Expansion Slots:
1x M.2 Key-M 110mm Gen4 slot from CPU
2x M.2 Key-M 110mm Gen4 slot from PCH
1x M.2 Key-E slot
 Single PS/2 port for keyboard and mouse
 Pump Header
2x Pump Header (3A)
 Fan Headers:
2x 4-pin PWM controlled headers / 4x 4-pin PWM/DC headers
ALL FAN HEADERS HAVE A MAXIMUM POWER LIMIT OF 2 AMP

@ 12 VOLTS (24 WATTS). PUMP HEADERS HAVE A MAXIMUM
POWER LIMIT OF 3 AMP @ 12 VOLTS (36 WATTS). EXCEDING
THIS LIMIT WILL CAUSE IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO THE
BOARD.
-7-
Unpacking and Parts Descriptions

The following accessories are included with the EVGA Z790 DARK
K|NGP|N Motherboard:
-8-
-9-
EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N Motherboard LED

The EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N Motherboard has several LEDs indicating power,
connectivity, and activity. Below is the location of the LEDs and their function.
- 10 -
LED Legend
1. Multi-function Display 12. PE1 Status 23. +5VSB Status
2. Power Button 13. PE2 Enabled 24. VCORE Status
3. Reset Button 14. PE2 Status 25. CPU VCCIN AUX Status
4. Memory DIMM 1 Status 15. PE3 Enabled 26. CPU VDD2 Status
5. Memory DIMM 2 Status 16. PE3 Status 27. CPU 1.05V Status
6. CATERR 17. M.2 Key-M M.2_1 Enabled 28. CPU 1.8V Status
7. SW Slow Mode ON 18. M.2 Key-M M.2_1 Status 29. PCH 1.05V Status
8. BIOS 1 Active 19. M.2 Key-M M.2_2 Enabled 30. PCH 0.82V Status
9. BIOS 2 Active 20. M.2 Key-M M.2_2 Status 31. PCH 1.8V Status
10. BIOS 3 Active 21. M.2 Key-M M.2_3 Enabled 32. +12V Status
11. PE1 Enabled 22. M.2 Key-M M.2_3 Status 33. CMOS CLS/BIOS Button
12. PE1 Status 24. VCORE Status
1. Multi-function Display
a. During boot it will cycle many different hexadecimal post codes with a
range of 00-FF and this indicates what aspect of the Power On Self Test
(POST) is currently running.
i. For a list of POST Codes, please see Page 116.
b. This display can be configured in BIOS to display HW monitoring
information, such as voltage or temperature. After boot, the display will
show temperatures or voltage, depending on the BIOS configuration.
2. Power Button
a. RED: Motherboard is turned on and running.
3. Reset Button
a. WHITE: Reset button will typically flash in conjunction with HDD/SSD
LED. Depending on load, the button may flash or appear solid at times.
4. Memory DIMM 1 Status
a. OFF: DIMM detected and present
b. RED: DIMM/Memory has failed POST
5. Memory DIMM 2 Status
a. OFF: DIMM detected and present
b. RED: DIMM/Memory has failed POST
6. CATERR - Catastrophic Error on the processor
a. RED: Processor error has occurred.
b. OFF: No error state detected in the CPU.
7. SW Slow Mode ON
a. RED: Slow Mode switch has been set to enabled
- 11 -
8. BIOS1 Active LED

a. WHITE: Active BIOS Chip (only 1 will be lit at a time)
9. BIOS2 Active LED
10. BIOS3 Active LED
11. PCIe Enabled for PE1. The LED stays off when PE1 is disabled or unpopulated.
a. WHITE: PE1 device present and detected.
12. PCIe Status for PE1. The LED stays off when PE1 is disabled or unpopulated.
a. WHITE: PE1 slot can be used with installed CPU.
17. M.2 Key-M Socket3 110mm (M2_1) Status LED. The LED stays off when PM1
is disabled or unpopulated.
a. WHITE: PM1 slot can be used with installed CPU.
18. M.2 Key-M Socket3 110mm (M2_1) Enabled LED. The LED stays off when
PM1 is disabled or unpopulated.
a. WHITE: PM1 device present and detected.
23. +5V Standby Power
a. WHITE: Voltage present (Does not mean PSU is outputting in-spec,
only that this specific voltage is detected)
- 12 -
24. VCORE Status

25. CPU VCCIN AUX Status
26. CPU VDD2 Status
27. CPU 1.05V Status
28. CPU 1.8V Status
29. PCH 1.05V Status
30. PCH 0.82V Status
31. PCH 1.8V Status
32. +12V Status
33. CMOS CLS/BIOS Buttons
RED: Always on for visibility.
- 13 -
EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N Component Legend

The EVGA Z790 DARK Motherboard with the Intel® Z790 and PCH Chipset.
Figure 1 shows the motherboard and Figure 2 shows the back panel connectors
FIGURE 1. Z790 DARK K|NGP|N Motherboard Layout
- 14 -
Component Legend
1. CPU Socket LGA1700 13. PCIe Slot x16/x8 25. CMOS Battery
2. Intel Z790 PCH 14. PCIe Slot x4 26. PCIe Disable Switches
3. CPU PWM Fan Headers (2 amp) 15. Power Button 27. ProbeIt Header JAT1
4. PWM/DC Fan Headers (2 amp) 16. Reset Button 28. PC Speaker
5. Pump Headers (3 amp) 17. Multi-function Display 29. BIOS Safeboot Button
6. DDR5 DIMM Slots 18. USB 3.2 Gen1 Header 30. USB to SPI for BIOS Flash
7. 24-pin ATX Power Connector 19. USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Header 31. SW Slow Mode Switch
8. 8-pin EPS Power Connectors 20. USB 2.0 Headers 32. Clear CMOS Button
9. Supplemental PCIe 6-pin power 21. Front Panel Audio Header 33 ARGB LED Controller Headers
10. Intel SATA 6Gb/s SATA Ports 22. Front Panel Header 34. Rear Panel I/O (Figure 2)
11. ASMedia SATA 6Gb/s SATA Ports 23. Temperature Sensor Header
12. 3x M.2 Socket 3 Key-M 110mm 24. BIOS Selector Switch
**For a FULL description of the above legend, please see Page 17.
- 15 -
Figure 2. Chassis Rear Panel Connectors
I/O Hub
1. BIOS/CMOS Reset Button 5. WiFi Antenna 9. USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C
2. BIOS Update Button 6. Intel i226V 2.5GbE NIC 10. Analog Audio Jacks
3. PS/2 (Keyboard+Mouse) 7. Marvell 10GbE NIC 11. Optical Out
4. USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A 8. USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A
Intel i226V
Activity LED Status Description Speed/Link LED Status Description
Off No Data Transmission Orange 2.5Gbps data rate
Blinking (Green) Data Transmission Green 1 Gbps data rate
Off 10/100 Mbps data rate or No Link
Marvell 10GbE
Activity LED Status Description Speed/Link LED Status Description
Off No Data Transmission Orange 10Gbps data rate
Blinking Data Transmission Green 5Gbps/2.5Gbps/100Mbps/10Mbps data rate
Off No Link
3.5mm Audio Jack Legend

Analog Audio Port
2/2.1 Channels 4.0/4.1 Channels 5.1 Channels 7.1 Channels
Breakdown
Blue Line In *Rear Speakers Out Line In * Rear Speakers Out
Front Speakers Out / Front Speakers Out /

Green Front Speakers Out Front Speakers Out
Front Speakers + Sub Front Speakers + Sub
Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In Mic In
Black Side Speakers Out Side Speakers Out
Orange Center / Sub Out Center / Sub Out
* Only used in 7.1 and is changed via Realtek Software from within Windows.
- 16 -
Component Legend Descriptions

1. CPU Socket 1700
This is the interface for the Central Processing Unit (CPU), and supports 13th
and 12th Gen. Intel® Core i3, i5, i7 and i9 models compatible with the Intel®
LGA1700 Socket, based on Raptor Lake-S and Alder Lake-S architecture.
2. Intel® Z790 PCH
The Platform Controller Hub (PCH) works as a hub for peripherals that are less
bandwidth-intensive. The PCH has 8x DMI lanes (Gen 4), up to 20x PCIe Gen
4, and up to 8x PCIe Gen 3 lanes to allocate bandwidth to smaller PCIe slots,
M.2, USB, audio, etc.
3. PWM Fan Headers (CPU1 and CPU2)
4-pin fan headers control the fan speed via a configurable Smart curve or static
percentage. PWM control works by pulsing power to the fan at a constant rate
and sending the RPM signal to the fan’s controller. PWM control is preferred
because it eliminates voltage-based fan stall points. See Page 86 for an in-depth
breakdown of PWM controls within the BIOS.
These headers also support 12VDC fans. DC fans are controlled by decreasing
voltage to the fan, causing the fan to spin slower as less voltage is provided.
However, DC-powered fans may stall if the voltage provided is below the fan’s
minimum threshold for operation.
4. PWM/DC Fan Headers
These headers may be used with both DC and PWM fans, and may be
controlled via Smart Fan or manually within the BIOS.
5. Pump Headers (3A)
These headers are designed for use with AIO coolers and pumps designed for
PC watercooling. This header provides up to a solid 3A of power to the
connected device, helping to avoid a common issue where devices may not be
recognized due to insufficient power. These headers may be controlled via
Smart Fan or manually from within the motherboard BIOS.
6. DDR5 Memory Slots
The memory slots support up to two 288-pin DDR5 DIMMs in Dual-Channel
mode. Dual-Channel mode requires installing two sticks of supported memory.
Using only one stick of memory will lower the board to Single-Channel mode,
which may significantly lower performance. 64GB of RAM is supported in a
2x32GB configuration. At the time of this manual’s release, this motherboard
- 17 -
officially supports up to 8000MHz+ speeds. These speeds are not guaranteed,

however, because Intel® only certifies the speed of the Raptor Lake-S memory
controller up to 5600MHz, and Alder Lake-S memory controller up to
4800MHz (depending upon memory configuration).
7. 24-pin ATX power connector
The main power for the motherboard is located on the right side of the board
(See Page 40 for more information about the connector). The 24-pin connector
on the motherboard is directional and the tab on the connector must line up
with the release clip from the male 24pin connector from the power supply.
This connector provides the bulk of the power for all components.
8. 8-pin EPS Connector (Two available)
The +12V EPS provides the main power directly for the CPU (See Page 41 for
more information about the connector). Carefully choose the correct power
cable by consulting with the installation manual for your power supply.
Although PCIe and EPS cables appear similar, they are wired differently and
attaching the wrong connector may cause damage to the motherboard or
prevent the board from turning on.
Only one of the two connectors needs to be installed for basic usage (either
connector is fine). A second EPS connector should be installed for extreme
overclocking, but there is nothing wrong with installing both connectors.
Alternatively, if no power cable is connected or detected, the system will not
POST and will hang at POST code “C.”
9. Supplemental PCIe 6-pin Power Connector
The 6-pin PCIe connector at the bottom of the motherboard provides
dedicated power to the PCIe x16 slots, augmenting the +12V power provided
by the 24-pin and power directly to the GPU (See Page 40 for more information
about the connector).
This connector is optional for single VGA solutions, but is recommended for
mGPU configurations, and dual-processor video cards.
10. Intel SATA 6Gb/s Ports
®
The Intel® Z790 PCH has a 6-port SATA 6Gb/s controller (See Page 50 for
more information). This controller supports SSDs, HDDs and various types of
optical devices (CDROM, DVDROM, BD-ROM, etc). The controller also
supports NCQ, TRIM, hot plug capability, and RAID levels 0/1/5/10.
- 18 -
11. ASMedia SATA 6Gb/s Ports

This ASM1061 is a secondary 2-port SATA 6GB/s controller with legacy
support for older operating systems (See Page 50 for more information about
the connectors).
12. M.2 Socket 3 Key-M 110mm (M.2_1, M.2_2, and M.2_3)
M.2 is an SSD form factor standard, which uses up to four PCIe lanes and
utilizes up to Gen4 speeds. Most popularly paired with NVMe SSDs, this
standard offers substantially faster transfer speeds and seek time than SATA
interface standards. All M.2 devices are designed to connect via a card-bus style
connector – rather than a dedicated data cable and power cable.
This slot supports device lengths of 110mm, 80mm, and 42mm.
13. PCIe Slot x16/x8*
Raptor Lake-S and Alder Lake-S processors have 20 PCIe lanes available for
routing. Unique to the Z790 DARK K|NGP|N, the PCIe Gen 5 lanes will be
automatically switched between the two x16 PE1 and PE2 slots.
When a single PCIe device is installed in either PE1 or PE2, the CPU will
allocate x16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes to the slot where the device is located. If PCIe
devices are installed in both x16 slots, both lanes will operate at x8/x8 speeds.
* Please see the description for Physical (length) vs Electrical (lanes) on Page 26.
14. PCIe Slot x4*
PCIe x4 is a smaller form-factor PCIe card slot. These can be used for low-
bandwidth products, such as a PCIe SSD card, capture card, audio card, etc.
This slot is limited to a maximum of x4 Gen4 CPU lanes.
* Please see the description for Physical (length) vs Electrical (lanes) on Page 26.
15. Power Button
This is an onboard power button, and may be used in place of, or in
conjunction with, a front panel power button wired to the board.
Open-air or test bench chassis are best served by using the onboard power
because it removes the need to wire a Power/Reset button.
16. Reset Button
This is an onboard system reset button, and may be used in place of, or in
conjunction with, a front panel system reset button wired to the board.
Open-air or test bench chassis are best served by using the onboard power
because it removes the need to wire a Power/Reset button.
- 19 -
17. Multi-function Display

This is a four-digit Power On Self-Test (“POST”) code reader, which displays in
sets of 7-segment LED. The display can show the characters 0-9, and A-F.
POST is the motherboard’s self-test to verify operational status. During POST,
the left set of LEDs will display the various codes as each motherboard segment
is analyzed, and will stop or repeatedly cycle if an error is detected. The POST
codes are listed in the troubleshooting section on Page 116.
After the system boots, these same set of LEDs can be set to display additional
temperatures or voltages. Detailed configuration instructions for the POST
Indicator are provided on Page 112.
18. USB 3.2 Gen1 Header
The USB 3.2 Gen1 header is used to connect an additional USB interface plug
to the motherboard. These will function similarly to the USB 3.2 Gen1 ports
found on the motherboard’s rear I/O hub, but can also be used for a front
panel USB device or auxiliary ports that mount in the card slots.
USB 3.2 Gen1 standard is 900ma @ 5V for unpowered devices. If your USB
device requires more power, it is recommended to attach a powered USB Hub.
Note: USB 3.2 Gen1 is more commonly referred to as USB 3.0.
19. USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Header
The USB 3.2 Gen2 header is used to connect an additional USB interface plug
to the motherboard. These will function similarly to the USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C
port sometimes found on a motherboard’s rear I/O hub, but can also be used
for the chassis’ front panel USB, auxiliary ports that mount in the card slots,
and certain devices that directly connect to the header. The USB 3.2 Gen2
Header on the Z790 DARK K|NGP|N is a shielded USB 3.2 Gen2 Header
that supports up to 10Gb/s with USB 3.2 Gen2.
This USB 3.2 Gen2 Header has a power limit of 3000ma (3A) @ 5V.
20. USB 2.0 Headers
The USB 2.0 headers are used to connect additional USB interface plugs to the
motherboard. These will function similarly to the USB 2.0 ports found on the
motherboard’s hardwired I/O hub, but these can also be used for the chassis’
front panel USB, auxiliary ports that mount in the card slots, and certain devices
that directly connect to the header.
USB 2.0 standard is 500ma @ 5V per port (header total is 1000ma) for
unpowered devices. If your USB device requires more power, it is
recommended to attach a powered USB Hub.
- 20 -
21. Front Panel Audio Connector

This connector is required for recording and/or playback via the audio
connectors on the front of your chassis. This header uses the standard “HD
Audio” jack. Some chassis may provide two headers: one labeled HD Audio,
and one labeled AC’97. AC’97 cables are not compatible with this header on the
Z790 DARK K|NGP|N.
22. Front Panel Header Connectors
The Front Panel Connectors include the Power Switch, Power LED, Reset
Switch, and HDD LED. The Power and Reset switches only need to be bridged
for a moment to turn on/reset the device, such as with a flat-head screwdriver
by simultaneously touching the + and - posts.
The Power LED will power on with the system, indicating the system is on and
can blink in conjunction with CPU activity.
HDD LED blinks during access to SATA devices, but not M.2 SSDs.
23. Temperature Sensor Header
This 2-pin header, labeled JEC2, allows a thermistor cable to provide
temperature data to the motherboard, which can be viewed in the BIOS. These
cables are commonly used with custom watercooling loops to monitor
water/coolant temperature, or with sensors mounted in a chassis to monitor
ambient temperature. For the pinout of this sensor, go to Page 43.
24. BIOS Selector Switch
This switch toggles the active BIOS chip. This board has 3 BIOS chips as a
permanent fixture. Each chip holds only the settings and profiles that have been
saved to the BIOS chip while active. This allows you to swap between three
different BIOS versions, configurations, and settings, if you wish.
25. CMOS Battery
The CMOS battery backup provides uninterruptable power to the BIOS to
store its settings. These batteries typically last several years and rarely need to be
replaced.
26. PCIe Disable Switches
These DIP switches physically disable power to a specific PCIe slot. By default,
all switches are in the “On” position to the left. Move the switch to the right to
disable a specific slot. From top to bottom, the switches correspond to PE1 and
PE2. Switches 3, 4, and 5 are disabled on this motherboard.
- 21 -
27. ProbeIt Header JAT1

The ProbeIt header is a means of live monitoring several different system
voltages in real-time with a multimeter. One terminal needs to connect to a
ground wire and the other to the specific voltage you want to monitor.
From top to bottom, the function for the JAT1 connector: CPU Vcore, CPU
VCCIN AUX, CPU VDD2, CPU 1.05V, CPU 1.8V, PCH 1.05V, PCH 0.82V,
PCH 1.8V, 12V_CPU, GND.
28. PC Speaker
A small mono low-fidelity speaker, permanently attached to the motherboard.
Its primary use is for debugging purposes. A POST beep may indicate a
successful POST or various tones for USB initialization, while other beeps may
indicate an issue during the POST process. Please see Page 114 for more details.
29. BIOS SafeBoot Button
Pressing this button while the system is running will reboot the motherboard
directly into the BIOS without clearing CMOS. This feature is very useful for
situations where the motherboard is unable to complete boot due to a failed
overclock and the user does not want to erase the previous settings used.
30. USB to SPI for BIOS Flash
This USB port is designed to connect directly to the motherboard to allow the
motherboard BIOS to be flashed, even if no CPU is installed. For more
information on how to flash your BIOS using this method, please see Page 105.
31. SW Slow Mode Switch
This switch forces the CPU clock ratio to the lowest possible value (800MHz
for Raptor Lake-S / Alder Lake-S CPU) in real-time. This can be helpful for
benchmarking and performance tuning, especially with extreme overclocking.
Active Slow Mode is indicated by a red LED near the switch. This is a
hardware-based function and not accessible through the BIOS or software.
32. Clear CMOS Button
This button clears any saved settings in your motherboard BIOS and resets all
settings back to default. Clear the CMOS prior to the first power on,
before/after updating the motherboard BIOS, and when troubleshooting after
installing new hardware or unsuccessful attempts to boot into the BIOS or OS.
This button does not delete saved profiles, nor can it reset your BIOS version.
- 22 -
33. ARGB LED Controller Header

The ARGB header is a 3pin 5V. header with a current limit of 2A; anything
above 2A will trigger overcurrent protection and lock at 2A. This header
provides RGB lighting configuration via EVGA ELEET X1 within Windows,
and supports up to 125 LEDs. Please see Page 45 for header specifics, and Page
97 for control options in ELEET X1.
34. Rear Panel I/O (Figure 2)
This is the section referred to as the I/O Hub. This panel contains the
hardwired USB, Audio, and Ethernet connections. Please see Page 16 for a
component level breakdown.
- 23 -
* PCIe slots are referred to by an “x” followed by a number, such as “16”, which can
refer to one of two things:
 The slot’s mechanical design (the physical length on the motherboard)
 The slot’s electrical design (the number of PCIe lanes available to the slot from
the CPU, PCH, or both).
Motherboard specs will often reference both the length of a PCIe slot and the number
of available lanes. While it is easy to visually determine the slot length, you cannot
determine the bandwidth available by sight alone. Generally, the PCIe slot length also
determines the maximum number of lanes available to the installed device.
PCI-Express was designed to be universal. For example, you can install x1 form-factor
devices, such as sound cards or USB controllers, into an x16 length slot. The x1 device
will be capped at x1 bandwidth, regardless of the slot’s electrical characteristics.
On the other hand, shorter PCIe slots may limit the types of devices you can install. For
example, a motherboard may have an x4 length slot. If the end of the slot is closed,
then you will only be able to install x4 length devices, or shorter. If the x4 length slot is
open, you can install a longer PCIe device, such as a full-length graphics card. However,
the maximum bandwidth of the slot will still be limited to x4, in this example.
Lastly, a PCIe x16 slot with Gen 5 x16 lanes means that the slot is theoretically capable
of providing full Gen 5 bandwidth. It is unlikely, that you will achieve this, however.
PCIe devices work as an on-demand type of component, and only utilizes bandwidth
necessary to accomplish its task. Even gaming and compute applications rarely push
graphics cards to the upper limits of PCIe Gen 4 bandwidth at the time of print.
To simplify the mechanical compatibility of the Z790 DARK K|NGP|N, this
motherboard supports:
 PE1 – supports x16 PCIe devices or shorter.
 PE2 – supports x16 PCIe devices or shorter.
 PE3 – (with motherboard shroud) supports x4 PCIe devices or shorter.
 PE3 – (without motherboard shroud) supports x8 PCIe devices or shorter*.
For the electrical compatibility of the Z790 DARK K|NGP|N, please see Page 26.
*The PE3 slot can only support PCIe devices up to x8-length if the motherboard shroud
is removed due to the placement of the CMOS battery.
- 24 -
Card Slots
The Z790 DARK K|NGP|N features two x16 PCIe slots, one x4 PCIe slot, three
Socket 3 Key-M M.2 110mm slots (M.2_1/M.2_2/M.2_3), and a vertical Socket 1
Key-E M.2 (Contains the WiFi/BT module).
*Note: The M.2 Key-M 110mm slots are accessible only after removing the
heatsink between PCIe slots PE1 and PE2. The M.2 Key-E 32mm slot is accessible
only after removing the cover over the rear panel connectors.
- 25 -
PCIe Slot Breakdown

PCIe Lane Distribution
 PE1 – x16/x8/x0 (Gen5, x16 lanes from CPU, x8 shared with PE2)*
 PE2 – x16/x8/x0 (Gen5, x16 lanes from CPU, x8 shared with PE1)*
 PE3 – x4 (Gen4, x4 lanes from PCH)
M.2 Slot Breakdown

M.2 Lane Distribution
 M.2 Key-M (110mm, Top, M.2_1) – Gen4 x4 from CPU
o This slot supports PCIe M.2 SSDs / Intel® Optane.
 M.2 Key-M (110mm, Middle, M.2_2) – Gen4 x4 from Z790 PCH
o This slot supports PCIe M.2 SSDs / Intel® Optane
 M.2 Key-M (110mm, Bottom, M.2_3) – Gen4 x4 from Z790 PCH
o This slot supports PCIe M.2 SSDs / Intel® Optane
 M.2 Key-E (32mm) – Gen1 x1 from Z790 PCH
o This slot is pre-installed with the EVGA Wi-Fi/BT Module
*When only one PCIe device is installed between PE1 and PE2, the motherboard will
auto-switch x16 CPU lanes to the PCIe slot where the device is installed. If PE1 and
PE2 each have a PCIe device installed, the bandwidth will be split x8/x8.
To illustrate, imagine that you install a single graphics card in the system:
 If installed in PE1, PE1 will use x16 lanes and PE2 will default to x0 lanes.
 If installed in PE2, PE1 will default to x0 lanes and PE2 will use x16 lanes.
 If two graphics cards are installed, populating both PE1 and PE2, both slots will
use x8 lanes.
- 26 -
Preparing the Motherboard
Installing the CPU

Note: EVGA strongly recommends that you turn off your power supply and
discharge power by pressing the power button on your motherboard before
CPU installation. This ensures the motherboard will use the correct startup
procedure for all onboard devices. If this step isn’t followed, your system may
require additional reboots to boot successfully.
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

CPU to avoid damaging the pins in the
motherboard’s CPU socket!
Do not remove the socket cover until you have
installed the CPU.
Use the following procedure to install the CPU

onto the motherboard.
1. Unhook the socket lever by pushing the

lever towards the socket and down.
2. Pull the socket lever back and gently lift

the load plate to open the socket. Do not
touch or drop anything into the socket.
Otherwise, you may damage the board
socket and/or CPU pins, which may void
your warranty.
- 27 -
3. Align the notches on the CPU to the

notches in the socket, and lower the
processor straight down into the socket.
Note: The gold triangle key on the CPU

should match the triangle key on
the load plate.
Note: Make sure the CPU is fully seated

and level in the socket.
4. Lower the load plate so that it is resting

on the CPU, and make sure to slide it
under the lever’s loop.
5. Remove the plastic protective socket cover by pulling it straight up and away
from the socket.
6. Carefully lock the lever back into place by lowering it down to the hook, then
push the lever towards the socket and down under the hook.
Note: After removing the CPU socket cover, it is recommended to store it in case
you ever need to transport your motherboard. If you ever remove the CPU, it
is highly recommended to reinstall the socket cover.
Installing the CPU Cooling Device

There are many different cooling devices that can be used with this
motherboard. Please follow the instructions included with your cooling
assembly.
- 28 -
Installing System Memory (DIMMs)

Your Z790 DARK K|NGP|N has two (2)
288-pin DDR5 memory slots, and supports:
 Dual-channel non-ECC DDR5 memory.
 Up to 32GB per DIMMs.
 Up to 8000MHz+(OC) speeds.
At least one memory slot must be populated
for the board to boot and operate.
Use the following procedure to install your
memory.
1. Press both module clips outward Z790 DARK RAM Slot Fill Order
Slot 1 Slot 2
to unlock a DIMM slot. 1 DIMM X N/A
2. Align the memory module to the 2 DIMM X X
DIMM slot and gap spacing, then insert the DIMM into the slot by
pressing straight down.
3. The plastic clips on each end of the DIMM slot should automatically
lock the DIMM into the connector. If not, carefully snap the clips into
place on each side of the DIMM.
Note: On a 2-DIMM DDR5 motherboard design, the memory controller on most
Raptor Lake-S / Alder Lake-S CPUs are officially supported up to a frequency
of 5600MHz and 4800MHz, respectively, depending on the memory
configuration. Achieving memory speeds above the CPU’s default speed may
require manual setting of the memory timings, frequency and voltages and/or
overclocking of the CPU.
Refer to the memory manufacturer specifications for the recommended

memory timings. Overclocking support may be found on our community
forums: https://forums.evga.com/
Installing the I/O Shield

Your motherboard is pre-installed with an I/O shield, which is used to prevent
dust and foreign objects from coming into contact with internal components.
Ensure that the I/O shield remains on the inside of the chassis while you are
fastening the motherboard to the case.
- 29 -
Installing the Motherboard
Proper motherboard installation involves many factors. Before installing the

motherboard into your chassis, review how much space you have to install different
components or cables to the motherboard, and whether it may be easier to do so
prior to lowering the motherboard into the chassis for the final time. Once the
motherboard is fastened to the chassis, the following steps may become more
difficult:
 CPU installation -
o Consider installing your CPU prior to installing your motherboard.
As a necessary step, this will not get easier once you install your
motherboard into a chassis.
 CPU cooler installation -
o Depending on the cooling assembly, a backplate or other hardware
may need to be installed prior to fastening the board.
o Some cooling assemblies are significantly harder to install after
installing the motherboard (for example, push-pin type assemblies).
o Bulky coolers can make it much more challenging to both fasten
the motherboard and install other cables/components after
installation.
 DIMM module installation -
o If you have a bulky CPU cooler, you may have more limited access
to the DIMM slots.
 Front panel connectors, such as USB, Power SW, Reset SW, etc. -
o Due to chassis space constraints, it is sometimes easier to connect
these to the motherboard before installation.
 M.2 SSD installation -
o M.2 installation requires removing a heatsink and fastening your
SSD to the board.
Although many modern cases attempt to make these installation steps simpler for
the owner, we recommend to review your chassis installation guide first. After, we
suggest taking a moment to review the quick installation guide included with your
motherboard, and then proceed to install the motherboard and everything else.
- 30 -
Securing the Motherboard into a System Case

Please review the installation manual included with your chassis. These instructions
should direct you to install standoff screws to mount the motherboard to prevent
grounding, and align the board with the rear I/O opening in the chassis. Ensure that
all standoffs are fully tightened prior to mounting the motherboard.
1. Carefully lower the motherboard onto the standoffs located inside the
chassis.
2. Align the motherboard mounting holes with the standoffs.
3. Make sure the pre-installed I/O plate seats within the rear opening of the
chassis, and remains on the inside of the chassis.
4. (Optional) If using a CPU air cooler, ensure that the fan assembly aligns
with the chassis vents per the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Secure the motherboard with nine (9) screws (See next page for mounting
hole locations). Ensure that each screw is lined up with and fastened to its
corresponding standoff under the board. Double-check alignment while
fastening to avoid stripping the screws.
Tip: If you have difficulty fastening some of the screws, especially near the
I/O opening, unfasten all screws so that they are loose, but still in-place.
This will hold the board in place as you properly align each screw. Once all
screws are properly threaded, remember to go back and fasten the rest of
the screws.
6. See the picture on the next page for the locations of the mounting holes for
the Z790 DARK K|NGP|N.
- 31 -
1. All safe locations to secure the board to a standoff are circled in blue.
2. The motherboard should still have 1-2mm of movement before you
fully-fasten the screws. Use this this tolerance to help mount graphics
cards or tight-fits with other components.
3. Once the board is properly aligned, be sure to fully-fasten the board to
the chassis before proceeding.
- 32 -
Installing M.2 Devices

Installing M.2 Key-M Socket 3 Devices
Installing an M.2 device to the motherboard requires a few extra steps compared to
other drives or PCIe slot-based devices. M.2 devices used on this motherboard - Socket
3 (for SSDs) and Socket 1 (for WiFi/Bluetooth) – are installed differently.
Below are images from an installation of an SSD on a Socket 3 Key-M 110mm slot of
the Z790 DARK K|NGP|N. This motherboard has three (3) 110mm M.2 slots, all
covered by a heatsink to provide additional cooling.
1. Remove the M.2 Cover
 Remove the heatsink. The heatsink is
secured by six (6) screws.
 Now visible are three pre-attached
screws in the 110mm location and
three pre-installed thermal pads on the
M.2 slots. Three screw/standoffs are
included with the MB accessories.
 The pre-attached screws are used to secure 110mm M.2 devices. Make sure to
replace these pre-attached screws prior to replacing the M.2 heatsink.
 The screw/standoffs can be used to install 80mm or 42mm M.2 devices.
 Each screw/standoff set includes a small screw to fasten the M.2 device and a
hollow standoff that can be installed/uninstalled with a screwdriver to move the
standoff to a different interval length.
These sets should only be used for
80mm and 42mm M.2 devices.
- 33 -
2. Steps For Installing M.2 Devices

When installing the M.2 device, install the gold fingers at a slight angle into the slot, and
lower it so that it rests on the thermal pad.
For 110mm M.2 devices:
 Remove the pre-attached screw before installing your 110mm M.2 device
 Remove the plastic cover on the thermal pad from your intended M.2 slot.
 Install the 110mm M.2 device, and secure it by fastening the pre-attached screw.
For 80mm M.2 devices:
 The screw/standoffs are included
with your MB accessories.
 Remove the inner screw with a
screwdriver and fasten the
standoff portion to the 80mm
interval on the motherboard.
 Remove the plastic cover over the
thermal pad.
 Install the M.2 device and use the
inner screw to secure the device against the standoff.
For 42mm devices:
 If you have a 42mm M.2 device, peel back the thermal pad cover and remove
sufficient length of the thermal pad to uncover the 42mm mounting hole.
 Remove the inner screw with a screwdriver and fasten the standoff portion to
the motherboard to the 42mm interval.
 Install the M.2 device and use the screw to secure the device.
Please carefully check your M.2 devices for proper installation before moving on to the
next step. If the M.2 device is not installed properly, the heatsink covers cannot be fully
fastened.
- 34 -
3. Final Step – Reinstall the Z790 DARK K|NGP|N Cover for M.2 Devices
Once all SSDs have been installed, reinstall

the M.2 heatsink and fasten all screws. If
the larger heatsink is not fully fastened,
you may have difficulty your PCIe device
in the PE1 and/or PE2 slot.
For further M.2 setup instructions, please see Page 53.
- 35 -
Tested CPU
CPU Core/Thread Count Frequency PCI-E Lanes

Raptor Lake-S
Core ™ i9-13900K 8+16 Cores (32 Threads) 3.0 GHz P-Core 20
Core ™ i9-13900KF 8+16 Cores (32 Threads) 3.0 GHz P-Core 20
Alder Lake-S
Core ™ i9-12900KS 8+8 Cores (24 Threads) 3.4 GHz P-Core 20
Core ™ i9-12900T 8+8 Cores (24 Threads) 3.2 GHz P-Core 20
Core ™ i9-12900 8+8 Cores (24 Threads) 3.2 GHz P-Core 20
Core ™ i7-12700F 8+4 Cores (20 Threads) 3.6 GHz P-Core 20
Core ™ i7-12700T 8+4 Cores (20 Threads) 3.6 GHz P-Core 20
Core ™ i5-12400 6 Cores (12 Threads) 3.4 GHz P-Core 20
Core ™ i5-12400F 6 Cores (12 Threads) 3.4 GHz P-Core 20
Core ™ i3-12300 4 Cores (8 Threads) 3.5 GHz P-Core 20
Core ™ i3-12100F 4 Cores (8 Threads) 3.3 GHz P-Core 20
Pentium® G7400 2 Cores (4 Threads) 3.7 GHz P-Core 20
Pentium® G6900 2 Cores (2 Threads) 3.4 GHz P-Core 20
For a list of tested CPUs, please visit https://www.evga.com/support/motherboard/

and select the EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N from the list.
- 36 -
Tested M.2 Key-M
PCIE 4.0 INTERFACE

WD Black SN850 WDS200T1X0E-00AFY0 2TB PCIE4.0 NVME M2
Samsung 980 Pro MZ-V8P500 500G PCIE4.0 NVME M2
PCIE 3.0 INTERFACE
ADATA ASX8000NP-256GM-C 256G M.2 PCIE
Crucial CT500P1SSD8 P1 NVME NVME M.2 500G
CORSAIR MP500 CSSD-F240GBMP500 240G PCIE3.0 NVME M2
INTEL® 600P SERIES SSDPEKKW512G7 M.2 512G PCIE
INTEL® 760P SERIES SSDPEKKW010T8 M.2 1TB PCIE
INTEL® Intel® Optane Memory H20 with SSD HBRPEKNL0202A 32G Optane / 512G NAND
INTEL® Intel® Optane Memory H20 with SSD HBRPEKNL0203A 32G Optane / 1T NAND
INTEL® Intel® SSD 665P SSDPEKNW020T9 2TB PCIE3.0 NVME M2
INTEL® Intel® SSD 670P SSDPEKNU010TZ 1GB PCIE3.0 NVME M2
Kingston SKC1000240G
Kingston SHPM2280P2H/240G
PLEXTOR PX-128M8PeG M.2 128G PCIE
Samsung MZ-V7P512 970 PRO
Samsung MZ-V7E250 970 EVO
Samsung MZ-V6P512 960 PRO
Samsung MZ-V6E250 250G 960EVO
Samsung MZ-VKV512 950 PRO
Samsung MZ-HPU128T/004 128G XP941
Samsung MZ-VPW2560 256G SM961
Samsung MZ-VPV2560 256G SM951 NVME
Samsung MZ-HPV1280 128G SM951
Samsung MZ-VLB2560 256G PM981
Samsung MZ-VLW2560 256G PM961
Synology SNV3500-400G PCIE3.0 NVME M2 22110
TOSHIBA THNSN5256GPU7 M.2 256G PCIE
WD PC SN750 WDS100T3X0C-00SJG0 1T NVME M2
WD PC SN700 WDS100T2X0C-00L350 1T NVME M2
WD PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G-1006 512G NVME M2
WD Blue SN550 WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB PCIE3.0 NVME M2
WD Blue SN500 WDS500G1B0C-00S6U0 500G PCIE3.0 NVME M2
WD Black SN750 WDS400T3X0C-00SJG0 4T NVME M2
- 37 -
Tested M.2 Key-E

M.2 Key-E WIFI
INTEL 8260NGW
INTEL 9260NGW
INTEL 9560NGW
Killer 1550
INTEL AX200
INTEL AX201
INTEL AX210
INTEL AX211
- 38 -
Connecting Cables
Note: The following images do not necessarily visually represent
their respective headers on the EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N.
Rather, this section is designed to provide basic information about
important connectors and headers pinouts.
The locations of these components can be found in the Component
Legend on Pages 14-15.
This section takes you through all the necessary connections on the
motherboard. This will include:
 Power Connections
24pin ATX power
EPS 8-pin 12V power
6-pin PCIe power
 Internal Headers
Front Panel connectors (Power/Reset/LEDs)
Thermal Header
PWM Fan Headers
ARGB LED Header
USB 2.0 Header
USB 3.2 Gen1 Header
USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Header
USB to SPI Header (for flashing BIOS)
Audio Header
SATA Ports
 Rear I/O Panel
- 39 -
24pin ATX Power (ATX_PWR_24P)
ATX_PWR_24p is the main power supply connector located along the upper-
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.
The Z790 DARK K|NGP|N motherboard uses a right-angle 24pin ATX
connector.
6-pin PCIe
The 6-pin PCIe connector present on the motherboard provides additional

power to the PCIe slots, rather than pulling it all from the 24-pin main power. It
is advised to plug in this connector when using multiple VGA devices or heavy
overclocking, especially with higher-end graphic cards.
- 40 -
EPS 8-pin 12V Power (PWR 8P)
EPS PWR 8P, the 8-pin ATX 12V power connector provides power for the
CPU. Align the pins to the connector and press firmly until seated. The
secondary EPS is optional for improved overclocking, but is not necessary for
normal PC use, including gaming. Please remember to make sure that the tab on
the EPS socket is aligned with the release clip on the cable.
NOTE: If you can install the cable even though the tab and release clip are on
opposite sides, then you are using a PCIe 8-pin cable and will likely damage
your motherboard if powered on. Please review your power supply’s installation
manual to verify which cables/connectors are designed for the CPU power.
- 41 -
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.
 PWRSW
Attach the power button cable from the chassis to these two pins.
Pressing the power button on your chassis turns the system on and off,
in place of the onboard button.
 HD_LED
Attach the hard disk drive indicator LED cable to these two pins. The
HDD indicator LED indicates the activity status of the hard disks.
 RESET
Attach the Reset switch cable from the front panel of the case to these
two pins.
Note: Some system cases may not have all four cables. Be sure to match the
name on the connectors to the corresponding pins.
- 42 -
Thermal Sensor Header
The external thermal sensor header is a 2-pin header that allows you to connect
a thermistor cable to monitor temperatures that are not natively monitored by
the motherboard. This header consists of a “Sensor” and a ground pin. Once
connected, the information derived from the sensor will be viewable in BIOS
and Windows.
- 43 -
Fan Header
The Z790 DARK K|NGP|N uses 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 2 Amp @ 12 Volts
(24 Watts). These headers are for your CPU heatsink and chassis cooling fans.
The Pump header on the motherboard supports up to 3 Amp @ 12 Volts (36
Watts), and is primarily designed for watercooling pumps or AIO pumps.
All pump headers may be controlled in the motherboard BIOS, and each header
may be controlled as a Smart Fan or a manual speed.
- 44 -
ARGB Header
This header and pinout is used for increased control and options over
addressable RGB LED strips or devices connected to this header, compared to
a standard 12V. RGB Header. This header supports up to a maximum of 2
Amps @ 5 Volts (10 Watts) or up to 125 LEDs. This will add control options
through EVGA ELEET X1 for controlling RGB LEDs.
The EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N lists these headers as “ARGB1” through
“ARGB4” on the motherboard.
- 45 -
USB Headers
This motherboard contains USB 3.2 Gen2 and USB 3.2 Gen1 ports that are
accessible on the rear panel of the chassis.
The Z790 DARK K|NGP|N contains 1x 20pin internal header, which can
support 1 USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C front-panel connector or device.
- 46 -
The motherboard also contains 1x 19-pin internal header connectors onboard

that can be used to connect an optional external bracket or device containing up
to two (2) USB 3.2 Gen1 ports.
 Please note that these headers are often referred to as USB 3.0 internal
headers, but the correct designation is USB 3.2 Gen1.
- 47 -
The motherboard contains 2x 9-pin internal header connectors that can be used
to connect an optional external bracket or devices containing up to four (4)
USB 2.0 ports.
The Z790 DARK K|NGP|N also features an onboard USB 2.0 port header,
near the BIOS Select Switch. This header has a specific purpose – to allow you
to flash the BIOS with a USB flash drive without an installed CPU. For more
information on flashing the BIOS without a CPU, please see Page 105.
- 48 -
Front Panel Audio Header
Front panel audio supports HD Audio for stereo/gaming headphones or 2.1

speakers, and a Mic.
- 49 -
Drive Headers (SATA)

SATA 6Gb/s is the current standard for an HDD/SSD interface. These ports
provide the data interconnect for the motherboard and HDD/SSD via cable.
Your drive still requires a separate power connection from your power supply.
Intel® SATA ports on this platform natively support full AHCI and RAID
functions. RAID mode supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, and 10 through the Intel®
controller, and all ports retain full AHCI functionality in RAID mode.
The ASMedia SATA ports 6/7 are derived from the secondary SATA controller
to provide additional storage ports. These ports support AHCI and do not
support RAID. These ports are also compatible with some legacy Operating
Systems. However, legacy operating systems may not be compatible with newer
chipsets and processors, so compatibility with the Z790 DARK K|NGP|N
cannot be guaranteed with legacy operating systems.
See Page 60 for RAID levels supported and explanations for how
they work.
- 50 -
Onboard and External Buttons

These onboard buttons include Clear/Reset CMOS, BIOS Update, RESET and
POWER buttons.
External Reset CMOS Button
Reset CMOS Button

The motherboard uses CMOS RAM
to store your BIOS configuration.
Press the Reset CMOS button shown
on the right to reset the BIOS back to defaults.
Use the Reset CMOS button to clear the BIOS before and after updating the
BIOS, and as a troubleshooting option when the motherboard fails to POST
(e.g. after installing new hardware, testing an unstable overclock, etc.).
BIOS Update Button

The BIOS Update button is an alternative option to update your motherboard
BIOS, in case you cannot update from within the BIOS or within Windows.
This option is convenient when you must update your BIOS for compatibility
prior to installing a new CPU. See Page 105 for more details.
RESET and POWER Button

These buttons allow you to easily turn on/off the system. These buttons allow
for easy debugging and testing of the system during troubleshooting situations.
The POWER button has an integrated LED,
indicating the system’s status. When the system is
powered on, the LED remains a solid red.
The RESET button has an integrated LED,
indicating the activity status of the hard disk
drives and will flicker accordingly.
Reset
Power
Button
Button
- 51 -
First Boot
BIOS Update
When you power on the system for the first time
(or after a BIOS update/reset) it may take a little
longer than expected, and follow with a warning
message on the screen reading “BIOS checksum
error”. This is completely normal.
It’s recommended to first check whether your motherboard has a BIOS update
available. Go to https://www.evga.com/drivers, select the Motherboard tab,
and select BIOS to see if there’s an available BIOS for your board.
Download and unzip the file onto a thumb drive formatted for
FAT32. Boot into your motherboard BIOS, go to the
EXTRAS section, select “BIOS Update,” and navigate to
where the “.bin” file is stored. Press Enter to update.
**DO NOT POWER OFF OR REBOOT THE SYSTEM
DURING A BIOS UPDATE. THIS WILL LIKELY
RENDER THE ACTIVE BIOS UNBOOTABLE**
Once the BIOS is updated, you will be greeted with the same screen as before
denoting a checksum error. Click “Yes” to go into the BIOS.
The Z790 chipset is natively designed for UEFI and Windows 11/10. However,
Legacy Boot can be enabled in the Boot Menu if your older hardware is not
compatible with UEFI.
Memory Setup
Use the arrow keys or your mouse to select the Memory Menu. You can view
XMP Profile information at the top of this menu, although most memory kits
only feature one profile. Select the “Memory Profiles” pulldown and select a
XMP Profile. This will automatically set some basic memory information, such
as speed, latency and voltage. You may set the memory speed manually, but the
XMP Profile generally gets the memory running at the memory manufacturer’s
specification with little to no effort.
- 52 -
HDD/SSD/M.2 Setup
Select “Boot” from the menu list at the top. “Boot Option #1” should show
the device where you intend to install your operating system, or where you
already have an installed OS. During OS installation, you may prefer to set your
installation media as Boot Option #1 and your HDD/SSD/M.2 as Option #2.
 SATA Drives
If you are using multiple SATA drives with multiple OS installs (or
installation media) and the system boots to the wrong device you have
several options:
1. One-time boot to a different device – Go to the Save & Exit menu.
Devices that have an OS or installation media will be listed under Boot
Override. Select a device and the motherboard will boot directly to it.
2. Configure Boot each time you power on – Go to the Boot Menu. Set
the “Always Show Boot Option” to On. After reboot, the motherboard
will ask you to select your boot device at every startup.
3. Designate your primary hard drive – This option can be configured in
either UEFI or Legacy Boot mode. You must Save and Exit after
making a change to the boot mode for the correct menu to appear.
a. UEFI Boot Mode – Enter the UEFI Hard Disk Drive BBS
Priorities. Select your preferred boot drive. Save and Exit.
b. Legacy Boot Mode – Enter the Hard Disk Drive BBS
Priorities. Select your preferred boot drive. Save and Exit.
 M.2 NVMe Devices

After installing your M.2 device(s) into at least one of the three M.2 slots on
the motherboard, enter the BIOS and enter the Advanced Menu. From
there, select Onboard Device Configuration and make sure to enable any of
the M.2 Key-M slots in-use.
Once your drives are configured in the BIOS, plug in your operating system
installation medium (likely a USB disk), press F10 to save and exit, and
Windows 11/10 should be able to boot to M.2 without issue.
*Note* Windows 11/10 should detect nearly all M.2 NVMe SSDs during
installation. However, newly released and older devices may require specific
drivers to be installed before Windows can detect the drive for installation.
Please make sure to consult the manufacturer’s instructions for your device
before attempting to install Windows for the proper installation procedure.
- 53 -
M.2 SSD, PCIe SSD, and NVMe SSD Installation

steps
M.2 devices can be connected via an M.2 card slot or through PCIe by using an M.2 to
PCIe adapter. Some SSDs are designed to be installed in a PCIe slot to provide higher
bandwidth than a SATA interface, such as the Intel® 750. NVMe devices are the current
high-performance standard for M.2/PCIe SSDs.
Each M.2 and PCIe device requires a certain amount of bandwidth – in the form of
lanes – to transfer data. These lanes can be provided by the CPU or the motherboard
PCH. As a result, these devices sometimes share resources with other components on
the motherboard, which may limit some hardware combinations. PLEASE SEE
CHART ON PAGE 26 FOR A BREAKDOWN OF SHARED RESOURCES.
M.2 Physical Installation
1. Please see Page 33 for instructions how to physically install an M.2 device.
PCIe SSD Physical Installation
1. Install the SSD into any available PCIe slot with at least x4 Lanes available
(Gen5 and Gen4 are preferred for better speed).
a. The Z790 DARK K|NGP|N will support PCIe SSDs in all PCIe slots.
2. Attach the SSD’s mounting bracket to the back of the case.
3. Review the installation manual for your SSD to see whether the SSD requires an
external power connector. If no, then the SSD will be powered by the board.
BIOS Setup / Windows Installation for M.2/PCIe NVMe SSDs
 Installation steps for a fresh install of Windows.
1. Power on the PC and enter the BIOS by tapping the Delete key repeatedly.
2. Once in BIOS, navigate to the “BOOT” section.
3. For Windows 11/10 installations, it’s recommended to leave the Boot mode
select on UEFI.
a. IF you have legacy hardware that cannot work in an UEFI
environment, you have two options – Change the Boot mode to
Legacy, or enable CSM and configure CSM settings for your device.
i. For performance and security reasons, it’s strongly
recommended to consider updating your legacy hardware,
rather than use the Legacy boot mode.
ii. Before setting the Boot mode to Legacy, we recommend
trying to enable CSM and confirm whether your legacy device
works with CSM enabled.
- 54 -
4. After making your Boot mode choice, press F10 to save and exit the BIOS.
5. Press Delete on reboot to reenter the BIOS.
6. Verify that your M.2 or PCIe SSD is recognized by the motherboard:
a. M.2 SSDs can be seen in the Advanced>NVMe configuration menu.
i. Please note that some M.2 SSDs may not be recognized in the
BIOS. If your M.2 SSD is not recognized, confirm that it is
properly installed and the slot is enabled in the Advanced >
Onboard Devices menu.
ii. If the device is properly installed and the slot is enabled,
continue with your installation of Windows, as the installation
will show whether the drive is ultimately detected.
b. PCIe SSDs will be detected in the Advanced > PCIe Configuration
menu next to its PCIe slot, along with the number of lanes used.
i. PCIe NVMe SSDs may also show device information in the
Advanced > NVMe configuration menu.
7. Insert/Connect your Operating System installation media and reboot. At this
point, the Windows installation process should begin.
 Installation steps using an existing Windows installation.
1. Power on the PC and enter the BIOS by tapping the Delete key repeatedly.
2. Follow the steps above to verify that your M.2/PCIe SSD is seen in the BIOS.
3. Once you’ve confirmed that your device is seen, go into the Boot menu.
a. If your SSD has an existing installation of Windows, you can confirm
that the BIOS sees it by going to the Save & Exit Menu.
b. In the Save & Exit menu, the Boot Override option will list any
recognized installations of Windows. If you see your drive here, then
the BIOS can boot to Windows.
4. Set the primary Boot Option to the drive with your Windows installation.
5. Press F10 to save and exit the BIOS/UEFI.
a. If successful, then you do not need to configure anything else.
b. If unsuccessful, it will be for one of three reasons:
i. Your Windows bootloader may be on a different drive.
ii. Your previous OS may not be easily compatible if this is a new
motherboard; likely due to incompatible drivers.
iii. Your previous installation may have been in Legacy mode. If
this is the case, go into the Boot menu and change the Boot
mode to Legacy, press F10 to save and reboot. If Windows
boots at this point, the configuration is complete.
6. If Windows cannot boot at this point, we suggest contacting EVGA Customer
Service, as further troubleshooting would be outside the scope of this manual.
- 55 -
Configuring RAID With M.2 SSDs

The EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N supports RAID0 and RAID1 spanned across the
three M.2 slots and SATA ports. For a more complete discussion about RAID and the
different types and positives/negatives of each type of RAID, skip to the next section of
the manual, which covers everything you need to know about RAID.
Install/Verify That Your SSDs Are Ready:
1. To configure a RAID in the EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N, you will first
need to install your M.2 SSDs, as shown above on Page 33.
2. Next, enter the BIOS by tapping the Delete key after the POST beep.
3. Enter the Advanced menu, and then the Onboard Device Configuration menu.
Make sure that your populated M.2 Key-M slots are enabled here.
4. Hit ESC or click the back arrow to return to the Advanced menu. Click on the
NVMe Configuration page to verify that your SSDs are detected and available.
5. If you made any changes to the motherboard BIOS, exit back to the main
menu, go to the “Save & Exit” menu, and click “Save Changes and Reset”.
Enable the VMD Controller:
1. Enter the BIOS and go into the Advanced menu. Enter the “SATA
Configuration” menu.
2. Next, change the setting to enable the VMD controller. Save and Exit.
- 56 -
Configure RAID:
1. After enabling the VMD controller, you will see a new Advanced menu called
“Intel® Rapid Storage Technology”. Enter the menu.
2. Here, you will see all available drives, RAID volumes, and have the option to
Create RAID Volume. For this guide, we will create a RAID5.
- 57 -
3. The RAID Level is set by default to RAID0 (Stripe), so you will need to change
it to RAID5 (Parity). Available drives for the RAID will be listed here, along
with a blank box to allow you to select whether you want each drive to be part
of the RAID. In this case, we will select all SSDs for the RAID, so we will select
each drop-down and choose the “X” option. After configuring your RAID
Level, disks, Strip Size, and RAID capacity, select “Create Volume”.
4. Once the volume is created, you will see a list of your created RAID volumes.
Click each volume for more information.
5. Inside the RAID Volume Info menu, you can review the basic details about the
RAID, including the physical drives, as well as the option to delete or repair the
RAID volume if necessary.
- 58 -
Note: RAID0, RAID1, RAID5, and RAID10 are supported on the Z790 DARK K|NGP|N
when spanned between the M.2 slots and SATA ports, but this is strongly not
recommended due to the significant difference in performance and the lack of
device uniformity (i.e. different SSDs within the same RAID), which may cause a
RAID to become unrecognized or fail unexpectedly.
- 59 -
Internal SATA RAID Controller
This section covers the basics of what RAID does, how RAID works, and why you may
or may not want to use RAID. There are other means of creating a RAID drive on this
motherboard, such as through the Intel® VMD or through the IOMSM in Windows,
which will be covered in more detail further below.
This motherboard supports several RAID modes over its six (6) Intel® SATA ports.
These RAID modes include RAID0, RAID1, RAID5, and RAID10, which tends to be
the standard for most motherboard-based RAID options.
Some basic understandings for this section:
 All drives equal 1 Terabyte in size. Let’s just make the math easy. In reality,
all drives are slightly less than what their labels show.
 A physical drive is, essentially, the drive you installed in your system.
 A logical drive is the drive “created” through RAID. In other words, this
virtual drive is what Windows sees.
 Performance considerations are based on arrays using the same drive
model. Arrays comprised of drives with different performance
characteristics may see reduced performance and stability. There are many
factors outside the scope of this manual that can also affect performance.
ESSENTIAL RAID CONSIDERATIONS
 Please save yourself some time and effort by using drives with the same
make, model and capacity. Although it’s tempting to use what you might
have lying around, mixing drives can lead to performance issues,
desyncing issues, data corruption, and ultimately array failure.
 Confirm that your drives support RAID. This may surprise people, but
drive manufacturers sometimes limit RAID support to specific models. If
a drive is not supported for RAID, the array may desynchronize
unexpectedly due to features missing that are necessary for
communication between drives in RAID.
- 60 -
RAID LEVELS
There are three main considerations when creating a RAID array: performance, capacity,
and redundancy. Fortunately, each RAID mode offered has unique characteristics that
make choosing one fairly simple, based on your needs.
 Performance – Quite simply, which array type is the fastest?
o RAID0 is considered the best performance option here. The whole
purpose of the array is to combine storage capacity and speed.
o RAID10 utilizes both mirrors (like RAID1) and a stripe (like RAID0).
This configuration allows it to be faster than RAID1 and RAID5.
o RAID5 is flexible enough to be a faster all-around type of RAID. Read
speeds are much faster, but write speeds can be slightly slower.
o RAID1 is designed for redundancy and not speed, so it will usually
operate slightly slower than a single hard drive.
 Capacity – How does creating an array affect the size of the logical drive?
o All RAID levels utilize a very small amount of disk space, in part, to
maintain connections to data across drives and store configuration data.
Additional disk space will be subtracted as a result of formatting.
o RAID0 = Sum of the drive capacity of all physical drives.
 Math – 3x 1TB drives = 3TB RAID0 array.
o RAID1 = Drive capacity of the data drive
 Math – 2x 1TB drives = 1TB RAID1 array.
o RAID5 = (Number of drives multiplied by drive capacity), subtracted
by the capacity of one drive.
 Math – 3x 1TB drives – 1TB = 2TB RAID5 array.
o RAID10 = Sum of the capacity of the data drives in each mirrored
volume.
 Math – 4x 1TB drives = 2TB RAID10
 Redundancy – If a drive fails, what happens?
o RAID1 – Actual redundancy. If one drive fails, all data is backed up on
the second. Install a new drive and the RAID will be repaired again.
o RAID10 – Actual redundancy. If one drive in a mirrored pair fails, data
can be restored from the other drive. The array can survive losing two
disks, so long as each drive is from a different mirror. The array will
completely fail if both drives from the same mirror fail.
o RAID5 – Quasi redundancy via parity. If one drive fails, you can still
use the array in a degraded state, until you can replace the drive. The
array cannot survive a second drive failure.
o RAID0 – No redundancy. If one drive fails, it’s game over.
- 61 -
RAID0: RAID0 is considered “Striping” or a “Striped Array.” RAID0 takes a data

set and spreads it equally across two or more drives. Reading a file, for example, will be
much faster if the file is spread across multiple drives and read from each drive
simultaneously. This can reduce the time each drive spends reading data by at least 50%
compared to reading from one source. However, there is no fault tolerance, meaning if
one drive fails, the array fails and data will likely be permanently lost.
RAID0 can scale up to the limits of your controller, but performance will see
diminishing returns above 4 drives.
The Good-
 Read/write speed of drives are greatly increased
 Storage capacity loss is minimal, compared to other array types.
The Bad
 RAID0 has no redundancy, which makes it very volatile. If even one drive fails,
the array and data is toast.
 Although popular once, newer SSDs and storage options significantly
outperform or make RAID0 less relevant.
RAID1: RAID1 is also called “Mirroring” or a “Mirrored Array.” RAID1 uses two
physical drives and writes ALL data to both drives simultaneously, providing a real-time
100% redundancy. If a drive fails, you can continue using your system even if only one
drive is healthy.
RAID1 is limited to 2 drives. Because this is a mirror, you will use 50% of your capacity
for redundancy.
The Good-
 RAID1 can suffer one failed drive without any affecting stored data.
The Bad-
 Storage size is limited to the capacity of one drive.
 Write speed will be a bit lower than a single drive.
A final note regarding capacity – Using drives of different sizes will affect the maximum
capacity of a RAID1. When creating the array, the controller will look at the drive with
the smallest capacity and use this amount as the size of the array. For example, let’s say
you have two drives – one 1TB drive, one 500GB drive. The array size will be reduced
to a 500GB RAID1.
- 62 -
RAID5: RAID5 is a stripe with fault tolerance, which attempts to bridge the gap
between speed and redundancy. It is the most all-around type of array. This array-type
will reserve, essentially, a capacity size equivalent to one drive for fault-tolerance. This
means that if you use four 1TB drives to create your RAID5, you will only have the
capacity of three 1TB drives. RAID5 requires a minimum of three drives, and the
maximum is set by the RAID controller; this level works well when using between four
to six drives, but sees diminishing returns beyond six.
A RAID5 array is still usable even while a drive is missing or failed drive, resulting in a
degraded state. Performance will suffer until the missing drive is replaced and the
software rebuild process is completed. The rebuild process can take several hours,
causing reduced performance during this time.
The Good-
 Most capacity-efficient array-type that also has fault tolerance.
 Read/write speed is very good; faster than RAID1 but slower than RAID0.
However, speed may vary depending on the number of drives in the array.
The Bad-
 Rebuilding an array can take a long time on a motherboard controller, especially
when using a very large capacity array with multiple drives.
 If more than one drive fails before repairing the array, the array will fail and data
will be lost.
 RAID5 is a good all-around RAID, but it does not excel at performance or
redundancy. Consider a RAID10 for speed and redundancy, instead.
RAID5 protects data by rotating parity across physical drives. Each physical drive
receives small portions of data from other drives and maintains this data in a parity
block of data. When a failed drive is replaced, its data is restored from the parity block
on each of the remaining drives in the array. The repair process copies a very large
volume of small data segments back to the replacement drive while also maintaining the
array’s index of data.
capacity of a RAID5. When creating the array, the controller will look at the drive with
the smallest capacity and use this as the size for each drive in the array. For example,
let’s say you have three drives – two 1TB drives, one 500GB drive. The array size will be
reduced to 500GB per drive, resulting in a 1TB RAID5 (3x 500GB – 500GB).
- 63 -
RAID10: RAID10 is a nested RAID, which is a type of RAID utilizing multiple

arrays within a single configuration. This type of virtualization allows you to have an
array where each node has its own level of redundancy. RAID10 is highly scalable, but
this motherboard supports an array of only four drives.
RAID10 is comprised of two or more Mirrored arrays (RAID1s) that are striped
together (RAID0). Looking at it a different way, this is RAID0 using a stripe of mirrored
logical drives.
The Good-
 Excellent Fault Tolerance
 Good rebuild times, compared to other modes with redundancy.
 Overall performance is good; comparable or slightly faster than RAID5.
The Bad-
 Low capacity for the number of drives required.
RAID10 fault tolerance works different than RAID1 and RAID5 because the array has
nodes with internal redundancy. Although a four-drive array can lose two drives and
remain operational, it greatly depends on which two drives fail. If both physical drives
from the same logical drive fail, then half of the data is gone and the array has failed.
However, every logical drive, regardless of the number of total logical drive, can suffer
one internal failure with no adverse effects.
capacity of each mirror in a RAID10. When creating the array, the controller will look
at the drive with the smallest capacity in the mirror and use this as the size for each drive
in the array. This follows the rule of RAID1. The striping portion of the array will
follow RAID0 and combine the sum of each mirrored array.
Which types of RAID can I use with my setup?

1 Drive - No RAID arrays are supported
2 Drives - RAID0 and RAID1.
3 Drives - RAID0, RAID1 and RAID5.
4 Drives and above - RAID0, RAID1, RAID5, and RAID10.
Also, you can run more than one array on the Intel® controller, so long as the total is no
more than six (6) drives. For example, this means you can allocate four (4) drives to a
RAID10, two (2) drives to a RAID1 or two (2) drives to a RAID0.
- 64 -
Configuring the Array

1. Attach all SATA devices you intend to use, and make sure power is attached.
Power the system on. Press the “Delete” key repeatedly to enter BIOS. Once
into BIOS you will need to enable the RAID function of the board.
2. Once into the BIOS, click on (or navigate with your arrow keys) the
“Advanced” tab at the top, and then on “SATA Configuration.” You will see all
attached SATA devices at this point.
Note: The SATA Configuration menu shows a list of all drives currently detected by the
controller. Make sure the list in your BIOS matches what you have plugged in. If
it does not, reseat cables on the device(s) in question. If the issue persists,
please check the troubleshooting section on Page 107.
- 65 -
3. Similar to the M.2 RAID instructions, set Enable VMD Controller to

“Enabled”, then Save and Reboot. Upon entering the menu again, you will
notice that your SATA port information will be empty. This mode includes
both the RAID controls and the same options/functions/commands as AHCI.
As a result, you may continue to use your AHCI devices normally while
configuring a RAID.
- 66 -
4. Return to the SATA Configuration menu and enter the Intel® Rapid Storage
Technology menu.
5. 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.”
6. Choose a name for the volume. The controller allows up to 15 characters; you
can use numbers and letters, but not special characters.
- 67 -
7. Next, select your intended array type. Please see the bottom of Page 64 for a
quick reference on different RAID levels and RAID types based on your total
number of drives. For purpose of this guide, we will make a RAID5.
8. Next, select the drives you want to use for the array. Select the down arrow and
the “X” for each drive you want to include in the array.
9. 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.
- 68 -
10. The controller defaults the capacity to the maximum available space for the
RAID. Leaving the capacity at default is recommended because reducing the
size is not beneficial, except in limited cases.
11. To complete the setup process, please select “Create Volume” at the bottom of
the page. Depending on the array type, drive type, and volume this can take a
few seconds to a few minutes.
12. Once the array is completed you will see this text, or something similar based
on the array type and drives used. At this point, the array is ready to use.
- 69 -
13. For OS installation, provided that the array is configured properly, the operating
system will detect the array and see it as a single drive or a bootable RAID array
– as opposed to several drives – and allow you to install the OS to the array
without any further steps. However, depending on the OS version, you may
need to install RAID drivers for the RAID array to be detected.
Note: If this is meant to be a secondary array, your next step is to partition and format
the array within Windows. Please see Page 81 for setup in Windows 10.
Repairing an array within BIOS

This guide will show you how to repair a degraded array from within the BIOS. For
testing purposes, a drive was intentionally removed from a RAID5 array and wiped to
guarantee that the array rebuild behaved the same as if a new replacement drive was
added to a degraded array.
If a drive fails and the array becomes degraded, you will typically see an alert in
Windows or while checking the array status within the BIOS. If a drive fails in an array
with redundancy (a RAID5 array, in this case), the controller will report the array as
“Degraded.”. This means that the array has a node down, that the data is still intact, but
your fault tolerance is reduced.
The Non-RAID Physical Disks list will display any remaining drives on the controller.
For this example, you will see a degraded array and a “Non-RAID Physical Disk,” which
we’ve attached to repair the degraded array.
Note: Although any drive that features sufficient capacity will be permitted to rebuild the
array, it is recommended to use an exact match or same capacity/performance of
the failed drive. The BIOS will remind you, but it cannot be overstated that using
a drive with data on it will result in the total loss of all previous data in favor of the
data on the array.
- 70 -
1. To begin the repair, select the degraded RAID volume to see your array status
and all remaining drives currently configured in the RAID array. When ready,
click Rebuild to start the process.
2. Next, you will see a list of all attached HDD/SSDs that can be used to rebuild
the array. Select your preferred disk, then click on it to begin the process.
**ALL DATA ON THIS DRIVE WILL BE REMOVED AND CANNOT BE

RECOVERED WHEN ADDING IT INTO THE ARRAY**
- 71 -
3. Once the process has started you will see the status change to “Rebuilding.”
Note: Completing this process in the BIOS queues the rebuilding of the array, but does
not start the process until after you restart and boot into your OS. The rebuilding
duration will vary – fast drives in uncomplicated arrays can rebuild very quickly,
while complicated arrays with redundancy may take several hours to rebuild. The
duration of the rebuild process can also be impacted by the usage of the array
and system performance during the process.
4. The rebuild process can be monitored from the “Intel® Optane™ Memory and
Storage Management” utility in Windows, which is effectively the software
front-end for the Intel® RAID controller. The rebuild status can be viewed in
the “Manage” tab, located on the top of the IOMSM Window. Please see the
image at the top of Page 80 to see where to find the rebuilding information% in
the IOMSM.
- 72 -
IOMSM (Intel® Optane™ Memory and Storage Management)

The IOMSM is the software front-end for the Intel® SATA controller. IOMSM may be
more convenient for some people due to a more detailed UI than the BIOS. It is
recommended to install the RAID drivers after installing the Intel® Chipset Drivers –
the main motherboard drivers. This guide walks you through not only building, but also
repairing an array from within Windows. All forms of RAID that can be built in the
BIOS are available in IOMSM.
This guide will illustrate how to create a RAID1 array using the IOMSM. Using the
screen above, we know that three (3) SSDs are currently attached to the controller and
the other Intel® SATA ports are empty. If you plan to create another type of array,
please ensure that you have the correct number of drives attached and shown on the
status screen in IOMSM for your intended array before you start.
- 73 -
1. Verify that all the drives intended for the array are present on the screen, then
click “Create RAID Volume” to begin the process. For the purpose of this
guide, we are using a pair of SATA SSDs to create the RAID1 array. If you were
using PCIe / M.2 based NVMe drives, the same basic steps apply to both,
however. For now, select SATA, and “Real-time protection (RAID1).” Then,
click Next at the bottom of the window.
- 74 -
2. On the next window, we will select the drives for our RAID. RAID1 requires
exactly two (2) drives. Click the boxes for the two drives you wish to use in the
array. There are other choices you can make on this page:
a. You may either keep data on one of the drives and clone it to the other,
or wipe both drives to start fresh. Regardless, you will not be able to
keep the data on both drives. Make sure to back-up any sensitive data
prior to beginning this process.
b. You may lower the capacity used to create the array from the entire
drive to a reduced size, if you wish. However, it is recommended to
leave the array at 100%, which is the default.
c. You may “Initialize Volume,” which will occur after the array is
created. The array must be initialized before Windows can partition the
drive. If the array is not initialized now, it may be initialized later in
“Disk Management.” See Page 81 for Disk Management instructions.
d. Once you’ve made your choices, click “Next”.
- 75 -
3. At this point, the RAID manager will summarize the choices you’ve made and
request confirmation to delete data. Click Create RAID Volume to begin the
process.
- 76 -
4. The build progress will be displayed on the Manage page. Once the RAID is
fully built, the percentage will disappear, and your array will be shown. For
further information about the array or your drives, click on the array for more
details, including the option to delete or repair the array, if necessary.
- 77 -
Repairing an array within IOMSM

This section of the guide will illustrate how to repair a degraded array from within the
IOMSM. For purposes of this guide, we will repair a degraded RAID1 array using a
third drive plugged into the controller, but not currently in use.
Below, you can see a degraded array, and one of its drives reported as unknown/failed.
The data on the other drive is still intact, but the fault tolerance is offline due to the
unknown/failed drive. The IOMSM also shows several warnings, including the "!" for
"Status," an outlined box to bring attention to the degraded array, and the listing for the
unknown hard disk, which also states 0 bytes – a further indicator of a faulty drive.
- 78 -
Click “Rebuild to another disk” to begin the repair process. On the next page, the
IOMSM will explain why you need to repair your drive, warn you that you will delete
any data on the spare drive, and ask you to select the disk where you want to rebuild the
array. After selecting the disk, click “Rebuild.”
**ALL DATA ON THIS DRIVE WILL BE REMOVED AND CANNOT BE

RECOVERED WHEN ADDING IT INTO THE ARRAY**
- 79 -
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
may keep track of the rebuilding progress in the Manage tab. Once repairs are complete,
the warning will disappear and the array will update to “Status: Normal.”
- 80 -
Partitioning and Formatting a drive

Once you have created your array, either from within the BIOS or from the IOMSM,
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.
To begin, you’ll need to go into Disk Management.
Windows 11/10: Right-click on the Windows Start

button and select “Disk Management.” Alternatively,
press the Windows Key + X on your keyboard and select
“Disk Management.”
- 81 -
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.”
Note: If you previously initialized your array through IOMSM, you will skip this step
and move on to the New Simple Volume Wizard in the next step.
- 82 -
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.
If your drive or array is initialized, but not partitioned, the disk will appear in Disk
Management as “Unallocated,” as shown in the image below. Right-click on the box
containing “Unallocated” and select “New Simple Volume” (this text may vary slightly
based on operating system). The New Simple Volume Wizard will pop-up.
When the window below opens, click “Next.”
- 83 -
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).
Also, the wizard will not allow you to accidentally select the letter of a drive in use.
The next step is to format the partition. Select your File System; NTFS is default, and
generally recommended for most large drives. Check the box for “Perform a quick
Format.” You may rename the volume, or leave it at default. Click “Next” when ready.
- 84 -
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. You should have a new empty drive there, with the letter you designated.
At this point the process of building an array and making it usable is completed.
- 85 -
Fan Header DC and PWM setup
The Z790 DARK K|NGP|N supports both 4-pin PWM fans and 3-pin DC fans. The
motherboard uses eight 4-pin fan headers, including 2x CPU FAN (PWM), a CHA FAN
(PWM/DC), a SYS FAN (PWM/DC), a PWR FAN (PWM/DC), an AUX FAN
(PWM/DC), and two Pump headers (PWM/DC). You can locate each header on Pages
14 and 15, component numbers 3, 4, and 5.
To configure the fans, go into the motherboard BIOS. During the POST sequence,
press Delete repeatedly to get into the BIOS. Once in the BIOS, use the arrow keys or
your mouse to navigate, whichever is easier, and make your way to the Advanced >
H/W Monitor Configuration menu.
- 86 -
Once into the H/W Monitor section, you can see the temperature monitors across the
top. Below the monitors, each fan is already configured in Smart mode, which means the
fan controller is using a Smart curve for fan controls. Each fan can be set to a separate
fan curve. To set a Smart curve, please see the guide starting at the top of the next page.
The +/- buttons next to Smart allow you to set your fans at a static speed percentage,
instead of a curve. If you set the speed too low, however, the fan may stall.
Below the PWM fans, you will see the six (6) PWM/DC fans: CHA_FAN, SYS_FAN,
PWR_FAN, AUX_FAN, and PUMP1 and PUMP2. The fan controller will
automatically detect and set the fan to either PWM or DC.
Alternatively, the PWM/DC fan headers can be set to either DC Mode or PWM Mode,
which can be selected by clicking on the pulldown menu. DC Mode powers the fan
directly by +12V voltage, while PWM Mode powers a PWM fan via pulse.
PWM mode is necessary if you are running a PWM fan powered by a different
connector, such as a molex, SATA, or 3-pin header not on the motherboard. If you
don’t select PWM mode in this scenario, the fan may run at 100%, or behave erratically,
regardless of the Smart Profile or percentage that you set above.
- 87 -
Standard Smart Fan Mode

To set a Smart curve, select the “Smart Fan Settings” and enter the menu.
First, choose the temperature monitor the PWM controller will use to monitor for its
temp information. It’s recommended to link the fan control to the CPU, which is
predominantly the most important temperature in the system. The exception is when
you have 64GB of heavily overclocked RAM, which may cause PWM temps to be a
concern. If this is a concern, set the fan control to the PWM temp.
Once you’ve set the Fan Control reference point, you can set the Default fan speed. The
fan speed will increase once the temperature reference point has heated up enough to hit
the Level 1 Temperature. Once it hits the Level 1 Temperature the fan controls will
override the Default speed setting based on the temperature at the time.
- 88 -
In Standard Mode, there are four tiers of temp control. At Level 4, we recommend to
set the fan speeds to Max. Feel free to create your own profile to meet your noise and
cooling needs. Make sure, however, to stay 5-10C below the Max safe load temp for
your processor, which is listed on Intel’s website. All Smart Fan Settings have the same
controls and can be setup the same way.
When monitoring your system, you may notice that your fans spin up and down at
different intervals. This is due, in part, to a function called hysteresis. Hysteresis builds
in a buffer to control fan speed behavior to prevent your system from constantly
changing the fan speed around your SMART Level temperature. Without hysteresis, for
example, if your Level is set to 30C and your temperature varies between 29C-31C, you
may find your fan spins up and down repeatedly, causing unwanted noise. Hysteresis
adds a - 3C buffer for all “Fan Control By” options. This means that once your fan
speed changes, it will not change again until the temperature goes below 27C.
Advanced Smart Fan Mode
To address problems with user configurations, such as adding additional Smart Fan
steps and hysteresis control, an Advanced Smart Fan Mode is available. Go to the Fan
Mode option and select Advanced:
In addition to now having seven Smart Fan profile settings, you can also directly modify
the hysteresis settings for your temperature preference:
Three settings are available for this purpose: Tolerance, Step Up, and Step Down.
Tolerance sets the value (in Celsius) for how far below the temperature can go before
the Smart Fan Level changes. For example, at 0C, Levels will change as soon as the
temperature crosses the temperature threshold; at 3C, Levels will change once the
temperature goes 3C below the Smart Level.
Step Up and Step Down affect how quickly your fan changes when the temperature
goes above or below, respectively, a Smart Level. At Level 0, your fan speed changes
immediately. Set a higher Level if you prefer the fan speed to adjust more gradually.
- 89 -
Using the ELEET X1 Software Suite

EVGA ELEET X1 is a monitoring and tuning software designed for EVGA
motherboards, which is available on the included USB drive and the EVGA website at
https://www.evga.com/eleetx1.
After installation, run ELEET X1. The left-hand side of the display contains system
information about your motherboard, including the CPU, per-core CPU clock
speed/voltage/temperature, and memory information. This information is displayed in
real-time and is available at all times, regardless of which tab is selected.
The first tab is “Overclocking,” which covers adjustments to each Core multiplier, Ring
ratio and various voltages, which provides a level of voltage control similar to what is
available in the BIOS. Overclocking can be done more simply via the Package menu, or
you can opt for more fine-tuning adjustments via the Per Core menu.
- 90 -
As seen above, there are options for multiple voltages, and two options for your CPU
VCore: Adaptive and Override voltages. Adaptive allows for a tighter voltage profile to
keep voltage and heat to a minimum, while Override is more of a brute-force method of
setting your voltage. One primary advantage of using a stable Adaptive voltage is that it
allows your CPU to properly take advantage of C-States and energy saving features,
which can extend the lifespan of your CPU.
Adaptive requires you to set both a Target Voltage and an Offset Voltage. Start by
setting your Target Voltage, which represents the voltage necessary to run stable (or
close to it), even under load. One way to determine this is by stress-testing your CPU
with your desired overclock. Offset voltage can then be used to fine-tune additional
voltage that may be required under load or stress situations.
Override is simply a static voltage. Outside of extreme benching, this setting is typically
not needed or ideal for the longevity of the CPU, since voltages are meant to fluctuate
based on load. Alternatively, this can be used in the early stages of overclocking to find
your Target voltage, before switching back to Adaptive.
- 91 -
Other voltages do not utilize the Adaptive or Override voltage settings. Instead, these
use a pulldown menu to select preset voltages, as shown above. The voltages for these
components are set by detection during POST, and ELEET X1 will open the pulldown
to the currently detected voltage. Please remember that adjusting voltages should be
done in small steps, and even then can cause your system to become unstable and crash.
The Per-Core menu allows for both ratio and voltage adjustments on an individual core
basis. This can be very useful if you find that one or more cores can be overclocked
more or less than other cores, or requires more or less voltage for stability.
When your changes are complete, click “Apply” to accept and apply the new settings, or
click “Default” to restore stock settings.
To Save a profile, first configure and apply any and all settings. Next, click on any of the
profiles on the right side of the screen. Saved profiles show a ring around the profile,
while empty profiles have no outline. When you click on one of the profiles, it will be
filled in. If you have previously saved a profile here, click “Load” to apply your profile.
Once loaded, you may close ELEET X1 and continue to use the new settings.
- 92 -
The “Memory” tab allows for Real Time Memory overclocking on the Z790 DARK
K|NGP|N, although this function is limited and determined by the installed processor.
In other words, not all processors will be able to adjust memory timings on this page.
Alternatively, memory timing adjustments may still be made in the BIOS.
- 93 -
The next tab is “Monitoring,” which contains real-time system information of voltages,
temperatures, and fan speed information. Please note that all readings on this page are
pulled from motherboard sensors, and change dynamically. Temperatures and voltages
are measured at fixed intervals, which can often make the readings appear to jump back
and forth. Furthermore, voltages on modern motherboards often closely respond to
changes in load, meaning that voltage readings will change based on load and usage,
which is normal.
The Monitoring page only supports a static readout of each voltage, temperature, and
fan speed. Settings cannot be adjusted or manipulated on this page.
- 94 -
The “System” tab provides more detailed information on the motherboard, CPU, and
memory. Here, you can find the motherboard specs and BIOS date and version.
- 95 -
Additional CPU details are provided, including the Stepping, Revision, Instructions, and
Cache layout.
Lastly, additional memory information is available for secondary memory timings, as

well as the type and number of channels being used.
- 96 -
Onboard ARGB and lighting connected to the ARGB headers can be controlled
through the LED tab. Users can select different modes/patterns of lighting based on the
header type and the number of LEDs connected through the ARGB headers. The LED
lighting can be synced together by enabling the “link” button located to the right of the
ARGB drop-down box. In the lower box, you can adjust the color of the LED light, as
well as the brightness and speed of the LED lighting.
- 97 -
The Z790 DARK K|NGP|N motherboard includes a BT/Wi-Fi module, along with a
new antenna design that provides extended features.
The Wi-Fi page will display typical information about your wireless connection and your
signal strength, including your Access Point name, wireless band, and wireless version.
The signal strength is indicated on a 1-10 scale, with 1 being the weakest and 10 being
the strongest.
- 98 -
The Setup menu gives you control over basic program and OS startup behavior, along
with the ability to check for new updates.
This has been the ELEET X1 utility overview, which should give you a solid start to
understanding and using the ELEET X1 software suite.
*EVGA ELEET X1 is still undergoing final testing and design modifications at the time
of this manual’s printing. Final GUI design, menus, and functionality may be subject to
change.
- 99 -
Installing Drivers and Software
Note: It is important to remember that before installing the drivers included in the
kit, you must first load or install your operating system. The motherboard
natively supports 64bit versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11.
The kit comes with a USB flash drive that contains utilities, drivers, and
additional software.
The USB flash drive that has been shipped with the EVGA Z790 DARK
K|NGP|N Motherboard contains the following software and drivers:
 Chipset Drivers
 Audio Drivers
 Intel Rapid Storage Drivers
 Intel RAID Drivers (floppy)
 LAN Drivers
 ME Drivers
 Intel® Serial I/O Drivers
 WIFI+BT Drivers
 EVGA ELEET X1™
 User’s Manual
Windows 11/10 Driver Installation

1. Insert the USB flash drive included in your EVGA Z790 DARK
K|NGP|N motherboard kit into a USB port on the motherboard or from
your chassis.
2. Double-click the “Autorun” application file.
- 100 -
3. The EVGA Driver Utility Screen will appear.
4. EVGA strongly recommends that you install the motherboard Chipset and
ME drivers first, followed by rebooting your system. Next, install the Intel
Rapid Storage drivers and reboot.
5. The Driver Utility Screen also contains helpful links to give you more
information about your new EVGA motherboard and additional resources
to get started. The Z790 DARK K|NGP|N manual is available through
this utility and within the USB flash drive directly.
6. EVGA also encourages you to register your motherboard online by either
clicking on the Online Registration button in the Driver Utility, or by
visiting https://www.evga.com/register.
- 101 -
Warranty and Overclocking

EVGA’s PC components are designed for and intended for enthusiasts. To be perfectly
clear, overclocking will NOT VOID your warranty. This means that you are free to
do any type or level of overclocking you like, including traditional means, such as by
using the BIOS (for motherboards); software overclocking with EVGA utilities, such as
Precision X1 or ELEET X1; or even third-party software utilities. If your EVGA
hardware fails due to overclocking, you’re covered.
Likewise, EVGA understands that enthusiasts are not always satisfied with the provided
stock cooling options. Replacing heatsinks, fans, or thermal grease will NOT VOID
your warranty. Want to install a waterblock on your new motherboard or graphics card?
No problem. Planning on a long benching session with a DICE/LN2 pot? Good luck
on the benching, but your warranty will still be intact after you’ve set new world records.
Of course, there are some limitations to our warranties. If an EVGA motherboard or

graphics card sustains physical or liquid damage (i.e. damage to the PCB or
components), the warranty is void. Similarly, permanent changes to components or the
PCB will void your warranty, including the removal of pre-attached components
soldered to the board, or the addition of components that are not removable without
heat or solvents. In other words, you may use Precision X1 to raise the voltage on your
graphics card while overclocking, but you may not solder on another power connector
as an alternative.
If the product fails within the warranty period, you must return the product to its
original configuration. This means ALL original heatsinks and fans must be reattached
as they were when it was first shipped. Even if the product no longer works, it must be
returned to its original state before sending it in. If you no longer have the original
heatsinks you may be charged for the missing parts.
The EVGA warranty covers overclocking ONLY to EVGA products; EVGA is NOT
responsible for damage caused to components manufactured by other companies.
Before overclocking your system, check with the manufacturer of your other
components to ensure that you will not void the warranty on those parts due to
overclocking. Due to the uniqueness of every system, EVGA Customer Support cannot
assist you with overclocking. For overclocking assistance, please visit our Community
Forums at https://forums.evga.com
- 102 -
Troubleshooting
Flashing the BIOS

The Z790 DARK K|NGP|N motherboard BIOS occasionally needs to be updated to
correct bugs, improve performance, and add features. The latest motherboard official
BIOS can always be found at https://www.evga.com/drivers. Select the Motherboard
tab, select the Z790 Chipset, 121-RL-E799 for the motherboard, and select BIOS.
You may update the motherboard BIOS in several ways: via Windows, via USB disk
from within BIOS, or update using the BIOS UPDATE button described below in the
section, “Flashing the BIOS Without a CPU”.
For ease of use, you may use the included USB flash drive provided with your
motherboard kit. If you use a different USB flash drive, you must format the flash drive
to FAT32 or the USB disk will not be recognized.
A. To flash via Windows:
a. Download the latest motherboard BIOS from the EVGA Download page.
b. Unzip the downloaded file to your desktop.
c. Make sure to close all open software and applications.
d. Open the folder and double-click the “Update.bat” file.
e. The flash utility will begin. If prompted, type “Y” to begin the flash.
DO NOT TURN OFF THE MOTHERBOARD UNTIL THE FLASH IS

COMPLETE.
f. When complete, the motherboard will automatically shut down. Power on the
motherboard to go into the motherboard BIOS.
g. When you see the Z790 DARK K|NGP|N splash screen, you will likely see a
checksum error message. Click Yes to continue. Confirm that the BIOS has
been updated to the latest version by checking the BIOS version (located in the
bottom-right of the screen) with the BIOS version you downloaded.
Note: If the flash box immediately closes after running Update.bat, you may need to
run Update.bat from a command prompt with administrator privileges, or right-
click Update.bat and select “Run as administrator”.
- 103 -
B. To flash from within the Z790 DARK K|NGP|N BIOS:

a. Download the latest motherboard BIOS, and unzip the file to your desktop.
b. Move the extracted folder onto your USB flash drive.
c. Reboot the motherboard.
d. When the splash screen appears, tap the Delete key to enter the BIOS.
e. Go to the EXTRAS tab in the upper-right
corner, and select BIOS Update:
f. Navigate to the folder containing the BIOS
file. Select the correct .bin file from the
dropdown list.
g. After selecting the file, confirm that you
wish to update the motherboard BIOS.
h. After confirming the file, a window will pop
up to show that the BIOS is updating.
DO NOT POWER OFF THE MOTHERBOARD WHILE THE BIOS IS

UPDATING.
i. Once the update is finished, the

motherboard will power off. Power on the
motherboard and enter the BIOS again. It is
normal to see an error message after
updating your BIOS, as show here:
j. Confirm that the BIOS has been updated to

the latest version by checking the BIOS version (located in the bottom-right of
the screen) with the BIOS version you downloaded.
Note: Your USB flash drive must be formatted as FAT32, or this method of flashing
the BIOS will not work. The USB flash drive included with your motherboard is
already properly formatted to FAT32. If you plan to use your own USB flash
drive, however, please make sure the file system is correct before attempting
this method.
- 104 -
Flashing the BIOS Without a CPU

If your motherboard cannot boot, or you are unable to see picture on your display, and
other troubleshooting does not resolve your issue, you may need to flash the BIOS.
Similarly, if your new motherboard has an older BIOS version that does not have
support for your compatible Intel® CPU, you may need to flash the BIOS.
In order to flash the BIOS without picture or a CPU, you must follow these steps:
1. Locate or prepare a USB disk formatted to FAT32. The USB disk included with
this motherboard is already formatted to FAT32.
2. Download your intended BIOS from https://www.evga.com/drivers.
3. Unzip the file. Go into the extracted folder, and rename the .bin file to
EVGAE799.bin. Move this file into the root of your USB disk.
4. Turn off your system, then switch your power supply to the “Off” position.
5. Plug the USB disk into the USB 2.0 to SPI header, seen in the
component legend on Page 14, component 30, or here:
6. Connect the 24pin power cable from your power supply to
the motherboard.
7. Flip your power supply switch to the “On” position
and hold down the “BIOS UPDATE” button, which
can be found on the Rear I/O Panel:
8. Continue holding down the BIOS Update button for
approximately 2 seconds while the LED counts
down.
9. When the flash begins, release the BIOS Update
button. The POST LED will cycle in a clockwise manner during the flash.
DO NOT TURN OFF THE MOTHERBOARD. IF THE MOTHERBOARD

IS TURNED OFF PRIOR TO COMPLETING THE FLASH PROCESS,
THE BIOS MAY BECOME IRREVERSIBLY DAMAGED.
- 105 -
The flash process may take up to 7 minutes, and the motherboard will automatically
reboot. If you have not installed a CPU and at least one 8-pin CPU power connector,
the POST LED will stop at an error code. If this occurs, turn off the motherboard and
install any remaining hardware components before booting again.
Flashing the BIOS without CPU POST Code Errors
Flashing the BIOS without a CPU is relatively straightforward, and this includes the
kinds of problems you may run into while using the BIOS Update function.
 Unusual POST Codes – If you see unusual POST Codes, such as “2.5” or
“1.2”, this may indicate a couple of problems:
o Make sure that you hold the BIOS Update button down long enough
to begin the flash process.
o If you have successfully flashed the BIOS at least once without a CPU
installed, please try booting the motherboard with a supported CPU
and the rest of your hardware installed. Eventually, you must test with
all hardware installed to learn more about an error code.
 E1 – USB disk is still being read/unable to be read correctly. If this continues to
occur, try reformatting the USB disk and/or trying a different USB disk.
 E2 – USB disk cannot be detected. Make sure the USB disk is connected to the
USB2.0 Type-A port on the motherboard.
 E3 – USB Disk is not in FAT32 format.
 E4 – BIOS file is missing or not found. Make sure the BIOS file is named
correctly and placed in the root of the USB disk.
 E9 – BIOS file is incorrect. Make sure the BIOS file is named correctly and is
for the correct motherboard.
Hot-Flashing a BIOS
Hot-flashing is usually suggested to restore a BIOS after a bad flash and prevents you
from booting. Here are the recommended steps using the BIOS Update button:
1. Prepare your FAT32 USB disk, place a BIOS file named EVGAE798.bin into
the root of the disk. Plug the USB disk into the USB to SPI port.
2. Boot into Windows or BIOS on a working BIOS chip.
3. Hold the Power Button down to turn off the system, but don’t turn off your
power supply.
4. Move the BIOS Switch to the BIOS you want to hot-flash.
5. Hold down the BIOS Update for several seconds until the flash process starts.
6. The flash may take up to 7 minutes. The system will restart once finished.
- 106 -
SSD / HDD is not detected

If you’ve physically installed a drive that is not detected in Windows, by Windows setup,
or within BIOS, please try the following steps. Component troubleshooting is primarily
accomplished through process of elimination testing to deduce a faulty component or a
bad connection.
It is important to note that the first steps are to always physically check if the device is
installed and connected via the proper cables (if applicable), and to check if the device is
properly configured in the BIOS.
Device is not receiving power:

For devices with external power, such as SATA, make sure power is connected to the
drive, and that the other side of the cable is attached to the correct port on your PSU. If
you are using a mechanical drive (either a platter HDD or an optical drive) you should
hear the motor spin up when you first power on the system. Similarly, if you put your
hand on the device you should feel the drive spin up, warmth from the motor, and a
light on the front from an optical drive. If you see, hear, and feel this, then the device is
receiving power, and you may skip to the next section. If you do not see, hear, or feel
this, first try the cable on a device that you know works; if the cable works, then the
issue is the device in question.
However, if you replace the device and the issue persists, then it is either the PSU, one
of its modular cables or the port the cable is plugged into. If you are using a modular
cable, try a different cable in the same PSU port, and also test on a different port to
isolate the source of the problem. In many cases, the PSU manufacturer may be able to
replace a defective cable.
Device has power, but does not show up in the BIOS:

If the device is getting power, then we should expect to see the drive in BIOS. If the
drive does not show in the SATA Configuration screen in BIOS, make sure the SATA
cable is firmly seated on both the drive side and the motherboard.
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, so that you can
definitively determine the source of the issue. If other devices work on the ports and
with the same cables, then the issue is the device in question. If testing shows that either
one or more of the ports are bad with a different device, then the motherboard is likely
- 107 -
the issue. If one or more of the cables test bad with a different device, then replacing the
cable(s) should resolve the issue.
M.2 devices are much simpler to troubleshoot. M.2 devices are installed at a slight angle,
gently lowered until parallel with the motherboard, and then fastened into place. M.2
devices can only be installed in one direction. However, if the M.2 device is not fully-
inserted into the slot before fastening, you can still have a bad connection. Please refer
to Page 33 for M.2 hardware installation, and Page 53 for setup.
Device has power, is seen in BIOS, but cannot be found in Windows:

Lastly, if the device was just added, other troubleshooting in this section has been done,
the device has power and shows up in the BIOS, but is not seen in Windows, then it
may be that the drive needs to be initialized, partitioned, and formatted in Windows.
This can be seen in Windows Disk Management. See Page 81 for instructions.
- 108 -
Using the POST code indicator to troubleshoot

When the system powers on, the Multi-function Display should cycle through several
different codes before booting. However, if the boot process does not complete, you
should look at the POST codes shown on the display, which functions as a debug LED.
When the Multi-function Display cycles through codes and stops at a specific code, this
is an indication that an error was detected at a specific point during the boot process.
Some POST codes are very specific about the type of error it detects; other POST codes
indirectly point to certain components or processes that may be occurring. Use the
POST Code list on Page 116 to help diagnose common errors during the boot process.
System does not POST and Multi-function Display

reads “C”
If you power on the board and the display reads “C”, this is an
indication of a CPU-related issue. This issue could occur due to a
faulty or incompatible CPU, bent pins in the CPU socket, or
simply that the CPU is not receiving power. We suggest to first
check that the CPU is receiving power. To the right of the CPU
socket, there are two 8-pin power connectors (outlined in blue
in the image to the right) that provide direct power for the CPU.
Without power from the PSU, the system cannot fully power on
and initialize. The Z790 Classified has two of these connectors;
at least one must be plugged in. If your PSU only has one 8-pin
CPU power cable (sometimes designed with two 4-pin
connectors), you may use either port.
Make sure the CPU power connector is fully-

inserted and also make sure that the tab on the
socket and the release on the power connector are on
the same side (see the blue boxes in the second
picture). If the tabs do not line up, then you have
plugged in a PCIe 8-pin into the EPS connector,
which may cause irreparable damage to the motherboard or the CPU. For the Z790
DARK K|NGP|N, inserting an 8-pin PCIe connector will likely damage the PCB due
to the right-angle connectors.
- 109 -
Consult your power supply manual to confirm the correct cables for your motherboard.
If the PSU is modular, make sure the cable is also fully-seated on the PSU side. Only use
the manufacturer’s officially-supported cables for your specific PSU. PSU cables are not
standardized in the industry; using a third-party cable may have catastrophic effects.
System does not POST, and Multi-function Display

reads “55”
A “55” POST code error indicates a memory issue. Verify that memory is properly
installed and fully-seated. Make sure the memory is compatible with the specs of this
motherboard and your processor. Most memory kits tested by EVGA are fully
compatible with this motherboard. However, this motherboard will not support
modules over 32GB or ECC/Registered RAM.
If your memory should work on this motherboard, the next step is to try to boot with
only one stick of memory in “DIMM slot 1”. If this is your first boot with the
motherboard and the board will not POST, or you recently installed new memory, press
the “Reset CMOS” button. The system will power on when the Reset CMOS button is
pressed. This should allow the system to boot up. When you see the EVGA Z790
DARK K|NGP|N screen, press “Delete” to enter BIOS, set the XMP profile
(instructions are covered in first boot section on Page 52), save and exit, and the system
will reboot. If the system reboots successfully, you can power down and install the rest
of the memory to retest.
System does not POST, and Multi-function Display

reads “d7”
A “d7” POST code indicates that the motherboard cannot detect a keyboard or input
device. When this happens, some video card / monitor setups will display a message on
screen about a Keyboard error, while others will just remain blank. Power down the
system and reseat the USB connector. Make sure the keyboard is only plugged in to a
USB3.2 Gen1 slot.
Older wireless keyboards can sometimes cause this issue. For legacy wireless keyboards,
we recommended that you plug in a regular USB keyboard, reboot, enter BIOS, and go
to Advanced – USB Configuration. Make sure “Legacy USB Support” is set to
“enabled,” then save an exit. Power down and then reconnect your wireless keyboard.
At this point, the board should POST past “d7.”
- 110 -
Have a question not covered above, or want some

online resources?
If you have any issues or questions, you can find a lot of valuable help and information
on our website, including contact information for our top-notch Technical
Support/Customer Service.
 You may find all of the motherboard drivers at https://www.evga.com/drivers.
Select the “Motherboard” tab, then select “Intel® Z790” from the Family tab,
then “121-RL-E799” from the part number pulldown. Next, select either “All”
or the specific component that requires a driver, then select your operating
system and click “Submit”
 You may find the list of officially supported CPUs for your motherboard,
including the minimum required BIOS revision for compatibility, at:
https://www.evga.com/motherboard/. BIOS updates are cumulative, so they
will always support products from the previous version, except when specified
otherwise.
 For our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) database, go to:
https://www.evga.com/faq
 To visit our Community Forums, go to: https://forums.evga.com/
 For our Community Forums section dedicated to Z790 motherboards, go to:
https://forums.evga.com/EVGA-Z790-Series-f124.aspx
 Just finished building or upgrading your system and want to show it off? Make a
ModsRigs Profile here: http://www.modsrigs.com/ and create a page dedicated
entirely to YOUR system!
 Still building your rig? Make a build log here:
https://forums.evga.com/EVGA-MODS-RIGS-f33.aspx
- 111 -
Multi-function Display POST Debug LED

The debug LED provides a two-digit diagnostic POST codes that shows system boot
status and can also show why the system may be failing to boot. The LED is extremely
useful during troubleshooting situations.
This debug LED will display a series of hexadecimal (0-F) codes during the POST and
will display current CPU socket temperatures (by default) after the system has fully
booted into the Operating System. You can modify the post-boot LED behavior in the
BIOS, as shown in the Multifunction LED indicator section above. For error codes, see
the “POST Codes” section below for more detailed.
Multi-function Display POST Debug LED
- 112 -
Multi-function LED indicator

EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N board is equipped with a versatile display to allow
real-time monitoring of system status during and after the BIOS POST process. The
operating mode can be configured in the BIOS Setup in the Advanced menu, and then
H/W Monitor Configuration. The Debut Port Display setting selects the OS display
mode. There are multiple modes available:
 [Temp.] CPU – displays external CPU die temperature sensor readout in real-
time. Use this mode to read negative temperatures.
 [Temp.] PWM – displays VRM temperature sensor readout in real-time after
BIOS POST completion.
 [Temp.] SYS – displays motherboard bay temperature sensors.
 [Temp.] Ext. Thermal – displays temps reported by the Ext. Thermal Sensor.
 [Temp.] VDIMM VRM – displays VDIMM VRM temperature sensors.
 [Temp.] PCH – displays PCH temperature sensors.
 [Volt.] VCore – displays CPU VCORE after BIOS POST completion.
 [Volt.] CPU VCCIN AUX – displays CPU Input Voltage after BIOS POST
completion.
 [Volt.] CPU VDD2 – displays CPU Memory Controller voltage after BIOS
POST completion.
 [Volt.] CPU 1.8V – displays CPU 1.8V voltage after BIOS POST completion.
 [Volt.] CPU 1.05V – displays CPU 1.05V voltage after BIOS POST completion.
 [Volt.] PCH 1.05V – displays PCH 1.05V voltage after BIOS POST completion.
 [Volt.] PCH 0.82V – displays PCH 0.82V voltage after BIOS POST completion.
 [Volt] VCC – displays the +5V rail voltage after BIOS POST completion.
 [Volt] VCC3 – displays the +3.3V rail voltage after BIOS POST completion.
 [Volt] 12V – displays the +12V rail voltage after BIOS POST completion.
 POST Code – displays only BIOS POST completion.
 Turn Off - completely deactivates 80Port LED display
The Debug Port Display menu in the BIOS Setup allows you to pick specific sensors to
be displayed on the Multi-function Display.
These temperatures and voltages can also be seen in the BIOS setup window in real-
time, for a quick overview.
The recommended settings to display during overclocking are “[Temp.] CPU” and
“[Volt.] Vcore”.
- 113 -
- 114 -
POST Beep codes

POST beeps are used in conjunction with the Multi-function Display to help determine
the root cause when your system fails to boot. However, modern motherboards also use
the speaker to convey helpful information, such as USB device detection. As a result,
users may become confused Beep Codes
about the number of beeps # of Beeps Description
emitted, making the POST 1 Invalid Password
code beep - while still helpful - 4 Some of the Architectural Protocols are not Available
not as useful as it once was. 5 No Console Output Device detected
5 No Console Input Device detected
Many motherboards will beep 6 Flash Update Failed
1-2 times per USB device 7 Reset Protocol is not available
plugged in at boot; some will 8 Platform PCI resource requirements cannot be met
beep more based on functions
of the device. These detection beeps may occur at the same time as the system’s POST
beeps, sometimes making it a challenge to separate the POST beeps from the USB
initialization. Since the Multi-function Display now fills most of the role previously held
by audible beeps, there are far fewer POST beeps to help debug problems, compared to
previous motherboard generations.
1 Beep: This relates to BIOS boot passwords. The BIOS will beep, indicating that a
password is required to boot. If you incorrectly enter your BIOS password when
prompted by the BIOS, you will receive one beep.
4 Beeps: This is an error relating to some small recovery errors, which can occur when
coming out of sleep/hibernate.
5 Beeps: This error is stating it cannot detect a keyboard. This can also indicate a video
card is not detected.
6 Beeps: This relates to either a failed BIOS update, or a failed Intel® ME Firmware
update.
7 Beeps: This relates to a failed CPU INIT request. EFI/UEFI Reset protocol is used
when a processor INIT call is used and was not successful. This returns either an
“EFI_UNSUPPORTED” error if the INIT type is not supported or an
“EFI_Device_Error” if the error occurs while generating the INIT; either will result in
seven (7) POST beeps.
8 Beeps: Error given when an incompatible PCI Express device is installed and cannot
initialize properly.
- 115 -
POST Codes
Multi-function Display with

Temperature Monitor
This section provides the AMI POST Codes for
the EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N
Motherboard during system boot up. The POST
Codes are displayed on the Multi-function
Display readout located directly on the
motherboard and can be used to help troubleshoot pre-boot issues. See Page 14
and 15, component 17 of the Component Legend for physical location.
This display will switch to show the user’s Multi-function Display settings after
POST (see Page 112). Please note that if you see the display constantly
switching numbers after entering Windows, the display is showing temperature
or voltage information, and is NOT reporting errors.
AMI POST Codes
1 Power on. Reset type detection (soft/hard).

2 AP initialization before microcode loading
3 North Bridge initialization before microcode loading
4 South Bridge initialization before microcode loading
5 OEM initialization before microcode loading
6 Microcode loading
7 AP initialization after microcode loading
8 North Bridge initialization after microcode loading
9 South Bridge initialization after microcode loading
0A OEM initialization after microcode loading
0B Cache initialization
0C-0D Reserved for future AMI SEC error codes
0E Microcode not found
- 116 -
0F Microcode not loaded

10 PEI Core is started
11-14 Pre-memory CPU initialization is started
15-18 Pre-memory North Bridge initialization is started
19-1C Pre-memory South Bridge initialization is started
1D-2A OEM pre-memory initialization codes
2B Memory initialization. Serial Presence Detect (SPD) data reading
2C Memory initialization. Memory presence detection
2D Memory initialization. Programming memory timing information
2E Memory initialization. Configuring memory
2F Memory initialization (other).
30 Reserved for ASL (see ASL Status Codes section below)
31 Memory Installed
32 CPU post-memory initialization is started
33 CPU post-memory initialization. Cache initialization
34 CPU post-memory initialization. Application Processor(s) (AP) initialization
35 CPU post-memory initialization. Boot Strap Processor (BSP) selection
36 CPU post-memory initialization. System Management Mode (SMM) initialization
37-3A Post-Memory North Bridge initialization is started
3B-3E Post-Memory South Bridge initialization is started
3F-4E OEM post memory initialization codes
4F DXE IPL is started
50 Memory initialization error. Invalid memory type or incompatible memory speed
51 Memory initialization error. SPD reading has failed
52 Memory initialization error. Invalid memory size or memory modules do not match.
53 Memory initialization error. No usable memory detected
54 Unspecified memory initialization error.
55 Memory not installed
56 Invalid CPU type or Speed
57 CPU mismatch
58 CPU self-test failed or possible CPU cache error
59 CPU micro-code is not found or micro-code update is failed
5A Internal CPU error
- 117 -
5B reset PPI is not available

5C-5F Reserved for future AMI error codes
E0 S3 Resume is stared (S3 Resume PPI is called by the DXE IPL)
E1 S3 Boot Script execution
E2 Video repost
E3 OS S3 wake vector call
E4-E7 Reserved for future AMI progress codes
E8-EB S3 Resume Failed
EC-EF Reserved for future AMI error codes
F0 Recovery condition triggered by firmware (Auto recovery)
F1 Recovery condition triggered by user (Forced recovery)
F2 Recovery process started
F3 Recovery firmware image is found
F4 Recovery firmware image is loaded
F5-F7 Reserved for future AMI progress codes
F8 Recovery PPI is not available
F9 Recovery capsule is not found
FA Invalid recovery capsule
FB–FF Reserved for future AMI error codes
60 DXE Core is started
61 NVRAM initialization
62 Installation of the South Bridge Runtime Services
63-67 CPU DXE initialization is started
68 PCI host bridge initialization
69 North Bridge DXE initialization is started
6A North Bridge DXE SMM initialization is started
6B-6F North Bridge DXE initialization (North Bridge module specific)
70 South Bridge DXE initialization is started
71 South Bridge DXE SMM initialization is started
72 South Bridge devices initialization
73-77 South Bridge DXE Initialization (South Bridge module specific)
78 ACPI module initialization
- 118 -
79 CSM initialization
7A–7F Reserved for future AMI DXE codes
80–8F OEM DXE initialization codes
90 Boot Device Selection (BDS) phase is started
91 Driver connecting is started
92 PCI Bus initialization is started
93 PCI Bus Hot Plug Controller Initialization
94 PCI Bus Enumeration
95 PCI Bus Request Resources
96 PCI Bus Assign Resources
97 Console Output devices connect
98 Console input devices connect
99 Super IO Initialization
9A USB initialization is started
9B USB Reset
9C USB Detect
9D USB Enable
9E–9F Reserved for future AMI codes
A0 IDE initialization is started
A1 IDE Reset
A2 IDE Detect
A3 IDE Enable
A4 SCSI initialization is started
A5 SCSI Reset
A6 SCSI Detect
A7 SCSI Enable
A8 Setup Verifying Password
A9 Start of Setup
AA Reserved for ASL (see ASL Status Codes section below)
AB Setup Input Wait
AC Reserved for ASL (see ASL Status Codes section below)
AD Ready To Boot event
- 119 -
AE Legacy Boot event

AF Exit Boot Services event
B0 CPU Memory controller configuration
B1 Runtime Set Virtual Address MAP End
B2 iMC init
B3 Memory training
B4 Memory training
B5 Memory training / timing training
B6 Memory training
B7 Memory training
B8-BF Memory training / DRAM final configuration
C0–CF OEM BDS initialization codes
D0 CPU initialization error
D1 North Bridge initialization error
D2 South Bridge initialization error
D3 Some of the Architectural Protocols are not available
D4 PCI resource allocation error. Out of Resources
D5 No Space for Legacy Option ROM
D6 No Console Output Devices are found
D7 No Console Input Devices are found
D8 Invalid password
D9 Error loading Boot Option (Load Image returned error)
DA Boot Option is failed (Start Image returned error)
- 120 -
EVGA Glossary of Terms

AC – Alternating Current
ACPI - Advanced Configuration and Power Interface
AHCI – Advanced Host Controller Interface
APIC - Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller
ARGB – Addressable Red Green Blue (LED lighting)
BCLK – Base Clock (or operating frequency of base system bus)
BIOS - Basic Input Output System
CMOS - Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor
CPU – Central Processing Unit
DC – Direct Current
DDR - Double Data Rate
DIMM - Dual In-line Memory Module
DMI – Direct Memory Interface
DP – Display Port
DRAM - Dynamic random access memory
DVI – Digital Video Interface
ELEET X1 – EVGA motherboard monitoring and tuning software
GHz – Gigahertz
GPU – Graphics Processing Unit
GUI – Graphical User Interface
HDD – Hard Disk Drive
HDMI - High-Definition Multimedia Interface
HDR – High Dynamic Range (Lighting)
HPET - High Precision Event Timer
HT – Hyper-Threading
HSF - Heat Sink Fan
I/O - Input/Output
- 121 -
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
JEDEC - Joint Electron Device Engineering Council
LAN - Local Area Network
LCD - Liquid Crystal Display
LGA – Land Grid Array
LN/2 – Liquid Nitrogen (Cooling)
MAC - Media Access Control
M.2 – A card bus based standard commonly used for VERY fast SSD’s, and WiFi.
MCP - Media and Communications Processor
Intel® ME – Intel® Management Engine
MHz – Megahertz
mGPU – Multi-GPU technology from AMD
MMIO – Memory Mapped I/O
NB - Northbridge
NCQ - Native Command Queuing
NIC - Network Interface Card
NTFS - New Technology File System
NVMe – Non-Volatile Memory Express
OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer
PCB - Printed Circuit Board
PCH – Platform Controller Hub
PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect
PCIe - Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
PLL – Phase Locked Loop
- 122 -
POST – Power On Self-Test

PWM – Pulse Width Modulation
QOS – Quality of Service
RAID - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks
RAM – Random Access Memory
ROM – Read Only Memory
RGB - Red Green Blue
SATA - Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
SAS – Serial Attached SCSI
SCSI - Small Computer System Interface
SPD - Serial Presence Detect
S/PDIF - Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format
SPP - System Platform Processors
SSD – Solid State Drive
TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
U.2 – High-Speed storage interface also referred to as SFF-8639
UDP – User Datagram Protocol
UEFI – Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
USB - Universal Serial Bus
VDroop - Voltage Droop
VGA - Video Graphics Array
VREG – Voltage Regulator
- 123 -
Compliance Information
FCC Compliance Information

This device complies with FCC Rules Part 15. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not
cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment
does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and
on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: (1) Increase the
separation between the equipment and signal source, or (2) connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from
that to which the signal source is connected. Consult the dealer or an experienced computer technician for help. The use
of shielded cables for connection of peripheral devices to the PC systems is required to ensure compliance with FCC
regulations. Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void
the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
CE Compliance Information
Generic Radiation Interference Standard for Information Technology Equipment. (EN 55022: 2006, Class B), (EN 61000-
3-2: 2006), (EN 61000-3-3: 1995 + A1: 2001 + A2: 2005). Warning: This is a Class B product. In a domestic environment
this product may cause radio interference in which case the user may be required to take adequate measure. Generic
Immunity Standard for Information Technology Equipment. (EN 55024: 1998 + A1: 2001 + A2: 2003).
Trademark & Copyright Information

2001-2022 EVGA Corp. EVGA, the EVGA logo and combinations thereof are trademarks of EVGA Corp. All brand names,
company names, service marks, logos, and trademarks of the company, or its affiliates or licensors are trademarks or
registered trademarks of the company or its subsidiaries, affiliates or licensors in the US and other countries. Other
company, products and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others. EVGA reserves the right to terminate
this license if there is a violation of its terms or default by the 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.
Legal Information
All material including but not limited to, text, data, design specifications, diagnostics, graphics, logos, reference boards, files,
images, drawings, and software including this document and the software itself (together and separately) is owned,
controlled by, licensed to, or used with permission by EVGA Corporation and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other
Intellectual property rights. All is being provided “as is”, EVGA Corporation makes no warranties, whether express or implied,
statutory or otherwise with respect to the materials and expressly disclaims all implied warranties of non-infringement,
merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall the liability of EVGA Corporation for claims arising
from the use of the materials by anyone exceed the original purchase price of the materials (or replacement of the materials
at EVGA Corporation’s option). All information furnished is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, EVGA
Corporation assumes no responsibility for the consequences of use of such information or for any infringement of patents
or other rights of third parties that may result from its use, or use of the Software. No license is granted by implication or
otherwise under any patent or patent rights of EVGA Corporation except as expressly provided herein. All specifications
mentioned in this publication are subject to change without notice.
Ver. 2
- 124 -

121-RL-E799-KR

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

121-RL-E799-KR

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

121-RL-E799-KR

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N (121-RL-E799)

EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N

Before You Begin… ................................................................................................. - 4 -

Configuring RAID With M.2 SSDs .................................................................................... - 56 -

Before You Begin…

Parts NOT in the Kit

 Intel® Socket 1700 Processor

Intentions of the Kit

ALL FAN HEADERS HAVE A MAXIMUM POWER LIMIT OF 2 AMP

Unpacking and Parts Descriptions

EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N Motherboard LED

8. BIOS1 Active LED

24. VCORE Status

EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N Component Legend

Figure 2. Chassis Rear Panel Connectors

3.5mm Audio Jack Legend

Front Speakers Out / Front Speakers Out /

Pink Mic In Mic In Mic In Mic In

Black Side Speakers Out Side Speakers Out

Orange Center / Sub Out Center / Sub Out

Component Legend Descriptions

officially supports up to 8000MHz+ speeds. These speeds are not guaranteed,

11. ASMedia SATA 6Gb/s Ports

17. Multi-function Display

21. Front Panel Audio Connector

27. ProbeIt Header JAT1

33. ARGB LED Controller Header

PCIe Slot Breakdown

M.2 Slot Breakdown

Preparing the Motherboard

Installing the CPU

Note: Use extreme caution when working with the

Use the following procedure to install the CPU

1. Unhook the socket lever by pushing the

2. Pull the socket lever back and gently lift

3. Align the notches on the CPU to the

Note: The gold triangle key on the CPU

Note: Make sure the CPU is fully seated

4. Lower the load plate so that it is resting

Installing the CPU Cooling Device

Installing System Memory (DIMMs)

Refer to the memory manufacturer specifications for the recommended

Installing the I/O Shield

Installing the Motherboard

Proper motherboard installation involves many factors. Before installing the

Securing the Motherboard into a System Case

2. Align the motherboard mounting holes with the standoffs.

Installing M.2 Devices

2. Steps For Installing M.2 Devices

Once all SSDs have been installed, reinstall

For further M.2 setup instructions, please see Page 53.

CPU Core/Thread Count Frequency PCI-E Lanes

For a list of tested CPUs, please visit https://www.evga.com/support/motherboard/

Tested M.2 Key-M

PCIE 4.0 INTERFACE

Tested M.2 Key-E

24pin ATX Power (ATX_PWR_24P)

The 6-pin PCIe connector present on the motherboard provides additional

EPS 8-pin 12V Power (PWR 8P)

Front Panel Header