Question 1

does it need a bios update for i5-9600k?

Accepted Answer

No BIOS update needed, install MSI Dragon software and it will automatically update it if a newer BIOS has come out after this point. This is a Rock solid Board,absoloutly no problems at all with install and set up,

Question 2

will this work with the Intel Core i7-8700 Coffee Lake 6-Core 3.2 GHz (4.6 GHz Turbo) LGA 1151 (300 Series)?

Accepted Answer

Yes it should, since both the i7-8700 and the Z390-A board use an LGA 1151 socket.

Question 3

Will this motherboard support the following CPU?

Intel Core i7-9700F Coffee Lake 8-Core 3.0 GHz (4.7 GHz Turbo) LGA 1151 (300 Series)

Accepted Answer

This motherboard will support the I7-9700F, however you will need a dedicated GPU since F-series processors lack an iGPU.

Question 4

Hi. I haven't built a new PC in about 12 years. The dimensions say 12.0" x 9.6"...will an 11" RTX video card physically fit this motherboard without bumping into anything on the board length-wise? Thank you!!

Accepted Answer

As long as the case will allow it, it should fit fine.  The Thermaltake View 71 has massive room for components and should fit it no problem (I have that w/an EVGA RTX2070 with no space issues what so ever.  Plus it comes with 3 fans (not 4 like in the pic), but they keep the whole thing quite cool.

Side note for newer cards: make sure you download the fan control software.  Sometimes the cards don't run the fans when the GPU isn't as active, even if they are getting hot.  You'll have to manually adjust set the fan profile.

Question 5

will the Intel Core i7-8700 Coffee Lake 6-Core 3.2 GHz (4.6 GHz Turbo) LGA 1151 (300 Series) work?

Accepted Answer

It says on the manufacturer's website it supports 8th and 9th gen lga 1151 cpus, and since the 8700 is an 8th generation cpu, I'm pretty sure it will support it!

Question 6

Can this mobo run 2 NVIDIA GPUs in SLI mode?

Accepted Answer

Hello,

Thank you for contacting us in regards to your question.

Unfortunately no, it will not support SLI as it does not have the slots needed for SLI.

Thank you, 
Newegg Support

Question 7

Compatible with i7 9700k?

Accepted Answer

Yes it is. I'm using one right now and I've been able to get it to 5.2 ghz on water.

Question 8

Does this motherboard support m.2 ssd, if so how many?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It supports one x4 PCIe M.2/NVME sad interface. This interface shares its lanes with all of the other PCIe slots.

Question 9

What does the "A" in Z390-A mean? Thanks.

Accepted Answer

Hello,

This is likely a naming scheme used by the manufacturer to better differentiate the different models/revisions of the motherboard as some are specific form factors or have specific features not included in other versions of the board.  I would contact the manufacturer to confirm this but at the end of the day this is still a Z390 board.  Hope this helps clear things up!

Newegg Support

Question 10

Does this mother board have built in wifi?

Accepted Answer

No this motherboard does not have built in WiFi however it does have an M.2 E key WiFi card slot. Note that the MSI Z390-A M.2 E key WiFi card slot uses the CNVi technology which means that you need to use an M.2 E key WiFi card that also uses the Intel CNVi technology.

I'm using an Intel wireless AC 9560, M.2 2230 and it is working fine for 2.4 Ghz and 5Ghz however it does not support the new WiFi 6.

I'm running an Intel i3-9100F with the MSI Z390-A Pro using Ubuntu 20 Linux. After I installed an Intel AC 9560 M.2 E key card into the M.2 E key slot and restarted my PC, Ubuntu came up fine and I was able to go into Setup, enter my WiFi router password, and then access the Internet. I did not have to install any drivers or anything, it just came up.

My understanding from the MSI forums is that the Z390-A CNVi chipset used on the motherboard is not compatible with CNVi2 as is used with the Intel AX201. To use the Intel AX 201 requires a Z490 motherboard.

Questions & Answers