Enabling TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on NZXT Motherboards

Updated October 27, 2023 19:16

Please note: This guide does not apply to the NZXT N7 Z370 and Z390 motherboards. If you have either of these motherboards, you will need to use the guide found here instead:

NZXT Support - Enabling TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on the NZXT N7 Z370 and Z390 Motherboards

Whether you need it for setting up BitLocker or another encryption service to protect your files on a business machine, are planning to update from Windows 10 to Windows 11, or are looking to play a game with a Secure Boot enabled anti-cheat (i.e. Valorant or FIFA 23), you may run into an error saying that you need to enable TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot to continue. Thankfully with the NZXT N-series of motherboards, these settings are easy to access and set up.

Before moving forward, it is recommended for first make sure that your motherboard BIOS is up to date with the latest version found on the motherboard's product page. If you need assistance updating the motherboard BIOS, you can follow our guide found here:

NZXT Support - Updating your NZXT Motherboard BIOS

Getting Started

To enable Secure Boot on your PC, you'll need to first enter the UEFI/BIOS for your motherboard. To do this, shutdown and restart your PC. When you see the NZXT Logo screen, press either F2 or Delete on your keyboard to enter the UEFI BIOS.

Depending on your motherboard, you may need to enable either Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT) for Intel based motherboards or AMD Firmware TPM (fTPM) for AMD based motherboards before enabling Secure Boot.

Enabling Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT) for Intel-based Motherboards

With the UEFI/BIOS loaded, make sure that the system is set to Advanced mode by clicking the Advanced Mode (F6) button in the top right corner of the screen, or press F6 on your keyboard. From here, navigate to the Boot tab and make sure that Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT) is set to Enabled.

Enabling AMD Firmware TPM (fTPM) for AMD-based Motherboards

With the UEFI/BIOS loaded, navigate to the Advanced tab and select CPU Configuration. From here, select the AMD fTPM Switch option and set it to AMD CPU fTPM.

How to Enable Secure Boot

With TPM 2.0 enabled on your system, we can move forward to enabling Secure Boot itself. Before moving forward, it is recommended to make sure that CSM (Compatibility Support Module) in your Boot settings is set to Disabled. If this setting is not Disabled, you will not be able to activate Secure Boot and the option will either not be present, or you will receive an error.

Please Note: If CSM (Compatibility Support Module) was Enabled and changed to Disabled, you will need to save the settings and restart the PC into the UEFI/BIOS before continuing.

Navigate to the Security tab in the UEFI/BIOS, then select the Secure Boot option. Once in the Secure Boot menu, you should see an option called Secure Boot which can be set to Enabled. If the setting changes to enabled and there is no error, navigate to the Exit tab and choose Save Changes and Exit.

In some situations, you may get an error that states Secure Boot can be enabled when System in User Mode. Repeat operation after enrolling Platform Key (PK). If you receive this error, click OK and select the Key Management option in the Secure Boot menu.

In Key Management, you should see that the Platform Key (PK) value shows No Keys next to it. To resolve this, click the Install default Secure Boot keys option and click Yes to proceed. If done correctly, the Platform Key (PK) value should now update to show a Factory key.

Return to the Secure Boot menu by clicking the Left Arrow next to Security/Secure Boot/Key Management, then set Secure Boot to Enabled. Finally, navigate to the Exit tab and choose Save Changes and Exit to restart your PC and return to Windows.

Do you have any questions not covered by this guide or need further assistance? Please feel free to reach out to our Customer Support team and one of our friendly support agents will be there to assist you.

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