Enabling TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on NZXT Motherboards

Updated December 27, 2022 20:05

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

Whether you are setting up BitLocker or another encryption service to protect your files on your business machine, updating to Windows 11, or looking to play a game with Secure Boot enabled anti-cheat (i.e. Valorant), you may find yourself running into an issue where the program or service is unable to load with an error stating that you need to enable TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot to continue. Thankfully with the NZXT N-series motherboards, many of 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: Updating your NZXT Motherboard BIOS

To start, you will first need to enter the UEFI BIOS for your motherboard. To do this, shutdown and restart your PC. When you get to the NZXT Logo screen, press either F2 or Delete on your keyboard to enter the UEFI BIOS. From here, you will need to first 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 your UEFI BIOS loaded, make sure the system is set to "Advanced" mode by clicking the "Advanced Mode (F6)" button in the top right corner of the motherboard 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 before moving on to enabling Secure Boot.

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

With your UEFI BIOS loaded, navigate to the "Advanced" tab and select "CPU Configuration". Here you will find the "AMD fTPM Switch" option, which will need to be set to "AMD CPU fTPM" before moving on to enabling Secure Boot.

Enabling and Configuring Secure Boot

Please note: Before moving forward, you will need to make sure that "CSM (Compatibility Support Module) under your Boot settings is Disabled. If it is set to Enabled, change it to Disabled and click the "Exit" tab found at the top of the screen followed by "Save Changes and Exit". Once the PC restarts, re-enter the UEFI BIOS.

With TPM 2.0 enabled on your system, you may still need to enable Secure Boot which can be found by clicking the "Security" tab found at the top of the screen followed by the "Secure Boot" option.

In the Secure Boot menu, select the "Secure Boot" option and set it to "Enabled." If you do not receive an error, click the "Exit" button on the top bar and choose "Save Changes and Exit" to finish enabling Secure Boot.

If you receive an error that states "Secure Boot can be enabled when System in User Mode. Repeat operation after enrolling Platform Key (PK).", click the Ok button and select the "Key Management" option in the Secure Boot menu.

In the Key Management window, you may see that the "Platform Key (PK)" value shows No Keys. If this is the case, click the "Install default Secure Boot keys" option and click "Yes" to proceed. If done correctly, your Platform Key should show a key value.