.FZ is the boardview format you will meet on most Asus laptop and desktop boards. It opens in the two common viewers, but it has one quirk the other formats do not: many FZ files are packed or encoded, and a viewer has to decode them before showing anything. Here is how to get them open and how to make sure the file matches your board.

What an FZ file is

FZ files are boardviews exported for Asus service tools. They contain the usual boardview data — board outline, parts, pins, nets — stored in a compressed and often encoded container. You will usually find them:

  • inside archives named after the model and main board revision, such as ASUS X555LD REV 3.6 (BDV)(FZ) or X541UV_2_0_60NB0HF0_MB1020;
  • alongside a schematic PDF for the same board;
  • sometimes next to a .BDV or .CAD version of the same layout.

In our catalog FZ is the third most common boardview format, almost entirely on Asus boards. Browse them on the .FZ boardview list or on the Asus brand page.

Opening an FZ file in OpenBoardView

  1. Unpack the archive and keep the .fz file in a folder with a simple path.
  2. Open OpenBoardView and load the file from the File menu or by dragging it onto the window.
  3. If the board appears, you are done. Most FZ files open directly.
  4. If the viewer reports an error or shows nothing, the file is probably one of the encoded variants. OpenBoardView can decode them when a decoding key is set in its configuration. The key is not bundled with the program; it is shared in repair communities and documented in the viewer's own discussions.

If you have never used the viewer, start with OpenBoardView: Installation and First Steps.

Opening an FZ file in FlexBV

FlexBV reads FZ files natively in most cases, including many that need decoding in OpenBoardView. Open the file the usual way. If you already own FlexBV, try it first for any FZ file that gives trouble elsewhere.

When the file still will not open

Work through these checks in order:

  1. Check that the archive unpacked fully. A truncated download produces an FZ file that is smaller than expected and fails to decode. Download it again from another source if possible.
  2. Check the extension is honest. Some archives contain a .fz that is really another format, or a renamed text file. Open it in a text editor: FZ files look like unreadable binary data, while text formats show readable headers.
  3. Try the other viewer. A file that fails in one viewer often opens in the other.
  4. Look for another format of the same board. Many Asus boards in the catalog have both FZ and BDV or CAD versions. Any of them gives you the same layout.
  5. Read the general troubleshooting guide. Boardview File Won't Open: Common Errors and Fixes covers errors that apply to all formats.

Matching the FZ file to your board

Asus names its boards after the laptop model plus the main board revision, and the FZ file name usually follows that pattern. To match:

  1. Read the main board label on the PCB. It looks like X540MB MAIN BOARD REV 2.0 or GL553VD REV 2.0, usually printed near the memory or along an edge.
  2. Compare the revision with the file name. REV 2.0 on the board should match R2.0 or REV 2.0 in the file name.
  3. Check the part number if present. Asus boards also carry a 60NB… or 60NR… part number, like 60NB0IQ0-MB1100. The first part (60NB0IQ0) identifies the board design; the tail after MB is a configuration (CPU, RAM, GPU). Files with the same first part share the same layout.
  4. Compare landmarks. Open the file and compare the outline, connector positions and the CPU and GPU locations with your board.

Several Asus models often share one main board — for example a model and its sibling with a different GPU — so one FZ file may cover more than the model printed on your case. The Asus naming guide explains the scheme in detail.

Working with Asus boards in the viewer

A few habits help with FZ boardviews in particular:

  • Use net highlighting generously. Asus boards use compact layouts with many parts on the bottom side; highlight a rail and flip to see everything on it.
  • Expect part designators without power prefixes. Asus designators do not always follow the PU/PQ convention of Compal boards, so search by net name when hunting power parts.
  • Check the configuration tail of the part number. If your board has a discrete GPU but the file's configuration code suggests integrated graphics, the GPU area may be shown as unpopulated in the file.

FZ files and schematics

Asus schematic PDFs and FZ boardviews often come as a pair in one archive. Use the schematic for values and logic and the FZ file for locations, exactly as with any other board. When you only have the FZ file, the net names alone often tell you enough for power faults: names such as +3VA, +5VA and enable nets for each regulator show up clearly when you click the pads.

Example: finding the charger with only an FZ file

Suppose an Asus laptop does not charge and you have the FZ boardview but no schematic. The boardview alone gets you surprisingly far:

  1. Start at the input. Find the DC jack or USB-C connector and click its power pin. Note the net name of the adapter input.
  2. Follow the highlight. The input net reaches a few large parts: input MOSFETs, a current-sense resistor and the charger IC. Clicking each part shows its pins and their nets.
  3. Identify the charger IC. It is the chip connected to the input net, to the battery connector net and to a pair of MOSFETs or an inductor in the charge path. Read its marking on the board and look up the datasheet for the pin functions.
  4. Find the battery side. Click the battery connector's power pins; the net leads back through a current-sense resistor to the charger's output stage.
  5. Measure. With the datasheet's pin list and the boardview's net names, you can check the charger's supply, its enable or adapter-detect input and the battery-side voltage.

This approach works on any board without a schematic, but FZ files on Asus boards make it particularly practical because their net names are usually descriptive.

FAQ

Why does my FZ file open in FlexBV but not in OpenBoardView?

Most likely it is one of the encoded variants and your OpenBoardView configuration has no decoding key. FlexBV handles these internally in most cases.

Can I convert FZ to BDV or BRD?

Some tools can, but conversion can lose details. It is easier to use a viewer that reads FZ directly, or to download another format of the same board if the catalog has one.

Are FZ files only for Asus laptops?

They are mostly Asus, including many Asus desktop motherboards and some graphics cards. Other brands rarely use the format.

My board revision is not in any FZ file name. Can I use a close one?

For finding parts, a close revision usually works but positions may differ. Compare landmarks before relying on a part position, and confirm values with the schematic or by measurement.

Bottom line

Most FZ files open directly in OpenBoardView or FlexBV. When one does not, check the download, try the other viewer, and look for another format of the same board. Match the Asus main board revision printed on the PCB with the file name, and the FZ boardview becomes as useful as any other format.