ASRock Phantom Gaming-ITX/AC Z390 Motherboard Review

Peter Donnell / 6 years ago

ASRock Phantom Gaming-ITX/AC

The world is crushed today under a wave of new Z390 motherboards, and the launch of Intel’s flagship i9-9900K 9th Gen CPUs. We’ve got loads of motherboards tested, but few have me as excited as the Z390 Phantom Gaming from ASRock. This mini-ITX monster promises big performance in a tiny form factor. Equipped with 60A power chokes, Nichicon 12K Black Caps, and a chunky VRM configuration that should help us squeeze the best out of our new CPU.

Of course, it’ll support both 8th or 9th Gen CPUs, so it’s ready for the “current” gen and future proof for those launching now and beyond. It also comes with a few bells and whistles, such as USB Gen 2 ports, Thunderbolt Type-C, Polychrome Sync RGB lighting, 802.11ac WiFi, and the superb ALC1220 audio with Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 5. Enough of the specifications though, let’s dive in for a closer look!

Features

Supports 9^th and 8^th Gen Intel^® Core™ processors (Socket 1151)
Supports DDR4 4500MHz+ (OC)
1 PCIe 3.0 x16
Graphics Output Options: HDMI, DisplayPort
7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec), Supports Creative Sound Blaster™ Cinema 5
1 Intel^® Thunderbolt™ 3 Type-C
4 SATA3, 2 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA3)
4 USB 3.1 Gen2 10Gb/s (Rear) / 4 USB 3.1 Gen1 (2 Front, 2 Rear)
Intel^® Gigabit LAN
Intel^® 2T2R Dual Band 802.11ac WiFi (2.4/5GHz), supports up to 1.73Gbps wireless network and BT v5.0
ASRock Polychrome SYNC

Product Trailer

Specifications

For in-depth specifications, please visit the official product page here.

What’s in the Box

You get a few nice extras in the box, such as a nice WiFi antenna hub, the backplate, and a few SATA cables. It’s nothing crazy, but it’s everything you’ll need.