ASRock Phantom Gaming-ITX/AC Z390 Motherboard Review

Peter Donnell / 6 years ago

Final Thoughts

How Much Does it Cost?

The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITX/AC is available as of today for around £224.97. That’s obviously not cheap, and it’s priced similarly to some high-end ATX boards. However, for a mini-ITX motherboard, this thing is packing some serious features that allow it to compete with the big models. If you’re after a premium board and you need it mini-ITX, this one will take some beating.

Overview

While it may lack some of the extended connectivity of other similarly priced Z390 motherboards, the Phantom Gaming still has plenty to offer. I think the performance is great, not just for a mini-ITX, but for any Z390 motherboard. However, I think the motherboards strongest features is the design. It’s a great looking bit of kit, and a lot of thought has gone into the layout, usability and colour choices. Aesthetics are a big factor these days, and I think people will gravitate towards this motherboard based on looks alone.

Performance

For those building a compact gaming system, the Phantom Gaming delivers some solid frame rates. It’s also pretty robust when it comes to overclocking, and had no issues taking our i9-9900K to 5 GHz. The large heatsinks on the motherboard certainly helped a lot. Good CPU performance is also backed up by fast M.2 storage, USB Gen 2, and the superb ALC1220 audio. Overall, it’s ticking all the right boxes for a well-rounded system.

Should I Buy One?

The ASRock Phantom Gaming ITX is easily one of my favourite Z390 motherboards so far. It’s compact, looks fantastic, and with built-in WiFi, it’s ideal for a portable gaming rig that needs to be big on performance. The only downside is the price, you could buy a full ATX board for this price, and a damn good one at that. However, that’s not the point, there’s a big market for little motherboards, and if you want this many high-end features in a tiny form factor… well, you’re going to pay a premium.