Asrock z390 phantom gaming

ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITX / ac is a new Mini ITX motherboard hitting the market with the latest Intel chipset, the Z390. The manufacturer has managed to place its best technologies in a very small form factor, which makes it the number one candidate for lovers of very compact gaming systems. Let's see all its features in detail.

Will an ITX motherboard be able to live up to an ATX motherboard with an i9-9900k? We will learn everything about it, its advantages and disadvantages. Let's start!

First of all, we thank ASRock for the trust placed in us when transferring the product to us for analysis.

ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITX / ac technical features

Unboxing and design

The box of this new ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITX / ac motherboard is very compact. Its size helps to have a very small packaging and that ASRock has managed to present it with a brutal design. We see the Phantom series logo, the presence of RGB lighting, compatibility with the ninth generation processors and the Z390 chipset.

While in the back it details in great detail the main characteristics and technical specifications. Of course, all in English.

Once we open the box, we find everything very well protected and perfectly packed to get home in perfect condition. Without further delay, we detail the bundle that presents us:

• ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITX / ac motherboard Two SATA SATA III connections Back plate Screws Wifi antennas Manual and quick guide CD with drivers and software

Finally we see a close-up of the motherboard, its design is based on a simple aesthetic, where black and gray colors predominate . Its PCB manufactured in high-density layers, effective against humidity and that will combine perfectly with any component that accompanies you.

We leave you an image of the rear area of ​​the motherboard for the most curious. Although the only thing remarkable is a single M.2 NVMe slot that allows us to connect a high-performance SSD device.

We like this position for ATX motherboards, since it is normally easily accessible and we can mount two units of this type, in addition to being able to cool it with an additional heatsink (For example, the aquacomputer or EK that we will easily find in the main stores).

Under the heatsink we can install a high-speed M.2 NVMe storage unit, with this robust heatsink we will drastically lower its temperatures.

We can also install an Intel Optane to use a hybrid option with a mechanical hard drive.

It also integrates a total of four SATA III connections that are compatible with RAID 0, 1 and 10 technology. True, they are not many, but it is rare to see more SATA connections on such small motherboards. They are more than enough for a tiny chassis.

It is time to see the food. The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITX / ac is supported by a 24-pin power connector and an additional 8-pin auxiliary EPS, more than enough to support Intel's ninth-generation Intel Core i5, i7, and i9 processors.

But how many power phases does this board include? We have a total of 5 + 2 VRM. The first 5 are dedicated to the processor and the other two are dedicated to the memory channel. We have premium Chokes that support up to 60 Amps, Dr.Mos technology that constantly monitors the voltage and temperatures of the supply phases.

We really like that ASRock takes it very seriously and includes Japanese capacitors with a durability of 12, 000 hours and a PCB reinforced with a high-density glass fabric. With what? Yes, the glass fabric does not protect the motherboard against moisture and possible short circuits. Good job ASRock!

Oddly enough, we have a very efficient and robust heatsink. Nothing to do with what we currently see on many ITX motherboards. It is a single block that covers the Z390 chipset and power phases. Of course, neglect the two phases above the socket.

As for the RAM sockets. We have two DDR4 DIMM slots compatible with a maximum of 32 GB of DDR4 memory at + 4266 MHz in dual channel. They do not come reinforced, but it is not necessary either. It is interesting to know that we can activate high speeds with a single click, thanks to XMP 2.0 technology.

ASRock has implemented its own RGB design, technically called Polychrome RGB Sync. It allows us to configure various effects and choose from 16.8 million colors. Is it compatible with other components? Yes, heatsinks, boxes, RGB strips, RAM and SSD. Brands are limited, but we are sure that you will find the perfect companion to your motherboard. We also have two heads to add a pair of LED strips. If you like to set up a mini-fair inside your box, this is your motherboard.

The limitations of such a small format forces ASRock to mount a single PCI Express 3.0 x16 port. This is reinforced with a metal plate, this helps to better cushion the weight and have a better support of the GPU.

ASRock opts for a sound solution signed by Sound Blaster Cinema 5. We found it curious that many motherboard manufacturers spend more money choosing a dedicated software to mount a high quality sound card. In this case we have the Realtek ALC1220 chipset that accompanies it with Nichicon capacitors, 15μ gold plated connectors and a premium NE5532 amplifier that supports up to 600 Ohm.

At the connectivity level, we came across a Gigabit connection signed by Intel i219V, more than enough to play our games without latency or loss of small problems. It is complemented by a WiFi wireless network card that uses an Intel Wireless AC 9560NGW 2 × 2 compatible with 802.11ac at 1.75 Gbps and Bluetooth 5.0. We like it a lot!

I think here we have one of the strongest points of this motherboard. Among its rear connections we have a USB Type C connector that is compatible with Thunderbolt 3 technology. As we have already spoken on other occasions, this technology will come in handy for mounting an external graphics card or high-performance storage (there are many utilities). Although this connection allows us to charge via USB PD 2.0 up to 12V and 3A amps, which gives a total of 36 W. Before proceeding to performance tests. We want to detail the rear connections that this motherboard equips us:

• Two Antenna Connections One PS / 21 x HDMI Connection 1 x Displayport 1.2 One Intel Thunderbolt Connection with USB Type C Connector One Optical Connection 4 x Second Generation USB 3.1 2 x First Generation USB 3.1 One Gigabit Network Connection BIOS Clear (CMOS) 6 Audio Connections

testing bench

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	Intel Core i9-9900K
Base plate:	ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITX / ac
Memory:	Corsair Vengeance PRO RGB 16 GB @ 3600 MHz
Heatsink	Corsair H100i V2
HDD	Ramsta SU800 480 GB
Graphic card	Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti
Power supply	Corsair RM1000X

BIOS

ASRock has decided to change the design of its BIOS very recently. Now we have a main screen that at a glance allows us to review all our components, fans and storage units.

Like other BIOS we have seen, it allows us to overclock, make advanced settings, choose its tools to update the bios, security, startup tools and save options. From our point of view, we are dealing with a very complete and very competent BIOS. Great job from ASRock!

Overclocking and temperatures

After many hours of testing on our test bench, we have been able to reach 5 GHz stable 24/7 with a voltage of 1.37v. It is far superior to that of an ATX motherboard and we are surprised, since we expected a little but not so much. So it would be advisable to set 4.9 or 4.8 GHz.

The marked temperatures are during 12 hours of stress with the processor in stock and PRIME95 in its long stress program. The zone of the feeding phases reaches 71 to 76 ºC (maximum). It is at a higher level than the ASRock Z390 Taichi that we analyzed not long ago, but it lacks that something to be in the TOP of the TOP.

Final words and conclusion about ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITX / ac

The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming is one of the best ITX motherboards we've tested. It has the latest Z390 chipset that offers us compatibility with 8th and 9th generation Intel Core processors. It allows us to install up to 32 GB of RAM, two NVMe SSDs, efficient cooling and great overclocking possibilities.

As we have verified in our test bench, it has passed with note, the temperature tests. Although in overclocking it does not allow as much as an ATX motherboard. But remember that we are talking about an ITX motherboard (many smaller than an ATX).

At the connectivity level we have a 2 × 2 802.11 AC connection signed by Intel with Bluetooth 5.0 and a Gigabit LAN connection. We would also like to highlight its enhanced sound card with high quality components. Good job ASRock!

Its price in store ranges from 240 euros. We believe it is a very good price considering everything it offers and the stiff competition in this sector.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ DESIGN AND COMPONENTS	- NONE
+ REFRIGERATION
+ STORAGE CONNECTIONS
+ VERY STABLE BIOS
+ VERY GOOD PERFORMANCE

The Professional Review team awards him the platinum medal:

ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming

COMPONENTS - 90%

REFRIGERATION - 95%

BIOS - 90%

EXTRAS - 92%

PRICE - 91%

92%