Here are some of the first pictures of ASRock's upcoming socket LGA1200 motherboards based on the Intel Z490 chipset, courtesy VideoCardz. The selection of pics reveal the company's flagship Z490 motherboard to be the Z490 Taichi, with its elaborate CPU VRM solution that pulls power from a pair of 8-pin EPS connectors, a metal shroud covering most of the board, including the heatsinks over the three M.2 slots and the PCH; and an elaborate CPU VRM heatsink assembly. Connectivity options include 2.5 GbE, 802.11ax, and preparation for Thunderbolt. The company is planning two other flagship models, the Z490 Phantom Gaming X and the Z490 Aqua.

The next best motherboard in this photo dump is the Z490 Phantom Gaming Velocita, which appears to have an identical CPU VRM muscle as the Taichi, but just two M.2 slots instead of three. It still gets two wired networking interfaces. The Z490 Phantom Gaming ITX TB3 is the Mini-ITX flagship board by the company, featuring integrated Thunderbolt, an active fan-heatsink cooling the CPU VRM, and a daughterboard putting out some of the board's connectivity.

According to VideoCardz, ASRock has already listed Intel's upcoming lineup of motherboards in its Polychrome Sync software for controlling the RGB lighting of your motherboard. In the installed program files, ASRock displays several of the models that are a part of Intel's upcoming LGA1200-based Comet Lake-S 10th generation of CPUs. There are a total of nine Z490 motherboards and they are ASRock Z490 AQUA, Phantom Gaming 4, Phantom Gaming 4 SR, Phantom Gaming 6, Pro4, Steel Legend, Taichi, Z490M ITX AC, and Z490M Pro4.

When it comes to the cheaper, non-overclockable H470 chipset, there are two motherboards listed - H470 Steel Legend and H470M ITX AC. Additionally, perhaps one of the most interesting finds is the appearance of W480 chipset meant for workstation solutions. The motherboard using the new chipset is a model named W480 Creator, which should be a new addition to the consumer motherboard lineup.

ASRock is proud to announce the sequel to its popular X299 line of motherboards by updating not one but three models which includes the X299 Creator which is targeted at content creators, the X299 Steel Legend for mainstream users, and the X299 Taichi CLX which has all the bells and whistles of a high-end desktop motherboard. These new motherboards are set to enter the peak of an Intel-based market and provide uncompromised power and specs for every user.

ASRock came to Computex 2019 with a fairly big selection of socket AM4 motherboards based on the AMD X570 chipset. The lineup is led by the X570 Taichi, launched as a single SKU and not differentiated into an "Ultimate" variant. ASRock retains the characteristic gearwheel style along the board's styling. Almost the entire bottom half of the board is covered by a metal shroud that spreads heat from the chipset heatsink, and three M.2 SSDs. The chipset heatsink's fan is concealed behind a grille to not look like an eyesore. New generation connectivity options from this board include 2.5 GbE wired + 2.4 Gbps 802.11ax WLAN, and USB 3.2 ports. The Taichi looks a little less understated than its predecessors, with more RGB LED embellishments.

We also spied the X570 Steel Legend, with its polarizing "urban camo" print, and bright metal meatsinks and I/O shrouds. The Steel Legend series motherboards command interesting sub-$200 price-points, and it will be interesting to see where this one lands. You get two M.2 NVMe slots, both with metal heatsinks, an M.2 E-key slot, open-ended x1 slots, and a reasonably powerful ALC1220-based onboard audio solution. We also spotted two Phantom Gaming products, the X570 Phantom Gaming X, and the X570 Phantom Gaming 4, with the Gaming X being the company's flagship X570 offering. This board maxes out the platform's connectivity with three M.2 NVMe slots, 802.11ax WLAN, 2.5 GbE wired networking, an additional 1 GbE interface driven by an Intel controller, USB 3.2, and a strong 16-phase VRM powering the AM4 socket. Like most other ASRock boards, the fan ventilating the chipset heatsink is concealed behind a grille.

AMD at its 2019 Computex private showcase for the media following its CEO's keynote address, unveiled several premium motherboards based on the new AMD X570 chipset. The X570 is an in-house design effort by AMD, and unlike the X470, isn't sourced from ASMedia. The chipset supports PCI-Express gen 4.0 end-to-end, which means not only is the chipset-bus gen 4.0, but also the downstream PCIe lanes it puts out. The chipset connects to the AM4 socket over a PCI-Express 4.0 x4 link (64 Gbps).

It has a downstream PCIe lane budget of 16 lanes, which the motherboard designers can spread out as up up to two M.2 NVMe slots, an x4 (physical x16) slot, a bunch of x1 slots, and newer generation connectivity such as 802.11ax WLAN, 2.5/5.0/10 GbE wired networking, and a larger number of USB 3.2 ports, including newer 20 Gbps portsn over external controllers. This chipset runs hotter than the X470, with a TDP rumored to be around 15W, probably because of the PCIe gen 4.0 implementation. Many of the motherboards we spotted had active fan-heatsinks over the chipset.

Building on the enormous success of the ASRock Steel Legend motherboard series, ASRock is pleased to expand the range with the new Z390 Steel Legend. Based on the proven Steel Legend design philosophy, the Z390 provides the most in demand features, taking advantage of a wide array of materials, components and technologies to ensure stable and reliable performance.

Cooling and usability were the focal points in the Z390 Steel Legend design process. The Z390's shaped PCB design is not only attractive but also provides easier access to SATA ports. The board's large and impressive XXL Aluminum Alloy Heatsinks enhance stability and overclocking potential. Dual full coverage M.2 SSD heatsinks dissipate heat efficiently to ensure your high speed drives always work at their best.

The leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, is proud to introduce the new ASRock Steel Legend motherboard series. ASRock Steel Legend motherboards are built around the most demanding specs and features to provide a wide array of materials, components, and features that ensure stable and reliable performance. Steel Legend motherboards stand out from the crowd through its massive and luscious XXL Aluminum Alloy Heatsinks, I/O Armor, PCI-E Steel Slot, Polychrome Sync (Addressable RGB LED) support, and detailed PCB print on Sapphire Black PCB for mainstream users, gamers, and professionals that choose to work and play in style. With support for the latest AMD Ryzen processors, as well as high-quality audio featuring the highest quality Nichicon golden audio caps and signal shielding integrated into the PCB.

ASRock has gone to great lengths to ensure optimum stability and protection. With ASRock Full Spike Protection on all USB, Audio and LAN ports, users are always protected from Lightning/ESD damage, which is a comforting thought when using Steel Legend motherboards in challenging environments. Use of Premium 60A Power Chokes and Nichicon 12K Black Caps means not only that the B450 Steel Legend and B450M Steel Legend will remain rock solid no matter the task, but it also keeps your system stable when overclocking, for extra performance, whether you're gaming or rendering professional content.