Although Intel's 13th generation of Core CPUs—codenamed Raptor Lake—aren't expected to launch until sometime in September or October this year, details of some of ASRock's motherboards for the new CPUs have leaked. ASRock is preparing to launch at least nine Z790 and three H770 motherboards, of which at least four will have support for DDR4 memory, according to VideoCardz. The list is missing a flagship Aqua model, but contains Taichi, Pro RS, Phantom Gaming Lightning and Riptide models, as well as a Steel Legend H770 boards and a couple of -C models, which are likely budget boards, despite being based on the Z790 chipset.

There will be a microATX Phantom Gaming Lighting board with DDR4 and a Phantom Gaming Riptide model with DDR5 support. So far no other features have been reported and from our understanding, the Z790 won't differ hugely from the Z690 chipset. The extra PCIe lanes from the 13th gen Core CPUs are expected to support PCIe 5.0 this time around, which will allow for faster NVMe based M.2 drives to be used. Intel is not planning on integrating Thunderbolt 4 support in these CPUs based on available information.

Although there was a leak with a partial picture of the ASRock X670E Taichi board just days before Computex 2022 kicked off, it was hard to draw any real conclusions from it. The company has revealed more details about it, alongside the X670E Taichi Carrara, X670E Steel Legend and the X670E Pro RS. Let's start with the plain X670E Taichi, since this was the board that leaked. As is obvious now, the board doesn't feature a fan on the chipset heatsink, but rather a set of cogs, something we've seen before from ASRock. The board has very limited expansion options when it comes to PCIe slots, with a pair of x16 slots, which are sharing the 16 PCIe 5.0 lanes from the CPU and that's it. ASRock has gone for four M.2 slots, of which one is PCIe 5.0, most likely the one next to the memory slots. Interestingly, ASRock has kitted out the X670E Taichi with Thunderbolt 4, which means we're looking at an Intel chip here and there should also be support for USB4 and the two ports are located around the back of the board.

Intel's next entry-level processor for the Socket LGA1700 platform is the Core i3-12100. Carved out of the "Alder Lake-S" H0 silicon, this processor features 4 "Golden Cove" performance cores with HyperThreading enabling 8 logical processors, and no E-cores. The processor ticks at 3.30 GHz, with 4.30 GHz Turbo Boost 2.0 frequency. Each of the four cores has 1.25 MB of L2 cache, and they share 12 MB of L3 cache. The i3-12100 gets a Gen12 Xe LP-based iGPU, while a variant of the processor, the i3-12100F, lacks integrated graphics. Intel is rating the processor base power value at 60 W, with 77 W maximum turbo power.

XFastest scored an i3-12100 engineering sample, and wasted no time in comparing it with the Ryzen 3 3300X. The i3-12100 was tested on an ASRock Z690 Steel Legend motherboard that has DDR4 memory slots. 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4-3600 memory and RTX 3060 Ti were used on both the Intel and AMD test-beds. A Ryzen 3 3100 was also used on the AMD side. Right off the bat, we see the i3-12100 take a significant lead over the AMD chips at PCMark, posting a roughly 15% performance lead. Cinebench R23 is another test where the little "Alder Lake" scores big, posting a roughly 26% performance lead in the multi-threaded test, and 27% in the single-threaded test. This is mainly because the 3300X is based on "Zen 2" while the i3-12100 uses the cutting-edge "Golden Cove" cores. AMD hasn't bothered with "Zen 3" based Ryzen 3 desktop processors in the retail market.

As we're getting closer to the reveal of Intel's 12-series of CPUs and the Z690 chipset, we're seeing more and more retailers leak pricing information about the various products and today pricing of some upcoming ASRock Z690 has leaked courtesy of Amazon UK. We're looking at a good spread of boards here, from the high-end Z690 Taichi to entry level Phantom Gaming 4, which should give a good idea on what to expect to pay based on where in the range the board is located.

The cheapest board of the eight is the Z690M Phantom Gaming 4 which is a DDR4 board and this mATX board comes in at £172.50, or about $238. Keep in mind that UK VAT is at 20 percent, so the pricing might not be directly comparable to US pricing. Next up we have the full-sized Z690 Phantom Gaming 4 which comes in at £213.50 or US$295, with the DDR5 version actually being slightly cheaper at £207.15 or US$286.

G.Skill Memory unveiled new variants of its SniperX line of DDR4 memory co-branded with the ASRock Steel Legend brand. This purely cosmetic collaboration sees the memory module receive stainless steel-finish aluminium heatspreaders with white urban camo heatspreader crown that blends into the design scheme of ASRock's Steel Legend motherboard design scheme. You also get prominent Steel Legend branding on the heatspreaders. The first such kit is the F4-3600C18D-32GSXAS, a 32 GB (2x 16 GB) kit with modules that tick at DDR4-3600 with 18-22-22-42, at 1.35 V. Since Steel Legend is mainly a middle-of-the-market brand by ASRock, one can expect other kits in the series, particularly 16 GB (2x 8 GB), with mid-range frequencies (ranging between DDR4-3200 to DDR4-4000). G.Skill also collaborated with ASUS TUF Gaming for special edition SniperX kits.

ASRock today launched a trio of socket LGA1200 motherboards part of its Steel Legend family. These include the H470 Steel Legend, the B460 Steel Legend, the and Micro-ATX B460M Steel Legend. All three boards offer ASRock's BFB (base frequency boost) technology that improves performance of non-K processors by letting them sustain boost frequencies better. The H470 Steel Legend leads the pack with a 11-phase CPU VRM that draws power from a combination of 8-pin and 4-pin EPS connectors; enlarged VRM heatsinks, two M.2-22110 slots with heatsinks and PCI-Express 3.0 x4 wiring; an M.2 E-key slot for WLAN cards, and connectivity that includes a premium Realtek ALC1200-based onboard audio solution, 2.5 GbE wired networking powered by a Realtek-made controller, and a couple of USB 3.2 gen 2 ports, including a type-C port.

The B460 Steel Legend uses a different PCB design from its H470-based sibling. A simpler 9-phase VRM powers the CPU, pulling power from a single 8-pin EPS connector. You still get two M.2 slots with PCI-Express 3.0 x4 wiring and heatsinks; and an M.2 E-key slot for WLAN cards. Connectivity is similar to the H470-based board, too, with a 2.5 GbE wired networking interface, and a premium onboard audio solution based on the ALC1200. Lastly, there's the B460M Steel Legend, which maximizes the Micro-ATX form-factor PCB area. The CPU VRM solution is carried over from its ATX sibling (9-phase, single 8-pin EPS). ASRock managed to squeeze in two M.2 slots (one of them with a heatsink, both with gen 3.0 x4 wiring), and preparation for WLAN. Much like the other two, you get an ALC1200-based premium onboard audio solution, and a 2.5 GbE networking interface. The company didn't reveal pricing.

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.