The ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming ITX is an excellent little addition to ASRock's lineup, featuring some killer good looks and topnotch build quality. The addition of an integrated rear I/O shield is a welcome and maybe even overdue feature. Not only is it one less thing for people to worry about (and it does not matter how many computers you have built, there is always the risk of forgetting to install the shield before putting everything else together), but it also shows an attention to detail and determined adherence to the theme of the board. Despite the small size, ASRock still managed to get a decent-looking RGB zone on the ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3, as well as a couple of RGB expansion headers.

As for performance, memory stability is up there with most X570 boards I have tested, though not quite the highest I have seen; I think ASRock can improve performance with future BIOS revisions. CPU overclocking was pretty good. I was able to reach 4.475 GHz stable all core at 1.45 V, nearly the best I have achieved with my Ryzen 5 3600X sample so far. ASRock has plenty of tweaking built into the board to keep even the most avid enthusiasts occupied, including a properly overbuilt VRM with some of the most advanced power stages available. In my testing, no amount of abuse could bring the Vcore VRM anywhere near its thermal limits even with no airflow. The unique choice of making the rear I/O cover one huge heatsink is a stroke of genius for small form factor boards like this, even if it did come at the cost of a prime RGB LED zone.

The ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming ITX comes in at $239.99, making it affordable as well as powerful. While the ITX form factor does require some sacrifices, like the single M.2 slot, and the relatively sparse rear I/O (assuming you don't take advantage of the Thunderbolt 3 port to expand it), the ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3 has it where it really counts: performance and stability. ASRock didn't sacrifice VRM design in the slightest to meet the new form factor, and the innovative cooling solution exemplifies that.

Bottom line: if you want big performance in a small package, the ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3 is an excellent choice.