Introduction

After Computex and E3, there is no denying that the public eye has shifted to the team in red. With all the hype and buildup around the new Ryzen processors and X570 chipset, it can be easy to forget who still reigns supreme in enthusiast gaming. ASRock hasn't forgotten. Along with some stunning new products within the X570 ecosystem, ASRock has brought a brand new flagship to their Z390 family, the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X.

ASRock introduced the Phantom Gaming line last year as a more aggressively styled alternative to their existing Taichi product lines. The Phantom Gaming family covers a broad range of components, from motherboards all the way to cases. In the motherboard space, the first iteration of Phantom Gaming shared a lot of design and parts with the award-winning Taichi boards. While that is not necessarily a bad thing, ASRock wisely invested in an updated look that better differentiates the two product stacks. The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X represents the new top dog in this Phantom Gaming stack.

Now, there are several features that set the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X apart. Firstly, a monstrous 14 phase VRM. Secondly, the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X takes the modern Phantom Gaming style to a new level with an updated aesthetic that includes such luxuries as better RGB illumination, an integrated rear I/O shield, and a metal backplate. The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X maintains the draws of the Phantom Gaming line with 2.5 G LAN support, but takes it one step further with WiFi 6 (802.11ax). It is also one of the first products to market to support the new standard, and it is a perfect fit in the Phantom Gaming theme.

So, it has the looks and features, but does it have the performance to be the top motherboard in a line of excellent boards?

Specifications

Our exhaustive coverage of AMD 7/7 Launch Day includes the following content:
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-core processor | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-core processor | AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT graphics card | AMD Radeon RX 5700 graphics card | AMD Zen 2 Memory Performance Scaling | Ryzen 3900X and 3700 on X470 vs X570 platforms | Radeon RX 5700 XT Navi PCI-Express 4.0 Performance Scaling | ASRock X570 Taichi motherboard | ASUS Prime X570-Pro motherboard

Packaging and Contents

The front of the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X box is dominated by a highly stylized "PG" in metallic silver and red over a sleek matte black background. ASRock has gone with a premium, but minimalist design for the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X. There are brand badges in the bottom right, and "ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X" is in the bottom left.

The back of the box hits all the standard points: a top-down shot of the board, several panels detailing prominent features, a diagram outlining the rear I/O, and the specifications list. ASRock is pushing the 2.5 Gb/s LAN feature as well as Polychrome Sync. The box design is elegant on front and informative on the back, truly the mullet of motherboard marketing. ASRock gets a thumbs up from me for the new direction.


Opening the inner box, the board sits in a cardboard tray, encased in an antistatic bag, with the accessories hidden underneath. Another stylized "PG" and the Phantom Gaming slogan are displayed on the box lid.


The accessories are pretty standard. Notably absent is any kind of rear I/O shield. That's because the shield is integrated into the board. ASRock gets big points from me for this feature, and frankly, I am disappointed that it hasn't become an industry standard by now. Additionally, ASRock has included a Torx driver for the M.2 heatsink.

The full list of accessories includes:

• Manual and support DVD
• Post card and software setup guide
• 4x SATA 6 Gb/s cables
• 1x SLI HB bridge L
• 3x M.2 mounting screws
• TR8 driver

Board Layout

Unlike the Phantom Gaming 9 I reviewed last year, the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X does not borrow any visual elements from the Taichi board line. The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X does fit in very closely with the recent Phantom Gaming 7, which makes sense.

Where the Phantom Gaming 7 had extensive PCB printing in a largely gray theme, the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X has a completely black PCB, which is only logical since very little is visible.


The back of the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X is a similar black, but not empty as a large metal backplate takes up more than half the rear of the board. The backplate does add structural integrity as the heatsinks are mounted to it. ASRock has placed several controllers on the back of this board, most notably for the 2.5 Gb/s LAN. The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X is very sharp and modern-looking, with a great level of detail.


The CPU socket is open enough to accommodate most coolers, and the VRM heatsink looks quite capable.


There are three M.2 slots on the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X; one above the first PCIe x16 slot and another between the second and third PCIe x16 slots. All three (and the chipset besides) share a single monolithic heatsink. While not a hugely complex part, the machining and finish on the heatsink are absolutely excellent. The Torx screws are an interesting twist, though I wish they had been used throughout the board instead of just for the three M.2 heatsink screws.


The top M.2 heatsink overlaps with the chipset heatsink, and the two are interfaced with a thermal pad. I did not have any problems with the thermal pad of the chipset heatsink sticking like I did with the Phantom Gaming 7.


The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X offers three PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots, all encased in steel armor, as well as two PCI Express 3.0 x1 slots. The board has a total of eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and all are angled 90 degrees from the board. Six of these ports are powered by the Z390 chipset, while the last two are supported by an ASMedia ASM1061 controller.


The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X has a superb rear I/O offering that includes three LAN ports and an optical S/PDIF out port. Combined with the WiFi 6, the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X has some serious horsepower when it comes to networking.

• 2x Antenna ports
• 1x HDMI port
• 1x DisplayPort 1.2
• 1x PS/2 keyboard and mouse combo connector
• 4x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports
• 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A ports
• 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
• 3x RJ-45 LAN ports
• 1x Optical SPDIF out port
• 5x 3.5 mm audio jacks

Networking on the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X is handled by an Intel I2119V and an Intel I211AT, while a Dragon RTL8125AG from Realtek provides the 2.5 G LAN (red port). WiFi 6 is provided by an Intel 802.11ax module.