After taking a closer look at the ASRock Z790 PG Sonic Edition, it is once again time to consolidate everything into the major talking points. This provides a better understanding of what ASRock is offering, special features it may have for this particular motherboard, and the shortcomings as well. We will first focus on what ASRock could improve upon and potential drawbacks, before concluding this review on a positive note.

First, let's place this motherboard is the product ladder so it is easier to set expectations. The Phantom Gaming (PG) line covers ASRock's entry-level to mid-range products, with overlapping prices and features found in the Steel Legend series as well. The PG intended market are those that primarily want to play games, have a limited budget and are not interested in any premium features that do not provide tangible improvements to the core product. Here we have the Z790 PG Sonic Edition, which is a Z790 PG Riptide with a Sonic theme applied. The layout and components are identical. Similar to the Z790 Livemixer that is just a Z790 Steel Legend, ASRock has taken a popular product and modified visual details. Surprisingly, at the time of writing, prices are found to be the same between the Riptide and this Sonic Edition. This price point places it alongside the Gigbayte UD AX, MSI Pro and ASUS Prime series. These all have similar entry prices and overlapping features.

When it comes to budget orientated products, the price gap between different brands, ASRock internally and the next tier up is quite small. Our expectations must be set accordingly. The ASRock Z790 PG Sonic Edition has some minor drawbacks, mainly related to lacking certain quality of life features that do not impact the targeted market of gamers that just want to build a cost effective computer. That being said, there is one thing worth mentioning, the VRM heatsinks are not adequate for certain configurations. That being mainly using an Intel i9 13900K or any CPU that consumes 300 watts when overclocked. It is possible to have a scenario in which even with passive case air-flow, it will not be enough. The solution to this problem is to leave the CPU BIOS limit locked to 253 Watts. This is enabled by default, so for those who are concerned it will happen to them, that would require manual changing of the power limit and using the computer for 3D encoding or equally heavy CPU intensive workloads for a extended period of time. Gamers should not be concerned, nor does it affect them.

The ASRock Z790 PG Sonic Edition is best suited for those who are not interested in overclocking and is of the plug and play mentality. Put everything together, power it on and play some games! There are a number of limitations concerning quality of life features and overclocking at the price point. One unfortunate misstep here is the lack of any sort of BIOS Flashback function. Out of the box, straight from the factory, this motherboard supports both Intel 12th and 13th Generation processors. The concern here is if the BIOS becomes corrupted or fails to update correctly, the motherboard is effectively dead. The BIOS chip is soldered to the motherboard and cannot be replaced without specific know-how and tools. It is rare to have some sort of BIOS corruption happen, but it isn't unheard of either. This is one cost saving tactic that was a bad choice overall.

A review based solely around price is inherently a red flag to some. To others, the price is the main ingredient to a good product. ASRock positioned the Z790 PG Sonic Edition competitively, so that it aligns with every vendors entry level Z790 product line. With the launch of Intel Alder Lake late 2021, came DDR5 support. At first, the price was beyond reasonable, causing adoption rate to drastically stall mid-cycle. By the time AMD released its newest AM5 platform with exclusive DDR5 support, prices have plummeted in 2023. DDR4 is on its way out as companies limit new stock to make way for the next generation of system memory. ASRock's choice to only have a DDR5 version of this motherboard might have been questionable just six months ago, now it isn't a deciding factor whether to buy this motherboard.

When it comes to storage capabilities, the ASRock Z790 PG Sonic Edition has plenty of options. Eight 6 Gbp/s SATA ports can make use of older hard drives that otherwise would become e-waste. The onboard Audio solution is basic, but chances are most gamers are using wireless gaming headsets or headphones that are USB powered, bypassing the motherboard's audio chip altogether.

Overall ASRock does a great job at catering to those who are all about the plug and play mentality while still on a strict budget, but the Z790 PG Sonic Edition isn't the only kid on the block. ASRock does a number of things right with the PG Sonic, it is a excellent candidate for gamers, and it is worthy of a recommendation because of its uniqueness. Remember that at the price range, the difference between quality, complete garbage and the next tier of motherboards is only a few dollars. Just make sure all the features you are looking for are included before you settle on your final choice.