ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 Motherboard Review – Phantom Gaming Rev 2 is Here!

Intel has come a long way with its mainstream processor platform. The platform has largely seen stagnation in terms of core and thread count over many generations since the first Core series CPU that launched back in 2010 but last year brought a big change to the CPU giant. What seemed to be a generational core clock bump has now turned into a generational core count bump while keeping the clock speed improvements.

The Coffee Lake-S 8th Generation family, was the first big core count jump on the mainstream 300 series platform. It was an opportunity for Intel to show that they don’t only hold the IPC or clock speed advantage on the mainstream segment but they can also offer good multi-threading CPU performance. While the jump to 6 cores and 12 threads was great, the competition was offering up to 8 cores and 16 threads on their mainstream platform.

Last year, Intel unleashed their own 8 core parts with their new 9th Generation lineup, also known as the Coffee Lake Refresh to counter AMD’s Ryzen chips with 8 cores. The interesting part is that while there was the famous Core i7 SKU with 8 cores, Intel also introduced their first mainstream Core i9 part with 8 cores. Both parts are very interesting in their own right and the price to performance difference is something which gamers had been looking forward to, especially when Intel termed the Core i9 SKU as the best gaming processor on the planet.

At the same time as the CPUs launched, motherboard partners of Intel also released a wide range of Z390 chipset based products. These products ranged from budget to mainstream and go all the way to the high-end tier, offering diverse designs and features, aimed at overclockers, gamers and both.

Today, I will be taking a look a the latest arrival in ASRock’s Phantom Gaming motherboard portfolio, the Z390 Phantom Gaming 7. The Phantom Gaming lineup was first introduced when ASRock launched their AMD based Radeon RX 500 series graphics cards but this gaming oriented lineup will now be replacing their iconic FATAL1TY brand. ASRock had previously launched the Z390 Phantom Gaming 9 (Review here). However, the new Phantom Gaming 7 and Phantom Gaming X introduce a totally new design scheme and a range of new features which I will be taking a look at.

Intel Z390 Express Chipset – The Top 300-Series PCH

Since the launch of Coffee Lake processors, Intel is also offering a new platform that is marked under the 300-series family. The Intel 300 series platform features several chipset SKUs but the top of the line is the Z390 PCH which replaces the Z370 PCH as the flagship mainstream SKU.

The Z390 platform is designed to support both 8th and 9th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs. Since the new processors are part of a refresh, Intel did not restrict 9th Gen compatibility to just Z390 boards or 8th Gen compatibility to just Z370 boards. We have more details on this in the LGA 1151 socket section so here, we will be taking a look at the Z390 feature set and what it offers over the previous 200 and 100 series platforms.

Intel Z390 PCH Features:

The 9th gen desktop platform has a range of new features that mainly include:

First performance Intel Core i9 desktop S-series processor
Up to 8 cores
Intel Z390 chipset compatible
Solder Thermal Interface Material (STIM)
Intel Wireless-AC 802.11 AC and Bluetooth 5.0
Intel Wireless-AC Adapter
Up To 6 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Ports
Up to 16 threads, 5.0 GHz, 16 MB cache, and 40 platform PCIe lanes (16 CPU + 24 PCH)
9th Gen CPUs Compatible with all Intel 300 series chipsets
Intel Optane memory and Intel Optane SSD support
Thunderbolt 3 support

Expected Intel 300-Series Kaby Lake Refresh and Cannon Lake PCH Features:

Chipset Name	Coffee Lake S (KBL-R) PCH / Z370 Platform	Coffee Lake S (CNL-H) PCH / 300 Series (Z390/H370, B360, Q370, H310)
Process Node	22nm	14nm
Processor	8C, 6C, 4C (6 Consumer SKUs at Launch) Enhanced IA and Memory Overclocking Gen 9 Intel Graphics GT2 (Up To 24 EUs) Consumer Only	8C, 6C, 4C, 2C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) Enhanced IA and Memory Overclocking Gen 9 Intel Graphics GT2 (Up To 24 EUs) Corporate/vPro & Consumer
Memory	Up To DDR4-2666 (Native)	Up To DDR4-2666 (Native)
Media, Display & Audio	DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP	DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP SoundWire Digital Audio Interface
I/O & Connectivity	Integrated USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Thunderbolt 3.0 (Alpine Ridge)	Integrated USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi / BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 3.0 (Titan Ridge) w/ DP 1.4
Storage	Next Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, SATA 3.0	Next Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, SATA 3.0
Security	Intel SGX 1.0	Intel SGX 1.0
Power Management	C8 Support	C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby
Launch	2017	2018

Intel LGA 1151 Socket Again – Now With 9th Generation Processor Support

Intel isn’t moving away from the LGA 1151 socket anytime soon. We are once again looking at the same socket which has been doing the rounds in the mainstream market since 2015. There is, however, a major difference. There’s no backward compatibility with Skylake and Kaby Lake processors.

That brings us to the next significant detail about the Intel 300-series platform. Intel is confirming that the 9th Gen Coffee Lake processors retain compatibility with the 300-series chipset. It’s nice to see compatibility retained but it was also expected since 9th Gen is a refresh of Coffee Lake CPUs and high-end motherboards based on the Z370 chipset still allow for full overclocking support on the 8 core processors, even though the Z390 series is tailored around those CPUs with better PWM supplies.

A more detailed analysis was posted by David Schor a few days ago which confirms the change in pin configuration on Coffee Lake processors. This allows support for both 8th and 9th Gen CPUs without any major issues.

According to David, the reason we don’t have Coffee Lake processors compatible with older series motherboards that feature the LGA 1151 socket is the change in pins. For instance, if the pin config changes on a processor, the sockets on the motherboard need to be configured as such. It’s not a process that can be done via software as its more of a hardware level change.

When compared, the Coffee Lake processors have 391 VSS (Ground) pins which is an increase of 14 compared to Kaby Lake, 146 VCC (Electrical) pins which is an increase of 18 pins compared to Kaby Lake and about 25 pins that are reserved and a decrease of 21 pins from the 46 reserved on Kaby Lake.

Kaby Lake -> Coffee Lake

VSS (Ground): 377 -> 391 (+14)
VCC (Power): 128 -> 146 (+18)
RSVD: 46 ->25

Intel LGA 1151 CPU Pin Configuration (Coffee Lake vs Kaby Lake):

So one thing is clear, Intel was, in fact, telling the truth about electrical changes to the processors and socket in the 300-series platform. Furthermore, it’s not just the reserved pins from Kaby Lake that have simply been populated. There are pins aside the reserved ones that were swapped with VCC pins and indicate a design tweak.

While we can put many theories to rest with this new detail, I think much of the confusion could have just been avoided if Intel clarified this themselves. Of course, if you are making the boards with a new PCH and new series of processors on the same socket that ran the previous CPU line, consumers would definitely want to know more about why the new platform that has the same socket cannot support their older chips. We previously heard about the LGA 1151 V2 naming scheme and that may have sorted some confusion but as we can tell, all motherboards still use the LGA 1151 naming scheme which may lead to people thinking that their 6th and 7th generation processors can run on the newer boards.

Cooler Compatibility With LGA 1151 Socket

Keeping the same socket has some advantages in the form of cooler compatibility. All users who are running the LGA 1151 socket or even LGA 1150 boards can use the same cooler on the Z390 boards without any hassle. The socket has the same dimensions and no changes are made aside from electrical changes that are specific to socket and processor pins. The socket assembly and mounting remain the same.

Intel does offer a separate boxed cooler but it will be a much better choice to get an AIB cooling solution since those offer better cooling performance. It is recommended for the unlocked SKUs that users run them on a high-end air cooler or liquid cooling solution. Custom loop cooling will deliver even better results.

First of all, what is Coffee Lake? In simple terms, Coffee Lake is an improved Kaby Lake that has been made possible with the latest 14nm++ process node. Intel briefed the press that their new Coffee Lake Refresh is on the same architectural level as Kaby Lake (which is similar to Skylake) with no changes at all.

Aside from that, the new 14nm process allows for improved power efficiency and higher clock speeds. There’s a reason that Intel is bumping up the core count across their entire range of processors. Under the same 95W package, Intel is now offering up to 8 cores and 16 threads on their Core i9 SKUs, 8 cores and 8 threads on their Core i7 SKUs, and 6 cores and 6 threads on their Core i5 SKUs.

Actual power consumption may vary during testing real-world applications since Intel lists the TDP at the base clock which means power consumption at boost clocks would vary so it’s very workload dependent. You will also note that Intel has given a fairly good bump to both CPU and integrated GPU clock speeds which is only possible with the new and improved 14nm++ process.

Intel Coffee Lake CPUs Have 16 PCIe 3.0 Lanes, PCH Supports 24 PCIe 3.0 Lanes – These Make Up The 40 PCIe Platform Lanes

Now one thing you might have noticed in other articles is that they state the Intel Coffee Lake platform will feature 40 PCIe Lanes. That’s true but not entirely an accurate representation. As you see, Intel does have 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes on their upcoming family but those are a combination of CPU and PCH lanes. All Coffee Lake CPUs feature 16 PCIe Gen 3.0 lanes while the Z390 PCH features 24 PCIe 3.0 lanes. These make up the 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes that Intel claims of.

This means that people can add in two GPUs for SLI or mGPU support which will be given to the CPU while PCH can allow for additional devices such as PCIe / M.2 storage or Intel Optane support.

The Intel 9th Gen, Unlocked Core Desktop Family Full Specifications and Prices

Intel is initially launching three “K” unlocked CPUs in the 9th Gen Core lineup. As of right now, the 9th Gen unlocked family consists of the Core i9-9900K, Core i7-9700K, and the Core i5-9600K. The processors retail for $488 US for the Core i9, $374 US for the Core i7 and $262 US for the Core i5 SKUs.

Following are the detailed specs for these CPUs:

Intel Core i9-9900K, Intel’s First 8 Core and 16 Thread Mainstream CPU With 4.7 GHz All 8 Core Boost Frequency For $488 US

The Intel Core i9-9900K is the flagship SKU of the 9th Generation Core family. This will be the first mainstream desktop Core i9 part and also the first Intel chip to boast 8 cores and 16 threads. In terms of cache, the chip will feature 16 MB of L3 and will come with an Intel UHD 620 graphics chip.

The clock speeds are something to check out here, we are going to get a 3.6 GHz base clock out of the box and a 5.0 GHz boost clock in single and dual core operations. 4 core boost is rated at 4.8 GHz while 6/8 core boost is rated at 4.7 GHz. This is the highest frequency we have seen on an 8 core part across all cores. All of this is done under a 95W package so we can expect some hefty cooling solutions to go along with this chip.

Intel Core i7-9700K, Intel’s First 8 Core, Core i7 Mainstream Desktop CPU With Up To 4.6 GHz Clocks Across All Cores at $374 US

Coming to the top Core i7 part, we get 8 cores and 8 threads. This the complete opposite of what we have been hearing as previous rumors identified the chip as a 6 core and 12 thread part. The chip will have 12 MB of L3 cache and as you might tell, it has fewer threads than the Core i7-8700K but comes with a higher core count. So, maybe, we will get the same or even better performance from the chip.

In terms of clock speeds, the chip has a base clock of 3.6 GHz and boosts up to 4.9 GHz in single, 4.8 GHz in dual-core, 4.7 GHz in four core and 4.6 GHz in 6/8 core operations. The TDP for this part is maintained at the same 95W.

Intel Core i5-9600K, 6 Cores, and 6 Threads With Higher Clocks Than 8th Generation i5 ‘K” SKU, $262 US Official Price

The Intel Core i5-9600K is a 6 core and 6 thread part with 9 MB of L3 cache. This makes it very similar to the Core i5-8600K. The difference is that it features higher clock speeds of 3.7 GHz base, 4.6 GHz boost (1 core), 4.5 GHz (2 core), 4.4 GHz (4 core) and 4.3 GHz (6 core). All of this is done at the same TDP of 95W.

Intel 9th Generation Core Family CPU Official Specifications:

Processor Name	Process	Cores / Threads	Base Clock	Boost Clock	Cache	TDP	Price
Core i9-9900KS	14nm++	8 / 16	3.6 GHz	5.0 GHz (8 Cores)	16 MB	95W	TBD
Core i9-9900K	14nm++	8 / 16	3.6 GHz	5.0 GHz	16 MB	95W	$488 US
Core i9-9900KF	14nm++	8 / 16	3.6 GHz	5.0 GHz	16 MB	95W	$488 US
Core i7-9700K	14nm++	8 / 8	3.6 GHz	4.9 GHz	12 MB	95W	$374 US
Core i7-9700KF	14nm++	8 / 8	3.6 GHz	4.9 GHz	12 MB	95W	$374 US
Core i5-9600K	14nm++	6 / 6	3.7 GHz	4.6 GHz	9 MB	95W	$262 US
Core i5-9600KF	14nm++	6 / 6	3.7 GHz	4.6 GHz	9 MB	95W	$262 US
Core i5-9600	14nm++	6 / 6	3.1 GHz	4.5 GHz	9 MB	65W	TBD
Core i5-9500	14nm++	6 / 6	3.0 GHz	4.3 GHz	9 MB	65W	TBD
Core i5-9400	14nm++	6 / 6	2.9 GHz	4.1 GHz	9 MB	65W	$182
Core i5-9400T	14nm++	6 / 6	1.8 GHz	3.4 GHz	9 MB	35W	TBD
Core i3-9350KF	14nm++	4/4	4.0 GHz	4.6 GHz	8 MB	91W	TBD
Core i3-9100	14nm++	4 / 4	TBD	4.2 GHz	6 MB	65W	TBD
Core i3-9000	14nm++	4 / 4	3.7 GHz	N/A	6 MB	65W	TBD
Core i3-9000T	14nm++	4 / 4	3.2 GHz	N/A	6 MB	35W	TBD

Intel Details Overclocking and Gaming Performance Figures – Our Advice, Wait For Reviews

Intel also detailed some performance numbers for their Coffee Lake processors. First of all, we have overclocking details. Intel claims that Coffee Lake processors are the best chips designed for overclocking. There is a range of new features supported by the chips which include:

Per Core Overclocking
Max Memory Ratio Up To 8400 MT/s
Real-time Memory Latency Control
Extended PLL Trim Controls
Enhanced Package Power Delivery

Before we detail the flagship parts, we will first be talking about the new Phantom Gaming lineup. ASRock has been pushing their Phantom Gaming brand since the introduction of their Radeon RX series gaming graphics cards. While the regular boards offer great features for enthusiasts and the gaming community, ASRock didn’t really have a gaming-specific brand on their motherboard lineup for a while. With the Phantom Gaming brand, ASRock finally has its own marketing for gaming-specific motherboards just like every major motherboard manufacturer in the industry.

Some key features of the Phantom Gaming lineup would be the use of 2.5 Gbps LAN interface instead of the conventional 1 Gbps Ethernet LAN switch. While they are branded as gaming motherboards, the features on the Phantom Gaming lineup are fully compliant with enthusiast grade overclocking and stability, rocking some impressive power delivery designs.

ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 Motherboard Specifications:

Supports 9^th and 8^th Gen Intel Core processors (Socket 1151)
Phantom Gaming 2.5 Gigabit LAN, Intel Gigabit LAN
Digital PWM, 10 Power Phase
Supports DDR4 4300+(OC) MHz
3 PCIe 3.0 x16, 3 PCIe 3.0 x1, 1 M.2 (Key E) For WiFi
NVIDIA NVLink & Quad SLI, AMD 3-Way CrossFireX
Graphics Output Options: HDMI, DisplayPort
7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec)
Supports Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 5
8 SATA3, 2 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA3)
2 USB 3.2 Gen2 10Gb/s (1 Type-A + 1 Type-C)
9 USB 3.2 Gen1 (1 Front Type-C, 4 Front Type-A, 4 Rear)
ASRock Polychrome SYNC

ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 Motherboard Gallery:

The motherboard we are looking at today is the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 which is not only a more cost-effective variant but also an upgrade variant of the Phantom Gaming 9 that we tested last year. This motherboard will be equipped with the LGA 1151 socket, offering support for both 8th and 9th Gen Core processors. The motherboard will feature a 10 phase IR Digital PWM supply and power will be delivered through an 8+4 pin connector configuration. There are four DDR4 DIMM slots which support up to 64 GB of memory capacities with speeds of up to 4300 MHz (OC+).

10 Power Phase Design (IR Digital PWM)

The improved power phase design offers smooth power delivery to the more powerful 9th Generation Intel Core Processors, providing unmatched overclocking capabilities, lower temperature for advanced gamers, and reinforced system stability for taking on all sorts of arduous computing tasks. Following are the features offered in ASRock’s Super Alloy motherboard design:

XXL Aluminum Alloy Heatsink

Extra large aluminum alloy heat sinks that effectively take away heat from the MOSFET and chipset so that your whole system may perform more stable.

Premium 60A Power Choke

Compared to traditional chokes, ASRock’s premium 60A power chokes effectively make the saturation current up to three times better, thus providing enhanced and improved Vcore voltage to the motherboard.

Premium Memory Alloy Choke

Specifically designed for memory power delivery, these new alloy chokes feature a highly magnetic and heat resistant design, thus delivering more stable and reliable power to the motherboard and memory modules.

Dr. MOS

Dr. MOS design features the latest SPS (Smart Power Stage) technology. It’s optimized for monitoring current and temperature of each phase, thus delivering smoother and neater power to the CPU with enhanced performance and OC capability.

Combo Caps

A combination of 820uF and 100uF capacitors. Together these capacitors provide clearer, efficient and more responsive CPU Vcore power, and overclockers may achieve higher scores.

Nichicon 12K Black Caps

Supreme 12K black capacitors with lifespans of at least 12,000 hours. Compared to other counterparts on high-end motherboards that merely have lifespans of around 10,000 hours, ASRock applied Nichicon 12K Black Caps that offer 20% longer lifespans and provide more stability and reliability.

I/O Armor

A new designed protective cover for all of the crucial parts near the motherboard’s rear I/O, so that they won’t easily be damaged by static electricity.

Matte Black PCB

A new mysterious matte black and copper color scheme to match the prestigious components on ASRock’s high-end motherboards.

High Density Glass Fabric PCB

High Density Glass Fabric PCB design that reduces the gaps between the PCB layers to protect the motherboard against electrical shorts caused by humidity.

In terms of expansion slots, the motherboard features three full-lengths PCIe 3.0 x16 slots, three PCIe 3.0 x1 slots and dual M.2 ports with M.2 heatsink shield on both of them. Storage options include 8 SATA III ports. The rear panel I/O on the motherboard comes with PS/2, HDMI, DP 1.2, three USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type-A), 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type-C), 4 USB 3.1 Gen 1, dualLAN ports, and an HD audio jack.

The Phantom Gaming 7 comes in the standard ASRock packaging with easy carry design. The front is themed in red and silver which is now officially part of the Phantom Gaming lineup. You can also note ASRock Phantom Gaming “PG” logo for their new motherboards on the front which looks great.

The front side also lists down support for Intel’s 9th generation Core processors. There’s also support for Intel Optane memory along with Polychrome Sync, NVIDIA SLI, AMD Crossfire technology (although AMD has abandoned the Crossfire name and uses mGPU instead nowadays) and HDMI support mentioned.

The back side of the package lists down the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as 2.5 Gb/s Ethernet, Polychrome Sync RGB technology, SuperAlloy design, Dual USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, Dual Ultra M.2 ports, Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 5 Audio and full coverage M.2 heat-sink.

The front side also comes with a full cover which gives us another preview of the feature set that the motherboard has to offer. Inside the package is another box which contains the accessories in the top and motherboard at the bottom. It is very easy to access although the accessories are a bit scattered and things could get messy sorting out the various additions.

There are several accessories included in the package such as a Wi-Fi antenna module, four SATA III cables, an I/O cover, screws for the M.2 storage devices, a high-bandwidth SLI bridge, a driver disk, a manual for the board and a postcard. Following is the full list of accessories in the package.

Quick Installation Guide, Support CD
4 x SATA Data Cables
1 x ASRock SLI_HB_Bridge_2S Card
3 x Screws for M.2 Sockets
2 x Standoffs for M.2 Sockets

The motherboard is housed underneath the accessories and has the anti-static wrapping to protect it from any built up electrical resistance that can affect the board.

The motherboard is housed on the top section, over the accessories and has a soft foam cover to protect it during shipping. Looks are one thing but I am very curious to find out how this performs against the other Z390 boards we have tested in the past few weeks.

The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 is styled in black and silver with red accents across the PCB and PCH cover. This is a mainstream product that retails at $195.99 US so expect lots of features packed inside this motherboard. The motherboard comes in the standard ATX form factor.

Compared to the Phantom Gaming 9, Phantom Gaming 7 has a very different design scheme. The reason being that the 2019 Phantom Gaming lineup has been upgraded to make way for the X570 series motherboards that will be introduced shortly. The new Phantom Gaming motherboards are equipped with a more sleek design with a futuristic touch rather than the aggressive design on the previous Phantom Gaming boards.

The board uses the LGA 1151 socket to support Intel Core processors. The socket is compatible with Intel’s 8th & 9th Generation core family. The socket has a protective cover on top of it that points out the exclusivity with Coffee Lake CPUs and refrains users from running an older 6th or 7th generation CPU as they won’t work with these motherboards at all.

Next to the socket are four DDR4 DIMM slots which can support up to 64 GB dual channel memory. These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 4300 MHz (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation.

The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 packs a 10 phase super alloy power design. The design is packed with 2 phase power for the DRAM and uses Premium 60A power chokes, Premium Memory Alloy Chokes, Combo Caps and Nichicon 12K Blackcaps that deliver an unprecedented amount of stability and overclocking capabilities.

As you can see, the VRMs are getting ample cooling from the two metallic heatsinks that are beefy in terms of overall size. This motherboard is designed for overclocking so expect stable operation of the electrical circuitry when this board is running.

If you look in closely, the heatsink solution comes with heat pipe cooling that runs across the entire length of the dual heatsinks. ASRock is also using an aluminum-based heatsink under the IO cover which can provide even better thermal operation under load.

The CPU is supplied power through an 8+4 pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 225W of power. Most Intel CPUs will be shipping with TDPs under 100W but that changes when users overclock since that changes the power limit based on applied voltages and clock speed.

Expansion slots include three PCI Express 3.0 x16, three PCI Express 3.0 x1 and dual M.2 slots. The board can support three-way multi-GPU (CrossFireX / SLI) and 2-way NVLINK. The M.2 slots are rated to support NVMe PCIe gen3 x4 and Intel Optane series memory.

ASRock is using their PCIe steel slot design on the sides of the expansion slots which provides protection to some extent. It adds more retention and shearing resistance by reinforcing the slots with metal plates. Aside from adding more protection, they do look really sweet.

Both M.2 featured on the motherboard are equipped with the M.2 Armor heatsink that comes with a large metallic plate, acting as a heatsink and further includes a thermal pad that can sustain higher temperatures when storage devices (M.2 SSDs) are stressed for long durations.

The PCH is cooled off by a large metallic heatsink which runs next to the SATA ports. The PCH heatsink has embedded RGB LEDs and provide a good light show for those that are interested in RGBs trend. You can also turn off the LEDs entirely through ASRock’s bundled software if you are not a fan of such LEDs.

Storage options include eight SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support eight different storage devices at once. There’s also a USB 3.0 front panel connector. Many fan headers and jumpers can be found beneath the storage ports.

ASRock is using their Sound Blaster Cinema 5 audio system for audio which is a combination of hardware, software audio solutions. 7.1 CH HD audio with the latest Realtek ALC1220 audio codec, individual PCB layers for R/L audio channel, 120dB SNR DAC. In addition to that, there’s also a NE5532 headset amplifier for front panel audio connector that supports up to 600 Ohm headsets.

The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.

1 x SPI TPM Header
1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
2 x RGB LED Headers
1 x Addressable LED Header
1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)
1 x CPU/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
3 x Chassis/Water Pump Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
1 x 4 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
1 x Front Panel Audio Connector (15μ Gold Audio Connector)
1 x Thunderbolt AIC Connector (5-pin)
2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports) (Intel Z390) (Supports ESD Protection)
2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Headers (Support 4 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports) (ASMedia ASM1074 hub) (Supports ESD Protection)
1 x Front Panel Type C USB 3.2 Gen1 Header (Intel Z390) (Supports ESD Protection)
1 x Performance Mode / Easy OC Header
1 x Dr. Debug with LED
1 x Power Button with LED
1 x Reset Button with LED

The motherboard offers two LAN ports, one is an Intel Gigabit Ethernet powered (1Gb) while the other is a 2.5 Gigabit LAN powered by the Dragon RTL8125AG chipset. The motherboard also has cutouts for dual antennas on the rear mounted I/O shield. Although the motherboard does not include built-in wireless functionality, an M.2 WiFi slot is provided for users to integrated their own (compatible) WiFi cards for extended functionality.

Finally, we have the I/O panel which includes the following ports:

2 x Antenna Ports (on I/O Panel Shield)
1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port
1 x HDMI Port
1 x DisplayPort 1.2
1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Port (10 Gb/s) (ReDriver) (Supports ESD Protection)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s) (ReDriver) (Supports ESD Protection)
4 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Ports (Intel Z390) (Supports ESD Protection)
2 x RJ-45 LAN Ports with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED)
HD Audio Jacks: Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone (Gold Audio Jacks)

For testing, we used the latest Intel Core i9-9900K which was sent to us by Intel. The Intel 9th Gen Coffee Lake Refresh family comes with a higher core count on the mainstream platform but prices are close to the predecessors in the same segment. The Core i9 SKU wasn’t available last time but the Core i7 price matches around the same as what you paid for the Core i7-8700K. The CPU was tested on the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 motherboard.

Intel Z390 Chipset Motherboards Test Platform

Processor	Intel Core i9-9900K
Motherboard	ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 9 ASUS ROG Maximus XI HERO (Wi-Fi) ASUS ROG STRIX Z390-E Gaming ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate Z390 AORUS Master
Power Supply	Corsair AX1200i PSU
Solid State Drive	Samsung SSD 960 EVO M.2 (512 GB)
Memory	G.SKILL Trident Z RGB Series 32 GB (4 x 8GB) CL16 3600 MHz
Video Cards	MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Lightning X
Cooling Solutions	Corsair H115i GTX
OS	Windows 10 64-bit

Our test rig includes the Samsung 960 EVO 500 GB SSD that boots up our main OS while a 2 TB Seagate HDD is used for demonstration purposes for the Intel Optane memory. In addition to these, we are running an MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Lightning X graphics card, a Corsair AX 1200i power supply and 32 GB of G.Skill provided Trident Z RGB series memory which runs with a clock speed of DDR4-3600 MHz. For cooling, we used the Corsair H115i PRO cooler. At stock (out of the box) settings, all motherboards maintained a 100.00 MHz BCLK ratio out of the box.

We won’t be focusing on Intel’s Core i7-8086K architecture in this review since it is entirely the same chip as Skylake along with minor improvements. The Skylake / Kaby Lake architecture analysis can be seen in detail here. For overclocking, I made the following tweaks to the CPUs:

Intel Core i9-9900KK @ 5.3 GHz With 1.365V (100 x 53) on ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 9

3DMark Time Spy CPU Performance

3DMark Firestrike is the widely popular video card benchmark test for Windows that is designed to measure your PC’s gaming performance. While the overall benchmark is great, the utility also provides a good indication of the CPU performance.

3DMark Firestrike CPU Performance

Blender

Blender is the free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation.

Cinebench R15

CINEBENCH is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON’s award-winning animation software CINEMA 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation. MAXON software has been used in blockbuster movies such as Iron Man 3, Oblivion, Life of Pi or Prometheus and many more.

HandBrake

HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.

PCMark 10

PCMark 10 is a complete PC benchmarking solution for Windows 10. It includes several tests that combine individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing and gaming. Specifically designed for the full range of PC hardware from netbooks and tablets to notebooks and desktops, PCMark 10 offers complete Windows PC performance testing for home and business use.

POV-Ray

The POV-Ray package includes detailed instructions on using the ray-tracer and creating scenes. Many stunning scenes are included with POV-Ray so you can start creating images immediately when you get the package.

SuperPI

Super PI is used by many overclockers to test the performance and stability of their computers. In the overclocking community, the standard program provides a benchmark for enthusiasts to compare “world record” pi calculation times and demonstrate their overclocking abilities. The program can also be used to test the stability of a certain overclock speed.

WinRAR

WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can backup your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompresses RAR, ZIP and other files downloaded from the Internet and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format.

X264 HD Encode Benchmark

This benchmark measures the encoding performance of the processor. It offers a standardized benchmark for the clip as well as the encoder used is uniform.

Ashes of The Singularity

Stardock’s Ashes of the Singularity RTS title is a new take on the historical genre. The game incorporates several things that many pc gamers have been curious about and anxious to try for themselves such as Explicit Multi-Adapter Support and full Asynchronous Compute under DirectX 12 API. We tested the game at 1440P with 4x MSAA on Crazy Settings under DirectX 12.

Battlefield 1

Battlefield 1 is the kind of game that doesn’t need any real introduction. The latest installment of the Battlefield series is as beautiful as anyone would expect and comes right out of the gate with full DX11 and DX12. EA and DICE did a fantastic job with their AAA WW1 shooter this time by implementing some key gaming technologies. We tested the game at 1440P using Ultra settings and DirectX 11 API.

DOOM

In 2016, Id finally released Doom. My testing wouldn’t be complete without including this title. It’s a hell fest featuring fast-paced FPS action and tons of demons to kill. The latest title is based on both Vulkan and OpenGL APIs that take advantage of the latest multi-core and multi-GPU upgrades.

GTA V

GTA V is one handsomely optimized title for the PC audience. It’s scalable across various PC configurations and delivers an impressive frame rate. Rockstar did an amazing job with the PC build of GTA V and it comes with a large array of settings that can be configured by PC gamers. We tested the title at 1440P with everything set to Ultra and 4x MSAA.

Mass Effect Andromeda

Being a huge fan of the Mass Effect series, I was highly anticipating the arrival of Andromeda to store shelves. Now that it’s here, I put the fastest gaming card to the test. Using Frostbite, the latest Mass Effect title looks incredibly gorgeous and the open world settings on the different planets immerses you a lot.

The Rise of the Tomb Raider

The latest Rise of the Tomb Raider title gets lots of graphical enhancements added by Crystal Dynamics and Nixxes, including hardware tessellation, increased anisotropic filtering, additional dynamic foliage, increased LOD, additional PureHair strands, sun soft shadows, and improved bokeh DOF. We tested the game at 1440P under DirectX 12 API.

Sid Meir’s Civilization VI

Civilization VI is the pinnacle of the series. It’s featured huge, sweeping changes, and nothing was left out. Everything has found a purpose, they all work together in tandem but also have a reason to stand alone. It uses a more fleshed out engine that now supports DirectX 12 capabilities. We tested the game with every setting maxed out (4x MSAA, 4096×4096 shadow textures) at 1440P in DirectX 12.

The Coffee Lake architecture is meant to improve overall system power consumption and add to the efficiency. In the case of the 9th Gen CPUs, we are looking at refined 14nm++ process which allows Intel to gain improved clock speeds and increase the number of cores within the same power envelope.

With the frequency bump, the new chips do end up with higher power consumption both in idle and load states. The Intel Core i9-9900K when overclocked, breaches the 400W barrier. Even the stock operation is higher than the previous generation flagship which tells that this part has may not be aiming the higher efficiency point as the previous generation parts.

The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 is the latest addition to the Phantom Gaming lineup and is placed right in the middle. The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 4 and 6 make up for the entry level while the Phantom Gaming 9 and X make up the high-end. The Gaming 7 is priced at $196 US, just shy of the $200 US mark. The Z390 market is very crowded at this price point but for $15 US more, you can get hands on the ASRock Z390 Taichi which I would definitely recommend over Gaming 7.

The reason is not that the Phantom Gaming 7 isn’t a good board, it’s just that the Taichi has more features to offer and is overall a solid board for the few extra you’re paying for it. But if you’re really on the edge with your budget, then the Gaming 7 is still a very decent option. The thing that got my main attention was the new design scheme which is a good distinction from the current Phantom gaming motherboards. If you take a look at the recent Taichi and Phantom Gaming lines, they would feel very similar but with the new Phantom Gaming line, the boards look more distinct and appealing at the same time.

It’s 10 Phase power delivery offers smooth power flow and remains consistent in overall stability and overclocking tests. The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming series is built for high-tier memory support and DDR4-4300 support is great. I was able to booth up the Trident Z RGB memory kit fine at it’s rated speed of 3600 MHz (CL18) but given that there are higher clocked memory kits out in the market, they won’t be an issue for this motherboard either.

The whole feature set for this motherboard such as Realtek ALC1220 audio codec, a ton of USB 3.1 (Gen 1 / Gen 2) ports, dual M.2 ports and one with an M.2 heatsink is all a user would ever want. In terms of storage, you’d find 8 SATA III ports which are good enough for enthusiasts in addition to the PCIe based storage connectivity. The Dragon AIC 2.5G LAN offers great and fast networking experience although the software support could use a more modern update. One main downside of the motherboard is the lack of wireless connectivity and while there’s an onboard M.2 WiFi slot, it is located right in the middle of the main PCIe x16 slots so routing an AIC through there could be an issue. Even the topmost M.2 SSD slot requires disassembly of the entire PCH heatsink to access it for installation.

Aside from that, there are lots of connectivity options such as the expanded storage options which are available on the board. The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 is placed in a very crowded Z390 market place which has loads of options to select from but as far as this motherboard’s unique points are concerned, the great design aesthetics, the 2.5Gb LAN port and the great overclocking capabilities at under $200 US make it a great option for Z390 based PC builders.

The post ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 Motherboard Review – Phantom Gaming Rev 2 is Here! by Hassan Mujtaba appeared first on Wccftech.

Refference- https://wccftech.com

Teche Cast