ASRock Z790 Phantom Gaming NOVA Motherboard Review – A Well-Priced High-End Board

ASRock Z790 Phantom Gaming NOVA Motherboard - Unboxing & Close Up Inspection

The ASRock Z790 Phantom Gaming NOVA motherboard comes in a large cardboard package. The front is themed in blue and black. You can also note the Phantom Gaming logo on the front which looks great. For those who aren't aware, the Phantom Gaming brand is a direct replacement for the FATAL1TY gaming series which ASRock used to offer in the past. The front also lists support for Intel 14th generation Core processors while the motherboard is clearly labeled as a gaming product.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the Composite VRM heatsink, the Deluxe 6 M.2 slots, a toolless multi-layer M.2 heatsink, WIFI 7 support, a server-grade / low-loss 8-layer PCB and an optimized 20+1+1 phase VRM.

The motherboard itself is packaged in an anti-static wrap and held in a foam package which keeps it stable during shipping. The internal package is made out of cardboard too.

Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories and is located right below the box holder for the board itself.

Following is the full list of accessories in the package:

• - 1 x User Manual
• - 4 x SATA Data Cables
• - 1 x Graphics Card Holder
• - 1 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz Antenna
• - 1 x ARGB Splitter Cable
• - 3 x Thermistor Cables
• - 5 x Screws for M.2 Sockets
• - 5 x Standoffs for M.2 Sockets

With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package.

Straight out of the package, the ASRock Z790 Phantom Gaming Nova blasts apart with its futuristic gaming tone. The motherboard is all black with hints of purple and pink over the PCH/IO covers & heatsinks. The motherboard comes in the standard ATX form factor and the first impressions are very positive as it feels like a premium product.

In terms of pricing, the motherboard retails at $329.99 US which makes it a very high-end offering so I am expecting to to offer great looks, great features, and great performance. Plus, there's also an updated heatsink design which I will dive into shortly.

The board uses the LGA 1700 socket to support Intel Core processors. The socket is compatible with Intel's 14th, 13th & 12th Generation core family. The socket has a protective cover on top of it that points out the exclusivity with Raptor Lake 13th Gen & Alder Lake 12th Gen CPUs, refraining users from running older 11th and 10th generation CPUs as they won't fit in the socket at all and forcing them in the socket is only going to cause permanent damage to your motherboard.

Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 192 GB of dual-channel memory.

These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 8200 MT/s (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. Each slot is also combined with a reinforced design to make sure signal integrity remains good while keeping the slots durable for long-term usage.

Following is the full memory support list:

• 1DPC 1R Up to 8000+ MHz (OC), 4800 MHz Natively
• 1DPC 2R Up to 6800+ MHz (OC), 4400 MHz Natively
• 2DPC 1R Up to 6000+ MHz (OC), 4000 MHz Natively
• 2DPC 2R Up to 5600+ MHz (OC), 3600 MHz Natively

The ASRock Z790 Phantom Gaming NOVA motherboard features a 20+1+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX)  phase digital power delivery that utilizes the 90A SPS power stages for both the Vcore and VccGT. It also utilizes the Japanese 20K long-lasting capacitors.

The VRMs receive ample cooling from the updated Composite VRM heatsink which features two VRM heatsink stacks.

The CPU is supplied power through an 8+8 pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 300 Watts of power. The Intel 14th 13th & 12th Gen Unlocked CPUs are very power-hungry with the maximum turbo power rated at 253W for the Core i9-14900K and more if you are planning to overclock these chips.

Getting a closer look at the VRM heatsinks reveals an aluminum fin design on both XXL VRM heat sinks. Each heatsink has thermal pads located underneath for efficient transfer of heat. The topmost heatsinks are situated underneath an I/O cover which looks great.

There's also a singular heat pipe that connects the two MOSFET heatsinks for better heat dissipation.

Taking a closer look at the heatsink underneath the I/O cover, you can note a small cut-out which is for the active cooling fan featured on the heatsink itself. This provides better airflow to the heat sink, keeping the VRMs running cooler under load.

Expansion slots include three PCI Express x16 (1 x Gen 5.0 x16 / 1x Gen 4.0 x16 / 1x Gen 3.0x1) and six M.2 slots.

ASRock makes use of an 8-layer server-grade PCB which not only ensures better memory overclock potential but also prevents signal losses on the PCIe Gen 5.0 slots and the M.2 SSDs. The Nova also makes use of SMT (Surface Mount Technology) which improves signal flow & stability to ensure up to 128 GB/s transfer speeds through the PCIe 5.0 link while the reinforced Steel Slot PCIe 5.0 adds extra anchor points and a stronger latching system to make sure that even the biggest of graphics cards is installed well.

The Nova comes packed with six M.2 slots of which there's one PCIe Gen 5.0 x4 with a toolless heat sink design which makes it all the more easier to remove and install your brand new SSDs. The rest of the five M.2 heatsinks are scattered across the lower half of the motherboard with one even being adjusted next to the PCH area with its own heatsink. The rest of the M.2 slots operate at Gen 4.0 x 4 speeds. Using the Gen5 M.2 slot will restrict the topmost PCIe x16 slot to x8 speeds since it shares lanes with the dGPU CPU lanes (x16).

CPU:

• - 1 x Blazing M.2 Socket (M2_1, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 PCIe Gen5x4 (128 Gb/s) mode
• - 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_2, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode

Chipset:

• - 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_3, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
• - 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_4, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
• - 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_5, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s & PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) modes
• - 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_6, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
• - 4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors

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The Z790 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with the NOVA logo etched over it and looks great. This heatsink cover cools the PCH and the four M.2 Gen4 x4 SSDs.

The PCH/SSD and the I/O cover come with RGB illumination that can be adjusted with ASRock's own Polychrome Sync software. There are plenty of ARGB/RGB headers on the motherboard for those who like to light up their PCs. The I/O cover has a small acrylic window which diffuses the lighting and gives off a nice effect. As for the PCH cover, it needs to be removed to access the CMOS battery.

Storage options include four SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 4 different storage devices at once. There are also 3 USB 3.2 front panel connectors (1 x Gen 2x2 Type-C + 4 x Gen 1). 2 USB 2.0 (4 USB 2.0 ports) front panel connectors are also included.

ASRock uses the Realtek ALC4082 Audio Codec to drive the 7.1 channel HD Audio on the board. The audio components are separated on their own PCB segment and support Impedance sensing on the rear-out port.

ASRock doesn't miss out on those nifty DIY-friendly features such as a DEBUG LED, Power On/Off & Reset buttons. There are plenty of fan, thermal sensor and USB headers on the board.

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

• - 3 x Thermistor Cable Headers
• - 1 x SPI TPM Header
• - 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
• - 1 x RGB LED Header
• - 3 x Addressable LED Headers
• - 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)
• - 1 x CPU/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• - 5 x Chassis/Water Pump Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• - 1 x VRM Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• - 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
• - 2 x 8 pin 12V Power Connectors (Hi-Density Power Connector)
• - 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector (15μ Gold Audio Connector)
• - 1 x Thunderbolt AIC Connector (5-pin) (Supports ASRock Thunderbolt 4 AIC Card)
• - 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports)
• - 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Headers (Support 4 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports)
• - 1 x Front Panel Type C USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Header (20 Gb/s)
• - 1 x Dr. Debug with LED
• - 1 x Power Button with LED
• - 1 x Reset Button with LED

ASRock is using Intel's WiFi 7 BE200 WiFi Module to power wireless connectivity with up to 5.8 Gbps data transfer rates, up to 320 MHz bandwidth, and Bluetooth 5.3. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single 2.5 GbE LAN port powered by the Killer E3100G controller.

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• - 2 x Antenna Ports
• - 1 x HDMI Port
• - 1 x DisplayPort 1.4
• - 1 x Optical SPDIF OutPort
• - 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C Port (20 Gb/s)
• - 4 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports (10 Gb/s)
• - 3 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Ports
• - 2 x USB 2.0 Ports
• - 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port
• - 1 x Clear CMOS Button
• - 1 x Line Out Jack (Gold Audio Jack)
• - 1 x Microphone Input Jack (Gold Audio Jack)

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