Introduction

After Computex and E3, there is no denying that the eye of the community has shifted on to the team in red. With all the hype and buildup around the new Ryzen processors and the 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 also brought an update to the Z390 family with the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7.

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 7 is the first to market with these updates.

Now, there are two key things that set the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 apart. Firstly, while it supports the addition of an M.2 WiFi adapter, it does not ship with one installed. Secondly, the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 takes the modern Phantom Gaming style to a new level with an updated aesthetic that includes such luxuries as better RGB illumination and an integrated rear I/O shield. The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 maintains the draws of the Phantom Gaming line with 2.5 G LAN support and rock solid power delivery for maximum overclocking potential.

So, can the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 stand up to it's bigger and older brother? Is the new outfit worth a price premium? Let's get to the bench and find out.

Specifications

Packaging and Contents

The front of the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 box is dominated by a highly stylized "PG" and "PHANTOM GAMING" in the center. ASRock and a host of brand badges feature along the top, and "Z390 PHANTOM GAMING 7" is on the bottom right.

The back of the box hits all the standard points: a top-down shot of the board, a number of 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 overall box design is very well done, a bit above standard.


Opening the inner box, the board sits in a cardboard tray, encased in an antistatic bag, with the accessories hidden underneath.


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 sad that it hasn't become an industry standard by now.

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

Board Layout

Unlike the Phantom Gaming 9 I reviewed last year, the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 does not borrow any visual elements from the Taichi board line. For the most part, I am glad for the change. A divergence in design is a good thing overall. I do personally think the heatsink from the Phantom Gaming 9 would look pretty good on the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7, but I get why ASRock sought to develop a new identity.

The theme for the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 does match the previous Phantom Gaming boards; it has streaks of gray and red on a black background. The chipset is a black and silver block with a red and black streak and stylized "PG" instead of the Taichi cog and gear theme.

The back of the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 9 is a similar black, but not empty. ASRock has placed a few key controllers on the back of this board, most notably for the 2.5 Gb/s LAN. Although very attractive overall, the board is less neutral than the Taichi because of its red accents.


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


There are two M.2 slots on the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7; one above the first PCIe x16 and another between the second and third PCIe x16. Both feature full coverage heatsinks, which is a nice step up from the single heatsink on the Phantom Gaming 9.


IMPORTANT NOTE: the top M.2 heatsink overlaps with the chipset heatsink, and the two are interfaced with a thermal pad. On the sample I received, the thermal pad stuck to the M.2 heatsink with sufficient force that I deemed it wise to simply remove the chipset heatsink and leave them stuck together. This isn't a big deal if you install your M.2 drives before mounting the motherboard (which I would always recommend anyway).

So, if you have removed the three screws for the top M.2 heatsink and it does not want to come off, flip the board around and remove the two screws that retain the chipset heatsink. Both will come off as a single unit, and lining everything back up is simple and easy.

I did end up prying the two apart once the board was installed to make sure there wouldn't be any damage, and there wasn't. It still took a lot of force. ASRock may want to consider a slightly less sticky thermal pad material.


There is also an M.2 WiFi slot just to the left of the chipset. It seems a bit awkward, a long way away from the rear I/O where the antenna will need to be routed.



The ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 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 7 has a good rear I/O offering that includes two LAN ports and an Optical S/PDIF Out port. The USB ports come in three slightly different colors, so I feel I should clarify a bit. The first four in a medium dark blue are USB 3.1 Gen1, while the two dark blue and very light blue (as well as the Type-C) ports are USB 3.1 Gen2.

• 2x Antenna holes
• 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
• 2x RJ-45 LAN ports
• 1x Optical SPDIF out port
• 5x 3.5 mm audio jacks

Networking on the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 is handled by an Intel I2119V, while a Dragon RTL8125AG from Realtek provides the 2.5 G LAN (red port).