The world is crushed today under a wave of new Z390 motherboards, and the launch of Intel’s flagship i9-9900K 9th Gen CPUs. We’ve got loads of motherboards tested, but few have me as excited as the Z390 Phantom Gaming from ASRock. This mini-ITX monster promises big performance in a tiny form factor. Equipped with 60A power chokes, Nichicon 12K Black Caps, and a chunky VRM configuration that should help us squeeze the best out of our new CPU.

Of course, it’ll support both 8th or 9th Gen CPUs, so it’s ready for the “current” gen and future proof for those launching now and beyond. It also comes with a few bells and whistles, such as USB Gen 2 ports, Thunderbolt Type-C, Polychrome Sync RGB lighting, 802.11ac WiFi, and the superb ALC1220 audio with Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 5. Enough of the specifications though, let’s dive in for a closer look!