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ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi

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Central features

• 20+2+1 Power Phase
• USB4 Type-C Ports (40 Gb/s)
• Supports DDR5 ECC/non-ECC, un-buffered memory up to 8200+(OC)
• 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC4082 Audio Codec)
• 5 Gigabit LAN
• 802.11be 2x2 Wi-Fi 7 Module
• 1x Blazing M.2 Socket PCIe Gen5x4 (128 Gb/s) mode
• 3x Hyper M.2 Socket PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
• 1x M.2 Socket SATA3 6.0 Gb/s & PCIe Gen3x2 (16 Gb/s) modes

There are good new features to download on the new X870 platform, where UBS4 has now, for example, become standard.

A little about the new chipset

However, in many ways it is not a particularly big leap from the previous X670 platform. So if you are already on it and are satisfied, there will not be much to gain by switching.

There will always be variations between what manufacturers choose to prioritize on their motherboards, while other things are tied to the chipset specifications.

If we look at AMD's own list of AM5 chipsets, we can see that the only real chipset difference between the X870E and X670E is that USB 4.0 has now become a requirement on the X870E, while it was an option on the X670E.

The new Ryzen 9000 series will also be usable on the older AM5 cards, so there is no requirement to switch to an 800 chipset, even if it is launched alongside the new Ryzen 9000 CPUs.

A tour around the ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi

Despite being made over the big X870E chipset, ASRock keeps things on the regular ATX form factor and not E-ATX, like many other motherboards in this class.

The design stands out a bit compared to many others, as ASRock has created a purple color theme in the Nova series. It's great to see new options on that front, but of course it also binds the user a little more firmly in terms of style and color combinations. So it must be based on personal taste, whether you like the colors.

Apart from the colours, there is not an exaggerated amount of extra lire on the map which, apart from the purple shades and a bit of silver highlights, is mostly kept in black.

There is RGB lighting along the lower PCIe shield on the card and then in the cover above the VRM cooler and the I/O shield.

The back of the card is characterized by a fairly solid backplate, which, together with the rest of the many heatsinks on the card, helps to give the whole card a good weight and a solid feel.

The X870E Nova WiFi comes with a solid 20+2+1 Power Phase design, which is equipped with large and reasonably functional VRM heatsinks.

There are also heatsinks over all five M.2 slots on the card. The primary one is separate to itself, and comes with a toolless solution that you can easily access. The rest is hidden away under decorative heatsinks that require you to find the screwdriver.

The primary PCIe 5.0 x16 slot is also equipped with ASRock's EZ Release, so you can more easily get your graphics card out, without having to rummage around for the normal PCIe lock.

It is supplemented by another x16 slot, which is only PCIe 3.0 and then a single PCIe x1 slot, which is also PCIe 3.0

If we look at the other internal connections, ASRock has provided the card with a reasonable selection. We get a total of five internal USB connectors divided into two USB 2.0, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 and a single USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (Type C). Both the USB 2.0 and 3.2 Gen 2 connectors can each be divided into two connectors, so that you can connect a total of 9 USB connectors.

For cooling, there are a total of seven four-pin PWM connectors distributed on the board, where one is for AIO pumps and one for a dedicated open loop water pump.

On the slightly more sophisticated front, there are a total of four RGB connectors divided into three ARGB and a single regular RGB connector.

ASRock has also provided practical functions, in the form of both on-board power and reset button. For troubleshooting, we also get the very handy ASRock Dr. Debug LED, where errors can be read via a numerical code should any occur at any time.

If we jump to the external connections, we are also pretty well covered on USB here. There are a total of 12 USB ports divided into two USB4 Type-C, five USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, three USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A and two USB 2.0.

They are complemented by 5G LAN, WiFi 7 connection, HDMI, Clear CMOS button, BIOS Flashback button and the sound, which is distributed over a digital SPDIF out together with a 3.5mm jack for sound and a microphone input.

Price

At the time of writing, I can find the ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi with an online price of just under 500$. It places the card in the lower part of the middle segment in the X870E class of motherboards.

Conclusion

If you would like to participate in the new X870E platform, with the advantages it brings such as USB4, then the ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi is a really reasonable offer.

It is not packed to the brim with ALL the features you can get, but it also means that ASRock can deliver the card at a price that is not too unattainable.

So you can get by with, for example, only a single PCIe 5.0 M.2 storage space, which most people should be able to do, so you won't lose much by going with the ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi.

There are still plenty of modern USB connections and a robust power phase design, so you are equipped if you want to push things with overclocking.

All in all, the ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi has been a pleasant acquaintance and we land with a grade of 9, for a reasonably balanced X870E motherboard in the mid-segment.

Benefits

• Solid power phase design
• Good VRM cooling
• Reasonable composition of connections
• Reasonable price

Disadvantages

• Only one PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot