News Asrock Z490 motherboards revealed!

Asrock has 2 itx models for Z490: The Z490M-ITX / AC and the Z490 Phantom Gaming-ITX/TB3.

Interesting things:
  • The Z490M-itx has 2 top m.2 slots
  • The phantom gaming has a gem fan, also a riser for connectivity.
  • Neither has a type e 19 pin header :(
 
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rcodi

SFF Gamer
Aug 5, 2017
176
165
Wonder if that's a standard size fan, I could live with one of these active cooled boards if a Noctua 40mm swap is possible without any modding.
 

rfarmer

Spatial Philosopher
Jul 7, 2017
2,588
2,702
I'm not liking this trend with ITX boards, air cooler compatibility being sacrificed on the altar of massive decorative heatsinks.
This looks to be the trend sadly, all the upcoming z490 I have seen are the same way. Apparently no one buys an itx board that isn't watercooling it, probably with an AIO.
 

HottestVapes

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Oct 13, 2018
135
131
This looks to be the trend sadly, all the upcoming z490 I have seen are the same way. Apparently no one buys an itx board that isn't watercooling it, probably with an AIO.

I blame Asus, they started this trend with their Z390 board. Then they carried it on with X570 and ASRock joined them on it.
The most asinine and infuriating thing is that ASRock have actually got a heatpipe on this board attached to a properly finned heatsink. It would surely be more cost effective to make that a little bigger and a little more efficient, while also having better air cooler compatibility than it is to enclose it in a tomb of redundant aluminum and stick a small fan on top of it.


 

NinoPecorino

Tweezer Squeezer
Platinum Supporter
Nov 24, 2017
505
515
i held out on x570 because i didn't like the itx options being packed with aluminum skyscrapers. now to see asrock putting a riser card on their high-end offering is just completely obnoxious. i do appreciate the two topside m.2 slots on the lower tier model. hopefully the next round of amd itx boards remedy some of this, or i guess i'll just have to start doing vrm heatsink mods again.
 

tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
It is officially listed now:-

 
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NinoPecorino

Tweezer Squeezer
Platinum Supporter
Nov 24, 2017
505
515
It is officially listed now:-

"*It's recommended to use water cooling on this motherboard to avoid mechnical conflict on certain air cooling products."

at least they are up front about compatibility with air cooling