ASRock Showcases Two New Intel Z790 Motherboards With Wi-Fi 7 at Computex 2023
by Gavin Bonshor on June 1, 2023 12:00 PM EST
With the Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) train set to roll into the mainstream later this year, ASRock looks to be getting ahead of the curve with two new Z790 motherboards featuring the latest Wi-Fi 7 CNVI's. The more premium of the pairing, the ASRock Phantom Gaming Z790 Nova WiFi7 combines Wi-Fi 7 connectivity with several notable features, including a large power delivery, one PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot, as well as 5 GbE and support for up to two USB 3.2 G2x2 ports. The ASRock Phantom Gaming Z790 Riptide WiFi7 has a more modest feature set but plenty of premium connectivity, including 5 GbE and Wi-Fi 7, with eight SATA ports and space for up to five M.2 drives.
As more and more companies in the networking space announce their Wi-Fi 7 offerings, such as the Netgear Nighthawk RS700 Wi-Fi 7 router, unveiled back in March, it wouldn't take motherboard vendors long to follow suit. ASRock is seemingly one of the first, if not the first, to introduce not one but two motherboards based on Intel's Z790 chipset designed for the 13th Gen Core series family with Wi-Fi 7 connectivity.
Although ASRock hasn't provided a detailed list of specifications, they are showcasing both motherboards at their Computex 2023 booth. The ASRock Phantom Gaming Z790 Nova WiFi7 is the more premium of the two, with an advertised 20+1+1 power delivery, with one PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot, as well as support for up to five additional PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots. On the rear are seven USB ports, including one rear panel USB 3.2 G2x2 Type-C port, with a front panel header providing a second. As well as an unspecified Wi-Fi 7 CNVi, the Z790 Nova WiFi7 includes a single 5 GbE controller.
ASRock Phantom Gaming Z790 Nova WiFi7 motherboard (Image Credit: Toms Hardware)
Moving onto the second of ASRock's Wi-Fi 7-supported motherboards, the ASRock Phantom Gaming Z790 Riptide has a more modestly advertised 16+1+1 power delivery, but that's still more than enough for any users planning to overclock their unlocked Intel 13th Gen Core series processors. As with the Z790 Nova WiFi7, the Z790 Riptide WiFi7 has a single PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot, with support for a further four PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 SSDs and also has eight SATA ports. ASRock is advertising ten USB ports on the rear panel, with seven additional ports made available via front panel headers, including one USB 3.2 G2x2 port. Networking support comprises an unspecified Realtek 5 GbE controller and a Wi-Fi 7 CNVi.
According to our colleagues at Toms Hardware, ASRock states that both the Phantom Gaming Z790 Nova and Riptide WiFi7 motherboards will launch in August. At the moment, there's no indication of pricing.
Source: ASRock (via Tom's Hardware)
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shabby - Thursday, June 1, 2023 - link
Whats the point of wifi on atx boards? I can understand on mini-itx ones but on atx? I don't get it.hansip87 - Friday, June 2, 2023 - link
imagine that you have issues with your ethernet connected router, and then you can switch to your mobile hotspot easily by wifi.shabby - Friday, June 2, 2023 - link
That's a worst case scenario, you can also use a usb/nic cable connected to your phone in that case also. What's a realistic scenario for a mid tower case with high end components? I just don't see oneEliadbu - Sunday, June 4, 2023 - link
I have ATX board and I use the the included card Bluetooth quite often to connect other devices (like controllers), as said Wi-Fi could be useful in case you have issue or in case getting a wired cable to your PC is not a possibility.Sure you can have usb nic/adapter, by if you can robust solution already built in on your motherboard, why not? Why bother with some usb adapter?
meacupla - Monday, June 5, 2023 - link
This. I am very annoyed that my ATX mobo doesn't have bluetooth, as it is very useful when it comes to connecting peripherals.It's easy connecting a USB cable from a small PC or laptop, but a full sized ATX case? gotta play out the USB flip meme trying to connect things to the rear IO.
Eletriarnation - Monday, June 5, 2023 - link
Lots of folks live in apartments or other places where they can't necessarily run a cable from the room with the router to the room with the desktop. Some of these folks would want full size desktops.TeXWiller - Thursday, June 1, 2023 - link
I'm happy to see the first signs of the 5Gbps ethernet products. The spec should be good for the common, less than 100 meters of Cat5e cable runs many of us have.James5mith - Friday, June 2, 2023 - link
Except for the fact that there aren't even any reasonably prices 2.5GbE switches on the market at this point. We can barely get 5 ports for 100-150 bucks. It's dumb.Why more companies aren't hopping on the consumer grade MultiGbE bandwagon for switches I'll never know. It feels like Netgear somehow owns a monopoly on the 802.3bz standard.
James5mith - Friday, June 2, 2023 - link
For example, a quick search shows Trendnet supports 802.3bz. But look at the switches like the TEG-S708, and it actually only supports 1/2.5/10. No 5Gbps support.PeachNCream - Friday, June 2, 2023 - link
I noticed the source is THG, the company's other website. Why the reposting? At this point if the original content is coming from THG anyhow and Anandtech is just relabeling the stuff, it may make sense to just redirect AT to THG and shut this site down. Let it rest in peace instead of shambling along like some poor zombie leftover of the pre-streaming video era.