The PG Velocita is one of the latest lines under ASRock’s Phantom Gaming family. Today, we’ll discuss everything about the Z590 PG Velocita in our ASRock Z590 PG Velocita motherboard review.
The PG Velocita is a series of motherboards packed with great features, and are designed to perform well. Equally important as the features, the boards sport a premium and eye-catching design.
For the Z590 PG Velocita, it’s one of the company’s first motherboards to utilise the new Intel chipset. That is without deploying or making use of the Thunderbolt 4.
ASRock aims to balance the motherboard with ten USB ports, 2.5GBe’s, and Gigabit LAN on its rear I/O. Aside from that, it’s also the first board to utilise the Killer AX-1675 chipset.
The Z590 PG Velocita also includes the 2.5GbE and Bluetooth 5.2, plus the Killer E-1300-G. The latter has a PCIe link directly to the CPU to achieve lower latency.
If this motherboard piqued your interest, continue reading through our ASRock Z590 PG Velocita motherboard review to learn more.
ASRock Z590 PG Velocita Motherboard Packaging
Let’s start the review by checking out the Z590 PG Velocita’s packaging and its contents. When we got our hands on the motherboard, it came in a cool yet premium-looking cardboard box. It’s sturdy, tough, and durable, so don’t worry about the product getting damaged when it gets delivered to you.
In front, you’ll find a huge logo of PG at the centre with “Phantom Gaming” written just below it. Under that, you’ll see the motherboard’s name in bold white font.
The upper-left corner of the package displays ASRock, while the lower-right displays some key features of the motherboard.
Flipping the box, its rear displays a ton of information about the board’s parts and their uses. There are a number of visuals as well to give you a better idea of how each portion looks.
Together with the Z590 PG Velocita, the package comes with several accessories like cables, extra VRM fans, and more. All these items will help you get started without having to visit the store for necessary parts.
Here are all the additional items you’ll find in the box:
An installation guide/support DVD, graphics card holder, WiFi antenna, and a wireless dongle USB bracket. There are four SATA cables, three standoffs for M.2 sockets, and three screw packages for the M.2 sockets. Of course, the 4010 cooling fan bracket and 3010 cooling fan with bracket are included as well.
Next, our ASRock Z590 PG Velocita motherboard review will focus on the motherboard’s design and functionality.
ASRock Z590 PG Velocita Motherboard Review – Design and Functionality
If you’ve been utilising or are familiar with the previous model, the first thing you’ll notice are the design changes. The company opted to use the same red & black theme yet avoided using the red stencils on their black PCB. It was a style from the last generation which you won’t see on the Z590 PG Velocita.
Large VRM heatsinks are linked by a heat pipe. These are actively cooled via a small concealed fan in the left heatsink.
Looking closer at the motherboard’s top-half portion, we’ll first discuss the VRM section. These parts are not the sturdiest below the heatsink, so extra cooling is great. At the top of these VRM heatsinks, you’ll see two 8-pin EPS connectors that you’ll need to power the processor.
There are four unreinforced DRAM slots to the right of the socket that is fastened on one section. The company notes supported speed that goes up to DDR4 4,800 (OC) with a total capacity of 128GB.
At the top of the DRAM slots, you’ll find two (out of seven) 4-pin fan headers. The water/chassis pump and water/CPU pump headers support 24W/12A, while the remaining fan headers support 12W/1A.
You’ll find a ton of pump/fan headers on the Z590 PG Velocita for support. This is highly necessary if you choose to run all of these without a controller.
In addition, there’s a third 4-pin header in this portion, while the fourth is positioned in an odd spot. Specifically, it’s set below the VRM heatsink on the left. Other than that, all available headers auto-sense if a 4 or 3-pin connector is linked.
RGB Headers
To the fan headers’ right, specifically up top, you’ll find the 3-pin ARGB and 4-pin RGB headers. The other two can be found on the bottom edge of the motherboard.
The right edge features the reset and power buttons, while below are the 24-pin ATX headers for powering the board. Below are the front panel USB 3.2 Gen1 and USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C headers.
12-Phase Configuration
ASRock makes use of a 12-phase arrangement for the CPU. Its power passes the 8-pin EPS connector and is brought to the Renesas ISL-69269 controller.
From there, the Renesas will send power to six Renesas ISL-6617-A phase doubles. After, it’ll send power to the 12 Vishay 50A SIC-654 Dr MOS power stages. This process sends a total of 600A to the CPU.
It isn’t the highest value that you can get. Yet during tests, the VRM handled our CPU when overlocked and at stock. Do note that this was with the help from the available active cooling fans.
Audio
Concealed below the plastic shroud is the Realtek ALC-1220 codec. The company opted for the last generation’s solution instead of going for the latest Realtek 4,000 series codec.
We also noticed a couple of Nichicon Fine Gold audio capacitors throughout the shroud. You won’t find any fancy DACs like what’s on the more expensive motherboards. Despite that, the Z590 PG Velocita’s solution is adequate for a majority of users.
PCIe Slots and M.2 Sockets
The centre of the motherboard features three reinforced PCIe slots and heatsinks covering the M.2 sockets. When utilising the 11th Gen CPU, the two slots at the top are PCIe 4.0-capable with specific slot breakdowns. These include X16|x0, x8|x8|x4, or x8|x8.
For the x1 slot, it’s linked with the chipset and works with PCIe 3.0 x1 speeds. The M.2 storage has a top socket which is the M2_1 that is linked to the CPU. It provides notably fast speed that supports up to 80mm devices.
The M2_2 is the second slot below. It’s a linked chipset supporting the PCIe 3.0 x4 speed that accepts SATA-based modules.
M2_3 is the bottom socket that’s fed from the chipset too. It runs both the PCIe and SATA-based drives at 3.0 x4 speeds.
When the M2_2 is occupied, the SATA ports are disabled. When the M2_3 has SATA drives installed, SATA 3 will be the one that’s disabled.
If all the M.2 sockets end up getting populated, there are still three SATA ports that you can utilise. The top two sockets can hold up to 80mm modules, whereas the bottom can support up to 110mm drives.
SATA Ports
The right portion of the PCIe socket holds the chipset heatsink and PCB-under plexi look. Further right, there’s another 4-pin pump/fan header, six SATA ports, and the second USB 3.2 Gen1 header.
Below, there’s another 4-pin fan header, plus a clear CMOS button for resetting your BIOS. Along the SATA ports, you’ll see mounting holes for the GPU support bar. It’s a great inclusion to the package since graphics cards seem to get heavier and larger as time passes.
Across the bottom, there are a couple of headers which include more fan headers, USB ports, and a lot more.
Rear I/O
This is the last section for the design & functionality portion of our ASRock Z590 PG Velocita motherboard review. With that, let’s discuss the rear I/O.
Close to this area, you’ll see a pre-installed I/O plate matching the design and colours of the board.
There are a total of ten USB ports here. These are the USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, six USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, and two USB 2.0 ports. All these are made to have ESD protection.
Two of the ports that have red outlines are the Lightning ports. These are sourced from different controller interfaces that let gamers link their keyboard and mice with the lowest jitter latency.
The Z590 PG Velocita’s video front has an HDMI port and DisplayPort. It functions with the built-in video located on the processor.
Additionally, the Killer (blue) and Intel (black) Ethernet ports on the networking front are here. Killer LAN can directly communicate with the CPU while accommodating lower latency compared to chipset-linked LAN.
Key Features of the ASRock Z590 PG Velocita Motherboard
Our ASRock Z590 PG Velocita motherboard review will now discuss the motherboard’s distinct features. Let’s see what makes this product unique compared to other motherboards sold on the market.
High Speed PCIe 4.0 M.2 Solution
The ASRock Z590 PG Velocita can accommodate multiple M.2 storage devices. One of these can support the next PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD of the next generation. Plus, it can perform two times faster than the previous generation, giving a faster data transferring experience.
Dr. MOS
Dr. MOS is the integrated power stage solution designed for synchronous buck-set down voltage apps. Unlike traditional MOSFETs, Dr. MOS delivers a higher current for each phase, which improves thermal results and brings superior performance.
Premium 60A Power Choke
ASRock’s 60A power chokes make the saturation current up to three times better than traditional chokes. With that, these provide enhanced and improved Vcore voltage for the motherboard.
Clever Access Memory
Conventional PC systems’ processors can only access a portion of the graphics memory, which restricts system performance. The Z590 PG Velocita utilises Clever Access Memory, which expands the data channel to harness the GPU memory’s full potential. In addition, the feature also removes the bottleneck to boost the system’s performance.
Optimised MOS Fan
The MOS fan is optimised for better heat dissipation. You can utilise the bundled 3cm high-performance fan or upgrade to a 4cm fan for silent cooling and lower temperatures.
ASRock Graphics Card Holder
No need to worry about your GPU sagging since you can install this on the ASRock graphics cardholder. It’s a flexible holder that you can slide up and down to adjust the required height for your graphics card.
Direct Source On
Unlike other gaming motherboards, the Z590 PG Velocita features the Killer E-3100 2.5G LAN chip architecture. Having this option allows the CPU to directly control the Z590 PG Velocita. This technology gives a new and better gaming experience in lower latency and faster network, boosting the overall performance.
Killer Ethernet E-3100 with WiFi 6E
The KIller Ethernet controller is specifically made for competitive gamers and performance-hungry users. With this motherboard’s Killer Ethernet and WiFi 6E solution, its detection and prioritisation engine offers the best networking experience. These features make the ASRock Z590 PG Velocita ideal for gaming and multimedia applications.
Killer DoubleShot Pro
The Killer DoubleShot Pro enables the simultaneous utilisation of Killer Wireless and Killer Ethernet Interfaces. These features give the end-user maximum throughput that reaches up to 4.9 Gbps. In addition, it automatically utilises the fastest network connection for high priority traffic.
The Killer DoubleShot Pro ensures that priority will be placed on the fastest and most reliable link.
Full Control with Polychrome RGB
Aside from offering superior performance, the Z590 PG Velocita also offers superior aesthetics. With Polychrome RGB, you can fully control your RGB devices conveniently and with ease. Not only that, but you can synchronise devices across your Polychrome RGB Sync-certified accessories.
Full Spike Protection
Motherboards have some sensitive digital components that are vulnerable to power surges. This can cause your system to malfunction immediately due to the excessive current.
With ASRock’s Full Spike Protection’s technologies, your motherboard’s components are safe from getting damaged by sudden voltage spikes.
Live Update and APP Shop
The Live Update & APP Shop is made for your convenience. Here, ASRock provides a range of apps and support software that you can download. Plus, you can also easily optimise your system and keep your motherboard updated.
2oz Copper PCB
The 2oz copper inner layers provide stable power shapes and signal traces. With these, your PC’s components will have lower temperature and higher energy efficiency, making the motherboard ideal for overclocking. It also supports the newest DDR4 memory modules with the most extreme memory performance.
Specifications
Let’s continue our ASRock Z590 PG Velocita motherboard review and look into the motherboard’s specifications.
The motherboard uses the LGA 1200 socket, the Z590 chipset, and an ATX form factor. It has a 14-phase (12+2, 50A MOSFETs voltage regulator as well.
The available video ports include an HDMI port and a DisplayPort (v1.4). For the USB ports, it has two USB 3.2 Gen2, Type-A and C (10 Gbps) and six USB 3.2 Gen1 ports. You’ll also find a Type-A (10 Gbps) and 2 USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) ports on the board.
The board has a 2.5GbE network jack, five analogue + SPDIF audio jacks, plus two PCIe x16 v4.0. You’ll even find a PCIe x4 v3.0 and a PCIe x1 v3.0 x1.
CrossFire and Slots
ASRock’s Z590 PG Velocita features the AMD Quad CrossFire X, 3-Way, and CrossFire X. Its four DDR4 4,800+ (OC) ‘s DIMM slots has a 12*GB capacity.
For the M.2 slots, a PCIe 4.0 x4 (up to 80mm) is present. There’s also a PCIe 3.0 x4/PCIe (up to 80mm), and PCIe 3.0 x4/PCIe (up to 110mm). Do note that this supports RAID 1 and 0.
SATA Ports and USB Headers
Six SATA3 6 Gbps ports are on the motherboard, and these are compatible with RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10. As for the USB headers, there are a total of three present on the Z590 PG Velocita. There’s a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, a USB v2.0, and two USB 3.2 Gen1 ports.
Fan and RGB Headers
The ASRock Z590 PG Velocita motherboard comes with seven 4-pin fan or pump headers. Moreover, there are two ARGB 3-pin and two RGB 4-pin RGB headers present as well.
Additional Specifications
Other interfaces that are present on the board are the FP-Audio, TPM. There’s even a Dr. Debug 2-character LED diagnostic panel available.
The internal buttons and switches on the motherboard are the reset & power buttons and the CMOS button. For its Ethernet controllers, there’s a single Killer E-3100-G (2.5GbE) and an Intel I219-V (GbE).
For the WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity, it utilises the Killer AX-1675x WiFi 6E module and supports Bluetooth 5.2. Additionally, it supports IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ax. MU-MIMO. It also works with dual-band 2x2160MHz and a total of 6GHz extended band support.
Its USB controller features the Asmedia ASM-1042A, while the HD audio codec is a Realtek ALC-1220.
Lastly, the ASRock Z590 PG Velocita has a 3-year warranty.
The next part of our ASRock Z590 PG Velocita motherboard review is where we’ll see how well it performs. Is it just as good as what ASRock claims? We’ll find out.
Hands-on with the ASRock Z590 PG Velocita Motherboard
Before talking about the Z590 PG Velocita’s performance, we’ll discuss the PG Velocita’s firmware and the available software.
Firmware
The PG Velocita’s firmware features a red and black theme which is different from the Taichi and Steel Series. It’s well organised because of its Easy Mode and Advanced section. For the commonly used functions, these are placed in easily accessible areas.
When it comes to the interface, it keeps the same EFI setup from the previous platforms. There is an EZ Mode that offers a menu with the motherboard’s overview, as well as a few customisable options. These include RAID, XMP mode, and fan settings.
The Advanced mode’s interface features a more traditional BIOS setup. The main page shows the favourites section and hardware information.
In the OC Tweaker, we found user profiles and a lot of options for CPU and memory tuning. The tool menu offers access to Polychrome RGB’s settings without launching the software.
Overall, the PG Velocita’s firmware is user-friendly since everything can be accessed easily. We didn’t experience any issues while using it, and we appreciate the presence of EZ and Advanced modes.
Software
For the software, ASRock included several utilities that cover monitoring (PG Tuning) and overclocking, plus audio (Nahimic 3). There’s even software to download applications and for updating drivers (App Shop). Of course, they included RGB controls (Polychrome RGB) to the software.
When we tried utilising the applications on the software, we didn’t run into any issues, which was good.
Overclocking
When we tried overclocking with the motherboard, it was simply straightforward. The BIOS was designed nicely, though we had to occasionally shift along sections to fine-tune settings for basic overclocking.
ASRock is expecting an update to correct it. Yet you can utilise the A-Tune software for the meantime.
Performance Testing
When we tested the motherboard’s performance, everything went well. As a result, it gave us notably high scores.
Overclocking went superbly well since the motherboard was able to run our CPU at stock speed. Memory overclocking was just as good since it performed consistently throughout the test.
Now, it’s time to wrap things up in the last part of our Z590 PG Velocita review.
ASRock Z590 PG Velocita Motherboard Review Summary
As we end our ASRock Z590 PG Velocita motherboard review, we’ll give you our thoughts about the motherboard.
The Z590 PG Velocita from ASRock is an impressive board with excellent features made for gamers. These include the Killer Suite and Direct Source LAN that allow for high-speed network and performance.
Most importantly, the motherboard performed excellently during our tests, and we didn’t experience any issue while using it. Plus, its BIOS was user-friendly and well laid out, offering all the features you’ll find from a high-end platform. These include quick storage management, fan tuning, RGB configuration, and overclocking.
Overall, the ASRock Z590 PG Velocita is a feature-rich motherboard that delivers top-notch performance and aesthetics. With its impressive features, it’s one of the best motherboards you can add to your build.
If you want to get your hands on this product, you can find authorised dealers via ASRock’s store locator.
We hope you found our ASRock Z590 PG Velocita Motherboard review helpful!
