Whether you’re building a powerhouse workstation or a gaming rig, ASRock’s latest AM5 motherboards can deliver. Which one is for you? Let’s find out!
The X870, an AMD chipset designed to refresh the AM5 lineup, supports all recent AMD CPU generations, from the 7000 series to the latest 9000 series, combining high-performing CPUs with equally high-performing motherboards. The Live Mixer X870 is a fresh addition to ASRock’s AMD lineup, offering top specs and ample connectivity. The Phantom Gaming X870 Nova Wi-Fi brings ASRock’s signature gaming style to the X870 line.
The X870 LiveMixer Wi-Fi is built with creators and multipurpose workstations in mind, offering a balanced mix of performance, stability, and connectivity. It’s 16 + 2 + 1 phase VRM, paired with Dr. MOS power stages and high-quality components, ensures consistent delivery for AMD’s latest CPUs. The board supports up to 256 GB of DDR5 memory at speeds up to 8000 MT/s, and four M.2 slots, including a primary PCIe Gen 5×4 “Blazing” M.2 slot with dual-sided thermal pads and a toolless retention system, plus SATA 3 ports for traditional drives. Connectivity is a significant strength, featuring dual USB4 Type-C ports, multiple USB 3.2 Gen 1 and Gen 2 connections, Wi-Fi 7, 5 Gbit LAN, and numerous internal headers for RGB, fans, and USB.
The X870 NOVA Wi-Fi takes a more gamer-oriented approach, combining bold aesthetics with an equally strong but slightly different feature set, built on the X870 chipset. At its heart is a powerful 18 + 2 + 1 phase VRM with 80 A Dr. MOS stages, cooled by large heatsinks and reinforced with a metal backplate that doubles as a VRM heatsink via thermal pads. Memory support matches the LiveMixer’s, up to 256 GB DDR5, but it can reach a higher 8400 MT/s.
Storage is where the NOVA shines: five M.2 slots in total, including dual PCIe Gen 5×4 slots for ultra-fast drives, two Gen 4, and a Gen 3 slot (with some lane-sharing depending on configuration). The primary PCIe 5.0 ×16 slot features ASRock’s EZ Release mechanism for painless GPU swaps. Onboard controls include a power button, reset button, and two-digit diagnostic display. The rear I/O, comparable to the Live Mixer board, includes two USB4 Type-C connectors, several USB 3.2 Gen 1 and Gen 2 Type-A ports (though slightly fewer overall), 5 Gb LAN, Wi-Fi 7, and BIOS Flashback support. With this feature set, the NOVA targets enthusiasts looking for a board that brings together every modern feature in one high-end platform.
There’s much more to talk about, but let’s not spill all the tea yet. Keep reading to hear more of our thoughts!
Below, you can take a quick look at the main technical specifications of these boards.
| Specification | ASRock PG X870 Nova Wi-Fi | ASRock X870 Live Mixer Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Support | AMD Socket AM5 Ryzen™ 9000 / 8000 / 7000 Series* | |
| Chipset | AMD X870 | |
| Memory | DDR5, 4 DIMM, up to 8400+ MHz (OC), 256GB max, ECC/Non-ECC, XMP & EXPO | DDR5, 4 DIMM, up to 8000+ MHz (OC), 256GB max, ECC/Non-ECC, XMP & EXPO |
| BIOS | 256Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with GUI support | |
| Graphics Outputs | HDMI 2.1 (4K 120Hz), 2× USB4 (8K 30Hz) | |
| Audio | Realtek ALC4082, 7.1 CH HD, Nahimic Audio | |
| LAN | Realtek RTL8126 5G LAN | |
| Wi-Fi / BT | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), BT 5.4 | |
| PCIe Slots* | 1× PCIe 5.0 x16, 1× PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4 connection), 1× M.2 Key-E | 1× PCIe 5.0 x16, 2× PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4 connection), 1× M.2 Key-E |
| M.2 Slots* | 2× Gen5 x4, 1× Gen3 x2/SATA, 2× Gen4 x4 | 2× Gen5 x4, 2× Gen4 x4 |
| SATA Ports* | 2× SATA 6Gb/s | |
| RAID Support | RAID 0, 1 (SATA); RAID 0, 1, 10 (NVMe) | |
| USB (Rear + Front) | Rear: 2× USB4-C, 2× Gen2-A, 3× Gen1-A, 4× USB2.0 Front: 1× Gen2x2-C, 4× Gen1-A, 4× USB2.0 |
Rear: 2× USB4-C, 1× Gen1-C, 7× Gen1-A, 6× USB2.0 Front: 1× Gen2x2-C, 4× Gen1-A, 4× USB2.0 |
| Rear Panel I/O | HDMI, SPDIF, RJ-45, Line Out, Mic In, Clear CMOS, BIOS Flashback, Antenna x2 | HDMI, SPDIF, RJ-45, Line Out, Mic In, BIOS Flashback, Antenna x2 |
| Connectors & Headers | RGB + ARGB headers, multiple fan/pump headers, USB headers, debug screen, onboard buttons | RGB + ARGB headers, multiple fan/pump headers, USB headers |
| Software & UEFI | ASRock Motherboard Utility (Phantom Gaming Tuning), Polychrome SYNC, Full HD UEFI | ASRock A-Tuning, Polychrome SYNC, EZ Mode, Full HD UEFI |
| Form Factor | ATX, 30.5 × 24.4 cm, 8-layer PCB, 2oz Copper | |
| OS Support | Windows 10 / 11 64-bit | |
*The availability of slots and ports may vary. Further discussed in the next two sections.
