The ASRock X399 Phantom Gaming 6 Motherboard Review: $250 Sixteen Core Stunner

ASRock X399 Phantom Gaming 6 Conclusion

The ASRock X399 Phantom Gaming 6 is an ATX sized offering with the aims to dominate the entry-level segment of Threadripper motherboards. It has an MSRP of $250, which puts it $30 cheaper than the GIGABYTE X399 Aorus Pro ($280) and $70 lower than the ASRock X399 Taichi ($350). On paper, the ASRock X399 Phantom Gaming 6 offers more in terms of feature set than the GIGABYTE X399 Aorus Pro. 

ASRock also enabled this motherboard with a few unique features, such as 2.5 gigabit ethernet, and expanded on common features, like triple M.2 for storage and triple x16 for add-in graphics. Its biggest caveat is in the CPU support list, with the ASRock X399 Phantom Gaming 6 offering support for Threadripper processors with a TDP up to 180 W. The power delivery is actually quite good for the 180W CPUs, running in a 6+2 configuration which is spearheaded by an Intersil ISL69147 7-phase PWM controller and six Intersil ISL99227 power stages that have direct mental contacts with a large 60 A rating. This kind of setup is fine for 180 W processors under optimal thermal conditions, but it’s not extensive enough for 250 W and the decision to limit it to 180 W is a good call. That gives the ASRock X399 Phantom Gaming 6 a unique position against the other competitors in that more useful and premium features can be added for users who opt for CPUs such as the Threadripper 2950X.

Performance in our test suite and in overclocking the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X processor proved competitive and shows that the X399 Phantom Gaming 6 is no slouch. The biggest win for the Phantom Gaming branded model was in DPC latency with a better than average score than the rest of the pack previously tested. Our CPU performance and gaming performance results we’re consistent with what was expected. The only real negative came in POST time with the second worst result on the X399 platform. We managed to achieve an overclock of 4.2 GHz with 1.425 V on the CPU Vcore and didn’t experience too much in the way of VDroop; it undervolted our CPU by just under 0.02 V. This is acceptable and didn’t cause any issues regarding the stability of the overclock.

Calling a $250 Threadripper compatible motherboard ‘budget’ is a bit of a stretch, but ASRock has a highly competitive and well-positioned model in the X399 Phantom Gaming 6. The design is modern and neutral and users looking for RGB will appreciate the two RGB headers and single addressable RGB header; the ASRock Polychrome Sync RGB software is one of the best utilities on the market as far as motherboards go. For users looking for a cheaper and feature-rich foundation for Threadripper based system and like gaming features such as 2.5 GbE NIC, the ASRock X399 Phantom Gaming 6 adds to a small X399 selection, but with something very appealing and offers good value. Workstation users looking to build a Threadripper 2990WX based system aren’t likely to grumble at $100 more for a beefier motherboard, and ASRock’s decision to limit CPU power to 180 W isn’t a detriment, but actually focuses cost where it needs to. At the price point, the ASRock X399 Phantom Gaming 6 is a serious board for the Threadripper entry level market and is certainly one to be considered.

Other AnandTech Ryzen Threadripper Coverage

• The ASRock X399 Taichi Motherboard Review: Cost-Effective Threadripper
• The MSI MEG X399 Creation Motherboard Review: The New 16-Phase Shark In Town
• The ASUS X399 ROG Zenith Extreme Motherboard Review: Top Tier Threadripper
• GIGABYTE's X399 Aorus Extreme: The Threadripper 2 Halo Motherboard
• The ASRock X399 Professional Gaming Motherboard Review: 10G For All
• The GIGABYTE X399 DESIGNARE EX Motherboard Review