After 10 years, I'm skipping ASRock

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   My first board from ASRock was the 990FX Extreme 9, a board that still works to this day. When Ryzen came along, I went with the X370 Fatal1ty. In 2019, when I needed to shrink my build down, of course I chose the X570M Pro4.

For over a decade, in what seemed like magic, whenever I had a need, ASRock had an answer--and at a competitive price. Additionally, whenever I built rigs for friends or clients, ASRock was always at the top of my list.

Color me a bit shocked and definitely saddened by the current slate of 600-series boards. Fancy paint jobs and wacky heat sinks do not make up for worthwhile features. PCIe 5.0 devices will become the norm within the lifespan of AM5, and yet ASRock has at least one board rocking multiple PCIe 3.0 slots and ONE m.2 PCIe 5.0?! Are we expected to upgrade our motherboards every year now, too? 

My next board is likely to be from ASUS or MSI, depending on the pricing we get to in the next week or so. Again, I must admit that I am a bit saddened by this.

Before I go, I wanted to provide some constructive feedback that I hope will lead to products I can buy from you in the future.

1. Include more PCIe 5.0 and 20-40Gb USB connectivity.

2. Segment the I/O connections in a sensible manner, so that it is easier to plug things in from the front by touch (i.e., a section for USBs, another for display, another for WiFi, etc.).

3. Release boards with a sleek aesthetic and minimalist design cues. See ASUS' ProArt or MSI's Carbon for inspiration.

For now, so long, and thanks for all the fish. Hope to be back soon...

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twf85 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 08 Mar 2017 Location: Tucson, AZ Status: Offline Points: 144	Post Options Post Reply Quote twf85 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: After 10 years, I'm skipping ASRock Posted: 20 Nov 2023 at 4:19am
	My first board from ASRock was the 990FX Extreme 9, a board that still works to this day. When Ryzen came along, I went with the X370 Fatal1ty. In 2019, when I needed to shrink my build down, of course I chose the X570M Pro4. For over a decade, in what seemed like magic, whenever I had a need, ASRock had an answer--and at a competitive price. Additionally, whenever I built rigs for friends or clients, ASRock was always at the top of my list. Color me a bit shocked and definitely saddened by the current slate of 600-series boards. Fancy paint jobs and wacky heat sinks do not make up for worthwhile features. PCIe 5.0 devices will become the norm within the lifespan of AM5, and yet ASRock has at least one board rocking multiple PCIe 3.0 slots and ONE m.2 PCIe 5.0?! Are we expected to upgrade our motherboards every year now, too? My next board is likely to be from ASUS or MSI, depending on the pricing we get to in the next week or so. Again, I must admit that I am a bit saddened by this. Before I go, I wanted to provide some constructive feedback that I hope will lead to products I can buy from you in the future. 1. Include more PCIe 5.0 and 20-40Gb USB connectivity. 2. Segment the I/O connections in a sensible manner, so that it is easier to plug things in from the front by touch (i.e., a section for USBs, another for display, another for WiFi, etc.). 3. Release boards with a sleek aesthetic and minimalist design cues. See ASUS' ProArt or MSI's Carbon for inspiration. For now, so long, and thanks for all the fish. Hope to be back soon...