keyword: Sensor

dji-mavic-air-2-vs-mavic-air:-what’s-the-difference?

DJI Mavic Air 2 vs Mavic Air: What’s the difference?

(Pocket-lint) – It seems an age since DJI first introduced the Mavic Air to the world. Since launching it released the Mavic Air and the Air 2S, ‘Mavic’ moniker is no more. The aim has always been the same: to bring powerful capabilities to users in a smaller, more affordable drone than its more premium Mavic series. 

The Mavic Air 2 is the follow up to the awesome, portable Air and saught to bring even more performance to a compact device at an affordable price point. So, what’s the difference between this and the first Air? 

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Design

  • Mavic Air – 168 x 83 x 49 mm (folded)
  • Mavic Air 2 – 180 x 97 x 84 mm (folded)
  • Mavic Air – 430 grams
  • Mavic Air 2 – 570 grams
  • Both foldable
  • Mavic Air available in multiple colours, Air 2 is grey

There seems to have been a bit of an ethos change with the Mavic Air 2. While the first was about a small, fun drone available in bright colours, the second is seemingly about offering a serious, performance consumer drone that’s as good as some of the bigger models (if not better in some instances). 

To that end, the new model is currently only being shown in a similar grey colour to the rest of the current Mavic lineup, where the first came in red, black and white. 

That’s not the only design change though. The small, almost bulbous shape has been replaced with a more angular shark-like appearance, to match the Mavic 2 and Mavic Mini. It’s also noticeably bigger and heavier than the original Mavic Air. 

That’s not to say it’s big and heavy. At 570 grams, it’s still really easy to fold up and carry around in a backpack. It’s only 140 grams heavier than the first Mavic Air, but that extra weight and little extra bulk is primarily from the larger battery. 

Camera

  • Mavic Air – 12MP 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor
  • Mavic Air 2 – 48MP 1/2″ CMOS sensor
  • Air – 4K at 30fps, 1080p up to 120fps
  • Air 2 – 4K at 60fps, 1080p up to 240fps
  • Three axis gimbal on both
  • New SmartPhoto mode on Air 2

Another of the big differences between the Air and the Air 2 is in the camera department. The second generation’s sensor is bigger, and packs more pixels. It’s 48-megapixels over 12-megapixels. You can choose to use all 48 million pixels if you want to, but by default, DJI uses a similar pixel binding technology to most modern smartphones which converts 4 pixels into one larger picel, creating a 12-megapixel image. 

There’s a difference in video recording capabilities too. The Mavic Air 2 can record 4K video at 60 frames per second, where the first Mavic Air captures a maximum 30 frames per second at that resolution. 

Its slow motion capture is better too. Both can record slow-mo at 1080p resolution, but the Mavic Air can only shoot 120fps, where the Mavic Air 2 can go up to 240 frames per second mode. 

As far as smoothness goes, both drones have a three axis gimbal for stabilising footage while it’s being captured. 

DJI also introduced a new SmartPhoto alogorithm with the Mavic Air 2. It has three automatic modes: one for better low light capture, one for advanced HDR and another for automatic scene detection and adjustment. 

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Obstacle avoidance

  • Both drones – Front and back sensors
  • Air 2 – APAS 3.0 

If there’s one area these smaller drones don’t quite match up to the pro models, it’s in obstacle avoidance, but by the sound of things the Air 2 will still be very capable. 

Both the first gen and second generation Mavic Air have front and rear sensors, which help ensure the drone won’t fly into anything in front or behind the machine. They also have sensors on the underside. 

While the Air has pattern recognition for finding where it took off from, the Air 2 has depth sensors and can more accurately detect how far it is from the ground. It also has more advanced obstacle avoidance in flight. 

The Mavic Air 2 has the APAS 3.0 system, which means that as you’re flying the drone forwards through potential obstacles, it can adjust its path to fly around them instead of just stopping dead. It’s particularly useful if you’re flying low over rocks, or perhaps through trees low to the ground. 

Battery, speed and performance

  • Mavic Air – 2,375mAh battery
  • Mavic Air 2 – 3,500mAh battery
  • Mavic Air – up to 21 minutes flight time
  • Mavic Air 2 – up to 34 minutes flight time
  • Max speed on both – 68.4kph (42.5mph)

When it comes to outright performance, there’s one significant difference between the old and new Mavic Air: battery. The first generation Mavic Air has a 2,375mAh battery, where the Mavic Air 2 has a much more capacious 3,500mAh battery. And that results in far superior flight time. 

It’s so superior in fact, that the Mavic Air 2 is DJI’s best performing consumer drone when it comes to flight time. The manufacturer claims it can go up to 34 minutes of flight time on a full charge, improving drastically on the paltry 21 minutes on offer from the first Mavic Air. 

Both can flight up to 42.5mph in ‘Sport’ mode, and both are controlled using a physical control pad with built in antenna, removable joysticks and a grip for a smartphone. Saying that, the size and shape of the control pad is massively different. It’s no longer a small palm-sized controller. It’s much larger, with a sturdier phone grip built into the top edge. 

Price

  • Both $799 at launch for the basic kit

Despite the increased performance and higher spec camera, the new Mavic Air 2 launched at a similar price to the first one, and is still considerably cheaper than the ‘Pro’ and ‘Zoom’ versions of the Mavic 2. 

However, now – of course – we have the Air 2S which might just be the best consumer drone DJI has ever launched. So be sure to check that out before deciding on either of these two. 

Writing by Cam Bunton.

oneplus-8-pro-vs-oneplus-8:-what’s-the-difference?

OnePlus 8 Pro vs OnePlus 8: What’s the difference?

(Pocket-lint) – They might not be the newest flagships, but the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are still available to buy in a number of global markets and could well be worth grabbing now that they’re cheaper than they used to be. Still, which should you pick? 

With its flagship phones, OnePlus prides itself on pushing the boundaries of performance, whether that be gaming speed, UI responsiveness or even fast charging speeds. Despite this, they still generally undercut the big name competition in terms of price. 

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Design

  • OnePlus 8: 160 x 72.9 x 8mm, 180g
  • 8 Pro: 165.3mm x 74.35mm x 8.5mm, 199g
  • OnePlus 8: Water-resistant, no IP rating
  • 8 Pro: IP68 rated
  • Both models: Glacial Green, Onyx Black (Blue and Glow in selected markets)

As you’d assume from looking at any smartphone range with a regular model and a ‘Pro’ version, the OnePlus 8 Pro is the bigger of the two phones. It’s slightly taller and wider than the regular OnePlus 8, although it is a tiny bit thicker. There’s not really all that much in it though. While OnePlus touted the OnePlus 8 as its ‘compact’ model, it’s really not all that compact at all. 

In the hand, you can still definitely tell the difference between the two. Unsurprisingly, the regular OnePlus 8 is a little more comfortable to hold, and doesn’t require as much stretching. 

Apart from that, the two phones look very similar to each other. Unlike the previous 7T range, the camera housing is the same shape on the back, and the two phones both have curved glass on the front and the back with skinny bezels and a selfie camera cutout in the top left corner of the screen. 

In fact, the only real difference apart from size is the waterproofing. Both phones are water-resistant, but the OnePlus 8 Pro is the only one with an official IP rating. Specifically: it’s IP68, which means it’s right up there with the likes of Samsung and Apple’s latest flagship in terms of water and dust resistance. 

Both devices come in the same colours. In most markets that will just be the glossy Onyx Black and the matte frosted Glacial Green. Other select markets will also get the unicorn coloured Interstellar Glow and Ultramarine Blue variants.  

Display 

  • OnePlus 8: 6.55-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel, 90Hz
  • 8 Pro: 6.7-inch Quad HD+ AMOLED panel, 120Hz
  • Both models: Curved glass and 4mm hole-punch cutout

While both phones feature the same screen design in terms of shape, looks and camera cutout, the two are different panels with different capabilities. 

Of the two, the 6.7-inch display on the Pro model is the most impressive. It features both Quad HD+ resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. That means it’s pin-sharp and super smooth in terms of animation speeds and frame rates. 

The regular OnePlus 8 has a slightly smaller, Full HD+ resolution display. It doesn’t have the 120Hz refresh rate, but does feature the 90Hz refresh that both the previous 7T and 7T Pro had. And, by any standard, that’s more than fast enough for every day activities and gaming. 

What’s interesting is that when you look at them side-by-side, OnePlush has done a great job of ensuring the two screens have the same colour reproduction, so if you have the callibration set the same on both devices, they look virtually identical in terms of colour.

Even with both set to their respective highest refresh rates of 90Hz and 120Hz respectively, we didn’t notice all that much difference in smoothness or speed between them. 

However, with the 8 Pro set to its maximum resolution, the panel definitely looks sharper. You get more densely packed pixels, and so rounded edges and fine text is smoother and crisper than on the regular OnePlus. If you want the best quality panel, this is the one to go for. 

Both devices use “Fluid AMOLED” panels, and both boasting the same colour accuracy. We’re unsure on the OnePlus 8’s peak brightness, but the OnePlus 8 Pro can reach as high as 1300 nits, which is pretty exceptional for a smartphone. 

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Cameras

  • OnePlus 8: Regular/wide, ultra-wide, macro cameras
    • 48MP main, 16MP 116-degree ultra-wide, 2MP macro
  • 8 Pro: Regular/wide, ultra-wide, 3x telephoto zoom and photochromatic cameras
    • 48MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 8MP telephoto and 5MP photochromatic

If there’s one area that shows the biggest difference between the two phones, it’s in the camera department. OnePlus has gone all-out with the Pro model, offering an intriguing quad camera system. 

The OnePlus 8 Pro has a primary camera alongside an ultra-wide camera, both featuring 48-megapixel Sony sensors, with the primary one using the better quality sensor. As well as that, there’s the 8-megapixel telephoto camera that has 3x optical zoom, and can zoom up to 30x digitally. Then, curiously, there’s a 5-megapixel photochromatic sensor, or colour filter camera. 

In contrast, the OnePlus 8 has three cameras, but one of those is just a low resolution 2-megapixel macro sensor to help it focus to objects close up. It uses the same 48-megapixel in its primary camera that the 8 Pro uses in its ultra-wide one. It also has a 16-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. 

In our testing, the 8 Pro’s main and ultra-wide cameras were capable of producing great photos with lots of detail and good levels of contrast, dynamic range and colour. The ultra-wide can also be used as a macro camera, to product great close-ups too. A feature we ended up using quite a lot. 

Its telephoto zoom isn’t as strong, but it does mean the ability to zoom into scenes, even if they look a bit flatter. While the OnePlus 8’s main camera was decent and produced good results, the other two cameras underwhelmed. 

Like the display, if you want the best all-round camera experience, the 8 Pro is the one to opt for.

Both phones feature the same 16-megapixel front facing camera in that tiny punch-hole cutout in the display. 

Hardware and Performance

  • Both models: Snapdragon 865 processor with 5G
  • Both models: 8GB/128GB or 12GB/256GB RAM/storage options
  • 8 Pro only: LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.0 storage
  • OnePlus 8: 4,300mAh battery
  • 8 Pro: 4,510mAh battery
  • Both models: Warp Charge 30T fast wired charging
  • 8 Pro only: 30W wireless Warp Charge

As is often the case, both of the OnePlus phones are based on the same platform: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor with X55 5G modem. That essentially means, at their core, it’s the same performance capabilities in terms of brain power and cellular download speeds. 

It’s a similar story with storage and RAM. Both regular and Pro models come as 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB variants, so you don’t lose any memory for choosing the regular over the Pro. The 8 Pro has faster, more modern LPDDR5 RAM versus LPDDR4, but it has the same amount of it. 

The biggest phone of the two, obviously, has the bigger battery, but there’s not a whole lot in it. It’s 4,510mAh versus 4,300mAh, so you do get a bit of extra capacity on the Pro, but in daily use with a bigger, brighter, sharper and faster display, that may mean the actual battery life is very similar. 

How much life you get out of the two obviously depends on how much you use the phone, and what you use it for. In our testing, both phones were very capable of getting through a full, busy work day. We ended each day with around 30 per cent on the OnePlus 8, and somewhere between that and 40 per cent for the Pro. 

Both phones are also equipped with Warp Charge 30T capabilities, which is OnePlus’ bespoke fast-charging functionality. It can get from 0-50 per cent in about 23-25 minutes.

The OnePlus 8 Pro, however, is equipped with wireless charging. And not just any wireless charging. It has 30W fast charging too, so, while not quite as speedy as the wired version, it’s not far off. 

Conclusion

The OnePlus 8 Pro isn’t just Pro in name, it has a lot of features that the regular OnePlus 8 doesn’t. Whether it’s the IP68 rating against water and dust resistance, wireless charging or faster, sharper and larger display. That’s without mentioning the more versatile camera system. 

So if the absolute best is the only thing that matters to you, then the Pro is clearly the way to go. The fact it costs less than the big-name flagships from the likes of Samsung, Huawei and Apple is the cherry on the cake. 

What’s more, we think the extra £200 for those additional features and capabilities are more than worth it. You’re not just paying to get a bigger version of the same phones. 

With that said, the OnePlus 8 still has a great screen and is very fast. In the daily experience, it will still feel like a proper flagship phone and one that will save you money versus the Pro. It’s also smaller and lighter, which is something worth considering. 

Writing by Cam Bunton.

apple-exec-suggested-cutting-app-store-commission-to-20-percent-as-early-as-2011

Apple exec suggested cutting App Store commission to 20 percent as early as 2011

Phil Schiller, the Apple executive in charge of the App Store, raised the possibility of the company cutting its 30 percent commission rate to 25 or even 20 percent back in 2011 in response to competition. Schiller floated the idea in an email to then Apple CEO Steve Jobs and head of Apple services Eddy Cue. The email has been made public as part of the company’s legal battle with Epic Games. Bloomberg was first to report on the email exchange.

“Do we think our 70/30 split will last forever?” Schiller’s email begins. “I think someday we will see enough challenge from another platform or web based solutions to want to adjust our model.” Schiller goes on to suggest that if Apple were to ever change its fee structure, that it should do so “from a position of strength rather than weakness” and floats the idea of Apple dropping its commission rate once the App Store is generating over $1 billion in annual profit.

The email, released as part of Epic’s lawsuit against Apple.
Image: Court Documents

“I know that this is controversial, I just tee it up as another way to look at the size of the business, what we want to achieve, and how we stay competitive,” Schiller wrote. “Just food for thought.” Attached to the email is a Wall Street Journal article from 2011 which discussed the possibility of developers using web apps to bypass Apple’s App Store fees.

Apple’s 30 percent commission on many in-app purchases is central to its legal battle with Epic Games, which has accused the App Store tied to iPhones and iPads of being a monopoly. Epic is required to use Apple’s payment method for in-app purchases within Fortnite (and hence pay a 30 percent commission), and it was the company’s switch to offering its own in-app payments system that caused Apple to kick the game out of the App Store.

In response to the email, Apple said there is no evidence that the App Store’s fees are tied to its profit, and that the 2011 email did not confirm the store made $1 billion in profit, Bloomberg reports. Analysis from Sensor Tower has the App Store’s 2020 commissions revenue at around $22 billion, and Epic cites one witness who claims that its profit rate sits at around 80 percent.

Apple has adjusted its commission structure over the years, but has never dropped it standard rate wholesale to 25 or 20 percent. In 2016 it dropped its commission to 15 percent for subscribers who have signed up to a service for over a year. Then, last year, it dropped its rate to 15 percent for any developers who make under $1 million in sales on its store. The move saw pushback from Apple’s critics, with Epic CEO Tim Sweeney calling the decision “a calculated move by Apple to divide app creators and preserve their monopoly on stores and payments, again breaking the promise of treating all developers equally.”

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ASRock Z590 PG Velocita Review: Network Speed, Ample USB

Our Verdict

ASRock’s Z590 PG Velocita is a full-featured Z590 motherboard that includes three M.2 sockets, Killer based networking (including Wi-Fi 6E), capable power delivery, premium audio, and more. It’s a well-rounded mid-ranger for Intel’s Z590 platform.

For

  • Killer based 2.5 GbE and Wi-Fi 6E Networking
  • 10 USB ports on rearIO
  • Capable power delivery

Against

  • Last gen audio codec
  • No USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C on rearIO

Features and Specifications

Next up out of the ASRock stable is the Z590 PG Velocita. The Z590 version of this board comes with an improved appearance, enhanced power delivery, PCIe 4.0 capability for your GPU and M.2 device, fast Killer-based networking and more. Priced around $300, the PG Velocita lands as a feature-rich mid-range option in the Z590 landscape.

ASRock’s Z590 lineup is similar to the previous-generation Z490 product stack. At the time we wrote this, ASRock has 12 Z590 motherboards listed. At the top is Z590 Taichi, followed by the PG Velocita we’re looking at here, and three Phantom Gaming boards, including a Micro-ATX option. Additionally, there are two professional boards in the Z590 Pro4 and Z590M Pro4, two Steel Legend boards, two Extreme boards (also more on the budget end), and a Mini-ITX board round out the product stack. Between price, size, looks, and features, ASRock should have a board that works for everyone looking to dive headlong into Rocket Lake.

Performance testing on the PG Velocita went well and produced scores that are as fast or faster than the other Z590 boards we’ve tested so far. The PG Velocita eschews Intel specifications, allowing the Intel Core i9-11900K to stretch its legs versus boards that more closely follow those specs. Overclocking went well, with the board able to run our CPU at both stock speeds and the 5.1 GHz overclock we’ve settled on. Memory overclocking also went well, with this board running our DDR4 3600 sticks at 1:1, and DDR4 4000 was nice and stable after a few tweaks to voltage to get it there.

The Z590 PG Velocita is an iterative update, just like most other Z590-based motherboards. The latest version uses a Killer-based 2.5 GbE and Wi-Fi 6E network stack, adds a front panel USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port, premium Realtek audio codec (though it is last generation’s flagship), three M.2 sockets and more. We’ll dig into these details and other features below. But first, here are the full specs from ASRock.

Specifications – ASRock Z590 PG Velocita

Socket LGA 1200
Chipset Z590
Form Factor ATX
Voltage Regulator 14 Phase (12+2, 50A MOSFETs)
Video Ports (1) HDMI
(1) DisplayPort (v1.4)
USB Ports (2) USB 3.2 Gen 2, Type-A and Type-C (10 Gbps)
(6) USB 3.2 Gen 1, Type-A (10 Gbps)
(2) USB 2.0 (480 Mbps)
Network Jacks (1) 2.5 GbE
Audio Jacks (5) Analog + SPDIF
Legacy Ports/Jacks ✗
Other Ports/Jack ✗
PCIe x16 (2) v4.0 x16, (x16/x0, x8/x8 – Also x8/x8/x4 – PCIe 3.0)
PCIe x8 ✗
PCIe x4 (1) v3.0 x4
PCIe x1 (1) v3.0 x1
CrossFire/SLI AMD Quad CrossFireX, 3-Way, and CrossFireX
DIMM slots (4) DDR4 4800+(OC), 128GB Capacity
M.2 slots (1) PCIe 4.0 x4 / PCIe (up to 80mm)
(1) PCIe 3.0 x4 / PCIe (up to 80mm)
(1) PCIe 3.0 x4 / PCIe (up to 110mm) *Supports RAID 0 and 1
U.2 Ports ✗
SATA Ports (6) SATA3 6 Gbps *Supports RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10
USB Headers (1) USB v3.2 Gen 2×2 (Front Panel Type-C)
(2) USB v3.2 Gen 1
(1) USB v2.0
Fan/Pump Headers (7) 4-Pin
RGB Headers (2) ARGB (3-pin)
(2) RGB (4-pin)
Legacy Interfaces ✗
Other Interfaces FP-Audio, TPM
Diagnostics Panel Dr. Debug 2-character LED
Internal Button/Switch Power and Reset buttons, reset CMOS button
SATA Controllers ✗
Ethernet Controller(s) (1) Killer E3100G (2.5 GbE)
(1) Intel I219-V (GbE)
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth (1) Killer AX1675x (WiFi-6E, 2×2 160 Hz/6 GHz, MU-MIMO, OFDMA, BT 5.2)
USB Controllers Asmedia ASM1042A (plus re-drivers)
HD Audio Codec Realtek ALC1220
DDL/DTS Connect ✗ / ✗
Warranty 3 Years

Along with the motherboard, the box includes several accessories ranging from cables to graphic card holders and an additional VRM fan. The included accessories should get you started without a trip to the store. Below is a complete list of all included extras.

  • Support DVD / Quick installation Guide
  • Graphics card holder
  • Wi-Fi Antenna
  • (4) SATA cables
  • (3) Screw package for M.2 sockets
  • (3) Standoffs for M.2 sockets
  • Wireless dongle USB bracket
  • 3010 Cooling Fan with bracket
  • 4010 Cooling Fan bracket

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(Image credit: ASRock)

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(Image credit: ASRock)

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(Image credit: ASRock)

Once you remove the Z590 PG Velocita from the box, one of the first things you’ll notice (if you’re familiar with the previous model) are the design changes. ASRock sticks with the black and red theme but forgoes the red stenciling on the black PCB from the last generation. The VRM heatsinks are large, connected via heatpipe and actively cooled out of the box by a small fan hidden in the left heatsink. ASRock includes an additional small fan and brackets for the top VRM heatsink (we did not use this in any test). The rear IO cover also sports the black and red Phantom Gaming design theme, along with the ASRock branding lit up with RGB lighting. The heatsinks on the bottom half of the board cover the three M.2 sockets and the chipset heatsink. The latter sports a PCB and chip under clear plastic for a unique look. Overall, I like the changes ASRock made to the appearance of this board, and it should fit in well with more build themes.

(Image credit: ASRock)

As we look closer at the top half of the board, we start by focusing on the VRM area. These aren’t the most robust parts below the heatsink, so additional cooling is welcomed. Just above the VRM heatsinks are two 8-pin EPS connectors (one required) to power the processor. To the right of the socket area are four unreinforced DRAM slots with latches on one side. ASRock lists supported speeds up to DDR4 4800(OC) with a maximum capacity of 128GB. As always, your mileage may vary as support depends on the CPU’s IMC and the kit you use to reach those speeds.

Located above the DRAM slots, we find the first two (of seven) 4-pin fan headers. The CPU/Water Pump and Chassis/Water Pump headers both support 24W/12A, with the remainder of the fan headers supporting 12W/1A. There are plenty of fan/pump headers on this board to support the motherboard running them all without a controller if you choose. A third 4-pin header is located in this area, while a fourth is in an odd spot, just below the left VRM heatsink. Outside of that, all headers auto-sense if a 3- or 4-pin connector is attached.

Just to the right of the fan headers up top are an ARGB (3-pin) and RGB header (4-pin). You’ll find the other two on the bottom edge of the board. The Polychrome Sync application controls these LEDs and any attached to the headers.

On the right edge are power and reset buttons, while just below those are the 24-pin ATX header for power to the board. Just below this is the first USB 3.2 Gen1 front panel header and the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C front panel header.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

ASRock uses a 12-phase configuration for the CPU. Power goes through the 8-pin EPS connector(s) and is sent to the Renesas ISL69269 (X+Y+Z=12) controller. The controller then sends power to six Renesas ISL6617A phase doublers and finally onto the 12 Vishay 50A SIC654 DrMOS power stages. This provides 600A total to the CPU. While not the highest value we’ve seen, the VRM’s easily handled our CPU at stock and overclocked, with some help from the active cooling fan. This board comes with another fan, however, we chose not to use it and after testing, found there wasn’t a need for it.

(Image credit: ASRock)

Moving down to the bottom half of the board, we’ll start on the left side with audio. Hidden below the plastic shroud is the premium Realtek ALC1220 codec. ASRock chose to go with the last generation’s flagship solution instead of jumping up to the latest 4000 series Realtek codec, likely to cut costs. We also spy a few Nichicon Fine Gold audio capacitors poking through the said shroud. This board doesn’t have a fancy DAC as more expensive boards tend to, but this solution will still be satisfactory for an overwhelming majority of users.

In the middle of the board, we see three full-length reinforced PCIe slots (and an x1 slot) as well as the heatsinks that cover the three M.2 sockets. Starting with the PCIe configuration, when using 11th gen CPU, the top two slots are PCIe 4.0 capable with the slot breakdown as follows: x16/x0, x8/x8, or x8/x8/x4 (PCIe 3.0). ASRock says the PG Velocita supports Quad CrossfireX, 3-Way CrossFireX and CrossfireX. As is increasingly common, there’s no mention of SLI support. The x1 slot is connected via the chipset and runs at PCIe 3.0 x1 speeds.

Looking at M.2 storage, the top socket, M2_1, is connected directly to the CPU and offers the fastest speeds (PCIe 4.0 x4 @ 64 Gbps), supporting up to 80mm devices. The second slot down, M2_2, is chipset connected, supporting PCIe 3.0 x4 speeds and accepting SATA-based modules. The bottom socket, M2_3, is also fed from the chipset and runs both SATA-based drives and PCIe, at 3.0 x4 speeds. If M2_2 is occupied, SATA ports 0/1 will be disabled. If M2_3 has a SATA-type drive installed, SATA 3 will be disabled. In the worst-case scenario, when all M.2 sockets are populated (one with a SATA drive), you’ll still have three SATA ports available as well. The top two sockets hold up to 80 mm modules while the bottom supports up to 110 mm drives.

To the right of the PCIe socket sits the chipset heatsink and its PCB-under-plexi look. Continuing to the right edge, we spot another 4-pin fan/pump header, the second USB 3.2 Gen1 header and six SATA ports. Below that is another 4-pin fan header and finally a clear CMOS button to reset your BIOS. Around the SATA ports are the mounting holes for the included GPU support bar. Including this in the box is a great value add, especially with graphics cards seemingly getting larger and heavier as time goes on.

Across the board’s bottom are several headers, including more USB ports, fan headers and more. Below is the complete list, from left to right:

  • Front-panel audio
  • Thunderbolt header
  • UART header
  • RGB and ARGB headers 
  • USB 2.0 header
  • TPM header
  • (2) Chassis/WP headers
  • Dr. Debug LED
  • Temperature sensor, water flow headers
  • Speaker
  • Front panel header

(Image credit: ASRock)

Flipping the board around to the rear IO area, there’s the pre-installed IO plate which matches the colors and design of the rest of the board. There are 10 USB ports: You get two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (Type-A and Type-C), six USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and two USB 2.0 ports, all of which have ESD protection. Two of these ports, outlined in red, are the Lightning ports. The ports are sourced from two different controller interfaces, allowing gamers to connect their mice/keyboard with the lowest jitter latency–according to ASRock. On the video front, the PG Velocita includes an HDMI port and DisplayPort for use with the integrated video on the processor.

Also here are the Intel (black) and Killer (blue) Ethernet ports on the networking front. The Killer LAN can communicate directly with the CPU, yielding lower latency than chipset-connected LAN–again according to ASRock. Next up are the antenna ports for Wi-Fi 6E and, finally, the gold-plated 5-plug audio stack plus SPDIF.         

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