ASRock Z87 OC Formula Overclocking Motherboard Review

When choosing computer components brand and/or your brand loyalty often are a major factor in the decision process.  It's only when something new or different comes along that you decide to check out some of  reviews which might be one reason you are reading this.  The ASRock Z87 OC Formula is a very unique motherboard that many people may overlock which would be a shame since it addresses some of the concerns overclockers have when dealing with overclocking motherboards.  We'll give you a hint; it's not all about overclocking.

The ASRock Z87 OC Formula is a typical overclocking motherboard with features that we might consider standards for a motherboard of this caliber.  There is an oversized CPU VRM backed by a large heatsink that is actively cooled by a small fan or can be hooked into your water loop using 3/8" ID sized tubing.  Motherboard layout is quite good and follows, what appears to be, a typical design layout for dual GPU video card support.  Overall the design will support up to four graphics cards but is clearly optimized for dual card operation

Benchtop options include voltage test points, onboard buttons for power and reset and Rapid OC buttons.  These buttons also control temperature and voltage display to the OLED debug screen.  For those of you dabbling in LN2 there are switches for Slow Mode and LN2 Mode that aid in system tuning under extreme cold.

Maybe one of the biggest features found on the ASRock Z87 OC Formula is the application of a conformal coating over the entire PCB.  LN2 overclockers are very meticulous when it comes to motherboard insulation and often point out flaws in methods that don't match their own.  Some use kneaded art eraser while others apply generous amounts of Vaseline to the surface of the motherboard.  The end result is the same as they are attempting to create a barrier against condensation.  

The conformal coating applied to the OC Formula does the same thing without the nasty side effects of a voided warranty and badmouthing from your peers.  Of course the benefits extend beyond overclocking to protect against dust, humidity and extremely random spilled soup that just so happens to have landed inside your case.  Keep in mind that conformal coating isn't a miracle cure for system protection and only applies to the system PCB.  Your addon cards and memory modules are still exposed to soup damage.

Overclocking the ASRock Z87 OC Formula was actually quite fun.  There were some challenges in finding the features we needed in the UEFI, in part due to them all being on the same page but, after some intense scrolling everything came together.  You will find several pre-built overclocking profiles in the UEFI.  We found them to work quite well but offered up excessive voltage so we would recommend using them as a starting point for your own system.

Active Cooled VRM Heatsink
Watercooling Support
4-Way GPU Support
Voltage test points
Separated Audio Electronics
Conformal Coating
LN2 Overclocking Modes

Getting lost in the UEFI menu