SAPPHIRE’s X870E Phantom Link board hints at an updated ASUS Q-Release design ahead of CES 2026 reveal
Some of our readers may recall that AMD and Intel 800-series motherboards from ASUS were among the first to ship with an updated Q-Release system for PCIe graphics cards. The “Slim” version replaced the release button with a pull mechanism.
The design turned GPU removal into a tight-space problem because you had to pull the card from a specific side. The bigger issue was that some cards ended up with visible scratches . ASUS first pushed back on the reports, but ASUS China later confirmed a revision was coming to prevent the scratching. Now, it looks like ASUS may be preparing another update for an AM5 refresh expected around CES 2026 , and an upcoming SAPPHIRE board may show what that experience will look like.
Source: JustBuy
Chinese creator JustBuy, who recently showcased a NITRO+ RX 9070 XT “Phantom Link” graphics card , has now unboxed an X870E Phantom Link Edition motherboard. Phantom Link is built around ASUS’s GC-HPWR connector, meant to reduce GPU cable handling by moving the connection point to the board. JustBuy also stresses this is not a backside-connector motherboard. It is a standard-layout board that adds Phantom Link support, and the unit shown is a review sample, not the final retail version.
Source: JustBuy
The key detail is how power is routed. The motherboard still includes a 12V-2×6 connector (the 16-pin standard used by NVIDIA’s cable spec), and on this SAPPHIRE design it sits only a few inches away from the Phantom Link header. You still connect a cable, just not into the GPU itself. With the GC-HPWR link handling the GPU-side connection, cable removal stops being part of the GPU removal process, and that lines up with the “easy release” goal ASUS is chasing with Q-Release revisions.
Source: JustBuy
JustBuy’s walkthrough also lists early specs and layout notes. The board is said to use a 16+2+1 phase VRM configuration (final controller and component details were not provided). It has four DDR5 slots with a claimed maximum of 256GB and a stated 8400 MT/s OC target. Storage includes four SATA ports and four M.2 slots: the first two are PCIe 5.0 x4, and the third and fourth are PCIe 4.0 x4. All M.2 slots have heatsinks, and the heatsinks are designed for quick removal.
SAPPHIRE has not announced pricing or a release date, and JustBuy notes the board shown is an early sample. He also mentions a white “Aurora” variant is planned, shown by another creator. For now, treat this as an early look at how Phantom Link can pair with a revised GPU release mechanism, not as a confirmed CES launch.
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