For PC builders, there’s no shortage of reliable, enthusiast-grade X870 motherboards to choose from right now. But putting together a parts list isn’t strictly about functionality—it’s also about style. Fortunately, for fans of all-white builds, Chinese component maker Colorful has released a stylish new ATX option: the CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14.
The CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 is the latest entry in Colorful’s CVN line of mid-range, aircraft carrier–themed gaming motherboards, and it marks the brand’s first foray into AMD’s AM5 platform. The AM5 socket and X870 chipset support AMD’s latest 9000 series processors, and the motherboard is designed to push the platform to its limits through Colorful’s EZ Overclocking settings, all while maintaining cool and consistent temperatures.
Colorful is relatively unknown in the West, but the brand is dominant in the Asian PC gaming scene, particularly in China. The company is most well-known for its graphics cards but also produces an impressive array of motherboards, laptops, RAM, and SSDs.
It’s not every day someone on this side of the ocean gets to try out Colorful components. So when the CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 came up for review, my curiosity went beyond testing new hardware—it was a chance to see what gamers on the other side of the internet have been using. After putting it through its paces, I can confidently say that Colorful makes an impressive board.
“The CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 is the latest entry in Colorful’s CVN line of mid-range, aircraft carrier–themed gaming motherboards, and it marks the brand’s first foray into AMD’s AM5 platform.”
The motherboard fully leverages the X870 chipset, providing the speed and connectivity options you’d expect from a mid-range motherboard from industry leaders like GIGABYTE or ASUS. But the key difference lies in its unique styling. The aircraft carrier theme is certainly a choice—it’s not as sleek or modern as an ASUS ROG or MSI Carbon. Instead, it has a sturdy, industrial vibe that looks every bit as heavy as it feels.
The styling is a mixed bag. The stark white PCB and brushed-alloy heat sinks look great, but the orange military block text feels out of place and distracts from the otherwise clean design. Every time I peer into my PC, I find myself wondering: Why is my Chinese motherboard branded like a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier?
Real-world CVN designations currently top out at 83, yet the I/O heat sink is stamped with an 87, suggesting my motherboard is cosplaying as a warship from the future. It’s kind of metal but undeniably odd. Personally, I prefer Colorful’s cat-themed “MEOW” components, but I’m sure the naval motif will find a loving home in the chassis of World of Warships fans.
While the motherboard is clearly built with gamers and overclockers in mind, it’s also a content creator’s dream. Its memory and storage options are well-suited for handling professional-grade video files or complex 3D rendering projects.
The board features two PCIe 5.0 x4–ready slots, one PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, and four 6Gb/s SATA connections. For high-speed file transfers, a 40Gbps USB-C 4.0 port is available on the rear I/O, along with four 5Gbps USB-A 3.2 ports, one 10Gbps USB-A 3.2 port, and two USB-A 2.0 ports. It also features built-in Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth support, accompanied by a white plastic antenna that attaches to the I/O shield via two screw-on connectors.
Defining the exact market tier in which the CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 will compete is challenging, as pricing and availability have not been officially announced at the time of writing. However, a post on Colorful’s Instagram page includes a pull quote referencing a price of HK$1,999—roughly USD $255. If accurate, that would position it firmly in the mid-range segment. Comparing its capabilities to other motherboards in this tier, such as the ASUS TUF GAMING X870-PLUS or the MSI PRO X870-P, the price would be appropriate but not exactly a steal.
The motherboard features a 14+2+1 phase VRM with 80A DrMOS, allowing it to efficiently regulate voltage and deliver stable current to the CPU, even under heavy loads or during overclocking. It’s an excellent power set-up but not class-leading.
The same can be said about the RAM support. The motherboard features four DIMM slots that can each accommodate 48 GB sticks of EXPO-equipped DDR5, for a total of 192 GB, with supported speeds of up to 8200 MT/s (overclocked). It has more than enough RAM for gaming and creative work, but its maximum 192 GB capacity falls short of the 256 GB offered by the $279.99 ASUS TUF Gaming X870-PLUS.
“The CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 is remarkably sturdy and easy to work with.”
The “Frozen” in the motherboard name comes from Colorful’s CVN Frost Armor heat sinks, which are machined from solid alloy blocks. They’re thick, heavy—and they work. The heat sinks feature milled fins that draw air from a top-mounted case fan to drive airflow through the VRM fins, down the I/O shield, and out over the GPU. The shielding over the chipset and M.2 drives also uses milled fins, with channels that run the length of the heat sink to help direct hot air out the back of the case.
The M.2 heat sinks also come with pre-applied elastic thermal pads—a nice touch for a mid-range board. However, removing the heat sink after installing an M.2 drive proved precarious. The thermal pad is very sticky and adheres tightly to the hard drive. As you pull off the heat sink, it puts stress on the connector. If you’ve secured the drive with mounting screws, this won’t be an issue. But I had opted to use the quick-release clips built into the board, which disengaged under the strain. Quick releases are a welcome convenience, but in this case, I’d recommend sticking with screws.
When it came to building, that was the only issue I ran into. The CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 is remarkably sturdy and easy to work with. It features alloy-reinforced PCIe slots and an offset lock switch that slides a metal housing over your GPU’s locking tab, making installation and removal a breeze.
Once your build is complete, Colorful’s G-UI BIOS is similarly user-friendly. G-UI is an intuitive and comprehensive UEFI system and comes with a host of tools for anyone looking to push their system further than the one-click overclocking presets allow.
Calling the UEFI documentation and English-language support “light” would be generous. Still, for anyone who’s navigated a UEFI menu before, GU-I won’t present any challenges. Component controls are laid out with graphical icons, while quick controls are organized in drop-down menus. Everything you need for an initial boot can be found on the main screen, and the advanced menu offers more experienced users granular control over their system.
Additional controls and performance monitoring can be accessed through Colorful’s iGameCenter software. As far as motherboard utilities go, iGameCenter is decent. Notably, if you’re running an unactivated copy of Windows 11, it offers a handy workaround for adjusting hardware RGB lighting.
With a registered account, you also gain access to an AI assistant. Officially labeled a “pet,” she’s actually a chibi space girl who lives in a tube. Once released, she wanders the screen, occasionally obstructing your view. Her functionality is limited to navigating the iGameCenter interface and toggling performance monitors, and not all features are available in English.
Our interactions were frequently interrupted by sudden switches into Mandarin, and overall, she wasn’t particularly helpful. So, she’s been permanently banished back to her tube. I may never know what the intimacy counter on her UI was for, but I firmly believe I’m better off not knowing.
“The CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 is a compelling mid-range motherboard that delivers cool, stable performance.”
I’ve been running the test build with a Ryzen 9700X and 32GB of 6000MHz CL30 Patriot Viper Venom DDR5 (EXPO 1 profile enabled) for a few weeks now, and the system has been remarkably stable overall. I encountered some boot issues early on, but a quick press of the BIOS update button on the I/O shield resolved the issue. Even with just three case fans, internal temperatures have stayed below 70°C—even while pushing frame rates in Cyberpunk 2077 and recording extended gameplay sessions of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Colorful, but I came away impressed—and genuinely curious to see what they do next. The CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 is a compelling mid-range motherboard that delivers cool, stable performance. While it has a few styling quirks and limited support, it proved to be more than capable of gaming and content creation, even without the full 192GB complement of RAM and with only limited overclocking capabilities.
If priced competitively, this board is easy to recommend. For gamers and creative professionals alike, the CVN X870 Ark Frozen V14 offers a solid foundation for your next PC build.
