Verdict and Conclusion
When Intel launched the Z690 chipset supporting 12th Gen processors I had mixed feelings. Yes, it was the first platform to support DDR5 ram, and yes it did offer better performance over older generation of processors. But I just didn’t like the fact that if you had a 10th Gen or a 11th Gen processor and you want to upgrade to the 12th gen, you had to buy a complete new setup again, which means new motherboard, new cooler (due to the new LGA1700 socket) etc. I suppose if you go with Intel, you can’t get away from their Tick-Tock model.
For those who are already on the Intel’s 12th Gen platform, you’re in luck. With Intel’s new Z790 chipset and their new 13th Gen processor (Raptor Lake), you should be able to use most, if not all of the existing components.
Unlike AMD with its standard core/thread count, for example 8 cores/16 threads …. Intel have opted for P-cores (performance cores) and E-cores (efficiency cores), with asynchronous thread count. The processor which used for our testing the ASRock Z790 Taichi motherboard was the Intel 13th Gen Core i9-13900K, which has 8 P-cores, 16 E-cores giving a total of 24 cores, but offers only 32 threads not 48.
OK, lets get back on track with the ASRock Z790 Taichi motherboard. As I mentioned before, the motherboard now features a powerful 24+2+1 Phase Power Design, and SPS for VCore+GT, which is provides extra stability especially when overclocking your processor. To help cool the VRMs/Mosfets, you’ll find several large heatsinks on the top and on left side of the motherboard. It also comes with full cover heat shield for the Hyper M.2 SSD slots, as well as a sleek metal backplate to help with the cooling and adds rigidity to the motherboard.
The DDR5 DIMM slots features the same steel reinforcements as found on ASRock’s other Taichi motherboards, and you also get surface mount technology on the PCIE 5.0 x16 slots, which gives it better strength and stability while overclocking. Excellent!
I love the clockwork/cog feature on the I/O hood which is very distinctive of the Taichi design, and on closer inspection, you’ll see an active fan hidden underneath. I have to say, this motherboard has a feature list longer than my arm! What’s more, the performance is truely stunning too.
During our tests, we used an Intel 13th Gen Core i9-13900K processor and a GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card. We managed to pull some mind-blowing scores in all of our benchmarks, including a Cinebench R23 scores of 31,664 (multi core) and 2,228 (single core). For PCMark 10, we got a score of 9,881, and a score of 12,034 for PassMark9.
For UL’s latest Procyon Photo Editing Benchmark, we got a score of 10,757 and 9,174 for the video editing suite. For 3DMark Speed Way and Port Royal, we got a score of 5,129 and 12,752 respectively. And finally, for Timespy and Firestrike, we got decent scores of 19,350 and 39,029 respectively.
If you’re after storage options, the ASRock Z790 Taichi has plenty, there’s a total of 8 x SATA3 ports, 1 x Blazing M.2 (PCIE Gen5x4) slot and 4 x Hyper M.2 (PCIE Gen4x4) slots for your SSDs.
For expansion slots, there’s 2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots for graphic cards and 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 slot for add-on cards. And if you want to connect more devices to your motherboard, you get ASRock’s Lightning Gaming Ports, 2 x USB4 Type-C (Rear), 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C (Front), 5 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (Rear), 7 x USB 3.2 Gen1 (3 Rear, 4 Front), and 2 x Thunderbolt 4 (Type-C) ports. All these ports can be found on the rear I/O panel, which also includes the HDMI port and mic-in, line-out and SPDIF out.
And when it come to LAN connectivity, you get both the Intel Gigabit LAN and the Killer E3100 2.5G LAN, as well as the Killer AX1675 802.11ax (WiFi 6E) + Bluetooth, which is than enough even for any gamer, content creator or streamer.
We didn’t get a MSRP on the ASRock Z790 Taichi
Pros:
- Enthusiast-grade performance
- Intel Z790 chipset
- Supports Intel 13th Gen Core processor (Raptor Lake)
- Supports PCIE 5.0 x16 for GPU
- PCIE 5.0 Gen5x4 slot for SSD
- Supports DDR5-6600 (O.C.)
- Feature-packed
- Killer 2.5G LAN + Intel Gigabit LAN
- Killer WiFi 6e support
Cons:
- Nil – But Intel 13th Gen processors can really HOT!
Final Words:
The Z790 Taichi is yet another great addition to ASRock’s line-up of enthusiast flagship motherboards. It’s absolutely packed with great features, with performance that’s out of this world. If you’re planning to upgrade to Intel’s new Z790 platform, along with their 13th Gen processor, then the ASRock Z790 Taichi motherboard is your perfect match.
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