Verdict and Conclusion
Now we all know about the lacklustre gaming performance of the recently launched Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, so with that in mind, we turn our attention to the wealth of enthusiast features that the ASRock Z890 Taichi has to offer.
For starters, the motherboard uses an 8-layer, 2oz copper server-grade PCB, and features a powerful 20+1+2+1+1 Power Phase Design with 20K capacitors, and 110A SPS for smooth power delivery and stability. It’s also equipped with a large metal backplate and a composite VRM heatsink combining a cooling fan, a large aluminum sink and a heat pipe for maximum heat dissipation.
What’s interesting about the motherboard, is that it comes with 4 x DDR5 DIMM slots with Memory OC Shield, and supports both XMP and AMD’s EXPO memory modules with speeds of up to DDR5-9600+.
During our tests, we managed to get some really good scores in all of our benchmarks, including a Cinebench 2024 score of 2,433 points for multi core, and 145 points for single core. For PCMark 10, we got a decent score of 9,078, and a score of 16,322 for PassMark 11.
For UL’s Procyon Video Editing Benchmark, we got a score of 11,469 and a score of 235 for the AI Computer Vision Benchmark. For 3DMark Steel Nomad and Speedway, we got decent scores of 6,617 and 7,539 respectively. And finally, for Port Royal and Timespy, we got very good scores of 18,532 and 28,814 respectively.
For storage, it comes with 4 x SATA ports, 1 x Blazing M.2 PCIE Gen5 slot, and 5 x Hyper M.2 PCIE Gen4 slots.The most we’ve seen on a motherboard. And if that’s not enough, ASRock have included a PCIE M.2 Expansion card allowing you to install an additional up to 4 x M.2 SSDs.
It also includes a unique M.2 Heatsink, which features a tool-less design and a quick-release notch for easy installation of SSDs. What’s more, it also comes with the graphics card EZ Release design allows hassle-free installation and removal of GPUs. This is something I really like!
You also get plenty of connectivity on the back I/O panel, including connectors for WiFi 7 antennas, HDMI ouput, clear CMOS button, BIOS Flashback button, 2 x USB 2.0 ports, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, 2 x Lightning USB ports, 2 x Ultra USB power ports, 2.5GB LAN, 5GB LAN, 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector, Line-out and Mic-in.
And here’s something for the enthusiasts … you’ll find a handy diagnostic LED, onboard power-on and reset buttons, a ton of 4-pin fan headers for cooling, solid metal backplate, and easy-to-access clear CMOS and BIOS Flashback buttons on the rear I/O panel.
Other features include the Realtek 7.1 HD Nahimic audio with WIMA caps, Polychrome RGB, a total of 19 USB ports (10 rear, 9 front), WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. And lastly, you get the 2 x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 1 x 2.5GbE LAN and 1 x 5GbE LAN for super fast connectivity.
You can buy the ASRock Z890 Taichi motherboard for around USD $499 from Amazon – https://amzn.to/3YV7ZDl
Final Words:
All said and done, we think the ASRock Z890 Taichi is currently one of the best enthusiast motherboards on the market right now. It checks all the boxes in terms of price, performance and features. If you’re thinking of getting the new Intel Core Ultra processor for your next PC build, and you want an enthusiast motherboard that does it all … then the ASRock Z890 Taichi is your answer.
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