ASRock X870 Taichi Creator Motherboard Review: Dual USB4, Dual Gen5x16, Dual Gen5 M.2, Dual LAN, Strong VRM Design, All For $319

ASRock X870 Taichi Creator - Unboxing & Close Up Inspection

The ASRock X870 Taichi Creator motherboard comes in a standard cardboard package. The front features a large picture of the motherboard along with a gold and black color scheme. The box also lists a few features, such as WIFI7, HDMI, and Polychrome Sync RGB.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard, such as the 18+2+1 SPS power system, Dual PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, Dual USB4 Type-C ports, Dual LAN ports, WIFI7 wireless connectivity, 36W PD3.0 quick charge ports, dual blazing M.2 slots and EZ release design.

Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories and is located right below the box holder for the board itself. You get:

• 4 x SATA Data Cables
• 1 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz Antenna
• 1 x ARGB Splitter Cable
• 1 x Thermistor Cable

With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package.

The ASRock X870 Taichi Creator motherboard is an ATX offering that measures 244 x 305 mm. The motherboard carries a black color scheme with gold colored heatsinks and face plates that adopt a reflective touch.

ASRock's X870 Taichi Creator is part of the new AM5 refresh lineup. This is the third motherboard that we have tested in the series and offers a noticable change over the previous-gen 600-series designs, while going for the PRO aesthetics.

The board uses the LGA 1718 socket to support AMD Ryzen "AM5" processors. The socket works with Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000G, and Ryzen 9000 CPUs and will also support future generations of AM5 Ryzen chips that are supported by the platform.

Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 256 GB of dual-channel (24/48/64 GB modules) memory.

These slots are rated to support XMP/EXPO profiles up to 8000 MT/s (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position, so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. Each slot is also combined with a reinforced design to make sure signal integrity remains good while keeping the slots durable for long-term usage. The full QVL list can be found here.

The ASRock X870 Taichi Creator motherboard features a 18+2+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX)  phase SPS VRM power delivery that utilizes the MPS2512 "MP2857" PWM controller, and MPS2435 "MP87681" 80A stages for the VCore. All capacitors are labeled with 20K "270C E37" ratings.

The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the AM5 socket.

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The board uses an 8-layer server-grade PCB with 2oz thickened copper in a low-loss design, retaining signal integrity for stable CPU and memory operations.

The VRMs receive ample cooling from a large aluminum heatsink solution, which covers the VRMs.

The CPU is supplied power through an 8+8-pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 600 Watts of power. The AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs are very power-hungry, with the maximum target power going above 220W for the flagship Ryzen 9 9950X CPU.

Coming to the cooling solution, we first have the Aluminum VRM heatsink, which makes use of two aluminum blocks with a series of fins that are stacked together.

Underneath the VRM heatsink are 7W/mK Thermal pads, which transfer heat from the VRMs to the heatsink.

Expansion slots include three PCI Express x16 (2 x Gen 5.0 x16 & 1 x Gen 3.0 x16) and four M.2 slots. There is also a single vertical M.2 Key-E socket that supports a 2230 form factor WiFi/BT PCIe module.

CPU:

• 2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Slots (PCIE1 and PCIE2), support x16 or x8/x8 modes

Chipset:

• 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE3), supports x4 mode
• 1 x Vertical M.2 Socket (Key E), supports type 2230 WiFi/BT PCIe WiFi module

The motherboard utilizes a full metallic slot for the first Gen5 x16 connector. There's an EZ release lever for the primary Gen5 x16 slot.

The motherboard also has a vast array of M.2 slots, and all four are featured under M.2 XXL M.2 heatsinks. The primary M.2 slot features Gen5 connectivity with dual-sided thermal pads and an EZ release mechanism.

The other slots are situated under two separate heatsinks, which also act as a cover plate for the board. They feature a silver finish and extend from the PCH heatsink.

The rest of the M.2 SSD slots are featured under two larger cover plates, which feature a screw design. All four M.2 slots have thermal pads underneath them, while the two Blazing Gen5 slots have dual-sided heat pads.

Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the ASRock X870 Taichi Creator motherboard:

CPU:

• 1 x Blazing M.2 Socket (M2_1, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen5x4 (128 Gb/s) mode
• 1 x Blazing M.2 Socket (M2_2, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen5x4 (128 Gb/s) mode

Chipset:

• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_3, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
• 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket (M2_4, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen3x4 (32 Gb/s) mode
• 4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors

The X870 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with a stylish acrylic accent plate that features a reflective surface and has a large "Creator" logo.

Although the motherboard doesn't feature any onboard RGB LEDs, it does feature 1 RGB LED header, and 3 ARGB headers for customization. The board also features Polychrome Sync RGB support.

There are a lot of buttons and internal IO connectors on the motherboard.

Storage options include four SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 4 different storage devices at once. You also get 1 USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C, 4 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, and 6 USB 2 front-panel options.

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ASRock uses a 7.1 CH HD audio design with the latest Realtek ALC4082 CODEC, providing up to 130 dB SNR. The full list of connectors on the motherboard include:

• 1 x Thermistor Cable Header
• 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
• 1 x RGB LED Header
• 3 x Addressable LED Headers
• 2 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• 4 x Chassis Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• 1 x AIO Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
• 2 x 8 pin 12V Power Connectors (Hi-Density Power Connector)
• 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector (15μ Gold Audio Connector)
• 3 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 6 USB 2.0 ports)
• 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Headers (Support 4 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports)
• 1 x Front Panel Type C USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Header (20 Gb/s)
• 1 x Dr. Debug with LED
• 1 x Power Button with LED
• 1 x Reset Button with LED

ASRock is using the latest WIFI 7 Module (802.11be 2x2) to power wireless connectivity with a 160 MHz channel bandwidth and Bluetooth 5.4. In terms of Ethernet, there are two LAN ports, a 5GbE (RTL8126) & a 10 GbE (Aquantia AQC113).

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• 2 x Antenna Ports
• 1 x HDMI Port
• 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
• 2 x USB4 Type-C Ports (40 Gb/s)
• 2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports (10 Gb/s)
• 6 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A Ports (USB32_1234 supports Ultra USB Power.)
• 2 x USB 2.0 Ports
• 2 x RJ-45 LAN Ports
• 1 x Clear CMOS Button
• 1 x BIOS Flashback Button
• 1 x Line Out Jack (Gold Audio Jack)
• 1 x Microphone Input Jack (Gold Audio Jack)

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