ASRock X870E Taichi LITE Motherboard Review – Same Enthusiast-Grade PCB At A Cost-Effective Price

ASRock X870E Taichi LITE Motherboard - Unboxing & Close Up Inspection

The ASRock X870E Taichi LITE motherboard comes in a standard cardboard package. The front features a large Taichi logo. The packaging also lists down a few features such as WIFI7, & support for PCIe 5 (GPU/NVMe), DDR5, and Overclocking.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the 24+2+1 SPS power system, the premium EZ Release design, USB4 support, 20K caps with 1000uF capacitance, WIFI7 wireless connectivity, 5GbE LAN and 8-layer PCB.

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
• 3 x Thermistor Cables

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

The ASRock X870E Taichi LITE motherboard is an E-ATX offering that measures 267 x 305 mm. The motherboard carries a silver and black color scheme and while it isn't as flashy as the standard Taichi variant, it still looks brilliantly designed.

While the ASRock X870E Taichi may feature some fancy features, the LITE variant is more or less the same motherboard, rocking the same high-end PCB and retains a very serious look. The LITE series are often the better value for overclockers who just want to use the PCB prowess to achieve world records.

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 192 GB of dual-channel (24/48 GB modules) memory.

These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 8200 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. There are at least 9 memory kits rated at DDR5-8200 which are supported by the motherboard. The motherboard fully supports XMP & EXPO profiles.

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The ASRock X870E Taichi LITE motherboard features a 24+2+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX)  phase SPS VRM power delivery that utilizes the Renesas RAA 229628 PWM controller & R2209004 HBD  S2347UBU (110A) stages for the VCore. All capacitors are labeled with 20K "1000B E19 & 270C D49" ratings.

The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the AM5 socket. 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 CPU is supplied power through an 8+8 pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 300 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 VRM heatsink which makes use of two aluminum blocks with a series of fins that are stacked together. The heatsink doesn't feature any heat pipe.

Underneath the VRM heatsink are 9W/mK Thermal pads which transfer heat from the VRMs to the heatsink. Expansion slots include two PCI Express x16 (2 x Gen 5.0 x16) and four M.2 slots.

CPU:

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

Chipset:

• - 1 x Vertical M.2 Socket (Key E), supports type 2230 WiFi/BT PCIe WiFi module

The motherboard utilizes reinforced steel PCIe 5.0 slots which feature extra anchor points, stronger latches, and can install heavy-weight graphics cards without worrying about GPU sag or slot tears. The LITE variant doesn't feature the EZ Graphics Release solution.

The motherboard also has a vast array of M.2 slots, all of which are featured under dedicated M.2 XXL M.2 heatsinks.

One of the larger heatsinks also works as a cover plate for the motherboard's lower portion. It has a silver finish and underneath, you can find dual-sided thermal pads. You need to remove the plastic sticker from the thermal pads before installing a new SSD for proper heat transfer. This is the only M.2 heatsink that requires tools for removal.

The third M.2 slot is located next to the DIMM slots. This XXL M.2 heatsink features a toolless design and doesn't require you to use any tools for installation or removal of the SSD.

The primary M.2 XXL heatsink is the bigger one and provides better cooling to a Gen5 M.2 SSD. This has the same toolless mechanism for the M.2 SSDs. Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the ASRock X870E Taichi motherboard:

CPU:

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

Chipset:

• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_2, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_3, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_4, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
• 6 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors

The X870E PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with the Taichi logo and the Taichi gears engraved into the reflective cover.

The motherboard doesn't feature any RGB LEDs but it has various RGB connectors for those who want illumination within their PCs.

Storage options include four SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 4 different storage devices at once. There are also 3 USB 3.2 front panel connectors (1 x Gen 2x2 + 4 x Gen 1). 4 USB 2.0 front panel connectors are also included.

ASRock uses a 5.1 CH HD audio design with the latest Realtek ALC4082 CODEC with WIMA audio capacitors and ESS SABRE9219 DAC for rear panel audio, providing up to 130db SRN. There is a large selection of connectors on the motherboard such as the Power On/Off, Reset buttons, a DEBUG LED, and more.

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The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.

• 3 x Thermistor Cable Headers
• 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 Water 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)
• 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 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 to power wireless connectivity with a 160MHz channel bandwidth and Bluetooth 5.4. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single LAN port powered by the 5GbE RTL8126 controller.

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)
• 5 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports (10 Gb/s) (USB32_12 are Lightning Gaming Ports.)
• 3 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A Ports (USB32_34 supports Ultra USB Power.)
• 2 x USB 2.0 Ports
• 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port
• 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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