ASRock X870E Taichi OCF Motherboard Review: ASRock’s First OC Formula For The AM5 Platform Brings Top-Notch OC Features

ASRock X870E Taichi OCF - Unboxing & Close Up Inspection

The ASRock X870E Taichi OCF motherboard comes in a hefty cardboard package. The front features a picture of the Taichi "OCF" logo in yellow. The packaging also lists support for PCIe 5.0 (GPU / NVMe), DDR5, WIFI7 and full readiness on AMD Ryzen 9000 Desktop CPUs..

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard, such as the 22+2+1 phase power design, the overclocking toolkit, dual USB4 Type-C ports, Dual Blazing M.2 (Gen5x4) ports, Wi-Fi 7, 5GbE LAN, 20K capacitors, and PD 3.0 Fast Charging support with up to 36W.

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

• 2 x SATA Data Cables
• 1 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz Antenna
• 1 x DRAM Cooling Fan
• 1 x ARGB Splitter Cable
• 2 x Thermistor Cables

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 OCF motherboard is an enthusiast-grade ATX offering that measures 243.84 x 304.8 mm. The motherboard comes with the iconic black and yellow theme that the Taichi OCF series is known for.

ASRock's OCF or OC Formula series is an iconic line that has served various generations of Intel CPUs. The motherboards feature exquisite designs, primed for overclocking, and this is the first time that AMD's Desktop CPUs will get the OCF treatment. The X870E Taichi OCF retains the yellow/black color scheme, which looks great, and this is the second current-gen OCF motherboard that we are testing, with the first one being ASRock's Z890 Taichi OCF.

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 memory.

These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 10400 MT/s (OC Plus) with Ryzen 8000G APUs and up to 8400 MT/s speeds with Ryzen 9000 CPUs. 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 ensure signal integrity remains good while keeping the slots durable for long-term usage. The full QVL list can be found here.

The ASRock X870E Taichi OCF motherboard features a 22+2+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX)  phase Duet Rail power delivery that is controlled by the Renesas RAA 229628 PWM controller and utilizes the R2209004 HBD 110A Power Stages.

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The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the AM5 socket. The board uses a 10-layer server-grade PCB with 2oz thickened copper.

The VRMs receive ample cooling from the high-end composite heatsink design, which includes XXL VRM heatsinks with several fin stacks, an integrated heatpipe solution, and even comes with a MOS Fan for further cooling. The fan is etched in the large heatsink and uses a 4-pin PWM connector to operate.

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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/X3D CPUs.

The heatsink and overall motherboard layout give out a very aggressive tone, which is nice to see on this premium OC motherboard.

Underneath the VRM heatsink are 11W/mK Thermal pads, which transfer heat from the VRMs to the heatsink.

Expansion slots include three PCI Express x16 (2 x Gen 5.0 x16/8 / 1x Gen 4.0x4) and six M.2 slots. The PCIe 4.0 x4 slot shares bandwidth with the M.2 Key E slot. If the M.2 slot is occupied, the PCIe slot will downgrade to x2 mode.

CPU:
- 2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Slots (PCIE2 and PCIE3), support x16 or x8/x8 modes
Chipset:
- 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4 Slot (PCIE1), supports x4 mode
- 1 x Vertical M.2 Socket (Key E), supports type 2230 WiFi/BT PCIe WiFi module

The motherboard utilizes a reinforced slot design and ASRock's EZ Release mechanism for the first PCIe Gen5 x16 slot. This provides for a seamless removal of graphics cards. Just pull the lever, and you can remove the graphics card with ease.

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

There are six M.2 slots on the ASRock X870E Taichi OCF, making it a formidable storage solution.

The primary Multi-Layered M.2 heatsink is the bigger one and provides better cooling to a Gen5 M.2 SSD. This also comes with an EZ Release mechanism, while the other slots have the enlarged heatsink. Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the ASRock X870E Taichi OCF 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 M.2 Socket (M2_3, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen4x2 (32 Gb/s) mode*
• - 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_4, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode*
• - 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket (M2_5, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen3x4 (32 Gb/s) mode*
• - 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_6, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode*
• - 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors*

Info:

• * Supports NVMe SSD as boot disks
• M2_1 is the priority for M.2 installation.
• M2_1 will run at Gen5x4 with 9000 and 7000 series processors and Gen4x4 with 8000 (Phoenix 1 and Phoenix 2) series processors.
• If M2_2 is occupied, both rear USB4 Type-C Ports and M2_2 will downgrade to x2 mode.
• You can switch M2_2 to x4 mode in BIOS settings, but doing so will disable USB4_TC1 and USB4_TC2.
• If M2_3 is occupied, PCIE1 will downgrade to x2 mode.

The X870E PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with the Taichi Gears, and the enlarged M.2 heatsink comes with a nice "OC Formula" logo etched over it.

The motherboard has its own impressive RGB illumination along the top IO cover and the bottom M.2 heatsink. It also comes with 3 ARGB and 1 RGB LED connectors for users to personalize their PCs using the ASRock Polychrome sync software.

Storage options include two SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 2 different storage devices at once. For the front IO, you get six USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, and two USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C ports.

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ASRock uses a 5.1 CH HD audio design with the latest Realtek ALC4082 CODEC.

There is a large selection of connectors on the motherboard. The main highlight is the OC toolkit, which is a wide selection of buttons and switches that make overclocking a tuning a breeze for enthusiasts. The OC toolkit includes +/- buttons to adjust OC frequency on the fly, and there are also 3 pre-adjusted OC profiles from the legendary Nick Shih himself. Lots of debugging options are also available, and to top it all, there's also an external BCLK generator on the motherboard, which should make overclocking easier on Ryzen 9000 CPUs. The full list of connectors on the motherboard is as follows.

• 2 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 24-pin ATX Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
• 2 x 8-pin 12V Power Connectors (Hi-Density Power Connector)
• 1 x 6-pin Graphics 12V Power Connector (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)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Header (Support 2 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports)
• 2 x Front Panel Type C USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Headers (20 Gb/s)
• 1 x Dr. Debug with LED
• 1 x Power Button with LED
• 1 x Reset Button with LED
• 1 x Retry Button
• 1 x Safe Boot Button
• V-Probe™: 6-set of onboard voltage measurement points laid
• Rapid OC Buttons: +/- buttons to adjust OC frequency
• 1 x Slow Mode Switch
• 1 x LN2 Mode Switch
• 1 x NickShih's OC Profile 1 Button with LED
• 1 x NickShih's OC Profile 2 Button with LED
• 1 x NickShih's OC Profile 3 Button with LED

ASRock is using the latest WIFI 7 Module to power wireless connectivity 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 PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port
• 1 x HDMI Port
• 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
• 2 x USB4 Type-C Ports (40 Gb/s)*
• 7 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports (10 Gb/s)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s)
• 2 x USB 2.0 Ports
• 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port
• 1 x Clear CMOS Button
• 1 x BIOS Flashback Button
• 1 x BIOS Selection Switch
• 1 x Line Out Jack (Gold Audio Jack)
• 1 x Microphone Input Jack (Gold Audio Jack)

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