ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF Motherboard Review – The Overclocking Legend

ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF Unboxing & Close Up Inspection

The ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF motherboard comes in a standard cardboard package. The front features a large Taichi logo with black and gold accents. The packaging also lists a few features, such as WIFI7 and support for PCIe 5 (GPU/NVMe), DDR5, and NVMe SSDs.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the 22+1+2+1+1 SPS power system, Overclocking Toolkit, Dual Thunderbolt 4 support, Memory OC Shield, WIFI7 wireless connectivity, 20K Caps, 5GbE LAN and BIOS flashback.

Inside the package is another box containing the accessories 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
• 2 x Thermistor Cables
• 1 x Screw for M.2 Socket
• 1 x Standoff for M.2 Socket

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

The ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF motherboard is an ATX offering that measures 244 x 305 mm. It has a black color scheme with a few yellow accents on the heatsink. This is a very premium design that continues on the foundation of previous OC Formula offerings.

ASRock's Z890 Taichi OCF is a premium design that is built for hardcore overclockers & enthusiasts. This isn't your standard gamer-focused or high-end motherboard. The OC Formula series serves a grander purpose and that is one reason why this motherboard has been setting world records at the time of launch.

The board uses the LGA 1851 socket to support Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors. At launch, the LGA 1851 socket will only support the Arrow Lake CPUs though we can expect a brand new family in the coming years.

Next to the socket are two DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 128 GB of dual-channel (24/48/64 GB modules) memory.

These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 10,133 MT/s (OC Plus). This is the highest-rated speed of all Z890 motherboards so far. 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 motherboard supports 5600 MT/s natively and 6400 MT/s for Arrow Lake K CPUs. The 10,133 MT/s apply to 1DCP (1 Rank) configurations. The memory signals also integrate a new PCB design feature called "Memory OC Shield" which reduces EMI and offers enhanced memory overclocking and stability, especially at higher frequencies.

The ASRock Z890 Taichi motherboard features a 24+2+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX)  phase SPS VRM power delivery that utilizes the Renesas RAA 229130 PWM controller, and R2209004 HBD (110A) stages for the VCore. All capacitors are labeled with 20K "1000B E19 & 270C D49" ratings. The PLL features RAA 220075R0 stages.

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The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the LGA 1851 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 VRMs receive ample cooling from the Composite VRM heatsink solution which covers the VRMs, M.2 slots, and the PCH.

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. Intel's Arrow Lake "Core Ultra 200S" Desktop CPUs can sip up to 250W of power by default.

Coming to the cooling solution, we first have the XXL VRM heatsink which makes use of two aluminum blocks with a series of fins that are stacked together. The heatsink features a heat pipe solution that connects the heatsinks, offering a larger surface for thermal dissipation.

Underneath the VRM heatsink are 9W/mK Thermal pads which transfer heat from the VRMs to the heatsink.

The large VRM heatsink also features two cables, one to power the RGB LEDs for the cover over the IO plate and a 4-pin connector for a fan that is cleverly hidden underneath the IO cover. It offers additional cooling and dissipates heat out of the small cut-out on the top of the IO cover. ASRock provides the option to disable the fan entirely.

Expansion slots include two PCI Express x16 (1 x Gen 5.0 x16 & 1 x Gen 4.0 x4) and six  M.2 slots.

CPU:

• 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot (PCIE2), supports x16 mode
• 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot (PCIE3), supports x8 mode
• * PCIE3 supports PCIe riser cards to extend one x8 slot to x4/x4 slots.

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 full metallic slot and ASRock also implements its Graphics Card EZ release mechanism which allows easy removal of graphics cards without having to release the PCIe lock manually.

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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 nice rugged and reflective finish in black/silver/yellow colors. You need to remove the plastic sticker from the thermal pads before installing a new SSD for proper heat transfer. The slot comes with an EZ Release heatsink, making for a toolless design.

The primary M.2 XXL heatsink is the bigger one and provides better cooling to four Gen4 M.2 SSDs. 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 Z890 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 Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_2, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode

Chipset:

• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_3, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_4, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s & PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) modes
• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_5, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s & PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) modes
• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_6, Key M), supports type 2260/2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode

The Z890 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with the Taichi OC logo and the Taichi gears engraved into the top cover with a brushed aluminum finish.

The motherboard offers two RGB accent zones. First is the I/O cover which has the Taichi Gears lighting up in various hues, and the second is the bottom cover with several LEDs scattered in a horizontal position. These can be turned off or can be customized using ASRock's Polychrome Sync software.

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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 (4x Gen1 Type-A & 1x Gen2 Type-C). 3 USB 2.0 (four ports) front panel connectors are also included.

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 making it a true overclockers dream. These include the dedicated overclocking toolkit which offers:

• +/- Rapid OC Buttons: Allow users to quickly and easily adjust OC frequency in Rapid OC.
• OC Profile 1, 2, 3 Buttons: Use OC Profile Buttons in Rapid OC to quickly load the preset OC Profile 1, 2, or 3.
• LN2 Mode Switch: The LN2 mode aids in eliminating the cold-boot bug issues in processors during extreme overclocking with Liquid Nitrogen.
• Slow Mode Switch: Use Slow Mode to run the processor at its lowest frequency, stabilizing the system for extreme overclocking.
• Retry Button: Restart the system immediately when the system needs to be forced to shut down.
• Safe Boot Button: Press the button to boot with the BIOS default settings.

There is also a dedicated DEBUG LED next to the 24-pin ATX connector, several fan headers, two dedicated power on/off and reset buttons, and V-Probe voltage read-out points at the bottom alongside a set of six switches which can be used to store OC profiles. Three of the primary OC profiles have been fine-tuned by ASRock's legendary Nick Shih.

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

• - 2 x Thermistor Cable Headers
• - 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
• - 4 x Addressable LED Headers
• - 2 x CPU Fan Connectors (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)
• - 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 3 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 Heater Header
• - 1 x ElmorLabs OCP Header
• - 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™: 11-set of onboard voltage measurement points laid
• - Rapid OC Buttons: +/- buttons to adjust OC frequency
• - 6 x OC Switches
• - 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 with a 320MHz channel bandwidth and Bluetooth 5.4. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single 5 GbE LAN port powered by the Realtek RTL8126 controller.

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• - 2 x Antenna Ports
• - 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port
• - 1 x PS/2 Mouse Port
• - 1 x Optical SPDIF OutPort
• - 2 x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C Ports (40 Gb/s for USB4 protocol; 40Gb/s for Thunderbol protocol)
• - 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C Port (20 Gb/s)
• - 4 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports (10 Gb/s)
• - 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Port
• - 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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