ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF Motherboard Review – The Overclocking Legend

Gaming Performance Tests

The Intel LGA 1700 platform was launched three years ago in 2021 and it has since seen a total of 3 generations of CPUs, Alder Lake (12th Gen), Raptor Lake (13th Gen), and Raptor Lake Refresh (14th Gen). We have seen at least three generations of motherboards, first with the 600-series which had Z690 as the top SKU, and then two generations of 700-series based on the top Z790 chipset which included a soft refresh for the 14th Gen lineup.

Intel has now introduced its next-generation 800-series chipsets and with the Core Ultra 200S CPU series, the company is also launching a brand new socket called LGA 1851. Today, we will be taking a look at the latest motherboards based on the Z890 chipset.

We received a load of motherboards from various manufacturers so let's start by taking a look at these updated designs. For this review, we will be testing ASRock's latest Z890 Taichi OCF motherboard which is priced at $599 US.

The Intel LGA 1851 Platform

For its Arrow Lake lineup, Intel is introducing a brand new socket which ends the reign of the LGA 1700 series after a little over three years. The new socket from now onward will be LGA 1851 and this will be first featured on the new 800-series motherboards.

The 800-series chipsets will include several SKUs but the one we are getting today is the top-tier Z890. This platform offers a total of 48 PCIe lanes of which 20 are PCIe Gen 5.0 and these come from both the CPU and the PCH. The Z890 PCH features up to 24 PCIe 4.0 lanes, up to 4 eSPI, up to 10 USB 3.2 ports including 5 20G, 10 10G, and 10 5G options, up to 14 USB 2.0 links & up to 8 SATA III links.

The new platform is further enriched with the latest features which include:

Integrated I/O:

• Up To 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports
• Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E (Gig+)
• Bluetooth 5.3 (LE)
• 1 GbE

Discrete I/O:

• Up To 4 Thunderbolt 5 ports
• Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 (5 Gig)
• Bluetooth 5.4 (LE)
• 2.5 GbE

In terms of memory support, the new Z890 motherboards will offer up to DDR5-6400 (native) capabilities and expanded speeds over 8000 MT/s with XMP. The platform will support up to 48 GB DIMMs in the dual-channel mode for up to 192 GB capacities in UDIMM, CUDIMM, SODIMM, and CSODIMM flavors.

Lots of Goodies For Overclockers!

Finally, we have the new overclocking goodness which comes in the form of new functionalities for tuners with fine grain control.

These features include:

• Granular core clock - Top turbo frequency in 16.6 MHz steps for P-Cores and E-Cores
• Dual base clock - Run an independent BCLK for SOC and compute tiles
• Tile-to-Tile & fabric OC - Can apply a static/BIOS ratio and supports dynamic ratio changes for fabric
• DLVR bypass - Bypass the internal voltage management using an external supply for extreme OC
• Intel eXtreme tuning utility - New features including automated OC enhancements
• Memory overclocking - New memory controller supports new XMP and CUDIMM DDR5
• P & E-core overclocking - P-core per-core V/f control, and E-Core per cluster V/f control
• Low-temperature overvolting - Increasingly bypass voltage limits as the chip gets colder

The cooler operation of the chips also provides higher headroom for overclockers. As for the TJmax, Arrow Lake-S "Core Ultra 200S" will have a peak operating temperature of 105C.

Cooler Compatibility With LGA 1851 Socket

The Intel LGA 1851 socket is compatible with LGA 1700 socketed coolers though some coolers might require an offset kit for proper thermal load balance. The new socket also has a revised ILM called RL-ILM which uses a spacer between the loading mechanism to ensure proper pressure for the new Arrow Lake CPUs.

Intel Desktop Platform Chipset Comparison

Chipset Name	Arrow Lake-S (ARL-S) PCH / 800 Series (Z890)	Raptor Lake-S (RPL-S) PCH / 700 Series (Z790)	Alder Lake-S (ADL-S) PCH / 600 Series (Z690)	Rocket Lake-S (RKL-S) PCH / 500 Series (Z590)	Comet Lake-S (CML-S) PCH / 400 Series (Z490)	Coffee Lake S (CFL-S) PCH / 300 Series (Z390/H370, B360, Q370, H310)	Coffee Lake S (KBL-R) PCH / Z370 Platform
Process Node	7nm	14nm	14nm	14nm	14nm	14nm	22nm
Processor	24C, 20C, 14C, 12C, TBD)	24,16C,12C,10C,6C,4C	16C,12C,10C,6C,4C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch)	8C, 6C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch)	10C, 8C, 6C, 4C, 2C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch)	8C, 6C, 4C, 2C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch)	8C, 6C, 4C (6 Consumer SKUs at Launch)
Memory	Up To DDR5-6400 (Native)	Up To DDR5-5600 (Native) Up To DDR4-3200 (Native)	Up To DDR5-4800 (Native) Up To DDR4-3200 (Native)	Up To DDR4-3200 (Native)	Up To DDR4-2933 (Native)	Up To DDR4-2666 (Native)	Up To DDR4-2666 (Native)
Media, Display & Audio	eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities	eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities	eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities	DP 1.2 & HDMI 2.0, HBR3 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) 12-bit AV1/HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP With USB Audio offload SoundWire Digital Audio Interface	DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP SoundWire Digital Audio Interface	DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP SoundWire Digital Audio Interface	DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP
I/O & Connectivity	Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ 7 BT CNVio) with Gig+ Integrated SDXC 4.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0	Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ 7 BT CNVio) with Gig+ Integrated SDXC 4.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0	Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ 7 BT CNVio) with Gig+ Integrated SDXC 4.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0	Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0 (Maple Ridge)	Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2 Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi / BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 3.0 (Titan Ridge) w/ DP 1.4	Integrated USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi / BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 3.0 (Titan Ridge) w/ DP 1.4	Integrated USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Thunderbolt 3.0 (Alpine Ridge)
Storage	PCIe 5.0 (CPU Lanes), 8x SATA 3.0	Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 5.0 (CPU Lanes), 6x SATA 3.0	Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 5.0, 6x SATA 3.0	Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 4.0, 6x SATA 3.0	Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, 6x SATA 3.0	Next Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, 6x SATA 3.0	Next Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, 6x SATA 3.0
Max PCH PCIe Lanes	Up To 24 (Gen 4)	Up To 20 (Gen 4) Up To 8 (Gen 3)	Up To 12 (Gen 4) Up To 16 (Gen 3)	Up To 24 (Gen 3)	Up To 24 (Gen 3)	Up To 24 (Gen 3)	Up To 24 (Gen 3)
Max CPU PCIe Lanes	Up To 20 (Gen 5) Up To 4 (Gen 4)	Up To 16 (Gen 5) Up To 4 (Gen 4)	Up To 16 (Gen 5) Up To 4 (Gen 4)	Up To 20 (Gen 4)	Up To 16 (Gen 3)	Up To 16 (Gen 3)	Up To 16 (Gen 3)
Max USB Ports	Up To 5 (USB 3.2 Gen 2z2) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0)	Up To 5 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0)	Up To 4 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0)	Up To 3 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0)	Up To 10 (USB 3.2) Up To 14 (USB 2.0)	Up To 10 (USB 3.1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0)	Up To 10 (USB 3.0) Up To 14 (USB 2.0)
Security	Intel TET Intel Boot Guard	N/A	N/A	N/A	Intel SGX 1.0	Intel SGX 1.0	Intel SGX 1.0
Power Management	C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby	C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby	C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby	C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby	C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby	C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby	C8 Support
Launch	2024	2022	2021	2021	2019	2018	2017

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

For testing, I used the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU which was sent to us by Intel on a range of Z890 motherboards.

Intel LGA 1851 "Z890" Motherboard Test Platform:

Processors	Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (Extreme Profile)
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Elite DUO X (F2) Maxsun iCraft Z890 Arctic (1.1) ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF (2.17) ASRock Z890 Taichi Aqua (2.12) ASRock Z890 Taichi (2.08) ASRock Z890 Taichi LITE (2.08) ASRock Z890 PG Nova (2.08) MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X (7E20v1A1) MSI MPG Z890 Carbon (7E17v1A1) MSI MPG Z890 Edge TI (7E19v2A2) MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk (7E32v1A3) Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Master (F9)
Power Supply	FSP Hydro G 1200W PSU
Solid State Drive	Crucial T700 2 TB Gen5 SSD
Memory	T-Force Delta RGB DDR5-7200 (CL34 2 x 16 GB)
Video Cards	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition
Cooling Solutions	Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420mm AIO
OS	Windows 11 64-bit

Our test rig includes the Crucial T700 2 TB Gen5 SSD that boots up our main OS. In addition to these, we are running an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition graphics card and an FSP Hydro G 1200W PSU. For this specific review, we used the V-Color Manta DDR5-9466 MT/s (48 GB) memory kit running at CL46 timings.

All Z890 Motherboards Memory Support (Official Rating)

The Intel Z890 motherboards are listed with some of the highest-listed DDR5 memory support out of the box. The new platform supports the latest DDR5 CUDIMM memory kits, offering over 9000 MT/s speeds. Following is how each of the motherboards we tested stacks up in terms of frequency support:

3DMark CPU Profile Benchmark

Instead of producing a single number, the 3DMark CPU Profile shows you how your CPU's performance changes and scales with the number of cores and threads used. The 3DMark CPU Profile has six tests that help you benchmark and compare CPU performance for gaming and other activities.

Blender

Blender is a free and open-source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, and even video editing and game creation.

Cinebench 2024

Cinebench 2024 utilizes the power of Redshift, Cinema 4D's default rendering engine, to evaluate your computer's CPU and GPU capabilities. Cinebench 2024 is designed to accommodate a broad range of hardware configurations - while it seamlessly supports x86/64 architecture (Intel/AMD) on Windows and macOS.

Cinebench R23

Cinebench is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s hardware capabilities. Improvements to Cinebench Release 20 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D’s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user.

CPU-Z

CPUz is a freeware that gathers information on some of the main devices of your system such as the Processor name and number, codename, process, package, cache levels, Mainboard, chipset, Memory type, size, timings, and module specifications (SPD), and Real-time measurement of each core's internal frequency, memory frequency.

Geekbench 6

Geekbench 6 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures your system's performance with the press of a button.

HandBrake

HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.

PCMark 10

PCMark 10 is a complete PC benchmarking solution for Windows 10. It includes several tests that combine individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing, and gaming. Specifically designed for the full range of PC hardware from netbooks and tablets to notebooks and desktops, PCMark 10 offers complete Windows PC performance testing for home and business use.

POV-Ray

The POV-Ray package includes detailed instructions on using the ray tracer and creating scenes. Many stunning scenes are included with POV-Ray so you can start creating images immediately when you get the package.

SuperPI

Super PI is used by many overclockers to test the performance and stability of their computers. In the overclocking community, the standard program provides a benchmark for enthusiasts to compare “world record” pi calculation times and demonstrate their overclocking abilities. The program can also be used to test the stability of a certain overclock speed.

WinRAR

WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can back up your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompress RAR, ZIP, and other files downloaded from the Internet, and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format.

Battlefield V

Battlefield V brings back the action of the World War 2 shooter genre. Using the latest Frostbite tech, the game does a good job of looking gorgeous in all ways possible. From the open-world environments to the intense and gun-blazing action, this multiplayer and single-player FPS title is one of the best-looking Battlefields to date. The game was tested at max settings at 1440p.

DOOM Eternal

DOOM Eternal brings hell to earth with the Vulkan-powered idTech 7.  We test this game using the Ultra Nightmare Preset and follow our in-game benchmarking to stay consistent.

GTA V

GTA V is one handsomely optimized title for the PC audience. It's scalable across various PC configurations and delivers an impressive frame rate. Rockstar did an amazing job with the PC build of GTA V and it comes with a large array of settings that can be configured by PC gamers. We tested the title at 1440P with everything set to Ultra and 4x MSAA.

Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus continues the journey of Artyom through the nuclear wasteland of Russia and its surroundings. This time, you are set over the Metro, going through various regions and different environments. The game is one of the premier titles to feature NVIDIA’s RTX technology and does well in showcasing the ray-tracing effects in all corners. The game was tested at Ultra setting with RTX settings turned off at 1440p.

Shadow of The Tomb Raider

Sequel to The Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of The Tomb Raider is visually enhanced with an updated Foundation Engine that delivers realistic facial animations and the most gorgeous environments ever seen in a Tomb Raider Game. The game is a technical marvel and shows the power of its graphics engine in the latest title.

Intel's Arrow Lake "K" SKUs come with a default TDP of 125W and a PL2 rating of 250W for the Ultra 9 285K and 159W for the 245K. The chips can be set to performance or extreme mode using the BIOS software from each respective motherboard vendor.

The Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" Desktop CPUs come with a slightly modified IHS which is equipped over the tiled CPU die. This IHS is soldered with gold plating underneath to ensure good heat dissipation and thermal conductivity. The socket also features a revised ILM mechanism called RL-ILM (Reduced-Load) to provide optimal pressure for the socket and the CPU.

The ASRock OF Formula series has been regarded as some of the best motherboards for those who want to push the limits of each CPU generation they are made for. The last of this iconic series was launched with the Z590 OC Formula back in 2021 and now, the board maker is releasing its brand new Z890 variant of this series.

The ASRock Z890 OC Formula leaves no room behind when pushing the Core Ultra 200S CPUs such as the flagship 285K to its peak capabilities and offers incredibly powerful overclocking potential. It also offers the highest-rated DDR5 spec out of the box, rated at 10,133 MT/s. This is an incredible feat of engineering which is rated at more than twice JEDEC speeds of 4800 MT/s for the memory standard.

In addition to the overclocking capabilities, the motherboard also offers a range of tuning options with several buttons and switches that are essential for hardcore overclockers. The overclocking toolkit is an essential part of this motherboard. Furthermore, ASRock's exclusive "Memory OC Shield" implementation makes sure you are ready to take those DDR5 overclocks to the next level. The motherboard also comes with a CPU Heater Header which prevents the CPU from freezing in LN2 cooling conditions.

Besides the overclocking aspects, the motherboard also comes with a strong 6 M.2 SSD layout, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, lots of USB ports, and a surprisingly good design. Connectivity is also strong with WIFI7 and BT5.4 support plus a single 5 GbE LAN port.

The things we loved about the ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF:

• Superb VRM With Great CPU & Memory OC Capabilities
• Up To 10,133 MT/s DDR5 Support
• Strong VRM Solution
• Great VRM Heatsink With Active-Cooling
• Lots of USB ports (Including Dual USB4)
• Six M.2 slots with heatsinks
• Latest WIFI7 & BT5.4 Support
• EZ Toolless Design For GPU & M.2 Slots
• Added M.2 Expansion Card
• Solid BIOS Firmware

Things that we would have liked to see:

• Dual LAN ports

The Z890 Taichi OCF is a love letter from ASRock to the overclocking community. It's a motherboard with features that are designed to cater to overclockers and all which makes a lot of sense. The board also doesn't want to woo overclockers and has a solid set of features with a strong 6 M.2 SSD slot layout and more.

 

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