Intel Core i9-9900K 8 Core and 16 Thread 5.0 GHz CPU Review Ft. ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate Motherboard

ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate Motherboard - Features

ASRock sent us their top of the line Taichi motherboard, the Z390 Taichi Ultimate. This flagship motherboard carries a top end design that boasts literally every feature that gamers demand. You can expect the best overclocking capabilities, faster 4200+ MHz DRAM support, high-end audio driver, 10 Gigabit LAN, wireless connectivity on board and an aggressive design scheme that can take true advantage of overclocking capabilities that Coffee Lake unlocked CPUs have to offer. The motherboard being aimed at the high-end also comes at a high price of $299.99 US.

ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate Motherboard Specifications:

• Supports 9^th and 8^th Gen Intel Core processors (Socket 1151)
• AQUANTIA 10 Gigabit LAN, Dual Intel Gigabit LAN
• IR Digital PWM, 12 Power Phase design
• Supports DDR4 4200+(OC)
• 3 PCIe 3.0 x16, 2 PCIe 3.0 x1
• NVIDIA Quad SLI, AMD 3-Way CrossFireX
• Graphics Output Options: HDMI, DisplayPort
• 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec)
• Supports Purity Sound 4 & DTS Connect
• 8 SATA3, 3 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA3)
• 5 USB 3.1 Gen2 (1 Front Type-C, 1 Rear Type-C, 3 Rear Type-A)
• 8 USB 3.1 Gen1 (4 Front, 4 Rear)
• Intel 2T2R Dual Band 802.11ac WiFi (2.4/5GHz), supports up to 1.73Gbps wireless network and BT v5.0
• ASRock Polychrome SYNC
• Hyper BCLK Engine II

ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate Motherboard Gallery:

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12 Power Phase Design (IR Digital PWM)

The improved power phase design offers smooth power delivery to the more powerful 9th Generation Intel Core Processors, providing unmatched overclocking capabilities, lower temperature for advanced gamers, and reinforced system stability for taking on all sorts of arduous computing tasks. Following are the features offered in ASRock's Super Alloy motherboard design:

• XXL Aluminum Alloy Heatsink

Extra large aluminum alloy heat sinks that effectively take away heat from the MOSFET and chipset so that your whole system may perform more stable.

• Premium 60A Power Choke

Compared to traditional chokes, ASRock’s premium 60A power chokes effectively make the saturation current up to three times better, thus providing enhanced and improved Vcore voltage to the motherboard.

• Premium Memory Alloy Choke

Specifically designed for memory power delivery, these new alloy chokes feature a highly magnetic and heat resistant design, thus delivering more stable and reliable power to the motherboard and memory modules.

• Dual-Stack MOSFET (DSM)

Dual-Stack MOSFET (DSM) is another innovative MOSFETs design by ASRock. The silicon die area is increased by stacking two dies into one MOSFET. The larger the die area, the lower Rds(on). Compared to traditional discrete MOSFET, DSM with larger die area provides extreme lower Rds(on) 1.2 mΩ, so the power supply for the CPU Vcore is more efficient.

Combo Caps

A combination of 820uF and 100uF capacitors. Together these capacitors provide clearer, efficient and more responsive CPU Vcore power, and overclockers may achieve higher scores.

• Nichicon 12K Black Caps

Supreme 12K black capacitors with lifespans of at least 12,000 hours. Compared to other counterparts on high-end motherboards that merely have lifespans of around 10,000 hours, ASRock applied Nichicon 12K Black Caps that offer 20% longer lifespans and provide more stability and reliability.

• I/O Armor

A new designed protective cover for all of the crucial parts near the motherboard's rear I/O, so that they won't easily be damaged by static electricity.

• Matte Black PCB

A new mysterious matte black and copper color scheme to match the prestigious components on ASRock's high-end motherboards.

• High Density Glass Fabric PCB

High Density Glass Fabric PCB design that reduces the gaps between the PCB layers to protect the motherboard against electrical shorts caused by humidity.

AQUANTIA 10Gb/s BASE-T Ethernet

The new 10Gb/s network standard was specially designed to satisfy the user who is seeking immediate performance improvements. Based on AQUANTIA's AQtion client controller, it offers blazing fast 10-gigabit/sec transfer speed over Cat6 cable. The 10Gb/s Ethernet not only fully compatible with 5Gb/s, 2.5Gb/s & Gigabit Lan but also delivers lightning fast transfer speed, perfect for media center, workstation, and gaming PC.

Dual Intel LAN

Users are able to connect two LAN cables to this motherboard's rear I/O. Dual LAN with the Teaming function enabled on this motherboard allows two single connections to act as one single connection for twice the transmission bandwidth, making data transmission more effective.

2T2R Intel 802.11ac Wave 2 WiFi & BT 5.0

No one has time for weak WiFi signals and sluggish internet! That's why this motherboard comes with the next generation Intel Wireless-AC 9560 adapter. This module supports the integrated wireless 802.11ac solutions and provides Bluetooth 5 and 2x2 802.11ac 2.4/5Ghz Wi-Fi including wave 2 features such as 160MHz channels, delivering up to 1.73Gbps and downlink MU-MIMO. The doubled WiFi speed with superior Bluetooth signal quality that can dramatically improve your connected experience at home, work, or on the go.

Triple Ultra M.2 With Full Coverage M.2 Heatsink

Triple of the world’s fastest PCIe Gen3 x4 Ultra M.2 slots that deliver up to 32Gb/s transfer speed, it also supports SATA3 6Gb/s M.2 modules. A single M.2 port rocks a full coverage heatsink too which effectively dissipates heat for stable SSD operations.

Purity Sound 4

Purity Sound4 is a combination of hardware, software audio solutions. 7.1 CH HD audio with the latest Realtek ALC1220 audio codec, individual PCB layers for R/L audio channel, 120dB SNR DAC and other technologies to deliver the crispest sound effects.

RGB LED

Build your own colorful lighting system! RGB LED and header allows users to connect LED strip and create their unique PC style easily. The ASRock RGB LED utility can be downloaded directly or from an all-in-one utility ASRock Live Update & APP Shop!

Intel Optane Memory Ready

Supports Intel Optane memory technology and Intel Optane storage technology that redefines a new standard of high performance and responsiveness.

Front USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C

Front USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C header delivers up to 10 Gbps data transfer rate and next-generation reversible USB design to the front panel of the computer case.

PCI-E STEEL SLOTS

The advanced PCI-E Steel Slots packed with a solid cover that prevents any signal interference with graphics cards. It also ensures the heavy graphics cards to be well-installed in the PCI-E slots safely.

You can find additional information about our hardware review process and ethics policy here.

9.8

WCCFTECH RATING

The ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate offers ultimate overclocking capabilities for Intel's latest 9th Generation 8 Core processors. It costs slightly more but in return, offers you a lot in the form of 10G Ethernet, more USB and SATA ports and various expandability options which make this a perfect gaming platform for your new PC.

Pros

• Enthusiast Grade Motherboard Design
• Full Support For 8 Core Intel CPUs
• Excellent Design and Build Quality
• Excellent VRM Cooling With XXL Design
• Excellent Overclocking Performance
• High-Quality Components With 12 Phase IRDigital PWM
• AQUANTIA 10Gb LAN and WiFI + BT5.0 Capabilities
• Triple M.2 slots (One with full coverage heatsink)
• Dual USB 3.1 (Type-A + Type-C) Ports
• Lots of USB 3.1 Gen 1 Ports
• Polychrome RGB LEDs System Looks Stunning
• Purity Sound 4 Audio (ALC1220 Codec)
• PCIe Steel Slots

Cons

• Very High Price ($299.99 US) / Non-Aquantia 10G model costs $239.99 US

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