Asrock Z390 Taichi Review

Introducing the ASRock Z390 Taichi

The Taichi series has given this aggressive manufacturer's high-end motherboards a breath of fresh air for several generations with its cogs-and-gears motif and multilayer heatsinks; the Z390 Taichi is no exception.

MSI Z390 Taichi Ultimate ASRock In this review, we take a look at the ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate, one of the company's most high-end Z390 motherboards. This board is designed for 8th and 9th Generation processors and emphasises speed, style, and convenience. Because it has a PCH cover, the board looks fantastic. Plus, the combination of the black and grey aesthetic with the gear-themed graphics makes for a sharp looking poster. This motherboard contains 12 power phases, which the dual-pin connector suggests indicates a robust VRM. The Ultimate has a 10 Gbps LAN jack powered by Aquantia in addition to excellent WIFI and 2x Gigabit LAN.

If your graphics card is powerful enough, any of the three new processors from Intel's Coffee Lake-S update will deliver excellent gaming performance, so anticipate their popularity among PC gamers to skyrocket. Intel can push Turbo frequencies up to the 5 GHz range. This is a significant benefit for Intel versus AMD's Ryzen 2000, which is bottlenecked at around 4.2 GHz (which is overall good, but the high per clock core is where it matters in CPU bound gaming; e.g. with super high-end graphics cards like the RTX 2080 Ti). For its first 9000 series processor releases, Intel has chosen three models:

• Six-core, twelve-thread Core i5-9600K.
• 8-core, 16-thread Core i9-9700K
• CPU Model: Core i9-9900K (8 Core/16 Thread)

The rumours that a proc like the 9100, 9400, and 9500 Core series processor will be produced are not to be disregarded, nor is the possibility that you will only see three processors in the Core 9000 range. In contrast, the execution of this launch requires the use of three CPUs. To conduct this assessment, we will put the Core i9 9900K through its paces using benchmarking software designed for processors with eight cores and sixteen threads. You can easily overclock all eight cores of this processor to at least 5.0 GHz using this motherboard.

Specifications and Design

Consumers that require a 10 gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) connectivity have a few options, but they all require buying a card and installing it in an available slot. The Z390 Taichi Ultimate saves you money compared to buying a standard Z390 Taichi and an additional Aquantia card because it already includes the high-quality controller built by Aquantia. Customers who choose this board will not miss out on the dual-gigabit networking of the original Taichi, and ASRock will even improve its Wi-Fi controller to 1.73Gbps.

Even though it's not without flaws, the Z390 Taichi Ultimate is the best option for Z390 Taichi fans who also require a 10GbE controller for next-gen wired networking.

Which begs the question: why would anyone want a motherboard with four network ports? The Z390 Taichi Ultimate from ASRock is a step up from the Z390 Taichi, including a faster Wi-Fi module and a 10GbE Ethernet connection in addition to the dual Gigabit Ethernet found on the Z390 Taichi. Even if the Wi-Fi module is just used as an access point, you still have three unused RJ-45 ports. Plus, if you have a 10GbE connection to the web, you'll still have two Gigabit ports to connect two more computers.

At least without a switch, the other two computers won't have to share the single Gigabit connection.

If you glanced at the above image and assumed that the only difference between the Z390 Taichi and the Z390 Taichi Ultimate was the inclusion of better networking features, you must not have noticed the chrome Power and Reset buttons that the Z390 Taichi Ultimate has installed in place of the blank circles found on the non-Ultimate model.

The 10GbE port on the Aquantia AQC107 is clearly marked with a red colour code, and the remaining ports are supported by Intel PHY and PCIe x1 controllers. The updated Wi-Fi module looks identical to the Z390 Taichi's module from the bracket side and employs the same PCIe/USB interface. Both motherboards lack the CNVi functionality that would have made 1.73Gbps solutions on the Z390 much more affordable in the Key-E expansion slots.

Dual M.2

Drives for the lower two M.2 slots; other M.2 goods are between 30mm and 110mm in length (110mm).

The Third M.2, Heatsinked

The smallest of the three M.2 slots is equipped with a sleek metal heatsink that can accommodate modules of any size.

LGA Socket Clearance: Thumbs-Up

There is enough of room surrounding the LGA 1151 socket because it is flanked by only short capacitors.

All the I/O

The Z390 Taichi from ASRock has several of ports, including two Ethernet jacks supported by Intel controllers that can handle gigabit speeds.

Golden Audio

The ASRock Purity Sound 4 bundle, which supports the 7.1-channel audio ports, includes a Realtek ALC1220 codec, among other things.

Cogs' n' Gears

You can see the enormous cog-shaped heatsink for the Z390 chipset behind the three steel-wrapped PCI Express x16 slots, the three Ultra M.2 slots, and the two PCI Express x1 slots.

The ASRock Z390 Taichi

The ASRock Z390 is an ATX product aimed squarely at enthusiasts and power users who want to make the most of the latest Intel 9th Generation Core processors like the Core i9-9900K and the Core i7-9700K. The Z390 motherboards are also compatible with the 8th generation.

Comparing the Z390 Taichi to its predecessor, the Z370 Taichi, which we examined in July, shows many similarities in both specifications and design. To begin, the Z390 Taichi's chipset heatsink looks a lot like the one on the ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate, which is to say, it's shaped like a cogwheel and serves a similar purpose. ASRock employs a 5+2 power supply architecture not dissimilar to that of the Z370 Taichi, but with different components, thus even the power delivery heatsinks look substantially larger than on the prior Z370 model. The PCB gap between the rear IO and the power delivery heatsink is concealed by an expanded rear panel cover, one of the most notable design upgrades that ASRock has made in comparison to the Z370 Taichi.

The ASRock Z390 Taichi features a new 8-channel PWM controller, the IR35201, and a 5+2 arrangement for its 10-phase power delivery. The central processing unit's VCore is powered by ten IR3598 dual drivers and ten Texas Instrument 87350D NexFET power blocks. The Z390 Taichi makes extensive use of 12K capacitors, and each phase has its own dedicated 60A choke.

The PCIe x1 slots are still there, and they are open on both ends so that even longer cards can be used. On the other hand, there are limitations: The RTC battery partially blocks the lower x1 slot, and the higher x1 slot is too close to the M.2 slot, so the exposed end of longer cards will be pushed up against the tops of the M.2 module's IC's.

When occupied, the first and third M.2 slots use up two SATA HSIO lanes, rendering ports 0/1 and 4/5 inoperable. However, the second M.2 slot's traditional SATA interface takes up SATA port 3, which is reserved for PCIe.

The front USB 3.1 Gen2 header is still oriented away from the motherboard, between the centre lines of the top x1 and x16 cards, but it is now far enough forwards of the card slots that it will not be in the way of longer x1 cards. All eight points forwards fit under the leading edge of long expansion cards, regardless of which SATA ports your M.2 slot has deactivated.

Overclocking the unlocked core i3, i5, i7, and i9 8th and 9th generation Intel processors is a breeze on the ASRock Z390 Taichi. The overclocking performance was as anticipated with a full 12-phase power delivery split into a 5+2 configuration with the use of doublers on the CPU Vcore side. A tight VDroop control was achieved by the use of BIOS-applied automatic load-line calibration in conjunction with user-specified voltages.

Nonetheless, our i7-8700K was overclocked by the default profiles, which pounded it with too much voltage. The Turbo 5.0 GHz profile's load voltage of 1.52 V on the VCore was enough to cause an immediate failure of our stress testing. The EZ OC mode is risky because we were able to run at 5.0 GHz with a manual VCore of only 1.30 V in the BIOS.

The Wi-Fi antenna on the Z390 Taichi Ultimate looks more up-to-date than the ones on the other two phones. The package contains the motherboard, four SATA cables, an I/O shield, a high-bandwidth SLI bridge, a foil case badge, a driver CD, and documentation.

Conclusion

The Asrock Z390 Taichi is a single-socket LGA1151 motherboard that is compatible with Intel's 9th-generation processors. It comes equipped with a hexacore Intel Core i7 8700K processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card. The board features a heatsink cover, an LED screen, and an integrated I/O shield to protect the VRMs from overheating. Coffee Lake-S CPUs from Intel feature Turbo speeds of up to 5 GHz. Overclocking to at least 5.0 GHz on all eight cores of this processor is a breeze with this motherboard.

If you're a Z390 Taichi enthusiast and need a 10GbE controller for cutting-edge wired networking, this is your best bet. A faster Wi-Fi module and a 10GbE Ethernet connection are also features of the ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate. The motherboard includes three extra RJ-45 jacks that can be utilised to set up a wireless network. Neither motherboard supports CNVi, which would have reduced the price of 1.73Gbps options. The ASRock Z390 Taichi is designed for extreme users.

The newest Intel Core i9-9900K and Core i7-9700K processors can be used with these motherboards. ASRock uses a power supply design that is identical to the Z370 Taichi's: a 5+2 configuration. The ASRock Z390 Taichi uses doublers on the CPU Vcore side of its 12 phase power delivery, which is split into a 5+2 arrangement. With their multipliers unlocked, Intel's 8th and 9th generation Core i3, i5, i7, and i9 processors are a simple to overclock.

Content Summary

• Users who want to construct a robust computer can do so with the help of the Asrock Z390 Taichi motherboard.
• The Asrock Z390 Taichi is an Intel 9th generation core processor-ready, single-socket LGA1151 motherboard.
• It has dual M.2 slots and three PCIe x16 extension slots, as well as twelve SATA3 ports and four DIMM slots for the newest DDR4 memory modules.
• Moreover, the board's VRMs are kept cool by a heatsink cover, an LED debug display, and an integrated I/O shield.
• The Z390 Taichi from Asrock is a fantastic motherboard, and it lives up to the company's reputation for making reliable computer hardware.
• In this review, we take a look at the ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate, one of the company's most high-end Z390 motherboards.
• If your graphics card is powerful enough, any of the three new processors from Intel's Coffee Lake-S update will deliver excellent gaming performance, so anticipate their popularity among PC gamers to skyrocket.
• Intel can push Turbo frequencies up to the 5 GHz range.
• For its first 9000 series processor releases, Intel has chosen three models: Six-core, twelve-thread Core i5-9600K.8-core, 16-thread Core i9-9700KCPU Model: Core i9-9900K (8 Core/16 Thread)
• The rumours that a proc like the 9100, 9400, and 9500 Core series processor will be produced are not to be disregarded, nor is the possibility that you will only see three processors in the Core 9000 range.
• In contrast, the execution of this launch requires the use of three CPUs.
• You can easily overclock all eight cores of this processor to at least 5.0 GHz using this motherboard.
• The Z390 Taichi Ultimate saves you money compared to buying a standard Z390 Taichi and an additional Aquantia card because it already includes the high-quality controller built by Aquantia.
• Even though it's not without flaws, the Z390 Taichi Ultimate is the best option for Z390 Taichi fans who also require a 10GbE controller for next-gen wired networking.
• The Z390 Taichi Ultimate from ASRock is a step up from the Z390 Taichi, including a faster Wi-Fi module and a 10GbE Ethernet connection in addition to the dual Gigabit Ethernet found on the Z390 Taichi.
• Even if the Wi-Fi module is just used as an access point, you still have three unused RJ-45 ports.
• Plus, if you have a 10GbE connection to the web, you'll still have two Gigabit ports to connect two more computers.
• Both motherboards lack the CNVi functionality that would have made 1.73Gbps solutions on the Z390 much more affordable in the Key-E expansion slots.
• Comparing the Z390 Taichi to its predecessor, the Z370 Taichi, which we examined in July, shows many similarities in both specifications and design.
• To begin, the Z390 Taichi's chipset heatsink looks a lot like the one on the ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate, which is to say, it's shaped like a cogwheel and serves a similar purpose.
• ASRock employs a 5+2 power supply architecture not dissimilar to that of the Z370 Taichi, but with different components, thus even the power delivery heatsinks look substantially larger than on the prior Z370 model.
• The ASRock Z390 Taichi features a new 8-channel PWM controller, the IR35201, and a 5+2 arrangement for its 10-phase power delivery.
• The front USB 3.1 Gen2 header is still oriented away from the motherboard, between the centre lines of the top x1 and x16 cards, but it is now far enough forwards of the card slots that it will not be in the way of longer x1 cards.
• All eight points forwards fit under the leading edge of long expansion cards, regardless of which SATA ports your M.2 slot has deactivated.
• Overclocking the unlocked core i3, i5, i7, and i9 8th and 9th generation Intel processors is a breeze on the ASRock Z390 Taichi.
• The overclocking performance was as anticipated with a full 12-phase power delivery split into a 5+2 configuration with the use of doublers on the CPU Vcore side.
• Nonetheless, our i7-8700K was overclocked by the default profiles, which pounded it with too much voltage.
• The EZ OC mode is risky because we were able to run at 5.0 GHz with a manual VCore of only 1.30 V in the BIOS.The Wi-Fi antenna on the Z390 Taichi Ultimate looks more up-to-date than the ones on the other two phones.
• The package contains the motherboard, four SATA cables, an I/O shield, a high-bandwidth SLI bridge, a foil case badge, a driver CD, and documentation.