The ASRock X870E Taichi OCF motherboard is designed with its Over Clocking Formula (OCF) features at its core. This review delves into the function of the unique buttons ASRock has placed near the two memory slots and the main power connector.
Key Features
- 22+2+1 Power Phase, 110A SPS Dr.MOS Design: This design incorporates the latest SPS (Smart Power Stage) technology, optimizing current and temperature monitoring for each phase. It aims to deliver smoother, cleaner power to the CPU, enhancing performance and overclocking capabilities.
- Extreme Memory Overclocking: Built with a focus on stability and reliability, this motherboard features high-quality materials and a 1 DIMM per channel design. This provides an excellent foundation for enthusiasts to achieve boosted DDR5 memory overclocking performance.
- Enhanced USB4 Type-C: USB4 technology offers speed and versatility with its advanced Type-C connector, providing fast 40Gbps data transfer rates for various applications.
- Server-Grade Ultra-Low Loss PCB: The server-grade ultra-low loss PCB improves signal integrity and boosts memory overclocking potential, contributing to extreme memory performance.
- Beyond Deluxe 6 x M.2 Sockets: The X870E Taichi OCF includes six M.2 slots for SSDs, with two supporting PCIe 5.0 x4. This offers high performance and significant expandability, characteristic of a flagship product.
Specifications
CPU: AMD Socket AM5 support for AMD Ryzen 9000/8000/7000 Series Processors
Chipset: AMD X870E
VRMs: Renesas RAA 229628 VRM controller, 22+2+1 x110A Renesas R2209004 SPS VRMs
Memory: Support for DDR5 10400(O.C), 2x DDR5 DIMM sockets up to 128GB, Dual channel memory architecture, non-ECC Unbuffered DIMMs
Expansion Slots: 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 (running at 1 x16 or 2 x8), 1x PCIe 4.0 x14 slot
Storage: 1x M.2 PCIe 5.0 x4 from CPU, 1x M.2 PCIe 5.0 x4 from CPU (shared with USB4), 2x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 from Chipset, 1x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x2 from Chipset, 1x M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 from Chipset, 2x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
USB: 2x USB4 40Gbps Type-C ports rear panel, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20Gbps (1x 36W, 1x 15W) front panel, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps Type-C port rear panel, 7x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps Type-A ports rear panel, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps Type-A ports front panel, 8x USB 2.0 Type-A ports (2x rear, 6x front panel)
Audio: Realtek ALC4082 Audio Codec
Ethernet: Realtek RTL8126 5Gbit
Wireless: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
7x PWM Fan headers
3x ARGB headers and 1x RGB header
BIOS chip 64MB flash
Form Factor: ATX 305mm x 244mm
Performance and Overclocking
Test System
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- Memory: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Royal Neo DDR5-8000
- CPU Cooler: Phanteks Glacier One 360MPH
- Graphics card: MSI GeForce 4090 Ventus 3X 24GB
- Power supply: Seasonic Focus GX-1000
- SSD: 1TB Crucial T700 M.2 NVMe
- OS: Windows 11
Geekbench 6 Multi Core
In Geekbench 6 Multi Core, the ASRock Taichi X870E OCF demonstrates performance comparable to the regular X870E Taichi. This indicates decent performance that aligns with expectations.
Far Cry 6 at 1080p
When playing Far Cry 6 at 1080p, the OCF performs well, though it does not provide additional performance benefits on automatic settings.
Far Cry 6 at 1440p
In Far Cry 6 at 1440p, the regular X870E Taichi and the Taichi OCF show very similar performance results.
Closing Thoughts
The ASRock X870E Taichi OCF motherboard raises questions regarding its Over Clocking Formula features. While some issues were encountered with the hardware overclocking buttons, this was not a significant concern, as altering the base clock speed of a Ryzen 9000 CPU is generally not preferred.
The OCF can be viewed as a variation of the standard X870E Taichi. The inclusion of overclocking buttons appears to be of minor importance, and having only two DDR5 memory slots is acceptable. A notable improvement is the shift from E-ATX to ATX form factor. The black and yellow styling is also a positive aesthetic change compared to the regular X870E Taichi.
The MSRP for the ASRock X870E Taichi OCF is $500.
Pros:
- Robust hardware construction
- Attractive design and styling
- Comprehensive set of micro buttons and a debug display
- Manual switch for selecting BIOS A or B
Cons:
- Concerns exist regarding ASRock motherboards potentially damaging Ryzen CPUs
- The hardware overclocking buttons appear non-functional
- Availability of this motherboard for purchase is currently unclear
The ASRock X870E Taichi OCF is a distinctive product with several interesting aspects.
