It’s time for ASRock to show their hand in the Intel Z590 movement. Z590 Taichi represents the best the company has to offer. Is it worth considering for the Intel Core i9-11900K?
Product on Review: Z590 Taichi
Manufacturer: ASRock
Street Price: GBP £395| USD $429 | AUD $699
Intel chipset partners have furnished their portfolios with a plethora of new motherboards equipped with the latest Z590 chipset in a bid to fully engage with Intel Rocket Lake CPUs. It’s plain to see that there is fierce competition between the two sides within the desktop market with AMD seemingly unstoppable, and leading the way for technology and features. Is this new platform Intel’s best attempt at climbing back to the top of the leaderboard?
Today we’ll be stepping into the ASRock camp to see what they have to offer in the Z590 Taichi – a motherboard which represents the best the company has to offer. Being a flagship, Taichi comes in with a good handful of features, one of which includes Thunderbolt 4 support.
Is Taichi worth considering for a move to Intel Z590 and Rocket Lake?
ASRock on their Z590 Taichi
Taichi represents the philosophical state of undifferentiated absolute and infinite potential. A motherboard that fulfills every task – with style! Become like water. Shapeless, formless, versatile for any situation.
Technical Specifications
Below are the technical specifications concerning the Taichi:
CPU
Intel 10th and 11th Generation Core Processors
Chipset
Intel Z590 Chipset
Memory
DDR4 5000 (OC) – 2133 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory (11 Gen)
128GB
Graphics
1 x HDMI 2.0
2 x Intel® Thunderbolt™ 4 ports
Expansion Slots
11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors
– 3 x PCI Express x16 Slots (PCIE1/PCIE2/PCIE4: single at Gen4x16 (PCIE1); dual at Gen4x8 (PCIE1) / Gen4x8 (PCIE2); triple at Gen4x8 (PCIE1) / Gen4x8 (PCIE2) / Gen3x4 (PCIE4))*
10th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors
– 3 x PCI Express x16 Slots (PCIE1/PCIE2/PCIE4: single at Gen3x16 (PCIE1); dual at Gen3x8 (PCIE1) / Gen3x8 (PCIE2); triple at Gen3x8 (PCIE1) / Gen3x8 (PCIE2) / Gen3x4 (PCIE4))*
– 1 x PCI Express 3.0 x1 Slot
– Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX™, 3-Way CrossFireX™ and CrossFireX™
– 1 x Vertical M.2 Socket (Key E) with the bundled WiFi-802.11ax module (on the rear I/O)
– 15μ Gold Contact in VGA PCIe Slot (PCIE1)
Multi-GPU Support
AMD CrossfireX
Storage
– 6 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors*
– 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors by ASMedia ASM1061*
– 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_1), supports M Key type 2280 M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) (with 11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors) or Gen3x4 (32 Gb/s) (with 10th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors)**
– 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket (M2_2), supports M Key type 2260/2280 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s)**
– 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket (M2_3), supports M Key type 2230/2242/2260/2280/22110 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s)**
Ethernet
1 x 2.5 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000/2500 Mb/s (Killer E3100G)
1 x Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s (Intel® I219V)
Wireless & Bluetooth
Killer AX1675x 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E Module (Bluetooth 5.2)
USB
Rear USB: Total 10 ports
2 x Thunderbolt™ 4 port(s) (2 x USB Type-C®) with up to 5V/3A, 15W charging support
6 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port(s) (6 x Type-A)
2 x USB 2.0 port(s) (2 x Type-A)
Front USB: Total 9 ports
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 connector(s) (suppport(s) USB Type-C®)
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 header(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
2 x USB 2.0 header(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 2.0 ports
Back Panel I/O Ports
– 2 x Antenna Ports
– 1 x HDMI Port
– 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
– 2 x USB 4.0 Thunderbolt™ 4 Type-C Port (40 Gb/s for USB 4.0 protocol; 40Gb/s for Thunderbolt™ protocol) (Supports ESD Protection)*
– 2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports (10 Gb/s) (ReDriver) (Supports ESD Protection)**
– 4 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A Ports (Supports ESD Protection)**
– 2 x RJ-45 LAN Ports with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED)
– 1 x BIOS Flashback Button
– HD Audio Jacks: Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone (Gold Audio Jacks)
BIOS
256 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS
Manageability
WOL by PME, PXE
Accessories
– Quick Installation Guide, Support CD
– 4 x SATA Data Cables
– 1 x Graphics Card Holder
– 1 x Wireless Dongle USB Bracket
– 1 x 3010 Cooling Fan with Bracket and Screw Package
– 1 x 4010 Cooling Fan Bracket and Screw Package
– 2 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz Antennas
– 1 x ASRock Screwdriver
– 3 x Screws for M.2 Sockets
– 2 x Standoffs for M.2 Sockets
Operating System
Windows 10 64bit
Form Factor
ATX 12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm )
Intel 10th and 11th Generation Core Processors
Chipset
Intel Z590 Chipset
Memory
DDR4 5000 (OC) – 2133 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory (11 Gen)
128GB
Graphics
1 x HDMI 2.0
2 x Intel® Thunderbolt™ 4 ports
Expansion Slots
11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors
– 3 x PCI Express x16 Slots (PCIE1/PCIE2/PCIE4: single at Gen4x16 (PCIE1); dual at Gen4x8 (PCIE1) / Gen4x8 (PCIE2); triple at Gen4x8 (PCIE1) / Gen4x8 (PCIE2) / Gen3x4 (PCIE4))*
10th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors
– 3 x PCI Express x16 Slots (PCIE1/PCIE2/PCIE4: single at Gen3x16 (PCIE1); dual at Gen3x8 (PCIE1) / Gen3x8 (PCIE2); triple at Gen3x8 (PCIE1) / Gen3x8 (PCIE2) / Gen3x4 (PCIE4))*
– 1 x PCI Express 3.0 x1 Slot
– Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX™, 3-Way CrossFireX™ and CrossFireX™
– 1 x Vertical M.2 Socket (Key E) with the bundled WiFi-802.11ax module (on the rear I/O)
– 15μ Gold Contact in VGA PCIe Slot (PCIE1)
Multi-GPU Support
AMD CrossfireX
Storage
– 6 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors*
– 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors by ASMedia ASM1061*
– 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_1), supports M Key type 2280 M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) (with 11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors) or Gen3x4 (32 Gb/s) (with 10th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors)**
– 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket (M2_2), supports M Key type 2260/2280 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s)**
– 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket (M2_3), supports M Key type 2230/2242/2260/2280/22110 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s)**
Ethernet
1 x 2.5 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000/2500 Mb/s (Killer E3100G)
1 x Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s (Intel® I219V)
Wireless & Bluetooth
Killer AX1675x 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E Module (Bluetooth 5.2)
USB
Rear USB: Total 10 ports
2 x Thunderbolt™ 4 port(s) (2 x USB Type-C®) with up to 5V/3A, 15W charging support
6 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port(s) (6 x Type-A)
2 x USB 2.0 port(s) (2 x Type-A)
Front USB: Total 9 ports
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 connector(s) (suppport(s) USB Type-C®)
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 header(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
2 x USB 2.0 header(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 2.0 ports
Back Panel I/O Ports
– 2 x Antenna Ports
– 1 x HDMI Port
– 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
– 2 x USB 4.0 Thunderbolt™ 4 Type-C Port (40 Gb/s for USB 4.0 protocol; 40Gb/s for Thunderbolt™ protocol) (Supports ESD Protection)*
– 2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports (10 Gb/s) (ReDriver) (Supports ESD Protection)**
– 4 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A Ports (Supports ESD Protection)**
– 2 x RJ-45 LAN Ports with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED)
– 1 x BIOS Flashback Button
– HD Audio Jacks: Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone (Gold Audio Jacks)
BIOS
256 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS
Manageability
WOL by PME, PXE
Accessories
– Quick Installation Guide, Support CD
– 4 x SATA Data Cables
– 1 x Graphics Card Holder
– 1 x Wireless Dongle USB Bracket
– 1 x 3010 Cooling Fan with Bracket and Screw Package
– 1 x 4010 Cooling Fan Bracket and Screw Package
– 2 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz Antennas
– 1 x ASRock Screwdriver
– 3 x Screws for M.2 Sockets
– 2 x Standoffs for M.2 Sockets
Operating System
Windows 10 64bit
Form Factor
ATX 12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm )
Closer Look Video Review
For this motherboard review we’ve produced a video which provides you with a highly detailed overview of the board revealing all the features with a verdict. Check out the video review here or watch below:
Test Setup & Methodology
Notes: We’ve revamped our benchmark regime by removing a number of tests which reveal little, to no difference between each motherboard model. Gaming performance is one such area which has been removed due to the inability for each motherboard to offer any advantage over another. Instead, we have focussed on meaningful/tangible analysis which examines the VRM/chipset design, and the storage performance which will be far more informative to the end user.
TEST SETUP
CPU Intel Core i9-11900KCooling: Corsair Hydro Series H110i
Motherboard: ASRock Z590 Taichi
Memory: 16GB Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO SL 3600MHz
Storage: Crucial MX300 SATA SSD + Kingston KC2500 PCIe 3.0 SSD
PSU: Corsair HX1050 80 Plus Gold Certified PSU
Monitor: AOC U2879VF
BENCHMARKS
PCMark 10 – Overall Extended ScoreSiSoftware SANDRA – SATA/PCIe Storage Tests
SiSoftware SANDRA – Processor Image Processing
OTHER SOFTWARE
Temperature Analysis: HWMonitorStress Testing Software: AIDA64 Stability Test
CPU Specification Monitoring: CPU-Z
Benchmarks: Power Consumption
In this first test we analyse the power efficiency from the wall for each motherboard (Minus the GPU). While each model uses the same chipset/platform, energy results can fluctuate between manufacturers due to the features and specifications that are integrated. First of all, for the idle tests the system is cold booted into Windows and no additional applications are executed – wattage is noted on the external energy monitor we use and then we open Aida64 stability test and execute a stress test, noting the highest reading on the monitor. Below are the results of this energy test.
Benchmarks: VRM & Chipset Cooling
Each motherboard manufacturer designs their board with a unique set of heatsinks to cover key areas like the VRM/mosfets and the chipset itself. In these test we use HWMonitor to identify the minimum values for VRM and chipset and then we load up Aida64 stability test again and perform a 20 minute run, recording the maximum value for both attributes.
Benchmarks: PCMark 10
PCMark 10 features a comprehensive set of tests that cover the wide variety of tasks performed in the modern workplace. With a range of performance tests, custom run options, and the new Battery Life Profile, PCMark 10 is the complete PC benchmark for the modern office.
Benchmarks: SATA Performance
In order to ascertain the SATA performance for our motherboards we use SiSoftware SANDRA and the File System Bandwidth performance test. This allows us to obtain the sequential read/write transfer rates for the drive being tested – Crucial MX300 SSD.
Benchmarks: PCIe M.2 Performance
In order to ascertain the PCIe M.2 performance for our motherboards we use SiSoftware SANDRA and the File System Bandwidth performance test. This allows us to obtain the sequential read/write transfer rates for the drive being tested – Kingston KC2500.
Benchmarks: CPU Image Processing
In our last test we observe the Image Processing performance from the CPU attached to the motherboard. For this we use SiSoftware SANDRA and the benchmark specifically designed for measuring the common algorithms associated with processing imagery.
Overclocking
For the overclocking phase, we already know that our CPU (Intel Core i9-11900K) is capable of having all cores operate at 5.3GHz without any stress being applied, and at 5.0GHz with stress/stability test approval, so this is the target which we aimed for with Taichi.
Taichi managed to hit 5GHz on all-cores and required 1.35v. This is a decent achievement and highlights how capable the board is at applying an overclock.
Conclusion
Having observed a good handful of Intel Z590 boards recently, we feel we’re in a good position to assess which options are good and bad. The Taichi falls into the good category.
ASRock has redesigned this seasons Z590 variant of Taichi and we like the fruits of their labours. It carries through a distinct design and is appealing. For those with an affection for RGB lighting, this need is well-catered for with integrated illumination as well as ample RGB headers to extend lighting.
At the high-end of the Intel Z590 range, the assortment of motherboards tend to offer similar feature-sets but the Taichi steps away from the crowd to offer up Thunderbolt 4 and we’re really impressed they decided to include this. This technology futureproofs the motherboard and gives access to 40 Gbps storage bandwidth. Taichi also delivers plenty of USB 3.2, up to three M.2 slots and of course PCIe 4.0 functionality (provided a Rocket Lake CPUs is being used).
In regards to performance, Taichi provides some great results with figures matching similar offerings. There were however a few results to keep an eye on – this motherboard consumes the most amount of power of the selection of Z590s we’ve tested and the VRM temperature exceeded 100C under severe load.
We have already established that our Intel Core i9-11900K has an all-core maximum overclock of 5GHz (with 5.3GHz bootable but not stable) and Taichi managed to hit the milestone of that 5GHz with 1.35v – this is a decent result and showcases how
Taichi is ASRock’s top-end model and as such it comes in at a cost of GBP £395| USD $429 | AUD $699. This isn’t the most expensive model out there but still warrants some serious consideration.
Looking for a high-performance motherboard to pair up with a Rocket Lake CPU? The Taichi delivers on features and performance!
Pros
+ Impressive design
+ Loaded with RGB features
+ Performs well
+ Provides plenty of USB 3.2 ports
+ Includes Thunderbolt 4 ports
+ Great selection of fan headers
+ Features two PCIe 4.0 X16 slots
+ Benefits from a protective backplate
+ Offers three M.2 slots
+ Includes GPU support bracket
Cons
– Demands more power than other Z590s
– High VRM temperatures
– Expensive!
+ Impressive design
+ Loaded with RGB features
+ Performs well
+ Provides plenty of USB 3.2 ports
+ Includes Thunderbolt 4 ports
+ Great selection of fan headers
+ Features two PCIe 4.0 X16 slots
+ Benefits from a protective backplate
+ Offers three M.2 slots
+ Includes GPU support bracket
Cons
– Demands more power than other Z590s
– High VRM temperatures
– Expensive!
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
Stay connected with Vortez social media pages:
