During Computex 2024, ASRock hosted an event to introduce its forthcoming X870E motherboards, crafted for AMD’s Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 series processors. ASRock revealed two Taichi-branded boards: the X870E Taichi and the X870E Taichi Lite, both leveraging AMD’s X870E (Promontory 21) chipset for AM5.
The flagship model in ASRock’s X870E lineup for Ryzen 9000 is the ASRock X870E Taichi. This board features a substantial 27-phase power delivery with 110A SPS, indicating its suitability for overclockers and power users. It includes two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots that can operate in either x16/x0 or x8/x8 configurations, supporting high-speed data transfer for advanced graphics cards and devices. Additionally, the board is equipped with four DIMM slots, allowing system builders to maximize memory capacity at the expense of bandwidth.
The storage options are impressive. In addition to the essential PCIe Gen5 x4 M.2 slot (Blazing M.2), ASRock has included three PCIe Gen4 x4 (Hyper) M.2 slots. There are also two USB4 Type-C ports for high-speed external I/O. The networking capabilities include a discrete Wi-Fi 7 controller and a Realtek 5Gb Ethernet controller, making it the first AM5 board we’ve seen with a speed higher than a 2.5GbE controller.
For audio, the board features a Realtek ALC4082 codec and ESS SABRE9218 DAC, ensuring high-fidelity sound. The BIOS flashback feature is a convenient addition, allowing users to update the firmware without needing to install a CPU. As expected from a high-end board, the X870E Taichi includes RGB lighting.
In essence, as ASRock’s premier X870E motherboard, the X870E Taichi incorporates every advanced technology that ASRock could integrate.
In comparison, the ASRock X870E Taichi Lite is a more streamlined variant of the X870E Taichi, retaining all essential features. This includes the 27-phase power delivery with 110A smart power stages, dual PCIe 5.0 x16 slots (operating at x16 or x8/x8), four DDR5 DIMM slots, and four M.2 slots (1x Gen5 + 3x Gen4). The main difference lies in the aesthetics: the Taichi Lite sports a simpler silver-themed design without RGB lighting, while the standard Taichi boasts a more intricate design with gold accents.
Regarding availability, ASRock has not disclosed a release date for these boards. According to Andreas Schilling from HardwareLUXX, X870E and X870 motherboards may not be available when the Ryzen 9000 series processors launch. We plan to investigate further and contact motherboard vendors for confirmation. Given that X870E/X870 boards differ only slightly from current X670E/B650E boards, new AM5 boards may not be necessary for Ryzen 9000 to perform optimally.
