[nextpage title=”Introduction:”]
Today we’re going to review the ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF motherboard, an XOC model. It’s a board aimed primarily at overclockers, since it has just two memory slots and a series of tools integrated on the PCB for, among other things, cold testing. This is not a press copy, but a board we bought directly online. Its price varies from store to store, but it can be found for under 500 euros, making it the cheapest XOC board on the market, based on the Z890 chipset.
@cornerjack_occ Après vous avoir proposé l’unboxing de cette superbe ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF, une carte dédiée à l’overclocking, il est temps de débuter les tests. Le lien vers l’unboxing : https://cutt.ly/neHwkBB4 @Overclocking.com @Intel Gaming @Intel Corporation @AsRock USA @TEAMGROUP #shorts #pcgaming #gaming #DDR5 #benchlab #intel #z890 #asrock #asrockmotherboard #teamgroup #optimus #watercooling #overclocking
[nextpage title=”The ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF:”]
It’s now been several days since the Intel Core Ultra 200S processors were launched, and if you haven’t yet read our review, this is the place to do it. With this “OCF” series, ASRock is offering us a model that makes no secret of its ambitions to become one of the reference for XOC cards for the Z890 chipset. So it’s with some excitement that we’ve started this unboxing, and we can’t wait to begin our tests, which will be mainly focused on this model’s overclocking potential.
The ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF bundle:
The box is rather unusual and it’s not easy to highlight the glittery effect of the rendering. The rendering is quite dark, and it’s the lettering and logos that give the front panel a premium look. We’ve deliberately taken a photo of the box with the motherboard, so that you can see that the spirit is identical between the two.
The rear panel highlights the major features of this model, such as the imposing power supply stage, overclocking tools , Thunderbolt 4, Memory OC Shield and all the specifications of this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF.
A quick look at the bundle for this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF to see if it benefits from “special accessories”. It’s a fairly complete bundle, with perhaps one item that stands out from the rest, an ASRock cap that you can insert on your keyboard. Personally, we’d have preferred it in black and yellow.
New Z890 chipset and LGA-1851 socket:
This new motherboard is built around Intel’s new Z890 chipset. One of the major changes is the socket, which is no longer a LGA-1700, but continues to grow with 1851 pins and will therefore be called LGA-1851. The good news, however, is that the center-to-center distance remains the same, which means you’ll still be able to use your LGA-1700 socket-compatible cooling system.
The rear panel features a shield whose role is to optimize dissipation of the power supply stages via three thermal pads. Heat is transferred to this shield, which is responsible for dissipating it.
The various heat sinks :
The dimensions of the board are 305 mm x 244 mm, corresponding to the ATX format. The dominant color on the PCB is predominantly black. There are a series of yellow accents, mainly on the heatsinks. We’re glad to see ASRock returning to the original yellow color, as on the Z77, rather than a light yellow, as on the Z590. The design is quite distinctive, with the power and reset buttons located on the right-hand side of the lower section. The idea is to provide easy access to them during liquid nitrogen testing.
Let’s start with the radiators, of which there are three!
First of all, the two radiators located on top of the motherboard and surrounding the socket. They cover the power supply stages and are connected by a heat pipe. We’ll see that a small fan is hidden inside.
Finally, the third panel covers part of the M.2 SSD slots, as well as the chipset. The height is low, to allow easy insertion of graphics cards. ASRock has provided two RGB backlight zones, located on the cover that covers the external connectors as well as on this radiator.
PCIe and DDR5 memory slots:
The ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF can accommodate a maximum of two DDR5 memory modules. It supports dual-channel memory kits up to 10133 MHz (OC) and for a maximum quantity of 96 GB. Of course, when ASRock announces a frequency of 10133 MT/s, it’s with a single memory strip and overclocked. ASRock also highlighted its “Memory OC Shield” technology. This is a special material (a sticker?) to cover the memory line of the motherboard, thus considerably improving overclocking performance and memory stability. Even processors with poor IMC (memory controller) can reach higher frequencies than competing motherboards. A patent has been filed for this device. We’ll see what happens in our tests.
The space around the socket is well ventilated, allowing easy insulation for cold tests.
As far as PCIe ports are concerned, our ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF features two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots and one PCIe 4.0 x4 slot. The main slot is EZ Release compatible. This device allows the graphics card to be clipped in and out without the need to press any buttons. To remove it, simply pull the pull tab gently to the right, and vice versa to lock it in place.
The fastening system for the majority of M.2 SSD slots is also evolving, as it no longer requires screws, just a button to push in order to release the heatsink.
Six M.2 SSD slots:
From top to bottom. The first is the one beneath our processor socket. It’s an M.2 Gen 5.0 x4 SSD slot (type 2280) with an impressive heatsink. The second, where you’ll need your screwdriver, is an M.2 Gen 4.0 x4 SSD slot (type 2280).
When the imposing black aluminum plate is removed, four new slots are revealed. All are 2260/2280 and Gen 4.0 x4 wired. All slots will benefit from a thermal pad to optimize heat dissipation from your SSD. The first slot, wired in Gen 5.0, features two thermal pads.
[nextpage title=”PCB and connectors: “]
Tools for clocking:
Let’s start with the elements inserted on the PCB, which can prove to be interesting tools for overclockers. There are plenty of them on this model, and of course we’re not disappointed. This confirms its position as an XOC board dedicated to overclocking. Let’s start with a tour of the tools, from top to bottom.
- ” + ” and ” – “: to overclock directly on the fly and thus increase the frequency of your overclocking. We’ll check whether it’s the BCLK frequency or the ratio that is affected.
- Profile 1, 2 and 3 buttons: one-click activation of overclocker Nick Shis’s predefined OC profiles.
- Debug Led: displays a code corresponding to the component responsible for the boot error. These are now displayed on the OLED screen, and the list of codes can be found in the manual.
- LN2 Mode: avoids the problems encountered with liquid nitrogen cooling.
- Slow Mode: allows you to boot with a coefficient of 16x and, once in the OS, to reset the coefficient chosen in the bios. In cold conditions, if you want to reach 6GHz at 60x100MHz, activate Slow Mode to boot at 16×100 and then return to 60×100 in the OS. This is mainly for max screens.
- ReTry Button (RTY_BTN1): during cold tests, sometimes the OS freezes and a reset doesn’t restart the motherboard: the only solution is to hold down the START button for 6 or 7 seconds. With the ReTry button, it restarts immediately.
- Safe Boot (BFG_BTN1): restarts the board even if the parameters set in the bios do not allow boot. This avoids the need to perform a CMOS Clear to reboot and thus lose your encoded parameters.
- The power button: powers up the motherboard.
- The reset button: restarts the motherboard in the event of failure. They are located in a lower position so as to be easily accessible for testing under liquid nitrogen with the insulation provided around the socket.
- ProbeIT : for measuring voltages with a multimeter directly on the PCB.
- OC switches: use OC switches to automatically load your OC profiles at start-up.
- CMOS CLR: clears BIOS settings to return to default. Found with external connectors.
- BIOS switch: allows you to choose between the first or second BIOS, and is also available with external connectors.
Last but not least, this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF features a 13-pin OCP1 connector, enabling you to plug in ElmorLabs’ OC Panel. Currently, only the APEX Encore Z790 and APEX Z890 motherboards were compatible. We have a copy of this OC Panel at our disposal, so it will be a plus for our overclocking sessions.
The PCB of this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF :
Our ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF is based on a 22 (Vcore) + 2 (VccGT) + 1 (VccAUX) + 1 + 1 phase power supply. The 22 phases of the Vcore are placed in parallel, so there are actually 11 of them. The controller is a Renesas RAA 229130 chip.
The 22 mosfets are all 110A Renesas R2209004s grouped in parallel by phase, enabling them to be duplicated without the need for a doubler. The mosfets in the power stages generate the most heat, as they are responsible for voltage conversion and delivery to the CPU from the 12-volt EPS connector.
Connectors :
The ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF comes with a full range of connectors. First of all, the Clear CMOS and the button for flashing the BIOS from a USB key. One of the board’s special features is its two PS/2 slots for connecting a keyboard and mouse. But why are we still using this type of connector in 2021? Quite simply because some benchmarks perform better under XP (Super Pi), and the use of non-USB peripherals makes OS installation much easier.
Finally, there are two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C Ports (40 Gb/s), a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C Port (20 Gb/s), four USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports (10 Gb/s), a USB 3.2 Gen1 Port, the two Wi-Fi antennas and the various audio outputs.
[nextpage title=”The BIOS of this Taichi Z890 OCF: “]
It’s been a while since we’ve had our hands in an ASRock BIOS, except on NZXT motherboard models designed from ASRock PCBs.
Flash BIOS of this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF :
As we said, the first thing to do to avoid unpleasant surprises is to update your BIOS. The idea here is to remind you of the simple procedure for flashing the BIOS, which is essential if you want to keep your configuration perfectly stable, especially when a new generation arrives, as is the case here.
The other good news is that ASRock is very, very reactive when it comes to BIOS, providing new patches and, above all, more refined profiles. It would be a real shame to miss out. Go to the ASRock website and your motherboard page to download the latest BIOS. Place it on a key and insert it into a USB port on the motherboard. Restart the PC, press and hold the “DEL” or “Suppr” key to access the BIOS parameters.
Go to the “Tool” tab and click on “Instant Flash”. A scan will then be launched on your USB key to find a compatible BIOS. If it finds more than one, it will ask you to choose the one you want to flash. The flash sequence starts, the motherboard restarts and you return to the BIOS.
As the above screenshot shows, we were able to test several BIOSes, as updates followed each other, with the latest during our tests, OC29.
The inner workings of the CPU BIOS :
As soon as you enter the BIOS, you’ll find a whole series of tabs: ” Main “, ” OC Tweaker “, ” Advanced “, ” Tool “, ” H/W Monitor “, ” Security “, ” Boot ” and ” Exit “. The one we’ll be using most often is the ” OC Tweaker ” tab. This is where you’ll find most of the parameters we’ll be modifying. Note that the BIOS of this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF doesn’t really have sub-categories in the tabs, which may give the impression of numerous settings compared to other brands.
By default, you arrive in Easy Mode, which, as you’ll have gathered by now, is a condensed version of the settings a typical user might need. Press the F6 key to access all the parameters and thus the advanced mode. The “Main” tab gives you an overview of your PC’s components and, above all, your BIOS revision.
Let’s go to the ” OC Tweaker ” tab with the processor management settings. Since the patches and latest BIOS updates, Intel has inserted itself into the manufacturers’ BIOS with recommendation settings for the use of its processors. Three profiles are available: Intel Default Mode, Intel Baseline Mode and ASRock Extreme Mode.
The BIOS also offers two OC profiles to optimize processor performance for application tasks and gaming. Little is known about the changes, except that they seem to concern core frequencies. We’ll be testing these two profiles to assess their impact. We also benefit from four LN2 profiles, including the option of retaining or bypassing DLVR. DLVR, which stands for Digital Linear Voltage Regulation, is an option that reduces the power consumption of unused cores, thereby improving energy efficiency.
This BIOS does not support all CPU patches, as some may cause stability issues, particularly with Windows 11. You can update them via this BIOS.
DDR5 memory options :
Overclockers will tell you, if there’s one motherboard we’ve come to expect in terms of memory performance, it’s this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF. And they won’t be disappointed. Let’s start with the option to activate your XMP profile. If your kit has several XMP profiles, it’s up to you to choose the one that suits you best. In this case, with our Teamgroup kit, it’s the 8200 MT/s CL38.
Excellent news: the BIOS features a number of interesting pre-set memory profiles. All profiles are above 8800 MT/s, which is quite logical if we’re talking about overclocking profiles . It would have been a shame to find profiles with lower frequencies, given that our kit is already at 8200 MT/s!
We’ll be testing these different profiles in the memory overclocking section. You can then modify each timing independently to optimize your overclocking.
The different voltages :
After the processor and memory, you’ll have access to the different voltages concerning the processor and memory. Beware, all these voltages follow each other, and you’ll need to have some knowledge of overclocking to understand the impact of these different parameters.
As far as Load Line Calibration is concerned, which we talk about regularly, you’ll find it in the CPU DLVR Configuration section. However, we don’t really have any information on the curve corresponding to the different levels.
Don’t forget to save your profiles:
Finally, saving profiles is highly recommended when you’re running tests. It saves time. You can also save them on a USB key. Don’t hesitate to ask for advice on our forum and discord if you have any problems setting up your BIOS.
[nextpage title=”Configuration and frequencies respected: “]
Here’s the configuration I’ll be using to test this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF. For the publication of these tests, I’ve used the latest BIOS available on the motherboard’s product page. For this test, we decided to use the largest processor in the range, the Core Ultra 9 285K, as well as three different memory kits. They differ from each other in the type of memory they carry, but we’ll talk more about this in the overclockingtests.
- Intel motherboard: ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF (BIOS OC29)
- Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
- Memory: 2 x 24 GB Teamgroup 8200 MT/s CL38
- Graphics card: NVIDIA RTX 4070 SUPER
- Cooling system: Waterblock Optimus Signature V3 Intel and Alphacool Chiller Eiszeit
- Power supply: be quiet! Dark Power 13 1000w
- Operating system: Windows 11 64-bit 24H
Here we go for this first series of tests.
Frequencies respected?
As with every new processor test, our first concern is to check whether the advertised frequencies are actually achieved. To do this, we’re going to use the Cinebench R23 benchmark. Two scenarios will be used: a single-core benchmark and a multi-core benchmark. The idea is to be able to judge the frequencies achieved and compare them with what Intel has announced in its slides.
It’s worth remembering that the Boost frequency in the bench is different for each processor. As Intel points out, Max Turbo frequency refers to the maximum frequency attainable by one of the processor cores running a single-core workload. This frequency varies according to several factors: the load, the cooling system and therefore the temperature of your processor. This is a concept to keep in mind.
The first step is to select the ” Intel Default Mode ” profile in the BIOS, and activate the XMP I profile. We’ll start by using Intel’s recommendations for this frequency test.
Test with Core Ultra 9 285K :
Here we go with the beefier of the two processors we received, the Core Ultra 9 285K. As you can see, we’ve opened several windows to check frequencies, temperatures, working cores and power consumption. We’ll start with a single-core run of Cinebench R23.
We can see that two Performance cores are working alternately, core #0 and core #1, and that they easily reach a frequency of 5700 MHz, as indicated by Intel on its slides. Let’s see what happens when we launch a Multi Core run.
All cores come into action. Lion Cove P-Cores reach 5400 MHz and Skymont E-Cores 4600 MHz. Now let’s get on with our various tests.
[nextpage title=”CPU profiles in the BIOS:”]
If you’ve been following our tests of Z890 motherboards, you’ll know that there are three profiles inserted directly into the BIOS. The idea is to avoid the instability concerns of Intel processors. As you can see from the BIOS screenshots, there are three profiles: Intel Default Mode, Intel Baseline Mode and ASRock Extreme Mode. Logically, these three profiles should make a difference in terms of power consumption and therefore performance. To find out, we’ll load each profile in turn and run a series of multithreaded benchmarks under Cinebench 23.
Cinebench R23 with the different profiles :
Here we go, with these three profiles: Intel Default Mode, Intel Baseline Mode and ASRock Extreme Mode.
Intel Baseline Mode is the lowest-performance profile, but the one that consumes the least power and maintains the lowest temperatures. We obtain a score of 37796 points (178 watts). Now, in our opinion, it’s a shame to miss out on the performance of the Core Ultra 9 285K with this profile.
The Intel Default Mode profile is closer to what we’ve come to expect in terms of performance, with a score of 42318 points (238 watts). The ASRock Extreme Mode profile consumes the most power, at 253 watts according to Cinebench R23, but with a very slightly higher score of 42622 points.
Two overclocking profiles in the BIOS :
This is the first of the Z890 motherboards we’re testing, featuring two CPU overclocking profiles. To use them, first select the ASRock Extreme Mode profile. We have Gaming OC Preset Stage 1 and Gaming OC Preset Stage 2. Let’s load them and check the gains obtained. As you can see from the screenshot above, the benefits of these two stages are clear to see.
Let’s get to testing with Cinebench R23. We can see that Stage 1 has modified the multiplier coefficients of the P and E cores. In terms of performance, we go from 42622 points to 43062 points, a gain of just one percent. Power consumption rises from 253 to 286 watts. Unfortunately, Stage 2 offers nothing more, with an identical score.
[nextpage title=”Memory overclocking: “]
As we’ve already hinted, it’s with regard to memory overclocking that we’ll be paying the most attention, since this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF promises excellent potential. We’ll be using our memory kit from Teamgroup, who have been loyal to us for many years. We should be receiving a copy of the 8800 MT/s CKD kit in the next few weeks.
The kit consists of two 24 GB sticks clocked at 8200 MT/s in CL38, but here on 3 GB Hynix M-die chips. We’re going to use the 8200 MT/s kit to test some of the profiles available in the BIOS. Here are the available ones. We plan to come back to memory overclocking with this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF in more detail once we’ve received the CKD kit.
We’ll be focusing on the ” Tight ” profiles, which will be more interesting. We’ll be testing the 8800 G2, 9000 G2, 9600 G4, 9733 G4 and Raw memory air cooling. We’ll be testing performance differences under AIDA64 and Geekbench 3. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to run the last two profiles with our memory kit. We therefore tested our XMP profile against the 8800 G2, 9000 G2 and 9600 G4, which you can see in detail below.
Let’s take a look at the performance of these three profiles under AIDA64 and Geekbench 3, in comparison with the XMP profile of our Teamgroup T-Force Xtreem 8200 MT/s CL38 kit.
As you can see, all three profiles are very interesting and offer significant performance gains. They can also be very useful as a starting point for more advanced overclocking. As we said above, we’ll be coming back to memory overclocking with this OCF in the weeks to come, but current events force us to postpone these tests.
[nextpage title=”The last word:”]
Let’s cut to the chase: we’ve fallen under the spell of this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF, which is likely to make the XOC competition sit up and take notice. It’s been a while since ASRock offered an XOC card, and we’re delighted to see this OCF model back on the market. The first excellent point is its price, since it can be found at around 500 euros, which is a great price for this type of card. Even if it’s not for the average person, it can of course be used as an ordinary card, just bear in mind that you’ll only have two memory slots.
The BIOS is also very comprehensive, with profiles for overclocking both the processor and memory. The difference with the competition is the presence of profiles of interest to overclockers. If you already own an 8000 MT/s kit, there’s little point in having a dozen profiles below this frequency. In the case of our ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF, the profiles start at 8800 MT/s and prove very interesting. We’ll come back to overclocking in more detail, but the news of the next few weeks means we’ll have to put this platform on the back burner for a while.
Finally, an added bonus is the presence of Nick, ASRock’s in-house overclocker, who very, very regularly provides new BIOS and motherboard information. As a reminder, this model was not supplied to us by ASRock, it was a personal purchase.
ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF :
We liked:
- A high-performance, well-designed power stage
- The possibility of using high-capacity, high-frequency CUDIMM memory
- Tools inserted on the PCB to facilitate overclocking, with remote power and reset button location
- CPU overclocking profiles
- Memory overclocking profiles, very interesting in the face of competition from XOC models
- Unlock/lock mechanism for graphics card and M.2 SSD slots
- Nick’s readiness to offer new BIOSes for this OCF model
- The motherboard’s design, which we find very successful
We would have liked :
- Even if it doesn’t concern ASRock, we’d like to know how long this LGA-1851 socket will last…
As you can see, this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF motherboard is a real “coup de coeur”. It ticks all the boxes we’re entitled to expect from an XOC model aimed at overclockers: a decent price for this type of board, an ultra-complete BIOS, regular BIOS updates, “useful” profiles in the BIOS, a well-thought-out design for cold testing and, of course, the many tools available on the PCB. So, a big yes for this OCF model!
