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.
