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.
