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When the Intel Z890 chipset was announced, several motherboards dedicated to overclocking caught our attention, including this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF. We’ve already had the opportunity to talk to you about the ROG Maximus Z890 APEX and the MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X. This is not a press sample, but a card we acquired via an online store. There’s still one XOC model to come from AORUS, the Tachyon, but the launch date doesn’t seem to be scheduled before the end of the year.
As with MSI’s Unify-X, it’s great news to see ASRock repropose an “XOC” card with its OCF model for OC Formula. The last model in this series was based on the Z590 chipset! We use the term “XOC”, in overclocking jargon, for a motherboard that can be used for extreme overclocking tests. These models feature a host of tools implemented on the PCB and benefit from regular BIOS updates. If you want to lower your CPU temperature below 0°C, these “XOC” boards are often the best choice.
Naturally, this model was designed in collaboration with ASRock’s in-house overclocker, Nick Shih. Let’s take a closer look at this motherboard.
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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 benchmark XOC boards for the Z890 chipset. So it’s with some excitement that we’ve started unboxing this model, and we can’t wait to begin our tests, which will focus mainly on its overclocking potential.
The 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.
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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 overclockingsessions .
PCB:
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.
See you in a few days for our first tests with this ASRock Taichi Z890 OCF!