The ASRock X299 Taichi is a welcome update to the classic Taichi line. The addition of an integrated rear I/O shield is an overdue feature. Not only is it one less thing for people to worry about (and it does not matter how many computers you have built, there is always a risk of forgetting to install the shield before putting everything else together), but it also shows an attention to detail and determined adherence to the theme of the board. The I/O cover that doubles as a heatsink shows a great commitment to innovative design. In the same vein, the embossed gears on the chipset are very finely machined, and the reflective gear outlines on the rear I/O shield really catch the eye.

As for performance, memory stability was pretty good; It is nice to see that ASRock is still prioritizing performance and compatibility with their boards. CPU overclocking is hard to judge on a new CPU sample. However, I can say that I couldn't get a stable overclock that was significantly greater than the stock maximum boost clock, at least until the CPU overcame my cooler's capacity. Performance out of the box was also pretty good in both dual channel and quad channel configurations. Thermal performance on the ASRock X299 Taichi was good, though I wasn't able to really push the board hard because of thermal throttling on my 10900X sample.

The ASRock X299 Taichi boasts 2.5 Gb/s LAN as well as WiFi 6, offering excellent networking options. The USB options aren't as stellar. The Type-C on the back panel is USB 3.2 Gen2x2, offering up to 20 Gb/s of bandwidth, which is a big plus. With only four other USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, the X299 Taichi CLX does seem a bit dated. While the X299 chipset has aged well in most departments, this is one area where it really shows. Internal connectivity is much better as ASRock included no less than ten SATA ports and a great M.2 thermal solution.

The ASRock X299 Taichi comes in at US$399.99, which isn't exactly cheap. Premium inclusions like 2.5 Gb/s LAN, intricate M.2 heatsink, and high-end VRM power stages do add up. However, US$399.99 is pretty typical for HEDT boards, and the ASRock X299 Taichi CLX has a lot to offer. So if you are in the market for a new X299 motherboard, the ASRock X299 Taichi CLX is a great choice with a modern design and feature set.