Board Layout

As touched on previously, The X670E Taichi Carrara and X670E Taichi are the same hardware underneath the visual design.


Whichever motherboard you choose to purchase, a number of layout changes have been implemented from the previous AMD X570 Taichi, for those who keep track yearly. The first major change is moving to the E-ATX form factor, which will have an impact when it comes to choosing a computer case. Installation of E-ATX motherboards often come with challenges due to the extended width. Along with a new, paired chipset, the CPU socket has physically changed. Together with firmware and design changes, this also physically prevents previously released Ryzen CPUs (Zen1, Zen2, Zen3) from being installed, which will not be compatible moving forward, for a clean sheet generational leap.


AMD's changes to the socket also come with some compatibility challenges to overcome. Many brands selling CPU coolers have already announced forwards compatibility. However, some will need an adapter, as the backplate that was previously removable for the AM4 (PGA) socket, is now integrally part of this new AM5 (LGA) socket. ASRock keeps the socket clear of obstructions. Whether an All-In-One (AIO), custom waterblock, or air-cooler is used, the X670E Taichi Carrara has enough physical clearance around the socket to alleviate compatibility concerns.

AMD recommends 240-280 mm AIO (or better) for the Ryzen R9 7950X/7900X to avoid thermal throttling. Thermal observations from using the AMD Ryzen 7950X during this review, the AIO solution should be considered more of a requirement instead of a recommendation in heavy multi-threaded applications. Undervolting, and using PBO is also an option as well to circumvent thermal limitations.


The ASRock X670E Taichi Carrara offers two PCI Express x16 slots, with both being reinforced for extra stress support. PCIe slot one and two are PCIe Gen5 certified with a total of x16 lanes coming from the CPU. This means that slot one can either operate at x16 or x8. Slot 2 is wired for PCIe Gen5 x8 and will split the available lanes with the first slot when populated. This second 16x PCIe slot will not become disabled if the M.2 Gen5 socket is populated. This is because the AMD 7000 series has 24 PCIe Gen5 lanes that can be divided into M.2 Sockets, USB4 and PCIe slots based on the motherboard implementation.


Because the Ryzen CPU provides 24 PCIe Gen5 lanes, motherboard vendors have the ability to include M.2 Gen5 sockets as well, without losing the second PCIe slot. Here ASRock has implemented a single M.2 Gen5 x4 socket (first below the CPU). This M.2 socket bandwidth is provided by the CPU. The remaining three M.2 sockets are Gen4 4x and get their bandwidth from the X670 chipset(s). All M.2 sockets have passive heatsink coverage as well.


ASRock demonstrated the strengths of using a Gen5 M.2 SSD during a media/press invitational event. Along with a glimpse of these next-gen drives, was a presentation pointing out that Gen5 NVMe drives will need active cooling to achieve these higher speeds. Similar to many Gen4 NVMe drives, sustained reading or writing on the SSD can result in thermal throttling without proper cooling. To combat this, included with the ASRock X670E Taichi and Taichi Carrara motherboards is a M.2 heatsink that has a small fan for active cooling. ASRock said it has plans to release this heatsink separately as well, but no pricing or release info has been given at this time.


The charts above illustrate the impact sustained reads can have on a NVMe drive when it is not properly cooled. Without any heatsink, serious thermal throttling can occur. Not only is the ASRock Blazing M.2 Heatsink useful for Gen4 NVMe drives, it will be a necessity to keep these Gen5 NVMe SSDs in peek performance.


in the bottom right corner is a physical power and reset button, along with the System Panel header for the case as well. This buttons are helpful if you just want to power on the motherboard before you have everything connected up, or if it's on a test bench.


ASRock includes a post debugger for easier troubleshooting. Considering that the AM5 socket is new to everyone, it is always good to get a readout of what stage the boot process is on, or what it may be stuck on.


The ASRock X670E Taichi Carrara uses a two 8-Pin EPS connector for higher power management.


Along the bottom and right side are a few RGB LED Headers.

Information provided by ASRock


Included with the X670E Taichi Carrara are two USB 3.2 Gen1 Headers (5 Gb/s), two USB 2.0 headers and a single Type-E header for USB-C.


ASRock has dual USB4 ports on the X670E Taichi Carrara. These ports provide 40 Gb/s each. Both of which are using Intel's Thunderbolt 4 controller, officially ASRock has stated these ports are only USB4 compliant and not Thunderbolt 4 certified. To answer why ASRock is using Intel for the USB4 ports is because ASMedia has yet to release a USB4 controller, meaning all motherboards currently must use Intel's solution, for now.

Clarification: The Intel JHL8540 uses a PCIe x4 Gen3 connection. Therefore total bandwidth is constrained as both USB4 ports share the same TB4 controller.


ASRock takes its cooling solution seriously, connecting the PCH (X670) heatsink to the VRM with a heatpipe. It's a beefy cooling solution, designed so that even when the PCH is being loaded, thermals will still be well within the optimal operational range.


The motherboard has a total of eight 6 Gbps SATA ports. There are two sets of four, each of which are connected to a separate X670 Chipset (PCH). Because the PCH is a hub for connected devices from USB, to M.2, Wi-Fi, SATA and more, this means not everything can be accommodated. In this instance, the ASRock X670E Taichi Carrara gives up the a single SATA port (A1)* if the M2_2 PCIe Gen4 x4 socket is used. This is the vertical M.2 socket besides the DIMM slots for reference.

Clarification: * This is only happens when a M.2 SATA SSD is installed in M.2 Socket M2_2.


The Realtek ALC4080 Codec can be found here, in theory, it should provide a good audio experience. However, Audio analysis could not be performed due to the lack of a Line In port. Mic In cannot be the substitute as it has a lower frequency range, and isn't suitable for the RightMark Audio benchmark.


Getting a peek at the Rear IO, we can see that it breaks away from the standard layout we are used to seeing for a number of years now. Instead of a classic 5-Jack audio setup, the switch to the two-port solution is becoming more common outside of just ITX motherboards. Because AMD Ryzen 7000 series has onboard graphics, an HDMI 2.1 port is provided for video output.

When it comes to external connections, ASRock provides a number of high-speed USB ports. Two USB4 ports will provide an additional 40 Gb/s per connection that can used with NAS externals or USB hubs. ASRock says the two Lighting Gaming ports (yellow) are for Low Latency Mice and Keyboards. These are connected through the CPU instead of X670 chipset, and should provide the lowest latency. For real world use-cases, it is still up for debate if these low latency USB ports make a measurable difference.

ASRock X670E Taichi also includes a Clear CMOS and BIOS Flashback button for easy recovery, which is always nice to see.

• 2x Antenna Ports
• 1x HDMI Port
• 1x Optical SPDIF Out Port
• 2x USB4 Type-C Ports (40 Gb/s)
• 5x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports (10 Gb/s)
• 3x USB 3.2 Gen1 Ports (5 Gb/s)
• 1x RJ-45 LAN Port
• 1x Clear CMOS Button
• 1x BIOS Flashback Button
• 1x Line Out Jack (Gold Audio Jack)
• 1x Microphone Input Jack (Gold Audio Jack)