Introduction

Ten months ago, AMD released the Ryzen 3000 series desktop processors in one of the most monumental hardware launches of the modern era. This final step completed the Red brand's ascent back into the forefront of the desktop processor market that began with the launch of the first generation of Ryzen CPUs. Today, Intel is finally firing back with the launch of the 10th Generation Intel Core processors, along with a new motherboard standard to drive them.

As should be no surprise, the focus will remain on the new motherboards. While the 10th Gen Intel Core processors will not support PCIe 4.0 connectivity due to signal integrity issues, many of the Z490 motherboards are designed to support the PCIe 4.0 specification. This is accomplished by adding clock generators to help clean up the signal. Generally speaking, when it comes to long-term platform support, AMD has been the trendsetter. Has AMD's long support of the AM4 socket on its newer generation processors inspired Intel to take similar steps?

So what is Z490 offering right now? For starters, there has been a large focus on VRM and VRM cooling design. With the top-level Intel Core i9-10900K featuring 10 cores along with HyperThreading, the ability to deliver clean, continuous power is going to be one of the primary factors that separates a good Z490 board from the competition. With the introduction of HyperThreading on Intel's mid-range line-up, power delivery is going to be vital in all segments.



The Taichi line from ASRock is a staple for the brand, with the cog and gear theme of the Taichi easily one of the most iconic aesthetics in modern motherboards. As a continuation of the modernization started with the X570 Taichi almost a year ago, the ASRock Z490 Taichi maintains the same large heatsink over the bottom half of the board with the trademark cog and gear motif over the chipset. New for the Z490 Taichi is the same finned and actively cooled heatsink we saw on the ASRock Z490 Taichi.

This motherboard is PCIe 4.0 ready and features a 14-phase VRM with an actively cooled, finned VRM heatsink to deliver maximum performance with even the highest-end 10th Gen Core processors. There is also 2.5 Gb/s LAN and built-in WiFi 6, along with Nahimic Audio and the aforementioned full coverage heatsinks for the M.2 slots.

Let's take a closer look at what the ASRock Z490 Taichi has to offer.

Specifications

Packaging and Contents

The front of the ASRock Z490 Taichi box is split, with the left side hosting a brushed gray background and the right side featuring the trademark Taichi cogs and gears. "Z490 Taichi " is in the bottom left, with brand badging below it along the bottom-left edge. "ASRock" is in the top-left corner. The front of the box opens up to show a window with the board visible beneath and some of the stand-out features covered on the flap.


The back of the box has all the highlights: a top-down shot of the board, several panels detailing prominent features, a diagram outlining the rear I/O, and the specifications list. The box design is well executed and a good fit for the board.


The accessories are mostly standard, with a few nice extras. ASRock has included some nice Velcro cable ties, as well as a Torx driver for the M.2 heatsinks. Notably absent is any kind of rear I/O shield because it is integrated into the board.

The full list of accessories includes:

• Manual, software setup guide, and support DVD
• Postcard and sticker sheet
• 4x SATA 6 Gb/s cables
• 3x M.2 mounting screws
• 2x Velcro cable ties
• T8 Torx driver
• SLI hard bridge
• WiFi antenna

Board Layout

The ASRock Z490 Taichi retains a mostly neutral theme that is easy to match to a wide variety of components. With a predominantly black and silver theme accented with a touch of gold over the chipset, the Taichi follows the same design as its predecessors.


The CPU socket is open enough for most air coolers. The VRM features a large, finned heatsink with not one or two, but three fans for active cooling. ASRock isn't playing around when it comes to power delivery.


The first two VRM cooling fans sit on top of the finned section of the heatsink. These are designed to push air down through the fins of the heatsink. The third VRM fan sits under a nicely finished aluminium plate.


There are technically four M.2 slots on the ASRock Z490 Taichi; two above the first PCIe x16 slot, another below the first PCIe x16 slot, and the last between the second and third PCIe x16 slot. The top two slots are facing each other; one supports PCIe 4.0 (on future-generation CPUs) and the other only supports PCIe 3.0.


The ASRock Z490 Taichi offers 3 PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots, all of which are encased in steel, as well as two PCI Express 3.0 x1 slots. The top two x16 slots are PCIe 4.0 ready, featuring a clock generator to ensure a clear signal. While this feature is not supported by 10th Gen Intel Core processors, it is expected to be supported in future launches. The board has a total of eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports on the side, angled 90 degrees from the board.


The ASRock Z490 Taichi has a good I/O offering that includes an optical S/PDIF out port as well as a BIOS flashback button and a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port.

• 2x Antenna ports
• HDMI port
• DisplayPort 1.4 port
• 5x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports
• PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port
• 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port
• USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port
• 2x RJ-45 LAN port
• Optical SPDIF out port
• 5x 3.5 mm audio jacks
• BIOS flashback button

Networking on the ASRock Z490 Taichi is handled by an Intel I219V as well as a Realtek RTL8125AG for 2.5 Gb/s LAN and an Intel 802.11ax for WiFi support.