Last but not least, the B650E Flagship Tour introduces the ASRock B650E Taichi. We’ve seen other Taichis on various platforms. Carrara versionAt $369.99, the B650E Taichi is currently the most expensive B650-based motherboard. At this price point, it comes with everything the platform has to offer, including a PCIe 5.0 M.2 socket, USB4 (40 Gbps) Type-C port, flagship-class audio, and overbuilt power delivery. A premium Taichi look rounds out some of the key features.
A total of 10 B650 based motherboards are listed on ASRock’s website. Along with the more basic Pro RS, you’ll find familiar sub-brands such as Steel Legend, Riptide and Lightning SKUs. New to the mix is his LiveMixer SKU with a unique bright orange aesthetic designed to catch the eye. The product stack ranges from under $200 to $369.99 (Taichi), including Micro ATX and Mini-ITX options, so there’s something for everyone in this lineup.
As far as features go, the Taichi is loaded and features a sturdy 8-layer PCB and has similar specs compared to much more expensive ones. X670E TaichiThe number of USB on rear IO is different, B650E version has more USB on rear IO (12 vs 10). The X670E Taichi has two USB4 (40 Gbps) ports, but that’s one of the minor differences. They use the same overbuilt power delivery with a 105A SPS MOSFET, Killer based networking, one PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 socket and the same Realtek ALC4082 audio codec. At under $370, this board is packed with features like the others competing at the top of his B650 space.
B650E Taichi is our best motherboard list (we Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master) but that’s just for the price. That said, if you want a USB4 port and don’t need four M.2 sockets (or at least one 128 Gbps capable slot), ASRock’s board might be worth a little more money. Before we get into the details, here is the complete list of specifications for the B650E Taichi, straight from ASRock.
Specifications: ASRock B650E Taichi
| socket | AM5 |
| chipset | B650E |
| form factor | EATX |
| voltage regulator | 27 phases (24x 105A SPS MOSFETs for Vcore) |
| video port | (1) HDMI (v2.1) |
| (1) USB4 | |
| USB port | (1) USB4 (40Gbps) Type-C |
| (3) USB3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps) | |
| (8) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) | |
| network jack | (1) 2.5GbE |
| audio jack | (2) Analog + SPDIF |
| Legacy Port/Jack | ✗ |
| Other Ports/Jacks | ✗ |
| PCIe x16 | (1) v5.0 (x16, x8) |
| (1) v4.0 (x4) | |
| PCIe x8 | ✗ |
| PCIe x4 | ✗ |
| PCIe x 1 | ✗ |
| DIMM slots | (4) DDR5 6400+(OC), 128GB capacity |
| M.2 socket | (1) PCIe 5.0 x4 (128Gbps), up to 80mm |
| (2) PCIe 4.0 x4 (64Gbps), up to 80mm | |
| Supports RAID 0/1/10 | |
| SATA port | (4) SATA3 6Gbps |
| Supports RAID 0/1/10 | |
| USB header | (1) USB v3.2 Gen 2×2, Type-C (20Gbps) |
| (1) USB v3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) | |
| (2) USB v2.0 (480Mbps) | |
| fan/pump header | (8) 4-pin (CPU, CPU/Water Pump, Chassis/Water Pump) |
| RGB header | (3) aRGB (3 pin) |
| (1) RGB (4 pin) | |
| diagnostic panel | (1) Dr.Debug, 2-digit LED |
| Internal button/switch | Power/reset button |
| SATA controller | (1) ASMEDIA ASM1061 |
| ethernet controller | (1) Killer E3100 (2.5GbE) |
| Wi-Fi/Bluetooth | Killer AX1765 Wi-Fi 6E (2×2 ax, MU-MIMO, 2.4/5/6 GHz, 160 MHz, BT 5.2) |
| USB controller | (2) ASMEDIA ASM1074 |
| (1) Intel JHL8340 | |
| HD audio codec | Realtek ALC4082 and ESS SABER9218 DAC |
| DDL/DTS | ✗ / ✗ |
| guarantee | 3 years |
Inside the ASRock B650E Taichi box
The B650E Taichi includes some basic accessories (nothing more). Includes SATA cables, Wi-Fi antennas, and more. Our sample did not include a disk or USB stick for the drivers. If your Taichi did not come with a disc/USB stick, you can download all the drivers from their website. Below is a complete list of included accessories.
- user manual
- (4) SATA data cables
- Wireless dongle USB bracket
- ASRock Wi-Fi Antenna
- (3) screws for M.2 socket)
- Standoff for M.2 socket
ASRock B650E Taichi Design
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ASRock’s B650E Taichi is based on an 8-layer matte black PCB with some headers labeled in gray. The black VRM heatsink is large and actively cooled, with a small fan hidden under the IO shroud. The shroud has Taichi branding that also appears in the chipset area, along with gears/gears to represent the ‘endless possibilities’ mantra.The heatsink that covers the M.2 socket has a wavy profile and is chrome accents complete the ultra-premium look.
There are two RGB functions. One lights up the chipset heatsink symbol and the other is a small strip under his SATA port. Both RGB lighting areas are bright and color saturated, creating a nice glow inside the chassis. RGB can be controlled via the Polychrome application.
Along the top edge are two 8-pin EPS connectors (one required) for powering the processor. Past the heatsinks and sockets that are actively cooled and connected to heatpipes, there are four hardened DRAM slots with locking mechanisms on each side. ASRock lists support for up to DDR5-6400+(OC) which is a common limitation on most AM5 motherboards.
Above the DRAM slots are the first three (out of seven) 4-pin fan headers. All headers support PWM and DC modes for device control. Header output is 1A (CPU_FAN1), 2A/24W for CHA_FAN1-6, CPU_FAN2/WP_3A output is up to 3A/36W. There are plenty of headers with enough power for all your fan and water cooling needs.
To the right of the DRAM slots is the first M.2 socket. Beneath a rather large heatsink, this unique location houses the only PCIe 5.0 x4 (128 Gbps) M.2 socket on the board. The remaining slots and their breakdowns are described below. Along the right edge you’ll encounter the first two (out of four) RGB headers. In this case, these are both 3-pin ARGB headers. There is also another ARGB header and only one 4-pin RGB header on the bottom edge of the board.
ASRock lists the B650E Taichi’s power delivery as a 24+2+1 configuration. Power is moved from an 8-pin EPS connector to a Renesas RAA229628 20-phase controller. From there, the signal is split in two for a “teamed” configuration (no phase doubler) and sent to 24x 105A Renesas RAA22010540 SPS MOSFETs dedicated to Vcore. The 2,520A available on the processor matches the X670E Taichi and one of the cases where it doesn’t. of Best output we’ve seen.Obviously power delivery will never get in the way of overclocking, including using flagships Ryzen 9 7950XBut at the same time, at least for now, this level is clearly not needed for anything available in AM5.
Moving to the bottom half of the board, starting on the left side, we first encounter the Realtek ALC 4082 audio codec hidden under the heatsink. Also hidden under the same heatsink are a dedicated audio cap and four red WIMA caps. The 4082 codec is the latest and greatest, and along with his ESS SABER9218 DAC on the front panel, this is his one of the better audio implementations of the platform, with the help of Nahimic software.
In the middle of the board are two more M.2 sockets and two full-length reinforced PCIe slots. Starting with the M.2 socket, both deliver PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) bandwidth from their chipset and hold up to 80mm modules. I’d love to see a 4th M.2 socket, but I’m not sure many people, even in the enthusiastic community, miss it.If you want to RAID your NVMe drives, Taichi supports RAID0/1/10 modes, providing redundancy and insane (on paper) speed.
Second, both PCIe sockets use stiffeners to prevent sagging and shifting from today’s heavy graphics cards. The top PCIe slot is connected through the CPU and runs at PCIe 5.0 x16 speeds. The bottom socket is also beefed up, connecting through the chipset and running up to PCIe 4.0 x4. Multi-GPU support is not documented, but theoretically there is a minimum bandwidth to support AMD Crossfire.
Going right on top of the cool gear/cog chipset design piece, there are four SATA ports (also supporting RAID0/1/10) on the edge of the board. Hidden under the port on the back of the board is a small RGB LED strip that lights up the inside of the case, as well as an illuminated PG symbol for the chipset. A few more headers are exposed at the bottom of the board. Here you’ll find common connections such as additional USB ports, RGB headers, 4-pin fan headers, power button, and reset button. Below is the complete list from left to right.
- front panel audio
- (2) 4-pin system fan headers
- 4-pin RGB header
- 3-pin ARGB header
- SPI TPM header
- (2) USB 2.0 ports
- Dr. Debug
- (2) 4-pin system fan headers
- Power button and reset button
- front panel header
The B650E Taichi’s rear IO comes pre-installed with a motherboard-mounted shroud, just like its siblings. The background is black and the ports are gray. From left to right are the clear CMOS and flashback BIOS buttons, and the Wi-Fi antenna connection. The HDMI port handles video output, and his 2.5 Killer-based GbE port is just to the right. The 2 yellow USB ports are ASRock Lightning Gaming ports (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10 Gbps) and the 8 blue ports stacked next to them are 5 Gbps. Here we have another 10 Gbps Type-A and a single 40 Gbps Type-C port. Lastly is the 2-plug analog and SPDIF audio stack.
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