ASRock Cranks The Hype Dial To 11 On 'Exciting' New X870 And X870E Motherboards
I originally used a Formula motherboard dating back to the late X299 Intel days, so I have fond memories of the excellent performance it offered. The new variant is the first on an AMD platform, and is based on the X870E chipset. It purportedly has a high-level of component build quality since it is focused on next-level overclocking. As in, a 22+2+1 phase 110A SPS design, which should translate to excellent potential for overclockers. Naturally, it has the USB ports and other accouterments that are befitting of a high-end motherboard for those not seeking just overclocking.
While many AMD processors are fairly potent out of the box, there is always some small margin to play with, for those who like to tinker. Be warned, this comes with the potential for introducing stability issues to your build if you're not experienced with overclocking. AMD CPUs can be sensitive to the type of RAM and those settings, too, making it truly a thorny field for the less experienced.
AMD does offer the current best CPU choice for gaming, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. While these chips aren't really built for much overclocking, the overall design and performance overhead of something like the ASRock X870E Taichi OCF can't hurt. For those seeking a more content-creator based setup for productivity, ASRock also has a new X870 motherboard that may interest you.
The ASRock X870 Taichi Creator is also AMD AM5 based, but with features that are some workstation oriented. For example, it boasts both 10GbE and 5GbE connections for ultra-fast wired networking. It also has dual PCIe Gen 5 M.2 slots, along with a bevy of ports that include USB4.0 Type-C.
Interestingly, this motherboard can even accommodate two reasonably sized GPUs with both being PCIe 5.0 X16 capable. Even if SLI and Crossfire are both defunct for gaming, workstations can still utilize multiple graphics cards. Use cases include 3D and graphic design, AI machine learning, and even video editing.
Other motherboards in the X870 lineup include the X870 NOVA WiFi, a model that was in our Maingear Apex Force review. The X870 LiveMixer WiFi is aimed at streamers, with features such as 25 USB ports for nearly endless possibilities. Finally, the X870 Pro-A Wifi has the right balance of features for most gaming and productivity builds, with options such as USB4.0 Type-C and a fast PCIe Gen 5 M.2 slot.
The ASRock X870 Taichi Creator is also AMD AM5 based, but with features that are some workstation oriented. For example, it boasts both 10GbE and 5GbE connections for ultra-fast wired networking. It also has dual PCIe Gen 5 M.2 slots, along with a bevy of ports that include USB4.0 Type-C.
Interestingly, this motherboard can even accommodate two reasonably sized GPUs with both being PCIe 5.0 X16 capable. Even if SLI and Crossfire are both defunct for gaming, workstations can still utilize multiple graphics cards. Use cases include 3D and graphic design, AI machine learning, and even video editing.
Other motherboards in the X870 lineup include the X870 NOVA WiFi, a model that was in our Maingear Apex Force review. The X870 LiveMixer WiFi is aimed at streamers, with features such as 25 USB ports for nearly endless possibilities. Finally, the X870 Pro-A Wifi has the right balance of features for most gaming and productivity builds, with options such as USB4.0 Type-C and a fast PCIe Gen 5 M.2 slot.
