The output varies by header but ranges from 1A/12W to 3A/36W for one of the pump headers. Just above the DRAM slots are two more 4-pin fan headers (the board has a total of eight). We didn’t run into any issues using either kit. ASRock lists a maximum capacity of 128GB and speeds up to DDR5 6400+(OC). Next, we run into four reinforced DRAM slots that lock the sticks down on both sides. This curious location for the headers is good for rear chassis fan(s) or even connecting your heatsink/AIO cooler though the wires attached here tend to stick out compared to those located on the edge. Above the heatsinks are two 8-EPS connectors to power the processor (one required).Ĭontinuing right, just below the socket, are two 4-pin fan headers. We didn’t hear the VRM fan over our system fans during testing. These did a fine job keeping the power bits cool, even with our Intel Core i9-12900K pushed to its thermal limits. The left bank hides a tiny fan to help keep the power bits cool. They are large, bring a lot of mass, and have plenty of surface area for effective cooling. The two heatsinks connect via a heat pipe to share the load between them. In the end, we like the look, especially for those who are after a flashy board to show off their hardware.įocusing on the top half of the Taichi Razer Edition, we get a closer look at the VRM heatsinks, among other things. You control the RGBs through the Razer Synapse software, which has a slew of preset functionality as well as the ability to create your own. If this isn’t enough lighting, there are several headers on board for more. The integrated RGBs are bright, and the colors are nice and saturated. Here the LEDs attach to the board and the backplate provides the frosted cover to diffuse the light. Along the right edge of the board is another strip of RGB lighting. Other RGB adorned areas include around the chipset heatsink sporting a frosted strip that wraps around the perimeter of the heatsink with the Razer Chroma RGB branding lit up in the middle, replacing the cogs there on the original Taichi. Where the non-Razer Taichi had a unique look with the moving cogs and such, the Razer Edition is more standard with a brushed aluminum and matte accents along with some RGBs hidden below illuminating the Razer Edition branding on the left VRM heatsink. Compared to the non-Razer Taichi, the appearance is a bit more subdued, sporting all-black heatsinks for the entire board. Looking at the board, it’s based on a 12-layer, jet black PCB with matching heatsinks and shrouds that cover a majority of the board. It also includes two additional fans to supplement VRM cooling along with a graphics card holder to support heavy video cards.
#Razer chroma driver
ASRock includes the typical accessory bits, including a driver disk, SATA cables and M.2 screws/standoffs. Inside the box along with the board are several accessories to help get your system up and running. Inside the Box of the ASRock Z690 Taichi Razer Edition (8) 4-Pin (CPU, Water pump, Chassis Fans)
(1) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps - vertical on the board) Gaming performance and power consumption were also in line with others, as were the memory bandwidth tests in AIDA. Overall, performance was average among our DDR5 datasets except in the Procyon suite, where our Taichi’s were both average.
The results between the fraternal twins generally fall within the margin of error of the benchmarks, so, as expected, we know neither board has any significant advantage over the other in our testing suite. Performance on the Taichi Razer Edition was good throughout all tests, just like the Taichi, we looked at a few months ago.
While few will find the audio disappointing, other similarly priced SKUs use the updated codec. My only concerns were the USB Type-A count on the rear IO (though ASRock includes an expansion card with two more ports) and using the last generation’s flagship audio codec. While that’s a lot of features, I would like to see another M.2 socket, preferably one that’s PCIe 5.0-capable at this price point. The board comes equipped with Killer-based networking (2.5 GbE and Wi-Fi 6E), 105A SPS MOSFETs with active VRM cooling, three M.2 sockets and seven SATA ports, a total of eight USB/Thunderbolt 4 ports (six Type-A, two Type-C, Realtek ALC1220 audio with an ESS Sabre DAC, and of course, PCIe 5.0 support for the PCIe slots.