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ASRock’s top lineup for AMD AM4 processors is represented by two boards. The role of the flagship was awarded to Fatal1ty X370 Professional Gaming, and today’s guest is implemented according to a scenario of a different concept. Here, they pulled away from the gaming component and concentrated on the hardware capabilities, thereby allowing the product to receive a reduced cost.
Upon closer inspection, it turns out that there are no video outputs and APUs are completely excluded from support. Also abandoned all sorts of minor interfaces like TPM and COM. Also, the power and reset buttons have disappeared from the surface. In a word, the target audience of such a device is assemblers who are interested in a one-time overclocking of the system along with its stable operation without worrying about the temperature of the elements during subsequent operation. The last point is satisfied by a powerful power subsystem, we will check it in operation a little later, and now we will dwell on the features of the product in more detail. Key features are summarized in the table:
| Model | ASRock X370 Taichi |
|---|---|
| Official product page on the Web | asrock.com |
| Chipset | AMD X370 |
| Processor socket | AMD AM4 |
| Processors | AMD Series: Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7 |
| Memory | 4 DIMM DDR4 SDRAM 2133/2400/2667/2933*/3200+*(OC), 64 GB maximum |
| PCI slots | 2 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 (x16+x0, x8+x8) 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 (x4) 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 |
| M.2 | 1 x PCI Express 3.0 x4, SATA (Key M, 2242/2260/2280) — CPU 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x4 (Key M, 2230/2242/2260/2280) — X370 |
| Integrated video core (in APU) | – |
| Video connectors | – |
| Number of connected fans | 5x 4pin |
| PS/2 ports | 1 (keyboard/mouse) |
| The port is USB | 2 x 3.1 Gen2 (2 connectors on the rear panel – A and C) 10 x 3.1 Gen1 (6 connectors on the rear panel) 4 x 2.0 (no connectors on the rear panel) |
| Serial ATA | 8 x SATA 6Gb/s (X370) 2 x SATA 6Gb/s (ASM1061) |
| RAID | 0, 1, 10 (SATA, X370) |
| Built-in sound | Purity Sound 4 (7.1, HDA): Codec — Realtek ALC1220 (7.1, HDA) Op Amp — Texas Instruments NE5532 |
| S/PDIF | Optical (output) |
| Networking | Intel I211-AT (Gigabit Ethernet) Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 (Wi-Fi 2.4/5GHz (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.2) |
| COM | – |
| TPM | – |
| UEFI | AMI UEFI |
| Form Factor | ATX |
| Dimensions, mm | 305 x 244 |
| Additional features | POST indicator, pair of RGB LED strip headers, CMOS reset button (on rear panel), support for AMD 2-Way CrossFireX and NVIDIA 2-Way SLI |
| Retail price, $ | 257 |
Packaging and equipment
The board is packed in a large box, there is a handle for easy carrying.
Product features are listed on the back of the package. The presence of a complete wireless network adapter and an external reference frequency generator is highlighted. Here you can study the photo of the board and the set of outputs located on the rear panel, there is also a table with the main characteristics.
The package bundle resembles that of the slightly younger ASRock Fatal1ty X370 Gaming K4, let’s see in more detail:
- multilingual quick installation guide;
- UEFI and A-Tuning manual in English;
- memo on the correct installation of memory modules;
- optional RGB LED utility brochure;
- postcard with the emblem of the series (there is a place for the stamp);
- disk with drivers and proprietary software;
- company logo sticker;
- a plug for the body, complete with a black sticker with color and symbol designation of all sockets;
- double hard bridge for organizing SLI;
- four SATA 6Gb / s cables, two of which have an L-shaped connector on one of the ends;
- two mounting screws and one M.2 device rack;
- two small detachable external antennas.
The last accessory is unique to this set.
Appearance
Empty spaces are visible for the elements that I mentioned in the introduction. The design of the board does not seem particularly complicated, but the manufacturer could not provide a seat for M.2 devices of type 22110. There are ten holes to mount the product in the case.
The power block is equipped with a considerable number of accompanying components on the back of the board, so in open bench mode, care will be required when handling the device. Screws are used to fasten the visor and radiators.
The X370 Taichi’s own lighting is a small set of RGB LEDs, all of which are soldered under the cooler for the hub. This is a fairly solid, almost monolithic bar of metal, there are also decorative elements. He completed his duties without comment.
The location of a pair of M.2 slots is quite good – above the top PCI-E and at the bottom of the board.
Ten SATA outputs are typed with longitudinal sockets. A pair operating from a third-party controller has a distinctive designation on the surface of the product.
For USB cables, a pair of cross-type blocks are prepared – for the second and third generations.
The POST indicator will be useful in the process of setting up the assembled system.
A pair of brilliant PCI-E slots can evenly share 16 lines from the CPU, the rest are powered by AMD X370.
The sound is based on Realtek ALC1220, it is assisted by one operational amplifier. There are also a small number of special capacitors. Screening structures were not used this time.
A pair of radiators of power elements are interconnected by a heat pipe, but this technique is rather formal, because it is located almost at the very top, which means that a small part of the heat will be transferred from one neighbor to another. The height of the structure is small, it is unlikely that there will be compatibility problems with coolers under the CPU.
The PWM controller is the same as in the slightly younger model, this is an eight-channel International Rectifier IR35201. It is assisted by eight IR3598 doublers. Six (twelve) channels are involved in the formation of voltage for the CPU, and two (four) more are needed to obtain NB (SOC) Voltage. All sixteen assemblies are Texas Instruments products with index CSD87350Q5D. The power reserve of such a stabilizer cannot be overestimated. Perhaps the limiting factor (in the case of extreme overclocking) will be the only eight-pin CPU power socket.
The role of the conductor of heat, as usual, is performed by the gasket. Here she has no problems with surface area.
The set of rear panel jacks is reduced in comparison with the younger model, and all because of the lack of video outputs. The wireless adapter is preinstalled. A button has appeared that allows you to reset the CMOS settings. In general, the existing kit is not bad, but you usually expect something more from older products.
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