ASRock Z790 Taichi Lite Motherboard Review – All The Taichi Goodness For $130 Less

Two weeks ago, we tested our first ASRock "LITE" series motherboard which turned out to be a great value for the specifications it had on offer. Today, we are taking a look at the Intel variant within the Taichi LITE series based on the Z790 chipset which once again aims to trim down the costs by around $100 US while retaining the same specs.

The Intel Z790 PCH has been targeted at the high-end gaming segment so $300 US+ is where you will see most of the options sit around. The same is the case with the ASRock Z790 Taichi LITE that retails at $349.99 US which $130 US price reduction and makes for a very nice build with three CPU generations supported, 12th Gen, 13th Gen & the upcoming 14th Gen.

Intel's Raptor Lake-S desktop CPUs feature support on LGA 1700 socket which is also used by the Alder Lake CPUs. The Raptor Lake-S CPUs launched alongside the 700-series motherboards. You can expect all the top-notch specs from the Z790 motherboards with the best overclocking & fine-tuning capabilities.

Another interesting thing to talk about the Z790 PCH is its process node and dimensions. The Z790 PCH is based on the 14nm node and measures at 98mm2 which is slightly larger than the Z590 PCH featured on LGA 1200 socket motherboards.

The LGA 1700 socket is here now. The new socket adds more pins to the socket and changes the dimensions entirely. The new LGA 1700 socket offers 500 more pin connections to the CPU, allowing for more communication channels with the board itself and accommodating electrical pin configurations that are required to support 14th, 13th & 12th Gen CPUs.

So as for the socket details, Intel has gone with an asymmetrical design since the Alder Lake CPUs are no longer square-shaped. The latest desktop CPUs will come in a 37.5x45.0mm package and are supported by the 'V0' socket which we know as LGA 1700.

The socket also changes the mounting positions to a 78x78mm grid rather than a 75x75mm grid. The Z-height has also changed to 6.529mm compared to 7.31mm on the previous LGA 12**/115* sockets.

To make their existing coolers compatible with Intel's Raptor Lake & Alder Lake CPU lineup, many cooling brands have released LGA 1700 upgrade kits which feature mounting hardware for the new socket. But the Intel Raptor Lake and the Alder Lake CPU platform aren't just featuring a brand new mounting design but the CPU dimensions themselves have changed too.

The LGA 1700 (V0) socket not only has an asymmetrical design but also comes with a lower Z-stack height. This means that proper mounting pressure is needed to make full contact with the Intel Alder Lake IHS. Certain cooler manufacturers have already been using larger cold plates for Ryzen and Threadripper CPUs to make proper contact with the IHS but these are mostly higher-end and new cooling designs. Those who are still running older AIOs with round cold plates could have trouble maintaining the required pressure distribution which could lead to inadequate cooling performance.

The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.

Subscribe to get an everyday digest of the latest technology news in your inbox

Some posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

© 2024 WCCF TECH INC. 700 - 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

You need to login to use this feature.