The ASRock X570 Taichi is a welcome update to the classic Taichi line. The addition of an integrated rear I/O shield is an overdue feature. Not only is it one less thing for people to worry about (and it does not matter how many computers you have built, there is always a risk of forgetting to install the shield before putting everything else together), but it also shows an attention to detail and determined adherence to the theme of the board. The RGB implementation shows similar attention to detail. While the two zones over the I/O shield and the chipset are standard-fare for boards at this point, the execution is sleek and modern, and the zone on the back of the board is a nice touch. Additionally, there are three RGB LED headers for expansion, including one addressable RGB header. In the same vein, the embossed gears on the chipset are very finely machined, and the reflective gear outlines on the rear I/O shield really catch the eye.

As for performance, memory stability was pretty good; It is nice to see that ASRock is still prioritizing performance and compatibility with their boards. I do wish there were some indication of an attempted overclock that failed so that another setting could be tried without booting all the way into Windows. CPU overclocking is hard to judge on a new CPU sample. However, I can say that I couldn't get a stable overclock that was significantly greater than the stock maximum boost clock. Time will tell if that is the limit of my Ryzen 5 3600X or the X570 Taichi. Performance out of the box was pretty good, a step up from my last-generation Ryzen 5 2600X in almost every test. Thermal performance on the ASRock X570 Taichi was excellent, though I hope to line up a 3900X to do some more strenuous testing. Frankly, the 93 W maximum power draw of my 3600X just isn't enough to challenge the massive VRM on the Taichi. The chipset fan, despite being set to run all of the time, was very quiet. It was impossible to hear over the other fans on my test bench. While the fan itself is still a potential extra point of failure, it is very non-intrusive.

While the ASRock X570 Taichi lacks the 2.5 Gb/s LAN the Phantom Gaming line of boards boasts, it is no slouch in the networking department. The ASRock X570 Taichi, like the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X, is one of the first products to the market with support for the new WiFi 6 standard, which is a significant step forward over previous generations of WiFi. While WiFi 6 access points are rare for the moment, it will not be long before the newest iteration is a benchmark standard for high-end boards.

The ASRock X570 Taichi comes in at US$299.99, which isn't exactly cheap. Premium inclusions like the large metal backplate, monolithic M.2 heatsink, and extra VRM phases do add up, but I think a very large part of the cost increase stems from the inclusion of WiFi 6, as well as the X570 chipset itself. The new technology is neither common nor cheap, and not necessarily a feature everyone needs. However, US$299.99 is right around mainstream pricing for X570 boards, and that makes the ASRock X570 Taichi hard to pass up.

If you are an avid gamer or content creator who relies on WiFi some or all of the time, the ASRock X570 Taichi is worth the investment, especially if you need the extra PCIe bandwidth or don't upgrade every two years. The excellent build quality and sleek updated looks make the ASRock X570 Taichi a solid choice.