ASRock B550 Taichi

The ASRock B550 Taichi is the top-end model from the company, with the key highlight being the use of Intel’s 2.5 gigabit Ethernet controller as well as the Intel AX201 module for Wi-Fi 6 capabilities. As with other ASRock Taichi models, the focus is always on all the cogs working together, and for this motherboard the company has splashed a good amount of brushed metal around the heatsinks. The chipset heatsink is an extended affair across most of the bottom half of the motherboard, also covering the two M.2 slots.

This motherboard is also unique among other B550 boards by offering dual 8-pin CPU power connectors, along with sixteen power phases on board. Despite this being a B550 ‘mid-range’ motherboard, ASRock wants users to push the system, as right in the middle is enscribed ‘Philosophy of Infinite Potential’.

The socket area has four easy-to access 4-pin fan headers, and the power delivery heatsink extends through a heatpipe into a more solid mass on the rear panel. The system has single sided DRAM slots, suggesting users need to push hard on the modules to make sure they are in properly. On the right hand side of the motherboard are two USB 3.0 front panel headers, a USB Type-C header, another 4-pin power connector, and eight SATA ports.

Another unique thing about this board is that this is the only B550 board we have seen with eight SATA ports. In this case, ASRock uses the four SATA ports on the chipset and adds another four from an ASMedia ASM1061 controller.

The top two full-length PCIe 4.0 slots from the CPU can run at x16 or x8/x8, while the bottom full-length slot is a PCIe 3.0 x4 from the chipset. Each of these three slots use extra protection for heavy graphics cards.

On the bottom of the motherboard are additional fan headers, RGB headers, two USB 2.0 headers, and power/reset buttons with a two-digit debug LED.

Audio on the right hand side of the motherboard comes from a Realtek ALC1220 codec, which also has an NE5532 amp in the setup.

From left to right, the rear panel has the two antenna for the Wi-Fi 6 module, a BIOS flash button, a Clear CMOS button, DisplayPort and HDMI, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, Intel’s I225-V 2.5 gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, a Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, a Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, and the audio jacks.

B for Budget ASRock B550 Steel Legend
Comments Locked

101 Comments

View All Comments

  • Lucky Stripes 99 - Sunday, June 21, 2020 - link

    Same here. Both DVI and DP can be converted to VGA using an inexpensive passive dongle. I'd much rather see either of those ports over VGA.
  • Gigaplex - Saturday, August 1, 2020 - link

    DVI-I can be converted easily. DVI-D (which most of the modern boards have) need a more complex adapter.
  • iranterres - Thursday, June 18, 2020 - link

    Why so expensive...
  • cybersirf - Friday, June 19, 2020 - link

    more expensive, less features. what happened to x2 slots?
  • miss5tability - Saturday, June 20, 2020 - link

    whata abiut VRM the biggest issue on b450 MOBOs, i dont see any single word about that ? wtf
  • Mem - Saturday, June 20, 2020 - link

    I believe you will find Asus use S1220A so not S1200A , it's custom version of ALC1220, when you go by Asus website for their B550 boards.
  • awonglk - Saturday, June 20, 2020 - link

    There seems to be no mentions of Thunderbolt 3 header that apparently comes with this motherboard according to Asia’s own website:
    https://edgeup.asus.com/2020/b550-motherboard-guid...

    Does anyone know how or what this connects to on a mITX motherboard?
  • blakflag - Monday, June 22, 2020 - link

    Does "USB 3.2 G2 Type-C" imply Thunderbolt 3 support?
  • dennphill - Friday, June 26, 2020 - link

    And here it is a couple of weeks after the 'release' and there are no boards (well, no mATX versions) to buy...unless you want to deal with the scalpers on NewEgg asking $25 to 35 over the regular price - oh, and BTW, they will ship/deliver in mid-July - AND I see no reviews or comparisons other than manufacturers' sites advertising for the B550 boards. The few articles I see are all based on the pre-release data and not from actual delivered, installed and tested MBs. Poor AMD hardware release, as far as I am concerned.
  • dennphill - Friday, June 26, 2020 - link

    Oh, and the listing is incomplete with a couple of manufacturer-advertised versions od mATX boards not listed in this article.

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now