New processors beget new chipsets, which beget new motherboards. Manufacturers are busy preparing new offerings for both AMD and Intel CPUs, following a launch from the former company and in anticipation of the latter’s upcoming chips. We’re all expecting a bevy of boards to the market soon, and ASRock is seemingly preparing a whopping 21 models across X870(E) and Z890 chipsets.
It feels fitting to pair the best CPUs with the most robust chipset available. While Ryzen 9000 processors are backwards compatible with existing Socket AM5 motherboards, the same isn’t true for Core Ultra 200 series chips. As such, X870(E) models will provide iterative upgrades over current AMD X670(E) stock, while Socket LGA 1851 chipsets form the bedrock for Intel’s newest generation. With an entirely new platform at hand, it should come as no surprise then that the likes of ASRock are throwing more weight behind Z890.
Leaker momomo_us shared a list of ASRock motherboards on X, each sporting either a Z890 or X870(E) chipset. Breaking down the prevalence of each, 14 arrive with Intel’s latest. Meanwhile, of the 7 AMD boards, three use X870E while the other four step down to X870.
The range includes the brand’s signature Taichi series, in addition to Mini-ITX/Micro ATX variants for its Nova WiFi and Riptide motherboards. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen some of these models. ASRock showcased many of them during Computex 2024, including Z870 Taichi Aqua, X870E Taichi, and X870E Taichi Lite. Not forgetting Taichi OCF, a variant supporting CAMM 2 RAM.
While the leaker doesn’t include specifications for the models listed, ASRock did share some features during Computex. For example, the X870E Taichi packs dual 5GbE plus 2.5GbE LAN alongside WiFi 7. The Taichi OCF shapes to be one of the first desktop boards to feature the new CAMM RAM format. Most impressive to me, though, was Z870 Taichi Aqua as it goes wholly in on USB Type-C ports and liquid cooling.
Whether such qualities can boost the sales of Ryzen 9000 CPUs is unclear. Existing Socket AM5 systems have little reason to upgrade from the looks of things, especially since AMD is supporting their motherboard into 2027 and beyond. However, X870(E) motherboards could ride on the coattails of Ryzen 9000X3D processors, as both should arrive around the same time.
Expect reviews of both chipsets and boards in the coming months. In the meantime, we have Ryzen 9 9950X & Ryzen 9 9900X review and Ryzen 7 9700X & Ryzen 5 9600X reviews for your peruse.