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Benchmark Results
Our standard benchmarks and power tests are performed using the CPU’s stock frequencies (including any default boost/turbo), with all power-saving features enabled. We set optimized defaults in the BIOS and the memory by enabling the XMP profile. For this baseline testing, the Windows power scheme is set to Balanced (default) so the PC idles appropriately.
Synthetic Benchmarks
Synthetics provide a great way to determine how a board runs, as identical settings should produce similar performance results. Turbo boost wattage and advanced memory timings are places where motherboard makers can still optimize for either stability or performance, though, and those settings can impact some testing.
Results through our synthetic benchmarks show the B650E Taichi performing around average or, at times, a bit slower. Overall, it would be tough to tell the difference among our test samples in real-world use.
Timed Applications
In our timed tests, things were again right around average, depending on the tests. Nothing out o the ordinary here, either!
3D Games and 3DMark
Starting with the launch of Zen 4, we’ve updated one of our games, F1 21, to the latest version, F1 22. We're keeping Far Cry 6. We run the games at 1920 x 1080 resolution using the Ultra preset (details listed above). As the resolution goes up, the CPU tends to have less impact. The goal with these settings is to determine if there are differences in performance at the most commonly used (and CPU/system bound) resolution with settings most people use or strive for (Ultra). We expect the difference between boards in these tests to be minor, with most differences falling within the margin of error. We’ve also added a minimum FPS value, affecting your gameplay and immersion experience.
The B650E Taichi is a capable gamer that runs as faster or faster than the other tested boards across our games and the synthetic benchmarks. There’s nothing to worry about here if gaming is one of your primary needs.
Power Consumption / VRM Temperatures
We used AIDA64’s System Stability Test with Stress CPU, FPU, Cache and Memory enabled for power testing, using the peak power consumption value. The wattage reading is from the wall via a Kill-A-Watt meter to capture the entire PC (minus the monitor). The only variable that changes is the motherboard; all other parts remain the same.
Power consumption on the B650E Taichi was a middle-of-the-pack result among all our tested boards. Between its B650 peers, it used the most under load (285W), a few watts more than the other boards.
VRM temperatures were well within specification during our testing. That said, it ran the warmest out of our B650-based boards, even though it has one of the most capable VRMs on the entire AM5 platform. Unlike the X670E version, where the board ran without limits, the power use was similar to other boards. Still, there’s nothing at all to worry about since temps were well within normal limits. This is just a surprise result considering the active cooling.
Overclocking
Over the last few CPU generations, overclocking headroom has been shrinking (at least on the AMD side) while the out-of-box potential has increased. For overclockers, this means there’s less fun to have. For the average consumer, it means you’re getting the most out of the processor without manual tweaking. Our goal in this section is to increase the load on the VRMs and see if they can handle the additional stress. Overclocking AMD CPUs can be done in several ways (all-core or adjust PBO values). But for simplicity’s sake, we just went with an all-core overclock of 5.4 GHz with 1.30V to increase the power output.
Since our approach is to add power through all cores, we simply raised the CPU multiplier to 54x, manually set the voltage to 1.30V, and adjusted LLC to minimize vdroop. On the memory side, AMD states the sweet spot is around DDR5-6000, so we used the Kingston Fury kit, set the AMD EXPO profile and checked for stability.
Overclocking was easy on the Taichi. We simply set the multiplier, adjusted the Vcore, set LLC, and off we went. Using the default LLC resulted in a bit of vdroop, but that’s easily adjusted in the BIOS. As we expected, the robust power delivery worked without issue, placing the limiting factor squarely on the cooling solution. On the memory side, we dropped in our Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-6000 kit, which was stable along with the CPU.
Bottom Line
ASRock’s B650E version of the venerable Taichi SKU is a feature-laden option at the top of the B650 food chain. Priced at just under $370, it’s the most expensive option among all boards with this chipset, but it does include a 40 Gbps Type-C port, 12 total USB ports on the rear IO, flagship-class audio, and one of the most capable VRMs of any AM5 board, including much more expensive X670 options. It’s also the most affordable Taichi, if you’re a fan of this specific sub-brand. And it brings everything you’d expect from the platform while offering the premium Taichi appearance.
There’s a lot of competition in this space, and each board is a high-quality offering with few differences. The MSI MPG B650 Carbon Wi-Fi ($329.99) is the least-expensive option among the B650 flagships. Asus’ ROG Strix B650E-E Gaming Wi-Fi ($349.99) is a solid performer, while our favorite of the group so far is the Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master ($349.99). That said, none of these boards are bad or not worth buying. In fact, the Taichi is probably the best-looking board in the group. I just wish it had another M.2 socket. For many, the $20 price increase will be well worth it for the 40 Gbps port and appearance alone.
ASRock has another winner with its latest Taichi. The only board features missing compared to the X670 version and this B650E model is an additional M.2 socket and a second USB4 40 Gbps port – and again, few will miss the additional M.2 socket or have a real need for two of the fastest USB ports available. Outside of that, these baords are remarkably similar, outside of the significant price jump between this model and the of the $500 X670E Taichi. If your budget isn’t enough for X670E, the B650 platform gives you 90% of the features at two-thirds the price. If you don’t mind the meager $20-40 premium the Taichi asks for, you’ll end up with one of the more beautiful, performant, and full-featured options in this crowded motherbaord space.
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