Update: 2023
So I've had this board for a while now... it's running a 6950x (previously 5960x) with 64GB of DDR4 @ 3200 Mhz and twin EVGA 1080 ti FTW3 graphics cards, along with some HDDs and SSDs.
I managed to get XCPNG working with this build, with GPU Passthrough for both GPUs and a myriad of different operating systems across a range of Linux and Windows versions.
Heads up, the BIOS can be a bit twitchy when trying to go into Advanced Mode sometimes.
The following also helps if you have issues with a RAM module not showing up in BIOS.
Clear the CMOS. Switch off the machine, but leave power connected. Depress the CMOS clear toggle on the back of the mobo for about 10 seconds then release, the machine will boot up with CMOS cleared.
If that doesn't help, re-seat your various hardware, RAM/GPUs/ try CMOS clearing again, if that doesn't do the trick, leave some stuff out. Unnecessary RAM, PCIE hardware, etc. Once you clear CMOS again, and the offending hardware is removed, go through the process of cleaning all of your pcie/ram headers and even use some alcohol and Q-tips to clean the ram/pcie slots (this saved me). Re-seat your various hardware, clear CMOS (especially if you moved RAM around) and try again. If you have a good clean connection for everything, you should be able to enter Advanced Mode in the BIOS no problem.
Beyond that this board has been powering my machine almost daily for years without many issues.
You may not want to use the "latest" version of the BIOS as it may not play well with some hardware and virtualization.
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At first impressions, this board isn't much.
The first thing you need to know is that this board only has 1 USB 3.0 slot. It does have several USB ports built-in, and a USB-C port as well.
It does have 3 PCIE 1x lanes you can utilize to add more USB 3 slots that you may want to utilize. My case (Corsair Graphite 760t) comes with a front-side IO like many cases do. Included are 2 USB 3.0 ports, so of course that slot on the Taichi is already taken. I have 3 bay peripherals I would like to install, but lack the necessary slots to pull it off.
The board has great features in the BIOS. Here's a few I love.
Boot Order is Drag & Drop.
RAM model gets detected and XMP profile selection is 1 click from the main screen.
Overclocking for intel K series processors is 2 clicks.
Easy BIOS reset switch in the back.
Sick black and white theme.
Reinforced PCIE slots.
Fan monitoring and configuration is fairly easy.
Some things I don't like.
A single red LED. I selected this board because it's black and white to match the theme of my build. (Many Face God, the cool people will get it). It does turn off after POST, so it's not a hate.
LED readout is also red, but again, it disappears after POST so no worries really.
Only one USB 3.0 slot.
Some peripherals stop responding on reboot. This might be more of a driver issue, but this only happens with these devices on this board. I use the same devices on two other machines with the same exact hardware and software except for the mobo and do not have this problem.
Lacks an on-board start button. You MUST hook up a momentary switch to operate this board.
Because all of those issues are very basic first-world problems, they don't reduce the star count. Nothing critical or damaging happens while using this board.
I have managed to overclock an i5960x to 4.4 Ghz (didn't get a golden chip :( ) and I'm running Corsair Dominator 64gb of DDR4 @ 3200Mhz and a Samsung 960 Pro M2 SSD. I'm very satisfied with this board overall and definitely find it worth the money. All issues can be worked around.
| Processor | core_i7 |
|---|---|
| RAM | 131072 MB DDR4 3300+(OC) |
| Memory Speed | 2400 MHz |
| Wireless Type | 802.11n, 802.11b, 802.11g |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 3 |
