Introduction

A few weeks before Computex almost all the major brands started to tease us with their latest X99 refresh motherboards for Intel's impending Broadwell-E launch. ASRock released a cryptic video and a grainy image of what would be known as their Taichi. Tai Chi in English is an "internal Chinese martial art" according to Wikipedia, and the X99 Taichi is meant to bring some of that ass-kicking to the X99 arena. The X99 Taichi is supposed to be an "All-Rounder," which means it covers all the bases when it comes to features and performance.

However, that isn't what makes ASRock's Taichi impressive. ASRock's X99 Taichi is meant to bring the pain regarding price. The X99 Taichi only costs $219, and that is on the low-end for X99 motherboards. ASRock's goal is to undercut the competition in price but in a fashionable way. For the first time, ASRock has used a white and black color theme. The unique aesthetics, features, and price of the X99 Taichi are quite impressive at first glance, so let's put it under a microscope and see if it lives up to the hype.

Specifications

Some of the X99 Taichi's greatest features include USB 3.1 type-C and type-A, Wireless AC, dual Intel NICs, dual Ultra M.2 slots, and 3-way multi-GPU capabilities.

Pricing

The X99 Taichi should carry an MSRP of $219 according to ASRock's slides at Computex.