Do you want more USB Type-C port on your motherboards? ASRock's solution may be a bit extreme

Most PCs are slow to change, and this is especially true for the humble USB port. ASRock decided to add more Type-C connectors to the rear IO panel. Its upcoming Z890 Taichi Aqua does away with Type-A entirely, instead offering 10 Type C sockets.

Tom's Hardware reported ASRock's bold move, but I've noticed the latest AMD and Intel boards all have more Type-C ports on the rear panel. MSI's X870 Tomahawk WiFI, for example, has three ports and two are USB4 compatible. ASRock obviously disagrees with me.

The Z790 Taichi Aqua motherboard is a niche product. It's part of Intel's Core Ultra 200S processor series. It's because the motherboard has no USB Type-A sockets on the back. It's all Type-C, and it looks weird.

I don't say that in a negative way, but just because it's a very unusual sight. The Type-C USB connector first appeared in 2014 (yes-- 10 years ago), but desktop PCs have been slow to adopt the format. I bought an ASRock Z790 Nova board earlier this year, and it only has one Type-C connector on its rear IO panel.

Some of the high-end Intel boards I'm testing are a bit more generous, but none of them has more than three Type C sockets.

It's a mistake to eliminate Type-A ports. As great as it is that the universal port is finally making its way onto desktop PCs, I don't think it is wise to do so. If you own a gaming keyboard or mouse that is wired, it's likely to be Type A. The same goes for headsets, speakers and webcams.

Even if the ASRock motherboard is the one you want, you'll need to buy a lot of USB port adapters or a large hub to fully utilize the rear panel of the Taichi Aqua. While the motherboard supports Type-A front connectors, it's really up to your PC case.

If all those Type C ports on the ASRock Z890 Taichi Aqua are appealing to you, it's important to note that they are not all equal in terms of USB specifications. Two of them are Thunderbolt 4 ports with a 40 Gbps bandwidth (not USB4, please note), while the other eight are equally split between 10 Gbps USB 3.0 Gen2 and 5Gbps USB 3.0 Gen1 connections. Yes, the USB nomenclature has become a mess.

You should wait to see how Intel's Core Ultra 200S performs in gaming before you buy one. ASRock's motherboard is a good choice if you like Type-C and it's great.