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ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi vs ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi scores 5.9/10 overall, ahead of the ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi at 5.6/10.

The ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi leads on platform and features and power delivery.

The ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi leads on connectivity, BIOS and support and value.

ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi

ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi

5.6/10verdict: good, not the best

The ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi is a micro-ATX AM5 board for builders who want storage options on a B650 platform. It suits a compact desktop or homelab box that needs three M.2 slots, four SATA ports and 2.5GbE. It is less suited to anyone who wants the latest wireless or USB standards.

Typically about £168.13 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi

5.9/10verdict: good, not the best

This is a Mini-ITX AM5 board for people building a compact system on the B850 chipset. It suits builders who want a PCIe 5.0 graphics slot, a Gen5 NVMe drive and BIOS Flashback in a small footprint. It is less suited to anyone who needs Wi-Fi 7, many rear USB ports or more than two memory slots.

Typically about £180 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightASRock B650M Pro RS WiFiASRock B850I Lightning WiFi
Platform and features25%7/106/10
Connectivity25%5/106/10
Power delivery20%6/105/10
BIOS and support15%5/107/10
Value15%4/106/10
Overall5.6/105.9/10

Specifications

SpecASRock B650M Pro RS WiFiASRock B850I Lightning WiFi
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)AM5AM5 (LGA1718)
ChipsetAMD B650AMD B850
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)Micro-ATXMini-ITX
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speedDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 192GB, up to 7200+(OC) MHzDDR5, 2 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 128GB, up to 8200+ MT/s (OC)
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generation3 slots: 1 x Blazing M.2 (PCIe Gen5 x4), 1 x Hyper M.2 (PCIe Gen4 x4), 1 x M.2 (PCIe Gen4 x2); separate Key-E slot for Wi-Fi moduleM2_1 (CPU-attached, PCIe 5.0 x4 on 9000/7000 series); M2_2 (chipset-attached, PCIe 4.0 x4); Key E slot for 2230 Wi-Fi/BT module
PCIe slots1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 and 1 x PCIe 3.0 x161 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot (PCIE1), x16 mode
Wired and wireless networking (e.g. 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 7)Dragon 2.5GbE (RTL8125BG); Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) with BluetoothKiller E3100G 2.5GbE; Wi-Fi 6E (802.11axe) dual-band 2x2; Bluetooth 5.2
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB41 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A+C (rear), 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C (front header), 6 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A (2 rear, 4 front)Rear: 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C, 2 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, 4 USB 2.0; front headers for one Gen1 Type-C, one Gen1 header (two ports) and one USB 2.0 header (two ports)

Strengths and weaknesses

ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi

  • + PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot plus two Gen4 slots
  • + Four SATA3 ports alongside three M.2 slots
  • + 8+2+1 phase Dr.MOS power delivery
  • − Wi-Fi module not included in the box
  • − Wi-Fi 6E only; no Wi-Fi 7 or USB4
  • − Latest listed BIOS is labelled beta

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want Wi-Fi 7, USB4 or 20Gbps USB ports
  • Builders who need a PCIe 5.0 slot for their graphics card
  • Buyers who want a wireless module included in the box
Read the full ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi review ›

ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi

  • + PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and CPU-attached Gen5 M.2
  • + BIOS Flashback with dedicated rear USB port and button
  • + Rear USB-C plus a front USB-C header
  • − Wi-Fi 6E rather than Wi-Fi 7
  • − Four of the eight rear USB ports are USB 2.0
  • − 40Gb/s Type-C only on selected processors

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want Wi-Fi 7 built in
  • Builders with many fast USB devices who need more high-speed rear ports
  • Anyone who needs more than two DIMM slots or extra expansion slots
Read the full ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi review ›

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