ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi vs ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI

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

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI scores 7.1/10 overall, ahead of the ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi at 5.6/10.

The ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI leads on connectivity, power delivery and value.

They score the same on platform and features and BIOS and support.

The biggest difference is connectivity, where the ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI scores 9/10 to the ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi's 5/10.

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

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ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI

7.1/10verdict: good, not the best

This is a Mini-ITX LGA1851 board for compact Intel builds that need a lot of fast I/O. It suits buyers who want Thunderbolt 4, a 20Gbps USB-C port and Wi-Fi 7 on a B860 platform. It is less suited to anyone who wants BIOS Flashback or needs settled memory behaviour.

Typically about £199.99 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK

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Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi	ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI
Platform and features	25%	7/10	7/10
Connectivity	25%	5/10	9/10
Power delivery	20%	6/10	7/10
BIOS and support	15%	5/10	5/10
Value	15%	4/10	6/10
Overall		5.6/10	7.1/10

Specifications

Spec	ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi	ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)	AM5	LGA1851
Chipset	AMD B650	Intel B860
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)	Micro-ATX	Mini-ITX (6.7 x 6.7 in)
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speed	DDR5, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 192GB, up to 7200+(OC) MHz	DDR5, 2 DIMM slots, max 128GB, up to 9066+ MT/s (OC), non-ECC unbuffered, CUDIMM supported
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generation	3 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 module	2 slots: M.2_1 PCIe 5.0 x4 (CPU-attached, 2260/2280); M.2_2 PCIe 4.0 x4 (chipset-attached, 2242/2260/2280)
PCIe slots	1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 and 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16	1 x PCIe 5.0 x16
Wired and wireless networking (e.g. 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 7)	Dragon 2.5GbE (RTL8125BG); Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) with Bluetooth	Intel 2.5GbE (one port); Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) 2x2; Bluetooth 5.4
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB4	1 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 Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1 USB 20Gbps USB-C, 1 USB 10Gbps Type-A, 3 USB 5Gbps Type-A, 2 USB 2.0 Type-A (8 ports); front USB-C 10Gbps header

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 ›

ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI

+ Thunderbolt 4, 20Gbps USB-C and Wi-Fi 7 on one board
+ PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot
+ 10+1+2+1 VRM with 80A DrMOS, praised by owners
− No BIOS Flashback, according to TechPowerUp
− Some memory boot and profile problems reported
− Armoury Crate software criticised by an owner and a reviewer

Skip it if:

Buyers who want BIOS Flashback for updating without a CPU installed.
Builders who need more than two DIMM slots or a second Ethernet port.
Anyone pairing the top LGA1851 chip with a cramped, poorly ventilated case.

Read the full ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI review ›

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