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ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi vs TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI

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

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI scores 6.3/10 overall, ahead of the ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi at 5.9/10.

The ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi leads on BIOS and support.

The TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI leads on connectivity, power delivery and value.

They score the same on platform and features.

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 itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

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

TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI

TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI

6.3/10verdict: good, not the best

This is an ATX AM5 board for builders who want a B650 platform with PCIe 5.0 NVMe, three M.2 slots and 2.5GbE. It suits Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 builds that need a good spread of rear ports and a front USB-C header. Buyers who want Wi-Fi 7, rear USB4 or a PCIe 5.0 graphics slot need to look elsewhere.

Typically about £127.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at 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 B850I Lightning WiFiTUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI
Platform and features25%6/106/10
Connectivity25%6/107/10
Power delivery20%5/106/10
BIOS and support15%7/105/10
Value15%6/107/10
Overall5.9/106.3/10

Specifications

SpecASRock B850I Lightning WiFiTUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI
SocketAM5 (LGA1718)AM5 (supports Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 series desktop processors)
ChipsetAMD B850AMD B650
Form factorMini-ITXATX, 30.5 x 24.4 cm
MemoryDDR5, 2 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 128GB, up to 8200+ MT/s (OC)DDR5, 4 DIMM slots, speeds 4800 to 7600+ (OC), ECC and non-ECC unbuffered, EXPO; spec page lists 256GB maximum, user manual lists 128GB
M.2 slotsM2_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 moduleThree M.2 Key M slots (2242/2260/2280; M.2_2 also 22110). M.2_1 PCIe 5.0 x4 and M.2_2 PCIe 4.0 x4 with Ryzen 9000/7000; M.2_3 PCIe 4.0 x4 from chipset, sharing bandwidth with the second x16 slot. Four SATA 6Gb/s ports.
PCIe slots1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot (PCIE1), x16 modeWith Ryzen 9000/7000: one PCIe 4.0/3.0 x16 slot. With Ryzen 8000: one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (x8/x4). From B650 chipset: one PCIe 4.0/3.0 x16 slot (x4 mode) and two PCIe 4.0/3.0 x1 slots.
NetworkingKiller E3100G 2.5GbE; Wi-Fi 6E (802.11axe) dual-band 2x2; Bluetooth 5.2Realtek 2.5Gb Ethernet with TUF LANGuard; 2x2 Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with Bluetooth 5.2; no Wi-Fi 7
Rear USBRear: 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)Rear: 8 ports (1 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, 3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 including 1 Type-C, 4 USB 2.0 Type-A); no rear USB4. Front: 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C plus USB 3.2 Gen 1 and USB 2.0 headers.

Strengths and weaknesses

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 ›

TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI

  • + PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot plus two more M.2 slots
  • + Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C and 2.5GbE
  • + Owners praise its value and rear I/O
  • − Wi-Fi 6 only, with no Wi-Fi 7
  • − Four of eight rear USB ports are USB 2.0
  • − One reviewer found BIOS and RGB setup bothersome

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want Wi-Fi 7 or rear USB4
  • Builders who want a PCIe 5.0 graphics slot
  • People who need many fast rear USB ports
Read the full TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI review ›

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