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ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI vs MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI

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

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI scores 6.8/10 overall, ahead of the MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI at 5.6/10.

The ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI leads on platform and features, connectivity, power delivery and BIOS and support.

The MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI leads on value.

ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI

ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI

6.8/10verdict: good, not the best

This board is for AMD AM5 builders who want a B850 ATX board with Wi-Fi 7, 2.5GbE and plenty of NVMe storage. It suits Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 CPUs, including high-core chips, given its 16-phase CPU power design. It is a weaker fit for anyone who needs many SATA ports or rear USB4.

Typically about £270.99 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

MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI

MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI

5.6/10verdict: good, not the best

This is a micro-ATX AM5 board for people building a compact Ryzen 7000, 8000 or 9000 system on a mid-range chipset. It suits builders who want 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 6E and a solid CPU power stage without paying for PCIe 5.0 storage. It fits best with two memory sticks and a modest storage plan.

Typically about £151.49 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

CriterionWeightASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFIMSI PRO B650M-A WIFI
Platform and features25%7/105/10
Connectivity25%7/105/10
Power delivery20%8/107/10
BIOS and support15%6/105/10
Value15%5/106/10
Overall6.8/105.6/10

Specifications

SpecASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFIMSI PRO B650M-A WIFI
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)AM5, for Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 seriesAM5 (Ryzen 9000/8000/7000 series supported)
ChipsetAMD B850AMD B650
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)ATX, 12 x 9.6 in (30.5 x 24.4 cm)Micro-ATX (mATX), PCB 243.84 mm x 243.84 mm
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speedDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, max 256GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC) with Ryzen 9000/8000/7000; supports ECC and non-ECC unbuffered modulesDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, dual-channel, max 256 GB; 7200+ MHz OC at 1DPC 1R, 6000+ MHz at 1DPC 2R and 2DPC 1R, 4800 MHz JEDEC base; AMD EXPO supported; not ECC or unbuffered only
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generation4 M.2 slots (Key M): M.2_1 and M.2_2 PCIe 5.0 x4 with Ryzen 7000/9000 and PCIe 4.0 x4 with Ryzen 8000; M.2_3 and M.2_4 PCIe 4.0 x4 from chipset, M.2_3 disabled when chipset-fed x16 slot is in use2 M.2 slots, both PCIe 4.0 x4 from the CPU (M.2_1 and M.2_2); M.2_2 unavailable with Ryzen 8500/8300; Wi-Fi module uses a separate M.2 Key-E slot
PCIe slots1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot (Q-Release Slim, SafeSlot) for Ryzen 7000/9000; 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (x4 mode) from chipsetPCI_E1 PCIe 4.0 x16 (from CPU), PCI_E3 PCIe 4.0 x4 (from chipset), PCI_E2 PCIe 3.0 x1; no PCIe 5.0 slot stated
Wired and wireless networking (e.g. 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 7)1 x Intel 2.5Gb Ethernet; Wi-Fi 7 (2x2 802.11be), 2.4/5/6GHz, 160MHz, up to 2.9Gbps; Bluetooth 5.4Realtek 8125BG 2.5GbE LAN; AMD Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) with Bluetooth 5.3; no Wi-Fi 7
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB412 rear ports: 1 x USB 20Gbps (USB Type-C), 3 x USB 10Gbps (2 Type-A, 1 Type-C), 4 x USB 5Gbps (Type-A), 4 x USB 2.0 (Type-A); no rear USB4 portConflicting on MSI page: summary lists 4x 5Gbps and 4x 10Gbps Type-A on rear plus 1x 10Gbps Type-C front; back-panel list shows 2x 10Gbps and 1x 5Gbps Type-A rear. No rear USB-C or USB4. Verify with datasheet.

Strengths and weaknesses

ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI

  • + Two PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots plus a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot
  • + Wi-Fi 7, Intel 2.5GbE and a rear 20Gbps USB-C port
  • + 16-phase CPU power with BIOS FlashBack
  • − Only two SATA 6Gb/s ports
  • − No rear USB4 port
  • − Owners report BIOS freezes and occasional USB detection problems

Skip it if:

  • Builders who need many SATA ports for bulk drive storage
  • Buyers who want a rear USB4 port
  • Anyone planning heavy manual BIOS tuning who wants minimal reported quirks
Read the full ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI review ›

MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI

  • + 8-phase 55A DrMOS power stage with 8+4-pin CPU power
  • + Rear Flash BIOS button and four EZ Debug LEDs
  • + 2.5GbE and Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth 5.3 included
  • − No PCIe 5.0 slot stated; both M.2 slots are PCIe 4.0
  • − Owners report memory training and boot trouble with four DIMMs
  • − No rear USB-C or USB4, and no Wi-Fi 7

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want a PCIe 5.0 NVMe slot or graphics slot
  • Anyone planning four DIMMs at high EXPO speeds
  • Builders who need rear USB-C, USB4 or Wi-Fi 7
Read the full MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI review ›

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