ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI vs ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI

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

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI scores 7.5/10 overall, ahead of the ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI at 7.1/10.

The ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI leads on connectivity.

The ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI leads on platform and features, power delivery and BIOS and support.

They score the same on value.

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

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

ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI

7.5/10verdict: buy

This board is for builders putting a Ryzen 7000, 8000 or 9000 chip into an AM5 system. It suits people who want several PCIe 5.0 NVMe drives, USB4 and Wi-Fi 7 on one ATX board. It also fits those who value strong power delivery and a BIOS that owners describe as stable.

Typically about £415.99 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK

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

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI	ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI
Platform and features	25%	7/10	8/10
Connectivity	25%	9/10	8/10
Power delivery	20%	7/10	8/10
BIOS and support	15%	5/10	7/10
Value	15%	6/10	6/10
Overall		7.1/10	7.5/10

Specifications

Spec	ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI	ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)	LGA1851	AM5 (LGA 1718), supports Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 desktop CPUs
Chipset	Intel B860	AMD X870E
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)	Mini-ITX (6.7 x 6.7 in)	ATX
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speed	DDR5, 2 DIMM slots, max 128GB, up to 9066+ MT/s (OC), non-ECC unbuffered, CUDIMM supported	DDR5, 4 DIMM slots, maximum 192GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC), AMD EXPO support
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generation	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)	Five M.2 slots: three PCIe 5.0 NVMe and two PCIe 4.0, all with heatsinks
PCIe slots	1 x PCIe 5.0 x16	One PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (sources conflict; ASUS UK page says two PCIe 5.0 x16 SafeSlots)
Wired and wireless networking (e.g. 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 7)	Intel 2.5GbE (one port); Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) 2x2; Bluetooth 5.4	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with ASUS Q-Antenna, Realtek 5Gb Ethernet
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB4	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	Two rear USB4 Type-C ports, plus two front USB 20Gbps Type-C connectors (one with Quick Charge 4+ up to 60W)

Strengths and weaknesses

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 ›

ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI

+ Five M.2 slots, three of them PCIe 5.0
+ Two rear USB4 Type-C ports and Wi-Fi 7
+ 18+2+2 VRM with dual 8-pin power
− Ethernet is 5Gb, not 10Gb
− Top memory speeds of 8000+ MT/s need overclocking

Skip it if:

Buyers who need 10GbE built into the board.
Builders who only need a few drives and basic USB and don't need a premium feature set.
Anyone building in a small case that cannot take a full ATX board.

Read the full ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI review ›

More comparisons

Compare all motherboards · Best motherboards