ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI vs GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x)

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 GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x) at 6.7/10.

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

The GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x) leads on BIOS and support.

They score the same on platform and features, power delivery and 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

GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x)

6.7/10verdict: good, not the best

This is an AM5 board for Ryzen 7000 and 9000 builders who want a full-size B850 platform with Wi-Fi 7 and 2.5GbE. It suits people who need several NVMe drives, PCIe 5.0 for the graphics card and a fast front USB-C port. It is less suited to anyone who needs rear USB faster than 10Gbps or still runs Windows 10.

Typically about £200 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	GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x)
Platform and features	25%	7/10	7/10
Connectivity	25%	9/10	7/10
Power delivery	20%	7/10	7/10
BIOS and support	15%	5/10	6/10
Value	15%	6/10	6/10
Overall		7.1/10	6.7/10

Specifications

Spec	ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI	GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x)
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)	LGA1851	AM5
Chipset	Intel B860	AMD B850
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)	Mini-ITX (6.7 x 6.7 in)	ATX (retailer listing; not confirmed on the manufacturer page)
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, up to 256 GB (64 GB per DIMM), dual channel, base speeds 5200/4800/4400 MT/s, up to 8200 MT/s with overclocking profiles
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)	Three M.2 slots: M2A_CPU PCIe 5.0 x4/x2 (Ryzen 9000/7000); M2B_CPU PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 (Ryzen 9000/7000); M2C_SB PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 (chipset)
PCIe slots	1 x PCIe 5.0 x16	One PCIe 5.0 x16 slot from the CPU; two PCIe 3.0 x16-length slots running at x1 from the chipset
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	Realtek 2.5GbE RJ-45 LAN (2.5/1/0.1 Gbps); Realtek Wi-Fi 7 RTL8922AE with Bluetooth 5.4
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	Rear: 1 x USB-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 5 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 4 x USB 2.0/1.1; 12 rear ports in total

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 ›

GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x)

+ PCIe 5.0 for graphics slot and primary M.2 slot
+ Front USB-C header runs at 20Gbps
+ 14+2+2 phase design with 60A DrMOS on CPU rail
− Fastest rear USB port is 10Gbps
− Wi-Fi 7 needs Windows 11; no Windows 10 driver
− Both chipset PCIe slots run at x1 only

Skip it if:

Windows 10 users who want to use the Wi-Fi 7 adapter
Buyers who need rear USB faster than 10Gbps
Builders planning several wide PCIe expansion cards

Read the full GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x) review ›

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