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ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI vs MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ

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 MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ at 6.6/10.

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

They score the same on BIOS and support and value.

ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI

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

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

MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ

MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ

6.6/10verdict: good, not the best

The MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ is an ATX AM5 board for people building a mid-range Ryzen 7000, 8000 or 9000 system. It suits buyers who want Wi-Fi 7, 5Gbps wired networking and a 12-phase VRM without moving up the range. It fits best alongside a discrete graphics card that connects over DisplayPort.

Typically about £219.94 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

CriterionWeightASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFIMSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ
Platform and features25%8/106/10
Connectivity25%8/107/10
Power delivery20%8/107/10
BIOS and support15%7/107/10
Value15%6/106/10
Overall7.5/106.6/10

Specifications

SpecASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFIMSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ
SocketAM5 (LGA 1718), supports Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 desktop CPUsAM5; supports AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 series desktop processors
ChipsetAMD X870EAMD B850
Form factorATXATX, 243.84 x 304.8 mm
MemoryDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, maximum 192GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC), AMD EXPO supportDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, up to 256 GB maximum
M.2 slotsFive M.2 slots: three PCIe 5.0 NVMe and two PCIe 4.0, all with heatsinksThree M.2 Key M slots: M.2_1 from CPU up to PCIe 5.0 x4 (2260/2280); M.2_2 from CPU up to PCIe 4.0 x4 (22110/2280); M.2_3 from chipset up to PCIe 4.0 x2 (2260/2280). Taken from the non-PZ sibling's MSI spec page and user guide; the PZ page confirms one PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot.
PCIe slotsOne PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (sources conflict; ASUS UK page says two PCIe 5.0 x16 SafeSlots)One PCIe x16 slot, described as PCIe 5.0 on MSI's PZ page; MSI's regional spec page shows PCIe 5.0 x16 with Ryzen 9000/7000 and a UK review describes the non-PZ sibling as PCIe 4.0 x16, so the generation is disputed
NetworkingWi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with ASUS Q-Antenna, Realtek 5Gb EthernetWi-Fi 7 and 5G LAN (Realtek 8126VB 5 Gbps wired, per MSI's spec page for the non-PZ sibling)
Rear USBTwo rear USB4 Type-C ports, plus two front USB 20Gbps Type-C connectors (one with Quick Charge 4+ up to 60W)Rear: one USB-C 10 Gb/s port per a PZ review (MSI's sibling spec lists two); front USB 5Gbps Type-C header

Strengths and weaknesses

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 ›

MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ

  • + Wi-Fi 7 and 5Gbps wired LAN
  • + 12+2+1 power design with two 8-pin connectors
  • + Flash BIOS button works without CPU or memory
  • − No HDMI output reported; DisplayPort 1.2 only
  • − Only one M.2 slot runs at PCIe 5.0
  • − Third M.2 slot is limited to PCIe 4.0 x2

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need HDMI output from the board itself
  • Builders who want two PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots
  • Builders who need more than four SATA ports for bulk storage
Read the full MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ review ›

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