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ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi: Comparison
ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi chipset compared
Chipset is the dividing line, ASRock B650 PG Lightning B650 against ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi B850. There is a split on primary graphics slot gen as well, PCIe 4.0 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus PCIe 5.0 on the ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi. Rear usb 5gbps ports is not the same on both, 7 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 2 on the ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi. They differ on rear usb 2.0 ports too, 4 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 2 on the ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi. They differ on vcore power stages too, 14 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 5 on the ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi.
Which should you buy, ASRock B650 PG Lightning or ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi?
The ASRock B650 PG Lightning is the one to take for the most budget-conscious full-ATX AM5 builds and builders who don't need built-in WiFi, though it is the wrong buy for anyone who wants WiFi included without buying the separate variant and builds that want more than two M.2 slots. it is not built for builds that need more than three M.2 slots. It is equally the pick for budget AM5 builders who still want PCIe 5.0 GPU support and Wi-Fi 6E. It is the wrong buy for heavy overclockers who need a stronger VRM than this board's mainstream design.
Where the two are identical
The common ground is wider than the gap: socket, memory slots, max memory, max memory capacity and m.2 slots are identical here. They match on 12 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi differ on networking?
Yes. Networking reads Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 on the ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi.
Is the M.2 Slots Onboard the same on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi?
It is. Both are listed at 3, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650 PG Lightning
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Prime B850-Plus WiFi
Socket
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
Form Factor
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- ATX
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- B850
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
Memory Type
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7200+ (OC), XMP/EXPO
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 7000
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
CPU Overclocking Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Memory Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GB
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 256 GB
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 3
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- No
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Max Memory Capacity
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GB
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 256 GB
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7200 MT/s
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 8000 MT/sBest
M.2 Slots Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 3
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 1
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 2
SATA Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 4
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- PCIe 4.0
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 2
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 2
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 14
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 5
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 8-pin plus 4-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- None
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Wi-Fi 6E
Audio Codec
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD Audio with Nahimic
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Realtek 7.1 Surround Sound HD Audio CODEC
Expansion
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2x PCIe 4.0 x16 (2nd slot at x2), 2x PCIe 4.0 x1; 1x M.2 PCIe 5.0 x4, 1x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4, 1x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x2; 4x SATA III; 1x M.2 Key-E (Wi-Fi)
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4) + 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x1)
Connectivity
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1x Rear USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C (20Gbps), 7x Rear USB 3.2 Gen1 (5Gbps), 4x Rear USB 2.0
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- USB 10Gbps, BIOS FlashBack
Networking
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN (no built-in Wi-Fi)
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Special Features
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3x M.2 total (1x Gen5, 1x Gen4, 1x Gen4x2)
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 3x M.2, AI Cooling, Aura Sync
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B650 PG Lightning if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4), the higher max memory (256 GB vs 256 GB) and the higher M.2 slots (3 vs 3).
Choose ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B650 PG Lightning | ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
| Newegg | View on Newegg | View on Newegg |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.