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ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero: Comparison
ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero: the m.2 slots difference
Start with m.2 slots, because it is the widest measured gap between them: ASRock B650 PG Lightning 3 against ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero 2, 33% in favour of ASRock B650 PG Lightning. Memory type is not the same on both, 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7200+ ,... on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 4x DDR4 DIMM, dual-channel, up to 128GB, up to... on the ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero. Oldest cpu family supported is not the same on both, Ryzen 7000 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Ryzen 3000 on the ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero.
Who each one is for
The ASRock B650 PG Lightning suits the most budget-conscious full-ATX AM5 builds and builders who don't need built-in WiFi, though it is not built for anyone who wants WiFi included without buying the separate variant and builds that want more than two M.2 slots. it is the wrong buy for builds that want PCIe 5.0 or DDR5 support. It also earns its place with high-end AM4 builders who want the strongest available VRM for a Ryzen 5800X3D or 5950X. It is the wrong buy for anyone starting a new build who should consider AM5 for a longer upgrade path.
What ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero have in common
Everything else lines up. Memory slots, form factor, platform, cpu overclocking supported and m.2 pcie 4.0 slots read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing. They match on 4 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero differ on chipset?
Yes. Chipset reads B650 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus X570 on the ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero.
Is the Primary Graphics Slot Gen the same on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero?
It is. Both are listed at PCIe 4.0, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650 PG Lightning
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
Socket
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- AMD Ryzen 5000 / 4000 G-Series / 3000 / 3000 G-Series / 2000 / 2000 G-Series
Form Factor
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- ATX
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- X570
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- Ryzen 5000
Memory Type
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7200+ (OC), XMP/EXPO
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 4x DDR4 DIMM, dual-channel, up to 128GB, up to DDR4-5100 (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 7000
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- Ryzen 3000
CPU Overclocking Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- Yes
Memory Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 4
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3Best
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 2-33%
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- No
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- No
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- Yes
Max Memory Capacity
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GBBest
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 128 GB
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7200 MT/sBest
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 5100 MT/s
M.2 Slots Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 2
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 2
SATA Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 8
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 5
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- PCIe 4.0
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- PCIe 4.0
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 4
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 4
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 14
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 14
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 8-pin plus 4-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 2.5 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 2
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- None
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- Wi-Fi 6
Audio Codec
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD Audio with Nahimic
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound HD Audio CODEC with ESS ES9023P DAC
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 ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 2x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8) + 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 + 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x8) + 1x PCIe 4.0 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 ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- Dual LAN, ESS Sabre DAC
Networking
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN (no built-in Wi-Fi)
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- Realtek RTL8125-CG 2.5G LAN + Intel I211-AT 1G LAN, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1
Special Features
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3x M.2 total (1x Gen5, 1x Gen4, 1x Gen4x2)
- ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
- 2x M.2 (PCIe 4.0/SATA)
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B650 PG Lightning if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4) and the higher M.2 slots (3 vs 2).
Choose ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B650 PG Lightning | ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero |
|---|---|---|
| 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.