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ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero: Comparison
ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero: the m.2 slots difference
M.2 slots is where these two genuinely part company, ASRock B650 PG Lightning 3 against ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero 5, a 40% lead for ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. They differ on memory type too, 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7200+ ,... on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 192GB, up to 7800+... on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. Oldest cpu family supported is not the same on both, Ryzen 7000 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Core 12th Gen on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 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 the pick for anyone who wants WiFi included without buying the separate variant and builds that want more than two M.2 slots. Buy the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero for builders who want a high-end LGA1700 board with Thunderbolt 4 and enthusiasts completing a 13th/14th Gen Intel system, though it is not built for budget-first LGA1700 builds. It is the wrong buy for new builds better served by the newer Core Ultra Series 2 (LGA1851) platform.
What ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero have in common
Everything else lines up. Memory slots, form factor, cpu overclocking supported, pcie 5.0 support and eps 12v configuration read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing. They match on 2 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero differ on chipset?
Yes. Chipset reads B650 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Z790 on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero.
Is the Max Ethernet Speed the same on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero?
It is. Both are listed at 2.5 Gbps, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Intel
Model Number
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650 PG Lightning
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
Socket
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Intel Core 14th / 13th / 12th Gen, Pentium Gold, Celeron
Form Factor
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- ATX
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Z790
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Core 14th Gen
Memory Type
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7200+ (OC), XMP/EXPO
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 192GB, up to 7800+ MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 7000
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Core 12th Gen
CPU Overclocking Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Yes
Memory Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 4
Board Width
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 305 mm
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 243.84 mm
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3-40%
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 5Best
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- No
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Yes
Max Memory Capacity
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GBBest
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 192 GB
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7200 MT/s
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 7800 MT/sBest
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 3
SATA Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 6
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 3
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- PCIe 4.0
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 4
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 14
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 20
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Two 8-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 2.5 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- None
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Wi-Fi 6E
Audio Codec
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD Audio with Nahimic
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound HD Audio CODEC ALC4082
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 Maximus Z790 Hero
- 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 (x16 or x8/x8) + 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4)
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 Maximus Z790 Hero
- Thunderbolt 4 onboard
Networking
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN (no built-in Wi-Fi)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Intel 2.5Gb LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Special Features
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3x M.2 total (1x Gen5, 1x Gen4, 1x Gen4x2)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 5x M.2 slots, Hyper M.2 card support
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B650 PG Lightning if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4).
Choose ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero if you want the higher M.2 slots (5 vs 3).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B650 PG Lightning | ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 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.