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ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero: Comparison
ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero: the m.2 slots difference
On m.2 slots the spread is 50%, ASRock B650 PG Lightning 3 against ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero 6, so ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero takes it. They differ on oldest cpu family supported too, Ryzen 7000 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Core Ultra Series 2 on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero. Wi-fi onboard is not the same on both, No on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Yes on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero.
Who each one is for
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 not the pick for anyone who wants WiFi included without buying the separate variant and builds that want more than two M.2 slots. The ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero suits builders who need six M.2 slots on a Z890 board, though it is the wrong buy for anyone who doesn't plan to push memory overclocking. It also earns its place with Intel enthusiasts who want the highest officially supported DDR5 OC speed in this catalog. It is not the one for budget Intel builds where a Prime or TUF Z890 board delivers the same gaming performance.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, memory slots, max memory, form factor, cpu overclocking supported and pcie 5.0 support included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 3 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero differ on chipset?
Yes. Chipset reads B650 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Z890 on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero.
Is the SATA Ports the same on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero?
It is. Both are listed at 4, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Intel
Model Number
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650 PG Lightning
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
Socket
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
Form Factor
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- ATX
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Z890
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Core Ultra Series 2
Memory Type
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7200+ (OC), XMP/EXPO
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 4x DDR5 DIMM (CUDIMM), up to 256GB, up to 9200+ MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 7000
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Core Ultra Series 2
CPU Overclocking Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Yes
Memory Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GB
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 256 GB
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3-50%
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 6Best
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- No
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7200 MT/s
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 9200 MT/sBest
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 3
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 3
SATA Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 4
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 2
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- PCIe 4.0
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 4
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 14
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 22
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Two 8-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 5 GbpsBest
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 2
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- None
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Wi-Fi 7
Audio Codec
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD Audio with Nahimic
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 + ESS ES9219 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 Maximus Z890 Hero
- PCIe 5.0 x16 (x16 or x8/x4/x4) + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4) + 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 Maximus Z890 Hero
- 2x Thunderbolt 4, SlimSAS, Q-Release
Networking
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN (no built-in Wi-Fi)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Intel 2.5GbE + Realtek 5GbE dual LAN, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Special Features
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3x M.2 total (1x Gen5, 1x Gen4, 1x Gen4x2)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 6x M.2 (4x CPU incl. 3x PCIe 5.0, 2x Gen4 chipset)
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B650 PG Lightning if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4) and the higher max memory (256 GB vs 256 GB).
Choose ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero if you want the higher M.2 slots (6 vs 3).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B650 PG Lightning | ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 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.