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ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi: Comparison
What is the difference between ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi?
Max memory is where these two genuinely part company, ASRock B650 PG Lightning 256 GB against ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi 192 GB, a 25% lead for ASRock B650 PG Lightning. They differ on rear usb 5gbps ports too, 7 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 4 on the ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi. They differ on vcore power stages too, 14 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus ASUS Extreme Engine Digi+ on the ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi.
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 the wrong buy for anyone who wants WiFi included without buying the separate variant and builds that want more than two M.2 slots. The ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi is the one to take for gamers who want ROG styling and RGB without X870E pricing, though it is not the pick for anyone planning heavy Ryzen 9000 X3D overclocking. The same goes for builds that want a PCIe 5.0 GPU slot on a B-series budget. It is not the one for builders who need more than three M.2 slots or dual LAN.
What ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi have in common
Everything else lines up. Socket, memory slots, m.2 slots, form factor and platform read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing. They match on 12 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi differ on chipset?
Yes. Chipset reads B650 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus B650E on the ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi.
Is the Newest CPU Family Supported the same on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi?
It is. Both are listed at Ryzen 9000, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650 PG Lightning
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
Socket
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
Form Factor
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- ATX
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- B650E
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
Memory Type
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7200+ (OC), XMP/EXPO
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 192GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 7000
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
CPU Overclocking Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- Yes
Memory Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GBBest
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 192 GB-25%
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 3
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- No
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7200 MT/s
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 8000 MT/sBest
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 1
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 2
SATA Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 4
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 2
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- PCIe 4.0
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB 20Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 1
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 4
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 4
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 14
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- ASUS Extreme Engine Digi+ (phase count not officially disclosed)
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 8-pin plus 4-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- None
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- Wi-Fi 6E
Audio Codec
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD Audio with Nahimic
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- ROG SupremeFX ALC4080
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 Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4) + 2x PCIe 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 Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- USB 20Gbps Type-C, Aura Sync headers
Networking
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN (no built-in Wi-Fi)
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 2.5GbE (Intel), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
Special Features
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3x M.2 total (1x Gen5, 1x Gen4, 1x Gen4x2)
- ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- 3x M.2 (1x PCIe 5.0), PCIe 5.0 GPU slot at B-series pricing
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 192 GB) and the higher M.2 slots (3 vs 3).
Choose ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B650 PG Lightning | ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming 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.