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ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi: Comparison
What is the difference between ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi?
M.2 slots is where these two genuinely part company, ASRock B650 PG Lightning 3 against ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi 7, a 57% lead for ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi. Oldest cpu family supported is not the same on both, Ryzen 7000 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Core Ultra Series 2 on the ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi. Wi-fi onboard is not the same on both, No on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Yes on the ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi.
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 built 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 Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi for gamers who want ROG styling with strong storage expansion, though it is the wrong buy for enthusiasts who want the Maximus line's extra BIOS tuning tools. It is equally the pick for builders who want more M.2 slots than almost any other Z890 board. Avoid it for buyers who don't need seven M.2 slots and would rather save money.
What ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi have in common
Everything else lines up. Memory slots, max memory, form factor, cpu overclocking supported and pcie 5.0 support 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 Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi differ on chipset?
Yes. Chipset reads B650 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Z890 on the ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi.
Is the SATA Ports the same on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi?
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 Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- Intel
Model Number
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650 PG Lightning
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
Socket
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
Form Factor
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- ATX
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- Z890
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 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 Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 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 Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- Core Ultra Series 2
CPU Overclocking Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- Yes
Memory Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GB
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 256 GB
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3-57%
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 7Best
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- No
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7200 MT/s
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 9200 MT/sBest
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 3
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 4
SATA Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 4
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 2
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- PCIe 4.0
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 3
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 14
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- ASUS Extreme Engine Digi+ (phase count not officially disclosed)
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- Two 8-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 5 GbpsBest
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- None
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
Audio Codec
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD Audio with Nahimic
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E 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 Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 (x16/x8/x4/x4) + 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 Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 2x Thunderbolt 4, Aura Sync
Networking
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN (no built-in Wi-Fi)
- ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- Realtek 5Gb 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 Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- 7x M.2 (4x CPU incl. 3x PCIe 5.0, 3x 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 Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi if you want the higher M.2 slots (7 vs 3).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B650 PG Lightning | ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E 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.