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ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi: Comparison
ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi m.2 slots compared
M.2 slots is where these two genuinely part company, ASRock B650 PG Lightning 3 against ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi 2, a 33% lead for ASRock B650 PG Lightning. They differ on memory type too, 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7200+ ,... on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 4x DDR4 DIMM, up to 128GB, up to DDR4-5100 on the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi. There is a split on board width as well, 305 mm on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 244 mm on the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus 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 the wrong buy for anyone who wants WiFi included without buying the separate variant and builds that want more than two M.2 slots. Buy the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi for budget-to-mid-range AM4 builds that want TUF's durability certification and builders upgrading an existing Ryzen system without moving to AM5, though it is not the pick for new builds where AM5's longer upgrade path matters more. Avoid it for anyone who wants Wi-Fi 6 or faster than Gigabit wired networking.
What ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi have in common
Where they agree, they agree completely, memory slots, form factor, platform, cpu overclocking supported and pcie x16 slots included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 2 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi differ on chipset?
Yes. Chipset reads B650 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus X570 on the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi.
Is the Primary Graphics Slot Gen the same on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi?
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 TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650 PG Lightning
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
Socket
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- AMD 3rd/2nd Gen Ryzen, Ryzen 5000/4000G/3000G series (AM4)
Form Factor
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- ATX
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- X570
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- Ryzen 5000
Memory Type
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7200+ (OC), XMP/EXPO
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 4x DDR4 DIMM, up to 128GB, up to DDR4-5100 (OC)
CPU Overclocking Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Memory Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 4
Board Width
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 305 mm
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 244 mm
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3Best
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 2-33%
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- No
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- No
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Max Memory Capacity
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GBBest
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 128 GB
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7200 MT/sBest
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 5100 MT/s
M.2 Slots Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 2
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 1
SATA Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 8
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 2
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- PCIe 4.0
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- PCIe 4.0
Rear USB 20Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 0
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 4
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 0
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 14
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 12
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 8-pin plus 4-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2.5 GbpsBest
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 1 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- None
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- Wi-Fi 6
Audio Codec
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD Audio with Nahimic
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- Realtek ALC S1200A, 7.1-channel
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 TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- PCIe 4.0 x16 (CPU) + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4, chipset) + 2x 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 TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 4x rear USB 3.2 Gen1 (5Gbps), 3x rear USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps: 2 Type-A + 1 Type-C), 4x USB 2.0 (header)
Networking
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN (no built-in Wi-Fi)
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- Realtek Gigabit LAN, Wi-Fi 6 (Intel, 2x2), Bluetooth 5.1
Special Features
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3x M.2 total (1x Gen5, 1x Gen4, 1x Gen4x2)
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi
- 2x M.2 (PCIe 4.0 x4 CPU-attached + PCIe 3.0 x4 chipset), 8x SATA 6Gb/s
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 TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B650 PG Lightning | ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | |
| 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.