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ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi: Comparison
ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi: the chipset difference
The first real difference is chipset: ASRock B650 PG Lightning B650 against ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi Z890. M.2 slots runs the same way, 3 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 4 on the ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi, another win for ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi. There is a split on oldest cpu family supported as well, Ryzen 7000 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Core Ultra Series 2 on the ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi.
Who each one is for
Buy the ASRock B650 PG Lightning 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 TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi is the one to take for long-term builds where TUF's durability certification matters, though it is the wrong buy for enthusiasts who want dual LAN or six M.2 slots and budget-first Intel builds better served by a Prime board. It is equally the pick for Intel builders who want CUDIMM memory OC headroom without Maximus pricing.
Where the two are identical
Everything else lines up. Memory slots, max memory capacity, form factor, cpu overclocking supported and pcie 5.0 support read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing. They match on 7 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi differ on socket?
Yes. Socket reads AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Intel Core Ultra Processors on the ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi.
Is the M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots the same on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi?
It is. Both are listed at 1, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- Intel
Model Number
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650 PG Lightning
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
Socket
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
Form Factor
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- ATX
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- Z890
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus 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 TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM (CUDIMM), up to 256GB, up to 9066+ MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 7000
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- Core Ultra Series 2
CPU Overclocking Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Memory Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 4
Board Width
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 305 mm
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 244 mm
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3-25%
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 4Best
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- No
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Max Memory Capacity
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GB
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 256 GB
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7200 MT/s
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 9066 MT/sBest
M.2 Slots Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 4
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 1
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 3
SATA Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 4
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 2
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- PCIe 4.0
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB 20Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 1
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 3
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 0
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 14
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 16
Power Stage Current Rating
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 60 A
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 80 A
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- Two 8-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- None
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
Audio Codec
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD Audio with Nahimic
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- Realtek ALC1220P, 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 Z890-Plus WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4) + PCIe 4.0 x4 + 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 Z890-Plus WiFi
- 1x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C, 1x USB 20Gbps Type-C, 3x USB 10Gbps, 3x USB 5Gbps (rear); front USB 20Gbps Type-C header
Networking
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN (no built-in Wi-Fi)
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- Intel 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Special Features
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3x M.2 total (1x Gen5, 1x Gen4, 1x Gen4x2)
- ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi
- 4x M.2 (1x Gen5 CPU-attached, 3x Gen4 chipset), 4x SATA 6Gb/s, TUF military-grade certification
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B650 PG Lightning if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4).
Choose ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi if you want the higher M.2 slots (4 vs 3).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B650 PG Lightning | ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Plus 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.