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ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi vs ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi: Comparison

ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi vs ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi max memory compared

Max memory is where these two genuinely part company, ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi 128 GB against ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi 96 GB, a 25% lead for ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi. There is a split on memory type as well, 2x DDR5 DIMM, dual-channel, up to 128GB, DDR5-7200+ ,... on the ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi versus 2x DDR5, up to 96GB, up to 7600 MT/s on the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi. They differ on oldest cpu family supported too, Ryzen 7000 on the ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi versus Core 12th Gen on the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi.

Who each one is for

it is the wrong buy for extreme overclockers who need more than 60A-rated VRM stages. It also earns its place with budget-conscious AM5 ITX builders who still want a Gen5 M.2 upgrade path. It is the wrong buy for anyone wanting a PCIe 5.0 GPU slot or premium ALC1220-tier audio. it is not the pick for anyone wanting CUDIMM memory support or the newest Intel platform and builds needing more than two M.2 slots. It is equally the pick for LGA1700 builders who want dual Thunderbolt 4 without moving to Arrow Lake.

What ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi and ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi have in common

The common ground is wider than the gap: memory slots, m.2 slots, form factor, cpu overclocking supported and pcie 5.0 support are identical here. They match on 9 further specifications as well.

Frequently asked questions

Do the ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi and ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi differ on chipset?

Yes. Chipset reads B650 on the ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi versus Z790 on the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi.

Is the Wi-Fi Onboard the same on the ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi and ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi?

It is. Both are listed at Yes, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.

Specs and benchmarks

  • Platform

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    AMD
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    Intel
  • Model Number

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    B650I Lightning WiFi
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
  • Socket

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    Intel 12th / 13th / 14th Gen (LGA1700)
  • Form Factor

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    Mini-ITX
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    Mini-ITX
  • Chipset

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    B650
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    Z790
  • Newest CPU Family Supported

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    Ryzen 9000
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    Core 14th Gen
  • Memory Type

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    2x DDR5 DIMM, dual-channel, up to 128GB, DDR5-7200+ (OC), XMP/EXPO
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    2x DDR5, up to 96GB, up to 7600 MT/s (OC)
  • Oldest CPU Family Supported

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    Ryzen 7000
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    Core 12th Gen
  • CPU Overclocking Supported

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    Yes
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    Yes
  • Memory Slots

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    2
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    2
  • Max Memory

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    128 GBBest
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    96 GB-25%
  • M.2 Slots

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    2
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    2
  • PCIe 5.0 Support

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    Yes
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    Yes
  • Wi-Fi Onboard

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    Yes
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    Yes
  • Max Rated Memory Speed

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    7200 MT/s
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    7600 MT/sBest
  • M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    1
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    1
  • M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    1
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    1
  • SATA Ports

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    2
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    2
  • PCIe x16 Slots

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    1
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    1
  • Primary Graphics Slot Gen

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    PCIe 4.0
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    PCIe 5.0
  • Rear USB 10Gbps Ports

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    4
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    3
  • Rear USB 2.0 Ports

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    4
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    2
  • Vcore Power Stages

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    8
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    10
  • EPS 12V Configuration

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    One 8-pin
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    One 8-pin
  • Max Ethernet Speed

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    2.5 Gbps
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    2.5 Gbps
  • Ethernet Port Count

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    1
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    1
  • Wi-Fi Standard

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    Wi-Fi 6E
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    Wi-Fi 6E
  • Bluetooth Version

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    5.2
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    5.3
  • Audio Codec

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD Audio
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    ALC4050 + ESS SABRE9260Q DAC
  • Expansion

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    1x PCIe 4.0 x16; 1x M.2 PCIe 5.0 x4 (Blazing), 1x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 (Hyper); 2x SATA III; 1x M.2 Key-E (Wi-Fi)
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    1x PCIe 5.0 x16 (x16 or x8/x8)
  • Connectivity

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    3x Rear USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (10Gbps), 1x Rear USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (10Gbps), 4x Rear USB 2.0
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    2x Thunderbolt 4, bundled ROG Strix Hive module
  • Networking

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    2.5GbE (Intel), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
  • Special Features

    ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
    Gen5 M.2 despite Gen4-only GPU slot
    ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    Bundled I/O expansion module

    Which one should you pick?

    Choose ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi if you want the higher memory slots (2 vs 2), the higher max memory (128 GB vs 96 GB) and the higher M.2 slots (2 vs 2).

    Choose ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.

    Price comparison

    RetailerASRock B650I Lightning WiFiASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
    AmazonView on Amazon
    NeweggView 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.

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