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ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi vs ASUS Prime A520M-K: Comparison
ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi vs ASUS Prime A520M-K max memory compared
The gap that matters here is max memory: ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi 256 GB against ASUS Prime A520M-K 64 GB, which puts ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi 75% ahead. Add m.2 slots to that, 4 on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus 1 on the ASUS Prime A520M-K, and the pattern holds. Add memory slots to that, 4 on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus 2 on the ASUS Prime A520M-K, and the pattern holds. They differ on form factor too, ATX on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus Micro-ATX on the ASUS Prime A520M-K. There is a split on networking as well, 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7 on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus Gigabit LAN on the ASUS Prime A520M-K. They differ on newest cpu family supported too, Ryzen 9000 on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus Ryzen 5000 on the ASUS Prime A520M-K.
Who each one is for
The ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi is the one to take for builders who want four M.2 slots at a B-series price and mainstream AM5 builds with Steel Legend styling preference, though it is not the pick for enthusiasts who need X870-level chipset lanes and builds needing dual LAN. The ASUS Prime A520M-K suits the most budget-conscious AM4 builds without overclocking ambitions and basic office or light gaming systems, though it is the wrong buy for anyone who wants four memory DIMM slots and builds that want CPU overclocking support.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS Prime A520M-K differ on socket?
Yes. Socket reads AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus AMD Ryzen 5000 / 4000G / 3000 series on the ASUS Prime A520M-K.
Is the Platform the same on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS Prime A520M-K?
It is. Both are listed at AMD, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- AMD
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Prime A520M-K
Socket
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- AMD Ryzen 5000 (non-X3D) / 4000G / 3000 series
Form Factor
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- ATX
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Micro-ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- B850
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- A520
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Ryzen 5000
Memory Type
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC)Best
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 2x DDR4 DIMM, dual-channel, up to 64GB, up to 5100 MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Ryzen 3000
Memory Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4Best
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 2-50%
Max Memory
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 256 GBBest
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 64 GB-75%
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4Best
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 1-75%
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- No
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- No
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 8000 MT/sBest
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 5100 MT/s
ECC Memory Support
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Unbuffered ECC
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- None
M.2 Slots Onboard
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 1
SATA Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 4
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 1
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- PCIe 3.0
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 4
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 2
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 14
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Not officially disclosed by ASUS (entry-tier)
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- One 8-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5 GbpsBest
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 1 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- None
Audio Codec
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Realtek ALC4082, Nahimic, 7.1-channel
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Realtek 7.1 Surround Sound High Definition Audio CODEC
Expansion
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4)
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- PCIe 3.0 x16 + 2x PCIe 3.0 x1
Connectivity
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- USB 3.2, Nahimic audio software
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 4x SATA 6Gb/s
Networking
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Gigabit LAN (no built-in WiFi)
Special Features
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x M.2 (1x Gen5, 3x Gen4)
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 1x M.2 (NVMe)
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 2), the higher max memory (256 GB vs 64 GB) and the higher M.2 slots (4 vs 1).
Choose ASUS Prime A520M-K if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi | ASUS Prime A520M-K |
|---|---|---|
| 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.