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ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi vs ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero: Comparison
ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi vs ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero chipset compared
Chipset is the dividing line, ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi B850 against ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero Z590. They differ on oldest cpu family supported too, Ryzen 7000 on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus Core 10th Gen on the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero. Pcie 5.0 support is not the same on both, Yes on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus No on the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero.
ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi vs ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero: which one fits your build
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 built for enthusiasts who need X870-level chipset lanes and builds needing dual LAN. Buy the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero for enthusiasts completing a high-end LGA1200 system, though it is the wrong buy for budget-first LGA1200 builds. It also earns its place with builders who want the best available 11th/10th Gen Intel board with Thunderbolt 4. It is not the one for new builds better served by a current-generation Intel or AMD platform.
What ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero have in common
Where they agree, they agree completely, memory slots, m.2 slots, m.2 slots onboard, form factor and wi-fi onboard included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 4 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero differ on socket?
Yes. Socket reads AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus Intel 11th / 10th Gen Core, Pentium Gold, Celeron on the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero.
Is the ARGB Headers the same on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero?
It is. Both are listed at 3, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- AMD
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- Intel
Model Number
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- ROG Maximus XIII Hero (WiFi 6E)
Socket
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- Intel 11th / 10th Gen Core, Pentium Gold, Celeron
Form Factor
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- ATX
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- B850
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- Z590
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- Core 13th Gen
Memory Type
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC)
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 4x DDR4 DIMM, up to 128GB, up to DDR4-5333 (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- Core 10th Gen
Memory Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 4
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 4
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- No
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 8000 MT/sBest
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 5333 MT/s
ECC Memory Support
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Unbuffered ECC
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- None
M.2 Slots Onboard
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 4
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 1
SATA Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 6
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 3
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- PCIe 4.0
Rear USB4 or TB Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 0
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 2
Rear USB 10Gbps Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 6
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 2
Fan and Pump Headers
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 6
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 7
ARGB Headers
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 3
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 14
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 14
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- Two 8-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 2.5 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 2
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth Version
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 5.4
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 5.2
Audio Codec
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Realtek ALC4082, Nahimic, 7.1-channel
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound HD Audio CODEC ALC4082 with ESS SABRE9018Q2C DAC/AMP
Expansion
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4)
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 2x PCIe 4.0/3.0 x16 + 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4) + 1x PCIe 3.0 x1
Connectivity
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- USB 3.2, Nahimic audio software
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- Thunderbolt 4 onboard
Networking
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 2x Intel 2.5Gb LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
Special Features
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x M.2 (1x Gen5, 3x Gen4)
- ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
- 4x M.2/NVMe SSD slots
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4) and the higher M.2 slots (4 vs 4).
Choose ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi | ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero |
|---|---|---|
| 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.




