Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi vs ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero: Comparison
What is the difference between ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero?
The first real difference is chipset: ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi B850 against ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero Z790. ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero also leads on m.2 slots, 4 on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus 5 on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. Oldest cpu family supported is not the same on both, Ryzen 7000 on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus Core 12th Gen on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. There is a split on board width as well, 244 mm on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus 243.84 mm on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero.
Who each one is for
Buy the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi 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 ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is the one to take for builders who want a high-end LGA1700 board with Thunderbolt 4 and enthusiasts completing a 13th/14th Gen Intel system, though it is the wrong buy for budget-first LGA1700 builds. Avoid it for new builds better served by the newer Core Ultra Series 2 (LGA1851) platform.
Where the two are identical
The common ground is wider than the gap: memory slots, form factor, pcie 5.0 support, wi-fi onboard and m.2 pcie 4.0 slots are identical here. They match on 5 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero differ on socket?
Yes. Socket reads AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus Intel Core 14th / 13th / 12th Gen, Pentium... on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero.
Is the Primary Graphics Slot Gen the same on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero?
It is. Both are listed at PCIe 5.0, 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 Z790 Hero
- Intel
Model Number
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
Socket
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Intel Core 14th / 13th / 12th Gen, Pentium Gold, Celeron
Form Factor
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- ATX
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- B850
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Z790
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Core 14th Gen
Memory Type
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 192GB, up to 7800+ MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Core 12th Gen
Memory Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 4
Board Width
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 244 mm
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 243.84 mm
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4-20%
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 5Best
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 8000 MT/sBest
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 7800 MT/s
ECC Memory Support
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Unbuffered ECC
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- None
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 3
SATA Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 6
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 3
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB4 or TB Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 0
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 2
Rear USB 10Gbps Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 6
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 4
Fan and Pump Headers
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 6
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 7
ARGB Headers
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 3
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 14
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 20
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Two 8-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 2.5 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth Version
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 5.4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 5.3
Audio Codec
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Realtek ALC4082, Nahimic, 7.1-channel
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound HD Audio CODEC ALC4082
Expansion
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 (x16 or x8/x8) + 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4)
Connectivity
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- USB 3.2, Nahimic audio software
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Thunderbolt 4 onboard
Networking
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Intel 2.5Gb LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Special Features
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x M.2 (1x Gen5, 3x Gen4)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 5x M.2 slots, Hyper M.2 card support
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4).
Choose ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero if you want the higher M.2 slots (5 vs 4).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi | ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero |
|---|---|---|
| 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.