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ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi vs Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX: Comparison
What is the difference between ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX?
The first real difference is chipset: ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi B850 against Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX B650. Add m.2 slots to that, 4 on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus 3 on the Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX, and the pattern holds. They differ on primary graphics slot gen too, PCIe 5.0 on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus PCIe 4.0 on the Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX. Rear usb 10gbps ports is not the same on both, 4 on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus 3 on the Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX.
Which should you buy, ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi or Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX?
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 the wrong buy for enthusiasts who need X870-level chipset lanes and builds needing dual LAN. Buy the Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX for budget-to-mainstream AM5 builds that want a proven, well-supported board and builders who don't need PCIe 5.0 GPU support, though it is not the pick for builders who specifically want a PCIe 5.0 x16 GPU slot and anyone who wants Wi-Fi 7 instead of Wi-Fi 6E.
What ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX have in common
Where they agree, they agree completely, socket, memory slots, max memory, form factor and platform included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 11 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX differ on networking?
Yes. Networking reads 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7 on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus Realtek 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5 on the Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX.
Is the Newest CPU Family Supported the same on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX?
It is. Both are listed at Ryzen 9000, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- AMD
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- B650 AORUS ELITE AX
Socket
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
Form Factor
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- ATX
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- B850
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- B650
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- Ryzen 9000
Memory Type
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC)
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8000 MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- Ryzen 7000
Memory Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 256 GB
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 256 GB
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4Best
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 3-25%
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- No
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 8000 MT/s
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 8000 MT/s
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 1
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 2
SATA Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 4
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 1
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- PCIe 4.0
Rear USB 10Gbps Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 3
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 5
Front USB-C Header Speed
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 20Gbps
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 20Gbps
Fan and Pump Headers
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 6
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 6
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 14
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 14
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 2.5 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth Version
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 5.4
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 5
Audio Codec
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Realtek ALC4082, Nahimic, 7.1-channel
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- Realtek codec, 8-channel HD Audio
Expansion
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4)
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 1x PCIe 4.0 x16, 2x PCIe 3.0 x1
Connectivity
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- USB 3.2, Nahimic audio software
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 4x SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.2
Networking
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- Realtek 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5
Special Features
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x M.2 (1x Gen5, 3x Gen4)
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 3x M.2 (2x CPU, 1x chipset)
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4), the higher max memory (256 GB vs 256 GB) and the higher M.2 slots (4 vs 3).
Choose Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi | Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX |
|---|---|---|
| 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.