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ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi vs ASUS Prime A520M-K: Comparison
ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi vs ASUS Prime A520M-K: the max memory difference
Max memory is where these two genuinely part company, ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi 256 GB against ASUS Prime A520M-K 64 GB, a 75% lead for ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi. Memory slots runs the same way, 4 on the ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi versus 2 on the ASUS Prime A520M-K, another win for ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi. Add m.2 slots to that, 3 on the ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi versus 1 on the ASUS Prime A520M-K, and the pattern holds. They differ on newest cpu family supported too, Ryzen 9000 on the ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi versus Ryzen 5000 on the ASUS Prime A520M-K.
ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi vs ASUS Prime A520M-K: which one fits your build
The ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi is the one to take for compact micro-ATX builds that don't need heavy overclocking headroom, though it is the wrong buy for overclockers who need more than an 8+2+1 phase VRM and builds that want Wi-Fi 7 instead of Wi-Fi 6E. It is equally the pick for budget AM5 builds that still want a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot. Buy the ASUS Prime A520M-K for the most budget-conscious AM4 builds without overclocking ambitions and basic office or light gaming systems, though it is not the pick for anyone who wants four memory DIMM slots and builds that want CPU overclocking support.
What ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi and ASUS Prime A520M-K have in common
Everything else lines up. Form factor, platform, sata ports, pcie x16 slots and ethernet port count read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi and ASUS Prime A520M-K differ on chipset?
Yes. Chipset reads B850 on the ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi versus A520 on the ASUS Prime A520M-K.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- AMD
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- B850M Pro-A WiFi
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Prime A520M-K
Socket
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- AMD Ryzen 5000 (non-X3D) / 4000G / 3000 series
Form Factor
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- Micro-ATX
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Micro-ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- B850
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- A520
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Ryzen 5000
Memory Type
- ASRock B850M Pro-A 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 B850M Pro-A WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Ryzen 3000
Memory Slots
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 4Best
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 2-50%
Max Memory
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 256 GBBest
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 64 GB-75%
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 3Best
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 1-67%
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- No
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- No
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 8000 MT/sBest
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 5100 MT/s
ECC Memory Support
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- Unbuffered ECC
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- None
M.2 Slots Onboard
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 3
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 1
SATA Ports
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 4
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 4
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 1
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 1
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- PCIe 3.0
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 2
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 4
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 4
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 2
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 8
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Not officially disclosed by ASUS (entry-tier)
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 8-pin plus 4-pin
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- One 8-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 2.5 GbpsBest
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 1 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 1
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- None
Audio Codec
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Realtek 7.1 Surround Sound High Definition Audio CODEC
Expansion
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x4
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- PCIe 3.0 x16 + 2x PCIe 3.0 x1
Connectivity
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- SATA3, USB 3.2
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 4x SATA 6Gb/s
Networking
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 6E
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- Gigabit LAN (no built-in WiFi)
Special Features
- ASRock B850M Pro-A WiFi
- 3x M.2 (1x Gen5 Blazing, 2x Gen4 Hyper)
- ASUS Prime A520M-K
- 1x M.2 (NVMe)
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B850M Pro-A 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 (3 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 B850M Pro-A 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.