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ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi vs ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi: Comparison
What is the difference between ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi?
They are built to different briefs, and chipset shows it, ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi B860 against ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi B850. Add m.2 slots to that, 4 on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi versus 3 on the ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi, and the pattern holds. They differ on oldest cpu family supported too, Core Ultra Series 2 on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi versus Ryzen 7000 on the ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi.
Which should you buy, ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi or ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi?
The ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi suits mainstream Intel builds that don't need Wi-Fi 7, though it is not the pick for anyone who specifically wants Wi-Fi 7. It is equally the pick for builders who want four M.2 slots at a B-series price with Steel Legend styling. It is not the one for enthusiasts who want the higher memory OC ceiling of the Z890 Steel Legend. it is the wrong buy for builds that need more than three M.2 slots. It also earns its place with budget AM5 builders who still want PCIe 5.0 GPU support and Wi-Fi 6E. It is the wrong buy for heavy overclockers who need a stronger VRM than this board's mainstream design.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, memory slots, max memory, form factor, pcie 5.0 support and wi-fi onboard included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 8 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi differ on socket?
Yes. Socket reads Intel Core Ultra Processors on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi versus AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series on the ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi.
Is the ECC Memory Support the same on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi?
It is. Both are listed at None, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Intel
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Prime B850-Plus WiFi
Socket
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
Form Factor
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- ATX
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- B860
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- B850
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Core Ultra Series 2
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
Memory Type
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8666+ MHz (OC)
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Core Ultra Series 2
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
Memory Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 256 GB
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 256 GB
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4Best
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 3-25%
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 8666 MT/sBest
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 8000 MT/s
ECC Memory Support
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- None
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- None
M.2 Slots Onboard
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 3
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 1
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 2
SATA Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 4
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB 10Gbps Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 4
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 2
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 2
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 14
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 5
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 8-pin plus 4-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth Version
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 5.3
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 5.3
Audio Codec
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Realtek ALC1220, Nahimic
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- Realtek 7.1 Surround Sound HD Audio CODEC
Expansion
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x2)
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4) + 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x1)
Connectivity
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Nahimic audio software, Thunderbolt 4/USB4
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- USB 10Gbps, BIOS FlashBack
Networking
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 6E
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Special Features
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x M.2 (1x Gen5, 2x Gen4, 1x Gen4 x2)
- ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi
- 3x M.2, AI Cooling, Aura Sync
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B860 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 ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi | ASUS Prime B850-Plus WiFi |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
| Newegg | View on Newegg | View on Newegg |
| Best Buy | View on Best Buy |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.