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ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi vs ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero: Comparison
ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi vs ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero: the m.2 slots difference
The gap that matters here is m.2 slots: ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi 4 against ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero 6, which puts ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero 33% ahead. There is a split on rear usb4 or tb ports as well, 1 on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi versus 2 on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero.
Who each one is for
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. The same goes 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. Buy the ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero for builders who need six M.2 slots on a Z890 board, though it is the wrong buy for anyone who doesn't plan to push memory overclocking. It is equally the pick for Intel enthusiasts who want the highest officially supported DDR5 OC speed in this catalog. It is the wrong buy for budget Intel builds where a Prime or TUF Z890 board delivers the same gaming performance.
Where the two are identical
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 14 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero differ on chipset?
Yes. Chipset reads B860 on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi versus Z890 on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero.
Is the Newest CPU Family Supported the same on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero?
It is. Both are listed at Core Ultra Series 2, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Intel
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Intel
Model Number
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
Socket
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
Form Factor
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- ATX
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- B860
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Z890
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Core Ultra Series 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Core Ultra Series 2
Memory Type
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8666+ MHz (OC)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 4x DDR5 DIMM (CUDIMM), up to 256GB, up to 9200+ MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Core Ultra Series 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Core Ultra Series 2
Memory Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 256 GB
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 256 GB
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4-33%
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 6Best
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 8666 MT/s
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 9200 MT/sBest
ECC Memory Support
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- None
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- None
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 3
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 3
M.2 CPU Attached Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 4
SATA Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 4
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 2
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- PCIe 5.0
Graphics Slot Bifurcation
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- None
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- x8/x4/x4
Rear USB4 or TB Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 2
Rear USB 10Gbps Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 5
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 4
Front USB-C Header Speed
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 20Gbps
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 20Gbps
Fan and Pump Headers
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 8
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 8
ARGB Headers
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 3
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 14
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 22
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Two 8-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 5 GbpsBest
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 2
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth Version
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 5.3
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 5.4
Audio Codec
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Realtek ALC1220, Nahimic
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 + ESS ES9219 DAC
Expansion
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x2)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- PCIe 5.0 x16 (x16 or x8/x4/x4) + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4) + PCIe 4.0 x1
Connectivity
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Nahimic audio software, Thunderbolt 4/USB4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 2x Thunderbolt 4, SlimSAS, Q-Release
Networking
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 6E
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Intel 2.5GbE + Realtek 5GbE dual LAN, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Special Features
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x M.2 (1x Gen5, 2x Gen4, 1x Gen4 x2)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- 6x M.2 (4x CPU incl. 3x PCIe 5.0, 2x Gen4 chipset)
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4) and the higher max memory (256 GB vs 256 GB).
Choose ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero if you want the higher M.2 slots (6 vs 4).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi | ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero |
|---|---|---|
| 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.