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ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi vs ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi: Comparison
What is the difference between ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi?
Chipset is the dividing line, ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi B860 against ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi B850. There is a split on oldest cpu family supported as well, Core Ultra Series 2 on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi versus Ryzen 7000 on the ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi. They differ on ecc memory support too, None on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi versus Unbuffered ECC on the ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi.
ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi vs ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi: which one fits your build
Buy the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi for mainstream Intel builds that don't need Wi-Fi 7, though it is the wrong buy for anyone who specifically wants Wi-Fi 7. It also earns its place with builders who want four M.2 slots at a B-series price with Steel Legend styling. Avoid it for enthusiasts who want the higher memory OC ceiling of the Z890 Steel Legend. The ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi is the one to take for gamers who want ROG styling on a B850 budget and builds that want Wi-Fi 7 without X870E pricing, though it is not the pick for enthusiasts who need X870E-level VRM headroom and builds that want dual LAN.
Where the two are identical
The common ground is wider than the gap: memory slots, max memory, m.2 slots, form factor and pcie 5.0 support are identical here. They match on 8 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming 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 ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi.
Is the Wi-Fi Onboard the same on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi and ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi?
It is. Both are listed at Yes, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Intel
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
Socket
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
Form Factor
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- ATX
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- B860
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- B850
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Core Ultra Series 2
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
Memory Type
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8666+ MHz (OC)
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming 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 ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
Memory Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 256 GB
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 256 GB
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 4
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 8666 MT/sBest
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 8000 MT/s
ECC Memory Support
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- None
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- Unbuffered ECC
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 2
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 2
M.2 CPU Attached Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 2
SATA Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 2
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 2
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB 20Gbps Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 0
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 1
Rear USB 10Gbps Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 3
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 4
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 4
Front USB-C Header Speed
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 20GbpsBest
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 10Gbps
Fan and Pump Headers
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 8
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 7
ARGB Headers
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 3
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 14
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- ASUS Extreme Engine Digi+ (phase count not officially disclosed)
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Two 8-pin
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- Two 8-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth Version
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 5.3
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 5.4
Audio Codec
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Realtek ALC1220, Nahimic
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- ROG SupremeFX ALC4080
Expansion
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x2)
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4)
Connectivity
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Nahimic audio software, Thunderbolt 4/USB4
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- USB 20Gbps Type-C, Aura Sync headers
Networking
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 6E
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- Intel 2.5GbE 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 Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- 4x M.2 (2x PCIe 5.0 CPU, 2x PCIe 4.0 chipset), PCIe 5.0 GPU slot
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 4).
Choose ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi | ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming 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.