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ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi vs Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX: Comparison
ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi vs Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX chipset compared
The first real difference is chipset: ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi B860 against Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX B650. M.2 slots runs the same way, 4 on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi versus 3 on the Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX, another win for ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi. There is a split on pcie 5.0 support as well, Yes on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi versus No on the Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX.
Who each one is for
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 Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX is the one to take 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 built for builders who specifically want a PCIe 5.0 x16 GPU slot and anyone who wants Wi-Fi 7 instead of Wi-Fi 6E.
Where the two are identical
Everything else lines up. Memory slots, max memory, form factor, wi-fi onboard and m.2 pcie 5.0 slots read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing. They match on 6 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi and Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX 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 Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX.
Is the SATA Ports the same on the ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi and Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX?
It is. Both are listed at 4, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Intel
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- B650 AORUS ELITE AX
Socket
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
Form Factor
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- ATX
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- B860
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- B650
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Core Ultra Series 2
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- Ryzen 9000
Memory Type
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8666+ MHz (OC)
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 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
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- Ryzen 7000
Memory Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 256 GB
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 256 GB
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4Best
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 3-25%
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- No
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 8666 MT/sBest
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 8000 MT/s
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 1
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 2
SATA Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 4
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 1
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- PCIe 4.0
Rear USB 10Gbps Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 3
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 5
Front USB-C Header Speed
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 20Gbps
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 20Gbps
Fan and Pump Headers
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 8
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 6
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 14
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 14
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 2.5 Gbps
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth Version
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 5.3
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 5
Audio Codec
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Realtek ALC1220, Nahimic
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- Realtek codec, 8-channel HD Audio
Expansion
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x2)
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 1x PCIe 4.0 x16, 2x PCIe 3.0 x1
Connectivity
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- Nahimic audio software, Thunderbolt 4/USB4
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 4x SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.2
Networking
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 6E
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- Realtek 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5
Special Features
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x M.2 (1x Gen5, 2x Gen4, 1x Gen4 x2)
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX
- 3x M.2 (2x CPU, 1x chipset)
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 Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi | Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX |
|---|---|---|
| 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.