Review of ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi Motherboard: Premium audio quality meets cost-effective value
The ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi motherboard is an ATX form-factor motherboard that supports the latest AMD AM5 Ryzen processors, including the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. This motherboard offers a robust power delivery, excellent thermal performance, and a durable Steel Legend aesthetic, making it a strong choice for gaming and professional use.
Key Features
The ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi motherboard is equipped with a 14+2+1-phase Dr.MOS power design, featuring large aluminum heatsinks for VRM cooling under heavy loads. It supports up to 256GB of DDR5 RAM with speeds up to DDR5-8000 (OC), and includes PCIe 5.0 support for both a graphics card (x16 slot) and one M.2 slot, along with three additional PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots and four SATA 3 ports for flexible storage options.
For connectivity, the motherboard features Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 5.4, and a 2.5 GbE LAN port for high-speed wired and wireless networking. The rear I/O includes USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C and Type-A ports, USB 3.2 Gen 1, and USB 2.0, though it does not have USB4 ports. Audio is handled by a Realtek 7.1 channel HD codec with Nahimic Audio enhancements.
Performance and Design
The motherboard is praised for its solid power delivery, good thermal performance, and white-themed durable Steel Legend aesthetic. It supports RAID 0, 1, and 10 for storage protection and offers a user-friendly UEFI BIOS. However, the UEFI is considered somewhat mediocre, and the lack of USB4 might limit future connectivity options.
Additional Features
The motherboard includes BIOS Flashback, ASRock utilities (A-Tuning, Polychrome SYNC), an integrated I/O shield, and solid thermal armor. The motherboard also comes with two SATA cables, a Wi-Fi antenna, and a thermistor cable.
Conclusion
The ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi motherboard stands out by delivering PCIe 5.0 capabilities on a more affordable B850 chipset base, excellent network connectivity with Wi-Fi 7, and a solid, performant platform suitable for high-end Ryzen CPUs and future upgrades. It is an attractive option for those seeking a balance between affordability and performance.
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- The ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi motherboard offers a variety of advanced features and technologies, including support for DDR5 RAM, PCIe 5.0 connectivity for a graphics card and M.2 SSDs, and the latest Wi-Fi 7 networking standard.
- With its robust power delivery, excellent thermal performance, and a range of gadgets such as BIOS Flashback, ASRock utilities, and integrated I/O shield, the B850 Steel Legend WiFi motherboard is an affordable but performant choice for high-end Ryzen CPUs and flexible storage solutions.
