ASRock B850 Motherboards Review – RIPTIDE, LIGHTNING, STEEL LEGEND & LiveMixer Aiming The $200 US AM5 Segment

ASRock B850I Lightning WIFI - Unboxing & Close Up

The ASRock B850I PG Lightning WIFI motherboard comes in a standard cardboard package. The front features a picture of the motherboard & this is a Phantom Gaming product, which is aimed at the gaming segment. The packaging also lists down a few features such as Polychrome SYNC, WIFI 7 & HDMI.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard, such as the 10+1+1 phase power design, Wi-Fi6E, BIOS Flashback, Killer Ethernet E3100, Lightning Game Ports & Blazing M.2 slots.

Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories and is located right below the box holder for the board itself. These include:

• - 2 x SATA Data Cables
• - 2 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz Antennas
• - 2 x Screws for M.2 Sockets
• - 1 x Thermistor Cable

With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package. The ASRock B850I PG Lightning WIFI motherboard is Mini-ITX offering that measures 170 x 170 mm. The motherboard carries a black color scheme with a few blue and purple accents on the heatsinks. This is a very gaming-centric theme which looks nice.

The board uses the LGA 1718 socket to support AMD Ryzen "AM5" processors. The socket works with Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000G, and Ryzen 9000 CPUs and will also support future generations of AM5 Ryzen chips that are supported by the platform.

Next to the socket are two DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 128 GB of dual-channel memory.

These slots are rated to support EXPO/XMP profiles up to 8200 MT/s (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. The full QVL list can be found here.

The ASRock B850i PG Lightning WIFI motherboard features a 10+1+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX)  phase Dr.MOS power delivery that utilizes 110A Power Stages. The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the AM5 socket. The board uses an 8-layer server-grade PCB.

The CPU is supplied power through a single EPS 8-pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 300 Watts of power. The AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs are very power-hungry with the maximum target power going above 220W for the flagship Ryzen 9 9950X CPU.

Expansion slots include a single PCI Express x16 (1 x Gen 5.0 x16) and two M.2 slots. The full list is as below:

• CPU:
  - 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot (PCIE1), supports x16 mode
• Chipset:
  - 1 x Vertical M.2 Socket (Key E), supports type 2230 WiFi/BT PCIe WiFi module

The motherboard utilizes a full metallic slot.

There are a total of two M.2 slots on the motherboard which include one PCIe Gen5 Blazing M.2 slot and one Hyper M.2 Gen4 x4 slot. One of the slots is located on the backside of the board and the primary Gen5 slot hosts a full-coverage heatsink.

Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the ASRock B850I PG Lightning WIFI motherboard:

• CPU:
  - 1 x Blazing M.2 Socket (M2_1, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen5x4 (128 Gb/s) mode*
• Chipset:
  - 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_2, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode*
  - 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors

Storage options include two SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support up to two different storage devices at once.

For USB, you get a total of 13 ports which include 3 USB 3.2 Gen2/1 Type-C, 3 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A and 6 USB 2.0 ports.

ASRock is using a WIFI 6E Module to power wireless connectivity and Bluetooth 5.2. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single LAN port powered by the 2.5GbE Killer E3100G controller.

ASRock uses a 7.1 CH HD audio design with the latest Realtek ALC1220 CODEC. Other than that, you get 2 ARGB headers and 3 fan connectors.

The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.

• - 1 x Thermistor Cable Header
• - 2 x Addressable LED Headers
• - 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• - 1 x Chassis Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• - 1 x AIO Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• - 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector
• - 1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
• - 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector
• - 1 x USB 2.0 Header (Supports 2 USB 2.0 ports)
• - 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Header (Supports 2 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports)
• - 1 x Front Panel Type C USB 3.2 Gen1 Header

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• - 2 x Antenna Ports
• - 1 x HDMI Port
• - 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
• - 2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports (10 Gb/s)
• - 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s) (DP-alt mode supports DP1.4a.)
• - 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Port
• - 4 x USB 2.0 Ports
• - 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port
• - 1 x BIOS Flashback Button
• - 1 x Line Out Jack (Gold Audio Jack)
• - 1 x Microphone Input Jack (Gold Audio Jack)