ASUS has introduced the B840 and B850 motherboards for AMD processors and the B860 motherboard for Intel.

ASUS has introduced new motherboards: B840 and B850 for AMD processors, as well as the B860 for the latest Intel Core Ultra chips. These motherboards will be available in ROG Strix, TUF Gaming, and Prime models, offering higher speeds, more ports, and additional slots for USB devices and M.2 SSDs.

Among the ASUS ROG Strix B850 variations, the most powerful option is the ROG Strix B850-E Gaming WiFi. It features an 8-layer PCB for improved signal integrity, a 16+2+2 VRM power phase architecture for overclocking, and access to AI Overclocking, making the tuning process easier. The board also includes a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot with the ASUS PCIe Q-Release Slim mechanism, allowing for easier GPU removal.

The B850-E also features an additional fifth PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot for high-speed storage, a 5G Ethernet port, WiFi 7, a USB4 port with up to 40 Gbps bandwidth, and a USB Type-C port supporting 20 Gbps speeds and Power Delivery up to 30W.

Additionally, the motherboard includes ROG SupremeFX audio technology, which combines hardware and software enhancements for superior sound quality. The ALC4080 codec ensures high-resolution playback up to 32-bit/384 kHz across all channels.

Other ASUS ROG Strix B850 variations include the B850-F, B850-I, and B850-A:

• ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi lacks a USB4 port, has four M.2 slots instead of five, and does not feature a fast-charging USB-C port.
• ROG Strix B850-A offers an alternative visual design with a different color scheme.

The ROG Strix B850-I is a Mini-ITX motherboard, ideal for compact PC cases. It features two DIMM slots supporting up to 96GB of DDR5 RAM, a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, and two PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots. Additionally, it includes active VRM cooling for enhanced thermal management.

Other models include the TUF Gaming B850 series, which focuses on core gaming features while maintaining essential functionalities. These motherboards have a simpler design but still offer durability enhancements, such as metal capacitors that, according to ASUS, provide a 52% wider temperature range and 2.5 times longer lifespan. The I/O shield is made of stainless steel for added durability.

In this lineup, there are three motherboards – ASUS TUF Gaming B850-Plus WiFi, TUF Gaming B850M-Plus WiFi, and TUF Gaming B850M-Plus. The B850-Plus WiFi is a full-sized ATX version equipped with WiFi 7, ten USB ports on the back panel, one of which is Type-C with speeds up to 20 Gbps. It also brings premium ASUS features into a more affordable form factor, such as the PCIe Slot Q-Release lever. The motherboard also features the M.2 Q-latch system for quick storage installation, BIOS FlashBack for updating the BIOS without a processor, WiFi Q-Antenna for easy network connection, and more.

For users considering a microATX motherboard, the models B850M-Plus WiFi and B850M-Plus are available. These boards feature 14+2+1 power phases, VRM cooling with heatsinks, and a wide range of ports, including 20Gbps USB Type-C for fast connectivity.

The ASUS Prime B840 series is ideal for users who prefer energy-efficient systems with AMD processors. While these boards do not support PCIe 5.0, they offer three M.2 slots, 2.5G Ethernet, and WiFi 6E. For microATX builds, there are Prime B840M-A WiFi and Prime B840M-A models. While they come with fewer slots, they retain most features of the full-sized model. Notably, the B840M-A includes an additional DisplayPort for multi-display setups.

For Intel processor builds, ASUS offers B860 motherboards in the same model lines, including ASUS ROG Strix, TUF Gaming, and Prime. The premium model in this series is the ASUS ROG Strix B860-F Gaming WiFi, which features DDR5 support, PCIe 5.0 x16, a high-speed PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, Thunderbolt 4, WiFi 7, and more.

It also includes support for the ROG SupremeFX ALC 4080 audio codec and the Savitech SV3H712 amplifier for headphone connectivity. As with the AMD board, this model comes with ASUS’s M.2 Q-Latch system for quick storage installation, M.2 Q-Release, PCIe Q-Release Slim mechanism, and BIOS FlashBack.

All other B860 motherboards follow a similar design to their AMD processor counterparts, such as the ROG Strix B860-A Gaming WiFi with an alternative design, and the ROG Strix B860-I Gaming WiFi for compact systems. Also available are ATX boards like the TUF Gaming B860-Plus WiFi, along with microATX versions such as the TUF Gaming B860M-Plus WiFi and TUF Gaming B860M-Plus.

An exclusive model for the Intel version is the microATX ASUS ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi, which is more compact but sacrifices the second PCIe x16 slot compared to the B860-A. It is equipped with 4 M.2 slots, numerous USB ports, Thunderbolt 4, and VRM cooling. It also supports DDR5 RAM, WiFi 7, and Ethernet 2.5G.

The ASUS Prime B860 motherboards offer more variety compared to their AMD counterparts. The lineup includes Prime B860-Plus WiFi, Prime B860-Plus, Prime B860M-A WiFi, Prime B860M-A, and Prime B860M-K.

The ASUS Prime B860-Plus WiFi provides a range of expansion slots, including five PCIe x16 slots, a wide selection of USB ports, and WiFi 6E support. The regular Prime B860-Plus, besides lacking WiFi, has a more standard set of PCIe x16 slots, including a third M.2 slot.

For smaller builds, the ASUS Prime B860-A WiFi and Prime B860-A models feature two M.2 slots, one of which connects to PCIe 5.0, and a DisplayPort output for additional monitor connections via the motherboard. These also support DDR5 and other advanced features. The final model, ASUS Prime B860M-K, is suited for users who don’t require 4 DIMM slots or the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot.