B650I Lightning WiFi AMD AM5 Mini-ITX Motherboard, Supports AMD Ryzen 9000/8000/7000 Series Processors, DDR5 7200+ (OC), PCIe 5.0 M.2, 2.5G LAN, WiFi 6E, 8+2+1 Power Phase

The ASRock B650 Steel Legend WiFi 6E has proven to be an excellent foundation for my recent build, featuring a great layout that comfortably accommodates all my high-performance components. My AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU, the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB cooler, TEAMGROUP T-Create DDR5 RAM, and the Onix Lumi Arc B580 12GB graphics card all slotted in perfectly without any clearance issues. I particularly appreciate the multiple M.2 slots with their substantial built-in heat spreaders, which are ideal for keeping my SAMSUNG 990 EVO Plus SSD running cool. Aesthetically, its color scheme is a fantastic match for the NZXT H6 Flow case and other visible parts, contributing to a very cohesive and clean overall look for the system. Performance and stability have been top-notch; the Ryzen 7 7800X3D was recognized immediately and has run flawlessly with this board from the initial boot. The motherboard also offers good, accessible hardware monitoring options through its BIOS/UEFI, which is useful for keeping tabs on the system, all reliably powered by my CORSAIR RM750e PSU. My only minor piece of advice is to be selective with the bundled software and drivers during installation; while some utilities are certainly useful, others might feel like bloatware, so a custom install is recommended to keep your system lean. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the ASRock B650 Steel Legend WiFi 6E. It’s a feature-rich and stable platform that has successfully integrated a powerful suite of components (CPU, GPU, fast M.2 storage, and DDR5 memory) into a well-cooled and visually appealing setup within the NZXT H6 Flow. It provides all the necessary ports and robust features for a modern, high-performance build like mine, making it a strong recommendation.

Bought a year ago and working well with no issues. Solid build quality on the board. DDR5 slots have the right amount of tightness so getting 2x16 Crucial DDR5 5600 modules snapped with the right amount of force. The RX7600 video card fit well, no component interference and it felt solid in the PCIe slot. Cable connections all worked fine and was easy to install in the case. This MB, my power supply and case are the only things from a year ago that are the same price. I guess staying the same price is the new "old hardware goes down in price as new items are released"

This is a great board. The IO is more than enough for most people, the design is gorgeous in my all white build. It boots super fast from the ssd and seems like a reliable stable board

I got the computer built and everything worked first time around from my rgb to my cooling actually everything.. Also I didn't have to flash or update the bios which is something I was worried about doing. It came with the 3. + bios that already supported my ryzen 5 9600x which is something i had read I may have to do. The wifi connectors are probably the trickiest part but to make it easier I just removed the card and gently pressed them on until they snapped in place. Its a bit tricky but totally doable provided you are careful. I used my magnifier just because it was so tiny but it wasnt required or anything. Overall I am very happy with my purchase of this board. As long as it lasts I will continue to be thrilled. It also had more usb ports than I expected and worked with my case perfectly. It boots quickly and is responsive and the board looks good as well. I was worried I wouldn't like the micro atx size but I actually am glad I got it. It had plenty of headers to run my fans chained together I have 6 case and 3 on the aio and also controls the rgb on the psu as well. Its done literally everything I needed it too so I absolutely cannot complain. We all want the 2k dollar board but when this does it all what is the need.

Bought as a gift so this is their review, not mine. The ASRock B650M is quite a unique Micro ATX motherboard that is AM5 compatible. While the slots are PCIe 4.0, one M.2 slot is indeed PCIe 5.0 compatible. While for SSD’s this isn’t entirely important right now, it would have been nice if ASRock put that trace routing to use for the x16 GPU slot. (Though since I am using a 1080 Ti paired with a Ryzen 5 8600G, I’m only getting x8 out of that slot anyway, which somehow is still not a bottleneck on the 1080 Ti). The motherboards RGB functions are quite good, and it can be enabled even when the computer is off, however I use my fans on an LED controller, so the only visible RGB when powered down is the PCB lighting. About that, the PCB RGB lighting is just the upper right corner of the board, 4 LED’s, that’s it. So if you want the PCB to illuminate, just understand it’s one corner where the RAM and PSU connector is, but nowhere else along the back edge like I would have expected. That’s fine though, it has more than enough ARGB headers (and one 12v RGB header, good for a Wraith Prism) to work with (and if like me using an LED controller, you can extend one to handle multiple fans at once). RAM support is quite good and extends a bit past their QVL. I’m using Corsair Vengeance 2x 16GB DDR5-5200 XMP on my system, and it trained itself perfectly on first POST (remember, this board will not visually output anything on first POST for a bit as it trains itself on your RAM). PBO is working amazingly even with my Ryzen 5’s stock Wraith Stealth, finding a healthy constant boost on all cores at around 4.7GHz (when the CPU’s base is 4.3GHz). With a better cooler this can go quite well. While the board supports some hefty Ryzen 9’s, I’d be careful, the VRM’s while more powerful than most budget boards, will start to struggle. Basically you have headroom with a 65w TDP CPU, but a 170w TDP CPU no headroom exists. Also keep in mind, that because this is a 4-slot RAM board, some CPU’s outright will slow the memory down if 4 DIMM’s are present. This is not a fault of the motherboard or the CPU, it’s simply how some CPU’s IMC’s work including my own, which is why I’m only using 2x DIMM’s currently. M.2 slot placement is quite good, though one does sit under the GPU and may get toasty, including the Wifi card. About that Wifi card, mine did not ship with the plastic cover but it’s not entirely needed, it’s only useful for accidental disconnection of the antenna wire, but as long as you secure it correctly, that shouldn’t be an issue. The wifi card is also your Bluetooth, via USB over the same M.2 link by the way. All in all, this motherboard is quite impressive for the price, and even though it’s only a B650 chipset, don’t let it fool you. It runs amazingly well!

I had initially purchased a B650 board from a different manufacturer but to my disappointment, it would not boot up. I tried the troubleshooting steps but no dice. I researched online and found that many people recommended this board from ASRock. I saw that it wasn't the newest model, but if you look at the B850 boards, the differences are very minimal for a 20-50% premium in price. I've been using this one for close to a month and it is perfect, and I mean that. With my other computers, I have had to configure the UEFI settings and troubleshoot a bit after building them. With this one, I didn't have to do anything at all. In fact, even the lighting settings, power states, and fan speeds were good from the start. In fact after installing Windows 11, it even automatically had a popup window that gave me the option to install all of the required drivers such as chipset, wireless, etc automatically, and the best part is that it worked. After that, the window disappeared and I haven't seen any bloatware even once. Now that's how you do software! The only modification I had to do was to enable EXPO in the UEFI settings to get my RAM to the correct speed, but that was a single dropdown and I didn't have to configure anything. I just selected the speed and it did the rest for me. I wish I could convey how much easier this motherboard was to set up than any ones I've used in the past. I am definitely happy with this purchase and would recommend this board to anyone looking for a gaming PC build.

This replaced an FX board in my HTPC. Works flawlessly. Can't say that about windows 11, but after 2 reinstalls of windows 11 it's behaving now. Only gripe I have is the memory slots with the single end retainer. I found it difficult to remove and reseat with the limited space in the case. Either the new memory or the slots needed a cleaning with contact cleaner to work properly. Update: 3 months after purchase. Used a 8600G cpu with on board graphics. Noted after a while that there where 5x beep codes and extended boot time during some boots from cold system. System worked great otherwise. It was nuisance so I contacted email support. After trouble shooting as directed, found that there was no video signal from any card put into PCIe slot.( Might want to try a video card even if you're using on chip video as defect check.) So it is a defective board that needs warranty replacement. Now I have entered the rma process. Awaiting a approval to ship the defective board to Asrock at my expense. The defective board is better than the rma terms. Essentially, after it is shipped to them they only have to replace it if they feel like it. After reading the 2 pages of what I am required to do to submit an acceptable return, I must say it is the most onerous one-sided process I have ever encountered. That's saying something since I am 66 years old and have a lifetime of purchasing tools, equipment and supplies behind me. Just 3 of the things in the 2 pages of rma terms that come to mind. Can't send it back in the original box. I must tape something described as "the above" to the outside of the return box. If taken literally, I need to tape several pages of text to the box. Otherwise it's not clear what it means. If there is any problem at all with the replacement board I have 48 hours to let them know. There are another 15 to 20 conditions to be met like no cross-shipping. Just have to wait a few weeks. For a $100 board, even if I get a replacement, I'm not sure I want to use it. Wish I had gotten a gigabyte or a biostar. Never had a problem with them. This is my first/last Asrock. Already have warranty replaced 2 Asus boards in the past. The only 3 boards I have ever found to be defective. Asus/Asrock are the same manufacturer last time I checked. Yep, that's strike 3. And another thing, The percentage of 1 star reviews was much lower when I purchased this board.

Pros: Absolute bang for your buck. It's nearly a B650E but at the price of a B650. One of the best motherboards in the market with the highest VRM voltages. Has a cool camo pattern colouring with RGB (aka polychrome) that you can control from the UEFI/software driver), with a very helpful manual for a new pc builder like me. Decent amount of screws and Velcro ties. Easy to update the UEFI (+ Easy mode for non-advanced users). Cons: Poor UEFI layout/graphical user interface (it's looks like a BIOS rather than a UEFI, but that's how Asrock's UEFI is). It can look a bit overwhelming/difficult for beginners/newbies (I don't mind it to be honest, you can check online for a guide), although it does have an Easy mode. Fan curves are very basic and meh looking (again, poor graphical user interface), but functionality wise they get the job done and got multiple settings and custom customizations. Asrock's polychrome isn't the best, with poor colour syncing with other components (fans, etc.) and no colour gradient option (I don't mind it too as I prefer a static colour of white only). Note: Has a soft coil whine (audible on the early usage and installation of the Operating system/high loads/heavy games); however, you won't hear it at all unless you're a sensitive/picky person or you got the PC case literally right beside your head (if you're a headphone user/use external speakers, you won't even hear it at all). Mine is 72 cm (around 28 inches) far from my ears, so I can't hear nothing (unless I do stick my head near the case and focus on it). Don't worry much, it is insignificant compared to the case fans at silent mode (I just wanted to make sure to report it though). Conclusion: The perfect motherboard if you don't care about specific/syncing RGB or an all black build. The coil whine is very minimal (unless under high load, it becomes significant, but the fans should cover up the sound). Great price to performance, even Hardware Unboxed recommends it.