Asus B850 Max Gaming Wi-Fi W VS Gigabyte B850 Eagle Ice

The Asus B850 Max Gaming Wi-Fi W and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Ice both feature the AM5 CPU socket and the B850 chipset, offering similar base-level performance and compatibility. They also share the same ATX form factor, providing a standard motherboard size suitable for a wide range of builds. However, the Asus board stands out with support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, while the Gigabyte board lacks both features.

When it comes to HDMI, both motherboards support HDMI 2.1, allowing for high-quality video output. Additionally, both motherboards are equipped with RGB lighting, adding aesthetic appeal to your build, and both support easy overclocking. The Asus board has a slight edge with an easy BIOS reset function, a feature not available on the Gigabyte model. Both motherboards have dual BIOS for added safety in case of firmware issues.

In terms of physical dimensions, both motherboards have the same height (244 mm) and width (305 mm). They also share the same 3-year warranty period. Both products lack integrated graphics or an integrated CPU, and both offer a single CPU socket.

Both the Asus B850 Max Gaming Wi-Fi W and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Ice support a maximum memory capacity of 256GB, ensuring plenty of headroom for high-performance setups. They also both feature four memory slots, which is ideal for multi-channel memory configurations. In terms of memory channels, both motherboards offer dual-channel support, providing optimal memory performance in most setups.

When it comes to overclocking capabilities, the Gigabyte board supports a slightly higher overclocked RAM speed at 8200 MHz compared to the Asus board's 8000 MHz. Both motherboards use DDR5 memory, so there is no difference in the memory version between the two.

Neither motherboard supports ECC memory, which may be relevant for users looking for error-correcting capabilities for mission-critical applications. Overall, these two boards are quite similar in memory specifications, with the primary difference being the overclocked RAM speed, where the Gigabyte model has a small edge.

The Asus B850 Max Gaming Wi-Fi W and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Ice offer a range of similar ports, but there are some key differences. Both motherboards have an HDMI output and DisplayPort outputs for video, ensuring flexible display options. They also each feature one RJ45 port for Ethernet connectivity and both include USB Type-C support.

When it comes to USB ports, the Asus board has more USB 3.2 Gen 2 (USB-A) ports, with 3 compared to the Gigabyte's 2. The Asus board also offers one USB 3.2 Gen 2 (USB-C) port, while the Gigabyte board has one USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB-C) port. The Gigabyte board, on the other hand, has 4 USB 2.0 ports, which is 2 more than the Asus board's 2 USB 2.0 ports. Both boards lack USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, USB 4, Thunderbolt 3, and Thunderbolt 4 ports, and neither has eSATA or DVI outputs.

Another notable difference is the presence of a PS/2 port on the Gigabyte board, which is absent on the Asus board. Additionally, the Asus board has no VGA connector, and this is consistent with the Gigabyte board as well.

Both the Asus B850 Max Gaming Wi-Fi W and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Ice provide similar connectivity options with some minor differences. Both motherboards offer 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (through expansion) and 2 USB 3.0 ports (through expansion). The Asus board has 6 USB 2.0 ports (through expansion), while the Gigabyte board has 4, giving the Asus model a slight advantage in terms of USB 2.0 expansion options.

In terms of storage connectors, both motherboards include 4 SATA 3 connectors and 3 M.2 sockets, providing plenty of options for storage drives. Neither product includes SATA 2 connectors or U.2 sockets, but both have a TPM connector, which is useful for enhanced security.

Both the Asus and Gigabyte boards also offer 6 fan headers, ensuring ample cooling options for high-performance systems. Neither motherboard includes an mSATA connector, but overall, the connector options are quite similar across both products, with only a slight difference in the USB 2.0 ports through expansion.

The Asus B850 Max Gaming Wi-Fi W and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Ice offer different configurations for expansion slots. The Asus board includes a combination of 1 PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, 1 PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, and 2 PCIe 3.0 x16 slots, which provides more flexibility for multiple high-speed GPU or expansion card setups. In contrast, the Gigabyte board has 1 PCIe 5.0 x16 slot but lacks PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 3.0 x16 slots.

The Asus board does not include any PCIe x1, x4, or x8 slots, whereas the Gigabyte board has 2 PCIe x1 slots and 1 PCIe x4 slot. This gives the Gigabyte board more options for adding smaller expansion cards, though it lacks the same number of x16 slots as the Asus board.

Both motherboards do not include PCI slots, PCIe 2.0 x16 slots, or any additional PCIe x8 slots, so the key distinction here is the greater number of x16 slots available on the Asus model and the added flexibility of PCIe x1 and x4 slots on the Gigabyte board.

Both the Asus B850 Max Gaming Wi-Fi W and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Ice feature 7.1 audio channels, providing high-quality multi-channel sound for an immersive audio experience. Neither motherboard includes an S/PDIF Out port, so both lack this digital audio output option.

In terms of audio connectors, both motherboards are equipped with 3 audio connectors, offering sufficient options for connecting speakers, headphones, or other audio devices.

Overall, these two boards are identical in terms of audio specifications, with matching audio channels, connectors, and the absence of an S/PDIF Out port.

Both the Asus B850 Max Gaming Wi-Fi W and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Ice support the same RAID configurations. These motherboards can handle RAID 1, RAID 10 (1+0), RAID 5, and RAID 0, providing flexibility for various storage setups. However, both products do not support RAID 0+1, so users seeking this specific RAID configuration will need to look elsewhere.

Overall, the storage RAID capabilities are identical between these two motherboards, offering similar options for users who need advanced storage solutions.

There are no differences between the two models in this group, as both provide the same RAID support and lack RAID 0+1.