Asus B850M AYW Gaming Wi-Fi VS Gigabyte B850 Eagle Wi-Fi7 Ice

Both the Asus B850M AYW Gaming Wi-Fi and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Wi-Fi7 Ice are based on the AM5 CPU socket and B850 chipset, making them similar in terms of core platform specifications. However, there are some differences in form factor, with the Asus model being Micro-ATX and the Gigabyte model being ATX. The Asus motherboard has a compact height of 221 mm and width of 244 mm, while the Gigabyte motherboard is larger, with a height of 244 mm and width of 305 mm.

Both motherboards support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but the Gigabyte model offers a more advanced Wi-Fi feature set. It supports Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), and Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), whereas the Asus model supports Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, and Wi-Fi 6. Additionally, the Gigabyte model features Bluetooth 5.4, while the Asus model has Bluetooth 5.3. Both motherboards come with HDMI 2.1 and are capable of easy overclocking. However, only the Asus model includes dual BIOS, while the Gigabyte model does not. Neither motherboard supports aptX, and both have a 3-year warranty period.

In terms of additional features, both models lack integrated graphics and integrated CPUs. The Asus motherboard has RGB lighting, while the Gigabyte model also includes RGB lighting but does not have a reset BIOS feature. Both motherboards have one CPU socket, with no major differences in CPU-related features.

The Asus B850M AYW Gaming Wi-Fi supports a maximum memory amount of 128GB, while the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Wi-Fi7 Ice can handle up to 256GB, offering twice the memory capacity. Both motherboards support DDR5 memory, and each has two memory channels. The Asus model features two memory slots, whereas the Gigabyte model offers more flexibility with four slots, allowing for higher memory expansion.

In terms of overclocked RAM speed, the Asus motherboard supports speeds of up to 8400 MHz, which is slightly faster than the Gigabyte's maximum of 8200 MHz. Neither motherboard supports ECC memory, so they are not suitable for error-correcting memory configurations.

Overall, while both motherboards offer solid memory capabilities, the Gigabyte model stands out with its higher maximum memory capacity and additional memory slots, whereas the Asus model edges out in RAM speed overclocking.

The Asus B850M AYW Gaming Wi-Fi and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Wi-Fi7 Ice share several common port types, including USB 3.2 Gen 2 (USB-A) and USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB-A), both offering 2 ports of each. However, the Gigabyte model has an additional USB 3.2 Gen 1 port (USB-C), whereas the Asus model has no USB-C ports. The Asus motherboard lacks any USB 4, Thunderbolt, or DisplayPort outputs, while the Gigabyte model includes a DisplayPort output, though neither motherboard supports USB 4 40Gbps or Thunderbolt 3/4 ports.

Both motherboards provide 4 USB 2.0 ports and 1 RJ45 Ethernet port for networking. The Asus model does not have any PS/2 ports, while the Gigabyte model includes 1 PS/2 port. Both motherboards include HDMI outputs, but the Asus model has no DisplayPort outputs, whereas the Gigabyte model includes 1 DisplayPort output, providing a bit more versatility for display connections.

Neither motherboard features eSATA, DVI, or VGA connectors, and both lack USB Type-C (for Asus) and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports. Overall, while both motherboards provide similar port sets, the Gigabyte model offers more variety, with additional USB-C support, DisplayPort, and PS/2 ports compared to the Asus model.

Both the Asus B850M AYW Gaming Wi-Fi and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Wi-Fi7 Ice offer similar connectivity options with USB 3.2 Gen 1 and USB 2.0 ports (through expansion), each having 2 and 4 ports respectively. Both also include 4 SATA 3 connectors and 2 USB 3.0 ports (through expansion). However, the Gigabyte model provides an extra fan header (6 vs 4 on the Asus), offering more cooling flexibility.

In terms of storage, the Asus motherboard has 2 M.2 sockets, while the Gigabyte motherboard offers 3, giving it an advantage in terms of M.2 expansion. Additionally, the Gigabyte model has a TPM connector, which the Asus model lacks. Both motherboards have no mSATA or U.2 connectors and no SATA 2 connectors, making them similar in these areas.

Overall, the Gigabyte model stands out with more fan headers, an extra M.2 socket, and the inclusion of a TPM connector, while the Asus model offers slightly fewer fan headers and M.2 expansion options.

The Asus B850M AYW Gaming Wi-Fi and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Wi-Fi7 Ice differ in their expansion slot configurations. The Asus motherboard features 1 PCIe 4.0 x16 slot and 1 PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, with no additional PCIe x1, x4, or x8 slots. In contrast, the Gigabyte model includes 1 PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, but instead of a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, it has 2 PCIe x1 slots and 1 PCIe x4 slot, offering a greater variety of slot types for expansion.

Neither motherboard includes PCI slots or PCIe 2.0 x16 slots. Both motherboards lack PCIe 3.0 x16 slots. The Gigabyte motherboard’s inclusion of PCIe x1 and PCIe x4 slots may be useful for specific expansion cards that require these interfaces, while the Asus model focuses on more high-speed x16 slots with PCIe 5.0 support.

Ultimately, the two motherboards offer different expansion options: the Asus model emphasizes faster PCIe x16 slots, while the Gigabyte model offers more flexibility with its additional PCIe x1 and x4 slots.

Both the Asus B850M AYW Gaming Wi-Fi and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Wi-Fi7 Ice offer similar audio specifications. Both motherboards support 7.1 audio channels, providing rich surround sound. They also each feature 3 audio connectors, offering the necessary connections for audio devices. Neither motherboard includes an S/PDIF Out port, so users will need alternative methods for high-quality digital audio output.

In summary, the audio capabilities of the two motherboards are identical, with both supporting 7.1 audio channels and 3 audio connectors, but lacking an S/PDIF Out port.

Both the Asus B850M AYW Gaming Wi-Fi and the Gigabyte B850 Eagle Wi-Fi7 Ice support the same RAID configurations, including RAID 1, RAID 10 (1+0), RAID 5, and RAID 0. Neither motherboard supports RAID 0+1. The RAID options available on both motherboards are identical, allowing for various configurations to meet different storage needs.

In summary, there is no difference between the two motherboards in terms of supported RAID configurations. Both offer the same set of RAID levels for data redundancy and performance.