Asus Prime B860-Plus

Name: Asus Prime B860-Plus
Brand: Asus
SKU: 93021

Manufacturer: Asus

The Asus Prime B860-Plus is an ATX-form-factor motherboard designed around Intel's LGA 1851 platform and the B860 chipset. It supports DDR5 memory across four slots, with a maximum capacity of 256GB and overclocked speeds reaching up to 8666 MHz over two memory channels. The board includes RGB lighting, a clear CMOS button for straightforward BIOS resets, and dual BIOS protection, making it accessible for users who want some flexibility in system configuration without requiring deep technical expertise.

On the connectivity side, the Asus Prime B860-Plus offers a rear I/O panel with two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, one USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI 2.1 and one DisplayPort output, and a single RJ45 Ethernet jack. Internally, the board provides three M.2 sockets, four SATA 3 connectors with support for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10, plus one PCIe 5.0 x16 and one PCIe 4.0 x16 expansion slot. Six fan headers are available for cooling management, and the board carries a three-year warranty. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are not included.

Pros

Dual BIOS provides a built-in fallback in case of a failed update or corrupted firmware
Three M.2 sockets offer ample room for NVMe storage expansion alongside four SATA 3 connectors
DDR5 memory support across four slots with overclocked speeds up to 8666 MHz gives substantial memory headroom
PCIe 5.0 x16 slot is available for the primary expansion card alongside a secondary PCIe 4.0 x16 slot
RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 support allows flexible storage configurations for both performance and redundancy needs
Six fan headers provide broad coverage for managing system cooling across the chassis

Cons

No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth onboard, requiring separate adapters for wireless connectivity
No USB Type-C ports on the rear I/O panel aside from the Gen 2x2 port, with no Gen 1 or Gen 2 Type-C options
ECC memory is not supported, limiting suitability for workloads that require error-correcting RAM
S/PDIF Out is absent, which may matter for users relying on digital optical audio output
No Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 connectivity is available

Who is this for?

This motherboard suits builders putting together a capable desktop system on the Intel LGA 1851 platform who want room to grow without overcomplicating the build. The combination of a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and three M.2 sockets makes it a solid fit for users who plan to run a high-bandwidth graphics card and multiple NVMe drives simultaneously. The inclusion of dual BIOS, a clear CMOS button, and DDR5 support with overclocking headroom up to 8666 MHz also makes it well suited to enthusiasts who enjoy tuning their system but want safety nets in place. Those who need flexible storage redundancy through RAID 0, 1, 5, or 10 will also find it accommodating for home servers or workstation-adjacent setups.

Who is this NOT for?

Users who depend on wireless connectivity will find this board impractical out of the box, as neither Wi-Fi nor Bluetooth is built in. It is also a poor fit for anyone requiring Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 ports, such as professionals connecting high-speed external storage arrays or daisy-chaining specialist peripherals. Those working in environments that demand ECC memory for data integrity — such as scientific computing or financial data processing — will need to look elsewhere, as ECC support is absent.

General info:

CPU socket	LGA 1851
chipset	B860
form factor	ATX
supports Wi-Fi	✕
Has Bluetooth	✕
HDMI version	HDMI 2.1
Easy to overclock	✓
has RGB lighting	✓
Easy to reset BIOS	✓
Has dual BIOS	✓
CPU sockets	1
Has integrated graphics	✕
warranty period	3 years
height	244 mm
width	305 mm
Has integrated CPU	✕

The Asus Prime B860-Plus is built around the LGA 1851 socket and is compatible with the B860 chipset, housed in a standard ATX form factor measuring 305 mm wide and 244 mm tall. It features a single CPU socket and does not include an integrated CPU or integrated graphics. The board supports easy overclocking and comes with dual BIOS along with a clear CMOS function for straightforward BIOS resets. RGB lighting is present, and the board carries a three-year warranty. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are not built in, and the HDMI output supports version 2.1.

Memory:

maximum memory amount	256GB
overclocked RAM speed	8666 MHz
memory slots	4
DDR memory version	5
memory channels	2
Supports ECC memory	✕

This motherboard supports DDR5 memory across four slots arranged in a dual-channel configuration, with a maximum supported capacity of 256GB. Overclocked RAM speeds can reach up to 8666 MHz, offering headroom for performance-oriented memory configurations. ECC memory is not supported.

Ports:

USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-A)	2
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-A)	1
USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-C)	0
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-C)	0
USB 2.0 ports	2
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports	1
USB 4 40Gbps ports	0
USB 4 20Gbps ports	0
Thunderbolt 4 ports	0
Thunderbolt 3 ports	0
has an HDMI output	✓
DisplayPort outputs	1
RJ45 ports	1
Has USB Type-C	✓
eSATA ports	0
DVI outputs	0
has a VGA connector	✕
PS/2 ports	0

The rear I/O panel includes two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, two USB 2.0 ports, and one USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port with Type-C connectivity. USB 4, Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, eSATA, DVI, VGA, and PS/2 ports are absent. For display output, the board provides an HDMI port and one DisplayPort output, while a single RJ45 jack handles wired network connectivity.

Connectors:

USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (through expansion)	2
USB 2.0 ports (through expansion)	4
SATA 3 connectors	4
fan headers	6
USB 3.0 ports (through expansion)	2
M.2 sockets	3
Has TPM connector	✓
U.2 sockets	0
Has mSATA connector	✕
SATA 2 connectors	0

Internally, the board offers three M.2 sockets and four SATA 3 connectors for storage, while SATA 2, mSATA, and U.2 connections are not present. USB expansion headers include two USB 3.2 Gen 1 connectors, two USB 3.0 connectors, and four USB 2.0 connectors, allowing for additional front-panel or bracket-mounted ports. Cooling is managed through six fan headers, and a TPM connector is also included on the board.

Expansion slots:

PCIe 4.0 x16 slots	1
PCIe 5.0 x16 slots	1
PCIe 3.0 x16 slots	0
PCIe x1 slots	0
PCI slots	0
PCIe 2.0 x16 slots	0
PCIe x4 slots	0
PCIe x8 slots	0

The board provides two full-length PCIe slots: one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot. There are no PCIe 3.0, PCIe 2.0, PCIe x8, PCIe x4, PCIe x1, or legacy PCI slots present, keeping the expansion layout straightforward and focused on the two primary slots.

Audio:

audio channels	7.1
Has S/PDIF Out port	✕
audio connectors	3

The onboard audio supports 7.1-channel output and is accessible through three analog audio connectors on the rear I/O panel. An S/PDIF Out port is not included.

Storage:

Supports RAID 1	✓
Supports RAID 10 (1+0)	✓
Supports RAID 5	✓
Supports RAID 0	✓
Supports RAID 0+1	✕

The board supports RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 (1+0) configurations, covering a range of performance and redundancy setups. RAID 0+1 is not supported.

Final Verdict

The Asus Prime B860-Plus is a well-specified ATX motherboard for the Intel LGA 1851 platform that covers most bases a mainstream desktop builder would expect. Its combination of a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, three M.2 sockets, and DDR5 support with overclocking up to 8666 MHz positions it as a capable foundation for performance-oriented builds, while thoughtful additions like dual BIOS and six fan headers add practical resilience and thermal flexibility. The absence of integrated wireless and Thunderbolt connectivity does narrow its appeal for users with specific peripheral or mobility requirements, and the lack of ECC support puts it outside the scope of mission-critical workloads. For a builder focused on a solid, expandable Intel platform system with storage versatility and memory tuning headroom, the Asus Prime B860-Plus represents a dependable and feature-complete option within its category.