ASROCK B650M PG Lightning DDR5 AMD Motherboard

The ASRock B650M PG Lightning DDR5 is a Micro ATX motherboard built on the AMD B650 chipset, designed to accommodate AMD Socket AM5 processors from the Ryzen 7000, 8000, and 9000 series. Measuring 9.6 x 9.6 inches (24.4 x 24.4 cm), it fits standard Micro ATX cases while delivering a feature set typically associated with larger form factors. Power delivery is handled by a 6+2+1 phase design using 50A Dr.MOS integrated power stages, which consolidate the high-side MOSFET, low-side MOSFET, and gate driver into a single package per phase. This configuration supports stable and consistent current delivery to the CPU across varied workloads. Memory support spans four DDR5 DIMM slots in dual-channel configuration, accepting ECC and non-ECC unbuffered modules with a maximum installed capacity of 256 GB. The board supports DDR5 overclocking profiles via AMD EXPO and Intel XMP, with tested profiles capable of reaching 6000 MHz and above, up to 7200+ MHz (OC). Storage connectivity is a standout area. The primary M.2 slot (M2_1) connects directly to the CPU and supports PCIe Gen 5 x4, delivering up to 128 Gb/s — compatible with the latest high-performance NVMe SSDs. A second M.2 slot (M2_2) via the chipset supports PCIe Gen 4 x4 (64 Gb/s), and a third (M2_3) supports PCIe Gen 4 x2 (32 Gb/s). Four SATA 3 6.0 Gb/s ports are also present, with RAID 0, 1, and 10 support for both SATA and NVMe devices. Networking is provided by a Realtek Dragon RTL8125BG 2.5 Gigabit LAN controller (10/100/1000/2500 Mb/s), paired with ASRock's Phantom Gaming LAN software for traffic prioritisation. A Key E M.2 slot accepts a 2230 WiFi/BT module (sold separately). Two antenna mounting points are pre-installed on the rear I/O. The rear panel includes one HDMI 2.1 port (supports HDR, HDCP 2.3, up to 4K 120Hz) and one DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC (up to 4K 120Hz), both driven by integrated AMD RDNA graphics when a compatible CPU is used. USB connectivity on the rear includes one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (10 Gb/s), one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (10 Gb/s), two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, and four USB 2.0 ports. A BIOS Flashback button is also present on the rear I/O panel. Audio is managed by a Realtek ALC897 codec providing 7.1-channel HD audio, supplemented by Nahimic Audio software for noise suppression, echo cancellation, and spatial sound features. RGB and addressable LED control is available via one standard RGB header and three ARGB headers, managed through ASRock Polychrome SYNC software. Verified Specifications: - Form Factor: Micro ATX, 9.6 x 9.6 in (24.4 x 24.4 cm) - Socket: AMD AM5 - Chipset: AMD B650 - CPU Support: Ryzen 9000, 8000, 7000 series - Memory: 4x DDR5 DIMM, max 256 GB, up to 7200+ MHz (OC), ECC/non-ECC, EXPO/XMP - M.2 Slots: 1x PCIe Gen5 x4 (128 Gb/s), 1x PCIe Gen4 x4 (64 Gb/s), 1x PCIe Gen4 x2 (32 Gb/s) - PCIe: 1x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4 mode) - SATA: 4x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s - LAN: 2.5 GbE (Realtek RTL8125BG) - Audio: Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD - Display: 1x HDMI 2.1 (4K 120Hz), 1x DisplayPort 1.4 (4K 120Hz) - USB Rear: 1x Gen2 Type-C, 1x Gen2 Type-A, 2x Gen1 Type-A, 4x USB 2.0 - BIOS: 256 Mb AMI UEFI with GUI - OS: Windows 10/11 64-bit - Certifications: FCC, CE, ErP/EuP ready - Warranty: 3 Years