ASUS ROG STRIX B860-A Gaming WIFI ATX Motherboard

The ASUS ROG STRIX B860-A Gaming WIFI is a full-size ATX motherboard engineered for Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors on the LGA1851 socket. Anchored by the Intel B860 chipset, it brings a well-rounded feature set to enthusiast and gaming builds that demand modern connectivity without moving up to a flagship platform. At the heart of the board's memory subsystem is support for DDR5 in dual-channel configuration, with validated speeds reaching beyond 9 GT/s on enthusiast-grade kits. ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile III (AEMPIII) and Intel XMP compatibility give builders flexibility to dial in high-frequency DDR5 without manual overclocking effort. Maximum supported memory capacity reaches 256 GB across the DIMM slots, using non-ECC, unbuffered DDR5 modules that also benefit from die ECC. Expansion is handled by a full-length PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for the primary graphics card, sourced from the CPU's direct lanes, plus a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (operating at x4 mode) from the B860 chipset. Storage options include four M.2 Key-M slots and four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, giving builders room for a multi-drive configuration. Note that the M.2_4 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIe 4.0 x16 slot and will be disabled when that slot is populated. Wireless connectivity is handled by a WiFi 7 module paired with Bluetooth 5.4, while the rear panel includes a dedicated Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet port for wired networking. ASUS AI Networking II technology actively optimises network performance to maintain stable throughput. The rear I/O panel also offers a USB4 (20 Gbps) Type-C port, three USB 10 Gbps ports (two Type-A plus one Type-C), two USB 5 Gbps Type-A ports, four USB 2.0 Type-A ports, DisplayPort, HDMI, dual audio jacks, an optical S/PDIF output, a BIOS FlashBack button, and a Clear CMOS button for straightforward maintenance. The onboard Thunderbolt (USB4) header and internal USB 10 Gbps Type-C connector extend high-speed connectivity to the front panel. Fan and thermal management is supported by six 4-pin fan and pump headers in total, along with a dedicated thermal sensor header. Three Addressable Gen 2 RGB headers allow synchronisation with ASUS Aura Sync accessories throughout the system. The board also integrates a built-in asynchronous clock generator that isolates the CPU base clock domain from memory, NPU, D2D, and NGU domains, allowing memory and NPU subsystems to be pushed independently while preserving CPU clock stability. — Verified Specifications — Socket: LGA1851 | Chipset: Intel B860 | Form Factor: ATX | CPU Support: Intel Core Ultra Series 2 | Memory: DDR5 Dual Channel, up to 256 GB, up to 8600+ MT/s (XMP / AEMPIII) | Primary PCIe Slot: PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU) | Secondary PCIe Slot: PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4 mode, chipset) | M.2 Slots: 4 x Key-M | SATA: 4 x 6 Gb/s | USB4: 1 x 20 Gbps Type-C (rear) | USB 10 Gbps: 3 rear + 1 internal Type-C | USB 5 Gbps: 2 rear + header for 2 additional | USB 2.0: 4 rear + header for 2 additional | Wireless: WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 | LAN: Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet | Display Output: 1 x HDMI, 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x USB Type-C | ARGB Headers: 3 x Addressable Gen 2 | Warranty: 3 Years