ASUS ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi Motherboard Review

The ASUS ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi is a gorgeous motherboard, offering prospective buyers an alternative white small form factor option to build a stunning gaming PC. ASUS has gone to great lengths to provide an aesthetically pleasing motherboard that comes with a solid set of features that doesn’t break the bank, making the ROG Strix B860-G an excellent option for those building a beautiful compact system. However, with so many other great alternatives on the market, we’ve put the ROG Strix B860-G through the wringer with plenty of testing and analysis to see how it fares versus the broader market.

ASUS ROG Strix motherboards are among the pricier options on the market due to their premium design and tendency to offer vast features. The ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi has received some pretty hefty upgrades compared to its previous B760 iteration, which means pricing will be higher than the average B860 option. However, this will be worth it for those looking to leverage all of the high-speed ports and slots that come with the ROG Strix B860-G.

In today’s article, we explore the specs, design, box accessories, slots, ports, and features of the ROG Strix B860-G to compare it to other competitor motherboards on the market.

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Specification

At first glance, the ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi is a Micro-ATX motherboard with strong features. However, it’s worth addressing the elephant in the room, the fact that this is a Micro-ATX board. While it’s still possible to pick up Micro-ATX case options, we’ve seen a much larger focus on ATX cases from manufacturers. This means there are generally fewer small form factor chassis on the market than previously. Additionally, by picking up a Micro-ATX board, you may face additional limiting factors, such as the number of slots and ports compared to ATX PCBs.

Size aside, the ROG Strix B860-G looks like a solid motherboard on paper. In terms of overclocking support, it supports RAM speeds up to 9066MT/s with a max capacity of 256GB. While CPU overclocking isn’t possible due to the chipset, this board offers a 14+1+2+1 VRM power phase configuration, ensuring ample power for your choice of CPU.

On the expansion front, this board features a singular PCI-E 5.0 slot, ready for NVIDIA’s RTX 5000 series of graphics cards. Due to the board’s size, PCI-E slots are slightly limited. A board priced similarly to the ROG Strix B860-G may offer extra x4 and x1 slots for expansion cards, but this isn’t possible on this particular board due to the shrinkage of the PCB. Despite losing extra PCI-E slots, ASUS offers four M.2 slots on this board, one Gen5 and one Gen4, which is great to see. We’ve reviewed cheaper and similarly priced motherboards that offer fewer slots, so this is a solid value-add, considering the size of the board.

The front IO is reasonably standard for a board of this calibre. It has four headers: two USB 2.0, one USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, and one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C. This configuration is the same as that on most modern motherboards, but some manufacturers offer an extra USB 2.0 or 3.0 header, depending on the board’s price.

The overall port selection on the rear is much better. The ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi features ten ports, six of which are high-speed, and the rest are USB 2.0 (four, to be specific). While we’d like the rear IO only to include high-speed ports, the USB 2.0 bulks out the overall selection, offering more space for peripherals and USB accessories.

Also, the rear IO offers a somewhat limited set of audio options: one optical S/PDIF port and two 3.5mm jacks for Mic-In and Headphones-Out. This board does come with optical S/PDIF, catering to those with speaker setups, but overall, the audio selection is restrictive. Networking is pretty solid, with this board offering the choice between 2.5 Gigabit LAN and WiFi 7. Both are incredibly high-speed and ideal for lag-free gaming.

What’s in the Box?

The vast majority of motherboard manufacturers tend to provide extra gadgets and accessories inside the box to assist you during the building process or to save you some money on additional cables. As this is a premium motherboard, it’s safe to expect a decent selection of accessories in the ASUS ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi box.

I often find that ASUS motherboards (especially from the ROG Strix range) tend to come with more bonus cosmetic accessories than items that help during the building process, but some buyers will welcome this. One of the main gadgets in the box is the WiFi 7 antenna. This is needed to extend the onboard WiFi 7 signal range, which can be done by plugging the antenna in. It simply clicks into place.

You’ll also find a range of M.2 accessories, such as rubber supports and ASUS’ signature M.2 Q-Slides and Q-Latches, which can be used to install SSDs without tools.

The motherboard box also includes a small keychain, some ROG Strix stickers, a quick start guide, and a small package of cable ties, which allow you to hide and tuck away any cable mess.

ASUS ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi Design

The ASUS ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi is one of the best-looking motherboards of the B860 ROG Strix range. This Micro-ATX option boasts white heatstinks and a white PCB. This is a significant change compared to the previous generation, B760-G, a primarily black motherboard with a couple of silvery-white heatsinks. I prefer this design because it caters to builders and enthusiasts looking to assemble an entirely white system.

It’s worth noting, however, that there are some caveats. While ASUS has done a much better job with this model, this time around, not all of the board is white. I’m being picky, but seeing white RAM DIMMs, headers, and other components, such as the various capacitors and other chips dotted around the PCB, would be nice. Gigabyte’s ICE range is a prime example of where this is done well, and it’s that extra attention to detail that we love to see that makes boards like the X870 and B850 ICE boards worth picking up.

The ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi is still a great-looking board. The silvery-white heatsinks are vibrant, and some prospective buyers will appreciate the contrasting tones of the black components on the PCB. As this is a ROG Strix motherboard, ASUS has covered almost all the heatsinks in their ROG livery. This will appeal to some, but it’s very ‘gamery’. I’d prefer if the heatsinks were a bit more minimalist, but this isn’t a deal-breaker for me.

The rear IO heatsink offers addressable RGB lighting through the ROG logo. Of course, this can be customised using software like SignalRGB or ASUS Armory Crate. It’s great to see a more relaxed approach to lighting on this board, as other ROG products tend to be a bit more aggressive regarding the gamer aesthetic.

At the bottom of the motherboard is a large heatsink which covers the three Gen4 M.2 slots. It would’ve been nice to see a tool-less approach to these heatsinks, again, adding to the value of the board. However, the primary Gen5 SSD slot is tool-less which we’re a fan of.

Connectivity Options

Graphics Card Slots

Moving onto connectivity, as mentioned previously, because of this board’s form factor, PCI-E x16 slots are limited to one. The primary PCI-E slot on this motherboard is Gen5 compatible, offering support for RTX 5000-series graphics cards.

It’s also worth noting that this board doesn’t feature additional PCI-E power. While most builders likely don’t need this, those looking to leverage more power must consider alternative B860 or Z890 motherboards.

M.2 Slots

Storage slots on this motherboard are located in two places: the first is under the main heatsink close to the CPU socket, and the second is beneath the larger heatsink at the bottom of the board. ASUS has allocated a larger heatsink to the top slot, likely because it is Gen5 and requires stronger temperature regulation than Gen4 SSDs. It is entirely tool-less, including the slot itself, which uses a Q-Latch mechanism.

The remaining three are all Gen4, sitting beneath the larger heatsink. This is held in with screws, which is a slight shame as it would be nice to see a fully tool-less board, but this won’t be a deal-breaker for everyone.

RAM DIMMs

As mentioned in the specs section, the ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi offers decent RAM overclocking support up to a max of 9066MT/s, with builders able to leverage a capacity of 256GB. Seeing a full set of four DIMMs instead of two on this smaller board is great. ASUS has opted to use the single clip design, which provides more stability versus two clip DIMM slots.

Rear IO

Despite being a smaller motherboard, ASUS hasn’t sacrificed any elements of the rear IO of the ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi. It offers an integrated IO shield and ten USB ports, including four USB 2.0 ports, three USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port, one USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port, and a Thunderbolt 4 port. Needless to say, there’s plenty of room for accessories and peripherals here.

You are a bit more limited for audio, as there’s only an optical S/PDIF port and two 3.5mm audio jacks on offer, but it does provide something for those with fairly simple speaker setups. Networking, as we’ve alluded to earlier, is solid. Gamers have the choice between WIFi 7 and 2.5 Gigabit LAN, both of which are excellent for competitive gaming.

Internal Headers

CPU and Motherboard Power

Switching onto the internal headers, as expected, the ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi offers a standard power configuration that aligns with most of the other B860 motherboards we’ve tested previously. At the top left of the ROG Strix B860-G are two eight-pin EPS CPU headers to power your chosen CPU. Most modern boards are equipped with two full headers or one eight-pin and a four-pin, so, unsurprisingly, this premium board features two full-fledged headers for power.

On the right side of the board is motherboard power, which uses the 24-pin power configuration that most builders will be familiar with. There’s nothing particularly special about this motherboard when it comes to power. I think ASUS has missed a trick by not colouring the shielding for the headers white, but some may prefer the contrasting black.

Front USB Headers

The ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi features four front USB headers, which seems to be the typical offering that most manufacturers provide. On the right side of the PCB, just below motherboard power, you’ll find a single USB-C and USB 3.0 header.

The USB 2.0 headers sit underneath the two heatsinks at the bottom of the board. This is a fairly typical spot for USB 2.0, so we’re not surprised to see these here.

Pump and Fan Headers

Five 4-pin PWM headers are located across the ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WIFI. This is because this motherboard is Micro-ATX, so there’s less PCB space for headers. However, the five headers on this motherboard will be more than enough for most builders, especially if you’re putting together a compact system.

The ‘CPU_Fan’, ‘AIO_PUMP’, and ‘CHA_Fan’ headers are located at the top right of the motherboard, while the remaining two are situated at the bottom right of the PCB near JFP1 and USB 2.0.

RGB Headers

Last but not least are the ARGB headers. The ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi offers three: two above motherboard power and one near JFP1 front panel power. Manufacturers seem to provide three ARGB headers on modern boards. Ultimately, we’d like to see more, but we understand that, particularly on this board, there’s limited space for additional headers because of its size.

Features We Like

Mostly White Design

White motherboards are still a bit of a rarity in the modern age, and while more have started to crop up here and there, some manufacturers take a bit of a laidback approach. That said, the ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi (which isn’t entirely white) is 90% of the way there and looks fantastic. The PCB, heatsinks, and rear IO shield are white or silver and offer a light theme for those building a white PC, making it worth considering if this is an aesthetic you’re trying to achieve.

White WiFi Antenna

This is a minor feature worth noting, but I thought the inclusion of a white WiFi antenna was a nice touch. Some manufacturers may take creative liberties to alleviate the cost, but ASUS hasn’t in this instance. I like the white WiFi antenna, and it’s a neat value-add for this build.

Features We Don’t Like

Not Entirely Tool-Less

ASUS strikes yet again by not making this B860 motherboard fully tool-less. We’ve seen in our other reviews of MSI and Gigabyte options that they offer tool-less heatsinks and slots that require no screws whatsoever. Considering this is a rather expensive B860 motherboard, we expected better.

Limited Audio Selection

The rear IO of the ROG Strix B860-G Gaming WiFi houses two 3.5mm ports alongside an optical S/PDIF port, catering to prospective buyers with a simple speaker setup or sound bar. Beyond the scope of this, you’re pretty limited. There’s not much else that can be installed here. This is a shame, as it offers no options for those looking to build a multifaceted workstation PC with this board.

Conclusion