ASRock B850 Challenger WIFI Motherboard Review: Strong Value Option For AMD Ryzen Builders With 12 Phase VRM & WIFI 7 at $179

ASRock B850 Challenger WIFI - Unboxing & Close Up

The ASRock B850 Challenger WIFI motherboard comes inside a standard cardboard package. The front of the box has a picture of the motherboard along with various marketing labels such as Polychrome Sync, WIFI7, HDMI, and support for AMD Ryzen 9000 Desktop CPUs.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard, such as a 12+2+1 Phase design, PCIe 5.0 support, a toolless Multi-Layer M.2 heatsink, Lightning Gaming ports, & more.

Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories and is located right below the box holder for the board itself. These include:

• 1 x Manual
• 1 x Case Badge
• 1 x Sticker Page
• 2 x SATA Cable
• 2 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz Antennas

With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package. The ASRock B850 Challenger WIFI motherboard is an ATX offering that measures 244 x 305 mm. ASRock has gone with an all black theme with a few white labels.

The B850 Challenger WIFI looks very sleek despite its budget design. Maybe it's to do with those acrylic plates over the IO and the PCH heatsink. The layout doesn't look messy at all and seems well-designed. I'd request ASRock to color those capacitors with some black coating, which would make for an even more stealthier design.

The board uses the LGA 1718 socket to support AMD Ryzen "AM5" processors. The socket works with Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000G, and Ryzen 9000 CPUs and will also support future generations of AM5 Ryzen chips that are supported by the platform.

Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 256 GB of dual-channel memory.

These slots are rated to support EXPO profiles up to 8000 MT/s (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position, so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. The full QVL list can be found here.

The ASRock B850 Challenger WIFI motherboard features a 12+2+1 phase VRM design with Dr.MOS MOSFETs, and an 8-layer PCB.

The challenger features two heatsinks on the VRMs, one of which is an enlarged heatsink design. This also features the "Challenger" label on the top.

The CPU is supplied power through two 8-pin EPS power connectors. This will feed the CPU with up to 600 Watts of power. The AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs are very power-hungry, with the maximum target power going above 220W for the flagship Ryzen 9 9950X CPU.

The curved nature of the larger heatsink is a nice touch. It doesn't expand the thermal cooling capabilities, but it looks nice, adding to that sleek design that the board has to offer.

Expansion slots include two PCI Express x16 slots (1 x Gen 5.0 x16 / 1 x Gen 4.0 x4), and three M.2 slots.

• CPU:
• 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot (PCIE1), supports x16 mode
• 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 Slot (PCIE4), supports x4 mode
• Chipset:
• 2 x PCIe 4.0 x1 Slots (PCIE2 and PCIE3)
• 1 x M.2 Socket (Key E), supports type 2230 WiFi/BT PCIe WiFi module

ASRock uses a full metallic slot design for its topmost PCIe x16 slot.

2 of 9

The motherboard also has two M.2 slots, both of which are featured under dedicated heatsinks. Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the ASRock B850 Challenger WIFI motherboard:

• CPU:
  1 x Blazing M.2 Socket (M2_1, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen5x4 (128 Gb/s) mode
  
• Chipset:
  1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_2, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
  4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors

Storage options include four SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support up to four different storage devices at once.

2 of 9

For USB, you get a total of 19 ports, which include 8 USB 2.0 (4 Rear / 4 Front), 8 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports (4 Front, 4 Rear), 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C port (Front), 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port (Rear), and one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port (Rear).

2 of 9

ASRock uses a 7.1 CH HD audio design with the Realtek ALC897 CODEC for rear panel audio. There is a large selection of connectors on the motherboard.

The full list of connectors on the motherboard is as follows.

• 1 x SPI TPM Header
• 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
• 1 x RGB LED Header
• 3 x Addressable LED Headers
• 2 x CPU Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• 3 x Chassis Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• 1 x AIO Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector
• 2 x 8-pin 12V Power Connectors (Hi-Density Power Connector)
• 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector
• 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports)
• 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Headers (Support 4 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports)
• 1 x Front Panel Type C USB 3.2 Gen1 Header

In terms of Ethernet, there is a single Realtek RTL8125BG connector that powers 2.5GbE LAN. The board also offers the latest WIFI7 capabilities with Intel's 802.11be 2x2 module. It also offers Bluetooth 5.4 capabilities.

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• 2 x Antenna Ports
• 1 x HDMI Port
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Port (10 Gb/s)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s)
• 4 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Ports (USB32_34 are Lightning Gaming Ports.)
• 4 x USB 2.0 Ports
• 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port
• 1 x BIOS Flashback Button
• HD Audio Jacks: Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone

You can find additional information about our hardware review process and ethics policy here.

Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.