ASRock B860 Motherboards Review – RIPTIDE, LIGHTNING, STEEL LEGEND & LiveMixer All Great Value For Intel Builders

ASRock B860I Lightning WIFI - Unboxing & Close Up

The ASRock B860I PG Lightning WIFI motherboard comes in a standard cardboard package. The front features a picture of the motherboard & this is a Phantom Gaming product, which is aimed at the gaming segment. The packaging also lists a few features such as Polychrome SYNC, Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPU support, Thunderbolt & HDMI.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard, such as the 10+1+1 phase power design, Wi-Fi6E, BIOS Flashback, Memory OC Shield, Thunderbolt 4 Type-C & Blazing M.2 slot.

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

• - 2 x SATA Data Cables
• - 2 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz Antennas
• - 1 x Thermistor Cable
• - 2 x Screws for M.2 Sockets

With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package. The ASRock B860I PG Lightning WIFI motherboard is a Mini-ITX offering that measures 170 x 170 mm. The motherboard carries a black color scheme with a few blue and purple accents on the heatsinks. This is a very gaming-centric theme which looks nice.

The board uses the LGA 1851 socket to support Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors. So far, the LGA 1851 socket will only support the Arrow Lake CPUs though we can expect a brand new family in the coming years.

Next to the socket are two DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 128 GB of dual-channel memory.

These slots are rated to support EXPO/XMP profiles up to 9333 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 memory signals also integrate a new PCB design feature called "Memory OC Shield" which reduces EMI and offers enhanced memory overclocking and stability, especially at higher frequencies.

The ASRock B860i PG Lightning WIFI motherboard features a 10+1+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX) phase Dr.MOS power delivery that utilizes 110A Power Stages. The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the socket. The board uses a high-end 10-layer server-grade PCB.

The CPU is supplied power through a single 8-pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 300 Watts of power. Intel's Arrow Lake "Core Ultra 200S" Desktop CPUs can sip up to 250W of power by default.

Expansion slots include a single PCI Express x16 (1 x Gen 5.0 x16) and two M.2 slots. The full list is as below:

• CPU:
  - 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot (PCIE1), supports x16 mode
• Chipset:
  - 1 x M.2 Socket (Key E), supports type 2230 WiFi/BT PCIe WiFi module and Intel CNVio/CNVio2 (Integrated WiFi/BT)

The motherboard utilizes a full metallic slot.

There are a total of two M.2 slots on the motherboard which include one PCIe Gen5 Blazing M.2 slot and one Hyper M.2 Gen4 x4 slot. One of the slots is located on the backside of the board and the primary Gen5 slot hosts a full-coverage heatsink. Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the ASRock B860I PG Lightning 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
  - 3 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors

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

For USB, you get a total of 13 ports which include a Thunderbolt 4 Type-C port, 2 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A/C ports, 2 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, 6 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, and 3 USB 2.0 ports.

ASRock is using a WIFI 6E Module to power wireless connectivity and Bluetooth 5.3. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single LAN port powered by the 2.5GbE Dragon RTL8125BG controller.

ASRock uses a 7.1 CH HD audio design with the latest Realtek ALC1220 CODEC. Other than that, you get 2 ARGB headers and 3 fan connectors.

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

• - 1 x Thermistor Cable Header
• - 2 x Addressable LED Headers
• - 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• - 1 x Chassis Fan Connector (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
• - 1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
• - 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector
• - 1 x USB 2.0 Header (Supports 2 USB 2.0 ports)
• - 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Headers (Supports 2 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports)
• - 1 x Front Panel Type C USB 3.2 Gen2 Header (10 Gb/s)

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• - 2 x Antenna Ports
• - 1 x HDMI Port
• - 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
• - 1 x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C Port (40 Gb/s for USB4 protocol; 40Gb/s for Thunderbolt protocol)
• - 2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Ports
• - 4 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Ports
• - 1 x USB 2.0 Port
• - 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port
• - 1 x BIOS Flashback Button
• - 1 x Line Out Jack (Gold Audio Jack)
• - 1 x Microphone Input Jack (Gold Audio Jack)

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