ASRock B860 Pro RS WiFi 6E Intel Core Ultra Series 2 LGA1851 DDR5 8666+ MHz 256GB ATX Motherboard

The ASRock B860 Pro RS WiFi 6E is an advanced ATX form factor motherboard engineered to support Intel Core Ultra Processors from Series 2 using the LGA1851 socket. It incorporates cutting-edge features like Intel Hybrid Technology, Turbo Boost Max 3.0, Thermal Velocity Boost, and Adaptive Boost Technology, complemented by an integrated Neural Processing Unit dedicated to AI acceleration. Powered by the Intel B860 chipset, this board enables dual-channel DDR5 memory configuration across four DIMM slots, achieving overclocked speeds exceeding 8666 MHz and accommodating up to 256GB of non-ECC, un-buffered memory, including Clocked Unbuffered DIMMs with support for Intel Extreme Memory Profile 3.0 to fine-tune performance.

Expansion capabilities are robust, featuring a primary PCIe 5.0 x16 slot operating in x16 mode for high-end graphics cards, alongside a secondary PCIe 4.0 x16 slot that functions in x4 mode, and an M.2 Key E socket compatible with type 2230 WiFi or Bluetooth modules, including Intel CNVio2 for integrated wireless solutions. Both slots support NVMe SSDs as boot devices, ensuring fast and efficient system startups. The integrated Intel Xe LPG graphics architecture delivers versatile display options through an HDMI 2.1 port compatible with TMDS and FRL 8G, supporting HDR, HDCP 2.3, and resolutions up to 4K at 120Hz, as well as a DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC compression for HDCP 2.3 and maximum outputs reaching 8K at 60Hz or 5K at 120Hz.

Audio performance is elevated with a 7.1 channel high-definition setup utilizing the Realtek ALC897 codec, enhanced by Nahimic Audio technology for superior sound quality and immersion. Networking is handled by a 2.5 Gigabit LAN interface driven by the Dragon RTL8125BG controller, which includes intelligent software features such as automatic bandwidth adjustment, a visual user interface for monitoring, network usage statistics, preset optimizations for gaming, browsing, and streaming, and customizable priority controls to tailor connectivity to specific needs.

Wireless connectivity is provided by an embedded 802.11axe Wi-Fi 6E module that adheres to IEEE standards for a, b, g, n, ac, ax, and axe protocols, offering dual-band 2x2 operation with extended support for the 6GHz band, subject to regional regulations and requiring a compatible router for full functionality. This module also integrates Bluetooth 5.3 with MU-MIMO for improved multi-device handling and low-energy operations, making it ideal for modern wireless environments. The board comes with two antennas to facilitate 2x2 transmit and receive diversity, promoting stable and high-speed connections.

USB connectivity is comprehensive, with a rear USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port delivering data transfer rates up to 20 Gbps, a front USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C, eight USB 3.2 Gen1 ports split between rear and front panels, and six USB 2.0 ports, all equipped with electrostatic discharge protection for reliability. The rear panel further includes two antenna ports and mounting points, the HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, six USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an RJ-45 LAN port, a BIOS Flashback button for easy updates, and high-definition audio jacks for line in, front speaker, and microphone.

Storage options are designed for high performance, incorporating a Blazing M.2 socket supporting type 2280 PCIe Gen5x4 mode at 128 Gbps, two Hyper M.2 sockets for types 2230 through 2280 in PCIe Gen4x4 mode at 64 Gbps each, and four SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors. These support Intel Volume Management Device for advanced storage configurations and NVMe SSDs as boot disks. RAID functionality is available in modes 0, 1, 5, and 10 for the SATA devices, allowing for flexible data redundancy and performance enhancements.