Asus ROG Strix B650E-E Gaming Wi-Fi Review: More Affordable ROG
The Asus B650E-E Gaming Wi-Fi is Asus’ flagship motherboard in the B650 lineup, offering users a low-cost yet full-featured option that supports AMD’s 7000 series processors. It costs $150 less than the X670E-E Gaming Wi-Fi, but it has multiple PCIe 5.0 M.2 sockets, ample USB count for rear IO, quality audio, great power delivery, classic ROG look and more. At around $350, it’s a solid option for the B650 flagship class motherboard.
The rest of Asus’ B650 product stack consists of eight boards from the ROG Strix, Prime and TUF Gaming lines. It also comes in all shapes and sizes, including Micro ATX and Mini-ITX options, with prices ranging from $199.99 (Prime B650-MA AX) to the $349.99 flagship.
Digging into some features, the B650E-E Gaming comes with 2 PCIe 5.0 slots for graphics, 2 PCIe 5.0 M.2 sockets (4 total M.2), PCIe slot Q release, M.2 Including the Q Latch. The power delivery isn’t the most robust I’ve seen with a 70A MOSFET, but it works with our he MOSFET. Ryzen 9 7950XAlso, the rear IO has a lot of USB connections but no 40 Gpbs ports (like most B650 boards). Performance with the B650E-E gaming board performed well across the test suite and was average among the other boards tested. It worked well in some tests, including games and his Procyon office tests, and never really struggled outside of Cinebench’s multi-threaded results.
this board is our best motherboard List, it’s still one of the platform’s more complete options at around $350. Before we get into all the details, here’s the complete list of specifications for the ROG Strix B650E-E Gaming Wi-Fi, straight from Asus.
Specifications: Asus ROG Strix B650E-E Gaming Wi-Fi
socket | AM5 |
chipset | B650E |
form factor | ATX |
voltage regulator | 18 phases (16x 70A SPS MOSFET for Vcore) |
video port | (1) HDMI (v2.1) |
(1) DisplayPort (v1.4) | |
USB port | (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20Gbps) Type-C |
(7) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) | |
(4) USB2.0 (480Mbps) | |
network jack | (1) 2.5GbE |
audio jack | (5) Analog + SPDIF |
Legacy Port/Jack | ✗ |
Other Ports/Jacks | ✗ |
PCIe x16 | (2) v5.0 (x16, x8/x4) |
(1) v4.0 (x4) | |
PCIe x8 | ✗ |
PCIe x4 | ✗ |
PCIe x 1 | ✗ |
Crossfire/SLI | ? |
DIMM slots | (4) DDR5 6400+(OC), 128GB capacity |
M.2 socket | (1) PCIe 5.0 x4 (128Gbps) / PCIe (up to 80mm) |
(1) PCIe 5.0 x4 (128Gbps) / PCIe (up to 110mm) | |
(2) PCIe 4.0 x4 (64Gbps) / PCIe (up to 80mm) | |
Supports RAID 0/1/10 | |
SATA port | (4) SATA3 6Gbps |
Supports RAID 0/1/10 | |
USB header | (1) USB v3.2 Gen 2, Type-C (10Gbps) |
(1) USB v3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) | |
(2) USB v2.0 (480Mbps) | |
fan/pump header | (8) 4-pin (CPU, CPU OPT, AIO Pump, Chassis Fan) |
RGB header | (3) aRGB (3 pin) |
(1) AURA RGB (4 pin) | |
diagnostic panel | (1) Q-LED LEDs (4x) |
(1) Q-code LED | |
Internal button/switch | ✗ |
SATA controller | (1) ASMEDIA ASM1061 |
(1) Genesis Logic GL3590 | |
ethernet controller | (1) Intel i-225V (2.5GbE) |
Wi-Fi/Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 6E (2x2ax, MU-MIMO, 2.4/5/6GHz, 160MHz, BT 5.2) |
USB controller | ✗ |
HD audio codec | ROG Supreme FX (Realtek ALC4080), Savitech SV3H712 amplifier |
DDL/DTS | ✗ / DTS Sound Unbound |
guarantee | 3 years |
Inside the Asus ROG Strix B650E-E Gaming Wi-Fi box
The Strix B650E-E Gaming comes with several accessories to help keep your build going. Includes a collection of regular SATA cables, Wi-Fi antennas, and more. Our sample did not include a driver disk/USB stick. So you can download all the drivers from their website if they are not included with his B650E-E Gaming from retailers. Below is a complete list of included accessories.
- (2) SATA 6Gb/s cables
- Thermal pad for M.2
- ASUS Wi-Fi movable antenna
- cable tie pack
- M.2 Q-Latch Package
- ROG keychain
- ROG Strix Sticker
- ROG Strix Thank You Card
- Rubber package for M.2
- User guide
B650E-E Gaming Wi-Fi Design
Asus’ B650E-E Gaming Wi-Fi uses an 8-layer matte black PCB with light gray labels on the ICs. The board uses a large black heatsink with deep mitered cuts to increase surface area and cooling capacity and improve aesthetics. A heatsink covers all four M.2 sockets and the chipset. The M.2 heatsink has Strix branding on it, and the shroud above the left VRM heatsink is lit from below by the ROG symbol, the only RGB element on the board.
Overall, we like the look. The brushed aluminum finish on most of the parts and his minimal RGB gives off a premium feel that many users seek. There are also numerous RGB headers on the board if you need additional RGB lighting. Any color on the board is just an accent, so the E Gaming Wi-Fi fits in well with most build themes.
The top half of the board on the left reveals more ROG branding and finish details. Atop the heavy VRM heatsink are RGB elements that shine through the ROG symbol. It’s not bright, but it looks nice because the colors are saturated. Control RGB with Asus’ AURA RGB software in the Armory Crate.
Above the VRM heatsink are two enhanced 8-pin EPS connectors (called Pro Cool Power connectors) for powering the processor. Only one is required. Past the occupied socket area are four non-hardened DRAM slots, one of which has a locking mechanism on top only. Four slots support up to 128 GB of DDR5 RAM, with speeds listed up to DDR5-6400+(OC). Up to DDR5-6000 there were no issues with any of the memory kits tested, but your mileage may vary.
Above the DRAM slots are three (out of eight) 4-pin fan headers (CPU_FAN, CPU_OPT, and AIO_PUMP). Each header supports PWM and DC controlled devices and outputs up to 1A/12W. This is not a lot, so I’m hoping there is at least one header with 24/36W available. If you plan to power a water cooling pump or want to piggyback a fan to the same header, check their power consumption and don’t overload the header. The AIO_PUMP header runs full speed by default, the rest is Q-Fan controlled via BIOS or Armory Crate software.
In the upper right corner there is a 4-pin RGB header and a 3-pin ARGB header for connecting RGB strips. There are two additional 3-pin ARGB headers on the bottom of the board. Moving down the far right, you’ll come across the Q-Code and Q-LED features that will notify you if there are any issues during the POST process. Just below that is a 24-pin ATX connector for powering the board, as well as USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) and USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) USB headers on the front panel.
Moving on to VRM, B650E-E Gaming features an 18-phase VRM for the system, with 16 phases dedicated to Vcore. Power is supplied to the Digi+ EPU (ASP2206) VRM controller through an 8-pin EPS connector. Power then flows through the 16 70A MPS MPS2129 MOSFETs.The 1,120A available is lower than most other boards in this price range, but enough to support the flagship Ryzen 9 7950X Processor in stock and overclocked. When it comes to power delivery, you don’t have to worry.
In the bottom half of the board, start with audio on the left. A Realtek ALC4080 codec is hidden under a Faraday cage labeled Supreme FX. Complementing the codec is his SV3H712 amplifier from the Savitech brand. It’s not the leading audio codec (ALC4082 is), but it’s the latest generation and the vast majority of users are happy with the integrated audio solution.
In the middle of the board is a mix of 3 full-length PCIe slots and a total of 4 M.2 sockets, each with its own heatsink. The two primary graphics slots (enhanced and called Safeslots by Asus) feed lanes from the CPU and run at PCIe 5.0 speeds. The top slot supports up to x16 and the second slot supports up to x4. The bottom slot receives bandwidth from the chipset and works up to PCIe 4.0 x4. If M.2_3 (bottom M.2 socket) is occupied, the top graphics slot will be broken down to PCIe 5.0 x8 speeds. However, x8 5.0 is effectively the same bandwidth as x16 4.0, so bandwidth isn’t an issue with current generation cards at that speed.
Mixed around the PCIe slot and hidden under the heatsink are four M.2 sockets. The top M.2 socket (M.2_1) supplies lanes from the CPU, runs at PCIe 5.0 x4 (128 Gbps) and can handle up to 80mm modules. The M.2_2 and M.2_4 feed lanes from the chipset running at speeds up to PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) and support up to 80mm modules. Finally, the M.2_3 also feeds lanes from the chipset and runs PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) speeds, but supports longer 110mm modules. If you want to RAID these drives, the board supports RAID0/1/10 modes. All SATA ports and M.2 sockets work simultaneously, so you can place up to 8 storage drives between the SATA ports and M.2 sockets. Lane sharing only affects the slot’s PCIe 5.0 bandwidth.
There is an additional 4-pin fan header and four SATA ports (supporting RAID0/1/10) along the right edge of the board. USB, RGB, and 4-Pin Fan Headers Below is a complete list from left to right.
- front panel audio
- (2) 4-pin chassis fan headers
- thunderbolt header
- (2) 3-pin ARGB headers
- SPI TPM header
- (2) USB 2.0 headers
- 2-pin temperature sensor header
- (1) 4-pin system fan header
- front panel
The B650E Aorus Master’s rear IO is pre-installed and mounted on the motherboard, just like its big brother. The black background and white labeled ports make it easy to read. The Q_Flash+ button, AMD Wi-Fi 6E antenna connection, and HDMI video port are on the left. The rear IO has a total of 13 USB ports. 1 USB Type-C port (10 Gbps) on the bottom, surrounded by 4 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports, 4 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) ports, and 4 USB 2.0 ports I have. I would be amazed if a user could fill in all of these. A 2.5 GbE port, an audio stack sport line-out, a mic 3.5 mm port and a digital SPDIF are also found here.
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