Asrock B860 PRO-A WIFI LGA1851 Motherboard

Asrock B860 PRO-A WIFI is an ATX motherboard with a LGA 1851 socket and Intel B860 chipset, aimed at mid-range and higher gaming and productivity configurations with the new Intel Core Ultra processors. It combines a modern set of features – DDR5 support, PCIe 5.0 for graphics cards, fast M.2 slots, and built-in WiFi 6E and 2.5G LAN. You get a solid foundation for a current build without paying for unnecessary “enthusiast” frills. It is suitable if you are looking for a balance between price, expandability, and modern interfaces.

What you get

The LGA 1851 socket supporting Intel Core Ultra opens the door to the latest generation of Intel CPUs, focusing on both gaming and performance efficiency. The four DDR5 slots with a capacity of up to 256 GB and frequencies up to 8666+ MT/s (OC) allow for serious RAM upgrades – useful for heavy workloads, streaming, or many open applications. For storage, you have a combination of Blazing PCIe Gen5x4 M.2 for the fastest SSDs and two PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 slots, plus 4 x SATA3 with RAID, so you can easily combine NVMe speed for the system and larger SATA drives for games and media. The built-in WiFi 6E and 2.5G LAN give you the choice between modern wireless connectivity and low latency via cable – directly from the motherboard, without additional cards. The audio with Realtek ALC897 7.1 is more than enough for gaming headsets and basic sound systems.

• Support for Intel Core Ultra processors in the LGA 1851 socket, ensuring compatibility with the latest generation of Intel CPUs.
• Four slots for DDR5 memory with up to 256 GB capacity and frequencies up to 8666+ MT/s (OC), suitable for heavy gaming and productivity tasks.
• One PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for GPU, providing future compatibility with high-end graphics cards and maximum bandwidth.
• Three M.2 slots: 1 x Blazing M.2 PCIe Gen5x4 and 2 x Hyper M.2 PCIe Gen4x4, plus 4 x SATA3 with support for RAID 0/1/5/10 for a flexible and fast storage solution.
• Built-in WiFi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3, so you are ready for modern wireless standards without additional adapters.
• 2.5 Gigabit LAN with Dragon RTL8125BG and software for Smart Auto Adjust Bandwidth Control and traffic prioritization for gaming, browsing, and streaming.
• Rich USB configuration: rear USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C, front USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C, a total of 8 x USB 3.2 Gen1 and 6 x USB 2.0 for all peripherals and accessories.
• Realtek ALC897 7.1-Channel High Definition Audio codec for quality multimedia and gaming sound without a separate sound card.
• Reliable system power with 1 x 24-pin and 2 x 8-pin connectors, suitable for more powerful CPU configurations.

Who it is suitable for

This motherboard is a good choice for gamers and power users who want a current Intel Core Ultra configuration with DDR5, PCIe 5.0, and fast NVMe storage without entering an enthusiast budget. It is also suitable for streamers and people who combine work and gaming, thanks to strong RAM support and multiple M.2 slots. If you are looking for extreme overclocking and an overly rich set of additional controllers, you might want to look at a higher class, but for mainstream gaming and productivity, this board is more than sufficient.

The strongest point here is the combination of the new LGA 1851 socket with PCIe 5.0 x16, Gen5 M.2, WiFi 6E, and 2.5G LAN – a good base for a long-term, modern build that you can easily upgrade in the coming years.