ASUS
ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
AM5 · X870E
93
/ 100
From $699
VS
ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero wins by 5
ASRock
ASRock B850I Lightning Wi-Fi
AM5 ITX · USB4 · Wi-Fi 7
88
/ 100
From $299
Specdex verdict
ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero lands at 93 and ASRock B850I Lightning Wi-Fi at 88. That puts ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero ahead by 5 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero if…
- ✓PCIe 5.0 support
- ✓Current-gen networking
- ✓Modern I/O
Pick ASRock B850I Lightning Wi-Fi if…
- ✓Mini-ITX with USB4 + Wi-Fi 7
- ✓Strong VRM for ITX
- ✓Two M.2 slots (one PCIe 5.0)
ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero 93
vs 88 ASRock B850I Lightning Wi-Fi
Score breakdown
ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
93 vrm 93
features 91
bios 89
value 84
ease 0
software 0
ASRock B850I Lightning Wi-Fi
88 vrm 86
features 92
bios 0
value 88
ease 88
software 80
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero | ASRock B850I Lightning Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM5 | AM5 |
| Chipset | X870E | AMD B850 |
| VRM | — | 14+2 phase |
| RAM | — | 2× DDR5 up to 8000 MT/s OC |
| PCIe slots | — | 1× PCIe 5.0 x16 |
| M.2 | — | 2× (1× PCIe 5.0) |
| USB | — | 1× USB4, 5× USB 3.2 Gen 2 |
| Network | — | 2.5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7 |
| Form factor | — | Mini-ITX |
ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
Pros
- +PCIe 5.0 support
- +Current-gen networking
- +Modern I/O
Cons
- −Firmware updates on launch
- −DDR5 required
- −Pricing varies week to week
ASRock B850I Lightning Wi-Fi
Pros
- +Mini-ITX with USB4 + Wi-Fi 7
- +Strong VRM for ITX
- +Two M.2 slots (one PCIe 5.0)
Cons
- −Two RAM slots only (ITX limitation)
- −Limited fan headers
- −Premium for ITX
FAQ: ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero vs ASRock B850I Lightning Wi-Fi
Which is better, ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero or ASRock B850I Lightning Wi-Fi? +
ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero scores 93 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 5. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero worth the price? +
At $699, ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero delivers a Specdex score of 93 — strongest in vrm.
Is ASRock B850I Lightning Wi-Fi worth the price? +
At $299, ASRock B850I Lightning Wi-Fi delivers a Specdex score of 88 — strongest in features.
Does ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero or ASRock B850I Lightning Wi-Fi last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.