We have reached the end of the review, and it is once again time to consolidate everything into a few talking points. As with previous reviews, I will start with what ASRock could improve upon the ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi to make this an even better product, before finishing on a positive note.

First, let's discuss overall memory support, which is still a hot topic even after multiple AMD AGESA updates since the Ryzen 7000 series launch in late 2022. Many early issues like long boot times and overall memory compatibility has been addressed. There are still a number of system memory restrictions and minor performance bugs that will take many more months or possibly even up until the next CPU cycle to fully resolve. Unfortunately, that means the end users (you) are the early adopters, because DDR5 is the only supported memory type on this AM5 platform. The ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi does not fare well with memory above DDR5-6000. While it must be pointed out that this is not strictly an ASRock problem, as this has been observed on multiple motherboards, with this one in particular maximum speed is a bit lower compared to the ASRock X670E Taichi or motherboards from other vendors. The memory QVL list does go up to DDR5-6400, but both G.SKILL and Team Group, which is on the QVL list, failed to boot. This is unsurprising, as DDR5-6400 needs a particularly good CPU memory controller (IMC). However, the MSI X670E ACE recently reviewed did work with DDR5-6400, which leads me to believe this time it has to do with either the BIOS memory training algorithm or an actual limitation of the motherboard. In either case, DDR5-6200 will at least boot, but only is system stable after some BIOS adjustments, which ends up negating all benefits it could provide at a higher frequency.

This brings us back to the BIOS, where ASRock isn't doing a good enough job for casual users. Not only is the option to enable EXPO/XMP profile multiple sub-menus deep, but it isn't intuitive to find. Someone who isn't experienced enough to look for the correct key words or is just too afraid of enabling the wrong setting will have a hard time navigating. That is why the inclusion of a BIOS Easy Mode is so important. It is a home base of sorts for a lot of users, who can assemble a computer just fine, but are unfamiliar with the technical side of the platform. Paired with just debug LEDs and a clear CMOS jumper that doesn't always work, any sort of failed overclocking settings inside the BIOS will just leave users frustrated. Most of the time the Clear CMOS jumper didn't work. This is the first motherboard I've tested in a long time where the battery had to be physically removed to clear the BIOS settings practically every time a memory overclock failed to boot.

Next up is less of a complaint, rather something to point out. Just like every other motherboard on the market, the additional PCIe slots are not internally wired for x16, but give the illusion in the marketing material that they are. From a technical standpoint, it makes sense why these are not full x16 slots, because of the limited amount of PCIe lanes coming from the processor and or chipset. In this example, the ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi has a second x16 slot, but is it only physically wired for x4. While the website specifications page and motherboard manual clears up any lingering confusion one may have, it is still often hidden by an asterisk (*) pinned to the end. This still requires the consumer to look up specifications on the website, to make sure what they need is fully supported. This is a plea to all manufacturers—please add this information to the motherboard box, if not on the product page for where it's being sold, if it all possible. At least ASRock lists the second slot as PCIe Gen 3, instead of leaving out this critical piece of information.

The AM5 platform is expensive all-around, from the CPUs to the motherboards. Some of that cost is going to be the "early adopter tax," but mainly because AMD has chosen to implement PCIe Gen 5, M.2 Gen 5 and DDR5, and those additional costs are passed along to the consumer. All motherboards using the Extreme (E) chipset will have PCIe Gen 5 support. If PCIe Gen 5 support is wanted, the ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi is priced well among competitors in the same product tier. For reference, the lowest B650E motherboard entry starts at $240. These will always have higher prices compared to their non-E counterparts for each product tier. AMD is betting that this high bandwidth technology will be used in the not so distant future, and that is the biggest compelling reason to go the higher price route.

Considering the price point is quite competitive, Gamers should consider the ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi over other, pricier solutions. When on a budget, any money saved can be put towards a better graphics card, processor or more internal storage. Despite the unfriendly BIOS setup for the novice user, there is good value here as well. The power delivery system is up to the task for any current and future AMD Ryzen processor. It is still hard to recommend this motherboard for heavy overclocking, due to the finicky nature of the AM5 platform, The lack of debug code readout and Clear CMOS jumper issues with this motherboard makes overclocking adventures utterly frustrating to deal with when issues arise. That said, normal everyday use should never be a concern now or for the entire AM5 lifecycle.

Echoing the same viewpoint in each and every AM5 review so far, AMD is betting that PCIe Gen 5 devices will become an integral part of computers in the next few years. However, right now, there are no benefits for gamers, as all graphics cards currently on the market are only PCIe Gen 4 compliant, which also does not come close to saturating the entire x16 bandwidth yet either. New technologies like these are a funny thing when they come about. You don't need it, until you do. We may be heading towards another major generational leap soon with graphics cards that are of chiplet design and support PCIe Gen 5. Maybe PCIe Gen 5 will remain marginal, and the real performance gains are still 10 years away. We just don't know. As long as AMD follows through with their keynote promises to support the AM5 socket through to 2025 with new processors, this initial investment is not looking so bad from a longevity standpoint. The B650E and X670E motherboards fundamentally have this advantage with built in support today, designed to stay relevant for the entire life cycle of the AM5 platform.

To wrap this review up, this ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi motherboard is mostly marketed and geared towards gamers that want the newest technologies without overspending on additional features, such as extra PCIe slots and M.2 sockets that they may never end up using. Chances are that the onboard audio solution will go unused in favor of a wireless headset too. ASRock deployed a few cost saving tactics where they may go unnoticed to the casual user and gamers. ASRock has also made sure that AMD memory "sweet spot" of DDR5-6000 is obtainable, which really important for getting the maximum performance without pushing too far into the PC enthusiast realm. This all adds up to a decent product which has a few glaring flaws, that are mostly offset by a competitive price point, making all the difference when on a set budget. The ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi is best suited for when PCIe Gen 5 support is a necessity for that new system and the budget funds are limited.