The 13th-generation processors demonstrate that Intel, a dominant PC market player, has a strong foundation. By enhancing core capabilities and employing a comprehensive strategy targeting both large and small cores, Intel’s Raptor Lake-S CPU products have garnered significant acclaim upon release, effectively countering AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 series processors. Intel’s well-timed response with the 13th-generation processor lineup offers users impressive performance, well-balanced positioning, and competitive pricing. This ensures that consumers in the mid-to-high-end PC processor market have an increasing array of energy-efficient options to choose from.
The 13th-generation Intel Core processors also support PCIe 5.0. The DMI channel linking the Intel B760 chipset and the CPU has Gen4 x4 bandwidth, offering 10 PCIe 4.0 and 4 PCIe 3.0 channels. When selecting a B760 motherboard, users can decide between DDR5 or DDR4 memory based on their budget. Consequently, the 700 series chipset paired with the 13th generation processor boasts more comprehensive features than the AMD platform, providing users with higher internal and external transmission frequencies and a broader range of options. As the motherboard market evolves towards product diversification, the challenge for manufacturers is to help users choose the most suitable product among the available options. Key factors for budget-conscious users include price, materials, and features.
Since the introduction of ASRock’s Steel Legend series motherboards, they have been characterized by reasonable pricing, comprehensive functionality, numerous expansion interfaces, and high-quality materials, capturing the attention of many users.
ASRock, a motherboard manufacturer, designs distinctive motherboards catering to the mainstream market’s needs. They have introduced the Micro-ATX motherboard product, ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi, which boasts highly competitive pricing, specifications, features, and materials. Supporting the Intel LGA1700-pin Raptor Lake-S processor lineup, ASRock continues to enhance popular software value-added technologies, such as premium alloy materials, Polychrome RGB, and Dragon 2.5 Gigabit LAN network chip. It includes 3 Hyper M.2 slots (PCIe Gen4 x4), M.2 heat dissipation design, PCIe alloy slot, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C interface, and more. The simple, intuitive, and practical BIOS interface seamlessly integrates with the hardware, aiming to fully utilize the performance of Intel LGA1700-pin Raptor Lake-S CPU products. The following is an overview of the performance and design of the ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi.
Motherboard packaging and accessories
The image on the rear of the packaging displays the product’s supported features and associated technologies.
The motherboard offers a 12+1+1 phase digital power supply design, PCI-E 5.0, DDR5, Polychrome RGB, Dragon 2.5Gb network chip, 3 sets of Hyper M.2 slots, 802.11ax (WiFi 6E), PCIe alloy slot, front USB3.2 Gen2 (with USB Type-C support), premium alloy material design, Dr.MOS, and 7.1-channel high-definition audio capabilities, among other features.
Motherboard
The mid-range Micro-ATX B760 motherboard features 1 PCI-E 16X slot (with a maximum transmission bandwidth of 16X@Gen5), 1 PCI-E 1X@Gen4 slot for expansion, 4 DIMM dual-channel DDR5 slot, 8-channel audio output, and a Dragon 2.5 Gigabit network chip. Excluding the Nahimic Audio series long-life electrolytic capacitors for audio effects, all other capacitors are solid-state. The CPU power supply design employs a 12+1+1 phase digital power supply, with a large-area heat pipe aluminum alloy heatsink in the MOS area to manage the temperature. The 12V input on the CPU side features dual EPS 8Pin connectors to accommodate the power requirements of the 12th and 13th-generation processors. The motherboard also provides 5 fan power terminals (supporting Smart Fan Speed Control and Water Pump), 3 M.2 slots (1 Hyper M.2 slot [PCIe Gen4 x4], 1 M.2 slot [Key E]), and 4 SATA3 (native) transmission interfaces. The overall colour scheme features high-quality paintwork and totem design, incorporating steel imagery for an impressive aesthetic.
The motherboard features a 12+1+1 phase digital power supply design using Dr. MOS materials. The power supply area of the motherboard uses long-life black gold solid capacitors, and the MOS area is enhanced with a large-area heatsink design for improved heat dissipation. The CPU side has a 12V dual EPS 8Pin input. It supports 4 DIMM DDR5 modules, with a 24Pin power input. The PCB employs a matte black design, enhancing the overall texture and appearance.
The motherboard offers 1 PCI-E 16X slot (with a maximum transmission bandwidth of 16X@Gen5) and 1 PCI-E 1X@Gen4 slot for expansion. This configuration is common and sufficient for Micro-ATX motherboard users. The top PCIe 16X slot features an alloy slot design, adding more solder points to increase the motherboard’s load-bearing capacity and reduce the risk of tearing when using heavier graphics cards. The slot also employs the well-received dolphin tail-style latch. The PCH heatsink has an excellent texture, and by increasing the heatsink area in the PCH region, the motherboard’s ability to control heat sources is enhanced.
The motherboard provides 4 SATA3 connectors, 3 M.2 slots, 1 internal USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C front panel expansion port, and 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 19Pin front panel expansion port. In total, it offers 2 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C ports, 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port, 6 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, and 6 USB 2.0 ports, allowing for up to 15 USB expansion interfaces. The case front panel switch connectors are also located in this area.
M.2 SSDs tend to generate a significant amount of heat when operating at full speed, which can lead to throttling or unstable data transfer if they overheat. ASRock’s aluminum alloy M.2 heatsink armor can effectively help lower the temperature of the M.2 SSD, maintaining optimal performance and ensuring stable operation.
Motherboard materials and details
The new generation LGA1700 socket is introduced with the Intel 12th generation processors, and the mounting hole spacing for the heatsink fasteners is different from previous generations. Therefore, it is important to check whether your existing heatsink is compatible with the LGA1700 socket or if the manufacturer provides upgrade kits for LGA1700 socket compatibility before upgrading to a new processor.
The ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi features a 12+1+1 phase digital power supply design, which includes the use of a Richtek RT3628AE PWM controller chip, 60A high-efficiency inductors, and 50A Dr.MOS. The motherboard also features a 6-layer PCB with 12K capacitors, which provides a stable and low-temperature operation, resulting in a longer lifespan and better overclocking capabilities. This design ensures a stable and efficient power delivery to the processor, which enhances its overall performance and longevity.
The ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi uses the ASMedia ASM1543 controller chip to provide one USB Type-C port with support for USB Power Delivery. This allows for faster charging and data transfer rates compared to standard USB ports. The ASM1543 chip is designed to provide reliable and efficient control of USB Type-C ports, ensuring that devices connected to the port are able to function properly and at their full potential.
The ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi uses the ASMedia ASM1074 controller chip. This chip is designed to provide additional USB 3.0 ports and is commonly used in motherboards to expand the number of USB connections available to users. The ASM1074 is known for its reliability and high data transfer speeds, making it an ideal choice for motherboards that require additional USB connectivity.
The ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi motherboard provides front panel USB Type-C support through the ASMedia ASM1543 controller chip. This chip is specifically designed for USB Type-C implementations and provides the necessary support for power delivery and data transfer over the Type-C interface. With this controller chip, the B760M Steel Legend motherboard can offer users the convenience of a front panel USB Type-C port, which can be used to connect a wide range of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and other USB Type-C enabled peripherals.
The M.2 slot is a high-speed transmission interface that is primarily promoted by new-generation storage devices. The motherboard has three sets of M.2 slots that utilize the M.2 Socket 3 Type M interface and are all Hyper M.2 slots [PCIe Gen4 x4]. These slots support devices with lengths of 2242, 2260, and 2280 and also support Intel VMD technology. One of the M.2 slots (Key E) has an installed 802.11ax wireless network card.
The external control terminal for RGB lighting allows users to install RGB LED strips and control the colours of the lights using the exclusive Polychrome RGB software. The 4Pin white pins that support 12V RGB LEDs and the 3Pin grey pins that support 5V Addressable RGB LEDs enable users to expand light bars or other LED devices as per their preferences. Moreover, the new “Polychrome SYNC” function enables the user’s memory or other certified devices to be part of the lighting effect system, emitting consistent colours and patterns. Users can refer to the compatibility list of RGB devices available on the ASRock official website.
UEFI BIOS
ASRock has optimized the original interface and incorporated user-suggested personalized interface designs to make it more user-friendly. The UEFI BIOS interface is refreshed and easier to use, with most of the settings accessible to users, giving them more room for customization and making it possible to set their unique usage mode. This motherboard uses the B760 chip and supports memory overclocking, voltage, memory operating clock, and other adjustable functions. Users can customize their preferred lighting effects and colours using the BIOS or Polychrome RGB software. The available lighting modes include lighting, breathing, flashing, cycle, random, random cycle, wave, music, and more. Some modes even allow users to adjust the speed of the lighting effects.
Performance test
Test environment
CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K
RAM: Crucial Ballistix DDR5-4800 64GB Kit @ 4800 39-39-39-76
MB: ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi
VGA: UHD770
HD: Crucial P3 PLUS 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD 1TB (CPU direct connection)
POWER: FSP PT 1200W
COOLING: CPU air cooling
Operating system: WIN11 X64
Performance test
CPUmark, Super PI 1M, wPrime 32M&1024M performance test
Summarize
ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi is a mid-range Micro-ATX motherboard that boasts an impressive set of features and design, including a 12+1+1 digital power phase design and high-quality superalloy materials. The test results show that it can perfectly match the high-end Core i5-13600K processor of the 13th generation Raptor Lake-S with 14 cores and 20 threads. It comes equipped with native USB3.2 Gen2, USB3.2 Gen1, Hyper M.2, RAID, SATA6G, and other features, making it a comprehensive and high-performance product that meets the needs of players and gaming enthusiasts. ASRock continues to enhance the product’s features and materials, providing added-value technologies such as Polychrome RGB, Dragon RTL8125BG 2.5Gbps network chip, M.2 heat sink, PCIe alloy slot, superalloy material design, gaming armour, and more.
ASRock’s dedicated research and development efforts have paid off, and the company is confident that the product will be well-received by users. With the advent of the post-PC era, technologies that are tailored to the needs of users are becoming increasingly important, and products that offer killer applications and enhance the user experience are highly sought after. This motherboard provides a comprehensive solution for entry-level players who require memory overclocking functionality. It offers impressive features, reasonable and affordable pricing, high-quality materials, and ample expansion capabilities, making it an excellent choice for users who want to build a high-performance gaming PC. Those planning to upgrade to the Raptor Lake-S processor platform should consider this product as a viable option.
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Title: The ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi, offering 13 different scents at an affordable cost and outstanding power-saving performance
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