Up until recently, if you wanted to build a computer based on one of Intel’s Alder Lake processors, your choice was rather limited in terms of motherboards. Z690 mainboards are quite expensive and not everyone can afford them, so once Intel B660 chipset-based motherboards came out, the platform became more accessible. The ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi seems to be one of the best B660 boards at the moment. It looks great, and it promises a lot while keeping costs relatively low. We used it for a while now, and in this review, we’re going to tell you more about how it works and what to expect from it. Are you curious? Then, read on:
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The package of the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi
Unboxing it reveals a generous bundle. Although not everything is shown in the photo below, besides the motherboard, the box also contains: four SATA 6Gb/s cables, an ASUS Wi-Fi antennas kit, a cable ties pack, an M.2 Rubber Package, an M.2 Q-Latch package, an M.2 Q-Latch package for M.2 backplate, a ROG key chain, a set of ROG Strix stickers, a ROG Strix thank you card, a DVD with drivers and apps, some documentation leaflets, and the user manual.
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: What's inside the box
The package of the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi looks good, and there are many bundled accessories. This motherboard looks like a premium implementation of the mainstream Intel B660 chipset.
Large heatsinks cover the VRM
From one end to the other, the motherboard looks great, well-crafted, and built with high-quality components. Sure, compared to high-end ROG Strix motherboards like the Maximus Z690 Extreme, it does show more of its integrated circuits and capacitors. However, where it really matters, you get nice-looking metal covers and heatsinks. For example, the heatsink on the CPU VRMs flows onto the I/O shield and to the heatsink that covers the main SSD slot, making everything look like a solid block. And, similarly, the other two M.2 slots on the bottom of the motherboard use a single heatsink that covers both of them.
M.2 SSD slots are also covered by large heatsinks
Though the Intel B660 chipset is not made for overclocking, ASUS built a solid VRM (Voltage Regulator Module) on this motherboard, so your processor will surely run at its best and remain stable regardless of how much electrical power it requires. By the way, the motherboard supplies electricity to the CPU via two standard 8 + 4 EPS (12 Volts) connectors.
The processor socket on the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi
The standard 24-pin ATX main power connector is placed on the motherboard’s top-right side. To its left, you get four DDR5 DIMM slots that can handle a total of 128 GB RAM running at up to 6000MHz in overclocking mode (Intel XMP is supported). The standard - non-overclocked - speed is 4800MHz.
The DIMM slots for the DDR5 RAM
The motherboard gives you all the slots required for modern computing these days. Connected to the processor PCI Express lanes, you get:
PCI Express slots on the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi
The connectivity options are generous too: you get an Intel I225-V Ethernet chip that can transfer data at up to 2.5Gbps, as well as an Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160Mhz chip (2x2 MIMO, support for 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards), and Bluetooth 5.1.
The audio part is handled by a high-definition ROG SupremeFX ALC4080 codec that can play sound on up to 7.1 channels (surround) and supports playback at up to 32-Bit/384kHz.
Audio codec used by the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi
The I/O (input/output) panel on the back offers you one USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port (Type-C), one USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (Type-A), five USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (four are Type-A, one is Type-C), two USB 2.0 ports (Type-A), one DisplayPort, one HDMI port, one Wi-Fi module connection, one Ethernet port, five audio jacks, and two buttons: one for BIOS FlashBack, and one that clears the CMOS (resets BIOS). For those with fancy computer cases, good news, the motherboard comes with a generous selection of front panel USB connectors too: one USB 3.2 Gen 2 connector that supports USB Type-C, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 header that supports two additional USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and two USB 2.0 headers to which you can connect four additional USB 2.0 ports. Moreover, besides the usual internal connectors for fans (including one AIO pump header), you also get RGB headers, a thermal sensor header, and even a Thunderbolt header.
IO panel on the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi
If you want to walk through each and every technical detail of the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi motherboard, head to its official webpage: ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi Tech Specs.
Although based on the Intel B660 chipset, we can’t look at the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi as a budget motherboard. That’s because it doesn’t just look beautiful and well-designed, but it also packs a lot of features and options that make it stand out from the crowd.
And now, turn the page to see how the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi motherboard fared in benchmarks.
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: Benchmark results in CPU-Z Single Thread
In CPU-Z’s Multi-Thread test, which measures the multi-core performance of the processor, we got 7005 points on the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi and 9299 on the ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme motherboard. The discrepancy here is larger, as the Core i7 processor has more cores than the Intel Core i5-12600K. However, it’s still an excellent result for our motherboard.
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: Benchmark results in CPU-Z Multi Thread
In Cinebench R23, which measures the computer’s rendering speed, using the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi, we got a score of 16843 points, while on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme, we got 22128 points. Again, the significantly more cores on the Core i7 processor showed their power. Still, the Core i5 on the ROG Strix B660-F motherboard did very well too.
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: Benchmark results in Cinebench R23
In Blender, a benchmark in which we rendered the Classroom and Bmw scenes, using the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi and the Intel Core i5-12600K CPU, the tests finished in 9.2 minutes. On the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme, the Core i7-12700K finished in 6.9 minutes. Again, considering the difference in price, we are satisfied with ASUS’ B660-F motherboard.
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: Benchmark results in Blender
We also ran PCMark 10, a benchmark that measures the computer’s performance in daily activities (web browsing, video conferencing, app start-up times, productivity, and digital content creation), and we got fairly similar results on both motherboards. With the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi, we got a score of 6970 points, while on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme, we got 8517 points.
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: Benchmark results in PCMark 10
In the JetStream 2 browser benchmark, which we ran in Google Chrome, the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi motherboard and the Intel Core i5-12600K processor decided to surprise us. We got the same score with both systems, and that’s very impressive!
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: Benchmark results in JetStream 2
7-Zip, the popular file archiving app, includes an excellent benchmarking tool. The Intel Core i5-12600K and the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi achieved a compression speed of 77.5MB/s, which is a bit slower than the 90MB/s reached by the Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme. If we forego the additional cores on the i7 CPU, we’re starting to believe that the performance offered by the B660 chipset is roughly the same as that of the high-end Z690. 🙂
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: Benchmark results in 7-Zip Compression
In 7-Zip’s decompression test, we saw the same thing: the Intel Core i5-12600K on the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi motherboard was slower, but not enough to justify the price difference between the two systems unless you’re really looking for the best of the best.
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: Benchmark results in 7-Zip Decompression
Next, we moved on to the gaming benchmarks, and we tested Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Metro Exodus, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Note that we used 1080p resolution and the lowest visual quality settings because the two graphics cards are in two completely different weight categories. Furthermore, as the other hardware components were different too, look at the results while keeping in mind that we tried to compare an entry-level to mainstream system with a high-end premium one.
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the benchmarks results showed that the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi-based computer could render 191 fps. On the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme motherboard, we got 218 frames per second. Pretty close!
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: Benchmark results in Shadow of the Tomb Raider
In Metro Exodus, our currently tested computer managed to deliver a number of 165 frames per second, while the one using an ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme rendered 222 fps. Both results are excellent.
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: Benchmark results in Metro Exodus
In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, on the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi motherboard, we saw similar results: roughly 30 percent difference between the two systems. However, their price is also vastly different.
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: Benchmark results in Assassin's Creed Valhalla
The benchmarks results show that, if you pair the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi with a mid-range processor and graphics card, you can build a computer that runs any application or game at more than just satisfactory performance. If you don’t intend to overclock your CPU, and you have the means to get a powerful graphics card, the motherboard will squeeze every ounce of performance from them. All in all, it’s an excellent choice for your next gaming machine.
Armoury Crate
Armoury Crate is a useful app in our opinion, and you should install it. We like the fact that it’s practically the only bundled software with the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi.
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi: Who is it good for?
The ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi motherboard is a great choice if:- You’re a gamer, and you want to build a desktop PC using a new 12th Gen Intel processor
- You want to buy a high-quality, well-equipped B660 motherboard
- You intend to pay a reasonable price for an excellent motherboard
Pros and cons
Here are the best things about the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi:- It’s more affordable than the cheapest Z690 motherboards
- It looks beautiful, with a good design
- Generous Voltage Regulator Modules (VRMs) and massive heatsinks
- It comes with a generous selection of ports and also internal headers
- Has Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity
- It can handle any 12th Gen Intel Core processor, including the i9-12900K
Verdict
It may sound a bit strange but, in our opinion, the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi is the premium option in the world of budget motherboards based on Intel’s B660 chipset. There are no downsides we can think of, quite the opposite. This motherboard offers everything you need to assemble a powerful, modern computer, based on one of Intel’s 12Gen Core processors. It’s very well built, with good design and premium components. So what if it uses the entry-level slash mainstream B660 chipset? ASUS made such a good job that we’re confident you can run even a high-end Intel Core i9-12900K on it without any issues. From our part, the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi gets the warmest recommendation.Unboxing the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi motherboard
Like all other Republic of Gamers devices, this motherboard too arrives in a beautifully crafted box. It’s made of hardened cardboard, painted in black, red, and gray shades, and features a large stylized picture of the card on its front side. And, on the back, you’ll find plenty of details about the features and tech specs.Hardware specifications and design
The ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi is a computer motherboard that uses the ATX form factor, measuring 30.5 cm in length and 24.4 cm in width (12 inches x 9.6 inches). Based on the mid-range Intel B660 chipset and using an LGA 1700 socket that fits Intel Alder Lake processors (12th generation), it doesn’t look like a budget motherboard at all.- one PCIe 5.0 (x16 mode) slot for the graphics card
- one M.2 PCIe 4.0 (x4 mode) slot for a fast solid-state drive (type 2242/2260/2280/22110)
- one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot (x4 mode)
- two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots
- one PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot (x4 mode, type 2242/2260/2280/22110)
- one PCIe 3.0 M.2 slot (x4 mode, type 2242/2260/2280 )
- four SATA 6Gb/s ports
ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi - Benchmark results
We tested the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi motherboard together with the following hardware and software:- Processor: Intel Core i5-12600K
- Memory: ADATA XPG Lancer DDR5 RAM (2 x 16GB, 5200MHz)
- Graphics Card: ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3050 8GB
- Storage: ADATA Legend 840 PCIe Gen4 X4 M.2 2280 Solid State Drive
- Power Supply Unit: ASUS ROG Thor 850W Platinum
- Operating System: Windows 11 Pro Version 21H2 Build 22000.527
The software bundled with the ASUS ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi
The main software bundled by ASUS with the ROG Strix B660-F Gaming WiFi motherboard is Armoury Crate. It’s the one ASUS provides for all the ROG and TUF motherboards. Armoury Crate helps you monitor and configure your motherboard, it gives you the means to easily download and install drivers and additional apps and also update its UEFI BIOS.
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