ASRock B760I Lightning Wi-Fi

Sometimes economy class isn't a punishment. The ASRock B760I Lightning Wi-Fi is a low-priced ($184.99 at Newegg) Mini-ITX motherboard based on Intel's B760 chipset. Processor overclocking is limited, but memory overclocking is available up to a mind-blowing DDR5-8600+ (OC). You also get native 14th Generation CPU support, power delivery worthy of flagship-class processors, two M.2 sockets, three SATA ports, a budget audio solution, and integrated Wi-Fi. It's a bit light on rear USB ports (only five Type-A), but otherwise the ASRock is a well-rounded Mini-ITX solution for builders who don't plan to overclock their CPUs.

Board Design, CPU, and Memory

Mini-ITX motherboards don't have a lot of space for fancy design elements compared to larger form factors. The Lightning sticks with black for the 8-layer PCB and the slots and heatsinks. The VRM heatsinks connect via a heatpipe to dissipate the warmth generated by the power delivery bits below, helped by a tiny fan stowed away between the rear I/O and the heatsink. You can only hear the fan under extreme loads. Atop the heatsinks are linear and angular elements that ASRock says "evoke the imagery of lightning," but basically it's an all-black board without integrated RGBs (though it has headers to add your own) that matches many build themes.

The B760I Lightning Wi-Fi natively supports Intel's 12th, 13th, and 14th Generation processors. Hardware-wise, it has a 16-phase power design using 110A SPS MOSFETs (14x dedicated to Vcore). The total 1540A available is ample even for flagship-class chips like our Core i9-14900K. The actively cooled VRM heatsinks do a great job of keeping the power bits below them from getting too toasty. While you can't overclock the CPU as you can on boards with BCLK generators, you can overclock memory with a vengeance.

(Credit: Joe Shields)

RAM support is listed up to DDR5-8600+ (OC), among the highest you'll find for the B760 and even Z790 platforms. Small boards tend to have more headroom on memory overclocking due to smaller traces and lower capacity (two DRAM slots instead of four). ASRock supports the new 48GB sticks or kits for a memory ceiling of 96GB, which should be well more than enough for most users. If you need more, Mini-ITX isn't for you, as all motherboards this size stop at two memory slots.

(Credit: Joe Shields)

ASRock's BIOS provides a slew of options to tweak the RAM, including voltage, primary, secondary, and tertiary timings. All three kits we tried (DDR5-5600, DDR5-7200, and DDR5-8000) were stable after setting the internal profile, making the Lightning one of the few that supported our DDR5-8000 kit without other voltage adjustments. Just be aware that your best chance of reaching these speeds (or any above DDR5-7200 or so) will require a processor with a strong integrated memory controller and a QVL-based memory kit.

Layout and Internal Connectors

Beginning our board tour in the upper left corner, we spy a sole EPS connector to power the CPU. The large heatpipe-connected VRM heatsink has enough mass and surface area to do the job, with the assistance of the tiny fan hidden below. Above the top VRM heatsink are several headers, including one of the 3-pin ARGBs for adding your own lighting and three 4-pin fan headers. Control over any attached RGB strips is handled through ASRock's Polychrome RGB application.

The chassis-fan headers output up to 1 amp/12 watts, while the CPU_FAN1/WP supports up to 2A/24W. There are easily enough headers and available power to drive multiple system fans or an AIO cooler.

(Credit: Joe Shields)

Moving right, we see the two unreinforced DRAM slots with locking mechanisms on both sides. Again, this board boasts one of the highest supported speeds from either the B760 or Z790 platform, so if you're into ultra-fast RAM, the Lightning can handle it if your processor's memory controller can.

Along the right edge, we encounter the other 3-pin ARGB header, with the 24-pin ATX connector to power the board below it. I can't wait to see motherboards with the new ATX12VO connector that takes up less real estate. Below that are two USB headers—one 19-pin for USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) and a second for additional USB 2.0 ports. Below that are three vertically mounted SATA ports. If you'd like to set up a RAID array, ASRock offers RAID modes 0, 1, and 5. Next are the front-panel headers to connect the power/reset button and the front USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) Type-C port.

Along the bottom edge of the board, the left corner holds the Realtek ALC897 audio codec, the usual front-panel audio header, and a couple of audio capacitors. The ALC897 is not the greatest audio solution, but it's satisfactory for the budget segment of the market it occupies. The sole full-length PCI Express slot and the primary M.2 socket are in the middle of the board.

Expansion, Storage, and Rear I/O

Discussing the PCI Express expansion slots on Mini-ITX boards doesn't take much time, as there's only one. The reinforced slot runs up to PCIe 5.0 x16 speeds. You'll receive the full bandwidth no matter how you populate the storage, as it doesn't support bifurcation or share lanes as motherboards with additional storage and slots can.

Above the PCIe slot under the heatsink is the first of two M.2 slots. The slot on the front of the board has its own plate-stye heatsink, connecting through the CPU and running at PCIe 4.0 x4 (64Gbps). It supports up to 80mm devices. The second one, which is on the back of the board, sources its PCIe 4.0 x4 bandwidth through the chipset and also supports up to 80mm modules. The three vertically mounted SATA ports round out the storage.

(Credit: Joe Shields)

The rear I/O on our minuscule board features a preinstalled backplate with a black background and the "lightning" lines, along with holes or perforations to get cool air to the miniature fan inside. There's not a lot going on back here, with only six total USB ports. You'll find two USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) ports—one Type-A and one Type-C—and four USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) Type-A ports.

When using select processors' integrated graphics, you'll connect to the HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4 ports. Network connectivity consists of a Realtek 2.5GbE port and Intel Wi-Fi 6E antenna connections. Finally, the audio stack offers two 3.5mm analog jacks (mic-in and line-out) and optical S/PDIF output.

A Brief Look at the UEFI BIOS and Utilities

The BIOS of the B760I Lightning Wi-Fi is like that of boards from ASRock's Phantom Gaming line. Both the Easy and Advanced modes use the easy-to-read PG Gaming theme with red and white text on a dark background. You'll find information about the processor, RAM, storage, fans, and more in Easy mode, and you can enable XMP profiles and adjust thermal throttling limits here, as well.

(Credit: ASRock)

The Advanced mode portion of the BIOS offers a standard configuration with major headings across the top including Main, OC Tweaker, Advanced, Tool, H/W Monitor, and Boot. The Main page is informational, mainly from the My Favorites section. You can make a custom BIOS page listing your most frequently used items.

(Credit: ASRock)

The OC Tweaker section holds the keys to tweaking your system. Here, you can adjust voltages, RAM, and the CPU and save profiles for recall later.

(Credit: ASRock)

The Advanced section is the place to access CPU, chipset, storage, NVMe, ACPI, and USB configuration, along with other items such as Intel Thunderbolt and Trusted Computing support. You can also tweak the UEFI's appearance and whether it starts in Easy Mode or at a specific page in Advanced.

(Credit: ASRock)

The Tools section (not pictured) gives access to ASRock Polychrome RGB for lighting control and SSD and NVMe sanitation or secure-erase tools, as well as the Instant Flash utility to flash your BIOS. H/W Monitor displays relevant system info ranging from CPU and motherboard temperatures to fan speeds and voltages. Here, you can adjust the fan speeds of all the onboard 4-pin fan headers.

(Credit: ASRock)

ASRock's BIOS is as full-featured and easy to navigate as its rivals, including control of RGB lighting and fans and even an option to sanitize your storage. Overall, it provides plenty of usefulness, and the latest version (2.05) proved stable in our limited testing.

As for software, ASRock's Appshop lets you download and update drivers, while the A-Tuning program tweaks your system. The Appshop is helpful for downloading utilities such as Polychrome RGB LED, Nahimic 3 audio, and the App Charger. It also checks for drivers and allows you to update them straight from the utility, a great alternative for users not used to grabbing the latest drivers directly from vendor websites.

(Credit: ASRock)

For those who like to play with their systems, A-Tuning is an all-inclusive tweaking application that lets you adjust fan speeds, see detailed system information including temperatures, voltage, and clock speeds and ratios, and tweak the CPU.

(Credit: ASRock)

Verdict: Enticing Price and Performance, Not a Lot of USB

The ASRock B760I Lightning Wi-Fi motherboard fills a nifty niche in the Mini-ITX market. For under $190, you get a PCIe 5.0 slot, two PCIe 4.0 M.2 sockets, three SATA ports, fast 2.5GbE and Wi-Fi 6E networking, support for the latest Intel CPUs and super-fast RAM, and ample power delivery.

If your build requires a PCIe 5.0-capable M.2 socket, you'll want to look at a Z790 board instead, as none of the B760 platforms now available supports the latest high-end SSDs. B760 is a budget chipset, after all. The Lightning's biggest drawback is the number of USB ports on the rear I/O, as some users may feel limited by six (five Type-A). Another curiosity is the overkill VRMs. While it's nice to see, the platform can't overclock the CPU like its big brother, the record-breaking Z790I Lightning. ASRock could have saved a few bucks on the bill of materials and still had plenty-capable power delivery.

(Credit: Joe Shields)

As usual, there are alternatives in the same market segment. Asus' ROG Strix B760-I Gaming Wi-Fi ($199.99) is the only other option with DDR5. Gigabyte's B760I Aorus Pro DDR4 ($199.99) offers a 20Gbps USB-C port but has only one M.2 socket. We've also reviewed the MSI B760I Edge, which is a worthy but more expensive choice at $215.99. But none stands out as a clear winner, making the ASRock a solid buy if you're cool with five USB-A ports and don't plan on overclocking your processor. Just be sure to set the cooling appropriately in the BIOS, which raises the power limit and increases performance from the default "auto" setting.