The Intel B560 Motherboard Overview: 30+ Budget Models Starting from $75
by Gavin Bonshor on March 29, 2021 7:00 AM ESTASRock B560 Pro4/ac & B560 Pro4
A lot of Intel B560 models are micro-ATX sized, which is a stark contrast compared with Z590, where there are barely any. ASRock does have a couple of ATX sized B560 models including the B560 Pro4/ac and B560 Pro4, with the only difference between both models is the ac version includes an Intel Wi-Fi 5 CNVi. Focusing on the design, the B560M Pro4 pairing includes a grey and black patterned PCB, with silver heatsinks and a small section of integrated RGB LED's located in the bottom right-hand corner.
The ASRock B560M Pro4 ATX motherboard
Located towards the center of the board are two full-length PCIe slots and two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots. The top full-length slot operates at PCIe 4.0 x16, while the second slot is electronically locked to PCIe 3.0 x4. ASRock includes four memory slots with support for up to DDR4-4800, with a maximum combined capacity of 128 GB. For storage, both the B560M Pro4/ac and B560M Pro4 include threeM.2 slots, with the top slot operating at PCIe 4.0 x4, one with support for PCIe 3.0 x4/SATA, and the third including support for PCIe 3.0 x2/SATA. The third M.2 slot shares bandwidth with one of the board's six SATA ports, which includes support for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 arrays.
ASRock B560M Pro4 rear panel (only difference is Wi-Fi 5 on B560M Pro4/ac)
On the rear panel is four USB 3.2 G1 Type-A and two USB 2.0 ports, with three 3.5 mm audio jacks powered by a Realtek ALC897 HD audio codec. Both models include an Intel I219-V Gigabit Ethernet controller, while the B560M Pro4/ac includes an unspecified Intel Wi-Fi 5 CNVi. Finishing off the rear panel is a pair of video outputs including one HDMI and one DisplayPort, as well as a PS/2 combo port for legacy peripherals.
At the time of writing, ASRock hasn't provided pricing information for the B560M Pro4/ac, although we do know the non-Wi-Fi variant, the B560M Pro4 has an MSRP of $110.
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siggidarius - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
With pricing like that for both motherboards and cpus, and good availability Intel is becoming a great value option.Personally I don't see why I'd choose AMD cpu in 200-350USD bracket with local prices.
ballsystemlord - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
"Intel great value option" LOL. How the mighty have fallen.m53 - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
@ballsystemlord: Or in other words how AMD starts price gouging and becoming more anti-consumer. How the "value brand" is now too expensive for the average customers.(not disagreeing with you. Just showing the other side of the reality.)
WaltC - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
If it wasn't for AMD you might be in one of these Intel "value" motherboards, only you'd be paying 2x-3x as much for it....like you were about 4 years ago, remember? And there's no question that if it wasn't for AMD you'd be paying *huge sums* for ~14nm++++++++++++++++++++ CPUs Intel is selling now for bargain-basement prices *because* of AMD. Don't you realize that if not for AMD you'd be paying more, though the nose, for inferior components? Have you even checked to see that Z590 motherboards are ~$1k and up and can't even provide system-wide PCIe4 bus coverage? Heck, that's more expensive than the most expensive x570 motherboards. Welcome to the real side of reality....;) Without AMD there would be no competition in these markets at all and Intel would be selling the same--likely worse garbage--at stratospheric prices.laduran - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
Everything you said is provably falseQasar - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
you sure about that ? i guess you forgot the wonderful <10% gen on gen performance increases we were getting before Zen was released, and the ever increasing prices for that performance ? or the fact that mainstream was stuck on quad core cpus and you NEEDED to get intel HEDT cpus to get anything more then 4 cores ?RanFodar - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
Tbf what AMD did to competition back then doesn't mean it's an excuse for them to copy Intel's playbook in the past. They can maintain their value position, but even the lowest Ryzen 5000 SKU is a bit overpriced for consumers here in the Philippines. Maybe Intel needs to thank AMD for being in such a position that is desired for consumers.pablo906 - Sunday, April 4, 2021 - link
Even the 3000 series? I've seen the 3000 series for pretty good prices around the world, the 5000 is supply constrained and demand outstrips supply so there is no reason to lower the price....That's how markets workjabber - Wednesday, March 31, 2021 - link
I remember not that long ago an AMD 'budget board' would have HDMI/eSATA/Toslink/6 USB ports (some USB3) and decent audio chip etc. and the Intel budget board would give you just VGA/PS2/ serial, a couple of USB2 and a parallel port instead. Terrible.cxtalxg - Wednesday, May 5, 2021 - link
Such a dumb argument, you do realize than intel had massive generations jumps from core 2 duo, to intel core 1st gen, then second gen. While amds overpriced phenoms flopped. All these companies are the same, lack of competition means lack of advancement