
Asus has recently registered two AMD motherboard models—ROG STRIX B850E-F GAMING WIFI and ROG STRIX B850E-I GAMING WIFI—but the likelihood of these motherboards seeing an actual release seems low.
Although Asus's registration of these B850E models may initially seem intriguing, there are several factors suggesting that these motherboards may not launch. First, AMD has not officially announced any B850E chipset products. Existing B850 and X870 chipsets already offer minimal differences in expansion features, such as PCIe 5.0 AIC slots (optional for B850, mandatory for X870) and USB4 (required for X870 but optional for B850). With such narrow distinctions between the two platforms, adding a new “E” model may not make much sense.
Moreover, Asus has already released ROG STRIX X870-F GAMING WIFI and ROG STRIX X870-I GAMING WIFI motherboards, making the addition of a similar B850E model potentially redundant, leading to overlap within the product lineup.
Additionally, Asus typically registers multiple models within a series, such as the B860 series, which has multiple variants like -A, -F, -G, and -I. However, the registration of just the “-E” model without its usual counterparts (like -A or -F) is unusual for Asus. This raises further doubts about the B850E's imminent release.
Industry insider Hoang Anh Phu (@AnhPhuH) also mentions that there have been no indications of an AMD “B850E” chipset.
Given all these factors, it's likely that the B850E motherboard registrations are placeholder entries or potential “dead” projects with little chance of actual production.