Product Comparison: ASRock 970M PRO3 vs ASUS M5A78L-M Plus/USB3


General Specifications
Brand
ASRock
ASUS
Model
970M PRO3
M5A78L-M Plus/USB3
Origin
China
China
About the Product
ASRock's X-Boost technology offers automatic overclocking and unlocks the hidden cores of your processor. Just press X when turning on your computer, and X-Boost will automatically overclock components, increasing performance by up to 116%.
Outfitted with USB 3 ports and superior audio features, the M5A78L-M Plus/USB3 microATX motherboard elevates the AMD 760G platform to new heights and is perfect for large-scale deployments.
Key Specs
Form Factor
Micro ATX
Micro ATX
Socket
AM3+
AM3+
Chipset
AMD 970 / SB950
AMD 760G (780L) / SB710
Supported Processors
Supports Phenom II / AMD Athlon II processors
FX / Phenom II / Athlon II / Sempron 100 Series
Memory Slot Type
240 pin
240 pin
What customers say about "Key Specs"
ASRock 970M PRO3 Micro ATX Motherboard
  • Works amazingly well with my FX-6300 processor and 1600mhz memory modules.
  • Uses the 970 Chipset which, with an easy Bios update will support the FX8300 series of CPU's.
  • This is a fantastic motherboard. Especially if you’re still using DDR3 memory and an AM+ CPU socket.
  • A delightful socket that supports great processors.
  • With this motherboard, we got a great build. Great socket.
ASUS M5A78L-M Plus/USB3 Motherboard
  • Good features, good support for AMD and especially USB 3 enabled.
  • Great motherboard for processors using the AM3+ socket.
  • Cheapest DDR3, AM3 socket motherboard on the market.
  • It works great for my FX and Phenom II X6 processors.
  • Cheap, easy and fits AMD processors beautifully.
Size & Weight
Height
9.6 in.
9.6 in.
Width
9 in.
9 in.
Depth
1 in.
1 in.
Weight
1.19 lbs.
1.1 lbs.
Memory
Memory Type
DDR3
DDR3
Maximum Speed
2400 MHz
2000 MHz
Number Of Memory Slots
4
4
Max. Memory Supported
64 GB
32 GB
What customers say about "Memory"
ASRock 970M PRO3 Micro ATX Motherboard
  • It has great features such 2 PCI E slots. Has four RAM slots.
  • I am using DDR3 1600 Mhz memory which seems to work just fine.
  • The memory worked perfectly in dual channel mode.
  • Two memory slots are enough for my needs.
  • Board arrived with defective RAM slots.
ASUS M5A78L-M Plus/USB3 Motherboard
  • 4 RAM slots, so if you have a 64-bit OS can run lots of ram.
  • This was the most affordable board that had enough ram slots on it and USB 3.0.
  • The motherboard will accept up to 32 GB of memory (4 x 8 GB) and is a nice board.
  • Does include support for ECC memory like all of ASUS's offerings.
  • Supports four DDR3 memory modules, up to 32 GB total.
Connectivity
PCI
1
1
PCI-E
2x PCIe 2.0 x16, PCIe 2.0 x1
PCIe 2.0 x16, PCIe 2.0 x1
HDMI
0
1
USB
10x USB 2.0, 4x USB 3.1 Gen1
8x USB 2.0/1.1, 4x USB 3.1 Gen1
SATA
6
6
Other Interfaces
2x PS/2, RJ-45, 3x audio jacks
2x PS/2, DVI-D, VGA, RJ-45, 3x audio jacks
What customers say about "Connectivity"
ASRock 970M PRO3 Micro ATX Motherboard
  • This little board is well made and packs in a lot of connectivity.
  • It has a lot of USB ports, which is a great plus.
  • The amount of USB ports is amazing and useful.
  • The Front USB 3.0 connection is in an awkward location.
  • I/O shield is flimsy. Poor quality.
ASUS M5A78L-M Plus/USB3 Motherboard
  • On board USB 3 support was nice.
  • A great number of ports and excellent location.
  • This motherboard has all the necessary ports to use.
  • The VGA port has a flaky connection and rocks on the motherboard.
  • The placement of ports on this motherboard did not seem thought out at all!
Features
Native Audio
Realtek ALC892
Realtek ALC887
Additional Accessories Included
2x SATA cables, I/O Shield, Driver disk
I/O Shield, 2x SATA cables, Driver disk
Extras
Sapphire Black PCB, ASRock Full Spike Protection, ASRock APP Shop, Solid Capacitor Design, 7.1 CH HD Audio, X-Boost
Ai Charger, Anti-Surge, Low EMI Solution, ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution, ASUS EZ DIY, ASUS EPU
What customers say about "Features"
ASRock 970M PRO3 Micro ATX Motherboard
  • Pretty impressive little board with a decent amount of feature.
  • The board itself has great features and provided what I wanted.
  • Good simple overclocking features.
  • Excellent board functionality, I highly recommend it.
  • Has an amazing audio codec. Very happy with the purchase.
ASUS M5A78L-M Plus/USB3 Motherboard
  • Nice board worked flawlessly. Easy to set up and put into service.
  • The on-board features are a real value saving one from purchasing and installing a separate card.
  • Nice motherboard with a ton of features at a great price.
  • It works well, overclocking feature is nice.
  • The motherboard has an excellent built-in audio codec.
Power
Power Connectors
24-pin ATX, 8-pin 12V
24-pin EATX, 4-pin ATX 12V
Warranty / Certifications
Manufacturer Warranty
1 year(s)
1 year(s)
Certifications
CE, FCC
CE, FCC
Other Information
Manufacturer
Other reviews