ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi vs MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK scores 5.8/10 overall, ahead of the ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi at 5.6/10.

The ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi leads on platform and features.

The MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK leads on power delivery and value.

They score the same on connectivity and BIOS and support.

ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi

5.6/10verdict: good, not the best

The ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi is a micro-ATX AM5 board for builders who want storage options on a B650 platform. It suits a compact desktop or homelab box that needs three M.2 slots, four SATA ports and 2.5GbE. It is less suited to anyone who wants the latest wireless or USB standards.

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MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK

5.8/10verdict: good, not the best

The MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK is an ATX AM4 board for people building or upgrading a Ryzen 3000 or 5000 system. It suits builders who want two wired LAN ports, six SATA ports and a cooled VRM without paying for Wi-Fi. It asks for some patience with BIOS updates and memory choice, so it fits buyers who are comfortable fiddling with settings.

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Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi	MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK
Platform and features	25%	7/10	6/10
Connectivity	25%	5/10	5/10
Power delivery	20%	6/10	7/10
BIOS and support	15%	5/10	5/10
Value	15%	4/10	6/10
Overall		5.6/10	5.8/10

Specifications

Spec	ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi	MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)	AM5	AMD Socket AM4
Chipset	AMD B650	AMD B550
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)	Micro-ATX	ATX
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speed	DDR5, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 192GB, up to 7200+(OC) MHz	DDR4, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 128 GB
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generation	3 slots: 1 x Blazing M.2 (PCIe Gen5 x4), 1 x Hyper M.2 (PCIe Gen4 x4), 1 x M.2 (PCIe Gen4 x2); separate Key-E slot for Wi-Fi module	Two M.2 slots
PCIe slots	1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 and 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16	One PCIe 4.0 x16 slot for graphics, one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots
Wired and wireless networking (e.g. 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 7)	Dragon 2.5GbE (RTL8125BG); Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) with Bluetooth	Realtek RTL8125B 2.5GbE plus Realtek RTL8111H Gigabit LAN; no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on the base model
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB4	1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A+C (rear), 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C (front header), 6 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A (2 rear, 4 front)	2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps rear ports (one Type-C, one Type-A); other sources list different rear counts

Strengths and weaknesses

ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi

+ PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot plus two Gen4 slots
+ Four SATA3 ports alongside three M.2 slots
+ 8+2+1 phase Dr.MOS power delivery
− Wi-Fi module not included in the box
− Wi-Fi 6E only; no Wi-Fi 7 or USB4
− Latest listed BIOS is labelled beta

Skip it if:

Buyers who want Wi-Fi 7, USB4 or 20Gbps USB ports
Builders who need a PCIe 5.0 slot for their graphics card
Buyers who want a wireless module included in the box

Read the full ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi review ›

MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK

+ Two wired LAN ports, including 2.5GbE
+ Two separate metal VRM heatsinks
+ Six SATA ports and two M.2 slots
− No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on the base model
− Owners report memory speed and compatibility problems
− Only the graphics slot is PCIe 4.0

Skip it if:

Buyers who need built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
Anyone wanting many fast rear USB ports
Builders who want guaranteed rated memory speeds without tuning

Read the full MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK review ›

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