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ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi vs MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI

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

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI scores 7.5/10 overall, ahead of the ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi at 5.6/10.

The MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI leads on connectivity, BIOS and support and value.

They score the same on platform and features and power delivery.

The biggest difference is connectivity, where the MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI scores 9/10 to the ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi's 5/10.

ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi

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.

Typically about £168.13 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI

MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI

7.5/10verdict: buy

This is for builders putting a Core Ultra (Series 2) CPU on a Z890 board who want strong connectivity without paying flagship money. It suits people who want 5Gbps LAN, Wi-Fi 7 and Thunderbolt 4 on one ATX board. It is less suited to anyone who wants RGB lighting or onboard power and reset buttons.

Typically about £283.89 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightASRock B650M Pro RS WiFiMSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI
Platform and features25%7/107/10
Connectivity25%5/109/10
Power delivery20%6/106/10
BIOS and support15%5/107/10
Value15%4/108/10
Overall5.6/107.5/10

Specifications

SpecASRock B650M Pro RS WiFiMSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)AM5LGA 1851, supports Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
ChipsetAMD B650Intel Z890
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)Micro-ATXATX, PCB 243.84 x 304.8 mm
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speedDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 192GB, up to 7200+(OC) MHz4 x DDR5 UDIMM slots, maximum 256GB, 9200+ MT/s (OC) with 1DPC 1R, 6400 (OC) / 4800 (JEDEC) MT/s headline spec, also supports CUDIMM and non-ECC unbuffered memory
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generation3 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 module4 x M.2 slots: M.2_1 PCIe 5.0 x4 (CPU), M.2_2 PCIe 4.0 x4 (CPU), M.2_3 PCIe 4.0 x4 (chipset), M.2_4 PCIe 4.0 x4 or SATA (chipset); separate Key-E slot for the Wi-Fi module
PCIe slots1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 and 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16PCI_E1 PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU); PCI_E2 and PCI_E3 PCIe 4.0 x4 each (chipset)
Wired and wireless networking (e.g. 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 7)Dragon 2.5GbE (RTL8125BG); Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) with BluetoothIntel Killer E5000B 5Gbps LAN; Intel Killer BE1750x Wi-Fi 7 with Bluetooth 5.4
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB41 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)Rear: 3 x USB 10Gbps Type-A, 4 x USB 5Gbps Type-A, 1 x USB 10Gbps Type-C, 2 x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C (up to 40Gbps); front: 1 x 20Gbps Type-C with USB PD 27W, 2 x 5Gbps Type-A, 4 x USB 2.0 headers

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 Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI

  • + 5Gbps LAN, Wi-Fi 7 and two Thunderbolt 4 ports
  • + Front 20Gbps USB-C header with 27W USB PD
  • + Four M.2 slots, one of them PCIe 5.0
  • − Owners report hot VRMs with no active cooling
  • − No onboard power or reset buttons
  • − No RGB lighting

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want several PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots for multiple Gen 5 drives.
  • Builders who want RGB lighting on the motherboard.
  • Open-bench or test-rig users who want onboard power and reset buttons.
Read the full MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI review ›

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