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ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi vs MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI

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

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI scores 7.5/10 overall, ahead of the ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi at 5.9/10.

The ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi leads on BIOS and support.

The MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI leads on platform and features, connectivity, power delivery and value.

The biggest difference is power delivery, where the MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI scores 8/10 to the ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi's 5/10.

ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi

5.9/10verdict: good, not the best

This is a Mini-ITX AM5 board for people building a compact system on the B850 chipset. It suits builders who want a PCIe 5.0 graphics slot, a Gen5 NVMe drive and BIOS Flashback in a small footprint. It is less suited to anyone who needs Wi-Fi 7, many rear USB ports or more than two memory slots.

Typically about £180 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 B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI

MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI

7.5/10verdict: buy

This board is for AM5 builders who want a full-size ATX B850 platform with 80A power stages and 5Gbps networking. It suits people planning a high-end Ryzen chip, including the 9950X3D, which one reviewer says the VRM can handle at stock limits. Buyers who need USB4 or more than one Gen5 NVMe slot should read the limits below first.

Typically about £189.99 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 B850I Lightning WiFiMSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI
Platform and features25%6/107/10
Connectivity25%6/108/10
Power delivery20%5/108/10
BIOS and support15%7/106/10
Value15%6/108/10
Overall5.9/107.5/10

Specifications

SpecASRock B850I Lightning WiFiMSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)AM5 (LGA1718)AMD Socket AM5
ChipsetAMD B850AMD B850
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)Mini-ITXATX
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speedDDR5, 2 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 128GB, up to 8200+ MT/s (OC)DDR5, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 256GB, DDR5-8200+ MT/s (OC)
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generationM2_1 (CPU-attached, PCIe 5.0 x4 on 9000/7000 series); M2_2 (chipset-attached, PCIe 4.0 x4); Key E slot for 2230 Wi-Fi/BT module3 slots: 1x M.2 Gen5 x4 (CPU-sourced), 2x M.2 Gen4 x4
PCIe slots1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot (PCIE1), x16 mode1x PCIe 5.0 x16, 1x PCIe 4.0 x4, 1x PCIe 3.0 x1
Wired and wireless networking (e.g. 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 7)Killer E3100G 2.5GbE; Wi-Fi 6E (802.11axe) dual-band 2x2; Bluetooth 5.2Realtek 5G LAN (5Gbps), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB4Rear: 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C, 2 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, 4 USB 2.0; front headers for one Gen1 Type-C, one Gen1 header (two ports) and one USB 2.0 header (two ports)1x USB 20Gbps Type-C, 4x USB 10Gbps (2 Type-A, 2 Type-C), 4x USB 5Gbps Type-A, 8x USB 2.0; no USB4

Strengths and weaknesses

ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi

  • + PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and CPU-attached Gen5 M.2
  • + BIOS Flashback with dedicated rear USB port and button
  • + Rear USB-C plus a front USB-C header
  • − Wi-Fi 6E rather than Wi-Fi 7
  • − Four of the eight rear USB ports are USB 2.0
  • − 40Gb/s Type-C only on selected processors

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want Wi-Fi 7 built in
  • Builders with many fast USB devices who need more high-speed rear ports
  • Anyone who needs more than two DIMM slots or extra expansion slots
Read the full ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi review ›

MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI

  • + 5Gbps LAN and Wi-Fi 7 included
  • + 14+2+1 phase VRM with 80A power stages
  • + Rear Flash BIOS button
  • − No USB4
  • − Only one PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot
  • − Just one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need USB4 for docks or external GPU enclosures
  • Builders planning several PCIe 5.0 NVMe drives
  • Anyone wanting a smaller micro-ATX or mini-ITX board
Read the full MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI review ›

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