Skip to content
sudopicks
esc

ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI vs MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK

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

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI scores 6.8/10 overall, ahead of the MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK at 5.8/10.

The ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI leads on platform and features, connectivity, power delivery and BIOS and support.

The MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK leads on value.

ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI

ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI

6.8/10verdict: good, not the best

This board is for AMD AM5 builders who want a B850 ATX board with Wi-Fi 7, 2.5GbE and plenty of NVMe storage. It suits Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 CPUs, including high-core chips, given its 16-phase CPU power design. It is a weaker fit for anyone who needs many SATA ports or rear USB4.

Typically about £270.99 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

MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK

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.

Search 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

CriterionWeightASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFIMSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK
Platform and features25%7/106/10
Connectivity25%7/105/10
Power delivery20%8/107/10
BIOS and support15%6/105/10
Value15%5/106/10
Overall6.8/105.8/10

Specifications

SpecASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFIMSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)AM5, for Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 seriesAMD Socket AM4
ChipsetAMD B850AMD B550
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)ATX, 12 x 9.6 in (30.5 x 24.4 cm)ATX
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speedDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, max 256GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC) with Ryzen 9000/8000/7000; supports ECC and non-ECC unbuffered modulesDDR4, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 128 GB
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generation4 M.2 slots (Key M): M.2_1 and M.2_2 PCIe 5.0 x4 with Ryzen 7000/9000 and PCIe 4.0 x4 with Ryzen 8000; M.2_3 and M.2_4 PCIe 4.0 x4 from chipset, M.2_3 disabled when chipset-fed x16 slot is in useTwo M.2 slots
PCIe slots1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot (Q-Release Slim, SafeSlot) for Ryzen 7000/9000; 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (x4 mode) from chipsetOne 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)1 x Intel 2.5Gb Ethernet; Wi-Fi 7 (2x2 802.11be), 2.4/5/6GHz, 160MHz, up to 2.9Gbps; Bluetooth 5.4Realtek RTL8125B 2.5GbE plus Realtek RTL8111H Gigabit LAN; no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on the base model
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB412 rear ports: 1 x USB 20Gbps (USB Type-C), 3 x USB 10Gbps (2 Type-A, 1 Type-C), 4 x USB 5Gbps (Type-A), 4 x USB 2.0 (Type-A); no rear USB4 port2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps rear ports (one Type-C, one Type-A); other sources list different rear counts

Strengths and weaknesses

ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING WIFI

  • + Two PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots plus a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot
  • + Wi-Fi 7, Intel 2.5GbE and a rear 20Gbps USB-C port
  • + 16-phase CPU power with BIOS FlashBack
  • − Only two SATA 6Gb/s ports
  • − No rear USB4 port
  • − Owners report BIOS freezes and occasional USB detection problems

Skip it if:

  • Builders who need many SATA ports for bulk drive storage
  • Buyers who want a rear USB4 port
  • Anyone planning heavy manual BIOS tuning who wants minimal reported quirks
Read the full ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F GAMING 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 ›

More comparisons

Compare all motherboards · Best motherboards