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ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI vs MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI

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

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI scores 7.2/10 overall, ahead of the ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI at 7.1/10.

The ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI leads on BIOS and support.

The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI leads on power delivery and value.

They score the same on platform and features and connectivity.

ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI

ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI

7.1/10verdict: good, not the best

This is a Mini-ITX LGA1851 board for compact Intel builds that need a lot of fast I/O. It suits buyers who want Thunderbolt 4, a 20Gbps USB-C port and Wi-Fi 7 on a B860 platform. It is less suited to anyone who wants BIOS Flashback or needs settled memory behaviour.

Typically about £199.99 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 X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI

MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI

7.2/10verdict: good, not the best

The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI is for people building a high-end AM5 system around a Ryzen 9000 chip. It suits buyers who want USB4, Wi-Fi 7, 5G LAN and fast NVMe storage on one ATX board. It is a better fit for a single graphics card plus drives than for a build full of expansion cards.

Typically about £255 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

CriterionWeightASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFIMSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI
Platform and features25%7/107/10
Connectivity25%9/109/10
Power delivery20%7/108/10
BIOS and support15%5/104/10
Value15%6/107/10
Overall7.1/107.2/10

Specifications

SpecASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFIMSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)LGA1851AM5, supports Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 series desktop CPUs
ChipsetIntel B860AMD X870
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)Mini-ITX (6.7 x 6.7 in)ATX, 304.8 × 243.84 mm
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speedDDR5, 2 DIMM slots, max 128GB, up to 9066+ MT/s (OC), non-ECC unbuffered, CUDIMM supportedDDR5, 4 × UDIMM slots, maximum 256GB, non-ECC unbuffered only; overclocked 8400–5600 MT/s, JEDEC 5600–4800 MT/s
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generation2 slots: M.2_1 PCIe 5.0 x4 (CPU-attached, 2260/2280); M.2_2 PCIe 4.0 x4 (chipset-attached, 2242/2260/2280)4 slots: M.2_1 and M.2_2 from CPU at PCIe 5.0 x4 (M.2_2 shares bandwidth with rear USB4 ports); M.2_3 PCIe 4.0 x2 and M.2_4 PCIe 4.0 x4 from chipset
PCIe slots1 x PCIe 5.0 x163 × x16 physical slots: PCI_E1 PCIe 5.0 x16 from CPU; PCI_E2 PCIe 3.0 x1 from chipset; PCI_E3 PCIe 4.0 x4 from chipset, drops to x2 when M2_3 is populated
Wired and wireless networking (e.g. 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 7)Intel 2.5GbE (one port); Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) 2x2; Bluetooth 5.4Realtek 8126-CG 5G LAN; Wi-Fi 7 with Bluetooth 5.4 pre-installed in M.2 Key-E slot
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB4Rear: 1 Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1 USB 20Gbps USB-C, 1 USB 10Gbps Type-A, 3 USB 5Gbps Type-A, 2 USB 2.0 Type-A (8 ports); front USB-C 10Gbps header12 rear ports: 4 × USB 2.0, 3 × USB 5Gbps Type-A, 2 × USB 10Gbps Type-A, 1 × USB 10Gbps Type-C, 2 × USB 40Gbps Type-C (USB4); front: 1 × USB 20Gbps Type-C header, 4 × USB 5Gbps Type-A

Strengths and weaknesses

ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI

  • + Thunderbolt 4, 20Gbps USB-C and Wi-Fi 7 on one board
  • + PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot
  • + 10+1+2+1 VRM with 80A DrMOS, praised by owners
  • − No BIOS Flashback, according to TechPowerUp
  • − Some memory boot and profile problems reported
  • − Armoury Crate software criticised by an owner and a reviewer

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want BIOS Flashback for updating without a CPU installed.
  • Builders who need more than two DIMM slots or a second Ethernet port.
  • Anyone pairing the top LGA1851 chip with a cramped, poorly ventilated case.
Read the full ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI review ›

MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI

  • + Two USB4 ports and a 20Gbps front Type-C header
  • + 14+2+1 phase VRM with 80A power stages
  • + Wi-Fi 7 and 5G LAN, with four M.2 slots
  • − Owners report boot loops after BIOS updates
  • − M.2_2 shares bandwidth with the rear USB4 ports
  • − X870 chipset, not X870E

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want X870E rather than X870
  • Builders who need several fast expansion slots alongside multiple NVMe drives
  • Anyone who wants to avoid any risk of BIOS update trouble or CUDIMM boot problems
Read the full MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI review ›

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