ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING 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 ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI at 7.1/10.

The ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI leads on power delivery.

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

They score the same on platform and features and connectivity.

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

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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

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Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI	MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI
Platform and features	25%	7/10	7/10
Connectivity	25%	9/10	9/10
Power delivery	20%	7/10	6/10
BIOS and support	15%	5/10	7/10
Value	15%	6/10	8/10
Overall		7.1/10	7.5/10

Specifications

Spec	ASUS ROG STRIX B860-I GAMING WIFI	MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)	LGA1851	LGA 1851, supports Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
Chipset	Intel B860	Intel Z890
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)	Mini-ITX (6.7 x 6.7 in)	ATX, PCB 243.84 x 304.8 mm
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speed	DDR5, 2 DIMM slots, max 128GB, up to 9066+ MT/s (OC), non-ECC unbuffered, CUDIMM supported	4 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 generation	2 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 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 slots	1 x PCIe 5.0 x16	PCI_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)	Intel 2.5GbE (one port); Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) 2x2; Bluetooth 5.4	Intel Killer E5000B 5Gbps LAN; Intel Killer BE1750x Wi-Fi 7 with Bluetooth 5.4
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB4	Rear: 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 header	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

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 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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