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ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E 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 X870E-E GAMING WIFI scores 7.5/10 overall, ahead of the MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK at 5.8/10.

The ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI leads on platform and features, connectivity, power delivery and BIOS and support.

They score the same on value.

The biggest difference is connectivity, where the ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI scores 8/10 to the MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK's 5/10.

ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI

ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI

7.5/10verdict: buy

This board is for builders putting a Ryzen 7000, 8000 or 9000 chip into an AM5 system. It suits people who want several PCIe 5.0 NVMe drives, USB4 and Wi-Fi 7 on one ATX board. It also fits those who value strong power delivery and a BIOS that owners describe as stable.

Typically about £415.99 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

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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.

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Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFIMSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK
Platform and features25%8/106/10
Connectivity25%8/105/10
Power delivery20%8/107/10
BIOS and support15%7/105/10
Value15%6/106/10
Overall7.5/105.8/10

Specifications

SpecASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFIMSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)AM5 (LGA 1718), supports Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 desktop CPUsAMD Socket AM4
ChipsetAMD X870EAMD B550
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)ATXATX
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speedDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, maximum 192GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC), AMD EXPO supportDDR4, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 128 GB
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generationFive M.2 slots: three PCIe 5.0 NVMe and two PCIe 4.0, all with heatsinksTwo M.2 slots
PCIe slotsOne PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (sources conflict; ASUS UK page says two PCIe 5.0 x16 SafeSlots)One 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)Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with ASUS Q-Antenna, Realtek 5Gb EthernetRealtek RTL8125B 2.5GbE plus Realtek RTL8111H Gigabit LAN; no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on the base model
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB4Two rear USB4 Type-C ports, plus two front USB 20Gbps Type-C connectors (one with Quick Charge 4+ up to 60W)2x 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 X870E-E GAMING WIFI

  • + Five M.2 slots, three of them PCIe 5.0
  • + Two rear USB4 Type-C ports and Wi-Fi 7
  • + 18+2+2 VRM with dual 8-pin power
  • − Ethernet is 5Gb, not 10Gb
  • − Top memory speeds of 8000+ MT/s need overclocking

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need 10GbE built into the board.
  • Builders who only need a few drives and basic USB and don't need a premium feature set.
  • Anyone building in a small case that cannot take a full ATX board.
Read the full ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E 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 ›

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