ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI vs MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI

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

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI and MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI both score 7.5/10 overall.

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

The MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI leads on value.

They score the same on connectivity and power delivery.

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

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

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

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI	MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI
Platform and features	25%	8/10	7/10
Connectivity	25%	8/10	8/10
Power delivery	20%	8/10	8/10
BIOS and support	15%	7/10	6/10
Value	15%	6/10	8/10
Overall		7.5/10	7.5/10

Specifications

Spec	ASUS ROG STRIX X870E-E GAMING WIFI	MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)	AM5 (LGA 1718), supports Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 desktop CPUs	AMD Socket AM5
Chipset	AMD X870E	AMD B850
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)	ATX	ATX
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speed	DDR5, 4 DIMM slots, maximum 192GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC), AMD EXPO support	DDR5, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 256GB, DDR5-8200+ MT/s (OC)
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generation	Five M.2 slots: three PCIe 5.0 NVMe and two PCIe 4.0, all with heatsinks	3 slots: 1x M.2 Gen5 x4 (CPU-sourced), 2x M.2 Gen4 x4
PCIe slots	One PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (sources conflict; ASUS UK page says two PCIe 5.0 x16 SafeSlots)	1x 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)	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with ASUS Q-Antenna, Realtek 5Gb Ethernet	Realtek 5G LAN (5Gbps), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB4	Two rear USB4 Type-C ports, plus two front USB 20Gbps Type-C connectors (one with Quick Charge 4+ up to 60W)	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

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 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 ›

More comparisons

Compare all motherboards · Best motherboards