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MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK vs MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI

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

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI scores 7.5/10 overall, ahead of the MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK at 5.8/10.

The MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI leads on platform and features, connectivity, power delivery, BIOS and support and value.

The biggest difference is connectivity, where the MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI scores 8/10 to the MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK's 5/10.

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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MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI

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.

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Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightMSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWKMSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI
Platform and features25%6/107/10
Connectivity25%5/108/10
Power delivery20%7/108/10
BIOS and support15%5/106/10
Value15%6/108/10
Overall5.8/107.5/10

Specifications

SpecMSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWKMSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)AMD Socket AM4AMD Socket AM5
ChipsetAMD B550AMD B850
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)ATXATX
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speedDDR4, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 128 GBDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 256GB, DDR5-8200+ MT/s (OC)
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generationTwo M.2 slots3 slots: 1x M.2 Gen5 x4 (CPU-sourced), 2x M.2 Gen4 x4
PCIe slotsOne PCIe 4.0 x16 slot for graphics, one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots1x 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)Realtek RTL8125B 2.5GbE plus Realtek RTL8111H Gigabit LAN; no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on the base modelRealtek 5G LAN (5Gbps), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB42x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps rear ports (one Type-C, one Type-A); other sources list different rear counts1x 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

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 ›

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 ›

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