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MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK 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 B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI scores 7.5/10 overall, ahead of the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI at 7.2/10.

The MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI leads on BIOS and support and value.

The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI leads on connectivity.

They score the same on platform and features and power delivery.

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.

Typically about £189.99 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

CriterionWeightMSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFIMSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI
Platform and features25%7/107/10
Connectivity25%8/109/10
Power delivery20%8/108/10
BIOS and support15%6/104/10
Value15%8/107/10
Overall7.5/107.2/10

Specifications

SpecMSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFIMSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)AMD Socket AM5AM5, supports Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 series desktop CPUs
ChipsetAMD B850AMD X870
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)ATXATX, 304.8 × 243.84 mm
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speedDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 256GB, DDR5-8200+ MT/s (OC)DDR5, 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 generation3 slots: 1x M.2 Gen5 x4 (CPU-sourced), 2x M.2 Gen4 x44 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 slots1x PCIe 5.0 x16, 1x PCIe 4.0 x4, 1x PCIe 3.0 x13 × 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)Realtek 5G LAN (5Gbps), Wi-Fi 7, 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 USB41x USB 20Gbps Type-C, 4x USB 10Gbps (2 Type-A, 2 Type-C), 4x USB 5Gbps Type-A, 8x USB 2.0; no USB412 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

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 ›

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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