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MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK 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 MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI at 7.2/10.

The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK 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.

The biggest difference is BIOS and support, where the MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI scores 7/10 to the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI's 4/10.

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

MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI

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 (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 X870 TOMAHAWK WIFIMSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI
Platform and features25%7/107/10
Connectivity25%9/109/10
Power delivery20%8/106/10
BIOS and support15%4/107/10
Value15%7/108/10
Overall7.2/107.5/10

Specifications

SpecMSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFIMSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)AM5, supports Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 series desktop CPUsLGA 1851, supports Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
ChipsetAMD X870Intel Z890
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)ATX, 304.8 × 243.84 mmATX, PCB 243.84 x 304.8 mm
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speedDDR5, 4 × UDIMM slots, maximum 256GB, non-ECC unbuffered only; overclocked 8400–5600 MT/s, JEDEC 5600–4800 MT/s4 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 generation4 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 chipset4 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 slots3 × 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 populatedPCI_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)Realtek 8126-CG 5G LAN; Wi-Fi 7 with Bluetooth 5.4 pre-installed in M.2 Key-E slotIntel Killer E5000B 5Gbps LAN; Intel Killer BE1750x Wi-Fi 7 with Bluetooth 5.4
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and 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-ARear: 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

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 ›

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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