Verdict and Conclusion
According to MSI, their MAG series of motherboards (MSI ARSENAL GAMING), focuses on functionality and durability. These motherboards take their likeness from rugged military equipment and are ready for battle. So with that said, the MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WiFi motherboard is targeted at the mainstream market, for gamers and users who wants an affordable motherboard that’s rich in features.
The motherboard has a black matte finish and includes their Frozr Guard cooling system with heavy plated VRM heatsinks, as well as a large chipset heratsink for more efficient cooling. It offers excellent stability and reliability, thanks to the 4+2+1 Duet Rail Power System , 80A SPS, server-grade PCB with 8-layers and 2oz thickened Copper.
During our tests, we managed to get excellent scores in all of our benchmarks. For Cinebench 2024, we got a very good score of 2,350 points for multi core, and 135 points for single core. For PCMark 10, we got a very nice score of 10,430, and a score of 17,258 for PassMark 11.
We also got a very good score of 11,778 for Procyon Video Editing Benchmark, and a score of 231 for the AI Computer Vision Benchmark. For 3DMark Steel Nomad and Speedway, we got amazing scores of 6,810 and 7,545 respectively. And finally, for Port Royal and Timespy, we got a very good score of 18,781 and 26,010 respectively.
Let’s continue with the review and look at some of the features found on the board. The motherboard comes 4 x DDR5 DIMM slots and MSI’s Memory Boost Technology, supporting both XMP and AMD’s EXPO memory modules with speeds of up to DDR5-8400+. And for expansion, you get 1 x PCIE 3.0 x 1 slot, PCIE 4.0 x4 slot and 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 featuring their EZ PCIe Release mechanism which allows for easy securing or removal of graphics cards.
For storage, you get a total of 4 SATA ports, 2 x PCIe Gen5x4 and 2 x PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 slots, featuring their EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II and EZ M.2 Clip II remover.
And what about connectivity? Well, this motherboard has plenty. On the back I/O panel, you’ll find a Flash BIOS button, Clear CMOS, Smart Button, HDMI output, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen2 ports (Type-C), 2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 ports (Type-A), 4 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x USB 3.0 port, 5GB LAN, connectors for WiFi 7, Line-out, Mic-in and optical S/PDIF.
There’s also an exclusive (MSI only) extra Supplemental PCIe Power connector, which provides dedicated power for the high-power demands of GPUs used in AI computing and gaming.
I’ve asked many people about their experiences with MSI motherboards, and they all say the same thing. They love the MSI BIOS. It’s simple to use and easy to navigate … and I second that! Their new Click BIOS X is now even easier to use, and allows users to navigate, access and adjust system configurations with ease.
You can buy the MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WiFi motherboard from Amazon for around USD $230 – https://amzn.to/4html4a (CAD $349 – https://amzn.to/4gdpkg6)
Final Words:
The MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WiFI is no doubt, one of my favourite B850 motherboards so far. It offers good performance, comes with a nice all-black aesthetics, and it’s perfect for gamers and users who’s after an affordable, feature-rich motherboard on the AM5 platform.
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