MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk Review
Conclusion
Conclusion
It’s fair to say that the Intel Core Ultra launch was divisive.
Such was Intel’s determination to improve the power draw, and thus temperatures, of their processors that we didn’t really gain any performance. Some people felt that the 13th and 14th generation processors had got so hot and unwieldy that any short-term step backwards would become a long-term gain. Thus, from one angle, you’re getting a 14th Gen performer at much more manageable temperatures. Of course others feel that unless the newest model is 25% quicker than the old one it’s a waste of time. You just undervolt the previous gen and achieve the same effect. Tomato tomato.
Which side of that fence you sit on is up to you. What can’t be denied is that if you’re coming afresh into the latest Intel processors, or your previous model was 10th Gen or earlier, you’ll wonder what the fuss was about. They’re more than fast enough. You probably want a motherboard to plug it into, and the new Intel B860 chipset is the perfect jumping on point. Here in MSI’s MAG B860 Tomahawk WiFi format it has found its true calling.
What impresses us most about the Tomahawk is how it fares against some bigger, more expensive rivals. The very nature of this job requires we point out even the slightest performance boost or drop. In the Real World™ the 17 points behind the top performance in Cinebench R24 that the Tomahawk is will scarcely be noticed. Similarly in the very demanding – and not just on your wallet in DLC terms – Total Warhammer III sees the Tomahawk 3 FPS behind the ASUS Maximus Extreme. 163 vs 166. Do you think that’s worth the umpteen hundred pounds price difference? Obviously in a mission critical, time is money, endeavour maybe it is. For 99% of us, this is all the motherboard you actually need.
MSI have been on a roll lately, and their lurid green models in particular have been excellent. The MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk WiFi does nothing to besmirch that good name and wins our OC3D Gamers Choice Award.
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