MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi Review
Conclusion
Conclusion
We have to be careful how we word things here at OC3D. Partly because we don’t want to give you the wrong impression and partly because everything is relative. It’s that relativity that we’re calling up today. Previously the MSI Tomahawk range of motherboards have been at the affordable end of the market. They are for people who want a branded motherboard from one of the big three, but have budgetary limitations. That isn’t to say they were bad. They were just aimed at a price point and hit it sublimely.
The new MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk still ticks the great value box. It’s based upon the X870 chipset rather than the X870E. The primary difference between the two being the amount of PCIe 5.0 lanes available, which affects the M.2 slots. By using that version of the two new AMD chipsets you don’t just get a full fat chipset, but you also save money over the flagship option.
However, we feel like MSI knew when they were designing the MAG X870 Tomahawk that it was going to be a firecracker. The lurid green accents, divisive at best, have been toned down on this model. Once you’ve populated it with all your hardware you’ll struggle to notice any green. Our test system photograph back on the specs page has the Tomahawk installed. It looks fine to us.
There is no escaping the performance though. We can almost eliminate all other considerations. Against a raft of hugely expensive, often flagship, X870 motherboards the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk was consistently the best performer. Is that a feather in the cap of the AMD Chipset designers or MSI? We think both. After all, if putting the chip into the PCB was all it took they’d all perform the same. They clearly don’t. However, going back to our opening comments, we have to be careful. We’re not saying this is miles ahead. The gap between top and bottom is slight. But it is there, and when it is there, it’s usually the Tomahawk stretching ahead of the competition by a nose.
Only if you would rather die than have a motherboard without a light-show built in, or demand 3 Gen5 M.2 slots could you complain. We don’t, so won’t. The Tomahawk has always been a good choice for users on a budget, but the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk is a good motherboard by any measure at all and wins our OC3D Performance Award.
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