Published: November 12, 2023 | Price: £309.98 | Author: Tom Logan

MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk Max Review

Introduction and Technical Specifications

Introduction

So far our time with the newest 14th Generation Intel processor compatible Z790 motherboards has seen a swathe of great products. We’ve tried to cover a model that will be of interest to everyone. There have been some premium models, and few surprises. Although the Gigabyte Master X was a little disappointing. The latest motherboard we’re going to put through it’s paces is from the affordable MAG range from Microstar International. The MSI Tomahawk Max. You might be familiar with the Tomahawk name, and there has even been a Z790 version, as it’s long been a name MSI have used. The new Max moniker indicates it’s part of their latest range. We saw that before when we reviewed the MEG Ace Max.

Knowing that the 14th Generation of Intel Processors have grabbed everyone’s attention, an affordable Z790 might be just what you need. Particularly given how Intel’s Core i7-14700K has proven to be so popular. If the MSI MEG models are too rich for your wallet, the MAG series has often offered a lot of the features at a fraction of the price. We had to find out of the MSI Tomahawk Max followed this trend.

Certainly a casual glance through the specifications don’t show too much missing from the feature set. Four M.2s instead of five, and a lack of a Thunderbolt 4 seem to be the main things. Perhaps it’s best to think of the MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk Max as a motherboard for right now, rather than one that hopes to come into its own in a years time. As always we’ll look at it up close, take a tour and then get down to the business of benchmarking. Ready? Let’s go.