The MSI MAG motherboard series is the most popular among users, primarily for its excellent balance of technology, support, and cost. Currently, the manufacturer divides motherboards into the MORTAR versions of the microATX format and TOMAHAWK, which are made in the ATX form factor and endowed with more significant capabilities. In today’s MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi review, we’ll look at one of the most well-rounded and feature-rich motherboards based on the AMD B850 chipset in the mid-range segment.
MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi Review
Unboxing
The motherboard comes in a standard box made of thick cardboard with original printing. MSI chose black and gray colors for its new product and an unusual poisonous green that attracts attention. Inside, the MAG B850 Tomаhawk MAX WiFi is in an antistatic bag in a cardboard box.
Under it, an extensive package is hidden: instructions, a set of stickers, M.2 bolts and standoffs, an EZ Front Panel cable, a Wi-Fi antenna, a proprietary MSI EZ Connect-cable V2 adapter cable, two SATA cables, and a key fob for installing the standoffs.
Design and Aesthetics
The manufacturer positions the MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi motherboard as an excellent gaming solution, providing a stable, durable, and easy-to-assemble PC platform. The new product is made in unusual black and green colors, which will be remembered against the background of faceless models. Like the entire MSI MAG series, the object under study is made in military style.
It is built on the AMD AM5 platform and supports current Ryzen 7000/8000/9000 series processors. The printed circuit board is black with a matte finish. Two large finned radiators surround the socket.
On the rear interface panel, we can see as many as three USB Type-C 10G ports, assisted by 2 x USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1, and 4 x USB 2.0. Additionally, there are two buttons for flashing and resetting the BIOS, an HDMI video output, a LAN port, two connectors for Wi-Fi 7 antennas, audio jacks, and an optical S/PDIF.
Additional power for the motherboard is provided via 24-pin MB connectors, two 8-pin EPS connectors for the processor, and one PCIe Power 8-pin GPU connector for powering the PCI Express slots. The upper right corner of the motherboard conveniently houses an EZ Debug LED indication, four ports for fans and a pump, and another connector for ARGB lighting (3-pin 5V).
PCIe and Expansion Features
MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi has a convenient EZ PCIe Release button for removing the video card. A small window above displays the indicator for opening and closing the PCI Express latch. To the right is a new development—the EZ Conn V2 connector.
This header lets you connect ARGB Gen1 and Gen2 LED strips, fans, and USB 2.0 devices. You can also use it to connect ARGB MPG EZ120 fans.
Front & Lower Section
The MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi motherboard’s front panel connection implements a USB Type-C 20G connector and two USB 3.0 ports. Between them are two blocks of two SATA 6 Gbps connectors.
The bottom of the motherboard is a real treat. One of the best integrated audio chips, the Realtek ALC4080, sits on the left—a nice plus for a motherboard in this segment. ASUS could take a few notes and learn from this. There are two ports for backlighting and a PCIe Power 8-Pin GPU for additional power supply to the graphics card slot.
To the right of the USB 2.0 9-pin connector are ports for fans, backlighting, and the front F_Panel. There are also barely noticeable Clear CMOS and jOCFS1 jumpers listed as safe boot jumpers.
It has four M.2 SSD slots cooled by flat heatsink plates. The first two M.2 ports support processor lanes and the PCIe 5.0 x4 interface.
The first has a simple EZ M.2 Clip II lock for opening and EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II dual-sided cooling.
MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi PCB
MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi motherboard with cooling elements removed.
The manufacturer discloses the VRM power scheme on the main product page, stating it follows the ’14 + 2 + 1′ formula for CPU, SoC, and Misc. I’m also interested in examining the markings. The PWM controller is Monolithic Power Systems MP2857, and the MOSFETs are Monolithic Power Systems MPS2433 with a current of 80A.
The MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi’s cooling system is impressive—it consists of two large VRM radiators with massive fins without a heat pipe, three plates for M.2, and a huge block of metal for the chipset. With such cooling, one might get the impression that the AMD B850 chip consumes not 6 W but all 20 W.
Software
MSI has updated the BIOS interface for all new products. Now, it is MSI Click BIOS X. The MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi model is dark green. The scheme and design have changed significantly; however, they have become even more convenient.
A simplified page with the main characteristics opens by default. When you turn it on for the first time, the system asks if you should leave PBO by default or activate it, which is very convenient.
The extended BIOS version is accessible by pressing the F7 key.
MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi review test
MSI has updated the MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi motherboard’s main BIOS to the latest version, 2.A20, which includes AGESA 1.2.0.3a Patch A.
Let’s move on to the RAM test. By default, the Team Group T-Force Xtreem ARGB DDR5-6000 2×16 kit automatically launched on the JEDEC-4800 profile. We get the values shown in the screenshot.
Next, we manually activate EXPO I with a frequency of 6000 MHz and timings of “30-36-36”.
Cinebench R24 benchmark test results.
The final chord will feature a disk subsystem test using a Team T-Create Classic C47 (1 TB, PCIe 4.0), installed in the motherboard’s first slot connected to the processor lines.
The VRM power section reached 45°C without additional airflow, which clearly shows excellent performance. The chipset—up to 51°C, and the M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 drive—up to 75°C. Faster and hotter SSD models on the PCIe 5.0 x4 interface will require better cooling.
Final Line
The MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi motherboard is a good example of a mid-price segment product with all the bells and whistles! It has excellent equipment, high-quality VRM, Wi-Fi 7 support, a 5G network port, a 20G USB port, exclusive, convenient features, and even a built-in sound card you won’t be ashamed of.
We could not find any shortcomings. One can only say about the uniqueness and specificity of the color scheme.
To sum it up, we have a genuinely excellent motherboard! The MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi will be an excellent choice for building any class and level workstation or gaming station.
Also see: MSI MPG Z890 Edge Ti WiFi Motherboard Review: Power Meets Intel Core Ultra
You can already purchase it on Amazon.com for $219.99 and on Amazon.co.uk for £229.99. Thanks for reading! If you found this MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi review helpful, feel free to share it with fellow PC builders, and let us know your thoughts or questions in the comments. We appreciate your support!
