MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi Review

The MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WIFi is a competitively priced motherboard aimed at gamers looking to build an excellent PC. This board features a solid range of superb features such as 5 Gigabit LAN and WiFi 7 networking, high-speed RAM overclocking, ample Gen5 support, and Thunderbolt 4, which is ideal for those who need fast transfer speeds. However, to see how this motherboard fares against other B860 competitors, we’ve tested and analysed its various features and connectivity to determine its value proposition.

While the Intel Core Ultra platform wasn’t received with overwhelming positivity, the B860 chipset may be one solution to Intel’s woes. B860 boards are inherently cheaper than their Z890 counterparts, opening up a gap in the market for prospective buyers to enjoy the benefits of the LGA 1851 platform at a much lower price point. This may make it worth considering for many builders, especially as Intel refines its performance and features over the coming years.

This review thoroughly examines the MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi, assessing its expansion options, connectivity, box accessories, internal headers, and more. This provides an overview that helps us determine whether it is worth purchasing.

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Specification

Looking at this motherboard’s specs, the MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi is an ATX form factor option that caters to the mid-range and budget markets. Regarding overclocking support, this board supports RAM speeds up to 9200MT/s, with a max capacity of 256GB. Unfortunately, Intel has stuck to their roots by limiting CPU overclocking support to Z890 boards, which means the VRM power configuration isn’t hugely relevant. However, the MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi offers a 12+1+1+1 VRM power phase design, which is ample for Intel Core Ultra CPUs.

In terms of expansion, this board features a Gen5 graphics card slot ready for the next generation of NVIDIA and AMD GPUs. On the storage front, there are three SSD slots in total. The primary slot below the CPU is Gen5, while the additional two are Gen4. It would be great to see an extra storage slot, similar to what’s available on the B850 TOMAHAWK MAX, but three will be ample for most builders.

Moving onto IO, the front IO offers four USB headers: two USB 2.0, one USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A header, and one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C header, accommodating one port. We’d like an extra USB 2.0 header, providing options for those with advanced fans and coolers.

On the rear IO, you’ll find ten ports, four USB 2.0, four USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port, and a Thunderbolt 4 port. It’s great to see Thunderbolt 4 on this motherboard, especially as it caters to those with high-speed external devices. Networking is also excellent, with the MAG B860 TOMAHAWK offering both 5 Gigabit LAN and WiFi 7, ideal for lag-free online gaming. The only major area of this board lacking in terms of the rear IO is the audio selection, which offers a fairly limited offering of two 3.5mm jacks and Optical S/PDIF.

What’s in the Box?

Motherboard manufacturers often provide additional accessories inside the box to assist prospective buyers during the building process. MSI has included a few gadgets inside the MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi box, highlighted below.

The main accessory that you’ll need to install is the WiFi antenna. This increases the range of your WiFi 7. Since the introduction of WiFi 7, motherboard manufacturers have transitioned to a snap-in connector style instead of screws, which makes the WiFi antenna incredibly easy to install, or remove.

This board also features MSI’s tool-less EZ M.2 clips. These can be screwed into an SSD standoff and used to secure an M.2 drive without the need for any extra tools.

Alongside this, you’ll find three sets of cables: SATA data for those with any SATA-based drives, the 1 to 2 EZ Conn-Cable, which uses MSI’s JAF header, and the EZ front panel cable, which streamlines JFP1 pins into a single header, making front panel power much more straightforward to plug in. This cable combines PWM fan control and RGB, saving some header space if you have a supporting cooler or set of fans. Lastly, the EZ front panel cable streamlines JFP1 pins into a single header, making the front panel power much more straightforward to plug in.

MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi Design

The MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi features a design not dissimilar from previous chipset models. The entire PCB features a blacked-out aesthetic, including the various heatsinks around the board.

MSI has opted for a contrasting green livery on the heatsinks, which showcases the ‘MAG’ branding. Overall, I’m a big fan of the look. We commented on this in our review of the B850 TOMAHAWK MAX. While the green clashes with the black to a degree, it makes the board stand out more compared to the massive range of all-black motherboards on the market.

Lighting on this motherboard is scarce. While there are plenty of RGB headers (which we’ll touch on later), MSI hasn’t placed any LEDs on the board. I like that this board is a bit simpler regarding lighting. Additionally, lighting on a motherboard can be harder to control unless you’re willing to install extra software like SignalRGB.

There could be a greater heatsink presence towards the centre of the motherboard. The two Gen4 SSD slots sit at the bottom of the PCB. I don’t mind this design, but compared to the B850 TOMAHAWK MAX, the centre of the board looks a bit more bare, which won’t appeal to everyone.

Despite this, the design of the MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi is solid. While this is one of the simpler boards on the market regarding aesthetics, I find it often better than blown-out RGB and heavy-heatsink PCBs. Simple can be better in many instances.

Connectivity Options

Graphics Card Slots

In terms of graphics card expansion, the MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi features one primary Gen5 slot at the top of the board. This slot is tool-less and has a quick-release button that can lock in the GPU, making it incredibly easy to install or remove.

At the bottom of the MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi is an extra 8-pin PCI-E power header. This can be plugged in if you plan on pushing your PC with more challenging workloads. The additional header is great to see, especially with the arrival of NVIDIA RTX 5000 and AMD RX 9000 graphics cards.

M.2 Slots

The MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi offers three NVMe M.2 slots, one Gen5 and two Gen4. A board of this calibre should feature an extra storage slot, unlike its B850 counterpart, which has an extra Gen5 slot and is priced similarly. It feels like a missed opportunity to include more SSD storage space on this board.

RAM DIMMs

DDR5 RAM can reach exceptional speeds, and refinements over the past few years have dramatically increased performance. The MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK offers a max RAM capacity of 256GB, which can be overclocked to 9200MT/s. Those looking to maximise performance will want to utilise this board’s solid RAM overclocking.

Rear IO

The MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi provides a solid selection of IO ports, with ten in total. The rear IO includes four USB 2.0 ports, four USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port, and a Thunderbolt 4 port.

I’m glad MSI has included a Thunderbolt 4 port on the MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi. This USB standard is a mainstay on Z890 motherboards, providing data transfer speeds up to 40Gbps, catering to those with fast external devices. The rest of the rear IO is decent across the board. The nine other USB ports are more than ample for gamers to plug in numerous peripherals. MSI also offers 5 Gigabit LAN and WiFi 7 for networking, which are ideal for high-speed gaming.

The only major weakness of this motherboard’s rear IO is the lack of decent audio options. Near the right of the rear IO, you’ll find two 3.5mm audio jacks and Optical S/PDIF. While Optical S/PDIF does cater to specific speaker setups, the overall selection is pretty lacking and limiting to those with audio interfaces or more than a couple of devices.

Internal Headers

CPU and Motherboard Power

The MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi’s power configuration is fairly standard, offering builders the essentials they need to get started. At the top right of the motherboard are two 8-pin EPS CPU headers. We recommend plugging in both of these, as this better distributes power delivery than just one header.

Just underneath this is the 24-pin motherboard power header. This long rectangular header is required to be plugged in to power the board. MSI hasn’t included an extra PCI-E power next to motherboard power as the front USB-C ports don’t offer power delivery or quick charge.

Front USB Headers

The MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi has four front USB headers, which is relatively typical compared to other boards. At the right of the PCB are the USB-C and USB-3 headers.

MSI has chosen a right-angled USB 3 header, which makes it easier to plug in and keep tidy during cable management. Both USB 2.0 headers sit underneath the bottom PCI-E slot. They support a maximum of two ports each.

Pump and Fan Headers

On this board are six fan headers, plus an additional JAF1 header for those with supporting MSI components. Because the MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi utilises an unconventional layout, the location of the pump and fan headers is slightly different from other boards.

At the top of the PCB, you’ll find ‘Sys_Fan2’ at the top right where CPU power would traditionally be, while ‘CPU_Opt’, ‘CPU_Fan’ and ‘Sys_Fan1’ are just above motherboard power. The remaining headers are located at the bottom of the motherboard. Six headers on this board are more than ample for builders to plug in plenty of fans and coolers, and while an extra header would be great to see, I don’t think it’s entirely necessary.

RGB Headers

As we alluded to earlier, while MSI has kept the lighting on this board reasonably minimal, they haven’t restricted the number of RGB headers you can use to plug in your components. The MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi has three addressable 3-pin headers: one above motherboard power and two at the bottom of the PCB. Like the fan headers, I think three is more than enough for most builders. If you run out of space, a splitter can quickly rectify this, freeing up room for more RGB.

Building with the MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi

Building a PC with a modern motherboard has become incredibly simple over the past few years, thanks to the efforts of manufacturers. The MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK is a prime example of this. There are a few tool-less mechanisms designed to make installing components much more straightforward, such as the GPU locking button and the EZ M.2 clip on the primary SSD slot. 

It would be excellent if this board had more tool-less slots, but MSI only providing a couple isn’t a deal-breaker for us. Regardless, this board is effortless to build with and worth considering if you want to assemble a hassle-free system.

Features We Like

Rear IO Selection

The rear IO is one of the MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi’s key strengths. It offers a bountiful selection of USBs and strong networking options for gamers looking to enjoy minimal lag. Furthermore, the integrated IO shield allows you to slide this motherboard straight into a case, avoiding pesky IO shields.

RAM Overclocking Support

One significant benefit of the Intel Core Ultra platform is that RAM overclocking speeds have improved significantly compared to the previous generation. The MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi supports RAM speeds up to a whopping 9200MT/s, which offers solid performance bonuses at the cost of stability.

Features We Don’t Like

M.2 Expansion

Considering this is an ATX motherboard with plenty of space in the centre of the PCB, it’s surprising to see only three SSD slots. I understand this board is primarily targeted at budget and mid-range builds, but when we compare the MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK to similarly priced options with more slots, the alternatives look more tempting.

No CPU Overclocking Support

One of the inherent disadvantages of B860 motherboards is their lack of support for CPU overclocking. Intel limits this to the ‘Z’ series chipsets, which means those with a B860 motherboard are left out. If you plan on pushing your Core Ultra CPU, it will be worth considering a Z890 option over the MSI MAG B860 TOMAHAWK WiFi.

Conclusion