MSI MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi Motherboard Review

The MSI MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi is a mid-range motherboard on the X870E chipset, offering a solid set of features and expansion options for those looking to build a Ryzen 9000 gaming PC. The MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi offers solid overclocking support both for RAM and the CPU, rear IO is incredibly robust, offering a range of high-speed ports and networking options, alongside ample headers to plug in various components. However, with so many X870E motherboards to choose from, the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi has some tough competition, which is why we’ve put it through the wringer in a series of tests and analysis to see how it fares.

TOMAHAWK motherboards are a staple of any motherboard launch, sitting between their Carbon and Gaming Plus ranges. Much like their recent VANGUARD graphics card offering, the TOMAHAWK range of boards strikes a delicate balance between pricing and features. This board caters to those looking to leverage all of the great features and expansion options that come with the X870E chipset but without breaking the bank.

In this review of the MSI MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi, we’ll explore its specs, box accessories, design, features, and more to determine its value proposition compared to other X870E motherboards on the market.

Buy the MSI MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi on:

Specification

On paper, the MSI MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi features a decent set of specs compared to other boards we’ve looked at previously. In terms of the overclocking capability, this board supports a max capacity of 256GB RAM, which can be clocked up to 8400MT/s. For VRM power phases, this board provides a 14+2+1 configuration, which is plenty of power to sustain a decent overclock on your Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 processor.

For expansion, the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi features a singular x16 graphics card slot, utilising Gen5 speeds, ready for NVIDIA’s RTX 5000 series of graphics cards. There is an additional x16 slot towards the bottom of the motherboard, but this is rated at x4 speeds, so this is the slot you’d use for a USB or network expansion card. On the storage front, the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi has four M.2 slots, two Gen5 and two Gen4. It’s great to see four total storage expansion slots on this board, especially with two using Gen5 speeds.

For USBs, on the front, you’ll find two USB 2.0 headers, two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A headers, and one USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C header. This will be more than ample for most builders, but it is a shame there are only two USB 2.0 ports, especially as more coolers and fans have begun to use this header for data gathering. On the rear are twelve ports, four of which are USB 2.0, and the rest are blazing-fast high-speed ports. X870E motherboards tend to be pretty rich regarding USB ports, and this motherboard is no exception.

Also on the rear IO are two 3.5mm audio jacks and an optical S/PDIF port. While the audio selection on this motherboard is pretty limited overall, the optical S/PDIF port provides some options for those with sound bars or speaker setups. For networking, gamers can leverage 5 Gigabit LAN and WiFi 7, which provide excellent speeds and are solid for lag-free gaming.

What’s in the Box?

Most motherboards on the market come with additional gadgets, cables, and accessories to help during the building process. These are worth noting if you’re looking to free up headers or fully utilise the features available on the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK.

First up is the WiFi 7 antenna. This is required if you want to increase the range of your WiFi signal to your PC. Fortunately, with the introduction of the WiFi 7 standard, all the new antennas use a clip-in method to install it instead of screws.

Alongside this are a range of accessories for M.2 storage, such as the plate screws and M.2 Clip Remover. These are used to install NVMe drives without any additional tools. MSI offers a USB drive to install drivers or an operating system, a nice value-add.

You’ll also find three sets of cables: two SATA data cables for those with SATA drives, a JAF1 cable that combines RGB and PWM fan control, and an EZ front panel cable that works similarly to the older Q-connectors found in Gigabyte motherboards. Overall, these are useful and worth keeping in case you need them while building.

MSI MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi Design

The MSI MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi is a fairly sleek-looking motherboard. Much like other TOMAHAWK options we’ve reviewed previously, the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi is primarily black, which includes the PCB, RAM DIMMs and various headers dotted around the board. The black allows this board to blend in with other dark components easily, and the minimalist design won’t take away from the overall look of your build.

MSI has covered the various heatsinks on this board with its familiar MAG brand and livery, but instead of black, they’ve chosen a contrasting green. I’m a fan of the green, as it makes the board stand out, but not everyone will appreciate the contrasting colour. There’s not much else to cover from an aesthetic point of view. TOMAHAWK motherboards have always been simpler than their Carbon, Edge and ACE counterparts. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing either, but it means that the MSI MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi isn’t that much of a looker.

Regarding the other design elements, the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi uses an eight-layer PCB, ensuring stability and strong connectivity. There is a mass of heatsinks across the board, keeping thermals at bay, which includes the rather beefy VRM power configuration. MSI has also provided a few tool-less features to minimise hassle during the building process, making this board a decent pickup for beginners or intermediate builders.

Connectivity Options

Graphics Card Slots

Moving onto expansion, as we mentioned in the specs section of this article, the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi is equipped with one Gen5 graphics card slot that runs at full x16 speeds. This slot supports NVIDIA RTX 5000 graphics cards without issues, but as there’s only one slot, there’s no possibility of running a second GPU simultaneously.

It’s worth highlighting that the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi features an additional PCI-E power header at the bottom of the motherboard. This provides extra power for the primary PCI-E slot on the board, which is aimed at those pushing their builds with more burdensome GPU workloads.

M.2 Slots

Four M.2 slots are on this motherboard, two Gen5 and two Gen4. It’s excellent that four drive slots are available to choose from, catering to those with plenty of storage to install. The two drives closest to the top of the motherboard are Gen5, while the remaining two are Gen4. MSI has been a bit more relaxed with tool-less slots, offering a latch mechanism for the top heatsink but sticking to screws for the others. This isn’t a deal-breaker for us, but considering the price of this motherboard, it feels like a lost opportunity not to make the board fully-toolless.

RAM DIMMs

The RAM configuration on the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi is similar to that of other X870E motherboards. In terms of capacity, four DIMM slots support a total of 256GB, which is four 64GB DIMMs. Regarding speeds, builders can max out their RAM to 8400MT/s. This isn’t the strongest speed we’ve seen on an X870E motherboard, but it will still uplift performance if you’re willing to sacrifice stability.

Rear IO

One of the standout qualities of the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi is its rear IO. As mentioned earlier, this board offers twelve ports, most of which are high-speed options, minus the four USB 2.0 ports. It’s fantastic that there are so many ports on a board of this calibre, as this caters to enthusiasts with plenty of peripherals or extra USB devices.

Alongside the USB ports, you’ll find a solid set of networking ports, including 5 Gigabit LAN and WiFi 7, which are great for a buttery smooth online gaming experience. Audio on this motherboard is a notable weakness. Offering only two 3.5mm audio jacks and an optical S/PDIF port, there aren’t many options for those with complex setups.

Internal Headers

CPU and Motherboard Power

Shifting to internal headers, the MSI MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi uses a reasonably basic power configuration. Because this board isn’t explicitly geared towards overclocking, it draws less power than other high-end options on the market. At the top left of the PCB are the two CPU EPS eight-pin headers. It’s fairly common to see two eight-pin headers, even on lower-end boards, as plugging in both better distributes power delivery and handles thermals.

The right side of the PCB houses the motherboard power, in which this board uses the typical 24-pin power connector. It’s worth pointing out that the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi doesn’t feature power delivery through the front USB, so there isn’t an extra PCI-E header for this.

Front USB Headers

The selection of front USB headers on this motherboard is slightly confusing. While it’s great to see two USB 3.0 headers, I’d much rather have access to an additional one or two USB 2.0 headers. As we’ve mentioned before, it’s becoming increasingly important for boards to include USB 2.0, especially as a greater number of components, such as fans and coolers, use this to interface with the board and provide either data or additional control.

Despite this, the overall selection is fairly robust. On the board’s right are the USB-C and USB 3.0 headers, all right-angled. The remaining two USB 2.0 ports are at the bottom of the PCB near the front panel power.

Pump and Fan Headers

Across the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WIFi, the pump and fan headers are solid. Three sit at the top, these ‘CPU_Fan’, ‘Pump_Sys Fan’ and a ‘CHA_Fan’. These are the main headers that your coolers and fans will plug into, especially if you’re using splitters.

The rest of the chassis can headers are located in the top-right corner and the bottom-right of the mobo near JFP1. Ultimately, these are a bit more spaced out, but it’s good to know that there’es still a bountiful set of options available should the need arrive to use them.

RGB Headers

The last set of headers to cover on this motherboard is the 3-pin addressable style. Unfortunately, the MSI MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi shares the same headers as most of the boards we’ve looked at previously. There are three in total, two at the bottom of the board, while the other sits next to the chassis fan at the top right.

Features We Like

Minimalist Design

The design is one of my favourite qualities of this board and other MSI TOMAHAWK options. MSI has opted for a sleek black minimalist look that easily blends in well with other black components without steering the build in a specific direction. Additionally, the contrasting green is a nice touch, making it stand out from motherboards, which are entirely one colour.

Robust Rear IO Selection

As mentioned in several sections, the rear IO of the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi is one of its strengths. There’s an ample selection of ports, including blazing-fast networking. The only caveat is that audio is lacking, but this won’t be a deal-breaker for everyone.

Features We Don’t Like

Minimal Tool-Less Features

While this motherboard has tool-less features, MSI has taken a bit of a relaxed approach. Some of the lower heatsinks are screwed in. Instead of utilising latches, the RAM DIMM slots use two clips instead of one. We’re being picky here, but for a £300/$350 motherboard, it’s disappointing that there isn’t more focus on usability.

Lacklustre Audio Options

It seems to be a bit of a recurring theme with X870E motherboards, but unfortunately, the MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WiFi is pretty weak on the audio front. If you’re building more of a workstation system with audio interfaces or speakers, we recommend looking at alternative motherboards offering better ports.

Conclusion