MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi Review

The MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi is a mid-range motherboard targeted at those who want to enjoy next-gen features that come with Intel Core Ultra CPUs. This board offers a solid VRM power phase configuration for overclocking, with 16+1+1+1 phases. The rear IO features 5 Gigabit LAN and a solid selection of high-speed USB ports to connect peripherals and external drives. However, the big question remains: How does this board compare to the previous generation Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX? We’ll answer this question with a full-scale test and analysis of the Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi in this review.

For some context on the TOMAHAWK range of motherboards, this series of PCBs is aimed primarily at the mid-range market. As a general rule, the Z890 chipset is mainly made up of top-end boards, but MSI has a couple of cheaper offerings with great features and expansion options that won’t break the bank. Additionally, one of the significant benefits of picking up a board like the Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi is that it allows overclocking at a cheaper price point, as this isn’t available on B860 and H810 motherboards set to release in 2025.

This motherboard review examines the MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi in-depth, assessing its specs, design, features, expansion, and connectivity options. It also compares it to its predecessor, the MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX.

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Specification

At a glance, the MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi and Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX share similar specs. The MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi has gained an additional VRM power phase. While this doesn’t drastically affect overclocking performance between the two boards, it’s good that the overall power delivery hasn’t weakened. RAM overclocking, however, has seen some improvements, with support for 9200MT/s speeds. This is a significant leap from the 7800MT/s on the Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX, which provides some solid performance boosts at the cost of stability.

Unfortunately, the expansion slots haven’t changed when comparing generations. The Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX offers a Gen5 GPU slot, one Gen5 SSD slot, and three Gen4 SSD slots, the same spec as the MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi. Ultimately, we’d like more Gen5 SSD support, especially for those building top-end PCs. But as we’ve found across our reviews, offering more than one Gen5 slot is generally reserved for enthusiast options.

Front USB is, again, the same as its predecessor, with two USB 2.0 headers, one USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A header, and one USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C. For most prospective buyers, the selection of headers here will be enough, but some extra USB 2.0 options would provide additional benefits for those with plenty of fans or coolers. The rear IO has seen the most change compared to the Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX. There are ten ports, the most notable of which are the two Thunderbolt4 Type-C ports. The rest of the ports comprise four USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports, three USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, and one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port.

Also, on the rear IO, you’ll find 5 Gigabit LAN and WiFi 7 for wired and wireless network options. It’s great to see something other than 2.5 Gigabit LAN on a cheaper motherboard, as this caters to those with more substantial internet speeds. The audio options are relatively limited, which seems to be a recurring theme with LGA1851 boards. It’s great that there’s optical S/PDIF, but we’d prefer to see this alongside more audio jacks, providing options for those with speaker setups.

What’s in the Box?

Before looking at the design of the MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi, we’ll first delve into the box accessories. These often provide builders with additional tools and cables to help ease the building process.

The included WiFi antenna is one of the main accessories in the box of the MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi motherboard. Plugging this in will extend the WiFi range on this board, and it can easily be installed with the snap-in connectors that feature on the latest WiFi 7 antennas.

The blank USB drive in the box can be handy if you don’t have one. We recommend installing Windows on this as a media tool or to store essential PC drivers.

Unfortunately, as we move down a rung on the proverbial pricing ladder, each motherboard comes with fewer accessories. Fortunately, the Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi has a few extras, such as the two SATA data cables and the EZ M.2 clips, alongside the JAF1 cable and front panel cable. Otherwise, there’s not much on offer here.

MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi Design

Moving onto the design, the MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi is a black ATX motherboard featuring heatsinks covering the PCB’s rugged areas. Compared to the Z790 version of this board, MSI has gone a bit heavier on the heatsink front. The metal heatsinks that cover the bottom portion of the board are wider and cover more of the PCB. There’s some green text across the board that provides some nice contrast, which I’m a fan of.

The top half of the MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi features even more beefy heatsinks. In fact, the top heatsink is so large that CPU power has shifted to the right side of the board. Ultimately, this is to keep the VRMs under control and disperse heat much better.

On the rear IO heatsink, MSI has kept things simple, sticking to a contrasting bronze and black metal style. There’s no RGB, which some may view as disappointing, but I think the TOMAHAWK boards look much better as a sleek black option. The green featured on some heatsinks adds a nice splash of colour, making this board look slightly more interesting than a plain black PCB.

Despite this being a cheaper motherboard, MSI has mostly stuck to providing a tool-less design. The top and bottom heatsinks are removable via latches, making SSDs relatively easy to install or remove. The middle heatsink is held in by screws, which is a slight shame. Ultimately, MSI has had to cut down on certain features or design elements to make this board cheaper, which is why the reduced tool-less features is understandable.

Overall, I like the design of the MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi. There are some noticeable changes compared to its Z790 counterpart, and while the aesthetic is simplistic, I feel it looks reasonably premium.

Connectivity Options

Graphics Card Slots

Regarding expansion, the MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi features three x16 slots. The top is Gen5 and runs at full x16 speeds, while the other two are Gen4 and run at x4 speeds. While there aren’t any Gen5 graphics cards on the market at the time of writing, this Z890 board is preparing for the inevitable arrival of PCI-E 5.0 compatible GPUs, which NVIDIA RTX 5000 is rumoured to utilise.

It’s worth highlighting that at the bottom of the board is an 8-pin PCI-E power connector to provide additional juice for the primary graphics card slot. This is specifically geared towards those looking to push their system with graphical heavy workloads.

M.2 Slots

The MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi and Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX share the same storage expansion options. There are four slots total: one Gen5 and three Gen4. As expected, the top slot underneath the tool-less heatsink is the Gen5 slot. All slots use a tool-less installation method, either through the MSI EZ Click mechanism or their latch system. This saves a fair amount of time when adding or removing drives.

The three remaining M.2 slots are all Gen4. The centre slot accommodates devices up to the 22110 form factor, while the rest only support 2280, the most common SSD length.

RAM DIMMs

This board features a standard RAM configuration, supporting up to four DIMMs, with capacity maxing out at 256GB. The more impressive feature of this board is that it supports RAM overclocking up to 9200MT/s, which is a 1400MT/s leap compared to the Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX. This is also significantly more achievable with the new CUDIMMs launched alongside the LGA1851 platform.

Rear IO

While the rear IO on the Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFI and Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX are somewhat similar, the Z890 version comes with some significant upgrades. First and foremost is Thunderbolt4, which is indicated by the small lightning bolt over the USB Type-C ports. There are two of these, followed by seven additional high-speed USB ports. Much like the other MSI Z890 boards we’ve looked at, there is no USB 2.0 in sight, which is great.

Networking is also solid, with the Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi offering 5 Gigabit LAN and WiFi 7. Although WiFi 7 support across other devices is pretty limited and requires a new router, the stability and speed increase will be worth it for many. Audio is the only major downside, as highlighted in the specs section. The optical S/PDIF out provides some options for those with a soundbar or basic speaker setup, but the lacklustre mic-in and line-out jacks won’t be enough for those with more complex setups. Overall, I’d say the rear IO selection is pretty exceptional, especially considering the price of this board.

Internal Headers

CPU and Motherboard Power

For CPU power, the MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi uses standard dual 8-pin EPS connectors, shared across all of the MSI motherboards we’ve reviewed, including the UNIFY-X. These must be plugged in, especially if you plan on overclocking.

Again, motherboard power is pretty standard. There’s one 24-pin ATX power connector on the right-hand side. MSI has eliminated the additional 6-pin PCI-E connector for this board, likely because it lacks the power phases to support 60W fast charging.

Front USB Headers & SATA

Unfortunately, the front USB headers on the Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi share the same specs as those on the Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX. The right-angled USB-C header located below USB 3.0 on the right side of the board utilises the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 standard, which is rated up to 20Gbps speeds.

This motherboard has only one USB 3.0 header, located just below the power connector. The top-end Z890 MSI motherboards have two of these, so we’re seeing more cost-cutting with this cheaper Z890 model.

Next to USB-C, you’ll find the four SATA data ports. While SATA data isn’t commonly used as much due to the rise of NVMe SSDs, those with SATA storage devices can leverage these right-angled ports.

To the right of the 8-pin PCI-E power connector are two USB 2.0 headers. We’d generally prefer to see three. With more fans and coolers using USB 2.0 headers, three provide extra room for those with plenty of devices.

Pump and Fan Headers

The selection of fan and pump headers on the Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi is surprisingly solid. It’s worth noting that the spec is the same as the Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX, but it’s a good selection regardless. At the top-right of the motherboard, there are three 4-pin PWM headers. The connector closest to CPU power is ‘CPU_Fan’, the white header is a Pump/Sys combo, and the header below this is a standard ‘Sys_Fan header’.

There are three extra 4-pin Sys_Fan headers at the bottom of the PCB. These are situated to the right of the USB 2.0 ports, reasonably close to the bottom right. The final header is ‘Sys_Fan3’, located just to the left of the primary graphics card slot.

RGB Headers

All of the RGB headers on this motherboard are pretty close together. There are three addressable 3-pin RGB headers and a single 4-pin non-addressable header. Two 3-pin RGB connectors sit next to the Sys_Fan headers at the bottom of the board. The other two are located at the bottom right of the board and to the right of the HD_Audio connector.

Building with the MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi

Building with the MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi, like the other MSI motherboards we’ve looked at, is a breeze. While this is cheaper than boards like the Carbon, ACE, and UNIFY-X, there’s still a big focus on ensuring the building is hassle-free. There are many tool-less features, such as the heatsinks covering the SSD slots or the installation hardware for the SSDs themselves. Locking the GPU in place with the click of a button is also a great addition to this series of boards.

There are some significant differences regarding the build quality and experience between the Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX and the other models. The big push to make everything tool-less is something I’m a massive fan of. My only qualm is that the central SSD slot uses screws. This isn’t a deal-breaker for us, but it would be another excellent addition that would make the MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi stand out more.

Features We Like

Solid IO Options

One of the most appealing elements of this board is the solid selection of rear IO. Networking is excellent, there are ample high-speed USB ports for peripherals and external drives, and the IO even houses BIOS Flashback and Clear CMOS, simplifying troubleshooting and diagnosis.

Diagnosing & Troubleshooting Features

This board offers a range of features designed to streamline the troubleshooting process. Building a PC isn’t always simple and can lead to many unknown issues. Because of this, solutions like Q-Code LEDs and the EZ Debug lights are welcomed features that allow problems to be identified and resolved.

Features We Don’t Like

Remarkably Similar to the Z790 Version

The biggest weakness of this Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi board is that it shares a considerable amount of specs with the Z790 TOMAHAWK MAX. This is a problem because it doesn’t inspire prospective buyers to make the platform leap. This is especially poignant because the Core Ultra CPUs aren’t incredibly different from the previous 14th-Gen, so there’s little to gain regarding performance.

One Gen5 SSD Slot

It’s a shame that the Z890 TOMAHAWK WiFi only has one Gen5 SSD slot. It would make this board a more compelling option for those looking to max out Gen5 storage, especially if you have to shift around large files and applications regularly.

Conclusion