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Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?

If you wish to build a high-performance gaming PC with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the X870 motherboard is an excellent choice to its durability and moderate price.

Main Features:
  • Supports AMD Ryzen™ 9000/ 8000/ 7000 Series Desktop Processors Socket AM5.
  • 4x DDR5 UDIMM, Maximum Memory Capacity 256GB Memory Support DDR5 8400 - 5600 (OC) MT/s / 5600 - 4800 (JEDEC) MT/s Ryzen™ 9000 Series Processors max.
  • 1x HDMI™ Support HDMI™ 2.1 FRL, maximum resolution of 8K 60Hz*.
  • 4x M.2, AMD MULTI-GPU Support
  • Supports RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10 for M.2 NVMe storage devices.
  • 4x EZ Debug LED, 1x EZ Digit Debug LED.

AMD Ryzen gains momentum with the arrival of X3D models. Many be tempted to build a high-performance gaming PC with the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Naturally, the most component for gamers is a video card. While the entire setup tends to be costly, it can be said that the key to choosing a motherboard is durability that can withstand gaming applications and a reasonable price. The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI is the perfect choice for such requirements.

AMD X870 with Scalability Options that Prioritize Affordable Prices

The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI is model equipped with the AMD X870. There are two variants, AMD X870E and X870, and I opted for the latter. While the former offers a larger number of PCIe lanes and interfaces, the latter is more affordable. I plan to insert expansion cards, install multiple M.2 SSDs, and utilize USB4. For high-end users seeking a comprehensive set, the former is recommended. Regarding MSI, the MEG MPG grade models utilize the AMD X870E.

On the other hand, the AMD X870 also includes a video card and one or two M.2 SSDs, which is not an issue for the expandability by mainstream gamers. Beyond this, you will have to choose between an expansion card, an M.2 slot, or an interface. Some of the directions are determined at the motherboard level, but in the case of the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi, it is a product that allows the user to choose after implementing expansion slots, M.2 slots, and interfaces.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI The actual selling price is around 328,60 dollars

The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI features 3 expansion slots, 4 M.2 slots, and 2 USB4 ports. However, some of these interfaces share bandwidth, making them exclusive or bandwidth-limited. Nonetheless, there are no limitations when inserting a video card and using one or two M.2 SSDs.

All MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI expansion slots are x16 shaped, but the number of lanes is PCI Express 5.0 x16, PCI Express 3.0 x1, and PCI Express 4.0 x4 in order from the top. There are two under the PCI Express 5.0 x16 slot, so it is designed to be used with a video card that is about slots thick. However, if a thicker high-end video card is inserted, it will not be usable with a 3.0 x1 slot, which is designed to cause minimal disruption.

The M.2 slot MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI is Gen 5 x4 (CPU) located above the PCI Express x16 slot, a Gen 5 x4 (CPU) and a Gen 4 x2 (Chipset) between the x16 and x1 slots, and a Gen 4 x4 (Chipset) between the x1 and x4 slots.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
Expansion slots and M.2 layout

One is a USB 4 and a second (Gen 5 x4) M.2 slot, and the other is a PCI Express 4.0 x4 slot and a third (Gen 4 x2) M.2 slot. If one is used, the other will be bandwidth limited, and if the number of lanes is specified in the BIOS, the other will be disabled. For details, check the product specifications tab of the product site. The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI comes with two M.2 Gen 5 x4 SSDs for both system and data. Many people seem to expect that. However, it should be noted that whether this plan be realized with or without using USB4 will depend

Interfaces such as USB4 have appeared several times before. If you look at the back panel, you can see that there are two USB4 ports, a 5GbE wired LAN, and a Wi-Fi 7 wireless LAN, which surpass current mainstream. Even if these become widespread, they will not be inferior. A USB 20Gbps port is available on the front.

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Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
Back panel of MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI. In addition to the high-speed interface, there is also a wide variety of USB 2.0 buttons, Flash BIOS, and Clear CMOS buttons

Building a Custom PC is not Difficult, Especially if You Have an MSI Motherboard with a Comprehensive Range of Support Functions

Even so, when it comes self-made PCs, “assembly” and “setup” are considered difficult by many people. However, this perception is outdated. Today’s MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI motherboards incorporate various innovations to make building a homebrew PC easy.

Among them, the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II and EZ M.2 CLIP II are highly recommended. Although I initially thought installing an M.2 would be straightforward, the numerous screws and the need for a specific screwdriver (No. 1 or No. 0) made the process time-consuming. This is where MSI’s two functions enable a tool-less installation. The EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II heatsink can be released with the push of a lever, while the EZ M.2 CLIP II allows the M.2 SSD to be locked into place by simply flipping it into the slot.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II. When the tip (lower side of the photo) is pressed here with the lever part, the entire plate moves and is released. The ball joint on the M.2 slot side is locked by biting into the triangular hole in the plate
Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
EZ M.2 CLIP II (plated part). If you press lightly on the head part, it will tilt and release. When MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI an M.2 SSD is installed, it is locked by the rebound of the internal spring

The installation of the M.2 heatsink is straightforward, as it aligns easily with the protrusion on the slot side due to the meshing jagged edges on the heatsink side. You can secure it by knocking it down and lightly pressing the lever at the end. In the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI, the EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II is installed in the 1st and 4th M.2 slots, while the EZ M.2 CLIP II is installed in the 1st M.2 slot. Additionally, the M.2 slots 2 to 4 are also tool-less, as they feature EZ M.2 CLIP specifications that are secured by turning the clip. One spare EZ M.2 CLIP II is included, allowing for replacement if needed.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
There is a ball-shaped protrusion at the end of the slot, and a corrugated blade guide at the end of the heat sink, which meshes with each other for easy and accurate alignment

The EZ FRONT PANEL CABLE addresses the common frustration of connecting front panel cables to a PC case. With numerous pins and polar LEDs, it can be challenging to connect them in a limited space and dark. The EZ FRONT PANEL CABLE acts as an extension cable, with a loose connection on the PC case side and a 5-pin two rows of terminals on the motherboard side. This design simplifies the insertion process significantly. If you have purchased it, please give it a try.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
The EZ FRONT PANEL CABLE allows you to extend the pin header of the motherboard or combine cables into one and easily insert them into the pin header. The cap part can be slid to expose the terminals and make it easy to connect, and it can be put together by putting it back

The EZ Conn header is a terminal that integrates a fan, ARGB LED, and USB into one unit. This is convenient as it simplifies the setup of a water-cooled CPU cooler with LED or USB control. Regardless of how these components are grouped together via the hub, the wiring destination is near the CPU socket or next to the memory slot, and for USB, it is at the bottom of the motherboard. Cable management becomes complicated. By consolidating all of this in one place, it will be much easier and look more aesthetically.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
EZ Conn header (JAF_2) that allows you to connect fans, LEDs, and USB with a single terminal. In particular, a simple water-cooled CPU cooler greatly reduces the time and effort required for installation and wiring

Unlike a pre-built PC that undergoes an operational check before shipping, a self-built PC requires the user to perform the operation check. combination selected parts may cause compatibility issues and often leads to problems due to improper connections. The EZ DEBUG LED and the EZ DIGI-DEBUG LED can help identify these problem areas. The EZ DEBUG LED is a POST (power-on self-test) indicator that can be checked observing the LED lights, while the EZ DIGI-DEBUG LED displays a code (two hexadecimal numbers) indicating the current status.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
Illuminated LEDs and hexadecimal POST codes help identify problem areas

During the initial startup, certain processes, such as memory training, may take an exceptionally long time. However, if the light stops at other parts or the POST process is repeated, the problematic area can be identified. Beginners use this function to avoid unnecessary troubleshooting steps. If the issue cannot be resolved and support is needed, it will be easier to resolve the problem by providing the location where the EZ Debug stopped and the corresponding POST code at that time.

The EZ PCIe release feature you to securely fix the video card and safely remove it when disassembling your. If you do not replace the video card after assembly or disassemble it disposal, you may not use this feature. However, remembering it for future use will be beneficial. Due to its larger compared to typical expansion cards, the video card has a locking mechanism to prevent it from dislodging accidentally. This mechanism consists of a latch at the end of the x16 slot. When you insert the video card, the latch rises and locks. Pressing and lowering the latch unlocks and releases the card.

However, when the video card inserted, most of the latch’s surface area is hidden. In recent years, the back plate of the video card has been attached, and the air-cooled CPU cooler has become larger. It has become quite difficult to operate the latch, which is why I have heard of people “poking it with chopsticks.”

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
Each time you press the button next to the memory slot on the lower side of the photo, the lock/release mechanism of the x16 slot on the upper side of the photo is switched

In summary, the location isoptimal. It would be beneficial to have a mechanism to replace the latch in a more accessible area. The EZ PCIe release has enhanced operability by relocating this locking mechanism to the side of the memory slot and converting it into a button.

14+2+1 Phase VRM with 80A SPS as the Primary Component

What types of games do you intend play with the AMD Ryzen 9000X3D? It is likely a AAA title featuring stunning graphics and ray tracing. Additionally, how long do you plan to play continuously? Gaming imposes significant demands on both the CPU and GPU, which is where the CPU power supply circuit (VRM) becomes crucial.

The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI VRM features a 14 (Core) + 2 (SOC) + 1 (Misc) phase configuration. While the number of phases may seem substantial, the key aspect is its use of SPS (Smart Power Stage) that supports 80A with MOSFETs. The 80A rating is relatively high, not to utilize the full 80A, but to provide headroom and operate within the optimal conversion efficiency of the MOSFET, thereby reducing conversion loss (heat).

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI VRM

Nevertheless, it generates heat, so the VRM heatsink must have efficient cooling performance. The height of the VRM heatsink on the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI is sufficient to align with the back panel. There are also 6 or 7 steps to increase the surface area. The material is aluminum. The back panel side is hollow and cooled by airflow.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
Removing the VRM heatsink

Let’s remove the heatsink and examine the VRM. As previously mentioned, it is a 14+2+1 phase configuration. The 80A SPS is utilized in the 14+2 phase section. Specifically, the 80A SPS is Monolithic Power Systems’ “MP87670,” which can be found on mainstream gaming motherboards with high-end chipsets or on high-end models of mid-range chipsets.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
The 14+2 phase is Monolithic Power Systems MP87670
Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
The remaining 1 phase is made by Alpha & Omega Semiconductor
Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
The controller is Monolithic Power Systems MP2857

Now that the VRM heatsink has been removed, let’s examine the surrounding chips. Firstly, the USB4 is provided by Asmedia’s “ASM4242”. This chip supports two ports on a single chip and also supports Display Port Alt-Mode. The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI features one HDMI port and two USB4 ports for video output. Additionally, the 5GbE wired LAN utilizes Realtek’s “RTL8126,” and the audio is managed by Realtek’s “ALC4080.”

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
USB4 is the ASM4242 of asmedia
Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
5GbE wired LAN is Realtek RTL8126
Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
The audio chip is Realtek ALC4080

Performance Evaluation of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and GeForce RTX 4070

This time, I had the opportunity to borrow a AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which I installed on the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI to measure performance. The video card was an MSI GeForce RTX 4070 GAMING X SLIM 12G, the memory was Teamgroup’s TFORCE XTREEM ARGB DDR5 FF9D532G6400HC32ADC01 (2 pieces × 16GB), and the SSD was a Crucial T705 CT1000T705SSD3-JP (Gen5 x4 1TB).

Let’s begin with the scores of the most prominent benchmarks: CINEBENCH R23, PCMark 10, and 3DMark.

CINEBENCH R23 22,793 points for Multi Core and 2,056 points for Single Core. Given that it is an 8-core, 16-thread CPU, the Multi Core score is reasonable. The Single Core score exceeds 2,000 points.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
CINEBENCH R23 SCORE

PCMark10 scores 10,075 points overall. Essentials scores 12,430 points, Productivity scores 12,967 points, and Digital Content Creation scores 17,218 points, all of which exceed 10,000 points.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
PCMark 10 Score

3DMark offers a wide of items; therefore, let us examine the graph.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
3DMark Scores

Given that I am using a GeForce RTX 4070 card, my performance score is not exceptionally high. Ray tracing imposes a significant burden, but it can be mitigated with DLSS or DLSS-FG. While 4K resolution and demanding games with DirectX 12 are challenging, DLSS-FG can help achieve a decent frame rate. DirectX 11, however, appears to handle 4K resolution more efficiently. Therefore, the primary gameplay is anticipated to be in WQHD or Full HD.

Next, let us examine the game benchmarks. Initially, I tested Cyberpunk 2077 as an example of ray tracing. As depicted in the graph, when Ray Tracing: Ultra is enabled, the frame rate at 4K resolution drops slightly below 60fps. Consequently, with DLSS-F activated, a frame rate of 78.59 fps was achieved. For those who prefer not to use DLSS-FG, a frame rate of 86.5fps in WQHD serves as a good reference.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
Cyberpunk 2077 Scores

The upcoming moderately heavy Final Fantasy XIV: Golden Legacy Benchmark shows impressive performance. As illustrated in the graph, it handles the highest 4K load with ease, achieving a comfortable rating and recording 64.14 fps at the highest quality settings.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
Final Fantasy XIV: Golden Legacy Benchmark Scores

Finally, Apex Legends, a lightweight esports title. The image quality is set to the maximum and measured. In addition to the average fps, the graph also includes 1% Low and P95. The pale blue and dark blue zones in the graph represent the range of fluctuations in the actual frame rate, while the white text indicates the average fps.

For 4K, the average is 166.8 fps, but 1% Low is 136.3 fps. 144Hz or 120fps panel would be ideal. WQHD exceeds 200fps even at 1% Low. For Full HD, it’s 235.5fps at 1% Low, making it suitable for a 240Hz panel. Of course, e-sports titles prioritize frame rate over image quality. However, if you want to enjoy it in the highest quality possible, please refer to these measurements.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
Apex Legends Scores

Ideal for Assembly with X3D, Featuring Safe Gaming Specifications and Easy Assembly

We have examined the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI, and in terms of gaming specifications, it boasts a generous CPU power circuit. However, its primary target is mainstream gamers. The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI is powered by the AMD X870 (not the E), and its actual price of around 50,000 yen is reasonable in the current gaming mainstream. If you are a high-end gamer or creator considering the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI, it is advisable to have an expansion plan in mind.

Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?
While having the function of this is non-negotiable, the price is also within a reasonable range

Another recommendation for those building their first gaming PC is the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI. It offers gaming specifications while remaining easy to assemble. For instance, if you opt for a model lower than the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI, the “EZ” assembly support function will be reduced. To ensure a successful experience with your first custom-built PC, aim for the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI.

Do you think you have other ideas about the Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard? You can comment below or discuss more related to “Comprehensive Review MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Best AM5 Motherboard?” in the CnwinTech Forum. Also, read more articles about Insurance TechInsurance Business Investment, or other exciting tech tips and tricks at CnwinTech.

 

Score Assessment

Performance - 9.8
Facilities & Features - 9.5
Design & Easiness - 8
Price - 6.5

8.5

Overall

Another recommendation for those building their first gaming PC is the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI. It offers gaming specifications while remaining easy to assemble. For instance, if you opt for a model lower than the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI, the "EZ" assembly support function will be reduced. To ensure a successful experience with your first custom-built PC, aim for the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI.Shop Now

User Rating: 4.22 ( 6 votes)

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