MSI’s Tomahawk motherboards are usually highly rated.They tend to focus on the core feature set rather than the premium tier features common to much more expensive boards. case (opens in new tab) CPUs, and Tomahawk models are probably on your radar.
of MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi (opens in new tab)As the name suggests, it is part of MSI’s MAG series and is the second sub-brand. It sits above the Pro range and below the MPG and high-end MEG ranges. At $319 / £337 / AU$569, it’s not cheap, but compared to what some premium tier boards sell, the price isn’t bad at all. There is fierce competition.
For review here, I have the DDR5 version. There is also a DDR4 version if you have a good set of DDR4 memory on hand, but if you also need to buy memory then the DDR5 version is perfect. DDR4 is nearing the end of its life, and the 13th Gen platform is almost certainly the last big deal.
Tomahawk has a tried and true all-black theme with lots of brushed metal heatsinks. There is no onboard RGB, but there are 4 headers, 3 of which are addressable. Personally, I prefer this kind of understated design to overt RGB ads every time I look into the case.
MSI Z790 Tomahawk Specs
socket: Intel LGA1700
CPU compatibility: Intel 12th and 13th Generation Desktop Processors
Form factor: ATX
Memory support: DDR5-7200+(OC), up to 128GB
Storage: 4x M.2, 7x SATA
USB: Up to 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2, 6x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 6x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 6x USB 2.0
screen: 1x DP 1.4. 1x HDMI 2.1
networking: Intel 2.5G LAN, Intel Wi-Fi 6E
audio: Realtek ALC4080
price: $319 (opens in new tab)/ 337 pounds (opens in new tab) / 569 AUD (opens in new tab)
The Tomahawk includes support for four M.2 drives, but no PCIe 5.0 SSD support. Is it okay if there is? yes. However, in addition to the complete lack of PCIe 5.0 drives, the Z790 platform requires an 8x/8x split between the 16x primary slot and the M.2 slot. A quality PCIe 4.0 drive will be good enough for years to come, just as a good PCIe 3.0 drive remains relevant today.
Unlike some PCIe 5.0 SSD capable boards such as the more expensive Gigabyte Aorus Z790 Master. (opens in new tab) Not required for Tomahawks with massive M.2 heatsinks. We are particular about a thin design that does not require a lot of surface area.
The Z790 Tomahawk comes with 7 SATA ports. For mass storage, SATA still has a place, and these seven ports alone could be a trading destination for some users. Some expensive boards have only 4 SATA.
The VRM is a real highlight when compared to the competition in the same price range. A 16+1+1 phase solution with a 90A stage could easily push an overclocked Core i9 13900K. However, the heatsink area doesn’t have much surface area, so you need to make sure there is active airflow. While looping through Cinebench R23 on a Core i9 13900K without power capping, I found a peak VRM temperature of 69°C. That’s fine, but in a sealed case with poor airflow, the temperature will rise even more. Of course, the less demanding i5 and i7 CPUs perform much better.
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The rear I/O is particularly impressive, with a total of 10 USB ports, led by USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 and Gen 2 Type-C ports. Add to that 4 more USB Gen 2 ports and 4 more Gen 1 ports. There are 2.5G LAN and Wi-Fi 6E, a full set of audio ports with Realtek ALC4080 codec, CMOS and BIOS flash buttons, and finally HDMI 2.1 and DP 1.4 ports.
This is a very balanced set of options, especially at this price where USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 are not supposed to. kind of function.
MSI’s BIOS has changed very little over the years. Honestly, no need to change. If you’re familiar with MSI boards since the first UEFI iterations, you’ll feel right at home. Everyone has their own opinion as to which layout they prefer, but MSI’s interface is my choice. He especially likes MSI’s fan control system. I hate leaving my system’s fans on auto.
You can say I’m a fan… I’ll show myself.
MSI BIOS presents a simplified CPU TDP selection on first boot. There is a default “Box Cooler” setting that enforces Intel’s power limit, a “Tower Cooler” option that bumps the TDP to 288W, and finally a “Water Cooling” option that removes all restrictions. While not absolutely necessary, this allows for a virtual 4096W.
system performance
game performance
test equipment
CPU: Intel Core i9 13900K
graphic: Zotac GeForce RTX 3080 Ti AMP Holo
sheep: 2x 16GB G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6000 C36
Storage: 2TB Seagate FireCuda 530
cooling: Cooler Master PL360 Flux 360mm AIO
Power supply unit: Corsair AX1000
I was lucky enough to get my hands on both the DDR4 and DDR5 versions of the Z790 Tomahawk. This is a great time to consider similar systems with both types of memory. Importantly, and consistently important when talking about memory, fast memory is useful only in very specific circumstances. In this case I was using a good set of DDR4-3600 C14 memory. So unless you have really top-of-the-line B-Die memory at 4000MHz or higher, DDR4 results are close enough.
The Handbrake video encoding test has significant benefits, and the file compression test has even greater benefits, but in other cases the difference is within margin of error.
When it comes to games, the differences apply to specific games. Now that the price of DDR5 has dropped, it makes sense to choose a DDR5 Tomahawk over a DDR4 Tomahawk. Of course, a better graphics card or CPU offers more tangible performance benefits.
Comparing the DDR5 Tomahawk to other Z790 DDR5 boards, the results are within normal error. Leaving the CPU power capped will give faster multithreaded results, but will consume more power and require more cooling.
These days, due to the per-core CPU turbo design, evaluating a CPU with overclocking is of little use. Any midrange board can handle the Core i9 13900K. Overclocking will reach cooling limits before the VRM is overloaded. However, as mentioned earlier, the Z790 Tomahawk needs airflow to keep it from getting too hot. Tomahawk needs a few BIOS optimizations to support fast memory. It’s a small thing, but on a midrange board he doesn’t run 7600MHz or more, not many people. Also, Tomahawk does not officially support speeds above DDR5-7200, so you won’t be handicapped by not running the “bonus” speeds.
Thanks to inflation, supply chain issues, and a little (or a lot) of greed, motherboards and graphics cards are very expensive. So finding a motherboard with good value for money is important so you can spend your money on a faster GPU or CPU. If you were to make a checklist of what you want in a motherboard, the MSI Z790 Tomahawk should have most of what you need. Things like USB4 and his 10G LAN are things the board maker uses to justify the price of a motherboard that costs twice as much as his Z790 Tomahawk.
If you were to make a checklist of what you want in a motherboard, the MSI Z790 Tomahawk should have most of what you need.
The checklist is perfect for most users. Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5G LAN, a powerful VRM capable of handling 13900K, plenty of USB ports including 3.2 Gen 2×2, a robust BIOS, and a discrete design that blends into almost any build theme. Ask yourself if you need more. If so, be prepared to raise your prices.
Perhaps the lack of PCIe 5.0 M.2 support is a disadvantage and you need plenty of airflow under heavy load, but the MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk is still a robust and feature-rich board with core features that are good for the 95 provide a set. % or more users. Need to spend more? Probably not.
