How Much Does it Cost?
Of course, I’m writing this review before the stock is available on Amazon. However, I will update the prices as the stock goes live after we publish the review. For now, though, you can check the up to date stock of the MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk Motherboard on Amazon UK here, and on Amazon US here.
Overview
MSI has created a pretty fantastic motherboard here. They’ve trimmed back some of the fat to keep the cost down, which is absolutely fine, as they’ve put the money where it matters. The Mortar and Tomahawk motherboards from MSI are often some of the most competitive with any launch and that’s certainly still true today.
Build Quality & Design
The build quality is pretty solid overall. They’ve scaled back some of the heatsink sizes on the boards chipset and M.2 mounts, which saves on materials a bit. I do think the boards looks a little messy and disjointed in places, and I’m not a fan of the white decals. However, when it comes to the CPU, they’ve stuck with big VRM heatsinks, and a good quality power delivery system. The top PCIe is armoured, the rear I/O is pre-installed and you get plenty more beyond. Overall, it’s got everything you need really.
Performance
The board uses a more complicated 10+2+1 Duet Rail Power System with 10 of the phases for the CPU, 2 for the SOC power and one more dealing with APU power, digital PWM IC, load-line calibration and overvoltage protection. Overall, it should handle any of the latest AM4 CPUs easily enough. Of course, with PCIe Gen 4 on the top PCIe lane, as well as one of the M.2 mounts, you’re going to get blazing fast performance in other places.
Added Value
While the board does lack WiFi, it does feature two LAN options. Both 1 GbE and the much faster 2.5 GbE, and you can use MSI LAN Manager to prioritise your gaming traffic too. You get good quality on-board audio thanks to their Audio Boost hardware as well as plenty of Mystic Light RGB.
Should I Buy One?
If you want a well equipped ATX motherboard without the big price tags, this is certainly one of the best options. The design is an aquired taste, but there’s no complaints about their choice of hardware.
