MSI trims TOMAHAWK, fans grumble over missing MAX

MSI introduced an alternative variant of its MAG B850 TOMAHAWK WIFI mainboard that drops the MAX designation while maintaining comparable specifications. The standard edition differs through modified heatsink dimensions, updated wireless components and adjusted expansion slot arrangements.

An ATX form factor with eight copper layers houses the 14+2+1 phase voltage regulation system that employs 80-ampere DrMOS components for processor power alongside paired 8-pin supplemental connectors. Four memory slots accommodate DDR5 modules beyond 8200 megatransfers per second. Three M.2 sockets provide two Gen5 interfaces plus one Gen4 connection, complemented by four SATA ports at 6 gigabits for conventional storage devices. A single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot links to the CPU directly while secondary expansion uses Gen4 x4 and Gen3 x1 standards.

Realtek RTL8125VB silicon enables 5-gigabit wired networking. Wireless capability advances to Wi-Fi 7 at 160 megahertz with Bluetooth 5.4 support. Rear panel arrangements feature one USB-C port at 20 gigabits, another at 10 gigabits, paired USB-A connections at matching speeds, and legacy USB 2.0 outlets. HDMI 2.1 FRL output serves integrated graphics while audio processing uses ALC4080 codec technology with digital optical and analog connections.