MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk & MAG B860M Mortar Motherboards Review

Conclusion - MAG In ATX & MATX Options

The MSI Z890 Tomahawk is already a great value-oriented option for Intel Core Ultra PC builders and it's a good thing that we already tested that motherboard so we can use it for comparisons against the B860 options that are seemingly priced a bit lower.

Starting with the performance, the MSI B860 Tomahawk WIFI and B860M Mortar WIFI both feature a very similar 12-phase CPU power delivery rated at 60A, while the Z890 Tomahawk WIFI adopts a 16-phase design with 90A power stages. While these motherboards perform similarly and have the same DDR5-9200 peak memory support rating, the Z890 Tomahawk looks way better and also has the ability for overclocking, which is missing on the B860 motherboards. All three boards run very cool in terms of VRM temperatures.

Expansion slots are the same between the Z890 and B860 Tomahawk options, but the M.2 slots are the area where the Z890 Tomahawk takes the advantage with its four M.2 slots and all with Frozr heatsinks. Audio is also better with ALC1220 codecs, while both B860 motherboards get ALC892 codecs. The connectivity options are great for all three motherboards, with WIFI7, BT 5.4, and 5 GbE LAN ports.

MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk WIFI Pros & Cons

• + Decent Pricing for budget builders
• + M.2 slots with thermal solutions
• + EZ DIY design
• + 5 GbE LAN
• - The color scheme might put some off

In terms of USB support, the B860 boards have more 10 Gbps ports, but Z890 MAG designs take the upper edge with 20 Gbps and dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, the latter of which are missing on the B860 series.

MSI MAG B860M Mortar WIFI Pros & Cons

• + mATX Design
• + Decent Pricing for budget builders
• + M.2 slots with thermal solutions
• + EZ DIY design
• + 5 GbE LAN
• - The color scheme might put some off

The overall design of the MAG series is consistent with their black PCB, black-colored heatsinks, and the lime-green hints on the front covers. The MAG series doesn't feature any onboard RGB LEDs, but you do get ARGB and RGB headers for further customization and support for MSI's Mystic RGB software.

MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WIFI USB Options (19 Total):

• 2x Thunderbolt 4 40 Gbps Type-C
• 4x USB 2.0 (Rear)
• 4x USB 2.0 (Front)
• 2x USB 5Gbps Type A (Front)
• 4x USB 10Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Rear)
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Front)
• 1x USB 40Gbps Type C (Rear)

MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk WIFI USB Options (15 Total):

• 4x USB 2.0 (Front)
• 4x USB 5Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 2x USB 5Gbps Type A (Front)
• 3x USB 10Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Rear)
• 1x USB 20Gbps Type C (Front)

MSI MAG B860M Mortar WIFI USB Options (15 Total):

• 4x USB 2.0 (Rear)
• 4x USB 2.0 (Front)
• 2x USB 5Gbps Type A (Front)
• 3x USB 10Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Rear)
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Front)

So it all comes down to pricing, and that's why the Z890 Tomahawk matters the most. The B860 Tomahawk retails for $229.99 US while the B860M Mortar retails for $199.99 US. Meanwhile, the Z890 Tomahawk retails for $217.39 US, which makes it a far more compelling option for Intel PC builders than the B860 series. You don't miss out on overclocking and get a powerful VRM, better IO, and more slots, including TB4.0. Meanwhile, the B860M Mortar WIFI is a good option for M-ATX build, but more realistically speaking, the B860 Tomahawk should be better positioned as a $199 board, while the B860M Mortar should do well at $179-$189 US.

With that said, if MSI can adjust the prices of its B860 series MAG motherboards a bit more, they can become great options for consumers.

[Update - 6/14/25] - For the past few months, the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk is back at its original $299 US MSRP, making the B860 options better for budget users.

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