MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WIFI Motherboard Review – A Mainstream Option For Core Ultra 200S Builders

MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WIFI Unboxing & Close Up Inspection

The MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk motherboard comes in a standard cardboard package. The front is colored in grey and green. The packaging also lists down a few features such as Killer 5 Gigabit LAN, Killer WIFI7, Core Ultra Series 2 support, and Z890 chipset.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the 16-phase DUET VRM, EZ M.2/PCIe design, Lightning Gen5 slots, Thunderbolt 4, WIFI7, and 5G LAN.

Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories and is located right below the box holder for the board itself. You get:

• Quick Installation Guide
• Cable Sticker
• Shout out Flyer
• EZ Wi-Fi Antenna
• 1 x EZ M.2 Clip II
• EZ M.2 Clip II Remover
• USB Drive
• 2 x SATA Cables
• 1 to 3 EZ Conn-Cable (V2)
• EZ Front panel cable

With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package.

The MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk motherboard is an ATX offering that measures 244 x 305 mm. The motherboard carries an all-black color scheme with a few silver and green accents.

The Tomahawk is part of the MSI MPG "MSI Arsenal Gaming" lineup which is aimed at mainstream audiences.

The board uses the LGA 1851 socket to support Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors. At launch, the LGA 1851 socket will only support the Arrow Lake CPUs though we can expect a brand new family in the coming years.

Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 256 GB of dual-channel (24/48/64 GB modules) memory.

These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 9200 MT/s (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. Each slot is also combined with a reinforced design to make sure signal integrity remains good while keeping the slots durable for long-term usage.

The full QVL list can be found here. The motherboard supports 5600 MT/s natively and 6400 MT/s for Arrow Lake K CPUs. The 9200 MT/s apply to 1DCP (1 Rank) configurations.

The MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk motherboard features a 16+1+1+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX)  phase DUET VRM power delivery that utilizes the MPS 2425 "MP29005-A" PWM controller, and MPS5505 "M87692" power stages. The power stages are rated at 90A. The board comes equipped with a BCLK generator.

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The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the LGA 1851 socket. The board uses an 8-layer NPG-170D server-grade PCB with 2oz Thickened copper in a low-loss design, retaining signal integrity for stable CPU and memory operations.

The VRMs receive ample cooling from the Frozr heatsinks which come with an extended design.

The CPU is supplied power through an 8+8 pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 300 Watts of power. Intel's Arrow Lake "Core Ultra 200S" Desktop CPUs can sip up to 250W of power by default.

Coming to the cooling solution, the Extended Frozr heatsink features two aluminum blocks. Underneath the VRM heatsink are 7W/mK Thermal pads which transfer heat from the VRMs to the heatsink.

Expansion slots include two full-length PCI Express x16 (1 x Gen 5.0 x16 / 1 x Gen 4.0 x4), a single PCIe 4.0 x1 slot and four M.2 slots.

CPU:

• PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x16 (From CPU)

Chipset:

• PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x4 (From Chipset)
• PCI_E3 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x4 (From Chipset)

The motherboard utilizes a full metallic slot which makes use EZ PCIe release mechanism to make installing and removing graphics cards easy.

The motherboard also has a vast array of M.2 slots, all of which are featured under dedicated M.2 Shield Frozr heatsinks.

There are three sets of M.2 heatsinks, one of them is used for dual M.2 slots. You need to remove the plastic sticker from the thermal pads before installing a new SSD for proper heat transfer. The slot comes with an EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II design, making for a toolless design.

The primary M.2 Shield Frozr heatsink is the bigger one and provides better cooling to a Gen5 M.2 SSD. Two of the heatsinks feature an EZ release mechanism while one features an anti-drop screw design. The PCH heatsink features a solid aluminum frame which provides dedicated cooling to the Z890 chipset. Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WIFI motherboard:

CPU:

• M.2_1 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4, supports 2280/2260 devices
• M.2_2 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 22110/2280/2260 devices

Chipset:

• M.2_3 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 2280/2260/2242 devices
• M.2_4 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 / SATA mode, supports 2280/2260/2242 devices
• 4x SATA 6G

The Z890 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with the MAG logo. The PCH cover has a unique reflective coating which provides a nice visual detail on this premium motherboard.

Unlike the other MSI motherboards, the Tomahawk doesn't feature any RGB LED accent zones but it does feature lots of RGB/ARGB headers for those who want to take RGB customization to the next level.

Storage options include four SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 4 different storage devices at once. These SATA ports are located under the SSD heatsink cover housing. There are also 3 USB 3.2 front panel connectors (2x Gen1 Type-A & 1x Gen2 Type-C). 2 USB 2.0 (four ports) front panel connectors are also included.

MSI uses a 7.1 CH HD audio design with the latest Realtek ALC1220P CODEC for rear panel audio. There is a large selection of connectors on the motherboard including a EZ DEBUG LED. MSI also features a dedicated 8-pin PEG connector for the PCIe slots which can provide additional juice and reduce the strain on the ATX connector.

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The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.

• 1x Thunderbolt5 card connector(JTBT5, support RTD3)
• 1x Power Connector(ATX_PWR)
• 2x Power Connector(CPU_PWR)
• 1x Power Connector(PCIE_PWR 8pin)
• 1x CPU Fan
• 1x Combo Fan (Pump_Sys Fan)
• 6x System Fan
• 1x EZ Conn-header (JAF_2)
• 2x Front Panel (JFP)
• 1x Chassis Intrusion (JCI)
• 1x Front Audio (JAUD)
• 3x Addressable V2 RGB LED connector (JARGB_V2)
• 1x RGB LED connector(JRGB)
• 1x TPM pin header(Support TPM 2.0)
• 4x USB 2.0 ports
• 2x USB 5Gbps Type A ports
• 1x USB 20Gbps Type C ports

MSI is using the latest WIFI 7 Module to power wireless connectivity with a 320MHz channel bandwidth and Bluetooth 5.4. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single 5 GbE LAN port powered by the Intel Killer E5000 chip.

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• USB 10Gbps Type-A
• USB 5Gbps Type-A
• 5G LAN
• Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
• Audio Connectors
• HDMI
• Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps (Type-C)
• USB 10Gbps Type-C
• Flash BIOS Button
• Clear CMOS Button
• USB 5Gbps Type-A
• S/PDIF-OUT

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