Introduction

After eleven months Intel is back with a new CPU for the LGA 1700 socket, codenamed Raptor Lake. This is the 13th generation of Intel core processors, which Intel is hoping it will take away the spotlight from AMD and its recent launch of its Ryzen 7000 series. Historically, with each new generation of Intel CPUs, a new motherboard chipset is created to accompany it. Over the course of an entire year, we have witnessed the start of DDR5 in the consumer market in its infancy and watch as it become more mainstream now that AMD has also entered the market with its own platform that supports DDR5. Gen5 NVMe SSDs, PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 are still the hot new technologies on the market and the big buzzwords.

A motherboard lineup refreshed like this is common to see. In many ways, these motherboards are a revision of what came before it. It is designed to offer newer technologies and features that were not available to motherboard manufacturers previous. Currently, only the Intel Z790 chipset is available, with possible future B760 based motherboards on the horizon. Regardless of rumors and hear say around the internet, the Z790 chipset is here and now. While no new technologies were introduced that isn’t already present in the Intel Z690 lineup, the Z790 chipset offers more high-speed USB options and better overall memory support. These changes are minor in comparison to the new processors. However, Intel still supports DDR4 with 13th generation processors, allowing for more budget friendly options to co-exist.

MSI has come prepared for this refresh with multiple product lines from the entry-level Pro Z790-P to the flagship MEG Z790 Godlike. The MAG naming convention serves as MSI’s entry-midrange for Intel motherboards. These tend to focus on essentials rather than premium features. The MAG Z790 Tomahawk is the only entry in the MAG family currently, though this may be expanded upon at a later date.

The MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi comes in two variants, one DDR5 and the other DDR4. The motherboard is this review is the latter. Don’t be fooled into thinking the DDR4 version is inferior. Rather, besides the support memory type, everything is the same between both versions. The feature set is quite long despite being an entry-midrange motherboard. Configured with a 16+1+1 VRM, PCIe Gen5 slot for the graphics cards, four M.2 Gen4 sockets and seven SATA ports, this motherboard is ready for action! To round out, the MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 also features great connectivity with WiFi 6E and 2.5G LAN for those who need to transfer data quickly. There is a lot to cover in this review, so let’s take a closer look at the MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4.

Specifications