Introduction

While Intel's Core Ultra CPUs haven't exactly flown off shelves like the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, one partially redeeming feature is that they do seem to overclock reasonably well. Combined with the fact they run a heck of a lot cooler than their predecessors and draw much less power too, there's an argument for considering them if you're up for some tweaking. For that you'll need a Z890 motherboard, such as the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk Wi-Fi that we're looking at here.


A few comparisons need to be made here in addition to our usual analysis of the motherboard. Firstly, as there's a B860 version of this board (which we'll be looking at very soon), do you gain or lose any features, and what is the price difference if any? Secondly, if there are cheaper Z890 options, what do you gain by spending more with the Z890 version of the MSI MAG Tomahawk Wi-Fi?

Interestingly, there's currently nearly no difference in price between Z890 and B860 versions of the MAG Tomahawk Wi-Fi, with the Z890 model having received some significant price cuts in recent weeks, now sitting at $240 while the B860 model saves just $10 at $230. This seems to paint a rather dim picture of the B860 model in terms of specifications. It has ALC897 audio compared to ALC1220 on the Z890 model, has fewer M.2 and Thunderbolt 4 ports, fewer fan headers and noticeably fewer CPU power phases.

Opting for a lower price, the specifications quickly thin out with inferior audio codecs, fewer M.2 ports and less capable M.2 heatsinks. As you approach $200, tool-free features also become non-existent, while the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk Wi-Fi manages to include two tool-free M.2 heatsinks and a push-button GPU release. Spending $100 more or so gets you something like the MSI MPG Z890 Edge Ti Wi-Fi 7. The MPG range of boards is MSI's mid-range and here you get much larger heatsinks and an additional M.2 port, this specific board has a desirable white design along with RGB lighting and a few extra-small features such as LED POST code display and thermal probe header. The MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk Wi-Fi seems to offer a very similar specification, but for less cash. So far so good.

Specifications

Packaging and Contents

There isn't much to discuss with the accessories, but expecting anything exciting here when you're trying to keep the price as low as possible is a little illogical. Still, it's nice to see a USB flash drive loaded with drivers given that this being a new platform and chipset, Windows 11 probably won't have everything you need out of the box and will require an Internet connection. Other bits include a handy extension for the front panel allowing for easier connection of the various front panel cables, EZ M.2 clip components for smaller M.2 SSD installation and also an EZ Conn-Cable. The latter connects to a specific port on the PCB that combines a 4-pin fan header, 12 V RGB connector and USB 2.0 header for easier cable tidying of CPU cooler spaghetti.


The full list of accessories includes:

• 1x Quick start guide
• 1x Wi-Fi Antenna
• USB driver flash drive
• 2x SATA cables
• EZ Conn-Cable
• EZ front panel cable
• EZ M.2 Clips II
• EX M.2 Clip II remover