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ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi: Comparison
What is the difference between ASRock B650 PG Lightning and MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi?
They are built to different briefs, and chipset shows it, ASRock B650 PG Lightning B650 against MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi X870. MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi also leads on m.2 slots, 3 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 4 on the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi. Board width is not the same on both, 305 mm on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 243.84 mm on the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi. There is a split on wi-fi onboard as well, No on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Yes on the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi. They differ on m.2 pcie 5.0 slots too, 1 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 2 on the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi.
Who each one is for
The ASRock B650 PG Lightning is the one to take for the most budget-conscious full-ATX AM5 builds and builders who don't need built-in WiFi, though it is the wrong buy for anyone who wants WiFi included without buying the separate variant and builds that want more than two M.2 slots. Buy the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi for builders who want dual Gen5 M.2 slots without X870E pricing and mid-range AM5 builds that want fast 5G LAN, though it is not the pick for buyers who don't need dual Gen5 storage and budget-first AM5 builds.
What ASRock B650 PG Lightning and MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi have in common
The common ground is wider than the gap: socket, memory slots, max memory, max memory capacity and form factor are identical here. They match on 9 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi differ on m.2 slots onboard?
Yes. M.2 Slots Onboard reads 3 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 4 on the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi.
Is the Platform the same on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi?
It is. Both are listed at AMD, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- AMD
Model Number
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650 PG Lightning
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
Socket
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
Form Factor
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- ATX
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- X870
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 9000
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
Memory Type
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7200+ (OC), XMP/EXPO
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4x DDR5 UDIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8400+ MT/s (OC)
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 7000
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
Memory Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GB
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 256 GB
Board Width
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 305 mm
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 243.84 mm
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3-25%
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4Best
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- No
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Yes
Max Memory Capacity
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GB
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 256 GB
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7200 MT/s
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 8400 MT/sBest
M.2 Slots Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 2
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 2
SATA Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 3
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- PCIe 4.0
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB 20Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 0
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 3
Rear USB 2.0 Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 14
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 14
Power Stage Current Rating
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 60 A
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 80 A
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2.5 Gbps
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 5 GbpsBest
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- None
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
Audio Codec
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD Audio with Nahimic
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Realtek ALC4080, 7.1-channel
Expansion
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2x PCIe 4.0 x16 (2nd slot at x2), 2x PCIe 4.0 x1; 1x M.2 PCIe 5.0 x4, 1x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4, 1x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x2; 4x SATA III; 1x M.2 Key-E (Wi-Fi)
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x4 + PCIe 3.0 x1
Connectivity
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1x Rear USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C (20Gbps), 7x Rear USB 3.2 Gen1 (5Gbps), 4x Rear USB 2.0
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 2x rear USB 40Gbps Type-C (USB4), front USB 20Gbps Type-C with 27W PD
Networking
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN (no built-in Wi-Fi)
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Realtek 8126-CG 5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Special Features
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3x M.2 total (1x Gen5, 1x Gen4, 1x Gen4x2)
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4x M.2 (2x Gen5, 2x Gen4)
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock B650 PG Lightning if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4) and the higher max memory (256 GB vs 256 GB).
Choose MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi if you want the higher M.2 slots (4 vs 3).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B650 PG Lightning | MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | |
| Newegg | View on Newegg |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.