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ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi: Comparison
ASRock B650 PG Lightning vs MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi: the chipset difference
Chipset is the dividing line, ASRock B650 PG Lightning B650 against MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi Z890. Add m.2 slots to that, 3 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus 4 on the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi, and the pattern holds. There is a split on oldest cpu family supported as well, Ryzen 7000 on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Core Ultra Series 2 on the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi. Wi-fi onboard is not the same on both, No on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Yes on the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi.
Who each one is for
The ASRock B650 PG Lightning suits the most budget-conscious full-ATX AM5 builds and builders who don't need built-in WiFi, though it is not the pick for anyone who wants WiFi included without buying the separate variant and builds that want more than two M.2 slots. The MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi is the one to take for mainstream Z890 builders who want MSI's Frozr thermal design and builds that don't need flagship-tier VRM headroom, though it is not built for enthusiasts who want MEG-tier networking and Thunderbolt and budget-first builds better served by a PRO-series board.
What ASRock B650 PG Lightning and MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi have in common
The common ground is wider than the gap: memory slots, max memory, form factor, cpu overclocking supported and pcie 5.0 support are identical here. They match on 3 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi differ on socket?
Yes. Socket reads AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning versus Intel Core Ultra Processors on the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi.
Is the M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots the same on the ASRock B650 PG Lightning and MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi?
It is. Both are listed at 1, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Intel
Model Number
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650 PG Lightning
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
Socket
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
Form Factor
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- ATX
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- B650
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Z890
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 9000
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Core Ultra Series 2
Memory Type
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, dual-channel, DDR5-7200+ (OC), XMP/EXPO
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4x DDR5 UDIMM, up to 256GB, up to 9200 MT/s (OC), CUDIMM support
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Ryzen 7000
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Core Ultra Series 2
CPU Overclocking Supported
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Yes
Memory Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 256 GB
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 256 GB
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 3-25%
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4Best
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Yes
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- No
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7200 MT/s
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 9200 MT/sBest
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 1
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 3
SATA Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 4
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- PCIe 4.0
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 7
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 14
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Digital VRM (phase count not officially disclosed by MSI)
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 2.5 Gbps
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 5 GbpsBest
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- 1
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- None
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
Audio Codec
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek ALC897, 7.1-channel HD Audio with Nahimic
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Realtek ALC1220P
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 Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 1x PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU), 2x PCIe 4.0 x4 (chipset)
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 Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 2x Thunderbolt 4, front USB-C 20Gbps header, Frozr thermal design
Networking
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning
- Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN (no built-in Wi-Fi)
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Intel Killer E5000B 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 Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4x M.2 (1x PCIe 5.0 CPU, 1x PCIe 4.0 CPU, 2x PCIe 4.0 chipset)
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 Z890 Tomahawk WiFi if you want the higher M.2 slots (4 vs 3).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B650 PG Lightning | MSI MAG Z890 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.