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ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi vs MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi: Comparison
What is the difference between ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi?
They are built to different briefs, and chipset shows it, ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi B850 against MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi Z890. Memory type is not the same on both, 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8000+... on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus 4x DDR5 UDIMM, up to 256GB, up to 9200... on the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi. Oldest cpu family supported is not the same on both, Ryzen 7000 on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus Core Ultra Series 2 on the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi. There is a split on ecc memory support as well, Unbuffered ECC on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus None on the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi.
Who each one is for
The ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi suits builders who want four M.2 slots at a B-series price and mainstream AM5 builds with Steel Legend styling preference, though it is not the pick for enthusiasts who need X870-level chipset lanes and builds needing dual LAN. Buy the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi for mainstream Z890 builders who want MSI's Frozr thermal design and builds that don't need flagship-tier VRM headroom, though it is the wrong buy for enthusiasts who want MEG-tier networking and Thunderbolt and budget-first builds better served by a PRO-series board.
Where the two are identical
Everything else lines up. Memory slots, max memory, m.2 slots, form factor and pcie 5.0 support read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing. They match on 13 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi differ on socket?
Yes. Socket reads AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi versus Intel Core Ultra Processors on the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi.
Is the Wi-Fi Onboard the same on the ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi and MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi?
It is. Both are listed at Yes, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- AMD
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Intel
Model Number
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
Socket
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 series
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
Form Factor
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- ATX
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- B850
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Z890
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Ryzen 9000
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Core Ultra Series 2
Memory Type
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC)
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4x DDR5 UDIMM, up to 256GB, up to 9200 MT/s (OC), CUDIMM support
Oldest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Ryzen 7000
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Core Ultra Series 2
Memory Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
Max Memory
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 256 GB
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 256 GB
M.2 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 8000 MT/s
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 9200 MT/sBest
ECC Memory Support
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Unbuffered ECC
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- None
M.2 PCIe 5.0 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 1
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 3
M.2 CPU Attached Slots
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 2
SATA Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB4 or TB Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 0
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 2
Rear USB 10Gbps Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 4
Front USB-C Header Speed
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 20Gbps
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 20Gbps
Fan and Pump Headers
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 6
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 8
ARGB Headers
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 3
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 3
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 14
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Digital VRM (phase count not officially disclosed by MSI)
BIOS Flashback
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Yes
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Yes
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5 Gbps
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 5 GbpsBest
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 1
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth Version
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 5.4
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 5.4
Audio Codec
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- Realtek ALC4082, Nahimic, 7.1-channel
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Realtek ALC1220P
Expansion
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- PCIe 5.0 x16 + PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4)
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 1x PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU), 2x PCIe 4.0 x4 (chipset)
Connectivity
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- USB 3.2, Nahimic audio software
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- 2x Thunderbolt 4, front USB-C 20Gbps header, Frozr thermal design
Networking
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7
- MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- Intel Killer E5000B 5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Special Features
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi
- 4x M.2 (1x Gen5, 3x Gen4)
- 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 B850 Steel Legend WiFi if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4), the higher max memory (256 GB vs 256 GB) and the higher M.2 slots (4 vs 4).
Choose MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi | 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.