MSI MAG Z390 Tomahawk

Overview

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 7 expert reviews

Excellent:

2
Good:

2
Average:

1
Bad:

2

Pros:

Dual Gigabit Ethernet, Superior two-DIMM overclock.
Dual Intel Gigabit Ethernet, Supremely Inexpensive, Default thermal limits protect undersized voltage regulator.
Looks like a high-end board, Pre-installed I/O shield, Dual LAN ports, Dual M.2 slots, Great overall performance

Cons:

No CPU PCIe Bifurcation or SLI, Mediocre CPU overclock, Excessive voltage regulator temperature, Cheaper audio codec
Poor voltage regulator cooling, Poor thermal transfer to voltage regulator heat sink, Not enough power for Core i9-9900K, No Gen2 USB 3.1 front-panel header

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Last revision on October 7, 2020

Reviewers Liked

Dual Gigabit Ethernet, Superior two-DIMM overclock
Dual Intel Gigabit Ethernet, Supremely Inexpensive, Default thermal limits protect undersized voltage regulator
Looks like a high-end board, Pre-installed I/O shield, Dual LAN ports, Dual M.2 slots, Great overall performance

Reviewers Didn't Like

No CPU PCIe Bifurcation or SLI, Mediocre CPU overclock, Excessive voltage regulator temperature, Cheaper audio codec
Poor voltage regulator cooling, Poor thermal transfer to voltage regulator heat sink, Not enough power for Core i9-9900K, No Gen2 USB 3.1 front-panel header
No SLI support

Expert reviews and ratings

While the Z390 Tomahawk is from the more military-themed series of MAG models, it does include a surprising number of good features. First of all, there are two Gigabit LAN ports on the rear panel with a more budget-friendly Realtek ALC892 HD audio...

By Play3r on July 30, 2019

The Z390 Tomahawk pushed half of our four-DIMM DDR4-2933 kit to an astounding DDR4-4174. Unfortunately, that's the only thing it did remarkably well. Its extra Gigabit Ethernet controller is offset in value by its loss of CPU PCIe bifurcation, cheaper...

By Tom's Hardware on May 02, 2019

MSI's board is the cheapest Z390 product in this group, and it certainly punches above its weight: it has a decent specification that can support mainstream builds with single GPUs and overclocked CPUs, and it has solid gaming performance. Its weaker...

By Trusted Reviews on April 01, 2019

MSI's MAG Series (Arsenal Gaming) really comes through with the military theme, which will really appeal to gamers. While these boards are made to be mid-range, they really have a high-end look and feel. The first MAG Series motherboard is the MAG Z390...

By ThinkComputers on October 19, 2018

That got me thinking… could I build a system where every RGB element was controlled by one piece of software? And if so, which companies were “compatible”?After lots of planning, 2 companies stepped forward and agreed to help with this build. Everything...

By Play3r on July 31, 2019

If you're the type of person who prefers a level of subtlety in their hardware rather than the modern predilection for gaudiness then you'll delight in the understated aesthetics of the Tomahawk. Often when a motherboard comes in at this price the first...

By Overclock3D on May 23, 2019

Aesthetically, MSI MAG Z390 Tomahawk hits the nail on the head with a chunky, industrial design that stands out a little from the usual grey and black crowd without ditching its overall colour neutrality, and the I/O shroud and integrated I/O shield...

By Bit-tech.net on February 06, 2019

While the MAG Z390 Tomahawk might be a great board to support a lesser processor, our high-priced Core i9-9900K presented an unrealistically heavy power load for this low-cost product. A low price paired with our assumption that the board will suit a...

By Tom's Hardware on November 26, 2018

October 8th was the release date for some embargos for the new Z390 chipset. And with this date coming and going we saw the major board partners show off most/all of their new lineups. With this brings new naming conventions, new looks, and new features...

By overclockers.com on October 10, 2018

MSI, a major player in motherboard design and manufacturing, announced today the availability of new motherboards with the Intel Z390 chipset. The new boards are revealed just in time for the launch of the 9th Generation Intel Core processors. Beginning...

By Neoseeker on October 08, 2018

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