The Intel Z690 Motherboard Overview (DDR5): Over 50+ New Models

MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WIFI (DDR5)

Perhaps one of the most bang for buck motherboard series in recent times is back for Z690, the Tomahawk. The MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WIFI includes a fairly premium feature set, but at a very reasonable price point, which puts it firmly in the mid-range of models. Looking at the aesthetics, the Tomahawk features an all-black design with matte and metallic contrasts throughout the rear panel cover, M.2 heatsinks, and the chipset heatsink for a two-toned look. Much like its Unify series, the Tomahawk drops integrated RGB LED lighting, but there's plenty of scope for users to add their own through the use of internal headers.

Focusing on PCIe support, the MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WIFI has one full-length PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, one full-length PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, and one full-length PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, as well as one PCIe 3.0 x1 slot. Storage on the Tomahawk consists of three PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, one PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slot, and six SATA ports capable of supporting Intel RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 arrays. For memory, MSI includes four memory slots capable of supporting up to DDR5-6400, with a total capacity of up to 128 GB.

On the rear panel of the MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WIFI is one USB 3.2 G2x2 Type-C, three USB 3.2 G2 Type-A, two USB 3.2 G1 Type-A, and two USB 2.0 ports. Focusing on networking, MSI is using an Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE controller, with an unspecified Wi-Fi 6 CNVi offering both wireless and BT 5.2 compatibility. Users will find an HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 video output pairing, as well as five 3.5 mm audio jacks and S/PDIF optical output, and a small BIOS Flashback button.