Four CPU phases use four NIKOS PK616BA and eight NIKOS PK632BA MOSFETs, in addition to a component marked ‘4P=3H V38' that I could not find information for but is likely a MOSFET driver. MSI uses a 4+2 phase power delivery system to feed the AM4 CPU and its accompanying components such as the SOC voltage rail and (probably) iGPU for upcoming APUs.Ī Richtek RT8894A PWM controls the system. Nearby are the 24-pin power connectors and two 4-pin fan headers, one of which is pre-assigned water pump duties but can be speed controlled in the UEFI. I like the pure black colour of the slots. This is largely thanks to the memory ICs used by G.SKILL that work favourably with Ryzen.įour memory slots allow for up to 64GB of DDR4 to be installed. We were able to successfully use our 3200MHz G.SKILL Flare X kit using the board's A-XMP setting. MSI advertises support for DDR4 memory speeds over 3200MHz via overclocking. You basically get an LED strip connector that can be set to one of seven colours rather than true, customisable RGB mode. There's no real RGB control that allows a user to customise the LED colour with granular control over the 16.7 million colour options. A connected 4-pin LED strip can only be set to operate using one of MSI's seven pre-determined colour options.
MSI supports 4-pin RGB strips but it is somewhat misleading for the company to claim ‘RGB' capability. The B350 Tomahawk Arctic uses a white LED system, rather than red, in order to fit with its wider styling approach.
MSI B350 TOMAHAWK CPU LED SOFTWARE
This colour cannot be changed in the software but it can be set to operate in a different mode or turned off completely. Onboard lighting for the motherboard is intentionally coloured red. Other than the style change, there are no differences between the two models so the performance figures and analysis points are interchangeable. The Arctic uses a white and black colour scheme and white LEDs. If the black and grey theme is not appealing to you, MSI offers its B350 Tomahawk Arctic at an identical price point to the normal B350 Tomahawk. This is a significant improvement over the push-pin alternative seen on low-cost motherboards that delivers poor mounting pressure for the VRM heatsinks. Credit to MSI for using a sturdy screw-tightened mounting method for the VRM heatsinks. Two heatsinks of decent size are used to cool the VRM components. The MSI B350 Tomahawk uses a dark grey and black colour scheme to fit into MSI's Arsenal range of products that is targeted towards more beginner-level gamers (not that it makes any difference to actual gaming performance).
Documentation is the usual affair but I did not find an MSI-branded case sticker with our sample. The MSI B350 Tomahawk ships in a box that outlines the features on the rear side with an image of the motherboard.īundled items are representative of a budget offering – you get two SATA cables and the labelled rear IO shield. Realtek ALC892-based 7.1 channel HD audioĦ, all support 3/4pin fans and DC/PWM mode VGA, DVI-D, and HDMI ports for use with AM4 APUsġ x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 for Ryzen, wired to the CPU), 1x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4 mode, wired to the chipset), 2x PCIe 2.0 x1 (wired to the chipset), 2x PCIġ x M.2 SATA (6Gbps) or NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 (with Ryzen CPUs) or PCIe 3.0 x2 (with AM4 APUs)Ħ x USB 2.0 (4 Internal, 2 Rear, via B350)ħx USB 3.0 (4 Internal via B350, 3 Rear, via CPU) Read on to find out how the MSI B350 Tomahawk performs.ĭDR4 Dual channel, 4 DIMMs, up to 64GB, up to 3200MHz+ with OC (with a Ryzen CPU) It is worth highlighting that the B350 Tomahawk and B350 Tomahawk Arctic are both functionally identical except for their colour scheme and onboard LED colour. Game Boost is another one-click setting that allows novice users to apply an overclocked preset at the click of a button. Support for high-speed memory is an area where MSI offers its one-click A-XMP setting. Power delivery is handled by four phases dedicated to the CPU and a well-fitted heatsink that takes care of cooling.
Onboard LEDs are coloured in red but there is a 4-pin strip header to connect external LED strips. MSI knows this and therefore offers budget consumers its B350 Tomahawk which is equipped with a PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe-capable M.2 slot, USB Type-C (albeit at 5Gbps 3.0 speeds), and a superb fan configuration to cool one's system. If you are in the market for a Ryzen 5 CPU and plan to overclock, the B350 chipset makes a great deal of sense. Retaining the CPU overclocking support that makes the B350 chipset such an alluring option for AM4, MSI outfits its Tomahawk with the key features consumers are asking for, such as USB Type-C and M.2 PCIe NVMe support. MSI's £100 B350 Tomahawk is the first B350 motherboard to be put through our testing.
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