The standard of Intel motherboards with its B sequence chipsets have taken a real step ahead for the reason that introduction of the last-gen B560. A lot of them now, just like the MSI MAG B660 Tomahawk WIFI DDR4 we’re reviewing right here, carry function units that might have been restricted to high-end boards simply a few years in the past.
Easy economics could have performed as a lot of an element as the rest. In fact, there are nonetheless low-cost and primary B660 boards that you simply wouldn’t dream of pairing with an Intel Core i9 12900K, however given the steep price of excessive finish Z690 boards, a spot has opened up within the within the decrease mid vary that’s now taken up by premium B660 boards and low price Z690 boards.
Lately it’s totally potential to seize high quality B660 board with a robust VRM, quick networking, complete connectivity choices, and cooling that received’t have any downside with a high-end processor. Add within the all-important high-speed reminiscence help, and also you’ve just about obtained all the pieces a gamer wants aside from CPU overclocking help. Which, y’know, no-one wants.
Until you completely, positively want 4 or extra M.2 slots, otherwise you run a number of add-in playing cards, the B660 chipset is worthy of great consideration.
B600 Tomahawk specs
Socket: Intel LGA 1700
Kind issue: ATX
Reminiscence help: 128GB | As much as DDR4-4800
Storage: 3x M.2; 6x SATA
USB: As much as 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, 5x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 8x USB 2.0
Video out: 1x HDMI 2.1; 1x DP 1.4
Networking: Intel Wi-Fi 6; Realtek 2.5G LAN
Audio: Realtek ALC1220P 7.1 channel HD Audio
Worth: $190 | £186
At round $190 (£186, $349 AUD) The B660 Tomahawk DDR4 is just not what you’d name a low-cost motherboard, however relative to various overpriced Z690 choices, it positively is much extra inexpensive than some. However is the B660 Tomahawk DDR4 a board that it is best to think about to energy your 2022 gaming rig? I might say, yeah.
The B660 Tomahawk clearly takes some aesthetic inspiration from MSI’s Unify vary. Each share a black, RGB-less design that can simply mix into most methods. There are 4 RGB headers, together with two which are addressable, so RGB is there if you’d like it. The Tomahawk comes with three PCIe slots. The first slot is a x16 slot that helps PCIe 4.0, the second is a x16 slot (x4 electrical) that helps a PCIe 3.0 and eventually there is a PCIe 3.0 x1 slot.
PCIe 5.0 help for the first slot would have been good, although that is not prone to ship any tangible profit for GPUs for the forseeable future.
The Tomahawk will settle for as much as three M.2 drives, all of that are cooled by a heatsink. Two of them help PCIe 4.0 x4. The third slot helps PCIe 4.0 x2. Three slots will probably be adequate for many customers, however if you’d like 4 or extra, you’ll should go to Z690. Don’t neglect the six SATA ports too.
The general format seems stable. The realm underneath the first PCIe slot is refreshingly freed from M.2 slots ripe to get roasted. SSDs there can get stupidly sizzling underneath a GPU. There’s a USB Kind-C case header and we rely 5 fan headers plus two extra for the CPU and AIO pump. In brief, that is no price range function set, and that extends into the ability elements, too.
MSI’s Tomahawk motherboards have a popularity for his or her sturdy VRM options and the B660 entry continues this custom. It features a 12+2 section VRM powered by twin 8-pin energy connectors. Making an allowance for that overclocking is just not allowed on B660 boards, all it has to deal with is the utmost turbo load of a 12900K. It received’t have any downside with that, we guarantee you. It’s all cooled by chunky black heatsinks. For our evaluation we used an Intel Core i5 12600K, a chip extra prone to be paired with the mid-range chipset. This resulted in a VRM load temperature of simply 47°C. Although we use an open take a look at bench, even when you add 30 levels or extra, that’s nonetheless effectively inside vary.
The rear I/O is one other particular spotlight of the board. You get Realtek 2.5G LAN and Intel WiFi 6 which can deal with the networking wants of commonest customers. There are 9 USB ports made up of 4 USB 2.0, 4 3.2 Gen 2 ports and a 3.2 Gen 2×2 20Gbps Kind-C port. It is good to see 20Gbps USB start to filter down market, too. There’s additionally a full set of audio ports with S/PDIF. A Realtek ALC1220 chip takes care of audio duties. Lastly there’s HDMI 2.1 and DP 1.4 ports must you want to use Intel’s Xe built-in graphics.
Gaming efficiency
System efficiency
By way of general efficiency the MSI B660 Tomahawk ran just about as I’d count on. Its gaming efficiency is true alongside different DDR4 boards. A few the system benchmarks have been a tiny bit behind, however these are principally inside a margin of error and would possibly come right down to a few diversified reminiscence sub timings.
As a aspect notice, we additionally took the chance to retest the 12600K with a quick set of DDR5-6000 and famous that efficiency has positively improved when in comparison with early BIOS. However nonetheless, when you’ve obtained a good set of DDR4 out of your final construct, you’ll save a number of hundred {dollars} that you may divert in direction of a greater GPU. You’ll discover the efficiency distinction there greater than you’d the few p.c between DDR4-3600 and DDR5-6000.
Usually we’d give the board a exercise with a little bit of overclocking, however since you’ll be able to’t with a B660 board, that’s moot. Nonetheless, Intel lastly allowed reminiscence overclocking on B560, and naturally it is also unlocked on B660. It’s potential to run effectively over DDR4-4000 however doing so requires you to set the board to Gear 2, which halves the reminiscence controller velocity and negates the latency benefit that DDR4 enjoys. Working reminiscence within the DDR4-3200 to 3600 vary or just a little extra whereas setting the board Gear 1 will ship the most effective gaming efficiency.
All advised, the MSI B660 Tomahawk DDR4 is unquestionably a board value contemplating to your Alder Lake setup. It could be a sensible worth buy for a typical gamer who runs a single GPU, XMP reminiscence, an SSD or two, and is comfortable to let a twelfth Gen processor do its turbo increase factor with out guide overclocking.
Actually, that’s in all probability 95% of the market, possibly greater. At $190 it’s not what we’d name an affordable motherboard, however in a market the place mid-range Z690 board can price much more, the B660 Tomahawk positively provides plenty of options whereas not dropping sight of the worth thats sometimes supplied by B660 boards.
