MSI MAG X670E TOMAHAWK WIFI Review UK 2025: A Proper AM5 Workhorse

Right, let’s talk about the MSI MAG X670E TOMAHAWK WIFI – a motherboard I’ve been running with a Ryzen 9 7950X for the past month, and honestly, it’s been one of those rare boards that just… works. No drama, no 2am BIOS headaches, no weird POST issues. At £249.99, it’s sitting in that sweet spot where you get proper X670E features without the daft £400+ pricing of the “gaming” boards with RGB on every capacitor.

MSI MAG X670E TOMAHAWK WIFI Motherboard, ATX - Supports AMD Ryzen 9000/8000 / 7000 Series Processors, AM5-80A SPS VRM, DDR5 Memory Boost 6600+MHz/OC, PCIe 5.0 x16, M.2 Gen5, Wi-Fi 6E

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.4 (2,867 reviews)

£249.99

• Ryzen 9000 READY, HIGH PERFORMANCE - The MAG X670E TOMAHAWK WIFI (ATX) employs a 14+2 Duet Rail VRM with 80A SPS VRM for the AMD X670 chipset (AM5, Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 ready); Core Boost for enhanced CPU performance
• INTEGRATED COOLING - VRM cooling features 7W/mK MOSFET thermal pads and an extended heatsink; Includes chipset heatsink, M.2 Shield Frozr, a dedicated pump-fan cooling header & 8-layer server-grade PCB with 2 oz. thickened copper
• DDR5 MEMORY, PCIe 5.0 & 4.0 x16 SLOTS - 4 x DDR5 DIMM slots with Memory Boost isolated circuitry for overclocking (1DPC 1R, 6600+ MHz); Primary PCIe x16 slot supports PCIe 5.0 (128Gbps) and includes Steel Armor, secondary PCIe x16 slots supports PCIe 4.0
• Quadruple M.2 CONNECTORS - Storage options include 1 x M.2 Gen5 128Gbps slot and 3 x M.2 Gen4 x4 64Gbps slots with Shield Frozr to prevent thermal throttling during hyper-fast SSD access
• WI-FI 6E CONNECTIVITY - Network hardware includes an AMD Wi-Fi 6E module with Bluetooth 5.3 & 2.5Gbps LAN; Rear ports include USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C (20Gbps), HDMI 2.1 & DisplayPort 1.4, and 7.1 HD Audio with Audio Boost (supports S/PDIF output)

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Price checked: 11 Jan 2026 | Affiliate link

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I’ve built systems on AM5 since launch, and the platform has matured nicely. But here’s the thing – not all X670E boards are created equal, and the VRM quality gap between a £200 board and a £250 board can be massive. This Tomahawk sits right in the middle of that pricing tier, and after a month of proper testing (including some genuinely punishing Cinebench loops), I reckon it punches well above its weight.

Check current pricing: MSI MAG X670E TOMAHAWK WIFI Motherboard, ATX - Supports AMD Ryzen 9000/8000 / 7000 Series Processors, AM5-80A SPS VRM, DDR5 Memory Boost 6600+MHz/OC, PCIe 5.0 x16, M.2 Gen5, Wi-Fi 6E

VRM & Power Delivery: Actually Impressive

Let’s start with what actually matters – can this board feed your CPU without catching fire or throttling under load? Because I’ve seen plenty of “14-phase” designs that are really just doubled 7-phase layouts with dodgy components, and they fall apart the moment you push a 7950X.

The Tomahawk uses a 14+2 phase design with 80A power stages. That’s not marketing fluff – these are proper Duet Rail VRMs with 7W/mK thermal pads connecting the MOSFETs to a chunky extended heatsink. I ran Cinebench R23 multi-core loops for 30 minutes straight with a 7950X pulling 230W at the socket, and VRM temps (monitored via HWiNFO64) never exceeded 68°C. That’s brilliant, especially considering my case airflow is decent but not exceptional.

For context, I tested the Gigabyte B650 EAGLE AX a few months back with the same CPU, and that board was hitting 85°C+ in the same test. The difference between a mid-range B650 VRM and a proper X670E design is massive when you’re running high-end silicon.

The 8-layer PCB with 2oz copper is another detail that matters more than people think. Thicker copper means better power distribution and less voltage droop under transient loads. When your CPU suddenly spikes from 50W to 200W (which Ryzen does constantly), you want that power delivery to be rock solid. This board delivers.

One thing that genuinely delighted me – the VRM heatsink mounting. It’s not just decorative. The screws are proper spring-loaded affairs that maintain even pressure, and the thermal pads make full contact. I’ve seen £300 boards where the heatsink is barely touching the MOSFETs. MSI got this right.

DDR5 support is sorted with four DIMM slots and MSI’s Memory Boost isolated circuitry. I tested with a 32GB kit of Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 CL30, and EXPO worked first time. No manual tweaking, no faff, just enabled the profile and booted straight into Windows. That’s rarer than it should be on AM5.

BIOS Experience: Functional But Dated

Right, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – MSI’s Click BIOS 5 interface. It works, it’s stable, and it’s got all the features you need. But bloody hell, it looks like it was designed in 2015 and nobody’s bothered to update it since.

The good news? BIOS updates are straightforward. MSI’s M-Flash utility works reliably – download the file, stick it on a USB drive, hit M-Flash, and it updates without drama. I updated from the factory BIOS to the latest AGESA 1.0.0.7b version, and the whole process took maybe three minutes. No weird USB formatting requirements, no failed flashes, just sorted.

Memory overclocking is where the BIOS actually shines. The Memory Try It! presets give you a range of timings and frequencies to test, and the manual controls are comprehensive if you want to dive deep. I managed to push my DDR5-6000 kit to 6200MHz CL30 with minimal voltage adjustment, which is proper performance for Ryzen 7000.

Here’s a specific anecdote – I was testing at about 1am (because of course I was), and I accidentally set the FCLK too high while pushing the memory. System wouldn’t POST. On some boards, that’s a nightmare requiring CMOS resets or worse. On this Tomahawk? It auto-recovered after three failed boot attempts and dropped me back into BIOS with safe settings. That kind of fail-safe behaviour is what separates a good board from a frustrating one.

One genuine frustration – the fan curve editor is rubbish. You get basic controls, but it’s nowhere near as intuitive as ASUS’s Q-Fan or even Gigabyte’s Smart Fan 6. If you’re serious about fan tuning, you’ll probably end up using Windows software instead.

Build Experience: Refreshingly Straightforward

I’ve built hundreds of systems over the years, and the build experience matters more than most reviews acknowledge. A board with awkwardly placed headers, impossible M.2 heatsinks, or a flimsy PCB can turn a two-hour build into a four-hour ordeal.

The M.2 installation deserves special mention. MSI uses their Shield Frozr heatsinks, which clip on rather than requiring seventeen tiny screws like some manufacturers. You slide the SSD into the slot, lower the heatsink, and click it into place. Proper simple. I installed four NVMe drives during testing (including a Gen5 drive in the primary slot), and the whole process took maybe five minutes.

Speaking of M.2 slots – you get four of them. The top slot is PCIe 5.0 x4 (128Gbps), and the other three are PCIe 4.0 x4 (64Gbps). That’s genuinely useful connectivity. Even if you don’t have a Gen5 SSD now, the option is there for the future. And let’s be honest, Gen4 drives are still plenty fast for gaming and most workloads.

The Steel Armor reinforcement on the primary PCIe slot is another nice touch. Heavy GPUs (and modern cards are absurdly heavy) can cause PCB flex and slot damage over time. The metal reinforcement prevents that. It’s not just for show.

One small niggle – the SATA ports are positioned right next to the primary M.2 slot. If you’re using a particularly chunky Gen5 SSD heatsink, you might have trouble accessing the top SATA port. Not a dealbreaker, but worth noting if you’re planning a storage-heavy build.

I/O & Expansion: Where X670E Shines

This is where the X670E chipset justifies its existence over B650. You’re not just paying for marketing – you get genuinely better connectivity.

The USB-C 20Gbps port is genuinely useful for fast external storage. I tested it with a Samsung T7 Shield, and transfer speeds were exactly what you’d expect – around 1800MB/s reads. The four USB 3.2 Gen2 ports (10Gbps) are perfect for peripherals, and you’ve still got USB 2.0 for older devices or RGB controllers that don’t need bandwidth.

WiFi 6E is included via an AMD module with Bluetooth 5.3. I tested it in my office about 8 metres from my router (through one wall), and speeds were solid – around 850Mbps on my gigabit connection. Not quite as fast as a wired connection, but more than adequate if you can’t run ethernet. The external antennas are adjustable and don’t look completely naff.

The 2.5Gb ethernet is a Realtek controller, which is fine. It’s not Intel, but it’s stable and well-supported in Windows. I had zero issues with driver installation or connectivity during the month of testing.

One thing I genuinely appreciate – MSI includes both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 outputs. If you’re using a Ryzen chip with integrated graphics (like a future APU), you’ve got proper display options. Most boards cheap out and give you HDMI 1.4 or skip DisplayPort entirely.

Internal headers are well-positioned. You get two USB 3.2 Gen1 front panel headers, one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C header (for modern cases with front USB-C), and all the usual fan headers. There’s even a dedicated pump header with higher current support if you’re running an AIO cooler.

How Does It Compare? X670E vs B650 Value Question

Right, let’s address the question everyone asks – is X670E worth the premium over B650? Because you can get excellent B650 boards for £150-170, so what are you actually paying for here?

So is the X670E worth £50 more than a good B650 board? If you’re building with a 7900X or 7950X, absolutely yes. The VRM quality difference is significant, and you get PCIe 5.0 for both your GPU and primary M.2 slot. That matters for longevity – even if you don’t have Gen5 hardware now, you might in three years.

If you’re building with a 7600X or 7700X, the B650 route makes more sense. Those CPUs don’t stress the VRM as much, and you probably won’t notice the connectivity differences in daily use.

The newer MSI X870E Tomahawk is better, no question – you get WiFi 7, an extra Gen5 M.2 slot, and slightly improved VRM. But it’s £70-80 more expensive. Is that worth it? Honestly, no. The X670E version does everything most people need.

Check latest pricing and availability: MSI MAG X670E TOMAHAWK WIFI Motherboard, ATX - Supports AMD Ryzen 9000/8000 / 7000 Series Processors, AM5-80A SPS VRM, DDR5 Memory Boost 6600+MHz/OC, PCIe 5.0 x16, M.2 Gen5, Wi-Fi 6E

What Amazon Buyers Actually Say

With 2,865 reviews and a 4.4/5 rating, this board has proper real-world validation. I always read through buyer feedback because it reveals issues that don’t show up in a month of testing.

The most common praise points are reliability and ease of setup. Loads of buyers mention that EXPO/XMP just worked, POST was successful on first boot, and the board has been stable for months. That’s what you want to hear – boring reliability.

Several buyers specifically mention using this with a 7950X or 7950X3D without issues, which validates my VRM testing. One reviewer mentioned running a 7950X with PBO enabled for six months with zero stability problems. That’s the kind of long-term feedback that matters.

The negative reviews are worth examining. A small percentage mention DOA boards or POST issues, which is unfortunately normal for any motherboard (failure rates are typically 1-3% across the industry). MSI’s RMA process in the UK seems decent based on follow-up comments, though nobody enjoys dealing with warranty claims.

A few buyers mention the BIOS being dated, which aligns with my experience. One person called it “functional but ugly,” which is spot on. Nobody’s buying this board for the BIOS aesthetics though.

Interestingly, several buyers compare this favourably to ASUS equivalents, specifically mentioning better value and easier BIOS navigation. The ASUS ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming is about £100 more expensive, and from what buyers say, you’re mostly paying for RGB and the ROG badge.

A recurring theme in positive reviews – people who upgraded from older AM4 or Intel platforms are genuinely impressed by the feature set and performance. The jump from DDR4 to DDR5, from PCIe 3.0 to 5.0, and from older VRM designs to this modern implementation is massive.

Should You Buy It?

Buy this motherboard if:

• You’re building with a Ryzen 9 7900X, 7950X, or 7950X3D and need proper VRM that won’t throttle
• You want X670E features (PCIe 5.0 for GPU and M.2) without paying £300+ for a flagship board
• You value reliability and straightforward setup over flashy RGB and fancy BIOS graphics
• You need four M.2 slots for a storage-heavy build
• You’re planning to keep this system for 5+ years and want proper future-proofing

Skip this motherboard if:

• You’re building with a Ryzen 5 7600X or 7700X – a good B650 board will save you £50-60 with no real performance difference
• You absolutely must have the latest WiFi 7 standard (the X870E version has this but costs significantly more)
• You spend hours tweaking fan curves in BIOS – the controls here are basic
• You’re on a tight budget – the Gigabyte B650 EAGLE AX offers 90% of the functionality for £50 less

Is it worth the extra £50 over B650? For high-end CPUs, absolutely. The VRM quality alone justifies the difference, and you get genuinely useful connectivity upgrades. For mid-range builds, it’s less clear-cut.

Is it worth £70 less than the X870E version? Yes. Unless you specifically need WiFi 7 or that second Gen5 M.2 slot, the X670E delivers everything that matters.

Final Thoughts

Current pricing and availability: MSI MAG X670E TOMAHAWK WIFI Motherboard, ATX - Supports AMD Ryzen 9000/8000 / 7000 Series Processors, AM5-80A SPS VRM, DDR5 Memory Boost 6600+MHz/OC, PCIe 5.0 x16, M.2 Gen5, Wi-Fi 6E

For more motherboard reviews and PC building guides, check out our coverage of the GIGABYTE B850 EAGLE WIFI6E for Ryzen 9000 builds, or the MSI MPG B850I EDGE WIFI if you’re considering a Mini-ITX build. And if you’re curious about Intel alternatives, the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is worth a look, though be prepared to spend considerably more.

For official specifications and BIOS updates, visit MSI’s official product page.