First up we have the MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk. MSI models are largely split between MEG and MAG models, with the MEG usually being the more premium types – Godlike etc – whilst the MAG is their more mid-range offerings. We recently saw the Tomahawk in Z490 guise, so it was no great surprise when it turned up in our office sporting the B550 chipset.
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We’ve already been impressed by the capabilities of the MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk, and the Mortar appears at first glance to be the mATX version of that. Whilst we didn’t quite know what to expect from the Tomahawk our time with it means that we go into our review of the MSI MAG B550M Mortar with heightened expectations.
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We have a soft spot for the ASUS TUF range. ASUS had been applying their TUF ideology to their motherboards for a while before they went all in with calling a motherboard the TUF, and that was the P67 one – many moons ago when we were just a glint in the milkman’s eye.
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The Gigabyte B550I AORUS PRO AX Motherboard gets a huge thumbs up from me before it even went on the test bench. It’s mini-ITX and that’s honestly a very rare thing these days. Most of the brands put out mostly ATX, and maybe one mini-ITX. If we’re lucky, we may see an mATX too, but those are even rarer than new mini-ITX models these days.
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The AORUS range has become a byword for fantastic quality and performance over the last few years. I mean, really they’re Gigabyte boards, but AORUS is their high-end range much like STRIX is for ASUS and MEG is for MSI. The pro shows us that they can still compete with or beat anything else out there.
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B550 is more affordable than X570 as it trims a few of the features, but that hasn’t stopped Gigabyte from releasing a high-end version of the mid-range chipset. That’s an interesting place, as it means high-end features and style, but hopefully at a lower price point than X570! The Gigabyte B550 AORUS Master Motherboard is certainly one of the best-equipped motherboards launching today.
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The MAG series has often been a nice blend of features and affordable prices, giving it a lot of appeal with gamers who want great performance without spending crazy money. It’s also one of the few mATX motherboards hitting the market right now, as they do seem to have become rarer in recent years.
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B550 may be the mid-range, but you still get a sample platter of all the premium features too. You still get some PCIe Gen 4 on one of the PCIe lanes and on one M.2 slot. The board still has a good power delivery setup for hitting those boost clocks and even overclocking. You get super-fast networking, RGB lighting, and great audio. Affordable it may be, but the Tomahawk still has plenty to offer.
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It still comes with an 8+2 DrMOS Power Stage design, upgraded components, chunky heatsinks, PCIe Gen 4, etc. Plus, you even get the latest Intel WiFi 6 and 2.5 GbE LAN for ultra-fast networking. Also note worthy is their new AI noise-cancelling microphone technology, which is said to be even better than the new AI audio thing from Nvidia and it’s built right into the motherboard this time!
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While the F had to make do with a 12+2 Power Stage the E gets upgraded to a 14+2 Power Stage design. Two of the PCIe slots are armoured rather than one, and both are Gen 4! So it’s little features really, but they can make a big difference if you’re wanting a dual GPU system that’s for sure.
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