MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk & MAG B860M Mortar Motherboards Review

CPU Performance Tests

The Intel LGA 1700 platform was launched three years ago in 2021 and it has since seen a total of 3 generations of CPUs, Alder Lake (12th Gen), Raptor Lake (13th Gen), and Raptor Lake Refresh (14th Gen). We have seen at least three generations of motherboards, first with the 600-series which had Z690 as the top SKU, and then two generations of 700-series based on the top Z790 chipset which included a soft refresh for the 14th Gen lineup.

Intel has now introduced its next-generation 800-series chipsets and with the Core Ultra 200S CPU series, the company is also launching a brand new socket called LGA 1851. Today, we will be taking a look at the latest motherboards based on the value-oriented B860 chipset.

We received a load of motherboards from various manufacturers so let's start by taking a look at these updated designs. For this review, we will be testing out two MSI motherboards in its entry-level lineup, the MAG B860 Tomahawk WIFI and the MAG B860M Mortar WIFI.

The Intel LGA 1851 Platform

For its Arrow Lake lineup, Intel is introducing a brand new socket which ends the reign of the LGA 1700 series after a little over three years. The new socket from now onward will be LGA 1851 and this will be first featured on the new 800-series motherboards.

The 800-series chipsets will include several SKUs but the one we are getting today is the entry-tier B860. This platform offers a total of 34 PCIe lanes of which 20 are PCIe Gen 5.0 and these come from both the CPU and the PCH. The B860 PCH features up to 14 PCIe 4.0 lanes, up to 6 USB 3.2 ports including 2 20G, 4 10G, and 6 5G options, up to 12 USB 2.0 links & up to 4 SATA III links.

In terms of memory support, the new B860 motherboards will offer up to DDR5-6400 (native) capabilities and expanded speeds over 8000 MT/s with XMP. The platform will support up to 48 GB DIMMs in the dual-channel mode for up to 192 GB capacities in UDIMM, CUDIMM, SODIMM, and CSODIMM flavors.

Cooler Compatibility With LGA 1851 Socket

The Intel LGA 1851 socket is compatible with LGA 1700 socketed coolers though some coolers might require an offset kit for proper thermal load balance. The new socket also has a revised ILM called RL-ILM which uses a spacer between the loading mechanism to ensure proper pressure for the new Arrow Lake CPUs.

The MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk motherboard comes in a standard cardboard package. The front is grey and green. The packaging also lists features such as 5G LAN, WIFI7, Core Ultra Series 2 CPU support, and the B860 chipset.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the 12-phase DUET VRM, EZ M.2/PCIe design, Lightning Gen5 slots, Thunderbolt 4, WIFI7, and 5G LAN, EZ PCIe Release slots, EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II slots, and Triple M.2 connectors.

Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories and is located right below the box holder for the board itself. You get:

• Quick Installation Guide
• European Union Regulatory Notice
• Shout out Flyer
• 1 x SATA Cable
• EZ M.2 Clips II
• EZ M.2 Clip II Remover
• EZ Wi-Fi Antenna
• 1 to 2 EZ Conn-Cable (V1)
• EZ Front Panel Cable

With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package. The MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk motherboard is an ATX offering that measures 243.84 x 304.8 mm. The motherboard carries an all-black color scheme with a few lime green accents. The Tomahawk is part of the MSI MAG "MSI Arsenal Gaming" lineup which is aimed at mainstream audiences.

The board uses the LGA 1851 socket to support Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors. At launch, the LGA 1851 socket will only support the Arrow Lake CPUs though we can expect a brand new family in the coming years.

Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 256 GB of dual-channel (24/48/64 GB modules) memory.

These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 9200 MT/s (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. Each slot is also combined with a reinforced design to make sure signal integrity remains good while keeping the slots durable for long-term usage.

The full QVL list can be found here. The motherboard supports 5600 MT/s natively and 6400 MT/s for Arrow Lake K CPUs. The 9200 MT/s apply to 1DCP (1 Rank) configurations.

The MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk motherboard features a 12+1+1+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX)  phase DUET VRM power delivery. The power stages are rated at 60A. The board comes equipped with a BCLK generator. The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the LGA 1851 socket. The board uses a 6-layer NPG-170D server-grade PCB with 2oz Thickened copper in a low-loss design, retaining signal integrity for stable CPU and memory operations.

The VRMs receive ample cooling from the Frozr heatsinks which come with an extended design.

The CPU is supplied power through an 8+8 pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 600 Watts of power. Intel's Arrow Lake "Core Ultra 200S" Desktop CPUs can sip up to 250W of power by default.

Coming to the cooling solution, the Extended Frozr heatsink features two aluminum blocks. Underneath the VRM heatsink are 7W/mK Thermal pads which transfer heat from the VRMs to the heatsink.

Expansion slots include two full-length PCI Express x16 (1 x Gen 5.0 x16 / 1 x Gen 4.0 x4), a single PCIe 4.0 x1 slot and three M.2 slots. The third PCIe slot will run at x2 speeds if the second PCIe slot is populated.

• 2x PCI-E x16 slot
• 1x PCI-E x1 slot
• PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x16 (From CPU)
• PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x1 (From Chipset)
• PCI_E3 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x4 (From Chipset)

The motherboard utilizes a full metallic slot which makes use EZ PCIe release mechanism to make installing and removing graphics cards easy.

The motherboard also has a vast array of M.2 slots, all of which are featured under dedicated M.2 Shield Frozr heatsinks.

There are two sets of M.2 heatsinks, one of them is used for dual M.2 slots. You need to remove the plastic sticker from the thermal pads before installing a new SSD for proper heat transfer. The top Gen5 slot comes with an EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II design, making for a toolless design.

Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk WIFI motherboard:

• 3x M.2
• M.2_1 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4, supports 2280/2260 devices
• M.2_2 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 22110/2280/2260 devices
• M.2_3 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 2280/2260/2242 devices
• 4x SATA 6G

The B860 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with the MAG logo.

Unlike the other MSI motherboards, the Tomahawk doesn't feature any RGB LED accent zones but it does feature lots of RGB/ARGB headers for those who want to take RGB customization to the next level.

Storage options include four SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 4 different storage devices at once. USB options include a total of 17 connections which include 1 USB 40 Gbps Type-C, 2 USB 10 Gbps Type-C, 4 USB 10 Gbps Type-A, 2 USB 5 Gbps Type-A, and 8 USB 2.0 ports.

MSI uses a 7.1 CH HD audio design with the latest Realtek ALC897 CODEC for rear panel audio. There is a large selection of connectors on the motherboard. MSI also features a dedicated 8-pin PEG connector for the PCIe slots which can provide additional juice and reduce the strain on the ATX connector.

The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.

•  1x Power Connector(ATX_PWR)
• 2x Power Connector(CPU_PWR)
• 1x Power Connector(PCIE_PWR 8pin)
• 1x CPU Fan
• 1x Combo Fan (Pump_Sys Fan)
• 5x System Fan
• 2x Front Panel (JFP)
• 1x Chassis Intrusion (JCI)
• 1x Front Audio (JAUD)
• 1x Tuning Controller connector(JDASH)
• 3x Addressable V2 RGB LED connector (JARGB_V2)
• 2x RGB LED connector(JRGB)
• 1x TPM pin header(Support TPM 2.0)
• 4x USB 2.0 ports
• 2x USB 5Gbps Type A ports
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C ports

MSI is using the latest Killer "BE1750x" WIFI 7 Module to power wireless connectivity with a 320MHz channel bandwidth and Bluetooth 5.4. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single Killer 5 GbE LAN port powered by the Intel E5000 chip.

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• Clear CMOS Button
• DisplayPort
• USB 2.0 (Flash BIOS Port)
• 5G LAN
• USB 10Gbps Type-A
• Audio Connectors
• Flash BIOS Button
• Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps (Type-C)
• HDMI
• USB 2.0
• USB 10Gbps Type-A
• USB 10Gbps Type-C
• Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
• S/PDIF-OUT

The MSI MAG B860M Mortar motherboard comes in a standard cardboard package. The front is grey and green. The packaging also lists features such as 5G LAN, WIFI7, Core Ultra Series 2 CPU support, and the B860 chipset.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the 12-phase DUET VRM, EZ M.2/PCIe design, Lightning Gen5 slots, Thunderbolt 4, WIFI7, and 5G LAN, EZ PCIe Release slots, EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II slots, and Triple M.2 connectors.

Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories and is located right below the box holder for the board itself. You get:

• Quick Installation Guide
• European Union Regulatory Notice
• Shout out Flyer
• 1 x SATA Cable
• EZ M.2 Clips II
• EZ M.2 Clip II Remover
• EZ Wi-Fi Antenna
• 1 to 2 EZ Conn-Cable (V1)
• EZ Front Panel Cable

With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package. The MSI MAG B860M Mortar motherboard is an M-ATX offering that measures 243.84 x 243.84 mm. The motherboard carries an all-black color scheme with a few lime green accents. The Tomahawk is part of the MSI MAG "MSI Arsenal Gaming" lineup which is aimed at mainstream audiences.

The board uses the LGA 1851 socket to support Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors. At launch, the LGA 1851 socket will only support the Arrow Lake CPUs though we can expect a brand new family in the coming years.

Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 256 GB of dual-channel (24/48/64 GB modules) memory.

These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 9200 MT/s (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. Each slot is also combined with a reinforced design to make sure signal integrity remains good while keeping the slots durable for long-term usage.

The full QVL list can be found here. The motherboard supports 5600 MT/s natively and 6400 MT/s for Arrow Lake K CPUs. The 9200 MT/s apply to 1DCP (1 Rank) configurations.

The MSI MAG B860M Mortar motherboard features a 12+1+1+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX)  phase DUET VRM power delivery. The power stages are rated at 60A. The board comes equipped with a BCLK generator. The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the LGA 1851 socket. The board uses a 6-layer NPG-170D server-grade PCB with 2oz Thickened copper in a low-loss design, retaining signal integrity for stable CPU and memory operations.

The VRMs receive ample cooling from the Frozr heatsinks which come with an extended design.

The CPU is supplied power through an 8+8 pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 600 Watts of power. Intel's Arrow Lake "Core Ultra 200S" Desktop CPUs can sip up to 250W of power by default.

Coming to the cooling solution, the Extended Frozr heatsink features two aluminum blocks. Underneath the VRM heatsink are 7W/mK Thermal pads which transfer heat from the VRMs to the heatsink.

Expansion slots include two full-length PCI Express x16 (1 x Gen 5.0 x16 / 1 x Gen 4.0 x4), and three M.2 slots. The third PCIe slot will run at x2 speeds if the second PCIe slot is populated.

• 1x PCI-E x16 slot
• 1x PCI-E x4 slot
• PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x16 (From CPU)
• PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x4 (From Chipset)

The motherboard utilizes a full metallic slot which makes use EZ PCIe release mechanism to make installing and removing graphics cards easy.

The motherboard also has a vast array of M.2 slots, all of which are featured under dedicated M.2 Shield Frozr heatsinks.

There are two sets of M.2 heatsinks, one of them is used for dual M.2 slots. You need to remove the plastic sticker from the thermal pads before installing a new SSD for proper heat transfer. The top Gen5 slot comes with an EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II design, making for a toolless design.

Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk WIFI motherboard:

• 3x M.2
• M.2_1 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4, supports 2280/2260/2242 devices
• M.2_2 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 2280/2260 devices
• M.2_3 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 2280/2260 devices
• 4x SATA 6G

The B860 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with the MAG logo.

Unlike the other MSI motherboards, the Mortar doesn't feature any RGB LED accent zones but it does feature lots of RGB/ARGB headers for those who want to take RGB customization to the next level.

Storage options include four SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 4 different storage devices at once. USB options include a total of 15 connections which include 1 USB 40 Gbps Type-C, 1 USB 10 Gbps Type-C, 3 USB 10 Gbps Type-A, 2 USB 5 Gbps Type-A, and 8 USB 2.0 ports.

MSI uses a 7.1 CH HD audio design with the latest Realtek ALC897 CODEC for rear panel audio. There is a large selection of connectors on the motherboard. MSI also features a dedicated 8-pin PEG connector for the PCIe slots which can provide additional juice and reduce the strain on the ATX connector.

The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.

•  1x Thunderbolt5 card connector(JTBT5, support RTD3)
• 1x Power Connector(ATX_PWR)
• 2x Power Connector(CPU_PWR)
• 1x Power Connector(PCIE_PWR 8pin)
• 1x CPU Fan
• 1x Combo Fan (Pump_Sys Fan)
• 4x System Fan
• 1x EZ Conn-header (JAF_1)
• 2x Front Panel (JFP)
• 1x Chassis Intrusion (JCI)
• 1x Front Audio (JAUD)
• 1x Tuning Controller connector(JDASH)
• 3x Addressable V2 RGB LED connector (JARGB_V2)
• 1x RGB LED connector(JRGB)
• 1x TPM pin header(Support TPM 2.0)
• 4x USB 2.0 ports
• 2x USB 5Gbps Type A ports
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C ports

MSI is using the latest Killer "BE1750x" WIFI 7 Module to power wireless connectivity with a 320MHz channel bandwidth and Bluetooth 5.4. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single Killer 5 GbE LAN port powered by the Intel E5000 chip.

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• DisplayPort
• USB 2.0
• USB 10Gbps Type-A
• 5G LAN
• Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
• Audio Connectors
• HDMI
• Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps (Type-C)
• Flash BIOS Button
• Clear CMOS Button
• USB 10Gbps Type-C
• USB 10Gbps Type-A
• S/PDIF-OUT

For testing, I used the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU which was sent to us by Intel on a range of B860 motherboards while using a high-end Z890 motherboard as the baseline for performance.

Intel LGA 1851 "B860" Motherboard Test Platform:

Processors	Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
Motherboard	MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk WIFI (7E39v1B4) MSI MAG B860M Mortar WIFI (7E40v1A4) ASRock B860 Lightning WIFI (1.21) ASRock B860I Lightning WIFI (1.13) ASRock B860 Steel Legend (1.21) ASRock B860 LiveMixer WIFI (1.24)
Power Supply	FSP Hydro G 1200W PSU
Solid State Drive	Crucial T700 2 TB Gen5 SSD
Memory	T-Force Delta RGB DDR5-7200 (CL34 2 x 16 GB)
Video Cards	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition
Cooling Solutions	Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420mm AIO
OS	Windows 11 64-bit

Our test rig includes the Crucial T700 2 TB Gen5 SSD that boots up our main OS. In addition to these, we are running an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition graphics card and an FSP Hydro G 1200W PSU. For this specific review, we used the Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-8200 (48 GB) memory kit running at CL40 timings.

All B860 Motherboards Memory Support (Official Rating)

The Intel B860 motherboards are listed with some of the highest-listed DDR5 memory support out of the box. Following is how each of the motherboards we tested stacks up in terms of maximum frequency support:

3DMark CPU Profile Benchmark

Instead of producing a single number, the 3DMark CPU Profile shows you how your CPU's performance changes and scales with the number of cores and threads used. The 3DMark CPU Profile has six tests that help you benchmark and compare CPU performance for gaming and other activities.

Blender

Blender is a free and open-source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, and even video editing and game creation.

Cinebench 2024

Cinebench 2024 utilizes the power of Redshift, Cinema 4D's default rendering engine, to evaluate your computer's CPU and GPU capabilities. Cinebench 2024 is designed to accommodate a broad range of hardware configurations - while it seamlessly supports x86/64 architecture (Intel/AMD) on Windows and macOS.

Cinebench R23

Cinebench is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s hardware capabilities. Improvements to Cinebench Release 20 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D’s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user.

CPU-Z

CPUz is a freeware that gathers information on some of the main devices of your system such as the Processor name and number, codename, process, package, cache levels, Mainboard, chipset, Memory type, size, timings, and module specifications (SPD), and Real-time measurement of each core's internal frequency, memory frequency.

Geekbench 6

Geekbench 6 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures your system's performance with the press of a button.

HandBrake

HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.

PCMark 10

PCMark 10 is a complete PC benchmarking solution for Windows 10. It includes several tests that combine individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing, and gaming. Specifically designed for the full range of PC hardware from netbooks and tablets to notebooks and desktops, PCMark 10 offers complete Windows PC performance testing for home and business use.

POV-Ray

The POV-Ray package includes detailed instructions on using the ray tracer and creating scenes. Many stunning scenes are included with POV-Ray so you can start creating images immediately when you get the package.

SuperPI

Super PI is used by many overclockers to test the performance and stability of their computers. In the overclocking community, the standard program provides a benchmark for enthusiasts to compare “world record” pi calculation times and demonstrate their overclocking abilities. The program can also be used to test the stability of a certain overclock speed.

WinRAR

WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can back up your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompress RAR, ZIP, and other files downloaded from the Internet, and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format.

Battlefield V

Battlefield V brings back the action of the World War 2 shooter genre. Using the latest Frostbite tech, the game does a good job of looking gorgeous in all ways possible. From the open-world environments to the intense and gun-blazing action, this multiplayer and single-player FPS title is one of the best-looking Battlefields to date. The game was tested at max settings at 1440p.

DOOM Eternal

DOOM Eternal brings hell to earth with the Vulkan-powered idTech 7.  We test this game using the Ultra Nightmare Preset and follow our in-game benchmarking to stay consistent.

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is the latest addition to Valve's CS series with a complete visual overhaul, bringing the FPS to a new generation of gamers.

Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus continues the journey of Artyom through the nuclear wasteland of Russia and its surroundings. This time, you are set over the Metro, going through various regions and different environments. The game is one of the premier titles to feature NVIDIA’s RTX technology and does well in showcasing the ray-tracing effects in all corners. The game was tested at Ultra setting with RTX settings turned off at 1440p.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is an action role-playing video game developed by CD Projekt Red and published by CD Projekt. The story takes place in Night City, an open world set in the Cyberpunk universe. Players assume the first-person perspective of a customizable mercenary known as V, who can acquire skills in hacking and machinery with options for melee and ranged combat. The game uses CD Projekt Red's in-house Red Engine, which is one of the most visually breathtaking and also one of the most graphics-intensive engines designed to date.

Intel's Arrow Lake "K" SKUs come with a default TDP of 125W and a PL2 rating of 250W for the Ultra 9 285K and 159W for the 245K. The chips can be set to performance or extreme mode using the BIOS software from each respective motherboard vendor.

The Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" Desktop CPUs come with a slightly modified IHS which is equipped over the tiled CPU die. This IHS is soldered with gold plating underneath to ensure good heat dissipation and thermal conductivity. The socket also features a revised ILM mechanism called RL-ILM (Reduced-Load) to provide optimal pressure for the socket and the CPU.

The MSI Z890 Tomahawk is already a great value-oriented option for Intel Core Ultra PC builders and it's a good thing that we already tested that motherboard so we can use it for comparisons against the B860 options that are seemingly priced a bit lower.

Starting with the performance, the MSI B860 Tomahawk WIFI and B860M Mortar WIFI both feature a very similar 12-phase CPU power delivery rated at 60A, while the Z890 Tomahawk WIFI adopts a 16-phase design with 90A power stages. While these motherboards perform similarly and have the same DDR5-9200 peak memory support rating, the Z890 Tomahawk looks way better and also has the ability for overclocking, which is missing on the B860 motherboards. All three boards run very cool in terms of VRM temperatures.

Expansion slots are the same between the Z890 and B860 Tomahawk options, but the M.2 slots are the area where the Z890 Tomahawk takes the advantage with its four M.2 slots and all with Frozr heatsinks. Audio is also better with ALC1220 codecs, while both B860 motherboards get ALC892 codecs. The connectivity options are great for all three motherboards, with WIFI7, BT 5.4, and 5 GbE LAN ports.

In terms of USB support, the B860 boards have more 10 Gbps ports, but Z890 MAG designs take the upper edge with 20 Gbps and dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, the latter of which are missing on the B860 series.

The overall design of the MAG series is consistent with their black PCB, black-colored heatsinks, and the lime-green hints on the front covers. The MAG series doesn't feature any onboard RGB LEDs, but you do get ARGB and RGB headers for further customization and support for MSI's Mystic RGB software.

MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WIFI USB Options (19 Total):

• 2x Thunderbolt 4 40 Gbps Type-C
• 4x USB 2.0 (Rear)
• 4x USB 2.0 (Front)
• 2x USB 5Gbps Type A (Front)
• 4x USB 10Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Rear)
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Front)
• 1x USB 40Gbps Type C (Rear)

MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk WIFI USB Options (15 Total):

• 4x USB 2.0 (Front)
• 4x USB 5Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 2x USB 5Gbps Type A (Front)
• 3x USB 10Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Rear)
• 1x USB 20Gbps Type C (Front)

MSI MAG B860M Mortar WIFI USB Options (15 Total):

• 4x USB 2.0 (Rear)
• 4x USB 2.0 (Front)
• 2x USB 5Gbps Type A (Front)
• 3x USB 10Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Rear)
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Front)

So it all comes down to pricing and that's why the Z890 Tomahawk matters the most. The B860 Tomahawk retails for $229.99 US while the B860M Mortar retails for $199.99 US. Meanwhile, the Z890 Tomahawk retails for $217.39 US which makes it a far more compelling option for Intel PC builders than the B860 series. You don't miss out on overclocking and get a powerful VRM, better IO, and more slots including TB4.0. Meanwhile, the B860M Mortar WIFI is a good option for M-ATX build but more realistically speaking, the B860 Tomahawk should be better positioned as a $199 board while the B860M Mortar should do well at $179-$189 US.

With that said, if MSI can adjust the prices of its B860 series MAG motherboards a bit more, they can become great options for consumers.