The MSI BIOS presents you with a simplistic CPU TDP selection upon first boot. There's a default 'Boxed Cooler' setting which enforces Intel's power limits, a 'Tower Cooler' option which raises TDP to 288W, and finally a 'Water Cooling' option which removes all limits. Not that you'll ever need it, but this allows a hypothetical 4096W! Frozr AI Cooling - Detect CPU & GPU temperatures and automatically adjust system fan duty to a proper value The MSI Z790 Tomahawk Max WiFi is an excellent offering with a high quality set of features that make it a very competitive offering in its price range. MSI deserves credit for not pushing the price of the Max version above its non-Max predecessor. That's a pretty rare thing for any product in today's inflation hit economy, so well done MSI. I was fortunate to get my hands on both the DDR4 and DDR5 versions of the Z790 Tomahawk. That gives us a great opportunity to look at like-for-like systems with both types of memory. The takeaway—and it's a consistent takeaway when talking about memory—is that fast memory only helps in very specific situations. In this case I was using a good set of DDR4-3600 C14 memory, meaning the DDR4 results are near enough to as good as it gets unless you've got some really top shelf B-Die memory at 4000MHz+.

When it comes to gaming, the differences apply to specific games. Now that DDR5 prices have fallen, it makes sense to opt for the DDR5 Tomahawk over the DDR4 one. Of course, a better graphics card or CPU will deliver more tangible performance benefits. band support may depend on every country’s regulations and Wi-Fi 7 will be ready in Windows 11 SV3. Now its time for my usual memory test. As has been the case across my testing, I was able to hit DDR5-8000 but moving past that required unreasonable levels of IMC voltage. Soon I'll be getting my hands on a Teamgroup DDR5-8200 kit, and that's something that will require a capable BIOS to run properly. If at all! Extended Heatsink Design - MSI extended PWM heatsink and enhanced circuit design ensures even high-end processors to run in full speedLooks are always in the eye of the beholder, but I love the understated look of the Tomahawk Max. Its splashes of green and the absence of retina scalding RGB branding and logos is pleasing to me. You be the judge if that's important to you. You can still add RGB to your rig, but this way you can do it in a style of your own without having MSI or Aorus or ROG advertisements in your face. Minimalism is not a common trait among motherboard makers. Though MSI, particularly with its Unify range, leads the way.

The Z790 Tomahawk comes with seven SATA ports. For bulk storage, SATA still has a place and those seven ports alone may be a deal maker for some users. Some boards costing a lot more come with only four SATA.You already have a Z690 or Z790 board.If you've already got a previous generation LGA 1700 board, you're probably better off updating its BIOS and going 14th Gen with that. M.2 Shield FROZR - Strengthened built-in M.2 thermal solution, Keeps M.2 SSDs safe while preventing throttling, making them run faster