MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk AM4 DDR4 AMD Motherboard

The MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk is an ATX-form-factor motherboard built on the AMD B550 chipset for the AM4 socket, designed to support 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen processors and later AMD Ryzen AM4 CPUs via BIOS update. Its engineering centres on three pillars: connectivity speed, power delivery stability, and thermal resilience — making it a capable platform for demanding Ryzen builds. At the heart of its connectivity story is a PCIe 4.0 x16 primary slot (when used with a compatible Ryzen CPU) and a first M.2 slot (M2_1) that runs PCIe 4.0/3.0 x4 directly from the processor, enabling peak NVMe throughput for modern SSDs. That M.2 slot is shielded with MSI's M.2 Shield Frozr heatsink, which draws heat away from the drive to help sustain consistent transfer speeds. A second M.2 slot (M2_2) connects via the B550 chipset at PCIe 3.0 x4. Six SATA 6 Gb/s ports round out storage options, and RAID 0/1/10 is supported across SATA devices while RAID 0/1 is available for M.2 NVMe. Network connectivity is a standout feature: the board pairs a Realtek RTL8125B 2.5 Gbps controller with a Realtek RTL8111H 1 Gbps controller, delivering dual-LAN capability managed through MSI's LAN Manager software for traffic prioritisation. The 10+2+1 Duet Rail Power System with an 8-pin ATX 12V connector and Core Boost technology is designed to handle sustained CPU power loads. The extended VRM heatsink incorporates an additional choke thermal pad rated at 7 W/mK, while the PCB uses 2 oz thickened copper layers to assist heat dissipation under load. Memory capacity extends to four DDR4 DIMM slots supporting up to 128 GB in dual-channel configuration. JEDEC speeds reach DDR4-3200; A-XMP OC profiles push supported kits to 4866 MHz (1DPC 1R configuration). Audio is handled by a Realtek ALC1200 codec delivering 7.1-channel HD audio with S/PDIF output. USB connectivity includes two USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps ports (one Type-A, one Type-C) sourced from the processor, plus additional USB 3.2 Gen 1 and USB 2.0 headers. Mystic Light RGB control covers 2× 4-pin RGB and 2× 3-pin RAINBOW LED headers. The board ships with a pre-installed I/O shield and includes a Flash BIOS Button on the rear panel for easy firmware recovery. Verified Specifications: • Socket: AM4 | Chipset: AMD B550 • Form Factor: ATX — 30.5 cm × 24.4 cm (12 in × 9.6 in) • Memory: 4× DDR4 DIMM, up to 128 GB; JEDEC up to DDR4-3200; A-XMP OC up to DDR4-4866 (1DPC 1R) • Expansion: 1× PCIe 4.0/3.0 x16; 1× PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4 electrical); 2× PCIe 3.0 x1 • Storage: 2× M.2 (M-Key); 6× SATA 6 Gb/s • LAN: Realtek RTL8125B 2.5 Gbps + Realtek RTL8111H 1 Gbps • Audio: Realtek ALC1200, 7.1-channel HD, S/PDIF out • USB (rear): 2× USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps, 1× Type-A + 1× Type-C); 2× USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps, Type-A); 2× USB 2.0 Type-A • Display out: 1× HDMI (4096×2160 @24 Hz); 1× DisplayPort (4096×2160 @60 Hz) • Multi-GPU: 2-Way AMD CrossFire • RGB: 2× 4-pin RGB + 2× 3-pin RAINBOW headers • Warranty: 3 Years