What To Know
- Two of the most popular B450 motherboards on the market are the MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II and the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite.
- The MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II is a good choice for budget-minded builders, while the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite is a good choice for builders who want a more premium motherboard.
- The Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite uses a Realtek ALC1220 audio codec, while the MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II uses a Realtek ALC892 audio codec.
Choosing the right motherboard for your AMD Ryzen system can be a daunting task, especially when there are so many options available. Two of the most popular B450 motherboards on the market are the MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II and the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite. Both boards offer a solid feature set, but there are some key differences that could make one a better choice for you than the other.
Specifications
| Feature | MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II | Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite |
| — | — | — |
| Socket | AM4 | AM4 |
| Chipset | B450 | B450 |
| Memory Support | DDR4-4600 (OC) | DDR4-4400 (OC) |
| PCIe Slots | 1x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1x PCIe 3.0 x16, 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 | 1x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1x PCIe 3.0 x16, 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 |
| SATA Ports | 6 | 6 |
| M.2 Slots | 2 | 2 |
| USB Ports | 8x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB 2.0 | 8x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB 2.0 |
| LAN | Realtek 2.5GbE | Realtek Gigabit Ethernet |
| Audio | Realtek ALC892 | Realtek ALC1220 |
| Form Factor | ATX | ATX |
Features
MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II
The MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II is a well-rounded motherboard with a solid feature set. It supports the latest AMD Ryzen processors, including the Ryzen 5000 series. The board also has four DDR4 memory slots, allowing you to install up to 128GB of memory.
In terms of storage, the MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II has six SATA ports and two M.2 slots. The M.2 slots support both NVMe and SATA SSDs.
The board also has a number of other features, including:
- PCIe 4.0 support
- 2.5GbE LAN
- Realtek ALC892 audio
- RGB lighting
Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite
The Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite is another solid motherboard with a good feature set. It also supports the latest AMD Ryzen processors, including the Ryzen 5000 series. The board has four DDR4 memory slots, allowing you to install up to 128GB of memory.
In terms of storage, the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite has six SATA ports and two M.2 slots. The M.2 slots support both NVMe and SATA SSDs.
The board also has a number of other features, including:
- PCIe 4.0 support
- Gigabit Ethernet
- Realtek ALC1220 audio
- RGB lighting
Performance
In terms of performance, the MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II and the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite are very similar. Both boards offer good performance for gaming, content creation, and other tasks.
Price
The MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II is typically priced around $150, while the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite is typically priced around $170.
Final Thoughts
The MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II and the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite are both solid motherboards with a good feature set. The MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II is a good choice for budget-minded builders, while the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite is a good choice for builders who want a more premium motherboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which motherboard is better for gaming?
A: Both the MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II and the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite are good choices for gaming. However, the MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II has a slight edge in terms of performance.
Q: Which motherboard has better audio?
A: The Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite has better audio than the MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II. The Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite uses a Realtek ALC1220 audio codec, while the MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II uses a Realtek ALC892 audio codec.
Q: Which motherboard has more features?
A: The Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite has more features than the MSI B450 Tomahawk MAX II. The Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite has two more USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a better audio codec, and more RGB lighting options.
