In this MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk Wifi DDR4 Build guide, you can find config suggestions for building a High-End gaming PC. The guide offers details on compatible processors, the best GPU for the Z790 chipset, the recommended power supply, and a lot more. The build guide focuses on a 4K gaming machine powered by a high-end RTX graphic card. This DDR4 board has tons of feature that supports a gaming PC. The MSI Mag Z790 gaming configs in this guide will help you in making a decision regarding buying all necessary hardware.
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk Wifi DDR4 – 4K Gaming Config
For a 4K gaming build, you have to go with most high-end CPUs if it’s in your budget. Because compromising the quality is of no use in the case of this level motherboard. MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk comes with a hefty price tag of $231 (36K INR) approx. Giving it a mid-range CPU and GPU is really not worth spending the money on.
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk Intel Build – 4K Gaming Configuration
- CPU: 14th or 13th Gen Core i7 / Core i9 Processor.
- Liquid Cooler: LGA 1700 Compatible Cooler. Example – MSI MAG CoreLiquid 360R
- RAM: 32GB or Higher (minimum 3200 Mhz)
- Storage NVMe: Gen 4 NVMe M.2
- Storage Sata: 7x Sata 6GBPS ports available.
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 / 4080 / 4070
- Power Supply: 80+ Gold Certified 850watt or 1000watt Power Supply
- Cabinet: Full-Tower Cabinet
The above two config is for a high-end build, so everything here is listed without seeing the price tag. But you can optimize this for a mid-range build expecting to get a smooth 2K gaming output. Also when you are making a 4K gaming machine, do not forget to look for a 4K monitor, or else the output will be restricted from the display’s end. There is a lot of room for adjustment, for example, you can switch to a Core i5 or Ryzen 5 processor to reduce some costs. Go with a standard single-fan Liquid cooler and SATA HDD storage instead of NVMe. This will also bring down the overall output, and here MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk is not really built for mid-range config. So pick this only when you have no restrictions on expenses. Here are some of the best features of MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk.
Why MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk is good for gaming?
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk focuses on three major aspects of hardware performance. First is durability, second is speed and third is performance. It comes with Server-grade PCBs that offer high durability to the motherboard compared to standard ones. This means it can take more heat during 4K gaming. Heatsink, Pump Fan Support, M.2 Shield, etc provide extended support to the attached hardware. Because we talk about high-end gaming then it means high-power usage and lots of heat is generated. Every hardware requires a decent amount of power to perform well, and for this, MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk is properly optimized. All that matters is the blend of the right configuration. 2.5G network solution and WiFi 6E brings in wireless connectivity giving gamers a chance to avoid fiddling with LAN setups. MSI has worked on every aspect of the board to make it a performance beast. Here are its detailed specs.
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk Support Compatible Intel CPU:
| Chipset | INTEL Z790 |
| Processor | Intel Core 14th/ 13th/ 12th Gen Processors |
| Intel Pentium Gold and Celeron Processors |
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk Max RAM Support & RAM Overclocking:
| RAM | 4x DDR5, Maximum Memory Capacity 192GB |
| Memory Support | 7200+(OC)/ 7000(OC)/ 6800(OC)/ |
| 6600(OC)/ 6400(OC)/ 6200(OC)/ 6000(OC)/ | |
| 5800(OC)/ 5600(JEDEC)/ 5400(JEDEC)/ 5200(JEDEC)/ | |
| 5000(JEDEC)/ 4800(JEDEC) MHz | |
| Max. overclocking frequency | 1DPC 1R Max speed up to 7200+ MHz |
| 1DPC 2R Max speed up to 6600+ MHz | |
| 2DPC 1R Max speed up to 6400+ MHz | |
| 2DPC 2R Max speed up to 5600+ MHz | |
| Intel XMP3.0 OC | Yes |
| Dual-Controller Dual-Channel mode | Yes |
| non-ECC, un-buffered memory | Yes |
Does MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk have onboard video memory?
| Onboard Graphics | Yes – 1x HDMI |
| HDMI 2.1 | Yes with HDR, Max Resolution – 4k @ 60Hz |
| Display Port | 1 (Single) |
| DP 1.4 | Yes, Max Resolution – 8K @ 60Hz |
*Available only on processors featuring integrated graphics. Graphics specifications may vary depending on the CPU installed.
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk PCI / Expansion Slots:
| PCI-E x16 | 2 (Two) – Supports x16/x4 |
| PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 5.0 | Supports Upto x16 (From CPU) |
| PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 4.0 | Supports Upto x4 (From Chipset) |
| PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 3.0 | Supports Upto x1 (From Chipset) |
| PCI-E x1 | 1 |
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk SSD & HDD Ports:
| M.2 | 4 (Four) |
| M.2_1 | Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 22110/2280/2260 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 / SATA mode, supports 2280/2260/2242 devices |
| M.2_4 | 4 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 2280/2260/2242 devices |
| Sata 6G | 7 (Seven) |
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk Raid Support:
| RAID | Supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA storage devices* |
| Supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for M.2 NVMe storage devices | |
| *SATA_A1_A2 do not support RAID function. |
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk USB Support:
| USB 2.0 | 4x Front |
| USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A | 4x Rear & 2x Front |
| USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A | 4x Rear |
| USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C | 1x Rear & 1x Front |
| USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type C | 1x Rear |
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk Wifi/Bluetooth Support:
| LAN | Intel 2.5 Gbps LAN |
| Wifi | Intel Wifi 6E |
| MU-MIMO TX/RX, 2.4GHz / 5GHz / 6GHz* (160MHz) up to 2.4Gbps | |
| 802.11 a/ b/ g/ n/ ac/ ax | |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, FIPS, FISMA |
The Wireless module is pre-installed in the M.2 (Key-E) slot. Wi-Fi 6E 6GHz may depend on every country’s regulations and will be ready in Windows 11. Bluetooth 5.3 will be ready in Windows 10 build 21H1 and Windows 11.
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk Audio Support:
| Audio | Realtek ALC4080 Codec |
| 7.1-Channel USB High-Performance Audio | |
| S/PDIF output | |
| Up to 32-bit/384 kHz playback on the front panel |
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk Internal IO Ports:
| Power Connector(ATX_PWR) | 1 |
| Power Connector(CPU_PWR) | 2 |
| CPU Fan | 1 |
| Pump Fan | 1 |
| System Fan | 6 |
| Front Panel (JFP) | 2 |
| Chassis Intrusion (JCI) | 1 |
| Front Audio (JAUD) | 1 |
| TBT connector (JTBT, supports RTD3) | 1 |
| Tuning Controller connector(JDASH) | 1 |
| Addressable V2 RGB LED connector (JARGB_V2) | 3 |
| RGB LED connector(JRGB) | 1 |
| TPM pin header(Support TPM 2.0) | 1 |
| USB 2.0 ports | 4 |
| USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A ports | 2 |
| USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C ports | 1 |
MSI Mag Z790 TomaHawk Back Panel Ports:
| DisplayPort | 1 |
| USB 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps Type-A | 2 |
| USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps Type-A | 2 |
| 2.5G LAN Port | 1 |
| HD Audio Connectors | 5x 3.5mm Jacks |
| HDMI 2.1 Port | 1 |
| Clear CMOS Button | 1 |
| Flash BIOS Button | 1 |
| USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps Type-C | 1 |
| USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20Gbps Type-C | 1 |
| Wi-Fi / Bluetooth Antenna | 1 |
| Optical S/PDIF OUT | 1 |
Overall, the board brings in all the necessary features to build a high-end gaming machine. All that is required is to fit the right set of hardware, to get max performance. This does fall heavy on the pocket but there will be no compromise with the quality delivered. For more info on the actual specs, do check the MSI Mag Z790’s official page.