The Intel B560 Motherboard Overview: 30+ Budget Models Starting from $75
by Gavin Bonshor on March 29, 2021 7:00 AM ESTMSI MAG B560 Tomahawk Wi-Fi
One of MSI's most interesting series over the last few years has been the Tomahawk. Representing its more modest gaming-focused MAG (arsenal gaming) series, it's been proven to good effect with a mixture of decent features, usually at a very competitive price point. The MSI MAG B560 Tomahawk Wi-Fi looks to further solidify this for Intel's more budget-focused LGA1200 B560 series. It includes a black PCB, with gunmetal grey heatsinks, including militaristic themed lettering we've come to expect from a Tomahawk; its namesake is a popular missile in the US military's arsenal.
Looking towards the B560 Tomahawk Wi-Fi's feature set, it includes two full-length PCIe slots, with the top slot operating at PCIe 4.0 x16 and the second slot electronically locked to PCIe 3.0 x4. MSI also includes one PCIe 3.0 x1 slot. For storage, there's a trifecta of M.2 slots, with one supporting PCIe 4.0 x4 drives, and two with support for PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA. There are six SATA ports, two with straight-angled and four with right-angled connectors, all including support for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 arrays. In the top right-hand corner are four memory slots which include support for up to DDR4-5000 and a combined capacity of up to 128 GB.
On the rear panel is a single USB 3.2 G2x2 Type-C, four USB 3.2 G1 Type-A, and four USB 2.0 ports. MSI is using an unspecified Realtek HD audio codec that powers five 3.5 mm and S/PDIF optical output, while its networking capabilities come from an Intel AX210 Wi-Fi 6E CNVi, and a Realtek RTL8125B 2.5 GbE controller. Finishing off the rear panel are a pair of video outputs including one HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 output.
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siggidarius - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
With pricing like that for both motherboards and cpus, and good availability Intel is becoming a great value option.Personally I don't see why I'd choose AMD cpu in 200-350USD bracket with local prices.
ballsystemlord - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
"Intel great value option" LOL. How the mighty have fallen.m53 - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
@ballsystemlord: Or in other words how AMD starts price gouging and becoming more anti-consumer. How the "value brand" is now too expensive for the average customers.(not disagreeing with you. Just showing the other side of the reality.)
WaltC - Monday, March 29, 2021 - link
If it wasn't for AMD you might be in one of these Intel "value" motherboards, only you'd be paying 2x-3x as much for it....like you were about 4 years ago, remember? And there's no question that if it wasn't for AMD you'd be paying *huge sums* for ~14nm++++++++++++++++++++ CPUs Intel is selling now for bargain-basement prices *because* of AMD. Don't you realize that if not for AMD you'd be paying more, though the nose, for inferior components? Have you even checked to see that Z590 motherboards are ~$1k and up and can't even provide system-wide PCIe4 bus coverage? Heck, that's more expensive than the most expensive x570 motherboards. Welcome to the real side of reality....;) Without AMD there would be no competition in these markets at all and Intel would be selling the same--likely worse garbage--at stratospheric prices.laduran - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
Everything you said is provably falseQasar - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
you sure about that ? i guess you forgot the wonderful <10% gen on gen performance increases we were getting before Zen was released, and the ever increasing prices for that performance ? or the fact that mainstream was stuck on quad core cpus and you NEEDED to get intel HEDT cpus to get anything more then 4 cores ?RanFodar - Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - link
Tbf what AMD did to competition back then doesn't mean it's an excuse for them to copy Intel's playbook in the past. They can maintain their value position, but even the lowest Ryzen 5000 SKU is a bit overpriced for consumers here in the Philippines. Maybe Intel needs to thank AMD for being in such a position that is desired for consumers.pablo906 - Sunday, April 4, 2021 - link
Even the 3000 series? I've seen the 3000 series for pretty good prices around the world, the 5000 is supply constrained and demand outstrips supply so there is no reason to lower the price....That's how markets workjabber - Wednesday, March 31, 2021 - link
I remember not that long ago an AMD 'budget board' would have HDMI/eSATA/Toslink/6 USB ports (some USB3) and decent audio chip etc. and the Intel budget board would give you just VGA/PS2/ serial, a couple of USB2 and a parallel port instead. Terrible.cxtalxg - Wednesday, May 5, 2021 - link
Such a dumb argument, you do realize than intel had massive generations jumps from core 2 duo, to intel core 1st gen, then second gen. While amds overpriced phenoms flopped. All these companies are the same, lack of competition means lack of advancement