ASUS
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
LGA1700 · Z790
90
/ 100
From $629
VS
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero wins by 2
MSI
MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi
LGA1851 · B860 · Wi-Fi 7 · $229
88
/ 100
From $229
Specdex verdict
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero lands at 90 and MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi at 88. That puts ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero ahead by 2 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero if…
- ✓PCIe 5.0 support
- ✓Current-gen networking
- ✓Modern I/O
Pick MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi if…
- ✓Great value Arrow Lake board
- ✓Wi-Fi 7 + 2.5 GbE
- ✓Solid VRM for mid-range
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero 90
vs 88 MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi
Score breakdown
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
90 vrm 90
features 88
bios 86
value 84
MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi
88 vrm 88
features 88
bios 88
value 94
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero | MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1700 | LGA1851 |
| Chipset | Z790 | B860 |
| RAM slots | — | 4× DDR5-7200 |
| Networking | — | 2.5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7 |
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
Pros
- +PCIe 5.0 support
- +Current-gen networking
- +Modern I/O
Cons
- −Firmware updates on launch
- −DDR5 required
- −Pricing varies week to week
MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi
Pros
- +Great value Arrow Lake board
- +Wi-Fi 7 + 2.5 GbE
- +Solid VRM for mid-range
Cons
- −Only 1× PCIe 5.0 x16
- −No USB4
- −Memory overclocking headroom limited
FAQ: ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero vs MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi
Which is better, ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero or MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi? +
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero scores 90 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 2. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero worth the price? +
At $629, ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in vrm.
Is MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi worth the price? +
At $229, MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi delivers a Specdex score of 88 — strongest in value.
Does ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero or MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.