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ROG Crosshair X870E Hero — AM5 · X870E · PCIe 5.0 · 5 Gb LAN
ASUS

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

AM5 · X870E · PCIe 5.0 · 5 Gb LAN

93
/ 100
From $699
VS
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero wins by 8
MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk — AM5 · B650
MSI

MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk

AM5 · B650

85
/ 100
From $229
Specdex verdict

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero takes it — here’s why.

In our weighted Specdex score, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero lands at 93 and MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk at 85. That puts ROG Crosshair X870E Hero ahead by 8 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.

Pick ROG Crosshair X870E Hero if…

  • ✓Full PCIe 5.0 loadout
  • ✓Excellent VRM
  • ✓5G + 10G networking options

Pick MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk if…

  • ✓PCIe 5.0 support
  • ✓Current-gen networking
  • ✓Modern I/O
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Winner by scenario

Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate test

VRM quality

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

Compared on the VRM quality sub-score

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero leads on vrm (96 vs 85).

Features

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

Compared on the features sub-score

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero leads on features (96 vs 83).

BIOS

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

Compared on the BIOS quality sub-score

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero leads on bios (92 vs 81).

Value for money

MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk

Specdex score per dollar at MSRP

MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk more score per dollar ($229 vs $699).

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero 93
vs
85 MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk

Score breakdown

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
93
vrm 96
features 96
bios 92
value 80
MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk
85
vrm 85
features 83
bios 81
value 84

Specs side-by-side

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero versus MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk — full spec comparison
Spec ROG Crosshair X870E Hero MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk
Socket
AM5
AM5
Chipset
X870E
B650
VRM phases
20+2
—
RAM slots
4× DDR5-8000+
—
PCIe
2× PCIe 5.0 x16
—
Networking
5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7
—

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

Pros
  • +Full PCIe 5.0 loadout
  • +Excellent VRM
  • +5G + 10G networking options
Cons
  • −Expensive
  • −Only 2 DIMMs for memory overclocking headroom
  • −Fan control UX

MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk

Pros
  • +PCIe 5.0 support
  • +Current-gen networking
  • +Modern I/O
Cons
  • −Firmware updates on launch
  • −DDR5 required
  • −Pricing varies week to week

FAQ: ROG Crosshair X870E Hero vs MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk

Which is better, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero or MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk? +

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero scores 93 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 8. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.

Is ROG Crosshair X870E Hero worth the price? +

At $699, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero delivers a Specdex score of 93 — strongest in vrm.

Is MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk worth the price? +

At $229, MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk delivers a Specdex score of 85 — strongest in vrm.

Does ROG Crosshair X870E Hero or MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk 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.

Which is better for VRM quality, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero or MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk? +

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero — leads on vrm (96 vs 85). Compared on the VRM quality sub-score.

Which is better for features, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero or MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk? +

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero — leads on features (96 vs 83). Compared on the features sub-score.