Gigabyte
Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite
AM5 · X870
85
/ 100
From $279
VS
MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi wins by 3
MSI
MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi
LGA1851 · B860 · Wi-Fi 7 · $229
88
/ 100
From $229
Specdex verdict
MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite lands at 85 and MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi at 88. That puts MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi ahead by 3 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite 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
Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite 85
vs 88 MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi
Score breakdown
Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite
85 vrm 85
features 83
bios 81
value 84
MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi
88 vrm 88
features 88
bios 88
value 94
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite | MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM5 | LGA1851 |
| Chipset | X870 | B860 |
| RAM slots | — | 4× DDR5-7200 |
| Networking | — | 2.5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7 |
Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite
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: Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite vs MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi
Which is better, Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite or MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi? +
MSI B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi scores 88 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 3. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite worth the price? +
At $279, Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite delivers a Specdex score of 85 — 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 Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite 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.