MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4: Top chipset for mid price

Ľubomír Samák

2 years ago

MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 in detail

From the B660 motherboard tests, we now move on to Z690. These are always better equipped at least at the chipset level. One of the main advantages is the ability to manually overclock processors with an open multiplier. The Tomahawk DDR4 seems to be an option that has a well prepared VRM for such performance boosts while still keeping to an affordable price. The important thing though is what kind of board it is from an overall perspective.

The Z690 boards push the envelope naturally in other aspects as well, such as pushing the multiplier on processors that allow it. The south bridge of the chipset has double the number of PCI Express 3.0 and 4.0 lanes compared to the B660, so more SSD connectors can be brought out to the boards, and there’s also support for RAID 0, 1 and 5 in PCIe as well.

A faster, 8-lane (as with the H670) DMI 4.0 interface for communication between the south bridge and the north bridge (in the processor) is also available. Finally, the Z690 is also significantly richer in USB ports of all speed standards. While motherboards with the most feature-rich chipsets for mainstream Intel platforms typically come out at a premium, they are better prepared for PC builds with more expensive processors, which are generally held to higher standards.


Parameters		MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk DDR4
		MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk DDR4
Socket		Intel LGA 1700
Chipset		Intel Z690
Format		ATX (305 × 244 mm)
CPU power delivery		18-phase
Supported memory (and max. frequency)		DDR4 (5200 MHz)
Slots PCIe ×16 (+ PCIe ×1)		3× (+ 1×)
Centre of socket to first PCIe ×16 slot		91 mm
Centre of socket to first DIMM slot		56 mm
Storage connectors		6× SATA III, 3× M.2 (42–110 mm): 3× PCIe 4.0 ×4 + 1× PCIe 4.0×2
PWM connectors for fans or AIO pump		8×
Internal USB ports		1× 3.2 gen. 2 type C, 4× 3.2 gen. 1 type A, 4× 2.0 typ A
Other internal connectors		1× Thunderbolt with RTD3 support, 1× TPM, 3× ARGB LED (5 V), 1× RGB LED (12 V) 1× Clear CMOS jumper
POST display		no (but has debug LED)
Buttons		EZ LED switch
External USB ports		1× 3.2 gen. 2×2 type C, 3× 3.2 gen. 2 type A, 2× 3.2 gen. 1 type A, 2× 2.0 type A
Video outputs		1× HDMI 2.1, 1× DisplayPort 1.4
Network		1× RJ-45 (2,5 GbE) – Intel I225-V, WiFi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
Audio		Realtek ALC4080 (7.1)
Other external connectors		–
Recommended retail price		299 EUR

/* Here you can add custom CSS for the current table */ /* Lean more about CSS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascading_Style_Sheets */ /* To prevent the use of styles to other tables use "#supsystic-table-1351" as a base selector for example: #supsystic-table-1351 { ... } #supsystic-table-1351 tbody { ... } #supsystic-table-1351 tbody tr { ... } */

MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4

Tomahawk is a strong brand among MSI boards. It is popular mainly because of the good compromise between price and features. With the Intel Z690 chipset, there are two variants. One differs from the other mainly by supporting different standard memories. And maybe that will be the only thing to see as well. After this test of the variant with DDR4 memory support, we will take a detailed look at the Z690 Tomahawk board which is adapted to install DDR5 memory. However, a computer built on Tomahawk DDR4 will always offer a better price/performance ratio due to the lower price of the supported memories.

The board format is ATX (305 × 244 mm), but the PCB is distinguished from the usual shapes by a cutout on the right side. It is a kind of arrow to the chipset cooler, which has an aesthetic meaning. The good thing is that, unlike similarly shaped boards from ASRock, for example, the board doesn’t lose any of the mounting holes. There are traditionally nine of these.

The larger number of PCI Express lanes of the Intel Z690 chipset is reflected in the presence of more SATA and M.2 connectors. There are six SATA connectors for inch storage (there are usually only four on B660 boards), and four instead of three M.2 slots. There is only one of the slower PCIe 3.0 standard, but still four-lane. You can also install a SATA-capable M.2 SSD into this if you need to. This interface also supports the PCIe 4.0-enabled M.2 slot closest to the south bridge. Because of this favorable placement, it also achieves a hair faster transfer speeds than the rest of the M.2 slots. Even the first slot, which is connected to the north bridge (in the processor), is slower under the PCIe 4.0 standard. The latter is the only one with PCIe 5.0 support, which is also one of the frequent advantages over the B660 boards. Those only support this interface in rare cases.

A bit lacking among the internal connectors is a second 19-pin USB 3.2 gen. 1 for the case. On a board with the Z690 chipset, this is a bit of a shame and yet there are enough cases where it would find a use.

The predominant rear panel port is 10 Gb USB 3.2 gen. 2. While the Gigabyte B660 Aorus Master DDR4 board didn’t have even one such connector, there are three right here. The USB port lineup is then rounded out by two half-speed (USB 3.2 gen. 1) and two slow 2.0 standard ports, one of which supports BIOS updates even without the processor installed. Those connectors are handy for connecting peripherals, and you’ll appreciate them even in situations where the faster ports won’t work (yet) due to the lack of a driver. Among the ports, there’s also a 20-gigabit Type-C express port with support for USB 3.2 gen. 2×2. This is now widely used by board manufacturers as it has a controller in the chipset.

Video outputs are two, modern – HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4. In addition to these, the external equipment includes an RJ-45 connector with connection to a 2.5 Gb network adapter (Intel I225-V), SMA connectors for 6 WiFi antennas and a stack of five 3.5 mm jacks with one optical output for connecting audio accessories.

The Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 also has a robust, 18-phase power delivery. This is important because it also makes good sense for boosting CPU performance by manually overclocking, where the supply voltage needs to be pushed up for better results. The power cascade (VRM) is based on Monolithic Power integrated circuits. The VRM driver is the MP2120 and the voltage regulators are the MP2128. Voltage regulator coolers that are also in contact with the coils are robust. These are two monolithic pieces of aluminium (159 + 266 g), for which a more segmented surface with a larger contact area with the air has also been sought.

The SSD heatsinks are above all the M.2 slots, but sometimes the mounting is a bit more complicated. The mounting post on the left is always shared for both the SSD and the heatsink. So the heatsink is installed on top of the SSD, whose position is held only by the M.2 slot from the right side. In the vertical position, the SSD tends to fall out when the heatsink is installed, and even if it doesn’t fall out, you don’t have complete control over whether the contact is correct after installing the heatsink.

You can quite easily manage to install an SSD in a way that it performs significantly worse. You’ll probably encounter more inconvenient installation most often with the second and third slots. For the first and fourth, even 110 mm long SSDs are accounted for, and traditional 80 mm (and smaller) SSDs are secured with a screwless system, with levers. So you secure them properly before installing the cooler.

What it looks like in the BIOS

The EZ Mode screen is clear and allows you to manage and navigate key things. XMP, TPM and for example an alert in case of a malfunctioning CPU cooler fan, are enabled via prominent buttons. You can also click through them to update the BIOS or to monitor temperatures and fans.

The intuitive interface is also in advanced view. The main navigation is divided into six tabs according to content – Settings, OC, M-Flash, OC Profile, Hardware Monitor and Beta Runner.

Within the PCI Express setup, older interfaces from generation 1.0 onwards can also be selected for the M.2 slots, which also applies to the first slot, which also supports generation 5.0 with a theoretical bandwidth of 15.8 GB/s. On the PCI Sub-system Setting tab there is also the option of Resizable BAR control for graphics cards. We do not use this option for testing motherboards, as this technology is still dynamically evolving and would bias the results over time, which would be inconsistent.

UEFI also offers the possibility to check the SSD status. How detailed is hard to guess. The test of a 1 TB PCIe 3.0 SSD takes about half an hour, which is not that short, and the report that no errors were found (or on the contrary some were found) may be relevant.

You can adjust the CPU multiplier or BCLK under the OC tab. There is also a more detailed option for AVX load, where you can customize the behavior of the multiplier when these instructions are detected. If you don’t interfere with these settings, the multiplier will be reduced at the board’s discretion, which may vary depending on the CPU used. But even in the case of the Core i9-12900K, this is only symbolically, -1. Owners of powerful liquid coolers can calmly set the offset value to 0.

The preset profiles for power limits are also based on the potential performance of the CPU cooler. This is also the first thing you will encounter when entering the BIOS. Without any limitations is the “Water Cooler” profile. The middle profile “Tower Air Cooler” tends to be set so that the power draw in a long term load does not exceed the capabilities of the most powerful air coolers. With mid-range coolers, it is advisable to adjust the limits according to cooling capabilities.

In the lowest preset “Boxed Cooler” profile, 241 W looks a bit ridiculous. However, it should be noted here that such a value is set with a processor with a TDP of 125 W (Core i9-12900K), for which no cooler is even supplied. It could probably be noted that it’s a bit untuned for more powerful processors, but with the 65-watt models everything is already preset correctly. The PL1 value with the Core i5-12400 in box cooler mode is 65 watts.

High temperature protection is there for both VRM and CPU. You can also set the upper limit after which the board will shut down at your own discretion. Alder Lake processors are able to operate even at very high temperatures without degrading performance. The question, of course, is for how long. Here too, the effect of high temperatures naturally leads to a shortened service life.

There is also a “Game Boost” button in the Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 BIOS, which is interesting for boosting performance. It does this by forcing a higher multiplier than the natural all-core boost value. At factory settings it’s +1, you can also try a more intense boost. Power draw in games is significantly lower than a hard multi-threaded load, and while cooling demands will increase, it’s not a dramatic increase that a better cooler can’t handle. There used to be a rotary mechanical button for Game Boost as well (it was still on the MEG X570 Ace, for example), but this has disappeared from MSI boards due to redundancy, now that this BIOS control is a full-fledged replacement.

The fan tuning interface is of a very high standard. All connectors can be adapted, both with regard to PWM and DC control. The dependence of the speed curve development can be adjusted according to different temperature sources. The fan speed can thus be dependent on the temperatures of the components around the processor socket.

Gaming tests…

The vast majority of tests is based on the methodology for processors and graphics cards. The choice of games is slimmer for motherboards, but that’s in order to be able to run all the tests with two different processors as promised. Each board will always be tested with a more powerful processor from the top end, but also with a weaker, average one. The more powerful variant on the LGA 1700 platform is the Core i9-12900K and the mid-range one is the Core i5-12400.

Based on tests with processors from different classes, you’ll be able to easily decide whether a more expensive motherboard for a cheaper processor makes sense for you or, conversely, how good of an idea it is to skimp on a cheaper motherboard while using a more expensive and more powerful processor, which naturally also has higher power draw and places higher demands on the overall quality of the motherboard.

We’ve selected five titles from the games and we’re testing them in two resolutions. There are significantly fewer games than in the CPU or graphics card tests, but there is just enough for the motherboard tests. Few people consider performance in a particular game when choosing a motherboard. But an indicative overview of how a motherboard shapes gaming performance (compared to other motherboards) is a must. To avoid significantly skewing the result over time, we reached for relatively older titles that no longer receive significant updates.

These are Borderlands 3, F1 2020, Metro Exodus, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Total War Saga: Troy. For newer games, there might be some performance changes over time (with updates) and especially in high resolutions with high details. This is one of the test setups (2160p and Ultra, or the highest visual detail but without ray-tracing) that focuses on comparing performance, for which the bottleneck is the graphics card. In other words, it will be clear from these tests which motherboard and to what extent can impact the graphics card’s performance for some reason. In contrast, a setup with Full HD resolution and with graphical details reduced to “High” will also reflect the CPU’s influence on the final gaming performance.

We use OCAT to record fps, or the times of individual frames, which are then used to calculate fps, and FLAT to analyze the CSV. The developer and author of articles (and videos) for the GPUreport.cz website is behind both.
For the highest accuracy, all runs are repeated three times and average values of average and minimum fps are displayed in the graphs. These multiple repetitions also apply to non-game tests.

… Computing tests, SSD tests, USB ports and network tests

We test application performance in a very similar way to the processor tests. Almost all tests are included, from the easier ones (such as those in a web environment) to those that push the CPU or graphics card to the limit. These are typically tests such as 3D rendering, video encoding (x264, x265, SVT-AV1) or other performance-intensive computing tasks. As with processors or graphics cards, we have a wide range of applications – users editing video (Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve Studio), graphic effects creators (Adobe Premiere Pro), graphic designers or photographers (Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, Affinity Photo, AI applications Topaz Labs, …) will find their own in the results, and there are also tests of (de)encryption, (de)compression, numerical calculations, simulations and, of course, tests of memory.

SSD performance tests are also important for motherboards. Therefore we test the maximum sequential read and write speeds on an empty Samsung 980 Pro SSD (1 TB) in the well distributed CrystalDiskMark, in all slots. We approach the USB port tests in the same way. We use a WD Black P50 external SSD to test them. It supports fast USB 3.2 gen. 2×2, so it won’t be a bottleneck for even the fastest USB controllers. We report only one result for each USB standard. This is calculated from the average of all available ports.

We won’t deprive you of network bandwidth tests either. We move large files in both directions within a local network between the motherboard network adapters and the Sonnet Solo10G 10-gigabit PCIe card. This from the aforementioned Samsung 980 Pro SSD to the Patriot Hellfire (480 GB), which is still fast enough to not slow down even the 10 Gb adapter.

The results of all performance tests are averaged over three repeated measurements for best accuracy.

CPU settings…

We primarily test processors without power limits, the way most motherboards have it in factory settings. For tests that have overlap with power, temperature and CPU frequency measurements, we also observe the behavior of boards with power limits set according to CPU manufacturers’ recommendations. We set PL1 to the TDP level, respecting also the tau timeout (56 s) for Intel CPUs. The upper power limit (PL2/PPT) is also set according to the official CPU specifications. Technologies for aggressive overclocking, such as PBO2 (AMD) or ABT (Intel), MCE (Asus) and the like, are not dealt with in our standard motherboard tests.

… and application updates

Tests should also take into account that over time, individual updates may skew performance comparisons. Some applications we use in portable versions that do not update or can be kept on a stable version, but for some this is not the case. Typically games get updated over time, which is natural, and keeping them on old versions out of reality would also be questionable.

In short, just count on the fact that the accuracy of the results you are comparing with each other decreases a bit as time goes on. To make this analysis easier, we’ve listed when each board was tested. You can find this out in the dialog box, where you can find information about the date of testing. This dialog is displayed in the interactive graphs, next to any result bar. Just hover over it.

Methodology: How we measure power draw

Motherboard “power draw” analysis is an extremely attractive topic if approached methodically. What does it mean? Measuring the electric current and voltage directly on the wiring that powers the motherboard. Naturally, the processor, or the processor power supply, has the most significant draw, which we measure separately – just as in processor tests.

In addition to the EPS cable, there is also a 24-pin ATX cable with multiple voltages, which is good to keep track of. The key ones are +3.3 V (from which the chipset is typically powered), +5 V (memory) and +12 V, from which the PCI Express slots are powered, and the biggest draw will be in the case of our test configuration on the graphics card. All of these wires are closely monitored. But then within the ATX connector there are also a few relatively unimportant branches that are no longer even used in modern computers (that is, -12 V and -5 V) or are relatively unimportant in terms of power draw. For example +5 VSB (power supply for USB or ARGB lighting even when the computer is switched off; this can usually be switched off in the BIOS) or PG (Power Good), which is only informative and during operation it is only “an also-run”. These branches (-12 V, -5 V, +5 VSB and PG) always have only one wire and often with a smaller cross section, which is also a sign of always very low power draw.

The 24-pin wires on which we measure the power draw are always connected in parallel and are at least in pairs (+12 V) or greater in number. For example, the +3.3 V branch uses four conductors to increase the cross section and the +5 V branch has up to five. However, this branch is quite oversized from today’s point of view, as historically it was intended to power more HDDs or their logical part (+12 V is used for the mechanical part).

We use a shunt of our own making to measure the draw from the 24-pin. This is built on a very simple principle and consists of very low-value resistors. The value is set so low that the voltage drop is not higher than the ATX standard. Based on the known resistance in the circuit and the voltage drop across it, we can calculate the electric current, and once the output is substituted into the known formula to calculate the power, the mathematics is easy. Samples during the course of the tests are recorded using the Keysight U1231A multimeter array via a service application that allows the recorded data to be exported in CSV. And that’s the final destination for creating line graphs or counting averages (into bar interactive graphs). That’s how simple it is.

For completeness it is good to add that the current clamps for measuring the current draw from the EPS cables (power supply to the processor) are Prova 15. These will soon be replaced by a more practical solution for desktop use, namely a similar shunt we use for the ATX connector. The only reason it is not yet in circulation is its more complex design (as it has to account for very high currents) and the need for thorough testing, which we are yet to get to. Since we place a high emphasis on accuracy in our tests, all measuring devices are properly calibrated.

Methodology: Temperature and frequency measurements

By far the most critical part in terms of temperatures on the motherboard is the power delivery (VRM) for the CPU. This is where we return to the Fluke Ti125 thermal imager, which produces temperature maps that can be used to locate the average temperature, as well as the hottest point. We record both these values (average and maximum temperature on the Vcore) in graphs, and we will later evaluate the efficiency of the VRM heatsinks based on the maximum one. However, we lack a suitable thermometer for that yet. Of course, the thermovision is implemented without a heatsink, and a thermocouple needs to be installed on the hottest MOSFET to detect the reduction of temperature with a heatsink. This will be added soon.

Thermovision always relates to operating with the more powerful of the pair of test processors. With it, the differences and possible limitations or impending risks (for example, even from thermal throttling) become more apparent. In order to have a good view of the VRM, we use an Alphacool Eisbaer 360 liquid cooler with the fans fixed at full power (12 V) instead of a tower cooler (from the CPU tests). The temperature tests also include CPU temperatures for completeness, and we also test the efficiency of the supplied SSD heatsinks as part of the motherboard tests. These are already included with virtually all better motherboards, and so the question naturally arises whether to use them or replace them with other, more finned ones. We will test these heatsinks on a Samsung 980 Pro SSD during ten minutes of intense load in CrystalDiskMark. Finally, the temperature of the chipset’s southbridge and the cooling efficiency in this direction is noteworthy as well.

All tests are conducted in a wind tunnel, so full system cooling is provided. This consists of three Noctua NF-S12A PWMs@5V (~550 rpm) . Two of which are intake, one is exhaust. But the three fast AIO fans also function as exhaust fans, so there is a vacuum in the case.

The temperature at the entrance to the tunnel is properly controlled and ranges between 21-21.3 °C. Maintaining a constant temperature at all times during testing is important not only for the accuracy of the temperature measurements, but also because a higher or lower ambient temperature also affects the eventual behaviour of the processors’ boost. And we also properly monitor and compare the frequencies, whether under all-core load or even single-threaded tasks. We use the HWiNFO application to record the frequencies and temperatures of the cores (sampling is set to two seconds).

Maintaining a constant temperature at the intake is necessary not only for a proper comparison of processor temperatures, but especially for objective performance comparisons. The frequency development, and specially the single core boost, is precisely based on the temperature. Typically in summer, at higher temperatures than is normal in living quarters in winter, processors can be slower.

Temperatures are always read as maximum (both from the VRM thermovision and average, but still from the local maximum values at the end of Cinebench R23). For Intel processors, for each test we read the maximum temperature of the cores, usually all of them. These maxima are then averaged and the result represents the final value in the graph. From the single-threaded workload outputs, we extract only the recorded values from the active cores (there are usually two of these, and they alternate between each other during the test). For AMD processors it is a bit different. They don’t have temperature sensors for each core. In order to make the procedure methodically as similar as possible to the one we apply on Intel processors, we define the average temperature of all cores by the highest value reported by the CPU Tdie (average) sensor. However, for single-core workloads we already use the CPU sensor (Tctl/Tdie), which usually reports a slightly higher value that better corresponds to hotspots of one or two cores. However, these values as well as the values from all internal sensors should be taken with a grain of salt, the accuracy of sensors across CPUs varies.

Frequency evaluation is more accurate, each core has its own sensor even on AMD processors. However, unlike the temperatures, we write the average values of the frequencies during the tests in the graphs. We monitor the temperatures and frequencies of the CPU cores in the same tests in which we also measure power draw. Thus, sequentially from the lowest desktop idle load in Windows 10, through audio encoding (single-threaded load), gaming load in Shadow of the Tomb Raider to Cinebench R23.

Test setup

Intel Core i5-12900K and Intel Core i5-12400 CPUs

Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 liquid cooler

Kingston Fury Beast memory (2× 16 GB, 5200 MHz/CL40)

MSI RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio graphics card

Patriot Viper VP4100 (1 TB) and Patriot Viper VPN100 (2 TB) SSDs


Testovacia konfigurácia
Chladič CPU	Noctua NH-U14S@12 V
Teplovodivá pasta	Noctua NT-H2
Základná doska *	MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 (BIOS 7D32v11)
Pamäte (RAM)	Patriot Blackout, 4× 8 GB, 3600 MHz/CL18
Grafická karta	MSI RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio, Resizable BAR off
SSD	2× Patriot Viper VPN100 (512 GB + 2 TB)
Napájací zdroj	BeQuiet! Dark Power Pro 12 (1200 W)

/* Here you can add custom CSS for the current table */ /* Lean more about CSS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascading_Style_Sheets */ /* To prevent the use of styles to other tables use "#supsystic-table-1142" as a base selector for example: #supsystic-table-1142 { ... } #supsystic-table-1142 tbody { ... } #supsystic-table-1142 tbody tr { ... } */

Note: Graphics drivers used at the time of testing: Nvidia GeForce 466.77 and OS Windows 10 build 19043

3DMark

We use 3DMark Professional for our tests and from the tests, Night Raid (DirectX 12), Fire Strike (DirectX 11) and Time Spy (DirectX 12). In the graphs you will find the CPU sub-scores, the combined scores, as well as the graphics scores. From this you can see to what extent a given CPU is limiting the graphics card.

Borderlands 3

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: None; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Ultra; API DirectX 12; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

F1 2020

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: off, Skidmarks Blending: off; test scene: built-in benchmark (Australia, Clear/Dry, Cycle).

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Ultra High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: TAA, Skidmarks Blending: off; test scene: built-in benchmark (Australia, Clear/Dry, Cycle).

Metro Exodus

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Extreme; API DirectX 12; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: off; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Highest; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: TAA; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Total War Saga: Troy

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 11; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Ultra; API DirectX 11; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

PCMark

Geekbench

Speedometer (2.0) and Octane (2.0)

Test environment: To ensure that results are not affected by web browser updates over time, we use a portable version of Google Chrome (91.0.472.101), a 64-bit build. Hardware GPU acceleration is enabled as well, as it is by default for every user.

Note: The values in the graphs represent the average of the scores obtained in the subtasks, which are grouped according to their nature into seven categories (Core language features, Memory and GC, Strings and arrays, Virtual machine and GC, Loading and Parsing, Bit and Math operations, and Compiler and GC latency).

Cinebench R20

Cinebench R23

Blender@Cycles

Test environment: We use well distributed projects BMW (510 tiles) and Classroom (2040 tiles) and the renderer Cycles. Render settings are set to None, with which all the work falls on the CPU.

LuxRender (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Adobe Premiere Pro (PugetBench)

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests. App version of Adobe Premiere Pro is 15.2.

DaVinci Resolve Studio (PugetBench)

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests, test type: standard. App version of DaVinci Resolve Studio is 17.2.1 (build 12).

Graphics effects: Adobe After Effects

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests. App version of Adobe After Effects is 18.2.1.

HandBrake

Test environment: For video conversion we’re using a 4K video LG Demo Snowboard with a 43,9 Mb/s bitrate. AVC (x264) and HEVC (x265) profiles are set for high quality and encoder profiles are “slow”. HandBrake version is 1.3.3 (2020061300).

x264 and x265 benchmarks

Audio encoding

Test environment: Test environment: Audio encoding is done using command line encoders, we measure the time it takes for the conversion to finish. The same 42-minute long 16-bit WAV file (stereo) with 44.1 kHz is always used (Love Over Gold by Dire Straits album rip in a single audio file).

Encoder settings are selected to achieve maximum or near maximum compression. The bitrate is relatively high, with the exception of lossless FLAC of about 200 kb/s.

Note: These tests measure single-thread performance.

FLAC: reference encoder 1.3.2, 64-bit build. Launch options: flac.exe -s -8 -m -e -p -f

MP3: encoder lame3.100.1, 64-bit build (Intel 19 Compiler) from RareWares. Launch options: lame.exe -S -V 0 -q 0

AAC: uses Apple QuickTime libraries, invoked through the application from the command line, QAAC 2.72, 64-bit build, Intel 19 Compiler (does not require installation of the whole Apple package). Launch options: qaac64.exe -V 100 -s -q 2

Opus:reference encoder 1.3.1, Launch options: opusenc.exe –comp 10 –quiet –vbr –bitrate 192

Adobe Photoshop (PugetBench)

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests. App version of Adobe Photoshop is 22.4.2.

Affinity Photo (benchmark)

Test environment: built-in benchmark.

Topaz Labs AI apps

Topaz DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI. These single-purpose applications are used for restoration of low-quality photos. Whether it is high noise (caused by higher ISO), raster level (typically after cropping) or when something needs extra focus. The AI performance is always used.

Test settings for Topaz Labs applications. DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI, left to right. Each application has one of the three windows

Test environment: As part of batch editing, 42 photos with a lower resolution of 1920 × 1280 px are processed, with the settings from the images above. DeNoise AI is in version 3.1.2, Gigapixel in 5.5.2 and Sharpen AI in 3.1.2.

The processor is used for acceleration (and high RAM allocation), but you can also switch to the GPU

WinRAR 6.01

7-Zip 19.00

TrueCrypt 7.1a

Aida64 (AES, SHA3)

Aida64, FPU tests

FSI (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Kirchhoff migration (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Python36 (SPECworkstation 3.1)

SRMP (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Octave (SPECworkstation 3.1)

FFTW (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Convolution (SPECworkstation 3.1)

CalculiX (SPECworkstation 3.1)

RodiniaLifeSci (SPECworkstation 3.1)

WPCcfd (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Poisson (SPECworkstation 3.1)

LAMMPS (SPECworkstation 3.1)

NAMD (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Memory tests…

… and cache (L1, L2, L3)

M.2 (SSD) slots speed

USB ports speed

Ethernet speed

Analysis of power draw (EPS + ATX connector) w/o power limits

Analysis of power draw (EPS + ATX connector) with Intel’s power limits

Total power draw w/o power limits…

… an with Intel’s power limits

Achieved CPU clock speed w/o power limits…

… and with Intel’s power limits

CPU temperatures w/o power limits…

… and with Intel’s power limits

VRM temperatures w/o power limits…

… and with Intel’s power limits

SSD temperatures

Chipset temperatures (south bridge)

Conclusion

Compared to the B660 boards, the performance of the Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 is no different. However, there is no rational reason why this should be the case. Nevertheless, it is always necessary to go through all the different types of tasks you may encounter from top to bottom to rule out anomalies (which can be caused by all sorts of influences). MSI has done a good job in this, however, and everything works well. It may sound like a cliché, but when the above is stated based on the results of hundreds of tests, we believe it carries some weight. So there’s no point in discussing the performance differences, but the Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 often takes the top spots in Adobe Affter Effects subtasks and leaves the other boards behind as well when practically coding x265 in HandBrake, even if it’s only a 1 % difference.

Conversely, the MSI board pulls the slightly shorter end in single-threaded tasks, where this is due to achieving a lower single-core boost but only in the order of MHz units. Anyway, you see this both even in undemanding web browser tests that don’t use multiple cores. But then again, these are hardly measurable differences that you don’t have a chance to notice and distinguish in practice. The biggest (and only such a significant) difference against the Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 is in the FFTW (2D) test, where the Gigabyte B660 Aorus Master DDR4 board has a more significant edge in a series of repeated measurements, but even then only in combination with a powerful Core i9-class processor. With the Core i5, the Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 is already at the head of the peloton.

With this MSI board, we’ve also seen the fastest SSD speeds in the M.2 slot to date. This is the fourth slot, closest to the south bridge of the chipset (Intel B660) to which it is connected. Ethernet speeds are balanced. We’ve had a few boards here with slower uploads or downloads, but in this case the network adapter holds a nice 292–293 MB/s bidirectionally.

Key to the Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 is high VRM efficiency and CPU power management. CPU power draw is significantly lower relative to performance than, for example, the TUF Gaming B660 Plus WiFi D4 and it is virtually on par with the Gigabyte B660 Aorus Master DDR4 motherboard. We have duly praised that one in this respect. However, the advantage of the Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 is the lower VRM temperatures, by roughly ten degrees Celsius.

It’s worse with SSD temperatures. Tomahawk’s motherboard heatsinks results are the weakest yet. It doesn’t mean you’ll overheat the SSD, but competing solutions are simply more efficient and better suited to very quiet builds with low-speed fans in the case. And speaking of those fans, we’ll praise again. The interface to manage them is detailed, and the speed dependencies can be adjusted on all connectors according to different temperature sensors, which is not the norm (see the simplified concept on the Asus TUF board).

MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk DDR4 is an excellent motherboard and there are only minor things to criticize about it. However, the price is already quite high and therefore we provisionally award it “only” the Approved award for the time being. We’ll upgrade (to Smart Buy!) or confirm this after testing the Gigabyte Z690 Gaming X, which is significantly cheaper and doesn’t look bad at all according to the specs. Eventually, the MSI Pro Z690-A would also be worth comparing to see how and where the almost 80-euro difference in price translates.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš


MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk DDR4
+ Powerful 18-phase power delivery (VRM)...
+ ... handles even Core i9-12900K without power limits efficiently
+ Option to manually overclock the CPU by changing the multiplier
+ Decent price/value ratio
+ Efficient power management – always low power draw
+ Up to four fast (quad-lane) M.2 SSD slots...
+ ... and five fast USB 3.2 gen. 2(×2) connectors on the rear I/O panel
+ Very detailed fan management options
+ Two-way fast Ethernet connectivity
- Slightly higher price for a mid-range board
- Weaker efficiency of SSD coolers
- In some cases, more complicated mounting of M.2 SSDs
- Only one internal connector for two USB 3.2 gen. 1 ports
Approximate retail price: 299 EUR

/* Here you can add custom CSS for the current table */ /* Lean more about CSS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascading_Style_Sheets */ /* To prevent the use of styles to other tables use "#supsystic-table-1352" as a base selector for example: #supsystic-table-1352 { ... } #supsystic-table-1352 tbody { ... } #supsystic-table-1352 tbody tr { ... } */

Games for testing are from Jama levova

Special thanks to Blackmagic Design (for licenses for DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI) and Topaz Labs (for licenses for DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI)

Continue: What it looks like in the BIOS