The second PCI Express x16 slot doesn't get the Steel Armor treatment and is an PCI Express 2.0 slot running at x4, rather than a second PCI Express 3.0 x16. MSI's so-called "Steel Armor" includes the steel slot wrapping, which gives the slot a particularly tough look while providing EMI protection, as well as some reinforced solder points to lock the slot onto the PCB. After all, video cards can be heavy and their slots vulnerable to cracking whenever you jostle your PC. MSI doesn't reinforce the B350 Tomahawk's memory slots with a metal casing, but it does gird the PCI Express x16 slot, which is the most important (and most stressed) slot to protect. (Opens in a new window) Read Our Aorus AX370-Gaming 5 Review The dual-channel slots support up to 64GB of DDR4 memory. The board's dual-channel memory slots have thumb tabs at both the top and lower ends and sit well away from the CPU. The AM4 CPU socket has plenty of space around it for exotic cooling gear, should you want something more powerful than the very capable (and often downright attractive) stock Wraith CPU-cooling fans that ship with Ryzen CPUs. (For a primer on motherboard lingo, see Buying a Motherboard: 20 Terms You Need to Know.) Every key component has some space around it, which translates to an easier installation experience than you'll get with some cram-packed MicroATX boards or feature-stuffed full-ATX flagships. The B350 Tomahawk is a standard-ATX motherboard with an uncluttered, comfortable layout. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. ( Read our editorial mission (Opens in a new window) & see how we test everything we review (Opens in a new window).) But MSI designed the B350 Tomahawk to be a lean gamer, and it lets you spend more on the stuff that matters most: your CPU or GPU. You also won't find USB 3.1 Gen 2 support on this board, nor can you expect onboard RGB LEDs.
The board design and chipset effectively limits you to a single video card (unless you're willing to install two AMD Radeon-based boards in CrossFire, with the second slot being bottlenecked), but that compromise will be fine for most buyers.
It provides a solid foundation for an AMD Ryzen-based budget build, and it even squeezes in a decent LED illumination scheme, in the event you're building out your budget dream rig in a windowed PC chassis. MSI's B350 Tomahawk ($99.99) motherboard makes for a nice balance between functionality, style, and value.
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