Choose a different motherboard option instead of the MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge Wifi
Choose a different motherboard option instead of the MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge Wifi
I had to cancel my initial purchase of the MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge Wifi to add more components. When I reordered everything, I mistakenly selected the MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK instead because they were priced identically. Now I must replace the Tomahawk and need a motherboard with Wi-Fi. The Gaming Edge now costs $185, which exceeds my budget (it was already pushed beyond). What alternatives are available? Should I purchase another Wi-Fi motherboard, opt for a non-WiFi board and install a card later (though it might be more expensive), or wait to see if the Edge price drops again? My original budget was $165.
I missed the connection for that product page. Let me know if you'd like more details or alternatives.
However, the price dropped to $165 with Wi-Fi now but it’s past the budget limit
The Gaming Plus is currently discounted: https://smile.amazon.com/MSI-MPG-B550-Ga...WEMXGH9TGU. It performed slightly worse than the Edge in Hardware Unboxed's VRM tests, yet it handled well, keeping temperatures around 71°C after an hour with a boosted 3950X. Missing features include 2.5Gb Ethernet and WiFi. You can find affordable USB adapters under $10 for basic speeds (300Mbps), sufficient for most connections but not ideal for LAN transfers. If you need stronger WiFi, consider what level you require—basic AC/WiFi 5 is fine or you might want AX/WiFi 6. I chose the Gaming Edge because premium WiFi 6 adapters from top brands cost over $40, making the Edge a more economical option than purchasing a $140 board plus an adapter. There are also some $25 adapters on Amazon with positive reviews if you're open to a risk.
Absolutely! It looks like the network card is quite pricey and its cost has been changing a lot lately. I’ll just cancel everything and wait for it to stabilize before buying again. The other options feel like a big step back, so my new 5600x PC will have to be delayed a bit.
Consider keeping the Tomahawk without built-in Wi-Fi. It’s priced at $155, and you might want to add a card later if needed. While you mostly use Ethernet, having Wi-Fi can be useful sometimes.
The Tomahawk is a durable board. I nearly purchased it but rely on WiFi exclusively (hoping to switch back to Ethernet eventually). For minimal usage, a simple USB adapter suffices. I’ve tried multiple options and experienced few problems. If you opt for a PCIe solution, performance matches the built-in version. I previously bought a wireless N-150 PCI card in 2009. It functioned flawlessly across all systems I tested—Linux or Windows—and performed just as well then as it does now.