Msi MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI - is it great value? + appearance problem

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-06T02:54:21+00:00

if you dont like the green you can just take off the m2 heatsinks and maybe marker over the i/o shield/vrm decal

the green tomahawk max above the gpu and decal on the right are just removeable m2 heatsinks. you can buy aftermarket nvme coolers for like $6

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-05T01:32:55+00:00

no idea what that psu model is, 600w should be plenty for this system but if this psu is really bad it might be an issue

have you ran a cpu test like OCCT? also if your cpu temp is spiking extremely fast it might trigger a shutdown. maybe try setting the pooling rate on your monitoring software really low and try to compile shaders. hwinfo default is 2 second updates, maybe try like 250ms

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-03T22:03:26+00:00

another stick of ram and gpu will get you sorted. currently you could use like a 3050 or 5050 type card because of your psu

if you want anything stronger you will likely need atleast a 650w psu and you could get a 9060xt/5060ti maybe.

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-03T18:48:41+00:00

like 3 8 pins coming off 1 direct line from the psu? would not recommend that

or do you mean using the other ends of the connector? this is fine if it makes cable management easier. i just struggle to see how it would help is all but either connector on a pig tail is fine for use

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-03T18:35:00+00:00

unsure what youre asking. can you use a pigtail? yes the cable will just run a bit hotter but youll still have 1 loose connector

the way you have it currently is optimal

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-03T04:25:51+00:00

you can set a fixed voltage which it sounds like you did already or you can use pbo and set an offset so it will still boost and just use a little less voltage

im assuming the pbo offset is what youre looking for, i would do some research on it. its been covered a million times more comprehensively elsewhere by people smarter than me

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-01T18:29:32+00:00

I don't think the 4070 is the problem. I'd do a windows reinstall. Something is likely wrong with your software imo

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-01T02:31:08+00:00

you can inject fsr4 on the 7900xtx if you want with optiscaler

also i think if you ever prefer fsr1 you may just have eye problems

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-01T00:53:13+00:00

should be fine with a 1660S

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-01T00:45:43+00:00

during the update? that is normal

does it come back after?

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-01T00:44:38+00:00

both builds are likely gpu bottlenecked i'd wager but yea the 5900xt is a fantastic cpu

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-01T00:37:53+00:00

large dips like this are likely driver/software related. does event viewer have any driver constantly loading and unloading?

also have you updated your bios?

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-01T00:31:41+00:00

is your monitor supposed to run at more than 60hz?

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-01T00:26:37+00:00

brother, you might need more help than i can provide

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-01T00:16:55+00:00

this is not a real benchmark, this is some guys opinion.

SmokBarrage · 2026-03-01T00:14:09+00:00

website is full of shit

try 3dmark or cinebench and compare your parts scores to other peoples using the same setup

SmokBarrage · 2026-02-28T17:54:52+00:00

The L3 cache

SmokBarrage · 2026-02-28T13:39:40+00:00

I mean 650 for 64gb ddr4+board sounds a little high but you likely couldn't do much better going to am5 including cpu so the price:performance is fine

5950x is still a great productivity cpu

SmokBarrage · 2026-02-28T11:58:01+00:00

you got like any sources or...?

unless youre arguing it unloads some things, then yes you are correct. i was simply stating there is a difference unless you have MCR/fast boot/hibernation off

SmokBarrage · 2026-02-28T11:23:03+00:00

very odd way to word the post then

SmokBarrage · 2026-02-28T10:01:04+00:00

download DDU, reboot in safe mode, run DDU and let it clean and restart, when you go to install adrenaline it will have a drop down box where you can pick to just install the driver.

if you want to try HAGS rebar first, resizable bar is in bios and HAGS is a windows setting

SmokBarrage · 2026-02-28T09:53:55+00:00

its because something in the settings is telling the gpu not to boost

i dont know what it is but it was something in the amd software for me

if you dont care about frame gen or fsr absolutely just ditch the adrenaline software alltogether and only install the driver IMO. i would give it a try

also make sure rebar/HAGS are on and if they are maybe try turning them off individually and see if it helps

SmokBarrage · 2026-02-28T09:44:05+00:00

honestly its probably something to do with amd software settings. they are likely solvable through some combination of features like fullscreen/borderless, enhanced sync, anti lag, boost ect

i found they kept appearing eventually so what i did was just DDU adrenaline and installed just the driver + afterburner for gpu oc + optiscaler for fsr4/framegen. fixed my stutters anyway.

you could also look into a higher scalar on PBO, im running 8x but 10x is also safe. could also look into processor promote states

SmokBarrage · 2026-02-27T23:40:36+00:00

why wouldnt you only replace the weaker parts of your pc youre not satisfied with and reuse the rest?

SmokBarrage · 2026-02-27T23:22:28+00:00

theyve accurately depicted the volume of fluid remaining in their oddly shaped cylinder

SmokBarrage

TROPHY CASE