If you've been waiting for a good excuse to spend lavish amounts of money on a new PC, Intel X299 and an accompanying Core X-Series processor may be just the ticket. The new High-end Desktop (HEDT) platform arrives as a long-overdue successor to X99 and offers the highest level of performance we've...

Supports up to 18 cores / 36 threads; More PCIe lanes than you're likely to need; Quad-channel DDR4 memory; Compatible with LGA2011v3 coolers; Ample expansion opportunities; Lots of overclocker-friendly options

Some features reserved for premium CPUs; Pricey compared to X370 rivals; Software still being optimised

If you're building around Intel's new Core X CPUs on a budget, MSI's X299 SLI Plus is worth checking out. The board delivers solid features and even a little style without going overboard.

Internal and external USB 3.1 Type-C; Two M.2 connectors and a U.2 connector; Classy RGB LED lighting with MSI Mystic Light software; Clearly marked headers and connectors

Lacks Wi-Fi; Video card can block chipset LED; "SLI" focus in name; but some users will want more gaming features

We've finally got round to looking at one of MSI's shiny new X299 motherboards, and sitting sweetly on our test bench currently is the X299 SLI Plus, which is a more budget-focussed motherboard compared to others in MSI's X299 arsenal, retailing for around ￡260.

When we compare the MSI X299 SLI Plus to the other motherboards on the market, the word we keep coming back to is "solid." The board doesn't have much wow factor, but it has the features to be a solid foundation for your X299 PC build.

Internal and external USB 3.1 Type-C; Two M.2 connectors and a U.2 connector; Classy RGB LED lighting with MSI Mystic Light software; Clearly marked headers and connectors

Lacks Wi-Fi; Video card can block chipset LED; "SLI" focus in name, but some users will want more gaming features

The MSI X299 SLI Plus ($259.99) is one of the first in a wave of motherboards to support Intel's Core X-Series CPUs. The motherboard straddles the business and consumer markets, capable of being the foundation of a hip professional workstation or a home-use gaming ultra-PC. And although you can find plenty of other X299-based motherboards that are more overtly designed for gaming (even ones by MSI itself), the MSI X299 SLI Plus wouldn't be at all out of place in a gaming build, either. Part of MSI's Pro Series of motherboards, the X299 SLI Plus has fewer lighting options and gaming-related features than the company's X299 Tomahawk and X299 Gaming boards. But the board does not lack worthwhile features, including two M.2 connectors and a U.2 connector, for hooking up of high-speed storage. The board also has a nice array of internal fan headers (with auto DC/PWM modes), plus both front-panel back USB 3.1 Type-C connectors. Onboard wireless networking isn't available, which is...

If you're building around Intel's new Core X CPUs on a budget, MSI's X299 SLI Plus is worth checking out. The board delivers solid features and even a little style without going overboard.

Internal and external USB 3.1 Type-C; Two M.2 connectors and a U.2 connector; Classy RGB LED lighting with MSI Mystic Light software; Clearly marked headers and connectors

Lacks Wi-Fi; Video card can block chipset LED; "SLI" focus in name, but some users will want more gaming features

This is a functional motherboard. Receiving a dead board, on top of two complications with the board that I attribute to poor design, I would not recommend the board. I haven't installed a new motherboard in about 3 years, so perhaps I am out of date, but these design decisions seem to cause...

Will update when replacement from Newegg arrives; Likely won't go above 3 eggs; (keeping 1 egg

-First board received DOA

With the launch of Intel's Core X Series processors we have the brand new X299 chipset and with it a

– Has all of the core X299 features you want; – Good overall performance; – Solid overclocking; – MSI App Manager; – Price

– RGB LEDs really aren't needed; – Command Center app has wrong readings for our memory

MSI has gone and stripped "GAMING" and "X-POWER" from its motherboard, and what's left is what we've got to look at today. MSI's X299 SLI PLUS is exactly what its name says it is and not much more... or is it more than anyone could have hoped for?

So the X299 SLI Plus ends up being in a weird spot. It isn't really a budget board, you are still getting nearly all of the same features as the high-end X299 boards without all of the flashy fluff. It has a ton of USB connection options, both on the rear I/O and inside with 5 different USB headers.

Intel's X299 platform is an appealing choice to consumers requiring high core count CPUs and plentiful system memory. Yet an X299 system build can get seriously expensive with the motherboard comprising a large share of that expense.

Competitively priced X299 motherboard; Neutral aesthetics with RGB lighting; Abundant overclocking and diagnostic tools; Dual Gigabit Ethernet; Great all-round connectivity; M2 Shield

RGB lighting software needs optimisation; White LED zone is bewildering; Extra CPU fan header would be ideal