MSI X299 SLI Plus Review
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