MSI X299 SLI Plus

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

MSI X299 SLI Plus Motherboard Review

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 X299 SLI Plus Review

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.

MSI X299 SLI Plus

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.