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 whole slew of X299 motherboards. With the big name players in the motherboard industry releasing multiple boards in different series it is really hard to choose what is the right board for you. One series we’ve been a huge fan of over the past few years is MSI’s Pro Series. We’ver reviewed the Z170A SLI Plus and their Z270 SLI Plus motherboards in the past and they provided all of the features you want without all of the pricey extras. This allows you to build a great system and have some extra cash to put towards other components. Today we have the brand new X299 SLI Plus which will give you all of the core features of the X299 chipset without all of the costly extras and bling on other boards. This is great as some X299 motherboards are going for $500! Let’s check out the X299 SLI Plus and see what it is all about!

Special thanks to MSI for providing us with the X299 SLI Plus Motherboard to review.

Features
– Supports Intel® Core™ X-Series Processor Family for LGA2066 Socket
– Support Quad Channel DDR4-4133(OC)+, Dual Channel DDR4-4500(OC)+
– Dual Intel® LAN: The best solution for both Intranet and Internet through hardware design and bandwidth management offering the lowest latency.
– M.2 SHIELD: Keep M.2 SSDs safe while preventing throttling, making them run cooler & faster.
– DDR4 BOOST: Give your DDR4 memory a performance boost.
– Designed for Extreme Performance: TURBO SOCKET with OC Genie 4, DIGITALL POWER Design
– Lightning Fast Experience: TWIN TURBO M.2 and Intel® Optane Memory Ready, Turbo U.2, LIGHTNING USB 3.1 GEN2
– MYSTIC LIGHT: 7 mixed color schemes / 8 LED effects controlled in one click
– SYSTEM SAVER: 3 easy-to-use options to successfully boot your system again.
– AUDIO BOOST 4: Reward your ears with studio grade sound quality for the most immersive audio experience
– MULTI-GPU: With STEEL ARMOR PCI-E slots. Supports 3-way NVIDIA SLI™ / AMD Crossfire™
– VR READY: Best virtual reality experience without latency, reduces motion sickness
– EZ Debug LED: Easiest way to troubleshoot

Packaging
The MSI X299 SLI Plus comes in a nice retail box. On the front it says “X299 SLI Plus” prominently and some of the main features are listed like Dual Intel LAN, Twin Turbo M.2, Mystic Light, and VR ready.

MSI X299 SLI Plus Motherboard

Moving over to the back of the box we have a photo of the board and many of the features are detailed. There is also a full specifications list and an overview of the rear I/O ports. This is always good to have if you need a specific number of ports.

MSI X299 SLI Plus Motherboard

Opening things up and taking everything out as far as accessories go we have two SATA cables, a HB SLI bridge, I/O shield, user’s guide, driver and installation CD, quick installation guide and memory installation notice.

MSI X299 SLI Plus Motherboard

About Author