OVERALL
ALTERNATIVES
SPECS
VS AVERAGE
REVIEWS
Scored using Motherboards Methodology v1.0
Motherboards Methodology v1.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Motherboards Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
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MSI X99A SLI Plus Review | 107 Data compared

Avg. price:~£200CPU socket:LGA 2011-3Chipset:Intel X99Form factor:ATX

MSI X99A SLI Plus Review: Compare 107 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Motherboards category and whether it is worth buying.

MSI X99A SLI Plus
6.0/10

Overall score

Score
6.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the motherboard's quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best motherboards on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
Score components

90%

5.9

Technical score

10%

7.5

User score

â–¼Worse than 61% of motherboards
7.1

Value for money

Value for money
7.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the motherboard's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a motherboard that offers a strong balance of features, performance, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 64% of models
Score components

70%

6.0

Overall score

30%

9.5

Price

â–¼Worse than 64%
5.9

Technical score

Technical score
5.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Motherboards category across these key areas: Platform & Features, Memory, Storage, Expansion, Ports & USB, Network, Audio, Power & Cooling.
When it matters
When you want to compare motherboards based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
Score components

19%

6.7

Memory

16%

6.8

Platform & Features

16%

4.8

Storage

15%

3.7

Network

13%

6.5

Ports & USB

8%

5.3

Expansion

8%

6.4

Power & Cooling

5%

8.0

Audio

â–¼Worse than 61%
7.5

User score

User score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the motherboard.
When it matters
When you want to understand how a motherboard performs in real-world builds and how reliable it is in terms of stability, BIOS usability, connectivity, and long-term ownership.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 81% of models
Score components

70%

7.6

User ratings

30%

7.2

Number of reviews

Based on 100+ ratings from across the web.
How we calculate this
User ratings – average star rating across all shop listings, weighted by how many reviews each has, on a 1–10 scale.
Number of reviews – how many buyer reviews the product has, on a logarithmic scale; the 8% most-reviewed models in the category get 10.
â–¼Worse than 81%
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Best prices
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Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of motherboard MSI X99A SLI Plus

Technical score
Technical score
5.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Motherboards category across these key areas: Platform & Features, Memory, Storage, Expansion, Ports & USB, Network, Audio, Power & Cooling.
When it matters
When you want to compare motherboards based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
Score components:

19%

6.7

Memory

16%

6.8

Platform & Features

16%

4.8

Storage

15%

3.7

Network

13%

6.5

Ports & USB

8%

5.3

Expansion

8%

6.4

Power & Cooling

5%

8.0

Audio

5.9
User score
User score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the motherboard.
When it matters
When you want to understand how a motherboard performs in real-world builds and how reliable it is in terms of stability, BIOS usability, connectivity, and long-term ownership.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 81% of models
Score components

70%

7.6

User ratings

30%

7.2

Number of reviews

Based on 100+ ratings from across the web.
How we calculate this
User ratings – average star rating across all shop listings, weighted by how many reviews each has, on a 1–10 scale.
Number of reviews – how many buyer reviews the product has, on a logarithmic scale; the 8% most-reviewed models in the category get 10.
7.5
Popularity
Popularity
7.2/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the motherboard.
When it matters
When you prefer a motherboard that has already been bought and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 61% of models
Popularity:
MSI X99A SLI Plus has a popularity score of 7.2 points, which is higher than that of 61.3% of products in this category.
7.2
Value for money
Value for money
7.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the motherboard's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a motherboard that offers a strong balance of features, performance, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 64% of models
Score components:

70%

6.0

Overall score

30%

9.5

Price

7.1
Brand name
MSI
CPU socket
LGA 2011-3
This motherboard uses the LGA 2011-3 CPU socket, which is less advanced than that of 84.2% of motherboards and equal to that of 2.5% of motherboards.
CPU platform
Intel
This motherboard is built for the Intel CPU platform, which is more versatile than that of 31.6% of motherboards and equal to that of 68.4% of motherboards.
Chipset
Intel X99
This motherboard uses the Intel X99 chipset, which is less advanced than that of 67.4% of motherboards and equal to that of 2.4% of motherboards.
Form factor
ATX
This motherboard has the ATX form factor, which is more versatile than that of 47.8% of motherboards and equal to that of 52.2% of motherboards.
Show more
DDR memory version
DDR4
This motherboard uses DDR4 memory, which is newer than that of 13.5% of motherboards and equal to that of 50.8% of motherboards.
Memory slots
8
Market range: <2 – >4
This motherboard has 8 Memory slots, which is more than 94% of motherboards and equal to 5.7% of motherboards.
Maximum memory capacity
128 GB
Market range: <32 GB – >256 GB
This motherboard supports up to 128 GB of memory, which is more than 40.4% of motherboards and equal to 31.9% of motherboards.
Memory channels
4
This motherboard supports 4 memory channels, which is more than 92.9% of motherboards and equal to 6.8% of motherboards.
Maximum RAM speed
2,133 MT/s
Market range: <2k MT/s – >8k MT/s
This motherboard supports memory speeds up to 2,133 MT/s, which is lower than that of 87.2% of motherboards and equal to that of 4.4% of motherboards.
Show more
N. of M.2 sockets
1
Market range: <0 – >4
This motherboard has 1 M.2 sockets, which is fewer than 69.3% of motherboards and equal to 19.1% of motherboards.
M.2 slot interface per slot
1x PCIe 3.0 x4/SATA
This motherboard offers 1x PCIe 3.0x4/SATA for M.2 slot interfaces, which is slower than that of 74.3% of motherboards and equal to that of 10.4% of motherboards.
N. of SATA 3 connectors
10
Market range: <4 – >8
This motherboard has 10 SATA 3 connectors, which is more than 96.6% of motherboards and equal to 3.4% of motherboards.
Supported RAID levels
0/1/5/10
This motherboard supports RAID levels 0/1/5/10, which is broader than 32% of motherboards and equal to 68% of motherboards.
NVMe RAID support
no
This motherboard does not support NVMe RAID. 59.8% of motherboards support this feature.
Show more
N. of PCIe 5.0 x16 slots
0
Market range: <0 – >1
This motherboard has 0 PCIe 5.0x16 slots, which is fewer than 31.5% of motherboards and equal to 68.5% of motherboards.
N. of PCIe 4.0 x16 slots
0
Market range: <0 – >1
This motherboard has 0 PCIe 4.0x16 slots, which is fewer than 44.5% of motherboards and equal to 55.5% of motherboards.
N. of PCIe 3.0 x16 slots
4
Market range: <0 – >3
This motherboard has 4 PCIe 3.0x16 slots, which is more than 93.9% of motherboards and equal to 3.4% of motherboards.
PCIe slot electrical configuration
x16/x0/x16/x8, x8/x8/x16/x8, x16/x0/x8/x0, x8/x8/x8/x0
This motherboard uses x16/x0/x16/x8, x8/x8/x16/x8, x16/x0/x8/x0, x8/x8/x8/x0 for PCIe slot electrical configuration, which is more flexible than that of 96.9% of motherboards.
Depends on CPU.
PCIe bifurcation support
yes
This motherboard supports PCIe bifurcation. 40.4% of motherboards support this feature.
Show more
Total USB ports (rear I/O)
10
Market range: <6 – >10
This motherboard has 10 USB ports (rear I/O), which is more than 75.5% of motherboards and equal to 15.5% of motherboards.
Total USB ports (including headers)
18
Market range: <11 – >19
This motherboard has 18 USB ports (including headers), which is more than 81.7% of motherboards and equal to 5.3% of motherboards.
Total USB-C ports (rear I/O)
0
Market range: <0 – >2
This motherboard has 0 USB-C ports (rear I/O), which is fewer than 64.6% of motherboards and equal to 35.4% of motherboards.
Total USB-C ports (including headers)
0
Market range: <0 – >3
This motherboard has 0 USB-C ports (including headers), which is fewer than 69.7% of motherboards and equal to 30.3% of motherboards.
N. of USB 3.2 Gen2x2 ports (USB-C)
0
Market range: <0 – >1
This motherboard has 0 USB 3.2 Gen2x2 ports (USB-C), which is fewer than 18.3% of motherboards and equal to 81.7% of motherboards.
Show more
LAN speed
1 Gbps
Market range: <1 Gbps – >2.5 Gbps
This motherboard supports LAN speeds up to 1 Gbps, which is lower than that of 50.8% of motherboards and equal to that of 49.2% of motherboards.
LAN controller
?
N. of RJ45 ports
1
Market range: <1 – >2
This motherboard has 1 RJ45 ports, which is fewer than 14.4% of motherboards and equal to 85.6% of motherboards.
Wi-Fi connectivity
no
This motherboard does not support Wi-Fi connectivity. 50.1% of motherboards support this feature.
Wi-Fi version
N/A
Show more
Audio codec
Realtek ALC892
This motherboard uses the Realtek ALC892 audio codec, which is less advanced than that of 79.6% of motherboards and equal to that of 9% of motherboards.
Audio channels
7.1
This motherboard offers 7.1 audio channels, which is more than 4.9% of motherboards and equal to 95.1% of motherboards.
Audio SNR
112 dB
Market range: <95 dB – >120 dB
This motherboard has an audio SNR of 112 dB, which is lower than that of 52.1% of motherboards and equal to that of 2.1% of motherboards.
Headphone amp support
yes
This motherboard supports a headphone amp. 40.8% of motherboards support this feature.
N. of 3.5mm audio jacks
5
Market range: <2 – >6
This motherboard has 5 3.5mm audio jacks, which is more than 49.6% of motherboards and equal to 37% of motherboards.
Show more
VRM phases
12
This motherboard has 12 VRM phases, which is more than 55.4% of motherboards and equal to 4.4% of motherboards.
N. of CPU power connectors
2
Market range: <1 – >2
This motherboard has 2 CPU power connectors, which is more than 54.6% of motherboards and equal to 45.1% of motherboards.
N. of fan headers
5
Market range: <3 – >8
This motherboard has 5 fan headers, which is fewer than 50% of motherboards and equal to 14.6% of motherboards.
Pump header
no
This motherboard does not have a pump header. 78.1% of motherboards include this feature.
Pump header max current
0 A
Market range: <0 A – >3 A
This motherboard supports up to 0 A on the pump header, which is lower than that of 76% of motherboards and equal to that of 24% of motherboards.
Show more

MSI X99A SLI Plus vs the average motherboard

246810TotalPlatform & FeaturesMemoryStorageExpansionPorts & USBNetworkAudioPower & Cooling
  • 4 more memory slots
    This motherboard has more memory slots than the average motherboard (8 vs 4). The average motherboard has 4 memory slot/s.
    8 vs 4
  • 2 more rear USB ports
    This motherboard has more rear USB ports than the average motherboard (10 vs 8). The average motherboard has 8 rear USB port/s.
    10 vs 8
  • 1 more CPU power connectors
    This motherboard has more CPU power connectors than the average motherboard (2 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 CPU power connectors.
    2 vs 1
  • 3 more total USB connections
    This motherboard has more total USB connections than the average motherboard (18 vs 15). The average motherboard has 15 total USB connections.
    18 vs 15
  • Includes dual BIOS
    This motherboard has dual BIOS, while the average motherboard does not. 23% of motherboards include dual BIOS.
  • 1 more USB 3.2 Gen1 headers
    This motherboard has more USB 3.2 Gen1 headers than the average motherboard (2 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 header/s.
    two internal headers
    2 vs 1
  • 1 more USB 3.2 Gen2 ports
    This motherboard has more USB 3.2 Gen2 ports than the average motherboard (2 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 port/s.
    2 vs 1
  • 6 more SATA 3 connectors
    This motherboard has more SATA 3 connectors than the average motherboard (10 vs 4). The average motherboard has 4 SATA 3 connectors.
    10 vs 4
  • Includes dual BIOS
    This motherboard has dual BIOS, while the average motherboard does not. 23% of motherboards include dual BIOS.
  • Rear-panel CMOS reset button
    This motherboard has a rear-panel CMOS reset button, while the average motherboard does not. 26.7% of motherboards include a rear-panel CMOS reset button.
  • Includes onboard power button
    This motherboard has an onboard power button, while the average motherboard does not. 27.7% of motherboards include an onboard power button.
  • Includes onboard reset button
    This motherboard has an onboard reset button, while the average motherboard does not. 27.6% of motherboards include an onboard reset button.
  • 4 more memory slots
    This motherboard has more memory slots than the average motherboard (8 vs 4). The average motherboard has 4 memory slot/s.
    8 vs 4
  • More memory channels
    This motherboard has more memory channels than the average motherboard (4 vs 2). The average motherboard has 2 memory channel/s.
    4 vs 2
  • 6 more SATA 3 connectors
    This motherboard has more SATA 3 connectors than the average motherboard (10 vs 4). The average motherboard has 4 SATA 3 connectors.
    10 vs 4
  • More flexible PCIe lane configuration
    This motherboard has more flexible PCIe lane configuration than the average motherboard (x16/x0/x16/x8, x8/x8/x16/x8, x16/x0/x8/x0, x8/x8/x8/x0 vs x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4). The average motherboard uses x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4 PCIe slot lane configuration.
    Depends on CPU.
    x16/x0/x16/x8, x8/x8/x16/x8, x16/x0/x8/x0, x8/x8/x8/x0 vs x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4
  • 1 more PCIe x1 slots
    This motherboard has more PCIe x1 slots than the average motherboard (2 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 PCIe x1 slot/s.
    2 vs 1
  • 3 more PCIe 3.0x16 slots
    This motherboard has more PCIe 3.0x16 slots than the average motherboard (4 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 PCIe 3.0x16 slot/s.
    4 vs 1
  • 2 more rear USB ports
    This motherboard has more rear USB ports than the average motherboard (10 vs 8). The average motherboard has 8 rear USB port/s.
    10 vs 8
  • 3 more total USB connections
    This motherboard has more total USB connections than the average motherboard (18 vs 15). The average motherboard has 15 total USB connections.
    18 vs 15
  • 1 more USB 3.2 Gen1 headers
    This motherboard has more USB 3.2 Gen1 headers than the average motherboard (2 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 USB 3.2 Gen1 header/s.
    two internal headers
    2 vs 1
  • 1 more USB 3.2 Gen2 ports
    This motherboard has more USB 3.2 Gen2 ports than the average motherboard (2 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 port/s.
    2 vs 1
  • 2 more USB 3.2 Gen1 ports
    This motherboard has more USB 3.2 Gen1 ports than the average motherboard (6 vs 4). The average motherboard has 4 USB 3.2 Gen1 port/s.
    6 vs 4
  • 1 more CPU power connectors
    This motherboard has more CPU power connectors than the average motherboard (2 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 CPU power connectors.
    2 vs 1
  • More VRM phases
    This motherboard has more VRM phases than the average motherboard (12 vs 10). The average motherboard has 10 VRM phase/s.
    12 vs 10
  • More basic motherboard chipset
    This motherboard has more basic motherboard chipset than the average motherboard (Intel X99 vs Intel B860). The average motherboard uses Intel B860 chipset.
    Intel X99 vs Intel B860
  • 60% lower LAN speed
    This motherboard has a lower LAN speed than the average motherboard (1 Gbps vs 2.5 Gbps). The average motherboard offers LAN speed of 2.5 Gbps.
    1 Gbps vs 2.5 Gbps
  • Slower M.2 slot interfaces
    This motherboard has slower M.2 slot interfaces than the average motherboard (1x PCIe 3x4/SATA vs 1x PCIe 5x4, 2x PCIe 4x4). The average motherboard uses 1x PCIe 5.0x4, 2x PCIe 4.0x4 M.2 slot interfaces.
    1x PCIe 3.0x4/SATA vs 1x PCIe 5.0x4, 2x PCIe 4.0x4
  • No NVMe RAID support
    This motherboard does not support NVMe RAID, while the average motherboard does. 59.8% of motherboards support NVMe RAID.
  • 1 fewer M.2 sockets
    This motherboard has fewer M.2 sockets than the average motherboard (1 vs 2). The average motherboard has 2 M.2 socket/s.
    1 vs 2
  • 1 fewer rear USB-C ports
    This motherboard has fewer rear USB-C ports than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 rear USB-C port/s.
    0 vs 1
  • No Wi-Fi connectivity
    This motherboard does not support Wi-Fi connectivity, while the average motherboard does. 50% of motherboards support Wi-Fi connectivity.
  • No Wi-Fi antenna included
    This motherboard does not include a Wi-Fi antenna, while the average motherboard does. 51.1% of motherboards include a Wi-Fi antenna.
  • 6.8% lower user score
    User score
    7.5/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the motherboard.
    When it matters
    When you want to understand how a motherboard performs in real-world builds and how reliable it is in terms of stability, BIOS usability, connectivity, and long-term ownership.
    Score distribution
    ▼▼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    MSI X99A SLI Plus
    the average motherboard
    MSI X99A SLI Plus has a lower user score than the average motherboard (7.49 vs 8.000).
    7.49 vs 8
  • 25% more expensive
    MSI X99A SLI Plus is more expensive than the average motherboard (£200 vs £160).
    £200 vs £160
  • More basic motherboard chipset
    This motherboard has more basic motherboard chipset than the average motherboard (Intel X99 vs Intel B860). The average motherboard uses Intel B860 chipset.
    Intel X99 vs Intel B860
  • No integrated graphics support
    This motherboard does not support integrated graphics, while the average motherboard does. 89.5% of motherboards support integrated graphics.
  • Not suitable for gaming
    This motherboard is not suitable for gaming, while the average motherboard is. 85.2% of motherboards are suitable for gaming.
    workstation/server-focused
  • Not ready for Windows 11
    This motherboard is not ready for Windows 11, while the average motherboard is. 76.9% of motherboards are ready for Windows 11.
  • Narrower Windows support
    This motherboard has narrower Windows support than the average motherboard (Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 vs Windows 11, Windows 10). The average motherboard supports Windows 11, Windows 10.
    Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 vs Windows 11, Windows 10
  • Older CPU socket
    This motherboard has older CPU socket than the average motherboard (LGA 2011-3 vs LGA 1151). The average motherboard uses LGA 1151 CPU socket.
    LGA 2,011-3 vs LGA 1,151
  • 6 older release date
    This motherboard is older than the average motherboard (2015 vs 2021). The average motherboard was released in 2021.
    March 2015
    2015 vs 2021
  • 54.9% lower maximum RAM speed
    This motherboard has a lower maximum RAM speed than the average motherboard (2133 MT/s vs 4733 MT/s). The average motherboard supports RAM speed of 4733 MT/s.
    2,133 MT/s vs 4,733 MT/s
  • 32.4% lower overclocked RAM speed
    This motherboard has a lower overclocked RAM speed than the average motherboard (3333 MT/s vs 4933 MT/s). The average motherboard supports overclocked RAM speed of 4933 MT/s.
    3,333 MT/s vs 4,933 MT/s
  • Slower M.2 slot interfaces
    This motherboard has slower M.2 slot interfaces than the average motherboard (1x PCIe 3x4/SATA vs 1x PCIe 5x4, 2x PCIe 4x4). The average motherboard uses 1x PCIe 5.0x4, 2x PCIe 4.0x4 M.2 slot interfaces.
    1x PCIe 3.0x4/SATA vs 1x PCIe 5.0x4, 2x PCIe 4.0x4
  • No NVMe RAID support
    This motherboard does not support NVMe RAID, while the average motherboard does. 59.8% of motherboards support NVMe RAID.
  • 1 fewer M.2 sockets
    This motherboard has fewer M.2 sockets than the average motherboard (1 vs 2). The average motherboard has 2 M.2 socket/s.
    1 vs 2
  • 1 fewer rear USB-C ports
    This motherboard has fewer rear USB-C ports than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 rear USB-C port/s.
    0 vs 1
  • 1 fewer DisplayPort outputs
    This motherboard has fewer DisplayPort outputs than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 DisplayPort outputs.
    0 vs 1
  • 1 fewer total USB-C connections
    This motherboard has fewer total USB-C connections than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 total USB-C connections.
    0 vs 1
  • 1 fewer HDMI outputs
    This motherboard has fewer HDMI outputs than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 HDMI outputs.
    no onboard video outputs
    0 vs 1
  • 60% lower LAN speed
    This motherboard has a lower LAN speed than the average motherboard (1 Gbps vs 2.5 Gbps). The average motherboard offers LAN speed of 2.5 Gbps.
    1 Gbps vs 2.5 Gbps
  • No Wi-Fi connectivity
    This motherboard does not support Wi-Fi connectivity, while the average motherboard does. 50% of motherboards support Wi-Fi connectivity.
  • No Wi-Fi antenna included
    This motherboard does not include a Wi-Fi antenna, while the average motherboard does. 51.1% of motherboards include a Wi-Fi antenna.
  • More basic audio codec
    This motherboard has more basic audio codec than the average motherboard (Realtek ALC892 vs Realtek ALC897). The average motherboard uses Realtek ALC897 audio codec.
    Realtek ALC892 vs Realtek ALC897
  • 3 dB lower audio SNR
    This motherboard has a lower audio SNR than the average motherboard (112 dB vs 115 dB). The average motherboard has audio SNR of 115 dB.
    112 dB vs 115 dB
  • 2 fewer ARGB headers
    This motherboard has fewer ARGB headers than the average motherboard (0 vs 2). The average motherboard has 2 ARGB header/s.
    0 vs 2
  • No pump header
    This motherboard does not have a pump header, while the average motherboard does. 78.1% of motherboards include a pump header.
  • No onboard RGB lighting
    This motherboard does not have onboard RGB lighting, while the average motherboard does. 50.4% of motherboards include onboard RGB lighting.
  • 1 fewer RGB headers
    This motherboard has fewer RGB headers than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 RGB header/s.
    0 vs 1
  • 2 A lower pump header current limit
    This motherboard has a lower pump header current than the average motherboard (0 A vs 2 A). The average motherboard provides pump header current of 2 A.
    0 A vs 2 A
  • 0.5 fewer fan headers
    This motherboard has fewer fan headers than the average motherboard (5 vs 5.5). The average motherboard has 5.5 fan header/s.
    5 vs 5.5

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Third-party reviews

Based on 100+ ratings from across the web.
Reviews last updated: May 2026 · How we calculate this

What we like about MSI X99A SLI Plus

  • Excellent value for money, often cited as one of the most affordable X99 chipset boards during its release.
  • Sleek, all-black aesthetic that fits well with most custom PC builds.
  • Comprehensive feature set including USB 3.1 support (Gen 2), M.2 (NVMe) compatibility, and Quad-GPU support.
  • Solid physical build quality with 'Military Class' components and steel-reinforced PCIe slots on later revisions.
  • User-friendly UEFI 'Click BIOS 4' which simplifies navigation for both basic and advanced users.
  • Physical onboard power and reset buttons, plus a clear CMOS button on the rear I/O, which are helpful for enthusiasts.

What we don't like about MSI X99A SLI Plus

  • Frequent reports of memory instability, particularly issues with XMP profiles not loading correctly or failing to boot with more than four RAM sticks.
  • Inconsistent overclocking headroom compared to high-end rivals, with some users reporting difficulty hitting stable clocks above 4.4GHz.
  • Long POST (Power-On Self-Test) times, with some users noting a significant delay before the system begins to boot.
  • The secondary BIOS lacks an auto-recovery feature, requiring manual switching if the primary BIOS fails.
  • Lower-end audio codec (ALC892) compared to more premium competitors that used the ALC1150 at the time.
  • Limited bundled accessories, such as only including one SLI bridge when the board supports three-way and four-way configurations.

Verdict

The MSI X99A SLI PLUS is an ATX motherboard built on the Intel X99 Express chipset, supporting Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition processors for the LGA 2011-3 socket. It features eight DDR4 DIMM slots for quad-channel memory up to 128GB at speeds of 3333MHz (OC), alongside four PCIe 3.0 x16 slots that support 3-way NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFire configurations. Storage is highly versatile, including a Turbo M.2 slot (up to 32Gb/s), 10 SATA 6Gb/s ports, and a SATA Express port, while the rear I/O highlights two USB 3.1 Gen2 ports for 10Gb/s transfer speeds. Main pros include its 'Military Class 4' high-durability components, the OC Genie 4 for one-second overclocking, and a professional all-black aesthetic. However, notable cons include the lack of a front-panel USB 3.1 header and the fact that using the M.2 slot disables the SATA Express or certain SATA ports due to shared bandwidth.

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