Today we look at the new MSI MEG X299 Creation motherboard. X299 may be a bit long in the tooth for some, but with the recent refresh for Basin Falls, I think some new boards were necessary. The first showing of X299 boards were received with questionable fanfare as enthusiasts were finding VRM limits on the high core count or HCC CPUs. basically from the 10 core and up many found that the VRM’s simply were not always up to the task especially for content creators or professionals looking for the constantly loaded workstation-level performance.
MSI took this quite seriously and went back to the drawing board for what we have in front of us today. The MSI MEG X299 Creation board has been re-engineered to have a stout VRM and quite A LOT of features for creatives.
Here we see the MSI MEG X299 Creation
This entry into the X299 market space is quite high on the price list. So now we must assess the feature ste it contains and does it merit that value.
MSI MEG X299 Creation $599.99
$599.99 may seem like a hard pill to swallow but for those looking to push an HCC chip with stability and having a board built to meet the needs of a chip of this caliber, it is really a lot more reasonable for the right user. We will also take a look at the features and included additions to help see if this augments the higher price tag and helps make it a bit more palatable.
Now let’s look at the specs.
CPU
Supports Intel® Core™ X-Series Processor Family for LGA2066 Socket
Chipset
Intel® X299 Chipset
Memory
8 x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 128GB
Quad channel memory architecture with the CPU that supports up to 4-channels DDR42
2x USB 2.0 connectors (supports additional 4 USB 2.0 ports)
2x USB 3.1 Gen1 connectors (supports additional 4 USB 3.1 Gen1 ports)
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
1x 4-pin CPU fan connector
1x 4-pin Water Pump connector
4x 4-pin system fan connectors
2x 4-pin extend system fan connectors
1x 3-pin Water Flow connector
1x Front panel audio connector
2x System panel connectors
1x TPM module connector
1x Chassis Intrusion connector
1x 2-pin Thermal Sensors connector
1x Virtual RAID on CPU connector
1x Thunderbolt Add-on Card Connector
Provides additional power to PCIe x16 slots
Back Panel Connectors
Clear CMOS Button
PS/2 Port
USB 3.1 Gen1 Ports
2.5G LAN Port
Intel® LAN Ports
Intel® WiFi/ Bluetooth Module
HD Audio Connectors
BIOS FLASHBACK+
USB 2.0 Ports
USB 3.1 Gen1 Ports
Intel Turbo USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type A + C
Optical S/PDIF-Out
Operating System
Support for Windows® 10 64-bit
Form Factor
10.7 in. x 12 in. (27.2 cm x 30.4 cm)
E-ATX Form Factor
I add this as a service so you do not need to visit the manufacturer site for the full spec loadout and if you have any questions on it, it should all be roughly handled up there or at least for the most part.
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