MSI Z370M Mortar
Lobbing a shot at the value end of the market.
Like the AMD version of the Mortar, MSI has once again gone for the micro-ATX form factor with this board, giving it the space required to allow more add-on cards in the extra PCIe lanes. Again, this comes at the expense of being slightly larger, but you’ll still be able to fit this board in a case that is much smaller than your average PC.
The higher price is likely due to the use of Intel’s top-of-the-line Z370 chipset, whereas the AMD version uses a mid-range chipset. There are four memory slots rated up to 4,000MHz, while PCIe lane options are plentiful. Twin PCIe x16 3.0 lanes are included, running at x16 and x4 speeds, again limiting dual GPU options to CrossFire only. There’s also another two small PCIe 3.0 x1 lanes for your smaller cards, such as Wi-Fi or audio. Speaking of which, MSI has once again gone with the older ALC892 option, so a cheap sound card might not be a bad idea.
Surprisingly, there’s no Type C USB connection on the rear I/O panel, instead limited to four USB 3.1 Gen 1 and two USB 2.0, all of which are Type A. Four SATA 3 ports is the norm, but the addition of an extra M.2 slot, making two in total, is a most welcome addition if you’ve got the moolah to fill them both up. A single Gigabit Ethernet connection is powered by Intel’s I219-V chipset.
It’s just a pity that the second x16 lane isn’t x8 speed, as that would have allowed for SLI. Other than that, this board is hard to fault for the price point, though a newer audio codec would’ve been appreciated.