<p>X99 microATX perfection?</p>

- Zak Storey

THE X99 PLATFORM is incredibly attractive. Six cores or more, quad-channel memory, plenty of PCIe lanes, expanded storage options, the list goes on. But for those looking to move to a smaller form factor in the process, options are limited. MicroATX and smaller X99 boards are few and far between. There’s a grand total of one ITX X99 board, and four microATX ones—slim pickings indeed. And when you’re looking for the perfect motherboard to round out a slick new themed build, well… let’s just say it’s a little challenging.

EVGA’s X99 Micro 2 mobo, then, provides a good base for any builder looking to put a well-rounded build together. Aesthetically, it’s gorgeous. With a lightweight metallic rear I/O cover, black heatsinks, and a stunning mix of black PCB and limited white LED lighting, it’s absolutely on point when it comes to overall design. Its neutral color palette will work inside any build you place it in, and, thankfully, EVGA has removed the black and red capacitors found on its previous edition.

BYE-BYE SATA EXPRESS!

As far as expandability goes, obviously options are a little more limited than on the larger ATX boards. By default, you only have access to four DIMM slots, for a single set of quad-channel memory, as opposed to the full eight. There’s access to three PCIe slots (configurable as either 1x16, 2x16, or 3x8), there’s a single x4 M.2 socket, and SATA support is covered with 10 6Gb/s ports. Although there’s no hint of SATA Expre