Conclusions
The Fatal1ty FP-IN9 SLI and P6N SLI Platinum are very different approaches to Nvidia's nForce 650i SLI chipset, and both are decent options for cash-strapped enthusiasts looking for the foundation of a Core 2 Duo build. Abit wins on price, with the Fatal1ty selling for around $30 less than the Platinum online. However, that $30 costs you onboard Firewire and eSATA connectivity that you get with the P6N SLI.

Despite differences in price, the boards are pretty equivalent on the BIOS front. The Fatal1ty BIOS does give you better fan speed control, but with most of Abit's µGuru functionality left on the cutting room floor, it's a little short on the unique functionality that has traditionally made Abit's BIOSes so appealing. Compound that with issues surrounding the DRAM command rate, and more importantly, both C1E and SpeedStep clock throttling, and it's clear the Fatal1ty BIOS needs some work. There are no such problems with the BIOS for the P6N SLI Platinum, and although it isn't as flashy as what you get with the Abit board, it gets the job done.

Getting the job done is really what MSI does best, and the P6N SLI Platinum is a textbook example of that focus. The board has everything you really need in terms of BIOS functionality and onboard peripherals, and everything just works—no BIOS updates needed. Still, it's hard to get really enthusiastic about the board given that it's selling for between $155 and $180 at most online retailers. That's a big ask given the price of other nForce 650i-based motherboards on the market, in particular because MSI doesn't bring anything particularly unique to the table with the Platinum.

In the end, then, it's hard to really throw our weight behind either board. They're both decent offerings, but to garner a solid recommendation, it will take a BIOS fix for the Fatal1ty FP-IN9 SLI and lower prices from the P6N SLI Platinum.