The box itself uses a white sleeve that slides over a simple brown box. Said sleeve contains all the information on the cooler, with the front showing the AK500 in full color. A quick look at the left side has no information or images; instead, it is just a blank panel. Flipping over to the back is where you will find the specifications, which include the overall dimensions, fan RPM, airflow, weight, and socket support. As with previous DeepCool coolers, the packaging's light gray text on a white background is a bit hard to read, and while it certainly looks nice, I do wish they stuck with standard black text for readability.
As for the right side, it is similar to the left in that you won't find any images or information to speak of. DeepCool's logo is the only thing of note on the top. Overall a very subdued and simplistic design devoid of bombastic imagery and colors, which is perfectly fine since the packaging is far down the list when it comes to importance from a consumer perspective.
Contents
I am quite happy to report DeepCool continues to use foam to protect their coolers, with the AK500 shipped encased in two thick foam pieces. As for the mounting hardware, it was safely tucked away in a separate box, with everything arriving safe and sound.
Socket support is good, with All Intel and AMD mainstream sockets supported. Only the now ancient LGA1366, and LGA775, on the Intel side, have been dropped. Meanwhile, on the AMD front, Socket AM3+ and older have been dropped. All things considered, I don't see that being a problem.