Packaging

The packaging MSI uses for their board products really highlights the product's thematic design in a way few other brands can match. The big yellow "M" on the front of the box clearly tells you that this is an MPOWER product. The rear of the box has a specifications list and a few product highlights.


The other product highlights are on the back of the yellow "M", which also hides a small glimpse into the box and the board contained within.


Inside the box I found the usual paperwork from MSI's MTC which pre-tests boards before shipping them out to reviewers, included MSI's OC guide for the Haswell platform. The board and its accessories are each contained within their own box inside the main box. The accessories box is stuffed to the brim with stuff.

Contents

I did find some interesting things amongst those accessories. A full list is below:

• 1 x User guide
• 1 x Software manual
• 1 x MSI MPOWER poster
• 1 x Stability certificate
• 1 x Quick set-up guide
• 1 x Motherboard driver disc
• 1 x WiFi driver disc
• 1 x I/O shield
• 6 x SATA 6Gb/s cable
• 1 x SLI bridge
• 1 x MSI GAMING SERIES case badge
• 1 x MSI door hanger
• 1 x M-connector kit
• 1 x WiFi add-on card
• 2 x WiFi antennas
• 1 x eSATA bracket kit
• 1 x USB 3.0 bracket
• 1 x Motherboard driver disc
• 1 x V-Measure cable kit

Contents Up-Close

MSI includes a set of pin headers to attach your case cabling to, which makes that job a bit easier, and I found the v-measuring cables to be used with the on-board voltage header in another little baggie.


The Add-on WiFi card adds not only WiFi and Bluetooth but also Intel's WiDi (Wireless Display), since it's built using Intel-branded components. The label actually shows it to be an Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2230 unit.


There is also a set of eSATA wiring. It includes a set of wires that attach to the board and to a MOLEX connector and another set of wires that convert the MOLEX plug on the bracket into normal SATA power plugs. I only found a single eSATA cable in my box, however, making the kit only partly functional. There's also a USB 3.0 bracket, so you can, should you want to, use both internal USB 3.0 headers.