Package & Accessories

So far we have seen a large amount of features and specifications about this motherboard, but no sign of the board itself. That will be soon enough but first, let's take a look at how ASUS presents the Rampage Formula to the world and what accessories come with this top DDR2 motherboard offering.

Like its predecessors, the Rampage Formula is the top of the line ASUS offering so it gets its own special box design. This design has been used in the past with the Maximus line of motherboards and other ROG boards so it isn't unique to the Rampage Formula. Still though, the package is a far departure from the plain jane package of other ASUS motherboards and signifies that there is something special inside. ASUS feels the board is so special that they have a cut-out of the rear I/O panel that we can see from the outside. This was originally for the boards that had the LCD poster screen located here but our Rampage Formula has an external LCD poster but the cut-out is still in-tact.

The rear of the package is quite informative providing all of the essential information about the motherboard including almost everything we just looked at on the Specifications page. ASUS also presents a few of the features with inset images such as the Pin-Fin Thermal design and the fact that a full version of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is included with the motherboard. Another item worth noting is that the rear of the package provides the information that there is a 3-Year Warranty. This information is nowhere to be found on the ASUS web site. You would think that ASUS would want to make that more common knowledge since it is very nice knowing that the motherboard is under warranty for a full three years.

In addition to the front and rear panels, the Rampage Formula package has a flap on the front that opens up to reveal even more information about the motherboard inside and a couple more cutouts to show some of the features directly on the board. The underside of the flap is not wasted since it lists even more features about the motherboard and most of these we just finished going over in the Features section. Overall, the design of the package is very nice, makes the motherboard stand out as the special ROG version that it is, and provides a wealth of information for those that still do their comparison shopping in-store as opposed to on-line.

Moving to the interior of the package we find an accessory box and the motherboard in a plastic clam shell. The plastic clam shell is used almost exclusively with memory modules and has started to find its way into more and more motherboard boxes as of late. Perhaps motherboard manufacturers think it helps add to the prestige of the motherboard if it isn't simply plucked from an anti-static bag.

The close up image is simply to show how the motherboard is secured in the plastic shell. This method of security is quite a bit better than at the bottom of the package in an anti-static bag and we would like to see this trend take off to more motherboards for the extra protection during transport.

The accessories package, aside from the included 3DMark 06 license and S.T.A.L.K.E.R., is quite average. ASUS has, however, added a couple neat additions to the mix. Here is a complete run-down of what is included:

• 1 x Floppy Cable
• 1 x IDE Cable
• 3 x 90 Degree SATA Cables
• 3 x SATA Cables
• 1 x 4-pin Molex > Dual 5-pin SATA power cable
• 1 x Optional PWM Fan
• Dual USB & Single Firewire PCI Expansion Bracket
• LCD Poster
• ASUS Q-Connector
• Rear I/O Panel

We won't get into the LCD Poster now but will discuss some of its benefits later on in the Long Term Impressions section.

The other unique item we wanted to show was the new design of the rear I/O panel that ASUS has begun using with their ROG boards. It may be available with other higher end models from the ASUS camp as well. There is really nothing too innovative with the rear I/O panel included with the Rampage Formula but as we can see on the rear of the panel, there are no tabs anymore. Instead, ASUS has designed a cushion pad to ensure a tight fit without having to use those annoying tabs that usually cause a bit of frustration during installation. This is just a minor detail but one that shows how ASUS is constantly trying to improve the end-user experience. It seems crazy that this type of rear I/O panel hasn't been used for much longer but it is good to see those tabs removed and a solution implemented.