Box Front
As this is the Battlefield 3 edition of the Rampage IV Extreme, the front of the box is dominated by the Battlefield 3 product design which any gamer worth their salt will be very familiar with. as suggested on the front of the package, the retail edition will come bnundled with a free copy of EA's latest and greats first person shooter. The Rampage IV Extreme is also available at a reduced cost for those not needing the game though and this package is the all too familiar red/black/grey design used with previous ROG motherboards.
The front of the box also has a window hidden behind a Velcro sealed flap showing the mainboard in all its glory with the mainboards features printed on the inside of the window shutter.
Box Rear
The rear of the box goes on to display the main specifications of the motherboard and also display a line drawing of the I/O backplate.
Box inner
ASUS have leave no stone unturned with regards to packaging which I'm pleased to say has continued with the Rampage IV Extreme. Inside the box you will find a further two boxes. A windowed frame holds the mainboard securely in place in one box while the other (pictured above) is a compartmentalised unit holding all manner of accessories.
Manuals and Guides
Aside from the accessories below, ASUS supply a good range of manuals and guides that cover pretty much all you need to know about the mainboard. A driver CD with extensive motherboard utilities is also included, some of which are very useful.
Accessories
ASUS have thrown the budget out of the window for this package as there is everything but the kitchen sink included in the accessory list:
I/O Shield
4 x SATA 3Gb/s cable(s)
4 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s)
1 x 3-Way SLI bridge(s)
1 x SLI bridge(s)
1 x CrossFire cable(s)
1 x Q-connector(s) (2 in 1)
1 x ROG Connect cable(s)
1 x ROG theme label(s)
1 x 12 in 1 ROG Cable Label(s)
1 x X-Socket pad(s)
1 x ROG Door Hanger(s)
1 x BATTLEFIELD 3 Key Code
1 x BATTLEFIELD 3 Lanyard
Of notable interest in the OC Key (pictured centre). This neat little device allows a heads-up-display to be displayed over the main screen not only in a windows environment but all through the boot process. It isn't just for monitoring either but it can be used to overclock the system in real-time.
It's also worth noting that the Rampage IV Extreme allows the use of previous generation CPU coolers (skt 1366). With the cost of CPU coolers spiralling, this switchable backplate could save you quite a lot of money, offsetting some of the cost of this motherboard.
So, strike one to the ASUS. An extremely well present package that not only looks great but has almost everything you could want in terms of accessories. It even includes a top drawer game which is a first for a motherboard that I am aware. My only regret is that ASUS apparently do not provide a 4-way SLI bridge although it was included in our sample. They do however state that this can be purchased separately.
Let's take a look at the motherboard itself shall we?
