We have received recently another Z97 motherboard from BIOSTAR in our test lab, but this time their high-end Gaming Z97X series; the box comes with a revised box-art in order to get in line with the current design trends:

Logos of some of the supported technologies are listed on the top cover:

On the back side of the box we will receive an explanation of the motherboard interfaces, the 5.25’’ (Gaming Commander), but also some of the board main features are explained in more detail:

After lifting the top cover we will be able to spot the bundle along with the Z97X Gaming motherboard:

Let’s take a closer look! The leaflet we have seen before is meant to aid with the Gaming Commander installation; we will also receive the I/O Shield, one User’s Manual, a special card, mounting screws for the Gaming Commander but also a set of SATA cables, wrapped together with Velcro:

The manual will list the motherboard specifications along with detailed instructions for installation:

The small card we were talking about is in fact a custom-designed USB Flash Drive which holds the necessary drivers and manual which saves us a lot of time during system setup and an Internet connection is no longer necessary for downloading the drivers in the first stage:

The 5.25’’ box is the bonus addition to the Gaming motherboard:

Three connectors must be plugged into the motherboard header for full functionality: one custom made for the Gaming Panel, one USB 2.0 and one for Frontal Audio; by occupying the F_AUDIO header, the case audio headers will no longer be used: