Packaging

Before getting into all of the testing I did want to check out how you would find the card at the store and also peek inside the box. Unlike the other two cards, the Gaming X’s box is done up in the typically red and black that all of MSIs gaming branded cards have. Unlike a lot of other manufacturers, MSI actually puts their card right on the front of the box. For me, this is an important thing because when shopping in someplace like a Frys or Microcenter it is nice to be able to see what you are actually buying, not just a rendering of something unrelated to video cards altogether. The red and black card has a red background. Then down in the bottom right corner is the normal Nvidia wrap around info plate. They did slip in an MSI logo as well as the Gaming Series logo in the top left corner. Then in the bottom left we have the Gaming X branding, a Twin Frozr logo to show what cooler it has (if the photo wasn’t enough), and a block with the vRAM, DirectX support, and the PCI requirement.

On the back we have more going on than the basic cards as well. Here they have broken down three key features, namely the custom LED lighting, the low noise features of the cooler, and the included Gaming App that lets you ramp up clock speeds with one click. Each has a photo to help with the descriptions as well. Then below that is a basic feature list, minimum specifications, and a basic specification listing as well.

Inside the box, everything comes in a black tray. The card is wrapped up in a static protective bag then sits in a cutout foam tray to keep it safe. There is a layer of foam above that, then on top is a thin box for the documentation and accessories. Normally everything is just tossed in, so it was a little weird to see all of the documentation in a nice envelope with the MSI logo on it. Our sample only came with the Quick Users Guide but I would bet the cards will normally come with a driver/software disc as well.