Packaging
The box for the RTX 5080 Vanguard SOC was huge, that was partially because MSI sent over the Launch Edition which is a special edition celebrating the launch of the Vanguard lineup. The front of the box has a black background with the Vanguard Launch Edition in the center with a reflective finish and the SOC sticker in the top right corner. The black background has a design printed on it with a glossy black that includes drawings of Lucky their dragon mascot as a photographer and an investigator. The 5080 branding is on the black and green wrap-around that all Nvidia cards have to have so it's clear what card you are getting here. The box opens up with a pull tab on top, the top does have the 5080 model name and an MSI dragon logo up there. Then around on the back of the box, they use the large box space to include a picture of the RTX 5080 Vanguard SOC in the background. Next to that, they list out a few of the card’s features. The Nvidia wrap-around lists out Nvidia-specific features and has a base specification listing for the 5080 itself. Sadly there isn’t a full specification listing, if shopping in a store it would be good to know at least the card dimensions, display connections, and power requirements. The clock speeds would be good as well, but I can understand why that wouldn’t be included given that there is an SOC and non-SOC model. The back also has a box that talks about the Blind Box of Lucky which shows that the Launch Edition comes with a Lucky the Dragon figurine. This is the Around the World Series and there are 10 versions in total, 9 are standard and there is one secret rare Lucky as well.
Some video card boxes have a slide on outer packaging but for the RTX 5080 Vanguard SOC Launch Edition the entire outside of the box unfolds and shows the box inside. It’s a cool design but because you use the pull tab on top to open the outer box it doesn’t go back together for storage at all which I don’t like. The inside box is flat black and has more line drawings on it like the front of the outer box did. This time though the print is in silver. It has the Vanguard Launch Edition on top in the center and some of the fans are drawn on the box as well. The lid flips up and you have black and white drawings of the 9 standard Luckys. Inside is a thick foam panel which has the Lucky figurine on the left and on the right some of the documentation and accessories. The foam insert comes out and under it, you will find more documentation and the RTX 5080 Vanguard SOC itself which is wrapped up in a static protective bag and in a second foam tray. One thing is for sure, with the amount of foam and the huge box the RTX 5080 Vanguard SOC isn’t going to get damaged in shipping unless it is run over by a forklift.
For documentation, you get two things. Up on top of the packaging you get this card for the Lucky Around the World blind box and it has pictures of the nine standard Luckys. On the back, it is a welcome message that invites people to try to collect them all. The other documentation that was down in the bottom half with the card is MSI’s graphics card quick start guide. This is a generic manual, not anything specific to the RTX 5080 Vanguard SOC, but if you are new it does have enough information to help you get going as well as a QR code on the front to help as well.
Like with the Founders Edition, the RTX 5080 Vanguard SOC does come with a 12VHPWR adapter cable for those who don’t have a power supply that supports it. It adapts from three PCIe 8-pin power connections down to the one 12VHPWR plug. MSI ships it bagged up and the bag has a large warning sticker across it. This asks that you use individual PCIe cables on each plug, not the daisy-chained plugs, and shows how to make sure the connection is seated all of the way. Like with the Founders Edition MSI has made changes here to help make sure the connection is secure to avoid the melted connections that some people had happen last generation. MSIs solution is an interesting one. The plug is black but the pin area is all bright yellow, if you see yellow then you aren’t plugged all the way in. It's surprisingly simple but effective. Beyond that, their adapter is just like the adapters used last generation. The Founders Edition adapter with its longer and more flexible cables and individual sleeving isn’t used here, I would love to see both be combined, getting the bright plug design on the rest of the cable that Nvidia used would be perfect.
Along with the adapter cable, you also get an MSI-branded metal sag prevention support. This has rubber on both ends for grip and it unscrews to get longer to adjust to the height you need for your card, nearly doubling in height.
Last up, we have the Lucky Around the World figurine. Would I get lucky and get the secret 10th design? NOPE! I got guard Lucky with its British guard hard and jacket. His wings stick out the back and he is carrying a triple fan video card. It comes with a card and the MSI branded stand to stick him on.
