Question What Should Be In A MB Box?

[Mantrid-Drone]

I ask this because I've just bought a GA-Z790 D DDR4 and I was suprised by the fact the box it came in was not shrink wrapped or sealed. Also the contents - they are not listed anywhere on the outside of the box or inside. There's just a warranty notice, three screws for the three NVME positions and two, almost pointless, SATA cables. No silca gel packet and no instruction manual.

In regard to the latter: I went to the Gigabyte web site and downloaded it in PDF (far less convenient to use than a printed manual).

Here's the thing theat PDF manual says that the box contents should include a printed manual. You would at least think they'd put in a note about where to download that if physical manuals are now not included. Same for drivers and BIOS updates etc but there's nothing about anything inside the box.

All of it just seems odd; is this normal practice now or have I been sent some previously opened but not used ie. an "as new" returned item but with some things missing?

It has me worried.

 

[Tech Junky]

Sounds like a return to me.

Should be a manual, SATA cables, screws, io backplate, and misc pieces.

 

[bba-tcg]

But not being shrink wrapped is normal. Normally sealed at the tab.

 

[In2Photos]

The last 2 motherboards I got were not sealed. I thought they would be but there was no sticker to be found.

 

[Motostu]

If there is truly no backplate, I'd return. The rest sounds about normal anymore.

 

[igor_kavinski]

My ASROCK Z790 Sonic mobo was overpacked. I had trouble getting the mobo loose from whatever was clutching it tightly. Some really tight cardboard retention thingy. I forgot if it was sealed.

 

[BoomerD]

I don't know why people have so much trouble getting this info for themselves...

From the manual:

1-2 Box Contents
5 Z790 UD AX, Z790 UD AC, Z790 UD, or Z790 D DDR4 motherboard 5 User's Manual
5 One antennaj
5 Two antennask
5 Two SATA cables 5 M.2 screw
* The box contents above are for reference only and the actual items shall depend on the product package you obtain. The box contents are subject to change without notice.
j Only for Z790 UD AX.

k Only for Z790 UD AC.

 

[bba-tcg]

I don't know why people have so much trouble getting this info for themselves...

From the manual:

I wouldn't come here asking a question like this, but from your very own quote from the manual above, it seems there could ambiguity:

* The box contents above are for reference only and the actual items shall depend on the product package you obtain. The box contents are subject to change without notice.

 

[BoomerD]

I wouldn't come here asking a question like this, but from your very own quote from the manual above, it seems there could ambiguity:

* The box contents above are for reference only and the actual items shall depend on the product package you obtain. The box contents are subject to change without notice.

The only difference should be how many wifi antennas...none...one antenna or two.

 

[bba-tcg]

^right.

 

[Mantrid-Drone]

I did get that content information from the PDF manual I downloaded but why wasn't it supplied with the actual MB package? Also its stupidly unhelpful in that note in the manual saying the content can change without notice because then you don't know what you should have.

Would they really have suddenly decided the printed manual could be left out without providing the user with some form of replacement basic instructions, seems unlikely.

If the box is sealed or shrink wrapped you can be pretty sure that the contents are as intended but with the box open to anyone who handled it before packing there's no telling what may have been accidentally or deliberately removed.

I also discovered today that the anti-static bag containing the MB may not be as factory sealed. The bag is folded down and taped, and that seems a bit crude. Surely a MB should be in properly heat sealed bag for protection against water/liquid/moisture ingress.

You would have thought that if a manual was not provided there would be a note in the box telling you where to download the PDF manual and get the drivers etc. You shouldn't have to search online for the Gigabyte website and then find the page for the MB's specific downloads.

I've contacted Gigabyte about this and opened a ticket but last time I did that with a previous build it took over a week to get a response. So I'm going to approach the seller and see what they say as it seems the quickest way of registering my concern and getting some action.

 

[OlyAR15]

It doesn't sound like much is missing. The state of the anit-static bag is par for the course, as is the contents. There really isn't much that is included in many motherboards these days. Your mb has an integrated backplate, doesn't look like it has wi-fi so no need for antennas, and SATA drives are going out of favour these days.

 

[igor_kavinski]

The state of the anit-static bag is par for the course, as is the contents.

I can confirm that my $249 ASROCK mobo also wasn't sealed in the bag.





Not much of value, as you can see.

 

[Mantrid-Drone]

I've contacted the seller, a well known UK PC parts retailer I've used for previous builds including the purchase of two Gigabyte MBs I used. I've asked for confirmation of what should be the contents as they must have additional stock of the same ones and as the box can be opened they can check.

Not sure where that stuff about the backplate came from. I did not mention the backplate or anything to do with it in either my original post or the later post. It is indeed integrated into the MBs of all the GA Z790 versions.

The GA Z790 D DDR4 doesn't have built in wi-fi so, as the PDF manual does say, antenna are not included. Its the absence of a manual and documentation of any kind that was my primary concern .

 

[mikeymikec]

The Asus boards I've bought since forever haven't been shrink-wrapped or sealed, simply a box with an anti-static bag inside containing the board, plus whatever other bits Asus provides such as SATA cables, manual, M.2 screws, IO panel cover.

Asus have been cutting back on the size of the main user manual (PDF or paper) for a few years now; after basic hardware 'how to install the processor' stuff there used to be an additional chapter describing the BIOS options. It's mildly irksome that they have cut that chapter completely but TBH their descriptions weren't particularly useful a lot of the time, e.g. :

Feature X [ disable / enable, enabled by default ]: Setting this to disabled will disable Feature X.

 

[Mantrid-Drone]

I went back to the UK retail seller: Ebuyer, and, as I hoped, they said they had checked their other stock and confirmed that the contents and condition are definitely all OK.

I have no reason to doubt that is correct now; I've bought my MBs and many of my other PC supplies from them since 2014 when I started buying for my first self-build. All without any problems.

They replied very quickly (unlike Gigabyte), were understanding about my concerns and wouldn't accept my apology for involving them in something that was not their problem. So kudos to their customer service department.

 

[Golgatha]

It doesn't sound like much is missing. The state of the anit-static bag is par for the course, as is the contents. There really isn't much that is included in many motherboards these days. Your mb has an integrated backplate, doesn't look like it has wi-fi so no need for antennas, and SATA drives are going out of favour these days.

I for one absolutely love that the backplates are, for the most part anyway, integrated now.