Interestingly, the front of the package signifies that the Platinum is indeed the younger brother of the flagship Eclipse. The package features a lunar eclipse on the front rather than the total eclipse on the...er...Eclipse model. Very cleverly done MSI! The rear of the package goes into some details regarding the features of the motherboard which include DrMOS, APS DDR3 Technology, Split Thermal Sensor and Drive Booster. There is also a schematic of the motherboard's specifications. In contrast to the rear of the box the top and sides of the box are sparse by comparison. The top however does have a plastic carry handle for easy transportation.
 

 

Removing the sleek outer sleeve we get closer to the goodies which are contained in a plain cardboard box. The box is made from reinforced cardboard that should prevent all but the sharpest/heaviest of objects from damaging the contents. As per the norm with MSI the accessory list is very thorough.  

 

Two manuals are included with the X58 Platinum - your bog standard A5 booklet and a poster sized quick guide. The small manual is very easy to understand for the most part with clear diagrams throughout. Coloured diagrams with photos would however be much easy to follow rather than the shaded B&W drawings. The quick guide, as you would expect, is a very basic guide on the features of the X58 Platinum and what each component on the PCB is.

 

The I/O Backplate is a standard affair but MSI have gone to the trouble of colour coding the ports with good labelling. This should ensure ease of setup. For the price of the new motherboards I would like to see some sort of shielding though to protect the pinkies as some of the edges are very sharp. 

Sadly, MSI have chosen to stick with bright red IDE, Floppy and SATA cables which is an opportunity missed, as they stick out like a sore thumb when compared to the rest of the package which is more subdued (black) in nature. MSI provide 4 SATA cables as well as Molex/SATA power converters along with IDE and Floppy ribbon cables. I say it almost in every review and I will continue to do so until manufacturers' sit up and notice: Ribbon cables are ugly - time to change to rounded ones! MSI are forgiven however, as they have thoughtfully made connecting internal headers a breeze thanks to the inclusion of quick connectors.

So far so good then. Apart from the odd colour choice of the cables the packaging and contents are very good. Let's see if MSI can continue this run of good form with the motherboard itself...