Packaging and Contents

The front of the ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero box features a black background with subtle, printed patterns. "ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero Gaming Motherboard" is in the bottom left, with the Republic of Gamers logo in the top left. "ASUS" is in the bottom right, and the brand badging has been put along the bottom edge.

The back of the box at least has variations of what I look for: a shot of the board that includes a good view of the rear I/O, a list of standout features, and the specifications list. Overall, the box design follows the premium minimalist approach, which works very well.


The accessories are typical of high-end ASUS boards, with extras like a ROG coaster and ROG sticker sheet. Notably absent is any kind of rear I/O shield because the shield is integrated into the board. I am very happy with how often I have been seeing this feature lately, and props to ASUS once again for incorporating it into the ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero.

The full list of accessories includes:

• Manual and support DVD
• 4x SATA 6 Gb/s cables
• 2x Addressable LED extension cable
• 2x M.2 mounting screws
• Q-Connector
• WiFi antenna
• SLI hard bridge
• ROG sticker sheet and coaster