EVGA continues on with their familiar black theme and graphic design for the box. There is a large “Z77 FTW” graphic on the front of the box, along with basic information about CPU and SLI support. The top right area mentions the motherboard’s USB 3.0, SATA III/6G and PCI Express 3.0 capabilities.

In addition to the large image of the motherboard itself, the back of the box makes good use of the available real estate to give a very detailed list of the key features and warranty information (3 Year). Speaking of the warranty, EVGA made some significant changes to their warranty program recently. The main changes were dropping the 30 day product registration requirement, and allowing the warranty to be transferable.

The box sides have been used to list such things as the package contents, unique EVGA features, and additional branding.

As we open the box for the first time, we are greeted with EVGA’s customary note regarding their customer service. EVGA asks that you refrain from returning the product to the store where it was purchased, but rather contact them for service.

In a break from the traditional “box in a box” method to house the accessories and the motherboard, EVGA has chosen to go with a large plastic clam shell to secure the Z77 FTW. All the accessories and literature are positioned in pockets at the top of the clam shell.

The list of accessories is extensive and provides everything needed for just about any imaginable configuration. If I had to nitpick, I think it would have been nice to include a 4-way SLI bridge, and perhaps a couple more SATA 6G data cables. Other than that, I think EVGA did a great job with the included accessories. As is typical with most EVGA motherboards, the users manual is scant on details. However, the visual installation guide does a great job of explaining what each area of the motherboard does, and the proper way to install components.

Having a look at the features and specifications of the EVGA Z77 FTW, we can see that the motherboard is packed with all the latest technologies that the Z77 chipset offers. One of the highlights is the addition of Lucid Virtu MVP, which allows you to combine the power of your discrete video card with the onboard graphics, or to let the onboard graphics take over when the system is being lightly used. Virtu MVP does a heck of a lot more than what I just mentioned. For a complete run down of Lucid Virtu MVP, you can visit the Lucid Website or visit this article at Anandtech. Suffice to say, its a cutting edge technology that should be explored by anyone considering a Z77 based motherboard.

For those of you that can’t get enough graphics power, 4-Way SLI is supported on the Z77 FTW making it possible to assemble a powerhouse gaming system. If you decide on a 3-Way SLI setup, you will really like the fact that the PCI-e slots are arranged in a manner that allows for dual slot spacing between all three cards.

In addition everything the Z77 platform offers, EVGA has implemented some of their own features to go along side. Let’s start off by listing the key specifications and design details as provided by EVGA.

Going above and beyond the features and specifications, EVGA added some of their own personality to the motherboard. These additional features are geared towards the enthusiast crowd and many of them are unique to the EVGA brand.