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We Need New Motherboards Before GPUs Collapse Under Their Own Gravity

erikmcclure.com

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Re: We Need New Motherboards Before GPUs Collapse Under Their Own Gravity

#291

Post by ant6n »

ascar wrote: post #186

I'm surprised this isn't mentioned here more clearly: Some high end cases like the be quiet silent base I'm using have the option to mount the graphics card vertically, basically parallel to the mainboard, in a separate anchor slot. It needs an additional connector cable (~$20), but other than that is easy to setup, looks better with a look-in case (the illuminated fans face the glass side) and the weight pulls on a…

Or simply use a case which has the ports at the top, so both motherboard and graphics card are vertically oriented, but still plugged in normally. Case fans are at the bottom and push air up out the back slots at the top.

Example: Silver Stone Fortress case https://bjorn3d.com/2010/05/silverstone-fortress-series-ft02...

Re: We Need New Motherboards Before GPUs Collapse Under Their Own Gravity

#292

Post by DaiPlusPlus »

midoridensha wrote: post #139
DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So how would multi-GPU setups work?

You buy a motherboard with the number of GPUs you want on it. Or maybe they could devise some sort of stacking system, with each GPU board separate and stacked.

> Or maybe they could devise some sort of stacking system, with each GPU board separate and stacked.

Yeah, I remember those stackable/modular computer concepts that industrial-design students loved to put in their portfolios from the late-1980s to the mid-1990s; I get the concept: component/modular PCs are kinda like the modular hi-fi systems of the 1980s, except those design students consistently failed to consider how coordinated aesthetics are the first thing to go out the window when the biz-dev people need the hardware folks to save costs or integrate with a third-party, etc.

...it feels like a rare miracle that at least we have 19-inch racks to fall-back on, but those are hardly beautiful (except the datacenter cable-porn, of course):

https://www.reddit.com/r/RetroFuturism/comments/gioqrp/sovie...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphinx_%28home_automation_syst...

Re: We Need New Motherboards Before GPUs Collapse Under Their Own Gravity

#293

Post by somat »

0x38B wrote: post #207
userbinator wrote: post #134

Every time I see the sizes of GPUs increase, I'm reminded of this from over 2 decades ago: https://vgamuseum.ru/wp-content/gallery/bitching-fast/bitchi...

Haha: "Bitchin'fast!3D²⁰⁰⁰ supports neither OpenGL nor Direct3D, nor does it fit in any case known to man." Almost like some giant graphics cards...

The sgi onyx reality engine "graphics card" was composed of like 5 motherboard sized pcb's.

https://hardware.majix.org/computers/sgi.onyx/onyx.shtml

Re: We Need New Motherboards Before GPUs Collapse Under Their Own Gravity

#294

Post by Tsiklon »

dragontamer wrote: post #7

1. While I agree we're beginning to reach absurd proportions, lets really analyze the situation and think about it. 2. Are there any GPUs that actually have performed physical damage on a motherboard slot? 3. GPUs are already 2-wide by default, and some are 3-wide. 4-wide GPUs will have more support from the chassis. This seems like the simpler solution, especially since most people rarely have a 2nd add in card at a…

Workstation cards are traditionally supported on 3 sides so don’t suffer this sag. In such systems there’s usually an extension bracket screwed into the card to increase the length, allowing it to reach a support slot to hold it steady.

Re: We Need New Motherboards Before GPUs Collapse Under Their Own Gravity

#295

Post by whywhywhywhy »

MBCook wrote: post #70
dragontamer wrote: post #7

1. While I agree we're beginning to reach absurd proportions, lets really analyze the situation and think about it. 2. Are there any GPUs that actually have performed physical damage on a motherboard slot? 3. GPUs are already 2-wide by default, and some are 3-wide. 4-wide GPUs will have more support from the chassis. This seems like the simpler solution, especially since most people rarely have a 2nd add in card at a…

My proposal isn’t too different. Move the one ultra-fast PCIe slot to the top of the motherboard. It would be mounted so the GPU plugs in parallel to the motherboard, on the same plane, above the motherboard on a tower case. The few other PCIe slots that exist can stay at the bottom. Only downside is the case has to be taller. Not sure if that would be considered a problem or not. This doesn’t really help dual GPU se…

>This doesn’t really help dual GPU setups

They are with the people who spend the most money on GPUs

Re: We Need New Motherboards Before GPUs Collapse Under Their Own Gravity

#296

Post by [deleted] »

c0balt wrote: post #287
qwerty456127 wrote: post #271

Back in the days when I was a kid tower PCs were comparably rare and most of the PCs used the horizontal desktop design which essentially is the same like a tower but put on its side. People would often put the monitor on top of it to save the desk space (see the Windows 95-2000 "my computer" icon). Isn't it time for that to return so we wouldn't need “GPU Support Sticks”? By the way, what actually dissatisfies me is…

The problem with cases that are oriented horizontally is they're usually required to be in a slim form factor in comparison to "normal" ATX or even mini ATX cases. This poses a problem for providing adequate cooling and power delivery. In face of GPUs (NVIDIA/ AMD) becoming more power hungry/ heat producing this just doesn't work out for most people. There were some attempts in the past[0] however they don't appear t…

[deleted]

Re: We Need New Motherboards Before GPUs Collapse Under Their Own Gravity

#297

Post by zekica »

Narishma wrote: post #18
rascul wrote: post #11

Why can't I find a recent GPU that doesn't take up half my case? Do the GPU manufacturers not care about people who want more than onboard graphics but don't need the most powerful gaming GPU?

Those low-end GPUs have been an afterthought for many years now. The last one I remember being somewhat decent was GT 1030 from 2016.

RX6400 is a lot better than 1030, and is available as low profile single slot cards.

Re: We Need New Motherboards Before GPUs Collapse Under Their Own Gravity

#298

Post by qwerty456127 »

wongarsu wrote: post #284
qwerty456127 wrote: post #271

Back in the days when I was a kid tower PCs were comparably rare and most of the PCs used the horizontal desktop design which essentially is the same like a tower but put on its side. People would often put the monitor on top of it to save the desk space (see the Windows 95-2000 "my computer" icon). Isn't it time for that to return so we wouldn't need “GPU Support Sticks”? By the way, what actually dissatisfies me is…

> horizontal desktop design That's be a pretty clever solution. I wonder if any case designers are brave enough to try to pitch that solution. Somewhat fits in the rising popularity of putting your tower on your desk. > I don't understand why some extra slots have to raise the cost up 10 times Part is market differentiation, but the other part is that you quickly run out of PCIe lanes to the CPU (especially with Inte…

I see. A very good point. Thank you. This reminds me about the explanation of why do USB-C docks have separate USB-2 ports: because every USB-3 lane has a separate USB-2 sub-lane and these are left vacant after using USB-3 lanes to connect an SD card reader and a NIC internally.

By the way, about brave horizontal desktop PC designs, note a neighbor comment by c0balt mentions one, to it seems very nice, I would buy one immediately if a traveling salesman would knock my office door offering it without the mental overhead of having to order it and wait.

Re: We Need New Motherboards Before GPUs Collapse Under Their Own Gravity

#300

Post by goosedragons »

rascul wrote: post #155
kenhwang wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can? Both the RTX 3050 and RX 6400 come in single fan form factors not much longer than a PCIE slot. Anything weaker than that is getting beaten by AGUs.

For reference, there used to be low profile cards available barely longer than an AGP slot. For example, here's a low profile Nvidia Gefore4 MX440 (I used to have one of these): https://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImage/14-135-... > Anything weaker than that is getting beaten by AGUs. Is AGU the GPU on the CPU thing? Is it not possible (or maybe not profitable) to put something a little more performant tha…

That's basically what the Radeon 6400 can be. Here's the low profile version:

https://www.powercolor.com/product?id=1640245090

Barely longer than the PCI-E slot and only needs a single slot.

The Radeon RX 6400 is basically AMD's high end integrated GPU on a card being very similar to the Radeon 680M in Ryzen 6000 chips. But I think the dedicated memory offers an improvement over the APU solution.

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