dual slot video card (nv30/GeForce FX)? argh....

[draggoon01]

doesn't this bother anyone? or is this just a throwback to dual voodoo days. but taking another slot just for cooling? there's already been a few threads about many people using up all their pci slots, and even wanting more. aren't these users the most likely to get such a high end card?

when 3dfx first talked about requiring an additional power supply, a lot of people were bothered by that. but now ati nvidia are requiring additional psu connectors to the card. isn't a pci slot more important that an extra connection?

or maybe there's nothing that can done, seeing that more graphical power requires more electrical power, which will produce more heat, which needs better cooling. doesn't a die shrink allow lower power requirements?

i worry what would have been required to produce this card on a 0.15 micron scale.

when's a new case form factor coming that takes into account video card cooling?

 

[erikiksaz]

Originally posted by: draggoon01
doesn't this bother anyone? or is this just a throwback to dual voodoo days. but taking another slot just for cooling? there's already been a few threads about many people using up all their pci slots, and even wanting more. aren't these users the most likely to get such a high end card?

when 3dfx first talked about requiring an additional power supply, a lot of people were bothered by that. but now ati nvidia are requiring additional psu connectors to the card. isn't a pci slot more important that an extra connection?

or maybe there's nothing that can done, seeing that more graphical power requires more electrical power, which will produce more heat, which needs better cooling. doesn't a die shrink allow lower power requirements?

i worry what would have been required to produce this card on a 0.15 micron scale.

when's a new case form factor coming that takes into account video card cooling?

I haven't heard of people using up all their pci slots in ages. Let's see, most people should probably have:

Sound Card
Network Card
Scsi/udma (whatever it's called) Card

What am i missing? And since most motherboards have at least five pci slots, i don't see why anyone would need over 5 slots. Plus, in Anand's article, it was already stated that the cooling system was going to be a quiet one, unlike the high-speed screamers on the gf3/gf4 cards. I'd give up a single pic slot instead of:

1)Having to mod your fan so it won't make its high-pitched whine
2) Having to purchase a new fan that doesn't spin as fast
3) VOID YOUR WARRANTY in replacing that loud, high-pitched fan.

 

[Ben88]

I thought I read that the noise level was about the same as the 4600. Reminds me of that Voodoo 5000 or something like that.

 

[CubicZirconia]

unlike the high-speed screamers on the gf3/gf4 cards

My 4400 is around 30 dba, hardly a "screamer."

 

[bearxor]

You SHOULD have your PCI slot below your AGP open with no card in it already.

Number one, if you put a card right up against your graphics card, how will you get unrestricted airflow? Your GPU's fan will simple be taking the heat generated by the card below it, and blowing it onto the GPU... Not really very effective...

Number two, the AGP slot and that first PCI often (used to) conflict, because they shared the same IRQ. While most of these problems have been fixed, you should still be better safe than sorry.

Most people with newer boards shouldn't even be using more than one or two pci slots. Today's on-board audio sounds leaps and bounds over that of 3 years ago, AND doesn't eat into bandwidth.

Most boards have perfectly acceptable 10/100 NIC card built in.

Some boards have built-in IDE RAID. Anyone who is going to use this, should probably have bought it on-board.

 

[StattlichPassat]

I haven't heard about the NV30 taking up two slots... but maybe you're right. I never hear about people filling up PCI slots either. I've got my video, sound, network, hardware DVD decoder, 2-port USB bracket and 4-port USB card. Hmm, ok nm...

If that is a problem, which it appears like I'm suffering, by the time the NV30 comes out, I'm sure most power users will be opting for newer equipment. For me, I'll be able to get rid of my USB add-ons since my next board will have 4 on-board 2.0 ports instead of just 2 1.1 ports. Integrated sound is coming along, and I might ditch the Live! value card for it, and if I can get a decent LAN chipset like 3Com or Intel, I'll ditch my discrete NIC as well. Seeing as how I'm not a gamer, I could get by fine with integrated graphics since I just do Office and Internet work. And I'll probably get a traditional set-top box DVD player component for my home theater system. Hey, where did all the cards go?

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: NightFlyerGTI
I haven't heard about the NV30 taking up two slots... but maybe you're right. I never hear about people filling up PCI slots either. I've got my video, sound, network, hardware DVD decoder, 2-port USB bracket and 4-port USB card. Hmm, ok nm...

If that is a problem, which it appears like I'm suffering, by the time the NV30 comes out, I'm sure most power users will be opting for newer equipment. For me, I'll be able to get rid of my USB add-ons since my next board will have 4 on-board 2.0 ports instead of just 2 1.1 ports. Integrated sound is coming along, and I might ditch the Live! value card for it, and if I can get a decent LAN chipset like 3Com or Intel, I'll ditch my discrete NIC as well. Seeing as how I'm not a gamer, I could get by fine with integrated graphics since I just do Office and Internet work. And I'll probably get a traditional set-top box DVD player component for my home theater system. Hey, where did all the cards go?

Check out these pics.

 

[erikiksaz]

Originally posted by: CubicZirconia

unlike the high-speed screamers on the gf3/gf4 cards

My 4400 is around 30 dba, hardly a "screamer."

I guess my definition of "screamer" is off, but you get my flow. I try to keep my system as quiet as possible, and the only thing, alongside the 18db nmb fans i have running, is the hard drive that's making the whine. I wouldn't want a 30db "screamer" screwing it all up.

 

[FuManStan]

I have on board NIC, sound card, tv card... and thats it. Extra PCI slot doesn't really matter for me, i think for most people it won't matter.

 

[Information21]

Two words: Reference Design. Later.

 

[knutp]

I do actually use all my pci slots! But then again I have a asus k7v motherboard with few cards onboard.

I got a ISDN card, Soundcard, NIC, SCSI and firewire.

And tomshardware mentioned that the new fan was very noicy, but they promised it would be quieter when it hits the shelves. But Nvidia should get honour for it's innovative design!

I really hope that dere will be sold nv30 cards that doesn't need to occupy the last pci slot!

 

[Prince of Persia]

Just a heads up guys. That extra cooling system comes with the ULTRA version of the Geforce FX 5800. The ultra version is meant for the enthusiasts who want to overclock their cards to get the most bang for the buck(Which is one hell of a buck ~500!). In reality those who overclock their cards will already have the PCI slot below it unoccupied in order to increase airflow to the card. Now NVIDIA gives a much better cooling system that some folks would attempt to recreate in their setup when overclocking. I personally think its a great attachement for any video card.

What I don't get is...wtf is with the extra power supply? Wasn't the move to .13 process in order to require less power to run the cards? (I'm confused)

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: Information21
Two words: Reference Design. Later.

Yea that's what I thought at first, but if you read anand's article, they clearly say that there will be another, sLOWER version that only takes up one slot.

 

[Dug]

I keep the slot under my video card open anyway. Along with the bracket open to let air out.
Can't imagine why you would want to shove another card up against your video card.

 

[joe4324]

I dont have any pci cards...

I mount an 80MM infront of the PCI slots blowing up at the video card, lol.. its so crude compared to this beautiful design by nivida...

WOOT! I bet people are already schemeing how they will mod it. mwaha.