I was bored so I designed a video card.

brxndxn

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2001
8,475
0
76
I like..

I wish they'd come up with a better layout for computer cases so that GPUs and CPUs can be near the top of the case and heat can be dissipated better with quieter airflow..

 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
Why didn't anyone think of this?
Because it's not practical.

Making a generic, upgradeable PCB adds cost to the lower end models just to support a potential upgrade most users will never make.

You'd pay $150 instead of $75 for a turtlelicious fx5200 card just so you could someday buy new memory and a fx5700 chip to upgrade it. Or rather you would not pay the $150, you'd buy a $75 non-upgradeable ATI card instead.

(Yeah, I know you weren't seriously asking, but people do wonder about this so I answered anyway :) )
 

EyeMWing

Banned
Jun 13, 2003
15,670
1
0
Leave off the Zif. The RAM is a damn good idea, actually. Except edge mounting it is sux, surface mount it on the reverse face.
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,134
2,450
126
Dude, you better put a water cooling block on that video card! You're gonna cook your GPU!

You're at it, add an HDTV tuner and an extra GPU socket! I want my "SLI" on one card, dammit!
 

oogabooga

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2003
7,806
3
81
Originally posted by: MaxDSP
needs more cowbell

i got a fever, and the only perscription is MORE COWBELL....

it's a pain upgrading my computer as is with all the individual parts, but if each of those individual parts had individual parts.. (head spins).
 

iamtrout

Diamond Member
Nov 21, 2001
3,001
1
0
I was definitely going to put the memory on the top but couldn't find pictures that had the RAM, RAM socket, and vid card at the right angle for pasting :(

I've always wondered.... why the hell are the GPU's always pointed DOWN???? Pointing them up would instantly allow better air flow and allow for bigger heatsinks without sacrificing PCI slots.

If they offered this I would buy it. It's basically like a mini video-dedicated motherboard. 6800GT is $400. What if you could buy a $100 "video board" then add a $150 3GHz proc and $150 worth of 512MB DDR-500? I mean, damn.
 

XZeroII

Lifer
Jun 30, 2001
12,572
0
0
Originally posted by: EyeMWing
Leave off the Zif. The RAM is a damn good idea, actually. Except edge mounting it is sux, surface mount it on the reverse face.

Way too slow. Video memory is always faster than regular ram.

Next, the CPU woud be way underpowered. Athlon CPUs do not have the graphics pipelines that GPUs have.

Very nice chop though. It really look like a beast!
 

aircooled

Lifer
Oct 10, 2000
15,965
1
0
Some old video cards actually had ram slots... it went away for a reason..
Cool photochop though... :)
 

iamtrout

Diamond Member
Nov 21, 2001
3,001
1
0
Originally posted by: XZeroII
Originally posted by: EyeMWing
Leave off the Zif. The RAM is a damn good idea, actually. Except edge mounting it is sux, surface mount it on the reverse face.

Way too slow. Video memory is always faster than regular ram.

Next, the CPU woud be way underpowered. Athlon CPUs do not have the graphics pipelines that GPUs have.

Very nice chop though. It really look like a beast!

Hehe, I don't mean literally plop an A64 and a stick of Corsair into a video card, but maybe with a fully R&D'ed version one could plop a specially designed stand alone GPU into it for upgrading purposes. As for the RAM, RAM has come a long way since the old days. It might work? Perhaps have some onboard memory, but with the option to expand. Or build a faster interface b/t memory and board.
 

Phoenix86

Lifer
May 21, 2003
14,644
10
81
Originally posted by: aircooled
Some old video cards actually had ram slots... it went away for a reason..
Cool photochop though... :)
It's a matrox card, got one in the junk case here at work... *whips it out* Actually it's a Matrox MGA G200a...