Some manufacturers should really consider this...

[Gamingphreek]

First off, is it physically possible to create a PCI-E x32 slot. (32 wires has to take up a fair bit of room)

Ok everyone knows that in some cases in Micro-ATX cases you have to use a riser card. Could a MB manf and case manf get together and do the following.

[*]MB: Make a MB with one x32 PCI-E slot instead of 2x x16's[/LI]
[*]MB: Make a riser card for that x32 slot that breaks it into 2 x16 slots with sufficient space for 2-slot cooling[/LI]
[*]Case: Create horizontal back panels for the case thereby.[/LI]

This way not only are no PCI-E slots or PCI- slots taken up, but you have a much more efficient use of room in the case. Additionally, i would think that cooling would be on par if not better than the current standard.

Is there any flaws in that design from an architectural standpoint?

-Kevin

 

[darkswordsman17]

Thats way too complex, and on an mATX board, your idea will still take up all the available expansion slots, as the video cards would be over half the width of the motherboard itself. The only way it wouldn't is if the riser card was very tall, in which case it wouldn't really be a small case anymore.

Only a company like Shuttle, who controls the design of the case and motherboard, would even attempt such a thing, and I'm guessing there's a good reason why they haven't.

As for cooling, I don't really see how it would be any better.

I'm not quite sure I know what you're meaning exactly, maybe do a sketch of it or something.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

sounds too complicated

 

[Gamingphreek]

Im just used mATX as an example of something that uses a riser card.

In a nutshell just make a PCI-E x32 slot. Then make a rise card for that slot with 2x x16 slots on it. That way you dont lose any of your other PCI-E or PCI slots when using a Dual Slot cooling or an SLI/Crossfire setup.

-Kevin

 

[bunnyfubbles]

2 by x8 cards work just fine for something like SLI, the 2 by x16 stuff is mostly just penny pinching possible performance. Of course future cards might benefit better from it; however, what I'm try to say is that you don't even necessarily need the x32 slot, just one x16...heck, its already done with the 7950GX2 - "two cards" in one x16 slot...

 

[Gamingphreek]

Well regardless of what will work fine, or just enough; is what i said even possible?

 

[ND40oz]

Isn't this sort of like what nVidia does with their 7950, except with a x16 bridge chip, they bridge the 32 lanes down to 16. It's certainly possible, you wouldn't even need a x32 slot, just divide a x16 slot into two with a riser card and use the nVidia bridge chip.