Maybe you’re wondering how to say this about a graphics card that’s been on the market for a few months. You probably think I’m going to tell you about the next generations of graphics cards, but that’s not the case. The reason has nothing to do with upcoming releases, performances or anything like that, I’m aiming for something else.
Current design is not sustainable
Since I know you’re smart, you should know where I’m going. The problem with graphics cards, regardless of manufacturer or assembler, is their design. The industry has used a certain standard design for decades. graphics cards. This is a big problem, since we are approaching an unsustainable point due to the forces exerted on the motherboard and the graphics card itself.
High-end graphics cards weigh two kilos (approximately) because of huge, very inefficient heatsinks. We see how, generation after generation, the dimensions of the heat sink increase. We went from two PCI slots to all three PCI slots in no time. Maybe in two or three generations they will already occupy four PCI slots and weigh around 2.5 kilos, which is absurd.
Perhaps the most worrying is in the mid-range, which is the most affordable and the one that many users choose. It won’t be long before a mid-range graphics card weighs around 2 kilos with huge heatsinks. Something that borders on the absurd.
It’s just that we have normalized the obligation to acquire a AVERAGE distribute the weight of the graphics card and the motherboard doesn’t support everything. Something that, personally, seems worrying to me.
We can confidently say that graphics cards need a complete overhaul. There is no way a piece of fiberglass can support such heavy weights. While some of it is transferred to the chassis, a significant portion is also supported by the motherboard and even the graphics card.
NVIDIA has the solution
There are two possibilities. The first would be a socket similar to that of processes, with its VRM phases and slots for DRAM memory. This poses many problems, as it requires a complete overhaul of motherboards and possibly the development of new formats. Additionally, we add more weight to the motherboard and increase the chance of damage to the motherboard, which doesn’t seem like the best option.
Perhaps the most viable solution is to import the horizontal design of server graphics cards. Something similar to the recently introduced NVIDIA Blackwell. In reality, it simply involves changing the position of the graphics card from a vertical layout to a horizontal layout.
Here, the problems are minor, since initially, only the PCIe connector would need to be rethought. Well, for M.2 SSDs, a specific connector has already been designed that could be “enlarged” for these new graphics cards.
This change, which seems insignificant, makes it possible to design more efficient heatsinks or, at least, should allow it. Something focused on generating a closed tunnel that pushes out large airflows and thus improves cooling. The ideal would even be to add a nozzle to the front of the chassis so that the cold air goes directly to the heat sink.
Urgent modifications to graphics cards
There are two options and you will surely have an idea to improve the design of a component that has not been modified for decades and is growing. The truth is that we must look for a solution, because the constraints supported by motherboards and graphics cards are starting to be unbearable.
There will come a time when the weight becomes so great that problems will eventually occur in motherboards. It would not be unusual in the future for both components to be damaged due to the forces they experience.
