ASUS has showcased an idea of integrating an M.2 SSD slot right into a GeForce RTX 4060 Ti graphics card with the goal of using the unused PCIe lanes contained in the GPU.

ASUS Desires To Make Use of Unused PCIe Lanes Potential By Equipping M.2 Slots Onboard GPUs

Tony Yu, ASUS’s Normal Supervisor, displayed the concept of getting an precise Gen 4 M.2 SSD operating alongside the GPU on the identical PCB. They used a Samsung 980 PRO 2TB SSD which was hooked up to the bottom of the graphics card by a cut-out that was made. This cut-out is easy-access & the backplate acts as a heatsink for the storage system.

It’s possible you’ll be questioning why an SSD is put in inside a GPU; the reply is easy: that is finished to make the most of the unused PCIe lanes. You see, playing cards resembling NVIDIA’s RTX 4060 collection characteristic simply PCIe x8 lanes which implies that AIBs utilizing a full x16 slot have a further x8 lane. M.2 SSDs make the most of the PCIe x4 interface and that makes good sense to place as much as two SSD slots on the PCB of the cardboard.

Furthermore, one of many benfits highlighted by ASUS of getting an M.2 slot on the graphics card is the easiness of adjusting an SSD inside your pc. Sometimes, mounting an SSD requires us to undergo many sophisticated steps, which can annoy shoppers who often swap out their SSDs. Properly, if the GPU has an M.2 slot, that can simplify issues.

Having an SSD mounted on a GPU might result in temperature points nevertheless, this issue was saved in thoughts, which is why the corporate had modified the PCB of the GPU in a method that the cooling for the GPU might additionally attain the SSD. Since GPUs are outfitted with a lot bigger heatsinks than what now we have seen with SSDs, preliminary testing revealed a drop in 10°C of the SSD temperature. Energy may also be a little bit concern since Gen 4 SSDs do not pull that a lot from the wall and the RTX 4060s are outfitted with a single 8-pin connector which in itself can enable for as much as 150W with a further 75W coming from the PCIe slot. Moreover, that is an ASUS customized design that ought to ship an excellent thermal efficiency.

Throughout exams, the SSD showcased related efficiency when linked to the ASUS GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GPU as it could yield when linked to a Gen 4 motherboard. The temperatures had been additionally below 50C, even below full stress load.

Contemplating this concept’s feasibility, one might argue that PCIe extension playing cards are the best way to go in case you are searching for further M.2 slots. Properly, this can be proper, however having PCIe playing cards and GPU put in on a single motherboard will compromise the aesthetics of a construct. Having an M.2 slot on graphics playing cards barely impacts the facility draw and can save prices in comparison with shopping for an extension card.

AMD additionally made the same strategy with its Radeon SSG graphics playing cards however fairly than using the extra SSDs for conventional storage, the SSG made use of the NVMe storage to spice up bandwidth and switch charges for the GPU itself. The concept is presently an idea, and ASUS hasn’t revealed plans to launch the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti with such a design into the patron market but.

The decisive level might be how such GPUs might be priced at. If the distinction in comparison with an atypical graphics card is much less, they’ll certainly entice client curiosity. This is not the one prototype/idea card that ASUS is engaged on because the AIB has additionally unveiled plans to make GPUs with none bodily energy connectors as seen at Computex 2023.

Information Supply: @Olrak29_