PC builders have long lamented the difficulty of hiding the cables inside their PCs. Though many case manufacturers have made this process easier with PSU shrouds and tiny holes to poke cables through from behind the motherboard, not much has been done to change the original sin, which is the fact that the GPU sits prominently in the middle of the case. Since it can require several bulky power cables to be attached, it can potentially ruin the clean look many PC builders crave.
Now Asus has unveiled a novel workaround for this issue, and it's related to its recent concept motherboards that feature backside connectors. This time Asus has also put the GPU's power connectors on the back of the motherboard and removed them from the GPU simultaneously. The result is a clean look that could be the future of cable-free PCs if Asus has its way.
The nuts and bolts of the project are interesting, as Asus has reimagined how the parts of a PC work together. Though it previously showed off motherboards with just the regular ports relocated to the back, this new prototype has new ports and also requires a special GPU to function. For starters, the GPU's power connectors have been moved to the back of the motherboard along with SATA, power, etc. Those include three 8-pin power connectors and a 12VHPWR slot that Nvidia uses. On the front of the motherboard, to the right of the PCIe x16 slot where the GPU goes, there is an additional slot for the GPU to receive power. Wccftech reports this concept can deliver up to 600W to the GPU.
The result is a concept GPU with two connectors: the traditional PCIe connector and a second one for power delivery. Asus didn't say which GPU was used for this demonstration, adding only that it's a 40-series card. If it becomes a reality, you must buy both the motherboard and GPU from Asus and a compatible case. The company says it will offer these products to consumers later this year, but we'll believe it when we see it. Previously the company did offer a motherboard with all the connectors on the back, but it was only available in China.
It's certainly an interesting idea, and we're curious to see if other companies that have touted "cable-free" parts join the GPU party at some point. MSI and Gigabyte have shown off similar motherboard and case concepts before, but Asus is the first to include a proprietary GPU and motherboard for a clean look. Given the costs involved, it's hard to imagine the entire industry pivoting to this new design for motherboards and GPUs, but we're certainly all for it.
