Will PCIE video cards be 'the right way up'?

[Fodder]

I've read a couple of articles, but haven't found anything helpful. Will the orientation of PCIE cards be the same as ISA (ie. components on the 'top') or as PCI/AGP (on the 'bottom'). The reason I ask, is it strikes me as smart to put a hot video core on the top, so the case fan right next to it can do it's job (especially on passively cooled cards), but it also requires a rethink on component placing so the video heatsink won't interfere with the capacitor forest that seems to surround CPU sockets these days.

Of course, then you take a look at BTX and see that the 'wind tunnel' will be directly below the video card.

 

[Dio]

There's nothing to top you turning over the CD drive, and turning the case upside down

 

[incurable]

I've read a couple of articles, but haven't found anything helpful. Will the orientation of PCIE cards be the same as PCI (ie. components on the 'top') or as AGP (on the 'bottom').

Both PCI and AGP cards have components on the same 'side' of the PCB, as will future PCI-Express boards. (that is, hanging in an ATX tower, facing downwards)

cu

incurable

 

[Fodder]

There's nothing to top you turning over the CD drive, and turning the case upside down

The card is still facing away from the case fan though.

Both PCI and AGP cards have components on the same 'side' of the PCB, as will future PCI-Express boards. (that is, hanging in an ATX tower, facing downwards)

You're right, I was thinking of ISA. Thanks for the answer regarding PCIE though, I guess that's another point chalked up for BTX.

 

[lost]

A major problem for manufacturers is that in the atx specs, there is no spec stating how far away the cpu socket must be from the agp slot. Therefore, if it stays teh same with with PCI-Express, there could be a nice HSF in the way of video card installations. Also, if the video card is facing upwards, its hot air can be sucked over the cpu hsf in turn raising your cpu temps. Im not quite sure its a great tradeoff...but then again nvidia might have had something with its dustbuster if it was on the top side (and didnt sound like a vacuum).

 

[micb]

It may well increase tempratures changing the orientation.

The way ATX specification works is to pull cold air in at the front of the case, for your graphics fan to push nice cold air onto the core and excess heat rises up to the top of the case and out the rear ventilation.

If you turn the card over the heat from the CPU/warm rising air will be pulled back down and the graphics card core cooling could be worse.

 

[Pete]

But that cold air is trapped around the VPU by the video card itself, no? Flipping the chip allows hot air to do what it does best, rise away from the card. You have a point about the CPU's HSF perhaps pushing hot air toward the video card, though. The simple solution would be to reorient the CPU or use a CPU duct. Then again, the simple solution would also be to use a VPU cooler like Arctic Cooling's VGA Silencer, which benefits the whole case by removing the VPU's "exhaust" directly.