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Asus has introduced an interesting concept for consumer graphics cards that aims to address the issue of unused PCIe lanes. Currently, entry-level and mid-range graphics cards use a full-sized 16-lane slot, despite only requiring 8 lanes. To make use of the remaining lanes, Asus has proposed integrating high-speed SSD storage onto the graphics card itself.
In a video featuring Tony Yu (via @Olrak29_), GM at Asus, we see a concept RTX 4060 Ti Dual graphics card with a Samsung 980 Pro 2TB SSD attached to the backside. This design allows for easier accessibility to the SSD compared to traditional motherboard installations, which are often located in tight spaces that require the removal of other components.
Asus RTX 4060 Ti with an m.2 SSDhttps://t.co/IoO9DurFyW pic.twitter.com/W60mhjXrBM
— Everest (@Olrak29_) July 1, 2023
One concern with this integration is the increased power requirement. However, the added power draw should not exceed 10W, meaning the single 8-pin power connector should still be enough. Tony Yu also addresses potential heat issues arising from connecting the SSD to the graphics card. To mitigate this, the PCB has been modified to allow airflow from the GPU cooler to reach the SSD. The cooler is directly attached to the SSD using thermal pads, and with triple-fan configurations, the cooling efficiency can be further improved. Performance also seems pretty much unaffected, as the SSD recorded 6.8 GB/s instead of 6.9 GB/s for peak sustained read speed.
It's worth noting that Asus is not the first to incorporate on-board SSDs into graphics cards. AMD previously implemented this concept with the Radeon SSG, based on the Vega architecture, but the implementation was less convenient.
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KitGuru says: Asus's concept of integrating SSD storage onto graphics cards offers the potential for improved accessibility, reduced clutter, and efficient cooling. Although promising, it's unclear whether mainstream mid-range graphics cards will adopt this idea.
