In the past couple of years, we have seen desktop class graphics cards not only grow in terms of performance, but also their physical size. This has been a point of concern for enthusiasts who swear by the small form factor (SFF) design. While Nvidia’s lineup of GeForce GPUs come in a range of sizes, higher power and beefier cards mean more challenges for the small form factor industry.
To address the issue, Nvidia has come up with a set of new guidelines for small form factor-ready enthusiast GeForce GPUs, which it shared at Computex 2024. According to the company, these guidelines will be given to GPU third-party board partners and case manufacturers to help make a common standard catering specifically to those who want a compact, yet powerful gaming rig.
The guidelines are set to include specifications for maximum height, width, and depth for card and case manufacturers. By following these, they can design and advertise their products as being SFF ready for enthusiast GeForce graphics cards.
As for system builders, there will be a two-step process to ensure compatibility. First, they need to look out for this particular small form factor-ready markup on the Nvidia GPU and then do the same for the case to ensure they can be used together without any limitations.
As of now, Nvidia has shared a list of SFF-ready GeForce graphics cards and cases that are currently available from popular brands including Asus, Cooler Master, Corsair, Galax, Gigabyte, Inno3D, MSI, Lian Li, NZXT, Zotac and more. Nvidia has confirmed that it has plans to further expand this list and add more products. Best of all, the list includes GPUs up to an RTX 4080 Super, which sounds pretty impressive considering how much performance it can pack.
The RTX 4080 Super uses a cooler as large as the RTX 4090 normally, so it’s possible these specifications could yield an RTX 4090 capable of fitting in a small form factor design. Regardless, it’s a big step for SFF. You normally have to double- and triple-check that your GPU will fit properly in an SFF case, and Nvidia’s seal of approval should make that process much easier.
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