ASUS Unveils SFF-Ready Prime Series GeForce RTX 40-series Graphics Cards

[nguyen]

Because that case isnt SFF. not even friggin close. You took a micro ATX case and cut an expansion slot out. LMFAO.

SFF cases have become bloated, much liek the western world, where people have forgotten what healthy weights look like. There's no reason SFF PC cases should be the size of micro ATX towers int he early 2010s.

There is no reason SFF PC should be compromising on performance/thermal/noise/price either.

The build I'm planning with the DeepCool CH160 for a pal to bring to another country use readily available components that make 0 compromises on performance/thermal/noise/prices.

I'm getting the impression that some people are measuring D size with how small SFF should be here

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

There is no reason SFF PC should be compromising on performance/thermal/noise/price either.

Literally the entire point of SFF builds was a compromise on performance/thermals/noise in exchange for making a noticeably smaller PC. If you dont want to compromise on those things, build ATX.

The build I'm planning with the DeepCool CH160 for a pal to bring to another country use readily available components that make 0 compromises on performance/thermal/noise/prices.

I'm getting the impression that some people are measuring D size with how small SFF should be here

If you're building a SFF PC that is the size of a micro ATX PC, then why not just build a micro ATX PC? Better yet, why should those of us that want SMALL small form factor PCs have to sacrifice out choice of products because so many want to build slightly smaller micro ATX computers and pay an extra high price for the privileged of doing so?

 

[nguyen]

If you're building a SFF PC that is the size of a micro ATX PC, then why not just build a micro ATX PC? Better yet, why should those of us that want SMALL small form factor PCs have to sacrifice out choice of products because so many want to build slightly smaller micro ATX computers and pay an extra high price for the privileged of doing so?

Because you are in a niche market

You think companies make decisions revolve around you or something?

Also there is 0 extra high price for any component that fit into the DeepCool CH160 case LOL, even the case is dirt cheap

 

[AusWolf]

Gotta present this as the new SFF because you all know 5000 series is going to be all cinderblocks from the x70 on up.

Duh


Not when Nvidia decides how the sky gets painted next gen. The above is NOT a joke. Its the underlying strategy of this marketing. Everyone knows this isn't SFF, but now you can queue the fanboys who are going to somehow interpret it as such and poof a new market is born for 'SFF cases', and Nvidia will sell its 3+ slot monstrosities as the new norm. Buzz guaranteed, too. What more could you ask out of a single marketing slide?

I only have some cliché to say to that: I'm gonna decide with my wallet, then.

Practically speaking, I'm on mATX in a standard mATX case. That means, I have 4 expansion slots: the top one is an x1 slot with an m.2 (this is pretty much standard on AMD for some reason), and I have 3 left for a graphics card. If I put a 3-slot card in there, it'll be completely choked from all airflow. Not a good idea.

I'm not gonna swap my whole system to a big and heavy full tower that I don't need just to suit Nvidia's whim.

mmhh I get what you mean, but reading the SFF-ready page again, I feel like there's something that went over the head of most of us here, and we are getting too heated about something because we think that it's something that it's not: those GPUs aren't called "SFF sized" but "SFF-ready". Did you notice how there's no fancy "Nvidia SFF-ready" sticker to be seen anywhere? the whole thing is a lower deal than we assume this to be.

"SFF-Ready" is nothing more than a whitelist of RTX 4070 class and above GPUs and select popular SFF cases that are also whitelisted to be compatible with each other (even if that list also got a few giants in there like the z11, lmao). I feel like it's not stressed enough how RTX 4000 made building in a 15-liter case (!!!!) something tricky because GPUs have gotten so big in all dimensions, even a case like an A4 H2O with 3 PCI slot is not guaranteed to fit a modern 3 slots GPU without pulling out the Dremel. "SFF-ready" isn't a standard, it's just a recommendation. Their plan was never to make 6-liter builds with an RTX 4070 a reality, but merely to clean up the mess that AiB made by abusing oversized coolers that require a bigger clearance space than one could assume. Take a look at the SFF-ready case list, and you'll see that a lot of mainstream SFF cases aren't mentioned. It doesn't mean that they aren't SFF, just that they have requirements that are too strict/are too much of a niche.

Mainstream SFF cases development is following the GPU trends, even boutique brands like Dan, Ncase, and FormD who are getting community feedback. When was the last time that a strictly 2 slots, strictly half-height case meant to be mainstream was released? I've followed the development of a few boutique cases, and they would rather make a case bigger than have so many compromises that the case would have trouble finding a public with the current reality of the hardware. The OG Ncase m1 and Dan A4 have been retired for this very reason: the hardware had outgrown the cases.

I kid you not, 11liters SFF cases that could host an AiB 3090 were all of a sudden limited to a few select 4070s at best... when the 4090 use less power At the very least we won't see the fractal tera suffering the same fate when the next-gen GPUs will be out.

View attachment 351472
A Strix 3090 in a 11 liters case. Something that you cannot do with a Strix 4090 because they got so oversized, even though the power req are virtually similar
View attachment 351486

That doesn't make sense. Every single vendor lists the sizes of their graphics cards on their website. Sometimes stores do, too. Everybody is free to do their research before buying.

Yup, the Radeon R9 Nano was a proper SFF enthusiast GPU from its time. We will never see its kind again.
View attachment 351519View attachment 351520

A friend of mine has an Asus 3060 Phoenix which is about the same size. Needles to say, I love looking at that card whenever I'm in his house.

You think companies make decisions revolve around you or something?

You certainly seem to be thinking that, or at least that's what your mocking of people who understand the real meaning of SFF suggests.

 

[Yashyyyk]

@AusWolf I have the/a single fan 2 slot Gigabyte 1080, it's not really loud. Maybe if I wanted to OC it.

And even if it is, any of

make the card like 10% larger (still under 200mm, this one is 170 lol), (there are variations/hypotheticals listed in the reddit thread)
power limit,
undervolt, (this one esp.)
play with vsync/frame cap and minorly lower settings (kind of the same as power limiting but inverse)

will fix it

It's like a 7yo card and OEMs couldn't simply reuse designs for a 4070/S. Or Zotac with the 1080Ti mini and reusing it for a 4070Ti/S.

 

[chrcoluk]

My guess is they want to normalize big cards as something normal, they've been pushing power limits and sizes upwards the last couple years, 250W max was standard for a long time until they pushed it to 350W (3080) and even 450W (3090ti) with 3000 series and reports are that the 600W they didn't have the courage to put forth with 4000 series is coming with 5000 series.

So they want to make 3 slots cards something normal, it's a stupid marketing exercise that doesn't convince anyone, 2.5 slots is compatible with most SFF cases and builds but it's not small at all

Without a doubt, the redefining of the power standard and cable connectors goes towards that as well, they want big and power hungry GPUs as a new standard.

 

[Dimitriman]

You guys are not getting the point here, this SFF certification is laying the groundwork for Nvidia and its partners to refuse warranty claims for cards not certified used in SFF systems. Soon your 4090 Dan A4 build which has a melted power connector will have its RMA request denied based on "improper use". That is the sole point of this.

 

[Random_User]

I understand, that this post is kinda belated...

This whole "SFF-Ready" is a joke.

How is any of the pictured cards SFF-ready?

What I did I say when Nvidia announced this "standard"?? This is EXACTLY the type of shit that will happen.

Card makers will milk the new branding for all its worth by enlarging lower end GPUs into this form factor that they have zero business being in. Like the 4060 Ti and 4070 Super here. The 4070 Ti Super is slightly more understandable but it's literally still just what the status quo already was (maybe for everyone except Asus, who still can't seem to grasp the concept of "compact" for everything that doesn't have a Dual model). Scratch that, 4070 Ti Super also has a Dual, so Asus truly put zero effort into this line.

While at the same time they have zero interest in applying the standard to make smaller cards that actually matter (4080s and 4090s) because 1) they believe they won't sell in high enough volumes 2) bigger card = more marketing = better.

What a dumb joke.

Before pushing the SFF "standard", they had come up with the SFF approach, instead of slapping, the proprietary stickers and badges on the existing products, akin to the Gsync Compatible on existing Freesync montors. The whole SFF concept, implies Small Form Factor, which was established years ago. And this means making the card specifically using smaller PCBs, lower clocks and voltages, and even less power connectors (this is not an issue with 12V-2x6). Well, SFF already means some performance sacrifices in the first place.

What I mean there were video cards with 65-28nm GPUs before, with TDP around 180-300W (and easilly exceeding that, with how common OC was widespread), including dual GPU HD7990 and GTX690 (also Asus Matrix), which had only dual slots, maybe 2.5 slots. And the GPU temperatures back then were even less tollerable, than now. I don't see how these guys can't invent a small footprint, after years of experience with way less energy efficient chips.

Looks great, the Asus TUF series is too wide that leave too little room for the PCIe 12v-2x6 cable in a lot of cases

Not only Asus. Most of the cards are too big. And most of the L-shaped adapters are fire-hazard garbage. So nVidia had to begin their SFF propaganda movement with inventing and standardizing the reliable L-adapter, the way they did with SLI connectors.

None of these need triple fan cooling in the first place.

Just reduce the thermal envelope, by the lowering the clocks and voltage, so there won't be a need of bigger PCB and cooler.

The whole Nvidia SFF spec thing is a good idea, they just got the name of this size wrong. They should have done an actually SFF one & then a Medium FF or SFF-XL or something for this size.

If only it wasn't seem like a deliberate nVidia's marketing campaign, and push for proprietary standard. It should have been a notion/recomendation, or better an open standard across entire video card market. Doesn't matter who will start the movement, nVidia, AMD or Intel, it should have been done years ago.

Honestly, the only thing that really matters for some SFF builds is the position of the power connector and its infernal minimum bend radius. If Asus were going to innovate one single thing for this it would be right-angle power connector or a set of low-profile right-angle adapters in the box.

Exactly.

I’ve said it when this ridiculous “standard” was announced and I will say it again - there is no need for a separate SFF designation. Just have at least a few cards in manufacturers repertoire adhere to the PCIe AIB specifications in all three dimensions instead of being massive monsters and there it is, your ready made SFF cards.

Every GPU maker should have been made the sane size "restriction" tame the power hungry design, thus leading to the more overall compact VGA design, even if it supposed to be limited SFF line-up. But thing is, the GPU makers themselves are not interested in more efficient and smal-footprint video card design, as excessively "big" "gamur" triple-slot triple fan RGB cards sell for much higher margins.

 

[Noyand]

That doesn't make sense. Every single vendor lists the sizes of their graphics cards on their website. Sometimes stores do, too. Everybody is free to do their research before buying.

And yet, people are still asking in SFFPC Discord and Reddit if that case/GPU combo will work. People are still being careless
Made the mistake of not checking the length of the gpu : r/sffpc (reddit.com)
Cases like the Terra don't support the same GPU Height in every situation. Making the shopping process easier is the marketing angle that Nvidia is going for, they aren't trying to reinvent the wheel. People made a lot of assumption and ran with it (me as well, before I read into it)

All the SFF-ready GPUs being listed also happen to be GPUs whitelisted by the community to work without headache (or share similar dimensions)...except that the whitelist doesn't formally exist, and almost nobody cares about maintaining such a list without being paid "get an FE or a ventus" is what I've been hearing most of the time when there are more options, but a lot of people don't keep up with all the releases.

That list is also not exhaustive at all, there's more 4070+ GPUs out there that can fit the smallest cases listed here, but aren't mentioned because the MSI Treble is limited to 50mm in thickness (while looking kinda big ngl)

That's why I say that people are making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. IT'S NOT A STANDARD, just a recommendation that's going to fit the lowest denominator on their list of sff cases. Sure Asus chooses to make triple fan coolers, but there are also a bunch of small dual fan coolers on that list (check the Zotac). Two years from now, I bet that we won't be hearing about sff-ready releases anymore, the thing doesn't even have a proper section on Nvidia website, it's just a news post...the Nvidia store itself doesn't even have a "SFF-ready" filter

 

[AusWolf]

And yet, people are still asking in SFFPC Discord and Reddit if that case/GPU combo will work. People are still being careless
Made the mistake of not checking the length of the gpu : r/sffpc (reddit.com)
Cases like the Terra don't support the same GPU Height in every situation. Making the shopping process easier is the marketing angle that Nvidia is going for, they aren't trying to reinvent the wheel. People made a lot of assumption and ran with it (me as well, before I read into it)
View attachment 351555
All the SFF-ready GPUs being listed also happen to be GPUs whitelisted by the community to work without headache (or share similar dimensions)...except that the whitelist doesn't formally exist, and almost nobody cares about maintaining such a list without being paid "get an FE or a ventus" is what I've been hearing most of the time when there are more options, but a lot of people don't keep up with all the releases.

That list is also not exhaustive at all, there's more 4070+ GPUs out there that can fit the smallest cases listed here, but aren't mentioned because the MSI Treble is limited to 50mm in thickness (while looking kinda big ngl)

That's why I say that people are making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. IT'S NOT A STANDARD, just a recommendation that's going to fit the lowest denominator on their list of sff cases. Sure Asus chooses to make triple fan coolers, but there are also a bunch of small dual fan coolers on that list (check the Zotac). Two years from now, I bet that we won't be hearing about sff-ready releases anymore, the thing doesn't even have a proper section on Nvidia website, it's just a news post...the Nvidia store itself doesn't even have a "SFF-ready" filter
View attachment 351549
View attachment 351551
View attachment 351553

1. You have to do your research before you buy anything. Laziness is not an excuse.
2. Recommendations for size standards are fine, but "SFF"? Really?

Before pushing the SFF "standard", they had come up with the SFF approach, instead of slapping, the proprietary stickers and badges on the existing products, akin to the Gsync Compatible on existing Freesync montors. The whole SFF concept, implies Small Form Factor, which was established years ago. And this means making the card specifically using smaller PCBs, lower clocks and voltages, and even less power connectors (this is not an issue with 12V-2x6). Well, SFF already means some performance sacrifices in the first place.

What I mean there were video cards with 65-28nm GPUs before, with TDP around 180-300W (and easilly exceeding that, with how common OC was widespread), including dual GPU HD7990 and GTX690 (also Asus Matrix), which had only dual slots, maybe 2.5 slots. And the GPU temperatures back then were even less tollerable, than now. I don't see how these guys can't invent a small footprint, after years of experience with way less energy efficient chips.

Maybe we are to blame as well a little bit. For years we've been crying that GPUs are too loud and too hot, so now we've got cards that run cool and quiet, but are the size of a filing cabinet in return. I just don't understand how and why the idea of saving on power, heat as well as size went out of the window.

Personally, I don't need a GPU to run below 60 °C while consuming 300 W+. Let it consume 200 W max at 80 °C and make it fit into a small mATX box. Single-fan 1060s and 1660s were so awesome, I want them back!

 

[Noyand]

1. You have to do your research before you buy anything. Laziness is not an excuse.
2. Recommendations for size standards are fine, but "SFF"? Really?

yep, cases like the Z11 aren't sff at all, but I wouldn't be surprised that Asus asked Nvidia to "give them a hand". MSI as well, the Treble was teased in 2022, and there's been no additional news about it, yet that case defined the maximum thickness allowed. Other brands had the decency of not asking their biggest ITX cases to be listed here .

Should be enough to see that the whole thing isn't all that serious or ambitious: If you are going for a case that isn't listed on their list, it's not going to help you.

The only merit is the tiny incentive for GPU makers to make a few SKUs that aren't comically large

 

[AusWolf]

yep, cases like the Z11 aren't sff at all, but I wouldn't be surprised that Asus asked Nvidia to "give them a hand". MSI as well, the Treble was teased in 2022, and there's been no additional news about it, yet that case defined the maximum thickness allowed. Other brands had the decency of not asking their biggest ITX cases to be listed here .

Should be enough to see that the whole thing isn't all that serious or ambitious: If you are going for a case that isn't listed on their list, it's not going to help you.

The only merit is the tiny incentive for GPU makers to make a few SKUs that aren't comically large

View attachment 351561

That case in the picture is impressive - normal sized GPU in an actually small form factor. Although, I'd rather call it an outlier than standard, certainly not something to give GPUs "SFF" badges upon.

I also have a mATX case that has the motherboard laid flat, PSU straight on top of the LP CPU cooler, and it fits normal sized GPUs, which is on the border of what I'd call SFF.

 

[trsttte]

Also 3090ti pushed 600w under extreme load, 4090 cut back that power use.

4090 and 4000 series cut back on the excessive transients 3000 series in general had, but both 3090ti and 4090 are rated at 450W. These power levels and how ridiculous they are were already debated to hell but just for fun I went to look at the GA102 and AD102 power ratings in pro cards (RTX A6000, RTX 6000 Ada gen - love that naming scheme :facepalm: - A40 and L40) and they all kept to just 300W so there's that

You guys are not getting the point here, this SFF certification is laying the groundwork for Nvidia and its partners to refuse warranty claims for cards not certified used in SFF systems. Soon your 4090 Dan A4 build which has a melted power connector will have its RMA request denied based on "improper use". That is the sole point of this.

How? They don't know how and where it was used. Diy parts are always and always were a minefield in terms of RMA, that won't really change with this spec.

 

[Ruru]

This whole "SFF-Ready" is a joke.

Exactly. I'd count the low-profile 4060 as a SFF card, not this joking by Nvidia.

Or maybe anything two-slot is SFF these days, no matter the length?

 

[Onasi]

Exactly. I'd count the low-profile 4060 as a SFF card, not this joking by Nvidia.

Or maybe anything two-slot is SFF these days, no matter the length?

I look forward to increases in heat and power consumption with further node shrinks so that we will get amazing quad-slot quad-fan (three main and one on the side a-la olden Inno3D coolers) cards with 2000 gram heatsinks labeled as SFF ready.

 

[nguyen]

LOL, plenty of shit posts from people who think SFF are meant for fun but not really being useful as a gaming PC

Who wouldn't like a no compromise SFF like this

 

[Ruru]

I look forward to increases in heat and power consumption with further node shrinks so that we will get amazing quad-slot quad-fan (three main and one on the side a-la olden Inno3D coolers) cards with 2000 gram heatsinks labeled as SFF ready.

I remember those. Gigabyte also experimented with the little fans back in the day, GTX 680 SOC for example.

 

[Onasi]

I remember those. Gigabyte also experimented with the little fans back in the day, GTX 680 SOC for example.

Yeah, I’ve witnessed that one running in a rig once. It was terrible. Wasn’t even that it was incredibly noisy (it was, but there have been noisier cards for sure), it’s just that those small server-grade fans were VERY FUCKING HIGH PITCHED. Like a drill to your skull. I have no idea what Gigabyte was thinking with that, not like the 680 was even a particularly hot card, definitely not by modern standards.

 

[Totally]

Well, these dimensions are what NVIDIA means by "SFF-ready."

View attachment 351409

Sorry, I haven't been paying attention but it isn't 312x154.5x50mm³ already the size of typical cards once you exclude GeForce 3k & 4k series?

To me it looks like they're trying to normalize the size of their monstrosities by slapping the "SFF-Ready" on everything smaller. In which case I have a huge issue, since this just exposes a larger portion of the consumer base to the SFF tax

 

[Dimitriman]

4090 and 4000 series cut back on the excessive transients 3000 series in general had, but both 3090ti and 4090 are rated at 450W. These power levels and how ridiculous they are were already debated to hell but just for fun I went to look at the GA102 and AD102 power ratings in pro cards (RTX A6000, RTX 6000 Ada gen - love that naming scheme :facepalm: - A40 and L40) and they all kept to just 300W so there's that



How? They don't know how and where it was used. Diy parts are always and always were a minefield in terms of RMA, that won't really change with this spec.

I have just RMA'd my 3070 and yes, Nvidia demanded to know my full system spec, including the case. So they can find out and could push this agenda harder by asking for system specs via software/apps. I do believe there is a more nefarious reason to create this "certification", especially when so many 4090s have been burning and probably causing a lot of headache for nvidia. Keep in mind 5090 will be 4 slots and will have only a single 12 pin power connector.

 

[Noyand]

Sorry, I haven't been paying attention but it isn't 312x154.5x50mm³ already the size of typical cards once you exclude GeForce 3k & 4k series?

To me it looks like they're trying to normalize the size of their monstrosities by slapping the "SFF-Ready" on everything smaller. In which case I have a huge issue, since this just exposes a larger portion of the consumer base to the SFF tax

It's not going to change anything, SFF-ready is meaningless for anyone not trying to build a PC with one of the cases listed on the SFF-ready list. You are trying to build into a Velka 7 ? SFF-ready is meaningless. SSUPD meshroom ? meaningless. Formd T1 ? meaningless. Jonsbo VR3 ? once again meaningless. And even if your case in on the list, you actually have more options than what is listed.

SFF-ready isn't all-encompassing, it's a tiny list of GPUs with a tiny list of cases, some of which are not even SFF (some of them are 39 liters in volume!!!!), that are compatible with each other. Nvidia isn't trying to "redefine" what SFF as a whole means. they don't have that power, NOBODY does.

If you paid attention to the SFF market, since almost nobody is trying to do high-performance SFF GPUs, A LOT of SFF manufacturers made very tiny cases around 10 liters in volume that are space efficient and can host relatively large GPUs, since that's the direction that most of the market is going. Have you read the spec sheet of the majority of sub-20 liters ITX cases that have been released in the past few years? In the current market, a case that's strictly compatible with very small GPUs is almost guaranteed to be a bust. The Dan SFX A4 and the first Ncase M1 are EoL for that very reason: it got harder and harder to find compatible GPUs for them, so they had to be replaced with something that made sense with the current state of the market. Case design is defined by the available hardware, not the other way around.

The SFF tax is only a thing because it's produced in very low volume. AiB trying to pull a fast one will only make the FE even more appealing than they are now. The FEs are already a favorite among SFF enthusiasts, it's only going to make them stronger over anything else in the market.

I have just RMA'd my 3070 and yes, Nvidia demanded to know my full system spec, including the case. So they can find out and could push this agenda harder by asking for system specs via software/apps. I do believe there is a more nefarious reason to create this "certification", especially when so many 4090s have been burning and probably causing a lot of headache for nvidia. Keep in mind 5090 will be 4 slots and will have only a single 12 pin power connector.

IIRC, most of the burning GPUs were used in an ATX setup...because that's the form factor that's overwhelmingly more popular. If that was the goal, it's going to be a spectacular failure. "Boss, we can now deny 5% of the RMA request due to cable failure with SFF ready"

 

[Totally]

That's not what I was getting at. What I was saying is Nvidia in a roundabout way is trying to position 3-4 slot cards as what would be considered normal sized by having 2 slot cards associated as "SFF." When perception shifts and manufacturer start pushing the larger 3 slot cards instead 2 slot cards that will eventually become niche like single slot cards.(remember them?) Anyone wanting such a card is going to get hit with the tax.

 

[Yashyyyk]

In the current market, a case that's strictly compatible with very small GPUs is almost guaranteed to be a bust. The Dan SFX A4 and the first Ncase M1 are EoL for that very reason: it got harder and harder to find compatible GPUs for them, so they had to be replaced with something that made sense with the current state of the market. Case design is defined by the available hardware, not the other way around.

Sure, but why not then give options?

i.e. the Meshroom can fit 3.5" HDDs if you use a smaller GPU

Or maybe more room for an ATX PSU (or even (mATX) mobo?), or radiator, or larger CPU fan, etc.

When ITX GPU?

I want an ITX / low length/single fan RTX 4070 with 16GB VRAM. (Or rather something like the 1080Ti mini for the 4070Ti (Super/16GB VRAM)) It's ~200W just like the numerous ITX 1080/2070(S)/3060Ti, all ~1 "Liter" in size, so ~200 "Watt per Liter" We should be getting better/more...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[Noyand]

Sure, but why not then give options?

i.e. the Meshroom can fit 3.5" HDDs if you use a smaller GPU

Or maybe more room for an ATX PSU (or even (mATX) mobo?), or radiator, or larger CPU fan, etc.

When ITX GPU?

I want an ITX / low length/single fan RTX 4070 with 16GB VRAM. (Or rather something like the 1080Ti mini for the 4070Ti (Super/16GB VRAM)) It's ~200W just like the numerous ITX 1080/2070(S)/3060Ti, all ~1 "Liter" in size, so ~200 "Watt per Liter" We should be getting better/more...

www.techpowerup.com

Sure that would be nice, but again, SFF-ready is not the big deal that everyone think it is. Nvidia demanding to AiB to make single fan RTX 4070+ to cater to the SFF niche is very different from just asking them to not go too far with the size and make GPUs that can still be sold to ATX users for more reasonably sized and quiet (even ATX towers had trouble to fit some of the new GPUs.) AiB already went down that road without anyone asking them to a few years ago, if they stopped it was probably because the demand was too low for them to keep at it. Hardcore SFF users aren't a juicy target

That's not what I was getting at. What I was saying is Nvidia in a roundabout way is trying to position 3-4 slot cards as what would be considered normal sized by having 2 slot cards associated as "SFF." When perception shifts and manufacturer start pushing the larger 3 slot cards instead 2 slot cards that will eventually become niche like single slot cards.(remember them?) Anyone wanting such a card is going to get hit with the tax.

Ha yes, the single slot card that reached 43dB on a 125w 9800 GT. wich is the TDP of the lower tier this generation. Galax tried that with a 4060 Ti, it's reaching 53db.
Galaxy GeForce 9800 GT 1024MB review | test (Page 4) (guru3d.com)
Galax's single-slot RTX 4060 Ti is out in the wild, though sadly it appears to be a little tempestuous | PC Gamer

I still think that you are reading into the whole SFF-ready thing too much, and according it too much influence when it's mostly a low effort compatibility list that doesn't even make sense when you look at it closely:

Have you checked the cases that are listed as being "SFF-ready?" the Prime AP201 is among them. It's pictured below. Yep, that's right, that case can fit a strix 4090. That thing can fit about any GPU in the market. It being listed is meaningless, that whole SFF-ready thing isn't going to to be as influential as you imagine, they aren't serious about it themselves. Even the listed cases spec are suspicious.

 

[AusWolf]

LOL, plenty of shit posts from people who think SFF are meant for fun but not really being useful as a gaming PC

Who wouldn't like a no compromise SFF like this

No one said that SFF cases that can hold full-sized graphics cards didn't exist, or that they weren't awesome. But those graphics cards aren't SFF by any means. Let's not confuse the two.

Sorry, I haven't been paying attention but it isn't 312x154.5x50mm³ already the size of typical cards once you exclude GeForce 3k & 4k series?

To me it looks like they're trying to normalize the size of their monstrosities by slapping the "SFF-Ready" on everything smaller. In which case I have a huge issue, since this just exposes a larger portion of the consumer base to the SFF tax

This. Also, they're calling us stupid by pointing at their 4-slot 2 kg monsters and saying "it's not big, it's normal because 2-slot is SFF now because we said so". Redefining reality and forcing everybody to accept it based only on sheer market presence is the most arrogant way to do business.