PCB Color on Video Cards

[KainXS]

black is a great pcb color but its used so much now its becoming boring, I would say make the card stand out and give it a better more efficient pcb that overclocks better and lasts longer but also stands out from the rest.

 

[Deleted member 3]

Personally I don't care about color, I'm not that much into making my machine look sexy. However I would say there is a market for PCBs with UV sensitive coating. Perhaps draw things on it that way.

As for turning the card upside down, that's not a bad idea for airflow. However it requires quite some redesigning of the PCB. I doubt it's worth the effort. (financially speaking)

 

[KainXS]

Personally I don't care about color, I'm not that much into making my machine look sexy. However I would say there is a market for PCBs with UV sensitive coating. Perhaps draw things on it that way.

As for turning the card upside down, that's not a bad idea for airflow. However it requires quite some redesigning of the PCB. I doubt it's worth the effort. (financially speaking)

UV coating sounds great

 

[Wastedslayer]

I agree that though black is an amazing PCB color, I think that even I would be more interested in some different colors. Personally I try to match a case theme and it is hard with a DFI P35 Mobo w/ neon green and bright yellow and then a puke green graphics card. I think Palit could maybe do it as a special event or something, I dont know if that would be worth it haha but you could call it the Palit Rainbow Series or something where you can throw a frog into the mix and then have a selectable color option for your card. Yeah, that would be cool.

Thanks,
Wasted

 

[stordoff]

Black for me. Fits in with most color schemes, and I wouldn't want a mismatched graphics card if I change another component. Then again, I buy based on performance rather than color.

Silver would also be pretty nice

(I'm in the UK , although I could pay shipping . Just kidding, I know that this is not possible)

 

[Azazel]

black graphics cards....or dark purple hehe....

 

[JrRacinFan]

The UV coating in itself can be down to any of your cards on your own. There are such things that can be purchased at any crafts store.

As far as being sold with it being pre-applied, that is a different story.

Why can't all these ideas be completely combined!?

2 tone silver frontside pcb, black backside, Wrap around coolers to make the card "upside down", with a red or purple UV paint applied. Now IMO that would be a badass card!

 

[btarunr]

Glad you asked this, Palit.

Some people do emphasise on PCB colour for aesthetic reasons. EVGA continued to sell 8800 GTX cards with black PCB, though I don't have stats, I'm sure people chose those cards to go with the black 680i or 780i boards. If you really want to cut costs of mfg and add a slight aesthetic touch, make a 8800 GTS / 9600 GT (sonic) cards with black in stead of yellow cooler covers AND, cover the PCB behind with the same coloured plastic plate that opens with screws. It would really give the cards a 'product' feel more than a 'component' feel, as W1zzard comments on the 9800 GX2 design.

I want a 3870 with black PCB. Or anything in the ATi flavor with white PCB would be especially unique, like the few and far between Sapphire Pure Innovation boards:

Then slap a nice ATi logo on the back of the card, too.

And put some UV reactive stuff on it! Like the cooler and the HIS IceQ3 seires!

That board fascinated me alot.

 

[tkpenalty]

Black isn't necessarily becoming the new beige for GPUs, so therefore it's a colour that should be used more often. UV paint on the PCB would definately be nice however one drawback is the fact that it may worsen the thermal attributes of the 10 layer PCB.

Imho, green is a colour that should be used less now. Instead black, or blue or red. Those three colours are amongst the more popular colours.

I'd also focus on the cooling solution's colour scheme. You may need to be less original but that does not matter. Example: Black SHOULD go with a cooling solution that is not anodized at all. (for Nvidia).

Following the palit colour scheme, it would be very logical to have a blue PCB + Yellow/Goldish/Orange anodized cooling solution. The fan sticker's background should be the same colour as the fan itself with the Palit logo on it. Example, black fan = black sticker. To ensure that the product looks better aesthetically, using a smoother grade of plastic (ABS, etc), would be advised so that the sticker blends in.

This is just a simple solution that wouldnt take much to implement, in addition to the differing PCB colours. It would not cost more to print stickers in different colours, and if it did, not by much.

Going somewhat off topic:

As mentioned just then, think about implementing "product feel" products, and making your GPUs more logically designed. We know that the reference design has flaws, and you guys have corrected that.

Look at the 9800GTX however. The flaw is the fact that the extra power phases makes the PCB so long. How about if we shorten that PCB and change the size of the fan and make the whole casing of it similar to the 9800GX2? BUT! Instead of a smooth gloss cover thats a potential fingerprint magnet, a matte casing!

Same can be said for the HD3870X2. Sure the PCB design is efficient. However cooling is something that lets it down a bit. You guys could could design a cooler which would cost roghly the same but completely trample the reference design in efficieny...

Example: Linked copper flower cooler with two fans. Due to the heatpipes connecting all the cores the PCB does not bend as much. Memory banks lined up in a better manner and also cooled with the memory plates.

PalitGuy thanks for this

 

[Duffman]

I seriously don't like the white.

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

I seriously don't like the white.

I dont either. Reminds me of white chocolate. That motherboard looks likes something you could eat.

 

[pt]

i vote on this too

 

[ShadowFold]

If it cant be done in photoshop...

Yea.. I would buy that lol

 

[Fitseries3]

i liked the Purple PCB's that ECS used to make. if you could keep it bright and not dull that would be pretty cool i think.

 

[KainXS]

These are the 2 colors I want to see(done on photoshop)

PALIT 8800GTS

I like black better, It would match better with different color motherboards and most sound cards are black now which would continue the theme

but based on the pcb color alone, for most people who buy high performance cards, the pcb color/any color is going to be on the bottom of the list

If the prices were the same would you buy a 9600GT over a 8800GT because the 9600GT looked better, no because the 9600GT is slower and the 8800GT overclocks better.

 

[ShadowFold]

Ooh that jet black looks nice combine that with a dirty white PCB like the first one and you got winnar!

 

[Pinchy]

The colour of the PCB won't change my mind on the card...but say, if there were 2 identical cards costing the same with the only difference being the PCB colour, I would say it would affect my decision.

That being said, most cases are black or silver, and most cases with LEDs/side panels have blue or red LED's (generalisation). Hence, I would think some black PCB's would look best (esp. on a black motherboard and black case) but red/blue PCBs work too with the colour of the LED's within the case.

 

[KainXS]

I like what the did with the 8800GTS and put a back plate to cover the back of the entire PCB to take color out of the question

Palitguy, have you guys over at palit been having a problem with color selection for a while now

 

[Snake05]

Bump

Gotta hit 200 sometime....can't let this thread get forgotten.

 

[Kursah]

I agree with different PCB colors and the Cooler Shrowd...like Dan said earlier, using some UV for designs/patterns would also be pretty cool.

Maybe install some LED's onto the PCB that make the vents of the Cooler Shrowd on the Sonic versions glow a little bit...something like a glowing nuclear reactor hehe! Now that could be pretty damn cool! Maybe even an LED fan, though not as much required imo. But using the right LED, PCB and Cooler Shrowd colors and contrasts could lead to an even more attractive card!

Hell, for the UV design, it could be the frog of all things! That would be pretty cool imo!

 

[Azazel]

here is the photshoped card....in a range of colors..didn't know what you wanted

 

[Deathshead]

another vote for uv sensitive white!

 

[Kursah]

Azazel, any way to add a glow effect coming from behind the vents on the shrowd cover?

Some cool combinations could be done, like a flat-black/satin-black shrowd with blue leds to match my antec900 would be pretty cool...black PCB or Blue PCB.

If they could mount mini-cathodes inside with the shrowd cover to give it a nice glow effect...it could be the Sonic Reactor Edition or something like that! I think lighting, if executed correctly could be the next big "visual" thing for GFX cards...hell if it's UV reactive, mount a little UV bar on card or give the consumer the option with moutning clips and such...there are so many ways it could go.

If I still used photoshop and such programs I'd post some myself, but hell it's been so many years since I've really used them for anything I get lost easily now!



EDIT: Hey Palit_Guy did say he wanted this thread around 200 posts...we're almost half-way there, c'mon guys, get creative in this thread. We've seen a little bit of artwork that is pretty sweet so far, I know there are more of you out there very capable of submitting some cool work!

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

I think white is probably the most little seen and that is why it is wanted... I now change my vote to white, as it would look very cool... especially if you have a black case and all white components inside... That would be rockin.

 

[jammy86]

Black isnt a colour its the lack of Its also boring and not cool on PCB's. Black cases on the other hand....

JAmes.