Galaxy Designs Mysterious GeForce GTX 460 2 GB Card with Mini-PCIe Onboard

[btarunr]

NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 460 graphics processor (GPU) can be crammed into some very short GPUs, as has been implemented in various designs. Galaxy has taken advantage of this, and designed a GeForce GTX 460 2 GB (256-bit GDDR5) graphics card with nearly the same length as other high-end GeForce 400 series SKUs (ballpark 10-inches), with room towards its connectors for an additional PCI-Express device. Just near PCI-Express x16 interface, there is a mini PCI-Express x1 slot, that technically can take a mini-PCIe SSD or any other PCI-E device. While Galaxy is notorious for coming up with the most wacky yet intriguing designs the most plausible utility we see of this mini-PCIe slot is perhaps an optional addon board with a smaller GPU for processing PhysX, or a mini-PCIe TV tuner (notebook grade). Aside from this, connectors include a DVI, a DisplayPort, a mini-USB (female), a switch, and a 10-pin header right behind it. Galaxy will detail this mysterious card further soon, the company told press that when released, it will be an "unprecedented design".



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[brandonwh64]

i wonder what the heatsink would look like with the PCIex slot filled?

 

[wahdangun]

hmm i don't see any PLX chip or NF 200, how they split the PCIe bus then?

 

[(FIH) The Don]

@brandon

knowing galaxy you will prolly have the option of popping a cover (kinda) then insert some sorta card

i like the idea, especially if they would make a cheap gt240 to add on to the thing

 

[btarunr]

hmm i don't see any PLX chip or NF 200, how they split the PCIe bus then?

They've use a single-lane switch à la motherboards. That white rectangular thing on the right-side of the mini-PCIe slot.

 

[Wile E]

Man, they really do pump out some weird stuff. I could think of a couple of uses for this in a system with all the slots occupied or blocked. Pretty darn niche tho.

 

[JrRacinFan]

The only thing I can come up with is a PCIe SSD with USB functionality once the GTX460 has become obsolete. That's why i think they included the mini-USB.

 

[Mussels]

i wonder if the extra slot would end up used on the cards by default, such as lucid hydra/killer NIC combinations.

 

[_JP_]

What is this I don't even...

Galaxy is taking too much guys out of the mad houses into their development departments. I bet it will be like that dual GF100 they showed at Computex. Yeah, hell of a great idea (maybe, could had gone with the GF104...), but I'm not seeing it getting ready for production (I think there was a dual GTS 250 too). Maybe it ended up not being cost effective, or effective at all.
Can't blame them for trying and being innovative (and being awesome at it). Maybe this is just ahead of it's time (read: Voodoo 2 SLI).

 

[wahdangun]

They've use a single-lane switch à la motherboards. That white rectangular thing on the right-side of the mini-PCIe slot.

so what the different then? if that was possible then why HD 5970 or any dual GPU don't use this thing ?

 

[btarunr]

so what the different then? if that was possible then why HD 5970 or any dual GPU don't use this thing ?

Because it doesn't turn 1 into 2, but subtracts. Just like on motherboards, a cluster of four of them subtracts 8 lanes from the first slot, directs it to the second slot.

 

[TheLostSwede]

It's obviously for a custom add-on, as mini cards aren't that large and the screw holes are all wrong if you compare it to the type of cards you'd fit in a notebook. What this add-on will be is a different matter though, but it's going to be a rather large card...

 

[wolf]

How very weird of them... this is truely odd IMO.

would be nice to see a list from them of suggested products, or even bundle the card with products that are right for it, like a killer NIC, wifi card, phsyx card, SSD etc.

 

[wahdangun]

Because it doesn't turn 1 into 2, but subtracts. Just like on motherboards, a cluster of four of them subtracts 8 lanes from the first slot, directs it to the second slot.

so its just like a second PCIe on lynfield motherboard so when secong GPU was added the system eventually switch to PCIe X8, am i right?

 

[Completely Bonkers]

It might be as "simple" as a video capture daughterboard, or an extra 3 video outs for running 4 screens over DVI or DP. Workstation market segment.

Nonetheless, intriguing. Keep us posted!

 

[Kenshai]

Looks like they could easily have room on a pcb like that for a second core.

 

[wolf]

Looks like they could easily have room on a pcb like that for a second core.

shhh theyre saving that.

 

[<<Onafets>>]

If they have drivers that work well, installing a Physx card in the on-board slot will increase scaling no?

 

[squallho1]

None of the guess is correct. If you want some clues you can check what we have demoed during Computex this year

 

[(FIH) The Don]

None of the guess is correct. If you want some clues you can check what we have demoed during Computex this year

and you dont even give us a linky ?

 

[sneekypeet]

in case your Googler is broken...

http://www.guru3d.com/news/computex--galaxy-customizes-everything-with-a-gpu-on-it/

 

[(FIH) The Don]

its always brokenz , you should know that

 

[Wile E]

Wow, that's neat, so it's for controller/monitoring hardware? I like it.

 

[squallho1]

and you dont even give us a linky ?

Check this out:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/06/01/galaxy_streams_desktop_to_your_tv

 

[Phxprovost]

Check this out:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/06/01/galaxy_streams_desktop_to_your_tv

What exactly is the benefit of having a wireless nic on your gpu?