MSI Also Working on Motherboard With Connectors on the Reverse Side

[GFreeman]

After Gigabyte and ASUS, it appears that MSI is also working on a similar motherboard concept that puts most, if not all, connectors on the reverse side of the motherboard. MSI will be joining Gigabyte, ASUS and MaxSun with such concept, as MSI B650 DIY-APE motherboard has been now spotted online. In order to optimize cable management, the idea is that most, if not all connectors are located on the reverse side of the motherboard, allowing users to hide power, fan, storage, and peripherals cables behind the motherboard.

According to the latest leak, MSI is apparently working on two motherboards based on AMD B650 chipset that have entered a qualification state. While it means that these are still far away from being a retail product, it is certainly an interesting concept that we are looking forward to. Of course, this also means that one would need a compatible PC case, that has strategically placed cutouts in order to access those connectors. The original post has some of those cases pictured. In addition to ASUS, MaxSun, and now MSI, Gigabyte also had a similar concept with Project Stealth.



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[Chaitanya]

More IP infringment without much vitreol being directed towards them.

 

[skates]

Might need a bit wider case then to accommodate the cable headers. I like the idea, but companies will need to rethink cases. The side of my Fractal Meshify 2 is already hard to close due to cable management. Yes, I could spread out the cables into a mess and the case would have more room to close, but my OCD won't allow it. Adding the motherboard header alone would be problematic especially with stiff PSU cables where the headers meet.

Good idea and maybe this will push case vendors to innovate if it catches on.

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

Might need a bit wider case then to accommodate the cable headers. I like the idea, but companies will need to rethink cases. The side of my Fractal Meshify 2 is already hard to close due to cable management. Yes, I could spread out the cables into a mess and the case would have more room to close, but my OCD won't allow it. Adding the motherboard header alone would be problematic especially with stiff PSU cables where the headers meet.

Good idea and maybe this will push case vendors to innovate if it catches on.

Maybe we need PSU manufacturers to start supplying cables with right-angled plugs on the ends?

 

[A Computer Guy]

Might need a bit wider case then to accommodate the cable headers. I like the idea, but companies will need to rethink cases. The side of my Fractal Meshify 2 is already hard to close due to cable management. Yes, I could spread out the cables into a mess and the case would have more room to close, but my OCD won't allow it. Adding the motherboard header alone would be problematic especially with stiff PSU cables where the headers meet.

Good idea and maybe this will push case vendors to innovate if it catches on.

With a lot more vertical space available if they used 90 deg connectors on the backside for the power connectors that would be more compact for cable management.

 

[Bomby569]

for 90% of the current cases it won't work, mine included (i haven't measured but i don't think so). I guess with some long standoffs and the gpu mounted vertically but then i had do go water on the cpu. Too much work tbh

i hope they continue with the current layout for a long time

 

[ir_cow]

Special case, special PSUs. What's next?

The one major complaint of modern motherboards is the lack of extra space for vendors to put specialty functions in place without giving something up. So this solves that by putting everything on the back that isn't a M.2.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Special case, special PSUs. What's next?

The one major complaint of modern motherboards is the lack of extra space. So this solves that by putting everything on the back that isn't a M.2.

That and ATX isn't very optimal for airflow. If they are going to need radical new case design might as well do ATXv2 and optimize component placement too.

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

Special case, special PSUs. What's next?

The one major complaint of modern motherboards is the lack of extra space for vendors to put specialty functions in place without giving something up. So this solves that by putting everything on the back that isn't a M.2.

There are some Mini-ITX boards that do put an M.2 on the back.

 

[trsttte]

Why are stupid trends always the fastest to get adopted?

There's no real advantage to this other than a slight visual improvement, and a bunch of real disadvantages like lack of case compatibility and higher cost of manufacture (that we'll definetily pay for twice over)

 

[bonehead123]

Based on the 1st pic on the left, this gains us NUTHIN beyond hidden cables, since the area on the front side where the backside connectors are located are capped with covers to prevent shorting anything out by accidental contact...

Well, here's a thought: how about making the mobo thick enough to cover those pins/traces etc, and use that space to add another m.2 slot or something else useful

Yea this would require a little bit of engineering effort, and of course, increase mobo prices somewhat, but it would still offer an improvement over existing designs...

 

[R0H1T]

Based on the 1st pic on the left, this gains us NUTHIN beyond hidden cables, since the area on the front side where the backside connectors are located are capped with covers to prevent shorting anything out by accidental contact...

Well, here's a thought: how about making the mobo thick enough to cover those pins/traces etc, and use that space to add another m.2 slot or something else useful

Yea this would require a little bit of engineering effort, and of course, increase mobo prices somewhat, but it would still offer an improvement over existing designs...

Definitely saves a lot of space on the top, especially if you're relatively clumsy with screws, coolers, GPU et al

I see it's uses but this better be cheap or cheaper than exiting designs, otherwise I'll just keep on buying oversized boards/cases instead

 

[Paganstomp]

Nobody needed aluminum fins & strips along with rows of RGB LEDs either. But someone thought that was a great idea, too!

 

[HairyLobsters]

More IP infringment without much vitreol being directed towards them.

How so?

 

[Chaitanya]

How so?

Maingear Patent:

US20120287569A1 - Motherboard and Case with Hidden Internal Connectors - Google Patents

The disclosed technology describes a motherboard with an arrangement of components that is aesthetically pleasing and enables ease of servicing. Inner components, such as add-on cards, memory slots and the CPU on the motherboard, are easily accessible through a removable side of the computer...

patents.google.com

Now MSI joins ranks of Shitsus in being a IP Thief.

 

[Bomby569]

if someone patents connectors in the back, and mind you that already existed before i remenber seeing on motherboard used on vending machines using this, that seems like one of those idiotic patents that adds nothing meaningful and just wants to cash in on royalties and should never be allowed in the 1st place

 

[Octavean]

Ah,…

The mullet of motherboards,…

Business in the front and party in the back!!!

I’ve been kind of wishing they would do this with video card power connectors for a while now. That is to say, put the connectors on the same side as the PCIe connector or at least at the end of the card closest to the side of the PCIe connector. For vertical mount video cards it would be much easier to hide the cables.

As it stands now, there is little to no way to hide the power cables jutting out of the side of video cards.

 

[HairyLobsters]

Maingear Patent:

US20120287569A1 - Motherboard and Case with Hidden Internal Connectors - Google Patents

The disclosed technology describes a motherboard with an arrangement of components that is aesthetically pleasing and enables ease of servicing. Inner components, such as add-on cards, memory slots and the CPU on the motherboard, are easily accessible through a removable side of the computer...

patents.google.com

Now MSI joins ranks of Shitsus in being a IP Thief.

Is there anything you don't hate?

That specific implimintation and design might be patented, but you can't have a blanket patent on having connectors in a different place.

 

[ymdhis]

Hey, I know a neat trick, it allows you to hide ALL the cables in the computer: use a case that doesn't have a transparent panel.

 

[trsttte]

Ah,…

The mullet of motherboards,…

Business in the front and party in the back!!!

Ahahaha that's a nice one

I remember there was a famous guy that made custom pcs that i think eventually went out of business that had a different idea, instead of hiding the cables he advocated for making them look good.

Or, I don't know, you could also just use a solid side panel?!

That specific implimintation and design might be patented, but you can't have a blanket patent on having connectors in a different place.

That's the US patent system in a nutshell, allow anything to become a pattent no matter how ridiculously obvious

 

[ZoneDymo]

Why are stupid trends always the fastest to get adopted?

There's no real advantage to this other than a slight visual improvement, and a bunch of real disadvantages like lack of case compatibility and higher cost of manufacture (that we'll definetily pay for twice over)

Nobody is making you buy this, just like RGB or the like, there are people who care about looks of their pc and there are those that dont and there are those that make a point about how much they "dont care", not every product is meant for you and that is fine.

 

[FitoGeorge]

This is something that these companies are 20 years late on implementing!

 

[Gmr_Chick]

Ah,…

The mullet of motherboards,…

Business in the front and party in the back!!!

I’ve been kind of wishing they would do this with video card power connectors for a while now. That is to say, put the connectors on the same side as the PCIe connector or at least at the end of the card closest to the side of the PCIe connector. For vertical mount video cards it would be much easier to hide the cables.

As it stands now, there is little to no way to hide the power cables jutting out of the side of video cards.

Nobody likes the mullet either, so I hope this new motherboard look dies along with it.

Mobo companies are clearly putting the cart before the horse here - they need to start by working with Intel on perhaps developing an ATX v2 or completely new standard altogether that case manufacturers case adopt ir order to avoid the problem that exists now with these motherboards - the majority of cases are incompatible with these boards due to there being not enough clearance in the back and proper cutouts.

 

[droid-I]

This is something that these companies are 20 years late on implementing!

What a nice option when building a home PC unit, more cabling mgmt exercise again

 

[Berfs1]

No thanks. I absolutely do not want to have to take the motherboard out every time I add, remove, or replace a single cable.