Ugh, here we go, a brilliant idea in terms of functionality being ruined in the name of aesthetics. GIVE ME MY GOD DAMN PCIE SLOTS YOU MORONS AT GIGABYTE. And why are we still keeping the M.2 slots on the top surface, as opposed to putting them with all the other connectors? For that matter, why isn't the chipset on the bottom surface too? Then we can put that big stupid non-functional heatsink there so that it doesn't get in the way of the PCIe slots.
You never disappoint
The problem with "top" and "bottom" is that they are ambiguous on their own. For example, does "top" refer to the side of the board with the CPU socket when the board is sitting horizontally, or to the bit with the EPS12V connector when the board is vertical? Same problem with "front" and "back"/"rear".
I would qualify those words with "surface" to remove that ambiguity, i.e. "top surface" and "bottom surface". "Underside" works but it doesn't really have a common complementary antonym; "overside" and "topside" are correct but not often heard. Yes, English is a dumb language.
How about obverse and reverse?
Proprietary BS seems to be this year's bright idea from the intellectually bankrupt hardware vendors, because that's a lot easier then actually innovating. Probably "AI" told them to do it... pity it didn't tell them that the only reason the PC ecosystem works is because it's non-proprietary.
I'm sure you can order spares from Gigabyte.
This is what the antenna looks like.
Asus variant
Front and back, its not the bottom when most people use it vertically
The back is still where the I/O shield is, or what do you call that?
Dunno, but I feel like 3 usb-C on the I/O should be minimum these days, header aside.
The issue is that we end up with "compromised" USB-C ports, no matter what.
You either get data and nothing else, or data and DP Alt Mode. USB4/Thunderbolt is still really rare, but I guess we should see more of that on next gen boards.
However, I think only Asus offers a handful of boards than can do 65 W USB PD and then only via the port on the case.
Also, keep in mind that the cable used to connect the to the case USB-C port, removes that much distance for any cables connected to the case connector.
In all fairness, we'll never see all ports supporting full USB PD, but you'd hope for at least one, so you don't need a separate charger for your phone.
Uhhhh...... NO.
Yeah - I get it.
Some cases may be setup to allow this but at the same time, now you'll have the privilege of hunting trouble on both sides of the board at times.
Someone's "Better Idea" which, to me is a "Bastardization" of the core concept just to be different can turn out to be a nightmare too.
Being different in itself is easy to do..... I mean it works but like it is with automotive designs, the engineers behind it only need to worry about whether it actually works or not - Actually working with it (Fixing it) is someone else's headache.
If you like what you see, by all means do go for it but personally I'm not gonna touch one of these.
At least everyone decided to more or less copy Asus design, minus the proprietary graphics card power connector.
So we won't be getting half a dozen different solutions that have ultra limited case compatibility.
I see at least 3 dedicated USB-C ports on this board (one rear-panel which is a nearly useless location for USB-C) and one internal header that supports two more ports. You can also get USB-C adapters for 3.2G2 ports if you only need 10Gbps.
The header only supports one USB Type-C port, due to the lack of directionality of USB-C.
The point is, you won't find many USB-C ports on the rear panel because USB-C devices are almost exclusively portable devices that would need a case connector on the front. A dual-port header is included on just about any modern motherboard and if your case manufacturer is being a d*** by not including the relevant ports, blame your case manufacturer, not the motherboard vendor or AMD. If you really need more USB-C ports, you can adapt the USB 3.2G2 19-pin header for 10Gbps, and even the 3.2G1 9-pin headers if you just need basic connectivity for an input peripheral or charging. Adapters are on Amazon and Ebay globally for very low prices and you can get them for mere cents from Aliexpress if you have two weeks of patience.
ASRock has a suitable board coming.
No USB Type-A here ASRock next-gen Intel motherboard shows an interesting design choice. ASRock Z890 Taichi Aqua, Source: @OLISPEC The company is showcasing its broad portfolio of Intel Z890 and AMD X870 motherboards at Computex. Interestingly, Intel has forbidden its partners from advertising...
videocardz.com
