Mobo layout

[druidelder]

If there were a general mobo forum, I would have put it there, but there isn't and I didn't want to copy this and put it into both AMD and Intel Mobos. Anyway, here's the point of the thread:

Who would like to see mobo manfacturers push towards using a larger layout. I realize this would mean bigger cases, but hear me out. How many of you would like to put in a slot fan only to realize you would have to remove a card? How about a bigger vid card fan only to realize you need to move your pci cards down? What about adding that usb/firewire/etc... connector to theon-board headers only to realize that you have to sacrifice a card or start drilling into your case at 2 in the morning?

Some of my machines are full of cards. Some are not. My plans for all of them, though, include all slots being used. And even the boards that I have in cases with more expansion slots than the board, the board takes a successive bundle of expansion slots. Wouldn't it be nice to see the slots (maybe just on selective boards, or as an opton on some boards) be spaced out to take up two expansion slots? Just an idea, what do you think?

 

[Mike K]

I think maybe a couple boards would be bigger for better cooling of the vid card. But personally I would like to see smaller mobos. Then you can get a smaller case that would be easier to bring to Lan Parties! Maybe a few taller boards so capacitators can be placed farther away from the cpu so you can mount hs' easier and not have capacitators in the way. I would only use larger boards in a home machine that I don't have to lug around. Maybe if they just spaced out capicatators farther away and pci slots farther away from the AGP slot.

 

[Smizack]

I understand your complaint. espescially the vid card problem. however, technology generally makes things smaller rather than larger as time goes by. I have never ran out of pci slots, so I view it as a problem.

 

[NASsoccer]

i think the main problem is we all want things smaller and more room in the same mobo. But we all know that can't happen at the same time. Along the same lines as your size issue, a lot complain that they wish that agp cards faced the same way as pci cards. I myself have never run out of pci slots and can't imagine that ever happening on a board. Of course, with video cards progressing, some consideration would have to, in my mind, of moving the slot up a little bit to provide more room for better cooling solutions.

 

[druidelder]

Just so this doesn't get out of hand. I don't want people to see this as a debate or a complaint (yes there is a complaint hidden in there, and yes, there's a question too). I'm just wondering how many people would find a board with more space useful enough to use one if it existed, for home/server/office/lan party/etc... use.

(This wasn't really menat for the three of you that already posted, but I could see where this might lead and I've already unintentionally started debates in other threads.)

 

[Mike K]

I have a possibility of running out of pci slots, although I don't think that will happen. I have 6 pci and I have a TV tuner, sound card, modem, and a network card. I don't know what else I could put in there. I already have 4 usb and I only use 2 of them so no usb card. Maybe if I get a RAID card but then I will still have one left. I didn't see this as a complaint I just wanted to share my two pennies.

 

[druidelder]

I didn't really think you had, I just thought I'd mention it to others that saw the thread on the off chance this turned into one of those intel vs. amd type threads. (Though it doesn't seem it will.)

As for running out of pci slots, I find that I do whenever I get the money. Two nic, sound card (two on some machines), modem (though I could probably lose that), vid card on non-agp boards, video editting (could combine if I was willing to spend hundreds on vid card), scsi controller, one machine has one of those Evergreen cards in it (makes any pc a PIII), some have RAID controllers, etc... Some machines are full, some won't be for a while, some can't be beause the mobo only has headers for things and not actual ports, so the ports take up pci slots (I guess I could get a bigger case, but it's in a full tower now)

 

[DarkArctic]

What if they vary the motherboards for different uses. They probably do that now but I hadn't noticed that much variance. Server mobo's will be bigger, home mobo's will be smaller. But a significant size variance will present a problem with cases. New standards is a problem. In the end, I think it's best that they should keep the sizes that is currently in use. A lot easier on everyone.

-DarkArctic

 

[Mike K]

Two NICs and two sound cards? What is the advantage to that? I might see an advantage in 2 sound if you could hook up more speakers but what do you need 2 NICs for?

 

[Krieger]

he is most likely using two nics to proxy out his net connection to other computers.

 

[druidelder]

Actually, I use two nics for a couple of different reasons. In some cases it is merely redundancy (sometimes I can maintain my broadband link when one goes down the other will pick it up). In some cases it is so I can run more network configurations without having more computers. (I have four computers on their own private network, but the second nic connects them to my larger network. I could do this with one card, but it makes it easier to monitor the traffic of the separate networks.) It's not really necessary for a home network, but I'm studying networking in school so I'm setting up more complex business configurations at home for a test bed.

The two sound cards is for a twenty track digital recording studio.

I like the idea for having different mobo styles for different uses. Most home users don't need extra space. I guess I don't really need it either, I just want it.