GFX Designs

[Sukh]

I was wondering why GFX cards are designed to be upside down? Surely it doesnt matter if the core/ram stuffs are put on the top side or bottom side of a card?

My paint skillz (The black lumps are fans)

So my question is this; why would manufacturers choose the current configuration where the fan blows heat down, when it would make more sense to put the core, fan and everything else on the top side of the PCB and it to blow upwards as heat rises anyway?

 

[twitch]

Well my 5850's suck air in from the bottom (coolest) and blow out of the back of the case

Added a great pic

 

[Sukh]

I know some have coolers like that, but the majority of high end cards have non-reference coolers. Or is it later in the life cycle? Either way, if you have a double slot cooler, it can block PCI slots, so to me it makes sense to have them built the other way round.

 

[Reality|Bites]

chipset heatsink getting in the way?

 

[kylew]

I'm pretty sure it's something to do with the slots of old days.

When a new slot came out, they could take two different types of add in cards but they'd need to be in different orientations.

Cards originally used to face upwards, but the new slots let you use cards that faced downwards so you could get more from a motherboard, more and more cards used the port that was downfacing, so it basically stuck.

 

[mattgal]

I have thought about that for years but never managed to get an answer

 

[Sukh]

When a new slot came out, they could take two different types of add in cards but they'd need to be in different orientations.

Do you hae any more info on this? I'm very curious as to why they are "upside down" as to me it makes perfect sense to have the reverse orientation due to heat properties.