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Why are GPU cards made upside down ??

chaparral

chaparral

chaparral

Caporegime
Joined
27 Nov 2005
Posts
25,460
Location
Guernsey
Does anyone here know why GPU cards are made so that there upside down went fitted ??? :confused:


(Plus::Also just about every other PCI card is also upside down)
 
Is it not because heat rises, so its better to have the fans blowing the heat up as well (for faster dispersal), rather than down.
 
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Onto the PCB . . . . I know what you mean!
Originally it made no difference since PC's were mostly Desktop.
And the BTX Form factor died a horrible death.
 
sturmtruppe said:
because there isnt enough room between the graphics card pcb and the northbridge chipset heatsink, on my board any way.
Click to expand...

Except they could easily move the NB. The slot on the case would also be the wrong way around. It would take a form factor shift to move it. Which BTX tried to do. It was more thermally advanced.
 
LoadsaMoney said:
Is it not because heat rises, so its better to have the fans blowing the heat up as well (for faster dispersal), rather than down.
Click to expand...

Is it not so they can suck up cool air from the lower portion of the case, rather than sucking down warmer air from the top.

My 2 pence.
 
chaparral said:
Not it's not that....As years ago GPU cards didn't even has fans,,,Yhey use to have only an upside down heatsink fitted :D
Bit Like these cards http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-178-SP&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=168
Click to expand...

Interesting, this changes things.....or does it.

I take it that the heatsink on that card just acts in the standard way? i.e. removes heat from the GPU and disperses it out of/through the fins? Would it not make sense then that to assist with this cooling/dispersion, the fins should be exposed to the cooler air from below thus making them more efficient? If the fins were on the top then they would be being (slightly) warmed by the warmer air in the top of the case, and as such not able to remove as much heat?

If I am mistaken then I'll be interested to find out the reason for their upsidedown-edness.
 
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To be honest its probably just one of those things, it got designed that way for no real reason and theres never been a need to alter it
 
It's not just graphics cards, every expansion card I've ever owned has had a downward facing orientation.

Modems, Ethernet cards, USB cards, Firewire cards, soundcards, TV cards, graphics cards (obviously)
 
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they way to find out is to test heat dispersial with a standard atx case with the heatsinks facing downwards and then test again
with one of the lian li case's which reverse the mobo so the the heatsinks would be facing up the way and see if there is a differrence.
 
sir-les-mp said:
they way to find out is to test heat dispersial with a standard atx case with the heatsinks facing downwards and then test again
with one of the lian li case's which reverse the mobo so the the heatsinks would be facing up the way and see if there is a differrence.
Click to expand...
Or test it the easy way
chaparral said:
Wonder if you turn your case upside down if the GPU temps would drop ???


Who going try this ?? :D
Click to expand...
 
maybe its because some PCI E slots are close to the CPU, and GPUS have large coolers nowadays so they point them down so people can add large CPU coolers?
 
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