The War on Cables rages on!

The hottest trend from Computex again in May was reducing, or in some circumstances eliminating, seen cable connections within the inside of desktop PC builds. And at the very least one producer is in it for the lengthy haul. According to reviews popping out of China this week, Asus is making ready to fabricate graphics playing cards (and presumably matching motherboards) with additional header slots, permitting all the ability your GPU must be supplied by the motherboard itself.

The information comes from WCCFTech, translating a video on China’s BiliBili video service, displaying off a presentation from the BiliBili World commerce present. Power is delivered by way of a traditional 12VHPWR rail, which runs to the again of the motherboard by way of the case and is delivered by way of a secondary header positioned parallel to the PCIe 5.0 slot. Presumably the primary mannequin being ready is a model of the RTX 4070 proven at Computex, although it isn’t clear whether or not or no more fashions shall be made accessible. The GPU was paired with a specifically designed Intel Z790 motherboard.

Asus will reportedly start manufacturing cable-free (or at the very least cable-hiding) GPUs and motherboards later this yr, presumably to hit retailers in the direction of the tip of 2023 or in early 2024. Other producers with new cable-hiding methods embrace MSI with its similar “Project Zero” hiding cables on the rear of the motherboard, Corsair’s RMx Shift sequence of energy provides that do the identical factor, and the iCue Link system that permits you to “daisy chain” power across fans and all-in-one coolers for a single cable going to the PSU. Even case designs themselves are being rearranged to assist.

Asus