My mini-ITX case fits a GTX1080... there's absolutely no reason AT ALL to limit yourself to a tiny card with insufficient cooling just because you're using an ITX case. Bunch of marketing BS, as always. Their entire job is just lying!
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Given that we can get RTX 2080, etc. in laptops, why can't we get more low-profile high end GPUs? Is the cooling capability of a laptop really that much better? Seems like we keep pushing this idea that computers/gaming PCs can be small, but then the GPUs are still chonky like this one.
Mobile 2080 is 150W vs 215 for the desktop version. Closest power level is the 160W 2060; and there are short 2060's.
The 150W mobile 2070/80 are normally only found in fat laptops whose heatsink's are about the same thickness as a 2 slot desktop card; but are considerably louder because they're using smaller fans.
The 80W max-Q versions could be made as single slot cards or half height 2 slot ones if they were sold as desktop versions. Normal ~75 cards occasionally show up at this size; they're rare though because trying to dissipate that much power with a a tiny heatsink and a ~70x10mm fan or a pair of ~40x10mm fans is much louder than the 70x10mm fan with a thick sink behind it. The fact that there's never more than 1 or 2 of these per generation (if any) says that the market for them is really small. The half height version takes an extra hit on the cost front because it needs a custom PCB layout instead of being able to use a reference one.
Due to the need to keep the ram chips really close to the GPU, I'm skeptical that a half-height board would even be possible for cards with 192/256 bit GDDR busses. This might be why there doesn't appear to be a half height 2060.
There's no way to make an LP card with a die that large (even the 1660Ti would likely be impossible) - there simply isn't room in a HHHL card for the die, the VRAM traces and the VRAM packages where they need to be positioned, let alone the VRM and all other ancillary circuitry. That is the main reason there are no high end LP cards. LP cards need a small die and package (well, a large die on a small package could work I guess, there just aren't any) and 2 memory packages, possibly 4 with some very clever trace routing. But no more. Also, even a 6-pin PCIe power connector eats a lot of board area at those sizes, so going above 75W is pretty much a no-go.
There are huge differences in power/heat - and consequently clockspeeds and performance - between desktop and laptop cards, even with the same name. For example, the 2080 Max-Q (which is the variant you will see in most thin laptops) only offers between 60-80% of the performance of the regular desktop 2080 (https://www.notebookcheck.net/GeForce-RTX-2080-Des...
The best mobile and best desktop chips get the same model name, but aren't really comparable technologically. You aren't getting desktop performance in a laptop, not even in the chunky ones.
Because they don't want lower cards with HIGH clocks/TDPs to approach or equal the performance of GPUs with more cores. It's an arms race so it is rare for a single fan/low-profile cards to exist even in low end cards such as the RX 570. I have a Vega 56 with a short PCB but the cooler is almost twice its length
The GPUs used in laptops are insanely binned, heavily undervolted and downclocked, and have BIOSes that massively restrict their power limits compared to desktop. The silicon may be the same, but everything else is different.
If companies are going to make cards with mITX in mind, they need to at least put blower-style coolers on them. Considering the tiny volume of most ITX cases, how the hell do they expect to displace 250W of heat on top of the heat produced by the other components. Blow it directly out of the case!
250w of heat is excessive .. more likely 150-170w . But blower cards are disliked by many .. they tend to be louder and noisier than the twin fan counterparts
Yea literally every cube ITX case has a giant grill about an inch away. Silverstone's taller ITX cases often rotate the GPU with a riser for similar effect.
It turns out Optimum Tech is completely wrong about the fan and heat. They were freaking out that the GPU was getting to 90 degrees C and saying that it was going to catch on fire. Apparently, according to AMD, this is completely fine and normal and well within spec. See a non-clickbait, more competent discussion of Navi temps at https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/296577-why-110-...
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Flunk - Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - link
ITX is a motherboard standard, this isn't ITX.arsfeld - Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - link
In this case it's actually just a brand, which is for you to associate with Mini-ITX, the motherboard standard. Get over it.nathanddrews - Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - link
Exactly, it's actually somewhat helpful branding so that you know that it will at least fit the length of a standard ITX board.Hrel - Sunday, December 27, 2020 - link
My mini-ITX case fits a GTX1080... there's absolutely no reason AT ALL to limit yourself to a tiny card with insufficient cooling just because you're using an ITX case. Bunch of marketing BS, as always. Their entire job is just lying!amandakspikes - Monday, May 18, 2020 - link
I’m making more than $75k by just doing very easy and simple online job from home.Last month my friend sister received $94280 from this work by just giving only 2 to 3 hrs a day.Everybody start earning money online. visit for more details… www.iⅭash68.ⅭＯⅯSpunjji - Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - link
"Graphics cards built to work with the ITX form factor is part of that"🤦♂️
Sandbo - Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - link
Not sure why this is an argument, you also just slapped thousands of chassis and their manufacturers connecting their chassis with "ITX".Using ITX here is a rather clever naming strategy, plus with a length of 175 mm it definitely did not make a false claim.
nathanddrews - Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - link
Given that we can get RTX 2080, etc. in laptops, why can't we get more low-profile high end GPUs? Is the cooling capability of a laptop really that much better? Seems like we keep pushing this idea that computers/gaming PCs can be small, but then the GPUs are still chonky like this one.DanNeely - Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - link
Mobile 2080 is 150W vs 215 for the desktop version. Closest power level is the 160W 2060; and there are short 2060's.The 150W mobile 2070/80 are normally only found in fat laptops whose heatsink's are about the same thickness as a 2 slot desktop card; but are considerably louder because they're using smaller fans.
The 80W max-Q versions could be made as single slot cards or half height 2 slot ones if they were sold as desktop versions. Normal ~75 cards occasionally show up at this size; they're rare though because trying to dissipate that much power with a a tiny heatsink and a ~70x10mm fan or a pair of ~40x10mm fans is much louder than the 70x10mm fan with a thick sink behind it. The fact that there's never more than 1 or 2 of these per generation (if any) says that the market for them is really small. The half height version takes an extra hit on the cost front because it needs a custom PCB layout instead of being able to use a reference one.
Due to the need to keep the ram chips really close to the GPU, I'm skeptical that a half-height board would even be possible for cards with 192/256 bit GDDR busses. This might be why there doesn't appear to be a half height 2060.
Valantar - Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - link
There's no way to make an LP card with a die that large (even the 1660Ti would likely be impossible) - there simply isn't room in a HHHL card for the die, the VRAM traces and the VRAM packages where they need to be positioned, let alone the VRM and all other ancillary circuitry. That is the main reason there are no high end LP cards. LP cards need a small die and package (well, a large die on a small package could work I guess, there just aren't any) and 2 memory packages, possibly 4 with some very clever trace routing. But no more. Also, even a 6-pin PCIe power connector eats a lot of board area at those sizes, so going above 75W is pretty much a no-go.thetrashcanisfull - Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - link
There are huge differences in power/heat - and consequently clockspeeds and performance - between desktop and laptop cards, even with the same name. For example, the 2080 Max-Q (which is the variant you will see in most thin laptops) only offers between 60-80% of the performance of the regular desktop 2080 (https://www.notebookcheck.net/GeForce-RTX-2080-Des...a5cent - Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - link
The best mobile and best desktop chips get the same model name, but aren't really comparable technologically. You aren't getting desktop performance in a laptop, not even in the chunky ones.zodiacfml - Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - link
Because they don't want lower cards with HIGH clocks/TDPs to approach or equal the performance of GPUs with more cores. It's an arms race so it is rare for a single fan/low-profile cards to exist even in low end cards such as the RX 570. I have a Vega 56 with a short PCB but the cooler is almost twice its lengthRookierookie - Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - link
The mobile RTX 2080 is slower than the desktop 2060.The_Assimilator - Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - link
The GPUs used in laptops are insanely binned, heavily undervolted and downclocked, and have BIOSes that massively restrict their power limits compared to desktop. The silicon may be the same, but everything else is different.Samus - Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - link
If companies are going to make cards with mITX in mind, they need to at least put blower-style coolers on them. Considering the tiny volume of most ITX cases, how the hell do they expect to displace 250W of heat on top of the heat produced by the other components. Blow it directly out of the case!dromoxen - Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - link
250w of heat is excessive .. more likely 150-170w . But blower cards are disliked by many .. they tend to be louder and noisier than the twin fan counterpartsDanNeely - Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - link
Isn't that why a a lot of mITX gaming cases put a giant grill facing the GPU to give it direct airflow to the outside?lmcd - Sunday, May 17, 2020 - link
Yea literally every cube ITX case has a giant grill about an inch away. Silverstone's taller ITX cases often rotate the GPU with a riser for similar effect.Agent Smith - Monday, May 18, 2020 - link
Got heavily slated on Optimum Tech for really bad BIOS fan profiles.See here: https://youtu.be/HPZ4GgD6K3w
thebrucelee - Sunday, June 7, 2020 - link
It turns out Optimum Tech is completely wrong about the fan and heat. They were freaking out that the GPU was getting to 90 degrees C and saying that it was going to catch on fire. Apparently, according to AMD, this is completely fine and normal and well within spec. See a non-clickbait, more competent discussion of Navi temps at https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/296577-why-110-...