News MSI, Maxsun Make Back-Connector Motherboards Based on Asus's DIY-APE Standard

[Admin]

Maxsun, MSI, and Asus DIY-APE motherboards break cover.

MSI, Maxsun Make Back-Connector Motherboards Based on Asus's DIY-APE Standard : Read more

 

[bit_user]

Although I'm a big fan of cable management (mainly for airflow, since I don't use windowed cases), I lament the idea that PCs might become a lot harder to work in, just so they can look nice through a window.

I also have some (now older) Lian Li cases that I really like, and I'd hate for them to become functionally obsolete before my next upgrade. That said, there are some legit improvements that can be made to the ATX layout, and I wouldn't mind a new form factor if it's truly better all-around.

 

[Co BIY]

Seems like the backside of the board would be a natural place to stick a bank of M2 storage.

Even a few nice passive heatsinks under VRM ect...

Glad people are being creative.

 

[bit_user]

Seems like the backside of the board would be a natural place to stick a bank of M2 storage.

That wouldn't be great for keeping it cool, though.

M.2 is such a poor form factor for enthusiast desktop machines. Clearly, they were thinking about laptops, maybe servers, and not much else.

 

[AndrewJacksonZA]

Glad people are being creative.

+1

 

[Exploding PSU]

I like how it looks. I'm all in for super clean builds.

 

[Gillerer]

Although I'm a big fan of cable management (mainly for airflow, since I don't use windowed cases), I lament the idea that PCs might become a lot harder to work in, just so they can look nice through a window.

On the contrary. Provided the supported cases have wide openings in the motherboard tray/harness in all the appropriate places, I think this will improve access and ease of maintenance.

You can just pop off the back cover and the cables and connections will be right there, close - you don't have to remove any components or dig down to the dark bowels of the chassis to reach them. In a normal setup, if you wanted to access things in midboard like USB or SATA you'd have to remove the GPU at least.

The improvement should be massive for custom watercooled systems where temporarily removing components may be wholly unpractical.

 

[DIY-APE]

In fact, the “Chinese tech journalist” is the creator of the DIY APE project.
“DIY APE” is his brand.
币六六零二号Revolution主板视频里没有说的“秘密” (qq.com)
↑Here is the story about DIY APE project.↑
In the future, he will also release a special type of power supply.
That special power supply will make DIY APE project more perfect.

 

[drajitsh]

That wouldn't be great for keeping it cool, though.

M.2 is such a poor form factor for enthusiast desktop machines. Clearly, they were thinking about laptops, maybe servers, and not much else.

Actually M2 SSD are a bad fit for servers too. Though they are used there.
Around an yr AAP ago, when possible future gen 5 SSD were being discussed, proposed in one forum that E1.S be used for consumers also. My idea was that it had enough thermal headroom, but got flamed because such drivers would not have fit in laptops

 

[Pollopesca]

That wouldn't be great for keeping it cool, though.

Can confirm that. My wife still has an ASUS Z170I PRO GAMING ITX motherboard with the M.2 on the back of the board. She's had two Samsung SSD controllers burn out from over heating. I had to cut a space out in the chassis to make room for a small M.2 heatsink. Still no airflow, but it helps considerably.

I find it odd that this DIY-APE H610 King has been elongated just to accommodate a second M.2 (something that some ITX boards have already done) but neglected to add two additional RAM slots. Missed opportunity IMO. Could have just made an ITX board with the connectors soldered to the rear. ¯\(ツ)/¯

 

[King_V]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but don't most people put the motherboard on a flat surface when installing the RAM and particularly the CPU cooler?

So, with the power connectors on the back, won't that have the motherboard lifted, and thus, make flexing a greater risk when trying to install RAM or a CPU cooler?

 

[bit_user]

On the contrary. Provided the supported cases have wide openings in the motherboard tray/harness in all the appropriate places, I think this will improve access and ease of maintenance.[

You can just pop off the back cover and the cables and connections will be right there, close - you don't have to remove any components or dig down to the dark bowels of the chassis to reach them.

That's a big "if". My cases have solid motherboard trays, except for a cut-out under the CPU. And having to access the backside means removing the case covers and accessing both sides, which is a little more work than just one. People might have their case shoved up against a wall, or sometimes I prefer to flip it on its side and work on it with the motherboard in a horizontal orientation. Just trying to think of possible downsides.

I'm trying to be open-minded, but if this turns out to be more of a hassle for the sake of something I don't even care about (i.e. how it looks through a window I don't have), then I probably won't like it.

In a normal setup, if you wanted to access things in midboard like USB or SATA you'd have to remove the GPU at least.

The only times I've had to remove a GPU were to get at things like the CPU cooler or maybe RAM, which aren't moving to the backside.

 

[bit_user]

don't most people put the motherboard on a flat surface when installing the RAM and particularly the CPU cooler?

I mount the heatsink with the board outside of the case, so I can firmly press it down and wiggle it around, until I feel the metal-on-metal scraping.

 

[King_V]

I mount the heatsink with the board outside of the case, so I can firmly press it down and wiggle it around, until I feel the metal-on-metal scraping.

Right, that's what I meant. Except, with power connectors on the back, they'll be holding the rest of the board slightly suspended, won't they?

 

[bjnmail]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but don't most people put the motherboard on a flat surface when installing the RAM and particularly the CPU cooler?

So, with the power connectors on the back, won't that have the motherboard lifted, and thus, make flexing a greater risk when trying to install RAM or a CPU cooler?

Two easy solutions to this. 1) place it on the motherboard box like usual, but leave the ports overhanging the edge so the remainder of the board sits flat, or 2) just mount it in the case and then install the components (not my preferred choice, since I always build outside the case first anyway).

Not really a big deal at all.

 

[bit_user]

2) just mount it in the case and then install the components (not my preferred choice, since I always build outside the case first anyway).

This doesn't really work, if you mash the heatsink down as hard as I do. That'd crack the board, for sure. I suppose you could always reach around the case and push on the backside with the other hand.

 

[Friesiansam]

I'm ok with this, as long as it remains a niche thing, so I don't have to buy into it.

 

[evdjj3j]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but don't most people put the motherboard on a flat surface when installing the RAM and particularly the CPU cooler?

So, with the power connectors on the back, won't that have the motherboard lifted, and thus, make flexing a greater risk when trying to install RAM or a CPU cooler?

I mount the motherboard to the case first.

 

[bjnmail]

This doesn't really work, if you mash the heatsink down as hard as I do. That'd crack the board, for sure. I suppose you could always reach around the case and push on the backside with the other hand.

Seems like you've got other issues to deal with in how you assemble PCs if you're "mashing the heatsink down" so hard that you'd crack the board. That's what the mounting screws are for. Hold the heatsink in place so the thermal paste doesn't break contact once you've touched it to the CPU, then tighten the screws (or secure the clips, if it's that style) to apply tension.

I build 8-10 systems a month, and I've NEVER had to apply significant force to install the heatsink on a modern socket.

 

[bit_user]

Seems like you've got other issues to deal with in how you assemble PCs if you're "mashing the heatsink down" so hard that you'd crack the board.

It's not a problem, if the board is firmly supported underneath the CPU socket.

The point behind what I do is to press the heatsink into place while moving it around to help spread the thermal compound. The goal is for there to be metal-to-metal contact, and the job of the thermal compound is just to fill the remaining gaps. You don't want a continuous layer of it, between the heatsink and heat spreader.

I build 8-10 systems a month, and I've NEVER had to apply significant force to install the heatsink on a modern socket.

You're probably not getting the most performance out of the thermal solution, then. If your goal is simply to build machines that boot up and run web browsers, that's fine.

 

[RichardtST]

You're probably not getting the most performance out of the thermal solution, then. If your goal is simply to build machines that boot up and run web browsers, that's fine.

False. Screw-down heatsinks take near-zero effort. Tighten a little, wiggle a little, tighten a little, wiggle a little... If you're using those hideous spring-clip type heatsinks, you're missing out on what heatsink installation should be. Only things that take a moderate amount of force are the 24-pin mobo connector and the RAM. Last thing in the world you want to do is to use force on a modern motherboard.

 

[RichardtST]

Cables on the back is fine. I can find a way to deal with that. I still want my m.2s on the front where I can apply nice big fancy coolers so they don't fry to a crisp on me.