Nvidia wants to simplify the construction of smaller PCs with a new standard
So-called small-format factor systems (SFF) have been in vogue for years. The compact PC builds are usually challenging to build due to the limited space available. Nvidia now wants to simplify them with a new standard.
If you've already packed an entire system into a Mini-ITX case, you'll be familiar with them: The challenges of building a PC in a small space. I've already had to mill holes in cases or completely rely on a water-cooled system. To simplify this and follow the trend towards small PCs, Nvidia publishes a guide.
"SFF-Ready Enthusiast Geforce Card Guideline" is what Nvidia calls the guide. The manufacturer specifies the maximum size of graphics cards and how much space a housing must offer in order to fulfil it. Graphics cards and housings that are compliant then receive the SFF-Ready label. For graphics cards, this means:
- Maximum height: 151 mm, including the bending radius of the power cable
- Maximum length: 304 mm
- Maximum depth: 50 mm or 2.5 slots
The guide defines the following specifications for the enclosures:
Source: Nvidia
Source: Nvidia
33 models in the RTX 40 series and 18 cases fulfil the criteria so far. We can only hope that the new guidelines will encourage Nvidia's board partners to produce smaller cards. This is because the majority of the 33 cards are RTX-4070 or RTX-4070 Super models. More powerful cards do not usually fulfil the criteria - at least so far.
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