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GPU/PCI-E expansion card in 5.25" bay? why not?

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Japanese Media Akiba PC Hotline reported, an interesting PC accessory from Bplus Technology called "PE4F" is now available in Japan for 10800 Japanese Yen (around $90, official price is $50 @www.bplus.com.tw). With this you can mount a GPU/ PCI-E exapnsion card on yr unused 5.25" bay.

 

pe4f1.jpg

 

PE4F_V1.1_L_1.jpg

PE4F_5_1.jpg

 

This kit is essentially a PCI-E 2.0 4X extender with custom made pcb and bracket, and some custom front panels for different sizes of GPU/Expansion cards. This kit provided a PCI Express expansion solution for PCI Express cards at front drive bay of Desktop PC.. The kit comes with 3 different front panels, 2 of them, which are both for single-slot cards, will take up one 5.25" bay. The difference between the two is one of them is for low profile cards, while the other is for full-height cards. The third one will take up two 5.25" bays, and it is for dual-slot, full-height cards.

 

IMO, for GPU this kit may not be that useful. Since this is only a PCIe Gen 2 x4 extender, you will be suffered from bandwidth limitation. Thus you won't put a high performance GPU in it. I think this kit may be useful for miners who still uses a traditional case with many 5.25" drive bays, or workstations which the pci slots are fully occupied with computation accelators like Tesla cards or Xeon Phi, and a video card is need for video output. But for pci-e expansion cards, like usb 3.0 cards, or capture card, this could be useful. You need not to go to the rear side of yr computer and try to find the correct connectors, you can just plug the connectors on the front, which is much faster, and require much less effort. I hope Bplus could change the front panel's design in the next-gen product (if they will make one), because it is functional, but not necessarily good looking.

 

 

Spec listed on the official website

Function

5.25" ODD form factor.

Supports Quad-lane PCI Express Bandwidth.

Compliant with PCI Express base specification revision 2.0.

PCIe Gen 2 x4.

Provides the PCI Express expansion solution for PCI Express cards at front drive bay of Desktop PC.

 

 

System Requirements

Desktop PC with an available PCI express slot. (x4, x8, x16)

Available PC case front drive bay slot.

Windows 8 (32-/64-bit) / 7 (32-/64-bit) / Vista (32-/64-bit) SP2 or later/ XP (32-/64-bit) SP3 or later.

 

 

Specification

Compliant with PCI Express 2.0 Specification: Maximum 20Gbps.(5Gbps x4).

PCIe slot can support x1, x4, x8, x16.

Front factor support High/low profile, Single/dual bay.

Provides the PCI Express expansion solution for PCI Express x4 host cards.

Power connector: One ATX (molex) 4pin power connector.

Dimensions : 15cm * 14.5cm * 2.5cm.

Certification : RoHs

 

Different front panels

 

pe4f5.jpg

 

pe4f3.jpg

 

Single Slot, low profile

PE4F_VGA_L_1.jpg

PE4F_VGA_Panel_L_1.jpg

Single Slot, full height

PE4F_VGA_M_1.jpg

PE4F_VGA_Panel_H_1.jpg

Dual Slot, full height

PE4F_VGA_H_1.jpg

PE4F_VGA_Panel_2H_1.jpg

 

http://www.bplus.com.tw/Adapter/PE4F.html

http://akiba-pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/news/20150323_693990.html( in Japanese)

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Posted

Hell yeah. Now I can Quad SLI my computer. Fuck yeah.

"If it has tits or tires, at some point you will have problems with it." -@vinyldash303

this is probably the only place i'll hang out anymore: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/274320-the-long-awaited-car-thread/

 

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Who would want to actually do this?

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I don't think there are sli bridges that can extend that far....

They'll innovate!

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Who would want to actually do this?

GPUs? Virtually no one. Things like NICs or Capture Cards? Many people might

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Who would want to actually do this?

I would have a couple uses for this. One of them in the past that I've needed is a front mounted NIC, so I don't have to reach around the back of my server for temporary connections. I also draw things, but sometimes I have to trace things using a old monitor, so I could plug the monitor into the front of the case making it easier.

*Risky click of the day*

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That is pretty much only useful in the shitty PCIE 2.0 x16 (actually x2, x4 if I disable both PCIE x1 slots) slot on my H87M-Pro.

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Oh wait, it takes up 2 bays??? Ooops, fuck that, only SLI then.

"If it has tits or tires, at some point you will have problems with it." -@vinyldash303

this is probably the only place i'll hang out anymore: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/274320-the-long-awaited-car-thread/

 

Current Rig: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, Abit IN9-32MAX nForce 680i board, Galaxy GT610 1GB DDR3 gpu, Cooler Master Mystique 632S Full ATX case, 1 2TB Seagate Barracuda SATA and 1x200gb Maxtor SATA drives, 1 LG SATA DVD drive, Windows 10. All currently runs like shit :D 

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GPUs? Virtually no one. Things like NICs or Capture Cards? Many people might

Now that's an interesting idea.
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  • Author

Oh wait, it takes up 2 bays??? Ooops, fuck that, only SLI then.

there are one bay options....

you can sli 2 or more single slot 750ti...

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there are one bay options....

you can sli 2 or more single slot 750ti...

You can't SLI 750Tis.

"If it has tits or tires, at some point you will have problems with it." -@vinyldash303

this is probably the only place i'll hang out anymore: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/274320-the-long-awaited-car-thread/

 

Current Rig: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, Abit IN9-32MAX nForce 680i board, Galaxy GT610 1GB DDR3 gpu, Cooler Master Mystique 632S Full ATX case, 1 2TB Seagate Barracuda SATA and 1x200gb Maxtor SATA drives, 1 LG SATA DVD drive, Windows 10. All currently runs like shit :D 

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Why someone would want cables sticking out the front of there case is beyond me, hell i hate using my front i/o already lol

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Would be alright for a bitcoin rig or for nics/raid cards

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I don't think there are sli bridges that can extend that far....

It's a custom from a GTX 580 sli build I found with a quick google images search 'long sli bridge'

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I can almost see, why they did thi- Nope, can't find the point of it.

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Would be alright for a bitcoin rig or for nics/raid cards

Most people that really want as many cards as they can fit on a motherboard for coin mining wouldn't bother with the extra cost of a case anyway.

 

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these could be nice for watercooled desks if they make pcie 3.0 16x versions. you can slot them better into the frame.

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This is a lot more useful than everyone is giving it credit for, especially for something like a 2u case. 

muh specs 

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This would be more useful for other PCI devices. Cards with ports you commonly access that are usually only on the back.

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Oh wait, it takes up 2 bays??? Ooops, fuck that, only SLI then.

what if you put 2 cards with the appropriate IO under water and then SLIed them in there. 295x2 ares could do it.

Desktop -  i5 4670k, GTX 770, Maximums VI Hero, 2X Kingston Hyper X 3k in raid zero.

Laptop - Lenovo X230 Intel 535 480GB, 16GB Gskill memory, Classic Keyboard Mod, Triple USB 3.0 Express Card.

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what if you put 2 cards with the appropriate IO under water and then SLIed them in there. 295x2 ares could do it.

 

but the ares are too pretty to keep them hidden in there

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but the ares are too pretty to keep them hidden in there

but what if you had already filled all your other expansion slots with them and you needed to fit more in.

Desktop -  i5 4670k, GTX 770, Maximums VI Hero, 2X Kingston Hyper X 3k in raid zero.

Laptop - Lenovo X230 Intel 535 480GB, 16GB Gskill memory, Classic Keyboard Mod, Triple USB 3.0 Express Card.

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