Intel Arc B580: Maxsun graphics card with two M.2 interfaces spotted 97 comments
Image: JustBuy (Bilibili)
The Chinese manufacturer of graphics cards, SSDs and motherboards Maxsun, less known in Germany, will also offer Intel graphics cards in the future and is presenting a special variant of the Arc B580 that offers space for two M SSDs. 2 on the PCB.
Allocate unused lanes with SSDs
All previous models of the Intel Arc B580 rely on PCIe 4.0 x16, of which only eight lanes are actually electrically connected. The performance provided by the graphics card simply does not require using all 16 channels.
The fact that graphics card manufacturers still install an x16 connection is partly because the weight of the graphics card is distributed over a larger area in the PCIe socket. Additionally, it can be assumed that a native x8 port would cause customer skepticism, as a smaller port could suggest lower performance. True to the motto “bigger is better”, all manufacturers always use the full mechanical length.
Moreover, this procedure has nothing to do in particular with Intel graphics cards; other manufacturers do this as well. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, for example, also uses a full x16 connection, although only eight lanes are active.
Active cooling
Maxsun is now taking a creative, although not completely new, route and using the remaining eight lanes for two (PCIe 4.0) x4 M.2 interfaces. The interfaces offer full PCIe 4.0 bandwidth, and nothing more would be possible even if the slots were positioned on the motherboard. Even higher bandwidths would only be possible with PCIe 5.0 x4.
Maxsun Intel Arc B580 with two M.2 (Image: Videocardz)
Besides the obvious ability to provide additional M.2 interfaces in a PC without having to take up an additional PCIe slot, the designs bring additional benefits. Maxsun provides a separate heatsink for the SSD modules used, which is connected to the heatsink of the graphics card via a heat pipe and is therefore actively cooled without requiring an additional (much smaller and noisier) fan specifically for the SSD modules. Conversely, this also means that the SSD version of the Maxsun Intel Arc B580 has a larger heatsink than the standard model without these slots.
Pricing and availability yet to be determined
It is currently unclear whether the SSD variant of the Intel Arc B580 will appear in Germany. As Maxsun is not very present in the European market, an exit is questionable. But even if it remains a concept, it could encourage other manufacturers to use the free PCIe lanes creatively instead of leaving them unused.
Asus has already presented a similar concept in 2023 and, with the “Dual GeForce RTX 4060 Ti OC SSD”, a corresponding model is even available and listed in the price comparison starting from 450 euros. This model “only” offers an M.2 interface.
Topics: Arc Arc B580 Battlemage graphics cards Intel SSD storage Intel Xe M.2 Source: Videocardz
Alice guides you through the best storage solutions, from ultra-fast SSDs to secure cloud options.
