Maxsun, a company that specializes in creating innovative graphics cards, has recently launched two versions of its Intel Arc B580 GPU. The first variant comes with two built-in M.2 SSD ports, which leverage unused PCIe lanes on the PCIe x16 slot. This design allows for extra storage options directly within the GPU.
The Intel Arc B580 uses eight out of 16 available PCIe 4.0 lanes, leaving four free for other components. Maxsun’s Battlemage variant takes advantage of these remaining lanes to provide bandwidth for two M.2 SSDs. The company claims that this design should not impact the performance of the GPU or its storage.
The GPU features a tri-fan cooler and has two M.2 slots accessible via a removable sleeve, located behind the heatsink. Power is supplied directly from the GPU, eliminating the need for an external power connection.
This innovative design offers several benefits, including improved convenience in compact builds with limited storage options. Maxsun also offers alternative variants of its B580 iCraft series, including the non-M2 slotted Maxsun B580 iCraft 12G and the Arc B580 Milestone B580 12G for $249 and $259 respectively.
While some may question whether Maxsun’s design is feasible, experimentation with a custom PCB layout suggests that it could be possible to integrate four M.2 ports into an x16 slot. However, this would require significant modifications to the GPU’s design, which may not be feasible due to size constraints.
Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/maxsun-makes-a-gpu-with-two-built-in-m-2-ssd-ports-intel-arc-b580-graphics-card-leverages-unused-pcie-lanes-on-the-pcie-x16-slot