M.2 SSD Slot-Embedded Dual-GPU ASUS GeForce RTX 4060 Ti

ASUS has recently released a new graphics card called the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Dual, which is receiving a lot of attention due to the creative inclusion of an M.2 SSD port on the card. Tony Yu, who is the general manager of ASUS in China, uploaded a video on Bilibili that showcased the graphics card’s distinctive architectural design. The architecture of the card creates room at the back of the card to house an M.2 solid-state drive (SSD), such as a 2TB version of Samsung’s 980 Pro SSD. In this configuration, the unused PCIe lanes of the graphics card are repurposed as a heatsink for the storage device, which is located on the back plate of the graphics processing unit (GPU).

A number of graphics processing units (GPUs) in the entry-level and middle-range price ranges, such as the Nvidia RTX 4060 series, only use eight of the available sixteen PCIe lanes, according to an observation. As a direct result of this, there are still eight open lanes. Due to the fact that M.2 solid-state drives normally utilize four lanes, the printed circuit board of the card can only accommodate a maximum of two SSD slots in its design. According to ASUS, the procedure of changing hard drives in a computer is made easier by the incorporation of the solid-state drive (SSD) into the graphics card. Nevertheless, there is a possibility that this arrangement will cause thermal issues.

The printed circuit board (PCB) of the GPU has been modified to allow the cooler that is attached to the graphics card to also manage the cooling requirements of the solid-state drive (SSD). According to Yu, the temperature has dropped by ten degrees Celsius as a direct result of this modification. In spite of the fact that the AD106 GPU uses eight PCIe lanes, the remaining eight lanes have the potential to support two solid-state drives. It is still unknown if ASUS accomplished this by utilizing a bridge chip; however, given the company’s focus on minimizing costs, the former option seems to be the more likely option.

The connection between the heatsink and the graphics card is beneficial for the included NVMe drive in the GPU since it helps to ensure that the drive stays at an optimal temperature. In order for this configuration to work properly, the solid-state drive (SSD) needs to be inserted backwards in comparison to how it would normally appear on a motherboard. Even when subjected to rigorous testing, the SSD is able to keep its temperature down to a respectable 42 degrees Celsius, as shown by the results of the tests.

It is still unknown whether or not this product will be available in places other than China; nevertheless, the performance of the product in China itself will be something to keep an eye on. The tests conducted by ASUS have revealed that the SSD’s performance when connected to the GPU is comparable to the performance it demonstrates when connected to a Gen 4 motherboard.