Let's kill off the PCIe slot - we need a better way to install a graphics card

Be honest, when was the last time you installed anything in a PCIe slot that wasn't a graphics card? We still indulge in this charade, where ATX motherboards come equipped with several 1x and 4x slots for expansion cards, but barely anyone uses them. Meanwhile, the one that does get used for graphics cards is becoming so overburdened that it's largely not fit for purpose. I say let's kill off this four-decade-old idea of expansion cards, and yes, that includes the one at the top for GPUs. There has to be a better way.

Knowing that a standard plastic slot can't cope with the strain, most of the best gaming motherboard designs currently have PCIe slots reinforced with metal, as well as over-engineered eject systems, and some of the latest graphics cards are so big they won't fit inside a regular case. Why are we still persevering with a PC hardware system that clearly isn't up to the job?

The current PCIe slot upgrade system forces graphics card makers to build oversized contraptions, with cooling systems that are so ridiculously large that people have to install anti-sag brackets under them, while some high-end graphics cards are melting because of insecure, overburdened cables, as the slot doesn't provide anywhere near enough power. Let's face it, the PCIe slot isn't working.

I say this with a degree of regret, because I'm a veteran PC gamer who fondly remembers the 90s, when I genuinely needed a motherboard with as many PCI and ISA slots as possible, for my sound card, modem, SCSI controller, 3Dfx Voodoo card, and Cirrus Logic 5446 2D card. But those days are long gone. As an example, let's just compare my old PCI Sound Blaster X-Fi sound card here with this new ASRock Radeon RX 9070 XT card, which I hasten to add, is actually quite small compared to some high-end graphics cards.

The Sound Blaster X-Fi is undisputably a "card" - it's a PCB that plugs into a single old-school PCI expansion slot. Conversely, you can barely see the PCB on the graphics card, as it's surrounded by a backplate and colossal cooling system, and the box even includes a support stick to stop it sagging. It takes up the same room as three expansion cards, and most of the metal I/O plate is given over to vents for the cooling system. It might technically have a PCB and a PCIe connector in it, but it's hard to think of it as a "card" in the same way as the sound card.

But it's only these ridiculously oversized contraptions that I fit in my motherboards' PCIe slots now. Nearly every extra feature I can imagine is otherwise integrated into my motherboard or available in a USB box with convenient access to all the ports. For most people's needs, the PCIe slot can go now.

Instead, let's forget PCIe slots and think about what we need from a graphics card upgrade system. The 16x PCIe 5.0 bus itself is perfectly up to the job in terms of bandwidth; we just need a more secure socket system that provides access to these lanes. Having a CPU-style socket system is going to be a non-starter here, as GPUs require a PCB with memory, as well as just the chip.

But how about a standardized, large-scale modular system that securely plugs straight into the motherboard so the PCB lies flat? It could occupy a large area of the motherboard (most of us don't need those extra PCIe slots, after all), and could then be held to the motherboard not only by a wide socket latch system that holds it more securely than a flimsy slot, but also by a standardized screw layout via standoffs around the edges - no need for an anti-sag bracket, and no need to worry about putting undue strain on a tiny edge connector.

The socket system would need to provide both power and a 16x PCIe data connection, and I mean a proper amount of power too - not just 75W - you should be able to install your graphics module without needing to attach a power cable to it.

Motherboard manufacturers are already able to provide GPU power through a motherboard socket, as seen on the Asus BTF system, so this isn't out of the question. We'd just need a secure and stable way to make sure enough 12V power can go from your PSU to this part of your motherboard, and that's spread out so we're not sending a ridiculous amount of current through just one small bunch of cables. The fewer user connections involved, the better.

Once you have a large graphics module that lies flat on the motherboard, you can then think properly about cooling, unconstrained by the pressure you put on a flimsy slot connector, and cramming it into the smallest number of slots possible - we shouldn't even really be thinking about slots in this way anymore.

Rather than having a set of three smallish fans blowing hot air all over the inside of your case, you could instead think properly about a cooling system, potentially with full-size fans working in conjunction with your case's front-to-back airflow system. You could use the large area to construct a decent heatsink and heatpipe system that's secured to the motherboard, with hot air exhausted straight out the back. Or it could be fitted with a liquid-cooling system.

Of course, I'm not a motherboard engineer - there may well be good reasons why this idea is impractical, but let's at least ask the question - is there a better way to do this than using PCIe slots?

The GPU is arguably the most important component of a gaming PC, but they require enormous amounts of power and cooling now, and the industry needs to collectively think about a better way of installing them. We've done it with M.2 SSDs and CAMM memory, now let's do it for graphics cards too. Maybe, in the future, the GPUs on our best graphics card guide will look quite different - I can only hope.

It's not just me who thinks this, is it? Tell me why I'm right or wrong on our community Discord server.