What kind of new technology you demand from GIGABYTE?

[runn3R]

Thanks to venganza for the idea of having this poll:
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,2090.msg10802.html#msg10802

[Dark Mantis]

Great poll. We could do with more serious debate like this and hopefully the oportunity to field test the prototypes

[absic]

I really like the front panel "Any Key" idea it's brilliant!

[venganza]

As usual darkmantis is correct.

It would be helpful if you guys can come up with features you would like to see on future motherboards and other Gigabyte products, they do actually want to know.

Actually I was asked to respond to a questionnaire from GA only the other day, and one of the main things they were interested in was exactly that, "what features would you like to see in future motherboards"

Well it wasn't easy to respond to, since something like the UD9 is fairly complete and packed with everything.

One thing I did think would be handy for most of us, would be a product like the "EVGA Bot", but standard rather than an optional extra. Perhaps the new OC technology coming up in GA utils soon will make this a redundant idea though, we shall see.

So what ideas can you come up with guys?

* re poll: I drink a lot of coffee, and while of course a humorous suggestions, I am mindful that Linux took a good stab at it

http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Coffee.html

[Dark Mantis]

* re poll: I drink a lot of coffee, and while of course a humorous suggestions, I am mindful that Linux took a good stab at it

http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Coffee.html

Absolutely brilliant! I hadn't seen that one before. Well done VenGanZa.

[absic]

OK, if we are going to be serious about this.......

not so much new technology but how about an increase in the size of the BIOS chip?

At the moment Gigabyte boards mainly come with 8Mb + 8Mb back-up, if the size of these BIOS chips were increased then surely they would be able to improve the programming and features for Overclocking, CPU, GPU, and other hardware compatibility. One of the main reasons that motherboards can't keep up with advances in technology in other areas, is that the coders do not have enough space for instructions for newer CPU's, GPU's etc., to be added in BIOS updates. Increasing the size of BIOS would surely not cost that much to do but would allow for the extra instructions to be added, as and/or when needed.

People will still buy newer technology as it becomes available but, with a feature like this, Gigabyte boards which are already solid and last for a long time would be a little more adaptable and future proof for those who can't afford a big upgrade.

[Dark Mantis]

Totally great idea. If they made them big enough there would be no need for a hard drive or SSD. Not joking, it's just a case of how big do you go. I think in the future that is what will happen and you will have a whole computer on the motherboard. For now though I think it's a definite positive step and many more things could be incorporated in the BIOS chip.

[absic]

Totally great idea. If they made them big enough there would be no need for a hard drive or SSD. Not joking, it's just a case of how big do you go. I think in the future that is what will happen and you will have a whole computer on the motherboard.

I had considered this and my initial idea was for the OS to be on a built in chip but, I then considered the practicality of this and decided that it would actually be a backwards step as early PC's did come with an OS and look where it's ended up....... Microsoft domination!  Also, the need for regular OS and Driver updates would mean that the OS would no doubt outgrow the "OS chip" pretty quickly, a bit like BIOS is doing.

Another idea would be "Hot pluggable" RAM.

[venganza]

Another idea would be "Hot pluggable" RAM.

Already extant on plenty of server level systems, hot plug everything. Price is a factor on most consumer gear, so unless there is an existing demand, no manufacturer is going to price itself out of the market.

It is useful to be about the replace faulty stuff on a rack-mount system of 50 machines, especially if you are running something like a database in a bank; you don't want any part of the gear going off-line, but on a consumer machine?

As for BIOS, it might be interesting if runn3R asks GA engineers exactly how much of an 8mb BIOS chips is actually utilized, I would be guessing there is a crap load of free space for whatever contingency.

There are boards with 16mb chips that I know of, anyway it would be interesting to find out some facts.

[absic]

Already extant on plenty of server level systems, hot plug everything. Price is a factor on most consumer gear, so unless there is an existing demand, no manufacturer is going to price itself out of the market.

I don't move in the rarefied atmosphere of High-End servers so I wasn't aware that this tech was out there, but it would still be useful in some instances like the Cloud O/C tech. Not for everyone but useful nonetheless.

As another idea how about Optical interfaces for HDD's rather than the present SATA/IDE cable set up? A thin fibre optical cable from the HDD to a socket on the motherboard, would help with airflow through the chassis and more information and, at a faster rate, could be transmitted than the current technology allows.

[Dark Mantis]

I like that idea on a number of levels. The technology side with the extra speed that would be possible, the customising aspect because it would look great and the building of systems because a thin optical cablewould be almost invisible if you wanted it to be.

[absic]

Another aspect of Optical interfaces would be that there is less chance of errors due to spikes and other power fluctuations. It would either work or it wouldn't. That would also hope with trouble shooting!

[runn3R]

Hi mates

Thanks for your comments and ideas.
Please notice I've added another option in this poll to choose from: "Another one (please mention below)"

Feel free to discuss here any new ideas, I will watch this topic.

[Dark Mantis]

Hi runn3R
Good idea, but I'm sticking with my Gigabyte Girlfriend

[runn3R]

Of course

Maybe we should start separate topic in off topic section:
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/board,19.0.html
about how she should look like?