MSI unveils ‘Slim’ versions for its RTX 40-Series GPUs. These graphics cards are designed to address a specific challenge faced by some gamers – the physical size of these high-performance GPUs.
Nvidia’s RTX 40-Series GPUs have been nothing short of groundbreaking in terms of performance. However, they’ve also pushed the boundaries of size, requiring gamers to upgrade their PC cases to accommodate these massive GPUs. MSI recognized this challenge and decided to trim down its GPUs, making them slimmer while preserving their power.
Slimmed-Down Lineup
MSI’s ‘Gaming Slim’ series will include versions of the RTX 4090, RTX 4080, RTX4070 Ti, RTX 4070, and RTX 4060 Ti GPUs.
Notably, the RTX 4060 is already one of the smaller Ada Lovelace GPUs, so there isn’t much to cut down in terms of size.
Size vs. Thickness
One peculiar aspect of MSI’s design choice is that these ‘Slim’ GPUs are still quite long, even though they are slimmer than their predecessors. Most gamers faced challenges not with the thickness of these GPUs, but rather their length.
Surprisingly, all of the ‘Slim’ cards are still over 12 inches long, which could pose issues for users with limited space in their PC cases.
Better Cooling Needed
To keep these slim beasts cool, MSI has equipped them with an advanced cooling system featuring TRI FROZR 3 technology, TORX fans, and 8 copper heat-pipes.
Additionally, a clever cutout on the backplate allows for efficient upward air exhaustion within the chassis, ensuring optimal cooling performance.
The ASUS Approach
Some gamers might wonder if MSI should have taken a page from ASUS’s playbook. ASUS opted to make its GPUs shorter, as demonstrated by the OG version of its RTX 4090, which is approximately 2 inches shorter than its predecessor.
This design choice could potentially make these GPUs more compatible with a broader range of PC cases.
While MSI’s ‘Slim’ GPUs address the issue of thickness, they might not entirely solve the space problem for many gamers. The continued length of these cards could still pose challenges when it comes to fitting them into smaller cases. It remains to be seen how MSI will approach the Slim versions of the RTX 4090 and 4080, but gamers looking for compact solutions may need to explore other options.
