ASUS presents its newest lineup of motherboards and graphics cards, known as the Back-to-The-Future (BTF) series, which offers a fresh design approach by hiding connectors inside the PC case.
The BTF concept doesn’t completely eliminate cables; instead, it relocates the cable ports underneath the motherboard (refer to the accompanying image). This ensures that the cables do not overlap or interfere with the installed graphics cards on the front of the board.
The first two models in the BTF motherboard series are the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero BTF and the TUF Gaming Z790-BTF WiFi. The Maximus Z790 Hero BTF boasts a clean and sleek design, while the TUF Gaming Z790-BTF WiFi features a bright and pristine white color scheme. Both models utilize Intel’s Z790 chipset and support Wi-Fi 7.
ASUS also showcases a BTF PC example consisting of a motherboard and a case, named the TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WiFi D4. It displays a neatly organized internal layout, except for the power cable of the graphics card, which requires a direct power supply connection from the power supply unit due to its high power consumption (since PCIe power supply may not be sufficient). Refer to the image for a visual representation.
For those wanting to take things even further, ASUS offers the Advanced BTF, a motherboard that features a specialized high-power connector for the graphics card (PCIe high-power connector with a maximum power of 600W). This eliminates the need for extra cable connections when installing a graphics card. However, this board requires the use of a specific BTF edition graphics card. ASUS recently released the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 BTF Edition and the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER BTF White Edition, both compatible with this board.
According to ASUS, numerous hardware manufacturers, particularly case manufacturers, have joined the BTF design trend. ASUS plans to unveil more BTF products in the first quarter of 2024. Confirmed brands include Aerocool, be quiet!, Cooler Master, Corsair, Inwin, Lian Li, Phanteks, Silverstone, and Thermaltake. As for other component manufacturers (such as different graphics card brands), whether they will partake in the BTF movement remains to be seen.
TLDR: ASUS introduces the Back-to-The-Future (BTF) series, featuring motherboards and graphics cards with hidden connectors. The new design relocates cable ports beneath the motherboard, ensuring a clean and uncluttered appearance. ASUS offers two BTF motherboard models, and a BTF PC example. The Advanced BTF motherboard incorporates a high-power connector for graphics cards, eliminating the need for additional cable connections. ASUS plans to release more BTF products in the first quarter of 2024, with various hardware manufacturers already participating in the trend.
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