“Let’s take a moment to talk about graphics cards. You can use a traditional graphics card or a BTF graphics card for a BTF motherboard — the PCIe 5.0 x16 slots are ready for any GPU you want to install. However, a typical graphics card requires the usual power cable to plug into the usual place — and that cable can stick out like a sore throat in the socket’s hidden construction.
That’s why we’ve developed two BTF graphics cards: the ROG Strix GeForce RTX™ 4090 BTF Edition and the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER BTF White Edition. Instead of using traditional 16-pin external power connectors, these cards have a high-power PCIe slot on the bottom for power transmission, a mechanism not dissimilar to what we use in our GPU servers. (Note that while you don’t need a BTF graphics card when using a BTF motherboard, if you buy a BTF graphics card, you’ll need to install it on a BTF motherboard.)
Beyond the aesthetic appearance of a hidden slot construction, the high-power PCIe slot offers a few advantages. First, you won’t have to worry about whether your case has enough horizontal space to keep the GPU power cable from pressing against the side panel. Second, it serves as an additional connection point to the motherboard, so it helps combat GPU droop. And because it snaps into place right as you install the graphics card, it completely bypasses the secondary step of connecting a power cable — along with the further worries of whether you’ve seated that connector firmly and completely.”
Again, for more details and pictures, visit the ASUS post at this link.
We are awaiting pricing and availability information for these new products.