AIB Partners Want More Freedom
In a recent podcast with Hardware Unboxed, Sapphire PR manager Edward Crisler shared a perspective that many PC hardware fans will find interesting. He said he wishes major chip makers like AMD and Nvidia would give their AIB partners more freedom to design graphics cards without so many restrictions.
AIB partners, or add in board partners, are the companies that take GPUs from AMD or Nvidia and build the final graphics cards that gamers buy. Sapphire, MSI, Asus, Gigabyte and others all fall into this category. They create the cooling solutions, choose the power delivery design, set the factory overclocks and develop custom PCBs and shrouds.
According to Crisler, these partners can do even more if they are allowed to experiment and be creative. However, he suggests that current rules from the chip makers limit what designs can be produced and how far partners can push performance and features.
Why GPU Design Rules Exist
When AMD and Nvidia design a new GPU, they usually define strict guidelines for how partners can build cards around that chip. These rules often cover areas like:
- Power delivery and VRM design
- Maximum power limits and clock speeds
- Thermal requirements and cooler specifications
- Physical dimensions and connector placement
- Noise and power efficiency targets
From the chip makers perspective, these guidelines are supposed to protect the brand and ensure that every graphics card using their GPU hits a certain standard. If an AIB releases a poorly cooled or unstable card, it reflects badly on the GPU vendor even if the problem is actually with the partner design.
These rules can also help with driver support, validation and overall reliability. When the core design is more controlled, testing is easier and there is a lower chance of strange bugs or failures caused by unusual hardware layouts.
However, the tradeoff is that the more strict the rules are, the less room partners have to innovate and differentiate their products. Some of the most exciting custom cards in the past came from companies that pushed the limits with powerful coolers and aggressive factory overclocks.
What More Freedom Could Mean for Gamers
Crisler’s comments hint at a future where AIB partners could bring even more unique and interesting GPUs to the market. If AMD and Nvidia relaxed some restrictions, gamers might see benefits like:
- More extreme cooling designs for quieter or cooler cards
- Higher factory overclocks for better out of the box performance
- More compact or unusually shaped cards for small form factor builds
- Specialized models tuned for silence, overclocking or content creation
- Fresh visual designs instead of very similar looking lineups
Right now, many custom models from different brands feel fairly similar. There are differences in coolers and factory clocks, but they often stay within a narrow range because of the limits set by the GPU manufacturers. Gamers who love to tweak and build unique PCs would likely welcome more radical takes on each GPU.
Of course, more freedom also means more responsibility. Partners would need to maintain high quality control and make sure that crazy designs do not sacrifice reliability or stability. A badly executed card that overheats or fails quickly would hurt both the partner and the GPU brand.
Balancing Creativity and Reliability
The key challenge is finding a balance between creativity and control. On one side, AMD and Nvidia want predictable performance and reliability across all cards using their chips. On the other side, companies like Sapphire want to push the envelope and offer something different to stand out in a crowded market.
For PC builders and gamers, a bit more freedom for AIB partners could translate into more choice and more interesting options when picking a new GPU. Imagine wider ranges of power targets, unique layouts for water cooling focused builds or ultra efficient models that target low power gaming rigs.
Edward Crisler’s wish is simple: let the partners roam free and experiment more. Whether AMD and Nvidia will relax their controls in future generations remains to be seen. But the conversation highlights an important point. The best graphics cards are often the result of a strong GPU paired with bold engineering from AIB partners. Giving those engineers more room to work could lead to some very exciting hardware for the next wave of PC builds.
Original article and image: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/sapphire-pr-manager-wishes-amd-and-nvidia-would-let-partners-run-wild-with-design-wants-freedom-to-bring-back-toxic-line-more-often
