How should we use the dual slot (DS) column?

Posted By: Steve McBarnes - 03:46:51 Tue, April 07, 2009

On our card pages we have a column labeled with "DS" which stands for dual slot. The purpose of this column is to let our readers know if a video card occupies 2 slots. But what does "occupies 2 slots" really mean? I have identified three different kinds of configurations which I think COULD be decribed as dual slot. There are cards that take up two expansion slots on your case that are also 2 slots thick (GTX 295, GTX 285, HD 4870 X2 etc...). These types of cards are dual slot in every sense of the word.

Then there are the two designs shown below. The top is a watercooled HD 4890 from PowerColor. It has a dual height connector plate, but the waterblock on this card is only 1 slot thick. Should this be classified as a dual slot card? I am inclined to say yes. Unless you remove the top part of the connector plate (the vent) you will not be able to install a card directly below it.

The blue card at the bottom is a HD 4670 from HIS. It has a one slot connector plate, a one slot heatsink on the GPU side (not shown) and then a one slot blue heatsink on the top of the card. Technically this card does take up two slots inside the case but normally people are concerned with the thickness of the cooler on the GPU side only. I do not currently label these type of cards as dual slot cards. Do you guys think I should? Let me know in the comments section.

When the new site is ready I think it might be a good idea to change the DS column to allow for numerical values since some cards are 3 slots thick now. 1 would be the default value of course.

10 Comments

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 12:50:30 PM

PingoPongo
n00b

The water cooling ones have to be marked as dual slot imo.
About the cards like that HD 4670 should be marked dual slot as well. Maybe something like DS* or so.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 12:57:26 PM

Steve
The Progenitor

@PingoPongo
DS is the column header currently. The values are "Y", "-" or "?". I like the asterisk idea, but we won't be able to do something like that until the new site is ready.

Maybe I should mark them as "?" for now.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 2:41:13 PM

Mach5Motorsport
n00b

makes sense- A card that physically obstructs a slot in addition to taking a slot itself should be considered "DS"

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 4:02:56 PM

aVaLaNcHe
Member

I think that if there is any physical feature on a card that would prevent another from being added, i.e. heatsink, slot plate, etc., should be labeled as a DS card.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 5:19:55 PM

-RK
Senior Member

Make a "# free slots required" column. That should leave it open for the future days of eighteen slot cards.

As for cards like that 4670... It might be better to make the category even more expansive. Have categories for the number of slots above and below the PCB taken up by the physical dimensions of the card.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 5:25:11 PM

Steve
The Progenitor

@-RK
Having categories like that is not very efficient. There are like 10 cards in our database of over 8,000 like this HD 4670 that have a heatsink on the top of the card.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 7:40:44 AM

aliquidparadigm
Senior Member

Considering that there are, what, a handful of expansion cards that you could install in the slot immediately below that? Yeah, that's a two-slot card, no debate. (c:

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 8:46:15 AM

PingoPongo
n00b

Well it does occupie 2 slots as u cant install a card to the slot wich the cooler sits above. So its a DS imo.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 9:33:50 AM

SpacemanSpiff
n00b

I would say with the watercooled style one it's definately a dual slot card, probably setup that way by the manufacturer for heat dissipation from the waterblock. or they just got lazy when they removed the stock coolers. As to the 4670, perhaps a new designation (when the new site opens) of 1.5 seeing as you are moving to numarical values anyway. Mostly I'd designate it that because if you are installing it as a single card solution having a heatsink on the top won't matter much, and as a dual card solution you won't want anything in-between your cards anyway. Just my thoughts though.

Friday, April 17, 2009 11:40:13 PM

WhistleHeat
n00b

All dual slot. Theoretically someone could modify the watercooled one, but why should you keep all sorts of data on how you can take a hacksaw to your card? Stick with reporting the stock values and the theoretic overclocking potential. That's this site's strength.

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