Suspending a video card with wire

[billyjoe]

Ignoring the details of how the video card is suspended, are there any problems doing this?

Maybe with vibrations? The fan causing the card to sway? I'd be using a riser adapter and I'm just tying to figure out how I want to secure the card.

I'm thinking that having the video card secured to the case/motherboard would dampen any vibrations and having it just hanging there might cause the fan vibrations to rattle through the card instead.

Has anyone ever made a hanging/suspended computer? Are there other reasons you'd want the card secured to something? I'm pretty sure it would be fine but I wanted to get some input. =)

Thanks!

 

[lilhasselhoffer]

?

I haven't the slightest idea why you'd want to suspend the graphics cards away from the motherboard.

If you use springs (or string, really anything not extremely rigid) you'll develop a spring mass damper system. Variations in the operational speed of the fans will generate varying vibrations, but there will be at least on natural frequency at which the system will go absolutely crazy. The fact that this is somehow a good idea means that you've obviously got a very specific usage....but again, why.

Beyond the oscillations, there is a reason that the PCI-e bus is so close to the motherboard. When you've got several GB worth of traffic a second every extra centimeter will increase the likelihood of crippling lag. How far your game of Russian roulette will last is a very pressing question.

Why, why, why? This idea may be to get two (or three) double lane graphics cards to work together, but it has all the markers of failure written on it. There is a very good reason that amongst PCI-e extension cables the x16 style is a virtual unicorn...


Pictures might help. You've given too little background, and realistically any answer that I can think of comes in two letters, or has extreme caveats.

 

[billyjoe]

?

I haven't the slightest idea why you'd want to suspend the graphics cards away from the motherboard.

If you use springs (or string, really anything not extremely rigid) you'll develop a spring mass damper system. Variations in the operational speed of the fans will generate varying vibrations, but there will be at least on natural frequency at which the system will go absolutely crazy. The fact that this is somehow a good idea means that you've obviously got a very specific usage....but again, why.

Beyond the oscillations, there is a reason that the PCI-e bus is so close to the motherboard. When you've got several GB worth of traffic a second every extra centimeter will increase the likelihood of crippling lag. How far your game of Russian roulette will last is a very pressing question.

Why, why, why? This idea may be to get two (or three) double lane graphics cards to work together, but it has all the markers of failure written on it. There is a very good reason that amongst PCI-e extension cables the x16 style is a virtual unicorn...


Pictures might help. You've given too little background, and realistically any answer that I can think of comes in two letters, or has extreme caveats.

I'm putting 4 video cards into the system. I've used boards that had 4+ pcix16 slots and everything worked fine. But I'm trying to use a cheaper motherboard using pci x1 risers for the cards. Which works fine.

The problem is spacing with the double wide cards. Also heat when the cards are jammed next to each other. So the solution is to stagger the cards, one in the mobo, one 6 inches up, one in the mobo, one 6 inches up. You can rig ghetto wood structures to secure/hold everything but I was hoping for a more elegant solution.

I'd like to suspend a wire across a shelf and just hang two of the video cards from it. I'm just worried allowing it to sway or vibrate might be bad for the card. I could build a structure to secure the card but it just looks bad. =)

I'm basically trying to suspend the video cards in air without using a metal/wood support structure. Mostly for looks and it's easier to just string a wire across the shelf. =)

Here's some examples.

 

[digibucc]

my only concern would be as you said, the motion of the fan working
against an unsupported/unstable card. if it's just hanging by wire.

that being said, the fan is the only moving part. i don't know how much
that could really effect anything. possibly wear the fan out faster.

I don't know for sure, but i would think it is relatively safe

 

[TheLostSwede]

Just out of curiosity, as I've never seen anyone do this before, what are you using the systems for?

 

[Neuromancer]

Nice farms

I do not think string will be a problem, but you can get some stiff wire to do the job and definitely not worry about anything

 

[streetfighter 2]

Thanks for providing example pics, they're really cool!

Although I'm not a mechanical engineer I don't think you would have any problems hanging cards provided you used two pieces of wire (one for each side of the card) which were securely anchored and connected to the card via rubber grommets.

In theory the fans on the cards will cause them to move (a tiny amount) when they turn on, but then they'll settle down after a second or two. They may sway a bit but that would be caused by a failure to achieve a stable air pressure (weak fan or inconsistent breeze in the room).

Post your results!

 

[SaiZo]

Try getting strings used for bass guitars, some of them are so strong - you can actually "hold" the guitar with the strings. Perhaps piano strings??

 

[Neuromancer]

Baling wire is the cheapest method of getting heavy gauge wire I have found. (I needed it when I built my own antenna).

Thinner stuff would be available at most hardware stores. And would be more than adequate for supporting a video card.