A new report indicates that MAXSUN could be prepping an alternate version of its B580 iCraft graphics card with extra storage options. The idea that MAXSUN could be prepping a graphics card with not one but two M.2 NVMe drive slots is both plausible and makes sense given the PCIe 4.0 interface specs for Intel’s Arc B-series GPUs. This is not the first time a GPU manufacturer toyed with the idea of incorporating SSDs into a GPU asASUS first debuted its prototype GeForce RTX 4060 Ti that also featured two M.2 2280 SSD Slots back in July 2023. and then a few months later launched its Dual GeForce RTX 4060 Ti which scaled back to having one drive slot. That being said, a larger card like the B580 iCraft with its triple fan cooling solution might easily handle thermals for two drives and the GPU.
The new report comes via VideoCardz who managed to locate renders for what appears to be an Intel Arc B580 iCraft 12G graphics card and the added M.2 slots are visible in images with the heatsink removed. The premise for such a design comes from the fact that the B580 only utilizes eight lanes of PCIe 4.0 thus leaving eight other lanes up for grabs. Should this pan out to become a real product, it could be a one-two punch for a budget ITX/mAtx budget build, combined with the much lower costs of Gen4 M.2 drives.
Might release at a later date
It is currently not known if MAXSUN truly intends to release such a product but it shows a continued interest in integrating drives within GPUs where possible. Another nice design aspect of this model is both the accessibility and convenience to the ports via a sliding panel but that panel also includes a heatsink for the drives. This combined with the graphics card fans could provide optimal cooling as well. Since the original model, without drive slots, is slated for release next Friday there’s a chance this one may launch at a later date.