Vacuum Tube Mobo

[Bing Fung]

I seen this and thought it of interest. I don't know if it's for real, but hey, the Audio must be very warm sounding for this puppy :rf






Bing

[Kevin P]

Even if the audio isn't warm, the motherboard will be!! :LOL: Do they make heatsink/fan assemblies for tubes?

If you really want tube sound from your PC, wouldn't it make more sense to run your soundcard output through a Bottlehead Foreplay or another tube preamp, external to the box? I'd think a tube inside a computer would pick up all kinds of noise... but then that's just Kevin the geek talking! :P

If you put this motherboard in your PC, you'd want a clear window on the side of the case so you can see the warm glow of the tube!

KJP




Official Computer Geek and Techno-Wiz Guru of HTGuide - Visit Tower of Power
My HT Site

[P-Dub]

Here's the actual press release :roll:




Paul

There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

[SiliGoose]

Nice looking but I'd take the 3 PCI slots lost to the tubes and a good sound card.

Have you seen the in-dash tube car stereo? I think it's by Panasonic. It's wild.




-Sili

[Bing Fung]

Great job on the press link Paul!

Seems the Tube wave is making inroads when we start seeing them on PC's and indash Car Audio.....




Bing

[Lex]

I think they call that back a$$ards technology, right?

I saw this a week or so ago and started to post it, but knew Bing would dig it out fer us.

Interesting. But something generating purposefully, the 1 thing you try to disipitate in a mobo, I dunno!

Lex

[Kevin P]

It does seem like the good ol' vacuum tube is suddenly making a comeback. It's that retro thing which is why girls wear shoes you need a stepladder to get into and pants that are wider on the bottom. :roll:

But if you really want tube sound from your PC, wouldn't it make more sense to have a USB-based external soundcard/DAC/tube preamp box? Between heat and RF noise the worst place for a tube section is inside the PC case!

And yes, I did notice that you could fit 2 or 3 more PCI slots in the space taken up by the tube section. An external box would be better. Still, wouldn't it be cool to be the first on the block to have a vacuum tube in your PC?

Last but not least, but I have a feeling that that warm sweet tube sound would be totally lost on my PC speakers!

When 8 track tapes start making a comeback, that's when I'm surrendering my audiophile license! :roll:

KJP




Official Computer Geek and Techno-Wiz Guru of HTGuide - Visit Tower of Power
My HT Site

[Bing Fung]

...It's that retro thing which is why girls wear shoes you need a stepladder to get into and pants that are wider on the bottom. :roll: ....

KJP

Haha!

Yep I agree Kevin, the external box would be the better way to go.

Somehow all this tube warmth seems to be a lost cause with PC grade CD transports, crappy PC speakers, loud ass fans in the case due to overclocking and MP3's ;b>'>

I guess it has to start somewhere, and PC speakers have been getting better of late. My Klipsch Promedias really rock the house, and imaging is kinda sureal. Sometimes I swear Diana Krall is sitting on my desk top. There seems to be a lot of depth as well from the front of the monitor to the back wall :? So maybe there will be a niche market for this.

Maybe PC's are starting to follow the product trends where markets dictate a specialized piece of equipment for each application. Much like the bicycle where we have the road bike, the mountian bike, the Hybrid bike, the cruiser bike, the BMX bike, trials bikes...etc. Even the once standard Mountain bike has now split into various disciplines (Downhill, cross country, free ride, hardtails...)

Maybe we'll need a PC that's OC just for games with a big assed CRT monitor, a PC that is compact in design with a LCD monitor, small chassis (not good for OC'ing) for general web and office productivity, a HTPC that is stealthly quiet for movies and music....



Hey isn't that kinda like Lex's house? :




Bing

[Lex]

well, strangely, your right Bing. Sadly, I have a computer for every day of the week, counting my daughter's, and that's not even counting the office, lol. It's a maintenance nightmare, lol.

Lex

[Kevin P]

Bing, now you'll need a tube PC for listening to tunes, along with all your other "specialty" PCs!

Wow Lex, I didn't know you had so many pooters. I only have three in active duty, the rest are 486 clunkers gathering dust in a closet.

Are they all networked? No wonder you don't like getting viruses, if you got infected you'd have a whole house full of PCs to clean up! :E

KJP




Official Computer Geek and Techno-Wiz Guru of HTGuide - Visit Tower of Power
My HT Site