ASUS TUF motherboard with so-dimm memory slot! This is a full-size ATX motherboard that should be equipped with conventional DIMM slots. Instead, it features so-dimm memory slots, as on a laptop PC, for example.
What’s the difference with a conventional memory slot?
SO-DIMM slots, or ” Small Outline Dual In-Line Memory Module ” slots, are about half the size of an ordinary DIMM slot. Measuring 2.66 inches with a 260-pin connector, compared with 288 pins on an ordinary DDR5/DDR4 DIMM slot. They are not interchangeable (not without an SO-DIMM adapter, anyway).
Are we talking about anything unusual on this board?
That’s not the only unusual thing about the modified ASUS motherboard that @wxnod posted on X/Twitter. You can see that above the top PCI Express x16 slot, it’s labeled as an ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero motherboard. The ROG brand is also visible on the I/O cover. The processor socket cover suggests a TUF Gaming model. Some elements of the ROG heatsink are missing from the bottom half of the motherboard.
One possibility is that this is a clever Photoshop job. If we have to assume it’s real, another possibility is that it’s a test platform.
So what’s a motherboard like this for?
One of the images reveals a Kingston Fury boot screen. So it could be a custom-designed board. From a usability point of view, there’s no real advantage in fitting a full-size ATX desktop motherboard to notebook memory slots.
According to the community, these can be found on the Chinese “parallel market”. Just a few copies, with the aim of making it easier to test so-dimm!
To find out more: click here.