Chinese motherboard maker borrows cable tech from enterprise servers to eliminate graphic card slot pave way for more external GPUs — Maxsun uses MCIO to fast-track compact workstations
- Maxsun Z890 workstation moves the graphics card away from the motherboard
- MCIO allows the motherboard and GPU to occupy opposite chassis sides
- The Z890 Mini-ITX platform supports multiple PCIe lane configurations through MCIO
Chinese manufacturer Maxsun has designed a new compact workstation which separates its graphics card from the motherboard while retaining a high-speed PCIe connection.
The system uses MCIO connectors to move the graphics processor away from its conventional motherboard location inside a small Cooler Master chassis.
MAXSUN demonstrated the system at Intel Connection 2026 alongside several forthcoming mini PCs from the company.
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MCIO moves the GPU away from the motherboard
This workstation uses a Z890 Mini-ITX board with MCIO replacing the conventional GPU connection, allowing the motherboard and graphics card to sit on opposite sides of the chassis.
Routing the PCIe link through wiring gives hardware developers extra freedom when designing small desktops and similar high-density machines.
Mini-ITX is the smallest mainstream desktop board size at 17 cm by 17 cm, which limits how far designers can space components.
Maxsun previously confirmed that PCIe lanes can pass through slim cable connectors on its Q870 and Z890 boards, supporting x8+x8 and x8+(x4+x4) splits.
An x8+x8 split divides 16 lanes into two groups of eight, while x8+(x4+x4) divides the second group again into two links of four lanes.
The connector, common in data center hardware, is reported to support PCIe Gen5 links, though the exact bandwidth achieved in this system was not stated.
The demonstration leaves performance and availability unclear
MAXSUN installed the motherboard and graphics card on opposite sides of a Cooler Master i100 Air chassis, using a Hyper 510 low-profile cooler for the processor.
A V850 SFX Gold power supply provides power to the compact system, completing the hardware arrangement shown in the demonstration.
Because retail graphics cards lack native MCIO connectors, an adapter or intermediary board remains necessary to establish the cabled PCIe connection.
That requirement means the MCIO approach changes the motherboard’s connection method rather than altering the graphics card itself.
The demonstration therefore shows how the components can be arranged differently inside a compact chassis without replacing the conventional connector on the GPU.
MAXSUN did not specify the graphics card used in the demonstration, leaving its hardware configuration and performance over the cabled connection unclear.
It also did not show performance figures, temperatures or noise, so the demonstration offers no evidence about how the finished system behaves under sustained workloads.
What the setup does establish is that MCIO can relocate the graphics card within the chassis while preserving a PCIe connection to the motherboard.
That flexibility could simplify layouts where a conventional expansion slot would restrict the placement of a large graphics card inside a compact enclosure.
However, Gen5 PCIe connections operate at high signaling rates, making cable quality, connector design, and signal integrity important to maintaining reliable operation.
MAXSUN has previously shown MCIO-equipped motherboards, suggesting that the company continues developing cable-based PCIe layouts for compact systems.
However, it has not provided a launch date or pricing for the device, leaving the commercial status of the workstation unclear.
Until those details and independent testing become available, the demonstration shows the layout’s technical possibility rather than a finished product.
Via Videocardz
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Maxsun Z890 workstation moves the graphics card away from the motherboard MCIO allows the motherboard and GPU to occupy opposite chassis sides The Z890 Mini-ITX platform supports multiple PCIe lane configurations through MCIO Chinese manufacturer Maxsun has designed a new compact workstation which separates its graphics card from the motherboard…
