Dan Lenski wrote:
> kony wrote:
>>> Basically, this PCI card is totally identical to a "normal" PCI card
>>> that would go in any mini-ATX desktop case, EXCEPT that the backplate
>>> is only 80 mm long from the tab to the point where it screws into the
>>> chassis, rather than the 120 mm or so for a "normal" PCI card. This is
>>> presumably to allow a slim case (the whole case is only about 100 mm
>>> wide)
>> Nice ASCII art. That's probably a "low profile" card
>> bracket. Not as common, but still a standard.
>
> Thanks Kony! Looks right to me... why didn't I think of that? I found
> the spec on it:
> http://www.pcisig.com/specifications...i/lowp_ecn.pdf
>
>> Low profile. You can (with a little hunting) find some low
>> profile network adapters, though many of the wireless ones
>> that short (PCB itself) are inferior quality... it seems
>> most of the good ones are a little more than 80mm from
>> bracket tip to card PCB top edge. I probably would've used
>> a USB adapter or the built in ethernet port to a bridge
>> capable access point or capable router (the lines on what
>> each is and can do are blurring, based on installed
>> firmware).
>
> Good to know, thanks! It's strange because many PCI cards are shallow
> enough to fit this form factor easily. It's too bad that such cards
> don't come with replacement brackets, it's just a 10-cent piece of
> sheet metal basically.
>
> I searched for low-profile PCI cards and it seems like some of them are
> labeled as such based on the depth of the *card* and NOT the dimensions
> of the bracket... for instance this one here:
> http://www.acortech.com/AOpen_FM56-S...d-3204184.html
> It's clear from the relative lengths of the pins and the bracket that
> the bracket is about 120 mm... so it's clearly not a low-profile
> bracket. Is this a term that's abused a lot?
>
> Dan
>

In the low profile video cards on Newegg, only a few cards ship with the
necessary bracket. I guess you have to shop for brackets separately,
in a lot of cases. And getting a bracket with the right hole pattern,
for any needed connectors, is the next issue. It cannot cost a company
very much, to ship a low profile bracket, with a low profile card.

Here is a bracket for a video card.
http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_inf...or-evga-fx5200

Someone wants to make a little more profit on this one.
http://shop.ati.com/product.asp?sku=3102226

I did find a site, that offered a few different kinds of brackets,
but I cannot find it now. Guess I didn't bookmark it.

The main benefit to a manufacturer, of making a low profile add-in
card, is saving on the size of the PCI card blank. That is why
they make the cards. It isn't generosity, as in making a low
profile, because of a large demand. I think that may be why the
card is low profile, and the bracket is regular profile. They
save on PCB material, and yet have a regular profile bracket
which fits the hottest shopping category. Throwing a low profile
bracket in the kit, would be admitting that people have low
profile computers :-)

Paul