Back To (the) Future with this back-connect motherboard line, plus other components from ASUS
Updated: Apr 2, 2024 5:05 pm
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The ASUS BTF (Back To the Future) range is catered towards those looking to create a back-connect motherboard PC build. A back-connect motherboard is the best way to construct a PC with the cleanest cable management possible, allowing you to hide it all away in the back of the case. Not only does this make the inside of your case look great, with minimal clutter, but also maximises the airflow through your case by removing the obstructive wiring, thereby improving thermal performance. Although back-connect motherboards have been around before this year, 2024 could be when they really take off – it seems like this might be the future of enthusiast PC building, as the results are unarguably impressive.
ASUS BTF motherboard – key design features
An ASUS BTF motherboard relocates all of its power connectors, including CPU connectors, SATA connectors, and those for the fans to the back. Assuming you have a compatible case with the necessary holes in the motherboard plate, these can then all feed through to the back compartment/chamber above the power supply.
You can see this illustrated on the images below which show the topside and the underside (plus the rear-facing I/O panel on the right) of the ASUS TUF GAMING B760M-BTF WIFI D4 motherboard. All that is left on the topside is the sockets and slots for all your components.
You can find out more about BTF motherboards and their features on the ASUS site.
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What other ASUS BTF products are available?
Besides motherboards, if you want to take your BTF design to the next level and hide as much of your cabling as possible, there’s what ASUS calls the ‘Advanced BTF’ approach, which involves getting a specially designed BTF case, plus a BTF graphics card. The BTF case is definitely something we recommend everyone get if you’re thinking off a back-connect design, as it gives you the necessary holes and space for cabling. A BTF GPU however is taking things to the next level – doing away with the usual power cable that takes up space in the main compartment and having it instead utilise a PCIe connector that attaches to a high-power graphics card slot in the motherboard. The end result will look very clean indeed, and further maximize that airflow.
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What you’ll need to make a great ASUS Back To (the) Future build
The Motherboard: ASUS TUF GAMING Z790-BTF WIFI
ASUS TUF GAMING Z790-BTF WIFI
1 x PCIe 5.0 x16, 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 x PCIe 5.0 x4 slots, 4 x M.2 slots and 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
If you’re looking to build an Intel-powered rig, then the TUF GAMING Z790 is a great option: the LGA1700 socket is compatible with the latest Intel 14th gen processors or the older 13th and 12th gen CPUs, giving you more flexibility. You get three expansion slots including one PCIe 5.0 x16 port, a PCIe 4.0 x16 port, and a PCIe 1.0 x4 slot, four dual channel DIMM slots capable of holding the latest DDR5 7200 RAM, and four PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots for SSD expansion and the like. The board comes with 16(60A)+1(60A)+1 Power Stages.
The Graphics card: ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER BTF White OC Edition
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER BTF White OC Edition
2,670MHz OC mode, 2,640MHz boost
305 x 138 x 65 mm (12 x 5.43 x 2.55 inch)
This overclocked version of the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a great option for 1440p gaming, that looks as good as it performs. If you’re interested in 4K gaming, unfortunately there isn’t a white BTF version of the RTX 4090, the most powerful GPU on the market, but there is the black/grey BTF model with red and blue detailing if you’re opting for a different color build. Alternatively you could opt for the white non-BTF RTX 4090, if you don’t mind having some cabling in your back-connect rig.
The Case: ASUS TUF Gaming GT302 ARGB
ASUS TUF Gaming GT302 ARGB
EATX (12″x10.9″), ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX
Top: 360mm, 280mm, 240mm, 140mm, 120mm / Front: 140mm, 280mm / Rear: 120mm, 140mm
The TUF Gaming GT302 ARGB is an ASUS BTF case, with the space and gaps for cables in the motherboard plate needed to put together a clean back-connect build. It comes with 165mm clearance for a cooler and 407mm for your GPU, along with space for either four 2.5” SSDs or two 2.5” SSDs and two 3.5” HDDs. It supports motherboard form-factors up to E-ATX.
With the case you’ll get four 140mm ARGB PWM fans as standard (three in the front of the case, one in the rear panel). You can expand this with an additional three 120mm/140mm fans in the top of the case or alternatively put a 360mm AIO radiator in the top or a 280mm one in the front.
The case has a removable top panel, interchangeable side panels, plus a degree of modular design in the internal panels to help facilitate your build.
The PSU: ASUS TUF Gaming 1000W Gold White Edition
ASUS TUF Gaming 1000W Gold White Edition
BTF power supplies don’t really exist, however this one is the perfect match for the above all-white components. One thing you do need to consider in a BTF build is the size of the PSU: as back-connect setups route all of their cabling into the back compartment, this means less space is available for the power supply, so you need to make sure yours will fit. Either way, this 1000W SPU wil be enough to run the RTX 4090 and the most high-end CPU currently available in both AMD and Intel ranges.
The Liquid Cooling: ASUS AIO coolers
If you’re going to put time, effort, and money into making your rig look the best it can be and maximising its performance, then we’d heartily recommend that you go for a liquid cooling setup. These ASUS AIO coolers are available in white and are the perfect accompaniment solution to finish off your build. See our ‘How to install liquid cooling’ guide if you’re unsure how to go about doing this.
Whether or not you do decide to go for an AIO setup you’ll also need some fans, and white ASUS TUF Gaming TF120 ARGB fans are ideal.
