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Nvidia's new Enthusiast System Architecture could infuse PCs with greater intelligence

Your quad-core PC with dual graphics cards and 1200 watt power supply might seem like the epitome of modern, but it's actually the equivalent of a 1957 Chevy. It's fast, but it's as dumb as a brick, as none of the subsystems talk to each other. Nvidia's expecting its proposed Enthusiast System Architecture will make your PC more intelligent, with every subsystem able to monitor itself and communicate with the rest of the computer.

ESA would embed microcontrollers in the power supply, liquid cooling system, and even the case to give real-time telemetry and control to the user. An ESA machine could tell you how much of a load is on the PSU, how much voltage is being output by a particular rail, and what the temperature is inside the unit. An ESA liquid cooling system could tell you how much water is in the system, what the water temperature is, and how fast the pump is churning. An ESA case would let you control the fans or tune various lights on or off in the system. ESA could be used to tune a system to run more quietly or alert you to problems such as lower power output or low water levels in the reservoir. Control for all of the items would be via an internal USB connection.

Nvidia says it will make ESA an open standard for all companies. Expect the first ESA-enabled components to appear at the end of this year.