Archive notice: This article was originally published on November 6, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.The Enthusiast System Architecture, ESA for short, specifies an information protocol through which system components can communicate with one another in order to adjust operating parameters and pass important system information on to users. With ESA, both PC manufacturers and do-it-yourself builders can assemble optimally tuned high-performance PCs, much more easily than with proprietary solutions.
The new ESA standard is based on the current USB HID specification and was specially developed to support monitoring and control features for PC components such as chassis, power supplies and air- and water-cooling systems. Before ESA, there was no standard communication protocol with which components could pass information on to users. But data such as temperature, thermals, voltage and airflow are enormously important when it comes to achieving maximum PC performance and overclocking. ESA makes this information available in real time.
With ESA, component manufacturers can now integrate digital and analogue sensors into their devices that transmit data in real time. This makes it possible to analyse and optimise PC operating parameters. In addition, ESA’s logging feature enables PC and system manufacturers to identify and resolve PC malfunctions easily and cost-effectively.
The companies that support the ESA standard and were involved in its development include, in addition to NVIDIA:
- the PC OEMs Dell and HP
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the system manufacturers Alienware, Falcon Northwest and Maingear
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the motherboard manufacturers ASUS, EVGA, Gigabyte, MSI and XFX
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the PSU, chassis and cooling-technology manufacturers CoolerMaster, CoolIT Systems, PC Power & Cooling, SilverStone, Tagan, Thermaltake and Ultra.
Cross-product compatibility and compliance with the ESA standard are tested by the IT testing facility Alion. Products that successfully complete the certification process receive the ESA logo. The first ESA systems, motherboards and components are expected to be available from the end of November.
“With its industry-standard communication protocol, ESA offers numerous tools for tuning PC hardware performance,” says Kevin Kettler, CTO of Dell. “These tools offer PC enthusiasts more flexible control over primary support components. The ESA standard is used, for example, in Dell’s LightFX architecture and will thus drive the development of more intensive exterior lighting in PC games.”
Rahul Sood, CTO of Global Gaming Business at HP, adds: “ESA is a communication protocol that connects all important aspects of a system. The most important thing about it for HP is that we can offer our customers an immediate and tangible advantage with ESA technology.”
Further Links:
- Nvidia/ESA-Standad
