The relentless search for an available USB port is a frustration many computer users know well. But what if someone decided to eliminate that problem entirely? A heavily modified, older Intel motherboard recently surfaced online, showcasing a truly astonishing solution: a staggering 36 USB-A ports crammed onto its rear panel.
This isn’t a modern, sleek design. The board appears to be based on the LGA-1151 socket, a platform from roughly a decade ago. The ports themselves are arranged in four dense stacks of eight, with an additional four squeezed in above the Ethernet and PS/2 ports, maximizing every available inch of space.
Despite this extreme modification, the board hasn’t completely sacrificed functionality. An HDMI port, three audio jacks, and a single-slot PCIe card still find a place within the standard ATX form factor. However, it’s clear that the vast majority of the board’s expansion capabilities have been entirely dedicated to USB connectivity.
The purpose behind this unusual creation is a compelling mystery. With only two RAM slots and limited PCIe expansion, it’s unlikely this board was intended for a high-performance gaming or workstation build. Speculation quickly turned to more specialized applications.
One popular theory suggests this motherboard was custom-built for cryptocurrency mining. The idea is that a central computer could control numerous small, efficient ASIC miners, each connected via a single PCIe lane through a USB port. This would allow for a massive, centralized mining operation.
Another, more unsettling possibility points to its use in illicit activities. Some believe the board was designed to manage a large number of phones within a scam call center, enabling automated dialing and communication. The true origin remains unknown.
Regardless of its intended use, the sheer number of ports is remarkable. It begs the question: who would actually *fill* all 36 ports? Imagine the array of devices, storage drives, and peripherals needed to truly test the limits of this motherboard’s power delivery.
Ultimately, the question isn’t just about how many devices can be connected, but how much power the board can realistically supply. At some point, the system would undoubtedly buckle under the strain, leaving one to wonder exactly where that breaking point lies.
