What is raiser card?

A riser card, also known as a riser board, is a printed circuit board that plugs into a motherboard or backplane to expand the number of available expansion slots. It is commonly used in computer systems that have limited space, such as 1U or 2U rack-mount servers.

The riser card allows additional expansion cards to be installed in a vertical orientation, as opposed to the standard horizontal orientation of the motherboard's expansion slots. This saves space and allows for more efficient cooling by improving airflow through the system.

Riser cards can come in a variety of configurations, including PCIe, PCI, and AGP slots, and may support hot-swapping of expansion cards. They are commonly found in server and workstation systems but can also be used in desktop computers for specialized applications.

It is important to note that not all motherboards or backplanes are compatible with riser cards, and compatibility should be verified before purchasing or installing a riser card.