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New BTX Form Factor Announced At IDF

Posted by timothy on from the why-does-factor-follow-form dept.

xyote writes "A new motherboard form factor was announced at IDF today. See Google News for various press stories on it (how's that for up to date links?). Also, go here for the actual BTX specs."

14 of 269 comments (clear)

  1. What happened to WTX? by mr.henry · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I remember seeing a WTX case from Addtronics. I thought that was the next standard.

    1. Re:What happened to WTX? by questionlp · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I think WTX was more aimed at the higher end workstation and server market rather than the desktop market. Part of it was that WTX was designed to handle specific heat zones (which I'm guessing is being adopted into BTX as well as the server-specific SSI form factors) and has the ability to hold large power supplies.

      So far, the biggest users of the WTX form factor seems to have been the original Itanium workstations that were sold by SGI, HP, Dell, IBM, etc. The form factor worked quite well for the Itanium because of the weight of the processor, the heatsinks used and the power pods required. Instead of having the processors towards the top of the case (which would make the center of gravity way too high and who knows what kind of stress the motherboards would be under), it was towards the bottom and the standard I/O was moved off to a special daughterboard.

      Due to the way the WTX was spec'd out, I think it was just too expensive as a replacement for ATX or Full-sized AT for desktops. I would have welcomed such a case for my new system, but I wasn't going to pay an extra $150+ and just didn't need that huge of a case.

  2. Re:Whats next? by proj_2501 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Also a turntable manufacturer

  3. Here we go again.... by grims · · Score: 2, Interesting

    So will other mobo makers follow intel footsteps and make up to this formfactor, or will they fork off to make their own FormFactors ? Does anyone see any of this happening and by whom ?

  4. On off button by onyxruby · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Interesting note here about the on/off button.
    Intel also previewed an instant on/off technology, allowing consumers to press the "on" button and the PC is ready in a few seconds.

    Didn't we have instant "off" capabilities back in the day of the 8086? Does anyone else miss the ability to push the power button and have their computer turn off now? With most modern BIOS's ignoring user settings for instant off, it really has to make me wonder about some of these new fangled "innovations".

    The thing that makes me wonder though is this part
    If the PC loses power, this technology quickly recovers without losing data or rebooting the PC under normal operation.

    Just how are they going to avoid rebooting a computer if the power goes off? MRAM is set to debut, and this could in theory hold the users' data state, but you still have to boot the computer up through the normal BIOS process, or am I missing something?
    1. Re:On off button by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Interesting

      wrong.

      all you need to do is write device drivers that are smart enough to handle this... sense they came up from a "magical poof" start (what I call it.. the phb's like silly names here) and then simply reinitialize the devices.. ethernet can get it's dhcp lease again (if it's dhcp) and so on.

      it does NOT require hardware redesign.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  5. BTX by absolut_kurant · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Well, in the 80's in Germany and Austria (maybe in other countries, too?) a system called BTX (Bildschirmtext, On-Screen Text) was introduced. You could call it an Interner-precursor, comparable to the French stuff (Minitel?).

    Anyway, here are the pics: BTX

    Maybe we'll get the cool cases back ;)

    --
    Yes.
  6. Re:On/Off dead, welcome to standby by cgranade · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I don't think that is a Very Bad Thing in and of itself. Just that M$ is doing it. See, Linux can't pull off that sort of thing due to less market clout. This gives M$ a distinct advantage in that they have deep channels of communication with the hw manufacturers.
    All that aside, instant on/off/standby would be very nice. Already, we can "hibernate", which is a much used feature of my laptop, and with MRAM, this should be even easier. Although, bootup times are becoming more accepted. Recently, I saw a CD player with a 20 sec boot sequence.

    --

    #define DRM chmod 000

  7. What problem? by wumpus2112 · · Score: 3, Interesting
    100W PCs "no problem", ever increasing GPU heat "no problem" (gotta love those power connectors), ever increasing hard drive heat "no problem".

    Steadily decreasing box size, I smell a problem.

    Wumpus

  8. Re:Whats next? by ThogScully · · Score: 2, Interesting

    But not CTX?
    -N

    --
    I've nothing to say here...
  9. Call me silly by zakezuke · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Call me silly, but I rather liked the VME and/or multi-bus for computers. [http://www.vita.com/vmefaq/index.html]

    For those not familar, basicly you had a series of cards that you shoved directly into the case it self, without need of popping the top. Two thumbscrews for each card and it just slids on out. [http://www.vita.com/vmefaq/resources/Image2.gif]

    There was no *motherboard* per say but rather a "cpu board" but basicly it was the same thing. While VME boards were "huge", I can imagine much in the way of scalability for a trimmed up variation of the theme. Small desktop systems can enjoy the benifits of having a smaller backplane with only 3 or 4 slots, more robust users could enjoy larger cases with just more slots but essentaly the same motherboard.

    Silly idea, probally. It would produce less in the way of waste in every motherboard wouldn't need yet another slew of slots on it. Cards would be mounted at two points rather then one point without fear of one end poping up when you put the screw in like was an issue with AGP video cards.

    --
    There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
  10. Dryer Vent, Anyone? by nuxx · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Seeing as the BTX spec calls for a specific channel to the front of the case to allow air for cooling the CPU, I can already see the air conditioner + dryer vent hose into front of case mods. Also, the part of the spec which calls for a method to mount a device through the motherboard to the chassis, sort of like the original P4 heatsinks, is wonderful. It should be so much easier to design high performance, low noise coolers now.

  11. look at the dimensions- english, not metric... by millia · · Score: 3, Interesting

    curious. after looking at the pdf from one of the mirrors, i wondered why the oddball metric measurements- and the answer is they're conversions from english. it's an even 10.5" deep, +/- .01".
    all the other dimensions are based around english measurements, too, and have variances of 1/100 of an inch or .25 millimeter.

    i presume this is for case compatibility, and existing case have slots that work out that way, too, so to avoid having to make a new case that replaces ATX, this is the compromise.

    i wonder though- does this hurt manufacturing in the long run? is it harder for foreign factories to make something that fits *precisely* because of this? having spent much time over the years fighting to make things fit, especially cards, is it time to go to a more exact metric squaring?

    or when manufacturing, does it really matter? is 266.7 mm just as easy to attain as 270?

    some of you mechanical engineers, feel free to add.

    --
    stored on computers from birth to the grave
  12. One hard disk slot! by oolon · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Man they must be joking the standard tower form, has space for 2 Optical Drives (I assume they mean 5 1/4), one Floppy and one hard disk! There isn't even a required gap, in front of the hard disk for a fan!
    It may be great for the processor but it justs sucks for all the other hardware.

    James