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Balance Technology Extended (BTX) Explained

Posted by timothy on from the clicky-clicky dept.

Anonymous Coward writes "The folks over at TweakTown have just posted an article which talks about Balance Technology Extended (BTX) - Intel's upcoming new form factor which will replace the aging ATX form factor standard we've grown used to. BTX is meant to offer better cooling and quiet computing through its smart design."

9 of 368 comments (clear)

  1. Quiet PC's are a good thing by ePhil_One · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This sounds like a good initiative. I really hope it catches on and we can see even more mass market focus on quieter PC's. I've been thinking of buying pre-built systems just to get a quieter computer.

    --
    You are in a maze of twisted little posts, all alike.
  2. Blame the form factor... by schwep · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Heaven forbid Intel reduce the 100W portable heater to a lower wattage. Clearly only the case & motherboard are the only components not "smartly" designed.

    1. Re:Blame the form factor... by the_2nd_coming · · Score: 2, Insightful

      why? in this case, they are not to blame...what to know how I know?

      I know because I use 2 different platforms...I use x86 AND PPC......the 970 is running at 24 Watts at 2 ghz now...that is a 50% reduction in power, and it is expected to be no more than 35 or so for 3 GHz in the summer.

      whose fault is it again?

      I think it is so cute when a single platform user thinks he knows stuff about technology :-)

      --



      I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
    2. Re:Blame the form factor... by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 2, Insightful
      The whole problem is that Intel is still using the x86 architecture (8 bit) with a bunch of kludges thrown in to make it support a lot of the new functions and ideas we've come up with since the 70s.

      Do you know why? It's because that's what the customers want. Intel has tried to move away from the x86 a couple of times now, and each time they have failed (or in the latest case, are likely to fail soon). Dozens of rivals have come along with a wide variety of alternative architectures, and they have basically all failed with the exception of the Power PC. Even the vaunted PPC architecture commands single-digit market share despite its assorted technical advantages.

      Now AMD, who lately seems to realize what customers want better than even Intel, has kludged yet another layer of compatiblity onto the x86, and by most accounts the customers love it. The latest 64-bit x86 CPUs are still assembly-source compatible with the first microprocessor design ever started, the 8008 (although the 4004 beat it to production). As customers demand compatiblity again and again and again, I expect that the x86 will never go away.

      Personally, I think its cool that the x86 architecture is still at or near the top of the heap despite 30 years of complaints from ivory tower naysayers.

  3. Still using PS/2 style keyboard and mouse ports? by Gannoc · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Come on. Are there really people out there who are going to buy a brand new computer but still have a vital need for an old keyboard? Buy a freaking adapter and save some space.

  4. The G5 case is the best today anyways by Selecter · · Score: 3, Insightful
    This is overdue X 10. The ATX case has quite a few problems -

    it's a tangled mess of power supply wires that reduce airflow and look like shit, the lack of a standardized layout of ports and such on the back means you have to make like 30 cut outs on each case to get it to work with every mobo on the market, and the process of adding even more ports in the mix like Firewire (1394) and such via cables and slot headers make the inside look even worse. Why the 733T wants to have windows on their cases is beyond me - now look at the inside of a freakin Dual G5 - THERE'Sa case to have a window for.

    The heat from the CPU(s) is exhausted INSIDE the case (!) leading to high temps and heat related failures.

    The Apple G5 case is the best designed case around IMHFO and the BTX is still behind it on a number of fronts. At least they are'nt going to exhaust the hot air from the CPU inside the freaking case any more. Jeeezzz. :/

  5. Hardware review sites are useless by Wesley+Felter · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Every article is split across 10 pages.

    Every page has 10 ads.

    And there isn't even any original content; the articles are just rehashed press releases or IDF presentations. OK, occasionally they run some stock benchmarks on some stock hardware (all the sites have to use the same benchmarks; they wouldn't want to break away from the herd).

    The /. editors should do us a favor and just link to the Intel propaganda; at least Intel can keep their servers up.

  6. Re:Still using PS/2 style keyboard and mouse ports by IMSoP · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Well, from what I've gathered, getting the drivers sorted for a USB input device (under, say, linux, or a bootloader) is one hell of a lot harder than just using PS/2. Of course, PS/2 ain't perfect - if it comes out the back, you're probably gonna need a reboot to get it back in sync - but having to set up a whole addressable, hot-pluggable, daisy-chainable bus before you can even type always seemed a bit much to me.

    But maybe there is an easier way, and I'm just ignorant - how exactly do PS/2-USB adapters work? I mean, a PS/2 device never has to deal with addressing does it?

  7. ATX not old, in EPR terms by Willard+B.+Trophy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So BTX means a whole new raft of cases? Great for landfill operators!

    If the computer industry had EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility, or sometimes called Product Stewardship), they might reconsider their headlong rush to create short lifespan products.

    After all, it's not the 3GHz Pentium 4 that we want, but it's the computing power that it provides.