BTX case

BTX (for Balanced Technology Extended) is a form factor for PC motherboards, originally slated to be the replacement for the aging ATX motherboard form factor in late 2004 and early 2005. Mini-ITX is a 17 x 17 cm (or 693 x 693 Inches) low-power Motherboard Form factor developed by VIA Technologies. Embedded Platform for Industrial Computing (EPIC is a computer Form factor standard put forth by a combined effort from WinSystems VersaLogic Octagon Systems Micro/sys Nano-ITX is a computer Motherboard form factor first proposed by VIA Technologies at CeBIT in March 2003, and implemented in late 2005 COM Express, a Computer-on-module (COM form factor is a highly integrated and compact PC that can be used in a design application much like an integrated circuit ETX, standing for Embedded Technology eXtended, is a highly integrated and compact (3 ETX, standing for Embedded Technology eXtended, is a highly integrated and compact (3 Pico-ITX is a PC Motherboard form factor announced by VIA Technologies in January 2007 and demonstrated later the same year at CeBIT. PC/104 (or PC104) is an Embedded computer standard controlled by the PC/104 Consortium which defines both a Form factor Mobile-ITX is the smallest x86 compliant Motherboard Form factor. A motherboard is the central or primary Printed circuit board (PCB making up a complex electronic system such as a modern Computer or Laptop The ATX (for Advanced Technology Extended) form factor was created by Intel in 1995. It has been designed to alleviate some of the issues that arose from using newer technologies (which often demand more power and create more heat) on motherboards compliant with the circa-1996 ATX specification. The ATX (for Advanced Technology Extended) form factor was created by Intel in 1995. The ATX and BTX standards were both proposed by Intel. Intel's decision to refocus on low-power CPUs, after suffering scaling and thermal issues with the Pentium 4, has added some doubt to the future of the form factor. The Pentium 4 brand refers to Intel 's line of single- core mainstream desktop and Laptop Central processing units (CPUs introduced The first company to implement BTX was Gateway Inc, followed by Dell. Gateway Incorporated is a Computer hardware company based in Irvine, California, which develops manufactures supports and markets a wide range of The multinational technology company Dell Inc develops manufactures sells and supports Personal computers and other computer-related products Apple's Mac Pro utilizes the elements of the BTX design system as well but is not BTX compliant. Apple Inc, ( formerly Apple Computer Inc, is an American Multinational corporation with a focus on designing and manufacturing Consumer electronics The Mac Pro is a Workstation computer manufactured by Apple Inc However, future development of BTX retail products by Intel was canceled in September 2006. ^[1]

Enhancements

• Low-profile - With the push for ever-smaller systems, a redesigned backplane that shaves inches off height requirements is a benefit to system integrators and enterprises who use rack mounts or blade servers. A system integrator is a person or company that specializes in bringing together component subsystems into a whole and ensuring that those subsystems function together a practice Blade servers are self-contained/ all inclusive computer servers, designed for high density
• Thermal design - The BTX layout establishes a straighter path of airflow with fewer obstacles, resulting in better overall cooling capabilities. A distinct feature of BTX is the vertical mounting of the motherboard on the left-hand side. This results in the graphics card heatsink or fan facing upwards, rather than in the direction of the adjacent expansion card.
• Structural design - The BTX standard specifies different locations for hardware mounting points, thereby reducing latency between devices and also reduces the physical strain imposed on the motherboard by heat sinks, capacitors and other components dealing with electrical and thermal regulation. For example, the Northbridge and Southbridge chips are located near each other and to the hardware they control. The northbridge, also known as the memory controller hub ( MCH) in Intel systems (AMD VIA SiS and others usually use 'northbridge' is traditionally one The Southbridge, also known as the I/O Controller Hub ( ICH) in Intel systems (AMD VIA SiS and others usually

Pico BTX

BTX form factor motherboard inside a Dell Dimension E520.

Pico BTX is a computer motherboard and system form factor. A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. A motherboard is the central or primary Printed circuit board (PCB making up a complex electronic system such as a modern Computer or Laptop Pico BTX motherboards are relatively small—smaller than current 'micro'-sized motherboards, hence the name 'pico'. They share a common top half with the other sizes in the BTX line, but sport only one or two expansion slots, designed for half-height or riser-card applications.

Intel, as the originator of the form factor, is the primary manufacturer of such boards. As of January 2007, there are very limited numbers of OEM motherboards and cases for Pico BTX. Complete systems are available from Dell, which embraced BTX quickly within its desktop product line, and appears to use Pico BTX boards in its smallest machines, though no claims are made by Dell in their marketing materials. The multinational technology company Dell Inc develops manufactures sells and supports Personal computers and other computer-related products

Compatibility with ATX products

The BTX form factor is largely incompatible with the ATX form factor. The only area where this doesn't fully apply is in power supply support. ATX power supplies can be used with regular or full-sized BTX motherboards. Neither the power connectors nor the direction of airflow from the power supply fan has been changed.

External links

• Article on the form factor, "Whatever happened to BTX?"
• Intel to offer Mini-ITX desktop board
• Intel Desktop Boards Products List

Documentation

1. ^ BTX development cancelled

• BTXFormFactor.com - BTX Form Factor Information
• FormFactors.org, an Intel-sponsored website dedicated to maintaining data and tools regarding the implementation of various form factors.
  • Balanced Technology Extended (BTX) Chassis Design Guidelines Revision 1. 1
  • Balanced Technology Extended (BTX) Interface Specification Revision 1. 0b
  • Balanced Technology Extended (BTX) Interface Specification Errata A Revision 1. 0
  • Balanced Technology Extended (BTX) System Design Guide Revision 1. 1
  • Balanced Technology Extended (BTX) Entertainment PC Case Study Revision 1. 0
• Detailed AnandTech discussion of the BTX form factor
• Hardware Analysis' evaluation of the BTX proposal
• Dan's Data criticises the BTX standard
• Anandtech's coverage of a 2004 trade show, where Intel featured BTX. AnandTech is one of the largest Online Computer hardware Journals in the English-speaking world