Good bye ATX - BTX form factor is coming

[weta]

<center><img src="http://images.tweaktown.com/news/news_btx-layout.gif">

Good bye ATX - BTX form factor is coming</center>

The new BTX form factor specification gives developers options to balance thermal management, acoustics, system performance, and size in the system form factors and stylish designs that are desired in today's products. The BTX form factor is a clear break from previous ATX form factor layouts and was developed with emerging technologies such as Serial ATA, USB 2.0, and PCI Express* in mind. In addition to smaller than microATX system sizes, BTX also was designed to scale up to tower size systems using the same core layout by increasing the number of system slots included.

Warp2search

[Soulburner]

You don't need a new case for SATA and USB 2.0, which have been around for a while...pretty much all new boards come with that...the only possibility is PCI Express....

So what's different about it?

[weta]

Soulburner: Probably simpler if you look over the BTX specifications for your yourself, rather than me try to explain them.

PDF file: Requires Acrobat Reader or similar to view.

[weta]

Soulburner: Anand has posted a great article on the BTX form factor, well worth a read.

BTX - The Basics
Just in case you were told otherwise, 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, as you can use ATX power supplies with BTX motherboards (more on this later).

AnandTech

BTX form factor explained

[weta]

<center>Intel BTX motherboard plans revealedThe Inquirer

[amd_man2005]

wow! I think that will help cooling quite a bit, with everything being arrnaged better!

[Wordbiker]

Yep, looks a WHOLE lot like ducting mods I've seen. It always has seemed that the CPU was in an awkward spot for cooling with the ATX form-factor, but I also see a lot of restrictions with the new design. A big plastic box inside your case???:confused:
My prediction: First mod available will be Plexi ducts in clear and UV :thumb: :cheers:

[E^vol]

Hopefully, the case manufacturers will produce cases with 120mm fans soon after the standard is released. :idea:
I've become a big fan (no pun intended :p) of 120mm case fans as they move more air while producing less noise. :2cents:

We know that Intel is pushing this new BTX format, but is AMD going along for the ride as well ? :group:

Originally posted by [b]Wordbiker
My prediction: First mod available will be Plexi ducts in clear and UV

That would be sweet ! :woot:

[Morgan_Lander]

If the industry goes with it, AMD will have to...although since they aren't actually making retail motherboards, I can't see this affecting them as much. Intel is still a much larger company than AMD, and will have more influence on stuff like this.

[Soyoman]

Well one thing I like about the design is that it gets the CPU away from the PSU. That's one thing that has always bothered me about ATX boards. Plus the BTX design puts the CPU right in the middle of the flow path of your case fans.

[Gammit]

My question is: when will BTX be phased in? I'm looking to upgrade in the near future (year or so), but want to wait until DDR2, PCI express, and BTX are beyond the "first-introduced" perios (>3 months after introduction).

[Mr.Tweak]

My question is: when will BTX be phased in? I'm looking to upgrade in the near future (year or so), but want to wait until DDR2, PCI express, and BTX are beyond the "first-introduced" perios (>3 months after introduction).

Probably first half of 2005, maybe even later