As you can see the idea here is to draw air across the cpu, pcie card, mch and ich north and south bridges and exhaust out the rear of the case. Converting an atx psu to a btx compatible overclockers. I think, now i might be wrong, that my old 486dx2 box from the early 90s could still fit my brand new socket 939 motherboard, more or less. The new form factor also makes things more efficient for mobo manufacturers. Eatx vs atx vs micro atx vs mini itx which should i choose. A fullsize powerhouse will also be available in micro form, being identical except for the number of pcie pci slots.
A standard btx design measures 325mm x 266mm and supports up to seven addin card slots. These power supplies will still function with older atx systems using the 20pin main power connector, provided there is sufficient space. Different types of motherboard formfactor sizes explained. Atx are very common and ideal for almost any type of build, but they are not as portable or small as the previous mentioned. Other new features in btx include making pci express x16 the standard graphics slot btx does away with the agp slot, and mandatory inclusion of a fourpin 12v supplementary power connector for the cpu to stabilize voltage delivery.
Types of computer cases and motherboard factors utilize windows. We provided a primer on dtx when it was first announced, and so will not reiterate too much of that here. It is the smallest form factor possible utilizing atx mounting holes. They are typically compatible with more small form factor cases than both standard atx and micro atx motherboards. Itx is a smaller board with less pci slots and less ram. Types of motherboards on the motherboard pearson it certification. Lets take a look at the design layout and a comparison between btx and atx. The biggest take away on the sizes of each of these motherboards are that they mostly determine what pc case you can. Furthermore, it employs enhanced technology that includes the serial advanced technology attachment ata, universal. Atx and atx12v are specification standards for desktop computers. How to understand motherboard form factors street directory.
It was 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 btx specification is designed to encompass a family of board sizes for a range of system sizes. Maximum number of expansion slot is one 1 all miniitx motherboards use four 4 mounting holes, there are no known exceptions. The motherboard is considerably rearranged, and mounted on the opposite. The full atx atx12v spec defines many aspects of both motherboards and power supplies, not just their size, but the only thing were concerned with today is motherboard form factor and why eatx.
I have a couple oem cases dell that are btx form factor, and i would like to switch them over to atx in order to install amdbased hardware inside. Miniitx are ideal for compact htpc and gaming builds. Specific platform design guide andor product specifications should. Overview of motherboard form factors atx, etax, miniitx. Btx motherboards were designed to place the cpu towards the front of the case for better airflow. Its like having atx, microatx, and flexatx form factors all being covered by a single specification. There are generally four pc case form factors to choose from.
Thg scrutinizes atx and btx combo cases from the leading. Difference between atx and btx difference between difference. Btx for balanced technology extended is a form factor for motherboards, originally intended to be the replacement for the aging atx motherboard form factor in late 2004 and early 2005. Btx is designed to decrease power needs and reduce heat. The atx standard and the btx standard, both were proposed by intel. Atx is i guess you could say the industry standered for motherboard and the default setup for most cases when you first buy them in regards to how th motherboard stand offs are pre installed. Today the industry accepts the atx form factor as the standard, however legacy at systems are still widely in use.
Micro atx are ideal for small gaming, htpc or portable pc build. In this episode linus is going to talk about different form factor of motherboards including microatx, standard atx and xl atx. In terms of layout, the btx motherboard mirrors the atx motherboard. Categorized under hardware,technology difference between at and atx at vs atx the motherboard is an integral part in a computer since it is where all the components are attached to. Sfx is merely a design for a small form factor sff power supply casing, with the power specifications almost identical to atx. Nearly ten years after the introduction of atx, intel introduced the balanced technology extended, or btx. Btx differs from atx primarily in the case, motherboard, and processor heatsink. Motherboard form factor guide silverstone technology co. In terms of size, the atx motherboard form factor has two variants. Here is all you need to know about motherboards and their form factor. When purchasing a power supply for a desktop pc, make sure it is at least atx12v v2. It can be used in an atx case, but using lower wattage for heat production. Overview of motherboard form factors atx, etax, miniitx, blx. Here is what btx looks like on the left with the comparison to atx on the right.
What are the differences between atx and btx motherboards. What are the main differences between atx and btx form factors. Atx and btx motherboards are built slightly differently, with the slots positioned in different areas, and the distance between the motherboard and the pc chassis increased in the btx. How ever dont expect to find many btx mainboards, as were they never really accepted. Vendors are hedging their bets as they first come to the market with btx cases that can also convert to the atx form factor if need be. I have a dell dimension 3000, but can not find anywhere as to whether or not it is btx or atx. The atx power supply is capable of being controlled through software and other. The atx and btx standards were both proposed by intel. Atx form factor the intel advancedml motherboard, launched in 1996, was designed to solve issues of space and airflow that the pentium ii and agp graphics cards had caused the preceding lpx form factor. Both are motherboard form factors that vary in size and features.
Btx an abbreviation for balanced technology extended form format was not widely adopted despite the benefits it offer. Out of the many changes that evolution of motherboard has seen, it is the change in form factor that is most drastic and easily perceptible. The wtx for workstation technology extended is an older form factor that is larger than atx or btx and was used with highend workstations. Fortunately, newegg carries computer cases from all the major manufacturers, like thermaltake, nzxt, antec, cooler master, corsair, and more. The new btx form factor design is incompatible with atx, with the exception of being able to use an atx power supply with btx boards. By learning the difference between itx and atx, you can get an idea about which form factor will suit you best for your computer build. Btx advanced technology extended, or more commonly known as atx, is the most popular form factor for desktop cases and. Btx balanced technology extended motherboard form factor. Microatx followed the atx form factor and offered the same benefits but improved the overall. Overview between at, atx, miniitx and other motherboard form factors. This type of btx board bellow is compatible with any of our. Itx vs atx difference if you want to build a new computer, you should know what does atx and itx stand for. Btx form factor wikimili, the best wikipedia reader.
The big form factor guide btx btx, balanced technology extended, is a standard developed by intel primarily to improve processor cooling compared to atx. Is that a good thing as cooling becomes more and more important. Using a 120 mm fan and a socalled airflow channel sometimes called a wind tunnel, this design seeks to suck in fresh air from the front of the pc case. The understanding of the components and functions of a motherboard is also important. In fact, gateway has been shipping btx systems for. When layed flat, btx allows for some very small systems. We have advanced so far in microprocessor technology, why havent we advanced the board. Thus, an sfx power supply is mostly pincompatible with the atx power supply as the main difference is its reduced dimensions. Find about the different types of motherboard form factors sizes before buying your next cpu casing.
The biggest design change for btx is its attention to air intake, airflow and exhaust inside the case. However, future development of btx retail products by. Starting with the original form factor by ibm called at, motherboards have moved forward with atx, lpx, btx, and finally nlx form factors. The btx form factor has not been widely adopted despite its improvements over atx and related standards. Difference between atx and nlx compare the difference. They design a board, and simply add or subtract from it to make different sizes. Proceed at you own risk what with the new btx form factor coming out, many of you are dreading. Some of the information is considered legacy and provided for form factor reference. Apparently the upcoming xps 730 is now using a standard atx form factor for its motherboard vs. What is the difference between atx and btx answers. Dell to offer the option of an upgradeconversion kit for xps 700710720 owners to upgrade their system to the same atx form factor for a decent price. Advanced technology extended, or more commonly known as atx, is the most popular form factor for desktop cases and motherboards.
Balance technology extended btx is a form factor for motherboards that was initially intended to replace the 2004 and 2005 atx motherboard. In this article, differences between atx and nlx will be highlighted. Released in 1997, it is the smaller version of an atx. The new btx format addresses many of the atx issues, including improved scalability, thermal placement, acoustic performance, and.
The btx form factor was released by intel 2004 as a replacement to atx that incorporates feature such as a new layout design to allow for better airflow and newer technologies to accommodate higher power consumption. The dtx standard was created by amd, and was seen as something of an answer to intels failed btx standards. The btx motherboard form factor is slightly larger than that of atx 325x266mm vs 305x244mm. Get the best deals on btx computer cases and find everything youll need to improve your home office setup at. The btx form factor is a clear break from previous atx form factor layouts and was developed with emerging.
239 1276 187 160 390 489 136 701 829 142 1361 1235 1281 222 557 117 1005 427 940 1107 453 410 1297 546 1005 1195 274 582 954