What's happened to BTX

[Franklin]

Last year Intel announced, BTX, the follow-=on to the ATX form factor.

For example, http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1876

What has happened to BTX? Has it been dropped? Has it been delayed? Is it
already happening?

 

[Dave C.]

Last year Intel announced, BTX, the follow-=on to the ATX form factor.

For example, http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1876

What has happened to BTX? Has it been dropped? Has it been delayed? Is
it
already happening?

What's the rush? Nothing really changes, except that the mainboard is
essentially flipped upside down. There are lots of little changes in BTX,
but nothing that couldn't have easily have been incorporated into
TX. -Dave

 

[Johannes H Andersen]

What's the rush? Nothing really changes, except that the mainboard is
essentially flipped upside down. There are lots of little changes in BTX,
but nothing that couldn't have easily have been incorporated into
TX. -Dave

I hope that it will result in smaller PC cases. The height of a fairly
standard ATX case is determined by the length of the mboard plus the height
of the PSU. This results in a front with space for 2x3.5" + 4x5.25" units.
Anybody installed 2 floppy drives, 2 CD-ROMS and 2 DVD drives?

The depth of the ATX case is determined by width of the ATX server version
of the mboard plus the depth of the drive units since they don't overlay the
motherboard. As a result, my new PC is the size of a large travel suitcase
But never mind, it all look impressive (compared to my old AT). I understand
that the BTX will be rather similar to the old AT!

 

[Ruel Smith]

What has happened to BTX? Has it been dropped? Has it been delayed? Is it
already happening?

It's pretty much DOA. Case makers and motherboard makers are not getting
onboard. There's nothing wrong with ATX, and AMD has proven that CPU's
don't have to run at the temperature of the sun, despite Intel's claims
otherwise, the extra cooling benefit is moot at this point.

 

[Larc]

| Last year Intel announced, BTX, the follow-=on to the ATX form factor.
|
| For example, http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1876
|
| What has happened to BTX? Has it been dropped? Has it been delayed? Is it
| already happening?

Nothing official yet, but it wouldn't be the first thing to be
cancelled due to lack of interest. ;-)

Larc



§§§ - Change planet to earth to reply by email - §§§

 

[Bubba]

Franklin's log on stardate 18 ruj 2004

What has happened to BTX? Has it been dropped? Has it been delayed?
Is it already happening?

I saw an IBM ThinkCentre with 915G chipset and it has several interesting
things implemented, but I'm not very impressed. Some things are improved
to improve cooling efficiency but everything else is, to say the least,
strange. Perhaps bigger difference will be noticed on brand boards, but
until that time, as I said, not very promising. I can send you some
pictures, if you wish.

 

[Dave C.]

I hope that it will result in smaller PC cases.

It's supposed to allow for smaller PC cases. But if you read more about it,
you realize that the same small sizes could be achieved in ATX boards if you
were to cut off all the expansion slots. Essentially, that's what the
smallest BTX board is . . . it's just a board with no expansion slots (or
hardly any). -Dave

 

[kony]

I hope that it will result in smaller PC cases. The height of a fairly
standard ATX case is determined by the length of the mboard plus the height
of the PSU. This results in a front with space for 2x3.5" + 4x5.25" units.
Anybody installed 2 floppy drives, 2 CD-ROMS and 2 DVD drives?

If the cases got smaller, the only dimension I wouldn't want
smaller is the height. Anything but a full tower will
usually fit under a desk, and if it's ON the desk, what
difference does it make how tall unless you have very low
flying aircraft?

It is very easy to use all the bays you mention.

For example, 2 optical drives, a front bay fan controller,
and a removable hard drive, fill the external 5.25".
External 3.5 can easily be filled with a floppy and flash
card reader. So, there isn't even room for 3 optical drives
for some people unless the case is a full tower.

 

[kony]

It's supposed to allow for smaller PC cases. But if you read more about it,
you realize that the same small sizes could be achieved in ATX boards if you
were to cut off all the expansion slots. Essentially, that's what the
smallest BTX board is . . . it's just a board with no expansion slots (or
hardly any). -Dave

Mostly it looks like it just puts more airflow past Intel's
CPUs, which they already knew would exceed 100W.

 

[Tone-EQ]

Last year Intel announced, BTX, the follow-=on to the ATX form factor.

For example, http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1876

What has happened to BTX? Has it been dropped? Has it been delayed? Is it
already happening?

Gateway in the US has just started shipping BTX format PC units.

I don't see what the all fuss is all about, ATX and mATX is fine, why change
something that works well? It's not that difficult to build a cool and quiet
PC utilizing the fastest processor from either AMD or Intel.

--
Regards,
Tony. (tony.cue(at)tiscali.co.uk)

Discogs: building the definitive database of electronic music...
http://www.discogs.com

 

[Johannes H Andersen]

If the cases got smaller, the only dimension I wouldn't want
smaller is the height. Anything but a full tower will
usually fit under a desk, and if it's ON the desk, what
difference does it make how tall unless you have very low
flying aircraft?

As a home builder, I don't really mind a large case, but the size of the
steel case also add to the weight of the thing. The computer I use at work
is a proprietary Siemens about half the size and very quiet.

It is very easy to use all the bays you mention.

For example, 2 optical drives, a front bay fan controller,
and a removable hard drive, fill the external 5.25".
External 3.5 can easily be filled with a floppy and flash
card reader. So, there isn't even room for 3 optical drives
for some people unless the case is a full tower.

I do have a sneaking suspicion that these devices such as fan controllers
and card readers are there to fill a cosmetic void, so to speak, so that
you don't have to look at all those empty panels. Just think of all the
modding that's going on.

 

[Dave C.]

I don't see what the all fuss is all about, ATX and mATX is fine, why

change
something that works well? It's not that difficult to build a cool and
quiet
PC utilizing the fastest processor from either AMD or Intel.

EXACTLY!!! -Dave

 

[Christo]

Last year Intel announced, BTX, the follow-=on to the ATX form factor.

For example, http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1876

What has happened to BTX? Has it been dropped? Has it been delayed? Is
it
already happening?

from i can see BTX will let us use smaller cases... but will make it a pain
in the backside for people regularly opening their case etc.

picoBTX looks tiny so much so that the graphics card and everything are
installed totally different.

it is gonna be a pain even to just add a new memory module!

from the looks that is... maybe it isnt

 

[Tone-EQ]

For example, 2 optical drives, a front bay fan controller,

I do have a sneaking suspicion that these devices such as fan controllers
and card readers are there to fill a cosmetic void, so to speak, so that
you don't have to look at all those empty panels. Just think of all the
modding that's going on.

I agree in part with what you say. LED fans, illuminous wiring etc, etc. The
Coolermaster AeroGate / Musketeer or whatever they're called are a good
example of this, as they do seem to be a bit over the top.

However, a basic fan controller is handy bit of kit to have if you're
running a high-spec PC. Just turn all the fans up to the max when you load
up Doom3 or render that 400Mb+ plus Photoshop file, whisper quiet for all
the other tasks.

Card readers? I've got a USB model hidden in my desk drawer, I don't use it
often enough to warrant the use of a drive bay.

--
Regards,
Tony. (tony.cue(at)tiscali.co.uk)

Discogs: building the definitive database of electronic music...
http://www.discogs.com

 

[DaveW]

Delayed; probably until 2005.

 

[rstlne]

As a home builder, I don't really mind a large case, but the size of the
steel case also add to the weight of the thing. The computer I use at work
is a proprietary Siemens about half the size and very quiet.


I do have a sneaking suspicion that these devices such as fan controllers
and card readers are there to fill a cosmetic void, so to speak, so that
you don't have to look at all those empty panels. Just think of all the
modding that's going on.

If you want small.. go to ITX .. It's small and would work for so many
people..
The problem is that most people want to spend about 25$ on a case AND power
supply. If they look at some of the 100$(usd) or above solutions t hen they
might just be surprised at some of the "ATX Like" systems that are out
there.. I personally like the power supply out of the way of the motherboard
cause it makes life easy when it comes to cleaning, inspecting, and
installing.

 

[Dorothy Bradbury]

Mostly it looks like it just puts more airflow past Intel's

CPUs, which they already knew would exceed 100W.

Whereupon later architectures will be based upon P-M:
o So the big thermal need for BTX has partly evaporated
o Top Prescott P4s exceed 115W, latest P-M vastly less watts

That said, servers will probably retain high wattage CPUs:
o BTX isn't a good solution for them - it's a desktop solution
o Intel server boards have often been custom board/case design
o Example - Dual-Xeon managing Dual-PCI in a 1U form-factor

Nothing to stop a case being ATX/BTX, it's just "lego".
The BTX PSU is an L shaped incarnation of ATX, more a pain.

Pico-BTX is interesting for small footprint, near Mini-ITX with
broader chipset & processor support. The BTX board offering
has quite a small area for dual-CPU - perhaps a E-BTX like E-ATX.

Motherboard obsolescence by case is overshadowed by RAM/Socket.
For all we know LGA may be relatively short-lived - it's not very robust,
so BTX is just another variable in the usual system design changes.

BTX does try to "Dell-ise" the generic PC - for better & for worse.
Better to buy the solution now than try to "future proof" which can be
both expensive & self-defeating in terms of IT development anyway.

 

[kony]

As a home builder, I don't really mind a large case, but the size of the
steel case also add to the weight of the thing. The computer I use at work
is a proprietary Siemens about half the size and very quiet.

I'm all for heavier cases though, find it disgusting how
tinfoil-like some are and prefer a case at least large
enough that it has a cross-brace. My feeling is that a case
doesn't get moved that often, and when it IS being moved, it
ought to be plenty sturdy to not shift/deform at all.

Small I can understand, but depends on the system, since
office boxes generally have far fewer components than an
enthusiast's box.

I do have a sneaking suspicion that these devices such as fan controllers
and card readers are there to fill a cosmetic void, so to speak, so that
you don't have to look at all those empty panels. Just think of all the
modding that's going on.

Naw, my main box is a pretty bland, even intentionally
understated case... I even hid the LEDS and an IR sensor
behind a small smoked plastic window that looks like it's
merely a 1" black case badge.

Fan controller is hidden behind front bay door and is very
useful... the case is positive pressurized from front and
side filtered intake so the fan controller allows gradually
increasing fan RPM to compensate for filter dust
accumulation, or to put it another way, to keep positive
pressurization so dust only accumulates in the filters which
would otherwise gradually cause a drift to negative pressure
(partly due to being low-flow, quiet fans, only slightly
pressurized to begin with) causing dust to come in all the
little holes/cracks/etc.

As for the flash card reader, if you have digital camera or
anything else with a flash card, IMO it's easily worthwhile
to have a reader and spare flash card or two/three/etc, even
moreso these days with 1GB cards dropping to sub $100
prices, it's another alternative for a very reliable and
easily transportable storage device, in addtion to the
devices you may have that use cards.

 

[Matt]

Nothing to stop a case being ATX/BTX

Witness newegg's only BTX case:

Cooler Master CM Stacker Full-Tower CASE, Model "STC-T01-UW" -RETAIL
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=11-119-042&DEPA=1

It is both ATX and BTX. Looks like a nice case, but costs $175 shipped.

The BTX PSU is an L shaped incarnation of ATX, more a pain.

Is the pinout the same?

 

[Key-Board]

BTX = Bit The (what's a word for "dust" that stars with X?)