What's the latest on the BTX case ?

[RedBack]

Has AMD made up it's mind to go down the BTX road?

-------------------------------
The bigger issue is, however, that although Intel is driving this
transition to the BTX form factor, it is certain that, at for the
moment, AMD is not moving in this direction. AMD with the launch of
Athlon 64 is still sticking with the standard ATX form factor. This
does present a serious problem for the case manufacturer, because as
the transition to the BTX form factor begins, they will be forced to
offer both ATX designs along with the new BTX products when they start
to make their appearance
-------------------------------
from
http://www.tomshardware.com/business/20030925/

I know this is a couple months old but I haven't been able to find any
updated info on it.

RedBack

 

[Anon]

Has AMD made up it's mind to go down the BTX road?

-------------------------------
The bigger issue is, however, that although Intel is driving this
transition to the BTX form factor, it is certain that, at for the
moment, AMD is not moving in this direction. AMD with the launch of
Athlon 64 is still sticking with the standard ATX form factor. This
does present a serious problem for the case manufacturer, because as
the transition to the BTX form factor begins, they will be forced to
offer both ATX designs along with the new BTX products when they start
to make their appearance
-------------------------------
from
http://www.tomshardware.com/business/20030925/

I know this is a couple months old but I haven't been able to find any
updated info on it.

RedBack

I think you are confused. AMD has no say in the matter. AMD makes CPUs.
Motherboard and case manufacturers are moving to the BTX form factor
dictated by Intel. This means that motherboard manufacturers will soon be
producing BTX form factor motherboards to support both Intel and AMD chips.
The BTX form factor doesn't specify "Intel CPUs Only". And AMD doesn't
specify "ATX motherboards only".

To think of it another way . . . if Chevy dictated that all new cars had to
have SIX wheels, would Goodyear then refuse to sell tires for these new
cars? Unlikely.

If AMD is refusing to comply with BTX, then that is a decision that would
only affect motherboards or cases manufactured BY AMD. Does AMD even make
motherboards or cases? I don't think so.

If you look at the form factor as it is dictated by Intel, you will note
that all the changes from ATX to BTX are cosmetic in nature. It would be
trivial for any motherboard manufacturer to produce a BTX format motherboard
to support any CPU, regardless of who made it. Thus it is the consumer who
will have the final say. If the consumers want BTX form factor AMD systems,
the consumer will have plenty to choose from.

I've read the linked article, and I think the person who wrote it is making
a mountain out of a mole hill. What I got from the article is that AMD is
being slower to support BTX than Intel is. (Well, DUH!!!) We'll probably
see BTX systems with Intel CPUs first, followed by BTX systems with AMD CPUs
less than a year later. No case manufacturers are going to be stuck
producing two different formats of cases. At worst, a lot of the left-over
case stock will be sold to AMD builders in that short interim period before
AMD switches over to BTX. So if you look at it that way, AMD might be doing
case manufacturers a favor. (!)

On a side note though, if it's true that most AMD systems will still be ATX
format for a while, that is yet one more reason not to buy BTX. (!)

-Dave