New BTX Form Factor

[mdcrab]

Just found out that a new form factor is coming out:

BTX

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.

Has anyone tried out a new BTX system?

mdcrab

 

[Swanny]

BTX cases and mobos aren't for sale yet AFAIK.

 

[mdcrab]

More info here.

It looks like Intel is the big proponent of this.

mdcrab

 

[lifeguard1999]

BTX is not available yet.

 

[SneakyStuff]

Regaurdless, when it becomes available, don't expect it to be cheap, all this hype about PCI-xpress is going to make this form factor pretty expensive initially, they won't be a necessety for some time to come though. All this hype about pci-x16 graphics cards is just like agp8x, it provides more bandwidth than is even needed, agp4x is still perfectly adequate, and agp8x isn't even close to being saturated, I myself would prolly get a BTX board around 2006 or so, when the new windows comes out, and there are some INSANELY power hungry apps out. (Like half life 3! or DOOM 4 the final encounter! or some junx like that.)

 

[lifeguard1999]

It depends on what you mean by AGP not even being saturated. In the HPC realm, where people are looking into using the GPU as a second CPU, AGP is easily saturated. Interesting enough, AGP 8X is 2 GB/s going from CPU to GPU to framebuffer to video. Readback from the framebuffer is an order of magnitude worse ... 200 MB/s, which hinders its use a second CPU. PCI-Express x16 provides 4 GB/s, and rumor has its readback speed is around 2 GB/s.

Also, please note that PCI-Express is more than just for graphics. It can also be used for Gig-E, I/O, etc. PCI-Express will probably show up on ATX boards before BTX boards come out.

 

[shiftomnimega]

I would like to know if this BTX thing is worth waiting for.

I just bought a new ATX case and I'm looking for a new processor and motherboard.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: shiftomnimega
I would like to know if this BTX thing is worth waiting for.

I just bought a new ATX case and I'm looking for a new processor and motherboard.

Go right ahead with your new system. BTX is not for sale now nor will it be any time soon. On top of it all they will be expensive when they first come out so it will be years before they become a true market equal to ATX.

 

[JackHawksmoor]

Do you even need a new case for BTX? Or only a new power supply? (Or do you need even that?)

EDIT: Looks like I got that backwards. You need a new case, but not a new power supply (I guess). They could have standardized some new power connector that actually provides enough power for current P4 and Athlon systems through one connector (with headroom left over for even more power hungry CPUs).

Yeah, BTX I wouldn't wait for. (My system is SO much faster...cause the motherboard is on the left side of the case! )And the problem with PCI-Express, even if it were available right now is that I bet you won't be able to get great deals like $225 Radeon 9800 Pros for it until it's been out for a while.

That's interesting though about the higher bandwidth with PCI-Express when the CPU is reading back stuff from the GPU. Sounds like a very good thing in the long run.

 

[jrphoenix]

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12

Originally posted by: shiftomnimega
I would like to know if this BTX thing is worth waiting for.

I just bought a new ATX case and I'm looking for a new processor and motherboard.

Go right ahead with your new system. BTX is not for sale now nor will it be any time soon. On top of it all they will be expensive when they first come out so it will be years before they become a true market equal to ATX.

I also have a quick question. I know Intel is pushing the BTX form factor because their processors (Prescott) runs way to hot and will only increase with the frequency increases. Does anyone know if AMD has plans for BTX in the coming months? Their processors are not nearly as hot and don't need the added "airflow" benefits of BTX as far as I know?

Thank you,
James

 

[THUGSROOK]

BTX...

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Form factors are just standardized layouts so that all the different components from several independant companies can fit together into one system. Intel might be an advocate of this because their CPUs are hot and BTX might help with air flow over the CPU, however Intel does have their own retial boxed line of motherboards as well, and will most likely have their motherboards produced in a BTX format. On the other hand I believe AMD primarily just produces their CPUs (they no longer even produce motherboard chipsets like Intel does) and they'll just keep producing the CPUs and which ever format happens to be the most popular and/or effective one for their processors will most likely just naturally come to place for them.