Why is the ATX form factor still around?
I think, now I might be wrong, that my old 486DX2 box from the early 90's could still fit my brand new socket 939 motherboard, more or less.
Why? We have advanced so far in microprocessor technology, why haven't we advanced the board substantially that we stick them into?
ATX-Micro is non-existant (what 8-12 inch video card can you stick on that thing, along with giant CPUfan?), so basically there is only the ATX standard.
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In a world where standards are constantly changing, why has the standard ATX form survived for so long?
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Are there any radical experiments going on to possibly change this? It's not like we are changing to hybrid cars here, needing a huge infrastructure to mount the change.
I was thinking maybe the following will happen in the future:
1. Different shaped motherboards. Could we perhaps make the flat motherboard move curved, helping airflow in crucial areas instead of having it blast over a huge wasteland?
Or maybe a cone shape so that the air "tornado's from the bottom at a point up towards the top.
2. Also, why is the motherboard the largest component of a computer? Why not just make the CPU and Video Card gigantic with a smaller bridge between them?
3. Why house everything in one box? Sure its more convenient, but imagine the heat tradeoffs if we were able to cool each device seperate of its neighbor.
You could possibly use two low powered fans efficiently for each major heating device instead of 2 - 4 massive fans cooling the entire case in a mediocre fashion.
I think, now I might be wrong, that my old 486DX2 box from the early 90's could still fit my brand new socket 939 motherboard, more or less.
Why? We have advanced so far in microprocessor technology, why haven't we advanced the board substantially that we stick them into?
ATX-Micro is non-existant (what 8-12 inch video card can you stick on that thing, along with giant CPUfan?), so basically there is only the ATX standard.
--------
In a world where standards are constantly changing, why has the standard ATX form survived for so long?
-----------
Are there any radical experiments going on to possibly change this? It's not like we are changing to hybrid cars here, needing a huge infrastructure to mount the change.
I was thinking maybe the following will happen in the future:
1. Different shaped motherboards. Could we perhaps make the flat motherboard move curved, helping airflow in crucial areas instead of having it blast over a huge wasteland?
Or maybe a cone shape so that the air "tornado's from the bottom at a point up towards the top.
2. Also, why is the motherboard the largest component of a computer? Why not just make the CPU and Video Card gigantic with a smaller bridge between them?
3. Why house everything in one box? Sure its more convenient, but imagine the heat tradeoffs if we were able to cool each device seperate of its neighbor.
You could possibly use two low powered fans efficiently for each major heating device instead of 2 - 4 massive fans cooling the entire case in a mediocre fashion.