First BTX Motherboards Hit Shelves

7 Jan, 2005 at 1:23am ET Article published in Tech

Though Intel has been promoting the spec for a while, the company only recently rolled out its first retail BTX boards.

Intel’s new BTX (Balanced Technology Extended) specification gives motherboards a makeover. The company says that the new motherboard and chassis spec uses fewer fans, resulting in PCs that run more quietly, and possibly at a lower temperature, than those based on the aging ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) standard found in most of today’s PCs. To that end, BTX boards sport significant changes in component layout and thermal engineering.

Though Intel has been promoting the spec for a while, the company only recently rolled out its first retail BTX boards. It expects to offer three variants (all 10.5 inches long): standard BTX, with seven or fewer PCI Express slots (up to 12.8 inches wide each); MicroBTX (pictured, up to 10.3 inches wide), with four or fewer slots; and PicoBTX, with one slot (up to 7.9 inches wide).

Intel’s first two boards are both MicroBTX models; the chip maker has begun shipping CPUs with the Type I BTX Thermal Module (which replaces the traditional heat sink and fan combination), too. Companies such as AOpen have begun to offer BTX-based chassis, since you can’t place a BTX motherboard and Thermal Module in an ATX case. Expect standard BTX and PicoBTX boards to emerge sometime this year.

Source: PC World

Comments

7 Jan 2005 ~ 1:27am Sputnik Taking bets on what CTX will stand for come 2012. any ideas people?
7 Jan 2005 ~ 1:47am entropy Crap Technology Extended.
7 Jan 2005 ~ 4:34am deicist "3) Intel will offer two Thermal Module types with its retail CPUs. Type I (pictured) works with a wide range of cases; Type II is a lower-profile design for smaller PCs. With BTX cases, vendors will include a metal Support Retention Module, to handle the hefty (2.8 pounds, and 5.4 by 3.9 by 4.5 inches) Thermal Module. AMD says that it has no plans to make its own Thermal Modules, noting that its current standard heat sink and fan (pictured; 0.8 pounds, and 3 by 2.3 by 2.8 inches) adequately cool its CPUs."

oh, Intel got burnt!
7 Jan 2005 ~ 4:48am TheSmJ I thought AMD wasn't going to support BTX?

Guess they changed their minds.
7 Jan 2005 ~ 4:54am Thrax They aren't. That's not stopping AMD motherboard makers from trying.
7 Jan 2005 ~ 10:43am RWB

deicist wrote:

"3) Intel will offer two Thermal Module types with its retail CPUs. Type I (pictured) works with a wide range of cases; Type II is a lower-profile design for smaller PCs. With BTX cases, vendors will include a metal Support Retention Module, to handle the hefty (2.8 pounds, and 5.4 by 3.9 by 4.5 inches) Thermal Module. AMD says that it has no plans to make its own Thermal Modules, noting that its current standard heat sink and fan (pictured; 0.8 pounds, and 3 by 2.3 by 2.8 inches) adequately cool its CPUs."

oh, Intel got burnt!

Wow, with just a few words, AMD just reemed Intel. They could have also said, "IN YOUR FACE, BAM!!"
7 Jan 2005 ~ 3:07pm csimon I like the idea of a compact mobo with only a few pci slots personally ...I think that an overclock friendly mobile amd 64 bit proc would be quite "cool" in one. The mods would be interesting as well.
7 Jan 2005 ~ 3:21pm mmonnin The CPU might stay cool but your video card is going to heat up like a little mother.
7 Jan 2005 ~ 10:42pm muddocktor That's right, Marc. Nowdays you are dealing with more than just cpu heat, with a 6800 ultra consuming over 70 watts of power.
8 Jan 2005 ~ 10:16am mmonnin Or 2.