AMD introduces DTX open standard to boost SFF adoption

Although vanilla desktop PCs have (generally) been the same size and shape for years, the small form factor world has never really settled down, and while various other protocols have been thrown out there, no one has actually stepped up the task of standardized an SFF chassis until now. AMD has just announced the DTX "open standard," which the firm hopes will "enable broad adoption" of the SFF PC in order to deliver "innovative solutions to market that are smaller, quieter, desktop-friendly," and less taxing on the ecosystem. Reportedly, the DTX standard "will be designed to embrace energy-efficient processors and allow an optimally designed small form factor system to consume less power and generate less noise." Additionally, an open standard that's widely embraced will make the lives of OEMs much easier, and will hopefully give us folks looking for those wee PCs a bit more choice when it comes to picking one up. Notably, it seems that Asus has latched on already, boasting that it will start busting out DTX-compliant motherboards here shortly, likely to be bundled in some fashion with an AMD chip. If all goes as planned, this open standard should actually decrease manufacturing costs across the board over time, and AMD stated that a "review copy of the DTX specifications" should be made available sometime this quarter.

[Via Inquirer]

[Frank @ Jan 11th 2007 8:57AM]

Yeah, I'm still waiting for BTX to hit big!!

[xero @ Jan 11th 2007 9:25AM]

Whats wrong w/ the Mini-itx standard?! Via and Intel have been using this for a while now. The size is right, the power consumtion is right, why go and make a whole new spec? You want see what i'm talking about, go to Mini-ITX.com.

[Matt B @ Jan 11th 2007 9:26AM]

That board is tiny. The CPU takes up 25% of the board.

[Will @ Jan 11th 2007 11:00AM]

First off Intel has officially dumped BTX.
The thing I don't get is why the hell AMD does not just get behind Mini-itx.. I have great little single din pc that can be installed in a dashboard, its really starting to take hold and now AMD are throwing a monkey wrench at the whole SFF scene...
Also my via cpu probably takes up about 1/16th of my board. check out the specs of a via epia sp13000 and then tell us what this board does.

[glacia @ Jan 11th 2007 2:13PM]

I agree that the original mini-itx or the newer nano-itx from Via Tech would be the better platform to standardize around. However standards abhor an existing product particularly one that is already the defacto standard. I seldom use the word love in conjunction with any device but the mini-itx is so fun to work with.

Unfortunately I haven't done anything with the nano-itx that Via started working on in 2004 but it's even smaller than the mini 12X12 cm.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jan 11th 2007 6:28PM]

AMD + Open Standards x Industry Love -(intel's Not invented here syndrome)= Intel will counter this will some propretary format in the same way intel responded to hypertransport by coming up with their own version.

Intel=Sony.

[mai9 @ Jan 11th 2007 10:09PM]

mini-ITX is smaller than DTX. AMD may want something bigger.