| Comparison Of Computer Form Factors |
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| motherboard | |
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This article compares the various Motherboard Form Factor s - that is, the different sizes and standards of motherboard which have been defined and are able to be purchased. OVERVIEW OF FORM FACTORS A PC motherboard is the main Circuit Board within a typical Desktop Computer , Laptop or Server . It has a number of functions of which the main ones are:
As new generations of components have been developed, the standards of motherboards have changed too - for example with AGP being introduced, and more recently PCI Express . However the basic standardized size and layout of motherboard have changed much more slowly, and are controlled by their own standards. This is helped by the fact that in many ways, the list of components a motherboard must include changes far slower than the components themselves. For example, North Bridge controllers have changed many times since their original introduction, with many manufacturers bringing out their own versions, but in terms of form factor standards, the requirement to allow for a north bridge has remained fairly static for many years. Although it is a slower process, form factors do evolve regularly in response to changing demands. The original PC standard (AT) was superseded in 1995 by the current industry standard ATX , which still dictates the size and design of the motherboard in most modern PCs The latest update to the ATX standard was released in 2004 . A divergent standard by Chipset manufacturer VIA called EPIA is based upon smaller form factors and its own standards. Differences between form factors are most apparent in terms of their intended market sector, and involve variations in size, design compromises and typical features. Most modern computers have very similar requirements, so form factor differences tend to be based upon subsets and supersets of these. For example, a desktop computer may require more sockets for maximal flexibility and many optional connectors and other features on-board, whereas a computer to be used in a Multimedia system may need to be optimized for heat and size, with additional plug-in cards being less common. The smallest motherboards may sacrifice CPU flexibility in favor of a fixed manufacturer's choice. COMPARISONS Tabular information Graphical comparison of physical sizes VISUAL EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT FORM FACTORS |
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