AMD Introduces The DTX Form Factor Author:  Jason Jacobs Date:  2007.10.22 Topic:  Motherboards Provider:  AMD Manufacturer:  AMD

A look At DTX:

Initially slated for mid 2007 the DTX standard is not far behind schedule and with, it seems good reason. The myriad of vendor and manufacturer support for DTX is growing pretty large with the major companies adopting support for both aftermarket hardware and initial availability of systems based on DTX boards. The system we received at TechwareLabs was a prototype system intended to provide us with a window into the technology and potential uses.

DTX System As Provided: AMD BE-2350 Micron 1GB DDR 2 PC5300 Seagate Barracuda ES 250 GB SATA HD AMD Reference Design based on the RS690 Chipset AMD/ATI Integrated X1200 Video Enhance 250 Watt PSU

While this system will not be breaking any land speed records the system does represent what most consumers would consider as a standard system capable of all the tasks that most people need a system for. All of the components included with the test system are low power consumption and more importantly quiet. Even the Enhance 250Watt PSU which is not the most efficient low power PSU on the market is remarkably quiet. We are told future revisions of the chassis will include venting over the PSU area to improve cooling for that component. As you can see the system looks very much like a DVR or DVD player with approximately the same size. Systems based around this compact new standard should be capable of being used in a multitude of capacities that range from a media center PC to a car-puter or office PC. The beauty of DTX is that it shares so much in common with the existing ATX standard for which there already exists so much hardware support.

Does this mean smaller, lighter, more efficient PCs that take up less room? Yes that's exactly what AMD is going for since that is what the consumers and primarily businesses seem to want. Imaging a few years of having to deal with P4 Northwood towers with screaming CPU coolers filling up 50 cubicles in your business and you can see why power bills skyrocketed and polo shirts have become much more common in the workplace. Businesses and consumers are now screaming for smaller, equally capable, and cooler running systems. Business owners see lowered electric bills, employees see more desktop space, and consumers can sleep at night without the sound of a vacuum cleaner in their system to keep it cool.

But really what does DTX do for you? We have said it in previous reviews and continue to re-state that AMD is not only an innovator but consistently prove that they listen to consumers needs and respond. AMD has seized an opportunity here with DTX to offer a new form factor with system capable of running cooler and being smaller while still retaining cross platform compatibility with quite a bit of existing hardware. In the end DTX means that you can look forward to seeing more SFF PCs at retailers like Best Buy, your local computer store, and online. Now of course you can find SFF systems in all three of the aforementioned places currently but the odds are that DTX systems will offer a level of customization that just doesn't exist today.

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