AMD have announced a new DTX platform and with it, Mini-DTX. Both platforms will be open standards, and not limited to AMD chipsets and processors. Of particular interest to us is the Mini-DTX platform which has a board size of 200 x 170mm, which may give room for an additional expansion slot compared to the single slot limitation of the 170 x 170mm Mini-ITX platform.
The rest of AMD's press release is standard stuff: low TDP (Thermal Design Power) processors; backwards mounting point compatibility with ATX enclosures; reduced noise, energy costs, size and heat will all sound very familiar (and worthwhile) to regular readers of this site.
Intel's BTX, Micro-BTX and Pico-BTX standards have been met with tepid enthusiasm in the marketplace since they were introduced a couple of years ago. Rigid specifications for component placement and cooling were impractical for AMD solutions, and consumers and manufacturers alike failed to see any real benefits. Whether the world is ready for another small form factor standard remains to be seen - the majority of small form factor PCs are built around proprietary board sizes, and a lot can be crammed onto a Mini-ITX board.
Note: we couldn't find a picture of a Mini-DTX. So we used a picture of AMD's David Schwarzbach holding a PCB panel containing four DTX boards.
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