Quote:
Originally posted by John Prophet
size difference http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/2...minipc-08.html
Im am a little confused with the new form factors
Are they called SFF or mini pc or what??
Seems that some of them use micro atx supplies while some use "mini atx" |
I have a mini-itx computer. it's a form factor of a motherboard by Via, which measures 17cm x 17cm. it uses a 150watt psu, but can use any sort of [micro] ATX-compatible psu. the mini-itx boards come with their cpu's soldered onto the board, making upgrades difficult, if not impossible. great marketing idea, for this guarantees obsolescence within a few years. my mini-itx has an 800mhz cpu on it, with 512mb ram. the mini itx standard EPIA-V motherboard has only one pci slot, and no agp slot.
SFF (small form factor) pc's are becoming cheaper than what I paid for my
mini-itx and have much faster processors, making them powerful little machines! they use standard processors (intel and amd), and have an agp slot as well as more than one pci slot, making it easier to upgrade and morph with the times. these pc's generally use more power than their mini-itx predecessors, and therefore use a more powerful psu. common on the Shuttle puters are psu's with more than 200watts of power. these are most likely standard ATX psu's, though I'm not as well versed in this as I am with the mini-itx.
finally, the micro-atx standard does not apply to Via's motherboards which bear resemblance to their Mini-ITX standard; it instead refers to a type of case, in which a proprietary motherboard is installed, much like a Dell or HP. these cases come with psu's installed already, and are usually customized for the micro-atx's unique power demands.
if you're purchasing a mini-ITX puter, be sure not to confuse that with the
micro-atx form factor, or you could face problems down the line with compatibility.
I think that you can be safe to call the modern mini desktop computers by the name "Small Form Factor (SFF)" and get away with the generalization. be careful whom you talk to when describing your needs though. it could mean the difference between a compatible, powerful system, and an incompatible system capable of little more than holding down your receipts in a stiff breeze. (I used to do a lot of creative writing, heh heh)
I built my mini-itx puter in the summer of 2003, and have not delved much into the research involved a buyer in today's market should. I have represented the facts here to the best of my knowledge, but if I happen to have some facts wrong, please feel free to correct me.
I hope I have been of assistance.
~Branson
Woo Hoo! my 500th post! 
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