Small form factor (desktop and motherboard)
Small form factor (
For comparison purposes, the size of an SFF case is usually measured in
Small
History
The acronym SFF originally stood for "Shuttle Form Factor," describing shoebox-sized personal computers with two expansion slots.[5] The meaning of SFF evolved to include other, similar PC designs from brands such as AOpen and First International Computer, with the word "Small" replacing the word "Shuttle".
The term SFF is used in contrast with terms for larger systems such as "mini-towers" and "desktops."[6]
Features
Small form factor computers are generally designed to support the same features as modern
However, the small size of SFF cases may limit expansion options; many commercial offerings provide only one 8.9 cm (3.5")
Even if labeled "SFF," cube-style cases that support full-sized (PS2 form factor) power supplies actually have a microATX form factor. True SFF systems use SFX, TFX or smaller power supplies [citation needed], and some require a laptop-style external "power brick."
Some SFF computers even include compact components designed for
Enthusiast community and crowdfunding
Crowdfunding and availability of rapid prototyping tools has enabled the production of several mini-ITX cases focusing on efficiently organizing commercial computer components into small volumes including the Ghost S1,[14][15] DAN A4-SFX,[16][17] and Thor Zone MJOLNIR.[18][19] Communities of enthusiasts[20][21][22] and reviewers[23] now develop and promote enhanced SFF assembly, maintenance, and performance criteria. 3D printing and Laser cutting have enabled customization and one-off production by both manufacturers like Lazer3D[24] and individual users[25] with access to the relevant equipment.
SFF types
The many different types of SFFs[26] are categorized loosely by their shape and size. The types below are available as of 2013[update].
Cubic / Shoebox
Many SFF computers have a cubic shape. Smaller models are typically sold as
Shuttle has adapted several of its XPC models (some 5-series and most later) to alternately accept mini-ITX motherboards. The base of the XPC is provided with mounting points which accommodate both "Shuttle form factor" (ShFF) and mini-ITX motherboards. In order to accommodate mini-ITX motherboards, two of the ShFF mounting points are simply relocated (the remaining mini-ITX mounting points are in common with the remaining ShFF mounting points). A "standard" ShFF motherboard is 20.6 cm (8 1/8″) wide by 27.3 cm (10 3/4″) deep, with the I/O shield and the two PCI slots being located in common with mini-ITX motherboards. Most ShFF systems utilize Shuttle's proprietary heat pipe (liquid cooling) system, "Integrated Cooling Engine" (ICE), for the processor, although several also feature heat pipe cooling for the voltage regulator and/or the chip set (Northbridge). When an ShFF system is upgraded to a mini-ITX motherboard, an Intel or compatible processor fan must replace the ICE cooler. The ShFF's ICE computer fan is so designed that it may be repurposed as a case fan when the case is upgraded to mini-ITX use. When so upgraded, the repurposed fan would be connected to the motherboard's case fan connector (3-pin) while the new CPU fan would be connected to the motherboard's CPU fan connector (4-pin).
Sandwich
The graphics card is placed behind the motherboard and psu, connecting to it via a pcie x16 extension cable. This design is popular with SFF enthusiasts as it packs the highest performance hardware into the smallest possible space while providing adequate cooling. Water cooling radiators maybe added on to the top, bottom or sides to further increase cooling capacity. A thin tpu sheet (electric insulator to prevent back of motherboard and back of graphics card touching each other, short circuit) maybe placed between the motherboard/psu and graphics card to implement separate airflow zones, isolating heat sources from each other to improve cooling (as the heat from one part cannot negatively impact the cooling/performace of another part).[28][29]
Console
Resembles a gaming console such as Xbox One or PlayStation 4, graphics card is placed directly above or below motherboard and psu. Graphics card is connected to motherboard with a pcie x16 extension cable. This form factor is popular for those with a lack of desk or floor space as the footprint is small when placed vertically. It may also fit nicely into a tv cabinet/shelf and act as a cheaper, faster, upgradable alternative to gaming consoles. The graphics card maybe sectioned off internally as to isolate it from the heat produced by the cpu.[30][31]
Nettop
Until 2005, SFF cases were usually sold as barebones units (case, power supply, and motherboard) to system integrators and home-based builders. In 2005,
Since 2006, major OEM PC brands such as HP and Dell have begun to sell fully assembled SFF systems. These are often described as bookshelf units since they resemble a miniature tower case small enough to fit on a bookshelf. The HP Slimline series and Dell Dimension C521 (volume 1.65 L) are good examples of this trend. The Maxdata Favorite 300XS is another mini computer. The HP Slimline uses a non-standard motherboard that is very similar in size to Mini-ITX.[32]
In addition to its industrial use, the extremely small
Beginning in 2007, several other companies have released other very small computers that besides a small size, focus on a low price, and extremely high power efficiency (typically 10 W or below in use). These include the Zonbu, fit-PC, Linutop, and A9home. With the release of Intel Atom CPU, AOpen also made Nettop systems: the uBox series with model LE200 and LE210.[33] The uBox series equips a dual core Intel Atom 270/330 processor, single channel DDR-II 533/667 memory, Intel 945GC+ICH7 chipset, three SATA connectors and 5.1 channel high definition audio output.
Home theatre boxes
Essentially a bookshelf-style case lying on its side, a miniature
Computer-on-module
A
Ultra-Small Form Factor
Each model of Dell's
Micro
Starting from Series 5, USFF was replaced with Micro variants, an even smaller size option that uses
Ultra-compact Form Factor
Understood as comprising nano-ITX (12 × 12 cm) and pico-ITX (10 × 7.2 cm) boards, the format was championed by VIA Technologies.[34] Intel now describes its own Next Unit of Computing (NUC) products (10.2 x 10.2 cm or 4 × 4") as UCFF.[35]
See also
- ATX
- Case modding
- Nettop
- PC-on-a-stick
- Mac mini
- Business SFF-class nettops: Dell ProDesk and EliteDesk
- Single-board microcontroller
- List of Arduino compatibles
- Small Form Factor Committee
- Small Form Factor Special Interest Group (SFF-SIG)
- Low-profile video card
- Mini-ITX
References
- ^ "Tom's Hardware: For The Hardcore PC Enthusiast". Tom's Hardware.
- ^ "Small Form Factor PCs - Fierce PC". www.fiercepc.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
- ^ Joe Rybicki (May 2007). "The Incredible Shrinking Game Machine! Part One: The Small Form-Factor PC". Games for Windows: The Official Magazine (6): 92–96.
Yes, early small form-factor machines (let's just call 'em SFFs) had some issues. OK, a lot of issues. Designed for the gimpiest casual user, these mini-PCs didn't offer many options in the way of upgrades or power. The cases were often too small to fit a full-size videocard [...] Still, two very specific users saw the SFFs' potential. First, home theater enthusiasts realized that these pint-sized PCs made for ideal media center hubs, and second, LAN partygoers naturally glommed on to them for the portability factor. [...] we could see the SFF market gaining a lot more momentum. Until then, enjoy being the first on your block to squeeze a full-size tower's worth of top-level gear into a shoebox-size package.
- ^ "SilverStone Technology Co., Ltd. What is SFF (SG03)?". silverstonetek.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ "Choosing the PC Case That's Right For You - www.sysopt.com". 2012-05-10. Archived from the original on 2012-05-10. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
- ^ "Choosing the PC Case That's Right For You - www.sysopt.com". 2012-05-10. Archived from the original on 2012-05-10. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
- ^ "Assembly And BIOS - Shuttle's SX58H7 Ultra-Portable Core i7 Platform". tomshardware.com. 1 May 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ James, Dave (December 1, 2020). "The best mini-ITX case in 2020". PC Gamer.
- ^ "Q&A: Why do new laptops not come with optical drives?". October 23, 2020.
- ^ "Why Do Most New PCs Not Come With DVD or Blu-Ray Drives?". Lifewire.
- ^ "Disc Deathbed: Is the Optical Drive Obsolete? | Laptop Mag". www.laptopmag.com. 23 July 2011.
- ^ "Why you might still want an optical drive | PCWorld". www.pcworld.com.
- ^ "The death of disk? HDDs still have an important role to play". September 2, 2019.
- ^ "Ghost S1 MkII". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "Louqe". Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "DAN Cases A4-SFX v2 - an ultra-compact SFF case". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "DAN Cases". Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "MJOLNIR: The minimalistic – but not boring – PC Case". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "MJOLNIR". Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "SFF.Network". Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "Small Form Factor PC". reddit. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "Small Form Factor Systems | [H]ard|Forum". 2022-01-08. Archived from the original on 2022-01-08. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
- ^ "Optimum Tech". YouTube. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "Lazer3D - High Performance SFF PC Cases". Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "THINGS TAGGED WITH 'SFF'". Retrieved 2020-02-16.
- ^ "List of Small Form Factors," PC/104 and Small Form Factors, 2008
- ^ S120 spec: http://global.aopen.com/products_detail.aspx?auno=2367
- ^ "NCASE". NCASE. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
- ^ "DAN Cases". www.dan-cases.com. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
- ^ "Console | Sliger". sliger.com. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
- ^ "DR ZĄBER SENTRY 2.0 - Console-sized gaming PC case". zaber.com.pl. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
- ^ "HP and Compaq Desktop PCs - Motherboard Specifications, PTGV-DM (Onyx2)". hp.com. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ uBox news: http://global.aopen.com/news_detail.aspx?auno=10309&ntype=Product%20News
- ^ "GIGABYTE's Haswell BRIX Lineup Updated with BRIX s Models". AnandTech. Retrieved 2014-01-13.
- ^ "Intel® NUC Board D33217GKE". Intel.com. Retrieved 2014-01-13.