The AOpen i975Xa-YDG can be called the first of its kind, because it uses Pentium M based processor technology that Intel is not going to release to the desktop until its Conroe launch in Q3 this year. As you can see in the slide above, the platform power requirements are going to change considerably. Intel forecasts enthusiast system processors to remain at a thermal envelope of 130 W, but predicts that dual graphics power requirement will climb from at least 300 to as much as 400 W (!), necessitating at least a 600 W power supply.
The mainstream, however, is going to transition from 95 W processor thermal design power to only 65 W, which we expected. What is interesting, though, is that chipset power requirements are to grow from 25 W today up to 40 W or 45 W next year. In the end, the overall platform power requirements in the mainstream are not going to be much different, although we expect more and more components to be equipped with power saving features.
Form Factor Roadmap
Finally, there seems to be some future for the BTX forma factor. According to what Intel is presenting today, the MicroBTX version is to become the dominant standard for small form factor computers for business and lifestyle applications. New, smaller formats are going to increasingly replace conventional tower, midi tower and desktop chassis solutions, because ongoing integration means that fewer and fewer components need to be added. At the same type, current mini or small form factor PCs are likely to remain with proprietary solutions, which AOpen calls Mobile on Desktop (MoDT).
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Patrick Schmid was the editor-in-chief for Tom's Hardware from 2005 to 2006. He wrote numerous articles on a wide range of hardware topics, including storage, CPUs, and system builds.
