A small form factor ( SFF ) is a computer form factor designed to minimize the volume and trace of desktop computers. For comparison purposes, the SFF case size is usually measured in liters. SFF is available in various sizes and shapes, including shoe boxes, cubes, and PC-sized books. Their smaller and often lighter construction has made them popular as a PC home theater and as a gambling computer for a LAN party. Manufacturers also emphasize SFF aesthetic and ergonomic designs because users are more likely to place it on a desk or carry it. Advances in component technology along with size reduction mean powerful computers are no longer confined to old big towers.
Small form factors do not include traditionally small computing devices, such as embedded or cellular systems. However, the "small form factor" has no normative definition and is consequently open to interpretation and abuse. Manufacturers often provide definitions that serve the interests of their products. According to marketing strategy, one manufacturer may decide to mark their product as a "small form factor", while other manufacturers use different marketing names (such as "Minitower", "Microtower" or "Desktop") for similar personal computers or even small footprints.
Video Small form factor
Histori
SFF stands for initially standing for "Shuttle Form Factor," describing a shoe box-sized personal computer with two expansion slots. 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".
SFF initially refers to a smaller system than Micro-ATX. The term SFF is used in contrast to terms for larger systems such as "mini-tower" and "desktop."
Maps Small form factor
Features
Small form factor computers are generally designed to support the same features as modern desktop computers, but in smaller spaces. Most receive standard x86 microprocessors, standard DIMM memory modules, standard 3.5-inch hard disks, and standard 5.25-inch optical drives.
However, small size cases of SFF may limit expansion options; many commercial offerings only provide one 3.5 inch drive space and one or two external bays 5.25 inches. Standard CPU heatsinks are not always compatible with SFF computers, so some manufacturers provide special cooling systems. Although limited to one or two expansion cards, some have room for extended // 4 cards like GeForce GTX-295. Most SFF computers use an integrated motherboard that contains many on-board peripherals, thus reducing the need for expansion cards.
Even if labeled "SFF", cases of cubes that support the full-size power supply (PS2 form factor) actually have a microATX form factor. Real SFF systems use TFX or smaller power supplies, and some require an external "power brick" laptop-style.
Some SFF computers even include compact components designed for mobile computers, such as notebook optical drives, notebook memory modules, notebook processors, and external AC adapters, rather than the internal power supply units found in full-size desktop computers.
type SFF
Many different types of SFF are categorized loosely by shape and size. The ones below are available in 2013.
Cubic
Many SFF computers have cubic shapes. Smaller models are usually sold as barebone units, including casing, motherboard, and power supply designed to fit together. The motherboard is flat with the bottom of the casing. The upgrade options may be limited by non-standard motherboards, narrow interior spaces, and power flow and airflow issues. Power Mac G4 Cube, released in 2000, and Shuttle XPC are good examples of this design. MSI and Asus produce similar designs. Modular Computer Xi3 is an example of a computer cube with little upgrade possibilities.
Shuttle has adapted several XPC models to alternately receive mini-ITX motherboards. The XPC base is equipped with an installation point that accommodates both the "Shuttle form factor" (ShFF) and the mini-ITX motherboard. To accommodate the mini-ITX motherboard, two ShFF installation points are moved away (the other two mini-ITX install points are the same as the ShFF installation point). A "standard" ShFF motherboard is 8Ã, 1/8? as wide as 10? 3/4? in, with an I/O shield and two PCI slots located just like the mini-ITX motherboard. Most ShFF systems use the Shuttle (liquid) heat pipe cooling system, "Integrated Cooling Engine" (ICE), for processors, although some also have hot-tube heaters for voltage regulators or chip sets (Northbridge). When the ShFF motherboard is replaced with a mini-ITX motherboard, an Intel or compatible fan must replace the ICE unit. ICFF Shff Fan is designed so that it can be changed as case fan when the casing has been converted into mini-ITX usage: Special fan retaining screw is used instead of the ICE thumb unit screw.
AOpen Inc. resulting in a stackable S120 case, allowing users to stack up to four components vertically or horizontally. These layers can be for additional cards, optical drives, and hard drives, using an internal power supply or external AC adapter power source. After S120, AOpen makes the case of a smaller form factor for systems with Micro ATX and Mini-ITX.
Nettop
Until 2005, the SFF case was usually sold as a barebone unit (casing, power supply, and motherboard) to an integrater system and home builder. In 2005, Apple Inc. introduced its Mac Mini (1.4L volume, excluding external power brick). Later that same year, the first AOpen mini PC MP915 (changed to XC mini in 2007 because "mini PC" can not be registered as a trademark), announced. The size of the XC-165 (W) Mini PC Series ÃÆ'â € "50 (H) ÃÆ'â €" 165 (D) mm - makes it one of the smallest desktop PC systems (volume 1.3L). It was criticized for looking like an Apple Mac Mini, but Apple has not taken action on this subject. In February 2007, AOpen redesigned the case of the MP945 mini PC series.
Since 2006, major OEM PC brands such as HP and Dell have started to sell fully assembled SFF systems. These are often described as bookcase units because they resemble miniature minaret cases small enough to fit on a bookcase. The HP Slimline and Dell C521 series (volume 1.65Ã, L) are good examples of this trend. The Maxdata Favorite 300XS is another mini computer. HP Slimline uses a non-standard motherboard that is very similar in size to Mini-ITX.
In addition to its industrial use, a very small Mini-ITX motherboard form factor has also been incorporated into the SFF computer. It's often very compact, incorporating low power components like the VIA C3 processor. The Travla C134 is an example of this design; this is somewhat larger than the Mac mini (7ÃÆ' â € "10ÃÆ' â €" 2 "vs 6.5ÃÆ' â €" 6.5ÃÆ' â € "2"), and barely larger than the standard 5.25 "optical drive.
Starting in 2007, several other companies have released other small computers that are small in size, focus on low price, and very high power efficiency (typically 10 W or lower in use). These include Zonbu, fit-PC, Linutop, and A9home. With the release of Intel ATOM CPU, AOpen also makes Nettop system: uBox series with LE200 and LE210 models. The UBox series complements the Intel Atom 270/330 dual core processor, single channel DDR-II 533/667 memory, Intel 945GC ICH7 chipset, three SATA connectors and 5.1 channel high-definition audio output.
Home theater box
Basically, bookcase-style cases lying on their sides, miniature HTPCs replicate the look of smaller home theater components from shelves such as DVRs or mini audio receivers. The front panel interface is emphasized, with the optical disk drive rotated relative to the chassis to maintain horizontal mounting, and more motherboard port connectors (such as for USB) are routed to the front panel; they are usually as powerful as desktop PCs.
Computer-on-module
Computer-on-module (COM) is a complete computer built on a single circuit board. They are often used as embedded systems because of their small physical size and low power consumption. Gumstix is ​​one of the COM manufacturers.
Ultra-Small Form Factor
Each Dell Computer Optiplex line model typically includes an Ultra-Small Form Factor (USFF) chassis option. In the era of Core 2, this machine uses a 3.5-inch desktop hard disk and external power supplies, such as Optiplex 745 and 755. The newer units use 2.5 "hard drive laptops and have integrated power supply, such as the Optiplex 990 USFF. the compact ones come with limited development costs, because the USFF model does not have PCI or PCIe slots and may have limited CPU and memory options.
Ultra-succinct Form Factor
Understood as part of the nano-ITX board (12 cm ÃÆ'â € "12 cm) and pico-ITX (10 cm ÃÆ'â €" 7.2 cm), this format is championed by Via Technologies. Intel now describes its Next Unit of Computing (NUC) product (4 ÃÆ'â € "4 inches, approximately 10 ÃÆ'â €" 10 cm) as UCFF.
See also
- Modeling case
- Comparison of single board computers
- Nettop
- PC-on-a-stick
- One board microcontroller
- List of compatibles Arduino
- SFF-GIS
- Low profile video card
- Mini-ITX
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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