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Small form factor (SFF) is used in reference to motherboard form factors that are smaller than the ubiquitous ATX sized board, such as microATX and some proprietary designs. The form factor of a motherboard determines the specifications for its general shape and size and imposes some restrictions on the case and power supply that can be supported, the placement of mounting holes, and the physical layout and organization of the board.
Features
A typical SFF PC is similar to a shoebox or book size in dimensions with a fairly square front profile. Expandability is very limited due to the small form factor, with most commercial offering only providing for one 3.5" and 5.25" external drivebays. They are also typically limited with only two expansion card slots: one for a GPU and one for a PCI/PCI-e x1 card. Some high-end graphics cards may occupy two slots due to large cooling fans/heatsinks. This may limit expansion further, and must be considered when building a high-performance SFF machine.
SFF systems usually ship as barebones units (chassis, motherboard, power supply) due to their proprietary rear backplane layout. Packing everything inside such a small space has led to extensive manufacturer customization of the motherboard and chassis.
Uses
As a result of the smaller motherboard, SFF computers can be far smaller than typical computer cases and are often used in space limited confined areas where normal computers cannot be placed. SFF computers are finding a niche as Home theater PCs as well as for Mobile applications. Small form factor PCs are also commonly used in industrial applications by Scientific, Military, Telecommunications, Industrial, and Control markets.
See also
External links
"Small form factor"