Intel 5x5 is the smallest socketed motherboard form factor

At last week's IDF, Intel revealed a new motherboard form factor called 5x5. The name is a loose reference to the size of the motherboard, it measures 147mm x 140mm, which equals 5.8 inches x 5.5 inches.

Designed for non-gaming Mini PCs, the 5x5 fills a gap between the Mini-ITX form factor and Intel's NUC: it's the smallest socketed board standard, the 5x5 motherboards take standard LGA CPUs and are designed to handle CPUs with a TDP of up to 65W.

The 5x5 form factor takes up 29 percent less surface area than a Mini-ITX motherboard and just like the NUC it can run directly off DC power, removing the need for a clunky internal power supply.

Intel suggests that when using a 35W TDP CPU and M.2 storage, the 5x5 can be used in systems with a volume of as little as 0.85 liters and a height of just 39mm. The 5x5 motherboard form factor uses a fixed position for the CPU socket and supports up to two SODIMM memory modules as well as M.2 and 2.5" SATA storage solutions. There's support for wired and wireless networking but no room for a full-length PCIe slot.

It's unknown when we can expect the first 5x5 motherboards or PCs.