Form factor (design)

Form factor is a hardware design aspect that defines and prescribes the size, shape, and other physical specifications of components, particularly in electronics.

[1][2] A form factor may represent a broad class of similarly sized components, or it may prescribe a specific standard.

As electronic hardware has become smaller following Moore's law and related patterns, ever-smaller form factors have become feasible.

Specific technological advances, such as PCI Express, have had a significant design impact, though form factors have historically evolved slower than individual components.

[4] Computer form factors comprise a number of specific industry standards for motherboards, specifying dimensions, power supplies, placement of mounting holes and ports, and other parameters.