Space Availability
There is a limited amount of space available in any vehicle for installation of any additions. For a computer installation, "smaller is better" is the general rule. The smaller form factors of motherboards and systems make popular choices for vehicle installations.

Pico-ITX motherboards are new to the market and are now the smallest motherboard on the market. These boards are mostly only available in bulk orders, keeping them out of the reach of the average consumer, but with a form factor of only 4.5" X 3.3" (10cm x 7.2cm) these boards are ideal for vehicles with little space.

Nano-ITX motherboards are the smallest available consumer motherboards. As with all small-sized electronics, they are more expensive. Due to the limitations of the small size, they are also lower in computing power compared to a typical desktop PC. Nano-ITX motherboards measure 4.8" X 4.8"(12cm X 12cm).

Mini-ITX motherboards are small enough to fit in a standard DIN-sized dash opening. We offer a range of motherboards with built-in CPUs that range in speed from 600mhz to 2.0Ghz. There are also models that will accommodate a P4 CPU. They measure a little less than 6.7" X 6.7" (17cm X 17cm).

Micro-ATX motherboards are designed to mount in a case designed for its larger ATX counterpart, yet still be smaller in size. The official specification calls for a maximum size for 9.6" X 9.6" (24.4cm X 24.4cm), although many are not as large as the maximum specification. Micro-ATX motherboards exist for any CPU manufactured.

Heat Dissipation
Heat is the enemy of all electronics. Keeping a computer cool is necessary in order to keep it stable and trouble-free. Computer components generate heat that must be be removed from the general vicinity of the component(s). Generally, lower-power hardware generate less heat, but it still must be dealt with to ensure stable, reliable operation.

Power Consumption
There is a limited amount of electrical power available in a vehicle. As such, the amount of power drawn by the PC must not overload the vehicle electrical system so that the important systems of the vehicle will be able to operate.

Space Availability
There is a limited amount of space available in any vehicle for installation of any additions. For a computer installation, "smaller is better" is the general rule. The smaller form factors of motherboards and systems make popular choices for vehicle installations.