In the area of
IBM compatible personal computers, the
AT form factor referred to the dimensions and layout (
form factor) of the
motherboard for the
IBM AT. Like the
IBM PC and
IBM XT models before it, many third-party manufacturers produced motherboards compatible with the IBM AT form factor, allowing end users to upgrade their computers for faster processors. The IBM AT became a widely copied design in the booming home computer market of the 1980s.
IBM clones made at the time began using
AT compatible designs, contributing to its popularity. In the 1990s many computers still used AT and its variants. Since 1997, the AT form factor has been largely supplanted by
ATX.