AMD introduced the Radeon R9 285 over the weekend. The card uses an updated "Tonga" GPU, and it's set to start at $249. Most of the implementations pictured around the web are full-sized offerings with beefy coolers. However, Sapphire has cooked up something decidedly smaller.

At 6.7", the ITX Compact Edition is about 3" shorter than Sapphire's standard R9 285. It also matches the length of the Mini-ITX motherboard form factor—and the diminutive cases built to accommodate it. Mind the double-wide cooler, though. You'll still need an enclosure with dual expansion slot brackets.

Sapphire has two versions of the mini R9 285. The standard model runs at stock speeds, while the OC variant gives the GPU a miniscule 10MHz boost. Both flavors have 2GB of RAM clocked at 1375MHz. They appear to sport dual 6-pin PCIe power connectors, too. Although the pictures don't show the power jacks, the accessory list includes an "8 pin to 6 pin x2 power adapter."

The first Radeon R9 285 cards are expected to be available September 2, but there's no word on whether these ones will be part of the initial wave. Given what we've seen with other stubby graphics cards, I wouldn't expect too much of a price premium. Thanks to TechPowerUp for the tip.