Micro ATX vs ATX

[Dasda]

Hello guys, another noob question by me so get ready. Is there a reason to go for a ATX board over a mATX if the mATX board has all the features a user needs? I am asking this b/c the mATX boards are usually cheaper and I didn't really know if there is a disadvantage to them other than maybe not having as many features.

Thanks

 

[bigboxes]

Hello guys, another noob question by me so get ready. Is there a reason to go for a ATX board over a mATX if the mATX board has all the features a user needs? I am asking this b/c the mATX boards are usually cheaper and I didn't really know if there is a disadvantage to them other than maybe not having as many features.

Thanks

If an mATX motherboard has everything you desire in a motherboard then look no further. However, if you are like most on this site and are looking to tweek your machine then, if not now, in the future you may want to customize expand your PC. At that time you may wish that you had the full ATX mobo. If small factor size appeals to you then go with the mATX, but if you have the room then a full ATX board may be for you. Plus, a full ATX/mid ATX allows for better cooling. There is no right or wrong. Just what is best for you.

 

[Skott]

To add to the above a mATX mobo is good if you are wanting a small case to place on a desk or in a small area or wanting something more easily portable. And yes, ATX mobos offer more features and generally better cooling and generally speaking have a higher OC potential. It comes down to what you need/want for your particular situation. Manufacturers make some good ATX and mATX products.

 

[Emperor88]

Which ATX and mATX boards are you choosing between? If it's just to save a few dollars the extra expansion capability for the future is probably worthwhile.

 

[Kenmitch]

As far as I'm concerned you should be more worried about the case your gonna be putting the motherboard in.

If the mATX board meets your needs then no need to pay xtra for an ATX board.

 

[JSt0rm]

Really guys, what does a atx mobo offer over a mico atx? 3 pci slots and a pci-e 1x slot? Everything else is embedded on the board and is not a problem. I personally don't see a need for these slots for most people anymore. As long as you purchase the RIGHT matx board I think it would be correct to go this route.

 

[Murloc]

well if you might need those slots....
and a full atx is better because there is more space and is better for cooling.

I wouldn't be so sure about the overclock, if what you need is just to do some light daily overclock, then mATX is enough.

 

[f4phantom2500]

I recently picked up an Asus M4A785-M, which is their cheapest 785G board, with an Athlon II X3 435. Without really pushing it, changing voltages, or using anything besides the stock cooler, I got the processor up to 3.4GHz in about 5 minutes *shrug*. I don't know if I accept the argument that ATX boards overclock "better" than mATX boards.

I don't think there really is a huge difference, it's mainly if you'd rather have the extra expansion slots provided by the ATX board or not. All motherboards are made using the same types of components, and these days reputable manufacturers seem to make quality mATX boards as a viable alternative to ATX boards, not just as a cheaper (price-wise, not quality-wise) alternative. That being said, any really high end motherboard is almost certainly going to be ATX, because there isn't much demand for a super high-end mATX board, since most people who are into that kind of thing want a full-sized board (extra expansion slots, perceived better overclocking etc).

 

[frostedflakes]

Yeah, 785G boards offer good bang for the buck and good ones seem to have plenty of OCing options. For serious overclocking, ATX is probably better for various reasons (for example, they have more room for multi-phase power circuitry for the CPU, which can supply more stable voltage to the processor; mATX boards are usually limited to 3/4-phase). But for your average OCer, a quality mATX board should work fine.

So I'd have to agree with f4phantom2500, the main thing I'd worry about is expansion slots. If you plan to go with SLI or Crossfire in the future, you'll need to get ATX (there are a handful of mATX SLI/Xfire boards, but they're few and far between). If you think you'll need a lot of PCI/PCI-e slots, go with ATX. And keep in mind that modern GPUs require some pretty extravagant dual-slot cooling, so a single GPU will actually take up two expansion slots, and if you're looking at multiple cards that's four expansion slots that they'll take up.

 

[Kenmitch]

well if you might need those slots....
and a full atx is better because there is more space and is better for cooling.

I wouldn't be so sure about the overclock, if what you need is just to do some light daily overclock, then mATX is enough.

Not a true statement. Depends on the board and the native fsb of the chip. Of course having a overclocking friendly bios doesn't hurt either

Here is one example that would make you think twice about your statement

GIGABYTE GA-G41M-ES2L LGA 775 m-atx not even a full size one to top it off
Intel E5200
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800

This combo is rock solid stable at 4.16ghz with high end air or water of course

I doubt that putting this chip in a high end high dollar ATX board would fetch much more out of the CPU.

I guess a shameless plug....Currently available in my forsale thread

 

[f4phantom2500]

Yeah, 785G boards offer good bang for the buck and good ones seem to have plenty of OCing options. For serious overclocking, ATX is probably better for various reasons (for example, they have more room for multi-phase power circuitry for the CPU, which can supply more stable voltage to the processor; mATX boards are usually limited to 3/4-phase). But for your average OCer, a quality mATX board should work fine.

I didn't really consider this, but honestly I would think that you'd hit a wall due to your CPU's limitations before your motherboard's power circuitry, at least with today's processors and motherboard components (concerning quality motherboards, including cheaper boards like mine), no?

 

[BudgetBuild]

One other question you may want to ask yourself is:

"What will I do with this board when I upgrade again and I'm done with it?"

I generally pass my older builds on to friends and family members. Most of the time the boards go into their existing computer case. Invariably these cases are smaller towers that will only take an mATX board.

So now I only purchase mATX boards unless there is a requirement for an ATX board.

 

[StrangerGuy]

If you don't care about multi-GPU (useless IMO, as if I would want to SLI my 9600GT when its obsolete), mATX is great.

 

[Skott]

There is no right or wrong. Just what is best for you.

There are pros and cons for each but Bigboxes said it best in his last sentence and this is what each buyer/consumer needs to look into.

 

[piasabird]

Many MATX or UATX motherboards do not have some of the added features like Overclocking. I dont overclock so that does not bother me. Also they have fewer on-board slots or fewer USB or SATA Slots.

With these new motherboards and chipsets and the advent of on-board HD integrated video, you may see more options on smaller motherboards. The newer low-end I-3 processors would not need integrated video on the motherboard if it is already on the processor. This should free up the motherboards for more features. It is a different way of doing things.

It may also mean some more standard size ATX motherbord may have on-board video from the processor.