ATX vs micro ATX

aviwil

Senior member
Mar 23, 2000
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What are the pro's and con's , if any , of ATX as oppose to micro ATX mobos ?
Thanks .
 

hkctr

Member
Oct 27, 1999
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diehardware basically sums it up in a nutshell. Personally, I'm gradually moving all my boxes to M-ATX or SFF sized boards. OC is still possible if you select carefully. I sell or give away most of my hardware after a year or two and let's face it, it is easier to sell or get someone to take a slim or compact case than a big beige box. I also tinker with making my own cases out of plexiglass, wood, cardboard boxes, drawers, etc. and a M-ATX works well. I don't need the extra slots of an ATX because most of what I need is built into the m/b and if I want to expand, 3 slots are plenty.
 

Bassyhead

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2001
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Originally posted by: hkctr
diehardware basically sums it up in a nutshell. Personally, I'm gradually moving all my boxes to M-ATX or SFF sized boards. OC is still possible if you select carefully. I sell or give away most of my hardware after a year or two and let's face it, it is easier to sell or get someone to take a slim or compact case than a big beige box. I also tinker with making my own cases out of plexiglass, wood, cardboard boxes, drawers, etc. and a M-ATX works well. I don't need the extra slots of an ATX because most of what I need is built into the m/b and if I want to expand, 3 slots are plenty.

i'm also looking moving into m-ATX in the future rather than ATX.
 

optimistic

Diamond Member
Apr 29, 2001
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Originally posted by: Salvador
i'm also looking moving into m-ATX in the future rather than ATX.
Me too. Sometime in the future.

Sal
Heh, you're not a alone! Most of my rigs on my Anandtech Page are m-atx already. 2 systems are truly atx systems, and one is an atx box with a m-atx mobo. The system is having an identity crisis;).

The differences between atx and m-atx as I see them.
- OC-ing feautres that I rarely use
- 3 extra pci slots that serve as "space" between my AGP card and my lone sound card at slot 5.
- One standard requires a more cumbersome enclosure over the other.
- One is easier to hug.
 

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
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microATX also often comes with onboard video, so you can give it away or make a box for your sister/mom/uncle/girlfriend out of it without having to give away your good video card or scrounge for an old one. Personally, I do like full-ATX cases because you have a nice selection of beefy power supplies available. Some microATX cases like Inwin's V-series take full-ATX-sized power supplies too.