E-ATX vs. ATX vs. mATX vs. mini-ITX: Motherboard Sizes Explained

E-ATX vs. ATX vs. mATX vs. mini-ITX: Motherboard Sizes Explained

Whether you’re ordering a prebuilt or habit PC, you’ll come throughout a fairly much less-asserted parameter. It’ll insurance claim that the PC’s motherboard is “ATX” or “Mini ATX,” without most clearly describing what this prepares for. However, these motherboard measurements are awfully awfully sound to realise. While fetching the wrong sort of motherboard won’t spell calamity for you, it could perhaps hamper any future upgrades you have planned. This overview undertakes E-ATX vs. ATX vs. mATX vs. mini-ITX motherboard measurements.

Superb to realize: motherboard VRMs are crucial! Situate out what VRM is and also how it influences CPU performance.

What Executes ATX Practice?

These acronyms are referring to the “form component” of the motherboard. Motherboards come in all kinds and also measurements to match an variety of equipments, from supercomputers to cellular mobile phones. As such, there’s a need to seated unsociable all the different prepares for motherboards are rendered.

As you could suppose, there are plenty of form contents, each one grossed to match a fussy chore. You’re a ton of practicable to encounter one of 4 favored form contents as deliciously as ordering or designing a PC: E-ATX, ATX, Mini ATX, and also Mini ITX.

To prelude, make it viable for’s start through the “typical-ATX” motherboard. ATX stands for “Formed Dynamic technology eXtended” and also was sharpened as much earlier as 1995. If you genuinely own, or have had a secure-sized PC, there’s a sweet opportunity it owns an ATX motherboard. This renders ATX the “secure” fallback as deliciously as ordering a PC or motherboard.

From ATX, motherboards carry out serviceability either bigger or smaller in measurement. Going bigger, you have the E-ATX motherboard (Stuck out ATX), which adds more place and also contents to the ATX board and also is slightly bigger subsequently. Going the various other means, you have the Mini ATX (mATX), which is smaller than ATX.

After that is the Mini ITX (“Discusses Dynamic technology eXtended”), which is also smaller than the Mini ATX. This could be puzzling to some, as the “Mini” board is bigger than the “Mini” one.

As much as measurement goes, we are list these in edict from greatest to littlest: E-ATX -> ATX -> Mini ATX -> Mini ITX.

Motherboard Dimensions Comparison Chart

You could be dumbfounded to realize that there are at least eight commercially obtainable motherboard measurements. Besides the 4 favored form contents we asserted looming, there are 4 smaller measurements: Nano ITX, Pico ITX, 3.5″ Motherboard, and also Femto ITX.

These smaller motherboards are oftentimes single-board computer systems (SBCs) favor the Raspberry Pi, which come through a ton of of the PC contents soldered onto the board itself.

But why perform we have in various ways-sized motherboards in the first place? What attractions and also derogatory facets perform the different measurements have?

Motherboard Form Part Contents to contemplate

Sheath Size

For one, having a smaller motherboard permits you to have a smaller PC on the totality. Just favor motherboard measurements, PC instance measurements vary from Mini ITX to complete erection. If you thieve a attractiveness within a PC’s instance, you’ll go to that a ton of the peak is confiscated upward by the motherboard alone. If you twinge a smaller PC, it’s a sweet suggestion to prelude through a smaller motherboard.

Mini ATX and also Mini ITX are fallback remedies for humans that twinge smaller computer systems. Tiny PCs are great if you twinge something that’s handset or works as a internet server or media nucleus that doesn’t thieve upward much space. Just bear in mind that contents grossed for ATX computer systems could not match within a smaller instance.

Oftentimes, a instance grossed for a fussy form component can correspondingly stabilize smaller ones. For example, ATX husks are sporadically grossed so they can correspondingly grasp Mini ATX and also/or Mini ITX motherboards. Deliver sure you inspect the contractor’s criteria previously ordering a PC instance that’s a different measurement than your motherboard.

Performance

The smaller measurement does come at a price, but. Smaller sized motherboards are rendered you can maybe envision by separating contents favor spreading slots on the motherboard. The result is a motherboard that intensifies in smaller husks but doesn’t have the level of upgradability that the bigger form contents have.

The readjust from ATX to Mini ATX loses some of the PCI Share slots, which you need as deliciously as mounting a graphics card or SSD. Most ATX motherboards have about 4 PCI slots (oftentimes 3x PCI-E x16 and also 1x PCI-E x1, but this can vary in between indications), while Mini ATX owns about three (2x PCI-E x16 and also 1x PCI-E x1). This prepares for much less space for upgrades, such as graphics, sound, trap, and also network cards. Mini ITX boards oftentimes lone have one PCI-E x16 slot.

Regularly there will be a ameliorate in RAM slots and also M.2 adapters as well. ATX to Mini ATX can go from 4 RAM slots and also M.2 adapters down to two each. Mini ITX sporadically owns lone two RAM slots, although some have orchestrated 4. USB connectors can correspondingly thieve a hit subsequently of a smaller board.

Of training course, the contrary is real: The bigger EATX boards will have more usability. At the awfully least, they’ll oftentimes sporting job 4 or more PCI-E x16 slots, which renders them a great fallback if you have substantial equipments for your PCI-E connectors. In brief, if you’re staring for a PC through plenty of connectors and also upgradability selections, stick through ATX or EATX over the smaller recourses.

Some contents last offer also bigger motherboards. The Threadripper CPUs from AMD, for example, call for E-ATX motherboards (or sporadically also bigger) through fussy outlets to make it viable for for all of the RAM slots and also PCI-E slots that those CPUs can stabilize.

Rate

While not habitually the instance, Mini ATX motherboards frequently tend to be the cheapest fallback. If you’re staring for a PC that you have zero curiosity in upgrading or mounting added RAM or spreading cards proper into, you could be able to preserve on your own some coinage money by deciding for a smaller motherboard. Just carry out sure you wear’t twinge to include also plenty of contents in the future. Or else, you could position on your own ordering a bigger motherboard down the chatter upward to match your final words.

Are Smaller sized Motherboards “Slower”?

Regardless of the different motherboard measurements, you shouldn’t position that smaller motherboards “rushed slower” than bigger ones. Of training course, going smaller does average you could sacrifice PCI-E and also RAM slots, which will average the PC’s ability power is much less than its bigger brethren. You could correspondingly position that smaller boards wear’t thieve care of overclocking and also ATX and also EATX boards can. They sporadically rushed hotter also. But, smaller motherboards wear’t result the performance of your PC simply due to being tiny.

Motherboard measurements can be puzzling from performance and also price ideologies, but now you realize their leading differences, how they’re channelled out, and also which one will match you the a ton of. If you’re designing a pc gaming PC, the supreme AMD pc gaming motherboards and also the supreme Intel pc gaming motherboards will give you fantastic selections.

Reminder: perform you awe about that you have a defective motherboard? Weigh out these last offer indications of a unrequested motherboard.

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