MicroATX Motherboard

  • Thread starter Thread starter mike7411
  • Start date Start date
M

mike7411

I was just wondering - does a MicroATX Motherboard work in a standard
ATX case?

Is MicroATX just smaller?

Thanks.
 
I was just wondering - does a MicroATX Motherboard work in a standard
ATX case?

Is MicroATX just smaller?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

In general yes it's just shorter.

However some cases may be less than optimal, you'll have to
assess the one you buy to be sure that:

- If the mATX is full width, that the case can accomodate
full width boards. Some very cheap or OEM cases may be
really cramped towards the front of the motherboard tray
such that the drive bays are blocking some of the right edge
of the board, usually just interfering with easy access but
in worst cases, you can't even install memory without
pulling other parts out or you couldn't put an optical drive
in the lower 1 or 2 5-1/4" bays.

- mATX boards use a case standoff on the left-hand, bottom
that is not always used on full ATX boards. "Usually" a
case will at least have the hole in the tray tapped
(threaded) for inserting a standoff, as they're all supposed
to if "standard" but standards are sometimes ignored.

- Some of the oldest ATX cases may not have as many slot
brackets in the back, you might find that the top AGP or PCI
slot on a mATX board doesn't have a corresponding slot on
the ATX case. This is uncommon, usually they do have the
slot but if you work on enough systems/cases, you may come
across this problem eventually and whether it matters will
depend on whether you really need to use that top PCI or AGP
slot, and really need to put the board in the particular
case.

In other words, in general you can use the mATX in ATX case
but there are rare exceptions, the safest thing to do is see
a good picture of the case inside first (if not having it in
person).
 
Back
Top