The IT sector has been developing like every other sector in this world. This sector has seen some beautiful achievements as well. These achievements have forced us to use computers and many other gadgets regularly. Especially personal computers have seen a significant change as compared to last decade. Many pro gamers play online games and make millions of dollars just by sitting at home. This sector has revolutionized the gaming industry. Many people are attracted to live gaming by seeing the remarkable achievement of pro gamers. Many pro gamers upload their videos and get several views in no time.
Gaming is not just about graphics cards nowadays. If you don’t invest in a suitable PC component, you might not get the desired gaming results. The motherboard is the most crucial component in the detailed list of PC components. A good gaming PC is incomplete without the addition of an excellent motherboard. Like every element has progressed in the last years, the motherboard has also developed a lot. One of the leading reasons behind different additions to motherboard capacities is they cover various needs of people. Some motherboards are small but perfect for the home standard PC. Some motherboards offer large sizes, but it is ideal for a limited type of people only. If I talk about motherboard categories, Micro ATX vs Mini ITX VS ATX is the most competitive motherboard. Let’s get going and check their specs in detail.
Micro ATX vs Mini ITX vs ATX| Basic Differences Spotted
If I talk about categories of motherboards, there are 5 of them, but mainly it is categorized in 3. ATX, MATX, and ITX are primarily discussed as categories. ATX motherboards are one of the leading motherboards in the market. They are known for producing more slots and ports for better results. It is helpful for the users who like to get more outputs and monitors simultaneously.
After that list, micro ATX is known for producing the best performance overall for every type of user. Micro ATX motherboard dimensions are one of the leading differences compared to other motherboards. After that, I have a mini ITX in this list that is relatively small.
If I talk about the performance of the differently sized motherboards, a version is almost the same in every type. Size and ports do not create much difference in performance; it all depends on the user requirement. Let’s discuss the fundamental differences in features and specs in all of them.
| Features ATX MATX MITX |
| Dimensions 12” x 9.6” 11.2” x 8.2” 6.7” x 6.7” |
| Ports Most Less Least |
| RAM Slots 2/4 2/4 2 |
| PCle Slots Max 7 Max 4 Only 1 |
| Prices Not Expensive Not Expensive Expensive |
Big and Small in the Queue
Let’s talk about the size of all types of motherboards first. First on our list is the ATX motherboard. ATX motherboard size is the largest as compared to the other two categories. It has multiple ports because it has enough space due to its size. ATX motherboard size is 305mm x 244mm, which is more significant than others. This size is the standard size for the ATX motherboard, and it can fit in all sizes of the ATX motherboard.
Coming to the micro ATX is an average-sized motherboard. It is not as big as the ATX motherboard, but it offers almost all types of features like the ATX motherboard. Micro ATX motherboard size is 11.2” x 8.2”, which is perfect for any PC case.
Mini ITX motherboard size is relatively small, as shown by its name. Mini ITX can give the same performance as ATX or micro ATX. For the size, ATX is not compared with Mini ITX. Micro ATX vs mini ITX size has been the talk of the town because, primarily, people are confused about them. Mini ITX is a perfect-sized motherboard for simple home usage as it provides enough space for almost all features.
Importance of Ports & Sockets
Now we are coming to the essential part that tells us what sort of motherboard we need. The ATX motherboard tray is one of the most comfortable trays compared to others. It comes with multiple ports at the same time. ATX is the largest of three of them, and it becomes easy to provide more ports in a large-sized motherboard. It can quickly offer up to 7 PCle ports.
These PCle ports can give multiple chances to add more graphics cards, WIFI cards, or many more. If I talk about sockets, ATX motherboard intel LGA1151 is the most used socket in this field. Micro ATX vs mini ATX mounting holes is also an essential factor. Some people think they cannot offer enough ports for a standard setup; this doesn’t seem right.
Micro ATX can provide us PCle up to 4 slots easily. Micro ATX motherboard AM4 is the most used socket in this context. It also provides the latest HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB. Mini ITX motherboard AM4 is also very famous, but mini ITX is suitable for simple home setup only. It cannot provide enough space to attach more structures simultaneously.
More Space Means More Headers
Fan headers are one of the critical origins for cooling setup. A title is a place on the motherboard connected to a cooling fan. Usually, a fan header can give power to the two lovers simultaneously. In this category, ATX motherboards are going to win the race. ATX motherboard parts enjoy the reputation of being installed easily.
Because the ATX motherboard is large, it can easily manage some extra fan headers. Additional fan headers mean you can attach different fans to cool on this large motherboard. Talking about micro ATX, it usually provides two fan headers. A single fan header is enough for a standard-sized motherboard. It can provide enough cooling with the help of two fans. A mini ITX motherboard is at a back step in this case because it is small. It cannot provide many fan headers.
Moreover, mini ITX does not need more fans for cooling as well. The main reason is that it is not used for high-end gaming or editing purposes but only for a simple personal computer setup. So, a detailed view of micro ATX vs mini ATX vs ATX in the case of fan headers has told us how good micro ATX motherboard is.
PCI Express is the New Technology
When we are talking about the comparison of different types of motherboards, we should mention the latest technologies in it. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express is the new slot introduced on motherboards. It provides expansion slots to try different extra cards such as graphics cards, WIFI cards, sound cards, and many more.
ATX motherboard offers the most extended range for PCL express. I can add 7 PCle to that motherboard. If I talk about micro ATX, its content is quite good also. It can attach up to 4 PCl express, which also makes it quite efficient in this category. As PCL express is an opportunity to add extra credentials, the option of adding 4 PCle slots is also excellent.
The Mini ITX is not good enough as it can only have 1 PCL express. One should also be enough for a simple computer setup. Micro ATX vs ATX performance is not much different in this category as most people prefer 4 PCl express slots. That makes Micro ATX once again win in this category as well.
RAM Slots and Capacity
For a gaming station to work seamlessly, you need a perfect combination of RAM and motherboard. A motherboard is considered good if it has a higher ram capacity. RAM capacity is counted on two essential things, RAM slots and ability. ATX motherboard Intel is primarily known for its high-end performance as a gaming PC. ATX motherboards normally comes with 4 RAM slots.
Some of them also have 8 RAM slots. Micro ATX vs ATX motherboard in this feature will be a tie because both have almost the same thing to offer. Both have 4 dual-channel ram slots. Dual channel ram slots can transfer the data from two channels simultaneously, providing an improved performance level—now coming to the mini ITX motherboard ram capacity.
Mini ITX is very limited in this feature as it can only support two slots of ram. As we all know, a mini ITX is just a simple personal computer. So, two places with 8 GB ram would be enough for this motherboard to run. Mini ITX motherboard intel is known for its superior performance in the case of ram. They provide seamless operation in the case of high-end gaming as well.
Competition for Overclocking
Overclocking is a high trend in the market, especially for gamers. Gaming PC can always run faster. So, gamers perform some alteration in processors or some other components that improves PC performance. ATX motherboard is a perfect choice for overclocking lovers. It provides a massive setup in case of size and features ideal for overclocking.
Micro ATX is also suitable for overclocking, but it is preferred to have an ATX motherboard. Also, micro ATX vs ATX performance in overclocking can never be the same because ATX is specially designed for this purpose and can provide an exceptional setup for overclocking.
Mini ITX motherboard is never the option for overclocking. It cannot support a faster speed than its standard capacity. Micro ATX vs ATX Mobo is the main competition in this feature run, and ATX is the winner. ATX motherboard Intel Z series is a perfect match for overclocking.
Super Cooling Setup
Micro ATX vs Mini ITX vs ATX, all of them are the same in case of overheating. Primarily a computer used for gaming, editing, and mining faces a major overheating issue. Different companies offer multiple features to cool the system to deal with overheating issues. These features include fans, VRM, aluminum covers, FanXpert, and AI cooling.
VRM heat pipe is the most basic function to keep any motherboard cool. ATX motherboard can easily manage more setups for cooling as it has more space. Also, the VRM heatsink can easily be overlooked in that. Micro ATX is also good enough to add a VRM heatsink and features such as FanXpert. These features help them to stay calm most of the time.
Mini ITX motherboard is mainly used for simple purposes. Although it faces the issue of overheating, it does not require most fans or other features to make it cool. Mini ITX motherboard Ryzen is known for introducing an AI cooling setup. So, an ATX motherboard can be called a perfect motherboard with a super cooling design.
Perfect Power Supply
If I talk about the leading technical faults faced by the motherboards, I cannot leave out the power supply issue. Power supply issues can cause problems such as slow processing, frequent disconnection of multiple features, short circuits in the motherboard, and many more. That is why different motherboards have produced Dr.MOS or some other setups.
The sole reason for these productions is to give the motherboard a nonstop required power supply. Micro ATX vs ATX motherboard size is not much different. So that allows both to have a wonderfully designed power supply. Especially the ATX motherboard has ample space to deal with this issue. Also, a more oversized motherboard will have more power consumption as well.
Power consumption is also an issue sometimes. Mini ITX does not require an advanced power supply because it does not consume much electricity. Some motherboards also come with Thunderbolt in them. Thunderbolt is one of the latest inventions that can boost the power supply in exceptional circumstances. Micro ATX vs mini ITX power supply can never be the same. Micro ATX requires more current as compared to mini ITX.
Which One is Expensive?
Whenever I purchase any motherboard or other pc component, I check its price after checking all the specs and features. I want to ensure that the motherboard I buy is worth its cost. So, price is also significant in micro ATX vs mini ITX vs ATX. Price varies from type to generation of the motherboards.
Like mini ITX motherboard intel 11th gen will be more expensive if compared to mini ITX motherboard Ryzen. If I talk about the ATX motherboard in the case of budget, it may be the best Mobo for pro gamers, but it is not that expensive. There could be several technical reasons behind this. Moving on, the micro ATX vs ATX difference is not much. Micro ATX offers everything like ATX at almost the same price.
Mini ITX motherboard is much more expensive than the remaining two types. The main reason behind its high price is its small size. Manufacturers have managed to get almost all high-end features in a small-size setup. That is one of the finest successes in the market that makes it expensive. Also, mini ITX has a high demand as compared to other professional motherboards. Pro gamers mainly love micro ATX motherboard and ATX motherboard intel, so it has fewer sales than mini ITX, which almost everyone in this world uses.
ATX Motherboard
Micro ATX Motherboard
Mini ITX Motherboard
My Verdict
Micro ATX vs mini ITX vs ATX is one of the most discussed topics nowadays. Most people confuse themselves about their performance. They think that micro ATX vs ATX motherboard performance varies according to size. No, that is not an issue. It varies according to the user’s need only. I have discussed all their specs and feature differences in detail.
ATX motherboard is large, so that it can offer many things as an extra feature. But if you don’t need multiple ports, ram slots, or PCl express, then the ATX motherboard is not made for you. ATX motherboard is made for people who are pro gamers and like to play high-end games on multiple monitors. Same as that, the micro ATX motherboard is also suitable for gamers. It can also be used as a regular home PC setup. For a typical home setup, I suggest you use a mini ITX motherboard as it offers smooth operation for routine work. Micro ATX vs ATX power consumption also makes them a good contest for the gamers. As micro ATX requires less power. Some of them have also been introduced with the Thunderbolt feature that boosts the power supply per requirement. My verdict on micro ATX vs mini ITX vs ATX will help you to choose the best motherboard.
Micro ATX motherboard size is one of the finest in the market because it can adjust almost every case. It has nearly the same dimension as the ATX motherboard so that it will adapt appropriately. Its ports, slots, and HDMI will also fit perfectly in the ATX case.
The answer to this question varies according to the user’s requirements. For example, if you are trying to set up a high-quality gaming setup for regular gaming, in this case, you should prefer to have ATX or micro ATX motherboard. If you are looking for a compact PC that you can use for regular everyday tasks, then you should choose to install a mini ITX motherboard.
Yes, Micro ATX is more extensive as compared to mini ITX. Micro ATX vs mini ITX size is mentioned as 240 mm and 170 mm, respectively. If you are looking for a larger motherboard with multiple ram slots and PCL express slots, you should go with an ATX motherboard or Micro ATX.
Mini ITX motherboards with LGA 1151 sockets are among the leading products in the market. The main reason behind its success is its cheap and compact working style. Also, people have reviewed it as best for the gaming setup.
