subject: The Perks and Features of The Micro ATX [print this page] The Perks and Features of The Micro ATX The Perks and Features of The Micro ATX
ATX, or Advanced Technology Extended, is a mother board form factor that was developed by technology bigwig Intel in 1995.It was created to considerably improve on the previous standards, and was considered by most tech experts to be the first major change in computer case mother board design in a lot of years. The development of the ATX significantly improved the interchangeability of parts as well as over mother board design standards. Intel however, improved on the ATX format, and designed to Micro ATX form factor, mATX. The development of the mATX was made to address some quirks and issues after the introduction of the original ATX design. Here's an overview of the features and perks of the micro ATX.
Comparing mATX Sizes With Other Mother Boards
The Micro ATX design was developed in 1997, and it measures 244 x 244 mm (9.6 x 9.6 inches). This mother board can support Intel, AMD and VIA CPU's. The standard ATX size on the other hand, measures 305 x 244 mm, while the FlexATX measures 229 x 191 mm, and the mini ATX measures 284 x 208 mm.
Best Features Of The mATX
The Micro ATX mother board offers a host of perks and benefits when it comes to design and flexibility. The mATX mother board was created to offer full compatibility for ATX. This is made possible because the mATX mounting points are subsets of those used for ATX mother boards, which means that the I/O panels are the same, and they can be used on a full-scale ATX case. The mATX mother board also has power connectors which are identical to the one used by other ATX boards, and this allows for complete use of ATX power. This mother board variant also uses the same chip sets as that of other boards. This enables all boards to share the same components and materials.
The Micro ATX is also equipped with numerous peripherals, despite its space-saving features. The mATX is designed to sustain four Legacy IDE and six SATA devices. The capacity of its connectors is also maximized especially if it is mounted on the ATX case. However, Micro ATX cases are not as large as those of ATX cases, which mean that they possess fewer expansion slots. Before you purchase a Micro ATX mother board, make sure it is compatible with the other parts and components that you already have, as well as buy only from reputable and licensed suppliers.
