Motherboard form factors. Motherboard sizes (form factors) What is e atx
ATX (Advanced Technology Extended)- a standard created in 1995 that describes the geometric dimensions and, how they are paired, as well as geometric and electrical parameters power supplies, their ways of connecting to motherboards and interacting with them.
Clear size comparison motherboards popular ATX family formats:
A more complete list of known motherboard sizes:
Currently used or planned for use in computers:
| Name | Board size(mm) | Comments: |
| XL-ATX | 345×262 (325×244) |
XL-ATX. The first representative of this form factor was the motherboard Gigabyte board GA-890FXA-UD7 released April 1, 2010. XL-ATX boards are longer than standard ATX boards and allow you to create a motherboard with the ability to install up to 10 expansion cards. The length of the motherboard does not allow it to be installed in cases designed for ATX or E-ATX boards, so special cases must be selected. |
| Enhanced E-ATX | 347×330 | Proprietary extension E-ATX from SuperMicro. The board is wider (on the PSU side) than a standard EATX board by 32 mm, which requires an appropriate case. This format is usually referred to simply as E-ATX(347×330) |
| E-ATX | 305×330 | Extended ATX. The most popular board and case format for dual-processor workstations and servers. Second name SSI EEB |
| SSI CEB | 305×267 | Motherboard format for workstations. Recently, boards of this format for gaming computers have begun to appear. It is possible to install boards of this format in E-ATX cases |
| ATX | 305×244 | The most popular (together with MicroATX) motherboard format. In practice, boards can be shorter, up to 305 × 170 |
| microATX | 244×244 | The most popular (together with ATX) motherboard format. In practice, boards can be shorter, up to 244 × 170 |
| FlexATX | 229×191 | A smaller version of MicroATX, proposed by Intel |
| Mini-DTX | 203×170 | |
| Mini-ITX | 170×170 |
Other motherboard formats that are not fully compatible with ATX.
Obsolete or not widely used:
| Name | Board size (mm) | Comments: |
| WTX | 356×425 | Workstation ATX - found, as a rule, only in brand-name four-processor platforms, as well as close to it SWTX |
| AT | 350×305 | Original motherboard formats for personal computers offered by IBM and dominated the market until the end of the 90s of the XX century. As a rule, most Baby-AT format boards can be installed in an ATX case. | Baby-AT | 330×216 | DTX | 244×203 | Reduced versions of MicroATX offered by AMD. |
| NLX | 254×228 | Original "proprietary" standards major manufacturers PC. Were completely superseded by MicroATX. |
| LPX | 330×229 | |
| btx | 325×266 | A format that was designed as a replacement for ATX, but never became one. |
| microBTX | 264×267 | |
| Nano-ITX | 120×120 | Reduced versions of MicroATX offered by VIA. |
| Pico-ITX | 100×72 | |
| mobile-ITX | 60×60 | Ultra-compact motherboard format for mobile and embedded computers, also offered by VIA |
Used in industrial and embedded equipment:
Of course, Mini-ITX systems are as compact as possible among the form factors that allow you to assemble a full-fledged gaming machine with a powerful graphics card (which are traditionally quite large). However, the difference between such cases in comparison with Micro-ATX in size is not so great (compatibility with overall expansion cards requires sacrifice, and the layout usually provides for increased width), and the expansion options are usually lower. In addition, a commercially available range of "gaming" Mini-ITX chassis rather meager, and the price tag for the models that are still on sale starts from much higher marks than for Micro-ATX cases.
Today we will look at four Micro-ATX cases suitable for creating a full-fledged gaming system. The selection criteria were compatibility with long expansion cards, slots for 2.5" and 3.5" drives, the presence of at least one USB port 3.0 on the front, as well as an affordable price.
With all this, despite the uniform selection criteria, the four buildings are fairly different from each other. Models Aerocool QS-180 and In Win IW-EFS052 attract attention with the most compact dimensions, and SilverStone Precision PS08 and Zalman A1 - with the most capacious bays for 3.5" drives.
All the models under consideration cost about two thousand rubles, with the exception of the In Win case that comes with the power supply (however, when you deduct the cost of the PSU, it ends up in the same price category).
How convenient these cases are in real use will be shown by a practical study, to which we now turn.
Aerocool QS-180
The case has a calm, although not too expressive, appearance. A solid front made of matte plastic does not hurt the eyes of every speck of dust or a random fingerprint that has settled on it, and the only external 5.25" bay allows us to hope that the space for internal compartments has noticeably expanded due to savings on external ones.
There is a deep stamping on the sidewall, which has a positive effect on the rigidity of the sidewall, and a position for a 120mm fan.
Features that somewhat smooth the utilitarian-pragmatic appearance are the manufacturer's color logo on the bottom of the front panel and an unusually large rounding radius of the upper and lower edges of the case.
There is a similar stamping on the second side of the case. In addition to increasing rigidity, it also expands the available cable management space.
The case walls have a typical low-end fastening system with an abundance of intermediate clamps at the top and bottom, which makes it difficult to close the sidewall if there are cables tucked under the motherboard platform.
When looking at the case from the back, one can note the top location of the power supply, an 80mm exhaust fan and an abundance of embossed protrusions to increase the rigidity of the case made of a very thin metal (we have already seen this in the Aerocool V3X model).
Attention is drawn to the slovenly execution of the knock-out plugs: on a completely new case, they are already noticeably bent. A trifle, of course, but not too pleasant.
From the bottom, you can see the mounting points for a 2.5" drive in the front of the case and a removable dust filter in the back (you just want to write "opposite the power supply fan", but we remember that the PSU in this case is located on top).
The filter element is made in the form of a thin fine-mesh mesh on a plastic frame, but its location looks useless from the point of view of housing ventilation.
The legs are represented by typical budget plastic monoliths.
Unlike the V3X, the QS-180 has metal shielding on the front of the case. On the metal partition, you can mark a place to install a 120mm fan (installation is available in two positions: a little higher or lower), but a dust filter is not provided for it.
Two knock-outs placed above and below the ventilation grill hint that 3.5" external bays could have been in their place if a different chassis layout had been chosen.
The openings allow you to bring out cables for connecting buttons and front panel connectors both from above and below - depending on what will be more convenient in terms of the layout of the motherboard.
The removable front is solid, which hints at the potential difficulties of air intake with the optional front fan: fresh air can only be sucked in through a small cutout at the bottom, made to facilitate the removal of the “facade”.
The panel with buttons and connectors is located under the only external compartment. From left to right are a USB 3.0 port, a pair of audio jacks, two USB 2.0 ports, reset and power buttons.
Power and disk activity indicators are displayed in the upper left corner of the front end. They are small in size, but the light from them is very intense (however, when viewed from an angle, discomfort from an excess of brightness is not felt).
The bundle is limited to a set of fasteners (in which you can praise the presence of a cap "hex" for fastening racks under the motherboard with a screwdriver) and a "clamshell" instructions.
Inside, there is a solution similar to the already familiar V3X ATX case: a side wall with positions for drives. Unfortunately, two 3.5" hard drives do not fit in it: it is possible to install either two 2.5" drives, or one drive each in 3.5" and 2.5" formats (at the same time, a 3.5" drive can be installed in two positions - above or below the wall).
In addition, there is a seat for a 3.5" drive in an unused second external bay and the already mentioned position for a 2.5" drive at the bottom of the case.
Thus, the total capacity of the disk subsystem of the case is 1-2 3.5" drives and 3-2 2.5" devices.
Unlike the V3X case, the side wall with drive mounts can be folded to the side, which simplifies the process of system assembly. In addition, there are rubber shock-absorbing elements on the attachment points, which the V3X case did not have.
In principle, the assembly is quite easy, but there is a caveat: installing a power supply longer than the standard 140 mm, if it is not fully modular, is unlikely to succeed. At the very least, our attempts to cram our stock 160mm OCZ-ZS550W power supply into the case were unsuccessful. Instead, I had to install the Power Rebel RB-S500HQ7-0 block from the In Win IW-EFS052 case, which will be discussed below.
In general, I had to tinker with the assembly, but first of all this was due to the layout of the Mini-ITX test motherboard. SATA connectors, the main 24-pin power connector, internal USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectors, as well as a block for connecting front panel buttons and indicators were placed in a narrow sector under the power supply itself. The same general assembly problems were present on other cases.
The hinged side wall makes it easy to install long video cards (the case can accommodate expansion cards up to 320 mm long).
Although cable management is usually not a strong point of cases with a top-mounted power supply, the QS-180 can still relieve the insides of a serpentarium of intertwining cables by running some of the cables under the motherboard platform.
We also note a rather large window for dismantling the processor cooling system, which is only slightly inferior in area to a Mini-ITX motherboard (although in the case of our test motherboard, it would not have been possible to dismantle the cooling system without removing the board from the case - the processor socket is too far down).
The cooling system of the case "out of the box" is represented only by an exhaust 80 mm fan on the rear wall. According to our measurements, the rotation speed of its impeller was about 2080 rpm (which, by the way, exceeds the 1800 rpm declared by the manufacturer with an error of 10%) - given the small diameter of the fan, the noise at this rotation speed is not uncomfortable, but still a slight hum quite perceptible. Additionally, two 120 mm fans can be installed: one on the front and one on the side wall.
When assembled, the system in the Aerocool QS-180 case does not look very expressive. However, it's hard to deny its practical advantages: non-staining texture of the front end, very compact dimensions and a functional connector panel are clear trump cards of this case.
Advantages:
compact even by the standards of m ATX dimensions and practical non-staining finish;
original and quite functional internal device;
good cable management capabilities;
more functional than competitors, the configuration of the front panel connectors.
Disadvantages:
poor protection against dust;
only two seats for 3.5" drives;
incompatibility with power supplies longer than the standard 14 cm.
Win MG-EFS052
In contrast to the smooth lines of the Aerocool QS-180 body, the In Win IW-EFS052 has a pronounced angular shape, which is complemented by a relief rectangular pattern on the slatted mesh at the bottom of the front. Strictly, solidly - and, surprisingly, not boring. At the same time, the dimensions of the case are almost as small, but it is perceived as more massive than the Aerocool model.
By modern standards, the case has a lot of external compartments: two 5.25" and one 3.5".
There is a ventilation grill on the sidewall, but the installation of a fan on it is not provided.
The second sidewall is completely smooth.
Behind you can see the ventilation grill of the complete power supply, a place for an optional 92mm fan and expansion slot covers (the top one is reusable, the rest are breakable), fixed by a common clamping bar.
There are also knock-out plugs for outputting connectors for interfaces that are almost forgotten in our time: one LPT port and two COM ports.
Unlike most solutions with a common fixing bar, in this case it is really effective in terms of clamping: it is not necessary to fix expansion cards with screws for high-quality fastening. In this case, a screwdriver is not required at all: the clamping bar is attached with a plastic latch-lock.
No tools are required to remove or fix the sides of the case: the role of screws is played by very convenient plastic clamps that do their job perfectly.
The sidewalls themselves, like other cases considered today, have a typical budget design with an abundance of clamps in the upper and lower parts of the walls.
There are holes on the bottom for mounting the drive. The manufacturer officially declares that this position is compatible only with a 3.5 "hard drive (four holes are used to fix it, located closer to the front of the case). However, if necessary, you can also fix a 2.5" drive with two screws: for this you will need to use the first and third hole in one of the rows.
The legs are represented by monolithic elements made of hard plastic (like the rest of the cases in today's testing).
The package includes a leaflet that unsuccessfully imitates the instructions, a bag with a set of fasteners and a power cord for the complete power supply.
The front of the body is easily removed: with the sidewall open, it is enough to bend a pair of plastic clips and pull the side of the “facade” freed from the fasteners.
Ventilation holes are hidden behind the plastic "petals" on the inner surface of the front end. The outer metal mesh plate is somewhat capable of retaining dust (the difference in its effectiveness with a perforated plastic sheet as a filter, which is used by many case manufacturers, is not obvious in our opinion: the mesh size is quite comparable).
The front panel connectors and buttons are located between the outer 5.25" bays and the metal grill. On the side of the 3.5" outer bay are the power and reset buttons.
Below are two USB 3.0 ports and headphone and microphone jacks. The front plastic clearly has space for the second pair of USB connectors, but, unfortunately, they are not separated.
Even lower, under a narrow transparent insert, there are dim LEDs for power on (blue) and disk activity (orange).
You may notice that to implement all four USB ports, for which the front panel is clearly designed, you will need a different, longer board with connectors than installed on this case modification.
The internal layout of the case is rather unusual. Under the outer bays there is a rack for two vertically placed drives in individual baskets, on the side of which there is a seat for a 2.5" drive.
The cheerful canary-colored baskets are compatible with both 3.5" and 2.5" hard drives.
The top 5.25" outer bay and the 3.5" outer bay are equipped with "quick" fasteners, the effectiveness of which traditionally does not shine with efficiency: it is desirable to additionally fix the devices installed in them with screws. They saved money on installing a “quick” mount for the lower 5.25 "bay: although attachment points are provided for it, the latch itself is not installed.
In principle, you can install another 3.5 " HDD into an external 3.5" bay, however, there will be problems with its fixation: the fixing holes of the bay do not match the fixing points on the HDD case. In addition, the hard drive does not go to the fixing point with a "quick" latch, resting against the plug of the external bay.
Also, the drive in this position cannot be fixed from the second side: the access of the screwdriver to the attachment points is covered with metal (not to mention the fact that the same difference in the height of the holes is observed on the other side).
As a result, it will be possible to install the drive in this position only if the body holes are drilled. But even in this case, it will be possible to fix it only on one side, so the game is hardly worth the candle (especially given the lack of airflow and two more heating drives directly below it).
By itself, the process of assembling a system in this case is as convenient as possible compared to other test participants: a minimum of work with a screwdriver due to the abundance of "quick" latches, sufficient internal space and easy access to all drive connectors.
However, the case design completely eliminates even the rudimentary possibilities of cable management. Therefore, all unused power supply cables, like SATA cables, are doomed to dangle inside, risking getting into the plane of rotation of the impellers of any fans - both optional case fans and a fan of a processor cooler, a video card cooling system, and even a power supply.
Moreover, this disadvantage is exacerbated by the orientation of the 3.5" HDD connectors in individual baskets towards the right side wall: if they were rotated 180°, the riot of wires would not be so pronounced.
Of course, the use of cable ties can somewhat streamline the situation, but let's be honest: the interior of the In Win IW-EFS052 is doomed to be the most cluttered with cables and cables among the four cases under consideration.
The cutout for dismantling the cooling system (if you can call this clearance stretching along the entire length of the case) is huge.
You can also once again note the absence of any protrusions or slots that could be used to streamline the laying of wires. However, given the minimum gap between the platform for the motherboard and the smooth side wall, the effect of such design changes would be homeopathic.
There are no fans included with the case. There are two seats: on the rear wall and in the frame for "quick" fastening in front (both are designed exclusively for 92mm fans). With the front fan mounting frame installed, 30.5 cm of internal space is available for expansion cards. If it is dismantled, the space reserve will increase by another three centimeters.
Note that the front fan can effectively cool only the drive installed at the bottom of the case. Individual baskets are almost completely devoid of airflow: the air flow from the fan falls only on the bottom sheet of the compartment in which they are installed, without blowing the drives themselves.
Assembled in the In Win IW-EFS052 case, the system looks strict, but not boring. This appearance will be quite appropriate both in the office and at home.
Advantages:
stylish and strict appearance;
thick (against the background of rivals) metal;
ease of system assembly.
Disadvantages:
poor protection against dust;
unwired second pair of USB ports;
lack of fans in the delivery set;
the unsuitability of the external 3.5 "bay for HDD settings without the intervention of a drill;
almost complete lack of cable management capabilities.
SilverStone Precision PS08
This case has been considered one of the most successful Micro-ATX solutions suitable for building productive systems for several years now.
Outwardly, the case does not impress with elegance: the “belly” protruding forward, taken away by a black metal grill, looks rather heavy. However, the situation is somewhat corrected by the relief protrusions on the sides of the front end and the interesting shape of the plugs of the two external 5.25" bays.
On the sidewall, you can note punches for fingers for more convenient removal of the wall, and a ventilation grill without a seat for a fan.
On the other hand, the sidewall has a similar shape, but lacks a ventilation grill.
On both sidewalls there are outward stampings of a large area, but due to their minimum depth, they do not have a noticeable effect either on the rigidity of the walls (very low) or on expanding the available space for laying wires under the motherboard platform.
The sidewall locking system is similar to the rest of the cases considered today, with several locking tabs at the top and bottom on each wall.
At the back there is a seat for an 80/92 mm fan and a common clamping bar for expansion slot covers (traditionally useless).
The rear wall itself has a significant number of embossed stampings to increase rigidity (unlike the sidewalls, there are no complaints about the chassis in this part).
You can also note the thumbscrews that secure the sidewalls to the body.
At the bottom, embossed recesses to increase rigidity and holes for mounting on the bottom of the 2.5" drive case attract attention.
The legs are as rigid as the rest of the cases under consideration, but at the same time the lowest, which, in the absence of the need to draw air from below, can be attributed to pluses.
The grilled front panel bottom cover can be easily removed to reveal a pre-installed 120mm front fan. Under it there is a seat for an 80mm fan.
Under the removable cover there is a dust filter in the form of a perforated plastic sheet. Not the most best option in terms of efficiency: rather large cells with a small area relative to the total area of the filter. However, among the cases considered today, this is the first specialized filter to protect against dust being drawn in by the fan (the filter of the Aerocool QS-180 case, which protects no one knows what and where, does not count).
Plugs of external compartments due to their design can be easily removed from the outside.
Buttons and connectors are located in the middle part of the front end.
Under the external compartments are two USB 3.0 ports (like the other models under consideration, with connection to the internal connector of the motherboard), separated by headphone and microphone jacks. A little lower, already under the lattice cover, there is a pair of blue LEDs for power and disk activity. Even lower, to the right of the cover, are the power and reset buttons.
The package includes a set of fasteners (including four screws for attaching the power supply, which were poured separately), a single short plastic tie and a folding “sheet” of instructions.
The internal structure of the case does not have any tricky frills: two external 5.25" bays, below them there is a rack for four 3.5" hard drives, and at the very bottom, as we remember, there is a place for a 2.5 "drive. There are no "quick" mounts.
It can be noted that the wall, which is common for external and internal compartments, continues to the very bottom of the case. On the one hand, this improves the rigidity of the case chassis, but on the other hand, it makes it somewhat difficult to install long video cards (extension cards up to 35.5 cm long can fit in the case).
The assembly of the system in the case, despite the absence of elements that speed up the fixation of components, is very convenient: in the four in question, only the assembly in the In Win case with its abundance of "quick" fasteners is easier.
However, compare the neatness of the internal appearance in In Win IW-EFS052 and SilverStone Precision PS08 after assembly - it's just heaven and earth! There are virtually no dangling cables, and even the atypical layout of the SATA connectors on the motherboard did not cause a mess inside.
The reason for such striking differences lies in two factors.
Firstly, the accuracy of the view after assembly is affected by the abundance of quite convenient slots that allow you to stretch cables under the motherboard platform.
Secondly, the classic compact rack for four hard drives allows you to avoid scattering both signal and power SATA cables throughout the case. It might not be good for cooling. hard drives(although, unlike the other cases under consideration, PS08 out of the box is equipped with a fan opposite the drive bay), but in terms of assembly accuracy, this solution is clearly more advantageous than dispersing hard drives throughout the internal volume of the case.
True, the side wall with such an abundance of cables under it closes with great difficulty: you will have to spend several minutes simultaneously pressing all the latches into their positions, and this will only happen when the case is laid on its side.
However, the effort is worth it: none of the other three cases after assembly does not look so neat.
The cooling system in the base consists of one 120 mm fan, the rotation speed of which, when the "Silent" mode is set to motherboard BIOS the board, according to our measurements, was about 1250 rpm (at this speed of rotation of the impeller, the noise from it is already quite noticeable).
Optionally, you can place an 80mm fan on the front panel below the pre-installed front fan and an 80mm or 92mm fan on the back of the case.
In general, the appearance of the system assembled in the SilverStone Precision PS08 case, although it does not claim to be designer revelations, does not cause rejection either (except, perhaps, for the controversial decision to place indicators under the grille).
Advantages:
pre-installed 120mm front fan with easy-to-maintain dust filter;
capacious compartment for 3.5 "drives;
ease of assembly of the system;
the best cable management capabilities among the considered models.
Disadvantages:
noisy pre-installed fan;
tight arrangement of drives in the rack;
shallow depth of the compartment for laying wires;
inconvenient location of indicators under the front panel grid;
low stiffness of the sidewalls.
Zalman A1
Zalman has a fairly extensive the lineup available Micro-ATX cases. For this comparison, we took a fairly recent model A1.
The external difference of this model from the rest of the test participants is a glossy high front, the upper part of which rises above the roof of the hull. It's also the only model to hide optical drives in two 5.25" external drive bays under hinged covers.
On the side wall there is a three-dimensional stamping with a large ventilation grill (the installation of fans on it is not provided), and near the front end, the name of the model is inscribed in light gray.
The sidewall, on the other hand, has the same shape, but is devoid of a ventilation grill and an inscription.
As with the other cases under consideration, the sidewalls have rows of locking tabs at the top and bottom.
An 80mm exhaust fan is located at the back (although a 92mm fan is also supported), and there are only two attachment points for it.
The plugs of the expansion slots are pressed by a traditionally useless common bar (to effectively fix the expansion card, you still need to fix it with separate screws).
From the bottom there are seats for a 2.5" or 3.5" drive, as well as two unfiltered ventilation grilles: one under the drive space and one in the back of the case, where the power supply would be located if it was installed from below.
The possibility of lower installation of the PSU is also indicated by the internal design of the bottom of the case with stamped stops for the power supply. But, of course, to implement this possibility, a completely different configuration of the rear wall is needed with the expansion slots moved up, and the mounting holes for the PSU down.
Like the rest of the test participants, the body supports are solid plastic parts.
Like the Aerocool QS-180 case, the front panel is made of solid plastic. Ventilation has been better taken care of in the Zalman, however, with vent slots on the sides of the front end where the optional 120mm front fan is located.
You can also see the spring-loaded covers for the optical drive trays in the outer bays (note that the cover often jammed in the upper bay).
When looking at the front of the case chassis, you can see the presence of a 3.5" external bay, which does not have a plug on the removable front.
But, unlike the In Win case discussed above, this compartment is suitable for installation in it without modifications. hard drive: 3.5" External Drive Fixing Screw Slots have extensions to mount a 3.5" drive.
A panel with connectors, buttons and indicators is located on the roof of the front of the hull.
Closest to the front are a reset button, a USB 3.0 port, headphone and microphone jacks, a USB 2.0 port, and an orange disk activity LED. A little further from the front panel there is a power button with a blue backlight around the perimeter during operation.
The package includes a plastic sled for a pair of 3.5" drives, one replacement cover for the expansion slot (the rest are disposable breakouts), a set of fasteners (complemented with a pair of cable ties), a "clamshell" of instructions and a sheet with marks on passing factory quality control .
The internal arrangement of the case includes two external 5.25" bays, an external bay suitable for installing a 3.5" drive underneath them, and even lower there is a basket for two 3.5" drives mounted horizontally using plastic slides.
Under this basket are guides for installing a 2.5" drive. Below is free place, designed to accommodate expansion cards (video cards up to 350 mm long will fit), and at the bottom you can install a 2.5" or 3.5" drive.
In general, the internal layout is very close to the In Win IW-EFS052 case, only with the ability to use an external 3.5" bay (which cannot be used for its intended purpose due to the design of the front panel) for installing a hard drive and without the possibility of installing a 2.5" devices in the dual drive bay.
However, unlike the In Win IW-EFS052, the Zalman A1 case is not without cable management capabilities: a significant part of the cable bundle can be placed under the motherboard platform. Moreover, a fairly deep stamping on the sidewall makes the process of closing the case from the side of the motherboard platform much easier than in the SilverStone Precision PS08 case - this task can be handled even with a vertically standing case.
In addition, one can note a very long window for dismantling the processor cooling system. Perhaps, only in this case it would be possible to remove the cooler with the base plate under the motherboard without removing our motherboard, which is distinguished by a noticeably shifted down location of the processor socket.
As a result, after assembly, the internal space of the case looks, although not as neat as in the SilverStone case, but much more organized than in the In Win case.
In general, the assembly does not cause serious complications (except for the features we have already mentioned, due to the layout of the used motherboard).
One can only note a nuance from the fixings of the optical drive: the lower individual mounting holes are not suitable for fixing the optical drive under the cap with a hinged window for the tray.
The case cooling system includes in the base only one 80mm fan on the rear wall (its rotation speed was only about 1200 rpm - it is practically inaudible during operation). Optionally, you can install a 120mm fan under the front panel. Also, if desired, you can replace the pre-installed 80 mm fan with a 92 mm fan - the mounting holes allow this.
Assembled system in corps Zalman A1 looks quite presentable - though, again, without any frills, which the price level does not have. Also, do not forget that maintaining the "presentation" of this case with a glossy facade will require more effort than for other considered models.
Advantages:
capacious storage compartment;
quiet pre-installed fan;
Good cable management options.
Disadvantages:
lack of protection against dust;
not too good mutual arrangement of cooling system fans and positions for drives;
location HDD connectors to the left wall makes cable management difficult;
glossy facade that collects dust and fingerprints.
Cooling Test Method
Testing is carried out in a closed and fully assembled housing at a constant outside temperature 23°C, which is maintained by the air conditioner. Since we adhere to the version that most users prefer low-noise system units, the fan speed control on the processor and system fans (if, of course, they are connected via a three-pin connector to the motherboard) is set to “Silent” mode in the BIOS of the motherboard. If the case has its own controller, all fans connected to it are also switched to the lowest possible speeds. Any other cases will be listed separately. No changes in the configuration of air flows that are not provided by the developers of the hull are carried out.The following configuration was used as a test bench:
CPU Intel Core i5 3330 (3GHz, 3.2GHz Boost);
Cooler for Socket115x Intel processor (copper core);
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-B75N (Intel B75, LGA 1155);
SSD Kingston SH100S3/240G (240 GB, SATA III);
Two hard drives Western Digital Raptor WD740ADFD (3.5”, 10000 rpm, SATA);
One hard drive 74GB Western Digital Raptor WD740GD (3.5”, 10000 rpm, SATA);
Memory module kit Kingston HyperX KHX1600C9D3K2/8G (2x4 GB, 1600 MHz, CL9) ;
Video card PCI-E 512MB HIS HD 3870 IceQ3 Turbo H387Q512NP (ATI Radeon HD 3870);
Power supply OCZ OCZ-ZS550W (550 W);
Operating system Microsoft Windows 8 64-bit
In cases where the case is supplied with a power supply in the kit, testing is carried out with the power supply that comes with the case.
Hard drives are listed in order of their location from top to bottom from the top slot in the main HDD bay, with no gaps between drives, unless otherwise noted.
The Core Temp 0.99.8 program is used to read the processor temperatures. The temperatures of hard drives, video chip and motherboard are measured using the CPUID Hardware Monitor program. The Velleman DTO2234 optical tachometer was used to measure the fan speed.
Testing is carried out in the following modes:
Idle - computer idle mode;
IOMeter - for everything hard disks at the same time, the "Access time" test from the IOMeter program was launched, providing the maximum load on the disks;
Linpack - the IntelBurnTest 2.5 utility based on the Linpack package was launched in the most severe stress testing mode, which ensures the full load of all processor cores, the maximum temperature value of the hottest core recorded during the program's operation is indicated;
MSI Kombustor - launched in full screen mode, DX9 rendering, resolution 1280x1024, with MSAA 8x anti-aliasing enabled, the Xtreme burn-in option enabled, the maximum temperature value of the hottest core recorded during the program's operation is indicated.
All temperature readings are taken after at least half an hour of operation in the appropriate mode, after their values have stabilized.
As a general starting point for comparing results, we usually use data obtained on the same configuration, but collected outside the case, on the so-called open bench:
Noise level evaluation is carried out only by a subjective method in the process of testing the described configuration.
Test results
Traditionally, we will first discuss the differences from the basic test methodology (or simply non-obvious nuances) that are associated with the configuration of the disk subsystem. Our test motherboard has only four SATA connectors, one of which is connected to system SSD. Accordingly, only three ports remain for hard drives (if you do not connect an optical drive) - therefore, in cases that allow the installation of more drives, we are limited to only three 3.5 "devices.An exception to this rule was made only for the SilverStone Precision PS08 case, in order to partially compensate for the presence of a pre-installed front fan, which other cases were not equipped with. The lowest of the four hard drives was installed and connected to power, and thus created additional cooling difficulties for the drive placed above it.
In the Zalman A1 case, we did not use the topmost hard drive slot. It is obvious that a drive placed in an external chassis compartment, devoid of airflow and heated from below by drives in a rack, will not differ in comfortable temperature conditions during operation, but it is much more interesting to look at the results of a drive standing separately at the bottom of the case.
Additional fans were not installed in the cases.
Now let's move on to the measurement results.
The Aerocool QS-180 case is the only one in the four that cannot accommodate at least three 3.5" hard drives. Taking into account the fact that, due to the internal layout of the case, all drives (including the system SSD) were spaced far from one another, even with In the absence of a front fan, their temperature only slightly exceeded the relatively comfortable temperature of 40 ° C. When using modern economical hard drives, even without installing a front fan, the temperature conditions of the drives promise to be quite comfortable.
The rest of the components are also cooled quite well: this result is due to a fairly “revving” exhaust fan.
The temperature conditions in the In Win IW-EFS052 case turned out to be the worst as expected, since the case lacks fans in the package. Even the hard drive, placed separately at the bottom of the case, warmed up to more than 50 ° C under load, and the temperature of the hottest drive in random access mode approached 60 ° C.
Also, the temperature of other components, from which the heated air is not removed by the exhaust fan, is somewhat higher.
At the same time, it should be noted that when installing fans, one can hardly count on a significant improvement in the temperature conditions of drives in a rack: the air flow blows only the lower part of the compartment, and not the drives themselves.
The SilverStone Precision PS08 case shows the best results in cooling drives, but at the same time, it is in it that the CPU is the hottest.
No wonder: this is the only case in the four with a front fan blowing over the drive bay. At the same time, the air heated by hard disks enters just in time for the processor cooler, and there is no exhaust fan.
Although the internal layout of the Zalman A1 case is very close to the In Win IW-EFS052 case, the temperature regime inside it is more comfortable. The two hottest drives next to each other only slightly cross the 50° C threshold under load (but, as in the In Win case, their cooling is unlikely to improve radically with a front fan installed).
The cooling of other components is slightly worse than in the Aerocool QS-180 case, which is easily explained by the noticeably slower (but almost silent) exhaust fan.
Below are comparative temperature charts of the tested cases in comparison with an open bench:
Summarizing
The Aerocool QS-180 case, with a very modest size, even without an additional front fan, provides a quite decent level of cooling for all components (including drives), and also has a practical appearance and a functional connector panel with three USB ports (including one version 3.0). If you are not confused by the incompatibility with extended power supplies and the inability to accommodate more than two 3.5" hard drives, this model promises to be an excellent choice for building a system.The SilverStone Precision PS08 case has proven its longstanding reputation as an excellent choice for building a performance system in a compact package: excellent cable management capabilities for a Micro-ATX form factor, a capacious 3.5" drive bay, a pre-installed front fan protected by a quick-release dust filter. Disappointing it may be that it is impossible to install more than one 2.5 "drive - but are there so many users who already have or plan to use more than one SSD of this format in their system later (especially given the ability to use an M.2 drive on many modern motherboards) ?
Cases In Win IW-EFS052 and Zalman A1 are difficult to consider separately - their internal layout is painfully similar. The common and most serious drawback of both models are problems with cooling the top 3.5" drives: the air flow from the front fan does not blow over the hard drives themselves. On the side of the In Win case, there is a more practical and at the same time more interesting appearance, the presence of two USB 3.0 ports ( against one USB 3.0 port and one USB 2.0 port in the Zalman case), maximum ease of assembly, as well as somewhat smaller dimensions. But the Zalman A1 also has a lot of tricks up its sleeve: it is cheaper (even when the cost of the pre-installed PSU is deducted from the cost of the IW-EFS052) , has a pre-installed exhaust fan (savings again), and its design is much better adapted to neat cable management. And the flexibility of the disk subsystem configuration in the Zalman case is generally better (it is possible to install a 3.5" drive in the external chassis bay and fully fix both 3.5" and 2.5" drives on the bottom).
Of course, it is up to the potential buyer to decide which of the considered cases is best suited for his needs, but personally I would give preference to the Aerocool and SilverStone cases in this four (depending on the requirements for the number of drives). Cases In Win and Zalman, in my opinion, did not show any bright advantages that the other two cases do not have (except for the capacity of the disk subsystem in comparison with the Aerocool QS-180 model). However, at the same time, they have problems that their rivals in testing are deprived of (the quality of cooling of drives, while the In Win case also has a complete unsuitability for cable management and a higher price).
To date, there are four prevailing motherboard sizes - AT, ATX, LPX and NLX. In addition, there are smaller versions of the AT (Baby-AT), ATX (Mini-ATX, microATX) and NLX (microNLX) formats. Moreover, an extension to the microATX specification has recently been released, adding a new form factor, FlexATX, to this list. All these specifications, which determine the shape and size of motherboards, as well as the location of components on them and the features of cases, are described below.
AT
The AT form factor is divided into two modifications that differ in size - AT and Baby AT. A full-size AT board is up to 12" wide, which means it's unlikely to fit in most of today's cases. Mounting such a board would likely be hindered by the drive/hard drive bay and power supply. distance from each other can cause some problems when working at high clock speeds... Therefore, after motherboards for the 386 processor, this size is no longer found.
Thus, the only AT-form-factor motherboards available on the market are the Baby AT-formatted motherboards. The size of the Baby AT board is 8.5" wide by 13" long. In principle, some manufacturers may reduce the length of the board to save material or for some other reason. Three rows of holes are made in the board to fix the board in the case.
All AT boards have common features. Almost all have serial and parallel ports attached to the motherboard via connector brackets. They also have one keyboard connector soldered onto the board at the back. The processor socket is installed on the front side of the board. The SIMM and DIMM slots are in different locations, although they are almost always located on the top of the motherboard.
Today, this format is slowly disappearing from the scene. Some companies still release some of their models in two versions - Baby AT and ATX, but this happens less and less. Moreover, more and more new features provided by operating systems are implemented only on ATX motherboards. Not to mention just the convenience of work - for example, most often on Baby AT boards all the connectors are assembled in one place, as a result of which either cables from the communication ports stretch almost through the entire motherboard to the back of the case, or from the IDE and FDD ports to the front. Sockets for memory modules, calling almost under the power supply. With limited freedom of action inside a very small space MiniTower, this is, to put it mildly, inconvenient. In addition, the issue of cooling was unsuccessfully resolved - the air does not flow directly to the part of the system that needs to be cooled - the processor.
LPX
Even before the advent of ATX, the first result of attempts to reduce the cost of PCs was the LPX form factor. Designed for use in Slimline or Low-profile cases. The problem was solved by a rather innovative proposal - the introduction of a rack. Instead of plugging expansion cards directly into the motherboard, this option puts them in a vertical rack that connects to the board, parallel to the motherboard. This made it possible to significantly reduce the height of the case, since usually it is the height of expansion cards that affects this parameter. The payback for compactness was the maximum number of connected cards - 2-3 pieces. Another innovation that has begun to be widely used on LPX boards is a video chip integrated on the motherboard. Case size for LPX is 9 x 13" and for Mini LPX is 8 x 10"".
After the advent of NLX, LPX began to be supplanted by this form factor.
ATX
Not surprisingly, the ATX form factor in all its modifications is becoming increasingly popular. This is especially true for boards for processors on the P6 bus. So, for example, out of LuckyStar motherboards for these processors, which are being prepared for release this year, 4 will be made in the Mini-ATX format, 3 - ATX, and only one - Baby AT. And if we take into account that there are much fewer motherboards for Socket7 today, if only because of the much smaller number of new chipsets for this platform, then ATX wins a convincing victory.
And no one can say that it is unfounded. The ATX specification, proposed by Intel back in 1995, is aimed precisely at correcting all those shortcomings that have emerged over time in the AT form factor. And the solution, in fact, was very simple - rotate the Baby AT board 90 degrees, and make appropriate adjustments to the design. By that time, Intel already had experience in this area - the LPX form factor. The best aspects of both Baby AT and LPX were embodied in ATX: extensibility was taken from Baby AT, and high integration of components was taken from LPX. Here is the result:
- Integrated I/O port connectors. On all modern boards, I/O port connectors are present on the board, so it seems quite natural to place their connectors on it, which leads to a rather significant reduction in the number of connecting wires inside the case. In addition, at the same time, among the traditional parallel and serial ports, a keyboard connector, there was a place for beginners - PS / 2 and USB ports. In addition, as a result, the cost of the motherboard has slightly decreased due to the reduction of cables in the kit.
- Significantly increased ease of access to memory modules. As a result of all the changes, the memory module slots have moved further away from the motherboard slots, from the processor and power supply. As a result, increasing the memory has become in any case a matter of minutes, while on Baby AT motherboards sometimes you have to take a screwdriver.
- Reduced distance between board and disks. The connectors of the IDE and FDD controllers have moved almost close to the devices connected to them. This allows you to reduce the length of the cables used, thereby increasing the reliability of the system.
- Separation of the processor and slots for expansion cards. The processor socket has been moved from the front of the board to the back, next to the power supply. This allows you to install full-size boards in expansion slots - the processor does not interfere with them. In addition, the problem with cooling was solved - now the air sucked in by the power supply blows directly over the processor.
- Improved interaction with the power supply. Now one 20-pin connector is used, instead of two, as on AT boards. In addition, the ability to control the motherboard with a power supply has been added - turning on at the right time or upon the occurrence of a certain event, the ability to turn on from the keyboard, turn off operating system, etc.
- Voltage 3.3 V. Now the 3.3 V supply voltage, which is very widely used by modern system components (take PCI cards, for example!) comes from the power supply unit. In AT-boards, a stabilizer installed on the motherboard was used to obtain it. On ATX boards, it is not needed.
The specific size of motherboards is described in the specification largely based on the convenience of developers - from a standard plate (24 x 18'') you get either two ATX boards (12 x 9.6''), or four - Mini-ATX (11.2 x 8.2'') . By the way, compatibility with old cases was also taken into account - the maximum width of an ATX board, 12 '', is almost identical to the length of AT boards, so that it is possible to use an ATX board in an AT case without much effort. However, today it is more related to the field of pure theory - the AT case still needs to be managed to be found. Also, to the extent possible, the mounting holes in the ATX board fully correspond to the AT and Baby AT formats.
microATX
The ATX form factor was developed back in the heyday of Socket 7 systems, and much of it today is somewhat out of date. For example, a typical slot combination, based on which the specification was compiled, looked like 3 ISA / 3 PCI / 1 adjacent. Somewhat irrelevant not today, right? ISA, no AGP, AMR, etc. Again, 7 slots are not used 99 percent of the time anyway, especially today with chipsets such as the MVP4, SiS 620, i810, and other upcoming products like this. In general, for cheap PC ATX is a waste of resources. Based on such considerations, in December 1997, the specification of the microATX format was presented, a modification of the ATX board, designed for 4 slots for expansion cards.
In fact, the changes, compared to ATX, were minimal. The board size has been reduced to 9.6 x 9.6” so that it is completely square, and the size of the power supply has also been reduced. The block of I/O connectors has remained unchanged, so the microATX board can be used in an ATX 2.01 case with minimal modifications.
NLX
Over time, the LPX specification, like Baby AT, ceased to meet the requirements of the times. New processors came out, new technologies appeared. And she was no longer able to provide acceptable spatial and thermal conditions for new low-profile systems. As a result, just as the Baby AT was replaced by the ATX, just as in 1997, as the development of the LPX idea, taking into account the emergence of new technologies, the NLX form factor specification appeared. A format aimed at low-profile cases. Its creation took into account both technical factors (for example, the advent of AGP and DIMM modules, the integration of audio / video components on the motherboard) and the need to provide greater serviceability. So, for assembly / disassembly of many systems based on this form factor, a screwdriver is not required at all.
As you can see in the diagram, the main features of the NLX motherboard are:
- Rack for expansion cards, located on the right edge of the board. Moreover, the motherboard can be freely detached from the rack and pulled out of the case, for example, to replace the processor or memory.
- The processor is located in the left front corner of the board, directly opposite the fan.
- Generally, a grouping of tall components like the processor and memory at the left end of the board to allow for full size expansion cards to be stacked on the rack.
- Single-height (in the area of expansion cards) and double-height I/O connector blocks at the rear end of the board to accommodate the maximum number of connectors.
In general, the stand is a very interesting thing. In fact, this is one motherboard, divided into two parts - the part where the actual system components are located, and the part connected to it through a 340-pin connector at an angle of 90 degrees, where all kinds of I / O components are located - expansion cards, port connectors, drives data where power is connected. Thus, firstly, serviceability is increased - there is no need to access unnecessary this moment components. Secondly, as a result, manufacturers have greater flexibility - they make one model of the main board, and a rack for each specific customer, with the integration of the necessary components on it.
In general, does this description remind you of anything? A motherboard-mounted rack that carries some I/O components instead of being integrated onto the motherboard, all of which serves to simplify maintenance, give manufacturers more flexibility, etc.? That's right, some time after the release of the NLX specification, the AMR specification appeared, describing a similar ideology for ATX boards.
Unlike other rather strict specifications, NLX provides manufacturers with much greater freedom in making decisions. NLX motherboard sizes range from 8 x 10″ to 9 x 13.6″. An NLX package must be able to handle both these two formats and everything in between. Usually, boards that fit into the minimum dimensions are designated as Mini NLX. It is also worth mentioning an interesting detail: the NLX case has USB ports located on the front panel - very convenient for identification solutions like e.Token.
It remains only to add that, according to the specification, some places on the board must remain free, providing opportunities for expanding the functions that will appear in future versions of the specification. For example, to create motherboards for servers and workstations based on the NLX form factor.
WTX
However, on the other hand, powerful workstations and servers of the AT and ATX specifications are also not entirely satisfactory. There are problems where the cost plays not the most important role. At the forefront are the provision of normal cooling, the placement of large amounts of memory, convenient support for multiprocessor configurations, a large power supply, the placement of more ports for storage controllers and I / O ports. Thus, in 1998, the WTX specification was born. Designed to support dual processor motherboards of all configurations, support for today's and tomorrow's video card and memory technologies.
Particular attention, perhaps, should be given to two new components - Board Adapter Plate (BAP) and Flex Slot.
In this specification, the developers tried to move away from the usual model, when the motherboard is attached to the case through mounting holes located in certain places. Here it is attached to the BAP, and the mounting method is left to the conscience of the board manufacturer, and the standard BAP is attached to the case.
Apart from the usual things like board dimensions (14 x 16.75""), power supply specifications (up to 850W), etc., the WTX specification describes the Flex Slot architecture - in a sense, AMR for workstations. Flex Slot is designed to improve serviceability, give more flexibility to developers, reduce motherboard time to market. The Flex Slot card looks something like this:
Such cards can accommodate any PCI, SCSI or IEEE 1394 controllers, sound, network interface, parallel and serial ports, USB, system monitoring tools.
Samples of WTX boards should appear around June, and production samples - in the third quarter of 1999.
FlexATX
Finally, just as the Baby AT and LPX evolved into the ATX, the microATX and NPX specifications evolved into the FlexATX form factor. This is not even a separate specification, but just an addition to the microATX specification. Looking at the success of the iMac, which is essentially nothing new but appearance and it wasn't, PC makers decided to go that route as well. And just Intel became the first, in February at the Intel Developer Forum it announced FlexATX - a motherboard with an area of 25-30 percent smaller than microATX.
Theoretically, with some modifications, the FlexATX board can be used in cases that comply with the ATX 2.03 or microATX 1.0 specifications. But for today's cases there are enough motherboards without it, it was just about elaborate plastic structures, where such compactness is needed. There, at IDF, Intel demonstrated several options similar corps. The fantasy of the designers went wild - vases, pyramids, trees, spirals, which were not offered. A few turns from the specification to deepen the impression: "aesthetic value", "greater satisfaction in owning the system." Not bad for describing the form factor of a PC motherboard?
Flex - that's why it's flex. The specification is extremely flexible, and leaves many things to the manufacturer's discretion that were previously strictly described. So, the manufacturer will determine the size and placement of the power supply, the design of the I / O card, the transition to new processor technologies, methods for achieving low-profile design. In practice, only the dimensions are more or less clearly defined - 9 x 7.5 "". By the way, regarding new processor technologies - Intel at IDF demonstrated a system on a FlexATX board with a Pentium III, which until autumn is still declared only as Slot-1, and see for yourself in the photo, and the specification emphasizes that FlexATX boards are only for Socket processors...
And finally, another interesting revelation from Intel - in three years, in the following specifications, the power supply may even be located outside the PC case.
Computer technologies are developing. Changes in the shape of devices, their dimensions and specifications. Today we will consider such a concept as a form factor, and its ATX variety - the most popular and in demand.
Form factor
To move on to the topic of the article, you need to understand the basic concept. Form factor is a standardization regarding IT hardware. With it, you can determine the size of the device, the main technical indicators, the presence of additional parts, their location.
Now, speaking about the form factor, people remember the motherboard. Previously, the term was applied to phone cases, communications equipment and other PC components.
Given that the form factor is a standardized concept, it is referred to as a recommendation. That is, thanks to the index, which denotes a certain form factor, it is possible to designate mandatory and Extra options. Developers try to take the standard for granted and be guided by it when creating the corresponding component.
Variety
The ATX form factor is not the only standard for components. But it was this option that became in demand for mass production of PCs. The world saw it for the first time in 1995, and Intel became the manufacturer of this architecture. Previously, the XT, AT and Baby-AT standards already existed, which IBM has implemented since 1983.
The ATX type form factor influenced the advent of modified standards. Reduced formats began to appear, with fewer slots and compact sizes. By 2005, a processor-optimized mobile standard had been developed.
Office computers also began to be equipped with various components of certain standards. Boards began to appear, which were used in complex industries. Such modifications of the standard have been known since 2004. The ATX form factor has been reincarnated as SSI CEB, DTX, BTX, etc.
ATX
This form factor became popular back in 1995, but has been most widely used since 2001. The standard has become dominant in PC manufacturing. It affects not only the size of the board or other component. ATX dictates the PSU standard, PC cases, placement of slots and connectors, the shape and location of the slots, the mounting and parameters of the PSU.
Intel has been thinking for a long time about what the continuation of the AT form factor should be. By 1995, the developers introduced the new ATX standard. In addition to this company, other manufacturers who supplied OEM equipment were thinking about changing the outdated standard. After new standard was picked up by those who supplied motherboards and PSUs.
For all the time of its existence, 12 specifications have been released. The ATX form factor has standard dimensions: in millimeters - 305 x 244, in inches - 12 x 9.6. Modifications that were produced under other names were developed on the basis of ATX, but had differences in port placement, overall dimensions, etc.
So, in 2003, Intel wanted to introduce BTX. This new standard cooled the PC system unit more efficiently. The developers wanted to slowly remove ATX from the markets, which maintained high heat inside the system unit. But even such a danger as overheating of the entire system did not contribute to successfully changing the format to BTX.
Most manufacturers refused to distribute it, since the reduction in power dissipation showed positive results, and in the future it was still possible to achieve good results in cooling the case and without changing the standard. As a result, by 2011 it became clear that there was no need to replace the ATX form factor.
Major changes
Such a successful invention in this area was not worth waiting for. The user has received dramatic changes regarding the previous version of AT. The motherboard is powering the processor. It is supplied with standby power even in the off state. The motherboard provides the functioning of the control unit and some peripheral devices.
It became possible to replace the fan with a larger one and place it on the bottom of the PSU. The air flow became more powerful and covered more elements in system unit. The number of revolutions changed, and, accordingly, the noise. Over time, there has been a trend towards placing the power supply at the bottom of the case.
Nutrition
The change in form factor brought a change in the format of the power connector. This was caused by the fact that in the previous format, two similar connectors were connected to unsupported slots, which caused the system to crash. In the process of increasing power consumption, it was necessary to increase the number of power contacts. The developers started with 20, later there were more of them, and additional connectors appeared.
Interface panel
The interface panel has become freer. Previously, there was a slot for the keyboard, and expansion cards were installed in special holes. The ATX form factor added space for a communicator to the keyboard slot. The free area was occupied by a rectangular “slot” of a standardized size, where the developers placed the necessary slots.
Initial power supply
In addition to the fact that there is an ATX form factor motherboard, you can also find a standard. Since the development of the format lasted nine years, during this time the developers tried not only to change the connector, but also to make it compatible with previous forms.
So, initially a connector with 20 power contacts was used. This option was popular before the appearance of a motherboard with a PCI-Express bus. Then there was a connector with 24 pins. In order for this option to be supported by previous versions, the “bonus” 4 contacts could be removed, and the board would work with twenty.
Processor Changes
When the new Pentium 4 and Athlon 64 processors began to appear, the standard had to be revised to version 2.0. So, motherboards began to require 12 V for the main bus. The power supply, the ATX form factor of which was also updated to the second version, was supposed to receive an additional connector. So there was an additional connector for another 4 pins.
After that, options with complex contacts began to appear. For example, a 24+4+6-pin connector has become in demand for motherboards that have received several PCI-E 16x ports. And 24+4+4-pin actually had an additional 8-pin connector, which consisted of two slots of 4 pins. Thus, it began to be used for motherboards that had high power consumption.
This decision with the combination of two 4-pin connectors was due to the fact that not to deprive the user of connecting the model to older motherboards. So, one connector was unfastened from the other, and we got a 24 + 4-pin wire.
Frame
In addition to the motherboard and PSU, the case also has a certain standardization. The ATX form factor in this case is the most modern and suitable for motherboards the same format. Such a case provides easier access to all internal periphery. Has excellent ventilation inside. Allows you to install more than one full-size board.
Despite the same names, you can put a micro-ATX motherboard in it. We will briefly discuss this standard below.
Compact version
The micro-ATX form factor appeared a little later than the main standard - in 1997. The motherboard of this format has 244 x 244 mm. The variant was developed for processors with the already outdated x86 architecture.
During the creation process, it was decided to maintain electrical and mechanical compatibility with the previous standard. As a result, the main difference is the dimensions of the boards, the number of slots and integrated peripherals. Micro-ATX is released to the market with an integrated video card, thus indicating the intended purpose of this standard. PCs with this form factor are suitable for office work and are not designed for gaming projects, since the integrated graphics card is mediocre.
Other options
In addition to ATX and micro-ATX, there was the mini-ATX form factor, which is now nowhere to be found. Its dimensions are 284 x 208 mm. FlexATX also appeared, which had dimensions of 244 x 190 mm. This modification is flexible and allows the manufacturer to independently solve many problems.
So, he can choose the size and location of the PSU. Participate in changes related to new processor technologies. But this option could not "fight" with ATX and remains in the background.
