We explain the difference between ATX and Micro ATX with table. Motherboards are called central circuits of a computer that link all the parts of the computer together. It distributes all of its power through the circuits which then acts as a conduit due to which the guts begin to work together. Motherboards come in many shapes and sizes, but the most widely used are ATXs and Micro ATXs.
What is ATX?
The ATXs format was developed in 1995. It is an improved AT model to ensure a more stable circuit. The ATXs board is rectangular in shape and its dimensions are 305mm by 244mm. There are five expansion slots present on the lower end of the ATX board.
There have been many notable changes or updates to the newer models. For example, the ports on newer models are arranged in such a way that they do not overlap each other. Another update is made to the integration of I / O ports along the edges of the port.
Also, the number of drive bays has increased in the new formats. This makes the number of drive bays larger in the ATXs form factor than in the Micro ATXs form factor. For someone who has high performance requirements, an ATXs board will be a great option only if full use is made of all the additional slots.
What is Micro ATX?
The Micro ATXs format was developed in 1997. It is backward compatible with the ATX design. It is one of the newer formats that were developed after the development of the ATXs board. The Micro ATX board is square in shape and its dimensions are 61mm by 244mm.
There are only three expansion slots on the Micro ATX board. It can be expanded to a maximum of four slots. To cope with this problem of limited expansion slots, many peripherals are integrated. The ATXs sub-assemblies are the mounting points of the Micro ATXs form factor and uses the I / O panel.
The number of drive bays on a Micro ATXs board is less. For someone who is eager to build a gaming PC, the Micro ATX board will be a great option. It has enough RAM slots and also some free slots to fit any other PCIe expansion card. Additionally, the Micro ATXs board supports dual GPU configurations.
Difference between ATX and Micro ATX with table
The difference between ATX and Micro ATX is that ATXs is a rectangular plate and its size is 305mm by 244mm while Micro ATXs is a square plate and its size is 61mm by 244mm.
The ATXs format was developed in 1995, while the Micro ATXs format was developed in 1997. The number of expansion ports found at the low end is more in the ATXs format than in the Micro ATX format, which is one of the Disadvantages of the Micro ATXs format. The ATXs board has five expansion slots, two more than the Micro ATXs board.
This is a partial trade-off for most board manufacturers that integrate common functions like networking, graphics, and sound. Now it is common to see computers that no longer use the expansion ports. An ATXs board is the best choice for high performance requirements, while a Micro ATXs board is the best choice in building a gaming PC.
Comparison table between ATX and Micro ATXs
ATXs Micro ATXs Comparison Parameters
| Size and dimensions | The ATXs board size is 305mm by 244mm. It is bigger than Micro ATXs. | The Micro ATXs board size is 61mm by 244mm. It is smaller than ATXs. |
| Shape | The ATXs board is rectangular in shape. | The Micro ATXs board is square in shape. |
| Expansion slots | The ATXs board has five expansion slots. | The Micro ATXs board has three expansion slots. |
| Drive bays | The number of drive bays in an ATXs form factor is greater than the Micro ATXs form factor. | The number of drive bays in a Micro ATXs form factor is less than the ATXs form factor. |
| Installation | You cannot install an ATXs board in a Micro ATXs chassis. | A Micro ATXs board can be installed in an ATXs chassis. |
Key differences
- The ATXs board size is 305mm by 244mm, while the Micro ATX board size is 61mm by 244mm. Therefore, the ATX board is bigger than the Micro ATXs.
- The ATXs board is rectangular in shape, while the Micro ATX board is square in shape.
- The ATXs board has five expansion slots, while the Micro ATXs board has three expansion slots.
- The number of drive bays in an ATX form factor is greater than in a Micro ATXs form factor.
- A Micro ATX board can be installed in an ATXs chassis, but it is not possible to do it the other way around.
Final Thought
The most widely used motherboards are ATXs and Micro ATX. The ATXs format was developed in 1995 and the Micro ATX format was developed in 1997. They both come in different shapes and sizes. The ATXs board size is 305mm by 244mm and it is rectangular in shape, while the Micro ATXs board size is 61mm by 244mm and it is square in shape. Also, the number of expansion slots is different in both.
The ATXs board comes with five expansion slots, while the Micro ATX board comes with only three expansion slots. The drive bays in the ATXs form factor are more numerous compared to the drive bays in the Micro ATXs form factor. There have been many updates to the newer models of the ATXs board, as the ports on the newer models are arranged so that there is no overlap.
Additionally, I / O port integration is updated along the edges of the port and the number of drive bays is increased. In the case of the Micro ATXs board, there are only a limited number of slots and it can only be expanded to a maximum of four slots. Many peripherals are integrated to compensate for this limitation.
