Size variants
| Form factor | Originated | Date | Max. size [a] width × depth | Notes (typical usage, Market adoption, e ... |
| ATX | Intel | 1995 | 12 × 9.6 in (305 × 244 mm) | Original, successor to AT motherboard |
| Proprietary, specific to crypto-mining s ... | Unknown | 2011 | 12 × 8 in (305 × 203 mm) | 3 double-slot add-in cards with 1 slots ... |
| SSI CEB | SSI | ? | 12 × 10.5 in (305 × 267 mm) | Compact Electronics Bay |
| SSI MEB | SSI | 2011 | 16.2 × 13 in (411 × 330 mm) | Midrange Electronics Bay |
What are three types of form factors used by motherboards?
Motherboard form factors: Determines general layout, size and feature placement on the motherboard. Form factors such as physical size, shape, component placement, power supply connectors etc. Various form factors of motherboards are AT, Baby AT, ATX, Mini-ATX, Micro-ATX, Flex ATX, LPX and Mini LPX and NLX.
What does the form factor of the motherboard determine?
The size of the motherboard is often called the Form Factor and there are several standards. The form factor identifies the size of the circuit board, the location of the slots as well as the location of the faceplate that comes out the back of the computer.
What is form factor does this motherboard use?
The main form factor for the motherboard is size and shape. The other factors are physical layout, mounting holes, and board organization. In the below section, some of the form factors are mentioned below:
What is currently the dominant motherboard form factor?
The ATX form factor was developed in 1995 as an upgrade of the AT. Standard ATX is the most common form factor, particularly on a desktop computer. A standard ATX motherboard supports state-of-the-art graphic cards and has several expansion slots for RAM. 2. Best Motherboard Form Factor For Light Usage: Micro-ATX
What is the difference between a motherboard and a form factor?
The main difference between motherboards is surprisingly low tech: Size. Also known as form factor, the sheer volume of the board determines its capability more than anything else. The smallest in the bunch is called a Mini-ITX, followed by a microATX, then ATX, XL-ATX, and finally E-ATX.
What does a form factor do?
Form factor is a hardware design aspect that defines and prescribes the size, shape, and other physical specifications of components, particularly in electronics. A form factor may represent a broad class of similarly sized components, or it may prescribe a specific standard.
What is the best form factor for a motherboard?
If you want to push your CPU and memory to their maximum potential, an ATX motherboard is almost certainly the way to go. Due to being the most popular PC form-factor, ATX motherboards also receive more support from manufacturers.
Does form factor matter on motherboard?
Computer form factors are important for any potential PC builder or upgrader, because they're a fixed set of dimensions that assure components fit together, and dictate the size of your finished system. After all, the best motherboard for you is one that will fit in your case of choice.
What are the 3 main form factors of motherboards?
There are four primary motherboard form factors:Mini-ITX.Micro-ATX.ATX.E-ATX.
What benefit does small form factor motherboards have?
Take Up Less Room – The most noticeable advantage is that it takes up far less physical space than traditional cases. Decreased Power Consumption – Most SFF equipment uses fewer fans, and lower power hardware so it operates more efficiently.
What should I look for when buying a motherboard?
What To Consider When Buying A MotherboardForm Factor. Initially you'll need to select a form factor. ... Processor Socket. After choosing a form factor you'll need to choose a processor socket. ... RAM (Random Access Memory) Next up, RAM, short for Random Access Memory. ... PCI Slots. ... Features. ... SATA.
Is ATX or micro-ATX better?
Fortunately, mATX motherboards are perfect for budget-friendly gaming PCs, as they still have all of the main features that standard ATX motherboards have. The only real difference is that standard ATX motherboards offer better aesthetics, more PCIe slots, and beefier VRMs for overclocking.
What form factor is the best?
For the most part, the Mini-ITX is the ideal form factor for industrial motherboards. It is small enough for fanless setups and can work with standard components. The I/O options are sufficient for even commercial needs, and an expansion slot for a PCIe component too.
Is micro-ATX worse than ATX?
The Micro-ATX typically has fewer SATA ports and M. 2 slots than an ATX variant, making it a worse choice for users who need a lot of storage. Additionally, a Micro-ATX board will only ever have a maximum of four PCIe expansion slots due to its smaller size.
What is the difference between e ATX and ATX?
ATX is the standard form factor of the motherboard. EATX is nothing but a type of ATX with a bigger size. As of 2021, it is the de facto standard of the motherboard. EATX is the largest variant of the ATX board.
What is ITX vs ATX?
The main difference between ATX and ITX is that ATX has a standard size and is intended for use in standard PCs, have a high number of PCI slots and higher RAM capacity while an ITX is smaller than the standard size and are used in compact PCs usually meant for traveling.
What does the form factor of a wave indicate?
In electronics or electrical engineering the form factor of an alternating current waveform (signal) is the ratio of the RMS (root mean square) value to the average value (mathematical mean of absolute values of all points on the waveform).
What is use of form factor and Peak Factor?
The form factor of an alternating current waveform is the ratio of the RMS value to the average value. The peak factor is the peak amplitude of the waveform divided by the RMS value of the waveform. For square waveform form factor and peak factor is the same and value is one.
What is form factor in measurement?
Form factor is used to describe the physical size and shape of a computer device measured by outside dimensions. It is most often used to describe the size of circuit boards, especially the motherboard and expansion cards.
What is form factor equation?
What is Form FactorWaveform TypeFormula for Form FactorValueHalf wave rectified sine waveπ/21.5707963Full wave rectified sine waveπ/2√21.11072073Square wave11Triangle waveform2/√31.154700542 more rows
What is a motherboard form factor?
Comparison of some common motherboard form factors (pen for scale) A PC motherboard is the main circuit board within a typical desktop computer, laptop or server. Its main functions are as follows:
What is a form factor?
In computing, the form factor is the specification of a motherboard – the dimensions, power supply type, location of mounting holes, ...
What is the difference between form factors?
Differences between form factors are most apparent in terms of their intended market sector, and involve variations in size, design compromises and typical features. Most modern computers have very similar requirements, so form factor differences tend to be based upon subsets and supersets of these.
What is ATX motherboard?
IBM's long-standing standard, AT (Advanced Technology), was superseded in 1995 by the current industry standard ATX (Advanced Technology Extended), which still governs the size and design of the motherboard in most modern PCs. The latest update to the ATX standard was released in 2007.
What is a Motherboard Form Factor?
The motherboard of any computer is analogous to the engine of a vehicle. It cannot run without one, and it also provides a central platform to which all other components are connected.
What to consider when buying a form factor?
When buying your form factor, consider its shape, what you need it for, the cost, as well as the size of your computer case. Some may require you to get another case to accommodate the new size or shape of the motherboard.
What is a mini ITX motherboard?
The Mini ITX motherboard is a smaller form factor ideal for light-duty PCs such as those used in homes or small offices. Users love it most for its small size, affordability, and ease of installation.
What is the ATX form factor?
The ATX form factor was developed in 1995 as an upgrade of the AT. Standard ATX is the most common form factor, particularly on a desktop computer. A standard ATX motherboard supports state-of-the-art graphic cards and has several expansion slots for RAM. 2. Best Motherboard Form Factor For Light Usage: Micro-ATX.
Why was the Micro ATX developed?
Micro ATX was developed for clients who needed a cheaper alternative to the earlier models without compromising on the performance of their computers.
Why are motherboards changing?
Motherboard specifications have been changing as manufacturers upgrade their products to keep them compatible with emerging technologies. They have to stay up to date and compatible with the latest generation of a processor (CPU), graphics card, and random access memory (RAM).
Is the form factor good for servers?
This form factor is excellent for servers. It has more than one memory slot, which gives users the option of scaling their memory capacity.
What form factor is a motherboard?
As a result, almost all consumer motherboards sold today belong to one of these form factors: Mini-ITX, MicroATX and ATX.
What are the characteristics of a motherboard?
Despite their difference in size and features, all three types of motherboards share a surprising number of common traits: 1. They can support the same CPU. As long as they are of the same generation, all three form factors will have the same CPU socket.
Do all three form factors have the same CPU socket?
As long as they are of the same generation, all three form factors will have the same CPU socket. This is a big deal, since it means that a Mini-ITX motherboard is able to pack as much as computing punch as its full-sized ATX cousin (provided you're not overclocking or going for top end CPUs like Intel-E).
Is the back panel of a motherboard the same size?
The space taken up by back panel ports and connectors (see image below) on a motherboard is about the same regardless of its size. Rather, the number and type of back panel ports on a motherboard are influenced by its price (expensive board = more and better ports).
Does motherboard size affect graphics card performance?
However, high-end graphics cards tend to be massive so most Mini-ITX cases (and some MicroATX ones) won't have enough space to accommodate these behemoths.#N#For those of you relying on integrated graphics, the good news is that motherboard size no longer affects graphics performance ever since Intel and AMD fused their graphics processing unit with the CPU (instead of leaving it on the motherboard).
What are motherboard form factors?
Motherboard form factors also vary in physical size and in the number and kind of electric and electronic connections. Motherboard form factors have been slower to change, but as significant new connections are developed, such as PCIe, the new technology is reflected in motherboards.
What is the form factor of a computer?
Form factor for computers refers to the size, shape, and physical specifications of hardware or hardware components. Computer form factor is used to describe any physical aspect of a computer system. Form factor is very important for connection compatibility.
What is another example of a computer form factor that changes to prevent incompatible components from being inserted?
Computer memory. RAM is another example of a computer form factor that changes to prevent incompatible components from being inserted . Each generation of computer memory is made so that it cannot be inserted into a slot on a motherboard that was made for a different generation of memory.
What are some examples of computer form factors?
Importance of form factors. The most obvious example of a computer form factor is the difference between a desktop and a laptop computer. Although the same parts are present in each, they are shaped and attached differently. For example, the keyboard from a desktop computer cannot fit into the keyboard space of a laptop computer.
Why is it important to see what the component form factor is?
If you want to upgrade your computer or buy a computer and upgrade it later, it's important to see what the component form factor is. This will ensure that you get new components that fit and work correctly.
Why do manufacturers have standardization rules?
Most component manufacturers have standardization rules so that components work together electrically and electronically and that they physically fit into the available space. The standardization of component form factors includes the inability of incompatible components to physically fit into a space. For example, mini-USB receivers have ...
What are the components of a motherboard?
The following is a picture showing the most important Motherboard Components. The motherboard in the picture is the K7VT4A PRO and its components are: 1 CPU and CPU socket. 2 RAM, DRAM, and RAM slots. 3 ATX power supply. 4 IDE Connectors 5 Northbridge and southbridge. 6 AGP Slot 7 PCI Slots. 8 CMOS Backup Battery 9 Integrated connectors for peripherals such as USB, mouse, keyboard, display, audio, Ethernet, etc.
What is a motherboard characterized by?
Motherboards are always characterized by their chipset, type of processor socket, and their form factor.
What is the form factor of the X570 AORUS PRO?
The form factor for this specific motherboard, the X570 AORUS PRO, is the ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 24.4cm dimensions.
How big is the ATX motherboard?
The ATX motherboard dimensions are 12 × 13 in. A variation of the ATX is the Mini ATX, which is essentially a reduced-size version of ATX but more reduced in terms of its shape, its measurements are 11.2 × 8.2 inches.
How many expansion slots does a Micro ATX have?
It is an evolution of ATX. Its measures are 9.6 × 9.6 inches. The Micro-ATX supports up to four expansion slots that can combine freely with ISA, PCI, PCI / ISA shared, and AGP. Mounting holes changed from the Standard ATX, since the measurements are different, but they are also compatible with most ATX cabinets.
What is the motherboard?
The motherboard is the main component, based on its function, of the internal structure of all computers. Mainly responsible for the interaction of all the elements of the computer, such as the CPU, RAM, storage, graphics card, I/O, among others.
Where is the CPU socket located on the motherboard?
Within the motherboard there are significant changes such as the location of the CPU socket, which is now placed near the power supply, thus allowing the flow of air caused by the fan of the source and not to be interfered with by any element as it happened with the technology Baby AT.
Overview
In computing, the motherboard form factor is the specification of a motherboard – the dimensions, power supply type, location of mounting holes, number of ports on the back panel, etc. Specifically, in the IBM PC compatible industry, standard form factors ensure that parts are interchangeable across competing vendors and generations of technology, while in enterprise computing, form factors ensure that server modules fit into existing rackmount systems. Traditio…
Overview of form factors
A PC motherboard is the main circuit board within a typical desktop computer, laptop or server. Its main functions are as follows:
• To serve as a central backbone to which all other modular parts such as CPU, RAM, and hard drives can be attached as required to create a computer
• To be interchangeable (in most cases) with different components (in particular CPU …
Visual examples of different form factors
• Different form factors
• ATX (Abit KT7)
• mini-ITX (VIA EPIA 5000AG)
• Pico-ITX (VIA EPIA PX10000G)
PC/104 and EBX
PC/104 is an embedded computer standard which defines both a form factor and computer bus. PC/104 is intended for embedded computing environments. Single-board computers built to this form factor are often sold by COTS vendors, which benefits users who want a customized rugged system, without months of design and paper work.
The PC/104 form factor was standardized by the PC/104 Consortium in 1992. An IEEE standard …
Mini PC
Mini PC is a PC small form factor very close in size to an external CD or DVD drive. Mini PCs have proven popular for use as HTPCs.
• AOpen XC mini
• Apple Mac mini
• Intel NUC
See also
• Hard-disk-drive form factors
• Small form factor
• PICOe
External links
• The official Intel Form factors website containing form factor descriptions