Difference between ATX and mATX. Motherboard form factors Difference between atx and microatx
The form factor of computer cases and motherboards is one of their significant characteristics. People often encounter a misunderstanding of the difference between ATX and mATX, either when assembling a new system or when upgrading an old one. Most people are only familiar with these abbreviations, although others may appear in context. Both standards are similar to each other, and they have identical requirements for a number of characteristics of a number of components, so it is worth considering ATX and mATX specifically in relation to motherboards - the form factor here will be decisive.
Definition
ATX— the form factor of full-size motherboards for desktop computers, which determines the dimensions, number of ports and connectors, and other characteristics. It is also a form factor of personal desktop computers, determining the dimensions of the case, the location of the mounts, the placement, size and electrical characteristics of the power supply.
mATX- form factor of motherboards of reduced dimensions and with a reduced number of ports and interfaces. Also - the form factor of system unit cases.
Comparison
The difference between ATX and mATX is primarily in size. Full-size motherboards are installed in full-tower and midi-tower form factors, mATX motherboards are also installed in mini-tower cases. The standard dimensions of ATX boards are 305x244 mm, although they can be slightly smaller in width - up to 170 mm. The standard dimensions of mATX boards (often called micro-ATX) are 244x244 mm, but can be cut down to 170 mm. The standards are not very strict, and a difference of a few mm from one manufacturer or another is common and does not affect anything. But the places for mounting are rigidly standardized by the form factor, and absolutely always coincide with the housing holes for installing motherboards. Visually it is determined as follows: the first vertical row of holes from the plug is universal, the second is intended for mATX, and the third is for ATX boards. It is not possible to install an ATX board in small mATX cases; on the contrary, in the vast majority of cases the installation will not cause difficulties.
Another difference is in the number of ports and interfaces. This is not subject to standardization and remains at the discretion of the manufacturer, however, mostly mATX boards have a minimal gentleman's set: two, rather than four, as in ATX, slots for RAM, fewer SATA and USB interfaces, one video output on the rear panel (if yes), I/O ports, often combined, a minimum of USB, most often there are no frills like eSATA or HDMI. All motherboards today are equipped with an ethernet port. The number of PCI slots on mATX boards is minimal, so installing a video card plus a couple more expansion cards is the ultimate dream. Also, due to the reduction in area on small boards, integration is always relevant, plus the number of soldered parts is less.
In practice, a computer user will find almost no differences between the form factors of motherboards. Due to the small size of the cases and the “clustering” of mATX electronics, mATX may heat up more, and installing new components may be inconvenient due to the space saved.
Conclusions website
- ATX is larger both as a motherboard form factor and as a case form factor.
- mATX has reduced functionality due to a reduction in the number of ports and connectors.
- mATX boards can be installed in ATX cases, and not vice versa.
- In some cases, mATX causes inconvenience when installing components.
Of course, Mini-ITX systems are the most compact among form factors, allowing you to assemble a full-fledged gaming machine with a powerful video card (which are traditionally quite large). However, the difference in size between such cases compared to Micro-ATX is not so great (compatibility with large expansion cards requires sacrifices, and the layout usually provides for increased width), and the expansion capabilities are usually lower. In addition, the range of Mini-ITX “gaming” cases available for sale is quite scarce, and the price tag for the models that are still sold starts at much higher levels 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, seats for 2.5" and 3.5" drives, the presence of at least one USB 3.0 port on the front panel, as well as an affordable price.
With all this, despite the uniform selection criteria, the four buildings are quite different from each other. The Aerocool QS-180 and In Win IW-EFS052 models attract attention with their most compact dimensions, while the SilverStone Precision PS08 and Zalman A1 have 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 supplied with the power supply (however, when the cost of the power supply is deducted, it ends up in the same price category).
How convenient these housings are in real use will be shown by a practical study, to which we will now move on.
Aerocool QS-180
The body has a calm, although not too expressive, appearance. The solid front made of matte plastic does not hurt the eye with every speck of dust or stray fingerprint that settles on it, and the only external 5.25" compartment allows us to hope that the space for internal compartments has significantly expanded due to savings on external ones.
On the side wall there is a deep stamping, which has a positive effect on the rigidity of the sidewall, and a position for a 120 mm fan.
Features that somewhat smooth out the utilitarian-pragmatic appearance are the colored manufacturer's logo on the lower part of the front panel and the 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 increases the available space for cable management.
The case walls have a typical budget fastening system with an abundance of intermediate fasteners at the top and bottom, which makes it difficult to close the sidewall if there are cables hidden under the motherboard platform.
When looking at the case from the back, you can note the top location of the power supply, an 80-mm exhaust fan and an abundance of raised protrusions to increase the rigidity of the case made of very thin metal (we have already seen something similar in the Aerocool V3X model).
The sloppy design of the break-out plugs is noteworthy: on a completely new case they are already noticeably bent. A trifle, of course, but not too pleasant.
From below you can see mounting points for a 2.5" drive in the front of the case and a removable dust filter in the rear (I’m tempted to write “opposite the power supply fan,” but we remember that the power supply 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 ventilation of the case.
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 for installing a 120 mm fan (installation is available in two positions: slightly higher or lower), but there is no dust filter for it.
Two breakout plugs located above and below the vent grille hint at what could have been 3.5" external bays in their place if a different chassis layout had been chosen.
The existing holes allow you to route cables for connecting buttons and front panel connectors both from above and below - depending on what is more convenient from the point of view of the motherboard layout.
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 make removing the “facade” easier.
A panel with buttons and connectors is located under the only external compartment. From left to right there is 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 located 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, there is no discomfort from excess brightness).
The contents are limited to a set of fasteners (in which we can praise the presence of a captive “hexagon” for attaching racks under the motherboard with a screwdriver) and a “clamshell” manual.
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 3.5" and 2.5" drive each (in this case, 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 the unused second external compartment and the already mentioned position for a 2.5" drive on 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 mounts for drives can be folded to the side, which simplifies the process of assembling the system. In addition, there are rubber shock-absorbing elements on the mounting points, which were not present on the V3X case.
In principle, assembly is quite easy, but there is a caveat: installing a power supply longer than the standard 140 mm, if it is not completely modular, is unlikely to be possible. At least, our attempts to squeeze our standard 160 mm long OCZ-ZS550W power supply into the case were unsuccessful. Instead, we had to install the Power Rebel RB-S500HQ7-0 unit from the In Win IW-EFS052 case, which will be discussed below.
In general, we had to tinker with the assembly, but this was primarily due to the layout of the test Mini-ITX format motherboard. SATA connectors, the main 24-pin power connector, internal USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectors, as well as a connector for connecting front panel buttons and indicators were located in a narrow sector under the power supply itself. The same general problems during assembly were present on other cases.
The folding side wall makes it easy to install long video cards (the case can accommodate expansion cards up to 320 mm in length).
Although cable management is usually not the strong point of cases with a top-mounted power supply, the QS-180 can still somewhat relieve the internals from a serpentarium of intertwined 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 smaller in area than 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 placed too far down).
The cooling system of the case out of the box is represented only by an 80 mm exhaust 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%) - taking into account the small diameter of the fan, the noise at this rotation speed is not uncomfortable, but still a slight hum quite noticeable. Additionally, you can install two 120 mm fans: one in 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 is difficult to deny its practical advantages: the non-staining texture of the front, very compact dimensions and a functional connector panel are the obvious trump cards of this case.
Advantages:
Compact dimensions even by mATX standards and practical non-marking finish;
original and quite functional internal structure;
good cable management capabilities;
more functional configuration of front panel connectors than competitors.
Flaws:
poor protection against dust;
only two seats for 3.5" drives;
incompatible with power supplies longer than standard 14 cm.
In Win MG-EFS052
In contrast to the smooth lines of the Aerocool QS-180, the In Win IW-EFS052 has a distinctly angular shape, which is complemented by a raised rectangular pattern on the mesh at the bottom of the front end. Strictly, respectably - 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 grille on the side, but there is no provision for installing a fan on it.
The second side is completely smooth.
At the back you can see the ventilation grille of the complete power supply, a place for an optional 92 mm fan and expansion slot covers (the top one is reusable, the rest are breakable), secured with a common clamping bar.
There are also break-out plugs for outputting connectors of interfaces that are almost forgotten in our time: one LPT port and two COM.
Unlike most solutions with a common fixing bar, in this case it is really effective in terms of clamping: it is not necessary to secure expansion cards with screws for high-quality fastening. In this case, a screwdriver is not required at all: the clamping bar is secured with a plastic latch-lock.
No tools are required to remove or secure 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 latches in the upper and lower parts of the walls.
There are holes at the bottom for installing the drive. The manufacturer has officially declared that this item is compatible only with a 3.5" hard drive (four holes located closer to the front of the case are used to secure it). However, if necessary, you can also secure 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 delivery set includes a leaflet that unsuccessfully imitates instructions, a bag with a set of fasteners, and a power cord for the included power supply.
The front of the body can be easily removed: with the side panel open, just bend a couple of plastic clips and pull the side of the “facade” freed from the fastenings.
Ventilation holes are hidden behind plastic “petals” on the inner surface of the front end. The outer mesh metal plate is to some extent capable of trapping dust (the difference in its effectiveness with a perforated sheet of plastic as a filter, which is used by many case manufacturers, in our opinion, is not obvious: the size of the cells is quite comparable).
The front panel connectors and buttons are located between the external 5.25" bays and the metal grille. On the side of the 3.5" external bay there are power and reset buttons.
Below there are two USB 3.0 ports and headphone and microphone jacks. There is clearly room in the front plastic for a second pair of USB connectors, but, unfortunately, they are not routed.
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 is installed on this modification of the case.
The internal layout of the case is quite unusual. Under the external compartments 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" drives.
The upper 5.25" external compartment and the 3.5" external compartment are equipped with “quick” fastenings, the effectiveness of which is traditionally not very effective: it is advisable to additionally secure the devices installed in them with screws. They saved money on installing a “quick” fastening for the lower 5.25" compartment: although fastening points are provided for it, the latch itself is not installed.
In principle, you can install another 3.5" hard drive in an external 3.5" bay, but there will be problems with its fixation: the mounting holes of the bay do not coincide with the mounting points on the HDD case. In addition, the hard drive does not go all the way to the “quick” fastening point, but rests against the external bay blank.
Also, the drive cannot be secured in this position from the other side: access for a screwdriver to the mounting points is blocked by metal (not to mention the fact that on the other side there is the same difference in the height of the holes).
As a result, you can install the drive in this position only if you drill out the housing holes. But even in this case, it will be possible to fix it only on one side, so it’s unlikely that the game will be worth the trouble (especially considering the lack of airflow and two more heating drives directly below it).
The process of assembling the system in this case itself is as convenient as possible in comparison with other test participants: minimal work with a screwdriver thanks to the abundance of “quick” latches, sufficient internal space and easy access to all drive connectors.
However, the design of the case completely excludes even rudimentary cable management capabilities. Therefore, all unused cables of the power supply, as well as 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 fans of the processor cooler, video card cooling system, and even the power supply.
Moreover, this drawback is aggravated 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 internal space 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 gap stretching along the entire length of the case) is enormous.
You can also once again note the absence of any protrusions or slots that could be used to organize the laying of wires. However, given the minimal 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 mounting spots: on the back wall and in the frame for “quick” mounting at the front (both are designed exclusively for 92 mm fans). With the front fan mounting frame installed, 30.5 cm of internal space is available for expansion cards. If you dismantle it, the space available will increase by another three centimeters.
Note that the front fan can effectively cool only a drive installed at the bottom of the case. Individual baskets are almost completely devoid of airflow: the air flow from the fan hits only the bottom sheet of the compartment in which they are installed, without blowing on the drives themselves.
The system assembled in the In Win IW-EFS052 case looks strict, but not boring. This appearance would be quite appropriate both in the office and at home.
Advantages:
stylish and strict appearance;
thick (compared to rivals) metal;
ease of system assembly.
Flaws:
poor protection against dust;
undiluted second pair of USB ports;
no fans included in the package;
unsuitability of the external 3.5" bay for installing a HDD without the intervention of a drill;
almost complete lack of cable management capabilities.
SilverStone Precision PS08
For several years now, this case has been considered one of the most successful Micro-ATX solutions suitable for assembling high-performance systems.
Externally, the body does not strike with elegance: the “belly” protruding forward, covered with a black metal grill, looks quite heavy. However, the situation is somewhat straightened out by the raised protrusions on the sides of the front end and the interesting shape of the plugs for the two external 5.25" compartments.
On the sidewall, you can note stampings for fingers for more convenient removal of the wall, and a ventilation grille without a seat for a fan.
On the other side, the sidewall has a similar shape, but lacks a ventilation grille.
On both sidewalls there are outward stampings of a large area, but due to their minimal depth they do not have a noticeable effect either on the rigidity of the walls (very low) or on the expansion of the available space for laying wires under the motherboard platform.
The sidewall locking system is similar to the other cases reviewed today, with several locking tabs on the top and bottom of each wall.
At the back there is a seat for an 80/92 mm fan and a common clamping strip for expansion slot covers (traditionally useless).
The rear wall itself has a significant number of relief stampings to increase rigidity (unlike the sidewalls, there are no complaints about the chassis in this regard).
You can also note the thumbscrews that secure the sides to the body.
At the bottom, attention is drawn to the relief recesses to increase rigidity and holes for mounting on the bottom of the 2.5" drive case.
The legs are as rigid as those of the other cases under consideration, but at the same time they are the lowest, which, in the absence of the need to draw in air from below, can be considered a plus.
The grille bottom cover of the front panel can be easily removed to reveal the pre-installed front-mounted 120mm fan. Below 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 optimal option in terms of efficiency: rather large cells with a small area relative to the total filter area. However, among the cases we are considering today, this is the first specialized filter to protect against dust being drawn inside by the fan (the filter of the Aerocool QS-180 case, which protects something unknown and unknown where, does not count).
Due to their design, the external compartment covers can be easily removed from the outside.
Buttons and connectors are located in the middle part of the front.
Under the external compartments there are two USB 3.0 ports (like the other models under review, with connection to the internal connector of the motherboard), separated by jacks for headphones and a microphone. 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 lid, there are power and reset buttons.
The delivery set includes a set of fasteners (including four separate screws for attaching the power supply), a single short plastic tie and a folding “sheet” of instructions.
The internal structure of the case does not have any tricky delights: 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 space for a 2.5" drive. "Fast » no fastenings are provided.
It can be noted that the wall, which is common to the external and internal compartments, continues to the very bottom of the housing. 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 (expansion cards up to 35.5 cm long can fit into the case).
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 under consideration, the only easier assembly is in the In Win case with its abundance of “quick” fasteners.
However, compare the neatness of the internal appearance of the In Win IW-EFS052 and the SilverStone Precision PS08 after assembly - it’s just heaven and earth! There are virtually no dangling cables, and even the atypical placement of SATA connectors on the motherboard did not cause any clutter inside.
The reason for such striking differences lies in two factors.
Firstly, the neatness of the appearance after assembly is affected by the abundance of fairly 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 entire space of the case. This may not have the best effect on hard drive cooling (although, unlike the other cases under review, the 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 the hard drives throughout the entire internal body volume.
True, the side wall with such an abundance of cables underneath is very difficult to close: you will have to spend several minutes simultaneously pressing all the latches into their positions, and this can only be done with the case laid on its side.
However, the effort is worth it: none of the other three cases look so neat after assembly.
The cooling system in the base consists of one 120 mm fan, the rotation speed of which, when the “Silent” mode was set in the motherboard BIOS, according to our measurements, was about 1250 rpm (at this speed of rotation of the impeller, the noise from it is already quite noticeable).
Additionally, you can place an 80mm fan on the front panel under the pre-installed front fan and an 80mm or 92mm fan on the rear wall of the case.
In general, the appearance of the system assembled in the SilverStone Precision PS08 case, although it does not pretend to be design revelations, does not cause rejection (except, perhaps, for the controversial decision to place indicators under the grille).
Advantages:
pre-installed front 120mm fan with easy-to-maintain dust filter;
capacious compartment for 3.5" drives;
ease of system assembly;
the best cable management capabilities among the models under consideration.
Flaws:
noisy pre-installed fan;
close arrangement of drives in the rack;
shallow compartment depth for laying wires;
inconvenient placement of indicators under the front panel grid;
low sidewall rigidity.
Zalman A1
Zalman has a fairly extensive range of affordable Micro-ATX cases. For this comparison, we took the fairly recent A1 model.
The external difference between this model and the other test participants is the glossy high front end, the upper part of which rises above the roof of the body. This is also the only model with hidden optical drives in two 5.25" external bays under hinged covers.
On the side wall there is a three-dimensional stamping with a large-area ventilation grille (installation of fans is not provided for it), and the model name is printed in light gray near the front end.
The sidewall on the other side has the same shape, but lacks a ventilation grille and an inscription.
Like the rest of the cases under review, the sides have rows of locking tabs at the top and bottom.
There is an 80mm exhaust fan at the rear (although a 92mm size is also supported), and there are only two mounting points for it.
The expansion slot plugs are pressed together with a traditionally useless common strip (to effectively fix the expansion card, you still need to secure it with separate screws).
At the bottom there are seats for a 2.5" or 3.5" drive, as well as two ventilation grilles not covered by filters: one under the storage space and one in the rear of the case, where the power supply would be located if it were installed below.
The possibility of lower installation of the power supply 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 upward and the mounting holes for the power supply downward.
Like the rest of the test participants, the body supports are monolithic plastic parts.
Like the Aerocool QS-180 case, the front panel is made of solid plastic. However, Zalman took better care of ventilation: on the side parts of the front end there are ventilation slots in the area where the optional 120 mm front fan is located.
Also visible are the spring-loaded covers for the optical drive trays in the external compartments (note that in the upper compartment the cover often stuck).
When looking at the front of the case chassis, you will notice the presence of a 3.5" external compartment, which does not have a plug on the removable front.
But, unlike the In Win case discussed above, this compartment is suitable for installing a hard drive into it without any modifications: in the grooves intended for the fixing screws of an external 3.5" device, there are extensions that allow you to secure a 3.5" drive.
A panel with connectors, buttons and indicators is located on the roof of the front body.
Closest to the front are the 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 blue backlighting around the perimeter during operation.
The delivery set includes plastic slides for a pair of 3.5" drives, one replaceable plug for the expansion slot (the rest are disposable break-out ones), a set of fasteners (supplemented with a pair of cable ties), a clamshell instruction sheet and a sheet with marks on passing factory quality control .
The internal structure of the case includes two external 5.25" compartments, an external compartment suitable for installing a 3.5" drive underneath them, and even lower there is a basket for two 3.5" drives, installed horizontally using plastic slides.
Under this basket there are guides for installing a 2.5" drive. Below there is free space intended for placing 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 ability to install a 2.5" devices in a bay for two drives.
However, unlike the In Win IW-EFS052, the Zalman A1 case is not devoid of cable management capabilities: a significant part of the bunch of cables can be placed under the motherboard platform. Moreover, the 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 completely handled even with a vertically standing case.
In addition, one can note a very long window in height for dismantling the processor cooling system. Perhaps only in this case would it be possible to remove the cooler with the support plate under the motherboard without removing our motherboard, which is distinguished by the location of the processor socket noticeably shifted downward.
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 motherboard used).
The only thing that can be noted is a nuance with fixing the optical drive: the lower individual mounting holes are not suitable for fixing the optical drive under the plug with a folding window for the tray.
The case cooling system includes only one 80-mm fan on the rear wall (its rotation speed was only about 1200 rpm - it is practically inaudible during operation). Additionally, 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 one - the mounting holes allow this.
When assembled, the system in the Zalman A1 case looks quite presentable - although, again, without any special frills, which the price level does not allow for. Also, do not forget that maintaining the “sales appearance” of this case with a glossy facade will require more effort than for other models considered.
Advantages:
spacious storage compartment;
quiet pre-installed fan;
good cable management capabilities.
Flaws:
lack of dust protection;
not very good relative position of cooling system fans and storage positions;
HDD placement with 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 case at a constant external temperature of 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) are set to “Silent” mode in the motherboard BIOS. If the case has its own controller, all fans connected to it are also switched to the minimum possible speeds. We will indicate any other cases separately. There are no changes to the air flow configuration not provided for by the housing developers.The following configuration was used as a test bench:
Processor Intel Core i5 3330 (3 GHz, 3.2 GHz Boost);
CPU cooler Socket115x Intel (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);
Set of memory modules Kingston HyperX KHX1600C9D3K2/8G (2x4 GB, 1600 MHz, CL9);
PCI-E 512MB video card 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 comes with a power supply included, testing is carried out with the power supply that comes with the case.
Hard drives are listed in the order of their location from top to bottom from the top slot in the main HDD bay, without spaces between drives, unless a different location is specifically indicated.
The Core Temp 0.99.8 program is used to take processor temperature readings. The temperatures of hard drives, video chip and motherboard are measured using the CPUID Hardware Monitor program. A Velleman DTO2234 optical tachometer was used to measure the fan speed.
Testing is carried out in the following modes:
Idle - computer idle mode;
IOMeter - the “Access time” test from the IOMeter program is simultaneously launched on all hard drives, ensuring maximum load on the drives;
Linpack - the IntelBurnTest 2.5 utility, based on the Linpack package, was launched in the most severe stress testing mode, ensuring full load of all processor cores; the maximum temperature value of the hottest core recorded during program operation is indicated;
MSI Kombustor - launched in full screen mode, DX9 rendering, resolution 1280x1024, with MSAA 8x anti-aliasing activated, the Xtreme burn-in option activated, the maximum temperature value of the hottest core recorded during program 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 from the same configuration, but assembled outside the case, on the so-called open bench:
Noise level assessment is carried out only by a subjective method during testing of the described configuration.
Test results
Traditionally, we will first discuss the differences from the basic test methodology (or simply non-obvious nuances) that are related to the configuration of the disk subsystem. Our test motherboard has only four SATA connectors, one of which is connected to the system SSD. Accordingly, there are only three ports left for hard drives (if you do not connect an optical drive) - therefore, in cases that allow installation of a larger number of 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 was not equipped with other cases. The bottommost 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. Obviously, a drive placed in an external compartment of the chassis, deprived of airflow and heated from below by drives in the rack, will not have a comfortable operating temperature, but looking at the results of a drive freestanding on the bottom of the case is much more interesting.
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 of the four that is not capable of accommodating 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 each other, even with In the absence of a front fan, their temperature only slightly exceeded the conventionally comfortable temperature of 40° C. When using modern economical hard drives, even without installing a front fan, the operating temperature conditions of the drives promise to be quite comfortable.
The remaining components are also cooled quite well: this result is due to a fairly “revolving” exhaust fan.
The temperature conditions in the In Win IW-EFS052 case turned out to be the worst, as expected, since the case does not have fans included in the package. Even a 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 when operating in random data access mode approached 60° C.
The temperature of other components from which the heated air is not removed by the exhaust fan is also slightly higher.
It is worth noting that even when installing fans, one can hardly count on a significant improvement in the temperature conditions of the drives in the 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 it is where the CPU gets hottest.
Nothing surprising: this is the only case among the four with a front fan blowing the drive bay. In this case, the air heated by the hard drives gets directly to 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 inside it is more comfortable. The two hottest drives standing next to each other under load only slightly cross the conditionally dangerous line of 50° C (but, as in the In Win case, their cooling is unlikely to radically improve when installing a front fan).
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 diagrams of the temperature indicators of the tested cases in comparison with an open stand:
Summarizing
The Aerocool QS-180 case, with its very modest dimensions, even without an additional front fan, provides quite a 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 don't mind 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 confirmed its long-standing reputation as an excellent choice for creating a productive system in compact dimensions: excellent cable management capabilities for the Micro-ATX form factor, a capacious bay for 3.5" drives, a pre-installed front fan protected by a quick-release dust filter. Disappointing It may just be the impossibility of installing more than one 2.5" drive - but are there many users who already have or are planning to use more than one SSD of this format in their system later (especially considering the ability to use an M.2 format drive on many modern motherboards) ?
The In Win IW-EFS052 and Zalman A1 cases are difficult to consider separately - their internal layout is too similar. The common and most serious drawback of both models is problems with cooling the upper 3.5" drives: the air flow from the front fan does not blow 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 ( versus one USB 3.0 port and one USB 2.0 in the Zalman case), maximum ease of assembly, as well as slightly smaller dimensions.But Zalman A1 also has many aces up its sleeve: it is cheaper (even when the cost of the pre-installed power supply is deducted from the cost of IW-EFS052) , has a pre-installed exhaust fan (saving again), and its design is much better suited for neat cable routing. And the flexibility of the configuration of the disk subsystem in the Zalman case is generally better (it is possible to standardly install a 3.5" drive in an external chassis bay and fully secure it on the bottom there is both a 3.5" and a 2.5" drive).
Of course, it is up to the potential buyer to decide which of the cases reviewed 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). The In Win and Zalman cases, 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 do not have (the quality of cooling of drives, and the In Win case also has a complete inability to cable management and a higher price).
Today there are four predominant 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 was recently released, adding a new form factor to this list - FlexATX. All these specifications, which determine the shape and size of motherboards, as well as the arrangement of components on them and the features of the cases, are described below.
AT
The AT form factor is divided into two modifications that differ in size - AT and Baby AT. The size of a full-size AT board reaches up to 12" wide, which means that such a board is unlikely to fit into most of today's cases. Installation of such a board will likely be hampered by the drive and hard drive bay and power supply. In addition, the location of the board components on a large 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 motherboards made in the AT form factor that are widely available are boards corresponding to the Baby AT format. The Baby AT board measures 8.5" wide x 13" long. In principle, some manufacturers may reduce the length of the board to save material or for some other reason. To secure the board in the case, three rows of holes are made in the board.
All AT boards have common features. Almost all have serial and parallel ports, connected to the motherboard via connecting strips. 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. SIMM and DIMM slots are found in various locations, although they are almost always located on the top of the motherboard.
Today this format is gradually disappearing from the scene. Some companies still produce some of their models in two versions - Baby AT and ATX, but this is happening less and less. Moreover, more and more new features provided by operating systems are implemented only on ATX motherboards. Not to mention just ease of use - for example, most often on Baby AT boards all the connectors are collected in one place, as a result of which either cables from communication ports stretch almost across the entire motherboard to the rear of the case, or from IDE and FDD ports to front Sockets for memory modules that fit almost under the power supply. With limited freedom of action inside the very small space of the MiniTower, this is, to put it mildly, inconvenient. In addition, the issue with cooling was poorly resolved - the air does not flow directly to the part of the system that needs cooling most - 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. Intended for use in Slimline or Low-profile cases. The problem was solved by a rather innovative proposal - the introduction of a stand. Instead of inserting expansion cards directly into the motherboard, this option places 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 price 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 the video chip integrated on the motherboard. The case size for LPX is 9 x 13"", for Mini LPX - 8 x 10"".
After the introduction of NLX, LPX began to be replaced by this form factor.
ATX
It is not surprising that 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, of the LuckyStar motherboards for these processors being prepared for release this year, 4 will be in Mini-ATX format, 3 - ATX, and only one - Baby AT. And if you also take into account that today there are much fewer motherboards for Socket7 being made, 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. ATX embodied the best aspects of both Baby AT and LPX: expandability was taken from Baby AT, and high integration of components was taken from LPX. Here's what happened as a 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 fairly significant reduction in the number of connecting wires inside the case. In addition, at the same time, among the traditional parallel and serial ports, keyboard connector, there was also a place for newcomers - PS/2 and USB ports. In addition, as a result, the cost of the motherboard has decreased slightly due to the reduction in cables included.
- Significantly increased ease of access to memory modules. As a result of all the changes, the sockets for memory modules have moved further from the slots for motherboards, from the processor and the power supply. As a result, expanding memory has become a matter of minutes in any case, whereas on Baby AT motherboards you sometimes have to take a screwdriver.
- Reduced distance between the 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 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 the expansion slots - the processor does not interfere with them. In addition, the cooling problem has been resolved - now the air sucked in by the power supply blows directly onto 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 power supply has been added - turning it on at the right time or upon the occurrence of a certain event, the ability to turn it on from the keyboard, turn it off by the 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. In AT boards, a stabilizer installed on the motherboard was used to obtain it. There is no need for it in ATX boards.
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 can get either two ATX boards (12 x 9.6'') or four - Mini-ATX (11.2 x 8.2'') . By the way, compatibility with older 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 would be possible to use an ATX board in an AT case without much effort. However, today this is more in the realm of pure theory - the AT case still needs to be found. Also, whenever possible, the mounting holes on the ATX board are fully compatible with 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 combination of slots, based on which the specification was compiled, looked like 3 ISA/3 PCI/1 adjacent. Somewhat irrelevant today, isn't it? ISA, no AGP, AMR, etc. Again, 7 slots are not used 99 percent of the time anyway, especially today with chipsets like the MVP4, SiS 620, i810, and other similar products coming out. In general, for cheap PCs, ATX is a waste of resources. Based on similar considerations, in December 1997, the microATX format specification 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 size of the board was reduced to 9.6 x 9.6’’, so that it became completely square, and the size of the power supply was reduced. The I/O connector block remains unchanged, so the microATX board can be used in an ATX 2.01 case with minimal modifications.
NLX
Over time, the LPX specification, like the Baby AT, no longer met the requirements of the time. New processors were released, new technologies appeared. And it was no longer able to provide acceptable spatial and thermal conditions for the new low-profile systems. As a result, just as ATX replaced the Baby AT, the NLX form factor specification appeared in 1997, as the LPX idea evolved, taking into account the emergence of new technologies. A format aimed at use in low-profile cases. When creating it, both technical factors were taken into account (for example, the advent of AGP and DIMMs, integration of audio/video components on the motherboard) and the need to provide greater ease of service. Thus, to assemble/disassemble many systems based on this form factor, a screwdriver is not required at all.
As can be seen 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.
- In general, grouping tall components, such as the processor and memory, at the left end of the board to allow rack placement of full-size expansion cards.
- Located at the rear end of the board are single-height (in the area of expansion boards) and double-height I/O connector blocks 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 system components themselves are located, and the part connected to it via a 340-pin connector at an angle of 90 degrees, where all kinds of input/output components are located - expansion cards, port connectors, drives data where the power is connected. Thus, firstly, ease of maintenance is increased - there is no need to access components that are currently unnecessary. 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 necessary components integrated on it.
In general, does this description remind you of anything? A rack mounted to the motherboard that carries some I/O components instead of being integrated onto the motherboard, all to make it easier to service, 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 the rather strict other specifications, NLX provides manufacturers with much greater freedom in decision making. NLX motherboard sizes range from 8 x 10'' to 9 x 13.6''. The NLX case must be able to handle both these two formats, and all intermediate ones. Typically, boards that fit within 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 only remains to add that according to the specification, some places on the board must remain free, providing opportunities for expanding 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 with AT and ATX specifications are also not entirely satisfied. There are problems there, where cost does not play the most important role. At the forefront are ensuring normal cooling, placement of large amounts of memory, convenient support for multiprocessor configurations, greater power supply power, placement of a larger number of data storage controller ports and I/O ports. Thus, in 1998, the WTX specification was born. Focused on supporting dual-processor motherboards of any configuration, supporting today's and tomorrow's video card and memory technologies.
Particular attention, perhaps, should be paid 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 method of attachment is left to the board manufacturer, while the standard BAP is attached to the case.
Besides the usual things like board dimensions (14 x 16.75""), power supply specs (up to 850 W), etc., the WTX specification describes the Flex Slot architecture - in a sense, AMR for workstations. Flex Slot is designed to improve serviceability, provide additional flexibility to developers, and reduce motherboard time to market. A 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, and means for monitoring the system state.
Samples of WTX boards should appear around June, with production samples expected in the third quarter of 1999.
FlexATX
And finally, just as ATX emerged from the ideas contained in the Baby AT and LPX, the development of the microATX and NPX specifications led to the emergence of 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, in fact, had nothing new except its appearance, PC manufacturers also decided to follow this path. And the first was Intel, which in February at the Intel Developer Forum announced FlexATX - a motherboard 25-30 percent smaller in area than microATX.
Theoretically, with some modifications, the FlexATX board can be used in cases that meet the ATX 2.03 or microATX 1.0 specifications. But for today’s cases there are enough boards without this; we were talking about elaborate plastic designs, where such compactness is needed. There, at IDF, Intel demonstrated several possible options for such cases. The imagination of the designers ran wild - vases, pyramids, trees, spirals, which were not offered. A few phrases from the specification to deepen the impression: “aesthetic value”, “greater satisfaction from 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 discretion of the manufacturer that were previously strictly described. Thus, 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, and methods for achieving a 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 the fall was announced only as Slot-1, and in the photo - see for yourself, and the specification emphasizes that FlexATX boards are only for Socket processors...
And finally, another interesting revelation from Intel - in three years, in the next specifications, the power supply may even be located outside the PC case.
ATX (Advanced Technology Extended)- a standard created in 1995 that describes the geometric dimensions and methods of their interfacing, as well as the geometric and electrical parameters of power supplies, their methods of connection to motherboards and interaction with them.
A visual comparison of the sizes of motherboards of popular formats of the ATX family:
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 Gigabyte GA-890FXA-UD7 motherboard, released on 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 you need to choose special cases. |
| Enhanced E-ATX | 347×330 | Branded E-ATX extension from SuperMicro. The board is 32 mm wider (on the power supply side) than the standard EATX board, 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 format of boards and cases for dual-processor workstations and servers. Second name SSI EEB |
| SSI CEB | 305×267 | Motherboard format for workstations. Recently, boards of this format have begun to appear for gaming computers. It is possible to install boards of this format in E-ATX cases |
| ATX | 305×244 | The most popular (together with MicroATX) format of motherboards. In practice, boards can be shorter, up to 305 × 170 |
| microATX | 244×244 | The most popular (together with ATX) format of motherboards. 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 ATX compatible.
Outdated 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, like the closely related SWTX |
| AT | 350×305 | Original formats of motherboards for personal computers, proposed by IBM and dominating the market until the end of the 90s of the 20th century. As a rule, most Baby-AT format boards can be installed in an ATX case. | Baby-AT | 330×216 | DTX | 244×203 | Smaller MicroATX variants offered by AMD. |
| NLX | 254×228 | Original "proprietary" standards of major PC manufacturers. MicroATX were completely replaced. |
| LPX | 330×229 | |
| BTX | 325×266 | A format that was developed as a replacement for ATX, but never became one. |
| microBTX | 264×267 | |
| Nano-ITX | 120×120 | Smaller MicroATX variants offered by VIA. |
| Pico-ITX | 100×72 | |
| mobile-ITX | 60×60 | Ultra-compact motherboard format for mobile and embedded computers, also proposed by VIA |
Used in industrial and embedded equipment: