miniATX == microATX ?

hussar · 10-01-2005, 02:26 PM

I recently got a Jetway 650DF miniATX motherboard for cheap. Now I am looking for a case to put it into and use it as ... well, haven't figured that out yet really. Could end up being a small box I use to test different distros.

Anyway, while looking for cases, I see that there are any number of microATX cases out there, but no miniATX cases. Are miniATX boards compatible with microATX cases? Can anyone point me to a web site that can explain to me the differences between miniATX and microATX motherboards?

wyattgoettsch · 10-01-2005, 04:15 PM

Micro-ATX and mini-ITX (not called mini-ATX) are two distinct form factors. The difference, a mini-ITX is a much smaller board than a micro-ATX, in that it is only 9cm x 9cm. A mini-ITX case would be way too small for you. I would recommend looking around on Newegg.com for a micro-ATX case.

hussar · 10-01-2005, 05:23 PM

I know about mini-ITX. I have an VIA EPIA-M board that I am building into a router/firewall. This Jetway board is miniATX, and it is 17.6cm x 24.0 cm.

Doing some more research on this, it looks like the normal microATX size is 24 cm x 24 cm (around 9.5 in x 9.5 in). Maybe that is the difference. Is miniATX just a little shorter along the one edge? In that case, a microATX case would probably work, wouldn't it?