Can i put a Micro ATX board in a ATX case if so how?

[Greenslade]

Can i put a Micro ATX board in a ATX case?As i was looking on ebay for a full sized mother board at less than £30 i see so few of them.I am trying to work out where the stand offs would go for a Micro board.
And can i try a PSU on a motherboard with just connecting the PSU to it?

 

[Bill_Bright]

To answer the question in your thread title, sure! Assuming neither the case nor the motherboard are proprietary, you can always put a MicroATX motherboard in a mid or full tower or desktop ATX case. You just cannot, of course, go the other way around.

And the ATX PSU will fit the case and support the board too - assuming the board is not too new and the PSU too old to have the latest connectors (not likely).

So, how do you know if proprietary, I hear you ask? If the case, or the board came from a major factory computer maker, such as Dell, HP, Acer, Lenovo, etc. there is a chance one or the other is proprietary.

What you need to do is inspect the case. ATX compliant cases are designed to support 1000s of different motherboards. So, it is common for cases to have more motherboard mounting points than boards have mounting holes. And while the ATX Form Factor standard dictates where motherboard mounting holes “can” be on motherboards, it does not dictate where they “will” be. So, one board may have a mounting hole in a specific place while another may not.

A common mistake by the less experienced and distracted pros alike is to insert one or more extra standoff in the case under the motherboard. Any extra standoff creates the potential for an electrical “short” in one or more circuits. The results range from "nothing" (everything works perfectly) to odd "intermittent” problems, to "nothing" (as in nothing works at all ).

So, it is good you are already concerned about standoff placement. You need to inspect the case and note where the mounting points are, Then inspect the board and make certain there is inserted a standoff in the case only where there is a corresponding motherboard mounting hole. If mounting points and mounting holes do match, ensure a standoff is inserted there. This ensures the best grounding but also properly distributes pressure forces - important when connecting connectors, and mounting and using heavy CPU coolers.

Note the primary difference between a MicroATX board and standard (full) ATX board is the length. In a standard tower configuration, starting at the top, both boards will be the same - in terms of possible mounting hole/standoff locations. So with that in mind, working out where the standoffs go should be pretty obvious upon close inspection.

Also, with the motherboard sitting on the standoffs, make sure the motherboard's expansion card slots and rear panel I/O area line up properly (in the height of the board off the backplate of the case) with the rear of the case. If you ensure you only use the standoffs that came with the case, the height should be correct.

If the 4 mounting holes for the PSU align with the 4 mounting points in the case (and they should if both the case and PSU are ATX compliant), you should be good to go there (assuming the PSU has enough power to support your components). Again, if the PSU came out of a factory built computer, it might be proprietary. This can be verified by connecting the PSU simple PSU Tester. Of you can verify the pin-out if handy with a multimeter.

HOWEVER - in the body of your post, your comment does not line up with the title question. You said (my bold underline added),

i was looking on ebay for a full sized mother board

So are you looking for a microATX motherboard or a standard size (full) ATX motherboard? Again, a standard board will NOT fit in a microATX case. But a microATX board will fit in a standard mid or full tower ATX case (if ATX compliant and not proprietary).

Clear as mud, huh?

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
ATX being the keyword so yes.
PSU's come with a jumper so you can plug it into the 24 pin port and it will turn on so no mother board needed.

Oops how ?
Screw driver usually works just fine

 

[Ruru]

You can, just make sure that the standoffs are aligned correctly.

 

[68Olds]

ATX and mATX mounting holes.

 

[tabascosauz]

Can i put a Micro ATX board in a ATX case?As i was looking on ebay for a full sized mother board at less than £30 i see so few of them.I am trying to work out where the stand offs would go for a Micro board.
And can i try a PSU on a motherboard with just connecting the PSU to it?

You may have to be a bit more specific than "a" mATX board. Some are full sized mATX and use all 8 mounting holes (e.g. ROG Genes), and some budget boards are only slightly bigger than an ITX board and basically only use the 4 ITX holes or ITX holes + 2 (e.g. B550M S2H, some H61s were literally mDTX but called mATX)

Technically, you *can* always get away with just the 4 ITX holes regardless of mATX size, but if you have butterfingers or serious gorilla hands you run the risk of damaging your board when plugging in say, your 24-pin.

@68Olds that's mostly correct, but the lower 2 holes on mATX are not supposed to be aligned. mATX should use the lower of the two clustered standoff options on the bottom right.

I stand corrected, there are still *some* boards using the higher standoff on the bottom right, some ASRocks it seems. But most full width mATX have moved to the lower hole it seems.

On second thought, I was right. Boards like B550M-HDV are actually using an incorrect nonstandard bottom left standoff (wtf ASRock?)

 

[Ruru]

You may have to be a bit more specific than "a" mATX board. Some are full sized mATX and use all 8 mounting holes (e.g. ROG Genes), and some budget boards are only slightly bigger than an ITX board and basically only use the 4 ITX holes or ITX holes + 2 (e.g. B550M S2H)

Technically, you *can* get away with just the 4 ITX holes regardless of mATX size, but if you have butterfingers or serious gorilla hands you run the risk of damaging your board when plugging in say, your 24-pin.

@68Olds that's mostly correct, but the lower 2 holes on mATX are not supposed to be aligned. mATX should use the lower of the two standoff options on the bottom right.

Good points there! But yeah, like I said above, just make sure that the standoffs match, it should be fine.

 

[Greenslade]

ATX and mATX mounting holes.


View attachment 276613

I have changed my mind I am going for

To answer the question in your thread title, sure! Assuming neither the case nor the motherboard are proprietary, you can always put a MicroATX motherboard in a mid or full tower or desktop ATX case. You just cannot, of course, go the other way around.

And the ATX PSU will fit the case and support the board too - assuming the board is not too new and the PSU too old to have the latest connectors (not likely).

So, how do you know if proprietary, I hear you ask? If the case, or the board came from a major factory computer maker, such as Dell, HP, Acer, Lenovo, etc. there is a chance one or the other is proprietary.

What you need to do is inspect the case. ATX compliant cases are designed to support 1000s of different motherboards. So, it is common for cases to have more motherboard mounting points than boards have mounting holes. And while the ATX Form Factor standard dictates where motherboard mounting holes “can” be on motherboards, it does not dictate where they “will” be. So, one board may have a mounting hole in a specific place while another may not.

A common mistake by the less experienced and distracted pros alike is to insert one or more extra standoff in the case under the motherboard. Any extra standoff creates the potential for an electrical “short” in one or more circuits. The results range from "nothing" (everything works perfectly) to odd "intermittent” problems, to "nothing" (as in nothing works at all ).

So, it is good you are already concerned about standoff placement. You need to inspect the case and note where the mounting points are, Then inspect the board and make certain there is inserted a standoff in the case only where there is a corresponding motherboard mounting hole. If mounting points and mounting holes do match, ensure a standoff is inserted there. This ensures the best grounding but also properly distributes pressure forces - important when connecting connectors, and mounting and using heavy CPU coolers.

Note the primary difference between a MicroATX board and standard (full) ATX board is the length. In a standard tower configuration, starting at the top, both boards will be the same - in terms of possible mounting hole/standoff locations. So with that in mind, working out where the standoffs go should be pretty obvious upon close inspection.

Also, with the motherboard sitting on the standoffs, make sure the motherboard's expansion card slots and rear panel I/O area line up properly (in the height of the board off the backplate of the case) with the rear of the case. If you ensure you only use the standoffs that came with the case, the height should be correct.

If the 4 mounting holes for the PSU align with the 4 mounting points in the case (and they should if both the case and PSU are ATX compliant), you should be good to go there (assuming the PSU has enough power to support your components). Again, if the PSU came out of a factory built computer, it might be proprietary. This can be verified by connecting the PSU simple PSU Tester. Of you can verify the pin-out if handy with a multimeter.

HOWEVER - in the body of your post, your comment does not line up with the title question. You said (my bold underline added),

So are you looking for a microATX motherboard or a standard size (full) ATX motherboard? Again, a standard board will NOT fit in a microATX case. But a microATX board will fit in a standard mid or full tower ATX case (if ATX compliant and not proprietary).

Clear as mud, huh?

This is one of the ones I am thinking about Intel of course when I typed that in it came up loads of OEM Dell.s, Hp, etc no I know about all that propriety stuff they have in them.
Intel DH61WW LGA 1155 Motherboard Micro ATX DDR3 for 2nd Gen CPUs
this one is £20 no Ram or CPU. I have the ram and will get an i5 2500k for £8 fromCEX it is in stock at three of their branches near me. I get your point about mounting holes.
Intel DH61WW LGA 1155 Motherboard Bundle (G620 processor, heatsink .and 2GB ram)there is no backplate with it sad to say I was going to go for it till saw that.
All very informative points thanks Bill.

LGA 1155/Socket H2

You may have to be a bit more specific than "a" mATX board. Some are full sized mATX and use all 8 mounting holes (e.g. ROG Genes), and some budget boards are only slightly bigger than an ITX board and basically only use the 4 ITX holes or ITX holes + 2 (e.g. B550M S2H, some H61s were literally mDTX but called mATX)

Technically, you *can* always get away with just the 4 ITX holes regardless of mATX size, but if you have butterfingers or serious gorilla hands you run the risk of damaging your board when plugging in say, your 24-pin.

@68Olds that's mostly correct, but the lower 2 holes on mATX are not supposed to be aligned. mATX should use the lower of the two clustered standoff options on the bottom right.

ATX and mATX mounting holes.


View attachment 276613

Thats what i wanted thanks

I stand corrected, there are still *some* boards using the higher standoff on the bottom right, some ASRocks it seems. But most full width mATX have moved to the lower hole it seems.

On second thought, I was right. Boards like B550M-HDV are actually using an incorrect nonstandard bottom left standoff (wtf ASRock?)

Before I looked on eBay I did not know much about the different sizes of Motherboards I might as well put in as many as the board needs. Thanks for your informative information.

Good points there! But yeah, like I said above, just make sure that the standoffs match, it should be fine.

Yes I will thank,s to 68Olds The thing is do I go for the one without the plate that has Ram and a CPU? Or the one without the CPU or Ram but with a backplate?

 

[Bill_Bright]

Just note that Intel is typically the OEM suppliers of motherboards for other brands and not just computer makers like Dell and HP, but motherboard makers who rebrand them too.

I personally would be hesitant to buy such an old board - not just due to its age, but for finding compatible components to go with it - like DDR3 RAM. Make sure the DDR3 you have is compatible with that board.

 

[Ruru]

Just note that Intel is typically the OEM suppliers of motherboards for other brands and not just computer makers like Dell and HP, but motherboard makers who rebrand them too.

I personally would be hesitant to buy such an old board - not just due to its age, but for finding compatible components to go with it - like DDR3 RAM. Make sure the DDR3 you have is compatible with that board.

Usually any generic memory type is compatible, tho with some luck even ECC can work (in non-ECC mode on intel platform)

But that board above looks standard by its mounting and connectors.

Yes I will thank,s to 68Olds The thing is do I go for the one without the plate that has Ram and a CPU? Or the one without the CPU or Ram but with a backplate?

Sorry but I don't got what you mean by this..?

 

[eidairaman1]

Read your motherboard manual.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Most decent cases have center peg that helps align the board in the correct position there is no screw hole again it's just a centering peg
Here's my old acer micro atx board being installed in a corsair D450 mid tower atx case will also accept extended atx boards to

Also had it installed on a atx test bench on water.

 

[Ruru]

Hi,
Most decent cases have center peg that helps align the board in the correct position there is no screw hole again it's just a centering peg
Here's my old acer micro atx board being installed in a corsair D450 mid tower atx case will also accept extended atx boards to

View attachment 276678

Also had it installed on a atx test bench on water.

Yeah, that peg helps a lot aligning a board, was it a mATX or ATX one.

 

[ThrashZone]

Yeah, that peg helps a lot aligning a board, was it a mATX or ATX one.

Hi,
Micro atx/ mATX mother board.
This was my first build really transplant from a acer 3810 aspire small form factor into a real case= good times

 

[68Olds]

@68Olds that's mostly correct, but the lower 2 holes on mATX are not supposed to be aligned. mATX should use the lower of the two clustered standoff options on the bottom right.

Yeah, you are correct. I should have circled the lower right location at the tip of the yellow arrow instead of the one I circled.

 

[Ruru]

Hi,
Micro atx/ mATX mother board.
This was my first build really transplant from a acer 3810 aspire small form factor into a real case= good times


View attachment 276682

I'm currently using an old Acer mATX tower from about 2005 as my HTPC, houses a generic H61 board, i5-2320, 8GB RAM & RX 460. Brings some nostalgia to have an upgraded office PC like that in use.

 

[Greenslade]

Just note that Intel is typically the OEM suppliers of motherboards for other brands and not just computer makers like Dell and HP, but motherboard makers who rebrand them too.

I personally would be hesitant to buy such an old board - not just due to its age, but for finding compatible components to go with it - like DDR3 RAM. Make sure the DDR3 you have is compatible with that board.

Is that board a non Oem board the INTEL one i put on here?

 

[thewan]

https://www.intel.com/content/dam/support/us/en/documents/boardsandkits/desktop-boards/H61/DH61WW/DH61WW_ProductGuide03.pdf

Page 9 for dimensions, Page 12 for layout, Page 30 for "guide" to install which just shows you where the holes are.

Its one of those smaller mATX boards. You don't need the right most row of screws/standoffs from 68Olds image.

 

[Greenslade]

https://www.intel.com/content/dam/s.../boardsandkits/desktop-boards/H61//DH61WW.pdf

Page 9 for dimensions, Page 12 for layout, Page 30 for "guide" to install which just shows you where the holes are.

Its one of those smaller mATX boards. You don't need the right most row of screws/standoffs from 68Olds image.

​

Intel DQ67SW LGA 1155 Socket Motherboard USB 3.0 COOLER I/O SHIELD 2nd Gen IntelAnd that is a real Intel board not an OEM i know that they make boards for Dell and the like.I just want to make sure where the Front header connections are.There is this one to i take it this is a later version as it USB3.this is £26 six pounds more than i see that this one has the connections on there. ​

I have just seen this one Intel Core i3-2100 @3.10GHz 4GB DDR3 Ram Intel DH61WW Bundle Tested Combo EJ507 £30 make an offer.

Hi,
Most decent cases have center peg that helps align the board in the correct position there is no screw hole again it's just a centering peg
Here's my old acer micro atx board being installed in a corsair D450 mid tower atx case will also accept extended atx boards to

View attachment 276678

Also had it installed on a atx test bench on water.

This guy is good

he explains it well. So you just have to hook the power switich to test that it works.

Hi,
Micro atx/ mATX mother board.
This was my first build really transplant from a acer 3810 aspire small form factor into a real case= good times


View attachment 276682

Cool.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Usually any generic memory type is compatible

??? Ummm, sorry but no. For starters, if the board supports DDR3, it only supports DDR3. You cannot use DDR2 or DDR4. They physically different and therefore NOT compatible - they will not fit in a DDR3 slot without excessive force, which surely will damage the RAM, or the slot, or both. They also use different voltages.

Common sense? NO!!!! Common knowledge? NO!!!! And that's the problem here.

"Can I put DDRX in a DDRY slot?" is asked over and over again in the forums, and has been since DDR2 came out superseding DDR. Bing Google it if you don't believe me.

Even if we assume everyone is talking about the same type RAM (DDR3, in this case), and even with the qualifier "usually", I sure would not make that assumption. It is "safe" to assume "any generic DDR3 memory" will physically fit in the RAM slot connector without causing any damage. But we cannot assume any and every old DDR3 will "work" - that is, be supported and function properly by the motherboard/chipset, or the CPU!

Is that board a non Oem board the INTEL one i put on here?

Sorry, but the question really does not make sense.

There are several big name motherboard manufacturers who are OEM suppliers for other brands. For example, FoxConn, ASUS, and Intel all make motherboards for other brands. It is just like how SuperFlower makes power supplies for EVGA and other brands.

Some manufacturers produce products for other brands and also to sell under their own brand. FoxConn and ASUS, for example, sell motherboards under their own brand name. ASUS even sells entire computers. SuperFlower sells power supplies under their own brand too.

I am not aware of Intel ever selling entire computers under the Intel brand. That means that Intel board is an OEM board. The issue is, did the computer maker who used that Intel board modify it, or special order it with unique features, making it proprietary? Or did they leave it fully ATX Form Factor standard compliant? And to that, sorry but I don't know!

 

[Greenslade]

I put a offer for this

??? Ummm, sorry but no. For starters, if the board supports DDR3, it only supports DDR3. You cannot use DDR2 or DDR4. They physically different and therefore NOT compatible - they will not fit in a DDR3 slot without excessive force, which surely will damage the RAM, or the slot, or both. They also use different voltages.

Common sense? NO!!!! Common knowledge? NO!!!! And that's the problem here.

"Can I put DDRX in a DDRY slot?" is asked over and over again in the forums, and has been since DDR2 came out superseding DDR. Bing Google it if you don't believe me.

Even if we assume everyone is talking about the same type RAM (DDR3, in this case), and even with the qualifier "usually", I sure would not make that assumption. It is "safe" to assume "any generic DDR3 memory" will physically fit in the RAM slot connector without causing any damage. But we cannot assume any and every old DDR3 will "work" - that is, be supported and function properly by the motherboard/chipset, or the CPU!



Sorry, but the question really does not make sense.

There are several big name motherboard manufacturers who are OEM suppliers for other brands. For example, FoxConn, ASUS, and Intel all make motherboards for other brands. It is just like how SuperFlower makes power supplies for EVGA and other brands.

Some manufacturers produce products for other brands and also to sell under their own brand. FoxConn and ASUS, for example, sell motherboards under their own brand name. ASUS even sells entire computers. SuperFlower sells power supplies under their own brand too.

I am not aware of Intel ever selling entire computers under the Intel brand. That means that Intel board is an OEM board. The issue is, did the computer maker who used that Intel board modify it, or special order it with unique features, making it proprietary? Or did they leave it fully ATX Form Factor standard compliant? And to that, sorry but I don't know!

I get your point there about companys modin the board to make it propriety.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yeah stay away from dell crap

 

[Greenslade]

Hi,
Yeah stay away from dell crap

I Dare say you would like to do this to a DELL PC

.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I get your point there about companys modin the board to make it propriety.

Yeah, well their marketing weenies will claim they made it proprietary to bring enhanced features to the consumer. Bull feathers!

While that may be partially true, the main reason is definitely to increase profit. And it works because Dell, for example, can go to the OEM maker, request an exclusive modification that makes the board proprietary, then promise to buy 1 million units over the next year. For sure, the OEM supplier will gladly do that.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Dell would insist on using one of their drill bits