ATX or smaller?

Cd1986

Cd1986

Cd1986

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Joined
8 Feb 2012
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120
I'm thinking of a new build along these lines:

Azuz Z77 motherboard - haven't chosen which one yet
Intel 3570K
8GB Corsair vengeance low profile
430W modular Corsair PSU
128gb SSD - was thinking Crucial but not sure yet
DVD RW

I don't use it for gaming so won't need a graphics card and was therefore looking for a small case (Maybe the Fractal Core 3000). Then i started wondering about smaller form factors. Some considerations:

I will overclock but only moderately.

I have two monitors so the motherboard needs a VGA and DVI socket.

I have 4 printers, mouse, keyboard, wifi stick that all need a USB port - It would also be nice to have one or two spare.

I only need one SSD for the OS as I have an HP Microserver.

What are the disadvantages of using a smaller form factor? Should i consider this as an option of just stick with ATX?
 
May I ask what you are planning to use the computer for to get an idea of whether ITX would be suitable for you or not? I am wondering what you'll be using the computer for that you require it to be overclocked, but not require much in the way of graphics?

m-ITX is great if you want a small case to allow you to put the computer on you desk or in a small space. The computer will still need adequate cooling, and it doesn't bring any performance benefits.
Disadvantages are really just that you have less expandability, less space to work with, need to be a little more thoughtful with the components you buy in terms of space and in many cases need to be a little more careful with heat and airflow. O and they generally cost a little (some times a lot) more than bigger systems.

Personally I love it, and will only use M-ATX or ATX when requiring space, expandability or cost.
 
Thanks for your reply.

It's basically an office PC, hence all the printers. The most demanding task will probably be photoshop but I do tend to run quite a few applications at once. Overclocking probably isn't necessary but I just fancy giving it a go. Besides, the unlocked version of the CPU is only fractionally more expensive.

The reason I thought of a small form factor is because I don't like big cases - they look to me like they are missing some parts when there is too much room. With only a single SSD and no gfx card, some atx cases will look a bit lost. Maybe a very small atx case would be ideal.
 
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