Question Am I crazy for considering itx or matx?

[shad0wboss]

I have recently sold my system and I’m now planning on getting the parts however I want to do something different this time and I started considering the itx cases. I have looked at some that are ranked as best on random websites but they come with a power supply and AIO cooling. Here are some of my worries:

1. Are they really bad in terms of flexibility when it comes to putting the build together, cable management and the limited choice of GPUs that can fit in?
2. Can overheating be an issue if I am considering an i5 or i7 13th gen with no plans to overclock
3. Very costly compared to atx?
4. Can matx be considered a better bargain?
5. The itx cases that come with psu and aio coolers, are they replaceable? I saw nzxt h1, razer tomahawk and cooler master nr200p max as top rated on google

The only thing I would replace as an upgrade, would be a gpu in next 2-3 years perhaps so would you guys suggest an itx case? If yes, which one? If not then would a matx work?

I just love the idea of a compact powerhouse but it wouldn’t make sense if it’s extremely hard to put together or if it overheats and affects performance or if the cable management is horrible.

 

[Lafong]

Extremely hard to put together might not matter much if you regard the thing mostly as an appliance.....you suffer once when assembling it with little intention to again go inside the case and then live happily ever after.

Not so to the extent parts fail or you need to work inside the case at all for whatever reason....upgrading parts or replacing failed parts or fiddling like a hobbyist might.

I rejected ITX for that reason....I'm not inside the case much at all, but I didn't like the amount and degree of compromise I had to make......even with the stipulation that parts wouldn't fail.

Micro ATX is a much better option unless space is a major consideration..........HOWEVER..........you will likely find out that "micro ATX" cases are nearly as large as ATX mid-towers, so the footprint won't be much smaller. Most will be at least 17 inches in some dimension. Maybe that won't help you at all.

I haven't taken a serious look at micro ATX cases in a couple of years. There might be some good new designs I haven't seen.

I did go micro ATX about 7 years ago with no regrets regarding performance. But my case is only marginally smaller than a standard mid-tower.

 

[shad0wboss]

Extremely hard to put together might not matter much if you regard the thing mostly as an appliance.....you suffer once when assembling it with little intention to again go inside the case and then live happily ever after.

Not so to the extent parts fail or you need to work inside the case at all for whatever reason....upgrading parts or replacing failed parts or fiddling like a hobbyist might.

I rejected ITX for that reason....I'm not inside the case much at all, but I didn't like the amount and degree of compromise I had to make......even with the stipulation that parts wouldn't fail.

Micro ATX is a much better option unless space is a major consideration..........HOWEVER..........you will likely find out that "micro ATX" cases are nearly as large as ATX mid-towers, so the footprint won't be much smaller. Most will be at least 17 inches in some dimension. Maybe that won't help you at all.

I haven't taken a serious look at micro ATX cases in a couple of years. There might be some good new designs I haven't seen.

I did go micro ATX about 7 years ago with no regrets regarding performance. But my case is only marginally smaller than a standard mid-tower.

Just after writing this, I read some reviews and people have said to opt for mATX than itx mainly due to what you said above. Also the mATX boards are much cheaper than their ATX counterparts? I don’t know much about motherboards but I only need a m.2 slot, a pci express, 2 ddr slots and perhaps some rgb lighting and some standard fans. Can you get all that from a mATX board? I have been looking at some mATX cases and they are still somewhat smaller than a full blown tower. Would placing big GPUs be a problem with them? Which mATX case is a great one budget and size wise?

I guess some questions are not only for you but for everyone.

 

[Math Geek]

i've built a couple recently and the cases were surprisingly easy to build in. cable management was not too bad either. biggest problem i have had is the fact that the main 24pin power cable is like 3 ft long and you only need like 6 inches in such a small case. so there's a lot of excess to tuck somewhere.

but decent cooling and an average gpu is not been an issue for the builds i have.

i went with a Core V1 from thermaltake for the last one

Core V1

- Built-in 200mm fan - Interchangeable side panels

www.thermaltake.com

nice little case that can hold full size parts if you wanna. especially an atx psu which is a lot cheaper than the sff models. think mu gpu is 11" long and double slot and it fit easy enough

 

[shad0wboss]

i've built a couple recently and the cases were surprisingly easy to build in. cable management was not too bad either. biggest problem i have had is the fact that the main 24pin power cable is like 3 ft long and you only need like 6 inches in such a small case. so there's a lot of excess to tuck somewhere.

but decent cooling and an average gpu is not been an issue for the builds i have.

i went with a Core V1 from thermaltake for the last one

Core V1

- Built-in 200mm fan - Interchangeable side panels

www.thermaltake.com

nice little case that can hold full size parts if you wanna. especially an atx psu which is a lot cheaper than the sff models. think mu gpu is 11" long and double slot and it fit easy enough

Which cpu and gpu are you using for that case? Liquid aio? What are the temps under load? Thanks

 

[Math Geek]

cpu is a 3600x with a cheap dark rock slim cooler. and gpu is an old r9-270x i had lying around.

runs cool and quiet for me. i only have PBO turned on so no crazy oc happening. there's room for a 240mm radiator if i recall right if you wish to go that way. it has a single m.2 ssd and a 3.5" spinning hdd for video storage installed. nice little box i could see easily handling stronger hardware than i put into it. i did not put any fans into it other than the front 200mm that comes with it. there's room for more if needed but so far not needed.

so only the cpu cooler is blowing air out the back as exhaust. gpu pulls air in from the side panel so it stays cool as well. it is about a 175w gpu so it does not need any crazy cooling.

never really paid attention to the temps after a short burn in period so not really sure what day to day temps are. but i never feel any hot air coming from around it. just a nice breeze of slightly higher than room temp air coming from the case.

 

[Lafong]

..........Also the mATX boards are much cheaper than their ATX counterparts?.................. I only need a m.2 slot, a pci express, 2 ddr slots and perhaps some rgb lighting and some standard fans. Can you get all that from a mATX board? .....................Would placing big GPUs be a problem with them? Which mATX case is a great one budget and size wise?

Plausible mATX boards are typically 50 dollars or so below ATX. With the features I need, usually under 200 compared to 240 on up for ATX with similar features.

Most mid level micro ATX boards will have 2 M.2 slots; 4 DDR slots, and 3 or more case fan connectors.

I don't use RGB.

I don't use video cards, but I know some relatively small cases can accept largish video cards. Case by case basis. Investigate reviews.

Beware of the designation "micro ATX case".

What does that mean? A case the size of a railroad car might accept a micro ATX motherboard. Look at the particulars of the case rather than some pointless and pathetic marketing jargon.

When I bought a "smallish" case years ago, the best I could find was a Lian Li A04. It includes an external DVD drive bay, which I wanted.

It's great, but still 18.1 deep. Only 15.2 tall and only 7.4 wide. It restricts me to a 140 mm tall cooler. I can live with that. Noctua U9S. Standard mid-towers might be 18 x 17 x 8.7, so I didn't save a lot of space.

I think it is discontinued.

If I wanted much smaller dimensions, I would have had to go with a "cube" style case. I refused due to the compromises that would entail.

The trend in the last few years has been toward longer (deeper) towers and to omit the DVD drive bay. That can save height but often adds length.

Pick your poison and live or die with the consequences.

 

[Why_Me]

I have recently sold my system and I’m now planning on getting the parts however I want to do something different this time and I started considering the itx cases. I have looked at some that are ranked as best on random websites but they come with a power supply and AIO cooling. Here are some of my worries:

1. Are they really bad in terms of flexibility when it comes to putting the build together, cable management and the limited choice of GPUs that can fit in?
2. Can overheating be an issue if I am considering an i5 or i7 13th gen with no plans to overclock
3. Very costly compared to atx?
4. Can matx be considered a better bargain?
5. The itx cases that come with psu and aio coolers, are they replaceable? I saw nzxt h1, razer tomahawk and cooler master nr200p max as top rated on google

The only thing I would replace as an upgrade, would be a gpu in next 2-3 years perhaps so would you guys suggest an itx case? If yes, which one? If not then would a matx work?

I just love the idea of a compact powerhouse but it wouldn’t make sense if it’s extremely hard to put together or if it overheats and affects performance or if the cable management is horrible.

mATX > ITX

https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/pop/pop-mini-air/rgb-black-tg-clear/

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aukcnCb-64U

 

[hotaru.hino]

1. Are they really bad in terms of flexibility when it comes to putting the build together, cable management and the limited choice of GPUs that can fit in?

Cable management tends to take more work, but otherwise you can usually find space to tuck cables away or route them around.

GPU compatibility tends to be limited to card lengths of 300mm to 330mm for most cases. While you have to be careful with higher end cards, you can find even RTX 4090s that are within this length

2. Can overheating be an issue if I am considering an i5 or i7 13th gen with no plans to overclock

It depends on the cooler.

3. Very costly compared to atx?

The extra cost will come from the motherboard and power supply. However the motherboards aren't that much more expensive than a regular ATX board. And the power supply will only be more expensive if you need to use an SFX form factor one.

4. Can matx be considered a better bargain?

It can be, but not by much.

5. The itx cases that come with psu and aio coolers, are they replaceable? I saw nzxt h1, razer tomahawk and cooler master nr200p max as top rated on google

It looks like they're all replaceable. The PSUs appear to be the SFX form factor type and the AIOs are just products the companies already sell.

The only thing I would replace as an upgrade, would be a gpu in next 2-3 years perhaps so would you guys suggest an itx case? If yes, which one? If not then would a matx work?

I just love the idea of a compact powerhouse but it wouldn’t make sense if it’s extremely hard to put together or if it overheats and affects performance or if the cable management is horrible.

I'd say get an mATX case. mITX to me doesn't really make sense unless you're going for a really compact solution, like building something in a Silverston FTZ-01 or Fractal Design Node 202. Anything larger for mITX and you're basically approaching mATX size a lot of the times.