Does a ATX power supply work with mATX motherboard and case?

[Klockclock]

I would like to know what the rules are regarding what psu fits with which psu and case.

For example as mentioned in the headline, does a atx psu work/fit with matx case?

 

[R_1]

that entirely depends on the case. there are mATX cases that only have room for SFF (Small form factor) power supplies, while other will house a full size ATX PSU.

Electrically an ATX power supply will power a mATX motherboard and vice versa, the plugs on all power supplies are largely standard. the amounts vary but the plugs are largely the same.

the case will dictate which power supply to get.

 

[need4speeds]

If it's the Half-Height one like the popular Dell or HP-Compaq SFF, they use a mATX power supply that is smaller.

-It's cheaper to buy a standard mid tower case and transplant all the parts over to it. Then you can use a real gaming power supply and even a full sized gaming card.

There is a Seasonic mATX. There are some cheaper brands too.

-Some Dells and IBM's use a long, skinny version. You will need to figure out which style you have. If it's like a small box shaped one, it's mATX, if its a long skinny box, you will need to find the exact one that says it works with your computer.

-Some, especially ibm sff pcs, use a special board so the cards sit sideways instead of up and down.
If it's that style, you can't transplant them into a standard case without doing some modding.

-There is also a Ultra-SFF. It uses a laptop style board and uses a laptop power brick power supply that is external.

http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c01926344

 

[need4speeds]

The pc's in the HP site are also currently dirt cheap used. Find a cheap one that works that has the same case as you have.
Dell- if you have a Dell. HP-Compaq if that is the brand you have, ect. No-one wants a Celeron or old Pentium so they are usually really cheap.

-Maybe you might get lucky and even find one that has the same board as yours so you have some spare parts and extra memory, maybe a 2nd hdd. It could be the board so if someone has a ATX power supply, hook it up external and plug in all the wires, try it to see if the computer works or not.

 

[Shrinetom1]

So what I'm confused about is youre saying my psu is dead correct? If its compatible and turns on with the paperclip test but when plugged into the motherboard it does not react/turn on wouldnt it be the motherboard thats messed up or no?

 

[cpams322]

So what I'm confused about is youre saying my psu is dead correct? If its compatible and turns on with the paperclip test but when plugged into the motherboard it does not react/turn on wouldnt it be the motherboard thats messed up or no?

It could be that your mobo is "messed up", or it could be that your PSU is faulty under load (when hooked into the mobo). The famous jumper technique isn't really a good test to see if your PSU is messed up - it's only good to find out if it's completely dead or not. A PSU doesn't have to be completely dead to be messed up and worthless. It's best to put a multimeter on every pin while the PSU is connected to the mobo to find out if it's supplying the proper voltages under load. Checking every pin when it's disconnected isn't a good test because it's not under load.