The Best mATX Motherboards of 2018

by May 29, 2018

Best Micro ATX Motherboards of 2018

ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-G GAMING

best matx motherboard

Size: Micro ATX | Socket: LGA1151 | Chipset: Z370

  • Good overclocking potential
  • High-quality audio
  • Features Aura Sync
  • Budget-friendly
  • High power draw

ASRock Z370M Pro4

micro atx motherboard

Size: Micro ATX | Socket: LGA1151 | Chipset: Z370

  • Very affordable
  • Great value for the money
  • Decent overclocking potential
  • Not visually appealing
  • No crossfire support

MSI Z370M GAMING PRO AC

micro atx gaming motherboard

Size: Micro ATX | Socket: LGA1151 | Chipset: Z370

  • Great value for the money
  • RGB lighting
  • Excellent value for money
  • None

MSI B350M GAMING PRO

best micro atx motherboard

Size: Micro ATX | Socket: AM4 | Chipset: B350

  • Budget-friendly
  • Ideal budget motherboard
  • Overclockable
  • Single PCIe x16 slot
  • Aesthetic limitation (overdone red)

When should you buy a Micro ATX motherboard?

Should you get a full tower, mATX or Micro-ITX, Which one would work best for your needs?
This question troubles most of when building a new computer. The answer to this is quite simple and requires you to answer a series of simple questions.

1. Are you on a budget?

Micro-ATX motherboards are the cheapest motherboard solution currently available. ATX motherboards are significantly more expensive due to their size and requirement of more components, whereas Micro-ITX despite being smaller cost much than mATX motherboards as their smaller size requires more refined manufacturing.

That not being enough, mATX boards are compatible with many of ATX components, like power supplies, this opens for a whole new range of cheap options.

If this is the reason for you getting a Micro-ATX, It's the right choice, They are quite affordable and deliver exceptional performance.

2. Do you need a compact build?

Compact/portable build are great since they allow for flexible placement. Small mATX cases are very affordable, and some even come with handles which makes them very portable. The need for a portable PC is debatable, but they are a great option, especially if you join LAN parties with your friends.

Another use of this flexibility can be an option to keep it on or off the desk. Mini-ITX cases are very compact and look great only when kept on the desk. Moreover, they consume almost no desk space, Which is an essential factor to consider. ATX cases are big, no matter how good they look, It is usually not practical to keep them on the desk, and thus most people prefer them on the floor; This allows for easy access to USB ports, power buttons, etc. all without the need to adjust your position.

Micro-ATX are not as compact as Micro-ATX and not as big as ATX and thus can be kept on or off the desk based on what you like.

3. Do you want a performance-oriented PC?

There is no doubt, mATX satisfies needs for almost any build, Be it gaming, workstation or an HTPC. Yet, there are times when they are not the best option.

Building a Micro-ATX computer is significantly cheaper and provides great value for money, but as you start considering factors such as overclocking, They can prove addon a hefty price tag. Overclocking is very common and very sable with the new range of Ryzen Gen2 and 8th gen Intel CPUs, It can prove to be more costly on a small form factor. The reason being costs of the cooling solution, Smaller form factor requires a better cooling solution to be able to compete with the performance of a bigger form factor. For this kind of usage, the full-sized ATX form factor is a much better choice.

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