itx motherboards

[lanken123]

E8400 @ 4.2Ghz w/ 1.28v
4GB(2x2GB)DDR2-1000Mhz
P5Q Pro
4870
Corsair 550W
all in a Antec 300 case

So I've started hating the standard "tower" style PC and have thought of purchasing an itx case along with a itx motherboard. I'm just worried whether or not it's safe to use an itx motherboard for gaming(overheating etc). so yeah any negatives other than having one pci-e slot(i only use one)? what about overclocking?(kinda wanna keep my e8400 at 4.2)

[Zero82z]

Providing you get a case with decent enough cooling, it won't be a problem. Keep in mind there aren't many ITX boards that would be suitable for a gaming rig, and none of them are especially cheap.

[sswilson]

You'd also have to do a fair bit of research into what boards have any oc abilities, and I wouldn't expect to be able to get anywhere near to your current 4.2 (Imagine what kind of PWR CCTs you're going to find on the board when space is at a premium.)

[_dangtx_]

expect to pay a LOT for a mobo which will oc half of what you got.or worse.

[Silvgearx]

Best one can do for such a system is a Matx board and case.

No need to worry about overheating if you use the PC-V351. But it won't fit full size heatsinks and only takes MATX boards. Or a PC-A05N. They can be both found for $100

[lanken123]

is there a limit to what kind of video card you can use on a itx motherboard? like would I be able to use a 5850 with an itx motherboard?

[Arinoth]

You may have more a problem with fitting a dual slot GPU into an ITX case

[sswilson]

Don't forget to check out the power supply options. Most ITX boards don't use standard PSUs, and as such the power output is much lower than you'd get from a standard PSU.

[kingnubian]

Whatever barriers ITX motherboards faced performance & functionality wise are now being pushed aside. One only has to look at some of Zotac's, ECS's or Gigabytes's latest offerings to see that ITX is coming into it's own, not to differently as to how MicroATX did not too long ago. Remember how MicroATX board were seen as a step down form ATX? Here are some links to some vey good ITX moterboards worth checking out. BTW, all newer ITX motherboards, for desktop use at least, use standard ATX power connectors.

GA-H55N-USB3 (rev. 1.0) - GIGABYTE
ECS Web Site
ZOTAC H55ITX-A-E LGA 1156 Mini ITX WiFi Intel Motherboard

None of these board will allow dual GPU's, personally I run silgle anyways, but other AMD 785G examples would allow for CrossfireX.

[slugbug]

Also many Mini ITX cases will only accept half height cards.