4 ATX Motherboard Manufacturers in 2023

What Are ATX Motherboards?

ATX Motherboards are electronic boards that contain the most basic set of devices to configure a system for ATX-specification computers.

Abbreviated as MB, it is also called a system board, mainboard, or logic board. All parts of the computer are connected to the motherboard in some way via cables, connectors, etc., and communication and power supply between various parts are also performed through the motherboard.

The motherboard is the heart of the computer and plays an important role in supporting the basic operation of the computer.

If the connection methods and communication standards are not compatible, the performance of the parts used cannot be fully demonstrated, or in the worst case, the parts themselves cannot be connected, resulting in malfunctions such as not being able to use them.

Usage of ATX Motherboards

ATX Motherboards are used for internal components in desktop PCs and servers in combination with ATX power supplies, CPUs, memory, and external storage devices.

There are standards for motherboard size. The larger the size of the motherboard, the greater the number of ports available, and the more parts can be connected, the more expandable the motherboard.

There are four major size standards for home-built computers:

• ATX
• Micro ATX
• Mini ITX
• Nano ITX

The main difference is that the smaller the motherboard, the smaller the number of connectable terminals, due to their different sizes.

The smaller size allows the motherboard to be installed in a smaller PC case, so they are mainly used when you want to build a smaller size computer to save space. Also, the smaller the motherboard, the cheaper it is in general, so there is room for consideration when you want to keep the price down.

ATX Motherboards are the largest size standard for motherboards, so they can be installed in middle tower or larger PC cases.

The smaller Micro ATX and Mini ITX motherboards are compatible with smaller PC cases such as mini-towers, and can save space compared to ATX Motherboards.

The required specifications of the motherboard vary depending on the number of parts to be installed, such as connected devices and expansion boards, as well as communication standards, so it is necessary to select a motherboard that meets the requirements.

Principle of ATX Motherboards

ATX Motherboards are integrated circuit boards with patterns transferred onto a printed circuit board, and the board is made of a hard, non-conductive material.

Sockets, terminals, and various slots for connecting other components are mounted on the printed circuit board.

ATX Motherboards contain the following components, depending on the components installed:

1. Chipset

The chipset controls the flow of data from the external interface.

2. CPU Sockets

A component into which the CPU is inserted. When installing the CPU socket, it is necessary to confirm that the chipset matches the CPU standard. 

3. Memory Sockets

This is a component into which memory is inserted. There are different memory standards, such as "DDR4," which mainly affects data transfer/processing speed. Since the shape of the socket differs depending on the memory standard, it is necessary to check whether it meets the corresponding standard.

4. BIOS

A program that allows you to check and operate the basic information and power supply status of the hardware connected to the motherboard.

5.CMOS

An IC chip that stores BIOS configuration information.

6. Batteries

It retains BIOS setting information and operates the clock. Since the button battery supplies power in many cases, periodic replacement is necessary as a loss of power from the button battery can lead to malfunctions.

7. ATX Power Connector

This connector is used to supply power to the motherboard itself. motherboard.

8. Speakers

Beeps to indicate motherboard errors. 

9. IDE Connector/SATA Connector/M.2 Slot

These connectors are used to connect external storage devices such as hard disks, SSDs, and optical drives. The number of connectors determines the number of external storage devices that can be connected, so it is better to choose a motherboard that has room to spare in anticipation of future expansion of external storage devices.

10. PCI Slot

This is a slot where expansion cards can be inserted to add various functions.

11. PCI Express Slot

This slot is used to connect an expansion card or video card, and is also used as an SSD connection slot due to its higher transfer speed than a PCI slot. Depending on the shape of the video card, it may not be possible to use all the slots due to interference with surrounding components.

Other Information about ATX Motherboards

1. ATX Motherboard Specifications

ATX Motherboards are defined by the ATX standard.

If you want to build a PC smaller than this, you will need to use Micro-ATX or Mini-ATX motherboards. The board size of Micro-ATX is 244 x 244 mm, and the board size of Mini-ATX is 170 x 170 mm.

The smaller board size is less expandable because it is configured with fewer PCI Express slots and memory slots.

ATX is generally equipped with 4 to 7 PCI Express slots and 4 to 8 memory slots, while Mini-ATX is equipped with 0 to 1 PCI Express slot and only 1 to 2 memory slots. It is necessary to select a motherboard in anticipation of future expandability.

2.Chipset of ATX Motherboards

ATX Motherboards are equipped with chipsets developed by various companies. There are two major types to choose from: Intel CPU chipsets developed by Intel and AMD CPU chipsets developed by AMD.

Since the chipset determines which company's CPU can be installed, you should always check the chipset when selecting a motherboard.

The chipset is responsible for communicating data processed by the CPU to memory, disk drives, expansion slots, and so on. Therefore, it is sometimes called a bridge. Since the performance of the motherboard and the entire PC greatly changes depending on the generation of the chipset, it is necessary to check which generation chipset is installed when purchasing the motherboard.