Overview
Form factors ensure compatibility between components from different manufacturers. They define where mounting holes are located, the dimensions of the board, and the placement of key connectors.
Common Motherboard Form Factors
- ATX: Standard desktop size.
- Micro-ATX: Smaller, with fewer expansion slots.
- Mini-ITX: Very small, for compact 'SFF' (Small Form Factor) builds.
Other Form Factors
- SFX: Small form factor power supplies.
- M.2: Form factor for modern SSDs.