Why mItx are so expensive?

[E-Bear]

Title says it : Why mItx are so expensive?

I have been trying to get one just so I put in my mItx case and put it on the living room tv for my gf and they are so expensive. I already have couple of Intel and AMD cpu I could put on ti but....why the prices so high compared to same specs in micro atx ?

Thank you

 

[s3thra]

I think pretty much because there is less of ITX stuff made compared to ATX. ITX can be looked at as more of a specialty product, therefore higher prices.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Because they fit more into a niche market. Also because a lot of people want the most powerful gaming machine stuffed into the smallest box that they can afford so there is also the convenience aspect of it.

Basically manufacturers are milking you for the privilege of having a super compact but uber powerful machine

 

[E-Bear]

The cheapest one I find even if new are with PCI slots only. No pci-e.

Because they fit more into a niche market. Also because a lot of people want the most powerful gaming machine stuffed into the smallest box that they can afford so there is also the convenience aspect of it.

Basically manufacturers are milking you for the privilege of having a super compact but uber powerful machine

that's too bad since It could be used for youtube, facebook and skype camera and some cheap ass small online games like puzzles.

 

[GoldenX]

AM1 ITX was dirt cheap, too bad it's discontinued.
ITX is also more expensive because designing a motherboard with all features in a smaller area also costs more.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

The cheapest one I find even if new are with PCI slots only. No pci-e.



that's too bad since It could be used for youtube, facebook and skype camera and some cheap ass small online games like puzzles.

An Intel NUC can be had for quite a hefty discount pre-owned. They can also be pretty powerful too with Intel iris graphics and i7s.

Looking to get one myself but I would never buy one new. I Google 'bean canyon NUC'

 

[E-Bear]

There is this no name https://www.ebay.ca/itm/N68-C61-Des...m=264229852146&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

[EarthDog]

The cheapest one I find even if new are with PCI slots only. No pci-e.

Where are you looking? Modern mini itx boards only have one pcie...

What am I missing here...?

What cpus do you have like Pentium 3?

 

[E-Bear]

Where are you looking? Modern mini itx boards only have one pcie...

What am I missing here...?

What cpus do you have like Pentium 3?

It's an official Intel board with a 775 and DDR3

 

[EarthDog]

It what? I didnt ask about that board you linked.

What cpus do you have for a Mini ITX board?

 

[E-Bear]

It what? I didnt ask about that board you linked.

What cpus do you have for a Mini ITX board?

I have 30 cpus inm stock from different makers and generations so dont worry about the cpu

 

[EarthDog]

I have 30 cpus inm stock from different makers and generations so dont worry about the cpu

Then just look at newegg(anywhere).

(Nearly) Every single (halfway modern) itx board has a single PCIe slot... I dont understand what the trouble is here...


Edit: anyway, the price question.... squeezing everything on a smaller board isnt as easy as we think... there arent many to choose from... volume isnt there on that size...etc.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Don't quote me on this but I think the technical reason why ITX is more expensive is because the PCB requires more layers because they don't have the luxury of spreading components out to reduce layers. Costs shift a lot as more layers are added: https://smtnet.com/library/files/upload/Cost Analysis of Printed Circuit Board.pdf

The growth in cost per layer is linear provided everything else is the same: https://electronics.stackexchange.c...-4-layer-board-compared-to-a-2-layer-board-an

 

[SL2]

Go for the newer sockets if you want to buy new board, like anything 1151. As soon as the platform gets more than one generation old, the Mini ITX boards tend to go up in price, or you're left with odd industrial boards. For instance, it's impossible to find a low priced 1155 Mini ITX anymore.

Intel's 100/200 boards is the sweet spot right now, loads of boards still available, but not that popular anymore so prices have gone down.
Here in EU you can get a H110 board for €55. H310 series starts at €73. AM4 is a bit more expensive though.

https://geizhals.eu/?cat=mbp4_1151&xf=4400_Mini-ITX~4400_Thin+Mini-ITX
https://geizhals.eu/?cat=mbp4_1151v2&xf=4400_Mini-ITX~4400_Thin+Mini-ITX

Don't have any links for CA, sorry.

There is this no name https://www.ebay.ca/itm/N68-C61-Desktop-Computer-Motherboard-Support-for-AM2-AM3-CPU-DDR2-DDR3-Memory-ZH/264229852146?_trkparms=aid=555018&algo=PL.SIM&ao=1&asc=20180124145912&meid=9d42d82aa1b141568781bd5cb26eb310&pid=100005&rk=2&rkt=12&sd=293045997578&itm=264229852146&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

LOL that's not even Mini ITX, it's three slots wide.

Size: 21.6*16.8cm

Mini ITX is 170 x 170 mm.

 

[Toothless]

Go for the newer sockets if you want to buy new board, like anything 1155. As soon as the platform gets more than one generation old, the Mini ITX boards tend to go up in price, or you're left with odd industrial boards. For instance, it's impossible to find a low priced 1155 Mini ITX anymore.

Intel's 100/200 boards is the sweet spot right now, loads of boards still available, but not that popular anymore so prices have gone down.
Here in EU you can get a H110 board for €55. H310 series starts at €73. AM4 is a bit more expensive though.

https://geizhals.eu/?cat=mbp4_1151&xf=4400_Mini-ITX~4400_Thin+Mini-ITX
https://geizhals.eu/?cat=mbp4_1151v2&xf=4400_Mini-ITX~4400_Thin+Mini-ITX

Don't have any links for CA, sorry.


LOL that's not even Mini ITX, it's three slots wide.


Mini ITX is 170 x 170 mm.

You mean socket 1151? Isn't 1155 Sandy/Ivy?

 

[SL2]

Yeah, typo. Thanks.

 

[silentbogo]

ITX is more expensive only because it's more costly to make:
1) Higher component density means more engineering hours needed to make it all work together
2) With ITX you can't make 10 variations of the same board, so overall margins are also not that high
3) ITX in most cases requires some components on the other side of the motherboard, which adds extra step or two along the manufacturing line (also costs money)

Regarding ITX being a niche product - it's nowhere near truth. Nowadays if you consider lack of incentive for multi-GPU setups, lack of benefits from lackluster overclocking, and a wide selection of ITX-friendly components - people will and do tend to go with smaller stuff. My last 2 rigs were ITX, I've built ITX for most of my friends and colleagues, and out of all used parts I sell ITX and short uATX (technically flex-ATX) always tend to go first while full-size boards may hang for a month or so before they find a new owner.
Even my local retailers are always running out of mid-budget ITX boards, cause people clean up their "virtual shelves" as soon as they are in stock (especially tiny enthusiast boards on Intel Z*70 and AMD X*70 chipsets).

Heck, I have 3 mini-ITX machines right now, and one STX barebone on top of it.

 

[John Naylor]

1. Everything has to fit into a smaller space.

2. Harder to cool.

3. Limited sales ... all R & D, support, overhead costs have to be shared among a much smaller sampling.

Because of the smaller form factor, they are harder to cool, harder to work and will have some limited capabilities. Here's a list of what newegg has up for sale with 1151 (300 series):

ATX (681)
Micro ATX (306)
Mini ITX (134) ..... 11.16%
Thin Mini-ITX (7)
uATX (72)