MATX build vs ATX build

ATX boards are just generally taller and tend to have more PCI expansion slots. Since they use more space in the box you'll want to consider the amount of space you'll need for the components you'll be adding. As long as a MATX board has the all of the slots that you'll need for your graphics, sound, raid controllers or what have you it should be fine.

If you want to make a PC future proof you probably should consider a hex-core I7. Processors are expensive and that's a pretty good reason for not wanting them to be the bottleneck. If you're not going to OC it then about all you need to consider is Speed and cooling. Faster processors (2.4ghz +) dissipate more heat and should have a more aggressive cooler. I guess you should consider power consumption too but you'll need to factor it in when choosing graphics cards. Just make sure your PSU will power your CPU, GPUs and your cooling system.

I always go with ATX, because I know that when I upgrade in the future, my case will have enough room and airflow to keep any future components functioning properly.

Pros of using mATX case:
lighter
cheaper
smaller
using a cheap PSU guarantees that the cables will reach

Cons of using mATX case:
lower quality materials
less room for storing extra cables
better cable management
Usually better airflow



I'm currently working on mutley2209's computer build, but if you want me to give you a parts list of what I would think are the best parts (in your price range) for your needs, please tell me what budget you are dealing with and what you're going to be using the computer for.

The only point where I believe you are bottlenecking your CPU depends on what you use your computer for. If you edit 4K video, than of course your CPU is going to be the biggest bottleneck. If you do a lot of gaming, as long as you have four cores, you shouldn't have a bottleneck for at least 3-5 years, and it also depends on the CPU. I disagree that you need to have a 3770K for best gaming performance. If you're just playing games, than your graphics card is what you need to be concerned about. You could have an i3, and still have a great gaming computer.

Graphics cards age a lot faster then CPU's in the context of gaming, so I would not worry about a CPU becoming the bottleneck to a graphics card when building a new machine unless you really plan on beeing cheap on the CPU. Memory aswell, its rather cheap so more is better. Decent machines in this day in age used for gaming would have about 8GB ram, but I myself put in 16 (with an i5 2500k) because I toy around a lot with virtual machines and whatnot. I have no idea to what percentage I actually use that on average but its cirtainly not going to give me any immediate performance problems.

In terms of what a bottleneck is, its all in the name. Turn a bottle up side down the fluid runs out slower then it could if the opening is bigger. Put a really fast graphics card in a really slow computer slows the performance of the graphics card aswell thus forming the bottleneck. When building a new pc however this is not really something to think about too much. It only becomes relevant when upgrading old hardware i.m.o. When building a new machine its just a matter of finding the best hardware for your purpose your budget will allow.

As far as ATX vs mATX goes is entirely up to preference if you ask me. If functionality and performance outweigh the need of a small pc case ATX would be my choice purely based on the fact most performance oriented motherboards come in the ATX form factor and they give you most expansion freedom as the case they are placed in is bigger. This is generally a good thing especially if its used for heavy workloads like gaming. More space means more "air" and better options for proper cable management inside the case which in turn is good for the airflow and therefore operational temperatures while keeping noisy fan business to a minimum.