Too many motherboard standoffs

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dpucci0493

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Mar 27, 2013
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The motherboards that I am considering all have less mounting holes than there are motherboard standoffs in the case I am using. Should I just insulate the extra standoffs with electrical tape so it doesn't short the board?
 
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shanky887614

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Feb 5, 2010
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they unscrew

put your fingers on the stand-offs and remove them
 
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Maxx_Power

Maxx_Power

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Usually, you just unscrew (remove) the extra standoffs and keep it somewhere safe. Use a set of pliers.

If they are not removable (unlikely), or you don't feel like doing that, just check to see if they will come in contact with any electrical (exposed) parts of the motherboard, by aligning it and seeing where it makes contact. Some electrical tape fixed to the back of the board OR standoff surface should insulate it well in that case.
 
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Maxx_Power

Maxx_Power

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Yes, that would work fine. Electrical tape to the back of the board will usually hold better than electrical tape to the standoff (irregular surface) itself.
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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Jun 20, 2006
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Is it possible you are looking at a micro-ATX motherboard?

Regular motherboards have NINE mounts I believe and that should match EXACTLY to a normal ATX case. If you add a micro-ATX motherboard to an ATX case you likely have the BOTTOM THREE left over, but then they would be BELOW the motherboard and not in the way.
 
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Maxx_Power

Maxx_Power

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For some reason, manufacturers can't settle on 9/10 holes on an ATX or 6/7 holes on a reduced sized ATX...

There are a large variety of non-full-sized ATX boards that somehow are missing (usually) 1 hole near the PCI-E slots, so the board only requires (up to) 6 holes, like this board (I can't figure out what that extra hole on the memory side of the mobo corresponds to in standard ATX specifications, no cases I have seen features that middle hole...):

4466_m.jpg


On that board, the PCI-E standoff mounting hole is missing. This board has it:

Z77%20Extreme4%28m%29.jpg


Some case manufacturers include a standoff in that position when you buy their cases, then typically that standoff in that position gets removed when the motherboard doesn't call for it.
 
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Maxx_Power

Maxx_Power

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It IS possible that the OP has non-threaded standoffs, like pre-formed standoffs, which are NOT removable in a conventional way, like these:

preformedS.jpg


Some manufacturers tends to build cases with these types of standoffs.

If there aren't any through-hole components with legs directly touching the standoffs, you can usually just tape the board/standoff and leave it be. Since the board usually have a solder ring around each mount hole, the total clearance is actually MORE than the standoff to board distance, enhanced by that solder ring, typically meant to ground the case electrically. The board shouldn't bow or flex at all, it would only just barely make contact with the said standoff, UNLESS there is a through-hole component right there (usually some electrolytic capacitors).
 
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