Micro Atx setup cheaper than reg atx?

[Rmacy]

So i was curious as to cost of a micro atx setup vs a reg atx setup.

I am building a computer for programming on linux and windows and I need a good system for a low cost.

I made a fantasy build with the antec 300, etc, price came out to be about 1 grand. (See Here)

I was wondering if I could do a setup with similar specs (maybe even use better componets) for a cheaper price.

I will be using it for media tasks aswell.

This is my quest to build the best yet cheapest computer possible

 

[rodney_ws]

I think it's a pretty universal truth that making things smaller has a cost... be it performance, price or both. If cost is your primary concern and space isn't an issue, I think it'll always be better going with a full ATX setup. You're much more likely to encounter thermal issues with a smaller case.

 

[rodney_ws]

His build has an 8800 GT GPU... so any money saved by having onboard video isn't really an issue. Since space isn't an issue, it doesn't appear the OP should go down the mATX road.

 

[dmoz]

It won't be much cheaper, and you'll lose some potential to upgrade (let's just say that the case will be too small for a lot of video cards, for one). The trade-off is very similar to that of desktop vs. notebook - you're essentially trading performance for portability, and portability is often at a price premium as well (unintential alliteration).

If you want a small computer that's easy to lug around and you're not that concerned about upgrading, go for it, but to answer the question, you won't save much money.