Can I use an ATX power supply to power an mini-ITX board?

Question

My wife's computer has given up. I think the motherboard blew up. I'm thinking of replacing it with a cheap mini-ITX board with an Intel Atom processor on it, since all she needs the computer for is browsing.

I've figured out that her ATX case can fit an mini-ITX board, and I have most of the other components lying around, but my main wonder is: can I power the board from the existing ATX power supply? Are the power cables compatible?

Solution

Yes, I'm doing it right now. Just make sure you don't choose a board that's designed for use with a 12V wall-wart as they have a round DC power jack (like many laptops) on the back.

Comments

[Machado]

I do exactly this same thing on my old Media Server. The board was an ITX, and the PSU was ATX.