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Before anyone suggest I post this in my system builder post, I already said in that post that my build in set and I won't post there anymore as it is already too long and my build is all set. This is a generic ASRock Extreme 4 Motherboard question not concerning a specific built which imo is better served here instead of FBA:

So, I came across this when reading the review]for ASRock Extreme 4

The only negative I have for this motherboard is that it slips outside of typical ATX specifications. It’s 3cm thinner than a standard ATX motherboard and as a result may lack secure mounting on the far side since this isn’t a common size, which also means you should be very careful when plugging in the 24-pin ATX motherboard power – as the motherboard may flex.

I double checked data and turns out Extreme4 measures 12"X8.6" instead of regular ATX 12"X 9.6", Because it is 1" narrower, I see quite a few reviews claim this result in "flex" issues. Is this because the far right side/corner of the panel will be hanging over the case without a rubber stand to support it, and if it touches the case due to outside force the whole board and everything on it will be destroyed because of shorting of circuit?

2 Questions:
1. ASRock Z77 Extreme 4 users, have you encountered problems related to this?

2. What exactly does "motherboard may flex" mean?

p.s I also heard installing computer parts using a magnetic tip screwdriver is bad, is that true?

The smaller width won't cause shorting issues. It just means that rather than 3 rows of screws like a standard ATX motherboard it has just the first 2 rows and some PCB hanging off from the second row. Yes, the PCB will flex whan you plug in connectors that are beyond that second row, this can be eliminated by holding a finger under the edge of the board when plugging things in that are beyond that second row and are mounted vertically. It looks like that would mean the ATX 24-pin connector and the RAM slots.

Really a non-issue if you're a little bit careful.

MadManOriginal wrote:

The smaller width won't cause shorting issues. It just means that rather than 3 rows of screws like a standard ATX motherboard it has just the first 2 rows and some PCB hanging off from the second row. Yes, the PCB will flex whan you plug in connectors that are beyond that second row, this can be eliminated by holding a finger under the edge of the board when plugging things in that are beyond that second row and are mounted vertically. It looks like that would mean the ATX 24-pin connector and the RAM slots.

Really a non-issue if you're a little bit careful.

Alright, so if I just make sure I have a finger under the board when plugging in those things I would be fine, is this only a issue during installation? If so that's good news for me with a Extreme 4 coming in the mail soon, thanks for the tip!

sherlock wrote:

Alright, so if I just make sure I have a finger under the board when plugging in those things I would be fine, is this only a issue during installation? If so that's good news for me with a Extreme 4 coming in the mail soon, thanks for the tip!

Most MATX boards are a little smaller than the spec, so the vast majority of them have this overhang on the RAM and Power sockets (both of which require plenty of force when connecting)
If you don't like the idea of holding the board from underneath as you plug stuff in, the alternative is to fit the RAM and the 24-pin ATX connector whilst the board is still sitting on foamin the box, then you screw the board in after that.

Well, the Extreme4 is a full-height ATX board, it's just not quite full-width. And as MadManOriginal wrote, you can deal with that easily enough. I've been using "slim" ATX boards on all my builds just because they happen to also be less expensive, and it's never been an issue for me.