Yes!

I must agree. Using a small form factor might lower the price of the motherboard a little, it reduces motherboard choices and motherboard features to a larger degree. Choosing a SFF increases the cost of most of the other components. It also makes it harder to use quiet 120mm+ fans to ventilate the case and cool the CPU. The SFF cases rarely have anti-vibration hard drive mounts or foam-dampened sides.

Why do people care so much about the look and size of their desktop computers? (This deserves a poll.)

You missed the obvious choices:
-because a small PC takes less room and/or is easier to install
-because my PC is mounted on the back of my monitor
-because my hardware is low-power and therefore no compromises or additional expense is required for an SFF build
-because I try to avoid unnecessary pollution and waste

Added this one.



Less room is "can't hide PC" choice.
Installing reason is "move computer" choice.



That is just not normally true, as you still have to pay more to get an ITX case. They are a specialty item, and usually cost over $75, while normal mid towers can be had for half of that price.



There is no significant environmental savings. The pollution to make the chips and the pollution to run the computer dwarf any savings form steel.

The real world ain't normal. mITX is actually cheaper as for as low-power systems are concerned.
The nicer cases are expensive but the Apex reviewed by SPCR costs $40, PSU included. Something fanless would cost you $60. How much for a uATX case suited to fanless operation with a fanless PSU?

I got a little NAS case because I wanted something small that could hold 4 hard drives. SFF computers are great for places where you have a strong idea of a simple thing you want the computer to do, and you don't want it to take up more space than necessary.

I'm aiming at building a gaming setup into an In-Win KB623 (BK644/Mt Jade), the reason being I think larger cases adds bulk to the room.
OTOH, I agree in that it's more expensive and limits choices, so just might dump the quest.

/d

If there is one thing you should not argue about, than it's taste.
I really don't get why people trying constantly soo hard to convince others that this or that is soo much better.

You cannot argue about taste.

If Mini iTX is more expensive than other form factors? Depends on the hardware. But even if it was, so what?
There're many examples where people buy the more expensive option in order to get what they like more.
If you are forced to think budget, then ok, but not all computer freaks are. Some have different kinds of PCs at home.



Why do some poeple like potatoes more than rice or noodles?
Why do some poeple like chokolate more than strawberry ice cream?

This thread belongs to a psychological forum rather than to a computer forum.

I would vote for; 'They don't have to be big to be bold anymore'

You can easily make a high performance mini-ITX these days - silencing it is another matter, though.

To hide it, that's for sure. I want to hide all electronics if possible, I want my home look like a home and not a lab or an office.
I can't stand those stacks of boxes under TV's that many people have either, it's sooo ugly.

It's of course a matter of taste, but honestly I don't think everyone make the active decision, they just do whatever everyone else does.

The same goes for black computer cases, keyboards and mice. Nothing else is black in my home, so they simply don't fit in.
The only white Logitech keyboard is made for Apple. Great.

End of rant.

Too bad the OP didn't add an "All of the above" or make it a multi-choice poll. I agree with Mats as well in that it is a matter of taste or style. My main PC is a Mac mini and while its more expensive than a tower for the same functionality it ticks all my boxes otherwise (energy efficient, small and unobtrusive, quiet) and that is why I went for ITX builds for my kids gaming computers. Costs are more or less the same and I would put that down to relative market sizes. ITX/SFF would be cheaper if there was greater demand.