Phuncz, I accept your argument to a degree, yes ITX boards are rapidly gaining ground on ATX accepted spec, lower TDP and generally greater efficiency of CPUs and cutting edge chipsets are shrinking gaps in performance exponentially. Plus DDR4, SSD, Pcie storage, etc etc.
But: size is still a limiting factor, Your signature build for example shows an Ncase M1, an extraordinarily efficient case with a volume of 12.6 Litres. This is thus a best case scenario for optimising ITX performance, but this is not a common, nor a cheap case.
Most cases on the market are factory manufactured with the final design nod given to the engineers accountants. Not always, but probably often enough.
So the more ordinary case is less costly, but also less efficient and in terms of the case type I want to and do use, considerably smaller volume.
That equates to less efficiency, which in turn will run hotter, and heat is a great limiter for an ITX build. In ATX, big case, sling a watercooler or 2 in, another bank of case fans, solution that are just not feasible for a sub volume ITX, Another limiting factor here is intrinsic to the most common reasons for having ITX, They are HTPC, Media boxes, and silent running is important...Passive cooling is the ideal, anything else is just different degrees of compromise
So, I agree, an ITX build can be up there with the best in terms of performance, but that is still extraordinary rather than ordinary,, although the distinction is admittedly shrinking fast.
There will always be different directions in the use of PCs, ATX or ITX or any format, people use them for different things so will have different build targets, and just as important and I think more generally defining, varying available budgets to achieve what they can.
PS You do have an excellent build spec there!
