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Things to Consider When Choosing a Computer Case

1. Form Factor
There are different sizes of motherboards, which in turn require different cases to house them. Case form factors share the names of the motherboards they support, and some of the common ones include ATX, Micro ATX (mATX), FlexATX and Mini ITX. ATX motherboards are perhaps the most common, and the largest of the four, measuring at most 12″ x 9.6″ (305mm x 244mm). A Micro ATX board is at most 9.6″ x 9.6″ (244mm x 244mm), a FlexATX is 9.0″ x 7.5″ (229mm x 191mm) and a Mini ITX comes in at a tiny 6.7″ x 6.7″ (170mm x 170mm). ATX and mATX are by far the most popular motherboard sizes for consumer motherboards, and hence, most cases are made to support one or both of these sizes.

2. Size
Size may go along with form factor in many respects, but even while considering cases of the same form factor, there can be variations in size in a few respects. Areas where size can vary are in overall dimensions, the number of exposed 5.25″ and 3.5″ bays, and the number of internal bays.
Internal bays are generally reserved for hard drives, and systems with multiple drives require the necessary space. So, if a user decided he really wanted a yellow colored case, but needed room for five hard drives, he would be forced to choose this one (5 internal drive bays) over this one (4 internal drive bays).

3. Cooling
Cooling is a critical feature to consider when selecting a computer case. High end systems can generate a good deal of heat, and the case needs to be adequately cooled to keep the system running and stable.
The basic configuration for case cooling involves having one intake fan on the lower portion of the front surface, and one exhaust fan higher up on the rear surface. This allows cooler air to be drawn in, passed over the various heat generating components, and exhausted out the back. There are many other cooling configurations available that may provide improvements in terms of cooling performance and noise. Another approach to better cooling is to throw more fans at the heat. This Matrix case adds another fan to the side panel which will draw cool air in right on top of the processor and video card, two of the hotter items in a system. Other cases will add an exhaust fan to the top of the case, which pushes the heat out just like a chimney.

4. Installation Features
Installing a system into a case can be a time consuming affair, which can become annoying to those who find themselves in a continuous cycle of upgrading. Many cases now include convenient features to make installation much simpler, and far less time consuming. Some of these convenient installation features include a removable motherboard tray, removable drive cages, tool-less expansion card mounts, tool-less side panels, and tool-less drive rail systems. Being able to remove the motherboard tray and drive cage makes it easier to work on those specific areas in the open, and having a tool-less system for mounting drives or cards means there is no need for screws or a screw driver. Definitely time savers!

5. Convenience Items
It is not enough for a case to house a computer system any more, it now needs to multi-task. Having regularly used connections on the front or top of the case is one common convenience feature that many people look for. Cases such as this A-Top Z-Alien model let users forget about the annoyance of reaching around the back of their case to plug things in, as USB, Firewire, headphone and microphone jacks are located on the top.

6. Style
A few years ago cases only came in one color and one basic style plain beige boxes. If you’re nostalgic for the olden days of computer cases, Computer Geeks still has one for sale in this style, the KG-200. But cases now come in styles from mild to wild, and in a whole rainbow of colors. Some have large windows in the side panel to show off the case’s insides, some include special lighting effects, and some have appearances that might scare the kids. At this point there seems to be few limits in case design, but there are always classically styled cases in updated color schemes for those who want something modern looking, but nothing too intense.

7. Power Supply
Many cases are sold with a power supply included, but this power supply might not be the correct one for the system to be installed inside of it. An adequate power supply needs to be chosen to meet the demands of the system, and this may very well mean buying an additional power supply to replace the one included, or selecting a different case with a more appropriately sized power supply.

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