Building a PC has never been an intriguing task than it is now. Nowadays, users have endless choices when it comes to PC building. Finding a suitable computer case is itself a very enjoyable process. If you are new to the trend of PC building, then you must know that PC building involves computer cases that are capable of enclosing all the different elements of your computer.
But setting up computer cases is not as easy as it looks. It involves a lot of factors, which you need to be careful about. It deals with finding the right size for the computer-related elements to fit in, the presence of all the case fans available, and whether water cooling is applicable to cool the systems.
All these factors directly affect the hard drive space, drive support, and other related features. Hence, in this article, you will profoundly get to know about computer cases.
What is a Computer or PC Case?
Before we go into the PC building, you should get to know what a computer case is all about.
Computer cases act as a protecting structure for the inner components of the computer. Their size and form are important because it determines whether they can adjust the different parts of the computer especially the motherboard.
The main constituents of these PC cases are their cooling system, which determines how much space is present in it to function the radiations and air circulation needed by advanced computer systems.
These computer cases are made for shielding the computer from external damages. They are mostly needed by game streamers. However, these computer cases come in both vertical and horizontal sizes.
Different Types of PC Case
When it comes to computer cases, size really matters. This is because in these cases, we are dealing with sensitive hardware like video cards, hard drives, etc.
Overheating of these components when especially inside a case can be ultimately damaging. Hence, the size of the computer cases matters because these cases are supposed to have a cooling effect on the computer elements, which protects them from getting damaged from overheating as well.
Thus, the size of the computer build-ups and computer cases need to be compatible enough to enable the functions for which computer cases are made. There are four types of computer cases with different sizes:
1. Full Tower
This is mostly used by gamers, over clockers, PC enthusiasts, etc. These individuals use high-performance processors and giant RAM & other space-eating advanced tools to operate their computers. Therefore, to make this work efficiently, full towers are used.
Full towers are 55- 75 centimeters tall and have a width of 22 – 32 centimeters. These full towers are great to accommodate large processors like EATX and SSI CEB server boards.
They can also install several types of expansion cards like sound cards, graphics cards, etc. It has a splendid cooling system along with 230 mm fans. Thus, it’s the best computer case for storing the sensitive components of your computer.
2. Mid Tower
Mid Towers are 35- 55 cm tall and have a 15 – 25 cm width. They are mostly used by all PC users. It is an ATX format mid-tower and it allows the users to run all types of drives and motherboards with applicable dimensions.
It has enough space left for installing huge 300 mm video cards. It is an ideal tower to install a standard gaming computer system.
Mid towers also have a great cooling system with up to 200 mm fans, which will always keep the components at a mild temperature and not let the temperature ever increase more than 70-80 degree Celsius.
3. Mini Tower
They are 30 to 45 centimetre in height and 15 -24 centimetre in width. These towers take little space and they are quite portable. Although they are portable and small, their expansions are excellent.
It has four expansion slots along with the capability of supporting Mini-ITX or a MicroATX. They are great for those who are working on a desktop.
These mini-towers have a sufficing cooling system as well but it is also regarded that the cooling system could have been better.
4. HTPC and SFF
Both HTPC and SFF were considered to be very common before but now due to their miniaturization, they have again gained recognition. ‘HTPC’, Home Theatre PC is great for entertainment purposes.
You can store it under a table or even hang it on a wall. It can play videos and music in all possible formats. Similarly, SFF, which is Small Form Factor takes very little space and a great substitute for laptops since they are lightweight as well.
The quality of cooling fans in this is much better than its contemporaries. This is because both sound and video are built in its motherboard as a result heat is also less generated.
Comparison of different computer case sizes
Since there are four types of computer cases, all of them are different from each other in terms of their features. Here is a comparison among all:
| Size | Motherboards supported | Uses | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Tower | Largest | All types like- Micro ATX, Extended ATX, ATX, SSI EEB, Mini ITX, XL-ATX | For hardcore professional gamers, optical bays, airflow units, etc. | Expensive |
| Mid Tower | Standard | Micro ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX, AXT, M-AXT | For desktop workers and regular gamers. | Affordable |
| Mini Tower | Smaller than the Full tower & Mid tower | Only Mini-ATX & Micro-ATX | For audio and video playback, document processing, web browsing, and their applications. | Inexpensive and affordable |
| HTPC or SFF | Smaller | Only Mini-ATX & Micro-ATX | Great for streaming videos and audios with TV | Depend on your needs |
How to choose a PC case size?
Since the size of the PC case matters, here are some factors that you also must consider before getting yourself one:
-
Hardware Support
Larger motherboards of computer cases give more scope to function for different hardware. They also have many expansion slots, which enable multiple GPUs and drive bays.
-
Cooling System
In large computer cases, the facility of fast and effective cooling is a lot more.
-
Cable Management
The cables of the computer case must not look messy. Fewer cables look neat and they also make the computer case set up easy.
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Size and Design
The size and design matter a lot. The size determines how much space you can fit in the case while the design determines the look you want.
Which PC case size should I get?
If you want a cheap and affordable computer case set up, then opt for a Micro ATX.
However, if you are looking for compactness in your setup, then a mid-tower will be a great choice. They have a great cooling facility as their ventilation is quite impressive.
Their cable management is also great; they are limited in number and also facilitate quick build-up.
Moreover, the full ATX tower is amazing with its performance in terms of all aspects. They have excellent cable management, GPU build-ups, and cooling systems. They are worth their price and also have stylish designs.
Conclusion
Computer cases are quite useful when it comes to protecting the delicate parts of the computer. Overheating of the pc often makes it difficult to maintain the components of the computer, but with computer cases, you can eliminate many similar problems.
