Guide to Computer Cases

Choosing the right case is very important when building a pc or if you are upgrading to a nicer case.  Cases come in a variety of sizes and forms and certain components may fit and certain components may not.  Some cases are made with high end gaming in mind, others with ease of accessibility and others for people who like to take their computers to LAN parties.  Understanding how to make sure your components will fit before you purchase a case will save a lot of trouble and time.

Cases come in a variety of sizes ranging from mini-towers to full towers.  The first thing to make note of however, is the type of motherboards that it is compatible with.  Motherboards are generally either m-ATX (Micro ATX), ATX, or e-ATX (Extended ATX).  However, there are some variations in naming.  Some larger e-ATX motherboards are called XL ATX.  Each case will be compatible with certain types of motherboards.  Larger cases will be compatible with ATX or e-ATX  and smaller may just be compatible with m-ATX or both m-ATX and ATX.

Space inside is also important.  Non-integrated graphics cards are getting larger and cases made for high-end gaming are increasing their size too.  It is always important to check the size of the graphics card and making sure that it will fit in your case.  Also, the amount of 5.25″ external slots and 3.5″internal slots are important.  If you plan on using a lot of storage and want more 3.5″ internal slots for your HDDs then you will probably want a bigger case.  The 5.25″ external slots are used for things like optical drives.  Again, the amount you need will depend more on what you need now and the plans you have for your computer.

Fans are also a big part of cases.  If you plan on using your high-end components to the max, more fans are key.  If you plan on having a basic or budget computers, fans will still be necessary, just not as many.  The cooler the components the smoother they run.  Good airflow and a good fan is important in a case, and the option to upgrade to more fans is something that should be kept in mind.