How to Select a Case

[Yellowhello]

How to Select a Case
By Nate Phillips


Hello again. Many people have a very hard time selecting a case when buying a new computer or upgrading their existing computer to a new case. In this guide, I will give you a few pointers to look out for in a case. The case market is a very crowded place, and some people may not know what to look for when buying a new case. So here we go!

The first thing to look for in a case is the size of the case. This goes hand in hand with what the case is going to be used for.

For a HTPC (Home Theater PC), a SFF (Small Form Factor) case or a HTPC specific case is usually best, as they are small and can fit in with other TV-related stuff (VCR, DVD players, etc.) SFF cases usually only fit micro ATX motherboards. HTPC cases can sometimes fit standard size ATX motherboards. Also another feature to look out for in a HTPC case is that it's got to be quiet, so that when you are watching a movie, the noise isn't a disturbance.

A SFF case

At the opposite end, if you are looking at a gaming case, you probably want to look for a full-sized or a big mid-sized case. The reason for this is that with all those high-end components, you need some breathing room for that quad-core, SLI setup. Generally, full-sized or gaming specific cases have a good amount of airflow.

A full-sized case

Then there is everything in between. For a general use PC, a mid-sized case is usually best. Not so big that it's in the way, not so loud is annoying, but not so small that everything is overheating.

A mid-sized case

The next thing you want to look for is the cable management aspect of it. As you are looking at the case, think to yourself and visualize how all the cables are going to go and where. Also take into account the dimensions of the interior of the case in relation to the components that you are going to buy or that you already have. If you are looking a mid-sized case and you plan on putting an 8800GTX in there, are you 100% sure that there won't be any issues? Will your extra-long 1000W power supply fit into that case?

After that, keep in mind the materials used to construct the case. If it's made of steel, it may be a little on the heavy side, but pretty strong, so it will keep your components safe. Aluminum is somewhat lighter than steel, but sort of acts like a big heatsink for the components inside. Keeps things cool. Also another tip: stay a way from plastic as much as possible. This includes on the inside if the case too. Some plastic on the front of the case is common, but is cheap looking (and feeling) and doesn't give the sense of a quality case as much as a full aluminum front bezel (the front part of the case). One more thing, stay away from tooless PCI installation! Most of the time these plastic retention brackets break and can possibly damage your video card and any other cards you have. The less plastic, the better.

Next, think about the exterior look of the case. Will you be proud to own the case that you spent you hard-earned cash on? Will that DVD drive you have match the color of the case?

Just watch out for the little details and think about how it would go with the components you plan to put in it. Will the orientation of the hard drive cage affect cable routing duties? The location of the power supply in relation with the power connections on your motherboard (whether the power supply is mounted at the top or bottom)?

Be sure to keep in mind the different sized fans your case can support. In both mid and full-sized cases 120mm is pretty much the standard. Some cases, like the Antec 900, have unstandardized fan sizes. In the case (ha ha, joke) of the Antec 900, the 200mm fan at the top is not a standard size. Some cases include 80mm fans. 80mm is good, but can be noisier than 120mm because they much spin faster to move the same amount of air. 60mm fans are most commonly used in HTPC cases because of the layout of the case (Height issues with larger fans). Pretty much the larger the fan, the more air it moves bu that is not always the case. Look at the "CFM" (Cubic Feet per Minute) of the fan. Usually if you look up the specs of the fan you will see the CFM. Also keep in mind the "dB" (decibel) of the fan. the more dB, the more noise the fan makes. It's sort of a balancing act between the CFM and the dB.

200mm fan on the Antec 900

Different layouts in the case have different affects on cooling. The most common layout is the power supply at the top and the motherboard under it. This layout works fine, except hot air can get trapped at the top of the case if your power supply doesn't contain a fan on the bottom.

Power supply at the top

Another increasingly common layout is with the power supply at the bottom and the motherboard above it. This also is okay, but cable management is sometimes an issue.

Power supply at the bottom

And last (but not least), do your research! What have others thought about the case?

Well, that's my case buying guide! If you think I missed something or have additional suggestions for my user “how-to”, please say so! Hope this helps!

[RAID]

another nice guide nate. nice pics

[Yellowhello]

Well, I didn't have a full-sized, mid-sized, HTPC, and a SFF case on hand to photo. (well I had a mid sized.) I didn't really want to take from other sites.

[Capper]

If you'd like, you can hotlink images from our reviews

[Pete]

How to select a case... hehehe...
step 1: go to thermaltake usa site
step 2: hover over products and click on chassis
step 3: select case!

But yes, case selection is very important. Please dont choose a HTPC chassis if you plan on using it as a gaming rig!!! And dont use a Full tower chassis for a HTPC... at lease in my situation. Make sure you look for enough room and good airflow and one last thing, you have to enjoy the case!

[stinger608]

Originally Posted by TTPete

How to select a case... hehehe...
step 1: go to thermaltake usa site
step 2: hover over products and click on chassis
step 3: select case!

But yes, case selection is very important. Please dont choose a HTPC chassis if you plan on using it as a gaming rig!!! And dont use a Full tower chassis for a HTPC... at lease in my situation. Make sure you look for enough room and good airflow and one last thing, you have to enjoy the case!

Suggestive sales right Pete

[Yellowhello]

There, put pics in from HL. Thanks, Cap!!

EDIT: Sorry all my guides are so obvious, like everybody already knows this sort of stuff.

EDIT: Mostly for the beginners out there............

Hey guys, hows the article look? Anything to add?

[onebxr]

Originally Posted by TTPete

How to select a case... hehehe...
step 1: go to thermaltake usa site
step 2: hover over products and click on chassis
step 3: select case!

But yes, case selection is very important. Please dont choose a HTPC chassis if you plan on using it as a gaming rig!!! And dont use a Full tower chassis for a HTPC... at lease in my situation. Make sure you look for enough room and good airflow and one last thing, you have to enjoy the case!

I like to go to the refurb/closeout case section, sometimes you can find a hell of a deal at TT.
ref-case
dis-case
-1

[gvblake22]

You should toss in a little spot about cooling. Mention the advantages and disadvantages of the different fan sizes. Maybe also touch on how the layout and placement of the internal components will affect cooling performance.

[Yellowhello]

Originally Posted by gvblake22

You should toss in a little spot about cooling. Mention the advantages and disadvantages of the different fan sizes. Maybe also touch on how the layout and placement of the internal components will affect cooling performance.

Better?