Pc Cases

Pc cases can run from a simple little box to a sleek designer case costing a good bit of money. The case will determine just what we can fit in our computer. And if the case doesn't have the space or mounts for what we need, then we may have to change cases.

Let's take a look at a simple ATX Mid Tower case and check out its specifications and what they mean.

As you can see by the photo, the front of the case offers us some basic information right away. First off we can see four large (5.25") external drive bays, and two small (3.5") external drive bays. That tells us a lot about what we can install in this case.

We can also see that it has two USB ports on the front, right above a pair of audio jacks.

What does this tell us? Well, we can install four 5.25" external devices, and two 3.5" external devices. In addition, we can plug in two USB devices and our headset microphone.

The two rounded black grids are intake vents, so we probably have a front mount for an intake fan. Always check inside to make sure; never asume anything. Nothing fancy, just the basics.

The next photo is a side shot. With it we will be able to look at the internal features of the case. Take note of the front. As I mentioned above, those are air intake vents in the front.

I've mounted a 120-mm fan in the front, which not only pulls cool air into the case, but also directs that air straight through the 3.5" drive rack right behind it.

With this case and that fan I've had very good results cooling the installed hard drives.

The important features visible from this side shot are the position and number of internal drive bays.

This case only has four internal 3.5" drive bays, but that's likely quite sufficient for most users.

With four internal 3.5" bays you could mount up to four hard drives, or two hard drives with coolers attached.

As an additional note, those two external 3.5" drive bays can be used as internal bays for hard drives as well.

This would bring the potential number of internal hard drive bays to six. Or you could mount three hard drives with coolers.

If you look at the back of the case in the photo, you will see the slot for the power supply and a 120-mm fan. Not all cases come with power supplies and not all cases come with fans.

When you look at a case, make sure you to check the power supply that comes with it (if any), and to check how many fans it will support and what fans are supplied.

Many cases will say they support x number of y-size fans, plus x number of z-size fans. But the number of those fans included is not necessarily the same thing.

Most cases come with a few fans, some come with none, and almost no cases come with all of the fans. Some fans are considered optional.

In practice, however, if you have an empty fan slot, put a fan in it. A decent fan that runs quietly can be picked up for under $30, but a system that overheats can cost hundreds of dollars in damages to the system components.

The final part of this case is the side panel. First it has a large transparent panel. The second thing is the cooling fan. While small at 80 mm, it's quiet, and it's got nifty blue lights.

Remember to take your time when looking for a case. In many ways the case you buy will affect the machine you build, and how well it will run.