# Cases 101



## Praetor

*Cases 101*

Revision History
1.00 - July 2006
1.01 - August 2006

Contents

  All them fancy terms 
  Ok so how do I pick a good case? 
  I'm Lazy! What case should I pick?
 VFAQ


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## Praetor

Section 01 - All them Fancy Terms
*ATX, mATX, BTX etc*

*ATX* An abbreviation for _advanced technology extended_, this formfactor was designed to address the various problems of the AT (advanced technology) specification used in the 80s (involving motherboard layout and the motherboards connectivity to the power supply). ATX (rather, it's more recent incarnations and revisions) is the de-facto standard specification for motherboards, power supplies and system cases.
*mATX* Virtually identical to the ATX in almost every respect, the mATX specification is designed for those who want to minimize the size of computers for whatever reason. The mATX specification provides for the bare essentials for running a computer and for the most part, the most observable difference is that mATX boards lack a few of the expansion slots present in their larger cousins
 *mini-ITX*. Unlike the ATX and BTX (below), mini-ITX is a non-Intel initiative (introduced by Via as a followup to the unsuccessful ITX specification which had an identical intention). The main selling point for mini-ITX is it's extremely small size and low thermal output (because the compatible Via processors were extremely low-thermal-output chips).
 *BTX*. An abbreviation for _balanced technology extended_ this was an Intel-initiative which was met without very much enthusiasm and was seen by many as an attempt by Intel to detract attention from the excessive thermal output of their later Pentium4 processors.
More colloquially, the formfactor of a case can simply refer to it's size (because for the most part, almost everybody buys ATX compliant cases as BTX was, for all intents and purposes, a flop). In this light, cases are divided into a few categories:

 _Desktop_ PCs of the olden generation used to be like this and can be described as cases that lie down flat. [*Example*]
 _Full tower_ These are the big cases packing the most room for mounting additional equipment like waterpumps and resivoirs and such. If you want a case with a lot of interior room, the full tower is what you're looking for. Sometimes slightly smaller cases are classified as full-towers but in fact they belong to a unofficial class of cases known as SOHO (Small Office Home Office). For the most part, SOHO/Full-tower cases are synonomous [*Example*]
 _Media Center_. Generally taller than cases with the Desktop profile and designed to be more sleek and to better blend into the home theater environment, these cases are very well suited for housing a home-threater computer. [*Example*]
 _Midtower_. This is probably the most popular case size - not too big, not too small. [*Example*] 
_Mini-Tower_ If you want a very basic case to fit onto the corner of a desk or behind some books and dont want the added expense of a shuttle-style box, this is the the minimalist type of case specifically for your needs. [*Example*]
_HTPC/Shuttle_ Now these cases are designed for the minimalist at heart. With barely enough room for everything, you can hide this case almost anywhere. Do pay attention to the cooling requirements if you choose to pursue this option however.[*Example*]
 _BTX _ BTX cases are very much like ATX ones except the layout is "upside down" (i.e., the power supply is stored at the bottom and generally, in relation to the ATX way of doing things, everything seems a bit "off"

*Internal vs External Bays*
As the name suggests, these are expansion bays that allow you to add things like CDROM drives, harddrive, fan controllers etc. Intuitively, the internal vs external descriptor indicates whether or not the drive bay is accessible from the external environment or not.  Furthermore, drive bays come in two varieties, 3.5" and 5.25" which define the width of the bays respectively.

*Expansion Slots*
Directly related to the specification conformity of the case, this parameter defines how many PCI/ISA/PCI-Express/PCI-X or what have you slots the case supports. Generally speaking, the bigger (rather, the taller) the case, more the expansion slots will be supported. A small case like *this* only provides four such slots however a larger case like *this one* provides seven.

*Drive Cages*
All cases will have internal/external 5.25" and 3.5" bays however their implementations may be different.

 _Hardmounted front-back_. This is the type of drive cage found on a case like the Thermaltake Soprano and looks like *this*. In this case, any harddrives you install (in the bottom section) will be oriented in a front-back manner. Furthermore, the drive cage is built as a part of the chassis itself and is not removeable.
 _Removeable front-back_. Very similar to the hardmounted versions, this type of drive caging is common with fancier cases and allows you to remove sections (some or all) if you are not using them or you need the space for other components (such as a waterpump). A case like the Aspire X-Navigator uses *this system*.
 _Perpendicular Cages_. Similar to the hardmounted front-back system, perpendicular cages just have the drives turned 90º. This is benificial as it allows for very easy swapping of drives as well as access to the connectors, jumpers etc. A case like the Antec Sonata II use this *this*

*Case Material*
The three mainstream materials cases are made from are acryllic, steel and aluminum with specialty cases being made from other materials like wood, foam etc. 

 *Steel*. Steel is the standard case material; cases from all price brackets and all applications. All other things being the same, the quality of a steel case is dependent on its thickness: the thicker the steel the stronger (and more expensive), the case
 *Aluminum*. Often praised for it's heat absorbing ability and its lightness is a material found in more premium cases (as aluminum is more expensive). Again it's strength depends on it's thickness
 *Acryllic*. The appeal here is purely asthetic - with an acrylic case, you can see everything in your computer and you arent limited to just a window here and there. The downside to this material is it's expense as well as its scratchability.

*Cooling*
With each new generation of hardware this becomes more of an issue: the cooling effectiveness of a case is determined by several factors

 The number and size of the fans available. A larger, performance-oriented case is more likely to have more bays for fans (and the bays are more likely to be larger). 
 A larger case will have a larger amount of air inside it. Having a bigger case (and subsequently, more internal volume) means that is more air to heat up (and as such, the case is slower to heat up). A larger case also provides room for mounting additional cooling equipment
 Older (mid 1990s) cases got their fresh air by indirectly sucking it in through the front-bottom of the case. Modern cases have air directly flowing in through the front of the case and also have a plethora of intakes and exhausts
  All other things being the same, an aluminum case will be cooler than a steel/acrylic one (this is addressed more in the VFAQ)
Furthermore, Intel has deemed that for a case to be considered "Prescott-Compatible" it must have two side vents: one near the bottom to provide fresh airflow to the videocard area and another directly over the CPU area with a duct to direct the air to the CPU. Even moreso, BTX compatible cases have a giant front-to-back duct which awashes all the major (and overheating) components with air in a linear fashion.

*Motherboard Tray*
Really an overhyped novelty that some of the more premium cases have. With a case that has a motherboard try, you can remove the tray, mount the motherboard easily outside of the case and then mount the tray back in the case (usually with two thumbscrews). This is a horribly overrated feature as it only "benifits" people who have small heatsinks _and_ remove their motherboards a lot. Still, a novelty is a novelty and all things being equal, I suppose having a tray-option isnt bad.

*Toolless*
A novelty with casebuilding that's developed over the last few years, a tooless case is one the computer can be mounted into the case without (or with very minimal use of) tools. 

*Rounded Edges*
Cases of the 1990s were characterized by having sharp steel edges that, if you werent careful, could slice open your hand. cases with rounded edges have these edges dulled down significantly -- it's not impossible to slice yourself open however it is much more difficult.

*SECC Steel*
SECC is an abbreviation for _Steel, Electrically Chromate Coated_ which essentially translates to "stainless steel".


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## Praetor

Section 02 - Ok so how do I pick a good case?
*Step 01 - Pick your formfactor*
There are some generalized considerations here

 The most common case-formfactor is probably the mid-tower or the soho/full-tower. These cases provide an adequate amount of space for expansion as well as having (the potential at least) decent cooling capacity
 The smaller the case, the more difficult it is to cool. This is an important consideration if you intend to build a computer using high performance (and thus, generally with high thermal outputs) components.
 If you're planning on using a BTX case, make sure that your components are BTX compliant (i.e., motherboard, heatsink, power etc)
 If you are looking to build a *quiet* computer, try and select a larger case as you can. By having a larger case, you reduce the amount of airflow required to maintain a given temperature which increases your options when it comes to fans and such (i.e., a large case may only require a net of 20cfm of airflow while a smaller case may require 30cfm). Furthermore, a larger case allows you to place heated devices like harddrrives and such further apart (and allows for room to mount potentially bulky noise supression devices)
 If you are looking to build a *high performance* rig, again, look to the larger cases for the same reasons but also because, with a larger case comes more room to mount equipment that is more prevailent in high performance rigs such as additional front bay controlers, water/vapor coolers, large heatsinks etc etc.
 With both performance-oriented and noise-oriented cases (or cases in general), larger cases generally come with larger fan mountings; karger fans in turn have a superioer CFM/db rating as well.

*Step 02 - Pick Your Material*
There are three generic "camps" to choose from here each with it's up and its downs

 *Steel*
 Pros:  Generally cheaper than the rest as steel is the "plain" or default choice of material. Also, for equal thickness, steel is the strongest case material choice; having a big heavy steel case is useful for those wanting to build fileservers both for providing nice solid mounts for the harddrives but also having a big strong heavy frame to dampen vibration (and thus reduce operational noise).
 Cons Heavy! 

 *Aluminum*
Pros: Generally found on fancier cases, aluminum is very light for a given thickness and compared to steel, is more thermally conductive thus suggesting that aluminum is the premier choice for high performance cases. Being a lighter material than steel, aluminum is also a great choice for case modders as it is significantly easier to cut through (for a given thickness).
Cons: While aluminum is a noteably better choice for a heatsink over steel, it's thermal usefulness in cases is often ourageously overly lauded. *This* article should put to rest any such notions. Also, with very thin aluminum cases, you'll have strength and rigidity issues. Lastly, being a lighter material, it has less ability to dampen vibrations.

 *Acrylic*
 Pros: It's clear! While some people are content with having a simple window or two on their case, this is the next step -- having your entire case virtually see-through. 
 Cons: Being a softer material than steel and aluminum, acrylic scratches more easily (and being a look-at-me material, the scratches are more asthetically damaging). Also, gotta be careful with alcohol around this material as it will case the material to bubble.

While there are other materials to choose from they are generally within the realm of enthusiast oriented cases and if you're reading a Cases 101 and looking for "how to pick a case", you should probably stick to the more standard (and less expensive) options.

Another thing to note: just because a case is made of, say, steel, does not mean it will be a stronger case than one that is made from aluminum. It's important to pick a heavy enough gauge of steel to house all your components! Otherwise you end up with cases that you can deform with your bare hands. Generally 0.8mm steel is sufficient with the higher end cases packing 1.0mm and 1.2mm steel. For aluminum cases, you'll want again 0.8mm as a minimum and the ideal point at 1.0mm.

*Step 03 - Minor Details *
Here is where you'll want to consider some (or all or none) of the following)

 Do you plan to mod the case? If so, you may want to pick an aluminum case as aluminum is generally an easier material to cut through. Acryllic isnt a bad option either.
 Do you plan to make your case one of them brightly lit boxes? In that case, at the least, consdier a case-window or even an acryllic one
 Are you looking to make a nice solid, performance oriented box? Steel's your choice here with alluminum being an excellent alternative if you need the occasional mobility.
 Do you plan to make use of fancy cooling devices whether they be high-end heatsinks or watercooling? A SOHO or Full-server case will be definitely ideal as there is plenty of room to mount various extra devices in the case
 Do you have special requirements like the need to mount a dozen drives? Or for it to be allow for redundant PSUs? Or be BTX compatible? Or be dead silent?


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## Praetor

Section 03 - I'm Lazy! What case should I pick?
We all know there a ZILLION of cases out there to choose from and I would need a fairly sophisticated and sortable organizational structure that would allow me to analyze, review and comment on all of them in a standard manner (read: not as a forum post). As that isn't possible, this section is simply a handpicking of cases that I would reccomend having a look at (selection taken from Newegg's vast collection).

The reason I've chosen this technique (other than due to the organizational monstrosity that a proper job would entail) is because picking a case is, for the average customer, is an esthetical and basic-functional purchasing decision (which is why I am often perplexed when people ask questions like _"is this a cool case?"_ or something to that effect. This section of the 101 is for people who really need a case reccomendation -- based foremost on the function and value of the case rather than it's form and asthetics.

I've tried to breakdown the reccomendations into useful market segments tailoring to various requirements.

_Budget Cases - No PSU_
Cases in this bracket must be less than $40 and have some form of side-cooling (to be Prescott compliant and just as a general good idea). The emphasis here is on quality and value (since were are generally lower end parts) to begin with.

*Coolmax CV560 White  ($9.99)*
*ATX MID* This is the cheapest case available at time of writing and unless you absolutely dont have a budget for a case and need a _basic_ case, I'd look to spend a bit more to get some value: 0.6mm steel isnt gonna be a very sturdy case at all!

*Spire SilverFin SP-2712S  ($21.50)*
*ATX MID* Another value oriented case, this one is a bit sturdier than the previous and if you're looking to build a basic living-room family type computer, this case can do that job decently well. If you need to constantly open and/or upgrade your machine, you'll want to invest more in a maintainence-friendly box

*Coolmax CS480 Black  ($25.99)*
*ATX MID* This case offers a nice 120mm rear exaust mount which allows it to offer exceptional cooling capacity for such a low price case. While the construction has a bit to be desired this is still a pretty decent case from a value perspective.

*Spire Blackfin SP6190B Silver  ($31.99)*
*ATX MID* At barely over $30, this case sports passable construction for a general PC as well as decent cooling via a 120mm side vent and capability for 92mm rear fan (although 80mm is what comes with the case)

*Rosewill R6A34-BK  ($34.99)* **** Praetor's Pick ****
*ATX MID* A somewhat toolless case for those who are interested, this case is probably all around the best for this this category.

*RAIDMAX Horizon ATX-287WB Black  ($39.99)*
*ATX MID* The only case in this section to have a side window (although if you're buying a bling-bling case from this category, I would strongly reccomend you reconsider your overall purchase). Although in all fairness, it has three 80mm fans for effective (albeit potentially noisy) cooling.​
_Budget Cases - PSU Included_
Cases in this bracket have the same requirements as their PSU-free brethen but with the added requirement that they include a decent PSU (see the  *http://www.computerforum.com/showthread.php?t=10764* for further info on what makes a good PSU and some examples. 


*Linkworld 435-10 C2228 + 430W PSU [12V@18A]  ($24.99)*
*ATX MID* A cheap, somewhat poorly constructed case, yes but it provides the basic essentials for supporting a computer. I would suggest spending a bit more and getting a more robust case however.

*Athenatech A4224WW.400 + 400W [12V@25A]  ($29.99)*
*ATX MID* Albeit less visually appealing to the competitors (although really i would question any case in this bracket if it was bought for asthetics), it does come with a respectable power supply.

*Athenatech A416BS.400 + 400W PSU [12V@18A]  ($33.90)*
*ATX MID* A slightly more asthetically pleasing case, this case has a bit more functionality than its predecessor (and additional front USB as well as an extra internal bay)

*Rosewill R604TBLK-N Black + 450W [12V@27A]  ($39.99)* **** Praetor's Pick ****
*ATX MID* A superb case again with both good design and layout as well as a very proficient power supply all for a decent price. Definitely the best pick here.​
_Mainstream Cases - No PSU_
The majority of case hunters will probably fall into this category: looking for a solid, well-made case which tailors to cooling, noise, functionality and asthetics. The price bracket here witll be $100. All the cases must, at the least, have three fans (front, side and rear).


*Cooler Master Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW  ($33.99 after $10.00 MIR)* **** Praetor's Pick ****
*ATX MID* Large and spacious, good cooling, good asthetics ... and overall *awesome* value for the price.

*iStarUSA S8 Storm Series  ($44.99)*
*ATX MID* Extremely sturdy 1.0mm steel case, this is somewhat toolfree and supports 120mm fans for good airflow.

*Chenming 301KES-0-AW  ($48.99)*
*ATX MID* Cant have a case lineup without a Chenming popping up in there somewhere; this is the smallest of the bunch but it's a very solid case with a lot of modding potential.

*Rosewill R5604-BK  ($49.99)*
*ATX MID* A toolfree case with dual 120mm fans, this is a very solid case and particularly so for it's pricing.

*Chenming CMUI-601AECB-U  ($49.99)*
*ATX SOHO* Cant ever forget the tried and true Chenming 601, this case is the definitive old-school case for performance users and even in todays market it performs superbly.

*Chenming CMU-S-602-BK  ($56.99)*
*ATX SOHO* Slightly bigger than it's 601 brother, this case features a perpendicular mounted drive cage which is very well suited for people who change their drives and hardware a lot.

*Kingwin SK523BKWBC  ($57.99)*
*ATX MID* This is a very well put together case with airflow and cooling being a well thought out consideration -- it comes with two very high performance 120mm fans for intake and exhaust.

*Cooler Master Cavalier 3 CAV-T03-UW  ($59.99)*
*ATX MID* A design that Thermaltake later copied with their Tsunami/Soprano/etc case (and not as well I might add), this case is very well proven and wont dissapoint. (Also consider the Thermaltake cases if this style appeals to you)

*Enermax ECA3052B  ($69.99)*
*ATX MID* With a huge 25cm side fan, this case was designed with cooling and airflow in mind.

*Chenming 901AD-BLACK-0  ($76.99)*
*ATX Full* A full out full-size server case, this case has a lot of room to work with and to mount extra toys like waterpumps and resivoirs etc.

*Lian Li PC-7A Plus II Silver  ($89.99)*
*ATX MID* Cant have a case listing without a Lian Li in the set, this is one of the cheaper such Lian Li cases and although smaller than some of their more extravagant brethen, this one is also affordable

*Silverstone TEMJIN SST-TJ04BW  ($91.00)*
*ATX MID* Although it features only 0.8mm SECC, this case is extremely well built (as typical of Silverstone) and serves as a good tower for mounting stuff

*Lian Li PC-60USB B2  ($99.99)*
*ATX MID* Another very popular and common Lian Li case, this case has a highly proven track record.​
_Mainstream Cases - With PSU_
With all the case requirements as previous but now the cases need to ship with very robust power supplies which can be paired with (potentially) high end systems that are enclosed by these cases


*Athenatech A3602BB.400 + 450W [12V@27A]  ($43.99)*
*ATX MID* While it's not the most well known nor prettiest case, this case offers a good quality power supply and all the basic requirements for a case in ths category

*Apevia/Aspire X-Plorer ATXB8KLW-SS/420 + 420W PSU [12V@28A]  ($69.99)*
*ATX MID* A pretty case, a functional case and with a competant power supply, this is a pretty good all-around deal. 

*Apevia/Aspire X-Navigator ATXA9N-BK/500 + 500W PSU [12V@16A+18A]  ($84.99)* **** Praetor's Pick ****
*ATX SOHO* Considering the PSU for this case, it's fairly solid construction, feature set and expandability, this case offers some serious value. A definitive reccomendation here.​
_High End Cases_
Cases in this category have no price restriction and also do no come with power supplies (as often, customers in this bracket will buy custom PSUs anyways). Only well known, proven cases get picked here. Also, beaing feature oriented cases, they'll definitely be big!


*Apevia/Aspire X-Pleasure-BK  ($114.99 after $15.00 MIR)*
*ATX SOHO* Using a very well proven design this case offers a lot of bang for its buck. The only complaint I guess is the usage of 80mm fans when 120mm fans can provide more airflow and with less noise.

*Gigabyte 3D Aurora GZ-FSCA1-ANS  ($139.99)*
*ATX SOHO*  With a trio of 120mm fans, this case means business when it comes to cooling. It does however have fewer bays overall than some of the cases in this roundup.

*Silverstone Temjin SST-TJ06S-W  ($141.40)*
*ATX SOHO* A solid case all around, this case is very sturdy and has a tri of fans (two of which are 120mm) to handle the cooling load.

*Cooler Master CM Stacker STC-T01-UW  ($115.00 after $30.00 MIR)* 
*ATX SOHO* Loved by some, hated by others, this case is all business when it comes to expandability and compatability. It provides an extensive mounting capacity as well as the ability to support eATX and BTX standards as well as being able to support addons like the *Cross Flow Fan*

*Thermaltake Shark VA7000SWA  ($159.00)*
*ATX SOHO* One of the few Thermaltake cases I like (I find most are bling-bling or copy-cats of other designs), this case is refreshingly clean, functional and solid. Another case worth considering is the*Thermaltake Eureka VC8000BWA*

*Lian Li PC-G70B  ($179.00)*
*ATX SOHO*_The_ definitive case for modding and functionality, this case (as with all Lian Li cases) is superbly built and sports three 120mm fans for very respectable cooling.

*Lian Li PC-201A  ($269.00)*
*ATX SOHO* Sporting no less than four 120mm fans, this case means business yet still retains the elegance and moddability of Lian Li cases.

*Silverstone TJ-03  ($273.00)*
*ATX SOHO* This is one of the few cases out there that packs 1.5mm aluminum and definitively makes for a rock solid mount for a server. Four fans (one 120mm) provide the case with enough cooling capacity to handle whatever you choose to pack in it as well

*Silverstone TJ07-S  ($299.00)*
*ATX SOHO* If the previous TJ case wasnt heavy duty enough to suit your needs, this bad boy has 2.0mm body for some serious structural integrity (and really dampens noise)

*Thermaltake Tai-Chi VB5001SNA  ($429.99)*
*ATX SOHO* Yes cheaper is available, yes better is available but Thermaltake is very widely available and this is a fairly decent case. It's overpriced yes (partially due to the watercooling but mostly due to the marketability of the product) but it does it's job decently well however it can be a bit tricky to put together so make sure you take your time

*Thermaltake Armor VA8003SWA  ($209.99)*
*ATX SOHO* This case has it's cooling down pat with a plethora of fans including a massive 25cm side fan​
_Silent Cases_
This category deserves it's own section due to how common people look for them. This is by no means anything semblance of complete but only of the cases I have personally used and found to be quiet, the folks over at*SPCR* will be infinitely more knowledgeable on this niche market

*Antec Sonata II + 450W PSU [12V@15A+17A]  ($94.99)*
*ATX MID* A popular, capable and fairly readily available case, this case uses perpendicular drive mounting which makes life a snap when swapping HDDs (which are mounted with rubber grommets to reduce vibration as well). The case has a solitary 120mm exhaust (meaning cool air intake make be an issue) and the air guide thingy, while functional, is a pain in the ass to work with.

*Antec Performance I P180  ($114.99)*
*ATX MID* Another popular case, this one has a unique triple layer paneling system to dampen noise and loses the difficult to work with aircage the Sonata has. This one however does have a "unique" internal structure which takes a bit of getting used to.

*Zalman TNN300 Noiseless Multimedia Case + 350W PSU [12V@10A+15A]  ($599.99)*
*ATX MID* Definitely a case for advanced users, this case does do its job of providing a absolutely silent cooling and mounting capacity however there are limitations (which are pretty low) on what you can or cannot mount in the case. It's bigger, more capable (and significantly more expensive)* brother*. With both cases, there is a sense of ungainlyness with the drive mounting which can bend.​


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## Praetor

Section 04 - VFAQ
*Should I get a case with a window or not?*
I dont even know why people ask this question ... it's asthetics. If you want it, then get it. If you dont, then dont get it. Pretty simple ... sure a metal panel might be more impact resistant than a plexy panel but if you're planing on puncturing your case it wont matter much now will it?

*Do aluminum cases cool better?*
No! Read *here* for more info as well as some numbers to back it up.

*Will my mATX motherboard fit into this ATX case? How about the other way around?*
A mATX motherboard will most likely fit into an ATX case (there are wierd exceptions so unless you have one of them really messed up cases, you'll be ok). An ATX motherboard wont however, fit into an mATX case.

*Should I get BTX?*
Well going BTX would require you buying a BTX CPU, BTX motherboard, BTX case, BTX cooler etc. And given the industry's trend for performance/watt, BTX is probably going to die (since the point of BTX is to improve cooling performance for Intel's hot, old generation CPUs). Overall, not worth it.

*Should I get a case with a PSU included?*
Well, if it's a good PSU then sure. Now if you need to know how to pick a good PSU, have a look at *PSU 101*. Generally, higher performance buyers will have less of a need for this as most included PSUs wont be in their comfort zone handling some of the higher performance gear (i.e., Crossfire, QuadSLI)

*Should I get tooless?*
Thats a matter of personal opinion ... so you decide!

*Should I get a door? Built in watercooling? Windows? Vents? Wheels? Lights?*
These too are all personal opinions -- so decide what you want!


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