Many gamers spent huge amount of money on the newest video or the fastest processor, when it comes to the computer case, they choose the cheapest available model. If you are one of those gamers, then it is time to give more respect to the computer case, because it is as important as your processor and graphics card.

How the computer case can save your system?

The main issue with a computer is the building up of heat inside the computer case. As electricity flowed through the components, heat is generated as a by-product. If nothing is done to dissipate the heat away, the components will be under a lot of strain and in the worst case, burn up in flame.

A good case allows you to arrange your components in an orderly manner so that heat don’t built up easily. In addition, it also provides ample ventilation to dissipate hot air out of the computer.

How to choose the computer case?

1) Size

There are basically three categories of computer case that you can choose from – the mini tower, mid tower and the full tower. Unless you have limited desk space, do not go for a mini tower as it does not allows you to upgrade your parts in the future.

The mid tower is the most commonly used computer case for PC enthusiastic. It is spacious enough to accommodate up to 4 CD/DVD drives and 5 hard drives. These cases can be as much as 17 inches tall and 8 inches in width, which makes it ideal for a typical computer desk.

The full tower is much bigger than the mid tower. It is typically of 21 inches tall and 8.5 inches wide, with some even as tall as a computer desk. The bigger size also means that there are more rooms to hold your CD/DVD drive. All full tower can accommodate at least 5 CD/DVD drives and 5 hard drives. The benefit of a full tower is that it gives you more options for expansion in the future. You never know when you need another hard drive, or CD/DVD drive; and when you need it, you can be sure that there is enough space for you to fix it on. Also, a full tower offers better airflow between your components. This aids in heat dissipation inside of your PC.

2) Form factor

Form factor refers to the physical shape and size of a device. When choosing the computer case, it is important to choose the form factor that matches the motherboard, else you won’t be able to install the motherboard inside the case.

The form factor that you most likely will come across is ATX. This is the standard for most computers. Most of the mid tower and full tower are of the ATX form factor; however the mini tower usually comes in mATX (Micro ATX) which is more suited for the small compact size motherboard.

3) Cooling Ability

This is the most important factor to look out for. Your case must be able to provide ample ventilation and add-on slot where you can install more fans to aid in the cooling.

Things to look out for include:

• Vents on both side of the case to allow cool air to flow in and hot air to flow out.
• Pre-installed intake fans to suck in cool air and outtake fans to draw out hot air.
• Large internal air space with all the components laid out in a manner that promotes airflow.

4) Convenient Factor and Extra Features

Some of the newer cases have extra features built in that makes your usage more convenient. Functions such as extra USB and FireWire ports in the front panel are greatly welcome. Some even provides thumbnail screw so that you can remove the case cover easily.

Recommendations

If you can’t make up your mind on the case, here are some good ones that we recommend.

	CoolerMaster Cosmos 1000 ATX Full-Tower Case In term of the size, performance, design and user-friendliness, this case is easily the best one around. $179.99 at TigerDirect Check out the review here
	Apevia Black/Black X-Plorer For gamers who want a case that doesn’t occupy large desk space and can fulfill all your needs, this is the case to go for. $119.99 at TigerDirect Check out the review here
	Ultra Black Aluminus ATX Mid-Tower Case For gamers who are on budget, this is the best value for money case. $99.99 $69.99 at TigerDirect Check out the review here

The computer power supply is the energy source for the whole computer system. Imagine that you are not eating well for every meal, do you think you can still function well for all your daily tasks?

Power Rating

While people are discussing about the gigabytes of storage, 64 bit processing capabilities and the heavy-duty 3D graphics card, the only thing that required the most attention, but is discussed least is the computer power supply. What they have not realized is that the more powerful a computer become, the more power it needs. If you are wondering how much power you need for your system, check out the table below:

Add up the power required for your system and get the power supply with a power rating higher than the required power. If you are building a high-end gaming computer, chances are you may need a 600 – 650W power supply.

Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF)

This is also known as the lifespan of the power supply. It represents the average hours the power supply can perform before it fails. Most power supplies will have MTBF ratings of 100,000 hours or more, but be aware that these figures were not collected from actual real-time testing. Most ratings are based upon the comparative failure rates of the power supply’s individual components.

Short Circuit Protection

When choosing a computer power supply, make sure that it is equipped with a short circuit protection feature. This is to prevent the computer parts from drawing excessive currents which might cause its internal chips to be burned.

Low Noise

The main reason for a power supply to be noisy is because of its inability to dissipate heat fast. The fan has to work extra hard to maintain the required temperature. When choosing a computer power supply, make sure that it comes with a big powerful 140mm fan or two 80mm fans to effectively dissipate the heat away.

Load Current (Maximum and Minimum values)

Each computer part requires different voltage and current to function. It is important that the power supply can support the various voltage levels and the current supplied.

Maximum load current – Tthe maximum current that the computer part can accept for a particular voltage level

Minimum load current – The minimum current the computer part needs to be functional.

If the part is not getting the minimum load current from the power supply, chances are the power supply is spoiled.

Form Factor

Most of the power supplies in the market are of the ATX form factor. However if you are using a micro ATX computer case, you have to get a micro ATX power supply, else it won’t be able to fit inside the case.

Conclusion

Power supply is definitely a computer part that you must pay attention to. When choosing a computer power supply, always get a power supply that has a higher power rating than what your system needs. In addition, unless you are willing to risk your computer to system jeopardizing power spikes and surges, don’t ever scrimp on the power supply.

Size of casing

The size of the casing determines how much space you need on your desk to place the PC. If you have a small desk with limited space, you might consider the smaller mini computer case. If space is not an issue, then you can go for the tower casing where there are more functions.

Internal space

If you are adding a lot of computer parts to your system, you might consider getting a tower case. A small, crammed up case will increase the heat generation and result in the overloading of the power supply.

Motherboard support

A micro-ATX case (micro tower) can only support motherboard of the micro-ATX form factor. If you have a motherboard of ATX size, get a mid tower or full tower computer case.

Tip: A mid-tower or full tower case supports both the Micro-ATX and ATX motherboard whereas the micro tower case only supports micro-ATX motherboard.

Power supply

Most of the desktop computer cases come with power supplies. If you add a lot of computer parts to your system, you will need to get a power supply with higher power rating to support the system. Here’s a quick guide on the power consumption of each parts:

Do your own calculation and select the power supply closest to your need.

External USB and firewire support

Some of the desktop computer cases come with front USB, audio port and a firewire port support. This is surely a very convenient feature and should add in your consideration when choosing a computer case. I remember buying a cheap computer case without any front USB and firewire port, only to find that I have more USB devices than all the port available. I have no choice but to buy an extra multi-port USB adaptor and all the wiring makes my desk very messy. A good lesson learnt from here. Never compromise quality with cheaper price.

Cooling

If you add a lot of computer parts into your system or you are an overclocker, then you need to choose a computer case with good cooling system. A good computer case allows multiple fans to be installed and also openings to improve the heat dissipation. For more detail on cooling system, read the article on "Liquid Cooling System"

External feel

A computer case is no longer just a plain box. Nowadays, computer cases are well designed to create the ‘feel’ for pc enthusiasts. Some of the pc enthusiasts I know even modify their computer case (also know as Case Mod) to create the kind of "special feel". If you are interested to case mod, check out Xoxide.com for mod details.

Conclusion

The few points above are sufficient to help you choose a desktop computer case. If you are into overclocking or an avid gamer who owns high-end parts, you definitely have to get a computer case with good cooling system and high power supply. For daily usage, any case that is above $100 is considered expensive.

For more desktop computer case price guide, check out TigerDirect! or Newegg