If you want to customize your PC, you spend a long time thinking about components such as the right graphics card, RAM or processor – but you rarely lose a thought about the right PC case. The case is just as much a key component as the processor: It must offer enough space for the individual components and should also be visually appealing. But how do you combine computing power with the decision about the new home for the circuit boards? Preferably not detached from the individual components! In this how-to, we will show you what you need to pay attention to in order to choose the right PC case.
Case size, equipment and optics – the most important factors for your case
PC case: It depends on the right size
Whether you’re upgrading a PC or building a completely new one, the motherboard needs to fit in the case. It should be noted here that there is not necessarily enough space for all form factors in smaller case models. If your needs can be met with a motherboard with a smaller form factor, it can still be installed in a larger PC case if required. After all, mainboard form factors are standardized and drill holes in the housing and screw holes on the mainboard remain the same. With regard to the mainboard, the spatial space is the only decisive factor for the PC case.
Every computer needs a mainboard. However, the respective form factors bring with them different connections, slots and space requirements. You can get an overview of the most common form factors for mainboards for the PC here:
- E-ATX, the giants: Mainboards of this form factor extend the functionality of the widespread ATX mainboards even further. With space for up to 16 RAM slots or more than two x16 PCIe slots, these mainboards can enable extreme demands such as bitcoin mining or processing massive amounts of data.
- ATX, the large form factor: ATX mainboards have space for several PCIe slots, two to eight slots for RAM and most connections for hard drives. ATX mainboards offer the greatest variety of connections and slots, so this form factor can also meet high technical demands.
- mATX: Anyone looking for a smaller mainboard will often find what they are looking for in this category. For the smaller format, however, you have to make small sacrifices in the PCIe slots or RAM slots. Nevertheless, mATX mainboards still offer a wide range of connector and slot combinations.
- Mini-ITX: The most compact of the form factors suitable for PCs. Mini-ITX mainboards usually only have space for one graphics card, fewer PCIe slots and a maximum of 4 RAM slots. This form factor should therefore only be considered if you have to build really small.
Once you have made the choice for the mainboard based on the desired components, you can look at the desired PC case: you shouldn’t have any space problems, especially with big or midi towers.
Big tower models are the largest PC cases. They are usually available with dimensions of 500-700mm in height and 225-330mm in width, depending on the manufacturer. Midi towers are the most common models and come in many different sizes: length and height can vary from 350mm to 550mm, width from 175mm to 385mm.
The smallest category among the conventional housing models is the mini tower. PC cases in this category are available in lengths and heights of 280-480mm and widths of 140-180mm. Furthermore, especially in this segment, there are cases that are designed to lie down instead of standing up.
If you want a compact tower, you should be extremely precise when measuring. The slot for the graphics card is rarely on the very outside of the mainboard, and the mainboard itself does not always lie exactly against the outer edge of the case. Therefore, the graphics card is also shifted inside the case. Accordingly, the dimensions of a graphics card are not sufficient to find out whether it fits in your case. Rather, in this case, you should measure from the graphics card slot.
Die Kühlung miteinkalkuliert
Another space-consuming aspect is the cooling of the computer: More space often means better airflow, since the individual hardware components block the circulation less. In addition, larger fans are often quieter. If you have enough space inside the computer, you can also consider the possibility of water cooling.
But even a compact PC case does not automatically mean that you have fewer choices when it comes to cooling components. Devices of the more modern mini case generation work with sophisticated two or three chamber systems and good fan equipment. In this way, they combine high computing power with a small space, without the computer running too hot in the summer.
If you want to control the cooling of your PC manually, choose a PC case with a fan control switch, such as the be quiet! Pure Base 600 Window : These cases control the ventilation with a switch and allow settings such as quiet fan operation.
Hard drives: Space on the PC needs space in the PC
In addition to the dimensions for the mainboard, graphics card and cooling, you should plan enough space for your data storage. 2.5-inch SSDs can usually be installed without any problems – 3.5-inch HDDs, on the other hand, do not find space so easily. The reason for this lies in a combination of the available space and the options for accommodating the hard drive: Very few PC cases today still offer a cage for optical drives on the front of the computer, under which the hard drives used to be installed. This makes the storage of hard drives more complex. While 2.5-inch SSDs can often be attached to the back, there is rarely room for 3.5-inch HDDs there.
When storing storage media and drives, you should also pay attention to the description “internal” or “external” in addition to the size in inches. This indicates which slots are available on the front of the housing for hard drives or drives. External bays have a cover. Thus, for example, Blu-ray drives can be installed there. The cover is left off to access the drive. Internal slots are not accessible from the outside and are therefore only suitable for components such as hard drives that do not need to be accessible from the outside.
Keep an eye on connections
If you want an optical drive but don’t have a cage for a Blu-ray, DVD or CD drive, the simplest solution is an external drive with a USB connection. When choosing the right PC case, USB ports are often a small but crucial factor. A more modern mainboard, for example, often has internal connectors to the USB-C ports on the front. Older cases usually only have USB ports from older generations, which have a lower data transfer rate.
There are numerous possible uses for USB ports: Today, most peripheral devices such as mice, keyboards or headsets have a USB port. For this reason, you should plan from the start how many USB ports you need and where they should be located on your PC case. If you still have too few ports, you can help with a USB hub. Audio connections are standard on the back of the case, but many case models have additional connection options on the front. If several audio devices are used, this saves you having to switch to additional front connections.
Manche mögen’s bunt – die Optik von einem PC-Gehäuse
The last point on the way to a perfectly customized PC case is the look. Here, too, there are many design options. Many PC components on the market today – especially motherboards – have built-in RGB lighting. However, this can also be retrofitted and does not only have to relate to the mainboard. Rather, the visibility of the PC components is decisive: Typically, the inner workings of the PC, as with the BQT BGW 38 from be quiet! staged through a viewing window or a completely transparent side panel.
However, far more sophisticated models are also available on the market. From special shapes and designs to almost completely transparent PC cases, the market offers a variety of options where the look of the computer becomes the main thing. The light is controlled by software: The most common providers are MSI with Mystic Light Sync, Gigabyte’s RGB Fusion, Corsair’s iCUE and ASUS Aura Sync. With so-called light modding, the compatibility of the individual light elements with one another and with the software must be taken into account. For example, the Corsair software iCUE does not support third-party providers.
However, if the inside of the PC wants to be staged, you should also pay attention to a visually appealing cable routing. Clean and space-saving laid cables also improve the air flow within the housing. Many more modern housings help to tame the cable clutter with their own cable ducts. In many cases, this is a gap between the base plate on which the mainboard is mounted and the side wall of the case, so that cables can disappear under the base plate. Additional cable ties are also highly recommended when installing the components in the PC.
Shut the flap and let’s go
It doesn’t matter whether you have a big tower in mind that could almost become the main lighting in the room, or a compact work computer that should fulfill its purpose as unobtrusively as possible: there are no limits to your wishes. If you have paid attention to the most important aspects when selecting the components, nothing stands in the way of your dream computer. You will find a wide selection of PC cases in the reichelt online shop to suit your individual needs.
Images: Adobe Stock
