Today cases come in many shapes, sizes, colors and levels of functionality. Before purchasing a case you'll want to consider several things.

Functionality vs Aesthetics.

Most end users would choose a computer case by its outside appearance and price. Most computer experts would choose by inside functionalities and brands. In the past few two years the quality of most cases that would be considered to have aesthetically pleasing have dramatically increased in quality. It is now very possible to choose a case that is good in both areas

Power supply.

The most critical part of a computer case is the power supply. Power supply is one of a few PC components that have moving parts (a cooling fan or fans), which renders it to more reliability problems than other components. Therefore, choosing a case with a genuinely reliable power supply is very important. The wattage of a power supply is likely less important than its reliability. 300W is more than enough for the majority of systems running today. 350W-400W is necessary when multiple hard drives and optical drives are used in conjunction with high end video or other components. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard in measuring the reliability of a power supply or mostly any other PC components for this matter. We recommend staying with major brands and from a reliable source.

Quality.

The wattage and FCC/UL labels on a power supply are difficult for any government agency to monitor and police. We have seen 300w power supplies that are much lighter in weight than a 230w with significantly smaller capacitors and transformer wires inside. Therefore, again, a well-known brand from a trusted vendor is recommended. We do not experience much of a difference in reliability among the major brands.

Cooling..

A case fan (or fans) is highly recommended! With the modern processors used today it is important to deliver cool air to hot components such as processors, video cards, and hard drives. Failure to do so can result in decreased stability and longevity of a system, especially since the failure of a powersupply fan can go unnoticed for weeks in a system. High temperature is one of the worst enemies of all computer components! A front case fan should suck ambient air into the case, while a power supply fan sucks hot air from inside the case out, which forms a stream of air flow passing the CPU and helps maintaining the temperature inside the case relatively low and constant. A rear case fan should also suck hot air out of the case. A dual fan powersupply is recommended when using modern AMD Duron/Athlon/XP processors or Intel Pentium 4 processors. The second fan on the powersupply helps quickly move hot air away from the processors heatsink fan combination.

Easy of Use.

 A roomy case that is easy to access and does not have sharp edges is often on a PC technician's wish list. To be fair, the manufacturers are doing much better than before in removing the sharp edges. We carry only tested and proven cases that our technicians do not have particular problems to work with. If you are the type of person that is always changing something in your system then investing in a case that uses time saving features such as a removable motherboard tray and or drive rails is helpful.

Compatibility.

• AT. Although popular for many years, AT is now a dead standard. AT motherboards will often work in ATX cases but ATX motherboards not work (easily) in AT cases. Upgrading from AT to ATX also requires a new powersupply.

• ATX. Almost all motherboards today are ATX or some variant there of. The main advantages of ATX vs the older AT standard are advanced power management features and an increased number of ports onboard such as a PS2 connector for mouse. ATX motherboards are typically 12" x 9.6" or slightly smaller. The most common size of case used to house a ATX motherboard is a Mid-Tower case. If a case supports ATX then it also will work with MicroATX/FlexATX.

• E-ATX, Full ATX. E-ATX, Full ATX support is typically found in server cases such as full towers, cubes, and rack mounts. The size of these boards range from 12" x 11" to 12" x 13". If a case supports this size then it will also support ATX/MicroATX/FlexATX.

• MicroATX / FlexATX. This size of case / motherboard is preferred for making small systems. MicroATX motherboards have a max size of 9.6" x 9.6". FlexATX are typically much smaller with the most common size being around 9.0" x 7.5". Standard ATX motherboards do not fit in a MicroATX case, but a MicroATX motherboard will fit in a ATX case.

• Mini-ITX. Mini-ITX is a extremely small form factor primarily pushed forward by ViaTech ( a leading motherboard chipset maker ). Mini-ITX motherboards measure in at a pultry 17cm x 17 cm (~6.693" x ~6.693"). It is screw compatible with MicroATX/FlexATX and as such it can be used in any case that supports those standards. Dedicated Mini-ITX cases are very small and will only accept Mini-ITX boards

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Design.

Some people like a case that has a slide out side panel, while others like a connected top and cover. Some people like having a slide out motherboard tray, while others prefer a very roomy case to install the motherboard to. We feel that each of these design elements have their pros and cons and that its largely a matter of personal preference.

Old vs New.

If you have a case that's more than three years old, we suggest changing the case when you do a major upgrade whenever you can. A new case does not cost much but gives you a brand new power supply with one-year warranty. The chance for a power supply to fail goes up once it gets old. Plus, we bet you may appreciate not seeing the coffee stains and dust on your old PC case any more.

Case material.

Steel and plastic used to be the dominant construction material for PC cases. Steel cases are inexpensive, but heavy. In the last year or so, cases made of aluminum have become popular among DIY users. Aluminum cases are much lighter than steel cases, but also much more expensive. The light weight makes it a popular choice among people who move their PCs around very often such as LAN party fans. Some people believe that aluminum cases have slightly better cooling than the steel ones. Aluminum cases also have more modern and exotic look than steel cases. Aluminum cases also have the drawback of not-so-sturdy structure and ease for surface scratching and damage

Notes about the noise level from a PC.

There are three moving parts in a computer: the CPU fan, the case fan, and the fan inside the power supply. These are the main contributors to the noise level. Choosing reliable and quiet fans are important for noise considerations. The other factors that affect the noise levels include: the size of the motherboard, the mounting mechanism for the CPU fan, and the way the motherboard is mounted onto a case. These factors contribute to the noise level because the CPU fan could cause the motherboard to resonate against the case, generating more noise. The larger the motherboard size, the lower the noise level. The stronger mounting for the CPU fan and motherboard, the lower the noise. Therefore mounting the motherboard with solid screws instead of plastic spacers is recommended

Vibration Transfer Control.

In thin steel cases, aluminum cases, and some of the ultra low cost models, vibration can become a problem. Vibration Transfer can happen if a piece with moving parts (such as a fan, hard drive, power supply or optical drive) is screwed directly into the case. In severe cases this vibration can be transmittied into the side panels which case then act as noise amplifiers (think steel drums). As a rule of thumb: The thicker the case is, the less likely this is to be a problem. Thicker materials tend not to vibrate easily. There is also something to be said for the quality of the case in this regard. Very high quality cases will always have a much thicker drive mounting area / frame then their side panels / mounting tray. This increases stability and reduces the possibility of transfer. Another approach to this is to use plastic or another substance as an intermediary between the two mounting surfaces. To that end, a large number of cases now use plastic fan mounts instead of traditional fan mounting screws. Fans tend to be a bigger source of vibration then drives

Ability to do DIY Mods.

Some cases are more case mod friendly then others. If you are thinking about purchasing a case and modding it then we recommend that you look for a case that has solid metal panels (either metal or aluminum) instead of plastic or a plastic/steel mix. These types of panels are easier to alter. Also it is better to have separated sides and top instead of joined sides and top, joined sides are hard to alter. For top window / blow hole mods it is best to find a case that uses screws instead of bolts to hold the top of the case on, and to use a case that has a flat metal top vs a curved plastic top