Size Matters (with computer cases)

by Bill
(Oregon)

I've built several systems over the years and before you decide on a case you need to know what function the system will perform.

Full size tower cases are great for gamers. They are spacious and easy to work on as you upgrade your video every six months :). Also, these big cases have plenty of slots available to add hard drives.

As computer games have evolved over the years, the games seem to take more and more hard drive real estate. Multiple, high speed hard drives can make your life a lot easier.

Finally, if you over-clocked the latest processor, you're going to need the space to add a monster of a heat sink.

If you're a gamer who is looking for a bit of flair, there are a bunch of some great novelty cases out there that you can use to express yourself with. These types of cases are generally full size tower cases, perfect for the gamer in you.

On the other hand, if you're making an appliance system like a firewall or other type of dedicated server, a small case is perfect. These kinds of systems rarely have high end system specs and run cooler so airflow is not as important.

Also, once you've built these systems they tend not to be upgraded so the extra space for your hands is not needed.