Updated 24 May, 2012, 10:23 am IST

How to Choose a Computer Case

18 Dec, 2006, 4:02 pm IST | by Gaurav Seth

We narrow down the best six cases across different categories

These cases are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and levels of functionality.
When it is time to purchase a new computer case for your computer it is always best to look at the many available selections and find what is right for you. All components within the CPU produce heat, especially the processor and the graphics card. Due to this the temperature inside the case—also called as the ambient temperature—increases. This in turn alters the temperature of the components further.

So what if the temperature of the component increases? Well, the components have a certain operating temperature range, exceeding which they start behaving weirdly. There can be computer crashes or the component dies completely. Hard drives operate just fine up to 55-60 degrees, beyond that they crash, taking with them your precious data. Same applies to processors and graphic cards.

The bottom line here is that we have to keep the temperature inside the case as low as possible. For that we need good case ventilation i.e. hot air should be expelled and cool air sucked from outside. To do that we need at least two fans, one at the front sucking in cool air from outside and other at the back, exhausting hot air. The case should also be of a material that dissipates heat faster. For example Antec’s Super LANBOY case is an all aluminum case. Aluminum dissipates heat faster than steel.

Another factor one would need to consider is the noise made by fans. More the number of fans, more noisy the case is. You wouldn’t want your case to sound like a jet engine. There are two types of fans generally used —80mm and 120mm. 120mm fans move more air and are less noisy as compared to 80 mm fans. We consider it an ideal arrangement when a case has both, front and rear 120 mm fans.

So you see, you need to have the right balance— of fans that are fast but not very noisy, a good design and good build material. There are not many cases that fulfill all these criteria together. So to save you the trouble, we have chosen 6 cases across various segments. Enough of talk, its time to ogle.

Tags: Antec , TriCool , 120 mm