If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Upgrade Report [GeekTech: On the Case - 08/24/2004]
August 24th, 2004
GeekTech: On the Case Alexandra Krasne There's nothing worse than a bad PC case. Okay, there are probably worse things, like getting eaten alive by a swarm of angry piranhas or being forced to watch endless reruns of "Full House"--but working with a poorly designed case is right up there with the worst of them. If you've ever cut yourself on sharp edges, fought to remove an unwieldy side panel, or struggled to get around rails so you can install components, this column is for you. Of course, what you want in a case is a completely subjective matter. Maybe you have money to burn on a fancy aluminum model with a custom paint job; or perhaps you crave something a bit more modest and utilitarian. Cases run the gamut from the cute and fuzzy to the cool, and they even come in designer models. Below are links to specs and pictures for some of the more unusual cases I've run across. Kitty: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/15377828/722428/0/ Fuzzy: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/15377828/722429/0/ Artistic: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/15377828/722430/0/ And like most things, you get what you pay for. I learned that lesson the hard way when built my last PC and got a $50 no-name case. Sure, it looks cool; but the side panel is difficult to remove and trying to slide it off is truly infuriating. Plus, the back panel doesn't fit properly, the motherboard mounts don't line up, and the rails prevent easy access to drives and the motherboard itself. Other than that, it's great. Case Considerations When you buy a case, you should look for one that provides enough space to house your components with room for upgrades, but isn't so big that the beast has its own Zip code. Unless you really want the extra room, there's no need to buy a tower with ten drive bays if you'll only be using two. No matter how large the case, it should be well-ventilated, ideally with air ducts and room for fans. The inside needs to be free from dust bunnies, dirt, gravel, and pet dander--even if you end up buying a furry case. Aluminum is a good way to keep things cool because it conducts heat more effectively, in essence acting like a giant heat sink. It's also lighter than a typical steel chassis; and it resists corrosion, too. After I'd performed all sorts of hand gymnastics around metal barriers in the world's worst PC case, imagine my excitement when I found a model sporting a removable motherboard tray. This baby from Antec offers the aforementioned motherboard tray, LED temperature displays, room for ten--count 'em, ten!--drive bays, rubber mounting grommets in hard drive trays to keep things quiet, and even a built-in washable air filter: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/15377828/722431/0/ Antec thought of everything, didn't it? Shut Up Already Another important consideration is cooling. You probably don't want your PC to sound like a jet airplane. It's a little different for me: I've decided against quieting down my system because the noisy fans are a very effective way to drown out my roommate's chatter on the phone. There are plenty of ways to silence a system. I'm not going to delve into them, though, because my buddy Stan Miastkowski already did that in his March 2004 Step-By-Step column: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/15377828/515944/0/ Some Expert Opinions Elliott Kirschling, a senior performance analyst at the PC World Test Center, is no stranger to building and disassembling PCs. He says that one of the most important considerations is the power supply. Most cases include one, and you can buy them separately as well. But be careful out the Some of the cheaper no-name power supplies with high power ratings can cause more problems than a good-quality power supply with a lower official rating, Kirschling says. Luckily, Tom Mainelli's December 2003 installment of GeekTech provides some good information on that topic: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/15377828/722432/0/ The case manufacturing business is a strange maze of rebranding, according to Eric Dahl, a PC World senior associate editor. It's hard to tell who designed a case and where it's manufactured, so you'll often see companies selling cases that bear a striking resemblance to one another. But this can work to your advantage, he says. For example, online retailer Directron was selling a high-end case from Antec in a less-expensive version from Chieftec. (The Chieftec model was made of aluminum and lacked a power supply.) So once you select a case, it pays to shop around for the best deal. "Add a high-quality power supply, and you've got a great case/power supply combo at a discount," Dahl says. "Just be sure to read online reviews of the cases carefully ... sometimes the cheaper versions skimp on build quality." It may be tempting to buy a cool-looking case with glowing neon lights and see-through windows, but take my advice: The best PC cases aren't always the prettiest ones. For more on choosing cases, read "Your Ideal PC": http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/15377828/722433/0/ Have a question or a comment? Write to GeekTech: Read Alexandra Krasne's regularly published "GeekTech" columns: http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/15377828/364536/0/ == "Politicians are the same all over: They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river." -- Nikita Khrushchev |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Upgrade Report [GeekTech: RTFM Part 2, Beyond the Printed Page - 06/29/2004] | Ablang | General | 0 | July 2nd 04 03:19 AM |
Upgrade Report [Step-By-Step: Tune Up Your Windows XP PC - 05/25/2004] | Ablang | General | 0 | June 30th 04 03:08 AM |
My Review: ASPIRE Turbo Case X-Dreamer Black Mid-Tower Case with350W Power Supply, Model "ATXB3KLW/350W" | Cyde Weys | General | 3 | June 1st 04 04:10 PM |
Upgrade Report [Hardware Tips: Get the Right Hard Drive - 05/11/2004] | Ablang | General | 0 | May 16th 04 03:17 AM |
Silent Computer - Advice | David Taylor | General | 49 | October 7th 03 11:26 AM |