Choosing A Computer Case

The computer case is what you put all your components inside. Computer cases come in all shapes and sizes, make sure you select a size you are happy with, Do you want a small case so it can fit under your desk nicely? Or do you want a big case so you can put more hard drives / CD-ROMS in?

Select A Case To Match Your Motherboards Form

The first thing you need to look for in a computer case is what motherboard forms it supports. When you selected a motherboard in the previous step the motherboard would of had a form, 99% of the motherboards you can buy are either ATX or micro ATX. Make sure the computer case you want to select supports this form.


How Many Expansion Slots

Another thing you need to check is how many expansion slots are there available at the front of the case. In these expansion slots you usually put CD-ROMS / External Hard-drives and memory card readers. You need to think what devices you want to use and how many slots you need. A typical case will come with 3 slots which is more than enough

Controlling Noise

There are many moving parts inside a computer, Some cases are designed to minimize noise leakage, I would highly recommend you look for one of these cases, The last thing you want is a noisy computer

Prepare For Cooling

If you plan to build an entry / medium spec machine, you most likely don’t need to worry about cooling. But if you plan to build a high spec / gaming machine you might want to think about cooling inside your computer case. Take a look at the computer case and look where you can mount computer fans. Usually there will be an intake fan at the lower front of the case, then an outtake fan at the top of the rear of the case, This will then pass the cooler air over the computer components cooling them down.