Comparison Fractal Design Terra graphite vs Cooler Master MasterBox NR200P MAX PSU 850 W black

The direction in which the body is facing. This parameter is indicated only for models that have a certain specialization and differ markedly from general-purpose cases.

— Gaming. Cases designed for high-performance gaming computer systems. They usually have numerous openings for expansion slots and bays for drives (see the corresponding paragraphs), as well as advanced options for installing cooling systems — many “seats” for fans, the ability to use liquid cooling (see “Liquid cooling support”) and etc. In addition, they often stand out due to their design: they can be equipped with decorative lighting, transparent windows, etc.

— HTPC. Enclosures for PC multimedia orientation, the so-called Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC). The characteristic features of such cases are compact size, the presence of additional buttons on the front panel for controlling multimedia (and sometimes a sensor for the remote control) and an advanced design.

The form factor determines, first of all, the internal volume of the case (as a result, the motherboard used for it, see "Type of motherboard"), as well as installation features. To date, PC cases are available in the following main form factors:

— Full Tower. The tower case is one of the largest form factors for PCs today: 15-20 cm wide, 50-60 cm high, with up to 10 externally accessible bays. Most often in this form factor running advanced high performance PCs.

— Ultra Tower. Further development and expansion of Full Tower cases (see above), offering even more space for hardware: the width of such a case is about 25 cm, the height can reach 70 cm, which allows you to install powerful configurations inside and provides enough free space for effective cooling .

— Midi Tower. A representative of the tower family (tower cases) of medium size — about 45 cm in height with a width of 15-20 cm, with the number of external bays from 2 to 4. Most popular for middle-class home PCs.

— Mini Tower. The most compact "vertical" case type, with a width of 15-20 cm, has a height of about 35 cm and (usually) less than 2 compartments with external access. It is mainly used for assembling office PCs that do not require high performance.

— Desktop. Enclosures designed for i...nstallation directly on the desktop. They often have the possibility of horizontal installation — in such a way that a monitor can be placed on top of the case — although there are also models that are installed strictly vertically. The size of such cases can be almost anything — from miniature solutions for thin mini ITX motherboards to large-sized cases for E-ATX (see "Motherboard type"). However, most "desktops" are relatively small.

— Cube Case. Cases having a cubic or close to it shape. They can have different sizes and are intended for different types of motherboards, this point in each case should be clarified separately. Anyway, such cases have a rather original appearance, different from traditional "towers" and "desktops".

— Dual Tower. Quite a rare option — cases, in size and proportions resembling two "towers", made up side by side. Dual Tower solutions are large in size and are intended mainly for powerful high-performance PCs (in particular, top gaming stations).

Note that there are models that allow both vertical and horizontal installation and can, in fact, turn from a "tower" to a "desktop" and vice versa. For such cases, the form factor is indicated by the form factor named in the manufacturer's documentation, or by the main installation method described there.

The maximum length of a graphics card that can be installed in this case.

Modern mid-range and top-end video cards with high performance often differ in considerable length, which is why such a card can not fit into any case. So before collecting components, it is worth evaluating the length of the proposed graphics card and choosing a case in which it is guaranteed to fit. This forethought is useful anyway, but it's especially true if you're building a system that requires a powerful graphics adapter, such as a high-end gaming PC or 3D design workstation.

The highest cooler height allowed for this case.

In this case, we mean a cooler used to cool the processor — such a component is found in the vast majority of modern PCs. Height is measured relative to the motherboard.

The presence of a power supply unit (PSU) in the scope of delivery of the case. Such equipment saves the user from the need to purchase a PSU separately and from the hassle of compatibility — a complete power supply, by definition, is optimally suited for the case. On the other hand, this PSU may not be suitable for the system that is planned to be assembled — for example, due to insufficient power or the lack of the required number of connectors. Therefore, before buying, you need to find out the detailed characteristics of the complete PSU and make sure that it is suitable for the selected configuration. If the configuration is not exactly known (for example, it is planned to buy more components gradually, or you have not yet decided on a specific set of components), it may be worth choosing a case without a power supply unit and acquiring a power supply last when the requirements for it are finally clear.

The output power of the power supply supplied with the chassis (see "Power Supply"). This power should not be lower than the total power consumption of the system that is planned to be assembled in the case — otherwise the PSU will simply “not pull out” the system.

The number of internal 3.5" form factor bays provided in the design of the case. Such bays, in accordance with the name, are intended for internal components, mainly hard drives and some SSD modules; to access them, the case must be disassembled.

Theoretically, the number of bays corresponds to the maximum number of drives that can be installed in the chassis. However, in fact, the best option is to install drives through a single slot to ensure efficient cooling. Accordingly, it is best to select a case in such a way that the number of internal 3.5" bays is twice the expected number of hard drives.

The number of slots for expansion cards located on the rear panel of the case.

The expansion card itself (graphics card, sound card, TV tuner, etc.) is installed in a slot on the motherboard, and an external panel of such a card with inputs and outputs is attached to the hole on the back of the case. The more holes are provided in the case, the more expansion cards can be installed in it. Note that some boards can occupy two or even three holes at once; this is especially common in powerful video cards. On the other hand, you have to pay attention to the number of holes mainly if you are building a powerful high-performance system. For an ordinary household PC, in most cases, one opening is enough for a graphics card; and in many configurations, the openings on the rear panel are not used at all.

The ability to install a graphics card in the case vertically, facing the side panel. To do this, the design provides for an appropriate bracket, and the graphics card is connected to the motherboard with a special extension cable — a riser. This feature is found in open cases and models with a viewing window (see relevant paragraphs), its purpose is primarily aesthetic: a vertically placed graphics card is clearly visible from the outside, which gives the case an original appearance, designed for fans of external modding. But vertical installation does not provide any fundamental practical advantages.