Comparison 1stPlayer F4-B1 black vs Aerocool Aero One Frost black

The position of the motherboard in the case; it is assumed that the body is in its original position.

The motherboard is most conveniently placed along the case — this gives the most space for it (and "motherboards", we recall, are large in size). And since the most popular nowadays are vertical-layout cases (mainly certain types of “towers”), the boards in them are arranged vertically. The horizontal arrangement can be found much less frequently — in separate Mini-Towers and "cubes" (Cube Case), where the height is not much greater than the width, as well as desktops designed for horizontal placement.

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 thickness of the side walls used in the case. When choosing a thickness, manufacturers have to compromise between several points at once. On the one hand, thin walls are inexpensive and heat dissipates faster through them, which has a positive effect on cooling efficiency. On the other hand, powerful systems inevitably require thick walls, otherwise the case may simply not withstand the weight of advanced high-performance components. Thirdly, steel is a fairly durable material even with a relatively small thickness. In light of all this, in most models this indicator does not exceed 0.7 — 0.8 mm, and more often it is about 0.5 – 0.6 mm.

The type of illumination provided in the body design.

The backlight plays mainly a decorative role, it gives the computer an original appearance, which is appreciated by fans of external tuning. Lighting can be mounted separately, but it is easier to purchase a case where it was originally provided. The types of illumination can be as follows:

— Illuminated fan. One or more coolers are illuminated, facing the side or top surface of the case.

— Cases with backlight. Separate parts of the body are illuminated, usually from the inside, in such a way that the illumination can be seen through a transparent window / windows or a lattice surface. Sometimes external lighting can be provided.

There are cases in which both types of illumination are provided simultaneously. And for office needs , cases without backlight are suitable.

For more on decorative lighting in general, see Light Type above. Here we note that it can have different shades, and sometimes several options are indicated in the characteristics at once. If these options are listed through "and" (for example, "red, blue and green") — this means that this model contains all the specified colours, and the user can switch between them at his discretion. If the shades are listed through “or” (for example, “red, blue or green”), this means that this model is available in several versions that differ in the colour of the backlight.

Special mention is the "RGB" option. This is the name of the most advanced backlight, the shade of which can be chosen at your discretion. However the original RGB backlighting is capable of simultaneously displaying only one of several basic colours (white, yellow, green, red, blue or purple); nevertheless, even these possibilities are enough to customize the appearance of the case and apply various effects (such as backlight synchronization — see below).

And relatively recently, an even more advanced type of adjustable systems has appeared — ARGB backlight. The key difference between ARGB and classic RGB is the possibility of simultaneous operation of diodes of different colours. In other words, classic RGB lighting can display only one colour at a time, while ARGB can display several colours, which provides additional effects. Also, ARGB lighting is connecte...d using a 3pin 5v connector, while regular RGB uses a 4pin 12v connection. It can be represented by various types of illumination. So, ARGB is often integrated into the cooling system, the front panel and magnetic LED strips, which the user can mount at his discretion. To control the backlight, a special controller is usually provided, and buttons or controls for switching the illumination operation modes are placed on the interface panel. In some cases, the backlight is controlled by the motherboard, through a special connector. Many ARGB systems support the ability to fine-tune through specialized software.

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 internal 2.5" bays provided in the case design.

Such bays are mainly used for installing internal hard drives and SSD modules; The 2.5" form factor was originally created as "laptop" form factor, but recently it has been increasingly used in components for full-size PCs. At the same time, when evaluating the number of these bays, note that drives are recommended to be installed through a slot; so in Ideally, the number of bays should be twice the planned number of drives.

Also note that some cases use combined bays: initially they have a size of 3.5", but if desired, they can be converted to 2.5". These bays count towards both 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch slots. In fact, this means that the total number of available slots is not always equal to the sum of the number of both. For example, a case with 10 3.5" bays and 6 2.5" bays can have 4 combined bays, and the total number of slots in this case will not be 16, but only 12.

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.