Types of enclosures for the computer. What are system blocks? A18.

This article, our site continues a whole cycle of useful materials, the purpose of which will be the facilitation of the choice of any product from thousands of options offered in the market. Agree, choose specific model Some device always takes a lot of time that you can spend with benefit. In today's material we will talk about choosing a case for personal computer.

Introduction

The housing is a house for all components of a personal computer, and experts recommend not to save on it. The fact is that a good hull for the PC can serve you a lot - a lot - years. The stuffing inside is relatively easily replaced, and an excellent quality and functional body will not allow not worrying about its safety and cooling. The buildings are produced by a great set - the model can be chosen for every taste and for a computer of any purpose and size.

The selection of the housing determines the number of components that you can use in your PC, the ease of their assembly together (for example, due to the convenient placement system of internal cables), the quality of the total cooling and safety of the entire internal filling. A cheap body of fine aluminum with a pair of weak fans and without dust filters is definitely not suitable for the game PC, and indeed how home the PC will look not too presentable, but for sure it is suitable for office solutions.

It is worth noting that the buildings are not only large and stupid rectangles - some manufacturers produce interesting models with the design, for example, with media players, others (like Alienware) and make their buildings like some starships.

In the next section, we will tell about the main characteristics of PC buildings, and after will present to your attention 10 best modelsthat are suitable for any budget and are considered best in their class.

The main characteristics of the buildings

Form factor

Defines the form factor motherboardwhich can be installed in a specific housing. Form factors are quite a lot: ATX, MATX, BTX, MBTX, EATX, MINI-ITX, NANO-ITX, PICO-ITX and FLEXATX. The most common ones are ATX (standard size of ordinary motherboards), MATX (slightly smaller size, usually compatible with ATX), EATX (enlarged ATX) and mini-itx (for mini-computers). If you chose the motherboard before you start choosing a case - be sure to make sure that it can be installed without any problems.

Power Supply

Some housings are supplied with the power supply installed. This is usually not too powerful and cheap model, so we recommend buying a power supply separately (and we will tell about the hotel in the hotel).

In addition, the power supply in a conventional rectangular body can be located below or from above. There is no special difference between these options, but recently the housings with the location of the BP below have become particularly popular - perhaps due to theoretically more stable design (power supplies are quite heavy, and on top of them hold on to several durable screws).

Size

It characterizes the size of the housing and, more importantly, the number of type 5.25 compartments "(for optical drives and other devices). The sizes are also quite a lot (ascending by dimensions): Micro-Tower, Mini-Tower, Midi-Tower, Full-Tower, Super -Tower, Slim-Desktop (location in horizontal position), Full-Desktop (location in a horizontal position) and Rackmount (for servers). For home and office use, Mini-Tower and Midi-Tower are suitable for a powerful game PC or workstation You may need Full-Tower or even Super-Tower. Slim-Desktop and Full-Desktop will be useful for multimedia computers located, for example, next to the TV.

The number of compartments, no-fastener

The number of types of types 5.25 "and 3.5" determines the number hard disks, optical drives and some other components that can be installed inside the housing. In recent years, the importance of optical drives has declined much - when was the last time you used a CD or DVD disk? In general, now the number of compartments remains important only for those who are going to use several large mechanical HDDs, but their capacity already reaches several terabytes - you hardly need a lot of compartments.

The attachment of discs and drives in the compartments can be carried out both using screws and using, for example, latches. Naturally, the less in the casing of the screws, the easier it is to work with it.

Corps material

Some enclosures are made of plastic, but the overwhelming majority are made of aluminum or stainless steel. Here everything is simple: aluminum is less durable and much easier, steel - durable, thick and heavy (as well as more expensive). If you plan to frequently transfer the case from place to place - it is possible that light aluminum is suitable for you, in other cases the case material is not so important.

Window, LCD display, etc.

Advanced enclosures are equipped with various "chips" in the form of windows that allow you to look inside and admire the working components, the displays that information about the temperature and speed of the fans, doors for protecting ports and aesthetics, as well as various side panel opening mechanisms (the most Common - normal removable panels). Some enclosures even equip wheels and locks.

Cooling system

One of the most important factorsto be taken into account when buying a housing. Each case is equipped with at least one fan that is responsible for circulating air inside and the overall cooling of the system. It is better to buy housings at least with two fans - for example, on the back and front panel. This allows you to constantly drive through the enclosure of fresh air.

Powerful gaming PCs and workstations need serious cooling, that is, in several fairly large fans on the housing. In addition, if you want to use the liquid cooling system, then make sure that the housing supports it.

The dimensions of the fans are rather important. Small and powerful fans will noticeably noise - it is better to look after the housings with large (140x140 mm and more) fans. Often, there are free spaces in the housings to install additional fans that need to be purchased separately.

Also housings can equip separate panels To adjust the speed of rotation of the fans. It is not too important, but it can be useful if you want to make your PC as quiet as possible, for example, when simple.

Facial panel and ports

Modern PC case must have several uSB ports 3.0 on the front panel (at least two), as well as a 3.5-millimeter audio output and audio input. Also, the ESATA and FireWire ports can be located on the front panel - if you have any devices with their support, then they will surely come up.

There is much more interesting location of all these ports. They can be placed both at the bottom of the front panel of the housing and in its middle or above. Pick the housing with this location - for example, if your PC will stand under the table, the ports on the bottom of the front panel are most likely not too convenient.

Color, Design

Most enclosures are produced in white and black options, but sometimes you can find other colors for sale - for example, red or silver. Each manufacturer tries to stand out in design - someone adheres to strict lines and straight corners, someone is trying to use fantasy. Here is the recommendation one - first make sure that the case will be easy to use, and only then make a purchase decision.

10 best enclosures for PC

Excellent inexpensive and quiet standard design for multimedia pc or office computer. 1 Fan 120x120 mm, 1 USB 3.0 port on the front panel and durable stainless steel.

Good housing for game PC or middle class workstation: not too high cost, two fans 140x140 mm, two uSB ports 3.0 in front and very strict design.

Steel Full-Tower for beginners enthusiasts: three fans 140x140 mm, two USB 3.0 ports on the front panel, four 5.25 "compartment and 8 3.5" compartments.

Budget Solution for Gaming PCs: Two 120x120mm fan, the possibility of installing five (!) Additional 140x140 mm fans, two USB 3.0 ports in front, convenient fastening mechanisms and a very attractive price.

Beautiful, dear and large case for powerful gaming computer. Three 140x140mm fan, three USB 3.0 ports front, nice red light and interesting translucent side panelwhich is easy to open.

Huge and not too expensive for its class Super-Tower with two fans (92x92 mm and 140x140 mm), a pair of USB 3.0 on the front panel and a bunch of compartments and places to install additional fans.

Small steel premium body for enthusiasts. Three 120x120 mm fan, two USB 3.0 ports in front, excellent dust protection and convenient carrying handles.

The case of a non-standard view for multimedia PCs - such a good look under TV or projection screen. Quite quiet, not too expensive and not too spacious (just one compartment 5.25 ").

The housing with a unique modular design, designed for game enthusiasts. Equipped with three 200x200 fans (!), One 140x140 mm fan and has a lot of space to install components.

Huge, dear, but simultaneously strict and pleasant to the Super-Tower. Three 120x120 mm fan, one 140x140mm fan, 2 USB 3.0 ports in front, a lot of space for components and the highest quality materials and assembly.

Conclusion

We hope that this article helped you understand the difficult task of choosing the case. In the next article we will talk about

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The composition of the system unit:

1. Material fee, with installed in it: processor. RAM (operational storage device). ROM (constant-storage device). Expansion boards (video card, network adapter, sound card).

2. Slots for drives (hard drives, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM).

3. Powerbel.

4. And the front panel, with network and operation indicators hard disk, Power Buttons and Reset Computer.

PC power supply (BP) - electrical power supply to provide all nodes and computer systems Electricity of DC, as well as voltage conversion to the desired voltage and stabilization of the voltage (i.e., protecting the PC nodes from current jumps).

Power supply power varies from 50 watts (embedded solutions) to 1800 watts (server and game stations).

WP output voltage:+/- 5, +/- 12, +3.3 volts in computer mode and +5 and +3.3 volts in standby mode (Stand BY).

Types of power supplies:

1. At (Advanced Technology) - an outdated power switch is located on the BP panel and is located in the PC power circuit. Power in Stand BY mode is not provided. And has the next pinout of the AT connector:

2. ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) - a modern power supply, there are 20 pin, which were used before the appearance of the PCI-Express bus, as well as 24 contacts created to support PCI-Express tires.

In the case of a 20-pin power supply, the last 4 wires are not used (11, 12, 23, 24).

Oddly enough, but often before buying a new computer, people do not always think over the size and type of future PC (form factor). Most often it falls on the shoulders of sellers who are not always interested in the needs of the client, simply speaking - what corps caught - both stuck ... however, it is often that this parameter is important for both the user and for the computer itself. How important is it? From the form factor of a PC (and from the correctness of its choice, of course ...), many important parameters depends on the convenience of work, the noise level, the temperature of the housing, and from here it is followed: "Health" of components inside (primarily hard drives - which store your information - And this is as you know the highest value), the convenience of work, etc., etc. ... So, how to choose the right size of the system block of the future PC?

To begin with - I propose to consider them more in turn:

At the beginning it is necessary to say that the sizes of the PC are not only from the size of the hull itself. The size of the housing must match the size of the components - the motherboard first, video cards, power supply and other devices. For example, it is impossible to place the ATX system board in the MinitOwer case, or the GeForce 9800GTX type video card in the same case - it simply does not fit. And if it gets, it will be so warm that small space will not allow to effectively remove heat, and overheating will threaten all devices ...

So let's consider the form factors of the buildings - their size can be said directly proportional to the possibilities of the future PC, because It defines the size of components that can "fit" in it. And modern components often large sizes (for example - powerful video cards). Therefore, it is possible in a sense to give such advice: the more powerful PC is planned - the greater the case ...

Full Tower (Full Tower): Sizes of such a case: width 15-20cm, height 50-60cm. Such a housing has from 4 to 9 compartments for devices 5.25 inches (example: DVD-ROM drive), has from 6 to 12 compartments under the device 3.5 inches (example: hard disk), has the ability to install seven expansion cards (for example, TV-tuner, sound card). Also, such a housing accommodates a full-sized ATX system board (we will talk later about their size). Speaking easier - the buildings of this type are the largest, and the capacity of various "iron" is enormous. But here, of course, it all depends on the motherboard - how much it allows you to connect hard drives, extension boards, (which then find a place in the enforcement of the case), etc. Application: Basically, for powerful computers oriented exclusively on high performance, because such system blocks It contains a lot of fast components, which are known to allocate a lot of heat, and in such a large case, cooling is not difficult.

Medium Tower: Mid Tower: Perhaps the most common size among home desktop computers. Its dimensions: width 15-20 cm, height 43-45 cm. Such enclosures are able to accommodate a full-sized ATX system board, full-size power supply, several hard drives and a lot of hard drives. Application: You can say - universal. Sizes are acceptable and for high-performance PCs, and for the usual average home Computer. The space inside the housing allows the circulation of air flows inside usually does not make it difficult to cool the housing and devices. I recommend it to build a PC - if your PC requirements are common, and if you do not need a computer "on the shelf".

Mini Tower (Mini Tower): Mostly distributed in the sector office computers. Because of its small sizes (15-20 cm width, height 33-35 cm) they allow you to install a bit: (1-2 optical drives, 1-2 hard disk And approximately 4 expansion slots) and the device is moderately or below performance. First, due to the size, and secondly, due to heating. Places in such a case are not enough - and therefore the requirements for the temperature of the devices above, in order not to be created the other noise of fans and overheating of the devices. But in such a case, you can fit the components that are quite enough for office work with text, presentations and spreadsheets.

Mini PC (Small Form Factor): With its size (width of 20 cm, height 18-23 cm) they contain a maximum of 2 expansion slots, some hard drives and imply a compact power supply. Here it is understood that the user will mainly use the components built into the motherboard (which is also small) as well as built-in video and sound. By appearance These corps are reminded household appliances. Their use is like office PCs or as the basis of a home theater. About cooling here is not worth the question, because Devices are very little and they allocate a little heat in their destination.

Also there are still form factors. Micro PC (which are even smaller compared to mini-PC with dimensions, but because of their sizes have even greater limitations) and desktop (horizontal buildings on the table), but they are less common and you are unlikely to get involved with them.

So, we reviewed the form factors of the buildings. I hope - you will choose something suitable for yourself. If not - you can apply for individual advice.

In the following articles from the form factors cycle, we will generally consider the form factors of the component system block and other devices.

And in this article we will discuss how to choose a computer for a computer. What is it needed and is needed at all. What are there types of PC CasesAnd what they differ. Immediately I draw your attention to a small map of this series of articles, in case you missed the introductory part and want to read it.

How to choose a computer for a computer - Types of PC housings (you are here)

What is a personal computer case and how to choose it?

Just a beast!

Little introduction to the point of matter, for if you want to know how to choose a case for a computer, you should know what it is in general terms. So what is it? In essence, this is a box that contains all the necessary components of your computer. Well, the box and the box - you will tell you - the sense of it. And here is not. I note, of course, that there are lovers of "bare iron" - this is when all components are simply scattered on the table or on the floor. And everyone works well with them, even there is a plus in this - the equipment is not subject to overheating. But still much more pleasant to look at a neat and even stylish system unit than iron piles. So let's choose to you this "box."

Speaking about the types of PC housings, it is necessary to note that they are with built-in power supplies (BP) and without them. And the trend is that more and more often manufacturers produce housings without power supplies. What is it done for? And in order to be able to choose the BP individually under its system. Because it often happens that you liked the body, and the BP is weak in it. And it turns out you paid for this item, and then removed it and put it in the box with junk, replacing the BP to more powerful.

Computer housings are still different factors. Vertical ( tower) and horizontal ( desktop.). Horizontal are more compact than vertical, but it is simultaneously and plus and minus. Their small dimensions limit free space for components, as in quantity (RAM, hard drives) and in size (for example, video cards are quite overall). Also, the dimensions of lying "boxes" complicate the process of the output of hot air. Because there are few places, the components are stuck almost close, and the air has nowhere to get roasting.

Vertical enclosures (Tower) in our time are more common and, in turn, are also divided into several subtypes:

Minitower (Dimensions 178 × 432 × 432) are the smallest towers, and accordingly the most low-power. Previously, they were very common, but now can only be applied for office options for computers due to their low-power.
Miditower (dimensions 183 × 432 × 490) - also called M.iDDL.Tower – these are the most commonly used PC housing types in modern world. Their sizes are quite satisfying almost any average buyer. All major hardware in them quite normally feels and does not conflict with each other due to the lack of free space.
Bigtower (dimensions 190 × 482 × 820) - or FullTower - the largest type in the PC case family. Can satisfy the most sophisticated needs, up to installing several video cards and large number Winchesters. Also perfectly ventilated. Used either by gamers that are stitching their top and simultaneously with this large iron, or used as servers.

Beautiful PC Cases

What should I add on this topic? Probably, only the fact that if you want to stand out, you can order a body of any size and from any material, whether it is transparent from plexiglas, whether it is a beautiful computer body made of mahogany. But naturally you will cost a decent money.

Speaking about cooling PC housing, they mean additional fans inside the system unit. They play a very important role in the life of computer components.

Sometimes there are hulls without additional coolers. All load in this case falls on the power supply fan. And the power supply itself often suffers. But in fact, this is not the worst option.

Worst when you put several fans on the body and they all work on blowing . In this case, inside the systemizer is formed a very low air density and the fans have to work even more diligent to resist the air, which is trying to get inside. Never do that! It is better not to put any fans at all than putting them all on blowing.

Hot air rises up. Therefore:

if you have one fanthen best put it front at the front bottom.
If you have two fansT. one put on the front at the front bottom, but second on blowing from behind Under the power supply (if the power supply is on top). If the power supply is from below, then the second fan is put on it to the rear wall.
If a three fans or more, then continue the logic of air movement that I asked. And look at the picture!

That's the whole of the cooling of the PC enclosures. There is nothing difficult. Create drafts! And it is desirable that the amount of blowing air corresponds to the number of blowable. You do not need, believe me, zones of increased or reduced pressure inside the case! 😉

Briefly about choosing a case for a computer

Pay attention to the number of seats for extra coolers. It will noticeably extend your life to your components.
Try to choose the medium or large body. They will give you more opportunities in the computer upgrade plan.
Choose a beautiful housing! Just why you need a freak in the middle of the room?
Take the "box" without a power supply and pick a good BP separately.

That's all. At this stage, we will not linger for a long time. There is nothing to tell here. I think now you understand how to choose a case for a computer. If I did not fully revealed the topic, write about it in the comments.