Looking to upgrade or build a gaming PC? You may have come across some high-priced case types. “Why would I spend so much money on a case?”, you undoubtedly wondered. “It’s a metal/plastic shell for all the interesting tech.”
While PC cases don’t add much to your gaming rig’s total “gaming power,” they do have several benefits. The most vital one is aesthetics. No, really. It’s cooling and hardware security. Even if we know how crucial it is to obtain a quality gaming rig chassis, the outrageous prices may be too much. It is feasible to acquire a high-quality gaming PC case on a budget.
But first, let’s discuss why PC case size is so crucial to gamers globally.
PC Case Size and Quality
Some PC gamers will always regret the days of old-school LAN parties, while others will deplore the gimmickry of the video game console business and the upcoming wave of streaming gaming services like Google Stadia.
PC players will always remain one of the most fascinating parts of video gaming, so there’s no need to be pessimistic about the industry. Some PC gamers are unconcerned with eSports teams making millions at events shown on ESPN since their primary interest is their rig.
Like the hot rod subculture, PC gamers like cases to store their powerful setups’ hardware components. To generate an element of surprise, gamers are hunting for old and inconspicuous cases, the sort that used to contain 486 towers.
One of the more fascinating projects was converting a big and elegant old Mac G4 case into a formidable gaming system.
While the world of personal computing appears to be shrinking due to the rise of mobile devices, many PC gamers prefer huge cases. Old Dell XPS towers in beige or polished metal with huge power buttons are highly sought for in the sleeper build community.
The large space and sturdiness of ancient PCs, which were sometimes designed like battle tanks, make them perfect for numerous configurations, tinkering, drilling, and mounting.
Whether you want to join the sleeper build community or just acquire a new case for your custom rig, size counts. You can always add more pieces and fiddle with the mounting, but there are other aspects to consider:
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5 Reasons Why Your PC Case Size Matters
#1 Indoor Living Area
This factor does not apply if your garage can accommodate an arcade video game cabinet. You can easily get entire towers with adequate chassis room for two or three radiators on each side. A complete tower case will seem odd and out of place in the living room if your project is a classy home theatre PC.
#2 Portable Gaming PC
Traveling gamers often take laptops, which is a good idea, but not everyone is happy with this setup. Many gamers contemplate bringing their own rigs to competitions where organisers put up monitors and advise participants about connections, resolution, display area, and refresh rates. Small form factor cases are around the size of a shoebox, making them more convenient for travel; they are semi-portable, but their processing power and cooling capacity are limited.
#3 Project Scope
This is when things become real. A big case is required to house all the cards, boards, fans, radiators, connections, and other cooling systems required to run Far Cry 5, GTA V with the new cinematic pack mod, and the Google Earth VR software for the HTC Vive. Powerful rigs require room to breathe, and since you’re already going big, you may as well go big now. However, if you only want a jukebox with streaming capability, the tiny form size will do.
#4 Budget Issues
However, not everyone is eager to spend an afternoon trash diving at the local telecom office looking for old PC server cases. Moreover, the more time spent on a project, the more money spent on tools. If money isn’t an issue, you may acquire ultra-large PC gaming boxes with French doors that hide all wires and sliding trays for simple radiator positioning.
#5 Styles & Appearance
It’s a personal choice. Many gamers pick mini-towers because they resemble ancient subwoofers or want their setups to blend in. Others will reduce computational power to disguise tiny form factor scenarios. This community loves vintage aesthetics. In general, gaming PC case makers incorporate lighting, flair, and see-through panels as standard features. Airbrushed casings with plenty of shine are the way to go if you want to stand out, but you’ll need an artist unless you already have these talents.
Another new trend is rather lavish. Why put two CPUs in a single case when you can run hundreds of virtual computers on a single CPU if the RAM and SSD can handle it? Some PC players will ask, “Why not?” Basically, such a project will need a very big enclosure, ideally from a PC gaming component vendor.