Desktop Computer Cases
Recommendations for selecting the perfect desktop computer case.
Introduction - Choosing A Desktop Case Type
These days there are numerous desktop computer cases in a variety of shapes, sizes, and even colors to choose from. Long gone are the days of large clunky beige boxes.
While traditional towers are still sought out since they offer the most room for expansion, space saving small form factor desktop computers are more popular than ever, and because of Apple’s innovative iMac the all-in-one desktop computer has gained widespread popularity too.
Selecting the perfect desktop computer case for your specific wants and needs is going to be easier than ever for there are a ton of desktop case options offered by just about every computer manufacturer including Dell, Sony, HP, and Apple among others.
The traditional tower is first on our list and it is the best option for power users who need plenty of room for expansion.
Second we have the small form factor which is the perfect desktop for individuals who want or need to tuck their computers away in a tight spot.
And finally we have the all-in-one desktop which are the fantastic space savers with built-in monitors and stylish appeal.
In this guide our goal is to help you purchase the best desktop case style for your unique digital lifestyle. We are going to overview and provide you with our recommendations for choosing either the traditional tower, all-in-one, or the small form factor desktop computer.
Select a desktop computer case type to learn more about it.
Tower | All-in-one | Small form factor
Tower
 While the beige box days are over, the traditional desktop tower is tried-and-true tested to offer outstanding expandability and performance potential compared to other desktop case styles.
In fact, desktop computer towers are still the most common desktop case style today and they are sold in either mid-tower or full-tower flavors.
Unlike the desktop towers of yesterday which had limited feature sets, the typical desktop computer tower these days offer internal and external drive bays for additional storage or custom options, multiple PCI Express slots for adding expansion cards, and a slew of ports and connectors on the front and back of the tower for connecting peripherals like digital cameras, iPods, iPhones, pocket PC’s, printers, scanners, and other popular peripherals.
 Mid-tower desktop cases are the most popular and most widely used. Mid-tower cases aren’t exactly small but their smaller stature gives you more flexibility compared to full-towers so they are perfect for fitting under many desks.
Mid-tower desktop cases also offer decent expandability though if your needs go beyond the basics a full-tower is going to be a better option.
Full-tower desktop computer cases are the perfect companion for powerful desktop computer configurations because of their expandability.
Full-tower desktops have anywhere from two to three x16 PCI Express slots to accommodate high-end 3D gaming cards, as well as a solid combination of x1 and x4 PCI Express slots for expansion cards. High-end PC’s from companies like Dell, Alienware, Falcon Northwest, and others use full tower cases to accommodate all the high-end hardware components.
All-in-one
 All-in-one desktop computers are stylish space savers with built-in monitors.
In recent years the all-in-one desktop has become very popular among consumers thanks in part to the highly successful iMac and now just about every computer manufacturer has an all-in-one desktop of their own.
All-in-ones come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, though what really make the typical all-in-one desktop computer stand out from the rest of the competition is the built-in-monitor, stylish appeal, and space saving designs.
And while these are the obvious advantages that all-in-one desktops have compared to other desktop types, all-in-one desktops on the other hand lack in other areas.
For example, everything including the processor, memory, and hard drive, etc. has to be crammed behind the monitor so to speak which makes it harder for manufactures to keep all this tightly packed hardware within the all-in-one desktops frame from overheating. Because of this all-in-ones tend to be slower than traditional desktops at the same price. And similar to small form factor desktops which we are going to cover next, all-in-ones unfortunately have limited internal expansion capability.
 Not to worry though, because of current technologies performance of a typical all-in-one desktop is more powerful than ever, and the average all-in-one should be sufficient for all but the most demanding computer users.
Plus many all-in-one desktops make up for the limited expansion capability and performance by offering advanced features including touch screen capability, next gen Blue-ray drivers, and an array of input/output connectors including HDMI, and numerous USB 2.0 ports for external expansion.
When you couple everything together and pair it with stylish designs and space saving features an all-in-one desktop is a winning combination. Sure you may pay more than a traditional desktop, but even so, the features, stylish appeal, and built-in monitor will still be worth the admission for many of you.
Small form factor
 Small form factor (SFF) desktop computers have been around for some time now, though unlike the original boxy small form factor desktops of yesterday, today’s small form factors are more stylish than ever and many have even been shrunk down to smaller proportions.
Most small form factor desktops destined for the consumer are extremely small, stylish, fairly cheap, and they use very little electricity while at the same time offer enough computing power to handle many common day to day computing tasks including Internet browsing, word processing, audio/video playback, and more.
There are also more powerful small form factor desktops out there too, such as those used by many businesses. For example, you may have seen a small form factor desktop at your local dentists office or on those wheeled carts used at a hospital, you know the ones nurses use to input patient information.
The Mac Mini is a perfect example of a hugely popular consumer level small form factor desktop. They are fairly capable in the performance department, stylish, and priced competitively even when being branded with the Apple name.
If you want a small form factor desktop for cheaper, you may want to check out a Nettop PC. Nettops are highly popular super small form factor desktops that are inexpensive yet perfect for surfing the Internet and performing other light duty tasks like word processing. In fact, the word Nettop was derived from the combination of the words Internet and desktop.
 Some of the more popular Nettop manufacturers include Acer, Sony, Asus, Dell, MSI, and Lenovo. Each manufacturer offers a slew of Nettop computers to choose from in different sizes, colors, shapes, and there are an array of different specifications to choose from.
On the other hand while the small form factor desktop has obvious advantages such as size, style, and low power consumption etc., don’t expect to run complex or resource intensive applications with the majority of small form factor and Nettop desktops. On top of this many small form factor desktops have extremely limited if not any internal expansion capability.
Of course if you are looking for a super small low cost basic Internet only desktop for your home, then a small form factor or Nettop may be worth the investment. On the other hand a standard desktop computer tower with better performance can be had for less than $500, so you may really want to think twice about purchasing a small form factor or Nettop desktop for anything more than a secondary Internet only computer.
If you are looking for a desktop for your place of business, a small form factor desktop may be a great option for you. This is especially true if you need something small to tuck it away out of sight or on a movable cart for example.
Conclusion - Desktop Computer Cases Guide
We hope you enjoyed our desktop computer cases guide. Remember to also check out our desktop buying guide main page if you haven't done so already, you can do so with button 1 below.
And if you have questions or feedback please Ask The Computer Tech.
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