| A computer case (also known as the computer | | | | usually located on the front to turn the computer. LED |
| chassis, cabinet, tower, box or housing) is the enclosure | | | | status lights for power, hard drive activities are often |
| that contains the main components of a computer. | | | | located near the power button which are powered |
| Cases are usually constructed from steel, aluminum, or | | | | from wires that connect up to the motherboard. Some |
| plastic, although other materials (such as wood and | | | | cases come with status monitoring equipment such as |
| perspex) have also been used in case designs. | | | | case temperature or processor speed monitor which |
| Size and shape Cases can come in many different | | | | appear on an LCD on the side. |
| sizes or form factors. In 2006, the most popular form | | | | A panel on the side, covers up and protects the inside |
| factor is ATX, although small form factor cases are | | | | of the computer when being used, which usually slides |
| becoming popular for a variety of different uses. | | | | on and held with a screw. Most cases require a large |
| A case with an ATX motherboard and power supply, | | | | amount of screws to put together. |
| for example, may still take on one of several specific | | | | Recently there has been a move to "screwless" |
| shapes, also known as form factors. Common case | | | | cases, where cases are held together with other |
| form factors include towers (such as mini tower, | | | | methods than screws. |
| mid-sized tower, and full-sized tower); desktops or | | | | Since the early 2000s, computers have begun to have |
| pizza boxes (also called flatbed or horizontal); and slim | | | | clear side pannels so that the user can look into the |
| desktops, which integrate the display into the housing. | | | | computer while it is operating. |
| Tower cases are taller and typically have more room | | | | Appearance The current iMac G5 contains the entire |
| while desktop cases are more compact and are more | | | | computer in a two inch-thick screen—there is |
| popular in business environments. | | | | no tower. |
| Small form factor cases are a variety of cases that | | | | Traditional designs are beige and rectangular, but have |
| are becoming more and more common. Companies | | | | evolved in style, especially after the introduction of the |
| like Shuttle Inc. and AOpen have been producing such | | | | iMac in 1998. Beige box designs are typically found on |
| cases and Mini-ITX is the most common motherboard | | | | budget machines; some people still prefer the traditional |
| designed for these cases. Apple Computer recently | | | | design. |
| announced its Mac Mini computer, which is around the | | | | Case modding is the artistic styling of computer |
| size of a CD-ROM drive. | | | | encasings, often to draw attention to the use of |
| Function Cases usually come with room for a power | | | | advanced or unusual components. Modded cases may |
| supply unit, several expansion slots and expansion | | | | include internal lighting, colored cable covers, clear side |
| bays, wires for powering up a computer and some | | | | panels, or liquid cooling systems. Companies such as |
| with built in I/O ports that must be connected to a | | | | Alienware are known for unusual cases. |
| motherboard. | | | | Stickers are common on cases. These may include |
| Motherboards are screwed to the bottom of the case, | | | | the manufacturer's logo, the computer's specifications |
| its I/O ports being exposed on the side of the case. | | | | (CPU, RAM, Hard drive, etc), the operating system |
| Usually the power supply unit is at the top of the case | | | | (such as "Designed for Windows XP") and processor |
| attached with several screws. The typical case has | | | | (such as Intel Inside). |
| four 5.25" and three 3.5" expansion bays for devices | | | | Brands Case manufacturers include Chenbro, ASUS, |
| such as hard drives, floppy disk drives and CD-ROMs. | | | | Lian Li and Thermaltake. Cases may be composed of |
| A power button (and sometimes a reset button that | | | | acrylic glass. |
| can be turned-on and off using a remote control) are | | | | |