Board placement
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.
Fans (side)
The number of fan slots on
the sides of the case, as well as the size of the fans that these slots are designed for. The presence of the fans themselves in the kit should be specified separately.
The larger the fan, the more advanced it is considered: a large diameter allows you to work efficiently at relatively low speeds, which reduces the noise level and energy consumption. Case fans are available in several standard diameters, and the seats for them can be designed for both one and several sizes — for example, 120 / 140 mm. At the same time, in some models, the available number of seats also depends on the chosen size: for example, there are gaming cases where you can install either one 180 mm fan or four 120 mm fans at once.
Fan mounts total
The total number of places for installing fans provided in the chassis design.
The more performant the system, the more components it includes — the more powerful cooling it will need; therefore, the number of places for fans, usually, is directly related to the size and purpose of the case. It is also worth considering that with the same number, the installation location of individual fans may be different — behind, on the side, on top, etc.
Side panel window
The presence of
a viewing window on the side panel of the case, allowing you to see the “filling” without opening the case. It gives the case a stylish appearance; in addition, it allows you to install a lighting system inside, which is appreciated by gamers compared to
case models without a window.
The materials for manufacturing the windows on the side panel are:
- Acrylic. Acrylic or plexiglass is an inexpensive material of relatively light weight, which, however, actively collects scratches and can be deformed when exposed to high temperatures.
- Strained glass. Tempered glass panels have excellent transparency, are resistant to scratches and are easy to clean from dirt. At the same time, they weigh a lot and can break to pieces if not handled carefully.
- Metal grid. Wire mesh is a simple type of window material used on the side panel of a cabinet. It allows air to pass through and provides additional heat removal from the internal components of the system unit; dust can leak through the mesh overnight.
