Comparison Accord JP-VI black vs Aerocool Streak black

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.

The maximum length of a graphics card that can be installed in this case.

Modern mid-range and top-end video cards with high performance often differ in considerable length, which is why such a card can not fit into any case. So before collecting components, it is worth evaluating the length of the proposed graphics card and choosing a case in which it is guaranteed to fit. This forethought is useful anyway, but it's especially true if you're building a system that requires a powerful graphics adapter, such as a high-end gaming PC or 3D design workstation.

The highest cooler height allowed for this case.

In this case, we mean a cooler used to cool the processor — such a component is found in the vast majority of modern PCs. Height is measured relative to the motherboard.

The presence of rubberized legs in the design of the case.

These feet absorb vibrations generated during operation of the computer (mainly due to the operation of fans and optical drives), thereby reducing noise levels and providing additional comfort. Rubberized feet are especially desirable if the computer is placed on a table (on a tabletop or in a dedicated compartment on a table) or on a hard floor.

The location of the power supply (or seat for the power supply) in the case.

The traditional option is the top location of the PSU, this is a familiar and familiar option for many. However, heated air from other system components accumulates in the top of the case, reducing cooling efficiency. Cases with a lower location of the PSU are deprived of this drawback, however, a lot of dust and other contaminants get into them if the system unit is installed on the floor. However, this difference becomes critical only when using high-performance systems with appropriate heat dissipation; for an ordinary household PC, the location of the power supply unit as a whole is not important.

Also note that in miniature cases like mini-Tower (see "Form factor"), the PSU installed on top can overlap part of the motherboard, which further worsens the cooling efficiency and makes it difficult to install large CPU coolers; however, it all depends on the layout of a particular case.

The number of internal 3.5" form factor bays provided in the design of the case. Such bays, in accordance with the name, are intended for internal components, mainly hard drives and some SSD modules; to access them, the case must be disassembled.

Theoretically, the number of bays corresponds to the maximum number of drives that can be installed in the chassis. However, in fact, the best option is to install drives through a single slot to ensure efficient cooling. Accordingly, it is best to select a case in such a way that the number of internal 3.5" bays is twice the expected number of hard drives.

The number of internal 2.5" bays provided in the case design.

Such bays are mainly used for installing internal hard drives and SSD modules; The 2.5" form factor was originally created as "laptop" form factor, but recently it has been increasingly used in components for full-size PCs. At the same time, when evaluating the number of these bays, note that drives are recommended to be installed through a slot; so in Ideally, the number of bays should be twice the planned number of drives.

Also note that some cases use combined bays: initially they have a size of 3.5", but if desired, they can be converted to 2.5". These bays count towards both 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch slots. In fact, this means that the total number of available slots is not always equal to the sum of the number of both. For example, a case with 10 3.5" bays and 6 2.5" bays can have 4 combined bays, and the total number of slots in this case will not be 16, but only 12.

The number of slots for expansion cards located on the rear panel of the case.

The expansion card itself (graphics card, sound card, TV tuner, etc.) is installed in a slot on the motherboard, and an external panel of such a card with inputs and outputs is attached to the hole on the back of the case. The more holes are provided in the case, the more expansion cards can be installed in it. Note that some boards can occupy two or even three holes at once; this is especially common in powerful video cards. On the other hand, you have to pay attention to the number of holes mainly if you are building a powerful high-performance system. For an ordinary household PC, in most cases, one opening is enough for a graphics card; and in many configurations, the openings on the rear panel are not used at all.

The more fans provided in the design, other things being equal, the more intense the cooling will be and the more powerful (and, accordingly, “hot”) hardware can be placed in the case without the risk of overheating. For everyday tasks, a case with one, two or three factory fans is enough. At the same time, when comparing, it is worth considering not only the number, but also the performance characteristics of the fans (diameter, speed). Also note that there are cases without fans on the market with free space for fans, which allows, if necessary, to supplement the cooling system and improve its performance.