Comparison Gamemax StarLight white vs Zalman i3 black

The direction in which the body is facing. This parameter is indicated only for models that have a certain specialization and differ markedly from general-purpose cases.

— Gaming. Cases designed for high-performance gaming computer systems. They usually have numerous openings for expansion slots and bays for drives (see the corresponding paragraphs), as well as advanced options for installing cooling systems — many “seats” for fans, the ability to use liquid cooling (see “Liquid cooling support”) and etc. In addition, they often stand out due to their design: they can be equipped with decorative lighting, transparent windows, etc.

— HTPC. Enclosures for PC multimedia orientation, the so-called Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC). The characteristic features of such cases are compact size, the presence of additional buttons on the front panel for controlling multimedia (and sometimes a sensor for the remote control) and an advanced design.

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 thickness of the side walls used in the case. When choosing a thickness, manufacturers have to compromise between several points at once. On the one hand, thin walls are inexpensive and heat dissipates faster through them, which has a positive effect on cooling efficiency. On the other hand, powerful systems inevitably require thick walls, otherwise the case may simply not withstand the weight of advanced high-performance components. Thirdly, steel is a fairly durable material even with a relatively small thickness. In light of all this, in most models this indicator does not exceed 0.7 — 0.8 mm, and more often it is about 0.5 – 0.6 mm.

For more on decorative lighting in general, see Light Type above. Here we note that it can have different shades, and sometimes several options are indicated in the characteristics at once. If these options are listed through "and" (for example, "red, blue and green") — this means that this model contains all the specified colours, and the user can switch between them at his discretion. If the shades are listed through “or” (for example, “red, blue or green”), this means that this model is available in several versions that differ in the colour of the backlight.

Special mention is the "RGB" option. This is the name of the most advanced backlight, the shade of which can be chosen at your discretion. However the original RGB backlighting is capable of simultaneously displaying only one of several basic colours (white, yellow, green, red, blue or purple); nevertheless, even these possibilities are enough to customize the appearance of the case and apply various effects (such as backlight synchronization — see below).

And relatively recently, an even more advanced type of adjustable systems has appeared — ARGB backlight. The key difference between ARGB and classic RGB is the possibility of simultaneous operation of diodes of different colours. In other words, classic RGB lighting can display only one colour at a time, while ARGB can display several colours, which provides additional effects. Also, ARGB lighting is connecte...d using a 3pin 5v connector, while regular RGB uses a 4pin 12v connection. It can be represented by various types of illumination. So, ARGB is often integrated into the cooling system, the front panel and magnetic LED strips, which the user can mount at his discretion. To control the backlight, a special controller is usually provided, and buttons or controls for switching the illumination operation modes are placed on the interface panel. In some cases, the backlight is controlled by the motherboard, through a special connector. Many ARGB systems support the ability to fine-tune through specialized software.

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.

This feature is indicated for housings that normally allow the installation of liquid cooling systems(LCS). Such systems are extremely efficient, but complex and expensive, so they are mainly used in high-performance PCs, for which traditional coolers are no longer enough. Note that theoretically, liquid cooling can be installed in almost any case; however, if support for such cooling is not initially provided in the design, this can be very difficult. So if you initially plan to use LSS, you should choose a case for which support for this function is directly claimed.

The size of the mounting space for the liquid cooling system provided on the top side of the case.

In cases supporting LCS, water cooling radiators are installed in the same slots as traditional fans. In other words, a fan (or fans) or an LCS radiator can be installed in the same mounting space. The size of the mounting space for LCS is specified by a single number — the length (on the longer side); the width can be determined based on this information. The fact is, modern LCS radiators typically use fans of one of the standard sizes — 120 mm or 140 mm; and if there are several such fans, they are arranged in a row. As a result, the length of the radiator is a multiple, and the width is equal to one of these numbers: for example, 280 mm means 2x140 mm with a width of 140 mm, and 360 mm means 3x120 mm with a width of 120 mm. Overall, an upper radiator size of 240 mm and below is considered relatively small, 280 mm is medium, 360 mm is large, and in some models, it reaches 420 mm and even 480 mm.

Note that the same nuances apply here as for air cooling: a larger fan takes up more space and costs more, but is considered more advanced since it can work effectively at a lower speed — which reduces noise and vibrations.

The total number of spaces available for liquid cooling systems in the case, in other words, the maximum number of LCS radiators that can be installed in the case. These radiators are usually placed one per side of the case, so several radiators are often located on different sides: for example, 3 LCS spaces can be located at the rear, top, and front.

When evaluating the number of mounting slots (of all types), it's important to consider that fans and LCS radiators usually use the same mounting locations.

- Lattice. The grille on the front panel of the case often looks good and allows you to better supply the cooling system fans with more outside air. Decorative lighting is often placed behind the perforated panel, which improves the appearance of the case.

- Blank. The competitive advantages of cases with a blank front panel are improved noise insulation and effective protection of the internal space of the computer from dust.

- Glass. The veil of mystery of what is happening inside the computer system unit is lifted by cases with a glass front panel. Tempered glass as a “facade” material is used both in the form of a solid window and in the form of a glass grille with RGB backlighting. And in combination with the glass side window, it turns the body into an “aquarium”.