Computer cases   

The ATX case:

ATX (Advanced Technology eXtended) is a motherboard form factor specification developed by Intel in 1995. A full-size ATX board is 12 x 9.6 in (305 x 244 mm). This allows many ATX form factor chassis to accept microATX boards as well.

The BTX case:

BTX (for Balanced Technology Extended) is a form factor for motherboards, originally intended to be the replacement for the aging ATX motherboard form factor in late 2004 and early 2005. It was designed to alleviate some of the issues that arose from using newer technologies (which often demand more power and create more heat) on motherboards compliant with the circa-1996 ATX specification.

The ATX and BTX standards were both proposed by Intel. Intel's decision to refocus on low-power CPUs, after suffering scaling and thermal issues with the Pentium 4, has added some doubt to the future of the form factor. The first company to implement BTX was Gateway Inc, followed by Dell and MPC. Apple's Mac Pro utilizes some elements of the BTX design system as well but is not BTX compliant, rather using a proprietary form factor. However, future development of BTX retail products by Intel was canceled in September 2006. Many companies now use proprietary form factors.

The mini-ATX case:

Mini-ATX is a 15 x 15 cm (or 5.9 x 5.9 inches) motherboard form factor developed by Aopen Inc. Mini-ATX is slightly smaller than Mini-ITX. Mini-ATX motherboards were designed with MoDT (Mobile on Desktop Technology) which adapt mobile CPU for lower power requirement and less heat generation, which makes them ideal for home theater PC (HTPC) and car PC for consumer and application PC for industrial.

The mini-ITX case:

Mini-ITX is a 17 x 17 cm (or 6.7 x 6.7 inches) low-power motherboard form factor developed by VIA Technologies in 2001. Mini-ITX is slightly smaller than microATX. Mini-ITX boards can often be passively cooled due to their low power consumption architecture, which makes them useful for home theater PC systems, where fan noise can detract from the cinema experience.

The micro-ATX (uATX) case:

microATX, also known as uATX (sometimes transliterated as mATX or uATX on Internet forums) is a standard for motherboards that was introduced in December 1997. The maximum size of a microATX motherboard is 244 mm x 244 mm (9.6 in x 9.6 in), but some microATX boards can be as small as 171.45 mm x 171.45 mm (6.75 in x 6.75 in). The standard ATX size is 25% longer, at 305 mm x 244 mm (12 in x 9.6 in).

Computer power supplies (PSU)

The Power supply for the computer case may be optional. Our website tries to differentiate between the computer case that include a power supply and those that don't.

Some cases do not include a power supply because it is normally cheaper to fit your own power supply if you have specific needs - for example, a home user would only require a basic power supply whereas a gamer or graphics developer would require an expensive, powerful power supply that can connect to one or several graphics cards and several drives. 

Computer cases for home users

Home users do not require designer computer cases, the standard home user only need a basic computer case that will fit into the space that is available within the living area of the room.

We recommend researching the case based on your space requirements.

Computer cases for business users

Business users do not require designer computer cases unless they would like to make a special impact on clients and customers.

Businesses tend to chose smaller computer cases to save space around their workspace.

Businesses prefer to buy ready-built branded computers as found here.

Some businesses prefer hybrid computers that include a monitor and computer as a single unit.

To save on costs, virtual computing solutions may be an option.

Computers cases for gamers

Gamers enjoy the options they have when it comes to gamer's cases. Computer cases for gamers do not include power supplies, which gives the purchaser the freedom and flexibility to chose their own power supply based on their requirements.

Power supplies for gaming graphics cards

It is recommended that customers check their power supply requirement before purchasing a computer case. It may be cheaper to buy a computer case without a power supply and then to purchase a separate power supply. A computer case with a built-in power supply is sufficient for basic home and business use, however, if a gaming graphics card is used, a larger power supply may be required.