Computer Case

[Guest]

Budget (including currency): Any

Country: United States

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: General Purpose

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): 

I have a VERY, VERY stupid question. Other than being a box that holds the parts needed for a working computer in one convenient place, is there really any other reason why a case is used at all? Asking just for curiosity.

Edited July 7, 2023 by Thomas4
Reformatted the query

[Dedayog]

24 minutes ago, Thomas4 said:

Budget (including currency): Any

Country: United States

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: General Purpose

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): 

I have a VERY, VERY stupid question. Other than being a box that holds the parts needed for a working computer in one convenient place, is there really any other reason why a case is used at all? Asking just for curiosity.

No.  People put PC's in desks, spread out on their wall, in cabinets, etc.  A case is just a nice convenient and efficient way to house a PC.  The use case can determine the need for one tho.  If you want high performance and OC, a case is probably best to have flow thru cooling in a consolidated package, for instance.  Unless you want to go Frankenstein build

 

A case is just the most popular way, like a car is the most popular body for a vehicle.   

 

 

[OddOod]

Dust filtration. But my HTPC is literally just ziptied to some scrap pegboard because it turns out that it's not that hard to spritz it with air from time to time

[brob]

45 minutes ago, Thomas4 said:

Budget (including currency): Any

Country: United States

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: General Purpose

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): 

I have a VERY, VERY stupid question. Other than being a box that holds the parts needed for a working computer in one convenient place, is there really any other reason why a case is used at all? Asking just for curiosity.

 

Protection

Improved cooling through directed airflow

Convenient placement of switches and ports

Noise reduction

 

[filpo]

1 hour ago, Thomas4 said:

is there really any other reason why a case is used at all?

looks and cable management

 

1 hour ago, Thomas4 said:

Budget (including currency): Any

what case size are you looking at?

For atx I would get a lian li lancool 216

For matx get a pop mini air 

for itx get an nr200p or a fractral terra with a higher budget

[Dedayog]

28 minutes ago, filpo said:

looks and cable management

 

what case size are you looking at?

For atx I would get a lian li lancool 216

For matx get a pop mini air 

for itx get an nr200p or a fractral terra with a higher budget

If Lian Li didn't improve their case construction from the Lancool II Mesh C....I am skipping their cases going forward.  The Fractal build quality is 2x as good (sturdier, more robust, better cable management, fit and finish better) and just a nicer case, comparing my Define R6 to the Lancool II Mesh C so far.

 

Obviously I haven't used the 216 but hoping it's better than the Lancool II.

[filpo]

Just now, Dedayog said:

Obviously I haven't used the 216 but hoping it's better than the Lancool II.

it most definetly is. I have a friend who has it and he loves it. Reviewers love it too. It also includes two 200mm fans all for the price of 120 bucks. IMO (apart from maybe the fractal torrent compact) its the best case in that price point 

[Guest]

First, I want to thank all of those that replied. So, from what I understand, ie the only real reasons for using a case is for dust filtration - which can be rectified by either a can of air or, in the long run (significant cost savings a cheap a hobbyists airbrush and compressor or looks - solved using the least expensive case which fulfills ones needs, which can then be placed on the floor on top of a solid surface if there is carpeting. Also this step permits one to save even more money by eliminating the use of RGB lighting that won't be seen anyway.

I falloff my chair every time I see someone with bright RGB lights flashing everywhere which unknowing leads to some distraction which interferes with concentration. I admit it may look nice, but I would like to see someones game performance comparisons with and without the lights. This will probably require some tweaking due to the difference in power draw, but on this I'm not sure.