How a computers case affects PC performance

Computer cases are much more sophisticated than they were in the past. Some of them are engineered to save space, some are engineered to provide almost silent operation and some are simply built as a way to provide a home for the most powerful components on the market. A computer’s case can have significant impacts upon the performance of the machine overall.

Case design has significant impacts upon cooling, one of the factors that contributes to computer performance. Each of a computer’s components, particularly the processor, needs to have an adequate system, principally defined by airflow and heatsink, to offset the amount of heat those components generate during their operation. These components can fail if overheated, so case design is not a secondary concern.

The most advanced cases are engineered so that airflow is delivered to the most vital regions of the case. Oftentimes, separate cooling zones are set up within the case so that no fan is working too hard to provide adequate cooling to the component to which it is attached. These cases accomplish this via the placement of the ventilation holes on the case, the interior of the case which may be provided with channels that direct airflow and by the air volume of the case being engineered so that adequate movement can be provided by the fans.

An outdated or cheap case can significantly diminish performance. The cheapest cases are little more than sheet-metal rectangles with a few holes punched in the back and taps where motherboard screws may be attached. Their price makes them attractive, but their drawbacks are many.

Oftentimes, cheap cases are bulky and have a large volume of air inside. This may cause the fans to spend most of their energy on moving that total volume of air rather than in directing a smaller amount toward the component they protect.

There is generally no consideration given to airflow on cheap cases. The CPU, hard drive, memory and everything else are contained in the same space. This makes it very difficult to direct heat protection at one component in particular. Hot air vented from the hard drive may well end up being blown directly into the processor, for instance. This can slow performance.

The location in which the power supply is mounted is another consideration. Generally, these are separated by a relatively large distance from the other components. Power supplies not only generate heat, they need room to fail if such an unfortunate event is imminent. The last thing one wants is a hot power supply on the verge of failure positioned a quarter inch away from their processor’s heat sink. Good cases affect performance not only by intelligent cooling, but by making sure safety is among the first concerns.

Another aspect to check is how well the vents are insulated against the intrusion of large environmental contaminants. Large, drilled in holes are usually not the mark of quality where cases are concerned. Look for intelligent ventilation.