When putting a PC together, the case and power supply unit (PSU) are usually at the end of a lot of people's shopping lists.
To be fair, there are only two hard and fast requirements for each of these parts. For the case - is it big enough to fit all your stuff, and do you like the look of it? For the PSU - is it powerful enough, and does it have the right connectors?
The story could end right there, but the truth is that if you want to build a machine that you can be proud of, and one that will give you a good few years of service, then there is much more to consider when picking these two components.
Cases
Like most PC components, it's wise to stick to the quality brands of cases. A lot of cheap cases on the market have shoddy build quality - e.g. thin steel structure with sharp edges, scratch-prone flaky paint jobs, and noisy inefficient inlet/exhaust fans.
Personally I recommend sticking to the likes of Antec, Cooler Master, Corsair, Enermax, Lian Li, Silverstone, and Thermaltake (their latest range, at least). From these brands you can find a case to fit any budget, functional requirement and personal preference. Also consider the fact that even though a decent case might cost you a little bit more upfront, it's more likely to see you through an upgrade or two down the track.
Aside from brand, the easiest way to break down the entire range of available cases is into what is called "form factor", the main two categories being Desktop/SFF/HTPC (Small Form Factor/Home Theatre PC), and Tower.
Desktop/SFF/HTPC
Even though there's a lot of different sizes and shapes of cases in this category, I tend to group them together as there's a lot of crossover between them. A 'Desktop' case, for instance, is simply a case which is designed to be positioned horizontally, like a big DVD player, rather than vertically like Tower cases.
A Desktop case can be the same size as a Tower case, or you can get SFF Desktop cases which have a smaller footprint, or a HTPC Desktop - some of which even come with remote controls and volume dials for easy media playback. Most Desktop cases are also sturdy enough to hold your monitor on top of them which is great for space saving.
HTPC cases these days are generally styled to look like other Home Theatre components, with silver or black aluminium facias, LCD displays and quick-access media buttons so they that look right at home in your stereo rack or cabinet. Make sure you either get one with a PSU in it already, or ensure that the PSU you intend on buying will fit, as some HTPC cases can have specific size and shape requirements here.
Lastly, SFF cases - as the name might suggest - are the smallest of this group, and are generally designed to take mini-ITX motherboards for maximum space efficiency. Most mini-ITX boards use low power Intel Atom CPUs so remember that if you have any demanding applications or gaming in mind.
Prices in this category mostly range from $100 to $500.
My picks:
Lian-Li Mini-Q PC-Q07 mini-ITX Tower Chassis
Antec NSK2480 380W mATX HTPC Case
Silverstone Grandia GD02B-MT Aluminum/Steel uATX Desktop Case with 4.3" touchscreen
Tower
Tower cases have come a long way design-wise in the last decade. Ten years ago, basically your only choice was between a dull-grey or a dull-beige box. While a few companies have gotten a bit enthusiastic with their designs, with some tricked-out cases looking like they were designed by Japanese school girls high on Ritalin, a lot of Tower cases these days are sleek, refined, and functional.
Most cases in this category are designed to take common ATX-size motherboards (Mid Tower), although a few go up a size to EATX (Full Tower) and some down a size to mATX (Mini Tower). Make sure whatever you get is big enough for the motherboard you intend to put in it. Also ensure that it will fit your video card too - modern cards measure up to a foot long and are simply too big for a lot of cases.
Tower cases generally have good airflow, which is vital for long and stable component life, most coming with single or dual front intake fans, large side-panel intake fans, plus one or more rear and/or top-panel exhaust fans. Some cases also have pre-drilled holes for routing watercooling tubes to an external radiator, if you plan on building a watercooled machine.
The main advantage of Tower cases is that they have the smallest footprint, meaning they take up the least amount of floor or desk space, at the cost of being tall and long. A lot of them also come with side-windows, which are mainly just for show (they also tend to encourage people to tidy up their cabling, which is good for airflow).
Pricing varies mainly from $100 to $600, with a lot of good stuff available for less than $300.
Worth checking out:
Antec Mini P180 Black mATX Mini Tower
Antec Three Hundred Mid Tower
Lian-Li Lancool Dragonlord PC-K62B Mid Tower
Cooler Master CM Storm Scout Mid Tower
Silverstone SST-TJ09B Black Aluminum Full Tower
Corsair Obsidian 800D Full Tower
So that's cases in a nutshell, on to power supplies...
