Upgrade Report
August 24th, 2004
proudly presented by
PC World
Technology Advice You Can Trust
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/1/0/
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Upgrade tips, tricks, and how-to's that will help you get the most
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August 24th, 2004
GeekTech: On the Case
Alexandra Krasne
There's nothing worse than a bad PC case. Okay, there are probably
worse things, like getting eaten alive by a swarm of angry piranhas or
being forced to watch endless reruns of "Full House"--but working with
a poorly designed case is right up there with the worst of them. If
you've ever cut yourself on sharp edges, fought to remove an unwieldy
side panel, or struggled to get around rails so you can install
components, this column is for you.
Of course, what you want in a case is a completely subjective matter.
Maybe you have money to burn on a fancy aluminum model with a custom
paint job; or perhaps you crave something a bit more modest and
utilitarian. Cases run the gamut from the cute and fuzzy to the cool,
and they even come in designer models. Below are links to specs and
pictures for some of the more unusual cases I've run across.
Kitty:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722428/0/
Fuzzy:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722429/0/
Artistic:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722430/0/
And like most things, you get what you pay for. I learned that lesson
the hard way when built my last PC and got a $50 no-name case. Sure,
it looks cool; but the side panel is difficult to remove and trying to
slide it off is truly infuriating. Plus, the back panel doesn't fit
properly, the motherboard mounts don't line up, and the rails prevent
easy access to drives and the motherboard itself. Other than that,
it's great.
Case Considerations
When you buy a case, you should look for one that provides enough
space to house your components with room for upgrades, but isn't so
big that the beast has its own Zip code. Unless you really want the
extra room, there's no need to buy a tower with ten drive bays if
you'll only be using two.
No matter how large the case, it should be well-ventilated, ideally
with air ducts and room for fans. The inside needs to be free from
dust bunnies, dirt, gravel, and pet dander--even if you end up buying
a furry case. Aluminum is a good way to keep things cool because it
conducts heat more effectively, in essence acting like a giant heat
sink. It's also lighter than a typical steel chassis; and it resists
corrosion, too.
After I'd performed all sorts of hand gymnastics around metal barriers
in the world's worst PC case, imagine my excitement when I found a
model sporting a removable motherboard tray. This baby from Antec
offers the aforementioned motherboard tray, LED temperature displays,
room for ten--count 'em, ten!--drive bays, rubber mounting grommets in
hard drive trays to keep things quiet, and even a built-in washable
air filter:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722431/0/
Antec thought of everything, didn't it?
Shut Up Already
Another important consideration is cooling. You probably don't want
your PC to sound like a jet airplane. It's a little different for me:
I've decided against quieting down my system because the noisy fans
are a very effective way to drown out my roommate's chatter on the
phone.
There are plenty of ways to silence a system. I'm not going to delve
into them, though, because my buddy Stan Miastkowski already did that
in his March 2004 Step-By-Step column:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/515944/0/
Some Expert Opinions
Elliott Kirschling, a senior performance analyst at the PC World Test
Center, is no stranger to building and disassembling PCs. He says that
one of the most important considerations is the power supply. Most
cases include one, and you can buy them separately as well. But be
careful out there: Some of the cheaper no-name power supplies with
high power ratings can cause more problems than a good-quality power
supply with a lower official rating, Kirschling says. Luckily, Tom
Mainelli's December 2003 installment of GeekTech provides some good
information on that topic:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722432/0/
The case manufacturing business is a strange maze of rebranding,
according to Eric Dahl, a PC World senior associate editor. It's hard
to tell who designed a case and where it's manufactured, so you'll
often see companies selling cases that bear a striking resemblance to
one another. But this can work to your advantage, he says. For
example, online retailer Directron was selling a high-end case from
Antec in a less-expensive version from Chieftec. (The Chieftec model
was made of aluminum and lacked a power supply.)
So once you select a case, it pays to shop around for the best deal.
"Add a high-quality power supply, and you've got a great case/power
supply combo at a discount," Dahl says. "Just be sure to read online
reviews of the cases carefully ... sometimes the cheaper versions
skimp on build quality."
It may be tempting to buy a cool-looking case with glowing neon lights
and see-through windows, but take my advice: The best PC cases aren't
always the prettiest ones.
For more on choosing cases, read "Your Ideal PC":
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722433/0/
Have a question or a comment? Write to GeekTech:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Read Alexandra Krasne's regularly published "GeekTech" columns:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/364536/0/
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Top News From PC World
* Microsoft Sends Digital Business Cards
New InterConnect 2004 software automatically updates contact info.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722410/0/
* Transmeta Plans for the LongRun
Four years later, chip maker still struggles to compete with AMD and
Intel.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722411/0/
* Check out all of today's news...
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/54/0/
=====================================================================
Editors' Picks
Free Utilities: Shrink DVDs, Boost Windows Media Player
Improve Windows Media Player, convert WMA files and rip MP3s with
latest release of iTunes.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722412/0/
GDivX Zenith Player v1.1
Video skipping on Windows Media Player? Try this alternative, which
supports multiple formats.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/238773/0/
DVD Shrink v3.1.7
Make a back up of your DVD disks, saving the output to your hard
drive.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/238772/0/
Mp3Trim v1.90a
Shave the dead space from your MP3s to leave more room for the music.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722413/0/
iTunes for Windows v4.6
Apple's media player is a joy to use even if you never buy a 99-cent
song.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722414/0/
Quintessential Player v4.5.1
Player offers extensive features in a simple design, and lets you rip
files from your CD.
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722415/0/
For a full list of this week's Editors' Picks, go to:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722412/0/
=====================================================================
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Check the latest prices on Scanners:
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Image editing application is best for newbies.
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Check the latest prices on Utilities:
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* IBM ThinkVision L170m
IBM's first speaker-equipped LCD monitor skimps on more-important
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http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/201858/21421682/722418/0/
Check the latest prices on Flat Panels/LCD:
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See all Reviews:
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