Case change (newbie)

[smithy1988]

Hi all i currently have a basic case and im thinking about changing it to one with a perspex window which contains fans as i am thinking about a possible hardware upgrade in the future.
First of all can someone please explain the different types of cases. i understand the micro atx cases are for micro atx boards.
But what is the difference between the following..
Desktop case
Atx case
Super midi tower
Full tower
I currently have a Asus A8V K8T800- am i right in thinking this is an ATX board- it is 30.5cm x 24.5cm my manual tells me. What form of case is needed to house this. Any of the above list?
Thanks

 

[BFG_9000]

Akasa Eclipse... End post.

 

[BillytheImpaler]

There's a lot of crossover in what you've named there. ATX is a form factor designed so that cases, motherboards, power supplies, etc will all work together. You have a standard ATX motherboard which means that you have a wide varietyu of cases from which to choose.

ATX tower / full tower is the largest size. These are of the size specifically documented in the ATX spec. They are frequently cavernous and dwarf the motherboard and peripherals once installed. This is a good choice if you plan on doing heavy watercooling, have a silly number of hard disks or optical drives, or have a need for a case that can double as shelter from the rain.

ATX mid / midi / desktop is the most common size. These cases are smaller than the full towers but are frequently packed with features ans still have plenty of space for your equipment. These will all take motherboards sized like yours and some will even take Extended ATX motherboards which are longer.

I'd recommend a mid case just because the size makes it easier to transport, work in, etc. An excellent case at a good price is the Lian-Li PC-7. How much do you have to spend?

 

[smithy1988]

Right thanks for that that explains things. Iv also seen supermidi cases are these just midi cases or slightly larger. Think its thermaltake that have most of ther cases advertised as supermidi. In terms of budget it all comes down to whether i manage to sell a hyundai imagequest 17inch monitor i purchased from ocuk a few months back- as i have upgraded to a 26 inch samsung tv/monitor.
Thanks