Of the three most common PC tower types Mini-Towers are the least talked about because they aren't really designed to be high performance PC's. I may have said this before but a good thing to ask yourself when choosing a PC Tower is, what does it need to do? There is niche where Mini-Tower PC's come in, they are often used in non-conventional environments. For instance many restaurant use point-of-sale unitsthat are comprised of a touch screen and a mini-tower PC. Also many call centers across the world use mini-tower PC's because the agents often times don't need a lot of processing power and they work in small cubical.
Here are the two main advantages to purchasing a Mini-Tower PC
Smaller Footprint (takes less space)
Portability
Many manufacturing and specialized environmentslike Mini-Towers because they can put them wherever they need them and they are very easy to move around. The advantages of Mini-Towers are not very impressive and rightly so. These towers were never designed to impress, they were designed for situational efficiency.
Disadvantages to Mini-Towers
Assembly and Upgrading
Cooling (or the lack of)
Pricing (you get a lot less bang per buck)
Of the disadvantages of Mini-Towers assembly and upgrade is clearly the worst. If you've ever worked on a Mini-Tower you know exactly what I am talking about. The smaller form factor of the Mini-tower doesn't allow for expansion slots, extra drive bays, extra USB ports, firewire ports and cooling.Plus switching out bad components is a nightmare because there is no room for your hands or any other tool. Its pretty obvious why Mini-Towers aren't reallya consumer favorite, remember to keep all these factor in mind if you're thinking about building a PC using a Mini-Tower.
Selecting a case for a new PC build can be challenging if you've never done it before, so I decided I would give you a few pointers to make life a little easier. Before we start looking at new computer towers we need to do a little research. You can do all your research and pricing from the comfort of your home using the Internet. Normally your going to want to pick out all your internal component so you can narrow your case selection pretty fast.
Things we need to know before we start shopping for a case:
○ Motherboard form factor? (common: ATX and Mini-ATX)
○ How many hard drive bays do you need
○ How many optical drive bays do you need
○ Do you want the power supply on the top or bottom of the case
○ What type of cooling are you using? (Fan/Liquid Cooled)
○ What kind of video card are you going to use?
Once you've found all components make sure to look at the case effecting specifications for each component, for instance on a video card make sure you know how long the card is going to be. There is nothing worse then receiving your brand new case and not being able to install your hardware because the case is to small. Your tower size is severely impacted by the kinds of components you want to put in it. Even if a component fits in a PC case you need to factor in the heat that is going to be emitted from the components.
Another big contributing factor to PC case selection is going to the type of cooling your going to use. If you have a air cooled systems with a lot of heat emitting components you're going to need more breathing room so air can pass through the case with ease. Liquid cooling systems are a whole other ball park, they often need special cases that have input and output holes for liquid baring tubing. These liquid cooled systems often allow you to have a smaller case because the liquid cooling system is mounted outside the case but they can get costly if you want a good one.
Lastly you need to ask yourself one more question, where is my new PC going to be? Believe it or not this can make a difference in the case you choose. All PC's should have least 6 inches of space all the way around them to allow for air flow. Now this isn't possible in some circumstances and alternative methods of cooling may need to be used. Liquid cooled PC's can usually live in more cramped areas. Also Mini towers are often used in small enclosed areas.
Many find the thought of building their own computer to be a huge challenge and while it can be confusing it is far from being hard. The average person can build a brand new computer that looks and operates just the way they want it to, instead of buying that cookie cutter PC that you see every time you go to the store. As with any project you should always look at the pluses and the minuses before you start. Simply compile a list that looks something like the one shown below.
Note: If you are accident prone or easily frustrated cookie cutter might be the way to go.
Pluses
PC will look just like I want it to.
I can make a PC that will run exactly like I want it to.
Sky is the limit for customization.
Confidence once you get to see the final project.
Minuses
Murphy's Law: "everything that can, will go wrong!!!!!!!
Mistakes can be costly.
Frustration is a major possibility.
Okay, so everything sounds great so far but I know what's on your mind, how much is it going to cost me? Like every great politician I will answer your question with a question, what do you want it to do? If you're going to be using CAD programs, doing a lot of graphic design or gaming then you're going to need a considerably beefier PC. On the other hand if you're mainly a Internet user that likes to watch movies and listen to music, then you can build a pretty awesome PC for without spending to much cash.
If your a bargain shopper like me then use your preferred search engine and do a search for computer components. The search is going to get tons of hits but it will be pretty obvious which sites are the big hitters in the computer component sales. Sign up to be a member at all the sites you like and make sure to subscribe to their free email advertisements.
Lets get technical
Remember if this is your first time building a PC there is going to be a little bit of a learning curve. If you ever have any questions about a certain component, technology or even how something works, go on the Internet for information. When I first started of and had questions I always searched blogs or searched for local technology stores. Another great tool is YouTube, if you don't know how to assemble a certain component just watch someone else do it.
When shopping for components for your slick new PC make sure to pay attention to all the specifications of every component. All your components need to match up to the specification of your motherboard or you're going to end up with a bunch of parts that might as well be wall art. Also make sure to keep your eyes open for bundle deals because they can save you a chunk of change. Motherboards, CPU, Cases and Power Supplies often come in bundles at a reduced price. There is a catch though, make sure that your newly found bundle comes with all the appropriate accessories.
TIP: Look for computer stores in your local area that are popular with gamers and professional computer engineers. If you have a store like this nearby, drop by and give them a visit. Many times employees at these stores are very willing to answer any and all your questions and as a bonus they actually know what they are talking about.
Below is a list of components that you're going to need to construct your new PC.
Main Components
PC Case ( full-tower, mid-tower or mini-tower )
Power Supply
CPU
CPU Heatsink/Fan
Motherboard
Hard Drive
RAM
Monitor
Key Board and Mouse
Operating System
Optional Components
Optical Drive
Speaker and Subwoofer
Custom Cables ( power cables and SATA cables )
Wire Management
Case Fans
Video Card ( only optional if your motherboard has on board video )
LED's ( makes your case look sweet )
Towerskins or Emblems
Sound Card ( only optional if your motherboard has on board sound )
The limits are endless when it comes to customization of your new PC and if your like me building things leads to self gratification. Like all do it yourself projects you will have your ups and downs but overall just have fun. If you have questions or need any help feel free to ask.
