Editing Computer tower (section)

==Subclasses==
{{See also|Comparison of computer form factors}}
Tower cases are often categorized as ''mini-tower'', ''midi-tower'', ''mid-tower'', ''full-tower'', and ''deskside''. The terms are subjective and inconsistently defined by different manufacturers.<ref>{{cite book | last=Thompson | first=Robert Bruce | author2=Barbara Fritchman Thompson | date=2009 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lLLTarb7e3YC | title=Repairing and Upgrading Your PC | publisher=O'Reilly Media | page=377 | isbn=9780596552862 | via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Burek  | first=John | date=May 3, 2018 | url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/buying-a-pc-case-20-terms-you-need-to-know | title=Buying a PC Case: 20 Terms You Need to Know | work=PC Magazine | publisher=Ziff-Davis | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514051835/https://www.pcmag.com/news/buying-a-pc-case-20-terms-you-need-to-know | archivedate=May 14, 2020}}</ref><ref name=hoskins />

===Full-tower {{anchor|Full-tower case|Full-tower cases|Full tower case|Full tower cases|Full tower}}===
[[File:Computer case - Full Tower.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|A full-tower computer case from {{circa}} 2010]]
Full-tower cases, typically {{convert|20|in|cm}} or more in height, are designed for maximum scalability.<ref name=Delaney2004 /> For [[case modding]] [[computer enthusiast|enthusiast]]s and [[gamer]]s wanting to play the most technically challenging [[video game]]s, the full-tower case also makes for an ideal [[gaming PC]] case because of their ability to accommodate extensive [[computer water cooling|water cooling]] setups and larger [[computer fan|case fan]]s.<ref name=Case2002p2 /> Traditionally, full-tower systems had between four and six externally accessible half-height [[5.25-inch drive bay]]s and up to ten [[3.5-inch drive bay]]s.<ref name=Case2002p2>{{cite web | last=Case | first=Loyd | date=November 5, 2002 | url=https://www.extremetech.com/computing/52416-choosing-the-right-pc-case/2 | title=Choosing the Right PC Case | page=2 | work=ExtremeTech.com | publisher=Ziff-Davis | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803095901/https://www.extremetech.com/computing/52416-choosing-the-right-pc-case/2 | archivedate=August 3, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Delaney2004>{{cite journal | last=Delaney | first=John | date=December 14, 2004 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/203718577/ | title=The Essential Buying Guide | journal=PC Magazine | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=23 | issue=22 | pages=130–138 | via=Google Books}}</ref>{{rp|138}} Some full-tower cases included locking side-doors and other physical security features to prevent theft of the discs inside those bays.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Ung | first=Gordon Mah | date=November 2000 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RwIAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT77 | title=ATX Case Studies | journal=Maximum PC | publisher=Imagine Media | volume=5 | issue=11 | pages=84–85 | via=}}</ref> However, as modern computing technology has moved away from mechanical [[hard drive]]s and [[optical drive]]s toward [[solid-state device]]s such as [[USB flash drive]]s, [[solid-state drive]]s (SSDs), large-capacity [[external storage]], and [[cloud storage]], such an abundance of internal and external [[drive bay]]s is less common.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SSD vs. HDD: What's the Difference? |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/ssd-vs-hdd-whats-the-difference |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=PCMAG |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Kyrnin | first=Mark | date=July 16, 2021 | url=https://www.lifewire.com/death-of-the-computer-optical-drive-832403 | title=Death of the Computer Optical Drive | work=Livewire | publisher=Dotdash | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408073937/https://www.lifewire.com/death-of-the-computer-optical-drive-832403 | archivedate=April 8, 2018}}</ref> More recent full-tower cases instead only have one or two external drive bays, or none at all, with the internal bays moved elsewhere in the case to free up room and improve airflow.<ref name=Chacos2021 />

Full-tower cases readily fit full-size [[ATX]] [[motherboard]]s but may also accommodate smaller [[microATX]] motherboards due to the former standard's interoperability in mounting holes. Full-tower cases may also have increased dimensional depth and length over their shorter counterparts, allowing them to accommodate [[Extended ATX]] motherboards, larger [[graphics card]]s and [[heat sink]]s.<ref name=Chacos2021>{{cite web | last=Chacos | first=Brad | author2=Thiago Trevisan | date=September 21, 2021 | url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/407390/how-to-buy-pc-case.html | title=How to buy the perfect PC case | work=PCWorld | publisher=IDG Publications | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208042711/https://www.pcworld.com/article/407390/how-to-buy-pc-case.html | archivedate=December 8, 2021}}</ref> Since the 2010s, full-tower cases are commonly used by enthusiasts as showpiece cases with custom water cooling, [[RGB LED]] lighting, and [[tempered glass]] or [[acrylic glass|acrylics]] side panel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/corsair-obsidian-1000d-watercooled-dual-system-part-2/|last=Waldock|first=Leo|title = Corsair Obsidian 1000D Watercooled Dual System&nbsp;– Part 2|work=KitGuru|date=July 12, 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712112320/https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/corsair-obsidian-1000d-watercooled-dual-system-part-2/|archivedate=July 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/12762/corsair-launches-obsidian-1000d-supertower-case|title=When Size Matters: Corsair Launches Obsidian 1000D Super-Tower Case|date=May 15, 2018|last=Shields|first=Joe|work=AnandTech|publisher=Future plc|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180515211440/https://www.anandtech.com/show/12762/corsair-launches-obsidian-1000d-supertower-case|archivedate=May 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Hagedoorn|first=Hilbert|date=May 10, 2018|url=https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/size-does-matter-meet-the-corsair-obsidian-1000d-super-tower-pc-case.html|title = Size Does Matter? Meet the Corsair Obsidian 1000D Super Tower PC Case|work=Guru3D|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513023134/https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/size-does-matter-meet-the-corsair-obsidian-1000d-super-tower-pc-case.html|archivedate=May 13, 2018}}</ref> They may also hold two motherboards (as is the case with the [[Corsair Gaming|Corsair]] 1000D) and dual power supplies (Corsair 900D).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff writer|date=April 19, 2013|url=https://www.storagereview.com/review/corsair-obsidian-series-900d-case-review|title = Corsair Obsidian Series 900D Case Review|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710230241/https://www.storagereview.com/review/corsair-obsidian-series-900d-case-review|archivedate=July 10, 2020|work=StorageReview}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Wallossek|first=Igor|date=April 23, 2013|url=https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/obsidian-900d-case-review,3482-7.html|title = Corsair Obsidian 900D Review: Making Room for High-End Gear|work=Tom's Hardware|publisher=Future US|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20221122010742/https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/obsidian-900d-case-review,3482-7.html|archivedate=November 22, 2022}}</ref>

===Mid-tower {{anchor|Mid-tower case|Mid-tower cases|Mid tower case|Mid tower cases}}===
Mid-tower cases, usually between {{convert|16|in|cm}} and {{convert|20|in|cm}} in height, are the most common form factor of [[personal computer]] towers.<ref name=Case2002p2 /><ref name=Chacos2021 /><ref name=McFedries2008>{{cite book | last=McFedries | first=Paul | date=2008 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_yEmKNR-FWAC | title=Build It. Fix It. Own It: A Beginner's Guide to Building and Upgrading a PC | publisher=Pearson Education | page=27 | isbn=9780132713573 | via=Google Books}}</ref> Before the late 2010s, mid-towers contained between three and four 5.25-inch drive bays and an equivalent number of 3.5-inch bays to house [[optical disc drive]]s, [[floppy disk drive]]s and [[hard disk drive]]s, leaving just enough room for a standard ATX motherboard and [[power supply unit (computer)|power supply unit]].<ref name=McFedries2008 /> Since the widespread adoption of [[USB flash drive]]s, [[solid-state drive]]s (which take up far less space than spinning hard disk drives) and the declining usage of internal optical drives, the number of drive bays has become less of a concern to the contemporary computer user, the internal space of mid-towers is now used more commonly for closed-loop [[water cooling|water cooler]]s, dual [[graphics card]]s, and tightly stacked SSDs.<ref name=Chacos2021 />

===Midi-tower {{anchor|Midi-tower|Midi-tower case|Midi-tower cases}}===
The marketing term ''midi-tower'' sometimes refers to cases smaller than a mid-tower but still larger than a mini-tower (see [[#Mini-tower|below]]), typically with two to three external bays.<ref>{{cite book | last=Gilster | first=Ron | date=2000 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b2tYAAAAYAAJ&q=%22midi-tower%22+%22mini+tower%22+%22mid+tower%22 | title=PC Technician Black Book | publisher=Coriolis | page=359 | isbn=9781576108086 | via=Google Books}}</ref> Other times the term may be synonymous with ''mid-tower''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Rosch | first=Winn L. | date=2003 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S90OaKQ-IzMC&dq=%22midi-tower%22+%22in+between%22&pg=PA1065 | title=Winn L. Rosch Hardware Bible | publisher=Que | page=1065 | isbn=9780789728593 | via=Google Books}}</ref>

===Mini-tower {{anchor|Mini-tower case|Mini-tower cases|Mini tower case|Mini tower cases}}===
Mini-tower cases, between {{convert|12|in|cm}} and {{convert|16|in|cm}} in height,<ref>{{cite web | last=Staff writer | date=October 20, 2022 | url=https://logixconsulting.com/2022/10/20/mini-vs-mid-vs-full-tower-pc-cases/ | title=''Mini'' vs ''Mid'' vs ''Full'' Tower PC Cases | publisher=Logix Consulting | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123181400/https://logixconsulting.com/2022/10/20/mini-vs-mid-vs-full-tower-pc-cases/ | archivedate=November 23, 2022}}</ref> slot between the [[Mini-ITX]] specification for [[Small form factor (desktop and motherboard)|small-form-factor PCs]] and the archetypal mid-tower. Mini-towers typically will only accommodate [[microATX]] motherboards and for this reason sell in fewer numbers in the consumer market than the other size classes of computer towers.<ref name=Chacos2021 /><ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writers | date=June 2020 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2391221413/ | title=Design Your Own Desktop | journal=Computer Shopper | publisher=Future Publishing | issue=388 | pages=70–98 | via=ProQuest}}</ref>{{rp|94–95}} Traditionally, mini-towers had only one or two disk drive bays (either 5.25-inch or 3.5-inch).<ref name=Prowse2015>{{cite book | last=Prowse | first=David | date=2015 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a5tNCwAAQBAJ | title=CompTIA A+ 220-901 and 220-902 Exam Cram | publisher=Pearson Education | page=201 | isbn=9780134391496 | via=Google Books}}</ref>

===Deskside===
[[File:SGI-onyx.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|An [[SGI Onyx]] deskside computer]]
The term ''deskside'' is primarily a term of art in the [[workstation]] market, referring to computer towers with a much wider footprint than traditional domestic tower units. These wider deskside cases accommodate a far greater amount of [[central processing unit]]s (CPUs), drive bays, memory slots, [[expansion slot]]s, [[peripheral]]s, and [[Input/output|I/O adapters]], among other devices.<ref name=hoskins>{{cite book | last=Hoskins | first=Jim | date=1996 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=In8ZAQAAIAAJ | title=IBM RISC System/6000: A Business Perspective | publisher=Wiley | page=99 | isbn=9780471129592 | via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last=Bakoglu | first=H. B. | author2=Gregory F. Grohoski | author3=Robert K. Montoye | date=January 1990 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ot9UAAAAMAAJ | title=The IBM RISC System/6000 Processor: Hardware Overview | journal=IBM Journal of Research and Development | publisher=International Business Machines Corporation | volume=34 | issue=1 | pages=12–22 | doi=10.1147/rd.341.0012 | via=Google Books| url-access=subscription }}</ref>{{rp|20}}<ref>{{cite journal | last=Sauer | first=Jeff | date=June 23, 1997 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A19534932/GPS?u=wikipedia | title=All clones are not created equal | journal=NewMedia | publisher= HyperMedia Communications | volume=7 | issue=8 | pages=55 ''et seq'' | via=Gale}}</ref>{{rp|57}}