Editing Computer tower

{{Short description|Computer case that stands vertically upright}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
[[File:Falcon Northwest Talon.png|thumb|A mid-tower computer case from {{circa}} 2011]]
In [[personal computing]], a '''tower unit''', or simply a '''tower''', is a [[computer form factor|form factor]] of [[desktop computer|desktop]] [[computer case]] whose height is much greater than its width, thus having the appearance of an upstanding [[tower block]], as opposed to a traditional "[[pizza box form factor|pizza box]]" computer case whose width is greater than its height and appears lying flat.

Compared to a pizza box case, the tower tends to be larger and offers more potential for internal volume for the same desk area occupied, and therefore allows more [[computer hardware|hardware]] installation and theoretically better [[airflow]] for [[computer cooling|cooling]]. Multiple size subclasses of the tower form factor have been established to differentiate their varying sizes, including '''full-tower''', '''mid-tower''', '''midi-tower''', '''mini-tower''', and '''deskside'''; these classifications are however nebulously defined and inconsistently applied by different manufacturers.

Although the traditional layout for a tower system is to have the case placed on top of the desk alongside the [[computer monitor|monitor]] and other [[peripheral]]s, a far more common configuration is to place the case on the floor below the desk or in an under-desk compartment, in order to free up desktop space for other items.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Crossman | first=Craig | date=October 3, 1993 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/288565042/ | title=PC 'tower' configuration saves desktop space | journal=The Salt Lake Tribune | page=F5 | via=ProQuest}}</ref> Computer systems housed in the horizontal "pizza box" form factor—once popularized by the [[IBM Personal Computer|IBM PC]] in the 1980s but fallen out of mass use since the late 1990s—have been given the term ''desktops'' to contrast them with ''towers'' that are often situated under the desk.

==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}}

==History==
[[File:Ibm pc 5150.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|The horizontally configured system unit of the original [[IBM Personal Computer|IBM PC]] set a ''de facto'' standard for the physical setup of personal computers from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s.]]
The tower form factor may be seen as a proportional miniaturization of [[mainframe computer]]s and [[minicomputer]]s, some of which comprise massive tall enclosures standing almost to the ceiling.<ref>{{cite book | last=Chambers | first=Mark L. | date=2011 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6dz1oA7SKg4C&pg=PA46 | title=Building a PC for Dummies | publisher=Wiley | page=46 | isbn=9781118084823 | via=Google Books}}</ref> In the advent of the [[microcomputer]] era, most systems were configured with the [[Keyboard computer|keyboard built into the same chassis]] that the main system [[circuit board]] resides. Such computers were also termed ''[[home computer]]s'' and counted such popular systems as the [[Apple II]], [[TRS-80]], [[VIC-20]], and [[Commodore 64]], among others. In 1981, IBM introduced the [[IBM Personal Computer]], a system which was met widespread adoption in both enterprises and home businesses within a couple years and set a new ''de facto'' standard for the physical configuration of microcomputers. The IBM PC and successors housed the system board and [[expansion card]]s in a separate horizontal unit, with the keyboard usually in front and the prescribed [[Cathode-ray tube|CRT]] monitor resting on top of the system unit; the front of the system unit houses one or more disk drives.<ref name=hackaday>{{cite journal | last=Benchoff | first=Brian | date=February 16, 2018 | url=https://hackaday.com/2018/02/16/whatever-happened-to-the-desktop-computer/ | title=Whatever Happened to the Desktop Computer? | journal=Hackaday | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216160111/https://hackaday.com/2018/02/16/whatever-happened-to-the-desktop-computer/ | archivedate=February 16, 2018}}</ref>

In 1982, [[NCR Corporation|NCR]] introduced the Tower series of [[workstation]] computers, named so for their tall, upright configuration, intended to be stowed away under a desk. The first, the Tower 1632, is 29 inches tall and featured a [[Motorola 68000]] microprocessor. Costing upwards of $12,500, the 1632 is meant to run [[Unix]] and supports up to 16 simultaneous networked users.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=December 13, 1982 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GzAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA60 | title=Hardware News: New systems | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=4 | issue=49 | page=60 | via=Google Books}}</ref> NCR continued adding to the Tower line into the late 1980s.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Henkel | first=Tom | date=February 20, 1984 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5pw6ePUC8YYC&pg=PA6 | title=NCR brings out Cobol-oriented supermicro | journal=Computerworld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=XVIII | issue=8 | page=6 | via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last=Chabal | first=Priscilla M. | date=October 13, 1986 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pDwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA5 | title=NCR Introduces Unix-Based 32-Bit to Fill Out Tower Supermicro Family | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=8 | issue=41 | page=5 | via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last=Warner | first=Edward | date=March 9, 1987 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zzAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17 | title=NCR Adds 32-Bit Unix Machine to Tower Line | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=9 | issue=10 | page=17 | via=Google Books}}</ref>

In 1983, [[Tandy Corporation]] offered their [[Tandy 2000]] with an optional floor stand, turning the normally horizontal desktop case on its side and allowing it to be stashed under-desk; the square badge on the Tandy 2000 can be removed and rotated upright in turn.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Mace | first=Scott | date=December 12, 1983 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5i8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA23 | title=Tandy unveils MS-DOS micro with 80186 chip | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=5 | issue=50 | pages=19–23 | via=Google Books}}</ref> IBM followed suit with their [[IBM Personal Computer/AT|PC/AT]] in 1984, which included an optional "floor-standing enclosure" for $165.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=August 20, 1984 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A570207/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=IBM Introduces PC AT Adv. Technology | journal=Electronic News | publisher=Sage Publications | volume=30 | issue=1511 | page=21 | via=Gale}}</ref> Of the three initial entrants in the company's [[IBM RT PC|RT PC]] line in 1986, two were tower units, while the other was a traditional horizontal case like the AT and the PCs before it.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=July 21, 1986 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yi8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44 | title=Add-On Hard Disk Drives Introduced for IBM RT PC | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=8 | issue=29 | page=44 | via=Google Books}}</ref>
[[File:DeuxPS2.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|An IBM [[IBM PS/2 Model 60|PS/2 Model 60]] ''(left)'' and an [[IBM PS/2 Model 80|PS/2 Model 80]] ''(right)'' side by side. These models were IBM's first Intel-based PCs built in a tower form factor.]]
In 1987, IBM introduced the [[IBM PS/2 Model 60|PS/2 Model 60]], an initial entry in the company's [[IBM PS/2|Personal System/2]] line of personal computers. It was IBM's first Intel-based PC built entirely into a tower case.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Rosch | first=Winn L. | date=July 1987 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LRBokcwLB70C&pg=PA136 | title=IBM Personal System/2 Model 60 | journal=PC Magazine | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume= | issue= | pages=136–148 | via=Google Books}}</ref> The PS/2 Model 60 was comparable in technical specification to its sibling the [[IBM PS/2 Model 50|PS/2 Model 50]], which sported a horizontal desktop form factor. Whereas the Model 50 had only four expansion slots and three drive bays, however, the Model 60 featured eight expansion slots and four drive bays. Because of the latter's increased potential for connectivity and multitasking, technology journalists envisioned the PS/2 Model 60 as a multiuser machine, although multiuser operating systems supporting the [[Intel 80286|80286]] processor of both the Models 50 and 60 were hard to come by in 1987.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Lewis | first=Peter H. | date=September 15, 1987 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/15/science/personal-computers-ibm-leaps-from-desk-to-floor.html | title=I.B.M. Leaps from Desk to Floor | journal=The New York Times | page=C4 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524212854/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/15/science/personal-computers-ibm-leaps-from-desk-to-floor.html | archivedate=May 24, 2015}}</ref> IBM followed up with the tower-based [[IBM PS/2 Model 80|PS/2 Model 80]] later that year, their first PC powered by an [[Intel 80386|i386]] processor.<ref name=model80>{{cite journal | last=LaPlante | first=Alice | date=August 10, 1987 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yDsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PP1 | title=New Model 80 Offers 314MB Disk | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=IDB Publications | volume=9 | issue=32 | pages=1, 89 | via=Google Books}}</ref>

According to ''[[The New York Times]]'' in 1988, the PS/2 Models 60 and 80 started the trend of computer manufacturers offering [[IBM PC compatible]]s in optional tower form factors:

{{quote|text=A countertrend is to take PCs off the desk and put them on the floor. IBM started it with the tower configuration for its PS/2 Models 60 and 80, and at least a dozen companies were showing floor-standing PCs at [[COMDEX|Comdex]]. Freed from the need to fit on a desk, some of the tower models are actually getting bigger to accommodate large disk drives, a variety of floppy drives and backup devices, and room for up to a dozen slots for plug-in boards.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Lewis | first=Peter H. | date=May 24, 1988 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/24/science/personal-computers-pc-s-on-a-target-range.html | title=PC's on a Target Range | journal=The New York Times | page=C10 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525092951/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/24/science/personal-computers-pc-s-on-a-target-range.html | archivedate=May 25, 2015}}</ref>}}

Aftermarket floor stands, allowing existing horizontal desktop computers to be stored upright on the floor, were sold in the late 1980s by companies such as [[Curtis Computer Products]].<ref name=":0" /> Recommending such kits in ''[[The Washington Post]]'' in 1989, Brit Hume called the tower the best configuration for ergonomics and noted that, "Contrary to popular myth, standing vertically will not hurt the computer or throw off your disk drives."<ref name=":0">{{cite news | last=Hume | first=Brit | date=September 4, 1989 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1989/09/04/incorporating-ergonomics-into-your-computer-workstation/b2a4d4fd-e6a5-4189-97cc-06ff25697610/ | title=Incorporating Ergonomics into Your Computer Workstation | newspaper=The Washington Post | page=F13 | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20221123192603/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1989/09/04/incorporating-ergonomics-into-your-computer-workstation/b2a4d4fd-e6a5-4189-97cc-06ff25697610/ | archivedate=November 23, 2022 | url-status=live}}</ref>

The transition in dominance from horizontal desktop computers to towers was mostly complete by 1994, according to a period article in ''[[PC Week]]''.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Dennen | first=Ed | date=July 18, 1994 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A15582553/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=How can it be a desktop if it isn't on top of the desk? | journal=PC Week | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=11 | issue=28 | page=69 | via=Gale}}</ref> Computer cases or pre-built systems offered in the traditional horizontal form factor have since been separately categorized as ''desktops'', to contrast them with the usually-floor-situated towers.<ref name=Prowse2015 />

Brian Benchoff of ''[[Hackaday]]'' argued that the popularity of the [[Macintosh Quadra 700]] was the turning point for computer manufacturers to move over to the tower form factor en masse. The tower form factor of the Quadra 700 was by necessity: common peripherals of the Quadra were the relatively extremely heavy color CRT [[Apple displays|monitors offered by Apple]] (those whose screens measured 20 inches and over diagonally could weigh 80&nbsp;lbs or more) favored by the [[desktop publishing]] industry during the 1990s. Such monitors threatened to crush the plastic frames of the [[Macintosh IIcx]] and [[Macintosh IIci]]; customers might have been tempted to fit such heavy monitors atop the IIcx and IIci because of their horizontal form factor.<ref name=hackaday />

==See also==
* [[Thin client]]
* [[All-in-one computer]]
* [[Desktop computer#Form factor|Desktop form factor]]
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==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Computer sizes}}

[[Category:Classes of computers]]
[[Category:Computer enclosure|Tower]]
[[Category:Desktop computers]]