Chapter 15: The System Case^353
Desktop Cases
Although this case style is not as popular in recent years as it once was, desktop cases are
still generally available from most PC manufacturers and resellers. Because it also dou-
blesasthebaseforthePC’smonitor,thedesktopcaseisactuallymorespaceefficientthan
the mid-sized tower models. Some tower styles are small enough to sit on a deskto pbut
cannot hold the monitor and end u pusing more s pace than a deskto punit would. There
are still situations in which the deskto pPC is better suited than a tower PC, primarily in
situations where floor space is limited.
Until about the last year or so, the deskto pcase style was the unofficial standard for
PC cases. The first PCs, the PC XT and PC AT, were deskto punits. The deskto pcases of
today are smaller than those of the original PC AT and its clones. The common desktop
form factor is the Baby AT and now the LPX low profile case, which is also known as the
pizza box case. Newer slimline cases, such as the NLX, which was designed to replace the
LPX, are becoming more popular.
Tower Cases
In today’s market, the tower case style is by far more popular than the desktop case style.
This is largely because a tower case can sit under a user’s desk to free u pworks pace, and
itprovidesmoreinternalspaceinsidethecaseforexpandedorupgradingthePCthanthe
desktop case. Three of the more popular tower case sizes are the minitower, midtower,
and full tower.
Figure 15-10. A family of PC cases. Photo courtesy of Enlight Corporation