Photo of a man gaming
Photo by Florian Olivo

Have you ever thought about building your own gaming PC? Today we’re going to look at the box that will hold your dream rig together – the humble computer case.

Choosing a PC is pretty straightforward if you don’t need it to do anything fancy, but if you’re a serious gamer, or someone who works with a lot of demanding media assets like 4k video, then you might find yourself nonplussed with the out-of-the-box PC options. And while building a PC yourself may seem like a daunting challenge, it’s actually not as hard as you might imagine. If you do some online research you’ll probably find out that it is well within your capabilities.

Make your PC stand out with a great case

A photo of the Thermaltake View 31 Tower Case
Thermaltake View 31 TG RGB Tempered Glass Mid Tower Case with 3x RGB Ring Fans

The computer case is a great chance to make your PC really stand out. Most PCs are pretty drab things, but nowadays you can build your own PC with a case that has transparent siding, multi-coloured LCD lighting, and a wicked futuristic look. The case is primarily responsible for holding all your components in place, but why not take advantage of the opportunity to make it something eye-catching too?

Before you choose your case however, you might want to decide what kind of machine you’ll be building. For example, you can choose between a mid-tower, a mini-tower, a micro-ATX or a mini-ATX. If you’re building a gaming PC however, you’ll probably go with a mid-tower, because the high performance graphics card you’ll need will be too big for a smaller case. You’ll also need a fully loaded cooling system, and the best gaming cases, like the Panzer Max PC Gaming Case, come with these built in. Whatever case you choose, however, be sure it has unrestricted airflow when all your components are installed.

A photo of the CONQUER PC Gaming Case
The CONQUER PC Gaming Case

The beauty of building your own PC is that you get to really understand what’s going on under the hood. And further down the road if you decide you want to upgrade your processor, or your hard drive, or your graphics card, or any other component, you can easily do that.

Cable management is a must

Another key consideration when choosing a gaming case is cable management. If you go for a transparent machine, you don’t want to spoil the overall aesthetic with a tangle of cables inside. Also, that tangle may adversely affect the flow of air through the machine, which is vital for proper cooling. It’s also nice to be able to easily access components should you need too.

Keep it cool while you game

As mentioned earlier, adequate cooling is an absolute necessity, and something you need to consider from the get-go. Some cases do come with built in cooling, but if you decide to design your own cooling solution, consider using a silent fan option. Common fans are 120mm, whereas silent fans are 140mm, so keep this in mind when your choosing your case.

Watch out for dust!

Filtration is another thing to keep in mind, as those fans will be pulling in air from outside the machine, so whatever particles happen to be in the vicinity may will be drawn towards the air intake. I’m always amazed at the accumulation of dust and fluff around my own PCs intakes!

I hope I’ve given you some food for thought if you are thinking about assembling your own gaming PC. Be sure to check out all the PC components available here at BestBuy.ca, and if it just sounds like too much work, maybe a pre-built desktop computer is the way to go!

 

 

 

Justin Morrison
I am a professional photographer, working in motion and stills. I create portrait, lifestyle and documentary work, and I strive to tell real and authentic stories. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia.