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what is the diffrence from a mid tower case and a regular i bought a atx form factor but not sure what case to buy i know not micro so plz help

motherboard sizes:
Computer form factor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

differences between case sizes:
Newegg.com - Learning Center,Computer Cases

In general, each motherboard and case form factor (FF) is intended for a bracket user type. When you are deciding which case or mobo to buy, you do so based on its intended function. A few examples are below:

Standard ATX - These are the most commonly used/available cases and motherboard size. They offer limited expansion room to permit basic future upgrades, but are still compact and light enough to be suitable in small office or home applications and are easier to work with.

MicroATX - These are smaller boards and cases, primarily seen on "budget" PC's or very basic business machines. They offer very little, if any, room for expansion/upgrade, but they are very compact and take up little space. When you need a simple PC with basic application use and minimal cost, micro is the choice.

Full ATX - With motherboards, there is often little or no difference in an ATX and Full ATX. But in regards to a case, the full ATX will offer a lot more space for drive bays, cooling systems, larger PSU, or fancy cosmetics like neon lights or disco balls. The larger ATX cases are also often made out of much heavier materials such as all-aluminum. And if you do find a true "extended ATX" board, you will most likely need a full ATX case for it.

You can even find what are called "Cube cases" which are sometimes the size of a shoebox. There are also "multimedia cases" which are designed specifically for use in a PC-based home media center.


If you already have a standard ATX board and just want to choose which case to buy, you can get either a mid-tower or full-tower. The mid-tower is a standard ATX case, while the full-tower is an ATX/EATX case. Full cases, as mentioned above, will be much larger and heavier but will also offer a lot of room for drive bays, cooling fans, larger PSU, liquid cooling units, etc. The larger towers will also have room for additional cooling fans, often multiple 120mm. I always go with the full ATX just because I'd rather have more than less when it comes time to upgrade.

To narrow it down. Just make sure all your hardware will fit into the case, leaving plenty of air flow.
If your unsure post your specs here and we will be happy to help you.

mid tower is considered regular case

ATX size board is in blue EATX is in red.




If you are running more than one graphic card, or have a lot of drives then go with Big Tower.

Newegg.com - Antec Twelve Hundred V3 Black Steel ATX Full Tower Unbeatable Gaming Case

Another thing to consider when selecting a case is not just the size, but also several other factors. A few examples are below.

1) Material/durability - If you plan to just have it sitting there hidden in a corner where it's out of the way, and you don't plan on packing it for LAN parties or going on vacation, most normal cases are fine. If you usually have your case at floor level, where it's more likely to get kicked or bumped, or if you transport it around for various reasons, then you might consider one of the heavy-duty cases.

2) Screw-less or Tool-less - Certain cases will have a "screw-less" or "tool-less" design that means you don't require the use of screws on drive bays and in some cases even on the PCI slots. If you do a lot of troubleshooting, upgrades, etc this is a no-brainer.

3) Slide-out motherboard tray - As with the above, these make working on your board a lot easier because you don't have to unscrew/dismount the mobo from the case, you just slide it out. That means you can leave all cards installed, although in some cases you might just need to unplug a few things. When you do a lot of upgrades or plan to install new toys in the near future, this saves a lot of work. It's also a lot easier to maintain hardcore systems that require frequent dusting out.

4) Layout - It's always a good idea to look at the overall layout of how the components will sit after everything is installed, and to make sure you are getting a good airflow. Some cases will offer great flow while others can make dust and hot air get choked up inside. The layout will also determine how easy it is to access different components for upgrades or maintenance.


A good example of the case I personally recommend to most of the people I build for is THIS ONE. It offers most of the features mentioned above, such as no-tool and a slide-out mobo tray, plus it offers a lot of drive slots and extra placement options for additional fans (or HDD). Another feature that it offers that most people overlook is the fact that it has an extendable PSU tray to support just about any power supply you'd ever want, even the larger 1200 and 1600 watt models.

The key is to first figure out all of the components you plan to use in the future, and select a case that will hopefully offer just a little more room than necessary. This way you still have plenty of room for unplanned upgrades without the worry of buying a whole new case at the time of the upgrades.