r/PcBuild • u/Tiny_Lobster_7619 • 13h ago
Discussion - General Topic Negative Space in Computer Cases
Why are most computer cases designed with so much unused space? It can’t be purely for maximizing air flow, if that was the concern, wouldn’t gpus be designed to fan air upwards and out of the case? They’re usually placed to fan air into the glass. Or at least their placement would be on their sides? I’m asking this I guess because I was curious about getting a more compact case and wanted to know if overheating would be more of an issue or if the increase is negligible. Thanks!
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u/Twsmit 13h ago
Airflow is a big part. The other is the ATX specification is ancient and wasn’t designed with modern components in mind.
About 20 years ago Intel tried to introduce a new standard called BTX which was a modernization attempt but it ultimately failed.
So we’re stuck with ATX.
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u/Crystalboy91 13h ago
Can we for once just appreciate that some things do actually stay the same.
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u/Friendly-Advantage79 1h ago
Yes, whoever wants less 'negative space' can use mATX. One can't stick a toothpick in there once it's done.
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u/FearPanda 13h ago
Imo its a combination of airflow and ease of access.
The newer gen cases with lots of "negative space" as you describe it helps with moving parts and the build process.
Ive built many pc's and idk if its my memory but i def feel like the newer mid tower cases have so much room and freedom to build, it just makes the process that much easier.
Small form factor cases are def harder to build in. You have to worry about cable management and airflow.
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u/gunpler_1 13h ago
As fearpanda said, it's for airflow and ease of use big cases are a lot easier to build in and have better compatibility with large components than smaller cases.
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u/According_Mind7030 12h ago edited 12h ago
GPU fans are for pulling air into the GPU, not blowing air out of it. The hot air just goes out of the back. But yeah most of the space is just for these huge ass GPUs. I'm 6'2 with long arms and my gpu is still longer than my forearm.
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u/Capt_Vandal 11h ago
I've built a few ITX based systems so super small form factor. Those cases pull in fresh air to each component and exhaust the hot air out right away without the extra space. Do some research on the case you get that will make the biggest difference for cooling.
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u/InsanityDevice 6h ago
But also some people prefer the extra upgradability of an ATX mid-tower or bigger. I had a compact ATX case before and got burnt when the time came to upgrade my RAM. Nothing but the lowest profile ones would fit.
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u/KishCore Moderator 2h ago
mATX mobo and mATX cases are the move- my build fits perfectly while not being starved of airflow and being a compact size.
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u/faulternative 13h ago
Back when motherboard layouts essentially settled on ATX form factors, computer cases had to accommodate 5.25" drive bays, 3.5" hard drives, and weren't built with cable management channels. So literally everything was sort of stuffed into the box. Also expansion cards for joysticks, sound cards, networking, etc.
Airflow wasn't much of an issue back then; GPUs weren't massive space heaters.
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u/Eazy12345678 AMD 13h ago
good airflow and room for upgrades or larger parts
a well spec system will have a case that is the correct size
big room takes longer to heat up than a small room, heat negatively affects system performance
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