Perspective on choosing a case.

[Guest]

Hello,
is it wise to choose my case with the expectancy that it will be useful for 5 years? 10 years? Or, should I treat the case like just another part that will be upgraded in a few years? I ask because lately I've become obsessed with the idea that all parts will be upgraded, but that each part has a longer life in terms of usefulness in keeping up with today's software demands. If this is true then I believe a 'cost to life' ratio would be a good idea. So a quick evaluation of parts comprising a home machine would leave me with the conclusion that the case if purchased wisely would be the 1 computer part that is upgraded least frequently. If this theory is true, then perhaps custom building my case from scratch could be special, or perhaps just choosing a case that would seem to accommodate the technology of the foreseeable future. Perhaps spending obscene amounts of money is only justified when purchasing the case? On a side-note perhaps it's more practical to just mount parts on a sheet of wood then enclosing them with transparent container with proper ventilation assessment. What really is a case? Just a container? Anyway, the real question is vague here so I'll restate. Is it wise to purchase/build a computer case with future expansion in mind or should it be purchased with the idea that it will be replaced soon? Forgive me and thank you, cherished minds.

 

[amuffin]

A case usually can last 3-5 years, and it all depends on your budget! You want a case with great cooling and good case durability.

 

[a4mula]

There are definitely parts of a pc build that can be reused in future builds. Just look at keyboards, mice, speakers, headsets, monitors as prime examples. Cases do have a longer lifespan than say a cpu as the ATX standard has remained tough to beat. That being said there aren't too many cases from 5 years ago that I'd still consider using in a build today. Then again there wasn't the same premium placed on cases 5 years ago. The vast majority of cases today are built with enthusiasts in mind. It's an interesting conversation.

My Quick List of Reusable parts from least to most:

0-1 Year Lifespan: CPU, GPU
1-2 Year Lifespan: Motherboard, Memory, SSD
3-4 Year Lifespan: HDD, PSU (not that I'd recommend this)
4-6 Year Lifespan: Case, Monitor
Indefinite Lifespan: Keyboard, Mouse, Headset, Speakers

So if you build a new pc every two years you could get away with using quite a few parts from your previous build. This isn't an exact science as my last build was right at a year ago, and I couldn't reuse my 1156 mobo for a current system, but then again everyone knew 1156 was a deadend when it arrived. LGA2011 will more than likely be a socket that will see us through a full tick/tock cycle.

So, case lifespan as a viable part I'd put right at 5 years or 2 solid builds.

 

[Shavako]

That started to get deep there for a second.

Anyway, like amuffin said, a case will last 3-5 years. The more you spend the closer you get to a ~5 year life span. This doesn't hold true for everyone though. I know a few people who have been using the same case for upwards of 7 years. If you get a durable case that has plenty of room, cooling and the latest tech it could easily last you 5+ years if you wanted it to. As long as you don't beat the hell out of it of course.

 

[Guest]

There are definitely parts of a pc build that can be reused in future builds. Just look at keyboards, mice, speakers, headsets, monitors as prime examples. Cases do have a longer lifespan than say a cpu as the ATX standard has remained tough to beat. That being said there aren't too many cases from 5 years ago that I'd still consider using in a build today. Then again there wasn't the same premium placed on cases 5 years ago. The vast majority of cases today are built with enthusiasts in mind. It's an interesting conversation.

My Quick List of Reusable parts from least to most:

0-1 Year Lifespan: CPU, GPU
1-2 Year Lifespan: Motherboard, Memory, SSD
3-4 Year Lifespan: HDD, PSU (not that I'd recommend this)
4-6 Year Lifespan: Case, Monitor
Indefinite Lifespan: Keyboard, Mouse, Headset, Speakers

So if you build a new pc every two years you could get away with using quite a few parts from your previous build. This isn't an exact science as my last build was right at a year ago, and I couldn't reuse my 1156 mobo for a current system, but then again everyone knew 1156 was a deadend when it arrived. LGA2011 will more than likely be a socket that will see us through a full tick/tock cycle.

So, case lifespan as a viable part I'd put right at 5 years or 2 solid builds.

Thank you very much. I am truly privileged to have access to your wisdom on this matter. I wish I could reinforce your kindness with payment. Unfortunately my budget is so tight that I was going to buy a case hoping that within a few months and upward to a year I could afford a nice motherboard. Now I think I'll build with a new view, that the complete system should be built nearly at the same time. I generally build for data transfer rates as chess and analysis of it are my game. A game that doesn't quite fit the norm when talking about gaming machines. Pure processing power, with nice CPU caches, and high FSB shine. Also getting the data to the processor from drives is a big deal and then later transferring completed analysis off site for the community to approve and enjoy. Aside from the 'fermi' based CUDA personal supercomputer idea, I probably don't need high-end graphics at all. Thank you again for your time and generosity.

 

[Guest]

Best answer selected by marcustheadore.