Your Computers Case Your computer's case plays a large part in the overall expandability, protection, cooling and

lifetime of your system. Expandability At one time or another you may decide to add something to your computer. Maybe a CD Player, Zip Drive, a second Hard Drive, Floppy or Tape Drive. These fit on shelves in your computer called Bays. If there are no extra bays, then theres no place for these devices to go. These bays can be 3.5 inches or 5.25 inches wide. There are internal and external bays. You can notice the external bays by looking at the front of your case. Devices like floppy drives and CD-ROMs slide into external bays and can be seen (and accessed) from the front of your system case. If you have unused bays, they will have a plastic faceplate over them (or at least they should have). If you see that you have empty external bays, then you know that at least there's room to add another of this type of device. Remember however, that hard drives are sometimes hidden behind these faceplates, so a look inside the case will tell you for sure. Hard drives are generally situated in internal bays because there is no need for physical outside access. You must look inside the case to see if you have any free internal expansion bays. Any device added to your system requires power, and your power supply has to have enough juice to supply that power. If you have a 150 or 200-watt power supply, your system may be limited to the amount of devices that can be added. Most cases come with a power supply, but make sure. Getting Your Hands in There You may at one time or another, have to remove, change or check a device in your computer. You want to be able to access that device without too much difficulty. It would be nice if you didn't have to remove the ribbon cables and expansion cards just to install another DIMM, or replace a battery. Or, if you're the type that likes to just jam his hand in amongst all that stuff, it would be nice to be able to remove it without accidentally loosening or removing other connections. On some cases you can loosen a single screw, and completely remove the drive bays for easy access to the drives and their mounting screws. Others have access ports for the screws on the back plate of the case. However, Ive seen some drive bays that are spot-welded in place without access ports, and you just about have to remove the motherboard to access the screws for the drives. Think about what you want to put inside and make sure there's enough room for access. Protection A good, rigid, well built case can protect the internal components from dust, vibration, foreign objects, ESD and EMI. Electromagnetic interference is not always

an easy one to nail down. My computer has a good solid case, but when you watch TV, you can tell if the computer is on or not. You can find cheap cases that fit together so poorly, or are so flimsy, that they actually rattle when the computer is turned on. One thing that can be bad for your system are vibrations caused by outside sources; whether its a panel or cover that rattles, a desk drawer being closed, or a printer that doesnt operate the smoothest. The stability of the case makes a big difference. Some of the case frames are left unfinished, resulting in sharp edges, burrs and metal slivers. Ribbon cables and wires (and your fingers) can be nicked or cut by these sharp edges just by removing or replacing the outside cover. Companies that actually put some research and development into their product will address these issues. You should think about them when you purchase. As with just about everything, you usually get what you pay for. Longevity Heat shortens the life of electronic components. The different devices and components inside your case need room to breathe and release heat build-up. Sometimes, things are packed so tightly inside your system case that you cant even get your hand in to remove a cable or an expansion card, let alone allow for any kind of air flow. Air flow is needed to cool down the components and devices inside the case. The cooler that your computer operates, the longer it will last. The fan on the power supply is made to help cool the power supply as it operates. The way the case is built should allow the intake of cooler air through vents, draw it over the different components inside to help cool them, and push the heated air out. Some cases come with auxiliary fans that fit over the intake vents to add to the airflow inside. Its important not to interrupt this flow. Dont pack things around the case or obstruct the intake vents. Keep the intake vents clean and clear of grime and dust balls. Also, by leaving the expansion slot inserts off the back of the case, or the faceplate off unused external bays, you could possibly be changing the way the air flows through your case and reducing cooling efficiency. If you have a system that seems to run fine, then just shuts itself off after a half hour or so, check out the operating temperature of the CPU. See that the fans are working on the power supply and the CPU's heatsink. Your Computer's Case (continued...) Switches and LEDs If you look at the front of your case you can see the devices thatare installed in the external bays and get an idea as to how manyunused bays you have. You will also notice one or more switches and LED lights.

Power switch To start your computer, you have to turn on the power supply. At one time, the power switch for your computer was on the power supply itself, and you had to reach around to the back of your computer to turn it on and off. This was inconvenient, troublesome, and a real pain in the neck. Most cases today have a remote power switch on the front of the case. Reset switch When you first start your computer, it goes through a series of self-tests (POST Power-On Self Test) before it actually initializes itself and starts up the operating system. The reset switch performsthe same function as a warm boot (ctrl+alt+del) which restarts your computer with an abbreviated version of POST, taking a little time off the startup process. With Win95/98s restart option on the Start menu, todays computer cases may or may not have a reset switch. Turbo switch When computer speeds started to increase dramatically, oldersoftware programs sometimes worked too fast. This was especially noticeable in games. By pushing the Turbo switch, you could slowthe speed down to where these programs were still usable. This also became the number one cause for a lot of trouble calls from people complaining that their computer "just doesnt work as fast as it used to". Most cases today dont have a Turbo switch. Keylock switch Most new cases dont have a Keylock switch. By inserting and turning a key in this lock, you could shut off access to the keyboard, thus denying unwanted users from accessing your computer or preventing an accidental keystroke from interfering or interrupting a currently active program. These are still found on network servers. Power LED This light tells you when the power is on to your computer. Hard Drive LED This light will go on, or flicker, every time your hard drive iswritten to or read from. It lets you know whenever the hard drive is being accessed. Turbo LED Not found on newer cases, the Turbo light would tell you when the Turbo switch had been pushed. Speed LED The Speed Indicator LED is supposed to indicate the speed (in megahertz) that your computer runs. The problem is, they dont actually read the speed. These LEDs have to be set using an array of jumpers in the front panel of the case. If you change the speed of your computer, these indicators wont change unless you

physically change the jumpers. Unless you have the instructions (cases dont always come with instructions), you dont have much of a chance at guessing the jumper configuration. Theres getting to be fewer and fewer computer cases with Speed Indicator LEDs. Each device installed in a cases external drive bay (floppy drive, CD-ROM, tape drive, etc.) will usually have its own indicator LED on the front bezel that will come on or flicker when that device is being accessed. The back of your computer will have holes and slots cut into the frame. These holes allow for the back of expansion cards and any I/O ports that your external devices can plug into. Any slot or hole that is empty should have a cover on it. These are easy to distinguish from any venting holes that might be on the back of your case (venting holes should not be covered). The back of the power supply will also be exposed here showing you the power supply fan vent and the plug for the power cord. Your Computer's Case (continued...) Case Styles Basically, there are two different styles of system cases today. The Desktop and the Tower. The desktop case sits flat on the top of your desk with the monitor situated on top. This was the style of IBM's original PC, XT and AT models. These early desktops were fairly large and bulky, taking up a lot of real estate on the desk. The obvious trend was for manufacturers to make them smaller and more compact. Unfortunately, as you make the case smaller, things inside get a little crowded. Access to the different components becomes much more cramped, cooling is a lot less efficient, and there's less room for expansion. Desktops usually have two or three external drive bays and 1 or 2 internal bays. The slimline case is even smaller. It's shorter, narrower, and looks a lot less bulky on your desk. This is about the only appeal these machines may have. Slimline computers are very proprietary, not well cooled at all, and have about zero room for expansion. Slimlines usually have one or two external bays and one internal. The tower case sits on end, taking up less square area space and offering a better variety of sizes than a desktop. It allows for a lot more choice as to location, depending of course on the particular size. It can sit on the desk beside the monitor, on a separate shelf, or on the floor beside the desk. On the negative side, it should be mentioned that cases on the floor may be more prone to kicks and bumps and in some locations, the cords may have to be extended. Tower cases have much

better air flow, better accessability to internal components, and (except for the micros and ultra low end models) allow for more upgrade and expansion capability. Full Tower -largest, up to 36" high -sits on floor -larger power supplies, 350 watts or more -may have 2 X 3.5" and 4 or more 5.25" external bays -may have 4 or more internal drive bays -very roomy inside. Better cooling -most expensive

Mid Tower -power supply - 200 - 300 watts -quite popular size -approx 17-20 inches in height -2 X 3.5" and 3 X 5.25"external drive bays -2 or 3 internal drive bays -less room than a full tower to work inside -still cools really well -still room for expansion

Mini Tower -very popular size -smallest of the tower cases (...sub-mini and micro?) -can be less than 14 inches high -power supply 200 to 250 watts -cools better than a desktop case (but not much) -2 X 3.5" and 2 X 5.25" external drive bays -1 or 2 internal drive bays -a little cramped inside Note: The sub-mini and micro size cases are actually smaller than the mini tower. These cases have 1 or 2 external drive bays and only 1 internal bay. The sub-mini and micro are targeted at the low end computer market and usually have very limited possibility for upgrade and no room for expansion. Remember too, that there can be some pretty fine lines between the different case styles. One company's mid-tower might be another company's midi-tower. One might take out a single 5-1/4" bay, and call it a mini-tower, whereas the next manufacturer may still refer to it as a mid-tower.

Form Factors Cases come in different sizes and styles, and so do motherboards. The size and shape of the circuit board, the position of the components, the position of the screw holes, and the technology incorporated make up a motherboards form factor. If you buy a new computer, its not really a problem, the system board is already in the case. But, if you're building a computer, or buying a new case for a computer, then you have to be sure the case will accomodate the motherboards form factor. The case gets its form factor name based on the form factor of the motherboard that it will accomodate. The PC/XT was the original form factor introduced by IBM. It only came in desktop form and, though it looked pretty high-tech and streamlined at the time, was fairly large and clunky. They're not made anymore, they were replaced by the AT form factor. Because technology had advanced somewhat, components were becoming smaller (the evolution continues to this day). Components on the AT motherboard were positioned a little more efficiently, and the size of the power supply was reduced without any loss in performance. The position of the power supply also changed with the introduction of the tower-style case. Now you could get two different styles of case, the desktop and the tower, with some variation in sizes, as well. Cooling became much more efficient, with the power supply fan blowing air out the top, and the vent holes near the bottom of the case allowing cooler air to be sucked in. The AT form factor also moved the power switch from the back, or side, to the front of the case (remote power switch). The AT is also not available anymore. With components becoming increasingly smaller, voltages changing, and chip and component placement becoming more efficient, manufacturers discovered they could make the board smaller. They decreased the width of the AT form factor and introduced the Baby AT. The fact that less material was required to manufacture it, and the introduction of IDE connectors, and other I/O connectors that are integrated directly on to the motherboard, resulted in cheaper production costs. This made the new form factor quite popular with the manufacturer. The case that conformed to the Baby AT form factor could now become slightly smaller in stature. That made the Baby AT form factor quite popular with the consumer. Most of the computers above the Pentium MMX have gone away from the Baby AT format, to the ATX. But as long as the Pentiums 200 - 266 remain a useful and plentiful machine, the Baby AT form factor wtill probably remain available.

The component configuration on the ATX motherboard is fairly similar to the Baby AT. By taking the Baby AT and turning it 90 degrees, the CPU and memory modules become more easily accessible. The Baby AT introduced integrated I/O connectors that attached, via small ribbon cables, to the ports installed on slot-plates at the back of the computer. With The ATX, integration is taken one step further. The different serial, parallel, and USB ports are hardwired directly to the motherboard in a small cluster at the back of the computer. The power supply connector has changed a bit also. P8 and P9 connectors have been replaced by a single tabbed connector. The remote switch on the ATX is connected to the motherboard, not directly to the power supply, and there is power to the board at all times. The cases come in all the regular sizes and styles. The ATX is currently the most popular form factor out there. There is a slightly smaller version of the ATX called the Mini ATX. Although the motherboard is slightly more compact, it uses the same case and power supply. I mention it here, only to differentiate between it, and the Micro ATX. The more compact version of the ATX is called the Micro ATX, and it's targeted toward the low end computer market. The cases generally have about 1 X 5-1/4" bay, 1 X 3.5", and 1 internal bay. The Micro ATX power supply is also smaller, and usually has just enough power for what's already in the computer. There is very little (zero) room for expansion. I think the Micro ATX probably came about as a result of manufacturers competing for that first 'under $1000' computer. There is another case and MB combination, the NLX, that may become more popular than the ATX. Mostly due to the fact that the big name manufacturers use the NLXform factor extensively to mass produce systems at a reduced cost. The NLX has a single expansion slot on the motherboard. There's a riser card that fits into the slot and contains the rest of the expansion slots required by the system. The whole idea is to be able to make the case narrower, and it does the job. The case is no longer limited by the height of the expansion cards because the expansion cards are installed horizontally. Although NLX is a recognized standard, and the parts are supposed to be interchangeable, they still seem to be quite proprietary. You'll recognize the NLXby the horizontal slot holes at the back of your computer. Inside the computer case Some people get a little excited when they look inside a computer and see all the different electrical components and circuit boards. All the wires, connectors and data cables inside tend to be a little intimidating. Yet, all of today's computer repairs, replacements, upgrades and installations are getting easier and easier. A technician could spend hours (at outrageous prices) to search for a specific chip or failed solder connection that's causing a particular problem. Repairs aren't done

at the chip level anymore. Everything is very modular. It's quicker, easier, and much more economical to have the technician pop in a whole new video card or motherboard. It's still important to know some of the different components and what they do. It can give you an insight as to which particular module may need replacement, and aids in the troubleshooting process. It may only take 5 minutes to replace a particular FRU (Field Replaceable Unit), but it might require a lot more time to troubleshoot the problem and discover which module needs replacement. Even if you don't plan on becoming A+ (A Plus) Certified, if you've come this far you must have an interest in computers. This is a great place to learn about what's inside that case. Start this section with ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) precautions and work your way through in order. Once you understand ESD and the precautions you should take, go ahead and open the case. See if you can find the different components, connectors, and devices discussed. When you do, try and discover everything you can about it. What kind of chip is it? What does it do? What kind of socket does it fit into? How much data can it move at once? How fast is it? If you have room on your desk, you can run your computer with the cover off * so you can look inside as you read (keep your hands out). *Note: Only run your system with the cover off for a short period of time. Contrary to popular belief, leaving the cover off can interrupt the airflow, actually contributing to overheating in some cases. For short periods of time it should be OK. In fact, its often necessary when troubleshooting hardware. Its also a good time to make sure the CPU fan is working properly! By the time you're done, you'll be removing and reinstalling some of the devices inside. Look around for an old 286 or 386 computer. They can be picked up for less than 50 dollars, in working condition. Whether it's working, or not, you can learn an awful lot by taking it apart and putting it back together. Please Remember: Do Not take apart a monitor or power supply, there is enough stored electricity inside to cause you serious injury! Good luck, and always remember your ESD precautions! ESD - Electrostatic Discharge ESD is simply the discharge of built up static electricity. Electrostatic discharge however, should not be taken lightly when working with computers. ESD has the

capability of causing enough damage to the components inside your computer to render it completely inoperable. It's important to use an anti-static strap and/or a grounding mat whenever working on the inside of your computer. Being aware of ESD precautions can significantly reduce the chance of damage to your computer due to static electricity. Static electricity is a fact of Life. You're producing it and discharging it constantly. Moisture in the air can help it to dissipate, and raising the humidity in your workplace is another very good measure you can take to reduce the chance of damage caused by ESD. ESD is bad for computers and electronic components. If you are opening the case or working inside a computer, always take ESD precautions. WARNING: There are capacitors inside a computer's monitor and power supply that store enough electricity to stop your heart, even when they are unplugged. You should not be grounded if you are working inside a monitor or a power supply. But then, you shouldn't even open a monitor or a power supply unless you know what you're doing. How Much is Too Much? Have you ever walked across a carpet on a dry winter day, touched somebody, and heard the snap of electricity as a small blue spark jumped from your fingertip to the edge of your victims ear? If the discharge was felt, it was probably more than 2000 volts. If you heard it, then it could have been between 3000 - 5000 volts. If you actually saw a small blue spark, it was more than likely in excess of10,000 volts. So do I have to walk on a shag rug? Does it have to be a dry winter day? No! Your body is building up and discharging static electricity all the time. Just shifting in your chair can produce up to 150 - 200 volts! You can't completely eliminate this problem but it can be controlled. ESD and Your Computer The ICs (Integrated Circuit chips) on the various circuit boards in your computer use between 2 - 5 volts. They can be damaged by less than 200 volts. Some may be damaged by as little as 30 volts. This means that ESD can cause damage to the various components inside your computer and you won't feel it, hear it, or see it. In fact, the discharge voltage could be 1000 times less than what the human body can feel!

When they started replacing the tubes in radios with transistors, people were amazed at how small radios were getting. You could get atransistor radio that boasted 7 transistors and was about the size of a brick! Today, some of the individual chips on your computer's circuit boards contain millions of transistors. Advancements in technology allowed for entire circuits to be etched onto a single chip. These are called Integrated Circuit Chips. One technology for producing ICs is called TTL (Transistor Transistor Logic). These chips are actually more tolerant of ESD and even faster than the newer technology. However, they're also larger, use more electricity or power, and their resistance causes them to run very hot. As computer technology advanced and the number of transistors in the chips increased, heat and power consumption became a huge problem. TTL ICs are still used in computers today, but the newer CMOS chips (Complimentary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) have all but replaced them entirely. These chips have a semi-conductive metal oxide layer that allows for less resistance, reducing the power consumption and the generated heat. Unfortunately, the very technology that makes these CMOS chips more efficient also makes them very susceptible to electrostatic discharge. Wait a minute! If you can discharge 10,000 volts of static electricity into somebody's ear, how come it doesn't kill them? Well, the amperage is very low. The human body is very tolerant of voltage, it's the amperage, or a current's strength, that will kill you. The chips inside your computer however, are highly sensitive to any kind of voltage, even at very low amperages. ...By the way, all of today's CPUs (Central Processing Units) and system memory chips on your RAM SIMMs or DIMMs are CMOS chips.

ESD Damage So what kind of damage can be caused by ESD? Anything from a simple system interruption, causing your computer to reboot with no further problems, to complete destruction of a chip that will make your system unusable until the chip is replaced. Also, you won't find any discoloration, burn mark or physical indication whatsoever as to which chip has been damaged. There are 2 types of damage that can occur: Immediate Failures (Direct Failures, Catastrophic Failures) - These are failures that occur immediately after the chip has been damaged and usually aren't recoverable until the chip has been replaced. Say you open your computer (or worse yet, someone else's) to install more memory. Without using an anti-static strap or a grounding mat (you've done it lots of times before and never had a

problem), you take a brand new DIMM from its anti-static tube, install it, and now the computer won't even finish its boot sequence. Not a good situation, but you do know the computer worked before you installed the RAM, so you should have an idea where to start looking for the problem. Latent Failures (Upset Failures, Delayed Failures) - Sometimes a chip can be damaged by electrostatic discharge and the results aren't immediately noticeable. Months later the chip could finally fail completely, or you may end up with intermittent failures that occur sporadically. These are usually difficult to attribute to any specific cause, and very hard to track down. Although static buildup cant be completely eliminated, there are precautions you can take to reduce the possibility of damaging components due to electrostatic discharge. You should always ground yourself to discharge any static buildup before touching anything inside your computers case. Warning: You should never open the case on a power supply or monitor unless you are qualified to do so and know exactly what youre doing. You do not want to be grounded if youre working inside a power supply or a monitor. There are capacitors inside these units that store enough electricity to stop your heart (even when unplugged). You should not open the case on a monitor or a power supply. Please note that this is important enough to tell you twice. Antistatic Wrist Straps An excellent way to prevent ESD damage to your computer is to use an anti-static wrist strap. Its a conductive strap that fits on your wrist as youre working. It has a wire attached to it with an alligator clip on the end to connect to your case or to an anti-static mat. Some can be plugged right into the wall socket. Only the ground receptacle makes contact. But make sure the cord is long enough, unless you have a receptacle right at table level. If youre working inside a computers case, the most important tool you should have is an anti-static wrist strap. Note: A piece of wire wrapped around your wrist and attached to the case does not work the same. Anti-static wrist straps have a resistor inside and are designed to slowly and safely bleed charges away. At the very least, you should use an anti-static wrist strap connected to the bare, unpainted metal of your cases frame. There are two schools of thought on this subject: One is to leave your computer plugged in. Any static buildup is discharged along your wrist strap to the computer's case, then through the power cord into the ground receptacle of your electrical outlet.

The second is to unplug your computer. With the wrist strap attached, this should put you and your computer at the same potential charge and no transfer of electrons should take place. This becomes a decision you have to make for yourself. A lot of books will suggest that the computer remain plugged in, and in fact, the A+ Certification exam considers this the correct choice at this time (which is probably why these books suggest it). However, when you leave the computer plugged in, its a little too easy to turn it on when youre working inside; or forget its on and plug in an expansion card or drop a screw onto the motherboard. Also, you have full AC power going to the remote power switch on the front of your computer. If there is a bared wire, or open contacts on the back of the switch, you could get quite a shock. Remember too, that todays ATX motherboards have power to them even when the switch is off. A very good alternative is to plug your wrist strap right into the ground receptacle of a wall socket, or into a grounded antistatic mat. Antistatic Mats Antistatic mats provide a grounded surface on which to work or place components as you remove them. They also have a cord that can be plugged into a wall outlet to slowly remove any static charges. Some come with another cord and a clip that attaches to your computers case. The computer does not necessarily have to be on the anti-static mat when youre working on it. If the mat is plugged into a wall socket then its grounded. Attach an alligator clip from the mat to the case, and now the case is grounded. Attach your wrist strap to the case, and now any static buildup can be safely discharged from your body. As you are working, any parts you remove or plan to install, can be safely placed on the anti-static mat. If you find yourself in a situation where you dont have a grounding mat or antistatic wrist strap, then you should keep one hand on a bare, unpainted portion of the chassis as youre working inside the case. This method is not that reliable and youll soon find it to be a little awkward. The ten or twelve dollars spent on a good wrist strap is a wise investment. What else? Don't work on a computer or components when they are cold. Allow them to warm up to room temperature first. Cold, dry conditions promote static electricity. In the winter, when it's very dry, static can build up very quickly. Raising the humidity in your workplace can help to dissipate this buildup. Humidity at 50% to 60% is ideal. Keep components and expansion cards inside their anti-static bags until you are ready to use them. Remember to handle them carefully, by their edges and as little as possible. Anti-static bags are treated to be conductive so that they draw static away from the components inside. It's always a good idea to keep a supply of antistatic bags to put expansion cards and components into when working on a

computer. It's better to have a tile floor in your work area than rug or carpet, which promotes static buildup. Also, think about what you wear. You don't want to be working inside your computer while wearing a wool sweater or a nylon jacket. You may not be able to take every ESD precaution all of the time, but use your head and do what you can. The components and hardware inside your computer are subject to electrical fluctuations, spikes, surges, power losses, temperature extremes and, I suppose, even physical abuse. But, the number one cause of damage to internal components is Elecrostatic Discharge.