# [SOLVED] Why a case?



## renaw (Jun 19, 2008)

Do we really need the case? Other than to mount all the parts on?

Does a system really need to be enclosed, other than to look pretty and keep out dust? If I didn't care about appearance, and was willing to vacuum the dust out periodically and take it outside and blow compressed air through the fins and the power supply, could I leave everything exposed?

Does the enclosure need to be made of metal, and grounded, to keep radio waves from getting in or out? Or could it be made of any material that could take the heat and wouldn't pose a fire hazard?


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

*Re: Why a case?*



renaw said:


> Do we really need the case? Other than to mount all the parts on? *Nope*
> 
> Does a system really need to be enclosed, other than to look pretty and keep out dust? *Nope* I
> 
> ...


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

*Re: Why a case?*

in maintenance ans comp sci, our boot system was on plywood. Our competition unit was inside a custom case that the previous class had built out of no-longer-needed legos.


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## renaw (Jun 19, 2008)

*Re: Why a case?*

I love it! Cardboard, plywood, and legos! I wasn't considering anything that radical, but it's good to know there's some flexibility. Thanks very much.


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

*Re: Why a case?*










You can mark this thread as solved by clicking on the *Thread Tools *link in your first post . .


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## forcifer (Nov 20, 2005)

there are also things called bench tables,


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## renaw (Jun 19, 2008)

A great idea! So much easier to keep cool. And cool-looking in other ways, too. I like a machine that looks like a machine.


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

These are pretty cool too . .


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## renaw (Jun 19, 2008)

Ohhhhhhhh. I've got to have one of those contraptions. So simple, and orderly. I especially like that white bar across the front of the HighSpeedPC unit for screwing down the adaptor cards. Instead of the usual maze of little tiny bits of metal that somebody went to a lot of trouble to arrange so that they form part of the structure and the enclosure as well as providing a place for the screws. It's always in a tight spot that I can't get my clumsy fingers near without cutting them. What a breeze it would be to change components on that machine! (For some reason, I seem to do that a lot more often than most people.) What a pleasure to work on!
Now if only I could find a car like that.


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

http://www.highspeedpc.com


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## peterhuang913 (May 24, 2008)

Case is not necessary, but why not?

Here's my bench:
it's even bio-degradable


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## renaw (Jun 19, 2008)

Peter: Good job! It looks like you used the box the motherboard came in, further decreasing your carbon footprint.

Rich: Thanks for the link. I see they're selling the unit in your picture for only $70. I think I'm going to order one.
What about the car? Do you have a link for that, too?


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

The car???


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## Twysta` (Jul 10, 2008)

lmao, he mention about getting a car in a post higher up ^^

I've seen a computer made from hanging all the parts in cordination with string or something from a ceiling...


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## floydfan (Oct 18, 2006)

i find one big problem with running a system caseless, outside of the risk of dust and humans. Bugs! I have no nets on my windows (apartment), and cause of that, unless i keep the ac on 24/7, bugs will get in my room. so yeah, make sure you don't have an insect problem if you run caseless...


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