Practical Desktop Computer Chassis Function Over Style - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: jonovid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 04:25:22 pm
content: apracticaldesktop computer chassis design enclosuremilitary radios have used ALL on the front panel in radio case designs for yrs. letting the radio operator see all the I/O sockets.if computer tower chassis design used military logic of function over style.an ideal BTX or BTX full tower enclosure design for the computer enthusiast / nerd IMOall motherboard I/O sockets, the I/O shield & the drive bays, are on the front! and a recessed power supply unit.so air can exhaust to the back of the enclosure through a duct. this enclosure design has the power supply unit IEC socket & switch on the front of the case.internal drive bays would be swing-out hinged.all case fans mounts are on the back of the enclosure behind large filters to prevent dust getting inside the case. positive air pressure enclosure.air can exhaust through gaps and vents at the top & back of the desktop tower enclosure.what do you think about anall on the front paneltower enclosure design.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 05:21:52 pm
content: My existing tower and desktop have everything going in the back so all I would need to do is turn them around. Neither have CD or floppy drives. Both have readily removable side/top panels to access the internal bays. With my desktop, all the internal bays have quick release mechanisms.

author: radiogeek381
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 05:41:41 pm
content: It is likely that the overwhelming number of desktop users would prefer to avoid desktop clutter. For them, access to the cables offers no value, at the expense of space on their desktop.For IT support, cables on the front of the box, facing the user, are an invitation for mischief.This isn't function over style. It is market driven by genuine value choices.

author: edpalmer42
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 06:17:19 pm
content: If a cable/socket is plug once and never touch it again, there's no value in having it on the front. It just results in a messy looking installation.For special cases like computer repair / development / hacking, I've heard of panels that have extension cords to bring all the rear jacks out to a convenient front-accessible point. I don't know if these are available commercially or if they're all DIY.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 06:27:09 pm
content: This is why almost all boards have I/O headers in addition to the rear panel sockets. That way if you do require I/O somewhere other than the rear case, you have that option.

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2021, 11:09:39 pm
content: Quote from: edpalmer42 on February 18, 2021, 06:17:19 pmIn fact there is substantial downside from the risk of accidentally unplugging a cable unintentionally. Either by bumping it when doing something else or by unplugging the wrong cable. A computer case designed as such would be a very bad functional design for general use.It's much better to have a small number of front panel USB or audio jacks for connections that need to be frequently changed and have all the semi permanent wiring physically separate. Which is exactly what most computer cases do.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2021, 11:36:09 pm
content: I've seen a few people modify cases to fit drives in the back and then simply turn it around. I think there is a lot less value in this now though since floppy drives are essentially gone and internal optical drives are getting rare. My desktop has a bunch of USB ports on both the front and the back so I could turn it around if I wanted. Unless it was a test machine that I was frequently plugging and unplugging I see no value in it though. I plug the cables into the back and never really mess with them.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2021, 12:09:41 am
content: I’m not sure I get this love for massive cases these days or the whole “workshop mode PC”. I don’t want it in my workspace. I want silent power not an ugly mess. I barely ever even use removable media now as well. And everything connects via USB from dev boards to temporary storage. Internal disks are all SSD here now. If I need masses of compute I hire a bunch of computers I could never afford to own for a couple of hours for a few dollars from Amazon. My computer stays on 24/7/365 mostly in low power mode so no controls needed. Keyboard, touchpad and mouse are all wireless so no cables. Network is wireless. Box literally has power, USB-C to monitor and that’s it.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2021, 12:39:30 am
content: http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/backwardspc.html

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2021, 05:29:00 pm
content: https://www.amazon.com/Motherboard-Computer-Aluminum-Bracket-Graphics/dp/B08MW4ZXC1/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=PC+Test+bench&qid=1614014899&sr=8-2

author: ikrase
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2021, 05:31:18 am
content: At my job, a while ago, I was working with an Advantech industrial PC.Was a somewhat normal ATX case, but it had the PCIe slots and everything else -- except for the power cable -- on the front.Worked pretty well for our very tinkering-heavy application.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2021, 09:48:58 am
content: Who *wants* a PC on their bench, other than PC build/repair techs? Stick the b***er under the bench, with a powered USB hub on the bench (+ a single passive USB extender cable for non-compliant USB crap that doesn't play well with hubs), + whatever legacy ports, and/or supplementary monitor or Ethernet ports if you need them for testing, extended to a breakout box on your bench. It may also be worth fitting a remote soft-power switch button in the breakout box in parallel with the case mounted one.