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Slimline Case

Also sometimes called "low profile" or even "pizza box", this is a smaller version of the desktop case. It was invented in part as a cost-cutting measure but at least as much in order to reduce the amount of space the box takes up on the desk. For many people, this case is aesthetically pleasing because it takes up the least space on the desktop. Unfortunately, it fares rather poorly in every other regard. These cases have little capacity for additional drives, have the poorest expandability, are hard to work in, and have the worst cooling. Despite this, more and more slimline PCs are being sold today. The reason is simple: smaller cases are cheaper to build than bigger ones, and many people underestimate the performance and longevity drawbacks of tiny cases.

Most older slimline cases use the LPX form factor; so much so that the terms "LPX" and "slimline" are sometimes used interchangeably. Newer slimlines now generally use the NLX form factor, designed to replace LPX.

Next: Proprietary Case Designs

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