Full Tower vs. Super Tower

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Many PC gamers are unsure about case sizes and picking the right one to suit their needs. So, what is the difference between a full tower and a super tower, and which one is the best fit for you?

A super tower is the biggest computer case size on the market and is designed for gaming enthusiasts. They can support two power supply units, have nine expansion slots, and can fit an ATX-XL motherboard. Full towers have smaller dimensions (±22 inches tall) than super towers (27 inches or more).

While the primary difference between super towers (also known as ultra towers) and full towers is size, this also means that you can support far more and far larger components while also allowing for far more efficient cooling systems.

This affects your computer’s performance, and super towers are typically used by hardcore gamers, along with content creators that need high-performance machines to edit and upload videos, for example. So, if you want to know if it’s worth investing in larger computer cases, read on to find out what factors you need to consider.

Difference Between Mid Tower, Full Tower & Super Tower Cases

You will most commonly find computer cases in three sizes: medium towers, full towers, and super towers. Other variations include the other type of super tower, the super mid tower, which is slightly bigger than a mid tower but can fit an ATX-XL motherboard.

The dimensions aren’t uniform and may vary from brand to brand, but the different sizes and features can be differentiated as follows:

A super tower is typically 27 inches or more in size, can support nine or more expansion slots, supports all motherboard types, and have up to 18 fan mounts. In contrast, a full tower can be 22 inches or more in height, will only support an ATX motherboard, and typically have seven expansion slots at most. They will also support two to four fans at most.

At the other end of the scale, a mid-tower will be 18 inches or more in height, can only support ATX motherboards or smaller, and are typically equipped with no more than four expansion slots while only holding two fans at most.

Driver Bays

The number of driver bays that your PC supports is critical, particularly for anyone who prioritizes storage space. Other components such as audio equipment can use driver bays to enhance your experience and superior performance.

You can never be short on drive bays, and there are countless accessories on the market that you will be able to find to make use of any spare drive bays that you may have.

Fan Count & Cooling

Anyone that’s pushed their PC’s capacity to its limits, which you’ll be doing when you play the latest games on the highest graphics settings, knows that keeping your components cool is critical for performance and the longevity of your components.

Not only would a super tower make it easier to keep the internal temperature of your PC cool by supporting extra fans, but it also means that there will be more space and, therefore, room for airflow between the various components within the computer case.

For example, a large motherboard would provide a greater distance between chipset heatsinks, CPU coolers, and graphics cards.

Furthermore, the larger super tower and full tower cases will give you enough room to install liquid cooling systems.

Liquid cooling is designed for high-end PCs, so if you’re investing in a super tower, you should seriously consider it because it allows your PC’s components to run far better. Drivers that stay cool run faster and last longer, so even though it may seem an unnecessary expense, but could end up saving you money in the long run.

Motherboard Type

Motherboards come in various sizes, which will fit into specifically sized PC cases.

As we covered earlier, the largest motherboard a full tower can support is an ATX (12 x 9.6 inches). In contrast, a super tower can support any size, including extended ATX (12 x 13 inches), ATX-XL (13.6 x 10.4 inches), and even a mammoth WTX motherboard (14 x 16.75 inches).

So, if you want a large motherboard with additional features and capabilities, it’s a consideration that you need to make when deciding which size computer case you want.

Noise

Is there anything more annoying than a PC that works so hard to keep itself cool that you can hear its fans operating from the other room?

If your PC is making a noise, it’s probably because your case size is too small, you have too many components with very little space between them, and, therefore, limited airflow. So your PC has to run its fans at full power just to keep the entire system from overheating, which also affects its performance.

Having a large case that can support more fans means that the speeds at which the individual fans need to run are reduced because a collective of fans running at slower speeds can be more effective at cooling your components than just one or two operating at maximum capacity. And slower fans won’t make the same amount of noise, as a bonus.

Choosing The Right PC Case Size: What To Consider

So, now that you know how the differences between a super tower and a full tower can affect your PC’s performance, you need to ask yourself what you should take into consideration when buying your PC case so that it will suit your needs as a gamer, or even as a designer, video editor, server enthusiast or whatever you’re looking to accomplish with your efficient, powerful hardware.

For starters, how much space do you have available? A super tower is great, but if you have a very small desk and no place to put it, what’s the point?

Furthermore, if you’re frequently moving your computer around, a heavy super tower is not going to make life easy for you. If you are limited in terms of space, you may prefer a full tower or even a mid tower.

Secondly, how much space do you need inside the computer? Are you a casual gamer or just using your PC to watch Netflix and to work on? The extra power supply, large motherboard, additional driver space, and fans may simply be unnecessary.

As we said earlier, super towers are typically used by enthusiasts who have far greater performance requirements than the average PC user. Think about what you want your computer to look like when you’ve finished building it. How much space do you need?

Also, consider cable management and how much easier it is when you have a large computer case.

You should also think about what future upgrades you may want. Additional slots for extensions may be useful in the future if you’re planning on making upgrades, such as adding a liquid cooling system.

On the subject of cooling, you should also think about the climate and the room temperature wherever you’re using your PC. If you live in a hotter climate or are gaming in a room that gets a lot of direct sunlight, a large case and more efficient cooling may be a good choice for you.

Finally, consider the size of your graphics card, how much storage you need, what you’ll be adding to your motherboard (whichever size you opt for), and the front panel of your PC case. If you’re focused on using larger hardware components that will drive up performance, you’re going to need more space. Apply this logic across the board for the simplest answer to what case size you need.