Mid Towers

Mid Tower PC Cases

Within the case landscape, distinguishing mid towers from full towers is not such a clear-cut matter. There is no single clear criterion for classification, nor can one be considered universally binding. Instead, it is a combination of various features that collectively form the image of a mid tower.

Characteristics of a Mid-Tower Case

Mid towers differ from each other in many large and small details. Here we have listed the most important ones for you.

• Motherboard Compatibility
  Normally, a mid tower cannot accommodate motherboards with the E-ATX, XL-ATX, or HPTX form factors. While ATX fits in many, but not all, mid towers, Micro-ATX to Mini-ITX almost always fits in a mid tower - provided the appropriate mounting holes are present.
• Hardware Clearance
  Mid towers can generally accommodate fairly long high-end graphics cards and tall tower coolers for CPU cooling. However, there may be certain limitations regarding the length of graphics cards and the height of CPU coolers, or you may need to remove other parts such as a second drive cage or forego installing some fans to create more space inside the case.
• Drive Slots
  A mid tower often has only one or two external drive slots, rarely more than four. Modern cases sometimes do not offer any bays for 5.25-inch drives anymore. The number of internal drive slots varies, but it is usually sufficient to allow the installation of several SSDs and hard drives.
• Air Cooling for Hardware
  The main thing for air cooling in a mid tower is that the airflow inside the case is adequate. Mid towers vary greatly in this regard, depending on the intended purpose of the mid-tower case. Additionally, some cases are designed for silent operation and are soundproofed, yet still offer several fan slots.
• Water Cooling and Radiators
  If you want to use radiators, you need to be more specific. Some mid towers offer a radiator mounting, while most offer two radiator slots. It is important to ensure that the combination of fan and radiator does not collide with the installed hardware. Case pass-throughs for the water pipes of an external water cooling system are also rarely offered by mid towers nowadays.
• Tempered Glass and RGB Lighting
  Many mid towers now feature windows or side panels made of tempered glass. Compared to acrylic glass windows, tempered glass is highly scratch-resistant and appears much more premium. RGB lighting in any form or style has also become standard in many mid-tower cases.