Chassis and Case

The chassis supports all the computer components, inside a protective case. It also contains a power supply, cooling fan and "motherboard" to which all other components connect.

Mini-Tower Models

• Mini-tower cases are designed to stand upright, either on a desk, or on the floor nearby
• They usually have extra slots for adding new components at a later time

"Small Form Factor" Models

• A term used by Dell for a very small tower model
• They may have less room for later expansion

Desktop Models

• Desktop models are designed to lay flat, usually underneath a video display
• They may have less room for later expansion

Service Access

• Some models are designed to make it very easy for a serviceman to access the components

Power Supply

• The power supply box provides power to all computer components
• Consider purchasing an additional external "uninterruptable power supply" (UPS)

Connections

• Most models have all the connections in the rear
• A few models provide convenient USB and microphone connections on the front

Dell Computers

Dell Optiplex Desktops

• GX240: documentation is not clear about whether it is a mini-tower or some smaller model
• GX260: a mini-tower model

Dell Latitude Laptops

• All components are miniaturized to fit into the laptop case
• Some components, such as extra batteries and drives can be "swapped" in and out of interchangeable slots