premium cases
Isn't a computer case just a beige box that all the go-faster bits bolt into? Not at all. There is more to cases than you might think at first. Computer components need to be mechanically secure, well-cooled, and above all, supplied with plenty of clean, quality DC power.
Many computer cases are cheap, flimsy things. They let the valuable components inside move and flex, which invites premature failure. They have lightweight bottom-dollar power supplies, which don't have the grunt to cope with upgrades a few years down the track, and often are the cause of random hangs and crashes. Without good, clean DC power, none of the other components can do their job properly.
boring beige is good
Lately there has been a trend away from boring beige towards black, silver, blue, and every other colour you can think of. In an effort to set themselves apart from the crowd, many manufacturers are building systems with flashing lights, side windows, and decorative front covers. On first sight, this seems like a good idea. Why not have more interesting looking colours?
There are several reasons. First, the more money the manufacturer spends on glitzy decorations, the less money is left over for the parts that really matter. At the same price, the plain vanilla case will always be better quality.
Second, fashion. Different colours come and go. Last year it was silver, this year it is black, next year, who knows? Will you be able to buy matching parts for your coloured system this time next year? Probably not. Beige never goes out of style.
Third, practicality. Every tiny scratch or speck of dust shows up on a black case, and silver is worse. Boring beige is easier to clean and keeps on looking good for longer.
Finally, quality. When you buy an all-black or all-silver system (or any system that is not the standard beige) you know that the manufacturer has selected the other visible components because those were the ones that happened to be available in that particular colour at that particular time. Hello? Whatever happened to the idea of selecting the best components? Everything is available in beige. We build in beige because it leaves us free to select the very best parts we can find.