Changing of the seasons often reveals interesting behaviors in humans. As winter approaches, I get to have some really fun conversations as friends ask how I can stay warm wearing shorts and t-shirts below 50 degrees. The same people don’t realize it’s still only 50 degrees when they talk about the warmth of spring. Personally, I love cold weather, so I’m always entertained when some of my Floridian friends post pictures on Facebook of themselves wearing sweaters on the beach while the air is still 70 degrees. Of course, there are also the people I know from Alaska who will walk through snow in bare feet to take out the trash.

Fortunately, computers aren’t affected by relative temperatures changes like us humans. They don’t care if last week it was ten degrees warmer outside. Processors, drives and other components each have their specific temperature range in which they’ll function properly, and as long as they stay in that range they’ll keep chugging along for years. This is why it’s important to assemble the components inside a case that’s up to the task of keeping them within that temperature range. Style and features won’t mean anything if your CPU overheats, so the most important design function of a modern computer case is to get the heat away from the hot components and minimize the case’s propensity to act as insulation.