What desktop form factor should I choose?

Question

Computers

I'm somewhat behind the desktop hardware, all the information is 10 years old (but in reality I stopped rummaging around in the hardware when the sims changed the dimms) :)
I looked and see that now there are 4 form factors of
full
midi
mini
slim cases
Question: hardware manufacturers release their (top) products for each form factor? Or, say, under a midi case, it will be easiest to pick up an iron to replace it? What are the hidden pitfalls in these different cases?
I'm used to buying a config every 8-10 years :)

Answer 1

midi is usually more convenient in terms of size and the possibility / convenience of upgrade

Answer 2

Now, unfortunately, in an effort to cheat the buyer, case manufacturers have begun to get along. There are cases, like normal, but shortened in length. That is, a full-format ATX mother simply won't fit there :) not to mention a full-size (long) video card. Therefore, one should focus on the dimensions of the case, and not on the class - even more or less honest manufacturers can save on the "bar" - this is when the case is shorter by the length of the tail of the mounting bar, which actually turns out to be "on the street".
You also need to look at the weight of the case - not everyone indicates the thickness of the walls, but usually everyone writes the weight. A light case means guano iron, it will bend, warp and rattle with your fingers ..
You also need to look at the number of fans in the delivery and the number of seats ...
UPD: Also - the number and location of seats (bays) for screws - vertical, horizontal, with quick access or not, whether there is a screwless mount or not. In "economical" cases, it is easy to run into a situation where there are only a couple of bays for screws, and one is vertically on the front wall inside the case.
Another thing is the location of the USB ports. In Dishman cases, it is not uncommon when the ports are right next to each other, and if there is a flash drive in one, only MPX can be inserted into the second. Therefore, if there is a 3.5" oltsek in the case, they usually put a card reader with USB ports in it.

Answer 3

Take something like the HP Z440, an ordinary tower, very quiet for quite ridiculous money. Add 1 - 2 top videos and forget for a few years
By the way, here's my Bucifal

Answer 4

I will give preference to full, it is convenient to upgrade. Yes, and full is like a mother to me.

Answer 5

I looked and see that now there are 4 case form factors

everything is a little more complicated :)
Firstly, desktops are now divided into types: NUC (essentially a laptop in the format of a small desktop box), monoblocks (laptop hardware + a regular monitor in one case) and good old system blocks of all different sizes. By themselves, their dimensions have not changed in 10 years, everything is the same from ITX to E-ATX. But, because in general, hardware has become less hot, plus SSDs at home are increasingly becoming the only storage, there is a tendency to reduce the size of cases. At least the rejection of 3.5" HDD baskets already significantly reduces the depth of the case (ssd can be mounted from above, below or on the side, i.e. it’s quite possible that the basket is removed from the case).
So, again, if we take something not super-powerful - the total heat dissipation will be less than 10 years ago, which means we need smaller coolers and fewer fans in the case.
Well, in order to choose hardware, you first need to understand for what tasks, and what budget. And then see what fits into what. If you don’t need a lot of money and you don’t need a very powerful one, you can also assemble a very small computer. If there is not much money, then it will be cheaper to take a more spacious case, from the most inexpensive ones, etc. Here you can’t answer “in general”, specifics are needed.
PS Right now there is a trend of transition from 4-core to "freaky-core" processors, thanks to the new AMD Ryzen processors. So right now, buying for the next 8-10 years is a so-so idea, it is highly likely that today's 16-core top will be average in a couple of years. Over the past few years, there has been stagnation, you could once buy an i7-2600K, not know grief for several years, then overclock it again and voila - again a top-end processor, nothing slows down, and not knowing grief for a few more years.