Question Can I use a motherboard without the case?

[kerangovender]

Can I use a motherboard without a case are there any benefits?

 

[ElectrO_90]

More cooling I guess... no benefits - just problems, if someone moves it while it's on.
Someone spills something in it, drops something in it... basically the case, apart from making it look pretty, does protect it from elements, such as sneezing over it and shorting it out.

 

[Wolfshadw]

Agreed. Not only does the case protect your components, it also provides a direct cooling pathway, ensuring proper airflow. Can you run without a case? Sure, but it's not recommended.

-Wolf sends

 

[Pimpom]

Possible but not advisable. My first Windows PC, after an Amiga served as my main computer for several years, ran without a case for about a year. But it was was thrown together from old parts and I didn't care if it died.

It was a Pentium 200, overclocked to 266 - the highest the mobo jumpers could manage. The motherboard stood edge-wise on my desk, leaning against the wall. The PSU sat on the desk with the CD-ROM drive lying on top of it. The hard disk lay on the CD drive. The CD drive, assembled from three defective ones, vibrated badly and caused HDD errors. Inserting foam between the two cured that. The 4.3GB HDD itself was a merger of two defective ones.