---
title: What is a Chassis?
description: Learn more about what a chassis is and how it helps protect a computer's critical parts and components across different environments.
---

[Trenton Systems Blog ](https://www.trentonsystems.com/en-us/resource-hub/blog)

# [What is a Chassis?](https://www.trentonsystems.com/en-us/resource-hub/blog/what-is-a-chassis)

 Written by [Evan Ortiz](https://www.trentonsystems.com/en-us/resource-hub/blog/author/evan-ortiz) | Jun 2, 2022 3:46:04 PM

The exterior case of a computer is formally known as a chassis, guarding the interior of a computer from damage. 

In this blog, you'll learn more about what a chassis is and how it helps protect a computer's critical parts and components across different environments.

## What is a chassis?

A chassis--sometimes known as a case, system unit, or base unit--is the housing that helps protect and organize all the parts and components that make up a computer. 

Chassis are primarily made from metal and plastic, and they often come in either black, white, or gold. 

## What is the purpose of a chassis?

A chassis serves five primary purposes: structure, protection, cooling, noise, and aesthetics.

1. **Structure:** The chassis is what holds everything together in a compact and organized fashion. 
2. **Protection:** Without the chassis, all of the interior parts and components would be susceptible to damage by dust, dirt, debris, water, electrical interference, and other foreign objects. 
3. **Cooling:** The chassis helps keep the air properly flowing over all components, which keeps everything cool and running properly. 
4. **Noise:** Many computers and components have fans that generate noise. Having those components in a confined case reduce the overall noise. 
5. **Aesthetics: **In some sense, looks matter. A case with a solid color, like gold or black, is a lot more aesthetically pleasing than a bunch of boards, wires, and computer components. (Unless you're a computer nerd like me. 😉)

## What is found inside a chassis?

Here are some of the most common components you would find within a chassis: 

The motherboard, the main board of a computer chassis that allows communication between the CPU, RAM, and all other hardware components

CPUs (Central Processing Units), [RAM (Random Access Memory)](https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/ddr5-ram?hsLang=en-us), [heat sinks](https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/what-is-a-heat-sink?hsLang=en-us), [PCIe](https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/what-is-pcie?hsLang=en-us), and other on-board hardware components 

Drives, internal or external, [hard-disk or solid state ](https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/self-encrypting-drives?hsLang=en-us)

Power supply units (PSUs)

Optical drives like CDs and DVDs

Fans 

Option cards like [NIC cards](https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/nic-card?hsLang=en-us) and GPUs

## What types of chassis do we use here at Trenton Systems?

At Trenton, our [SWaP-C optimized](https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/what-is-swap-c?hsLang=en-us), [high-performance computing ](https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/high-performance-computing?hsLang=en-us)solutions are designed inside [ruggedized chassis](https://www.trentonsystems.com/products/rugged-chassis?hsLang=en-us) to protect vital system components from the harshest conditions. 

In both [rack mount](https://www.trentonsystems.com/products/bam/3u?hsLang=en-us) and [small form factor](https://www.trentonsystems.com/products/tac-new?hsLang=en-us), each chassis is built to withstand shock, vibration, dust, dirt, water, humidity, and temperature fluctuations on sea, land, air, or space across mission-critical applications and programs worldwide. 

Additionally, our chassis are [made right here in the USA](https://www.trentonsystems.com/made-in-usa?hsLang=en-us), stress-tested and certified to stringent military and industrial standards such as the [MIL-STD-810](https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/mil-std-810g-overview-rugged-computers?hsLang=en-us), [AS9100D](https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/as-9100d?hsLang=en-us), [IP67](https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/ip67-rating?hsLang=en-us), and CE, ensuring mission success across all domains of the modern battlespace. 

[View full post](https://www.trentonsystems.com/en-us/resource-hub/blog/what-is-a-chassis)

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