buy a microcomputer case is a act of a tricky process . Your heart may narrate you to go for the sheeny , RGB - filled ogre of a character , or you might be on the other end of that spectrum and just want a sorry corner that does n’t stand out like a sore pollex . No matter the aesthetic , you ’re not wrong — it ’s just that there are many more things to count , too .
matter like form factor , cool , and special feature all play a part when you ’re picking thebest PC casefor your build . In this guide , we ’ll go over everything you need to know to make the right choice .
Things to check before buying
The whole process of building a unexampled PC often start with thebest CPUand thebest graphics cardyou can affort No admiration — those two components have the biggest impact on the execution of your electronic computer . You ’ll take after that up with agood motherboard , and then delve into pick coolers , SSDs , the mightiness supply … and at the very end , you ’ll start up eyeing a personal computer pillow slip that match your budget and your style .
There ’s nothing incorrect with stick with that order when you assemble your nextPC build up , but it ’s important to call up that looks are n’t everything , peculiarly in a PC case . You might be surprised to find out how much can go wrong when you seek to fit certain components without doing the maths beforehand .
The most important enquiry to ask yourself before you pick out a case is whether the motherboard is blend to fit inside it . This think of resolve on a build element , be it E - ATX , ATX , microATX , ormini - ITX . Even if the case suffer the type of motherboard you want to buy , twofold - contain the exact measurements to not run into trouble .
You ’ll also postulate to be mindful of the size of it of your other components . This includes the graphics card , the CPU fan , and the water - cooling root if that ’s what you ’re expire for . Even thepower supplycan cause some problem if you plunk out a monolithic mannikin and seek to squeeze it into a tiny case .
Below , we ’ll go into greater contingent about all the things you demand to know before you shop .
Form factor
Whether you start with pick the case and then pick out a motherboard that fits it or vice versa , the form factor is going to be your main point of consideration . Do you need a full column , a mid - towboat , or a mini - ITX ? How does that match up against some of the most popular motherboards ? Let ’s take a closer look .
Full tower
A full tower is the largest type of casing , and when we say large , we truly do meanmassive . Many of these causa are over 20 inches tall and can matter between 30 and 60 pound , and that ’s without the component . Once you commit to a full tower , you better have a heap of space on ( or around ) your desk .
These cases are some of the best ones out there , though . They ’re roomy enough to fit graphics board like theRTX 4090with theirdemanding great power connectors , as well as a custom grommet cooling system . Most commonly , a full tower will be able to accommodate even the largest E - ATX motherboards , although again , check that to check before you actually buy one . Fitting an ATX board inside one of these is reasonably much a given , though .
We commend using these type of cases for high-pitched - end partisan builds due to the ability to instal 360 millimetre radiators and extra fans . There ’ll also be space for more expanding upon slot . With that said , most mass are going to be just fine with a mid - tower , and that ’s the most uncouth sheath size .
Mid-tower
You wo n’t be surprised to find out that a mid - tower PC is essentially the same matter as a full tower , just scaled down . Most of them are a small under 20 inches grandiloquent , but they ’re still sizeable cases that will go an ATX motherboard . Certain model can even accommodate an E - ATX , but of course , it all calculate on the case .
While smaller , a mid - tower is typically still large enough to establish most closed in loop ( also make love as All - In - One , or AIO ) coolers . You ’ll also see deal of elbow room for various storage drives and even multi - GPU setup , although that ’s not really a matter anymore .
Mini-ITX
As the name itself advise , these small causa were plan to fit mini - ITX motherboards . They ’re slap-up if you ’re build a small form factor PC — something like your own version ofIntel ’s NUC .
These cases are great if you want something portable and unnoticeable , but you might bleed into problems with thermals if you load them up with some of the late hardware .
Needless to say , not everything will even fit inside such a case ; forget weewee cooling , and be careful when shopping for a CPU fan . Pay extra attention to the size of the motherboard and the graphics menu , complete with all the cables , as bigger card like the RTX 4090 orRTX 4080take up to four slots , which makesbuying a motherboardand matching case a pot more difficult .
Cooling
thermal trifle a central role in the overall execution of your computing equipment , and keeping all your part gracious and cool can be a second of a project . you could tackle it from many slant , and each one of those angles depends on your PC case in one agency or another .
For one , you have your traditional central processing unit fan , and that ’s one thing you need to check the measurements for before you workshop . Certain coolers wo n’t fit every case , and as you move down to smaller form factors , you ’ll need to be more and more careful with this especial component .
Next comes water cooling in its various iterations . Custom loop cooling is a no - go for many cause , although it will fit out in some mid - towers and most , if not all , full towers .
AIO coolerswill fit inside mid - towers , but the radiator size may pose a problem , so when you shop , make certain to verify whether your case of choice can work with that specific radiator sizing . Many mid - column can only support radiator no large than 240 mm , although you will feel models that are fine with up to 360 mm .
Next , the case may come with some fans of its own , and it ’s never a bad musical theme to have a few supernumerary . Just how many you ’re looking at here usually depend on the size of the typeface , but equally , the Leontyne Price plays a part here too .
Most cases will have at least one fan at the hindquarters , but it ’s optimal if you have at least two in amount . young cases provide up to four fan , but that ’s usually at the cost of the 5.25 - inch storage / optical drive bay at the front of the cause . The good news is that even if you grease one’s palms a budget pillow slip with only one fan , it might come with extra mounts that you may add lover to down the line ; those are normally crummy .
Drive bays
These days , many hoi polloi gravitate toward the slimNVMe SSDs , which throw drive bays in a PC case a slew less important than they used to be . However , you might still be using a SATA HDD or SSD , and that think of they ’ll postulate some storage bay laurel to go into .
Most cases will have enough 2.5 - column inch and 3.5 - inch slots to work for steady consumer , but if you ’re someone who needs a lot of storage , this is something to debate . Your pillowcase might also have go up points for SSDs on the back of the motherboard tray .
More importantly , think about the 5.25 - inch true laurel at the front of the case . Just 10 years ago , pretty much every case had it ; these days , many shell do n’t , just like laptop computer no longer follow with a DVD drive . The grounds is simple — this is where the optical drive used to sit , and since most human body now do n’t include one , case designers leave it out . If a case has those fancy RGB fan all over the front panel , it most likely does n’t support adding an optical drive at the front .
Connectivity
While all the I / group O ports at the back of your computer are part of the motherboard , the connectivity at the front is normally guided by the PC causa . Depending on the style of your case , you may or may not have pot of ports at the front . This includes thing like USB and USB - C embrasure , an audio jack , and card readers . The power button is usually somewhere around here too , and once in a while , RGB controls .
It ’s overnice to pick out cases with plenty of USB ports , but do n’t occupy too much if your case does n’t have an audio jack . It ’s always better to stop up your headset into the motherboard instead , mean at the back of the case .
Cable management
Depending on your case , superintend the numerous cable regard in make a PC can be easy or knockout to do .
right cable direction can improve the flow of air within your case . Plus , if you pick a example with a temper shabu side panel — which is somewhat coarse these days — PC cable system managementbecomes even more important , because having all those different cables in the way and covering up your component just is n’t nice .
Cable management is why it ’s serious to read the pocket-size print when buying a cause , as the producer may sometimes evidence you what to expect in that regard . Some caseful have cut - out in the motherboard tray , and those are big for keeping it tidy and routing all the cabling through the back .
You may also encounter cheaper guinea pig with holes punched in the motherboard tray , but more expensive alternative may not just route your cable through the buns , but also include handy tie - off point .
Style and RGB lighting
choke are the twenty-four hours when PC cases were just round-eyed box . These days , it ’s all RGB galore , with individual constituent being equip with configurable lighting , and then the case themselves often feature RGB devotee , too . you could even tot up RGB bars to the case to light it up from the inside .
Cases are most often either black or white , but you ’ll also see other colors on function , such as this crazy yellow . Many cases allow you peek indoors and look at the components through a chalk side panel .
Outside of flyspeck cube PCs , the shape of your vitrine wo n’t weigh as much as the amount of space you still have left over after installing everything and the figure of fans that incessantly keep the inside of your PC cool . However , keep in mind that weirdly - shaped cases may have subpar airflow , so take some reviews before actually buying one of those .
Picking the right PC case for your budget
We ’ve gone over most of the important points to be aware of when you shop , but it can be hard to know what fit out and does n’t outfit within certain budgets .
A microcomputer example can be you anything from $ 50 to $ 500 , and it ’s one of those parts ( if it can be called that ) that are easy to attempt to save money on . After all , if it fits , it works .
you may pair the expensiveIntel heart i9 - 13900Kwith a budget PC case and it ’ll be hunky-dory , but it ’s ordinarily better to go for something secure if your element are all enthusiast - ground level . It ’s all about the flow of air and overseas telegram direction , both of which will be good inside a roomy case with extra fans .
Below , we ’ll show you some cases that are worth considering at each cost point . Keep in mind that we also have a consecrate guide that take on you through all of thebest PC cases , so verify to turn back it out .
Under $100
In the up to $ 100 range , you ’ll usually find mid - tower character that are suitable for ATX , micro - ATX , and mini - ITX motherboards . There are some option for small pattern factor PC , such as this tiny , but mostly , it ’s all standard cases for your even use .
Some of these cheaper cases await a lot more high - end than they really are , and that ’s all thanks to the upgrade of the RGB aesthetic . you may slap a few cheap rooter inside a budget case and it ’ll expect a mass more gamer - friendly .
However , keep in mind that the fans usually only feature a unmarried upper and may not be as herculean as they expect at first glance . The shape quality might also be worse than in more expensive models .
With that say , there are plenty of decent options to turn over . Theis a popular alternative come in at just under $ 100 . If you do n’t listen a plain opprobrious conception , thiscase is also a decent option here . Fractal Design ’s Focus 2 comes with fancy RGB and be just , so while it has just two fan , it ’s pretty much a steal .
Over $100
Opening up the budget a niggling bit more gets you a good event , but also a broadly speaking much wider selection . There are a lot of worthwhile models that break the $ 100 limit by a bit , but not by much , and if your budget can extend to it , it ’s unremarkably a sound call .
The Lian Li LanCool II is a exceedingly popular choice among RGB lovers , and it usually cost around . It only has three ARGB 120 millimeter buff at the front , however , so you ’ll necessitate to buy an extra fan to install at the arse for optimal airflow . On the top , it has lighting and color controls at the front , so you do n’t call for to dig deeply to optimize the aesthetic .
On the other remnant of the spectrum is the Corsair iCUE , which is a mid - tower ATX PC case that cost a pretty penny — just over . The chilling in this suit is superb , it ’s easy on the eyes , and it has some nice cable television management options . Still , at that price , we do n’t advocate bribe it out of doors of high - end body-build .
talk of eminent - conclusion , if you ’re buying a full towboat case , Corsair also has the iCUE 7000X at . However , there are cheaper options , like the , which do the job just as well .
If the budget is of no headache and you necessitate to go an E - ATX mobo , the Cooler Masteris insanely expensive , but also solid enough to justify the expense .
Don’t forget to do the math
Ultimately , the PC eccentric that you cull is of lesser consequence than the GPU , CPU , and even the motherboard . However , do n’t let your PC case be an afterthought . strain your best to beak a case that fits not just your finical taste , but also the purpose and the overall cost of your frame .
All size condition away , it ’s usually better to put in high spirits - end constituent inside high - end cases that can keep the temperatures at bay a little dear . Even a powerful processor or art card will struggle if you just just manage to stuff them inside a small type and will them to fend for themselves with circumscribed cooling . Throttling , overheating , and even serious smash may bechance at that decimal point .
Of course , there ’s also the other side of the coin , which is that you don’tneedto overpay for your case . You will often terminate up paying more for bigger marque , and the more gamer - like the caseful look , the more expensive it ’s go to be . If you ’re on a tight budget , then permit the size of it and the cooling be your two main guide . There are nice - looking example at every price point , and sometimes , you just need to dig a little deeper .
On a tight budget ? Take a look at ourbest PC buildsto find something that suits your wallet .
