Choosing a good case for your gaming build is one of the most essential things when building a new computer. A good case will be designed to provide optimal temperatures by means of good airflow. Good airflow within the case allow for fans to spin at a slower speed, possibly generating less noise.
Furthermore, a good case is designed to make installing components easier. This is achieved by incorporating essential tool less methods of installation, allowing you to quickly put in components with ease. They should also provide a high degree of flexibility of where and how to install components.
Good build quality and workmanship is essential for a case to be considered as being good. If a case rattles, or has essential parts which can easily snap, this is a sign that the case is not good.
The aspects explained above are pointers of a good PC case, however, it might be easy to check whether the above points are true when looking at a case in a shop, unless you are able to see it working and benchmark it. When buying a case online, it is even more difficult to determine whether the above points are true for the case you are looking at. This is why it is always a good idea to check online reviews before buying.
With so many cases on the market, it might be difficult to check reviews for all of them. Thus, I have listed what I believe are the best cases right now, separated in different categories.
Full Tower
The best full tower PC case in 2020
Cooler Master Cosmos C700P
Good points
Integrated RGB lighting system
Adjustable motherboard layout
Bad points
May require PSU extension cables
Lots of plastic
The Cooler Master Cosmos C700P is a large tower case that will surely accommodate systems of any size. But the strong point of this case is the wait looks.
It has curved glass with a great design overall. The iconic handle bar design aids in moving the case, since it is so large.
Specifications
Form Factor: Full tower
Motherboard Support: Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX (Support 12″ x 11″)
Dimensions: 639 x 306 x 651mm
Weight: 22.2 kg
Radiator Support: 120mm; 140mm; 240mm; 280mm
I/O Ports: 1 x Audio/Mic, 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, 4 x USB 3.0
Drive Bays: 2.5”: 2, 3.5”: 8
Mid Tower
The best mid-tower PC case
NZXT H710i
Good points
Integrated addressable LED lighting
CAM powered “smart device”
Vertical GPU mount
Bad points
Cramped HDD space
The NZXT H710i is NZXT’s flagship tower case, with a minimalist design, good build quality and good cable management possibilities.
The H710i also comes with pre-installed RGB lighting and an intelligent fan controller.
Specifications
Form Factor: Mid tower
Motherboard Support: Mini-ITX, MicroATX, ATX and EATX(Up to 272mm or 10.7-inches)
Dimensions: W: 230mm H: 516mm D: 494mm
Weight: 12.3 kg
Radiator Support: Front: 2 x 140mm or 3 x 120mm with Push/Pull, Top: 2 x 140mm or 3 x 120mm, Rear: 1 x 120mm or 1 x 140mm
I/O Ports: 2 x USB 3.1 Type-A Gen 1, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 2, 1 x Audio/Mic
Drive Bays: 2.5”: 7, 3.5”: 2+2
Mini-ITX Case
The best mini ITX PC case
NZXT H1
Good points
Very small footprint
Best looking micro-ITX case
Pre-routed cables
Bad points
Cannot be bought without integrated PSU and CPU cooler
The purpose of a mini-ITX case is to have a small footprint while still allowing for ease of installation and good airflow. The H1 from NZXT managed to tick all those boxes while still delivering a very small case with fantastic design.
I really like the front glass panel. However, it requires a graphics card with RGB lighting in order to make full use of the front glass panel.
The case comes with a pre-installed power supply and a pre-installed CPU water cooler. The cables are pre-routed for a quick installation. This also ensures good cable management, aiding airflow, thus getting better thermal performance.
Specifications
Form Factor: Micro-ITX tower
Motherboard Support: Mini-ITX
Radiator Support: 1 x 140mm
I/O Ports: 1 x USB Type-C