Top cases for your gaming PC

If you’re building a gaming PC and want something suitable to house it, you’re in the right place. We’ve been testing several cases while building all sorts of PCs – from budget to mid-range and even some extreme PC builds.

There are a lot of different things to consider – airflow, features, radiator and fan capacity and more. We’re also keen to highlight the key things to look out for when searching, such as how easy (or difficult) the case is to build in, and whether it has easy cable management. To that end, we’ve thoroughly poked, prodded and modded these cases to see if they’re worth buying.

We’ve built in these cases, crafting all manner of gaming PCs with different specs. We’ve then used them on a daily basis, benchmarked them, tested them and gamed with them, as well.

By doing this, we’re able to give you a breakdown of the best PC cases we’ve tried, along with the reasons why we recommend them.

Best PC case: Our top pick

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For

• Large capable fans included as standard
• Perfectly spacious for liquid cooling
• Roomy design
• Easy to keep
• Quiet running

Against

• The rear cable management space is lacking
• Limited install options

The Fractal Design Torrent is available in several different variations both with and without RGB and in white or black too.

It’s easily one of the best-looking cases we’ve tried, whether you choose the RGB models or not. More importantly, though, it’s well thought out and offers incredible airflow without masses of fan noise.

It comes with two 180mm front fans and three 140mm bottom intake fans as standard, which is generous considering the price. These offer excellent cooling and are some of the biggest fans you’ll see on a PC case.

There’s also a pre-installed fan hub, so it’s dead easy to plug in all the fans as well.

The Torrent is also incredibly roomy, being able to take E-ATX and SSI-EEB or SSI-CEB motherboards. You can easily mount a custom loop liquid system in this one as well. Though we will note that build options are limited. You either use an air CPU cooler or a liquid system. You can’t easily mount an all-in-one cooler because of the layout of the case.

It’s the little things that make the difference here though, like the tiny included GPU bracket that nicely stops your graphics card from sagging.

The only real downside is the lack of sufficient space for cable management at the rear.

Other cases to consider

We’ve tried plenty of cases and built all sorts of machines both with and without RGB, air and liquid coolers over the years. There are many excellent ones currently available and these below are great alternatives if our top choice doesn’t float your boat.

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For

• Excellent aesthetics
• Build quality that defies the price
• Surprisingly roomy
• Great cooling

Against

• No RGB fans included as standard

If you want a smaller case, but don’t want to sacrifice features or specs in favour of a smaller ITX or mini case, then the Air Mini is a superb option.

This is not only a great-looking case but one that’s wonderfully spacious considering its “Mini” branding. It doesn’t take up as much desk or room space as other cases on this list, but can still hold an ATX power supply and ATX motherboard, as well.

We kitted it out with nine Lian Li Uni fans and an all-in-one cooler, but also tested it with a large Noctua Air cooler and saw excellent results in both.

There’s room in there for a large graphics card, and, despite its little stature, the Air Mini has a big place in our hearts.

It even comes with two 140mm front fans and a 120mm rear fan as standard, which is fantastic for the price.

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For

• Solid build quality
• Various 360mm mounting options
• Excellent cable management

Against

• Lacks decent fans as standard

If you’re after a PC case with some serious build quality and excellent aesthetics, then the Corsair 5000D Airflow is a great choice.

This case has options to mount as many as two 360mm radiators in different positions, making it perfect for all-in-one coolers or full liquid cooling systems.

It’s also brilliantly roomy with mounting points for multiple HDDs and SSDs. You can also reposition things easily to suit your needs so it’s well thought out.

Cable management is also a breeze thanks to a roomy rear panel and cable hiding door.

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For

• Wonderfully affordable
• Spacious enough for large GPUs
• Easy to build in
• Reasonable cabling room
• Solid build quality

Against

• Feels cheap compared to others
• No PSU shroud
• No USB-C front panel

If budget matters, then the Fractal Focus 2 might be a good choice. This is a surprisingly solidly built mid-tower case (considering the price).

It comes with two 140mm fans as standard and room for two HHDs and two SSDs.

The layout is a bit odd though, as the power supply unit is mounted on the front side of the case, so it’s visible through the glass and doesn’t have any sort of shroud to cover it. Still, if your cable management skills are good enough it won’t matter.

We found it remarkably easy to build in, making it a good choice for new builders. Though there is a lack of USB-C front panel connection as standard – you need to purchase an upgrade accessory if you want that – which is fairly unusual in the modern era.

Still, for the money, this is a great case with simple looks but solid quality and good airflow. What more could you want?

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For

• RGB galore
• Includes useful extras
• Very snazzy on the eye

Against

If you’re feeling a bit flush, then the Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB could be on your radar.

This is a case that really means the business. It packs in multiple RGB lighting strips as standard, along with three LL120 RGB fans and a Commander Core XT to control the power and lighting.

If 208 individually controllable RGB LEDs don’t get you excited, well, what will? Think of the 5000T as a fancier version of the 5000D Airflow and you’ve got an idea of what you’re buying.

This is a brilliantly configurable case and one that really looks fantastic as part of your gaming setup.

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For

• Roomy enough for push/pull
• Easy to build in
• Plenty of space for cable management

Against

The NZXT H9 Elite is a magnificent specimen and it should be at this price. We found this case to be remarkably easy to build in, with plenty of space for components and wiring and a well-thought-out logic that makes it straightforward even for new builders.

It comes with three F120 RGB fans and an additional non-RGB rear exhaust fan, as well as a fan controller which can manage as many as nine fans power and RGB lighting. So you can fill it up with fans and make it look fantastic. There’s plenty of space for radiators and NZXT has also cleverly accounted for airflow with this case too. So there’s lot to like beyond the cool aesthetic.

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For

• Wonderfully affordable
• Roomy enough for push/pull
• Lightweight

Against

• Feels cheap compared to others
• Curious fan options and limited radiator mounting

If budget matters, the NZXT H510 Flow is the one to turn to. This is an incredibly affordable mid-tower ATX case that won’t break the bank but still delivers the goods.

It’s reasonably sized, but is able to pack two (or more) SSDs and HDDs – and you can even front-mount a 280mm all-in-one cooler with a push/pull fan setup as well.

Sadly, though, the case only comes with two fans, so you will need to buy extra. The layout is a bit odd, as well, as it will only take 120mm at the rear and 140mm everywhere else.

However, these are small complaints about what is otherwise a great case for the money.

How to choose the right PC case

You’ve made the decision to build a gaming PC. Obviously, the case is a big part of the process. It’s important to choose the right one. You want something that will look at home in your gaming area, but also a case that will keep your machine running cool and quiet.

What will you be installing?

Buying a PC case you need to plan out your build. Think about what you’re going to put in your gaming machine. This is a key part of the process and something to think about before you buy. If a powerful, high-end CPU is part of your build then you might want to consider a large 360mm all-in-one cooler or even a full liquid cooler. This means you’ll need a big case with room for such a thing.

As a rule of thumb, the bigger the radiator, the cooler the CPU. If you’re overclocking, the bigger the better. If you’re running CPU intensive games, video editing or doing other CPU intensive things then the same logic applies.

Also, check the specs of your intended parts. Some high-end motherboards are E-ATX format, which means they’re larger than average. Not all cases will be compatible with these boards and you don’t want to gather all your parts and then find they won’t fit together.

How many fans do you really need?

Some of the cases on this list only come with a couple of basic fans. Others are incredibly well-stocked. More fans don’t necessarily mean better though. Too many may just get loud and annoying. Look at the specs of the case you’re buying and plan out what you want it to look like when you’re finished.

If you’re eying up a case, you might also be planning out the fans you want to install. A case may seem cheap at first, but if you’re putting 10 fans in that you’re buying separately then things suddenly add up.