The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best PC Cases Buyer’s Guide – Spring 2022

The Best PC Cases Buyer’s Guide – Spring 2022

By Ari Altman | Published April 5, 2022 | Updated April 5, 2022

The Best PC CasesUpgrade to the Best PC Cases, Not Just Popular Ones!

Here at The Tech Buyer’s Guru, we’ve reviewed dozens and dozens of PC cases over the years, so at this point we know the best PC cases when we see them. In this guide, we list our top 10 picks on the market today. Rather than segment them into arbitrary categories like best $50 case, $60 case, $70 case and so on, we simply picked the cases that we think best represent the state of the art in the PC industry. You’ll see some some ultra-compact mini-ITX options, a great mATX case, mainstream ATX cases, as well as super-towers, and we’re pretty sure that if you want a new case, you’ll find a perfect option among our picks.

Spotting Not Just the Latest Trends, but the Latest Good Ones!

For Spring 2022, there’s one theme that rises above all others, and it’s performance! Sure, glass and RGB lighting are still a thing, but the most innovative manufacturers have shown that you can have these things and good cooling too!

TBG has been laser-focused on thermal performance in our PC case reviews over the past few years, because the glass and RGB trend initially brought with it a significant performance penalty. It didn’t need to be this way: cool RGB effects can work in concert with high airflow mesh designs, including the use of bottom to top airflow like the Lian Li case shown above!

Speaking of airflow, just as important as the case design is the fans used for case cooling, and we’ve conducted the most extensive case fan testing in the review industry to help you set up the best possible cooling for your case. Definitely check out our case fan reviews (in our case reviews section) and our case fan buyer’s guide.

Final Thoughts

Unlike a lot of other categories of PC components, cases can be used in multiple systems over time, making them a very good place to invest in the best you can afford. With that said, we’re seeing more rapid advancement of PC case design than ever before, with new USB connectivity standards, new fan standards, new cooler standards, and new layouts to account for the move from big drives to tiny M.2 drives, and from compact externally-exhausting GPUs to huge, high-TDP, open-air GPUs that dump a lot of hot air into your system. So while you may want to keep a case for two or three generations, it may not be in the interest of your own sanity!

As always, to support continued development of these guides, please use the links we provide, which provide TBG a small commission at no cost to you.

Mini-ITX Models

  • Click to Buy
    Case –

    SilverStone ML09B

    $86
    Silverstone has done some serious engineering work here, and there’s simply nothing else like it on the market today. Despite its compact dimensions, the ML09 can fit a mini-ITX motherboard, a low-profile dual-slot video card, four 2.5″ drives, and an SFX power supply. It’s amazing!
    The Guru’s Tip

    For a high-powered office system, one nice option is to remove the optical drive bracket and included 120mm case fan, and install in their place a high-performance low-profile CPU cooler - with these components removed, there's 70mm of clearance.
  • SilverStone SG16
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    SilverStone SG16

    $91

    Coming in at just 13 liters despite impressive component compatibility and exceptional airflow, the SG16 stands alone. There are smaller “kick-started” cases out there, but they often come with a whole lot of “gotchas”, one of which is always an exorbitant price! The SG16, on the other hand, is a value-packed option supported by the biggest name in the ITX industry, SilverStone. It can fit video cards up to 10.8″ long, plus a wide variety of CPU coolers.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Unlike the older SG13 that we used to recommend, the SG16 does not need a separate adapter to use properly-sized SFX power supplies. The adapter is built right into the case!
  • Click to Buy
    Case –

    Cooler Master NR200

    $100
    This amazing case is one of a kind. Coming in at 18 liters, it has space for just about every component you could imagine, and looks fantastic too! That includes a huge GPU, a variety of powerful cooler options, and an SFX-class PSU.
    The Guru’s Tip

    You may wonder why we list both the SG16 and the NR200, given the similar shape and similar price. The reason: they are for very different users due to their sizes. The NR200 is about 50% bigger, which opens up lots of GPU options... if you need them!
  • LianLi Q58
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    Lian Li Q58X4 Black

    $160

    Lian Li has taken its design expertise and one-upped the entire Small Form Factor case industry with the Q58X4. Coming in at just 14.5 liters, it’s impossibly-small for its capacity. It uses a sandwich-style layout, putting the GPU behind the motherboard, while making room at the top of the case for a liquid cooler up to 280mm in size to exhaust all the system’s hot air. Plus it combines mesh and glass panels in a modular format to provide both plenty of air intake and a great view of your high-end components. And take note: the X4 edition of this case includes a high-quality PCIe Gen 4-capable riser cable to ensure full bandwidth to the latest video cards!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This amazing case is a true engineering triumph, offering the capacity of the NR200 in a volume nearly as small as the SG16. But as always, there's a catch (or two): you have to pay for the privilege, in both money and time required to build, because it is not easy to fit everything in when tolerances are this tight!

Micro-ATX Models

  • SilverStone H1M Pro
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    SilverStone Fara H1M Pro

    $86

    This stylish, modern mATX case offers great performance and flexibility in a compact package. Mesh panels in the front and top provide great ventilation, and the three included 120mm ARGB fans will make the most of it! On top you’ll find three USB ports plus microphone and headphone jacks, and on the side is a tempered glass panel that offers great views of the interior. And despite the small footprint, this case offers capacity right up there with big towers, including CPU cooler clearance of 160mm, and space for GPUs up to  11.6″ long, or 12.6″ if you relocate one of the front fans to the top.

     The Guru’s Tip

    Given the way the video card market has changed over the past few years, namely the end of dual-card setups, mATX cases like this one offer a great alternative to standard ATX towers.

ATX Models

  • Click to Buy
    Case –

    be quiet! Pure Base 500DX White

    $108
    The Pure Base 500DX offers new levels of performance around the $100 pricepoint. It has three high-quality 140mm fans (front, top, and rear), integrated RGB lighting in the front panel and interior of the case, plus a tempered glass side panel to show it all off! Note that you’ll have to hurry to catch this in stock, as it sells out constantly.
    The Guru’s Tip

    We really like the white version of this case, but it's also available in black.
  • Lian Li Lancoo lI Mesh
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    Lian Li Lancool II Mesh RGB

    $130
    Lian Li tops itself once again with the amazing Lancool II Mesh RGB case. It includes triple 120mm ARGB fans for an eye-catching look, along with a fully-meshed front panel for excellent airflow. And unique among its competitors, it offers dual hinged glass panels for great looks and usability, plus dedicated doors for the PSU chamber, providing great access to cabling!
    The Guru’s Tip

    There are a lot of cases these days that have the basic look of the Lancool II Mesh RGB, but none that have all the innovation!
  • Phanteks P500A
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    Phanteks Eclipse P500A Digital RGB

    $160

    Phanteks cases are simply exquisite; no other manufacturer can quite match the great blend of quality materials, attention to detail, and high performance, especially for the price. And the P500A may be Phanteks’ crowning achievement: an ultra-high performance ATX case with killer looks! A few of the very cool touches on this case include the hinged glass door on the left side and the integrated RGB light pipe on the PSU shroud. No one does it better!

     The Guru’s Tip

    Consider this a more upscale version of the Lian Li Lancool II. It looks very similar, but it's larger, allowing more radiator options, and it also has the fit and finish that only Phanteks can offer!
  • Lian Li 011 Dynamic
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic Black

    $165

    Lian Li put itself back on the enthusiast map after years of relative anonymity when it launched the immensely-stylish 011 Dynamic. Offering two glass panels arranged to provide an unparalleled view of the interior of the system, the 011 Dynamic is a true showcase, and with radiator and fan mounts on the bottom, top, and sides, it’s also an airflow champ!

     The Guru’s Tip

    This case does not include fans, and we recommend you add three 120mm fans to the bottom, and use liquid cooling for your CPU, mounting the radiator on top. This setup will provide immense airflow while preserving the "greenhouse" look of the system.
  • Click to Buy
    Case –

    Cooler Master MasterCase H500M

    $240
    This awesome case offers fantastic performance and great gaming style in equal measure. With dual 200mm fans mounted up front, plus a 140mm fan in the rear, it provides a tremendous amount of airflow, while its sweet addressable RGB effects make it really pop. This case includes both glass and mesh front panels, to give you the option to maximize airflow or go for the sleekest look!
    The Guru’s Tip

    While there are more expensive cases on the market, above this point you'll be paying mainly for materials, rather than performance.

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