The Best PC Cases Buyer’s Guide – Spring 2022
Upgrade 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
-
Case –SilverStone ML09B
$97The Guru’s TipSilverstone 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 – learn more in our hands-on review!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.
-
Case –SilverStone SG16
$94The Guru’s TipComing 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 designed by the biggest name in the ITX industry, SilverStone. It has 120mm fan mounts front and rear (almost unheard of in this size-class), and it can fit video cards up to 10.8″ long.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!
-
Case –Cooler Master NR200
$94The Guru’s TipThis 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.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!
-
Case –Lian Li Q58X4 Black
$143The Guru’s TipLian 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!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
-
Case –SilverStone Fara H1M Pro
$86 The Guru’s TipGiven 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
-
Case –be quiet! Pure Base 500DX White
$110 The Guru’s TipWe really like the white version of this case, but it's also available in black.
-
Case –Lian Li Lancool II Mesh C RGB-X
$125 The Guru’s TipThere 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!
-
Case –Phanteks Eclipse G500A Digital RGB
$160 The Guru’s TipConsider 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!
-
Case –Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic Black
$165 The Guru’s TipThis 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.
-
Case –Cooler Master MasterCase H500M
$240 The Guru’s TipWhile there are more expensive cases on the market, above this point you'll be paying mainly for materials, rather than performance.
Mini-ITX Models
Micro-ATX Models
-
The TBG DIY PC Build Guides
View all of TBG’s DIY PC Build Guides! This is where you’ll find all the best PC builds on the ‘net, from ultra-compact home office PCs to massive gaming towers.
-
The Best CPU Cooler and PC Fan Buyer's Guide
Need to upgrade your PC with a new cooler or fans? We've tested them all and have the top picks right here!
-
The Monitor Buyer's Guide
Upgrade the view for updated PC with a new monitor - we list the best in our buyer's guide!
-
The Networking Buyer's Guide
Upgrading your PC? Don't forget to upgrade your router to get the most out of it!