We’ve been through a whole lot of cases here at The Tech Buyer’s Guru, from the smallest ITX models to big ATX towers, and we’ve come to appreciate some of the things that make a case worth investing in. Given that a case is probably one of the components you’ll keep the longest, it makes sense to buy one that you’ll be happy building in and living with for a long time to come.

All that being said, there are certainly reasons to upgrade your decade-old case to a new model. For one thing newer cases feature the latest interfaces, like USB 3.0 (or even USB Type-C on a few select cases), while also doing a better job of supporting liquid cooling systems and larger, more efficient fans. Modern cases likewise allow for much better cable management, so you can decrease temperatures and noise without changing anything else in your system.

With the very best cases, less really is more, as a simple, elegant design will be easier to work with and will likely outperform more complicated layouts. For example, the best cases use truly-modular drive mounting systems, and limit the number of 5.25″ and 3.5″ drive cages to a bare minimum, as these standards are on their way out. This in turn removes one of the most significant obstructions to airflow in a case, thereby enhancing thermal properties without resorting to a large number of noisy, high-speed fans.