NZXT are generally alright!
Lately I've found Phanteks and Fractal Design pretty good, but thats because I've not tried anything else xD .
Phanteks and some Corsair stuff mainly the air 540
When it comes to the design of mini-ITX cases,HardOCP forums.
Edit!!
I suppose that might mean Lian Li who makes many of the cases designed on the HardOCP forums like the DAN Case A4-SFX.
More than happy with the quality and ease of build with Fractal design.
I've not tried all that many recently but I'm a fan of Fractal - both the quality of their cases and their support. IMO they make some great ‘classy’ cases without all of the RGB/garish stuff, and with obvious attention to the important details.
Just a comment on Lian Li - I have tried a couple of their cases and I'm not sure if it's only certain models but I wasn't a fan of the brushed aluminium finish - it's really quite susceptible to both fingerprints (which are also hard to remove) and scratches. I much prefer the powder coated steel cases - the extra mass seems to help with quietness too.
There is a distinct lack of innovation with current mainstream mini-ITX cases,and why a few enthusiasts on HardOCP forums can do a better job,especially with their ridiculous sizes and weight which make a mockery of the reasons for mini-ITX motherboards. It seems Lian-Li will quite happily take on smaller orders for people wanting to design their own cases. Also I dislike steel cases - they weigh too much for a SFF rig - aluminium cases weigh much less,and the only way steel cases can get close is using horrible stamped steel,and cheapo plastic which flexes and is terrible to work with.
The weight isn't really a concern for me but I guess it would be if it's a portable rig. I do agree over the size though, some mini ITX cases are ridiculously big, basically a full size ATX case with a few PCI slots missing!
I assume you can also get powder coated finish on aluminium? It's just so much more durable than colour anodising.
watercooled
The weight isn't really a concern for me but I guess it would be if it's a portable rig. I do agree over the size though, some mini ITX cases are ridiculously big, basically a full size ATX case with a few PCI slots missing!
I assume you can also get powder coated finish on aluminium? It's just so much more durable than colour anodising.
Apparently from looking a number of the projects and would prefer it myself over the matt finishes which look nice,but are really not that durable. One of the cases on smallformfactor.net by a Ukranian company seems to use a powder coated finish on their case.
The only thing is due to the small production volumes the cases from these small companies are not cheap,ie,around £150 to £250.
Edit!!
Hopefully I might be able to justify one of the cases! :(
The only case I've bought since they started to be made more stylish (ie not a bland beige box) is the Fractal Design R2 XL. Wouldn't buy Fractal again. Not saying that it's bad - it was the best out there for what I needed - but rather it doesn't do everything I want it to do. Or not well enough, anyway.
And that goes across the board for all manufacturers. Dust filters aren't as good as aftermarket ones, fan placement not ideal, redundant drive bays etc.. My next case, I'll build myself to my needs. And crown myself as maker of the best PC chassis. Chances are it'll be an utter abomination, but it will do what I need it to without compromise. Ish.
Anyone who uses plastic is bad, Lian Li all the way.
jdsim9173
Anyone who uses plastic is bad, Lian Li all the way.
Err. Lian Li do use plastic. And it's often a superior material to use - there is no magic material which is suitable for every use.
Tired of hearing that statement when there are ton of different types of plastic, many more expensive to produce than metals, and depending on the use may be far more suitable. Probably the same sort of mindset that thinks almost 100% glass for a phone is ideal in every way…
No preference - generally the lowest cost commensurate with the facilities I need. My builds tend to be ITX - the last case was a Coolermaster Silverstone as it is free standing, the one before was a generic 4u rack mount. The one before that was a minibox M300.
Each one selected on the basis of cost and requirement (and no RGB).
Don't honestly know, if I could find the mad crossbred baby chassis of Lian Li build quality, combined with BeQuiet or Corsair build ease, alongside Phanteks lovely looking Enthoo Evolv Shift styling…. perhaps I would have found my ideal case.
Until that day comes, whichever case suits the build I'm making as well as the budget of that build.
Oh, the “best” is an impissible question. It all depends what you want, and what you'll do with it.
Like cars. Which is “better” …. Ferrari, Aston Martin, Bentley, Tesla, Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, VW, Skoda …. etc. It depends on what you want. And on what you can afford. I mean, the best for someone with a VW budget is not a Ferrari because not only can you not afford to buy it, or probably insure it, but come the first service, the invoice is going to give you cardiac arrest.
What do you want from a case? Decent build for a generic office PC, or an adaptable gsming machine? SFF or a 2-drive-bay monster? Fancy lighting or an HT case to mix with your hifi?
The best case, I guess, is the you like, that meets your needs and does so at best value-for-money.
It's like music …. which is best, Bach or Bruckner? Neither, if you're a Metallica fan.
Always been a fan of Lian Li. Just like aluminium cases I suppose.
Big fan of Fractal's Define cases. Understated looks, great layout options, and the added silence features are everything I need from a case.
Looking for a new case atm.
Phantek / Fractal for matx
Silverstone for ITX. Although Nano S looks good too.
I use to be a big fan of Cooler Master cases. Now I am disheartened because it looks like Cooler Master cares more about SSD space than HDD space. So I would say Phanteks is pretty good and close to what I'm looking for in a new case. The only problem is that some are saying that Phanteks has heat issues. For me Cooler Master was the best up until a couple years ago.
Fractal Design and Corsair would be my top two, due to ease of building, and pleasing designs.
Korrorra
I use to be a big fan of Cooler Master cases. Now I am disheartened because it looks like Cooler Master cares more about SSD space than HDD space. So I would say Phanteks is pretty good and close to what I'm looking for in a new case. The only problem is that some are saying that Phanteks has heat issues. For me Cooler Master was the best up until a couple years ago.
What do you think Meshify case from Fractal… got decent thermals.
The floor makes an excellent chassis. Excellent airflow, components easily accessible for swapping out and you can batter the thing at will like the stupid irate primate you are without any stupid metal “protection” getting in the way.
Plus it means all the RGB goodness is on show.
Also makes it very convenient for vacuuming the dust off. Anti-static precautions are for the weak.
I'm rockin' Cooler Master's excellent HAF 932 and HAF XM chasses for both my PCs, so they get my vote.
Meshify is nice. The problem is that it still only has 2 HDD mounts when I need 5. I could go external with usb 3.0/3.1 type c. The way these cases are going looks like sdd is on the rise.
Early Coolermaster and then the spawned Silverstone, certainly their innovative Fortress series. I have just rebuilt my PC with a new FT02W (based on the Raven) which sadly is not made any more but still has superior cooling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otiIWhPKc20
used lian li for my last 2 builds, and the one i got now,m will be used for the next build too.
Lian-Li hold a special place in my heart.
Got a very old PC55 (IIRC) here which is stacked with 80mm fans but still silent, cool and sturdy. Been bashed around loads, had about 5 different builds in it and 3 house moves.
Only the ‘old’ design (80mm, drive bays, no side intake etc) hold it back imo.
Had a Silverstone case for many years have changed the internals a few times but never needed to change the case. It does everything I need and more.
Still using my beloved ten year old Lian Li PC-7B.
No issues with the anodised finish, it still looks like new. Not sure how many builds I have put in this case, at least four. And those seemingly fragile side panels have managed to withstand years of accidental knocks and kicks without denting.
Only mod that I have done is to put a strip of black tape around the concealed edges of the side panels, to prevent any vibration. I keep thinking about converting the top blowhole from 80mm to 120mm but have yet to pluck up the courage.
I recently did a budget build for someone else and used a Phanteks Eclipse P300 which I found very impressive for the price. I had ordered a second fan for the front but it ran for a week through the recent heatwave with just the rear fan in place and coped just fine with an i3 under gaming load all day long.
Been using Lian-Li since forever, would be weird going with any other. I'm a big fan of the “more is better” school of case design, plus have a penchant for a butt-ton of HDDs, so Lian-Li always gets the job done.
I have a soft spot for Coolermaster ever since i got the first Storm Scout, 9 years later and the thing is still as solid as the day i bought it.
For me Fractal Design definitely.
Nobody.
Nobody makes good cases these days. There are a lot of gimmicky cases, but genuinely good cases are thin on the ground. They're all compromises. It doesn't help with the gamer focus, with cases becoming more about picture frames for LEDs rather than a functional box for cooling and reducing noise.
CaseLabs look like a contender, but they're US based without any reasonable channels in the UK.
Lian Li have had some great looking cases, but the cost and soft aluminium is concerning. I've got a drive bay adapter and first fit it got property scratched up.
Dashers
Nobody.
Nobody makes good cases these days. There are a lot of gimmicky cases, but genuinely good cases are thin on the ground. They're all compromises. It doesn't help with the gamer focus, with cases becoming more about picture frames for LEDs rather than a functional box for cooling and reducing noise.
Amen to that. All I want a case to do is cool my components with dust-free air, via sensible fan placement (heat rises!) and easily cleaned filters, and also not to put my hardware at risk - which is pretty tricky now as the vast majority of cases have the mobo upright, meaning there's a heavy graphics card and cpu cooler swinging away on there. If there were rotated 90 degrees, so the gpu is mounted vertically, that'd be a start.
Corsair used to be my favourite, but their aesthetics have gone really screwy lately.
BeQuiet cases suck, as they're a compromise on too many points.
The best for building in is currently Phanteks, so you just need to find one with aesthetics that match. I personally enjoy the Luxe.
Phanteks also have loads of room for modding, which is where the RGB ought to come in rather than being specifically designed in.
Dashers
CaseLabs look like a contender, but they're US based without any reasonable channels in the UK.
Out of the running, I'm afraid. They've declared bankruptcy, following difficulties over trade taxes and a massive default from one of their larger customers.
Mr_Jon, there are a few cases that come with supporting braces for graphics cards. Take a look at Cooler Master I think.
I've got backplates on my EVGA cards, but even then they sag a bit and the fans can crash with the card in the next slot if not installed very carefully.
Trouble with this question is that its too open ended.
Best ATX, ATXm, ITX?
Desktop, tower, mini-tower, rack?
2U, 4U?
Server or consumer?
Price range?
Critera? (value for money, outright cost, appearance (sooo subjective) )
So many possibilities and no one manufacturer will make the best for all those options.
Dashers
Mr_Jon, there are a few cases that come with supporting braces for graphics cards. Take a look at Cooler Master I think.
I've got backplates on my EVGA cards, but even then they sag a bit and the fans can crash with the card in the next slot if not installed very carefully.
I have a daisy chain of cable-ties supporting the card, looped conveniently over the heatpipes and up to the 5.25" drive bays.
I've had cases from Thermaltake, Cooler Master, and even some generics. But I guess my favorite would be Corsair. I love my 750D. Plenty of room, great cooling ability, cable management is a breeze, and it looks really nice in a dark room with the high-airflow front bezel with some white LED fans in there…
I've been impressed with NZXT, Corsair and Thermaltake recently. I've currently got a Thermaltake Core P3, and the build quality and features are excellent!
The one that is about to shut down!
Caselabs