Best computer case of 2015 - Computers for gamers

Best computer case of 2015

There was a time when computer cases were seen as nothing more than the housing for your PC. People were happy to boast about their new processor or graphics card, but the humble chassis rarely got a look in. Then things started to get interesting; cases got better, flashier and more functional. They evolved beyond mere protective outer shells and into an integral component that could complement what resided inside.

Today, the sheer number of cases available can be a bit overwhelming. To help you choose we’ve gathered impressions from our own reviews, those of other top sites and from owners' feedback, explaining what features make them stand above the rest. Here are the highest regarded cases in every category: best overall, Mini-ITX, micro ATX, HTPC, budget and top concept case.

Best Overall Case for Enthusiasts

Corsair Obsidian 900D

Great | Differentiating Features

No better case for water cooling setups, high-quality construction, supports two PSUs, supports up to fifteen 3.5”/2.5” combo drive bays, five radiator mounting points.

No fan controller, only two front USB 3.0 ports, expensive.

If you consider yourself an enthusiast when it comes to PC building, then nothing but the best will do. Here we have the absolute pinnacle of PC cases; where design, function and looks all come together to form the perfect chassis. Picking a winner here was no easy task, and in the end it was a choice between two Super-Towers: the Corsair Obsidian 900D and the Cooler Master Cosmos II. Ultimately, the title went to Corsair’s beautiful behemoth, and here’s why...

As soon as you set eyes on the Corsair Obsidian 900D you’ll be amazed by just how big it is. Weighing 41 pounds and measuring 27.2 inches in height means that not only is this case built like a small tank, but it can hold an incredible amount of hardware.

While the 900D may ship with nine 3.5”/2.5” combo drive bays, as opposed to the Cosmos II’s thirteen, there’s the option to purchase an extra three drive cages, bringing the total up to fifteen. There are also five 5.25” bays, one more than Cooler Master’s case. So whether you’re building the ultimate gaming machine or a beefy server, the Obsidian’s got you covered. Being a Super-Tower, this case can hold several varieties of motherboards, including E-ATX, XL-ATX and HPTX. Additionally, the 900D has room for two vertically mounted PSUs, whereas the Cosmos II has space for one.

The main chamber in this case is, as you would expect, cavernous, with the top section almost being the size of a standard full-tower. With its ten expansion slots and unbeatable cooling potential, you could put enough GPUs in here to make 4K gaming at 60fps an absolute breeze. And speaking of cooling, this is an area where the Obsidian truly excels; not only does it have fifteen fan mount locations (and comes with three 120mm and one 140mm fans), but there are also five radiator mounting points sized from 120mm up to 480mm. Add to this, the 900D lets you remove and rearrange everything with its tool-free design and you’ve got pretty much the perfect case for custom water cooling setups.

Some additional plus points for the Obsidian are its four easily removable dust filters, good airflow path, and the fantastic number of cable management options available, such as the cable routing latches and extra routing space behind the motherboard tray.

Does this case have any drawbacks? Well, there is the fact it has only two USB 3.0 ports, and the lack of a fan controller is a bit of a miss. The main problem people may find with the 900D is its eye-watering $300+ price, but this kind of quality doesn’t come cheap.

While no one can deny the Obsidian looks beautiful in a spartan yet bold kind of way, it may be one area where it plays second fiddle to the Cosmos II ($320). The 900D’s steel and cast aluminum frame, solid steel panels and full painted interior exudes quality, but the Cosmos’ elegant, race-car inspired design has the edge. Looks are, of course, a matter of personal taste. It could be said that visually comparing the Cosmos II to the 900D is like comparing a Ferrari to a luxury SUV.

While on the topic of alternatives, another consensus favorite among water cooling fans is the Phanteks Enthoo Primo ($250). The Primo is a well designed, well constructed chassis that can fit a ton of hardware but is less beastly than the 900D, which is part of the point. While a great case in its own right, it's worthy of mention here because of the raving user reviews and because it also costs less without skimping on build quality.

Make no mistake about it, both the Corsair 900D and the Cooler Master Cosmos II are stunning cases, both perfect for hardcore PC builders and gamers alike. But in the end, there can be only one winner. Because of its sheer number of build options and incredible flexibility the 900D takes the win, but only just.

Best Mini-ITX - Enthusiast/Gaming

Great | Differentiating Features

Beautifully sleek design, incredible easy to work on, innovative fanless design.

Good | Most Have It

Able to house GPUs up to 13 inches long.

Average | Competitors May Be Better

Lack of filters.

Although a full-sized tower PC case can look impressive, some people prefer the subtle elegance that comes with the Mini-ITX form factor. It used to be that these smaller cases couldn’t handle the more powerful components; today, however, Mini-ITX cases can house builds that will satisfy even the most hardcore gamers and PC enthusiasts. And the Silverstone Raven RVZ02 is the best of the bunch.

First thing you may notice about this case is that it looks more like a console than a PC, but despite its 12 liter capacity, the super-slim Raven can support dual slot GPUs up to 13 inches in length thanks to the use of a PCI-Express riser which is angled to position the graphics card parallel to the motherboard. This probably explains why the case is becoming a popular choice for Steam Machine builds, as does the inclusion of a slim optical drive bay.

One feature the Raven doesn’t have is any case fans. While this brave design choice may not give the most outstanding thermal performance, the oversized vents on the large transparent side/top panel allow the components within the Raven to blow out warm air using their own fan units – virtually replicating an open-chassis design.

Unlike a great number of Mini-ITX cases, the intelligent interior design of this case and tool-less drive cages mean that working inside this chassis doesn’t become a heart-pounding exercise in frustration. It’s even possible remove one component from the Raven without having to remove another component first - something not usually possible with cases of this size. There’s room for two 3.5” or 2.5” hard drives, and an additional drive can be installed depending on the length of the GPU.

The Raven RVZ02 is possibly the easiest Mini-ITX case you could work on. Its sleek looks and console-like profile mean it would be equally as comfortable beneath the living room TV as it would next to a monitor in the bedroom. Having no case fans means the Raven is lighter, cheaper to produce and has more internal space. And thanks to the intelligent airflow design, overheating isn’t a problem. Simply the best Mini-ITX case you can buy today.

Best HTPC case

Silverstone Milo ML04

Great | Differentiating Features

Great design, excellent price, easy to work on.

Good | Most Have It

Sleek A/V looks, can hold five 2.5" drives.

Average | Competitors May Be Better

Low profile expansion cards only, cable management can be an issue.

With a home theatre PC, you want something that can sit beneath (or next to) your living room TV and not look out of place. The best HTPCs shouldn’t look like computers; they should resemble a hi-tech piece of audio/visual equipment. Functionality, subtlety and style are some of the most important factors when deciding which home theatre case is the best of the bunch. Striking that perfect balance between looks and design is the SilverStone ML04.

The ML04 was created for the living room – and it shows. The excellent low-profile design and brushed aluminum front cover makes it appear much more expensive than its $80 - $90 price. It even comes with a lockable front door and power button, which not only adds a bit security but also contributes to the overall home theatre look. Additionally, at just 350mm deep and 105mm high, the Milo should fit inside all but the smallest of living room cabinets. Rounding off the outside of the case are two USB 3.0 ports, the audio input and the microphone jack.

Even with ML04’s small HTPC design, it can accommodate both Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX boards - giving builders a lot more options when it comes to choosing a mobo. There’s ample storage room in this case; it boasts a 5.25” bay that can also hold one 3.5” drive or two 2.5” drives, two more bays that can hold both sizes of drive, and finally a bay that can only hold only one 2.5” drive. This means the Milo ML04 can support a total of five 2.5” drives or three 3.5” drives. And with the huge capacity available on HDDs and SDDs today, you’ll have no trouble storing your entire media library inside this case.

Cooling can sometimes be an issue with HTPCs, but the ML04 makes good use of what little interior room it has. There are four 80mm fan slots (although no fans are included in the price, sadly) and some oversized vents above the CPU and on the side of the case.

Setting up the ML04, you can understand why it’s a favorite amongst those who regularly build HTPC systems. The only issue you’re likely to encounter is with cable management, especially if you use all five of those 2.5” drive slots. The size also limits the expansion cards to the low-profile variety, but you’re unlikely to want to play the Witcher 3 on your dedicated HTPC... or you could always use a riser and install a full size single-slot card above the motherboard, but that would limit the height of the CPU cooler.

With its great price, sleek looks and excellent design, the Silverstone ML04 is our top pick for anyone wanting to build a top quality entertainment center.

However, if the ML04 is just too small for you, and you’re the kind of person who prefers a big HTPC that can hold a similar amount of hardware as a tower case, then another one of SilverStone’s offerings, the Grandia GD08, will be a better option. While this case still retains the look of something that belongs in the living room, it has room for motherboards up to E-ATX in size, GPUs as long as 13.6 inches, twelve drive bays, and four 120mm fans.

Best micro ATX Cube

BitFenix Phenom mATX

Great | Differentiating Features

Can easily handle dual GPU setups, beautiful and solid construction, five motherboard expansion slots, space for ten hard drives.

Good | Most Have It

Comes with two 120mm fans, can fit a full-size ATX PSU.

Average | Competitors May Be Better

Cable management can be problematic. All expansion slots held in place by a single screw.

Micro-ATX cubes provide a good middle ground between a full-size case and a tiny mini-ITX chassis. Many can handle almost anything you care to throw into them, including more than one GPU and water cooling setups. From a wide range of excellent contenders, it’s the BitFenix Phenom mATX that comes out on top.

One of the first things you’ll notice about this case is just how roomy the interior is. With its five expansion slots, installing dual graphics cards (reaching 320mm in length) won’t feel like you’re playing a game of Tetris.

When it comes to keeping your components cool, you won’t find many other Micro-ATX cases that can accommodate water cooling setups as well as the Phenom. The case has room for a 240mm radiator or a CPU cooler up to 160mm in height. There’s also space for up to five fans across the top (120mm), bottom (120mm/200mm/230mm) and rear (120mm/140mm) of the case. The Phenom also comes with two 120mm fans as standard.

The Phenom has the added bonus of being able to fit a full-size ATX PSU along with five 3.5” and five 2.5” bays, meaning you’re unlikely to run out of room to add storage anytime soon.

Aesthetically, we find the Phenom to be beautiful with its flowing and minimalistic design, while the smooth edges and solid construction makes the case look more expensive than its sub-$100 price might suggest. Plus, it comes in black or white, so you can match it to your décor.

The only big drawbacks to this case are the messy cable management -- though that's usually hard to overcome in micro ATX cases -- and the way the expansion slots are held in place with a single screw. These are annoyances that may draw away some builders to go with something easier instead, but ultimately don’t detract from the overall quality of BitFenix's chassis.

As mentioned previously, there were a wide range of contenders in the micro-ATX cube category, and some came very close to overtaking the BitFenix as our favourite. One of the best alternatives to the Phenom mATX is Fractal Design’s Node 804 ($125). This case has a clean, minimalistic design and is capable of housing a beast of a gaming PC – it’s rare to find a micro-ATX cube that can support multiple radiators, ten storage devices and ten fans.

Another great case in this category comes from the always excellent Corsair, this time in the shape of the Carbide Air 240 ($115). This competitively priced, sturdy and compact chassis can hold radiators up to 240mm, has space for up to six storage drives, and - as its name suggests - is designed with optimal airflow in mind. It also has some fantastic cable management features for a smaller case, and a huge side window to show off your skills.

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