Opinions on the best compact mid tower ATX case

Charl15 · May 3, 2017

Hi Guys,

I am looking at getting a new PC case. I live in South Africa so my options are currently limited to the following cases that are on my shortlist.

Corsair 400C.
Phanteks P400S Tempered Glass Edition.
NZXT H440 V2
NZXT S340 Tempered Glass Edition.

I am looking for people who own any of these cases or have built in them before to give my the real pros and cons of the cases and also any other knowledgeable person with an informed opinion on the subject to give their input as well.

Relevant System Specs:

MSI Z97 Gaming 7 ATX Motherboard
Corsair H100i V2 Cooler
EVGA GTX1070SC
Corsair Ax860 PSU.

Side note: I will get getting some custom cables made up as well. So any views on cable management would be much appreciated.

Thank you

Chugalug_ · May 3, 2017

The Phanteks has the best build quality out of the four, but some don't like the look of it.
On the upside it comes with RGB LED strips that can be changed through the LED button which has replaced the reset button on the device.
I'd list them in this order of quality.

1. P400S TG
2. S340 Elite (Great smaller case)
3. H440 V2
4. 400C (A lot of plastic) However this case is the only one that supports top mounted radiators, so if you have a top of the line system and want to pursue water cooling (should only be done if you have the best stuff and plan on heavy OCing, otherwise better spent on performance) this is the better option.

Charl15 · May 3, 2017

Chugalug_ :

How would you rate them according to cooling and airflow capabilities?

I've read about the H440 and the S340 and some review sites reckon that their front air intake could restrict airflow to the system due to the lack of large side vents on the front panel.

Jester Maroc · May 3, 2017

Hi Charl,

I know that the NZXT H440 was on special a short while back on www.wootware.co.za. Not sure where exactly you are located but they ship nationwide.

The options are pretty good in Gauteng so if you live there you should be able to find more than only those 4 cases.

Phanteks is definitively the best quality case if you like the styling. I am a fan of the S340 but the finishing is not as good as Phanteks.

You may want to browse through www.partpicker.com and check what others have done with those cases. I have filtered the completed builds for you with the relevant cases:

P400S (Tempered Glass) https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/#e=1390,1403&sort=a1

NZXT S340 Elite https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/#e=1303,1333,1314&sort=a1&page=1

NZXT H440 https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/#e=663,623,1041,616,1054,1220,1456,1058,1436,675,814,54,49&sort=a1

Corsair 400C https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/#sort=a1&e=1131,1269

Looking at what they have done might give you an idea of which case would best fit your fancy and some builders share the temps plus the pros/cons of the cases they used.

If I look at your list it does appear that you want a tempered glass side panel? If not have you considered the Cooler Mastercase 5 (I know it is a bit large but so is the H440)? It has superior airflow and is very customize-able due its modular layout. You should be able to find it for about R1,300.

Chugalug_ · May 3, 2017

The new H440 is better, and the S340 is fine for airflow, all have solid airflow, no need to worry.

Charl15 · May 4, 2017

Jester Maroc :

I had a look at some of those builds and I got some good ideas for my next build. Some great PC's shown there. I am still not 100% sure which one. At this moment its a two horse race between the P400S and the 400C. Both have features I like and dislike so that doesn't really make it easier. Maybe buy both and then see which one I am going to use and sell the other one.

Jester Maroc · May 4, 2017

As someone who owns a Corsair case I can say that their airflow is among some of the best.

This is what Overclockersclub say about the 400C in their review: The Corsair Carbide 400C is an amazing little case. Not many cases this size can handle an array of motherboards from a Mini-ITX up to an E-ATX, all while supporting liquid cooling with room for a 120mm radiator at the rear, a 240mm radiator at the top, and a 360mm radiator in the front. Extra long GPUs? Multiple GPUs? Not a problem for the 400C. And it does it without breaking a sweat. It feels like a much larger case.

The two complaints that I have with Corsair is the fact that there is more plastic than the Phanteks or NZXT's, and that the steel grill where you fasten the radiators/fans on top is a little flimsy. This might be true for other cases as well, but if you plan on disassembling your case more than 1 or 2 times then it is something you should be aware of since those screw holes/slots tend to bend slightly if you apply pressure when tightening screws for fans. These are very tiny issues.

I think at the end any of those cases will work very well in almost any setup. You have already done your job and narrowed it down to excellent choices. The primary factor in my opinion for you should be the looks of the case. What do you wish to do with it and what kind of aesthetic setup will you want it to blend into.

EDIT: I see that you already own a Corsair 330R so you will be familiar with what I am talking about. Also, another thing I forgot to mention is that the thicker steel panels in the NZXT and Phanteks will give you a slightly quieter case as the thinner steel in the Corsair cannot dampen the sound as much.

Charl15 · May 4, 2017

Jester Maroc :

As someone who owns a Corsair case I can say that their airflow is among some of the best.

This is what Overclockersclub say about the 400C in their review: The Corsair Carbide 400C is an amazing little case. Not many cases this size can handle an array of motherboards from a Mini-ITX up to an E-ATX, all while supporting liquid cooling with room for a 120mm radiator at the rear, a 240mm radiator at the top, and a 360mm radiator in the front. Extra long GPUs? Multiple GPUs? Not a problem for the 400C. And it does it without breaking a sweat. It feels like a much larger case.

The two complaints that I have with Corsair is the fact that there is more plastic than the Phanteks or NZXT's, and that the steel grill where you fasten the radiators/fans on top is a little flimsy. This might be true for other cases as well, but if you plan on disassembling your case more than 1 or 2 times then it is something you should be aware of since those screw holes/slots tend to bend slightly if you apply pressure when tightening screws for fans. These are very tiny issues.

I think at the end any of those cases will work very well in almost any setup. You have already done your job and narrowed it down to excellent choices. The primary factor in my opinion for you should be the looks of the case. What do you wish to do with it and what kind of aesthetic setup will you want it to blend into.

EDIT: I see that you already own a Corsair 330R so you will be familiar with what I am talking about. Also, another thing I forgot to mention is that the thicker steel panels in the NZXT and Phanteks will give you a slightly quieter case as the thinner steel in the Corsair cannot dampen the sound as much.

I had a long look a some of the builds on PC parts picker and I think I am going with the Corsair 400C. I am just going to modify that PSU shroud because the cutout for the GPU 8 pin cable is in the wrong place. That was my only concern regarding the 400C. Thanks for the opinions and advice! Cheers.

Jester Maroc · May 4, 2017

Anytime! Enjoy the new case!

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Opinions on the best compact mid tower ATX case

Charl15

Commendable

Jester Maroc

Chugalug_

Titan

Charl15

Commendable

Jester Maroc

Distinguished

Chugalug_

Titan

Charl15

Commendable

Jester Maroc

Distinguished

Charl15

Commendable

Jester Maroc

Distinguished

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