The Final Three: Sub-$100 Cases For Your Gaming Build

By Thomas Soderstrom
published

The journey was a long one, but we're finally wrapping up our round-up of sub-$100 gaming cases. Today we review the last three of 11 total product submissions and pick an overall favorite. The competition was vicious, but one model definitely stands out.

All Eleven Cases, Compared

Antec’s GX700, Enermax’s Ostrog GT, and SilverStone’s PS06 are in a tight thermal race, while Zalman’s high-quality MS800 Plus follows those leaders closely.

Nanoxia’s server-styled Deep Silence 2 and Lian Li’s PC-9N lead the race in noise suppression, followed by SilverStone’s PS06.

When we compare heat to noise, Antec’s GX700 leads Zalman’s MS800 Plus, and SilverStone’s mid-grade PS06 places third.

An ultra-low price puts Antec’s GX700 in the value lead, if we ignore a few faults. Finishing third-place in the value race, BitFenix's Shinobi is the least expensive case to exceed our minimum quality standards, though fourth-place value Enermax Ostrog GT has the extra features needed to edge out BitFenix in our previous assessment. Even after recent price updates, the Ostrog GT's value award stands unblemished.

The two best-built cases in our 11-way round-up, Zalman’s MS800 Plus and Cooler Master’s Storm Scout 2 Advanced didn't necessarily give us the strong performance advantage needed to overcome their slightly higher prices. Of the two, Zalman's MS800 Plus offers a slightly higher-market feature set and slightly better performance, so it would probably be my pick. Similarly sturdy construction, a slightly lower price, and a handy carry handle helps Cooler Master's Scout 2 Advanced stand out with the LAN-party crowd.

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
46 Comments Comment from the forums
  • envy14tpe
    Thanks for doing the sub $100 cases. Obviously these are the most important ones.

    Is there any way tomshardware can put all the data together on a couple spreadsheets?
    Reply
  • JJ1217
    I'd like to see an article for this for cases that are larger, like the HAF X, Switch 810, and a few others. Be interesting to see them compared.
    Reply
  • Crashman
    11083777 said:
    Thanks for doing the sub $100 cases. Obviously these are the most important ones.

    Is there any way tomshardware can put all the data together on a couple spreadsheets?

    Performance data?
    http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/antec-gx700-cooler-master-storm-scout-2-advanced-in-win-gt1,3512-10.html

    Or do you mean dimensional data?

    Reply
  • ojas
    Hey about the GX700: Only exhaust would mean more dust build up (negative internal air pressure) so how does that factor in?
    Reply
  • envy14tpe
    11083962 said:
    11083777 said:
    Thanks for doing the sub $100 cases. Obviously these are the most important ones.

    Is there any way tomshardware can put all the data together on a couple spreadsheets?

    Performance data?
    http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/antec-gx700-cooler-master-storm-scout-2-advanced-in-win-gt1,3512-10.html

    Or do you mean dimensional data?
    That's exactly what I was looking for.
    Reply
  • vertexx
    Thanks for doing all the analysis. Cases are so subjective and have so many factors, and it all comes down to trade-offs.

    I thought the final analysis was perhaps a bit brief with so many cases reviewed. It would be good to see some type of point or rating system for different factors that go into overall case value (i.e. Finish Quality, Build Quality, Component Accessibility, Flexible Layout Options, Cable Management).
    Reply
  • Onus
    If one can deal with its anomalies (dealbreakers for some I'm sure), the Antec GX700 looks like a winner. I'm not sure about the styling, but that Ostrog does look like a good choice too. The Storm Scout looks like a bigtime value loser, and I'm very surprised Rosewill didn't do better. I suspect a lot of positions might change if you allow a certain amount of modding and tweaking though. I think this is why selecting a case will remain a matter of personal preference, regardless of what stock benchmarks show.
    Reply
  • Spooderman
    I built my friend's PC in the In Win and it was a good experience. Cable management was acceptable, everything fit nicely, nice color scheme. There was an interesting moment when I noticed that the case was built to include its own standoffs in the form of raised bumps on the motherboard tray. This scared me because I didn't trust putting the mobo on the case, but I looked it up and apparently the standoffs that came with the case were only for micro ATX. The front panel design and lights were nice looking and mostly unobtrusive. Other than that, it was a great case to build in and I think I'll be using it for my next friend's build this summer. Out of all the cases I would recommend this one for a good building experience.
    Reply
  • JPNpower
    So which is the good budget case that doesn't look like a flashy monster? I know it shouldn't matter, but I personally couldn't stand many of these cases sitting in my living room.
    Reply
  • Onus
    I'd take a look at Fractal Designs or Lian Li for a much more subdued styling, and also quiet. I don't mind a blue light here or there (if only to tell me the PC is on, ready to do as I tell it), but I don't like garish either; not in the living room anyway.
    Reply