Best Cases

Naysayers from the circle of big-liquid fanatics will be the Nighthawk 117's biggest challenge in the enthusiast market, followed by those who don't like lights and those who don't like windows. But if you're looking for the widest array of well-priced features in a mid-sized full tower that has both lights and a side window, the Nighthawk 117 appears to be an unbeatable value.

The View 71 from Thermaltake offers unrivaled performance among glass-paneled cases, for users with the strength to lift it, the money to pay for it, and the patience to deal with its minor manufacturing flaws.

The Carbide Air 740 is an unusual find for builders who want to mount three large radiators. Other buyers will want to compare its features and price to other designs before making their purchase decisions.

Corsair's Carbide Clear 600C provides great looks and noise reduction for buyers who want to fit two large radiators and up to four graphics cards within a compact 18.3" depth.

The MasterBox 5 from Cooler Master provides the best performance value we’ve seen in over a year.

Poor dust filter design and a paucity of included fans justify the Bitfenix Aurora’s exceptional price. Buyers who were planning to add their own fans will still find a glass-paneled case bargain, as long as they can tolerate the dust filter inconveniences.

Fitted with a unique configurable logo panel, the Pandora ATX’s value rises from mediocre to above-average for builders who need space for two large radiators.

The MasterCase 5 is a great case for liquid-cooled system builders who want the flexibility to place additional components, such as reservoirs and pumps, more conveniently. Users who want to add a top-panel radiator can choose between purchasing the upgrade or buying the MasterCase Pro 5.

Kudos to Fractal Design for fitting two large radiator mounts within the relatively small dimensions of its Define-C. Had it been just a little cheaper or included just one more fan, it may have won a higher-level award.

The Define S is solid and attractive enough to hold an “Ultimate Liquid Cooling” build. Unfortunately, it’s not designed to hold “Ultimate Performance” parts such as 10.5” to 10.7” deep motherboards or four-way SLI that might need an “Ultimate Liquid Cooling” configuration. “Extreme” builders able to live within the confines of standard ATX and seven expansion slots will find equally extreme value in its low $70 price.

The Meshify C provides glass-sided-case buyers good quality and enhanced liquid cooling support at a comparatively average price.

The budget-priced CMT510 is a feature-rich mid-tower ATX chassis with something for just about everyone. The RGB-lit fans and tempered-glass side panels will appeal to gamers, and the chassis’ overall performance will keep performance enthusiasts happy.

Performance alone gives NZXT’s S340 Elite our recommendation in the $100 glass-sided case market, even though some of its advanced features appear gimmicky, and even though some of its basic features seem cheap.