When building a brand-new PC, how much do you prioritize a good case? Given that it's going to hold all your expensive hardware, help keep it cool, and add various features to your build, a quality chassis should be high on your shopping list. Here are our best computer cases of 2018.
You're not alone. Obviously design appeal is entirely subjective, but it sounds to me that if you dont use 3ft long radiators or aren't 12 years old and unhealthily obsessed with RGB, then most of these are comically overpriced artsy stuff trying too hard to stand out in all the wrong areas. $200 case conclusion = "thermals aren’t the best" - maybe that's because they got rid of the side air intakes that sit right over the CPU due to "priddy shiny glass side panel"? Best Mini-ITX = "as big as budget Micro-ATX but 3x the price!". Where are the actual Small Form Factor cases (which were the whole point of inventing M-ITX vs M-ATX in the first place)? Is there really nothing new between those tiny Chopin cases that people were doing Raven Ridge APU builds with a while back vs NZXT's "life-size refrigerators for your desk!"
I had the H500i for a bit and it is a really nice case for it's price. I landed on the H700 just because I needed the space for radiators.
Basically a console replacement.I don't know a specific case that meets your needs. But if you value quiet above all else, get solid case side panels (no windows), good airflow and possibly layers of sound-dampening foam. If you must have a tempered glass side panel (and they are gorgeous), find one with a good rubber seal.
Do not get Thermaltake core p3
About HTPCs:
"it’s not like you’re going to be playing Crysis 3 on it"
Uh, yes. It's called a gaming HTPC.
"If you’d prefer a bigger case but still want HTPC looks, an alternative is the Grandia GD08"
Yes! Thank you. This is the case I am using now. If you run a full size video card, you have to toss out all the drive bays. My 980 GT barely fits - the dual power plugs are hard pressed against top of case. I'm using M.2 so I don't need any bays. I run all my blu-rays (rip them from another pc) and storage on a NAS.
What I would really like in a HTPC?
- silent (air flow, water cooling would be nice)
- smallest possible (drive bay not needed, maybe blu-ray player?)
- just big enough for a full size video card
- doesn't have to look like a HTPC audio component, just nice horizontal form
- black
If you're looking to get into SFF (Small Form Factor) HTPC's here's a great place to start https://smallformfactor.net/forum/
There's also a channel on You Tube called "Not From Concentrate", Jesse builds nothing but SFF PC's and also sells SFF chassis https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX_hxpkQMkx2qKSArbXOHrw
Hope this helps
