Is A Good Chassis for Gaming PC Really That Important ?
I firmly believe that one controversial option besides choosing any essential components for your custom computer is to digging out a good chassis to house them all.
It is very tough to choose the right design, the right fit if you have never involved fully into the chassis market before.
In some case, the computer case could be the second to the most concerned parts of the system (such as the $800 Hybrid Gaming HTPC Build) or it could just be another anything-is-ok pick from the vast available selections.
While some of the first time custom pc builders have a strong impression that what is on inside that really counts, we are actually overlooking the importance of a computer chassis and how it can potentially make many subliminal impact on the system performance.
A bad case effectively reduces the life span of all core components because its poor interior architecture prevents smooth airflow.
Strict ventilation rises the temperature very quickly, and heat is the number one killer to electronic products. When the thermometer
passes that 70°C reading, soon or later you will reach the point where total performance drops, system becomes unstable and BSOD appears everywhere.
On a Feng Shui note, bad design or cheap generic cases give a cheap and ugly look to its surrounding thus it makes you feel unmotivated and easily exhausted every time you work with it.
When you first set out to hunt for a beautiful case like those pre-built branded computers, you may be a little disappointed.
At first sight, the after-market cases may not look so shiny, as elegant or even smell good like those on the HP or Dell shelves.
The most honest advice I can give to you is just don’t let the beauty tricks your perception. Those who own prebuilt system surely can tell you how loud their computer is and how often they complain; “hell, my computer is brand new but it randomly slows down for no reason!?”.
Right, it might be hardware or software-related issues but then again, we also have to concern whether the case is also a cause of the problem.
Restricted airflow strongly affects the performance of the CPU, the Video Card, Power Supply Unit and it also loves to stress the very existence of any hard drive that keeps your valuable data. It is definitely not very fun just to think of that.
By knowing all impacts of a chassis could apply on the system as a whole, we can enforce the benefits of a good computer cases with several examples from many popular brands.
It is not the lack of beauty in the custom pc enclosures world but the eyes to see them, right? Even the Top 6 Most Silent Computer Cases for Quiet Computing list already gives generic name-brand computers a long run in any beauty contest.
This time I love to examine deeper into the chassis market to pick out all the great germs that will absolutely set your pc apart to the rest of the ever non-geeky crowd.
You know it is awesome to have a computer in the house or your dorm room that does not look like another Apple or other usual brands. In fact, you should be really proud of yourself from building your own awesome pc.
As opposed to the quiet cases list, this article is a lenthy sum of the most decent and sweetest gaming chassis in today market; and to make it even better, we only target those that have pretty side window to promote the appearance of your lovely core components. These chassis will be the perfect fits for any of those custom gaming computers we are working on.
You may not find too much technical details from the topic because I know getting straight into the benefits gives you guys deeper and stronger understanding of the components, rather than represent all the manufacturer specifications.
Those information can be found anywhere on the product website or many other popular review blogs on the Internet.
Now time to cut the crap and let’s grab that shopping cart!
NEW ANTEC
Antec is one of the most well-known manufacturers to custom computer builders when it comes to power supplies and pc cases. This American-based company has a long history that stretches way back in 1986 since their first launch in California.
Antec is loved for their cool design, low cost and efficient computer cases by many first time pc builder; such as the Three Hundreds Series, the most popular and high rating chassis of them all.
Enthusiasts may look further on the other side of the trade and find out about two very handsome chassis that Antec has in store.
The Nine Hundred Two and Eleven Hundred Mid-Towers.
1. Antec Nine Hundred Two V3
This is considered to be the best-selling gaming pc chassis Antec has ever sold. The case gives you the impression of a strong and powerful chassis that it is happy enough to enclose all the good stuffs about your computer.
Once you catch the first sight on the exterior of the Nine Hundred Two, you will find the front panel is full-mesh designed for plenty and plenty and plenty of airflow towards internal hardware.
This panel carries a total of 9 slots covered by nine removable grills, each one of them work as a drive bay for storage options. The first three of them are available for 5.25" drives while the rest are doors to the home of two 120mm fans.
Tracing along to the top of the case could make you randomly excited with the usual user panel of two USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA port as well as the audio and microphone jacks; all sandwiched by the Power and Reset buttons on each far ends.
Going toward the far location of the top you will immediately recognize a place that lives the super huge 200mm fan.
Beyond that is the back panel where more common designs are realized; such as that hole for the I/O panel, eight expansion slots, bottom-mount power supply and another lovely 120mm fan.
What could surprise you most is the little control box at the top right where you can manually adjust the speed of the rear and top fan or dim the fan light.
Overall, I think this is a handsome case to showcase to everyone that you have a showcase case as your computer case.
What You Probably Love
Good-looking on the outside.- Plenty of ventilation.
- Pretty transparent side window. It has space for an optional 120mm fan, too.
- Provides lots of drive bays (includes one 2.5" bay) and 8 expansion slots.
- Bottom-mount power supply.
- The hulk-size fan for top exhaustion.
- Fan speed control knobs for each of the front fans.
- Fan control box on the back panel for top and rear fans.
- Built-in removable air filters.
What You May Not Like
- There are limited small cut-out holes for cable management and no rubber grommets to improve the wiring look.
- Too many drive bays and they eat up much of the internal space. You may find long video card has a tough time to fit inside.
- Case Type: Evolved Gaming Case
- Color: Black
- Cooling System: Top: 1x 200x30 mm BigBoy TriCool Blue LED Exhaust Fan/Rear: 1x 120x25 mm...
- Front I/O Panel: 2x USB 2.0 Ports; 1x USB 3.0 Port; 1x Speaker; 1x Mic
Also check out : Antec Twelve Hundred V3 Full Tower
2. Antec Eleven Hundred
As the name proposes, this chassis should be the bigger and stronger and more bad-ass brother of the Nine Hundred Two case. That is somewhat correct.
You will find three front mesh grills for the optical drive bays instead of nine from the Nine Hundred Two. That leaves space for a bigger mesh cover on the rest space of the front, but it may make fan maintenance a little difficult (there is no front fan included, though).
The button panel is now on the front of the case where it delivers two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports and the set of in and out audio jacks.
Power and Reset switches have been moved to be part of the front bezel, but it looks fine.
On the top panel you find the similar fan control box as in the Nine Hundred Two but couple of the options are empty, thus you can only control light of the top 200mm fan.
At this point you may wonder what makes this chassis the bigger sibling of the previous Nine Hundred Two since most of the options are reduced or unavailable, here is the answer : the Eleven Hundred means to hold bigger XL-ATX motherboard with a total of nine PCI expansion slots on the back.
Those of us hit it hard with a large size motherboard probably find a relief from this chassis.
What You Probably Love
- Plenty of room on the inside for XL-ATX motherboard.
- Good ventilation.
Huge open hole on motherboard tray for easy CPU bracket installation.- Excellent cable-management with grommet rubbers on each cut-out hole.
- Pretty and huge transparent window on the right left panel with location for two optional 120mm fans.
- Bottom-mount PSU.
- Easy removable fan filters.
- 200mm top fan and 120mm rear fan are included.
Tool-less storage drive installation.
What You May Not Like
- Only comes with two fans (Top and Rear) instead of four like the Nine Hundred Two.
- Fan Control Box on the back panel has only one option to dim the top fan light.
- Long video card could be a tight fit.
AZZA
AZZA is not as popular as other chassis manufacturers but they do have a very handful awesome selections on hand.
Found in 1996 as a motherboard makers and extended the scope to PC cases and power supply industry in 2004, AZZA is still a pretty new name to custom computer market. With just 8 years of history for the record, AZZA is most known for its full-tower Solano case that delivers a beautiful design and solid features.
They also have many more kick-ass gaming chassis, but since we have our goal set for fine case with clear window we will only look at the best offer AZZA has to meet the criteria : the Armour 203.
3. AZZA Armour 203
One opinion you probably come up with from the first sight on Armour 203 is the boss-like look. It somehow bears a resemblance of the Decepticon logo from Transformer. Maybe it's just me. But that aside, we have a cool looking case that does not give up on too many essential features for the cost.
The set of power buttons, one USB 2.0 port, one USB 3.0 port and audio jacks is located at the top of the chassis for easy access. The front panel also gives you three 5.25" optical drive bay and a hot-swappable hard drive bay on the first half space, while the bottom is the shelter for one 90mm fan.
On the very inside, even though there are only seven PCI expansion slots on the rear panel but this mid-tower can handle XL-ATX motherboard with ease. That also means it will fit full-length video card, but the drive bays possibly make a small hassle during installation.
The Armour 203 may lack premium touches such as fan controllers, fan filters but it is a good-looking case with a healthy count of other benefits for the money. That should make up for the small drawbacks and some of us probably will be very happy with this case for your custom pc project.
What You Probably Love
Cool looking chassis with a pretty mix of red LED on black paint.- Lots of drive bays ( three 5.25" bays, one 2.5" bay and six 3.5" bay along with an awesome 3.5" hot-swappable external bay).
- Comes with three fan : two 120mm on the side and rear with one 90m on the front panel.
- Open vent at the top for an additional of two optional 120mm fans. It also fits 240mm radiator if you must.
- Pretty clear side window design.
- Tool-less storage assembly.
- Bottom-mount power supply.
- Supports custom liquid cooler.
What You May Not Like
- Limited cable management.
- No dust filters which makes cleaning a bit more challenging.
- No fan controller that may rendering the noise level uncontrollable.
COOLER MASTER
I'm sure you have heard of the name very often. Cooler Master is a Taiwan-based company founded in 1992 that populates the custom pc market with many respectable chassis, power supply and cooling solutions.
Cooler Master products carry a premium quality known to most custom computer builders, yet they still manage to stay under a reasonable price along with world-class customer service.
The manufacturers have an aggressive number of computer chassis under their sleeve, it is both good and bad. The good thing is we have many options to choose, and the bad thing is we have too many options to choose :)
Let's start with the two most popular case under the Storm line up : Scout and Enforcer.
4. Cooler Master Storm Scout and Scout II
This is Cooler Master's one of the first-born chassis in the Storm series. It is so awesome that many well-known review websites have made several articles and even professional videos to talk about it. The Scout by name and look, has all the best characteristics of an agile computer case to targeting the gaming audience at a friendly cost.
At the side angle panel that connects the front and top of the chassis lives the set of I/O ports and Power buttons. You get four USB 2.0 Ports, one eSATA port and a little button to turn on or off the lighting. Right underneath that is the family of five mesh grills that cover five optical 5.25" bays and one full mesh plate that marries to one 140mm fan.
As a strong characteristic of a Scout, this chassis is very mobile thanks to the double carrying handles that enforces the top vent of the case. You won't find a lot of trouble bringing the rig to a LAN party like other cases that we have just gone through.
Another sniffy feature is the special expansion slot bracket on the back panel that also works as a mouse and keyboard secure location to keep your peripheral devices safe while you are away.
What You Probably Love
Handful amount of front external ports.- Cool handles.
- Big transparent window that can even house two 120mm fans.
- Bottom-mount power supply.
- Good paint job against minor scratches.
- Top open vent can support another 140mm fan.
- Intuitive instruction motherboard installation on motherboard tray.
- Tool-less storage installation.
- Very portable.
Up to seven motherboard PCI expansion slots with one Storm Guard bracket to secure mouse and keyboard wires while the owner is afk.
What You May Not Like
- A lot of front ports means a lot of internal cables to connect them to the motherboard.
- Cable-management is not very impressive
- Only comes with one fan. One more at the ceiling of the case would be nice.
- It will not take 240mm radiator for liquid cooler.
- Long video card could be a tight fit.
*Update : Cooler Master released the second revision of this last year offer, dubbed as Storm Scout 2. The new chassis has a very rock-solid design with beautiful finish. It has everything the older model has delivered, while comes with significantly improved cable management system. You will also love the front USB 3.0 ports and a much more sturdy frame, give it a feel like you really have to teach a noob a big lesson today.
5. Cooler Master Storm Enforcer
The Enforcer has bulky design that instantly makes the world think you have a really bad-ass computer. Do you not ?
The immediate difference you would recognize between the Enforcer and Scout is the big layered-plate door that covers four 5.25" optical drive bay on half area of the front case. While this gives Enforcer a subtle strong look, some of us just do not like having door on the chassis.
Right below that is a 140mm fan that diligently takes cares of intake air for internal areas.
Now toward the top of the case is the familiar combination of huge center power switch and two USB 2.0 ports, plus two USB 3.0 ports, plus audio in/out jacks. You may love the fact that these USB 3.0 ports actually make use of motherboard USB 3.0 header; instead of the work-around method where you have to pass-through the front USB 3.0 port cable to the back USB 3.0 port.
What You Probably Love
Controversial nice-looking front.- Roomy interior.
- Cleverly-positioned clear window on side panel that does not show the messy wiring part.
- Native USB 3.0 header support.
- A lot of drive bays : four 5.25" bays, six 3.5" and four 2.5" storage bays.
- Top storage bay is removable to make room for full-length video card.
- Seven expansion slots with additional one vertical slot.
- Comes with three fans : one 120mm for rear exhaustion and two 200mm on the front and ceiling of the chassis.
- Bottom-mount power supply.
- Generous size cut-out hole on motherboard tray.
What You May Not Like
- The Door.
- Two large fans mean they do not move very much air.
- Cable-management is improved over the Scout chassis but still does not have much to write home about. No rubber-grommets included.
- Front I/O Panel with USB 3.0 (internal)
- Tool-free for 5.25" device
- Dust Filters on bottom and front intakes
- Cable management for better cable routing
6. Cooler Master HAF X
The HAF X is the only chassis in this Cooler Master round-up that does not belong to the Storm gaming brand. The HAF abbreviation stands for High Air Flow that strongly represents Cooler Master's idea of challenging the internal heat issues.
The chassis is blessed as a full-size workstation tower that delivers the best offers all around. It must be something that Cooler Master love to carry in their design, this HAF X chassis also has a military look embedded into the every essential core of it, just like the Enforcer and Scout. The rugged columns wrap along sides of the front panel also explicitly confirms this doubt.
This full-tower carries a respectable count of six external drive bays, two of those are 5.25" bay converted to 3.5" hot-access SATA storage docks.
The front also holds one 230mm fan to handle intake air towards the internal storage bays and video card; but the fan is not alone. On the left windowed-side panel you will also find another large 200mm fan that draws extra air in, effectively removes excessive heat from the video card(s).
Finally, Cooler Master gives you one 120mm on the rear of the case and one 200mm on the ceiling for exhaustion. That should provide a decent airflow without creating a negative air pattern throughout the chassis where heated air circulating in and out by strong internal pressure.
For peripheral connections, You also find two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports as well as one of each Firewire and eSATA ports. That is useful for those of us who often trade data between different external devices.
What You Probably Love
- Big - Bad - Handsome Chassis.
- Plenty of too much room on the inside for any components.
- Smart airflow design.
- Good cable-management.
- Lots of fan options plus front dust filter.
Beautiful side window.- Nine expansion slots to accommodate E-ATX Motherboard.
- Two front hot-access SATA storage docks.
- Included wheels for easy transporting :P
- Tool-less storage assembly.
- Bottom-mount power supply with cover frame to hide clutter cable mess.
What You May Not Like
- Too tall and bulky, may not fit under all desks.
- A little heavy (well, honestly it is not as much as the Cosmos II :D )
- Could go a little loud sometimes due to many open vents and fans.
- No fan controller to subdue the noise.
- Hot-access docks require hard drive to be physically screwed to the removable frame before use.
- Mfr Part Number: RC-942-KKN1
- Features:
- SATA Dock for easy installation without the need of removing side panel
- USB 3.0 on front I/O panel
7. Cooler Master Storm Stryker
Stryker is the newest offer in the Storm series and is the one of the top of the line gaming chassis in the whole custom pc market. It looks really really handsome and eye-catchy.
The Stryker is the blood brother of the Storm Trooper that we used in $2000 / $3000 Custom Gaming PC a while ago. This case offers all luxurious options that any enthusiasts would love about.
The top panel provides four USB ports with half of them are USB 3.0, along with an integrated fan controller button set right above peripheral connections. There is also a fan light switch to shut down all pretty LED from the two 120mm fans on the front panel.
As opposed to HAF X, the Stryker has a minimalist design where it does not look so bulky and bossy. From top to toe of the front panel, you only catch a line of mesh grills cover all 9 drive bays and a toolbox at the bottom.
In between the top button controllers and drive bays is an area called X-Dock that is used for hot-access 2.5" storage drive. It is a cool idea to have different OSes installed on different Solid State Drive and named each one Windows 7, Windows 8, Ubunty, iOS, etc... then whenever you want to play with any of those OSes, just slide the SSD onto this 2.5" drive bay and start up the system.
Another innovative design is where the in-take fans are located. Instead of the traditional position on the front panel, two 120mm fans are moved to the left side of the case, the same location where the clear see-through window is. However, this is not a fixed position. The fans are actually attached to the drive bay that can rotate 90 degree, therefore you can still make them draw air from the front as the usual setup, if you find the need to.
What You Probably Love
A solid handsome full-size case that makes all heads-turning.- Minimalist design, yet functional.
- Front hot-access X-Dock 2.5" drive.
- Handle at the top to promote mobility.
- Very good ventilation.
- Excellent cable-management.
- Lot of internal space.
- Dust filters at top and bottom.
- Pretty see-through window.
- Bottom-mount power supply
- Impressive count of storage bays
- Comes with four fans and plenty of locations for optional fans.
What You May Not Like
- High price.
- Pretty tall and may not fit all desks.
- Pretty tall that some power supply cables may not reach certain required areas.
- X-Dock only supports 2.5" drives
- Stylish black and white design with mesh front panel provides constant cooling
- Top ultra-strong carrying handle with rubber coating
- The unique 90 degree rotatable 5.25 inches/3.5 inches combo cages offer flexibility for...
- Rich I/O support with two USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports and 9+1 expansion slots for great...
CORSAIR
Corsair is a company founded in 1994 with HQ base located in the state of California. Their main focus is on power supply units, memory and computer chassis. You may find them extending the reach to other industries such as Solid State Drives, Self-Contained Liquid coolers, Speakers, etc.. but that does not seem to prevent them from releasing one successful product after another in their stronger categories.
Corsair components are loved for their reliability, high quality and premium service. In the scope of this article, we only take into hands the three best Corsair Obsidian gaming computer cases that should make their owners proud from the first to the last of the day of its life :)
8. Corsair Graphite 600T White Edition
The Corsair 600T Series were released in late 2011 and hit the market with all the goodies of a modern chassis. PC enthusiasts everywhere look upon this mid-tower as a luxurious option on their wishlist, for its beautiful appearance and unique design. Most users who find interest in this chassis have built some of the most power custom computers available to the mainstream.
This 600T series comes in a variety of colors but White Edition is the only version that comes with a transparent window on the side panel. Perhaps that is the reason we are only going to write home about this special offer.
First factor that makes this case looks much different to all previous chassis that you have just gone through is the elegant curvy edges wrap around the front panel. A closer look would prevail one of the most unique touch only from Corsair product : Quality.
The paint and finish on both inside and out of the 600T is beautiful with excellent details. The plastic frames are also carefully cut to fit accurately into the next supporting parts, without leaving a trace of flimsy or loosen joints. The assembly as a whole feels strong and solid.
What You Probably Love
- Beautiful and refined rounded design. No jagged edges.
- High quality materials.
- Great looking, premium chassis with matte finish.
Integrated fan knob controller, Four USB 2.0 ports, One USB 3.0 port and one Firewire port at the top panel.- Easy assembly.
- Side panel is secured with two latches and can easily be removed without tool requirement.
- Very nice and huge clear window.
- Top and Front grill covers are also easily detached by a gentle push to prevail the included dust filters.
- Solid stand to raise the chassis at an acceptable height above ground level.
- Excellent cable-management design with total of 8 cut-out holes with rubber grommet on each one of them.
- Removable top internal drive bay for full-length video card. It can then be installed at the bottom next to the power supply unit.
- Preinstalled one 120mm rear fan and two 200m fans.
- Preinstalled motherboard stand-offs.
- Big open on motherboard tray for CPU bracket installation.
- Good airflow.
Bottom-mount power supply.- Supports 240mm radiator for liquid cooling purpose.
- Compatible with any large size motherboards.
- Tool-less storage installation.
- There is a lock hidden on the top panel to prevent random dude from trying to steal your CPU cooler.
What You May Not Like
- Might be a little too big and bulky.
- No hot-access drive bay.
- Some power supply cables may not reach the far end of the motherboard due to the wide design.
- No button to turn off the front LED :(
- No fan controller.
- Keep your system cool with the dual 200mm fans and rear 120mm fan
- Install or upgrade your CPU heatsink quickly with the easy-access backplate cutout.
- Optimize airflow and keep your system neat and tidy using the intelligent cable management...
- User-swappable side panel window or mesh insert housing up to four 120mm fans
Corsair 650D and 800D
These two models are the older brothers from a different mother of the 600T chassis, without the round edges. Those who are not keen on the elegance look of 600T may find the strong and sturdy architecture of the 650D or 800D more appealing.
The 650D chassis has all the aforementioned good characteristics of the 600T plus an additional hot-access drive bay on the top panel. The 800D is a full-scale version of 650D with an extremely roomy internal space since it is a full tower. I totally believe someone could really manage to get a body fit inside the case. If it isn't possible, I guarantee the 900D will be.
In conclusion, those who raise their hands for a bad-ass looking workstation or enthusiast gaming build usually pick 650D/800D to house all other high-end components. Server owners probably aim square at the 900D without a doubt. On a sort of unpleasant note, these two chassis give you a hard time to put the 5.25" bezel plate back into place once you took them off. You have to remove the whole front panel to do so, which is a hassle. Also there is no USB 3.0 port on the front panel of the 650D and 800D (except for the 750D and 900D that came out last year).
NZXT
Founded in 2004, NZXT is fairly young mid-scale computer component manufacturer based in the state of California. The company quickly rises to success thanks to its unique designs, reasonable cost and high quality on all its offers to the pc chassis and cooling solutions market. One of the NZXT cases has been featured in $700 / $1000 Super Quiet Custom Home Server and it has all goodness of a modern chassis in a pretty shell. When it comes to enthusiast category, NZXT delivers two beautiful contestants that you will absolutely come across when you are on the hunt for cool pc cases.
9. NZXT Phantom 410
Phantom 410 is the little sister of the full-size Phantom series that was released in late 2011.
The Phantom-series is a very successful boutique pc case that actually looks prettier than those sleek chassis of prebuilt computers. It started a new trend in computer case market where other competitors know has to work harder to come up with more innovative designs that NZXT is leading.
This 410 is a mid-tower size with a small see-through window at the top of left side panel while the full-size one has only open-vent. Your first impression on the case is probably the shiny light-reflecting finish that promotes elegance ass-kicking futuristic concept. Somehow my opinion says that Phantom looks like a mini spaceship (or maybe it is just me with too much Starcraft and Halo).
What You Probably Love
- Beautiful finish that comes in a huge selection of theme colors.
- Integrated fan controller at the top of the chassis. You will also find two USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.0 ports at the same location.
- Tool-less storage assembly.
- Bottom-mount power supply.
Removable top storage bay for installation of full-length video card.- Comes with three fans.
- Excellent cable-management.
- Fan controller.
- Included dust filters.
What You May Not Like
- Door.
- A little restricted airflow. (Negative Air Pressure by silverstonetek)
- No hot-access storage bay.
- Flimsy drive bay.
- No removable dust filter.
- No external hot-access drive bay.
- Clearance for top 24 millimeter dual radiator for water cooling solutions/adjustable...
- Removable hdd cage to allow more room for extended video cards/innovative right mounted...
- Single 120 millimeter /140 millimeter side fan with acrylic window for interior viewing...
- 30w 3step fan control for setting up your system for silence or performance/wire...
10. NZXT Switch 810
This pretty case has a simple and minimalist design of its own rights. Those who are interested in the clean look of Corsair Obsidian 650D and 800D may once again fall in love with NZXT Switch 810. Despite the solid panels that enclose the internal hardware, the chassis is still able to serve excellent ventilation thanks to cleverly placed fan locations.
However, the lack of metal material in the frame makes the case feel a bit flimsy overall.
What You Probably Love
- Elegant and minimalist design.
- Outstanding cable-management.
- Easy pop-out door on bottom half of the front panel for quick access to the hidden 120mm intake fan.
The power and reset buttons as well as two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports are well covered by the flip-up door.- Nine motherboard expansion slots.
- Intelligent screw pattern for rear fan which allows you move it up and down according to CPU cooler location.
Top cover can be shut closed or open for better ventilation by the sliding lock.- External hot-access storage drive bay.
- Tool-less storage assembly.
- Four 140mm fans provide smooth airflow.
- Top and bottom drive bays are both removable.
- Bottom-mount power supply.
Unique lighting on the back panel of the chassis makes easy to locate I/O ports in the dark.
What You May Not Like
- Feel flimsy on the outside.
- External hot-access bay requires the storage drive first be physically attached to the sliding bay via set of four screws.
Bonus. NZXT H440
THERMALTAKE
Roughly thirteen years ago, Thermaltake launched their first business office base in Taipei to offer the world mainstream computer power supplies, chassis and cooling solutions.
They have made it to a successful large-scale manufacturer in such short period of time, whose name has always appeared on the essential hardware list of many custom computer builds lately; such as the $600 Custom Productivity Computer we once did.
As far as I could recall, Thermaltake has contributed to the pc case market two extremely well-known chassis that everyone really loves : The V3 and V4. These two chassis are inexpensive, good quality along with a nice look have earned them the attention of so a lot budget-conscious custom computer builders for the past years.
In this article, Thermaltake once again bump into our list with two super awesome computer cases that falls right into the enthusiast category, that surely gives other more expensive chassis a long run for their money.
11. Thermaltake V9 BlacX Edition
Even though this mid-tower carries a gaming tag on itself, yet it just happens to have almost every useful feature we would love from a top-end chassis.
First off, it will not break the bank to bring home one. That means less intense civil war with the loved one.
Once you have a closer look on the chassis you will probably not regret the money that has been well spent.
The top half of the front panel consists of a column of four steel mesh covers that protect the three 5.25" drive bays while the bottom half is taken care by a full mesh plate.
Similar to other cases you have experienced, this mesh-design thing allows the chassis "breathes" a lot more air than solid front bezel. On a second note to the bottom half of the front panel, this is the home of the 120mm intake fan and two 3.5" external bay for media card readers or USB bay (such as those plugs in the Asus P8Z68 Z77 V-PRO).
Moving toward the top of the case you should easily identify the power and reset buttons family. Up the street is a really cool neighbor, Thermaltake dub them as Dual Bay Docking Station. This area brings to us two external hot-access storage bays that supports both 3.5" and 2.5" drives, plus a row of one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port and audio in/out jacks.
While you have your eyes fixed on the top panel, you might as well notice a huge open vent that disguises the little 230mm fan. This bad boy is responsible to move all the internal hot air out of the case.
On the inside, Thermaltake V9 gives you a roomy workspace for all your beloved components. It won't be any problem to have a full-length video card lives in here. If you actually do have one, you will be able to see it from the cool x-cross transparent window on the side panel.
What You Probably Love
- Nice looking front bezel.
Dual hot-swappable 2.5"/3.5" drive bays.- Very good ventilation.
- Bottom-mount power supply.
- Pretty clear see-through panel.
- Roomy interior.
- Tool-less design
What You May Not Like
- Cable-management is a bit of a disappointment. You may want to get a fully modular power supply to help with the wiring works.
- Front USB 3.0 port uses a pass-through cable that routes to the back USB 3.0 port on the motherboard in order to function.
- Stands feel a little filmsy.
- No fan controller
12. Thermaltake Chaser MK-I
The Chaser is considered the biggest brother in Thermaltake chassis line up. It costs a little more than the V9 but you get a full-tower gaming case that has all the great details to serve power pc gamers.
The front of Chaser MK-I looks a lot like Cooler Master HAF X chassis that has rugged-edged bezels which wraps around the mesh cover. Each side of the four 5.25" plates is held in place by the blue latches which makes them really stand-out on the black theme.
You find the familiar hot-access drive docking station on the top of the chassis, but this time it is a single bay instead of two as in the V9 Edition.
On both end sides of the dock, you will also notice two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, one ESATA port and a row of control buttons. These buttons allow us to change the fan speed and the lighting colors very easily.
What You Probably Love
- Full-size tower that provides large rooms for your hardware.
- Pretty bad-ass exterior design.
- Hot-access docking station for storage drive.
- LED colors can be changed to Red, Blue or Green.
- Fan Controller.
- Side panel has a holder for headsets.
Large top fan for exhaustion.- Nice looking clear window with place for another 230mm fan.
- Tool-less design.
- Supports long video cards with 8 motherboard expansion slots.
- Bottom-mount power supply.
- Logo at top of the case has pulsating lighting effect.
- Secure lock for peripheral devices on the back panel.
- Dust filters included.
- Supports 240mm radiator of liquid cooler.
- Excellent cable-management.
- Very good ventilation.
- Plenty of storage slots.
- Front USB 3.0 ports use internal header.
What You May Not Like
- A little bulky.
- Stands make the chassis looks like it is wearing ugly shoes.
- Some power supply cables may not reach the far end for CPU power connector.
- Pre-installed (2) 200mm LED ColorShift fans which has red, blue, green color variations...
- Built in fan controller to change fan speed, color mode, and lighting effects; single...
- Spacious interior has extra room for easy cable management and allows for DIY water...
- Built in top mounted HDD/SDD docking station for convenient and fast data transfer...
Chaser MK I has a sibling that is similar in features but poses a slightly different look.
Other gaming cases with clear sidepanel
- Case Type: ATX Mid Tower
- Material: Plastic, Steel
- M/B Type: Standard ATX /MicroATX
- External Bay: 4x 5.25", Internal Bay: 5x 3.5", 1x 2.5", 1x 5.25"/3.5"/2.5" (3-in-1)
- Drive Bays (x3) 5.25", (x6) 3.5"/2.5" Drive Caddies
- Cooling (x2) 120mm Intake fans, (x1) 120mm Exhaust Fan
- Expansion Slots 8
- Motherboard ATX, mATX
- Gorgeous full panel window for maximum visibility of your internal components
- Tool-free SSD, Hard Drive, and Optical Drive installation, Four tool-free dedicated SSD...
- Includes three AF140L fans, (front fans with LEDs) with room for up to seven fans. (NOTE:...
- Two modular drive cages house three 3.5" or 2.5" drives each
I hate bulky cases
Ehem… Antec 1100 owner here…..wondering WHAT THE HELL you mean it only has one fan on top and one atthe rear???
You obviously missed the THREE FANS at the front!!!
Since the time of this article, I bet the manufacturer have gone behind our back and happened to install those 3 fans in later revision! Thanks Obama.
There isn’t very much info other than removable hard drive bays, can mount SSDs to the back of mobo trays, and comes with an SD card reader.
This will be my first build; ahh, the wait is painful!
Oh wow I wasn’t aware of the new Phantom, gotta check it out later when I’m home :D
The Corsair Graphite 600T White is so very nice. I am still waiting for NZXT’s next Phantom, which is due to be released by the end of the year. Otherwise, I am between the Graphite 600T White and the Phantom.