Gaming cases are more than just boxes. James
Hunt explains what case you should look for if you’re building a high-end PC
Choosing a case might not be the most
exciting part of building a PC, but if you’re building a gaming rig, it’s a
more important decision than you might realise. Cases aren’t just the most
visible part of your system; they also have a practical role to play in
maintaining its performance, not just by dictating the number of components
your PC can house but also how effective the overall cooling solution is.
Choosing
a case might not be the most exciting part of building a PC, but if you’re
building a gaming rig, it’s a more important decision than you might realise.
You probably know that the hotter a PC is,
the worse it performs, and that normally leads people to simply stuff in as
many fans as possible. Did you know, however, that the right case can also help
cool down a PC? In particular, gaming cases are made with extra vents and
grilles, which are designed to optimize air flow and heat exchange. Some even
have chambered layouts that isolate hot components from one another and prevent
warm air pockets forming. There’s no doubt that a gaming case can cause real,
measurable improvement in the performance of a PC.
Furthermore, gaming cases are engineered to
fit the needs of enthusiasts. They tend to be larger and more spacious than the
average PC case, with room for extra components and active cooling measures.
They add features like hot-swappable drive bays, swing-open doors for quick
access, and screwless fixture. If you’re the sort of person who likes to poke
around in the guts of your machine with any regularity, a gaming case can help
make it easier to do so.
And, of course, gaming cases have one other
thing going for them: they look great. Gaming culture often involves taking PCs
to events where they’ll be seen by other enthusiasts, and that means that
high-end cases aren’t just functional; they’re also designed to show off a PC.
Like the bodywork on a sports car, gaming cases are supposed to impress.
Choosing a performance case, then, isn’t
just about housing your PC: it’s about improving it. If you’re only used to the
comparatively grey world of bog-standard basic cases, selecting the right
gaming case can be difficult. That’s why we’ve compiled all of the information
you need right here.
How much should you spend?
Performance cases cover a rather wide range
of prices, especially when you consider that they’re all essentially metallic
boxes with various configurations of holes in them. The cheapest cases that
legitimately fall under the ‘gaming’ umbrella start at around $80.9, although
these are often quite flimsy and designed to be looked at, rather than moved
about.
“It’s
possible to buy cases that cost as much as $323.9 or even $485.5”
If you’re after something with good build
quality, enthusiast features and a design that makes it clear how much you’ve
spent, you should expect to spend closer to $161.9, give or take 20%. This can
get you a fair amount of features and a respectable design without crossing
into the territory of over-engineered cases. Spend too much, and you’ll find
manufacturers adding ‘conveniences’ that you won’t actually use, or the kind of
passive heat removal tweaks that have no noticeable effects unless you’re a hardcore
overclocker with a liquid-nitrogen-based cooling system.
It’s possible to buy cases that cost as
much as $323.5 or even $485.5, but it goes without saying that this is overkill
for all except the most dedicated enthusiasts. Indeed, most of the cost at this
range goes into extra capacity. They tend to be full towers, and the additional
materials a full tower needs is the reason for the higher cost – a case of
bigger being nor necessarily better.
The Cooler Master Cosmos 2, for example, is
a full tower case that costs $485.5 at retail and counts among its offerings no
less than 13 drive bays. If you need a full tower with that much space, fair
enough, but most people don’t. certainly when you get into the $242.9 - $323.5
range, the technology itself becomes rather static, and the money goes into
making the case larger to accommodate more components. That’s not unreasonable,
of course, but it is more than the average home user will need.
What make/ model/ manufacturer should you look for?
The best cases tend to be made by companies
with a solid track record for other cool-running components, particularly power
supplies (since the two tend to be sold as a pair). Antec, ThermalTake and
Cooler Master are three manufacturers worth looking our for, since they all
have a good reputation and a wide range of cooling products beyond just cases
that demonstrate some form of pedigree.
“Choosing
a performance case isn’t just about housing your PC: it’s about improving it”
The cases from these companies don’t just
perform well either; they also look great. Cooler Master in particular offers
cases to suit most tastes, whether you’re after a minimalist, featureless black
box or something that looks like it fell off the set of a Ridley Scott movie.
The appearance doesn’t make a huge difference to performance, but if you’re
spending $161.9 on anything, it’s only polite that it pleases you on a visual
level too.
In terms of specific models, however, we’ve
always been fans of the NZXT Phantom 410. It costs around $145.5, so while it’s
reassuringly expensive, it’s not going to financially cripple you at the same
time. It looks sleek and futuristic, comes in a variety of colors (red, black
or white), has a side-panel window and three fans included with space for up to
seven. It also has tool-less mounting brackets for drives and expansion cards,
and internal LEDs. Practical and visually pleasing.
