Is the case important?
On all of my previous PC builds, I went with the cheapest case on the market, and I never had any issues with that. So now I want to know, is a good case important and what makes a case good?
Posted Jun 9, 2015, 7:00 PM UTC
26
Expensive cases have better airflow, usually a side panel, some smart features and really good options for cable management. Build quality is a big factor too, the difference between front panels for instance.
1
I don't think so, I've used the same case for like 20 years now. I'd rather put any extra money into literally any other part of the computer.
A case isn't a required component to begin with, it's just a convenience, and more expensive cases usually offer more convenience.
1
There are a few things to consider when choosing a case.
Things like: airflow, number of bays, aesthetic, size and material. However, it is what makes you happy. I too go with budget cases because that money would be better spent on more crucial components, but I think airflow is important to consider as well as how many bays you are going to need.
1
Airflow is number one... otherwise, make sure the case has the number of bays you want/need as well as making sure it fits your parts (like big GPUs). what makes a case good is the quality and design, the airflow, the features.. etc. I like cases with a window, that have good SSD mounting places, good space for cable management (which helps a lot with airflow), comes with fans already, good radiator mounting positions.. etc.
1
Some cases are easier to build with and give better noise dampening, but I wouldn't put too much attention into the case unless you have some very specific requirement like a custom watercooling loop. Something like the Corsair 200R would work in 95% of builds, and it's cheap and relatively easy to use.
1
Two ways to think of it, both perfectly valid.
Get a cheap or the cheapest case you can. This leaves money for hardware that may have an impact on performance, like going up one step in GPU or a larger SSD or whatever.
Get a more expensive, more featured and possibly larger case. You may end up with a case that outlasts all components in the PC and be sturdy enough to last decades even if you don't personally use (pass onto friend, second build, server etc).
At almost all price brackets up to say, the $1300 mark, you could be putting the money saved on a cheap case towards a component that will make more of an impact.
BUT it's up to you to balance the benefits of each side. You will need to do a lot of reading on case features, specs, reviews and general PC parts but below is an example list of possible upgrades in place of an expensive case:
On the other hand, if you have a job and place upgrading at a higher priority, then I would get the better case at any budget level (and consider buying some parts second hand). Second hand RAM and CPU are fairly low risk, GPU is a good one as you will save the most due to high availability (paying 60-40% of brand new prices).
I have a go to list of very good cases that are roughly the same size, price and have similar features:
From those, I have worked on the 530 but have done a fair amount of research on the rest. You will find plenty of reviews, videos and testing on these cases, from pros and users here.