The 9 Best PC Cases in 2022 – Voltcave (2024)

Selecting a case is one of the most crucial parts of building a PC. It determines what components can fit, how cool they run, and, critically, how your rig looks. There are a ton of options available out there, in all manner of shapes and sizes, which can make choosing the right case difficult. That’s where our list of the best PC cases can help.

While we can’t decide for you, we’ve gone through all the most popular cases in 2022 and picked out a good selection of cases. Our picks range from airflow-friendly mid-towers to portable Mini-ITX cases, with some cool Micro-ATX and full-tower options in between.

If you’re interested in a specific form factor, feel free to skip ahead using the links below. But why not look through the whole list anyway? Who knows, maybe you’ll find something you like in an unexpected size.

• Best Mid-Tower PC Cases
• Best Full-Tower PC Cases
• Best Micro-ATX PC Cases
• Best Mini-ITX PC Cases

Our Favorite Mid-Tower PC Cases

Lian Li Lancool II Mesh

Best Mid-Tower Case

The Lancool II Mesh isn’t Lian Li’s newest mid-tower case, but it’s still the company’s best. Excellent thermal performance and smart design choices make it the mid-tower case to beat if you’re at all interested in keeping your PC parts cool.

The basics will be familiar to anyone who’s checked out a modern cooling-focused case: you get an open interior layout and a fine mesh front panel designed to let as much air through as possible. Lian Li takes full advantage of this design by populating the Lancool II Mesh with two good-quality 140 mm intake fans and a 120 mm exhaust, leading to some excellent stock thermals.

Tom’s Hardware recorded 65.5 degrees Celsius on an Intel Core i9-9900K running at 4.6 GHz and 57.5 degrees on a stock RTX 2070 Super. Those are impressive numbers, beating many cheaper cases and tying the pricier Phanteks P500A while costing roughly $40 less. If thermals are your priority, the Lancool II Mesh is one of the best deals available.

But the Lancool II Mesh’s thermal performance is only part of the picture. It’s also a PC case with some unique functionality that gives it extra adaptability for different hardware setups. The front fans (or radiator) attach to a reversible bracket that you can flip around to move the fans closer to the motherboard or push out to make more room for thicker radiators.

The drive cage is on rails, so you can slide it backward and forward to accommodate differently-sized PSUs. It’s a minor touch that helps take some of the sting out of upgrading. For example, if you end up installing a longer PSU, you can simply slide the drive cage forward without any disassembly.

Overall, the Lian Li Lancool II Mesh’s great thermals, intelligent design, and dual glass panels make it one of the best mid-tower cases on the market right now. It’s a bit pricier than it used to be, but it’s still a solid option, even for around $120.

Lian Li’s new Lancool III is supposed to be an upgrade to the Lancool II. Unfortunately, its higher price, worse thermals, and over-engineered interior mean it’s not quite the home run we were hoping for. It’s still a good case, but we think most users will be better off with Lancool II Mesh for now.

Fractal Design Define 7

Best Silent Mid-Tower Case

Fractal Design made its name with minimalist, silent cases, and the Define 7 is the company’s most recent silence-focused offering. It’s also the company’s best silent case yet and a no-brainer if you’re looking to brute-force your way to a silent rig.

The Define 7 is designed to absorb as much noise as possible. To that end, it has a solid front door and padded internals, all meant to minimize component and fan noise from leaking out of the case. It works, too, with Gamers Nexus recording a remarkably low 34.6 dBA with their system running at full tilt.

For context, that’s in between a whisper and a quiet library, according to the American Academy of Audiology. So, unless you’re incredibly sensitive to noise, the Define 7 should help you build a silent PC that’ll run without you even noticing. Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of temperatures, which are higher than in most competing airflow cases:

CPU temperatures are especially problematic, with GN’s overclocked Intel i7-6700K hitting a 32.2-degrees Celsius delta over ambient. That might not seem like much, but Fractal’s airflow-heavy Torrent records an 18-degree delta in the same test, which shows the compromises you’re making for silence.

GPU temperatures are fine, but that CPU temp is something you may want to watch out for if you’re running CPU-heavy workloads. Swinging open the front panel is an option, but that’ll bring noise up to a much more noticeable 38.9 dBA, defeating the Define 7’s purpose.

If you’re worried about cooling, the best option is probably to go with a liquid-cooled setup. The Define 7’s open interior is perfect for water cooling, especially a custom loop. The Define 7’s size means you can fit a 420 mm top radiator and 360 mm front rad; more than enough for most high-end setups.

The Fractal Design Define 7 isn’t a case we’d recommend to just anyone, due to its relatively compromised thermals and high price. But if you want a quiet case with the option for storage-heavy setups or a high-end custom loop, this is one of the best computer cases you can get in this form factor.

The Fractal Design Define 7 is available in black and white, with various tempered glass side panel options available.

Phanteks Eclipse G360A

Best Value Mid-Tower Case

Phanteks’ G360A is one of the company’s best-value options. Unlike some slightly cheaper budget cases that skimp on fans (including Phanteks’ own P300A), the G360A comes with a complete set of PWM fans for solid cooling out of the box at a reasonable price.

The G360A is one of Phanteks’ newer offerings, but it’s fundamentally the same PC case that Phanteks has been using for the past three years. So don’t expect clever design touches or extensive flexibility here: it’s a simple, relatively compact ATX case with a mesh front panel and good airflow.

One of the best things about the G360A is the included PWM RGB fans. They’re not ultra-high-end, but they do a solid enough job while providing a welcome touch of RGB lighting flair. The fans have a few color and lighting modes available, which you can cycle through with the dedicated mode and color buttons that sit next to the top I/O.

TechPowerUp installed an Intel Core i5-9600K and ZOTAC RTX 3060 Ti Twin Edge OC in the Phanteks G360A. In a thermal stress test, the G360A managed to keep the CPU and GPU running at 70.5 and 77.9 degrees Celsius respectively, at an ambient temperature of 20 degrees. These aren’t class-leading numbers, but they’re above average and great for the roughly $100 MSRP.

Radiator support is decent, too, with room for a 360 mm top-mounted radiator. The top-mounted radiator will be a tight fit and block some motherboard headers, so you should plan ahead if you’re going that route. A front-mounted radiator is likely the safer choice if the thermal setup works for you.

Overall, the Phanteks Eclipse G360A is a solid PC case that offers good value in a market that’s, unfortunately, getting pricier and pricier by the week. It has solid fundamentals, and that’s what matters the most. The Phanteks Eclipse G360A is available in black and white.

If the G360A’s roughly $100 price is still too much of a stretch, you might want to check out our list of the best budget cases to find ones closer to the $50 mark. These budget cases are a bit too compromised to make this list, but they’ll do a decent job for the money.

Our Favorite Full-Tower Cases

Fractal Design Torrent

Best Full-Tower Case

If you want great cooling performance and room for a ton of hardware, then Fractal Design’s Torrent is the full-tower case to beat. Unlike the silence-focused cases that Fractal’s known for, the Torrent is an all-out airflow case with some of the best stock temperatures you’ll find today.

The Torrent has five intake fans by default: two massive 180 mm front intakes and three 140 mm bottom intakes. The setup works particularly well because the Torrent has a top-mounted PSU, which eliminates the usual cable clutter and PSU shroud you see in other cases. This setup gives your components unrestricted access to all that cool air the fans are pulling in from outside.

This free-flowing internal layout and high-performance fan setup make for some impressive thermals. Gamers Nexus tested the Torrent and recorded an excellent 18-degree Celsius delta on a 4.4 GHz overclocked Intel i7-6700K. Graphics card temperatures are also brilliant, with a 47-degree delta on an MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X.

However, that doesn’t mean that the Torrent is a perfect PC case. There’s a bit more plastic in the build than you might expect for a Fractal Design case (especially one costing north of $200), for one. There’s also the issue of drive mounts, which are relatively limited for such a large case. Two 3.5” drives and four 2.5” drives will be adequate for most users, but storage fiends should look elsewhere.

It’s worth noting that while Fractal advertises great water-cooling support, we think going with a custom loop defeats the Torrent’s purpose. Water-cooling renders the dual 180 mm intake fans and unique top-mounted PSU layout irrelevant. You can do it, sure, but it’s probably not the best way to use the Torrent. It’s one of the best airflow PC cases money can buy, so you might as well keep it air-cooled.

Minor issues aside, it’s hard to think of the Fractal Design Torrent as anything other than the best overall full-tower case money can buy in 2022. It’s on the pricey side even for a full-tower, but its great looks and brilliant performance justify the cost.

The Fractal Design Torrent is also available in white, with a few different tempered glass panel options in each color. Fractal also sells an RGB version that swaps the normal front intakes for RGB versions.

Fractal Design Pop Air XL

Best Budget Full-Tower Case

Full-tower cases tend to be pricey, so most budget-conscious buyers have had to settle for older cases with outdated internals. But Fractal has come to the rescue with its new Pop cases, particularly the Pop Air XL.

The Pop Air XL is a modern airflow case with some interesting old-school touches. It has the mesh front and airflow-friendly internals common to many modern cases, complete with three 120 mm intakes and a single 120 mm exhaust, all of which are RGB. You control these fans via the RGB controller button that sits alongside the Pop XL’s default I/O.

Unfortunately, these fans are one of the components that Fractal had to compromise on to hit the Pop Air XL’s $110 MSRP. The fans are adequate, but their 1200 RPM maximum speed might lead to temperature issues. For example, Robeytech tested the Air XL with an Intel i9-12900K and a top-mounted Gigabyte AORUS Waterforce X280 AIO and recorded a sweltering 92 degrees Celsius on the CPU under load.

That’s not a great turnout, so you may have to install better fans or experiment with AIO placement to get the most out of the Pop Air XL’s cooling performance and setup. GPU temps were fine even with a beefy EVGA RTX 3090 Ti FTW3, though, so it’s not all bad. Topping out at a solid 71 degrees Celsius is solid, so it’s only those CPU temps you’ll have to watch out for.

There are other compromises, too, including limited liquid cooling support compared to larger and pricier full-tower cases. That said, a 360 mm radiator in the front and a 280 mm radiator in the top should be enough for most PC builds. And if your PC components need more, you probably also have the budget for a pricier full-tower with better radiator support.

The Pop Air XL’s “old-school” touch comes with the inclusion of two 5.25” drive bays in the front, below the mesh panel. These bays come with a storage drawer and are cleanly hidden behind a magnetic panel. So you get the best of both worlds: a mesh front panel and optical drive bays. If you’re one of the few people that have been waiting for that combo, this is the PC case for you. If not, it’s still fine, as the optical bays don’t come at the cost of a mesh front.

Overall, the Fractal Design Pop Air XL is a solid, budget-friendly full-tower case that proves you can get a lot of space at a relatively affordable price. It has compromises, but we think they’re acceptable if you know what you’re getting into. The sub-$120 price also goes a long way to making its issues more palatable.

The Fractal Design Pop Air XL is available in black and white. Fractal also sells a Silent version with a solid front panel in place of the mesh front.

Our Favorite Micro-ATX Cases

Fractal Design Pop Mini Air

Best Micro-ATX Case

Fractal Design has come out swinging with its new Pop cases, which cover a wide range of form factors and colors at relatively affordable prices. The Pop Mini Air is one of those increasingly-rare beasts: a good modern Micro-ATX case with an airflow-friendly design.

The Pop Mini Air is mostly a no-frills PC case with a standard airflow design: a mesh front panel with dual 120 mm fans feeding an open interior layout, with a single 120 mm exhaust fan evacuating all the hot air. It’s nothing special, but it’s fine for the price. All three fans are ARGB, and you control the lighting via a button that sits on the top panel alongside the standard I/O.

While the fans look good, they are unfortunately one of the most obvious ways that Fractal kept the cost down. For one, they’re voltage-controlled and not PWM. This doesn’t affect performance, but it’s a sign that these are cheaper or older designs retooled with flashy RGB lighting. Secondly, they’re not particularly great performers, topping out at 32 CFM of airflow and 1.20 mm-H2O of static pressure.

KitGuru’s Ryzen 5 5600X ran perfectly fine in the 60 to 65-degrees Celsius range, but 79 degrees Celsius on the Palit RTX 3080 is a bit high for our liking. It’s usable for sure, but you’ll probably run into throttling issues if you have higher ambient temperatures than KitGuru’s 23 degrees.

To run high-end hardware in the Pop Mini Air, you should consider upgrading the intakes with better 120 mm fans. A couple of Arctic P12s should push a lot more air and bring temperatures down substantially.

Mediocre cooling aside, there’s one feature we appreciate about Fractal’s Pop cases, the Mini included. Fractal has included two 5.25” drive mounts hidden in the PSU shroud behind a snap-on magnetic panel. If you’ve always wanted optical drives that don’t get in the way of your front mesh, then the Pop Mini is the PC case for you.

Overall, the Fractal Pop Mini Air is a solid and affordable option if you’re building a Micro-ATX rig. It’s not the best PC case ever and needs replacement fans to excel, but it’s a compelling option given the relative absence of modern Micro-ATX options.

The Fractal Design Pop Mini Air is available in black and white. Fractal also sells a Silent version with a closed-off front panel. However, we wouldn’t recommend it given the already-high graphics card temps for this airflow version.

SAMA IM01

Best Small Micro-ATX Case

Many Micro-ATX cases can feel a bit irrelevant, as they’re not that much smaller than standard mid-tower cases. That’s not always the case, though; if you’ve been looking for something smaller than usual, the SAMA IM01 might be right up your alley.

The IM01 bears a striking resemblance to Cooler Master’s NR200, right down to its minimalist exterior and general proportions. The main difference, of course, is the IM01’s official support for Micro-ATX motherboards, which opens up many more options for builders who want a small case but aren’t ready to commit to Mini-ITX.

The SAMA IM01 makes good use of its slightly larger dimensions (compared to the NR200) by also supporting ATX PSUs. It’s still a small case, though, so going down the ATX route will significantly cut down on your maximum GPU length. That said, it’s still a welcome option for anyone building a lower-power build that wants to avoid the “ITX tax” on an SFX PSU.

The options don’t end there. The IM01 supports vertical GPU mounting, unsurprisingly at the cost of total CPU clearance. You also have an optional side bracket that lets you install a couple of 120 mm fans or a 240 mm radiator, although the latter is only an option with an SFX PSU and Mini-ITX motherboard. The side bracket also fits two 2.5” SSDs, in case you prioritize storage over cooling.

There are more cooling, storage, and PSU permutations with the SAMA IM01 than in most PC cases. It’s a flexible case, but it’s not necessarily the easiest to summarize in a quick overview. If you’re at all interested, click through to the product listing and see what options are available to you.

Overall, we think the SAMA IM01 is the best Micro-ATX case available if you’re interested in a smaller Micro-ATX build. Want a Mini-ITX style case without all the hassles and cost of the Mini-ITX build process? If so, the IM01 might just be the case for you.

The SAMA IM02 has a redesigned front panel and tempered glass side panels but is otherwise identical to the IM01. We think the IM01’s ventilated steel panels make it the better choice for overall cooling performance, but feel free to opt for the IM02 if aesthetics are more of a concern for you.

Our Favorite Mini-ITX Cases

Lian Li Q58

Best Mini-ITX Case

Lian Li’s Q58 is one of the best Mini-ITX cases available, providing solid cooling, clean aesthetics, and great compatibility. All that from a readily-available, mainstream product that costs less than $150.

The Q58 is a relatively flexible case as far as Mini-ITX products go, with support for both SFX and ATX PSUs. However, you’ll want to stick to an SFX PSU for the best possible cooling and drive support. An SFX PSU will let you install a 280 mm AIO CPU cooler, which will help compensate for the inherent cooling constraints of a Mini-ITX case. You also get extra drive mounts with an SFX PSU, which will come in handy for future expansion.

That said, the Q58 performs adequately even with standard air cooling, as TechPowerUp’s testing shows. They ran an Intel Core i5-9600K and a Zotac RTX 3060 Ti Twin Edge and recorded 61.9 degrees Celsius on the CPU and 77.4 degrees Celsius on the GPU. Those are some decent numbers that are more than acceptable for a small form factor case.

In addition to the component compatibility and above-average cooling, we also really like the Q58’s side panel setup. Each side panel is two smaller panels, one glass and one mesh, which are interchangeable depending on your aesthetic and cooling needs. It’s a decent way of providing some tempered glass aesthetics without totally sacrificing cooling performance.

Each panel is individually hinged, so the side panels open like doors to give you access to the internals. It’s a nice touch that adds a unique flavor to the Q58 and makes quick adjustments to the internals more convenient than a standard side panel.

One area where the Q58 stumbles slightly is its size. The Q58 comes in at around 15 liters, which is small, but far from the smallest Mini-ITX case you’ll find. But we think the slightly larger size compared to other SFF cases (such as the Lian-Li A4 H2O) makes it a more straightforward build for the general user. However, if you’re an experienced SFF builder after something tiny, check out our list of the smallest Mini-ITX cases.

Overall, we think the Lian Li Q58 is a brilliant mainstream Mini-ITX case. It’s relatively affordable, offers enough room for great hardware, and has some nice design touches that set it apart from the pack. It’s available in black and white with either PCIe 3.0 or PCIe 4.0 riser cables.

Hyte Revolt 3

Best Portable Mini-ITX Case

Most Mini-ITX cases are somewhat portable by virtue of their small size. But nothing beats the convenience of a built-in carry handle for a truly portable rig, which is where the Hyte Revolt 3 comes in.

Where the Revolt 3 excels, though, is its combination of portability with room for high-end gaming hardware. Its Xbox Series X-style vertical design and split internals mean that you have space for a 13-18-inch, triple slot GPU. Admittedly, that’s not quite enough to fit every large GPU, but there’s still enough space for something like a Gigabyte RTX 3090 GAMING OC. Impressive, especially for a portable rig.

CPU cooling is decent, too, with room for a 5.51-inch cooler like the Noctua NH-U9S. However, the Revolt 3’s lone 80 mm fan means that raw airflow isn’t its strength, as TechPowerUp’s testing shows.

Even a relatively low-power Intel Core i5-9600K hit 89.2 degrees Celsius in the Revolt 3 with air-cooling. So you’re better off taking advantage of its AIO support and installing a decent 240 or 280 mm AIO for optimal CPU cooling. GPU temps should be fine, as the perforated side panels help the GPU fans draw in and exhaust air better than in a fully-enclosed space.

Beyond the great GPU support, the Revolt 3 has some clever touches inside and out that show Hyte put in quite a bit of thought when designing the case. For example, you get a hinged cooler mounting bracket that provides easy access to the motherboard.

You also get CPU and GPU cable management plates, which help address the challenge of cable management in such a small case. The Hyte Revolt 3 also has a couple of handy pop-out headphone holders on the outside. These are minor touches, but they help make the Revolt 3 a case that’s easy to live with.

Overall, the Hyte Revolt 3 is a great portable PC case perfect for a mobile, high-end gaming PC. And it’s not just a one-trick pony. Its clever internals and great cooling support mean it’s a solid option even if you’re only ever going to use it at home.

The Hyte Revolt 3 is available in black and white. Hyte also offers the Revolt 3 with a pre-installed PSU if you wish to avoid the hassle of buying the right SFX PSU.

Before You Buy

Buying a case might seem straightforward, but a few issues might trip you up if you’re not used to buying computer parts. We have a general guide to choosing a PC case, but let’s quickly run through a couple of essential considerations when picking out a PC case.

What Size PC Case Do I Need?

Mid-tower cases are generally the safest option for most workstation and gaming PC builds. Mid-towers usually offer enough room for high-end components without taking up too much space. They’re also relatively affordable, coming in around the $100 mark or so.

If you’ve decided on a Micro-ATX motherboard, then you might also want to consider a Micro-ATX case. Many Micro-ATX cases are simply slightly smaller versions of mid-tower cases, but you can find some smaller mATX cases like the SAMA IM01 that shrink things down for a more compact build.

Full-tower and Mini-ITX cases are the two extremes of the case world, and we wouldn’t recommend them unless you know exactly why you need them. Full-tower cases are perfect for accommodating serious hardware and cooling setups but are overkill for a standard air-cooled single graphics card setup.

Mini-ITX cases, on the other hand, are all about cramming as much hardware as possible into a small space. So they can be difficult to build in due to cramped internals, with cable management and thermal performance often proving challenging for inexperienced builders.

We recommend starting with a mid-tower and only up- or down-sizing when you know you need something else.

Component Compatibility

The most important part of choosing a PC case is ensuring that it has room to fit all your computer parts. This is particularly important for the GPU and CPU cooler, especially if you’re buying a Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX case with more compact dimensions.

Most mid- and full-tower cases will accommodate the majority of hardware, but you should still double-check so that you don’t encounter any unpleasant surprises once you start assembling your rig.

Generally, we recommend buying a case that’ll fit the other components you’ve chosen so that you have the freedom to go with the parts you want. However, if space or portability is a concern and you need a miniature PC, you’ll have to go the other way around and buy parts that’ll fit a chosen case. Either way, check and double-check to confirm your chosen components will fit.

Don’t forget your storage drives and radiators (if present), either! It’s easy to overlook hard drive mounts when buying a case, so don’t make that mistake and make sure that your case has enough mounting positions to fit all your drives. Radiator clearance is also crucial, especially the oft-ignored radiator thickness spec.

Airflow and Cooling

Beyond housing your components, a computer case’s most crucial task is providing high-powered, heat-generating components with enough airflow to keep them running at optimal temperatures.

That’s why we’re such big fans of airflow cases and recommend products with open interiors and mesh front panels. These cases will usually cool components adequately with two or three fans, so you won’t need to compensate for poor airflow by populating a ton of fan mounts.

When shopping for a case, read as many reviews and user reports as possible, especially ones that discuss the case’s thermal performance. While you’re unlikely to find a test setup that matches yours, it’ll give you a general idea of how well the case cools computer parts. This is doubly important if you’re buying a Mini-ITX case, as most of those tend to run hotter due to having less room for airflow.

If you’re curious about airflow, check out our guide to optimizing airflow for some tips and general discussion.

Closing Thoughts

There are many excellent PC cases to choose from in 2022, so any list of the best PC cases will inherently be incomplete. We’ve opted for products with general appeal that should work for most users and budgets, and now it’s your job to evaluate our picks to see which ones tick all (or most) of the boxes for your rig.

If money and size are no object, we’d argue there’s no option better than the Fractal Design Torrent. Its excellent cooling and total package more than justifies its price, but not everyone can swing a $200 full tower PC case for their rig. In that case, the Lian Li Lancool II Mesh is a strong, high-performance option at a more agreeable price and form factor.

Happy hunting!