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PC cases have come a long way, now offering more quality and features at every price point. While it used to be a challenge to find a great case without spending a lot, today’s market has something for everyone.
If you’re looking to build or upgrade your rig, we’ve picked the top 3 PC cases that balance build quality, cooling performance, and value for money.
So let’s get started!
Number 3. Montech AIR 903 MAX – Best Budget PC Case
When it comes to budget cases almost everyone expects them to be bottom-of-the-barrel in terms of quality and features. Airflow and temperatures are expected to be awful and cable management is almost always an afterthought.
This is true for most budget PC cases where the focus is on saving as much money as possible.
Montech saw this as an opportunity and is looking to seriously shake things up in the budget PC case segment with their AIR 903 MAX.
The entire conversation around the 903 MAX starts with its Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of just $75. Compared to the asking price, the build quality of this case is stellar and doesn’t have the rough and sharp edges that plague cheap PC cases. Other than that, Montech still managed to include four 140 mm fans pre-installed that net some of the lowest temperatures of any PC case that I have ever seen; it can easily beat cases that are two to three times more expensive when it comes to keeping the CPU and GPU cool.
The excellent airflow is a result of the 903 MAX’s large size with room to support almost anything. Montech claims that the 903 MAX can even support an E-ATX motherboard, but I don’t think you should try it.
If you install an E-ATX board, you’ll need to route the PSU cables from the bottom of the case because the side cut out will be blocked. You will also run into other space constraints so simply avoid them altogether. It may or may not be the cheapest E-ATX case, but it certainly can fit in any RTX 4090 variant – even the outrageously enormous Asus Strix RTX 4090.
Montech has really knocked it out the park with this one – they simply focused on the essentials of a PC case and showed everyone that it is possible to achieve everything even at a low price. I wouldn’t hesitate building a top-tier Ryzen 9 7950X PC in this case with an RTX 4090; this is the sort of confidence that I usually get from much more expensive cases.
The only issues I have with the 903 MAX aren’t much deal breakers but need to be addressed. Firstly, the reason why the 903 MAX tops charts when it comes to temperature is because the fans run at full blast. As a result, they push a lot of air in and out of the case but at the cost of a lot of noise. To alleviate this issue, simply use a fan tuning software and adjust their max speed at around 2200 RPM for optimal airflow and quietness.
The other issue I have with this case is the placement of the pulse width modulation fan hub. It completely blocks the second motherboard cutout from the top and sadly there is no other place in the case to move it to. I guess Montech didn’t think of this beforehand.
And finally, there are a few things that remind me that this is, afterall, a budget case – for starters, the rubber grommets inside the case are pretty much worthless. They easily pop out when passing cables through them so if they fall off, simply put them away. The tempered glass side panel is being held only by the screws so if you aren’t careful when loosening them up to take the panel off, you may drop it and potentially damage the case.
All in all, looking past these minor flaws, Montech still managed to redefine what it means to make budget-friendly cases. No matter what type of a PC you’re trying to build, the 903 MAX offers a premium build experience and cooling performance at a price that puts almost everything else to shame.
To sum up what I like is that
There is Room to fit anything
One of the best airflow in any case
Superb build quality
On the downside…
Default fan speed is too high
RATINGS:
Design and Aesthetics: 8/10
Cooling Performance: 9.75/10
Silence: 7.5/10
Features: 8.5/10
Value for Money: 9.5/10
Overall Rating: 9/10
Number 2. Phanteks NV7 – Best Premium PC Case
The premium PC case segment is quite interesting with wildly different designs and layouts. It seems as though case manufacturers decided to ditch everything else and make it a competition as to who can build the most over-the-top PC case and charge an exorbitant amount of money for it. When you’re spending good money on anything, you are paying to get a premium product that puts effort in all areas – not just looks.
Thankfully, the Phanteks NV7 is just that – a high-quality premium dual-chamber PC case that is worth its premium price tag.
The Phanteks NV7 is a part of the NV lineup of premium cases for those looking to build a high-end PC with a unique layout without compromising on the important things such as airflow and parts compatibility. The front and side of the case are clear with a seamless tempered glass cover and the bottom base is an angled elevation that looks great while providing a lot of extra breathing room for any intake fans on the bottom.
In terms of compatibility, the NV7 can properly support an E-ATX motherboard so it’s ready even for an AMD Threadripper build. Other than that, it is overloaded with options to install fans. You can install a total of twelve 120 mm fans in the NV7! 3 at the bottom, 3 at the top, 4 on the back panel and 2 for exhaust. I don’t think I have ever seen a case with 2 exhaust fans, and honestly, I’m not complaining. With so many fans in the case, they don’t have to spin fast to push a lot of heat out of the case. They can easily operate between 1500 to 1800 RPM and still maintain excellent temperatures.
Moving on to cable management on the NV7, it is some of the absolute best I’ve seen in any PC case and it’s not only about the back side. The rear of the case is also enclosed with a large cover that hides the rear motherboard I/O, GPU I/O, and exhaust fans. The purpose of this cover is to further hide the mess that usually comes with populating the rear I/O which sounds great in theory. However, Phanteks didn’t just make this cover to jam the rear I/O cables – instead, there is a frame that holds and routes the cables so they are neat and out of the way.
The back of the case has three compartments – the first is a dedicated resting area for the PSU; the second and third provide ample room for plenty of SSDs and Hard Disks. Opening up the second compartment reveals the back of the motherboard and has some room to route cables from behind it.
There are velcros running from the top to the bottom of the case which is a nice touch considering this usually is an added expense when buying a case.
I only have two issues with the NV7 – first, there seems to be a lot of room between the top of the motherboard and the top of the case. This is a small side effect of fitting 2 exhaust fans on the rear and 4 fans on the back of the case. There isn’t anything negative about it other than that it looks a bit weird. Perhaps a revised design would be more efficient with the space.
The second issue, which I think is the main con, is that this case only supports 120 mm fans except for the two at the bottom of the case. This also means that there is no 420 mm AIO support which is a bit disappointing. Sure, a 420 mm and 360 mm radiator are close enough in performance, but Phanteks is charging a premium for this case. Also, when you have so much room already, it’s not that hard to design compatibility for 140 mm fans. I guess Phanteks didn’t want the NV7 to creep into the NV9’s territory.
Overall, the NV7 is a great premium case. You will be able to fit basically anything in it regardless of your motherboard, GPU, and cooler selection. With a premium price tag, Phanteks decided to deliver a high-end case with practical features rather than making a basic enclosure with a fancy paint job.
To sum up what I like is the
Amazing cable management
Plenty of fans
Supports E-ATX motherboards
On the downside
No support for 420 mm AIO
RATINGS:
Design and Aesthetics: 9/10
Cooling Performance: 9.5/10
Silence: 9.5/10
Value for Money: 8.5/10
Overall Rating: 9/10
Number 1. NZXT H6 Flow – Our Top Choice
When it comes to exciting PC parts, rarely would I think of a new case release. However, over the past few years, the PC case market has started seeing incredible new options from almost everyone. One particular case that caught my attention and I think balances almost everything really well is the NZXT H6 Flow.
There is a rising trend of dual-chamber cases, and honestly, I’m all up for it. They are a lot more practical than regular ATX cases thanks to ample room in the rear to fit the PSU, storage and cables and leaving a clean front chamber for the main components.
The H6 Flow is a dual-chamber case with a unique angled design that hides the front intake fans. Being a dual-chamber case, it’s already shorter than an ATX case and the angled fans create the illusion that the case is even smaller.
Considering that it costs around $100, it’s rivaling the likes of the Corsair 4000D which has dominated the $100 case market for years now. I would always go with the H6 Flow over the 4000D given that they are both identical in terms of practicality, while the H6 Flow completely overtakes the design and aesthetics department.
Airflow is also excellent; both the CPU and GPU temperatures are consistently low. The H6 Flow includes three 120 mm front intake fans and just installing the rear 120 mm is quite enough for excellent airflow.
Finally, I want to talk about the biggest issues with this case. Technically the first issue is not with the case itself, but with the manufacturer. NZXT has issued the spec of the top mounted radiator support at 30 mm or 1.18 inches. Going by this spec, it makes it extremely difficult to pick an AIO that is at most 30 mm in height. For example, the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III fits perfectly fine in the H6 Flow without any issues whatsoever while having a radiator that’s 38 mm thick. If you are ever looking for an AIO to pair with this case, make sure to look it up online as going by the information provided by NZXT will make it near impossible to pick a “fully-compatible” AIO for the H6.
The second issue is that the RGB version of the H6 Flow has worse fans and is significantly more expensive than the non-RGB version. So just avoid the RGB version because it’s still cheaper to buy the standard H6 Flow and then replace the fans with much higher quality RGB fans.
All in all, there is almost nothing bad to be said about the H6 Flow. It’s a gorgeous mid tower case that can fit almost anything with grace and has excellent airflow as well. It is priced really well and I think this is one of those cases that many will start to choose over something like the Corsair 4000D.
To sum up what I like is
Compact size
Gorgeous and unique dual-chamber design
Top-notch airflow
On the downside…
Limited AIO support
RGB version of the case is too expensive
RATINGS:
Design and Aesthetics: 9.5/10
Cooling Performance: 9.5/10
Silence: 9/10
Value for Money: 9.5/10
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
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