1 An Overview of the 3 Best Looking PC Cases1.1 Introduction2 Top Best Looking PC Cases [Reviews]2.1 MUSETEX Phantom Black2.2 NZXT H510i2.3 Cooler Master MasterBox TD500 2.4 Thermaltake V2002.5 AeroCool Cylon3 Final Words
We understand you may be in a hurry, and not everyone wants to read a long buying guide and that’s okay! We’d like you to know that we have chosen the Cooler Master MasterBox TD500 as the best looking PC case due to it’s aesthetics, durability, features, and multi-color availability!
Introduction
A PC case is an essential part of a setup, as it not only holds all the components together but also provides features, such as cable management and air and liquid cooling, which directly affect the overall performance. It’s only appropriate that such an integral part of your build looks the best. It’s probably the single most important thing that’s needed for a killer looking setup. There is one factor that we need to look at, aside for the design, and that’s the actual size of your case. The thing that we are going to say will be applicable, not only for those wanting a good-looking case but anyone who is building or getting their own custom PC built. The size of the casing must be greater than or equal to the size of your motherboard. You don’t need a separate apparatus for this measurement, but rather there is already a pre-determined system for this. There are 4 common types of motherboards and their corresponding PC cases. In order of smallest to largest, they are; mini ATX, micro ATX, standard ATX, or extended ATX. We recommend getting one that’s the same size or one size larger than your motherboard. For obvious reasons, a smaller case won’t be compatible. If your case is too large, then your entire setup won’t properly blend together, and will just look awkward. Although there are no non-aesthetical reasons why one can’t but a much larger case, but since we want our setup to look perfect it’s recommended buying an appropriately sized case. The size of your motherboard is written on the packaging or you can just find it out online. We do realize that judging the beauty of a case is a subjective matter. Some may prefer a minimalistic one, while others may want a more “in-your-face” design. Some may want a lot of RGB, while others prefer PC cases that keep things silent. The options that we have picked are those which not only do we find attractive but are generally loved by the PC community and have good received reviews about their looks as well.
Top Best Looking PC Cases [Reviews]
MUSETEX Phantom Black
MUSETEX is a slightly less well-known company when compared to others on this list. Despite that, their products tend to sell really well, which just shows that they make some amazing products. The MUSETEX Phantom Black ATX Mid-Tower Case is their most high-end case, and it provides excellent features that rivals or even beats products from more well-known manufacturers. The design of this case is the best-selling factor. It has a front and side tempered glass panel, which allows you to look inside the case. There are also 6 RGB fans included, with their own remote so you can control the lighting any way you want. The lights can even be controlled using voice. There are 3 modes for this. The first mode is called symphony where the lights change according to the sound being made. The next mode is called horse racing, in which the lights change according to the beat of the music that is playing. The last mode is static where the lights will change in various colors when you play music. This is a really unique feature that makes this case worth buying. The cable management in this case is also good as you get plenty of room to easily route any wires. The cooling of this case isn’t as amazing as it might seem. You do get 6 fans which are more than almost any other case in this price segment. However, they aren’t high-quality fans, so the cooling capability is equal to about 3 fans. Out of the 6 fans, 3 of them are at intake, 2 at the top exhaust, and 1 at the back exhaust. You also get top and bottom mesh panels for better airflow and also dust filtration. You also have the option for custom water cooling with an up to 360mm tall radiator at the front. Despite the criticisms we had, this case is still amazing at cooling and it shouldn’t have any problems cooling even the most high-end systems. The case can support up to an extended ATX motherboard, which makes it compatible with almost every motherboard out there. The dimensions of this case are 17.13 x 8.07 x 17.16 inches and it weighs 18 pounds.
NZXT H510i
NZXT is a company known for making high-end and amazing looking PC cases. It wouldn’t be a list of good looking cases without at least one product from them. The one that we chose is their flagship model, called the H510i, which is one of the most popular cases ever. A lot of popular people have used it in their builds. It’s the definition of a premium and excellent looking case that’s why we chose to include it on our list. The case is absolutely stunning to look at. It’s has a smooth metal unibody design, that gives it a classy look and feel. There is also a side glass panel that lets you see the internal components. You get a separate RGB strip inside the case for added lighting. Included with that is a Smart device v2, which allows for manual control of the entire RGB. This allows you to customize the lights perfectly to your desire. You can even turn them off, or make them a constant color if you wish to maintain the minimalistic aesthetics. Even the cable management of this case is impeccable, as you have plenty of space to hide them from sight using pre-installed channels and straps. As a result, your entire build process will be way easier. You can buy this in either an all-black, black outer and red inner or white color variants to better suit your entire setup. Sadly, the cooling system in this case is as good as we would’ve liked to see. For starters, there are only 3 140mm fans. 2 of these are for the intake and the other one is for exhaust. They also have a special 0db mode which is good voltage regulation and makes the case quieter. It sacrifices cooling performance so make sure you aren’t doing any intensive task when turning on this mode. The fans themselves aren’t that bad for a mid-ranged system like the GTX series of graphic cards or even an RTX 2060. But if you plan on buying a power-intensive card like an RTX 3080 or a Radeon 6000-series GPU, then you should definitely consider investing in additional fans. To make matters worse, there is also no top or front mesh panel for airflow. Glass isn’t as good in transmitting the heat outside, which means that this case will be significantly warmer than something similar prices. However, we do realize that NZXT had to do this in order to make their cases look amazing. If they had used a mesh panel on the top or front, then it would’ve interrupted the otherwise amazing design, which wouldn’t have made this case as good looking as it is. Luckily, you get support for water cooling if you ever feel that the regular fans aren’t enough to cool your case. There is the option to add a top 280/320 mm and a bottom 240/280 mm radiator. Some other features of this case include a USB-C port and the ability to vertically mount your GPU. This case supports up to an ATX motherboard, its size is 16.85 x 8.27 x 18.11 inches and it weighs a bit less than 20 pounds. It should be noted that there is an “elite” version of this case, that costs a lot more but also has a front glass panel as well as some extra RGB features, but for comparison sakes, we have only talked about the regular H510i.
Cooler Master MasterBox TD500
If you didn’t like the NZXT, then we recommend checking out the Cooler Master MasterBox TD500. It comes in around the same price range and can be considered a direct competitor. CoolerMaster is known for making a lot of reliable PC components like PSUs and cases for the lower to mid-range market. The MasterBox is one of their best cases, with some pretty amazing features. This case has a stunning design with a front Polygonal Mesh with three-dimensional contour and a glass side panel made from a special crystalline glass which is a bit more resistant to scratches and cracks. This gives the case a very unique look that a lot of people will like. While a mesh panel isn’t always something that adds to the overall looks of the case, but Cooler Master have managed to make it a unique feature that not only looks good but also provides great cooling functionality. The rest of the case is made up of a well-designed metal. You can get this case in either a white or black color variant. Cable management is also pretty simple as there is plenty of space, as well as a lot of holes to route your cable through in order to hide it from sight. The cooling system is amazing as well since there are 2 mesh panels on the front as well as the top exhaust to make sure that the airflow isn’t hindered and also that no dust enters your system. There are 3 included RGB fans and the option to upgrade to 7 fans. The case has the option to add two 360-millimeter radiators on the front and top for optimal water cooling. Overall, this case has one of the best airflows in its price range which is why it made it to our list. The exact dimensions of this case are 22.52 x 11.42 x 22.44 inches and it weighs 15 pounds. It’s can support up to a standard ATX motherboard.
Thermaltake V200
The next option on this list is the Thermaltake V200. Thermaltake is also a well-known company that makes amazing products. The V200 is a mid-ranged case, that provides excellent features usually found in higher-end products for a much cheaper price. The front and side panels are made out of glass which allows you to see inside the case. The rest of the case is built of metal, which makes it feel premium. While the design of this case isn’t anything new or revolutionary like seen on the NZXT or Cooler Master, it manages to look amazing due to the well-engineered design. The overall design is really boxy, which some people may like. One thing that this case does right is the RGB on the fans. It’s the main selling factor of this case and the reason why you should consider buying this case. There are a total of 4 fans, out of which 3 of them support RGB. There are 3 main lighting modes; static color, breathing, or RGB. There are 7 main colors that you can choose from which include Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, White, Cyan, and Purple. There is a built-in switchboard to control the lighting effects. You can either use the front light button, next to the power button, to switch between the lights or connect the switchboard to the motherboard and control it that way. The fans are compatible with either ASUS Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI mystic light, ASRock RGB, or BIOSTAR vivid RGB. It ensures that most motherboards can be used for changing the RGB. Sadly, the cable management isn’t as good as we expected. There are a lot of spots that have very little space, the PSU shroud, and hard drive bay being a few of those. To circumvent this problem, try to install these parts first. Otherwise, the rest of the case is spacious enough for routing the cables. The cooling system is amazing in this case. You get three intake fans and one exhaust for maximum air cooling. You may also install more fans if you are going for a higher-end build. You also get support for custom liquid cooling with up to a 240/280 mm radiator on the front and a 120 mm radiator at the back. It’s safe to say that no matter what setup you plan to build, this case should be sufficient for cooling. This is a standard ATX case and its dimensions are 19.25 x 19.25 x 10.31 inches and it weighs a bit more than 15 pounds. The port selection on this case includes USB 3.0 x 1, USB 2.0 x 2 and HD Audio x 1
AeroCool Cylon
The last case on this list is called the AeroCool Cylon. AeroCool is a relatively new company, but they have been able to quickly make a position for themselves in the market by providing great looking cases with RGB at an attractive price point and the Cylon is no different. It’s the most affordable case on our list and it arguably looks just as good as the other cases on this list. The design is absolutely stunning, especially for the price. The entire body is made up of alloy steel, which makes it a bit sturdy. On the front there is an RGB strip of 13 lighting modes, 6 of them are RGB flow lighting modes and the rest of the 7 are solid color modes. The entire case is black colored which gives it a clean look. The side panel is made up of Acrylic, so you can look inside the case. It should be noted that Acrylic is more shatterproof than glass, but can also be scratched easily so make sure you handle it with care. Understandably, AeroCool used acrylic rather than tempered glass, so that they can keep the overall cost down. The cable management is also decent, as you get plenty of space. Since this case isn’t made for a higher price range, there isn’t a big emphasis on cable management, but it’s definitely not the worse cable management out there. The cooling system in this case also leaves a lot to be desired. For starters, there is only one exhaust fan. You can 3 more fans as well, but that will bring up the cost of the case. Moreover, there is barely any room for cool air to enter through the front panel so adding extra fans won’t do much. Luckily, there is a top and bottom mesh panel for exhausting hot air as well. You also get support for liquid cooling with the option for a 240mm radiator. Since this a budget case, which will likely house budget components like an RX 570 or GTX 1660 GPU, we think that it’s excusable. But once you upgrade to a higher-end system with an RTX-series graphic card then this case will show its issues. The ports on this case include USB3.0 x 1; USB2.0 x 2; HD Audio & Mic. This is a standard ATX case, and its dimensions are 20 x 18.5 x 9.5 inches.
Final Words
We looked at some amazing cases at different price points. Without a doubt, all of them had unique and amazing designs. All of them did have their own selling points as well as some minor flaws. If you still find it hard to choose from the 5 cases that we have selected, we will further shortlist 2 other cases that, according to our opinion, are the best of the bunch. Your choice may differ from ours and that’s perfectly fine. This list is just to give a basis for you to make your decision on, and you are free to choose any case that’s on this list or that we haven’t included. Our first position has to go to the Cooler Master MasterBox TD 500. It’s just a really well-made case with very few flaws. The 3-dimensional mesh panel is a unique aspect of this case that no other offer. It also made sure to not sacrifice other aspects of this case just for the design. That’s why the airflow, as well as other features, are just as good as any other case out there and that’s the reason we think this case should deserve the number 1 spot. As for the second position, we think that no case other than the NZXT H500i should deserve this spot. It undoubtedly has the best design seen in any case out there. The entire PC community agrees on the fact that NZXT makes some stunning cases. The only reason this isn’t in the first position is that the cooling system in this case isn’t as good as other competitors. It’s still not bad since there is plenty of setups that use this case and have high-end GPUs and CUPs which don’t thermal throttle. This slight disadvantage allowed the Cooler Master to narrowly edge out the NZXT. Without a doubt, both of these are still some of the best-designed cases that you can get. The reason why MUSETEX didn’t take our winning positions is that it’s really high priced. For the price, you aren’t getting many additional features, and realistically speaking only a few people would want to spend this much on a case. The Thermaltake was another great contender for the top 2 positions, but it’s slightly worse cable management was its downfall. For just slightly more money you could’ve gotten the Cooler Master that doesn’t have any major flaws or the NZXT which, in our opinion, looks much better. Lastly, we reviewed the AeroCool, which is also a great looking case. However, the sub-par airflow meant that its upgrade path is hindered. Since most people use their cases for a minimum of 5 years and sometimes even over a decade, we thought that it wouldn’t be suitable to have a case that isn’t future proof.
