Finding the best budget PC case that not only enhances your setup's aesthetics but also accommodates your hardware is essential. PC cases often go overlooked, but they play a crucial role in your overall build. They determine what components can fit inside and can influence the cooling capacity of your system. As a result, you mainly need to consider the size when selecting a case, as it dictates the available space for your components.
There are three primary case sizes to choose from: Full Tower, Mid Tower, and Mini ITX. Full Tower cases are spacious, accommodating Extended ATX motherboards and larger hardware configurations, making them ideal for high-performance setups. Mid Tower cases are a popular choice and perhaps the best for most users, supporting standard ATX, micro-ATX, or mini-ITX motherboards. Lastly, Mini ITX cases are compact and suitable for mini-ITX motherboards, but they offer limited space, which can be advantageous if you have space constraints.
Cooling is another important consideration. The number of fans a case can support and its size plays a significant role in your cooling options. Larger cases are better suited for advanced cooling solutions, such as the best PC cooling fluid around.
Additionally, ensure your chosen case has a modern I/O panel with essential ports and controls, typically located at the front or top of the case.
Taking into account these features, as well as price and reviews, let's explore some of the best budget PC cases available.
Best budget PC cases
- Corsair 4000D Airflow Tempered Glass Mid-Tower
- AeroCool Bolt-G-BK Tempered Glass RGB Mid Tower
- ASUS TUF Gaming GT301 Mid-Tower
- Antec NX200 M, Micro-ATX Tower, Mini-Tower
- Corsair Carbide Series 175R RGB, Mid-Tower ATX
1. Corsair 4000D Airflow Tempered Glass Mid-Tower
Best budget PC case for cooling
Corsair is a well-known name in the world of gaming and PCs, particularly when it comes to its build quality. This PC case appears to be no exception. Made from steel, plastic, and tempered glass, the case looks sturdy as well as sleek.
Depending on the specs you want to load up on, you can fit in Extended ATX, standard ATX, microATX, or miniITX motherboards into this Mid Tower case.
Moreover, Corsair's 4000D cooling case can fit 6 fans of 120mm or 4 fans of 140mm. Also, the case is roomy enough to accommodate a 360mm radiator in the front and a 180mm radiator on the roof.
As a bonus, the case also comes with two 120mm AirGuide fans with anti-vortex vanes designed to improve its cooling.
On the front, you get a modern I/O panel with a USB 3.1 Type-C Port, a USB 3.0 port, and an audio jack that also doubles up as a microphone jack.
You also get Corsair's Rapidroute Cable Management system, which makes it easy to bunch all your cables through a single channel at the back. This, combined with the 25mm room behind the motherboard for cables, should ensure minimal cable clutter.
So, if you're looking for a budget PC case that can accommodate all the usual gaming hardware and can cool down fast, then this pick from Corsair might be your answer.
Read More: Best gaming PCs under 500
2. AeroCool Bolt-G-BK Tempered Glass RGB Mid Tower
Best budget PC case under 60
AeroCool's Mid Tower PC case looks to be a great yet relatively inexpensive option to consider that is suitable for ATX, micro-ATX, and mini-ITX motherboards.
Depending on how you plan to build your PC and your motherboard form factor, you can adjust the components inside.
With that being said, AeroCool's PC case is quite roomy. You get two 3.5-inch drive bays, two 2.5-inch drive bays, and seven expansion slots. Without the front fan, you get 355mm clearance for GPU. And there's 155mm space for CPU coolers.
On the topic of the coolers, the case sports a dual chamber design, which aims to deliver better ventilation. A 120mm fan is already included towards the rear of the case, plus you can add five additional 120mm fans - three in the front and two at the top, as well as two VGA fans at the bottom.
As far as ease of access is concerned, the I/O panel has a USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, ports for audio and mic, a power button, and an LED control button.
Moreover, the front of the case also has RGB lights - you get 13 preset lighting modes, which you can adjust with the LED button. The case has an acrylic side to display the light show in all its glory.
Ultimately, if you're looking for a budget Mid Tower PC case with a little RGB, then AeroCool's case can be a good fit for your setup.
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3. ASUS TUF Gaming GT301 Mid-Tower
Best budget PC case for RGB
ASUS' TUF range is perhaps best known for delivering some amazing gaming equipment, so it's perhaps unsurprising that we're including its PC case here.
To begin with, the Mid Tower PC case can accommodate ATX, Micro-ATX, and Mini-ITX form factors. So, if you have any of these motherboards, then ASUS' case should be suitable.
For cooling, the case has honeycomb perforations on the front panel, designed to assist the cooling system. You get three RGB-illuminated 120mm fans on the front, one 120mm fan on the rear, and six extra points for targeted airflow.
If you prefer liquid cooling, the case has dedicated space for 360mm/280mm radiators on the front and a 120mm radiator at the back.
As far as storage is concerned, you can fit up to six SDDs in the brackets and 2 HDDs in the dedicated trays.
ASUS' TUF PC case also has a 'gamer' feel to it with its RGB lighting. The front panel lights up along with the 3 RGB fans - all of which are Aura-addressable, and you can customise the lights with the dedicated control button.
So, if a budget PC case with plenty of RGB lighting is what you're after, then we'd suggest checking out this ASUS TUF GT301.
Read More: Best budget laptops
4. Antec NX200 M Micro-ATX Tower Mini-Tower
Best budget mini tower PC case
Now, Mini Tower is a rare size - it's a sweet spot between Mid Tower and Mini ITX. You get a bit more space to load up your rig, and yet it is compact like Mid Tower cases.
Antec's Mini-Tower PC case is compatible with Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX motherboard form factors. Even with its small dimensions (13.82 x 7.87 x 15.35 inches), you can pack quite a setup in there.
Let's look at the cooling first - the case comes with a pre-installed 120mm fan at the rear, and you can add 5 more 120mm fans. If you prefer liquid cooling, there's a space for a 240mm radiator at the front. The mesh design further assists the airflow, which ensures your system stays cool.
Coming to the drive bays, you get a 3.5-inch (convertible) space for HDD (or SSD) and a 2.5-inch slot for SSD. Along with this, you also get 4 expansion slots.
Antec's Mini Tower case has CPU cooler space of up to 150 mm, PSU space up to 150 mm, and a graphics card of up to 275 mm.
As far as controls are concerned, you get a full-fledged front I/O panel with a USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, a port for audio and mic, and a few other control buttons.
If you're looking to build a compact setup with Mini-ITX or Micro-ATX form factor, then Antec's PC case is a great choice.
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5. Corsair Carbide Series 175R RGB, Mid-Tower ATX
Best budget PC case for its design
Corsair's Carbide Series 175R is a clean-looking Mid Tower PC case that can accommodate ATX, Micro-ATX, or Mini-ITX motherboard form factor. So if your build has any of these in mind, you're good to go.
We'll start off with cooling - the case has room for six 120mm fans or four 140mm fans. For liquid cooling, you can fit in 360mm radiators.
Storage-wise, you get two 3.5-inch (convertible to 2.5-inch) trays and two 2.5-inch cages for your HDDs and SSDs.
Corsair's PC case also comes with a tempered glass side panel that shows off the customisable RGB lights. You also get an RGB fan (included) that can be connected to ASUS, Gigabyte, or MSI motherboards according to Corsair.
The case has full PSU coverage, which means you can hide your cables and PSU out of sight for a cleaner, more organised setup.
Overall, if you are looking for a minimalistic PC case that covers up all your cables, then Corsair's Carbide case might be the one for you.
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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
While on your hunt for the best budget PC case, you might encounter these questions...
How much should you spend on a PC case?
You'd find PC cases ranging from $30 to $300 and even more.
As shown by this list though, we believe you don't have to break the bank to cop a great PC case for less.
The mid-range cases can, on occasion, be made from higher-quality materials though. You're also more likely to find RGB lighting going up slightly in cost.
Then, if you decide to spend more than $100, you can usually expect advanced features like cable management and more.
If you are planning to build a high-end setup packed with top-of-the-range hardware, then your best bet is to perhaps opt for a slightly pricier case.
Which is better - Mid Tower or Full Tower?
The size of the PC case really depends on the motherboard form factor as well as how much are you planning to load up. The most basic difference between a Full Tower case and a Mid Tower case is the size.
A Full Tower case can accommodate bigger motherboards like XL-ATX or E-ATX. These cases have room for multiple HDDs and SSDs (10 to 15 drive bays). They also have 8 to 10 expansion slots, more points for cooling fans, and room for bigger radiators.
Meanwhile, a Mid Tower case is sufficient for regular ATX, micro-ATX, and mini-ITX form factors. You get 5 to 10 drive bays, half a dozen fan mounting points, a few expansion slots, and space for 360mm radiators.
If you're planning to build a beast with full-sized gear and larger motherboards, then you should be looking at Full Tower cases. If you are building a regular gaming setup, then a Mid Tower case should suffice.
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