For the Y60, remember that it's mostly meant for water cooling and now that all the new parts are such high power, it's a good time to get into water cooled builds for the high-end GPU + CPU combinations. For air cooling, you need a skinnier card (as we say in the video) and you should utilize the bottom intake! Links to all the cases and the reviews of each case are in the description above! You can get more detailed information on each case in its respective reviews in the links. PC Case Review Playlist: ruclips.net/video/94l1c5dMRX8/видео.html While you get ready for your next PC build, grab one of our anti-static, heavy-duty modmats for PC building on the GN Store! It helps support our work if you like it while also getting you something long-lasting and useful in return: store.gamersnexus.net/products/modmat-volt-large
You forgot to review the Asus Anime Case, for this you must stand trial before Goku, Naruto, Eren Jeager, Monkey D Luffy, and Lord Farquaad for crimes against The People Who Watch Anime On Their Expensive PCs Instead Of Playing Games. (TPWWAOTEPCIOPG for short).
You should add a new category for the "easiest to keep clean while not overly sacrificing performance" case. I love some of the new cases that have easily accessed and removable dust shields that can be cleaned without having to take the case apart to do so.
Yeah I specifically chose my case because it had dust filters on the front, top, and bottom. A lot of these cases don't have filters and it kinda irks me. I get that it affects airflow, but cleaning a filter is much easier than cleaning GPU and CPU coolers
@@manh2704 I think you underestimate how tired and lazy some of us out here are feeling, case dust filters are the best innovation I've seen in recent history
@@DarthDungus If you lick them with your tongue once in a while, one lick each time and if you do it 3 times a week for an entire year you never will have a dust problem.
I was hoping to see best case based on MB size. I was expecting some ITX evaluation to find out what's the best in class for that size, but no dice. I hope this could be something GN can add in the future.
I didn't know the Fractal Pop had a 5.25" bay. Since it's also a quality midrange case, that basically seals it as my new default case for all future builds I might do, especially for other people. Like the Cooler Master HAF 912 before it; I used those for everything. I was sad when I learned they weren't making the 912 anymore, so it's nice to finally have a replacement.
If you can find the older Fractal FocusG, it actually has two 5.25 bays, but lacks a sealed basement and uses plexi instead of tempered glass, but is prized at half that of the Fractal Pop.
@@ToddandRaquiForrest Fractal Pop places the bay in a spot where direct airflow isn't needed though. Focus G blocks placement of a fan blowing directly at CPU
Having three 5.25" bays is exactly why I'm never giving up my Phanteks MiniXL. It might forever be the only dual-system case with 5.25" bays for hotswapping SSDs between the two systems. Really boggles my mind that Phanteks doesn't think of this functionality with their new dual-system cases. Waiting for ethernet file transfer is one way to never get anything done.
@@Vinterloft For what it's worth, and in case you do need to upgrade cases in the future, a couple options to get around this are SAS to SATA adaptors which are capable of dual pathing (not sure how available single drive adaptors are, mind) and direct interconnect networking standards like Thunderbolt, high speed peer to peer Ethernet (both capping at 10GbE speeds in this use case, enough to outperform SATA), or even used 40Gbps server networking hardware which has relatively inexpensive options for direct interconnects.
Just a note, the HAF 500 has been hovering between as low as $85 - $112 the last week on Amazon. (This is roughly the price Steve said this case should be sold for, and it seems to do really well at that price class!)
Im pretty happy with my HAF 500. The GPU fan mount is arguable, but the rest of the case is solid and gets the job done. The addition of a type C USB front connector, a fan and RGB hub and a removable top pannel for easy AIO / fan mounting completes the deal imho. I just HAF to get this case!
HAF 500 is still the same price here as a Torrent Compact more or less. (the black non glass compact) I mean even Pop air plain black cost the same as any of the HAF 500's. Sweden. Heck even Pop air XL cost around the same price as the HAF 500's. There is almost nothing from CoolerMaster worth buying. And Torrent aint rainbows and sunshine either.
Good to see the 4000D airflow on the list. I built in this and despite narrow GPU clearance with a front mounted liquid freezer 2, it looks nice, is near silent and was pretty easy to build in. I didnt want anything much bigger because I would repeatedly bang my knee on the super wide 011 dynamic.
to me the best aging case winner is my Cooler Master HAF X, bought with usb 2.0 and e-sata outtakes but later upgraded with usb 3.1 outtakes as sparepart replacement prolonging life for a overall splendid case. We need a overall lifespan reward too for our planets sake, Steve and CO.
I can agree, still struggle to justify replacing my HAF X for a new build even though some newer cases are more aesthetically pleasing... Their price tags or gimmicks aren't.
2 years ago I was still using a case from an old Athlon 64 from about 2004! I had a 7700k system in it but in 2020 I upgraded everything and got a 5600x system. I used a Corsair 4000D Airflow. It's luxury... also keeps the dust out. My old 2004 case was super dusty!
I run a pc repair shop and upgrade my case a lot... had a 4000d airlow for a year now and not had to clean my case out once. Honestly the best experience ive had except that there is the limitation of only being able to have a 360mm rad at the front if you mount with the tubes at the top otherwise its faultless and looks amazing.
Sometimes old cases are still good. I'm still using a Cooler Master HAF XB cube case and i don't have plans to replace it, because it's just a great and versatile high airflow case for aircooled builds. I also like horizontal designs more than towers, because it solves some of the tower-related problems, like GPU sag, cable managent and it's easier to install new hardware, because it can be opened from all sides. It has it's own problems too, like using a lot of space and that it must stand on a table.
I'm still using a whole 4 core Athlon 64 Extreme PC for backups on my network. Still does a great job and it's plenty fast for everyday computing, I upgraded to a used i5 system not all that much better just to get the Cooler Master HAF X case (~2010) it was in! Used it for a year and just recently transplanted the guts into a new Fractal Mesh C case which was quite tight, to make room for the new Ryzen 7 system I just built into the HAP X case! It still has room for like another system inside! It's a freaking beast of a case!
Definitely agreed, I have the HYTE Y60 (Hakos Baelz customized edition), and overall I'd say the review was fair in its criticisms while also rightly pointing out positives. It was by far the most spacious case I had ever built in, and it was really just a dream to work in.
I remembered she released it and it looked similar to this years best case, so I went to check it and it was actually a Hyde Y60. I really wanted to buy it now but then he said I need a GPU with liquid cooling which automatically disqualifies the case sadly
Have you considered adding a SFF case category to the list? Not everyone likes having giant mid tower cases taking up space, and I'd love to see your style of reviews with smaller cases.
We have, yeah. It's tough for time reasons. It takes an entirely different methodology and approach and we don't have time yet - but we want to get back to it.
@@GamersNexus It would be also cool to see the opposite, like very large ATX cube cases, where the mainboard is mounted horizontally and having multiple segmented compartments for different parts.
In the noise normalized tests, I wonder if GN doesn't place a little too much emphasis on just the lowest CPU temp. Looking at their wonderful graph (truly an awesome testament to their longevity and thoroughness), you can see that while the CPU temps are lower, the GPU temps are considerably higher in some cases. The P500A and the Lian Li Lancool II Mesh are basically within a degree of one another for both CPU and GPU, which means that airflow is likely more optimized throughout these cases, versus some where we see a pretty significant difference. By example: the Lian Li 011 Air Mini has a +13C difference between the CPU and GPU temps during noise normalized testing, which likely means the air flow is optimized for the CPU vs GPU. Maybe not the best idea in a case if gaming/rendering is involved, since the GPU is going to be expected to work hard. All of the top cases are really pretty good, and all keep your CPU/GPU temps in the safe zone, even under load. So maybe it's just preference, but I kind of think you'd be better off with consistency throughout the case for temperature, rather than having significant variance in locations literally a few inches from each other. It also likely means that other nearby components are being cooled/heated in an uneven fashion. Add in some humidity and that's enough to maybe make some weather in there! :)
Thank you so much for this video -- I can't tell you how much I've looked at the 2021 version of the video. The refresh is greatly appreciated because you're a respected source with solid, consistent testing for a plethora of cases. A rarity in today's news feed, and something we cherish dearly 💙
In this episode Steve gives us a case-by-case comparison so he can give you the best case scenario. And remember that if some of these looked unfamiliar on the inside he was showing you... in case... you forgot...
Purchased the Fractal Pop case (pink one) a few days ago. It's honestly pretty rare to find a nice modern looking case with pink accents and great air flow. Also, while being affordable.
I have the Torrent, best purchase I did. Plus with adding the Noctua D15. It's been really good. Glad it got the best thermals awards because in the end that's what really matters, to me at least.
I've been very impressed with the Fractal Torrent since building my new PC in it a week ago. It's got lots of space, good cable management, and that airflow is incredible even with an AIO in the mix. Swapped the 180mm fans to the bottom and mounted a 420mm AIO to the front in a push-pull config (2 push, 3 pull) and still had plenty of space to route the hoses even with the comically large Zotac 4090 AIRO installed. Fractal nailed that case design.
You should list the avg market price at the time of the video's recording for each of the cases, since prices always change in the future and it would make it easier to tell what's still a good deal.
I’m pretty sure cases stay relatively the same price unless there’s a V2 of a case. There are cases that are $60 that go to $30-45 on sale, I usually buy those for the prebuilds I make, or I buy a used brand one for like half or quarter of the price.
I've been using the Lian Li Lancool II Mesh for the last couple of years and I've been supremely pleased with it's thermal and noise performance. I'm sort of window shopping to potentially buy a new case just to change up the look a little bit but it would be such a shame to end up with a case that doesn't perform as well.
This is such important information for a layman like me. I would be lost and I'd be going through all of these top 10 articles that I feel just aren't that good when I Google it. You guys doing this helps a ton because I trust you guys to do solid research based on your experience and skill.
Happy with my fractal design meshify 2. What struck me the most is how silent it is. Sometimes I have to double check that I actually hit the power button lol. On my old pc the fans started spinning immediately.
Hey GN, great job as usua with your case reviews - very thorough. To me, the chart for Best Noise-Normalized Thermals is the most useful, because everyone likes low noise, yet everyone wants to run a RTX 4090 with a Ryzen 7950X without said CPU/GPU throttling due to overheating. This chart shows the best a given case can do (in air-cooled mode without adding more fans) against a standardized load and limited to a standardized sound output - very useful. You sort the chart in order of lowest CPU temp, which is great for folks like me who plan on a beefy CPU but lightweight GPU. Those running a lightweight CPU along with a RTX 4090 might want to re-sort the chart in order by lowest GPU temp. For the average PC builder - say someone who has a middle-ish CPU and a middle-ish GPU - one might actually want to sort these cases in increasing order of the Average of CPU and GPU temps achieved. That is, maybe you want a case that does a decent cooling job on both the CPU and the GPU, without over-kill on either the CPU or GPU by itself. If you sort in this order, you get a different picture of these coolers. I've taken the trouble to do that for readers, as shown in the table below. I added the Average (of CPU and GPU temps achieved) to each line, and then sorted by that Average. An interesting thing to note is that the range of GPU temps achieved spans only 6 degrees C, while the range of CPU temps achieved spans about 22 degrees C. As you might expect, the Average spans a middle number of about 13 degrees. Best Noise-Normalized Thermals (for Air Cooling) (CPU and GPU fan fixed, case fans slowed to meet total system noise of 36 dBA) Cooler CPU (C) GPU (C) Avg (C) Lian Li Lancool III 44.6 54.0 49.3 Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 51.9 46.9 49.4 Lian Li Lancool 215 46.7 52.7 49.7 Phanteks P500A Digital 50.0 49.6 49.8 Fractal Torrent Compact 44.3 55.8 50.05 Fractal Torrent 45.6 54.6 50.1 Lian Li Lancool II Mesh 49.8 50.8 50.3 Cooler Master HAF 500 47.9 54.1 51.0 Fractal Meshify 2 50.7 51.7 51.2 Phanteks P400A RGB 50.5 52.3 51.4 NZXT H7 Flow 50.2 53.8 52.0 be quiet~! Silent Base 802 50.5 54.2 52.35 Phantekx P360A 50.9 54.5 52.7 Corsair 5000D Airflow 48.9 57.9 53.4 Fractal Pop Air RGB Stock 48.3 58.8 53.55 Fractal Meshify 2 XL 53.1 54.4 53.75 Cooler Master TD500 Mesh 55.7 52.0 53.85 Corsair 4000D Airflow 54.5 53.3 53.9 Fractal Meshify 2 Compact 49.1 58.9 54.0 Lian Li 011 Air Mini 47.8 60.5 54.15 Corsair 7000D Airflow 49.7 59.3 54.5 NZXT H510 Flow 57.4 56.4 56.9 Montech Air 1000 Lite 53.6 60.9 57.25 Fractal Define S2 Vision RGB 57.9 59.7 58.8 Corsair 4000D Solid 61.3 56.5 58.9 NZXT H5 Flow 55.9 62.0 58.95 Hyte Y60 58.6 59.7 59.15 Lian Li Lancool II 62.9 56.6 59.75 Phanteks P300A 66.5 57.8 62.15
In the process of building out a server with a Meshify 2 XL, with all the core components in place and a Noctua tower cooler I can barely hear it even with the side off
I just love Torrent, built a mini ITX build for my parents in Nano, Compact gaming build for my brother and my custom loop workstation in a regular Torrent. The front panel design and airflow is just perfect.
I'm still keeping my eye on the o11 evo with the front mesh panel added. As far as I'm aware it has all the benefits of the o11 air mini (great air flow, low noise, etc.), but with more room. I'm hoping to build from scratch soon and want to be able to get equal-ish intake and exhaust, fans directly below the gpu, and not have to worry about three case potentially being too small. I'm grateful for this video, as I know I'm going to be helping a friend build his new rig, but none of these cases do it for me.
was looking at the hyte case b-roll and noticed that the PCI slots are very nice, being able to have 1/2 height cards and your gpu in the same, is a wonderful idea, really hope they make one with side vents for the gpu, it would be a wonderful case since it allows you to have 1/2 height cards behind your gpu
It would sure be nice to have a 2023 best case video. Cases, and cpu coolers are what ive come to basically defer to your channel for, so without thwt video, I dont feel confident about making a informed choice.
Grabbed Torrent per your recommendation last year for my build and it's honestly worth every penny. Especially after how well Fractal handled the fan hub situation. Glad to see it on top once again! :)
The HYTE case looks great. I'm hoping Lian Li adopts this style. It looks like they're at least giving you the option with the removable support pillar on the announced EVO XL.
For next year, can you do best inverted case? As in a case that opens on the opposite side than normal, or can be flipped so it opens on the opposite side than normal.
Kind of disappointed the Be Quiet! 500 (either DX or FX) didn't make the cut. I just rebuilt my system into the FX version and have been quite pleased. Being my first "build" as a transplant from a prebuilt system, it was easy to work with and stupid quiet even at 100% fan speed. It was also very easy to route my thick 24-pin bundle while still keeping the decorative side plate in place. It was too thick to route from the side as normal, but I could route it up and over the top with ease. Subjectively speaking, it has some of the best RGB I've seen on a fan, and has some nice presets. The only downside here is my Asrock mobo doesn't play nice with other RGB systems.
Your initial review on the Y60 fully convinced me to roll with that case for my upcoming build, even more stoked that it won your "Best Overall" category.
I got a Fractal Torrent about a month ago and recently acquired a 4090. Even under load neither the GPU or CPU get above 35c with air cooling. It looks good, it runs cool, and it's fun and easy to build in.
Fractal Torrent is amazing. Very happy that I picked it based on your video in January. I hope Fractal will improve this design in future. The only real downside is that you can't really clean it efficiently because you need to take off both side panels to take off front panel.
You have been doing good work, everyone testing how to build in case, temperatures, but almost noone make standart noise test. Most underrated category, and very important to have good temperatures with low noise. No problem to instal fast fans with a lot of noise.
Would love if you reviewed more budget cases even if they didn't launch this year, the same way you tackled lower cost air coolers. Prices naturally change over time (as you've acknowledged previously with the Thermalright cooler) but the "Montech X3 Mesh 6pcs" is now a whopping $75 on amazon from the default seller "QuickDealStore" and a shocking $90 from presumably the actual brand's seller, "Montech PC" - if $89.99 is the new MSRP, that's definitely no longer a budget case. When there are several different acceptable options, we can pick the one that is still lower in price. If people pretending to be Arctic reps got you to finally review the Arctic Esports Duo, I'll hold my nose and pretend to be a Zalman shill and ask you to review the Zalman S2 - while the acrylic, inside tooling, lack of cable management space, and stand off installation reminds me more of 2014 rather than a modern case, it's cheap mesh front with 3 fans that as of today is in your budget range at $55. Additionally, thanks to Linus misdirecting everyone to get the closed front Zalman S3 instead in his holiday 2022 guide he released today, the S2 is mildly less likely to get the typical 'raise the prices because of induced techtuber demand'
Keep in mind, sometimes it really depends on what styles and features you want. Friend of mine chosen the older LianLi LANCOOL 2 mesh instead of the newer 3 be cause he liked it better.
You guys should design, build, and sell your own case. Given your experience and knowledge accumulated over the years, you could likely create one of the best cases ever. It could prove to be a huge money maker for the channel as well.
I'm looking for a case that can fit my 4HDD's,2 SSD's, optical disk drive and USB/card reader, it's crazy how there aren't any recent cases that support it
A best "Optical Drive Compatible" case would be nice to see. I know there's not much of us Plex users ripping our Blu-ray collections anymore, but it's always tough trying to find a good case that will support 2+ optical drives. Also, horizontal based cases (like the Cooler Master HAF XB) would be a nice consideration.
I just use an external blu-ray drive for ripping. I actually have a HAF XB but the 5.25" are full of other drives and an external drive has more flexibility. FWIW, my NAS lives in a Phanteks Enthoo Pro, it has several 5.25" bays. It's a chonker though. :D
@@samiraperi467 What CPU and GPU do you recommend for ripping my 4K Blu-ray disc collection? I want to build my first Plex server but don't know exactly where to begin. Some people recommend using the Nvidia Shield as a Plex server. Thoughts???
@@GamersNexus My understanding was that it was more of a coincidence the Pop had an optical slot because the category was simply "Best Mid-Range". Would you say that the Pop would win if the category was specifically for a best case that also supports 2+ optical slots as well?
@@PSYCHOV3N0M I laughed a bit at the absurdity of hardware for ripping, but it makes sense in the context of hosting. Virtually any CPU will do for hosting Emby and PLEX as long as there is OS support for it, hence why a low power Android box works. I don't know if external blu-ray drives can rip, but capable internal drives certainly exist. However, you will need more powerful hardware depending on features you want. If you already have a PC lying around, throwing in a P400 (or T400) gives you several good quality 1080p transcoding streams in case you share with family/friends. If you do want to CPU transcode your rips, again any CPU is able to but you might be interested in newer hardware for the efficiency and processing power for impatience or a big backlog of waiting transcodes. If your media is already in a shareable format (like using your gaming rig to do the heavy lifting) you can save money and power by only allowing direct streams on a modest device. Linux is free. tl;dr: ripping? anything that has a drive that allows it. Plex/Emby/Jellyfin? Anything with OS support. Live transcoding? low cost GPU (currently nvidia wins in qulity) Fancy features like autodetecting intros? better CPU and more RAM.
Struggling to decide between the Lian Li Lancool 3 and the NZXT H7 Flow! I'm going for a High End Build with a rtx 4090 and i9 13900k. I adore the NZXT H7 Elite look but it just isn't an option in terms of performance. So I do like the look of the H7 better but stats of the Lancool 3 are better.. What would you guys recommend me?
I would really love to see a be quiet! Pure Base 500 review from you guys! My guess is that with another Silent Wing 2 fan in the front, we would get a great silent performer for only 80$ total.
I really like that optical drive option on the fractal pop. i thought most modern cases got rid of the external drive bays. I do wish that the door was hinged instead of fully removable.
I wish they had a "best case for water cooling" category. I remember they said in the Fractal Torrent review that it's very good out of the box for air cooling, but not necessarily for water, if you get rid of those stock fans.
Hi GN team, I've found your content to be the most thorough and trustworthy of all the tech tubers - even when it risks damaging relationships -. I was wondering if you could add a section to your case reviews that shows the "maximum" capabilities of a case, where you would just fill it with fans in whatever configuration you thought would be best. It would be most useful for cases such as the 011 or the North. I know you guys have a busy schedule already so I understand if you can't fit it in.
7000D deserves to be up here just because the amount of AIRFLOW, sooooo many fans can be placed in this case it's insane... 480 rad with push/pull config in front (8xfans), 240 gpu rad with push/pull on top plus another 120mm fan(5xfans), 4 fans on side and 1 in back equals 18 fans... yes 18 120mm fans.
My case is over 25 years old, weights 52 pounds emtpy and got recently a custom garage boys USB-C front panel upgrade:The legendary Cooler Master Cosmo Ultratower, first edition!
Gamers nexus is the best enthusiast tech youtube channel. GN's sincerity, dedication, scientific methods and smug little jabs here and there keep me coming back. Great job on the investigative report on 4090 cable-gate. All the best!
With the gigantism that gpu is experiencing in the last 2 gen, I think I'll need to replace my CM 690 in my next build, I've been surprisingly pleased at how well it holds up through the decade, it lasted 4 builds over the years. I think I'll go for Liancool series (perhaps IV will be released by the time I'd want a new build)
Heck yeah, my Torrent is still on top for the only categories that should matter when it comes to the PERFORMANCE of the case, airflow (temperatures) and noise. Best case for people who care about the performance.
I am still using a 2005 Themaltake Soprano TT with a rubber gasket window and green air brushed flame job, x470 /5700x / RTX 3070 on PCIE 3 riser mount for side display. also have the Cooler Masterbox nr 400 for my Ryzen 5600x system with the Themalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE doing the cpu cooling.
The Hyte Y60 looks nice, and if I was building something very simple, then it's fine. The design of the back with PCIe and expansion slots is the massive deal killer for me. I need full size slots, and I need to be able to use expansion cards, so the case is completely worthless to me. A new revision might interest me, if they make a more practical version with more flexibility.
Definitely was not expecting to see the Y60 as best overall o.o I watched so many reviews (often multiple times over) trying to decide between it and the Lancool III. I eventually decided on the Y60 as it just kinda had my heart from the beginning anyway...despite being the less pragmatic choice for multiple reasons. But this definitely helps me feel a little more validated about my choice! :D
I'd be very interested what GN would have to say about the just released Lian-Li V3000PLUS. It's gigantic (~680x680x280 mm) but if you want a silent build with 4090 and 13900K or 7950X, none of the medium-sized cases, that are so popular now, will cut it even remotely, unless you undervolt/power-limit. Does anybody have a suggestion for a high quality and well thought-through case (so e.g. *not* the Phanteks 719/Luxe 2) that's about 600x600x250mm? It should be able to accommodate three 420 mm radiators (but not necessarily in push-pull config or monsta-thick). I made the mistake of building an open-loop in a too small case once and don't want to repeat it (the result was louder and hotter than well air-cooled).
@@atriusvinius319 A silent build is one with fan speed below ca. 1000 rpm (and good, quiet fans, of course). With three thick 480s in push-pull and one 360 you can cool > 1000 W at
@@atriusvinius319 I'm currently building such a system. The fans alone are about 1 k. The radiators, 2 water blocks, pumps, fittings, soft tubing, aquaero controller another 1500. I wish there were water blocks without that RGB crap I'm inadvertently paying for (although the difference would be just 50 bucks I guess). But the system would be very expensive anyways. Here in Europe the 4090 costs more than 2k and the mobo + 7950X is 1-1.5 k depending on the mobo. 64 GB DDR-5 6000 and 2 NVME SSDs another grand. So the components alone including case are about 5k. So it's 7.5k vs. 6k for this system with mediocre open loop water cooling vs. 5-5.5k for air or AIO cooling and I'll definitely not go back to CPU-load-dependant fan whining and worrying about thermal throttling.
The Hyte Y60 is the one I'd love, because of it's design. Would look so good on the desk. However, I have a 3090 and I suspect it would get toasty af in there so I guess I'll stay with my Phanteks P600S which has provided great service.
Depends. If you water cool it, then you're good (and that is how it's marketed, so that's how we judge it). If you do enough bottom intake, it might also be fine.
You'd better have a wide and sturdy desk! It is about 1.5x the width of your standard tower, and all the glass and caddies out back add quite the heft. You do get a lower height than most cases if needed. Still love mine despite these oddities. Clean, easy build, plenty of air flow and storage. Ideal if you can't stand building in cramped, awkward cases.
It really depends on the size of your card and your fan choice/setup IMO. I just completed my build a few weeks ago. I have a 3090ti FE and I haven’t seen temps above 70 in 6 hours of straight gaming. They recommend 60mm or less thick cards and mine is 61 so that may be a determining factor.
The Asus case is phenomenal. my wife and I both have builds in them. high quality steel, removable and cleanable dust filters, modulatiry, great airflow, tempered glass. all of it
Hey Steve. Since your team has chosen the Hyte Y60 for the best case, I thought I would let you and others know about a 3D printable mount that I designed for adding a 12.6" screen to the corner glass. I like giving back to this awesome community when I can. Great work on testing all these cases, and everything that you do there. I don't know if I can put a link here to the model, as I'm not trying to advertise anything. Just letting people know that it's there if needed, on Thingiverse.
@@EvilestMinion it's just for looks. Some people like to have a screen to show computer statistics like temperatures and fan speeds or frames per second while gaming. The corner glass just happens to be a cool place to hang a screen cause they actually make screens that fit that spot like it was made for it. You can search RUclips for pc Sendor Panel.
@@EvilestMinion yeah it plugs into one of the ports on the graphics card so the computer just thinks you have 2 monitors. So you could show anything on it really. The glass stays there and the screen just sits right up against it.
Appreciate your yearly roundups very much as it's interesting to see a consolidated look back and opinion piece. Wish you all had gotten a chance to run through the HAF 700 as it is significantly cheaper than the Evo bringing the case down towards a sane price range. It's obviously a giant case, but it'd be interesting to see your team's thoughts on it as there are a bunch of things CM tried with the design.
I'm very happy that there was at least one 5-1/4 option mentioned. I realize most people don't care about optical, but I can't even consider a case without a 5-1/4 bay. I don't want external, and I still have blurays, DVDs, CDs, older boxed PC games, and still want to be able to boot recovery disks and alternative OS's. I know I can use USB, but no one should pay that much for a recovery disk that is just going to lay around, and optical is still the best disposable format as well.
4000D was like 67$ on amazon at prime day, just mad I didn't buy more than one. I got one for my step son's Christmas present build. Wanted one to replace my case. But didn't have the budget.
Where is the 2023 video? The computex roundup one is definitely not what we are looking for in terms of a year end case review video from your channel.
Currently running the montech x3. Its a lot smaller than it appears. Ditched the stock fans and running a 360 rad with 3 fans in the front and a vertically mounted MSI 4090 suprim liquid with its 240 mounted up top. 1600 watt power supply at the bottom and everything just BARELY fits but it does. Having so many fans in such a small area it runs rather cool. Only thing it lacks is usb C on top panel. 3 Push air from the front and 3 fans suck it out the top. 2 fans out the bottom help push air up and out. I have extenders on the power supply even and was still able to close the "back" side panel. Best 60 bucks I have ever spent on a case. Note: tons of room to the glass panel. Could easily mount a 5 slot card and not touch the side glass.
Appreciate it..I know it probably seems redundant to make these videos every year but I'm always on the hunt for a beneficial case. With these parts making computers into space heaters and becoming larger, getting a form factor that works well is a continuing challenge.
Due to the size of the 4090 I think it's time to start looking at the really big cases so we can easily accommodate and cool that beastly gpu and the future gpus. My friends laughed at me when I bought the thermaltake level 20 XT.
Amazing video, really helped to see how stacked the top end cases are. One suggestion if I may, could you also mention the MSRP of the cases on the graphs? That would really help to compare price vs performance!
For the Y60, remember that it's mostly meant for water cooling and now that all the new parts are such high power, it's a good time to get into water cooled builds for the high-end GPU + CPU combinations. For air cooling, you need a skinnier card (as we say in the video) and you should utilize the bottom intake!
Links to all the cases and the reviews of each case are in the description above! You can get more detailed information on each case in its respective reviews in the links.
PC Case Review Playlist: ruclips.net/video/94l1c5dMRX8/видео.html
While you get ready for your next PC build, grab one of our anti-static, heavy-duty modmats for PC building on the GN Store! It helps support our work if you like it while also getting you something long-lasting and useful in return: store.gamersnexus.net/products/modmat-volt-large
Is there any database of your recommendations ?
You forgot to review the Asus Anime Case, for this you must stand trial before Goku, Naruto, Eren Jeager, Monkey D Luffy, and Lord Farquaad for crimes against The People Who Watch Anime On Their Expensive PCs Instead Of Playing Games. (TPWWAOTEPCIOPG for short).
Thanks Steve!
Is there a consensus for best overall 4090-compatible case? Probably with an E-ATX MB and water cooling for the CPU.
Are you guys in the process of reviewing the torrent nano? I'm trying to decide between the nano and the compact for my first build.
So how is it the best case if there's an expensive prerequisite?
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! We appreciate this so much and so happy to be crowned the Best Overall Case for 2022! 💛💛
Is there a ver. 2 on the way? And/or are you planning on any other colours for the Y60?
Great case BTW! 👏
@@braethorn See you there 💛
gg wp
Deserve it we want a 120$ version :
The base customers
@@stopUkrainewar666 they would have to redesign the rear cover to allow horizontal GPUs.
Still waiting on 2023......
Right its gonna be a year already
still waiting
Wonder why it never came?
Thank you GN staff for all your dedication and hard work.
You should add a new category for the "easiest to keep clean while not overly sacrificing performance" case. I love some of the new cases that have easily accessed and removable dust shields that can be cleaned without having to take the case apart to do so.
Yeah I specifically chose my case because it had dust filters on the front, top, and bottom. A lot of these cases don't have filters and it kinda irks me. I get that it affects airflow, but cleaning a filter is much easier than cleaning GPU and CPU coolers
It’s not as hard as you think. My first build I did it like once every year if I remembered and now I do it regularly. Hell I do it when I get bored.
@@manh2704 I keep my PC in a spot that isn't the easiest to get to, so having to unplug everything and pull it out isn't as easy as you might think
@@manh2704 I think you underestimate how tired and lazy some of us out here are feeling, case dust filters are the best innovation I've seen in recent history
@@DarthDungus
If you lick them with your tongue once in a while, one lick each time and if you do it 3 times a week for an entire year you never will have a dust problem.
I was hoping to see best case based on MB size. I was expecting some ITX evaluation to find out what's the best in class for that size, but no dice. I hope this could be something GN can add in the future.
I didn't know the Fractal Pop had a 5.25" bay. Since it's also a quality midrange case, that basically seals it as my new default case for all future builds I might do, especially for other people. Like the Cooler Master HAF 912 before it; I used those for everything. I was sad when I learned they weren't making the 912 anymore, so it's nice to finally have a replacement.
If you can find the older Fractal FocusG, it actually has two 5.25 bays, but lacks a sealed basement and uses plexi instead of tempered glass, but is prized at half that of the Fractal Pop.
@@ToddandRaquiForrest Fractal Pop places the bay in a spot where direct airflow isn't needed though. Focus G blocks placement of a fan blowing directly at CPU
@@ToddandRaquiForrest Not sure how it compares to the Pop but the Define series also retains 5.25 inch support in its latest iteration
Having three 5.25" bays is exactly why I'm never giving up my Phanteks MiniXL. It might forever be the only dual-system case with 5.25" bays for hotswapping SSDs between the two systems. Really boggles my mind that Phanteks doesn't think of this functionality with their new dual-system cases. Waiting for ethernet file transfer is one way to never get anything done.
@@Vinterloft For what it's worth, and in case you do need to upgrade cases in the future, a couple options to get around this are SAS to SATA adaptors which are capable of dual pathing (not sure how available single drive adaptors are, mind) and direct interconnect networking standards like Thunderbolt, high speed peer to peer Ethernet (both capping at 10GbE speeds in this use case, enough to outperform SATA), or even used 40Gbps server networking hardware which has relatively inexpensive options for direct interconnects.
Just a note, the HAF 500 has been hovering between as low as $85 - $112 the last week on Amazon. (This is roughly the price Steve said this case should be sold for, and it seems to do really well at that price class!)
Im pretty happy with my HAF 500. The GPU fan mount is arguable, but the rest of the case is solid and gets the job done. The addition of a type C USB front connector, a fan and RGB hub and a removable top pannel for easy AIO / fan mounting completes the deal imho. I just HAF to get this case!
HAF500 is sold for ~$110 at the tax free port aka Hong Kong at launch, still not impressive at all
The new one is Fake HAF, remember the old true ones man those were game changers.
HAF 500 is still the same price here as a Torrent Compact more or less. (the black non glass compact) I mean even Pop air plain black cost the same as any of the HAF 500's. Sweden.
Heck even Pop air XL cost around the same price as the HAF 500's. There is almost nothing from CoolerMaster worth buying. And Torrent aint rainbows and sunshine either.
algorithmic encouragement
When it actually matters
I'm manipulating the algorithm!
Ye
Down with the matrix!
Yes
Good to see the 4000D airflow on the list. I built in this and despite narrow GPU clearance with a front mounted liquid freezer 2, it looks nice, is near silent and was pretty easy to build in. I didnt want anything much bigger because I would repeatedly bang my knee on the super wide 011 dynamic.
to me the best aging case winner is my Cooler Master HAF X, bought with usb 2.0 and e-sata outtakes but later upgraded with usb 3.1 outtakes as sparepart replacement prolonging life for a overall splendid case.
We need a overall lifespan reward too for our planets sake, Steve and CO.
I can agree, still struggle to justify replacing my HAF X for a new build even though some newer cases are more aesthetically pleasing... Their price tags or gimmicks aren't.
2 years ago I was still using a case from an old Athlon 64 from about 2004! I had a 7700k system in it but in 2020 I upgraded everything and got a 5600x system. I used a Corsair 4000D Airflow. It's luxury... also keeps the dust out. My old 2004 case was super dusty!
I still have an old antec case from 2004. Been meaning to put something in it at some point.
@@doctorno3912 Had one from that era too. Remember it weighing like 30lbs.
I run a pc repair shop and upgrade my case a lot... had a 4000d airlow for a year now and not had to clean my case out once. Honestly the best experience ive had except that there is the limitation of only being able to have a 360mm rad at the front if you mount with the tubes at the top otherwise its faultless and looks amazing.
Sometimes old cases are still good. I'm still using a Cooler Master HAF XB cube case and i don't have plans to replace it, because it's just a great and versatile high airflow case for aircooled builds. I also like horizontal designs more than towers, because it solves some of the tower-related problems, like GPU sag, cable managent and it's easier to install new hardware, because it can be opened from all sides. It has it's own problems too, like using a lot of space and that it must stand on a table.
I'm still using a whole 4 core Athlon 64 Extreme PC for backups on my network. Still does a great job and it's plenty fast for everyday computing, I upgraded to a used i5 system not all that much better just to get the Cooler Master HAF X case (~2010) it was in! Used it for a year and just recently transplanted the guts into a new Fractal Mesh C case which was quite tight, to make room for the new Ryzen 7 system I just built into the HAP X case! It still has room for like another system inside! It's a freaking beast of a case!
Definitely agreed, I have the HYTE Y60 (Hakos Baelz customized edition), and overall I'd say the review was fair in its criticisms while also rightly pointing out positives. It was by far the most spacious case I had ever built in, and it was really just a dream to work in.
Wait, what - Bae got a *case* now?!
@@Lishtenbird yep
@@mineskirat Go on...?
I remembered she released it and it looked similar to this years best case, so I went to check it and it was actually a Hyde Y60. I really wanted to buy it now but then he said I need a GPU with liquid cooling which automatically disqualifies the case sadly
Thank you for your support 😍💛
Have you considered adding a SFF case category to the list? Not everyone likes having giant mid tower cases taking up space, and I'd love to see your style of reviews with smaller cases.
We have, yeah. It's tough for time reasons. It takes an entirely different methodology and approach and we don't have time yet - but we want to get back to it.
Ive been rocking the ssupd meshlicious, Its been pretty great.
A4-H2O is pretty nice
Yes yes! sff deserves more love
@@GamersNexus It would be also cool to see the opposite, like very large ATX cube cases, where the mainboard is mounted horizontally and having multiple segmented compartments for different parts.
In the noise normalized tests, I wonder if GN doesn't place a little too much emphasis on just the lowest CPU temp. Looking at their wonderful graph (truly an awesome testament to their longevity and thoroughness), you can see that while the CPU temps are lower, the GPU temps are considerably higher in some cases. The P500A and the Lian Li Lancool II Mesh are basically within a degree of one another for both CPU and GPU, which means that airflow is likely more optimized throughout these cases, versus some where we see a pretty significant difference. By example: the Lian Li 011 Air Mini has a +13C difference between the CPU and GPU temps during noise normalized testing, which likely means the air flow is optimized for the CPU vs GPU. Maybe not the best idea in a case if gaming/rendering is involved, since the GPU is going to be expected to work hard. All of the top cases are really pretty good, and all keep your CPU/GPU temps in the safe zone, even under load. So maybe it's just preference, but I kind of think you'd be better off with consistency throughout the case for temperature, rather than having significant variance in locations literally a few inches from each other. It also likely means that other nearby components are being cooled/heated in an uneven fashion. Add in some humidity and that's enough to maybe make some weather in there! :)
Thank you so much for this video -- I can't tell you how much I've looked at the 2021 version of the video. The refresh is greatly appreciated because you're a respected source with solid, consistent testing for a plethora of cases. A rarity in today's news feed, and something we cherish dearly 💙
In this episode Steve gives us a case-by-case comparison so he can give you the best case scenario. And remember that if some of these looked unfamiliar on the inside he was showing you... in case... you forgot...
I'm a fan
@@edwardr8226 llll
@@edwardr8226 That was cool
I hate you all
Purchased the Fractal Pop case (pink one) a few days ago. It's honestly pretty rare to find a nice modern looking case with pink accents and great air flow. Also, while being affordable.
I have the Torrent, best purchase I did. Plus with adding the Noctua D15. It's been really good. Glad it got the best thermals awards because in the end that's what really matters, to me at least.
Exactly, I have both the full size, and the Compact… using the Compact atm with a NH-D15. Love the airflow
Good choices. Same combo I used earlier this year and i couldn't be happier with performance.
@@kcgunesq в тебе який процессор стоїть в ньому? І який охлад
I loved the lancool III! I just built my am5 system in it with a custom loop. I loved building in it! 😁
I've been very impressed with the Fractal Torrent since building my new PC in it a week ago. It's got lots of space, good cable management, and that airflow is incredible even with an AIO in the mix. Swapped the 180mm fans to the bottom and mounted a 420mm AIO to the front in a push-pull config (2 push, 3 pull) and still had plenty of space to route the hoses even with the comically large Zotac 4090 AIRO installed. Fractal nailed that case design.
can you please share your thermal performance?
Look forward to this video every year.
These videos are really fun to make! Nice positive angle on things.
Well I was debating myself whether to go for the Torrent or Lancool III, but this video settled that dispute. Torrent it is.
You and me both :3
You should list the avg market price at the time of the video's recording for each of the cases, since prices always change in the future and it would make it easier to tell what's still a good deal.
I’m pretty sure cases stay relatively the same price unless there’s a V2 of a case. There are cases that are $60 that go to $30-45 on sale, I usually buy those for the prebuilds I make, or I buy a used brand one for like half or quarter of the price.
Steve and crew, the video clarity of this video is so high. Everything is ultra clear, ultra sharp.
I've been using the Lian Li Lancool II Mesh for the last couple of years and I've been supremely pleased with it's thermal and noise performance. I'm sort of window shopping to potentially buy a new case just to change up the look a little bit but it would be such a shame to end up with a case that doesn't perform as well.
I just picked up a Corsair 5000D Airflow. Really like the look of the case and I think it'll be a pleasant case to build in.
This is such important information for a layman like me. I would be lost and I'd be going through all of these top 10 articles that I feel just aren't that good when I Google it. You guys doing this helps a ton because I trust you guys to do solid research based on your experience and skill.
Happy with my fractal design meshify 2. What struck me the most is how silent it is. Sometimes I have to double check that I actually hit the power button lol. On my old pc the fans started spinning immediately.
Got the meshify 2 lite and meshify 2C lite and they are the best I've ever had.
Same haha, love that case :)
Hey GN, great job as usua with your case reviews - very thorough. To me, the chart for Best Noise-Normalized Thermals is the most useful, because everyone likes low noise, yet everyone wants to run a RTX 4090 with a Ryzen 7950X without said CPU/GPU throttling due to overheating. This chart shows the best a given case can do (in air-cooled mode without adding more fans) against a standardized load and limited to a standardized sound output - very useful. You sort the chart in order of lowest CPU temp, which is great for folks like me who plan on a beefy CPU but lightweight GPU. Those running a lightweight CPU along with a RTX 4090 might want to re-sort the chart in order by lowest GPU temp.
For the average PC builder - say someone who has a middle-ish CPU and a middle-ish GPU - one might actually want to sort these cases in increasing order of the Average of CPU and GPU temps achieved. That is, maybe you want a case that does a decent cooling job on both the CPU and the GPU, without over-kill on either the CPU or GPU by itself. If you sort in this order, you get a different picture of these coolers. I've taken the trouble to do that for readers, as shown in the table below. I added the Average (of CPU and GPU temps achieved) to each line, and then sorted by that Average.
An interesting thing to note is that the range of GPU temps achieved spans only 6 degrees C, while the range of CPU temps achieved spans about 22 degrees C. As you might expect, the Average spans a middle number of about 13 degrees.
Best Noise-Normalized Thermals (for Air Cooling)
(CPU and GPU fan fixed, case fans slowed to meet total system noise of 36 dBA)
Cooler CPU (C) GPU (C) Avg (C)
Lian Li Lancool III 44.6 54.0 49.3
Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 51.9 46.9 49.4
Lian Li Lancool 215 46.7 52.7 49.7
Phanteks P500A Digital 50.0 49.6 49.8
Fractal Torrent Compact 44.3 55.8 50.05
Fractal Torrent 45.6 54.6 50.1
Lian Li Lancool II Mesh 49.8 50.8 50.3
Cooler Master HAF 500 47.9 54.1 51.0
Fractal Meshify 2 50.7 51.7 51.2
Phanteks P400A RGB 50.5 52.3 51.4
NZXT H7 Flow 50.2 53.8 52.0
be quiet~! Silent Base 802 50.5 54.2 52.35
Phantekx P360A 50.9 54.5 52.7
Corsair 5000D Airflow 48.9 57.9 53.4
Fractal Pop Air RGB Stock 48.3 58.8 53.55
Fractal Meshify 2 XL 53.1 54.4 53.75
Cooler Master TD500 Mesh 55.7 52.0 53.85
Corsair 4000D Airflow 54.5 53.3 53.9
Fractal Meshify 2 Compact 49.1 58.9 54.0
Lian Li 011 Air Mini 47.8 60.5 54.15
Corsair 7000D Airflow 49.7 59.3 54.5
NZXT H510 Flow 57.4 56.4 56.9
Montech Air 1000 Lite 53.6 60.9 57.25
Fractal Define S2 Vision RGB 57.9 59.7 58.8
Corsair 4000D Solid 61.3 56.5 58.9
NZXT H5 Flow 55.9 62.0 58.95
Hyte Y60 58.6 59.7 59.15
Lian Li Lancool II 62.9 56.6 59.75
Phanteks P300A 66.5 57.8 62.15
In the process of building out a server with a Meshify 2 XL, with all the core components in place and a Noctua tower cooler I can barely hear it even with the side off
Would like to see a SFF-specific award category next year as well for exclusively mATX or ITX cases.
Honestly, not everyone has the room, or benefits significantly from the increased footprint of these massive cases Steve is recommending.
I just love Torrent, built a mini ITX build for my parents in Nano, Compact gaming build for my brother and my custom loop workstation in a regular Torrent. The front panel design and airflow is just perfect.
I'm still keeping my eye on the o11 evo with the front mesh panel added. As far as I'm aware it has all the benefits of the o11 air mini (great air flow, low noise, etc.), but with more room. I'm hoping to build from scratch soon and want to be able to get equal-ish intake and exhaust, fans directly below the gpu, and not have to worry about three case potentially being too small. I'm grateful for this video, as I know I'm going to be helping a friend build his new rig, but none of these cases do it for me.
Hard to please? What case gets closest to your “standards”
was looking at the hyte case b-roll and noticed that the PCI slots are very nice, being able to have 1/2 height cards and your gpu in the same, is a wonderful idea, really hope they make one with side vents for the gpu, it would be a wonderful case since it allows you to have 1/2 height cards behind your gpu
Did you look at Thermaltake and the Core P series? hmm
Hexagons are the bestagons ;)
It would sure be nice to have a 2023 best case video. Cases, and cpu coolers are what ive come to basically defer to your channel for, so without thwt video, I dont feel confident about making a informed choice.
I love Fractal cases so much. Just so intelligently laid out.
Grabbed Torrent per your recommendation last year for my build and it's honestly worth every penny. Especially after how well Fractal handled the fan hub situation. Glad to see it on top once again! :)
Hmm... have you considered open air chassis?
Its so noisy at high speed and thermals are not inpressive for a GPU
The HYTE case looks great. I'm hoping Lian Li adopts this style. It looks like they're at least giving you the option with the removable support pillar on the announced EVO XL.
Lian Li's tyling looks a lot more sleek, and premium imo.
Lian Li's O11 Dynamic EVO and O11d-ROG are both better cases than the HYTE in my opinion ...
Lian li o11 look more cooler for me
For next year, can you do best inverted case? As in a case that opens on the opposite side than normal, or can be flipped so it opens on the opposite side than normal.
Someone wants the o11 Dynamic Evo ro be in a best case list.
just luv the way Steve yanks open the front panel...............
Kind of disappointed the Be Quiet! 500 (either DX or FX) didn't make the cut. I just rebuilt my system into the FX version and have been quite pleased. Being my first "build" as a transplant from a prebuilt system, it was easy to work with and stupid quiet even at 100% fan speed. It was also very easy to route my thick 24-pin bundle while still keeping the decorative side plate in place. It was too thick to route from the side as normal, but I could route it up and over the top with ease.
Subjectively speaking, it has some of the best RGB I've seen on a fan, and has some nice presets. The only downside here is my Asrock mobo doesn't play nice with other RGB systems.
Your initial review on the Y60 fully convinced me to roll with that case for my upcoming build, even more stoked that it won your "Best Overall" category.
Fractal have been consistently pretty impressive to me these last few years.
i really wish the Hyte was available internationally, especially because there was a limited Hololive edition that had some amazing custom art on it 🥺
two limited editions now, Kronii just announced one
@@kirito1267 well, now im double salty yet happy
I got a Fractal Torrent about a month ago and recently acquired a 4090. Even under load neither the GPU or CPU get above 35c with air cooling. It looks good, it runs cool, and it's fun and easy to build in.
Fractal Torrent is amazing. Very happy that I picked it based on your video in January. I hope Fractal will improve this design in future. The only real downside is that you can't really clean it efficiently because you need to take off both side panels to take off front panel.
I understand you bought the normal model, not the compact or nano. Is It too Big for a mid case? Or smaller?
damn those GN graphics are looking top notch. well done team
You have been doing good work, everyone testing how to build in case, temperatures, but almost noone make standart noise test. Most underrated category, and very important to have good temperatures with low noise. No problem to instal fast fans with a lot of noise.
Would love if you reviewed more budget cases even if they didn't launch this year, the same way you tackled lower cost air coolers. Prices naturally change over time (as you've acknowledged previously with the Thermalright cooler) but the "Montech X3 Mesh 6pcs" is now a whopping $75 on amazon from the default seller "QuickDealStore" and a shocking $90 from presumably the actual brand's seller, "Montech PC" - if $89.99 is the new MSRP, that's definitely no longer a budget case. When there are several different acceptable options, we can pick the one that is still lower in price.
If people pretending to be Arctic reps got you to finally review the Arctic Esports Duo, I'll hold my nose and pretend to be a Zalman shill and ask you to review the Zalman S2 - while the acrylic, inside tooling, lack of cable management space, and stand off installation reminds me more of 2014 rather than a modern case, it's cheap mesh front with 3 fans that as of today is in your budget range at $55. Additionally, thanks to Linus misdirecting everyone to get the closed front Zalman S3 instead in his holiday 2022 guide he released today, the S2 is mildly less likely to get the typical 'raise the prices because of induced techtuber demand'
Brought the Fractal Design Pop Air to complete my white themed based PC after seeing your reviews.
Best money spent!
3:25 - editor cut you off to early and I couldn't stop laughing! 😂
Any hope of adding a best compact category?
Keep in mind, sometimes it really depends on what styles and features you want. Friend of mine chosen the older LianLi LANCOOL 2 mesh instead of the newer 3 be cause he liked it better.
How is the LianLi LANCOOL 2 mesh better than the 3?
@@sammiller6631 style and local availability/price
How good is Lancool 2 mesh? It's cheaper than the 3 mesh.
How about the best 4090’s that will not melt in your case, and that can fit into your case 😂…
Be quiet revised the Silent Base 802, and basically gave it everything the 900 has. Got one recently, for 200 euros and it's surprisingly versatile.
Best case I've ever used is the thermaltake core x71. I have 2 of them.
You guys should design, build, and sell your own case. Given your experience and knowledge accumulated over the years, you could likely create one of the best cases ever. It could prove to be a huge money maker for the channel as well.
I'm looking for a case that can fit my 4HDD's,2 SSD's, optical disk drive and USB/card reader, it's crazy how there aren't any recent cases that support it
Modern cases are total trash and just waste so much space for no functional reason.
A best "Optical Drive Compatible" case would be nice to see. I know there's not much of us Plex users ripping our Blu-ray collections anymore, but it's always tough trying to find a good case that will support 2+ optical drives. Also, horizontal based cases (like the Cooler Master HAF XB) would be a nice consideration.
I just use an external blu-ray drive for ripping. I actually have a HAF XB but the 5.25" are full of other drives and an external drive has more flexibility. FWIW, my NAS lives in a Phanteks Enthoo Pro, it has several 5.25" bays. It's a chonker though. :D
The Pop is already in this video...?
@@samiraperi467 What CPU and GPU do you recommend for ripping my 4K Blu-ray disc collection?
I want to build my first Plex server but don't know exactly where to begin. Some people recommend using the Nvidia Shield as a Plex server. Thoughts???
@@GamersNexus My understanding was that it was more of a coincidence the Pop had an optical slot because the category was simply "Best Mid-Range". Would you say that the Pop would win if the category was specifically for a best case that also supports 2+ optical slots as well?
@@PSYCHOV3N0M I laughed a bit at the absurdity of hardware for ripping, but it makes sense in the context of hosting. Virtually any CPU will do for hosting Emby and PLEX as long as there is OS support for it, hence why a low power Android box works. I don't know if external blu-ray drives can rip, but capable internal drives certainly exist. However, you will need more powerful hardware depending on features you want. If you already have a PC lying around, throwing in a P400 (or T400) gives you several good quality 1080p transcoding streams in case you share with family/friends. If you do want to CPU transcode your rips, again any CPU is able to but you might be interested in newer hardware for the efficiency and processing power for impatience or a big backlog of waiting transcodes.
If your media is already in a shareable format (like using your gaming rig to do the heavy lifting) you can save money and power by only allowing direct streams on a modest device. Linux is free.
tl;dr: ripping? anything that has a drive that allows it.
Plex/Emby/Jellyfin? Anything with OS support.
Live transcoding? low cost GPU (currently nvidia wins in qulity)
Fancy features like autodetecting intros? better CPU and more RAM.
Wish you had an itx category. So many great options available that have great hardware compatibility
What do you do with all the used, leftover equipment and hardware? It would be nice to have fan raffles for the holidays at the end of the year.
Struggling to decide between the Lian Li Lancool 3 and the NZXT H7 Flow! I'm going for a High End Build with a rtx 4090 and i9 13900k. I adore the NZXT H7 Elite look but it just isn't an option in terms of performance.
So I do like the look of the H7 better but stats of the Lancool 3 are better.. What would you guys recommend me?
I would really love to see a be quiet! Pure Base 500 review from you guys! My guess is that with another Silent Wing 2 fan in the front, we would get a great silent performer for only 80$ total.
Its a very good case with a very competitive price 👍
Btw they have a review on the 500dx
ruclips.net/video/zCnagbKkVzE/видео.html
@@usbsol I know, but that case is hardly the same :)
I really like that optical drive option on the fractal pop. i thought most modern cases got rid of the external drive bays. I do wish that the door was hinged instead of fully removable.
I'm super broke due to Inflation in general, Thanks for letting me know which case to add to my list. One day I hope to build a PC
I hope we'll get something similar for 2023 this was great
I wish they had a "best case for water cooling" category. I remember they said in the Fractal Torrent review that it's very good out of the box for air cooling, but not necessarily for water, if you get rid of those stock fans.
Hi GN team, I've found your content to be the most thorough and trustworthy of all the tech tubers - even when it risks damaging relationships -. I was wondering if you could add a section to your case reviews that shows the "maximum" capabilities of a case, where you would just fill it with fans in whatever configuration you thought would be best. It would be most useful for cases such as the 011 or the North. I know you guys have a busy schedule already so I understand if you can't fit it in.
I think this is a great idea. Also can't wait for the G500A review
I too would love this. There's way more to a case than the fans it comes with.
7000D deserves to be up here just because the amount of AIRFLOW, sooooo many fans can be placed in this case it's insane... 480 rad with push/pull config in front (8xfans), 240 gpu rad with push/pull on top plus another 120mm fan(5xfans), 4 fans on side and 1 in back equals 18 fans... yes 18 120mm fans.
The Corsair D series made it into multiple Best Cases round ups over the last two years now.
@@GamersNexus Fair enough :D
My case is over 25 years old, weights 52 pounds emtpy and got recently a custom garage boys USB-C front panel upgrade:The legendary Cooler Master Cosmo Ultratower, first edition!
I bought a torrent compact after watching the GN review and even though it definitely struggles in the rear cable management department I ADORE it
Gamers nexus is the best enthusiast tech youtube channel. GN's sincerity, dedication, scientific methods and smug little jabs here and there keep me coming back. Great job on the investigative report on 4090 cable-gate. All the best!
With the gigantism that gpu is experiencing in the last 2 gen, I think I'll need to replace my CM 690 in my next build, I've been surprisingly pleased at how well it holds up through the decade, it lasted 4 builds over the years. I think I'll go for Liancool series (perhaps IV will be released by the time I'd want a new build)
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Such well made tests, incredible effort you put into this! Much appreciated.
I'm gonna stick to my Phanteks P500A, very happy with it :)
Heck yeah, my Torrent is still on top for the only categories that should matter when it comes to the PERFORMANCE of the case, airflow (temperatures) and noise. Best case for people who care about the performance.
I am still using a 2005 Themaltake Soprano TT with a rubber gasket window and green air brushed flame job, x470 /5700x / RTX 3070 on PCIE 3 riser mount for side display. also have the Cooler Masterbox nr 400 for my Ryzen 5600x system with the Themalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE doing the cpu cooling.
The Hyte Y60 looks nice, and if I was building something very simple, then it's fine. The design of the back with PCIe and expansion slots is the massive deal killer for me. I need full size slots, and I need to be able to use expansion cards, so the case is completely worthless to me.
A new revision might interest me, if they make a more practical version with more flexibility.
Too bad Fractal never seems to stock their Amazon store
What's up everyone
sup man, long time no see
@@mrsideperson8405 been fighting with my pc dang gup decided to take a crape on me
I have a Y60 and I run a 3090 air cooled, temps are not bad at all!! I have fans in every place possible and it does its Job!!
Loved this video back then, will we get a new one this year ?
Definitely was not expecting to see the Y60 as best overall o.o
I watched so many reviews (often multiple times over) trying to decide between it and the Lancool III.
I eventually decided on the Y60 as it just kinda had my heart from the beginning anyway...despite being the less pragmatic choice for multiple reasons.
But this definitely helps me feel a little more validated about my choice! :D
I'd be very interested what GN would have to say about the just released Lian-Li V3000PLUS. It's gigantic (~680x680x280 mm) but if you want a silent build with 4090 and 13900K or 7950X, none of the medium-sized cases, that are so popular now, will cut it even remotely, unless you undervolt/power-limit. Does anybody have a suggestion for a high quality and well thought-through case (so e.g. *not* the Phanteks 719/Luxe 2) that's about 600x600x250mm? It should be able to accommodate three 420 mm radiators (but not necessarily in push-pull config or monsta-thick).
I made the mistake of building an open-loop in a too small case once and don't want to repeat it (the result was louder and hotter than well air-cooled).
Silent OC 4090 and OC 13900k? Its impossible. Water cooling still needs noisy pumps and lots of fans(big radiators)
@@atriusvinius319 A silent build is one with fan speed below ca. 1000 rpm (and good, quiet fans, of course). With three thick 480s in push-pull and one 360 you can cool > 1000 W at
@@gewinnste I wonder how much money will this WC set cost?
@@atriusvinius319 I'm currently building such a system. The fans alone are about 1 k. The radiators, 2 water blocks, pumps, fittings, soft tubing, aquaero controller another 1500. I wish there were water blocks without that RGB crap I'm inadvertently paying for (although the difference would be just 50 bucks I guess).
But the system would be very expensive anyways. Here in Europe the 4090 costs more than 2k and the mobo + 7950X is 1-1.5 k depending on the mobo. 64 GB DDR-5 6000 and 2 NVME SSDs another grand. So the components alone including case are about 5k. So it's 7.5k vs. 6k for this system with mediocre open loop water cooling vs. 5-5.5k for air or AIO cooling and I'll definitely not go back to CPU-load-dependant fan whining and worrying about thermal throttling.
The Hyte Y60 is the one I'd love, because of it's design. Would look so good on the desk. However, I have a 3090 and I suspect it would get toasty af in there so I guess I'll stay with my Phanteks P600S which has provided great service.
Depends. If you water cool it, then you're good (and that is how it's marketed, so that's how we judge it). If you do enough bottom intake, it might also be fine.
@@GamersNexus Thanks. I keep thinking about a loop (all air atm). Maybe this could make me pull the trigger!
P600S gang!
You'd better have a wide and sturdy desk! It is about 1.5x the width of your standard tower, and all the glass and caddies out back add quite the heft. You do get a lower height than most cases if needed. Still love mine despite these oddities. Clean, easy build, plenty of air flow and storage. Ideal if you can't stand building in cramped, awkward cases.
It really depends on the size of your card and your fan choice/setup IMO. I just completed my build a few weeks ago. I have a 3090ti FE and I haven’t seen temps above 70 in 6 hours of straight gaming. They recommend 60mm or less thick cards and mine is 61 so that may be a determining factor.
The Asus case is phenomenal. my wife and I both have builds in them. high quality steel, removable and cleanable dust filters, modulatiry, great airflow, tempered glass. all of it
i bought my lian li 215 after your review, one year later and the case is still amazing
Thanks Guys
Hey Steve. Since your team has chosen the Hyte Y60 for the best case, I thought I would let you and others know about a 3D printable mount that I designed for adding a 12.6" screen to the corner glass. I like giving back to this awesome community when I can. Great work on testing all these cases, and everything that you do there. I don't know if I can put a link here to the model, as I'm not trying to advertise anything. Just letting people know that it's there if needed, on Thingiverse.
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What's the benefit of adding a screen? To replace the corner class for airflow? Noob here
@@EvilestMinion it's just for looks. Some people like to have a screen to show computer statistics like temperatures and fan speeds or frames per second while gaming. The corner glass just happens to be a cool place to hang a screen cause they actually make screens that fit that spot like it was made for it. You can search RUclips for pc Sendor Panel.
@@rburks oh that is awesome. It crossed my mind, but I didn't think you meant a screen display. That would look really cool.
@@EvilestMinion yeah it plugs into one of the ports on the graphics card so the computer just thinks you have 2 monitors. So you could show anything on it really. The glass stays there and the screen just sits right up against it.
Appreciate your yearly roundups very much as it's interesting to see a consolidated look back and opinion piece. Wish you all had gotten a chance to run through the HAF 700 as it is significantly cheaper than the Evo bringing the case down towards a sane price range. It's obviously a giant case, but it'd be interesting to see your team's thoughts on it as there are a bunch of things CM tried with the design.
Will the 2023 be out soon?
I'm very happy that there was at least one 5-1/4 option mentioned. I realize most people don't care about optical, but I can't even consider a case without a 5-1/4 bay. I don't want external, and I still have blurays, DVDs, CDs, older boxed PC games, and still want to be able to boot recovery disks and alternative OS's. I know I can use USB, but no one should pay that much for a recovery disk that is just going to lay around, and optical is still the best disposable format as well.
4000D was like 67$ on amazon at prime day, just mad I didn't buy more than one.
I got one for my step son's Christmas present build. Wanted one to replace my case. But didn't have the budget.
Where is the 2023 video? The computex roundup one is definitely not what we are looking for in terms of a year end case review video from your channel.
Currently running the montech x3. Its a lot smaller than it appears. Ditched the stock fans and running a 360 rad with 3 fans in the front and a vertically mounted MSI 4090 suprim liquid with its 240 mounted up top. 1600 watt power supply at the bottom and everything just BARELY fits but it does. Having so many fans in such a small area it runs rather cool. Only thing it lacks is usb C on top panel. 3 Push air from the front and 3 fans suck it out the top. 2 fans out the bottom help push air up and out. I have extenders on the power supply even and was still able to close the "back" side panel. Best 60 bucks I have ever spent on a case. Note: tons of room to the glass panel. Could easily mount a 5 slot card and not touch the side glass.
Me at the beginning of the video: "So what's the... best case scenario?
Appreciate it..I know it probably seems redundant to make these videos every year but I'm always on the hunt for a beneficial case. With these parts making computers into space heaters and becoming larger, getting a form factor that works well is a continuing challenge.
Any plans on reviewing the fractal design north? Love the design but I'm sceptical of the cooling performance
Due to the size of the 4090 I think it's time to start looking at the really big cases so we can easily accommodate and cool that beastly gpu and the future gpus. My friends laughed at me when I bought the thermaltake level 20 XT.
I'm still using the Fractal Torrent you recommended from last year. I feel like this case will last me for the foreseeable future.
Amazing video, really helped to see how stacked the top end cases are.
One suggestion if I may, could you also mention the MSRP of the cases on the graphs? That would really help to compare price vs performance!
6:58 Bro, pleease... I was holding a cup of coffee xd
The fractal design focus G is a good case just gotta remove the dust filters for maximum airflow